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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

What triggered you into wanting change and actioning it?

34 replies

mentalblockhelp · 22/04/2024 14:48

I desperately want to lose weight. I want to get trimmer and have more energy but I can't motivate myself into actually sticking to anything that would benefit me. I have two small children, I work, and I put too much pressure on myself to do things for the kids, or put everything into my work that some days I'm just lack of energy or motivation.
The mental load of the home takes its toll and I don't know what to do to help myself. I'm pre diabetic . Slight raise in cholesterol but still doesn't scare me to kick my butt to take my health seriously.
So I'd like to hear some stories of what worked for you to get your motivation going to help yourself and your health.
I do the family shop. I'm in charge of everything in the house it seems - my husband does plenty, but actually this is about me not him. Help

OP posts:
Projectme · 23/04/2024 12:13

There was an old thread on AIBU a few months ago where the OP asked people to share what unexpected advantages they'd had following weight loss; it's a brilliant thread and the only one I've ever saved.

I will try and include a link but I've never done a link before so bear with me!

ohpumpkinseeds · 23/04/2024 12:25

I decided that because I was overwhelmed with life, due to being a working mum of two very small children and lots on my plate that I would stop waiting for an ephinany and instead make small actionable changes.

I started with breakfast - I made overnight oats with Greek yogurt and protein powder on a Sunday for the week. Kept me full and I didn't snack. Then moved onto a set lunch batch made for the week, again with lots of protein and a balanced amount of carbs and fats.

Then exercise. I aimed for 10k steps a day, plus one 15 minute workout. Once I had that down pretty consistently I made it 2 x 15 min workouts. Then 2 x 20 mins. And so on.

I decided it didn't matter if I had an off day, or a binge, or whatever, so long as I stayed as consistent as possible.

I've lost 1.5 stone since the start of the year and can now run 5k.

Iheartmysmart · 23/04/2024 12:33

I think I was burying my head in the sand. In the space of a year I lost my dad and my nan and my mum was diagnosed with a life limiting illness. Covid put an end to my office based job so I was home on my own all day, every day. The weight piled on. Then I lost my beloved little dog so I stopped going out walking as well.

I saw a photo of myself on LinkedIn at the end of March and I looked awful. I finally weighed myself and was horrified to discover that I was 11st 4lbs which at 5ft tall put me in the obese category.

I joined slimming world 3 weeks ago and am already 7lbs lighter and am making myself go out for a 30 minute walk every day. Not going to lie, I still have days when I want to eat my body weight in chocolate and other crap but I’ve booked a holiday in October for motivation!

alloalloallo · 23/04/2024 12:46

For me, it was last year’s holiday.

I’ve always been one of those annoying people who could eat anything and everything, with minimal exercise and not gain weight. Then I hit 40 and all that changed and my weight has been creeping up ever since.

I kidded myself that it wasn’t that bad, until I went on holiday last year. My thighs rubbed and were uncomfortable, I look awful in photos and I was just a sweaty, uncomfortable mess. Also, various circumstances last year, meant what exercise I was doing dropped massively plus my job is mostly spent sitting at a desk.

I’m going abroad at the beginning of July and then on a bucket list holiday in next year for DH’s 50th so I’m determined that by my holiday in July, I’m going to at least see some progress, and by next year I’m going to stroll along golden sand beaches without wobbly thighs and chub-rub.

I’ve joined the gym and have a personal trainer once a week who kicks my arse and doesn’t listen to my rubbish excuses for not exercising. Now the weather is better, DH and I play tennis once a week as well, and I’ve overhauled my diet.

I’m not really into weight loss diets, but I’ve started taking much healthier food to work rather than grabbing crap from the shop on the way. Breakfast - I’ve replaced a croissant from the co-op with overnight oats. I’m full till lunch and not cracking out the biscuits at 11am. Lunch - salad and chicken/smoked mackerel and some fruit instead of a pot noodle and a chocolate muffin.

The problem I always had with dinner, was working stupid late and then being knackered and hungry and CBA to cook so got a microwave meal or something, but I’ve got much more organised and made a meal plan and actually remember to get stuff out of the freezer in the mornings.

I’ve been logging what I’m eating on an app, so I can better see what I’m eating and how the calories/carbs/protein/etc all adds up - it also allows room for treats.

I’ve been plugging away for a few weeks now and I do feel a lot better, I can see less wobble and my belt is 2 notches tighter that it was

Ihadenough22 · 23/04/2024 14:18

A few years ago I had gotten very big like 20 st plus at 5 foot six. I have a big build with broad shoulders. I found if I walked any distance I was puffing like a steam train because I was so unfit. I was sweating like I had run a marathon. I hated trying to buy clothes because they were expensive or horrible looking.
I was eating because I was unhappy and unhappy because I was eating. It was just after Xmas and I did not want another summer of trying to get light clothes so I did not feel like I was melting on a warm day.

I heard about slimming world and I decided to join it. It took me a bit of time to get into the diet but I started to see the weight come off. I was eating better food, doing batch cooking and freezing a few meals. I started to do some walking and built up the distance I was walking. I joined a gym as well. I went on to lose over 4 stone. I used to keep a few syn every day to have some chocolate.

Over the last few years I had put a bit of this weight back on. One of my friends now has high blood pressure, sleep anopa and type 2 diabetes because he did not lose weight.
He has been having problems recently with his health. When I heard this I decided to go back to slimming world.

I have lost over a stone since then. I am already down a size in trousers and I feel better than I did a few weeks ago. I have a holiday booked in Oct and I plan to be at a certain weight by then.

I know some people are very against slimming world but I found it worked for me. I found out that I could eat plenty of good food and use a few syns each day for a treat. They have a great app with recipes, syn values and even exercises plans to do at home now.

mathanxiety · 23/04/2024 15:35

mentalblockhelp · 22/04/2024 17:12

Thank you.

I find the mental load of having small children hard to balance my life. Then the daily struggle of preparing food, shopping, especially when they have clubs, I feel like I'm making excuses. I'd like to be that person who wakes early to get ahead of the day. But the motivation isn't there. It's a vicious circle

Batch cook. Don't attempt to cook every day. Get the family used to eating the same meal at least two days in a row.

Try to incorporate more vegetables into your meals, and beans too, along with lean meats. Cut back on starches like white rice, pasta, and potatoes. Look into avocados, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pasta - reduce your helpings of starches too.

Buy healthy snacks. Baby carrots, hummus, naturally low fat mozzarella string cheese, and nuts that are not roasted/salted. Get used to checking the nutrition label on items you buy. Greek yogurt, eggs, oatmeal - all good. Fruit is nice too - pineapple chunks, blueberries, apples, bananas.

Don't snack at night.

Brush your teeth after dinner.

Cut way down on alcohol, eliminate other liquid forms of sugar like squash, fizzy drinks, and sugar in your tea or coffee. Substitute flavored fizzy water if you like fruity flavours and fizz. Don't drink "diet" drinks - the intense sweetness of artificial sweetners messes with your willpower.

Cut way down on white bread, baked goodies, sweets, desserts, but allow yourself a little treat every day so you won't feel deprived.

Try to find a small place of calm and serenity between your own two ears where you take inventory of your day, give yourself a pat on the back, and look forward to tomorrow and what you'll achieve. Light a candle? Sit still and make yourself focus just on you. Keeping a little diary where you try to be positive about your days can be encouraging when you're slogging through life with young children and nobody seems to see or appreciate the huge amount of effort you're putting in just to keep things ticking over.

Maybe force yourself to take a little walk in the evening, park way out at the perimeter of the carpark when you shop so you have more distance to walk, take the stairs at work if that's an option, or buy a set of handweights to use when you're sitting down in the evening.

It's not all or nothing. You can take small steps toward a goal and still reach it. You may find you gather momentum weekly as you see improvements.
For me, the death of a relative from complications of T2 diabetes (kidney failure, and eventually sepsis) was the kick up the behind I needed to change habits that were leading me down a slippery slope. I had gained weight during lockdown and when I was finally able to get to the doctor to have a normal wellness check-up the number on the scale was gobsmacking, as was the cholesterol number from my blood tests. I spent a week feeling sorry for myself and then started to get my act together.

snazzychair · 23/04/2024 20:59

Projectme · 23/04/2024 12:14

Unexpected or unusual advantages of weight loss | Mumsnet

here you go. Hopefully this will help with your motivation OP! 😊

Thanks so much for the link!

snazzychair · 23/04/2024 21:34

Thank you everyone for all the advice. I've had a good day and an improvement in my mood so I'll take it one day at a time and really put my all into this for myself

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