Need inspiring stories

[morningbluebells]

I am 52 and have put on so much weight over the past 6 years. I so want to lose weight but at 17 stone it feels impossible - the work to lose 1 stone means I would still be 16 stone. I've been trying to diet for a couple of years and I lose a bit but then get demoralised as it takes me ages and can see how far I have to go. I am looking for some inspirational stories from people who have done it to help motivate me.

I'm 46. A year ago, I was over 18 stone and despairing of ever losing any weight. I've since lost 6 stone. The time it would take to lose it will pass anyway - start now would be my advice. Once you get the first stone off, your perspective starts to shift for the better.

Thank you so much Gummi, that’s really helped.

@Gummibärchen it would be really interesting to hear how you did it. Did you do lots of exercise or just diet changes?

I’m 50. Awaiting a heart consultation as I have an enlarged heart. I weighed in at 13 stone 9. I’m also 5 ft and have a few health conditions.

My knees ache, for a year I had pain in the soles of my feet crippling me.

4 weeks ago I cut out sugar. I dug out the nutro bullet and started very very simply, apples, green tea powder, flax seed and chia seeds, Greek yogurt and other fruit in the mornings. Jacket potato eg for soup and home made soup in soup maker for tea. I’m not counting calories this has to be a life long change.

My sugar cravings have gone. I started walking with the dog brisk walks and did a pre couch to 5 K programme which is supposed to take you to the point at which you can start.
It’s Easter here and I have the kids but even they have been supportive - I ran with the eldest - albeit more like a shoe shuffle while the younger ones whizzed along on scouters. The park is a handy 4 minute walk from the house. I’ve completed week 1.
I work full time on a stupid stressful job so I’m learning new things finally at the age of 50. I’ve started a book aimed at 9 year olds for learning watercolours / I love it. I’ve got into gardening too.

I have a trauma background. And have had tears and tears of counselling but now I think this is my half time, my second innings and I’m determined to be able to run at 70, be back to goal weight, fit and healthy and outgoing - I’m autistic and find social relationships hard - so actually learning about steam trains or something would suit me or fishing or whatever or bird watching - so I don’t need any one’s approval and I don’t ask what people think of a hobby I’m just going to do it.

Forgot to say I have eaten as much as I wanted etc and I’ve lost a stone in 4 weeks seeing the scales saying 12 stone 7 I’m thinking 7 more pounds and I’m back in the 11 stone so I’ve gone from nearly 14 to 11 …. Etc

@morningbluebells great to hear you've found it helpful. I did it largely through intermittent fasting, as I found that lots of exercise inhibited my weight loss and left me lethargic (reducing my NEAT). I concentrate on maintaining a consistent deficit. Do you have any particular system to follow, such as a slimming group, or are you going it alome?

*alone

That’s interesting. A lot of people seem to be doing fasting in some form. I’m not clear why that works? Am going alone but just got the nutrachec app.

Fasting works as it's an easy way (in my experience) to control caloric intake without having to obsess over calorie-counting. You'll hear many extolling the virtues of autophagy, release of HGH etc attributed to fasting, but as with any weight loss endeavour, it ultimately comes down to CICO. I've heard good things about apps such as Nutracheck; again, anything that helps attain consistency is an asset, in my view.

Thanks @Gummibärchen really helpful :)

@morningbluebells best of luck with it! Like you, I sought out success stories just as I was about to start (internet searches, YouTube WL documentaries, magazine stories) but ultimately I had to find my own 'why'. And I did, and stuck with it.

As previously said, the time is going to pass anyway, do you want to be getting closer to where you want to be or further from it?

Also don't think of it as a solid goal where you reach it and then that's the end of it.

It's a lifestyle change, it's changing habits for a new healthier way of life.

Change one thing at a time:

Include a daily walk in to your day.

Decide on 3/4 healthy breakfasts and eat these every day, once you've stuck to that move on to lunch ideas.... then dinner.

Whatever your unhealthy indulgence is, reduce it, don't have it every day, have it a few times a week.

This way it becomes part of your life and routine, not a diet or crazy plan you're trying to stick to get results and then reach a finish line.

And start today, not tomorrow, or Monday

Just checking in, @morningbluebells - did you manage to get started?

Op .. I also struggled with motivation feeling as big as I did
8 weeks ago I joined Slimming world at 14 stone 10
To me that felt like nearly 15 stone
Today I am 13 stone 5 which is almost down into the 12's

If I'd not joined 8 weeks ago I'd still be almost or hitting 15 stone , now I feel great , motivated , sleeping better , blood pressure is down , knees not aching as much , more energy
Definitely dropped a size already and see a big difference in my face

You can do this too , don't be afraid of those numbers , just take it one week at a time and celebrate each victory
Good luck 💐

You didn't get to 17 stone in a few months and you won't get back to a weight you're happy with in a few months. You can't speed run weight loss unfortunately! Dig in for the grind, Break it down into smaller chunks that are easier to manage in your head.

@Gummibärchen thanks for checking in. I have made some small steps to starting but am not as focused on it yet as much as I want and need to be. Work has been very difficult the past few weeks and this is something I always struggle with - I feel I have to have a robust exercise routine in place to make dieting worthwhile and always seem to prioritise work, laundry and childcare over that. BUT I have made some small steps and lost a couple of pounds. What you say about the time passing anyway has really resonated with me and goes through my head everyday. I haven't quite made the shift I need to but I feel it is around the corner. :)

@Houseinawood yours is a very moving story and inspiring too, thank you for sharing. Well done too @effoffwind nearly in the 12s! I dream of that, would mean I could finally get back into some of the clothes I used to wear and not been able to for YEARS.

@kingyi that's a good idea re starting with healthy breakfasts and then moving to lunch etc. - what does everyone eat for breakfast? I'm trying to think of carb free options. I've been using crab free pasta and that has helped a lot.

Hi OP, I'm 51 and have lost 5 st in a year, 35% of my body weight, gone from a size 18/20 to a 10. It has been life changing. I'm an emotional eater and had probably started to develop insulin resistance which certainly doesn't help with carb cravings. I did the math ie to lose 1kg you need a calorie deficit of 7700 calories and it just felt hopeless at that stage. But then I decided to use the jab (Ozempic, then Wegovy) and it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. The appetite suppressing effect helped me get into a pretty aggressive calorie deficit and I focused on upping my protein intake. It took some organizing and will power but it's totally doable. I'm no expert but I have learnt so much about nutrition and the complex physical and psychological mechanisms behind hunger and over eating, and I'm hoping to take that with me going forward. But I am committed to a calorie controlled diet for the rest of my life, keeping an eye of my TDEE and staying within limits. It won't be easy, but being obese isn't easy either and I never want to go back.
My feeling is I could have done this without the jab, but it would have taken much longer and been much more challenging to deal with cravings.
Upping protein isn't just a fad, it really works. More sating + thermic effect.
I'm all about convenience and don't mind a bit of processed stuff (we are all different) and my favorite breakfasts/lunches would involve low carb wrap with either pre cooked tuna, chicken, turkey, prawns or smoked salmon.
Edit: Exercise is great for many things, but as my brilliant GP said: You primarily lose weight in the kitchen, ie through diet.
Very best of luck to you.

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 thank you for that. That is a great saying from your GP and motivates me to do it regardless of whether I can fit in the exercise plan I want to or not. Wraps for breakfast/lunch is a good idea too. Thank you everyone.