10 stones, 140 lbs, a whole bloody person to lose!! Anyone else?

[10stonestolose]

Age:45
Starting weight: 19st 10lbs on 01/01/17
Goal: 9st 10lbs
Plan: low carb, high fat

Well, it's the biggest I've ever been. Feel horrid, but determined to make this the last year of being a fat person. I''m going to diet the shit out of this mess I'm in! I've see threads to lose 100lbs, but not 140. If anyone else is in the same scary boat and fancies friendly, non-judgmental journey sharing, please say hello and share away.

It can feel like a mountain to climb when you've a lot of weight to lose and very easy to lose motivation when have periods of no loss or even small gains (yep even possible eating 600cals a day), but you'll get there if stick with it.

I lost 8st it took just over a year on exante mainly following total solution and occasional low carb meal. I had done lipotrim in the past & found it easier to stick to meal replacements than having to think about food and the ketosis stopped the hunger that i found an issue with most diets i tried. Exante was more affordable, i bought during bulk offers which cost about £18 a week so similar to usual food bill (well less because i didn't eat or drink while out as much).

I do have loose skin, but i think its probably more down to me gaining weight quickly mainly due to medication side effects and my skin had already stretched & lost its elasticity than the time taken loosing the weight.
I found my spotty skin cleared up and the cravings, lack of full feeling which lead me to overeat disappeared, so the low carb seems to suit me well and i think its the sugar/processed carbs and possibly dairy that's the culprit. I can't seem to eat certain foods such as sweets, bread, biscuits, cakes etc in moderation at all.I'm currently trying to follow more of a low carb diet and eating lot more veg, i still have some exante products alongside while i try to maintain.

I've found one of my biggest challenges is that i'm influenced by others to eat. My fitnesspal is great to keep an eye on the calories & makes you more aware when choosing what to eat.

www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Beck-Diet-Solution-Train-brain-think-person/1845298268 there's some other versions of The Beck Diet solution out but i found this CBT based book helpful to work on the thought processes we have around food/eating to avoid that dieting yo-yo.

My feet shrank and now need a shoe size smaller, i lived in trainers so didn't really notice it till i was getting dressed up for a night out and all my shoes fell off my feet, had to stuff the toes in the end to get them to stay on.

Hi Hattie, thanks for sharing your experience of losing the weight. Congrats on the 8 st, you must feel amazing.

Yes it does feel like a mountain to climb at the moment, but I think we all know we have to just do it. I'm with you with low carbing and find it great for ditching the sugar cravings.

I'm really interested in the book you recommend, I know psychologically changing our relationship with food is the only way we'll maintain the weight once we've lost it. I suspect I'll have to eat lower (if not low) carb for life. Or certainly maintain for over a year before I even try introducing a 'normal' diet. I know most of the Hollywood skinnies never touch carbs, maybe that just has to be the answer if you have a sugar addiction like me? I don't know. I do know I intend to get slim one last time and then remain slim for the rest of my life though, so I'll have to just do whatever it takes. I may need to seek some expert advice on how to do that.

10 popping candy freddos are just heavenly, I don't like normal or caramel ones but popping candy ones are to die for😄.

I had a great day yesterday I think. I've not cut anything out my diet as such just reduced portion sizes and changed to healthier alternatives. Usually I would have 2/3 slices of white bread toasted with Scrambled eggs but I've changed to 1 slice of 50/50. Ice changed the crisps I eat as well, instead of Golden Wonder I've got Tayto Whisps(99cals and there is loads in it).

Today for breakfast is Weetabix crunchy bran and a caramel latte with no extra sugar(I would normally add 3😮)

I've also just realised I'm doing an hour of extra walking a day doing the school run. It's broken up into 15 min segments but I walk at a pace that gets my heart going.

Can I join? I also have a whole person to lose (about 8/9 stone to be well in the 'healthy' range but I'd be happy with 7)
I started Slimming World on the 1st and have Monday weigh-ins, also hired a personal trainer to kick my arse into moving, I have ME/CFS though so have to be really careful not to overdo it
Really hoping to stay on a thread with sticking power throughout the year, 2017 is the year I will do it!

I'm a size 20 with BMI 36, can I join?

I need to lose about 6 stone I think (I don't have any scales, should perhaps get some!).

Can anything be done to avoid loose skin or is it inevitable if you loose loads of weight?

I carry my weight in my stomach, it's enormous! I am a little scared of loose skin tbh.

Warm Welcomes to Holy and Cat!

Sunshine....in that case I'd better NEVER have a PC Freddo then! You're making lots of little healthy changes,they reckon that's the best way to adapt your lifestyle for long term weight loss.

Holy...Yes this is the year to do it and a personal trainer sounds exciting. I would love one, but can't justify the cost because we currently pay for a family gym membership that I want to use, but don't. I'' hoping when I've got a couple of stones off I might be brave enough to venture back.

Cat....I think scales help keep you focused, so prob worth investing in some, even if you only weigh once a week or even month. The loose skin issue has been discussed a couple of times upthread. From what I've read and personal experience (losing over 81/2 stones 5+ years ago), it seems to be down to the individual whether you'LL have loose skin and whether it'll be to a greater or lesser degree. Apparently genetics, skin elasticity, how quickly you lose the weight, exercise and muscle mass all make a difference. I low carb because that's meant to be high protein and least likely to lose muscle when losing weight as without carbs to convert into energy, it uses body fat as fuel instead. I hate the thought of loose skin too, but I'm hopeful, because I didn't get it last time. I'm also sure that whatever happens with the skin, we'll still look far better in clothes than we do at our current weights.

Holy I have ME/Cfs too and find exercise really difficult.
You might find this article interesting, it new research and their findings on how carbs are processed by ME sufferers and the lactic acid we have is eye opening!
kavlifondet.no/2016/12/new-study-on-pathological-mechanisms-in-me-from-bergen-research-group/

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Oh wow....popping candy freddos .... why don't I know about these! (maybe best I don't)- Apparently, according to the news they have shrunk so maybe not so bad.

Thank you for the book recommendation Hattie - I have downloaded it to my kindle for a bit of weekend motivation reading. It looks really interesting in terms of long term weight loss. I only wan't to shift this lot once!

Yesterday was a good day on the whole but i'm a bit out of routine today as working from home. But I have been really disciplined and had a lunch break and not snacked or picked, which is a minor miracle. My home office is ridiculously cold as well so fingers crossed that is extra calories burnt just trying to keep warm.

Had a lovely soup for lunch with some ryvitas. Baxter's Butternut squash, chili & lime, which I can recommend. 232kcal/2.8g fat per tin.
Dinner is going to be a cajun chicken traybake, my version from a Hairy Bikers diet book. I'm going to attempt to Spatchcock a chicken- which always sounds rather rude.

Felt good about myself yesterday as I saw my DSis and she commented that I looked well and thought I had lost weight. I think that weight loss for me is 80% mindset, 20% eating well and exercise, and a compliment always spurs me on. I have decided to pay this forward and everyone we see this weekend I am going to pay a compliment to, there is always something nice to say to people.

Hey wobbly, congrats on your first 'have you lost weight?' compliment! it feels lovely doesn't it. I'm yet to have anyone notice, and I love complimenting other people, but I have to confess to being a bit of an awkward compliment receiver. Why can't I keep my mouth shut and learn to graciously accept?! Instead I babble, over explain and cringe inside. Gorgeous idea about paying it forward though, what a kind thing to do. Note to self, when someone eventually notices, just smile sweetly and say thank you.

Just been doing some research on the clothes size thing we talked about before and found this article in the Fail quite interesting:

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2101091/At-What-size-really-clothes-shop---online-store.html

It backs up what we were saying about M&S!

And this is the website they're talking about:
sizes.darkgreener.com/

Not sure I know how to link, so if these links don't work, could someone please advise. I haven't measured myself yet, but think i'll find this site useful when I do. Good for setting interim dress size targets too!

This is the website's advice on measuring yourself....
How to measure: Measure around the widest part of your bust, the narrowest part of your natural waist, and the widest part of your hips. Wear your usual bra while doing this. Keep the tape taut and parallel to the floor - how tight to pull it is up to you, but you'll generally get the most flattering size results if you pull the tape as tight as you'd like your clothes to fit, in each area!

They could definitely do with some more shops on there, quite a few missing, but lots of the main high st shops are on it. Would be nice to see some designers on there too.

Wow that site looks really handy! It's really hard getting the right fit of clothes and styles. I wish I could sew well enough to make my own clothes.
Thank you for the link, I'll measure tomorrow and see what it comes up with.

Me too, I can't sew for toffee.

It's really hard to take a compliment but I think a lot of it comes down to how you're feeling emotionally. If I'm feeling slimmer, not too stressed and a bit confident it's easier.

I love the idea of paying a compliment forward and it's a massive self esteem boost when you get one and I think makes the giver feel good about themselves too. Brightening someone's day can only be a good thing

I can make cushion covers

thanks 10stone i do feel so much better, my legs don't rub anymore and i walk smoothly as its less tiring & achey on the joints i can walk much further too. I'm not physically fit and little dissapointed that i'm not superstrong having carried round 8st all that time but its nice not to feel quite so out of puff walking up stairs or hills.

I'd have liked to have gotten away without saggy bits and i felt better naked when fatter tbh but really very few people see me naked and some shapewear undies smooth any wibbly bits. I definitely feel more confident dressed, not wanting to be invisible and i enjoy being able to wear what i want more rather than picking what looks most flattering out of plus size ranges (i was a 22 now a 10).

Its interesting how small things like eating more slowly, drinking more and smaller plate/ portions make a difference to fullness. I overeat if have a large plate full and actually even what i would've deemed a normal portion is too much now my belly has shrunk ( my greed hasn't ). It does take a while for your brain to catch up with new reflection and can be harder to see the changes yourself, so i think measuring & taking photo's can help and sometimes you don't seem to lose much in weight but shape has altered.

I went on a bit of binge over xmas while feeling a bit low so am getting back on track and off the sweet/junk foods, i did feel like an addict ploughing through biscuits & chocs even though i'd happily not eaten any for months. I think its always going to be something i'll have to be mindful of to maintain current weight and cut back when i see i've gained a bit rather than wait till its a few stone.

I think its more the processed/sugar carbs are the main problem but then when you stop eating things like bread you realise how much you get through normally and have to be bit more creative for lunches.

Weigh in day.

Only 1lb and a bollocking () for not using all of my points. How the hell I'm supposed to manage 46 every day is anybody's guess!

PMSing right now, so guessing I'm holding on to a bit of water as well.

Still, it's a step in the right direction, journey of a thousand miles and all that.

Cushion covers rock Narc! I, on the other hand, struggle to sew on Brownie badges

Hattie....you're an inspiration to us, I dream of my thighs not rubbing together in the summer and picking out lovely size 10 clothes. The mindfulness that you talk about is how I want to be able to handle keeping it off once I get there.

Box...yes sounds like your time of the month has derailed your hard work a bit, so take heart and I imagine you'll lose more next week. Well done on reaching week 2!

Hello everyone, nice to read of some good progress so far (and to those who have slipped, never fear just hop back on the wagon)

as I said before I'm not really dieting as I already eat quite healthily at mealtimes- I've just got to cut the truck loads of crap snacks/drinks that led to the extra 10 stone over the years.

Not been weighing as I find one bad day can ruin my confidence, but happy to report that I have gone down a belt hole, and my DM told me that I looked visibly thinner when I saw her this week (not one to mince words either) I am also starting to find my clothes a little baggier

My top tips for this week would be Diet Coke, Diet Coke, Diet Coke! I know it's terrible in other ways, but I'm working on losing the weight for now, and I've been drinking cans to stave off hunger at my desk, and it really works. That and the 'bounce' protein balls you can get in Tesco, about 270 calories but low on sat fat and they take ages to eat and are really filling. Been reading about how protein essentially destroys fat so have been increasing my consumption.

Have a lovely weekend all x

I had a bad night last night, watching a movie with OH and started snacking on crisps and chocolate. Was 500 over my calorie allowance on MFP.

Today is going a little better. I even managed 8 minutes of an advanced HIIT workout. My plan is to gradually increase the time. Really need to up my exercise.

Is anyone struggling to feel full? Maybe I need to change my meals or add more veg.

Hey everyone! I've decided to stop weighing myself. I'm just going to go by how I feel in my clothes. I get stuck in the pattern of thinking 'Wow, 2 pounds down in 5 days - I can eat such-and-such and still lose weight this week!' It's another bad habit I need to break.

I ordered 4 baking potatoes in the shopping but they delivered a bag of about 20 as a replacement. So I'm going to be eating baked potatoes for dinner for the foreseeable future!

@littlemissfuckingsunshine I can't remember what diet you said you were on but I'm a real fan of visually trickery. I've bought a huge plate and everything I eat I fill it with half salad and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar/low fat dressing. I have to finish the salad side, and I often struggle to eat the other bit of the meal because brain is shouting "no more! You've eaten loads" healthy but filling grains are good too, quinoa (microwave stuff is fine) and breakfasts like porridge. Probably repeating things you already know, so sorry if I am!

@YorkiesGlasses this is exactly what I'm doing and it's working so far. I also think scrapping the scales leads you to be more careful with what you eat, and I think it will eventually lead me to an easier lifestyle change long term

I'm not going to scrap the scales completely as they are used at the weekly meeting, but I'm not going to weigh myself every morning from now on