help - motivational penpal required

[loulea]

Hiya - just joined this as found the NHS Losing Weight website and in week 1 it tells me to join up so I'm joining! I have recently lost around 2.5 stone over around 2yrs with various methods however I have now put back on the .5 and really don't want to put the other 2 back on. I am still about 4.5 stone overweight - so it'll be a long journey but I really want something long term - something I can stick to, not yo-yo as I usually do. I'm in my early 40s and don't exercise much, I work long days in an office and I tend to be all or nothing - I'm either very good (food and exercise) or very bad - I need to find the balance. I wondered if anyone else here is in the same situation or would be interested in helping? Maybe a weekly check in would encourage us? Thanks for reading and good luck with your journeys.

[Hidden]

Hi. I'm early 40s too and need to lose just over 2 stone to get to the top of my healthy weight range. I've lost one stone since December though healthy eating, although over the last few weeks I've got not lost anything and put on a pound due to being unwell, being off work for a week, and relapsing into unhealthy eating now and then. Tend to be on my feet most of the time at work, so I think work would be classed as 'light activity'. Find it hard to stick to exercise, apart from going for a gentle walk. I was in the habit of having a nice walk every evening after work in January and first half of Feb, although dropped this somewhat when was ill. Now am feeling better and really want to start walking again. Apart from that I have an exercise bike at home which I only use occasionally, but would like to start using more. This week I've been eating healthily, although I did succumb to having a Chinese takeaway last night, while watching DVDs. I think I will give in to having an Indian takeaway tonight while watching more DVDs, and then get back on track on Sunday and during the week. Weigh myself on Saturdays and Sundays on the WiiFit which also calculates BMI, and count the Sunday weight as the official one. Am pleased that even though I haven't lost weight for some weeks am staying below BMI 30 so not obese anymore. My motivation is to reduce my cholesterol to avoid having the doctor pester me to go on statins.

I used to have the same problem of being a 'perfectionist' and would eat very healthily and do at least some exercise, but then if I gave in to temptation just once I think 'whats the point' and go the whole hog and start scoffing everything in sight for the next few weeks. Now I've managed to overcome that and manage to get back on track after a day of unhealthy eating without thinking everything is ruined and hopeless and I might as well jack the whole thing in. Staying under BMI 30, now that I've got there, is a big motivator, and I've now realised that one or two lapses won't suddenly make me obese again, its only if I give in and start stuffing my face for weeks on end.

[Booster8joanna]

Hi there

I'm also in my early forties and retired early last year and have found it very difficult to lose the weight that I gained initially through lack of exercise and basically snacking all day,this plan is something I just came across on the net in January as I felt unfit and unhappy and was carrying far too much weight,I am now on week 8 and have lost 1 stone 7 pounds,I have found this sight inspirational and that's coming from someone that's been to every diet club,I think it's so supportive and you get loads of good tips and support from everybody and make some really good buddy's,I would hate to be sat in an office all day and really feel for you but once you kickstart your weight loss you,ll instantly feel better,I think you'll be really surprised as its surprised me,good luck and if you need a diet buddy then I'd luv to be your first,good luck!,I'm Jo by the way xx

[Funtimefrankie in reply to Booster8joanna]

Hello, can you tell me what the plan is or where it is? Although I have My own plan which I started yesterday and am happy with I'm curious. I'm not sure that I'm navigating this site correctly and think I might be missing something. Thanks in advance

[Funtimefrankie]

Hello, I'm also in my early forties. I'm pretty new to this site, by that I mean I have not posted much and I'm a bit confused how it all works really. I have 3 stone to lose' sigh. Last year January, I was a UK size 8 after losing four stone on a low carb diet. I became overweight about seven years ago and I relate the gain to one, suffering from fatigue and two, wine. I use to drink wine about 4 nights a week, not bucket loads, a couple of glasses in the evening. I realise that this is too much but it kind of felt normal to do, have a nice glass with dinner. Anyway, when I drink alcohol I can not control my appetite. I mean, I will eat my dinner, then go for seconds and continue eating until I go to bed. I know it's due to the fact that alcohol prevents the chemical or hormone? that tells you, you are full from being released. Someone jump in if you can explain it better. Anyway, I'm wanting to get this weight off for my birthday which is late May so I have just under 3 months to do it in. I know some would say this is unreasonable but I did it before and I will do it again and I by no means starve myself. I would love to have a diet buddy. I have a back problem that I am currently having treatment for so I have to be careful re exercise. I bought a pedometer last week just to see how many steps I was doing and the reading was shamefully low so I shoved it in the draw out of sight ha! I would like to try and walk more using the pedometer, maybe set myself a daily goal? I will be following a low carb plan, my own version of many of the plans already out there. Hope we can all be buddy's and cheer each other on along the way. It's nice to have support even if we are following different plans. I'm up for a weekly weigh in and support . Do we just continue writing here? Frankie x

[Windswept1]

nhs.uk/LiveWell/weight-loss...

The plan is on this bit of the website along with all the information about BMI calculation and lots of tips and advice. Good luck.

[Funtimefrankie in reply to Windswept1]

Thank you

[Hidden]

The plan looks very helpful.