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A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

How does one stay motivated when at least 3 stone to lose?

341 replies

Mummalish · 26/03/2012 18:24

I find the first 3 weeks easy, then I just want to pack it all in. I think its because it's more than just a few pounds I need to lose. I need to lose AT LEAST 3 stone, just to be in the healthy weight range.

I know it's going to take quite some time. I know there's no hurrying it, but I'm just so overwhelmed by it all.

:(

OP posts:
LadyofWinterfell · 16/04/2012 13:03

Well, i'm down 1lb since Friday, but i think i'm eating because i'm bored! It's far easier when the DC are at school.

ssmile · 16/04/2012 14:10

hiphop that's Fab! Well done. I'm still BF too my Lo is nearly 8mths I had been giving myself extra 200calories but I'm now trying hard not to use those as I'm not sure how much less I need now babe on 3 meals a day. But its a good feeling to make the BF work for me this time :) its prob going to mean I may carry on till babe is one.

lady I agree I find it much easier now DD1 back at school, it also gives me my next goal of 10lbs off by next half term 7weeks and counting....

mummalish a new day a clean slate today, good luck :)

I've done shred level two today and watched level 3 for the first time think may try it tomorrow if I get some good sleep again. It looks very challenging but think I can do some of it.

bobbledunk · 16/04/2012 18:20

Think skinny. Cut out all sugar, junk food etc until you have reached your goal. Don't make it an option. Fat people always say they will only have one biscuit and then end up eating the whole packet, then they have 'failed' so carry on eating for ten, hence the fat. Avoid that by staying away from it completely. Eat healthy and cut portion size massively.

Then exercise. You should be doing at least an hour and a half a day. Free weights, cross trainer, rowing machine and outside brisk walking every day will burn the fat off you very quickly. If you don't want to join the gym you can buy them cheap enough in sales or secondhand and it's better because you can do it on your own time. Reducing the amount of food you eat will pay for it within the month.

I gained a lot of weight when pregnant (more than three stone) and lost most of it in a couple of months by doing the above, the last 6lbs required 2 and a half to three hours of exercise a day for almost a month though. if you get stuck at the last round, just up the exercise dosage and stay strict on portion size.

Once you've lost all the weight no more than an hour a day should be needed to maintain it. Just be watchful of the food.

The motivation is being healthy, slim and feeling confident when you go out into the world. Keep that image in your head. Losing the weight quickly enough helps because too slow weight loss is demoralising, you feel as though you are getting nowhere. That's why exercise is so good, you see almost immediate results and feel so much better.

All the bestSmile

Dillie · 16/04/2012 18:33

I have lost 4.5 st and my motivation was a dodgy photo from a works do and my nurse being totally honest with me.

I am determined to keep it off, as now I have very little pain from sciatica, I am no longer huffing and puffing like a Heffer up one flight of stairs and I have the energy to take my daughter down the park and practise her tennis. Also my bp is miles better and my asthma symptoms have all but disappeared.

Looking back, I was miserable but didn't really know I was iyswim?

It has taken just shy of 3 years to lose the weight and it has not been easy. I have had months where I would bumble around the same weight and very nearly gave up several times. But my friends have been fantastic and supported me all the way. I am now a lot happier and far more secure than I have ever been.

You can do it, it is possible even when it feels like you are climbing mt Everest!

Do half a stone at a time and give yourself a treat once a week. (dark chocolate is great as you can't eat a lot, but still feel like you are having a little treat)

MadameChinLegs · 16/04/2012 18:42

Another one joining if I may be so bold. Can only blame 1 stone on 4month old dd as the other two stone were already there pre pregnancy. Im using my fitness pal who has allocated me 1300cal a day which since starting yesterday I have gone over both days
I am ttying to justify this by the joining being impromptu and thus I was not prepared, food wise.

I am a big pasta eater so will struggle to curb that. Can I also ask how you manage with a partner....dh doesnt need to slim so I am finding it hard meeting
both our food needs.

Anyway, hello everyone and think thin!!!

cinnamongreyhound · 16/04/2012 19:30

MadameChinLegs we all eat exactly the same I just eat about 1/4 the amount that dh does. Haven't cut out anything just reduced everything!

ssmile · 16/04/2012 19:39

madamChinLegs hi, I cook the same for everyone most of the time just smaller portion for me. But for the first month of using MFpal I weighed everything to get my portion size correct. With pasta, and rice etc its so easy to cook more than you need. Now my stomach has shrunk so I don't miss the old bigger portions. My DH prefers more meat to me so I try to have a couple nights veggie whilst he has something from the freezer.

MrsHerculePoirot · 16/04/2012 20:36

I have kept to my allowance on MFP for first time. Might go to bed soon so I can't bugger it up again!

Fairenuff · 16/04/2012 20:56

bobble that is what I am aiming to do because I want to change my habits for good. So I don't eat anything that has no or low nutritional value. I am trying to stick to 1000 cals a day so eat very low sugar, low fat etc. I have small portions and stop eating when I'm full. I really need to up my exercise though as I don't like it at all so have to force myself to do it.

Dillie well done, that's such an inspiring story Smile

MadameChinLegs I cook the same for all of us too but now we all eat healthy meals and I will just have a smaller portion. So, we eat grilled lean meat, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, occasionally mashed, boiled or baked potoato, all the veg and fruit, low fat sauces, etc. Very little cheese unfortunately and no (or very little) alcohol.

eightytwenty · 16/04/2012 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ssmile · 17/04/2012 10:14

eightytwenty I record my weight on sat morn but tend to weigh myself most days before shower as its keeping me on track all week and spurs me on.

My local Lidls had cheap digital scales for sale if anyone was interested.

MadameChinLegs · 17/04/2012 10:16

Thank you, I will have to rethink our meal plans (bangers and mash features at least once a week!). Had yumm Hmm weetabix for breakfast....havent had those since I was a child.

ssmile · 17/04/2012 13:23

We still have sausage &mash once a week but I have half sweetpot half white pot mash made with ss milk not butter. plus I have 2small sausages now when I used to have 3big. With lots veg on the side. I don't believe in not having stuff but finding a way to have it within your calorie allowance.

eightytwenty · 17/04/2012 14:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fairenuff · 17/04/2012 16:35

Hi everyone, good idea to plan meals, I will have a look at that thread in a minute.

I don't eat sausages at all but if I am grilling them for the rest of the family, I will just grill a bit of skinless chicken for myself. I will weigh in on Mondays because it stops me going over cals at the weekend Smile.

If anyone is interested, there is a new series of Biggest Loser USA just started on Sky Three (freeview 11) at 6.00pm every day. Not sure if it's a repeat but I haven't seen it before.

MadameChinLegs · 17/04/2012 17:14

Just added in what ill be havin for dinner and I have one calorie left whoop! Now just got to not eat anything except dinner.

MeanMrsMustard · 17/04/2012 21:18

Hello, I'd love to join to if thats ok.
THis is day 1 of my diet - I am going to start off by following the Zoe Harcombe plan.
I've got 3 st to lose - goal 1 is to get to 12st (just under a stone away).

I've put on and lost weight many times over the last 10 years, but this is the biggest i've been in that time. I have a severe lack of sticking power at the moment - have started and failed several times lately. I'm just fed up of looking and feeling frumpy when all my friends still look young, fresh and fashionable. Also I am very unfit at the moment - even though I gave up smoking a year ago, the extra weight I have put on since doing so has cancelled out any health benefits.

I will weigh in on Sundays I think.

MrsHerculePoirot · 17/04/2012 23:10

Hi everyone. I'm also going to weigh in on Monday's as it keeps me more focused on weekends too.

Have stuck to allowance two days in a row on MFP so feeling positive.

Hope everyone else is having a good start to the week.

scarlettsmummy2 · 17/04/2012 23:19

Haven't read all the posts but just wanted to say good luck to the op. I have just lost two stone in the last ten weeks and did most of it using myfitnesspal. My motivation was simply that I didn't want to be an over weight mum to my two girls, and also that I really wanted a pair of coloured jeans! I still have a few more pounds to lose to get to my target weight, but have been trying to walk for an hour three times a week and it seems to be working. I also don't deny myself a little treat most days- have just discovered mini Malteser rabbits!

ssmile · 18/04/2012 10:50

scarlet that's great. We sound vsimilar I'm 2lbs away from losing 2stone and I've got two girls. My treat is a crunchie bar :) I eat 3-4a week as I love chocolate but now I look at a bar dairy milk and think that's half hour on my bike!

HipHopOpotomus · 18/04/2012 11:30

MrsHP I weigh on Mondays too.

Oh dear I went out last night and had too much red wine (work thing). I have zero tolerance for alcohol these days. It's going to be a slow day - I'm going to drink lots of water and try very hard to stay within calorie allowance.

MsIngaFewmarbles · 18/04/2012 12:37

Oh god, 9 days in to low carbing and I have lost only 2lbs :(

MadameChinLegs · 18/04/2012 12:52

Marbles: slowly off =slowly back on.

MsIngaFewmarbles · 18/04/2012 13:02

I was told that lbs would be flying off me

crikeybill · 18/04/2012 13:40

Hello all,
Thought I would check in. I have been plotting my food obsessively on MFP and dont think I have gone over once. Infact most days I am barely reaching 1000 cals. Now Im worried as someone told me I wont lose weight that way ? Apparently my body goes into starvation mode ? is this true, cos Id happily eat a crunchie bar a day to push it back up Grin

At my heaviest I weighed 14st 2lb, on the home scales I am now 13st 4lb although the scales I use at work say 13st 5lb so im guessing its my clothes ?? So it looks like ive lost 11lbs in about 4 weeks ?

Ive also been doing nearly an hour on wii fit plus every night much to DH's amusement pervy delight. We have an exercise bike in the loft and I think its time for it to come down.
My main motivation for this was the wedding we are going to in 3 weeks time. I so wanted to be slimmer but the weight loss really seems to be slowing down. My problem I think is that I want to be slim now !! I have to remember slowly on, slowly off I know Sad