Ryoku
New Member
Disclaimers up front:
I'm 44 yo, male, and hit my highest weight ever about a month ago. Last month, there was a confluence of events that helped me to get motivated to make a change:
So, I got on the scale for the first time in forever to see that I was well past the 250 mark. 258 to be exact. At 5'11, that put my BMI at 36. I know BMI isn't a perfect test, but I am not a muscular individual, so it's a good measure for me.
I got motivated and made a bunch of changes:
My VLCD uses real food, not meal replacements, but it isn't "home made". My doctor and dietician closely monitor my food log to make sure I am getting enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrition. Mainly I'm eating eggs, chicken, beef, fish, lots of above ground vegetables, and a ton of water. I take a multivatmin daily, and the doctor is also prescribing me a medication to lower my risk of gallstones, which are a known risk of rapid weight loss.
This table summarizes my progress to date:
It's still very early, but here are some observations so far:
I know the first 5-10lbs was "water weight" (glycogen + water) and that I have a long way to go. But I'm feeling motivated and determined. Hoping to get to 170 lbs and stay there!
- I am on a medically supervised VLCD.
- No one should follow my example. This is not medical advice.
- If you are on a VLCD, you should be monitored by your health care provider.
I'm 44 yo, male, and hit my highest weight ever about a month ago. Last month, there was a confluence of events that helped me to get motivated to make a change:
- Someone at work commented on my weight gain in a negative (but well meant) light.
- I had a low back strain.
- I had difficulty bending over to clip my toe nails.
- My apnea-hypopnea index was up near 5 despite using CPAP at optimal levels.
- My brother lost a lot of weight.
- My pants were too tight even though they had a stretchy, elastic waist band.
So, I got on the scale for the first time in forever to see that I was well past the 250 mark. 258 to be exact. At 5'11, that put my BMI at 36. I know BMI isn't a perfect test, but I am not a muscular individual, so it's a good measure for me.
I got motivated and made a bunch of changes:
- Got a Fitbit and starting trying to do at least 10k steps a day
- Got a treadmill desk to let me walk while surfing the web or doing work at home
- Started a medically-supervised VLCD.
My VLCD uses real food, not meal replacements, but it isn't "home made". My doctor and dietician closely monitor my food log to make sure I am getting enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrition. Mainly I'm eating eggs, chicken, beef, fish, lots of above ground vegetables, and a ton of water. I take a multivatmin daily, and the doctor is also prescribing me a medication to lower my risk of gallstones, which are a known risk of rapid weight loss.
This table summarizes my progress to date:
It's still very early, but here are some observations so far:
- My appetite dropped dramatically after about two days. I didn't know if I could eat this little calories. It actually hasn't been that hard. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I wish I could eat a couple hundred more calories before going to bed at night. But by spacing out my calories and saving a couple hundred for the end of the day, it hasn't been bad.
- My hands are freezing pretty much all the time unless I am exercising. I have to run them under hot water multiple times a day. Apparently this is another known side effect of VLCD. My feet are also very cold, but hands are on another level.
- My energy levels are far higher than they were before VLCD. I don't want to sit or lie down as much. I do more housework. My wife can't believe that I do all the dishes, etc, now.
I know the first 5-10lbs was "water weight" (glycogen + water) and that I have a long way to go. But I'm feeling motivated and determined. Hoping to get to 170 lbs and stay there!