Gonna try to be brief cause I could write a book about my lifelong struggle but I know you wanna just see the main points.
I want to try a new diet that I just dreamed up off the top of my head and want some opinions about it.
About me first: I'm 577 pounds right now, but in January 2014 I was 654 and I had a blood clot come loose and lodge in my lung. Almost killed me and was in hospital for 2 weeks. I lost some weight cause I ate nothing but what they gave me. 2 months later I was back in the hospital for another 2 weeks for a bad infection in my lower stomach due to lymphedema. Again I lost more weight cause I ate only what they gave me and the pain was so bad both times I was in the hospital that I didn't have much appetite.
I was down to 550 but gained 27lbs back over the last 6 months.
I have tried every diet known to mankind, all the way back to Deal a Meal from Richard Simmons, lol.
I have tried Atkins, low cal, slim fast, just liquids, juicing, fasting, etc etc. My doctor has had me on Adipex and I tried Belviq recently too. Nothing seems to overcome my addiction.
I turned 40 this month and my mortality hit me really hard. I know I'm a ticking time bomb. I already have diabetes and take Metformin, have high blood pressure and take meds for that, as well as having to take a blood thinner everyday for the rest of my life cause I had the blood clot.
After I had the blood clot and lived, I wrote a letter telling my family goodbye in case I die in the next few years. At one point I just accepted the fact that I was doomed to be fat forever and that I would never see age 50. I wasn't depressed, just basically accepted it and moved on. Now though, I keep thinking that I love waking up everyday and I know there is so much I have yet to experience or see and I want to try diet again.
Few more facts, hope your not getting bored reading this. I have been fat all my life, this isn't something that just happened. I was 200+ lbs in 7th grade cause I remember weighing in for the football team. In high school I got up to around 350. After I left school I went all the way into the 600's.
I'm addicted to food food food! I didn't have a bad childhood, I didn't overeat to hide my true self or any of that stuff. I just love food and feeling really full. I'll eat even when I'm satisfied just cause I love the taste of something.
I have a wife that I've been with for 12 years, she accepts me for who I am. We have plenty of money, boat, ATV's and stuff that never gets used. We've had the ATV's for 2.5 years and only put 500 miles on them. Our boat for 7 years and it just sits in the garage, maybe took it out 25 times since I bought it. So I'm not fat cause I'm in poverty or anything and I can afford those expensive diet foods, I just am addicted to fried and unhealthy stuff. All I see on TV is experts saying that most fat people are that way cause we had a bad experience or bad childhood or we are below the poverty level and are not well educated, etc. I just feel like I'm fat cause I'm addicted to great tasting food that is not healthy for my body.
So, here I am tonight, thinking of giving another diet a try. I don't know what to do, I've done so many things that I hate to just try the same old stuff I've done before and failed to stick to. So I have a weird thing I want to try and you tell me what you think.
o.k. so I want to pick something that I love to eat and never get tired of. This may sound crazy but I want to go on a hot dog diet, lol I know it sounds stupid.
While I was on a diet a couple years ago I tried these Oscar Mayer fat free hot dogs that have 50 calories each. I love them and don't mind eating them every day. Here is my current wild thought process.
4 Oscar mayer hotdogs 200 calories
4 slices of Natures Own Low cal white bread 160 calories
2 Tablespoons Heinz Ketcup 40 calories
2 Tablespoons mustard 0 calories
Heinz Dill relish 20 calories
1 Serving Pringles sour cream and onion fat free pringles 70 calories
Water to drink(I don't drink anything else unless I go to a restaurant)
Total calories for the 4 dogs and chips = 490 calories. I want to eat that twice a day, so 980 Calories a day from that. I also want to eat one other meal that I'll limit to 600 calories.
So in my mind if I can stick to this plan I'll ingest around 1580 calories a day.(if my math is correct)
My Doctor doesn't want me to eat less than 2000 a day cause he says someone my size needs 4000 calories a day to maintain my weight and less than 2000 would actually be bad for my health. In the hospital the doctor in there had me on 1800 a day and I was losing weight while there. Although he did agree with my main Dr., that I should not really go below 2000 unsupervised.
I don't exercise cause I'm lazy. Not making any excuses about pain cause I do have a lot at my size but mostly I'm just lazy and wanna keep this real with you all.
I don't know what to do, I know that eating 4 hotdogs does make me feel stuffed, so I think that would satisfy my need to feel full. I don't get tired of hot dogs for some reason(at least I haven't yet) so I think I could do it long term. With keeping my 3rd meal open, I can add variety and hopefully not get bored with the diet so quickly. You can eat a lot of meals under 600 calories and if I go a little over one day, I'm still under that 2000 that my Dr. wants me to stick to.
If I had an answer for food addiction, I wouldn't be stuck at 200 lbs…..
Seriously, it's what's keeping me stuck at this weight.
Chocolate just tastes so good.
Perhaps work in smaller amounts of the stuff you fancy, so you manage to lose weight and eat good tasting stuff as well. Also look at healthy foods (i.e. fruit) that tastes great as well.
You're right about one thing - whatever you decide to do has to be sustainable for you. I suspect that's why you're opting for hot dogs, because you like them and don't think you'll tire of them.
But what do I think about the meal plan you've chosen? Truthfully it sucks, it sucks big time. Every food you mentioned is HIGHLY processed and toxic imo. There's not a single vegetable on your list. There are ingredients in these processed foods that cannot be pronounced and should not be entering the human body. There is not one item on your list that does not contain several different kinds of sugar. These foods are utterly devoid of any nutrition - no matter how much you weigh your body still needs and deserves nutritious foods to function properly. When you give it this kind of food it will continue to feel unsatisfied, food that is devoid of nutrition makes your body more and more hungry.
Like your doctors say, I think it's a bad idea to go under 2000 calories. There is a healthy way to lose weight, but you need supervised help. If I were in your position I would spend the money necessary to get the help I need. There is a plethora of food that you can eat that will make you feel and move better and fuel your brain! You don't have to limit yourself to one restricted meal. There are hundreds of vegetables you can eat, meats, grains, fruits, why limit yourself so much? Your body deserves and needs real food!
I'm glad that you've been totally honest with us, and more importantly with yourself and that you know you're in dire need (life or death) to lose weight. That's a really good first step.
I agree with your doctor about not going below 2,000 calories, at least not yet. At some point you would need to lower them but that's a bridge to cross much later when you get there.
Hot dogs. Not the best for you BUT at this point if you think you can eat some of those to hold you over to get some weight off then I say go for it. Skip ketchup and use mustard, buy whole wheat buns. As long as you're positive you're eating at 2,000 cals a day. After a while TRY to incorporate veggies for your sides. You can eat a lot of green veggies and still be below your caloric allowance and their nutrient dense. I steam broccoli with a little olive oil and garlic, sometimes add a sprinkle little crushed red pepper. Very low cal and tasty.
Don't go into this at an extreme approach thinking you will not allow yourself anything other than hotdogs otherwise you will want what you can't have. Baby steps but most important is portion control which is something you will learn in time. Granted I have never been morbidly obese so I can't say I relate in any way but I restrict myself of nothing, it's all about portion size. Fad diets or "diets" in general are a phase, this has to be thought of as a permanent lifestyle change. Again, baby steps. Eliminate the fast food and start replacing with healthy foods. There's 100 ways to cook chicken breasts and salmon that are very healthy. You will eventually start finding you actually like these foods and get turned off by processed.
Do not drink any calories. Lots of water.
Exercise. Just walk...for now. Work your way up to 40 minutes a day eventually.
Get your wife's support and also log all of your food on myfitnesspal.com to make sure you're in check. It's free.
You have a boat and money? People would kill for that. GO out there and live! Make that your goal. You can travel and everything. I'm jealous to be honest.
You CAN do this. I have seen many people here that have lost well over 100 pounds that started out like you.
Start with trying to lose 50p. Don't overwhelm by focusing on losing 300. Try to lose 50p at a time then move on to the next 50. A year from now you can be down 100. That's a lot! Eye on the prize.
First, why don't you go ahead and aim for that 2000 calories per day minimum that your doctors both think is wiser. You'll still lose weight, even without exercise. 2000 calories is still drastically low for your body weight, I'd personally aim higher, but I understand how critical it is for you to get the weight off! I wouldn't even worry about the exercise right now, focus on the food because that is where the main battle is. Hopefully, as you drop weight you'd actually naturally want to go for a walk or whatever, but no need to force it on yourself right at the start.
Second, could you maybe try to give yourself a bit of variety to up the healthfulness of your diet? Like, sure have this hot dog day you're describing, it probably isn't that much worse (or maybe it's even better!) than what you're currently eating as you're gaining weight anyway, right?
But also how about a nice turkey sub with veggies day, too.
And also maybe a grilled salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and green bean and a giant salad day.
Then right back to the hot dog day, which you love.
Try that for a month.
Then pick a new monthly menu of 3 meals: 1. Hot dog day, 2. Chicken breast and thighs with veggies day, and 3. Turkey Chili with veggies day. Then do that for a month.
Repeat.
I understand the MAJOR allure of keeping it SIMPLE, I am drawn to very, very simple, uncomplicated plans as well. Give me alot of variety, tell me to eat a from a huge menu of healthy things, and my stress level goes WAY, WAY up (for whatever reason) and I panic and believe I can't do it.
This is not uncommon, and it is why meal replacement programs are popular. Many people struggle when faced with wide-open choices and endless variety.
But I'd also like to get some actual nutrients into your body, and also slowly, slowly teach you to eat some food that will help you maintain a lower body weight after you LOSE the initial weight, which will be a struggle in and of itself.
Just some of my thoughts! Hang in there. I can understand where you are coming from. I didn't get fat because of abuse, or a bad childhood, or poverty, or a lack of education either -- and I started overeating very young. So we are coming from the same place.
I would also like to say that I don't have a bad childhood either. I think it's misleading to think that obese people all have bad childhoods.
I believe that a large population of obese people eat for reasons other than hunger. They eat to calm themselves, ease their fear and anxiety, alleviate stress, distract themselves, battle loneliness or boredom. These all stem from a need to take care of ourselves and eating is a simple yet unsophisticated way to do it. You yourself admitted that you like to eat until very full - that has nothin to do with your body's needs, that's a psychological need that is worth exploring.
Gumbeaux, welcome to 3FC! I really appreciate how thoroughly you have thought out your history and what has brought you to where you are today. I hope you'll find this place supportive - for a lot of people support is the missing link. Checking in on here almost daily is what helps keep me on track.
So many good comments so far. I think you've got a good start with the hot dog diet, but you're not quite there. You've obviously figured out that you have to enjoy what you're eating in order to make this work, but more variety and more nutrition from your food will make it even better.
Have you ever written down what you eat in a normal day to see approximately how many calories you are taking in? I might suggest starting there, do it for a few days and see where the bulk of your calories are coming from. Then, write down a few days worth of food plans that you think could work for you, adding up to 2,000 calories. Try a day with the new plan and see how you feel. Tweak it as you go.
Think about the foods that you like, look up their nutritional values and calories, and get a sense for how much food you can eat within your calorie limits. I like to keep a list of meal ideas in my phone that I can go to when I'm not sure what to eat that day, and when I can, I plan my meals a week in advance, right before I go grocery shopping. I'd also keep in mind that it's not just about the calories of the foods. You may feel fuller from a smaller amount of a high calorie/high protein/high fat food than you would from low fat/low calorie foods such as those hot dogs. That will be trial and error, but I encourage you to try new things and make note of what's keeping you fuller longer. It's different for everyone!
Another suggestion would be to find some high volume, low calorie foods that will fill you up without loading you with calories to bulk out your meals (check out the Volumetrics thread for ideas!) For example, you can add a can of veggies to a pot of chili, or a few handfuls of spinach to a pasta dish.
I think it's important to make a plan for yourself and set some goals to keep you accountable, but also to remember that you are human. Things will not always go as planned and your plan may need to change. I wish you the best of luck!
I think keeping it simple at first is a great idea.
A vegetable here and there wouldn't hurt
Along with that I recommend keeping track of your progress.
I say read about foods and ways to prepare tasty healthy food, and as you learn more and more about nutrition and your body your lifestyle will become healthier.
Also, I highly recommend the documentary 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead', it's very entertaining and motivating and it might be an idea to add a daily green juice to get your veggie/fiber intake.
Get yourself an IP coach (Ideal Protein) you will be supervised and after a couple of weeks, you truly won't be hungry.
I was on Contrave for 1 month and lost 5 lbs., but I had side effects, this drug is a combo drug with an anti-addiction portion. Many have been successful using this.
2 weeks ago a life long (grew up with my daughter) friend & neighbor died in his sleep at the age of 39, they didn't even do an autopsy, Cause of Death, morbid obesity. He was a handsome, witty wonderful person & has left a hole in family & friends hearts. I don't want to be scaring you, but it is time. Good Luck & keep posting in 3FC's, you will gain a lot of support, whatever approach you take.
I also recommend MFP for tracking, you can even scan bar codes.
If money isn't an issue why don't you ask your physician for a recommendation for a medically supervised diet, that would be nutritionally balanced, where you don't have to do anything but eat what they hand you?
Honestly my first instinct is to agree with ReNew Me. If you have the money, why not hire a nutritionist, and put the control of what you eat in their hands. If your wife is supportive, she could even help to make sure there's nothing that tempts you around the house.
If that's not an option, I think that that's not a terrible meal for every once in a while, but its not super nutritious in the long run. (Of course, its better than not dieting, so I say go for it!)
I would suggest trying to work some variety into your life--many people don't like veggies, for example, but most veggies taste WAY better if they're roasted with olive oil and garlic. You could make veggies as a side (maybe to replace the pringles) every now and again. Drowning them in cheese is also a tasty-though not as low cal as, say, steamed) option.
Finally, some words of encouragement: if you get into the habit, you WILL become accustomed to healthy taste, and even crave it. I can't really eat friend foods anymore, because they unsettle my stomach, and even though I wasn't trying to I have become mostly vegetarian during my weightloss purely because I have come to like the taste of vegetarian food better. (For reference: I NEVER at a veggie that wasn't potatoes or corn before I started dieting. Ever.)
Good luck! I know you can do it, and if that means you have to start small and just change to your hot dogs plan, I'd say go for it. Once you start seeing progress, you might just be inspired to change up your plan to a more lasting, healthful one.
If your doctors think you shouldn't go below 2000 calories, I would definitely listen to them. I'm sure that the reason you're tempted to go under is because you're worried this will not be enough, but I can assure you that with cutting 2000+ calories out of your diet, you will definitely be able to lose weight. Once you've gotten down to a lower weight, then I'd suggest that you can begin to lower your daily intake.
Your meal plan isn't bad for a single meal, but I wouldn't bank on it if you want to stay in it for the long haul (I eventually had to stop eating hotdogs, because they were quick to make for lunch so I ate them too often and made myself completely SICK of them. My guess is that you will too if that's all you eat). Maybe it would be a good idea for you to eat several smaller-calorie meals throughout the day. For example, plan four 500 calorie meals, or five 400 calorie meals, spaced out throughout your day.
If you're used to consuming very large calorie amounts, the odds are that once dinner has passed you're going to start to get hungry later in the evening, and when this happens you don't want to fall back on raiding the cookie cabinet! Make sure that you've planned your meals in a way that has them evenly spaced throughout the day, so that you don't feel like you have to suffer through hours on an empty stomach. Being on a diet doesn't have to be torture after all, and if you feel like you're suffering, you'll have a harder time sticking to it.
577 pounds and looking for some advice
