I'm down to one pair of jeans that fits

[sadiesilva]

I have gained three stones from being a chocolate whore.

I genuinely only have one pair of jeans that fit me, nothing else fits. I flatly refuse to buy larger new clothes.

Today is the day that I am am going to sort myself out. I've had enough of feeling embarrassed about how I look.

Not sure of my weight, I'm guessing around 11st 10 I shall weigh myself in a bit. I'm only 5ft 4 and carry all the weight around my middle.

It you are in the same boat please join me.

[Laska5772]

If you are interested in Low carb the next Bootcamp starts Monday I've been inspired by a fellow Mumsnetter who has lost 5 stone,

[twinkledag]

I'm 5ft 4 and understand as I've been in 11 bracket before and I don't feel comfortable and myself.

What's your meh plan? I would cut back the carbs and up the protein and green veg, really helps!!

[sadiesilva]

I'm going to stop eating chocolate. I don't really have issues with overeating normal food but I probably eat 2000 calories a day of chocolate. I am so addicted.

[RunMummyRun68]

Is it chocolate or sugar though? Sounds like sugar addiction

Cut it all out and you will struggle to stick to it.... cut back, but work some into daily allowance

Exercise? What's the plan there?

[sadiesilva]

Run yes I think that it is the sugar in the chocolate that I am addicted to. Weirdly I don't eat biscuits and cakes I just stick to chocolate.

I've just dug out my Fitbit and it is charging. I have just started redecorating my house so I will be getting stuck into that which will keep me busy.

[KirstenRaymonde]

Sugar addiction is a myth, no one is eating spoons of sugar due to addiction. The thing people are actually craving is the ‘doesn’t exist in nature’ 50/50 fat sugar combo - cake, chocolate, biscuits etc. We are primed to seek out fat and sugar in our biology as they’re higher energy sources. Natural sugars are fine, fat is fine, it’s just the man main combo that causes issues.

Sorry for the rant, the myth just drives me mad. The book The Wellness Rebel is a great book to teach you about nutrition myths.

[RedPandaMama]

OP I'm joining you. I'm exactly the same. In February I started being a bit more restrictive on chocolate. What has worked for me:-

• February: was eating big bars of chocolate every day. Managed to deny the cravings most of the day but in that period between evening meal and bed I would consume anything from 500 to 2500 calories worth of chocolate. Every day.
  
• weaned myself down to one 100g bar an evening (around 500 cals)
  
• March: asked DP to monitor my chocolate intake. Made the swap from milk chocolate to dark as it has slight health benefits and less sweetness which is part of the problem.
  
• April: Started just buying 1 x 100g dark chocolate a week and allowing myself anything from one square to the entire thing at any one time, but once it was gone, its gone. Started replacing it with sugar free jelly, or homemade 'eton mess' (yogurt, sweetener, crushed meringue and strawberries, around 200cals)
  
• now: hardly have chocolate now, once I started weaning myself off it I became much less dependent on it. I also don't buy it any more, it's the issue of having it in the house that makes me eat it.
  

I've started making things like banana bread and baked oats that we can all share. I haven't really lost any weight by cutting out the chocolate as I have found I replace it with having much bigger meals and other things instead, but for me it was more to do with wanting rid of that dependency and addiction. Sugar addiction is real and it is dangerous, obesity is linked to causing all sorts of cancer and joint issues and for me that was the biggest wake up call. I'm now at a point where I can start cutting down meals and working on exercise too.

Good luck, it isn't easy! I'd go for the withdrawal approach rather than just cutting it out.

[RedPandaMama]

Kirsten see the many studies done on sugar and the addictive properties of it. When I say sugar I mean, as most do in this context, artificial/unnatural sugars found in lots of manmade treat foods - cakes, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, even places you historically wouldn't find it: soups, bread, yogurt. We aren't talking about fruit-based natural sugar, of course these are fine and natural fats are fine.

www.evidence.nhs.uk/Search?ps=20&q=sugar+addiction

[ImPreCis]

I have two wardrobes full of clothes, can’t get into anything other than two pairs of jeans, two stretchy dresses (one of which is now relegated to home only having got a stain on it from cheese on toast which I can’t get out🤣) two tops, four pairs of knickers. My only choice when dressing is now what shoes to wear!👠👟
THis has all happened within the last six months. I have to admit there is an element of depression, sleep deprivation here, so eating for energy quick fix/instant hug of sweet or savoury, not fussy.
Anyway, I’m just going to eat healthily, and move more. I Cant face doing anything short term that i can massively fail at.

[twinkledag]

oops just read back - meant to say menu plan, not meh plan!

[PenguinCompany]

interesting point Kirsten, book sounds good too.

[RunMummyRun68]

kirsten try low carbing then go back to everyday foods

Sugar is distinctive and everywhere. Milk, fruit, root veg. I lost 5 stone by cutting back on those,as well as refined sugar

I don't think someone's book can debunk a theory that sugar is addictive or sugar addiction is s myth

[Eolian]

Totally agree about the sugar/fat thing. I could happily ignore a house full of sweets, meringues etc, but one mouthful of chocolate or cake gives me an overwhelming desire to inhale all the chocolate or cake I can get my hands on.

The only thing that totally stops my crazed sugar/fat lust is low carbing. I sat in the staffroom at break today. It's 'treat day' and there were trays of freshly baked cakes and chunky chocolate cookies. I had a coffee. Wasn't even tempted. 3 and a half weeks in, I'm half a stone down.

[KirstenRaymonde]

@RunMummyRun68 it’s a book by a biochemist and nutritionist. So... yes it can. It’s called science.
Lots of people find low carb helps them look weight. Other people find high carb helps them lose weight. Most professionals will tell you the weight loss ultimately comes down to fewer calories being consumed, whatever the method. Most diets with some restriction will do this, it’s not carb specific. Research into our gut microbes are also completely undoing what we know about nutrition and how our bodies react to food. The Diet Myth is a fanastic book by a real scientist looking at the effect of gut microbes on our health and weight of you’re interested.

[KirstenRaymonde]

@RedPandaMama the man made sweet foods you mention are still mostly 50/50 fat/sugar combos, not sugar itself, that’s the point.

[Oly5]

I’ve lost 2st on slimming world.. am 5ft 5 and now weight 11st 4...want to lose another stone! Eat a small choc bar every day in the evening before bed.

[Bringonspring]

I am joining, My weight isn’t too bad but the extra weight I do have is all round my belly, just makes everything so uncomfortable.

I’m soo with you on chocolate between dinner and bedtime. If I don’t have it though I find myself eating lots of other things in the hope of hitting the craving!

[sadiesilva]

Thanks for your replies. I managed to get through yesterday without eating any chocolate. I feel awful today with a really bad headache but I'm guessing that's withdrawal.

[twinkledag]

Well done @sadiesilva! One day down . What's today's plan?

[sadiesilva]

Twinkle today's plan is to stay off the chocolate! I'm just taking this one day at a time. There is no chocolate/sweet stuff in the house and my car is being repaired so I will have no way of getting to the shops to buy chocolate.

I know it sounds silly but I woke up with such a sense of achievement having had no chocolate yesterday and I feel a little more in control.

I am painting our shed today so I have a distraction.

[Bringonspring]

Well done. I’ve just picked a pair of ‘control jeans to measure how I do. Care less about weight and more about how my clothes feel.

[twinkledag]

Well done. I've been up super early due to toddler and feel bloated from eating too much.

[WutheringFrights]

This time last year I was you - I’d hit 12 stone 2, size 14 and and absolutely hated how I looked.

So I made a decision and I stuck to it.

17 weeks later I could fit into size 10 for the first time in seven years and weighed just 9.7

It’s absolutely doable- it just requires a lot of willpower!

I did the Cambridge plan which worked for me but I think the key to any diet is just sticking to it!

6 months later I’m still in my half stone buffer zone and feel read for the summer!

[twinkledag]

Well done @WutheringFrights!!

[sadiesilva]

WutheringFrights well done that's amazing.

I managed day two with no chocolate. I feel like I have no energy and I still have a headache but am feeling really pleased with myself.