Hi! I've joined this site in an attempt to get healthy this year. I'm 8 stone overweight, have no energy and can't quite get myself motivated to start dieting for the umpteenth time in my life. I was doing really well in 2014, eating healthily, losing weight , swimming 5/6 days a week and all the cravings had gone. Throughout 2015 I ground to a halt, lost all oomph and energy, gained 4 stone and was found to have a B12 deficiency in August. I had to have a course of injections. My oomph returned momentarily but appears to be going again. I'm still undergoing tests to find the underlying cause for my B12 issues. I'm fed up waiting for my usual get up and go to return, but also struggle to do anything about it. Joining this site is a positive step that I can make at this point, and I hope I can find some inspiration and motivation here...
Trying to get started...: Hi! I've... - Weight Loss Support
Trying to get started...
Hi and welcome Betterat40 
As far as motivation and inspiration go, you couldn't have found a better place. This is a really friendly community, committed to supporting and encouraging all its members
Have you seen our Welcome Newbies thread? It's filled with all sorts of helpful hints for getting started and there are many inspirational stories too.
We have several challenges running currently, to motivate you to get moving more and they can be found in the pinned posts section to the right of your screen.
There's also a monday group weigh-in, which many of us attend. It really helps to keep us focused, accountable and motivated. The latest thread is always in the events section to the right of your screen.
Hopefully joining us will give you the nudge that you need to get started and don't think that 8st is an insurmountable amount of weight to lose, I started needing to lose 9st and I've lost half of that already!
Looking forward to catching up with you on the forum and to you joining us in our group activities
All the best!
Hi Betterat40,
Welcome to the forum, and I hope you'll find plenty of inspiration and motivation here. I would like to give you a link to our 'Welcome Newbie' post, which a lovely member called Moreless has put together:
healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
Have a read through and see if there's anything that interests you there - maybe join in with some of the challenges - there's lots going on in the forum. Have a look through the Pinned posts (right-hand-side of homepage) too, as there are some good posts there, and in the Events section (lower down that page) there is the latest Monday group weigh-in session post - maybe see if you like the idea of a weekly weigh-in, and do join us if it seems like something you'd enjoy.
Good luck with your goals, and I hope you make some progress in terms of finding out what lies behind your B12 deficiencies.
Hope to see you around and about in the forum, it's a friendly and supportive community.
Lowcal
Welcome Betterat40, yes you have come to the right place. The 12 week plan is designed for you to lose on average around 1-2lbs a week so think where you will be by the end of the year !
It is all about motivation, keeping on doing the right things no matter what life throws at us - from the most trivial of things to more major setbacks, resisting the temptation to stop caring about what and how much you eat or drink.
Not one size fits all, on our weight loss diet, so you will get loads of ideas and inspiration from other forum members to eventually settle on a plan that works for you and best suits your lifestyle.
Onwards and downwards is the mantra here! Good luck John
Welcome to the forum and don't feel too daunted as you will find that if you take part and join in all the activities we have going on here, you will find the journey much more pleasant and fun that previously.
I totally understand how you feel as I have lost and regained weight so many times in my life 
But since joining here and after the initial feelings of being overwhelmed by having to lose 9stone, I was made to feel very welcome and plucked up the courage (believe it or not, I am a very shy and private person) to take part in all the threads, like the Monday weigh-in and the exercise motivation ones. Anyway, since I joined I have had regular weight loss and have lost in total 4st,10lbs, which is over half-way and I feel FANTASTIC now! I am doing more exercise - and enjoying it - than ever before, it is great!
How interesting about the vitamin B12 deficiency. Please keep us posted on what happens with it. I have a vested interest as I am vegan and vitamin B12 is a deficiency we have to watch out for as B12 usually only comes via animal products (well, really, it comes from dirt, but animals consume dirt on their grass etc and it gets to us via them). Anyway, it is quite unusual for a deficiency to occur as it is stored for years in the liver. Sorry, I am rattling on there, but I am very interested. I buy a supplement from the Vegan Society which you have to put under your tongue to absorb it.
Anyway, I have gone on a bit, haven't I? Just take your time to get to know the forum, jump in and above all - have fun!
Thanks to everyone for their very warm welcome, I'm touched by all the replies and supportive comments recieved.
Lot to Lose, you are right about the B12, it's something that veggies and vegans have to watch out for, but the meat eaters get problems when the ileum (part of the intestines) stops absorbing B12 - often linked with an autoimmune issue, but, the doctor is also questioning whether my liver is storing it properly. It takes about 10 years for the store to deplete apparently, but if it's a problem with absorpency then it will be back to regular injections as supplements won't help because they are digested in the gut. I'm hoping to have more answers by next week, or at least to have written off a few possible causes.
The reason for my user name , better at 40, is because I hit the big 40 in a few months, and I want to get back to good health (healthy weight and healthy diet)this year. I'd love 40 to be the age I managed to get my weight under control in a long lasting manner, my mum did it at 50 so I know it's possible...
I'm going to join in the weigh ins, not sure I'm ready this Monday, but perhaps the Monday after when I've got my test results back and know a bit more.
Hi Better, similar problems to you, i shall not suggest why but i have absorption issues and take high supplements. Its one of the reasons i decided to just go for a real low everything diet and give my gut a break. You need to discuss diet with your doc but in the meantime make a diary.
I have felt better this last month than i have in years, my problem it looks like, is simple carbs, so until i feel much better and lighter I am staying off the lot and taking supplements.
Just a thought B12 injections only really help for the short term, once they stop you will feel down again. I know that feeling ill also makes you feel bad, feel bad, stress about be ill, add the weight and it exhausts you.
Try very hard to smile, might sound daft but just smiling makes your body produce happy hormons
Best wishes, you will get there, I am 
Hi TheHud, love your profile pic!
Thanks for your reply. I'm currently discussing and having tests with doctor. I do better without most carbs as well, when I'm being "good" I tend to just have the legumes and odd portion of rice, but this problem started after I had been losing weight (4 stone lighter than now) and eating carb light, and I had felt much better then just slumped big time. I was also on anti depressants at the time, have come off them and now sleep much better so that is helping. The docs want me on the carbs at the moment as they think that I may be coeliac and I have to continue eating them during the testing. If I do have coeliac or another form of auto immune problem that stops me absorbing B12 in the gut (and therefore supplements are ineffective) it will be injections every few months for life. Apparently it takes around 10 years to deplete your B12 supplies so this problem reflects a long term issue. Will keep you posted
I have been looking into resistant starch. I can't help thinking that having not eaten any high fibre for over, well forever it always made me ill, there is a good chance my gut is stuffed.
Because I am low cal I am going for green banana flour to make some cakes etc. It adds resistant starch which improves gut digestion by feeding the bacteria that we need for healthy absorption.
Years of dieting when you have underline existing problems can create exacerbations that are difficult to fix. Especially some extreme diets and drugs taken to help.
Good luck with the tests, although I am surprised they want you to eat starch to wait see, if it is celiac's the effect is usually instant and causes damage to the intestine every time. The response is extreme to gluten and normally the testing is very easy. It's possible they want you levelled off before starting the barium tests etc.
Good luck
Nothing to add but just want to say hello 😊
Good luck and join in. Be positive. I have found an 8 lb weigh loss has given me tons more energy and do you know more importantly, I feel happier! I could not believe how much heat energy I produced simply walking on a treadmill, or a cross trainer! It was crazy in my first few weeks. My outlook is changing and that's the best thing. Come join in!!!!
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