Protect Your Energy

As I have lost weight, I have learned that you have to protect your energy from negative influences, both internally and externally. This past year, I lost 48lbs so I have just 27-30lbs left and it’s been a growing experience.

From an internal perspective, you need to be kind to yourself as you lose weight. It likely took you a couple of years to put on the weight, so it will take at least a couple of months to get it off. Remember that the average weight loss is 0.5-2lbs a week. In my case, I lost the 35lbs I put on over 3.5yrs in college and then some. I haven’t been this small since my sophomore or junior year of high school! Being hard on yourself as you lose weight will be counterproductive. It’s hard but you need to be patient because consistency will get the weight off and there is no need to hate yourself along the way.

I only learned about the external perspective recently. I had seen many posts on here about being told you’re getting “too skinny” as you get close to your goal. Luckily I haven’t experienced this irl but I’m in a few weight loss groups on Facebook for motivation. I mainly lurk with the occasional progress pic but I’d gotten positive feedback on those so I was excited to share an entire year of progress... but it didn’t go as well as I thought it would. There were many comments questioning how I could possibly have 30 more pounds to lose. Some were polite I suppose, just wondering if it was possible for me to lose that much weight and still be healthy. But there were a lot of body shaming comments saying I’d be “skin and bones” if I lost any more weight.

All the people who commented negatively on me wanting to lose more weight were just going off of a picture and a number. My caption for the post just said that I lost 48lbs in a year and that I wanted to lose 30 more. It did not mention anything about my height, weight, BMI or personal goals. They didn’t know that I had just hit 127lbs and that I am 5ft, so I am barely in the “normal” BMI range for my height (97-127lbs). They also didn’t know that 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with insulin resistance at 140lbs. So one of my weight loss goals has been to get down to 120lbs to be far enough away from 140lbs and in the normal BMI range.

They also weren’t aware of my final goal to have a flat stomach and a toned body. Initially, I wanted to lose any amount of weight since I hadn’t been able to lose weight in the past. As I saw that I could actually lose weight, I finally had the confidence to work towards having the body I had always dreamed of. So my goal is to get down to the bottom end of my normal BMI range so I have as little fat as possible before I start lifting weights and recomposition to sculpt my body. Won't be worried if I gain muscle weight.

So just remember to protect your energy as you go through this journey. It is as much an emotional journey as it is a physical one. Be kind to yourself and surround yourself with positivity. I left the group with the most nasty comments and have since stuck to a more positive FB group as well as this sub. I have also leaned on my friends during this journey as well. Find what works for you and find people/commmunities who support your goals.

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One of my friends encouraged me to share my progress

progress picture

So a little bit of backstory about my weight loss/fitness journey. I used to be a fairly active kid in middle school and high school, but when I got to post secondary I went through quite a bit of personal stuff and things kind of snowballed for me from a stress standpoint. I also had a persistent health issue that caused me to undergo a few surgeries ( so much fun lol). Between going to class, studying, working part time, and family/friends, I kinda stopped taking care of myself for awhile and I gained a considerable amount of weight as a result. I didn’t really notice it at the time, but I think that’s maybe the case for most people? I mean, nobody ever plans on becoming overweight so it’s hard to see what’s happening to you in the moment, but looking back I can see that I was making some pretty poor decisions when it came to my overall health.

Fast forward to this past summer, where I was done school and working full time. I met someone who became a really important friend and person in my life, and she showed me a lot love and trust at a time when I really needed it. Ever since that day, July 7 2019, I’ve made a conscious effort to get back in shape. I realized that if this person was willing to show me love when I didn’t really feel like I deserved it, then I needed to show myself some self love and just begin taking care of myself more mentally and physically.

Starting off was a bit easier than I thought it would be, and the key for me was just changing my overall mindset (corny as that might sound). In one of my favourite tv shows Community, there’s a scene where one of the characters Jeff Winger. gets told his cholesterol is a little high despite being in amazing shape, and Winger cries out in shock “but I treat my body like a temple!”. I don’t know why but even though it’s partly a joke to highlight Jeff’s vanity, I started to see my body as an investment and wanted to treat it “like a temple”. I didn’t immediately turn to calorie counting, but I did focus on lowering my carb intake and eating more whole foods, especially lean protein and vegetables. I pretty much cut out rice and bread because the more research and reading I did they just seemed like empty calories to me, and I really wanted to eat calorie dense food that kept me full longer. I also started weighing myself religiously, sometimes multiple times a day, and that is something that I would not recommend. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with weighing yourself (I actually think it’s a good idea!), but I definitely got too focused on the numbers on the scale for a time when there was no need to be weighing myself that often. While the scale is an objective way of looking at things, it can still be fairly flawed and you’re more than just some numbers on a scale. After a bit, I started relying more on progress photos and seeing how my clothes were feeling more than the scale itself, although I still do weight myself about once a week, always at the same day at the same time. I also ended up getting Spotify so that I could enjoy my workouts (you’d be amazed how much you enjoy exercising when you’re jamming out to Jesse McCartney and The Fray lol). At the start I spent about 30 minutes on the elliptical 5-6 days a week and lifted some 15 lb dumbbells that I had. I also did alot of bodyweight exercises (plank, pushups, and squats being the main ones). Over time, I felt myself getting stronger and lighter on my feet. At a family dinner party on August 24, everyone was telling me how different I looked and congratulating me on my progress (I have a really supportive family that means the absolute world to me).

I put off joining an actual gym until September, partly because I thought I was doing fine as is but mostly because I was still a little self conscious. I eventually realized that if I was going to show myself some self love, it didn’t really matter what some stranger thought of me when I was running or squatting or doing lat pulldowns or any other hilarious looking thing you can do in the gym. The cool thing about the gym is that everyone in there was once a beginner too, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re being judged (and if you are, oh well 🤷‍♀️ :)). Anyways, the first couple weeks I spent just getting comfortable at the gym, learning how to use some of the equipment, talking to the staff and trainers, joining some drop in classes (tried yoga for the first time and fell in love) etc. Since then, I’ve ramped things up and have been focusing more on weightlifting, both with compound exercises (deadlifts, squats, bench press, etc.) and isolation work. I enjoy how much it kicks my butt lol, it’s been a blast. The biggest goal now for me is to continue treating my body well by eating right, getting stronger and building muscle, and trying to burn off some of my more stubborn fat.

I ran into one of my old highschool friends at the gym last night, and he said he didn’t recognize me at first. He suggested letting everyone know what how much progress I’ve made, and while I don’t think I’ll ever really be ready for something like that with people I know, I did just want to post this somewhat anonymously to share my progress and let anyone who is struggling right now that as long as you believe in yourself and stay patient you’ll see a difference in time. This first picture is from October only because I switched phones and lost all my previous progress photos lol. Thank you very much for reading this, I wish you all the best with your weight loss and fitness goals. Have faith in yourself, don’t get discouraged, stay positive, celebrate your victories, and please never stop loving yourself.

Nowadays, the friend who helped kickstart this change in me isn’t really a part of my life anymore, but I’ll be forever grateful for the fact that she came into my life, believed in me, and helped me find myself again. Thanks dingus, hate ya :).

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People always telling me I haven’t gained weight (when I have) and that there’s no need for me to work out because I don’t “look fat” - a rant.

I’m 29 years old, 153cm tall and weigh about 56kg. Until about 2 years ago, I was always a pretty active person who never even thought about weight loss or calorie counting. Average weight back then was 49kg. Then through a combination of depression & sitting around a lot, my weight slowly crept up.

I didn’t notice for quite a while, because I never really weighed myself. But then my jeans stopped fitting and I jumped up 1-2 clothes sizes. The thing is: people INSIST that they haven’t noticed any weight gain at all and that I’m making it up. This is not just one person but multiple friends and family. I have put on weight in very specific areas, mainly tummy and hips. I’ve always had a bit of a pot belly (thanks, genetics!), but now it’s just become flabby and muffin tops whatever trousers I wear.

10 days ago I started my health/fitness journey. I saved up and treated myself to a personal trainer (8 sessions) and absolutely LOVE it. I’ve made some major lifestyle changes and I’m actually focusing on weight lifting and muscle gain and a bit of fat loss, rather than weight loss. While I am counting calories on MyFitnessPal, I’m mainly focusing on macros and I’m averaging around 1400-1800cal a day. I go to the gym 5x a week.

Today, my PT sent me the results of my body fat percentage and I’m at 35% body fat. It might sound weird, but that number has actually VALIDATED me. No one acknowledged my weight gain and people have been saying that I don’t need to go to the gym because I don’t “look fat”. But I’ve been feeling the extra fat and weight I’ve been carrying around. I remember calculating my body fat percentage years ago and I’m sure it was in the low twenties, so there HAS been a significant gain. I have it on paper now.

I guess my questions are:

Has anyone else experienced this denial from friends and relatives? Do you think it comes from a place of wanting to be kind, or is it a weird sense of jealousy because I’m actually putting in the work to lose fat and gain lean muscle? It’s just so baffling to me and it made me question my own reflection for years, even thinking I had some form of body dysmorphia.

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Rave for my SO: nonstop weight loss support

When we started dating about 6 months ago, I was (and still am) at a higher weight than I wanted to be when I got back on the dreaded dating apps. However, I met this really fantastic guy. He's fantastic for many reasons, but two of them are relevant here. 1) He thinks I'm attractive at my current weight and makes that very clear to me all the time, but 2) when I said I wanted to drop some weight and get in better shape his response wasn't to tell me that I didn't need to do it. I mean, he said he thinks I'm pretty as I am, but if I want to trim down to myself, he's happy to support that.

And supportive he's been.

He's never had a problem with weight and eats 3 cheeseburgers a week plus uncounted dates with Chik-fil-A, but he's been making changes to support my weight loss goals. He's learning to cook at home so he can make me healthy things I can portion out. He keeps foods around that I won't feel guilty about eating (like low-fat, low-sugar granola for my plain yogurt for breakfast). He doesn't make frustrated comments when I log my food or say I'm not having another beer because I need to stay within my calories. He encourages me to take walks during my day at work and will get up and walk with me for an hour both weekend days when we're together. We just started going to the gym together once a week.

And the best part: he says he does this just because that's what a good partner does. You know, that IS what a good partner does; I've just never had one like that before. I hope all of you on this sub find or have partners who are as supportive of your weight loss journeys as mine is!

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I'm 336 lbs. and my left foot is in constant pain because I'm morbidly obese. I need help.

Hello everyone. I've hit a point in my life where I'm asking the kind folks of Reddit for weight loss advice. I'm currently 336 pounds, 5'8", and 37 years old. I was just diagnosed with a Jones Fracture in my left foot due to many years of extended stress and pressure. I need to lose weight to alleviate the pain, but nothing I've ever tried seems to work. I'll provide some backstory:

I've been overweight since I started first grade. I ballooned up at age 5 and it's been that way ever since.

Both of my parents smoked. My mom smoked while she was pregnant with me. I have severe asthma and my lungs have the capacity of a 9-10 year old boy. I get winded very easily. I've never smoked and I don't hang around smokers. Exercise is very hard for me, especially cardio or anything involving me getting on the floor.

By 2013, I was 30 years old and 343 pounds.

Between 2013 and 2016, I exercised over 2 hours each day and ate less than a 1000 calories. I did this for four years straight. I lost 102 pounds, but I was miserable. I stayed cold and often couldn't think straight.

In late Fall of 2016, I caught severe chronic Bronchitis. I was sick for 18 months, coughing constantly. Of course, my weight immediately came back because I couldn't exercise at the same level.

Since the summer of 2018, my weight has crept even higher, right back to where I am now. I watch what I eat, count calories, avoid carbs, and use dumbell weights to exercise with. My left foot gradually got worse over time, though.

Today, the Jones Fracture causes severe pain on the outer edge of my left foot. I also have plantar fasciitis in that same foot. My arches are very high and I have a very hard time finding shoes that fit me. As if I didn't already have enough problems, I have kyphosis in my back and my left arm has a nerve issue which causes me severe pain when I raise it above the nipple line.

My blood work is solid. I don't have high blood sugar. I'm not pre-diabetic. I have low cholesterol. If not for being morbidly obese and an asthmatic, I'd be relatively healthy.

Can anybody help me? I don't know what to do. Any guidance would be appreciated.

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If your doctor says diet and exercise might help with a specific problem, let me inspire you

So, over a decade ago, my blood work showed my doctor that I had some kind of liver problem. I've never been much of a drinker, and there was no sign of damage; after running through some tests (I will say that having an ultrasound with the amount of hair I have on my stomach was a little weird...) it was found that I had a non-alcoholic fatty liver. Tests over the years showed no sign of improvement.

In October, we started on a weight loss regiment through our local health services department (specifically the HMR program) and although we had to quit for a variety of reasons, I went from 268 to 238 before we stopped, so 30 pounds in 3 months (plus another 10 or so after going it on my own.)

I started with a new doctor recently, so needed to have some blood work done for their records. She called me earlier this week with the results. Turns out she's a little concerned because I'm slightly anemic which is hilarious because a few weeks ago I did a "Double Red" blood donation, so my iron is good enough for my blood bank.

Anything else? Well, my good cholesterol is just a little low and my bad cholesterol is just a little high, and I told her that was hilarious because I've never had my cholesterol off by "a little" (her exact word was "just a hair" and I made her laugh saying, "Yeah, it's usually not just many hairs, it's usually multiple wigs."

Anything else? No.

There are zero signs of any kind of liver problems in my blood work.

Trust me, it's hard, and what worked for me might not work for you. But if you can stick to it, there's some situations where your doctor's advice about something specific being fixed with diet and exercise are 100% accurate and it's pretty dang awesome to hear it.

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i messed up big yesterday

i’m sorry if this doesn’t really belong here. i just need to write it down somewhere to make it concrete in my mind.

i made a once in a while breakfast treat that started me off badly, and then my roommate brought home cupcakes from work, and then we got high and got a major case of munchies.

i ate a lot of food. way way way over my limit and probably enough to gain a pound this week. but it’s okay, because weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. and i’m going to go back to normal today.

no huge fast, no guilting myself for not being strong enough to resist. i have made significant progress since starting this journey and that is what i’m focusing on. i know i have what it takes.

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