Diet Required - Lose 1 Stone in 1 Month

podperson

Fad diets and things like liquid fasts don't work. Even if you do manage to lose some weight, you'll put it straight back on again when you go back to 'normal' eating - and as others have mentioned if you're exercising while not eating enough you can make yourself ill.

Try and look at long term changes. What do you think are your food issues - too many takeaways/junk food, too big portions, sweet tooth, boredom munching etc. What can you do to change these? Do you have triggers that you can recognise and try to avoid? For example, I used to be quite bad with takeaways as well - and it was convenience as I would often work long hours or be out at groups and then really not be bothered cooking when I got in. So I try and batch cook when I am in, so there are 'spare' portions in the freezer, as well as having some staple 'quick and easy' meal ingredients in, like jacket pots or stir fry veg that I can just chuck on quickly.

Exercise-wise, I'm another fan of Jillian Michaels - well when I'm not cursing her guts anyway! Her dvds can be quite hard work but they are usually short, so you can easily fit them in, and they do give good results. The 30 day shred would fit in your timeframe well. Also, measure yourself as well, sometimes you might not see the weight flying off but you will still be losing inches.

heartbreak_star

Insanity! Shaun T is a brilliant, motivational instructor...but it's HARSH and you have to commit for 60 days!

HBS x

Jox

What is your diet like at the moment? (Pre diet?)
List a typical breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I would aim for 1500 cals for a woman or 2000 for a man depending on height.

If I wanted to lose weight I would have breakfast (say porridge and water), lunch (say salmon and salad) and dinner (perhaps chicken and salad) with fruit and veg for snacks and exercise for 30 mins every day. Drink about 2 litres of water throughout the day and green tea.

You don't necessarily have to lose a stone, even a few pounds can make all the difference, especially if you aren't bloated from beer and sugar.

*Beki*

Some great suggestions here! The important thing is to view this as a lifestyle change and not go searching for quick fixes. You should choose to make alterations to your current diet that will be sustainable long term, otherwise you won't stick with it. The same with exercise- find something that you really enjoy doing, whether that's running, a team sports club, exercise DVDs, whatever- it just makes it more likely that you'll want to keep up with it if you find it fun!

margaretclare

You would be better to have some breakfast. There is research which has demonstrated that those who start the day with a healthy breakfast are much more likely to achieve a healthy weight. Going without food overnight and well into the middle of the day is far too long and can cause 'snacking' on sweet cr*p mid-morning out of sheer hunger.

I don't mean so-called 'breakfast cereals' which contain a lot of sugar. Try some protein. An egg in some form is one of the simplest and best.

You mentioned 'too many take-aways'. Well, cut out the take-aways for a start! I've seen TV programmes - 'Fat Families' is one that springs to mind - in which people succeeded in losing weight just by cutting out take-aways and fast foods of all kinds.

It's the long-term, your health and fitness for the future, which matters far more than one occasion in a few weeks' time. Belly fat is very dangerous. It's not the fat on the outside, it's what is on the inside around your abdominal organs and your heart and lungs, which is more dangerous.

Toothsmith

If you successfully do a diet that loses you a stone in a month, then you will almost certainly put back on about twice that much in the weeks that follow it.

trumpton

If you are male, low carb high protein diets work well, but with only a stone to lose any quick weight loss is likely to be mostly water and will prob go back on.