What No One Tells You About Permanent Weight Loss

Chronicles of My Weight Struggles Vol. 2

There was a time when I was much larger than I am today, the biggest I have ever been. I am not proud to say it, but my Body Mass Index was around 40. In medical terms, that is in the “extremely or morbid obese” category. The only higher classification is “super obese,” with a BMI of 45 and up.(1)

I was not in a great place mentally. For various personal reasons, I was struggling with depression. Food was the way that I tried to make myself feel better. In the articles “Addictive Foods” and “Hormones are Making Me Overeat!”, I discussed how eating certain foods triggers the brain to release the “feel good” hormones and how that perpetuates a cycle of overeating resulting in weight gain.

I was treating my depression with food. I am sure there are lots of people in those same shoes.

I was ashamed of how I looked and how I felt. After an eating binge, I would have loads of guilt. I was treating my body poorly, but I was also treating my mental and spiritual self poorly.

I am not saying this so you feel sorry or bad for me. I am sharing so you will understand my journey.

I hope that if you are feeling similarly, you will know that you are not alone.

I want to encourage you that there is a way out of this cycle and on to a different life full of energy and good feelings toward yourself. I was able to turn it around, and you can do it too.

Back then, I was eating loads of processed food in large volumes that were not good for my body, and my physique showed it. Getting take-out and fast food was a staple in those days. I rarely cooked for myself. When I did cook, it was just another version of the junk food I commonly bought.

I drank entirely too many sugary drinks, more soda than water. Frequently, I would visit my local barista and indulge in high-calorie coffee drinks. I was not making the best decisions for my body.

I took it for granted, forgetting it needed my body to last me a lifetime.

In addition to the poor food choices, I did not exercise. I rarely got off the sofa unless going to the refrigerator or pantry to get food, and then I would eat it in front of the television.

I kept going down this path until I received news that probably would not surprise you at one of my medical checkups. I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic.

My primary care physician wanted to put me on medication to lower my cholesterol and another to lower my blood pressure. What!?! I wasn’t yet 30 years old. I am a nurse. By this time, I had also gotten my nurse practitioner certification. I knew better.

I had been educated on these conditions and how high body weight is directly related to their deterioration.

I knew being overweight could make you sick. The first thing that came to mind was that I did this to myself.

The good news is that I also knew that I could reverse this situation if I lost weight.

That is when I decided. I knew I needed to Get Healthy. In this case, getting healthy meant taking off some weight. I was determined not to be on medication due to my food and exercise choices.

In my quest to reduce my size and get my health back on track, I researched and tried every “diet” available. If someone suggested a quick fix, I was sure to attempt it. Unfortunately, I succumbed to every fad to lose weight.

I would lose some and gain it all back again, plus some.

This repeatedly happened as I searched for some method other people said was the solution to losing weight. I did not find anything that worked for me long-term. Most of these diet plans worked to take the weight off temporarily. Inevitably, I would regain all the weight back and a bit more.

I was really getting big, and my medical conditions would improve when I was smaller but return as soon as the weight came back on. Finally, I got desperate and tried weight loss surgery — the Lap-Band. I was sure that would do it. But, alas, it was not the answer either.

Like all the other diets, I lost weight and then started putting it back on. For three years, I struggled to find a permanent solution to lose weight and keep it off.

The constant struggle and ups and downs of weight loss brought me to some reflective thoughts.

Why can I not stick to any of these “diets”?

What was wrong with what I was doing?

How do I create lasting change for myself?

So, I started a new journey. One of discovery. How does one make a lasting change? A sustainable, life-long change was my goal.

I decided to look outside of dieting and look instead at other forms of change. I started reading about how people change, in general. I looked at tobacco cessation, alcohol abstinence, and behavioral psychotherapy.

I learned a few things that apply to losing weight, and I am excited to share them with you. Through this series of blogs, I will briefly touch on each of these subjects to give you an overview and then, in the future, go into greater depth on each of these topics.

First things first -

To get new results, you must first change what you are currently doing.

I know this sounds obvious: if you want to change, you must actually change.

Unfortunately, I temporarily tried to change my eating habits and I lost weight. Then I would go back to eating the way I was before I changed my eating habits, somehow expecting, or more appropriately, wishing I would Stay Healthy.

You cannot do what made you gain weight in the first place and hope to maintain your new figure..

The solution is simple.

To have lasting changes in your life and improved health, you must transform what, when, and how you eat from this point forward.

Oh, my goodness. I know you don’t want me to say it nor do you want to do this, but hear me out

In my Get Healthy Weight Loss System will show you my tips and tricks for eating sweets, snacking, going out, drinking alcohol, going to parties, and even enjoying the holidays while still keeping the weight off. It is possible, I have done it for years, and I do not feel deprived.

I still enjoy myself, food, drink, and how I look by implementing the Stay Healthy Method.

Ask yourself, what does life look like if you do nothing different?

Is that what you want for yourself?

Once you get accustomed to the changes you choose to make in your life, you can still enjoy food. The first step is to recognize that you need to make a change.

Like you, I, too, have grappled with my weight. Just because I have maintained a “normal” BMI since 2005 doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. It is a daily challenge. Throughout this blog, I will discuss my battle with obesity, weight loss, and how I have been able to keep it off for so long.

Join me in the Get Healthy Weight Loss System, and I will also talk about dealing with and avoiding the pitfalls and traps of everyday life.

Finally, in the Get Healthy System, I will show you how to work with all the factors we discussed so you can succeed. It is possible. For many years, I have kept the weight off. I invite you to come along on this journey with me. The health improvements, higher energy levels, and mental wellness of weight loss are so worth it.

Reference:

  1. Weir CB, Jan A. BMI Classification Percentile And Cut Off Points. [Updated 2021 Jun 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541070/