I will never weigh as much as I do today.

[Snap8TheCat]

I can’t. I’ll kill myself if I continue the way I am going.

Today is the first day of my weight loss journey and I promise myself that even if I fall off the wagon, I won’t let it get as bad as this before taking action.

I weigh 18st 5lb. Hideous.

The reasons I want to lose weight.

• I want to wear nice clothes without being uncomfortable
• I want to enjoy having my photo taken
• I don’t want to be embarrassed when meeting new people
• I don’t want to set a bad example for my children
• I don’t want to keep getting infections in my skin folds
• I want to ease my aches and pains in my joints
• I like getting compliments

Not expecting any replies as I’ve not asked anything but I shall be keeping a weight diary here.

I felt the same in January 10th this year, I was 21st 13, I'm now 14 st 7 - still a way to go but I feel so much better and never want to go back!

I agree wth pp who suggested the diet doctor, fabulous resource.

Good for you pp. I had a similar list and lost 5 stone. I've put a couple of stone back on but am nowhere near where I was and never will get that bad again.
If I can do it it can be done!

Snap when I started losing weight that was motivation to continue.

Hi Snap...i think food is a secondary problem. Is it boredom (me too) you normally eat because of? I find myself grazing through the day on crap ! Then drink wine with a takeaway in the evening. Just im bored, x

When I feel like eating I just drink lime and soda , squash or flavoured water instead of reaching for a bag of crisps .

I nibble when bored. To break that link, when I am feeling bored I either putility music on and dance like an exciting (out of sight) or do a mini pamper like handcrafted.

It will get easier snap. Honestly.

Interesting about the secondary problem. I think I eat for a number of reasons. Primarily no willpower. I like lots of bad food and will eat lots of it! Also I don’t enjoy cooking and am lazy in the kitchen so grabbing snacks and easy stuff instead of a proper meal is habitual. I really don’t like the feelings of hunger so at the slightest grumble I’ll eat something, even if my dinner is in the oven! Lastly dh is a shift worker so evenings with the kids and my own company once they’re in bed lead to boredom eating.

I’m relieved to hear it gets easier. I have dieted lots of times before but they’ve never worked (because I don’t stick to them) and this time it has to work. It has to. I can’t keep putting on more and more weight. It hurts to be hungry but it hurts more to be fat. My children are growing fast and I don’t want to have regrets with all the things I’m avoiding because I’m fat.

I found reducing my carbs and sugar made a massive difference. I tried replacing as many meals as I could a week with no/low carb food - so omelettes a couple of times a week, courgetti with bolognese instead of pasta, salad and chicken for lunch 3-4 days rather than a sandwich. And strictly limiting chocolate/cakes etc. I've also pretty much given up fizzy drinks and fruit juice. Add on a bit more walking every day and the weight came off almost without me noticing. Keep healthy snacks (carrot/pepper sticks with humous) in the fridge and just don't buy sugary crap. My willpower is non-existent if I know it's in the cupboard You can do this!!

I'm a week into cutting out my binge comfort eating and am feeling more energetic and smugger ;) by the day! I am avoiding hunger at all costs with decent sit down healthy snacks. I am writing 5 aims per day (for general life but which include): lemon in boiled water to stsrt the day, 2L of water minimum, 20min exercise etc. A good tip I recently was stand in front of a mirror and imagine yourself a year from now if you continue as you are... and then if you change your ways. Best of luck. Rooting for you.

P.S. a treat is not a rocky road, it's a walk with a friend, a coffee/tea on your own for some peace and yesterday, I realised, it's leaving a cafe having not eaten the cake!! :)

Morning all,
I've been thinking about the constant urge to snack. It's really just a habit isn't it?
My problem is snacking on (mostly) healthy food - it's still calories though.
I like the thought of distracting myself from snacking during the day - but work at home and whilst emailing tend to grab a snack to munch on.
Just mindless eating really.

I downloaded the Paul MacKenna app the other day - it's helpful in terms of addressing this. Also if you bugger it up one day then you just start again.

Also, don't underestimate how much better exercise will make you feel about yourself. Yes, we need to eat less, but it's still a case of calories in Vs calories out innit?

I find if I swim regularly then I feel calmer and better about myself. My bones ache less. I am more likely to sleep better - which also helps metabolism. And if you go straight after dropping kids at school there's hardly anyone there - so unlikely to bump into anyone you know

Also have forced myself to like almond milk - so drinking those instead of lattes now.

Good luck everyone have a lovely weekend and be kind to yourselves

Mikado I love your comment about what constitutes a treat

smiled do you have a weigh day? I’m going to be weighing and posting it here on a Friday. It’s my day off and I always feel like it’s the start of my week! Because of my heavy starting weight I’m hoping to lose 4lb this week and then around two pound each week after.

Oh total habit smiled yes (which is why I'm reading with interest the thread on the 7yo sneaking sugar and people talking about normal using it). I am planning meals and snacks and have it written down like a diary to follow- v helpful. I'm not worrying about calories of healthy food for now as my issue is binge eating sugar alone so fruit, but butters etc are filling me and keeping me going with regular eating so you'll find your priorities and what you need to crack down on. Agree completely 're exercise as a feel good addition to it all and something else to do with free time. I think support and updating like this thread invaluable.

Hey Snap

Just weighed myself and am 13st 13lb - am 5ft8 so have at LEAST 3st to loose!

Very happy to weigh in with you on a Friday.

Am going to aim for 2lb a week.

I would just like to see a 12 on the scales. So I want to lose 76lb I actually carry weight quite well and don’t look as heavy as I am so I think it will be ok for an interim target. Then I think I’ll reassess.

Good idea to have small targets to focus on.

I wanted to lose 88lb so I got a calendar and marked that off at 5 lb per month. Then if I lost more I was ahead, stayed the same meant I was still on track and if I gained it meant only a delay in getting there. I never aimed for more and wanted it by the end of August 2018.

That’s a good idea weeonion I’ve just done the same. Maybe be next Christmas I shall be slim (ish!)

I actually don’t own any scales so will weigh in at different times when I’m at my mums as she has scales . Good luck everybody , I’d also be happy with 2lb a week .

When I started, I emptied all the crap food out of my cupboards and then did a HUGE stock up at Lidl and Tesco of lots of lovely but also healthy food.

The worst thing is being on a diet and having empty cupboards! (and an empty tummy!)

Have you guys stocked up on some nice, healthy food?

Also, get a measuring tape for tracking progress.

I have lost 5 inches off EACH thigh since May.

Excellent, snap :)

I had the same around new year, when I was the closest to 20st I've ever been. I am not a dieter, I can't bear feeling deprived . I made one change, which was cutting back on fizzy drinks.

I then ended up pregnant but by the time I was weighed at 9 weeks (I don't have scales at home) I had lost over 1.5st. I think I ended up eating less rubbish too, as I wasn't getting so many sugar crashes from the drinks. The best thing was it hadn't felt like any effort at all as I had just cut down not out IYSWIM. This is a huge thing for me, as I said I can't handle the thought of not being allowed stuff.

I then ended up having to do the same with carbs, as I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It was unbelievably stressful but it was revolutionary, and I continued losing weight throughout.

My little surprise is now 17 days old, snuffling away on my chest, and I am 4st lighter than I was at new year. I am determined to be healthier for her and to continue losing the weight I piled on between DS and her (8 year gap which included me becoming ill with fibromyalgia and other things).

But I need to continue doing it gently or I know it won't work for me. In particular I want to be more careful with carbs, I don't have to be super strict like I was in pregnancy, but elements of it like just having less of the carbs with a meal are so easy and again don't make me feel like I'm deprived.

Other things that have helped are not eating late at night, reminding myself that it's fine not to clear my plate, and only eating treat food that I REALLY love (e.g. I won't have cake in a coffee shop because they aren't amazing, it doesn't mean I can never have cake, it just means I will have a nicer cake at some point).

That said, I am also super emotional today (it's her due date and the induction at 37w, which turned out to be totally unnecessary, was horrendous) and need to be careful not to go back to old ways with eating my feelings! So I'm signing in to say hello.

Sorry for the waffle

My house is full of crisps , chocolate , biscuits and fizzy drinks , I really can’t expect everybody else to not eat , I’m working on willpower alone . If I need to snack I eat salty or salty/ sweet popcorn , it’s very low calorie , quite filling and a good source of fibre .

Completely the same here flora and delighted to here that about the popcorn, I love that stuff!

I’ve had chicken stir fry for dinner. Not entirely sure I feel satisfied but I will have to learn to be.

Hi snap. I was 17 stone 6 in Jan. Now 13 and a half, Hope to be down a stone and so on the "overweight" bmi range by Christmas instead of obese.

you can do it :)