I want to share with you all that I have finally passed 3 very big targets.
I started my journey 2yrs 5m ago at 22st 10lbs at that time I never imagined that I could ever reach the weight I am now, 13st 7lbs. The 3 targets I have reached in the last 2 weeks are firstly 9st lost and BMI of 30 (no longer obese) and finally 40% body weight lost. Not only have I lost a small person I have also finally found after 60+ years that I enjoy exercise. I am still happy seating reading or watching the TV but I now lovely to go for a 5+mile walk, swimmer a Kilometre and do Pilates.
It has at times been difficult to not binge but these times pass and then I can get back to health eating. At holiday time and special occasions I have mindfully decided that I will relax my eating and then get back to health eating and lose extra pounds gained. I have found that those pounds drop off again quite quickly.
I have been so fortunate to gave the support of my family and friends and over the last year the support of so many people on here.
My target for the next 3 months is to maintain my current weight on the advise of my dietitian. She feels that I need to prove to myself that I can do this as I have lost several stones in the past and then steadily put the weight back on again. I am hesitant about this but I agree with her that it's something I need to do.
I plan to start losing weight again from July and intend to lose at least another stone.
Best wishes to you all in your journeys to health.
Ros1 xx
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Ros1
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Thank you Sue, my skin especially on my stomach needs a bit of a lift, my belly button is down to hip level haha. I don't care though, no one else can tell when I've got my clothes on!!
Yes I beaten that Bunny and looking forward to Easter with some of our family. I hope the weather is better then forecast so we can get out for a walk or two.
A shadow of your former self! What an amazing transformation! Truly inspirational!
I'm thrilled for you Ros, it's an achievement well deserved! 2yrs and 5 months of grit and determination. I'm totally in awe.
Enjoy this break now and have fun living like a slim person. I have no doubt that you'll manage to maintain and come July, you'll be able to tackle that last stone, or so, with renewed enthusiasm and vigour.
One question. If you're enjoying all this walking so much, how come you haven't joined us for the kicking the K's challenges?
All the very best to you Ros, one of our great trail blazers!
Thank you moreless, it doesn't seem real to me sometimes that I've lost a person, I wonder where she's gone, I hope she's happier then I was carrying her around!!
I'm determined to make this next part of my journey work, I'm just not sure yet of the best way for me to increase my calories. I don't count calories just control the amount of added sugar, carbs and fat I eat. I am thinking of cooking with a bit more oil and being more relaxed when we eat out.
I don't do many steps except on the days I go out walking with OH or friends on a Tuesday. Would my swimming count as well for the challenge?
Swimming is an exercise we're actively encouraging Ros, as we have a watery theme this time. FizzyLiz is even awarding triple K's for it!
Hasn't your dietitian given you any pointers for maintenance? I'm sure if you asked our own maintainers, they'd be able to give you heaps of great ideas
No she didn't give me any pointers on how to maintain. I have had short periods of time of up to a month, when we have had a couple of weekends away and some parties happening, when I have been able to not gain. I have found that OK as I have been able to be very careful inbetween the more relaxed eating days. This time will be very different so I will need to ask others on here how they have tackled maintaining, and then found what is best for me.
I let FizzyLiz have my stats for the week so I can be part of the challenge.
I have to admit that maintaining is what I worry about the most Ros, but fortunately we have some marvellous maintainers here and I would definitely put my faith in them
I'm so pleased that you're going to be joining us for the challenge
Congratulations Ros, that's indeed a terrific achievement
In a word Wow!!! What an amazing success story 😊 Very well done Ros! I am so pleased for you, and what a lovely uplifting story to read this morning 😊😊😊
I don't have any doubt you can maintain, happy Easter to you 😊😊😊
Well done on ur weight loss Ros, this here is just motivation to get me started. Thank you for sharing. ps ( a bit of weight lifting can work wonders for your loose skin) Have a blessed day. X ☺
Wow reading your post has just inspired me to really start my weight loss journey I am 13st 12 I need to lose 3st have no idea about diets but I will have a good look around to see what will be the best way forward (could not go to a slimming club) many congratulations on your fantastic weight loss and thanks for the inspiration
Lots of help and advice on the 12 week plan on this link. It's how a lot of people on this site got started. People like Ros are a good inspiration to us all. Good luck with your own journey.
Thank you for your reply I have today got rid of all the food in my house I decided on a no fat no sugar diet and will only be eating food cooked fresh by myself so no more microwave meals will weigh myself in 4 weeks and see if it's working thanks again
Gina all success in your journey, two things I would suggest is start with a plan to eat healthily, cutting out foods that contain added sugar as far as possible and look at portion control of carbs. There is no need to be hungry just eat more veg, fruit and salad. Set yourself small targets rather then looking to far ahead and be proud when you achieve them. Xx
Thank you, it has often not felt like I had all those but I have managed to get back on track and in fact in retrospect I have enjoyed most of it all. I think for many of us it is self doubt in our selves that is the main issue.
Many many Congratulations on losing 9 stone 3 pounds, that is phenomenal...!!! 40% of your total body weight gone, wow! It's so inspiring to read your post, and lovely to hear that you've discovered that after many years you enjoy exercise too - it's really great!
Wishing you success in maintaining your weight loss for the next few months, in accordance with your dietician's advice, and wishing you another great week ahead.
It's with great pleasure that I've added your 'I did it!' badge to your profile, you are inspirational.
Really well done!
Have a lovely Easter.
Lowcal
p.s. I have added a link to your thread to the 'I did it!' Badge update thread in the Pinned Posts area - so your achievement can also be noted there! Well done!
In awe, you have been so determined and courageous over the last 2 years and 5 months I don't think you will have any problems maintaining. Really well done
What an incredible success story Ros! It should be published as inspiration to all those who have a lot of weight to lose and feel overwhelmed. Slow and steady, sensible approach to eating and exercise and wow!! Look at you now.
Maintaining for a while is a really good idea - it will give you the confidence that your lifestyle really has changed and you will never go back to that awful overweight place.
Good luck with losing the rest as well - most of us are on a lifetime battle against putting weight on and need the inspiration of a story like yours to know it is worthwhile - well done!!!!
Thank you Sue for you comments. I hope my experience will help others who have a lot of weight to lose to just start with trying to eat healthily and set them very small targets. I know that I must continue to keep on with what I do now for the rest of my life, eat cleanly and keep active!!
Fantastic and well done on your motivation and attitude. You have inspired me and given me a boost because if you can do it, so can I. Good luck with the next three months x
Yours is a real success story, congratulations, and you've shown that REAL life does include holidays etc, which do not have to mean sabotage!
I too was overweight until my sixties ( only a couple of stone but I never could shift it ) but eventually I did and have now maintained a healthy Bmi 23 for the past year.
Good luck with maintenance, but do remember, maintenance is not just one exact weight every day forever , it is a range of 0-5 lbs fluctuation. Check out your new BMR and slowly increase your calories , say 100 at a time, until you stabolise.
Ive been maintaining for a year and my weight varies by 0- 5 lbs month to month , but mostly I now go by my clothes fit rather than scales.
That is fantastic what an achievement well done. I am sure that this will inspire many of us who are senior citizens and overweight. Keep up the good work. Best wishes
I have lost weight so many times before but I found that this time is different. I think that retirement was the catalyst I needed to think about myself more, I knew that if I didn't start to get healthier then that I would be on a massive downward spiral for my life.
CONGRATULATIONS!! You should be so proud of yourself. If someone had said that you could lose over 9 stone but it would take over 2 years a lot of people would have given up there and then. The amount of times I've started a diet, given up and then 3 months later realised I could have been at least a stone lighter if I'd carried on. Time goes so quickly, especially when you reach a 'certain' age like me. This time I've carried on and have nearly lost that stone and would like to lose at least one more. Success stories like your really help motivate people so not only have you done a fantastic job for yourself you've also done us a power of good. Well done!
Well done for your weight loss Linda. I feel that it took me years to put on my excess weight so I can afford to spend a couple of years getting it off.
I realise now that I will need to continue my new way of eating for ever, the rest of my life starts here!!
Ros xx
Why do you want too up your calories. Surely if you are losing weight steadily you carry on until you reach your target then maintain a healthy diet. Well done oon what yo have lost.
Hi Beryl, the reason for taking a break from weight loss for a few months is that right from the beginning of this journey I have been very concerned that if I stop I will start to pile the weight back on. This has happened to me before, the last time I lost 7st then had a family bereavement and just stopped trying.
Weight loss is so much about a state of mind and needing to be a bit selfish for a while and concentrate on ourselves. I need to prove to myself that I can control my weight, even though I many want to lose more weight in the future, I feel this is the right time for me to do this.
Wow!! Knowing how hard this weight loss journey is, this has brought tears to my eyes and given me the kick up the backside that I need. I've lost just over a stone since October but the loss is getting harder and harder, but you've given me the inspiration to work even harder to get to my goal....congratulations on all you have achieved!
Hi JoJo thank you for your words, you have done so well to lose over a stone. We are not in a race it is just important that we try and eat more healthily and in doing that aim for small weight loss targets.
Fantastic achievement wow, so pleased for you. I have only lost 3st.3lb but am also concerned about maintaining ,my worry is that it is so easy to begin the upward climb that I will be counting calories as I have found when I don't it goes up , my plan is to eat more of the same type of food just slightly bigger portions because if I go for eg a cake I know that will be empty calories and cause me glucose spike so I know it will creep on if I go back to wine cake and chocolate good luck x
Hi Lizzie, well done for your weight loss, it seems that we are both having the same concerns. As I have not been using calorie counting rather I have cut out add sugar foods and fats and limited my carbs, except for special occasions. I intend to increase the oil I use in cooking and be more relaxed in my eating on days out. I agree with you about still limiting my sugar intake. We have to prove to ourselves we can do this!!
Congratulations Ros1 that is absolutely fantastic. You are an inspiration to people like me who have a lot of weight to lose, you show it can be done. Thank you xx
Hi Kathy, just set yourself small targets, every one achieved is brilliant. I used to tell myself that when I did not gain I was still achieving.
If you try to eat healthy foods and limit portion size of carbs you don't need to feeling hungry. Try and find lower calorie alternatives for foods initially you find difficult to give up. For example an Option hot chocolate drink instead of a bar of chocolate or a single packet of Quavers instead of a tube of Pringles. I have found that the need to have these type of foods has gradually faded.
Be kind to yourself and I'm sure you will achieve.
Wow, what an amazing feat Ros! So thrilled for you. I'm sure you will have no problems maintaining, and eventually losing the last bit of weight. Congratulations!
Inspirational!!! Just what i needed to read today......you have done so well! congratulations!! i will remember what you have shared today and keep going......thankyou soooo much
Well done Ros1, you are an inspiration to all of us 60+ people, you have certainly given me a boost as I am only 3 weeks into this long journey and obese. Thank you
Hello Ros, I've had computer problems and I know it's a long time since your quite inspirational posting, thank you for making it so informative and huge congratulations to you. Incidentally I think your dietitian is right on the treading water front and I hope it is going well for you. I too am 60 plus, and then some ( 82 actually ) and have been dieting all my life was just over 20 stone at one time now pushing 18 after a calorie walloping time on a narrow boat with family over from USA. Last year I was 16.5 stone so am now feeling horribly podgy. They've all gone home now and I have just been for a short walk up my lane so things are looking up, blue skies and bird song, lovely.
How did you cope with invitations out to lunch, holidays etc ? I hope you have time to advise me. I think I am over the ' now look what you've made me do 'syndrome which I've lean't on all my life, but I'm still good on feeble mindedness when things go pear shaped.
Sorry I didn't intend this to be all about me. Hope you're whizzing around like a whippet in jazzy new clothes. Did you exercise a lot? I used to belong to Curves which I quite enjoyed and can recommend, one changes equipment so frequently that there isn't time to get bored or start aching, but unfortunately my local one folded.
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