Where to start

[Nordman]

I've become really overweight, well, according to the NHS weight chart I'm at the upper end of obese. It's crept on gradually over a few years but I've really piled on the weight over lockdown.
I'm caught in a sugar binge comfort eating habit, I feel completely addicted to sugar, I'm eating stuff even when I'm not hungry. None of my meals are healthy.
I motivated myself to start running a couple of months ago then after a few attempts I'd injured myself and stopped. I actually think I'm too heavy to run, there's too much weight on my knees and ankles. I used to love swimming for exercise but I don't live near enough a pool now.
I'm in my 40s and peri menopausal. I can't seem to motivate myself to do anything at the moment. I'm working at home full time now since lockdown so my whole day is sitting down.
Where do I start? If anyone has been in this situation, how did you kick start a healthier life?

[overwork]

Would walking help? Bit lower impact than running. I am not in quite the same situation, but I find that getting outside for an hour a day lifts my mood considerably. if you felt brighter in general then you may feel up to making other changes? I think tackling everything at once may be a bit overwhelming.

[applepineapple]

Walking is great for getting your heart rate up and burning calories. Maybe start with 15 mins a day or whatever you feel able to do and work your way up.

In terms of food, making small swaps would be good, ie: two biscuits and a piece of fruit instead of four biscuits, slowly introducing veg into meals. I think it's better to go slow rather than change everything on day one. Good luck!

[TwentySixPointTwo]

You start at the beginning, with one thing.

Just one. Commit to it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Then look for the next thing.

You will never tackle it all at once. The change is too great and the chance of failure too high.

Do one thing.

That might be the 15 mins walk mentioned above. Every day, just 15 mins. Commit to it, don't skip it. Make it as easy and pleasureable as you can. e.g. take headphones and an audio book or podcast. But do it.

When that one thing is routine, add another. That might be to increase the walk. Or it might be not to eat sweet things after 8pm. Or it might be not to drink alchohol except on special occasions. or it might be to replace a takeaway each week with a home cooked healthy version. Or include a couple of internet-led yoga sesions a week.

Do that, repeat, repeat, repeat, then add another.

Successful long term weight loss does not come about by you attempting to do AS MUCH as you can to lose weight. It comes about by you finding the LEAST amount of effort that still results in some loss. So don't do it all, just do one thing at a time until the scale starts to creep down instead of up.

[GreekIslandTime]

Excellent point twenty in last para.

Make it as easy and sustainable for a while and see what happens? Something simple to start. Say between now and Xmas? Then reappraise. Weightwatchers was useful for me for a while last year.

PS. You can’t outrun a bad diet. More than 80% of weight loss is about diet. Exercise raises metabolic rate only a bit - though of course that’s good, but exercise is mainly about fitness and general health rather than weight loss IYSWIM