Desperate now!!!

[Muncher]

Hi I'm unsuccessfully trying to lose weight. Was a stone lighter 3months ago then got fed up of Slimming group & left. Thought could do it own my own but am really struggling have rejoined but not able to stick to plan. On the plus side,lol, I exercise 5days a week for an hour each day. Fitness classes & gym. Would be good to get some moral support. Thanks.

[Pineapple27]

Welcome Muncher (love the name!)

In my experience of Slimming World (rather historic, I'll admit), it's not possible to learn about portion control as some foods are "free"? Things like rice and pasta? Please correct me if I am wrong!

However, all foods have a calorific value - so if you eat enough fruit (for example) you won't lose weight...

I had tried weight watchers and slimming world - I know that being part of a "real" group works for many - but I realise now that I am far better concentrating on my own efforts than listening to how others achieved their losses - you have to find out what works for you.

I started my weight loss journey at the end of February 2012, weighing in 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 managed to lose 4.5 stone in 2 and a half years through calorie counting and logging/weighing all of my food going from a size 24 to a size 16 and from 14 stone down to 9 and a half.

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 VERY short (4ft 9"), 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! I now think of the weight I lost as each half a stone being a new born baby... I lost 9 of them and can't really understand how I was ever able to lug all of that around with me all of the time!

I often wish I had dealt with my weight when I was a lot younger, but still, better late than never and also the risk of illness that is associated with being overweight increases once you reach 50 years plus....

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.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[YellowRose55]

Hi Muncher and welcome to the weight loss forum.

You are invited to join our Newbie Club, where you can meet other new members who are just beginning their weigh loss journeys too. Here's the link for all the information you will need to find your way around the forum:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Write a brief note to introduce yourself to other newbies and I'm sure you'll be making friends, in no time.

Good luck with your first week.

[Ceals]

The right place to be, you will get lots of moral support here - but you do need to come on here regularly to get the benefit of the community. Join in some of the chats and challenges.

Enjoy your journey.

[RG07 Maintainer]

I have joined one weight loss club at my local gym many moons ago and it was calorie counting and exercise with weekly weigh-ins and body measurements. I did find it useful, since I never had a problem with my weight growing up since I was one of those lucky people who had a fast metabolism and could eat what I liked with out putting on weight, though once I hit my late 20s I found I had to be a bit more careful on what I ate. I never been interested in a designated diet, because I always associated a diet with a restricted diet and also didn't find them helpful for vegetarians and I love my food. The benefit I found with calorie counting is that I can eat what I like and the only restrictions (if you can really say that) is on the snacking and alcohol-I love my crisps and Bombay mix since they have to be included in your daily calorie allowance. I have realised whilst being on the NHS 12 week weight loss plan, that it was mainly my alcohol intake and the number of crisps that was the problem. I haven't changed my meal portions, though I did discover that someday I was eating 2 calorie heavy meals and other days I was eating 2 calorie light meals which meant on those days I was hungry and so the crisps or Bombay mix got eaten. I still have the occasional glass of alcohol and packet of crisps (I daren't buy Bombay mix because they come in big bags and I have no control to eat so many and stop and spread the packet over several days- I have tried and failed several times so its not worth it- just need to avoid that aisle in the store, to remove the temptation to have another attempt at demonstrating restraint.

I am sure you will find this forum beneficial and some suggestions to any of your queries will work for you and some won't its just finding out what works for you, everyone will be rooting for you when you loose weight and when you fall of the wagon- everyone does the- we will be supporting you. The important thing is to be involved as much as you can and if you need motivation there are daily diaries, weigh ins (you only weigh weekly) and exercise challenges to help with motivation and recipes to try out. Hope you find it useful joining us

[Hannah21]

You’re doing well with your exercise! This is a total bonus! May peoples get up and go, has got up and gone! Like mine on some days! So it’s a positive to see the exercise is already on your regime! Smaller portion sizes, LOTS of water and never let yourself not have something if you want it, make sure it fits in your calories and go half on what you’d usually have!

I’d have to say, water is key to filling me up! Hope it will work for you too

[gman1961 Restart April 2024]

No need to go to a slimming group,great support here and it's free.think of the savings .

Good luck

Gary

[signinemma43]

I agree with gman1961 great support and motivation here. Good luck ☺