To not have realised how over weight I am? :(

[Lostandlostsomemore]

Always been a size 10 pre kids, never weighed myself but maybe around about 10 stone as not very small framed boobs 36d.
Had my son 4 1/2 years ago and my daughter 3 years ago and remember on my last weight check before having her I was 16 stone and appalled.
Walked everywhere with the double pram as didn't drive and over 2 years was back down to a size 12 still horrible saggy stomach from 2 c sections but generally wore dresses so was fine.
Learnt to drive as moved out of London and although I don't eat large portions I don't eat the healthiest of food as just don't bloody like it.
Weighed myself today and 12 stone 13. Awful :( I knew my dresses felt a bit tight but still buying a size 12 so didn't think it was that bad.
I work evenings so literally impossible to join a gym as my 2 nights off a week I want to see my husband and kids and we live somewhere that you have to drive everywhere and now neither kid will get in a pram anyway so that's not going to work.
Am I going to have to starve? I have my brothers wedding in December and clearly have a good 3 stone to lose

[HelenaDove]

OP the first time i lost weight i lost ten stone in 18 months. between 2002 and 2003 I lost a stone a month for the first seven months and got gallstones as a result (losing weight too fast isnt healthy and i cant get on board with it after my experience. I actually considered suicide because the pain was indescribable. Had gall bladder out in 2003.


I went back to SW two years ago because id steadily regained 4 stone due to personal circumstances and giving up smoking. Its taken me the last two years to lose that 4 stone at a steady rate of a pound to a pound and a half a fortnight. Its been slow this time but it all adds up Good luck.

[Calloh]

OP, I feel your pain, but I weigh so much more. In spinning today I worked out I weigh nearly 18 stone. (Converting pounds to stone on a whim during the cool down)

I don't eat brilliantly like nothing but steamed fish and broccoli but I rarely have a chocolate bar or crisps or biscuits, and cool almost everything f from scratch, I eat from small bowls and try not to have seconds. I actually don't think I look like I weigh this much - I really hope not.

But here is the real kicker, I pretty much go to the gym every day - I do yoga, spinning, Zumba, TRX and play badminton and squash. And I don't do these things half-heartedly, I work up a mega sweat and get really red in the face. On top of this I walk my dog twice a day, usually doing between 4 and 6 miles a day at a briskish pace. And then all the stuff around the house chasing a toddler.

I'm so embarrassed, I must be deluded, I really, really don't know why I'm so heavy. But I don't think exercise is my answer, it makes me feel better and I hope it makes me look better but to drop the Wright I'm going to have to really eat loads less. Sorry to derail but any advice from anyone would be so appreciated.

[FilbertSnood]

I think exercise actually isn't the answer to weight loss sadly... I think it really helps, but diet is everything.

[FilbertSnood]

This is based on the fact that I started doing lots of exercise as part of my weight loss plan, but had to stop due to surgery (pesky pelvic floor!!) but have stuck to the diet and the weight still comes off

[SmillasSenseOfSnow]

How do you take your tea/coffee? I take both black without sugar. You'd add lots of calories by adding sugar.

The calories in a teaspoon of sugar are virtually negligible. You would need to spend some time calorie-counting to know this.

I've lost 12.5 lbs in 6 weeks just from calorie-counting. And I've far from stuck to my goals the whole time.

[specialsubject]

10 stone on the skinnier end for your height but you know what is normal for you. 3 stone in 4 months is unrealistic without harmful restriction, and crash dieters pork up again.

eat properly, stop buying crap and fit in as much movement as you can.

almost no food is unhealthy per se. Complex carbs are fine, but perhaps you are eating too much of them. Pastries are obviously going to put on the pork so lose those. Have a sandwich instead.

[SmillasSenseOfSnow]

Correction: I've lost 11.5 lbs. Getting ahead of myself there!

[Calloh]

Filbert at the weekends do you have whatever you would like? Or do you still think about it a bit? Or have you found that you actually just make healthier choices naturally now?

I have two daughters and one son, more than anything I want to be able to model normal, healthy eating patterns without feeling or looking deprived.

You sound like you have done brilliantly!

[SmillasSenseOfSnow]

I think exercise actually isn't the answer to weight loss sadly... I think it really helps, but diet is everything.

Yep. I don't know how anyone still questions this. It's a simple matter of calories in vs. calories out, all diets are geared towards reducing your net intake of calories, whether they tell you as much or not. Continuing to eat without learning about how many calories you're taking in as long as you exercise loads is setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment.

[Starbrite00]

Weight is not the issue, you are 5. 7 so tall and a size 12 is not big at all.
I had a baby at Xmas and started ww 7 weeks ago, I've lost 1st 4lb so far and now 11.12lb, I'm still a size 14/16 but I'm 5ft 3

[cashewnutty]

I am 5'6" and 13 stones and my size 16's are very tight. You must be very toned if you can fit a size 12. I know I eat too many carbs and don't exercise enough. I have a family of skinny carb junkies. I am trying to eat fewer carbs so if I can lunch will be salad. I am hoping to try and swim more as my sore back makes other exercise hard. I suspect as I lose weight my back will cure itself. It is so very hard and getting harder as I get older.

[urbinosparrot]

Ditch the diet coke. There are more and more studies showing that diet drinks mess up the metabolism and make you hungry. Fizzy drinks in general are the work of the devil. Mexico is the country with the biggest consumption of sodas per capita in the world, and also the biggest levels of obesity - more than the USA.

If you don't like plain water, squeeze a bit of lemon or orange in to flavour it. Beware of commercial flavoured waters because they are high in sugar or aspartame.

[HelenaDove]

urbino has a point I ditched diet coke 2 and a half years ago.

[littlejohnnydory]

I wore a size 12 at 12st and 5ft8. That height and weight put my bmi at 25 so you're hardly horrifically overweight.

[littlejohnnydory]

A lot of you are being silly about the dress size. People of the same height and weight will all look different, have different body shapes, muscle:fat ratio and therefore wear different sizes of clothes!

[FilbertSnood]

Calloh it's interesting, because I do actually make healthier choices now - I tend to stick to the same breakfast at weekends as during the week (either yoghurt and fruit or omelette). I actually rarely eat bread now. But I had some when we were at a restaurant and I had a bowl of pasta yesterday, but I guess it's seeing them as occasional rather than regular? And I lived on toast for breakfast and pasta was a regular dinner!

[TheCatsFlaps]

Yep, ditch the fizzy drinks. In addition to fucking up your metabolism, they will dehydrate you. You'll feel less bloated too.

[ktd2u]

5:2 diet - worked wonders for me and oh before wedding and is sustainable. Really easy, no diet books or membership fees- for two non consecutive days just limit yourself to 500 calories. Weight loss is largely diet - they say 75% diet and 25% exercise. Get a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. Good luck x

[FilbertSnood]

My mental health has dramatically improved since taking control of my diet. But it's a bloody hard thing to do. And I still have weight to lose.

[RonaldMcDonald]

I am far from an expert but....I think diet is the answer (exercise is a nice throw in if you can but often I am starving after ward and pretend I have more calories I can arse around with snarfing at will)

Be very controlled about what you are putting in your mouth if you have a strict goal to achieve

For me this means -
nothing bought in ready meal form
no takeaways
gin not wine
no bread or pasta - I do eat potato
only a little dressing or butter, olive oil...not a glug or butter sliced like cheese
v little cheese - grated on a massive greek salad instead of cubed etc
no sweets or puddings - I use fruit for this or if I get a crazy choc craving a small bar and then no potato with dinner

This is so obvious but every time I do it I have shifted what I need to quickly

[backonthewagon]

Do you like meat, eggs, butter, cheese, yoghurt, cream and some veg? If so come over to BIWI's bootcamp thread. I lost 2 stone in 13.5 weeks.

[HelenaDove]

I wear a size 18 if its a blouse due to 34HH boobs. But it inevitably ends up roomy over my back and shoulders.

A size 12 skirt due to a smaller waist If its a t shirt its a size 14.

I dont do jeans or trousers (except for tracksuit bottoms when i excersise so i dont know what jeans size i am. Have tried them on before and to be the right size on my hips they are a huge gap around my waist Too much hassle.

[Bunbaker]

"A lot of you are being silly about the dress size. People of the same height and weight will all look different, have different body shapes, muscle:fat ratio and therefore wear different sizes of clothes!"

So true. I am the same height as the OP, but weigh over three stone less than her. I wear size 12 jeans. Dress size is meaningless these days.

[backonthewagon]

BTW your weight is 80-90% nutrition and 10-20% exercise.

[Zucker]

Very true littlejohnnydory People questioning the OP's experience because it's different to their own. 5'7" here 12 stone 4 and I'm not shoe horning myself into size 12 jeans or tops.

Following this thread as I want to distance myself from the 12 stone I've amassed.