How to stay motivated when you have a lot of weight to lose?

Mrs_Optimist

As the op states. I had a medical appointment yesterday and whilst I was there for an unrelated matter, I mentioned to the nurse that I had piled on the pounds in the last year and was concerned as I may be peri menopausal. The thought of taking HRT and putting on even more weight really worries me.

I have approx. 8 stone to lose (how did I get so fat)

I don't want to join a slimming club but do want to get into a healthy eating routine. I don't exercise but the nurse wasn't that concerned as she says it's usually diet that assists with weight loss.

Can anyone recommend a good healthy weightloss plan that is easy to stick to? I don't want a quick fix. And also how do you stay motivated when you have such a lot of lard to lose?

THANKS.

fairy_lights

It's not an eating plan, but I'd recommend myfitnesspal.com - there's an app you can download too.
You enter your stats and it tells you how many calories you need to be eating to reach your goal.
I think to stay motivated you have to keep reminding yourself that this is something you are doing not just to slim down, but also to benefit your health in the long run. The nurse is right in that your diet is the biggest factor in weightloss, but exercise does help and makes you feel much better too. If you're not at all active at the moment maybe you could just start with walking a bit more?

baby_lemonade

Some women find going to FatFighters/Weightwatchers helpful.

I'd just have three healthy meals a day and see how you go for a month. Try and lose a couple of lb per week.

Mrs_Optimist

Thanks

I am very inactive, but otherwise fit and healthy apart from my BMI which is 45 !

I have good mobility but eat too much. Luckily I like fruit and veg, but the thought of a weightloss club really doesn't appeal. I will see how I get on for next few weeks just cutting out snacks and alcohol. I have an appt with my gp for bloods and hormone testing in a few weeks although I don't think that's the problem if I'm honest. I'm just greedy and lazy, not a great combination.

I just hope it isn't too late to change.

JimmyTheWig

Don't think too much about what you shouldn't be eating.
Think about what you should be eating more of.

You say you like fruit and veg, which should make things easier. Try eating a large raw carrot half an hour before each meal.

Don't limit the amount of snacks you can eat, but have very small portions of them (e.g. 1 square of chocolate) and have something healthy between having them. So raw carrot before dinner, then dinner, then an apple, then a square of chocolate, then a banana, then another square of chocolate, etc.

Try having a pint of water between alcoholic drinks.

MMF007

Excellent question!
I started a weight ,oss campaign in May. I too let the pounds creep on over quite a few years. I got out of the rut (packed job in as it was literally making me sick and tired), read a diet book, liked the sound of that particular method and set off to achieve what I want.

I had a total of 5 stone to lose, although 4 would do, I want to get down to ideal weight.
I have lost 2 stones in just over 4 months. That time period includes 5 trips away for socialising so I am more than happy with the running total.

Do NOT reflect on the downside, ie, that the weight gain happened. Always reflect on your achievements, ie, lose a couple of pounds, celebrate by buying some flowers!

I set myself less daunting targets as I go along. No way could I cope with just thinking of the 5 stones. So first goal was 1/2 stone. That went quite easily as the first rush does!
then I set a litttle deadline, eg, lose another 3 before meeeting up with a friend in 2 weeks' time. Or lose 5 more by end of month. Whatever is fairly achievable. Don't set unrealistic targets or you set yourself up to fail.

If you miss a target, just extend the time rather than consider it a fail! So for me, I suddenly stalled when I was just 2 pounds short of the 2 stone loss. I wanted to get there by end Aug (no reason, just a date to aim for). When i didn't quite make it I simply extended target to next week, re assessed what caused the stall, adjusted eating pattern and lo and behold, lost a pound this
week so am 'back on target'. All the time reminding myself how much I had achieved already. Yes, I did almost lose the plot, but the feeling only lasted a day and I persevered, not wanting to undo the good work so far.

It is difficult to exercise very much when carrying a lot of weight but walking helps mentally as well as physically. Once some weight is lost you can defo feel a difference in how your muscles work. I don't mean there's less strain, I mean they feel different, like they can act better. Not sure I can explain it but you will notice.

Sorry, I have waffled on. Anyway, ignore those who look with distain, because we are achieving things through dogged determination and we all have had to start from where we are! No good wishing for anything to have been different, cos it wasn't!

Start, keep going, achieve!

Best wishes,

M

gettingtheresometime

I've always been a big girl but last year, for the same reasons as you I guess, I seemed to put on a stone within a month for no apparent reason.

Three weeks ago I decided to join slimming world. I went to the US over the bank holiday and on my first weigh in I stayed the same (which was considered an achievement as I did stray a little) and in my first proper week on the plan I've list 6 lbs - and I've never eaten so much.

i haven't decided whether I'll stay a member or go it alone with the help of the SW thread but going to give a whirl for a month or so

Katiehound

Two diets you might like to look at:

The SIRT food diet- really interesting- why people in some parts of the world live longer and are healthier etc- you need to like kale amongst other things!
If you stick to the diet (you won't go hungry) lose 7lbs in 7 days, then follow the next 2 weeks and by the end of that you will hopefully have changed your eating patterns.

Another is the 5:2 diet.l You get used to the 2 low calorie days but I found it more effective to do 4:3

In both cases if you lose weight early on that is an incentive in itself.
I see my weight is creeping up- oops back to Sirt

Both books can be bought cheaply on Amazon and there are extra recipe books available

Nicki

Try downloading an app called the thin woman's brain, which is quite good at helping control overeating and keeping motivation up whilst dieting. There is also a website and book.

I think different people do well on different diets. Some really suit low carb eating, others low fat and still others calorie counting. You may have to play around until you find the approach which suits you best but they aren't mix and match so once you find something you find easier, you need to stick with it.

Good luck.

suki1964

Don't diet

Minute you start on the diet regime, your !!!!!!ed

What you need to do is understand ( enough, no need to be an expert ) nutrition

We need a certain amount of food to keep us healthy. We need different types of foods to do that

There's no bad or good foods. Some foods are better for us then others and those are the ones we need to use day in day out, whilst the others do have to be treated as treats

We have all heard about the five a day. Some say it should be 8 a day. A lot of evidence is that those five a day should be veg, with fruit as extras

A portion of veg that's going to do our body good is HUGE

Eating the five a day can be and is a struggle for most of us lazy people ( I'm one) However getting that five a day in you means there's less room for the carbs and sugars


Seriously you don't need caddy diets or expensive clubs. What you need is to eat a balanced diet

A sedationarary female needs no more then 2000 calls a day. Veg is nearly calorie free. So you can really fill up on those and still have loads of calories for comfort

In my day diets were ' cut the bread, pasta, cakes'. As well as chocolate and sweets. Medics are now going back to that

Three meals a day is all we need. Maybe a few snacks. But we don't need to scoff a Chinese then open the chocolate

Breakfast muesli or porridge ( check the sugar in the musili ) with fruit to sweeten. Or boiled/ poached eggs and bacon or even a couple of slices of granary toast and peanut butter ( don't butter the toast first)

Lunch, jacket spud and salad with a protein rich spud filling. Or a huge salad with lots of veg and fruit, and a protein portion such as prawns, sardines, tuna, egg. Or even a lovely triple decker sarni filled with salad bits, hummus, avocado , cooked chicken, whaterver. Just don't have the crisps and pop alon with it

Dinner. Meat and 3 veg sounds boring, but you need to base your dinner around 1 protein and at least 3 veg and only a small starch/ carb portion.

Say spaghetti bolognaise is your fav meal. Then cut the mince with carrots, onions,,mushrooms, lentils, courgettes. Then cut your pasta portion down and instead of the garlic bread, have a lovely big bowl of salad or broccoli along side

Fish and chips? Get oven baked. In fact get naked fish and season and flavour to make it good without the need of batter. Sweet potato fries are easy, delish and cater to the sweet tooth

Curry. Easy peasy cooked from scratch with barely a touch of oil. Serve with boiled rice and a chapatti instead of fried and a naan. When going out for a ruby, choose the tandoori chicken

Pizza, make your own. That way you control how much cheese and pepperoni is loaded without wanting to get the best value for the price. My fav pizza is just tomato, mozzarella and anchovies

Oh Lordy I've typed a sermon, sorry

Just I don't believe in diets, I believe in good food cooked well and looking at portion sizes

I don't ever weigh myself. If clothes don't fit or feel tight, I start looking at what I'm actually eating/drinking and cut down

Btw diet pop makes you fat as well If like me you tend to guzzle it, look at cutting that back as well

As for exercise, well slow and steady. A walk around the block perhaps to start. Time yourself. Next night make it quicker. Keep making it quicker till you do that walk without puffing. Then make it two blocks, then three ( a dog is really handy, you have to go out even when you don't want to lol)

You really don't need to change everything ( that's rarely sustainable a way) just little changes which in themselves become habit, more of a habit then reaching for the bikkies

jayII

Great thread!

I'm in a similar situation and really don't like diet clubs. I've tried simply cutting back, eating healthily and exercising numerous times, also tried SW (two different clubs, both were okay but really not my thing). I tried 5:2 and enjoyed it worked for a few weeks, but life got in the way and I've never managed to get to grips with it again.

I decided to give up sugar about a month ago for other health reasons and I'm feeling better and losing little bits of weight.

I'm reasonably fit and agile, just way too heavy and I'm totally fed up of living like this--I miss the feeling of being able to run and do other energetic activities at will and I miss the joy of just feeling in tune with a healthy body, if that makes sense.

MF007, I love your post! The ideas of tiny goals, small 'rewards' and extending deadlines, rather than seeing non-loss times as a failure, are great!