If you've lost two stone, come and tell me the benefits in your life

[growlingbear]

I have zero motivation and willpower. Definitely not a yoyo dieter. More like a never-dieted. But I now MUST lose two stone. I want some motivation. What's different in your life?

I want to be able to do plough pose in yoga without suffocating on my own fat.
I want my asthma to improve.
I really really want more energy.

Also - what plan did you use and how are you keeping the weight off?

I like feeling happy.

Sounds like a stupid statement but I don't groan every time I look in the mirror, I don't hide myself under baggy clothes, I don't feel as awkward in social situations. I hated myself when I was overweight.

I feel happy. I get a buzz after a workout. I like looking in the mirror now. I feel confident in my body. I feel strong. I like eating good food (I get a weird buzz out of that too now).

I didn't actually start on a diet plan or anything. I did however plan to make meals I liked and then ensured half of my plate was vegetables. So if I wanted to have spaghetti bolognese, I'd make the sauce, skip the pasta and have a salad instead with it.
Breakfast was a good meal of porridge oats (those can make you more hungry later though so I add a protein powder now) or a little bit of bacon with eggs.

Plenty of water too! Like 2L throughout the day.

I also did intermittent fasting which can work really well. I did 14:10 originally. You fit all your eating in 10 hours and don't eat for 14 of them. Wasn't too hard as most of the 14 hours I was asleep 😂

The things is you will get a bunch of replies on here. Slimming World Keto, WW, all sorts. All valid for those people but you must find what works for you. So try things and see.

If you're on instagram, I follow a few people who are great sources of information about healthy eating, satiety and good choices. Max Lugavere, Meowmeix and IlanaMulsteinRD are brilliant.

Make small changes gradually. 1 less sugar in your coffee each morning or replace sugar with stevia. 1 tbsp of sauce with your food instead of just dolloping it on (like I used to 🙈😂).

I now use the 21 day fix portion tubs which are amazing. No measuring just squeeze it into the food box and you're done.
And the food is pretty damn good. Last night we had tacos with homemade salsa and homemade guacamole. It was like sex in the form of a taco so healthy eating can taste pretty damn good.

Thank you so much. That's a brilliant answer @PlinkPlink and so full of tips and ideas. Can't argue with feeling happier!

No problem.

I think another thing is to have patience.

I struggle with this. I want results now. But it just doesn't happen that way.

You'll make mistakes and feel like you're taking 2 steps back at some points. But the important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can and don't punish yourself or berate yourself for it.

You are human and it's part of the journey.

I’m exactly the same as plink. I feel better and more like “me” if that makes sense. I only got to a stone overweight but it was enough to make me feel sluggish and all my clothes feel uncomfortable.

I’ve been lazy lately and put a bit back on but I’m addressing that now. I like eating well and really enjoy exercise so it’s only really getting started that’s the problem. I don’t count anything, I just try and aim for loads of veg in every meal, and measure carbs. I still eat “bad” stuff, just less often and don’t feel bad about it.

Batch cooking really helps me. I freeze portions of healthy food (loads of chilli, Dahl, curry etc) so it’s easier to avoid a take away.

Do you remember when Kate Moss said 'nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels'..she for flames for it (rightly so), but I kind of get her point.

I have managed to lose my baby weight and a bit more (baby is 5 months pregnant), and honestly I feel great! I just had a two week break from my diet and exercise as was on holiday and I honestly didn't like how I felt. I'm back on my exercise and diet routine now and I love being back in control.

When I go shopping rather than look at outfits that I would wear if I were thinner, I look at outfits I can wear now and that will look good on me.

I also feel mentally better, I'm not as tired or lethargic, I feel like I am accomplishing something (not just being a mum to my son), and I feel more like myself.

I also feel proud of myself. Maybe that is ridiculous but I honestly do.

I feel amazing for about 10 minutes when I eat something unhealthy (and I LOVE fast food and am a complete sugar addict), but I feel amazing for most of the day when I am thinner.

Find a programme or diet or lifestyle choice that suits you. Avoid quick fixes and it will definitely definitely be worth it!!!

I lost five and a half stone on the cancer diet a few years ago and it has stayed , so I don't recommend that, however I love being thin.

I went from an 18 to an 8.

Things I like about it.

You pick up your size and you know it will fit.

I have lots more energy.

I feel more confident.

There is probably more but it escapes me at the moment.

The typos in my post above are atrocious!! Apologies!!

Although I am giggling at 'My son is 5 months pregnant' 😂....he is not pregnant, just 5 months old 😁

My son is 5 months pregnant

Now that’s going to make the newspapers!!!

I love being healthier, fitter, more active, looking better and more like myself if that makes sense. There are no downsides. I am 61 so getting thinner has involved getting wrinkly but I really don't care.

I'm 44 and was 11st 5lb last January, I went on a healthy balanced diet including power walking the dog each night and I am now 9lb 10.

The good points for me are:

Enjoying portion control and healthy foods

Only drinking couple of glasses of wine at weekend so not waking up to hangovers and craving sugary foods.

Being able to walk into a clothes shop and be happy with anything I try on. Also ordering online is much easier as things seem to fit. Being overweight I was sending everything back.

Feeling like I have more energy especially with a toddler.

I have tons more confidence, I feel much happier and it shows.

Yes. This is also it for me. I feel happier with myself. I am lighter and free of psychological self-flagellation. I also feel proud that I really achieved it by working hard. It has had knock on effects for the whole family due to my education during the process.

I tracked calories using a free app similar to my fitness pal. It was called fat secret. I also paid attention to my macros, which it also tracked. I now have more protein and fewer carbs in my diet. I loved tracking my weight through weekly weigh ins and seeing the graph. I increased activity with a free step counter, with the weight of carrying a baby and pushing a buggy. Breastfeeding also helped, though I added extra calories to my allowance to compensate so should have been rough equivalence.

I lost 3 stone and as well as the health benefits (which I don't feel tbh, but there must be Some!)there are loads of little things:

• wider range of better clothes in charity shops . I love charity shops and I'very always found more nice size 12-14 clothes than size 18. I can also just buy skirts without worrying that my thighs will rub together and get sore.
• There are literally 4 photos of me with my dc before I lost the weight, I just hated how I looked so much.
• It sounds ridiculous (and obvious )but I just feel lighter, I can nip up 2 flights of stairs without feeling puffed out and tired at the top.

I lost it doing Slimming World for 6 months.

Thank you all. It is possible to achieve this in six months. I could be my 'normal' weight by Christmas or sooner if I really decide to go for it. I just need to convince myself.

@Roselinemac* - that's the weight I am now. 11.5. And I'm only 5ft4. I really need to get rid of 25-30lbs.

I’m 5’4” too. I was 11.8 last Sept and I’ve been 9.6 for a while now, since around May. And really once I got to 10st the loss really slowed down. I remember being 9.13 for aaaaages!
Benefits:
Loads of energy
Not fazed by anything physical
Not starving all the time
Better athletic performance - what used to be hard is so easy
I can wear anything I want
My stomach is flat and that is the most amazing feeling ever
Clothes fit properly. No back fat. No vile flab looking unsightly. When I was bigger I was always between sizes.

@Siameasy - that is so good to hear. What system did you use to lose weight?

Can I ask a question about feet/shoes?

Has anyone who has lost 2-3 stone found that their feet ache less after a day on them? Are heels more doable?

I did it in much less than 6 months although I did go through a stressful time alongside.

I have successfully kept the weight of for four years now. It’s not a battle, it’s just my new normal.

I cut out all alcohol and I eat whatever I want but only when I am hungry. I found that knowing when I was really hungry and not thirsty, bored, clock hungry (tea time, lunch time etc) or eating through habit was a major key.

I never eat until I feel full up these days. I hate that feeling now. I know when I have had enough. I enjoy food much more, strange as it seems. But there are no issues and no guilt around it anymore.

I enjoy exercise and I look good to myself.

I have basically trained myself to be a different person 😂

Well I started off exercising 5x a week. I did get down to 11st doing that. But I realised it wasn’t realistic-it was very time consuming. So in Jan I started low carb high fat (see MN low carb bootcamp threads if interested). I exercise 3x a week now and some weeks less if I’m unable to get to the gym.

When I started off it was no sugar no starches at all. Doing that is harsh but it kills the cravings. You simply aren’t hungry any more in the same way.

Since I’m now well within BMI I’m experimenting with how many carbs I can have without experiencing cravings and without weight gain so now eg I would eat a banana before the gym

I eat a few squares of 85% chocolate most days and have stayed at 9.6 (I don’t really need to lose any more)for some time

I’ll probably never be able to eat wheat again tho and potatoes are prob a few times a year job for me. They caused too many blood sugar, cravings and weight gain issues for me

I honestly do not miss junk food apart from ice cream and chips. I only miss those things if I see or smell them tho. I used to be obsessed with crisps but now don’t even care if crisps go extinct.

I feel far less sluggish, more confident in my clothes, I don't hide away from the camera so have more photographs of me and my friends etc which I cherish, I feel healthier, I don't get as anxious reading about how obesity can cause diabetes etc. I've always found the first week the hardest, as soon as I've started to feel better Ive been so focused.

Life is just easier. Every day.

Easier to get up. Easier to get around. Easier to exercise. Easier to not loose my temper. Easier to sleep. Everything is just easier. You can do it and looking better is just a nice side effect of feeling better!

Went from 11st to 9st2. Am 5 4 and am now in a clothes size 8-10. I feel more confident and comfortable as I felt as if I was wearing a fat suit before by comparison. More stamina and energy. Nice to be able to wear what I want and feel good which has lead me to put effort into always having my nails, brows, hair done. Never going back.

I’ve lost 4/5 stone overall and it has helped my asthma a lot , before I really couldn’t walk up any type of hill and now I can.

@Siameasy Obsessed with crisps... hmm, yes that's my weak point too. DH constantly buys packs of them I ask him not to but he does anyway, saying they are for him and the DC, and I don't feel I have the right to impose my rules on them. (Though all of us except whippet thin DS1 could do with losing a bit)

@Sandybval first week's the hardest? That's encouraging.

@Mulie your attitude is exactly how I'd like to be. That's how I always used to be, years ago. For decades. But then I needed anti-depressants after getting PND, and they gave me mind-bending carb cravings which I've never lost, even though I've been off the medication for a year. I used to have a natural appetite but now I over eat at every chance. I really would love to get back to having that natural, instinctive relationship with food where I just couldn't eat even a delicious cake right under my nose if I wasn't hungry.

I've been overweight my whole life, and dieting constantly, losing and putting on the same weight (I weighed the same at 37 as I did at 16!).

I went from 12 stone 3 to 9 stone 10 and am remaining that weight. I like clothes shopping now (I'm a size 10-12 whereas before I was 16), I buy myself better quality clothes than I ever used to get myself because I like how I look in them. I go out running and don't care who sees me! I'm happy to have photos taken of me now. It's been life changing.

I didn't really follow any diet. I basically decided to quit dieting (at the end of 2018), and a couple of months later found out about HDE (pretty much what I had been doing). I don't ban any foods, nothing is "bad" or "good" food. Ive made a real change to my mindset, and have stopped feeling guilty if I eat a bit too much, or whatever. I used to binge eat a lot, and this has stopped that.