25 stone to 19 stone in 8 months.

Hi folks I am going to try my best to lose six stone by Maundy Thursday, 2nd April 2015 which is the day I go on holiday to Switzerland and Italy.

I went on holiday in April and had THE most miserable time imaginable. I am now determined not to have a repeat of this. It was miserable because:

• I cannot climb in or out of a bath so had to ensure hotel rooms had a walk in shower
• Struggled to get into plane seat, horribly uncomfortable with arm rests digging into my legs and public embarrassment at having to ask for seatbelt extender
• Terribly uncomfortable walking through airport, my feet, ankles, legs hurting terribly. Booked disabled assistance (which made me feel terrible in itself) and they sent a wheelchair too narrow for my hips so I still had to waddle, seemingly for miles, getting hot and irritable and puffing and panting with people staring at me. We can imagine what they were thinking, can't we?
• Used a public toilet but the door would not shut as my body was in the way. Had to pee with door open!
• Unable to sight-see much because unable to stand or walk for more than ten minutes. Had to pay out a lot of money on taxis for short journeys
• Unable to enjoy museums or galleries as unable to stand or walk for more than ten minutes. Had to leave without seeing everything.
• Unable to run for a bus or train about to leave and missed them
• Unable to fit comfortably on a bus or train seat and mortified when having to share seat with another person
• Struggled to climb up into trams, buses
• Struggled to climb stairs which meant I missed out on a lot of sight seeing and museums' upper floors.
• Felt incredibly ashamed that my companion was witnessing my self-inflicted disability
• Felt incredibly ashamed that my companion missed out on a lot of sigh-seeing, cut museum visits short etc because I could not go on

I could add half a dozen more miseries but you get the picture. It is IMPOSSIBLE to enjoy a city-break sightseeing type of holiday with a BMI of 64 and I refuse to try again. Thank goodness my travel companion hasn't given up on me: he invited me on another holiday last month but I did not go, PURELY because I am too fat. How sad is that?

Worse than that, because I would not go abroad he came and stayed at my house for a week and each day he went out alone, walking for miles, and visited many places of interest and outdoor events and I stayed indoors all day every day because I am so fat.

Now, THAT is what I call rock bottom. Missing the sunshine, missing the summer, missing events, missing out on companionship, fun, interesting events etc.

I am now determined to start living again.

He wants to go abroad for Easter, which gives me a definite goal to aim for to lose enough so that I can be a proper companion to him, walk and stand and travel in (relative) comfort.

I would love to find some other ladies in the UK who are a similar weight and understand all the problems that it brings, and are determined to lose 6 stone.

We can support one another and post our menus. I am keeping a public food log on MFP under this name.

I am aiming for 1600 calories daily but am allowed to exceed to 1700 IF I find 1600 leaves me hungry.

I have bought Paul McKenna's Hypnotic gastric Band and await delivery. I have printed out all of Mardy Roux's Obesity Treatment Project.

http://winningtheobesitybattle.word...rdy-roux-obesity-treatment-project-–-phase-1/

It is 15 years since I weighed 19 stone so this is going to be a huge life change for me. I need support and encouragement.

Love to you all

366.

Just found your thread.

All your reasons ring true with me too and I'm only 31. I've missed out on so much of life and my son has too because I could do things PURELY because of my weight. So yes we shall buddy up and lose 6 stone and beyond xx

Hi Hershey and many thanks for being the first to reply.

You and I are about the same amount overweight. I say that because, although you are heavier, you are also considerably taller, which balances it out. I am glad you are going to tackle this in your 30s because, believe me, lugging that amount of excess poundage about when you are 56 is literally twice as hard. I am currently almost housebound. Even standing up in the kitchen for more than 5 mins exhausts me.

I see you have a goal in 3 months with your wedding. I have a goal in 5 months as I am booked to give a public talk and that means standing up and being looked at by a load of strangers. If I could shed 3 stone by then I would not feel quite so self conscious, plus I would know that I was "On My Way" or "A Work in Progress" and would not feel so bad about myself.

Are you interested in looking at others' daily food diaries, and in sharing yours? I've tried doing this with American ladies, but it just does not work ~ half of the things they list are unknown to me and unavailable in the UK. I see you are in Wales so we are, at least, eating from the same retailers!

Im on myfitnesspal, do you use that? My username is louisebose

Add me on there to view diaries etc x

hershey said:

Im on myfitnesspal, do you use that? My username is louisebose

Add me on there to view diaries etc x

Click to expand...

Just sent you a friend request!

We can see one another's diaries now.

Hopefully we can learn some new food ideas from one another.

Just wanted to pop in and wish you good luck! It's a great community to join here for support and ideas.

Well that is kind, thank you.

I'm not having a good day. I feel RAVENOUSLY hungry, have used up half my calorie allowance and it's only 2.30pm.

In the three days since I started my diet I have had a few mild blood sugar crashes. It's hard to tell whether these are my body warning me that this diet is wrong for me, or just my body adjusting to the higher sugar intake (I was lowcarbing before.)

366.

I'm not sure what your meal plan is for today, but do you have low cal snacks? Always better to snack on a bit of fruit than end up so hungry you made a bad choice.

Give your body enough chance to adjust - I think they say it takes 28 days for a new habit to stick and for your body to get used to a permanent change, but if it feels wrong after a while maybe look into something else?.

You said yourself you have an extra 100 if you really need, that extra 100 can be something really healthy and depending on what time you wake up and go to bed, you're more than half way through the day so doesn't seem that bad

Yes, I had a plum and now I feel even hungrier. I think that, as much as I love the taste of fruit, they are a bad food choice for me.

I'm actually feeling lightheaded and a bit giddy now. I will HAVE to go and eat something substantial, and worry about the calories later.

I am totally confused about the JUDD by the way, I just input my stats here:

The Alternate-Day Diet – Down Day Recipes – Weight Loss with Alternate-Day Calorie Restriction

and it says down days 1703 calories and normal 4866 calories. Whaaaaaat?

366.

Have something if you need, substantial doesn't have to mean unhealthy.

I get honestly so confused about calories, but 1600 does sound very very low for you. Have you considered a diet like SW or WW? I'm not trying to convert you by any means, whatever works for you, but it might be an easier option to not have to track everything you eat so rigorously. And both diets have wiggle room for days when you are hungrier than usual.

Today have a little something extra and maybe tomorrow have less cals in the way of salad instead of potatoes etc

I did juddd and it kinda makes sense but I found that the up days were an invitation for all my bad habits to party!!

Google TDEE calculator, it'll give you an accurate amount got cals depending on your exact weight etc xx

You are only a few stone lighter than me and I can have over 2000 a day and still lose, so maybe you need more.

Are you drinking plenty of water? Coconut water is a good healthy filler x

Thanks for your thoughts gals.

Salads leave me feeling hungry and shakey, hence choosing potatoes, that I found very filling for a modest calorie outlay.

As for other diets, well, whatever the diet there is something you have to count, some kind of restriction so I don't see what it matters which one you choose.

Hershey what on earth is coconut water? Do you mean buy a coconut crack it and drink the water? I know I don't drink enough water and will address that problem asap.

Just after I left that last message a delivery man came to the door, when I got up to open the front door I felt dizzy and whilst waiting for him to carry the parcels inside I almost fainted. That scared me so much that I just went and made two toasted sandwiches as fast as I could. I shall now go and input it to MFP and see what the damage is <tremble>.

Edited to add: I feel incredibly tired, like I am about to fall asleep. Almost no energy, a "half dead" feeling. It scares me!

366

Hi 366, I'm sorry you have had such a scary experience Being dizzy and almost fainting is never nice. Have you had yourself checked over by the doctor? I've been suffering with dizzy spells for years (and I now barely leave the house because they make me panic so much) and have had endless blood tests, DR's think it might be a vitamin deficiency or stress!

Anyway, good luck with your weight loss.
I'm off on holiday next May and want to have lost at least 6 stone by then as well.
I went away last year and like you I couldn't do very much because I needed to stop and rest so much, didn't enjoy the holiday at all because of my weight stopping me doing things.

I'm also on MFP, my username is clairelong1983 if you'd like to add me on there.
I'm currently taking xenical which is helping me stick to a very low fat diet I'm enjoying the food I'm having so far.

Hello. Your thread caught my eye and I thought I'd comment. Now, I don't have a weight problem ( now ) but lost almost 6 stone a few years back and reduced my weight from 15 stone to 9 stone - so picked up a few tips along the way.

I'd try not to concentrate too much on calories right now. I think if you ate just three times a day with no snacking at all, you'd be seeing decent losses very quickly. A breakfast of grilled bacon, eggs and mushrooms for example would leave you satiated and not a carb in sight. Its when people eat food such as fruit, pasta, potatoes, Muiller light yogurts and ' low fat ' food that they constantly feel hungry. In my opinion, sugar is the devil - and that includes carbs.

Of course , it's vital we eat whole grains and fruit! I'd recommend you check out Zoe Harcombe phase 1. It's strict and it's hard but it's only five days and the quantities of food are unlimited. I do the plan every so often and despite being a normal BMI, I always lose half a stone plus in those five days. I think it works because it basically starves your body of sugar- and nobody needs sugar.

Anyway, wanted to wish you luck on your journey! Feel free to ignore the above ( I can't pretend to know the struggles of being 25 stone but then again, I know what works to lose 6 stone ) but if you did decide to look into it and give it a go, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't regret it.

You need to eat more! Simple as that. Try 2000 cals for a week, you'll still lose! And are you exercising too? Eat back your exercise cals, you'll still benefit from the increase in metabolism that working out gives.

Space out your cals over 3 meals and 3 snack. Say 550 per meal then say 120 cal snack. Or less for breakfast and more for dinner and tea.
Protein will fill you up longer than carbs will.

Coconut water is the water from inside a coconut! But you can buy it canned on amazon or in shops. Amazons is best, sweeter. It fills you up so suppress appetite and is about 60 cals. It's very good for you.

I know all this as im now work for my sister who is a nutritionist and today I've been researching the benefits of coconut water and oils and the toxic ness of vegetable oils and margarines!

Do the tdee, you'll be suprised how many cals you can have xxxx

I did the harcombe diet, very very strict but good losses but I felt rubbish on it. It's much more sustainable to just eat right within your cals. It's a life plan not a 'don't mix carbs with fats ever' plan which for people our size is unmanageable. But each to their own

Blue Butterfly said:

Have you had yourself checked over by the doctor?

I'm off on holiday next May and want to have lost at least 6 stone by then as well.
I went away last year and like you I couldn't do very much because I needed to stop and rest so much, didn't enjoy the holiday at all because of my weight stopping me doing things.

I'm also on MFP, my username is clairelong1983 if you'd like to add me on there.
I'm currently taking xenical which is helping me stick to a very low fat diet I'm enjoying the food I'm having so far.

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Hello Bluey ~ or Claire!

No I won't go to the doc's it only happens when I don't eat enough. Besides, they know nothing about anything to do with diet, nutrition, weight loss etc so I avoid them whenever possible. My GP is a good 20 stone himself and has been all the time I've been at the surgery -- 22 years! He has six fully qualified doctors in the practice, plus nurses, dieticians etc and not one of them has found a way to slim him down, so why would anyone ask them about anything to do with dieting? When I have lost 15 stone I shall end up being their diet advisor LOL.


I'm so glad to hear that you understand exactly what a total misery it is going on holiday at this weight. It's a powerful motivator, isn't it? Let's help and support one another, please! I will add you on MFP.

My first goal is to lose a stone and catch up with YOU ~ however, you will be a stone down by then and I'll never catch you up! It will be like a greyhound chasing a rabbit ~ never to catch it but always trying LOL.

366.

366to266 said:

Hello Bluey ~ or Claire! No I won't go to the doc's it only happens when I don't eat enough. Besides, they know nothing about anything to do with diet, nutrition, weight loss etc so I avoid them whenever possible. My GP is a good 20 stone himself and has been all the time I've been at the surgery -- 22 years! He has six fully qualified doctors in the practice, plus nurses, dieticians etc and not one of them has found a way to slim him down, so why would anyone ask them about anything to do with dieting? When I have lost 15 stone I shall end up being their diet advisor LOL. I'm so glad to hear that you understand exactly what a total misery it is going on holiday at this weight. It's a powerful motivator, isn't it? Let's help and support one another, please! I will add you on MFP. My first goal is to lose a stone and catch up with YOU ~ however, you will be a stone down by then and I'll never catch you up! It will be like a greyhound chasing a rabbit ~ never to catch it but always trying LOL. 366.

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Haha I hate going to the dr!! I refuse unless I'm dropping dead!
All my drs are slim and blame everything on my weight. Thin people don't get ill then ?!?!?

We can do this. What you having for tea tonight? Xx

Oh I did the calorie counting thing too for months and although I lost weight on it - I felt rubbish. A diet heavy in pasta/ potatoes/ bread etc is no good for anyone. Moderation is the key I suppose

Yes , ZH is strict. It's always a hard five days because you feel terrible as you starve your body of sugar. It's like carb flu. It passes however.

I agree with you though that the more you weigh, the more you need to eat. 2000-2500 calories a day at 25 stone I should think. At least. Gives you room to manoeuvre as you lose weight too.

GretaGrip said:

Hello. Your thread caught my eye and I thought I'd comment. Now, I don't have a weight problem ( now ) but lost almost 6 stone a few years back and reduced my weight from 15 stone to 9 stone - so picked up a few tips along the way.

I'd try not to concentrate too much on calories right now. I think if you ate just three times a day with no snacking at all, you'd be seeing decent losses very quickly. A breakfast of grilled bacon, eggs and mushrooms for example would leave you satiated and not a carb in sight. Its when people eat food such as fruit, pasta, potatoes, Muiller light yogurts and ' low fat ' food that they constantly feel hungry. In my opinion, sugar is the devil - and that includes carbs.

Of course , it's vital we eat whole grains and fruit! I'd recommend you check out Zoe Harcombe phase 1. It's strict and it's hard but it's only five days and the quantities of food are unlimited. I do the plan every so often and despite being a normal BMI, I always lose half a stone plus in those five days. I think it works because it basically starves your body of sugar- and nobody needs sugar.

Anyway, wanted to wish you luck on your journey! Feel free to ignore the above ( I can't pretend to know the struggles of being 25 stone but then again, I know what works to lose 6 stone ) but if you did decide to look into it and give it a go, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't regret it.

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Hi Greta and thanks for the message. What a pity you haven't filled in your stats on the left so I cannot read anything about you :-(

I love to hear from someone who has done it and got the t-shirt, and one in a considerably smaller size

Re the meaty breakfast - this is exactly what I have been eating for years.

Over the past ten years I've done Atkins and also zero-carb a few times, including right up to last week, but I always end up falling off the wagon because I get these irresistible cravings for a sandwich or a Chinese take-away, or fish n chips, or someone buys me a box of chocolates and I just grab them and guzzle them down and get re-addicted. This year I lost 21lb on Atkins then went on holiday and went crazy for chips and ice cream etc and when I got home I could not stop eating them.

So the reason that this time I have chosen calorie counting is that no food is banned. I satisfy my craving for bread, potatoes, rice, chocolate, fruit etc until I am sick to the back teeth of them, then I shall definitely return to low carbing because it does settle my blood glucose levels and I don't get dizzy spells. Maybe once I have the McKenna gastric band "in place" (LOL) I will be able to stick to Atkins.

Funnily enough Zoe is an email penpal of mine and she quotes me in her latest book. I often send her bits of research that I come across that she can use in her talks and blogs. I also quote her almost daily to my friends and acquaintances for the things she says about cholesterol and statins. But I have never tried her diet ~ funny, isn't it?

I don't agree that it's "vital" to eat whole grains OR fruit. Fruit is sugar, which is the devil, and grains are really bad for us. What I feel I am doing at the moment is "damage limitation". To explain: if I am unable to control myself and keep eating fruit, bread and other carbs, then I MUST be on a calorie counting plan, because mixing high fat with high sugar and grains is (literally) deadly.

Do you see what I mean?

366 (Helena)