craftykathy1602's Journal, 19 June 2015

Have a FAB holiday, you've done so well :-) 

I'm 62 trying to get down to 57 - finding it near impossible. Have you got any tips? 

Have a great time! 

Hi Marsh 😀 What worked so well for me was a combination of 5:2 and calorie counting. I was pretty strict with myself on the fast days and made sure I did enough exercise/ activity to stay in negative calories every day. (I am fortunate not to have any medical issues to affect my diet or exercise). Took 7 months to drop the 10 kg , with occasional (monthly-ish) splurges for birthdays etc. Count EVERY calorie- I was amazed at correct portion sizes and where the sneaky little things are hiding! 

Thanks so much for that advice. I try so hard to be strict with myself but I always get hungry and just go over that threshold. What's 5:2? I do calorie count and I agree with you on how those sneaky calories often catch me out. I will keep persevering but it is tough when the scales don't budge or they're fluctuating up & down. Good on you for your efforts! 

Calorie counting is a waste of time and a myth. The main control you have over your 'calorie intake', is where the calories come from, not how many there are. 5:2 is a good thing. If you are hungry, then it is pretty clear that whatever eating plan you are on cannot work in the long term. Anyone can starve themselves and lose weight, the trick is to lose weight without starving, and counting calories is not the way to attain that. 5:2 is good for other things than weight loss, though it will definitely help in that department too. 

Also, the idea that you can somehow exercise to negate calories is also pretty outdated. Exercise in itself has a zillion benefits, but all it will do in a weight loss situation is to make you hungry, which is the last thing someone who is starving themselves needs. Exercising and calorie counting can work, no arguments, but it will only ever work in the short term. 95% of dieters are proof of this. If exercising (which will make you hungry) to create a calorie deficit works, then why not NOT exercise (which won't make you hungry) and create a calorie deficit? Both situations have a calorie deficit, but one will make you hungry, where the other will not. I am not saying don't exercise, I am saying don't exercise and expect to lose weight. Can't be done (in the long term) unless the circumstances are right. 

Thanks Biggergus for your advice. I'll try to implement more of your suggestions. 

I haven't made any yet, well, apart from the mythbusting :) I wish you well. 

not sure that is correct. try reading burn the fat, feed the muscle. The benefits of exercise are endless, both physically and mentally. If you consume more of the right calories you won't be hungry. 100% of bodybuilders (have the lowest body fat % as a general rule) exercise and count calories strictly - and they keep the weight off forever. Losing weight through exercise is the only way. Otherwise you're burning lean muscle which in the long run makes losing weight even harder.  

Exercise is a fantastic thing. I do plenty. It is not though, the key to weight loss. Exercising MAKES you hungry. We are not all bodybuilders, so they are a poor comparision by any stretch. More gyms now than ever, yet the world is fatter that it has ever been. If counting calories worked, this site and Weight Watchers et al would not exist. It is a myth that you can exercise away a bad diet, and that counting calories to keep you in 'balance' (or deficit). You lose weight by restricting carbs, which in turn lowers insulin levels. That's about it in a nutshell. Keep insulin (thus blood sugar) low, you lose weight. You are correct however in saying that eat the right foods and you won't be hungry. I guess though the debate then becomes what are the 'right' foods. :) What most consider to be the 'right' foods will do the exact opposite. Anyway, we each have our position, and we can agree to disagree. I wish you well in your quest. 

I find this all really interesting - wish you could give me more detail re: restricting carbs? What 'right' foods shouldn't I be eating? 

Pretty much the opposite of what you might think. :) PM sent.