Age: 40
Start Weight: 15st 2½lbs
Weight Now: 14st 3lbs
Weight Lost: 14½lbs
Rate of Loss: 2lbs per week
Dieting History
Like Mindy, I have tried all the 'quick fix' and well known diets, ie.
WeightWatchers, Slimming World, Dr Atkins, Cambridge Diet, Egg
Diet, Rosemary Conley's Low-Fat Diet, Zenical and counting calories. I
have lost weight on all these diets, but put it all back on and a
little more each time. The majority were too restrictive. One of them
just encouraged me to have bigger portions of certain foods. The most
successful diet for me was calorie counting when I lost 4 stone in six
months – I strictly adhered to 1000 a day and the weight dropped off
(I didn't change my eating habits, I just ate all the same fat filled
foods, but very small amounts of them and didn't exercise either). As
soon as I reached my goal my portion sizes of the same fat-filled
foods grew bigger – hence I got fat again.
On Being Overweight…
To be brutally honest, I hate being overweight. I hate me, the way
I look, the way people treat me and the way it makes me feel. I am so
disappointed in myself. I hate my lack of confidence, how I hide in
tents instead of shapely clothes. I have allowed being overweight stop
me from participating in the activities I once enjoyed, such as
socialising, swimming, shopping, jet-skiing, scuba diving, step
aerobics, keeping in touch with old friends (just because they knew me
when I was "slimmer"). Most of all it has stopped me from
taking my little boy swimming and doing things with him … and, of course,
I stopped LIVING! All because of embarrassment at what I look like and
what people will think. This has just kept me fat, and helped me
get fatter.
Finding the Motivation
The only person that can really do something about this is ME! I
managed to keep my weight at around 15st 10lbs for about a year,
without dieting and exercise. My husband was no motivation because he
would say "he loved me the way I was", but he had to tread
carefully as I also suffered from post-natal depression. I knew he
wanted me slimmer again because of the way he talked about what I WAS
like. A few things definitely kicked me into the right frame of mind:
A photograph was taken of me at a barbeque last Summer. It was a
side view of me. I was taking a big bite out of a large hot dog –
triple chins for all to see. I looked 9 months pregnant , except I had
given birth 2½ years ago! I've seen a lot of 'fat' photos of me
before, but I had thought I didn't look too bad – this
photograph shocked me so much I actually wanted to cry when I saw it.
I was totally devastated.
I started getting palpitations which frightened me. I went to the
doctor and he said that I needed to lose weight. He put me on Zenical,
but this did not work for me, but the 7lbs I lost to get on the
tablets and the 4lbs I lost once on them (over 5 months) was
enough to ease the palpitations a little and reduce my blood pressure
slightly. I didn't lose any weight for three months on Zenical, so my
doctor took me off them – but he didn't give up on me. He insists that I
go and see him every month to get weighed. I regained 8lbs and the
palpitations got worse again. I knew it was up to me to sort it out,
and I wanted to start losing the pounds to prove to my GP that I could
do it. I'm seeing him in August – he'll be pleased with me!
I'm 40 this month and my husband asked me what I
would like. I said I want my life back! I want to wear nice clothes, I
want him to fancy me again, I'd even like to feel attractive in the
company of other men! I also want to like myself again. AND do all the
things I have stopped doing because of my weight.
My husband told me to jump up and down in front of a mirror naked
and see what wobbles (bless him). I did, and it was horrific –
nothing stayed still! This was the last straw as I was so incredibly
upset and miserable – at last he really understood how being
overweight was destroying me. He is helping me now and is dieting with
me – to a certain degree!
Discovering WLR
I decided the best way to lose weight was to count calories, but I
didn't want the hassle of finding out how many calories were in all
the foods I ate. I decided to try the Internet, typed in
"slimming" and, hey presto, Weight Loss Resources website
– what would I do without you? I had a quick look, signed up for the
free three-day trial and was hooked!
How WLR Helps
The Food Diary is invaluable: I cannot envisage me ever being
able to count calories without it. It works out the calories, protein,
fat, fibre and carbohydrates in every morsel of food and drink you
have. It indicates how many calories you have left for the day, or how
many you have gone over. It even adds exercise calories for you to use
up or save. I can now change my bad eating habits by eating more
nutritious foods instead of sticking to small quantities of
fat-filled ones.
You choose your weekly weight loss rate (such as 1lb,
1½lbs…) and a target weight loss, or date you want to lose the
weight by, and how active you are – and it tells you how many calories
you can have a day, and when you can lose it by. You can also change
your mind about the targets you choose so you aren't stuck with your
first decision.
The Nutrition Reports are also fantastic as you can see how
you are doing on the percentage fat, carbs, fibre and protein. You
can print these reports so you can go through them later and look at
how your eating habits are changing as the weeks go by.
The Best of WLR
The Message Boards are invaluable as the encouragement, support and
enthusiasm from WLR members is such an essential part of success.
Fross' Tips
My tips (learnt from other members of WLR and from my own
experience) are:
Use the Food Diary at least once every day if you can. Don't cheat
on what you put in your food diary, be honest – you are only
cheating yourself.
Drink a glass or two of water with every meal and if possible drink
a couple of glasses between meals. Cut down on your caffeine intake
too.
When you are feeling low or about to binge, post a message – your
supporters are there waiting to help, encourage or stop you from
sabotage!
Try to change your bad eating habits. If I stick to my old habits
of scoffing at weekends and eating the fatty foods I've always eaten
then I'm not changing my bad eating habits. I am already changing the
way I am eating by including at least 8 portions of fruit and veg a
day – unheard of for me. I feel I will have a greater chance of
maintaining my weight once I reach my target if I seriously change the
way I eat and the way I think about food and drink.
Write down the reasons why you want to lose weight – such as a
holiday, wedding, want to be slim for you; how you feel as a fat
person now; how you think you will feel as a slim person; and what
difference you think it will make to your life. Write down how great
you feel now you are doing something about it. How ecstatic you felt
when you lost your first few pounds on your weigh in day – I
wanted to jump around like Tigger – ALL DAY! When you start to feel
demotivated, read your list and think about what you've written down,
and motivate yourself again. I am already feeling so much happier with
myself because I am, at last, doing something PROPERLY.
If you slip up (everyone does) write everything in the diary and
continue with the plan the next day – don't delay. One meal won't
destroy your diet, but doing it on a regular basis will. Post us for
our help. We will help you get back on track.
Use targets of 7lbs at a time. You'll feel great and successful as
you reach each individual target and tell us about it!
Start NOW – don't delay – even if you've got some 'bash' to go
to! Don't say you'll start tomorrow. Until you make a start it ain't
gonna happen!
Don't lose the weight too fast. It will be harder to keep it off
when you have the occasional celebration (see my message on boards for
08/08/02 "I died and went to heaven…")
Remember you are not alone. When all else fails and you get a
chance to go online, post, post, post, post, post! The boards are very
busy, but they're great. I haven't stopped since I've joined, you must
all be a bit sick of me by now! (Sorry!)
Finally…
I agreed to do a Members Profile because… what better motivation
than that – I've GOT to get the weight off now, haven't I, or you
lot will let me have it!
ps. When I've lost 2 stone I'll let WLR have that awful photo of me
(oh no!)
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