I have about 9 stone to lose and I need to make some changes now!!

[ReallyNeedToLoseWeightNow]

According to the NHS BMI calculator I am in the obese category and need to lose just over 9 stone to be at the top end of the healthy weight category 😬 Losing that much weight will be extremely difficult and will take years…
Having a quick look on Google it looks like it is realistic to lose 2 stone in 14-28 weeks so I am going to say that I will be happy if I have lost a stone by the end of August and 2 stone by December!! Obviously I will still have a long way to go even if I do achieve these goals but I think it is import to set realistic goals so that I can stay motivated and stick to it 🤞

I am going to start with 2-3 weeks of slimfast and then try to plan snacks and meals that match the slimfast calories once I am used to eating less. I am also going to try and start exercising and aim to start with half an hour 2-3 times a week and build it up as I get used to it.

I am so unhappy with now much weight I have gained, how I look and how I feel and I need to make some changes now!!

@MunchingCeleryAlone

I did really well yesterday!! I had no unnecessary/unhealthy snacks, no fizzy pop and no dessert!!

I had a slimfast shake for breakfast, a slimfast strawberry choc snack bar for a snack/lunch as I forgot lunch and Shepherd’s pie, carrots, peas, broccoli, Yorkshire puddings and gravy for tea. I drank water and dilute Vimto. I also did 16 minutes of exercise which was a dance workout and cool down stretch on YouTube and my Fitbit said that I burnt 245 calories doing that. I felt a bit hungry later on in the evening but I ignored it!! 😁 Time for day 2!!

@NormasArse, here's a description of how Mounjaro works.

Today I’ve had a slimfast shake for breakfast, 2 squares and a packet of snack a jacks for lunch/snack as we ended up going to the cinema (much better than the usual popcorn and fizzy drink!!) and then for tea I had pan fried basa with roast potatoes, green beans and peas and some grapes, strawberries and a strawberry mousse for dessert which was all less calories than yesterday 😁 Drinks were dilute Vimto and water again and I did 19 minutes of exercise which was a dance workout and cool down stretch on YouTube again and my Fitbit said that I burnt 254 calories doing that. Another successful day complete!! 😊

I’ve lost a pound!! 🤗

Well done!! You are on your way, keep going!

I also have a lot to lose, probably similar amount. Over the years I’ve tried it all and had success with some things, and yet here I am. It’s hard. What you are doing sounds good, but I know I can do a very restrictive diet like that for only a few weeks.
What I have done is what others on this thread have done is started on mounjaro. I’ve been referred by my doctor for it but in the waiting list so wanted to start. I was very nervous about injecting but I’ve just done my 5th and I’m over that. I’ve lost a stone and it is the first time in my life that I believe I will get all the weight off. I’m excited about not being fat. I’ve stopped buying any clothes as I’m sure I will be different size soon (get back into things in my wardrobe)
how I can describe it is that it makes me able to have the perfect diet without feeling deprived or grumpy or obsessed with food , which I have done in the past. I am meticulous about eating as much protein as possible and drinking lots of water. I have berries, chia seeds walnuts and Greek yogurt for breakfast, salad with some meat or fish with seeds on and protein yoghurt for lunch and tea usually chicken or fish with veg (just do potatoes or something for rest of family. I’ve had pretty much no bread, no crisps or snacks at all and haven’t wanted any , that’s the difference, not wanting it.
it’s not for everyone I’m sure, but it makes me quite emotional that perhaps this is how slim people feel all the time and maybe it isn’t all my fault! I don’t know but I do recommend it

Well done on getting started!

I really don’t want to be demoralising but there is a reason that bariatric specialists (doctors who specialise in obesity) are saying that weight loss drugs are revolutionary. They are helping people lose large amounts of weight in a relatively short time with huge health benefits. The media focus on side effects is distorting quite how amazing these drugs are for many, many people. And yes, some sort of medication may well be needed long term (and this is a speedily evolving area with medicines that are more appropriate for maintenance on the horizon) but that’s a recognition that obesity is a long term condition for many.

Reading through your posts, and being someone who has struggled all my
life with my weight, I just wanted to tell you the difference that MJ made to me. I had zero interest in any ‘bad’ foods. I didn’t have to think about how often I could eat them, or what I could eat as a substitute: they weren’t even on my radar. The drugs are liquid willpower. I had weeks where I lost nothing or very little - plateaus for a month - and previously I would have felt totally discouraged. On MJ I knew things would happen eventually and in the meantime I didn’t feel like I was actually having any sort of hard time. I was eating well and quite happy with that. I didn’t crave any sort of fatty or sweet food - to be honest, I didn’t really care about food at all. It took it out of the equation for me.

The needle isn’t noticeable. It’s a pen that you pull back and click back in. I’d suggest a consultation with a weight loss specialist or endocrinologist if you want a medical opinion as GPs vary wildly in their knowledge. But you meet the NHS criteria for treatment - you’d just be waiting years to get there.

Slimming world but with portion control.

Have you looked at low carb and carnivore (eat mince & eggs not rib eye!)? For some, it is revolutionary.

Re Mounjaro: Fully cost your food, snacks and drinks. Then consider the effect of hvaing smaller portions and not having the snacks. I save money on Mounjaro. I'm 19 weeks in - and 36lbs down from SW of 22 st 1.8lbs. It is an extraordinary feeling - no food drive. I hadn't realised how loud my food noise was and what effect it had on my behaviour.

I don't count anything. The relief of not saving up calories or points for a treat is immense. I'm nt thinking about food. I can go food shopping and not end up with loads of sweet or savoury stuff in the cart. Extraordinary. Is this the life of ordinary slim people experience?

I had about 9 stone to lose to hit the 'healthy' BMI range ( a measurement which is flawed, but we continue to be beaten around the head with it). I'll be honest, I yo-yo dieted sometimes losing up to 3 stone, and then regained. I opted for bariatric surgery a year ago, and am 10 stone 11lbs down. My life is unrecognisable and I don't regret it for a a second. Yes, it carries risks but I was utterly miserable at 21 stone and 5'8"

Few easy fixes:

Cut out bread, pasta, breakfast cereal.

Cut out fizzy sugary drinks - replace with soda water & cordial.

Skim milk in tea.

Fast for 15 hours every day. So finish your dinner at 6pm then have breakfast at 9am. Commit to this, even on cheat food days - it's an amazing fix but takes a few months to see results so be patient - but it will work.

Get those sugar free drops boxes and have them to curb off need to snack between meals.

Get walking. One hour or more a day, 3 times a week. You can restrict your diet but if you want to maintain the loss and go back to eating your takeaways once a week then you need to speed up your metabolism. Brisk walking is the easiest exercise that you can incorporate into your day without gym visits/chunks of time doing exercise videos.

I used to weigh 9st 4lbs, I am 5'10" and am now 19 stone. I meet the criteria for weight loss injections, and also have prediabetes, fatty liver and other heath problems. I tried meal replacements, intermittent fasting (5:2) and orlistat, and had some success with them all. But, the absolute game changer for me in terms of change was looking at food associations. For me, white bread, closely followed by any type of beige, is a default comfort. I have become so used to avoiding feeling any hunger that I am now the size of a house!
I decided that numbers on a scale and BMI are not my concern any more, but being able to see my toes is. So I have committed to only eating food that is in its natural state as far as possible. No processed ready meals, no take aways, no beige.
I started clean eating last Friday, and have stopped feeling hungry all the time. For me this is eating twice a day, usually around 1pm and 7pm- and using a smaller plate.
If I think about food outside these times, I have a cup of tea first. If I still feel I need something and feel hunger pangs, I will have a matchbox size piece of cheese or 4 spoons of greek yogurt or a piece of fruit or 10 nuts or a square of 70% + dark chocolate.
So far, this happened less than once a day!
For me, changing my attitude to food is what was needed.

Amazing! Well done!

How are you tracking your weight? I'm using the Samsung app and it shows you on a graph so its nice when you can see the change in your BMI as the line trends downwards.

Are you enjoying the Gousto box? I really liked the basa in tomato sauce you mentioned and the fact that everything is pre-portioned makes keeping track easier than faffing about with scales :)

I’ve lost 3 pounds since last Sunday!! 😁 Time for week 2!!

@Wonkypictureframe @SeaStoat
Does it make you like all of the healthy foods though? Does it make unhealthy foods taste bad? Or do you just not want to eat/feel hungry?

The only fizzy drink I had all week was a Coke Zero and I usually had full sugar Coke/Dr Pepper ect. every day!! 🙈 Other than that all what I have drank is dilute juice and water 🤗

What does fasting do? Do you lose weight because you’re eating less meals or is it something about the actual fasting??

I definitely need to start walking more!!

Well done on the 3lbs!

It seems to vary. I liked healthy food already so it didn’t change how much I liked it but it made it very easy to choose it as an option at times that I would usually have ‘treated’ myself to something less healthy. And I just wasn’t interested in eating anything fried/sweet at all. I didn’t want alcohol at all and if handed a glass would drink it over an entire night or even forget I had it. My appetite was way smaller so anything hefty would just put me off eating altogether. Whatever I did eat I ate in far smaller quantities. I had zero issue leaving food on my plate, which I’d struggled with all my life.

I think for me food stopped being interesting so eating a plate of salad or grilled fish when I went out for example was fine - just something to eat with everyone else. If the family got a takeaway I’d have something from the starters.

I’m maintaining now on a low dose and quite a lot of this remains the case. Last week we had an Indian takeaway and I had some grilled chicken from the starter menu, some dhal and a bit of a paratha. I had to go to a work posh dinner with several courses and left half the food on the plate.

Lots of people do seem to have physical reactions when eating fatty or spicy things. I haven’t really, with the exception of pork chops!

I’ve lost 2 stone through slimming world. One of the members I saw recently has lost 11st in two years!

Wow well done that’s a great loss!!

I’m using myfitnesspal and my Fitbit

The Gousto box is great!! It’s all been really nice so far and so much easier not having to measure things out and the instructions are easy to follow too :)

I liked those foods anyway (I like all food!) it doesn’t change your taste, it’s that some carby high fat foods kind of seem to be a bit like I can’t face them. I’d prefer the lighter option . This is not my life before, like if I took a salad to work I’d want to have some pasta , couscous or something in it, I don’t now but I make sure has protein. I think I had a fear of being hungry which has gone. Last night I was out at an event and the food was no choice fish and chips. I enjoyed it but did take the batter off the fish and ate about 2/3 of my chips. I feel I can have meals like that now and again , as slim people do. It takes away the stress of healthy eating . I’m down 8 kg now, and genuinely the only time I’ve ever felt I will get it all off. I really really hope that by then I will be used to eating smaller portions.

Not me but a friend, has lost nearly 10st in around 3 and half years on slimming world. She said one day when she realised she couldn't wipe her bottom properly, it just clicked. She does go out and have a drink now and again. She is also a good cook so meal planning and nutritious meals would be easy for her

Good luck.

I would also recommend Mounjaro.
And for the fizzy drinks I would advise get a soda stream and add small amounts of cordial to your own drinks. I love sparkling drinks but I don’t want all the sugar.
Im using Mounjaro and I’m thrilled that I’ve taken the opportunity. I started 6 weeks ago and I’ve lost 7kg

its quite easy, but then I inject myself anyway due to having inflammatory arthritis and taking medication to slow down my immune system.
I've been on mounjaro, and its the only sustained weight loss I've had for a long time since I last tried slimming world in 2019.

What’s helped me (aside from the MJ which has genuinely been life-changing but you’ve heard plenty about that on this thread already) is to educate myself about nutrition and diet. I’ve read a lot of books: Ultra-Processed People, Why We Eat Too Much, some of Tim Spector’s stuff; listened to podcasts on nutrition, etc. That has inspired me to make massive changes to my diet. I’ve cut out pretty much all UPF, and I’m so much more aware and conscious of nourishing my body, not trying to hit calorie goals with any old shite. I cook from scratch, I read labels, I prioritise certain nutrients as I’ve found they work well for my body.

Also signing up to some yoga/Pilates classes as I find you’re much more likely to do something if it’s a scheduled time and someone is expecting you to turn up. I also try to do Yoga/Pilates in the morning or evening at home, but the classes are like and anchor for the rest of the week. Don’t look at exercise as burning calories, look at it as taking care of your body and becoming strong. Most exercise calories are grossly overestimated and exercise won’t be why you lose weight, but it is very good for your body.

Best of luck. I would really recommend looking into MJ or similar though, it allows you to make all the above changes in a much easier way when you have a long way to go. It can be hard to stay motivated past the initial half stone/stone but MJ really takes away some of the mental challenge of it.