If you needed to lose 7.5 stone....

[chalkyc2]

...as that would get you just into 'normal' bmi range....well what would you do? It seems such a massive amount - a whole extra person! Nearly two of my skinny 8 year old!

Is it a case of just man up, move more, eat less? Or do I, at this stage/level of loss needed, need to consider something more drastic? I need to do this - am feeling rubbish after a 2 week holiday. My kids will start to get embarrassed by me. I was not comfortable on the plane home 😥

I've been normal-ish size before. It's just kind of crept on over the last 6 years - I suppose an extra stone a year. I just eat too much every meal time I guess - I eat pretty normal stuff but don't really hold back on the odd dessert so portion size must be a problem. But clearly this isn't good!

To add - no time between work and kids for weight watchers meeting or gym really - my schedule is hugely tight and I don't have any evening childcare. So any exercise needs to basically be on my commute - this is doable. I have tried online things before with little success.

I would look at a VLCD, I’ve done Cambridge in the past and lost 3 stone pretty quickly. Then as you get closer to target you can ease off and switch over to a healthy eating plan.

I was in pretty much your position before christmas... current goal is 7st loss, but 7.5 would be better.

I am now 3st 4lb lighter by doing 5:2

Feel free to check out the thread on here - it's a very supportive group. And just by concentrating on the 2 500 cal days, it has reset my appetite and the foods I crave on the non fasting days too.

I'm currently following 'our path' which is online based and apparently used by the NHS. I had about 5 stone to loose to get me to the top of a healthy BMI range. It's online based mainly trying to cook from scratch and address the reasons for overeating and eating the wrong food types, I have scales that automatically upload my weight to the app which is very motivating. In the past 10 weeks I've lost a stone and a half and just want to keep gently getting the weight off (another 3 1/2 stone) over the next year or so. I also like having access to online support from a nutritionist etc.

(If anyone wants a referral code, let me know as it gets us both £20)

I’ve got three stone to lose. I’ve lost half a stone so far. Basically moving more and eating less but loads more veg. Really lots of vegetables.

Breakfast

Big veg omelette or fruit Greek yoghurt and nuts. no toast,

big salad for lunch with protein or a veg soup or leftovers

Normal tea with veg protein and weighed out carb

No alcohol in the week.

Walk for 45 mins every day.

At this stage, just tackling your food will be enough to shift weight. Don't focus on the 7.5 stone. Set a target to lose 1 stone. That's it. Just one stone.

Any diet will work if it creates a calorie deficit. Find one that you can stick to. Look for a tdee calculator online. This will tell you your maintenance calories. Sticking 500 calories each day under this will mean you lose a pound per week. You'll probably lose faster at first.

Move more in your normal routine. Read up on NEAT (basically non exercise activity like walking, cleaning, playing with the kids)
It can make an enormous difference.

Good luck.

Your post shows you understand how and why it's gone wrong, which means you already know how to fix it.

1. you are in it for the long haul, you will not reverse a slow 6 year increase in 30 days but you can aim for a steady 1.5 - 2 lb loss a week....this also should be manageable without it consuming your mind.

2. as PP said a 45 min walk, or at least capitalising on every opportunity to add more steps in is key. Get a fitbit if you can afford it, unless you have mobility issues work up to and then surpass 10'000 a day.

3. are high calorie drinks and condiments used too liberally? (mayo, coleslaw, cheeses etc). I find these are the easiest calories to cut back on as I'm not losing actual food.

4. ramp up the veg

5. be honest with yourself when the option to indulge comes up, start saying no, sharing between all of you etc. You know desserts offer a very short lived gratification.

6. nobody will do it for you, small changes and an increase in activity will set you on your way.

DO NOT REWARD PROGRESS WITH A FOOD BLOW OUT.....buy something like a book, a magazine or flowers whatever floats your boat but dont use food to reward weightless. You can still have desserts etc just less, smaller size, less often.

Good luck op.

If it’s gone on over six years it’s not going to come off in one year and stay off.

Two options - depends on the type of person you are. Go hard for a short time to get a stone off then do the same time maintaining that weight, repeat until happy.

Or go slow and chip away at it.

Maintenance is tricky. Slow and steady can feel never ending so some people mentally engage better with the intermittent full commitment then maintain.

Either way this is a lifestyle change, learning new habits and learning how you and your body can create new ones that work for you.

Eat mindfully - sounds like claptrap but busy working mothers often fuel or treat when eating so think about why you are eating something and what it will give you. I bet you focus on your kids food choices and intake amounts because you want them to build healthy bodies. You deserve the same.

Eating a pile of treats/rubbish does not mean you then carry that on for weeks as diet broken. Say oh well, then move on. Think about intake over more than a day at a time.

Exercise good but weight loss at your stage you don’t need to try and fit that in too bar a few small changes, stairs, park further away, 80% weight loss is from diet. Adding small changes in will result in bigger ones.

Small changes OP. Then adjust as necessary to get to your happy state. You can do it! Remember that feeling rubbish on the plane when considering what’s going in your mouth or in your shopping trolley.

Good luck. I’ve lost over 5 stone btw doing go hard then maintain. Was really focused on maintaining within 7lbs which worked for about 4 years then I dropped the habit of monitoring my weight due to overload in other areas and put 2.5 stones back on over about 2 years. Back on it and 1.5 down. Must not stop monitoring!

I’m in the process of losing 5 stone. I’ve had a few backslides, but have picked myself up and am slowly chipping back away at it.

Agree with others that you don’t need to worry about exercise too much atm - i’ve lost lots just by diet and walking more. What are your lunch breaks like? Can you get out for a walk? Even 10 mins or so is a great start.

Buy a set of scales and read up on the proper portion sizes of things.

I’ve broken my weight loss into lots of smaller goals - losing a stone, losing 10kg, losing 10% of original body weight. That helps me not see it as ‘oh god, i’ve got so far to go!’

Good luck :)

I recommend my Fitness Pal app. You can set it for a 1kg weight loss a week. You input all your foods - it has a database of just about everything from McDonalds cheeseburger to a Starbucks latte to Tesco tomato soup to just regular food. You can make a meal (like add all the ingredients you put into a salad and save that so you don’t have to input ‘three tomato slices, one carrot etc each time). You can input exercise but their calories burn is too high so I’d avoid eating those back. It has a handy feature when you end the day of ‘if each day was like today you’d weigh X in five weeks’ thats quite motivating! Plus the usual forums (success stories also motivating!).
Portion control is key - that’s my failing!

Is it a case of just man up, move more, eat less?

Essentially yes, but it’s easier said than done because of course it requires a lot of will power. 7.5 stone is a big target, so it’s probabably best to break this up into smaller targets (I prefer measuring weight in kg.)
Exercise will help, but if you’re quite a large size then food will probably be the main issue. I know you say you eat ‘normal stuff’ but please be very honest with yourself as to what ‘normal’ should be and which of those things are contributing to weight gain. If it really is just portion sizes, try and fill up on more vegetables (if you drastically reduce what’s on your plate you’ll probably just snack more later). And find some nice, healthy recipes that you’ll enjoy! Good luck OP

Hi I just joined SlimmingWorld about 5 weeks ago and have already lost 10.5lb I could of done better if I didn’t cheat tho lol 😂, definitely give it a try they are very supportive

I was in this position just over a year ago (well, actually, worse) and now I've lost nearly 7 stone. I've done it through slimming world.

There are loads of diets and they all work for some people. You just have to pick something and stick to it without making excuses.

All great replies thank you!!

I do know what to do. I'm also a (lapsed) sportswoman and still manage to run and cycle even when 'obese'. And I enjoy it but don't have much time and enjoy seconds and dessert too much!

I suppose what I needed to know was that it's doable and I don't need to have surgery or something. I'm slightly worried that my skin will actually fit a half size me but I suppose I'll worry about that when/if it happens.

Portion size, exercise and better choices. Less booze and get off the tube one stop early will be a start!

I'm a bit rubbish at my fitness pal but it's worth a retry definitely.

Breakfast and lunch tends to be on the go - I pretty much have shares in Pret A Manger so need to swap out the macaroni cheese for a salad!

Hi,

No, you don't need to do anything drastic. Your issues sound a lot like mine. I ate pretty well but put on a massive amount of weight in my late 30s/early 40s. It was all about how much I ate, rather than what I ate.

I went to Weight Watchers and lost six stones. I hit my target weight as I hit my 50th birthday and am still there. It won't go back on

There are lots of different approaches. The key is to find something that suits you. For some it's calorie tracking; for others it's Slimming World; for me it was WW.

Good luck. It's totally doable

Happy scale is a free app where you input your weight daily. It lets you set your goal then breaks it down into achievable milestones, so you don’t lose heart thinking you’ve got loads to go.

However, I’ve been “losing” my 7 stone since last summer. I also need to woman up and just do it.

I recently lost two stone (more to go) by cutting down on snacks, eating a bit better and running.

I know it’s 80% diet, but I found the running gave me the motivation to stop binge eating.

I did the couch to 5k programme, and now do a parkrun every week. Love it.

Th biggest impact has been on my mental health. I have a very stressful job than nearly broke me last year. This is my recovery

Echoing PPs to say it really depends on the kind of person you are, and how committed you could be to the path you chose. I did a VLCD years ago and lost a similar amount to you, and I did so because I knew that I wouldn’t stick to a diet where I lost couple of pounds a week and I wanted to see results quickly. It’s the best thing I ever did and I honestly have never looked back but you HAVE to mean it because it’s hard going and expensive!

I've lost 7 and half stone in exactly 12 months doing slimming world. I've found this suits me well the only downside is I've spent most of my adult life trying to lose the weight and now i struggle to maintain.

In a way - reference to the above - that's why I need to actually just change eating habits and see it as a total and final change, rather than going on a 'diet' I suppose. Because I have lost weight in the past and it's gone back on again and it's not like I've always been big - I just have lazy eating habits and exercise a lot less than I used to!

I also think I must be the only person who has reverse body dysmorphia. I don't think I look that bad and then I see a photo of myself and think holy crap!!!

Also I go through periods where I think UGH I just don't care, it doesn't matter....and then I struggle to do up a frickin seat belt on a plane and now I'm thinking this is not acceptable and is only getting worse!

I need to lose weight and have just joined slimming world. There are loads of people there who have lost large amounts of weight. All throughout healthy choices. It's so easy to follow. I definitely recommend it.

My consultant said yes, exercise is obviously great, but that alone won't help. You need to be in control of your food choices first, then add exercise in.

I tried a VLC diet and lost a fair bit, but put it all back on very quickly when I started eating again.

I personally think having a daily goal of ' not overeating' and a moderate amount of exercise ( say 30 min walk) is the best way forward. Forget about the long term goal of weight loss. If you stop overeating' you have achieved your goal and that is a quick goal that you can see and achieve every day . This is the only thing you have control over . The weight loss is less under your direct control. This mindset will be very important when you reach a plateau or a reasonable weight as you can continue to have your target of not overeating for life.

Even if you fail one day ( which you will occasionally) you can succeeds the next day. Many many days of success will make you feel good and want to continue. Having a goal of weight loss is much harder to maintain as is less directly in your control.

@chalkyc2 Definitely not just you with reverse body dysmorphia. I am 5 kilos down and seriously feeling for hipbones despite having at least 30 more to lose. . I measured my waist and it was 42 inches, and even I can’t spin that.Breakit down into smaller goals and try to not hate yourself.

@chalkyc2 I used to think I didn't look too bad. But now I realise I was carefully taking photos to get my good side and taking hundreds of photos each time. I can now take one photo for no reason and think "yeah, I look amazing" and put it on Facebook.

I have the reverse body dismorphia too until I am trying on clothes and get the full 360 degree view and then feel awful. I am trying to lose five and a half stone so I understand. It is daunting.