Nearly 50 and need to make a change

[snails1970]

Hi everyone I'm new to all this but am determined to make a change to my life style, feeling very uncomfortable and sluggish so need to gain back some motivation and guidance, so any advice is appreciated.

[snails1970]

hi everyone, I do 12 hour shifts and am finding it difficult to eat right, as I keep grabbing quick fix foods instead of eating healthy food, any suggestions would be great

[snails1970]

I'm a support worker for 4 children, so am on the go constantly, swimming, activities and out and about most days..so I'm getting frustrated with myself.😓

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, snails1970 and Catelizgra

Weight loss is more about what we choose to eat, than exercise, although exercise is important for health and well-being. Have a look at this for a possible reason for any difficulty losing weight healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Forward planning is also extremely important, so bulk cooking and freezing will give you home-made ready meals, when you're pushed for time. Log onto our Daily Diary for more assistance with meal planning and ideas.

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

[monday1957 3kg]

Hi snails1970 & just wanted to say hi & wish you all the best as you embark on your healthy lifestyle journey!

Things that work for me:

Keeping a daily diary

Doing the weekly weigh-in on this site

Using a FitBit

Setting myself manageable targets ie a loss of a lb a week

Following the lchf way of eating (an absolute eye opener for me!)

Good luck,

🙋🏽‍♀️

[Zaq12wsx Maintainer]

Hi Snails 1970!

The way I approached my lifestyle change was to imagine what I thought I could do, then halve it.

I wanted to be able to walk to work everyday, so I started walking just one day a week. After a few weeks I upped it to two days, and carried on that way.

With food I introduced food swaps, smaller portions and gave up meat (menopause linked I think, hate the texture). Went off booze entirely which I think has helped so much!

I figured that in the past I’d tried to do too much too soon. Then I would invariably fail and give up entirely. So, this time around I approached it differently.

I walk. That’s my main weapon. 4K every evening before dinner. My god do I sleep better now!

I started this on 12th January 2018 and reached my goal on 13th November. Shifted 31kg, just under 5st. Have now maintained this for 10 months and am now running each evening. I swim once a week and walk to work everyday.

I suppose the reason I’m telling you this is because you’re near my age. I’m 50 next year, so if I can do it (have been overweight for 30 years) you can do it.

No more size 18/20 clothes, size 12 all the way for me now.

Giving up the smokes too.

Keep going, plan your meals, don’t go food shopping hungry and always keep a piece of fruit in the handbag x

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Zaq12wsx]

Wonderful story Zaq12wsx 😊 very well done 😊👍👏

I agree about Step by step approach, and small changes adding up to a big difference 👍

[Guitarlovegreaseblu 7lbs]

I can easily relate I need to loose 7 stones but would happy just loosing 3 stones

[Alisongold]

Hold onto the fact that you wrote that you feel ‘uncomfortable and sluggish’.

I also had swollen ankles, painful right knee, breathlessness on long flights of stairs and was often very hungry. I finally fell over last summer , badly sprained my ankle and knew that I had to change my diet. It took 7 months to lose 2 stone and I now focus on keeping it off. My ankles didn’t swell this summer, my right knee no longer hurts, I can climb stairs without huffing and puffing at the top. ( I can need to do 8 flights on the worst staircases at work.) Most oddly, I rarely feel hungry having learnt that eating good fats such as cheese or Greek yogurt keep me feeling full for hours , something that ‘brown’ carbohydrates and sugars never did.

This can be a life changing journey so please follow the advice and links of our volunteer administrator Moreless and join us . Using the forums fits well with a busy life and the ties of working shiifts. Don’t get me started on the sugary carb laden junk that we often consume at work. Fruit is starting to appear next to our workplace kettle so there is hope.

Wishing you every success.

[Craftyperson]

youve made a goood start by coming on here will get plenty of help and support. my first bit of advice is take a look at info admin will send and see what you think will work for you, secondly if decide to calorie count check your individual allowance on bmi checker and eat to top end of it, third take it a bit at a time dont think ive got x amount of weight to loose break it down into small managable goals and good luck