Morbidly obese need help!
Bittertraaman
Posts: 5 Member
I just turned 36 and feel like I won’t make 40 if I don’t get in gear 🥺 I weigh roughly 510 pounds and just at the 6 foot mark and I’m a guy. Please if anyone could help me my name is Travis
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Replies
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Maybe just begin by tracking what you eat and just eat a little less at each meal. Choose a habit to work on. Add a small salad and/or piece of fruit. When you master one habit then you can tackle another: swapping water for other liquids, adding small amounts of movement, etc. You can do this!6
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https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10873206/300-lb-in-2-years#latest
Here's your mentor and he lurves to help people. @supermang49
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10873249/new-here#latest
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Are you serious enough to quit processed food (an assumption on my part) and start preparing your own meals? If you chase the nutrients the calories will almost take care of themselves.0
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Welcome to MFP, @Bittertraaman
Please allow yourself the time to read the “stickies” at the top of each board. You’ll find all kinds of useful information.
Investing time in reading and participating in the boards has paid off, if not a hundredfold, a hundred pounds, lol. You’ll find a lot of love, concern and support here if you’re active and involved in the community.
I could not have done it without the good folks here. You’ve got a living breathing encyclopedia of knowledge and experience at your fingertips, if you’re willing to take advantage of it.5 -
Welcome and well done for taking the first step! I’m still quite new and a bit clueless so can’t offer much help I’m afraid but just wanted to post to wish you good luck. My best first bit of advice is to find something that has a big impact but doesn’t require massive change (e.g. getting rid of liquid calories and getting more water instead), doing these things systematically can lead to impactful and sustainable changes over time. When you get one down, move on to the next. But there are far more experienced people on MFP who I’m sure will give you help and support.4
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Some people start with cutting carbs to get a jump start on preparing their body for the dietary change. Walking is also a great way to burn calories. Maybe get a steps tracker like I watch or Fitbit and set daily goals. As you achieve a step goal, set another. And another.2
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I very much appreciate all the time you guys took to reply it’s been very difficult and I’ve reach the breaking point I almost gave up and didn’t care anymore. I am having the hardest time starting and staying with it as j live with other people and going through a divorce it’s all piling up6
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Hello Travis.I saw it on TV that your doctor can give you medication to help you loose weight.There are no magic pills so you still need to adjust your diet and do exercises. There is another thing I saw it on tv,you need to do green juice diet for few weeks to clean your guts then get back to eating healthy food. Walking is a good exercise for you I think.
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amberchen86 wrote: »Hello Travis.I saw it on TV that your doctor can give you medication to help you loose weight.There are no magic pills so you still need to adjust your diet and do exercises. There is another thing I saw it on tv,you need to do green juice diet for few weeks to clean your guts then get back to eating healthy food. Walking is a good exercise for you I think.
You don't need to 'clean your guts' with any silly green juice diets. Or even 'healthy food' (though obviously, for health reasons what you eat foods matter). Even exercise isn't necessary, though it does have health benefits.
Weight loss just requires a calorie deficit, that's it.8 -
Hi Travis. So lovely to meet you.
What is amazing to me is that when we are obese, the idea of making change is terrifying, another chance to fail, and giving up your comfort, with years and years of deprivation in front of you as the best outcome.
But as soon as you seriously commit to change, a huge load of shame and self loathing lifts. It will take you a long time to lose the extra weight, but you really will start feeling better immediately. My tip is don’t announce it, just quietly go about your life, making changes, and hug your wonderful secret to yourself. You will get loads of support on here.
I think liquid calories should be the first to go. Change to water. Introduce more fruit and veg. Cut down on sugar, fat and processed food. Portion control. And start walking. You will be fine.3 -
Hello Travis!
I started last Feb at 388.6 pounds.
I'm now down 99.5 pounds.
I just turned 40 this past May. It's never too late to change your life.9 -
Bittertraaman wrote: »I just turned 36..
I hope you return. Consistency and persistency are your important tools in the kit. Consistent habits will get you there.
You don't need to jumpstart your metabolism with a pair of battery cables. You don't need to flush your guts out with a garden hose. There's no such thing as a metabolic reset and liquid diets won't do a thing for satiety.
Start simple. Most of us knew exactly how to maintain our higher weights with our usual portions. Cut those in half. We were so good at it, we knew how not to go beyond that higher weight on the scale. We might have stayed there for years and years, going down a few, but always bouncing right back to that highest weight. We do know what we are doing all along the way.
Moderate your portions. Cut them in half. Don't eliminate any of your favorite foods, because those who do go right back to them when all of the dieting is done. It might take a year or two, but we are creatures of deeply ingrained habits. Start there. Cut portions in half and adjust accordingly as you go down in pant sizes. Just come back and keep yourself engaged in the process.3 -
Drinking green juice is not really a fad diet.You certainly don't need it.Just an idea.
My friends and I did it last year.There were lbs of solid poo did came out.If it doesn't work why would you have lbs solid poo came out from your bodies.After that I got more energy.I can't stand it that is why I stop.It taste bad because I dont like vegetables. Of course it's not for long term solution. Several my friends still doing it once a month. Good for your skin too to get toxins out of your body.0 -
Can I tell you something. If we have toxins in our body, the liver and kidneys aren't doing their job. That's their role on a daily basis. There's really no such thing as a leaky gut either. If our guts were leaking, we would be dead from peritonitis, sepsis. Perforated bowels are toxic. Other than that, the body is a finely tuned machine. It's capable of handling so many things we put it through. We need to thank our bodies for sticking with us through good times and bad, thick and thin, and every miracle weight loss cure known to man.
Our body is our best friend. If we treated our friends the way we treat our bodies, they would've left us a long, long time ago.6 -
I understand what you are saying.The point is Travis need to see a doctor.He is 500lbs how can his body function normal.He needs help for sure.You can tell him to do portion control but the result won't be as good as he gets help from his doctor. By the way I treat my body extra nice and I don't have weight problems.I just try to do better to improve myself here.0
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We can't speak for him, but now you've hit the nail on the head. His medical professionals are his best source of information. There's not a single juice, food or diet protocol that can take their place. I just hope he finds the help he needs.1
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amberchen86 wrote: »Hello Travis.I saw it on TV that your doctor can give you medication to help you loose weight. There are no magic pills so you still need to adjust your diet and do exercises. There is another thing I saw it on tv,you need to do green juice diet for few weeks to clean your guts then get back to eating healthy food
So in one breath, you (not a doctor) encourage this guy to immediately seek prescription pills...then turn right around and say "there are no magic pills."
And NO, he (nor anyone else) needs to do a "green juice diet" for ANY length of time. You know what "cleaning your guts" is a euphemism for? Pooping your *kitten* brains out. It's a freakin' laxative.
Maybe stop parroting what you "saw it on TV" before giving people absolute garbage advice?
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lol I am just trying help.He needs to see a doctor period.0
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@springlering62 and @JBanx2
I have a question for you, but maybe I should ask it over at the flophouse. Why not ask it here.
It takes so long to undo what extra weight does to the body. It's virtually painless going on and painful coming off. The hard work and all of the effort, I know it's so worth it for you @springlering62
During the difficult days and the months, what kept you going? There's something that we don't talk about very much, but there is a small amount of hunger involved with weight loss. It may not be much, but there are days when some hunger is there.1 -
Hiawassee88 wrote: »@springlering62 and @JBanx2
I have a question for you, but maybe I should ask it over at the flophouse.
I prefer the chophouse...mmmmm steak....bloody-rare though, please
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Hiawassee88 wrote: »@springlering62 and @JBanx2
I have a question for you, but maybe I should ask it over at the flophouse.
I prefer the chophouse...mmmmm steak....bloody-rare though, please
We have a lorra lorra steakhouses around here. Not me, I want a burnt sacrificial offering. Not really, but I can't even read that without turning my head sideways. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. Make it done.2 -
Hiawassee88 wrote: »
During the difficult days and the months, what kept you going? There's something that we don't talk about very much, but there is a small amount of hunger involved with weight loss. It may not be much, but there are days when some hunger is there.
In all honesty, best thing? I “banked” the NSV thread so I had something to read whenever I was feeling meh about the whole thing. I have read every single one of the thousands (?) of posts over there.
Individual success stories were motivating, too.
IMHO, people don’t take advantage of these boards. My “friends feed” is pleasant and fun, and occasionally informative, but here is where I get the meat of the knowledge I need. There are some phenomenal users here that share so generously, and sometimes offer a shoulder to whine, pout or cry on.
I never had hunger. I make it a point to have multiple snacks a day, and space them and meals out every couple of hours so I have something to look forward to, even if it was just a cup of tea. Even I, the Snack Queen, can (should be able to) hold out an hour or two til the next snack, and if I can’t, I move one up and find something to keep me occupied for the next three instead.
Pre-logging helps tremendously because I know exactly what’s coming and when. It takes a lot of pressure off versus running around the kitchen, gobbling something and then panicking over how many calories I just killed.
I find chai lattes and iced coffees to be treat-like, and therefore, mentally filling. (It’s the mind that makes us nibbly. This isn’t a third world country. We don’t have “real” hunger, no matter how much we persuade ourselves we do.) I even have a special area in my diary for them, and can make a damned good one of either for under 30 calories-including a huge mound of frothed milk. The “ceremony” of making a chai, or getting the aeropress out to make the coffee makes a cup of something seem more substantial and satisfying than it really is, if that makes sense.
It also works for me to stay busy. If I have several hours clear, I fill my time with a class, walk the dog, vacuum whether it needs it or not. As long as I stay in motion, I don’t have time to worry about food. I do a lot of needlework, too. As someone wise here once said, dirty snacky fingers + needlework is icky. Or something to that effect.
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@springlering62 That was wonderful and it's here for everyone to remember.1
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Hiawassee88 wrote: »@springlering62 and @JBanx2
I have a question for you, but maybe I should ask it over at the flophouse. Why not ask it here.
It takes so long to undo what extra weight does to the body. It's virtually painless going on and painful coming off. The hard work and all of the effort, I know it's so worth it for you @springlering62
During the difficult days and the months, what kept you going? There's something that we don't talk about very much, but there is a small amount of hunger involved with weight loss. It may not be much, but there are days when some hunger is there.
I SWEAR when I first read/responded, I only saw the first line, hence the chop house remark! My bad! OK, pull up a chair, as this could get long-winded...
I've been overweight (over-fat), but never WAY over fat). I'm drawing the distinction between the two because right now, I'm overweight by medical standards (BMI), and I've been right at obese. Right now I'm definitely not overweight due to excess adipose tissue; I carry a lot more muscle mass than most women (TBH, more than most people, male or female) of my height. That said, I have been chubby a couple times in my life, including once where my mother not-so-tactfully made remarks about me needing to lose weight...ahhhhh...yes....family...gotta love them (even if you don't really like them)?
But as far as what kept me going on the HARD days, the GRIND days, the days where I was DIGGING? When I was in prep - whether for shows or photoshoot or whatever, I had that "keep your eye on the prize" thing. In prep, at some point along the way, every morning I'd sharpie the back of my hand with how many days out I was. "THIS is how much longer..." and I KNEW that yeah, after that, I could ease up - not go completely hog wild and inhale everything in sight indefinitely, but that I was working toward a VERY specific goal, and once I achieved that, I could let my foot off the gas, coast a little bit, get a little comfortable, and be good.
I made meal prep, or at least the foods that I did prep, to be something I enjoyed. I planned them out - at a certain point I had to forgo more calorie-dense sources of protein (LOTS of chicken, tilapia, etc...), but picking my meats, picking my veggies, "theme-ing" big batches (eg, a spicy Thai-style noodle dish), finding flavor combos that I like. A good deal of research backs up incorporating more bland foods due to satiety reasons, but that's just one area where I personally kinda buck the "say-so" and do what works for me. When I got hungrier, I incorporated more volume foods like cauli rice, shiritaki noodles, etc. I drank a lot of diet sodas and flavored waters and chewed boatloads of gum. I had strategies up my sleeve that mitigated (but never nullified) the suck. When I absolutely bottomed out my calories toward the end of prep, I was going to bed hungry every night, waking up hungry every morning. I was never full. I would eat a meal and still be hungry, just LESS hungry than I had been 5 minutes prior. And you don't even wanna talk about "hangry"!
Contest prep truly is controlled starvation. Women experience the female athlete triad - loss of menstrual cycles, loss of bone density, massive hormonal shifts. Men also can tank their testosterone - many (natural; guys on gear are a different story) male bodybuilders won't be able to get an erection toward the end; when you are literally starving, your body isn't gonna allow you to try to procreate. Coaches (for both M & F) will have you track libido.
Photoshoot prep didn't get that extreme - I got down to approx 3 weeks out condition; I was digging and it sucked but...there's a goal on the horizon.
Obviously now I'm not in a deficit like that; I'm in maintenance. I hang out in a fairly comfortable range - I am able to indulge (pizza last night when kiddo had friends spend the night, donuts this morning afterwards, a beer with homemade cottage pie for dinner tonight), but within moderation. I meal prepped this morning, for every meal I'll eat at work this week, still loads of veggies and lean meats (but a couple days with some fattier salmon), but also some grains (rice, quinoa) and sweet potatoes etc. I continue to track, although not super-strict. I do a lot of eyeballing. Some days I may be a smidgen over, but it all balances out in the end. I train hard and I know that I "can't out train a bad diet" of course, but I lift hard and heavy (but smart - I base my training on scientific principles and do my best to program intelligently) and the additional muscle I carry is beneficial in multiple ways in that regard.
I'm not really sure that answered your question or if I just kind of went on some sort of random wordy romp through my brain (uh, did I mention beer tonight?), so if I went in completely the wrong direction from what you were looking for, gimme a poke and I'll see if I can steer it back...6 -
Okay so I’ve been to the doctors and they were going to send me to a morbidly obese center to talk about weight loss surgery or a health plan diet nutritionalist to help; no insurance so surgery is out of the question I’ve had a check up not long ago with blood work and everything came back normal. No sugar issues no high blood pressure and no high cholesterol. My organs function normal and my heart sounds great. That being said I’m lucky maybe undeservingly so and I shouldn’t take it for granted, also no thyroid issues either. Anyways it’s time to make a change and I’m glad I have you guys to help. I struggle with my legs swelling and the water blisters and I know in need to drink more water. I can do this I have to9
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@JBanx256 A photo of yourself might help to show context and explain your description of hunger and hanger, since you maintain an extremely low body fat %.
It would also help explain how you are in the “overweight” category. Beleive me!!!! You would NEVER look at this woman and have the word “overweight” in your mind.
My experience has been nothing like hers, but then again, I’m not exactly show or photo shoot material, nor do I desire to be, unless there’s an “easy” button!
I love her description of eating pizza with the kids, followed by doughnuts. Every Sunday morning is Donut Day here, an excuse to go have a big honking apple fritter and let doggo hang his head out the window for the ride. It’s our little hour-long holiday here every week. Most fridays we go for pizza, shawarma or Mexican for lunch, and have a super light dinner. We both (husband and I) manage to fit these things within our calorie budgets.
You have to have fun once in a while, or you’d go nuts- not matter how much you love cottage cheese and blueberries with balsamic.Bittertraaman wrote: »lI’ve had a check up not long ago with blood work and everything came back normal. No sugar issues no high blood pressure and no high cholesterol. My organs function normal and my heart sounds great. That being said I’m lucky maybe undeservingly so and I shouldn’t take it for granted, also no thyroid issues either. Anyways it’s time to make a change and I’m glad I have you guys to help.
I was lucky like that. And yet I got bigger and bigger and bigger. One day I realized “damn, Momma’s been bedridden for years due to weight and related issues and Dad can’t get out of the Barcolounger because he hasn’t cared for himself, either”. I saw the handwriting on the wall.
It’s so easy to fool or rationalize to ourselves with good test results. Sticking our head in the sand (we were all too fat to put them elsewhere, lol) was a family trait. 🤷🏻♀️2 -
Appreciate all of that, @JBanx256 I'm in awe of the process and pressure that's involved. You do remind me of a famous French warrior, circa 1430. Joan d'Banx256
@Bittertraaman Youth is on your side and so are we. Don't try to drop it like it's hot. That's overcompensation. Don't bite off more than you can chew by overwhelming yourself. Keep your head engaged and moderate your portions. Consistently.
Dieting hacks and shortcuts are plumb loco. They might be more exciting than tracking your data points, but they'll make you nuttier than a Christmas fruitcake.
@springlering62 I think of Springer Mtn, GA, every time I see your name. I do know a thing or two about fruitcakes. I have relatives who worked at a famous fruitcake company in GA. 🥰2
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