Starting a new weight loss effort with almost 100kg of excess weight to lose!

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christmas

christmas

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Type 2
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Hi all, just making a thread that I can keep up to date with my weight loss efforts and results, and hopefully stay more motivated than I have in the past.

I've been obese since I was a tween and this is a long time coming - I've tried a lot of things before but consistency seems to be the major flaw. My best attempt was when I was on Ozempic 2022-2023 but unfortunately due to supply issues and developing side effects, me and my diabetes nurse decided to take me off it and about 70% of the weight I lost came back. This has also been reflected in my HbA1c which has been steadily creeping up from its lowest since diagnosis (57) while on Ozempic to 82 then 89 at last test - not ideal and something I would like to change!

I am in recovery from binge eating disorder, which has previously led to me being very secretive about my eating and my weight, so one of my goals in this thread is to create a space where I can be radically honest about the whole thing without any fear. I'd love to hear about what other people are doing who are on a similar journey and any tips or inspirational words you might have!

My starting stats are:

Weight: 177.8kg
BMI: 56.1
Excess weight: 98.8kg

i.e.- If I lose 98.8kg, I will be in the normal BMI range.

At the moment I'm doing a Mediterranean diet with occasional meal replacement shake supplementation, and I've just started a trial of alternate day fasting. Wish me luck!
 
christmas said:
Hi all, just making a thread that I can keep up to date with my weight loss efforts and results, and hopefully stay more motivated than I have in the past.

I've been obese since I was a tween and this is a long time coming - I've tried a lot of things before but consistency seems to be the major flaw. My best attempt was when I was on Ozempic 2022-2023 but unfortunately due to supply issues and developing side effects, me and my diabetes nurse decided to take me off it and about 70% of the weight I lost came back. This has also been reflected in my HbA1c which has been steadily creeping up from its lowest since diagnosis (57) while on Ozempic to 82 then 89 at last test - not ideal and something I would like to change!

I am in recovery from binge eating disorder, which has previously led to me being very secretive about my eating and my weight, so one of my goals in this thread is to create a space where I can be radically honest about the whole thing without any fear. I'd love to hear about what other people are doing who are on a similar journey and any tips or inspirational words you might have!

My starting stats are:

Weight: 177.8kg
BMI: 56.1
Excess weight: 98.8kg

i.e.- If I lose 98.8kg, I will be in the normal BMI range.

At the moment I'm doing a Mediterranean diet with occasional meal replacement shake supplementation, and I've just started a trial of alternate day fasting. Wish me luck!
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This is a link for another approach which you may be able to glean some ideas to help you. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Wishing you lots of luck!

Set yourself small, easily achievable targets and give yourself a pat on the back and document them here so others can also congratulate you when you achieve them.

I was a comfort eater, chocoholic and sugar addict pre diagnosis, but I only had a couple of stones to lose. Going low carb enabled me to gain control over my diet that I had always struggled with but it did take me a while to get my head around it and find new foods to enjoy rather than mourning the loss of the ones that I had given up. Finding time and motivation to cook from scratch is the hardest. Some days I am really in the zone and other days I just can't face the prospect at all. On those days I make sure I have plenty of low carb treats to graze on.

Anyway, please do post your progress and perhaps your daily menu here as that may help others as well as keeping yourself accountable and focused. I will be standing in your corner waiting to cheer you on! Go for it!
 
Are you in a 12 step fellowship at all? There’s one for food related issues called OA and it may be something you find useful and supportive.

Overeaters Anonymous Great Britain | For anyone with eating issues

Overeaters Anonymous Program of recovery for eating issues / disorders including compulsive eating, over eating, under eating, obesity, anorexia, bulimia.
www.oagb.org.uk www.oagb.org.uk
 
Hello and welcome
Weight loss and diabetes are similar, in that they are a marathon, not a sprint. Whatever you choose to do, you need to be comfortable with it so it is sustainable. You asked what others are doing, so I have a few suggestions which worked for me.
I have an app which measures calories and carbs, per meal and per day. The app has a forum section where members post their daily meal plans. Being Type 2 diabetic it is suggested keeping carbs below 130gm a day, and the app is a perfect measuring tool. I enter my daily plans first thing, aiming for 75-90gm carbs. I experimented with carbs and found this suited me best so you may need to experiment. I also occasionally post my meals on the Food/carb recipes and queries on this website.
I sort of follow the 8/16 plan, eating between 9am and 5pm if I can. I appreciated this is not suitable for people who work.
Again, my food is a mish-mash of various suggestions. I often start with a slim shake, particularly on mornings I go to my exercise class, as I can't exercise on a full tummy. I do a lot of cooking from scratch so I know what goes into things - no hidden additives. In winter I make lots of soup, and summer have lots of salads, but not things like potato salad. I have cut right down, or out, high carb foods like bread, potato, rice, pasta, cereals, some fruits, processed food, and the usual suspects - cake, sweets, biscuits, pastries. Instead I look for substitutes like carb free pasta, cauliflower rice, squash wedges (for chips) and increase my protein and vegetable intake. I have a lot of eggs, usually for breakfast, with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, or baked beans for their fibre content. Also I weigh my portion sizes - no guesstimating.
Sometimes I get the munchies, so I keep sparkling water and drink a glass - the gas fills me up. I can't stand Coke or Pepsi, but I know some members enjoy the sugar free version and there are other sugar free drinks available.

This is what I am posting today:

1069 cals, 85.2gm carbs of which 47.2gm sugars

B: Vanilla almond shake made with water and unsweetened almond milk 2:1 ratio (9.2gm carbs)
L: 2 poached eggs, 100gm low salt and sugar baked beans, 1 medium slice toast from a 400gm wholemeal loaf (19.4gm carbs)
D: 90gm roast lamb, 80gm new baby potatoes, half a plate of cauliflower and mixed green vegetables, mint gravy (34.9gm carbs)
S: Cinnamon latte (15.1gm carbs)
E: My day of rest

Best wishes and keep us updated.
 
Good luck!

Geting down to "normal" is a great goal, but just to point out that it's absolutely not necessary to lose that much weight to get a big range of benefits, including possible T2D remission. So step by step, I reckon.
 
I had got to the stage where I would not discus my weight with HCPs as they were insisting that I ate a high carb diet - because it is healthy, and that I was lying about sticking rigidly to their diet sheets. I don't know what my highest recorded weight was but not all that long after I was diagnosed I was told I had to be weighed, and then that I had lost 90lb despite my insistence on not knowing what I weigh.
I had made no effort to lose weight. All I did was eat a low carb diet and monitor my blood glucose to ensure I kept in normal numbers, maybe a bit less in the end. I knew I'd lost weight around my waist as I could bend down to reach the back of the fridge and pick things up off the floor, and my clothes were loose.
Really I think that the diets and treatments would be far better for people if only they taught them how to maintain, what to eat for good health and energy rather than a fixation on weightloss for its own sake.
When eating low carb there is always something you can eat which gives it one huge advantage over many diets.
 
Hi Christmas ita franthepotter. I am T2 and obesity is in my family. I've seen it dealt with by diet (weightvwatchers), surgery (gastric bypass) and diet only. I'm T2 and following a very strict no/low carb eating plan to avoid metformin. My uncle has total remission from T2 and I am trying hard. Welcome to the forum and do post any questions you like - most folk here are super supportive x
 
Eddy Edson said:
Good luck!

Geting down to "normal" is a great goal, but just to point out that it's absolutely not necessary to lose that much weight to get a big range of benefits, including possible T2D remission. So step by step, I reckon.
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You're absolutely right, I'm taking it as it comes - primary goal is to get my HbA1c down and hopefully get to a place where I need less meds. Anything else is really a bonus!
 
christmas said:
You're absolutely right, I'm taking it as it comes - primary goal is to get my HbA1c down and hopefully get to a place where I need less meds. Anything else is really a bonus!
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Good luck! You have a good attitude and you will do well! There is always help on this site and I look forward to hearing about your progress….
 
Hi all, weekly update

Week 1 stats

Weight: 176.6kg (-1.2kg)
BMI: 55.7 (-0.4)
Excess weight remaining: 97.6

Good week 🙂 I haven't felt deprived, and I've added some healthy habits

Thanks for everyones words of support 🙂
 
Well done! You have made a great start. Keep at it.
 
christmas said:
Hi all, weekly update

Week 1 stats

Weight: 176.6kg (-1.2kg)
BMI: 55.7 (-0.4)
Excess weight remaining: 97.6

Good week 🙂 I haven't felt deprived, and I've added some healthy habits

Thanks for everyones words of support 🙂
Click to expand...
Well done! You have made a great start!
 
All the advice about low carb is bang on. If I were you I'd follow the Harcombe Diet. Two reasons, it's well proven and you will keep shedding pounds and then maintain your healthy normal weight. Second Zoe has probably helped people in your situation many times. Join her club and she will give you invaluable advice.
 
In additional news, my fasting blood glucose today was 6.2 which is as low as its been for ages! Positive change 🙂
 
JITR said:
All the advice about low carb is bang on. If I were you I'd follow the Harcombe Diet. Two reasons, it's well proven and you will keep shedding pounds and then maintain your healthy normal weight. Second Zoe has probably helped people in your situation many times. Join her club and she will give you invaluable advice.
Click to expand...
I have done Harcombe before, and did lose weight, but unfortunately eliminating whole food groups is a trigger for my binge eating disorder, so it's not something I would consider doing again currently. It has worked brilliantly for some of my family members though and I appreciate the recommendation as under other circumstances it would be good for me too I'm sure 🙂
 
@christmas welcome to the forum and genuinely wishing you Good Luck on your journey ahead as I am currently in very similar place with many barriers and hurdles getting in the way of my important healthcare and treatment appointments, following healthier diets and waiting to be assessed hopefully for new diabetes drug Mounjaro via NHS prescription, making healthier lifestyle changes and trying to commit to NHS diabetes care even on bad days!

There's all kind of goals and motivations to help you, personally I have whole wardrobe of clothes and shoes and jewellery I like and have significance for me as queer person and I'm not prepared to bin everything due to this period of ill-health, so the dressing up clobber remains in storage like an archive until I have lost enough weight to confidently wear that curated wardrobe and express my self again, lower my blood glucose levels and be less dependent upon meds and nurses and their blunt questions about genitals et al - let it all motivate you to move forwards anyway! 🙂
 
christmas said:
I have done Harcombe before, and did lose weight, but unfortunately eliminating whole food groups is a trigger for my binge eating disorder, so it's not something I would consider doing again currently. It has worked brilliantly for some of my family members though and I appreciate the recommendation as under other circumstances it would be good for me too I'm sure 🙂
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But low carb is not eliminating a whole food group.
I eat 40 gm of carbs a day, but few people need to go as low as that.
Even at that level I have stir fries, mushrooms, mixed low carb veges, mixed low carb berries, I make cauliflower cheese, mashed swede for dinner and leftovers as bubble and squeak, in the warm weather I have various salads and chilled desserts.
All I eliminate are high carb foods which have little nutritional value, and low fat options so I feel so very well these days.
 
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