Scared to lose weight?

[bringthesummer]

I have been big all of my adult life, weighing between 13-16 stone, I've been 15 for last 5 years. I'm 5ft 4. Due to serious health reasons plus bad joints, I have to lose a couple of stone - at least

I have stretch marks all over, a large over hang on my tummy thanks to 3 c-sections so I'm scared about excess skin. I'm 53 but have no wrinkles at all and think without the padding I'm going to age really fast. I've dieted many times and always ended up a stone heavier when I stop. I haven't dieted for 15 years as I decided to try and love the fat me - which I have managed

I'm scared that I will look worse thinner, but if I stay fat, my health will really suffer and probably won't live a long life

Has anyone else felt like this?

I understand what you are saying but ultimately, health is more important.
also you can lose slowly and then if you feel you are starting to look how you don’t want to, start maintaining?
any loss is better than none for your joints and health

I think you've answered your own question with this:

"I'm scared that I will look worse thinner, but if I stay fat, my health will really suffer and probably won't live a long life."

You know what's important here. You don't want to spend decades like my mother did, in pain and dependent on other people because of health problems. That's the thing that matters most. I do understand that you're scared. I empathize with you. But stop confusing and worrying yourself with whaddabouts. Again, focus on what matters.

At any rate, losing one or two or even three stone at your weight is very unlikely to make you wrinkled. You're not that overweight, you're not going to be losing that much (I'm thinking that maybe you'll lose three or four stone). If you're worried because you've been watching "My 600 lb Life" or similar shows, then of course those people often look wrinkled afterwards because they're usually losing around 300 lb! That is not your situation!

Repeat to yourself when you start worrying that you will deal with problems as they arise. You're scared of the unknown. You can help make yourself feel better by really focusing on doing weight-lifting/resistance-type exercise, cardio, and stretching. I predict you'll be so happy about changes in your body that you're not going to be that worried about anything else. Good luck.

Nobody looks better fat, nobody.

You need to prioritise your health and not just your joints.

Concentrate on the strain those excess stones are putting on your body. Losing weight will mean you significantly reduce blood pressure, blood sugar levels and harmful blood fats - meaning you cut your risk of stroke or heart disease. You will also lower your risk of cancer.

I do understand too! If I were you I would focus on exercise, muscle building especially in the legs to help support your joints, and aiming for a couple of stone off so that you are at the higher end of a healthy weight.

The muscle will also help fill out loose skin created by fat loss to some extent.

There is 100% no doubt that you will look and feel better with a healthier body!

I think this is a knock on effect from the body positive movement, I know I’ve felt this way. The movement was about loving yourself no matter what you look like (with wrinkles or stretch marks too) not just that you must love yourself to be forever fat and not change.

No one wants to be medically obese and in pain and die early really, you will love yourself more to feel better even if you look older, as you say you have more chance of living longer and having a better quality of life. That will involve ageing no matter what. It’s better to age healthily than unhealthily.

Having saggy skin areas is only affecting me if I wanted to wear a thong bikini (I don’t) or is annoying in clothes with a bulge and no I don’t really like this, however I no longer wake up with a bad back every day and I’m not out of breath walking around so the swap is worth it.

I'm your age and have lost 5 stone this year.

To be honest, there ARE aesthetic downsides; I've loose skin on arms and stomach and my boobs are a bit deflated. On the other hand my legs look great from all the walking I've been doing, and, more importantly, my blood pressure is now 'optimal'. I'll take better health over looking a bit more wrinkled (though I also acknowledge that I'm a bit sad about the latter).