Having made the decision to lose weight by changing how we ate we went through a number of stages. We did not go all-in at the start as we wanted to generate a sustainable plan and learn what worked for us.
This is the order of changes we made:
Reduce Sugar intake. No desserts or eating out or take away food.
Add simple strength training. Some basic exercises we do at home.
Reduce processed foods. I cook almost everything we eat. The only exceptions are some meat substitutes.
Time restricted eating. First 18:6 then 16:8.
Adjust diet to lower carbs. Stop eating bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
Some OMAD (One Meal A Day). A few times a week then extend to every day.
Reduce the amount of fruit we eat to berries a couple of times per week.
Add in one 48 hour fast each week.
Add in some cardio. Running two to three times per week.
Change to four meals a week with two 48 and two 36-hour fasts.
This staged approach kept each change easier to manage. When we are at our target weights, we will look again to find a plan that works for maintenance of weight and increase in fitness. I hope that we will be able to add back in potatoes, as well as a small amount of rice, pasta and bread. Also eating at least once a day on most days.
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