Is losing weight worth it?
 

When I first was losing weight, I had some pretty serious health concerns. My acid reflux was out of control, I couldn't even sleep laying down and I could barely hobble around the house because my knees hurt so bad. Now 20lbs later I am at the cusp of 300 and I find I am not as motivated as I was and I'm trying to figure out why.

Do I think I'm healthy enough? My blood pressure is OK, and so is my blood work. True, walking a mile is about my limit, but how often do I walk more than a mile? My knee still bothers me occasionally, but mostly when I'm trying to walk more than a mile.

I've never been thin so I don't miss it. Yes, it would be nice to buy clothes in a regular store and not have people make fun of me, but do I care?

When is enough weight loss enough? Am I balking because I am satisfied or because I am fearful of a different scary thinner life? Some of you have lost a lot of weight is 200 or 250 that much better than 300?

First off, congrats on your loss! I'm so happy for you that you have found some success. That said...

Your blood pressure might be fine now. Your blood work might be fine now. But it wont be for long. That, and your heart isn't going to be able to keep up with your weight forever.
Are you really okay with being limited to a mile?

No one can make you want to lose weight. But for me it's not about buying normal clothes or people not to make fun of my size, but it's about getting healthy. No matter how you look at it...300 lbs is NOT healthy nor will it ever be.

At 260+ lbs my knees were shot, I had heart problems, I was always tired and moody, my lupus was flaring constantly... I was a mess. I thought it wouldn't get any better.

None of my physical problems are bothering me today at 161. I wanted to give up so many times but I'm so glad I didn't! It IS worth it.

I felt that acid reflux too, and being in no condition to walk for very long. I've never been thin either, but I want it sooooo bad! Not just because it's the socially acceptable way of looking, but I want to feel good about myself, not be short of breath just because I need to get some stuff at WalMart and the parking space next to the handicap spaces weren't available. The most important thing, however, is the fear. I think you've hit the nail on the head when you say "fearful of a different scary thinner life." I fear A LOT, and what _that_ to stop more than anything!!!

Apart from exercise itself, I fear pushing myself to the point where I throw up. I also fear going into a gym and being judged by skinny, fit people. I also fear not being able to do it – to have to give in to an elliptical or one of those rowing devices. I fear not having enough water to drink. To have to use the bathroom every five minutes because of all the water I feel like I need to drink. I fear bouncing fat – another reason for people to make fun of me. I fear failing – not being able to complete a work-out. I fear passing out. Sweating too much. I fear not being comfortable. I fear being tired, and I fear putting myself out there for the whole world to see in my running shoes and running tights and being morbidly obese and all.

I also fear my future; are my future children and grandchildren missing out on 1000 opportunities if I continue down this road of self destruction? Probably. There's also the terror of diabetes and an early grave looming.

With that being said, as crazy as it might seem, I struggle with motivation too!! I don't know what it is. One moment is completely clear - like... I want to do this, and I need to do this, and the next is... is it worth it?

Common sense should win though, in the end, I think. I hope.

I can tell you that I feel a lot better at 240 than I did at 260+. I feel a difference in my joints, esp. my knees. I sleep better. I get less winded walking (for more than a mile at times). I have an easier time keeping up with my 7 year old. I expect that I will notice even more improvement at 220 and so on.

I would say that probably at some point, there will be some diminishing returns and you will find that the effort of losing more weight might not be worth enough additional benefits and that additional losses might be more about appearance than health and other physical benefits. But I don't think that 300 lbs is going to be that place.

Hi Lost,
It's normal to have a lack in motivation once in a while. Just remind yourself why you are doing this. You and I are the same height and being 5"5" and over 300 lbs. is not good. My BP is fine (with meds), my blood work is fine, but eventually things start breaking down. My knees are shot, but I know that losing 100+ lbs will ease that pain. My heart beats too fast, but I know losing 100+ lbs. will help it slow down. I have arthritis in various joints in my body and again I know losing 100+ lbs. will help.
I'm with lucyford, I'm not in this for the clothes or so people won't make fun of me. I'm in this for me to live a long and healthy life.
Don't be scared of being thin, instead be scared of not living your life to the fullest.
OMG! 200 or 250 is definitely gonna be much better. I can't wait to get there.

Learn

the weight loss is a reward in and of itself! you'll see!

I've gone from over 350 to 258, and I can tell you that I feel much different physically. I was always active, even at my top weight - I was chasing my 4 year old around and always up and going and doing. Now, though - and I still have a lot of weight to lose - I find being active much easier. I'm not winded when I walk - although I am when I run or I dance.
I remember wishing that everything was a little bigger so that it could be more comfortable for me - movie theater seats, restaurant booths, etc... and now I'm a little smaller and everything is that much more comfortable...
It's nice to move easier through life, and I'm looking forward to losing more weight and feeling better.

I doubt that at that weight you could continue to walk a mile for many more years or work or clean, etc. You may be ok now, but it will catch up to you. You don't have to put pressure on yourself, just make better choices and be more active and you will lose weight and feel better. Try not to set harsh goals and enjoy the process of getting healthier. SMILE, LAUGH & LOVE!

Health...

Trust me it just gets worse the longer you carry around that "extra person" (in my case "extra fat person") on your back. These pictures of 2 separate Cellulitis incidents in my leg were taken 3 years apart, because apparently I was too dense to get the "need to get healthy" message the first time around.



My daughter, the renal nurse, says the leg infections are not even the real risk, but I have to worry about Kidney failure being the result of them.

Also as I get older Type 2 diabetes is becoming my reality. I am already hypoglycemic and apparently didn't learn from this either.

When I lack motivation, I try to remember how much these leg infections hurt, and yes they do hurt like the :devil: and I get up and move. I believe this is a huge step (one step at a time) to a total lifestyle change.
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I've been down to 230 at one point in my adult life. Let me tell you... it's worth it. It's worth it beyond explanation.

You think you've got it good after 20 pounds... try 40 pounds... or 80 lbs or 100 lbs!

Things I never imagined started happening. I felt LIGHTER. The stairs weren't just manageable... they were barely a thought in my head! The mile wasn't just something I was capable of... it was a normal event!

It wasn't just about the clothes. It was that things I'd just figured were normal... WEREN'T! And I didn't realize it until I'd begun losing more weight.

I was normal weight my whole adult life until I had a traumatic event ten years ago that made me put on a lot of weight. I lost a lot of it and then put it back on about 5 years ago and got up to my highest weight in my life last fall of 310 lbs. I have lost 66 lbs since December.

I can tell you that at 310 lbs my life was WAY more restricted than it is now at 244. Walking a block winded me. I could not move easily. I sweated all the time and my heart raced. I was uncomfortable in the summer heat, and I never had energy. My acid reflux and a bout of pancreatitis put me in the hospital. Both were weight and diet related.

Now I can walk 3 miles without having any problems. My acid reflux is gone. I am doing power yoga twice a week when before I couldn't even touch my toes. I can jog for 30 mins. Everything is easier. Everything.

I can't wait to get back to normal weight. I don't want my body to limit me any more. I want to be able to jog, dance, swim, fly cross country in coach, take advanced yoga classes. Each pound I lose makes it easier for me to do this.

You will really enjoy the benefits of your weight loss. Hang in there it is worth it. :)

Only you can decide when enough is enough, but I encourage you to try losing more and seeing if it's not worth keeing off. If it isn't, you can always regain (that's always the easy part).

I'm not sure where I'll stop. Sometimes I think I can't do more than I'm doing now, and that's ok too. I've given myself permission to work on just maintaining my weight and trying to lose "just one more." Most of my weight was lost with the intention that I was maintaining my loss and aiming at "just one more."

When I stop believing that I can or want to lose "just one more," then I'll stop. If that's 299 or 199 or 139, so be it. More than likely, I may even change my mind and stop at one of those weights (or a different one) and try it on for a while, see if I want to stay there or get a little lower.

I was healthy (per all my blood tests) at this size 20 years ago. Now I'm on disability with so many health issues. You may be lucky and never have health-related health issues. On the other hand, your health can also change in an instant. It sneeks up on you until it's too late.

I knew I was putting myself at risk for health problems, but so long as I didn't experience them, I could falsely believe that my health was good (or at least wasn't that bad).

Weight maintenance is just as difficult as weight loss (maybe even more so), so if I'm going to be doing all that work anyway, I might as well also be working on the one more pound.

If you think you don't have the energy to put in more work - then don't. Try maintenance and see how you like it. When you see that maintenance isn't really any less work than weight loss, you may decide to work on that "one more. while you're at it."

I don't have any long range plans, because I can't imagine being thinner than I am now. I couldn't imagine it at my highest weight, and I can't really imagine it now - so I only look at the present. Maintaining my weight loss and aiming at one more (which when I achieve, I work at maintaining the new weight and losing just one more).

By focusing on just one pound ahead of me, I don't dwell on wether or not I can see myself doing more. I don't have to, I just have to look at the pound ahead of me. That's worked much better. When I find a weight that is too much work to maintain, I may decide to accept a little higher weight. Right now, every pound I've lost has been worth keeping off (and I only judge them one at a time too).

Here is another thought. Hubby (fatboy), the dogs and I and I went walking today in the bay when the tide was out. At the times when my shoes were caked with mud I really resented having to walk with the extra weight. I have carried that weight in the past as I know I have been heavier than I am now. Every step in the right direction helps. If you search "paper towel theory" on this forum you can apply that analogy to the how you will feel aspects of your journey as well.
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(His legs not mine, mine are still healing)
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HEALTH!!!!! That is all its about!!! Looking good is a by-product - fitting into a plane seat is great - but gtting rid of my blood pressure is FAR MORE important.
I have been heavy most of my life and up until 40 I was fine, but after 40 - too much stress on my heart - I developed heart problems - so I MUST do something about that. I want to live to see my grand children!