Restarting, yet again

[Kaitlyn]

Hi

I started my weight loss journey a few years ago. I had all good intentions, and was actually doing quite well at one point.

Then life kind of got in the way. And I fell off the wagon. I have restarted a few times, but never seemed to do it. I would lose a few pounds, and then, generally, annual leave would be, or it would be Christmas or something, and I just would forget about it.

I thought that the last time, or maybe the time before (I think this is attempt number 4 or 5!), and I had a whole bunch of, what I thought, were good reasons. I wanted one of two career paths; to join the RAF as a nursing officer, ro go back to uni and retrain as a midwife. For joining the RAF, I knew I would have to get fit. But, I couldn't face the prospect of at least six more years as a nurse. So, I decided last spring to apply to uni for midwifery. If I didn't get in, the RAF would have been my back up plan.

I got in to uni and have been studying midwifery for the last seven months. I love it, and have just 11 months to go. I can't wait

Anyway, when I finish uni (maybe slightly before, perhaps) I want to start trying for a baby. Right now, I don't think that would be feasible. Other than the whole bunch of 'women's issues' which I am sure you don't want to read about on here, I would love a normal, low risk pregnancy. We had to write a birth plan for uni and that got me seriously thinking about what I would want, the main thing being a home birth. As a larger woman, it would be much more difficult for me to get that, and would involve a lot of fighting with midwives and obstetricians. And I know there would be an increased risk to the baby and me. The whole pregnancy would be higher risk in general.

Anyway, I want to lose as much weight as I possibly can between now and next March. I think we will start trying to conceive as soon as my BMI is below 30 and am therefore not considered to be an 'at risk' group, as I know it will probably take a while to get pregnant.

The last time I weighed myself was when I was still working as a nurse and I was around the 120kg mark (on hospital scales, so didn't come up in stones and pounds (nearly said pounds and ounces as that is what I am used to working in now, when converting the kg to a weight parents understand!). I don't have a scale at home, so will have to wait til I go to my mum's house to weigh myself on those, but, when I first started this, a number of years back, I had just over 100lb to lose, which just seems like a huge task.

In order to get out of the obese catefory, I need to get to 15 stone 5lb, and in order to get in to the normal range, I need to get to 12 stone 11. I'm going to need masses of help and support, I think.

 

[chezz]

hi welcome
there is loads of support here as you know and good luck with your journey xxx

 

[Kaitlyn]

Thank you.

It just seems such a daunting task.

 

[chezz]

yes i can agree with you there but i know think along little goal 1 stone at a time if i look at the big picture i would just fall off the wagon cause it going to be a long journey for me

 

[Kaitlyn]

I suppose that's the best way. You're doing well by the looks. Nearly 4 stone gone? That's impressive!

 

[sarahmun]

Hi kaitlyn

you sound focused and with a good plan. I had 2 children whilst bein overweight and although the pregnancies were smooth the births were not. We thought about having a third but i couldnt bear to have people not realise Im pregnant and not just fat. I promised myself that once they were born id loose weight thats 2 years ago!!! Now life just takes over. Sorry for my story but your plan sounds perfect and the best way for the future ive just gotta get my plan and stick to it.

Ill be following your posts.

Sarahxx

 

[chezz]

hi Kaitlyn
yes it works that way for me im no good with big goals

 

[ladyfelsham]

Hi Kaitlyn and welcome

 

[Kaitlyn]

Thanks everyone.

My first week has gone well. I have met my goals for this week. I have made a conscious effort to drink more and haven't had less than 1500ml on any day this week. I also took food in to uni more often, and the days I didn't, I opted for the healthier item on the menu (have had a rant about this elsewhere on here, so won't bore everyone and repeat it all here).

I have decided my goals for this week will be to start exercising - I think I want to start with some hula hooping, as I can do it at home, it is cheap and easy to store, and it will be a bit of cardio and will tone a bit, too (I think, anway). I also plan to sort out my diet this week in terms of how I eat. I can go all day without eating and then pig out in the evenings (naughty, learnt behaviour from nursing!), and I need to sort this out, so I aim to try and eat breakfast this week, even when I'm not in uni.

I haven't managed to get around to weighing myself yet (I don't have a scales), but have measured myself, and I think, for the time being at least, I will use these to measure my success. I think, though, that before I set goals about losing weight/inches, I need to try and get myself in to better habits in order to make it more sustainable, and that is what I am trying to do with these goals I am setting myself at the moment.

 

[chezz]

kaitlyn thats great your working out wot you have got to do this week and sticking to the plan thats great well done

 

[Kaitlyn]

I thought, when I've tried this in the past, I've just said 'right I want to lose x amount of weight and I want to lose it by such a such date,' and it's got me nowhere. I feel so much more motivated this time, and have decided, if I want to achieve it, I need a new plan, as previous ones obviously haven't worked. So, I'm going to aim for a couple of good habits to get in to each week before I even think about setting weight/inches loss as a target. I think that's the right way for me to try this time.

I'd love to take up swimming again, if I'm honest. I used to do a lot of distance swimming, and even some speed swimming. I would swim a mile without batting an eye lid, I swam 5km on a few ocassions. But I don't know if I have the time at the moment to fit that kind of thing in right now. From the early summer, there will be one less demand on my time, at least for a while. So I might make, initially, swimming a mile non-stop my slightly longer term exercise goal, and gradually build up from there.

 

[chezz]

I thought, when I've tried this in the past, I've just said 'right I want to lose x amount of weight and I want to lose it by such a such date,' and it's got me nowhere. I feel so much more motivated this time, and have decided, if I want to achieve it, I need a new plan, as previous ones obviously haven't worked. So, I'm going to aim for a couple of good habits to get in to each week before I even think about setting weight/inches loss as a target. I think that's the right way for me to try this time.

I'd love to take up swimming again, if I'm honest. I used to do a lot of distance swimming, and even some speed swimming. I would swim a mile without batting an eye lid, I swam 5km on a few ocassions. But I don't know if I have the time at the moment to fit that kind of thing in right now. From the early summer, there will be one less demand on my time, at least for a while. So I might make, initially, swimming a mile non-stop my slightly longer term exercise goal, and gradually build up from there.

hi kaitlyn
swimming yes that would be great and wow your a good swimmer to so im sure it would bring you so much enjoyment to ....................your doing great your so motivated like you said this time little goals and challenges and agree with you me and lou toxicgirl on here as set up monthly challenges like in may you just join and say how much you want to lose that month and every week we put in our losses or gains i love it .............. like yourself in the past i would set myself stupid goals which i know i would not get to with out getting bored before i got there this time round i thought baby steps a pound at a time and that makes stones in time so i thought aim to lose 4 stone from now till xmas if you dont do it its ok if i do thats bloody great news but im not going to beat myself up like i use to so yeah hun i really do understand where you are coming from good luck on your journey and your next weigh in