Weight has to go

[tyred]

From my own trials and tribulations with trying to lose weight (I was 18 stone at one point) what I found is you need to see it as a long term thing. In the new year, there will be a million and one new diets being suggested from all corners promising immediate weight loss. But you can't stick to these long term and the weight will go back on again. I made small changes, reducing portion sizes, eating more healthy foods but not cutting out any chocolate or whatever, just have it moderation. Combine that with an increase your activity levels and you will lose weight, the results mightn't be immediately obvious but in a few months time, you will see a noticeable improvement and the good thing is that you have a healthier lifestyle you can stick with and live with, not some stupid fad like the Atkins diet that you won't.

 

[gbb]

From my own trials and tribulations with trying to lose weight (I was 18 stone at one point) what I found is you need to see it as a long term thing. In the new year, there will be a million and one new diets being suggested from all corners promising immediate weight loss. But you can't stick to these long term and the weight will go back on again. I made small changes, reducing portion sizes, eating more healthy foods but not cutting out any chocolate or whatever, just have it moderation. Combine that with an increase your activity levels and you will lose weight, the results mightn't be immediately obvious but in a few months time, you will see a noticeable improvement and the good thing is that you have a healthier lifestyle you can stick with and live with, not some stupid fad like the Atkins diet that you won't.

Couldnt agree more. Healthy living and eating, its the only way long term. Thats why SWMBO doesnt have to excercise so much now, the food going in is right, the lifestyles right.

 

[Willow]

From my own trials and tribulations with trying to lose weight (I was 18 stone at one point) what I found is you need to see it as a long term thing. In the new year, there will be a million and one new diets being suggested from all corners promising immediate weight loss. But you can't stick to these long term and the weight will go back on again. I made small changes, reducing portion sizes, eating more healthy foods but not cutting out any chocolate or whatever, just have it moderation. Combine that with an increase your activity levels and you will lose weight, the results mightn't be immediately obvious but in a few months time, you will see a noticeable improvement and the good thing is that you have a healthier lifestyle you can stick with and live with, not some stupid fad like the Atkins diet that you won't.

That's why I thought I would start now rather than 'weight' for the new year. It is healthier eating that's required, if I simply cut out the biscuits and cake quick fixes, that go in so fast I haven't tasted them then I would lose weight for sure. I nearly always cook healthy meals but sometimes I've snacked so much before getting to the point of dinner I'm not hungry and end up eating just to sit up with the boys. Bad habits need to go.

 

[Auntie Helen]

What all these fad diets boil down to is "eat less", with some doing the "eat less, exercise more" angle. It makes sense, really, that that's how one loses weight - although you have to be careful not to eat too little and then your body gets its knickers in a twist.

Online food and exercise tracking websites can be really helpful (I've used one for several years) and it's very interesting to see what you actually eat in a day, as opposed to what you actually NEED to eat in a day.

I did a very successful diet 9 years ago (lost 8st 2lbs in 10 months) and kept the weight off for several years, although 4 stone has crept back on now (which I'm working on). I didn't do any of the weird faddy diets, I did WeightWatchers (at home from their CD) which basically tracks your calorie consumption and makes sure you eat less, but not too little. I now use an American online system which, now I have added all my foods in sensible measures (like 100g not 1/4 cup) is very quick to use and helps a great deal with the willpower. For me, though, the delight of cycling is the extra food I can eat; I've just done a 90 minute cycle ride at 14.1mph and that's an extra 1500 calories for me to eat today - yippee! I'm just going to have that Caramel Shortcake that HWMBO bought...

 

[barq]

Good luck, I'm trying to loose a little bit after Christmas. I won't wait for the New Year either, but I can't start whilst visiting relatives over Christmas itself.

Anyway, my tips:

Keep a food diary. The act of writing everything down makes you more conscious of how much you eat and may in some cases cause you to forgo extra portions or snacks.

Put a note on the fridge door (a question mark works for me). It is there to remind you to think carefully before you eat. Are you really hungry or just a bit bored?

Use a smaller plate than normal. Eat slowly. Chew your food well. Wait ten minutes before allowing yourself a second portion. Unfortunately feedback about fullness takes a while to get to the brain so take your time over food and you may find you naturally eat less.

Or try The Butterfield Diet.

 

[Over The Hill]

I have shifted a stone and a half and am on just over 12 stone now which is OK for my height and getting on in years.

My dos and donts

Do
Keep eating as much- if you eat less you will go hungry and give in to the next mars bar you walk past.
Exercise and get in the habit of exercising.
Dont
Just go out and ride when you like set up regular dates preferably with others so you have a commitment
Eat fat or sugar (well cut down as much as you can)


Forget 99% of the diet info that has filtered into your head over the years. Eat three good meals that fill you up in a day and if you snack inbetween then go for fruit. Eat rice bread spuds and pasta and lots of them they will fill you up and if you look at what you eat they are actually low in calories. Just dont cook them in fat. Eat as much fruit as you can - try to eat two apples when you usually have one.

Idea is that you give yourself free access and fill up on a good diet. Almost anything with little or no sugar or fat in it is great to eat. Just set your radar to pick out the sugar and fat.

If you do not beleve me then think how many slices of bread you would eat in a day if you had nothing else. Now work out the calories in the bread you calculate. I guarantee it will be a lot less than you will burn up in a day (=lose weight)

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

If anyone else is on the same path how are you going to succeed? For those of you that have walked that way before how did you manage it.

FWIW I have had some success with this. I set myself no targets, not diet and no aims at all. My experiences with all those things before told me that i would only set myself up to fail again. I simply said to myself that i would ride my bike and not stop. Which is what i did and what I am doing, every day I possibly can. I am careful about what I eat nowadays and I havent had any alcohol really for 2 years (except now at christmas). I stopped boozing because it did not work with medication and because I felt sick on the bike if I drank the night before....and being a bloke and therefore a wimp I wished to avoid the pain.

Ok here goes...stupid alert...

This is what really keeps me going. I ride past a certain Church each day...I speak to God and he speaks to me...I promised him I would keep on keeping on and I am. It's somewhat more involved than that but thats the jist of it...told you it was stupid sounding...thats my thing...maybe not for you dunno...but you did ask...

I am 15 stone these days ...two years ago I was 21 stone.

I got a lot of help and support on this forum, lot's of advice about bikes. gear, correct eating for cycling etc...it all helped...those were the tools I needed...but the drive came from within...I could no longer live with myself, so I had a choice, end it all, or change. I tried the first option but failed, so i am changing...it's a better option...much better.

Anyway...nuff 'bout me...you will do this, you will succeed and you will not stop. You will do it one step at a time and you will have challenging moments, moments of desperation and moments of pure exhuberance...most of which nobody else will ever share or see...but you will know.

 

[Willow]

FWIW I have had some success with this. I set myself no targets, not diet and no aims at all. My experiences with all those things before told me that i would only set myself up to fail again. I simply said to myself that i would ride my bike and not stop. Which is what i did and what I am doing, every day I possibly can. I am careful about what I eat nowadays and I havent had any alcohol really for 2 years (except now at christmas). I stopped boozing because it did not work with medication and because I felt sick on the bike if I drank the night before....and being a bloke and therefore a wimp I wished to avoid the pain.

Ok here goes...stupid alert...

This is what really keeps me going. I ride past a certain Church each day...I speak to God and he speaks to me...I promised him I would keep on keeping on and I am. It's somewhat more involved than that but thats the jist of it...told you it was stupid sounding...thats my thing...maybe not for you dunno...but you did ask...

I am 15 stone these days ...two years ago I was 21 stone.

I got a lot of help and support on this forum, lot's of advice about bikes. gear, correct eating for cycling etc...it all helped...those were the tools I needed...but the drive came from within...I could no longer live with myself, so I had a choice, end it all, or change. I tried the first option but failed, so i am changing...it's a better option...much better.

Anyway...nuff 'bout me...you will do this, you will succeed and you will not stop. You will do it one step at a time and you will have challenging moments, moments of desperation and moments of pure exhuberance...most of which nobody else will ever share or see...but you will know.

Thanks for taking the time to say that I appreciate it.

 

[Pedaldog]

Back in '96 I had a near fatal M/cycle accident. Coma for a week or so and then not expected to survive. I weighed in at 14 stones at the time. 6 Weeks later I was 11 stone! I managed to keep it down a bit as I got back to being able to eat solids but, Brain injuries is a great excuse, I follow trends and patterns and when I get a routine in my life I tend to stick with it and build on it. As a result of the eating habit I am now 19 1/2 stones! Going to set myself some reasonable targets of "Things To Do in 2009" and hope that I will start to practice for them and eat less, ride more etc. If I could hit 15 stone again I would be pretty happy at the moment!

 

[ColinJ]

I seem to have spent the last 3 years promising to lose weight and not doing it. I would really like this new start to be the final one, and I am starting tomorrow, yep tomorrow not in the New Year. It's going to be my Christmas present to me. I know the theory very well, and for a few days I stick with it then slip slide away. If anyone else is on the same path how are you going to succeed? For those of you that have walked that way before how did you manage it.

Merry Xmas everyone

I'm going to do it by a mixture of public accountabilty and public humiliation...

I'm starting up a personal weight loss and fitness website/blog in the New Year and the full horror of my beer belly will be revealed for all to see and poke fun at. I'm going to explain my plans and record my progress. If I don't succeed, I'm going to look really stupid (as well as fat!). My friends and family already know about this plan, and I'm going to change my signature line here and on BikeRadar to link to my website. Every time I post in the forums I'll be drawing attention to myself .

I've been through the fat-fit-fat cycle several times. I usually don't have a huge problem getting my weight down. My problem is that I get complacent and/or lazy and put it all back on and I'm desperate not to do it again.



I think that not waiting until the NY to begin your weight loss programme is a good sign. The New Year's Resolution is a form of procrastination (people don't start in December because they can do it in the New Year), and you are demonstrating that you wish to put an end to that kind of thinking.

I live alone so it is easy for me to decide what food to have in the house. I choose not to buy foods such as bread and cheese because I have a weakness for them and the temptation is too great. I think you have children don't you? That will make it harder, because you have to think of them as well, and their food might include things you'd rather not be tempted by. On the other hand, a healthy diet for you could also be a healthy diet for them so it might not be a problem. If you decide that cakes, sweets, crisps and stuff like that have to be excluded from your diet, then the same arguments could be used for your childrens' diet.

The big thing is - you have to change your lifestyle for ever. If you 'go on a diet' then you implicitly eventually 'come off a diet'. That's when the weight goes back on.

I think you mentioned 'comfort eating' in past threads. I used to do that, but my main problem is 'comfort drinking'. When I'm fed up and/or stressed I like to relax with a beer or five (!) and the belly soon follows. Really, the secret has to be to sort out the pressures creating the desire for comfort in the first place. That takes time. Just remember that you deserve to be slim and healthy, do it for yourself and your family, and try not carry the burdens of the past on your shoulders - been there, done that, cried on the tee-shirt !

Happy Christmas to you and the kids too.

PS If you want a bit of support off-forum, feel free to PM me any time. It's rare that I don't check the forum at least once a day.

 

[MePower]

Great post Bigtallnotsofatbloke and ColinJ! I`m 18 stone, have been for 3 years now after i broke an ankle playing football. To get me motivated to lose weight, i have just joined my local bike club again after a 15 year "rest." Went out 5 weeks ago, got dropped 3 times. That is the motivation for me. The guys in the club are very encouraging, and now i`m keeping up with them even on my fixed wheel bike!
My weight loss program starts with making a shopping list. Me and ShePower sit down and shop online with *esco or Asd*, it means we can budget properly and we have stopped buying the crap we used to, as we dont impulse buy anymore. Oh, and we`ve put half nekid pics of ourselves on the fridge door. If you still want to eat rubbish after seeing that, then you need a counsellor not a dietician
Be successful and keep it fun!

 

[Willow]

I've enjoyed being healthy today, good Christmas lunch but mince pies and christmas pudding now heading for the freezer to be had by boys at some future date Off to do some theraputic tidying!

 

[Auntie Helen]

Well continuing good luck on Day 1!

 

[vernon]

Don't try to lose weight, set a goal to get really fit. I went from 15st to 11.5st when I decided to set targets of walking up Snowdon and also cycling a century. At the time I owned neither a bike or a pair of walking boots, but by setting positive targets I found the motivation to get active, and didn't even notice the weight coming off until I had to buy new trousers.

I see there are several London to Paris bike rides going this summer - that would be a proper target to go for!

Didn't work for me. Despite averaging an Audax every other weekend and three weeks of cycle touring every year I am not much lighter at 22 stones but I am a lot fitter.

If I could lose five or six stones then I'd be fit and fast especially on the climbs.

Know the theory of eating less and moving more - i move more and eat more and maintain an equilibrium....

I'm aiming to ride a 300km Audax this year. This can only happen if there's some serious weight loss.....

Eating less here I come....

 

[ColinJ]

Well, I've had an indulgent Christmas so far but that was always my plan.

I had a big Christmas dinner with my family today and have come away very impressed with my 30 year old niece. She isn't very tall, probably about 5'4", and has been overweight for years. She's had various medical problems, and by May of this year was suffering from high blood pressure. Her doctor wanted her to take medication for it, but she decided to give herself 6 months to sort herself out with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Well, the 6 months are up but I'm afraid that she only lost...










... 56 pounds!! She's down from 13 st 6 lbs to 9 st 6 lbs - a fantastic effort. It just shows what determination can achieve. She looks really well, and enjoys going to the gym about 3 or 4 times a week. Her blood pressure is normal again. I feel really motivated now to get on with my new regime once I return to Yorkshire.

She is going to send me a sequence of photographs showing her weight loss journey. I'm going to do a little feature on her on my website to remind me (and anyone else who is interested) what a difference half a year can make.

Go, Willow, go - you can do it too ! (And vernon, me (ColinJ) et al.)