Weight loss - the ongoing battle.

[Xanadutheblue]

In 2013 I spent two months in a hospital with fantastic food. When I came out I was nearly 19 stone and I thought - this is going to kill me!

Very soon I found a book I'd bought in a car boot sale called "I can make you thin". The ideas I tried were the small plate theory and also eating very slowly. This is fine when you are convalescent - not so easy when you are busy, nevertheless I started to lose weight.

It's a slow business of losing a stone a year - if I can! - through reformed eating habits, not dieting. I seemed to stick forever at 16 and a half stone, but finally beat it. Earlier this year I was 15 stone! Then _ oh...err... I put on a stone. I've been working on it, and now I'm almost at 15 and a half stone.

Down to the 15 stone target, then aim to be 14 stone... how long since I last weighed 14 stone..? I don't know at what point I stop. In the whole of my adult life I've never weighed less than 11 stone. That was my weight many years ago when I had a horse who had experienced leg problems, and I had to watch that I didn't become too heavy for her.

When I'm about 12 stone, I will see if the local Riding for the Disabled Centre has a horse up to my weight. Although my past horse was a thoroughbred, I am now very interested in heavy horses. Shires and similar breeds have now gained status as riding horses. The trouble is that they are mostly about 18 hands (six feet) tall and I can't get up there!

Roll on the day when Riding for the Disabled can get me onto a horse again, and then I will have some good exercise to help me!

[Xanadutheblue]

I thought of something to add. Unfortunately I can't fill up on veggies - not true veggies, that is. When I was a child I was force-fed on vegetables like cabbage, which now nauseate me. I was never force-fed on fruit, so I enjoy home-grown apples and sliced peaches especially, but the only veggies I can swallow without a huge amount of stress are potatoes, mushrooms, and things like peppers and sweetcorn that actually grow as fruit.

[lucigret]

Welcome to the forum, an administrator will come along and welcome you soon, probably before I finish typing this

Well done on your weight loss journey so far. How have you done it, you obviously know what to do. What exercise do you do now. Have a look at Leslie Sanson on Youtube.

I too was made to eat vegetables and well remember heaving over a plate of cold cabbage.

I have found that I prefer some vegetables raw now. I can eat cabbage in homemade coleslaw wth grated carrot, onion and apple. Have you tried doing anything like this. Could you disguise them in casseroles or curries. Maybe try steaming some and not having them too soft would help. It is surprising how our tastes change as we get older. You may surprise yourself and actually enjoy some of them now. Do you like smoothies, you could add spinach to smoothies, it doesn't change the flavour at all.

Good luck with your continued journey😊

[Xanadutheblue in reply to lucigret]

Thanks, Lucigret!

Unfortunately the revulsion is too strong for any of your suggestions. One tiny piece of a dreaded vegetable - only a millimetre long and less wide, and I start this horrible retching! The lovely nurse I see at the local surgery agrees with me that the stress involved in struggling to eat this stuff would do me more harm than good.

As for carrots, if they are chopped in a stew they lose their flavour, which is more or less OK, but not too often. (I had to chop an awful lot of carrots for the horse mentioned in my other post, or she would have picked them out of her breakfast and left the rest, and that eventually turned me off them.) IMO, they are horse food...

[Xanadutheblue in reply to Xanadutheblue]

I forgot, you mentioned exercise. I feel awful saying that I don't do any specific exercise, but considering the way I can tire myself out on a regular basis, I must be doing some.

[Diana in reply to Xanadutheblue]

What about hypnotherapy if you can, may help, extreme , would be good if you could

[Xanadutheblue in reply to Diana]

Thanks!

Actually, I've never really thought about it, probably because of the utter revulsion I feel - I can't imagine ever getting past it, and judging from the way I stay healthy without veggies, they can't be as important for my wellbeing as I was told when I was young.

I wrote this while enjoying the last of my apples for the season, chopped up and covered with plain unsweetened yoghurt and a sprinkling of muesli (definitely unsweetened - I mix it myself with seeds and nuts added). I used to hate the thought of eating apples, but I was never force-fed on them. I still don't want to eat them plain, but the apples from my tree are fine dressed up as mentioned. In fact I'm lucky to have such a good tree!

[Diana in reply to Xanadutheblue]

I think it should be something to aim for? Veggies are a better choice than fruit

[Xanadutheblue in reply to Diana]

I know...

[YellowRose55]

Hi Xanadutheblue

Welcome to the weigh loss forum.

Take a look at the Welcome Newbie post in the Pinned post section at the right hand side or at the bottom if your on a mobile. Have a look at the nhs 12 week plan, many members have had success following this plan. Use the BMI checker to work out your daily calorie allowance.

Have a look at the Daily Diary which you can find on the Home page in Events. It is where all the members are sharing their daily plans on what they are eating and any exercise they are doing. This thread will give you some ideas on how to start.

Below the Pinned posts are the Topics where members share a range of weight related subjects.

Take your measurements at the start together with a photo so you can see the changes on the days the scales don't move.

We have daily weigh ins so why not come along and join us today. You can find the weigh ins on the Home page in the Events section on the right. Just click on the post in Events and record your start weight and any loss/gain or maintain for the week.

To get the most of the forum be active, share tips, recipes and experiences. Read some of the posts they are very motivating.

Have a good first week.

Rose

[Xanadutheblue in reply to YellowRose55]

Thanks, Rose! I can only see "Search weight loss NHS" in the top right corner, with a blank grey area below it.

I may fall behind in the summer when I don't always have time for the computer, but I get better in the winter. Also, in winter I'm not so likely to be offered chocolate cake...

[YellowRose55 in reply to Xanadutheblue]

If your looking for the weigh in heres a link to take you there

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[Xanadutheblue in reply to YellowRose55]

Thanks, I've just posted this morning's weight.

I also checked my BMI. Isn't it sickening when you are just congratulating yourself on *almost* reaching the next target (7lb at a time), definitely less than a fortnight ago, or even less than last week, and over three stone lighter than you were when you started, but the system shouts "OBESE!" at you!

[Xanadutheblue in reply to YellowRose55]

I'm puzzled. You asked me to state my starting weight, but when I went to reply, I found the reply option had been turned off...

[YellowRose55 in reply to Xanadutheblue]

Morning Xanadutheblue

Did you reply after 10pm last night as the weigh ins close at 10pm so I can do the stats and the next days weigh in can be set up for the morning.

You can give me your starting weight here and I will add it to the weigh in now.

[Xanadutheblue in reply to YellowRose55]

Oh, I see! Yes it was after 10pm.

I was originally at 19 stone something on hospital scales (fully dressed after lunch) but about 18 stone 9 lbs on my own (first thing - empty tummy and nothing on but a nightie.) That was in 2013.

I stuck forever at 16.7. More recently I was ill this winter, and down to 15 stone. I thought I'd stabilised at this but, no, my weight crept up to 16 stone. So the immediate target is to get back to 15 stone, and then set a new target of 14.

Does this give you the answer you need?

Also, I find my weight seems to stick at the same level, then jump down over a few days. So this morning I was 15.7! Weighing myself every day and getting results like that keep me better motivated! So I guess I ought to be in the Wednesday weigh-in as well....

[Jaybron10]

Hi, way to go you! Very inspirational. I watched a programme on channel 4 (I don't know what you call it, it's like Iplayer). It was called make my body better. Davina McCall helps people with various body difficulties and sets them a challenge. This programme was about a 32 stone man who lost half his weight and was challenged to race a shire horse at a racing showground. Maybe worth watching for you? It had me in tears at the end......

good luck

[Xanadutheblue]

Me! Inspirational? Wow, thanks!

I wonder if I can find that programme? Who won? (The Shire, I expect...)

[Xanadutheblue]

Ha! I've just found this!

"Music helps raise quality chickens". In other words, the chickens put on weight faster....

May that please not apply to humans who like Classic FM on all day long!

[Fatpanther]

Thank you I may try that. I have given up trying, I do not know why I logged on at all, but I do know your post maybe the answer to my prayers.

[Grigid Moderator 4 stone in reply to Fatpanther]

Hello Fatpanther,

Sometimes things just happen out of the blue that provide the leg up we've been looking for don't they?

The post you've replied to here is an old one, but the Weight Loss support is still going strong and offers lots of ideas and peer support. Have a look at the up to date link I've added at the end of my reply, and you'll see all the groups we currently have, from weigh-in, daily diary and recipe ideas, through to the fit is fun group, a spring challenge and even a reading group.

Please join in, you will be made most welcome, or if you get stuck, just reply here.

Good luck

healthunlocked.com/weight-l...