[splitimage]

I've been overweight all my adult life, but didn't really care. Now as I'm in my mid 40's, I'm starting to think about mobility issues as I get older, so i got serious about losing weight, and starting to exercise.

I found out about a program in my community that lets me see a dietitian for free, so I started seeing her in Aug. or Sept. I can't remember exactly. At that point I weighed 218 lbs.

I've been following the calorie target and eating plan we put together with a few slips over the holidays and when I weighed myself today I'm down to 198. That's 20 lbs! And it's the first time I've been under 200 lbs since 2007.

Now I'm trying to add in exercise. My goal is to walk for 15 minutes a day, and I'm trying to get into a free yoga program that would start in March, and I'm trying to decide if I can afford to take a tai-chi class. May let that wait until the summer. I know walking for 15 minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, I'm very out of shape.

I'm going to use this thread to track my weight loss and exercise progress.

splitimage

[Nix]

Congratulations on getting below 200!

How did you find the free dietician in your community?

[splitimage]

Hi Mrs. Joggers,

I live in a low income neighbourhood, that is considered under serviced for health services, so the government, in partnership with a private health care organization, put in a community health hub. They have family Dr's, for people who don't have a family Dr., and diabetes clinics, and dietitians that you can see for free if you're overweight. My mental health case manager told me about the service.

But remember, I'm in Canada, and we have public healthcare, although dietitians aren't usually covered, so it's a very different system up here.

spltimage

Good luck. I have recently started my diet too.

[splitimage]

Haven't updated this thread in a while. I put 6 lbs back on, but then managed to lose 4 of them, so I'm back to 200 lbs, and have been holding there steadily for a couple of weeks. It's so easy for old bad eating habits to creep back in.

Haven't managed to convince myself to start walking yet - I'm having some pain in my right leg, that I need to see my Dr. about. But it's also part laziness, I can't seem to get motivated.

Going to place a grocery order this week, and I'll order in some fresh salad stuff and lots of fruit to help with the getting back on healthy eating track..

splitimage

Good job splitimage! Its about progress not perfection

[Nix]

Hi splitimage... Glad to see you are working toward your goal. Slowly but surely!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hairball]

You order your food?

[splitimage]

Hairball, yes, I order my food. I don't have a car, and I don't really have any grocery stores that are close by bus, plus lugging groceries on public transit is a pain.

So there's a grocery store here that delivers. They have a huge on-line website with pretty much everything in the store on it. You pick what you want, and then pick a two hour window for them to deliver it in. You can either pay by credit card, or by debit card at the door. The service fee is $10, which is less than a cab home would cost. It's a fantastic service. I've been using them for years.

splitimage

Your delivery service is so cool!!! I want one.

[splitimage]

Well I had a small setback. I relapsed on alcohol for about 3 weeks, and so not only was I getting all the extra calories from alcohol, I was eating lousy - mostly carbs, and no exercise.

So I gained back 7 lbs.

but since stopping drinking and starting to eat healthy again I'm down 2 lbs to 203. Really want to get below 200 again.

And I need to start walking again.

[Serzen]

Keep moving, you can do it.

[splitimage]

Had a good meeting with my dietitian yesterday. She's happy I'm back on track and wants me to keep a food log, and bring it in to show her when I see her again in a month.

She says her first goal for me, is to get me down to 190 lbs which is apparently the point that my health related risks drop. It would also move me out of the obese into the overweight category on the BMI. Then we'll talk about how low I want to go.

So I'm feeling pretty good.

splitimage

[htoun]

Congrats. You should be real proud of yourself!

One of our local grocery stores with a drug store has a dietitian in a couple of days a week that anyone can set up an appointment with for free. I've been kicking around the idea of setting up an appointment but haven't yet.

[Yoda]

[splitimage]

htoun,
If you can see a dietitian for free, I say go for it. I find mine very helpful. She was especially helpful in the beginning in setting calorie targets, and explaining what real portion sizes were really - I found out I was actually eating two or three servings of most things.
splitimage

[Hairball]

split, I admire your motivation. I think that is so very cool about ordering your food and having it delivered. I had never heard of such a thing but from what people are telling me they do that in some places in the lower states as well.

[splitimage]

Well down to 201 as of today. It's painfully slow. I've been keeping a food diary, that I'll take in to show my dietitian when I see her next in a couple of weeks, and hopefully she'll have some tips on how I can jump start my weight loss.

And I'm still trying to work up the motivation to exercise.

[splitimage]

As of this morning, back down to 198! Yay so happy to be back under 200 lbs. Now just have to watch my eating so I don't put the weight back on.

It's obvious from my food diary, that I'm not eating any where enough fruits and veg. Really need to work on that, but it's hard.

[splitimage]

Still holding at 198. Can't seem to get below it. I'll be interested in what my dietitian has to say about my food logs. And I know I need to start exercising. Now that the weather's nicer, maybe I'll feel more motivated to start walking.

splitimage

[Yoda]

splitimage, what are your favorite fruits and vegetables? Are you near a farmers' market to get fresh?

[splitimage]

Hi Yoda, I like practically every fruit, except bananas which I can't stand. It's just expensive when out of season. Similarly I like most vegetables, and buying them frozen makes them less expensive. The only veg, I typically buy fresh are carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes.

Had a good meeting with my dietitian yesterday. She liked what I'd done with my food diary, as she said it made it very easy to spot patterns. She actually wants me to eat more daily, but it has to be fruits and vegetables. But she does want to see if I can cut my carbs serving down form 5 to 4 / day. It'll be a bit hard, but doable. And she's ok with me continuing to have more protein than the Canadian food guide recommends. And she agrees with me, that I absolutely have to start exercising.

So overall I'm feeling pretty good about how things are going.

[htoun]

Wow that is great. I've been upping my protein and taking vitamins and I have lost 5 lbs. I have to start exercising too.

[bebop]

I started walking and it really kicked my weightloss into high gear. I found a track close by that if you walked 3 laps it was a mile. I got up to 4 laps but then my back kicked into high gear too. Pain dr made me stop. I am still losing though but just slowly. Good luck hon!