Newbie!

[Loumas943]

Hi I am new to this and wanted to introduce myself. I am 42 and currently nearly 17 stone which is the heaviest I have been . I have been taking anti depressant medication for several years and I don't think this has helped me at all as far as controlling my weight is concerned; I also have polycystic ovarian syndrome which again, hasn't helped at all with losing weight. I really am feeling desperate at the moment, I used to be a healthy size 12 and now I am a size 22 and double the weight I used to be. I need to lose this weight, my whole body aches and my knees are really painful now when I walk. I just feel like it's never going to happen because I don't have the motivation to follow it through but my children need me and I need to get healthy. Sorry for going on, just feeling very own at the moment.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome Loumas

Take a look at the Pinned Posts section, to the right of your screen (bottom, if you're using a mobile) and have a look at the Welcome Newbies thread.

Look at the Topics section beneath that, for posts that could answer any questions you may have. Consider joining any, or all, of our challenges, as they're fun and motivating.

Join us for the Monday Group weigh-in. If you follow Zest and myself you'll be notified when we post the threads. The latest weigh-in thread can always be found in the Events section, to the right of the home page (bottom if you're using a mobile).

Be active on the forum, as that's where we exchange ideas and get our daily dose of motivation and inspiration.

Wishing you all the best with your weight loss journey

[Loumas943 in reply to moreless]

Thank you for the welcome and info about the site

[nteapea]

Welcome to the forum Loumas. I am sorry that you feel so down. I think pain can sometimes make us feel very down. Please try to see this as a positive first step and be proud of the fact that you are taking back control. Also try not to think of your weight loss as such a big number otherwise it can seem overwhelming. One loss at a time and every loss is a good one be it 1/4 of a lb or 1 lb. keep posting and good luck

[Loumas943 in reply to nteapea]

Thank you for your encouraging words x

[Emilymay1992 1 stone]

Hi Loumas943 , welcome to the forum. You've done a great thing by joining, and that's a positive start. I'm a newbie here too, and the support from everyone here has been tremendous the last couple of weeks.

First of all, don't be sorry for "going on", we all need to vent sometimes, and I'm sure there are many people here willing to help, myself included. You sound like you're going through a really tough time of it at the moment, but you are not on your own.

Depression and meds are tricky. I was diagnosed with postnatal depression after having my two girls, but after speaking to my GP and health visitors, over a long 9 months, I'm feeling a lot better, and feel like I am on the right track, with the right mindset.

I have just started the couch to 5 k, it's got me out of the house and moving and it has been hard work but I feel so good after doing it. It's worth a look if it's something that might interest you. I have got about 5 stone to lose, but I'm trying not to get fixed on numbers and instead thinking of the overall benefit to my health. I'm setting small goals, and really breaking it down to make it achievable and maintainable. I truly believe that anything we set our minds to, we can do.

Good luck and hopefully we'll see you around.

Emily xx

[Loumas943 in reply to Emilymay1992]

Thank you Emily xx

[Loumas943]

Thank you so much for your messages, it's so great to have the support of others and it looks as though this is a really supportive place to be to start a weight loss journey.

[Menarley]

Hi lou, my daughter went fron 7st 2 to 13 st it seemed like overnight she also has polycystic ovarys she did a trial at the portland hospital they introduced her to metphormine which they use for diabetes but she said it felt like she had line of grease across her chest and stopped taking them. If you have pco you are prone to type 2 diabetes. She ended up at weight watchers and lost weight she got back to about 8st and hasn't looked back that was 10 years ago she has always been really tiny she only weighed 3st something when she started secondary school. Maybe try ww to give you're self a kick start. Good luck

[albinohedgehog]

Well done for joining the forum, its a great first step. Ive put on a lot of weight with medications aswell, but finally found a combination that works and doesnt make me ravenous. Now comes the job of losing the weight i gained. Its def hard work, and you have to be focused, but if you take it day by day, pound by pound, you can do it!

Hope to see you around the board! All the best

Hedgehog ☺

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome

Well done on taking the first step of posting on here - I agree with others don't focus on the total amount you want to loose but focus on the small amount each week, IE set yourself a target to loose 1/2lb in the first week. then another the second week and so on

The thought of calorie counting and weighing food and recording anything I put in my mouth really put me off losing weight to start with, but I have set up a spread sheet and after weighing and working out the calories for regular foods for a certain weight of food and logging it on one sheet and then having another sheet to log the daily intake of food it has become easier and I have only been doing this just over a week.

Get through the first week of logging every piece of food and it gets easier - make sure you do your BMI check as this also works out the calorie range that you should be eating - stick in between the range and you should start losing weigh ( Zest moreless please can you add a link to the BMI checker? I am still new and haven't worked that out yet)

Wishing you all the best on your journey x x

[misstippytoes Restart August 2023]

welcome 😊 I agree with all of the above comments. These forums are a great help. Good luck on your journey x

[lolapops88]

Hi and welcome. I too have been on anti-depressants for about ten after a traumatic life event. I feel they have destroyed my metabolism and I have tried to come off them but I feel horrendous when I cut back. So I understand where your coming from. XXx

[Anita44]

Hi hun, I joined yesterday, you're on the right track here, there's so many supporting members which is so encouraging, makes you feel you're not alone. I suffer from arthritis and have since my late 20s, I had it controlled for years so it wasn't effecting my life, but recently had a flare up and the weight doesn't help, so I am determined to loose some weight. I know its hard but you are doing it for you and your family which should be enough motivation, hospital nurse told me to look after myself as my kids need me as they still young. I hope you can reach your goals but be realistic and you will get there. Good luck x.

[marieray]

hi. Welcome. I am new too and need to shed two stone. The fact that you are even on here means you want to lose weight. You can do it. you really can. I aim at 2lb a week and I walk half my journey to work every day and have a brisk walk for half an hour on my lunch. Some days I feel more hungry than others but I find putting protein in my mid day meal makes it easier to last until evening. I take the stairs at work and go up and down the stairs at home as fast as I can. I weigh myself just once a week. Wine is the hardest for me so I have it only once a week and limit to 2/3 glasses. I have lost 4lb in two weeks but not sure I will do that this week but I will keep going. Take it one step at a time and don't get discouraged when you have a bad day. Try not to socialise around food or go somewhere where you can order fish or chicken without sides. Think instead of a dress you want and at the end you can treat yourself and think how great you will look. Give yourself small goals and small treats when you reach them. not food based treats though. maybe a long luxurious bath or a cup of tea and your feet up with a magazine for half an hour. A browse in your favourite shop. Also put a tenner (or whatever you can afford)in your savings for every week you have not cheated then when you reach your goal go on a spending spree. we are all on the same journey here and you can do it too. we are all here to help.

[Hidden]

Hello

I have PCOS and I was 17 st when I properly started trying to lose weight in April 2015. I was convinced it was harder for me because of the PCOS, and maybe it's why I've lost weight so slowly but I HAVE lost the weight, so it isn't impossible and I'm now 15 st 0.4lbs and hoping to be in the 14's when I weigh on Friday. I did SW to start with, which just helped to kick lots of bad habits and put me in the right frame of mind for weight loss

I find my motivation comes from my weight loss, so every lb I lose motivates me to lose another - and you find other ways to motivate yourself as you go along. I'm doing the 12 week NHS plan and counting calories now - but i DO find this more time consuming than SW.

I hope you find the motivation you need on this forum - I find it really helps me everyday to stay focused on what I want to achieve. And every step forward, however painful, is a step in the right direction

[Hidden]

Hi, welcome to the forum. You will get lots of love and good advice here, which will hopefully help you.

One advantage of being at the start of your weight loss and having a fair bit to lose is that you will start losing even with just a few small adjustments to your diet and activities. So don;t feel you have to go all out at first.

If you just start by:

- not snacking between meals. Eat 3 sensible meals a day and enjoy them

- set a stop time for eating, eg. eat your dinner by 7pm and stop eating after that until breakfast next morning

- eat 2 portions of vegetables with your lunch every day and 3 with your dinner (more if you can stomach it)

- cut out alcohol

- cook your meals from scratch yourself as much as you can. Avoid take-aways and too much convenience food

If you start tackling your weight seriously now you could shift 2 stones by Christmas, and by this time next year you could have entirely solved your problem. That's got to be worth going for.

Good luck!