Ive just been weighed for a skydive and weigh 15 and a half stone

[MordecaiAndTheRigbys]

I am 5 foot 2. I am horrified. It is unlikely they will let me jump. It is for charity for mobility issues which I suffer from. But no excuses. I am this heavy because I eat too much. Too much rubbish, too big helpings. I cant stop eating. I am struggling more and more because of my weight, but in my head I was never this big. The doctor says my ideal is approx 10 stone. Aim for 10 stone. I have been given an app for a dietician but that is months away. I cannot afford private. Has anyone been in this boat? Can anyone recommend what works? I am so shocked and distgusted with myself.

sweetheart - don't be shocked and disgusted, that will just make you feel worse and probably eat more. Know that where you are is not where you want to be and try and change. The best thing that worked for me was mindfulness. It involves really thinking about how you feel and what you eat. I overate when I felt unhappy/tired as a way of stopping myself feeling unhappy - it really works - but doesn't work for long, so you need to eat more. Mindfulness is a buddhist practice which is being used by psychologists for all sorts of things - but the essence of it is a short daily meditation, taking time to eat, really appreciating what you're eating and stopping eating when you're full up - google it and see if you can find any useful downloads for guided meditations. Cutting out or cutting down on sugar really helps too because too much sugar causes your body to produce leptin (I think) which overrides your "full up" mechanism and makes you eat more. Another great source of support is Overeaters Anonymous - there are online meetings you can join in with.... not for everyone and v much along the lines of alcoholics anonymous 12 steps stuff but v supportive if you need it. Swimming and walking were great for me too, slept better, got more in tune with my body and managed to distiguish between 'I eat because I'm physically hungry' and 'I eat because I am emotionally hungry' - which was a huge mind shift for me. Change is hard, but good, it's so worth it not just in terms of the way you look on the outside but how you feel on the inside. You have an addiction but you can break it. Good luck. xx

Try and eat more protein, as this will help you feel full. Stock fridge full of protein snacks - total yoghurts, cottage cheese, smoked salmon, smoked mackeral, turkey slices, crab sticks, hard boiled eggs, marinated tofu and try and eat these when you feel like snacking.

Don't be disgusted with yourself, be proud of your self for wanting to change things.
I was in exactly your position last year. I am five feet 1 and a half inches. Last year I weifged 13 and a half stone , this year 9 stone.
Stage 1- I cut all evening snacking, crisps, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, ice-cream and sweets. But ate quite big meals to stop my cravings. I did thus for nearly 3 months and lost 1 stone.
Stage 2- I wasn't craving the junk anymore so didn't find it to difficult the cut the carb bit out of each meal. I upped my Lean protein part of the meal and my appetite drastically reduced.
It took 8 months to lose a third of my body weight which is the same percentage as you would like to lose. I have stayed the same weight since 4th January this year.
I stopped making excuses, blaming others or this and that and was very, very focused.
Good luck.

Cut out all junk and eat lots of protein with every meal. Eggs, lean meat, cheese etc are very filling. Don't buy low fat anything because they replace the fat with sugar which your body immediately converts to fat and makes you hungry. Change white bread to brown, reduce portion size, eat vegetables, and eat only at mealtimes.

You also have to exercise, weight training is very good for building muscle which burns fat by speeding up your metabolism and gives you great tone which gives the appearance of being smaller and a nicer shape. If you can't afford gym membership, you can get some weights in a sports store and do them at home. Pilates is also good for shape, you can get that on dvd if there are no classes near you. You will also benefit from doing cardio, whether its gym equipment; exercise bike, cross trainer, treadmill or just getting out for a brisk walk for as long as you can handle every day. Zumba is also quite popular at the moment, not my thing but I know a few people who swear by it! You just need to find what suits you.

Don't be upset with your size, anybody can get stuck in a rut like you've found yourself in. You can change that if you are prepared to put in the time and effort, all the best

Last May I weighed nearly 15 stones at 5' 4''. Today I am 10 stones 7 pounds.
What worked for me -
Eat un processed, cooked from scratch meals.
I reduced my fat intake. I use semi skimmed milk, spray oil for frying, reduced fat cheese
I reduced my carbs. I limit bread to 2 slices [wholemeal] or equivalent/day. I don't eat pasta/rice but I do eat a few potatoes.
I use a smaller plate [8'' diamater]
I eat plenty of fruit and veg.
I do weigh things like cheese as they are quite high calorie, otherwise I just use common sense.
I don't drink alcohol, but if you do I would advise you to reduce it as much as possible.
I do eat the odd biscuit/cake/few crisps, but I would limit it to under 2oo calories, as I know I can easily work this off.
Exercise - I started off just with extra walking and wii-fit, then I added swimming, cycling, and light weights, things like push ups, crunches, squats etc. As you say you have mobility problems I would suggest you just see what you can do at first, then gradually build up.
Best of luck. You can do it. I know it seems as if you have a mountain to climb at the moment but you can do it.

Wow, well done Fatlazymummy!

Thankyou Fluffy. I would like to add, the most important change for me was a mental one. Firstly, by accepting responsibility for my own health and well being. Secondly, by not giving up. Some weeks I don't lose any weight. Some weeks I may even gain a couple of pounds. [either through hormones, I am perimenopausal or, well, just eating too much .That's ok, it's still a lot better than weighing what I did. I just stick with it, because there are no quick fixes and sooner or later I know I will lose weight again.

Thanks to all that posted. Tbh I had to walk away from this thread and bury my head in the sand as it were, I just cannot believe I am this size. The weight loss seems too huge, not acheivable. To the poster that mentioned OA, I was horrified by that most of all, till I realised you are right, I have a desperate unhealthy relationship/obsession with food. I need to look at that along with taking proactive steps. I just dont know where to start.

Well done FLM that is an amazing acheivment. You need a namechange!

mordecai, it is achievable. It really, really is.
What I would suggest is that you don't really think of it as 'I've got to lose x amounts of stones'. Instead, set yourself a smaller target, say 21 pounds. That is achievable, it will make you feel and look better, you will probably go down a dress size, and it will motivate you. When you get there, set yourself another achievable target.
Along the way, exercise to the best of your ability, this helps to tone you up, again you look and feel better.
The way I thought of it was, it was better to be 13 stones than 15. In other words, losing any weight was better than losing none. I never really thought 'I want to be 10 stones' [or whatever], I would just think 'hey, I would like to lose another stone'.
Another important [to me] thing was to make a point of looking my best as I was doing it. So I bought a couple of new [cheap] outfits, always did my hair and makeup, wore a bit of jewellry etc. It's a matter of self esteem. Being overweight doesn't = being ugly or worthless. It just means that you've eaten too much of the wrong foods, and you can put that right!

I also broke my weight loss into chunks. For every half stone I lost I treated myself to something nice non-foody. I only set out to lose a stone but then carried on as it gets easier.
The hardest thing for me was coming out of denial and admitting to myself I was really big.
I am 42 years old and weigh 9 stone, last year I was 13 and a half stone.
Good luck.

How much do you have to weigh so you can jump? How long do you have?