Hard Dose of Reality...

[SunsetRunner]

Well, I saw my weight loss doctor today. I've been working at this weight loss for 14 months. I started at 420, I'm at 286, and I have lost 134. However, since the start of the new year, I have lost like 2 pounds.

I gave my food and exercise logs for the whole month of February 2018 to my doctor and she ran the numbers on my situation. Granted, I have been very successful with this loss of 134, so I'm not upset or anything, but she gave me some cold hard truths today.

1. This is my first BIG plateau. I have had smaller ones over the course of this 14 months. So to have this hit me 14 months out, well I can't complain.

2. Based on her expertise and experience and a little guess work (and she has not steered me wrong, so I hang on her every word), I have a metabolism of a 190 pound man. And since I'm 286, that means my metabolism is almost 30% lower than it should be. So when I use my FitBit, and my food tracker, the calorie burn numbers are very much off (and I even cut those numbers in half, and they are still off) because I have my weight set at (currently) 286.

3. So my current 2000 calorie diet is like eating at maintenance for me. Which explains why I'm no longer losing. I'm maintaining my weight, but I'm not losing anything.

4. So, I'm going to go no higher than 1800 calories a day, and since I have adjusted my weight in my apps to reflect 190 pound man (so I can get more accurate burn numbers) I'm going to try and use calories burned to get my deficit. My doctor figures on days I workout, I burn around 430-480 calories for each workout, so 1800 - minus my burn will hopefully get my weight moving down again. I'm also going try to get cardio in on my 2 days I'm not in the gym.

The hard truth though is that because I am so obese and because I have lost so much weight, I have really brought my metabolism down, and she pretty much told me that my official goal of getting to 250 might not be do-able, or maintainable, as I would have to go to drastic measures to get to that weight, and to maintain it.

So, all the years I drove my weight up to 420, didn't care about my health, the results are now staring at me right in the face. My new goal weight will be 275, as she thinks (for now) that this goal is more attainable for the foreseeable future.

However, I may not be were I am right now, I feel fantastic, better than I have felt in a long time, and I love going to the gym and doing my weight lifting, etc. So, I am by no means hysterical over this, nor do I feel bad. My doctor said I have done everything she wanted me to do, and more, and I have shown dedication to the task, and now, I'll rededicate myself to this new goal weight of 275.

It's far from over folks.

[emili]

@SunsetRunner I want to high five you and hug your doctor. Good for her and you and the relationship that you both have. it is rooted in trust- you trust her for her advice and she trusts that you are strong enough to take what she dishes. yes, your weight loss and accomplishment is fantastic, but for me.. the best part of this story is the relationship you have with someone who cares about your well being enough to give you the truth and really good advice. Kudos to you for listening and taking. I am going to go read it again.

[losing4me]

Hi, I just joined and am still new to this, but I read your post and you really give me hope!  Best wishes to you to continue with your awesome weight loss journey! 

[Paradise555]

You can do it! I know the feeling. It is not easy or quick. It has been a 3 and a half year journey for me and it still will be for the rest of my life.

[SunsetRunner]

@emili

She's a fantastic lady. Everything she has gotten me to do has worked. I hated the idea of tracking calories. She got me to do it. I didn't want to go to the gym. I go to the gym now. Everything she has recommended has worked. And that's what I like about her, she recommends, not orders you about.

I am one lucky SOB to have her on my side.

[SunsetRunner]

@Paradise555

Exactly! I have it my head that this is not a short term or long term event, but a permanent event, something I'll have to engage in forever. I'm not in a rush.

I also really can't see myself going below 1800 calories a day though. I mean, I workout pretty hard when I am in the gym, so I will need calories to keep me going. I won't starve myself for the weight goal.

Needless to say, I feel awesome, and because I have gain so much strength with the weight training, I do NOT feel my weight of 286. I feel different in every way. My doc told me that I might have to look toward other goals other than the number on the scale. She said those goal are way more important.

[SunsetRunner]

I wouldn’t even cut calories. Just increase your protein. This is a quote from Dr. Jim Stoppani that was transcribed from one of his videos who is very reputable in the bodybuilding industry. He backs his claims with science and the latest research.

“Protein also helps you get lean by boosting metabolic rate, as well as slowing down the digestion of carbs, which ultimately leads to burning more fat. Research shows that a high protein meal raises your metabolic rate by up to 20-30%, whereas a high carb meal may only raise it by 5-10%, and a high fat meal by 3% or less. This means high protein diets can help to keep your metabolism revved up after meals and help you burn more of the calories you eat at meals, along with more fat.”

When he says “high protein” he’s referring to 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. 2000 calories is actually somewhat low for your weight.

[HisDudeness]

@SunsetRunnerThat is indeed some sobering news, but it is good hear you are keeping positive about it. It also good that you feel comfortable at new weight and are in much better shape overall. Which goes to show that the number on the scale isn't always the most important. I started going to the gym last year and even though I'm still overweight (and now starting to lose it), I feel much better overall as well. Also I find the metabolism stuff very interesting, crazy that your body can sabotage you from losing or maintaining weight.

[SunsetRunner]

@HisDudeness

The issue I have with all this: It's all my fault because of the lack of responsibility I have shown for the last 15-20 years. I'm 53 right now. And while I have been up and down with my weight over the years, I never should have gotten to 420 lbs (December 2016 is when I started this weight loss). I'm past 50, and now everything is moving away from my favor. It's going to get harder for me, not easier.

However, I can adjust my happiness to a goal of 275 instead of 250 which was my original goal. If I can lose another 11 lbs and then take 12 months to maintain that weight (give or take a few pounds), I can then address moving lower after a "maintain phase". I can't put a timeline on this though, because my doc said that timelines will only add to frustration. So I just have to readjust my thinking, and realize that I can't go by what others are doing, and ONLY focus on what I can do to better my situation.

I'm so glad I have this Doctor. She's great. She listens to my BS, calls me out on my BS, and continues to listen to more BS and sets me strait again. She never tells me what I want to hear  🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Funny, after all this talk of my weight stalling, I get on the scale at the gym this morning (after not weighing myself for 3 weeks) and I lose 2 pounds. I'm now 284 (down from 286). The gym scale is the one I use to officially log my weight.

Go figure. Happy though, at least I'm still moving in the down direction. Slowly, but moving. Happy camper here.

[Mukluk4]

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@SunsetRunnerwrote:

So, all the years I drove my weight up to 420, didn't care about my health, the results are now staring at me right in the face. My new goal weight will be 275, as she thinks (for now) that this goal is more attainable for the foreseeable future.

However, I may not be were I am right now, I feel fantastic, better than I have felt in a long time, and I love going to the gym and doing my weight lifting, etc. So, I am by no means hysterical over this, nor do I feel bad. My doctor said I have done everything she wanted me to do, and more, and I have shown dedication to the task, and now, I'll rededicate myself to this new goal weight of 275.

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I feel your pain.  I went from 330ish to 270 and pretty much stalled.  For me to get to 250 (which I have at one point), I had to cut some serious calories which led me to feel like crap and weak (completely impacted the sports that I played and not in a good way).  

I'm happy at 270 and it's easily maintainable and have focused more on the weight room and increases to key measurables that relate to the sports that I play (speed, endurance, and explosiveness).  Most people I meet tend to think I'm probably 50 pounds lighter than I am.  We are all very different people, so the number on the scale isn't a very good marker of who you are or what you can do.

[SunsetRunner]

@Mukluk4

I still want to get to 250 at some point, but I'll settle for 275 for now.

[Julia_G]

Congratulations, @SunsetRunner, that sounds like a win!

[WavyDavey]

Keep up with the weights @SunsetRunner!

I know two overweight lifters who are north of 300lbs, with BIG bellies. And they are really strong too. So there are different kinds of bodies we can create, even at 275.

Chad Wesley Smith weighs over 300, and I think many guys would take his body fat if the strength came with it.

[SunsetRunner]

@WavyDavey

The weight lifting is what I enjoy the most so yes, I will try and keep that going.

[Mukluk4]

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@WavyDaveywrote:

Keep up with the weights @SunsetRunner!

I know two overweight lifters who are north of 300lbs, with BIG bellies. And they are really strong too. So there are different kinds of bodies we can create, even at 275.

Chad Wesley Smith weighs over 300, and I think many guys would take his body fat if the strength came with it.

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His "belly" is big because he's got a significant amount of muscle under a probably normal (or better than normal amount of belly fat).  That 500lb squat exercise has as much to do with his core as it does his hips.