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.

I thought van tulleken said a one in 4,000 chance? It's really tough. I spent 40 years dieting. Three stone off, five on. Six stone off, eight on. Eight stone off, 10 stone on. You get the picture. Didn't matter how hard I tried I couldn't do it. I finally had surgery when my BMI hit 48 and I was around 11 stone overweight. Wish I'd done it years earlier.

20 years dieting!! Not 40.

I know someone who lost 10 stone. She didn't want to go on medication for type 2 diabetes so this was the incentive that kick started her lifestyle change. She completely changed her diet and walks for miles every day (got a dog). Has definitely managed to maintain the loss too.

My mum managed to loose nine stone about 8 years ago after being obese her whole adult life. It was a long process of about 2 years. She has gained about a stone and is now trying to loose it. She has to watch what she eats all the time and does some form of exercise 4 times a week. It's doable but once you're lost the weight that's not the end of it, it's the beginning of life maintaining it. The nhs won't remove her loose skin even though she's pretty much kept the weight off for 8 years.

My friend did this 20 years ago and is still slim now. Her method was using a calorie counter app.

I think your chances of success will improve if you add in psychological support.

Also the NHS will give you a weight loss coach if you request it from your doctor and are significantly overweight. A relative of mine found this really helpful.

Yes, I'm a member of Slimpod. There are lots of people there who have shed half their weight. It takes time, but it deals with your head. All that brain noise and chatter, gone! It is wonderful to find peace around food.

@OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo

If you don't have a local Tier 3 weight management programme locally (ask at your GP practice), these are useful

www.england.nhs.uk/digital-weight-management/

www.counterweight.org/pages/weight-loss

www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/

@fizzyfood wow well done your mum

@111111111a wow 1 in 4000 that's even more depressing 😬. My fear is exactly that that its not like I've had 10 years of "trying to get fat" I've tried things, lost weight, put more on etc.

Great that surgery's worked for you . Did you go through the dr?

@Princessfluffy that's what I was hoping for but I had coaching once 5 or 6 years ago and apparently it's once and done so she was offering ww/sw/secind nature ....

I would really like psychological support but don't know how to access that. I would even pay if it was reputable I think.

Or a freelance dietitian if you want F2F support
www.bda.uk.com/find-a-dietitian.html

@gingercat02 I can't access tier 3 without 2 years of tier 2.... and that looks like ww/sw/sn here which I'm not sure would help. (Also not sure how i do 2 years when I think they fund 3 month Also our tier 3 isn't doing injections.

It feels like a vicious circle. I know if I join ww/etc I'd game the game and then get obsessive due to disordered eating in the past so don't want to go down that hurdle.

I even trued to access the tier 3 support privately as it looked like that was possible but they don't do that anymore!

Thanks ginger.

Just looked and found a dietician in my area who does do obesity... but it's £80 a session which is way out of my income bracket unfortunately.

@OneMoreStepAlongTheRoadIGo On your other thread you talked about your craving for cheese and crackers - and how you beat yourself up afterwards.

When Chris talked about “Eating ultra-processed food became something my brain simply tells me to do, without me even wanting it” - I think this can be quite empowering when a craving hits. If we accept our brains have been rewired, we're not getting a craving because our 'body needs it' - it's our addicted brain telling us we need it.

I'm not saying it's as simple as 'just say no' but I think ^this insight clashes with a lot of intuitive/mindful eating advice 'listen to your body' etc. I guess what I'm saying is be kind to yourself but keep in mind it's your brain telling you what to do and if it's been rewired then it can't always be trusted!

I was 19.7 stone now 15.8, so no longer morbidly obese. I’ve done this over 3 years so it’s a case of slowly slowly catchy monkey. I don’t attend any weight loss group, I find I yo-yo with them. In fact I’m better when I’m not trying to lose weight.

Change your habits, this may be one at a time while you adjust.

1. switch to full fat dairy as this will make you feel fuller for longer.
2. bin the processed ready meals. I know sometimes life gets in the way but for me I put on weight if I have loads of these.
3. fresh meals of carb, veg, meat. Watch the amount of carb but don’t deprive yourself.
4. Iced ring biscuits are good for a sugary snack as they’re so sweet you can’t eat many.
5. Get off the soda drinks as they give you cravings. This is hard to do, you’ll have a massive headache but so worth it.
6. Give yourself time. Take stock in a year to see where you are. This is a long time thing.
7. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve had a shit day. They are going to happen, pick yourself up as tomorrow is a new day.

Thanks yes I think that's why "intuitive eating " completely didn't work for me and I piled on the weight. And looking at the dieticians in my area a good few are offering intuitive eatinf programmes.

I think ie is great and works for kids/those who aren't so screwed up but I do feel like it hasnt/doesn't work for me and you're right it's probably the upf rewiring...😬

Low carb and low calorie. I'm adjusting as I go. At the moment I stick to under 50g of carbs a day and under 1700 calories. The more weight I lose the lower my calories will need to go in order to carry on losing. I weigh myself every morning and keep a record and I have a magnetic whiteboard on my fridge that I record carbs and calories each day on. I find it helps keep me motivated knowing I'll be sticking it on the fridge 😁

It starts with your mindset. That's what I had to change. Before, I felt resentful. I can't have this I can't have that I've got to do this, that and the other. Like it was being forced on me.

This time my attitude is I am in control. I can have whatever I want. I am choosing not to have certain things. If I want to have cake I could but is it worth it? A few minutes of chewing and swallowing and then what?

Re support. My whole household have joined me in changing how we eat. That's been great. My sister is also doing it and we've got a bit of a competition going on. 😁
My GP surgery are also fantastic. A nurse comes out to see me every month to see how I'm doing and my GP checks on me too. ( I am housebound due to disability not related to my weight). The entire surgery are great. They all want updates every month when the nurse has been. She says when she gets back to the surgery everyone wants to know how I've done. They're all genuinely thrilled for me which is wonderful.

Of course it's possible and the NHS won't offer the drugs or surgery unless you have shown a track record if trying to lose weight through normal means ie. Diet and exercise

@IncompleteSenten that's fantastic! I really did have a particularly unsupportive GP. It would be amazing if I could check in with someone once a month!

@IncompleteSenten Wow, that is an amazing loss, well done. Cannot believe I am faffing about trying to lose the last few pounds and you have lost so much.😁

Thanks 😁

Onemorestep that's really bad. You need to feel supported. You can be my weight loss buddy if you like 😁

I'm probably going to ask for this photo to be deleted in a few hours but I just wanted to show you. I take a photo every month and look at it if I feel like I need more motivation.

I went private. From thinking about it to operation within six weeks. £10k on the credit card. Done.

Well done @IncompleteSenten

I have a photo of fat me next to thin me that is my inspiration. It’s my screensaver on iPhone and iPad! So a permanent reminder!

Too outing to show as I show it to everyone as I’m so proud of myself!

Im limited mobility so can’t exercise much but we got a small rescue who doesn’t need much walking (we potter for around an hour a day on our walks - about 3000 steps) and she’s really helped me force me up!

Well done 11111. That's money that's so out of our reach currently. But worth bearing in mind! It does seem to work for so many.

@IncompleteSenten you look amazing!!! And yes id love to be your weight loss body. I'm going to take a photo now :). What a good idea.

What an interesting and inspiring thread.

Like many others I have lost weight and put it back on again many times. Current BMI is 43. I’d be very happy just being “a bit” obese! I am not keen on drugs or surgery and like others have various non weight related health complications that make things a little trickier.

Love the photos @IncompleteSenten great idea to do it monthly, you can really see the difference. Well done to you.

I had the first session with a wellbeing coach via my GP a week or two ago. Currently on holiday but have agreed some small lifestyle goals to work on when I get back. She sees it very much as gradual sustainable lifestyle changes which will hopefully make a difference. Apparently I can see her once a month for a year.

I am hopeful this time 🤞🤞

There's a group on reddit called 'loseit'. Mainly Americans with some crazy starting numbers (think 400 lbs).

The success stories are amazing and everyone is really supportive of each other from beginning to end.

Definitely can be done hun, definitely