Want to be Ab Fab at Fifty!

[Pixie-Elf]

Hi all, I am approaching 50 in the autumn and I just want to look better in my clothes and feel better in my health. I lost weight last year and started in make real changes in my eating habits and exercising for 7 months. But started to feel depressed and anxious in December and all the weight and more has gone back on. So back to square one now! I am 3 to 4 stone overweight at 12 stone 8 and just under 5 foot. Would really like to be around 10 stone by my birthday in 4 months. I was 8 stone 10 on my 40th birthday! So going to give it ago and I started on Monday 1st June!

[Laura99]

Good luck! I hope it goes well for you and you achieve all your goals! ☺️ ..happy 50th for when it comes around! Hope you get to have a big celebration!

[Pixie-Elf in reply to Laura99]

Thank you and I do have a holiday booked!! In this country so maybe I may stil be able to go!!

[lucigret]

Hello and welcome Pixie-Elf

I hope that you are feeling a lot better now. Losing weight has a lot to do with mind set and it can be difficult when anxiety pops up.

I think you would find this article a really interesting read and hopefully helpful

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

If you haven't already, please take the time to read the Welcome Newbie post, this will help you to navigate the forum, which is best done using the full website and not the app.

Please also take a look at all of the Challenges, Clubs and Events that we have, to help to keep you motivated and engaged with the forum.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

The above link will take you to all the information you need. Participation is key to success and I would recommend that you at least join the Daily Diary and a Weigh In day of your choice.

As a peer to peer support group, we all benefit from encouragement and support from one another, so look forward to seeing you join in around the forum

Wishing you the best of luck on your weight loss journey

[BrynGlas]

Can I be very rude and ask whether you were put onto anti depressants? I was on them for about 4 or 5 years and my weight sky rocketed. I finally got free of them in 2018, I was totally addicted to them and had never realised it until I tried to reduce them.

I also had no idea that they caused some people to gain weight. I did gain weight when I was on them, but I put my weight gain down to my low thyroid.

What weight loss regime are you thinking of using, or have you got one in mind yet?

I think you will get a lot of support and help from this Group, you need never feel alone here. Good luck.

[Pixie-Elf in reply to BrynGlas]

Hello BrynGlas,

Thank you for your reply and yes I was on antidepressants, but I think it has a more positive effect on me. I know they are not for everyone but I feel so much better whilst on them. However I seem to self sabotage and not take them. Before lockdown I got referred to Mind for some CBT because of this and a shopping addiction, So now on a waiting list.

I think it was the menopause that caused my weight to shoot up. I had been between 10 and 10 and a half stone for a number of years and could handle that but seeing the scales head towards 13 stone it’s too much. I am feeling very uncomfortable and it’s not just how I look but my health too. Even if I lost a stone it would make such a difference for me due to my hips and knees.

Atm I am counting calories on my fitness pal app. I am having 1200 a day to ease me in. I was so good last year and cut down on carbs and fats and had more fish, lean meats, salads, fruit, veg, eggs and nuts and made my own meals from scratch. So more like a clean eating diet I guess but not quite as strict. I even cut out all alcohol, pasta and bread for nearly 3 months . So going to try and do this over next 2 months. So expensive though but felt better.

Do you use a weight loss or exercise guide?

[BrynGlas in reply to Pixie-Elf]

Yes, menopause was when I suddenly began to gain weight, turned into a low thyroid patient and everything went down the pan for me suddenly. I also piled weight on, at my biggest I was just over 15 stones, so we have a lot in common.

No I don't do the exercise guide either I am afraid. I want to go back to Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi as exercise but can only do that when the Leisure centre opens again. I do walk a fair bit though about an hour 5 - 6 days a week. I could do them from DVDs here at home but it isn't the same as going to a class & meeting people.

[Pixie-Elf in reply to BrynGlas]

I like to make up my own exercise routines from the free apps. I did walk a lot but doctor has said not the best exercise for me because of my hips. Twisted my ankle a few weeks ago, I fell over walking. I have a bit of a aversion to cardio I guess as well. Prefer strength and toning. I have a bike but confident to ride around so I use indoors as a exercise bike as brought a stand to stabilise. Last year was doing half an hour a day but building back up to that by doing 10 mins as need to be careful of my ankle.

I did complete a 12 NHS led course combining nutrition, exercise and weight loss at my local leisure centre. I did lose weight but this was at the time of the beginning of the menopause. It was nice to be part of the group though and I wished it could of carried on for support.

[Lytham 3 stone]

Welcome aboard, would you like to join our weigh in today? Here's the link, I hope to see you there! x

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[Pixie-Elf in reply to Lytham]

Hi Lytham

I missed it on Wednesday, I didn’t realise it closes, but I be there next Wednesday. 😃

[Lytham 3 stone in reply to Pixie-Elf]

Brilliant, you can join a weigh in any day, they all close at 9pm for the following days to open x

[Hidden]

You can do it!

[Readaholic4]

Omg... That sounds like me

I'm approaching fifty in November.. I'm hoping to be fit not fat by then.. I'm really determined to get there losing three stones would be ideal.

I wish you all the best.

[Pixie-Elf in reply to Readaholic4]

Hello Readaholic4

It’s such a struggle isn’t it! I had to get if the courage to stand on the scales. I thought I was 12 Stone 8 but actually was 12 Stone 11. So been a bit down today. Went to work with too tight Jeggings in a size 14. I know Jeggings are supposed to be tight!! Brought them in September last year and fitted really well! Ordered Chinos from M&S in Size 16 last week and was shocked. I think they were at least 3 inches away from doing up. Just wanted to cry tbh. I felt so yuk yesterday but hanging on in there! Resisting the temptation to have a

Hob-Nob! Good luck to you on this journey.

[Pink4eva]

Hi Pixie-Elf, saw your posts, just wondering how you are getting on? I am a yo-yo dieter. Have put 60lbs back on over past year. I binge eat and felt completely out of control during this time.

[Pixie-Elf in reply to Pink4eva]

Hello Pink4eva

It’s horrible when you start putting weight back on. I ended up putting over a stone back on since December. I don’t think I binge eat too much but I eat too many carbs such as sweet things. So I able to have 2 biscuits at a time but then that would lead to 3 times a day when I have tea. I always have 2 biscuits for breakfast usually hob nobs or digestives. I tried many years to change this but I just can’t. I hate anything else at breakfast so I decided to accept this. But then I could struggle during the day. I find for me smaller meals and snacks during the day work better for me. Though I seem to have put weight on though the past week! So need to decrease weekend eating! Cut out the wine and bread etc. Nuts and fruit and dried fruit last year were really helping to control cravings. But so expensive I can’t really afford it atm. I have stated exercising again which could account for the gain in weight as this had happened before. Then all of a sudden in a few weeks the pounds will fall. That’s what I am hoping. My weakness is at late at night, it’s almost like a addiction in trying not to have a biscuit or a piece of cheese etc. So I have brought fruit like grapes, blueberries so I can take a handful if I get tempted. Also a glass of water helps. I hate feeling so uncomfortable and I have loads of nice clothes but many do not fit. So if I lost a stone a lot of them would. What things do you find helpful with the binge eating ? Xx

[Pink4eva]

I started HRT two weeks ago, pretty much at the same time as started LCHF and I F. I have read that all of these can help,I haven’t had a binge since then, so keeping fingers crossed😊. I have got clothes ranging from size 10 -20. At my heaviest I was 16st 12, when my weight was getting into the 15 st bracket I felt desperate not to put anymore on. I tend to be all or nothing, so find it hard just to have a few biscuits or a slice of cake, same with chocolate. Like you I also struggle more in the evenings, also cutting out alcohol, gin in my case, has helped a lot.