Before Covid-19 when we met at the Community Centre
Let me tell you how I did it. First you need a good enough reason. Not just, 'I would like to wear that dress.' I was weighing I didn't know what, and had to wear caftans to be sure the sleeves would fit over my arms. I bought cape blazers which don't fit over the upper arm, just the shoulder. I was
I had a good reason to slim. I wanted to lose weight to look good in the photos at our son's wedding. September 2019. I used to swim intermittently. I ate lots of pizza and samosas and chocolates at Toastmasters International meetings.
The Slimming Mantra
'Move more and eat less.' So said my husband. I was moving a bit more and eating a bit less, every now and then. We had to change that to every day.
The motivation came with the start of Covid-19. Danger, or rather risk factors, were being older and overweight. I could not change my age, except by lying, but that would not change my body. I could, however, change my weight.
I started by swimming. I used to swim when I felt like it. I often postponed until later in the day. It sometimes rained in the afternoon. I changed to swimming in the morning.
Slimming By Swimming
I was swimming most days.
I knew I had to increase the number of widths. So I increased gradually. Each month I added an extra width.
Slimming By Moving
While waiting for the lift, I walked up and down. Walking to the swimming pool and back increased my steps. So swimming every day not only increased my swimming, it increased my walking.
When I woke at night, or early in the morning, I kept moving. I twirled my ankles, cycled with my legs in the air. I lifted one leg when I was on my side. Anything to keep moving.
When I remembered, such as right now when sitting at y laptop, I swayed from side to side, or lifted my feet off the floor and taped my feet together.
I weighed myself every day and wrote the result in my diary.
It was easy to see that when I ate out at a restaurant I put on weight.
I cut out eating out. When we had a stop for coffee and cake, my husband and I ordered one coffee and one cake. We looked up the calorie counts. He had two thirds. I ate one third.
I hope this helps you. To motivate you. You should consult your doctor who may give you a diet sheet, taking into account your needs and medication.
Diet
No Sugar
Elevenses at 11 a.m. each morning, consisting of half a biscuit with a smear of soft cheese, an apple slice, and half a teacup of apple juice and a glass of water.
First I cut out sugar in my coffee.
Less Alcohol
I cut out alcohol altogether some months. Otherwise I limited myself to wine with one meal at the weekend and only half a glass.
Less Milk
Later I went onto skimmed milk.
Not enough result.
When I stopped losing weight, we changed to low fat yogurt and the slimmest milk.
Less Dessert
Instead of dessert I ate a piece of fruit.
Smaller Snacks
For elevenses, I had coffee and sometimes a dice size piece of cheese.
For tea time mid afternoon I had apple juice and a date, or at weekends, for a treat, one third of a scone or crumpet.
Fruit
Half an hour or an hour after dinner in the evening I had four grapes, or two sections of an orange, or both. With a glass of water.
I never felt hungry.
Useful Website
https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/kg-to-pound.html
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
Please share links to your favourite posts.
Next BHA meetings?
Wednesday July 7th 2021. 7 pm Singapore time on bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha
Meet Angela and the new committee.
