Thats an interesing first leap for hair loss I would have thought. Glad he listened to you next time

Funny you mention hair loss, because all those years I had hair loss, thankfully not bald patches but could shed hair to cause envy from of a pack of moulting dogs! lol I also found my skin was so dry and flaky that I used to joke that I had body dandruff! lol OK too far...... lol

Suppose he looked and thought 'stressed young mother ...let's calm her down'.
Having not ever been one for looking to closely inb the mirror, it came as a shock when in a hire car, I pulled down the visor and peered in....my hair had almost become see through.
Karen :)

After a hystorectomy I started to really put on the pounds. I have got away with a lot being tall but I saw myself in some wedding photo's and freaked. Im now 12lbs lighter and working towards more, but it is not easy.
My OH cuts down and drops stones but I seem to plod along.

Like a lot on here I am on a few drugs and I take 150mg a day of antihystimine because Im allergic to one medicine that I need (after trying 8 alternatives) so I have to work a lot harder to shift my weight. I find dog walking does not do it that much so Whistler is on a route march am and pm to up my heat beat, no time to pee and pack your own pooh!!, but its getting dark and bad underfoot.

Im 55 in April and Im determined to be a lot slimmer and healthier so keep going folks, calorie counting does work but dont go too mad.  But the problems I see are slimming over christmas - two meals already booked! and lettace is not an option. But Im not getting to 55 fat and frumpy.

Its not hard.... really.... stop eating more calories than you are burning off and BINGO!  I hate to say it but too many people with too many excuses.  An nine time out of ten they dont like the truth.  If you consume more calories than your are buring off you will gain weight! 

foo foo, i thought many people had already told you that you were unsympathetic and a bit rude about weight and your doing it again! may i ask how old/tall you are and how much you weigh?

i am fat and hate it! i join fat club on tuesday so at least i should be a little thinner for christmas...
how fat do you have to be to get a gastrc band on the NHS?

LOL
FooFoo, you are funny......we all know that!
Fact remains some people have slower metabolic rates than others...............
Perhaps you are lucky I am I am fat BUTdeserve to be twice the size.

Karen :)

i am with you there! i love Daves cooking and should really be mega fat!! i cant resist Lamb and his lovely turkey pasta stir fry!!

Ahh FooFoo I look forward to the day when you are like me.  I was totally skinny well into my 20's, put on much needed weight at the start of my 30's lost to much after my house break-in early 30's and put way to much on this last 5 months due to my back/leg and now maybe thyroid problems.

I still eat quite healthily, can't do exercise at the moment, but I always moaned about being way to skinny, wish I hadn't now.  Now I know how easy it is to put on weight and how difficult it is to get it off.

Oh me too!!!! i started my diet Last Monday & ive Lost 1/2 a stone. Im aiming to lose now a stone a month until crufts, Prob wont do it but i can try!!!!!

Ive done it before @ 17 & i can do it again. My problem is im a picker, i could eat all day long.

So what am i doing this time?

Walking the dogs 1hr Fast road walk each am, means me getting up at 5am.

Not picking,no inbetwen meals ACCEPT for cup a soups, no junk. Cutting portion sizes right back. Its rubbish im Grumpy & i HATE it.
Theres a fine line between being Grumpy cos im Fat & being Grumpy cos im dieting

> Its not hard.... really.... stop eating more calories than you are burning off and BINGO!  I hate to say it but too many people with too many excuses.  An nine time out of ten they dont like the truth.  If you consume more calories than your are buring off you will gain weight! 

Now basically that is true, if you consume less calories than you use up wou will loose weight. BUT that doesn't mean it is easy to do in real, day-to-day life.
For example, I drink coffee (milk, 2 sugars), I love my coffee and drink approx 600calories worth a day. Whenever I am calorie-counting, I'll give myself a 1200 cal per day allowence (I'm 5ft 7", weigh 10stone 5lb and am pretty sedentry so that is a reasonable limit for carefull weightloss), so after my coffee that would leave me 600 cals to EAT in a day. I can't stand sweetners (they give me headache & a bad stomach) and basically I find it hard to cut back on my coffee.

I KNOW where I am going wrong with my calorie consumpton, but that doesn't mean it's easy to rectify.

ETA, for anybody interested in calorie counting, I've used Weight Loss Resources in the past and found it to be great, it's on-line and there is a forum for support, if you pay to join (rather than use the free guest facility) you get little book for logging food/excersise in. They also have work-out plans.

Over 20 stone or more and there is a risk (for a gastrict band that is)
Im going downthe lighter life route, then try and balance my meals, Ok at work but its the evenings when the tv is useless and OH is out its me and the dogs and Im sure they encourage me to visit the fridge!!
Yes cutting calories is going to make you lose weight but often we have taken years to get this big and you need a complete mind shift to get on a decent diet and stick to it.

Its helping that three of us inthe office are sticking to it so there is no binging, cakes ect and most do not take milk, Im fine no sugar but black tea an coffee yuck!

Im really sticking to this one as I have also retired from my second job come 30th April Happy Birthday to me on my 55th. So Im down to one job and have more time for me and Whistler, and less hassel. I'll miss the extra money but not that much.

I just wish chocolate was nil calories and coffee late was an exceptable alternative to water and I'd be in heaven.

gastric band goes by bmi, i think it has to be over 30 and you can get it done on nhs

> For example, I drink coffee (milk, 2 sugars), I love my coffee and drink approx 600calories worth a day. Whenever I am calorie-counting, I'll give myself a 1200 cal per day allowence

how many cals in a coffee, semi  milk & no sugars

A regular sized mug with one spoonful of instant coffee and semi skimmed milk is about 25 calories (more, obviously, if you like it milky). 

Black coffee has only 2 or 3 calories. 100ml semi skimmed milk has approx. 50 calories.

Being aware of the calories I consume has been really helpful to me in losing weight...I know roughly how many I can have in a day and still lose weight.  If I want to eat more, I have to exercise more to stay within my limit.  Simpulz :-)

I have been up and down with my weight all my life.Hubby was diagnosed as diabetic october last year, in march i changed all our eating habits and got us an exercise bike and to date i have lost 2 stone 9lbs.I feel much better for it as now getting older and want to lose another 2 stone in all as also have daughters wedding next year.

> Being aware of the calories I consume has been really helpful to me in losing weight

It's shocking how many calories are in some things, calorie counting really opened my eyes up.
The problem I have is I often will eat something, knowing it is high-calorie and just feel guilty about it rather than alter my daily/weekly intake accordingly :( When I put my mind to it it works great and ecourages me to excercise more :)
Ohhhh if only will-power could be gained from taking a pill......

> but black tea an coffee yuck!
>

Go European and have your tea with Lemon.

I am really sorry if I come across as rude - I am just being honest and just staing the facts!  Eat too much and dont exercise and you will gain weight.  I dont have to justify that - it is FACT!

I appreciate there will be overweight people through no fault of their own.... however most people make an excuse about their weight.  The Obesity epidemic is a prime example.... your not telling me all these fat people are fat because they cannot help it?  RUBBISH!  I for one as a tax payer am not happy paying for people who are too lazy to get off their arses and do something about it!

Sorry have been away and wanted to reply to the fireing squad!  If you wanted to loose weight you will, if your are not commited you wont.  How can any of you ignore the facts!  I dont get it.  East too much crap and not exercise enough and you will gain weight!  Simple!  Put your mind to it!  How do you all feel about the man who has been banned from keeping dogs for getting his dog too fat by feedng it crap?  Same should happen to people with fat children.  I am so sorry but I have NO sympathy with people who can make changes but are so ignorant and using excuses they dont want to!

Well I have had a problem with my eight all my life.

Every so often I manage to get into the dieting mind set and have lost weight successfully, but within a year it is creeping on again and within 3 I am back to square one with bells on.

I calculated that to gain 6 stone in 3 years based on it taking 3500 calories to gain each pound that it meant overeating just 200 calories a day.

That is hardly stuffing ones face, and not doing anything about it.

Fortunately are those whose body clocks are so accurate that their appetites and metabolism are in such fine tune that they can keep a stable weight without counting everything they eat.

I have found that as soon as I stop strictly controlling itemising and calorie counting everything I eat (which I hate doing) the weight comes on with a  vengeance only levelling out once I am over 14 stone.

(YAWN!)

Have you not said all of this before?!

If you read my post properly you will clearly see that I make no excuses for the fact that I am overweight.

Do not patronise people by telling them the obvious facts, I think it is common knowledge that generally speaking (excusing those with health conditions which mean that they do gain weight easily - and yes, they do exist!) if you eat too much and do not exercise enough you will gain weight, and vice versa.

Every post of yours that I have read is negative and unsupportive - whether it be relating to obesity, single mothers or something else.

Jesus, I do wish I could be as perfect as you........

> I appreciate there will be overweight people through no fault of their own....

Yes there are and to them your comments can be very hurtful especially where you say that you do not want to pay tax to help them. That would be the same as saying to them that it's their own fault they have for example an inherited condition. This is one reason why you should consider that not everyone is fat because they eat a rubbish diet.

>however most people make an excuse about their weight.&nbsp; The Obesity epidemic is a prime example.... your not telling me all these fat people are fat because they cannot help it?&nbsp; RUBBISH!<

I agree there are a lot of people who are fat because they eat a rubbish diet and yes they could do something about it. Equally there are people who binge drink to excess as reported in the papers they can change IF they want to. However for some people the problem might have other causes, smokers are addicted to nicotine or perhaps as a result of something happening in their lives some might be tempted to 'comfort eat', these people can no more change with out help than you can stop your need for oxygen. As many on this thread have said dieting is not an easy option in many cases, if you have a good metabolic system that regulates food intake and bodily needs then you are one very lucky person and should be thankful.

>&nbsp; I for one as a tax payer am not happy paying for people who are too lazy to get off their arses and do something about it!<

So as a tax payer how do you feel about supporting people who have other illnesses? Or other bad habits?

I posted about 6 weeks ago to say I was looking for help to loose weight.  I was 10 st and wanted down to 9st by christmas. I decided to do a sponsored slim and if I didnt loose the weight then I would match the money I took in. 
Well, I have raised (so far) about £350 for our charity fundraiser at my training club. AND I am on target to my 9 st.  I could not afford to match the money and didnt want to loose face.  It has been difficult and I do sometimes treat myself, but I am getting there.

well done tagdog x btw what did you do ?

fantastic! well done!

Well done.

I think also its a mind set that you must get into - I avoided looking in mirrors and admitting how big I was. When my Dad got married I saw the pictures of me and I look like a very large fawn barrage balloon. That did it, since then (Sept 12th) I have lost 33lbs but I have a long way to go. Its not easy, my brother is big so was Mum, Dad does not carry much weight and Im not going to. I have set 30th April my 55th birthday as a shopping day for a new wardrobe, whenever I grow out(?) of some item of clothing I throw it away and Im really positive. It helps meeting with other people on a Monday at "Fat Club" where we talk about how we are doing and what works and what does not. But, Im under no illusion that it is going to take a another 5 months before I get near to where and who I want to be. But at least I can see my feet now!!

I was skinny up to 32, then thin again around 35/45, then I changed jobs got very sedetary and its all increased and yes I ate too much. But I had to be sick of me before I decided to do something about it - it is in the mind.

a bit off track but has anyone tried the apple cider vinegar its ment to suprise your hunger and as well as being very good for you help you lose weight, it has to be the live one though not pasterised like you get in the supermarket.

> How do you all feel about the man who has been banned from keeping dogs for getting his dog too fat by feedng it crap

Brilliant! hunger does not make you stuf food inot another animal, it makes one feed thierselfs. So there is no need or excuse to make a dog fat.  Most people who struggle with thier weight eat when they are hungry, but these hunger signals are often lies, in order to not feel hungry one has to re-train thier mind to not belive thier hunger pangs. Sounds flipping easy to people that never struggle with thier weight, but for those of use that feel hungry, even after eating a meal, it is not easy to convince oneself to go without food.

Another thing, just becasue somebody wants to loose wight, does not mean they are obese or a burden to the tax payer.

i am overweight and  my fella is overweight...
the reason we are not slim is because we eat the best foods and the best red wines!
we want to be thinner of course we do but hey we like nice food more, we like dining out and we both love a good wine with a good meal!
if we went on a diet we would lose weight! i lost 5 stone a few years ago...
its hard going but achievable!
i have joined a gym it costs a fortune each month but i love swimming! i also have private health insurance until my fella loses his job in the spring  i cost nothing on the nhs but even if i did so what i have paid my taxes and NI i am entitled to something back surely?
and my kids are all thin slim and ultra healthy for now so no drain on society there!
dieting is tough but unless you are really committed then there is no point! in fact i would love to have my stomach stapled as that is the only way to stop me eating to be honest!
each to their own and i wouldnt condemn anyone fat or thin....

Itn't it strange how most of us would agree that the best way to train a dog, a child or anyother living being to do something, reward based is most effective - praising the good. But when it comes to other adults, some peaople forget this and rather than try to encourage others by praisinng efforts in the right direction (nomatter how small), they just launch a verbal attack :(

So for anybody doing well, or even trying to do well at thier diets = WELL DONE to you. There are lots of us that apreciate how tough it is and commend all efforts :) :) You also help inspire other to do the same :) :) And for you tadog - WOW, well done :) :)

Well I was really good for three days, but yesterday had a blow out.  I ate all my no fat yogurts, had 3 packs of  Walkers 'French fries' and a bag of salted popcorn.  A binger that is me.

Kept to it so far today, but am starving all the time.

That really made me chuckle.

I binged yesterday - three millionaire shortbreads (little one's!) and two bounty bars - had a show in the morning and can never eat before I go in the ring, so after I was starving! Also had a big driving exam today so was comfort / anxiety eating.

Now the wedding is booked I HAVE to loose weight now! I keep saying I am going to get up early and go on the WII Fit or take the mutts out, but so far this has happened ZERO times!

Nicki xx

I'd love to be one of those peopel who aren't into food and only eat just to live.

Oh god me too! Food is my life! Its a none winning scenario for me - be miserable because I am fat, or be miserable because I have to live on lettuce and water!

That is just how I feel, and so when I feel like that I comfort eat, catch 22!!!

>I ate all my no fat yogurts, had 3 packs of  Walkers 'French fries' and a bag of salted popcorn.  A binger that is me.

I binge on no fat yogurts and walkers "french fries" too.  Ive had a blow out weekend (well it was my birthday) and now im really annoyed because I was only half a pound off of 2 stone and I have a weigh in on Wednesday ...... bet ive put on :(  knocked myself down to 15 points a day and going running to try to shift some quick !!!

I was so disgusted that I couldnt get into my 'best clothes.'  I am a jeans n jumpers person.  when I buy 'good' clothes they have to last me for ages (years!), so I couldnt afford new clothes.  I decided that I would do the sponsored slim.  I had a young friend who was dying of a terminal illness.  I wanted the money to go to something worth while.  Didnt want to let the people that had sponsored me down.  My training club will have by christmas raised approx £1000.00 for charity, I needed the 'sponsor' money to raise the money to £1000.00

I have no problem with the money I pay towards tax being used to support people with genuine health (mental and physical) conditions that they are borbn with or cannot help.  I begrudge paying for Obese people to get free houses and surgery.  I also begrudge paying for smokers and alcoholics - they chose to smoke and drink! 

There are people with illnesses that cause them to be obese but this is a TINY percentage of obese people, most are that way because they cant help themselves and chosse not to do anything about it.  People keep using health problems as an excuse for being overweight.  What health conditions are these? 

It's hard loosing weight i know because i used to be 2 stone over weight, but because it was my daughters wedding coming up i decided i had to do something about it, because no way was i going to have my photo taken being a fat frump.

I didn't go on a diet, i ate normally but i just cut out all the things i knew were making me fat. So straight after christmas 2 years ago i decided i would cut out chocolate, sweets, cakes & biscuits, when i went to the supermarket i kept away from the shelves that stocked these things, it was hard not buying them because i wanted them.

I'm also a nibbler, so instead of eating everything i wanted i would buy & eat fruit yogurts instead, sometimes 3 or 4 in a day if i felt in a nibbling mood or fancied something sweet. The first 3 weeks was the hardest for me, but once that passed it got easier.

The trouble is i am a sweetaholic, & i can't eat just one sweet or one biscuit, if i have one then i want a lot more, & the only way i can keep my weight off is by cutting these out.

Normally im not one for excercise as my husband takes our dogs out, but as part of my weight loss i decided i would walk each day, to beggin with i did short walks, gradually walking a bit further each day. Now i walk 3 days a week between 1 to 2 hours each time by walking to the shops instead of taking the car.

Nowadays I get more pleasure buying clothes that are 2 sizes lower than i used to be, than eating a bar of chocolate or half a packet of biscuits. Now i can choose & buy clothes that i like, rather than buying clothes that fit, its a feeling everyone should have. :)

If your fed up with being fat then do something it, be determined!

I forgot to add.  I know certain health problems can cuse people to be overweight/obese but I would like to know which health conditions cause people to be obese as this seems to be a common excuse :-)

I've read through the thread and i hope you find some good hints and tips here PS to help aid you loose the weight you so desire.

Good luck with it and also your preparations for the wedding

> I have no problem with the money I pay towards tax being used to support people with genuine health (mental and physical) conditions that they are borbn with or cannot help.&nbsp; I begrudge paying for Obese people to get free houses and surgery.........People keep using health problems as an excuse for being overweight.  What health conditions are these?

What makes you qualified to distinguish between a genuine health problem and a non-genuine one?
How do you know that obesity is not caused through emotional/mental problems and would you consider Anorexia (often caused through emotional problems) a genuine case? If so, why would over-eating (which can be an actual eating disorder) not be deemed, by you, a genuine case? afterall a person suffering with Anorexia need only raise thier caloire intake to 'cure' thierselfs, if we are to go by your simple fix that over-weight people need only drop thier calorie intake.

Can you not even try to understand that weight problems, both ends of the scale (as many people actually struggle to stay heavy enough to be healthy) are not as easy or simple to fix as you would have it, despite the fact that we all know that 'calories in v's calories out' is key to weight control.

Just to clarify, I am not in any way trying to belittle the horrible eating disorder, Anorexia

I should have said ''If your fed up with being fat then do something about it.'' Be determined. :)

Oh for gods sake....if you use Anorexia as an example that only confirms what I have said... eating less calories and you will become thin!  Nothing makes me qualified I am just stating to obvious Science.... its not for me to decide if people have a mental illness.  I can understan Anorexia being an illness as people want to be thin. ..... but people wanting to be fat I dont get.... look people were not Obese years ago it is due to too much food!

If people want to over eat that is fine.... just eat salad and veg and you wont get fat!

Lettuce v cream cake
Tomato v chocolate
cucumber v custard
Cabbage v Steak and Kidney Pudding

Nope salad doesn't do it for me though I do use it to try and stave off the hunger pangs.

Do you really find Veg and salad tasty compared to other foods?

Do you like food yourself, is there nothing that you could easily eat too much of?

FooFoo,

I know of people who needed to loose weight, they did the right thing by eating less, ate very healthily, exercised and still they had trouble loosing weight and resorted to these fad diets and also the many other diets, which to me seemed very unhealthy, in which they lost weight. But then they can't keep up with these diets if you wish to be in a healthy state.
Some people will never be thin, their bodies just aren't made that way. Being thin and making yourself that way can be very damaging to your health too, like with eating disorders.

There are some people who don't do themselves any favours with food and don't even try and end up needing an operation(but doubt its that many).
We all have vices, whether its food, alcohol, cigarettes etc. All which are legally available to buy.

I don't need to loose weight and i'm finding your comments very harsh to be reading, they are very matter of fact.