I’m really hoping this is where I can find the positivity I’m looking for. I’m not comfortable yet to post any pictures, but I hope to get there. A lot of people I know have been having weight loss surgery, and that’s great for them and they’ve lost weight and are generally doing well. But the thing weight loss surgery doesn’t do is repair your relationship with food and allow you to learn self control and will power. Having surgery just isn’t something I want to do. In February I found that I weighed 475lbs. It horrified me. I’ve always been overweight, but im tired. Tired of it being my whole existence. Tired of it stopping me from doing so many things. I started a calorie deficit Feb 13th. I’m so busy with work, that I was accidentally practicing IF without even realizing it. A friend of mine talked to me about it, and that’s when I decided to do 16/8 in earnest. I try to stay between 1500 to 1700 calories a day (according to a calorie calculator my maintenance is like 3500) and I’m finding it to be so much easier to practice IF without feeling deprived than to try to diet and eat 3 meals throughout the day. I weighed in today, and I’ve lost 17 lbs since Feb 13th. It seems like an insurmountable task, but im just taking it one day at a time, one pound at a time. Mobility is an issue, so I bought an under desk elliptical that I use everyday. I was doing 10 minutes in the morning and 10 at night, but I recently have felt capable enough to do 20 minutes. If you’ve read this far, I appreciate it. I refuse to give up, and I hope to find a community here of people who understand how cruel the world can be to overweight people. My short term goal is 430. That’s where I got to last time I tried to diet. My longer goal is to break through 400. Thanks for taking the time to read my post, and I wish you all luck in your personal journey.
Have you read any of Jason Fung’s books? Either The Obesity Code or The Diabetes Code discusses weight loss surgery, and why it usually fails. He also has information on line.
I was 260 lbs when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (Metabolic Syndrome). Even though CW says T2 is incurable and progressive, I found out that people who had weight loss surgery, often reversed their T2. So I battled my weight down to 210 lbs, went on anti-depressants and gained most back, and lost weight again on LC down to about 220. Like you, I got so busy at work, I didn’t have time to eat, and was so stressed that I had no appetite when I came home. So I started not eating; it wasn’t fasting, because I didn’t know what I was doing. But I learned more, got better at fasting 36-44 hours. I finally did a couple 60 hour fasts, and I’m really thinking that is where it is at, because I wasn’t hungry after the second day. I do keto when I do eat, because that REALLY seems to keep the cravings down.
I’m now at about 190, and I’m going to start fasting again soon, but I’ve had 2 laser surgeries on my eyes and have hernia surgery tomorrow morning.
Look into some longer fasts, with your doctor’s support. You may find it’s easier to go, say, 72 hours at once than a couple of shorter fasts. And consider the keto if you find you have a lot of carb cravings; I went off keto for Thanksgiving and felt as if I could eat a supermarket full of food! You can find lots of support here, some of the fasting subs, and the keto subs.
Good luck! Next stop, 399!
It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job! Congratulations on all of your excellent progress with 16:8, calorie capping and elliptical activity. Stay strong; you’re making a fantastic investment in your health and happiness.
Great! Remember to periodically readjust to your shrinking total daily expenditure as your weight reduces. Expect plateaus and think of them as a milestone of achievement to be proud of reaching rather than something to feel discouraged about.
Keep in mind, you can’t blow it by not following IF occasionally or by eating above your target calories from time to time - there’s no race so don’t sweat occasionally taking a small detour so long as you’re heading in the right direction most days.
Enjoy your successes in the here and now. It’s great to have goals moving forward, but don’t for get to enjoy today, now too. Be kind and generous to yourself with self praise and psychological self-reward.
You found a good place to get some support for your journey. So many nice and supportive people here with all kinds of good advice. It’s sounds like you’re ready to hit the trail hard. One step at a time and you’ll reach your destination!! Sending you lots of positive energy.
I really hope you can achieve your goals. You deserve to have some peace in your life!! As part of my weight loss journey, I have also been working with a therapist to unpack my relationship with food and my body. I think it’s been incredibly helpful, and would highly recommend to anyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off long term.
You’re doing great. Please don’t be discouraged if there are days that it feels like a struggle or days the scale doesn’t reflect your hard work. It’s about progress, not perfection. Making the decision to start something new takes courage. Being consistent takes dedication. And reaching out for encouragement shows determination. I’m happy for you!