It’s just not fair

I don't agree with any elimination diets.

The old fashioned portion control/quit snacking/regular meals is IMO the healthiest and most sustainable way

HOWEVER the problem for women (especially after middle age) is that we tend to match portion sizes for ourselves which are fine for our husbands or growing teens, but too much for us.

Portion sizes everywhere are "man sized" and we get into the habit of believing that that is how much food we need.

Very low carb (& v high fat and/or protein) diets can cause other problems. Long term it's better to retrain your eyes and your appetite, and eat the right amount for you and nothing inbetween meals.

It's not a popular opinion on weight loss because its not a new gimmick and won't make headlines. But watch people who maintain healthy weights, it's what they do!

I hear you loud and clear!

Women do have to work much harder than men to lose weight.

DH and I both used myfitnesspal to get back in shape and his calorie allowance was ENORMOUS compared to mine. Which made me feel quite resentful at times when he was eating way more than me and still losing weight!

Especially as women get older you really have to cut RIGHT down on calories even if you're exercising loads.

Men can still lose weight by making "small changes" even as they get older.

It's annoying. As much as I am pleased that DH looks after his health, I still get irritated if he's telling me how well he has done when he is still eating nearly twice as much as me!!

Join slimming world. It works wonders for diabetics too.
It is easy to follow and nothing is banned. As Marianne1953 says, exercise, although good for fitness, does very little to combat being overweight, it is all about a healthy diet. Support is also very important.
I am not a consultant so have nothing to gain by suggesting this but it does work and may be worth a try. My daughter, who was very anti slimming clubs, lost 6 stones and I am a stone away from my 3 and half.

The low-carb support threads have been running for several years on Gransnet.
www.gransnet.com/forums/dieting_and_exercise/1241649-Low-carb-support-thread-number-three-2017
The "regulars" don't post so often these days, I think because we are all pretty much maintaining our weight loss with this way of eating. In our house have been eating this way for nearly four years now, weight is stable and OH has stayed out of pre-diabetes.
If it would help anyone to have some support then please post and someone will definitely respond!

I have just lost 5 kilos through stomach trouble. The oesophagus was inflamed. I lost my appetite and hours went by when I forgot to make meals. Its easier for a sick person to lose weight and most would prefer to be well.

I am now recovered but now I have small meals and have stopped baking as I don't want that acid reflux to start up again.
This shows that to lose weight something more radical has to happen. I have never believed that excercise helps you lose weight. You dont put on weight for any other reason than that you are eating too much.

I think a smaller plate is a good idea.

Anep, I was prediabetic but managed to kick it and 2 stones by giving up all unnecessary sugar.
Anything on a label that read Carbohydrates ( of which sugars ) more than 10g per 100g was banned from my diet anything else was okay.
It really was that simple. I think the shock of being told you are on the way the way to diabetes was enough for me.
I wasn’t reall6 that overweight but plainly could afford to loose 2 stones?

Lots of interesting info here - thanks everyone. I am struggling with weight having developed very painful arthritis in the hip which has put paid to a lot of the exercise I was getting before. Catch 22 - I can't have an op till I lose weight.

I was put on a very low fat diet for gallstones, which I stuck to rigidly until my operation, and lost a total of around 22 lbs with no other restriction on my food intake at all over about 6 months. I don't think I would have been able to stick to it without the incentive of avoiding gallbladder pain, as it was so boring and difficult at times if I was eating out. The weight loss averaged out at less than 1lb a week, so if I'd been doing it trying to lose weight I think I'd have given up, as that sounds like nothing. It also meant that I increased my sugar and carb intake - almost the only thing I could find to make food less dry and unappetising were pickles and sauces, which are full of sugar.

My late husband used to eat a lot more than me. He enjoyed a 'full English breakfast' every morning, and his puddings, but never put on weight, even when his poor health made him inactive. Two of our children take after him. The other two take after me. They put on weight easily and find it very difficult to take it off and keep it off.
i don't have a big appetite, and eat pretty healthily, but I do like cake and biscuits. I put on weight easily when I indulge, but don't take off much when I cut them out completely. Infuriating! I would love to get down to a normal weight, as I know that I would feel better for it. I am about 2 stone over my recommended weight. My health is good, and my bi-annual blood tests always come back normal, with no cholesterol problems. To lose weight I have to cut back drastically on the foods I like, and exercise energetically almost every day. I will be 80 next year, and am a darn sight healthier than most of my friends, even the younger ones. I am beginning to think that there is no point in fussing about my size, and I should just carry on as normal, and enjoy my life. What do you all think?

I do not think that you do have to give up sugar completely. I think the modern fashion of demonising individual items of food and food groups has done more to undermine sensible eating and contribute to weight problems and eating disorders than anything else.

Just eat a normal healthy diet, which for me is summed up in Michael Pollen's mantra Eat well, not too much, most of it plants, Do that and you should stay healthy and slim without any problem. it also means that if you enjoy a biscuit with your mid morning and/or afternoon break, then you have it. Just take one and put the packet back in the cupboard before you eat it so that you are not tempted to have a second.

You cannot eliminate sugar for your diet. It is present in so many foods like fruit and vegetables, you would have to have a very unhealthy diet to avoid it.

I am prediabetic. I hage lost a stone over the year. weight steady now (5'1" and 8 st12lbs. ) Eat healthy most days. But I find it so hard to eat no sugar at all. I have a little high cocoa chocolate and a biscuit every day. Ive even started baking my own, using stevia. How does one give it up totally. I would miss it so much.

When I was a student I was recommended the book "Eat fat, Grow slim" and went on the diet in there. It is the only diet that has ever really worked for me. It is quite hard to stick to when cooking for a family though as it is very low carb. Over the years my weight increased again - about a stone for each of my children - and I'm now type 2 diabetic. Over the last 18 months I've started walking more - kids bought me a fitbit which has helped a lot. I've lost about 3 stones from my heaviest, though some of that was fluid retention reduced by medication, but I feel so much better. As your weight decreases exercise becomes easier too. I seem to have plateaued though so may need to get stricter with my carbs. I'd like to reduce my medication at least , if not get off it altogether. Wednesday's programme 'The truth about carbs' was brilliant as many have said. I'm going to watch again on iplayer as I missed quite a bit taking a long phone call.

I think it is now well established that you can cure type 2 diabetes - in fact I know people who have done it. There is a well known book which describes how: www.amazon.co.uk/8-Week-Blood-Sugar-Diet-reprogramme/dp/1780722400?tag=gransnetforum-21 the author is Michael Mosely. If you google it you can buy second hand copies quite cheaply. I think that in addition to knowing what to eat and what not, it is critical to understand why we eat what isn't healthy and what we can do to change our attitudes to eating and our unhealthy eating habits. There is a good book to help with that: The Willpower Instinct
Author is Kelly McGonigal. Sorry! I've tried to add a link here but for some reason am failing - but google comes up with it.

I've found it is slowly making my passion for sugar wane. I had something this week that was 'too sweet - that's never happened before!
Good to hear of your 2 yrs Nanthewiser - thanks.

I have been eating the low-carb way for over 2 years now. I never thought I would be able to give up the (small) amount of sugar I had in tea and coffee, but after about a week, I no longer missed it.
I gave up bread, potatoes, rice and most baked goods (still have spaghetti once a week though!) I slowly lost 22lbs and am now 9 st. 8lbs, so much healthier for my 5 foot height.
It is important to eat healthy fats with this regime, so I don't stint on full fat milk, full fat Greek yoghurt, olive oil, butter, and cream in my coffee.
No longer do I have acid reflux, or "the slump" after meals, and it is supposed to be very good for inflammatory diseases such as arthritis (sugar is very inflammatory).
I watched "The truth about carbs" last night too, and it vindicated this way of eating. I was also delighted to hear that Dr David Unwin hopes to spread the word to all 52,000 GPs as currently, few GPs know much at all about low-carb, nor do Diabetes nurses, and the "Eatwell plate" is pushed at patients as being "healthy" when it is nothing of the sort, especially for Diabetics.
Time will tell, but maybe this is the start of a quiet revolution in healthy eating.

On the advice of a friend, recently DD decided to try a low carb diet, so we've cut out bread, potato and pasta. It has worked. She also suffers with IBS, and dr has said that lów carbs should help

I’ve had the same problem. DH has type 2 diabetes. He does the cooking. I eat the same as him, but smaller portions. Except for breakfast when he has a delicious muslie thats so high in calories I don’t even touch the packet, while I sit with my two Weetabix. He’s lost a stone in six months or so. I’ve stayed the same.

I know he’s been getting a lot more excercise as my legs haven’t been working too well of late, but walking takes a heck of a lot more effort for me so surely that should use a few calories? It’s now nearly two weeks since I had my new knee and I’ve been completely off food, dropping to around 500 - 600 calories a day. But I still haven’t lost any weight!

Jane43. Thanks. I thinks docs must get fed up with so many people willing to knock back the drugs so they don't have to change their lifestyle, that in the end they feel they are wasting their breath. I know 3 people on metformin who just carry on eating as before, not even trying to cut back sugar and carbs.
Dr Mosley has a book (on Amazon) the eight week blood sugar diet, a great read. I am also a fan of Van Tullekan, especially his programmes about medication and being drug free where possible. 60,000 young people on anti depressants that have more or less been found to have no benefit and side effects including depression and suicidal tendencies!

Jane43 - Yes, the tv programme on Wednesday night really spelled it out. No room for argument if one wants to avoid type 2 diabetes.

Cabbie21 do you have a large shopping centre near you? I am asking because when we have been in America we have seen a lot of people walking around them for exercise. The malls are huge over there so they get a good workout. There will be toilets close at hand too and of course you don’t have to worry about the weather. Just an idea.

Somebody mentioned food plates which are also a good idea. I did find a good diet for weight loss using cups. You are allowed 4 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit plus 5 ounces of protein, 8 fluid ounces of milk (ideally skimmed), 8 ounces of natural yogurt, one slice of wholemeal bread plus three servings of healthy fats which are a tablespoon of olive oil, half an avocado or a tablespoon of peaanut butter. It is restrictive but I did lose weight on it after being stuck for a while.

Cabbie21 you might like to look at the IBS network pages (www.theibesnetwork.org) for advice about diet as thinking changes on what you can and can't eat

Thanks everyone for all the other ideas,

Aepgirl, it is just not fair, is it?
DH lost two stone soon after he was diagnosed with type 2, so he has done well. He is very particular about what he eats and will not take hints about biscuits, but after losing another half a stone, I can't say anything.
Lots of healthy foods just go straight through me, so I can only eat certain things if I know I am staying home for the rest of the day.
We are going on holiday soon so I expect to get more exercise. I shall walk to get the paper and milk every day, as it is going to be too hilly for DH to do so. I hope the weather enables us to get out and about. We are self catering but will eat some meals out, but we will not overindulge though may have the odd treat.

lollee, well done to you. We were horrified at how ready they were to give my DH medication without advocating the diet and exercise route first. I am a fan of Dr Mosley too and Dr Xand who presented the Carb programme last night is very good, not least because he used to weigh 19 stone so knows how hard it is. All the unhealthy stuff has gone from our cupboards and freezer too, our shopping list has changed drastically. DH just has a couple of squares of 70% cocoa chocolate three of four times a week. We have also switched to vegetarian sausages and Sainsburys do Spinach and Mushroom burgers which are delicious. DH did have a Magnum ice cream last week on his birthday but it was a one-off treat and did no discernible damage, we gave the rest of the packet of four to the grandchildren.

DH has said there is no way he will go back to his old eating habits, he feels so much better. A friend has said go on the medication you can eat more or less what you want but that is not what he wants to do.

My ex-husband was diabetic so I also followed his eating regime. His cholesterol went down dramatically and mine shot up! He lost weight, I put it on. There is no justice.

Try reading the new Atkins book - low carb is not new!