25 stone to 19 stone in 8 months.

Instant_Karma said:
Hi Helena,

I'm just dropping in to mention a TV programme I saw tonight - part of a series called Fat: Fight To Save My Life. It featured a woman with a starting weight of 25st 7lbs, and her weight loss has been absolutely amazing and inspirational. She started swimming 5k, 10k and eventually a half-marathon, hiking, walking etc. She lost 11st 7lbs in just over a year and is 14st now and looking fantastic. All we need to do is focus on the success stories and remember that it CAN be done.
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Cheers Ms Karma. I will try to find the prog.

It can be done ... by HER. Doesn't mean anyone can do it, as we are all individuals. Also, women who do this are in their 20s, or 30s tops. I'm almost 57. My joints are knackered from carrying all this weight for 30 years. All I can do is diet and a small amount of non-load-bearing exercise.
 
Again disappointed with my trainer.

On our walk we happened to pass the spot where the half-marathon starts every year. I stated that I am going to "walk the half-marathon, but in stages!" I said I'll do a mile once a week for 13 weeks, then I can say I've walked 13 miles. I felt really excited at the prospect of being able to be proud of that achievement. Small to many, but huge to me. She threw a big wet blanket by glaring at me and saying sternly: "THAT would not count". She then told me that another of her clients, who is nearly my size, but half my age, has entered the half-marathon and so will do all 13 miles in one go. That just made me feel a failure, like if I can't match that, then there is no point in my doing anything at all. Made me feel: what is the point in me kidding myself. She sucked all my enthusiasm out, leaving me feeling that doing 13 x one-mile walks isn't worth the bother.

Surely this is the opposite of what she's supposed to do? Isn't she supposed to encourage ANY goal-setting that is reasonable for someone of my size/age/fitness level? Shouldn't she have gone along with my idea, praised it, even in a lighthearted, jolly way? Yes of course I know it doesn't "count" but can't we have a bit of fun along the way?

I'm also not happy that out of 5 sessions she has answered her phone in the middle of two of them! We then have to stop what we are doing, and I have to stand there like a lemon whilst she takes the call. We only have 45 minutes (which she once cut to 35 minutes!) and that 45 minutes should be protected and sacred and spent entirely focused on ME and my fitness. Every phone has an answering facility, so why can't she let them leave her a message? I find this highly disrespectful. I would not even answer my own phone when we are together, out of respect for her, and I'm the one paying!

There is no chance now that I will renew with her. I've already contacted two other trainers to take her place.
 
the curry works as it is all non processed food, no fat, made from scratch with the emphasis on the veg. packed
with onions tomatoes cauli , any free speed veg, its all in the wording free food is free until your hunger is satisfied. you stop when you are full.
I tend to try to only have potato rice or pasta once a day, so if i have it for lunch i will have squash or carrot an swede mash at tea. I also use grated cauli as rice at times.
It is hard to get your head round as we have been told for years not to eat such foods and the word unrestricted is dangerous to some one like myself. In an odd sort of way because i know i could eat as much as i want i don't :rolleyes::eek:
The psychological side of dieting is every bit as important as the calorific intake

The other basis of sw is that it is not a diet it is a life plan. I intend to continue eating this way even when i happy with my weight.

for the record i am not trying to tempt you over to the dark side :) i am just explaining how it works as i understand it. 5 yrs ago i lost around 6 st in a yr following the plan and then i lost focus old habits crept back and i gained back 5 :sigh:. I have decided to forgive my self for that and accepted this is it for life.
I am almost 47 and work full time in an extremely physical job, my joints can't continue like this. My children have left home and it is now time to devote my attention to me.

You will find what works for you xxx
 
broadsbean said:
the curry works as it is all non processed food... You will find what works for you xxx
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Hi Mandy

I make curry all the time so there is always a big potful in the fridge whilst another 4 breasts are defrosting ready for the next batch. I make it all from scratch, too.

The idea of "unlimited" scares the living daylights out of me, except in relation to fruit and veg, which I find impossible to overeat. I need limits or I just won't stop.

Like you I am only having a starchy carb once a day. In my case it's always brown rice. I have not eaten potatoes or pasta for ages. With potatoes, I just like them too much and that makes them a dangerous food. They are also very high GI and probably make my blood glucose unstable, making me hungrier.

The worst thing SW could do is tell me I can eat unlimited potatoes! I'd be back to 371 pounds pretty soon.

Maybe I should just stick to what's been working: 1,800 calories, chicken curry or beef mince with wholegrain rice, wholewheat bread ham sandwiches, home made veg soup, fruit with live yoghurt and granola, and plenty of tea and fruit tea and fizzy water, and Slimfast bars or Special K Chewies as a daily treat if I need one. I've gone right off chocolate and have only had 2 Slimfast bars in about 2 weeks.

But maybe I could steal some recipe ideas from SW because I really WANT to increase my intake of vegetables I just find them unpalatable, bland and some are just vile. Aubergine, marrow, all peas, all beans, all make me gag. I'm also averse to lentils, but I forced myself to eat a lentil and bacon soup today in an attempt to overcome my "lentilphobia."

I have a new recipe to try for dinner: fresh mushrooms, fried in a tiny bit of olive oil, with a dollop of creme fraiche stirred in last minute.
 
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http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world-recipes/317773-delicious-meals-minimum-ingredients.html

Hi Helena, see above link if you're interested in some simple SW recipes. I'm like you with potatoes, the idea I could eat as many as I wanted threw me, but I find if I still measure my portions but stick to basic SW rules then it suits me. You can always work out calories alongside, but it might just take the obsessiveness out of it for you, for what it's worth, I occasionally calculate my daily calories on SW after having finished eating for the day and it works out roughly the right amount of cals, sometimes even less, anyway.

I'd encourage you to stick with one thing for a bit longer though, CC has been working for you, keep at it, it's a physical impossibility to gain that much in fat overnight without consuming thousands of extra calories, it will be sodium, water retention and your body just being a little odd occasionally! I know how much you struggle, but I don't think we can recommend getting rid of the scales for a bit enough to you.

Don't let a number at the start of the day determine your mood, it wont help
X
 
Re: the half-marathon thing. A mile is only 15-20 minutes walking time so I can kind of understand her saying that doing it once a week wouldn't yield much benefit.

I don't know your circumstances in detail of course - but unless you are disabled, there is no reason why walking for 15 or 20 minutes would cause problems, knackered bones and all. My grandparents are in their 80s and walk that distance with their dog every morning and evening.
 
Perhaps your PT was trying to inspire you or perhaps she doesn't think that limiting yourself to one mile after 13weeks of training is a reasonable amount? I totally understand that 1mile feels like 10 at the moment, but walking fitness does improve quite quickly. You are already walking a mile with her aren't you? In 13 weeks you'll speed up and have much more stamina to be able to achieve more than that. Did you ask her what she considers reasonable progress? If not, ask her where she thinks you should be at the end of your programme. Then try not to question it, try to trust the process and push yourself.

I'm sorry that she took the wind out of your sails though, I think you need to discuss it with her a bit more. As for being on the phone, that's out of order and should not be happening.
 
366to266 said:
Cheers Ms Karma. I will try to find the prog.

It can be done ... by HER. Doesn't mean anyone can do it, as we are all individuals. Also, women who do this are in their 20s, or 30s tops. I'm almost 57. My joints are knackered from carrying all this weight for 30 years. All I can do is diet and a small amount of non-load-bearing exercise.
Click to expand...

Swimming is non-load bearing.
 
,
stick with it my lovely - you are doing great on your current plan and if it was working for you then stick to it.
dont weigh for a week or so and then see where you are before making any changes.

Im the same as you about being a bit scared of the unlimited portions on SW

sounds like a frustrating couple of days, hope that next few days are more positive for you x
 
Hello everyone and thanks for the messages.

Thanks Llama for the link... which linked to THIS:

Kathy's No Fuss Recipes

Haven't changed my diet. And after all I've read (for HOURS!) about SW I don't know if I will. Some people said it didn't work. Lots of people are questioning how it can possibly work when you can have unlimited things like baked potatoes and bacon and beans. OMG I could literally LIVE on baked potatoes and bacon and beans! What a treat. Shall I try that for a week? It certainly would be a treat and if I could get all that enjoyment and still lose weight it would be a dream come true.

Aha yes, I know you said (as did everyone) "don't weigh" but I'm very concerned about it and could not help myself. I woke up feeling SO much fitter and slimmer that I could not stop myself and was absolutely gutted to find that 6lb gain has stuck for 3 days now. I'm so sorry that I have done this against all advice. I actually feel scared now that I will NEVER lose weight. I've been under calories for over a week and don't "deserve" this gain just for one meal transgression :-(

I must confess I feel really anxious and have been weeping and wondering if I should go on an all-soup diet or 1,000 calories or something, or if I'm not eating enough for my calorie output and my body is scared and clinging on to the flab? I don't eat my exercise calories so for example yesterday I only ate about 1500 but I did about 1000 calories of exercise. Today I am just waiting to go to aquafit at 1030 (wish the pool was open earlier!) and to keep me going I had a pint of Covent Garden potato and leek soup and that made me wonder what would happen if I ate nothing but that (but a home made version for economy!) for a week. Surely I would HAVE to lose weight?

Why don't our bodies had a voice and could actually TELL us "You are eating too little" or "too much salt" or "don't panic, I'm planning to release 10lb of your flab next week". I find it so frustrating trying to guess what it's up to.

I have to be 100% honest with you and say that I do not think I will be able to stop myself from weighing tomorrow, unless I ask my b/f to take my scale to his house when he leaves tonight. But then tomorrow will be torture for me. I am expecting the whoosh fairy every day and I don't want to miss her when she arrives!

As for the trainer... this time she turned up slightly late then asked me if she could use my electricity to recharge her phone, so she spent a while sorting that out before we got started. She finished dead on time, though. Then announced that she won't see me all next week as she's taking a week off. I shall have to do more aqua fit I guess...

Found a new trainer but she is more expensive: £400 for 12 sessions, which includes diet plans and diet advice. I don't want any of that because as you say I am on this now and I want to stick to it. Every time someone new comes on the scene, they always have a brand new way of doing things which they insist that you follow then get annoyed when you don't. Her plan could be protein shakes or low carb or vegetarian ... who knows? I wonder if she'd give me a reduction if I omit all the diet talk and advice?

Helena
 
Or it could be very similar to what your doing already and enhance your overall nutrition. Worth a little email to see what exactly she offers xxx


Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins.com
 
That Convent Garden Leek and Potato soup has 2g of salt per portion, and there are two in that carton. 4g of salt, that's 66% of your maximum RDA in one packet. The traffic light nutrition info in the front has salt as RED, meaning high. 66% is already over what you should be having if you are actually attempting to lose your fluid retention. My guess is you'd probably have bread etc later or add salt into your meal - taking you way over your RDA and making the retention worse, not better.
 
Helena, going on a crash diet of all soup or only 1000 calories will only cause more problems. It will damage your metabolism, and any weight loss will be strictly temporary. And it's not sustainable--not at all. I have been there many times, and I can say from experience that it will only lead to a massive binge and lots of guilt. Please don't do that to yourself.

I know you decided against SW, but the point of it is that you *don't* live on baked beans, potatoes, and bacon. You're meant to eat a wide variety of foods, rather than eating the same stuff over and over and over. I did lose weight on it, but I've found calorie counting suits me better than trying to count syns (also, counting calories=free). I think you're probably right in that you should stick with calorie counting, if you think you'd be tempted to live on bacon if you went on SW! ;)

MFP has a thing at the bottom of your food diary webpage that tells you how much sodium, protein, fat, etc you're ingesting. It might be a good idea to keep an eye on the sodium level and try to avoid going over that. And I'd also say it's probably a good idea for you to be exact in your measurements. Put in "25 g cheddar" rather than quick adding "104 calories." It takes a bit longer, but it gives you a more complete picture of your nutrition. I know that when I try to guesstimate calorie content of a meal before I add all of the components into MFP, I am always WAY under, even after all of this time.

Keep taking care of yourself, and do the best you can. xx
 
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Estameme said:
That Convent Garden Leek and Potato soup has 2g of salt per portion, and there are two in that carton. 4g of salt, that's 66% of your maximum RDA in one packet. The traffic light nutrition info in the front has salt as RED, meaning high. 66% is already over what you should be having if you are actually attempting to lose your fluid retention. My guess is you'd probably have bread etc later or add salt into your meal - taking you way over your RDA and making the retention worse, not better.
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Oh dear! I just can't do anything right :-(

I bought a whole load of these soups for the freezer because Tesco had them half price, right after I read on the 5:2 board that these CG soups were delicious, nutritious and fitted into a 500 calorie fast day. The salt content did not even enter my head, not when I bought them, not when I defrosted one and not when I ate half a carton. I intended to make today a 500-600 fast day, to try to kick-start my weight loss. Didn't turn out that way...

So if there is 4g in a carton, and I had half, that is 2g, which is 33% of my RDA. That's all right, isn't it, if you are only going to have another 66%? Also on the 5:2 board they said that you need to take in extra salt for the fast days. Now I am more confused than ever!
 
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Grumpy Space Princess said:
Helena, going on a crash diet of all soup or only 1000 calories will only cause more problems. It will damage your metabolism, and any weight loss will be strictly temporary. And it's not sustainable--not at all. I have been there many times, and I can say from experience that it will only lead to a massive binge and lots of guilt. Please don't do that to yourself.

I know you decided against SW, but the point of it is that you *don't* live on baked beans, potatoes, and bacon. You're meant to eat a wide variety of foods, rather than eating the same stuff over and over and over. I did lose weight on it, but I've found calorie counting suits me better than trying to count syns (also, counting calories=free). I think you're probably right in that you should stick with calorie counting, if you think you'd be tempted to live on bacon if you went on SW! ;)

MFP has a thing at the bottom of your food diary webpage that tells you how much sodium, protein, fat, etc you're ingesting. It might be a good idea to keep an eye on the sodium level and try to avoid going over that. And I'd also say it's probably a good idea for you to be exact in your measurements. Put in "25 g cheddar" rather than quick adding "104 calories." It takes a bit longer, but it gives you a more complete picture of your nutrition. I know that when I try to guesstimate calorie content of a meal before I add all of the components into MFP, I am always WAY under, even after all of this time.

Keep taking care of yourself, and do the best you can. xx
Click to expand...

Thanks Princess.
 
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