weight loss tips please

[Nantoone]

Hi. I recently had an ablation in July and am not sure when it would be safe to start exercising again. I think it has worked as everything seems to have settled down now.i love swimming and walking. I love my food and am around a stone overweight with a 5.2 cholesterol reading. Every Monday I put myself on a diet and by the end of the week have a takeaway and break it again. Does anyone have a diet sheet and any really good tips to keep me positive on this road to becoming a more healthy me. 😊

[Cliff_G]

You can start exercising already. Obviously build up gradually, just because you've not been active for a while.

I use the Myfitnesspal App for calorie monitoring. I find my weight control/loss is much better when I'm exercising regularly.

[BobD Volunteer]

That horse should have bolted by now. Gentle exercise is fine from a couple of weeks so long as you listen to your body and avoid heavy lifting.

[sceptical101 in reply to BobD]

Thanks. That answers my query as my ablation is scheduled for next week. I have read the recovery sheet and providing I feel ok I want to build up by walking again.

[AmandaLouise77]

British Heart Foundation have a section about diet.

[diminished7th]

Take a look at The Doctor's Kitchen for great tips and tasty recipes. He wrote his first book on the back of discovering he had AFib. You won't need another takeaway again 😉

[Nantoone in reply to diminished7th]

Thank you

[Bagrat]

As a step in the right direction, eat what you eat now but less. Keep a note of everything edible that passes your lips every day for a week, as you eat it . Imagine you've got to read it to some health care professional. So embarrassing what you grab without thinking about it. Only eat when you are sat at the table. Good luck

[Nantoone in reply to Bagrat]

😊

[bassets]

You could try the fast 500 diet x

[Turquoise19 in reply to bassets]

Yes I am doing intermittent fasting or 5/2, on and off. I lost a stone on it and kept it off though still have another 4kg to go to get back to my pre AF weight when I was a lot fitter n leaner...

My 2nd ablation was in 2022 and only now am I trusting I am ok with no bisoprolol back up. Just stopped the 1.25mg dose which may also help with weight.

And feeling a bit freer to push exercise just a little bit harder.. though not as strong as before AF

[Sixtyslidogirl]

I can recommend Zoe. It’s not really a weight loss diet and it is expensive but but some people do lose weight because it overhauls how you eat; more vegetables and less meat, which is generally recommended for people with AF. In my case it reduced my cholesterol and inflammation.

[Ducky2003]

I use the Nutracheck App to calorie count (when I'm being good) and use quite a lot of Pinch of Nom recipes. You don't need all of the books as there are hundreds of recipes on their website. You can even search an ingredient and it will show you recipes using it.......... handy if you've got a lot of mushrooms to use up.😁

As for motivation, just remember your "why" ......... "why" you want to lose weight and "why" it will benefit your health. 😊

[Allwood]

hi I had cardio version 2 months ago and then a suspected minor stroke and decided to reduce weight to give myself a better chance of heart healthy

I have managed to loose 4kg in 5 weeks and am only able to walk 15 mins a day

Best advice I can give is fill yourself up with veggies, boring yes but it really helps

Here is a typical day for me

Breakfast

Porridge with almond milk and tablespoon zero jam

Apple around 10.30

Lunch: x3 crackers with slice cheese and cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, hard boiled egg

Apple around 3.30

Dinner: cauliflower rice, 100g chicken , soy sauce and herbs, mushrooms, carrots, onions, asparagus , all in a wok

8pm 250g 0 % fat yogurt or quark

I haven’t been able to loose weight for years but after my last episode I really want to be more heart healthy and the programme I’m on is really working

I’m not terribly overweight but was carrying 6kg too much

I also stuck a note on my fridge……. remember it’s your heart 😊

Hope this helps xx

[Nantoone in reply to Allwood]

Well done you. I think I need to change my shopping habits. Ie if it isn’t here I can’t eat it. Thank you 😊

[6jane2]

I am on app called Nutracheck and have lost over a stone in about 6 wks through calorie controlled and exercises. I had a episode of AF last week which lasted over 48hrs but with the energy I now have I’m getting back on track again 😁

[Nantoone in reply to 6jane2]

I will look into that. Thank you

[Kaz747]

I find one of the best motivators for me is listening to lifestyle focused podcasts when I am walking, driving or if I’m in the kitchen cooking. My favourites are The Doctor’s Kitchen with Dr Rupy Aujla (who had AF when he was a junior doctor) and Feel Better Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee. The have fabulous guests and, as well as diet, they talk about exercise, sleep, stress, relaxation, etc. Knowledge is power.

Focus on real food/good quality food. I like to use an 80/20 rule. It great food 80% of the time but allow yourself room to enjoy treats or a takeaway now and again. I focus more on fibre and nutrients than on calories.

I batch cook and freeze healthy soups, curries and sauces so it’s easy to grab an easy option to defrost and heat at the end of a busy day.

All the best!

[Cavalierrubie]

l think you have had some good advice, but of course that is no good without lots of determination and willpower, I was reading on weight loss sometime ago (not for me, but for my daughter) and it said never let yourself get too hungry, but to snack on low calorie foods like an apple or banana for example. I know some people have a cold boiled egg. It also said give yourself a treat once a week, but that doesn’t mean going overboard! That’s probably difficult for some as it can lead you astray again. It depends on your willpower. Smaller portions because there is only one way to lose weight and that is to eat less. I really hope you beat this and achieve your goal. Keep occupied and try not to think of food. Best wishes.

[kkatz]

I was 6 weeks before I did 1to 1.5 ml walk about 8 weeks before back to CG bowling once a week and 9 or 10 before excercise classes.There is lots of help out there for diet sheets.I calorie count with Nutrecheck app but you need to know where to start.

There is a nutricheck support group on FB .I suppose you could join to get an idea.

Not easy .

[Ewloe]

this might sound daft but don’t diet. But change the way you eat. When I was younger I yo yo dieted. Then 15/20 years ago at a size 26 I changed the way I ate to something I liked and can continue long term. As soon as you say I’m dieting and can’t have this or that you want it more. At a size 26 exercise wasn’t easy but I gradually increased it.

With loosing weight in mind I changed the way I ate. But wouldn’t say I couldn’t have. I kept some small things in the house that I could have if I felt I needed it and didn’t feel guilty about having it. It’s a slow process but I got down to a size 12. But you have to be patient. But 15/20 years later I’m still a size 12 and eat healthy with treats. 80% healthy 20% more relaxed.

Good luck

[petmice in reply to Ewloe]

THIS! It's not daft - it's the key to long-term health!

The problem with dieting is you stop being careful once the diet is over and go back to those bad eating habits and their associated weight gain.

By making lifestyle changes you change those bad habits to good ones. I, too, made lifestyle changes instead of dieting and lost over 20 pounds. Then I had some medical setbacks, new diagnoses, new meds, and gained 30 back. I am again finally focused on those lifestyle changes and the weight is coming down. A gynecologist once told me that a woman my age (I'm not that old!) should hope for no more than to not gain weight), so the weight loss is slow, but lifestyle changes are much easier to maintain than dieting for the rest of my life.

[Auriculaire]

Only by cooking from scratch with mainly raw ingredients can you be sure what is in your food so if you are dependent on ready meals or take aways you cannot be sure. I would say concentrate first of all on healthy eating which means real food not stuff made in factories which is lacking in enough nutrients. This is one of the reasons people overeat. The food they are eating does not contain enough nutrients so the body keeps them hungry. Do not buy empty calories in the form of biscuits , cakes , snack bars or crisps. No drinks other than water or unsweetened tea or coffee . If you want fruit juice with breakfast have a small glass only. Most breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and should be avoided. A high protein breakfast is healthier and keeps you full longer. You have to get out of the idea of going on a diet as this also implies coming off the diet . . You have to change your way of eating and accept that this is for always. Even then you might not lose a lot of weight. Despite the simple mantras repeated here of eat less move more there are other factors involved in weight gain that often we have little control over - medication side effects for example or undiagnosed thyroid problems. But eating well will improve your overall health. I admit that for people who do not like cooking this sort of an approach will be difficult. But the reward for the effort is healthy food and in my opinion much better tasting food.

[MaryCa]

Consistency is the key. You're undoing your good work by cheating on the weekend. Would you cheat on a relationship at the weekend? So why cheat on yourself? Calorie controlled is probably best. Quick, sharp and a definite time. Cut bread, alcohol and simple Carbs. Eat whole foods as grown, no processed. You'll be surprised the cravings go away. Start with a gentle stroll, and work up from there every three or four days.

[Jajarunner]

I've found the Zoe podcasts very useful. Basically, healthy diet, little ultra processed food, nuts, seeds, legumes and watch your portion sizes. Then you still have your takeaway as your treat. Their membership is brilliant but rather prohibitively expensive though rumour is they will offering some of it for free soon 🤞.

Exercise you can just start very gently and gradually increase it. If you get overtired rest for a few days.

I hope you are soon back to full fitness.🙏

[ozziebob]

Your Post led me to read your Bio where I was very impressed by your detailing of your ablation recovery. Very helpful. Thanks for that.

Others have talked diet much better than I can, but I will recommend a book I'm currently reading which has important things to say on these matters. It's A SILENT FIRE the story of inflammation, diet, and disease by Shilpa Ravella.

Good luck.

Update: I just noticed this online review of the Ravella book by Tim Spector, co-founder of ZOE ... "Controlling inflammation is the key to good health and this beautifully written and researched book is the best way to understand it"

[Tomred]

Intermittent fasting i find is a must and its ok to treat yourself once a week, makes the whole thing easier, if you try to be super strict it wont last, better making smaller changes that last.

[Qualipop]

I don't believe that diets ever w ork. Any changes have to be for life and you just can't sustain a diet for life. After my heart attack I lost 2 stone without even planning to diet. I simply followed the dietary advice I was given which was the Mediterranean diet as on the BHF main website. I cut out all cakes and biscuits and evening snacks like crisps. I stopped frying food and had no pies or ready meals which my husband would live on. I replaced red meat with fish and chicken but did have very occasional beef. I haven't drunk alcohol in 50 years and no fizzy drinks that are packed with sugar. The change was harder on my husband than on me. 7 or 8 months later I got out my summer skirts and they all fell off me. I had to take them all in. It still didn't occur to me to weigh myself until I saw my GP for regular blood tests and he commented on my weight loss. He actually got worried and did tests for cancer- clear of course. It was simply the change of diet. It's been easy to maintain. We do have a pasty or a pizza maybe once a month and I buy one small cake which lasts maybe 3 weeks. If I feel peckish or snacky I either have a drink or a piece of fruit. You could also buy smaller plates to cut down on portion sizes. JUst think about what you are eating and change what you can. My husband still has no idea that his bolognese is now made from quorn and double the amount of vegetables. Things like burgers are 5% fat mince, onion and breadcrumbs with a little Worcester sauce- simple and take seconds.

[AblatedCyclist]

following my first ablation I was told I could resume “normal activities”, which for me was riding my bike 100 miles a week at a fast pace. Turns out that’s not what he meant! He was angry with me- and vice versa. I allowed my heart to “heal” following the following ablations and encourage you to do the same. Walking, slowly at first, was about all I did for 3 months or so.

[Nantoone in reply to AblatedCyclist]

I will definitely listen to your advice. Thank you.

[Desertflowerchild in reply to AblatedCyclist]

I had a pulsed field ablation was on October 2. By day 8, I resumed walking my giant schnauzer, who has cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure. Our walks are typically slow and easy, usually less than a mile, though we navigate some steep hills. On day 15, I began adding a second walk for myself several times a week, initially incorporating slow jogging and then transitioning to intermittent walking, covering 2-3 miles at a brisker pace. Overall, I feel good about this progress. I believe in the healing power of exercise, and so far, everything feels fine, but I can't deny that I am nervous. Only time will tell.

[Snowgirl65]

My first plan of action whenever I (frequently) begin a diet, is to uptake my protein and lessen the carbs. Add lots of fiber-rich veggies and low-sugar fruit. Drink lots of water. Oh, and lastly, lay off the breads and pastries!

[kliving]

This is what I do and it does help most people.

I start my day with overnight oats. 1/2 cup of oats covered in milk (your choice what kind) 2 tablespoons of yogurt and 1 to 2 teaspoons of Peanut powder with or without cocoa. Maybe add some fruit.

Lunch 1/2 to 1 cup of fruit.

Dinner I typically make a large salad and add what ever meat protein or type of protein I want.

If I get hungry after dinner, I eat some mixed nuts or maybe some fruit.

Once a week I let myself have rice or potatoes. This "diet" is not real strict, the main goals are to cut out as many carbs as you can and eliminate as much sugar as you can. I typically can lose between 1 and 2 kg a week. I am very rarely ever hungry, and it does keep my energy levels steady.

[Nantoone in reply to kliving]

Wow. Sounds like a plan. Thank you 🙏

[WildIris]

I was about 4 stone (I think, I'm U.S.) overweight. What worked for me, and its been 3 years now since I was overweight, was giving up sugar and sweeteners, which were pretty addictive for me. It was really hard for a few days, but got much easier in less than a week. I ate a lot of peanuts and pistachios in the shell to keep my hands busy. Without blood sugar wobbling up my system, I could actually choose what to eat, and am luckily fond of fruits and veggies. It took me almost a year to lose the weight, but should you choose this path, it should only take a couple of months.