I'm new & Finally taking control. - Weight Loss Support

Weight Loss Support

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I'm new & Finally taking control.

kat57 profile image
31 Replies

Hi All,

I'm so glad i found this website. I had been using Slimming World for the last 3 years only to have spent approximately £700 in fees to lose 7lbs (ridiculous isnt it?) so I gave up and gained another stone. (even more ridiculous!) and I now have 4 stone to lose! So on Monday I searched on the internet for calorie controlled diets and here I am. I started on that day and already I feel good about it. With the other group i felt there was no control with what I was eating, being told you can eat as much pasta and rice as you want and of course i stupidly believed that and found that everytime i had pasta i wanted more. By counting calories since Monday, I make the choice as to whether I want a particular food, and already its opened up my eyes. By omitting one item from my plate I ate 150 calories less. I'm eating well and feeling full and the best part is that I finally feel I have taken control. I cant wait to see the results at the end of the week. Wish me luck!

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kat57 profile image
kat57
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31 Replies
bellylaugh profile image
bellylaugh

Hi kat57, welcome and well done finding this lot here. Very friendly bunch I found them 6 weeks ago and love it - lots of support, friendly bunch of people and lots of tips and recipes all of which has really help motivate me. Someone will be along soon with some links for you to check out and maybe join in. See you at the Monday morning weigh in! :-)

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to bellylaugh

Thank you so much bellylaugh, I have to spend a bit of time getting used to the website as I dont know where to find the Monday weigh in section lol.... I can already see there is an awful lot of support from members though to keep everyone motivated. Good luck on your journey!

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply to kat57

This should help you kat :)

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

for future reference, either click follow on Zest 's profile, for notification when she posts new threads, or the latest link can always be found on the right hand side of the home page, under the Pinned Posts, in the Events section :)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

Hi and welcome Kat :)

What a fantastic first post! Well done you for taking control and making such a huge difference to you mental and physical well-being so positively! :)

I don't think you're going to need luck, because you're already off to a flying start, but I will offer you all the support I can and I know the other members will do the same :)

Have a look at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom, if you're using a phone). Start with the Welcome Newbies thread and read all the hints and tips, the motivational ideas and inspirational stories. For extra support, why not sign up to the re-boot challenge?

Join us for the monday group weigh-in, which is friendly and welcoming and helps to keep you accountable. The latest thread can always be found in the events section, beneath the Pinned Posts :)

For motivation to get moving, we have the Kilometer Zero challenge and a beginner Couch To 5K challenge. Both are a lot of fun :)

Last but not least, be active on the forum, because it's here that we form friendships and receive constant boosts to our resolve.

All that's left for me to say, is that you can do this and we can help! Onwards and downwards! :)

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to moreless

Thank you so much, I'm pretty excited and motivated as far as the diet goes, excersise is another thing though, I dont like to go out on my own but I do have a Wii Fit that i used to love using so i'm going to get my son to hook that back up for me.

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply to kat57

I use my wii fit too! It's great! :)

Itsbab profile image
Itsbab

Hi Kat57, In desperation I too found this site 5 weeks ago and haven't looked back.I did the clubs like you and put the weight back on, basically the only pounds I kept off were £ coins. Many people combine the two as clubs do work for some but for me this is brilliant, the 12 week plan has made me see food for what is in it both calorie wise and health wise and I am shocking myself daily on what I used to eat. My trips to the supermarket now double in time cause I am looking at the labels and my family are getting fed up with the "how many calories are in that" question I keep asking. I have even found doing more walking/exercise easy my only problem is to keep drinking more water. This is a fantastic forum so many people in the same boat with valuable advise to give. I think you already have a very positive mindset so good luck I think you will stick to and see fantastic results at the end of the week or Monday weigh ins.

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Itsbab

Thank you, yes you are right the clubs work for some (like my daughter) ...and in fact worked for me about 20 years ago but its just not for me this time around...hopefully the last time around lol. I find i drink more water in the summer, maybe you could start out by drinking flavoured waters ? I started drinking those a while back and found it easier to move to plain water now. The worst thing i did was drink diet sodas, they always bloated me out so i have stopped buying those. Keep up the good work!

Itsbab profile image
Itsbab in reply to kat57

Yes I have been drinking flavoured water but stupidly wasn't adding it on my mls just the mineral/tap water so I suppose I am having what I should if I take that into account. Thanks hope you have a good week😊

Kenny25 profile image
Kenny25

Good for you kat57, I am sure that you will find the level of support here a real motivation. I did slimming world for a couple of months but like you I felt that it is dangerous to allow a food addict to eat unlimited quantities of certain foods. My portion of spag bol was just absolutely ridiculous and I felt as though I couldn't move after eating my dinner. There is nothing Are you following the 12 week plan. I would recommend it. nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Losing-w...

I started 4 weeks and its the best decision I've made. Finally I feel as though I'm in control.

You will always get answers to any of your questions here and everyone either has or is in the same situation as yourself. Welcome to the group and keep us all posted on your progress. Kenny

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Kenny25

Thank you Kenny, yes i too was a food addict! I have signed up to the 12 week plan, not too sure how to navigate the website yet though so when i get some spare time in the evening i'll have a look around. I feel i have definitely made the right decision by coming to this website. Have a great day!

Dilemma1 profile image
Dilemma1Visitor

Hi Kat

I too had joined SW a good few years ago. It worked for me and I lost weight, but I wasn't learning how to control the amount I ate. We all know what we need to do to loose weight. I didn't want to go back to paying for someone to tell me what I already know!! I look at the posts here often to see what's happening with others. I've found I'm more focused and certainly think about the food and amounts I'm eating and I'm starting to make better choices. One day at a time.

Stick to this, slowly but surely you'll see the results.

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Dilemma1

Thank you, yes it worked for me years ago when it was the old red and green diet but now its silly with unlimited amounts, and like Kenny says, that doesnt help a food addict. With all the encouragement i have had in the last hour...wow! I am definitely determined to do this!

greeny4 profile image
greeny4

Good luck with your journey. This is very supportive and encouraging

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to greeny4

Thank you.

Osiris275 profile image
Osiris275

Good luck! I use MyFitnessPal for counting my calories but this site for chatting to like minded people and getting motivation! Its really helped and I'm 6 stone lighter.

You can do it too. And remember, the only 'free' food is water! Get a food scale and weigh and log everything.

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Osiris275

Hi,

Thank you...whats My Fitness Pal? Congratulations on your massive weight loss!!! thats fantastic!...that alone has given me encouragement to carry on! I bought a food scale and have been logging everything since Monday and to be honest i am shocked and can see where i was going wrong with a few foods already.

Kenny25 profile image
Kenny25 in reply to kat57

Myfitnesspal is an online tool that allows you to log your calories, water and exercise amongst many other things. I have the app on my phone and it links to my fitbit. You have to log the food that you have eaten or like me you can log the next days food from your menu if you plan ahead. You can scan the barcode and it finds the food for you. It has a database of 1000's of foods both branded and supermarkets own. It helps me track my calories and it lets me log my weekly weight loss and displays it in a nifty wee graph. Better still it's free to use. I would highly recommend giving it a go.

Pbusby profile image
Pbusby

I am the same Hun like most of us here we probably have wasted thousands of pounds on one diet or another, I started Monday and am slowly getting to grips with it, I'm not seeing it as a diet it's a healthier lifestyle and if I loose weight while doing it it's a bonus :) took me ages to find the weigh in page to. I clicked on local which took me to her thread and asked there, I'm such a div with technology lol Best of luck on your journey xx

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Pbusby

Aww thanks for your encouraging words, I dont feel so silly now ...where is local? lol. Yes you are right, it needs to be a change of lifestyle. Best of luck to you too!

Pbusby profile image
Pbusby in reply to kat57

Type lo cal in the search Hun should come up xx

Zest profile image
ZestHealthy BMI in reply to kat57

It's 'Lowcal' not local - typing Lowcal will get you there - Welcome by the way! Wishing you luck with everything, and it's great you're here in the forum. I can see you've had lots of welcomes, and that's so great!!!

Lowcal :-)

Jo1957 profile image
Jo1957

Hiya Kat, I think we maybe me of similar age, with similar goals . I too have 4st to lose and started on Monday x

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to Jo1957

Ahh yes it seems we could be, I'll be 58 in September this year. I say 4 stone, the bmi thing says i need to lose 7 but at that weight i would be a skeleton, so i am going for what i feel is right for me. Good luck on your weight loss journey, I think the amount of support on here is amazing and feel more confident than ever that I can do this.

kat57 profile image
kat57 in reply to kat57

See i dont even know how old I am..LOL I'll be 59 this year.

Jo1957 profile image
Jo1957 in reply to kat57

I am 59, 60 next April.. BMI says I need to lose 5st 10lbs... I'd be 9 stone that is just not realistic for me. Maybe we can support each other x

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

For Jo1957 and kat57 , I turned 59 last month and have lost 5st 9lbs to date, so it can be done, even when we're not in the first flush of youth! ;)

Jo1957 profile image
Jo1957 in reply to moreless

That is AWESOME moreorless.....very well done x

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply to Jo1957

Thanks Jo, but you can do the same :)

HeatherGrrr profile image
HeatherGrrrHealthy BMI

Hi! You've made a good choice by joining the forum - it's not only incredibly supportive and friendly (with lots of challenges if you want some extra motivation), it's also been a great thing to browse through at my 'danger times' when I'm bored/not busy and prone to snacking out of habit! It then gives me extra willpower to ignore the biscuits, hehe!

I think it makes a lot of sense to follow a maintainable free plan for a healthier lifestyle, than to pay out a fortune for something that probably won't stick. I also lost weight years ago with SW but put it all straight back on as I didn't really change any of my bad habits with food (overeating!). I've been doing the calorie counting with the NHS 12-week-plan advice for 8 weeks now (lost over 18lb so far), and I have noticed such a change in my attitudes and feelings towards food (I think I was a food addict too, and I would just eat far too much!) .

It was so hard at first to have the willpower - my main problems were portion control and snacking. As well as calorie counting I've started to deliberately take longer to eat my meals - chewing my food more, having little breaks to sip my drink, putting my plate down for a couple of minutes. Combined with the smaller portions this now means I'm more than satisfied with a normal plateful, and I don't feel like I need to snack much as I'm actually full! It's a miracle!

I've also found planning my whole day of food ahead of time really helps, so I can factor in snacks or leave some spare calories for unexpected treats (although I've tried to prevent that as much as possible). The 'MyFitnessPal' app is really useful for this, as it remembers things you've added before, so the process isn't too laborious. Plus their database has nearly everything in it - all sorts of brands and places for eating out/takeaway!

Another random benefit of this plan that I didn't even think of when I started is that I'm saving so much money!! I have stopped with the bottles of wine through the week (I'd normally buy one every 2-3 days) and rinks in the pub, and I'm not buying snacks all the time (was getting pasties, crisps, bags and bars of choc every day!). I reckon I'm saving at least £5 a day, so even if it costs a bit more for some of my healthier food choices overall I'm in up!!

Good luck with your weight loss/lifestyle change - I really hope you find the forum useful. If you decide you might want to try some new exercise I'd really recommend the NHS Couch-2-5K plan. I did it before starting to lose weight, and loved it (I HATED any exercise before that!). I won't start prattling on about it now, but let me know if you want any more info at any point ;)

roberval profile image
roberval

The best of good luck. I would never join WW/Slimersworld or any of the other because I object to spending all that money to be patronised.

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