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

Here's my weekly checkin, only lost 0.25 lbs

SW: 14 stone 4
CW: 13 stone 13.75 (week 6, 4 oct)
GW: 13 stone 0 (Christmas)

Zebracat have you managed to get a doctor's appointment? I'm sorry to hear that you're suffering so much

Good to see the returnees back!

@ScottishBeth - 1.1kg is fantastic. Goes to show that small changes can really have a big impact.
@MamaNewtNewt - glad to hear that the scales weren't too much of a shock. Maintaining while immobile is a great achievement.
@Zebracat I'm sorry to hear that you're in pain and I hope you manage to get a Drs appointment.

No doctors appointment available. Have to try again tomorrow.

Zebracat that's pants! Has the NHS essentially given up? It sounds like it from here - listening to my parents as well as reading MN and the media...

It’s not great. They have an app to make appointments which is supposed to be open 24 hours , but shut after 15 minutes. We keep getting told how hard they are working, and not to be abusive. But I see my Gp in the park with his dog all the time. But I know they have had an awful 18 months.

I’m conflicted about it!

Zebracat it sounds mad. I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened in other first world countries. Our health service is free at the point of use to everyone too and I've never heard of anyone not being able to get a same day appointment with a GP if prepared to sit and wait, or book one (after a few tries to get through sometimes) on the telephone for later if non urgent and requiring a specific time like after school.

It sounds really worrying actually. My dad spent six hours in a corridor on a stretcher in need of adminission and blood transfusions in an NHS hospital recently, despite having a condition causing internal bleeding known to the hospital. I don't understand how this has happened - it isn't Covid because that's global, obviously!

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing ok.

@Zebracat I'm sorry to hear you're in so much pain. It sounds horrible! Hope you manage to get some support with it soon (maybe today?). It's definitely something that needs looking at.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I don't want to get too political on here, but the problems in the NHS are I think down to years of underfunding. .Of course not saying that individuals shouldn't be held accountable, and that there aren't individual GP practices which have very poor systems - I don't know about that. But I work in the NHS and with everything morale is also very low. Really sorry to hear about your dad though. That is awful.

@MamaNewtNewt glad to get such a positive update! Hopefully your ankle will continue to improve. Are you getting any physio or anything? And also the thyroid treatment is good. If things are borderline I guess it makes sense to wait and see, but it seems like there comes a point when it just needs treatment!

@SnowyMouse there will be weeks when you'll just get a small loss - I hope you're feeling ok about it.

Today is my day off. It's going to be a good day, but I am very hungry! Not a surprise as I haven't eaten since about 7pm, but lunch is nearly ready! I've also had to stop drinking tea on non-work mornings, as I do still have milk and sugar in it (I know it's not the best, but I only have one cup a day and I'm pretty sure 1tsp of sugar isn't the reason I'm obese). And obviously that would ruin my plan of intermittent fasting on non-work days, so I had some liquorice tea this morning instead, which was lovely!

(Should say I started this post hours ago, put my tablet down when lunch was ready and just wrote the last sentence now!)

I do thanks, down to 13 stone 12.5 today, so I am losing.

Fab! Quite a big loss in 2 days! It's funny how it works.

@SnowyMouse - great loss. Weird how bodies work
@ScottishBeth - well done on your good day. I've never tried liquorice tea, but I'm going to give it a go. I'm usually more of a builder's tea person!
@Zebracat - I'm so sorry you are still in pain. You could try 111. They sometimes can book GP slots depending on your area. I agree with @ScottishBeth - the NHS has been chronically underfunded over the past 10 years. It didn't go into the pandemic in a position of strength. In my opinion, GP services are very much the weak point of the whole health service. The UK has poorer outcomes for a range of illnesses compared to other western European countries, not due to the treatment available but due to later diagnosis. I'm not saying many individual GPs aren't excellent. But primary care services are a mess. It simply shouldn't be so difficult to access a GP.. And it wasn't much easier pre pandemic. As for 'liberating' the NHS by putting GPs in charge of commissioning budgets - it's led to a wholesale squandering and mismanagement of resources.
Sorry, rant over. Really hope you have managed to get some pain relief and a diagnostic/ treatment plan

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme - I can't believe it but the thread is nearly full!!! Do you want to start a new one?

Thanks for the sympathy. The app was closed today at 8.05 so I missed again, as it took a few goes for it to accept my password. I bloody love the NHS, makes me proud to be British, and I know it’s underfunded, but honestly , my issue is not life threatening. On the other hand a friend has suddenly developed a back issue and she literally can’t get out of bed and is screaming in agony. Sciatica was diagnosed by phone, and morphine prescribed, but it’s not touched it. I think she needs to be seen urgently. Sorry for the derail.
Anyway I have arranged to see a private physio, so I should at least learn whether to rest it , or to carry on with walking and swimming, which do make it hurt more.
The last few days I have faced up to the fact that as I am much less active, I need to cut my intake. Too soon to say if it’s working, but I’m certainly feeling hungry again, and I had kind of forgotten that hungry feels quite nice, like I’m eating my spare tyre instead of a kitkat.

Hi everyone, I've stayed the same this week. I'm grateful not to have put weight on....I had a meal out and struggled with snacking for a few days.. but hopefully back on track now.
@Zebracat I hope you are feeling a bit better, and at the very least have managed to see a doctor.

SW: 14 stone 4
CW: 13 stone 12 (week 7, 10 oct, 1.75 loss)
GW: 13 stone 0 (Christmas)

@Zebracat I hope the private physio helps! Hopefully it will get better soon.

I STS this week (well, a 100g loss!) My period is imminent though, so I have a feeling that might be why. I'm still feeling good about it. I feel like I balanced the healthy/enjoyment thing reasonably well.

I always put on weight at the time of the month too, @ScottishBeth I hope you see the results soon.

We'll done @SnowyMouse - great loss this week.
@ScottishBeth - It really common to hold water coming up to your period. Glad you're feeling good!

thanks @alphaechokiwi

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/4371572-Mutual-support-thread-for-people-with-a-lot-of-weight-to-lose-Part-III

New thread here -didn't want to lose any of you!

Argh sorry, I've been a bit unfocused!
Thank you for starting the new thread alphaechokiwi !