Tortoise losers CAN win the race !
- Thread starter Pommette
- Start date
Pommette
Trying - very!
Oh MissMimi - thank you so much! Being realistic is what's got me here.
So for all of you who have this bookmarked and popping up in your subscribed threads, I have lost - wait for it - another 3½ lbs since my last post so am now in the 11's and just ½ lb away from my interim target!
I am probably going to maintain for a while but as I discovered 2 weeks ago that I have shrunk (grrrr - it's one of the disadvantages of being old), I really need to lose another 3 lb to get to the target BMI I had originally set myself!
But here's another pic taken 3 weeks ago when I was still a few pounds from target weight. But into my target size 14 jeans - well US size 14, but what the heck is a US size between friends. And they are actually now too big !!!
So for all of you who have this bookmarked and popping up in your subscribed threads, I have lost - wait for it - another 3½ lbs since my last post so am now in the 11's and just ½ lb away from my interim target!
I am probably going to maintain for a while but as I discovered 2 weeks ago that I have shrunk (grrrr - it's one of the disadvantages of being old), I really need to lose another 3 lb to get to the target BMI I had originally set myself!
But here's another pic taken 3 weeks ago when I was still a few pounds from target weight. But into my target size 14 jeans - well US size 14, but what the heck is a US size between friends. And they are actually now too big !!!
Attachments
Last edited:
who_la_hoop
Silver Member
Looking fab, Pommette! 
Maximus
Gold Member
Pommette
Trying - very!
:8855:I could make a furtune by sueing my Gynaecologist if the patter of tiny feet were to be heard!Let me be the first to congratulate you. Boy or girl?
bubblensqueak
Loves Slimming world!!
You look brilliant well done xxx
Pommette
Trying - very!
Finally at Target
Well folks
On 23rd November, having taken a month to lose the last pound, I finally reached my interim target. 11st 13 lbs - BMI of 26.1
The picture below is a comparison of when I started at 16 st 7 lbs [and probably 5 st overweight - with a BMI of over 36] and now at target.
Latest piccie - taken today - not brilliant as it's taken on a cr~ppy old phone as the camera doesn't want to work and the shadows make me look as though I've got a very long chin - but it gives you the idea! Arms deffo now the worse bit!
I might just post on here all my thoughts of how I've got here, and where I go from here. But they are a causing me a bit of a problem! A few tears over the why's and the wherefore's!!
Well folks
On 23rd November, having taken a month to lose the last pound, I finally reached my interim target. 11st 13 lbs - BMI of 26.1
The picture below is a comparison of when I started at 16 st 7 lbs [and probably 5 st overweight - with a BMI of over 36] and now at target.
Latest piccie - taken today - not brilliant as it's taken on a cr~ppy old phone as the camera doesn't want to work and the shadows make me look as though I've got a very long chin - but it gives you the idea! Arms deffo now the worse bit!
I might just post on here all my thoughts of how I've got here, and where I go from here. But they are a causing me a bit of a problem! A few tears over the why's and the wherefore's!!
Attachments
Last edited:
Pommette
Trying - very!
Tortoises of the world unite
I’m a tortoise loser – averaging less than a pound a week. So thought I would put my thoughts on paper and try and inspire other tortoise losers to let you know you can do it. I’m also “a lady of a certain age”! **laugh** a euphemism for being nearer 60 than 50!
Although I started losing weight over 5 years ago, the “light bulb" moment only came on 1st April this year. I found that "fat photo" (above) and finally admitted to myself that I was a fat person. I'd used all the other words in the past including big boned, overweight, chubby, cuddly. But basically I was fat. I cried – a lot – but it was the point where I realised I really wanted to be thinner and got my head round losing weight and sticking to SW – properly !!!
People say that getting your head round losing weight is half the battle.
I actually think it's more than that.
GETTING YOUR HEAD ROUND LOSING WEIGHT IS THE WHOLE BATTLE.
I used to be really heartbroken when I put on some weight – a couple of times it was 4 lbs in a week. I cried. But then I got a 2½ lb loss – a big loss for me and it sort of gave me a kick up the bum and inspired me to just plod on.
Once you know you can occasionally get a big loss if you stick to it 100% then when you get the little ones, a STS or even a small gain then you can just dust yourself off and get you diary back out and check out just how you previously had a good week.
I don't cheat, but I do have to "tweak" the plan as I can't get so many of the SW foods here in Spain that are available in the UK. Examples are things like pitta's. Why are only Asda and Co-op ones a HexB? My hubby being a cynical old bar steward thinks it's to do with sponsorship but the theory is, that it is all to do with the amount of fibre.
I can only get Iceland ones - they are 110 cals each (so 5½ syns and a Hex is supposedly 6 syns) so I just substitute that for my HexB. Not strictly legal - and probably why my losses are fairly slow at times - but it works for me. Otherwise I wouldn't be having any Hex's and mega mounds of syns.
Once I got my head round some of the tweaks I have to do it all fell into place. I also stopped fretting about only losing a ½ lb or even ¼ lb some weeks and just accepted that it was going to be a long journey and that I was going to be doing this at tortoise speed. And I have got there - eventually.
There is also a phrase that I repeat to myself when I’m having a bad day that keeps me on the straight and narrow.
Being fat is hard. Losing weight is hard. Choose your hard!
But what also helped me was visualising something that I really wanted to achieve. With me it was getting into a pair of size 14 jeans that I had been given (US 14 and large at that!). Plus the other thing that actually spurred me on was finding the old photo of me at my fattest - and I REALLY cried. I realised I looked absolutely awful and something in my brain clicked. I just knew that I didn't ever want to go back there again. I look at these every day now and somehow they help to keep me motivated on the days when all I want to do is dive into a big bag of crisps or peanuts and it's what encourages me to get back on the wagon when I fall off!
I started on 15th August 2006 when we arrived in Spain. So it’s taken over 5¼ long years. 50 weeks to lose the first 2 stone. I tried for another 55 weeks to lose some more but I just kept going up and down – as much as 10 lbs back on at one point, but got back to the magical 2 stone off point fortunately. So I just settled down to maintaining what I’d already lost and kept within the 3 lb SW margin for another 2½ years. This time round, I’ve lost 2½ stone in 46 weeks.
So that’s 96 weeks of SERIOUS dieting, and an additional 55 weeks of yo-yoing. That’s 151 weeks – almost 3 years – but spread out over 5¼ years. And my progress:
STS = 9 weeks
GAINS = 33 weeks (gained 69 lbs)
LOSSES = 74 weeks (lost 133 lbs)
MISSED WEEKS = 35 weeks (hols or too frightened to WI)
So in this time my NET loss is 64 lbs - so my gains are bigger than my net loss! So effectively I’ve had to lose it twice!!
My average weight loss in those first 50 weeks was 0.556 lb, and these last 46 weeks it’s been 0.829 lb.
But over the whole 151 weeks it has been *** drum roll required here *** a massive 0.419 lb per week!
My weight loss graph looks a bit like the stock market prices. Ups & downs all over the place. But the middle doesn't actually matter - it's just the beginning and end that really count! And I’ve reached the end – at last.
When Funcurls got to target she said something that is so true for me too. I haven’t turned into an exercise freak, and I’ve had lots of treats along the way – I still live my life. If I didn’t, I would have just lost heart and given up a long time ago. Like Heather, I just don’t over-indulge any more. But I have cut out a lot of the things that got me fat in the first place - crisps and peanuts and just eating too much food in general.
So, remember - you have a life to lead. You are not locked up in a nunnery! You can do it the slow way.
No one can be perfect 100% SW all the time. For heaven’s sake, even an angel couldn't manage that. And if anyone says they are 100% all the time they are deceiving themselves. And Tortoises do always win the race.
But now the bit that’s a real bummer! I had a medical MOT a few weeks ago that pointed out that I’m getting old. As if I didn’t know that? But I've shrunk just over ½" so ideally I need to lose another 3 lb to keep my BMI the same (ish).
But, I'm not going to set myself ANY timescale on this at all. I aim to maintain until Christmas, which I know everyone struggles with at first, but stick to plan. And if I lose some more – great; if not – I won't be disappointed.
I’d also like to lose another 3 lb. That’s just for vanity’s sake as I would really like to get my Club 30 award and 5 st shiny. But I really don’t know whether this ancient skin and body will take it. We’ll see.
Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far – I can be a boring old fart at times. But I just wanted to put into perspective that it really can be done – even if very slowly.
PS and the final bit of this phrase:
Being fat is hard. Losing weight is hard. Choose your hard!
Is actually:
Maintaining is even harder!
Sh1t - tell me about it.
I’ve put almost 3 lb on whilst on holiday straight after getting to target.
So plan number 1 is to lose that again! Which is going well this week. BUT
Now the really hard bit begins.
I’m a tortoise loser – averaging less than a pound a week. So thought I would put my thoughts on paper and try and inspire other tortoise losers to let you know you can do it. I’m also “a lady of a certain age”! **laugh** a euphemism for being nearer 60 than 50!
Although I started losing weight over 5 years ago, the “light bulb" moment only came on 1st April this year. I found that "fat photo" (above) and finally admitted to myself that I was a fat person. I'd used all the other words in the past including big boned, overweight, chubby, cuddly. But basically I was fat. I cried – a lot – but it was the point where I realised I really wanted to be thinner and got my head round losing weight and sticking to SW – properly !!!
People say that getting your head round losing weight is half the battle.
I actually think it's more than that.
GETTING YOUR HEAD ROUND LOSING WEIGHT IS THE WHOLE BATTLE.
I used to be really heartbroken when I put on some weight – a couple of times it was 4 lbs in a week. I cried. But then I got a 2½ lb loss – a big loss for me and it sort of gave me a kick up the bum and inspired me to just plod on.
Once you know you can occasionally get a big loss if you stick to it 100% then when you get the little ones, a STS or even a small gain then you can just dust yourself off and get you diary back out and check out just how you previously had a good week.
I don't cheat, but I do have to "tweak" the plan as I can't get so many of the SW foods here in Spain that are available in the UK. Examples are things like pitta's. Why are only Asda and Co-op ones a HexB? My hubby being a cynical old bar steward thinks it's to do with sponsorship but the theory is, that it is all to do with the amount of fibre.
I can only get Iceland ones - they are 110 cals each (so 5½ syns and a Hex is supposedly 6 syns) so I just substitute that for my HexB. Not strictly legal - and probably why my losses are fairly slow at times - but it works for me. Otherwise I wouldn't be having any Hex's and mega mounds of syns.
Once I got my head round some of the tweaks I have to do it all fell into place. I also stopped fretting about only losing a ½ lb or even ¼ lb some weeks and just accepted that it was going to be a long journey and that I was going to be doing this at tortoise speed. And I have got there - eventually.
There is also a phrase that I repeat to myself when I’m having a bad day that keeps me on the straight and narrow.
Being fat is hard. Losing weight is hard. Choose your hard!
But what also helped me was visualising something that I really wanted to achieve. With me it was getting into a pair of size 14 jeans that I had been given (US 14 and large at that!). Plus the other thing that actually spurred me on was finding the old photo of me at my fattest - and I REALLY cried. I realised I looked absolutely awful and something in my brain clicked. I just knew that I didn't ever want to go back there again. I look at these every day now and somehow they help to keep me motivated on the days when all I want to do is dive into a big bag of crisps or peanuts and it's what encourages me to get back on the wagon when I fall off!
I started on 15th August 2006 when we arrived in Spain. So it’s taken over 5¼ long years. 50 weeks to lose the first 2 stone. I tried for another 55 weeks to lose some more but I just kept going up and down – as much as 10 lbs back on at one point, but got back to the magical 2 stone off point fortunately. So I just settled down to maintaining what I’d already lost and kept within the 3 lb SW margin for another 2½ years. This time round, I’ve lost 2½ stone in 46 weeks.
So that’s 96 weeks of SERIOUS dieting, and an additional 55 weeks of yo-yoing. That’s 151 weeks – almost 3 years – but spread out over 5¼ years. And my progress:
STS = 9 weeks
GAINS = 33 weeks (gained 69 lbs)
LOSSES = 74 weeks (lost 133 lbs)
MISSED WEEKS = 35 weeks (hols or too frightened to WI)
So in this time my NET loss is 64 lbs - so my gains are bigger than my net loss! So effectively I’ve had to lose it twice!!
My average weight loss in those first 50 weeks was 0.556 lb, and these last 46 weeks it’s been 0.829 lb.
But over the whole 151 weeks it has been *** drum roll required here *** a massive 0.419 lb per week!
My weight loss graph looks a bit like the stock market prices. Ups & downs all over the place. But the middle doesn't actually matter - it's just the beginning and end that really count! And I’ve reached the end – at last.
When Funcurls got to target she said something that is so true for me too. I haven’t turned into an exercise freak, and I’ve had lots of treats along the way – I still live my life. If I didn’t, I would have just lost heart and given up a long time ago. Like Heather, I just don’t over-indulge any more. But I have cut out a lot of the things that got me fat in the first place - crisps and peanuts and just eating too much food in general.
So, remember - you have a life to lead. You are not locked up in a nunnery! You can do it the slow way.
No one can be perfect 100% SW all the time. For heaven’s sake, even an angel couldn't manage that. And if anyone says they are 100% all the time they are deceiving themselves. And Tortoises do always win the race.
But now the bit that’s a real bummer! I had a medical MOT a few weeks ago that pointed out that I’m getting old. As if I didn’t know that? But I've shrunk just over ½" so ideally I need to lose another 3 lb to keep my BMI the same (ish).
But, I'm not going to set myself ANY timescale on this at all. I aim to maintain until Christmas, which I know everyone struggles with at first, but stick to plan. And if I lose some more – great; if not – I won't be disappointed.
I’d also like to lose another 3 lb. That’s just for vanity’s sake as I would really like to get my Club 30 award and 5 st shiny. But I really don’t know whether this ancient skin and body will take it. We’ll see.
Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far – I can be a boring old fart at times. But I just wanted to put into perspective that it really can be done – even if very slowly.
PS and the final bit of this phrase:
Being fat is hard. Losing weight is hard. Choose your hard!
Is actually:
Maintaining is even harder!
Sh1t - tell me about it.
I’ve put almost 3 lb on whilst on holiday straight after getting to target.
So plan number 1 is to lose that again! Which is going well this week. BUT
Now the really hard bit begins.
Last edited:
gl12282
Plodding on.......
Fantastic post Bev. Loved it. It's great to show people that it doesn't matter how long it takes, that you can still get there. You and Heather and Ellebear and Spanx and quite a few others can show people that slow losses aren't necessarily a bad thing and can in fact be a very very good thing. Thanks
Gail x
P.S. I tried to rep you again but it wouldn't let me
Gail x
P.S. I tried to rep you again but it wouldn't let me
conlou1
Gold Member
brilliant post hun, really inspirational
as you know im majorly struggling atm (eating pizza whilst typing this nursing a hangover) but your so so right, it doesnt matter how long it takes to get there so long as you do get there, the alternitive of staying fat is far worse than losing at a snails pace. ill take the odd gain after a splurge and keep going, thankyou x
as you know im majorly struggling atm (eating pizza whilst typing this nursing a hangover) but your so so right, it doesnt matter how long it takes to get there so long as you do get there, the alternitive of staying fat is far worse than losing at a snails pace. ill take the odd gain after a splurge and keep going, thankyou x
Chelsea Lou
Gold Member
Rep, rep and thrice rep!!!!!!!!!!! What a beautiful post Bev and your before and after pics are amazing.
I think you spoke for just about all of us and it was from the heart. Now those tears you cry should be tears of joy at your fantastic achievement.
Well done....and big hugs xxxx
Pommette
Trying - very!
Daring to wear a swimsuit!
So finally I lost the extra 3 lbs and got down to 11st 10 and a BMI of 26.
We went on holiday to Fuegirola back in March - and guess what I put a few pounds back on but . . .
I got brave enough to wear a swimsuit in public
Still no twiggy and there are still things I would like to improve (the wobbly arms and lose skin being the main two) but hey . . .
I'm nearer 60 than 50 and I now like how I look
So finally I lost the extra 3 lbs and got down to 11st 10 and a BMI of 26.
We went on holiday to Fuegirola back in March - and guess what I put a few pounds back on but . . .
I got brave enough to wear a swimsuit in public
Still no twiggy and there are still things I would like to improve (the wobbly arms and lose skin being the main two) but hey . . .
I'm nearer 60 than 50 and I now like how I look
Attachments
Last edited:
Similar threads
