Hi all. I'm new here so don't really know my way around. I've joined because I really want to do something about my weight and I don't seem to be mentally able to make a start. 5 years ago I lost about 4 stone and got down to a weight where I felt comfortable and confident. I'm not really sure how I did it to be honest. I guess my head was just in the right place. I ate less and limited my calories and did some exercise - exercise bike mainly.
Since then I've put about 5 stone back on so I'm bigger than when I started and my confidence is really low. Now I really want to lose weight and get up every day thinking that today will be the day that I start, but I just don't seem to be in the right psychological place to do it.
I have a real mental block when it comes to exercise. The thought of doing anything makes me shudder.
So I guess I've joined here to try to get a shove in the right direction.
Helen x
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HelenSchmelen
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You have come to the right place. I used to exercise very little and now lovevrowing on the machine we have had for about 15 years, it has never had so much use. A useful tip I found here was to set my watch to go off every hour and do five minutes movement, it doesn't matter what, my choice at the moment is hoola hoop and it is great fun.
This is an amazing forum to be part of. Many of people on here have different areas of concern but we are all trying to get to, or maintain, our desired weight. As you get to know us, and share experiences with us, you will find what a super supportive bunch we are, and that we don't pass judgements.
Here are a few suggestions about how to get the most out of the forum.
The first place to look is at the Pinned Posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you.
Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news; and you will have important news to share with us.
Have a look at the NHS 12-week plan; many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This can be a major turning point, realising you can eat anything as long as the calories are accounted for and are within your personal limit.
Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate; that happens to me quite regularly!
The forum also has group weigh-ins every day, just choose which day you wish to weigh, join the post for that day and weigh in once per week. The Daily Diary is a very useful thread where we post our planned menu for the day, including calories if you count them, any exercise you have planned and any tips that you can share. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page.
If you just want to chat, to say hello, or share any news or struggles then look out for the What's Happening Today thread. There are many other challenges to get involved with, just choose to do what you are comfortable with and feel free to join as many, or as few as you wish.
The grey box next to people's names are achievement badges, and as a new member of the community you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, you need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration, and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here regularly.
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If you have any questions please just ask. The more you join in and connect with people the more you get out of the forum.
I wish you well as you get started with a new lifestyle.
Thanks, Ceals. I'm also gluten and lactose intolerant which I've only discovered in the last 6 months so I'm still adjusting to that and need to take it into account in my diet. You'd think it would make it harder to binge but I still find ways!
Interestingly I avoid gluten, not because I have been diagnosed but because it is definitely in the family, is is lactose intolerance, and I just know I am much better without wheat and other grains.
I don't drink cows milk but seem to be ok with yogurt (full fat Greek and well fermented) and I am ok with double cream too, but have small amounts.
Bingeing on nuts is ever so easy!
There are other people on here with similar food intolerances so do pick their brains.
Well I couldn't find the motivation for years. In fact between the ages of 60 and 70. However having been told that I was pre-diabetic and needed to lose weight something clicked in my head. That was the motivating factor when I read what diabetes entails. So you need to find something to motivates you. In fact being overweight isn't healthy for anyone and I knew this but somehow I didn't make any effort and just got gradually fatter. I have discovered now that eating carbs eg bread, potatoes, pasta, and ricewas my downfall as they just are the equivalent of eating sugar and cause a quick rise in blood sugar.. I am following a blood sugar diet and only complex carbs which release sugar slowly are allowed.
I have used The Dr Michael Mosley eight week blood sugar diet book but I know he has also written another book called the fast diet. He is great at explaining the science behind the diet and why one put some weight and more importantly how to get it off. I started my diet thing with his book on 3 July and was 81KG to begin with. I am thrilled to find that I am 70.2 KG today so that has been a great success for me. He also emphasises how important it is to be more active and I purchased a Fitbit and now do 10,000 steps today as well as swim and play golf and use my exercise bike in front of the TV If you're looking for inspiration I really recommend that you look at one of his books. He also is very keen on the 5 to diet.
If you're looking for inspiration I really recommend that you look at one of his books. He also is very keen on the 5 to diet.
Hope that will help you with motivation and good luck
Hi Helen, hope your ok today?! You sound exactly how I was up until last week. I think my change came when my two older kids went bike riding and took my 10 month old out in one of those trailer things and I was left sitting on a bench waiting for them. I missed out seeing him laughing and waving to other people bike riding 😢 I just thought this is going to keep happening unless I do something! I hope you get your head around it and get started you will feel so much happier and confident knowing your doing something to make a change! I do already and it's a week tomorrow!! I've got a long way to go tho!! Sending you a big hug and all the best! Xxx
There are many of us here who have some sort of barrier to losing weight easily - but the great thing is, it's entirely possible without any exercise whatsoever! In fact, successful weight loss is only achieved about 80% through diet and only 20% exercise. I suppose you could say that those of us who are unable to exercise, or whose exercise ability is compromised in some way just have to give it an additional 20%!
The thing that goes on in your brain - getting into the "zone", getting your head into the right place.... - willpower and resistance to temptation doesn't just happen! It has to be worked at. I always say that the "willpower" is the muscle that needs to be the strongest to succeed!
The only way I have succeeded this time is to change how I approach food and eating it. I have learned to resist temptation! BUT please believe that this has taken a LOT of hard work and practice!
Make a list of the reasons WHY you want to lose weight. Keep it somewhere safe (stuck to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door?) and look at it from time to time, especially when you are raiding the kitchen for treats!
I always ask myself before eating something really calorific "Do I really want to eat this thing more than I want to lose weight this week?". It's called "mindful eating" - being aware of why you are considering eating - real hunger? Boredom? Temptation? Feeling fed up?
Have a glass of water, wait 5 minutes and consider whether you still want the food. Once it's been snaffled down, it's too late and you may end up feeling cross and angry with yourself.... and that feeling lasts for a long time, much longer than the temporary enjoyment of whatever treat you ate....
Oh, and I always remind myself how good the feeling is of seeing a loss on the scales at my weekly weigh in! That feeling lasts for days!I started my weight loss journey at 14 stone - 5 and a half years ago. I was 49 years old and had been trying to lose weight all of my life since the age of 9.
I started my journey at the end of February 2012, and managed to lose 4.5 stone in 2 and a half years through calorie counting and logging/weighing all of my food.
Then re-gained some, lost some again and have now managed to more or less maintain for the past 6 months.
BUT... ideally I would love to drop another stone and maintain there.
I have a disability which makes exercise difficult, but the one thing that I realise very early on in my journey was that I was just eating FAR TOO MUCH! I was a short, middle aged, sedentary female and I was eating the same as 5ft 9" active man (my now husband!).
No wonder I was piling on the weight!
Here are a few of my past posts which I hope you will find helpful and inspiring. I won't try and tell you that my journey was easy - and you'll see that there were many blips along the way, but 5 years down the line, I feel about 20 years younger than I did when I was lugging around 4 stone more.
Please do pop back to the forums and share your journey with us - we are here for you, day and night and happy to share your success or support you when you need it.
Thank you so much Pineapple. I know that when I eat it's not out of hunger and I shouldn't be doing it. I need to learn to take control and take responsibility for my eating. Somehow I see food as a reward or treat and I eat it because I feel like I deserve it and I'm worth it. I know that this is wrong and distorted thinking but I suppose I need to own that and find alternatives.
Don't worry - many of us have been there! And from time to time, we may revert back to that behaviour!
Not sure if you are a reader, but I know from the website I use to lose weight that many people have found Gillian Riley's books have helped:
"To make lasting changes, you’ll need to find more pleasure in controlling your eating than in overeating. Otherwise you won’t stay with it." (Gillian Riley)
I can really say that this is what has changed for me.
I know that certain foods will be enjoyable and pleasurable to eat. They will provide me with an "instant hit" in terms of gratification and the taste on my tongue.
BUT if 30 minutes later I am feeling guilty - that feeling may stay with me for hours or even days and is then followed by a GAIN on the scales (which I know I should expect because I went overboard on more than one occasion...) - the guilt builds up still further.
At that point, I may think "sod it" - give in to the feeling of being a failure and eat everything in sight!
It's this kind of repeated behaviour that we have instilled in ourselves over the past however many years that we need to break - as it is often automatic and thus we enter into repeated cycles of self-sabotage....
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