Hi!

I'm over 6 stone overweight, lots of reasons - divorced, self esteem, depression... I got motivated a year or so after getting divorced and lost over 2.5 stone & was really happy I was going in the right direction, met someone, had an awful relationship for 18 months & then put the weight on post-break-up.

Now I'm in limbo. I can't seem to get kick started.

I did weight watchers before to help me lose 2.5 stone when it was pro points. This was perfect for me as I'm a picky eater. Now it's smart points, they've given low calorie things high points because they want people to not eat them because they're considered 'unhealthy'. That doesn't work for me...

I want results so I'm motivated to continue. I try things for 2 weeks & when I don't see any results I give up. I'm not insane, I'm not one of these people who want to lose 6 stone in 6 weeks... however I want to see the results for my hard work.

I joined a gym on Tuesday & have been twice already. So that should help. It's really just my food... I was speaking to a PT at the gym who recommended low/no carbs for fat loss. Your body will only eat fat for energy if it has no carbs to thrive on.

I was thinking about the cambridge diet because it's easy, can't go wrong on it - at least to kick start my weight loss... however that's not no carb is it?

Is there such a thing like meal replacement, or that's really structured so I can just stick to a regimented plan, that's no carb... to get me started? Then I want to spend some time working out appropriate nutrition - I may get some plans drawn up by the PT's at the gym but they're quite expensive.

Ideas?

Thanks in advance.

From a strictly non medical, purely personal point of view, I could suggest you look at The Harcombe Diet. Focus is on real food, not replacements; UK based, so the foods they talk about are stuff we can recognize/buy. It's low carb but not Very Low carb.

TBH, I'm not losing weight terrifically quickly on it - but I'd already lost 5 stone before I started it, "only" got 2 to go. On the other hand, I feel better both physically and mentally than I have done for years. Not hungry. Many people lose very quickly when they start. Might be worth a look - you can read the THD forums for free, see if it might appeal.

As you know starting really is the hardest part For me it was trying to get into the right mind set or long term I just wouldn't stick to anything. I joined the gym about a month back and you'd be surprised with how much you can lose even if you don't change your eating habits, its great to exercise in an environment where everyones really motivated. Sorry I can't comment on particular diets, I'm just calorie counting and its working fine for me Good luck with it all

Hey, weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. Eat less junk/sugary foods and focus more on fruits, veges and meats. Do at least 30 minutes of walking per day after a meal and weight loss is inevitable after that. Occasionally have a CHEAT day to keep you motivated to stick it out for the long run. Hope this helps.

While meal replacement may seem attractive in the short run, it is important to reeducate your basic approach to food so that you are able to maintain the loss. Think in terms of changes to your daily eating that for the most part you will retain for the rest of your life.

Lots of foods have carbs: grains, starches, fruits and vegetables. I would suggest trying to really cut back and avoid the mostly pure carb foods like grains, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. These are converted quickly to glucose (blood sugar) and as your trainer says, the body prefers glucose and will burn that before fat. Eat moderate protein, moderate fat (like olive oil and avocado), plenty of vegetables and some fruit. The protein and fat satisfy hunger even on fairly low daily calories.
Spend some time and money on good, satisfying meals within these parameters. To me, being hungry is more psychological that physiological. It's not hard to pass on the chips, cookies, whatever, if you are looking forward to an excellent coq au vin with spinach salad and a glass of wine for dinner.

Im might be trying this one soon, after i do south beach to kick start my weight loss (this is my first time)
You can eat all day, no going hungry, but really good foods so it sounds great especially if you want longevity best of luck to you hun, i hope you find the right thing for you x