A thread for people working on 50+ lb weight loss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in. I’ll go by MLS. I currently weigh 253, which is a high for me. The most I’ve ever weighed as an adult was 182, but that was before kids. I have PCOS which makes losing weight feel impossible. I started noom this week and I’ve been walking more.

Good for you, MLS! I'm on noom too. I'm your weight and started at 277. I really like noom.

[Anonymous]

OMG I found this thread at the right time! I am way overweight....5’3” and about 220. Significant weight gain over the past year or so. I am hypothyroid, menopausal and on anti-depressants that cause weight gain. But the weight is really dragging me down mentally and physically. I’m not sure if I should try IF or Weight Watchers or just eat healthier and exercise? This is not an exaggeration- I don’t have any clothes that fit me anymore...I live in yoga pants and a hoodie. I’m so sad, embarrassed, ashamed, feel ugly and gross. So, I’m in and I’ll go by Madison.

I’d appreciate if those of you who are a little further along than me, give me input on which change I should make in eating or diet? My goal is to get down to at least 160. Ideally 145/150 and that’s still probably too much for my height. The one issue I always have with dieting is I want instant gratification or I give up.

Please help me get motivated and committed to becoming healthier and thinner. I am honestly afraid I’m going to have a heart attack. And I’m so embarrassed I refuse to do stuff with my friends ( pre-Covid).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes! Thanks for this. I have about 80 lbs to lose- end goal, but I am breaking it up to make it more doable.
Was overweight before pregnancies. Lost most after baby#1, then with baby#2 I lost weight during pregnancy but gained so much afterwards...
Last October I realized (or had confirmation) that my a1c was at the insulin resistant level and that was a HUGE wake up call.
I started low carb high fat diet, and there were great weeks and poor weeks. My main challenges was to go back once I stepped away from LCHF eating. Move a few months forward I found an endocrinologist who really understands of hormone imbalance and she has been treating me and helping me with this new lifestyle! I am doing an IF protocol and eating low carb/keto but not crazy high in fat. I have been on this journey for 3-4 months and lost 20 lbs total. Still having great weeks and some poor days, but the balance is positive. And going back to the low carbon path has been easier now, if and when I fall off and make poor choices. My new mantra has been: just come back! I am making it a life style and accepting that I can not expect perfection. Trying to incorporate exercise this month of July, starting slowly! IF is changing my life, it controlled my hunger and I thought I was destined to always be hungry and be controlled by cravings!
I read the Diabetes Code and that was also a wake up call to get my A1C under control. That book explained a lot of my hunger and cravings and pains here and there. I am young (early 40s) and want to live a long life to e joy my kids and family!
Love this thread idea and will plan to come back weekly to check in. Will call myself "Linda". ☺️

Hi, Linda! I'm Annie! I'm wondering which endocrinologist you consulted? I'd love to find someone who could help with menopausal HRT who also supports LCHF eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG I found this thread at the right time! I am way overweight....5’3” and about 220. Significant weight gain over the past year or so. I am hypothyroid, menopausal and on anti-depressants that cause weight gain. But the weight is really dragging me down mentally and physically. I’m not sure if I should try IF or Weight Watchers or just eat healthier and exercise? This is not an exaggeration- I don’t have any clothes that fit me anymore...I live in yoga pants and a hoodie. I’m so sad, embarrassed, ashamed, feel ugly and gross. So, I’m in and I’ll go by Madison.

I’d appreciate if those of you who are a little further along than me, give me input on which change I should make in eating or diet? My goal is to get down to at least 160. Ideally 145/150 and that’s still probably too much for my height. The one issue I always have with dieting is I want instant gratification or I give up.

Please help me get motivated and committed to becoming healthier and thinner. I am honestly afraid I’m going to have a heart attack. And I’m so embarrassed I refuse to do stuff with my friends ( pre-Covid).

Hi, Madison. Call me Kaya.

I weighed 275 at my highest and had lost some weight before COVID. But like you, if the scale isn't going in the right direction on a regular basis, I give up. It's too demoralizing to work so hard and actually gain weight.

But COVID got my butt in gear. I can't die from a friggin disease when I have kids I still need to raise. I was complacent before, because I have no real comorbidities. No diabetes, no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure. I do have hypothyroidism.

So when COVID hit, I freaked out. and joined Noom. While I still get demoralized with weight gain that occurs with NO cheating, I can look at the weight chart over time, and the overall trend is downward. I gained three pounds out of nowhere a week or so again, but then lost almost five pounds the next week. I've lost more than 30 pounds now. Of all the things I've tried, noom works for me to help me NOT give up. Although I don't know how much of my motivation is also fear of COVID. That is still there. But I'm doing what I should and getting results.....even though they are a bit slower than I'd like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG I found this thread at the right time! I am way overweight....5’3” and about 220. Significant weight gain over the past year or so. I am hypothyroid, menopausal and on anti-depressants that cause weight gain. But the weight is really dragging me down mentally and physically. I’m not sure if I should try IF or Weight Watchers or just eat healthier and exercise? This is not an exaggeration- I don’t have any clothes that fit me anymore...I live in yoga pants and a hoodie. I’m so sad, embarrassed, ashamed, feel ugly and gross. So, I’m in and I’ll go by Madison.

I’d appreciate if those of you who are a little further along than me, give me input on which change I should make in eating or diet? My goal is to get down to at least 160. Ideally 145/150 and that’s still probably too much for my height. The one issue I always have with dieting is I want instant gratification or I give up.

Please help me get motivated and committed to becoming healthier and thinner. I am honestly afraid I’m going to have a heart attack. And I’m so embarrassed I refuse to do stuff with my friends ( pre-Covid).

Hi, Madison. Call me Kaya.

I weighed 275 at my highest and had lost some weight before COVID. But like you, if the scale isn't going in the right direction on a regular basis, I give up. It's too demoralizing to work so hard and actually gain weight.

But COVID got my butt in gear. I can't die from a friggin disease when I have kids I still need to raise. I was complacent before, because I have no real comorbidities. No diabetes, no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure. I do have hypothyroidism.

So when COVID hit, I freaked out. and joined Noom. While I still get demoralized with weight gain that occurs with NO cheating, I can look at the weight chart over time, and the overall trend is downward. I gained three pounds out of nowhere a week or so again, but then lost almost five pounds the next week. I've lost more than 30 pounds now. Of all the things I've tried, noom works for me to help me NOT give up. Although I don't know how much of my motivation is also fear of COVID. That is still there. But I'm doing what I should and getting results.....even though they are a bit slower than I'd like.

Hi Kaya!

Congratulations on the 30 pounds! Has that all been during Covid? Like you Covid has made me scared. Not only am I overweight but I also have high blood pressure. So, I have myself dead if I do get Covid.

Could you tell me a little more about Noom? Is it your own food, a lot of restrictions, counting points? Also, are you working out as well?

Thanks for reaching out, I appreciate it!

Madison

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can do it! I started at 195 a month ago (I’m 5’5”) and want to get down to 140 or thereabouts. I started in earnest on May 27 and have lost 9.9 lbs as of this morning. I am doing IF and getting in (or trying to) 10,000 steps a day. I mostly eat between noon and 6pm, but I’ll extend my eating window to 8 hours if it feels right on a particular day. I haven’t felt really deprived at all (pre-kids when I was thin, I never ate breakfast!) and the immediate results are really motivating me. The mental health benefits of taking a solo walk with a podcast every day are also huge. I just feel physically better this month than I have in a long time. My resting heart rate has gone down 15 points since I started per my FitBit data.

Any podcasts that keep you motivated?

I am Anita. My current weight is 185 at 5 4”. This is the highest I’ve weighed. Hypothyroid, borderline diabetic and menopausal, the perfect trifecta. I am an emotional eater who does well with exercise but is prone to bingeing. I mostly resort to stress eating. Dh is not the best partner when it comes to weight loss. I hate to say this but he sabotages my weight loss( likes to keep me over weight and under confident) by bringing in junk that are my weakness( fries, sweets etc). I am tired of the yo-yo dieting and need some solid partners to see me through my goal weight of 135.

[Anonymous]

This thread is really inspirational. Thank you to everyone who has posted. I'm just lurking for now but have been reading daily. I'm rooting for y'all and rooting for myself to be able to take some positive steps too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can do it! I started at 195 a month ago (I’m 5’5”) and want to get down to 140 or thereabouts. I started in earnest on May 27 and have lost 9.9 lbs as of this morning. I am doing IF and getting in (or trying to) 10,000 steps a day. I mostly eat between noon and 6pm, but I’ll extend my eating window to 8 hours if it feels right on a particular day. I haven’t felt really deprived at all (pre-kids when I was thin, I never ate breakfast!) and the immediate results are really motivating me. The mental health benefits of taking a solo walk with a podcast every day are also huge. I just feel physically better this month than I have in a long time. My resting heart rate has gone down 15 points since I started per my FitBit data.

Any podcasts that keep you motivated?

I am Anita. My current weight is 185 at 5 4”. This is the highest I’ve weighed. Hypothyroid, borderline diabetic and menopausal, the perfect trifecta. I am an emotional eater who does well with exercise but is prone to bingeing. I mostly resort to stress eating. Dh is not the best partner when it comes to weight loss. I hate to say this but he sabotages my weight loss( likes to keep me over weight and under confident) by bringing in junk that are my weakness( fries, sweets etc). I am tired of the yo-yo dieting and need some solid partners to see me through my goal weight of 135.

The Intermittent Fasting Stories is pretty good, but mostly I just listen to random enjoyable non-wellness related podcasts on my walks. It is my me time. Since that post above that was quoted, I have lost another four pounds. Still feeling really good and sticking with it. A close relative had a major (very bad) medical diagnosis in the last two weeks so I haven’t made it on a walk every day, but I am still fasting. I definitely lose weight more quickly when I get my 10,000 steps in but I am not going to beat myself up. It is still an enormous achievement to keep my nutrition mostly in check under difficult circumstances - the old me would be face first in carbs and ice cream. I go by Charlotte on other threads, so I will use that here too!

[Anonymous]

I am an emotional eater , and I have noticed that I eat/binge in response to the slightest daily irritations. What has been working for me during this pandemic: I buy big, expensive Honeycrisp apples or similar and lemons. I cut into many pieces, squeeze lemon on slices in a bowl and pour myself a sparkling seltzer water. If things are really bad, I will add two Medjool dates. I feel calmer and satisfied for roughly under 300 calories and avoid a multi-thousand calorie binge. I think all advice to not restrict too much is very accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG I found this thread at the right time! I am way overweight....5’3” and about 220. Significant weight gain over the past year or so. I am hypothyroid, menopausal and on anti-depressants that cause weight gain. But the weight is really dragging me down mentally and physically. I’m not sure if I should try IF or Weight Watchers or just eat healthier and exercise? This is not an exaggeration- I don’t have any clothes that fit me anymore...I live in yoga pants and a hoodie. I’m so sad, embarrassed, ashamed, feel ugly and gross. So, I’m in and I’ll go by Madison.

I’d appreciate if those of you who are a little further along than me, give me input on which change I should make in eating or diet? My goal is to get down to at least 160. Ideally 145/150 and that’s still probably too much for my height. The one issue I always have with dieting is I want instant gratification or I give up.

Please help me get motivated and committed to becoming healthier and thinner. I am honestly afraid I’m going to have a heart attack. And I’m so embarrassed I refuse to do stuff with my friends ( pre-Covid).

I would try WW WITH fasting. The fasting gets cravings under control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two years ago I lost 125 lbs over the course of 14 months. I achieved this through calorie counting and daily walking. The biggest advice I can give anyone who wants to lose a lot of weight includes:
1) eat your normal diet. Don't sign up for a fad diet. They are not designed to ensure long-term or permanent success
2) don't obsess about the calorie counting or any other aspect of the weight loss.
3) take one day at a time
4) remember that you are a good person no matter how much you weigh.

Thanks for this. Can I ask how you look now in terms of extra skin, etc.? Have you had any plastic surgery. The hardest part of this for me is that while I will be healthier, I feel like I won’t look a heck of a lot better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you guys just get off gluten and dairy you will get a good start. The gluten is like a glue, it sticks to you. Dairy works in the same way..

Also look into French Leek soup and cabbage soup. For fast results to get you motivated.

I lost 5 pounds on the cabbage soup diet in one week (that's the maximum time allowed on the diet. I make delicious soup so I do not get tired of it!).

That motivated me to start intermittent fasting slowly -- doing 12/12 for the last 2 weeks. I lost about 2 pounds doing this. On Sunday I start reducing my time -- so 13 fasting hours and 11 eating hours. I will stay on that for 2 more weeks. And so on. I am hoping to lose 1 pound a week.

I exercise daily and I feel so healthy. But I don't lose weight. I have 30 pounds to get rid of -- the weight never seems to budge... I am 59 and have always been strong, muscular, athletic. Menopause killed me in my early 50s. I have 2 teenagers so no responsibility for young kids anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anyone else feel that even at 50 pounds plus overweight, you have been holding back? I know I have portion control problems and a fondness for fast food, but I feel like visually it appears that I must have REALLY been enjoying myself with gallons of ice cream and a spoon on the sofa, and that is just not the case. I am not blaming hormones or a sluggish metabolism, but I do feel like the desire to overeat must have some biological roots. I know I could EASILY be so much bigger with very little effort and that is just frightening. I am aware we aren’t all the same and life isn’t fair. I am losing weight and exercising-maybe I underestimate how restrictive normal weight women have to be with their daily intake?

I think you have underestimated how restrictive thinner people eat. Many of these people don't realize how restrictive they eat either.

I come from a big family. About 50% of my family is overweight/obese. The other half is much thinner.

There really is no rhyme or reason to who is thinner and who is overweight. The only divider seems to be the amount of food we eat. Some have learned to go hungry for a while and have gotten used to eating less. Others are still struggling with dealing with hunger.

Thin women eat so much less.

Last year, my then 34 year old, 5'7 sister who has been very skinny her entire life starting gaining weight(she gained around 10 pounds). She immediately cut out breakfast. Cold turkey. The weight melted off in a few months.

It took me about 5 years of gaining weight to finally cut out breakfast. I now have much more pounds to lose than if I had reacted immediately like my sister did.

[Anonymous]

Any men here? 5 ft 10 and 230 pounds with goal of 180 here. Help me get started please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any men here? 5 ft 10 and 230 pounds with goal of 180 here. Help me get started please!

If not, you can be the first! All are welcome.