I'm finally ready to do something

[Opus17]

Good morning everyone,

I've made this thread with a new username so it can remain completely independent of my other posts as I'm not sure how personal it will get 😄 I'd like to use the thread to hold myself accountable and just share ups and downs, because I really am fed up and unhappy of constantly battling this.

Back story is that I started putting on weight as a child, my eating was never regulated, I was allowed to go into the fridge whenever I wanted and I often got given processed foods for dinner. I started becoming aware of the fact that I was overweight when I was around 9 years old. I have yo-yo'd my entire life, I'm now 32. I have a really weird relationship to food and until I was 23, it was complete ignorance. I knew eating a lot and eating rubbish was bad but I was completely ignorant to calories. I didn't understand about calorie deficit etc. Nor did I weigh myself. So I don't actually know what I was, I just remember the sizes.

I learnt all about calories and deficit through the fasting diet. I did this for a few months and shifted 20lbs when I was at my heaviest. I then lived a very happy, calm 2 years where I naturally lost another 20lbs without really making a huge effort because I was very busy. I was still overweight but much happier and healthier.
Then a complete shit storm came. 2 family deaths, pregnancy loss, secondary infertility and a cancer scare for a close family member. I fell into a very dark place and of course, the weight crept back on. I started to reach a number I said I'd never reach again so this prompted me to start focusing on getting it off again. I danced Zumba at home and counted calories and I found RH fitness. They helped me get off some pounds and my clothes fit again! But we started IVF, I got pregnant straight away and I didn't count anything as by now, I knew how to eat well and I just walked. I maintained my weight throughout pregnancy. I put on 40 lbs but it was all baby and water weight (I had pre-eclampsia in the end). So a week after giving birth, I was exactly the same weight as before I got pregnant.
Breastfeeding had me starving so I ate whenever I was hungry but I still didn't put on any weight. The problem is, I've now fallen back into some old habits and breastfeeding much less but still eating loads! (DS is just over a year now) and I'm back up again at a high weight.

I'm completely fed up with this yo-yoing. I want to live longer, I want to be healthy and I want to feel comfortable in my body. I want clothes to fit and I want not to feel self-conscious when I go out. I want to do martial arts again but I feel so embarrassed about my weight, I don't go. So it's stopping me from living.

I'm going to do Team RH again. I'm going to gradually get back into it so for the next two weeks, I'm going to focus on hitting 10,000 steps and hitting my calories.

Then I will up my steps to 15,000 and focus on the macros. This is the best way for me. I can't stop everything cold turkey, and rh allows you to still have your two chocolate digestives a day, and I'm not very consistent with working out but I love walking.

So here goes! I'm not going to state my final goal weight as I personally find that demoralising. So I'm going to do it in increments. Nor am I giving myself a time limit.

32 years old
Starting weight: 210.6lbs
1st goal weight: 199lbs

I'm using this to document my days, reflect on how I'm doing (also bad days and why), to hold myself accountable and maybe wake myself up to why I fall back into old patterns and try to recognise anything that I maybe haven't before.

Feel free to ask any questions or if you're doing something similar to jump on the thread.
Good luck everyone and I really do feel like something has finally clicked with me so here goes!

Thank you @Handsoffstrikesagain!

I've woken with a headache and sore throat, DS is still snotty with a phlemgy cough now so unlikely we'll be out a lot today, and I'll be skipping taekwondo now sadly, but let's see how we feel tomorrow. Even more reason to watch what I eat I guess!

Good luck everyone, for the week!

@Handsoffstrikesagain thanks for checking in! Sorry I'm late to respond. I have a sinus head cold so I'm feeling rubbish and my little DS has an ear infection so apart from a trip to the doctors yesterday, we've been inside. Despite this, I've been watching my food more carefully than before because I know I don't have the steps and so far, my weight has gone down this week (finally!).

How is everyone else doing this week?

Oh no @Opus17 sounds like exactly what we have all had. We are still a bit snotty this end. This week is going ok but not perfect due to a whole load of work stress that I won’t go in to!

Well done OP.

I've just finished a week of night shifts and found it very hard to diet when so tired and off routine. Weight loss has slowed and fluctuates but the overall trend is downwards on the scales. I was 193 yesterday. Am desperate to get to a weight where I feel good about myself again. I want to start dating and to wear nice clothes and weight is what's holding me back. I know I could date and wear nice clothes now but I don't have the cash to buy new stuff in a size I won't be wearing in a few months and i absolutely do not feel confident at this size.

I need to start exercising more so that will be my next focus.

@Handsoffstrikesagain

msredhook, you can do it! You need to switch your mindset, it’s hard but it’s doable. Visualise how you will look/feel on smaller clothes/going out etc. I have said it so many times on here but fasting really is life changing. It helps you to deal with the emotions around over eating by taking the focus away from food.

Thanks. Do you mean 5:2 or 8:16 type fasting? I struggle to function on 500 calories per day on the former. I've done the latter by just skipping breakfast and and managed ok. I'm recovered from night shifts abd resolved to get back to calories counting this week. I'm also not going to drink alcoholic drinks until Xmas. I've cut down to one bottle a week but it just makes me want all the carbs the next day.

Weigh in tomorrow so hoping for a pound off this week.

@SergeiL sorry to hear you had a bad week at work. I hope the week ended better and you had a relaxing weekend!

@Handsoffstrikesagain thank you! It's nice to see that 208 now!

@MsRedhook good luck for your weigh in today! I completely relate and also just want to get to a stage I feel comfortable in nice clothes and just to live life. I'm sick of the little things like not being able to fit relax out and about for fear of being judged or fixing my top constantly so that it sits right after walking around or sitting down.
I was also very grumpy on 500 cals so I think when I stop breastfeeding, Ill try the 16:8.

Weekly update from me... Steps are only at 25,000 for the week down to only leaving the house once for the doctors. DS has antibiotics until Wednesday so I'm unlikely to take him out until then (I remember my ear infections getting much worse when I went outside) but DH is now home sick for a few days! He came down with the head cold / virus on Saturday. So I will likely go out even for a half hour walk every day to get some fresh air as although I'm still not great, I'm better.

Average weight for the week: 208.9lbs
Finally seeing that 208. So determined to have a good food week as I slipped again over the weekend (DH brought me chocolate on Friday since I was feeling rubbish and we ordered takeaway Saturday since the whole house was ill). I saw 208s most of the week on the scales then yesterday it was back at 210 due to my second period turning up and wow the first ones after having a baby are crazy... I was warned haha. So the average would've been in the lower 208s had it not been for bloating 🙄

Changes I'm going to make this week - Wednesday and Sunday will be no carbs days. And cutting down biscuits with afternoon coffee from 3 to 2. Small steps.

How is everyone else doing?

@Handsoffstrikesagain

msredhook So I tend to do my own fast 5 days a week and have weekends off. A Typical day for me is to eat between 11-5pm, usually a bagel or something for brunch and then a chicken salad/salmon and eggs (lots of veg) that sort of thing a bit later. I also have a biscuit or freddo bar everyday. You can adjust the timings but those ones work the best for me. You will feel lighthearted and tired the first few days. This is completely normal. Your body needs time to adjust and reset. At weekends I’m a bit more flexible and have a takeaway either on a Friday or Saturday night and then drink alcohol on the other as we normally go out.

Being completely blunt, it’s unlikely a person will lose weight eating 3 ‘normal’ sized meals per day with snacks etc. Most people unless they are very tall/athletic/have a manual job etc require that amount of food. It’s also stressful on your gut and digestive system. I sleep so much better since fasting. It’s corrected my relationship with food and made me see that I don’t need to keep eating!

These days there are just too many excuses and not enough responsibility. People think they need a little treat everyday. Treats are for dogs my Nan would have said 😂 Or make excuses such as tired, illness, busy as to why they needed to order takeaway or eat rubbish. The only people we are kidding and cheating is ourselves. I should know, I did it for ages.

Only you, the person wanting to lose weight can do it - if you want it enough. If anyone has further questions about fasting, ‘resetting’ etc I’m more than happy to help x

Thanks for the info. Do you have a rough idea of how many calories you are consuming on your fast days? Do you calorie count on weekends?

@Handsoffstrikesagain

How is everyone getting on so far this week?

Wow, I'm in awe at your discipline. Thanks for answering the questions. My concern, if I were to do a similar method, is that I would feel faint and weak at work. I have a fairly physical job and have to take my half hour lunch break at specific times and I just don't know if that would be doable to so few calories. Do you find it easy to Naha for work with this style of eating?

Thanks

Thanks for checking in! This week is going well considering we've been in most of the time. I've cut the afternoon biscuits now, and I realised I needed a mental replacement for food as my go-to when tired / having a bad day etc. So I now just make myself a coffee and write my book. This gives me amazingly good feelings lol. And after I feel better too (unlike when I order a takeaway). Husband is still signed off sick so after sleeping in, he gave me an hour to go write my book as I was feeling meh after a bad night again with the little one. It was ten times better than stuffing my face with biscuits. I can see this working for me long term.
My weight has already gone down half a pound again this week but we'll see the final result on Sunday!

How's everyone else doing this week?

Thank you for that. Very inspiring.

@MsRedhook and @SergeiL how has the week been for you both?

@Handsoffstrikesagain thank you! It really sounds like you have the eating and weight loss under control and have found what works for you! Can I ask how long you've been sticking to it now? Do you think it'll be something you can stick to forever?

My weight is down to 208.4lbs now. So half a pound off with zero exercise and barely any steps. I'm finally feeling much better except for a very slight stuffy nose, husband better and back to work tomorrow but DS is still struggling with a stuffy nose 🙄 we're going to go out and walk again this week regardless, been cooped up far too long!

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

Hi all!

@Opus17 you sound in a really good, positive space! Well done and keep it up!

Thanks have been a bit rubbish for me due to some work stress but I feel much better and clear minded in the last couple of days so I am starting to feel more positive again. My biggest challenge is time - I find it so much quicker to do a normal dinner with carbs than trying to sort out a carb substitute and much easier to grab a sandwich than make a salad but I have really got to try harder. I have had some health niggles due to my weight in the last week or so, so I have got to sort this out!!!

Hi all

@Opus17 my weight had stayed the same for two weeks thanks to me giving in to sugar and wine cravings when stressed. I've actually got to take some time off work for personal reasons and this has given me the head space to renew my motivation. I'm going to try and do the Fast800 for the next two weeks and see if I can shift 10lbs quickly. That should give me a mental boost.

Glad to hear you're still losing despite being poorly. Onwards!

Xx

I am only recording weight on Mondays. I'd been stuck at 194lbs for the last two Mondays but the scales today showed 192.5 so am hoping they won't evily leap up again tomorrow!