Put on a stone over last twelve months

A friend of mine lost a lot by eating normal balanced diet but simply reducing portion sizes

Sparkling just sent you a PM.

I’ve tried that Luca, I think I need a personal trainer and dietician.?

Eat a lot of fruit and veg, especially veg. they are low in calories and very filling.

Have you considered joining something like Slimming World. I buy the magazine, although I do not attend the meetings, purely for the recipes in it, which are fillin and enjoyable.

I am getting a magazine today Monica, I need all the help I can get, what I would like is a calorie book listing good and bad foods, I used to have one but got rid of it and the cakes took over.

Have a look at the NHS website for a healthy eating weight loss plan.

Have a look at Micheal Moseley. He lost weight by a huge reduction in carbohydrates, increase in protein, good fats and lots of vegetables. I started eating like this as I’m pre-diabetic and have now lost a stone in weight. It’s challenging at first but it works. The Newcastle diet has also been shown to work. The additional benefits are that fats round your vital organs will decrease and hopefully make you less likely to develop T2 diabetes.

There is a lot of medical controversy around the current “healthy” eat well plate. Some scientists believe that carbs are the bad boys in this. It’s rather like the earlier controversies around the Atkins diet. It’s quite a minefield.

BTW, I didn’t realise that I would loose weight quite so dramatically as I don’t have any bathroom scales. It’s just a question of changing your eating habits. I usually only have 2 slices of wholemeal toast for breakfast and stay away from any other visible carbohydrates. Small snacking is now usually a handful of mixed nuts.

Good luck with whatever path you choose.

Sparkling I am in the process of buying a calorie count book. We had a roof leak at the weekend and several of my cookery books, and my calorie counter book got soaked and had to be ditched, so I started to look online yesterday. But there are so many and the reviews point out some of the problems with some of them, that I still haven't decided which one to buy.

You can get free calories apps, if you have a smart phone, very handy. Or there are books available for calorie, fat and carbohydrate counts.

I would love to cut down on carbs but really struggle to think what to eat, I don’t like that many vegetables sadly. Eg don’t like tomatoes (I know, fruit) kale beetroot peppers cabbage

Cut down on processed foods, do not eat anything that comes in a packet with more than 3 ingredients listed. Buy organic- it’s more expensive so you’ll buy less. Drink large glass of water whilst preparing food. Try to factor in 30 minutes walk at least per day and any other exercise you enjoy- preferably outside- gardening, swimming whatever.

You are not alone Sparkling !
Mr L went for his annual health check a couple of days ago and the nurse told him he was the only patient she had seen that was the same weight or less as a year ago.

I recommend drinking a lot of water, particularly a large glass
About twenty mins before a meal, and cut portion sizes.

Avoid fat, sugar and alcohol. Not easy and I struggle , even though pre Covid I did well with Slimming World. Have' nt gone back yet. Processed foods are not good and most certainly do not help my digestion so I avoid those. Good luck !

Lots of good advice here Sparkling-
I would just add -
Don’t expect instant results and have a positive mental attitude to stick to it.
How lovely to be such a good baker, but perhaps just for special occasions,
I really think by making a few changes immediately and ongoing you will lose the weight you want, feel healthier and have more energy.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

There are a lot of websites that will help you count calories, I use one called "Fat Secret" - you keep a daily diary where you list the food you have eaten and it will give you the calories, (you do need to weigh some foods) and it will add up your total. Having tried every new "wonder" diet I've come to the conclusion that calorie counting is the only way I can lose weight.

Sparkling, I think you will have great success by looking differently at the outcome you want to achieve!

Firstly, you say you’ve been told to lose 20lbs. I imagine this is for medical reasons. So, reframe that to “I want to be 20lbs lighter, which will really improve my health. I’m doing this for me - and it’s going to help me feel and look my best.”

Focus on what you will gain, not lose. We humans don’t like loss, we seek more of everything!

Processed food is not satisfying. If you add whole foods daily you truly will find them much more filling. Supermarkets only offer minimal wholefood offerings (because their profits come from the unhealthy stuff!) so I’d suggest finding a good online supplier.

Watch the recent BBC programme called What are we feeding our kids?, presented by Dr Chris van Tulleken. He used himself as a junk/processed food guinea pig for a month and the results were shocking!

I think if you make new and different food choices because you want better for yourself, you will be surprised and pleased at the shift in your mindset - and the scales. You also won’t be hungry! I wish you success.

Weightwatchers used to tell members that it takes 20 minutes before the brain registers that the stomach is full. So maybe stop for a bit before thinking about that extra helping?

Eating more protein at breakfast is supposed to keep us feeling satisfied for longer throughout the day. I had two boiled eggs in addition to my porridge the other day and it certainly worked.

My friend has lost loads on Michael Mosleys Fast 800 ?

When we retired I thought it would be nice and civilised to have an afternoon tea every day. Result was we expanded? so that had to be knocked on the head!

Then DH was diagnosed pre-diabetic (heart issues) and somDr Moseley was wheeled in. That worked.

I keep a tight reign on my carbohydrate intake as I have type 1 diabetes. Things I have discovered to be of major help are LoDough pizza bases and Naked noodles/rice. Both of these have zero carbs so I find them really useful for low carb dinners (I love curries and pizzas). Also I often eat an oven cooked pepper filled with chilli. I like lattes but all milk is high in carbs. I’ve changed to unsweetened almond milk which is much less and tastes nice. I’ve lost over a stone just with these tweaks.

I have recently fallen off the wagon, yet again. But when I was in the right mindset, I found eating higher protein and "good fats" and lower carbs, worked best for me. ie Fast 800, this forum is very helpful and has recipes. thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/forum/fast-800/

First few days are tough, but then the cravings and hunger disappeared. I would often eat first meal about noon, and drink lots of water. Good luck what ever you decide.

Also logging everything I ate on My Fitness Pal was a great help.

Lowering carbohydrates and sugar intake can show a significant change in weight, drink plenty of water and fresh food items.

Most of us have put on a bit, surely. I'm walking more to help but I don't do diets - just healthy eating. I concentrate on getting all the good stuff - rather than depriving myself of the bad.

If I eat plenty of salads and vegetables (often from the fridge, ready cooked) some wholemeal bread or pasta, beans, tofu, brown rice, oatmeal, nuts and seeds etc. - I don't have too much room to pig out on treats.

I eat before I'm very hungry (to make wiser choices) with a large breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner. I'm trying to drink more water between meals too.

I made kale crisps yesterday and actually liked them! I tried baking 'healthy' almond/peanut cookies the other day but found them too soft. I'll keep experimenting.

I also use my fitness pal it is easy to use and has lots of everyday items in the calorie search.