I’m waiting to hear back from Asda so will hopefully start soon. I’m obese at 104kg (230 lbs). In the meantime I’ve started calorie counting, healthier foods and weight measurement. I’m considering buying a smart tape measure.
I’m really conscious that I can’t just eat whatever I want on this medication, but in smaller amounts. It’s going to be super important to ensure the calories I consume are nutrient dense to avoid malnutrition. The way I see it, this medication is giving me the willpower I’ve lacked when trying to lose weight previously.
It’s going to be especially important that I eat lots of protein, given the risk of high levels of muscle wastage and frailty on these medications (see Sharon Osborne). To prevent muscle wastage, I also plan to up my exercise and start weight training. I’ll probably also add a good multivitamin too.
To help with monitoring my nutrient intake, I’ve signed up for premium on MFP so I can monitor my macros.
Looking at the evidence in medical trials, I can see that I’ll be at high risk of binge eating unhealthy foods when the meds stop if I don’t take the opportunity to sort my diet out. So it’s going to be vital for me to overhaul my diet while my appetite is suppressed otherwise when I stop I’ll just binge on crap.
I’d rather cut my dependence now and minimise the risk of piling it all back on. I actually eat really healthy main meals, cooked from scratch. It’s the snacks which are unhealthy (chocolate and crisps daily).
I have a feeling that the most difficult bit will be maintenance- even more than usual diets. This needs to be it for me now. I can’t keep being obese as it’s limiting my enjoyment of life and might end it early.