Help! I have so much weight to lose

[trotskyite]

Well done for posting. I would really concentrate on Calorie intake at this moment in time. Remember that new activity can stimulate appetite. 7 miles is a huge distance and at your weight at 3mph would burn close to 1000kcal, that is a lot to start with, but is definitely something to work towards. Best of luck
To stay at your weight you need approx 2400kcal/day
starting today If you are lightly active and on 1666 kcalories/dayyou will have lost 105lb by September 4, 2015

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Going low-carb is certainly the right way to go. I personally wouldn't suggest LCHF but just having the fat that gives you the minimum calories you need which may only be medium fat? Protein is good for making you feel full and the calories can be lower than fat. Anyway keep at it and I'm sure you'll win.

 

[andcol]

Hi Zand, I wish you every luck in getting your weight down if there is any encouragement that I can give then I will.

Rah, Rah, Rah, you can do it

Seriously though it can be hard to keep the will power so if you are feeling hungry I found a cup of black tea or glass of water helps

 

[Indy51]

As well as thyroid hormones, I'd also suggest getting Vitamin D status checked - especially if you're not getting much sun exposure. A deficiency can also stop you from losing weight.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!

 

[zand]

Well done for posting. I would really concentrate on Calorie intake at this moment in time. Remember that new activity can stimulate appetite. 7 miles is a huge distance and at your weight at 3mph would burn close to 1000kcal, that is a lot to start with, but is definitely something to work towards. Best of luck
To stay at your weight you need approx 2400kcal/day
starting today If you are lightly active and on 1666 kcalories/dayyou will have lost 105lb by September 4, 2015

Thank you. Yes you are right about calories. It's no use doing a low carb diet if I snack on cheese and nuts all day. For the moment I don't count calories as such because a few years ago I was so addicted to doing this that I just ate less and less and slowed my metabolism right down. I didn't lose weight on 800 calories a day back then. (It's a bit better now) I will however 'keep an eye on' the amount of protein, and more importantly fat, that I consume. I may need to count calories again later on.

It will take me a while to get back to the 7 mile walk! Yesterday I was exhausted walking less than a mile. But I will get back to walking longer distances again with practice. My usual walking speed for long distances is around 3 mph, sometimes 3.5, so it's good to know how much fat I am burning.

All of your post has been helpful to me, but the most useful was telling me it's possible to do this by September 2015. My initial reaction was 'No, that's too soon! Shock! Horror!' I felt sick. This shocked me, I thought it was what I really wanted, but now you have said that it is attainable, I am almost too scared to do it. I think I may have some emotional issues to deal with along the way. Something in my subconscious does not want me to succeed. Perhaps I need counselling to get there, because right now I feel too scared to even think about being slim again. How ridiculous is that?

 

[Indy51]

Thank you for your honesty - and it definitely sounds like counselling of some type would be useful to you - it's amazing how the human mind can work to sabotage our best intentions. If thinking about being slim is too threatening, maybe think in terms of health and mobility? They're the two things that worry me most. I live in a retirement village and it's very sad to see the physical degeneration side of ageing. Just imagine how it would be if you had a fall and you were alone when it happened? That idea gets me out and walking everyday.

 

[zand]

As well as thyroid hormones, I'd also suggest getting Vitamin D status checked - especially if you're not getting much sun exposure. A deficiency can also stop you from losing weight.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!

thanks Indy. Yes I have asked for my vitamin D levels to be checked, hopefully it will be on the list for the nurse to do when I go for my tests next week. If not I will remind her.

It is highly likely that I am deficient in Vitamin D, as for 2 periods of 8 months, I took a prescribed drug which had many awful potential side effects. One of these was that skin was prone to burn more easily, even to the extent of blistering in the winter when the sky was white. The side effects lasted for a few months after stopping taking the drug. I did get a blister on my wrist, when I drove for a couple of hours on a not very sunny day, So I got in the habit of covering up, so I would be surprised if my vit D levels weren't low.

 

[zand]

Hi. Going low-carb is certainly the right way to go. I personally wouldn't suggest LCHF but just having the fat that gives you the minimum calories you need which may only be medium fat? Protein is good for making you feel full and the calories can be lower than fat. Anyway keep at it and I'm sure you'll win.

Yes, I see your point. I will have to be careful with the amount of fat I eat. I suppose for me the HF means eating high fat things like butter, cheese etc., rather than using the manufactured, low- fat versions of these foods. I need to be careful with protein and making sure I drink enough, because the very first time I tried LCHF my kidneys complained, I put on lots of weight through water retention and my blood pressure got dangerously high at 240/180.

Note to self: drink plenty of water.

 

[zand]

Hi Zand, I wish you every luck in getting your weight down if there is any encouragement that I can give then I will.

Rah, Rah, Rah, you can do it

Seriously though it can be hard to keep the will power so if you are feeling hungry I found a cup of black tea or glass of water helps

thanks Andrew. I had forgotten about black tea. Many years ago I used to drink 2 litres of diet coke a day to stop me from feeling hungry whilst dieting - not a good idea at all!

 

[zand]

My fasting BG was 7.9 this morning - though this was done just before I had a cup of tea at 6.30. I am aware that if I had to wait for a fasting blood test at the doctor's surgery, it would be quite a bit higher than that, at say 9.00 am.

I have been out for a walk, not quite a mile. I did attempt to walk a little faster than I wanted to, so that my heart got a tiny workout too. It wasn't too happy, but it will have to get used to it - as will I. My calves ached too. I stopped walking early mornings because I read that early afternoons were better. However, I prefer mornings, so will start there, as any exercise is better than none. I can always do an extra one in the afternoon when I feel like it.

 

[Scandichic]

Thanks so much Andy. Yes this has post has been a big thing for me, I am usually quiet and shy and hide away at home for most of the time. Yes the food diary would be good, I did keep one a few years back, but let it lapse.

I wish there was a gym for very fat ladies, because I might go if everyone else was wobbling all over the place! I also do have a pedometer somewhere, but will probably have to get a new one, as it is put away safely somewhere.(!)

So tonight it's roast beef and lots of veggies for me. Spare a thought for me on Saturday though...I foolishly bought a ticket for Wembley! This can only end one way - disappointment! I need to be strong when the rest of my family/friends go to McDonalds afterwards.

I will be thinking of you on Sunday. Good luck with your marathon, and I hope the sponsorship is still coming in!

You are fab! Is there nowhere else your family can eat after the match? No tapas bar! Can't you gently point out that you need some food too! Good luck on your journey and well done for starting the thread. Big hugsx

 

[Scandichic]

Yes, you can! If I can then so can you. One day at a time, stay positive and determined. It gets easier, and the benefits are when you can fit in to clothes again that you never thought would be worn again. Two sizes smaller. Nearly three. I hang the next size down on the wardrobe door, to keep me motivated. And my level are coming steadily down. I can wear my jeans again!

I love this idea! Going to try it out - any excuse for clothes shopping!

 

[pavlosn]

Dear Zand

Be decisive, make today a clean break from yesterday, the start of the new you.

Be determined, do not allow small setbacks to get you down.

Have a long term target in mind and do not lose sight of this, but break it into smaller more manageable intermediate mini targets.

Be patient, sometimes good things take a bit longer to achieve.

Keeping a food diary is an excellent idea. I find that having to write things down helps me keep a limit on what I consume.

Don't tell yourself that you are not allowed to eat something. Better tell yourself that you can have whatever it is but that you chose to postpone having it to a later time of your own choice. A mind trick but works for me.

Find healthier, slimmer food choices you actually enjoy eating and make sure these are available to you for when the munchies strike. We are probably all better at sticking at something we enjoy doing than something we do just because it is good for us.

Keep us posted on your progress but remember that the only person you need to impress is yourself and the only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday !

Good luck with your efforts and enjoy Wembley



Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

 

[))Denise((]

Don't worry about going to McD's. They actually do some low carb food. Try the Grilled Chicken Salad http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/product_nutrition.salads.15.grilled-chicken-salad-no-bacon.html

 

[AndBreathe]

Interesting reading zand. This issue is clearly taking up a lot of head space for you at present, and on one level, that's a good thing. You are giving it lots of respect.

If you are torn between LCHF and calorie watching, then something like myfitnesspal might help, in that the food diary aspect of it will record the nutritional data for you, so you can see how you're doing without too much effort. It will also track weight loss too, and, from memory, will not allow you to set yourself a weight loss goal which is extreme on a daily basis.

At the outset, I never thought I could go this long without a Salsa and Mesquite Kettle Chip, but by going one day at a time, it has happened. I completely appreciate this might feel like I'm minimalising your challenge. I'm not. I'm just trying to encourage modest, achievable goals you can easily monitor and acknowledge, rather than aiming to lose a lot of weight, which will take a long time, however you do it. Once a pattern of achievement is established, it's much easier to maintain.

Stick with it girl, and keep emptying your mind on here. A problem shared and all that.

 

[zand]

Thanks AndBreathe. Today the task does seem enormous. I have tried to walk, but not managed to get very far at all. I thought it would be fairly easy to get back to last Summer's fitness levels but I ache at the slightest effort. I have no inclination to organise my meals either, though I have been making healthy choices. I am beginning to regret telling everyone! I have always just quietly got on with trying to lose weight before. This had limited success, so in the spirit of 'If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got' I decided to change my methods this time.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

 

[Robbity]

thanks for your support. It is much appreciated. I daren't even believe that I can lose as much as you though. Still, one pound at a time.....

You definitely CAN do it ! I've lost over 30lbs since January and I'm a lazy old lady who hasn't been able to (and not really wanted to!) do much exercise during that time...

Robbity

 

[zand]

Don't worry about going to McD's. They actually do some low carb food. Try the Grilled Chicken Salad http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/product_nutrition.salads.15.grilled-chicken-salad-no-bacon.html

Thanks for the tip. In the end we didn't go to McD's after all - which was typical, if I hadn't had a plan worked out in advance we WOULD have gone there. I'll remember it for next time though, thank you.

 

[AndBreathe]

Zand - if it was going to be easy, you wouldn't have felt the need to make your original post.

Don't measure success by the number of times you fall over, but the number of times you get back up again.

 

[zand]

Zand - if it was going to be easy, you wouldn't have felt the need to make your original post.

Don't measure success by the number of times you fall over, but the number of times you get back up again.

Thanks so much for this. I will keep a copy of this post and write it in my diary to remind me when things get tough. I do so hate tripping up and feeling like a failure.