I started my weight loss journey mid May when I recorded my weight as 14 stone 13 lb. I have been gradually putting weight on for many years partly due to drinking lots of beer in pubs where I often play and sing. (Free beer is part of my payment. )
Obviously COVID-19 has stopped me working now. Like many others I began to treat myself every night at the beginning of the first lockdown with wine, snacks and chocolate and that took its toll. The weight kept creeping on. It was getting to a point where I couldn’t stand to sing in pubs and would sit down to perform.
I was becoming lethargic not wanting to do anything, feeling tired all the time. I struggled to get out of my chair. I was on amlodopine for high blood pressure, statins for high cholesterol and had been told that my blood sugar levels were dangerously high. I have Osteoarthritis and following a cycling accident. I had a hip replacement operation and stopped doing any exercise. At sixty six years old I thought my weight gain was due to my age and my body was slowing down. I didn’t think I would be able to do anything about it.
Since joining the weight loss support group on Health Unlocked I have been following a low carb diet but including fats. I have stopped drinking beer and limit myself to wine or shots in moderation. More recently I have been limiting myself to two meals a day. If I feel hungry I keep busy and drink water. I have had to work to get my weight down currently I weigh 12 stone 3 lb.
I’ve started cycling again and put a lot of time in on my bike to raise my metabolism, build muscle and burn calories. I am fitter, I don’t need a nap in the afternoons as I used to. I no longer take medication for my blood pressure. I have stopped taking statins for high cholesterol and I’ve been told the last time my blood was checked that my blood sugar level was now in a healthy range. My BMI is now 24.3 so I still need to lose a little more weight and then hope to join the maintainers group. Health Unlooked and all the members of the forum have been a massive support to me and I can’t thank them enough. The administrators, hosts and members have been a massive help. There are so many inspiring stories. Everyone is so caring and supportive and no one says anything in judgement of anyone else. I have been directed to and found out a lot of information through the site and like to think I’ve made some friends as well. Thank you so much. Good luck everyone in your weight loss journey is Best wishes Jeff.
Starting weight 14.13
Target weight 11.13
Weight last week 12.4
Weight this week 12.3
Weight lost this week 1 lb
Total weight lost
2 Stone 10 lbs
Good luck everybody have a great day !
Written by
PedallingMinstrel
Restart April 2024
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Thanks LythamI discovered my mistake today ! I had been writing comments about people’s progress but nothing was happening. I realised what I’ve been doing wrong today I’ve been writing replies to people and responses then moving on to another one but forgetting to press the blue box that says reply !! Doh !!
Thank you for such a lovely post😊 i wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments regarding the support and encouragement of the forum. It really has been a life changer for me, like yourself, I was furloughed at end of March and immediately went into holiday mode and my alcohol intake increased significantly, as did my eating all things bad for me , mainly due to boredom.
Following a phone discussion with my GP, I discovered the NHS 12 Week plan and the forum, I also restarted the C25K Programme.
Whilst using this forum I have discovered other eating habits and have researched other healthy eating plans and have been following LCHF with liberal carb intake ( I couldn't go full keto), I have significantly reduced my alcohol and have lost 1st 9.75lb.
I am happier, healthier and a much nicer person to be around as my mood has improved too!!
Oh, and I ran my first 10k a couple of weeks ago😊😊
Thanks again for posting , the very best of luck on the rest of your journey 👍
You are so right about the support etc on this site. I'm sure i wouldnt have made the food changes i have if it werent for being on here. Also the boost to my self worth and confidence is mind boggling.
Congratulations on your achievements so far, especially the bike riding. Keep doing what you are doing and you'll be at your goal in no time xx
Brilliant progress. Lovely to hear that you no longer need to take blood pressure medication and statins and that your blood sugar is normal. It isn’t our age that is important, it’s how we are living our life and the quality of our life. The changes you have made have transformed your life both now and in the future. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your story Jeff think quite a lot of your earlier feeling resonate with how I'm feeling just now- however its giving me hope that I to can turn it all around and give myself a happier healthier me. Well done you !!
I think it's small steps and small changes which work for you. Then as you become comfortable tweak it again. Taking out carbs and alchohol has probably had the biggest impact on my weight loss especially at first. Good luckmBronbron 😀
Wow, excellent 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.
I am struggling a little ( now into week 3 of LCHF eating ) Just thinking about cheese, butter cream etc makes me queasy, not sure if I’ve been too generous in my portions 🥴
Hi Hidden , when I began LCHEALTHYFAT, I was amazed at the amount of butter cream,Greek yogurt etc I was buying. I've always loved butter but never "been allowed" to indulge in it. After about 3/4 weeks I was feeling full before the end of the meal, leaving food on the plate. It was as if my body was saying ,stop! I'm full.
Now I buy half the amount of healthy fats. I've always eaten lots of different veggies cooked in butter or dressed with FF mayo. I'm not hungry, don't usually have a problem with snacking and am losing weight, slowly but surely.
My advice is that you don't have to fill up on the healthy fats because you're already full. Eat more veggies cooked in butter, together with meat/fish whatever you eat. If you're hungry have a coffee with a couple of teaspoons of cream, a little goes a long way. Don't be afraid of not eating enough, the time has come to listen to your body and cut down just a little.
I'm convinced that during LCHF the healthy fats sort of find their own level and we don't over eat. Trust yourself as long as you keep the carbs low your body knows best.
Have you had a look at the meals on the LCHF forum?
I have never taken milk/cream in coffee, and I’ve found most mornings not hungry till midday. I’ve scrolled through posts and have started a recipe book to try delicious new things. I also have the blood sugar diet recipe book that I use, but not restrict to 800 cals a day.
I’ve been a yo-yo dieter for years, and always limited fats using low/light products, my brain is yet to catch up the new healthy way to eat !
My plan for lockdown is to improve my cooking skills and certainly stick with LCHF/ Awful Toad way of eating.
You won't go far wrong if you follow TheAwfulToad 's plan.It's "designed" for those starting out with LCHF, The only reason I'm not following it at the mo is because I have a lot of things going on, so I wouldn't be able to follow it strictly and that wouldn't be a fair trial.
I would suggest that you go for it 100% give the plan a go for a couple of weeks. Trust TAT but most of all trust your body.
Hidden : this is supposed to happen, and you're supposed to respond by eating less fat Are you following my starter guide? I did address this scenario in there somewhere. Maybe I need to make it a bit more prominent. As TheTabbyCat said, the key here is to let your appetite make the decisions. This can be quite confusing if you've followed very prescriptive rule-based diets in the past!
What you should find - during your weightloss phase especially - is that your meals start to look very ordinary indeed, minus the starches. A casual observer would certainly not see meals swimming in grease. You'll still be eating full-fat versions of everything, but relatively little of them. Most of your meals should be veg.
I have printed off your plan and do use it. I think I’ve been too generous with fats, I’ve been so used to restricting them and and so feeling the effects of freedom 🥴
Husband has noticed I do not always eat everything on my plate ( like before 😂😂 ) and I was enjoying the plan, but obviously got ratio wrong.
I’m not a big fan of meat/poultry ( hence major carb intake ) but have used your meal suggestions as a basis for our dinner plan for the next week.
We had a bit of a debate a while back in the LCHF forum, along the lines of "can you eat too much fat?". My position was, yes you can ... for about a week. And then you'll get mightily sick of it!
That's fantastic JeffDavies! So many positive changes that have happened there as a result of your weight loss and you are so near your target weight too 👍
I hear ya Jeff 🙂 I have yet to feel I want one which is weird as I used to love cask beer 🤔 having worked in a bar, I also used to get to taste and recommend beers to customers so it is like a whole new me !
Enormous congratulations you have inspired me to press the ho button and be more focused, it is so easy to ignore the fat piling on, so I'm going to follow your great example and progress downwards.
I'm 67 so you have proven it's not age related, well done.👍
Brilliant I started gently first with the bike short rides, on the flat and then built it up. Cutting out carbs wasnt that bad I just eat lots of vegetables mainly green instead. Good luck with it I do wish you well
Welcome back Ongarroad it's good to see you're getting back on track. I see that you enjoyed the Easter Challenge and was wondering if you'd like to join the Autumn Challenge.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
x 
Wright in
Nearly There
Week 11-lost 24 lbs to date. 
Newbie
Not so sunny Cornwall, but I'm feeling great! :-)
