Tell me how you turned your health around!

[HeyDougie]

I’m at an all time low about my health and appearance. I’m 64 and about four stones overweight. It’s just accumulated over the past 15 years if I’m honest and it makes me utterly miserable. I hate the way I look and it makes me avoid doing a lot of things as a result. I lost two stones fifteen years ago and was a size ten, but I cannot motivate myself this time. I’ve had enormous amounts of stress in my life and feel like I’ve been fire fighting for a long time.

I am pre diabetic and have high cholesterol. I am afraid for my health. I lack energy and drive and feel exhausted a lot of the time. In general my life isn’t the way I would want it to be but until I get my weight and health back under control I can’t see the rest of my life improving.

I need some encouragement and motivation. Tell me how you turned your life around and what helped you do it. I lost about ten pounds around Xmas due to a virus but it’s all come back in due to various reasons and I’m so annoyed with my myself. My self esteem is rock bottom. I walk several times a week but it’s just not enough. I have back issues so swimming and weightlifting are out .

Hey...I will be
watching this post eagerly...you have just described my life to the letter...and hopefully I will pick up some tips...my problem is I have no will power!...I start off with good intentions but literally a day or so later, I cave in...I wish you well x

I did many years ago. I was in a similar situation after an minor accident.

Exercise wise I started walking. First round the block... then extending to the wider neighbourhood. (I know do multi day hikes!)
I also joined the gym and while it was OK, nothing came close to being outside. I don't live in a pretty part of the country but still, there are lots of footpaths across the fields that are lovely.

I changed my diet once I got settled into my walking routine. I eat very little UPF. Most of my food is vegetarian/ vegan. I use wholegrain and learned to cook with pulses.

Mounjaro, swimming, walking and 3/4 of the kids moving out. Finally got enough headspace to start. 4 stone down. Could probably loose another 2-3.

Also I take a ton of supplements.

I second the walking. I already go to the gym but whilst I have built muscle I haven’t lost any weight. Started walking daily and the weight is trickling downwards.

I already walk for an hour and a half four or five times a week but I don’t think the terrain is varied enough. Clearly it just isn’t enough exercise. I already eat a very healthy diet full of whole grains and pulses. I don’t eat UPF in general. It feels quite unfair that I’m so overweight!

Stop drinking alcoholic

Do you have money you can throw at this? If you do then I would recommend a personal trainer 3 times a week for 6 months. It honestly transformed my health at the time.

Prior to that I did the Fast 800 for weight loss, it did help but you lose muscle mass so hence why a personal trainer is needed after definitely!

It's not about doing more, 10k- 12k steps should be sufficient. Although a hill incline would also help.

It's about strength training as muscle burns more calories at rest.

Too much cardio can be stressful, do as much as you enjoy or not, but definitely lift heavy weights!

Yes try and get consistent with 10k-12k steps a week. I have a walking treadmill.

Do you have joint pain? The Nuffield gyms run amazing joint pain management courses which get you into exercise in groups with restricted mobility for various reasons. It’s free, really motivating and has lots of options for different ability levels. I couldn’t figure out how to start introducing exercise back into my life and now I’m getting stronger with a bit more energy every week.

I have done many different things for my health and general wellbeing but here are the things I do now, in the rough order I started them. I am 49.

weightlifting
anti-anxiety meds (now off them)
long-term therapy
HRT
Mounjaro
conditioning exercises (short bursts of high intensity cardio eg slam ball, kettlebell, bike, ski erg done as a pair with moderate weights)

All of these together have really helped but if I had to pick 2 I would pick weights and conditioning. The conditioning in particular has been miraculous. It flicked a switch in my mind from "oh god not stairs, lift" to "actually I can do stairs now" to "I want to take the stairs because that's like extra conditioning for free". I feel healthier and more energetic than I ever have in my life and it's great.

How did you approach conditioning? Did you do a class or hire a PT? I just don’t know where to start. I joined a gym a couple of years ago and my back went on day one.

No I don’t but it’s probably not far off! Mg main problem is a back issue. Breaststroke is terrible for triggering it. I have to be careful about lifting things too.

I would love to do this but again don’t know where to start. I asked at a private gym and they weren’t very helpful.

Cut out carbs as much as possible. No desserts except very occasionally. Only drink alcohol Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Never eat takeaways,. Bought a rowing machine and do 30 minutes 5 times a week.
Lost 2 stone in four months. I can’t stand the idea of weight loss drugs but they are obviously great for many people.

Well, I worked out with a PT twice a week and once on my own, but we're now going down to him doing a programme and us meeting once a month for review. I'd recommend looking for a smallish private gym in your area which has good reviews, they'll probably offer PT and also some conditioning classes (bootcamp style things). Have a look at their online reviews (make sure you look at Google reviews and not just stuff they quote on their website). Or speak to friends who've worked with a trainer or in a class and find out who they liked and why. I do recommend the private PT option if you can stretch to it as it really gave me confidence to be working 1:1 with someone who I felt had an idea of how weights should progress and probably wouldn't do my back in on the first day!

Really? I am surprised at that.

You have various options.

If you are starting from zero strength wise, you might be better starting with Pilates three times a week. Then move up to Reformer Pilates. Do like 6-8 weeks of each. That will put you in good stead against injury.

Then go to something like Body Conditioning where they do low level 5kg weights. Nothing too crazy.

Consistency is key though. Your body will hate you for the first couple of weeks. But 3 times a week is the golden number.

Once you have some basic strength just get a gym induction, get shown basic machines and follow a basic routine.

Your body will tell you when it's ready. When you feel like something more challenging, google PTs in your area. They should have an arrangement where they can use the gym.

It's not a quick fix, you need to spend about 3 months getting a baseline of movement and strength.
Then find the PT for 6 months. After 9 months you will be a different person.

That's how I did it anyway.

Also, if you don't want to do 1.1 PT as it can be expensive, some gyms offer these 6 week group programmes. Usually it will be like £250 for 6 weeks. Three group sessions a week. Plus check-ins. Then they break for 2 weeks. Then repeat the programme. Still can be costly. I liked working with a PT as I actually can confident lift weights on my own now, I know what I am doing. V good life skill!

I’m a similar age and three stones overweight and have joint and mobility problems. I joined Slimming World in May and have lost a stone so far. I go with a friend and we encourage each other, but even if I go on my own it’s a friendly place and I’ve met some lovely people. I have stopped drinking alcohol as it’s so many calories and doesn’t make me feel great in the morning. The healthy eating plan is sensible, I really recommend it.

Some great ideas here and so motivating.

I've been an overweight couch potato all my adult life. I quit smoking 10yrs ago, then vaping 5yrs ago.

My weight topped out at 15st5 and my turning point was a holiday when I was downing strong cocodamol because of knee pain from walking around. Oct 2023, I signed up to a weight loss clinic and with prescription tablets, I lost 2st and started at the gym. I was so unfit to start with but something stuck and began to love my little gym routine, slowly got fitter as the lbs melted off.

Had a break from the tablets for a few months and a year later from starting at the WL, I decided to try mounjaro to lose the last few stone. I'm currently 5st down from my heaviest, still a regular gym goer. On my off days from the gym, I'll go for a long walk with a podcast on. I'm on a weekend away now and just been paddleboarding for the first time, something I'd have never done a few years back.

I've been enjoying new clothes and trying different styles instead of large shapeless sacks to hide in. A new hairstyle, some teeth whitening and regular beauty treatments and I feel like a new me.

I've joined Slimming World this year and found it very helpful. I've lost about 3 stone and I'm almost your age. It's helped me eat far more healthily - I do not like the idea of weight loss jabs.

If you want to stick with walking you need to up your game. Check your distance & Time. Then try and reduce the time.
Go cross country and use the public footpaths. I have the OS maps app (and always take a paper map!!) for local walks and paths.

I usually do 10-14k on a Saturday or Sunday morning throughout Spring Summer and Autumn. (That's approximately 3 hours on relatively flat terrain.)
I also have a backpack with essentials and a bit of extra weight, mainly because I go on multi day hikes where I need to carry all my stuff. If you go down that route, make sure the backpack is fitted correctly. You need to carry most of the weight on your hips, not your shoulders.

My personal opinion is, that there is nothing that comes close to being outside, observing nature, changing seasons, the birds, deer and little creepy crawlies. Trees, grasses and even crops, they all have their own energy and beauty.
It's where I recharge my batteries and what keeps me fit & healthy.

And the best thing is, apart from the initial outlay in decent clothing & gear it's free and always available!

Hire a PT. Trial a couple and go with one you like and trust. Tell them about any injuries you have and see how they modify exercises due to this. I spent a few months with a PT until I knew what good form was, then joined local classes - much cheaper and more sociable but I wasn't fit or confident enough to join them when I started out.

As PP have said, weight training is a game changer and it can be done, even with a weak or dodgy back, if you know what you are doing. Doesn't need to be heavy weights. I don't lift more than 5k in each hand or a 10kg kettlebell or medicine ball. Some MN are very serious weightlifters but I am cautious about injury. Even low weights will make a massive difference.

And add very tiny easy adjustments to each day - drink at least 4 large glasses of water - one before each meal, to ensure you are not snacking when you are thirsty. Do squats or high knees while waiting for the kettle to boil, microwave to ping, while cleaning teeth etc.

You mention lots of pulses and grains but they might be very carb-heavy and that might trigger cravings. You could try upping protein - more tofu if you are vegan, more eggs and things like low fat high protein Icelandic yoghurt (Skyr) if you are veggie, or fish and chicken if not veggie. Add green veg and salad and slightly reduce the bulky carbs of grains and lentils.