The General Diet & Emotional Support Thread

Bloomin_Freezing2

margaretclare wrote: »

As others have implied, this is a ridiculous question anyway, but it does throw up some interesting points.

If the OP weighs 13 stone I would submit she is wearing much bigger than size 16. I have recently got down to just below 11 1/2 stone, it has taken me a year and a half, and I am wearing size 16. When I weighed almost 13 stone I was wearing size 22.

Most doctors will tell you that, at 13 stone, you need to lose some weight, but I doubt if there is one that knows his/her job who will tell you you need to be 7 stone. Usually they suggest losing 5% or 10% or your current weight, even that will improve your health and lessen the risk of Type 2 diabetes and other nasties.

A lot depends, also, on how tall you are. If you are what they call 'petite' i.e. 5 ft 2" or less, you lose weight at a much, much slower rate than someone 6 inches taller. Most people who know about it will say that losing 2 pounds a week is the absolute maximum that anyone can lose (except in the first week or so when it is mainly fluid) and for a shorter person, one pound a week is realistic.

Exercise is not the be-all and end-all. Most of us need to be more active than we are, but we can never be as active as people used to be as a matter of course. I used to walk 2 miles there and back to school, later when I had 2 small children I was the slimmest I've ever been. It was the lifestyle then - just to make a phone call involved bundling them up into the pushchair and walking to the village to the phone box.

Energetic exercise can actually increase weight because of the damage to muscles and the fluid retention to repair that damage. It all evens out in time, of course, but it won't happen overnight.

To talk about losing huge amounts of weight for a date on the calendar, or for a dress size, is just ridiculous.

I am managing to lose weight with the help of a site: www.weighlossresources.co.uk I log everything that I eat in a food diary and any exercise that I do, and I find I can only lose weight by sticking as closely as possible to 1100 calories a day. Even then it is slow, but then, it did not go on overnight - it built up gradually over a very long period of time, so it would be completely unrealistic to think that it can come off at great speed.

Start by keeping a food diary.

HTH

Weight and dress size varies between people, everybody is different.

sazziecee

Bloomin_Freezing2 wrote: »

Weight and dress size varies between people, everybody is different.

It certainly does, I have recently lost 2 stone (took me a year to do it by the way, which is fine by me as it should stay off now)

I am 5ft 4 and at my heaviest weighed 11st 8lb and I was a size 14. I lost a stone and was still a 12/14 and it wasn't til I lost the final 7lb that I finally got into a size 10 on the bottom. I still need a 12/14 on my top half though as my boobs didn't shrink hardly at all...:p

My friend is 5ft 8, weighs 14 stone and is a size 16/18.
She has lost 2 stone in the past and was a healthy weight but could still never get below a size 14, as her body frame was so large, really broad shoulders and hips.

Aiming for a particular dress size (unless you have been that size before) isn't a way to go about it, as some people can never get to that size as their body frame is too large. I would have to chop my boobs off to also be a size 10 on the top half, I doubt my OH would appreciate that, lol

Aim for a healthy BMI please OP, preferably somewhere in the middle range (22-23) and don't do it for a man!!

Wicked_witch

I weigh almost 14 stone and wear a 16. Tops fit well, bottoms always too loose around the waist, so there you go!

lessonlearned

In just over six months I shall be sixty. I look and feel dreadful and have decided it's high time to do something about it.

Any help, advice, tips, inspiration, kicks up the backside will be very much appreciated.

Not very good at computers so will just try and post this and see if it is accepted.

Bennifred

One thing I think makes more difference than almost anything else - get a fab haircut/colour! Really worth the investment and will kick start your frump-to-fab journey!:j

lessonlearned

Right now I know I can do a post I'll get started.

A bit about me - I'm a full time carer for my severely disabled husband. The stress has taken it's toll and I feel that over the last year I've aged by at least ten years.

So .......

I'm going to do my best to tackle it. I thought keeping a diary would help, if I made it a bit more public and did some posting here it might help me stay on track. So please, please kind peeps, I would very much appreciate any feedback etc to help me stay motivated. I do love this site and find everyone is so friendly and willing to share tips etc.

Anyway here's the plan.

To lose two stones.
To get fitter.
To smarten up.
To improve my looks.

I thought I would start small, forget the d word (diet), eat well and sensibly, exercise and try and build in one beauty (homemade of course) treatment per day.

Here's the starting point.

Height 5'6". (used to be 5"7" - age & bad posture)
Weight 12stone 8lbs - far too heavy - only small bones

Not so vital statistics

Bust - 43" (40DD bras too tight, refuse to buy more)
Waist - 36" (Diabetes/heart disease risk - definitely got to trim this)
Hips - 41"(bum looks big in everything)
Thighs - 22"
Calves - 14&1/4 (supposed to be quarter) (can never fit into nice boots)

Skin - dreadful, dry, sore, sensitive and far more wrinkled than it was just a year ago.
Hair - so - so

Totally unfit, and a mass of aches and pains, sore joints, aching bones, backache etc.

So you see I've a long way to go.

I don't want to join a slimming club, been there, done that anyway would rather spend the time and money on better things.

Today I've made a start by beginning this diary and giving myself a homemade facepack.

Please feel free to join me on my challenge anyone, and nag me when I need it.

See ya.

lessonlearned

Hi Bennifred

Wow!! Thanks for posting so quickly.

Haircut booked for tomorrow - bring it on!!

arbroath_lass

You seem so positive, well done!

Can I suggest (although you don't want to) a decent fitting bra will make a huge difference. It'll help improve your posture, make your clothes hang better and make you look and feel better immediately (may help your backache too).

A great kick start to your "new you".

Good luck.

foreign_correspondent

hiya, Im working on the same sort of thing - came out of a long term relationship at the end of august, and realised how much I had let myself go - lost almost 3 stone so far, started swimming and yoga, bought some new clothes (nothing expensive, just a few co-ordinated bits and bobs) and I am feeling a whole lot better!

One thing I would say, is when you have lost a bit of weight, perhaps the first stone, go and get measured for a bra, and see if you need a whole different size. I got measured at John Lewis, I was wearing a 42dd, found out I was in fact a 38G! I bought a couple of posh bras from bravissimo, but also some equally lovely, but far cheaper ones from Asda - they d make a difference to your overall look and how your clothes fit!

Good luck!

LittleMissAspie

lessonlearned wrote: »

Skin - dreadful, dry, sore, sensitive and far more wrinkled than it was just a year ago.
Hair - so - so

Personally I find these things affect me the most, ie if my hair and skin feel good then it makes the most difference to me.

You need a gentle cleansing routine for your skin twice a day. Have you tried OCM (oil cleansing method)? It's good when my skin is dry which it gets in the winter. There is a massive thread here on it, do a search and read it. If you don't like the sound of that then try something from Lush, their products are full of natural, gentle ingredients. Angels on Bare Skin might suit you but explain in store and they will recommend something for you to try, you can even get a few samples rather than buy a whole pot.

For moisturising I don't think you can beat natural oils. Coconut oil is great for all types of skin or you could try something else. I get mine online but if you want to go to a real shop and see them for yourself then any health shop should have some, or Neal's Yard (expensive).

Getting your hair trimmed regularly is the best way to keep it in good condition. Try a hair treatment once a week too to keep it soft and shiny.

It's easy to make your own body scrub at home. Two versions - cleansing version is simply to mix sea salt in with your shower gel (don't put sugar in shower gel, it makes it go gloopy and stringy). Moisturising version is to mix sugar or salt in with a light oil like almond oil. Be careful with this one as it can make the shower/bath floor slippery so go light on the oil.