Hello!

[JLos]

I have struggled with weight all my life but at age of 57 have finally cracked it (I think!). Lost over 8 stone with weight watchers in 11 months and have more or less sustained this since Nov 2016. However, I really need to keep motivated and keep on top of it otherwise I know I could easily fall back into old habits. Hoping to pick up inspiration and practical tips on here.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, JLos

Well done for such a fantastic result! You look a million dollars!!

I suggest you join our maintainer's club, which can be found in pinned posts.

To make navigating the forum easier, we've put all the information you'll need in a newbie pack and here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please take the time to read it carefully, so that you're able to enjoy everything that we have on offer.

We ask that you also read this important information about internet privacy and security.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you all the best

[JLos in reply to moreless]

Hi Moreless, thanks for the welcome and the compliment and all the info. I will definitely join the maintainers club as you suggest.

[Pineapple27]

Wow JLos I have to say you look AMAZING! I really can't believe you weighed 8 stone more! I have found maintenance a real struggle. It's definitely something we can't take for granted and need to keep up with the effort if we don't want to waste our efforts.

I am wondering if you are fairly short? You look very petite! But the picture may have been taken by someone very tall!

[JLos in reply to Pineapple27]

Hi Pineapple27, thank you for the compliment. I'm 5' 5" so not that short. I don't have many 'before' photos (because I totally hated being photographed) but will see if I can post one.

I think maintaining is hard because you're no longer working towards a final goal - it's for life and that can be a bit daunting. I give myself the odd break but that is not good because I always put weight on and then have to try twice as hard to get it off. Tell myself that as long as I don't go too far and always pull it back I will be fine. What do you do to maintain?

[Pineapple27 in reply to JLos]

JLos As I am very short and have a physical disability that means I am unable to move much, I have really struggled with maintenance. I went a bit of the rails once I got there and quickly regained about 1.5 stone - BUT there were lots of reasons for that (we'd had terminally ill Mother in Law living with us unexpectedly for over a year and were very restricted by our caring responsibilities - she had bone cancer and then developed dementia).

I still log my food virtually every day (I still want to lose about 1.5 stone and get to 9 stone). I never really "let go". After a holiday (just back from 2 weeks in Costa Rica) there is inevitably a gain as I move less / use the wheelchair more, and eat / drink more. At home I am on 1100 calories and eat two meals a day (lunch and dinner). Thankfully I am not really bothered about alcohol - more or less given it up over the course of my weight loss journey - do enjoy the occasional Prosecco if we have a special event to celebrate.

I think your approach is a good one - it's fine as long as you can regain control.

Because I can't exercise, I can't really rely on exercise to "earn" calories, but that in my view is a good thing.... I know how little I need to eat to maintain / lose.

Going back to exercise, I have recently started a new programme of exercise via a pain / rehabilitation consultant (paid for privately) and am now doing strength / balance / cardio exercises on about 4 or 5 days a week (an hour at a time). They are a mix of sitting, balancing, stretching - the cardio is gone on a special treadmill called an Alter-G which is an anti-gravity treadmill and can support a percentage of your body weight. I love it as I am able to walk and walk fast with minimal pain!

BUT at the moment, I am experiencing a lot of pain (lower back, hip, ankle). So the exercise has kind of ground to a halt. Was using the treadmill once a week for 30 mins and doing balance and strengthening for an hour 3 x a week. The answer to getting rid of the pain is probably to start doing the exercise! Daughter at home from Uni at the moment for Easter, and her bedroom is my "gym"... but at the end of the day I know these are all excuses!

[Pineapple27 in reply to JLos]

flidfit.com/2018/01/08/stru... This is me on the treadmill!

[tradrockgirl in reply to JLos]

Hi, I have only lost 6 kg so far but my problem was a sweet tooth and would use sweet things as a reward and to soothe anxiety. Now I look at sweet things like someone is trying to poison me.

[JLos in reply to tradrockgirl]

Hi tradrockgirl, I really empathise with the sweet tooth thing and I genuinely believe that sugar is addictive. I try to cut out sweet treats completely but can only do that for so long. I really envy people who can just have one or two chocs from a box or biscuits from a tin - I can't stop at one, and would normally eat the lot!!

Thinking of them as poison is a really good idea which I am going to try!!

Good luck with your journey and have a great day!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

You look wonderful JLos 😀

I’m sure you’ll have loads to share with us, as well as enjoying the support and ideas that this forum is so good at

[JLos in reply to BridgeGirl]

Hi marymanc - thank you so much.

Everyone on here is so kind and supportive - I love it already!

How is your journey going?

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to JLos]

My journey is of the slow and steady variety. But I intend to keep at it, as I am a convert to healthy eating 😊

[Tiggerr]

You look brilliant. Who could even begin to guess that you were once heavier.

Congrats also on maintaining (more or less) for so long.

As moreless has already mentioned, the maintainers club is a good place to start. Just nattering in 'What's Happening' is also a good way of keeping things in the forefront of your mind.

Hopefully, as you say, you might pick up inspiration and practical tips and at the same time I'm sure with your experience you'll be able to reciprocate.

[JLos in reply to Tiggerr]

Hi Tiggerr, thanks for the compliment. I do feel like a totally different person these days, which is amazing and I am certainly reaping the benefits with general health and wellbeing.

Thanks also for the tips on how to get the best out of this forum. I hope I can share some ideas about how to get in control, especially for people who have a lot of weight to lose. I think it is mainly a mindset and being doggedly determined! It's rarely easy is it? One of the best bits of advice I ever received was "Keep Your Why Close By" which basically means if you're struggling to stay with your healthy eating plan, just focus on why you're doing it.

Hope you have a great day.

[Tiggerr in reply to JLos]

I agree with your 'Whys'... very wise

[Guitarlovegreaseblu 7lbs]

That's so inspiring and encouraging you have done so well thank you for sharing your story. i find it so easy to gain weight but so much harder to loose it

[JLos in reply to Guitarlovegreaseblu]

Your reply to this caused me to look back at these posts (and the photo of myself!) which has spurred me on again. I have basically allowed myself to fall back into very bad habits - emotional eating/stress eating - and the letting the poisonous sugar back into my life. Have kicked it out this week so hoping I can keep going in the right direction!

Hope you can find what works for you - for me, a reminder to keep my 'why' close by always helps. I can draw on how much healthier and happier I was at my ideal weight and that motivates me to stay on track.

Good luck for the weekend and catch-up on here again next week.