Newbie looking for advice

Salli

Hi all, I have been lurking around here for a while reading all the threads are have been really motivated by you al to get my own weight loss plan firmly into play. I am 5'8'' and weigh 10st 4lb, not a hugh amount for my height, but it is up almost 1.5stone in a year. I am (was!) typically tall and slim, now I feel very flabby and uncomfortable.
I have started walking and am trying to jog as much as I can but at the moment I can only do a minute or two and have to return to the powerwalking.:( I have no diet plan however, except "eat less" really! I am a divil for coca cola, meals out, takeaways, ice cream and sweets so I reckon ditching these is a good start. If people here recommend finding a fixed weight loss plan that tell you what to eat etc please tell me how you chose what one was best for you. Thanks!

Pembily

5/7 is the best way!!! 5 good days and 2 bad, not bad, but take a break from being very good!! Exercise but have a take away and maybe either try coke zero or give it up totally (defo a better option)!!

Best of luck...

Mink

I'm almost in same boat except 1" shorter & few lbs heavier :rolleyes:

I strongly suggest keeping at it on the running/jogging/power walking. Check out the couch to 5k program. I did sort of similar thing and as of last ran the full 1/2hr (I don't know the distance) without stopping. I then shaved 4mins off the other night. I was having a terrible hard time in the beginning & packed it in a few times but this last time I persisted & I've gotten better at it, knees not sore anymore & body feels a lot better.
Have been losing 1/2 - 1 lb a week since really kept at the running most nights (& also improved diet!).
Check out clean eating as well. These two things combined will make you feel a lot better. You don't need to buy a book about it, it's essentially just healthy eating.

Salli

Thanks for the tips, will defo check out the couch to 5k programme. Have been good all this week and last night I blew it. Had a friend over and ended up drinking a bottle of wine and ate a caramel slice and a bar of chocolate. I wasnt even hungry! Mink how have you improved your diet? I was wondering about weight watchers but I think I don't weigh enough to join. I would like the points system I think so I am trying to find if you can buy lists of food points and do it myself

DreamC

I would recomend WW. Once I already lost 6 stones with them in only 9 months and kept my new weight and size for a long time. Now I have to start all over again after pregnancy and breastfeeding. ! stone is already gone!

Salli

Thanks Dream C, I have seen the results and it is amazing! What do most people here on boards who are on WW do- meeting, or the home kit? As I said already I don't think my weight is enough to register at meetings and the home kit seems very expensive. I was hoping there was maybe a book I could buy with the points???

edit: Maybe I can join "The minimum joining weight is 10lb above BMI=20. You must have 10lb to lose to join Weight Watchers". and the chart says 10.2lb...does this mean that I have to be 10lb above 10st 2lb or I need a bmi that, if I lost 10 pounds, would be greater than or equal to 20???

DreamC

Salli, I am doing WW at home. I do not need meetings or encouragement of other people. Last time I also was doing it just on my own. My friend attended the WW meetings so he just got me the book with points and the paper points calculator (he had to say that he had lost his ) So, if you have any friends attending the meetings you could ask them for assistance, or even ask to lend you their books for an evening or two and copy the list for yourself.

As far as I know you can do it online as well through the UK WW site. I do not think it is permitted to post any links here on the boards. But just Google it, it has that co.uk ending. They also have a big and friendly forum there.

Mink

Salli wrote: »

Mink how have you improved your diet?

Google "clean eating" or "eating clean" & that's pretty much what I do. I'm not perfect & I'm crap at being really strict on my eating.

Main thing was drinking more water, eat way more veg, cut down on carbs but try & have at least 1 serving of something wholegrain a day as I need it for the running. I have a sweet tooth so I have a couple pieces of dark choc everyday (the really dark stuff - 70% cocoa).

I pretty much steer clear of anything packaged - particularly microwave or stick in the oven for 15 mins type things.

Don't really eat processed cheese, ham, reconstructed chicken foods.

Try to have good (not processed) protein at most meals

Seems to be working so far & you really notice the difference when you go back to eating sh1te. Had beans & egg on toast last night & felt horrendous afterward as also hadn't had much veg that day.

Salli

I know what you mean. I was good at the weekend and all week (up until last night -ugh!) but one evening I made myself a burger with cheese mayo etc and felt like rubbish. I am trying to have a smallish dinner, go for my walk/jog and then a nice snack later (yogurt, fruit) but after that burger I couldnt get myself off the couch! In fact, i have only realised that the way I often felt after meals (sluggish, tired, quesy if I ate to much) is not normal way to feel!

Mink

The good thing is that after a while of eating well, when you do then have a burger or a chinese, you start to get a bit put off eating crap because you feel really sick afterward. I've observed this with myself in regard to certain crap foods I used to crave & now the thought of them nauseates me. I've observed this with others as well.

The_Conductor

Your BMI is 21.9- which is very healthy, regardless of your previous history.

It sounds very much as though you need to design a new regime for yourself more than anything else. Cut the crap food out- eat a better balanced diet, and get a bit more exercise- building it up over time.

You do not need to loose weight- you do need to eat a better diet, you do need to get some reasonable exercise in.

S.

Serafijn

Hi Salli,

Welcome to boards and good luck with your quest

You sound very similar to me in height and weight, as in don't really need to lose weight a such but feeling as if I could be a lot leaner and more toned, so I get exactly where you're coming from.

I started the couch to 5k programme in February and I can't recommend it more. I am now jogging every other day and gradually increasing my speed. I have done 2 long runs (9k and 10k) and am doing the Flora 10k tomorrow. I'm really enjoying it and it really helps with toning and losing those last few stubborn pounds.

My advise with the runing is to follow the plan exactly - don't try to skip ahead and don't miss any sessions. There are tough weeks but push yourself a little and you'll be flying It helped me to have a goal and date to aim for, so have a look for upcoming 5k or 10k runs and sign up for one so you HAVE to keep it up, at least until the run is over

Regarding WW, I had a bit over a stone to lose so managed to sign up online (using my parents' UK address). It really helped to put things in perspective with regards to which foods are good or bad. You can probably get the books on eBay, and you can get a points calculator which lets you work out points for most foods with the calories and sat fats. As a guide I am an inch taller than you and a couple of pounds lighter now and on 19 points per day

Hope that helps!

Sera

rubadub

Salli wrote: »

As I said already I don't think my weight is enough to register at meetings and the home kit seems very expensive. I was hoping there was maybe a book I could buy with the points???

edit: Maybe I can join "The minimum joining weight is 10lb above BMI=20. You must have 10lb to lose to join Weight Watchers".

At your current weight I doubt any doctor would advise you should lose 10lb. If you already think WW would kick you out for being too thin, then you probably are.

Salli

Rudadub, I am not concerned that I am too thin for WW. I just thought they had a high joining weight and perhaps the programme was designed for people who had a lot to lose. I posted in the WW thread and a girl told me according to her book at my height the minimum joining weight is 9st 11lb, so someone much lighter than me can be deemed able to lose weight. My bmi used to be 19 and my doctor was very happy with that as I am tall and was a healthy size. All the weight I have put on is pure fat and my stomach is seriouly wobbly. I have to suck it in and tuck it into my jeans when I sit down! I honestly am not a thin person who is obsessed with being thinner, I am very wobbly these days.
Sera, thanks for the post, I like to meet people like me with just a bit to lose an a lot to tone! I am glad the jogging is working out for you, it is very daunting a first for someone like me who gets out of breath walking to work! I am very positive about it now and am feeling the benefits already.

CathyMoran

http://www.weightwatchers.ie/WWI_Controller.aspx?Page=1017842 This page gives you the minimum joining weight (you just about qualify at 10stone 4lb, you need to be 10 stone 2lb to join).

I would still argue that you need to tone up not loose weight - you are a perfectly healthy weight at the moment.