1st Motivation meet from a doc

[kinji]

I have been overweight since birth and this is no excuse to be the same at this age, says my new doc. I have to loose atleast 13kg in 2 months... Will be fun to share my experience with you all. Until then I am happy and open to any fun suggestions...

[Zenette]

It is great if your doctor's visit is going to set you onto a new path. Good luck with that.

Was it the doctor's suggestion to lose 13 kg in 2 months? That is a lot! i am aiming for 1kg a month (1.5 kg would be even better) ... I have often read that 0.5– 1kg a week should be the goal, but that is too ambitious for me.

[kinji in reply to Zenette]

13kg in 2 months (i can take a few months more depending on how my body reacts to the diet and exercise)... But with all the support, I am super motivated. And hope to get to the target weight soon. Thanks for your wishes Zenette. ;))

[GoogleMe]

Overweight since birth????? Some babies are born heavier than they naturally would be but that's either due to IV fluids given to their mothers in labour and disappears quickly, or born to mothers whose blood sugars were unstable and high and are heavier at birth as a result but otherwise, no.

Perhaps it would be worth getting some clarification of some of the things the doctor has said - as others have pointed out 13 kilogrammes in 2 months is not a rate of weight loss the NHS would endorse (nor is it likely to achieved in ways that will support you in maintaining a healthy weight long term)

Given that you are posting here, the NHS weight loss plan seems like a good place to start and is safe from spammers. My tip would be to try the effect of reframing your language "I have to..." doesn't sound like a lot of fun "I plan to..." sounds more positive.

[kinji in reply to GoogleMe]

GoogleMe... Thanks for the information. Its strange but my mother has been perfectly normal by weight and blood sugar levels. According to the doc, I need to reduce 13kgs in the next few months. I can take my time (may be couple of months more) depending on how my body reacts to the diet and exercise.

NHS forum is pretty interesting and with all the support, I am feeling much better and ready to achieve my target weight. As for the language, I appreciate your concern and I will try to be more positive in my thoughts, words and actions. Many Thanks!

[elliebath Maintainer]

Are you sure the Doc said Kilos not Pounds? if you are very ovetweight then 13 Pounds in 2 months might be achievable but not Kilos.

[kinji in reply to elliebath]

Hi Ellie, Its Kilos.... At present I am 100kg with 39 BMI and need to be at 35 with a loss of 13kgs.

[margrete in reply to kinji]

Yes, I agree. You weigh what a tall, muscular rugby player might weigh! How tall are you, how old, how active? All these things are factors. And what's your present eating pattern?

[kinji in reply to margrete]

I am 160.5cm (around 5 feet 3 inch)... I like to eat salads and rice curry. Desserts as well. I cook all my meals at home - no takeaways for me. And I am a vegetarian.

My meals routine:

Breakfast - Porridge with drizzle of honey, chia, flax seeds and sunflower seeds

No mid morning snack

Lunch - Home-made salad with drizzle of olive oil and salad dressing or home-made sandwich

Afternoon snack - Tea without milk and sugar, fruit/2 biscuits sometimes

2nd afternoon snack - 5 dates, 5 apricots

Dinner - White rice/flat bread, boiled veggies or curry

[Penel in reply to kinji]

Protein?

[margrete in reply to kinji]

It doesn't sound too excessive or too unhealthy, except that you don't mention any protein at all. Eggs for instance? And why have TWO afternoon snacks?

[kinji in reply to margrete]

Penel and Margrete - Havent thought of protein.... Being a vegetarian, I'll have to find a source of protein... Do you guys recommend some protien shakes or bar or powder?

2nd afternoon snack is in the train while coming back home from work.

[GoogleMe in reply to kinji]

Absolutely would *not* recommend 'protein shakes' etc.

There *will* be some protein in what you have mentioned. Whether it is enough depends on the specifics. The Vegan and Vegetarian Societies have resources to help you. It is worth looking at one of the free websites (eg MyFitnessPal) where you can record your intake to find out about the calorie and protein content of your diet - I think you might be a bit horrified by how calorific those dates are for example. Which isn't to say don't have them but evaluate their place in your diet. One of my personal tricky areas is exactly how much oil there is in a drizzle or when I am cooking... a teaspoon or a tablespoon have very different number of calories!

Is this doctor your GP?

[margrete in reply to GoogleMe]

Yes, dates are VERY high in sugar. The Saudis use dates to break their fast in Ramadan. A quick boost of carbohydrate!

[kinji in reply to margrete]

In that case I will restrict dates... thought they were the best natural and healthy sweet things available

[margrete in reply to kinji]

They are OK, very natural, but almost pure sugar. Just don't eat a lot of them, or very often. But they're much better than chocolate.

[Penel in reply to kinji]

Protein is a very important part of anyone's diet. Have a look at legumes, nuts, soya products like tempeh, tofu, and quinoa (can be used like rice) which has a good protein content.

As Google-me said, don't go for the protein shakes or bars, you need real food not processed rubbish.

[kinji in reply to Penel]

Sounds good.... Concentrate on getting more Protein - will do!!!

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to kinji]

Ok I understand. Hopefully then the NHS 12 week plan would still have sound eating advice. Your typical days diet sounds reasonably ok , so maybe the aspect you need to address is quantity / portion size. If you weigh your portions and calculate their calories ( I use an app like myfitnesspal for this) you will be able to better understand how much you are actually eating. For most people a 20% reduction is enough to lose weight. But it may be different for you. Likewise, 1400cals a day is fine for many, but you may lose weight on 1800 .... Is there a dietician nurse at your doctors practice who can guide you? If not, use this website or myfitnesspal to reasearch and log your meals and snacks.

[kinji in reply to elliebath]

True... I will double check the myfitnesspal app... thanks Elle!!! I have not yet seen a dietician but was planning to do it.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to kinji]

Well, good luck and remember this is not "going on a diet" , its finding a new eating and exercuse pattern for life. I had 28lbs to lose, might sound easy but its been slow and steady over 8 months. Some weeks you'll lose nothing or even gain a bit, but this is quite normal. The secret is don't give up when that happens, just treat the next day as a new day. Ive lost 26lbs by calorie counting and walking more, now just 2 lbs to go.

YOU CAN DO THIS 😊

[kinji in reply to elliebath]

Great.. thats really nice!! Thanks for your suggestions and help...

[margrete]

I don't understand 'overweight since birth'. As a former midwife I know that some babies are much bigger than others for various medical reasons but this need not continue. Are you saying you have been overfed/wrongly fed since birth?

I wouldn't have thought it was possible to lose 13 kg in 2 months. Depends, of course, on what you weigh now - it's certainly possible to lose a lot more if you're VERY heavy i.e. 400 pounds or so like the people on 'A Year to save my Life' on TV.

So, what has your Doc suggested as a way forward, a plan of action?

[kinji in reply to margrete]

Margrete, I was 9 pounds at birth and everybody used to tell me that I was over-weight since I can remember. Doc has suggested me to join a weight loss community and I came across this forum through NHS website. Also, I was planning to go to a dietician and join a sports centre which has a gym and other activities.

I have also started running.... started with 1 mile and hoping to gradually increasing it. But I am open to suggestions!!

[margrete in reply to kinji]

No, 9 pounds is not that excessive. I've known babies that were much bigger than that at birth. Forget about what you weighed at birth. What you've been eating in your growing-up years is much more relevant.

I don't know about vegetarian diets, but obviously, you do need some protein. You might be better, for a start, switching white rice/white bread for the brown varieties. Do you eat no dairy - milk, cheese, yogurt etc? And no eggs at all?

[kinji in reply to margrete]

I eat dairy!! I love dairy in fact - milk, yogurt... eggs sometimes...

[margrete in reply to kinji]

Good. Some vegetarians do not. You will be getting protein from the eggs and dairy. Don't make the mistake of going for 'low fat' yogurt. The fat has largely been replaced with sugar!

Eggs are pure protein and really good for you. Also very easy to cook.

[kinji in reply to margrete]

Mergrete... Noted for 'low fat'!!! And I will increase egg intake.. should I take off the yellow part?

[margrete in reply to kinji]

No! Eat the whole egg. Boiled, fried (we have a non-stick frying pan which doesn't need oil). Or an omelette with cheese. One of the easiest things to make, and quick.

[kinji in reply to margrete]

Perfect... will do. Thanks Margrete

[Salaisa in reply to kinji]

The NHS has a wonderful running plan called Couch to 5K nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Couch-to..., and there is a separate dedicated forum here (just search communities for Couch to 5K).

[kinji in reply to Salaisa]

Perfect!!! Thanks for sharing... This will help me run :))

[kinji]

Thanks for your suggestions, Teamafrique.

[Salaisa in reply to kinji]

Just skip the question that asks for your credit card details

[kinji in reply to Salaisa]

[irenc]

Never really saw many overweight babies when I was a midwife. I was a 5lb baby, fattish child, then thin for years till I got to 50ish. No excuse for me. I overeat. Not on any junk food , nor soft drinks. Big portions !!!

[kinji in reply to irenc]

I've understood to mind my portions (20% less than usual).... exercise and NHS run everyday :)) Add eggs for protein (me being a vegetarian)!!! My next step is to see a dietician and enrol into a sports centre with gym. Hopefully it works for me... I need to be consistent!