Losing it: How a simple lifestyle change helped me shed 20kg

Note from the Editor:
This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G.

Please note: This article contains discussions of weight loss, diet and calories.
Most of us in Australia these days think we are ‘overweight’, and some of us certainly are! There are many advertisements assuring us that we can lose weight very easily using some quite expensive diet arrangements. Some people even consider lap-band surgery – not cheap either – and the evidence seems to indicate it’s not 100 per cent effective in the long term for everyone.

My wife and I decided to embark upon what we call a ‘Lifestyle Change’ a few years ago, and I thought it might be useful to share it with some of you who may not have thought it possible.



I suppose what started us off was the realisation that we had both gained a fair bit of weight – especially in my case since I’d retired and we’d sold our house in Gingin (WA) and moved to Queensland. I was up to 96 kg, and the pictures showed it. My stomach was hanging over my trouser belt – not a pretty sight. Quite by chance, we happened to mention it to our local doctor, and he said that we were eligible for free consultations for six months with a dietician if he referred us, as long as we had some particular medical problem that was associated with being overweight. Well, I reckoned the osteoarthritis in my knees was a weight problem, and Terry’s (my wife’s) hip was similar. As we get older, we realise that simply walking around or climbing and descending stairs tends to be an increasingly painful process for many of us – we tend to envy the youngsters and their boundless energy and remember a time when we took our mobility for granted.

I’d personally tried those Whey drinks for a while in place of food – they did no good at all – and regularly had a half-hour walk in the morning or evening. I found it very difficult to lose weight since I didn’t have easy access to a gym in Gingin, and the exercise bike I’d got ended up gathering dust. The motivation simply didn’t appear to be there.

On the first visit to the dietician in Queensland, the young lady advised us to keep a ‘Food Diary’ and to make a note of the calories or kilojoules we consumed for everything we ate. She gave us some pre-printed pages for us to photocopy (which I’ve more recently constructed on an Excel spreadsheet). Along the top of the sheet were the days of the week, and down the left side were rows labelled: ‘Breakfast’, ‘Snack’, ‘Lunch’, ‘Snack’, ‘Dinner’, ‘Supper’, and ‘Notes and Exercise’. There was also a row at the bottom of the page for totals of calories or kilojoules per day.


shutterstock_343475045.jpg
Have you heard of calorie counting? Image Credit: Shutterstock



We decided from the outset to use only kilojoules because it seemed that most foods were labelled with ‘Energy’ in kilojoules. (There are 4.184 kilojoules in a ‘kilocalorie’. I don’t know why they call it a kilocalorie because that indicates 1000 calories. Anyway, to convert ‘calories’ to ‘kilojoules’, you simply multiply by about 4). She told each of us what our ‘target’ daily intake should be to lose weight. This was based on our age and height.

We started in November 2017. I weighed over 96kg in March of that year, and by January 2018, I was down to 85kg. Terry’s weight came down a fair bit slower, but we both kept at it. By February, I was down to 83 kg; by March, I weighed 81kg. I changed my target energy intake, and my weight dropped a lot more quickly with no detrimental effects. By June, I was down to 76 kg. I currently weigh around 73kg, 20kg, which I’m not carrying around anymore. My waistline has shrunk, of course. From size 107cm/42” (XXL) trousers less than a year ago, I’m now down to 87cm/34”.

Note from the Editor: Your intake needs will vary depending on your gender, age, current weight, activity level, as well as other medical considerations. There are apps out there that can help you roughly estimate your daily intake requirements, but this is best done with a medical professional who can support you in all aspects of your weight loss journey. As a starting point, you may like to use the QLD Government’s kilojoule calculator here.


Screen Shot 2023-10-17 at 3.36.25 pm.png
This is just a guide. Image Credit: nutritionaustralia.org



It was relatively simple. We didn’t need to do any particular exercise – we make an effort to walk occasionally, mainly around large shopping centres, which aren’t far away here in Queensland, but if they were, a half-hour walk around the block every now and then would be OK.

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Good on you both and well done.
Losing weight is hard and one of the first things you need is motivation.

I loss 17kg last year and gained 5kg back but I'm now walking again , using my exercise bike and watching what I eat.

In this photo I'm wearing the same top except after lising weight it was more like a dress
Also losing weight I feel and look younger

Screenshot_20231206_065144_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20231206_065107_Gallery.jpg
This is the shake I used to substitute breakfast and lunch . It's the best tasting diet shake and is actually yumScreenshot_20231206_093637_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited:
am retiring shortly . My Doctor arranges blood tests every six months + was borderline diabetic. Lucky enough to walk daily, mostly after dinner. Anglo Saxon background . I've reduced Potatoe consumption to twice week , dairy milk consumption down by 75%. No margarine only butter. Nightly probiotic. Breakfast daily. No biscuits only crackers. Daily toilet visits. My doctor + my wife are seeing the changes. Thank you for your time....
 
Thank you to Alan it was a most enjoyable read and well-written. I have this overweight problem but my doctor can only offer a 5 visit per year spread over two health problems and I find that it is not workable so gave up. Maybe I should do as Alan has done. I have in the past tried several different diets with some success but did not continue.
 
Hi Alan, just wondering how tall you are as 70kg seems a bit extreme. Not criticising by any means but, when I was in my early 20s, my weight plummeted to 76kg after an illness and I was skin and bone. I am now around 85kg at 70 years old and quite a healthy weight. BTW I am 179cm these days (was 183cm as a young bloke).
 
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Many years ago I had to see a dietician due to pre diabetes diagnosis and did the same as Alan and Terry using a food diary and lost a fair bit of weight. I now realise that continuing with the food diary keeps you motivated. Because since I gave that up ,my weight now fluctuates and the mental motivations not there
 
am retiring shortly . My Doctor arranges blood tests every six months + was borderline diabetic. Lucky enough to walk daily, mostly after dinner. Anglo Saxon background . I've reduced Potatoe consumption to twice week , dairy milk consumption down by 75%. No margarine only butter. Nightly probiotic. Breakfast daily. No biscuits only crackers. Daily toilet visits. My doctor + my wife are seeing the changes. Thank you for your time....
Congratulations keep on staying healthy , you will benefit from the change.
 
Good on you both and well done.
Losing weight is hard and one of the first things you need is motivation.

I loss 17kg last year and gained 5kg back but I'm now walking again , using my exercise bike and watching what I eat.

In this photo I'm wearing the same top except after lising weight it was more like a dress
Also losing weight I feel and look younger

View attachment 36700View attachment 36701
This is the shake I used to substitute breakfast and lunch . It's the best tasting diet shake and is actually yumView attachment 36703
Well done. I also lost 20kg. It’s taken about 18months but I’m in no rush. Just a lifestyle change. I use Fatblaster and a handful of berries for breakfast in the nutr bullet and eat healthy the rest of the day. Exercise has been the biggest change, strength class twice a week, walking and recently table tennis once a week. I don’t count calories, its never worked for me. That feels like I’m on a diet and I’m not.
 
Well done. I also lost 20kg. It’s taken about 18months but I’m in no rush. Just a lifestyle change. I use Fatblaster and a handful of berries for breakfast in the nutr bullet and eat healthy the rest of the day. Exercise has been the biggest change, strength class twice a week, walking and recently table tennis once a week. I don’t count calories, its never worked for me. That feels like I’m on a diet and I’m not.
Well done to you 😍 Yeh all it takes is a little food change and a little exercise. I try walking every day and just got an exercise bike for my bedroom
 
Thank you to Alan it was a most enjoyable read and well-written. I have this overweight problem but my doctor can only offer a 5 visit per year spread over two health problems and I find that it is not workable so gave up. Maybe I should do as Alan has done. I have in the past tried several different diets with some success but did not continue.
Start by taking away one thing eg butter. And try walking each day , even if it starts at a slow 20 to 30 minute walk then increase gradually
 
Note from the Editor:
This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G.

Please note: This article contains discussions of weight loss, diet and calories.
Most of us in Australia these days think we are ‘overweight’, and some of us certainly are! There are many advertisements assuring us that we can lose weight very easily using some quite expensive diet arrangements. Some people even consider lap-band surgery – not cheap either – and the evidence seems to indicate it’s not 100 per cent effective in the long term for everyone.

My wife and I decided to embark upon what we call a ‘Lifestyle Change’ a few years ago, and I thought it might be useful to share it with some of you who may not have thought it possible.



I suppose what started us off was the realisation that we had both gained a fair bit of weight – especially in my case since I’d retired and we’d sold our house in Gingin (WA) and moved to Queensland. I was up to 96 kg, and the pictures showed it. My stomach was hanging over my trouser belt – not a pretty sight. Quite by chance, we happened to mention it to our local doctor, and he said that we were eligible for free consultations for six months with a dietician if he referred us, as long as we had some particular medical problem that was associated with being overweight. Well, I reckoned the osteoarthritis in my knees was a weight problem, and Terry’s (my wife’s) hip was similar. As we get older, we realise that simply walking around or climbing and descending stairs tends to be an increasingly painful process for many of us – we tend to envy the youngsters and their boundless energy and remember a time when we took our mobility for granted.

I’d personally tried those Whey drinks for a while in place of food – they did no good at all – and regularly had a half-hour walk in the morning or evening. I found it very difficult to lose weight since I didn’t have easy access to a gym in Gingin, and the exercise bike I’d got ended up gathering dust. The motivation simply didn’t appear to be there.

On the first visit to the dietician in Queensland, the young lady advised us to keep a ‘Food Diary’ and to make a note of the calories or kilojoules we consumed for everything we ate. She gave us some pre-printed pages for us to photocopy (which I’ve more recently constructed on an Excel spreadsheet). Along the top of the sheet were the days of the week, and down the left side were rows labelled: ‘Breakfast’, ‘Snack’, ‘Lunch’, ‘Snack’, ‘Dinner’, ‘Supper’, and ‘Notes and Exercise’. There was also a row at the bottom of the page for totals of calories or kilojoules per day.


View attachment 32452
Have you heard of calorie counting? Image Credit: Shutterstock



We decided from the outset to use only kilojoules because it seemed that most foods were labelled with ‘Energy’ in kilojoules. (There are 4.184 kilojoules in a ‘kilocalorie’. I don’t know why they call it a kilocalorie because that indicates 1000 calories. Anyway, to convert ‘calories’ to ‘kilojoules’, you simply multiply by about 4). She told each of us what our ‘target’ daily intake should be to lose weight. This was based on our age and height.

We started in November 2017. I weighed over 96kg in March of that year, and by January 2018, I was down to 85kg. Terry’s weight came down a fair bit slower, but we both kept at it. By February, I was down to 83 kg; by March, I weighed 81kg. I changed my target energy intake, and my weight dropped a lot more quickly with no detrimental effects. By June, I was down to 76 kg. I currently weigh around 73kg, 20kg, which I’m not carrying around anymore. My waistline has shrunk, of course. From size 107cm/42” (XXL) trousers less than a year ago, I’m now down to 87cm/34”.

Note from the Editor: Your intake needs will vary depending on your gender, age, current weight, activity level, as well as other medical considerations. There are apps out there that can help you roughly estimate your daily intake requirements, but this is best done with a medical professional who can support you in all aspects of your weight loss journey. As a starting point, you may like to use the QLD Government’s kilojoule calculator here.


View attachment 32454
This is just a guide. Image Credit: nutritionaustralia.org



It was relatively simple. We didn’t need to do any particular exercise – we make an effort to walk occasionally, mainly around large shopping centres, which aren’t far away here in Queensland, but if they were, a half-hour walk around the block every now and then would be OK.

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Note from the Editor:
This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G.

Please note: This article contains discussions of weight loss, diet and calories.
Most of us in Australia these days think we are ‘overweight’, and some of us certainly are! There are many advertisements assuring us that we can lose weight very easily using some quite expensive diet arrangements. Some people even consider lap-band surgery – not cheap either – and the evidence seems to indicate it’s not 100 per cent effective in the long term for everyone.

My wife and I decided to embark upon what we call a ‘Lifestyle Change’ a few years ago, and I thought it might be useful to share it with some of you who may not have thought it possible.



I suppose what started us off was the realisation that we had both gained a fair bit of weight – especially in my case since I’d retired and we’d sold our house in Gingin (WA) and moved to Queensland. I was up to 96 kg, and the pictures showed it. My stomach was hanging over my trouser belt – not a pretty sight. Quite by chance, we happened to mention it to our local doctor, and he said that we were eligible for free consultations for six months with a dietician if he referred us, as long as we had some particular medical problem that was associated with being overweight. Well, I reckoned the osteoarthritis in my knees was a weight problem, and Terry’s (my wife’s) hip was similar. As we get older, we realise that simply walking around or climbing and descending stairs tends to be an increasingly painful process for many of us – we tend to envy the youngsters and their boundless energy and remember a time when we took our mobility for granted.

I’d personally tried those Whey drinks for a while in place of food – they did no good at all – and regularly had a half-hour walk in the morning or evening. I found it very difficult to lose weight since I didn’t have easy access to a gym in Gingin, and the exercise bike I’d got ended up gathering dust. The motivation simply didn’t appear to be there.

On the first visit to the dietician in Queensland, the young lady advised us to keep a ‘Food Diary’ and to make a note of the calories or kilojoules we consumed for everything we ate. She gave us some pre-printed pages for us to photocopy (which I’ve more recently constructed on an Excel spreadsheet). Along the top of the sheet were the days of the week, and down the left side were rows labelled: ‘Breakfast’, ‘Snack’, ‘Lunch’, ‘Snack’, ‘Dinner’, ‘Supper’, and ‘Notes and Exercise’. There was also a row at the bottom of the page for totals of calories or kilojoules per day.


View attachment 32452
Have you heard of calorie counting? Image Credit: Shutterstock



We decided from the outset to use only kilojoules because it seemed that most foods were labelled with ‘Energy’ in kilojoules. (There are 4.184 kilojoules in a ‘kilocalorie’. I don’t know why they call it a kilocalorie because that indicates 1000 calories. Anyway, to convert ‘calories’ to ‘kilojoules’, you simply multiply by about 4). She told each of us what our ‘target’ daily intake should be to lose weight. This was based on our age and height.

We started in November 2017. I weighed over 96kg in March of that year, and by January 2018, I was down to 85kg. Terry’s weight came down a fair bit slower, but we both kept at it. By February, I was down to 83 kg; by March, I weighed 81kg. I changed my target energy intake, and my weight dropped a lot more quickly with no detrimental effects. By June, I was down to 76 kg. I currently weigh around 73kg, 20kg, which I’m not carrying around anymore. My waistline has shrunk, of course. From size 107cm/42” (XXL) trousers less than a year ago, I’m now down to 87cm/34”.

Note from the Editor: Your intake needs will vary depending on your gender, age, current weight, activity level, as well as other medical considerations. There are apps out there that can help you roughly estimate your daily intake requirements, but this is best done with a medical professional who can support you in all aspects of your weight loss journey. As a starting point, you may like to use the QLD Government’s kilojoule calculator here.


View attachment 32454
This is just a guide. Image Credit: nutritionaustralia.org



It was relatively simple. We didn’t need to do any particular exercise – we make an effort to walk occasionally, mainly around large shopping centres, which aren’t far away here in Queensland, but if they were, a half-hour walk around the block every now and then would be OK.

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Reactions: Knell
Love your ideas and dedication to your health and weight loss, and to lose your pain in your knee is just brilliant, please don’t look as thin as Sir Cliff Richard, even though I am a fan , I think he looks a little thin and sad, but on saying that, congratulations on your health journey, I just might get a spread sheet going also .🥰
Cliff looks sick but he is old. Counting carbohydrates (that turn to glucose in your blood so your body can process them) is the best. Keep them low, don't worry about not eating much fruit and veg you won't starve or die. Prioritise protein from meat, fish, eggs and cheese first. No need to snack you should not be hungry on a mostly protein diet
 
  • Like
Reactions: Knell
Note from the Editor:
This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G.

Please note: This article contains discussions of weight loss, diet and calories.
Most of us in Australia these days think we are ‘overweight’, and some of us certainly are! There are many advertisements assuring us that we can lose weight very easily using some quite expensive diet arrangements. Some people even consider lap-band surgery – not cheap either – and the evidence seems to indicate it’s not 100 per cent effective in the long term for everyone.

My wife and I decided to embark upon what we call a ‘Lifestyle Change’ a few years ago, and I thought it might be useful to share it with some of you who may not have thought it possible.



I suppose what started us off was the realisation that we had both gained a fair bit of weight – especially in my case since I’d retired and we’d sold our house in Gingin (WA) and moved to Queensland. I was up to 96 kg, and the pictures showed it. My stomach was hanging over my trouser belt – not a pretty sight. Quite by chance, we happened to mention it to our local doctor, and he said that we were eligible for free consultations for six months with a dietician if he referred us, as long as we had some particular medical problem that was associated with being overweight. Well, I reckoned the osteoarthritis in my knees was a weight problem, and Terry’s (my wife’s) hip was similar. As we get older, we realise that simply walking around or climbing and descending stairs tends to be an increasingly painful process for many of us – we tend to envy the youngsters and their boundless energy and remember a time when we took our mobility for granted.

I’d personally tried those Whey drinks for a while in place of food – they did no good at all – and regularly had a half-hour walk in the morning or evening. I found it very difficult to lose weight since I didn’t have easy access to a gym in Gingin, and the exercise bike I’d got ended up gathering dust. The motivation simply didn’t appear to be there.

On the first visit to the dietician in Queensland, the young lady advised us to keep a ‘Food Diary’ and to make a note of the calories or kilojoules we consumed for everything we ate. She gave us some pre-printed pages for us to photocopy (which I’ve more recently constructed on an Excel spreadsheet). Along the top of the sheet were the days of the week, and down the left side were rows labelled: ‘Breakfast’, ‘Snack’, ‘Lunch’, ‘Snack’, ‘Dinner’, ‘Supper’, and ‘Notes and Exercise’. There was also a row at the bottom of the page for totals of calories or kilojoules per day.


View attachment 32452
Have you heard of calorie counting? Image Credit: Shutterstock



We decided from the outset to use only kilojoules because it seemed that most foods were labelled with ‘Energy’ in kilojoules. (There are 4.184 kilojoules in a ‘kilocalorie’. I don’t know why they call it a kilocalorie because that indicates 1000 calories. Anyway, to convert ‘calories’ to ‘kilojoules’, you simply multiply by about 4). She told each of us what our ‘target’ daily intake should be to lose weight. This was based on our age and height.

We started in November 2017. I weighed over 96kg in March of that year, and by January 2018, I was down to 85kg. Terry’s weight came down a fair bit slower, but we both kept at it. By February, I was down to 83 kg; by March, I weighed 81kg. I changed my target energy intake, and my weight dropped a lot more quickly with no detrimental effects. By June, I was down to 76 kg. I currently weigh around 73kg, 20kg, which I’m not carrying around anymore. My waistline has shrunk, of course. From size 107cm/42” (XXL) trousers less than a year ago, I’m now down to 87cm/34”.

Note from the Editor: Your intake needs will vary depending on your gender, age, current weight, activity level, as well as other medical considerations. There are apps out there that can help you roughly estimate your daily intake requirements, but this is best done with a medical professional who can support you in all aspects of your weight loss journey. As a starting point, you may like to use the QLD Government’s kilojoule calculator here.


View attachment 32454
This is just a guide. Image Credit: nutritionaustralia.org



It was relatively simple. We didn’t need to do any particular exercise – we make an effort to walk occasionally, mainly around large shopping centres, which aren’t far away here in Queensland, but if they were, a half-hour walk around the block every now and then would be OK.

I believe protein is the answer with less carbs. A geriatric brain specialist my husband has just visited said that our brains are protein so as we get older and to avoid the dreaded dementia maybe protein is the answer. I love potatoes though!!!
 
I believe protein is the answer with less carbs. A geriatric brain specialist my husband has just visited said that our brains are protein so as we get older and to avoid the dreaded dementia maybe protein is the answer. I love potatoes though!!!
yes very low carb is the answer. Also don't lower cholesterol, our Brians need it to function. Whole number means nothing. Trigs to HDL ration. Trigs under 1 is great, over 2.5 can be dangerous to health. Eat a bit of stuff off plan when you want to. Christmas, Easter and birthdays. Keep the rest high protein, good fats like butter and lard and ghee and keep carbs very low to none
 
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Congratulations to you both on your lifestyle change and weight loss journey. It's great that you have found something that works for you. We are all different and each of us needs to find our own way. What works for one may not be ideal for another. Which is why I thought I would share my journey with you and anyone else who might be interested enough to read.

For so many years I followed the recommended " Standard Western Diet" based on the Food Pyramid that the health department put out there. Which was largely based on research that was funded by the U.S. grain growers and farming organizations.

During that time my health slowly deteriorated to the point where I had gained so much weight, had difficulty moving around and ended up having a mini stroke, which has messed up my balance and vision.

This time last year I was 130kg, pre diabetic, had high blood pressure, underactive thyroid, psoriasis, sciatica, fatty liver and inflammation.

On December 1st, last year, my 65th birthday, I cut out all sugar, grains, seed oils and alcohol.
I switched to what is called the carnivore diet. I only eat meat, fish, eggs and other unprocessed animal products such as liver, kidneys, hearts, and giblets etc.

Apart from onion, garlic and a few spices for flavoring, I do not eat any fruit or vegetables at all. I don't count calories and eat as much as I want until I am comfortably full. When my brain says I've had enough I stop eating and only eat again when I feel hungry. As it has turned out for me, I only eat once a day, during a one-hour window around midday and I no longer have any cravings for snacks in between.

As of this morning I am now down to 96kg, which is a loss of 34kg and all of the above conditions are gone. I feel more like I did when I was in my 30's and 40's, my bloodwork and blood pressure are pretty well spot on and I now enjoy getting out and about, going for long walks, a bit of fishing and other activities. My balance and vision issues are still there from the stroke but I am able to cope with that well enough.

It is not my intention to influence anyone into following what I have done to improve my health. I only wanted to share what is currently working for me. If there is any need for me to adapt to something else, I will do so. But for now, I am good with what I am doing.

We are all different and each of us needs to find our own way. As I have mentioned before, what works for one person may not be ideal for another. I wish everyone all the very best of luck in finding their own way to better health and a longer life.

Kindest regards to everyone.
 
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