Thanks for the good lucks and messages on Facebook regarding getting stuck back into my health and weight loss battle.
I appreciate that I’ve been in this very same position sooo many times in the past several years that its impossible to count BUT I honestly just keep battling…chipping away, then gaining, brushing off the dust and getting back up again. The way I look at it is I am currently almost 100 lbs less than I was when I was super depressed and super morbidly obese. Am just 10 lbs off being out of the morbid obesity category too which will mean my BMI will be 39 (my BMI at its highest was 57).
I know there is a long way to go to get to a healthy weight. NHS says I should be no more than 11st 4 lbs which is 158 lbs but to be quite honest I’d be so very happy and thrilled to reach 12st 7lbs which is 175 lbs and maintain it with a healthy lifestyle.
Just in a happier place right now in all aspects of my life.
Am happy feeling healthier and working towards adding years to my life, LOVE being single and psychologically the depression has years gone. Being without a job right now has had some benefits too, the exhaustion has mostly lifted and I have time right now to focus on getting my health sorted.
I REALLY appreciate all your encouragement and am confident that this time next year won’t be talking about my weight all the time because I will have reached goal and will have learned how to control my urges.
Thanks so much again! Off to burn calories in the garden now!
C xxx
PS: Don’t forget to check out or enter this competition to win this BEAUTIFUL cottage! I’m dreaming of this golden ticket every single day! CLICK HERE
Well done – so much effort rewarded, and glad to read how happy you are feeling 🌿
Good for you Carolyn, nice that you are feeling positive and good about yourself. Are you doing a WWII weight loss journey again or just simple healthy eating? Best of luck whichever way you are tackling it! X
Thanks so much. I’m not doing an experiment which Ive done in the past by living off wartime rations 100%. I’ve attempted that twice for very long periods of time (longest was a year) and it was a great way to truly experience history and see the impact it would have on my weight.
However I am trying to eat less convenience foods (although I have sucumbed to veggie sausages a couple of times), grow my own, eat lots of healthy veg and move more, be more active so you could say that I am taking the lessons learned from my past experiences and using them to finish the journey.
The hardest thing about truly trying to live 100% by wartime rations is that we are absolutely surrounded by temptation that just wouldnt have been around during the war.
I’m looking to learn to live surrounded by temptation long term so going forward, once I’ve got to 175lbs, I will have already worked out what foods I can enjoy to keep me healthy and off the crap food.
For instance right now I am staying away from refined sugar but enjoying watermelon and a banana every day is giving me a healthy sweet fix. Of course during the years of rationing these would have not been available but I think it would be counter productive for me to avoid these lovely fruits by sticking to a wartime diet 100%.
I still very much love to create authentic wartime recipes and these WILL be part of my diet some days and will of course upload new ones I try to the blog.
I think to be successful your lifestyle has to be sustainable long term and you gotta love it long term too..
Thanks so much for the question and interest xxxxx C
Thank you for your informative response Carolyn! I 100% agree with your approach! I love war time /ration book cooking and baking and incorporate it as often as I can each week in my meals but there are so many lovely healthy alternatives available these days – it would be a shame not to enjoy them – like the fruits that you mentioned. I usually do ok with my food, it’s the exercise that I need to amp up! X
Well done you. I know how tough this is. I too battle with my weight and struggle to keep it off. With arthritis in my knees my ability to walk very far is really compromised, so you’re lucky that you can as it’s excellent all round exercise. Keep going! 👏
You are already a great success at weight loss and control as you have lost a 100 lbs or more and are keeping it off. Having been an emotional eater I know that finding another outlet for comfort is very important. As well as eating well and for me, never allowing myself to get really hungry, daily exercise (preferably walking and gardening).and getting enough sleep. I know that you can lose the weight you want as well as keep improving your health.
The rationing during WW2 kept people at a good weight and because it was so well balanced it improved health dramatically in all age groups.
Your idea to lose weight by following rationing is actually quite brilliant. And it helps with the finances as well. I don’t follow it religiously but have adopted much of the food usage, recipes and plans. I have been following you for years – ever since you were in Canada. You are a truly nice place to visit on the internet
Proud of everything you do sis xxx
I think you’ve done incredibly well! It takes time for your body to adjust to losing, it really does. You’ve come so far, and most importantly, you’ve kept it up. You really are inspirational!
Keep something else in mind, too. There was a reason there was a thriving black market. People living on wartime rations often didn’t just live on wartime rations, either. Either they traded with a neighbor, bought the occasional thing on the sly as a treat, or found some other ways to get around the system a little.
I’ve really enjoyed all the information you’ve given everyone, and it’s been a true eye-opener to see the difference between what we have available and what we really need. It’s been healthy for me to try this out, and just as importantly, it’s been a great way to get myself into the right headspace to write about the era.
As for me, I’ve been having my bananas (I’m living where it’s beastly hot and I don’t want the cramps from low potassium) but I’m also trying a wartime substitute — roasted carrots from our garden!
Onward and upward! You’ll do it!