Hi Mark

Thank you so much for the advice. I have always been a bit wary of meal replacement diets as eventually you have to go back to cooking for yourself and if one hasn't learned to monitor your own intake it would just go back on. I'm also on a very low income and have a family to feed so have always felt I'd be costing us too much if I tried one. That said I've never been working towards such an important goal before and am willing to throw that wariness out of the window if it gets the weight off in a decent time. We don't have Medifast over here but there are other meal replacement diets.

The GP rang yesterday. He has referred me to a "Level 2" (whatever that means lol, it's an NHS term) weight loss and exercise program. He said he has explained to them in the referral that the exercise part is unlikely to happen unless the physio okays any of it. So getting that help on the NHS is a huge bonus. Don't know how long the referral will take but any help is better than no help and at least this way they will be healthcare professionals too.

Ahh yes the wheelchair. I had my assessment (over the phone?!) and there is going to be a six month wait to get one. I can't afford to buy one and the Red Cross will only loan me one for 6 weeks so it's looking like I will be limited to within 5 minutes walk of my house til it is sorted. I'm going to see if anyone else can help. I'm going to need one even more if they're right about me needing both feet operated on!

It sounds daft to say that having a wheelchair will help me walk more but it's true as without it I can't do the pacing I'm being taught and have to rely on hobbling between public benches which are hoarded with grannies (understandably, I'm not waging war against them lol).

Thanks again for all your advice!