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

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme that sounds very civilised compared to gel nails and mooning from limos, which of course is a horrible slur on British teenagers, including mine, who missed out on all that stuff, and now feel cheated and not ready for the big wide world. Which dress has she picked for you, would you have chosen the same? My Dd is nonplussed that I can’t do my dress up, might have to buy another!
Your teen Dd sounds like a peach. My teen is too, weirdly after all she’s been through.
My daughter and her fiancé are up for a few days, so it is very social, and lots of planning. But I kissed my toddler dgd last week, and thought I’d missed the rope of snot, a detail I always forget when mooning over the delights of small children. Now have ferocious sore throat and my own mucus. Not COVID though, I did a test. Think I’ll give the big family dinner tonight a miss though. Nobody will want me sneezing over their food.
Does anyone else find the resumption of normal life quite stressful? We had afternoon tea yesterday and in between that and this cold, I didn’t sleep at all last night. Overstimulated and craving solitude.

I must admit it all leaves me a bit perplexed - I just phoned for both GCSE and A level results and got the certificates in the post - no graduation til university and prom was a rather embarrassing American idea ... I wonder when and why it all changed so completely?

DD has this dress for herself:

www.otto.de/p/lipsy-cocktailkleid-S06130C7/#variationId=S06130C7EBKP

I suggested a Sezane dress I bought a couple of months ago (the Laura dress in red) but DD wants me to wear a dark blue dress the same colour as hers which I once wore to a wedding - its four sizes too big but its a wrap dress so it still works just tied tighter obviously and with with one pin to stop me flashing my now reduced cleavage ... She suggested a Next maxi dress I bought several months ago as a second choice (I've posted it on the plus size what are you wearing thread ages ago - also a wrap dress, black with white flowers). She says the Sezane is okay with her though, but I suspect that she might want me not to wear red, so I won't even though I'd like to!

This is the Sezane dress, but I have it in red - the more subdued colours might have been more acceptable as obviously I don't look sultry in it as Sezane models always seem to! www.pinterest.com/pin/25895766597837131/

last attempt: www.pinterest.com/pin/25895766597837131/

Hi everyone. I'm back on track after a diversion into the world of chocolate (and other things) last week. I gained 0.8kg for the week, which was not unexpected, and hopefully I can lose it again quickly.

I had a lovely moment this week when I tried on and bought a wet suit. My daughter and I both love the water but find the seas around Britain and Ireland freezing even in summer. Last year I bought her a wetsuit and I knew there wasn't a hope of getting myself into the largest of them. I browsed wistfully and knew that my size was getting in the way of precious fun time with my little girl. I stayed on the shore and watched last summer. I was in Decathalon yesterday and I spotted a ladies cold water swimming neoprene wetsuit at half price. Size L. It fits me beautifully. It's made everything over the past 9 months worth the effort and given me lots of motivation to get on and lose the last 20kg.

I am overjoyed to be able to look forward to swimming in the sea, and more importantly having fun with my dd splashing about in the cold Atlantic waves on the west coast of Ireland.

@Zebracat - I'm disappointed for you, but keeping my fingers crossed that it was dehydration and you will have a woosh. Good luck to you with your plan (and your planking) this week.
@Rebuildingconfidence - good luck to you too. Snacking is the hardest habit to overcome but it is absolutely possible to break it. I tried the lemon water suggestion and it actually does help.
Congrats @WeightlossKin and @FatCatThinCat on your losses, it's great to hear about them.
@ScottishBeth I'm so glad you enjoyed your holiday and really well done on maintaining your loss. It bodes well for you in the future that you can enjoy yourself without going overboard on food.
@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme - I love that Sezanne dress. In your shoes I would definitely wear it!
@MamaNewtNewt - I hope you are doing OK? Are you still in hospital? Sending you lots of positive energy...

@alphaechokiwi .lovely to hear from you, felt a bit concerned for you. Wetsuits are brilliant. I love sea swimming too. You will have so much fun with your girl. If it was dehydration, it’s not now, I have been eating for all of us. Got a ghastly cold.
@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme. I love the Sezane dress too. Don’t know if I could bring myself to wear a dress that was that many sizes too big.. I mean, I always thought I liked smock tops and leggings, but don’t wear them now I have alternatives, strangely!

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I was thinking the same thing about graduations from school - it seems so weird! But my nephew had a graduation from nursery! So strange. But I hope it'll be a nice day for your family, anyway. Nice to have something to celebrate!

@Zebracat it is very strange what we've all been through the last year or so. Be kind to yourself! If you need some solitude make sure you get some! And I hope you recover from the cold soon too - that is unlucky.

@alphaechokiwi yes, I'm very pleased I had a week holiday where I didn't gain (much). Hoping I'll have lost it all by the time I weigh myself on Saturday as well. And that is such good news about the wetsuit! I hope you feel proud of what you've achieved! Hopefully you'll lose that 0.8kg soon as well.

alphaechokiwi that is fantastic about the wetsuit - just being able to buy absolutely any clothing or clothing type equipment without assuming that you'll need speciality niche retailers is so -expensive-- exciting and freeing isn't it!

DH sold some plus size motorcycle trousers of mine - clown style too big now - and they were eye-wateringly expensive new because there's so little plus size proper protective motorcycle gear on the market - even more so when I bought it about twelve years ago. They were snapped up within minutes of being on eBay and the second hand price would easily cover a new pair in my new mainstream size.

However increased opportunity to spend on clothes has really hot my wallet

Maybe I will wear the Sezane dress, its DD's day though and it's perhaps too red... Will decide nearer the time anyway maybe I'll buy something else I've been wearing three Sezane tops a lot recently woth my Levis and a little striped jersey t shirt dress today (been at the outdoor pool with dc3 - summer weather has finally arrived) - am really enjoying clothes atm

Better go and get DD from the lake now before the older teens descend and take over the area with beer etc... She's been there all day with a friend.

Finally bit the bullet and went on the scale after not being on them for over a week. I’ve lost 3lbs!!!! Now 17 stone 13lbs. YAAASSS!! 🙌 took so long to budge, the scale wasn't moving at all. And the irony is I’ve just been eating what I wanted, within reason obviously lol. So happy!

Well done @BippityBoppity87

I'm dreading the scales this week. I've had one truely awful day due to a medicine change and would be surprised if I'd put on 3 or 4 kg from it.

Yay @BippityBoppity87. Well done.
@FatCatThinCat it is extraordinary how quickly it can go back, isn’t it. I am starting to feel better after an awful cold, but really can’t understand how I have gained 2 kilos in a few days. Oh well just have to get right back to it.

Thanks everyone. No idea how that happened. I was well expecting a gain seeing as this week I've eaten half a packet of Maryland cookies in one sitting, chicken kebab. My dinner last night, then was really hungry again at about 11pm. So had a rustlers chicken burger with added cheese and lots of Mayo. Checked the packet after I ate it and was 420 cals, before I added the other stuff 🤦‍♀️ ooops lol but I still lost! So I'm shocked! And had a few gins this week as well

Maybe I wasn't eating enough before? Who knows. No idea how it all works lol

My hope theory is weight that goes on quickly will come off quickly....
@Zebracat it's horrible being sick, so try not to stress too much. I'm sure you'll get back to things once you feel better.
Fantastic news @BippityBoppity87 - delighted you hit your milestone with a bang!
@FatCatThinCat - fingers crossed for you. I've had to learn to accept my gains along side my losses but it's never easy....

It's horrible when you don't know why you've gained. Unfortunately I do know, but it doesn't really make any sense. For me it's allergies. If my allergies are controlled I eat properly and if they're not, I don't. Problem is that I'm only now starting to learn what I'm allergic to.

I lost weight every week, without effort for a year after being put on a CPAP machine. Lost 30 kg. But then in March it stalled and I started eating lots of high energy foods again. Completely out of control, until I felt sick. Turned out it was because I was eating kiwi fruit every day to help me sleep. So I stopped that and went back to effortless control again. When I saw the doctor on Monday she gave me a prescription for melatonin to help sleep as that's the active ingredient in kiwis. Took it Monday night but on Tuesday I had the worst day for eating in a long time. I just couldn't stop. Didn't take it again so Wednesday and today I'm back to eating properly.

I don't understand the mechanism at all but it's clear that some things I eat or inhale (mostly cat fluff) sent my body's signals haywire and the only message my brain receives is hunger, hunger, hunger.

@BippityBoppity87 well done on the loss, especially hitting a milestone. Some weeks a loss / gain doesn’t seem to bear any relation to what has gone on so just enjoy. It did sound like you probably weren’t eating as much as you should before so maybe you are getting to a better balance?

@FatCatThinCat sorry you are having a hard time, I can’t believe how many things b have a direct impact on eating healthily, I guess with you being aware you can work on it until you find the right solution. In the meantime keep on truckin’.

@Zebracat it’s awful when you are ill. Honestly I think the only thing is to do what you need to do to get through (without going too wild) until you feel better.

@alphaechokiwi I’m still in hospital and expecting to have my second operation to insert the metal plates etc. In the next few days (just waiting for the swelling to go down). Food wise I have been doing ok, not really had much of an appetite due to the heat and not feeling good (hospital food has been ok but struggling with the lack of choice now)

Had a few pieces of the chocolate my husband bought me but wasn’t feeling it so gave it to my ward mates. I got moved to a private room last night and it’s made such a difference. It’s so much cooler and quieter so I actually managed to sleep ok. In fact I’m flagging a bit so might have a snooze soon.

Forgot to say weight wise it'll be a while before I can measure, and it's not uppermost on my mind, staying healthy and not seeing this as an excuse to 'lard it up' is the focus. That said I'm pretty sure there is a lot less flab to grab these days, esp on my tummy.

BippityBoppity87 well done! It doesn't always make immediate sense does it? Metabolism is so much more complex than the smug "eat less and move more/ calories in, calories out" over simplification, but we seem to mostly be finding our way through on this thread!

FatCatThinCat sorry you've had a set back, but great you can take something somewhat positive from it in learning more about what helps and hinders you personally, for long term success.

MamaNewtNewt well done on your positive, healthy mindset in difficult circumstances! Enjoy your private room and your naps - maybe you can make a mini "rehab" out of the rest of your unplanned hospital stay now you have a private room!

Its my birthday today - sts weight wise; I guess my body likes being 75kg... I'll put in some real effort when I go back to work on Monday. I guess what I've been doing for the last 3 weeks is what I have to do for maintenance once I finally shift the last 4.5 or 5 kg! I guess ideally I'll shift 6 eventually to give me a little buffer for monthly fluctuations (and the vanity, even if nobody knows what I weigh, of knowing in my own head I'd be under 70kg and under 11 stone - only just - if I managed that). Suspect it's going to take another few months though.

I saw a photo of myself in a t shirt dress and looked dumpy - had to remind myself I used to look properly massive before, but somehow there was something exuberant about being enormous, and dumpy feels so mousy and invisible. I'm wearing my red Sezane dress though today, even if only to go out to lunch - its hard to feel dumpy and mousy wearing scarlett peonies so I'm feeling good DH bought me a beautiful silver sea glass pendant necklace, which was a total surprise as he'd already bought me new walking boots (which are far better quality than my existing ones but sadly although comfortable on short walks have me in agony after a few miles - stupid wide feet - and as I'd worn them outside before I realised they can't be returned). The kids bought me chocolate

Its a beautiful day here today, I hope everyone manages to enjoy the weekend!

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme
Happy happy birthday to you. That is a very romantic present from your Dh. I’ve seen your photos and dumpy is not a word that comes to mind. Striking, stunning and willowy are more like it. But T-shirt dresses can be a bit rectangular, try a belt with it. And if you still dont feel good in it, get rid of it.
You help us all so much. It sounds like your family properly appreciate you too. You are wonderful.

Have you tried tightly stuffing the boots with wet paper and oiling the outside? I also have stupidly wide feet.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme Happy Birthday!
What lovely presents.
And I agree with @Zebracat - bin the t-shirt dress if it doesn't suit you. You are most certainly not dumpy!

Happy Birthday @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

It is weird how it all works. I must admit, at the beginning I was very cocky, thinking oh this calorie in/ calorie out malarkey will be easy. I've done it before and it worked. Not this time! Smugness drained very quickly lol. Probably because I'm not in my early 20's anymore

Now I just need to learn to be more patient, which isn't easy when I have ADHD on top of everything else, so expect instant results straight away. I am proud of myself for sticking to it for this long though, and hopefully continue

Happy Birthday @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme so hope you are having a lovely day.

Happy birthday for yesterday @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme hope you had a great day

So I gained 0.1 kg this week, which is nothing. Considering how bad Tuesday was I'm happy with that. Next week will have no changes to diet or medication so I expect to lose.