Can I still lose weight if I’m so inactive

[ODoherty1965]

Hi everyone I am a newbie and I’ve really found the posts very helpful and inspiring. I am 53 height 5’1 and weigh 14 stone 7 pounds. I am on a whole host of tablets as I have secondary breast cancer to my bones. I find it very difficult to exercise and I feel that together with drug side effects and lack of exercise is not helping me to lose any weight. My eldest daughter is getting married at the end of this year and I really wanted to have lost a considerable amount of weight. I spent four months in hospital (one month was in the hospice) I had really bad side effects from a course of chemotherapy Packlatoxol (I might have spelt this wrong) I instantly gained 3.5 stone due to water retention and although I’ve lost a lot of the fluid my legs are still on the puffy side. Please could anyone tell me how many calories a day I need to keep within to help me lose some weight. Thank you for allowing me to be a prt of such a nice group.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hello ODoherty1965 , I'm sorry to hear about the health problems you're dealing with.

You have a great incentive to lose some weight for your daughter's wedding and it's far more dependent on what you eat than on exercise, so don't be put off by the fact that your activity levels are low.

The NHS BMI calculator will tell you your calorie allowance nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyw... It will be a range, not a single figure, and experience here says that you need to start at the upper end, which may well be quite a bit higher than you expect. Go with it, you don't need to be "starving", in fact that's a major reason that people give up.

Choose fresh foods in the right quantities (your calorie range and the 12 week plan will help you with that). Steer clear of processed foods and anything labelled "diet" or "low fat" or "low calorie": you'll do much better, and feel better and fuller, with healthy fats in your meals.

I see you popped in to the weigh-in last Saturday. I hope you'll go along there again in the morning and have a chat with the other posters, give them a bit of encouragement as they will for you - we all appreciate it. Here's the link healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... It's open 'til 9 in the evening but there are usually more people around to chat to in the morning

[ODoherty1965 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Aw thank you so much for your lovely reply. I will indeed visit the weigh in page now I’ve taken my first big step. I’m so pleased you took the time to reply it just shows how one thing can give you the confidence to succeed. X

[cheritorrox in reply to ODoherty1965]

As BridgeGirl said there are more people around in real morning as against 2am as it is here in Spain as I write!

Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time - hope you'll stick around here and feel you're among friends. It's amazing how much support there is from fellow members - expertise, experience, sympathy ... and humour to cheer you up!

Best of luck x

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and a very warm welcome ODoherty1965 😊

Oh my! You have been through it 😕 I hope your health is improving and that we can help you lose weight

I am also fairly inactive due to health issues but have successfully lost weight. Calorie counting has been the most useful but I also watch carbohydrates. If we aren’t moving very much we simply cannot eat as many. 😕

I hope you have had chance to have a good look around, please ask if you have any questions

Best wishes

Indigo 😊

[Redspot]

This a very nice, supportive group.

You have a lot on!

Try the calorie counter app on the website to find out how many calories a day you need.

Then choose healthy foods to keep to the limit.

Your body will be pleased, it deserves the best.

[Lesley1234567]

Yes welcome, it’s always good to have something to look forward and your daughters wedding is a good incentive. Eating salad, vegetables and protein which hasn’t been processed is a good way to begin. Also cheese, cream and nuts are healthy too, use olive oil, coconut oil and butter for healthy cooking fats. I too have reduced my carbohydrate intake. Just take it a step at a time, small losses and small changes show results just as much as an initial quick loss. Also if you are taking strong medication such as chemotherapy this can affect your taste and how you want to eat. Do what you feel comfortable with as we are all different. You have had quite a bad time, take care.