Supplements/ princessing from the inside!

[ImDoingThisNow]

Nearly posted this in health, but thought I’d get more answers here.

Anyone want to join me?

I'm trying to lose weight/ be more stylish/ eat better etc. but have decided I want to look into supplements and work on internal health as well. I wondered if we could share tips or suggestions. I am trying to eat more healthily as well. I have stopped eating meat, so started to look into how to replace lost nutrients from this. I need to lose about 3.5 stones and this time, I’m going to do it!

So far, I’m trying these probiotics: https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pro-ven-womens-lactobacillus-with-cranberry-capsules-60008367 for women's health, plus I saw that they have probiotics linked to weight loss there.

I have also bought some collagen (veg) capsules, q-10 capsules and will take a multivitamin each day.

Clothing wise, I will look better after losing weight. I have big boobs, big hips, relatively small waist from the front, but massive bloated stomach from the side (and c-section overhang).

I am getting a hair cut next week.

I am trying to drink more water and to move more. I plan to build up to other exercise than walking (doing a lot at the moment) gradually because I am recovering from an injury, so will need to be low impact to begin with. Plus I have a bad back - hoping that the weight loss will help with this.

What else could I do?

This morning, I swear I feel a little lighter and my skin and nails feel nicer from the inside (hard to explain!) I'm holding off on trying the scales to weigh myself for another week.

All sounds positive

but you haven’t mentioned your diet? Supplements, walking and lots of water don’t mean anything if you’re shuffling sharing packet of crisps daily!

I said I'm trying to eat more healthily. I cut out meat, so my diet is mostly vegetables with something - like bread/ cereals (non sugar alpen style).

I would say my diet was lots of healthy food with lots of unhealthy snacks (chocolate/ crisps). I'm cutting back on the unhealthy- keeping it manageable, rather that cut it totally out.

It's easy to put a lot of weight on very gradually by eating healthily with just a few too many snacks. Weight gain isn’t always about an awful diet.

The supplements are trying to redress and rebalance everything.

Bump 😀

I'll join. Looking to improve our diet as a family (I've been influenced by those UPF threads here and found some useful information).

My staple supplements are omega capsules (high strength) and biotin (for hair and skin). Though apparently it can aid sleep to take the omega in the evening.

I'm looking at iron supplements. Liquid, so something like Floradix or an effervescent.

Not quite supplements, but I have a flaxseed blend with breakfast which is meant to be very healthy. I've also been meaning to try making chia seed pudding but haven't got around to it yet. Magnesium glycinate supplements have been amazing for me for sleep and anxiety, and I always look much better when well rested!

I second magnesium at night.
More water, less caffeine.
Multivitamin in the morning.
Low carbs.
I fast until lunchtime.

But I'm 51 and my body changed a lot post menopause so I've had to change things round in terms of diet and exercise. HRT...game changer.

Fermented foods, oily fish and exercise wise - weights, game change to speed up weight loss. Liz Earle podcast is a goldmine.

I didn't know there was a Liz Earle podcast - I'm going to look for that now.

I've started the supplements and have started doing some morning stretches - I'm relatively flexible, but have noticed that I get stiff more easily.

I have some annual leave, so want to build some good habits before going back to work.

Unless your GP has suggested supplements after testing, you don't need them.

Possibly vitamin D in which most people are deficient.

As a matter of interest, why have you cut out meat?
I'm asking because lean meat is an excellent protein source which can help people feel fuller for longer which obviously helps when trying to lose weight

I'm taking collagen, does it help? Who knows

I can barely get a blood test to check for low iron, let alone to check for specific deficiencies like this.

I try to eat healthily and balanced, but it’s expensive. Supplements don’t substitute a healthy diet, but I feel that there’s more chance of filling in the gaps for the weeks when I’m eating beans on toast.

I want to see if I can feel a difference.

Just can bring myself to eat it anymore. I’d like to cut out fish as well, but at my age I think I need to keep this in (mid 40s) for my future health.

I bought some vegan gummies from Boots that I’m sure made a difference but they’re sold out at the moment.

Why has my reply been hidden? (The one just before this?) @mnhq ?

There are 4 posts still there from you OP, all in a row

It's been unhidden. I assume it was due to the multiple posts, but I’ve done that before when quoting.

As we age, our bodies require more protein (approx 50% more than a younger person) to maintain so it's really important to make sure you're getting enough protein from alternative sources if you've cut out meat.

I'd also consider taking a pre/probiotic like Symprove (rather than the one you linked earlier) to make sure you're getting the most benefit from the healthy food you're eating. Symprove and VSL# are the only pre/probiotics recommended by actual GPs.

For any supplements you take, make sure they're good quality ones (i.e. not full of bulking agents) or you're throwing your money away. A good quality multivitamin is Life Extension Two-A-Day.

I've been doing this around 5m OP so I will throw my tuppence worth in! Initiastsrted in February for weight loss following a shocking pic and subsequent jump on the scales! Had been ignoring the trousers and jeans that didn't fit or we re skintight. So I cut out sugar and flour as per a 30 day sugar free challenge. Never looked back. Like you OP I was eating v healthy meals but too much junk, and v much leaning on it for comfort, an energy boost etc.

I'm two stone down but I don't even think about that now, it's funny. However it is fantastic to fit into long lost clothes I had forgotten! I feel younger, move more easily in my body, sleeping better, skin and hair better etc. Even the hairdresser commented. What I've put in, having taken out sugar and flour, is lots of really healthy foods that I had been falling short on a bit/not been properly hungry to be interested in, because of snacking. I am not calorie counting or cutting portions but instead I'm really enjoying my 3 meals. I'm pretty fastidious and generally know what at least two of them are at the start of the day. They're generally plentiful plates of healthful, colourful food. Plenty of good quality meat eggs and cheese also.

I've also treated myself to some lovely skincare as a little reward and I'm much better at being consistent with this and daily flossing etc. I do take a fish oil also, but always have done. Magnesium at night for sleep and muscles.

Oh and 2-3L water a day! Definitely makes a difference.

Ohh watching with interest! I’m trying to do the same - walking lots and drinking more water has helped. Regards vitamins - I take vitamins c, d & e and vitamin b6, but can’t say I have noticed much difference - I really want to try collagen but it’s a minefield regards what to take and they are so pricey! I need to start drinking spinach and mango smoothies again as they made me skin glow but they are such a faff to make!

I've never taken collagen supplements. Apparently the benefits to skin are thought to be dubious.

What else do you put in it? Eating them would surely do the same and would be better for you again.