ten stone overweight - HELP!

[Tmallett92]

my weight has rocketed to 22st. I am 5ft 7in and a pear shape so find it hard to walk as weight is mainly on my hips. suffer from hip and joint problems so can't exercise too vigirously! Currently on my first day of myfitnesspal but want the weight to come off and stay off! I'm motivated but any suggestions are welcome as I am willing to try anything to get fitter! I am currently a size 24 and aim to be a size 12-14 by october next year! Please please please help me!

Stick with it, everyday write everything into MFP, and remember when you go over and dont write it in, the only person your cheating is yourself.

Walk, and walk, and walk, start off with baby steps and go a few metres more each day.

If your working, make your lunch the night before so that you dont just grab a high calorie sandwich.

Use lighter than light mayo as butter, Danish Bread ( warburtons dosnt go stale quick)

I keep in Quavers as a must have snack

I make my own granola, and have that every morning with low fat natural yogurt.

DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST

Remember a 'proper meal' such as meat. potatoes and 3 veg, is not that high in calories.

Drink, drink and drink, I dont like water so drink sugar free squash, in a litre bottle, I can drink ore that way.

And good luck.

I signed up with MFP on Boxing day. I was 17 stone and a size 24

I am now 10 stone and a size 14 :)

Pics on Profile.

I had a gastric bypass as I was very stone overweight, lost 8 stone and now a slightly chubby 12/14

I was putting on and losing the same 2 stone for years, except I'd lose 2 gain 2.3 lose 1.5 gain 1.7 and so on

It's not easy, it's not cheating but it's. Life changing and im in my 40's . I couldn't have handled it much younger as it impacts on every thing

Wow well done Shosha

Tmallett, congrats on making this decision . Notagiraffe great advice.

My advice is to be wary of dieting. If you are 10 stone overweight I am guessing that you have been dieting for a long time. I certainly have (37 yrs) and now have chosen not to diet but to concentrate on being kinder to myself and body.

This translates to building exercise into my day, so that it is invisible iykwim and not a gym session or class. Walking, which you are already doing, is a great form of exercise and it gets you out into the fresh air; you can increase or decrease intensity when it suits you.

I do not weigh myself it has in the past caused me to become obsessed with the numbers and I got stressed and overate if I put on a pound or didn't lose a pound etc but instead make choices which are more kind to me. I don't deny myself anything (because that psychologically makes me want it more and sooner or later I will eat a whole packet), but at the same time I think about what's on my plate. I have succeeded in leaving things uneaten on my plate, this is wonderful for me because in the past I always finished every meal in the past even if not hungry any more; I can now stop (I put a napkin on top of the plate so food disappears).

I have been slowly making changes for about six months now and am a dress size smaller, nearly two to be honest. I still don't weigh myself but just gauge by my clothes size. I reckon in a couple of years I should be in the official healthy weight range by doing this. Not a quick fix but hopefully this time sustainable.

Other benefits I have noticed so far include knees and ankles less stiff, sore and aching; breathing less laboured.

I wish you the best of luck,Tmallett and definitely stay around on mumsnet for support and advice .

Tmallett, do you want any of us to friend you on MFP? I am chipmonke1000 on there if you want to add me?

I am following Rosemary Conley's FAB diet although I have to admit that there are probably some days Rosemary wouldn't approve of! I have come back to it after trying WW and SW and what I like about it is that you get lots of ideas as to what a healthy lunch is without having to count every bite you eat. The heavier you are the more calories you are allowed. It's cheaper because you just buy the book rather than paying for classes each week and she has loads of free recipes online as well. I also got some portion pots from her site because I really wasn't sure if my portions were OK or not. It turned out that most were fine but I was eating too much muesli for example .

I save calories each week for some wine and a chicken kebab at the weekends.

hi, you know you can track your calories ect on spark people.com i use it but you still need the motivation to input the food! lol however it does help me realize what im eating, im 6.5 stone over weight and pre diabetic and it is miserable i too want to shift it x

My best tip for starting to lose weight is to make vegetable soup (with no cream, yoghurt, very little oil, etc)- and eat as much of it as you like. Only eat the soup after 3 pm. It is not a panacea, but it will kick start fat loss and you won't be hungry. This will lead to increased energy and hence more motivation. Best of luck.

I faced my fear and hopped on the scales

I'm 1.5 stone heavier than I thought I was. Went into denial and just carried on. But have just spotted my reflection in the tube having sat down and found myself thinking "At least I'm not as fat as her!" and it was me !!!

Have to be serious now about this !

I have just started a thread about my fitness pal. I am finding it quite fun logging all the foods but am interested to hear how others are getting on. I have about a stone to lose personally. Does anyone have any ideas for low calorie "snacky" items? Well done OP for starting, it must seem really daunting but I'm sure you will get there.