Getting started

I joined on a whim over a month ago and promptly forgot and did nothing. Am still the same 5 stone overweight I was then. Finding it hard to even get started on changing my bad habits. Was 2 stone less than this a couple of years ago and lost a further stone and a half then put it all and more on again. Depress myself. Am very busy and stressed at work. Am 57 year old woman. Fed up with being miserable! Forgotten how to have fun (except scrabble!) Help!

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome Hidden I sooo know that stressed work feeling Change your habits slowly to make them new habits that stick and can be maintainable long term

Here's a couple I have done

Parking the car further away from work which is a wee thing to do and helps up the exercise slowly

Using the loos on the floor below so going up and down the stairs

Snacking - only on fruit or nuts - making sure I eat 3 proper meals a day within my calorie range - BMI calculator for calorie range can be found in the link below

And most importantly planning and logging on and posting on here especially the Daily Diary

I would like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out, or re-starting.

If you just post a few words on the October Newbie Club thread to introduce yourself and respond to others there you will soon feel part of the club.

Follow this link to the Newbie club: healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please read all the information carefully, it is very useful and can be referred to whenever you want to check something.

It just remains for me to wish you well on your journey

[Tiggerr]

Welcome back Hidden

As you're probably aware, you need to start creating a healthy lifestyle. That is, a way of life that is going to be sustainable after you have reached your ultimate goal and to move away from the yo-yoing that you are experiencing.

This forum is definitely the place that can really help you achieve those aims. A suggestion to help you not forget about this site, could be to add the home page into your browser so it opens up every time you start it up. I did

One of the tips today in the Daily Diary is to 'enjoy the process, it won't be sustainable unless you do'. It works for losing weight but it pretty much works for everything we try and do.

Good luck!

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

Well at least you haven't gained, so be pleased with yourself for that. It is hard sticking to a healthy eating plan when you are under pressure at work; you need to find a distraction such as a new hobby or a friend to go walking or swimming with; a little activity will enhance your self-esteem, and make the healthy eating easier to stick with. Stick with it and chat on this forum when you can, it helps with the motivation!

[YellowRose55]

Morning Hidden

I can feel your frustration and at least your making the right move today by posting here. Why not make one small change today and join in with today's weigh in to get you started and it will keep you motivated during the week knowing that you need to post again next week. Hope to see you there.

Have a good day.

[Alideer 1 stone]

Hello Hidden . I think a lot of us will remember feeling like you do at the moment. I know I do & that feeling of not knowing where to start. I need to lose 4 1/2 stone but it’s helped me to break that down into 7lb goals. Plus the support & ideas you will find on this wonderful forum are fantastic 🌼

[20Voices]

Hi, I found it hard to start as well, but if you do nothing, nothing will change. You can do this and you can be happy again as well. I made a lot of changes over 2 years ago when I had a breakdown and one of those was getting my health sorted out, but changing my eating habits and getting more exercise. It is tough to get going, but once you start to see the results you get keen to keep going. It doesn't have to be difficult either if you are busy, just a new way of thinking about nutrition I found. I stopped eating bread so would have a salad or soup or a stir-fry instead of bread. I challenged myself to reduce my intake of refined sugars and also processed foods. It is a myth that ready meals are quicker.

I get a whole chicken and roast it, so there is one meal. With the left over chicken I will make a curry or a casserole and keep some for the cooked chicken for either including in a pasta dish or for a chicken salad or just to snack on if I feel hungry during the day. With the bones and skin I make a chicken stock and then make a big pot of soup. I freeze most of the soup and some of the curry/chilli so that gives me extra meals.

I also buy a large portion of mince or stewing steak and make a large portion of whatever I decide to cook. Sometimes I just do a plain mince so that when I take it from the freezer I can combine it with a home made sauce to give me a chilli or bolongese or whatever I feel like cooking.

I stay on my own so this works out well for me.

I increased the amount of water I drink by having a glass of water in the morning when I get up. I have a glass of water during the day when I start to feel hungry and then wait 30 minutes to see if I still feel hungry. I also drink water as and when during the day and sometimes before meals to help me feel fuller quicker.

I increased my exercise levels by just walking to places I used to drive to.

It took time but I lost 2.5 stones over 2 years which was good and I am maintaining it at the moment. I did not weigh myself everyday because that can get upsetting when you see the fluctuations and it is the overall result you want to see not the daily increases and decreases that you can get.

You can do this. Small changes and keep going when you see an increase, it does happen up in general you can keep the weight lose going down.

Set goals for yourself, they don't have to be a weight goal, it could be to drink x number of glasses of water a day or walk x number of steps a day or even one of the challenges some of the pedometer sites have now to walk the height of a certain mountain or the distance between 2 cities or something like that.

See if you can get a friend to help you with the fitness side, by going for a walk on a weekend or evening or take up a fitness class or go swimming. Anything that keeps you active.

I wish you all the best you can do this.

Take care.

[kiwikyd-nz]

Hi Caro0518

Sorry to hear you've lost your Mojo (our neighbours dog is called Mojo - looks like Hairy McLary lol)

Do you like listening to music? Pop some cheerful boppy tunes on and jiggle a little.

Open the windows and let the fresh air in whenever you can.

Do something silly (even if nobody can see).

Can you take a lunch break outside away from the office/desk and sit somewhere with a coffee/tea and listen to the world go by. Take in all the sounds.

Helps to clear the cobwebs

And certainly look at trying one or two of the tips the others have listed

You can do it, just don't try to do it all at once and get overwhelmed. A small change is more than what you did yesterday.

[Alideer 1 stone in reply to kiwikyd-nz]

I have always been a Northern Soul music fan & a good dancer in the 1970’s. Well I’ve rediscovered my love of this & even a 10 minute dance in my front room (longer on good days) makes me feel great. Okay I probably look silly but who sees me? 🌼