Realising I need to lose weight and improve my fitness

[Emowoman90]

You know life is fine till you walk over 10 thousand steps around a shopping mall/centre and your back gives in, your in a sweaty irritated mood and it suddenly dawns on you that your not fit and healthy as you think?.

This was my realization yesterday if you know the metro centre Newcastle/gateshead you will know it's a long hike to every shop you need unless your fit it'll be fine, I'm 36 soon, 5ft3 and weighing over 13 stone I thought I was ok but I'm not I've woken up this morning hurting physically and mentally, I've cried, don't get me wrong I'm not a couch potato I work two jobs both nursery and school but once we are off on half term I near enough not getting the exercise in like I do at work (I'm always on my feet). My eating habits are some what ok but I'm prone to eating sweet treats, more so during the cycle. I want to not completely stop having a treat but alternative suggestions would be lovely.

Why am I posting this I don't know I feel like it needs to be off my chest maybe and possibly some encouragement to motivate me, I just don't know we're to start, I look on apps, influences and I often think is that the right thing to do when your a beginner I'm stumped 🤔.

Small changes really help rather than overwhelming yourself, Start by drinking more water, making sure you eat fruits and vegetables each day and choosing 2 days a week where you go for a long walk. Habits take a while to become ingrained.
Slimming World really worked for me. It’s changed so much from years ago and the focus is eating protein fruit and vegetables each and being careful about everything else.
It’s definitely worth a try.

When you say you’re stumped do you mean you don’t know how to diet?

weight loss is about cals in v cals out. You need to eat 500 less a day than your body burns to lose a pound a week.

if you’ve never dieted I’d start there, you can also try weight loss injections, as your weight is in the obese range, obesity starts at bmi 30, yours is 32/33.

You can do it! I'm disabled and sedentary but I've managed to lose nearly 2 pounds since the beginning of the week. I'm a total sugar addict so fasting wouldn't work for me but this is what's working so far:

4 SMALL meals a day
Lean protein at every meal
Higher ratio of protein, lots of veg and some wholegrain or potato
Calorie counting, not obsessively but getting an idea of what I'm taking in and which foods are more calorie dense and avoiding them
Snacking on low carb fruit e.g berries or oat crackers with almond butter.
Lots of water

My sugar cravings are much reduced if I eat regularly and include enough protein like chicken or turkey.

I take it you have a fitness tracker if you know that you did 10k steps so what is your usual daily step count?

I would start by calculating your normal average calorific intent. Get a calorie counting app like my fitness pal and track everything over a couple of weeks including drinks. This should help you realise exactly how much you have been over eating and alert you to all the meals, drinks or snacks this are higher than you thought.

You then need to work out how many calories you should be eating and stick to that and work on increasing your steps and exercise. I’m 5ft 3 and am used to the Metro Centre and find it tough for the crowds not the steps and you are 12 years younger than me. Although about 1.5 stone heavier (if I compare to my heaviest)

So work out what you are doing/eating, work out what you should be doing and then improve

You sound very similar to me!
I've also realised I've been overindulging on sweet treats for too long. Whole bars of chocolate (must be working in schools! whoops!)
I lost a stone with slimming world but put it all back on. I'm not going back, it fosters a bad relationship with food (people go crazy after their weigh in and then starve for 24 hours before weigh in, really?) plus it's jolly expensive and I'm very broke.
So I've decided to eat more wholefoods and cut down on the processed foods. I'm transitioning rather than going cold turkey and it's working, my trousers are looser.
I'm also eating smaller meals but having a snack if I get hungry. Oh and I'm making sure I'm eating lots of protein. Not cutting carbs out either but eating wholemeal seeded bread. Like for breakfast today I had one piece of toast with 2 eggs.
Have a think about what'll work for you. I thought I could go back to SW or count calories or do my own thing so I chose the latter. Going to stick to it!
I thought I'd send this as I didn't think the replies you were getting were very helpful or sympathetic and it's hard enough...
Wishing you very good luck!

Move more. Swimming is great exercise. Tones you up, exercises every part of your body but is low impact. Join a gym/exercise class that you enjoy, buddy up with a friend if you need extra motivating. Its all very well improving diet but exercise gets the heart pumping and it the endorphins flowing, so mentally you feel so much better.