Week willed OaP

[1bridget1]

Hi, I am in my late 60's and I need to loose weight. I know I need to, but I cannot motivate myself, which makes me so cross.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, Bridget

Don't despair, you can do this, with our help

I'd 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. If you just post a few words to introduce yourself and respond to others there, you'll soon break the ice. Here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You'll find all the information you need to navigate the forum in the header, so please take the time to read it carefully.

Wishing you all the best

[jennilou Restart Jan 2024]

Hi Bridget, this is a great place to be to help you on your journey to the new you Since joining I have lost some weight and when I start going backwards and get upset this lovely community of supportive people help me to keep going on. The same will be for you. Have a good week and I hope a great start:9

[Pineapple27]

You're not weak willed at all 1bridget1 , just in need of learning some new skills and modifying some behaviours that have crept in....

It's not just about motivation - it's about commitment! Some of us (and I include myself here!) want things to happen quickly and without us needing to put in much of an effort however, you'll get back what you put in....

Commitment to diet/lifestyle change and resistance to temptation doesn't just happen! It has to be worked at.

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!

It's about "normalising" or "modifying" behaviour around food... and I think that with enough "practice" it becomes more and more easy until you get to the point where a behaviour is modified to the point of it becoming the only way!

I am sure that even some people who are not over weight do sometimes over indulge - but the fact is they don't do it very often!

Those of us who are over weight have been used to "treating" ourselves, eating portions that are too large, eating the things that we know are calorific because we can!

It's been a combination of changing all of those aspects of how I behave around food that has meant I have been successful this time.

I I have developed a respect for the food I eat. Not everyone has the ability to eat as well as we in the western world eat. We should not abuse the privilege!

I rarely eat "on the hoof" any more, I rarely eat between meals. I take time to sit at a table and present my meals nicely. I take a moment or two to really look at my plate of food before I pick up my knife and fork.

Almost daily I say to hubbie "Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy such lovely food". I really mean that too, I am not saying it for anyones benefit but his and mine. We should never take for granted having easy access to delicious food stuffs and our ability and love of cooking!

If you log your food - keep track of how many calories some of those "treats" contain, after a while they kind of stay in your head (medium egg = 70 cals, slice of white bread 100 cals, meringue nest 57 cals, 30g (matchbox size) of cheddar, 122 cals)

I do have sweet treats, but I buy my own choice, so things like 2 finger Kitkat, single finger Twix, Club biscuit... these are all around 100 calories. I keep them in a tin and I can have one whenever I want to, but I limit it to no more than one a day and usually with my afternoon cup of tea. That's not to say I eat one on a daily basis (usually about 2-3 times a week). They are always logged into my diary.

If you don't keep a log of what you are eating and the calories foods contain, then it's a bit like trying to travel from one place to another without a map! You might get there eventually BUT it's likely to take you much longer than if you planned the route and used a map PLUS you might take a few wrong turnings and end up going back on yourself!

I have also learned not to plan each trip out of the house to include food. Once upon a time, I'd have included lunch with a trip into town, coffee and cake with a visit to the garden centre.

I now plan or even prepare a meal BEFORE I go out (usually a salad) so that I know exactly what I can eat as soon as I walk into the door... and don't turn to "what I fancy" (usually high calorie carbs that don't keep you full for very long...)

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 (guilt, failure) 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 wonderful feeling lasts for days! Don't forget how that feels - you need to remind yourself of that feeling next time temptation strikes!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Pineapple27]

Pineapple, a fantastic summary, thank you! I'm only in my second week but am aiming for the sort of approach you describe. We are indeed lucky to have the choice and range of foods we have, and the knowledge to make changes for our own benefit. I've enjoyed trying out new recipes, most of them successful, with some needing a little tweaking next time, and have plenty more to go at.

A treat isn't a treat if you have it every day (or 2 or 3 times a day!). I know very well that my meals have never been a major problem - sometimes portions have been too big, but content not too bad. My downfall has been what goes on between meals, and even within 10 days I can see the difference counting and recording calories makes. It can seems a chore at this stage but I'm sure, as you say, that some of those will get familiar and I won't always be looking things up.

Now I just have to crack the exercise aversion!

[Pineapple27 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Snacking between meals (evening) can be a HUGE downfall. You can easily undo the efforts of the day by one snacking episode!

I enforce my own rules (eg, no snacking after 7pm).

The longer you practice it, the easier it gets!

[Jenever]

Hi Bridget,

I have to tell you that it's being a 64 year old pensioner that actually motivates me. I absolutely refuse to give in to the years and grow old gracefully, I want to wear those elegant and fashionable clothes and I want to stay as mobile and be as agile as possible so I can walk around the shops with my daughter & join in with my many grandchildren's games and I know I can only achieve those wishes if I lose weight and reach a healthy BMI.

See your age as a positive Bridget and go for it, good luck to you.

[kiwikyd-nz]

We've all been there Bridget. Knowing what we need to do but lacking the motivation. And I think we would all agree that once you take that first step the motivation can kick in.

Maybe try writing down your food for a few days then go back over and find your worst times and see how you can improve your choices next time. It's a start.

Even sitting outside with a cuppa and getting some fresh air can sometimes help blow the cobwebs away

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Bridget, I'm 66 and just one week ahead of you.

You say you know you need to lose weight (for whatever reason), so that's your initial motivation. For me, it's for health (long term as I have no immediate health problems) and appearance.

Maybe pin down what you want to gain from losing weight, your own reasons, not anyone else's; if you don't have your own reasons, I think it will be more of a struggle. And set reasonable goals: I've lost 4 lbs in my first week which I'm delighted with. If I looked at what my ideal BMI is, I'd be overwhelmed - I doubt I've been anywhere near it for at least 25 years. I've started at 13 st 3 and my aim at this stage is to lose a stone. When I get there, I'll set a new target and see how it goes. For me, it's about setting out in a positive direction, and not beating myself over the head about any blips.

Good luck!