Hi MrsMcsMuffins,

I aim aiming to lose 65 pounds. I have been eating healthy with no particular diet as I want a lifestyle change. I keep getting disheartened because of my size so I've been going around in circles. I've also recently joined the gym and got a personal trainer.

I find it so much easier when there are others on the same journey

Me too... you're already waaaay ahead of me going to a gym! I couldn't afford a gym membership right now though and even if I did there's no way the kids would let me go often enough to make it worth it I'm not really exercising at all yet. I know soon I will have to start, especially to shift the last stone. I was going to invest in a nice heavy kettlebell and start swinging that around once the kids are in bed instead. Hubby is very worrief about that in our modest sized living room, I told him to duck

I laughed at the last part, haha. In reality you don't need a gym to lose weight. Exercising at home is just as good how are you with the eating side of things? I find exercising easier to be honest

I find the eating a lot easier. Just goes to show we're all different. I don't calorie count so I just fill up on fat until I don't want to eat anymore but exercise is my absolute nemesis. I like weights, I could quite happily take up bench pressing, but cardio blurgh I just can't do it.
Give me a bar and let me try to lift my body weight any day of the week. That's why I was thinking of a kettlebell - weights but because of the design you automatically get cardio too.

Haha, do you want to swap? Do you have a set breakfast, lunch, dinner or? Im so stuck on food, one day I'd be so healthy and the next I'm mentally not there. You should invest in a kettle bell, you can do weight exercises and cardio, its perfect

Haha, do you want to swap? Do you have a set breakfast, lunch, dinner or? Im so stuck on food, one day I'd be so healthy and the next I'm mentally not there. You should invest in a kettle bell, you can do weight exercises and cardio, its perfect

Food wise I eat a high fat keto diet. It's the way I ate pre-kids and I was always healthy then. Breakfast isn't eaten until 10.30-11am ish because I try to fast for 16 hours a day (intermittent fasting). If I'm hungry earlier than that though I will eat - I don't force myself to fast if I feel like I need food. So depending on where I am breakfast is usually either fried eggs and bacon or a coffee with several heaped spoons of double cream. Lunch is generally leftovers so my dinners look a lot like my lunches..
Could be homemade chicken curry no rice, or spag bol with spiralised courgettes instead of pasta, or roast dinner with mashed cauliflower instead of spuds, or a cut of meat with some veg (plenty of fat on the meat and veg obviously). A treat might be a few squares of 85% dark chocolate.
It keeps me full and losing weight and I don't count calories. I have logged my intake in the past though and all this comes to anywhere between 1400 to 1900 calories a day depending on how hungry I am. So a keto diet works well for me because I couldn't be satisfied with that few calories on low fat (tried it before and wanted to start chewing my own arm off... Oh and I get MAD when I'm hungry, the term 'hangry' was made for me )

Haha we are the same weight, age and have the same goal of 11 stone!
More than welcome to buddy up.... ive been back on the wagon for just over a week.
Im trying to eat healthier and im doing jillian michaels: banish fat boost metabolism DVD 5 times weekly

Welcome Hayley, unfortunately the OP hasn't been back for a while which is a shame because I'm desperate for buddies who share my struggle...all my closest friends are slim Anyway, there's a few of us still knocking around so hopefully we can get through it together. Jillian Michaels is tough but by gosh she gets results... are you feeling the burn yet?

Yes im feeling the burn! Mostly in my thighs! 🤣
I really hope doing her work out 5 times weekly helps me shift the weight.
Its doing wonders for my anxiety problems at the moment though so im feeling positive!
How are you getting on?

Honestly, I'm feeling good. Just come off a 3 week plateau and although I was annoyed at plateauing, I wasn't angry, I didn't cheat, I just trusted it would come off and it did. My mood is always really stable on keto but I think I'm also 15 years older than when I last lost weight and a heck of a lot more chilled about the journey I'm only salivating over nice clothes now. I've got 2 small kids and had not much of a gap between pregnancies really so I've spent the last 6 years dressing in pregnancy and nursing clothes. I haven't treated myself to new clothes in so long and my mother-in-law recently very kindly gave me some money to do just that. I am looking forward to it so much now. I'm not done having kids yet but I know there'll be a bigger gap this time and I want to feel like me rather than a mum in that time. I'm excited about this.
For you though, do you know what triggers your anxiety? I'm pleased the exercise is helping you because I know how tough it is to eat well when you're anxious. I used to get it a lot as a teenager, which is actually when I started putting on weight. Sugar is terrible for my mood. As much as I love it, it does me no favours but you just eat more of it when you're anxious don't you? Kind of a natural reaction...

Oooo how exciting treating yourself to new clothes. Its such a better experience when you have lost weight too.

I went through a very traumatising experience a few years ago and it lasted a very long time, the courts etc were involved. I ended up suffering crippling depression and anxiety at that time. Its around that time i started to loose my 10 stone 7 lb figure as depression made me just eat to try and feel something.
I have managed to 100% get over my depression now but unfortunatley my anxiety still comes and goes along with OCD. Its likely it will always be part of my life now i have accepted that.
So i just want to get my nice figure back or a least something close. Maybe i could settle in the 11s!
Must say tho i struggle on the weekends to eat well! And stay away from calorific alcohol!

Oh I'm sorry Hayley. Have you checked out The Emotional Freedom Technique? Seems mad when you first see it but it really helped me get a grip on my mindless eating. I wanted to go back to 10st too but would also settle for 11 right now... Hoping to find others to share the journey with. It feels close now... I was 12st 6lb this morning so not too far to get to my first big goal of 11st. Then I will splash out on a decent pair of jeans and some fabulous shoes

Well done you are very close to your goal!
Ive tried many things. They work for a while then it returns. Touch wood its not to bad the past few weeks so im feeling positive.
Looking forward to my cheat meal this evening. We are going out for a posh carvery. I am soooo ready i have been very good this week!
Do you tend to have a cheat meal/day every week?

Glad you're feeling positive Hayley. You know, I haven't actually had a cheat yet - which surprises me!! I've only been dieting since 10th July though. I have always mentally allowed myself to cheat if I want because I've got to commit to a keto diet for life again and going off plan occasionally is part of that. But so far I haven't wanted to cheat yet. Not ruling it out in any way though...it's my youngest's birthday next week and I am making chocolate cake so...
We're getting a new addition to our family tomorrow too - a black maine coon crossbreed kitten so I'm thinking that'll take my mind off eating (the kids are so excited) and give me a bit of a cushion for birthday cake.