Weigh in was tonight. I lost 1.8lbs this week! That was shocker considering I was bad Thursday-Saturday and it’s that time of the month.
I’d like to thank Leslie Sansone and her Walk Away the Pounds program for helping me reach my first 10lbs!
10.8lbs gone baby! Woohoo!
Thank-you for the feedback Shoshana, might just wait until I can get the time to purchase some scales of my own. 
Congrats fizzestothetop, great to hear (read) the success stories 
fizzes, Way to go! FWIW, I have heard from others that the “Walking Away The Pounds” videos are great!
pops out of lurkdom
Firstly, congraulations to those of ya who have lost wieght!
Here’s my story:
I lost a WHOPPING amount of weight over 4 years… I went from 216lbs/99kgs to 145lbs/65kgs. I want to get to 140lbs and then I’ll have reached my target.
Can I get hose last five pounds to shift? Can I HECK!! Argh!!!
… I’d just thought I’d pop in and say that because I know how loosing that (or ANY, for that matter!) amount of weight can appear to be an insurmountable uphill struggle. So for all you dieters out there, please please PLEASE stick at it, you WILL get there in the end if you do stick to it!!
(Incidentally, I didn’t use any of those “one-hit-wonder” celebrity diets… I did it pretty much all by myself, proving those who gave me the fake-sympathetic “Aw… she’s-on-a-diet, but-why’s-the-poor-thing-bothering, she’ll-never-do-it”-looks WRONG!!!)
Congratulations, Bimble! That’s an astounding success!
I’m scared to post here because just the though of dieting sends me into the “Oh no! I am never going to eat again!” mode and I promptly gain 10lbs making sure I eat that “last” piece of pie or two. I must have been really hungry at some point in my childhood. Anyway, I went to the doc and I am ‘morbidly obese’–what a nice term–I have put on an additional 16lbs in the last 6 months so I joining ranks with you.
Reading your successes and even your failures makes me think that I can do it. I have started eating more sensibly-getting rid of fast food & cutting out the sugars and starches and eating lots of salad & protein. Low carb seems like a plan I can handle. I am heading to the gym on Monday and will start using the membership that I have been paying for over the last three years. I can’t bring myself to post my weight but I am one of the heaviest in the thread so far and I am only 5’3".
I know I have to do this. I am still relatively healthy and I have two young kids to raise. I am so glad you are all keeping this thread going, you are an inspiration!
MissBHaven, welcome to the thread, and best of luck to you!
MissB, welcome. Don’t start out discouraged. Keep your mind on the reward! We’re here for support if you need it, and I’m sure anyone who is a regular contributor to this thread and its’ predecessors will not mind one bit if you email us if you need a boost.
MissB, you are not alone. I have to lose a hundred pounds just to get down to morbidly obese. 
I won’t weigh in again until I’m next at the doctor on 11/25 but I am already feeling an added spring in my step.
MissB - You CAN do it!!!
And Than You GingeroftheNorth!!!
Oh HECK, I wasn’t sure I should do this, but if it helps someone, then it’ll be worth the pain of the mods kicking my butt for possibly the longest post EVER!!! I’ve copied and pasted this directly from my website, so s’cuse me if it makes a wierd kinda non-sense in places!!! And I have a tendency to ramble. AND I’m from the UK, so some of the brands/supermarket chains will differ. But… here’s how i did it… (Grab a coffee, you’re in for a long haul! )
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B I M B L E ’ S__ D I E T
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First up, if you’re going to diet PLEASE talk to your doctor first. This is the diet that worked for ME and I very much made it up as I went along AND it took me four years to achieve the weight loss I wanted… Use it as a guideline!
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I’m not gonna lie and tell you it was easy - it’s not - like I said, it took me four years of very hard (and sometimes emotional) work, BUT it IS achievable so PLEASE don’t give up on yourself. Essentially what you are fighting is almost a “food addiction” to the wrong types of food (and I say that lightly in a way because no food is bad IN MODERATION…) as well as your body’s own super-efficient ability to store fat for the lean times, which if we lived in the wild would be GREAT! Us Non-Size 10 folks would survive almost ANYTHING!!! But in today’s modern, high-fat/sugar food-world, folks like us have to be a bit more “choosey” about what we can and can’t eat and how much of it.
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Much of the products I mentioned are available in the UK - if you’re reading this from outside the UK, then substitute for your own country’s variation. (“Tesco” and “ASDA” are supermarkets, in case you’re wondering…)
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Oh, and be very wary of these “celebrity one-hit-wonder fad diets” that we’re always hearing about. Nine times out of ten it’s some crank trying to take advantage of desperate people and make a few bucks by putting a “name” to it…
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THE GENERAL DIET
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The first thing I did was limit my diet to a maximum of 4.6 grams of fat in any one meal - that advice was given to me by a nurse at my GPs. It’s easier than you think - just check labels on the reverse of the packet/packaging and think SENSIBLY!!!
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(Confusingly, some packages of biscuits, etc have “Less than 5% FAT%!!!” splashed all over them on the front– this is mislabelling… in this instance it means 5% fat per 100 grams of product which means very little…You want less than 3% fat OVERALL!!! There IS a difference! However, if it has “Less than 3% fat” (or lower) on the front of the packet, that’s ok… )
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Next thing: Aim for your main meal of the day to be at midday - that way you have more time to “work off” your biggest meal of the day.
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I don’t eat carbohydrates after 4pm in the afternoon, purely because you are less active in the evening and all carbs will do is sit in your stomach all night. Eat salads or stir-fries (using a One Cal spray, with skinned chicken (if you eat meat, I don’t! or Quorn – a very tasty lo fat veggie meat substitute.) When you eat carbs, go for wholemeal pasta, bread, unbleached rice and small quantities of potatoes. These will fill you up and give you a slow-release energy drip-feed over the course of the day. Tofu is good too, but try get a lo-fat version.
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Quorn do a VERY good range of fillets, ready-meals, hams, BACON!!!, mince, “chicken pieces” and all SORTS of other yummy things and is available EVERYWHERE!!!
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If you use sugar use fruit sugar - you only need half the amount. You can get it in supermarkets, no problem.
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UHT skimmed milk is another good thing because it’s WAY creamier than the bottled version!!! I HATE “normal” skimmed milk – it’s like drinking WATER!! UHT skimmed tastes the same as normal semi-skimmed milk AND it lasts longer too… I use Tesco’s Dried Skimmed Milk in coffee for a creamier coffee… DON’T USE COFFEEMATE!!! It’s WAAAAAAAY calorific, even the so called “fat reduced” version!!! (They never say by HOW MUCH the fat has been reduced – it may only be as little as 5%…)
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Snack on fruit - dried fruit is good because it’s “chewy” and your brain thinks you’re hard-at-work eating. Anything: raisins, apricots, mixed bags of fruit, etc, etc, etc. When I need to “graze” I have a teaspoon of honey and some dried fruit. I suffer from “sugar crashes” so honey and fruit save me time after time! Oh… and no fruit is “bad fruit”, I eat bananas by the TON, for example!!! But go easy on fruit juices… I used to drink a LITRE of fresh orange juice a day until someone told me that amounted to a bag of sugar a week…. Robinson’s Hi Juice is GREAT if you love fruit squashes – it’s 50% fruit AND they also do no-sugar version. (Tesco do their own brand version as well. You may notice I shop at Tesco A LOT!!!)
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Starbucks do a GREAT range of lo-fat sandwiches and cakes. Their peach and raspberry muffins are to DIE for – ok, they’re probably loaded in sugar, but I can’t resist them!!! ASDA do GREAT lo-fat apple pancakes too… Mmmmm!!!
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Fizzy water fills you up and has the amusing side-effect of much burpage…
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If you HAVE to have chocolate, go for the very dark stuff (i.e. over 70% cocoa) it has WAY less butterfat in it, but watch the sugar. Also Cadbury’s “Flyte” bars are lo-fat (4.6grams made up of two bite-sized bars. Again, make a note of the sugar!)
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Booze is the killer. NEVER drink beers as they are PACKED with sugar! Go for spirits with lo-cal mixers. Wines can be high in calories as well. Not fair!!!
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When in the supermarket, go for the lo-fat options on things like cheeses, spreads, humous, etc.
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Go to a gym three times a week after going for a session with a personal trainer to help you devise a tailor-made program to help tone you up AND loose a few pounds here and there. The idea of a slimming club drives me NUTS! It was the thought of being in a room full of desperate people who after exercise class would be STRAIGHT down the pub for a pie and a pint. I’ve been to a diet club ONCE and was SO put off by the whole idea. Besides which, pink legwarmers make ANYONE look totally and UTTERLY STUPID!!!
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Use no-sugar jams. St Dalfour is a range that is made of pure fruit and no sugar. Mmmmm!!_ Streamline do a range of “reduced sugar” jams if you don’t like the idea of pure fruit jams. Check out diabetic jams, etc too!
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On the weekends, eat what you would normally eat BUT WITHIN REASON!!! Why I say this is because if you diet ALL THE TIME, firstly you’ll get bored STUPID and secondly your body will “forget” how to metabolise stuff properly because it’s not getting it’s expected food intake that it’s become used to.
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“Lo-Fat” foods at the supermarket aren’t necessarily the good thing that they might initially seem to be - they will generally make up the removed fat with SUGAR to make it taste better - watch the calories!!! Foods labelled “lower fat” are generally just as bad as the full fat versions - instead of 80% fat (for example) it’ll be 70% fat with 20% added sugar… So for pre-made foods, check fat grams AND calories._ The Go Ahead range is notorious for bulking up the space left over by taking out the fat with SUGAR… But I still eat ‘em in moderation!!! Baxters do a good range of lo-fat soups which are FAB!!
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Lots of tinned veggies like beans have added sugar – most supermarkets now have no- or lo-sugar versions. Tesco’s lo-sugar tomato ketchup is a lifesaver too!!
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You’ll also find that as you go along, you’ll “redesign” your diet to your own needs. Don’t worry if you have an “Off Day” - just be extra careful the next.
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There are plenty of good lo-cal/fat cookbooks out there for good, tasty meal ideas that won’t bust your belt. The Marks and Spencer’s “Count on Us…"_ cookery book is FAB!! And this is my favourite cookery book (because I am a Lazy Arse):
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Now that I’ve lost the weight, I do abs and weight training everyday while watching TV and go to the gym three times a week. My Personal Trainer gave me a variety of exercises to do, so I don’t get bored (and I am THE world’s biggest Couch Potato!) so I actually ENJOY going to the gym!
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Oh, And just coz I’ve lost the weight does NOT mean I can go back to eating what I used to ALL THE TIME again - I’m quite happy with the knowledge that I will forever be “on a diet” just by keeping an eye on what I eat.
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SUPER FAST DIET
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Ok… Next up is my Diet-For-the-Week. Note now that this is pretty severe, but it’s the ONLY thing that worked for me… I wouldn’t advise this for just ANYONE. I know my body and I know how it reacts to a strict diet. Tailor ALL diets to your own body’s needs… that is MOST important!!
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BREAKFAST:
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One small-ish bowl of:
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1 x Tesco Healthy Eating Weetabix
1 good handful of Tesco Healthy Eating Sultana Bran
As many raisins as you like instead of sugar
1 x chopped banana
UHT skimmed milk
BIG cuppa tea!
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(Tesco’s Healthy Eating muesli is YUMMY! It’s got dates, apricots and cranberries in it!!!)
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Marks and Spencers do very good lo-cal breakfast cereals too.
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SNACKS:
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Oranges
Apples
Bananas
Dried fruit
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LUNCH:
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Salad sandwich (No cheese or mayo! I go for Tesco’s lo-fat marg, and home made tomato chutney if I’m feeling lavish! Add herbs for taste – “Garlic Italian” is a fave!)
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(If I’m at home, I substitute the bread - which I make myself - for a jacket potato and lo-sugar/salt baked beans)
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DINNER:
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Salad: Generally comprised of a good mix leaf salad, peppers, carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, fresh herbs, 1 x tin of no-sugar/salt sweetcorn, Tesco Fruity Sauce!
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(I haven’t got round to doing vegetable stir-fries with a lo-cal spray yet, but if you eat chicken try that as an option!)
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This is what I’ve been eating EVERY day for the past few months EXCEPT for the weekends. Yes, it’s as boring as hell, but I’ve trained myself NOT to think like that, I aim for the long-term goal and not what’s on my plate! Your body and taste buds soon adjust, so does your “mental state” over what you’re eating NOW and what you would have had before. BUT I cannot stress how important it is to Eat What You like Within Reason at weekends!! If you diet ALL THE time, you will go NUTS with boredom AND loose out on important vitamins and minerals!!!
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And if you’re eating out with family and friends, treat yourself and just be careful over the next couple of days!
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Hope this helps!!!
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Wow, Bimble, that was long! I went through three glasses of water
Welcome aboard MissB! And forget about “being the heaviest here.” Honestly, we don’t care how heavy you are, just that you’re giving it a go (That, and we want pics when you’re one scrawny chicken )
Thank you! It’s a really great feeling to know other people are struggling with the same thing that I am!
damn Bimble, thats a really restrictive diet you’ve got there. 4.6 grams of fat per meal? to each is own i guess.
im the opposite, im so easy on myself. I eat 1/3 my daily calories in high fat foods, the other 2/3 is about 25-30% fat, about 15-20% protein and the rest carbs.
Oh, and I reminded myself of a way to keep your body from doing that “I’m starving so I’d better not lose more weight!” thing: diet heavily Monday through Friday and eat moderately on Saturday and Sunday. MODERATELY. No visits to the Chinese buffet.
For being so currently fat I’m a semi-pro dieter and know lots of tricks I just haven’t used lately.
Quorn. Great stuff.
MissB, not only was I, and am I “morbidly obese,” but when I enter the weight I’m aiming for into software or online, I get a little message that says “this weight is above your ideal BMI.” And yet below that weight I am emaciated and ill. So don’t let anybody push you around with numbers.
Fitday.com tells me that I’m in the ‘severe overweight’ category, but I have no idea if I’m ‘morbidly obese’. Can anyone link me to a BMI calculator?
Ask and thou shall (or is it shalt? I can’t ever remember) receive.
Oh, this reminds me, that I signed up at the newest Curves gym in my neighborhood. It’s perfect because it is situated exactly halfway from work to home. Gone is the excuse of "the gym is out of my waaaaay… " They’re SO new (just opened a few days ago) that they’re not even open on weekends yet, else I’d have my first workout today. So, Monday, the sweating starts!
Well, not really. The husband and I are planning on taking a good long walk this morning, whenever he decides to finally wake up…
Oh, and MissB, welcome! I’m certainly in the morbidly obese category myself. You’re taking the steps into the right direction. I’m also on Atkins, so I’m pretty familiar with the whole low-carb thing, so feel free to email me if you have questions.
And, I’m gonna be honest about my weight, because I personally believe that’s a right step for me.
255/237/160 (start weight/current/goal)
G*damm insurance companies and their “definitions”! Especially Metropolitan! They consider anything above one’s “ideal” weight (according to what?) as heading toward “obesity”.
Therefore, according to their chart, I’m supposed to weigh 165 pounds according to my height. If I weighed 165 right now, I’d look like I was ready for a coffin! But no, I weigh 206, and therefore I am “obese”.
I am an advocate of “how do you look, how do you feel?” Don’t let a friggin’ insurance company tell you what you should weigh.
Sorry for the rant, but that’s always been a sore spot with me.
Q
You’re a brave girl. Now, mine:
256/206/170
Even with my ‘good’ face, I was still a big ol’ fat-ass.