My name is Frank and I'm a 378Lbs Food Addict Addict

FrankCanDoit
FrankCanDoit Posts: 22 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone. My name is Frank I'm 37 and from New York. I've been heavy my whole life and am addicted to food. I've reached up to 378 lbs recently. I currently started dieting at 370 pounds. I've lost weight before but I always gain it back.

In kindergarten is heavy/chubby. I've been overweight my whole life but I always carried it well. People always thought I was a lot less than I am at the time and people always said I moved extremely well for my size. I could outrun a lot of people especially people with a similar weight. I always had good friends also I kept good people around me. Granted I was never this heavy I was usually upper 200s like 280LBS. Got up to about 320 and kinda was such at 310-320 for a while.

I had gotten to a point where I stopped caring. I would eat constantly. For example I would after dinner at night before I would go to bed I would eat about a pound of sliced American Cheese. I would take 3 English muffins and put and make 3 separate cheese sandwiches. I felt horrible, I would talk to myself in front of the fridge, cry, and still eat. I've stopped all that.

I'm down to about 355Lbs now. I've been using the MyFitnessPal app for about 3 weeks. Tomorrow I weigh myself in the morning and I'm hoping that I will be down another 5Lbs.

I've been walking everyday for about an hour total once in the morning and once at night. I changed my sleep schedule from staying up all night and I've been getting up at about 4: 30-5 A. M. Every day, having a cup of coffee, and i walk my route. It's 1.25 miles. I log it with the Fitness Pal companion app for walking and my Fitbit. It takes about 30 minutes. I want to jog a bit but my knees can't handle the impact. My left knee I'm particular.

I'm considering starting an Instagram account and vlogging to document and hold myself accountable to the public in order to force me to maintain what I've been doing. I have really poor self-esteem from this. I was thinking it might help the force me and it would help encourage me. Hopefully it would help and motivate others as well. It would keep me busy as well as a hobby. Boredom is definitely a huge issue for my eating habits. Whenever I get bored I immediately feel hungry. I sometimes walk up to the fridge and talk to myself, open the door and walk away. I have to completely eliminate food in any way at those times.

Sooooo I hope you took the time to read this. :) I know it's long but I used voice to text on my phone so it didn't bother me LOL!! If anyone wants to be my friend on here and join me on this journey or want to help that's great. Hopefully this will be a successful journey so feel free to message me or add me.

Replies

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Great job on your loss so far! Take it one day at a time, the time will pass before you know it.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Sounds a lot like my story. Lose some weight quickly. Once you can get active. Sslllooowww it down. Eat enough, walk, and LIFT. HOLD ON TO ALL THE LEAN MASS YOU CAN! Best of luck.
  • grayjoseph10
    grayjoseph10 Posts: 12 Member
    Good job on the weight lose. I would recommend yoga, flexibility training helps a lot specially before muscles get to tight.

    Hey, just don't your best forget the rest each day.
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
    Glad your taking care of yourself. 😊
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Check out John Glaude on You Tube. His weight loss story is very encouraging and he is very sympathetic to people's stories of loss.

    You may want to consider finding new ways to soothe/relax/release stress. Lifting weights can be therapeutic. Maybe keep a couple of gallon jugs in the refrigerator for lifting. Check out also mindful meditation and breathing techniques.
  • HoneyBee8844
    HoneyBee8844 Posts: 8 Member
    You sound like me!! I love food!! Just one day at a time and you will be just fine!
  • Lshona
    Lshona Posts: 393 Member
    Sending a request
  • ChelleTrell
    ChelleTrell Posts: 49 Member
    Sounds like you’ve made a great start to a solid plan. Keep up the good work!
  • Ayehmwhy
    Ayehmwhy Posts: 75 Member
    Your story sounds a bit like mine,food addiction, trouble in left knee, 350+lbs starting weight, etc. Anyways, congrats on the weight loss so far!
    It feels so good to take control of your health
  • amyjoan1
    amyjoan1 Posts: 47 Member
    I can relate as far as addiction goes. Not easy but at least there’s a solution!! My addiction was anything that would take me away from myself. I had to start first with a program of recovery, therapy, and positive affirmations every day even when for months I didn’t believe what I was telling myself but I wanted to. And that turned into reprogramming my mind my thoughts to believe change is possible. I told myself I was worthy and deserving and stopped negative self talk bc it wasn’t what I wanted in my new “ program “. It can be done when we get out of our way!! Change takes change!!
  • binor
    binor Posts: 77 Member
    I agree learn to love yourself. You are worth this. Some days I lied and told myself I was worth it, but it gets easier everyday.
  • New_Heavens_Earth
    New_Heavens_Earth Posts: 610 Member
    Great job! Sending you a request.
  • Ktmom19
    Ktmom19 Posts: 64 Member
    Thanks for sharing your story. I appreciate the level of honesty and openness. It sounds like you are headed in the right direction and are ready for a life change. As you already know, Changing your eating habits and exercising are what it is all about. Accountability and support are huge! Find and tell those people in your life who will rally behind your cause. There is a lot of good support through this community. You are worth it! I hope that with time you can start to believe that more and more, and change the negative self talk. Best of wishes

    Ps..I sent a request.
  • TheStoweNStove
    TheStoweNStove Posts: 8 Member
    Hey Frank. Thanks for sharing. I am new and have over 200 to lose, myself. Let's do this, brother. We can kill these goals.
  • meedermarianne
    meedermarianne Posts: 1 Member
    Frank you CAN totally do this. I am a life coach. I cheer you on. One choice at a time. Break your habit loops. If you always go to a donut shop stop driving there. Drive another way. It opens up new pathways in our brain. Every time you make a good choice drop s quarter in a jar. Your brain will form a connection to that positive change and new choice. Reward yourself but not with food. Listen to this top success podcast every day called Lewis Howes and the School of Greatness. Change your thoughts reprogram them for success. You are already a winner! I see you rocking this!
  • jdubois5351
    jdubois5351 Posts: 460 Member
    Congratulations on your loss so far! Take it one day at a time - you didn't gain it all at once, you won't lose it overnight either. If you stick to your plan, eat at a deficit (however small) every day, the weight WILL come off!
  • aimjolie
    aimjolie Posts: 60 Member
    I completely understand and can relate to what you are saying. I love to eat. My biggest downfall is late night snacking. Because of that I’ve been trying to go to bed earlier so I am not up all night eating. I notice that works for me. Right now I am trying to lose weight. Both of my knees are bad. The more weight I gain, the more my knees hurt.
    Losing weight to empress anyone doesn’t work for me. Trying to lose weight to help my knees works. I picture myself very heavy with trobbing knees and the Doctor telling me I need knee replacement. That scares me enough to put down that extra helping. Not only does losing weight help my knees but now I can go to a store and buy all those cute clothes in a smaller size. You can do this. So far you are doing s fantastic job. Make you the priority. You are so worth it!
    I can be difficult at times and it takes time. Just tell yourself, I can do this today. Take one day at a time. Next time this year, you’ll look in the mirror and say who is this happy, slim, handsome guy? It’s you! Best of luck to you’ I am rooting for you!
  • FrankCanDoit
    FrankCanDoit Posts: 22 Member
    aimjolie wrote: »
    I completely understand and can relate to what you are saying. I love to eat. My biggest downfall is late night snacking. Because of that I’ve been trying to go to bed earlier so I am not up all night eating. I notice that works for me. Right now I am trying to lose weight. Both of my knees are bad. The more weight I gain, the more my knees hurt.
    Losing weight to empress anyone doesn’t work for me. Trying to lose weight to help my knees works. I picture myself very heavy with trobbing knees and the Doctor telling me I need knee replacement. That scares me enough to put down that extra helping. Not only does losing weight help my knees but now I can go to a store and buy all those cute clothes in a smaller size. You can do this. So far you are doing s fantastic job. Make you the priority. You are so worth it!
    I can be difficult at times and it takes time. Just tell yourself, I can do this today. Take one day at a time. Next time this year, you’ll look in the mirror and say who is this happy, slim, handsome guy? It’s you! Best of luck to you’ I am rooting for you!

    I have a problem with eating late night as well. I decided to adopt a super early morning schedule instead and to be totally honest I love it.

    I used to like my alone time at night and the quietness of it now I have that in the morning. I go to bed usually no later than 11 p. M. And I'm up every morning the latest at 5 a. M. I actually try to get up at 4: 30 and I immediately go to Dunkin Donuts and get my daily coffee come home wake up for a little bit longer and then take a half hour walk. since I've adopted this it's been much easier at night to sleep because I'm so tired hunger doesn't keep me awake and to after I eat dinner I don't have as much time that I'm awake to stay up and be hungry.

    It's easier to not eat in the morning when you have free time also because, for me, in morning when I wake up I'm not hungry at first it takes me a while before my Hunger kicks in. it also helps we get everything out of the way in the morning and not have to worry about anything after work or whatever you might do. I can be out of the house and at a job by about 8 830 I'm ready to leave in the morning Everyday by 7: 30.

    So maybe trying to adopt an early morning schedule would be better. Everyone said it's hard to get up in the morning it's really not you just need to go to bed early enough so you get the proper amount of sleep that's the key
  • marashay001
    marashay001 Posts: 9 Member
    I totally agree about the morning routine being easier to maintain than the late night one. I've read and the doctor's all say not to eat after 7:00pm but that's when all of the food commercials are on and I find that I'm more likely to go get something to eat I shouldn't. I've been trying to hold out for my last serving of fruit and some bedtime tea after dinner so I'm not breaking the late night eating and then try to get to bed by 9pm every night. Luckily for me (but not really) I have to be up by 4:30 every morning for work so cheers to all the morning people!!

    Keep up the great work Frank!! We can do this!!
  • hoppgeorge
    hoppgeorge Posts: 368 Member
    I could almost tell the exact same story. You’re doing great so far! Keep it up!
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Frank,
    Take this as a letter from a recovering 400lb man. I don't know much about you, but it seems like you are stepping in a good direction. I would advise taking things slower now you have lost some weight. Have an end game in mind, I did not and now in the last year have had to scramble to figure some things out. Start rigidly tracking your intakes. Get some kind of activity tracking device if you don't already have one. Know your body is going to change. You are going to become a different creature. Most of us will become far hungrier and food focused after the kind of weight we lost/losing. Our hormones and brains change in ways I could never have guessed. Start stalking the maintainers forums if you have not already. There are some very wise people there. PAV888 is someone you should talk to. Man is brilliant btw. Get into the weight room. Does not burn many calories, but helps maintain lean mass. Hell, you might even gain some if you get in now. Eat enough and do not completely deprive yourself. Don't follow the crowd around you. Most of them do not understand what we do. Know that most losers of our kind of weight rebound. It is what it is. Helps me to have a goal besides maintaining. Bulking right now is my goal. Get a good trending weight app. The scale can lie day to day. Best of luck Frank. Feel free to add me.

    Sincerely,
    Dalon
  • pandygirl1563
    pandygirl1563 Posts: 13 Member
    Frank!!

    psychod787!! Has got good advice, and men don't hold or lose weight the same way as a female. But he's right you have to find out what's right for you!! trial and error that's how I did it and when something when didn't work, I would start over until I would find things that worked.

    I'm a woman and I used to weigh 400 lb at one time. It has taking me a long time to get to where I'm at now. My weight now is 27 9.2 lb, 120.8 lb less than what I used to weigh. I still have 99.2 lb to go. I've had my ups and downs during that time, setbacks and successes.
    I realized it's so much easier to put the weight on, then it take it off.
    Just take it one step, one day at a Time. I wish you the best! You can do this!! May seem hard times!! But it's well worth it. I am so grateful to be where I'm at now. I still have ways to go, but I've kept the majority of this weight off for a long time. Not given up now, we can do this. 😁

    Best wishes,
    Karla

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Howdy Frank, cowboy1-smiley.gif?1292867576. Do everything on your own terms. You don't have to make an insta account or do anything on social media if you don't want to. Giving yourself permission to do exactly what you want to do is the strategy that works for me. I don't march to tune of anyone else's drum or think so's I can't follow menu plans written by other people and I loathe diets. All of them. Just reading that 'dirty' 4 letter word turns my stomach. I created my own Positive Food Management Plan. It includes all of the foods that I like and I found movement that I enjoy. I simply took it back outside and I'm not going to the gym. The nearest gym is a 120 mile round trip and I'm not doing it. The number one reason any particular diet fails is that it implemented so brutally strict right out of the gate. Every part of a person's being rebels fairly quickly. The Shock and Awe approach sets up more vicious cycles. Edge your way down slowly, Frank. You'll have a much better shot at getting there and staying there without the pain of large portion food withdrawal. The less mental and emotional struggle the better retention of new healthy food habits. We can manage ourselves. Kudos to you for getting back in the groove. See ya around, Frank.camp-fire-smiley.gif?1292867563.
  • Jesi1011
    Jesi1011 Posts: 200 Member
    Telling your story here is just a part of your journey! Can’t wait to hear more in a few weeks, months and this time next year!! You got this!
  • FrankCanDoit
    FrankCanDoit Posts: 22 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Frank,
    Take this as a letter from a recovering 400lb man. I don't know much about you, but it seems like you are stepping in a good direction. I would advise taking things slower now you have lost some weight. Have an end game in mind, I did not and now in the last year have had to scramble to figure some things out. Start rigidly tracking your intakes. Get some kind of activity tracking device if you don't already have one. Know your body is going to change. You are going to become a different creature. Most of us will become far hungrier and food focused after the kind of weight we lost/losing. Our hormones and brains change in ways I could never have guessed. Start stalking the maintainers forums if you have not already. There are some very wise people there. PAV888 is someone you should talk to. Man is brilliant btw. Get into the weight room. Does not burn many calories, but helps maintain lean mass. Hell, you might even gain some if you get in now. Eat enough and do not completely deprive yourself. Don't follow the crowd around you. Most of them do not understand what we do. Know that most losers of our kind of weight rebound. It is what it is. Helps me to have a goal besides maintaining. Bulking right now is my goal. Get a good trending weight app. The scale can lie day to day. Best of luck Frank. Feel free to add me.

    Sincerely,
    Dalon

    Thanks so much Dalon! I'm glad you see where I'm coming from. I Do you have a tracking device I wear a Fitbit 24/7 and I'm doing just some lightweight walking right now. I also have a set of dumbbells and do a pull and pressing routine and bodyweight squat. I trained in the gym for about 2 years straight about 12 years ago and was still real big but know what your talking about. I never got to my goal weight. I never got exactly to the weight I wanted... but I know exactly what you talking about how it slows down, the new hunger cravings, how to maintain, the change of psyche, the absolutely insane energy that you'll have, all the little things. I'm going to start looking at the maintenance Forum soon once I get down a bit more and weight. I'm at 350 lb right now and I figure I got a good two years before I get to where I really want to be. I've got a good game plan in my head so I don't make the same mistakes that I made last time when I try to lose all my weight. I learned from my mistakes last time and there are some key factors in my life I've changed that should ensure my state of mind this time. That was about 12 years ago but I still remember it all 🙂
  • Jimb376mfp
    Jimb376mfp Posts: 6,236 Member
    Welcome to joining and change your life. I’m OLD, 70 yo! I was in my thirties when I started getting bigger and bigger then Diet, lose, gain it all back plus more.
    I got up to 300 in my 50s and eventually kept getting bigger up to 376 at age 65.

    I was too afraid to try weight loss surgery so I joined WW AGAIN in 2013! I met my goal to lose 100Lb in 2015 and PROMISED to not gain it back. Then I rebooted myself in 2016 to lose below 200! I lost -37.# so still needed to lose in 2017, I lost 43# and got below 200!

    2018 I got to Goal Weight (184) now Weigh 181!

    I used water aerobics classes and swimming laps to exercise.

    Don’t wait to start enjoying life, start to find things that keep you busy, enjoy some hobbies, groups. classes.

    Enjoy your journey.
  • nareau14
    nareau14 Posts: 10 Member
    We have very similar stories. Send me a request.
  • Grandmakatex2
    Grandmakatex2 Posts: 4 Member
    Frank you are doing such a great job. Be so proud of yourself. It is so hard for those of us addicted to food. I would encourage you to not bring any of your trigger foods into the house. If I have anything in the house that I like I know the first thing I will do is head for it when I am bored, sad, mad, whatever the case may be. Surround yourself with good, caring people who will support your journey and beyond your journey. People that encourage you to overeat are not your friends. Wishing you all the best.
  • perkele69
    perkele69 Posts: 6 Member
    Hey man since you were even chubby as a kid, your brain is wired up to this addiction! It’s like mice in a cage pressing a button to give themselves a hit of a drug and an electric shock at the same time. As you lose weight, you will become less and less addicted and guess what? The more you lose the EASIER it becomes, because you form new habits around food!

    I recently got a bit chubby at 200lbs i went back down to 168 and to lose that 30lbs i had to eat less calories. It was hard at first but then my addiction to eating garbage tapered off and you WILL notice the same!

    As a recommendation, buy some slimfast or USN diet whey, both these products helped me at night. I crave sugar at night sometimes and if I drink one of those shakes (for 200 - 300 calories), it takes away the desire to eat sugar. After that I don’t contemplate it.

    Also don’t buy crap in the house, just low calorie foods or even diet ready meals in the freezer.

    YOU GOT THIS BROTHER STAY DETERMINED !!!

Categories