Wedding Weight Loss Help

Mitten

Hi There,

I am new to Boards but I have been reading on here for the last while. I hope I am positing in the correct section.

I am getting married in 4 months time and am looking for emergency help to get into shape for the big day. I recently put on a lot of weight and am scared that my size 12 wedding dress won’t fit! Well, it won’t fit at the moment but I am hoping to get into shape so it will fit.

I am 5’5” and currently weight 13 stone and 5 pounds. I need to get to 10 stone or even better to 9 and a half stone before my wedding, in 4 months time.

Firstly, is this feasible? And if it is can someone please help with a diet and gym plan to help me achieve my goal by then.

Thanks guys,

Mighty_Mouse

Congrats Mitten,
At 5'5 you've got quite a lot of weight on.

To be honest.
I dont think its possible to lose 4stone in 4months.
Probably dangerous to try.

You could go a long way to getting yourself some of the way sorted before the wedding though.

You need to get organised. Starving yourself one day and overeating the next with put on more weight which will be harder to lose.

The first step:
1. Make up a diet & fitness plan for the next 4 months.
That way you've got targets and know what your goals are
ie. lose 2-3lbls per week

2. Calculate a daily recommended calorie intake & start getting used to calorie counting

3.Start off with 30mins excercise everday and build it up gradually

If you're struggling putting the above together. Consider joining a gym with good fitness instructors to talk to. He/She might sort out the excercise side of things for you.

To be honest. Losing that type of weight is probably more to do with diet.
It might help if you post an honest daily diet on here to let people suggest changes.
I presume the first step is to throw out everything you currently have in your foodpress!!

Mitten

Thanks for that Mighty Mouse – I know I have a long way to go!

There is no point in me posting a daily diet as I know it’s horrendeous at the moment.

I used to have an eating disorder and the reason the weight went on was because I over came the disorder but continued binge eating.

I am already a gym member and know a lot about diet – I have just lost the run of myself recently and been eating like a mad woman. The weight I gained went on in 3 months so hence I though it might be easier to loose?

I was considering going for an 800 – 1000 calorie per day diet along with 60 mins cardio 5 days a week? I am desperate to get the weight gone.

burnedfaceman

i think a four stone weightloss target is very unrealistic in such a short period, set yourself a smaller target will be easier to achieve and then you can reassess when have achieved it.

you said your diet is very poor this is the first step you have to take to drop weight..change it!

i believe this thread may be of use to you
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055092933

Transform

No offence - if you know so much about diet why would a smart person like your good self continue to but crap into your body?

Forget about counting calories and just train at least 5 days per week - 3 days aerobic and 2 days weights.

lady_marmalade

Hi Mitten, I'm getting wed in (eek) 8 weeks and I'm the same height and weight as you and I've only just joined the gym!

Thing is, I've always been on the chubby side (apart from when I was in college and living on Rice Krispies and speed). I hated myself so much I went to a hypnotist to lose weight. It worked a bit, but what it did do was improve my own body-image. I don't hate myself anymore. I know I could do with losing some weight, and I'm doing my best to start eating healthily and exercising. I know I'm not going to be the size I ideally wanted to be on my wedding day, but y'know, I'm not that bothered anymore. I have a gorgeous dress that suits my size, and my husband-to-be loves me, I'm sure yours does too.

What I'm trying to say is this - you're not going to get as thin as you ideally want to be without getting back into your eating-disorder mode again. Please, just aim for some sensible weightloss, don't starve yourself and obsess about your weight - you've enough to be worrying about with all the other wedding stuff. I'm sure you're beautiful and I know you'll look gorgeous on your wedding day.

Best of luck with it.

g'em

Transform wrote:

No offence - if you know so much about diet why would a smart person like your good self continue to but crap into your body?

With all due respect Transform, I can appreciate where you're coming from, but as the OP has admitted to having an ED in the past I think it's a little more complex than this.

Mitten - first off, congrats on both the upcoming nuptials and overcoming the ED. Please, please, PLEASE do not embark on a 800-1000 cal/ day diet to make you lose weight. I guarantee it'll not only not work, but will completely screw you over in both the long and short term.

There are gazillions of "quick-fixes" on offer out there, all of which are *very* tempting, but take my word for it that the quick-fixes lead to long-term harm/ hurt/ failure.

Give me a few minutes to pull something together for you and I'll post again.

Transform

Gem with all due respect i deal with people who have 'eating disorders' and i know its no easy ride.

There does come a time for anyone who has a disorder - e.g. eating,smoking, drinking, drugs to rationally look at what they are doing and ask themselves some basic questions.

g'em

You're right, it isn't an easy ride, and compounding the guilt that comes part and parcel of an ED may not be a huge help. Personally I wouldn't have reacted well that sort of approach. Rationality usually has very little to do with it.

So the big-day is in 4 months yeah? Lovely jubbly. Unfortunately that's also going to put a lot of stress on you with regards to the weight-loss - in your head you're going to be telling youorself to have to lose X amount of weight in order to fit into a dress (I presume) you've already bought? You're going to hav to be very, very careful of that, by setting yourself those kinds of targets you might lead yourself open to win/lose situations that *could* lead to further binges. Don't let your success at weight loss dictate your diet - if you have a bad day, you have a bad day, but tomorrow will be better. I'm hoping you understand what I'm trying to say with that?

As far as the diet goes it needs to be 'cleaned up'. Think about eating 5-6 small meals a day with lots of protein (eggs, milk, yoghurt, lean meats, nuts) and good fats (healthy cooking oils, avocadoes, oily fish - I *promise* you eating good fats won't make you fat if you don't eat too many!!) and cut down on carbohydrates (breads, pastas, rice, cereals).

If you stringently start to count calories you're only going to start driving yourself bonkers, so instead how does something like this sound:

Every day pick on of the meals/ snacks outlined for each of your small meals:

Breakfast
- Omelette made with one whole eggs + two whites, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes
- 1/3 cup porridge oats cooked with skimmed milk, small handful mixed berries
- slice wholemeal bread, scrambled egg (same ratios as omelette), piece of fruit

Snack mid-morning:
- piece of fruit and yoghurt/ small handful nuts

Lunch:
- salmon fillet with salad and seed sprinkles
- open sandwich made with one slice wholemeal bread with chicken fillet, chopped avocado, sliced tomato
- any lean meat with lots of green salad leaves, tomato, onion, cucumber

Snack mid-afternoon:
- as mid-morning

Dinner:
- lean meat/ fish (no breadcrumbs/ batter/ creamy sauces) with lots of green veg like broccoli, beans, spinach and cauliflower, carrots, onions, sprouts + two or three SMALL baby potatoes

Snack before bed:
- small portion of cottage cheese + fruit

Obviously these are all just ideas, but you should see that every food portions has some form of protein in it, all the carbs are veg/ fruit or wholemeal (the latter being in small portions) and for your fats you can use olive oil/ almond oil for cooking. Becuase you eat so often you're less likely to get hungry or binge too.

Alongside this you need to drink *at least* 2L water a day, and liberally drink green tea or even black regular tea. Even by just cleaning things up you'll notice that your body thanks you for it very fast and it'll become a lot more efficent at metabolising the good, wholesome food you give it. How's that sounding so far?

Mitten

Thanks for all the comments guys – Transform, yes I know loads about diet and it would be great if I could just stop eating crap and embark on a healthy regime (as I am sure it would be for every fat person in the world). However, for me, it’s not that straight forward. Ok, so I am no longer making myself physically sick but I do have a very unhealthy relationship with food and binge eat – hence gaining 3 stone in 3 months! I am just looking for a little help in shifting that now.

Lady Marmalade – congrats on the pending nuptials. Are you very excited now? My dress is gorg as well but sadly ordered when I was 10 and a half stone, hence the panic to get into it!! I am very interested in your comments about seeing a hypnotist, is there anyway you could PM me details or a name? I really feel that, long term, I need to get this issue sorted out and this sounds like a good place to start.

Ok, so I am getting the picture that 4 stone is not realistic. What about getting to 10 and a half stone – that’s just under 3 stone in 4 months, surely do-able?

Thanks so much guys!

t-ha

Mitten wrote:

Ok, so I am getting the picture that 4 stone is not realistic. What about getting to 10 and a half stone – that’s just under 3 stone in 4 months, surely do-able?

There are a tonne of variables governing how quickly or not you can lose the weight. You'ld be better off just working on making healthy changes and getting going IMO. In 2 or 3 months time you'll have a much better idea of what is/isn't reasonable to achieve by the end.

Mitten

G’em, that sounds perfect. Your kind words are much appreciated as well.

That’s just what I needed to hear. I had gotten so worked up about loosing the weight that I was panicking myself – starving one day and then bingeing the next. It sounds craxy, esp with a wedding so close and a dress to fit into but it’s a very easy cycle to get caught up in.

What would you recommend with regards to exercise? I am a gym member and believe it or not, fat or not, quite fit! Well, I can run for approx 20 mins and do the same on a bike/cross trainer as well. I am guessing I need mainly cardio?

g'em

Mitten wrote:

G’em, that sounds perfect. Your kind words are much appreciated as well.

It's no worries at all. If you need to talk about it more, PM me - an ED is an understandably sensitive issue to talk about on a public forum.

Mitten wrote:

That’s just what I needed to hear. I had gotten so worked up about loosing the weight that I was panicking myself – starving one day and then bingeing the next. It sounds craxy, esp with a wedding so close and a dress to fit into but it’s a very easy cycle to get caught up in.

It doesn't sound crazy at all, but I know you know it's also not the right way of going about things. Starving yourself quite simply won't work. Even if you go one or two days without food and lose a lb or 2, not only will you put it *all* on again as soon as you eat (your body stockpiles it incase there's a shortage again) but you'll more than likely end up bingeing and so put an extra lb or two on for good measure!!

Instead what you need to do is implement a healthy, long term plan. Instead of thinking that food is just stuff that tastes good/ bad or something to have as rewards or to compensate for a bad day, think of food for what it really is: fuel.

When you give your body good fuel your skin/ nails/ hair/ complexion/ mood and even libido will improve. Hard to argue with that!! But you do also have to be responsible for yourself too, which is the angle Transform was coming from. You're an intelligent person - you *know* you shouldn't binge, so why bother giving into it? Instead of allowing yourself to succumb to that crappy feeling and the inevitable guilt that follows it, do something that will make you feel better instead - go for a walk, read, work ont he wedding plans!! I know that's easier said than done, but what you're trying to do is replace negative responses to difficult situations with better ones.

It comes down to making lots of smaller positive choices too - if you're out with friends having coffee have unsweetened tea with low fat milk, not a full-fat hot chocolate with caramel syrup, whipped cream and extra marshmallows!! Sweet-tooth at you? Have a small bunch of grapes. Feeling really hungry and desperate for a snack? Have a tin of tuna instead of a bag of crisps.

Mitten wrote:

What would you recommend with regards to exercise? I am a gym member and believe it or not, fat or not, quite fit! Well, I can run for approx 20 mins and do the same on a bike/cross trainer as well. I am guessing I need mainly cardio?

beleive it or not weights will help a huge amount. You will absolutely, categorically NOT get huge!!! Instead what weights will do is speed up your metabolism nicely so that you become better at burning all that fuel you eat and it'll give you a great shape. All the 'wobbly' bits you may have are fat. A better diet will help to shift that. And instead what you want to create is some nice, lean shapely muscles that'll look infinitely better in their place. Think healthy and shapely, not stringy and gangly!!

Some cardio done alongside the weights will help to create a calorie deficit too, but one thing you really do not want to do is get into the gym and go on the treadmill for hours and hours and hours, that'll actually be coutnerproductive. Is there any staff member in the gym who can help you put a program together?

HardyEustace

g'em wrote:

but one thing you really do not want to do is get into the gym and go on the treadmill for hours and hours and hours, that'll actually be coutnerproductive

not being smart (and may sound stupid asking this) but why is that such a bad thing?

From my limited knowledge, exercise= good and stops your metabolic rate slowing if your calorific intake reduces?

Or is my limited knowledge just metaboll*x?

lady_marmalade

g'em wrote:

Is there any staff member in the gym who can help you put a program together?

I'd recommend you speak to a staff member too, Mitten. I joined a gym just to use the pool cos I thought I like swimming, best to find an exercise I enjoy rather than gym stuff which I'm bound to hate. Someone at work said 'but you're paying for the gym, get the most out of it for your money!'. So I spoke to one of the trainers. I said I just wanted to lose a bit of weight and tone up my arms and stomach so I do 15 mins on the treadmill, 15 on the cross-trainer and then 3x20 reps on 6 machines. I aim for at least 30 times a week. I actually don't mind it, I've surprised myself! I always hated PE at school and have never been one for being sporty...

Mitten

Thanks again G’em – are you a fitness/diet worked in “real” life your self?

I have to say your advise is brilliant and no matter what I have read etc to see it in words and tailored for my own needs is brilliant.

I understand what Transform was saying and I appreciate that it is totally about breaking the negative cycle – when I am tempted to binge, distract myself. I am going to work on that and I think it’s a separate topic, not for on here. Incidentally is there any place on Boards where people would talk about ED etc?

I am going to go back to the gym but am very embarrassed cause last time I was there I was smaller – maybe I will just stick with the plan I got then!!

g'em

@ HardyEustace it's not a stupid question at all...

HardyEustace wrote:

..Or is my limited knowledge just metaboll*x?

I did indeed lol at this

First off, there's largely some sweeping statements made when we say this kind of thing - for every "fact" someone says, someone else will always have an example of where it doesn't apply, so in this case I'm talking about your average Joe(sephine) wanting to lose some weight and look good nekkid, not high-performance top-end athletes who train for 4 hours sessions twice a day every day!

Instinctually I guess we think that longer cardio = more weight loss. To a certain extent that's true. But if we look at it in detail and look at what type of weight it is, we usually see that we're losing muscle and not fat when we do this kind of extended steady state cardio. It's an extreme example, but look at long-distance runners versus sprinters and see how their body compositions differ dramatically.

So, long periods of steady state cardio (aerobic by nature) will make it harder for you to maintain decent levels of lean body mass. It's not impossible by any means - Transform runs marathons and he's got a physique most guys would kill for but he will generally put different emphasis on different types of training (cardio vs lifting) according to the time of year it is (correct me if I'm wrong on that Dom!!) so he's cycling in and out of training all the time. Plus, he would certainly be what I'd consider to be at the upper end of the athletic scale.

Prolonged periods of SSC will also have a tendency to have an unfavourable effect on you endocronologially, promoting the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) which will tend to store more fat (fat is 'richer' calorie wise so your body loves hanging onto it when it needs energy reserves) and fat-loss gets harder and harder.

I'm not for a second saying that SSC is crap - course it isn't!! At the end of the day moving around and exercising is good for your heart and your health, but doing nothing but SSC isn't a good plan of attack.

Specifically for fat-loss High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) would be much more favourable, but it's also harder to do and therefore less likely to be adopted by Average Joe. HIIT like sprint intervals promote similar physiological reactions as weight lifting - the short, intense bursts of anaerobic exercise encourage your body to burn fat, not muscle for fuel. It also keeps your metabolic rate higher for longer just like lifting does.

In the ideal world what we want is to have a good lean body mass (muscle) which automatically elevates our metabolic rate and makes us very efficient at burning our fuel with bodyfat high enough to keep our body warm, protected and safe but low enough to make us look good sans clothing. The best way to achieve that is #1 with our diets, #2 lifting heavy things, #3 cardio - preferably HIIT but walking, runnig, jogging, cycling, skating etc too.

Sorry, I've been correcting exam papers all week... I'm in the mood to talk

g'em

Mitten wrote:

Thanks again G’em – are you a fitness/diet worked in “real” life your self?

No formal qualifications in fitness, just an Undergrad + Postgrad in Biology, some RL experience and I like lifting a lot of heavy stuff

Other than the Personal Issues Forum there really isn't anywhere to discuss things like EDs unfortunately, but the ED support site www.bodywhys.ie have an on-line forum and run bi-monthly support groups in Carlow, Dublin, Galway and Maynooth.

Just like a lot of mental health issues I think EDs are something that it's difficult to empathise with unless you've actually gone through it yourself? To an outsider the behaviours you exhibit seem like completely alien things for an otherwise intelligent, sensible, responsible person to do so it's hard to discuss these things publicly without quite a lot of confusion inolved. I'm glad to help and if nothing else, take it from me, it *does* get easier.

Mitten wrote:

I am going to go back to the gym but am very embarrassed cause last time I was there I was smaller – maybe I will just stick with the plan I got then!!

Pfft, no need to be embarassed. All the beautiful people will be far too engaged in their own reflections anyway :rolleyes: Seriously though, don't be shy about asking for help in the gym, that's what the staff are there to do. Looking good does take a bit of work, but it's the most rewarding work you can possibly do, and even the work itself is brilliant fun when you get stuck into it!!

There are lots of people round here with plenty of practical and formal experience, so if you want to why not post up the program you're given for feedback. And if you want to hold yourself really accountable but get lots of support too, why not start a journal in the Fitness Logs sub-forum at the top of the page? Anyways, let us know how you get on. And stay positive

lady_marmalade

No, G'em, do go on! Do you think my gym routine (posted above) is good for what I need? Lose a stone or two, tone up...

cunnins4

Mitten wrote:

I am going to go back to the gym but am very embarrassed cause last time I was there I was smaller – maybe I will just stick with the plan I got then!!

Ha, the gym's such a scary place when you first go. Everyone seems to know so much more than you about everything there, you're scared of looking stupid, or embarrassing yourself when really no one could give a hoot about you, or anyone else there. It's probably the one place you'll find where no one cares, everyone's too interested in their own stuff to be bothered! I go through phases of going to the gym/pool and then not doing anything for a few weeks then go back. Everytime i go back, i'm always a little edgey for some stupid reason! Sounds dumb, but that's the truth.

hunnymonster

mitten, g'em is selling herself a bit short. She holds several world records for lifting heavy stuff! but yes, listen to everything she say.:)

Leon11

cunnins4 wrote:

Ha, the gym's such a scary place when you first go. Everyone seems to know so much more than you about everything there

Don't worry about that, in commercial gyms I'd say 60%-70% of the people watch others to see if there doing exercises the right way!

g'em

hunnymonster wrote:

mitten, g'em is selling herself a bit short. She holds several world records for lifting heavy stuff! but yes, listen to everything she say.:)

Ha!! This coming from an ironman competitor!!! I bow to your endurance superiority

@ lady marmalade - first off, I'm delighted to hear you're enjoying the gym. I think lots of people expect not to like and don't give it a chance, but it's really an amazing feeling to put a bit of hard work in and watch your physique change and get healthier with every session!!

As for the training itself, switch up the cardio to after the weights. Weight training will do infinitely more for your physique than cardio will, and that's a promise, so give it the attention it deserves.

20 rep sets are bullsh*t frankly. You might as well randomly swing your arm around in big circles telling yourself ten more minutes will give you arms like a tennis player :rolleyes: To get that 'toned' shape that women love you actually need to lift stuff that's heavy (relative to you anyway). You want to stimulate your muscles to grow ever so slightly (no, NOT bodybuilder-esque I guarantee that will not happen!!) so that your metabolism gets a kick start and your body starts to burn fat off more efficiently. Ideally working in the 8-12 range is what you're looking for. If you can do more than 12 reps, it's too light, so go pick up a heavier dumbell.

Oh hang on, you're using machines aren't you? There's nothing inherently *wrong* with machines but they certainly aren't optimal... When you use a machine you're isolating a muscle group and working that group and that group alone.

Take the lat pull down for example - the one that you sit down at and you pull the bar from above your head to the top of your chest with your elbows at right angles? Well, that helps work your latissimus dorsi - aka 'lats' aka upper back!! It really works your lats and nothing else though because the machine helps to stabilise everything else.

Now compare that to chin-ups. These also work the lats, but because there's no machine involved your body will need to inorporate lots of other mucles for leverage and stabilisation, so you also use your traps (top of the shoulders and neck), biceps, rhomboids (also in the upper bacck) and even your abs! So essentially with non-machine weights or 'free' weights you get a lot more bang for your buck.

Traditionally there are a few important compound (many muscle-using) lifts that are advocated for anyone who wants to get stronger and build lean muscle mass (again, not necessarily to bodybuilder status - it takes a *lot* of hard work to look that way!!): squats and lunges for legs, deadlifts, rows and chin-ups/ pull-ups for back, bench pressing and push-ups for chest, and then for the smaller muscle groups dips for triceps, chins/ curls for biceps and all kinds of presses for shoulders.

There's a site called www.stumptuous.com that explains it better than I do. Admittedly I'm very biased because I've been lifting a while now, but there are plenty of more recent converts like ali.c, wasabi and hunnymonster all of whom can vouch for my 'weights are great for fat loss and make you look/ feel fab' frame of mind!!

ali.c

having had the pleasure of meeting and training with g'em a few weeks ago, i can assure you
a.) she looks fab and
b.) her work ethic is well wow, getting her type of strength and body definition certainly didnt happen by accident.

my own limited experience is that after 7 weeks of adopting a weight training and the diet outlined in the stickies my arms have actually visibly gotten smaller and a hell of a lot harder. My upper back and shoulders are also more defined and my bodyfat has gone down and my energy has really improved. My lifts well are quite light by a lot of peoples standards but when i deadlifted 60kgs it felt sooo good! honestly increasing muscle size etc doesnt happen overnight so just give it a go!!!
Ali

Edit: Dont know where my head is at, congrats on the impeding nupitals op and on overcoming your ed, also something struck me after i posted, your 6'2 and you want to weight 9.5 stone? that seems awful light for your height IMO, unless you have a tiny frame. Anyways my advice to you is to ditch the scales afterall its only a number at the end of the day. Eat well and train hard and i swear you wont need a number to confirm your progress (or undermine it for that matter). I recently made the decision to only weight myself once a month and it feels bloody great. I know what i am doing is working, and afterall the proof is in the pudding rather than on some number on a scales.

Mitten

Thanks so much for all the help guys - i am feeling a lot more positive and up beat about stuff today.

G'em, thank you so much for all your help. I will be back at the gym over the weekend and then maybe on Monday, if it's ok, i will post my work out and see what ye think, a long with a diet plan!

Are you into body building? Do you mind me asking what started you off on that and what kinda work out you do yourself? Apologies, that's probably old news on here but i am intrigued. It's great to see someone passionate and knowledgable about something!

Also, going to try the hypnotist and see if that helps for the other stuff!

So i weighed myself this morning and am actually 13 stone, i hope to get to 10 and a half, so 4 months to do that, i think it's fairly achievable? Going to give it my best shot anyway!!

To the last poster, i am actually only 5'5" so 9 and a half stone would be ideal, but will aim for 10 and a half for now!

Thanks again guys!!

g'em

Mitten wrote:

Thanks so much for all the help guys - i am feeling a lot more positive and up beat about stuff today.

delighted to hear it!!

Mitten wrote:

G'em, thank you so much for all your help. I will be back at the gym over the weekend and then maybe on Monday, if it's ok, i will post my work out and see what ye think, a long with a diet plan!

sounds like a plan, and there's oodles of other people here who'll be able to help too.

Mitten wrote:

Are you into body building? Do you mind me asking what started you off on that and what kinda work out you do yourself? Apologies, that's probably old news on here but i am intrigued. It's great to see someone passionate and knowledgable about something!

you're grand, don't worry. Everyone's bored of hearing about it so I'll keep it brief!! I'm a powerlifter not a bodybuilder - essentially BBers are about aesthetics (lifting stuff to develop muscles for the way they look) and are judged on how they look on stage. PLers are about strength (we lift stuff to develop muscle strength) and get judged on how much weight we lift, and I did my first competition about 2 months ago. If you ever need an insomnia cure I kept a journal in the Fitness Logs for a while!! I started about 2 and a half years ago, initially to help me carry scuba gear around, but fell in love with it and the rest is history. It's fairly safe to say I'm an iron-addict now

Mitten wrote:

So i weighed myself this morning and am actually 13 stone, i hope to get to 10 and a half, so 4 months to do that, i think it's fairly achievable? Going to give it my best shot anyway!!

can I suggest one teeny tiny thing? Don't give yourself a "goal" weight. I know it's tempting to have something defined to work towards, but weight is a little difficult to categorically track. Instead, pay less attention to the scales and more attention to the tape measure and the mirror - much more accurate reflections (literally!) on how your size is changing.

Take full measurements (hips, waist, legs, bust, arms etc) and record them. Then check those measurements at most once a week. Don't let yourself do it any more often becuase daily fluctuations will occur. The last thing you need is some small insignificant change from one day to the next to ruin all the mental hard work you'll be putting in. The same goes for the scales - if you *must* check them, again no more than once every 7-10 days or so.

If you tell yourself you *have* to lose X amount of lbs, essentially you're creating that win/ lose situation. The reality is that every lb you lose is a win, and every inch gone is a major success. It's the diference between saying "I lost 2 stone... but I didn't lose as much as I wanted to " and saying "I lost 2 stone, and I feel wonderful, and I'm going to keep enjoying this new, healthier lifestyle because it makes me feel so good about myself ".

Some days will be easier than others, but if a bad day does roll around, just keep telling yourself another good day is only around the corner. Get rid of ALL the junk food from your house - if it's there, it'll get eaten. Let your fiance know what you're doing and he'll be able to give you the support and encouragement you need. And remember, at the end of the day you're doing this for you and no-one else- your fiance loves you just as you are.

Edit: thanks ali - you're a sweetheart I had so much fun training with you too. And wooooohhhhhooooooooooooo!!!!! on the 60kg DL, told you you'd have it in no time, you're a natural... roll on 80kg

ali.c

Sorry Mitten, I misread your OP somehow my bad!

lady_marmalade

g'em wrote:

I'm delighted to hear you're enjoying the gym. I think lots of people expect not to like and don't give it a chance, but it's really an amazing feeling to put a bit of hard work in and watch your physique change and get healthier with every session!!

Yeah, even though I've not been going very long now, just a few weeks, I can see results already! I saw a friend last week who I'd not seen for a couple of months and she said I looked 'muscley'. Hahaha, well, not quite, but I'm definitely looking more toned!

Thanks for the advice, I'll take it on board and let you know how I get on!