Time for drastic action!

Onamission

Ok, I'm finally admitting that my constant exhaustion and lack of energy; dry, flaky skin; dry, flaky scalp; dull, brittle hair; brittle nails, mood swings, scary PMT, severe sinusitis, poor gum health (even though I brush my teeth regularly), sometimes aching joints, and constipation, among other things, can only be due to one thing – my awful, awful diet. I don't eat much (part of the problem I'm sure) but what I do eat is, pure and simply, rubbish – processed crap and junk food. It wasn't until my friend gave me a huge lecture yesterday that I realised what I’m doing to myself. I always knew damn well that it was a problem, but had to be scared into admitting it.
My friend was over visiting from London and hadn't seen me in ages. She went home yesterday and before she left, let rip at me because she couldn't hold it in any longer. She said I was looking awful and that my diet, which was always bad, had gotten particularly bad. Because of being really busy with my masters thesis, I had seriously let myself go.
Until last night, my "foods" of choice included white bread, Chinese take-aways, burgers, chips, ice-cream, chocolate, fizzy drinks – just complete rot. And lots of coffee – preferably creamy/chocolatey types. And I didn’t eat breakfast. In fact, I rarely ate anything of nutrtional value. As I said, I didn't even eat that much, but at 11 stone 4lbs, I'm probably about two stone overweight. Plus, I have a horrendous waistline – a 36-inch one to be exact. Yes, my friend told me about how this increases the risk of diabetes. And the tops of my thighs rub together, which has caused numerous cysts to form (gross, I know). Needless to say, I do zilch exercise.
My friend shocked me into taking action. I was awake all night thinking about it, and vowed to change. Didn't wake up til really late today (because of lack of sleep) so only had my breakfast at around 1pm – chopped up banana and apple and a mug of hot water with lemon juice. Already, I'm starting to feel a little better!
So, basically, I think it would be good for myself if I were to share my progress on this forum (if that's ok). My main goal is to get the waistline down and to get fit. Don’t know if I'm looking for advice really. I know what to do – plenty of exercise and healthy eating (making sure to include all the essential nutrients, and to eat regularly rather than fasting). I just think, though, that giving updates on my progress might help me to stick with it whenever I feel like giving up. It's a drastic change but so far I haven't found it hard (I know it's only been a few hours!) But I’m just grateful that I've got the chance to do it NOW! I also smoked my last cigarette last night. Weirdly enough, don't miss them - yet!

smiles

Good for you -- I'd just say that healthy eating doesn't necessarily mean squeezed lemon juice in hot water -- just cut out the junk, eat 3 square meals a day and have the odd treat for yourself -- it'll be easier to maintain and you won't feel like you are depriving yourself.

Onamission

smiles wrote:

Good for you -- I'd just say that healthy eating doesn't necessarily mean squeezed lemon juice in hot water -- just cut out the junk, eat 3 square meals a day and have the odd treat for yourself -- it'll be easier to maintain and you won't feel like you are depriving yourself.

Cheers smiles. Oh, the hot water and lemon thing isn't an appetite suppressant or anything. I was reading the Gillian McKeith book all through the night and she said this is a good thing to start your day with. It's good for the stomach, bloating, constipation etc. My God, I can tell you she was right. I experienced a major "flushing out" of toxins after drinking it. Like a mini colonic irrigation it was! (Sorry - too much information!)

Huggles

Hi op

There are some great threads scattered around the place on this very issue. I suggest you do a search for weightloss.

I'd also suggest that you read the stickies at the top of this forum.

I want to say well done to you for taking the first step and reaslising that this is something that YOU have control over!

I was in exactly the same shoes in November 2005, I weighed 230lbs and had no confidence. I started to eat right and exercise (walking for an hour a day) and I got down to my goal weight of 168lbs.

The key is consistency, I wish you every success, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

A good thread on the issue: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054960881&highlight=lardie

Onamission

Aw thanks a mil, Gooner! And congrats! Almost four and a half stone since only the end of last year is phenomenal! When did you reach your target weight?

Had a read of that thread and you know what? I actually consider myself lucky that I'm not far, far heavier - to look at me, I don't appear particularly overweight.
Anyway, thanks for your support. I really feel I can do this and the encouragement of you and smiles only reinforces that feeling.

Cheers!

yomchi

Onamission wrote:

Ok, I'm finally admitting that my constant exhaustion and lack of energy; dry, flaky skin; dry, flaky scalp; dull, brittle hair; brittle nails, mood swings, scary PMT, severe sinusitis, poor gum health (even though I brush my teeth regularly), sometimes aching joints, and constipation, among other things, can only be due to one thing – my awful, awful diet. I don't eat much (part of the problem I'm sure) but what I do eat is, pure and simply, rubbish – processed crap and junk food. It wasn't until my friend gave me a huge lecture yesterday that I realised what I’m doing to myself. I always knew damn well that it was a problem, but had to be scared into admitting it.
My friend was over visiting from London and hadn't seen me in ages. She went home yesterday and before she left, let rip at me because she couldn't hold it in any longer. She said I was looking awful and that my diet, which was always bad, had gotten particularly bad. Because of being really busy with my masters thesis, I had seriously let myself go.
Until last night, my "foods" of choice included white bread, Chinese take-aways, burgers, chips, ice-cream, chocolate, fizzy drinks – just complete rot. And lots of coffee – preferably creamy/chocolatey types. And I didn’t eat breakfast. In fact, I rarely ate anything of nutrtional value. As I said, I didn't even eat that much, but at 11 stone 4lbs, I'm probably about two stone overweight. Plus, I have a horrendous waistline – a 36-inch one to be exact. Yes, my friend told me about how this increases the risk of diabetes. And the tops of my thighs rub together, which has caused numerous cysts to form (gross, I know). Needless to say, I do zilch exercise.
My friend shocked me into taking action. I was awake all night thinking about it, and vowed to change. Didn't wake up til really late today (because of lack of sleep) so only had my breakfast at around 1pm – chopped up banana and apple and a mug of hot water with lemon juice. Already, I'm starting to feel a little better!
So, basically, I think it would be good for myself if I were to share my progress on this forum (if that's ok). My main goal is to get the waistline down and to get fit. Don’t know if I'm looking for advice really. I know what to do – plenty of exercise and healthy eating (making sure to include all the essential nutrients, and to eat regularly rather than fasting). I just think, though, that giving updates on my progress might help me to stick with it whenever I feel like giving up. It's a drastic change but so far I haven't found it hard (I know it's only been a few hours!) But I’m just grateful that I've got the chance to do it NOW! I also smoked my last cigarette last night. Weirdly enough, don't miss them - yet!

Sounds like severe deficiancy in vitamins and minerals. You need to get yourself a good multi vit to start, Begin juicing fruit and veg to get them essentials into you

Huggles

Onamission wrote:

Aw thanks a mil, Gooner! And congrats! Almost four and a half stone since only the end of last year is phenomenal! When did you reach your target weight?

Had a read of that thread and you know what? I actually consider myself lucky that I'm not far, far heavier - to look at me, I don't appear particularly overweight.
Anyway, thanks for your support. I really feel I can do this and the encouragement of you and smiles only reinforces that feeling.

Cheers!

Thanks a million. Reached target about 5/6 weeks ago now. Just take it one day at a time!!! Best of luck.

g'em

Hey Onamission! First off, a big congratulations for deciding to make the change. You’ve already been given a lecture about how much you need to change your ways so I’m not going to give you another one. But there are many, many things that do need to change.

Your diet
This is first and foremost where your problems lie. Much of what you’re feeling will change when you sort out your dietary needs. Like you said the lack of energy, bad hair, skin, nails etc are all because you aren’t getting enough vital nutrients. You need to ditch all processed food, concentrate on eating fresh food in small meals regularly. I’m writing my Masters thesis too so I know how stressful it can be, which is why its even more important that you take care of yourself:

Cut down on caffeine and artificial stimulants
Drink plenty of water every day
Cut out processed foods
Start your day with a healthy, energy packed breakfast like organic muesli or porridge
Try and get fresh fruit or veg with every meal
Eat plenty of lean protein like chicken, turkey, and eggs, oily fish (salmon and tuna)
Swap all ‘white’ foods for brown or wholemeal- pasta, rice, bread

Like Jon said, you may need a multivitamin to get you started, but if you eat a good healthy well-balanced diet there should be very little that you won't get in foods. To be honest, fruit and vegetables contain a huuuge number of the necessary daily vitamins and minerals our body needs to function. And if you're not sure which ones to eat, the anwser is... all of them!! Make fruit salads, add veg to tomatoe sauces, stir-fry big batches of veg, bring veggie sticks to work to snack on, put fruit in your cereal in the mroning or make a fruit smoothie with yoghurt as a snack or dessert.

Exercise
When you’re stressed exercise will help release endorphins and release built up tension- go for a brisk walk, a jog, a cycle, a swim, anything that gets you moving and raises your heart rate. Aim to exercise at least four times a week for an hour a time.

Sleep
Get plenty of good quality rest every night, ideally around 7-8 hours. Rest is vitally important for your body and believe it or not will actually help you lose weight.

Remember that it’s not going to be an easy ride. There’s a lot of things you need to change and everything won’t come together overnight. It’ll be a slow process, but you will get there. You may have slip-ups, but don’t worry. What’s more important is that you pick yourself back up and get back on track. You’ll see lots of info around the board, but don’t get too bogged down by it all- just keep reading and try and make small steps that you know you’ll stick to. An awful lot of people here (myself included) have been in a similar situation to you, but the trick is to try and make the changes so that they become habit and routine and not a chore. In a short space of time you’ll learn that your body will respond brilliantly when you treat it kindly, and in a few days you’ll have more energy and positivity than you thought possible! And when that happens it’s hard to imagine yourself going back to your old ways.

And of course you don’t need to give up everything- everyone deserves a treat now and then, and treats are always much more enjoyable when you know you’ve put in the work beforehand. Try not to concentrate too much on the weight loss issue- first make a real effort to make your diet healthier- I promise the weight loss will follow suit. Don't latch onto a faddy diet or look to some miracle weight loss pills or creams or shakes- your body is nutrient starved right now and you need to correct that before you do yourself any long-term damage.

Take a read through the stickies at the top of the page- there’s plenty of reading there to get you started. If you’ve any questions, just ask. Best of luck with you endeavors

Onamission

G'em, thank you so much for that excellent, valuable advice. It's really lovely of you and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Yip, I've been doing everything you advise - a day and a half in and I'm already starting to feel better. My skin is even giving off slightly more of a glow than it's usual dull self! As for those faddy diets - absolutely no way. I think I've a fairly educated outlook (mum being a nurse - I'd get some ass-whupping if she knew the crap I was eating! ) Time to put it into practice now. And yes, while weight loss is one of my goals, I'm not going to get on the scales or dig out the measuring-tape for a while - first and foremost, I want to feel better!

Once again, thanks to you all.

Myksyk

Hi Onamission. Fair dues to you on making your decision. My word of advice would be to expect this to take time. Set your expectations at a level which helps you attain your goal at not at a level that frustrates you. The key here is PERSEVERANCE. When my poor health finally got me going to the gym and drastically changing my eating habits some years back my key phrase for myself that became my mantra was 'just keep going'. There won't be massive changes immediately even after what can seem like incredibly hard work but the funny thing is you are absolutely guaranteed to meet your goals if you persevere ... if these changes become part of your lifestyle. There's no 'maybes' here ... you will look, feel and be better if you persevere. So just keep going! Good luck!

abetarrush

Bench press while I shout shlogans at you!


You are nuhsink!

Smellyirishman

Light as a feather baby

There has been some great advice given out already. My advice, is that the hard part is motivation. As Myksyk said, your can achieve what you want, there is no question about that. Set your self goals, weekly goals, 2-4 month goals, long term goals. Move towards those goals, and if you miss them, just become more determined to get them.

Finally, don't give up on yourself after the inevitable bucket of ice-cream or chocolate bar.

abetarrush

Try watchin loads of videos and stuff about fitness. i dont mean workout vids, like, shows like MTV'S Top 100 bodies


always makes me wana go joggin

Onamission

Myksyk wrote:

My word of advice would be to expect this to take time. Set your expectations at a level which helps you attain your goal at not at a level that frustrates you. The key here is PERSEVERANCE. When my poor health finally got me going to the gym and drastically changing my eating habits some years back my key phrase for myself that became my mantra was 'just keep going'. There won't be massive changes immediately even after what can seem like incredibly hard work but the funny thing is you are absolutely guaranteed to meet your goals if you persevere ... if these changes become part of your lifestyle. There's no 'maybes' here ... you will look, feel and be better if you persevere. So just keep going! Good luck!

Cheers Myksyk and everyone else. Yeah, I'm not looking for a quick fix. This is a lifestyle overhaul, not just a weight loss programme. I don't think I've ever been so determined about anything in all my life, so I won't be giving up easily.