Weight loss buddies

[chunkymummanomore]

Am sooo fed up! I binge, am overweight and unhappy. Also post menopausal and 62.

Can't afford weight loss injections so need to do it the hard way.
Anyone up to support each other?

The cost of injections may surprise you. I'm disabled and unable to work, so I understand things being tight. But I've worked out with how much I'm eating now, plus having totally dumped the wine, I think it's costing me about £40 per month. Plus prices are VERY different between suppliers, and lots of discount codes around.

Whatever you decide, best of luck. 💐

Let's try @chunkymummanomore !

I'm 51 almost certainly perimenopausal but it had to pick out those symptoms from the ones caused by simply being overweight. I'm in the worst physical condition of my life. Prone to plantar fasciitis and having a flare up now which is making things more challenging - losing weight will definitely help.

I've started not buying junk (crisps, chocolate etc) - if it isn't there then...and making better choices. Wine is still an issue, but I didn't drink last night. Last couple of days I'm simply writing down what I eat/drink and when - no measuring or anything. These things have definitely helped me cut down. Next is to starting weighing in. Daily. I know that works for me (I accept fluctuations) and I need that now and the monthly I was doing just isn't cutting it.

I feel like tackling my weight is related to almost every, if not all, areas of my life. I very much want to change lots of habits which may not, at first glance, seem related. Cleaning, work, relationships, hobbies...

I'm 52 and peri-menopausal. I too, am so fed up. Have never been so heavy in my life. I used to be quite slim and fit, but nothing works now. I plan on weighing myself tomorrow morning and try to go low carb and see if I can keep it up. I'm up for messaging and support.

Hi @EasternEcho - we sound quite similar!

I'm sat here trying to avoid having a glass of wine...or at the very least delay it. Last night I was pleased to have to drive to break the habit (I'm a teacher and have been on holiday this week).

No snacking today at all (really helps not having the usual snacking culprits available). I'm terrible with organisation around food, I haven't even considered what I'm having for dinner yet - that definitely needs to change. Going to see what is healthy looking in the freezer and have it with a load of veg. DH has already said he is having a takeaway - I don't even enjoy them any more though, so not tempted by that.

Do you do any exercise at the moment?

@HouseIs We do sound similar! I had an early dinner with cauliflower rice and chicken curry. I have developed this habit of binging after dinner. I am trying to distract myself from having anything else before going to sleep. If the hunger becomes unbearable, I'll have a small piece of cheese which usually helps. When I eat low carb, I have trouble falling asleep, so I'm taking melatonin for that.

As for exercise, I am too embarassed to join a gym right now. I try to go for at least a 30 minute walk each day. I work mainly from home (legal consultant) and take breaks to do small doses of workouts with youtube. But I'm very far from being consistent. I also put on some music and dance around to try and build up to 10,000 steps. I'll try to be more consistent from tomorrow. Hope you get through the evening without wine, or at the very least delaying it. I think getting through day by day is the best we can do.

I found a mindful chef ready meal (cashew and cauliflower curry with black rice) and had that with a pile of veg. Very nice! Threw out two allplants meals that went out of date at least 6 months ago...Think I'll get a couple more mindful chef ready meals for emergency meals like this. Considering trying the recipe boxes too - get some ideas.

I'm too embarrassed to join a gym too. DS tried to get me to join one today again but I said I would see how I felt in six months. Getting in your 10K steps is good! I bought a fit bit in the summer and was very into doing that...one of the many things that seems to have been discarded. At the moment I can't do it due to the flare up but hopefully soon. I'm tempted by wanyomori (you tube) workouts - looks low impact and can do in quick bursts. Also free weights exercises. Definitely needs to be short and doable to start with though or it just won't get done. Challenge for tomorrow - do at least 5 mins of exercise video. I've started following many people on Instagram recently offering this but that is as far as I get!

No wine. Honestly I think this is helping already...thank you! 😀I'm sold on taking one day at a time and tweaking/trying new habits. So fed up of going all out losing weight and then putting it back on.

I'm going to get the bathroom scales out now - so I don't forget to WI tomorrow.

Can I join in? 56 and overweight, unfit, constantly achy and exhausted. I really need to take myself in hand but it’s so hard getting started.

I'm really angry and disappointed in myself. I weighed in at 78.5 kgs this morning. I think that's 173 lbs. I am 5 feet 4 inches in height and look like a house. Just a month ago I was 168 and thought I was heading in the right direction. I was 130 lbs 6 years ago before I had my daughter. Nearly a 50 lbs gain!

Last night I was determined not to snack after dinner, but who was I kidding. I had peanuts. I fell asleep with the melatonin but couldn't stay asleep. Was drinking a lot of water before I weighed myself and also been constipated last few days so might have upped the weight a bit, but still very disappointed. :( I have to literally eat about 800 calories to see any change on the scale. Anything over 1000 and I gain. The doctor says no problem with thyroid. I recently stopped taking antihistamines as I read that that could lead to weight gain too. I don't drink alcohol. It's my nightly emotional binge eating. I must stop it. Sorry for the rant.

I feel shocked & embarrassed - like I've suddenly woken up. I've gained weight again, expected I suppose - but it is 4.4 lbs in just 5 weeks, and crucially it has tipped me into scary numbers. I was already over ten pounds heavier than my previous heaviest (before I went on to lose weight) - now it is well over a stone, and I have to accept a dress size. What the hell have a done?!

Our similarities continue @EasternEcho I was slim 5 years ago, over 50 lbs slimmer. I'm heavier than you though but only slightly taller. I've got lots of lovely clothes in my wardrobe in a size 10/12 that I can barely believe I actually wore just 5 years ago now.

Well now I have a starting point, so that is good. Burying my head in the sand for longer was only ever going to make it worse. I'm very pleased that I've already made inroads in changing - eating less, eating less junk and a whole 2 days without wine. I didn't drink at all in January and lost 2 lbs (without dieting at all), drank second half of Feb and gained those 2 lbs back...and I guess I followed that rate of gain in March and April as I continued on the wine.

I have to go low to lose weight too - certainly when I am just overweight rather than obese. I'm so heavy now that I think the 'worst' will come off a bit easier though, I hope. Those numbers are really low @EasternEcho .

Evenings are my worst time too, in many ways. I'm finding I am so knackered after work (no wonder carrying all this weight around!) I just slob on the sofa for most of it and drink wine and snack (sometimes without an actual meal). That is a bad habit that is changing. Discovered recently that I really enjoy doing a jigsaw whilst listening to an audiobook (which will be good for when I am too knackered to do anything physical). Not exactly rock and roll but better than watching rubbish TV and consuming calories - until I can fill by evenings with more productive things and exercise.

Sorry. That got long.

Hello @Bethechange2024 ! Despite my big 'ARGHHHHH' above I'm in a better place than I was just a week, and better still in the last couple of days. I always find just making one of two changes leads to the rest coming easier.

How are you @chunkymummanomore ?

@HouseIs It seems like we've both got a rude awakening this morning :) We do have rather similar circumstances. I too, have clothes that I try to avoid looking at when I open the closet as it makes me feel so bad. I am continuing with no/low carbs today. I've started doing a session of beginner yoga for 20 minutes this month. I try to do it most days even though it's discouraging when there seems to be a big stomach in the way whatever I try to do :) But it does help ease morning stiffness. I will walk into town and walk around for a couple of hours to get some steps in. I will do a daily weigh in from now on as well. It is definitely better to know the worst than to keep fooling myself.

I've provided the link below if you are interested in the yoga video. This is the best one I've found for me where the instructor is really good and talks just enough to guide you through the movements without endless distracting chatter :) As this is my first month, I slow it down to 0.75 speed.

Feel free to message me as well during the day if you want to, and that goes for everyone else too. I am in Denmark so an hour ahead.

@Bethechange2024 Hello! How are you doing today?

OP - How are you doing?

I’d got to my heaviest non baby related weight gain. Ended up spending the last year eating very dysfunctionally. Starving/binging/gaining more weight.

I decided to try Noom after a friend had success and I know I needed help getting my head sorted and my relationship with food more balanced. It’s early days - 3 weeks in and 8lbs down - but I’m feeling very different about food. I’m enjoying it, I’m eating 3 times a day (never used to eat breakfast) and I’m full.

I’m very determined this time. Seeing how much I can lose between now and end of May.

First step, as you know is getting in the zone for weight loss, which it sounds like you are doing.
Personally I think it's best avoiding the injections if you can. They are not the answer as they won't change your mindset- and if you come off them the weight will likely go back on.
I would suggestly plain, boring old calorie defecit! It works. Maybe slowly and steadily, but it works. Lots of ways to do it for free, even plain old pen and paper if you don't want to sign up to an app or anything.
I use weight loss resources and really like it. Its not free but it is affordable and you can do a free trial before you sign up anyway. It's just calorie counting but I really like the format of it. They also have challenges which are really helpful. I'm at my target weight but still do one of the walking challenges on there- and log in to keep feeling motivated, check the forums etc.
Good luck.. half the battle is mindset! You've got this!

Well done on the weight loss so far @TeenLifeMum and congratulations @snowlady4 on achieving and maintaining your target weight!

Thanks for the yoga video link @EasternEcho !

I'm loving the weather today - bit of sun is making me feel quite positive. I've been getting on with jobs, which I'm quite pleased about. Haven't eaten yet.

I'm planning on doing IF to some extent. I was planning on having an 10 hour eating window to start (11 am to 9 pm). It's got to work with work though - I can eat there at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. I've done this before and moved up those times to start. At one point I was doing 20:4 but that just isn't sustainable most of the time with every day life - shooting for 14:10 to start with. I eat breakfast at work anyway as I get in at 7.30 am but just eat when I want to and I can - sometimes it is 11 am but other times 8 am, so I just need to consistently push that back (like I used to).

I do not expect just IF to help me lose weight though - definitely need to be watching what I eat too, for now I am happy with 'healthy eating', listening to my body and no limitless bored snacking. That has to be the default.

Confession time - I signed up to WW online, as a friend was doing it on the 4th Feb and have been paying them £8 a month for absolutely nothing since then. I'm going to make a decision on this before 4th May and I need to pay again! Also, I have ZOE membership (hate the fact that it is all via the app though - really wish it was web based - I was actually doing better before I signed up to ZOE!) - that expires in the summer (1 year) and is stupid expensive for what it is, so I won't be continuing. I should though try and learn from it a bit more before it expires...

Yes.. definitely sack of those apps you're not using! £8 will buy you a couple of staple items you can use on your weight loss journey!
I've never used zoe but i have tried a few of their products- overpriced and average at best.
There's so much choices and information out there it all gets a bit overwhelming and we sign up to everything and commit to nothing! If anything- just pick ONE and stick at it for a bit.
IF sounds like a good idea if you've done it before.
I would really suggest looking up your calorie allowance on a TDEE calculator.. gives you an idea of what you've got to work with.
I forgot to mention weight loss resources also helped me as it links to your fitbit and works out any exercise calories for you. Very helpful and motivating. The fitbit is obviously unnecessary but I must say, helps me and keeos me motivated.
My essentials:
Bathroom scale (I'm a daily/bi daily weigher when in weight loss mode but everyone's different.)
Kitchen scales: helpful to weigh out your milk etc..all those splashes and dashes add up.
Tracker: of any sort, whether app or pen and paper.. record your intake somewhere.
Fitbit: just for motivation and fun.

True @snowlady4 ! I think I pretty much knew I would end up feeling this way about WW and ZOE - a large part of signing up with to join in with my friend, and I did delay to start and then go against my better judgement. I thought I could at least pull a few recipes off WW but I haven't yet. See how the next two weeks go on that front.

ZOE has been useful in some ways. I found the glucose goddess hacks I was doing just before ZOE more useful though - and that was free! Going to bring back the ones I found most useful and sustainable back - starting with savoury breakfast!

Having lost weight so many times before I know what works for my mindset, so I'm spending some time thinking back to what worked before now and pulling out the best bits. One big thing I do have in my favour is that I love vegetables and will very happy fill half+ of my plate at any meal up with those...as to why I haven't been doing it, that is an issue of habit and laziness!

How long have you been maintaining now @snowlady4 ?

Lots of people seem to have success with IF. For me, it just embedded further dysfunctional eating - starvation and binging, then beating myself up for failing. Eating 3 sensible meals is meaning I’m not even thinking about binging or food because I’m full. Sounds simple when I say it but it’s been a real shift.

Oh I haven't heard of glucose goddess!
A savoury breakfast you say? I tend to go for sweet. I have been focussed on increasing my fibre intake so have generally been habing bran flakes or chia pudding with fruit.
Maintaining is HARD for me... histrorcally, once I get to target and the lovely feeling of seeing the numbers on the scales go down has gone, I find it really boring and tend to go off the rails! So I'm determined this time to stick with it and keep weighing myself regularly to keep a check on it!.. or before I know it I'm nearly back to square one!
I like vegetables too. A soup maker is one of the best thing I ever bought!

In a nutshell:

Think you are ok with the Chia seeds.

Actually the first in a nutshell post missed out an important one about dressing your carbs...

I've been having a sweet breakfast (porridge, nuts, blueberries, splash milk) which is ok due to the nuts but I'm in the process of trying swap to savoury with eggs and a lot more greens - has to fit in with taking it to work though!

This summary is better. Think the best ones are pair your starches, move after a meal, veggie starter and eat sweet things after a meal.

Found this about savoury breakfast. https://www.glucosegoddess.com/savoury-breakfast-guide

As a side note - WW might work for me now I've looked at it more!

Why the vinegar??

@snowlady4 The glucose goddess website has a whole section explaining the vinegar too. She has obviously serious revamped her website since I last looked, none of this existed when I was following it in the summer.

How did yesterday go for everyone?

I'm quite pleased with my eating (and lack of drinking) yesterday and have noted the tweaks that need to me made. Used both the WW and ZOE app to check individual scores, which was pretty useful.

Plan for today is to go shopping for healthy stuff and batch cook broccoli chive eggs cups and miso bean soup for work. Also, my biggest issue - what is for dinner tonight and tomorrow...

Wow so many posts! Have started doing Hiit exercises and plan on cutting carbs and none with evening meal, also cutting out sugar, just to take it a day at a time. I know my mental health isn't always great so going to try and love me a bit more too ... good luck everyone xx

Sounds like a great plan @chunkymummanomore !