Hi All. I am a 63yr old woman who has been seriously overweight since childhood. Although I have been to loads of clubs/followed many diets etc etc over the years I have only ever lost a little weight which I have put back on fairly quickly. Basically I have pretty low willpower and love to eat!!
However, over the last year or so I have managed to shed about 5 stone simply by changing my diet completely, doing some daily exercise and only eating my main meal on side plates (if it doesn't fit on it doesn't get eaten!). This was prompted by a) the news that my kidneys are failing (I have type 2 diabetes) and b) my first horrendous experience of gout.
The problem is now that I still want to lose about 4 stone, maybe a little more, but I have been stuck for over a month, yo-yoing up 2 down 2, you all know how that goes I expect!!
Can anyone please give me some advice on how to reboot my weight loss and enthusiasm before I end up on that slippery slope yet again? It would be such a shame having gone from a size 30/32 to size 20 and more importantly reduced from three diabetes meds to just one!
Does anyone think a week or two of meal replacements might do the trick? Or would that be a bad idea?
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insomnia56
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Hi insomnia56 , I'm sorry I don't have any advice on meal replacements...but I just had to say a huge well done to you on loosing 5 stone!! That's incredible!! I love how you say I 'simply' changed meals, exercised, etc...! That all sounds like big changes to me! Consistent and committed, organised and incredibly well-motivated. Wow! Well flippin' done you!! This will have had a massively positive impact on your health already. I know you want to go further - and I'm really proud for you, of just how far you've got already. It's no small achievement. All the best, Fx
Thanks Florence. It is lovely to get encouragement from people who understand. When I used the word "simply" I meant no complicated diets/calorie or points counting etc. There is nothing simple about losing weight unfortunately!
Ha ha, ohhhh I see, that makes sense! I thought you were doing yourself down there like 'oh I haven't really done much...' and I was a bit like 'now hang on a minute...let's not sell yourself short with this incredibly challenging task!!' Keep up the good work, and I can see others on the forum have offered really helpful and practical suggestions.
What a fantastic start you've made. That's so very impressive.
With regard to diabetes, it's a matter of changing what you eat, not just how much. I'm not clear from your post whether you've made that sort of change but I will give you some reading that could point you in the right direction.
I wouldn't advise replacement shakes. I would advise eating real food, home cooked, avoiding processed foods (that includes anything labelled diet or low fat or light/lite - all heavily processed. The first link will give you other pointers. You'd be very welcome to join the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Firstly thanks for all the links, I will def look at them in the hopes of some inspiration. Yes I have changed what I eat as well as how much, though probably could do with some improvements in that area. Obviously I have drastically reduced my salt/sugar/processed food intake, and I also have to consider restricting foods that may provoke another attack of gout, although I am on medication for that too.
I only was considering meal replacements for a very short period to get the needle on the scales moving again. It is so depressing when you get stuck like this. Anyway who can stand being without proper food for any length of time!!??
It could be a short term gain (i.e. loss) that rebounds on you. You have lost a lot and it's possible that your metabolism has slowed.
On the question of willpower, a lot of us beat ourselves up about that when it comes down to physiology more than being weak-willed. You will have made a lot of these changes but this might reinforce the information in relation to carbohydrates
Hi Insomnia, I would definitely say NO to the meal replacements. Are you doing LCHF? I’ve found after years of yo-yo dieting that it’s really suiting me and I love the food, but there are definitely times when weight loss plateaus for a while before it starts to shift again. If you haven’t tried LCHF before, then I can recommend it. If you are and stuck on a plateau then others have recommended intermittent fasting as a way to get things moving again, I.e. only eating during 8 hours of the day, with 16 hours of fasting. Best of luck!
Hello insomnia56 . BridgeGirl has given you some really good advice. Diet Doctor is a great site and full of useful info. I am the same age as you and I too have spent all my adult life on a ‘diet’ only to have failed every time. I am trying to follow the LCHF way of eating with an eye on calories at the same time. I cook a lot from scratch and would not recommend meal replacements. Xx
What works for many members... initially for weight-loss but particularly to get off a weight-loss plateau... is a combination of the Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) diet and Not Eating All Day aka Intermittent Fasting (IF). See:
Dont beat yourself up you have done amazing things. Focus on the positive non scale victories like for every 1lb of weight loss it's a 4lb pressure of your knees. How much easier it is walking and doing things you couldn't. The new clothes you're getting, get rid of the old- donate them and focus on the new you. I could go on but you'll get sick of reading. Well done you!!👊💃🦸🦸💕
I have decided not to mess with my diet at the moment. It has obviously worked so far so I have decided to up my exercise and see if that gets it going again.
Thanks to everyone who has commented/given their advice. It's nice to have such great support. Time to grit my teeth and get on that treadmill!!
I wouldn't go for meal replacements. You've done so well maybe just try a change of foods some times we get in a rut eating the same foods and can stall so try new foods and see how that goes and good luck
Hello, I am new as well, I was advised to look at, pineapple 27 she is very helpful, and has health issues, meal replacement I do not know anything about, I am in the same situation, you will get plenty of support, and advice, no judgment, all ages, health issues.
There are lots of other threads, a book club, positive outlook, daily thoughts, so much, enjoy reading and finding your way around, and advice and help will help you.....I am on 3 meals a day nothing inbetween, except drinks, then cutting potions, working onto intermittent fasting...I have so much food in the freezers, cupboard, I am a online shopper, (due to disability) it's amazing what is there, all edable....this is the best way for me, working my way to the use up the stored food....my starting point, without the quilt, feeling I have failed before I have even got started, for a small mistake, buying the "slimming miracle food" this or that diet book that has "the" answer", and so on, no more, your not in your own, and it's not all serious, you will have a smile on your face, your in great company!😊
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