What weight loss plans are you following?

[TheEditor]

What plans are you following to help you lose weight? What are the pros and cons? Would you recommend them to the community?

[bunblebeaz]

NHS 12 Week Plan!

I'm just following a healthy eating diet of my own making, and making sure its 1400 calories a day.

Pros:

> Free

> Easy

> Eat what you want

> Free guide and tracker

> Educational - you have to think about the food you are eating

> Helps make you change your whole lifestyle rather than just a diet

Cons:

> There is a small window at the start where you need to use your brain to figure out what you can eat in a 1400 cals a day diet

> You have to add up

Would I recommend? YES!!

[swimmingbunny in reply to bunblebeaz]

I would agree with all the above plus I use a free tracker app which was mentioned on one of the posts on this site so I don't even have to add up!

[tmeakins in reply to bunblebeaz]

myfitnesspal.com is a one stop shop for calorie counting, exercising and barcode scanner - been lazy to enter everything down. Its free to use on phone and tablet.

[Hidden]

Hi Steve,

I've kind of adapted the 12 week plan to fit my needs and lifestyle.

Perhaps more so than the 12 week plan, I have been taking on board the advice on the NHS live well lose weight web pages about most issues.

I don't count calories accurately, but I do have a pretty good working knowledge of what foods have how many. I weigh daily - first thing in the morning - so I can keep an eye on the weight loss and make sure I'm not losing weight too fast.

My strategy has really been to take my eating and exercise/activity and get control of it.

Firstly, I've chucked out - or severely limited it - all the junk food, the fried food, the sugary sweet stuff, the fatty and the creamy things. I barely do chocolate any more and wen I do fry I use one of those spray things.

Secondly, I've cot the portion size under control. I now always weigh portions of rice, pasta, muesli, etc. I often only use half a can of something, put a plastic cover on it and stick it in the fridge rather than "use it up" and other tactics like that.

Thirdly my overall diet is vastly better than it was with much more fruit, veg and fish and much less sugar, fat and salt.

Fourthly, I got an old Bullworker on ebay and have upped the exercise using that.

Although that seems all a bit idiosyncratic, in fact, it's not that far off of what the 12 week plan says to do.

Since January 11, I'm down from 106.1 to 88.3 kgs (this morning) ...... so it works!

And I feel so much better for it, it's truly hard to put into words.

The Cons - well it does take a tad of commitment and perseverence, but not epic amounts of either.

And doesn't all change make some demand upon you?

I can't see it's any harder than changing jobs or changing schools and it's a whole lot less hassle than moving home or getting married!

[swimmingbunny in reply to Hidden]

Your last paragraph made me laugh!

[Hidden]

Agree with all the comments above - low fat, high fibre 1400 calories per day diet, and for me very little bread or pasta too to reduce bloating.

I have been reading a lot about vegan/vegetarians diets recently as I have started my half marathon training and I certainly don't want a repeat of last year's anaemia problems when I upped my training for the 10K race. Just as I typed that I realised that my longer runs since the race can easily be 8 or 10K so the iron treatment I have been on obviously did its trick. I am reading stuff on the No Meat Athlete site at the moment, and given there are vegan endurance athletes doing 50 miles or 100 miles races it is obvious that it is possible to run longer distances - even for me on a quasi-vegan diet and a fraction of those distance.

Mietjie

[legs2013]

My problem isn't really with my diet. I don't like junk food, crisps, chocolate ect, having suffered with depression since the age of 13 I found yoga, keeping fit and eating healthy helped my moods. My problem started three years ago when my 12 year old daughter was hospitalised for 5 months having had a mental breakdown, I became depressed which lead to a breakown, medication for the depression and a lack of exercise made me put on weight. January last year I started at the gym then In Feburay I ruptured my Achilies Tendon I was laid up again for months then in October 2013 I became a full time carer to my daughter, but since January 2013 when I found this site, I've started exercising again my medication has been reduced and my weight is going down and the depression has started to lift. Health Unlocked has been a real life line, there are some amazing people that have wrote fantasic bloggs that have really inspired me to see the light again.

[geemel79]

well im combining two weight loss journeys,

I started on the nhs 12 week plan which t first was going well but the increqsed food consumption soon started a negarive effect on my ibs so now whilst im still eating healthy an usy myfitness pal to monitor calories im also using herbalife products two shakes a day and my evening meal, ive more or less cut out carbs from my diet too and eating alot more lowcal-protein ratio foods like chicken and turkey although i keep a stash of mixed wholenuts and raisins and belvita biascuits in my drawer at work if im feeling peckish

[geemel79]

oh ive so far lost 203lbs to 193.2lbs in 6 weeks and two days

[Mazhar1]

Hi, Good question.

I am using the NHS plan and also following The 90 Day Challenge weight loss and fitness plan.

I have lost 1kg in one week since being on the plan.

It is really working for me and I have also recommended it to my family and friends. They have also joined me on this.

We inspire each other on facebook and we put our 90 day goal on our page.

The period of 90 days is good to see real a difference.

The shakes are actually quite nice to taste and there are additional snack cookies.

The aim is to break the habit of looking at food as a crutch and instead looking to each other for support and motivation.

It is new in the UK but 5000 people have already joined in the last 10 days.

We all know its about regular exercise and food portions but some of us need that extra support in the beginning.

I found that using the NHS plan and the 90 Day Challenge most effective.

I have read so many posts from members that would benefit from this method but don't want to come across as using your site as a promoting tool. Let me know how I can recommend it to the community.

I can provide a link to a website with a 5 minute video explaining The 90 Day Challenge.

Many thanks for posting your question.

[charleigh1189]

hi all i am on the slim-fast diet but have combined it with the nhs strength and flex program and to start the couch to 5k in a few weeks.

like the podcast as it is someone talking you through every step so thanks to the NHS, will let you know how it goes as first week xx

but yes would defiantly recommend it to friends and family

[geemel79]

one thing im finding is having a bad day at least once a fortnight kick starts my metabolisom if im plateauing, thursday i had gone up just over a half pund, ie i have a carb/fat/sugar day and then return to the healthy eating(friday half a domino's tandoori hot and chicken strippers with the kids, saturday 10 vodkas with red bull, sunday dinner and birthday cake oooops maybe a bit too much but still a 4lb loss over the weekend)

I am now sitting at 190.6lbs and looking forward to my weigh in on monday which is the end of week 8. Ideally i'll weigh in at 189 and that will be me reaching my first stone

ive been taking pics and uploading them to a facebook group I created whilst on the worst areas Im not noticing a major change(ass, hips and tummy) I am noticing the definition in my face, neck and shoulder area and in the the rear view you can see the V shape towards my waist becoming more defined also.

I think by allowing myself little treats is helping me stick to this and im not cheating myself as i am quite open about my intake

add me on myfitness geemel79