Anyone transformed themselves?

[Theheatison]

43, three stone overweight, 3 year old toddler.
I’ve become frumpy, I don’t recognise myself..I was a gym girl, travelled the world, wore make up and perfume everyday, had time to myself etc etc.
I feel pretty gross, hate the way I look, don’t have nice, trendy clothes anymore (nothing fits/looks good. I barely take care of myself.
I’ve concentrated on being a mum, and I’ve enjoyed it..but I’m ready to come back to myself now.
Dd starts nursery in September, I’ll have time alone for the first time, I want to change myself, have a great figure, feel attractive again..I’m ready to set out a big plan 🤣
Has anyone else done this? We’re you able to get back to yourself or even better? Need motivation! Want to feel good about myself again

Baby steps. Don’t aim for it all at once. A bit of exercise that you enjoy, a good haircut, get rid of crap clothes. You can get back to feeling good, best of luck

PS don’t wait til Sept, start walking more now, you are worth it.

I could have written this almost to the letter! I am hoping we will both get some inspiration soon!

Using calorie counting apps like my fitness pal or weight watchers has helped me massively. Lost a stone and feel better in clothes again, treated myself to new ones recently and started wearing earrings again!

This is basically me yes but throw in another young child and full time job and you have me - swamp creature crossed with a custard doughnut. Frumpy, grumpy and lumpy

I just literally 10 minutes ago tried on a dress I spent all of the first lock down slimming into after my 2nd baby, it looked gorgeous 8 months ago. Now I can’t get the zip half way up.

I could basically do with a full head and body transplant, a complete new wardrobe and a wig.

My skin is good though, I’ve been taking care of that.

Maybe pick a small area to start - like PP said you could try getting some more walks in now, perhaps concentrate on skin care or starting to de clutter your wardrobe in preparation for the overhaul?

Might make the run up to September a bit more exciting!

Change some of the numbers and this could be me. Nothing constructive to add, but solidarity.

Focus on being happy first.

When you feel good about yourself and enjoy the company you keep in your own mind, the other parts are easier. Some even become effortless.

Do the easy things like haircut, making time for makeup, actually putting jewellery on etc too.

It will come, of course it’s possible but make it a positive and enjoyable experience, not a punishing one.

I am exactly the same, and it's really shit. I don't recognise the person that looks back at me from the mirror!
I've just started the gym this week and aim to go 3x per week. I've really tried to reduce snacking too, which I've been fairly successful with this week. But I need to still overhaul my general diet and wardrobe.

God it's hard isn't it? I lost some weight last year and attempted what you said but it's all gone out the window. Purely due to time and laziness.
If I get half hour before the kids wake up and the whole routine starts again, do I really want to spend it doing Joe Wickes, exfoliating, watching a make up tutorial on YouTube, doing yoga, ironing, blow drying my hair or rolling myself up in various 'shape wear'? No, I want to eat biscuits, scroll MN or sometimes I catch up on work.
At the weekend there were loads of 'hot' mums in the town centre, and I just don't know how they
1.) don't get messy
2.) find the time
3.) can be bothered
It's obviously priorities. I find time to do other things I care about, pets, housework, heat magazine, googling fictional holiday destinations, so I obviously don't really care!

I want to be fit again, I was quite good looking..once! It doesn’t feel that long ago..but of course it is. The way I look on the outside isn’t me, does that make sense?

“Swamp creature crossed with a custard doughnut” made me laugh

Gained a lot of menopausal weight here and, if I’m honest, drink far too much and don’t get enough exercise. Am 57 and don’t see the point anymore really but it does make me feel miserable.

Don’t say that dementedma - it’s never too late to make small changes. My parents are now probably fitter than I am- they make a point of going to gym regularly since retirement.
It’s not just about way you look either but what makes you feel good and positive. Exercise is great at making you feel good.
I did couch to 5k and even though I didn’t loose any weight, I was really pleased with myself.
Just need to tackle the diet now…

* I barely take care of myself.*

Time to start little steps a walk each evening, couch2 5k or join a gym

Book a facial a massage whatever you fancy x

Did meal replacement. You have to be committed and really want it though. No snacks or cheating. Have just passed the 8 stones lost milestone.

Yes, I did. I was also a “swamp creature crossed with doughnut” with a side of zero exercise 2 years ago. Keto took me from size 18 to 10, yoga and weights did the toning, cardio in virtual reality took me from high blood pressure and crap cardio health to athletic levels (well, according to my iwatch measures anyway!). Even better stopped being a workaholic and now enjoy a much better work / life balance. I can’t believe the difference in life quality. It’s like I’m a different person - a much happier one.

I did - in February I weighed 13 and a half stone, binge ate every night and got out of breath running up the stairs.

I’m now 10 and a half stone, can run for 30 minutes and have so much more energy and (mostly) am ok with how I look, though I still have some work to do.

I have to admit though that it was a period of extreme stress that kick started the weight loss so I didn’t do all of it in a sensible manner.

I’d attach my before and after pics but I worry about people’s opinions too much 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I did it once, 6 years ago.
A combination of new relationship contentment, several miscarriages, bloody lockdowns and general laziness have caused me to gain four stone and lose myself a bit
I have a plan though...I just need to get started!

The first time I did it by cutting out gluten and dairy, Lost 2.5 stone in 12 weeks.
I'm going to do the same again but adding in 5K walks each day as well as 20 mins of callanetics morning and night.

@dementedma - that was me too, just a couple of years younger. Still drink too much but the other stuff seems to neutralise it to some extent. At least that’s what I tell myself! 😂

@Iamclearlyamug

I did - in February I weighed 13 and a half stone, binge ate every night and got out of breath running up the stairs.

I’m now 10 and a half stone, can run for 30 minutes and have so much more energy and (mostly) am ok with how I look, though I still have some work to do.

I have to admit though that it was a period of extreme stress that kick started the weight loss so I didn’t do all of it in a sensible manner.

I’d attach my before and after pics but I worry about people’s opinions too much 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

That's fantastic. How has your life changed?

I lost a couple of stone over the last 6 months by stopping snacking and sticking to 3 meals a day and being a bit more careful with my portion size. I also did a couple of runs a week for a while but I really think main thing was just cutting out the unnecessary snacking.

What I also did was write down a list of dates a week apart with the weight I'd want to lose that week working my way down to the weight I know I feel healthiest at, so like a pound or 2 pounds a week. Every week I could tick it off was great and even weeks I couldn't I'd usually lost a little bit so could at least see there was a downwards trajectory.

I know weight isn't everything but it is a measurable thing to aim for each week.

@Iamclearlyamug No judgements here, please do, that’s an incredible amount in a short amount of time, I can’t see that happening for me 😩

I'm also 43 with a 3yo (plus 2 others). I've lost 60lb since last July beginning with LCHF inspired by Diet Doctor and then following the LCHF Bootcamp on Mumsnet.
I did 025k in Spring though I haven't kept it up. There's definitely room for improvement, I don't wear makeup and my grey hair is not to everyone's taste, but I've gone from wearing shapeless dresses to formfitting vests and shorts and I love it.
Good luck OP, it's time to love yourself again

swamp creature crossed with a custard doughnut. Frumpy, grumpy and lumpy
You win MN today @Ohpulltheotherone , possibly the month
So recognise this situation, I'm officially on the cusp of obesity and i was a size 8 - 10 pre DC
I actually lost weight during pregnancies but DS2 was stillborn, I felt that my body didn't deserve a vegetable after it betrayed me like that, so I ate all the crisps and all the doughnuts. Plus lockdown fatigue, plus toddler (D1 has only just turned 2), plus full time job, plus blah blah blah and I'm at the bottom of my own priority list.
Have started going for walks at 9pm to get moving again, hello fresh calorie controlled dinners (which are so tasty btw) and stopped buying rubbish, chucked out the worst of my clothes and got my hair coloured again.

The old me is starting to emerge again, slowly but surely! Baby steps, as PP said. I was a real vixen back in the day (😂) so will take time to get back to that!

You can do it. I was scared into action after older family members becoming ill in later life as a result of poor lifestyle choices.

I set myself a 12 week challenge, I am 6 weeks in. I go boxing once a week and an outdoor bootcamp twice a week. The exercise is important as I want overall strength and health. The ladies at the boxing academy and the bootcamp are incredible and the camaraderie is so inspiring it's worth getting involved with something like that for motivation! I walk every day, trying to hit as close to 10k steps as possible.

I use the nutracheck app too which is similar to MFP but more U.K. friendly database. I don't deny myself anything but stick my calorie goals and make sure I get a high protein intake because of the weight lifting.

In 6 weeks I'm over 1 stone down, so many inches lost and strength gained, I feel great and look forward to the exercise days which has genuinely in my life never happened before!

You are worth it, to feel healthy and comfortable in your own body. The women I've met along the way are all transforming themselves too, ages from 25 to nearly 50.

As another poster stated, even walking is fantastic for body and soul. Best of luck xx

Also, currently sitting in peace in shopping centre car park with the air con blasting, having been to boots and treated myself to some face masks and little treats like that. DH has been in charge of DS tonight. That's another win!