Being fat is making me so miserable

[SnugglyJumpersMakeItBetter]

I've GOT to do something about it!! My beloved dog died in April, and since then I've had the double whammy of comfort-eating mountains of sugary crap and no longer going on walks. I've absolutely piled on the pounds and am heavier than I've ever been before. I waddle instead of walk, I can hear myself breathing, I'm getting horribly sweaty, my joints are suffering, it's a major struggle getting my jeans done up and none of my clothes fit me. I can't bear being like this any more! I'm really struggling to get motivated but I'm going to have to tackle this. Please will you share any advice you have? I can't go on the jabs, but are there any supplements you could recommend to curb cravings? I hate being hungry - what's your go-to for filling you up healthily? If you're on a weight-loss journey please let me know how you got into the mindset.

How much do you walk/exercise?

Until March when my dog started getting sick it was around an hour/hour and a half of brisk walking a day. Since then I've been incredibly sedentary. Hardly any movement at all. It's been a vicious circle because the less active I've been the stiffer my joints have got, and the stiffer they are the harder it is to move. I'm starting to walk again now, about 45 minutes a day. I would like to get back into sea swimming but I can't get into my wetsuit any more, and I'm a wimp about the cold! I have a mini trampoline that I used to enjoy doing workouts on. I should get into that again.

Why can't you get the jabs?

There is nothing that is proven to help that isn't already considered a medication. Having said that, you could try fibre supplements like psyllium husk, chia seeds and so on that swell with water and might help with feeling fuller for longer. You could also try berberine supplements, in tablet form not those daft "patches", as it is also supposed to have some effect on blood sugar and feeling fuller quicker.

Why can't you take the jabs, OP?

I recently started liquid berberine while tapering down my weight loss injections as i am now bmi 23.9 and hunger crept back in after dropping 2 doses and I was craving carbs and sugar again on an evening. The berberine lowers blood sugar and suppress appetite, and has done exactly that and its boosted my suppression so I'm not craving carbs or treats anymore and keeping to low calories. Only been using it approx a week. Its from amazon, I'd recommend it and I'll keep taking it to go down and cone off WLI. I was prediabetic when I started WLI so definitely had major constant carb cravings, high BP and blood sugar as well as anaemia and IBS and WLI has transformed me but I still may have insulin resistance for life so I'm happy to continue using berberine.
https://amzn.eu/d/cFFItV8

Have you also considered adopting a dog? There are plenty in shelters that need a home if you were wanting another dog.

Thanks for your input everyone! I can't get the jabs because I'm unemployed at the moment and can't justify the cost. Besides which I'm scared of injections, and am a little concerned about possible long term impacts that haven't come to light yet.

I'm not ready for another dog yet. And can't afford it. And may have to relocate for work, so it's not the right time. It's a shame because they really are a good excuse to get yourself off the couch!

The berberine sounds interesting! I'm going to order some. I ended up having a big carby snack in the middle of the night last night when I woke up feeling starving hungry.

I don’t do jabs to lose weight. I can’t take any supplements or medications that affect the gut as mine is so sensitive to changes and my IBS will flare up so badly and make my life miserable.. so I am a non medicated person as much as possible not really through choice. Even antibiotics will make me unwell gastric-ally but obviously I sometimes have to take them as needs must. I can’t even take protein powder as it’s so bad!

So I got my weight down from 220lbs (100kg) to 145lbs (66kg) it took me over 2 years.

I do not eliminate anything from my diet or do any fads or avoid food groups. Firstly I got myself in counselling for why I was not happy with my life and then this helped me to get on track with where I wanted my life to be. It’s really hard to do everything at once OP. You are grieving your dog and you aren’t working so you have a lot going on. Your mindset won’t just be ‘I need to be smaller’ as you are trying to cope with life in general and survive each day. So I would start with looking after your mind, your body will follow.

Walk more, and do this for your mental health and joints and don’t think just in terms of weight. Walking will really improve your mindset and give you focus.

I did track what I was eating every day so I could make changes to it as I needed to, I could try to work out what wasn’t working then do it different. I did work out how much I needed to eat using an online calculator for my TDEE and I got myself a smart watch to set myself goals.

I discovered I love yoga and Pilates so now I do that too along with lifting weights and walking. Once I felt better in my mind, my weight loss slowly followed along in the journey

good luck

Could you try some home workouts? Look up some low impact ones that are easier on your joints - start with 15 minutes and you can add others if you want.

If you're at home a lot, I can imagine it's easy to turn to snacking. I find if I do more exercise, it makes me feel better and I'm then more likely to reject snacks. It fills the time too.

DVD workout first in the morning helped me

Upping exercise is shears found but you need to be in a calorie deficit, and most exercise will burn off… not a lot. I find tracking really helps. I use My Fitness Pal. Don’t wait for motivation - just start tomorrow and track everything you put in your mouth. You will have to weigh food and think about how you are cooking - with oil and so on. Consistency wins.

Thank you all for your advice. I've cut back on all the unhealthy stuff and have been walking about 40mins a day. I worked up the courage to weigh myself so I know what my starting point is, and am going to count calories moving forward. I'm hoping for about 2lbs a week weight loss. I just really need to stick to it now.

Sticking at it will be the thing. Don’t make it too onerous and aim for a lower loss each week and make it a change for life.

With your joints you could try swimming or walking in water to help build some muscle.

The other thing id recommend is psyllium capsules, and lots of water! It’s a natural form of fibre and swells and I find it helps to fill me up.

Other things are lots of fibre and low calorie fruit and veg to fill you up, celery, carrots, apples and berries. Prep them in advance to make them more appealing.

Maybe re-start walking, albeit sans pooch. An hour or an hour and a half each day of walking is really good for you - the weight will drop off and you'll get healthier.

I'm really sorry for your loss.

That all sounds great, walking each day is such a good thing for mental health as well as physical health. I would agree with aiming for changes that you can sustain for the long term and don't reduce your calories too low.