Progress Edit: feels weird to see having lost 10% of myself. Might have had a case of slightly leaky tear ducts
-> Feel smug fitting back into old clothes and having to get rid of current clothes because they're oversized -> Feel fatter because now only just fit into smaller clothes (rather than not fitting in them at all)
So, I have not posted in here for a while as things have not really been changing much over the past few years. For most of that time I have been sitting at the 22 stone - 308lb - 140kg mark with nothing really doing anything in terms of losing weight due to some of the medication that I have been on for my diabetes. Up until about 2 months ago I was taking the standard fat boy cocktail of various bits and pieces including slow release Metformin, Gliclazide, and Empaglaflozin for my T2 diabetes. The troublesome one of these being the gliclazide as this is what was causing my weight gain. I do not have the fastest metabolism at all, never have, but when I was first diagnosed back in 2008 I lost a load of weight to start with (around 2.5 st.), then I was put onto gliclazide and without changing anything in my diet and actually getting more exercise (moved house at the same time so was walking more to the bus at each end of the trip to work and back), I put all that weight back on (and more) in a matter of a couple of months. Tried to lose weight again over the years and it because very much evident that I would have to almost starve myself in order to lose anything whilst being on the gliclazide, something that I did bring up on multiple occasions with various nurses, doctors and specialists with the replay always being "no, we are keeping you on that as it is obviously working on your glucose levels". A couple of months ago I went to see a new specialist and she actually listened, took me off the gliclazide and put me on a 3 month trial of something called Trulicity, a once-weekly injection. This stuff is weird, 2 days after the first dose I pretty much lost my appetite, I would have a small breakfast, not want or need anything for lunch and then just have a sandwich or something for dinner, a takeaway meal now lasts me 2 or 3 meals for a single "normal" portion. Going out to eat and I can make do with a starter. It works by decreasing the speed at which the stomach empties and also restricts the amount you can eat before you feel full (and sick). Long story, short, over the past 2 months I am down by a stone, I am sitting spot on 21st - 294lbs - 133.6kg. This is the first time that I have been down below 300lbs for years. If I can drop another 30kg I shall be the same weight as I was at 17 (I am now 45). And this has happened without any noticeable effort on my part, aside from knowing to stop eating the second I feel full (or else I will feel extremely ill).
The other day I was out with pals and it was kinda embarrassing, just felt like a slob. So I bought some Huel, downloaded MyFitnessPal, and I’m going to try and start counting calories to see how this goes. les go!
I've found that Protein Works Diet Meal Replacement Extreme shakes are actually pretty good (with 500ml oat milk, left in the fridge for an hour or more to thicken up). ~400-450 cals and fill me up as much as a bigger meal. Flavours are a bit random (stay away from the fake peanut), and the discount/voucher codes are a bit awkward to navigate to get the best deal, but all in all they've helped a lot. The website seems like it had the UX designed by an IG gym influencer on a drug trip, but if you can get past that then they're a pretty efficient and professional company. Theose shakes plus skipping breakfast most days has got me down by 10kg and got my vitamin profiles fixed on my blood tests, and they're good gym fuel for the next 15kg I need to lose.
Is that some kind of smart scale used to get those figures? Having all those metrics looks handy to assess changes over "Number is smaller woo" would be awfully handy to get myself a pair!
this is the one I have Etekcity Bluetooth Body Fat... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D7ND4YH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I did try the USN Diet Fuel shake stuff a while ago before the change in my meds and that did seem to work sort of OK. Might give it a try again now that I have started to see a decent change from my med change. My only concern is that one of the meds is restricting how much I can eat so much. Meh, will just have to adjust the portion size that I make up, start with 250ml of water and a single scoop I guess.
Well that's another 1/4st gone. Am now bang on 16. Two more to go. I would love to say it has been really hard, but it simply hasn't. It's been beyond easy. I started at 19.5, BTW. I've found a lot of my ailments have disappeared too. BTW I don't want to sound cocky or arrogant, so I guess I should explain. I used to eat my dinner at around 7pm. It usually consisted of chicken breasts, rice and veg. Usually with a sauce of sorts on. Or Mexican. Burritos, Enchiladas etc. I also eat fresh fish three days a week, regardless of diet. Usually drowned in Habanero sauce, but yeah cod or plaice or something. At midnight I then take these. https://www.seroquelxr.com/ Only I don't take XR. I take QR. So quick release. These achieve two things. They are anti psychotic, so I need them, but they also make me very sleepy very fast. I also take a sleeping pill to keep me asleep. There are various side effects to seroquel. One is hunger. It literally feels like you haven't eaten for a week. So, at bed time I would then eat a triple decker sandwich, two packs of crisps, two or three bars of chocolate and then a bowl of cereal etc etc. Binge eating. The thing is I have never been a big eater. Neither amount of food or binge eating. I'm really not fussed about food that much. However, I am when I take those pills. Everything becomes all about food, and the satisfaction from stuffing your face. So my secret? was simple. Don't eat dinner at 7. Skip it, take the meds at midnight and have dinner in the oven ready. I then eat my dinner, and fruit. Bananas, berries and etc. Oh and black grapes are one of my faves. And that's it. The weight has literally fallen off me. I never even liked Chocolate or crisps that much, but I suppose it was just convenient. I had two bags of crisps the other night, but only because mum and I had a night off from cooking and I had a sandwich for dinner instead.
Counting calories, smaller portions, trying to hit my extreme weight loss figure, with regular trips to the gym. edit : hopefully it carries on
I've lost 17.6kg which puts me at 119.4kg. Which is the lightest I've been since 2000 or so... GRS is a strong motivator for weight loss. Too much flubber? No origami for you!
While the weight metric isn’t really making a huge difference, the mirror is telling a completely different story, fitness in the gym is improving, heavier weights being shifted around, starting to get that more defined muscular look rather than just bloat and chub. Also ordered a Testosterone blood test to see how exactly my body is doing in that regard now I’m becoming a little older.
NSFW - fat man in boxers. Still not where I want to be. I’ll probably be able to stop insulting myself in the mirror in about 5 months but it’s progress. Diet is always my weak spot.
