Just seen this thread for the first time so have come to look and join in for now. So I am not in a "concentrate on weight loss " state at the moment, as will be revealed as you read on. But one of the things that makes it rather a vicious circle for me is that I have various health issues. That means I am aware of what is a good way to live regarding diet and exercise, but often cannot follow this. So I have cancer for a second time, this means treatment which affects both appetite and mobility. I have a very bad lower back, which I know how to manage, having this for many years., and have to adjust my exercise according to what it is being like at the time. At home , never lie flat, or stay in one position for a long time. Unfortunately I have to do that for the cancer treatment, and the so called bed is as hard as a table to lie on. So however well I cope with the treatment, my back complains bitterly for the next 3/4 days . I am a type 2 diabetic, on metformin but not injections.
So, in general , I eat a good mixed diet, majority of my food is from scratch, and exercise the best I can. I am getting less mobile so can no longer do the walking I used to. My best thing is I go swimming , as this is less painful, the pool has a hoist to put me in the water and get me out. So I try to do 20 to 30 lengths of a full size pool. Not all at one go, in the beginning it is very painful so do a couple of lengths , rest a little and then carry on doing about 4/6 lengths at a time . I go to a disabled session, which is once a week, then usually do 2/3 sessions per week. If I wake up in a lot of pain very early in the morning, I get up and get stuff together and then drive to their very early session so am usually in the water about 7am. At that time there is usually 2 or 3 groups of people. The intense group who have their counters on their wrist and charge up and down the pool without stopping, then get out and go off to work or whatever; the friends groups, who over the year I have discovered, are there through meeting at post operation physio, or met through being in hospital, and then another group vary in size as they all used to work for the same firm but are now retired. They use the swimming pool as a get together and encourage each other to lose a bit of weigth and exercise. One problem I find is that despite , or probably because, I have been in water, I am always very thirsty when I get out of the pool. So I sometimes come straight home, but other times go to cafe nero for a coffee. On the way there I go in the bakers and buy one fresh teacake , which I eat before i get to Nero's . Then I am not tempted to buy any food but the teacake lets me do a bit of shopping or whatever before I go and make some lunch. I am a widow and live alone, so in general I sort of run 2 jobs in parallel. One standing , and one sitting. I start one job, but when my backs gives me a lot of pain, change position and go to the other job. Frustrating, as I was always a "lets get one job finished properly before starting another" but learnt the hard way that saying I will just finish this, just causes me more pain. On a good day, when I am in the mood, I do some cooking, make a lovely shin beef stew, some curry and bolognaise sauce etc. Then I put individual portions up and freeze them. So on a bad day when I can hardly stand I have something that only needs reheating. Sorry to be going on , but I have to allow for all this when I am thinking of food etc. So the combination of being unable to run or walk far now, cannot stand in the kitchen for long times and the factor that I live alone, so no one to say what are you eating or whatever. So I hope to learn some good ideas from all of you, and when I feel out of inspiration , have somewhere to look for ideas. So that is me, I am 79, live in north yorkshire alone, and have just had a major disaster with a broken pipe behind the toilet and tiles which has meant total emptying of bathroom, sanitising and new bathroom fitted. Sounds lovely , which in the end it was, but nearly 11 weeks in a hotel, only got home on the friday before christmas day!! So, on the whole, with added hassle of no winter fuel payment, getting car MOT'ed which passed but needed new brakes and cost £345 You can see why I shall not be sorry to see the back of this year and hope to begin 2025 with a better attitude to exercise and good food.
