So when is this amazing feeling supposed to kick in?

PlayerHatinDogooder

It sounds like you want to use the fact that angels and unicorns and farting rainbows in your honor as an excuse to stop.

You're still at 400 pounds and you've still got a long way to go. It took you a long time to get in this position.

Stop whining. Put on your big boy pants and get it done. Then you can worry about feeling better.

1kerriberri

Mmmmmmm, maybe the food you are eating is making you feel this way? What sort of food are you consuming?

Lumen1505

Hi - I can relate to the stress part of your story (and of course the wanting to be healthier) I too have quite a stressful home & work life, Hubby has kidney failure & on dialysis, three children 5 & under & I work full time in a pressurised job role (for a TERRIBLE EMPLOYER) & earn the main salary (so no hope of giving up to be a full time carer) I'm a bit stuck there due to the salary & its literally on my doorstep so no commute which means I can get to emergencies if need be.

A year ago I had my baby & decided to take a year out (I was really lucky I know) and the main difference I noticed was that despite being shattered & developing pancreatitis (I had my gallbladder removed last Nov) the stress from work was what was making me ill - exhausted, weepy & hopeless!

I'm going back to work next week same job, same hrs etc but with a new insight - my 'Aha' moment came while I had some time to reflect on why I was so unhappy. I've also given myself a year (to pay off some debts etc) then I'm out of there as I've decided that nothing is worth feeling like that for EVER.

So I guess what I am saying is that maybe its the stress of your job? - don't get me wrong I'm not saying leave or anything but are you able to take some time out - even a day to reflect on weather it is making you unhappy.

Stress from my job didn't raise my BP, & I had now other outward symptoms but looking back that is one of the reasons I was eating & almost dies in A&E from pancreatitis.

Hope this helps some - I know its now easy & sorry for the long post:ohwell:

Vailara

I too have heart disease and I'm on a whole lot of medication. I don't know about you (you mentioned that you'd had problems with your heart). The side effects listed for those medications include things like lethargy, tiredness and drowsiness. I certainly feel tired a lot, and I do wonder if some of it might be due to my medications. It might be worth looking at.

A lot of the time I do feel tired and hungry, but I also feel better, more "normal". Things are easier to do. For instance, I went for a walk at the weekend which involved hills and I didn't ever get short of breath. I used to get short of breath going up a small slope or a flight of stairs. I'm 50lb down and I don't know if I will ever get that amazing feeling, but it's nice to feel a little bit better and know that I'm healthier.

zagon_the_ultimate

thank you for the multitude of replies, the general consensus is that most changes will not be recognizable until further progress has been made, most enlightening.

i shall reply to some assorted quotes in the order in which they were received.

well you still weigh 400 lbs that is alot of weight to carry around all day. Work on incorporating veggies good food and movement you will feel better. You did not feel like crap all at once it is cumalitive. As for numbers being ok meaning healthy not so, tell that to my buddy that had cholesterol of 170 bp 120/80 and ended up having a 90 percent blocked arterey, it will catch up it always does. This is a process you must change your mind as well. Good luck

i refer back to the standard ranges, my LDL - 114 mg, HDL - 72 mg, triglycerides - 137 mg, this is part of the paradoxical nature of 'healthy fat guy'. while my ability to read the scale remains undiminished, the effects of standard morbid obesity are foreign to me. although i do take a slight enjoyment from watching the doctors go from prepared speech, to general confusion. :happy:

have you considered the possibility that you suffer from clinical depression? that could be why the world doesn't appear 'in color' to you. Depression disconnects you from your emotions. this includes the ability to feel GOOD or be happy.
If your nutrition and training are working out well but you still feel 'blah' or even worse, my advice is to get your serotonin level tested & get screened for depression.
feel better

heh, funny you should say this. i have been screened by a psychologist, psychiatrist, and 2 therapists, although not all at the same time. which the standard tests they gave me do indicate a depressive disorder, it conflicted with the candor in which i conducted myself. more or less they sent me on my way with nothing more than a 'keep it up'.

the color coming back into the universe was a sarcasm, meant to illustrate the nature of the epiphany.

I also think it could be depression due to your stressful home life ((hugs)).

i thank you for your concern, but unfortunately the problems are slightly out of my control.

Work on incorporating veggies good food and movement you will feel better.

ahh, the crux of this problem is also out of my ability to affect. it is extremely difficult to support a family of 4 on approximately 20K a year. apartment living also precludes the possibility of fresh garden veggies (lip smackin good!).

-Bacteria in your digestive tract slowing you down.
-Difficulty digesting specific foods tiring you out
-Depression...
-Focusing on progression.
-Go outside!.
-Also, try some cold showers in the morning They suck at first, but I'm a big fan of cold showers vs warm and how it knocks off any brain fog you have going on.

a plethora of suggestions! the bacteria may be a possibility, but i unfortunately do not own any petri dishes, agar, and/or a guide to friendly intestinal flora and fauna. the slow digestive is also not an issue, without going to graphic, things are WELL digested upon exit. progression is my present mindset, as each weigh in yields positive results. going outside is also a past time of mine, having 2 children virtually guarantees this in spades (parks, swimming, hiking trails, ect...). cold showers....some days i don't have a choice, my apartment building is just that awesome :laugh:

Also plan a non food treat for each milestone reached. It doesn't have to cost loads but be something that means a lot to you.

YES, this has indeed been my plan, which is why my present goal is set to 100 pounds less than what i weighed. i cannot reveal the prize, for fear it will evaporate like the morning fog.

So I guess what I am saying is that maybe its the stress of your job? - don't get me wrong I'm not saying leave or anything but are you able to take some time out - even a day to reflect on weather it is making you unhappy.

oddly, the job i have is remarkably stress free, i'm a....backup....yes, that would be the correct word for it. i'm there just in case cthulhu shows up, and i have to slay him with my keyboard. this has permitted me the freedom of nightly exorcise while still getting paid, which is fairly koosh.

Alta2000

Could it be because you are eating 2000 calories daily? I noticed that even when you work out you do not eat back your calories. It seems pretty low for someone with your weight and height.
Scoobie's says that your BMR is 3300, and TDEE for sedentary lifestyle is 4002. May be if you increase your calories to 2600 it could help to feel better. Also try to put more salad in your meals. It is like 20 calories per cup. Toss a can of tuna in oil on top and you have a low cal great meal.

Also, if you are alone in your working space, you can do any of the Leslie Sansone walk videos every night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cE1jxDS3HY

Samstan101

OP - Until yesterday I'd kind of agreed but something someone said made me reevaluate how I feel. I'm tired, I ache, I'm craving cheese by the pound - these were my thoughts yesterday and today. But the big difference is yesterday when someone asked me if I felt better for my weightless and increased fitness and I responded as above they then pointed out that 10 weeks ago I couldn't have physically done what I'd done at the gym that morning. They were right (a flight of stairs left me gasping). It made me think about what I could do now that I couldn't do 2 months ago. My knees hurt because I'm morbidly obese and walking/ jogging, my arms hurt because I did a weights session yesterday when 2 months ago the heaviest thing I lifted was a bag if groceries.

As of today I am focusing on the improvements (see my thread in the Success forum posted a few hrs ago if anyone is interested on a couple of NSVs I achieved without realising). We both have a very long way to go in our journeys, for me the journey needs to look for the small positives as currently the thought if losing over half my body weight is a daunting and scary prospect. I know there will be rocky times when the negatives seem insurmountable but the little positives (an extra flight if stairs, turning down a slice if cake in the office, going out for a meal ordering the healthy option and enjoying it) these are the motivators I use. It's not what can I still not do, it's what can I do now.

Good luck with your journey and congratulate yourself on what you've achieved, don't beat yourself up over things that you haven't achieved yet or have no control over.

lauraleighsm

My husband has lost over 100 pounds and he was one of the so-called "healthy" fat people if you go by his test results. That just doesn't exist when you have that much weight to lose. He feels a gazillion times better now, but it JUST get kicked in, he said.

I was a skinny unhealthy person for a while. Sick all the time (strep, shingles, mono and every damn cold imaginable). I did finally change my diet with an all or nothing approach. I dumped everything in my house that was processed and bought a Vitamix. I take a specific round of vitamins (cordyceps, Vitamin B, chlorella and some more) and my health massively changed for the better. Just a thought about what worked for me.

Also, have you thought about some kind of sport? I get that high after a feeling of accomplishment and the elliptical just doesn't do it for me. Maybe a 5k that you walk?

Be PROUD of yourself! You're doing awesome!

ironanimal

You're still really big, to be blunt. You're making huge improvements, but yeah, at that weight your joints ARE still going to hurt. They're not designed to carry 400lbs. Your hunger probably won't diminish notably, especially if you're now exercising and that's not necessarily bad. If you're still losing weight, it doesn't matter one little bit.

As for the energy - that can be anything from thyroid to testosterone to cortisol. Lack of sleep is genuinely the biggest culprit, and if home life is stressful for you - how much are you getting?

Just keep trucking.

Also, meet this guy; http://www.myfitnesspal.com/EdDavenport

missybct

Firstly - KUDOS to you for your hard work (it is hard work) and ultimately, being honest.

My "amazing" feeling didn't really kick in until 60lbs down - and it still disappears every so often in line with my "I hate the world" mentality - but I have BPD, so I'm not exactly textbook case. I also refuse to get excited about it because when I did the whole weight loss thing last time I got ridiculously happy and euphoric and shovelled pizza into my face until I was nudging 300lbs. So swings and roundabouts, my friend

Do I feel better for losing 68lbs? Hell yeah. I was 297lbs and I'm 228lbs now, but it's not just the weight that I've ditched. I was verging on alcoholism, and tossed that bad boy to the side. I will drink if I feel I want to, but I just haven't. So, whilst losing weight has been totally awesome, it's been a combination of things that has led to my euphoria.

Like I said, I'm not a textbook case at all, but there are no set rules in weight loss. You just gotta keep plugging away if you want it - some days I feel like I want to sleep all day and others I feel like I could run to China (I live in the UK). Nutrition DOES make a difference, but it's not as easy as just saying "You need to change xxx for xxxx" because we don't all have the ability to do so for various reasons. Even if they are small changes, and watch your macro's because that may show some indication, it may help.

That is my 2 cent, but I borrowed it off a friend because I'm skint. Good luck x

CyberEd312

This is a picture of me at 436 lbs. and if you can tell the look on my face I was still absolutely feeling no accomplishments but that was on the inside on the surface what everybody else was boosting about was the fact I had lost 124 lbs. when this picture was taken. Speaking of which this was the first picture I aloud my wife to take of me to start documenting my weight loss. She took one picture without me knowing it the week I started this journey back...

At 560 here:



and today coming up on my 4 year anniversary in a few weeks and dropping 312 lbs. and having 17 lbs. of skin removed this past September, you would think I would be walking on cloud 9 singing from the top of the mountain. But in fact I still have demons (food addictions, self worth issues, still seeing the fat guy in the mirror, learning to live in maintenance, etc, etc...) The list goes on.... This is life, do I not take the little things for granted anymore like walking (yes at 560 lbs. I was homebound for over 2 years before I finally had that AHA moment, do I stop to watch those birds sing and the ducks in the pond or just feel the morning Sun shine upon my face to name a few things, the answer is most definitely yes...) but it doesn't change the fact I still have life issues I deal with and fight my demons everyday but you know what the common solace is in all of this... I Am Alive!!! had I not changed my way I would have more than likely of been dead today so I Thank God everyday for a second chance at life and I tell him every morning that I will not waste this gift he has given me.... So you may not see the divine glory in the grand scheme of things now or ever but you have to come to the point where you can say I am so worth it, I deserve more for myself, and I will be happy with who I am no matter how or what that may be... Take it one day at a time and keep up the good fight... You have done Awesome so far...... Best of Luck to you......

susannamarie

With respect to the energy, I would agree that maybe you're going at a little too much of a cut.

It will take longer to lose, but you might try eating back some more of your exercise calories and seeing if it makes you feel less crappy.

beachlover317

Listen to Ed. He is amazing. No matter our size, we ALL feel bad some days. We all have days when no matter how hard we push ourselves, we still see the fat person in the mirror. Listen to Ed. It is so worth it to keep going. I hope you do.

JackWolfgangLloyd

Visit somebody you haven't seen since before January, you feel like nothing has changed because to everyone else nothing really has. If people see you everyday they don't notice the changes as they happen so gradually. So meet up with someone you haven't seen in a while and pay attention to any comments they make on your appearance, if they don't mention anything at first, then ask them if they notice a difference.

jennielou75

I have read all the replies so far and there is a lot of truth in them. I still have my days when all can see is how far I still have to go. Then I have to have a talk with myself. The problem is that the world does not change as the weight goes, just your ability to deal with what it is going to throw at you. That is why I keep all my records to remind myself of what I have achieved so far.

The most important thing is not to let this stop you, don't give up, don't let it win.

EvgeniZyntx

Why are you losing weight?

I think that is essential to understand before people can help you address that question.

On the health side, you've stated that you have healthy numbers and are healthy fat guy but you've had a heart attack - so your "numbers" aren't telling the full story.

For me, I feel amazing doing things - it isn't a specific number on a scale. It might be at it will kick n wen you can do great things with your children easily.

acidosaur

I’m 6” 7’ and have had such nicknames as I weighed 497 pounds, Did this till April, and weighing 471 pounds, Fast forward to now, i'm 65 pounds lighter…..and I feel no different. I still have no energy

so now you are around 400-410lb?

you are probably going to have to keep pushing through to start feeling better.

you are twice the weight you should be for your height, your BMI is 45, which is 20 points out from the 20-25 range, which means although you have done great so far, your body is still struggling with the extra 200 pounds. I'm pretty sure anyone would feel a but under the weather carrying that much around a day. your still at a weight that is very bad for your health to put it nicely.

just keep going man, you have done really awesomely well so far to get to where you are now, a lot of people would have just given up, so keep going, you will get there.

I agree with this.

Well done, seriously, on what you've achieved so far. Keep it going!

lacroyx

I didn't really feel like I had accomplished anything until I lost a little over 100 lbs. I'm 6'3 and started around the 470-485 range. I had a plethora of morbidly obese related health issues. High blood pressure, type II diabetes, high cholesterol and I was taking 6 different types of medications to control it all. I honestly didn't feel like I had done anything until a little over a year later when I finally improved enough that I got rid of all the problems and no longer needed to take medications.

torymichaels

Hey there.

1) Congrats on losing what you have so far. That's fantastic.
2) You say you're not feeling much better, despite the loss and you have great numbers.

Let me share a small story with you about the first time I started losing weight (10 years ago now, I went from a high of 365 that I know of in 2001, to 2003 when I was around 290). I lost 50 pounds over a summer (2003, from June to Octoberish), 290 down to 240. Everyone was asking "Don't you feel worlds better?" And I'd say maybe, but I didn't really feel any different, no more energy, no nothin'. Blood word, blood pressure, all pretty damned good. And then, as I was continuing to work on the problem, I passed out one day after work (turns out later we figured out I had a panic attack). When the EMTs got there, my heart rate was in the 40's. I was almost sent home from the hospital until the cardiologist on call said "Keep her overnight for observation." That overnight turned into a 9-day stay, during which time my heart rate steadily decreased until it was hovering somewhere around the upper 30s/lower 40's. I remember the EMTs who transferred me from the local county hospital to the big hospital in Portland, looking at the heart rate monitor and then at me, and then back at the monitor, and commenting, "We don't normally see 'that' heart rate with 'your' level of consciousness."

Honestly, I had no clue my heart rate was that slow, and I was functioning every day. Ultimately, I had a pace-maker installed during that 9-day hospital stint. The problem was based on a congenital heart defect I have, but the point of this is...you may well have something wrong that's not registering in blood work. After the pacer implant, my energy shot up, my carpal tunnel faded, and I got down to 199 (2007).

Unfortunately, then I stopped trying and managed to meander my way back to 295 again. ::sigh:: Stupid me. THIS time, however, as I'm losing it (with my pacemaker intact), I've felt my energy level shoot up just in losing the 38+ I've lost thus far.

So...you may not feel it yet, but you will. BUT, and this is a big but, don't assume everything is hunky dory just because of good blood work. You might well have a problem that's getting overlooked because they assume all your problems are from being overweight. My heart slowdown wasn't from my weight problem at ALL. And NO ONE caught it until the day I passed out.

So, sorry for the long post. Just wanted to offer a different perspective.

downsizinghoss

As far as the physical side. I am still on the way there myself. It gets better and better though, and there are fewer and fewer days that are painful. There are no clouds parting and angels singing though.

You will find that you will often not recognize those moments until AFTER they happen. You will get to the end of the day and think "Holy crap, my knees didn't fall off"

It becomes more about things that you don't notice than things that you do.

I was in a similar position. 528 pounds. pretty normal BP. Low cholesterol. etc. etc. technically healthy.

You will hit thresholds. There will feel like no change for months. Then in a week all of a sudden you feel smaller. You move easier.

then you get used to it and things get sore again. lol

No sudden moment though. Just gradually better.