Anyone else battling the bulge?

[PDii]

Congrats to you. It sounds like the effort you are putting is is reaping a reward. While I don't need to lose any myself, my other half has been struggling with her weight since the kids were born 11 years ago. SHe has tried all sorts of diets etc, and has been successful in a few. The real bummer is that she lacks a lot of support to keep her going. WHile the intentions are good, there is only so many times the immediate family can say "good on you", without it losing it's effectiveness. I think that having outsiders (friends, work mates) support and nurture you while trying to achieve something this important is crucial.
Her BP has gone up a little bit in the last few months, and she has manged to pinch a siatic? nerve, therby losing feeling down her right leg at times. Couple this with 2 crook knees from sports as a teen, that just give way on her at random moments, I don't need to tell you that she once again is struggling with the weight. The motivation is good, but being consistant with diet and exercise really is the key.

[Analog6]

Congrats to you. It sounds like the effort you are putting is is reaping a reward. While I don't need to lose any myself, my other half has been struggling with her weight since the kids were born 11 years ago. SHe has tried all sorts of diets etc, and has been successful in a few. The real bummer is that she lacks a lot of support to keep her going. WHile the intentions are good, there is only so many times the immediate family can say "good on you", without it losing it's effectiveness. I think that having outsiders (friends, work mates) support and nurture you while trying to achieve something this important is crucial.
Her BP has gone up a little bit in the last few months, and she has manged to pinch a siatic? nerve, therby losing feeling down her right leg at times. Couple this with 2 crook knees from sports as a teen, that just give way on her at random moments, I don't need to tell you that she once again is struggling with the weight. The motivation is good, but being consistant with diet and exercise really is the key.

If you are within reach of a pool, she may find swimming beneficial as I have. No joint pain at all now. If she is not a swimmer, walking in the water and using a kickboard are good too, and she can go as hard or easy at it as her injuries permit. I reckon it's the best thing I've found in 20 years of trying to lose weight!

[Analog6]

Well, I have signed up for the Channel Ten's 1 Million Kilo Challenge and made my Cause the Cat Protection Society of NSW. You can see my page here.

While I am not trying to lose weight in a hurry, it is a great cause and I hope I can raise some money for them.

Thanks to jeanie on Cat-World forum for posting about it - we cannot receive Channel 10 at the moment - even with a good digital set top box, I think we need a new aerial but we don't watch much TV so haven't bothered about it.

[ktoopi]

Wow Odile what an achievement!! Keep up the great work. I read your post with great interest as I have a modest amount of weight to lose and have had a huge amount of trouble despite going to the gym and having a trainer. Your post interested me as I have two girlfriends who swim almost every day down at the local beach pool even in winter and they are trying really hard to get me to join them.( they are both slim !) I have put it off and off as I don't consider myself to be a swimmer and would probably need some lessons on freestyle first. I don't think I have swum a single stroke of freestyle in over 25 years!! Reading your post has motivated me to give swimming a go before summer is over!!

[Jeanette]

How encouraging and a wonderful open honest thread you posted.
weight is a hard thing to talk about with anyone let alone sharing with many people so big grats for that and can certainly help you keep motivated.
I have lost weight over the last year, very slowly much slower than i wanted but getting there. I have realised though by loosing it slowly it does stay off better. I HOPE

so on a photography site it is wonderful to see the sharing of what makes us all real just gorgous

[Kevin M]

Hi Odille,
good on you...

[Analog6]

For those who are also battling, I found this great nutrition counting tool which tarcks all your food and presents it as a pie chart with labels. Very useful and super easy to use and it is free.

[Analog6]

Weight down 1.4kgs for a total January loss of 3.4 kgs.

Measurements down 31.5 for the month of January! Total cm lost now 76!

In cms - Bust - Waist - Hips - Upper arm - Thigh - Neck - Calf - Total
Total Lost - 15 - 17.5 - 27 - 4 6.5 - 6 - 0 - 76
Since last - 1 - 6.5 - 18 0 - 3.5 - 2 - 0.5 - 31.5

I would have like a bit more off the darn bust measurement - I always used to los there first - maybe menopause maks a difference.

[rellik666]

Congrats keep up the good work! Have slipped off the bandwagon myself this week!

[Analog6]

Well, I was just in the bathroom washing my hands and realised how much my horrible double chin and wattley neck have improved. Here are 2 pics - one is me 'dressing' the Xmas tree a few days before the event, and the other is taken with my on computer camera just 1/2 an hour or so ago. I am so pleased to see a positive improvement like this!

[Tikira]

Wow Odille I hardly recognised you.

I really am impressed.

Di

[mudman]

i surrendered to it years ago

[Mary Anne]

You are doing Fantastic Odille.
I am impressed also what a difference, you would be so pleased with yourself

I am not loosing much as I had to stop that 3.5km walk every day as it was draining the energy out of me, I blame age and the humidity.
Only lost 3.4kg the past 2 months guess it better than putting it on though

[leanneqld]

Marvellous..you look great. Keep at it.

[terry.langham]

Well done Odille. Those visible changes are the most rewarding, even more so then the tumbling numbers on the scales.

I have cut out processed foods and sugars (still eating lots of fruit) and have so far lost 13kg, with a minimal amount of excercise.

[allendarryl555]

As some of those who have been on meet ups with me will know, I need to lose some weight. Due to old Achilles ankle injuries and subsequent knee injuries, exercise has been hard. And in the last couple of years the fact that carrying anything heavy has been nearly impossible for me, resulting in severe back pain for up to 3 days afterwards.

Back in August my partner Warwick went to the doc and his BP was a bit high and doctor recommended lose some weight and get more exercise. Warwick grew up by the beach so swimming is as natural as breathing to him. After he had been going for a few weeks he suggested I come along. I was initially reluctant but I did go down just for a look and found the pool had kickboards you could use.

So! I am now up to 30 laps (1500m in 75-90 minutes) 3 days a week a mix of kickboard and breast stroke and back stroke. On the other 3 days a week I go I do 20 laps, 300m of walking in the water, and 15 mins of aerobic exercises in the water (jumps, running on the spot etc) – about 60-75 mins. And I feel great. I love walking but my weight gain (I was up to 120kgs on 1August 2011) and troublesome ankles meant just 15 mins of waking left me in so much pain I would hardly move for 3 days. I do all this exercise at the pool and have no pain afterwards. And this type of exercise – I do NOT ‘go for the burn’! – fits in with the Primal lifestyle, which I am aiming to get back to. My Primal Blog

I have even bought my own pair of flippers – the type that makes your muscles work harder, not the go faster ones – my own kickbooard, googgles and swim shirt. Who’d have thunk it?

I went back and revisited my food/weight loss diary from 2 years ago. In December 2010 (the last recorded measurements) I had the following figures:
date – weight in kgs – bust – waist – hips – upper arm – thigh – base of neck – calf (measurements in cms)
05/12/2010 – 121 kgs – 145 – 130 – 145 – 43 – 71.5 – 47 – 39
01/01/2012 – 112 kgs – 131 – 119 – 136 – 39 – 68.5 – 43 – 39.5
So I have lost 9 kgs and 44.5cm!

UPDATE: Weigh in today at the doctors before the dentist – down another 2kgs!

So I have now lost 10kgs or 8.33% of my body weight. And I do feel fantastic – the swimming is really strengthening my muscles and to be able to do normal things like walk upstairs, go shopping, carry bags etc without knowing I am in for long bouts of back pain is like a miracle. I wish I’d discovered swimming years ago! And I cam now do a full 50m lap of breast stroke and back stroke and 30m of freestyle – all with correct breathing. I’m trying to do a bit more freestyle each week.

So to any of you trying to lose weight I really recommend the pool.

I’m really pleased with the loss of 4cm from the upper arms – I am working hard on them to try and muscle the flabby old things! I don’t mind the calf measurement increasing, I’m doing so much kicking at the pool I reckon they’d have to! And I have dropped a dress size since the August restart (120kgs), plus I can now walk upstairs like a normal person instead of clutching the hand rail for grim death and gasping my way up! And my BP this morning was 124/80 pulse 68 – I’m very happy with those numbers.

But best of all, I can carry the camera bag up and down the steps at home with no effort at all! It has wheels so once I have it at ground level there are problems, but I used to have to wait until Warwick got home to get it up the stairs to the computer/recharge area.

So, I am feeling better and will keep updating this as the more people who know what I am trying to do the more honest it will keep me!

My aim is to lose 20kgs this year, I think that is an achievable goal.

[allendarryl555]

I am overweight and have several seveere physical dissabilities and after reading your experience I am going to try the pool as well.
Darryl

[Analog6]

Yep, the processed foods and sugars are the killers - an also they are addictive. Wheat/grains act on the same opiate receptors as heroin, and sugar on the same ones as cocaine. Bring on those TimTams, feed both addictions in one go! (NOT!)

[Lance B]

Yep, the processed foods and sugars are the killers - an also they are addictive. Wheat/grains act on the same opiate receptors as heroin, and sugar on the same ones as cocaine. Bring on those TimTams, feed both addictions in one go! (NOT!)

Congratulations on being so strong willed and losing so much weight, that is a fantastic effort and you to be commended for keeping at it!!!

You are correct about processed foods and sugars. We should eat foods as close to how they are naturally, ie unprocessed, full grain and no added sugars. As one nutritionalist suggested, there are 4 things you should have as much as you can: vegetables, fish, laughter and sex. Sounds good to me.

[rellik666]

Congrats well done! It takes time to change your life and get out of old habits!

I have moved to really low carb or low GL foods, so that isn't all meat it is a balance but moving away from the Carbs that cause increased sugar levels.

I am finding it a revelation. I am fuller than ever and eating less. I have issues with insulin and now the less sugars I eat the more I am affected when I do eat them. I slip now and again, and when I do I want to eat more rubbish....which is proving to me how addictive they are.

But I am finally starting to loose some weight after years of trying!