The thought of losing 5 stone seems insurmountable

[Earhell]

My title says it all. I have a disabled child and a hectic life. I think some hormone issues which the gp are being unsupportive of. I just feel I have a mountain to climb

Can you try to break it down into smaller achievable chunks? So don't think about the total amount, just focus on losing 1 stone for the moment. That would be a great achievement and make you feel better.

Sometimes waiting for motivation doesn't work as it won't spontaneously arrive, but once we start something and begin to see some changes we get more motivated by that. You could try following people on Youtube or instagram who have gone through a weight loss journey for some inspiration.

And small habit changes, like walking more steps per day, or making sure you have a healthy breakfast - things that are not too daunting if you have lots of other things going on in life.

I think breaking it down into smaller goals is the way forward. I have the same amount to lose. I am looking at the first half a stone only. Then it seems more achievable.

Try not to think of it all at once as it will feel too much, break it down into realistic chunks

I am in the process of trying to lose 4.5 stone, I had no motivation to start with and was at a bit of crisis point and didn’t have time to factor in loads of exercise at that point either, not for everyone but I opted to go on Saxenda and it made the first 2 stone much easier and now I’m in the right mindset I can keep going

I have a total of 5 stone to lose. I started back at the beginning of June. I started by saying if I lose half a stone I'll be in the next number range. Then I wanted to lose another half stone to make one stone loss. Then another half stone would mean I had got into the next number range etc etc. Each half stone seems manageable. I have lost over 2 stone and I plan to keep going in these bitesize chunks. I also celebrate the unexpected wins. I sleep better. I can walk further. I can tie my laces easier. I fit into some jeans that have never fitted. I can run upstairs. They all help motivate you to keep going. Best of luck.

I am 14st 9lbs - and not only that, my weight is still increasing.

My first goal is to try to walk 20,000 steps a day.

We don’t do this often!! but I have a 6yo kid, and as it happens I’m typing this in McDonald’s. Indicative maybe :(

It’s so hard. I only have two stone to lose but it does seem unachievable. I’m going to do as a pp suggested and break it down into much smaller goals. First up is going to be any loss at all. Then two pounds. Then 4. Not looking any further than that. Not going to look at the overall target. Just those three goals. Good luck. If you want to keep using this thread for accountability I’m happy to as well.

I have a similar about to lose and I find it makes it easier to deal with if I convert my weight to kilos rather than stones and pounds. It sounds silly, but looking at the stones on a scale makes me feel it’s very judgemental, whereas kilos are just a number. It’s also a lot easier to see the number of kilos going down than stones. Like I say, it sounds odd, but it works for me. Good luck!

I feel the same like I’ve gone past the point of no return. But tomorrow I’m going to start again with IF. Going to do 16:8 and just hope I can start some sort of downward trend on the scales instead of the non stop up up up. I’ve got to at least stop it getting higher. Last summer I thought it couldn’t get worse and here I am a stone heavier.

As PP have said small chunks. I’m aiming for 7 pounds of to start with. Sigh.

Don't think of it like that. Instead think you want to make one change which might be e.g no eating outside meal times unless it is fruit or veg or sticking only to no or calorie drinks like tea or plain coffee or switch things like chocolate for fruit or veg.

Once you nail one healthy habit, pick another. Start tracking what you eat so you can see how you are doing calorie wise and balanced diet wise. You may find you are still having more carbs than protein or you are lacking a particular vitamin or iron. You don't have to do it constantly just enough to check you know.

You can then fine tune it so you are eating a healthy balanced diet. Add in more exercise and gradually improve your self care. Get enough sleep.

You will find your weight comes down. Don't worry about how fast just be happy if it is going in the right direction. Eventually after a while you have lost the weight and permanently got yourself onto a healthy track.

Can you turn it into a more positive message that seems less insurmountable?
So eg I'm going to significantly cut down ultra processed food. I am going to eat more veg. I'm going to do 16:8 or whatever. Those are all things you can do now, that will set you up for weight loss and a healthier lifestyle from day 1

Thanks all for your messages. Tomorrow I plan to have breakfast after 10am. I will just have a piece of fruit. This is tomorrow's small plan.

You're all right about small steps. We are moving soon so my scales are in boxes so I can't measure progress unfortunately

As others have said, break it into smaller goals. I do it in lots of 7lbs and then other things on top like “weight starts with a 12st rather than a 13st” - also add in 5% loss, 10% loss, when you move down a BMI level etc etc. having loads of smaller goals makes it more attainable and means you get to celebrate more.
Also goes without saying but Rome wasn’t built in a day…. You need to remember this will take time so don’t put date targets in because I’ve done that before and have found myself feeling sad because I wanted to lose a stone by X date and had “only” lost 13.5lbs

The other advice I would give OP is to try to have as much protein as possible, as it will keep you fuller for longer.

Just having fruit for breakfast is going to make you ravenous after a while, and you may end up reaching for unhealthy food as you are so hungry.

A better breakfast would be eggs - omelette, scrambled or boiled. That’ll keep you feeling fuller for longer than fruit.

I’ve found using MyFitnessPal helpful - it gives you a certain amount of accountability, a really helpful weight loss graph, and makes it easy to track calories and food nutrients.

Eggs does sound like a better breakfast. I'm out of fresh veggies which is annoying.

I'm hungry already 😂my major barrier is that I enjoy milk in my coffee. That would break my fast. So I'm on green tea this morning.

Hi OP. I've lost 3.5 stone since Easter. I have another 4.5 to go 😬

My loose daily plan is some version of natural yoghurt and fruit in the morning. (Sometimes just yog and berries, sometimes as a smoothie), protein focused salad for lunch (like eggs/avocado/chicken etc and green stuff) and protein and veg for dinner. I do have a couple of cups of tea and coffee with milk during the day. But no other snacks.

Also - no bread, pasta or rice.

It's super boring and hard but it appears to work.

I think you need a proper plan. You haven’t got 5 stone to lose because you like milk in your coffee, and a piece of fruit is not a sensible and nutritious breakfast. What works for people varies but you need to get informed and decide what sounds sustainable for you. I personally think the fast 800 is fantastic or you could look at the low carb boot camp threads on here. Then set yourself manageable goals. If you follow a sensible plan you can lose a stone in the next six weeks and that will be 20% of your journey done, plus it will show in your shape and your health.

Agreed @PinkTonic - I started off with the fast 800 online plan and after the first 12 weeks have settled into what seem to work and be sustainable for me.

If you're looking for motivational stories from other people who have lost lots of weight, I recommend listening to the podcast Intermittent Fasting Stories where the host Gin Stephens interviews a guest weekly.

I'm a fan of intermittent fasting now, and try to do 16:8 most days.

I should clarify. Fasting works really well for me but I keep breaking it because of the milk in my drinks.

I'll take a look at fast 800. Slimming world actually worked well for me because it encourages low fat. That is also good for me as I have gallbladder issues

The only way I’ve been able to lose weight is by seeing my goal as to lose one pound. Then once that’s lost the goal is to lose another pound etc. Otherwise it just seems impossible to me.

I’m here and following with interest!

I have 5 to lose and have already lost 3.9. I started just before Xmas. It's doable. I did it in half stone chunks and rewarded myself with a big treat for every half stone. Last one was a hand bag.

You need to do something that is easy and keeps you full or you won't stick to it , fruit for breakfast won't work , you'll be starving by 10 am.

@Earhell another one in a similar situation.
I have 40 kilos to lose, work full time, have 4DC and generally lost my way.

This summer I read Glucose goddess's book over the summer and it made so much sense to me! It is not a hard read either.

So, now I am following her advice and really trying to not shove anything and everything in my cakehole on a night, when I am sat in front of the tv.

I second eggs for breakfast.

I also bought myself a large water bottle, and I am only drinking water/tea and not pop. (I loved Coke Zero, but have kicked that habit).

I am 6 weeks in and feeling so much better already...

Happy to discuss on here if you want?

@justread definitely happy to chat about it. I've read some of why we eat too much. That's fascinating and makes a lot of sense to me. Unfortunately I haven't gotten far enough to learn their solution so it's just made me miserable 😂
Fasted so far today and had a green tea. I'm tempted to unpack a moving box just to get to my scales as its hard working with no data