6 stone to lose - my journey!

[StanleyOscar]

Hi everyone, long-time lurker here but decided to pop my head up and talk about my weight loss journey which I have just begun.

49 years old, yo-yo dieter for approx 20 years. Never have much problem loosing weight, just can't keep it off. So, I joined Slimming World on Wednesday and have around 6 stone to lose. So far I have lost 3lb, which is to be expected in week 1. Very much enjoyed the group meeting, and the meals/recipes are good too.

So far, so good. Anyone else on their journey too?

Hi @StanleyOscar , I'm doing great but for whatever reason gained a lb! Absolutely followed plan 100%. The only thing I can think of is that I ran out of prescription painkillers last Monday so I've had six days of immobility . I think I'll cut syns down to 10 , how are
You getting on? X

Hi @cutebutscary - I'm good thanks!

Hey, don't worry about the 1lb gain, in fact ignore it and carry on with the plan. I frequently put on a pound, and then suddenly lose it and some more. It's probably more to do with fluid retention. One thing I have learned from dieting is that it is unpredictable. In the early days I used to get very upset at putting on any weight, but now I know it is a combination of things, such as body adjusting, fluid retention, muscle growth, colon backed up...the list goes on.

Look at the long term pattern, how much you lose in a week, or month. Don't worry about the day to day fluctuations.

Stick at it, and you WILL get there!

@StanleyOscar thank you 💐 that's actually super reassuring because I did feel really deflated . I'm eating healthier than I have in years so I'd really like to stick with it long term. Do you stick to plan all of the time or good days and bad?

Hi all.
@StanleyOscar congratulations on 4 stone - that is amazing!
@picklemewalnuts - always motivational to see your posts
@25yearsnhsworker well done on starting.

@cutebutscary I was actually going to post something about Non Scale Victories NSV anyway today so your post is good timing! I had a couple of large-ish losses last week and after doing this since June and weighing every day I know now that - for me - losses are usually followed by my weight jumping all round the place and then finally settling in the new lower weight. Throw in hormones or the odd overly carby meal and there's days I've felt like smashing the scales! But I've been doing this nearly 4 months now and I know that - for me - this is entirely normal and while on a particular day I might get on the scales and see a gain, I KNOW it's not a real gain and the real trend is downwards. With that in mind - and the scales not being nice to me the last couple of days while my new weight settles - I tool my measurements for the first time in a while - 4cm off my bust and 6cm off my hips. Such a boost! So really long winded way of saying make the changes and they'll work - you might not see the change every time you weigh but if you keep at it, it'll happen. Make sure you're looking at other things too - your skin/sleep, energy levels, how clothes fit, measurements etc and this will keep you going when the scales are not playing ball!

Linked to above yesterday I tried in loads of my clothes which I love but which have been relegated to the back of my wardrobe for a while. To say I'm delighted is an understatement. So many of my clothes fit me again and I've got so many more options. I absolutely can't wait to see where I am at Christmas, and while I wait for the scale to be nice to me again, it's such a motivation.

Actually, since I started, it's 9cm off my hips and 8cm off my bust!
(My waist measurements are less reliable/consistent and I think depend more on where I am in my cycle).

@WheresMyTweezers thank you , that is so supportive ❤️ and massive well done to you , there is nothing better than getting in to clothes we've 'expanded' out of - not to mention buying new smaller clothes ! I'm definitely doing this sw diet in a different frame of mind than I've had before , mainly because my weight is now making me ill. How much weight are you planning to lose and have you set yourself a time frame to lose it in or just go with the flow ?

[quote cutebutscary]@WheresMyTweezers thank you , that is so supportive ❤️ and massive well done to you , there is nothing better than getting in to clothes we've 'expanded' out of - not to mention buying new smaller clothes ! I'm definitely doing this sw diet in a different frame of mind than I've had before , mainly because my weight is now making me ill. How much weight are you planning to lose and have you set yourself a time frame to lose it in or just go with the flow ? [/quote]
Yes I can relate to that. I was incapacitated for a good period last year and while it was nothing to do with my weight (was a freak accident) I definitely felt my weight was an issue while recovering as I think if I was lighter I'd have been more mobile or able to use my arms to lift myself more.

No, I don't really have a target for weight loss in mind - I don't think I'll ever make it to a healthy BMI simply because when I was a slim, active teenager my BMI even then was in the overweight category! I've always been heavy - my build is large hips, large chest, sturdy/muscly legs. My target - such as it is - is dress size, and losing weight is a means to that end as I can see loss on the scales faster than I can drop dress sizes. I have been around a 20 for a good while but over the last couple of years I've gone up to at least a 22, possibly higher. I would like to get down to around 14-16 as I know that works for me and I won't look gaunt or like a pair of boobs on legs! Based on my loss so far and impact on measurments, I'm estimating I'm between a third and half way there. No target for timescales - I'd sooner do it slowly and sustainably and if I thought I couldn't go out for meals or have a slice of birthday cake with a friend Id have given up by now.

Another 1lb off this morning! Not far off the 13st range but I am off to Germany later and very confident I may only put on a pound or two this week, or I may lose some? Either way I am still on target to reach my goal by Christmas [santa]

@cutebutscary I can only reiterate what @WheresMyTweezers has said, think of the 'diet' as a long-term sustainable plan, or, as I look at it, a new way of living, for the future. I'm not dieting to lose weight, I am changing the way I eat and exercise for good, therefore, as my weight drops off I can continue living this way without worrying about what if, or when blah happens. The diet I am on now, is pretty much what I will stick to when my weight finally settles, whatever that may be. It allows me to have the odd Chinese takeaway, or fish & chips etc without having any effect on my weight, and more importantly, my mindset.

I don't have bad days because I know as it has taken me almost 5 months to lose 57lbs, there is no way one treat is going to impact at all. However, if I increase the number of treats I have, and go back to my old way of eating...well we all know the result. You can diet, eat sensibly, have a few treats, and still lose weight.

SW = 18st 4lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
CW = 14st 3lbs
Loss = 57lbs

P.S. I am under 200lbs!!!!!!

Fantastic stuff @StanleyOscar !

Woohoo! Well done Stanley, and well done Tweezers!

I echo everything they have said, Cute! Get your tape measure out, get your pedometer out, do an exercise video and make a note of how hard it is.

Then come back in a couple of months, on a day when the scales are being unkind, and impress yourself with the progress you've made!!

I've had another wardrobe sort out. I've accidentally got a capsule wardrobe happening- a couple of items I've bought to tide me over and some which fit despite the weight loss.
Everything looks much better and the whole trying to disguise my bum/thighs/tum thing is a thing of the past.

I cannot tell you how much easier it is to dress, and to move.

I'm a bit frustrated today! I'm at a conference, depending on provided food, and lunch was dreadful! I had salad and melon, two slithers of French stick with butter in an attempt to up the calorie/protein content... the main was a pasty or an unidentifiable bean burger. No cheese anywhere, no jacket potato, no protein....
so I've eaten two apples, three runner beans, three fibre bars and a tiny piece of chocolate in at attempt to stave off starvation! I brought some rations for emergencies, but was thinking of to dissuade me from pudding rather than a full on meal substitute! Hey ho. Dinner soon.

Oh you've done better than I would have done!

Lost a big message which I CBA retyping! Basically I've been a greedy pig since Friday but it's not showing on scales yet and I'm looking forward to sensible choices this week. NSVs continue with my digging my old jeans out as the ones I've been wearing are far too big now and look terrible.

How's everyone else? @stanleyoscar @picklemewalnuts @25yearsnhsworker @cutebutscary

That's great about your jeans, Tweezers!
I've also been feeling like an eating machine! I've been eating reasonable choices- fibre bars, fruit, allocated cheese and biscuits, very small servings of dark chocolate/crisps. I'm holding my own, but I've got serious munchies going on! Possibly the weather change!

Weigh day on Wednesday, so we'll see how it goes. Think I've held my own.

I've made some healthy soup for lunch, so that will help! A bit of planned and allowed comfort food!

Morning Team!

Well, I had a good week in Germany, and...I lost weight!

Despite all the yummy foods like Berliner, bratwurst etc, I didn't once cheat. To be honest, I just ate normal meals and let everyone else eat whatever they liked. I still don't have any urge to eat junk food, I did eat a small fish and chips, and also pasta, but no cakes, ice-cream etc. Others gorged themselves on crap in the evenings, especially when we were indoors watching Netflix but I stuck to my rules.

Exercise wise, walked a total of 32 miles and so I think that played a big part towards losing weight. Overall I felt much healthier and fitter, losing 4stone has made a huge difference!

Weighed in this morning and have lost 0.5lbs!

SW = 18st 4lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
CW = 14st 3lbs
Loss = 57lbs

Afternoon all.
I have been away with partner and eaten too much but also walked lots.
Making some soup today lentil, carrot and leek to get me through lunches at work.
I am also on leave today which is a struggle being at home but have a facial booked this afternoon to get me out and will make the soup later.
Your loses are all amazing and hoping they can spure me on

@25yearsnhsworker - We all have days when we break away from our plan, but tomorrow is another day and so get up, get back on track and keep going.

Well done Stanley, glad you had a good time!
That's a great start to the week, Worker, making soup for lunches! I'm making leek and potato tomorrow.

Morning team!

Another 1lb lost this morning taking my total now up to 58lbs. I'm quite happy with that considering I have been on two holidays over the past month and still managed to lose half a stone.

One more pound and I will be 14st 1lbs, which according to the NHS, I will no longer be classified as 'Obese', but instead 'Overweight', that will be a landmark weight for me!

Only 3lbs to go and I will be 13st 13lbs!

10 weeks until xmas to reach my goal of 12st 7lbs, just 1st 9lbs to go. If I lose 2-3lbs a week, I could do this. My original plan was to get to 12st 7lbs by my birthday in February at the latest, but ideally by xmas 2021. I hoped to then have a blast, eat lots of lovely festive party food and drink, but now my plan is to get to the goal, and not bother with the foods as I don't feel the need to eat any junk.

How's everyone else? @25yearsnhsworker @picklemewalnuts @WheresMyTweezers @Madeinshortie

SW = 18st 4lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
CW = 14st 2lbs
Loss = 58lbs

We're hovering at the same spot then, Stanley! At the cusp of the overweight/obese BMI. Weigh day tomorrow. I think it will take me another week or two to get there.
I'll have lost 6 stone, near enough.

If I'd not stayed with SlimmingWorld, I'd be due for bariatric surgery about now. That's why I went to the GP in the first place. I only did SW as the first step on the pathway to surgery. So glad it didn't come to that!

Good morning! My scales are doing that thing where they hover over a lighter weight and then settle on a heavier one so I'm hoping for a loss soon, but I'm not too anxious - the NSVs are keeping me happy!

I have noticed my sweet tooth making a reappearance though - not as much as before, and I think it's linked to how tired I am at the moment (work is crazy) and the change in weather light - so that's something to keep an eye on.

@StanleyOscar I'm away this month and I can categorically state I will be making the most of it. I refuse to go to the seaside without fish, chips, ice cream, cream teas. I've already booked some meals out as well. I did think I'd be balancing it with lots and lots of walking but the forecast is terrible so I very much doubt I'll be matching your success!

@picklemewalnuts - what an inspiration you are!

Another 1lb off this morning taking me to 14st 1lb! I am now officially no longer Obese, I am Overweight and my BMI is 29.8. Still a long way to go, but very pleased with the progress so far.

@picklemewalnuts - 6 Stone is amazing! Good luck with the weigh-in today too and let us know how it goes.

@WheresMyTweezers - That's a good point you raise about the change in weather and if it might affect dieting.

SW = 18st 4lbs
TW = 12st 7lbs
CW = 14st 1lbs
Loss = 59lbs

I will have lost... but how much??

Many congratulations, Stanley. I'll work out my 'Stanley table' later. Full stats. In KG and imperial!

1lb off, but only cos I took my shoes off. Bit disappointed but it doesn't really matter.