30 Years I spent getting started

Sued0nim · November 2015

I worked it out - I probably started my first ever diet around 16 or 17 to lose a couple of pounds. For 30 years I lost weight by fierce motivation and then put it all back on again and more

Being pregnant twice didn't help - Getting older didn't help - Perimenopause didn't help - couch potato lifestyle and loving my foods didn't help

I have tried in the last 30 years
- meal replacement drinks
- Atkins
- Harcombe
- Low Carb
- Weightwatchers
- Slimming World
- Intermittent Fasting
- Meal planned foods delivered to my door
- Exercise programmes
- Yes and even elimination / detox diets

I am suitably shamed

I never reached my target weight - but I've lost lbs and lbs - I've always swung back

I'm 48 now - I got this last year - at 47 I threw away everything I thought I knew and focused on calories in vs calories out which involves
- weigh food, log accurately, double check entries and hit my calorie defecit across the week
- move more - choose to walk (dog loves this part)
- move more actively and intensely - I joined a gym and I follow progressive resistance programme. Because muscles - muscles are awesome.

And now - 54lbs down, in maintenance since April - fit, healthy, no asthma meds, no panic attacks and I have so much more energy

So I just thought I'd post and say whatever you're going to try - I've been there - I've got the t-shirt and I'm pretty sure many of us have

Don't let it take you 30 years to work it out

Commit to eating fewer calories than you burn, focus on wide nutritional benefits, don't deprive yourself - whatever way of eating works for you to hit your calorie defecit - and commit

cos it feels a whole lot better a couple of years down the line than it did that day you start

Good luck

Whitezombiegirl · November 2015

Sorry you had to try all that rubbish. I guess im lucky that i grew up with cico (born late 70s). As an older child.i knew the calories in most things as my mum would tell us and we knew our daily allowance. It was very important to her that we were slim so we weighed most days. We had treats- a kitkat everyday and home made cakes but it was managed. If we gained about 5 lbs we cut back for a couple of weeks till it was gone. It may seem odd but it sort of worked. As a rebellious teen though my only way to get back at her (for whatever teen girls get upset by) was to binge to spite her. This was always followed by restriction though.
Its always stuck with me though- the cico not the binging.

Sued0nim · November 2015

Oh I remember calorie counting too ... but the fads and myths and packaging it up to make a buck are so prelavent in our society that you lose focus I think

I'm not that sad about it - I've never felt bad about myself - I just feel so much better now

And I hope this helps at least one person when they're looking at getting started - because that's a daunting feeling

kss1231 · November 2015

Thank you for posting, it definitely gives me hope that this way of life does work. I have a similar story except I have always been overweight, I may have lost a couple pounds but they all came back with friends. I like this approach but I haven't figured out how to be consistent with logging. I'm doing much better and have lost almost 30 this year and hope to continue losing next year. It's just slow but since I didn't gain it overnight I won't lose it overnight either.

Elaine352962 · November 2015

I can relate totally to the messages on here. For the last 30 plus years I have been up and down with my weight. I am a member of weightwatchers and I am still struggling. The supprt and advice is helpful. My problem with me is that I feel hungry most of the time. My portion sizes are a problem. I am determined to lose this stubborn 2 stone weight which gets me down. I hope you achieve your goals as well, good luck and stay focussed.

zoeysasha37 · November 2015

Great post rabbit.

PinkPixiexox · November 2015

Respect to you.

Thanks for posting

30 Years I spent getting started

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