It can be done. I did it!

[Paul Clarke 108]

Weighed in this morning at 188.4 which for me is a BMI of 24.9 (healthy range). This is down from a high of 412lb on 4/27/17 and a BMI of 54.4 (super obese range). Thats a loss of 223lb (or 101kg). Of this 102lb was pre op. I know how long this journey is for each and every one of you, I really do. It is so easy to get discouraged and have your mental stability rolled by one bad weigh in. Feeling your progress is never enough, never quick enough, that you are failing etc. There are very few easy days and in this battle against yourself there really is nowhere to hide. However, it can be done,

Things I have learned along the way. One weigh in means very little. The trend is the truth. If you are loosing or gaining over time, if you keep records you will see that. The result of one days weigh in good or evil, is accurate only +/- a couple of lb. So don't be too discouraged (or take too much of a victory lap) based on one days results. You are in this race for a lifetime.

We all have good and bad days, and everyday the calorie count starts again. Everyday, every moment we make a choice about our future but we cannot change our past. So having a good or bad day means nothing tomorrow, it starts again, learn from it and move on. You are really only going to fail if you stop trying.

I am an obsessive data junky. I weigh in every day, which I intend to continue and track everything I eat, my streak in Myfitnespal is now 241 days. It is tempting to under record what you eat, because having a low number of calories in your diary feels better, but you can't lie to yourself. It is easy to cheat, but who but yourself are you cheating? This may seem like a haste land waste of time, but I spend less than 5 minutes per day on this. Of course I have a huge spreadsheet as well on which I spend a considerable amount of time obsessing over, but to me that is fun. It has my daily weigh ins since surgery as well as calories consumed and forecasts my weigh loss half a dozen different ways and tracks my performance against my progress goals. But this helps me, and I enjoy it.

I read the labels on the food I eat and make a conscious choice about where I am to my calorie goal and whether what I am about to eat is worth it. This process has been a real eye opener because it is amazing just how many calories all our food contains, It is no wonder to me now why people are overweight as it really seems that every product in the supermarket and on sale elsewhere is designed specifically to be nearly as bad for you as possible, even those things we are sold as being healthy.

There is no one way to do all of this. Some people exercise obsessively nearly from day 1 post op. That wasn't my way and I didn't start on the treadmill until I had lost more than 200lb. My learning here is find something that works for you and just do that. For me it was to really only eat one meal per day, plus a small snack (usually a Protein Bar, Oatmega bars are yum) for Breakfast and lunch. Now that wasn't easy and I have been hungry a lot and that wouldn't work for everyone. However, you will find a place where you can sustain the level of effort and see results. Whatever that is for you, do that and remember what that was. If you have a bad day or week, then you will know what to go back to. This wont be easy, but you will get out of this what you put in. Surgery is not a magic bullet, it only gives you superpower of being able to eat less, the rest is up to you.

The only remaining question is, "Is this all worth it?". For me the answer is definitely yes. I feel and think I look so much better. I can stand for long periods of time without the pain of my huge belly, pulling out my back. I no longer use my horrible CPAP machine. I have actually started running on my treadmill (only a few minutes at a time, but I am getting there). The downsides, so far as I can see are I am a huge ball of loose skin, and there are parts of me that as quite skinny and boney. My shoulders and arms look a bit skeletal. I have no padding on my tailbone, so I need to sit on a coccyx cushion at my desk or while driving and I am also cold all the time. Hopefully over time I will be able to overcome these, but even still if nothing changed on a net basis, for me, it was totally worth it.

My next challenge is to maintain all of this. How do I start to increase my calorie intake to go from loosing to maintaining, is what I need to discover. All I know is I don't want to go back and getting here has been too much work to ever want to go back.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Paul Clarke
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[FluffyChix 17,409]

Congrats on your amazing loss and getting to goal!!

[ElectricBoogaloo 337]

Congratulations! Thank for sharing your story.

[GreenTealael 24,868]

Congrats!!!

[Alex123 18]

Congratulations Paul thats awesome. Its been a long road in your journey. I have been asked many times the same question, Is it worth it??? I think we all at one point or another felt it was worth it. Me being a newbie 3 months out in post op I am still learning more and more about my body. My biggest concern is the maintenance stage and how to keep it going for the long haul but Ill cross that bridge when I get there and learn what I can meanwhile. For now I am enjoying my journey. Thanks for sharing!

[Liz The New Me 281]

Paul Clarke Thank you for taking the time to write your story. There is wisdom in reading it. I am a newbie to still all. Yes it is hard to not compare yourself to others. I have to remind myself that is took me how long in being this big size and I am losing it faster that it took to put on. You did an incredible job in losing all this weight in that time. Be proud of yourself. I hope someone does answer you back on how to maintain it going forward. Best wishes Paul.

[Zigmorgan 11]

Thanks for sharing. Tracking progress and forecasting the future on spreadsheets is fun.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

Congrats on your amazing success and thank you for sharing your inspirational story and words of wisdom!

[rs 1,473]

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.

[Letsgetgoing2018 448]

Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations. You offer hope for us newbies!