Is it possible for morbidly Obese to lose the weight?!

[OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo]

I've started on my own zoe-eque plan to try and eat healthier and lose the ton fo weight I need to... BUT...

I keep hearing that it's near impossible for those morbidly Obese to do this without surgery or drugs. I dont have access to those although I wanted to try this way first.

Is this true? Is this lifestyle factors which I want to change or is it something metabolic? Like the fat is another organ thing?

Id love to hear from anyone who has done it and kept it off.

Or anyone who knows these things.

If you are on Instagram, look up "half of Carla"

She lost something like 13 stone following Bodyslims

I have mentioned Bodyslims on here a few times now and I am sure I sound like I have either been brain washed or I have shares in the company, but it is honestly the best thing I have done for weight loss.

It is a 10 week online programme. A lot of it works on your behaviour and habit patterns, not just food.

I'd recommend looking at it. I have done a few cycles and am 4 stone lighter than I was. I am a slow loser, but it is staying off. Any time I did slimming world, weight watchers etc, I got fed up and piled it back on.

Both Tim Spector and Chris van tulleken (my current favourite person) have said its less than 1% chance without surgery or drugs. And they're the people who seem to be talking sustainable longterm change...

They don't mean it's physically/medically impossible, just that it's so hard and only a few people manage it without surgery or drugs.

I know someone who went from 20 to 10 stone, no drugs or surgery - she lives alone and not short of money. She had a personal counsellor and special 'diet' food and drinks which are delivered. Unfortunately she couldn't manage to maintain and the weight has all gone back on. Maybe she would have managed to maintain with a different regime, who knows.

So yes it's possible to lose the weight - good luck!

My BMI was 50. Got to 30 within less then a year while still having a day off with pizza and drinks.
Held up on 30 to have a break for a bit, dropping down again.
Calorie deficit and HIIT.
You can do it. Not easy, but you can so good on you starting!

The break through for me was to stop listening to everyone. Just get into cal deficit, eat better, do it. No "maybe I have issues with metabolism" "well at that weight it's impossible without surgery" "maybe it's x or y". No, it was none of these. Also stopped listening to all the diet advice because everyone is evangelical about different thing and there is so much conflicting advice. Good old cals in, cals out simply worked.

Calorie counting and mindful eating. I lost and kept off 6 stone this way. Gained a few stone while pregnant and have nearly lost it again. Still got another couple of stone to lose overall to get to my goal weight but I know it will come off easy enough.

"It's near impossible " probably for people who don't deal with their issues. Like why they got to that size in the first place. If you don't deal with the food issues, then you won't lose weight.

If your BMI is 50 the NHS will prescribe Wegovy I think? Or are there personal reasons why it’s not an option?

Well done those of you who have lost weight!

I was fairly set in my path it is just when people I respect (who aren't peddling any weight loss trick and are talking about better health for most of the population etc) causually mention it in a throwaway line. They've both done it now.

It's that nagging thought that what if it os metabolic (hence people above who've "lost but can't keep it off" ) then I'd really like to know!

I'm currently doing it. I was 33st6lb in February this year. I am now 22st10lb so still a bloody long way to go but yes, it can be done.

It is hard and you have to work at it and have the right attitude but it's doable.

is just when people I respect (who aren't peddling any weight loss trick and are talking about better health for most of the population etc) causually mention it in a throwaway line.

Everyone is peddling some "weightloss trick" one way or another. Do they have a book or subscription or paid service? They peddle something.

I like the Instagram weight loss accounts - I find them inspiring - any recommendations of people doing it without surgery?

Chris van tulkekan has a book but his main campaign is against food production companies/gov to label ultra processed food as ultra processed food.

His "thing" is that ultra processed food is harming our nations health. Its a couple of sentences in his whole book ultra processed people, and I've heard him say it online.

Tim spector is blatantly making a ton from Zoe but all his online talks etc are about reducing ultra processed food.

I'm quite happy to follow their principles in order to eat healthier and reduce cravings etc and I'm not signing up to anything.

Neither of them have an interest to sell anything to morbidky obese people etc its more they think that cutting down upf will make people healthier. But they both have a caveat that those who are morbidly Obese need surgical/medical intervention.

Then I googled and found this UK study based on 160 000 bariatric patients
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539812/

It wasn't some random 9 out of 10 cats prefer whiskers type thing but saying that intervention isn't working.

Which isn't the rabbit hole I wanted - hence the thread wondering if clever people here knew what the case was.

Have you considered whether you have an eating disorder or disordered eating. If so that would be the first place to start.

@IncompleteSenten wow that's over 10stone already!!!

What is working for you? Have you got support?

Whoever above said their Dr had suggested batriatreic surgery. I had a 7 minute conversation with my Dr that didn't get anywhere and I need to do 2 years of second nature/slimmingnworld/etc before ether even start to think about surgery apparently.

@Nicole1111 well pretty sure I was binge eating/ have disordered eating.

I had some trauma therapy (not around eating it wasnt her area) and am in a much better place right now. I dont think I'm in a binge cycle in the same way I sued to be.

It was only about 13stone when I was concerned about disordered eating and joined a group which was all about Joe food wasn't rhe issue and intuitive eating. Unfortunately my intuition is broken and I've piled another 10 stone on in the 9 years since...

I also have ME/cfs so had a big reduction in activity at the same time/can't exercise my way out of it.

So I can point to "factors" (absuive childhood /scarcity of food/ lack of energy to cook/ upf/ depression and anxiety ) unfortunately my anxiety and depression drug is one that leads to weight gain.... so although I've been well for 2 years I'm trying to come off it now hoping that after therapy I'm in a better place.

What do you mean ‘what if it is metabolic?’

I have PCOS which is a metabolic disorder. You can lose weight and you can keep it off. I have had to tweak what I eat. And consider other things but it’s still possible.

People with metabolic disorders still lose weight and keep it off. If you have a metabolic disorder and put fat on, it hasn’t come from nowhere. You still have to have eaten excess food.

It can be bit harder if you have something classed as a metabolic disorder. But that’s not why people put the weight back on. They put it on because they do a diet with a limited goal. Once they reach it they let old habits creep back in.

Morbidly obese people don’t lose weight, maintain their healthy eating and activity and end up morbidly obese again. They have to have over eaten for prolonged periods.

@Dolphinnoises our area isn't doing wegovy or I'm in a place where I'd try anything!

Have you seen Tulleken's work on the physical changes in the brain that take place when you eat UPFs?

"Brain activity scans showed the areas of Chris’ brain responsible for reward had linked up with the areas that drive repetitive, automatic behaviour. “Eating ultra-processed food became something my brain simply tells me to do, without me even wanting it”, he says, adding this is a similar brain response to taking substances we consider classically addictive such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs."

What's more, when he switched back to a non-UPF diet, his brain didn't immediately go back to how it was. These new neural connections didn't just disappear with a few weeks of healthy eating.

He's keen to stress that the changes aren't necessarily permanent, but reversal isn't instant or simple either. These physical changes in the brain are contributing to the drive to overeat, which is why he feels so strongly about UPFs and the cycle of obesity.

Do bear in mind that he is a doctor, a medical doctor, so he will view obesity from a medical perspective and will understand the medical statistics, thats all he is referring to, he's just quoting it as part of the information and facts about what the stats tell us

Some people (and you see it a lot on this forum) dont believe its a medical physical thing, that its an emotional/psychological problem.

Its likely that there is a mixture of factors for different people at different times. Both of these factors will be influenced heavily by our society, it encourages obesity in a way that is not so significant in other european countries. America is more set up to virtually mainline UPFs which contribute to this too.

You can only apply what you think is right for you. Statistics also indicate that around 15% of those who have weight loss surgery put it/some back on again, but again, who is measuring that? I went private so if that happens to me, Im not monitored by anyone who would put that in a survey somewhere.

Exercise accounts for very little in fat loss. It’s at least 80% down to what you eat.

Dont worry about not being able to do much activity. It does mean you will need less calories if you are sedentary all day. But that’s because you need less.

Mainlining. Thats what it is, like buying heroin off the shelf in Tesco

I work in NHS weight management, and yes, no one should be kidding you it's not hard. It is unusual, but it is possible.

I have had a few people lose a huge amount of weight, one lady tells people she has lost a whole person (63kg)

There is no quick fix it's sustainable changes for that much weight loss.

Any lifestyle changes you make will make you healthier in the long term too

@TibetanTerrah I'm just reading his book at the moment. I can completely believe it changes the brain - hence belief its physicial.

That's really worrying about long term changes to the brain. I guess I'm wondering if my brains been changed is it actually possible to reverse !? Bearing in mind I've eaten upf for longer than his month.

I'm starting down that road of cutting out upf.

@bellac11 yes thanks - I think that's sort of my point about it being physical not just "well of course you can its simple" I don't think it is simple. And he's a respected doctor looking at a lot of studies not "some quack off the Internet"

I think if he thought it was possible they'd say so?!

I know for now the changes I'm making will help me be healthier but just wanted to be realistic if I can lose 10 stone or not!

I had some binging behaviours which were made 10 times worse by slimming world and it’s unlimited bowls of pasta. Have you read the book intuitive eating? It was a game changer for me and cured my binge eating disorder. I think they do a work book as well.

@gingercat02 thankyou! Ira great to hear from someone in the business that its possible.

I cant seem to access any wieght management support locally. I'm told I have to do "tier 2" foe 2 years before they look at durgery but contacting the tier 2 service its a 3 months (I think) subscription to ww/sw/second nature which isn't what I was looking for.

I'd love a real live person who knows about obesity to check in with and support but I am feeling very much on my own with it.

I think if you start making small changes gradually you May find it easier. I did it by putting salad on my plate (no dressing) and vegetables so my plate still looked full but had less calories. I’d stick to 2/3 potatoes instead of the 5/6 I would usually have.

Good luck it can be done if you do it slowly and you want to.

I was on the 5:2 threads on here right at the start but lots of name changes since then!

Edit: Also every time I lost a significant amount of weight I would show it to myself in potatoes, sugar etc. it really helped me visualise my weight loss.