Where do I start?

[hopefulhon]

I am 5'4" and 16.9stone and 44years old. Most of my entire life I have been severly obese and extremely unfit. I now have a 6yr old daughter who every day says she wishes I wasn't as fat, breaking my heart but I have no motivation or will power and really not a clue where to start! Does anyone have any suggestions where start when the mountain is so huge!

[bunblebeaz]

Hiya hopefulhon,

Most of us are following the 12 week plan:

> Head on over to the NHS livewell lose weight pages.

nhs.uk/LiveWell/weight-loss...

> Work out your BMI and the weight which would see you at a healthy BMI

> Download the 12 week plan

> Read through the other information and tips on the nhs site and the blogs on here

> Do a healthy shop and start on Monday!

The basic guidelines for the nhs plan are:

> 1400 cals per day

> 150 mins aerobic exercise per week

> Get your 5-a-day

> 2 core strength exercise sessions a week

Now I'll tell you straight that you aren't going to lose all the weight you need to lose on one cycle of the plan. But thats ok: a healthy loss is 1-2lb a week, and a little bit more when you first start. You can do more than 1 cycle, plus the best part is its not a 'diet' as such, more a healthy living plan and re-education of your eating habits. Nothing is banned. BUT you have a max of 1400 cals a day - you do need to eat healthily to achieve this.

The best thing to do would be to break down your weight loss into smaller milestones, such as get to this dress size, or get to being just over weight or get to xx stone, this will make it much easier to get to your overall target weight.

As for motivation, you said it yourself, you have a daughter who is breaking your heart with her words everyday. Now I'm probably gonna get shouted down for the next bit but, if you can't do it for yourself, DO IT FOR HER. There's a reason why she's not happy. Is she missing out on activities because of your weight? Is she getting teased? I think you can do it, you're just fooling yourself that you can't.

Some quick tips:

> The vast majority of calories are listed on the packaging AND its usually per portion or 100g so the calorific value is easy to work out.

> For everything else google it.

> Try my fitness pal or similar as a tracker

> Green leafy veg is waaay good for you

> Your portion sizes are probably way too big

> If you can't get to a gym or a class or a pool for exercise try the ones on the nhs pages site

> Take your daughter out to play - this counts as exercise!

> Boogie when doing the housework

> Read ALL the blogs and questions here, you'll find a lot of help and a lot of your questions may have been answered already.

Good Luck!

[Prin]

My tip is willpower - you must be ready to make a start, if you have junk food get rid of it so crisps,sweets, biscuits, chocolate, its not that you wont ever have these things but you need to leave you old habits behind. Dont get treats for your daughter you will probably end up eating them (if you are anything like me!) Ask a relative friend or partner to take her to the shop for sweets or ice cream if she feels she must. Tell people - friends and family work collegues that you are trying to eat healthily, that means that they (hopefully) wont be offering you a biscuit with your cuppa. Once the havent you lost weight/ Look great/Look different comments come in you will feel FANTASTIC and that will be even more motivation- Good Luck

[Hidden]

Hi hopefulhon,

Well it seems to me you have a good reason to lose weight and to up your exercise/activity levels too. As your daughter gets older, you're going to want to be able to keep up with her!

Starting point? How about the BMI calculator? It's on the NHS live well lose weight pages. I roughly make you at a BMI of just under 40 and that your weight to be at the top of the 'normal' band of BMI would be abouit 10 St 6 lb.

I think that a good read around the NHS live well pages, especially the ones about weight loss and these blogs would be a good starting point, and the free 12 week plan would be a real good idea.

Assuming you decide to try to become "normal" BMI (which you may or may not choose to do) that would suggest you have something like 6 and a bit stone to lose. You would need to schedule that to take about 10 or 11 months at 1 to 2 lbs a week on average and the odd blip here and there.

However, at your weight and BMI, I would suggest you go and talk with your GP as you might be able to get additional support from there.

Whatever course you decide to take, the first step is to decide how much weight you are going to lose, then how long that will take and then to make a commitment to yourself, your body and your health and wellbeing - and your daughter - to 'get on the weight loss bus' and actually do it.

Set yourself a goal and some milestones (mini-goals) to tick off as you go.

I've only lost 18 kgs, which is under 3 stone, since 11th January this year, and I feel like I'm walking around in a different body. It's really hard to put into words how much better I feel for it.

Oh, yes, before I started, I thought it would all be like some medieval monastic penetential fast and that I'd be going around half starved most of the time - and it's been nothing like that at all.

Good luck with your weight loss journey.

[mitzymoo]

Hi Angel

Welcome to the family, we are always here for advice and support, and there is always here for you if you need to vent or a shoulder to cry on!

I'm also 44 with 24yr old twins a boy and a girl. I'm on the blood group diet, it tells you what foods to cut out as they are toxic to your body, i found out I'm wheat intolerant it is the main trigger for my psoriasis.

If you have a good look around the website there are a few different types, but check the blood group diet out it has made a big difference for me as I'm unable to exercise as health problems make it difficult, but I'm loosing weight so can't be too bad!

It is very difficult to work out where to start, and with your daughter putting the pressure on you like that, you probably feel like your drowning under the pressure!

Have you got plenty of friends for support? As it is difficult trying to do it alone! Where do you live? There may be a support group near you that you can join and you'll be among friends who are in the same situation that you can work together.

Good luck and I've asked the guardian angels to watch over you and give you strength and guidance in this difficult time for you.

Take care Angel and keep us updated on your progress.