Sick of being fat and unhealthy. Anyone turned this around?

[Planet42]

I’m desperate to get of this rut. I’m unfit, fat and wheezy. I’m sure it’s some kind of weird seasonal allergies but I think dairy makes my wheezing worse.
I’d like to lose 2 and half stones (shorty so it’s a lot!), get fitter, do some yoga to reduce general stiffness and cut out dairy to see if all this makes a difference.
I’m constantly tired too. Which seems to be linked to my vicious cycle of tired=easy carby or sugary foods = more tiredness = more easy food and so on.time to break it.
Tomorrow is the day I start. My plan involves eating lots of plants and protein, no snacking.
Share any inspiring stories please or join in if you need to do the same

I’ve made a good start today. I’ve prepped and planned my meals. Lots of fruit and veg in the plan.
I’d still love to hear how switching to a diet to include lots of fruit and veg helped to lose weight and boost energy and health, if anyone can share.

Well done! It's been proven that tiredness makes us eat more, and more unhealthy things, so definitely get that sorted first.

As for losing weight, I prefer lightly low-carbing.

I also find that one bout of decent exercise a day helps to shift the pounds, and helps sleep as well. A 45 min walk, or a shorter, brisker walk. Getting outside is really important, pref before noon for your sleep patterns.

I would say, though, don't kid yourself about fruit helping you to lose weight. Veg are far better for that.

I was massive and needed to lose at least 3 stone. Currently lost 20lb from cutting calories. I rarely eat fruit, the sugar is unhealthy and it bumps up my blood sugar then when it drops I’m starving. I’m trying to eat more veg and have managed to cook healthier at dinner time, but don’t have the time or inclination to prep veg for lunch. Exercise does make me feel better but I’m not naturally active so I really have to force myself because it’s so boring. My son mostly prevents me from exercising so I don’t get much. I have seen a massive improvement from the weight I’ve lost though.

I’d like to join you. I need to shift the same amount. Also feeling wheezy and generally crap. Might be perimeno. Might be autoimmune stuff. Been through a totally rubbish time in my relationship with DH, which led to weight loss followed swiftly by putting it all back on again, so I’m feeling a bit desperate. This time I want to do it for me though. And my kids. I feel older than I should and don’t like who I see in the mirror.
Ok, my plan is....no junk food except one time a week. No dairy (I agree it doesn’t help anything). This will be hard, I love cheese. No meat...I feel much fitter as a vegi. Drink water and peppermint tea, not wine and coffee.
And I’m not going to weigh myself every day, it makes me feel crap. Once a week starting before bed tonight!
We can do this...right?
(I’m 5.10ft, and I think pushing 14.5st...but I’ll tell you weight properly once I work up courage to get on scales)!

Well done @WizWoz! I should say, I've slowly lost 30lbs by doing lowish carb and exercise.

I'm also an overweight shorty, I'm a real foodie so struggle to diet and as I'm the only cook in the house it's difficult and no one else wants to or needs to diet. So know I'm trying to exercise, I started running, but it wasn't good for my knees. But I started pilates and really enjoyed it, it stopped after coves and never restart so I found a yoga class instead, I have to say I'm really really enjoying it, I now go twice a week, I know I probably won't lose weight but decided at over 50 if I can increase my core strength, become more flexible and increase my balance this will stand me in good stead for when I get older. I am also doing a weekly zumba class for some cardiovascular.

Thank you for some excellent advice and really well done WizWoz. 20lb weight loss is impressive and would make a huge difference to me.
I take the advice about fruit. I included half grated apple and some blueberries in my porridge and thought I’d have a satsuma later as a snack. I hope that’s not too much.
I made a big pot of some kind of veg chilli with butternut squash and beans for lunch and dinner today. I’m not having anything else.
I went for a long walk and did a bit of yoga.
I think this is about as much as I can do at the moment as it’s manageable. I don’t want to make any more big changes. Maybe after a few more weeks

That's a good idea. Gradually change your lifestyle to be healthier, and then dieting won't be such a big change.

Have you considered something like Slimming World, or WW?

Ultra processed food is key. Hugely refined carbohydrate plays havoc with energy levels, appetite and general inflammation, also bloating.

Your meal sounds great.

Just eating whole foods, no sugar, no snacks (Micro fasting) and literally cold turkey on white processed carbs will improve your mood and weight in no time

I found rules and plans just didnt work, I knew what I needed to do I just could never stick to it longterm, sometimes a few days was all I could do othertimes it was months and then I would put it on again.
I didnt seem to be able to stick to anything.
I realised I wasnt stupid or lazy but that I had a problem and truly needed to tap into a source of power to be able to eat well and exercise consistently. I just didnt have the needed power to live the way I wanted to in respect to food and excercise.
The 12 steps was the way I have been able to live healthily and overcome the powerlessness around food and exercise.
Overeaters anonymous and also 12 step retreats work if you have had the same powerlessness i did.

Hamstersarse I think that’s what will work for me. I can’t deal with rules and weighing or anything like that at the moment. I basically want to save my ‘head space’ for work and other things.
I’m actually feeling a bit more driven and alert already! It’s amazing how much diet really does affect us.

Have a look at Forks Over Knives Planet - it's a whole-food plant-based diet and their recipes are mostly very good, although there are some duds. I lost quite a bit of weight and feel much healthier from following that for lunch and evening meals (still like my toast in the morning although I have a wholegrain toast.)

I've lost 18 kilos and managed to keep it off now. What worked for me was not restricting the types of food I ate but by tracking everything on my fitness pal so I knew where my calories were at. Amazing how quickly that helped focus my mind but yet I never felt I was going without. I cooked lots from the pinch of nom book which suited my children too, froze soup for lunch and planned my meals. I did start exercising more, couch to 5K and classes. I went for the slow and steady approach, took me 7 months to do it but I feel so much better for it now. Also I don't feel like I've broken a plan if I eat a pizza, just try to pull it back the next day, slimming world and diets like that have never lasted for long for me. Good luck!

I had a look at that LauraMipsom. It looks quite good.
HGC2 well done on that fantastic loss.
I felt good yesterday but sooooo tired by 9pm. I felt hungry too but didn’t eat. This morning, I dont feel too hungry and have a similar plan to yesterday. Nothing processed.

Day 3 today. Yesterday was good. Today I’m having porridge and blueberries for breakfast, butternut squash and chickpea curry for lunch. Same for dinner with a satsuma for a snack.
I’ll carry on droning one here even it’s to myself
I’m finding it helpful.

Keep on going, you’re doing great and it’ll be so worth it

Good luck OP. I lost 40kg in my mid to late 40s.

They have been shared many times before but, in case you haven't seen them, I've attached my before and after pics.

Keep going; we all get there in the end

Thanks for the encouragement Millie.

NiceLegs you look amazing! Very beautiful. What an inspirational set of pics. Thanks for those. I can’t imagine looking as fab as that but I’ll keep going in the hope that one day...

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace that is so inspiring

It’s getting easier to eat well. When I’m hungry, I want to eat well. I was really craving toast this morning but resisted and made some porridge with blueberries and half a banana instead.
Lunch is chickpea curry, dinner is burgers today. I’ll skip the bun for some bread thins instead.