Made huge health improvements in 3 months

I had a physical 3 months ago and had the following problems:

Obese (5'9" @ 214 lbs)

High cholesterol and especially triglycerides

Prediabetic

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease

My doctor put me on the lowest dose cholesterol lowering drug, but I also decided enough was enough and got to work:

1. Very low calorie diet. I read the book 'Fast 800 diet', which is based on some studies where VLCD's were able to reverse Type II diabetes, and it really clicked with me. I know this is a bit controversial, but I think there is somewhat of a circle jerk around losing 1-2 lbs a week. I have created dozens of google spreadsheets over the last decade where I would create a fresh schedule of weight loss at the suggested 1-2 lb a week pace, and every time I would stop updating after a few weeks / months. I think for me, seeing large amounts of weight loss quickly is a huge motivator.
2. Started with meal replacement shakes and supplemented with protein (canned sardines,
   salmon, fried eggs) and stir fried vegetables for fiber when I got sick of the shakes. The first week was terrible but afterwards was totally fine. I had plenty of weekend plateaus, cheat meals, etc., but I think having a very low baseline of calories on most days will still give you big weight loss numbers every week for motivation.
   
3. Around week 3 started the couch to 5k 9 week running program. I downloaded the original BBC podcast and listened to it during the runs. I did my own supercharged version of the program by not resting every other day as suggested and instead did powerwalks for 30-90 minutes on off days, and I chose to do this simply because my body felt good doing it. Finished the program with flying colors and can't believe I originally started out getting winded after jogging 2 blocks.
4. Other tips. Weighed myself naked after going pee right after waking up every morning. Getting more consistent numbers at the scale helped me stay focused. During my off day walks, I would listen to diet / nutrition / medical youtube videos / podcasts to keep me focused.
   

After 3 months, my doctor had me take the same blood tests and here are the improvements:

Weight loss 214 -> 183 (31 lbs)

Total cholesterol 257 -> 159 (range is <200)

Triglycerides 397 -> 127 (range is <150)

HDL 44 -> 46 (range is > 40)

LDL 134 -> 88 (range is < 130)

ALT (marker for liver disease) 76 -> 22 (range is < 60)

Fasting glucose 100 -> 90 (range is < 100)

A1C (marker for Type II diabetes) 6.3 -> 5.4 (range is 5.6)

Going forward:

I truly am excited about jogging / exercise now. I hope to make jogging a lifelong hobby. I probably will pick up some adjustable dumbbells and a rowing machine once I find the space for them. My plan is to continue losing weight until I get down to 150 lbs, and I've come to terms that I won't be able to eat like I used to before, but instead treat certain foods and eating out as treats as opposed to regular habits.

Anyways, I hope some of you find this helpful and find your own strategy for achieving your health goals!

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