What nobody tells you about losing weight

springlering62 wrote: »

Sometimes your body interprets dehydration as hunger. Are you staying hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait ten minutes and see if the hunger goes away

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately for me, it has zero effect. I have been drinking what most people would consider large amounts for decades. It actually started because I hoped it was a way to keep my mouth busy and an attempt distract me from food. It works but not particularly well. Alas for me, it's also useless for reducing hunger.

springlering62 wrote: »

I agree. It’s harder to get comfortable at night. I can’t seem to recapture the comfortable positions I slept in before I gained weight.

It is really unpleasant, isn't it? I found that getting up after a few hours and wasting some time (working or not) and then going back to sleep, makes the second part of my sleep a lot better. But it remains unpleasant and it often leaves me with backpain.

bobsburgersfan wrote: »

That sucks, dude. 😖 Even if you have found ways to manage the worst of it, with those extreme symptoms I'd certainly talk to a doctor about it (if you haven't already done so).

It does. Hunger is what made me fat in the first place. There is no better stimulus to eat than pure, unadulterated hunger. Weight loss was not impossible, but excruciating. At one point, I had lost about 50 kg, but was regaining them fast because torture can only be endured for so long.

And then something changed. When I had regained about 20 kg in December 2018, an endocrinologist told me to "watch my carbs" which is something I had never done before. I only tracked calories, protein and fibre. So, I stopped eating fruit, rice (which I love), bread (which I love), beans (which I love) ... while still eating vegetables and lean protein. I told the endocrinologist that I had cut it all out and I could add it back in later on and see what happened in the meantime.

Not to my surprise, the hunger was still there. However, very much to my surprise, it was more tolerable and losing weight became a more realistic option and I ran with it. We are now almost 30 kg later since my last regain (which means about 60 kg total) and I am inching towards what should be an ideal weight for the circumstances. Unfortunately, the hunger remains, so I have to be extremely vigilant. That said, it is tolerable. It is unpleasant and continuous, but it does not destroy my life. It simply makes it less pleasant than I would like.

JustJ2014 wrote: »

Nobody tells you ---We are all different.

I have been on my new life plan for 727 days. The hunger DID go away for me.

I have trained myself to eat more low-calorie healthy foods. My body's need for more food has become less and less. Sometimes I have to eat because it is time to fuel my body and not because I am hungry.

I have lost 62 pounds slowly amidst back disk & bilateral hip surgery. My muscles are stronger now. My bones do not hurt now. I can walk 13-14,000 steps a day if I need to. I made the mental decision to eat smaller portions and healthier food while being more active for the REST OF MY LIFE.

You can do anything as long as you are committed to it. If you need help, be sure to seek it from a professional.

I am happy for you! I don't wish unterminable hunger to anyone. It seems that we are doing something quite similar. For me, vegetables are also where it's at. I eat one kg a day at this moment. I recently upped my walking game 19517 steps today, although I have to pay an undesirable price for that as it essentially means scrapping my research. I am now trying to find a middle way that makes it more tolerable. Walking between four and six hours a day is not sustainable, regardless of how you slice it.
And you are right, seeking help from a professional, a real one, is important.

Fit2btied2016 wrote: »

Excessive hunger can be a symptom of diabetes. The medical name for it is polyphagia. It can be one of the first symptoms. (Symptoms are subjective, versus signs which are objective).

There are a few things in your post that suggest a check-up with your MD might be in order. Be sure and tell your Doctor about your concerns and that you are actively losing weight.

Best wishes to you, and hope things settle down.

Thank you for the idea. It is a good one. Unfortunately or fortunately, that is not the case. While I have symptoms that point in the direction of diabetes, by all known standards there is no diabetes. In fact, all available markers indicate great health. That is how I had contact with an endocrinologist in the first place. I was referred because I "obviously" had diabetes. I did not and I have not.

The amusing part is this: just as an insurance, I was given metformin, the standard drug given to (almost) anyone who is suspected to have diabetes. I loved it. I sang the praises of St. Metformin as much as I could... because I was convinced it helped me be less hungry and to lose weight. I read the studies, they say otherwise, so did the endocrinologist. Even the studies saying that metformin helps to lose weight have confounding factors and it is not clear at all it helps. More evidence came when the endocrinologist decided to stop the metformin. I was terrified. I begged him to let me back on if my situation changed. Well, nothing changed. I continued to be able to lose weight. Not easily, but tolerably. I still have a full jar of those metformin pills in my desk. I don't use them and (hopefully) never will.

In other words, the metformin did nothing. What did the trick was the attention I learned to pay to carbs. Is that certain? No. It could be a non-specific effect (placebo effect). However, that is very unlikely, because most placebo effects are small, unreliable and they are short-lived, they are nice to have if and when they occur, but they are not something any responsible doctor will ever rely on.

In the words of the endocrinologist: "It's just willpower". He was right. However, I should add to this that my willpower quite suddenly became a lot more "powerful" after he gave me his advice. In other words, in my case, and that only engages me and not necessarily anyone else, going low(er) carb is what did the trick. I now lost approximately 60 kg, with (probably) less than 10 kg to go. I am planning on looking for a DXA scan soon in order to have an idea of how far I should go.

The hunger is not fun, but I am resigned to it, because even though it is unpleasant, I can tolerate it and let's face it, there are many things in life that are unpleasant, so this is just one of them.

Fit2btied2016 wrote: »

P.S. For the mask issue behind your ears, try putting small pieces of gauze around the straps, folded up and tucked on the pressure points, or only wearing a mask when absolutely essential.

That is indeed what I am planning but haven't come to yet, although, the masks I am wearing currently have much softer straps so they are easier to tolerate. Very good suggestion in my opinion. Thank you.

Fit2btied2016 wrote: »

A good pair of gel insoles will help with the walking, or perhaps a more supportive arch support for your shoes would help as well.

I have had feet problems since I was very little. I am from an older generation, and children were treated differently at the time. Becoming fat actually improved my symptoms. Becoming skinnier (and certainly not skinny, yet) has worsened them again and beyond what I had. I have a chiropodist who is trying to help but no luck so far, so I try to walk less. No sane person would do the walks I have been doing lately. Although, I used to work in the restaurant industry and that was not impressively foot-friendly either. Good suggestion though. Thank you.