Hello ,just joined today,

[hackney1]

Its my fifthy year and i have a birthday trip with 26 friends planned for may, im currently 13.st 2 llbs which for my height of 5ft 7 inches makes me 3st 3llbs over weight, how depressing. Any way on a more positive note, i have decided to take my first step and actively contribute to a forum to share my experience and read others for encouragement.

i have a fairly good knowlege of the diet world however bad habits ,sugary treats and a geberal lack of motivation has set in over the year.

i have an image in my head of what i think i should look like and the reality is painful. So no more excusesand 100% effort is coming up until i reach my idea weight or as near as by may, to be honest I'd be happy with a stone by then ,becuase id feel im heading in the right direction.

I come from a family of large ladies , im the smallest lol, so im hoping to indirectly influence them as well. So hear goes , the worn out ,overworked , everyone says that) mnhs employee ,mum of two grown ups ,with a medically retired hubby first step. Wish me luck

[Judywood]

Good luck and very best wishes to you! You sound very positive so onward and upward (or downward in our case!)

[hackney1 in reply to Judywood]

Thank you judywood, yesterday invited to a leaving tea party, managed to resist the red velvet cake, but couldnt resist the cupcakes, only one, decided to walk the mile half from station,to make up for it.

Normally wheni feel ive been bad food wise, its like my mind says "game on" and i eat everything in sight,

today plan, day off ,gym then walk dog,healthy food choices.

[walkthisway Maintainer 2st 7lbs]

Hi hackney1

Well done on making a start on your new healthy lifestyle. You might want to recheck your healthy weight and how much you have to lose to get there. I am 5 6 and my healthy weight range starts at 11.2 in terms of BMI. At an inch taller yours must be more. Once you have reached your healthy range you can then decide how much more to lose to suit your shape.

Keep up your excellent positive attitude, don't beat yourself up when you slip up - slow and steady will win the day.

The NHS 12 week plan is a good way to start, making small changes which become habits - this is a lifestyle change not a diet!

Good luck - and keep using this forum for support. I have lost 2 stone in 6 months, something I thought was completely impossible!

[pollyanna56]

I have a friend who does the 5/2 diet - it works wonderfully when she is on it, but the weight creeps back on as soon as the diet finishes. I am following an 'Eating for Life' plan, which i did many years ago, & on which i originally lost 2 stones, this has never gone back on, and over the years i have lost a further 2 and a half stones , the half is always problamatic though, as it will creep back over a long period of time [ several years] so the original diet does work. However, i cut out all starchy foods [for the first 2 weeks] and although i eat most vegatable, sweetcorn, potatoes are not on the yes list. I also do not eat pasta [luckily i don't really like it] bread, or grain/flour products. so only when i have lost the weight that i needed to, do i allow bread,grain products, potatoes to go back on the menu, but then only once a week. Protein and fibre are on the list every day, I eat porridge with a portion of fruit [no added sugar] every day for breakfast, and i eat stir-fried veg,+ a sauce, plus meat/ fish/eggs every evening. I drink tea with milk no sugar throughout the day. Currently i have lost 2kg in just over a week, and need to lose a further 5kg. which i am hoping to have lost by the end of may. I do allow myself a treat, once a week is about reasonable, the problem is when you have stress/problems in your life, it is only too easy to reach for a bar of chocolate. Chocolate is my downfall, so that or a peice of cake [the ones which i make for my husband] are my treat for the week - if i have lost/maintained the weight.The big problem after that, is to make sure that i do not put it back on again, so my eating plan will be around for a long time. - and i will be so pleased to get back to wearing all of those clothes which had been put at the back of the wardrobe again.