How do I start?

[sammitysam]

Hi everyone, I'm Sam and I'm new to the party! I just came across this plan a few days ago, and having struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember, and having had 2 children within the last 3 years, I am hopeful that this plan will make losing weight a lot more straightforward. I've done SW and WW and other faddy diets but have always regained once I've stopped the programmes. What I really want, and need, is a lifestyle change. I'm not the most naturally active person in the world, but I have been known to go through phases of exercising - I ran 10k race for life last year which felt good at the time but certainly didn't leave me with the running bug like I'd hoped for!

My question for everyone now is....where do I start with this plan? Is it simply just eating 1400 calories a day? I have about 5 St to lose ideally and I want to be a fab role model for my daughters rather than a mum who is always flitting from one fad to another like my mum did (she is still morbidly obese with associated health problems! ) I'm only 30 so really want to be the best I can be!

Any starting advice from those who have been here a while would be really appreciated!

Xx

[barford16]

Hi,

Welcome.

I just joined yesterday and have recently just found the NHS plan too.

I have also downloaded the 30 day plank challenge and bum challenge. Which I started today and should do until the end of the month.

You could do it too and start today also ?

[eeek1110]

Welcome Sam! I've found it's about healthy eating and exercise but also about getting control back. It's best to take it steady and slow. My target is 1lb a week and I keep below 1,500 calories as that works for me. The turning point for me was when I realised I was addicted to sugar. It wasn't easy to start with but now I can ignore chocolate, sweets, cakes etc that are asking to be eaten...... most of the time anyway.

I started my exercise plan with a 30 minute brisk walk daily and was really enjoying it till I hurt my knee. Simple things like gardening all burns off calories and also stops you thinking of food.

Have you downloaded myfitnesspal yet? It's brilliant and keeps you focused. The forum is a big help so read the posts as you'll get lots of support and advice.

[linggirl]

Have you tried the BMI calculator accessed from the same web page as the plan? It works out the amount of calories you actually need to eat to lose weight. I;'ve just started using the couch to 5k podcast, which is easy to follow.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome! I have about the same amount to lose as you so understand what you are aiming to do. I have been on here for about a month and have lost about a stone which shows that it can be done

I haven't done anything "faddy"; I've cut way back on unhealthy carbs (my carbs are now porridge in the morning and fruit and veg thru the day), have stopped snacking unless I'm actually hungry (I rarely am), have been drinking a lot more water than before and avoiding processed foods. I noticed the other day that I am actually eating more meals than previously tho I am consuming fewer cals. Previously I would just graze constantly and not on healthy foods.

I think it's mostly about being mindful of what you eating, when and why. It can be helpful to write down what you eat as sometimes we don't realise how it all adds up - cal counting can be useful. Also be prepared, stock your kitchen with the makings of healthy meals and snacks. I have found it helpful to discuss what I am doing and why with my family and they have been really supportive. Other people don't want to declare their lifestyle change to friends and family - it's your call.

I found it helpful to join a weigh-in group on this forum; Lowcal invites people to join her on Mondays for a weigh-in and I find that focuses me over the weekend. You dont have to state your weight but you can if you want - just share how much you have lost or gained. It's v supportive and can be inspiring when you see other people losing weight.

Hope all this helps. Good luck

[Windswept1]

My tips are to plan all your meals and feed the same foods to the family as they should be healthy. use smaller plates and don't get too hungry.

I also recommend c25k for exercise.

Good luck with your journey.

[sammitysam]

Thanks everyone, it's great to find so much support already! Is there anywhere particular I can find low cal ideas that will be suitable for the hole family? Am looking forward to the journey for sure xx

[Salaisa in reply to sammitysam]

Just take it easy, do not aim for a revolution, and let the 12 week NHS plan guide you. If you have not found it, it's here nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss..., and this forum is associated with it. The plan focuses on 2 or 3 things every week and helps you gradually build a healthy lifestyle. It is much more doable (and less exhausting) than making a U-turn on everything you have been doing until now.

A website with easy meals (also originally associated with the NHS plan) that is good starting place (especially if you are new to cooking, but also if you need to be more aware of healthier options, and crucially, without exotic miracle ingredients that will break the bank) is here nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/he.... For example, the 5 a day tab takes you back to the NHS website, where there is an interactive meal planner based on veg and fruit. Having 5 a day was one of my struggles - it's really a lot of fruit and veg in one day! - and these sites helped me a lot. (The NHS plan will take you there anyway, in the 1st week already I think.) Good luck!

[Hairyman]

Well you asked so here goes. In 12th week now, lost about 17lbs and 3 inches off waist. Am 73 and 5ft 9 tall now weighing. 11st 12lbs.

If you're BMI is more than 27 then you are a weightlifter/bodybuilder or you need to put 3 or 4 of those 4pt milk bottles (filled with water) in a bag, pick it up and tell yourself "No wonder I don't feel like running, I might if I was not carrying all this excess weight."

Put the bag down and go get some resistance (exercise) bands from Argos.

Look up some exercises using them. They are light to carry (I take mine on holiday), Versatility only limited by your imagination or finding someting strong to loop them round. At home I pass them through a strong heavy bed frame. On holiday, any strong post will do BUT MAKE SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO COME LOOSE AND HIT YOU!

Search [Sugar and inflamation] and keep reading till your hate for the stuff compels you to ban it from your life. Don't abandon fruit though but avoid fruit drinks, the sugar content will pass into your blod so fast that your body won't stand a chance.

Taking the mickey out of the "Saturated fat is bad for you" fanatics, I read that a mother,s milk is 54 percent saturated fat! How could our creator have got the design so wrong? The answer of course is that he didn't get it wrong at all.

So for the sake of your daughters please read the articles on the subject that carry genuine research on the subject of good fats and bad.

Did you know that the "Saturated fat is bad for you." came from a comparison of the food eaten by the (thin) Japanese who apparently, at the time of the study, eat very little of the stuff compared to the obese American soldiers.

Seems the researcher failed to notice that they also eat very little sugar. OOPS!