Turns out I'm a heifer.

[helloella]

I had a smear test today and the nurse weighed me. I tried not to look but I caught sight of 127kg. 127KG. ALMOST TWENTY STONE.

I've come home and cried. I'm 5ft10 and carry it quite well fitting well into a size 20-22 so I didn't realise it was so bad. I'm just kind of big all over but with defined curves at the waist and hips. I was kidding myself that it was still fine. It's not fine. I'm not fine.

I know I need to lose weight. Due to mobility issues I am quite sedentary so I need to think wholly in terms of diet right now. I need at least five stone of this off. After that I can work towards a larger goal.

There's no Slimming World or Weight Watchers meetings near me, I don't drive and I'm on about a £30 budget a week for food for me and DH. I'm going to have to drastically alter my portion sizes and low carb it as I know it's the carbs doing it to me. I don't drink at home, I go out maybe once every three months drinking and I'm not one to binge on crisps/chocolate/cakes. My thyroid is fine (had a full blood work up at the end of last year) so it's got to be carbs like pasta and bread plus portion sizes.

Please give me hope. Success stories, diets that have worked that can be cheap, stories of weight loss without a lot of exercise - anything really just so I know I can do this.

[MsMargaretCarter]

i am sure much more knowledgeable people will be along - probably in the time I take to write this - but my top tip would be to not drastically alter anything. Make some small changes, get used to them, make more small changes. I don't think a huge overnight change is likely to be maintained and is likely to leave you feeling deprived. More water, less sugar would probably be a good start. Good luck!

[Drogon]

OP you are NOT a heifer! Be more positive about yourself

We sound very similar, before I started low carbing I was 17st 11lbs and 5'8 and pretty much the same, the weight was evenly distributed (how envious I am of people who carry their weight in their stomach and still manage to have nice arms and legs ) with an hourglass figure.

It's been over 6 months now and last week I finally hit my 2 and a half stone loss after about 2 months of the same plateau.

You know low carbing works for you so you WONT be 127kg forever. I was a sugar and carb addict and have managed to kick the habit so you most definitely can

I would say be kinder to yourself. Set smaller half stone goals and reward yourself with something special when you reach them eg new lipstick/book/haircut/jacket.

I'll be cheering you on with low carb/cal/syn/whatevertypeofregimeyouchoosetype

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

You can lose weight without exercising.
Start with seeing if you can get your 5 a day (or more) in but do mostly veg rather than fruit then portion your pasta, potatoes and rice.
Buy whatever veg is on offer and frozen veg.
Really limit bread, sugar and fat.

You can do this

[Drogon]

Also, I am desperate to get back into jogging again but I'm too damn lazy and now have a 2yo DD who provides me with excellent excuses to avoid exercise so exercise isn't a key ingredient to weightloss (in my experience) although I'm sure when you get started and start losing you'll have more energy and naturally move around more

[PenelopePitstops]

So you've had the hard part. Use it as a wake up call. Tbh a size 20 doesn't look healthy on anyone.

I had my moment weighing in at 14 stone. A huge shock and a resolution to improve. Before you start you have to want to lose weight.

Then comes the hard part. Meal plan to within an inch of your life. Everything that goes I have your mouth, you plan. Sunday morning write a list for the week and only buy enough food. Stick to it. No cheeky takeaways or chocolate biscuits.

Move more when you can. Walk to the shop, get off the bus one stop early,walk round the supermarket for longer!

Weigh out portions. Start by sticking to the values on packs, eg 75g of pasta, 30g of oats.

Food is not a reward. Find something else to reward yourself.

Most of all, stick at it!

[CrazyDuchess]

Goodness me I almost thought this was me writing. This was me Jan first. Then decided to do something different. Since then I have religiously logged food on MFP , slowly slowly raising my exercise with very small walks. Have dropped 6kg in 3 weeks.

All it takes is the determination to do something different and take it one day at a time.

I an low carbing- and like routine. Breakfast is a protein shake (£1 at the Co op) then some nuts to snack. Lunch and dinner is a salad variation of sorts, or whatever I fancy really as long as carbe a low and I stay under my 1480 kcal allowance a day.

Loads of water too!!

[helloella]

I don't eat out as I can't financially do everything is bought from Lidl or Asda on a budget. I think the issue is that I'm buying too much of the wrong foods and using it as a base for a meal. If I bulk up a pasta dish with less pasta and more vegetables and herbs, that'll make a difference, won't it?

I don't think I can afford to eat carb free as pasta makes up the most of our meals with meat & a few sauces and vegetables. What do low or no carb dieters eat instead? Just a lot of protein and vegetables with a low carb value?

I'm not expecting miracles. I'd like to drop to a size 14 this year though whether that comes later rather than sooner and that's just because I'd love to buy something in Topshop that isn't accessories or make up for my birthday in November. I don't know how much weight that'll be but that's my goal.

[redstrawberry10]

How bad are your mobility issues? If you can get some walking in, that might help a lot, if at least for your mental health.

[Headmelt]

I felt the same after Christmas. It's the start of a new year and time to work on the new me for the year ahead. It's a good time to make gradual changes to improve your lifestyle.
Could you ask your gp to refer you to a dietician to map out a healthy eating plan/advise on measurements for portion control. Limit your amount of carbohydrates (pasta/bread/porridge/potatoes/Chrisps/pizza). You need a certain amount but maybe cut back. Drink water throughout the day. Aldi/lidl do fruit &veg special offers. There is a frugal thread on mn that may offer some tips and another thread on meal planning for the week.
I saw a programme about losing weight recently and the trainer advised a guy with a leg injury to walk in the swimming pool rather than on ground as the water makes the exercise less weight bearing. I'm currently walking daily trying to lose weight so I know how hard it is. Dh is doing it with me and I find it better with the support (he encourages me to keep going when I get disheartened). There is a good weightless section on mn, could you buddy up with someone on there too to keep motivated?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

This book changed my life: www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Complete-Scarsdale-Tarnowers-Lifetime-Keep-Slim/dp/0553172034?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

On Anazon for 1p! It changes his you eat completely and you could do it for 2 people on £30/week. There's a cheaper version included in the book, the "money saving diet".

[calzone]

I'm doing sw and have lost 3 stone .

Make sure a third of your plate are fruit or vegetables and you can eat as much pasta, rice, meat, fish as you like.

Low fat
Meals can be cheap
Lots of vegetables

Come on the SW thread for help and support.

[calzone]

Jacket potato and beans
Lentil stew
Quorn sausages
Lasagne
Pasta with tomato sauce
Eat up rice dish (shove anything into it)
Fish and chips with mushy peas

[FattyNinjaOwl]

Hi OP I just wanted to say that you are not alone. Why don't you come on over to the significant shifters thread (its in weight loss) there's a lot of us with a lot to lose. And a few of us have mobility issues. It's very very supportive. No judgement, just support and motivation.
And you are not a heifer.

[Buttercup27]

I have recently lost 3.5 stone. The 2 things that really helped me were- a slightly smaller plate (that way it still looked full and I didn't feel I was missing out on anything) and printing off the NHS plate/portion control picture. I stuck it to the fridge and looked at it every time I dished up, as a reminder of what I was supposed to eat.
Good luck!

[MummySparkle]

I've been logging into My Fitness Pal over the last few weeks like CrazyDuchess. It's opened my eyes as to how calorifically expensive a lot of foods are. My one major diet change has been to stop eating bread. It's forcing me to have a salad at lunchtimes, and I have ready brek with frozen blueberries made up with boiling water for breakfast. My breakfast and lunch combined come in at under 300 calories, giving me 1000 for dinner and then 100 to cover cups of tea during the day. It's really doable. Making the decision to make a change is a massive step in the right direction

[PenelopePitstops]

Bulk up meals with protein like lentils rather than meat.

£30 per week for food is what dp and I live on.

Typical day
Porridge (30g oats, 100ml milk, 100ml water)

Snack Cucumber, mushrooms and carrots.

Lunch of homeade vegetable soup with a Warburtons thin

Snack 17g pack of metcalfes skinny Popcorn

Tea
Chicken breast, half a sweet potato and half a broccoli

[helloella]

redstrawberry10 Right now they're pretty bad but it's a chronic condition and variable so during good periods I can definitely factor in more walking, just not too much of it or routinely.

I'll make my way over to the threads suggested. I love the idea of porridge for breakfast with blueberries. I don't eat breakfast at the moment and often skip lunch so a massive calorific dinner to make up for it is a regular occurrence in my life that I need to shift. I've heard people talk about little and often so I intend to do that.

I love apples and crunchy peanut butter - is that bad? I've heard it's great protein wise but I have no idea if it's making me gain weight.

I've just bought the books. I plan on reading them tomorrow and hopefully I'll take away something wonderful too!

Can you do SW without the weigh ins and meetings?

[rosieliveson1]

Have you googled paleo? It's low carb/sugar, higher protein eating but can be done without too much extra expense in my experience. It's really popular right now so there is a lot out there to read etc

[MrAliBongo]

Like everybody else, I'm a bit evangelical about my current, preferred method of weight control: old fashioned counting calories. I use NutraCheck, but My Fitness Pal is the same sort of idea, and I believe it's free. My top tip would be to try logging what you eat for a week or so, and see where you can pare it back. Your idea of reducing the carbs and bulking it out with veg is pretty much the basis of what I've been doing, along with more general, gradual portion reduction. I've lost nearly six stone since May.

I really don't think it matters how you choose to lose weight, as long as it's something you can stick to and that you can afford. I do think strict low carb would be a bit tricky on a tight budget, but reduced-carb is workable in lots of contexts. I'm a big fan of frozen vegetables and fruit to bulk out meals with minimal impact on my calorie budget and no waste.

If you're going to buy one thing to help you on your mission, make it a set of digital kitchen scales (if you don't already have some). They don't have to be expensive, and they certainly don't have to be fancy. If they weigh food to within about 4g, that'll do nicely. And if you want to buy one more thing, make it a pedometer. Again, it really doesn't have to be anything fancy (you can get a well-reviewed Omron from Amazon for a few quid), but if you can make a note in your diary of how many steps you take on a good day, you have something to aim for the next time your condition permits.

Last thing: don't forget to engage your doctor's support, if you think it would help... Even if only for a monthly weigh-in/blood pressure check with the practice nurse. I'm sure they'd be happy to help, especially if it might help with some of your mobility issues.

[Dowser]

I have an onion omelette every morning. Green soup for lunch with a bit of ham in it and a protein , veg and carb ( usually sweet potato or whole grain rice) dinner.

That keeps me trim or losing weight. That's my basic. If I want a few snacks I'll have them but I won't lose weight if I add them on.

I do low or no sugar. When the weather's warm we go for walks.

Good luck. You've started your journey. This time last year I was a stone overweight. I've lost it, maybe put a pound or two back. As long as I don't take my eye off the ball I'll be fine.

I'm still about 10-5 to 7 .not skinny but then I don't want Tobe.

[PolovesTubbyCustard]

Meal planning and writing down what you do eat works miracles.

I used to do SW and WW - so have 'tracked' food intake. It's amazing how less appetising a food item is if you have to actually be accountable for it !

In lieu of too much pasta- another cheap food item is beans and pulses. you can get big bags of dried lentils/split yellow peas/beans from asian shops and the foods of the world aisles of larger supermarkets. Get some spices too and experiment with tasty, filling but lower calorie count meals.

I love peanut butter too - but check out the calories :) So, small portions of that one!

SW and WW can both be done online. You could also just do My Fitness Pal - which is free. Similar thing - log your weight weekly, log your food intake daily.

Get GP on board - if you are considered a certain amount overweight the GP can 'prescribe' free SW classes I believe. I don't know if that applies to online only SW but it is definitely worth discussing with the GP/nurse for help.

Don't worry too much about not being able to exercise. It's food intake that is the major factor. BUT if you can get out for a brisk daily walk it will perhaps make you feel more positive it all ?

Good luck OP.

[SmallLegsOrSmallEggs]

You can replace pasta in meals with
Shredded courgette (sounds unlikely but it works)
Red lentils
Or green lentils.

Good luck OP

[FretYeNot]

I used my fitness pal to count calories. Also, there's a thread on here for 'significant weight shifter' www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/2555118-The-significant-shifters-2016-part-2-all-welcome?msgid=58875289 also running alongside is a facebook group (secret, you'll have to ask to join) and it's becoming a lovely supportive group.

[DownstairsMixUp]

The body coach does an awesome book. Principle being you eat two low carb meals a day and once carb meal which you "earn" with exercise. It's easy really. Standard day for me would be:

Savoury muffins for breakfast. I make these with eggs spring onions chorizo and feta.

Lunch spinach salad with onions ham cheese pine nuts and chicken. It's so nice! I melt mozarella in it to. The recipe is in his book.

Dinner something like meatballs with plenty of veg and a bit of pasta. I exercise in the day to and track with my fitness pal.

[helloella]

So far today I've been concentrating on upping my water intake. I downloaded an app that reminds me to drink and so far so good but WHY is it so hard after the fifth glass? Good God.

I'm out to do a food shop later. My sister gave me her spiraliser so I'm going to attempt courgette instead of pasta with a mince bolognese tonight packed with loads of vegetables. I'm not sure if DH is up for it but I have high hopes!