It's never too late
jvcinv
Posts: 504 Member
I thought I would share a little here about what I've done over the past 53 weeks.
The before picture is me in May of 2016, 57 years old and 352 pounds.
The current photo was taken yesterday and my weight is now 178 pounds.
Yes I've lost 174 pounds, I'm half the size I was a year ago.
I'm posting this just in case there are others who are a bit on the older side and like me had completely given up all hope of being able to lose weight. I tried very hard on several occasions only to stall after 20-30 pounds. My diet used to be about as bad as you can get, high carb's, high sugar, highly processed. Something snapped in me last August and I began yet again on a quest to lose weight, but this time I stumbled in the right direction, and found lifestyle changes that were I have to say not that hard to adopt.
The big changes were brought on by various forms of fasting.
I've eaten no more than once a day during this time. So at a minimum a daily 23 hour fast.
I've also done three extended fasts ranging in duration from 5 to 14 days.
For the past 4 months I've eaten my one meal per day but also fasted for a day or two each week or every other week. So essentially I have mixed things up a bit and tried various fasting strategies. Whenever I felt that my body was getting too adapted to my current routine, and that weight loss was stalling, I changed things up and it seem like every time I made a change there was an immediate uptick. I'd say these changes were made roughly every 2-3 months.
The other big change was that at the same time I started these various fasting strategies I completely changed my diet. As much as possible I eat only fresh whole foods coming directly from plants or animals. I prepare it myself, fill up on vegetables, salad, meat fish dairy and fruit. I gave up sugar (natural and artificial), processed grains and seed oils. Although I eat only once a day it is a glorious meal that really fills me up and is quite satiating.
I know many around here are big on counting calories, weighing and logging and such, (and hey whatever works for you is great) but I've done none of that. The main reason I didn't is because I decided up front to only do things that I was sure I could sustain as a lifestyle change, and that just isn't me. Perhaps I'm lazy.
What I did do on this whole journey was to focus on listening to my body. For example while I'm eating my delicious tasty meal I eat until I feel a certain level of fullness and then don't hesitate to stop at that point. The key for this type of once a day eating is to reach a feeling of fullness and satiety. That's what carries you for 23 hours to the next meal.
The last major change is that for the past 6 months or so, as I became more able to move about I started walking which turned into running. I now run between 25-35 miles per week which is capped off on Sunday morning with a long run of 2 to 2.5 hours duration. I love running, how it makes me feel, the type of changes in body shape it is bringing about.
Okay that's it, I don't want to blather on. I simply wanted to share these changes in the hope that if there are any older morbidly obese folks who have completely given up who read this, that they might know that there is a way out. It's not to say that I'm all done, I'm still working on reaching the best version of myself that I can be. Although I'm satisfied with my weight I want to continue to work on fitness, hopefully get rid of excess skin and remaining belly fat as much as possible.
Even though I'm still looking to improve I'm putting this down in Success Stories because at this point I have succeeded to do what I frankly thought was impossible only a year ago.
Good luck to all.
The before picture is me in May of 2016, 57 years old and 352 pounds.
The current photo was taken yesterday and my weight is now 178 pounds.
Yes I've lost 174 pounds, I'm half the size I was a year ago.
I'm posting this just in case there are others who are a bit on the older side and like me had completely given up all hope of being able to lose weight. I tried very hard on several occasions only to stall after 20-30 pounds. My diet used to be about as bad as you can get, high carb's, high sugar, highly processed. Something snapped in me last August and I began yet again on a quest to lose weight, but this time I stumbled in the right direction, and found lifestyle changes that were I have to say not that hard to adopt.
The big changes were brought on by various forms of fasting.
I've eaten no more than once a day during this time. So at a minimum a daily 23 hour fast.
I've also done three extended fasts ranging in duration from 5 to 14 days.
For the past 4 months I've eaten my one meal per day but also fasted for a day or two each week or every other week. So essentially I have mixed things up a bit and tried various fasting strategies. Whenever I felt that my body was getting too adapted to my current routine, and that weight loss was stalling, I changed things up and it seem like every time I made a change there was an immediate uptick. I'd say these changes were made roughly every 2-3 months.
The other big change was that at the same time I started these various fasting strategies I completely changed my diet. As much as possible I eat only fresh whole foods coming directly from plants or animals. I prepare it myself, fill up on vegetables, salad, meat fish dairy and fruit. I gave up sugar (natural and artificial), processed grains and seed oils. Although I eat only once a day it is a glorious meal that really fills me up and is quite satiating.
I know many around here are big on counting calories, weighing and logging and such, (and hey whatever works for you is great) but I've done none of that. The main reason I didn't is because I decided up front to only do things that I was sure I could sustain as a lifestyle change, and that just isn't me. Perhaps I'm lazy.
What I did do on this whole journey was to focus on listening to my body. For example while I'm eating my delicious tasty meal I eat until I feel a certain level of fullness and then don't hesitate to stop at that point. The key for this type of once a day eating is to reach a feeling of fullness and satiety. That's what carries you for 23 hours to the next meal.
The last major change is that for the past 6 months or so, as I became more able to move about I started walking which turned into running. I now run between 25-35 miles per week which is capped off on Sunday morning with a long run of 2 to 2.5 hours duration. I love running, how it makes me feel, the type of changes in body shape it is bringing about.
Okay that's it, I don't want to blather on. I simply wanted to share these changes in the hope that if there are any older morbidly obese folks who have completely given up who read this, that they might know that there is a way out. It's not to say that I'm all done, I'm still working on reaching the best version of myself that I can be. Although I'm satisfied with my weight I want to continue to work on fitness, hopefully get rid of excess skin and remaining belly fat as much as possible.
Even though I'm still looking to improve I'm putting this down in Success Stories because at this point I have succeeded to do what I frankly thought was impossible only a year ago.
Good luck to all.
91
Replies
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That's amazing.0
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amazing results-congratulations.
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Very impressive! Great job!1
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Great work! I'm roughly your age and also discovered pretty late in life that I had an option to being fat. MFP gave me the method I can sustain and live with.
One observation about using vs. not using MFP. Not only does it help me count calories but it also helps me track my nutrition, sodium, calcium, and other factors. I'd like to suggest to you that for one week you use MFP to religiously track what you eat. Don't change how you eat, just track and analyze the results. You may find there are some nutritional surprises.
BTW, this is what got me hooked on MFP: the surprise and revelation of where my calories and nutrition were coming from. It was trivial for me to make a few changes.
Again, congratulations for doing what works.
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Damn. You look like you were wearing 2 fat suits.0
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Good suggestion. I will do that because I am curious what the nutritional breakdown of my current diet is.Great work! I'm roughly your age and also discovered pretty late in life that I had an option to being fat. MFP gave me the method I can sustain and live with.
One observation about using vs. not using MFP. Not only does it help me count calories but it also helps me track my nutrition, sodium, calcium, and other factors. I'd like to suggest to you that for one week you use MFP to religiously track what you eat. Don't change how you eat, just track and analyze the results. You may find there are some nutritional surprises.
BTW, this is what got me hooked on MFP: the surprise and revelation of where my calories and nutrition were coming from. It was trivial for me to make a few changes.
Again, congratulations for doing what works.
I'm still looking to improve where possible.
Thank you,
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Wow! I'm not gonna lie, all that fasting sounds like hell to me. But kudos to you for sticking it out. That is an amazing difference! Well done, sir.4
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Thanks for posting. Very inspiring and you look a foot taller! It is amazing what our bodies are capable of!0
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You look terrific! Good job!0
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Thank you! The longer fasts are not for everyone I'm sure, but surprisingly I found the hardest part of doing them wasn't dealing with the hunger. The daily fasting is something that was not hard to get into, especially the way I fell into it. I started this whole process with a two week fast, then when I broke that fast I began eating once a day and never looked back. The weight just melted off month after month with no exercise, which only came later.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Wow! I'm not gonna lie, all that fasting sounds like hell to me. But kudos to you for sticking it out. That is an amazing difference! Well done, sir.
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I know, people come up to me now and say "wow I didn't know you had such long legs!"QueenBee2018 wrote: »Thanks for posting. Very inspiring and you look a foot taller! It is amazing what our bodies are capable of!
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Its funny how different we all are isnt it, I have decided to count calories because I think that's thing I'm most likely to be able to carry on doing! But it's awesome that you've found something that works for you - what amazing results!1
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It is funny but it is true. That is why I will never say my way is the best or only way. We all have to find what works in our world, and we are all different. What worked for me may be a living hell for someone else, and vice versa.Its funny how different we all are isnt it, I have decided to count calories because I think that's thing I'm most likely to be able to carry on doing! But it's awesome that you've found something that works for you - what amazing results!
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Very inspiring! I agree with that everyone must do what is best for them. I don't think the fasting is for me I rather track calories and exercise daily but just the fact the you pushed thru and kept going is very inspiring to me. Like you said, it's never too late.0
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Incredible transformation! Well done!0
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Fasting can be easier than eating a lot of small meals for some people. You get to eat tell your more full with less meals. It is easier for me. Way to go OP!2
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Wow absolutely amazing job0
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Congrats on finding what works for you. You look great!0
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"Thank you! The longer fasts are not for everyone I'm sure, but surprisingly I found the hardest part of doing them wasn't dealing with the hunger."
@jvcinv What was the hardest part of the longer fasts?0 -
Fantastic commitment and results!!!!0
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The last long fast I did was 11 days and after I broke that fast I posted these comments on another thread regarding my fasting experience. So to answer your question I will quote myself.artbyrachelh wrote: »"Thank you! The longer fasts are not for everyone I'm sure, but surprisingly I found the hardest part of doing them wasn't dealing with the hunger."
@jvcinv What was the hardest part of the longer fasts?One final comment about extended fasting, for me through the first 6 days its not so hard.
However around that point it starts to become more and more of grind, and gets harder by the day.
And no it's not because of hunger, that goes away after a couple days and does not return.
What is so hard for me is the deprivation. The complete absence of all sensory and emotional experiences related to food. You don't realize how much of an impact this is until you do without food for an extended time. In many ways our lives revolve around food, we're always planning our meals ahead, anticipating how good they will be. Of course the meals themselves touch on all senses, then the feeling of fullness and contentment afterwards. There is just so much pleasure and joy wrapped up in it.
On a long fast, I find that after awhile I feel like a prisoner. Life is boring, bland and bleak. Day after day there is never anything to look forward to other than the scale readings. Not only does this not go away, it seems to accumulate as the days go by. Towards the end time slows down and its a real grind. It's not pleasant. Again this is not a hunger for food per se, but more an emotional feeling of isolation from all the pleasurable experiences that revolve around eating.
But now I'm out of prison and have something to look forward to every day, so I'm feeling great now.
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You've done great! Super!!!0
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Thought I'd update my before/after pic. Weigh 175 pounds now so not much change, just a different perspective.
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Amazing - you are lean, mean running machine! Just smile because your smile is great 0
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@jvcinv Thank you for answering my question by quoting yourself. That is acutely interesting to me. It makes me think of starvation, those who go without food for extended periods involuntarily. Not fun, eh? But what an insight on that feeling. And your reflection on the psychology of fasting is quite poignant.
Furthermore it makes me think of the religious custom of fasting, and the purpose of that which is, i believe, to have a more purposeful choice in eating, and not be controlled by the "passion" of hunger.
Anyways, congratulations again on your success, and thank you again for sharing!0 -
I thought I would share a little here about what I've done over the past 53 weeks.
The before picture is me in May of 2016, 57 years old and 352 pounds.
The current photo was taken yesterday and my weight is now 178 pounds.
Yes I've lost 174 pounds, I'm half the size I was a year ago.
I'm posting this just in case there are others who are a bit on the older side and like me had completely given up all hope of being able to lose weight. I tried very hard on several occasions only to stall after 20-30 pounds. My diet used to be about as bad as you can get, high carb's, high sugar, highly processed. Something snapped in me last August and I began yet again on a quest to lose weight, but this time I stumbled in the right direction, and found lifestyle changes that were I have to say not that hard to adopt.
The big changes were brought on by various forms of fasting.
I've eaten no more than once a day during this time. So at a minimum a daily 23 hour fast.
I've also done three extended fasts ranging in duration from 5 to 14 days.
For the past 4 months I've eaten my one meal per day but also fasted for a day or two each week or every other week. So essentially I have mixed things up a bit and tried various fasting strategies. Whenever I felt that my body was getting too adapted to my current routine, and that weight loss was stalling, I changed things up and it seem like every time I made a change there was an immediate uptick. I'd say these changes were made roughly every 2-3 months.
The other big change was that at the same time I started these various fasting strategies I completely changed my diet. As much as possible I eat only fresh whole foods coming directly from plants or animals. I prepare it myself, fill up on vegetables, salad, meat fish dairy and fruit. I gave up sugar (natural and artificial), processed grains and seed oils. Although I eat only once a day it is a glorious meal that really fills me up and is quite satiating.
I know many around here are big on counting calories, weighing and logging and such, (and hey whatever works for you is great) but I've done none of that. The main reason I didn't is because I decided up front to only do things that I was sure I could sustain as a lifestyle change, and that just isn't me. Perhaps I'm lazy.
What I did do on this whole journey was to focus on listening to my body. For example while I'm eating my delicious tasty meal I eat until I feel a certain level of fullness and then don't hesitate to stop at that point. The key for this type of once a day eating is to reach a feeling of fullness and satiety. That's what carries you for 23 hours to the next meal.
The last major change is that for the past 6 months or so, as I became more able to move about I started walking which turned into running. I now run between 25-35 miles per week which is capped off on Sunday morning with a long run of 2 to 2.5 hours duration. I love running, how it makes me feel, the type of changes in body shape it is bringing about.
Okay that's it, I don't want to blather on. I simply wanted to share these changes in the hope that if there are any older morbidly obese folks who have completely given up who read this, that they might know that there is a way out. It's not to say that I'm all done, I'm still working on reaching the best version of myself that I can be. Although I'm satisfied with my weight I want to continue to work on fitness, hopefully get rid of excess skin and remaining belly fat as much as possible.
Even though I'm still looking to improve I'm putting this down in Success Stories because at this point I have succeeded to do what I frankly thought was impossible only a year ago.
Good luck to all.
Fantastic work!1 -
That's an outstanding transformation. Very well done!0
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Outstanding!! I thought there was no hope for me as I'm 49. . . Your journey has inspired me. Excellent work and thank you for sharing!!
I'm on board with fasting too. It simplifies everything. I never thought I could make it through not having a breakfast but I'm doing it! I'm doing 18:6 per day and even did a 20:4 I'm not too far away from doing a full day, then maybe I'll try 2, etc. I watched Dr Fong's video and what he says about fasting makes so much sense. I ordered his book "The Obesity Code. . . " and I can't wait to read it!0 -
Amazing story!0
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