I joined SW again last year and I have lost 5st however I still have 10st left to lose and I'm struggling.
This time last year I was morbidly obese and I still am, my clothes are still the same, I still hate how I look and I still have the same weight related struggles.
I have severe guilt and anxiety when I don't stay on track. I feel like I have accomplished nothing.
The road is so long it feels unachievable.
I don't know why I have come here to write this, I don't think there's any advice really to be given. I just feel that people don't understand, they tell me what a great loss 5st is and but look at what you have achieved the scales don't lie. But they don't understand how I feel. Maybe I'm here to find other people in the same position as me?
Written by
PlanetClaire
2025 February
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Welcome to this wonderfully supportive forum PlanetClaire,
There are people here who definitely understand how long the journey looks, and how guilt and anxiety can hamper progress, and what success looks like. Society isn't generally kind to people who are overweight, and those of us who are overweight are part of that society, hence we feel that we've done something bad by getting like that. But of course we haven't!
There will be people here who understand how you feel, and won't patronise you. You'll also get different ideas about weight loss plans, and something that's a good fit for you is going to have more success than rigid programmes.
I've got my fingers crossed that you'll give us a go
I've included a link to all the groups within the forum. You will be welcomed into any or all of them:
Welcome to this very supportive forum. 5 stone off IS a great achievement. Give yourself credit for that success. That is 5 stones less for your joints to carry around, and surrounding your internal organs. Yes you have more work to do if you want to get to your desired goal. ( and the bad news is even when you get to your goal the hard work doesn’t stop -maintaining will bring its own challenges).Are you still getting good support from your SW group/ leader. Are you enjoying the food you eat. Perhaps you need a change of plan, or even a rest from dieting just for a while and just have a go at maintaining.
Are your clothes really just the same? Have you tried on anything new or are you still wearing what did before.
Do you exercise at all? Perhaps find an activity you enjoy and give it a go.
I really hope you find your mojo and feel able to continue your weightloss journey.
Do consider joining in on here regularly, lots of useful tips advice and general support.
Thank you for you comment.My clothing is fitting better, not as tight. More comfortable. I guess though it was just disheartening to try smaller sizes on and not be there yet.
I am active, I walk to work and am on my feet all day and have started adding walks on the weekends where I would normally not be as active. Also would like to add swimming to my week.
I am still getting support from my sw group and I'm still losing weight slowly but surely so I know what im doing is getting results really it's just in my head that I don't feel different or look different I guess.
Speaking out here is helping as are the replies. Perhaps this group will offer the extra guidance and support.
You have accomplished so much, and don't you ever tell yourself otherwise. But you know there's a long way to go, and there's no denying that. You'll lose step by step and sometimes it's hard to notice the difference.
Are there any differences you have noticed? Same clothes, but do they fit easier? Is there any improvement in your health or movement or energy levels?
Are you eating in a way you can sustain? Tell us some of the meals you enjoy. Join in with the chat here - the Daily Diary will see what other people are planning and Springers Specials this month is on favourite meals, the meals we love. Just follow the link Grigid has given you.
If you can break down that long journey into short stretches, it will be more manageable and realistic. Maybe set a short term goal - an inch off your waist, an extra half hour walking this week, a new recipe or ingredient - then you'll get a real feel for your achievements 😊
I don' t know SW but WW definitely encourage mini-goals, they give you little tokens at certain levels ( or they used to at least) but they also encourage non-food treats at,say, 7lb off. A new lipstick or something you've been wanting. Doesn't have to be too extravagant. Keep going .
When people comment they are right. You are over a third of the way there. Some struggle to shed 5kg . It is also good for internal organs and I underestimated things like this . Your BP too and cholesterol. If you haven’t had a well woman check this might reassure you that you are benefiting from things you may have overlooked . Pick up a 5 stone weight . Look at it as so many sacks of potatoes We are the last to see weight loss .I look at myself and am never really satisfied but was praised when my oxygen levels were great for my age. Yes - I retorted -I have maintained quite a weight loss . My GP said that is very encouraging for your general health.That was and is my motivation. My family don’t shout it out but they are less worried about me generally now .
Thank you. It is helpful to read different ways of thinking. A third of the way there does make me feel better about my weight loss before so simple but I hadn't thought of it that way.
I know that I'm always the hardest on myself. Family and friends have commented on my loss but it is so hard for me to see.
I will keep thinking about a third of the way there and thing about the next third.
Hi Planet Claire, I totally get what you are saying. I've been there myself. I've lost almost 13 stone and it did seem to take ages before I really saw a difference in myself. Friends commented as I shrank but I never felt or saw it in the mirror. Yes my clothes were getting baggy and I was having to buy smaller sizes but all my lumps and bumps were still there so I saw and felt no different. The change for me came one day when I was out shopping. I walked past a shop window and looked into it at the display and happened to see myself in the glass reflection. All I can say is that it was a wow moment as I saw my new self for the first time. Yes I still had the lumps and bumps but the "whole" of me was so much smaller. Think how as our children grow we don't see it all the time but something 9 months down the line makes us think "my you've grown", its like that, we don't see the changes day to day but there will be a day when your brain lets you see how things have changed and you will wear a smile for weeks afterwards.
During my journey, I didn't let myself think of the end goal, it was way to much to contemplate or visualise so I just looked for weight losses of any size. I started comparing my losses to the number of baked bean tins I had lost. As that got too big I changed it to bags of dog food and then compared it to the combined weight of my 3 dogs. Pick something that means something to you and build up a mountain of that item, you'll be surprised how much it acts as a motivator and its something that becomes a talking point and a point of humour. I used to post the number of baked beans tins on FB, no explanation, just how many that week and the total number. My really good friends knew what it meant, FB friends tried guessing and only a few got it right - I did reveal what it meant in the end.
You've lost 5 stone already and the rest will come off too if you just stick with it, and keep your goals small. Forget the total for now. Build up those losses as opposed to reducing the total loss needed.
Well done on your weight loss. Thank you for your reply it is great to hear from people who are feeling have felt the same and their ways of getting past the down feelings.
I love the beans calculations, something like that should help me visualise what I have achieved and adding those little bits to the mountain rather than focusing on chipping away at the mountain is a different way to look at it.
It's true when I think about my daughter growing, she is growing every day but I dont always see it but someday I look at her and thing how/when did you get so tall.
Thank you again for a different way to look at it.
You are very welcome PlanetClaire and thank you. The beauty of this forum is that there is always someone who has looked at things a different way. I think when you have a lot to lose it is so much more motivation when you focus on adding the losses up rather than reducing the total.
Hi, I hope life on Planet Claire feels a bit better today 😀 You have done so well already, you can go on to achieve more. I had a couple of times when my weight loss plateaued. A simple thing like carrying a heavy bag upstairs, and feeling the difference it makes can be encouraging when you compare that to the weight you were carrying around 24/7 and have now lost.
Another thing that encouraged me was a series of videos online “The Skinny on Obesity” by Dr Robert Lustig, answering the question, why are so many people now suffering, what has changed to cause it. I recommend you take a look and see if you can identify with it. Best wishes to you.
I think you have been given the tools to get you to the daily diary and the weigh in thread. They are great motivations and you will get a warm and supportive welcome there. I’m sure you will be great support to others too.
I also like once a month Read All About It thread. It’s about the books we have listened to or read that month, so not eating related. I find it a welcome break, especially if I am feeling down.
I just want to say that I admire your perseverance. Losing 5st is an incredible achievement, even if it doesn’t feel that way to you right now. You have done so much good for yourself already with that massive loss 💪
My journey is different from yours and I can’t pretend to understand how you feel, but this forum has members who do and you’re not alone in this, and I hope you stick around and find the support you need here.
Thank you for your kind words, this really does seem to be a good place for support. I am always the last person to receive kindness from myself. That does need to change.
I have lost around 5st and have about 8st to go. It’s only very recently I dropped a clothes size. It was disheartening but when you get there it’s so worth it. It really is one day at a time. We’re all here to support ❤️
Well said, one day at a time. One pound at a time and it all adds up to progress. Well done on your achievements to date and we hope to see you reporting further success.
Follow this link healthunlocked.com/weight-l... to find all our regular posts - weigh in, daily diary, fit is fun etc. Join in as much as you can, to get the most out of the forum. Stop and chat, give a few words of encouragement and you'll soon find yourself among friends.
Thank you for your reply. Even when going to group it is easy to feel alone in my journey so it is nice to hear from someone going through a similar experience with their weight loss. A friend has mentioned that my clothes look baggy on me now but I've yet to find something in a smaller size that fits comfortably. Hopefully soon.
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Ex smoker and foodie, desperate to lose some weight!
Trying to lose weight 
Lots to lose!!
10 Stone to Lose 
