Formally introducing myself to the forum (400+ lbs starting weight)

[Psychonrs]

Thank you for sharing, and congrats on your successes! I look forward to seeing your follow ups!

[Ikombe_Basame]

Your post made me shed tears of joy for you! Im happy for you, keep on keeping on.!

[Amy_R0922]

Thanks for sharing your story!! So Happy for you, and I hope you continue on your journey!!! What a difference in your overall health as well as confidence and happiness these few months have made!!! Sounds like you are doing a great job!! I have a long way to go myself, but reading your story gives me hope as well as motivation!!

[Hapygirl]

Congrats! I wish you all the best in your continued success

[EZB]

GREAT JOB! How do you feel overall?

Don’t forget, you may have broken the first rule of keto, but there is also the zeroth rule:

Do what works for you!

[Slabb]

Your post made me shed tears of joy for you! Im happy for you, keep on keeping on.!

@Ikombe_Basame I certainly wasn’t trying to make you cry, but I’m glad it’s tears of joy!

Thanks for sharing your story!! So Happy for you, and I hope you continue on your journey!!! What a difference in your overall health as well as confidence and happiness these few months have made!!! Sounds like you are doing a great job!! I have a long way to go myself, but reading your story gives me hope as well as motivation!!

@Amy_R0922 My overall health and mental status has improved greatly! My wife and I were just talking about over our 12 year anniversary dinner last night.
I too still have a long way to go, but I feel better on this ride. I know I’ll get to where I want to go, and you will too! I have weight mini goals, and the dungeon boss goal of getting off my BP meds. I like to equate it to video games with achievements. I give myself 10 imaginary points when I pass on free work donuts, or 15 points for drinking water goal every day for a week. Makes it easier just knowing those sweet, sweet imaginary points. :)

[Slabb]

I feel great! I feel empowered. My wife is down over 30 lbs and feeling the benefits. My dad and step-mom have lost 40 lbs each. Not only weight, but my dad was having back problems and he’s seeing improvement with that as well. We have made it easier for my T2D mom to stay on track with her needs (although in my first post I go into why that’s more difficult due to her recent heart attack).

Besides weight, I just feel like I can do what I want to. I know I still weigh a lot, but I know I can keep on track. I have goals! I want to do a mud run next spring, and I think I’ll be in a place to do that!

[Clcrisler]

Fist pump! Fist bump! Keep it up!
If you EVER get discouraged about it, come to this site. So many people on here are more than willing to help.

[Amy_R0922]

Congrats on 12 years!! And good luck getting off your bp meds. I bet that will happen for you very soon!!

[GodwinGoGo]

Hey Slabb,
I can RELATE!
Also started June 1st, also started over 400 lbs (495!), currently 405. I’m a midget compared to you…only 6’2.
I’m starting to think that there isn’t this narrow band of things we have to do right to successfully LOSE weight… There’s a narrow band of things we can’t do wrong or we’ll GAIN weight.
I’ve been strict keto…lost.
I’ve been looser keto… Lost
I’ve tried IF … lost
I’ve tried EF… lost

But when I’ve added any simple carbs or sweeteners… No loss. Hmmmm.

Good luck in your journey! Sounds like you’re killing it.

[Slabb]

90 lbs! That’s fantastic!! I’m basically lazy keto. I don’t set out to do IF if i can help it. My lack of gallbladder makes me pay for it. However, last Friday I had a late day at work, went home to change and then helped my wife with a fundraising trivia night. I didn’t really feel hungry until I started smelling some of the food people brought, but that went away pretty quick. We left around 10pm that night and I was all set to grab some arbys roast beef with sliced swiss cheese and eat it like a taco, but I decided to just go home and made a can of tuna and scooped it with some pork rinds. I didn’t feel bad or “hangry” during the trivia night, and just started getting hungry again when I left. Old me would’ve stopped at a “bell ringer” of a fast food place and probably eaten more food at home, but instead I felt good. So long story short, I ended up with a coincidental 11 hour fast, but that’s fairly rare.

But when I’ve added any simple carbs or sweeteners… No loss. Hmmmm.

I told myself I absolutely couldn’t do simple carbs, even if it was just a bite. I knew I didn’t have the self-control to do that yet. Now I think I could, but I just don’t want to. I just keep telling myself that birthday cake isn’t worth the set back. I know I could KCKO, but I got goals to meet! I want to be in two-topia by Christmas.

Keep up the good fight @GodwinGoGo. Us “big guys” have to stick together, until we are kicked out of the club. haha

[GodwinGoGo]

No gallbladder here either. I’ve been reading of some folks issues on keto, but honestly, all my gall bladder issues disappeared after going keto.

Personally, I have the hardest time with hangry pangs around 2-3 pm and around 8-9pm. Since becoming fat adapted I rarely am hungry before noon, and am usually good in the afternoon and evening.

I’m learning to head off temptation. If I’m going to an event where temptations might be, I’ll preemptively eat before hand: healthy, filling, and just enough to tame my inner beast. Keeps me on the right side of the law and makes me feel good to not be tempted.

[jessOTR]

Wow! You’ve done great! James !

[CFLBob]

Fantastic, Slabb! 80 pounds in 4 months? The mind boggles.

Are you off the BP meds? For some, that seems harder for some people than others.

(Edited to put in the “for some people” - I forgot!)

[Slabb]

Not yet. I went to the doctor about a month ago, and he was very supportive. He asked where I was getting my information. I was nervous at first but he just said that he doesn’t know a lot about diets so he likes to keep notes on resources for future patients that might ask. Unfortunately my BP was lower, but not low enough. He did tell me to keep an eye on it and if it dropped lower to call him immediately. Overall my best doctor’s appointment to date.

[Happyheart]

went to the gym so infrequently I still called it James.

I love this!

[Happyheart]

Slab I enjoyed your whole post and am so proud of all you’ve accomplished! Congrats and kcko!

[CFLBob]

Not yet. I went to the doctor about a month ago, and he was very supportive. He asked where I was getting my information. I was nervous at first but he just said that he doesn’t know a lot about diets so he likes to keep notes on resources for future patients that might ask. Unfortunately my BP was lower, but not low enough. He did tell me to keep an eye on it and if it dropped lower to call him immediately. Overall my best doctor’s appointment to date.

Good luck with it. It seems lots of people get off BP meds on keto, just not all people. On the other hand, BP meds seem far less bad for us than having chronically high insulin.

I’ve been keto for years and now may - may - be getting to where I can get off mine. I also seem to be able to get off gerd medicines, the Prilosec OTC I’ve been taking for 10 years (??? Not sure how long).

Which is a long-winded way of saying that we seem to be able to heal for years, so if everything doesn’t fix itself right away, don’t give up.

[Judy1437]

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I believe in you and you can do it. My husband does not do forums, fb or any of that but he too is 6’2 and 350 he started august 20th and he is down 12 pounds, He is loosing slow but steady. You are very honest and I am honored to hear your story. Thank you

[Dawn_M]

I went to the gym so infrequently I still called it James

BEST line ever!
Thanks for sharing your journey thus far and congrats on what you have accomplished! I am sooo excited for you and your wife!

KCKO