Mumsnet Talk

Ok, I have been sitting on my arse for a dozen several years waiting for that catalytic moment when I would decide that enough is enough and actually bloody do something about it.

I've had:

awful photographs,
not being able to squeeze out of car door,
only being able to shop at farking Evans,
getting people to do stuff with DCs on my behalf (energetic things),
yearning after smashing clothes,
and many many more humiliating or saddening experiences.

Sooo, please tell me about your wake up calls and how you used them as as incentive - maybe hearing about some positive experiences may finally be that lightbulb moment for me.

My 'D'P grabbing my overhanging stomach and shaking it, saying 'that's disgusting.'

So now I've ditched both him and 1.5 stone - 3 more stone to go. I hope at the end of this particular rainbow is the confidence to find a man who deserves me.

Oh cheers for this thread
Have waited for years for that lightbulb moment that everyone talks about..

Realising that the weight wasn;t goign to magic away.
And realising that I was the one who had to do somehting about it.
And realising that if I didn't do it now the problem would get worse and worse.
That was the end of last year. I'm 5 stone down now and skinnier than I could ever have imagined being, and thankful of that lightbulb. It's true that you need it if you're in it for the longhaul.

GreatStuff - keep them coming please.

SandyBits That's amazing. Well done you!

I was 3 stone overweight when I started weight-watchers, but I did that to encourage my sister who was morbidly obese, as I'd never really been bothered about my size (16-18). I thought it would be good to drop a dress size, but I didn't think I would/could. My light-bulb moment came when I'd lost 7lbs with very little hardship in terms of denying myself food.

It's all about finding the belief within yourself that you can do it. In the same way that people stop smoking or decide to run a marathon. Picture yourself slimmer, healthier, wearing nicer clothes, not feeling so tired and hot and make small changes at first. One of my 'things' was hoovering up dcs left-overs, so I simply told them to scrape their plates into the bin when they'd finished. Easy, no?

Photos every time. I seem to have reverse body dysmorphia (yes, I made that up ;) whereby I think I look presentable and attractive, but cameras always seem to think otherwise.

This time round (post baby) I've had photos of me:

at the seaside in shorts and a swimsuit (eeeuurggggghh, love-handles, anyone?)

sat in the garden playing with DD, rolls of stomach hanging over my waistband

stood behind my 9-month pregnant cousin at her baby shower, looking for all the world like I'd stuffed the balloons up my t-shirt, while she looks as petite and bumpalicious as ever

I'm sick to death of chasing round Facebook removing tags from vile photos of myself. I'm doing WeightWatchers but have to stick to 30pts because I'm breastfeeding so it's slooooooooow. But I do have my gorgeous baby girl to show for it at least.

Photos don't do it for me coz totally avoid any cameras within a 100m radius of myself, almost have graduated with a degree for "camera avoidance", perhaps I should allow someone to take a photo of me that shows all my wobbly bits (picture the Michelin Man and you will get have an idea of what I am talking about). If that doesn't scare me away from the food in the fridge then I have no idea what will

Yep - photo on fridge is an oldie but goodie, but am now too embarrassed to tell people I'm trying to be good as there's no point getting people's hopes up as I just never achieve anything.

Sorry that's not clear - I try not to give visible signs to people so they don't share my failure.

chaos, what about visible signs of your success when you do achieve something, like a certificate on the fridge if you do a charity event (I did a spinathon!) or using mapmyrun to chart your walking or jogging, which you can link to Facebook? Would that help to change the mindset of failure?

So true chaos whenever I let anyone know that I am once again going to put the effort in to losing weight you can almost see the clouds of disinterest (or in their heads "here we go again") pass over their eyes
Know everyone says you need encouragement when you are trying to lose weight but when you have tried and failed so many times people don't take you seriously.

Mine was after having DD2 and thinking it was the last chance whilst on matty leave that i would have the time to dedicate to exercise. Gave myself 6 months to lose 2 stone. A year later i am 4 stone lighter - a bit like SithMummy, once it started coming off i just carried on. I am 2 stone lighter than I have ever been and it is a very odd feeling having been overweight for so long

It took me a year as hate denying myself food and nice things. I used a combination of Food Focus to log all my food (to find out where i was overeating) and exercise (do 4*30+ mins per week). Turns out for me it was portion control and stopping drinking in the week

Hope your lightbulb clicks on soon

Anybody else out there with a story about their lightbulb moment - that's the part I always enjoy (and still wait for) when reading peoples success stories for losing weight

I had one recently. We were sat in a field with v long grass and when we got up everyone else has left a small flattened patch with two defined bum cheek areas. My flattened area looked like somewhere a cow had been. It was probably a pregnant cow too. With twins. Not good.

I had lost my way a bit after a cracking start - I had even forgotten what my lightbulb moment was so thanks! Now I remember I'm off to have my second bowl of special k!

happyhildebrand

I'm afraid, no amount of dodgy photos, trips to Evans - even being told I was too fat to go into a cave in Malaysia have ever been enough to give me a lightbulb moment.

My lightbulb moment has been the realisation that overeating leaves me full of disgust and self loathing. Even to the point of keeping me awake at night.

Only the first couple of biscuits, cakes, glasses of wine etc. are actually pleasurable (on a binge) the rest are eaten in a frenzy of self loathing

I am actually far happier, when my eating is controlled. (as long as I can be rebellious from time to time)

Love this thread!!
Chaos, I was always 'big', at my smallest around size 14 (age 34), at my biggest a 22 (age 38).

Nothing shamed me at all - stretchy tent clothes, hideous photos, nearly getting stuck in a turnstile, breaking a deck chair etc etc.

My DP also never stressed - he works outdoors so burns off fat v. easily and is slim but used to say to me 'you'll lose weight when you're ready'.

I used to buy shoes and bags and large elasticated black clothes and again, it never really bothered me much.

My turning point came at the end of May when I realised I literally couldn't walk the length of myself without breathlessness, sore knees, having to sit down and I felt really old and decrepit!! I joined a local slimmers group and have lost 17 lbs.
Already I feel so much better and wish I'd done this ages ago.

For no other reason but just feeling lighter and healthier I'm glad I've done it!

Loving your lightbulb moment happy
Annoying how did you find it difficult to control your overeating?

My 4yo out ran me 10 days ago, I was trying harder than I made out the time, but is gave me a reality check!

The fact that my stomach isn't flat when I lie down anymore.

I can stop half of the bath water running out running out because I'm as wide as the bath (good trick, but nothing to be proud of!)

Lost 1.5 stone last year, bought some lovely clothes which I can't wear this year because I put it all back on in the winter.

Joined slimming world again yesterday, hope to get rid of the weight again.

Cheap good luck with slimming world, height of respect to you for even attempting to race your 4 year old, if I chanced running I would have to be carted off in an ambulance

BFing DD2 infront of mirror and saw this HUGE stomach and was disgusted with myself. I had to stop kidding myself that I could eat what I wanted without putting on weight, I was not 18 more and therefore if I wanted to have a nice figure I had to be more selective about what I ate.

meant 'I was not 18 anymore'

I didn't have a lightbulb moment per se, but I was browsing in the internet, and came across a BMI graph - I popped in to the bathroom to weight myself (DD was a week old at this point) and realised just how fat I was.

I always thought I'd been happy being the size I was - nothing wrong with being a size 16/18.

Then I realised that even if I lost 2 stone, I'd still be classed as overweight.

I set myself a target of going from 90kg to 75kg by 1st July. I'm currently 73.5kg with 3.5kg to go to my new target. I'm a size 14, but realistically, almost a 12 in most things. It's brilliant.

My other redefining moment, was last Friday at my Grandmother's funeral, I was called skinny, slim, gorgeous, fabulous, slender and sylph-like all within the space of about 5 minutes. I'm not camera shy either any more

juju how have you been getting on since your lightbulb moment?
naetha wow .. huge round of applause for you! Brilliant weight loss