Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Are there others out there trying to lose weight who don't really want to use meds and want to do it "on their own?" Can we have a little support group here for those of us who need some encouragement and want to learn about others' experiences ... without someone chiming in to promote GLP use or to dissuade others from trying to do it without meds? I'm really tired of every chain promoting GLPs. Yeah, it's harder; but what's wrong with doing it "naturally?"

I'm a 57 y/o female, 5'6" weighing a fluctuating 186-190#; pre-diabetes and lifelong high cholesterol; shoulder issues on one side and wrist issues on other side preclude a lot of the recommended physical exercises (like weightlifting). I initially lost 22# through lifestyle changes and regular walking. I've been stalled for a long time, gaining up to 5# at times - hence the fluctuating weight noted above.

Anyone else? Suggestions or advice or just your own story for encouragement/support? Anti-drug folks, how can we do this?!!!

4 '10"

weights and fiber.

It's hard OP very hard.

What can take the place of weights? As noted, I can't do weights because of shoulder and wrist issues.

You can do strengthening exercises on machines that work your lower body.

Anonymous wrote:I thought we determined that this OP was a troll?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grateful to have found this thread—it’s the first day of a new month, and I am feeling motivated at last to clean up my diet, give more than lip service to strength training, and drop my Emotional Eater pounds.

So January 1 was a month ago. I’m a late bloomer.

Happy to have found this thread as well. I’ve lost 12 pounds since last May and would like to lose 30 more. It’s a slow slog. I’ve decreased sweets and portion sizes but know from experience if I cut it all out completely I’ll give up and eat all the sweets. I’ve also started exercising with more intention and lifting weights.

For me, the big problem is sugar. I wish there was a 12-step meeting for sugar-aholics. I am certain I'm addicted to sugar, and I can't get off of it, no matter how hard I try.

the only thing I've been able to do is add more natural sugar -- fruit -- to my diet, but it's hard in the winter when there are far fewer fruits to eat. I don't like frozen or canned fruit, so that's a problem. In cold weather or when I'm stressed, I crave sweets.

I do restrict my calories by keeping a food diary and limiting portions of food I eat. No more cheese, which was causing me to gain weight. I eat an avocado nearly every day. Lots of salads, vegetables. I've taken to eating a bowl of applesauce before I eat anything sweet, and that seems to help me stop eating a bunch of sugar.

And I always stop eating when I'm full. I wait to feel hungry again before I eat. It's hard because I eat a lot out of boredom or when I'm stressed and anxious or procrastinating.

More exercise is in my future. I've started exercising, stopped, started again. I do stretches and strengthening exercises most days at home, but only for 5-10 minutes, which is nowhere near enough. I have to lose 10 more pounds, and it's really hard. But I want to live to 100 and be walking, gardening, enjoying life and traveling when I'm 100, so I must lose weight and exercise and eat a healthy diet if I'm going to live to a healthy old age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Are there others out there trying to lose weight who don't really want to use meds and want to do it "on their own?" Can we have a little support group here for those of us who need some encouragement and want to learn about others' experiences ... without someone chiming in to promote GLP use or to dissuade others from trying to do it without meds? I'm really tired of every chain promoting GLPs. Yeah, it's harder; but what's wrong with doing it "naturally?"

I'm a 57 y/o female, 5'6" weighing a fluctuating 186-190#; pre-diabetes and lifelong high cholesterol; shoulder issues on one side and wrist issues on other side preclude a lot of the recommended physical exercises (like weightlifting). I initially lost 22# through lifestyle changes and regular walking. I've been stalled for a long time, gaining up to 5# at times - hence the fluctuating weight noted above.

Anyone else? Suggestions or advice or just your own story for encouragement/support? Anti-drug folks, how can we do this?!!!

I'm about your age and size. I weighed 160 until the pandemic, and then I just kept gaining weight. one of my knees gave out, then my back, and I realized I must make changes.

I just lost about 30 pounds over four months. I credit it to:

1) accepting that I'm going to be HUNGRY for the rest of my life. This is a huge thing for me because I HATE feeling hungry. But I've gotten used to that feeling, and it's not going away.
2) intermittent fasting. Every few days, I limit my eating to an 8-hour period in 24 hours.
3) measure and write down what I eat. I no longer glop food into my plate. I measure it. And I keep track of what I eat every day in a notebook. It's tedious, and I often forget, but I carry that small notebook with me everywhere, and I write in it when I remember, usually every day or two.
4) cut out sugar, most dairy and gluten
5) eat lean meats, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, lots of fruits and vegetables, and few carbs
6) eat only when hungry and stop eating when I'm full
7) swim, lift weights, do a lot of stretches and strengthening exercises. No running because of my bad knee. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolism and the more calories your body will burn.

Every once in a while I go on a sugar/gluten/dairy binge and eat a bunch of sweet (but not junk) foods, but then I pull myself together, remind myself that I want to be healthy and live a long life, and I go back to enduring the hunger and cravings for sugar.

It's not pleasant, OP. I get really tired of watching what I eat. But I don't eat any junk food. I limit what I eat when I go out to a restaurant, and I take home anything I don't finish.

I fear those drugs, though. Three of my friends are on them, and I worry about them. They have not changed their lifestyle, not added exercise, not cut out alcohol or sugar. They just eat less and rely on the drugs to help them lose weight. I don't think that's a healthy way to live for the long run. No one knows what those drugs will do to your body in the long run. I'm not taking my chances.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grateful to have found this thread—it’s the first day of a new month, and I am feeling motivated at last to clean up my diet, give more than lip service to strength training, and drop my Emotional Eater pounds.

So January 1 was a month ago. I’m a late bloomer.

Happy to have found this thread as well. I’ve lost 12 pounds since last May and would like to lose 30 more. It’s a slow slog. I’ve decreased sweets and portion sizes but know from experience if I cut it all out completely I’ll give up and eat all the sweets. I’ve also started exercising with more intention and lifting weights.

For me, the big problem is sugar. I wish there was a 12-step meeting for sugar-aholics. I am certain I'm addicted to sugar, and I can't get off of it, no matter how hard I try.

the only thing I've been able to do is add more natural sugar -- fruit -- to my diet, but it's hard in the winter when there are far fewer fruits to eat. I don't like frozen or canned fruit, so that's a problem. In cold weather or when I'm stressed, I crave sweets.

I do restrict my calories by keeping a food diary and limiting portions of food I eat. No more cheese, which was causing me to gain weight. I eat an avocado nearly every day. Lots of salads, vegetables. I've taken to eating a bowl of applesauce before I eat anything sweet, and that seems to help me stop eating a bunch of sugar.

And I always stop eating when I'm full. I wait to feel hungry again before I eat. It's hard because I eat a lot out of boredom or when I'm stressed and anxious or procrastinating.

More exercise is in my future. I've started exercising, stopped, started again. I do stretches and strengthening exercises most days at home, but only for 5-10 minutes, which is nowhere near enough. I have to lose 10 more pounds, and it's really hard. But I want to live to 100 and be walking, gardening, enjoying life and traveling when I'm 100, so I must lose weight and exercise and eat a healthy diet if I'm going to live to a healthy old age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grateful to have found this thread—it’s the first day of a new month, and I am feeling motivated at last to clean up my diet, give more than lip service to strength training, and drop my Emotional Eater pounds.

So January 1 was a month ago. I’m a late bloomer.

Happy to have found this thread as well. I’ve lost 12 pounds since last May and would like to lose 30 more. It’s a slow slog. I’ve decreased sweets and portion sizes but know from experience if I cut it all out completely I’ll give up and eat all the sweets. I’ve also started exercising with more intention and lifting weights.

For me, the big problem is sugar. I wish there was a 12-step meeting for sugar-aholics. I am certain I'm addicted to sugar, and I can't get off of it, no matter how hard I try.

the only thing I've been able to do is add more natural sugar -- fruit -- to my diet, but it's hard in the winter when there are far fewer fruits to eat. I don't like frozen or canned fruit, so that's a problem. In cold weather or when I'm stressed, I crave sweets.

I do restrict my calories by keeping a food diary and limiting portions of food I eat. No more cheese, which was causing me to gain weight. I eat an avocado nearly every day. Lots of salads, vegetables. I've taken to eating a bowl of applesauce before I eat anything sweet, and that seems to help me stop eating a bunch of sugar.

And I always stop eating when I'm full. I wait to feel hungry again before I eat. It's hard because I eat a lot out of boredom or when I'm stressed and anxious or procrastinating.

More exercise is in my future. I've started exercising, stopped, started again. I do stretches and strengthening exercises most days at home, but only for 5-10 minutes, which is nowhere near enough. I have to lose 10 more pounds, and it's really hard. But I want to live to 100 and be walking, gardening, enjoying life and traveling when I'm 100, so I must lose weight and exercise and eat a healthy diet if I'm going to live to a healthy old age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Are there others out there trying to lose weight who don't really want to use meds and want to do it "on their own?" Can we have a little support group here for those of us who need some encouragement and want to learn about others' experiences ... without someone chiming in to promote GLP use or to dissuade others from trying to do it without meds? I'm really tired of every chain promoting GLPs. Yeah, it's harder; but what's wrong with doing it "naturally?"

I'm a 57 y/o female, 5'6" weighing a fluctuating 186-190#; pre-diabetes and lifelong high cholesterol; shoulder issues on one side and wrist issues on other side preclude a lot of the recommended physical exercises (like weightlifting). I initially lost 22# through lifestyle changes and regular walking. I've been stalled for a long time, gaining up to 5# at times - hence the fluctuating weight noted above.

Anyone else? Suggestions or advice or just your own story for encouragement/support? Anti-drug folks, how can we do this?!!!

4 '10"

weights and fiber.

It's hard OP very hard.

What can take the place of weights? As noted, I can't do weights because of shoulder and wrist issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grateful to have found this thread—it’s the first day of a new month, and I am feeling motivated at last to clean up my diet, give more than lip service to strength training, and drop my Emotional Eater pounds.

So January 1 was a month ago. I’m a late bloomer.

Happy to have found this thread as well. I’ve lost 12 pounds since last May and would like to lose 30 more. It’s a slow slog. I’ve decreased sweets and portion sizes but know from experience if I cut it all out completely I’ll give up and eat all the sweets. I’ve also started exercising with more intention and lifting weights.

Anonymous wrote:
Are there others out there trying to lose weight who don't really want to use meds and want to do it "on their own?" Can we have a little support group here for those of us who need some encouragement and want to learn about others' experiences ... without someone chiming in to promote GLP use or to dissuade others from trying to do it without meds? I'm really tired of every chain promoting GLPs. Yeah, it's harder; but what's wrong with doing it "naturally?"

I'm a 57 y/o female, 5'6" weighing a fluctuating 186-190#; pre-diabetes and lifelong high cholesterol; shoulder issues on one side and wrist issues on other side preclude a lot of the recommended physical exercises (like weightlifting). I initially lost 22# through lifestyle changes and regular walking. I've been stalled for a long time, gaining up to 5# at times - hence the fluctuating weight noted above.

Anyone else? Suggestions or advice or just your own story for encouragement/support? Anti-drug folks, how can we do this?!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see other folks here, since it seemed like every thread was for GLP. I am just starting to focus on weight loss now that I don't have to cook and eat the foods loved by my young adult sons every day. I am focused on anti-inflammation using both Nordic and Mediterranean diets, and I don't plan to do anything radical that I won't be able to maintain, so all food groups are allowed. Also focused on making sure that the foods that I eat are delicious and filling (testing lots of new recipes), again, so I can stick with it. So far, so good.

Back again to report that I've lost 12 lbs in the last eight weeks. Some people wouldn't be satisfied with that pace, but again, I am trying to be in this for the long haul. Bought some new cookbooks and making meal planning exciting.

Hope things are going well for others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see other folks here, since it seemed like every thread was for GLP. I am just starting to focus on weight loss now that I don't have to cook and eat the foods loved by my young adult sons every day. I am focused on anti-inflammation using both Nordic and Mediterranean diets, and I don't plan to do anything radical that I won't be able to maintain, so all food groups are allowed. Also focused on making sure that the foods that I eat are delicious and filling (testing lots of new recipes), again, so I can stick with it. So far, so good.

Back again to report that I've lost 12 lbs in the last eight weeks. Some people wouldn't be satisfied with that pace, but again, I am trying to be in this for the long haul. Bought some new cookbooks and making meal planning exciting.

Hope things are going well for others.

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see other folks here, since it seemed like every thread was for GLP. I am just starting to focus on weight loss now that I don't have to cook and eat the foods loved by my young adult sons every day. I am focused on anti-inflammation using both Nordic and Mediterranean diets, and I don't plan to do anything radical that I won't be able to maintain, so all food groups are allowed. Also focused on making sure that the foods that I eat are delicious and filling (testing lots of new recipes), again, so I can stick with it. So far, so good.