5 stone to lose

[brookes111]

I've always struggled with my weight and binge eating that's linked in with suffering from anxiety and depression. I have had times where I've managed to lose quite a bit of weight but life keeps throwing me stuff my mind isn't prepared to deal with without comfort eating and putting that weight back on.

I want and need to lose around 5 stone now, I am determined to kick this cycle of weight loss and weight gain, I want to be happy and healthy!

Hoping this forum will help me stick to it and I can finally get down to a healthy weight.

[Stentatron]

Hi Brookes, sorry to hear you suffer with anxiety and depression. I myself struggle with both mania and depression and have done for some years now and life can be really tough at times but we rise above it and soldier on.

Hopefully in time you can start to find comfort in other things such as a clean diet and exercise. With the right preparation you can be happy and healthy it’s all about changing habits so they become second nature to you. This forum will definitely help you stick to it and get down to a healthy weight. You overall goal is 5 stone which means you have to be in it for the long haul, I would advise you to set smaller goals that you can tick off along the way. It might be losing a few pounds in your first few weeks or walking so far each week, whatever it is write it down and get started immediately – we’re not getting any younger

You haven’t mentioned anything about how active you are at the moment but increasing the amount of exercise will help you shift that weight quicker. If you are not currently that active maybe start walking in the evenings after your evening meal. If you need any advice on getting fitter please feel free to get in touch.

Good luck

[brookes111 in reply to Stentatron]

Thanks Stentatron,

Yeah im going to focus on losing around 1-2lbs a week. I am relatively active, I go to the gym a few days a week but im so inconsistent with it, there have been times i haven't been all week and times where I've been 4 days in the week.

I'm stating the couch to 5k running program this week to at least get some consistency with exercise. Mainly I think I need to concentrate on my diet, it's not too bad at the moment but I need to cut down portion sizes and replace some of my snack foods with healthier options. Thats my goal for the time being anyway.

[Stentatron in reply to brookes111]

Yes 1 - 2 lbs a week is a sustainable amount of weight loss. This is what you want to aim for and in my experience it comes off a little quicker to begin with.

You are a member of the gym already which is good, consistency is key. Try and get into a routine of going this will really help. What do you do when you go to the gym? Weights or cardio or both?

Diet is massive when trying to lose weight, yes replacing unhealthy snacks with say fruits or even better vegetables will definitely help.

[brookes111 in reply to Stentatron]

I do a mixture of both cardio and weights. The people at the gym didn't really give me any advice on what to do, when, how much etc so I just do what I feel like doing when I go.

Going to try and put a programme together that I can stick to though

[Stentatron]

A mixture is good. Weights are great for getting in shape in part because it ups the metabolic rate in the muscles used so you burn calories hours after you have left the gym. Combining this with cardio is a brilliant way to smash through those calories and burn off some of that fat.

I do a split routine over 4 days, this works for me at the moment. Happy to share some further information about my routine or help you design yours. Doesn't have to be over 4 days and doesn't have to be a split routine, some people prefer to do a full body work out which is just as effective.

I would ask a member of staff at your gym to help you design a program, they should (in a perfect world) do this free of charge when you join so see if they will offer you this.

[brookes111 in reply to Stentatron]

I have asked the staff for advice and to design a program but it was all very vague and I felt like i could do more then they had given me. I always have found thats my problem, I feel like i can do more but always end up hurting myself at somepoint, I really need to learn from this! xD

[eeek1110]

Welcome Brookes111. Emotional eating is such a hard habit to control but you can do it. Just take it slow and steady and remember this is a lifelong lifestyle change and keep in touch with the forum as it really does help. Read the posts and you'll see how we all manage with the ups and downs of life and celebrate the downs of our weight loss journey. There are gains too but we get back on track and it is comforting to know other people are there to support and help you. The forum is a big part of my life now. Hope you will feel the same too!

[Jenever]

Hi Brookes and welcome. When I came to the point where I knew I not only had to lose weight but I really wanted to I realised I had to change my attitude to eating and my relationship with food. I decided no longer would I allow food to control me I was going to control it! I'm into week 5 of the NHS 12 week plan, I lost a total of 10lbs over the previous 4 weeks, one of those weeks I only lost 1lb but I'm happy with that because I agree 1-2lbs a week is ideal, slow but sure and losing weight slowly usually means it stays off. This forum is really good, all the people here are so nice, very helpful and supportive so be sure to log on at least once a day. Good luck to you and I wish you success.

[Rosie23]

Hi Brookes, welcome to the weight loss forum, it really is great to have the support & encouragement from others who understand. It has really helped me to stay motivated, I download the NHS 12 week weight loss information each week, Also I use the myfitnesspal app to record what I eat and monitor my calorie intake which helps keep me focused. Good luck for your 1st week.

[brookes111 in reply to Rosie23]

Thank you Rosie