AIBU to think hardly anyone ever actually loses a lot of weight for good ? Please post here is you can prove me wrong!

[Smallhorse]

I have followed literally hundreds of weight loss threads on mumsnet in the last 20 years.

They all start the same way

“ I need to lose 3 stone - who is with me ? “

There then follows a lot of people joining in, lots of day to day posts about “ what I ate today “ and lots of encouraging chat in general.

People post their weight losses . Then their gains. Followed by encouraging messages to keep going.

Then people drop off the thread one by one.

I am not knocking these threads but they don’t seem to be helping .

Has anyone lost say , 3 stones of more and kept it off?

If so could you please post here and encourage me and my fellow fatties?

Thank you 😊

I think it's very very rare to be honest. I have one friend who lost 7 stone in 2015 and has kept it off. She retrained as a personal trainer and spends a lot of time working out in the gym.

On the other hand I notice a lot of other parents in the playground losing a few stone in the first half of the year and putting back on in the second myself included

I went from 17 stone (size 22) to 9 stone 10, two years ago. It's up and down a bit since but still wearing a size 12 and I haven't been overweight again. I had gestational diabetes so I had to do something.

It needs a whole change in eating habits - I used to never let myself be hungry, would eat far too much for every meal, giant bowls of pasta, three slices of toast for breakfast.

I did fasting 5:2 and saw the effects quickly, which is what drove me to keep going. Now I rarely eat breakfast, have soup and bread or omelette for lunch, a veggie dish and sometimes fish for dinner but also the odd scone or pizza, which is why I couldn't stay at 9st 10! I hover around 10 and a half stone now.

You need to make and keep the direct connection between what goes in to your mouth and how your body looks and feels. Give your body good fuel, not too much. 'Mindful eating'. And keep away from temptation. It's very hard, almost impossible, for me to be around crisps or nuts or chocolates without overeating so I have to be careful with that.

I did when got pregnant 54kg to start with, 76kg at the end of pregnancy, now fluctuates between 58-60 kg.

Diet: cut the crap so all the stuff your body doesn’t need like sweets, crisps, fizzy, juice and alcohol( wasn’t drinking at the time) also other processed food.
Reduce portion sizes and carbs like bread, pasta, no chips or roast potatoes.
Weight was steadily shifting until it reached 58kgs. Managed to stick to it by not overeating. 1st week is a torture as body takes time to adjust to new diet.6 years and managed to keep the weight.

X post with Rubbish

Radical change of eating habits. Choose wisely.

I lost 2.5 stone 6 years ago and kept it off until I got pregnant. My diet was mostly Ok but having a sedentary job meant that the weight crept on over the years without me noticing. However, I didn’t start exercising whereas previously I was doing none.

I lost 3 1/2 stone with slimming world. Took me 9 months. Saves my syns for treats and booze at the weekend.
It’s the only diet I have ever stuck to!!
I don’t really stick to everything SW friendly now, but kept hold of the basics with regards to sugar.
I now run 3 times a week between 5-10k at a time and have 5 races booked this year including a half marathon.
For me, running is now my new hobby and i love how it makes me feel.
I’ve been a SAHM for 10 years and have just landed a cabin crew job due to needing to find me again and the job of my dreams.
It’s only been possible because I feel confident of my new look and keeps me trying to keep the weight off.
I was always a slim 12 prior to my 4 children, but skip between a 12-14 shop dependant. But I’m happy and that’s all that matters.
As long as I keep the running and stay semi restrained with treats I know it will work for me.
Good luck x

Just checked back on MyFitnessPal. It took me 2.5 years to lose it, getting down to under 10 stone at the end of 2016.

I have! I lost 3 1/2 stone in 2016 after my three pregnancies meant I had piled the weight on. Give or take half a stone I have kept it off and remain a size 10/12. It took me 6 months to lose the weight by calorie counting and fasting. I still only eat my meals between 12-6pm most days. I obviously will have exceptions to that but I have found the fasting to be extremely effective. I much prefer how I feel about myself slim, so that is a huge motivation for me.

To keep the weight off, you have to permanently change to a different lifestyle which is balanced, and not return to the old habits that gained the weight in the process.

If you find joy or comfort in biscuits/ stodgy food/ takeaways... (insert calorie dense item of food or drink of your weakness), then it it possible to control them for a fixed term particularly if there is the satisfaction of losing the weight to reach a target. To control those pleasures and comforts indefinitely to remain around target weight is really tough.

Too many diets or dieters don't address the real cause of a gain. The weight is just the symptom whether the cause is an imbalance of food in/ energy out, health condition, medication, changing metabolism.

My musing is do people who genuinely alter habits e.g. cut out snacking end up being more sucessful than the people that substitute e.g. low calorie Muller Lights, Diet Coke but still keep the habit?

Yes lost about 3 stone in 1999, gained a bit having kids but got that off now as well.

So people can do it

Down nearly 7 stone and have kept it off for over 10 years. I've had some regain during stressful times but we're talking 2 stone at most and that's then come off easily enough.

I had to change my whole lifestyle. I still love food and eat very well but I eat really healthily. I also read everything I could on binging. Doibg a Whole 30 was the real turning point for me if I'm honest. It's tough but it so drastically changed my relationship with food. And I'm a fan of a bit of fasting once you're in a good place, too. It's very good for you and teaches you you're ok away from food

Yes, I have a friend who lost a lot around 2006/2007, she's fluctuated by about a stone at various points since but has kept it off (we're talking about being a size 20 down to a 10, going up to a 12). She's super short though so a small extra weight has a big impact.

She didn't go to clubs or groups, she describes it as a lightbulb of realising that it was all under her control, like being addicted to other substances. She also cut out and backed away from certain friends a bit, family too (the ones saying"oh one won't hurt" "you can diet tomorrow"). I saw it and was worried but it did open my eyes about the underlying sabotage - thankfully I wasn't one of them!!

Oh, friend used calories (my Fitness Pal website).

I lost 6 stone including baby weight (4.5 off pre pregnancy weight) about 5 years ago and about 5lbs went back on which is where I settled with the exception of the half a stone I gain and lose at Christmas and holidays. I do need to buck up a bit as id like to get down to my lightest again really. The vast majority was down to calorie counting but I have also done slimming world (from home) and did well on that. Last year was a bit of a nightmare though with far too many social engagements wrecking my progress! I've probably got about another 10lbs to go.

Yes I lost 3 stone about 2 years ago and have kept it off. Was a size 16, now a 10. Did slimming world to lose the weight initially but now just a fairly balanced diet (which tips in favour of wine and Just Eat more than I care to admit) and some exercise keeps it off.

I lost 3 stone in 2011, and have mostly kept it off consistently. I lost it with weight watchers. Most I regained was about 10lb then got that off quite easily again once I set my mind to it. I did lose the weight when I was quite young which I think helped me permanently alter my habits. I still have a love for the stodge but generally I’ve been able to keep it in balance with the rest of my diet.

I am pregnant now though and am consciously trying to keep the same habits in place, although it’s not the easiest.

Gon from 16at my largest to a 10. Lost about 2.5 stone 8 years ago. Not pout it back on. Had a baby last year and an now thinner than i was pre pregnancy. You need a change in lifestyle. Exercise is what made the difference for me.

I've lost 5.5st. It had to be a lifestyle change for me and that is how I look on it now. It took me 20 months but I have kept it off for 10 months now.

I think it’s something like 90% of people gain back weight lost within a couple of years. The problem is that dieting is flawed as concept. Most people cannot sustain changes required for diets long term. People go back to their old habits and regain the weight.

I lost 3 stone doing SW, then got ill, went back to eating biscuits and gained back 2 stone of it. I have come to realise that low fat, fake sugar cannot be good for you in the long term so I have stopped dieting! I am following Paul Mckenna’s I can make you thin and Brain over binge. After years of yoyoing I am simply eating what I fancy, eating consciously, aiming not to binge and exercising. I’ve lost half a stone since New Year.

I lost 28kg. All back now.

I see it there are three ways if eating

1. Eating to keep a steady weight, reasonably fresh/unprocessed, moderate amounts
2. Unrestricted /Overeating or the wrong sort of food - leads to weight gain
3. Significant restricted diet to lose weight.

If you lose weight by having the willpower to follow (3) for a bit then to keep a steady weight you need to follow (1). If you think that is still "on a diet" because it isn't (2) well so be it. I think most of us just go back to (2) sooner or later because it's swimming against the tide to avoid it.

Problem is that food industry, supermarkets, leisure, lifestyle overwhelmingly pushes us to (2).

I am in a running club, where I've got to know lots of new people.

There are quite a few I've got to know when they've been a healthy weight and I'm stunned when they tell me they used to be twice the size or loads of stone more. These are people I've now known for years.

So yes, it is entirely possible.

Also my Aunt has done 5:2 for years now and while still over 25 BMI has more definitely kept the weight off. She does no more than walking for exercise.

I think if you lead a sociable life; if you go out with friends or DH every weekend for drinks and dinner, if you have dinner parties and BBQs and enjoy good wine.... weight loss simply can’t happen.

I’m reading an interesting book about diet myths, and it’s essentially portion control.

Yes you can go out etc but you just need to eat/drink (alcohol) a lot less overall.

So impressed by the success on this thread, huge well done to all of you.

Yes i have noticed that these threads do not work too. Only thing that works for me is doing a davina mcall workout dvd every day. Its helped me lose a couple of stone permanently.