Hi

[Will-Power]

Hi, I am a 52 year old woman who is trying to take a check of her life. I need to lose a few stone, ideally 3 and up my exercise level. My life style is prohibitive and a great excuse for not taking any action on either challenge. I am hoping that joining this community will help my find the will power and some easy suggestions for achieving the above.

[Jennymary]

I wish you luck. I too, need to lose about 1 1/2 stone but like you lifestyle doesn't help. I don't like healthy food but I go to a gym once a week, do you have a Council run gym in your area, if yes, it's probably run by the company that run my gym, the instructors at mine are friendly, helpful, always happy to stop and chat (not necessarily about exercise/healthy eating) and the biggest compliment I can pay them us that when I go there I don't feel intimidated ( I'm overweight, unfit and aged 53). Also, could there be a GP referral exercise scheme where you live, if so may be worth having a chat with GP and get referred onto that, in my area it's 3 times a week each session lasting 2 hours, but don't panic, you build up slowly, the very first session I went on lasted 30 mins, you can do as much or little as you feel like doing. Sorry I can't offer advice on eating but hope this exercise stuff is useful.

[PastorT2]

wishing you all the best

I have lost one and half stones and about half way down to where i need to be.

If you are able the NHS Couch to 5K is good way to exercise

[PhilFreeToAsk]

Do you realise that we have been misled for many years when an "expert" claimed that fat makes you fat without any scientific fact? This led to the low fat diet and replaced it with sugary carbs and drinks. It is only now that that claim is now disputed hence the health campaign in the UK to cut down on sugar. Excessive carbs are turned into body fat - that is the real culprit. The aim is to cut down on carbs that are quickly absorbed into the body. So carbs should be from wholegrains (not white bread or white rice) or low GI fruits (apples, strawbs not pineapple or ripe bananas). Food should be natural and not processed (e.g. most breakfast cereals such as cornflakes are not good).

I suggest that you look at a low GI diet such as Patrick Holford's "The 'Low-GL' Diet Cookbook: Easy, recipes for weight loss, health and energy". Look at the reviews on Amazon to see what other people think. There is no need to go hungry on this type of diet.

[libbydaniels88]

Hi ! Not sure in what way your lifestyle is prohibitive but if your like me, you cant hardly move around the room leave alone exercise

Im finding it VERY hard to drum up the enthusiasm to bother at all, and yet know I must.

Im 64 by the way and want to lose anything - but hopefully at least 3 stone. If you sound like me, and need a buddy, here I am !

[vincend]

Yes, its becoming clear that there is no definite link between exercise and losing weight. You exercise to get fitter, and diet to lose weight. Also, I agree with the low carb diets suggestions of other posts. There is a low carb (LCHF) community here as well.

[RebLM]

Hi. I reached the same sort of conclusion back in May. I am 42 and significantly overweight and under active. Very sedentary job and the steady weight gain over the years has reduced my enjoyment of recreational exercise and willingness to take part. However, in May i decided to make changes and lose weight. I am now two and a half stone lighter than I was in mid-May when I started and still going strong. I set myself a notional end goal of 5 stone but actually work to smaller goals (e.g. I set myself a target of 2 stone before my holiday in September, now have a target of a further stone before Christmas). Except for an initial surge, the weight loss has been fairly steady (1 or 2 lb a week) - with the occasional bonus week where I loose more and the occasional heartbreak week where nothing shifts or a lb goes on. Important to keep the faith and know that if you keep going it will shift.

My loss has been due to diet rather than exercise. I have started to incorporate a little more exercise now (mainly to improve fitness) but it is controlling what goes in my mouth that sheds the lbs. I start each day with a good portion of fruit salad (i make a big bowl with a tin of sliced peaches, tin of pears, tin of mandarins (all in fruit juice not syrup) and then i add an apple, some grapes, strawberries and some blueberries and a splash or orange juice. This makes me about 5 portions. I top it with a tablespoon of Lidl Turkish Yoghurt (which is cheap and delicious). Its great because its refreshing, tasty, filling and can be easily prepared in advance and taken to work if in a rush. It comes in at about 270 kcal. I then have a mid-morning snack if needed - maybe a few pretzels, some salt and sweet popcorn or a snack from my Graze.com light box. I vary it up but keep to less than 150 kcal. Lunchtime varies. Sometimes i will have another portion of the breakfast fruit or a small can of Heinz tomato or oxtail soup (just my preferred flavours) or occasionally a Warburton's thin with some wafer thin ham and some mustard mayo. Generally speaking it will be 250 kcal or less. Again in the afternoon another snack of 150 kcal max and then in the evening I have a small meal which tends to be low carb but higher protein (so I may make a chicken casserole and serve with lost of fresh veg and just a tablespoon of mash or sometimes I buy a M&S 'Balanced for You' ready meal instead as its convenient and the portions are well controlled!). These are just examples and I vary it up but whatever I serve, I put it on a team plate rather than a big one. The M&S meals are generally less than 400 kcal and whist I don't calorie count my homemade ones, I keep the portions in line with M&S and am sensible in terms of cooking methods and in the selection of ingredients.

For drinks I have maybe 4 coffees a day and the rest is water of lo-cal squash. I do this all week but, on the weekend, i may allow a couple of glasses of wine.

I love my food so this was a massive change for me but it has become the norm now and it certainly makes me enjoy the treats i do allow. You have to live with it so it's a recipe for failure if you never incorporate a treat - a meal out with friends, a glass or wine on a Sunday etc but for me its been about being really disciplined on non-treat days so that the odd treat doesn't affect the net result at the end of the week. If I can do it then anyone can and I'm not known for willpower and resisting temptation!!

Good luck - set yourself some realistic goals and I'm sure you'll manage.