Just stood on the scales and nearly threw up.

[blackberrypickinginaugust]

15 stone 7.

15 and a half stone. I'm not even 5'3.

Like many overweight people I've been on the diet circuit.

Gastric band
slimming world
weight watchers
myfitnesspal

The only thing that ever worked is a VLCD so as from now I am back on it. I just can't believe how massive I am.

Today is the start of a new you.

Is the C carb or calorie?

By extremely restricting your calories you run the risk of entirely fucking your metabolism (assuming you haven't already).

Can you start to keep a food diary for a couple weeks to identify where you're going wrong and try and fix it one thing at a time?

E.g. If you eat a lot of bread, cut back to one portion per day. Then if you eat a lot of chocolate cut that back to once per week.

Look at your portion sizes and the types of food you eat, make sure that you bulk out every meal with at least 1/3 to 1/2 veg and salad?
If you start to make changes that are achievable and gradual you stand more chance of success.

Do you still have the gastric band?

So what happened with the gastric band? I thought you have to jump through hoops to get an NHS one, did you not manage the restrictive diet or what?

That was my eureka weight too.
Which vlcd are you doing? I highly recommend slim and save. Total meal replacement, but you're also allowed 200g cooked weight of certain veg a day.
That feeling of disgust is what will drive you forwards and be your motivation.
Remember at least 3l of water a day.
You can do it

Calories in calories out OP. No need to be extreme, 1500 per day sounds good, dropping to 1200 as your get closer to your target but your rate of loss slows.

Morning :)

I'm 5ft 5 and was 19st 1lb on new years day

I'm 15st 5lbs now and feel much better, so don't beat yourself up about the number on the scales when there's probably hundreds of women who look at your body enviously wishing they could be the size you are. If I'd walked passed you in the street 6 months ago I'd have been one of them.

I've lost the weight with a very low carb diet and as others have said, I'd massively advise against going super low calorie if that's what you're planning. You say it's worked for you before, but it clearly hasnt if you're now heavier than ever. VLCalD's strip weight off you short term but they are completely impossible to maintain. There's evidence to suggest they actually cause faster wieght gain once the plan is over too.

I do LCHF, low carb, high fat which gets your body into ketosis (the reason super low calorie works) without fucking up your metabolism. I eat 3 meals a day, loads of green veggies and plenty of healthy fats but always under 25g carbs a day and 70% of my calories from fats. diet looks like this:

B: full fat greek yoghurt, 3 strawberries and flaxseed or:
coffee with double cream or:
bacon and eggs
Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs

L: Italian meats, olives etc or
Stir fry (in coconut oil)
Salad with some form of meat and full fat dressing and avocado
CHeese and flaxseed crackers

D: Belly pork
Steak
Lamb shank
chicken (with skin)
Salmon
Anything i want really, usually with broccoli, cauli, asparagus etc cooked in butter.

I started off by tracking what I eat but I don't bother now, no need because i know my diet backwards. I'm never ever hungry because fat kills your appitite and I also smash out 5 gym sessions a week no problem with all the extra energy.

The weight loss has been steady, just under 2lbs a week i think on average but it comes off in clumps. I wont lose anything for a couple of weeks then I'll suddenly drop 8lbs in a week, then nothing for a week, then maybe 1 or 2 lbs, then nothing for a couple of weeks again and then a big drop. I weigh myself once a month now and i dont obsess over it because my body is changing faster than the scales are.

I think what I actually want to say to you is this IS fixable, you can do this and you do not need to do a VLCalD to get there :)

Honest question OP - did you not realise?
Did you think you were 11 or 12 stone? Is that why you're so shocked.

Having done a VLCD and regained weight afterwards I found that the only way to keep it under control is a very low carb diet long term. It's sad but true that the more you diet the more efficient your metabolism seems to become.

I am crap as my kryptonite is bread/crisps/nuts and I've found I just have to try and minimise them e.g. big salad for lunch rather than sandwiches etc. Also booze is a killer as it both adds calories and lowers your resistance to the crisps/nuts that are always lurking near said booze.

VLCDs are fantastic for losing a huge amount of weight but you need to take the refeeding stage really seriously so as not to overfill your carbohydrate stores and you need to have a plan as to how you will eat forever after.

Good luck. VLCDs are so hard!

What about exercise?

Buy a Fitbit.... they are great. Measures cals in and out as you can also log food

Neutrogena why does that matter? She didn't know...she's upset about it and wants some support.

I'm 5ft 1, 15 stone 5. I've done all the slimming clubs too. I'm a binger. I am so unhappy.

I've done no carb and had most success with it but I feel too tired to make a fresh start. I'm not really in control of my body and I so want to make a lasting change. Have considered gastric band but husband is not happy with health risks.

I've gained a stone a year for 5 years since marriage and children and it's all my own fault, greedy bugger that I am.

Neutrogena I can't answer for the OP but when I saw a 19 on the scales I was shocked, I think it's quite common.

For me, it was a case of "it's not the right time to go on a diet, I'll just eat in moderation until I've got the right mindset to get the weight off. It's gone on quick so it will come off quickly too"

Problem was without the structure of a diet, my version of moderation was laughable. A takeaway every week, sometimes a KFC on the way home from work and a full meal straight after. Huge portion sizes too because I genuinely never felt full or satisfied. We used a lot of low fat products and ate tons of them because they were "healthy" hence the hunger and overeating/ takeaway blowouts.

I thought I was about 16st when I weighed myself on new years day so I knew I was obese, I just didn't know the degree to which I'd neglected my body. 19st 1lb made me feel like a channel 5 documentary subject on my 5ft 5 frame.

When people seem suprised that you don't notice the weight creeping on, I always assume they've never been obese themselves because if they had, they'd understand how it happens. I'm sorry if that's not the case for you, but if yo've been in those shoes you'll know that it's not willfull neglect of yourself or purposeful self sabbotage most of the time, it's just a case of how you percieve yourself not changing at the speed your body does.

I started slimming world for the 3 time 10 weeks ago. When I started I weighed it at 17 stone 2 last night I weighed 15 stone 8. Like you I've tried all diets and this is the first time it's clicked. I know I've still got a long way to go but this time it's working for me. Find a diet that suits you and keep at it. It will come off. Good luck

I'm 5'2" and have steadily gone from 8st 7lb to my all time high of 14st 5lb. I was slim all my life up until 40, and I have no clue how I got here (eating junk/ fast-food/ takeaway?) or how to cure it. All my attempts at dieting have failed. I've given up. Watching with much interest.

I've never been overweight but oh OP I wish I could give you a hug and tell you it's not your fault and don't be so hard on yourself.

Are you eating to excess for a reason? Are there some underlying issues from your childhood or something happening in your life causing you to turn to food?

15 stone for you height is very big indeed and quite worrying. Don't restrict yourself and say "I can't have this or that" because you will crave it and then binge. Portion control is your friend! But I think seek some counselling too.

I think low carb is a good idea. But not high fat. I am convinced a high fat diet gave me gallstones. (Atkins) I've tried VLCD but I do think they lead to obsessing about food. It's probably OK for a few days but not in the long term. Not eating at night is a good idea too.

hatsoncats Have you read Gary Taubes? In one of his books he talks about how if you eat 20cals above your required amount from your teens until middle age, you'll be 5 stone overweight by the time you get there. The weight gain is super slow and un-noticable because it happens over such a long time and it's the reason most people gain weight in middle age. Interesting read.

I've been obese all my life (the word first appears on my medical records aged 5 and a half ) and I've been on a diet since I was 7 years old (mum put me on slimming world, god bless the 90's!) it's only now I've spent time researching and learnng about nutrition that i actually understand where i went so wrong. The weight loss is a lovely side effect of that education.

Can you have your band tightened?

I recognise VLCDs aren't for everyone but they are the only way I successfully lose weight.

I thought I was about 13 and a half neutrogena

The band was paid for privately. I was about 14 stone and originally went to ask about a gastric balloon. It was a big mistake put it that way!

I am similar to you OP - I tried the VLCD (Lighter Life) several years ago and lost several stone, but it all went back on again and then some.

Have also tried WW and SW with limited success. I haven't tried high fat low carb so maybe I should do that next. Like SheRa my kryptonite (what a good way of putting it) is bread/crisps etc - I just can't keep away from them. Should you have no carbs at all with low carb diet? TBH I think it's easier in some ways if you know you haven't to go near them.

Agree with pp about the feeling of helplessness and not being in control - I feel like I am on a helter skelter (not in a good way). It's so depressing isn't it?

Can anyone recommend a low carb regime?

Can anyone recommend a low carb regime?

You don't need a regime, you just need to eat less than 20g of carbs per day. You can track it on My Fitness Pal. When low carbing I eat 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat.

Oh Ok - thanks Amused :)

If you're a serial dieter and have tried everything and gained back all the weight and more each time, I would seriously have a look at rebelfit. They stress the importance of fitness and optimal nutrition a as a way to eliminate cravings. A very small calorie deficit is encouraged for very slow but sustainable weight loss. It makes sense to me and is much more positive and less depressing than a "diet"

Did you have no idea roughly what weight you were OP?

I can't believe that someone is a slinky size 10, and 8 and a half stone, and then just suddenly hops on the scales and they're almost double that weight. Surely you must have realised you were gaining weight? Did you not notice clothes not fitting anymore? Or did you think they were all shrinking?

All that said, it's done now, and it's time to start combatting it! Get a little notebook to make into a weight monitoring diary. Put your vital statistics in it, and your weight, and re-measure every 2 weeks.

Cut down on portion sizes. No need to cut everything out, though reducing sugars and fats and carbs will help (obvs!) Try and avoid chips, crisps, biscuits, bread, butter, and pastries, for a month or so at least. And even when you re-introduce them, eat much less. And walk and cycle and swim more. Or go to the gym if you can.

There is no quick fix, and faddy diets are bollocks. You have a long, hard road ahead, but you can do it! However, it's not a 6 month diet you need, it's a complete lifestyle change. The key for many who lose weight and keep it off, is to maintain their healthy lifestyle. Reducing portions is essential.

My fitness pal is good, and slimming clubs are good of course, but not everyone can join them - or wants to.

Good luck. Start it TODAY!