Is it hopeless?

[Fluellablue]

I've been on a new plan for the past few weeks and have lost nearly half a stone. It's a drop in the ocean as I have a BMI of 37 and another 5 stone to go.

There's been a couple of articles on the BBC over the last couple of days, which have been sympathetic in tone, and supportive of obese people. However, the general feeling from those quoted seems to be that there is very little that actually works to lose weight. One weight loss expert quoted said that in his 30 year career, he'd never met someone who'd managed to go from morbidly obese to normal weight and maintain it. Not a single person .

Despite it being a supportive article, it's really depressed me. Am I too big to lose weight successfully now?

Also, I hope this doesn't get offend anyone. I'm certainly not saying it can't be done, just that the expert opinions were a bit disheartening.

When I was 23 I had a BMI of 34.4 which was obese, but not far off morbidly obese, and lost 5 stone. I'm 43 now with a BMI 24.5 which is in the healthy weight zone. I've kept it off for 20 years and lost it all through a combination of WW and SW, so no surgery.

It is possible, but I have to watch what I eat like a hawk. I do go out for meals, get takeaway and have drinks and enjoy what I fancy, but on a day to day basis I stick to the principles of what I followed with SW or I soon find it goes back on.

It's hard graft OP, but I can honestly say loosing it changed my life and I would not have the job I have now and the life I have without having done it.

Ive lost 5 stone with SW and maintained it so far for a year. My mindset has completely changed and I never ever will let myself get that weight on again. Its not easy, and some weeks are much harder than others, but its possible.

A lot of people have issues with SW, but if you are sensible it mainly boils down to healthy, low fat, very little processed food and not dicking about making fake haribos from muller lights.

Whatever diet works for you, will mainly consist of will power and mental strength. Good luck!

@Fluellablue yes, it's absolutely possible. And it's possible for you too. It probably just feels impossible right now as you haven't done it yet.

Think of all the 'firsts' in your life that you didn't know you could do until you had - pass your driving test, get a job, set up a bank account...

It sounds like you're on a plan and that you're motivated. Losing half a stone is an ACHIEVEMENT. Instead of calling it a drop in the ocean you should be slapping yourself on the back. This is really, really good news.

Keep your commitment strong, keep remembering WHY you decided to lose weight in the first place and keep going. Talk kindly to yourself and congratulate yourself along the way. If you slip up it's no big deal. Just get back on the horse and continue.

@Fluellablue - I read that article ( www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57419041 ). The general tone seemed to be that if you are genetically predisposed to obesity then you have little chance of losing weight and maintaining that loss. But I didn't think it addressed the complexities of obesity. For example, we know that certain types of foods are manufactured to be addictive. They contain deliberate ratios of salt, fat and sugar to give a dopamine high. It's widely accepted that other addictions are treatable. There are lots of people who have quit smoking, drinking and other addictive habits completely. So breaking the habit of calorie dense addictive foods, and even the habit of turning to food when bored or upset can be done with insight and effort.

They also didn't discuss how the childhood we have impacts our health. Many habits regarding food and activity are deeply ingrained from a very early age. It's perfectly possible for people to re-educate themselves and develop healthier attitudes towards what they eat and also the level of physical activity they undertake. It might not be easy, but it can be done.
It's a fact that there is a genetic component to obesity but it's very complex and entwined with many many psychological and social factors. It's not fully understood at all.

The surgeon who made the comment you quoted was a bariatric surgery specialist. Of course he won't be encountering those who have lost a lot of weight and maintained that loss, as they aren't his patients. Those who have been successful don't need his services. And I don't for a moment want to disparage those who take the surgery route. It is not the easy option and they are as worthy of support as anyone who loses weight by any other means.

The 1/1000 chance of maintaining weight loss, that the article quoted, it's based on famously inaccurate GP records. My GP doesn't have an accurate recording of my weight, does yours?

I have been morbidly obese (BMI 43) and I'm currently on the cusp of dropping under a BMI of 30. I'm aiming to get within a healthy weight range. I've battled this all my life. From a personal perspective I didn't fully realise until recently that people in a healthy weight range generally have healthy habits. They might be conscious or unconscious habits, and certainly everyone indulges, but over months and years they don't eat what I used to eat or the quantity I used to eat. And I don't think that's genetic. I personally am having a lot of success with working on changing my habits, for life, and as an ex-smoker, I absolutely know that it is possible to do that.

Sorry for the essay! There is a lot to reflect on in the article, and a lot of truth. But it's not the whole story, or even half of it.

Good luck with your weight loss.

What I've found for me is in previous weight loss, I never worked through the physiological reasons/issues which trigger my disordered eating. I've lost, but then regained.

This time around I've spent 4 months in weekly counselling sessions, dropping down to monthly for the next 8 months. While I'm at the start of my journey, I have lost a decent amount 21.5 kilos (3.3ish stone?), and I swear a key reason is the therapy. Therapy will be a lifelong tool for me.

Who knew that bottled down past trauma and hiding from it would be reflected in the way I treat my body...Not me! I think there is a big connection between the brain/emotions and food and without working on yourself mentally, in my experience it is hard to keep off the weight longer term. But I'm hopeful for the first time in a long time.

Hi OP, please don't get disheartened. You have done really well - half a stone is great progress.
Don't focus on the negatives, so what if some article says negative things, they are not you. There are plenty of people who lose weight and successfully keep it off.

You may have gotten into somewhat of 'analysis paralysis', where we massively overthink and procrastinate instead of taking action, because we don't know what the 'right thing' is.

But you have already started and gotten good results. Don't focus on 5 stone, focus on getting to a 1 stone weight loss, and celebrate that,. And then do the next thing. Focus on the next right move, and the next, and the next. That's all you can do. Keep going.

But please don't let this throw you off course.

On the 4th of January my bmi was 37.6. Today it's 30.9.

Losing weight certainly is doable, and so is keeping it off, if you see it as a lifestyle change and take efforts to maintain. If you go back to how you ate before, you'll put the weight back on.

When I saw that BBC article it really peeved me off. If I wanted to be cynical, I'd think there's the big multinational food industry somewhere behind it.

There are lot of people who have turned their eating habits around and have been able to maintain their weight loss.

I was "only" about a stone overweight last year but my waist was really large in relation to my size and height and it really depressed me. I signed up to Fast800 12 week plan in October, lost 1.7stone and have since lost another stone and a total of 10 inches of my waist line by eating low carb mediterranean style (and modified for the entire family). I know many will now roll their eyes because at at anytime you mention low carb, a cognitive dissonance kicks in. But please hear me out.

I find this way of eating very much satiating and filling which makes me quietly confident that I can keep maintaining it. I've had birthdays, Christmas & New year and illness since starting and are yet to succumb to a carb binge.

The reasons why I think I have been successful is:
The reason why I started was wanting to lose weight BUT even more so was wanting to get rid of my sugar addiction. Beating the addiction was the paramount driver. I realised I had a problem with binging sugar and also to realise that I couldn't have "everything in moderation" (no-one ever tells vegans or alcoholics that they should have everything in moderation do they).
I also had a light bulb moment when I realised when I had a minor set back, I immediately wanted to reach for something yummy and sugary in order to self sooth. It sounds so simple but it was a huge realisation for me at the time.

As 3Britnee says above, to keep the weight off, you have to accept it's a lifestyle change for ever. And it requires work but so does all the good and meaningful things in life.