6 stone off, 3 stone on

LambrettaVVespa

Hello
My names Michael and I'm 20 (this is beginning to sound like an instruction to Alcoholics Anonymous). When I was 16, I weighed nearly 18 stone at a height of 5ft 9". With a bit of hard work I managed to shed 6 stone in the two years that followed whilst also growing from 5ft 9" to 5ft 11". A lot of this was because of the strong medication I'd been put on from the age of 14 to manage the Bipolar Disorder I'd been diagnosed with.

At 20 I've put 3 stone back on. I wouldn't say it's because I lost weight too quickly or anything like that - there was a mixture of other complications which got in the way of a healthy lifestyle.

For a start, I met my current boyfriend at 18 and he eats a LOT but he's one of those people that seems to be able to eat whatever they want and gain only one or two pounds, before shedding it again within a couple of days. My body, however, isn't so kind to me (I'm not kind to it either though to be honest). If I so much as look at a fruit pastille I gain half a stone. The fast and sweet convenient foods were all I are for just over a year. A limited budget for food also helped lead to the amount of cheap yet unhealthy meals I consumed.

Along with slightly influenced dietary changes, a factor in the weight gain was a Bipolar relapse. Food was (or is) a very simple antidepressant (especially copious amounts of chocolate and other sugary foods) for me and most likely many others. With a lower mood, excercise was a no-go and I found myself smoking more (40 a day) and not moving much at all. Luckily I didn't put ALL the weight back on, though.

The final complication was the breakdown of my social life. A lot of the people I socialised with started work or went to University, so I was doing less walking around on a daily basis.

Now, I'm back on it. I've quit smoking (cold turkey) and I do half an hour of medium-low intensity cardio a day (building it up) and a 7 minute medium intensity in the morning and before bed. I feel great, actually.

MeganAnne89

First, I had to look up what the hell the conversion rate between pounds and stones is. I have to say it's very flattering to only weigh 8.71 stone. I feel like an infant.

Second, I think it's really great that you've decided to join MFP and get back into it. Your health is so important and I'm glad that you've decided to have a positive attitude at such a young age.

Is your boyfriend into getting healthier as well? I know you said that it doesn't seem to matter what he eats but at some point it will and in reality just because he's skinnier doesn't mean he's actually healthy. I'd suspect that he has a higher body fat percentage and it would be beneficial for him to join you on this journey.

LambrettaVVespa

Is your boyfriend into getting healthier as well? I know you said that it doesn't seem to matter what he eats but at some point it will and in reality just because he's skinnier doesn't mean he's actually healthy. I'd suspect that he has a higher body fat percentage and it would be beneficial for him to join you on this journey.

Unfortunately not! I've tried to persuade him to do some more exercise with me because 1. I don't like doing it alone and 2. It would be beneficial for him. Really, it wouldn't bother me if he weighed 20 stone but it upsets me to think he could possibly go through the emotional distress I went through because of my weight; I'd say he's actually more self-conscious than me, which is saying something.

I think if there was more healthy food he liked he'd perhaps give it a go. Thing is he's a reeeeaallly fussy eater. I'm not sure it's possible to find somebody fussier! Anything I eat that's healthy will get "the look"

MeganAnne89

I think sometimes that happens just because a lot of people's perception of healthy food is that it must taste disgusting and not fill you up at all. Maybe you could sort of trick him into eating something healthier. Like if you did the shopping one day and you made a meal but didn't tell him that it's actually quite good for him, maybe after eating he'd be more on board?

And do you think it's possible for you to encourage/convince him to join up with MFP? I know that a lot of the time once people actually see the calories and the value of what they're eating, they're generally shocked and then that helps them get on board with it.