Hello all
Reading some of the posts it seems that quite a few people are full of trepidation at the thought of starting the 12 week plan and I thought if I told a bit about my story it might help.
I am 5 ft 6 I went just over 15 stone did no exercise one day while looking in my wardrobe for something to wear I realised that I had clothes in 3 different sizes and not many fitted, I stepped back and looked in the mirror and did not like what I was looking at and I thought enough is a enough I will have to do something before I have a heart attack or become a diabetic. I don't like going to the gym I find it to much hassle so I looked on this site read about the 12 week plan read through the recipes selected the ones I was going to have the first week printed week 1 form and started counting the calories I was aiming for an average of 1500 calories per day so if its 1300 one day and 1800 the next it doesn't matter the main thing is to stick within the framework of the 12 week plan. I dutifully weighed myself did my BMI with the little tool on this site which was a surprise my BMI was 34.7 I did not measure my waist as I did not have a tape measure then I do now. I had the first weeks menu all worked out and I had made a start.
When looking at the week I broke it down into small but easily manageable steps so I did not have to think what was I going to have for breakfast, lunch etc. all I had to do was look at my menu and see what I had chosen for that meal, day etc. The first week went quite well I did 30 minutes a day walking which was a bit of a culture shock for my body, I had to run the gauntlet of my work colleague's who offered me doughnut's, ice creams and ask me to join in the fat Fridays which was normal before but I stayed on plan and soon the results spoke for themselves the first week I had lost 5 pounds. I kept going and found that some of the recipes lend themselves to freezing so of a weekend I would cook enough for 8 and put it in containers in the freezer so of a morning my breakfast is either in the fridge or I cook it my lunch is out of the freezer and I take my fruit usually apple, orange, and banana and that's it until tea time.
Today I am starting week 8 I have loss 22 pounds my BMI has gone from 34.7 to 29.6 my waist line has reduced as I can now wear clothes that would not fit 8 weeks ago. I have had a few rewards on the way in the beginning I promised myself after loosing a stone I was going to have fish and chips with mushy peas (heaven) I also celebrated my daughters Birthday with an Indian and a night out. I am still walking although I am much better at it now I walk 30 minutes every evening weekends I do longer walks which might take up to 2.5 hours and most of all I feel much better about myself I still have a way to go to get to my target but I am going to do it in stages when I reach 12.5 stone I might maintain that weight for a while before loosing more.
So for all of you out there who are about to embark on loosing weight I would say please do not ask yourself how am I going to climb this mountain, please ask yourself how long will it take me to climb this mountain.
And by the way I am 65