Hi everyone... I need to make some changes,so hopefully I'm in the right place. My story?
For the last 2 years I have been stuck in a dead end boring inactive job and haven't been happy - working 10 hour shifts sat down all day across both lunch time and dinner time. So that I could eat at least 1 meal a day with my husband... I have been eating my dinner at 10pm most nights and then going to bed at 10.30 /11pm.
In this 2 year period I have gained approximately 5 stone and ballooned from a size 14 upto a size 22 and this is not good for my mood, my health or my outlook on life.
In May this year I got on a plane to go on holiday and I almost couldn't fasten my seat belt and it dug in whilst I wore it. I felt ashamed.
Earlier on today I saw a picture of me, from before I got married - 5 years ago when I was considered medically to be a healthy weight and BMI - happy in a size 10 - and felt amazing in myself. I miss this!
I have now been placed on steroids to help my lungs build strength with my asthma, I have been awake every night for around 3 weeks at 2am with horrendous heartburn - doctors don't want me to take excess acid tablets as it's my weight that is causing my acid reflux problems.
Enough is enough!
I am starting a new job on 1st August 2016 - working 9-5 in a hopefully more active role... it will hopefully stop me from gaining anymore weight (hopefully help me to lose) and give me time to focus on getting my life and focus on me and my health.
Any help or encouragement will be gratefully received and if there is a way I can help or respond to you - I will do my best.
Hi to everyone and thanks for listening
Here we go!
Written by
Wendy_trumpet
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Wendy_.trumpet. You have taken the first step by changing your job and a second step by joining this forum, well done
Start your new regime as you mean to go on. Before starting your new job sit down and make a meal plan round your new working hours. Do a shop so you have healthy foods available and make an effort to avoid snacking. You can do this. Have a look on the Newbies post on here, it will give you links to other advice
Good luck, keep posting, and never be afraid to ask for advice or help as there are always members on here willing to help. And don't forget, everyone on here is here because of problems with their weight. You may find differing views on the best way to do it, find what works for you. If you follow a sensible, low calorie healthy eating plan you will lose the weight.
Good luck on your journey - a food buddy might help keep you on track writing it down and saying out loud can often help. Try getting a little more active each week. I use to say 'oh I can never run' now I can do 10k (slowly)
Little and often slow and steady the tortoise wins the race 🐢
I've done it before... last time I dropped around 5.5 stone in 10 months... kept it off completely for around 12 months... a little then crept on over the next 2 years but nothing unmanageable... it's been the last 2.5 years that have gone wrong. Sometimes it's just nice to have support from a group as you do it... I didn't fancy signing upto slimming world again. There are better ways to spend £20 per month... like towards a gym membership
or save the £20 a month, save it up and treat yourself to a pampering 😊
bless you, these"traps" are so easy to get caught in. Hopefully when you start losing the weight the asthma will disappear al along with the heartburn. Just keep visualizing how good you will feel then. You are about to undergo some life changing moments that will help you on your journey, do good luck to you. X😊
Welcome to the forum!
The most important thing you can do before everything, is keep posting.
Next take your measurements including your height and weigh yourself.
Work out your BMI on the NHS calculator - this will give you your daily allowance. Generally if you have a lot to lose you will be surprised how many calories you can eat and still lose weight. The most important thing is to eat as many calories as you can, but stay within your range otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and you won't lose anything.
My top tips would be:
reduce or stop alcohol and sugary drinks. These have so many hidden calories and don't fill you up
Do a small amount of exercise daily. Leslie Sansone Just Walk videos on YouTube are a great way of starting out. Also the Couch to 5k is popular with many members.
Plan your meals in advance and count calories. If you have a smart phone, download a free app and it will work it out for you. I use "Lose it!", but I know other members enjoy using "My Fitness Pal."
Don't think you can do this - there are plenty of members who have lost a lot more than 5 stone.
At my heaviest I was roughly 16 stone. I'm now 10st 8.5 with a stone to go. It takes time and dedication, but it is definitely achievable and if you slip up one day, don't give up, just start afresh the next day. We call have our peaks and troughs!
Remember we are all here to help each other. Good luck! 👍😊
Hi and welcome. It sounded like you have been on a treadmill for the last 2 years so glad to hear you have managed to step off it and made some changes. I am sure the 9-5 job will help with your eating pattern which should then help with the weight loss. I am sure you will get back to the size in that picture. This forum is great for motivation and support and unlike the groups you can attend you can see this forum 24/7. So if you feel like you are having a bad day or want to find some motivation you can log on and have a read. I wish you the best of luck and am sure as you start to lose weight your health will improve too so its a win win situation
I always think the first step is always the best. Just walking to the starting up line, is the only way you will win the race. I think you are exactly at the right place and although you are running a marathon not a sprint, at least you have entered yourself in the weight-loss race. It is inspiring that with all your constraints from the inactivity and long work hours you have interviewed and secured a new job. That is a definite win. May your winning streak be long and successful.
Wendy there is such a lot of great support and encouragement from the lovely people on this forum - and I know you can get to your goal if you take it one day at a time. Gradual small changes will see you through - good luck in the new job, it sounds like the start of a new you!
Well done Wendy for making the decision. I'vebeen on the NHS healthy eating plan, 1400 daily, for nearly 2 weeks now and it looks like I will have lost 5 pound. So I recommend it to you. Good luck in your journal.
Best of luck with the new diet. I'm also making a new start on 1st August, after far too many months off the diet wagon. In my case, it's the realisation that I don't fit in to any work clothes at all that has made me realise I've got the take action. I'm not working at the moment, and need to get slim enough for my interview outfit!
I'm like you in that I really struggle with my weight when I'm unhappy at work - I left my last job because it became all too stressful, and I found that my weight crept up by around 1.5 stones as I was using food to handle the stress. The weight gain stopped once I'd left the job, but it won't go away without action on my part.
While I do think it is ultimately our responsibility to take charge of our eating, I do also feel that rotten jobs and bad employers have a lot to answer for in the impact they have on people's health. If your work situation means you use food, drink, bad temper etc as a coping mechanism, then they are doing something wrong. The bosses set the scene for how the working environment operates, and if they are making people miserable, this is wrong. Yet they seem to get away with it all the time!
I know exactly how you feel... my previous boss was crap and didn't have time to be understanding of the needs of her team... even though one of my colleagues was doing most of her work. It just sucks!
Hi. This is so similar to my story...the weight didnt cime on till i took the steroids though. If you can wean off sterouds carefulky and find natural ways to deal with the asthmaany extra weight gained from the the steroids will come off eventually. ..especially if you follow the advice the lovely people in this group have given. Ive found steroids caude the body to have more food intoletances i.e wheat and yeast and cheese would make me blow up in water weight. Since stopping them it dropped off. Ive had a short course of nasal steroids again lately and gained lbs and a puffy face. So ive been researching and found it is the case for a lot of people but drs do stress how steroids are life saving and i dont disagree and generally asthma sufferers can breathe easier on them...its just coping with the weight gain which can make it dofgicult to move.
Glad you decided to make the change in your life style shift work contributes towards weight gain/obesity as does eating late at night. Im sure youll soon settle in to your new ways and have success becoming the size you want to be. Its good for us alk having challenges and support. Good luck. X
Hi Wendy!
Welcome to the forum, I started recently too and it's a brilliantly supportive place that does help! I hope you'll find this to be the case too.
I wish the very best on your weight-loss/fitness journey and I hope you achieve your desired weight/health.
Sazkia x
Welcome Wendy and congrats on your new job. You are in excellent company. This is such a supportive forum. I run a couple of challenges - one that is weight related (Autumn Equinox) and one that is exercise related (Kilometre Zero). You can join them at any time - you'll see the recent threads in the 'Pinned Posts'.
I do hope you are having a good day with your new resolutions. It really does work if you count calories, I had started to creep up after losing 3st11lb and I really didn't want that to happen and it was because I had stopped counting and had a few too many cakes, my downfall, so since wed I have lost3.25 lb by watching and making good choices so work on losing 2lb a week and then paint your nails, next week your toes etc. etc and by time you have lost half stone you will be feeling much better, start the day with some stretches it makes you feel good best of luck
Thanks. I'm a nail technician in my spare time so I already do my nails lol. However I do like a good facial
Chocolate and cakes are definitely my downfall... I just don't seem to have the will power to leave it alone when on offer... however yesterday evening I turned down scones with cream and jam and today I turned down a cakey pudding with my lunch... baby steps is my plan.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Is this a suitable diet plan for weight loss?
Been trying to lose weight for the last seven months and have gone up a dress size!!!!
Help me lose this 30lbs... I'm running out of will power
