re: Am I Essentially Doomed To Weight Loss/Diabetes Medicine?

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I even told the doctor today that the last thing I want is another forever medicine.

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Don't rule out a statin. And don't ever get prostate problems.

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Right now during the week I try to not even eat before Noon. I'm trying intermittent fasting, only eating between Noon and 8:00 p.m.

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The issue for me I think is snacking and having those cravings. That's what I can't seem to get under control.

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Breakfast is the best meal because you burn off everything you eat. You should get the most calories at the start of your day. If you teach your body to expect food at normal intervals you won’t be compelled to eat at irregular times.

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She said at this point, even if I had a really healthy diet, my body is essentially working against me and essentially is trying to gain weight, not lose it.

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Thats a crock of sh*t. I'm not against weight loss drugs but you won't keep gaining weight if you're exercising and eating in a calorie deficit. The weight loss drug helps you lose weight because you eat less while taking it. If you dont want to be on it for the rest of your life you need to have some self control and discipline.


I bet if you start tracking your calories you'll realize that you're eating way more than you think you are.

Incorrect.

Dude it is not as bad as you feel right now. After about 35 years of age, I was always about 15-20 Lbs. overweight. Enough to bother me, but not enough to do anything about it. I go to Japan several times per year for work. On one particular trip years ago, I knew what I weighed before I left home. I ate like a madman in Japan that week so when I got back, I weighed to see the damage.. but I had lost 7 pounds. Why? No highly processed and high-carb foods, and 30-minute brisk walks 2 or 3 times per day. My point is that no matter how down you feel about this right now, a couple new habits WILL set you on the right track.

Long post incoming (sorry), but I wanted to share my experience with OP.

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She said at this point, even if I had a really healthy diet, my body is essentially working against me and essentially is trying to gain weight, not lose it.

It's just a gut punch, as the doctor said I would be on it the rest of my life. I asked about getting the weight down with it and then going off the medication, but she essentially said all the weight would come back if I go off it. Another reason I'm hesitant to even start.

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Yeah, this is essentially bullshite IMO. I'm not saying you have a shitty doctor, but there shouldn't be any reason you can't get yourself healthy on your own without being FORCED onto GLPs.

I was the heaviest I've ever been in my life around this time last year and last summer. Most people didn't believe how much I weighed because I guess I wore it at least better than most. But I knew and I felt like shite all the time and was uncomfortable in my own skin. I always talked some bullshite about how I was gonna start exercising regularly and lose weight and all that, but I just never did and never committed myself to actually do it and stick with it.

Then last summer I found out I had cancer and my mind sort of shifted. Thankfully, it is a "good" one to have (testicular), but it's already come back once so now I've had it twice (and hopefully it stays gone this time). But around July/August of last year (after my first surgery) I finally told myself if I was ever gonna be a fricking grownup about all this and actually put forth the effort to get healthier, now was the time.

I started simple, just doing little workouts at home in the evenings. I'm not a runner and I hate lifting weights and "working out." But I found out that I actually enjoy jumping rope. So I started doing that, and also mixing in jumping jacks. Eventually I threw in some burpees in between. So my weeknight exercise routine basically looks like this:

50 jump ropes
5 burpees
25 jumping jacks
5 burpees

And I repeat that 5-6 times. So by the end of it I've basically done 250-300 jump ropes, 125-150 jumping jacks (of which each of those is two jumps), and 60 burpees.

It's not much, and only takes about 20 minutes to do as I watch TV in my living room. But it gets me active and I enjoy it.

I also do little workouts at work. When I started, every hour on the hour I drop down in my office and do ten pushups and sit-ups. Currently, I do ten pushups (military style now because I do have diastasis recti from losing so much weight), 20 side crunches, 10 regular crunches, and 20 leg lifts (ten on each leg). The whole thing takes me maybe a minute or so. But by the end of the day, I've done 100 pushups, 300 crunches, and 200 leg lifts. And seriously, it seems like not much but I can feel how much stronger I am now than I was a few months ago when I started the at-work stuff.

I also started just generally eating less/better. My issue is that I don't really eat healthy shite hardly ever, so my strategy is eating less unhealthy shite. So even if I still eat pizza or whatever, I eat far less than I used to. And I try to stay away from eating bullshite regularly (i.e. ice cream, etc.). And I fast here and there too. Since September I've done several three-day fasts, and a four day, and several two day ones (to reset my appetite if I notice myself feeling hungrier). I kinda enjoy the fasting and like the challenge of "you can't eat or drink anything except water for three days." And if you research into fasting, there are some really solid health benefits from it. When your body goes into autophagy after that 2 day (or even 1.5 day) mark, you can physically and mentally feel a difference, or at least I can. Currently, I generally eat one meal a day at most, and sometimes eat every day and a half or so. Society has conditioned us that we have to eat three meals a day and that's simply not true. And my sort of unscientific theory on all of that is that if I was alone on a desert island, I would be hungry and my body would slowly eat away at itself and I would lose weight. So if I eat like I currently do, I am always in a small constant state of hunger, and thus my body is slowly eating away at its own fat. And it's working (for me anyway).

That has worked for me really well. Currently I am down around 45 pounds and feel better than I have in prolly ten years physically. I am stronger and my stamina is way up. I do play sports once or twice a week, and nowadays when I am finished I'm barely tired and not winded at all (whereas a year ago I got winded very quickly). And I am to the point now where I am seeing results and getting complimented all the time, which is great motivation to continue.

But my whole goal was lifestyle change and not just simply "losing weight." Especially with the fasting...that isn't made for long-term weight loss. But I think I've done that with the lifestyle changes fairly well. It's pretty much my routine. And it doesn't mean I don't slip up sometimes...my buddies and I have a Man Weekend once a year at one of their camps, and I ate a ton there and put on about 6-7 pounds. But once I got back home, it was back to my routine and I lost that weight in less than a week.

But anyway, sorry for the long arse post. But I just wanted you (OP) to know that it IS possible to get healthier and lose weight without having to rely on medication. It really can be as simple as the old Walton & Johnson method of "eat less, move around more." If my lazy arse can do it, you (or anybody else) can do it. And I think it's definitely worth a try on your own before you're hooked and reliant upon medicine for the rest of your life.

Good luck, man. Keep us posted.

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She said at this point, even if I had a really healthy diet, my body is essentially working against me and essentially is trying to gain weight, not lose it.

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find a different Doctor

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would be willing

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That's a whole lot of woukd be willings. What are you waiting for?

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The issue for me I think is snacking and having those cravings. That's what I can't seem to get under control. Anything over the counter that genuinely cuts down on cravings? Any good meal replacement shakes that actually make you feel full?

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eat foods with protein and fiber to control cravings