AIBU to want a gentler health/weight discussion

[argumentativefeminist]

Want to interact with others and get support/motivation for getting healthier and active, and in the process losing weight. But I absolutely don't want to hear any "diet culture", calorie counting or unhealthy disordered eating promotion. Surely I can't be the only one? Sometimes it seems like every thread I click on is just full of upsetting, unhelpful comments that sound like they could have been lifted from a thinspo website.

I think I'll try it again. I felt quite self conscious though because everyone else was very thin and flexible. I looked like a heffalump in comparison. A large heffalump that was as flexible as a plank of wood.

Honestly apples everyone in a yoga class is busy trying not to accidentally fart, not assessing other people

If you enjoyed it, definitely go back. Every person in the room has been a beginner at some stage.

I’ve run 3 times this week. So far none of my organs have fallen out and I’m seeing glimpses of the capable feisty self I thought I’d lost in the fog of ivf/high risk pregnancy/birth injury stuff. Just needed to have a small celebratory yell about it.

And thanks for this thread, which is nothing to do with numbers on scales and everything to do with bodies that are worth celebrating.

Placemarking to read later

Verbena I'm so immensely glad to hear that!! It sounds like you're feeling really positive and that makes me so happy. You're so right that all bodies deserve celebrating.

No actual exercise for me for the past few says but plenty of steps across stations/cleaning up my old rental house for check out inspection, and lots of heavy lifting 😭 just had the biggest, loveliest vegetarian curry feast tho and now it's time for pjs and telly, so I'm feeling v happy.

Hope to hear from you soon House!

Hey all!

No exercise here as such, but working a lot (sports massage) and also doing pretty well on my new diet. It seems to have put me in ketosis so I’m not feeling nearly as hungry as I was.

I had too many lentils today so feeling a bit hungry now (lentils are carby) but all in all have been totally loving the high fat/low carb thing!

Hi everyone,

I managed to do some Pilates this week and DH came with me. He enjoyed it too. Not put off by a class full of women lol - he was the only bloke My stomach muscles really ached for a couple of days afterwards though, but hoping it’s doing me some good. Booked in again for next week. Have you tried Pilates apples ? I much prefer it to yoga! I’m not very flexible either and really struggle to touch my toes!

Sounds like you’re doing well with the running Verbena Well done you! 👍

Your new diet sounds interesting Camel I like the idea of high fat/low carb. What does a day of your diet look like? How many carbs do you have in a day for instance?

Vegetable curry sounds lovely Af any curry actually 😋 I’ve been trying really hard to have my 5 a day and just about managing it.

Hey Pixie

So for breakfast I have a green protein smoothie.

Then some hummus and veggies

Then lunch is an omelette with ham and peppers

Then a handful of berries and cashew nuts

Then for dinner we have been having a spoonful of rice or lentils with fish, steak or chicken

So we did Joe Wickes chicken chorizo on Thursday night

The best bit about it is that I just don’t feel hungry, after the first 2-7 days your body goes into ketosis and stops expecting carbs for food and starts burning fat. I started Tuesday and I’ve already lost 2lbs

Well done mrs & mr pixie - lots of blokes do Pilates round here but it’s beautiful where we live so most people trail run/mountain bike/kayak and appreciate having a strong core.

Sounds like you're doing well too Pixie! Focusing on my 5 a day has been the main change I've made to my diet, it makes me feel much healthier!

Glad you've found something that works for you Camel, make sure you look after yourself and your body but I'm glad you sound positive! 💕

So today for lunch I’m doing chorizo, ham, peppers in a 3 egg omelette with mozzarella on top.

All totally keto

Struggling tonight!!!

Could reaaally munch out on some kettle chips

Hang in there camel , can you do some bunting or something fiddly to keep your hands busy?

Those meals sound yummy Camel 😋 Did you resist the crisp cravings? I always crave savoury stuff like crisps & chips, but once I start I can’t stop!

Sounds like a lovely area to live Verbena

Yes I had hot choccy instead (keto friendly)

I’ve been running again. I still don’t need the uterus shopping trolly mentioned upthread and I am stupidly happy about it.

Yes Verbena! You're really going from strength to strength, it's cheering me up no end.

I started on my flag design today guys! After a weekend that wasn’t TOO calorific!

This will be done in a variety of silks in A4 size a number of times (probably 7) and hung together to make bunting, then I’ll do a large flag when I’m really happy with the pattern.

I really like it! Behind the peacock will be different silks in blue/green/turquoise/white/purple cut into irregular shapes. Sort of an abstract peacock.

I thought starting with something simple would mean I got used to the sewing machine again...

Hope you like it!

Morning all. Feeling a little dispirited, no weight loss this week and just been for a run that was really tough. 2k took me 20 minutes, I’d be faster walking.

Suddenly feeling in danger of falling into negative thoughts about this new being healthy lark. I’m very heavy and trying to overturn a lifetime of eating badly feels hard today.

*Agatha I really wouldn’t recommend running if you are very heavy. Power walk listening to tunes and deal with one aspect of your diet rather than run.

Have you ever written a food journal, it really helps!

Morning Agatha! I dont/can't run either because it puts too much strain on my bad joints - could you try swimming, long walks, low impact aerobics, something like that? At the end of the day, your body appreciates anything that gets your heart working. And the benefits of slower, sustained endurance exercise are just as "good" as fast, high impact exercise, just different.

Your weight can't tell you if you're healthy or not, it really can't. There's all sorts of things going on inside your body that you can't see! Overturning bad habits is really hard, but even the littlest changes that you make put you in the right direction and are a small bit of progress. So, continuing to be here on this thread, engaging with wanting to be healthier, evaluating how you can do that better, recognising that it'll take a long time, those are all positive things that you've done already this morning that will help you on your way.

We love you! 💕

Bless you lovely people. Bizarrely I find running easier than power walking on my legs because I trot along very gently, I’m definitely not a pavement pounder. It’s my lungs that find it tough going, I’m so unfit. I’ll give the walking another try.

I need to get back into my positive mindset and keep tweaking what I eat I think. Too much bread still being consumed.

My mental state regarding food is still definitely better following the hypnotherapy, but today I feel a bit wobbly about my chance of succeeding with long term significant weight loss, which is what I need.

On a more positive note, I’m building more activity into every day, parking further away and seeking out opportunities to move a bit more.

I've just started the Jessica Smith walking HIIT workout plan on YouTube, I think there's 4 sessions, because like you Agatha my lungs and I disagree about how much exercise I can do! It's very gentle HIIT with lots of recovery time which will hopefully get me more able to recover and get my breathing back under control. I also get more out of breath walking for a long time than doing shorter faster things, so I'm trying to work more on my endurance.

Long term significant weight loss is important for some of us Agatha (me too!) but that doesn't mean that we should expect ourselves to achieve/perform more than a normal human body can do. It's only possible to lose x amount of weight in x amount of time, and that won't always be a consistent rate of progress because, well, life! You're already making the changes necessary, you're doing so so well - it will take a while to achieve a significant change in our bodies like me and you need to. But we're in it together and we're getting there!

My philosophy is even if I never change size significantly, my heart will be healthier and my brain feels better. And that's two very important things.

Hi there, I was hoping I could join you on the thread?

I'm 35 and as I'm getting older I start to feel it in my body more (dodgy knee, bad back, dodgy pelvic floor etc etc). I am trying to get a place where I have a healthy mindset regarding food and exercise and don't either activity as a 'chore''. I love food and cooking and whilst I generally eat good quality food, I probably eat more than I need to. I have a desk based job and probably drink too much alcohol.

Basically I want to 'look after myself' a bit better!!!

I've never been into faddy diets or extreme exercise and having read some of the pages of this thread I think I may have found some likeminded people!

Heya Clara! It sounds like you'll fit in really well here, I'm also trying to not view activity as a chore. I really enjoyed my workout this morning, and now I've got egg on toast and coffee and watching the Thick of It, so it's been a great morning already!