What Happened Next: 2023 Part 2

So I was losing weight and working on my fitness at the beginning of July.  I was waiting for an NHS referral for additional CBT and also group sessions with a Dietician with the Weight Management Service.

My husband and I had been going to Slimming World since March and in July, we both reached important milestones.  I reached my Club 10 target, which meant I had lost 10% of the weight I was when I began Slimming World.  My husband reached is target of 13 stone, having lost 2.5 stone.  He is a fit guy and although this leaves him in the overweight category, he really does not need to lose any more weight.  He definitely does not want to lose muscle.  He has since then maintained his weight really well.  He has enjoyed buying smaller clothes and has really seen an improvement in his cycling times.  He is very clear on the reasons why he wants to maintain his current weight.  

He had also been taking Lansoprazole for issues with his digestion and he found that changes in his diet meant he was able to stop taking it.  The only time he has had any issues was around Christmas when there was a lot of very heavy processed food at work and he ate more bread type things than normal.  The benefits of our current diet are very clear to him.

Its also had a huge affect on my digestive system.  I have IBS and some food intolerances and allergies.  I am allergic to orange and intolerant of cream.  I can eat most dairy but I really start to struggle with high fat dairy like cream.  I still get it a bit wrong sometimes and trigger my IBS but this is happening less and less frequently.  I found that eating the very low fat dairy products that were low syn or healthy extra A's really helped.

My husband continued to come to group with me every week.  We are lucky in our group that there are a few target members who continue to come every week.  It's a lovely group.  One of his colleagues also started coming and they have become a good friend.  So socially, it continued to be a really good thing for me.

With my husband's focus on fitness, it isn't surprising that he has a Garmin watch and uses Strava.  I had started using the free version of Strava to give a distance for each of my walks, that I then put in to the Conqueror app to add to my virtual challenge.  I also really appreciate the safety beacon where I can send a link to my husband so he can see where I am on my walks.  I find that very comforting for my anxiety, that someone knows where I am...

In July, my husband brought me my own Garmin watch as he felt it would be something I would find useful as I started working on my fitness.  It wasn't something I would have thought of, but he was absolutely right.  I like lists of achievements and virtual challenges.  I find working towards getting a new badge is quite motivating for me.  I also started to really find some of the information my watch provided really helpful.  

The first of these is the recovery time.  For someone who has a history of glandular fever (mono) that left me with chronic fatigue, I fid it so helpful having something that tells me when I should be resting.  As the measurements began more refined to me and my needs, I started to trust this more and more.  If my watch tells me I need 48 hours to recover after a really long walk, I listen.

The second really useful measurement is the training load.  This gives a measure of how hard you have been working over the last week.  The idea is to keep it in the green.  If it's in the blue, you are not working hard enough and if it is in the red, you are working too hard.  I have seen improvements to my training load over time.  It really helps me maintain a good balance.

In this six months, I continued to work on my Conqueror challenges.  I finished off my Easter Island challenge, then completed London and Rome before starting Paris.  The distance I was able to walk was increasing and I also noticed I was able to walk faster.  I had downloaded the NHS Active 10 app which uses your fitness data to show when you are achieving minutes of brisk walking, with the aim of completing multiple sets of 10 minutes of brisk walking each week.  I started noticing that the app was logging a few minutes of brisk walking.

I also started using the Slimming World Body Magic challenges.  This challenge is about the number of minutes you exercise each week and how many times a week you exercise.  In July I received my silver award and in August I gained my gold.  For the gold you need to do 2.5 hours of exercise each week for 8 weeks across no fewer than five days of the week for a minimum of 15 minutes.

One thing I have really realised is that rest days are ever so important...  if I make myself really tired, I found I didn't lose weight in the same way.  I need those rest days.  So although I completed my gold, I have not completed my platinum.  I find a better balance with a rest day every third day.  My fitness will continue to improve though.

Obviously all this walking would not have been possible without working on my CBT to combat my anxiety.  I was still waiting for my next round when I received an offer to use a different service sooner.  Instead of using a virtual telephone call with video, it would be via messenger service.  This offer came at about the time I had reached as far as I could go with the resources I had been given.  I was ready for more and accepted the offer.

This worked really well for me.  We spent a lot of time looking at thought diaries and unpicking some of the unhelpful thoughts I would have.  I would right about the scenario that was making me anxious.  I would then identify the emotions I was feeling which was not as easy for me as you might expect.  I used an emotion wheel to help with this, such a great tool.  Then I would have to reframe the thoughts that were making me anxious so they were more positive.  So I did this for meeting new people, walking past the drinkers near the shops, getting the bus by myself...  so many things.  In fact I think this deserves a post all to itself.

By the time I finished my CBT, I was in such a different place!  Not going to lie, I could still do with more psychological support.  I still have issues, but I am in such a different place.  The more I worked on reframing the thoughts that were making me anxious, the less anxious I felt. 

As part of my referral to the Weight Management Service, my details had been passed to Healthy Cornwall, who had already assisted me with 12 free weeks of Slimming World.  I had a little more time with a member of their staff this time and as a result I joined a couple more of their services.  The first was a series of short group video calls to talk through diet basics.  The second was twelve weeks of free swimming at a time when the pool would be quiet and only in use by the group.

I found the content of the diet sessions less helpful.  I have a science background and I was aware of most of the material as it was not in depth.  What I did find really helpful was meeting with a different group of people who were also in a similar situations to me.  I also find that the more support I have, the more it focuses my head and keeps me motivated.

My husband and I started going swimming before my 12 weeks of free swimming were due to start.  Part of this was so that I was comfortable going to the swimming pool so it would be easier when I had to go without my husband.  I also wanted to get used to swimming again.  Plus it was lovely to be in the water on a hot day.  My local pool has some times when they offer reduced price sessions.  This was so helpful!  They do tend to be very busy and loud though.

I had noticed that although my leg muscles were getting better, it was clear to me my upper body was not.  My posture is a bit like a sack of spuds.  Swimming was an obvious choice to help with this.  It was hard work and tiring but I could see an improvement in my swimming.  I also had to start getting the bus by myself, a huge change for someone who had previously hardly been leaving the house.

When the group sessions began, I was for a time swimming twice a week and it was great, along with my walking.  The sessions also included a weigh in and unlike Slimming World, it used very fancy scales that gave lots of data.  Being me, I really liked having that data!

It was at this point though I suffered my first setback.  We had a weekend away and it was great.  I found I was able to keep up with the group and cope with all the city walking, although I was so tire after.  Unfortunately a brought a bug home with me.  I was sick for a couple of weeks and very tired for a couple more.  By this time we were heading in to December and with all the social activity around food, just maintaining was my aim, and recovering to restart in fully in January.

We kept going to Slimming World and I did pretty much maintain my weight loss for the entire period, despite not being fully on the plan at that point.  There was a little fluctuation, but pretty minor.  I just didn't have the energy to cook from scratch and we were cutting a few corners.  We kept it within a sensible range and didn't go mad.  My husband works the holiday period so although we had time together to celebrate, Christmas doesn't stretch for days.

My exercise also dropped off at this time as I didn't have the energy.  I always knew it was temporary though and I would be back on it fully in the New Year.  I think it's so important to give yourself space when things get tough.  Don't punish yourself.  Don't give up.  Just keep things steady and sensible.  Make the accommodations for yourself that you need.  

The last thing that happened just before Christmas, was I had an online video call with a dietician to discuss next steps.  I found myself signed up for a set of four group sessions in the New Year.

Also, take support, even if it isn't exactly what you need.  Just meeting with others in the same situation is so helpful.  Having different things happening helps you keep your mind focused.  Having appointments and other support coming up, helps too.  I found that as one thing came to an end, another began.  I really needed this throughout 2023, my first full year of my new life.  Just under another two stone gone and I was seeing changes.  The next year could only continue to see things get better!