Last year, under someone else's post, I shared a mortifying image from my DEXA: at 48% body fat, it didn't even look human. And that was AFTER I had already started losing weight. I knew I had to make a change. Here's what I did:
JULY: joined a pilates studio, did home workouts, counted calories miserably; lost a couple pounds
AUGUST: quit the pilates studio because it turned out to be a scam, kept up with home workouts sporadically, kept trying to count calories; lost a couple pounds
SEPTEMBER: got COVID, went completely off track
OCTOBER-APRIL: stayed off track, losing and then regaining the same few pounds cyclically
MAY: learned I'm prediabetic, realized this is no joke, I can't keep screwing around like this; joined a low carb eating program through my health insurance for those with prediabetes or diabetes; began tracking my glucose and ketones daily as part of the program, but quit counting calories, as that's not part of the program and it depresses me anyway
JUNE: started to get the hang of eating in this new way; cut out sugar EASILY for the first time in my life; got rid of the joint pain and fatigue that plagued me; stopped crashing after meals; for the first time in years, WANTED to move; resumed daily walking; started doing more random exercise; lost a couple more pounds
As of today, I'm down only seven pounds from last year-- my goal was 40! But my body composition scan today showed the following:
- my bone density is still about what it was last year
- my lean body mass is the same as it was last year (which I'm considering neutral, because my LBM last year was low-- but I didn't lose any with the fat I lost, and I didn't work to build muscle, so I think that's fair
- my body fat percentage went from 48 to 44, so I'm still not near my health target, but I'm moving in the right direction
- my visceral fat went from 1.9 lbs to 1.5 lbs, which was one of my biggest concerns
Here are the things I'm going to continue doing for the next year:
- eat added sugar only on occasion (I was eating added sugar daily, and like... a mortifying amount)
- avoid the foods that spike my glucose (white rice and white breads are the biggest culprits for me)
- maintain low-ish carb ratios (I'm not really "low carb," as I find that I feel great as long as I avoid the carbs that spike my glucose-- but I find that staying under 100g carbs daily feels best)
- maintain decent protein
- check calories if my weight creeps up, but don't make calorie counting an obsession (I 100% agree that weight loss is CICO, but I've found that my body makes better use of calories when my insulin is steady, so avoiding foods that my body doesn't process properly is easier for me and makes me feel better-- eating white rice in a calorie deficit will theoretically make me lose weight, but the glucose spike that makes me fall asleep immediately after eating and keeps me in a daze the rest of the day isn't conducive to the physical lifestyle I need to be working toward)
- walk daily and frequently
Here's what I'm adding for next year:
- daily jumping exercises to maintain bone density
- a structured weight lifting routine to build lean body mass
Finally: I know my changes aren't monumental. There are so many people in this sub who have made WAY bigger changes. But I've been gaining weight every year since I was 30, so the fact that I didn't GAIN weight this year was itself a big deal for me. Learning that I have insulin resistance has been the major catalyst for change for me. Implementing small changes and feeling 10 years younger after just the first week of eating differently has changed my life. I was eating myself to death, not just in quantity of food, but in type. Addressing my insulin resistance has helped in both ways, because now that I'm avoiding the glucose spike triggers, my cravings are regulated. I've had my favorite chocolates in the cupboard since May. I give myself permission to have one each night (strangely, refined sugar doesn't spike my glucose as much as white rice or bread)... yet... I haven't touched them. I just don't care to. I've lost my taste for the sugary desserts that put me where I am today, and I've also developed proper hunger signals. I used to still feel hungry after three plates of dinner... now I feel satisfied after one. Guys. I NEVER felt satisfied before, even when I was full to the point of bursting.
I'm hoping that I can share bigger results next year, but for now, thanks for motivating me to get my act together. :0) Diet feels sorted, now I need to build some muscle!
Here is a comparison of 2025 vs 2026 body composition scan: https://imgur.com/I7g6b55
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