Seriously overweight at 26 stone

[clorper]

Can anyone help?

I've slowly been piling on the pounds since the birth of my second child and whatever diet / exercise I do nothing seems to work. Not expecting miracles but if anyone knows of a diet that worked for them then i'd love to hear about it.

Please bear in mind I have two children in primary and junior school so it will have to be a realistic diet / exercise regime.....

Hmm I think dropping to 1300 cals when you are 26 stone will be like starving yourself to be honest. Go onto food focus or weightlossresources and find out what cals you need each day to maintain your weight (or give us your height and I will check for you) then take off 1000 cals a day and you will lose 2lbs a week (probably more for quite some time as you are big so the weight will come off fast at first). You should also deal with why you overeat - maybe some counselling or hypnotherapy?

No offence shineon but that menu sounds very dull (albeit very healthy) and would be hard to stick to without great motivation. Much easier to cut down portion sizes, eat more wholegrain versions and stick to a sensible amount of calories.

I would definitely recommend weight watchers. I've lost 4 and a half stone in the last 13 months. I know that I need the discipline and support of a weekly weigh in with the same group of people.

Looking at Shineon's diet, I would say that I definitely need more protein than that to keep me feeling full, but it has obviously worked for her. (Well done on your weightless Shinenon. )

Why do you think you've been putting on weight, clorper? Is it eating the wrong things? Eating too big portions? Binge eating? A sedentary lifestyle?

I would suggest you cut all snacks, aside from some fruit and nuts, and aim for just three meals a day. As you are quite overweight, you should not cut too much food out.

I find that salad for lunch is the best way of losing weight. Plenty of green leaves, some cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, a whole plate full. Top it with a tin of tuna in brine. You will have a big and healthy lunch, full of vitamins, and extremely low in calories.

Have just lost a stone on dukan and I found it v easy.
Agree with shineon - this is not the most interesting diet in the world but weight loss needs a different approach to food, especially if you want a good kick start! Less harsh diet can happen after a good chunk of weight is lost.
It's v hard and boring but for me being overweight is worse.

Any diet will work provided you keep at it. The trick is to understand what your personal issues, fears and weaknesses are, and also what you are likely to be able to sustain over the longer term.

For example, I am addicted to chocolate. Seriously, my chocolate habit is out of control. I cannot eat it in moderation, so I alternate between my usual diet, containing unbelievable amounts of chocolate (about 12 months) and going completely chocolate-free (about 6 months). That means my weight does yoyo up and down, but I accept this within a range that means once my BMI tips to an unhealthy weight I know it is time to quit chocolate.

I am also very afraid of hunger (legacy of my anorexic years) so I eat lots of nuts, apples and porridge, and allow myself snacks if I need them.

I don't like cooking at the best of times. When dieting, I find it agonisingly difficult to have to be thinking about and dealing with food all the time. When I'm hungry, I find it hard to make good choices. So I stick with a very limited repertoire of easy fast food: omelettes, wholegrain bagels, soup, porridge, baked potatoes... Others would find the lack of variety a real problem, but I'll happily endure a boring diet forever so long as it's comforting, filling and doesn't make me spend time in the kitchen.

Having said all that, I do not have experience of losing the amount of weight that you are talking about. It will take a long time and you want to be sure you get the support you need to get through the long haul. I've never been to Weight Watchers but they do have a very good track record and the evidence of their effectiveness is pretty good. Why not give them a go?

When I started, I had a total of 7.5 to 8 stone to lose. I've lost 4.5 stone in 13 months. I expect to take about another 2 years to lose the final 3.5 stone. I'm very comfortable with losing it slowly as it gives me time to make the lifestyle and emotional changes which will be needed to sustain healthy eating for the rest of my life. I absolutely agree with those who've said that if you have a lot of weight to lose, you need to find a way to eat that is sustainable for ever, and doesn't leave you feeling hungry.

I like weight watchers because you can eat a lot of food! You gradually cut down as your weight drops which means that you alter your eating habits and food volume at a steady pace, rather than suddenly, which I don't find sustainable.

Can you let us know what a typical days food and drink intake is?

Be honest. No-one will judge you but it will give us a better idea of what to suggest. It could simply be that you merely need to reduce your portion sizes.

Have you seen your GP for a check up recently and discussed weight loss? If not that would be the first step, to make sure you are fit and physically well enough to start a substantial weight loss programme without medical supervision. Good luck

It may also be that you have thyroid or other issues, if you can't lose any weight and you have been trying. Definitely worth getting checked over first.