Weight Loss, Dieting and Exercise.

[Paul | 47]

Anyone in here had weight loss surgery or done any extreme weight loss?

Paul's spent the last 10 months losing weight like a mad mo**er f***er.. so I thought I'd see if anyone else here has ever gone thru anything similar.

 

Started July 26, 2021  at 472 Pounds.

Had Gastric Sleeve surgery Feb 28, 2022 at 370 pounds as I could not continue losing weight on my own.

Current status April 13 2022, 302 pounds.

Update:  August 3 2022, 247 pounds.

 Left pic taken June 2021, right picture about 2 weeks ago at the end of March 2022.

Update July 2023:   Been down as low as 226 over the last 11 months, but after I picked up running as a hobby I've added a few pounds back.  Currently around 240 and training for my first half marathon in October.  Will I be able to run the whole thing?  I dunno doubtful, but completing it is the goal! 

Also note, YES these are the same glasses, the angle in the photo on the left made them look smaller well that and my fat ass head. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Paul
Update

[spacepup | 2,404]

Wow, glad to see you are making good progress and working on improving your health!  I think it's always something to be commended, and whatever path you've had to take, it sounds like it is helping and you are getting better which is great.

I haven't been through this myself, but I have a very close friend who has been on a similar path for a few years (she opted not to do surgery but has been on a similar journey), and I know it has been difficult, but extremely rewarding.

I'm glad to hear things are going well - keep up the great work!

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

Great work!

It's been about 8-9 years since, but I did go through some "extreme" for me weight loss over the course of a few months.  I started out at like 265 or so and decided in March or April of that year that i wanted to finally do something about it, so I started walking every day during my breaks and lunch at work, while also counting every calorie that I took in.  I used a GPS tracking app to be able to tell exactly how quickly I had been walking, and for how long, then used the then-new(ish) MyFitnessPal app/service to keep track of everything, setting my goal to lose whatever the maximum per week was at the time (maybe 2lb/week?).

I started out struggling with wanting to eat all the time, but conquered that reasonably quickly by figuring out approximately what my 2-3 meals' calories typically needed to be, then breaking off 100-200 from those to insert snacks one or twice during the day, as needed.  That, as well as picking things that were relatively low calorie but higher volume (raw veggies were great for this) helped keep me in line.  After I'd lost the first 15-20 pounds (the first 5-10 is/was always water weight), I started to hit a bit of a wall and occasionally have gnawing cravings for food here and there, so I started figuring out what the caloric values were for normal, everyday things that you could/would do around the house, but weren't just sitting around.  Armed with that knowledge, when I'd occasionally run out of calories for the day but still be desperate for something, I'd hand wash a couple of sinks' worth of dishes, carry a bunch of laundry up and down the stairs, scrub the crap out of the stove, etc., then finish up with a snack commensurate with however many calories that I'd earned as a result (usually 100-200, so enough for something sugary if I really wanted it, or lots of veggies, etc.).

I managed to get all the way down to ~200lbs, then plateaued hard.  I'd sometimes lose a pound or two, then gain it back, and then maybe go a pound or two up, then drop back down, etc.  I tried restricting calories more, exercising more, etc., but just got totally stuck there.  About that time, Thanksgiving rolled around, and, as luck (or lack thereof) had it, I had to be at at least three separate "dinners" that day, with a pitiful amount of a plate at the first one (around lunch time) easily equaling all the calories I was supposed to have for the whole day, with dessert plus two more mandatory dinners to attend.  So, I finally broke and internally said "screw it" and just ate what I wanted, which was surprisingly not nearly as much as I'd imagined.  Having worked as hard as I did, I became sated much more quickly than I did previously, so while the results were comparatively disastrous number-wise (4-5K when I was at 1.5-1.6K, IIRC), it ended up not actually ruining anything, and afterward, I had learned enough about what to eat, when, and what exercises I could easily do every day, I just stopped tracking everything like that.

I ended up keeping myself around the same weight (and in the same size clothes) without any conscious effort on my end for the next year or two, until the point at which my son was born, and my wife and I got into some bad habits like picking up fast food, ordering in, etc., because it was so much easier given the incredible lack of time we both had (both working full time, plus taking care of our son and everything else).  I ended up packing back on 30-40 more pounds and typically held it to that, right up until the lockdowns started occurring in early 2020, after which I've slowly trickled back up to ~260 again.  Mentally I know I need to get off my butt and start doing all the healthy, logical steps to get back down to where I was close to a decade ago, but having two kids to chase after now usually leaves me too drained by the end of the day to have the energy to start kicking my own ass into good habits again.  Hopefully this summer, if not before.

I have had a couple of friends who went through different surgeries (one had lap band, while the other had gastric bypass), and the results for both were really dramatic.  However, after a handful of years, the guy (lap band) ended up getting as heavy as he was before, if not heavier, due to drinking so heavily that he got crazy excess calories there, despite not being able to eat much.  The woman has kept her weight off after 3-4 years, although she doesn't look remotely as shrunken and gaunt as she first did right after she'd totally recovered from surgery and started posting photos about it.

 

[Gloves | 11,776]

Amazing work! Seriously well done man! 

[fcgamer | 4,723]

I'm overweight, but we're only talking about 30-35 pounds. I have a body builder friend who I've talked to at length about this sort of stuff, basically these are important factors (I fail at all if them, though if I really wanted to, I could fix it):

1. Diet - eat clean foods, which generally fill you up better too

2. Sleep - big factor for body repair and losing weight

3. Exercise - weight training is good as muscle burns more fat. I think cardio is also good, but just for a different purpose. Go to failure, if you aren't going hard it's probably not doing anything.

Veg > fruit, rice > noodles

4. Ditch sugary drinks, go mostly for water or maybe some fine tea

5. Protein in the morning Kickstarts fat burning metabolism

6. Drink a glass of vinegar water before breakfast each morning

Really though, excellent job so far on your journey!!! Maybe I'll start mine soon too

[jonebone | 1,307]

Long time no see and congrats on the progress!  I always applaud people in any life alterting decision to improve themselves, whether it's losing weight, exercising more, quitting a bad habit, etc. 

You definitely hit plateaus in everything so great to hear you're still finding ways to improve.  Best of luck with the journey!

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

That's incredible. Great job!

I've started a cardio regiment this past week, and it's exhausting. My only time to go the the gym is after work, which is between 11 and 12 each evening, and then up at 6 to get the kids ready for school. I'm looking long term though. I have lots of heart disease in my family so I try to maintain a heart healthy diet as much as possible. Whole grains, veggies, lean protein, you know the drill. It's tough working at a restaurant though. There are fries and chips(which are made fresh daily fried in beef tallow. Omg so delicious and so hard to not snack on) but there are lots of healthy options too. Giant salads have been my go-to for at least one meal every day piled high with nuts and all the veggies.

I'm sure as my conditioning gets better it will become easier. And it's inspiring to see your journey as my own personal goals pale to what you have already accomplished!

[Alder | 243]

On 4/14/2022 at 2:50 AM, fcgamer said:

6. Drink a glass of vinegar water before breakfast each morning

I'll stay fat, thanks

[Daniel_Doyce | 470]

4 hours ago, Alder said:

I'll stay fat, thanks

that can't be too good for your teeth either

[Mega Tank | 960]

5 hours ago, Alder said:

I'll stay fat, thanks

 

[Paul | 47]

Thought I'd post an update in case anyone cares

 

 

August 3 down to 247 so down 225 pounds in just over a year and a week.

 

Now the goal is to see how low I can go LOL...  Ideally I'll get to 199 and then stop losing weight.

[spacepup | 2,404]

Heya Paul, that's great!  You've done amazing work - keep up the progress!  I hope and imagine you are feeling so much better.  I have a friend whose numbers are very very similar actually, in terms of where they started at and where they are now, and they feel like a different person.

Thanks for sharing - congrats and keep at it!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

20 hours ago, Paul said:

Thought I'd post an update in case anyone cares

 

 

August 3 down to 247 so down 225 pounds in just over a year and a week.

 

Now the goal is to see how low I can go LOL...  Ideally I'll get to 199 and then stop losing weight.

That's amazing progress, congratulations!

[G-type | 2,480]

I was down to 190 at one point but I'm back to 205... need to get back to doing yoga daily.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

22 minutes ago, G-type said:

I was down to 190 at one point but I'm back to 205... need to get back to doing yoga daily.

Yeah I'm at about 194, I generally fluctuate between 190 and 200. I've been thinking about going on a strict diet for a few weeks.

[Estil | 1,264]

Speaking of which, in loving memory of Olivia Newton John... :,(

 

 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

On 8/9/2022 at 3:46 AM, fcgamer said:

Yeah I'm at about 194, I generally fluctuate between 190 and 200. I've been thinking about going on a strict diet for a few weeks.

I've been trying to watch what I eat recently and see how that works. I've got arthritis in both knees and a herniated disc in my lower back, so that limits my ability to excercise outside of some light walking. I lost 7 pounds so far in a week and a half by just eating less and healthier. Hopefully I can keep it up.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

3 hours ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

I've been trying to watch what I eat recently and see how that works. I've got arthritis in both knees and a herniated disc in my lower back, so that limits my ability to excercise outside of some light walking. I lost 7 pounds so far in a week and a half by just eating less and healthier. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Good luck with the journey I think the body is quite resilient if we treat it right, hopefully after you shed some weight the arthritis and such will improve. Have you tried tumeric / curry for this? If I'm having pain I'll mix curry with water and drink it, it does help as a pain killer / reduce Inflammation.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

38 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Good luck with the journey I think the body is quite resilient if we treat it right, hopefully after you shed some weight the arthritis and such will improve. Have you tried tumeric / curry for this? If I'm having pain I'll mix curry with water and drink it, it does help as a pain killer / reduce Inflammation.

I like curry, but I've never tried it for arthritis. I'll have to check it out.

[Matchbook | 194]

Wow @Paul!  Congrats on this amazing journey and keep up the good work!  Sounds like you are coming along great!

 

Cheers my friend!

[Paul | 47]

Update July 2023:   Been down as low as 226 over the last 11 months, but after I picked up running as a hobby I've added a few pounds back.  Currently around 240 and training for my first half marathon in October.  Will I be able to run the whole thing?  I dunno doubtful, but completing it is the goal!

 

 

Anyone else here into running? 

[Gloves | 11,776]

I just get so bored running, it's really difficult to focus up and do it consistently. I'd love to lose some weight but commitment for me is tough. The best I've ever done was when I had a gym buddy, we'd basically take turns dragging each other to the gym and then when we were there it wasn't near as bad. I've got a house now and working on a home gym in the garage, slowly but surely.

Still massively impressed by your progress, do keep us updated on the marathon!

[Richardhead | 2,813]

I mostly cycle. But I did start running when my relationship went to shit. I think that was 2 years now?

Anyways, I’ve enjoyed it. I prefer it to cycling when it’s cold. I’m not good at many things, but I am good at pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion.

Ive been “training” for a run in the mountains. I’m doing the 13 mile run for this event with a coworker.

https://www.runtelluride.com

I know I’ll finish, but I’ll be almost dead by the end. Good thing I work the next morning

congrats on all of your progress!!!

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

My workout history is this:

childhood - 2016: Overweight and didn't care.

2017: Got really bad and started worrying about it. Bought treadmill in December.

2018: Started treadmill every single day. Went from 240 to 190 by August. 

2018-2020: Worked out daily and maintained 190-200.

Mid 2020: Stop working out because I never go anywhere or do anything due to the pandemic so why bother, it doesn't matter.

Late 2020 - Summer 2023: Never got motivation back, never started working out again, slowly regained all my weight and more til now where I am at 260.

I just can't find the motivation. I feel like crap and want to do it but just can't seem to actually do it. Ugh.

[Gloves | 11,776]

14 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

My workout history is this:

childhood - 2016: Overweight and didn't care.

2017: Got really bad and started worrying about it. Bought treadmill in December.

2018: Started treadmill every single day. Went from 240 to 190 by August. 

2018-2020: Worked out daily and maintained 190-200.

Mid 2020: Stop working out because I never go anywhere or do anything due to the pandemic so why bother, it doesn't matter.

Late 2020 - Summer 2023: Never got motivation back, never started working out again, slowly regained all my weight and more til now where I am at 260.

I just can't find the motivation. I feel like crap and want to do it but just can't seem to actually do it. Ugh.

I almost wonder if it might help to have a little VGS weight loss group or something. Maybe a club or just a thread where we're incentivized somehow to post weekly or even daily about our progress, whether we did the thing we set out to do, stuff like that.