Lose weight like me
I recently started slimming Fortunately I'm not really huge, just a bit too cuddly. I thought I would take you
on my slimming journey, it will encourage me to continue and might help you to slim too.
Beginning the journey
I was advised by the doctor to lose weight as this might help reduce the amount I snore. At the beginning I
was 12 stone 3 pounds that's 171 pounds. I asked my local nurse if she would weigh me regularly, but she
said I would probably do better if I joined a slimming class. So off I set to a local town where a class was
held in a Baptist church. It was a bit cold and uninviting. I received my books which would tell me what to
eat. It cost nearly 10 to join but then would be 4.65 on following weeks. I was certainly going to lose some
pounds!! We weighed and chatted and made ourselves tea or coffee in the dingy kitchen. The leader then
went around the class to see how people had done. There was praise for the ones who had lost weight and
encouragement for those who had not. The next week I discovered I had lost a pound. The next I had lost 4
and was slimmer of the week, with a sticker to put on my book. This was most encouraging. The next week
I had put on half a pound. I was away the next week and then after that I had lost 2 pounds. Guess what the
next week I had put on half a pound. I was really doing quite well but I was losing too many of the other sort
of pounds. I decided to stop going but with the help of the books to continue slimming. That's when I
decided to make this lens, to keep me motivated
The basic rules of what to eat
There are foods which you can eat plenty of, so long as you mix it in the obvious salad and fruit type foods.
These are the ones you can eat plenty of; meat ( without fat) rice, potatoes, baked beans, pasta, fat free
yogurt. However there is no point in over eating on these. You also need to eat a small amount of cheese or
milk, and bread or breakfast cereal with plenty of fibre. Several fruits also tend to speed up the weight loss,
these include raspberries, strawberries and melon. My photos show you a range of meals. Basically you need
to avoid any more than a tiny amount of fat. But you must realise your body does need some fat.
Here is a link to the Slimming World site . This was the slimming class that I attended and found very
helpful. I have only stopped going because of the financial outlay.
Exercise
Exercise is very important and really enhances your ability to lose weight. I find exercise is better done with
other people. I went on a four mile walk with my daughter, this morning. With company it is so much easier
to keep walking. Conversation helps this too. It is good to plan a walk every day, even if it is only a short
walk. It is easier to turn a short walk into a long walk than it is to do a long walk from scratch. Some people
like the gym and others swimming. It is all good stuff to get you fit. But fit does not mean skinny. Have a
realistic goal. I was 12 stone 3 lbs and plan to be 10 stone 7 lbs. I am now (15.04.10) 11stone 6lbs and plan
to be 10stone 7lbs by September 1st 2010. See the countdown below. Watch my progress.
No weight loss this week (21.04.10)
But no gain either. So that is quite satisfactory. I am now down to the weight I was a year ago. Now I was at
this weight steadily for quite some time. Apparently it will need a bit of perseverance to shift the weight
some more because the body recognises this weight as being the norm and will try to stay there. If I keep the
rules of my diet, after a while I should see a good result. It is so easy to become dis-heartened when this
happens but all will be well. It is also good to remember that slow steady weight loss is much better for you
and you are more likely to keep the weight off. Yo-yo dieting is very bad for you. Also if you starve yourself
your body will go into starvation mode and refuse to release the fat. Instead grabbing every oportunity to put
on more weight.
Progress 27.04.10
A little progress has been made. I have lost a pound and am now 11stone 5 lbs. This is good because slow
loss is far better than a dramatic loss. If you lose weight quickly you are likely to put it on quickly. Tell me
how you are getting on in the guestbook. I would like to know how you are doing too. I must admit I have
been a little less tight about keeping to my diet this week. I think a very little break from things can actually
increase your weight loss. If we are too severe the body goes into starvation mode and refuses to shed those
pounds. What we need is a constantly healthy diet which we can get used to and stick to forever!
Some things to remember about weight loss
It is definitely not a good idea to lose weight rapidly. You need to coax your body to lose weight gently. If
you lose it too quickly it is very likely to all come back on again. With the diet plan I am using it should
come off quite slowly, but it is a diet which can be maintained for ever as it is highly nutritious. Sometimes
you will find that you are not losing weight but maintaining weight. If at this time you have a little lapse and
enjoy a naughty treat you will quite likely find you lose weight soon after. Your body had been
thinking,"I'm not getting any fat lately so I had better be careful and not release any." Then when you had
that treat it says,"Thank goodness, some fat, now I can relax." It is all a matter of taking care not to over do
the dieting and then not to over do the treats.
I imagine like me you want to lose weight because it would be healthier. Healthier for the older person does
not mean skinny. None of this getting down to size 0. When I reach my target weight I shall still be quite
well covered. My mother always used to advise having "something to fall back on." So we need to remind
ourselves that the target is to get to a healthy weight by healthy means. That is by eating a well-balanced diet
as described above. Every day you should have a very small amount of fat, lots of meat, rice, pasta, potatoes
and eggs.(Not all at once!) and lots of lovely salad and fruit not forgetting the fat free yogurt. Don't be
discouraged when progress is slow, this is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Good luck. Do tell me
how you are progressing. A little tip for a treat take some fat free yogurt and spoon in two teaspoonsful of
cocoa powder. That won't upset the diet.
A difference of inches
You can encourage yourself with the difference in inches around your body as you lose weight. Sometimes
the pounds just don't seem to want to come off, but you can encourage yourself by seeing how the inches are
coming off. Do this in the morning before the fluids begin to gather. You can even do it with out a tape
measure. Just use string and cut it where it meets around your body. You will then have the joy of seeing
that string overlap more and more as your body firms up. I find I have lost more on my bust and hips, but
not so much on my waist.
You can also tell from your clothes that your body is shrinking and they are becoming looser. Also it is great
to find you can get back into clothes you had had to set aside. I can now get into trousers I had dispaired of.
Anything that makes you appreciate your success is a good thing. so keep up the good work. Do all you can
to avoid fat, except for a very small amount daily which you need for your health.
Wednesday weigh in 5.05.10
I have lost half a pound this week which means I am now at 11st 4 1/2 lbs. Slow but sure. Some foods speed
up your loss of weight and some speed it up even more, these include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
and melon. Who could complain about eating lots of those? Sometimes in a week you will find you have put
on weight. Do not be discouraged, look at the success you have already had and keep going. If you have a
day where you lapse into eating things you should not, just forgive yourself and get back to this healthy
balanced diet the next day. Don't beat yourself up about it. Success is just around the corner.
A late weighing day 14.05.10
I've been on holiday and was unable to weigh on Wednesday. So here we are on Friday and I've lost half a
pound and am now 11st 4lb. I am very pleased with this. While away I had one meal a day out in a
restaurant, otherwise we were self catering. I had cottage pie one day and baked potato on two others. They
fit in pretty well with my usual diet. I also had strawberries and clotted cream on one occasion and enjoyed
it thoroughly. I am convinced that it a good idea to do this sort of thing occasionally. If you are too strict
with a diet your body thinks you are suffering starvation and goes into a mode where it will not release
stored fat, however ,if occasionally you supply some fat your body relaxes and is prepared to part with some
of that stored fat. So don't go mad with the cream cakes but by all means have a little treat now and again.
Listen to your body
It seems to me that weight loss is a complicated thing. If it were not we would all find it easy to follow the
rules laid down with no problem. But it is complicated and what suits one person does not suit another. We
have to learn to listen to our bodies. We have to learn to tell the difference between what our bodies really
need and when we are just having a desire which is to satisfy just our mouths.
If your body is really telling you it needs some fat you should give it a small amount of fat. If you do this
and then continue on your chosen diet you are more likely to get a good result. You have to take
responsibility for your diet and choose what your body needs. We are all so used to stuffing ourselves with
far too much that we cannot recognise what our bodies are really saying to us. So we have to start tuning in
to our bodies and hearing what they really want.
Your chosen diet should not deprive your body of anything it needs. Starvation is not a good thing and your
body will react by refusing to let go of that excess weight, if you try to starve it. We all like easy answers but
if your weight loss is to be permanent you cannot take an easy route. You have to listen to your body. Just as
your body needs adequate sleep and exercise it also needs food, it's just that we have let food get out of hand
and eaten for other reasons than that our bodies need it. We have gone in for comfort eating when we have
had problems, instead of solving the problems.
Now we need to take this route of listening. If you can eat only when you feel hungry this is an excellent
thing to do. Many of us do not know what it is to feel hungry; we feed ourselves according to the time of
day. This is easy for me to say as I live alone and can vary my mealtimes. It is not so easy for you who live
in a family.
I hope some of these tips will be helpful.
Weighing day 19.05.10
My weight has stayed the same at 11st 4lb. It's hard going sometimes with a diet. We love to see the pounds
rolling off, but really it is better to do things slowly. I must remind myself that since February I have lost 13
pounds. That is so good. It does become harder to shed the pounds as one nears one's target weight, but
eventually we will be hoping to maintain the target weight so look at times when your weight stays the same
as practising for that. My clothes are beginning to feel baggier so there's a good sign. I do feel better without
those 13 pounds. I also feel better not spending any more pounds on slimming classes.
A day late
A day late my weight has gone down a pound to 11 st 3lb. Well I couldn't let that go by without telling you.
Always celebrate an achievement. Of course it might pop back on again by tomorrow.
How often do you weigh? I have to confess that I am a weighaholic. I weigh first thing in the morning in the
nude and then again with clothes on. This latter is the weight I am quoting to you as it was what was taken
when I went to slimming group. I also weigh last thing at night when I am heavier, to work out what I'm
likely to be in the morning. Yes it's crazy and obsessive but I don't want to miss a good weight. The
recommended practice is to weigh once a week!! I couldn't possibly cope with that, could you?
Relax
It seems to me that if I relax my diet a little and let a few "naughties" into it I actually lose more weight.
Obviously one mustn't go mad but it seems to me that you have to catch your body out with little surprizes.
It then seems to relax and not go into starvation mode and the weight comes off. A starvation diet can only
do you harm. If your body refuses to let the weight go you become dissillusioned and give up. No, you have
to play a cat and mouse game with your body. Just as a cat catches a mouse and then lets it go over and over
so you have to persuade your body that it is getting enough nutrients and this means letting it have a little
extra fat occasionally or a little more carbohydrate. So don't be too mean to yourself or your body. your
body is like no other body and will react differently from your friend's but you can work out what is needed.
Listen to your body, eat when you are hungry and don't when not.
No change this week 26.05.10
Well this weight loss game is slow, let's hope it is also sure. I am still 11 st 3lb today. Since I have started
this lens I have lost 3 pounds, but that is three pounds in the right direction. I would have liked more, but at
least I'm not putting it on. Since I started slimming I have in fact lost a whole stone. Yippee!! Always look
at the positives. This is no easy undertaking but the benefits to ones help are great. One thing I have noticed
it is much easier to turn over in bed. So don't give up with your quest for a healthier you.
The news this week 2.06.10
Well, this week I am still 11st 3ib. This is where my daily weighing comes in handy. From last Thursday till
Monday I was 11st 2lb. I flirted with too many church teas over the weekend, so I am not worried by my
weight. I am still right at that place where I was the same weight for a long time, so it is a little bit difficult
to coax my body away from that comfortable weight. I just need to throw away the rest of the sausage rolls
and resist my daughter's banana cake and all will be well. When you can understand how your body is
behaving you can stop making excuses and stick to the rules you have made yourself and that you know
work. There is no need to beat yourself up and get depressed and indulge in comfort eating. you know what
is best for you, just do it.
A break through 16.06.10
Last week I was so fed up with still being 11st 3lb that I didn't post my weight here. However I upped the
fruit intake and cut back severely on the carbohydrates and had a portion of protein and today I am rewarded
by being 11st 1lb. I intend to stay with the fruit, have two slices of toast with the necessary bit of fat and go
easy on the rice and pasta. I'm hoping I will start losing more regularly, now that I am past that body weight
that my body recognised as being a comfortable weight it has been at before. Getting to that stage with one's
weight is, I feel, a bit like "hitting the wall" in a marathon (not that I've ever run one!), you just have to keep
pushing on and suddenly it breaks and you are away again. Good luck with your dieting too.
On the home straight June 23rd, 2010
Well, I've got past that difficult patch that my body recognised as a weight which was an old friend. This
week I am 11 st 0lbs. i've celebrated with strawberries and clotted cream. The secret seems to be to stick
very closely to my diet the majority of the time but to have a treat now and again. You do have to find what
suits your own body best. Your body is unique and only you can tell how it reacts to different things. Our
bodies are there to help us, they react if they think there is a famine situation by shutting down the
mechanisms that let us lose weight. Therefore cutting down on food will prevent you losing weight at first,
so give your body plenty of the right stuff. You need to plan to stay on a good diet once you have reached
your target weight. If you just go back to your old ways of eating your weight will go up again and probably
up higher than you were before. Be warned. If this is going to happen you are better staying at the weight
you are. So for your health's sake make a permanent change in your diet and stick to it.
Wednesday Weigh in June 30th, 2010
This week I'm just a smidgin over 11 stone. I am very pleased to have left 11st 3lbs behind me. Now I am
having to think about taking in some of my clothes. That's really good. I intend to stick with this healthy diet
permanently and I think that is the only road to lasting success. A diet which you come on and off leads to a
yo-yo effect in your weight which is worse for your health than staying steadily over weight. Dieting should
only be about your health and not about looking like a wraith. The diet I am using here is full of variety and
is well balanced. See early on up this page for what the diet consists of. I wish you well as you make an
effort to improve your health.
Edging persistently downward July 7th, 2010
So now I am a little stuck on 11stone but that is far better than being stuck on 11 stone 3. I am gradually
edging my way downward and friends are noticing the difference. I am still really enjoying the food I am
allowed and having a good variety. This is definitely a very healthy diet and I am feeling wonderful. I am
sure I will reach my target weight on 147 lbs by September first.
10st 13lbs July 14th, 2010
Another milestone, leaving 11 stone behind. I have only six more pounds to reach my target of 147lbs. My
tenacity when stuck on 11st 3lbs has paid off. Take heart if you are stuck; just keep the diet going and
eventually you will succeed. Now that I'm on track again it doesn't matter at all that I was stuck for a few
weeks. This diet is so nutritious, not banning anything totally, that I intend to stay on it permanently with
just a few adjustments, perhaps a little more fat and bread.
I cheated again this week July 24th, 2010
I didn't post on Wednesday as I am supposed to do as I was 11 stone again. I thought I would wait for a
better day!! Well this morning I was 10stone 11 lbs, but I don't reccommend the way I achieved it.
Yesterday I went out for a trip with the family. Had a lovely lunch and then got really ill on the way home.
We had planned an evening meal out for father's seventieth birthday. I had to stay home in bed. However it
certainly improved my weight, but it will probably tend to go back up during the week. We will see. I still
feel a bit weak but I'm O.K. All the best with your weight loss, don't give up, you can do it.
Steady as she goes! July 28th, 2010
I have stayed at 10stone 11lbs this week, which is great. Four more pounds to go. I hope you find this page
encouraging for yourself. Dieting is often a case of hanging in there with grit and determinaton. It helps to
have a really nutritious diet as the one I am following is. Check at the top of the page to see what the diet
consists of. You too can succeed.
I've done it again Saturday August 7th, 2010
I didn't like what my Wednesday weigh-in said so I've waited till Saturday to report my weight. Perhaps I
should give up my Wednesday weigh-in altogether as it never seems to suit me. Well!! Good news. I am
now 10 stone 10 pounds. Only three to go and twenty-three days to do it in. It's possible, at one pound a
week. In any case I am pleased to be within spitting distance of the target. What will I do next. Well I shall
continue with this nutritious diet and see where it takes me. I will report back on a monthly basis to see how
things are with me. I don't intend to abandon this regime and go back to my old ways. I love this way of
eating. I have never once felt hungry or deprived on this diet. What more could I ask for. Remember the
times I have indulged in strawberries and clotted cream? And yet I have continued to lose weight. You really
should take a look at the foods you can ea, at the beginning of this page and try it for yourself.
How to cope with bad news August 25th, 2010
A three week gap since my last official weigh in. You guessed I put on weight. I went on holiday and kept to
my diet fairly well but had more cups of tea than usual and a few treats. I got my brother and sister-in-law
on the diet, but somehow I put on two pounds and then another two in the next week. But today I am back to
10st 10. It all shows you must not PANIC when your diet seems to go pear-shaped. My holiday included
two long coach journeys and I wonder if that caused fluid retention. Whatever happened and it included the
cream scone with jam in the picture, all is well now. I doubt if I will lose three pounds by next week to reach
my target, but I am happy not to be 12st 3 any more.
Am I a failure? September 1st
Definitely not. I have not reached my target weight of 147lbs by September 1st, but seven months ago I was
12st 3lbs and now I am 10st 12lbs. That looks like success to me. i am now going to start a new target, to be
10st 4lbs by Christmas. The target is just there to have something as a guide, anything I lose will be a
blessing. Always have a positive attitude, never let talk of failure drag you down. I will not be posting so
regularly now, but see how I do by Christmas. Happy slimming.
It's confession time!
I didn't get down to 10stone 4 by Christmas and in fact, now I am 11stone 5. i hate to admit it but I promised
myself I would be honest about my weight. The good news is that I am still a long way better than 12 stone
3 where I started last February. I slacked off n my diet the moment I stopped recording my weight here and
at first it didn't matter, I stayed pretty stable. Christmas and mince pies have intervened, with a handful or
two of chocolates. But now I am ready to bite the bullet and get back onto my diet. After all it is a very
nutricious and tasty diet. Lots of fruit and vegetables and rice and pasta to fill me up. So I invite you once
more to follow my progress and let's see if we can get me down to 10stone 4 or thereabouts.
Off to a good re-start February 2nd, 2011
I weighed this morning and I was 11stone 3, so I've lost two pounds in my first week back on my diet. I am
very pleased with that. I have no desire to lose enormous amounts, as what comes off quickly tends to be put
back on quickly. I am sticking to the diet detailed above and will not be going on any crash diets. There is a
progamme on British T.V. at the moment telling the perils of crash dieting and how it can really put your
health in danger. The diet on this page is very nutritious, cuts back on fat, but also tells you you must have
some fat daily in your diet. It also cuts out biscuits and cake, although you can have a small treat
occasionally.
I'm feeling upbeat about my prospects of losing weight again. Why don't you join me and lose weight too?
My old problem February 11th, 2011
Today I am still 11 stone 3. This is what I call a plateau weight. It is a weight I have been at in the past for
quite a while. The body feels settled there; it seems to recognise this as a weight it is meant to be. This
means I will have to make a special effort to get below this weight. This simply means applying all the rules
of my diet and not cheating. However the diet is nutritious and the food allowed plentiful so long as one
keeps to the right proportions of 2/3 allowed food plus 1/3 super slimming foods such as fruit and most
vegetables. See above for more details of this.
It is important to know why you are not losing weight. You need to be honest with yourself about what you
have eaten. Keep a written record of your food intake. It is easy to forget what you have had if you do not do
this. If you have honestly kept to your diet you have to look at other factors. Maybe you have reached a
plateau weight, in which case you need to just keep going with the diet and eventually you will make a break
through. Earlier in this lens you will find I was stuck at 11 st 3 for four weeks before making a break
through. If you are going to lose weight slowly and sensibly, which is the best way, you will have set-backs
like this. The alternative is crash diets which can seriously damage your health.
The Michi Ladder February 18th, 2011
This morning my weight is 11st 2 1/2 so I've just managed to get off that plateau of 11st 3. Yesterday I
discovered the Michi ladder on a Newbie lens. I have lenrolled it to mine and now below you can see it
featured. Do take a look at it, it isn't a gimmick. You can find the ladder on Google and print off a copy. It is
quite close to the diet I am using and I shall use it to help me make more progress. If you are stuck on a
plateau weight cheer yourself up by realising you are maintaining a steady weight, which is exactly what
you want to do when you reach your target weight.
A whole pound lost this week February 25th, 2011
I am now 11 stone 1 1/2. This is most encouraging. The food combination which seems to help me most is
fruit and fat free yogurt, I eat a lot of this. It is important to praise yourself when you lose, but to be lenient
on yourself when things do not go so well. There is nothing worse than getting down in the mouth and
beating yourself up when the diet is not working. A positive attitude is important at all times, as is
understanding how your body reacts. Only you know your body and you must learn what food it needs and
what it does not.
Way to go March 4th, 2011
Things are going really well. I am now 11 stone and have lost 1 and a half pounds this week. I've discovered
roast vegetables are delicious and have had them twice this week. Just be careful with the cooking oil. So
now I have lost 5 pounds since I restarted my diet on January 26th. We all have difficult patches when it is
hard to lose, you just have to hang in there until the good times come. Don't get disheartened. Remember
you are a unique person and your worth does not depend on how many pounds you are carrying.
Some you win, some you lose
I didn't make it to 150 pounds by Easter. I'm 157 at the moment but I'm not worried about it. After all I was
169 in February 2010. As I am 64 I can't expect to be very slim. I don't want to be obsessive about my
weight, but I do want to be relatively healthy. This lens is all about healthy eating. Recvently I have been
drinking semi-skimmed milk with my tea and cereal. A little change there might make a big difference. I
have recently started to take more exercise so that could prove useful. Life is very good so maybe I just have
to be content to stay at this weight. I don't want to get heavier as I remember how difficult it was to turn over
in bed!! i hope my observations through this lens will be helpful to someone else.
Absolute Honesty September 17th , 2011
I always intended to be absolutely honest with you about my weight loss. How else couold we learn
anything from the experience? And I have to tell you I have gained 11 pounds from my lowest weight last
year. This is not an unfamiliar story where weightloss is concerned. so what went wrong. Until a week ago I
was 158 pounds now I am 161. I have had a bit of stress in the last fortnight so I think that has something to
do with it. The diet I had been on, as explained above, had worked really well but I thought it was a bit
expensive and had mixed in more carbohydrates. I am going to look at what I am eating again and make
some changes so that I am following the diet most of the time.. If I put on 8 more pounds I would be back to
my weight of February 2010. I really don't want to do that. In my usual optimistic way I am goiing to say at
least I lost 8 pounds altogether. I'm going to find my diet books and get back into the way of it again. i hope
to have some good news for you before long, then perhaps you will feel like sorting out your diet again.
Let me see what I can do. I've been drinking semi-skimmed milk so I will revert to skimmed. I'm probably
eating too much bread so that will have to be cut back. Too much ice cream lately, I can cut that out
altogether. I made the mistake of buying a large tub. Eccles cakes are also my downfall. Yes it's really quite
easy to see what the trouble is. It's amazing what you discover when you sit down and think things through.
I could do with some more exercise too. Can you see where you have gone wrong ? Let's have another try
and see what we can do.
loss weight from docstoc