Please can you tell me how your life improved once you finally got round to losing weight .

[spad]

Tia

"weighting" grr "waiting"- oh, the irony!

I didn't feel any different at all. The only improvement I noticed was that I could ALWAYS find clothes in my size, but since the majority of high street shops now go up to size 20/22 that isn't even noticeable.

KakiFruit - how much did you lose, and why did you choose to lose the weight? I'm interested because you seem to be the lone voice saying 'I didn't feel any different'.

Also because I am constantly thinking 'Oh I will do x but I need to lose weight first' - you know? That magical thinking that says when I am size 10 all my problems will vanish?? The logical me knows that's bullshit... but...

I'm going to contradict a lot on this thread. I lost 4 stones (years ago), went from size 16 to 8.

One of the few positives was cheaper bras.

Women were more negative to me as they saw me as a threat to their relationships. Boyfriends got jealous & possesive easily.

I felt more vulnerable as I wasn't 'big & strong' anymore.

Friends didn't want to go out with with because guys would approach me and ignore them.

I was treated like a dumb bimbo.

Now I'm fat again no one sees me as a threat. People say nicer things about me.

Losing weight is good for health reasons but I wouldn't do it for social reasons.

I've lost 1.5st since October, got three more to go but I already feel better. Clothes starting to hang off me, knees don't creak so much etc. I still have a spare tyre but it's not tractor sized any more

This thread is in my bookmarks to keep me inspired when I want to eat a mountain of chocolate.

Good grief Light you had some seriously shitty friends.
I hope they aren't your friends any more.

Lightbulbon that is such a depressing post. You'd rather be fat and unthreatening so that people are nicer to you?

I'm not having a go, I just find that really sad.

ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO Tesco Healthy Eating Sweet & Sour Sauce its on shelf alongside all other Chinese sauces 83p

I've lost 1.5St, have another 1.5 to go before I get to my target weight. I'm going to disagree a bit and say that the only thing that has really changed is that I see now, that I'm worth more than my weight. It's made me look at why I was eating and I've gradually started to come to terms with the thought that I deserve to eat food, that I shouldn't be ashamed of my body regardless of its size. I'm losing weight as I was really starting to feel it in my joints and how I moved.

More choice of clothes easily available in the shops.
I can run!
I generally don't spend as much time thinking about what I look like.
I can wear my hair up (which didn't suit me when my face was fat).
The compliments go on forever because you'll keep on seeing people you haven't seen for ages who will be AMAZED by how different you look.
I sweat less, and my sweat doesn't smell as bad.
My thighs don't rub together in summer.
I don't get random chest pains.
I don't knock into doorframes/furniture as much.
I enjoy my food a lot more.
The angle of entry to my vagina has changed, making sexual positions possible that weren't before.
I can walk up steep hills without getting tired (I'm probably no fitter, but just have less bulk to drag!)
I now know that I have the strength and willpower to do hard things, which has made me more confident and can-do in all kinds of other ways as well.

This thread is amazing. Starting with the why seems so much better than starting with the how!

Oh yes forgot to add (thanks ifigoup!) sex is so much better, confidence aside.. No heavy boobs squashing my lungs and generally fitting together much better.
And yes not spending a lot of the day thinking about how I look, because I can relax knowing I do look good. If my makeup has sweated off a bit it doesn't matter.. because my cheekbones are taking care of it before it would be a rush to get my mask back on again to at least look a bit decent.

It makes me sad sometimes thinking of all the time wasted not being this happy. But I'm here now and appreciating every second!
This is a great thread! So motivational doing it this way.

I've lost two stone. The key benefit has been that it has reminded me that I have the ability to change aspects of my life if I really want it and am prepared to put the work in to achieve it. It's revitalising!

I am far from skinny but a healthy, normal weight and am now happy to look at myself in the mirror, have my picture taken, try new clothes etc. But I actually wear less make up, fuss less over my hair etc because i feel happy in myself.

And yes, the main change in other peoples attitude has been from other women. Weird and unpleasant but def true.

My lightbulb moment came when I realised I only had four outfits that fitted me and they all involved leggings & tunics!

I can see my beaver!

Well, not right now. Right now I'm at work.

I'll join this thread. I am desperate to lose weight and have easily four stone to lose.

Thyroid problems contributed to me piling it on, but I now really must lose it.

Trying to cut back on carbs. I can manage it for a few days and start feeling better, then all goes belly up again and I lose motivation.

I have cut out snacks like crisps totally, and am now working on weaning myself off chocolate, or at least drastically down on it. It's a hard slog.

Food wise, I desperately need ideas. I can cook quite well but I lack inspiration. That is one of my downfalls.

Blown away by the poster who lost five stone while pregnant. That deserves an award!

I wonder at what point people start treating you differently. I have lost ten pounds since August (I needed to imo, although it's small fry to some I guess) I went from size 12 to size ten and to me it's been kind of weird that nobody ever noticed or commented. But that's fine! Really, I'm not complaining. I'd be self-conscious about it.

Good luck to you all in January and if you feel like you can't face a diet, do what I have done and just 'diet' every second day. I've been amazed that it's given me the same results as dieting every day.

Low carb and plenty of exercises, cutting back on alcohol and now no alcohol, that's a whole other thread. I lost a stone and a half, lightbulb moment was pulling on jeans and then finding a top of some descrition to hide muffin top, none could be found!

I am now a size 10 and when getting ready for work or going out I just get dressed rather than try on a whole ray of different outfits, searching for one that made me look slim.

I have had issues with food since a teenager but I can honestly say eating healthy meals three times a time with plenty of running, walking the dog and on my feet all day long has resulted in a happier me! Plus, maybe most importantly, it is about what I think and not how I am viewed.

ps, not doubting for a second though that some people are drawn like moths to the 'flame' of Thinness. I always feel that strangers are nicer to me if I have great hair.

topseyt just do what you're trying to do but every second day. Mentally it is so much easier to tell yourself 'i could have that if I still desperately want it tomorrow' but when tomorrow comes and you're not on a diet but you've lost weight, you can appease yourself with half of it. Or you've forgotten about it.

Thanks Myrtle. That is sort of my idea, though I have had a few too many tomorrows for the last week or so.

Anyone got some really tasty low carb recipes?

I've lost a huge amount of weight through weight loss surgery. Some people say this is the 'easy way out' or 'cheating', so not true !. But, believe me when I say the difference it has made to my life is immeasurable, and I also agree that people treat you differently/better. Will share more if anyone is interested.

A colleague lost weight slowly over a couple of years. People only started noticing after she had lost four stone and suddenly she looked amazing! She never ate before 11am.

I lost 12.5 stone from 25 stone. I did it without surgery, drugs etc.- just 3 moderate meals a day with 3 things on the plate - a protein, a 'green' and a 'brown' (eg rice or pulses) and no alcohol or sugar in any form. I also attended OA.

I went from being morbidly obese size 32+ to slim size 12/14. I now hover around 14/16. Everything changed and nothing changed. My boobs disappeared!! From a very busty woman I became Sally Sad Sacks lol. I have loose skin around my upper arms and things and a swag bag on my belly (but also had twins) but is has slowly reduced over the last 5 years. I gained a different femininity, a different sexuality, a different self-awareness, a very weird identity crisis that was on-going over about 2 years (it settled eventually)....and much more. I am much better informed about nutrition and weight loss now. In my opinion, many diets, VLCDs and clubs are not likely to succeed in the long-run, though I know they work for some. Most of all it gave me back my strength and self-belief and the courage to live life and not be afraid of it. xx

Topseyt
I am on a loosing weight low carb journey.
Things I am doing that are helping inc
finding a few blogs with good recipes- I breath Im hungry and all day I dream of food are a couple I look at, I also have a low carb pinterest board, as well as pining specific LC food, I also searched a low carb ingredient and would look how I could adapt the recipe.
writing down what I am eating everyday so when I have a what am I going to eat moment I look at that and already have loads of ideas
I personally could not do it one day on one day off as first few days are hard with carb "withdrawals", and I would constantly feel shit! Once body is adapted life is a lot easier.
When I am going low carb, I spend at least the first few days cutting down so the "withdrawal" is much easier.
There is also BIWI's LC bootcamp and a massive recipe thread, people also tend to record their food, so if you look through the bootcamp threads there will be some food ideas.
Good luck!

OhGood I lost about 5 stone, from 15 down to 10. I'm 5'8". I lost it because I was sick of feeling like a social pariah for being obese and, like some of the posters have mentioned, I thought being thin would solve all my problems. It didn't!

Topseyt
Also wonder how many add on posts there will be.
If cooking for family try to keep all on the same/very similar meal- so if having rice you can have cauliflower rice, no one wants to be cooking loads of different means.
Have a good stock of low carb quick food at all times but especially important at the start.