Women who have had trouble losing weight… what worked for you?

33 comments

  4. Stop doing HIIT exercises (SoulCycle) and switching to endurance focused training (long bike rides at my own leisurely pace).

    I am prone to inflammation and this was the trick that worked for me. 41/F

  5. i got covid and it decreased my appetite and then my wisdom teeth started to cause problems so i couldn’t eat without being in pain. i got them out along with a molar with a bad cavity and i’m still eating soft/liquid things about 3 or so weeks later bc the tooth extraction hole hasn’t closed and i’m terrified for solid food to get stuck in it😭

  6. Not caring and being happy in my body no matter what size.

    After accepting my body, that was the time when losing weight wasn’t such a challenge, because I was doing it for the right reasons, because I cared about how I was feeling physically.

    I’ve been happy at a UK size 18 (only 5ft) and had dropped to a 12. Those changes in size didn’t make me happy, my thoughts on myself, my value what mattered and that didn’t change at all.

    The whole time I was focused on losing weight because I hated my body was the time I couldn’t lose weight at all.

    It shouldn’t be a battle.

  7. Honestly just a healthy diet and cutting out things like excessive sugar and alcohol. Then I work out regularly, I might not lose as much numbers wise but it seems to get directed more where I want, muscle and a bigger butt for the most part.

  9. Intermittent fasting..start to eat at 12noon and stop at 8…I’ve became really mentally focused as well as more leaner..these insulin spikes are crazy

  10. Get into a 300 calorie deficit and take it slow, combine with HIIT and strength training to increase the amount of time/calories you are burning post workout. Stay hydrated and have the occasional carby meal, your body doesn’t like being in deficit for long periods of time, it will adjust and slow your metabolism. I feel like the best thing is consistency and patience. Good luck!

  11. Weight lifting, following my macro ratios, and eating 2,000 calories a day!

    I’ve been able to almost lose all my baby weight(35-40 pounds) doing this and I am finally back to pre-pregnancy weight. I track what I eat on my fitness pal and aim for at least 80-100 grams of protein per day. I stick solidly to 2,000 calories a day with a cheat day once a week. I eat plenty of carbs, just try to make healthier choices in general. No hard food rules, but I never really drank pop or ate fast food anyway even at my heaviest. I don’t really do cardio anymore. Weight training is more effective and makes your body look more toned, plus I just love doing it and getting stronger. It’s genuinely fun for me, and I think having fun with your work outs is the most important factor so you can remain consistent.

    There used to be so much hype about eating 1,200-1,400 calories a day to lose weight but that never worked for me and made me miserable. The new recommendations for calories seem to be a lot higher which makes the weight loss more sustainable, and helps you feel good and build muscle. Win win!

  12. Whole food plant based diet, exercising 4-5 times a week, walking almost every day. Caloric deficit. I lost 30 pounds in half a year.

    Edited to add that I didn’t drink alcohol, and didn’t drink my calories. Only water and black coffee.

  13. Firstly; make sure you are doing it for you, and only you, or it won’t last
    Secondly; focus on health, not weight
    Thirdly; speak to your GP, get referrals to specialists.
    There are dietitians, councillors and other healthcare providers who can help. Even PT’s can be a great support
    Also, not everyone will be the right support you need. Be prepared to pick and choose depending on what you need for you to reach your goals

  15. Intermittent fasting has been a magic bullet for me. Cutting out alcohol was also a big factor in my weight loss (55+ lbs).

  16. Intermittent fasting BUT with eating an earlier dinner rather than skipping breakfast. I usually eat breakfast, have a small lunch/afternoon snack, then dinner around 4pm. Works like a charm. (My problem was snacking after dinner)

  17. This is not the healthiest but… Skipping breakfast/having only caffeine for breakfast.

    I gained weight over the pandemic, and despite trying the 5:2 diet, trying to eat more healthily, going running, etc etc, skipping breakfast was the only thing that worked consistently for me. I’ve lost a stone and a half so far (21lbs), and I’m pretty much back where I want to be.

  18. Metformin. I have PCOS and was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Doctor gave me Metformin and a “no sugar/low carb” diet… Lost 30 pounds.

  20. Psyllium Husk helped with binge eating for me. I use a powder called Metamucil. Food for me wasn’t necessarily the problem, it was just the portions. I lost about 30 lbs from eating what I always do, just half the portion sizes.

  23. I tried to stick to diets and exercise routines and had no luck. I just suck at sticking to routines.

    I joined the trades and started having to work physically hard at work, and I’ve lost a lot of weight and visibly gained muscle. While eating whatever I wanted – I’m always hungry since I started physical work. Lol basically what I’m saying is if you can find a way to get paid for it, it becomes significantly easier.

  24. Intermittent fasting and running. I never cut back on any foods because I wanted this to be long term with the same diet I already had.

    It truly is about consuming less calories or having a calorie deficit. If ntermittent fasting isn’t your thing, either reduce the food you eat, or make sure you’re expending the calories you ate through exercise. And exercise can be a simple as going for a walk.

  25. Substituting a lot of unhealthy “filler” foods for vegetables. Made my intense cravings go away and helped my digestive system. Big changes in my diet can’t help me and just depress me, but those little changes were a life saver

  26. Controversial I’d imagine but weight loss surgery. I had a sleeve gastrectomy December 2018. Went from 19 stone to a maintained weight of 11 stone. Not a decision I made lightly but Ive worried about my weight my whole life and I was done. I also didn’t want to try for a baby at the weight I was knowing the risks.

    Now, 3 and a half years and 2 babies later, I can still only eat toddler sized meals and I need to be better at nutrition. I also have loose skin but that was from the pregnancies too I think. But I have never regretted the surgery, for all my other mental and physical struggles, having my weight not be one of them is freeing.

  27. Mild keto. Mild because I can’t take 20g of carbs. The least I could do is 50g. I love fish, so I usually eat it than other meat. Then I usually cheats on Saturday by eating the dessert I like or pasta so that I would not feel self pity. Kind of hard because you’ll end up being in the toilet more than you ever you used to after a day. That one took my 96kg down to 68kg in months.

  28. Ironically the only thing that’s worked for me is focusing on the things I need to do to lose weight and kind of forget about actually losing weight. I found an exercise hobby I was excited to do multiple times per week, I make sure to get out in nature, I really focus on eating in a way that makes me feel good that day (making sure I get veggies, no overeating or drinking too much, limiting frequency and amount of sugar and making sure it’s the good shit when I do have it).

    When I was paying attention primarily to the scale, it was too easy to get demoralized and feel like nothing I was doing was making a difference–focuaing on other things gave me much more short term gratification, which made it easier to keep going.

    And honestly? I think these things are the source of both good health and weight loss. Weight loss itself isn’t the thing causing good health, a healthier weight is just one of the many results of healthy living.

  29. Not caring about my weight at all but caring about building better habits so that I live longer. I am only moderately smaller but my entire life is turned around.

  31. Counting calories with MyFitnessPal, if you have a smart watch with steps and activity tracker you will be able to see if you are in a calorie deficit that day. The more you move your body the more calorie allowance you will have.

    I would recommend working out how many calories you eat a day typically and decreasing it by 500 each week, with the lowest being 1500. This will give your body chance to adjust.

    Doing it this method is a good way to understand how many calories are in what food and when you are ready to stop counting calories you will still have a good awareness of this.

  32. Getting my hypothyroidism treated! My symptoms were dismissed for years as depression. I never had trouble with my weight, and suddenly I couldn’t stop gaining even though I had no appetite. Starting meditation caused me to lose the weight while eating more than I had been before. If you’re really struggling to lose weight and have other symptoms like fatigue and brain fog, ask your doctor to check your thyroid. Hypothyroidism is pretty common in women and the treatment is just taking an inexpensive pill.

  33. Improving my mental health. And no I don’t mean learning to love myself or being happy with my body. I literally mean being less depressed. I tried dozens of times to lose weight in the past but ultimately it never stuck. I would lose 20-30 lbs and then gain it all back and then some because at my core I didn’t really care how attractive I was, what other people thought of me, how healthy I was, if I could do physical activities or if I was alone. I didn’t care. It’s one thing to not care what other people think because of confidence, it’s another to just not care. That’s apathy which usually manifests from depression. Only when a lot of that apathy went away was I able to stick with weight loss. I’ve lost 80 lbs so far and I want to lose 30-40 more.

    Not liking how I look and wanting attractive people to think I’m attractive is honestly one of my main motivations and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. In fact, I decided to try losing weight again almost 2 years ago because there was someone I was interested in at the time and I didn’t think I would be their type because they were gorgeous and I was fat (spoilers I wasn’t their type). It was kind of a wake up call that if I didn’t start now I’d never be ready to meet my future person.

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