To ask what finally motivated you to lose weight?

[PitifulPrincess]

I'm the biggest I've ever been and feel like a big fat blob shoving food in my big fat face

I eat shit, don't exercise and use food as a crutch when I'm stressed which is everyday with 2 kids under 4

I just can't kick myself up the arse and do anything about it!

I'm so sick of looking in the mirror and seeing what I see now, enough has to be enough, I can't get any bigger than this

Please tell me how you motivate yourself to lose weight when it feels like a punishment?!

Wanting to be able to be a healthy, active, positive part of my DS's life for as long as possible. I had bought larger jeans, the largest I had ever bought, the year before and at the time had determined that I wouldn't need them for long as I'd lose weight. But a year on, they were too tight on me. At the same time, I was campaigning against a company that wanted to be allowed to expand on a very polluting part of it's business. It dawned on me, that while I was limited in what I could do to stop all forms of external health risk. I was creating more risk to myself with my eating habits and lack of exercise and that was something that I had 100% control over. So with that realisation, I decided to change my eating habits from that moment.

And honestly, that was the absolute hardest part. The moment I decided to lose weight and get healthier, the battle was genuinely won. I still had to actually change my habits and go through months of weight loss and find a whole new active lifestyle. But it was the moment in which I had decided to do all of that, that made it all possible. When offered sweets and snacks, it was easier to say 'no' because I had become a person who didn't eat them. I never really felt like I was faced with hundreds of moments where I had to choose the correct action, as I had already decided weeks/months ago.

I had a mad few days cleaning last August and found I lost two pounds, I'd lost about a stone the year before but it all crept back on. So losing two pounds, I was thrilled and it just kicked me back up the arse. I've now lost two stone from my original weight, I stare at my body in the mirror everyday, I'm so happy, I've got shorts on today with a vest top, rather than super baggy clothes I usually live in. I hate my legs, they wobble, my skin isn't as firm as it used to be so I'm not kidding myself I look 20 again, I'm also only maybe half a stone into "healthy weight" so I'm still the upper end of healthy BMI, but I am so much happier in myself. It just takes a couple of days of really committing to it, get moving, even if it's rigorously cleaning the house, reduce how much you are eating (I use My Fitness Pal to log everything), stick with it for three four days, see that first pound or two go, and you'll be on a roll! You got this!

ladybirddaphne what's the fibre supplement you're using please? I have 💩 issues due to I created protein intake..

I could have written your post OP, except add in another child. I've lost a lot of weight before in my 20s, but it's crept back on since having kids, and I just can't seem to do anything about it. Think I hit rock bottom yesterday, and ended up shouting at my partner which I'm not proud of. Hoping today that it will give me some motivation to do something about it, but unfortunately I don't think there's any one thing that motivates people... it's personal when you reach that point when the pain of being overweight is greater than the pain of denying yourself treats. I would also be interested in budding up for a weight loss motivation group!

@AddictedtoCrunchies It’s called Meta Mucil, not sure if that’s available in UK, but the active ingredient is psyllium husk.

It's not weight that I struggle with, but for making change I find the key is to make really small, manageable changes and build on that. If you just try to do a full 180 it feels like way too much and that's hard and you'll end up giving up on it. For example I should get fitter, but I don't want to go crazy and do loads of exercise because it's boring and I'll just stop doing it. But something like 3x a week 20 mins exercise is doable, or some of the daily workouts from Darebee (which take less than 10 minutes).

Maybe try making smaller changes, so instead of doing a full fast, make a rule like no sweets after 5pm (or whatever your habit is). You can still snack but it has to be something different.

Or track calories and rather than trying to cut by half or something just cut by 10% and try to stick to that.

Or make single swaps like wholemeal rice/pasta/bread instead of white.

Just do one thing at a time, it's better than nothing and it's more likely to stick because it's actually achievable.

Also, instead of beating yourself up for not being able to stick to something, think through what the barriers are/what's hard about it and just solve that one problem, one at a time.

@Thesunnymood I’m grateful to have a DH who cares about my health. I was obese, it wasn’t about a hot bikini bod! But we’re all different ☺️

I had been over 13 stone early in 2021, got trouble with my hip, thought losing some weight might help and got down to 11 stone 5 lbs. Big but not big enough to care particularly, and I was buying size 16 clothes thinking this is ok, I’ll never need size 18.

Then I had a series of gallstone attacks last autumn, which scared me into taking fat seriously. Finally getting my hip injected meant I could walk more, and do my cardio in the kitchen, I’m now 9 stone, and have lost 9 inches off my waist since Christmas. I bought size 14 jeans in February, size 12 jeans in April, and I’ve just bought size 10 shorts.

I haven’t had a gallstone attack in the last 6 months, and that’s good enough to keep me motivated. I do lapse now and then with a slice of toast or some chocolate, but I log everything on MyFitnessPal, that is also synced with my Fitbit. I like the 5:2 diet and Mimi Spencer’s The Fast Cook is my favourite book for meal ideas.

Just to add, for me, weighing and recording everything I consume is the main thing. Realising my normal bowl full of porridge or muesli was actually four “recommended” portions was shocking! And if I don’t drink at least four big glasses of water a day the weight loss stalls. I put half a lemon and a knob of ginger in a big jug of water, and drink it through the day, in addition to my usual coffee with skimmed milk in the mornings and Pukka herbal tea at bedtime.

I had Slimfast for breakfast for the first four weeks, I can always make milkshake feel like a treat!

I got to 21 stone, one day I realised I had zero quality of life and was just getting bigger and bigger despite always being on a 'diet'.

That day, I requested a loan, got approved and booked a gastric bypass in Lithuania. I've never looked back, it was by far the best thing I could have done for me and my family. Being able to do things with my son, going to the park etc, is just amazing. I wouldn't change a thing.

I got to 21 stone, one day I realised I had zero quality of life and was just getting bigger and bigger despite always being on a 'diet'.

It's scary how the weight piles on. You get yourself accustomed to being a size 14, and then hey presto, size 16 is round the corner, and then so on and so on.

My wedding, tbh.

I’m also the biggest I’ve ever been and it’s really affecting my mood. I don’t even eat that much shit, I love salads and veg; my biggest downfall is snacking, especially with two young children.

I’ve decided to go low calorie, stop snacking and kick my arse into gear. I threw out all of the sweet and chocolate (including the kids because they don’t even need it) we buy ice lollies for them occasionally now, have chocolate biscuits sometimes as a treat, will treat them to some sweets if we’re out and about for a day. We just don’t keep junk at home now.

in finding it easy to be honest. Now there isn’t food at home to tempt me. And I keep drinking shit loads of water to help feel fuller for longer, it’s working!

Well, it hasn't made a difference yet (!) but I think it will be an increase in heatwaves/long hot weather. I am definitely a lot more irritable/sweaty/unable to sleep in the heat when I'm bigger, which used to be a rare occurrence. If its going to be a frequent event I'll need to trim down just to survive without being a furious sweaty mess for much of the year!

Diagnosed with Diabetes mid April. I've lost 21lbs since then and intend to keep going until I've lost 40lb more.

Decided to invest in me. Have invested my time energy and money in my 2dds for last 25 years. Joined Slimming World. It really works. Started to see results and that motivated me to keep going. I needed to give it time money and energy to work. So I did . Very happy I did it

Lightbulb moment 6ish weeks ago was that none of my clothes fit any more.

I ordered some bathroom scales and joined SW online to help me stay on track. Hopefully I can keep up the motivation. Unexpected side benefits are that I’m eating better quality food but less wastefully so saving a few pennies, plus there is a feel good factor that as I’m now eating less plastic wrapped snacks so my current eating style has less environmental impact.

There’s also some fear about what lies ahead - i want to head into old age as healthy as possible.

I was really skinny in my teens and early 20’s, I gained a to of weight and lost it but gained it all back with interest. During lockdown my snacking and doing nothing was terrible and I was starting for fine a 20 a bit snug. I saw a picture last year where I look awful and huge and recently decided it’s now or never. I have lost 10lb in 3 weeks and I am sticking to it. Turned down ice cream earlier… I will be slim by next summer.

For health reasons tbh.
I have borderline high BP and am 4 stone overweight. BMI 33.9.
So if I don't do something soon, I'll be facing blood pressure medication, cardiac issues, higher risk of strokes, type 2 diabetes....nothing I like the sound of.
I've tried SW but yo-yo'd the same 7lbs constantly! I've tried second nature but lost nothing, now trying slimpod...will see what happens (nothing yet despite 40 days of listening to it.).

I lost 3 stone in my 30s (now mid 50s) with WW. That seemed to be the only plan that worked. Maybe I should try that again?! Menopause isn't helping either 😤

@TinyRebel just dropping in here to say I’ve also got lipodema and in case you haven’t heard there is a clinic in Madrid that only treats lipodema medically rather than a cosmetic approach, they take up to 10 litres of fat out and compress - they have an Instagram page and I hope to go next year.

I had been having a life overhaul for 2023 and then I saw pictures of myself and thought, enough. This needs an overhaul too.

Sleep apnea and problems with my joints. Lost 3 stone so far and another 2 to go

Hi everyone, just hopping back onto this thread to say all your comments really motivated me and I managed to lose just over a stone!

Unfortunately I lost the motivation over the summer holidays and fell back into my old ways but I really want to kick-start eating 1500 calories again as I felt much better in myself and more in control