Weight loss…which method??

I have been trying to loose weight and it has been very slow going, in fact it has been the hardest ever and I think it is because I am doing less due to loss of horse, so I am no longer carrying buckets of water, mucking out, etc, etc. I still walk the dog, but she doesn't want to go very far now she is 14, so we are both old ladies.

I have cut out all the usual, cakes (I found out who has been the main cake eater!), biscuits, and even bread (my digestion is so much better), have tiny measured portions of cheese, basically follow the Slimming World diet, when I lost nearly 2 stone 3 years ago. I have lost some weight, enough to get back into my favourite summer clothes, but it hasn't been at all easy and very, very slow.

Interestingly though, I don't feel all that hungry and have to make myself eat sometimes. More exercise I suppose is the answer.
 
Burnerbee said:
Another suggestion that may not be everyone’s cup of tea - I lost, and have never put back on, half a stone, when I stopped eating meat (and I stopped having a lot of stomach aches and pains, which was better still).
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And I know at least one seriously overweight vegans.

@Orangehorse exercise isn't generally the answer according to latest thinking - this is in particular about menopause but exercise boosts hunger etc for everyone
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreRebelfit/posts/pfbid02BubQMVPcFq7dVwqKxyhfQtMb9JYDhfbLy6HDhW4mGygkstwqTJL3WU8evqMbEEU6l
.

Set point weight is SO critical it seems, as I've always said, we're not bunsen burners - have a read of another from the same camp
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreRebelfit/posts/pfbid02HarzwmZD8Q737WYKBSd12HAuzMZSF3yxJ9qg3ujt7gKoXTLwux2AwErh4e9V7vUfl
 
Nrft just ops update and I probably shouldn't be saying anything but

Is it possible you're at your body's set point if not very overweight?
Don't obsess. It sets you up to fail thinking about food all the time

Drink more water. Build muscle. Cut out or at least down significantly alcohol. Focus on food and movement that you enjoy, not that's a chore, whilst still being high fibre/high protein/low UPF & it might be worth getting a blood test of hormone levels to see if there's anything there which could be causing issues
 
It sounds like you’re going too hard on the diet so you are setting yourself up to fail.
I would look at your normal day of eating and choose one “bad” habit to try and break.

Do you tend to have 3 or 4 biscuits with a cuppa?
Allow yourself 1 biscuit.

Drink a lot of juice?
Pick 3 days of the week to allow yourself juice but switch to water the other 4.

Snacking on crisps and sweeties?
Choose one snack for the day. Have it whenever you like but that’s your treat.

Portion size too large?
Weigh what you’re putting on your plate and reduce everything by a little bit.

Pick something that you know is unhelpful to your weight loss and try and break that habit.
Make small changes that’s achievable instead of an overwhelming overhaul of your diet. You may not lose weight quickly but making better choices will hopefully make for a longer term healthier lifestyle.

I’m very pro exercise but it only counts for about 20% of calories burned in a day so trying to make the rest of your day a bit more active should help too.
Park a bit further away from the shops and walk.
Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Use half your dinner break to go for a brisk walk
Got a spare hour to kill? Use it to be active.
 
sbloom said:
And I know at least one seriously overweight vegans.
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My sister switched to a vegetarian diet for several months and while trying to hit her macros she ended up putting on weight. Although her food was nutritious, pulses and nuts etc are higher in calories to get similar amount of protein compared to lean meat which is much lower calorie and higher protein. She said she felt quite sluggish and lacking energy too which I was surprised about.

She did it for ethical reasons so she really did try to make it work but it didn’t for her. But it may work very well for others.
 
New habits are really hard to build, it's why I think the set point weight is realistically the best way to start out. I couldn't do that list @Peglo, it would take so much mental energy that the rest of my day/life would suffer. Learning about our relationship with food, emotional and physical, has to be in there as a large part of the approach otherwise we just use up our willpower, which is far from infinite.

If the list worked, I mean worked for people in the real world, we wouldn't have such a problem.
 
sbloom said:
New habits are really hard to build, it's why I think the set point weight is realistically the best way to start out. I couldn't do that list @Peglo, it would take so much mental energy that the rest of my day/life would suffer. Learning about our relationship with food, emotional and physical, has to be in there as a large part of the approach otherwise we just use up our willpower, which is far from infinite.

If the list worked, I mean worked for people in the real world, we wouldn't have such a problem.
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The idea isn’t to do the whole list. Just pick one thing to work on as as you say overhauling everything at once is far too much.

I never used to drink water and had far too much juice. I decided to change that one thing and now I have no interest in drinking fizzy juice, energy drinks or even squash.
I never crave it. It was about breaking that habit and thinking about what I was drinking and why. I drink water all the time now and enjoy it.

That is where I started and now I’m mindful of everything I eat and drink. Do I need this food for fuel? For the enjoyment? Am I eating for the sake of it? I don’t eat something unless it’s worth the calories and I do indulge at times but I rarely regret what I eat.

No it won’t work for people with real issues with food but not everyone does, they just have bad habits that diets don’t help. They are just masking those habits for the duration a diet is being done and once it comes to the end of the 4 month (whatever timescale it is) they go right back to old habits.
 
Have you thought of seeing a nutritionist? This has really helped me as I only needed a few tweaks as my diet wasn't that bad but I wasn't eating enough protein or drinking enough water throughout the day. Small changes like going for a walk after eating whereas usually I come in to eat and then don't move for a while. I also had a hair test done which showed my thyroid and adrenals weren't functioning as they should so needed to add various supplements etc. For me spending a bit of money on it gave me the incentive to stick at it. I've lost a stone since April and even managed to not put any weight on on holiday despite eating lots of delicious food and partaking in the odd alcoholic beverage 😜
 
Along with everything else, DH needs to be on board with helping you to achieve your goals. Have a sit down with him and explain what you are trying to do and why (this is important,) and ask him to please respect your efforts and stop sabotaging them. Tell him you are miserable as you are and really want to change (and why.) Set a realistic goal and time frame and ask him to go for it as a team effort.

If you make this happen for 90 days, you will make new habits and break old ones. But its so much easier with support.
 
Mountaineer said:
Along with everything else, DH needs to be on board with helping you to achieve your goals. Have a sit down with him and explain what you are trying to do and why (this is important,) and ask him to please respect your efforts and stop sabotaging them. Tell him you are miserable as you are and really want to change (and why.) Set a realistic goal and time frame and ask him to go for it as a team effort.

If you make this happen for 90 days, you will make new habits and break old ones. But its so much easier with support.
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So true, it massively helps that we now have no rubbish food in the house whereas before my OH would sneak stuff in but he has now embraced the healthier way of eating and it's made a huge difference
 
Burnerbee said:
Another suggestion that may not be everyone’s cup of tea - I lost, and have never put back on, half a stone, when I stopped eating meat (and I stopped having a lot of stomach aches and pains, which was better still).
Click to expand...
Some people don't have the right enzymes to digest meat which might be why your stomach was hurting.

I know overweight vegans and vegetarians though - including one vegan who struggled for years to get pregnant and it only happened when she reintroduced some meat protein. I imagine nutritionally her body was struggling somewhere (her UPF intake wasn't great)
 
Peglo said:
My sister switched to a vegetarian diet for several months and while trying to hit her macros she ended up putting on weight. Although her food was nutritious, pulses and nuts etc are higher in calories to get similar amount of protein compared to lean meat which is much lower calorie and higher protein. She said she felt quite sluggish and lacking energy too which I was surprised about.

She did it for ethical reasons so she really did try to make it work but it didn’t for her. But it may work very well for others.
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Quite interesting: we know a Kiwi who runs ultra marathons, rather successfully.
His background is NZ livestock farm, very used to physical work and meat eating - but - when he gets into training for ultramarathon competitions (which seem to be more a ‘thing’ in the Southern Hemisphere) - he goes full-on vegan, as do some of those he trains with. Those guys (inc. one woman) are seriously fit, look great, bounce with energy and stamina, which was a complete surprise to us!
 
I think we're all so variable. I come from a line of women who gain weight easily but I have medication which means I need to weigh out carbs - so that keeps those under control (for me & partner) and weight loss as a result. My mother will use a smaller plate to reduce hers if she needs to drop some kg and that seems to work quickly for us.

If i don't have sufficient protein in a day I'm exhausted. Last Saturday despite the heat I had tonnes more energy after having eggs for breakfast - normally bran flakes (because time in the mornings is short).

But snacking is the real enemy. My OH does like to buy biscuits...
 
sbloom said:
And I know at least one seriously overweight vegans.

@Orangehorse exercise isn't generally the answer according to latest thinking - this is in particular about menopause but exercise boosts hunger etc for everyone
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreRebelfit/posts/pfbid02BubQMVPcFq7dVwqKxyhfQtMb9JYDhfbLy6HDhW4mGygkstwqTJL3WU8evqMbEEU6l
.

Set point weight is SO critical it seems, as I've always said, we're not bunsen burners - have a read of another from the same camp
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreRebelfit/posts/pfbid02HarzwmZD8Q737WYKBSd12HAuzMZSF3yxJ9qg3ujt7gKoXTLwux2AwErh4e9V7vUfl
Click to expand...
Oh dear, you disappoint me so much, I always thought you were quite wise, but I think that was an unnecessary pop against vegans - so acceptable in modern culture, but still not kind.
 
I only know two vegans.

One overweight. One very fit.

I have changed my diet quite dramatically fairly recently and now only eat meat in two meals each week.

The rest of the week is largely plant based, lots of whole foods, fruits, veggies, nuts and wholegrains.

I really like Oddbox and get a medium box each week. Lovely, high quality fruit and vegetables and it helps me to get different food into my diet, that i wouldnt usually buy.

Oddbox - Eat good. Do good.

oddbox
app.oddbox.co.uk app.oddbox.co.uk

Incase anyone fancies signing up and getting some money off 😇

Anyway, cutting meat down has improved my complexion massively. I have plenty of energy and generally feel better in myself.

I dont think i would ever go entirely plant based, but am certainly seeing the benefits in eating less meat.
 
Weve introduced quite a bit more fish into our diet. It has helped a lot. Good protein, low fat.

Ive been pretty much bedridden for the past 3 weeks with a back problem and DH has taken over the cooking, which is normally very much my wheelhouse.

My biggest issue with that has been to not appear ungrateful, but also persuade him he doesn't need to kill himself preparing a major blowout banquet every night with several different veg, etc, etc. All cooked in butter and olive oil. And desert, and would I like chocolate? Bless his dear heart.

I'd be like a house if I ate like this all the time, but apparently acute pain burns a lot of calories and I've actually lost a lot of weight. Its probably all my carefully built muscle. Sigh.
 
canteron said:
Oh dear, you disappoint me so much, I always thought you were quite wise, but I think that was an unnecessary pop against vegans - so acceptable in modern culture, but still not kind.
Click to expand...

I'm somewhat taken aback that you think it's a pop at vegans. Someone suggested stopping eating meat could be a good way to lose weight, I countered that it certainly doesn't work for all, though perhaps I should get in trouble for appearing to conflate vegetarians and vegans. I was just using the more clear cut case.
 
sbloom said:
I'm somewhat taken aback that you think it's a pop at vegans. Someone suggested stopping eating meat could be a good way to lose weight, I countered that it certainly doesn't work for all, though perhaps I should get in trouble for appearing to conflate vegetarians and vegans. I was just using the more clear cut case.
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I certainly didn't read it as a pop at vegans (or vegetarians). Excluding meat, dairy etc from a diet can have nutritional consequences and if replaced by UPF then weight gain can be one of them.
 
Kirstineridesagain said:
Little update. I have tried almost everything now, and failed - I have actually gained weight. 😬🧐🥲

I’m thinking about weight loss constantly, starting every day healthily and then I just don’t succeed for some reason. Social reasons (I have a very slim husband who loves treats and to offer them round, or to have a glass of wine with me, then lots of parties lately) or I am very good all day and just ravenous by evening. Or I eat too much in the day and so by evening I think “sod it.” I have just taken up Pilates and running but no effect on my weight or shape yet.

I’ve tried slimfast shakes, high protein/low carb, intermittent fasting, plain calorie counting. I won’t give up, but I’m starting to lose faith in myself. I’m not overweight enough for weight loss medications (and am generally very sceptical of medicines so wouldn’t take them anyway). I’ve got six days until an important horsey event but thinking of not attending as I feel like a stuffed sausage in my riding gear. Help! It’s obviously my mindset that is failing me.
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The mindset problem is the pressure you are putting on yourself. Big drastic changes to your eating patterns, hyperfocusing on it, setting unrealistic timescales, wanting to be good all the time, all set you up for failure. It's the whole "you can't think about the white elephant" problem. The foods you "can't" have, or the glass of wine or the little treats become huge with big flashing lights of temptation.

You can make long term, sustainable changes just doing small things that are easy to do every day. Save wine for the weekend, reduce portion sizes of calorie dense foods rather than cutting them out completely, bulk up your normal meals with green veg, keep at the running and focus on that. You won't get a "I lost 2 stone in 6 weeks!!" transformation this way, and frankly that's a good thing, but you will get a slower result that will stick around as you build better habits and then you also won't have to do this all over again next year.

Think about it this way, you wouldn't take your horse, lunge them for 90 mins a day, on a handful of super-soaked hay for 2 weeks to get them slim and then put them back into a grass field and expect them not to gorge themselves. You'd cut the extra calories from hard feed they don't need, gradually up the exercise and adjust high fibre forage long term. Just treat yourself with the same consideration!
 
Amymay Again said:
People can be overweight regardless of what diet they choose (meat, veg, vegan).

As ever the solution is to eat better (probably eat less) and move.

I know I'm a broken record, but it's that simple.
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This in spades. Having recently been on my own journey and educated myself, at the end of the day there are too many excuses. People (including myself) have to just get honest with themselves and how much they are putting into their mouth each day, including drinks. It all adds up.
 
Eat less and move more is still treating us as bunsen burners. It works in someone without a tricky relationship with food or other issues that affect how they process calories or that influence their diet and exercise choices (the partner stocking up calorie rich foods comes under this but there are SO many more). I will continue to recommend that people look first at the concept of set point weight and start there.
 
sbloom said:
Eat less and move more is still treating us as bunsen burners. It works in someone without a tricky relationship with food or other issues that affect how they process calories or that influence their diet and exercise choices (the partner stocking up calorie rich foods comes under this but there are SO many more). I will continue to recommend that people look first at the concept of set point weight and start there.
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What does op (or anyone) do if their SPW (which I totally believe in fwiw, my SPW is 9st - 9st 5) is too heavy for their pony, which I think might be the case here?!
 
FieldOrnaments said:
What does op (or anyone) do if their SPW (which I totally believe in fwiw, my SPW is 9st - 9st 5) is too heavy for their pony, which I think might be the case here?!
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All you can do is change the pony, unless you're capable of being 'underweight' and sustaining it, which wouldn't be healthy or easy. Or don't ride the pony.
 
@sbloom I like Rebelfit’s principles, they make a lot of sense. I’m following now.

As for set point weight, I have been several different weights in my adult life, and it just increased (probably stress/hormones) but I don’t accept that this latest weight gain should dictate a new set point. I was diagnosed with pcos in my twenties when I struggled to conceive (but then had four children!) however my periods are regular and I guess perimenopause is what’s contributing too.

Since I wrote my update I’ve tried to stay calm but determined to make some changes (but slimming world isn’t for me). I want to add in weight training but can’t start that until the autumn (I’m away all summer). I’ll do my Pilates and short run/walks plus swimming and if I can manage to lose a bit rather than gain that’s a win.

I’ll re-read all your advice and devise a strategy that won’t set me up to fail. Thanks everyone.
 
Abacus said:
All you can do is change the pony, unless you're capable of being 'underweight' and sustaining it, which wouldn't be healthy or easy. Or don't ride the pony.
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Losing about a stone would just take me back to a set point I had for several years, and I was by no means underweight then. I was underweight for a brief time in my early twenties - it was definitely not sustainable (and didn’t look good with my bone structure- my hips were sticking far out!).
 
FieldOrnaments said:
What does op (or anyone) do if their SPW (which I totally believe in fwiw, my SPW is 9st - 9st 5) is too heavy for their pony, which I think might be the case here?!
Click to expand...
Focusing on set point weight doesn't change any of this, if you're too heavy for your pony, don't ride. Set point weight changes, it's not the only weight you'll ever gravitate towards, it's far from a fait accomplis, it's to help with understanding WHY dieting doesn't work and why starting at weight loss and a programme like SW probably (pretty much definitely) won't work long term. Go read some @rebelfit stuff or even Google it, there's a fair bit out there about altering your SPW.
 
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