Hello everyone, a new era is dawning for me. I was made redundant yesterday (31/7), and today starts a new positive journey forward. For the first time in ‘forever’ I’m giving myself the breathing space to concentrate on losing weight, the top item on my ‘bucket list’ of things I want to feel good about. To give myself the best love and care to succeed, I’m even taking the rest of summer ‘off’ before looking for a job…at least 6 weeks. I have the knowledge having spent more than a decade meal planning for specialist dietary needs, and now I’m giving myself the same care I’ve given to others. I’ve joined this forum because I know I’m going to need, and be able to give, support to keep me accountable. The future is like the day is today, bright and sunny. 😊
In the beginning…: Hello everyone, a new... - Weight Loss Support
In the beginning…
Hello Time-to-be-Me love your post and as you say, it is time to put all that knowledge and experience into your most precious asset - YOU! Looking forward to peeking in on your next 6 weeks, and learning from you methinks. Yes, I feel a responsibility to all the guys on this forum and it does keep your head up and shoulders back! Have a good week
Thankyou early day, I’m truly hoping to give as much as I get from this forum 😊
I think plenty on this forum will already have sat up and taken note of your response to redundancy! So you have given of yourself already!!
Hi, nice to meet you! I'm sorry you've been made redundant, but I'm delighted you're taking some time for yourself. I actually resigned from work in November 2022 to do that very thing and it's been very enlightening! I look forward to following your progress and wish you the very best of luck!
EF x
Thankyou Eternal_Flame 😊
Wishing you the very best of luck. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Hi --John-- thanks for your support and welcome to our weight loss support forum. May I ask if you're just visiting or are you on your on weight loss journey? Either way is fine by us 
Hi and thanks for your concern. A bit of both really. I am currently receiving hormone therapy following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. One of the side effects is reported as weight gain and I have developed a big fat belly which really upsets me. I don't know if I can do anything about it as I need the hormone injections to keep the cancer in check. I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. I am 81 but was a hill walker and jogger until recently.
Hi and welcome, --John--
So sorry to hear of your diagnosis, I wonder if this could help? cancerresearchuk.org/about-....
I also wonder if your healthy diet could be tweaked and these may help healthunlocked.com/weight-l... phcuk.org/wp-content/upload... phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...
All of the information you need about the forum can be found as Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I hope you'll be joining all the Events, Challenges and Clubs that we run, especially the Weigh-in and 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
Many thanks for your reply. This is exactly my problem..."Hormone treatment can also cause you to put on weight. This is usually around your waist. It can also make you feel tired and less active. This can then make the weight gain worse. " The question is whether there is any way round it. Or am I doomed to have a fat belly as long as I am having hormone therapy?
If you read on, it says that a mixture of cardio and strength exercises to maintain muscle mass will help and the other links advocate a lower carb way of eating which could also help.
Thanks very much for your support. I try to go to the gym for an hour 3 times a week. I do rowing, cycling, weights, floor and treadmill. I am hampered by having PAD in my left leg which the specialist says cannot be treated other than with major surgery which he sees as too risky. I try to walk a mile a day but need to rest every so often as the pain becomes intolerable. My wife is very weight concsious so together we eat lots of vegetables (steamed), no potatoes, virtually no bread, rice or pasta but we do eat fruit, fish but no cooked breakfast - only weetabix and fruit with just a little milk. Before the therapy my weight was fine and my stomach was flat. As I said I am 81 now but want to continue hill walking and jogging if I can (We climbed all the Wainwrights in our seventies). I feeel like I'm in an impossible situation!
I'm sorry it's such a struggle for you, when you're trying so hard 
The only suggestions I have is that Weetabix has 37.5g carbs in 2 biscuits, but a vegetable 2 egg omelette only has 13.9g.
Fruit is also high carb, except berries dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fruits
Have you considered a Revitive machine, or something similar? My husband uses one to good effect.
I wish you nothing but good luck!
I've just had a thought, have you joined the Advanced Prostate Cancer forum, they may have some ideas? healthunlocked.com/advanced...
I was in a rut with work so needed that kick to get me restarted . Can't pretend all was great but settled better than ever in a new post , new people , new ideas . I started with a set - I will take a month off as financially for me it wasn't viable to extend any further however I found because I had the time , calmer in myself I started looking on websites about a fortnight after I started overthinking and found that nowadays even for the easier applications it took 4-5 weeks at least to get from application to reply to rejection / interview stage . I was amazed how the basic jobs I applied for unlike the past asked for everything apart from my dress size so I had a basic CV but couldn't click and send without tinkering for every application .
Great though to have a break . Clear your head by addressing just you instead of 1000's of things .
It’s certainly a scary thing, especially being in my 50s now, but I know that this is the opportunity that I’ve waited for for so long. I crunched the numbers and know I can manage for around 6 months if I need to, maybe a little longer, but I plan on just taking August and September ( though will maybe start applying in September with an October start date earliest). I only want part time now, so the scope is a little wider, but I want to move away from what I’ve been doing…a completely fresh start, and I plan on going to uni next September all being well. Thankyou so much for giving me your experience, I’m glad it worked out, fingers crossed it’ll do so for me too. 😊
maybe have a word with a few agencies. I retired from my Uni last month and found the agencies quite encouraging. Yet to put it into practise but I gave myself sone time off too. Best of luck with your job hunt. Might be an idea to tweak several versions of your CV depending on the level of job you are going for.
Good morning , and welcome. It’s lovely to hear your positive message. I’m sure you will do so well. Have a brilliant summer, it reminds me of breaking up for the 6 weeks holiday at school ,so exiting. ( mind you that was decades ago for me :-). ). I have recently returned so looking forward to travelling the path with you
Thankyou Mollydex, yes school hols were a good few decades ago for me too 😂. I’m actually planning on uni next year, another bucket list thing to tick off, and a complete change of career path. I might be in my 50s, but I’m not ready to fully leave work behind yet, though I do only want to work part time from now on. Life is an adventure that I’m really going to embrace. 😊
So great to hear such positivity after redundancy, it sounds like a real turning point in your life, so I wish you well. This forum is very supportive with many accumulated years of wisdom and experience of all things diet and general well -being, especially if you join in.. I hope you really enjoy your 6 week personal sabbatical and that it is the beginning of your journey to your best ever ’you’.
Thankyou Frenchfields 😊
Care for yourself before caring for others. How many of us do it ,I'm the same always putting others first .Recently I've had to go on medication ,but now I'm calm and don't worry as much about anything .
Things happen for a reason and I'm sure at the time of being made redundant you didn't think so .
Wishing you all the best wherever life takes you .
Gary
Thankyou gman1961, you are right, I would probably have kept plodding on until I literally couldn’t…and been in a pickle. For me, the redundancy has opened doors, and though I felt sad for the rest of my colleagues, I did feel a relief straight away. Having been at the company a long time, with one of the few original contracts, I’ve come out of it well and I’m determined to make it all count. 😊
I'm sure things will work out ,Gary
Great to hear from you Gary .
It sounds like it’s time for a bit of “me time”. I took voluntary redundancy at 51 and had a couple of months off. It took me a few attempts to get a job that was perfect for me but I met so many great people in the jobs that didn’t work out and it really boosted my confidence trying new things. Good luck with your weight loss and your next job. It sounds as though you’re ready for this!
Thankyou Mission17, I certainly am ready 😊
Welcome to us Time-to-be-ME , so good to have you here! I had an accident at work and was basically forced out of my job back in 2016. My bosses told me that my back would always be a problem and they couldn't sustain my potential sickness! I was devastated!!! Best thing that ever happened though.
I was off for a year, joined this forum, started the C25k, shed several stones, started working for the NHS, and was happier than I'd been for years. Still working in the NHS and I've never had a day off sick since I started so big 2 fingers up to those that caused my accident - either way around means the same thing! 😋
You're the one in charge of your destiny and it's great to see you so positive and grasping it with both hands. We'll be with you to laugh, cry, rail against the world, whatever you need us for. Looking forward to having you on this journey with us, Dix
Thankyou ANewMe2022, your reply has struck a chord. If I hadn’t been made redundant I know it’d be only a matter of time before I had to give up because of my health (I’ve had too many broken bones and strains over the years, and they don’t mend like they used too, the job was basically killing me). Fortunately the redundancy has been a bit of a golden ticket for me, though sadly a lot of my colleagues have not found it to be ( the whole residential side for every residential school has been closed by the company that bought us out, a lot of very vulnerable children and young adults cast adrift 😔). I plan on making the most of this opportunity. 😊
Gosh your story resonates with me . I worked as a therapeutic parent in a childrens home . Memories of 30 hour shifts as I didn't sleep at night whilst there and attacks from very insecure frightened children . I left through personal choice . Very hard going with injuries and lack of sleep and little personal time .
It was the most ‘marmite’ job I have ever had, loved and hated it so many times in each 12 hour shift.
Eyes in the back of my head and never slept a wink at night
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