Size 20+ weight loss advice

[is30tooyoungformidlifecrisis]

I'm a size 24-26. I've just hit rock bottom and I really need to do something about my weight. Can't do the injections as I'm breastfeeding.

I'd really appreciate advice from those who have successfully lost weight from size 20+. I've had advice from slimmer friends and I just feel that losing weight and going from a size 14 to a size 10 is just a whole different thing.

I've been plus size since my early 20s and it's just crept up steadily over the last decade. It's at a point where it's not just about food, it's mindset and lifestyle.

I have 2 under 3 so very limited on food prep time, and I'm vegetarian. I'd appreciate any advice, whether it's food ideas, time management and meal prepping, mindset, exercise, dieting with young kids, whatever has worked for you, I want to know!

Porridge, half a tub of sainsbos lentil dhal soup for lunch, 600 cal tea. Snacks of fruit/cucumber/boiled egg

Fast800 worked for me and I genuinely enjoyed it and found it easy after the initial few days. Read the book so you understand a bit of the science, it really helped my mindset and ability to stick to it.
The book gave me initial motivation then after 2/3 days sticking to it my appetite really subsided and I was motivated by the fast weight loss. I lost about 4 stone in 3-4 months - from about a size 22 to 16. I will say I got a bit of hair loss but that’s any extreme diet.

I would eat in an 8 hour window, 2/3 meals and no snacks. Super low carb, high protein and fat is ok too. I wouldn’t believe this myself but I promise once your body goes into ketosis (from low carb, I think) you’re not hungry and loads of energy.

No diet is easy but the quick results and the fact I wasn’t hungry and could still eat nice things (v little sweet stuff though) meant I liked it.

Kept it off for the past 2 years, put on a few pounds this year and am trying the jabs but I think fast800 was easier and no side effects. The hard bit is the first few days and I don’t have the same determination that I did.

Good luck, it’s amazing the difference a few weeks can make xx

Honestly just wait and do the jabs when you’re done breastfeeding, by the time you’ve paid for all the extra, diet foods plus personal trainers etc etc its the same price. I’m 5stone+ down and after struggling with my weight for 15 years its the only thing that worked and while I had side effects… none long lasting and I feel like a new woman, its a game changer.

Honestly I couldn’t lose whilst breastfeeding as was just so hungry. Every time I tried to diet I just woke up starving in the night. I don’t think think there is any point. I did manage to lose weight after I stopped feeding. Fast 800 or keto is not compatible with breastfeeding.

I’d wait until you finished breastfeeding and do the injections. Or try some of the other suggestions

Dieting whilst breastfeeding never worked for me, it always made me ravenous. I’d plan for doing WLI once you’ve stopped breastfeeding, see if you can save toward them in the meantime. They have been the only thing that has enabled me to successfully lose weight for the length of time necessary to go from a BMI of 50 to a BMI of 28, currently and still lowering.

Stop eating butter,fat,cakes, biscuits,crisps.
Have a massive bowl of fruit salad for breakfast with a low fat sugar free yoghurt . A few seeds on it and/or chopped nuts.
Beans on a slice of wholemeal toast. No butter for lunch.
A massive salad with sweetcorn, a few pine nuts, chickpeas for dinner. You don't need to be hungry. You can do it. Good luck

I was a size 20 in January, BMI of 35, now down to a 12 (a bit over 4 stones lost, BMI just over 25). Broadly doing calorie counting, eating less crap and fewer takeaways.
Also been walking a lot since spring (weekend walks of up to 30km). For me personally, any form of weight loss medication is a no-go - not judging anyone using them, personally I just don’t want to for various reasons. You can do it - good luck!

Agree - you are making a huge ask of yourself to lose while breastfeeding.

I would suggest changing the focus of your diet, so that you're ready to lose it with injections or not, once you stop breast feeding. If u r eating sugar at the mo, cutting that out and just eating apples dark chocolate nuts and berries (frozen are so easy) for sweet stuff is a great switch even if it is something you do gradually so you acclimatise to the different tastes and being satisfied by them

Cutting out UPFs and too many carbs will help too

If u are able to do this, you'll avoid the headaches/carb hangover many get when they start dieting.... And hopefully you will start feeling a bit better as you start eating whole foods.

When are you expecting to stop breast feeding? And what feels realistic to you as initial goals while you still are?

I lost from size 20 to size 12 over time... not all in one chunk

ps adding in more protein and more veg could help too - protein fills you up, and veg is brill on every front.... you are time limited so even just snacking on tomatoes, cucumber peppers and sugar snap peas might make a difference

I realise Im saying all this without knowing what your diet is like now??? What do you like about how you eat? What would you like to change?

Like PP, I lost without weight jabs and used FAST800 for 12 weeks to kickstart it - I didn't lose hair, and stuck to just 12 weeks which is their recommended maximum. I then used Gin Stephens Intermittent Fasting approach

Fast800 isn’t recommended for breastfeeding though

Thanks for the advice everyone. I did use the injections just for a couple of months before getting pregnant and I did lose weight, so I'm confident these will help in the future. But at the moment I have a 7 week old and with my first baby I didn't totally stop breastfeeding until about 18 months, maybe a bit later, so I have a while before I can use them again.

My diet is pretty poor, I struggle with finding the time to prep nutritious food, and as a vegetarian I rely on carbs to make me feel full. I've been vegetarian my whole leave but was still raised on a pretty unhealthy diet, lots of carbs and cheese, pasta, potatoes etc.

At just 7 weeks, you are making a huge ask of your self - having a newborn alongside another child means you are in the trenches. Intense, wonderful, and utterly knackering... good luck

Might you consider just changing one thing a week? - or a month - seriously don't ask too much of yourself at the mo. It sounds as if you know what eating well is, while having developed the habit (like most of us!!) of not eating well. Perhaps thinking of having less pasta/bread and more lentils/pulses/beans (the tinned ones are great - the jar ones if you have the budget even nicer)? Or having more nuts and a bit less cheese??

What would the "kind you" advise you? I so get not preparing nutritious food but is beginning to buy more of it, whether ready prepared and frozen (inexpensive) or fresh and ready-prepared (rather pricier) an option? What would motivate you? Perhaps modelling great habits for your oldest who'll enjoy snacking on sugar snaps alongside you??

Worth reminding yourself that small steps in the right direction will take you there...

Do you have a sweet tooth? Or just a carb-y one?

I used to be a size 24. Couldn’t walk without a stick, struggled to get my socks on in the morning and was deeply embarrassed by airline and theatre seats. The only thing that worked for me was Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org/. It’s modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous and volunteer run and it really addresses the causes - physical, emotional and spiritual - not just the symptoms. There’s loads of meetings - in person and online. Good luck OP.

In all honesty what are you currently eating in a day?

@loveyouradvice Thanks for all your advice, really kind and helpful

@SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease I have rice crispies for breakfast, a coffee that I put single cream in, lunch is usually some kind of white bread with some kind of cheese (other bits too like avocado/tomato but bread and cheese is the main part), I snack on chocolate that's a real emotional eating thing, then dinner is pizza or pasta

On paper I know what I should be eating, the issues are not emotional/comfort eating when I'm exhausted/stressed/overwhelmed and practically prepping and cooking good meals from scratch. I have a newborn and a 2 year old and run my own business and food is just either emotional or convenient at the moment.

Just to note, my 2yo doesn't eat the same as me, I give her much better stuff

Walk. Walk everywhere. Round up the kids and walk. Free and easy to do and the weight goes quite quickly.
As for food. Don't lose the snacks but get healthy snacks. I have small packets of lentil crisps and popcorn. If it has to be chocolate-dark chocolate, darker the better.
Don't mess with your meals to start with, just put a little bit less on your plate. Give it three months to get used to, then change things a meal at a time.
I went from 16st to 13 8 doing this. Its not an instant fix but it works.

Try moving more to protein based meals which will be more filling and will enable you to eat less calories. I think you are eating too many empty (ie not nutritious carbs).

Eg breakfast Greek yoghurt, add some museli or fruit for carbs

Lunch big salad with whole tin tuna. Add some tinned beans for carbs.

Dinner meat fish, with veg have the pasta or rice no more than 1/4 of plate. If that’s not enough can batch make veg soup, add lentils to make more filling.

I agree but I'm vegetarian so I don't eat meat or fish, so find it hard to eat enough protein

I’m not surprised you are reaching for the snacks if you are having rice crisped for breakfast! Do you eat eggs? I sometimes do a 3 egg omelette/scramble with some cheese and tomato for breakfast.

This is my dinner tonight, 331Kcal and 34g of protein. Takes under 10min to make.

Lentils, chickpeas, beans etc are great sources of protein plus Greek yogurt, vegan protein powder including clear options like Vimto.

Was a size 24 in January, now down to an 18 though these are getting too baggy now. Im 5 and a half stone down, basically following Slimming world as it works for me and being weighed every week keeps me accountable. Ive still got a way to go but its been steady and I've now started yoga. I have so much more energy than before, I feel honestly like a different person!

So eggs, cottage cheese, fat free yoghurt, pulses (contain both protein and carbs so substitute pasta etc for pulses), tofu, seitan etc. yes it’s a bit harder but will really help.

Weight Watchers.

I also have a newborn (8 weeks old), also run my own business and also struggling with my weight! Finding time to do everything is HARD! I am going to try and implement the tips from here and join a thread to motivate me and post daily.

Change the rice crispies to something else that has more fibre/ protein and will fill you longer.
Change from white bread to wholemeal.
Literally just change what comes out of a pack for a better choice.