I have cleaned up.my diet and am losing weight at a startling rate

[Waterbortle]

Which was initially good, but now I'm starting to worry.

I was 10st9 and 5'7, so never fat but a bit heavier than I'd like, between 10st and 10st4 is, I think, my ideal weight. Mostly I wanted to be feel better, my diet was never dreadful, but I knew the junkand the booze had crept in.

So since the beginning of June I have:

-Drunk moderately and only once over a weekend. I never drank during the week, but I'd have "a few" at least 2 nights pw. Now I have a couple, once.

• Cut out snacking - here I was probably worse than I realised, and saying no snacks at all makes it easier for me to stick to.
• No takeaways, but they were never that frequent.
• Made an effort to choose healthier options when faced with a menu
• Desserts only at weekends.
• Stopped using the car all the time and walk as much as possible.

I'm 55, an age when weight is supposed to be difficult to shift. I've never been hungry or felt deprived. I've lost a stone in 2 months.

Does this sound right with the changes I've made or is it too much?

Years ago I was a single parent with 3 children and no car. No Ocado deliveries then either! I walked miles doing all the food shopping and school drop off and pick ups.
I also worked. Not boasting here … I just had to get on with it as that was my situation and I was very fit then. I lead a very different life now my children have all left home and I have a car!

Losing a stone in 2 months is not 'losing weight at a startling rate' at ANY age.

It's 14 pounds in about 8-9 weeks. Not a bad achievement, but not unusual or exceptional.

Bet you didn't walk 10 miles a day though. EVERY day.

And why would you be boasting? What is there to boast about?? We've all done it, and our mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers before. Walked with bags of shopping, and walked the kids to school (and yes, walked to work as well...) It's not a special achievement, and millions of women do it (or have done it in the past.)

No-one walked more than a mile or two with shopping though, and no-one walked more than 2-3 miles to work. No. They just didn't. AND the 'shopping' would not have been a full shop. It would have been physically impossible to do it, and carry it home for 1-2 miles. MOST people had shops within a mile of where they lived, and would get bits and bobs every few days then. And I KNOW there was no Ocado shopping deliveries many years ago. FFS. 🙄

Also, you have conveniently skipped out the bit on my post where I said around HALF the working population of the UK, work half an hour or more DRIVE from where they live - so 15 miles or more. Do not tell me you have ever walked 30 mile round trips to work. That would be 10 hours of walking a day, and I am obviously not going to believe this. It would be farcical to the extreme for someone to claim they did this!

Honestly, some of the comments on this thread! Can you really not understand how OP’s experience with her DH might lead her to have anxiety around weight loss? That she may have set out on a weight loss journey but when it seemed to have come too quickly got worried that what happened to him was repeating? In the circumstances a bit of kindness really wouldn’t go amiss.

OP I understand. We all celebrated when my beloved godmother, who had tried to lose weight forever, finally found success with a particular diet. She lost weight, was looking fabulous, and was thrilled to bits. Then we discovered the weight loss had been due to terminal cancer, and six months later she was gone. Ever since I’ve got anxious when somebody I love loses weight. I get it. Please ignore all those accusing you of boasting.

HOWEVER! I really, really don’t think that is what’s happening here, so try not to worry. From what you’ve said you’re eating, combined with your activity level, 2 pounds a week loss is absolutely to be expected. If your weight is going lower than you planned eat a bit more and it should level out. If you’re still concerned go to the GP just to set your mind at rest, otherwise please relax and enjoy the results of your work x

No. I'm not. I set out to be "healthy" and hopefully lose a few pounds, expecting slow progress. I'm genuinely surprised at how it's happened and probably have some health anxiety following what we went through with DH and being left as all DC have. I.e. if I get sick too, what then?

But, if you prefer to see the worst in people....no, but if you're walking 2-3 miles to work, 1-2 miles for shopping, and popping round the corner to see a friend or relative/walking to the pub, you've done 10 miles.

If you add in the "steps" from a moderately active job, you've done more.

In the past when I've had longer commutes, I have deliberately parked away from work to save money, avoid congestion and get a longer walk in.

Obviously if people prefer not to that's their choice, but if they wanted to they'd find a way.

I get this but it's little and often I used to walk my kids to nursery and then walk about 30 mins to get a bus, and at lunch time would go for a walk.
I try and get off the tram a stop early if possible. On mat leave it was easy to just exercise with the buggy.

@Waterbortlewhat is the point of your post?
You state health anxiety and on the surface seek reassurance but you continue to post to berate offers not following your example that you are allegedly so concerned about. 🤯

Gosh! Calm down!

You're using more calories than what you're eating hence the quick weight loss..you need to be eating more if you want to continue with 10 miles walking a day or the weight will continue to drop off..congratulations on the loss though

@BatchCookBabe - Getting this worked up over a stranger on the internet posting some positive news about weight-loss is not okay.

OP, if you're worried about cancer causing your weight loss then you need to go to a GP and ask for tests.
But from what you said, its probably your change in diet and all the walking/exercise you do that's done it. Try making flapjacks or protein balls to keep up with your calorie intake maybe?

Everybody has slightly different energy requirements, and especially if you're suddenly doing exercise that you aren't acustomed to.
As people have suggested, just increase your food intake/reduce the amount of walking if you're worried. If you still lose weight then you need to go to your GP.
It might also be worth tracking your calories too, as you might not be eating as much as you think you are.

I can see why you are worried due to your DH, sorry for your loss. But realistically it was a rare case for the weight loss symptom to coincidently line up with a change in diet.

You have made some drastic changes and that wouldn't have had the full effect to your body shape and health within just 2 weeks, so to still be loosing after 2 months does not sound anything to be concerned about.

I am the same Height as you, after having my daughter I was 10.5 stone, could not shift it throughout my maternity leave. I went back to work in a physical role where I was on my feet all day, just 3 days a week, then went down to 2 days, and within a couple of months I went down to 9.5 stone with no diet chances. This is where the weight stayed for 5 years until I went to uni while still working. Adding 2 more days of walking to the station and around campus and I lost a stone. So was 8.5 stone, again no diet chances and this is where it stayed for 3 years until I got an office job and a driving licence and now the weight has crept up ever since

It's amazing how much of a difference walking can make. I go to excersize classes at the gym a few nights a week, but without being in a role where i could commute by foot it is impossible to get in the same number of steps in I was achieving when my lifestyle enabled it

Your diet sounds fine, plenty of variety and not mouse size portions. Just see where you are at the 6 month mark and work out if you need any adaptions

Sounds great, but I might stop at 2 stones- I lost about 3 stones due to depression at about the same age- the first 2 were fine, but once I got onto the 3rd one I started to look ill and older.

That’s a lot of miles, well done to you but I think not feasible for all.

I use the WeightWatchers app and find it very easy to eat sensibly. You get 23 points a day, plus 23 weekly points which help if you are eating out. I have lost two stone and would like to lose at least another two.

Disabled has entered the chat. I simply cannot do that.
Also There are lots of reasons that people simply can’t walk that far. Time/children/safety. When working I had a 14 mile commute only feasible by car, with bags of things I needed to take with me.

Probably best to see your GP or practice nurse for a check up having lost the weight. Your blood pressure is likely very good now that you are fitter but wouldn’t it be nice to know ?! That will set your mind at rest as if they have any concerns about your continuing weight loss they can advise and/or refer you to a dietitian or nutritionist. In the meantime congratulations on your initial weight loss. Impressive - and your walking will have played a big part in that. I take my hat off to you !

🤓🤣me half asleep thinking I was on a Mounjaro diet thread! Still.. rest of my reply stands! X

I was exactly the same, very late fifties. Took to intermittent fasting like a duck to water. Felt great weight fell off. I’m sure everything is perfectly fine for you but I was just unlucky. I'm now having chemo for stage 3B colon cancer after a sigmoid colectomy. There were signs as l'd had haemorrhoids for decades. I should have picked it up sooner but was just too thrilled with my weight loss.

Easily. You just stand up, put one foot in front of the other (repeat)

@Waterbortle I have lost 32 lb in 9 months following a similar weight loss strategy - cutting out snacks, increasing protein especially at breakfast and stopping eating after an earlyish dinner. Except I don’t walk as long as that but I do home dumbbell weights x 4 times a week, which I can fit in around work.

Like you, I was a bit concerned as I am post menopausal and expected it to be more difficult but ChatGPT tells me the weekly rate of loss is OK and within a healthy range. It suggested going back to the dietician to get a maintenance eating plan. Also it suggested eating your healthy diet on weekdays and having weekends relaxed as a way of maintaining, which doesn’t sound a bad idea. I have a holiday coming up soon and plan to be more relaxed about what I eat but still plan on protein rich meals as it improves my mood compared to before.

I don't believe that, I always find I can lose more weight if I exercise more. Maybe everyone is different but it's not a direct equivalency to how many calories you burn doing the actual exercise, your body continues to burn fat after you stop, it seems to rev up the metabolism. Also it tones you and being old I don't want to just lose weight if it means becoming flabbier and losing muscle.

I swim 50 lengths every afternoon … oh yes and I jog to the pool and back which is 10 miles away. I live on cheese and yoghurt. No idea why I’m losing weight. Do you think I’m okay?