I have a job interview today and can't fit into my dress

[Everstrong]

I need to do something about my weight.

I'm now wearing a different dress with not one but two pairs of huge pants and I still feel like I am going to pop the zip when I sit down

I'm 9.5 stone but a shorty (5ft 2) and I really want to get down to 8.5 stone. I know what I need to do- eat less, exercise more so why can't I just do that?!

I have no motivation, I have a wardrobe full of clothes that don't fit and rather than getting off my arse and sorting it out, I just pick up more chocolate.

I definitely comfort eat and have an issue with binge eating which I have had counselling for successfully in the past but I am now back on the slippery slope.

Can anyone help me get my lardy arse in gear?!

First of all, good luck with the interview!

Your stats give you a BMI of about 24. You're in the healthy range but only just. You are very sensible to want to get this under control before it gets any worse. (For what it's worth I'm taller than you but weigh nearly 2 stone more so am on the wrong side of that healthy range at the moment! So you're doing better than I am.)

There was a BBC series earlier in the year about different types of eating and tailoring the weight loss approach to that. Emotional overeaters were recommended to get involved in a group for support - so a local group you physically go to, or something online. There are lots of threads here that might help.

My problem is more that I love food and if it's placed in front of me I eat it. I also think about food all the time. To my amazement, the 5:2 diet is working for me after a year or two when I've scarcely shifted any weight. I'm losing about a pound a week on it, which will do me nicely. I expected to find it horrific but in fact it's manageable and not too unpleasant.

Thanks Gasp0de

I've had a look but there don't seem to be any support groups for binge eating where I am (there is a private hospital that offers therapy) but I do feel it would help to chat with people who know what I am going through. I eat and eat until I feel sick, it's horrible and then I feel so ashamed. I know people will think "but you aren't overweight" but I've gained a stone over the past 2 months so if I don't find a way to change I will very soon be overweight. Also, type 2 diabetes runs in my family so my sugary diet is putting me at risk.

I totally know what you say about thinking of food all the time- I am obsessed! It's there every waking moment. I have thought about 5:2 but my concern is that my stomach would hurt on the 500 calorie days (I have IBS and if I don't eat much my stomach gets really painful) maybe I need to find a low calorie way to bulk up meals so my stomach won't hurt.

I find eating lots and lots of raw or very lightly cooked veg does it for me but that might not work with IBS, I don't know.

I really would venture onto the weight loss threads here or the MyFitnessPal forums. I'm not practising what I preach here as I've not posted on any myself, but that's because I have a family member who has taken on the role of policing supporting my weight loss efforts. From my browsing online, I would think it could be really helpful to have some virtual buddies to compare notes with and egg each other on.

Good luck!

Oh, how did the interview go?