So much has happened in 2 years...Back over 500

oconor316

Over a decade ago I joined this app and it's changed a lot but so have I. In 2021 my Mother died and as much as I had thought I would not be so affected by it, I was truly devastated. I weighed 450 when she died and now I am up to 520. This year I finally decided enough was enough so I gave up all sweets cold turkey. I do not want to sabotage myself so I waited till now to start cutting more things. I feel that I need to watch my carbs and my calories but I really do not want to push myself too hard because I will get overwhelmed and just give up again. I am a controlled diabetic and I have a horrible back but I have been walking a little each day and I have been conscious about how much I eat. I stepped on the scale and it was underwhelming. Still around 520 so I need to do more. What would be a logical next step? Besides logging food and exercising more since I already plan to do that.

penguinmama87

I am so sorry for the loss of your mother.

I think logging food is a great way to start. It can be really tempting to try and change everything at once, but as you say it can become overwhelming and then it's very tempting to give up. Changing one habit at a time can do a lot, though, over time, and you're looking for a long-lasting change.

As you log, get used to doing it completely and accurately every time you eat. I wouldn't be surprised if, all by itself, that gives you a lot of insight about where to go next - you'll probably be surprised, as many of us are when we start, about how many calories we actually eat and where they come from. Having that data is really, really helpful. It's not there to judge you, it's just to let you know what the reality is, and you can make decisions about what to do from there.

Keep up your movement to the extent that you are able. Since you are diabetic, do you regularly see a doctor? They don't get as much training as many of us would like in nutrition etc but you can get help there to monitor your vitals to make sure you are being safe.

LifeChangz

glad to see you back and pro-actively doing things to help yourself and your body. Food choices and exercise are excellent and I think of it as a 3 legged stool - the 3rd part would be emotional strengthening - doing something each day to help yourself emotionally - from reading positive things to doing NON-Food things to help yourself de-stress and to release strong negative emotions that are our body response that says - hey that's crappy! it's important to listen to our thoughts, - see what they are saying, go yes, good or hey, let's try something different.

I recently read a little strategy I'm adopting - think of a scuba diver - they can get in trouble quickly - apparently they have a little ninja-jedi mind trick. Stop, Breathe, Think (assess what is and make a positive next step strategy plan), ACT!

Different things will work at different times as you move through your journey - be kind to yourself - this really is about you helping you - when you can, make it an adventure, embrace the journey and enjoy it. Dwell there instead of in the past whoopsies, turn, face forward and go! I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers

zebasschick

i'm so sorry for your loss.

when i was at my heaviest, i lost weight doing food substitutions rather than giving up sweets. i lost a decent amount of weight by eating light cheese instead of full fat cheese, non-fat yogurt (i love dannon light & fit cherry and peach flavors!), using non-fat or low fat milk, light ice cream and so on. btw, some sugar free candy and ice creams are sweetened with maltitol or xylitol, which can send you for emergency trips to the bathroom if you eat too much till your body adjusts to them. still, it's nice to enjoy sweets.

DFW_Tom

oconor316 wrote: »

Over a decade ago I joined this app and it's changed a lot but so have I. In 2021 my Mother died and as much as I had thought I would not be so affected by it, I was truly devastated. I weighed 450 when she died and now I am up to 520. This year I finally decided enough was enough so I gave up all sweets cold turkey. I do not want to sabotage myself so I waited till now to start cutting more things. I feel that I need to watch my carbs and my calories but I really do not want to push myself too hard because I will get overwhelmed and just give up again. I am a controlled diabetic and I have a horrible back but I have been walking a little each day and I have been conscious about how much I eat. I stepped on the scale and it was underwhelming. Still around 520 so I need to do more. What would be a logical next step? Besides logging food and exercising more since I already plan to do that.

I apologize ahead of time if my response sounds harsh or insensitive. I don't mean to be.

Logical next step(s)?
- Decide what it is exactly you want to change about yourself.
- Be brutally honest with yourself in facing up to the things that brought you to the point that you, "finally decided enough was enough."
- Learn what it will take to make the changes you want.
- Set goals.
- Make a plan and stay on that plan as much as you can.
- Modify your plan as needed to stay on plan.

I can't tell from your post what changes you want to make. Lose weight? Eat healthier? Less carbs/calories?
I am sincerely sorry about you losing your mom. Sounds like you are saying the emotional toll of her passing led to you gaining another 70 lbs. What got you to the 450 lbs before then? Was it your bad back, the diabetes, or something else? Until these two items are answered, the rest is just guess work.

I guess that your back (and other joints and muscles) hurt sometimes because too much is being asked of them in supporting your weight. While increasing movement is great, I would shy away from any weight bearing exercises (like long walks) until some weight has come off. The danger is loss of mobility that limits your movement, not to mention the suffering from just getting out of bed and trying to walk with sore feet, knees, hips and back. Consider things like water aerobics or chair exercises for now.

I would also guess that as a diabetic you experience some carb cravings from the high/low swings of your insulin hormone yo-yoing your blood sugar levels. Just eating more healthy foods is not enough if you still consume other things that cause glucose spikes and drops in your system. It is not just sweets that messes with glucose levels and leads to insulin resistance. Carb cravings feel almost exactly like extreme hunger, and are most easily sated by eating more carbs which our digestive system turns into blood sugar (glucose). The most efficient way to stop those cravings is to stop eating high glycemic carbohydrates like: any processed dough products, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit juices and limit anything with sugar (natural or added sugars). Stick with whole foods as much as possible.

Enough guessing. Everyone is different and you'll need to find what works for you. Good luck!