Trufflette
New member
Hello everyone 
I have decided to do a diary here to help motivate myself with the theory being if I am having to tell people what I weigh and show people what I look like it will push me along. That is also my reason for using my face as my avatar as then I will 'live in fear' of someone I know being here so I will want to prove I can do it!
I enjoy writing lots (as you will see!) and having lots of feedback, good or bad, as I often need a good kick up the behind and like people to suggest things I may not have thought of or realised I was doing wrong!
I am 34, 5'8", female (I hope you can tell that from my pic! ) and weigh (after much nervousness and reluctance to look!) 179 pounds...eek! I had previously guessed I was 175 so am rather gutted but decided if it was bad news it would push me even more and it is good to know the starting point. I want to get down to 140 pounds or a little bit less if possible. I started my diet on May 1st and I feel I have lost a tiny bit so I am having my start weight as 182 pounds, I also figure this gives me a little boost hahaha! (Cheating?!) This is the heaviest I have ever been and I hate it.
I am doing a 'slimfast' style diet (the French equivalent) of 2 protein shakes per day with a healthy evening meal followed by a yoghurt and for snacks during the day I am having no added sugar fruit puree pots and pouches (easy to take to work), a banana and grapes or berries to nibble in the evenings. I am too rubbish at counting calories as it all seems too complicated, also I worry I may get obsessed as I have OCD and I might start looking at food in numbers rather than flavours or healthiness which takes all the fun out in my opinion I have a really sweet tooth so any ideas on other sweet things I can nibble on would be great. I like little things so grapes are good but a variety would be nice. When I was 133 pounds 13 years ago I was one of those annoying people who could eat as much crap as I wanted, often 6 Creme eggs in one go, crisps, biscuits, cakes galore and never put on a pound as I was very active (and young!), my larger friends used to tell me it wasn't fair that they watched what they ate and still put on weight and I ate a load of rubbish, didn't have any eating disorders or cellulite and stayed skinny! Oh to be like that again! I didn't really appreciate it at the time but would kill to be that weight again. The problem was I was so used to that that I never worried about getting fat. Granted I probably wasn't very healthy on the inside!
So an average day:
Breakfast=Shake+banana+grape juice
Lunch=Shake+puree pouch
Dinner=Light meal varying each day either pasta, rice, salad, omelette with veggies and fish. Followed by a yoghurt or fruit puree or both!
Snacks=Grapes, berries, clementines, apples, melon depending on what I have or fancy.
Liquids=water (at least 2 litres), small glass of grape juice, occasional tea with 2 sugars (about 3 times per week).
The exercise is the tricky part! I have no cartilage in my right knee, it is bone on bone and the left is going too. My work is physical ( I clean holiday apartments so on my feet, using stairs and carrying heavy linen bags)so when not working I am supposed to rest my legs. I am seeing a specialist soon so am hoping they will sort me out with an operation or something so I can start working out properly.
I used to be a gym instructor so I have good knowledge of different exercises (still happy for any advice) and was waiting until I got my knees fixed to start this but I have had enough and decided I would do what I could. I have my own mini gym at home; rowing machine, cross trainer, swivel stepper with arm elastics, ab frames, ab roller, workout mat and free weights. I assessed the equipment of how I could use it without using my legs at all other than to stand up, as any motion, even gentle (so can't even go swimming) is bad for my knees and extremely painful. I shouldn't even be doing my work but since I work for myself I have no choice! I look like a total nutter with what I have come up with but it is OK nobody can see me! Although I think my friend who is coming to visit in a few weeks is going to be put off her workout when she gets the giggles watching me!! She is my motivation at the moment as in the last year since I saw her she has lost 35 pounds and is down to about 120 pounds, I may hold up a sign with her name on at the airport incase I don't recognise the mere wisp of a person hahaha!
This could be useful for anyone else who has knee or leg problems to see how I get on as I know many people with weight problems often also have knee problems. For me it was the knee problem that came first which stopped me from exercising and the weight has piled on. I was naughty 8 years ago (before I knew what the problem was with my knee)when I decided I would take up jogging and walking aswell as eating healthily and wear a strap on each knee and take painkillers for the pain. I did lose 26 pounds in 4 months and felt great but my knee, unsurprisingly, got much worse, so the weight went back on and now I am in constant pain.
So exercise (varying order and mixture):
Cross trainer=stand infront on floor and use just the arm parts alternating pushing and pulling.
Stand behind, legs apart, bend over placing hands on foot parts and pushing. This is a bit like doing the doggy paddle in an odd position! If anyone tries this keep your fingers tucked in so they don't get squashed!
Swivel stepper=stand infront, bend over placing hands on foot parts pushing and twisting. This one is good as it really does the back, waist and shoulders too.
Sit infront on floor with stepper between legs, lean on foot parts with elbows and forearms, lean left and right to move up and down. This is good for the shoulders, abs and waist.
Stand still on foot parts balancing them level and use arm elastics in various movements. Obviously good for the arms but also the balancing part is good for the leg muscles without putting any strain on my poor old lady knees!
Rowing machine=sit on seat with legs in stirrups but keep knees straight and do not move them. Pull arm levers keeping back straight. Then keep arms straight out infront and lean back and forth using abs to do the pulling.
Turn around so facing the wrong way and repeat above but will be pushing instead of pulling.
Ab frame=sets of 3 of various ab exercises
Free weights=sets of 3 various exercises for each muscle group in the arms, shoulders and back aswell as using at the sides for the waist.
Broom handle (yup!)=sitting on corner of sofa holding broom handle (provides balance) across waist horizontally and twisting side to side for 2 minutes.
That is about it at the moment, I may look like a wolly but you would be surprised how much of a sweat you get going and heart racing when using just your arms for movements usually done by the legs, it is quite an effort. I need to take it quite slowly and gently as since all of the exercises involve the arms doing most of the work I need to be careful not to overdo it.
If anyone has any other exercises which I could manage I would love suggestions. Am also going to research some websites for exercises for people in wheelchairs as there must be loads of other things I can do. I really need help and motivation as I have nobody to support me, I live alone and spend most of my time on my own
!! I am also very down right now after two big bereavements recently which have changed my life, not in a good way, so another reason I need to make a positive change in myself physically and mentally for a brighter future. I have added a photo and if I am feeling brave I will take one in leggings and T-shirt which I can update with any progress to see changes better.
Here is to positive thinking
I have decided to do a diary here to help motivate myself with the theory being if I am having to tell people what I weigh and show people what I look like it will push me along. That is also my reason for using my face as my avatar as then I will 'live in fear' of someone I know being here so I will want to prove I can do it!
I enjoy writing lots (as you will see!) and having lots of feedback, good or bad, as I often need a good kick up the behind and like people to suggest things I may not have thought of or realised I was doing wrong!
I am 34, 5'8", female (I hope you can tell that from my pic!
) and weigh (after much nervousness and reluctance to look!) 179 pounds...eek! I had previously guessed I was 175 so am rather gutted but decided if it was bad news it would push me even more and it is good to know the starting point. I want to get down to 140 pounds or a little bit less if possible. I started my diet on May 1st and I feel I have lost a tiny bit so I am having my start weight as 182 pounds, I also figure this gives me a little boost hahaha! (Cheating?!) This is the heaviest I have ever been and I hate it.I am doing a 'slimfast' style diet (the French equivalent) of 2 protein shakes per day with a healthy evening meal followed by a yoghurt and for snacks during the day I am having no added sugar fruit puree pots and pouches (easy to take to work), a banana and grapes or berries to nibble in the evenings. I am too rubbish at counting calories as it all seems too complicated, also I worry I may get obsessed as I have OCD and I might start looking at food in numbers rather than flavours or healthiness which takes all the fun out in my opinion
I have a really sweet tooth so any ideas on other sweet things I can nibble on would be great. I like little things so grapes are good but a variety would be nice. When I was 133 pounds 13 years ago I was one of those annoying people who could eat as much crap as I wanted, often 6 Creme eggs in one go, crisps, biscuits, cakes galore and never put on a pound as I was very active (and young!), my larger friends used to tell me it wasn't fair that they watched what they ate and still put on weight and I ate a load of rubbish, didn't have any eating disorders or cellulite and stayed skinny! Oh to be like that again! I didn't really appreciate it at the time but would kill to be that weight again. The problem was I was so used to that that I never worried about getting fat. Granted I probably wasn't very healthy on the inside!So an average day:
Breakfast=Shake+banana+grape juice
Lunch=Shake+puree pouch
Dinner=Light meal varying each day either pasta, rice, salad, omelette with veggies and fish. Followed by a yoghurt or fruit puree or both!
Snacks=Grapes, berries, clementines, apples, melon depending on what I have or fancy.
Liquids=water (at least 2 litres), small glass of grape juice, occasional tea with 2 sugars (about 3 times per week).
The exercise is the tricky part! I have no cartilage in my right knee, it is bone on bone and the left is going too. My work is physical ( I clean holiday apartments so on my feet, using stairs and carrying heavy linen bags)so when not working I am supposed to rest my legs. I am seeing a specialist soon so am hoping they will sort me out with an operation or something so I can start working out properly.
I used to be a gym instructor so I have good knowledge of different exercises (still happy for any advice) and was waiting until I got my knees fixed to start this but I have had enough and decided I would do what I could. I have my own mini gym at home; rowing machine, cross trainer, swivel stepper with arm elastics, ab frames, ab roller, workout mat and free weights. I assessed the equipment of how I could use it without using my legs at all other than to stand up, as any motion, even gentle (so can't even go swimming) is bad for my knees and extremely painful. I shouldn't even be doing my work but since I work for myself I have no choice! I look like a total nutter with what I have come up with but it is OK nobody can see me! Although I think my friend who is coming to visit in a few weeks is going to be put off her workout when she gets the giggles watching me!! She is my motivation at the moment as in the last year since I saw her she has lost 35 pounds and is down to about 120 pounds, I may hold up a sign with her name on at the airport incase I don't recognise the mere wisp of a person hahaha!
This could be useful for anyone else who has knee or leg problems to see how I get on as I know many people with weight problems often also have knee problems. For me it was the knee problem that came first which stopped me from exercising and the weight has piled on. I was naughty 8 years ago (before I knew what the problem was with my knee)when I decided I would take up jogging and walking aswell as eating healthily and wear a strap on each knee and take painkillers for the pain. I did lose 26 pounds in 4 months and felt great but my knee, unsurprisingly, got much worse, so the weight went back on and now I am in constant pain.
So exercise (varying order and mixture):
Cross trainer=stand infront on floor and use just the arm parts alternating pushing and pulling.
Stand behind, legs apart, bend over placing hands on foot parts and pushing. This is a bit like doing the doggy paddle in an odd position! If anyone tries this keep your fingers tucked in so they don't get squashed!
Swivel stepper=stand infront, bend over placing hands on foot parts pushing and twisting. This one is good as it really does the back, waist and shoulders too.
Sit infront on floor with stepper between legs, lean on foot parts with elbows and forearms, lean left and right to move up and down. This is good for the shoulders, abs and waist.
Stand still on foot parts balancing them level and use arm elastics in various movements. Obviously good for the arms but also the balancing part is good for the leg muscles without putting any strain on my poor old lady knees!
Rowing machine=sit on seat with legs in stirrups but keep knees straight and do not move them. Pull arm levers keeping back straight. Then keep arms straight out infront and lean back and forth using abs to do the pulling.
Turn around so facing the wrong way and repeat above but will be pushing instead of pulling.
Ab frame=sets of 3 of various ab exercises
Free weights=sets of 3 various exercises for each muscle group in the arms, shoulders and back aswell as using at the sides for the waist.
Broom handle (yup!)=sitting on corner of sofa holding broom handle (provides balance) across waist horizontally and twisting side to side for 2 minutes.
That is about it at the moment, I may look like a wolly but you would be surprised how much of a sweat you get going and heart racing when using just your arms for movements usually done by the legs, it is quite an effort. I need to take it quite slowly and gently as since all of the exercises involve the arms doing most of the work I need to be careful not to overdo it.
If anyone has any other exercises which I could manage I would love suggestions. Am also going to research some websites for exercises for people in wheelchairs as there must be loads of other things I can do. I really need help and motivation as I have nobody to support me, I live alone and spend most of my time on my own
!! I am also very down right now after two big bereavements recently which have changed my life, not in a good way, so another reason I need to make a positive change in myself physically and mentally for a brighter future. I have added a photo and if I am feeling brave I will take one in leggings and T-shirt which I can update with any progress to see changes better.Here is to positive thinking
I have OCD as well (ever been on any medication for it? It helped slightly for me) 