Urgently need to lose weight for health reasons

[FergusSingsTheBlues]

I’m completely crippled with long standing back legs and foot issues.... I am shuffling around like an old lady at the moment and my body feels to heavy to move. I am very sedentary because I can’t walk etc without significant pain, but I’ve had mobility issues now for two years. I’ve put on nearly a stone in lockdown and my symptoms are much much worse.

What’s the quickest way to get this initial stone off please ?

So I don’t really care at the moment about long term results, I just need to lose enough to get moving.

What’s the fastest way? Atkins?

If it really is just short term and you plan to eat healthily thereafter then VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) using meal replacements can help shed quite a lot of weight fast. BUT they are not healthy and are not a long term fix as most people put weight back on when they stop using them unless they change their eating habits.

My weight gain has come about mainly through inactivity. I used to average about 25000 steps a day now it’s 5000

I struggle to keep on top of housework

I cant walk my dog

I urgently need to get it off because I’m in such poor physical health

look up fast 800

can you cycle? look at facebook sales etc for a hometrainer.

weightoss is 80% diet, so focus on that right now.
use your lovely dog as motivation to first lise weight and then to get fitter.

Fast 800 is great - I lost 2 stone last August/September/October on it, and I ate far better than I normally do.

I found that taking the time to follow the recipes and plan was the secret - by concentrating on making good, tasty food, I forgot that I wasn't eating very much of it.

Sign up to MyFitnessPal, it's a free app and follow their plan. Seriously, I know you want it off short term, but the sad fact is, it will most likely come back on as quick as it came off and the next time it will be twice as hard to get off. They also have a forum which is excellent for getting real advice by people who have succeeded. I learnt a lot and avoided a lot of silly mistakes by reading other people's...

As for diet, think of the kind of things you like and work round that. For me, I'm a savoury, meat and veg kind of girl, so a low carb diet (not a no carb, I like my crisps!), consisting mainly of meat, chicken & fish and low carb veggies worked for me. Also, if you can do a little bit of exercise, even if it is just to walk to the end of the road and back again for a start, with a few yards extra every day or few days will help, both physically and mentally.

Set small, realistic goals, aim for just a couple of kilos in a month, a 10 minute walk a day this week, 15 minutes next week. Much more achievable than "I need to lose a stone asap". You are setting yourself up to fail!! But most of all, be kind to yourself, you will have good days and bad days. If you have a bad day, keep at it, tomorrow could be an excellent day and over time you will have more good days than bad.

All the best to you, you CAN do it, believe in yourself!

I'd try low carb, because it's easy and you don't feel hungry. But you shouldn't cheat with it.
Once you've got down to your goal weight you can ease off.
Try it you actually feel full up.

thanks everyone, appreciate the input so much

Think I will give low carb and am going to go to aldi in a bit and stock up

I do become a glutton if I eat carbs whereas I really love eggs and veg and meat...

Good luck! You've now got me craving some roast gammon, a couple of runny poached eggs and a big pile of asparagus with your mention of eggs, which I also love any which way they come!!! Cold grilled smoked back bacon and hard boiled eggs for breakfast, oh yum! I used to prepare a few days worth in one go such it's just grab and eat! Or all mixed up with a dollop of Hellemans Light for lunch... Mmmm, think I need a trip to the supermarket too...

I’m kind of wary about the amount of fat that you can eat but primarily need to cut my carb intake off at the knees as that is my biggest pull

And what if it’s so good I just pig out? Presumably the appetite benefits don’t kick in for a few days right?

Also, if you are fancying something carby, make a batch of these, (I used to have the Dukan book, which was okay but a bit overly complicated for what is basically a low carb diet, this is copied from the Dukan Diet Site to save you looking it up!). They are yummy and the most useful recipe in the entire book:

Dukan Oat Bran Pancake

Ingredients
1 beaten egg (or 2 beaten egg whites)
1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran
1 1/2 tablespoons of zero fat quark or fromage frais
Zero fat (skimmed) milk if needed
Seasoning or sweetener of choice

Method
Mix together the egg, oat bran and quark or fromage frais with the seasoning (or sweetener) of your choice, adding a little milk to thin the mixture if required.
Add a few drops of oil to a non-stick frying pan and wipe with a paper kitchen towel.
Add the mixture to the pan and cook on a medium heat until bubbles have formed on top of the pancake.
Turn the pancake and continue to cook until nicely browned.

Useful Information
To save time you can make a batch of pancakes and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a week.

Just remember, fat is NOT the enemy, too many calories is the enemy. Seriously, at the risk of seeming like I am taking over your thread with all my overly enthusiastic posts, do go and at least look at MyFitnessPal. Reading the forums seriously put me straight on things. There are so many myths and misinformation out there it's hard to see a path through. It's full of normal people (and a few nutters, but they, like on MN are the best!), from those who are morbidly obese on their first day, to those just wanting to knock a bit off for a special occasion, to those who have been through it and come out the other side. I can pretty much guarantee you are going to see yourself and hear the exact questions you are pondering!

What worked for me was 800 cals a day diet and at least 30 mins a day aerobic exercise - after 5 weeks I'm no longer in the obese category!

The Fast 800 book is very good and recommends recipes for this plan.

Good luck OP you'll do it if you're determined!!

I could eat fat all day long, I just love it

Just remember, fat is NOT the enemy, too many calories is the enemy.

same for carbs, but try to stick yo wholegrain & potatoes with skin.
carbs in moderation are ok

same for carbs, but try to stick yo wholegrain & potatoes with skin.
carbs in moderation are ok

You are quite right, NO food is the enemy, even chocolate cake is fine in moderation. I probably should have stated more clearly at the time but that's why I said too many calories are the enemy, I just meant it's not the food type that's the problem. (Although too many of any carbs if you are on a low carb diet kind of defeats the purpose, then it would be a calorie-counting diet ). I mentioned fat as I was just replying to the OP's "I’m kind of wary about the amount of fat that you can eat"

VLCD, I lost several stone on one then had bariatric surgery.
I chose Exante online. If you get a bulk buy it costs around £100 for the months supply which is far less than what you would spend on food.
Expect to feel like crap after 10 days and then back to normal again a week or two later, I lost a stone a month on it if I stuck to it.

Keto, 20g carbs or less per day. There are apps to work out your macros. I've been on it since June last year and have lost nearly four stone.

sono thank you.
I am sometimes worried about no or very low carb evangelists. it does work for some people, but often is not sustainable in the long term.