I weigh 17 stone

[crabsaremisunderstood]

Just that.

Feels such a relief to get it out there.

I was actually heavier than this in my teens. I was diagnosed with PCOS and lost over 7 stone (I’m 5ft 5) when I was university and have put most of it back on slowly but steadily over 10 years.

I hate the feeling of being hungry… so I eat. No excuses - I know what foods are good and bad for me but I don’t stick to it. I love food. It brings me so much joy and comfort, but I need to replace that feeling with something else. I’ve finally reached the point where size 18 jeans don’t fit me any more and I don’t exercise enough since getting a car and having a stressful job. My partner is small and has a quick metabolism so this doesn’t help.

I'm not sure what I want from this thread and thanks if you read this far, but I’m hoping someone out there will be rooting for me… and I’m rooting for you if you are feeling the same! I’m making a doctors appointment for a blood test for Type 2 diabetes tomorrow morning. This is it; I know I can do this.

You’re facing up to it and that is a big step.

There is a thread in Weight Loss called “30kg to lose. Who else is in this ballpark”. It’s a good, non-hectoring thread.

Very best of luck OP. I'm 13 stone at the mo, which is bigger than I've ever been, and worrying about diabetes. I'm managed to stop eating junk but am still eating too much of the helthier choices so I'm not really losing anything. I really want to get in the zone with it though!

During lockdown I spent a couple of hours a day in the sea every day and lost 3 stone! How about wild water swimming for you? It releases endorphins so triggers the same happiness response that you'd otherwise get from food.

I remember when I was diagnosed with PCOS the consultant said to me “Remember that if you eat a Mars Bar, it’s like someone without PCOS eating 3 Mars Bars”.

I should have recited that quote every day!!

I started the year at 18 stone 2 so I know how you feel I didn't recognize myself on Christmas photos. Gradually chipping away at it now but it's a long haul

@SnuggleBuggleBoo Good luck to you! It’s so difficult to even get a doctors appointment, it’s demotivating before you’ve even started!

I 2as 17st7lbs at my largest.

It was tough, emotionally and physically :(

I was the same this time last year, I've lost more than 4 stone so far and I feel amazing so much fitter and healthier, you can do it and once you get started the benefits will keep you going

OP I was 16 stone with PCOS and not only did I lose all the weight but I also completely sorted out my gynaecology issues and got pregnant three times unexpectedly despite being told I’d not be able to have kids

i did keto. Completely shuts down your appetite, lost a stone a month and I stopped being pre diabetic as well .

Ps im mot making any claims esp re detoxify. just my experience

Oh, bless you Well done for making the GP appointment! I guess you already know it's likely to show positive - if not now, then soon. PCOS is itself a metabolic syndrome so you're going to have to manage your diet somehow, if only to reduce your triglycerides and your blood pressure.

The best approach for your health would be a near-keto diet. However, I can see that's unlikely to chime with your emotional needs. Therapy's slow & expensive, so some reasonable approaches for right now would be more helpful!

I'm a recovered anorexic and - even decades later - can't offer specific diet suggestions because it may 'trigger' me back into disordered eating. I can give you a couple of hints, though!

Before you eat your friendly treat, drink a glass of water.

Cut out fruit juice and fizzy pop.
That includes lo-cal drinks, because current research indicates the sweeteners trigger an insulin response. This screws with your appetite & metabolism.

Don't deny yourself any foods. Banned lists lead to angry cravings.
Various strategies are available for this. One thing you can try is to have an apple, carrot, piece of crispbread (etc) before the cake or burger.

Consider getting Susie Orbach's book, Fat is a Feminist Issue. I followed her advice - in the old version - to the letter. Might not suit you but is certainly worth a look!

Wishing you the best

I was 16 stone 5 pounds in January, I'm now just under 13 stone 7. I've been dieting and cutting right back, but having one takeaway a week. Didn't want to go too strict and risk caving in and binging, prefer to do it in a more sustainable way. It's about your mind set. Once you start you'll begin to see results and any weight loss is good. Good luck.

Do you really never feel overfull when you eat, OP? Never feel like you over did it?

Food is so much better tasting if you're actually hungry when you eat. If you want to find even more joy & happiness in eating, then try to wait until you are physically hungry. And then make a point of eating fairly slowly. All your senses will be heightened, not just taste & smell.

Thank you all for your inspirational stories and really helpful advice! It's great to read about all your successes.

I think the biggest need for me is to cut out snacks and get used to the natural, normal feeling of being hungry instead of "having a biscuit to tide me over" (which turns into 3 biscuits and a few squares of chocolate etc.!).

I need to also get rid of the 'snack cupboard' and try to eat more protein dense foods to keep me going between meals. My plan is to have yoghurt, nut butter teaspoon full and berries for breakfast, try to stick with soup/salads or something that doesn't involve bread for lunch, and then for dinner halve my carb intake but not restrict completely so that I don't cave and binge. My favourite ever weekday meal is a jacket potato, tuna mayo, cheese and broccoli, so maybe I'll just have a smaller portion or do it with sweet potato instead!

I'm going to try to focus on the little wins, rather than thinking "I have X amount to lose" because at the moment it's a lot and just feels impossible/daunting!

@Chellybelle that is AMAZING. Congratulations!

How have you lost it?

That mars bar line would have really helped me when diagnosed! So validating of the struggle and why I can't get away with eating treats like other people without consequences. My GP at the time said "stop eating mars bars" (I don't even LIKE mars bars), so maybe that's what they were trying to recite but fucked it up?! 😂

I was 19st at my heaviest. 13st 7lbs now, so getting there but it has taken a very long time. I too have recently started keto but haven't seen the crazy weight loss success other PCOS sufferers have.
My personal belief is calories are the main factor that determines weight loss itself and you don't have to drop everything fun. However, keto makes it easier not to feel ravenous between meals.

I spent a long time getting used to being hungry, a lot of "it's okay to feel hungry", getting comfortable with acknowledging my level of hunger on a hunger scale and not reacting to every tummy rumble with food.

You can absolutely make progress. Just make the changes you feel able to start, and add other changes once you've nailed those, try not to overwhelm yourself 😊 you can do it!

A life style change and not a diet will help in the long run. Don't buy the snacks and you won't have them in the cupboard. Is your partner supportive? Ask him to help you. Living with someone who can eat anything sometimes can cause friction. Have a food diary and be honest. Do simple swaps if you can eat them, white for brown. Rice, pasta. Drink water. Also nothing wrong with a potato but balance the carbs. Also Look at your plates so many nowadays are huge! I got a plate with all the food groups on balanced bewteen veg, carbs ( small) protein and fats.

Good luck op! I used to be a lot heavier and like you I enjoy my food! One little bit of advice I can offer you which worked for me was to take a pic in my underwear on the first day of my diet / exercise plan and then one every week after that. You always get to the point where weight loss gets slower which can be de motivating but I found if I looked back at the original picture and saw how far I’d come I’d feel a lot better

I am

It's a positive thing that you're facing up to it, and also getting yourself checked out.

It's normally the first few days you might be hungry on a diet, so you could start by trying to make the right or better choices (ie don't worry about cutting back how much you're eating for a short while). That'll hopefully kick start the weight loss and then when you go onto cutting back/a particularly diet it might not be so bad.

When you're busy working, small changes can help. A longer walk from the car, at lunchtime or a brisk walk after tea. You can do toning exercises at home, even if it's just a few mins a day. Then on your day off try a new activity, go for a proper walk or cycle ride - it all helps.

Do look at the weight loss threads on here, or start one yourself - it helps to keep you focused. Hope you manage to loose some weight and start feeling better about yourself.