Hello, a new boy on the block - Weight Loss Support

Weight Loss Support

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Hello, a new boy on the block

redmike58 profile image
36 Replies

Hi, my name is Mike and I am looking to lose weight and learn to eat healthily at the same time. I have always tried to lose weight on my own but can find it hard to stay motivated. Hopefully, I can look for advice here and if I can, offer advice too.

I hope to lose 60lbs in about a year, which is just over lb a week. Here goes!

The photo is my motivation. Guess which one I am :-) Yup, the one on the left (I wish).

Best wishes to all you fellow dieters.

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redmike58 profile image
redmike58
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36 Replies
Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone

Ha ha love the pic ! Welcome aboard and good luck on your journey! :-) x

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toLytham

Thank you. Humour can help in all walks of life I think. :-)

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone in reply toredmike58

Ha ha ! Well if we dont laugh, we may well cry ! I do lchf and the food is absolutely lush! Im not hungry (or should I say "Hangry") with it either ! :-) x

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toLytham

So with you on this. I keep getting 'warned off' lchf as the constant moan is that I must eat wholegrains. Problem is, following a processed high carb lifestyle just does not cut it (for me) when trying to lose weight. I believe lchf (good fats) is the best way to go. I hear so many good things about it. Thank you, enjoy your day :-) x

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone in reply toredmike58

For more info check out the Diet Doctor website, it might help with some answers :-) x

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toLytham

Thanks for that. I have also just watched the Christine Cronau video on LCHF and the results she gets. Thanks for taking the time to message me :-) x

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone in reply toredmike58

Oh ill have a look at that ! Good luck ! :-) x

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toLytham

Hi Lytham, there are a few videos but htis one seems good. I am a total Professor Noakes fanboy so if je recommends it it must be good :-) x

youtube.com/watch?v=af7JrE4...

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone in reply toredmike58

Oh thanks very much for that, will take a look! :-) x

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toLytham

It seems to start 19 mins in! Just roll it back to the start :-)

Lytham profile image
Lytham3 stone in reply toredmike58

Wow ! Thats brilliant, thanks ! :-) x

Tiggerr profile image
Tiggerr

Hi Mike and welcome. Great pic :)

If you can be open to new ideas, ways of thinking and ways of doing things, then you can maintain your motivation.

An admin will reply shortly and my tip would be to spend time reading the information supplied.

Reading the posts and replies will also provide you with a good handle on much of what is going on. The post from Herman that's just after yours is a good example of how changing what we eat and drink can make a difference to our lives.

Best of luck!

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toTiggerr

Hi, thanks for the message. I read Herman's message and he has done well. Thnk you for taking the time to reply :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone

Hi and welcome, redmike58 :)

If you're carrying weight like the guy on the right, then you're carrying visceral fat, which is the most dangerous kind. Fortunately, embarking on a low carb eating plan will see the back of that, fairly quickly. Have a look at this phcuk.org/wp-content/upload... and join this forum too healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet

Follow this link to our chat thread and a list of all the activities we run. We've found active participation to be key to success, especially with our weigh-ins and Daily Diary.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

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 :)

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply tomoreless

Hi, thanks for the message and the tips. My concern with LCHF (or keto) is that weight can drop too quickly. This can cause concern when not wanting 'loose skin' from losing weight at a fast rate. I have read that to not have 'loose skin' it is best to lose weight slowly (ie a1lb-2lb a week) whilst exercising and using weights. I admit that when you get older your skin loses it's elasticity, but I don't want horrible loose skin. All that said, I will read and learn from others on here and thank you for your help and advice :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply toredmike58

The first lot of weight that you'll lose will be the visceral fat, which won't have a huge impact on your skin, but will make a big difference to your girth and to your health, in general.

As you say, older skin is never going to snap back into place, think of a balloon that's been blown up, then deflated, but aiming for lower carb, rather than keto, has so many health benefits, which to me, outweigh any problems with loose skin :)

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply tomoreless

Thank you. I have 'dallied' with lchf before then got told off by a surgery nurse for not eating enough wholegrains (which are high carbs mainly). Daft part was, after having a blood test at her request I was no where near even prediabetic. I think she thought I would be. I would prefer a lchf lifestyle as high carbs annoy my IBS. I feel ok and last week started power walking 4 miles a day. I think with that and a lchf 'lifestyle' (I hate the word diet) I can get into the shape I want to be (the guy on the left, lol) :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply toredmike58

I'm with you all the way! I would never return to a high carb woe (way of eating) now, it's LCHF for a happy healthy life :)

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply tomoreless

Thanks for your avice and help. Stay chilled and happy :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply toredmike58

My pleasure and thanks :)

Scubadoc profile image
Scubadoc3lbs

Mike, there are plenty of good people on this site who will give you good advice and support. Good luck!

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toScubadoc

Thank you. Best wishes on your journey :-)

Mrsfruitbat profile image
Mrsfruitbat3lbs

Good luck 🤞🤞🤞🤞

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toMrsfruitbat

Love the name! Thank you :-)

wholefamilyprod profile image
wholefamilyprod

Hello, I love how you've shared your story with us. We all want to be fit and losing weight is one of the ways on how to get rid of it. There are ways and tips that you can do to lose weight such as eating healthy foods, exercising, taking weight loss supplements and keto diet. You must be also disciplined when it comes to your food. Avoid eating unhealthy foods and staying up all night. I hope it helps. Good day!

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply towholefamilyprod

Hi, thanks for the message and advice. I will endeavour to eat healthily and excercise. I am retired now so have the time to commit and make it happen. Best wishes to you :-)

moreless profile image
morelessAdministrator7 stone in reply towholefamilyprod

Hi and welcome, wholefamilyprod :)

I hope you'll follow the links I've given redmike58 and will become an active member of this community.

Onwards and downwards! :)

S11m profile image
S11m

Hi, redmike58 , Welcome.

It is great to read that you are already an LCHF convert!

I have lost about 56 pounds in a year.

I lost weight at about a pound a week, and I scrub myself all over every day to keep my skin a tight fit.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) works very well with LCHF.

You can start by setting a time in the evening after which you do not eat... and gradually narrow your eating window. See:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

Autophagy tends to help eliminate loose skin.

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toS11m

Hiya. Thanks for the message. I had brilliant results many years ago on the Atkins diet but peer pressure to 'eat normally' eventually got me back to the Standard Diet (carb heavy).

I have watched hundreds of videos on Keto/LCHF etc from Tim Noakes/Diet Doctor/Eric Berg/Ruled Me etc and in the end it gets very confusing. You then have nutritionists saying we 'must' eat Wholegrains for optimal health. This time I will stick strictly to LCHF and with exercise lose some decent weight.

Yes, loose skin has always been the worry. You see pics on YouTube where people have lost lots of weight but have very saggy loose skin. I am hoping to avoid that.

Weirdly, I have unwittingly done Intermittent fasting for many years. I never feel hungry in the day at all and eat about 6pm with coffee/cream throughout the day.

The problem seems that at the 'one meal' I can only eat about 700 cals which I have read is very bad for my health. Despite this, I have steadily gained weight over the years.

I have also read that too few calories sends your metabolism into 'fasting state' and retains the fat/carbs as storage.

I have tried in the past week to eat twice a day and it kills me. I got to 2000 calories at the weekend and I was virtually force feeding myself to get the calories in so I could kickstart my metabolism.

I think I certainly need advice on calorie intake to successfully burn them off.

Apologies for the 'War and Peace' reply. Thanks for the lovely message of support :-)

Juppy profile image
Juppy

Regarding your comment about unsupportive friends and family... I’m doing a variation of LCHF and frankly I don’t think anyone notices. I pass up the bread and desserts and potatoes, but that’s just eating healthy, especially since I’m substituting with a lot of veggies. It only creates a problem when I’m at a friend’s who is serving a pasta dish, or a work meal that’s sandwiches. Then I just dig in, avoiding as much of the bread/pasta and eating as much of the cheese, fat, veg, and meat as possible. The problem with Atkins is a lot of people were eating huge amounts of meat and very little veg, with the idea that they could eat 5000+ calories and as long as they didn’t have any carbs to “process” it, the calories were just washed out if their system (but if they did have some carbs... whiosh it was all converted to fat). That creates an obsession which is a bit alarming to loved ones. With my current way of eating, I’m eating 1800 calories a day and losing weight but am not hungry. If I have a day or meal that has too many carbs or not enough fat, I don’t suddenly gain weight... what happens is I really crave more food in my upcoming meals/days and I have to be extra diligent not to eat too many calories. Some people on LCHF don’t pay attention to calories at all (and it’s recommended you don’t) but I really can’t trust my appetite yet and I’ve found 1800 calories is the right amount to keep my metabolism up, lose 1-2 pounds/week, and not be hungry. It also guarantees that if I have carbs I don’t gain weight (I just suffer with hunger/cravings until my body gets back to using more fats for fuel.

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toJuppy

Hiya Juppy, thanks for an excellent reply. My 'goal' is to eat about 1800 calories a day and combine it with my 'brisk' walking (I manage 4 miles in a hour). My trouble is eating enough believe it or not. I tend to eat just the once a day and that meal is about 700-800 calories when I become full. You are right about Atkins. It is very much meat based which tends to get a bit boring after a while.

It is the balance of eating good quality LCHF foods and excercise if I can obtain that.

Thanks and have a great day :-)

Juppy profile image
Juppy in reply toredmike58

Oh, I never had a problem not getting in enough calories! I guess we all have our challenges!

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toJuppy

It's natural to feel hungry. It's just knowing when to draw the line. You seem to have a good system worked out for yourself. I'm working on it :-)

Vale57 profile image
Vale57

Thanks for the video post, interesting!

I love the photo! It is so refreshing to see someone who is not afraid look at the problem straight on with a smile! Nothing better than having a good 'before' photo, because you will enjoy it even more looking at in year or so time!! 😀

redmike58 profile image
redmike58 in reply toVale57

I assure you, I am the one on the left in the picture! Honest! :-)

Vale57 profile image
Vale57 in reply toredmike58

🤣👍

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