So its been about one year since I joined this forum and completed my weight loss goals!
Before October last year I was yo-yo-ing between 15stone 6 lbs and 14 stone 6lbs on the 5:2 diet and was a size 18/20. Before that I was bigger as I used to be a size 22 in my work uniform. But I didn't weigh myself then but I was maybe another stone heavier. I had takeaways weekly and drank about 10 litres of full sugar coka cola a week.
The 5:2 diet was good but I couldn't budge from losing that one stone, would get fed up, give up and go back up to 15stone 6lbs.
But in October last year someone at work mentioned the couch 2 5k program. I decided to give it a go alongside the 5:2 diet.
I was so unfit it was unbelievable! I didn't realise how bad I was as my job involves being on my feet and walking around. But I struggled to do the 1 minute jogs. Half way through week 2 I got injuries. I over pronate so my posture along with weight and a knee injury just couldn't handle even a small amount of jogging. I could have given up. But surprisingly I had enjoyed the bit of exercise I had done and getting out the house. I switched to walking 20 mins a day, then 30. I invested in over-pronation insoles and my legs and muscles got stronger! AND I was losing weight and inches just from walking!
I went back to the couch 2 5k much fitter and healthier! I completed it in February of this year. Running for 5k! Who would of thought? And just recently I now do 6k twice a week and 10k once a week!
The couch 2 5k also made me enjoy exercising so I brought myself a manual (cheap) treadmill and I started walking, cycling, swimming doing aerobics and using my treadmill too alongside the three 5k runs a week.
At work I was ordering smaller and smaller size uniform! I am now in a size 10 but that is also loose so I'm kind of an 8/10. I can fit into some clothes my 13 year old wears.
I switched from the 5:2 diet to daily calorie counting. I also cut down my takeaways to once a month and now very very rarely and I gave up the cola!
I have a 'food planner diary' so I don't have to keep counting. My meals are listed with amounts and calories and I use fitbit to record what I eat daily. I love my meals and prefer them to takeaways or eating out. Nothing is banned so long as I am within my calorie allowance.
Throughout my journey I have used the NHS bmi calculator to keep track of my calorie allowance.
Now today I reached my goal of 9 stone! For my height (5ft 1") I am a healthy bmi at maximum 9st 6lbs. I have reached 9 stone to allow me 6lbs to play with over Xmas, birthdays and events. And wow! Now I am my correct weight I can eat an extra 500 calories a day! That's a mountain when you are used to less and know which foods are lower and better choices!
This time last year I thought it would be a miracle if I got to 11 stone! The year has flown and the weight has dropped and I am amazed that I exceeded my expectations! I put my success down to three essential areas.
1) finding the right diet/food method that doesn't feel like chore.
2) Exercise! No matter what it is. Just moving! My diet alone didn't work consistently without exercise.
3) And lastly... This forum! Finding this forum has helped keep me motivated, keep me focussed and in a way accountable! Being able to talk freely to people who understand your journey and encourage you is vital I think! Family can be there but they don't want to hear about diet stuff 24/7! Lol
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CrimsonMama
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Congratulations 🎉🏅🌷🙌 CrimsonMama on reaching your goal weight today! I agree 100% with your three essentials! Finding an eating style that you truly enjoy and that doesn’t feel like you are depriving yourself is so important. Exercising helps immensely too. Your C25K story is very similar to mine. It’s an excellent programme. I really recommend it! And of course, the support of the forum!
Absolutely brilliant CrimsonMama, thanks so much for sharing. Such an inspiring story for someone with a similar amount to lose. Enjoy your maintenance allowance!
Congratulations!!! And thanks for sharing !!! I agree that It is as important to exercise as diet but se hace to find the right exercise and diet that suit you.
Keep going like this and goog luck with maintenance
You've only failed when you give up and you haven't done that
Have you decided on a plan yet? Maybe something different from whatever you've tried before, something you'll be able to stick to and enjoy for life. I suggest you steer clear of diets as, by their nature, they're time limited and I think most of us are aiming for a healthy weight for life.
This is a busy place with loads of support and information to help you on your way and we've put everything you need into this Welcome Newbies post. healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I recommend joining a weekly weigh in and using the Daily Diary.
Welcome Wake-up-call. If I can do it you definitely can too. I have a sweet tooth and eat a lot of 'junk' but still have lost over 6 stone.
Set your goal (mini goals. I aimed for 1 stone at a time) and plan your schedule and week. Then try to stick to it! If you find something doesn't work make adjustments. Like if you schedule meals three times a day but then find you keep snacking at elevenses change your schedule to allow a snack at that time. We all fall off the wagon! It's ok and as you learn more (hanging around here is great for that) you will see a slip up can be fixed over the week.
It's the whole lifestyle thing isn't it, and finding what works for you.
Congratulations!
Wow! An amazing and inspirational post, CrimsonMama ! Well done you.
That’s an amazing story, congratulations on such a fantastic achievement! It is inspiring to read. I think we’ve all been at the start where it all feels impossible, but we can do this. It isn’t easy and needs hard work and a change of lifestyle - well done 🎉🎉🎉
Inspiring post!! Huge congratulations for smashing your goal and great that you’re so focused a really good mindset that’s what I’m hoping to achieve. Just a better relationship with food.
Lol. As nothing is really banned from calorie counting I have enough chocolate and foods I love daily that I don't really need to factor in treats extra.
I guess treat days tend to be when celebrating birthdays. Then I give myself a day off counting calories and have some things I wouldn't normally .. like birthday cake. Or a scone with clotted cream! Yum! And there's enough birthdays and holidays over the year! Tomorrow is my mum's birthday and we are going out for a meal. I will be mindful of my choices but I'm definitely going to have a delicious dessert lol.
So fabulous to read of your year long journey. Well blooming done... awesome.
Importantly it reminds me that I must start incorporating exercise (other than my current 2x10min walks/day) I’m only just about to complete week 1 but good to get going ASAP! Thank you and enjoy 😊
Wow, CrimsonMama, what an amazing journey. Inspirational. I'm on the 2nd week of couch 25k. Loving it. I forgot that I was running on the last run...jo whiley reminded me to stop running!
I'm already worried about what happens when I complete the weeks. Is there more support?
I totally agree with your three points to success. With all the exercise though, when I do eat too much the scales are kind. That's a new experience for me!
Nice to hear from you Portlandprincess. Are you a member of the c25k forum on here? Once completed you can choose to move to the Bridge to 10k forum. But realistically once you complete the 5k that's more or less it. You just keep running and run for pleasure. I started doing my 5k then continuing to run extra for as much as I felt like. Suddenly I was doing 8k regularly so it was then I decided to push myself to reach 10k. Which I love! Longer runs are actually easier and more satisfying than short runs. Something kicks in after about 3k and I get a good rhythm going.
Maybe its because of the muscle my exercise has built up - and muscle burns more calories doing nothing than fat - but these days a 'treat' or blow out day only increases my weight by a pound or two where in the past one naughty day would put on 5 or 6lbs! And weight increase seems to come off quicker too these days! All thanks to the running and exercise I reckon!
I'm earing too much at the moment. No idea of portion control and love feeling over full.. I've just downloaded a nhs app to try to change the mindset. Good luck with maintaining. But it's not luck...its practice! And you've put the hours in to succeed
This time of year is particularly difficult as its cold and that makes you hungrier and crave denser warm comforting food. I'm having soup again now which I had stopped having for a while. But at work there is only biscuits to grab and I've slipped up a few times.
If your calorie counting try to use them on more satisfying foods. Halving your portions is a good option as usually I find your brain doesn't actually recognise the difference in a whole portion or a small portion. It feels the same (satisfied the hunger or want is satiated). When there are super delicious puddings at work that I used to not be able to resist I now find having one mouthful tricks my mind into feeling the same as if I had a whole portion and stops the craving I would get trying to have none at all.
Thank you...you're so kind on your support. Have you got a good app for calorie counting. I looked at fitnesspal but it seems too complicated. I might stick to pen and paper.
Well done CrimsonMama! It’s such a good feeling isn’t it? I remember at the start thinking I had an almost impossible task, and being worried about failing again - but like you, after a year of getting support here, I’d managed to turn my life around. I’m so pleased for you and I hope you get a buzz out of people not recognising you if they haven’t seen you for a while 🤣 x
Well done. Cutting out the unhealthy amounts of some foods and exercising are certainly the way forward towards a slimmer and healthier life. Brilliant result.
I gave up and gained several times before I found what worked for me! (Combo of diet and exercise). Keep trying and make sure whatever you try doesn't feel like a chore. "Diets" these days are about lifestyle changes rather than a temporary restriction with an end date!
In the beginning I had 500 calories on Mondays and Thursdays and "ate normal" the other five days. This is the 5:2 diet. However I was still over consuming on my five days so I started calorie counting those and then I found it easier to calorie count every day instead of having a very low calorie day. But that can still be useful to quickly undo damage from a celebration or binge day!
I used the NHS bmi calculator to work out my calories as it changes as you lose weight. Roughly, in the beginning I was allowed about 1600 calories weekdays and as I lost weight that went down to 1400. I've always allowed more on non-work days (weekends for me) as its harder to not eat when not busy with work.
So whatever the bmi calculator tells you is your limit you can multiply by seven then allocate out over the week to what suits you. You may prefer some low calorie days so you can have higher days?
You certainly are an inspiration. I am also a number 18 and would like to be a 16. Not very ambitious. Still it is difficult. I cannot find this BMI calculator. Could you please help?
Hi and welcome Charlotte1981 and welcome back annabella71 , skippingpixie , Fra-90 , Latinia and Kelly2
I hope you've all been suitably inspired by CrimsonMama's amazing journey and are ready to start/restart your own.
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.
Your story is inspirational. 👏👏👏Thank you CrimsonMama. I've recently started on my own journey & I think your comment about exercise is spot on. I'm finding I wasn't moving about as much as I'd believed - nor was it at any speed needed to really burn calories. Hope to be as successful as you are. Xx
I remember reading that when you walk - walk as if you are late for an appointment! I still think about that tip to make sure I am going at a calorie burning speed! Lol
This is amazing! Well done you 😊 my journey only began 8 weeks ago but this is real motivation to read! Think I’ve got the eating habits under control now, next step is the exercise. I walk lots and lost 20lbs so far so need to up the exercise. Seems a big step but reading your story has made me realise it is achievable so thank you for sharing!
It's only a big step if you try to do it all at once! If someone had said I must give up this food and that drink AND exercise ten hours plus a week I would definitely have failed! But I changed my diet slowly, learned to make better choices gradually and added exercises over time not all at once!
Walking really is fab! And easy and free to do too! Well done on your 20lbs loss!
What a brilliant post and weight loss of course. A brand new you...... And wardrobe I guess. Good plan having that little bit of wiggle room for parties etc
Thank you! I am not a very healthy eater. I don't like salads and have a sweet tooth for chocolate! So if I can do it I know 100% for certain everyone here can too!
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1lb loss!
Today has to be my day ZERO
Hope this works 
Seem to have lost my motivation
