Hi, I am new to this - well sort of new - been yoyo dieting for years

hmckie64

Hi, my name is Heather and I am from Scotland. I am 5 feet 8 and 52 years old. I have been dieting for years and years and have gone from obese, even morbidly obese back to obese again. Going through periods of eating around 700 calories a day for 5 days and having 2 days of eating and drinking between 2500 and 3000 calories (I like my red wine) this has left me with a sluggish metabolism which I desperately want to improve on. I never had a problem with my weight until I started a low calorie diet and since then it has crept up and up and up. Its like a vicious circle going around and around and I just want to be able to live normally without constantly having to think what I am eating.

I have a relatively sedentary life style. I teach in a secondary school and most of my teaching takes place front of class with a whiteboard so sitting for a lot of the day. My goal is not to be a magic weight or size, I will be happy if I can maintain a reasonable weight for me (being overweight is fine) but I want to be healthy. I was diagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes about 6 years ago. My mother was insulin dependent from her 40's and due to her unable to control her diabetes ended up blind and on dialysis after having total renal failure, I do not want that for my future. I have managed to control my diabetes through losing weight and dieting and have had normal readings for the last 2 and a half years. Dr has suggested that I stay on Metformin although only once a day, not for the diabetes but for the benefits, she said of the Metformin.

At the moment I have read a blog on this sight about a similar woman who despite eating 700 calories a day, does not lose weight, she like me tends to up the calorie intake at the weekends. It is suggested in the blog that the woman ups her daily calorie intake to around 1500 and only eats wholesome foods in order to kickstart her metabolism again. The blog states that initially she will gain weight but that her body will get used to it again. I decided to try this and am now on day 4 of 1500 calories - already I have gained 7lbs (scary and very scared) but I am going to persevere with it and see where it takes me.

I believe that I have a relatively healthy diet. Most of my food is cooked from scratch and I include lots of veg in my diet, I tend not to eat much processed foods. Not so much fruit as I maybe should have as I tend not to like it very much.

What I am looking for from this site, apart from tracking what I eat, is advice from anyone out there who has managed to get their bodies working normally again after years of starving, eating, starving, eating. I am not going to suddenly run (well walk very quickly) down to the gym, I did that in my 30's and 40's and I know I don't maintain it. What I do do is walk, for miles and love it.

Any advise please feel free to give it.

Thanks

Heather

hdatres

I stop by to say hi ....Hello my name is Heather too. I am the fourth generation that came from Glasgow Scotland. I am 40 years old 5'5" and 270 pounds. My goal is to lose 100 pounds in a year.i've been at this for over two months and haven't lost a pound yet.gerrrr!!!!! I have been going to the gym and lowered my calorie intake, I am still trying to figure out what adjustments I need to make. Trying to do something is better than doing nothing at all, yes?

godlikepoetyes

You need to plug in your height and weight into MFP, set your goal (I suggest 1 pound a week), and accept the calories that MFP gives you. Then log everything, every single bite, and accept the fact that you will need to do this the rest of your life. Be honest in your logging. Do not have cheat days. When you go over (and you will) log all of it and don't give up if you have a setback. And sit down and write out all the reasons you've failed before, not just the obvious stuff that you have in your post, but the messages and tapes playing in your head that cause you to fail, to believe that you must starve to lose weight.

Here is a story I wrote yesterday. I don't know if you obsess over food the way I did/do, but I suspect you do based on your pattern of restricting and binging.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10397633/how-making-real-changes-led-to-my-87-pound-loss#latest

godlikepoetyes

hdatres wrote: »

I stop by to say hi ....Hello my name is Heather too. I am the fourth generation that came from Glasgow Scotland. I am 40 years old 5'5" and 270 pounds. My goal is to lose 100 pounds in a year.i've been at this for over two months and haven't lost a pound yet.gerrrr!!!!! I have been going to the gym and lowered my calorie intake, I am still trying to figure out what adjustments I need to make. Trying to do something is better than doing nothing at all, yes?

I started out it 270, too. I've lost 87. If you haven't lost weight in two months, then you do need to assess what's going on. I'd start by seeing your doctor. Are you on any medications that can contribute to weight gain?

When you say you've lowered your calorie intake, what do you mean? I started out with 1,800 calories and I ate every one of them. Do you log everything? Are you honest with your logging? Do you underestimate so you can eat more? Do you overestimate your exercise calories and then eat them back? Do you weigh your food?

I hope that you can find your way. Listen to what your body is telling you. And please know that you do not need to starve yourself, even if there is something screwy with your metabolism. You can work with a nutritionist to figure out a way to eat that won't leave you feeling deprived.