I have just joined this forum and so am new to this, just want to say any advice is greatly welcome, I am 52, 5ft 6 and weigh approx. 14.5 - 15 stone. I am desperate to lose weight and begin living a life before I die, I know this sounds dramatic but I feel so unfit, unhealthy and unwell that I sometimes feel as if I am living on borrowed time, I am at risk of all the health problems that come with a sedentary unhealthy lifestyle and I want to for the first time in my life feel truly healthy and fit. Tomorrow I am going to go out for a walk as brisk as I can for about 30 minutes with a friend after work and hope to do this 3-4 times a week to start with, I would like to do some gentle exercise but don't know yet where to start as I have back problems and my joints are stiff. I would love some advice if anyone is of similar age or just helpful tips and comments from others in the same situation. Keep you all posted as to how things go, wish me luck guys xx
Written by
newgirl1
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi newgirl1 and welcome to this very friendly forum you have definitely come to the right place for motivation and advice 😀
I'm 36, 5ft 8in and was 12st9lb when I started my weight loss journey at the end of February and have just recently hit my 2stone weight loss target of 2stone 😀
When I started I felt just like you have described but I am know full if energy, enthusiasm and confidence. For the first time I can actually say I like what's in the mirror 😆
It has been tough with a few bumps in the road but I decided not to DIET but to have a healthier lifestyle for me and my family 👬
I followed the nhs12wk plan which is a fantastic platform. I began to move more like you started walking and carried on going further and further. I now average about 10, 000 steps a day (buy a step tracker if you can). I also enjoy doing workout dvds (when I have time) and started the C25k running/walking app 🏃
I would recommend you take baby steps and read as much info on this forum, download the nhs12wk plan and walk with your friend as a good starting point. Your body and mind will thankyou for it 👍
Get involved with the forum, join some if not all the challenges, join in the great weekly Monday weigh in as this keeps you motivated 🎉
Good luck and keep us posted on your success....because you've made that first big step.... admitting to yourself you need to change 😚
Thanks Claire, you have no idea how encouraging your post is, reading it make me feel even more determined to "do something" for too long I have promised that, tomorrow will be the day but nothing happens and I end up consoling myself by overeating and feeling such a failure. This is the first time I have ever joined anything like this as I know I need support and encouragement from others to keep me motivated. Well done to you on your fantastic achievement, I am going to download all the info I can and make some real positive, healthy changes. Keep you posted and thanks again xx
My pleasure newgirl1 😚 a new healthier lifestyle doesn't mean missing out on all the things you like it just means tweaking them a little and moderation is key!!
I felt so down for years about the way I had let myself go and even threw away all my smaller clothes as 'I was never gonna get into them again' but now I have and you will too 😀
I've never joined anything like this before either (not even on Facebook) but I can honestly say that if I hadn't of joined I would of failed miserably and felt 100% worse and would of ended up putting on more weight and feeling even more down 👍
Good luck once again. You now know where we are xx
Hi, the best advice I can give you is to set yourself a small achievable goal, and plan a non food reward when you get there, and then move on to the next goal. Build up your exercise gradually, remember to warm up, even when walking, you don't want an injury, start steadily and build up to briskly. I have a back injury too, and now walk a lot, on days when the weather is really bad, Leslie Sansones walking videos on You Tube are really good, start with the 1 mile one and the 1 mile happy walk.
Someone will be along with an official welcome soon and point you in the right direction to join in weigh ins, challenges etc if you fancy it.
This forum is great, you will get loads of support to become a healthier, happier you.
Thanks Kaz, I need all the help I can get and really appreciate your post. I know that I have to set myself small goals at first otherwise I will just get fed up and fail like I have before. I am hoping that once I start walking 3-4 times a week I will be able to go further afield and get my fitness levels up. I am looking forward to (or maybe not) the weigh in as I haven't been weighed in a while and taking part in some of the challenges but am also terrified that I will fail, I think its because I have been so unfit, unhealthy and overweight for such a long time I cant imagine ever feeling good about myself or believing that I can lose weight and be fit and active. I will keep you posted and thanks again xx
20 weeks ago I was really unfit following an illness and overweight, I have lost 19lbs and now walk between 5 and 9 miles every day, it can be done! Have you thought about getting a step tracker, they are great motivation?
Thanks Caz, I feel so inspired reading all these post. Its hard to believe when I feel as bad as I do that I will ever be able to walk like you do but I know that if I keep putting of doing anything about it then I will end up an immobile recluse. I really appreciate your post Caz and thank you so much for your encouragement. Keep you posted and thanks again xx
I didn't think I could do it either! At first 10,000 steps a day seemed impossible! But now I've just signed up to do a challenge for charity to do 10,000 steps every day for the whole of September. Take it steady, you will get there, and once the weight starts coming off it gets easier to walk too. Win, win!
Hi Newgirl1 - welcome and congratulations on taking the first step!
I have been here nearly a year and have lost over 7 and a half stone, so it can be done. I too started with a lot of joint problems and pain, so much so that walking was very difficult - and now I am running several times a week!
So, it can be done and you sound determined and have got a friend on board to help (always a good thing) so I look forward to reading about how your first week went.
Wow.... what an achievement, well done LessToLose. Reading your post inspires me so much. I really do appreciate your reply. Keep you posted and thank you xx
For a second there I thought you where describing 85% of me I'm always avoiding social occasions because of clothing 18 months ago I was on this journey again! And when I'm good I'm soooo good I scare my self but when something goes wrong I let it go down the pan it's that I will start again tomorrow but tomorrow never came the take aways junk food the CREAM CAKES did though, so all my hard work just gone in a flash I am 46 I work for the nhs so me of all people should know health implications of carrying too much weight. I lost nearly 5 stone probably put just over 4 back on so no point beating myself up I've done it once I can do it again and so can you . It is about eating 3 healthy meals snack sensible drink plenty if not water (I find boring )I add sugar free squash . I was a devil for sweet things so when I had a cup of tea cakes biscuits chocolate what ever was there now I've got my alpen light bars snack a jack and aldi do a box of summer fruit bars always have some sugar free jelly made up small spoon of ice cream wait till it melts I really enjoy or some fat free natural yogurt . So all that said I'm a firm believer it is mind over matter strong and positive mind will help you achieve anything you want to . It is a journey that won't happen in a couple of weeks but over the next couple of weeks when you start to see a difference you will think how will I feel in a couple of months before you know it you won't be hiding away you will be out there showing yourself off . I weighed in at 17st 3lb last week so upset on the Sunday evening just cried someone on here said to me dry them tears you are in the Wright place and after a week I feel so different positive the encouragement on here is so nice there is always someone to help .So good luck I will keep a watchful eye and follow you also x
Ps just trying to get use to web site sent you this reply somewhere I don't know where but just incase you didn't get it sent it to you again xx
Yes we definitely sound like we could be twins, I know I have to start believing in myself more, I have a very negative image of myself and its hard to believe that I can be any different from how I am now but reading your post and posts like your I know that it is possible. Thanks for the great tips and advice, if I can focus on one day at a time and make realistic goals then hopefully I can succeed. Here I go xx
I started really working at weight loss 1.5 years ago aged 50, 5ft 4.5" tall, and at that point 188.8 kilos (18 st 10lb). At my worst since I moved into this area I was 121 kilos (19st 0.7lb). March this year I was 100.3 (15st 11.1 lb). Death of my father and holidays helped me take my eye off the ball and I'd slipped back up to 107.3. Working at it again, and back down to 103.4 today. Important lesson is that we all slip occasionally, but not to feel hopeless, useless, incapable - just accept we are human, draw a line and get back on track.
What has helped me:
Working up to and doing the Couch to 5K learning to run programme (nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/.... This is a series of podcasts which give you timed runs, initially 8 x 1 min running interspersed with 1.5 mins walking, and builds up from there. Once you get into the habit of walking regularly perhaps using these podcasts but walking quickly instead of running, might help you increase your walking pace. They also have a podcast of a strength & flexibility set of exercises which can be done in a park or at home that you might find worth looking at (nhs.uk/livewell/strength-an.... There is a set of exercises for knee strengthening which are mostly done on a chair (nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/.... Adding in little extras, like jigging along to favourite tunes whilst cleaning your teeth or waiting for the kettle to boil or something to cook on the stove and also help, improving your mood and burning a few extra calories without feeling like exercise.
On the dieting front, particularly as a Type 2 diabetic, I have found dietdoctor.com to be very helpful, going Low Carb High Fat. I like trying out new recipes and exploring different ways of structuring my eating. 2 cookbooks I am finding fairly useful are Monique Le Roux Foslund's "Low-carb Living for Families" and Dr William Davis's "Wheatbelly 30 Minute (or Less) Cookbook". The latter is really well laid out with all the values of one portion of each meal given in full, and every time he references a previous recipe to be incorporated into the current one, he gives the page number of that other recipe.
To kick myself back into action I have been doing the Dr Michael Mosely "8 Week Blood Sugar Diet", but I have allowed myself extra calories above the daily 800 in the book, as I want to live like a human being! This has been interesting, but I think I will return to the regular LCHF at the end of Week 8. I also tried his 2:5 Diet which is basically Mediterranean but 2 days a week you only have 500 calories - this can work extremely well and is currently very popular, but for me personally I am finding that LCHF and restricting my eating to between 12 midday and 8pm is my preferred option.
Hope some of the above is useful. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Hi there and thanks for some great advice Purple faced woman. First let me congratulate you on your fantastic achievement, you must feel so much better and fitter. This is my first day and I managed a 45 minute walk with a friend today after work, worked up a bit of a sweat and felt so pleased with myself, I cant imagine ever getting to being able to jog or run but when I read posts like your it make me think that maybe just maybe it is possible. Its early days yet but I will keep you posted on how things go and thanks once again xx
I am 55 and a year ago I felt like you 😕 I can't explain what changed but something in my head just said enough, I couldn't live the life I wanted to lead, chronic arthritis, high BP etc
I have taken the slow and steady approach, generous food allowance and nothing forbidden. My husband is on board too which makes a massive difference 😊
A little bit of self belief goes a long way, I have amazed myself, I have never stuck to any eating plan this long before, if I can re-learn new eating habits at 54 I'm sure you can too 😊
Lovely to hear from you Anna61 and so heartfelt to hear how you are doing. I think this is my last chance and if I don't do something now then I never will. I know its about educating myself and learning to eat less, move more and respecting my body. Its early days but I have managed my first day and that's how I am going to tackle this, one day at a time. Reading these posts really do make a difference and give me inspiration. I will keep everyone posted and thanks once again xx
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.
Tips on how to find the energy
Newbie help
Family Support
It is Friday again 😆
First time sharing
