Need to lose 3 stone, has anyone ever managed to do and keep the weight off??

[smileyboy]

Hi, I am 5 feet 7 inches and weigh a rather hefty 13 stone 5lbs. I have never gone on a diet before or even really monitored what I eat at all , hence the current revolting state of my thighs and bum!

I have a 2.3 year old ds and can't even blame my fat bits on pregnancy as I didn't realy put any on during pregnancy (only the 8lbs which was baby and a couple of lbs of fluid etc). Since then it's all gone tits up and I appear to have done nothing but eat for the past 2 years. Since ds all I want is easy convenient junk food which is really bad! I end up cooking nice nutritious meals for dh and ds but I just snack constantly. I seem to have a huge appitite and love sweet things! Crisps are also a big down fall when ds has his nap and I want to nibble on something.

I think I am food obsessed as I think about food waaaay too much!

I am really worried that I won't be able to lose the weight and keep it off and I really don't feel good about my body or any of the clothes I can squeeze it into. I am looking for long term changes and hopefully getting down to my reccommended weight of around 10.5 stone.

Does anyone want to join me shift the lbs through healthy eating and a bit of excercise??

Bump.

I am guessing by the lack of responses that it's impossible to keep weight off! Arrrrgggghhh!!! Need motivation... anyone?????? Please??!!

We have a thread going called 'Anyone want to join me as I go from 'fatty' to 'fabulous'.

Don't know how to do the link properly sorry. We are all trying to lose weight and motivate one another, so you're welcome to come and join that if it will help you?

Erm, dunno how much I can help you but my mum has lost 3 stone - and has kept it off (2 years and counting). It's hard, you need will power but it is definately possible.

Her way (don't grimace):
No chocolate, crisps, sweets, nuts, alcohol etc.
She replaces pasta/rice/potatoes with vegetables
She exercises 30 mins per day (she didn't do this bit for the first year and still lost loads of weight, but it has really helped her to tone her body)

Basically, her problem was that she could never have a just a little bit of something, (e.g. chocolate) so she found it easier not to eat any.

Every so often she will treat herself to pasta or rice.

To be honest I am in total awe of her. She hasn't joined any groups to do this, just decided that she was fed up of dieting all year, only to weigh the same every January 1st!

I've lost a stone since Easter. My top tip is to employ a personal trainer - but one who is realistic about what time you can spare each week. I have a session every 2 weeks and it costs me £48 per month. TBH it's a similar cost to going to a gym but because my PT comes to the house there is no excuse. They can usually help to motivate you on diet too if that's needed. Also, because it's an exercise programme just for you if there are some things that you can't do you can do something else. I never used to be able to run but can now after spending time with my PT. I now look forward to my Sunday morning runs on my own - a great break from DD.

Also, I cannot do without chocolate which my PT finds very amusing, so I now buy the small treatsize bags in the weekly shop and have one of those instead.

I have lost 3.5 stones and keep it off for 3 years.

I started off looking at portion sizes and cutting out all empty calories (crisps, cakes, biscuits, desserts, sweets, chocolate... you get the idea) for 6 months. Now I eat these only on high days and holidays (birthdays) in moderation.

Next I started of exercising once a week (1 hour), increasing frequency to six times a week, but decreasing duration (I now only do half an hour a day, but I make sure I sweat and get breathless). I mostly do an exercise DVD (especially during the winter), but during the summer, I do brisk walking (i.e. almost running, aka slow jogging )

Take your time, make sure you do something positive every day towards improving your health.

Reducing your portion is a good idea - if it helps, buy smaller plates so they look fuller! And eating slowly is a good technique

Thanks lots of good tips here. I am amazed at some of the strength and determination you or your relatives have shown. I have to say though, th thought of never eating another peice of cake o chocolate almost makes me think it's just not ever going to be worth it! I think I will have to be a little bit more gentle on myself but like many of you have said, I struggle to stop after just one small slice of cake or just one chocolate, I always eat until I feel physically sick (although I have bever actually been sick because of over eating I am sure sometimes that is down to good luck more than anything else). That nausious feeling seems to be the only way of me knowing when am full . Obviously that's not healthy and needs to be addressed.

I am seriously monitoring my calories and portion sizes at the moment. I am eating only healthy food (no chocolate, crisps, snacks etc) for the next monh or so til I feel I am in control. I am trying to learn when I feel satisfied but it's not easy as I enjoy food so much I just want to eat for the sake of the nice taste not to fill me up. I can keep eating long after most people would feel full. Even after a good meal if someone offered me a dessert I would stuggle to say no which is why I am in my current state of being 3 stone over weight and having a body mass index of 28.

Today I seem to have done fairly well. Only had one slice of wholemeal toast for breakfast and just had some chicken in a tomato and red pepper sauce with veges which was delicious and only about 250 calories which is pretty good.

Yesterday I was pretty controlled too although I made a risotto for tea with brown rice which I did eat rather a lot of but no snacks yesterday either.

I really need to work on my will power. Night time is hard. DS goes to bed at 7pm and from then on all I think about is food! It doesn't help that my dh is really really slim and can eat anything he wants and never gain a pound so I feel like I am starving him by not being able to cook desserts and stuff. I know I wouldn't be able to resist if I made a cake or apple crumble for him and ds so I am just steering away from all junky food at the moment.

Anyway, thanks for all the support. Any more tips or anyone wanting to join me please feel free to post!

I've recently lost 2 1/2 stone and I'd like to lose half a stone more but it's very hard just to keep off the weight I've already lost!

I ws losing fro a big occaision which I did successfully, but now that teh occaision is over my motivation seems to have gone with it!

Some days aren't good and I eat way more than I should but I try and count calories and pull back over the next few days.

I work out my BMR every so often after I've lost some weight and stick to the amount of calories I'm allowed, I have to remember that I can't go back to eating the way I did before or I'll become 2 1/2 heavier again, but I have to eat to either maintain my new weight or try and lose some more.

If you want to keep it off then dieting isn't the answer. Because if you're just looking at a short term fix and then plan on going back to how you are now, of course it'll go back on again. So are you going to diet forever?

Miserable.

The absolute best thing to do is change your lifestyle so that it's healthy and the excess weight will go and stay gone. Exercise, eat healthily, don't set up a dichotomy between 'good' and 'bad' food. If you say you 'can't' have something then of course you're going to crave it and then feel guilty if you give in. What way is that to live your life?

I needed to lose a couple of stone post-pregnancy and I did it by going back to exercising a few times a week. No dieting. DD is 2.5 now and I'm my normal weight/size and fit and happy. I eat what I want and mostly I want to eat healthily as I feel better that way. Do I eat cake? Hell yes. Why wouldn't I? I go running a few times a week and food is something that fuels and is a pleasure. As it should be.

Do you exercise? Swim? Fitness DVDs? Walking? Running?

I just wanted to encourage you. I have lost 3 stone 4lb, and like you I am one of those people who think about food all the time. It can be done. I am 5ft 5 and went from 15 st 2 to 11st 11. I still have more to lose to get to my ideal weight, but have just got pregnant so that will now have to wait!

My tips:

• Don't waste your calories on empty rubbish like sweets and crips.
• Fill yourself up with lots of low cal fillers like good veges / lettuce. That should take up half your plate.
• Portion control. My weakness is I have to finish everything on my plate. So I have to force myself to put less on.
• For when you feel hungry: have a few very low cal standby snacks to call on. e.g. one slice of weight watchers toast with a sliced tomato and salt and pepper/lea & perrins on top - eat it slowly with a knife and fork and enjoy it. Or sliced strawberries/melon in a pretty glass dish eaten slowly with a spoon. Your brain will think you are indulging yourself or having an extra meal, and it's much better than scoffing a packet of crisps!
• Allow yourself the occasional treat but keep it small and make sure you look forward to it and enjoy it when you have it. e.g. half a slimmers chocolate bar, but maybe have it when watching your favourite programme, with a nice cup of tea. Then when you want choc you can think, yes, I'm having some at 9 o'clock tonight when I watch xxx.

I am sure you will come up with tactics of your own. I think it's about redirecting thoughts and habits, and everyone must be a little bit different on that. Good luck!

I used to be 12st and am now about 9.5 and pretty stable. I v rarely eat between meals and don't buy biscuits. Otherwise I pretty much eat what I want. However, I do cook everything from scratch and perhaps that makes a bit of a difference?

A friend of mine who I have know since 18, has always been fat. She is 5 foot tall and was very rotund. Anyway she had 2 DSs in her early 30s and was about a size 20. Don't know about weight. She decided enough was enough and went to Weight Watchers...and lost loads of weight. I think she went to about a size 8. Having had anothe baby she is I would think a size 10. But she is now late 30s and looks fabuous. Just telling you this so you know that it can be done.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone mumof22222 that is amazing weight loss, both you and your friend, thanks for sharing that. Ponymum thanks for the good advice, congratulations on the pg!

Showofhands, I am not acutally looking at 'dieting' exactly. Like I said I am actually wanting a healthier lifestyle and therefore looking for long term solutions like you suggested. Yes I am starting swimming again and have always enjoyed walking and climbing. I think you speak a lot of sense, I need to know I can eat cake but just not every day (or every meal .

Today I have eaten pretty healthily apart from 2 biscuits but I don't want to deprive myself completely or else I will be miserable. I will let you know how the weight loss goes. I am hoping to get weiged next Friday but I don't actually own any scales so will have to be at the local Boots store, which is good or I fear I'd be obsessively weighing myself every day which obviously is not good or accurate. Thanks again for all the help everyone.

Smiley I would give yourself 18 months to lose that 3 stone. Rely on exercise and just try to slightly adjust the balance of your diet towards the more healthy stuff, but whatever you do, do not BAN anything. The last thing you want to do is become obsessed by certain forbidden foods - that is a guaranteed route to binge eating.

18 monts really?? I guess that sounds like a long time but like I said I am wanting to make permenant changes and however long it takes it will be worth it. I am actually looking forward to feeling healthier and having a bit more energy hopefully!

I lost loads of fat and gained loads of lean muscle when I became a PT. I looked really toned and planned to enter Figure competition, but then I met my partner, he fed me and after keeping the weight off for 2 years, put it all back on in about 3 months.

I had my baby in June and got really fat after, now trying to get back what I lost.

I lost 3 stone after having dd. I cut out all bad carbohydrates and went pretty hardcore on the exercise bike in the evenings and it came away surprisingly easily. I had no trouble maintaining until I had ds and piled the pounds back on. In pregnancy I get so sick and only stodge seems to help curb it . I am only now, 17 months after he was born, gettign serious about losing the weight again. I have started on a low carb plan and have so far lost a stone in just over 2 weeks which I'm chuffed with. That takes me now to exactly your stats and I still want to get down to at least 12 stone as I know that was roughly what I was before I got pg, though I know even then I wanted to lose a few pounds, so am aiming for 11 eventually. It can be seriously intimidating to look at the weight as a whole so I'm aiming for a stone at a time and giving myself a big treat when I reach target- this time it will be a decent haircut, and at 12 stone it will be a bit of a shopping spree. It can be done, but ime diet alone isn't enough, and even though I hate getting sweaty the exercise will not only help you lose weight but also tone up, which you will need after a 3 stone loss

Thanks for the replies. I have been fairly goos doing light weight training to tone up and stomach crunches every night just to build up a bit of muscle. Lost 2lbs last week so I am now 13.3lbs which is a good step in the right direction but a very small one. I know it will be a long process though, just have to stick with it I suppose. Going for a bike ride today which should burn a few calories and tone up my lardy legs a tiny bit! Feel free to add your progress anyone, might keep me motivated!

I lost just over 2 stone a couple of years ago and have kept it off. I did it by eating a healthier, more fruit veg and water, but also not denying myself anything. If I fancied a bit chocolate I would have a fun size packet of something - I am one of those people who, if I have it in my head that I am not 'allowed' it then I want it even more. I also made sure I walked for at least 30 mins a day, or went on the exercise bike.

All in all I ate roughly 1500 cals a day. I find it quite easy to maintain my weight now ( I now hover around the 11 stone mark, size 12, 5'9") and if I feel I've put any weight on I'm just careful with what I eat for a few days.

Just need to tone up my flabby mummy tummy now!

I joined slimming world and have lost 2st in 11 weeks. I was 16 st and 5ft 4 so desperate measures were needed.

I also walk everywhere now, and even cycle - which I wouldn't have dreamed of doing a coulple of months ago.

I have 4st still to lose.

Through slimming world, I am learning how to eat properly. Not fad dieting and I refuse to eat 'slimming foods'. I eat proper meals, cooked from scratch. For breakfast (which I used to skip and then eat like mad at lunchtime) I have 2 slices of wholemeal nimble bread. I have cut out all the rubbish, I am a lot like the earlier posters mum who cannot have only 'one' of anything so I find it much easier not have biscuits, crisps, sweets. Every now and then I crave a chcolate bar and I will have a curly wurly which satifies the craving. I don't eat between meals and I only drink water and coffee (with a splash of milk).

I eat a lot of vegtables (something I used to avoid) and have really cut down on my meat intake. I found I'm not really keen on fatty meat anyway. We still have a takeaway now and then and I happily choose a vegetable option which I really enjoy but is a lot less calories.

I have discovered that alcohol is a big problem - I cannot lose weight and drink. So, I still drink socailly every couple of weeks or so (and then really watch what I eat for the week) but no more alchol at home.

Good Luck - I have dropped 2 jean sizes and feel so much better already

Hi there. i also am trying to lose some weight. have lost nearly 2stone since this time last year. Am 5" and now down to 9st 12lb. Anywhere between 8st and 8 and 1/2 stone would be magic!

not really sure what tips i could add that hasnt already been said to be honest, but 'healthy eating plan' (dont like the word diet) has seen me reduce my portions quite considerably and I also do alot of walking, roughly 3 miles every day. i tend to stick to my three square meals but i am not immune to the occasional blow out were i raid the kitchen cupboards!

good luck!

I lost over 2 stone and have kept it off for 6 months. The trick isn't to think of it as a diet, but a new, healthy lifestyle. Watch the portion size, fat content and say 'no' to snacks.Get plenty of exercise-I swear by a 10/15 min run every morning.