I’ve gained 6 stone and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to loose it.

[sugarspicepea]

Last year I suffered terribly with anxiety and depression.

I don’t smoke or drink, and somehow I found comfort in food.

It brings me so much happiness, it’s like a drug.

I’ve gone from being 11 stone,
with a BMI of 25.6 to being 17 stone with a BMI of 39.6

Absolutely none of my clothes fit me and I’ve resorted to living in stretchy leggings and baggy tops.

I’m so exhausted all of the time, I get out of breath easily and I generally feel disgusting.
(I’ve had blood tests and all is fine)

I look nothing like I used to look and I’ve completely stopped socialising because I can’t bare the thought of anyone seeing me, plus I can’t bring myself to buy any clothes in my size( no idea what size I am but definitely not a size 10 anymore)

Everyday I start the day well, fresh fruit / cereal / eggs… but by lunch time I have such an overwhelming need to eat something to make me
feel better.

I really do not know how to break this cycle.

I’ve never struggled with my weight before and have always been really comfortable being 11stone.
I always used to have such a healthy balanced diet, but now I wouldn’t have a clue what balance is.

I mostly eat takeaways and most nights I have share size bags of crisps / chocolates to myself.

I’d love to get back in to my old clothes and not have such an issue with food, but I honestly don’t
think I’m ever going to.

This was me a year ago. Now I’m back to 11 stone.

Yes you can loose it!

Read ‘why we eat (too much) by Andrew Jenkinson.

Basically cut out sugar, artificial sweeteners, bread, margarine, vegetable oil, pasta, pastry, and processed food.

I k ow it’s hard. I messed up regularly. But the book helped me hugely, and these days, when I feel like treating myself, I don’t even fancy the chocolate and crisps I used to reach for. My favourite treats are savoury now

Good luck - you can do it.

I have do many lively new clothes I can’t decide what to wear in the morning.

This will be your problem by this time next year too xx

@0None0

That’s amazing! What kept you motivated?

I always just give in because I tell myself it’s too hard and I’ll never loose it.

This was me too, though it took more than a year. I've gained and lost after two pregnancies, and just generally crept up to a BMI of 42. I've lost 4.5 stone since October. As it happens, I'm doing SlimmingWorld- it has taught me something I hadn't realised about how I eat, despite years of various diets.

Some ideas to help you get back on track- pick and choose what You think will work for you:

You only have to do better, not be perfect. If you eat less today than you did yesterday, then that's a win even if you had crisps or chocolate!

16:4 (basically skipping breakfast) then having a big healthy lunch at 12 or 1.

Have fruit and light yogurts available. If you're hungry/want to eat, have that first.

Meal plan. Organise what you are going to eat and when, including some snacks, so you never have to wonder what to have.

Good luck!

It’s hard to say what motivated me. I think coronavirus having a devastating impact on obese people partly. And seeing several obese friends become diabetic. And just wanting a better quality of life

You absolutely can do it. It's simple but not always easy.

In March I was almost 19st. I'm down to 14 stone so far. Have bad days and good days, struggle with binge eating, staying disciplined etc. But if I can do it, you can!

It is SO hard to give up food. I’ve had a bad relationship with food pretty much since my 20s and I’m now 32. For me it’s just the non stop binging on junk food, it’s scary what I’m doing to my body by feeding it so much crap but I find it hard to stop.

@5foot418stone

That’s amazing! It’s dropping off! Are you following anything in particular?

Come over to one of the weight loss threads OP, you will get lots of support.

Don't think of it as 6 stones to lose, just take it one small step at a time. You are definitely worth treating your body better, and you will start to feel great once you see changes.

Remember that it took a long time to gain and it will take a long time to lose.
Don't worry about the time it takes, that time will pass anyway. In a year or two, do you want to be where you are now, or down the path towards where you want to be weight wise?

Maybe you could go to your GP and ask for a referral to a weight loss clinic. Have you had any treatment for your depression and anxiety?

Even if you just cut out one thing a day it can help. If you snack after 8pm (for example) then try to stop doing that. Every little thing helps.
If you could just lose 1 lb a week that would be one and a half stone by Christmas. You would feel so much better and I think once the weight starts going it gets easier to remain ‘in the zone’
(Speaking from experience) 😁

@Mulletsaremisunderstood

Come over to one of the weight loss threads OP, you will get lots of support.

Don't think of it as 6 stones to lose, just take it one small step at a time. You are definitely worth treating your body better, and you will start to feel great once you see changes.

Remember that it took a long time to gain and it will take a long time to lose.
Don't worry about the time it takes, that time will pass anyway. In a year or two, do you want to be where you are now, or down the path towards where you want to be weight wise?

Maybe you could go to your GP and ask for a referral to a weight loss clinic. Have you had any treatment for your depression and anxiety?

@Mulletsaremisunderstood

That’s a sensible way to look at it. Focusing on 6 stone seems so daunting.

I had 8 sessions of CBT for anxiety.

I'm with @0None0 - read that book. I finished it 3 weeks ago and have cut out processed food, vegetable oils, grains since, and it's a total game changer! I never crave food anymore. The biggest challenge is just getting used to thinking of something other than bread and pasta to eat. But when you eat this way, it's impossible to overeat! You just can't.
Diets just make you even fatter in the long run, defo get that book!

OP, this is a great time of year to lose weight.
All those lovely fresh fruits, salads and veg. And it’s too hot to eat huge meals.
If you are tempted to binge on junk food, then just don’t buy any! If you haven’t got any giant packs of crisps and chocolates in the house, then you can’t eat them.
Keep healthy snacks instead - carrot sticks, fresh cherries, celery etc. Try to increase your intake of fibre - plenty of veg - so you feel full for longer. Go for lean protein, too - steam or poach fish, rather than frying or battering it. Have wholegrain rice or bread, rather than white. There are lots of tweaks and substitutions you can make that will make a big difference to your daily calories.
Try to gently increase your activity too - walking is excellent, just go a little further each day. You only need to lose the first stone to notice an improvement in your breathlessness etc. And it’s a huge morale boost to see the weight coming off. Good luck, you can do this.

I’m not saying to accept the extra weight OP as when you are ready you will shift it but if you can try to be kinder to yourself and accept who you are. You could find that this helps you to say no to the junk food.
Don’t live in tomorrow - get your mojo back starting now. Get online if you are shy about shopping for the temporary larger you and buy yourself a small capsule wardrobe so that you feel a bit more self love when you look in the mirror. Have a look in the style and beauty section there are plenty of recommendations for larger sizing.
Plan a pamper evening - 🛀 nice body lotion, diy pedi and mani and a face mask. Get plenty of sleep.
Plan your clothes in the evening for the next day and in the morning make time to put on make up if that’s your thing and likewise use perfume, pop on some of your jewellery, be picky about accessories and shoes/sandals.
As you look after yourself more the food thing will become a greater priority and you will be more motivated.

@Babdoc

OP, this is a great time of year to lose weight. All those lovely fresh fruits, salads and veg. And it’s too hot to eat huge meals. If you are tempted to binge on junk food, then just don’t buy any! If you haven’t got any giant packs of crisps and chocolates in the house, then you can’t eat them. Keep healthy snacks instead - carrot sticks, fresh cherries, celery etc. Try to increase your intake of fibre - plenty of veg - so you feel full for longer. Go for lean protein, too - steam or poach fish, rather than frying or battering it. Have wholegrain rice or bread, rather than white. There are lots of tweaks and substitutions you can make that will make a big difference to your daily calories. Try to gently increase your activity too - walking is excellent, just go a little further each day. You only need to lose the first stone to notice an improvement in your breathlessness etc. And it’s a huge morale boost to see the weight coming off. Good luck, you can do this.

@Babdoc

I don’t buy them with my shopping, but I end up ordering form Uber Eats on an evening

I try everything not to, but I just give in.

Try low carb OP.

I'm 4 weeks in and literally never hungry

I eat meat, eggs, green veg, avocado, full fat Greek yoghurt, cheese, berries, nuts, salad, cream.

The fat content means I feel satisfied. Never need to snack. I don't miss sugar at all

Definitely worth a try if you can push through the first few days.

I’ve ended up signing up to one of those diet programmes that send you all your meals.

It’s working so far because
a) i know I can’t eat anything outside my daily meals, plus fruit and veg.
b)it’s completely changed portion control- when I empty the sachet of muesli into a bowl it looks tiny.
C) I’ve paid for it. Quite a lot, so I will stick to it and make it work

OP I'm not saying this is easy, not by a long shot, but my clients (I'm a PT) who are addicted to fat and sugar and carb hits of serotonin and dopamine like you no doubt are, are dealing with addiction so you need to replace the addiction if you want to stop the eating. It sounds boring but exercise is the best replacement as it'll give you an amazing natural high.

Here's the kicker though, it takes around 6 weeks of very regular exercise for the high to really start coming, then the longer you do it the more awesome the high. But that's why the first few weeks can be absolutely miserable boring hell but you have to stick with it. Also your brain will be used to immediate gratification with the food whereas with exercise it's delayed a bit and you just need to give your brain the chance to get used to that.

So replacing the high is what you need to do. It's super hard at first but know it gets so much easier if you do stick with it.

I did SlimmingWorld a few years ago and fell in love with the fakeaways recipes. I didn’t feel cheated and a lot of the meals are really tasty and I enjoyed creating my snacking plate every evening. I’d tried all sorts but it was the only weight loss thing that didn’t make me feel as if I was on a diet. I still cook lots of the recipes today and enjoyed going to the group meetings for moral support and little tips, like pulling the middle out of a bread roll until it weight the right weight and then stuffing it full of scrumptious free food. I’ve put a fair bit back on since Christmas and have just looked out my diary and information books as I’m planning on getting back on track again.

I feel for you OP. I threw my scales out because I couldn’t get my head round how big I was getting. I’m only 5ft 2” & over 13 stone. My problem isn’t food though, it’s wine. I drink way too much daily so have ballooned. It needs to change!
As far as your weight loss is concerned, I would echo pp’s & make small changes to start with. Or if it’s your cup of tea, maybe join a group like WW or Slimming World. Good luck & keep posting your progress so that we can support you 🙂🙂

Shift focus from being angry with yourself and your body to being kind to all of you.

See nourishing your body with good, wholesome food as a reward.

Try eating in a time window eg 9-5 or 8-4 or 12-8

It's hard at first but once you're over the initial few days it gets much easier. I do 9-5

You should try to cut out alcohol at least at first.

Try low carb (not no carb) and high protein.

Eat as much wholefoods as possible but don't beat yourself up for the occasional processed item.

Have you been taking medication for the anxiety and depression. Alot of meds to treat this increase appetite and have weight gain as a side effect. Making it it alot easier to gain the weight than lose it.

Last April i weighed 11st 3lb, today I weigh 15st 8lb.

Right there with you.

I started a diet again (seem to start a new one twice a week at least) I’m on day 3 now. Doing ok, just hope it lasts.

Eating between 12-5pm. Here if you want to chat x

Yes you can lose it! You were 11 stone once and you can be that again. It's all in your control. It's up to you whether you want your old life back.

I went from 11 stone to 9 stone with SW and I absolutely loved it. I'm pregnant so not doing it atm but I'm already looking forward to getting back on it

by lunch time I have such an overwhelming need to eat something to make me feel better

So why are you eating things that don't make you feel better?

I found that what worked for me was to actually stop and think about what actually made me feel good, rather than what I've been told would. I don't want sweets, I want strawberries or watermelon or whatever fruit I fancy when I think 'Oh, I really fancy something sweet'. Or red bean mochi (preferably the strawberry daifuku version, but at times of duress and poor supply, two Little Moons is an acceptable alternative).

I don't want a greasy burger with half a ton of mayonnaise, burger sauce and no salad, along with fries and more mayonnaise, I want a burger made out of pure 5% beef mince, a poached egg, a ton of fresh salad and perhaps a small amount of sauce on it. And maybe some thick cut oven chips, but I don't actually like the buns, they were just there because takeaway burgers come with them.

Tonight, DP is making some sort of chicken wrap, but I don't fancy that. He's therefore come back with some more eggs, a bunch of asparagus and some sourdough bread in case I want some toast (and butter) soldiers with boiled eggs or I'm still hungry later. And there's an avocado in the fridge which I might have for breakfast or use it when making chilli prawns, rocket and cherry tomato salad with a dressing made from oil, orange juice and apple cider vinegar tomorrow afternoon.

I also have a fizzy multivitamin instead of a cheapie fizzy drink - they taste very similar - and if you drop some ice cubes in once it's dissolved, it feels like you've got an orange Panda Pop.

These are things that I actually like. And they make me feel better.

I also exercise now, which has made a huge difference to my health and my mood - getting out into daylight is always better for you unless you're a vampire as a slow walk around a park gives you fresh(ish) air, trees, birds, a change of scenery and some Vitamin D.

Let's face it, after a year and a half of largely being confined to the house, lots of us emerged from each successive lockdown (and multiple periods of self isolation) pale, lacking muscle tone, feeling a bit uneasy around people, desperately short of daylight exposure and needing to increase our step count from under 100 a day to a more normal level. It's been crap - but that doesn't mean you have to keep punishing yourself by shoving food that doesn't make you feel better in.