Best Health Tips: How have you successfully lost a large amount of weight?

I have! On the 21st August 2016 I weighed and measured myself, measuring my arm, thigh, hip, waist, chest circumference with the aim of doing the same every month thereafter. I've dieted a few times over the years (I'm 38, have 2 children - 4 and 8) and had decided this is it. I was starting to feel old, my feet hurt, my hips and knees hurt and I wasn't happy (mentally) especially as I really didn't have much to be miserable about.

My daughter was starting school and that was my focal point. I discussed with my husband if he would mind me shelving everything I should be about to be taking on for 9 months more (like going from part-time to full time working hours!) for sorting out my health. I did 3 key things - I read the book “8 week blood sugar diet” by Dr Michael Moseley, I watched the TV documentary “"fixing dad” which is based on the same principles. Reduce my sugar intake, stop such huge spikes in my blood sugar and therefore find it easier to maintain a healthy diet without needing to keep feeding my sugar addiction. I also downloaded the free Nike+ personal training app - I've done exercise in the past and it always ends with injuries so I wanted to make sure I'd have variety in my routine to stop that happening. The biggest change to my diet - no more bread, no more breakfast cereal!

The blood sugar changes were instant, it took 3 days of feeling tetchy, headaches then I just suddenly felt ok. The diet itself has been bizarrely easy….feels odd saying that. I have my moments (once a month!) where all I want is carbs but then I just carry on. I take multi vitamins daily as I understand that such a restictive diet might need propping up.

Ok so the results…. I'm not where I want to be (I still want to lose 10% body fat) but I guess I'm unrecognisable now. I was just over 18 stone on the 21st August. I am currently (8th May) 11 stone 12lbs (that's a uk dress size 20/22 down to a 12). I have NO joint pain at all, my skin is great, mentally - I can't remember ever feeling this good, I love the gym and have now started running 5k a week (I have never been able to run). I also have recently joined a boxing club which is brilliant - they have no idea about my weight loss and just judge me on my current fitness, which they deem to be good (hearing that made me so unbelievably happy).

My tips:

Drop the bread, don't try to replace it or substitute it with a ‘healthier’ version just start eating different things.
Stop eating cereal, cutting out the sugar at breakfast has been key for me.
Don’t eat ‘diet’ food - just cook from scratch, eat healthily. If you are going to fall off the wagon make sure whatever it is it’s damn good and worth it!
The part in your evening meal that would be carbs just replace with green vegetables (kale, spinach etc..)
Cauliflower instead of rice is actually very good, there's plenty of recipes online EXCEPT replacing pizza dough - that's a crime and just makes you miss pizza more.
Don’t think of yourself as on ‘a diet’ - you are changing how you eat forever! So, if you wanna have ‘tea and cake’ (I am English!) then do it, because the rest of the day/ week you will be back to living and eating healthily.
When starting to exercise stay away from heavy impact (no running!) - if you are big, you'll wreck your joints and be in a lot of pain. It took me 7.5 months of body weight exercises (squats, press ups etc..) and strength training on my legs (twice a week) to get to a point of being strong enough (and light enough) to run. You will get there just go for consistency and sticking at it.
Get the Nike+ app, it's free and will give you all the exercises you need. My aim was to build lean muscle.

**Edit**

Thursday 8th June 2017 I officially hit my goal weight (6 stone 10lbs gone) which brings me into the green ‘healthy’ weight section of the NHS bmi chart for the first time since I was a child. I'm over the moon!! Now to adjust my diet to maintaining weight rather than loosing (eek! might be harder than I think)

Thursday 10th January 2018

The weight is still off!! I have the odd unhealthy day(s) but now I know how to get back to healthy again so easily. I couldn’t be happier. For anyone interested I try to keep a log of what I’m eating daily and my workouts on Instagram.