Advise/Help Needed Please!

Cromlechbeag

OK any help would be gratefully appreciated and taken on board but please don’t use this thread to criticize. So here’s my dilemma – (thank god for internet anonymity ‘cos I’m embarrassed typing this)

I’m five foot, over 10 and a half stone and a snug size 14. Now size 14 on someone who is, let’s say, 5’8 is about normal but at five foot it’s (in my opinion, as I’m the one looking back at me in the mirror) unsightly. I really am not happy in my own skin. Now before you start thinking, well this is an obvious case of laziness ‘cos there is a multitude of things that could be done to lose weight and tone up by just putting the effort in. Well, here’s the issue, just under two years ago I broke my leg, not a simple break, oh no, not me, I don’t do anything in half measures! I broke my tibia, fibula and ankle, shattering a quarter inch of bone in the process. So now I have three bolts through my ankle, two locking plates on my leg and a load of pins and bolts attached to those plates. Mobility for the best part of the first year was null and void. I have regained the ability to walk now but that’s it, no fun runs for me! Weather definitely affects me, cold/wet weather is the worst, constant aches and pains and can barely walk a quarter mile without being in agony. I’ve come to the point now where I’ll try anything so the doctors have suggested getting the pins and bolts out first as they might be the main cause of the restriction. So I’ve surgery for next month to have them removed.

Wow, I’ve really digressed here haven’t I? OK back on track, I want to lose weight and get down to a size 10 at least but I need help. With the lack of walking I find it hard to get any exercise in. Swimming isn’t an option as there’s no pool near me. I’ve bought exercise dvd’s but have to skip parts that cause strain on my leg and even doing that I find my leg still aches for days after (thus hindering my walking, vicious circle). At the moment I’m awaiting the arrival of a bicycle I’ve ordered as, to me, this seems to be something that won’t cause too much strain on my leg but will burn up calories.

I seem to be gaining weight and I can’t figure it out, for instance here’s a normal days meal plan – breakfast- two slices of MacCambridge bread, no butter and a small banana or else Special K and skimmed milk lunch- a sandwich (butter, lettuce, ham, small bit of mayo or light cheese) or MacCambridge bread with lettuce and prawns (small bit of mayo) & a cup of green tea dinner- baked salmon, cous cous and some veg or chicken casserole, now I know the casserole could be fattening but I would consider what I’ve eaten during the day and assume I’m not going over my normal calorie requirement. I don’t normally snack during the week and if I do it’s a biscuit or two (if they’re in the house) or a ice-pop after dinner (what with the glorious weather we’re having) Now, I’m not a saint, I enjoy a drink at the weekend and sometimes curling up with a good movie and a take away but I still don’t understand how I can be this much over weight.

So basically I’m hoping there's someone out there who can tell me what to do or guide me in the right direction. Even if it’s as regimented as; if you eat this, this and this, cut out this and do more of this then you’ll get to your ideal size. I am willing to do it. Like I said I’m not happy in my own skin and it’s time to start doing something about it.

Phew, ok, I’m finished typing now. Hope someone out there can help me.

Thanks for taking the time to read through all that!

Khannie

First off, welcome to boards.ie.

You're on the right road, looking for help. I'm gonna do what others will and point you to the stickies. They have helped me and lots of others to lose weight. Different things work for different people. If you're small then you're going to find that you generally can't eat as much as taller people. Anyway, once you've figured out the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight / calories you'll need to lose weight, you should start looking at the "quality" and breakdown (carbs / protein / fats) of those calories.

The basics:
Lots of veg
Plenty of protein
Fat is not the enemy

But the stickies say it all really.

I found getting a digital kitchen scales and weighing stuff was a /massive/ help in working out where I was going wrong and more or less guaranteeing that I'd lose weight. In the absence of lots of exercise, healthy diet will be the key to your weight loss.

itsallaboutheL

These give a decent cardio workout if you're unable to do much with your leg..

If walking is causing problems a bike could well do so to if not used properly

Cromlechbeag

Thanks Khannie, I'll have a look at the stickies again but I kind of got lost in the middle of them the last time I looked, they seem to run on for pages and pages and I'm terrible with the terminology. But again, thanks.

itsallabouttheL - Oh if only I could afford something like that or had the space to store it but the recession has hit me and the only thing I can afford at present is a push bike

itsallaboutheL

Cromlechbeag wrote: »

Thanks Khannie, I'll have a look at the stickies again but I kind of got lost in the middle of them the last time I looked, they seem to run on for pages and pages and I'm terrible with the terminology. But again, thanks.

itsallabouttheL - Oh if only I could afford something like that or had the space to store it but the recession has hit me and the only thing I can afford at present is a push bike

A lot of big commercial gyms would have them, where are you based

Cromlechbeag

The local gym only has the normal exercise bikes and their gym membership is extortionate!

Kinda hoping after the op I'll be able to walk longer distances.

itsallaboutheL

Cromlechbeag wrote: »

The local gym only has the normal exercise bikes and their gym membership is extortionate!

Kinda hoping after the op I'll be able to walk longer distances.

Do you like near a city?

Cromlechbeag

Afraid not, in a small town and due to my injury I can't drive, so I'm stuck in my small town trying to do what people did before gyms were ever in existence

corkcomp

if your exercise is limited, diet will be the key .. the food listed looks healthy enough but it could also be down to portion size (calories in vs calories out!!) - even healthy foods like porridge + cous cous + mc cambridges bread can add up to a lot of calories if your portions are huge ... you can safely say that most vegetables and fruit wont cause weight gain though so you could try squeezing in a lot of veg which would leave less room for any higher calorie stuff!!

Cromlechbeag

Yeah, thanks corkcomp, I was thinking of halving my portion size of carbs in my evening meals and may try substituting ryvita for brown bread (although I'm not the biggest fan) at lunch. So now to stock up on an array of veg and have a pilates class booked for tonight so I guess that some bit of a start, the instructor has been warned of my injury so we'll take it from there!

corkcomp

Cromlechbeag wrote: »

Yeah, thanks corkcomp, I was thinking of halving my portion size of carbs in my evening meals and may try substituting ryvita for brown bread (although I'm not the biggest fan) at lunch. So now to stock up on an array of veg and have a pilates class booked for tonight so I guess that some bit of a start, the instructor has been warned of my injury so we'll take it from there!

that sounds like a good start .. id be surprised if making the changes you mention above didnt give some result!!

Cromlechbeag

Fingers crossed

Cromlechbeag

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

These give a decent cardio workout if you're unable to do much with your leg..

If walking is causing problems a bike could well do so to if not used properly

Was informed by one of my work mates that a new gym opened up in an industrial estate 10 walk down the road from me and I popped in this evening to have a look and low and behold guess what machine they had hahaha, think the gods of fitness must be smiling on me. Now if only the flat stomach god and small butt goddess would take notice ahem