Where to start?!

I've been part of the weight loss forum for quite some time, I've posted before but as the usual stories go I didn't stick to what I said I was going to do! I continued with my unhealthy, non active lifestyle.

My basics are:

Height: 5'10

Weight: 14st 5lb

I was diagnosed with IBS in April and need to get my diet sorted out so I can get to know my trigger foods and eliminate them.

I've got the MyFitnessPal app so will begin to use that to count my calories. I'm going to plan my meals weekly and shop weekly (this will help me keep an eye on my spending and also reduce food waste etc.).

I'm planning on walking to and from work while the weather is still good, I've invested in a cross trainer from a local charity shop for my days off and for when the winter kicks in.

My goals are to improve my diet, get my IBS under control, improve my fitness (I'd like to run a 10k Cancer Research Race for Life) and lose 2 1/2 stone!

Thanks for reading!

[gracie1985]

That's a lot of goals! Good luck and hopefully you can stick to it this time. It is definitely difficult for the first few weeks, for me it is the only thing I think about and I get slightly obsessed/disappointed if the scales don't move, move up or move down too slowly.

My weight problem is mostly because I kept doing fad diets and getting heavier than I was before so I am doing it properly this time and just resigning myself to a super slow countdown until my body finally starts changing.

You should firmly sign up for the 10k (if you have not done so already) and then it will make it more real..I have heard good things about the couch to 5k program so perhaps that can help reach 10k eventually

[Hidden in reply to gracie1985]

Thanks! It does seem quite a lot of goals, but I'm aiming for one at a time. That way I can stay focused!

I'm going to spend today looking at the couch 2 5k app and when the race for life events are in my area 😊

Good luck with your journey too!

We can do this!

😀

[andrewleeone in reply to Hidden]

Hi Beanz! You might have a lot of goals, but they are all great ones to focus on, and they will defiantly change your life! What I do is wok out what I want to do this week - I let the weeks add up un the background - but I can focus on a week at a time.

Once I've got the week in focus I can then figure out what to do each day, today, to meet those goals. I reckon that many of your areas for improvement coincide. When you improve your diet, you'll feel better, start to loose weight and feel a bit more motivated to take exercise.

Pick on a few things to tick off each day and you'll make a start on that week!

Good luck and every time you feel despondent its best to post on here - you'll soon get back on track.

[Hidden]

Don't just look at the couch to 5k, go out and do the first one. It's only six short 1 minute runs with walking between. You need some kind of trainers on your feet (I started in an old pair of converses - you can always upgrade to proper running shoes later). You also need to download the Week 1 Run 1 podcast onto your phone or ipod. Some people just make a note of the timings and use a timer on their phone to do each run. But the podcast is good - 'Laura' talks you through it all and gives you useful tips. Take it slowly but surely, and before you know it you'll get to week 9, running for 30mins and either at or close to 5k. Then you would need to add on another plan to get to 10k. I personally can't imagine running 10k (although before I got to 5k I couldn't imagine running that too!) - but I'm told that at these events there are some who run the whole thing, others who combine walking and running, and some who thought they couldn't run the whole way but get carried along with the crowd and manage it. It takes all sorts You can do it! Good luck

[nomoremuffin]

Best of luck with your goals. IBS can be trickly to master - but I have done it - I live on a gluten free diet - I am not coeliac but gluten free does work for me. Be careful though - lots of the gluten free breads/cakes you see in the shops have a high calorie count - and may have contributed to my 20 pound weigh increase (not to mention the M&S new range of GF cakes etc)! That's why I am here.