Anyone interested in joining WWB on a weight-loss support thread for the REAL heavyweights?

[WigWamBam]

I can't take the credit for this as it's not all my idea ... but I think it might be a good one and wondered if anyone else with a LOT to lose would like to join with me and suejonez to shift some weight?

I'm not talking about being a size 14 and needing to lose a stone - I'm talking people who are size 22+, those who have a really serious amount of weight to shift. Skinny minnies need not apply - I'm thinking that maybe we would have to be a minimum weight or size so that we know we're all in the same boat together, and we know that everyone on the thread understands how we feel and the problems that we face once we make the decision to lose weight. Perhaps people who need to lose at least 5 stone?

I weighed myself today and have scared myself with what the scales said, and so sue's email couldn't have come at a better time - but I am hopeless at dieting on my own, and thought that maybe the support of others who understand about having lots of weight to shift would be good. As suejonez said in her email to me, we know all about losing weight, we've probably done it a dozen times before, we know exactly what to do and how to do it. We don't need to be told what to eat or how to eat it, we just need the support of people in a similar position to give us the nudge that we need to get on with losing the weight. Standing in front of a WW leader is daunting, maybe owning up to your weight to me would be less intimidating (well, maybe not ... ). But at least you'll know that I have as much (and probably more) to shift.

If anyone's interested we could have a weekly weigh-in, whether we post our weight on the thread or just the weight loss would be something we could think about before we set up the thread. I would be happy to have people email me their starting weight and their loss, so we could have a weekly round-up of how we're doing. We could even do something similar to WeightWatchers - set interim targets, get a virtual gold star for every 7lb lost, you know the sort of thing.

Come on, I know there are a few of us very large women out there - shall we do something about it?

Ah, give over with the bad Mrs Doyle impressions will ye? Of course you can join us, there's no pressure to post weight or anything, only do that if you want to.

I found that having a healthy diet was easier for me when I was pregnant because I wanted to do the best for my baby - not sure why it can't be as easy to do the best for me. And because I was very overweight it wasn't so important that I gained weight for the baby's sake.

And coppertop ... welcome aboard!

I love all the grovelling people are doing to get in here ...

It's because it's such an exclusive club, dontcha know.

Same here WWB. The midwives were in shock when I was pg with DS as apart from baby weight I put on only 7lbs.

It was the healthiest I'd eaten in YEARS!!! Only yesterday I weighed myself and I'd lost 4lbs - think being pregnant may be a good diet!!!

Plus I found (cos I've yo-yo'd dress size wise for ages that I didn't need maternity clothes - my jeans fitted me til I was 7mths pg last time!

I avoid the "weigh every day syndrome" by not having scales in the house. I refuse to obsess about it as I grew up with a mum who was obsessive - diet and binge, don't eat all day then eat everything in an hour.

I'm determined to be healthier and thinner. It doesn't matter if I fall off the wagon as long as I get back on it again. We are not perfect - we have probably all "failed" diets many times before and I firmly believe that it's important to get out of the try followed by fail cycle.

Eating more healthily and trying to lose weight is already a SUCCESS, losing any weight will be a GREAT SUCCESS and losing lots of weight will be a FANTASTIC SUCCESS!

Exclusive ... yeah, that'll be it

I finished my pregnancy the lightest I've been in years - I lost a couple of stone with hyperemesis, and only put on a couple of pounds right at the end. Plus being big meant I didn't have to buy maternity clothes at all - probably just as well as they don't sell maternity clothes in really big sizes.

I really can't work out though why I could do it for my baby but haven't been able to do it for me.

I have a theory that if you are "large" to begin with you don't gain as much weight as our skinnier friends. I didn't gain much either on DS - was lighter after the birth than before conception.

I craved water with lots of ice and ate loads of cherries and strawberries.

I was also the lightest I have been in years a couple of weeks after having each ds - I didnt gain any weight during either pregnancy because I never felt hungry when I was pg so I just ate sensible amounts at mealtimes and after each 8lb baby I was 2.5 stone lighter and each time I have put it all back on plus about an extra 1/2 stone. I think II am going to re-join SW but would like to post on here with you guys if that is okay. I would even be happy to be comfortable in a size 16 - I am currently squeezing myself into size 20 and refuse to buy any size 22.

Hi schneebly! Of course it's OK to post here.

My sister has real issues with buying clothes in the right size because she refuses to acknowledge she needs bigger stuff - it helped her to think of them as "Clare-sized" rather than "size 20-something". Although I'm really worried about her, she's only 25 and she's bigger than me - and I'm size 32. She lost 4 stone last year on SW and has piled it all back on, plus another 3 stone. I wish I could get her to see sense - she's young, she can shift it and not end up with the horrible bags of loose skin that I'm going to end up with!

You can't WWB - she has to see sense herself. She'll only feela s if you're putting pressure on her and will probably be mean and give you the "you're one to talk" line.

It's sucha sensitive topic that we can react totally ott about it.

I know, there's no point saying anything because she'll only get defensive. But every time I see her she's that bit bigger and it has to be effecting her in other ways - I know it's effecting my health in ways that I can feel, and she has to be heavier than me.

Ah well, best just get my own house in order first, hey!

You never know if she sees you being all gung-ho and up for losing the weight it might spur her into action.

Ego is a great thing - does she want her older sister looking slimmer and healthier than her?

A bit of friendly rivalry might be all she needs!

WWB according to the counselling I had when I had PND, it's not uncommon for people to not feel that they are 'worth' eating healthily for themselves - but then when they're pregnant/feeding a baby they feel that the baby is 'worth' it. She was getting me to look at why it was so important to me to breastfeed and then wean on to homecooked food etc. for DD, whereas I was quite happy to shovel all sorts of old rubbish into my face!

mind you, I ate and put on loads when I was pregnant . I am hoping to be pregnant soon and really want to make sure that this time I eat healthily and put on the minimum of weight as I felt so dreadful last time

Mmm, probably goes hand-in-hand with the low self-esteem then, arfy.

Right, am off to set up a new email account that those who want to mail me their weight/loss can use ... maybe we can make Wednesday our starting day, and weigh-in every Wednesday - does that sound OK?

sounds goods to me WWB.

sounds good to me too. yes, the self-esteem thing VERY bound up in it all WWB

OK, so for those who want to do the weigh-in and have their results posted (I won't post plusses, had enough of that kind of thing with WeightWatchers!) you can now email me on

[email protected] (yes, I know ... )

If you want to let me have your starting weight, I won't publish that - but I can keep a record of your loss that way if you'd like me to. You can post it yourself on the thread if you like, but I promise that I won't. Then post me your loss by 7pm every Wednesday and I will do a post with everyone's loss on it and a running total of everyone's success.

Does that sound OK?

Can I join too please? I was on the long term slimmers thread and at WW before we adopted our son in April '05. I had lost 2 stone at WW and since then I think I've put about 10lbs back on, mainly because my ds is very active so I do lots of running around after him.

My BMI is currently 37, and I would need to loose just over 5 stone to get it down to 25, but any loss at all is going to be a big help to my poor back and knees.

I'm not sure what diet to do, I don't think I'll be able to go to WW meetings, but I could do the on-line one. I used to record all my points on-line anyway. How are you finding e-diets BudaBabe?

It's my first day back at work today after a year off, so I might leave it a week before I get started. When I was doing WW I gave up sugar completely, and I felt much better for it but the first 5 weeks or so were dreadful and I turned into a bitch from hell. I think I should let my co-workers get used to me being back first before I inflict my sugar cravings on them. I would never have got passed the horrible first stage without the wonderful support I had on MN so I really hope that this thread can be as cosy and supportive the Long Term Slimmers was. (Actually I know it will be because I recognise most of the names already and I know that you are all both funny and kind.)

Oh bollocks,

Can I join in? (I'm going to regret this, can't just give up after a couple of days with people watching)

I need to lose about 5 stone to be in the 'normal' range of the charts, although that will make me the same weight as I was at 16!

reasons? Gp giving me grief over going on the pill because of my BMI, had my last child so no pg excuse, have a big anniversary party planned next August and I want pictures that don't make me cry

I'm going to do it using \link{http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/\this site} , at 2lb a week I should have plenty of time, it's the willpower bit I have problems with.

I currently weigh 16 stone (5'10 and a 20), a stone more that Dh, which I think shames me more than anything else. Atm if he tried to sweep me off my feet, he'd rupture something!

Hi Bran, I'm adopting too, approved last May and waiting for a match fom overseas perhaps September.

I have congentially bad knees but if I'm honest they aren't too bad if I'm lighter but are currently giving me a lot of gripes.

You've done well to only put back on 10lb, most of us put it all back on and more. But not this time!

Hi bran ... I'm nodding in agreement about the old back and knees! And on hoping that we can make this a supportive and happy thread. I'm actually feeling really positive about it at the moment - long may it continue.

The forums on the site I linked are very scarey btw. Full of skinny people and people apologising for eating a bite of a McD's WTF? I can't live like that, I enjoy my food, I need to cut the amount not the quality or I'll give up.

It's not very encouraging to read forums like that, is it! That way madness lies, I think.

serenity, I'm trying the free three day membership from the site you're using. Will see how I get on, cheaper than WW or similar but not sure if ther's enough motivation for me... maybe allied with our new MN virtual slimming club...

I did the trial a couple of weeks ago and found it quite useful. It gives a nutitional breakdown of what you've eaten and seeing 0g next to fruit and veg shamed me into eating it I've signed up properly, as of 5 minutes ago. I've been putting it off for weeks. I don't think I should have had that IKEA bacon roll this morning, doesn't look good on my first day