Newbie.... Any support and advice please!

Hello everyone!

I am 6ft tall and weighed 13 stone 5 in 2017, the lightest I have ever been as an adult. Now, I weigh in at 21 stone 4 pounds and the alarm bells have started ringing!

I am now on day 4 of a diet, toast or cereal for breakfast, a goodness packed smoothie throughout the day, and a healthy Quorn based meal in the evening, NO snacks or treats.

I have done next to no proper exercise for years and I am determined to stick at this before it is too late! I don't want to be 30 stone in a couple of years, and that is the way I was headed.

I am slowly introducing exercise back into my life, I went for a 5 mile walk the other day that nearly killed me! I want to be able to do more exercise but I'm trying to get the diet under control first, and going from bread, crisps, cakes, chips, processed meats and no fruit and veg to a healthy diet is hard work.

I hope I can get chatting with some of you on here for some support and advice and also offer any support and advice to others x

[TheTabbyCat Administrator 16kg]

Hi Dieter80 and welcome to this amazing forum. I suggest you spend some time clicking about to find your way around. It's easier if you have a lap-top as there are several threads.

Have a good read of the pinned post “Welcome Newbies” and follow every thread.

Here’s the link to the pinned posts,

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Here’s the link for the “Tour” of the forum. If you haven’t already taken it.

healthunlocked.com/?tour=true

I strongly suggest you read and contribute to the Daily Diary and participate in a Weekly Weigh in. I also suggest that you set yourself small goals, aiming to lose a couple of lbs a week is doable.

You will find there's loads of tips about better eating, from other members. Sharing your daily menu not only helps you stay committed, it can help other members too.

Good luck I hope to "see " you around.

[Hidden in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Thank you for welcoming me to the site! I will spend a bit of time trying to familiarise myself with how it all works and I'll get involved with the weigh-ins and daily diaries. I can't wait to get involved! 🤗

[TheTabbyCat Administrator 16kg in reply to Hidden]

My pleasure,if you have any problems finding 'stuff ',just shout.

[JiminyCricket 7lbs]

Welcome to the forum! Enjoy getting stuck in and chatting to people - I have found it so valuable to have a place to ask questions, talk about the ups and downs, get food ideas etc - without boring the rest of my family!! Set small goals and celebrate every single one! Best of luck

[Hidden in reply to JiminyCricket]

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it. It is reassuring to know that I can discuss the highs and lows somewhere. It is early days on my journey to a healthy and happy life and I know at times it will be difficult, but finding this forum has given me some extra inspiration. I hope I can provide support for someone else one day. Thank you

[springersrule Moderator 76kg]

Hi Dieter80 and welcome. Your situation is similar to mine although i've been overweight for a long long time. I started my journey 18 months ago and like you swapped all the unhealthy stuff for good fresh produce and started cooking from scratch every day. I did already do quite a bit of walking (with the dogs) but it wasnt fast or exerting in any way lol. Tackling the eating habits definitely needs to come first as that really is the most important part of losing weight. Talking small steps each week to increase your exercise will help you feel fitter and will improve as the weight starts to come off.

I'm a testaments to this working as i've done exactly that. My weight has gone from 24 stone 1lb to 11 stone 10lb and i've gone from walking around 3000 steps a day to over 10,000. I've even been jogging and completed the couch to 5k program.

Set small target for your losses and base your exercise increase on something like "just 5 more minutes" and you will get there. Small targets mean you hit them more often which boosts your motivation and determination.

Best of luck xx

[Hidden in reply to springersrule]

Hi Springersrule, thank you so much for your reply. Sounds like you have done amazingly well in 18 months, bravo! And thanks for the advice. I'm glad to hear that you think me tackling my eating habits first is the correct thing to do, at the moment I am not struggling with cravings for all things bad so I'm not beating myself up about not increasing my exercise, though I know I need to step up a gear soon.... I really appreciate your support and hopefully one day I'll be able to offer someone the same 😊

[springersrule Moderator 76kg in reply to Hidden]

You're very welcome xx

[Eryl Visitor]

A quick tip is to leave out the toast or cereal for breakfast, you'll probably loose more weight and feel better on bacon and eggs. The reason is that unless it's real wholmeal toast or tradditional porrige oats, they're both high in refined starch which will spike your insulin and trigger weight gain.

[PandQs Maintainer 3st 7lbs in reply to Eryl]

Totally agree Eryl, I've just had a ham omelette as a late breakfast early lunch, and couldn't finish it - it's not the toast that makes you feel full! Giving up on the carbs and getting rid of the notion that lowfat was a healthy option has been lifechanging for me in terms of weight loss.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to PandQs]

You're quite right. Eight years ago I changed from eating cereal for breakfast to boiled or scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, ham, real butter , full fat Greek yoghurt, cream in my coffee, low sugar peanut butter....( not all at once 😂) and I never felt hungry because of the fats and protein. I learned a new way of eating and it definitely helped me lose my spare weight. I've maintained my weight for 7 years , and can now have the odd piece of toast or occasional cake if I really fancy it, without going overboard.

[Hidden in reply to Eryl]

Thanks for the tip Eryl! Cutting out bread is a killer for me as I've scoffed so much of it for such a long time. I just feel that because of the weight I am I need something like cereal at least for breakfast to give me the energy to get going....🤔 Huge thanks for the reply

[BridgeGirl Administrator SS Supercook 2 stone in reply to Hidden]

I've checked your profile and I see that I had two decades more than you of scoffing bread but I moved away from it without too much difficulty once I realised the damage it was doing to me. It just means we have to be a bit more imaginative.

You'll get some ideas in the Daily Diary and this is a useful post - Is there Life after Bread? healthunlocked.com/weight-l...

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Hidden]

Just try a morning meal of protein and healthy fats. You will get more energy and sustenance from that.I didn't believe it 8 years ago when I was overweight, but now after 7 years of staying slim I believe it wholeheartedly.

[Eryl Visitor]

Cereal for breakfast gives you a feeling of energy because the raised blood sugar causes a release of dopamine (just like hard drugs cause) but unfortunately it also releases the hunger hormone and you'll feel like having a mid morning snack or have hunger cravings before lunch.

[fromcooktochef 3kg]

Hi Hidden , and welcome ! i just rejoined a few weeks ago too and am finding this is a fabulous group for support and advice and just doing it together - each in our own way, and on our own journeys. The continual chatter really has kept me focused. I agree with the no cereal or toast unless it's something really real and healthy and that suits you. We're all so different, but with age, we get to know our own bodies and our minds and I'm hoping finally to find the 'diet' that is actually just a lifestyle I like to stick to. Hope you do too. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to fromcooktochef]

Hi there and thank you for your message. It is great to get such support and advice straight away, I am very grateful. I am still finding my feet with the whole diet regime, I had a couple of naughty treats at the weekend, that was more for my sanity than anything else! I lost over 4 pounds in my first week on the diet and rewarded myself. Back on the smoothies now though! Good luck with your own healthy journey as well 😀

[slipstick Maintainer 2st 7lbs in reply to Hidden]

You're doing great but it might be a good idea to try to think of some non-food treats. I guess we've all been there with your "naughty treats as rewards". It took me ages to finally train my brain to think of that like "I've lost some weight so now as a special treat I'll put some of it back on". Suddenly it no longer seems like such a brilliant idea😀.

[fromcooktochef 3kg]

Yeah, I just had a naughty treat weekend and as usual after you have one treat, you crave another ! I'm much happier now I'm back on my 3-4 day weekday regime. Weigh in tomorrow though and am feeling rather wobbly about it after all the success i had the last few weeks!