4 stone to lose

[Bobbinsbop]

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed I am the heaviest I’ve ever been and feel so mad at myself. I need to lose 4 stone and it feels impossible.
I have a couple of health issues that make it harder but not impossible. I know I need a positive mindset and to just take it a day at a time but right now I just want to cry.
I have totally lost myself, I need to do this for my physical and mental health but I’ve been on and off diets for 20 years and struggling to see how this time will be different.

has anyone got at tips - what helped you to stay focused and on track?

hey there, you've come to the right place. First up there is no one right way to lose weight that is the one true right way that is the best for everyone. There are lots of ways to do it and it may take a bit of trial and error to find what is most effective and sustainable for you.

But they do have something fairly simple in common, which is you eat less calories than you burn. For every 7000 calorie deficit, your body will burn a kilo of stored fat.

I find I have to keep a food diary and do calorie counting to effectively lose weight.

You can get a decent estimate of your total daily energy expenditure here tdeecalculator

Aim for a 500 calorie deficit a day and you should expect to lose 0.5kg a week. Some trial and error is to be expected to figure out your tdee though, being active is good but doesn't burn as many calories as people tend to think it does. At that speed 25 kilos would pretty much take a year, and you'll need to recalculate your tdee a couple of times at least as you lose weight as losing weight will reduce your tdee.

Good luck.

Hi, I'll join you OP. I am in a similar position. I am addicted to sugar, I didn't realise the extent of it until I really studied my eating habits these past few years. I have decided today that I'm giving up sugar for November. I'm not going to try to lose weight, I'm just going to focus on sugar for a while and see how that goes. I realised I spend my day counting the time between carbs and sugars, even when i'm really busy. The idea of not eating treats on a given day gives me an overwhelming feeling of deprivation. I can't visualise living a life where I don't constantly crave it, so thats why I'm keeping it short term. If in 1 months time I feel no different then at least I'll have a bit of a break for the sake of my teeth!

I'm always tired and eat constantly to feel less tired but it doesn't work. I find certain foods create more cravings than others and it all links back to carb and sugar addiction. Sometimes I feel like its not my fault cos I'm always bloody starving and I don't understand how other people do so much better than me. It has made me feel like such a failure in life.

I went to specialist clinic and got a strict diet but I screwed up on a daily basis, then I got so stressed about it that the stress caused me to eat more. I would literally binge eat on the way to the weigh in because it was the only way i could find the courage to walk in the door. I was struggling so much and gaining rather than losing that they told me to just maintain for a while and wait until my mindset changes. This is working in that I've stopped gaining and am less worried. I've bought nice clothes in a bigger size and taken the other stuff out of sight. I have taken up yoga and try to practice mindfulness, I do gentle exercise for mental health rather than calorie burning and have made some other changes in my life and feel like I'm in a better place mentally. I've been waiting for a lightbulb moment.

I had a big halloween binge last night and woke up with the worst sugar hangover and decided today will be the day. If I can successfully give up sugar and feel like i'm able to continue then I will work towards gradually giving up or significantly reducing carbs. Then I will be really reducing my calorie intake, but we'll see....

Sorry this is all about myself and no tips for you OP!! But I'll let you know how a sugar detox works for me and if I can cut down on my appetite. I know exactly how you feel OP, its so much weight it seems impossible.

Hi @Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong dh and I are doing a low sugar diet, (as well as I'm calorie counting) I aim for a soft limit of 20g of sugar a day and a hard limit of 30g you won't be able to get sugars to zero but I can give some tips and advice from experience.

The good news is I was surprised by how quickly my taste buds adjusted and not so sweet things taste much much sweeter than they used to. I've lost about 3 1/2 stone but have a long way to go.

Thanks. Your loss so far sounds amazing. Can I ask what's hard / soft in this context please?

I am thinking 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day when I genuinely feel the need. I've also given up artificial sweetener a few weeks ago so am getting used to unsweetened coffee and it hasn't been all that bad.

Well in the morning I make a plan of what I'm going to eat that day and then I edit it as the day goes on.

I try to keep to about 20g of total sugars (soft limit) but like it's ok if it's 21.2g 23g if I've exceeded the soft limit in the plan I'll try to only make changes which lower the total sugars.

The hard limit is in the sense of just not going above that at all. (at least theoretically there has been 1 bad day)

random good day example

So e.g. a 150ml glass of gazpacho soup contains 5.1g of sugar (as opposed to 13.2g in a glass or orange juice the same size) at the start of the low sugar diet I couldn't believe this as it didn't taste sweet at all to me, but now it does taste very sweet.

I've lost 4 stone following a low carb diet and have about 3 more stone to go. I'm diabetic, and this has completely transformed my sugar control. I don't eat rice, bread, pasta, potatoes but am never hungry, eat 3 good meals a day and have so much more energy. I've broken it down into half stone blocks to aim at, so it's not overwhelming and each time I reach that goal, I get myself something as a reward.

www.lowcarbprogram.com is aimed at diabetics, but it's a healthy diet for everyone. They run a 12 week introduction where you make one change a week and that really got me off the ground without feeling swamped by it all. Now I cook without really thinking about it because it's second nature.

Im in a similar boat op, 3 stone to lose, never been so big.
I saw photos of myself at the end of summer and was so unhappy with the way I looked. I usually have to go to slimming world or weight watchers to successfully drop the weight but funds are tight and I don't have a lot of free time so decided to try the NHS weight loss app.
Anyway, I'm on week 9 now and I've lost a stone and a half, so halfway there.
The first couple of weeks were tough, having to calorie count as Id not really had to do that before, as SW and WW tend to do all the hard work for you, but I'm in a good routine and it's working well. Logging your calories/food is definitely the key as it makes you look at what you eat and re-evaluate portion sizes.
Good luck op, you can do it!

So do you know what % of your calories come from carbs @SkyFullofStars1975 or do you have more of a total carbs per day limit how does it work?

"Logging your calories/food is definitely the key as it makes you look at what you eat and re-evaluate portion sizes." Completely agree @Teapleasebobb for me even the act of having to keep a food diary is incredibly useful as it disrupts the mindless grazing. If you don't want to eat something enough to work out the calories and write it down in your food diary you don't really want to eat it y'know.

@SkyFullofStars1975 I am looking to do something similar. I lost a lot of weight and have now gone the other way... have really low blood sugar and crave sugar to bolster it. It makes me feel really grotty. Wish I could kick sugar all together but get dangerously low blood sugar levels.
I am not underweight and I have complex medical issues.... short bowel and dumping syndrome. Would like to shift a couple more stone without being really unwell.

I would need all my limbs amputated to lose four stone. Sorry I don't have anything helpful to say.

@stillplentyofjunkinthetrunk the general recommendation is to keep carbs under 130g per day for slow and sustained weight loss/better glucose control and under 60g per day for a more keto type/very low carb diet. Generally I have starchy carbs with one meal only. Today I've had a MOMA pot of coconut/chia porridge with peanut butter for breakfast which is 28g carbs and I've had a veggie burger with halloumi and salad for lunch which was under 10g carbs.

I keep a rough eye on carbs and don't count calories.

I was you 12 months ago. I am now 4 stones lighter & feel great. I am also amazed that I've managed to do it.
Like many others I've tried every diet known to man. I know so much about how to lose weight, but despite my self loathing I just couldn't put it into practice.
Last October, after weighing in at the heaviest I've ever been, I'd just about had enough.
I joined SW but didn't follow their plan, it was just for the weigh in & accountability.
I calorie counted (1500) combined with intermittent fasting 16/8. No foods were off limit within my calorie restriction but I abstained from drinking alcohol & leant towards low carb. The weight came off frustratingly slow but I kept chipping away. Holidays & social occasions continued but I was always mindful with my food choices, I was desperate (motivated) to get the weight off.
I've achieved my goal but now face the bigger challenge of protecting my weight loss.
If I can pass on to you my secret to success it's probably... being able to push through those moments when you feel like having a binge & starting again 'tomorrow' Most times when I've felt like that I've not even been hungry, I've just felt mentally empty because I can't eat freely, and I love eating.
It's hard work but there are so many rewards when you reach your target.
You can do it, just choose your method, keep yourself busy/distracted and take it half a stone at a time🤗

Hey OP.

You're not alone.

I have had two babies in 16 months and gained 6 stone.

I have lost around 2 stone after my last baby 3 months ago with all the fluid I had. But I still have 4 to go.

I recently joined slimming world and I have lost 12.5lb in 3 weeks. I like the fact the app comes with a food diary and it keeps me accountable. You can scan the bar code on food items and tells you exactly what's in it.

I've always been on slimming world and it's always worked for me. Hoping to get the weight off by next summer.

Good luck! X

I found Noom very helpful.

It was also gentle and fun and quietly illuminating.

I think it is a clever programme designed to make it easy and enjoyable. I never felt overwhelmed. Everyone goes at their own pace. The focus is on health and developing a way of eating and being that lasts after the programme ends - not pointless yo-yo dieting. They take all the effort of thinking out of it for you.

I’d recommend a 6 month or 1 year subscription.

You are definitely not on your own OP, I have around that amount to lose, although am currently avoiding the scales

I was all set to start again at the beginning of September, DC back to school, free time at last - yay! Then went down with Covid and TBH am still not well. I actually completed C25K in the summer and was really pleased with myself, but still didn't lose any actual weight...

I've done Second Nature a few years ago and found that really good - contacted them again for current prices and it's now £49 per month!! @SkyFullofStars1975 your low carb diet plan sounds really good, can I ask if there's much support on the app? I lost lots of weight many years ago at WW, less because of the plan and more because the group was so good, but I know it's not the same nowadays.

Honestly, I'm just so fed up of life passing me by, constantly feeling embarrassed by my weight and my confidence also being affected - but it's a vicious circle, I then come home and console myself with a chocolate bar! My DC are still quite young and I'm just knackered all the time between work/ housework/ childcare/ life admin - food prepping (and in fact relaxed eating time!) has completely fallen by the wayside, sadly. I would love to feel more like the pre-DC me again!