2018 - Thread 2 of Help Me Mumsnet I have 4 stone to lose and 10k debt to pay off

[ChickenVindaloo2]

Hi everyone,

It's the day after the day after Boxing Day, Thursday 28 December 2017!

Just over a year ago, on Boxing Day 2016, I was 14 stone exactly (My highest weight ever was 14st 5, I'm 5 foot 2 ish). So I needed to lose 4 stone just to get to a healthy weight. After a false start, I lost 3 stone, getting down to a low of 11 stone exactly through stopping binge-eating. I also went to (private) CBT therapy and started going to the gym. I had popped back up to 11st3-4 in the run up to Christmas, mainly as a result of complacency and dropping the gym visits due to the dark evenings.Having eaten more than usual and some salty foods over Christmas itself, as of this morning, I'm 11st 5. I need to lose at least 2 stone really to be a healthy weight and perhaps 2.5-3 to achieve peak gorgeousness!

(I also had £10k worth of debt, mainly on credit cards. I re-mortgaged and I now have £5k on a 0% credit card for 2 years. I've worked out I need to pay it off at £200/month)

In terms of weight loss, the general rules are to err on the side of low carb, unprocessed food. I need to get in more salad/veg and restart the gym sessions. I also need to watch portion sizes and ditch the snacks, treats and extras.

Rowgtcfc has been an amazing help throughout and I hope she will join me on this shiny new thread! Would also be delighted to see new comrades of any size, shape or "diet" plans!

I've attached a pic of me at my heaviest plus one at the end of last year.

Thread 1: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/2811974-Help-me-MN-I-have-4-stone-to-lose-and-10k-debt-to-pay-off?pg=1

Some of my best tips which I hope help!

• every day is every thing. it's what you do every day over the course of a year which makes a difference. In a year, what will you wish you did today?
• it's ok to just not eat crisps/chocolate/sweets/cakes/biscuits, easier, even, than trying to moderate
• eggs for breakfast
• salad and veg are your friends
• low sugar but good fats is anti-ageing too!
• You need less food than you think. You won't die from hunger.
• The secret is: there is no secret. Most slim folk have to prioritise it and work at it.
• Practice being slim. Act like you're slim.
• Do what suits you, find your own path. Eg don't assume breakfast is vital for you.

Sounds like some good calorie busting action! Specially digging holes. My Saturday plan is very boring sounding. I'm going to change my bedding, have a shower (After 20 mins on the exercise bike.) and generally tidy up.
I'm feeling quite pleased as as I was tidying at the end of my bed I found the scales so jumped on them. I think I've lost about 6lbs! Official weigh-in day is a week Sunday. It's good because my inches had gone up but at least I know I am losing weight.
I hope you have loads of fun in the garden. A new shed sounds exciting. Are you a keen gardener? Or is the shed more for storage?

6 lbs? Bloody hell, well done!

Moving old shed down the garden and not a keen gardener but a dabbler. We moved into my dad's when he died and he loved his garden so I'm trying to make it pretty but low maintenance. The walls come down between us and my 82 yr old neighbour so we're putting up a 6ft fence half way along. Couldn't fence her completely in as we chat, she's hilarious and she used to change my nappies

1lb off this week so 14 st 6. Lucky really after last weekends alcohol and large stuffed crust dominoes pizza!

Hi everyone, you are all doing so well! It's not a linear thing is it, losing weight and keeping it off, as we are all proving with our ups and downs!

I was watching that Fat Doctor with Dr Shaw Summers (sp?) and he referred to crisps as "the devil's own food" and I have to agree. I've had the odd couple of packets in the last few weeks and it really can lead one down a slippery slope as they're so addictive.

Yes, I've been a bit stressed and hormonal recently - bloated, greasy hair and spotty. Holding weight in my boobs and tummy. hope I'm not pregnant highly unlikely

BUT I'm unexpectedly going to Portugal in 3 weeks! My mum was going with my aunt but she's not well so I've kindly stepped in.

I was 11.7 this morning and will aim to be 11 or under by the time I fly. So salads, no/low carb, and no more of that no-sugar but still bad for you but tasty Jordan's granola I've been mainlining.

Sure that when I deforest my legs and pits that I'll lose a pound anyway!

Hi everyone. Hope it's been a good weekend. I am LOVING the sun. Makes me feel so positive! It also helps me make healthy choices, so I have been having lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and less chocolate than usual. I really hope the number on the scale carries on going downwards, even if it's just 1lb per week.

Kitty - Well done on the 6lbs. That's incredible! Brilliant achievement. With a "slow and steady" determined attitude, you could really lose a lot over the rest of the year.

Have all your summer clothes arrived? What did they look like? Hope there was some decent stuff in there. I find sizing a nightmare in shops. I tried some stuff on the other week and I'm bigger than the size I thought I was (I thought I was a large 14 but I couldn't fit in any size 14 stuff). I know that isn't big at all and is about average, and I REALLY don't want to make people who are bigger feel bad, but I have been a size 8-10 most of my life, then in the last few years that crept up to a size 12, then a size 14 in early pregnancy then much bigger later on.

Row - How was your mud shovelling weekend? It's lovely that you're maintaining the garden for your dad. I'm sure he'd be delighted. The Dominos sounds AH-MAZING.

Chicken - 2 x Britney tickets AND a trip to Portugal?! I'm beyond jealous of you! Hopefully that will be a great break for you and a good motivator to stick with the diet over the next few weeks.

As I said at the start, I've had a few good days and feel more "on it". I also had a total boost yesterday! I took DS swimming and DH sat on the side with (newborn) DD. This other mum came up to me and said I looked incredible for having just had a baby. She was obviously being really kind as I certainly haven't "snapped back" and "back" was hardly impressive in the first place, but it made me feel great.

Another day, another quorn and veggie stir fry for lunch. Dieting can be such a drag .

Jacket Spud and chicken dippers for tea. Before anyone panics I've gone from 20 -10. Half the calories!
Breakfast was porridge made with oats and water .Dinner was a small homemade ham,cheese,lettuce,pepper wrap with a banana.
Considering I've been up since 4am have biked for an hour and done 8 hours on my feet I'm well in my calorie allowance

Haha, sorry Coffee!

Mind you I SHOUTED at the scales this morning! They said 11st 9 then 11st 8. I barely ate anything except eggs and salad yesterday! Starting to think I should do a flipping pregnancy test!

Do you think that actually could be a possibility? I’m afraid pregnancy isn’t good for your weight or bank balance .

Haha. Not really. I've had several periods since the bloatedness started. Only had sex once in December and once about 10 days ago. Nearly at the end of this pill pack and can feel slight period pain already.
So I'd be either 4 months gone or barely up the duff at all.

Maybe it's just all the royal baby chat making me paranoid!

Morning all and well done to this week's losers - especially the 6lbs Kitty! I am still avoiding the scales as I've lost my way a bit the last couple of weekends with too much socialising and drinking and I will keep avoiding them until I feel I've reversed some of the damage! Chicken that's great about the holiday to Portugal and if you're no/low carbing it should be very possible to drop half a stone in that time.
Coffee that's lovely that the other mum paid you such great compliments - as the saying goes or something along these lines "I can dine out for days on a good compliment".
Row well done on the pound down and glad you're getting the garden sorted.
Kitty how did the tidying go?
I am setting myself a two week target to getting back to the weight I was a couple of weeks ago. I will cut right back on carbs (especially crisps!!) and alcohol as that usually does the trick. Luckily although I've been bad not a bit of sugar has passed my lips so it shouldn't be too difficult as I don't have the hurdle of sugar addiction to jump as previously when I've fallen off the wagon and succumbed to it it takes a week of headaches to kick the addiction again. Onwards and upwards!

Hi Row, congratulations on the pound! How's the shed going? You neighbour sounds great.
Hi Chicken, Oh, what programme is the fat Dr? (More fat porn, yay! Lol.) Or are you talking about My 600lbs Life? That's on tonight btw, 9.00 pm on Quest Red (Channel 162). How's the hormones feeling now? I really don't envy you those. Nice one about the holiday! Good luck with the deforestation.
Hi Coffee, how are you? All the clothes mostly fit, lol. I'm keeping them anyway, can't be hassled with sending them back. They will all do, it's only really a pair of leggings (Can get them up to under my boobs! ) and a top (Teeny bit snug.) that's not 100%.
It's nice to hear you got such a nice complement. It's even better it made you feel good.
Dieting can be very boring can't it? It can take well over a week to lose a pound and just 24 hours to put it on! I've been a bit naughty actually. I keep spending my calorie allowance on mint flavoured Clubs. I'm addicted, there like crack! I tried yesterday being a bit more sensible and had more fruit and yogurts instead but have run out of fruit today and the Club tastes better.
Thank you all on your complements re the 6lbs. I literally just hopped on and off so hope it was accurate. Will find out Sunday morning.
Hi MrPeevly, the tidying is going well thank you. I finally cleared all the junk out from the end of my bed. However, I just literally shoved it all in the best cupboard space I could find for it. I just couldn't rest knowing that they were so disorganised/cluttered so have been having a general declutter. Have taken some old blankets to the clothing bank. I have another bin bag full to take sometime (They have a big clothes bin/bank just up the road on the way to the shop.). Nearly all done now, just the dreaded bedding chest of draws to go (Dreaded as I have to sort it into sets and try and fit it all back in!) and the boxes under my bed. I much prefer sorting to cleaning! Mind you, I suppose cleaning uses up calories.
Good luck for the next two weeks. I'm sure you'll get on top of it in no time. Is there a special event in two weeks or have you just decided that will be your time frame?
I hope everyone is having a really good week regardless of weightloss.

Damn, I'm 12 stone 11 today (official weigh in day) so I haven't lost any this week. It's a bit annoying as I have been much better diet-wise. Also, I know this isn't good as my aim is to be healthy rather than skinny, I skipped dinner on two nights this week, so I was hoping I'd be at least 1lb down today. I'm trying not to feel too disheartened as I know sometimes it takes your body a while to catch up with your diet (be that following a good week or bad week!). With 6 days to go, I'm definitely not going to hit my target of 12 stone 7 .

Ha ha Chicken, definitely Royal Baby paranoia .

MrPeevly - Good luck over the next two weeks. That's great that you didn't slip back into eating loads of sugar. I know just how hard it is to kick sugar addiction! How are you getting on so far?

Kitty - Don't talk to me about clubs! I love them. Especially the orange ones. Hopefully you'll get back on track soon. I'm glad the clothes mostly fit. Hopefully that will give you a boost! It's always nice to get some new clothes. I'll have to download 'My 600lb Life'. These things always make me feel so sad. I genuinely think overeating is an addiction, but sadly for many there seems to be very little help out there.

Fat Doctor is on youtube - the channel is called Only Human.

Have fun!

Thanks Chicken, will look it up.

Hi Coffee. Sometimes I watch the show and do feel sorry for them, some of them are obviously in a lot of emotional pain. On the other hand I wonder why the feeders keep enabling them. It's not like the obese person can help themselves is it? Surely if you knew someone was dying and you could do something to stop that you would? Also there's the ones that complain that they are in pain all day. Surely they'd want to do something about themselves then? Anyway, it's on again tonight, 9.00pm, channel 125, TLC.

Had a bit of a shock today. Am slowly taking it in. (I really hope I don't derail the thread again and put people of replying. Please do, even if you just want to reply to someone else. Thank you. ) A few weeks ago I noticed in my left breast in particular a dent under my nipple. I put it to the back of my mind but must admit, I was a bit worried about it. I was reading a book as I'm trying to work on The Law of Attraction and becoming a positive thinker, taking up meditation, etc. Anyway, one chapter was on health. It said to schedule routine appointments that you've been putting off and get things looked at. So I took the bull by the horns and 'phoned the DR. I had an appointment today (Had to take 3 diazepam to get there.) and the Dr has found a small lump in that breast. I have a 2 week urgent referral appointment I have to make tomorrow for a screening. It's funny as apart from one big wobble the womb cancer didn't really phase me. But the thought of breast cancer has me really worried. I also don't want to have to use diazepam and have to go out again. It's very hard work, I'm really not looking forward to it.

Sorry to share the news but I just had to 'tell' someone. Hopefully it will be nothing.

Oh no Kitty, how scary for you...and so soon after your womb cancer saga. Please try not to worry at the moment as it may be something totally benign (it usually is, and we get lumps and bumps all the time that turn out to be nothing). You absolutely did the right thing going to the doctor. If it is something to worry about, then it's better to catch it as soon as possible. How did the screening go? What's the next step? Please keep us updated. I don't think any of us will mind the thread being de-railed, especially for something so serious. A few of my friends in their early thirties have breast cancer, then a few others have had scares. The one thing I have taken away is that you absolutely have to get every lump or 'change' checked out, as it's better to go away feeling a bit silly than to potentially leave things too late.

As for your comments about people who are morbidly obese, I do agree. Especially when they say how much pain they are in and how everything is a struggle. At those sorts of weights, a few small changes could make a huge difference. I also don't understand how people let things get that bad, as you can't get to those weights overnight. Post-pregnancies I am much bigger than I have ever been (overweight according to BMI) and I get all sorts of aches and pains. I'm really keen to turn things around, or at least keep the aches and pains at bay. I know that if I don't act now, I'll wake up in 10 years time unable to move about..or I'll get diabetes or heart disease or something. Health is definitely something we all need to work at!

Oh kitty! Crossing everything for good news. Tis true most breast lumps turn out to be benign but whatever it turns out to be you can't beat an early check with a gp. Had a friend just go through this and she said an early check is definitely the way to go.
Well done for going to the doc. I have a list of things I ought to mention to mine but put off.

Re obesity programmes, what amazes me is how big they get. I'm idle and can put a lot of food away but the most I've ever weighed was 17st at full term pregnancy.

Ww lady update . We have scales at work to weigh pallets. I used to weigh 98kg slightly more than ww lady. Today I'm 94kg and she's gone back to 98.5. (Disclaimer I get weighed in heavy clothes ,huge fleece,hard hat and safety boots )
Sunday is my official weigh in though.

Hi Kitty, oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this. And don't worry about derailing the thread - this thread is about losing weight and all the bits of life that go along with it - good or bad! Whatever the news is, you will cope. Easier said than done but don't waste energy worrying until you've at least got something to worry about!

And it turns out I'm definitely not pregnant! Got a (for me anyway) fairly full-on period.

I felt quite down last week but a bit better this week. Until I caught sight of myself on a video again and saw I still have such a double chin and belly!

Thank you all so much for your kind words. (((hugs))) I am trying to be positive. I have started a gratitude journal recently and I still managed to write down the 11 positive things for the day (Ie, that we have a free health service so I could get seen, and quickly. That they have an awesome coffee shop at the hospital so I can get a mocha! :p ) I'm trying not to worry. Hopefully it's benign. Either way it's been caught early. I will keep you posted Coffee. I tried arranging my appointment today but I wasn't on the system yet so have to call back on Monday.
Yay, Row, you're winning! Good luck with the weigh-in on Sunday. I was going to weigh myself then but have decided to bring it forwards to tomorrow. I have my nieces round. They always have crisps, cake, and chocolate and I sometimes only realise I've eaten some till after I've swallowed! So, to relax and hopefully not eat so much, I'm weighing tomorrow morning.
Hi Chicken, talking of bellies I ordered a standing abs exercise kit (Resistance bands and DVD.). I was looking into one of those EMS belts for my middle but it says they aren't suitable for diabetics. I've never had a flat stomach ever. I now currently carry all my weight around my tummy, which isn't good for visceral fat or diabetes. I HATE, HATE, HATE abs exercises though! I always find them so hard! (I don't know if it's because I had stomach surgery when I was six months old. Still have the deep scar now.) But, I thought I'd give the standing abs a go, see if I get on any better. Here's the link if anyone is interested: www.idealworld.tv/gb/pp/stand-up-abs-with-exercise-manual-dvd-and-carry-bag-389233?query=fh_view_size%3d24%26fh_location%3d%252f%252fidealworld%252fen_GB%252f%2524s%253dabs%26fh_sort%3d-_match_rate%252c-onair_iw%252c-hasimage_iw%252c-salescash_iw%252c-stock_iw%252c-average_overall_rating_iw
Sorry for the long link, don't know how to do short ones!
Good luck for the weekend guys, and thanks again for being so lovely.

Kitty I am thinking of you and hoping everything is OK. As you say we have a wonderful free health service and I'm sure they will see you quickly and hopefully put your mind at rest. I am sure your nieces will take your mind off things when they come over - one of the joys of small children is that they keep you so busy and entertained that you don't have chance to dwell on any worries.
Chicken glad to hear you're not pregnant. I hate seeing myself on video - it just piles the weight on. I had to appear on TV once for work and a colleague phoned in afterwards to ask if I had mumps (I didn't it just made my face look massive)
Row it must feel good to be winning on the work scales. I was forced to weigh this week as the company nurse was doing free health checks and I didn't realise she would weigh us. I had put three pounds on as I thought although it was at lunchtime and usually I weigh first thing. Anyway I've been a bit better this week although did have curry and wine last night and another night out tonight for a friend's birthday meal too.......
I feel so sorry for anyone who is morbidly obese as well as it must be horrendous to be trapped in the middle of all that fat. Chicken I've been watching some of the other programmes on that youtube channel you recommended - very interesting stuff on there.

Hi MrPeevly, thank you for your kind words. Sorry to hear about your gain. It's so frustrating isn't it? In fact I owe everyone a big apology. Weighed myself today. Haven't lost a thing. I don't know where my 6lbs went! So sorry everyone. I must be doing something wrong. I know I upped my calories this month but I also upped my exercise from doing none to 20 mins a day, and yoga on Mondays. have also been more active generally. I commiserated by eating almost an entire packet of French Fancies. In fact I'm grabbing another one in a minute. I'm going to let myself go nuts today, then back on it on Monday. Sorry again. Hope you have better news row.

Sorry, missed a capital there, Row.

Morning.
14 st 5. 1lb off.
Fitbit tells me with 10000 steps a day and 30 mins exercise I'll lose a lb a week. And I am.
Time to up my game methinks.
Monday

I can’t send a full message as I’m just on my phone with no WiFi and crappy 3G. I just want to say good luck Kitty with getting an appointment when you call tomorrow. I hope you’re on their system.

I’m also really sorry for the 6lb non-loss. What a let down 😢.

I feel like I have gained a load of weight. I’m away this weekend and can’t even weigh myself 😢. Had a very active day on Thursday, then had a massive bleed on Friday, so I’m worried I’m not as “healed” as I thought.

Anyway, will try and send a proper message when I have WiFi!

Hello everyone

Kitty, hope you managed to sort an appt.

Coffee, hope you had a good weekend away.

Chicken, how's it going?

MrPeevly, company nurse wants to weigh me too. Surely it's none of their business?!

Fell off the wagon yesterday thanks to ten two finger mint kitkats. Karma bit me on the arse today with a puncture and a 45 min walk home pushing my bike in the heat

Kitty - I hope you're ok. Feel free to chat to us about things, but equally if you want to keep things private don't feel you have to. I love the sound of your book and thinking of the things you have to be grateful for. I've been trying to do that more over the past 2 years, and I do feel it's had a positive effect on my mental health.

Chicken - I am so sorry about the video. I've had similar things happen. Just remember how far you have come already though!

Row - Well done with the 1lb weight loss. I'm sorry you've fallen off the wagon though. It happens to all of us. The bike drama sounds like absolute hell as well! How are you doing now?

MrPeevly - Sorry about the company weigh in. How are you getting on now?

Well I spectacularly missed my target and am still 12 stone 11. I haven't been very good though the past week, so it's completely my own fault.