Age: 41
Height: 169cm
Start Weight: 74.8kg
Current Weight: 63.6kg
Goal Weight: 63.6kg
Weight Lost: 11.2kg
Working to Rate of Loss: ½kg per week
Weight Loss History
I've never really been one for following programmes. When I
still lived at home I would occasionally join my mom's programme
on Weighless, but I usually couldn't be bothered. If I
needed/wanted to lose a bit I would just try to eat less for a
while - not that I could sustain it for long! But I'm relatively
new to weight problems.
Have you lost weight before
and regained the weight?
I gained a little weight after marriage and then a little
more after each of my two boys' births. Nevertheless, my weight
was fairly stable until we immigrated to the UK. The loneliness
of the first year sent me scuttling to the fridge. I lost that
weight when I started work, then gained some of it back when we
moved to MK and I was once again not working and lonely. When I
started my current job I didn't lose weight as I had hoped. In fact, 5
months of on/off travel and hotel meals saw me gain even more.
How being overweight has affected you…
I have never been really big, but having done some TV
presenting and a little photographic modelling in my younger
days I was depressed by my size. I used to do a lot of
sport and song-and-dance shows too, which I know people found
hard to believe when I was at my heaviest. I found it difficult
to make time for exercise when the boys were really little and
saw myself as having gone from someone vital and attractive to a
drudge. I lacked energy and felt sluggish.
Motivation to Lose Weight
Just before Christmas 2003 (such timing!) I bought an
electronic scale and found that I weighed a lot more than I had
realised. In fact, I weighed as much as at the end of my first
pregnancy! Okay. Enough was enough. The time had come, the
walrus said... I needed to take better care of my body. I was
determined to lose weight and get into shape. Diet and exercise.
Discovering Weight Loss Resources
I did as before and simply tried to eat less, which worked to
a point, but then I got stuck. I realised I needed to work to a
proper plan and towards a specific goal. While trawling the 'net
in search of a diet plan I could handle I stumbled on WLR.
Calloo callay, o frabjous day!
How Weight Loss Resources Helps
Not having to exclude anything is great. I reckon exclusion
diets don't change long term habits. Also, having access to
calorie info on tap is very helpful. I know exactly where I am
all the time: how many cals I have left for the day and what I
can afford to eat. If I want to eat more, I can plan some extra
exercise to free up the cals. The message boards are a great
source of support too. Within days of joining I felt like an old
hand when I saw newbies ask the very questions I had asked so
very recently.
The Best of Weight Loss Resources
At first, I used both food and exercise diaries and lived
on the boards. Later, I tended to focus on the diaries for the
sake of my phone bill. I have kept my details up to date with a
weekly WI, too. I've come to recognise a few experts on the
boards who are a great help: Rick is great on sports matters and
SarahW is a rock when motivation is required. EI and Caroline
are always
positive and enthusiastic.
Karyn's Tips for Losing Weight
- Maintain your diaries! It's very revealing.
- Get exercise - endorphins are addictive and do an
incredible amount for your state of mind.
I've been at goal for a couple of months now and feel more in
control. I have become a fitness fanatic - who'da thunk it? I
recently spent a fortnight in the states, where I ran 1.5 miles
almost every morning and tried not to overdo the food - I only
gained 600g. It can be done!
Karyn
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