The Beginning
This is only my third post on Steemit so I'll start by saying, my name is Andrea, I'm 48 years old and I'm @kiwideb's sister.
I joined Steemit primarily to record my weight loss journey so that maybe I can inspire or help other people. It may also keep me on track as I have a long way to go!
So this all started (well this round anyway) at the end of November when I went to visit my doctor.
For a couple of months beforehand I had been feeling awful. I was tired to the point of exhaustion all day every day!
When I had to feed the animals I was simply dragging myself around and panting for breathe. I put this down to being so over weight but I was surprised at the level of tiredness.
I went to my GP with the intention of asking if I could have a gastric band operation
(kiwideb doesn't know this so shhhh ..... she will be mad) but I needed to know if I met the criteria.
So I sit across from the doctor and explain that I had come to the end of tether and I needed help.
He looks at me and asks if I had ever tried dieting.
Well .... my eyes glaze over and my already high blood pressure starts to spike.....
I told him "all my life and clearly it's not working"
He looks down his nose and replies "clearly"
STALEMATE
He took my BP and told me he couldn't let me leave without medication and after receiving the blood test results it turns out I'm also pre diabetic and extremely low in iron. These 3 things shine a wee light on why I was feeling so awful.
Well.... needless to say I had a wee meltdown - High BP and now pre diabetic ..... YAY..... GO ME!!!!
I kicked my own sizable butt for awhile then thought "Pull yourself together - you can fix this"
I feel I'm a strong independent woman mainly because I have to be. I don't have anyone to help me so my only option was to get a grip and fix my awful eating habits. At this point I have to tell you that I'm the biggest sugar addict ever and I can inhale a bag of lollies without pausing for a second breath.
Unfortunately this doesn't do my health any good so this behaviour has to stop!
I won't go into how much I weigh but I will say that I want to lose 50kg which is around 110 pounds (Blimey I hear you say!! that's a lot) and I want to lose it before I hit the big 50.
I have 14 months left to complete.
You can do this, ignore your stupid Doctor, they think they know it all. On day at a time, small changes will make a massive difference. I will be following and if you need a kick give me a shout and I will do the same :)
Yes I can - I'm doing well so far!!! I will continue with The Plan soon. Thank you for your words of support :) I'm sure I will need a kick at some stage and feel free to let me know if you need help :)
Will do and your more than welcome :)
You do you! :) There is no "one solution fits all" when it comes to losing weight or simply your relationship with food.
I am not a big fan of dieting, I follow the principles of intuitive eating (meaning: I listen to my body and try to understand my binges etc. in order to take better care of myself ^^)
For me, the first step was to really notice my hunger and to understand, that hunger comes from the stomach, not from a craving on your tongue.
I wish you the best of luck!! <3 Make sure to keep us updated! I would love to hear more!
Thank you for your support :) Hahaha if I do me and what I want I'll really be in trouble but I have a plan which I will share with you all shortly :) thanks for reading :)
You go, girl...
You can do this, and sharing the bald facts here on Steemit will help you keep on going.
May I mention a personal perspective? If I were embarking on such a quest, I would completely avoid doctors and drugs altogether. Just my humble opinion. Find the best natural remedies and sound nutrition information you can, and follow that.
Now I'll apologize for offering unsolicited opinions... and leave for now, wishing you the best of success.
😄😇😄
No apology needed at all - I welcome advice as it's how we learn :) I do have to say I'm grateful for the BP medication because it really helped me straight away.
Glad to hear it. :D
Slow and steady wins the race. Only this is not a race. This is your health. Diet is a bad ord and sets you up for failure. Call it a change to healthier food. First, know you have a lot of support here so if you need that kick in the butt we are here for you. Second, cut out the sugary stuff. No sodas or carbonated drinks. Have sparkling water or fruit juice with added water. Third, drink lots of water. 2 or 3 litres a day. Add a squeeze of lemon to perk it up. Try to eat only fresh fruits and veggies. Eat chicken and fish. You'll soon get the hang of it and it really isn't bad. Our family changed to healthier eating 18 years ago. I can't remember when the last time I had a chocolate bar, the only thing I do remember was it wasn't satisfying and it tasted awful. Go at it slow. Change a little at a time. The weight didn'tget there overnight, so it stands to reason that it has to come off slow. Oh, and for your doctor, I'd find another one. They are not looking at you as a person. You are their meal ticket.
Thank you for your kind words :) So far I'm doing well and have implemented a lot of changes. I had to start at the start because I wanted to document the whole journey... Part 2 is nearly finished :)
I lost quite a bit of weight a couple of years ago and what did I do? Oh yeah... Doritos.
So, I have to start all over again (and a little bit more besides). Come on, you can do this!
Good Luck!
MMMmm Doritos.... alas, no longer on my menu! Thank you - I sure need some luck :) Yip I feel ya I've spent years going down then back up - such a fun ride.... :(
I'm fascinated watching your progress on Steemit
Here is a pic I took of a seagull - it's saying "Andrea needs an extra comment on her post"
Thanks @sift666 just what I needed :D - I feel progress might be slow - I need more interest grabbing pics maybe :P
I thought I had started following you a couple days ago, but I was mistaken. I am following now! I always feel horrible, but the cost of medical care here in the US is even more horrible than feeling horrible lol. You have a lot of support, you'll get to where you want to be :)
This is a nice supportive comment, and I'm sure she will appreciate both the comment and the follow. But can I suggest that you also upvote? I know you probably feel that it isn't worth anything, so why bother, till you have more SP. Or maybe you forgot when you went to reply (been there, done that, no judgement). Although at this stage, the vote is more symbolic than anything else, it will be appreciated by the more established Steemians, and help you to build relationships. You seem like a genuine person, not a spammer, so I'm taking the time to offer you this feedback. Please don't take it as a criticism.
As far as feeling horrible goes, there are a lot of people posting about various healthy ways of eating (and I just mean eating better foods, not necessarily dieting). That's something you can change yourself, that might help you feel better, without having to pay for health care. But you probably already know that :-)
Thanks @kiwideb for the reminder - us Newbys need all the help we can get to succeed :)
Thank you very much - I have made a great start which I will talk about in my nextish blog. Health care everywhere is a mess really - here you have to wait a week before you can see a GP, too bad if you're dying lol. I really appreciate the follow and the comment.
I do wish they could fix the healthcare problems everywhere. I mean it's only your life they are playing cards with. I definitely need to make some lifestyle changes (diet wise lol). There is one food item that I cannot and will not start eating no matter if there's benefits or not.. Onions! Those things are not for me haha. They make me gag. Bleh!
Hahahah I've just finished chopping one - I'm making pickled cucumbers :D
I hope you enjoy those :) My brothers make them sometimes when they have gardens out. It's nasty Winter here now though. Everything is dormant.
Hang in there, as you know it ain't easy, but nothing worthwhile is.
Yell out if you want a male-biased comment,
Personally, it is that little snack just before bed that stuffs things up.
Thanks - for me it's the lack of motivation to cook for myself together with the sugar addiction - not good lol
Silly thought,
Sat or Sun make a big, lots of veggies, meal, eat 1/4, divide and freeze 3/4s.
After a couple of weeks you will have "instant, good, homemade food" in the freezer, just heat and eat.
That way you get to eat your favourites more often.
Great idea!!! Thank you :)
Although sugar is very addictive for everybody, I think that one side of our family has a particular sensitivity to sugar, which shows up in various different ways. Knowing that doesn't really help much, but maybe recognising that sugar hurts us more than other people will be an extra motivator.
What a horrible doctor!!! I need to lose 20+kg too.
I guess he was just being honest but tact wasn't one of his strong points :) The weight loss struggle is real isn't it!!!
Yes it is! I injured the tendons in both my feet, and I need to get the weight off my feet, literally!
OH Ouch!! that must hurt :(
You have no idea!!!
I'll be following along with you. I too need to lose weight. I'd settle for 10 pounds but ultimately 50 would be great! And there's my thyroid issue that I'm tracking here on Steemit. Go us!
I get you on the sugar addiction. I've put a lot of weight on this winter and I'm bound and determined to get it off again! Maybe we can cheer each other on...