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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to do a drastic diet?

222 replies

Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 07:23

I have gained huge amounts of weight over the last two years and am now nearly 15stone.

At my height, that’s pretty large and I’m very depressed.

Wondering about doing a liquid/shake diet. Any views?

OP posts:
Pebblesandsea · 27/05/2018 08:34

What about a plant based vegan diet? I am not a strict vegan anymore but when I was (disclaimer - while also running a lot) I lost a huge amount of weight. For me it was because I wasn't casually snacking on toast and butter or croissants and obviously there was no cheese or fatty meat such as sausages or mince. I was just eating really good whole foods and snacks were naked bars or nuts and fruit or plain chocolate. The benefit of eating like this is that it actually changes how you THINK about food and your body as whole. I did weight watchers about 10 years ago to lose some baby weight and all it did was make me obsessed about food and what was good and bad rather than what was nourishing my body. I became obsessed with what I could and couldn't have whereas on a plant based diet you can eat pretty much whatever you like. Check out BOSH or The Happy Pear on You Tube for more ideas.

OR....
How about looking up Joe Wicks. I follow him on Instagram and he has a lot of excellent and tasty recipes and quick work outs that you can access for free.

Good luck - it's tough.

Keepingupwiththejonesys · 27/05/2018 08:34

Slow and steady IS the right way. I've lost almost 4st but its taken me a year but I'm still losing an average of 1lb a week (still want just over a stone off). I don't feel like I'm on a diet at all but I am mindeful. I don't eat between 4pm and 10am monday-friday and what I do eat in those 6 hours I keep under a set calorie allowance. Saturday I eat what I want, anything. Sunday I eat 2000 cals or less. If someone asked me a year ago could I eat like that forever I'd have said no, now I'm doing it I realise how easy it is and am in the routine. If you're not willing to really try to lose weight properly then you won't, or you'll do a quick fix, lose lots and gain it all back and more after.

lljkk · 27/05/2018 08:35

It’s a lot easier to eat healthily, exercise, do the “right”things, when you aren’t massively fat.

Do other people find that's true (wondering if other posters will chip in). I haven't been massively fat, tbf. Exercise, diet, not smoking, keeping alcohol down to low/none, not being emotionally dependent on food. What else is there? Which of these right things (besides exercise) is much easier when not quite fat?

One claim from the Richard Simmons empire: he said exercise to trim down or you'll need lots plastic surgery. Morbidly obese seem to have massively worse excess skin problems when they lose weight -- maybe that's due to too little exercise at same time.

Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:35

I am vegetarian, which is one reason low carb isn’t really for me. Vegan wouldn’t work with biscuits and crisps readily available Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:36

Exercise is hard to do when fat. Not just hard in a physical sense but an emotional one.

Eating well is hard for me personally (others may disagree) - it’s hard depriving yourself week in week out for a measly 1lbs loss every week. I really admire people who can but I am frankly shit at it.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 27/05/2018 08:38

It sounds like you’ve already decided nothing will work for you. That’s going to be a self fulfilling prophecy.

Shadow666 · 27/05/2018 08:39

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do. Pick a time of day and go for a walk every day at the same time. Walk for at least 30 minutes.

Stick to meal times. Eat at a set time every day and actually sit down to eat. No snacking or just one small snack a day.

Pebblesandsea · 27/05/2018 08:41

Yes the crisps and chips are a tough one! I love crisps too! Definitely look at Joe Wicks - massive emphasis on real food and all manner of HIIT training routines on his youtube. If you want the full plan you can sign up for a cost but there is lots free.

LavenderDoll · 27/05/2018 08:41

I was 17 stone in January
I have lost 3 stone so far with slimming world
I don't understand why slimming world wouldn't work for you?
I'm also vegetarian and have found it works well
Also wanting to lose lots of weight very quickly isn't the best approach- you need to do it healthy and sensibly
If you start with stupid fad diets the weight will just go back on

MrsMotherHen · 27/05/2018 08:42

am on weight watchers its fantastic you can eat anything you want, absolutely anything ...just point it within your daily allowence.

Losing weight quick isnt great your more likely to put it all back on and then some.

Looking for a quick fix isnt the way if you want to lose the weight for good you have to work at it eat good food and move more.

harshbuttrue1980 · 27/05/2018 08:43

I've got a friend who has lost a lot by using Almased. She just swaps an almased shake for one of her meals. It seems more natural than a lot of other shakes - its milk, soya and honey basically. I'm vegan, otherwise I'd try it too.

Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:44

No, purple, I just know what works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to post, feel free to find another thread, there are at least thirty active ones Hmm

I really am not interested in SW, if it worked for you, great, but not for me. I’ve nowhere to cook anything for starters. And you’re still 14 stone, so not much smaller than me now.

OP posts:
Eliza1973 · 27/05/2018 08:44

Exercise doesn't have to be hours in the gym. Walking is great exercise to get you started. The more you do the more you will want to do but you need to get your mindset sorted. There are no real "quick fixes" but if you decide you need to do something then eat healthy and move more with the aim of burning more calories than you consume. If you start today you'll see a difference in four weeks and then again in another month and you'll be glad you started!

You have to just accept that you are where you are and it's going to take effort to turn it around - but it's worth it. You are worth it! Good luck x

Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:47

Yes, I do know that, thanks, but I don’t really want to walk on my own and have abuse yelled at me for being fat.

I know people are trying to help, but realistically, at nearly 5 stone overweight, a thirty minute walk will make very little difference.

OP posts:
BetterEatCheese · 27/05/2018 08:47

I'm doing Michael Moseley's blood sugar diet. Fast weight loss, tasty food. I've lost 6lb in as many days. It's designed to be fast and balanced

WittyJack · 27/05/2018 08:51

I did lighter life so I know all about VLCDs.

It's easy after the first few days. It's much easier to choose nothing because you have to eat your packet than it is to choose healthily from a whole restaurant menu or supermarket when what you want is a huge pizza and ice cream. And the weight melts off so quickly.

But. Several of the women in my group were doing it for the fourth or fifth time. Two got gallstones from the diet - don't dismiss that as it's so incredibly painful and if you have your gallbladder out, that can be a lifetime of digestive issues for some people. My group leader must have been a size 26 and had clearly failed utterly at keeping off the weight. Well, have you seen the founder!? She's hardly a walking advert for weight loss (for having a great business idea and retiring to the Bahamas, sure).

You also lose a lot of hair and get loose skin that doesn't tone up easily at all. And stretch marks. I got them all over my boobs - pregnancy didn't do that, but the crash diet did. It's also virtually impossible to replicate the success of the first try (I suspect psychologically once you've broken it, it's too hard to stick to again), which is why so many of my classmate were in a cycle of eating and doing the diet and eating and doing the diet.

Now I lost a lot of weight and at least 2 stone has stayed off, despite 2 pregnancies. But everybody else i know who has done it has gained all the weight back, often with more. And I really don't mean to sound horrible but I would guess you'd be the same.

I say that because your attitude in your posts is so dismissive of a longer term approach to weight loss or maintenance. You seem to be looking for a super speedy magic bullet and sadly there isn't one. If there were, nobody would be fat.

I think vlcds have a place for those with a lot to lose, as it's very motivating to see a rapid response when you have many stones to lose. But they should be a springboard and you have to have your next stage plan in place already.

If I were to do it again, I'd go for a lighter option - either 2 packs plus a healthy meal each day, or the 5:2. I think it trains your mind more and puts your body through less.

To want to do a drastic diet?
To want to do a drastic diet?
Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:52

No, not dismissive. But I have nowhere to cook, I won’t exercise at this size and it is annoying when people say ‘well it worked for ME’

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 27/05/2018 08:53

No, not dismissive

Your comment to lavender that she was still nearly as fat as you was pretty dismissive. She’s done amazingly losing three stone since January. Hmm

Ginmakesitallok · 27/05/2018 08:55

Op - you are making lots and lots of excuses. There is no easy way of losing weight and keeping it off. You sound just like me - overweight and with no real urge to do anything about it

footballmum · 27/05/2018 08:55

Sorry OP but it sounds like you want a “do this and the weight will drop off you” but it rarely works like that. Extreme diets might have quick results but are difficult to maintain and most people will put the weight back on and more. So you’ll just be back to where you are now.

Losing weight is hard. It requires commitment and willpower. There are things you can do to make it easier like increasing your activity levels but it still requires focus and some level off sacrifice.

It’s much better to approach it as a long term strategic plan. It’s taken me a long time “dabbling” with different diets etc before finding one that works for me but I’m finding 16:8 fits well with my lifestyle. I’m also exercising far more and the weight is gradually coming off.

There is no “quick fix”. Sorry if that’s not what you want to hear.

Tit4TatandAllThat · 27/05/2018 08:56

Skipping. A friend of mine started skipping every day. She started doing a minute. That included lots of stopping and 'catching her breath' (her words!) and built up from there.

She lost so much weight she was unrecognizable and getting fit helped her want to eat healthier too.

MrsMotherHen · 27/05/2018 08:56

sorry but you are making excuses now...wont go for a walk? honestly? hiw di you get around now? 30mins will help any amount of walking will.

Nowhere to cook? no microwave? steamer? slow cooker? halogen? on weightwatchers you don't need to cook every meal

littlebillie · 27/05/2018 08:57

Come over to the low carb high fat camp I was a similar weight to you last year. I had lost 25lbs by the end of the summer, it is a saner way to eat and is sustainable 😁

Pebblesandsea · 27/05/2018 08:57

What kind of cooking facilities do you have?

People really don't care about you walking when fat. I've been super fit and skinny in the past (I am not now!) and had abuse at me for running. Some people are just idiots and that'is their issue not yours. Who cares - you don't know them and don't ever have to meet them. Just stick a podcast or music on.

And walking is not necessarily about making a huge difference weight wise. Fresh air and exercise raises your endorphins which make it more likely that you will feel positive about eating better and losing weight - it's like a reverse vicious circle.

Original poster
Sunshinemakesmehappie · 27/05/2018 08:57

Yeah but purple the point is that I have already said not slimming world and lavender has decided that it’s the right way.

It’s right for her, not me. Is that so difficult to understand? Hmm

No, I don’t need advice on skipping thanks Hmm

OP posts: