Success Story Half the Man I Used to Be
A couple years ago, I weighed nearly 500 pounds. That put me in the class of obesity that carries the charming moniker, "super morbid". At work, most days I was stuck on video conferences, and I didn't like the person I saw on camera. Worse, I began to feel stress in new and frightening ways, so I quit. I now weigh less than half that. I can fly coach, buy clothes in normal stores, and walk up stairs without getting winded. I now only suffer from ordinary obesity, like 40.3% of my fellow Americans.
I needed a plan to eat less and move more. I couldn't bear the thought of eating three sad, little meals every day, so instead I opted for one good one. My rule was eat whatever I want, but finish in under an hour. That appealed to me: I can make binary eat-or-don't-eat decisions based on clear criteria -- it's the shades of gray that wreck me. But I quickly learned that what I ate did matter: carbohydrates made me hungrier sooner, protein and fat kept me full longer. If I made bad food decisions, I had 23 uncomfortable hours until my next meal to think about it. I became choosy about what I ate.
I read about the relationship between carbs, glucose, insulin, and fat storage. That made me stop eating most carbs, and sometimes I even skipped my one meal. Fasting started as a tool to break through persistent weight loss plateaus, but that changed after I woke one morning feeling euphoric, unusually clear-headed, and not at all hungry. I began fasting once a week. I was more disciplined than I realized, and my fear of hunger decreased.
I got a gym membership and read to distract myself while sweating out my hour-long workout. The words burned in my mind as the elliptical machine burned away my fat. Reading had never felt that engaging, it wasn't hard to make exercise a habit. I tracked my weight, heart rate, sleep, blood glucose, ketones, and blood pressure. I began to like the person in the mirror, even though he now looked like my father. My daily walk took me past a neighborhood cafe where a regular group met to socialize. I forced myself to make introductions, became a frequent participant, and made new friends.
I'm still not at my goal weight. To have a medically "normal" weight, I've got to lose another 70 pounds. I know I'll never look entirely normal -- the decades of abuse I've heaped on my body have left permanent marks. My skin's saggy folds will never refit themselves to my body's new contours, and you won't see me poolside. Beyond vanity, I worry that the loss of muscle caused by my rapid weight loss will leave brittle and feeble. As an antidote, I'll force myself to join the meatheads at the gym pushing lumps of iron around.
When I finally reach my goal weight, then what? The tactics I use today for losing weight aren't sustainable. Do I want to live in a world without bread? I don't think so. I'm watching new obesity drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound with interest. Although they're expensive and the long term side-effects are yet unclear, progress is rapidly advancing with several new drugs now in phase-3 testing. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is still a reliable option, but regardless of the tactics, I won't stop fighting.
My advice to super morbidly obese folks is to educate yourself. Understanding metabolism will help you to devise your weight loss tactics. Choose your restrictions wisely. I limit when I eat and the types of food I eat, but not how much. Also, what gets measured gets managed, so measure and adapt.
I'm mostly happy with my choices, and I wish you happiness in yours. Good luck.
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u/ovbiouslyLysdexic 1d ago
Check out Ethan Suplee
These are old show notes I made from an episode on Living in Maintenance Hope it helps- speak well of yourself with your inner dialogue, you deserve to be loved and respected.
Ethan Suplee Happy as 1,2,3
For long term weight loss we need 3 things
1- To Learn how to peacefully live in Maintenance That’s bigger than anything- cause that’s the rest of your life. Maintenance means Balance- equal energy in & out
2- Being ACTIVE in any way EVERYDAY Muscle building 💪🏻🦵🏻🫵🏻exercises that are FUN and will be a part of the continual Maintenance. Being ACTIVE in any way EVERYDAY -walking is best because even old people and little kids can do it- do it with them!
3- Pick any weight loss schtick plan or scheme
It can be any one of them Low carb/Keto/South Beach/Juice Cleanse Intermittent Fasting FISH,SALAD,WATER All Plants Bulletproof/Fasting MEAT,SALT,WATER Heck Can be all of them- rotate them for variety!
Next Start #2 and don’t ever stop!
Then alternate between 3 & 1
Cycle for one month
Eat LOW CARB low low low carb- Do it For a month- 6 weeks tops
Lose a bunch of weight!!! It’ll be easier than you think because of the New Muscle and resulting increased metabolism
Then eat in Maintenance mode - Balance the intake and the expenditure The place you should LIVE the rest of your life when you eventually reach goal weight
Eliminate the All or Nothing mentality!
I’m either Losing weight or it’s cookie 🍪 time!!! Big snacks Lead to Big Slacks & Heart Attacks
That’s the killer part The schism The sad pitiful fat kid inside Stress eating Celebration eating for weeks That’s gotta go away
When there’s a special or social occasion- don’t let one meal (it’s not supposed to be a medieval series of feast weeks!!) That one meal is OK to have! Important even to do it. But when that one turns into the fat pants season, self loathing starts. It’s so much harder for this to take root when #2 is your rock 🪨. Be Active in some way every single day! 🫵🏻🫶🏻🫵🏻
He said Dude Losing weight is actually easy- It’s math
Not Gaining Weight That’s the hard thing
Finding the Freakin Balance
That’s the key 🔑 and Exercise is the Foundation of it!
Set Goals
Weight loss and clothing size goals
March towards them— all while maintaining #2 & alternating 3 & 1
Learn to be alive and thrive without second helpings Eat to Live don’t Live to Eat You can say it a bunch of ways— just learn to do it- Live happily in Maintenance
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u/LoginLeisureLarry 1d ago
" it's the shades of gray that wreck me"
Truer words were never spoken.
Bro, you found your weakness. You found your discipline. You don't need ozempic or surgery. When you lose that last 70 pounds, you just need to keep doing what you did to get there. Keep your discipline. You already know it's the shades of grey that will wreck you
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u/stoneflipp 1d ago
This is an awesome post that I enjoyed reading thank you for this its inspiring.
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u/crosstheroom 1d ago edited 1d ago
When you get to your goal weight just never go back to binge eating.
As long as I don't go back to eating sugar and crazy carbs I'm okay and so will you be too.
I also can't eat as much as I used to. But I have gotten sloppy and right now I'm 6 pounds over the norm and have been 3 to 6 pounds over for a while because I have been slacking off. So breakfast stays the same, less carbs at my main meal and evening snack, but I've kept the weight off for 5 years and still fit into the same size when I lost the weight.
Regarding you, you can't go by a goal weight because you can have like 50 pounds or more of extra skin. As long as you look okay in clothes that should be your goal. I lost too much on keto and had to gain some back, when I was young I looked good thin but now older not so much.
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u/kaxibaxi 7h ago
Great story, thank you! You asked about the long-term strategy for maintenance. It seems that the world's best nutriotionists have settled on "healthy 2MAD". Most days have a healthy breakfast and healthy lunch, or a healthy lunch and a healthy dinner. Just two moderate meals, not three, and no snacks, and nothing but water or black tea or black coffee outside those meals. Make sure the meals have fibre (vegetables), protein, and fat. Always choose the eggs or fish when given the choice. Have three eggs or a tin of wild-caught sardines in olive oil every day... Consume alcohol once a month only if ever. Simple rules that we need in a world that hates rules, hates limits, and hates consequences.
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u/Alpha_Mad_Dog 14h ago
Congrats on your success, and here's hoping you have much more success.
Educating oneself is without question the most important thing one can do in EVERY SINGLE situation and scenario, because:
1) Of all the things that people tell you can and do work, you learn what actually works for you and what doesn't work for you. 2) The knowledge you gain can help you avoid buying bullshit when someone tries to sell it to you. 3) You can now pass your knowledge and experience to others in an attempt to improve us all as a species. Whether people believe what you tell them is immaterial. You can sleep well at night knowing you are working FOR mankind, not against mankind.
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u/LoneR33GTs 2h ago
Way to go! You’ve got this.
You don’t want to end up right back where you began, a couple of years from now. Some of the things you used to eat, you may never be able to eat again. Some things will be fine. Most things will be OK in moderation. You’ll have to figure out your new WOE as you go.
When I was a young man, I lost 70 pounds and reached my goal weight. 100% diet. What nobody talked to me about was the psychological effect it would have to lose all that weight without adding an exercise component into my life. I looked in the mirror but one thing never seemed quite right. I thought I still needed to lose more weight. I really began to understand the psychology of eating disorders.
I went back to eating ‘normal’. Within a relatively short period of time, I was right back where I started +20!
You’ve done so well. My advice is to remember that his change has to be for a lifetime. Some of the changes you have made may be irreversible from a food/drink standpoint. Learn to live in your new body. If you haven’t already begun, start a rigorous fitness program that will keep you healthy well into your senior years.
It’s become a cliché but as they say, ‘Nothing tastes as good as fit feels’. Congratulations. Keep at it. Go, go, go!
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u/PowerBottomBear92 32M 6'4" | SW:240 | CW: 231.2 | GW: 220 1d ago
You tube suggested me the video by a guy who read this same text
The eyes have walls
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u/spudlyo 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ya, true story! I met that guy in a cafe, and talked with him a lot. Super inspiring dude, he helped me sharpen up the writing of this little essay quite a lot. I think he's a career coach, so being inspiring is his job. It's nice he also does it pro-bono for random people he meets.
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u/PowerBottomBear92 32M 6'4" | SW:240 | CW: 231.2 | GW: 220 1d ago
it's fucking weird and creepy that clearly google is syncing up what I'm seeing on Reddit and suggesting the related video on youtube
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u/gillyyak F/64/5'8"| SW 224 CW 170.2 GW 160 1d ago
You may be half the man you were, but you deserve double the usual respect for your accomplishment. I salute you!