In your fifties, fat and fed up? Come on in!

[RoosterCogburn]

Anyone want to join me in some motivational supportive chat.

I'm 56 and 3.5 stone overweight. I'm 5'2" and weigh 13 stone

Depressingly I've lost this before - in 2019 I lost 2 stone and felt much better and was really disciplined ... and then I stopped and the weight crept back on.

I feel fat, frumpy, unhappy in my clothes and my middle spare tyre feels awful.

If I could lose 2 stone again I'd be thrilled - 3.5 is the dream.

Last time what worked for me was healthy breakfast, green smoothie for lunch and balanced tea. In between meals veg sticks or an oat cake as a snack.

My downfalls are savoury stuff - crisps, cheese, savoury biscuits.

I've been diagnosed as pre diabetic with high blood pressure which I'm hoping will be the kick up the arse I need.

This time I'm trying to up my game with exercise - I have 'treated' myself to about elliptical machine. Horrifyingly on the first day I could only do 2 minutes - I'm up to 15 mins now - I am aiming for 30 mins a day of elliptical/walking.

Anyone want to join me and share what is working for them?

I agree with what you have said here 😊 (Including the pancakes!)

@SunshineandrainbowI use the extreme meal replacement shakes. I like the chocolate mint and bueno flavours the best. I blend them with a bit of ice and cold water in the nutrition bullet.

Protein works often have offers on. The current one gives 32 meals for £49.99. Search for meal replacement shakes.

It’s working for me although I’ve stayed the same weight for a couple of weeks. I need to stop the mince pie after my evening meal and up my activity in the day.

I also agree with @Funnywonder , especially with regard to 'Why We Eat Too Much' by Dr Andrew Jenkinson and the importance of weaning ourselves off UPFs.

These ultra-processed foods are full of sugars of various kinds, as well as empty carbs that our bodies convert into more sugar. The manufacturers then add lots of salt and artificial flavourings to cover up the over-sweet taste and hook us in even further. The end product is both addictive and devoid of real nutrients that our bodies need - as a result we never feel satiated and crave more food, so we eat more….. it’s a viscous cycle.

The only way is to try and drastically reduce consumption of sugar in all its forms and also empty, white, refined carbs. I realise this is really difficult, but it can be done. I have found Dr Becky Gillaspy’s short talks on YouTube really helpful. She is a nutritionist who used to be very overweight, but look at her now!

Dr Alex also has a few extremely useful videos - he is an NHS doctor who wants to help people get healthy:

I guess the bottom line is to try and get healthy rather than just thin!

For those who don't have time to watch, here are brief summaries (provided by other YT posters):

Dr Becky - this video is REALLY useful re. managing sugar cravings!!

1. Keep sugar out of the house
2. Fill up at mealtimes
3. eat healthy fats
4. notice how crazy sugar makes you feel
5. skip sugar substiutes
6. stay hydrated
7. set short term goals
8. stop eating 3 hours before bed
9. use a stopper
10. take a 10 minute time out.

(I'm not sure about entirely banishing sugar substitutes - I'm not keen on sugar-free tea and coffee so use monkfruit or similar)

Doctor Alex - excellent summary of what to eat:
#15: Hydration..water #14: Dark chocolate (or cocoa) #13: Eggs #12: Cottage cheese #11: Walnuts #10:Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds #9: Beet Root #8: Keffir with berries or Seeds #7: Kale #6: Salmon..twice a week..fatty Fish #5: Blue Berries with Yoghurt #4: Black Cofffee after drinking water #3: Mushrooms..fry lightly in Olive Oil #2: Sauerkraut ..provides probiotics and microbioms + high fiber content #1:Olive Oil, EVOO

And the thing you shouldn't eat at all is.......... white bread!

I cant exercise as Im disabled. I do work full time though as an NHS podiatrist but due to surgeries I've had no running or heavy lifting. Soon will be able to go walking. I was bedbound for a whole year and was doing admin work from my bed but still managed to lose all the weight.
Im back at work now and am working on my new exercise regime.
It really is cutting the calories that gets the weight off.

What bread do people eat?

I eat Hovis Seed Sensations.

I never eat bread.

Lucy Wyndham Read has lots of easy/sit-down workouts for people who are disabled, injured or otherwise physically impaired, e.g.:

She also has videos helping with indoor walking. I love her - she is so warm, gentle and encouraging.

I stopped and lost weight

NHS support suggested sourdough (Jasons) but it looks UPF.

Any ideas?

Rye bread for example?

I suppose the solution to the bread question is to make it at home. But that isn’t always an option. I have a bread maker, but my teenagers aren’t keen on the bread from it. I don’t eat much bread because it gives me acid reflux. Maybe the odd slice of 50/50 with soup. DP ends up wading through nearly the whole loaf over a couple of days because he doesn’t want to waste it (and then tells me not to make anymore because he’s sick of the sight of it🤣) But it could be sliced and frozen, provided you have the space.

I’ve just realised that giving up bread won’t help me lose weight because I hardly eat any! It must be those pesky crisps and crackers. And ice cream. Even in the middle of winter. Oh, and chocolate.

Thanks for your reply 😊

I know when I gave it up before it made a difference and I had to think more widely of lunch options as many things were sandwich based 🙄

I just want to be sure I don’t feel hungry and cover all food groups.

Silly question but can people provide examples of complex carbs?

The tipping point thing is interesting.
Because my overweightness has been fairly static peaking at about 13 stone everytime I ate exactly what I wanted I convinced myself that was my natural body weight.

But I’ve realised feeling uncomfortable in my own body isn’t a good thing and I need to make sustainable changes.

I agree, change is needed for me too 😊

@hottentot - complex carbs include whole grains, legumes/pulses, vegetables, and fruit.

https://www.health.com/complex-carbohydrates-7100033

My favourite complex carbs are whole grain rice, quinoa, lentils, beans and butternut squash. They are much healthier than simple/refined carbohydrates because they are rich in fibre and nutrients - but they are still carbs, so I try not to eat more than a couple of portions a day.

Thank you that is really helpful 😊

Really struggling today. After starting yesterday and being full of enthusiasm I have spent today eating rubbish and now feel over full. I don’t know how to stop this self sabotage

It's just a day.

If you dropped your phone on the floor and there was a tiny crack in the screen you wouldn't stamp on it and smash the rest of the screen.
One blip doesn't have to stop you!

I keep reminding myself I didn't become three stone overweight overnight so it won't be got rid of quickly.

It’s really hard. I usually manage until the weekend and then think I deserve a treat. Then another treat. And on it goes. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If this was easy, none of us would be here. You can pick up again tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a new day, dont write the week off.
Could you make a food plan for tomorrow?

I have had an ok day , my problem is having things like a sandwich between work and dinner, and anything else I can heat and stuff quickly so tonight dinner was an egg and salad wrap and 2 pakora heated up. I would normally have this as a snack and then dinner on top but tonight this was my dinner.

I also gave DD lots of chocolates to take for the work staff room. Still have way too many left so she will be taking more next week!

I need to stop eating to the point where I am almost uncomfortably full (sadly I like that feeling)

Tonight I had curry, rice and spinach - a generous portion.

Normally I'd have had more, just because I didn't feel really full and it was there.

We have got into a bad habit of having seconds, deciding there isn't enough to keep and finishing off with a small third portion.

Tonight we both had a reasonable plateful and there is actually enough curry to freeze for another evening

Portion control is my focus this week!

I'm just starving 😢 I had fruit covered in 0% fat Faye yogurt with some nuts and chia seeds for breakfast, an m&s salmon salad thing (calories checked around 270), a high protein yogurt and fruit for lunch, a low calorie cereal bar and fruit mid afternoon, and chilli made with quorn mince and a low cal jelly for dinner. Small portions because I can't eat a large portion of anything, never have been able to. It looks tons written down, but I'm so hungry ☹️

I lost 7 lbs this week after my first dose of mounjaro. I'm so pleased. I feel like I'm finally in control of my food choices.

Could you swap the 0% yog to the 5% it might keep you fuller.

What did you have with the chilli? I sometimes serve mine with a pile of broccoli and cauliflower.