New on Here

[Jsygal]

Hi Everyone,

This is all new to me and really feeling down about how I look and feel. I usually am a bright, happy-go-lucky, take me as you find me, type of person but recently I feel myself changing and feeling like a flump!

The old saying ' I wish I was as thin as when I thought I was big' is very true for me at the moment. The day I got married 27 years ago, I was so much thinner! I have always been on the larger side but now that has just leap-frogged.I so wish I could be as thin as the day I got married!

I am almost 17 stone - my heaviest ever and I feel shamed and disgusted with myself. I have tried to lose weight, get fit and several years ago I managed that losing just over 3 stone and felt the best ever.......but now I have put on 4stone + and can't seem to motivate myself!

I have 3 adorable children (all grown up now) and my husband is incredibly supportive, but I can feel this is beginning of a downward spiral. I have tried to start running again but my mo-jo is currently a no-go!

Today I have been looking online regarding weight loss surgery as I feel that might be my only option. Having seen others after surgery they look incredible and much more positive and motivated.

I'm hoping that with some support the old me will come back and I will begin to get in the right frame of mind to loose weight. Thank you

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, Jsygal

Your introductory post is so similar to the vast majority of posts that we get, including mine. It's time to put the past where it belongs, behind you and to start looking towards the future. My advice is to concentrate on your health and well-being and let weight loss be a happy side-effect.

Keep it simple, base your meals on fresh, natural foods, meat, fish, eggs, full fat dairy, vegetables, nuts, seeds and healthy fats, all cooked by your own fair hand and good for the whole family. Avoid processed foods, especially vegetable oils, low fat spreads, low fat/fat free dairy and products marketed as 'healthy', such as breakfast/cereal bars. These few guidelines will get you on the right road to improved health and permanent weight loss.

Maybe delay the C25K until you've lost a bit of weight? That way you'll feel more confident, more able and will be more likely to succeed. Walking is family friendly and just as good for you.

Bariatric surgery is not the panacea you think it is. I lost over 7st by eating the foods I've described to you without ever getting close to a surgeons knife and I suspect I'm a lot of years older than you

All of the information you need about the forum can be found in Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... and I hope you'll be joining all the Events, Challenges and Clubs that we run, especially a weigh-in and the daily diary.

We've found active participation to be key to successful weight loss and, of course, it's a good way to get to know people, find inspiration and share support and encouragement.

Wishing you all the best

[Jsygal in reply to moreless]

Many thanks - I was thinking of joining the weekly weigh-in. For years my weigh-in day has been a Monday.

Hopefully this will be the start of a new me

[monday1957 2kg Restart Jan 2025]

Hi Jsygal & I just wanted to say hello & to send you a 🤗

Sorry you’ve got the glums about how you look & feel... Trust me, you’ve come to the best site for support & information!

I weigh in once a week (Friday is my day) and also write on the Daily Diary where we share our meal plans for the day. I do recommend you have a look at that as it’s such a mine of info & everyone’s so lovely.

Re exercise, have you thought about just power walking to start with? When I was heavier, I found running just so darned exhausting & made me feel self-conscious, but walking is something I’ve stuck with.

Lots of us follow lchf - low carb, high fat - and have found it incredibly beneficial in terms of weight loss and general improved energy levels. It might seem impossible to cut out bread, pasta, spuds & rice but at the end of the day, the way we eat is all about choice & habit. Carb high foods are full of sugar and it’s sugar that’s the enemy, not fat.

Anyway, I mustn’t start rabbiting on!

Take care & say to yourself, this is day 1 of taking back control.

You can do this 🌞

[Food4Fuel 7lbs]

Welcome Jsygal - sorry you are feeling so down - similar emotions have brought many of us to this site so you are in good company. I would also encourage you to join the daily diary - it’s a great place to get feedback on your food choices but also learn from everyone else - I’ve only been on 10 days but have learned a lot. There are daily weigh-ins aswell - although most people weigh in once a week.

I was just thinking about exercise too - have you thought of starting with something from YouTube and doing it at home? - there are so many options there. Rather than using it as a tool to lose weight see it as something you do which will help you feel more positive, increase your energy levels and reduce stress instead. The payback will be it has an affect on your food choices as you are less likely to stress or comfort eat.

I’m not a sporty person but I’ve been doing moderate 30 mins cardio/strength a day for 5 weeks now (I reckon I’ve kept it up for about 85% of the time). I’m starting to look forward to it everyday and it makes me feel good (and I haven’t got rid of my lockdown weight gain yet!) and I’m noticing increased strength and flexibility which is so important as we get older.

I wish you well on finding a pattern that works for you and you get your sparkle back again!

[eatingless]

My sister in law had a gastric band fitted, she was over 20 stone. She lost around 10 stone but she can no longer eat a normal meal and she can't eat certain foods at all. If she eats the wrong kinds of foods, or too much food, it comes up as jelly sick (sorry too much info). It's a different kind of prison and not always the answer to weight problems. Incidentally, she had a tummy tuck afterwards to get rid of all the loose skin was very ill in hospital as a result of that surgery. To top it off, her wound wouldn't close for a long time afterwards. Bear in mind too that with most weight loss surgery the patient can cheat and regain the weight, so sustained effort to maintain new eating habbits is still required. I've got a lot of weight to lose too, and I've come on here to get inspiration to get started (I feel your pain) but only if my health seriously deteriorated due to weight issues would I ever consider weight loss surgery. Hopefully this forum will help us both to find our weight loss mojo again

[Subtle_badger in reply to eatingless]

Hello EatingLess. I see you are new here, but you don't have a badge. I will summon TeamAdmin to see if they need to give you one.

That's really interesting about your sister. I'm lucky enough to have not gotten close to bariatric surgery weight, but my reading has come across some interesting stuff.

Jason Fung (doctor, search for him on youtube) describes bariatric surgery as medically enforced fasting, and suggests anyone planning to try it should try just fasting first. He has had a lot of patients losing weight with it. And he claims he has never had to refer them to cosmetic surgery for loose skin, because fasting cause autophagy (eating yourself) and that's enough to consume the excess tissue. And this lovely lady provides beautiful photographic evidence

youtu.be/3xMjAwauTNg(Not working as expected?)

I think you might also find this interesting, as it reflects your sister's experience.

youtu.be/GW7oqR_xp_Q(Not working as expected?)

Finally, don't say "cheat". Weight loss surgeries fail, because the surgeries didn't treat the actual problem

youtu.be/QhutHtKV26g(Not working as expected?)