Quiche Avoiders / Guinea Pig Losers / those with a lot to lose

[Hercy]

I've got a lot of weight to lose... currently just over 3.5 stone down, but still have somewhere between 5 and 6 stone to go to get to a healthy weight.

I've done a few searches for threads where other people have a lot to lose, for inspiration/motivation, and came across HenriettaPye's thread.

I really enjoyed reading it, the posters seemed a lovely bunch and there were some real successes, but the thread seemed to taper off in 2014.

I was just wondering if anyone is still about and how they've been getting on in the last couple of years? And if anyone from that thread (or otherwise) still has a lot to lose or is still on their weight loss journey from a high starting point?

[Drogon]

How're you getting on Hercy? I wasn't on that thread but I also have a lot of weight still left to lose. Currently down 3 stone but need to lose 3 more stone to get into a healthy BMI range. I'm low carbing at the moment but finding it so difficult to get away from my old binge eating mindframe. I've just started C25K again (completed it a few years ago) to try and spur me on!

Good luck

[Hercy]

Hi Drogon!

I'm still plugging away, probably lost another 3lb since my post. Although I weigh daily, I only record my weight on a Monday, so not positive, but I think it's around that.

I had a bit of a mental wobble this week, wanted cake etc, couldn't be bothered to go to the gym, but gritted my teeth and got on with it, so I'm still on track. I have a bit of a blowout planned for 12th August (dinner party where there will be rich food, dessert and booze, and lots of it!) and am really going to try and not go off track until then.

I'm not really following any diet, I'm just trying to eat what I know is good for me. So lean meat, lots of veg, some fruit, some carb (eg new potatoes, lentils and granary bread, but not pasta or white bread), nothing processed if I can help it. And I'm exercising like a demon (hence the not wanting to drop carbs) - swim x3 and gym x3 every week and walking 10km every day.

I've heard a lot of people have had great success with low carb and they've found the lack of sugar ultimately helps to overcome the urge to binge. Have you identified your triggers? If so, it might be helpful to think of some non-food alternatives. Eg. If you want to binge after a long, stressful day at work, you could have a nice hot bath instead, or if you feel like binging after something that makes you sad, you could go for a walk or some kind of exercise that will release endorphins.

I've also heard great things about C25K and how if you stick with it, you'll be amazed at how you progress to running for 30mins+

Nice to have someone to chat to who's at a similar stage with their weight loss!

[Drogon]

I'm glad to hear you're still going strong sounds like a sensible way to eat! I've been thinking the past week, 'I wish I could just eat like a normal person'. I know what's good for me and what's not, but allowing myself a little treat always turns into a big treat. I wish I was one of those people who can truly eat everything in moderation.

Low carb has been good for me in the sense that when I'm on plan I don't binge (I've a massive sweet tooth so most low carb food isn't something I would binge on, it's things like ice cream and chocolate that I eat to the point of feeling sick). Hopefully when I get to my target I can introduce some carbs like sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, porridge etc. luckily I'm not a massive pasta or rice fan so I don't miss them

My triggers are definitely boredom, eg when DP is out for the night I feel like I need to treat myself with loads of sweets and chocolate. I used to do this and hide the evidence because I was so embarrassed and definitely stress. A bad day at work makes me want to inhale a tub of Ben and Jerry's.

I've started trying to treat myself a bit better now though, to try and get rid of that little voice that tells me I'm hideous. I've started putting some gradual tanning moisturiser on to make me look a little less like Caspar, and I've bought some lovely bits of clothes that I wouldn't usually wear. And they do make me feel like a look good, which is a nice change

I definitely can't wait to get back into running properly, I used to enjoy it and it was my relaxation time. I'm hoping I can get to that stage again! And I'd like to start using my weights again as before I fell pregnant I had built up using them and had the beginnings of arm muscles! Having been overweight most of my life I had NEVER had arm muscles!

I'm about to climb into bed and catch up on TOWIE (yes I'm sad ) with a big glass of water

[Hercy]

Hi again Drogan!

My last post probably gave a misleading impression of me, because I'm doing well at the moment (as in this week!). But I still have issues with binging and I'm not sure if they will ever really go away.

How I am dealing with it now, is every now and again, when I feel the urge for cake/crisps/take away (or whatever it is that I decide I simply MUST eat), I plan to have a bad/binge day. I decide I'm going to do it at least a few days in advance, decide what I'm going to eat, and look forward to it. Then when it's done, I crack on with the healthy eating and try to my best to stick with it for another 2-3 weeks until my next planned binge day.

Mentally, that probably isn't a healthy way to go about things as it still involves me binging, more often than not on my own when I can get rid of the evidence. But I figure it's better than doing it all the time, and it hopefully keeps my metabolism on its toes.

Hopefully as time goes on i'll be able do it less and less, and ideally, I'd like to get to a point when instead of secret binges, I have a treat with company. But for now, I'm consistently losing and eating healthily most of the time, so I'm not going to beat myself up about the binges.

Good work on the tanning moisturiser and new clothes. DEFINITELY keep up with taking care of yourself and doing things to make you feel good. I've started getting my nails done, and keep meaning to book in for an eyebrow appt. It really helps keep me motivated.

I could do with some arm muscles, my bingo wings are disgraceful. I got a kettlebell dvd and was doing well with it, but then joined the gym and haven't touched it since. The kettlebell classes at the gym aren't really at convenient times so I think I'll book in with a PT to show me what to do on the weight machines at the gym. At the moment I just do cardio.

Hope you're having a good day!

[Drogon]

It's so hard isn't it? The binging for me isn't ever about hunger, it's like an obsession and I have to have something. So if I want chocolate I won't be satisfied with a small bar, I get a huge bar and sometimes that doesn't feel like enough. And no matter how awful I feel, the guilt and disgust at myself, I still go and do it again. But you sound like you're moving into a better place, limiting the damage by making sure the rest of the time your diet is healthy. And you've lost an amazing amount of weight so far!

I did week 1 run 3 of C25K earlier this evening so I feel good about that I don't know how I'm going to do on week 2 so I think I may do week 1 again and this last run was the hardest one so far

I also have exercise paranoia from the minute I step out the door. I can't really afford to join the gym (and going by previous experiences I wouldn't motivate myself to go!) so I run outside. There's no good routes to run where there aren't roads so I'm constantly thinking that people are laughing at me puffing along with my huge bum wiggling I get paranoid when I run past people and just try to keep my head down.

Sounds like a good plan with the weights, some of those machines look like death traps! Pre-DD when I jogged regularly and did weights I normally used hand weights but when I did go to the gym I used the machines.

[Drogon]

Also I've decided to avoid the scales for now. I keep on telling myself that my self worth isn't dependant on a number on the scales. I know if I weigh myself and don't get the result I want it will trigger the urge to binge on crap (happened last week) so I think I need to keep doing what I'm doing and go off how I feel in myself and how my clothes fit (I have a pair of jeans that are in the "fit but can't breathe" category right now that I want to use as my guide) and keep doing what I'm doing. Loads of water today and I'm following the eating plan so fingers crossed

[Hercy]

So much of your post had me nodding in agreement! Binges for me are rarely about hunger; they're definitely an obsession. I like to do them when I have the house to myself (rarely, thankfully!) and have saved a couple of TV programmes I really like, and binge watch my programmes and binge eat loads of food! It's like a treat for me, something to look forward to. I wish I could see that it's not a treat, it's actually rather damaging, and I should treat myself with something which isn't half a ton of food. I suppose at least by limiting it, I'm at least working on it.

And I totally get the exercise paranoia as well. My gym is only a 10 min walk, so when I go there in my workout clothes I get paranoid that people are laughing and thinking fat cow, waiting for someone to shout out something (of course they never do). I've started thinking defiantly to myself that at least I'm doing something about it and almost daring someone to say something! To be honest, I think most people who see someone who is overweight doing some exercise is most likely to be thinking 'good for you' rather than anything negative.

I totally get why you would want to avoid the scales. Losing weight shouldn't be about a number, it should be about becoming healthy. So there's no need to monitor your weight when it's easy to keep track of how well you're doing by other indicators like more energy, loser clothes, more muscle definition, being able to run further/faster, better skin etc etc.

Personally I'm a daily weigher, which most people would say is a massive no no, but I accept there are often fluctuations which are nothing to do with what you've eaten that day, so I never let a higher than expected number get me down or put me off track.

Hope you have a good day!

[Drogon]

That's exactly it! When DP goes out for a night out I imagine Al the lovely food I can have and the thought of not having to SHARE any of it I don't think I'll ever get over thinking that but the binges are becoming less frequent.

Yep, there will always be twats who say nasty things (I remember one time walking home after work with a takeawaya chicken kebab with a SALAD, damn themand a group of young guys beeping their horn at me and mooing at me from out the window I just try and remember that MOST people are nice. I know when I see someone out exercising, whether they're big or not, I often feel a tad jealous of them because I know I used to be like that type of person.

I definitely don't think I could weigh daily, I would WANT to but I know those fluctuations would have me thinking "what?! 2lbs on? But I did nothing wrong" even though the LOGICAL side of me knows that it isn't fat and it's just normal for my body. Do you use MFP or any other app to track your weight? I love seeing the MFP graph going down steadily but over the past few months it's been up and down the same half stone for months now

So today has been good (so far!) Leftover creamy cheesy vegetables for breakfast (full after eating them but was starving by the time I had my break, should probably have had some protein with it but was breakfast leftovers before work!)
Then a tuna salad with spinach, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil. I was absolutely STUFFED eating that, but now I'm home from work I've got my appetite back and I'm having some of DP's homemade lamb curry with cauliflower rice.

I think the positive of low carb for me has been we do all our cooking from scratch. Which isn't as convenient but I've learnt some nice recipes (I'd never made a curry from scratch before!) although god I miss the convenience of popping to the shops and picking up a salad or sandwich for lunch. I take a packed lunch every day to make sure I keep on plan. Monday's are normally my treat days where I get a salad from Subway so I don't have to cook

Ok I'm going to stop chatting on now, I get carried away typing! Hope today has been a good one

[Hercy]

Sorry for the late reply. For some reason I can't log in from my ipad (as soon as you click in the text box to write your password is jumps back to the last page you were on - annoying!!) so I just tend to post from work (too lazy to get the laptop out at home).

Weekend for pretty good for me. I did have n "off plan" meal of pork belly with lots of crackling last night and wine (first time drinking in a month!) On balance I wish I'd just enjoyed the meal and not had the wine - had a fuzzy head this morning and a poor nights sleep. So feeling a bit meh/can't be bothered today.

I hope you made it through the weekend unscathed! It sounds like you've been cooking some lovely meals!

[Drogon]

I had problems with the app on my phone too, I couldn't log in on the password after hackergate so I just use the safari site now!

Ugh pork belly is one of my favourites, I hope you enjoyed it I'm not much of a drinker but the last time I drank a lot I came home drunk and made toast But it was only a glass for you which is good, everyone needs some little pleasures in their life after all

The weekend was good, yesterday I had the tiniest of blips! It was DD's birthday so went to see my GP and had a ginger biscuit. Not a big deal really, but with low carb the tiniest mishap with food can mean I don't lose that week. It's actually the thing I hate most about low carbing-I can't be human and have a small blip every now and again without it mucking up that week BUT on the plus side I'm going to avoid the scales so even if that biscuit did mean I didn't lose anything, I'm not going to know about it. And I won't do my usual "oh fuck it I've gained, where's the food?" routine.

I even managed to avoid eating any birthday cake as I was too busy dishing it out to everyone else. Then I sent the leftover cake home with my sister for my nephews so no temptation in the house. We went out for lunch and there was nothing low carb at all on the menu, so I asked for a frittata without the potatoes (so, an omelette really!) It probably sounds silly but I was proud of myself for doing that as usually I would think "well there's nothing that I can eat so I may as well eat what I want".

Still keeping up with the C25K (woke up at 6am this morning for week 2 run 2 and it actually wasn't bad!) and I'm drinking loads of water

Cottage pie with celeriac mash for dinner tonight which the greedy person in me is very excited about!