Starting my new weight loss journey

[Miraclemuma03]

I am looking to begin my weight loss journey. I have currently been through a few rounds of ivf and unfortunately miscarried recently so want to start a new slate and try to lose 10kg before thinking about starting ivf again. I am currently in perimenopaus and am 40yr old and have tried to lose weight in the past with absolutely no success. I was with weight watches for 12months and only lost 6kg, it felt like i was starving myself for no return and each week the scales didnt change. I also have myfitnesspal which I have started using again recently. Im totally alone at this weight loss thing as my husband struggles to gain weight and no one else in my circle is interested in losing weight. Anyway just looking for any support in my journey or for anyone that wants to join me. Thank you .

I am going to start, but not sure if whether to wait till after Xmas though.

We are putting on a small BBQ for our little family before xmas and we are away for xmas and planning to continue on my shakes and only just eating small portions for lunch. I want to start a new cycle of ivf by march so I have a goal and hoping that will help me stay on track..

I'm sorry to hear of your losses .

I'm losing weight by calorie counting at the moment. I've tried various methods in the past, and concluded calorie counting is the most reliable and flexible method for me.

I too have a husband who is naturally underweight, his BMI is 16, it is incredibly frustrating seeing him freely eating biscuits, cake, crisps, chocolate etc. He steps on the scales (fully clothed! with his shoes on!) and they never go over 8 stone. And 'his' food is always there to tempt me.

What weight loss method are you using?

@iSage yesterday and today I started my calorie counting and will continue to do this for the duration of my weight loss journey but I am starting optifast shakes in hopes it will give me a good headstart. Iv lost a lot of weight in the past on shakes and counting my calories and actually kept it off for a long time but after having my last child and starting perimenopause the weight just keeps climbing up and up and harder and harder to get off.

I'm in menopause (I went through surgical menopause about 10 years ago) and it definitely makes weight loss slower.

For shakes, I find Complan shakes the nicest tasting - possibly because they're not intended for weight loss, but if you make one up with skimmed milk it's 320 calories which is about the same as a Slimfast shake, and they are meant to be a complete meal substitute if you can't eat solid food (that was how I discovered them after a medical procedure).

The optifast shakes are sort of the same thing, a meal replacement and it seems to be the only sort of shake I can stomach as iv tried a few and they are only 201 calories. I just feel so disappointed in myself for letting myself go.

I’m 43 and have just done an 8 week fat loss challenge. I lost 8lb and 6 inches from
my waist in that period and was not hungry or deprived. I had a calorie goal which was a good amount as too low never works for me, but the game changer was eating more protein (goal of 130g per week average) and getting more steps in. I also did 3-4 home dumbbell workouts a week.

That ended a couple of weeks ago and I’ve let the food slide a little due to social events but trying to keep everything else but and not lost anymore but not gained. Going to be mindful over Christmas but then doing another 8 week challenge on 12 January!

Definitely look at what protein you are eating, for me it fills me up and stops me thinking about food so much.

Good luck .. I need to lose at least 3 stone and currently feels unachievable while in peri menopause. But maybe healthy eating would help this too.

I struggle with protein as don't like too much meat so need to look for alternatives.

Is the shake you mentioned high protein?

You'll feel better about yourself as soon as the scales start moving in the right direction.

The most motivational thing I do is find an item of clothing I can't get into and try it on once a week, to see it get closer and closer to fitting.

You really can do this, you just have to keep going even if you have setbacks along the way. The important thing is not to give up.

If you don’t eat meat it will be harder, but things like Greek yoghurt and cheese and good for protein. Plus you can have protein shakes, the ones I bought are 20g protein for less than 100 calories. I know people will say the are UPF and not real food but just helpful as a tool to top up the levels!

I defintiely need to increase protein and lower calories. I sort of just gave up especially in the last 8 weeks as I just felt awful with all the ivf meds in this last round but im wanting to start fresh and try harder and really make my health a number one priority as I am so busy for everyone else I dont look after myself and it really shows and im embarressed for myself.

You shouldn't be hard on yourself - you've been on meds that made you feel unwell, it's natural in that situation to eat what you fancy just to get through the day.

This is a great time to start a weight loss journey - you can 'beat the new year rush' and be moderate and sensible over Christmas, and then feel in a really good place come January when so many people will have overindulged and be regretting it.

As far as I know it has all the daily meal nutrients you need, depending on on how many you decided to drink a day so whether you have 3 meal replacements or one you still have to add in some calories. So I replace 3 meals and doing intense so I still need 2 serves of veggies and serve of protien im pretty sure..

Im also feeling pretty overwhelmed with the actual amount of weight I really need to lose and struggling to start. I have a couple of shakes and iv ordered more so have started but I feel like how am I actually going to achieve this .

You have a lot on your plate. IVF is super stressful emotionally plus all the side effects of the medication. Beating yourself up will
not help in any way
You may find Slimpod helpful. It’s really good for getting in the right mindset. Avoiding emotional eating is going to be hard and this can really help.

How does slimpod work?

good luck and sorry for your losses. I’m a pound off a three stone loss doing calorie counting and home weight lifting routines to you tube. It’s been a challenge at times but I’ve stuck with it and feeling much better.
look at weight lifting and protein to keep the loss moving
I'm also in peri menopause at 46

It sounds like stating the obvious, but you need to keep focused on the fact that as soon as you start to lose weight, the amount you have to lose will be less - and break your journey down. Don't be overwhelmed by the amount you want to lose.

You will not spend the whole of your weight loss journey being X stone overweight - there will be lots of wins along the way, your clothes feeling looser, dropping dress sizes, getting less tired, feeling more comfortable in daily life because you have more room in chairs. When you are halfway to your goal, life will already feel very different.

I’d love a link to the you tube routines! Well done!

You listen to a short audio recording everyday to help your unconscious brain make better choices and write down three “wins” daily (don’t need to be food related). There are a lot of helpful short educational videos, and over time more audio tracks are available too. For me, I’ve lost 20lb over the last year without relying on willpower - for someone in their 50s that’s a pretty big deal. I’ve also made a big difference in my fitness, I am dramatically fitter than I was a year ago. It’s not been fast for me but I think it is very sustainable.

I know it sounds woo but the mind is super important when trying to improve health and fitness. It’s been brilliant for me.

I do them to work out with Roxanne. She does short burts, longer workouts, standing up ( which I always do) and almost no repeats. I really like her videos and the routine is easy to follow.
i just did a short 15 minute one but yesterday I did 30 minutes. And most of the time I’m in my PJs as I make it fit round my day! Wfh days I do it at lunch time so I average x4 strength sessions a week this week of varying times

Seems as though iv lost some "water weight" so to speak. Im down 1kg so far well actually 900gms give or take. Im going to make Mondays my weight in days and only weigh once a week. I know its probably just bloating and water weight at this early stage so see what monday brings.