Cannot get over my weight loss hurdle

[chappie3]

I am a 47 year ols man and have been trying to lose weight for the past two years. I went to slimming world and lost 4 stone but then struggled to lose any more. I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with type 2 diabeties. My sugars were borderline at 6.5 but I have never smoked, don't drink and am a vegetarian and my cholesterol is 3 (which is very good I have been told) I believe that slimming world contributed to the diabeties as I was eating no fat but lots of yoghurts and fruit (all sugar).

I then put 2 stone back on and have recently started to lose weight again and have lost a further stone and a half. I still need to lose about 5 stone but I am worried that I will hit another plateau. To complicate matters I am limited with exercise as I need a replacement hip and knee but have been told by my GP that I am too young by about 10 years to have the operation and he has diagnosed lots of painkillers. I walk with a permanent limp and my hip forces my foot to turn inwards which makes it difficult to walk.

I need to get out of this spiral and diet alone will only help so far but I am running out of ideas for healthy low fat and low sugar foods to eat other than salad. Could anyone offer some suggestions of how they might of had a similar experience and what they have done. I am normallyt a glass half full person but even I am beginning to struggle with a way forward. Thank you in advance

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello chappie3 and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

In my opinion, the best way to lose weight is calorie counting. SW can help many people but for me, I have had to learn to limit my portion size. By counting calories I have learnt where my own balancing point is, where I lose fat slowly without going into starvation mode.

With regards to your joint issues, I would go back and ask for a referral, technology has moved on and joint replacements are lasting longer so that advice could well be out of date. Without seeing a specialist you will never know. I have a friend of 45 on the list for a new hip.

Here are a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the forum. Please note if you are using the new HU App many of these features are not available so I suggest you use the full website version.

The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you. Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted as long as the calories are accounted for. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate

The forum also have group weigh-ins every day, as well as a new Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page. And if you just want to chat, to say hello or share any news or struggles then look out for What's Happening Today thread.

You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too. If you have any questions please just ask

Best wishes

Anna

[chappie3 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Hi Anna, thank you for the reply. I will definately try the 12 week plan. I didn't realise there were so many great hints and tips on this site. Thanks for the info. Best wishes and to Hubbysmissmouse for the help.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to chappie3]

Have a good read and a look around and please just ask if you have any questions 😊

[HubbysMissMouse]

Check that you are eating enough calories by using the NHS bmi calculator which you will find in the welcome newbies thread and you will find out how many calories you should eat daily to be able to lose weight. Make sure you are eating enough calories daily as if you don't eat enough your body will think you are starving it and will turn what you do eat into body fat. This weighs more than eating the extra calories would so it stops you from losing weight and sometimes means you put weight on as there is body fat inside of you. The bmi target is a higher target than many people think so do make sure you check it. Also as you lose weight your calories do drop gradually so you do have to keep an eye on the bmi calculator.

Then you can have a look around the site in places like healthy eating topics as well as recipes/meals/snacks and also you can look on the daily diary as this will give you many ideas there would be a few ideas in these places from other people who are vegetarians and will give you some ideas of extra items too. There are a few other recipe sites on the internet but I think it would be hard for any of us to give you any other suggestions at the moment as you haven't given us any idea of the sort of things you eat now. Hope you do get some ideas from these areas. Good luck with your journey.