Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Let's talk about diet, weight(loss?), and living healthier

photon · 02-22-2024, 11:03 AM

I'm down about 80lbs since 2021.

I don't really have a target weight in mind, more just general health and lifestyle goals.. stuff like "buy clothes at a normal store" or "be able to go to a concert or fly on a plane and be comfortable in the seat" or "go shopping at the mall or Costco without my back killing me". Or the fact that you don't see many old people my size (because they're all dead?).

I've lost with diets in the past but as everyone says unless it's lifestyle changes you'll just gain it back, and I did and more.

I finally decided I needed some additional help and I enrolled in the bariatric program in Calgary. Even without surgery I lost weight due to food tracking (everyone should do this at some point just to understand, but it vastly improves chances of success when trying to manage weight), support from dieticians, doctors, nurses, mental health support, etc. But my loss from that plateaued at 25-30lbs. So ultimately I did decide to have the gastric bypass surgery.

Which I did this past October, and I've lost 50 lbs since then. Right after the surgery you lose a lot since you're on a liquid diet and struggling to get protein and calories, but once I started to eat "normally" I've been very consistent in losing. Over about 15 weeks I've lost 30lbs, so averaging about 2lbs a week, and the graph is pretty much a straight line minus day to day fluctuations.

For me the surgery acted like a giant reset button. Suddenly things like hunger, cravings, portion control, everything fell into manageability. Making good choices is so much easier. It isn't a silver bullet, you still have to put in the work. The surgery is just a tool and only works as well as you use it. The years I spent tracking food and learning to eat better are paying dividends now as I know how to meet my food goals.

So far my only regret is I didn't do it sooner. My dietician now bugs me about thinking too much about calories and carbs and stuff when all he wants me to do is track my macros and make good choices.

So to do a similar format to the OP:

Start Date: Q1 2021
Start Weight: Big
Current Weight: Big - 80lbs
Goal Weight: If I could lose another 60lbs I'd be super happy

Tools:
Apple Watch
MyFitnessPal / Chronometer
Evernote to track exercise routine

Strategy:
Learn to eat healthier by preparing my own foods, understanding what's in the food I eat
Bariatric surgery
Strength training dumbbells/isometric at home

Macro diet goals:
Minimum 100g protein
Minimum 30g fibre
Carbs and fat let them fall where they may but make good choices most of the time, avoid long term upward trends

Activity goals:
30-40 minutes of strength training every other day
Maybe buy a bike in the spring
or maybe join a sport?

Long term goals
Get stronger
Keep the weight off long term once hitting equilibrium

02-22-2024, 11:03 AM	#23
photon The new goggles also do nothing. Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Calgary Exp:	I'm down about 80lbs since 2021. I don't really have a target weight in mind, more just general health and lifestyle goals.. stuff like "buy clothes at a normal store" or "be able to go to a concert or fly on a plane and be comfortable in the seat" or "go shopping at the mall or Costco without my back killing me". Or the fact that you don't see many old people my size (because they're all dead?). I've lost with diets in the past but as everyone says unless it's lifestyle changes you'll just gain it back, and I did and more. I finally decided I needed some additional help and I enrolled in the bariatric program in Calgary. Even without surgery I lost weight due to food tracking (everyone should do this at some point just to understand, but it vastly improves chances of success when trying to manage weight), support from dieticians, doctors, nurses, mental health support, etc. But my loss from that plateaued at 25-30lbs. So ultimately I did decide to have the gastric bypass surgery. Which I did this past October, and I've lost 50 lbs since then. Right after the surgery you lose a lot since you're on a liquid diet and struggling to get protein and calories, but once I started to eat "normally" I've been very consistent in losing. Over about 15 weeks I've lost 30lbs, so averaging about 2lbs a week, and the graph is pretty much a straight line minus day to day fluctuations. For me the surgery acted like a giant reset button. Suddenly things like hunger, cravings, portion control, everything fell into manageability. Making good choices is so much easier. It isn't a silver bullet, you still have to put in the work. The surgery is just a tool and only works as well as you use it. The years I spent tracking food and learning to eat better are paying dividends now as I know how to meet my food goals. So far my only regret is I didn't do it sooner. My dietician now bugs me about thinking too much about calories and carbs and stuff when all he wants me to do is track my macros and make good choices. So to do a similar format to the OP: Start Date: Q1 2021 Start Weight: Big Current Weight: Big - 80lbs Goal Weight: If I could lose another 60lbs I'd be super happy Tools: Apple Watch MyFitnessPal / Chronometer Evernote to track exercise routine Strategy: Learn to eat healthier by preparing my own foods, understanding what's in the food I eat Bariatric surgery Strength training dumbbells/isometric at home Macro diet goals: Minimum 100g protein Minimum 30g fibre Carbs and fat let them fall where they may but make good choices most of the time, avoid long term upward trends Activity goals: 30-40 minutes of strength training every other day Maybe buy a bike in the spring or maybe join a sport? Long term goals Get stronger Keep the weight off long term once hitting equilibrium __________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one.