Anyone have 2-3 stone to lose but DOES NOT use injectables

[dreamstates]

Anyone want a support thread to drop 2-3 stone but finding the ozempic/wegovy etc threads overwhelming on here. They aren't useful to me and there are so many threads on here about the damn stuff.

A previous thread I saw basically said diet and exercise without the injectables would fail for most. I don't want to touch the stuff for a variety of reasons but mainly the hideous side effects and pile on weight when you stop. Not to mention cost.

I'm looking to do it the "old fashioned" way... 1200-1500 calories on my fitness pal and exercise increasing. No particular time limit.

SW: 12 stone 2
I'm really short too so ideally I need to be 10 stone something max

I'm 40 and deffo in perimenopause

For me….

1. my biggest motivation is that we are doing a big move/ relocation at the end of the year, from a place where I know loads of people to somewhere I know basically no one. Really excited about the move but would be so annoyed if I’m meeting new people and feeling crappy about myself and still hovering around the obese/ overweight BMI threshold. I want to be feeling really good when we start the next phase of our lives in the new place!!
2. My biggest challenge is the food/ celebration link in my head. Now summer is here there seem to be parties and reasons to celebrate every week, and eating and drinking is so strongly associated with relaxation and celebration for me!! This hot weather is just making me crave a cold beer or cold glass of fizz (and crisps!). I’ve held off so far but I really need to rewire my thinking around this 😫

• what’s your strongest motivating thought or focus at the moment?
• what’s your biggest challenge or thing that’s pulling you off track at the moment?

My strongest motivation is to see my old self again. I miss that person. Since my old self, I went through much and want to rid that, in weight loss and mentally. Hopefully will find the real me again.

The biggest challenge is this hot weather. We had guests so made milkshake. Oh how tempted I was that I had a bit. It probably has so much sugar and I'll feel annoyed if I don't see a difference in my body. It feels like sugar just sits in the most visible of places.

That said, no more now. It's better not to keep these treats at home otherwise you get tempted.

I’ve been a bit quiet on here.

the food is going ok but I’m actually going for a colonoscopy in a few weeks due to some pain I’ve been having and a bit of a change in my bowel habits. So perhaps I’m not quite as focused as I could be.

plus side; I’m 80 days alcohol free and I’ve been exercising loads.

this week I’ve done 2 x PT sessions, and 4 x rides on my peloton.

ironically my biggest motivation is health. It used to be “looking good” now it’s all about being healthy and doing what I can to avoid illnesses/disease and stay on this planet for as long as I can.

my biggest challenge is work. I get stressed and sit at my desk for 9 hours a day sometimes. I work full time. It’s dull too. I sometimes forget to even drink. Boredom and stress makes me eat more.

children too is a challenge. We always eat together and they are fussy! So we eat pizzas, we eat beige food, pasta. I’m too tired to prep multiple meals. I know I need to put more effort in. We do try new foods and healthy Versions eg brown pasta, vegan food, joe wicks recipes and it’s mostly rejected. I find that really hard.

• what’s your strongest motivating thought or focus at the moment?
• what’s your biggest challenge or thing that’s pulling you off track at the moment?

my motivation has been my health and mobility. I am so flexible now. My motivating thought has been being able to confidently wear shorts and not be self conscious about it. I’ve not had that in years. It’s not I want people to look at me now I am smaller I want to just blend in and not stand out. Just be a non descript NPC lol

challenge or thing - going on holiday and having my birthday. Birthday cake etc. holiday I really don’t want to over eat but it’s hard when you are out of routine. Worried about weight gain on return although I know I can get it off, it’s just such hard work I don’t want to set myself back too far

@dreamstates sorry to hear about your health challenges, that must be worrying.

i have a similar situation with my children (5 and 7): the 7 year old isn’t quite so fussy but the 5 year old is terrible!! There is literally one meal (baked potatoes) which everyone will eat. Otherwise I can tweak some (pasta or wrap based) so my daughter has a plain version but basically I’m making at least two separate dinners every night. So frustrating - and not for want of trying!

@Menora I agree I think health has become a much more important motivating factor now (I turned 40 last year and it definitely makes you think!). And yes I really relate to the idea of just being able to comfortable in things like shorts/ short sleeves/ swimming costumes - I don’t need anyone to be thinking I look great but just not standing out and feeling self-conscious any time it gets vaguely warm in the summer!!

and yes I share your worries about holidays. We’re going away in a week (to France) and I can’t decide what approach to take at all! I’m thinking I’ll take my running kit and try to run everyday as that has worked before on holidays when I’m out of routine with food. But yeah I’m worrying about it everyday at the moment and the bottom line is that I don’t want to spoil the holiday by obsessing….but then what if I erase half by 9lb loss with a week off plan?? I will find it hard to pick up again if that happens I fear 😧

I'm almost at a month since I started and I feel different. Eating better, if tempted by chips.
If I had not had a blip when we were away then I would have been ahead. If I were in your position I'd eat within calories as when you see changes in body it is so encouraging and me eating terribly when away from home messed things up.

And yes, seems light weight is going from places I don't want it to first but at least we're seeing some change right!

How are you all doing?

I have a lot to lose (several times the 2-3 stone of the thread title but those are the kind of goals I have along the way). I’m two and a bit stone down from the start of the year and honestly not noticing much difference yet. I know from previous goes that it’s at the three stone mark that it becomes more apparent.

I’m still not tracking properly but I’m staying pretty sensible and it’s working okay, albeit slowly. I’m not denying myself sweet things but I am limiting intake by deciding that if I have, say, ice cream, I have to make it myself. That means it’s not readily available and I limit portion sizes so that a batch lasts longer. I also use less sugar than recipes specify. I know that as I lose more, I’ll need to eat less and make smarter choices though.

I posted in this thread in May when I had lost 2st and had half a stone to go. Ended up losing a further stone to get to 10:11 down from 13:12 back in Feb.

How I did it.
Ostensibly Fast 800 but adding milk/veggies more like 1000 per day
Did that for 12 weeks but had some days off for family events/travel with a plan to get back to it once the event was over.
Then went up to around 1400 on average.
Joined a gym and got to 2 hiit classes per week.
Increased my walking
Downloaded the couch to 10k app and can now run a 10k.

I did go all out really as I felt so dreadful in myself post Christmas.

The challenge for me now is to maintain and increase my fitness.

I do have a holiday coming up so a major test.

I'm 54, 5'7 and on HRT coming up to 2 years.

Struggling to lose the weight. Going to the exercise classes three times a week plus now using the NHS weight loss app.

Had gone down from 16 stone 4 to 14stone 4 when my DH died and then piled the two stone back on when I started eating again.

Stuck at 15 stone 10 for a while and now down to 15 stone 3. Desperately trying to lose more, cos it turns out I have endometrial hyperplasia. I'm on HRT to deter osteoporosis, but the fat is a significant factor, apparently. Trying to get back down to 14 stone to get out of the 'obese' range.

Biopsy has been taken, so if it turns out to be malignant, the weight loss attempt is going to be a moot point, I guess. (Had biopsy two years ago cos of polyps and the endometrium was normal thickness then. I hadn't piled all the weight back on then.) [ETA 64, never had children - miscarried early - on HRT and obese, so prime candidate for endometrial cancer.]

Anyway, I'm taking the view that if I do need treatment [if it's not too late], it'll be easier if I'm not quite so fat. I've been exercising since February and have seen some changes - my boobs have gone down, which I'm actually happy about, and my waistline is beginning to tighten up, though I'm obviously still fat. I'm a whisker off 5ft9 and a size 20. I'd like to get back down to 12 stone if possible.

`NHS app has been useful. I now realise that many of my calories are from oatmeal lattes! Have increased exercise classes to three times a week.

Today was weigh in day and the number was up.
Although I feel like I've lost inches.

I finished one exercise programme and moved onto the next but I really dislike it. Feel like I'm not doing much in it.

I've walked a lot recently so I guess I'll just ignore the number on the scale. I'm eating better and active. That's the most important.

@babba2014 argh how frustrating! You are right though, the scales don’t always tell the whole story. I haven’t been measuring this time but when I did before that was really helpful. I had a couple of gains after a biggish loss two weeks ago - I kind of knew they weren’t ‘real’ because I’d stuck to eating what I was meant to and that the ‘big’ loss had probably just been a bit of a distraction but still, it’s hard to stay motivated!!

you should definitely change your exercise regime if you’re not enjoying it - enjoyment of exercise is SO important and life is too short to do something that you dislike that much IMHO….

My weight can fluctuate quite a bit from day to day. For me, daily weighing is the only way to stay on track but that means not getting alarmed by the numbers going up sometimes. As long as the overall trend is downwards the odd bump along the way is to be expected.

Thanks.

I am surprised that I'll do one workout (max half an hour) and sometimes want to do another. That's a biggie lol.

Yea definitely.

I did that when I got my scale but seeing the numbers too close to original put me off so I kind of make it that the next week is a treat to see.

The thing is my normal clothes are sitting on my strangely so something has changed.

And I guess we women have our monthly cycles to deal with too.

How's everyone doing this week?

Really pleased! I saw a 12 stone 7 something on the scales today which was my second mini-target.

how about you @babba2014 ??

But more important than the scale I’ve been enjoying the fruits of having better eating hanits and the feeling of nearly a stone off. Like un-listing a pair of shorts from Vinted because they fit again. Knowing I’m the same weight now as I was in the summer of 2019 and 2022. Running a 5K today at a pace which was over a minute/ mile faster than I’ve done for years today without even particularly trying. Etc

we’re off to France tomorrow so need to accept there will be a change of gear but my next mini-target is not to be more than 12 stone 7 by the end of August, so in other words to maintain more or less for 5 weeks. We’ll see! I’ve run for the first two days since the kids broke up so I might try and make that into a running streak.

keen to hear how anyone else is getting on!

@OneDayIWillLearn

That is awesome! Keep going and you'll get there. The positivity really drives me to try harder.

It's been a tough week for me but I haven't stopped with the short exercise I'm doing so that is an achievement for me.

Being active, walking more etc helps a lot with not focusing on numbers but on overall health.

I think I've realised it's not going to be a quick fix to lose the weight but it's doing to take time and dedication. A bit obvious I know but I have to stay focused.

I would love to run but I'm just not finding the time for myself. Hence sticking to trying to eat better and walk as much as I can.

Hope everyone else is doing okay too. Have some events coming up and due to me avoiding anything that's not home baked, I'll probably be able to stay away from the sweet stuff but I have to control my eating with the main meal.

Hope it is Ok to join you. I've a BMI of just under 40 and I'm on some meds which cause weight gain

Had a chat with the GP yesterday and they mentioned the injections orlistat or metformin added to my meds to try and help, I have gone for the metformin. My blood sugars are Ok though.

said it could be a log time waiting for tier 3 weight management and therefore I'm going to have a go myself and see how it goes.

I've got some of the Purition protein shakes (which I like, which helps) and going to try intermittent fasting and then having one with the metformin at lunch time then a healthy meal at dinner time. Just made a mushroom curry.

Anyway hope all is going well

Hi all

I have lost 1.5lb this week with no effort so hopefully new habits are bedding in! I was really surprised to see that on the scales.

@Orangesandlemons77 it sounds as if you are on an injection for weight loss? Orlistsat is a weight loss drug. Metformin, in the absence of diabetes or blood sugar issues, is given for weight loss. Quite confused by your post.

This thread is for those of us who aren’t taking any medication to assist weight loss. You will find the injection section more useful.

I like Purition, have been putting it in yogurt.

I’m still eating reasonably sensibly but have eaten a bit too much this week so no real change on the scales. I have friends visiting today and there will be cake but home baked and I’ll be watching my potion size. Looks like there is hot weather coming over the next few days which will help me stay focused I think.

@babba2014 sounds like you’re doing well in the face of challenges. I definitely think losing 2 or more stone is about the long haul! and working out how to ride out the bumps in motivation and routine….

I’m really trying to imagine what advice I’d give to a friend in the same situation as me at the moment when things are going not entirely to plan as it helps me get a bit of distance from the voices in my head, who tend to catastrophise!!

@EmeraldRoulette that’s great news, well done! What’s that stuff you are putting on your yoghurt?

Hi, no I'm not taking the injections, or orlistat, I'm going to take the metformin but that is more to combat the other med I'm on..

I'll just lurk quietly and hopefully pick up some tips!

@Orangesandlemons77 sorry, I got confused!

@OneDayIWillLearn It’s here

https://www.purition.co.uk

I mix half a sachet with my yoghurt. It bulks it out and gives it a nice flavour. you can buy on Amazon as well.

I have been calorie counting for a full month now and have lost 6kgs so far which I'm really pleased with. Last week I had my period and gained weight but then it seems to have disappeared so I suspect it was hormonal, maybe water retention? Glad to be back on track though.

@OneDayIWillLearn thanks for sharing the reflection questions previously, I found them really useful to think about. For me the tipping point/final straw was when my BMI crossed over into the obese range. It was a bit of a wake up call although I had been feeling uncomfortable with my weight for quite a long time. On a practical level my clothes were (yet again) getting too small and we simply don't have the money to keep buying me new clothes at every size!

Overall I've found the calorie counting (using an app) much easier than I expected, although that might be because I imagined it would be really hard. I've been surprised at how manageable it is although my recommended number of calories is 1550 so I have lots of flexibility. I really like that nothing is off limits, as I've had problems with restricting and bingeing in the past and I was worried that any kind of diet might bring that back (okay so far though thankfully!) I think the main challenge for me at the moment is exercise. Where we live the temperatures are really hot so it can be tricky to get out for a walk if DS doesn't wake up early enough (he tends to be more of a night owl). And the walks are my most consistent form of daily exercise, I really notice a difference in how I feel when we have to miss a day (not to mention that being stuck in the house isn't great). I am also trying to do a workout while he naps but that can be hit and miss. The past week especially has been hard as I have a chronic health condition which puts me out of action a lot of the time and this week I wasn't able to do much at all. But I am pleased that I am exercising more to feel strong and healthy than for weight particularly - I feel so much better for it and it does help me feel generally healthier/encourage me to stick to eating more healthily too.

@WearyAuldWumman I hope you get good news back from your biopsy results and that you're doing okay. Have they told you how long until you get the results?