Weight Loss Support

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Losing that last stone whilst suffering from RA.

Horse_and_hound2020 August•

My weight has yo yo-ed for decades. I am approaching my 65th birthday and struggle with inflamed joints so am keen to reduce the pressure on them as much as possible.

At my heaviest, I was over 12 stone but am now hovering around 10 stone 9 lbs.

I still have another stone to lose but can't seem to find the best way having tried calorie counting and keto diets.

I am hoping to start swimming again soon. I could do with any advice you can give to help me shift the rest of the fat from my tum and bum.

Thank you

25 Replies

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Hi and welcome, Horse_and_hound

My advice would be to go low carb, rather than keto, as it's less restrictive, but still anti-inflammatory. This is a good guide healthunlocked.com/api/redi...

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.

If you haven't already taken it, here's a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true

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

Thank you for your prompt response. I will check out the links when on the laptop later today.

Very much appreciated.

You're very welcome

Hi, you'll find lots of advice on our weigh in, here's the link, hope to see you there! x

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Hi,

I’m just in my mid 50’s and experience the painful inflamed knees. I think you’ve done pretty well to have lost the weight from 12 to 10! I’m 12 stones now and aiming for the same or similar weight. What did you do to lose your weight. I walk daily and that seems to help my joints but I find swimming is also quite therapeutic for me.

Thank you! The 2 stone weight loss has occurred over a few years of off and on calorie counting and keto diets interspersed with binges.

I find that breaking my fast as late in the day as possible has helped me. I know that this is not the recommended way to space meals but, as soon as I start eating, I think about the next meal

Lockdown and RA have conspired to make losing weight more difficult but, as always, the nearer one gets to the goal, the more challenging it becomes. Having said that, I did find that being forced to be alone, I managed to eat more healthily as I could buy and prepare 'the best' items for my diet. Now, with company, it is becoming more difficult again.

I wish you well on your journey - one day at a time.

Hi, for me it took years of trying to eat breakfast as ‘the most important meal of the day’, even though I knew that having breakfast only made me eat all day, practically non stop. I did meet one (only one) dietologist ( a young one) who said: if you feel like that and you know yourself - don’t eat breakfast. The only time I naturally lost weight in the past was when I ate twice a day: at noon and a five o’clock. I can’t quite remember how i made that decision, something to do with one protein based meal and one carb based meal. Little did I know that I actually was doing intermittent fasting at that time 😊 it really helps me to do the so called 16:8 protocol: I eat my meals during the window between 12 noon and 8 pm and then eat nothing for the rest 16 hours. Feels so natural to me. (I also count calories to make sure not to take in too much during that eating window). Good luck finding what suits you!

I'm so pleased to learn that it is not just me who has this issue with breakfast. Thank you.

Having had the mantra of "breakfast being the most important meal of the day" firmly lodged in my mind since I first started to have problems with my weight some thirty years ago, I felt bad about missing it!

Finding what works best for you is clearly the best way to go.

My mum made an interesting observation the other day, she said her parents living on the farm, would get up and go do work - grandad to the field with a scythe, grandma to milk the cows and only after a few hours they would have breakfast - they never jumped to ‘fuel’ their body for the day as soon as they got up from bed...

An excellent point - and so true!

If you are following LCHF/keto you may find you graviate towards 16/8 as you do not need to eat at specific times but when you are hungry. I now eat breakfast/brunch late morning. I may have something in the afternoon and then have an evening meal about 7pm. You do not need to eat breakfast if you don't feel hungry. Just drink plenty and eat later. Do what suits you and your lifestyle.

Hi, I had inflamed shoulders. I moved to a mainly fish diet - hake, tuna, mackeral, salmon, bream, prawns - the inflammation has reduced considerably. Try having oily fish every day - the extra Omega 3 worked for me! Im 60.

I am 17 stone and a year n a month away from turning 50. Ideal weight for me is 11 stone, so a long way to go. Am a total newbie here and this is my first post/ response.

So much of what you all have shared above resonates with me. Thinking of food as soon as I have had bf - yep. Observing my parents put in a couple of hours doing chores before they had their bf - yep. BF being the most imp part of the day drummed into my psyche - yep. Walking helping my aching joints or causing the inflammation in my knees? And the list goes on...

I feel like I have spent the past 20 years of my life on a weight loss journey - Joys of having a skinny better half - To only have ended up making myself heavier and heavier. Hoping to make a change and get done with the weight loss journey.

Completely relate to your post. I am over 17 stone. Been on and off dieting most of my life. Love walking & swimming. Our pool just reopened for lane swimmers & been back once. Also have painful knees & back at times. Good luck on your journey!

Hi and welcome Charl33 and Westieowner

I hope you'll follow the links I've provided Horse_and_hound and this one healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... and will also become active members of our community.

Onwards and downwards

Hi Moreless, I have been going through all the links you have provided. But confusing but I will get there. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Love the tag line onwards and downwards !

We're fighting the flab and that's our battle cry

Hi Westieowner, would you believe it - 23 years ago I learnt swimming and diving to get over my fear of water but have never stepped in water since. By the way I am a labradoodle owner Been going for daily morning walks with my trusted companion. Signed up for Diabetes one million steps and completed 500,000 steps today. A friend of mine has been egging me to join an acqua-aerobics class that said friend does, maybe I will give it a go once it restarts. There are days when I feel I am bent in half, most days are much better. Hoping you and I journey together to wellness.

I feel the same. Hovering above 10 stone and can’t get below that threshold. I shall be very interested in the replies to your post and to pick up any hints and tips.

Good luck and keep going. Even if we maintain the weight for a while it’s better than undoing all the good work achieved so far.

🙏

I'm stuck at 10st 4/5lbs. Have you managed to get below the 10st threshold yet? If so, how.... Please?🙄

Hello. I hope you are well in this difficult time. It has not been easy to shift the last bit. I started at 70kilos last April and the lowest I got was just under 63kilos a few months ago.

Lately I’ve hovered about because we look after our granddaughters in their carb heavy home.

My thoughts for you are just don’t give up. I’ve followed lchf with intermittent fasting 16/8 (more or less) and that is my default regime.

I’m not sure how the kilos relate to stones and lbs so I’ll look it up in a minute.

Don’t lose heart. Maintaining is a skill in itself so breathe deeply and have another go.

Best of luck. 🤞👍

Thank you! Best of luck to you too. Enjoy the grandchildren. x

Try having soup for tea a couple of times a week, I find this really helpful, I eat more if there is a meal in front of me.

I'm making veg soup every week - base of savoy cabbage and carrots then either brussel sprouts or parsnips. I do feel it helps but I'm still struggling to shift the last half stone. Any suggestions for other soups?