Healthy weight- here I come!

[JoeyShmoey]

Hello there!

I am Johanna, 28, Londoner, and trying to get down to a healthier (and more attractive) weight. I am not desperately unhappy with my current weight (73 kg which is like 160 ish pounds, which gives me a BMI of 26.7), though of course would love to be thinner (who doesn't!).
However my main reason for starting this now, rather than last year or the year before, is that I have developed some health issues (not life threatening but rather annoying) and I did not react well to the drugs they gave me as treatment. My GP thinks if I lose the weight I will not have this issue any longer (he also recommended a lot of other things I should do, or rather not do, which are kind of limiting in my social life, so maybe if my weight is lower I can go back to having caffeine every now and then or to eating dinner at a normal time) and so this is the push I needed, I hope. My goal is not dead set but 59 kg or 130 pounds sounds good to me. I tried very hard to lose weight maybe 5 years ago and reached that weight and was pretty happy with it, unfortunately, I got quite lazy and gained most of it back. So here I go again...

My plan is to eat healthier (maybe carbs are not necessary at every meal), less snacking (or healthy snacking rather than chocolate snacking) and more exercise. I have just had a really lazy 6 months (due to that health issue, plus new job) and I started exercising again yesterday, which I am regretting a little today as the soreness is pretty bad.

Since I feel a bit alone in this, I hope I can get some good feedback on here, find some "buddies" who understand the frustrations and the joys of this journey, and give and receive some virtual high fives.


Joey

 

[knotty1]

Hi Joey, welcome to fat loss! Right off I can say permanent fat loss is a lifelong commitment to a different and more healthful lifestyle but in time, it becomes easier. (when it becomes a habit)

You mention a health issue, being overweight can bring on a lot more health issues, many of them a threat to your life, like heart and circulatory problems being just one. Especially as you grow older.

Enjoy the forums!
knotty

 

[Healthyandhappy]

Hey! Im Susie. I'm new here too! I lost a fair bit of weight 2 years ago and got down to a good weight but lately I have noticed its creeping back on. I also want to get into some healthy eating habits and excerise and would love someone to chat to and keep me on track

 

[Omega]

Welcome to the forum to Johanna (and of course Susie too).

I am sorry to hear about your health problems.

I am assuming that the restrictions are linked to your medical condition as there is certainly no need for a weight loss attempt to limit your social life and no weight loss reason for altering your meal times... Maybe you could meet up with your friends and do other things for a while... It seems a shame to miss out on a social life...

Well done for getting back to exercise... It is natural to feel exercise if you have not done any for a while... Naturally - we listen to our bodies if we feel that we are injured - but this is different to the way that we feel out of shape if we have missed one type of exercise for a while... I know that I certainly feel it if I miss a week of zumba if it is not on at Christmas...

I have to agree with Knotty that the most successful way of getting and keeping weight off is a lifelong change of lifestyle... With this in mind - it is more important than ever to tweak our social life and lifestyle so that they fit together nicely... People sometimes put off their social life until the end of the diet - but that isnt nearly as good an idea if they never expect the diet to end...

I suggest that you read the following thread - it may help you settle in and make friends
http://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/57955-My-advice-to-newcomers

Good luck with your project.

 

[JoeyShmoey]

Thank you Omega and Knotty, welcome Susie,

I feel like I know how to do this, I just am being lazy. My lifestyle is not terrible (I don't eat fast food or fried food), but I snack more than I should, I am fairly active (exercise a few times a week) but a lot of my social life is all about going out to eat and I am trying to make better choices while maintaining that. I can go to the pub, but instead of the burger have a salad and instead of a pint of coke have a pint of soda water with lemon, that kind of thing.

When I did this last time, I changed my lifestyle massively and I have stuck to that in many ways but become lenient, allowed myself more and more leeway on sweets and snacks and, due to some issues, become less active. I feel like if I just go back to the way things were, I should be able to lose at least some of this comfortably.

Famous last words... Thank you for your kind words and advice!

 

[roysymmonds83]

Salad and soda water and lemon at the pub!

I wish I could do that. When I am trying to lose weight I have to become pretty anti social and avoid hanging out with my mates as generally it is at a pub drinking and eating.

I got after work drinks with my boss this Friday, then satdy a 30th and then Sunday is a catch up with a mate whose wife just had a kid. All of those events are in the pub.

I think English and Australian pub culture makes it hard to lose weight.