A weight off!

Vada

:eek: 5ft 6 and 17st 6lbs! There I said it, you can imagine my horror I mean the jeans felt tight alright and I've been avoiding the mirror but good jesus! 14st was rimming it but how did this happen?

Fatty foods and lack of Exercise that's how it happened you fool.:(:o

So, I've given myself a good talking to. My friends, my sweet treats, chocolate, biscuits, muffins. They'll have to go.
My large portions of moderately healthy rice and pasta with chicken and plenty of cheese! the plenty - it'll have to go.

My breakfast of a sandwich how did I start eating sandwiches for brekkie? - since I stopped working.. Hello porridge.

And wow! phew, those stairs are tough to climb, yet I used to fly up them but inactivity. Get walking I shall.

So, board posters, I'd be very grateful - do you have some tips, advice, encouragement? - The task before me is daunting, it piles on in the blink of an eye but alas not so easy to shift. I'll be following the ww points plan.
The sugar is gonna be a killer for me (lack of) and general comfort eating..
And the exercise, it will be walking for me, but how to challenge myself and ensure it's doing me good?
p.s I'm a woman.

Serafijn

Hi Vada, welcome to boards and to the Nutrition forums. You're in the right place

Congratulations on taking the first step and making the decision that you're going to do something about it. That's an achievement in itself.

WW is a good idea, especially if you're not used to watching what you eat. It really helps you to figure out what is good and what isn't in terms of weight loss, and keeps you on track when it might otherwise be too easy to slip up. There are a good few regulars here on WW who can help you out if you get stuck and offer advice and all the rest. Check out the WW thread and some of the other nutrition stickies to get some basic info.

I'd also suggest having a look at the food diaries where people log all their food intake, exercise, weigh-in results etc. It's a good tool as it makes you accountable for what you eat and helps keep you on track. Some of the guys on there have had great success, so it's a good motivator to see that it really works Consider starting one of your own if you think it might work for you.

Another suggestion is to break it down into small, manageable chunks. Don't stress yourself out thinking about the total amount of weight to be lost, but set smaller mini-goals, say a half stone at a time. You can probably expect to be losing at least 2-3lbs a week, so after 3 weeks you should have a half stone shifted. Mini-goals are also great for motivation! And consider having other goals, like fitness goals eg. be able to cycle for 30mins without stopping in 6 weeks time, and build up to them slowly.

Just remember that it can be done. It might take time and it won't alwasy be easy, but stay committed, try to enjoy it and you won't look back.

Good luck

cozmik

Hi
Don't make the mistake of thinking all the sweet treats have to go. They don't! You just need to learn to control the amount of those foods you eat. To help you learn how to portion control my advice is to write down on a piece of paper what treat you are going to allow yourself for the day. Have it, enjoy it, and leave it at that. If you stick with it you can have something nice everyday and still lose weight! Now doesn't that sound good?

LorDar

Hi Vada - congratulations on the taking the first (& hardest!) step! It is a long and bumpy road but stick with it & you will get there!:)

I agree with both posters above - 1) take it in small chunks - don't overwhelm yourself by thinking "I must loose xx stone". Do have an over-all goal - but break it up, say half a stone by end of Feb?? Whatever suits you best!
2) Don't go completely off all treats - it isn't sustainable. Just build small treats into your weekly (or daily?) allowance (and make them small treats!)

I would recommend joining a Weightwatchers class if you can - I know it's not for everyone, but find it works for me. And, the new programme helps you understand what food keep you fuller for longer - so you are less likely to snack.

Also, as Serafijn said - have a look at the Food Diaries & the Weightwatchers thread. They can be very inspirational - esp when you've had a bad day!

Good Luck!:) Keep us up-dated,

Vada

Hi Serafijn, thanks for your greetings and encouragement. I did the WW plan before (a few years ago) so I'm familiar with it. Although I have a lot more to lose this time! And keep off.
It's slowly coming back to me - what I used to eat, those better choices!
I will check out the WW thread and food diaries


Hi cozmik!
I know I can have some sweet treats but I have a terribly sweet tooth and a tendency to go overboard.
Its more of a psychological thing for me, if I know I'm going to have something sweet I'll try to put it off for a few hours - a reward for later, it's pretty satisfying:P


Thanks LorDar and hi:)
I'm just getting into the swing of things this week and so far,so good. I'll take a dip into the WW thread when I've got into the swing of it and I'll probably have questions:D
I feel I can do the plan without the class this time round.
I've a pretty good grasp of whats good and not so good for me but knowing and doing are quite different!

I intend to keep updated here - if only for my own motivation. And well done btw, this forum is excellent.
Thanks for the advice guys:)