Elle's Progress Thread
Ellesbells_Shrinks
Posts: 8 Member
Hey all! I'm Elle, I'm 34 and from the UK. I'm starting OMAD this week!
Height: 5'8"
SW: 364 (13 Nov 2018)
CW: 306
Brief(ish) background:
I was overweight as a child, and just piled on weight as I got older. I never used to eat masses of food, but put on weight so easily that I was just eating too much for me. I always comfort ate. As an adult I stuck around 280-300lbs, but I was very active with no health problems except hormonal issues. I tried to lose weight every so often by cutting calories and exercising, but after the initial loss, I would stall and give up.
In my mid 20's I lost my job of nearly 10 years, my fiance left, I lost my best friend and suffered a bereavement all in the same week. I was devastated. My home life was unhappy and emotionally abusive, I became very depressed and stopped leaving the house. I gained so much weight in the following years and developed GERD, hypertension and neurological symptoms. My self esteem was always low but then I got alopecia and lost most of my hair. I had severe anxiety and started getting panic attacks. I gave up on life and drifted along getting bigger and more unhappy.
A typical day's food was no breakfast, a large unhealthy lunch with some cheese, pork pies, crisps and lots of processed meat, a small dinner of noodles, then junk in the evening like cakes or a big bar of chocolate. Not a HUGE amount of calories, but too much for me. I was also completely sedentary.
The beginning of my journey:
At the end of last year I was hospitalised several times with serious gallbladder issues. The antibiotics and pain relief they put me on damaged my liver. When I came home, I was scared, ashamed, and I had had enough. I wanted to be healthy and start living again.
I've lost 58 pounds so far. I'm no longer on meds for high blood pressure (I was on 4). My liver results have improved drastically. I'll break it into phases as I've been trying different things to find what works for me.
Phase 1: 10 wks, 46lbs loss. Yoghurt for breakfast, chicken and veg for lunch and dinner, and slow, short walks at night.
The psychological addiction I had to eating was gone. It was like something had just clicked, and I guess I wanted to be healthy more than I wanted that fix. I didn't crave food, or want to reach to it in times of stress/depression like I always had. It felt as if my body and mind needed me to do this so much, that it wouldn't allow me to even think about going off plan. Is that what motivation feels like?!
On those days when the scale wouldn't budge and my progress felt nonexistent, I would get very down and feel hopeless, but I never waivered and I stuck with it for the first time in my life.
The weight loss started to slow. My maintenance cals are apparently 2580. I worked out I was getting 900-1200 cals/day and started worrying about the whole "starvation mode" thing that had been instilled in me. This was a bad idea.
Phase 2: 4 wks, 0 loss. Spent the month increasing my cals to 1500 and stopped walking. I maintained at 318.
Phase 3: 8 wks, 12lbs loss. I read about boosting metabolism and increasing lean muscle for fat loss, so increased my cals to 1700, started eating x6/day and really stepped up my exercise. Another bad idea. I worked out x3/wk for 1-2 hrs, added weight training x3/wk, and walked further and faster. My weight increased, eventually dropped a few pounds and stayed there. It has taken WEEKS to lose a few more pounds, and I believe this is due to a combination of too many calories (for me), the exercise, and being back around the weight my body has been used to for most of my life.
I came across the OMAD revolution recently and I am so grateful for this post https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10110165/the-truth-about-exercise-at-a-calorie-deficit/p1 in particular. Thank you! I think I might be 90% cortisol anyway
My plan is to cut the exercise for now, and just keep active. Some stretching and light walking a few times a week. I will see how I get on with OMAD on a 1500 cal limit. Going from past results and what I have read here so far, no doubt I will have to decrease this for faster progress, but it gives me a lot of room to drop further if/when I need to.
This journey so far has been spent stressing about weeks with no losses, worrying if I'm doing the wrong things and making it excruciatingly slow for myself when it doesn't need to be. I'm hoping OMAD and cutting back the exercise might help, and I'm excited to start.
Thanks for reading if you stuck with me this far! Elle x
Height: 5'8"
SW: 364 (13 Nov 2018)
CW: 306
Brief(ish) background:
I was overweight as a child, and just piled on weight as I got older. I never used to eat masses of food, but put on weight so easily that I was just eating too much for me. I always comfort ate. As an adult I stuck around 280-300lbs, but I was very active with no health problems except hormonal issues. I tried to lose weight every so often by cutting calories and exercising, but after the initial loss, I would stall and give up.
In my mid 20's I lost my job of nearly 10 years, my fiance left, I lost my best friend and suffered a bereavement all in the same week. I was devastated. My home life was unhappy and emotionally abusive, I became very depressed and stopped leaving the house. I gained so much weight in the following years and developed GERD, hypertension and neurological symptoms. My self esteem was always low but then I got alopecia and lost most of my hair. I had severe anxiety and started getting panic attacks. I gave up on life and drifted along getting bigger and more unhappy.
A typical day's food was no breakfast, a large unhealthy lunch with some cheese, pork pies, crisps and lots of processed meat, a small dinner of noodles, then junk in the evening like cakes or a big bar of chocolate. Not a HUGE amount of calories, but too much for me. I was also completely sedentary.
The beginning of my journey:
At the end of last year I was hospitalised several times with serious gallbladder issues. The antibiotics and pain relief they put me on damaged my liver. When I came home, I was scared, ashamed, and I had had enough. I wanted to be healthy and start living again.
I've lost 58 pounds so far. I'm no longer on meds for high blood pressure (I was on 4). My liver results have improved drastically. I'll break it into phases as I've been trying different things to find what works for me.
Phase 1: 10 wks, 46lbs loss. Yoghurt for breakfast, chicken and veg for lunch and dinner, and slow, short walks at night.
The psychological addiction I had to eating was gone. It was like something had just clicked, and I guess I wanted to be healthy more than I wanted that fix. I didn't crave food, or want to reach to it in times of stress/depression like I always had. It felt as if my body and mind needed me to do this so much, that it wouldn't allow me to even think about going off plan. Is that what motivation feels like?!
On those days when the scale wouldn't budge and my progress felt nonexistent, I would get very down and feel hopeless, but I never waivered and I stuck with it for the first time in my life.
The weight loss started to slow. My maintenance cals are apparently 2580. I worked out I was getting 900-1200 cals/day and started worrying about the whole "starvation mode" thing that had been instilled in me. This was a bad idea.
Phase 2: 4 wks, 0 loss. Spent the month increasing my cals to 1500 and stopped walking. I maintained at 318.
Phase 3: 8 wks, 12lbs loss. I read about boosting metabolism and increasing lean muscle for fat loss, so increased my cals to 1700, started eating x6/day and really stepped up my exercise. Another bad idea. I worked out x3/wk for 1-2 hrs, added weight training x3/wk, and walked further and faster. My weight increased, eventually dropped a few pounds and stayed there. It has taken WEEKS to lose a few more pounds, and I believe this is due to a combination of too many calories (for me), the exercise, and being back around the weight my body has been used to for most of my life.
I came across the OMAD revolution recently and I am so grateful for this post https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10110165/the-truth-about-exercise-at-a-calorie-deficit/p1 in particular. Thank you! I think I might be 90% cortisol anyway
My plan is to cut the exercise for now, and just keep active. Some stretching and light walking a few times a week. I will see how I get on with OMAD on a 1500 cal limit. Going from past results and what I have read here so far, no doubt I will have to decrease this for faster progress, but it gives me a lot of room to drop further if/when I need to.
This journey so far has been spent stressing about weeks with no losses, worrying if I'm doing the wrong things and making it excruciatingly slow for myself when it doesn't need to be. I'm hoping OMAD and cutting back the exercise might help, and I'm excited to start.
Thanks for reading if you stuck with me this far! Elle x
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Replies
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Welcome!!
Congrats on the weight you've lost so far. That is amazing and it sounds like you're still kicking some major butt!
1500 sounds like a good number to stick with on OMAD. Sometimes you might have more, sometimes less and it's all good.
Just be warned. The first week of OMAD can be extremely difficult. Wanting to eat at your usual times. Just tough it out though. The hunger WILL pass and it gets much easier fairly quick.1 -
Welcome Elle and congrats on making the mental switch to wanting to be nice to your body! IMO that's the hardest part and toughest hurdle
Sounds like you've already had some serious success so well done, and let us know how we can help... We're a very supportive bunch
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Awesome, Lilee!!1
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Hi Elle and welcome! So many of us can relate to your story. I really think you’ll enjoy the intermittent fasting style of OMAD. So happy you are here!
I don’t think you gained because of too many calories, to be completely honest. I think it was the six meals a day. Your insulin was constantly spiking which isn’t good and often causes us to hold on to weight. I’d keep them high, and then at some point if you feel you need to go lower, knock yourself out. Just my humble opinion. 2 -
I agree with Sandy that insulin is your foe, not calories. This is a very satisfying and simple way to eat. Welcome!1
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Thanks for the support and advice, it’s really appreciated 1
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Welcome Elle! This is a fantastic, supportive, and non-judgemental group! We all realize the struggle is real and we are there to build each up, and cheer each other on!
You have done awesome so far with your weight loss! And the mental part is half the battle!
I look forward to seeing all of your progress!!!
~D1 -
Hi there and a warm welcome❤️ Congratulations on your weight loss so far👍👏😘1
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Thank you
Feeling very disheartened today. I started fasting for 18 hours to build up to doing OMAD. No calories until 2pm, when I had broth and a smoothie, then a meal at 7-8pm. I I lost 3lbs in the first 3 days and felt fine apart from some back pain on the first day. By the 3rd day, I had a bad gallstone attack (hence the back pain). Unfortunately after looking into it, it seems like fasting of any kind is enough to cause this, due to the bile becoming more concentrated (even over one night of fasting), causing the gallbladder to contract. My gallbladder is full of stones, so the contractions push them out, potentially causing blockages in the bile ducts. So it looks like I'm unable to do any form of fasting. I can't do keto, lchf or very low calorie diet either for the same reasons. I can't have my gallbladder out until I lose more weight, and I can't do any of the things that would help me lose weight (faster) because of my gallbladder. It's going so slowly now, I feel like this is going to take me years and years. If anyone has any experience of this or can offer any advice, I'd be really grateful. Feeling quite hopeless.1 -
OMG I am so sorry to hear this, unfortunately I don't have any experience or advice, but this group has a ton of people with more knowledge, so hopefully someone will respond soon.
*hugs* to you though.... 1 -
Thank you ❤️0
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/HUGS
Definitely seek out more groups here or facebook or reddit. I know I've seen a lot of people on keto and carnivore that have had their gallbladders removed or past gallbladder problems and they still have a lot of success doing it their own way. Go join a bunch of different groups and ask lots of questions.
Quick google and found this vid that might be a good watch for you.
https://youtu.be/zgO7gIaG_Zg 1 -
Aw, Elle, I'm so sorry. I don't have any experience with gallbladder issues, either. I hope you're able to do what's needed in order to have the operation. Please seek out other people who may have your condition and can better help you as @LiLee2018 suggested. Best to you and big hugs1
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Thanks LiLee ❤️ I’ll try that.
All I’ve managed to find from a quick google so far is someone saying the longest ‘fast’ they can do without it causing problems is 12 hours. I looked into 5:2 and the forums are full of people experiencing pain/getting stones stuck etc after fasting. The only ones (from that quick search) with gallbladder problems that seem able to fast without issue are those who have had their gallbladder’s removed.
I can put up with twinges, but from what I’ve read, when you break the fast, the signal goes to the gallbladder to release bile, and it contracts so much it can eject sludge or stones which can get stuck in the bile ducts, and it’s agony. I’ve been in hospital with it several times, had very painful infections, liver problems and complications etc. I don’t want to go through all that again. It’s frustrating as I really believe IF, and OMAD especially, would work for me 😒1 -
Maybe you could hold off on fasting for now until your gallbladder hopefully heals up from just a diet change?
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Thanks Sandy ❤️1
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Oh dear... Imma work on finding some stuff out on this and report back... Stay tuned1
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Aww! Thanks so much x0
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I can't help you out with fasting with a gallbladder but if you ever have it taken out you shouldn't have a problem because I had mine out and fasted with no problems even while doing low carb. I hope you get your gallbladder problem fixed soon 1
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So sorry to hear about your issues I don't really know much about this but I found a video which may help a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9LvfK1XSwM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W8gASMBz_I
Really hope that you can find a solution soon 1
