Mutual support thread for those currently losing or working towards losing a lot of weight

[UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme]

This is a mutual support thread for anyone who wants (and needs) to lose a lot of weight, is mid way through losing a lot of weight, or is nearing the end of a big weight loss and wants to continue to support and be supported as maintenance approaches.

The previous thread has been massively helpful to regular posters, as we share both our losses and our plateau or gains, congratulate or console, and talk about what works for us while understanding that different things work for different people, and we are all different ages, all have different families/ households/ people to plan around, different commitments, different working lives and different health conditions which partly determine our approaches.

We are all on this journey together - this thread is for us to encourage one another, post updates, chat about what we're doing, how we're doing, share stories and thoughts and sometimes wander slightly off topic if we want, but everyone posting should be somewhere along the journey towards escaping high BMI obesity.

The previous thread was started by someone who no longer posts and initially asked how to lose 9 stone - it developed into a support thread for people with varying amounts left to lose but all of whom started out with at least 5 or 6 stone + / 30 or 35 kg + to lose, very roughly...

No links to selling sites or unsolicited "helpful" lectures please - mutual support from existing and new posters all actually living this big weight loss now, or just starting out, welcome!

Previous thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/3894410-i-need-to-lose-9st-help

Phew at least Switzerland is safe!

Just checking in. I've been lost in the wilderness for the past few weeks. Hoping that I'm now firmly back on track. Time will tell. Hope everyone else is doing well.

@FatCatThinCat thanks for that phrase- lost in the wilderness is exactly how I have been feeling. Today is a new day and there may actually be a little sunshine so I will not snack on biscuits and will go for a short walk(dodgy knee so can’t really exercise at the moment)

@MamaNewtNewt I think you must have snuck that post in while I was writing my previous one! Your approach sounds really sensible. Just one thing at a time! And well done in your weight loss. I really hope you get some answers from the doctor, it's so frustrating when the symptoms are a bit vague, like you're having now. (I don't think vague is quite the right word, but I hope you know what I mean.)

@Readytostartagain welcome! Well done on the previous weightloss and on maintaining! Even if it doesn't seem like it now that's an achievement in itself.

Happy birthday @BippityBoppity87 I hope you had an amazing weekend!

@FakeColinCaterpillar it's so easy for the weight to just go up without realising. We've all been there. Lockdown has been hard for everyone, so please don't beat yourself up about it. How are you planning on changing your eating now?

@OneCatTooMany I'm really sorry you feel this way about yourself. Lots of us get caught up in shame and feeling worthless, so you're not alone. Making positive choices around food (which it sounds like you're doing) is good, but so is feeling good about yourself even when you have weight to lose. There's been some good advice, so I won't say anything else, but didn't want to ignore!

alphaechokiwi that really isn't all the chocolate... What is it about cooking chocolate - I sometimes feel it calling, it could be the stsrt of such a spiral! That and asacred dairy milk bar belonging to my father were the only chocolate in the house when I was a child and occasionally I used to climb on the work surface to steal cooking chocolate from the high cupboard - it always has the lure of the forbidden even though we have plenty of chocolate in the house these days!

FatCatThinCat and Readytostartagain sorry you've been feeling lost, I hope things are continuing better now.

Zebracat wise words there!

I've been feeling flat for the last few days - DH and I have both got holiday from work and the kids are off school but the weather's crap (11 degrees and cloudy) and we decided against trying to go away because prices are so inflated and a lot of things closed, and leaving the country too high risk as DD has very important exams coming up which unexpected quarantine would screw up, so I kind of feel we're sitting about wasting time off. The kids are actually very content not to have homeschooling and the boys especially are happy slobbing about, and DD has revision ... Its just me who's finding it unsatisfactory. I've been swimming with dc3 a couple of times and alone to lane swim once but a downside of the weight I've lost turns out to be that I now feel the cold more than my ten year old it never would have been me wanting to get out because I was cold last year...

Back down to 75.1 kg this week, so back to the same as the week before last, but I weighed today instead of tomorrow because the boys have asked for take away pizza tonight, so some of it will doubtless be back on tomorrow

Could do with handhold.

First run since hurt my calf. Good news calf didn't hurt. Bad news is I slipped and broke my ankle. In cast. Morphine not helping will need an op

Oh no MamaNewtNewt 😮 that's such bad luck! Are you in hospital on a ward?

Yeah just waiting for morphine to kick in. Then X-ray to see how bad but they already said I need an operation.

eek, nasty! Did you have to call an ambulance? Was someone with you when you fell? Has someone brought you spare clothes, toiletries, books, things to distract you?

I hope the morphine kicks in soon!

Ouch! @MamaNewtNewt Hope you're ok! Oh gosh, how horrible for you. I hope you feel better soon

I haven't weighed myself this week yet. Will probably weigh myself tomorrow or Saturday. I just want to get out of the 18 stone. I'm so close, like a 1lb away, but it hasn't budged for some reason for a few weeks now. Or will go up a couple of pounds then down again. So frustrating! I'm hoping it's just my body adjusting and I'll start losing again soon

I managed to call an ambulance and my husband. Neighbours heard me screaming and between us we managed to get me in the car as they wouldn't send an ambulance. Broken both sides of my right ankle and dislocated it. Definitely need to have an operation but just had more X-rays and waiting to see the dr.

Had two lots of morphine but it's not doing too much. Will ask first r more. Also I bet you all know this but everyone who works on a hospital is amazing. Staff have been brilliant especially as DH couldn't come in with me.

@MamaNewtNewt - I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope you get good pain meds soon. What rotten luck for you.

Oh no @MamaNewtNewt that sounds really painful. Hope the op goes well and you don’t have to stay in too long.

Managed a day and a half of no snacking though meals aren’t great. I know most of my snacking is just habit and if I can get through a few days I’ll stop wanting anything 🤞

MamaNewtNewt did you have morphine by injection or orally? Injection should be working by now - if not it xan help, and is safe, to combine with paracetamol or ibuprofen. If you've had morphine in tablet form it can take 2+ hours to kick in but lasts a lot longer.

Once your fractures are properly stabilised the pain should reduce substantially.

@MamaNewtNewt Bloody hell! I hope you feel better soon. I slipped and badly injured my ankle and I was in agony, despite not having even broken anything. I really feel for you.

@MamaNewtNewt. Oh my dear. That is just rubbish. So sorry

Thanks all. Really appreciate it. It's been a tough day. I'm on the ward now and have just had the best cup of tea of my life after no food or drink all day. Hopefully having the op tomorrow and will take 6weeks+ to recover. Which gives me some time to think of an alternative form of exercise to running

Bless you @MamaNewtNewt I would just concentrate on getting your wee ankle getting better! I remember a couple of years ago, I tore a ligament in my knee, the pain, oh my god, was probably on the same pain scale as child birth, was horrendous and was only given two measly paracetamol at a&e and sent on my way lol still have issues with my knee now

If you really want to exercise, you can maybe do like arm weights from your bed? That way you're not putting any strain on your ankle. But I wouldn't stress about that at the moment

Oh gosh mamanewt that sounds very traumatic!! I hope you're not waiting too long for the surgery and it starts to feel better quickly!

@Readytostartagain when I decided "no more snacking" I replaced snacking with lemon water. Half a lemon squeezed into a big bottle of water which became my constant travel companion and then every time I want to snack during the day I drink that instead and the taste of it seems to distract me enough and it's a good reminder in case of accidental snacking 😳 just in case you might find it helpful 😊 someone told me lemon water is a good way to balance your bodies acidity levels (because it's actually an alkaline when you digest it?!) And that can help sugar cravings! Whether that's true or not I've no idea but it made me feel better to believe it!!

I lost 2lb last weekend so with STS the week before it averages out at 1lb still! I've got afternoon tea this weekend and feeling a bit 😬 about what harm that will do! TOTM as well. Not sure I should even bother weighing in!

@MamaNewtNewt hope the op goes well today 🤞 thanks @WeightlossKin I’ll give lemon water a go. I think a lot of it is just stopping eating mindlessly so a different drink might help remind me

Thanks all, really appreciate the messages. Having an op tomorrow to add 'scaffolding' to my leg. Then have to spend 7-10 days in hospital with my leg elevated and then I have the operation to add the metal plates and screws.

I'm not gonna be able to put weight on the ankle for 3-4m and it will take another 2-3m to fully recover.

Not going to be active for a while so really gonna need your help to stay on track food-wise been doing ok in hospital so far. No sugar in tea and fruit for pudding. In fact the only sugar I've had is 2 mini digestives yesterday as I needed something after not being allowed to eat all day. That said DH is bringing me some chocolate tomorrow and I may partake.

Just realised I won't even be able to stand on the scales for a while anyway!

Oh @MamaNewtNewt stay positive, my dear. I think this is going to be hard, but it may be that the only way is to only have celery and carrot type snacks in the house,because it does seem important to your recovery that you don’t gain weight now.
Best of luck with the op.

You are right @Zebracat I need to be careful not to see this as an excuse to eat my own body weight in chocolate. It's more important than ever that I try to get the weight down.

Also @Zebracat in my favour is the fact that I'm not really going to be able to get up and down the stairs really so will just have healthy stuff upstairs. I need to focus so will make sure I check in with you guys even though I can't weigh myself.