I’m massive - help.

[Fireworkssparklers]

I need to start this by saying the ONLY thing that works for me are those meal replacement diets - anything else and I won’t be able to stick to it.

I lost loads of weight after having a baby at the beginning of 2021, went back to work last November and just started piling the weight on and now I’m over 14 stone

I am fed up. I’m the fattest one in my friendship group by miles, I’m sure DH has noticed although he doesn’t say bless him and I feel frumpy and horrible. My neck and face just merge into one.

It’s so hard this close to Christmas 🙈😩

Agree totally with you @Hydrangeatea
I've not got a lot to lose but could do with getting half a stone or so off.
Started with a very very moderate calorie deficit this week and have lost 2lb already despite not having a lot to lose. I've been and had coffee and cake with DS, I've had a couple of glasses of wine, very rarely felt hungry.

But this isn't what @Fireworkssparklers wants to hear. Sustainable and steady isn't as interesting

Im a bit the same , all or nothing. I lost weight on slim fast. I had proper lunch though, so shake for morning and evening.

Dieting doesn't work long term for most people. Try cutting back on carbs, don't eat processed food, have something filling for breakfast such as eggs, a light lunch ( salads) and make most of your evening meals from fish or chicken. Have some fruit in the house for snacks. Avoid sweet drinks ( try sparkling water). Read 'Why we eat too much ' by Dr. Tim Spector, it's a real eye opener.

I second the Tim Spector book mentioned by @Yellowdahlia12.

Intermittent fasting has begun to work for me, and I've got about 5 stone to lose. I've also signed up to a personal trainer because for me, the fitness stuff is an enormous part of feeling good about myself.

I was always pushed into crap diets by my mother who, even at my thinnest, was always banging on about how big I was. Now I'm in my 40s I really regret the disordered eating I engaged in by doing faddy bollocks like Slimfast, WW etc., which all led to weight loss but I put it all back on, and then some.

I agree with some of the other posters that you're disinclined to hear opposing views because you're not ready to have the mindset change you need to lose weight, and keep it off long term. I get it: I'd like to wake up after the first day with 3 stone off, but it isn't going to happen.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey OP.

I'm much like you in that I'm motivated by big losses.
The thing with the meal replacements is that they really get you to accept that hunger is a normal thing, I've done this on VLC diets and it's far less expensive. People told me I would put the weight straight back etc but it's been years now I fluctuate between small 10 and small 12 but it was never normal for me to stay the exact same weight all year round.
If you do it with food then you will have experienced eating very small amounts of food which is something you wont experience on a replacement plan.
I think different people need different plans. It's very motivating to feel your clothes becoming looser. I took the slow and steady advice after my Son was born and really that probably would have been good advice for the personality of the person giving the advice but it set me up to fail. It takes me two days to stop feeling hungry when I dramatically drop calories, then I feel used to it.
When I go back to normal eating after a maintenance week I aim to eat roughly my bmr