Hi
This is my first post ever, on any forum, but have decided to take the plunge! I’ve read so many of the threads and followed so many success stories, and struggles, that I’m sure I’d feel even more motivated if I actually joined in instead of lurking.
A bit about me: I’m 58, retired (on health grounds), and about 4 stone heavier than I’d like to be. I was pre-diabetic last year but managed to bring my blood sugars down into the healthy range using the 5:2 fasting diet. But CFS/ ME and fibromyalgia make it difficult to exercise and my weight is a constant worry. I’ve tried pretty much every diet going, but have stuck with the 5:2 diet longer than any other, and really enjoyed it. So when I found the BSD book it felt like a natural progression and I started it at the end of July.
My starting weight was 189.2lbs (I’m 5ft 4″), and my BMI was 32.3. Although I had an initial loss of 6lbs in the first week, it seems to have been slow and steady since then, averaging a lb or two a week. But after 5 weeks I’ve actually achieved a loss of just over 1stone (down to 174.8) which I’m absolutely thrilled about, and I’m now officially overweight rather than obese, as my BMI is down to 29.8.
Ideally I’d like to initially get down to 11stone / 154 lbs, which I realise is still high, but feels more realistic at this stage than anything more drastic. But the doubts are already starting to creep in about whether I have the willpower to lose at least another 20lbs. I’m in awe of some of the posters on here who have lost vast amounts, and also those who can walk miles a day, or count their steps in the thousands rather than the hundreds! I suppose I’m hoping that by actively joining in, rather than reading from the sidelines, I might maintain my momentum and keep my motivation going.
We have a big holiday coming up in the next few weeks and it feels pretty much inevitable that a significant proportion of the weight may well go back on. But I’ve read so many other’s stories where a return to this WOE after a holiday/ relapse has put them back on track pretty quickly, so I’m hoping that’s the case with me. I just need to make sure I don’t begin the usual cycle of losing, gaining, losing gaining, and I’m trying to convince myself I can break through that barrier this time.
Anyway, enough from me! I’m looking forward to making this a more focused and disciplined journey, and picking up all the hints and tips I can along the way!