Weight loss

[Filo]

On 27th May my wife finally persuaded me to join Slimming World, I'd not bothered before because I always thought it was a Woman thing, I felt well out of place going to get weighed, but I persevered, anyway yesterday was weekly weigh in day and so far I've lost 2st 4lb, I'm pretty chuffed with that and thought I'd share it with you, so any bloke out there that needs to lose weight get yourselves to Slimming World, it really does work, If I can lose weight, anyone can

[Nudga]

Well done Dave. Another good tip is to drink about four pints of water every day, no more aches and pains in a morning, no more head aches, controls weight and you feel less tired.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Well done Dave. Another good tip is to drink about four pints of water every day, no more aches and pains in a morning, no more head aches, controls weight and you feel less tired.

This. Since I started this in place of fizzy drink I lost loads, feel better and sleep less, feel fitter and more awake. Downside is more toilet trips as water goes through quicker. Makes a massive difference though and water bloats the stomach thus negating hunger. If I want to snack at work I'll drink water instead.

Well done Dave, it's simple if you can get into it and stick at it.  In 4 months I lost 2.5 stone - much better off for it.

[River Don]

I hardly touch fizzy pop anymore. It's the worst thing out, there are the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of Coke.

I was watching one of those Channel 4 food shows the other week, it was in Mexico, since they joined the North American Free trade area the amount of processed food they import has ballooned. They have a particular liking for pop, guzzling a couple of litres a day isn't uncommon. They went to a dentist and filmed all these obese kids/young teens with no teeth. Truly shocking.

I stopped sugar in tea and coffee long ago too.

[Mike_F]

I find the myfitnesspal app really good. Put in a few details about current dimensions and where you want to get to, how much you want to lose per week (I put a sensible 1.5 pounds in) and it gives you a daily calorie allowance.

It doesn't matter where the calories come from so I eat a balanced diet with a few treats in there. Also input any exercise and you can eat a bit more guilt free. I lost about 3lbs before I started tracking with the app and so far another stone and a half in the last 3 months.

[Jenny]

I have done Weight Watchers and Slimming World in the past but found that the best way to lose weight for me personally was simply moving more and eating less... I prefer Slimming World to Weight Watchers as it is easier to adapt to a busy lifestyle however I still find it a bit contrived and don't think it is the best to get a balanced diet.

At the minute I also use the myfitnesspal app, it helps me maintain a balanced diet, not only tracking calories but also getting towards a reasonable carb/protein/fat balance - on Slimming World I was far too carb heavy as the plan allowed it....

I lost almost 8 stone over the course of a couple of years and have since put 2 back on (as you do) and trying to now shift that. It is much harder work as you get smaller though. I used to easily drop 7lb in a week when I weighed 18.5 stone, I am lucky now if I drop that in a month!

[Dare to dream!]

Ive lost a couple of stone recently. Its amazing how many calories are in certain things when you check!

Green tea helped me, that stuff should be consumed by everyone regardless, so good for you

[River Don]

I find the myfitnesspal app really good. Put in a few details about current dimensions and where you want to get to, how much you want to lose per week (I put a sensible 1.5 pounds in) and it gives you a daily calorie allowance.

It doesn't matter where the calories come from so I eat a balanced diet with a few treats in there. Also input any exercise and you can eat a bit more guilt free. I lost about 3lbs before I started tracking with the app and so far another stone and a half in the last 3 months.

I did a similar thing with the 5:2 diet. Eat what you like 5 days a week but on the other 2 days eat as little as possible, no more than 500cals.

I dropped from verging on 15 stone to 11 stone. I'm a fairly stable 11 and a half now and it's more like a 6 :1 regime, though I have started cycling quite regularly too.

There are supposed to be other benefits to the 5:2. Animals can't get a sustained diet and scientists think calorie restriction on certain days gives us greater benefits than just reducing the amount you eat overall.

I like the system because I can eat a big burger and chips and have a few pints on a Saturday and a big Sunday roast and not feel guilty.

[Filo]

I have done Weight Watchers and Slimming World in the past but found that the best way to lose weight for me personally was simply moving more and eating less... I prefer Slimming World to Weight Watchers as it is easier to adapt to a busy lifestyle however I still find it a bit contrived and don't think it is the best to get a balanced diet.

At the minute I also use the myfitnesspal app, it helps me maintain a balanced diet, not only tracking calories but also getting towards a reasonable carb/protein/fat balance - on Slimming World I was far too carb heavy as the plan allowed it....

I lost almost 8 stone over the course of a couple of years and have since put 2 back on (as you do) and trying to now shift that. It is much harder work as you get smaller though. I used to easily drop 7lb in a week when I weighed 18.5 stone, I am lucky now if I drop that in a month!

I understand the moving more and eating less theory and burning off calories, but to be honest theres not much moving you can do behind the wheel of a taxi for 10 and 12 hour shifts

[5minstogo]

Great news well done on your weight loss.

I second what Mike and Jenny have said. "Diets" like Slimming World and Weight Watchers will work but they aren't really a lifestyle change. (unless you are going to follow the principles for ever more)

Step away from processed, sugary foods. Eat fresh, drink water, do some exercise. Myfitnesspal has really helped me to get very close to my goal weight.  Like Mike says, nothing is off limits so a few treats here and there aren't going to hurt. It also breaks down the nutrition for you so you are eating a balanced diet.

Eat less, do more.  Can't go wrong.

[River Don]

Filo

Best to concentrate on the eating less side of things then. The easy changes you can make are stop sweet drinks altogether. Limit chips, crisps, sweets, alcohol, eat smaller portions except fresh veg, have more of that.

It's actually much easier to lose weight through eating less than exercise anyway. It takes a lot of physical effort to burn off calories, it's far easier not to put them in.

Exercise really comes into it's own after the weight is gone as it seems to be most effective at preventing weight gain.

[knockers]

I lost 4 stone two years ago by cutting out the crap and joining the gym. I'd never done the gym thing so just put my earphones in and spent the first couple of months hitting the cross trainer.
After a while you get bored and unmotivated even though you see it dropping you so you need to move onto other equipment. I also now do yoga once a week which has helped.

At one stage I was going 5-7 times a week but now do between 2-5 a week with a bit of cycling.

I've recently bought a road bike and actually look ok in the lycra

I now find that I don't want to eat as much and start feeling low if I don't exercise which I guess is a good thing as when I hit a lull it spurs me on to attend more.

I've put a stone back on but some of that is fat turning to muscle and I've gone from xl clothes to medium which feels great when shopping. I actually cleared my whole wardrobe out and started from
new.

[Iberian Red]

I've recently bought a road bike and actually look ok in the lycra .

Those fairground mirrors were worth it then!
Anyway, fat is this year's black!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I have done Weight Watchers and Slimming World in the past but found that the best way to lose weight for me personally was simply moving more and eating less... I prefer Slimming World to Weight Watchers as it is easier to adapt to a busy lifestyle however I still find it a bit contrived and don't think it is the best to get a balanced diet.

At the minute I also use the myfitnesspal app, it helps me maintain a balanced diet, not only tracking calories but also getting towards a reasonable carb/protein/fat balance - on Slimming World I was far too carb heavy as the plan allowed it....

I lost almost 8 stone over the course of a couple of years and have since put 2 back on (as you do) and trying to now shift that. It is much harder work as you get smaller though. I used to easily drop 7lb in a week when I weighed 18.5 stone, I am lucky now if I drop that in a month!

I understand the moving more and eating less theory and burning off calories, but to be honest theres not much moving you can do behind the wheel of a taxi for 10 and 12 hour shifts

Try a bit of running/walking for 30 minutes or so a day.  I go for a run every day after work (have to when you sit in an office most of the time).  Even 30 minutes or so can burn 4-500 calories easily, probably more if heavier than me (which at 10st 5 is not hard).  It's also really good for the motivation and for me actually makes me feel more alive and with it, something in the hormones it releases apparently.  If you did that every day you'll find yourself moving faster, burning more and feeling better for it.

[River Don]

I did the wardrobe clear out too Knockers, as an added incentive not to go back to L/XL.

I can't be doing with gym work though, I find it just too boring. Cycling is pretty good, it gets you out and about, fresh air and all that. Admittedly it's easier to do when the weather is nice.

[Filo]

I have done Weight Watchers and Slimming World in the past but found that the best way to lose weight for me personally was simply moving more and eating less... I prefer Slimming World to Weight Watchers as it is easier to adapt to a busy lifestyle however I still find it a bit contrived and don't think it is the best to get a balanced diet.

At the minute I also use the myfitnesspal app, it helps me maintain a balanced diet, not only tracking calories but also getting towards a reasonable carb/protein/fat balance - on Slimming World I was far too carb heavy as the plan allowed it....

I lost almost 8 stone over the course of a couple of years and have since put 2 back on (as you do) and trying to now shift that. It is much harder work as you get smaller though. I used to easily drop 7lb in a week when I weighed 18.5 stone, I am lucky now if I drop that in a month!

I understand the moving more and eating less theory and burning off calories, but to be honest theres not much moving you can do behind the wheel of a taxi for 10 and 12 hour shifts

Try a bit of running/walking for 30 minutes or so a day.  I go for a run every day after work (have to when you sit in an office most of the time).  Even 30 minutes or so can burn 4-500 calories easily, probably more if heavier than me (which at 10st 5 is not hard).  It's also really good for the motivation and for me actually makes me feel more alive and with it, something in the hormones it releases apparently.  If you did that every day you'll find yourself moving faster, burning more and feeling better for it.

I'm 51 years old in less than a fortnight, currently I'm 23st 8lbs, I don't think I'm ready to do any running yet, I want to see my 52nd birthday

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Walking will do just the same though.

[5minstogo]

Run, walk, cycle, swim, gym or pogo on your knob end.

Being sedentary can be just as bad for you as being overweight and smoking 20 a day.

[Donny Dub]

Yes River Don, I like your advice I'm going to follow it.  Are you a personal trainer you seem to know what you're talking about OK.
Good luck.

[River Don]

Dub

No, you'd only have to take one look at me to know I'm not a personal trainer! I've lost a quite a lot of weight but I don't exactly match the Greek ideal for body shape yet.

When I decided I had to do something about my weight and lifestyle I did research how to go about it quite a bit. I decided the best way forward was change the diet first, I found the 5:2 worked really well, then slowly, slowly I built up the exercise. I started with walking, then made the walks longer, then I did some swimming and now I'm into the cycling, my mate was getting rid of his old mountain bike and asked me if I wanted it. I'm building up the distances with that slowly now. I'm not hardcore enough to wear Lycra yet.

The biggest hurdle I found was making the commitment to start. The 5:2 gave me a lot of confidence though because the weight really drops off quickly at first with that.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Filo

Couple of tips.

I dropped from 13st to 12st in two months last year by running and cutting back on calories. Two things did it.

1) Getting out running. Anybody can do it, even a 50 year old at 20st. I got into doing the Saturday morning 5k Parkruns, which is a brilliant way of getting fitter and getting motivated. It sounds like you're a bit of a way off that just yet but there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to do a 5k run/jog by Xmas.  If you're not confident in being able to set your own pace safely, try the NHS Couch-to-5k podcasts that talk you through it. It starts at a level that is a minute or so walking then a minute jogging (slowly if you want)  Do 30 mins of that 3 times a week and the weight will drop off you. And with a bit of luck, you'll get the bug. A bloke at the Hillsborough parkrun that I usually go to is about 17-18 stone to look at him. He's been doing the runs for about 8 months and his time has come tumbling down - nearly 40 mins when he started, which is more or less walking pace - now down to less than 30 mins. He's miles behind the fastest ones in the race every week, but it doesn't matter - he's winning his own battle and his cardio-vascular condition must be unrecognisable to a year ago. Get some initial weight off by doing the Couch-to-5k and that could be you over the next year.

2) Big one that worked for me on the calorie side. Cut out bread. I used to have 2-3 slices of toast for breakfast, a big sarnie for lunch and often bread with tea. It's pointless, wasted calories. What worked for me was replacing breakfast by a huge bowl of home made muesli every morning. Not that cardboard shite Alpen. Make it yourself. I make a huge tub every Sunday. Big bag of porridge oats, crush up cashew nuts, almonds, whatever other nuts you fancy, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins and cut up dates. Apart from the oats being very good GI food, a huge bowl of that in a morning sets like concrete in your stomach. I find that I totally stop snacking or even wanting lunch and I can go on till 6-7pm before getting hungry.

Give both of them a go for 2 months and I'll be amazed if you don't drop 2-3 stone and feel 100% better.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx

[GazLaz]

Good effort Filo. I lost a stone in a a month before I went on holiday. 19st down to 18st by just stopping eating shit. Just are meat, veg/salad and not much bread like BST says.

The bottled milkshakes, like Fridge or whatever it's called, are the drink with most sugar in believe it or not. Far more than a bottle of fizzy.

[River Don]

Alpen is 25% sugar.

Cut out the white powder first. It's worst stuff and easiest to do.

Sweet drinks include pop, fruit juice, squash, smoothies and milkshakes.

Carbs are more contentious. Slow release energy is okay, so eat brown rice, wholemeal pasta and brown bread but don't overdo it.

Cut the sugar first. Then processed (white) carbs.

[Sad-Rovers]

Cut out the white powder first. It's worst and easiest to do.

Summat has got to get him through those late nights on the Taxis:

[Dare to dream!]

Do you have treat meals? I need to have that promise of a treat to get through the week. I had bacon sarnie this time, f**king amazing after a week of eating clean

[River Don]

Do you have treat meals? I need to have that promise of a treat to get through the week. I had bacon sarnie this time, f***ing amazing after a week of eating clean

Go for the 5:2 you can pretty much eat what you like 5 days a week. The only question is can you put up with two days feeling hungry?

[IC1967]

Well done to all you fatties for getting the weight off. Those of you that are still fat keep going. The path you are on is very difficult. You need to think of it as a lifestyle change. You will fail if you don't view weight loss this way.

The 5:2 diet is the way to go. It is easily the most effective way to control weight and lose weight and has many health benefits.

[jonnydog]

I lost 30 pounds today. Parking ticket at Sainsburys in Thorne!!!




... Bugger!!!   

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

The other thing I'd add is the feeling of being hungry, it's horrible.  But it does pass and you'll get to a point where you just need to eat less and don't feel the hunger, the body adjusts, but the trick is to do it slowly, not in one big go.  I used to get through 2-3 litres of pop a day probably and maybe the odd pint of cider or two, but I got it down to 3 glasses a day and now I have one can of pop a day (which is my way of controlling it) and don't really drink alcohol much.

Snacking is my hard one, particularly if working later at night, I can sit and eat whilst working and I've got back into that again, so need to cut it down.  Though since I lost any weight it becomes easier to keep off if you're running.  I'm training for the great north run and that running means I need to eat a little more so it means I can be that bit naughtier as I'm burning it off.

[Donny Dub]

Good tips on here about healthy eating and exercise, thank you.
BST's advice to cut out bread is very effective.  A friend used to eat toast whenever he was peckish, he's stopped and with no other changes he's lost a lot of weight and he looks very fit.
Good luck.