Hi FB
I try to fit the exercise into my normal routine just by walking to work.
I lost two+ stone a few years ago by eating healthily but it took a long time - about six months. I wasn't 'dieting', I was just eating better food, less food, and trying to eat normally - breakfast, dinner and tea instead of snacking or binging - and tried to walk everywhere I could instead of creating an exercise regime or going to the gym. It helped that I know how to cook and what is in food, so I know what kinds of food contain a lot of fat etc.
I made myself get used to this new 'normal' way of eating, with the intention that I was going to eat like this for EVER, and the weight eventually went off. I did get used to it, and after a couple of months I didn't feel as if I was eating less. I didn't plunge into the new way of eating, I cut down gradually, and that helped. I did have 'cutting down' targets to start with - each week I would cut down on something small but specific e.g. one week change from having sugar in coffee to sweeteners, the next week cut out crisps at work and bring in dates as a snack instead, the next week cut down on chips etc. They were all small enough changes that I didn't get hungry or feel much had changed but after a few weeks they started to have an effect even though I hadn't actually started to 'diet' yet. Also, I was quite patient and was willing to wait a long time for any weight loss to happen, and I think that helped.
The two stones went back on due to stress at work a few years later, and snacking to relieve stress. I'm trying to get it off again now and find a different way of responding to the stress. I'm also a bit less patient and that's not helping.
One thing that helped was building a kind of repertoire of healthy meals and puddings. Also I never missed breakfast, and would have a load of fruit including dried fruit with yoghurt and a few nuts - as much as I could eat. I didn't cut out fried food either, just had less, and filled up on loads of vegetables. e.g. instead of an omelette with loads of cheese inside and a few bits of salad, I would have an omelette cooked with a bit less fat, with no cheese, and loads of salad and tomatoes. It was as similar as possible to my normal diet but with a change of balance.
