Will I ever lose my hanging gut?

[foreverhanging]

I have decided that enough is enough - since becoming pregnant in 2016 I appear to have put on 4 odd stone and it's getting worse. I am going to join a gym - I can do healthy eating etc but I don't think it's enough so I'm hoping the gym will give me an edge to help me lose it and keep strong.

I used to be beautiful (albeit still curvy with big hips) but now my boobs are tennis-ball-in-socks-like and I have massive stretch marks on my enormous legs, fat arms at the top, huge hips, a double chin and worst of all a hanging belly which I just wonder if it'll ever go ? I'm not sure how my skin can stretch out to the disgusting awful shape I am now and then go back even if I lose the weight - surely I'll be left with a hanging bit?

[foreverhanging]

Anyone?

[FenellaMaxwell]

No idea but me too except it’s 6 stone not 4

[Alwaysgrey]

I’m about 5 stone overweight. I feel disgusting. I’m starting with gentle walking and overhauling my diet which is nowhere near where it should be.

[WeThreeKingsofOrientAre]

I’ve read the best help you can give yourself with weight loss and also helping skin snap back is drinking lots and lots of water. Seems very obvious to say here. But if you think for a moment, humans are 70% water and if skin is the largest human organ then taking in lots of water is actually rather necessary! Best wishes for your weight loss!

[TeaForTheWin]

Just weighing in here (...pun wasn't intended but hey it works xD). I took up exercise to lose weight and it didn't help a jot. DIET is in my opinion, what you need to change in order to drop the pounds. Of course joining a gym couldn't harm and might help tone your belly once the weight is off but if I were you I would lose as much as possible through proper diet (I used slimming world diet and dropped from 9 stone 3 to 7 stone 10ish in about 5 months with no extra exercise) and then join a gym to tone up when you are nearer your ideal weight. At least if money is a consideration. Of course it might be different for everyone of course.

[Orangecake123]

OP you still are beautiful. Your body helped create a tiny human. Go slow. Radical diets won't work because they're not sustainable in the long term. I still allow myself to have things like pizza, doughnuts and chocolate, but start being aware of what you're eating now. I used the counter on myfitnesspal.

My belly has always been my problem area, but after 3 months of running I'm happy I'm finally seeing changes there.

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

If it's any help, I lost six stones and my skin snapped back into shape with the weight loss: no loose hanging bits at all

You'll probably be the same: don't let it put you off getting started.

Good luck

[foreverhanging]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful replies. I'm just so down about how I look. I did slimming world and lost 2 stone - I hated going and also hated the stress I would be in when going out etc. I put it all back on (we had a very stressful period). I'm now in a new area and I'm now a sahm and if I carry on the way I am I'll be unrecognisable. I already am actually.

[Orangecake123]

If you did it once you can do it again!

Have you done this weeks food shop?

[foreverhanging]

Not yet - this weekend has been crazy busy. I'm hoping to do a good shop tonight and then join the gym and actually go for it on Wednesday. My dh is in on that evening and I've asked him to be really supportive of me.

[Tinkoschminko]

Can I join you? I need to lose 4-5 after last baby in 2016. My willpower is shot to shit.

[foreverhanging]

Please. I need all the help I can get. I have such disordered eating and it really is all or nothing with me

[FenellaMaxwell]

Ok shall we do this together? Starting in the morning, let’s try and be good one day at a time and just aim to have a healthy day rather than picturing a whole 5 stone to go? Tomorrow I will have: fruit salad and yogurt for breakfast, Greek salad for lunch, and chicken stir fry for dinner. I’m going to walk to work. (40 mins)

What are you going to do tomorrow?

[foreverhanging]

Tomorrow I have to go to the shop to return something so hopefully I'll get some walking in then. I'm mostly running after dd all day usually. I'm planning to have porridge with chopped apple and cinnamon for breakfast, soup for lunch and spaghetti bolognese for dinner (slimming world recipe)

[Tinkoschminko]

Me too. I think it’s compulsive with me. Have just downloaded Fitnesspal.

[foreverhanging]

I've got MyFitnessPal and I also have a Fitbit (that isn't charged). My problem with the Fitbit is that quite often I'm walking with the pram and so it doesn't record properly what I've done!

[foreverhanging]

Change of plan today - I only had DD's whole milk in the fridge so mashed banana on seeded bread for breakfast. I bit my tongue twice last night so it's painful to eat so hopefully that'll stop me today...

[foreverhanging]

How is everyone doing?

[FenellaMaxwell]

I’ve stuck to it so far but I’m having a massive sugar slump right now!

[Orangecake123]

I skipped gym today as I had an early 8.20am class.

Breakfast was a milk smoothie with banana and cashews. Lunch was eggs with avocado toast. And I made cheesy pasta for dinner.

I did buy a small 60g chocolate rabbit from the supermarket as it was on sale.

[Orangecake123]

I haven't got a fit bit, maybe you could try a simple pedometer or track your steps with your phone.

[IlluminatiParty]

Unless your body fat drops loads it is hard to shift a apron or a pot belly. You can work around the problem though, ditto stretch marks and boob droop.

I've worked out that moderate weight loss plus working on your obliques/side muscles on stomach it gives a bit of an illusion of a toned torso , and working on shoulders upper arms and back can really lift your top half. Exercise really can give you a perter bum.

You can get absolutely stunning shaping bikinis and underwear, I'm a fan of some fake tan and have been experimenting with some new makeup (at 40 I still apply it like a toddler)...

There's loads you can do, ok some of us won't ever be that teeny size 10 but you can have strength, energy, new curves and tight toned bits.. focus on the positives and make small changes that work for you not that make you feel awful like SW etc. Good luck I'm still on a journey getting to know my middle aged post babies body and it's not always easy!

[CalamityJune]

I quite like SW- why did it make you feel crap?

I've got a saggy tummy now too and am trying to lose 2-3 stone. I genuinely think diet and exercise go hand in hand. I find i'm less likely to reach for the crap if I've exercised that day. It feels like undoing all my hard work!

I've also just joined a mums beginners running group which I enjoyed. I quite hate running but it's the most convenient thing for me right now.

[foreverhanging]

I found that in theory slimming world was great. And I've taken loads of it with me - the recipes and things to avoid but I also found myself getting really obsessed with syns etc and going out to eat or being left with no lunch on a day out (say at work) I would end up anxious and in tears because I wouldn't know what to get. Standing in Tesco's googling the syns for a salad etc wasn't very fun. So I still use my slimming world recipes and stuff I just count calories instead so I have more realistic view of it all - like pasta etc is measured.

Ive got a hen do I'm going to in June in a foreign country with lots of glamorous skinny people so I feel the pressure but I almost panicked and ate even worse because of it ? Now I know I won't lose much weight so I've got some swimming stuff that holds bits in but tbh there's not much hope except to just find some good cover ups and be done with it. And hide behind people in pictures or offer to take them.

I feel like I've been ruined by having a baby and subsequent pnd and then comfort eating!

Dh still says he loves me and he loves how i look but I don't and that's the problem. I spend all day every day thinking about how much I hate myself and how I look. It's my first thought in the morning a lot and by evening I'm exhausted by it. This is why I have to change now.

[Tinkoschminko]

foreverhanging Me too. Enough is enough now - we need to keep reminding ourselves, when we think we’re miserable without sugar, that we miserable with it. When I was struggling the other day, I thought, “See! Dieting makes me miserable” but then I realised that it was the knowledge that I was going to give in and eat all the Easter eggs that I was actually making me miserable!