tawnynest
New member
Hi!
I am new here and hope to get to know some of you. I've written blog-like posts on another weight loss site but very seldom got any responses so it often felt like I was writing for no reason. (The site, however, was a bit more active in other areas, like member challenges.) This forum seems much different. Even though I'm not a chatty person, I am apt to write a lot so please bear with me, especially this first post where I will try to give you a little history about my weight loss and health.
Firstly, I am 59yo, female, have 3 beautiful grown daughters, 2 gorgeous granddaughters, and a lovely hubby. I live in Western Australia.
I was always a skinny kid and young woman and only started putting on weight in my 30's. In 2003 or 2004 I lost 24kg (from 84 to 60 kg) doing the Dr Phil Weight Loss Solution. I didn't count calories or log my meals on a weight loss site or weigh my food. As a psychologist, Dr Phil taught me how to view weight loss in a totally different way, and doing the exercises throughout his book was often quite confronting. For the first time I was being honest with myself on why I had gained weight, and what were the obstacles in me losing it. I was challenging every thought and fear and feeling I had towards my weight and looking at the payoffs I was getting from choosing to remain overweight. It was tough going sometimes. From a practical point of view I cut down on my portions, cut down on my fat intake, learnt a very simple way of measuring my food, and recorded every little thing I put in my mouth. Later on I started to exercise - running, cycling, gym, and I recorded that too.
But as is so common, I put most of the weight back on, going back up to 76+kg by 2017. In the 15+ years since I lost that original weight, a lot has changed.
I've developed a bit of hypertension (high blood pressure), I've had a back, foot, and shoulder injury, and much more recently I've had gallstone problems which landed me in Emergency while I was on holidays down south 2 years ago. One year later I had another gallstone attack, this time much less severe and it didn't last as long and I didn't wind up in hospital. I also have cysts in my liver which sounds serious but apparently it's nothing to worry about. After my first attack I went on Dr Sandra Cabot's 8 Week Liver Cleansing Diet (LCD). Aussies may have heard of her. I lasted 6 weeks and never felt better. I never dreamed I had digestive problems but my whole stomach/tummy area never felt so soothing as it did after the LCD. It was wonderful! Who would have thought? I had become so used to feeling not quite so good, thinking nothing was wrong with my digestion. The diet also cleared up most of my adult acne, which research is showing is the result of a not so well functioning liver. I truly believe that, as I went on the LCD again after my 2nd gallstone attack and my skin cleared up again. It is back to looking red and angry again because of unhealthy eating and so I know it's time to start taking better care of myself. I've also started to feel really uncomfortable again in the tummy area, a sure sign my liver is struggling
.
Despite knowing what to do and knowing how good I'll feel taking better care of myself, I am finding it difficult to get motivated, and I suppose that's why I'm here. As supportive as hubby is, he has never known bad health nor tried to change his diet and it's much easier talking to someone who has experienced the ups and downs of weight loss, the frustrations as well as the successes. I know people will "get me" here.
So as of yesterday I'm 73.2kgs. The plan is to get down to 55kg.....ideally! I would love to be in the 60's, been in the 70's way too long and there's only 3+kgs in it. I don't lose weight quickly. Rarely would I lose one kilo in a week, it's usually somewhere between 200-600g but this doesn't bother me. As long as I lose something each week and am heading in the right direction. This is doable, and it'll get me to where I want to be. Healthy, and moving much more freely. Good health is my goal, not so much how I look in jeans.
Over the next few days I'll get into the mindset of proper eating again as I believe you have to get your thinking aiming in the right direction, then the eating will follow. I've never gone for fad diets but I do know what I need to eat and what not to eat for healthy liver functioning. I am going away for 10 days from Friday so I don't know why I'm not starting this thread until I get back, but I just felt like I needed to.
Looking forward to hearing from anyone who cares to post! Bye for now .... Diane.
Oh by the way, I've lived quite an unconventional life....still do to some extent.... so you may read some unusual things along the way. Not to worry, deep down I'm just as "normal" as the rest of you.
I am new here and hope to get to know some of you. I've written blog-like posts on another weight loss site but very seldom got any responses so it often felt like I was writing for no reason. (The site, however, was a bit more active in other areas, like member challenges.) This forum seems much different. Even though I'm not a chatty person, I am apt to write a lot so please bear with me, especially this first post where I will try to give you a little history about my weight loss and health.
Firstly, I am 59yo, female, have 3 beautiful grown daughters, 2 gorgeous granddaughters, and a lovely hubby. I live in Western Australia.
I was always a skinny kid and young woman and only started putting on weight in my 30's. In 2003 or 2004 I lost 24kg (from 84 to 60 kg) doing the Dr Phil Weight Loss Solution. I didn't count calories or log my meals on a weight loss site or weigh my food. As a psychologist, Dr Phil taught me how to view weight loss in a totally different way, and doing the exercises throughout his book was often quite confronting. For the first time I was being honest with myself on why I had gained weight, and what were the obstacles in me losing it. I was challenging every thought and fear and feeling I had towards my weight and looking at the payoffs I was getting from choosing to remain overweight. It was tough going sometimes. From a practical point of view I cut down on my portions, cut down on my fat intake, learnt a very simple way of measuring my food, and recorded every little thing I put in my mouth. Later on I started to exercise - running, cycling, gym, and I recorded that too.
But as is so common, I put most of the weight back on, going back up to 76+kg by 2017. In the 15+ years since I lost that original weight, a lot has changed.
I've developed a bit of hypertension (high blood pressure), I've had a back, foot, and shoulder injury, and much more recently I've had gallstone problems which landed me in Emergency while I was on holidays down south 2 years ago. One year later I had another gallstone attack, this time much less severe and it didn't last as long and I didn't wind up in hospital. I also have cysts in my liver which sounds serious but apparently it's nothing to worry about. After my first attack I went on Dr Sandra Cabot's 8 Week Liver Cleansing Diet (LCD). Aussies may have heard of her. I lasted 6 weeks and never felt better. I never dreamed I had digestive problems but my whole stomach/tummy area never felt so soothing as it did after the LCD. It was wonderful! Who would have thought? I had become so used to feeling not quite so good, thinking nothing was wrong with my digestion. The diet also cleared up most of my adult acne, which research is showing is the result of a not so well functioning liver. I truly believe that, as I went on the LCD again after my 2nd gallstone attack and my skin cleared up again. It is back to looking red and angry again because of unhealthy eating and so I know it's time to start taking better care of myself. I've also started to feel really uncomfortable again in the tummy area, a sure sign my liver is struggling
.Despite knowing what to do and knowing how good I'll feel taking better care of myself, I am finding it difficult to get motivated, and I suppose that's why I'm here. As supportive as hubby is, he has never known bad health nor tried to change his diet and it's much easier talking to someone who has experienced the ups and downs of weight loss, the frustrations as well as the successes. I know people will "get me" here.
So as of yesterday I'm 73.2kgs. The plan is to get down to 55kg.....ideally! I would love to be in the 60's, been in the 70's way too long and there's only 3+kgs in it. I don't lose weight quickly. Rarely would I lose one kilo in a week, it's usually somewhere between 200-600g but this doesn't bother me. As long as I lose something each week and am heading in the right direction. This is doable, and it'll get me to where I want to be. Healthy, and moving much more freely. Good health is my goal, not so much how I look in jeans.
Over the next few days I'll get into the mindset of proper eating again as I believe you have to get your thinking aiming in the right direction, then the eating will follow. I've never gone for fad diets but I do know what I need to eat and what not to eat for healthy liver functioning. I am going away for 10 days from Friday so I don't know why I'm not starting this thread until I get back, but I just felt like I needed to
.Looking forward to hearing from anyone who cares to post! Bye for now .... Diane.
Oh by the way, I've lived quite an unconventional life....still do to some extent.... so you may read some unusual things along the way. Not to worry, deep down I'm just as "normal" as the rest of you
.
.