Weight loss for those with a 40+ BMI

[TrinityWaves]

Anyone else at the start of their weight loss journey with a BMI over 40?

I thought starting this thread might make me more accountable.

I'm 5ft 5, weigh 265lbs, I'm in my early 30's.

I'd love to chat to others in a similar position, almost all my friends and extended family are slim! (My DH is also trying to loose weight, lower BMI than me though.)

I'll join you. What are you thinking of doing?
I weigh 252lbs.
I have no willpower but lots of my ailments will be cured by weigh loss.
I start a new diet everyday. I just don't actually do anything and still eat. I'd pay a fortune for bottled willpower.

Hi FlatEarthling! How tall are you? I have no willpower!

I need to cut my calories down, I've tried all sorts of diet plans but just never stick to them. The one thing I can seem to do is have 2 meals a day instead of 3. I need to reduce snacking too (this is the one I really struggle with).

I'm literally doing no exercise at all so the plan is a cycle with the kids 3 times a week, youngest in a trailer so that really burns the calories! I can only manage a few miles at the moment but would like to be able to do 5 miles eventually.

The covid risk linked to weight has really hit me suddenly. I also worry about other stuff like diabetes. At the moment I don't have any health problems but I know I'm a ticking time bomb.

Can I join?? - am about 244 now.

Have a very emotional relationship with food, and bad habits. I know my health is suffering so I really want to get on with it. Have teamed up with a friend a bit, which is helping.

Have just read Ranjan Chatterjees loose weight feel great - which is one of the most sensible things I read in a long time, I have to say.

Hi partyatthepalace, what's your height? Please do join me, I don't have anyone in real life anywhere near my size (DH BMI 33 and 1 friend BMI 35 I think she said, everyone else a size 6-12!) I'm glad you have a friend to team with too.

Ooo, I'll have a look at that, thanks!

Hello! I’d love to join you for accountability if that’s ok? I started in July with a BMI of 43, I’ve lost 3.5 stone and now have a BMI of 36 but need to keep going and the bad habits have crept back in!

Not joining, but just wanted to wish you all the best for your journey. My BMI was around 43 at the start of the lockdown last March. It is now 36. I still have a long way to go, but every kg lost makes a positive difference. You can do it!!

Hi Mooey - I'd love to know what you've done to loose all that weight, well done! Please do join us!

My plan is to try and update this with my progress (good or bad!)

Thanks, Alexa, what have you done to achieve that? Well done!

My BMI is 43.5

My target is 12 stone, pre children weight.

I dream of coming on this thread one day to say I did it!

Lots and lots of walking. Intermittent fasting (16:8) on weekdays and trying to eat healthy, nutritious food rather than junk. No calorie counting for me so far, I find it too depressing and I just give up. I also don't have "banned" foods, I just try to eat unhealthy stuff less often.

The way I see it, I'm trying to change my eating habits for a lifetime, so this isn't a diet as such. I'm not going to commit to never having cake again. I'm just going to eat less of it. Smaller portions, less often. Same with any other high calorie food. It needs to be sustainable, otherwise I won't manage it.

I'm trying to increase my activity levels too. Currently doing couch to 5k and did the beginner 30 day shred last year. Planning to do it again in February. My weight has plateaued a bit at the moment, but that happened a few times last year, so I'm confident it will still keep coming off in time.

I'm focusing on self care more generally, too. Drinking lots of water, eating lots of fruit and veg, taking vit d supplements, meditating daily, trying to get plenty of sleep etc. I'm more interested in health, vitality and energy than the actual number on the scales, though obviously I do want to lose weight. I find it easier thinking about what I'm going to gain than what I need to lose....

Get your fre flu jabs before you lose weight (and you will!). They are for over 40 BMI she found out when she finally deopped to 39...

Free. Sorry. Good luck!

Alexa
I'd never heard of the 16:8 thing until a couple of days ago, it would probably help with my snacking! I'm really going to take on board what you've written, there's some great tips in there.

SchrodingersImmigrant
I always just went to the chemist and paid the tenner for my flu jab as I'm very embarrassed over my weight. I stopped having it after a rare side effect though which initially looked like Guillain-Barré and absolutely terrified me (it wasn't GB in the end but I do still get non-harmful symptoms from the reaction now)

Honestly, I had a gastric band fitted. I need to take back control. HOWEVER it limits my portion sizes, but doesn’t limit snacking, chocolate or biscuits AT ALL which is my downfall 🤦🏼‍♀️

Oh that sucks @TrinityWaves!

Id like to join in too, if you don't mind.
My bmi was above 44 last time I weighed myself, a few weeks ago.

Like many others I've done very commercial diet going, and while I'm successful on each one, eventually I end up bigger than when I started.

I have two teenage daughters and need to be careful I don't pass my food issues onto them. I had the pleasure of attending a work conference with Dr Ranging Chatergee and love his approach to well being, so I've ordered the book mentioned by a pp.
I have got to get a grip on my overall health, sleep etc, and I'm thinking the best way is to introduce healthier habits that I can build on, rather than my usual all or nothing approach.

Good luck OP. The 5k cycling goal sounds great and your DC will love it too. One thing I will say, is to research gut health and make sure you take multivitamins and minerals. If you Google Vitamin D and weighloss, you'll see there's a connection due to how insulin behaves. In these stressful times, with cortisol additing to our weight gain, we need all the help we can get. I'm sure you can do it and if you think in small goals, of say 5lbs, you'll get there. 💐

Hello, just popping in, at my highest I was 255lb, currently 180lb.

On the calorie counting front, go to tdeecalculator.net/ put in your details and be honest about your current activity level. That will tell you how many calories your body needs to stay exactly the same weight. For a 1lb loss per week you need to deduct 500 from your maintenance number and that is then your calorie target.

Don't eat less than that, you don't need to as you will lose weight steadily at that number. Recalculate every time you lose a stone (14lb) as your calorie limit will decrease as you get smaller.

Drink lots of water, switch some carbs for lower calorie veg, carbs are high calorie and don't fill you up for long. You get much more on your plate if you switch to things like greenbeans, babycorn, mushrooms etc and they fill you up and taste amazing steamed with a blob of real butter (35 cals per teaspoon) or roasted with olive oil.

Protein and fat will stop you feeling hungry, think of things like eggs (boiled in the fridge for snacking or scrambled with peppers, chilli, spring onion and cheese for a spicy breakfast), nuts, nut butter, cheese strings, babybel, wafer thin chicken/ham, beef jerky.

Thank you all, welcome everyone who is joining me and thank you for all the tips, I am making lots of mental notes!

Hello,

I’d like to join please ..I’m 36, with 3 children my bmi is currently 44. I have decided to do weight watchers and I am really focusing on exercise every single day and making the most of being on lockdown and finding things I can do with the kids at home. I started 4 days ago and doing well so far! I have done loads of diets before and have previously lost 7st, but had another baby and all of the weight plus a bit more is back on so I’ve decided to it properly this time and educate myself and also increase my fitness to keep the weight off. We have been going on 2 walks a day and doing an hour of just dance each evening which is fun and we can all get involved. Judging by my Apple Watch it definitely helps to burn calories. I don’t have anyone in real life who struggles with their weight like I do so it will be really nice to share this journey with some other people and keep us all on track. I also suffer with anxiety and I know my weight and the possible health implications make this worse. I want to get back to feeling like the real me xx

Morning all

Who has eaten what so far today?
I'm thinking if we post what we eat and drink that may help with accountability?

Threads like this usually just fizzle out, so maybe a daily post from all trying could help,with motivation.
If we eat too much, no judgment just try again?

So far, I've had water! If I eat breakfast it seems to wake up my appetite.
I'm doing an online shop and have ordered celery and Philadelphia and apple and peanut butter for snacks.

Welcome Eliards, my BMI is 44 also (43.5)

I've been for an hours cycle, DC and the trailer weigh 25kg combined so I'm sure I'm burning lots of calories.

I've had breakfast which was 1 slice of toast with butter and juice and my unhealthy snack which is 2 rows of chocolate and a can of pepsi. I'm not cutting out the junk food altogether as I can't sustain it, just cutting it right down. At my worst I was probably consuming 1000 kcal in snacks and several sugary drinks. I'm not very hungry this time of day, it kicks in about 4pm.

@TrinityWaves can you switch to diet versions or low cal squash etc?

I'm on Caffeine Free Diet Coke. Gallons of the stuff. Far too much but I can't cut that out and diet. One thing at a time here too.

Egg Mayo and tomato in a whole meal roll for my lunch.

Contemplating what is for dinner, I have to do all the household cooking.
I have a load of cheese sauce to use up that I made yesterday before I decided to diet so I know how much butter and cheese is in it!

When I started I couldn't have certain things at home. Crisps were absolutely my weakness. It took month or two until I was ok to have them home without eating them right away. It will all settle but the early times can be hard.
Luckily I am SO lazy, I wouldn't walk to the shop 5 min away to get the crisp fix😂
What helped me in genral is having times for food. If I miss the window, I have to wait to the other one. So if I miss snack between 3 and 3:30, I am not having it. But knowing that at 3-3:30 there is a snack stops me from picking before that.

Can I join please? My BMI is about 47 when I checked last

I managed to shift 3.5 stone doing a shake-based diet and then lockdown 1 hit and it all went back on and some which I'm a bit annoyed with myself about. New plan involves a shake for lunch and then some of the low carb under-400 calorie meals from COOK to see if I can remove my reliance on takeaways, shift a couple of stone quickly and then look at overhauling my eating habits generally. I just feel so glum at the moment about it all.