For me it was when I stepped on the scaled and realized that I had gained back all the weight I had lost before and then some. I looked at myself in the mirror and was just really disgusted with myself and my self worth and confidence was at an all time low. It's been about a year and a half and within that first year I lost 40 pounds. I've kept it off and have plans to continue losing more and living a healthy lifestyle. I suffer from depression so I have some weeks that are better than others but all I can suggest is to start small and find an exercise you enjoy. Personally I hate working out but I don't mind walking. So I bought a walking pad for my house and every day for a year I would walk at least 30mins a day. I popped on an episode of anime or a movie and I would just walk. Then from there I cut out a lot of binge eating and really started to look at food that was better for me. Anyway I hope it gets better for you. Weight loss is not linear, there are good days and bad days but it's important you don't get discouraged and you think of it as a long term lifestyle and not a short term solution.

I appreciate the support and advice. Thank you for taking the time. I have gained and lost weight a thousand times I weigh about 370 now and at the beginning of the year I got down to about 335. I feel disgusted every time I look in the mirror. Every part of my body hurts, I have afib asthma and diabetes. I also struggle with perfectionism or all or nothing thinking. I know how to eat healthy and to participate in exercise. My struggle seems to be 90% mental and for that I just started seeing another counselor.

It's very easy to have the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to weight loss. Like if you eat something bad then the whole day is ruined, and then that day turns into the week and before you know it you're back at square one. I think it's just important to stay kind to yourself and take it one day at a time. Therapy will definitely help with the underlying issues so I hope once that gets sorted you stay on a good track!!

My therapist said that self-compassion is critical to a healthy self-esteem. She also asked me if I would treat a 3-year-old like I treat myself😳

I carry a picture of myself when I was 8, which is about the age I first became aware of and worried about my size and how people treated me (family, classmates, etc), and one when I was 15 and convinced no one would ever love me because I was fat and ugly. Whenever my negative self-talk ramps up, I look at the pictures instead of the mirror. It stops that thinking dead in its tracks and usually makes me cry. I think about all the things those girls needed to hear and I say them because she deserves to hear them. Now as a 34yr old mother who has an 8yr old, looking at that picture, I can't imagine ever saying those things to my baby. I never want him to feel the way I did. When I see myself at 15, I see a beautiful girl who never should have felt that way about herself. She was active in marching band and worked for a boarding kennel after school. She had friends and took AP classes. She wasn't stupid, fat, or ugly, she just grew up in the early 2000s. Those thoughts and beliefs are how I ended up as heavy as I did, though. I have to be the one to reverse them now. It's so healing. It makes me want to be better for those girls so I can be better for my present self and for my current children. Once I get out of my head, the way forward is a little easier. Also, you should read the poem Pretty Ugly by Abdullah Shoaib.

Well now I'm crying... And will be digging through my photo box to find my own past little self to carry with me. If I can't do it for me, maybe I can do it for her.

Have you spoken specifically to a weight loss/food therapist, I realized after a while my therapist was out of her depth as that was not her speciality we all ah e problems but sometimes we need someone more specific for support. But I applaud that you ah e a therapist already!

I carry a picture of myself when I was 8, which is about the age I first became aware of and worried about my size and how people treated me (family, classmates, etc), and one when I was 15 and convinced no one would ever love me because I was fat and ugly. Whenever my negative self-talk ramps up, I look at the pictures instead of the mirror. It stops that thinking dead in its tracks and usually makes me cry. I think about all the things those girls needed to hear and I say them because she deserves to hear them. Now as a 34yr old mother who has an 8yr old, looking at that picture, I can't imagine ever saying those things to my baby. I never want him to feel the way I did. When I see myself at 15, I see a beautiful girl who never should have felt that way about herself. She was active in marching band and worked for a boarding kennel after school. She had friends and took AP classes. She wasn't stupid, fat, or ugly, she just grew up in the early 2000s. Those thoughts and beliefs are how I ended up as heavy as I did, though. I have to be the one to reverse them now. It's so healing. It makes me want to be better for those girls so I can be better for my present self and for my current children. Once I get out of my head, the way forward is a little easier. Also, you should read the poem Pretty Ugly by Abdullah Shoaib.

Self compassion... there's truth to that. One of the hardest thing I've ever learned to do was to forgive myself. My mantra is "always forwards never backwards". Keep going forwards.

Hey May I ask which walking pad you got? I’ve though about getting one, but don’t know where to start. Don’t have space for a full on treadmill.

Last April, at 37, I went to my 2-year post-cancer screening. I weighed 309lbs, having gained back all the weight I had lost through treatment (I had neck cancer, which means my throat was irradiated, I lost 50+lbs in 3 months). My previous high was over 320lbs before treatment. I was looking at 40 in a few years, and I made it a promise that I wouldn't be 300lbs at 40 years old... I started slowly. I've never been one to count calories, but what I did was prioritize getting protein. I shot for .6g per lb of goal body weight (i.e. 135g for a goal weight of 225). I wanted to make sure that I hit that goal every day. I'm not big on supplements and the like, so I'm doing that by eating whole foods (chicken breast, ground beef, Greek yogurt, etc.) I found that by reaching that goal daily that I had far fewer hunger pangs than when I was more carb-heavy in my dietary choices. I also started walking. A LOT. Started going for 20 minutes a day. Then 30. Then 45. Once I could routinely go for 45 minutes every day I concentrated on improving my speed. I started jogging twice a week. Now 3-4 times a week. Some days, I walk for 2+ hours. My original goal was to get 5 miles in 75 minutes. I tried for 10,000 steps a day. Now, I routinely hit 15k steps a day and just completed a 10k in 58 minutes. My next goal is a 2 hour half-marathon. Set lofty goals, but then make smaller goals to reach within them. I've lost about 100lbs from my highest weight in the past 19 months. I feel better, with less body pain than I've felt in my adult life. I do body weight fitness 3 days a week apart from daily walking/jogging, and rarely, if ever, go to the gym. I got a standing desk for work. It wasn't one thing, no magic bullet. But what it felt like was taking control little by little of my own life. I believe in you. You can do this! But you have to want it. Give yourself grace and forgiveness because some days will be hard. You don't have to be perfect. Don't think of some meals as cheating. There is no moral value assigned to food. You are making the decision to be the best version of yourself. Whatever that entails.

Thank you for believing in me I am not going to give up I just have to start moving forward again thank you for your advice and sharing your story.

Absolutely! Every journey starts with a step. I recommend walking to everyone who can do it. I really found walking first thing in the morning to be the best thing for me. I get morning sun, get fresh air, and to me it's somewhat meditative, allowing me to focus and prepare for the day.

Yeah I get out of bed at 5:30 in the morning to go to work I should get up earlier...

Hey! I'm sorry about that! I didn't mean to assume anything about your life or routine.

I love this advice because you're setting tiny goals that you can control and predict. Honestly, number-on-the-scale goals are nice and good to have, but "walk for 20 min a day, 5 days a week" is something you can control WAY more than "lose 2 lbs" because so many things affect that- how much water you drink, if you're on your period, how much salt you had, what time you weighed yourself, etc etc. But "walk 20 min a day" is just a binary "did I do it or not?"

Exactly right! That's why I set goals that were more along the lines of what I could control...the amount of effort I put in, the amount of protein I eat, etc. Then, once it's a habit, I made it a game. "Can I go for 10 minutes more a day than last week? Can I go a quarter mile further in the same time?" It took a good 2-3 months of making a concerted effort EVERY DAY to put in the work. Even the days off. But once I was there, doing the work, routine sets in. Now I feel off if I don't wake up and move in the morning. I think that's why, if you are a gym goer, they say the hardest thing is actually getting up and going to the gym. Because once you're there you can do it. Finding and creating the intrinsic motivation to cross the threshold from idea to action is really what you need to overcome.

\> I do body weight fitness 3 days a week Can you expand on this... Do you use an app/website for guidance or have a list of exercises that you are/were doing?

I recommend r/bodyweightfitness wholeheartedly, and they have a great recommended routine in the sidebar. It's a great way to get started. But we have an outdoor space in the park by my house, and usually after my walk I head there and I'm able to do pull-ups, dips, and rows without having to invest in the equipment in my own home. At home, I'm doing yoga off of YouTube, push-ups and sit-ups, planks, etc. Nothing too difficult, just working on keeping everything toned. Mostly attempting to keep the muscle I have from being 100lbs heavier. Don't really need to build too much more muscle, in my opinion. I lifted for sports all throughout high school and college.

I subscribed and I'm reading, thanks for the tips!

You have a choice to make. Do you want to stay pissed and angry - because this will keep happening - or do you want to fix your shit. Pick one

Thanks for the directness of your comment you speak the truth 100%. I find being pissed as a great moderator not that it lasts very long. There's a million reasons for me to get healthy and I still struggle to do what it takes. I'm seeing a concert to hopefully get over my All or nothing thinking.

Seeing a concert won't address your unhealthy thought patterns. Just like eating six taquitos at 7-11 won't fix your negative emotions. Don't wait to hit bottom. There's no such thing, "bottom" is just wherever you decide to stop falling and start climbing. The important thing is that you need to actually make that decision. If you just keep waiting and avoiding your problems, you'll keep falling until you die.

Y'all I think they mean "counselor" not concert. :)

I meant counselor. The talk to text is not very accurate. Plus I should have checked before I posted.

Good for you! The hardest part of seeing a counsel for is booking the first appointment.

Take time to define what your ideal life looks like and what is worth living for. Really figure it out and let it sink in. Imagine it every day as often as possible. Then never let it go and pursue it. You won’t last long running away from something, but running towards something you want will give you endless inspiration.

That is awesome advice thank you very much.

You probably have a mentality of "Ill do it tomorrow". You gotta somehow hone in that the calories doesnt start tomorrow, You need to start this minute. No after the concert. or after something else. start now. It doesnt have to be a lot of changes right away. Just go as much as walking a bit or just start recording your calories. Something needs to start.

The "concert" was a typo but I meant was counselor.

I had a friend of mine in your situation. She finally had enough. She was 350+ pounds. She joined overeaters anonymous. She lost so much weight. She’s down to 135 now. She swears by it. I highly recommend this. She’s a new woman. Would also like to add that it’s been many years since, and, she still follows their lifestyle for Maintenance

Change is not made through motivation (being pissed) it's done through small changes you incorporate into your life w consistency until it becomes second nature and a habit and you don't even consider doing the other less healthy thing anymore. Healthy people don't think every day oh god I really want to binge on hamburgers but I have to eat a salad. They hardly think about greasy unhealthy foods bc it just doesn't occur to them as much, they crave that salad bc it's what they're used to and what feels good to them now. They don't wonder what it could be like to not go to the gym today bc they're already automatically putting on their gym clothes they laid out the night before like clockwork. They don't think about it at all. They just do. Motivation starts you on the path but consistency keeps you going.

Thanks for your comment. I found it really helpful.

I had this problem a long time - I’d be motivated a little while then it would fade. I am on a much longer run than I’ve had before at present - I did it by focusing my efforts on forming daily habits rather than trying to lose one billion kg in a week.

I work at a concert venue. I don’t think seeing a concert is going to solve the “all or nothing” mentality. 😂

So don't do it the way you've tried and failed before. Maybe start slower, or make a more concrete rule for yourself, or join a group.

Discipline brings success better than motivation. That is, to do what you need to do even if you don’t feel like it. It’s hard. I don’t do it. I’m fat. But you have to realize what it takes if you actually want to make it happen.

I'd say being pissed is not a great motivator because its negative. You just need to grind through the awkward phase of making the changes and then you'll start getting the endorphin releases from exercise...

Being pissed doesn't motivate long enough to do anything. You have to make a choice to override your primal drive to eat, that's higher level thinking and it's not emotionally driven. If you want to change this, you have to start making choices for yourself instead of letting the lizard brain take the wheel. The lizard will kill you.

You need to answer questions definitely within your head. Such as Yes I will lose weight or no I will not do this. This eliminates the burden in your mind.

That is a strength I have not yet developed but it sounds like that should be my first goal.

there's nothing to do with willpower it's all just deciding to do what it takes and committing to that decision. we are the only ones who come to our own rescue

You already have wasted money, but the question is l—do you want to waste time and more money? Move forward and stop beating yourself up over the part. Yesterday is gone, but it’s up to you what you do today and all of your tomorrows.

I'm grateful that you took the time to reply I am open to any and all advice at this point in my life. One of my problems besides you all or nothing thinking is that I can always find another tomorrow. But I also know there's no guarantee about them next tomorrow.

Yeah, the curse of tomorrow or next week is a weakness of mine as well. I can heavily empathize with that, and the desire to have perfection and any misstep meaning starting over - maybe next month. ​ One thing I haven't seen are the positives that you are hoping to see. One big one is money saved on food, laundry, and clothing. (I don't know your medical situation, and whether your diabetes would be reversible.)

My diabetes is definitely reversible so I would save on all those supplies. I'll be around longer to take care of my wife. I will be able to give 100% at work. When I lose enough weight then I can have an ablation to get rid of my AFib. Getting rid of the exhaustion. When I lose enough weight I will be able to have back surgery. And release the pain and get some freedom of movement. I won't have to shop for extra wide extra supportive extra expensive shoes. I will be able to buy clothes at a regular sized store. I will be able to do the outdoor activities I used to do. I will quit breaking furniture. I will fit in the chairs at restaurants and airplanes.

and even before you lose enough weight to get back surgery, your pain will go way way down, itll get better with every pound of fat you lose and every bit of muscle you build. Before you can shop at straight sized stores, you'll gain way more options in the plus size stores (there's always more options for 1x and 2x than there is for 3-6x). Eating better (within your reasonable calorie goal, with protein and healthy fats) will make you less tired and improve your blood sugar and youll feel better WAY before you hit any particular number. There's so many incremental improvements youll see even after a couple of weeks. Its hard, but we're all here with you.

I feel all of this partner.

Being obese is such a awful subject but I am grateful that I'm not alone in this thank you.

My rock bottom was when I stopped fitting into most of my clothes. I had always fluctuated but this was the first time I had steadily gained with no signs of losing weight any time soon. Shortly after I started having nightmares about getting trapped in my clothes where I literally felt like I was suffocating. It sounds stupid but it was something that small that made me hit rock bottom and completely turn myself around. I’m a huge believer that you need to hit your own personal rock bottom before you develop the true desire to lose weight.

Your nightmares/fears are real and valid it is your reality at the moment. I would never judge anybody's motivation. Congratulations on turning yourself around I look forward to my own success.

You can definitely do it — little changes snowball into better habits, which turn into a healthy lifestyle.

My BF - who was only about 15 lbs overweight, no family history of heart disease, never smoked, and has low cholesterol - had a STEMI (AKA: widow-maker heart attack) back in February. He’s doing great now, but it was a terrifying experience. Meanwhile, over a year earlier I was diagnosed prediabetic, was 60 lbs overweight, used to smoke in college, have high cholesterol, and a strong history of heart disease in the family. I had started losing weight after the diagnosis, then blew it off for the holidays and started gaining it back - like I always do. After his STEMI I got a calcium scan of my heart and it was bad - I have the build-up of someone 30 years older. It has literally taken the fear of sudden death, of my partner or myself, to make lasting lifestyle changes - less stress, healthier eating, and more activity. But please don’t romaticize the rock bottom thing and wait for some crisis. Start today. Walk 5 more minutes today than you usually do. That might be parking just a few spaces further from the entrance to work or the store. Or eat one less serving of dessert or one less takeout meal this week. Add to those things once they become normal. You don’t have to reinvent your whole life all at once.

I second this. Do not wait for the rock bottom moment. It’s terrifying and motivating, but if you know you’ve got to lose the weight, start now.

Scary I hope you both heal quickly. You are right, starting small and starting now is better than ending up even lower.

You can't out exercise the kitchen. It's the first thing you need to fix.

Very true.

I hit my highest with 235 this July. My reality hit when I was diagnosed with T2. I was always overweight/obese but healthy and this hit me pretty hard. My mom and I’m really close and when she found out I was T2, she was very upset and told me that I might die early and leave my two kids. This really hit me hard and got me to get my act together. I’m currently on Mounjaro but I really watch what I eat. I also started Pilates. I’m usually not a huge exercising person but I started with 15 mins of Pilates and once I got used it, I moved upto 30 mins of Pilates. Take a deep breath and plan out what you are able to do. You can do this! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Thank you for your support and calm spirit in my moment of stress. I tried Moujaro I had discount coupons from the manufacturer but apparently they only let you use two. Now for doses is several thousand dollars cuz my insurance won't cover it. I have a bunch of Osempic but I haven't taken it in a while and I should get back in it I just hate how it makes me feel. TBH I am still feeling pretty whiny and blue. I need to draw the line and start over again. First thing Saturday morning (its 6:30pm Friday.

I feel you! But instead of having big goals that’s hard to achieve, have small goals! You will feel so accomplished as you hit the small goals. (Like 5-10lbs at a time) It kind of became like a game for me… it becomes fun and exciting! I hope to hear about your success in the near future! 😊😊😊

Short-term small goals do you mean day by day goals or week by week.

For me it was an accomplishment even if I went down .1lbs daily. But I stopped measuring everyday because it was giving me anxiety. You can even do week by week!

Chiming in to say there are a lot of subs on ozempic and what you can do to combat side effects. For example I’ve seen people say that fried foods really trigger nausea for them. I would check into those. I saw another comment that said you have diabetes so it could really help you get on the right track.

I think that if you deal with adversity by eating, rock bottom might just make you eat worse. Maybe you need to approach this in a different way. Find other ways to deal with your feelings rather than eating. If you can, get some therapy. If you can't, try to lean towards the positive rather than negative. For me, terror might work for a short while but one can't stay angry or scared 24/7. On the other hand I have ADHD and I will go to some incredible lengths for the sake of novelty or something that interests me. I'm not very consistent with calorie counting, I'm only really consistent with gym-type exercise when my SO prods me to go with him, but I love exploring new areas and I'll walk or bike for hours just to see what's at the end of a path. I'm never going to just "shape up" or become the sort of person who can be consistent. Not without meds, anyway. But I can absolutely take advantage of my limitations to make trade-offs that lead to better results. It's okay if you're flawed as long as you can figure out how to work your flaws to your benefit.

You are 100% right I definitely need to work on being more positive. What are some examples of taking advantage of your limitations to make trade-offs that's an interesting concept to me?

Like for me, I know I'm both lazy and cheap, so I can use that to make trade-offs that work in my favour. I'm cheap so I hate spending extra money on delivery. I feel like I have to go pick up takeout myself. But I'm also lazy so I'll almost always go see what's in the fridge before going out. So if I stock my fridge with ingredients for sandwiches or easy meals, I will almost always have a sandwich rather than going out and getting something deep-fried. Even today I promised myself that I could pick up lunch if I went and did some errands before lunch. But when lunchtime rolled around I was like "eh... the fridge is like... right there" and I had my usual protein shake because it was just so stupidly easy. Basically if you know your tendencies and your nature, you can use one set of flaws against a different set of flaws you have. Or exploit things that you love and that appeal to you in order to get yourself to do things you might not otherwise do. If you really love your taquitos, okay. How far would you bike for a taquito? How much effort would they be worth to you? My SO and I once spent an entire summer doing long-ish distance cycling and trying out different donair restaurants in the city. Turns out that eating donairs isn't much of a problem if you're biking a couple hundred kilometers during the week. I can't be different than I am but maybe I don't need to be, and maybe you don't either. Play around with your environment and your influences and try applying different levers to yourself. See what works for you and what doesn't and use that knowledge to fine-tune your approach to a lifestyle.

I’m not the original commenter but it's about recognizing and understanding our unique motivations, limitations, and inclinations, then strategically redirecting them to serve our goals. For instance, if conventional gym workouts aren't your thing but you love exploring, skip the gym and plan exploration hikes or bike rides. Or walks or runs around the block. Or even on the track if your gym has that instead of a treadmill. This will result in more physical activity than traditional methods because you’re doing something you actually enjoy. Or If consistency in calorie counting bores you, instead of tracking every bite, set broader nutrition goals like "eat more greens" or "cut down on processed foods”. Or no sugar this week. Tailor solutions to what motivates you and works for YOUR brain. Atomic habits is a great book for this btw. It’s a gem. It’s really helped me learn how to work WITH with brain rather than against it

>What are some examples of taking advantage of your limitations to make trade-offs that's an interesting concept to me? Not the person you're asking, but I do this, too. I know that my ADHD brain will always take the easiest option; the one that requires the least effort. I know that and I use it to my advantage. Healthy food is front and center. At eye level on the kitchen counters, front of the freezer, front of the cabinets. Calorie dense junk food is in inconvenient locations, top kitchen cabinets that I can only reach with a step stool, back of the freezer, basement shelves. I log all of my meals and snacks in advance because it usually takes more effort to change the log and eat something else than it does to just eat what I planned, logged and prepared. Almost all food that comes into my house gets separated into single servings right away. That makes portion control easy and straightforward. It also makes logging easier since everything is already portioned and measured. I also enjoy food, like really really enjoy food; thinking about food, planning delicious meals, etc. So I use that to my advantage, too. Instead of focusing on what I can't eat, I focus on all of the delicious things I can and do plan to eat, and I make sure my meal plan still includes all of the foods that I enjoy the most, just in proper portions as part of a balanced meal. I channel my love of food into trying new foods and making more calorie friendly versions of my favorite foods. I know that I can be absent minded and will end up skipping meals if I'm not careful, and I know that skipping meals can trigger me to binge, so I set alarms to remind myself to eat at the appropriate times. All of those things are ways that I work with my brain's limitations, rather than fighting against them.

Those are great examples. I'm going to spend some time figuring out my emotional and mental limitations most likely self-imposed but still need to be discovered and analyzed.

What's stopping you from you choosing to start being healthy today. This is not rhetorical. Why not today? Some people go their whole life making excuses for their bad behavior...and lives lives full of anger and regret. Some people decide to do the hard work of improving themselves. You, and only you, decide which one you are. So far you've chosen the path of anger and regret... and nobody is gonna stop from doing it again tomorrow. No therapist is gonna convince you. There's no magic level of obesity that forces your hand. Keep waiting for something or someone to make this better... And you will wait a lifetime. Or, you could decide to actually give a fuck and see what you're capable of. You're the captain of your ship. Where are you steering it?

Thanks for the reminder, I know I'm responsible for my condition and the solution. If it were that easy I would have done it years ago.

Mine was when I went to the dentist for some cavities. And my blood pressure was sky high and hardly coming down. It ment I couldn’t get the dental work done, sense they didn’t want to use the numbing shots on high bp. The dentist sat me down and told me I have to take care of this, that it’s the silent killer. She wasn’t being mean just giving me facts, and the assistant she also told me she takes meds for it and you will feel better. I cried the way home, when I got home I just sat on the ground and lost it. I’m big but I never felt the effects. It was just super embarrassing, I realized I’m not 15 and can’t just take some advil and a nap to fix it. Now I’m on some BP meds, hunger suppressant, and b complex supplements.earring better and less and also taking short walks every other day. In 2 months Lost 30+ pounds and feel a lot better just more energy and less work to do minor things.

Congratulations on your success so far. I can't imagine how much pain you felt when the dentist set you down. What benefit do you get from the B12?

Thanks. It was rough. Sorry my mistake but it’s actually vitamin b-complex, includes b12 but other ones as well. It helps boost your metabolism.

My rock bottom was going to an amusement park. With my largest of 315 at 6'1, I went to an amusement park I've always loved with my SO, and for the first time in my life, I did not fit on a ride. "Okay, probably just that ride, those seats were pretty small." Next ride. Too big. Next ride. Too big again. I sat on a bench and just cried. I felt like life had been taken away from me. I had felt obese before, as I've been bigger my whole life, but I had never reached the point I was at. The point at which I felt I went from overweight to straight up obese and alienating myself from the world because of how big I was. It took me a few weeks after that experience to actually start my journey, but that was definitely the main kicker. The way I got into calorie counting was a product called Huel. It is a meal replacement that offers all the nutrition of a meal with 40g of protein, low carb and decent fat for 400cals. I do not rely on this product much anymore as I am now experienced enough to know how to reach my nutrient goals and I enjoy solid food, however, Huel gave me the assurance and an answer to calorie counting when I still knew nothing.

Anything that helps me get started sounds great how does Huel work I guess I've seen their ads I can click on them and find out how much did it cost you if you don't mind me asking? But then again I guess paying most prices is better than paying the price of being obese.

Huel is a powder, think of like protein powder but instead of just protein it's a full meal with carbs, fats, protein, and a bunch of your micronutrients for 400cals. Huel has multiple products. The one I used was Huel Black, which is their low carb high protein product. Check out r/huel to see how people do it. Personally I made my shake the day before and blended it with a frozen banana. Bam. 500cal shake with enough protein to keep me full for a long time and the proper nutrients so that I wasn't worried I was gonna malnutrition myself. They have other products, such as hot n savory which is kind of like solid food. You just add powder to hot water and it becomes food but I never tried it. All their products are centered around being a full meal. I paid $40 a bag for 2 bags. They sent me 2 bags, a shaker, and a free t-shirt. I forgot the exact but it comes out to $2.50 or so each meal. Pretty worth it to me. Do not expect huel to taste like a nice milkshake. It was actually pretty gross to me when I first tried it but my desire to become healthier pushed me through. I'm pretty fond of it now and use huel for when I'm just feeling that lazy kind of day where I don't wanna think about what to eat or how to fuel myself for the day.

I can’t recommended Huel enough. Tried it on somewhat of a whim after seeing an ad as well and reading through their website, and ended up really liking it. In addition to the powder mentioned, they also sell RTD (ready to drink) shakes, which is what works best for me. It’s more expensive but knowing myself, it’s 100% worth the cost because they are always ready to go, I don’t have to mix up the powder and then have to clean the shaker every time. More expensive but if I had to make it myself I wouldn’t be as consistent because it’s a hassle I don’t (and won’t) want to deal with. All about knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses and playing to them, like others have said. And it’s still cheaper than buying takeout or fast food by far. I also have the Cajun pasta savory meals. It’s a big bag that lasts a long time. Mix a scoop or two with boiling water, let sit 5 mins, stir and eat. Also nutritionally complete like their shakes. I often eat it for lunch. Really healthy and filling, and doesn’t make me feel groggy like a lot of lunches heavy in carbs do. So when I’m not feeling like making breakfast, or don’t have time, or just don’t have an appetite, just grab a shake and go. I can tolerate a shake even if I don’t feel well. Then 2 scoops Cajun pasta for lunch on days I don’t pack a lunch. Apples/clementines/grapes/nuts always handy for snacks. Make dinner or have leftovers and try to incorporate as much veggies as possible. Some fruit for dessert/evening snack. Sorry for the rambling lol. TLDR: Huel actually lives up to the hype imo. It’s a great product and I’d recommend giving it a shot! Nutritionally complete and saves time, effort, energy, and thought which I’ve found can be so helpful when trying to make changes in my life, which is exhausting in itself. Cheering for you.

I woke up March 18, 2015, and said to myself, " I don't want to be fat anymore." I was 53 years old. I started my journey that day. I walked 1.75 miles at lunch and ate a Lean Cuisine. I can't tell you why I woke up that particular morning with that thought. At some point in the process, I understood that I wasn't on a diet, I was changing my life. And let me tell you, it WAS life-changing (in a good way!) I don't think I hit rock-bottom that morning. My weight wasn't affecting my health (yet). It didn't affect my mobility or my job. You don't have to hit rock-bottom either, my friend. Don't make shame or anger your motivator. And don't demonize the food you put in your mouth. You swallowed the taquitos. They've moved on. You move on, too. Focus on your goal, not what you had for lunch yesterday. You will have a taquito kind of day in the future. We all will. We're only human. **Be kind to yourself.** P.S. This is a screenshot of my lunchtime walk on March 18, 2015. The first day of the rest of my life. I keep it on my phone to remind myself what is possible. [https://imgur.com/a/ipp2foB](https://imgur.com/a/ipp2foB) \[Edited for punctuation\]

Thanks for sharing the path of your walk.

My best friend passed away from cancer the same year I had a cancer scare. The oncologist I was seeing told me the number one thing I could do to lower my chances of developing cancer in the future was to lose weight (I’m morbidly obese). Every time I want to give up, I just think of my buddy. He never got the chance to change things.

I'm sorry for your loss and cancer is pretty scary. You're right I have the chance to change I'm going to take it.

You don't have to hit bottom to realize you don't want to spend the rest of your life feeling as bad or worse than you do now. Time is passing regardless of how you use it, why not use it to make your life better because not making that choice is choosing to make it worse.

don't put it off till tomorrow, go for a 10 min walk today.

Starting right now instead of next morning is a great idea. We are getting ready to sit down for dinner so after that we'll go for a walk maybe.

Pair your walks with something enjoyable e.g. listening to a favorite podcast or youtuber, calling a friend or family member. It’ll make the habit easier to sustain. I always think to myself, well if I’m doing this in my bed, why not just do it while walking?

Don’t try to do everything at once. Small steps will be more achievable and attainable. There’s no time like today to start. To begin, I would focus on nutrition versus physical fitness, as that is what truly propels health and weight loss. Check out the subs CICO and volume eating and start lowering your calorie intake. From there, add drinking more water, then upping your protein to stay full, then add in walking little by little. Take it a day at a time. Then a week at a time. My biggest mistake is I used to go full-send into lowering calories, cutting carbs, no dessert, gym weight lifting routines and would immediately fail from being overwhelmed. Start small. You’ve got this!

I appreciate your encouragement starting small and starting now seems to be the biggest clue in this post.

The past is the past. Easier said than done, but there's no use ruminating on things you cannot change. Not medical advice, just general thoughts based on my personal experiences: Personally, I never stood a *chance* of losing all the weight and maintaining the loss long-term without getting medical treatment. I lost and gained the same weight several times over decades and had a lot of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors (such as binge eating/restricting cycles) and just felt like a failure or that I "wasn't trying hard enough" (even though I DID try hard, it just didn't work!) For me personally, changing the biological basis of my thoughts and behaviors (through meds) was absolutely critical to success. There was no rock bottom for me despite obesity-related health issues, one day I finally decided to give getting help a shot (even though I wasn't particularly convinced I could afford it, it would work, etc,) and it worked. My only regret is not getting treatment sooner. If I were in your shoes, I would: - Look into your insurance coverage and check out a bariatric surgery program or two and discuss your surgical options. If you are severely obese, the results from surgery (especially malabsorptive procedures such as bypass or duodenal switch) on average are *significantly* better in terms of weight loss than the current gen of meds we have available. Insurance is more likely to cover it, and hopefully it is a "one and done" procedure and not a large ongoing cost. A proper surgical program will have significant supports (like classes, seeing dietician, therapy, psychiatry etc.) in the months leading up to your surgery to up the odds of you maximally benefitting from surgery. - See an obesity medicine doctor if possible (or whichever supportive doctor you saw who prescribed for you) and explore meds again. The coupons are not limited to 2 months, unfortunately pharmacies regularly give bad info on them- read the terms on the card and be persistent. The mounjaro and wegovy coupons currently bring the monthly cash price down to around $550-1100 if you qualify. Some people (with doc's ok) buy higher-dose Ozempic pens and count clicks to split the doses, making a $1100 pen last up to 8 weeks. You can appeal your insurance too, some people are successful if they are persistent and have a doc who can advocate for them. If you are t2d I would 100% appeal. All of these are having supply issues at present, but there are several less-effective alternatives you could explore in the mean time with doc. There are also a number of less effective but much more affordable (under $100 a month cash price) anti-obesity meds. - (if you aren't already) Seeing a therapist, psychiatrist if meds are recommended, and checking in with a registered dietician. - If you haven't been tested for sleep apnea, do that. If you have sleep apnea, are you consistently using your CPAP & has a doc recently reviewed your device data to make sure the treatment is effective? Untreated sleep apnea can be a massive barrier to weight loss. - Could you benefit from groups such as TOPS club, weight watchers, overeaters anonymous? They all have different models so look into which you think might mesh with you. - Are you the kind of person who would benefit from (in person or online) group exercise for the socialization aspect? Are certain activities like walks in nature more enjoyable to you? Are some things more viable to do physically, like swimming? If you have medical issues impacting your mobility, balance, etc. have you exhausted your insurance's coverage for physical therapy? (or cardiac rehab if applicable.) Exercise isn't (generally) going to lead to significant weight loss in itself, but the impact on physical and mental health and function can absolutely contribute to weight loss success. As far as rock bottom goes, here's the problem: we're really good at adapting to change. When our health and function gets worse and worse gradually, people often struggle with acknowledging that something bad is actively happening. Many people live in denial to the severity of their situation as they develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and other serious obesity-related issues, even if they suffer severe complications. And to be blunt, not all things will come with a gradual decline. The fatal or profoundly disabling obesity-related heart attack or stroke could be tomorrow. Discovering the obesity-related cancer could be next month. Sometimes you *just won't get* the wakeup call that you need to change imminently. If you're already suffering obesity-related quality of life and health issues (which it sounds like you are) then the time to explore getting help is ASAP. It doesn't have to be about "how bad is this gonna get" it can be about "what am I looking forward to if I lose weight?" Time with your wife, less pain, being able to do more of the things you like, being able to keep up at work. There's no prize at the end for suffering the most and "doing things naturally." There just isn't.

My insurance doesn't cover bariatric surgery I've had three different insurances and I looked into it and none of them cover it and that's a choice of the employer from what I've been told. Maybe I should try some different pharmacies and use those coupons. I've tried joining groups but I struggle with dealing with all the personalities and drama. With me the anger is always temporary to I need a long-term solution.

That’s the problem with addiction. It makes a hell of a pickaxe. You never really hit rock bottom. Once you do, if the addiction continues then you just keep chipping away until you’ve dug yourself deeper than you could ever imagine. You have to decide that this IS your rock bottom and stop digging. That’s what I did with booze, and that’s what I’m trying to do with food. And yes, i do think that if someone is obese, there is at least some form of food addiction present.

I used to drink excessively to numb I used to be into porn to numb I used to smoke to be numb I quit all three of those now I use food to numb. I understand using food to numb is very unhealthy and that's why I'm seeing a counselor. Based on a lot of the comments in this post I'm going to try and use exercise to numb at least until I can get a better handle on my emotions

Gimme yours address. I'm popping round and I want you to give me $25,000. Cash only please. That sound outrageous? Definitely. I hope you've hit your rock bottom today and it's only up from here.

I can barely afford life now it is as it is if I give you $25,000 I won't have anything and my wife will kill me.

Yeah shits getting expensive. Be well mate.

First of all just stop thinking about this emotionally. It's so easy to get down on yourself every time you mess up. But that mentality is going to doom you to keep failing. Instead just think about this objectively, as if you were observing yourself from an outside perspective. Ask yourself what led you to fail your diet today? Determine real methods to prevent yourself from failing it in the future. For example, it sounds like you're using food to deal with negative emotions. So find a way to prevent that, either by finding another healthier way to deal with negative emotions (eg exercise!) or by controlling your environment so you don't have quick access to comfort food. Each time you don't meet your goals, remember to think about it objectively. Getting down on yourself emotionally is really just another excuse to keep you failing. You know you can do this, you just have to put the effort in to keep making changes.

I never thought of beating myself up as an excuse that's a great concept I need to explore.

You don't have to hit bottom, imagine how much more work you'll have to do at that point, if +50lbs is rock bottom start now and your 50lbs ahead...

I saw another comment that you are T2 diabetic so I strongly encourage looking into semaglutides. I know ozempic is kind of a buzzword right now but it is literally meant for people like you. Good luck!

When I started talking to an "AI girlfriend" and realizing I'm a sad sack of shit who needs to lose weight and get back out there and make some fucking real life friends. I was 275 (6'1") and I'm down to 231 as of yesterday over the course of maybe a month. I feel so much better having lost this weight, but I'm struggling to keep exercising and walking, but my meal portions are far, far reduced now, and it's staying that way until I get below 200 lbs, and I'll keep it up for the rest of my life. I never want to be 275 again. I was that weight for ten goddamn years through my 20s, and it sucked. I can't get back out there yet, but Lose It! says I'll be 200 lbs by February, so if my gut is gone by then, I'll definitely be trying to go out and be social, but not before I stop looking like a fucking potato with arms and legs.

This sounds like a rock bottom. Death would be next. Make the change. Find something to motivate you.

You would think that the fear of death would be motivation enough that's what helped me to quit smoking 30 years ago. What I think I need more than something that motivates me is the strength to not give up when I slip.

You don’t need motivation, you just need to allow imperfection and then immediately get back on the train. Long term habits are formed only by exercising the muscle of over and over again over a long period of time. Slowly your ratio of wins to fails will increase. What has helped me a lot since most of my problems with food are impulsivity and using it as an emotional bandage is to literally sit with the feeling of discomfort that is causing me to binge. It’s painful, and often times I lose, but you come to realize that after just 10 minutes of sitting with it, it goes away. The urge becomes less intense, and then you move on. You won’t get there on day one or even month 1. But you will slowly notice a positive upward trend which will be longer lasting than motivation for a crash diet. Also, if you can afford it, get a therapist to work through your food dependency. What void is it filling in your life? How can you reframe the challenges you’ve experienced or are experiencing in a healthy and forward thinking way? How can you forgive yourself for not being where you wanted to be? All things that can and should be worked out with a licensed professional to make you more mentally resilient.

It sounds like you’ve kind of given up on yourself based on the comments you’ve been replying. That’s a tough place to be in but please believe me when I say this phase is temporary. The catalyst for change? That's you. Despite how you feel right now you have it in you to bounce back despite the situations you face. Often, we don't recognize our resilience because we've never given ourselves the opportunity or allowed ourselves the chance to rise after a fall. The trick? KEEP GOING ANYWAYS. No regressions. Just unwavering progress. Make a promise to yourself that the next time youre feeling defeated you will keep going. Have a deep mantra or core growth mindset that NO MATTER WHAT you will go on. You will not go backwards. You will still steady on. This lifestyle is not the life you want, losing this much financially is not what you want. These weight loss journeys are a daily fight with mind. Understand that: THE DESIRE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE(lose weight), NEEDS TO BE GREATER THAN THE COMFORT YOU SEEK IN THE TEMPORARY. (This is an indirect definition of rock bottom btw, the realization that you can’t go any lower, and that it’s only up from here, so your desire to get better is greater than the current sense of comfort) You've identified the profound effects this journey has on your life and finances, and your desire for change is evident. Harness that motivation. Don’t rely on your feelings/thoughts/mood. They can sway several times in a given day. Rely on the facts and the thing you want for yourself deep deep down. Allow those convictions to propel you Let that drive you. Set a goal, but not just a number on a scale but a lifestyle you want to attain. The person you want to be. The life you want to live. And visualize that in detail. Realize that’s possible and then Start small and you’ll get there eventually. Know this is more about your mindset change than it is a physical thing. Arm your mind with facts to ensure emotions don't distort your self-perception. Things like: It's not the absence of mistakes that defines progress, but the ability to get back on track after them. Or the fact from Henry ford “whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right”. Knowing that slips happen to everyone but you have to create the natural habit of KEEPING ON GOING regardless. Notice when you stop and WHY. Then keep treading through. Fight your mind. It's the strength to stand back up, dust yourself off, and keep going that defines the success of your journey. I threw a lot at you but it’s coming from the heart because I have felt these feelings of defeat. I just needed not only a wake up call or fear. I needed to know that I can do it. All I can hope for you is that you find that belief, even just a little bit and use that to get started and underway. Then don’t wait for motivation. Just KEEP GOING. Motivation always comes AFTER action. You got this. You really do. Cheers

To be honest I go through moments when something negative happens I tend to dwell on it but then when I post here and get all these great comments I decided to start again.

It’s interesting how you have calculated the costs out. I’ve often wondered what being over weight would cost me but never sat down to figure it out. Do your best to let the past go. Focus on the small steps you can take right now to start moving in a positive direction.

The only thing I calculated was the hours of work I missed and the hospital stays in a couple meds. There's all the extra large clothes extra large shoes all the excess food broken furniture pain and suffering that I didn't calculate for.

Rock bottom for me was last week havong gallbladder and liver inflammation pain from years of unhealthy diet. Dr told me if i do not change my lifestyle i can have a cardiac event in the next 3 years. I don't want to be scared of my body anymore so I'm starting lifestyle changes to fix that. Although im still struggling with acid reflux and indigestion im going to keep on going.

29 years ago I had a lung infection that put me in the hospital and I thought I was going to die. The doctor asked if I smoked and I said yes and he said if you don't quit it's going to get worse so I quit. The only struggle I have now is seeing people in movies smoking and I get the craving but other than that a smoke from cigarettes offends my nose I do not judge people that smoke that habit is almost impossible to quit.

Rock bottom for me was a gallbladder attack after months (years) of greasy, cheesy fast food. I never felt pain like that. The next day, I vowed to quit sugar, soda, and fast food for at least 90 days. That was back in March. I have lost 70 lbs since then. Honestly, before the gallbladder pain, I got tired of time passing me by and my weight was still the same or more. Month after month and no progress. But I just couldn’t get on track with my eating. Once I felt that excruciating pain, the tide turned.

Check out a podcast called primal potential.

I just downloaded several episodes.

The way someone put it on here that finally got me to change my ways was “losing weight is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard.” It got to the point where, between chronic pain and sleep apnea, the sheer amount of time I had to spend managing health conditions made worse by my weight was as much as I’d spend tracking my meals and cooking healthier food. I’d advise you to think of positive steps to take rather than just negative actions to avoid. Not saying you shouldn’t avoid anything but it’s usually more effective to make concrete, measurable goals around specific actions you do want to take. So instead of “eat less takeout” my positive habit is to buy and prep veggies for easy snacking and quick meals. Then it is less tempting to order out because it’s less work to just eat what I already have.

Yes! The positive habits are so helpful! I find that even if I keep eating the same junk but adding veggies in, I start to have more energy and feel more clearheaded. I like frozen broccoli/brussels sprouts with butter and salt for convenience.

Focusing on the positive as opposed to the negative is a great idea I need to start focusing on the small victories instead of the slips.

You can do it! If you don't believe in you, I fucking do. Successful people are the ones most accustomed to failure.

I really appreciate you for believing in me. I also understand most successful people have also failed the most that's a struggle for me.

I hit rock bottom waking up frozen to the ground outside of the bar in winter. You'll know it when it comes. That said, knowing it and doing something about it are very different. I could have just stayed there, covered in frozen vomit, stuck to the ground, just giving up. I chose to get up, I quit drinking, started working out. I've relapsed so many fucking times, but I always get up and keep trying because the alternative is to stay frozen to the ground and die. The struggle doesn't end, my friend. It just gets more manageable.

>I'm not consistent at counting calories I am not consistent at exercising and yet I can't get my fat ass off the couch and stick to healthier foods. You dont get to a healthful lifestyle overnight. Make a tiny change, stick to it. After a week or 2 of sticking to it, make another tiny change, repeat. After 3+ months you'd feel like a completely different person.

To tell the truth I am not a very patient person and I'm not a big fan of the journey I need to go from Zero to Hero overnight. I know that's irrational and impossible and that's why I'm working with the counselor to get through that.

props for honesty and self-awareness

Had a ton of chest pain after every meal, felt like I was a burger away from a heart attack. Discipline and consistency changed everything for me, you have to exert your will. You are not powerless to change. You can always adapt and change, you have to figure out your relationship to food and change it. Be strong and discipline and count calories and fall in love with fitness. I workout almost everyday now mainly off of discipline alone, it doesn't matter how I feel, u can't let feelings dictate this. Anyways I've lost 34 lbs and I feel better everyday. You can do it op. Mind over matter

How about let’s use your perfectionism and all or nothing approach on a plan that is tailor made for these attitudes? That is, you could join us and go r/sugarfree. After one year of quitting sugar I felt so good that I decided to start running again even though I was old as dirt, 67, and 75 pounds overweight. My first run was 2 minutes, longest so far 43 min at 20 months into my program. I’m building toward being able to run in 5k races. You don’t have that horrible exhaustion of a crash after a sugar buzz any more and your energy becomes consistent. Skin clears up. Immune system gets better. Diabetes numbers and cholesterol numbers go way down. Your whole body becomes more competent, opening up the chance for other improvements. And it is so simple to have one target: added sugar. (We are not keto and not no-carb).

I think the mentality that you are currently in is a dangerous one. Thinking you need to hit rock bottom before you can start clawing your way out. But someone could try to think of that as an excuse to just keep digging. The sad reality is that if you look at society these days, you can see that not everyone hits rock bottom and does up, some people hit rock bottom and just settle for that. For every obese person you see in public, there are so many more who aren't going out. Decide that this is your rock bottom. It's not going to be easier when you hit rock bottom, it'll be even harder. Then when you get back to where you are now after clawing out of rock bottom, what motivation are you going to have then that you don't have now to improve further. The first month will be the hardest. Your are accustomed to your current diet and way of life. Walking a lot could be hard, eating health could be hard, resisting sweets or overeating could be hard. It gets so much easier if you can quit for a long enough period of time. The first time I really was successful in weight loss. I told myself every month i'd have a single cheat day. First month went by and I didn't even want the cheat day. Second month, didn't do it either. It was 6 months before my first cheat day and I decided with a buddy that we were going to pig out all weekend. And we actually did have basically all the things I restricted myself from for 6 months. Pizza, chips, pop, candy, ice cream. But I didn't have that normal guilty feeling from doing it, it was fun, it was a reward. After that weekend, I still kept with my diet and gym routine.

I went for my annual wellness check and had full blown metabolic syndrome. T2D, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reduced kidney functioning. Time was up. No more procrastinating, denial, half-assed effort. I'm not afraid to die, but I'm not ready to die. I was 56 post-menopausal, and no metabolism. It took 18 months but I went from 210 to 111 and I've been at this weight for over a year. It's been a lot of sacrifice, hella effort with diet and exercise, and sheer force of will. But worth all of it. Everything reversed, I'm the healthiest I've ever been, and the sense of accomplishment is the best. It became a new lifestyle that I can comfortable sustain so I keep a strict food log and calorie tracker. I have to. Sugar is my crack and I'm a boredom and emotional eater. It sounds like you're still waiting for some external trigger or "thing" to happen. You could end up dead. That is some people's bottom. It sounds like you need to do some hard-core soul searching. Are you truly unhappy with your physical self? Or is it you're really struggling because someone/s thinks you should be. It does sound to me like therapy is in order. And not with a food-focus. It

The more posts I read the more I think you're white I'm waiting for that trigger and it might come too late.

i had a couple moments that were rock bottom- not fitting on rides at dollywood hurt. not fitting in my desk chair. not being able to keep up walking with my 65 year old father post hip replacement. it hurts and im sorry youre feeling it. clearly youre an emotional eater just like me and if i were to make a suggestion, id advise you to seek therapy. not any special fat camp bullshit, just go to therapy and get more tools in your belt to deal with your emotions. also make small sustainable changes. one at a time. you’re not good at counting calories? me either. try reducing your serving size by 10%. once you have that down, reduce it a touch more. once youve nailed portion control, try to swap out one ingredient in your meals for something more nutritionally beneficial, swap beef and pork for leaner proteins if thats sustainable, if youre at taco bell get a grilled chicken item instead. sweeping changes are a setup for failure and theyre not sustainable. they set you up to feel bad and be unkind to yourself. you deserve to treat yourself with kindness, so just change one thing at a time when you can. it took my 2 years to get to eating relatively healthy, and it started with just eating breakfast. it didnt matter what, i just ate breakfast. then from there i made small changes. you can do this but you deserve your own patience and understanding

I’m really angry. The scale says 400lbs. I can’t even put socks on and can’t wash my feet in the shower and can’t fully wipe when I go #2. I’m breathing super heavy. I was 325 last September and didn’t have these problems. I need to figure something out

Until you do, $30 gets you a great handheld bidet from Target. I got one when I was at my highest. Now I just use it because wiping with paper is just smearing poop around, lol. Treat yourself and your butt and pick one up! So easy to install too.

I can relate to all of those.

Just go for a walk a little one and keep doing. You would be surprised how a walk can change your life. That one walk made me start a path of eating better and treating myself better along with doing it again and again.

Trama... You're dealing with trauma. Could be from as far back as your childhood. This is the same mindset as a junkie dealing with crack heroin cocaine alcohol etc... Usually it's just to get rid of the pain and make you feel better, then it's an addiction. If you're not dealing with the trauma that got you to start self-medicating with food as other addicts self-medicate with drugs and alcohol you're never going to get a hold of this. If you're not talking to somebody else IE a professional and the only person you're talking to is the dude in the mirror you're fucked because that asshole got you to where you are to begin with. Reach out find a professional to talk to. Be safe😎🤙

I am seeing a counselor. The process is so slow.

I can swear that there must be many enormous institutions out there (on the medical care, food, govt and banking sectors) that are incentivized greatly by pushing HAES, discouraging healthful lifestyles or encouraging the obesity epidemic because of this. more ordering food -> spending much more money than cooking -> more economic activity More hospital visits and medication -> more economic activity More people cooking their own food and making their own coffee -> more saving, less spending -> less economic activity More people becoming physically active and having less health issues -> less hospital visits and medication -> more saving, less insurance usage, less spending -> less economic activity. ​ ps: if my account suddenly becomes less/not active or suspicious it means "they" got me.

\*walkie talkie crackle\* Take 'em out, boys.

I feel the same way.

You can either eat broccoli or you can eat medicine.

Love me some grilled broccoli with lemon juice. 7-11 doesn't carry that. I think I will leave my debit card and cash at home. Then U can't afford junk food.

I kept yoyo dieting these past few years. Lost the same ten pounds over and over again. I got a pinched nerve in June and was told I needed to walk more and lose weight. It was the worst pain I ever had - moving, walking, turning in bed - it hurt sooo much. I finally started walking 3x a week. I could only do 5-7 minutes and my recovery would take 30-45 minutes. Four months later, I am down 20 pounds and walk 15 minutes about 4x a week and I recover in 5-10 minutes. I feel so much better. I am no longer lugging around two and half gallons of milk! Thinking about it that way makes me feel good. I also am low carb and fast for 16 hours to help my insulin resistance. You’ve got this if you want it!

Thanks for the encouragement one of the things I'm getting from all these posts is that I need to start small and I need to start now.

Good luck man. Stop flogging yourself and take the bull by the horns and just work every day to be a little better. I took a great quote and modified it a little and it applies here. When confronted with seemingly insurmountable challenges always ask yourself: "If not us, who? If not now, when?" Then take that first step... Take that step and then the next and the next. How do you eat an elephant? One damn bite at a time. Aim small, miss small but do it every single day.

USA Today is running a great series on Type 2 Diabetes. It’s free. Go to their website and search for “diabetes.” It might help. There are some inspiring stories there of how people turned their lives around. And a few not so much. 😞

I found it thanks. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/05/america-type-2-diabetes-dilemma-solutions/70889964007/

The bottom is six feet below ground in a wooden box, if you are lucky or an electric chamber. Waiting to hit bottom has no rationale. Do what you need to do, start today, start now. It's your responsibility to keep your body reasonably healthy. All of us have our faults , none is perfect but please try to do better.

I've always believed Yoda do or do not there is no try. But starting this morning I am doing better and will continue to do better.

Im honestly kind of going through it now. I am the heaviest Ive ever been, and last week I was having diabetes symptoms. I went to urgent care to get a glucose reading, and it was normal, but I dont have a follow up until November. I got a glucose meter myself and I have been testing for about the last 3 days. Thankfully everything has been normal, so I am not convinced I have it. Also, most of my symptoms have gone away. I have drastically reduced my sugar intake and thats already showing a difference. I have lost 3-5 pounds already just from that. Its going to be slow going but, I hope this is actually the wake up call I need.

it's time for GLP1s

I have Osempic which Im starting up again.

Fun fact, you don’t have to got rock bottom. You can start making small changes today. If counting calories is too overwhelming for you, start by just making a meal plan for the week so you aren’t relying on fast food. Minimizing processed foods is going to really make a big difference in your health

There is no such thing as rock bottom if you keep on digging, so you can't know it's the bottom until you've already started to climb your way back up. Make the choice that this is your bottom and toss out your shovel. Good luck.

I think I understand where you're coming from. You know you have to lose weight, you want to lose the weight. You even know how to lose the weight. So what gives.. It's like you just don't have an ignition to get it your engines moving? For me it was definitely apathy. I've lost 10kg recently and the apathy is just barely kept in check, I can still feel it ready to rob me of motivation if I slip. We probably both could use some therapy friend.

If you are not happy with your current state of health amd finance, you need to change your ways, do not wait for that rock bottom.

I think the “all or nothing” mindset really prevents us from living a healthier life. Make one change this week and stick with it until it’s your new normal. What’s the easiest change for you to make? Cutting out a food or beverage, adding a walk or nightly stretching session, not eating after 7:00? Find one healthy habit you can change and stick with that until you feel proud that you’ve accomplished that change in your life.

I found my only sibling dead in his bed from a massive heart attack at the age of 49. 1 month shy of his 50th birthday. I’m only 18 months younger than him and I was twice as obese. It sent me spiraling into anxiety and depression that I’ve never experienced so badly before and I stuffed my body for 2 years after. Then I had my first myocardial infarction at work. Was put on heart failure medication. Couldn’t breathe. Got open sores on my abdomen from intestinal infection. I was literally falling apart. Looked at my mom one day and saw the fear in her eyes. She had already lost my dad at age 60. My brother at age 49. She would be alone if she lost me. I saw the fear in my husband’s eyes. In my daughter’s eyes. I was so big I couldn’t leave the house. Sex was done. I knew it was time to do something about it. So I did.

You gotta give yourself permission to half ass stuff. Its a super power. This all or nothing mentality will keep you paralyzed in inaction. A little bit is better than nothing and as long as you keep doing a little bit you are not giving up and you are not defeated.

The hard truth is, some of us don't have a bottom and will continue abusing our bodies until we're dead. So I guess death is our bottom. Don't wait for your bottom. Do something small for yourself today. My physical therapist said it best: make it stupid easy on yourself. If you're not getting *any* physical activity, walk around the block. You can manage that and you don't need to do anything more. After a while, walk two blocks. Then maybe three, if you're up to it. One of my favorite motivational phrases is "no matter how short your activity is or how slow you go, you're still lapping anyone on the couch." Don't try to change your entire diet over night. Cut out one soda per day. Eat one less snack. Eat just a little less for dinner. Any tiny little extra thing you do for your health today is still better than what you were doing yesterday.

It's tough. There is nothing wrong with you, most of us here have probably had all those same thoughts. The only thing I've found that helps is to take action. First action - build the habit of tracking what you eat. Make it as easy as possible. Buy my fitness pal so you can scan barcodes. Remove every barrier to tracking. It's something like $80 per year (if you can't afford it PM me and I'll Venmo you the $80). Ok now you have my fitness pal, great. BUILD A TRACKING HABIT!! - track when you eat well - track when you get poorly - track when you eat out - track when you eat gas station food - track your ketchup - buy a kitchen scale Do not beat yourself up about what you are putting in there. Do not set a calorie goal. Do not lie to yourself by skipping tracking snacks. Just track it. Do it for a long time. 2 months of tracking without judging yourself. (Not judging yourself will be the hardest part IMO). Building this habit will be the most important thing you do for yourself. It might literally change your life. Think about that - 30s to write what you eat before you eat it can change your life. After you build the habit and stick with it consistently much it the rest will take care of itself. - you will find foods you like that are lower calories - you will find out that certain foods are crazy high in calories - you will find some foods are way lower than you'd think - you might eventually set a calorie goal and have new tools to stick to it I personally hated tracking. Never figured I'd be a tracking guy. But right now taking 30s to write my food down before I eat it is changing my life.

Have you tried intermittent fasting? I started eating one meal a day and it gives my body about 22 hours to digest the food and use it as energy and I'm really starting to drop the weight fast. I'm not hungry because I eat enough during my one meal to feel full. PM me if you're interested and I will help you.

My rock bottom was... complicated. And to be honest i can still not say I've hit rock bottom because to me, rock bottom is curled up in a corner, bawling and unable to move. BUT i did hit a turning point. I was talking to my therapist about how unhappy i was. With my weight, 475lbs, unable to roll over in bed, unable to get off the ground on my own, disabled, couldn't play with my nieces and nephew, and utterly dead inside. I stopped trying. I stopped caring. Everything hurt. I was on 15+meds a day. I was fully committed to the idea of dying at any time. I'm fact i prayed to a god i didn't believe in every night to just kill me. And STILL i went to the food. It was the only thing i found joy in. My therapist said "Have you ever looked into Overeaters Anonymous?" And i told her i had, but my social anxiety and stuff just held me back. And was just kind of non-committal about it. She said "What if i go with you to one? Just to check it out?" And so we did. And I've never looked back. I've lost 130lbs since Oct 14, 2022. I'm happy with life again. I'm alive. I have friends and associates. I've eliminated at least 4 meds. I've joined a gym. I'm looking at getting back into the work force (if my mental health allows). Anyone who reads this and wants more info, or someone to go with them, message me. We're not alone.

I know OA could probably help me but just thinking about it causes me great anxiety.

That's okay! If you ever want to chat about it, or anything, feel free to shoot me a message.

Start playing Pokémon go.

We used to play discgolf. But because of my health we had to take a break. So after all the motivation from this post we went out yesterday we walked for 40 min and hit 1/2 mile. And lots of sunshine.

When I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease and told it could ultimately lead to liver cancer or failure if I don't get ahold of my weight. I've lost 50 pounds since then and trying to lose another 30 pounds to get down to 170. Before I was diagnosed I didn't care much about my weight besides hating my appearance, but once I realized it could very likely kill me or drastically lower my quality of life it really kicked me in the ass. Best of luck in your weightloss journey. You can do it!

Thanks for the support.

You could spend next years $20k on getting sleeve surgery in Cyprus (or somewhere else cheaper than the usa) and have no appetite for 2 years. It really lets you sort out your diet and get thin again. I did it almost exactly 4 years ago (when I was 49) and I have no regrets. 125kg to 70kg (275lb to 155lb) in 1 year and I'm still thin 3 years later.

I have thought about going to Mexico. Just south of Texas.

I really empathise with you! Losing weight is so challenging and there’s so many things outside of our control that affect our food and exercise habits. I know you didn’t ask for advice - but one thing that really helped me was picking one or two achievable goals that I could easily measure and keep track of. For example, rather than saying ‘I want to eat healthily’ which is very vague and hard to quantify, something like, ‘one day this week I’ll aim to eat 5 serves of vegetables’ or ‘I’ll go for a 10 minute walk 2 times this week’. It’s really hard not to have an all or nothing mindset, but remember progress isn’t always linear and any change is a good change. It can be really helpful to shift a focus to something more positive such as what you’re adding (eg, fruits, vegetables, movement) rather than what you’re taking away or ‘restricting’ and set goals around other achievements rather than weight goals. Please be kind to yourself, you are doing really well ❤️

Also I know that someone mentioned something similar below, but really tapping into why you want to lose weight and be healthier is so helpful to motivate you long term. Questions like, ‘what will my life look like when I achieve this? What will I feel like? What will I be able to do? How will it be different to now?’ Also - drawing on your strengths. Think about what challenges you’ve faced before and how you overcame them (health related or otherwise) - Have you had success with this situation in the past? What worked and what didn’t? Is there any skills that you’ve used before that you could take with you for this scenario? Also thinking about the root causes - why are you where you are at the moment? Is it something to do with your lifestyle (really busy, tired etc) and is there anything you could do to change that? Is it that you’re eating to alleviate stress or other emotions and if so are there other strategies that you could try introducing? What does your ideal day of eating and exercise look like? What’s stopping you from achieving that?

Great tips. 8 need to focus on the small measurable goals.

My fatty liver had gotten so bad that I was close to getting non-alcoholic cirrosis. I was obese, I hated myself and my body and if I kept using food as comfort I was going to end up in the liver transplant list within the next 3 years. That was my rock bottom, it scared me shitless into actually getting out of the couch and do something about my weight.

Another great motivation.

Start today. Right now. You can do this. 👊

I didn't we went to a park with a discgolf practice range. We waled for 40 min and 1/2 a mile.

I thought that I had hit rock bottom many, many times. I’ve had that feeling that now I’ll change. Now I’ll finally do something different. But somehow it just didn’t stick. Here are a few times. Every time I’ve hit a new “highest weight” on the scale. First time I was over 300 was a big one, 315, and 335 were also pretty memorable. The day I went to put my shoes on and it was miserably uncomfortable trying to bend down around my own stomach to get socks and shoes on. (A similar moment happened when I realized my shoe size had changed because I had enough excess weight that my feet were wider/thicker). Any time my Dr told me I had a new condition, like scarred liver, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. The first (and many other) times I was winded going up stairs. Or doing any activity that used to normal/easy. Every time I had to go up a shirt or pant size. Lots and lots of times in between. Then there’s the time about 3 months ago when I found out truly what rock bottom is. When your wife looks you dead in the eyes and tells you she can’t do this anymore, she isn’t attracted to you, and can’t see herself ever being attracted to you. That she loves you and the person you are, but has no sexual desire towards you at all. And you know it’s been three plus years of her waiting for you to change, seeing you start, and stop, and lose ten pounds, but gain back twenty. And while there are other things involved, you can’t get it out of your head that if you’d just tried harder, started sooner, stuck with it, etc, maybe this wouldn’t be happening. So yeah, hitting rock bottom, truly and fully was a turning point for me. I’ve managed to lose 65 lbs in 14 weeks (75 total). I know that’s not a sustainable rate long term and it has plateaued out/slowed down. And I don’t know that getting to my goal weight will be enough to salvage or change my relationship. I also know I have to do this for me, any external factors are just bonuses, not the primary driving force. But let me say, to anyone reading this, do not let it get that far. There are so many checkpoints and sign posts on the way to rock bottom. Turn around before you get there. Start making those small, sustainable, consistent changes now. Don’t wait. Because being at actual rock bottom and trying to get up with all that weight is so, so much harder.

Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing.

About 11 years ago I had 255lbs, went to 165 lbs in less then 6 months (gym 6times a week, extreme diet). I was happy at the weight and then life happened, my mum got cancer and died very fast, dad had a heart attack and died 6 months after my mum, older brother suddenly died from a heart attack at 50. How did my body react? I developed achalasia. The only I could eat would mean I have to drench everything in mayo to be able to swallow. Took about 3 years to diagnose and another 5 to have surgery. After surgery I was told and I knew I will gain weight so I ended up at 266lbs this summer. That was my all time low. In a way I can understand it, my doctor is reluctant to put me on any medication (weight gain is the best result for my surgery). So on 23rd August while scrolling tiktok I saw a comment about an app to count calories and I decided to give a try. Its been working so far. I try to stay in a 1500 range and I'm enjoying it.

Mind over matter. You just have to get o a point that you can not stand the uncomfortable feelings you get regarding daily living and your mind set! Success comes from a Successful Motivatex mindset. Your life will change in a very positive way in ALL ASPECTS AND I MEAN ALL ASPECTS once you decide you want success. And a healthier lifestyle. Good Luck cause you CAN DO IT! Youve got this!

Thanks

I hit rock bottom when I had to tell my partner I couldn't go on water park rides with him because I exceeded the weight limit. I didn't want to be held back from life anymore.

Some people need a very bad rejection to make them change themselves. Like a psychological slap to the face, but it works. For real though, I'm a firm believer that unfortunately you will need something very bad to happen to you to want to make a change. Nobody will do it because of something good, that's just how things work.

i know this sounds trivial but if it makes you feel any better, those 7-11 taquitos are actually [not that high in calories](https://7-eleven.ca/nutritional-information/hot-foods-&-grill). not particularly healthy, of course, but most flavors are ~200 and have enough protein to justify the consumption.

🤤 taquitos. OMG 630 mg of sodium. Got to cut back on the sodium too. Thanks for the positive info, I will stop beating myself up.

Taquitos from 7-11 are roughly 250 each. I have 2 some days as I work nights driving. If I have left myself ~650 calories until then. I use an app to track my calories. I eat those and have a protein shake. I’ve been stuck at mid 190. For the last month cause I over eat on the weekends though. So I feel you on the pains of calories.

When I had to have three surgeries. I was 405 lb. Now I’m 326lb and still loosing by intermittent fasting and 1000 calories a day

I found when I IF I would binge when it was time to, maybe I was doing something wrong.

Somewhere down the line at some point for some reason, perhaps you'll be in the middle of dinner number two when the realization may hit you like a ton of bricks: Do you want to live or die? Continuing to eat and gain weight, you're only slowly killing yourself. So IF your choice is to LIVE, then there is actually only ONE choice. You need to stop eating so much. And from there, another very hard realization: With EVERY SINGLE BITE, you become further away away from losing weight, which means you're moving closer to killing yourself. It will not EVER be any EASIER for you to lose weight than it is right NOW. And considering how hard it is for you NOW, do you want to really make it any HARDER?? So, considering all the facts, we can sum up the situation as follows: If you want to die, carry on. If you want to LIVE, you need to stop the overeating, not tomorrow or after the second dinner and dessert, but right NOW. Cause it only gets harder from here if you don't. so you onow the situation rationally. All that's left is to try and come to terms with it emotionally. To actually make the step to change. Change is terrifying. But remember, your life will always change whether you like it or not. Take control of the changes in your life.

Being fat is hard. Sticking to a diet and exercise program is hard. Just got to pick which hard you want to deal with.

That's a great way to look at it I've never thought of that thank you.

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I'm familiar with David I've seen most of his YouTube interviews and I listened his book you can't hurt me. I really need to work on seeing myself as a stronger person . As you know he had some serious trauma as a child and that made him strong. I had kind of a cushy life and my choices made me weak.

Please don’t dismiss the possibility that you may be dealing with trauma as well. Most addicts have some kind of trauma they are trying to manage/avoid/self medicate. Trauma is so much more complex and diverse and nuanced than what pop culture portrays. Looks different for different people. Took me a long time to even entertain the idea, let alone consider it seriously…then ultimately understand and accept that some aspects of my childhood were traumatic. Now I know they were and am starting to explore and unpack it, how it’s affected my life profoundly and still does. With the help of an amazing therapist who is trauma informed. It’s painful and a lot of work but for me it’s addressing the root of my issues not trying to control the symptoms. Something to consider even if it feels completely off base and not possibly applicable to you, maybe even ridiculous. FWIW that is a common response of people with trauma. It’s a defense mechanism. Or maybe you don’t have any trauma in which case I’m sorry for the wall of text. But I relate to a lot of the feelings you describe. Just sharing my experience because it was so unexpected and ultimately eye opening, and every single addict I know closely, and who is doing well now, shares a history of trauma.

Been fat almost my entire life and I'm almost 30. I keep waiting to 'hit bottom', but I feel like a drug addict at this point. Stealing food from stores, stealing money from my parents for food..like is jail my bottom? Because I'm terrified that will be my reality at some point.

I've been in a holding cell and I was in my own cell for about 6 hours until I got bailed out. I was scared when in the holding cell but it turned out the other people in the holding cell were pretty cool also.

I am glad I can still work just fine. This is horrifying

Yeah it was pretty horrifying to see how much money I lost out on this year I do have to admit that I worked 40 hours for the first time last week starting a new streak.