To ask how I can quickly lose 8 stone?

Four stone by Xmas is over 5lb a week which isn’t really doable. But don’t let that put you off because you can certainly lose some weight before Xmas.

Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. The more you move the more your body will burn so if you look to maintain a decent step goal and reduce your calorie intake you will start to lose weight. The amount you move and your calorie deficit will
dictate how fast that comes off.

Realistically you do need to change habits to keep to your weight loss journey. It might be a good idea to critically look at your eating habits, what are your triggers / tipping points? I’m a terribly mindless eater when the kids go to bed so I no longer eat after my evening meal. Because I will easily consume an extra meals worth of calories.

I reckon IVF, operation or wedding.

I’d imagine crash dieting is involved in how you got this weight so I would say slow and steady would be safer and more sensible.

Even if you did lose it quickly you will be left with a load of excess skin.

Following a very low calorie diet is the only way to lose weight quickly and there are lots to choose from. My friend did Lighter Life and lost 5 stone in 5 months, Unfortunately, as pp have said, once the diet stopped (and it is very expensive) she gained half the weight back. There didn't seem to be any aftercare programme in place.

I would have a chat with your GP, join a support group, find an eating plan that suits you. Don't worry too much about exercise at this point, Get your weight down then increase your exercise.

I wish you well.

Cut down carbs. Not completely, but cut out things like biscuits/pastries. Increase vegetables. Example replace 50% of pasta/rice/potatoes with vegetables and meat and fish.

36 hour fasting, build up from 12 hours to 15 to 18 and then 24 hours until eventually you go 36 hours

fasting has shown to reduce drastically any lose skin when losing a large amount of weight.

It also focus the mind and reduces your stomach size.

There are incredible benefits from fasting, the weight loss is a great additional benefit

Why the deadline, OP?

You'll lose a stone a month on the Cambridge diet if you stick to it 100%, that's how I lost 4 stone in 15 weeks when I was trying to conceive.

Since then if I ever need to drop a stone I go on the Tesco shakes for a month which are pretty much identical but much, much cheaper.

@searchinglookingforlove Came into say exactly the same.

Every person I’ve known who has done Lighter Life or something similar has put the weight back on. It’s a quick fix, but doesn’t teach you how to eat properly to maintain a decent weight.

The only way to loose 8 stone quickly ( healthily) is to do it steadily - be the tortoise not the hare. I have a friend who wants to loose a similar amount, and she’s giving herself until next summer.

Smaller meal portions but make sure you eat enough, intermittent fast with a 10 hour eating window and 14 hour fast and exercise even if it’s a quick walk each day

Focus on smaller goals, say aim to get to the next 5lb’s lost and then set for another 5lb.

I lost 30 pounds in 3 weeks on the Cambridge diet about 15 years ago.
I then ate a box of Lindt and fainted in the shower.
After that i failed several times to restart it including chewing food and spitting it into the bin.
Dreadful and dangerous diet.

I know four people who lost lots of weight on LL but then put it all back on plus extra. It was a lot of money and a lot of effort for no long term reward, sadly.

even severe crash dieting you would likely only lose 2 stone by xmas at best.

Cut all saturated fats... best way to do that in an impactful way is a vegan diet... well eggs aren't a problem but cutting meats (especially red ones, fish and birds might be ok) and dairy like cheese, creams and milk.

There is no way you can healthily lose 4 stone by Xmas.
Whatever the reason you need to accept your weight loss goal is unrealistic and rethink, sorry OP.

Michael Mosley’s Fast 800 or blood sugar diet are popular. You can buy the books on Amazon or there’s a thread here. there’s also a Facebook page and lots of information online.

If you speak to your GP they may be able to prescribe very low calorie diet meals for you if you meet the criteria.

I think you could lose 4 stone by Xmas on shakes.

I’m in bed now feeling hungry as I stopped eating at 1730. I’m learning to ignore my body when it signals I’m hungry as I know I’ve had enough to eat today, it’s those pesky memory fat cells sending out sos’s to get filled up with fat again!

Good luck. I want to lose a similar amount to you maybe a bit less. I’m starting at 18 and a half stone and 171cm height. I’m an apple shape too.

Have to disagree with this. Someone who needs to lose 8 stone should NOT be running or doing any kind of strenuous exercise.

Even if the OP could safely run (unlikely at her current weight) she could run 10k and only lose ~700 calories.

I agree re calorie control. It really is the only way. You need to be running a consistent calorie deficit to lose weight. You will be hungry, but as long as you aren't wasting your calorie allowance on empty calories you won't be depriving yourself of essential nutrients.

Then once weight begins to drop, light exercise such as daily walking, light stretching and some light weight-bearing such as light hand weights can all help to get the body moving, but nothing strenuous until several stone are lost. Running is very hard on the joints and not recommended for the very overweight.

Im guessing its for IVF and ultimately most health professionals, ie the GP or nurses at the surgery will say at that weight and BMI, the weight just needs to come off.

My own GP told me years ago, do your meals as you normally would and before you sit down to eat, chuck half of it in the bin!!

I wish I'd done that actually!!!

Lighter life. Bloody expensive, but you can order it online. You can only eat their food so there’s no wiggle room for eating anything naughty or cheating at all. I had a lot to lose, but lost a stone a month for three months taking me down to a size 10

It is boring and hard though, and I probably would have binged by now if I wasn't scared of the pain.

I weighed just over 22 stone in June. I've lost 3.5 stone since then because I have gallstones triggered by eating fat and over eating so I've basically halved my portion sizes and eat as little fat as possible. The weight loss is slowing down now though.

@NeedToChangeName ive heavily researched before doing the diet and it’s working well for me. Blood sugar stabilised, more energy, no brain fog, good sleep.

My friend and her husband are doing the injections and have lost 7 stone between them in 3 months

£££ tho at £200 a month but they're saving a lot on food as it's an appetite suppressant!!

Gastric sleeve?

People will give you all sorts of awful suggestions, but why is it urgent?

It really is a case of eat less, move more.

If you do a drastic shake diet then you'll likely be so miserable and hungry that you'll end up bingeing. I do much better if I eat a higher volume of lower calorie food - lots of veg, but sustainable meals rather than fads.

Also don't drink your calories. Scrap the booze, sugared soft drinks and juices etc.

Exercise helps but food is the key. If you consistently over eat, you'll never exercise it off.