I am new here and welcome your ideas and support to help me lose 10 stones.

[MrsGemini]

I am 61 and I really need help to keep me motivated to follow the 12 week plan. Due to a spinal injury and because of my great size, I am not able to exercise. I would really welcome any recipes, tips or comments. What's your story? How do you stay motivated? As a Newbie, any advise to get the most from this website would be most welcome.

[RG07 Host Maintainer]

Morning and welcome to the forum. One of the admins will contact you and send you a link to the Newbies section, which explains how to use the forum and whats available. I used the 12 week weight loss plan and it worked for me and I still use its principles to maintain my weight- so still calorie counting, but I don't mind it with the help of My Fitness Pal, though there are other methods /apps people use to monitor their calorie intake. In the topics section click on all topics and there are several recipe posts covering breakfast, lunch and dinner and I think snacks.We area friendly bunch on here and if you have a question then post it here and you will get a response from what people found here, especially falling off the wagon and what to do- everyone falls off the wagon at sometime- its just to learn from it and to try and avoid a similar situation and temptation in the future.

[HunterBear]

Hello MrsGemini and welcome! I started the 12 weeks plan 10 weeks ago and I have lost 8 kg. The most difficult was first 2-3 weeks when my body was adjusting and I was getting into a new routine. I realize that I must never feel hungry and I must follow my body clock. If I am hungry I must eat but the choice of food is very important. I discovered the following low calorie foods which I can eat:

- coliflower, carrot and onion creamed soup

- grilled cabbage

- baked zucchini

Watermelon is a wonderful option for a snack too.

Good luck for your journey and feel free to ask any questions!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to HunterBear]

Good morning, HunterBear, welcome to the forum and thanks for being so supportive

I couldn't agree more about listening to your body and responding to hunger in a healthy way. Good to hear it's all working for you.

This welcome pack explains how the forum works and how to find your way around healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... Please take your time reading it so you get the best out of your time here.

You'll find a list of all our activities on the daily chat thread here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I recommend joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice.

Wishing you every success in reaching your goal, and staying there

[MrsGemini in reply to HunterBear]

Thank you HunterBear. Firstly, congratulations on your brilliant weight loss. Thank you for your reply. I am not sure about "grilled cabbage" but I'm happy to try the other vegetables you suggest. Where can I find the recipe for cauliflower, carrot and onion creamed soup?

[HunterBear in reply to MrsGemini]

Hello MrsGemini. Thank you! When I make the cauliflower soup I boil one cauliflower head, 2 carrots, 1 potato and blend it together. Separately I chop 1 onion, fry it with some olive oil and mix it with the soup. Delicious!

First 2 weeks were most difficult for me. I felt irritable. What really works for me is planning my meals for whole day. It's helps me do not overeat. I wish you all the best! It's not easy but first results will motivate you. Good luck!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Good morning, MrsGemini, and welcome to the forum 😊

I suggest you put that big number to the back of your mind and think in terms of smaller chunks, say 7lbs at a time. Each time you reach one target, it will spur you on to the next.

Now I'm going to give you some reading that will give you a different approach that may be just right for you: they all link in together

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...

This welcome pack explains how the forum works and how to find your way around healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... Please take your time reading it so you get the best out of your time here.

I recommend joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice.

We also ask that you read this information about internet privacy and security healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please be aware that, if you leave your post unlocked, it can be shared around the Internet without your knowledge or consent. Some of our members will not respond to unlocked posts as they value their privacy.

Wishing you all the best and I hope you become an active member of this community 😊

[LoopyKate]

I would like to echo what you already have been told so far. I also use myfitnesspal to log my food. It has a huge database of regular food, even in store brands from say tesco and with your camera you can bar scan your items too.

Another thing I would advice is setting mini goals. Whether it be half a stone, stone etc. That way as you lose the weight you can feel you achieved something. Something else that I found helps is leaving a snack item as an emergency. It is not part of my meal plans and I have snack items anyway this is literally a small extra. So not eating it but if I really worry I am going to fall off the wagon then I stop and ask myself 10 minutes later do I really need to eat? If the answer is still yes I have my emergency snack item.

As for my not being able to exercise I can tell you 100% this can be done, as I am losing and like you I have not done any exercise due to my own issues. So good luck and if you have questions I would for sure post them. People here are really helpful.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to LoopyKate]

And what you can't see, MrsGemini , is that LoopyKate now has a 6st 7lb badge so she knows what she's talking about

[focused1 Maintainer 13kg]

I am 59 next week so don't let your age be a factor . I felt awful both mentally and physically before I started eating better . I would seek professional help about exercise. After a 5 hour op , plenty of internal stitching and a liquid onto solids diet for a month afterwards I was ready to binge but joined a Paris scheme which is rehab exercise programme with expert guidance and reduced gym rates so a lot cheaper for 3 stages =

18 months . Google Paris scheme or see your practice nurse as I was scared at first . Reduce the amount you eat - slowly at first. Tweak your normal food with a few replacements . Most of us start in a place which we feel is impossible. You are making a start . Keep posting regularly. We are here for you .

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and welcome MrsGemini and well done on taking that first step 😊👏👏👏. I’ve successfully lost weight and kept it off inspite of minimal exercise due to a chronic arthritis. It’s all about eating less than your body needs, but not so low that you feel hungry and deprived. After reading up and getting advice on here I have also reduced carbohydrates considerably, if I’m not moving very much I cannot need the same amount of energy giving foods as a fit young athelete.

If you want to see some success stories have a look in Topics under The Road to Success healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Many members also share their success in their profile which you can see by clicking on their avatar

You can see mine here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

And this from our own lovely Moreless healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[donna1000]

HI I am doing well on a calorie counter. fitness pal is free but there are other ones out there. I am doing a high protein low carb diet.

I make salads in mason jars - keeping the lettuce on top and the dressing in the bottom . The salad stays crisp for 5-6 days. Best of all it is ready when i want it

I used have a garden salad in the morning with chic peas and two eggs or a piece of protein I dont crave lunch so have a full supper. No bread pasta or sugar Never

hungry is the key

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to donna1000]

Hello, donna1000, and welcome to the forum 😊

This welcome pack explains how the forum works and how to find your way around healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... Please take your time reading it so you get the best out of your time here.

You'll find a list of all our activities on the daily chat thread here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I recommend joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice.

Wishing you all the best and I hope you become an active member of this community