quote Originally posted by xquaid: I am honestly VERY happy for you! What matters most is that YOU are happy. Weight does not matter. HAPPINESS matters! Share you positive weight loss story with others. If you ever took weight related medication; do you take less of it now? Do you feel better? Are you able to physically move more and do more? Has your self-esteem improved? How is your confidence now compared to the past? The answers to these questions are things you can point out to family and friends to guide them in the right direction

I followed a very strict diet from the geriatrics Dr. I had to spend over a month on a product called Opti-Fast. I was allowed to eat NOTHING but the Opti-Fast shakes, water, one decaffeinated coffee per day, some sugar free jello and chicken broth. This was the equivalent of being in rehab.

My system crashed, I had headaches, I felt horrible and very weak. The Opti-Fast has some drugs in it to DRAMATICALY curb your appetite. I won’t sugar coat it. It was hard, I was often in tears barley holding on. This step separated my from my dependence on food (mostly sugars). I then had to slowly re-introduce certain food and focus on filling protein over carbs and empty sugars. I am more on a maintenance diet at this point.

My wife was there the whole time to keep me distracted, support me and encourage me to keep going.

I feel much better now! I can be more active, I have more self-esteem and just love life much better!

I have 3 major reasons why I did this.

Reason 1 and 2:


Reason 3:

quote Originally posted by Purple86GT: My system crashed, I had headaches, I felt horrible and very weak.

Welcome to the wonderful world of detoxing. Even thin people who eat crap would have the same reaction.

Congratulations on your success! I hope it's permanent.

Those pics, and you attitude make me smile Purple. . Thank you.

quote Originally posted by Purple86GT: I followed a very strict diet from the geriatrics Dr. I had to spend over a month on a product called Opti-Fast. I was allowed to eat NOTHING but the Opti-Fast shakes, water, one decaffeinated coffee per day, some sugar free jello and chicken broth. This was the equivalent of being in rehab. My system crashed, I had headaches, I felt horrible and very weak. The Opti-Fast has some drugs in it to DRAMATICALY curb your appetite. I won’t sugar coat it. It was hard, I was often in tears barley holding on. This step separated my from my dependence on food (mostly sugars). I then had to slowly re-introduce certain food and focus on filling protein over carbs and empty sugars. I am more on a maintenance diet at this point. My wife was there the whole time to keep me distracted, support me and encourage me to keep going. I feel much better now! I can be more active, I have more self-esteem and just love life much better! I have 3 major reasons why I did this.

What you described sounds rough. You did it though. You made it happen. You fought for the results and won!

As you mentioned, it is great to be there for your family. I used to tell (close) clients of mine, "Don't you want to be alive as long as you can to see your kids grow up and see your grandkids?"
This motivated one of my clients to lose 70 pounds! I put her story on my site here:

Age is no excuse: See how this 54 year old lost 70 pounds!


Health is no easy subject. The person in the mirror is the one in charge.
Great work again! Keep it going!

[This message has been edited by xquaid (edited 07-23-2013).]

There's one huge contributing factor to weight gain that I don't think anyone's touched upon... and that's the use of drugs, more specifically... antidepressants.

I'm 57 years old, 6'3", and currently 195 lbs. I've always been slim, and I've never been depressed. However...

About ten years ago I was having a difficult time sleeping. This went on for months. So I was prescribed a very low dose of Remeron to take before going to bed. When used full dosage, it's an antidepressant. I was taking a fraction of the full dose.

In six weeks over the summer, I went from 180 lbs to 215 lbs. This was with no increase in eating, no decrease in physical activity. The Remeron slowed my metabolism down to the point where I just wasn't burning up the same level of calories. Not only did I gain a lot of useless fat (and I felt awful on the ice when hockey started in the fall), but it never even helped the sleeping problem I had at the time. When I quit taking that crap, it took at least six months for me to lose the fat.

So you can imagine the hell that people go through who are prescribed antidepressants for years! My girlfriend is a psychiatrist who prescribes these medications for her patients. She sees this problem of weight gain with her patients all the time. Sure, it's easy to say that these people should just quit the meds and lose the weight, but often their use is a necessary evil. For some unfortunate souls, the use of antidepressants can be the difference between life and death.

quote Originally posted by Red88FF: Are you saying that because one group (which you are a member) is persecuted for their behavior that everybody on down the line should be persecuted too? I will hold back my comments on this until you clarify your position... Myself, I do not look at, well try not to look at other peoples behaviors and be angry their decisions are costing me money. Be angry at the government for making everybody else responsible for someone else's actions.

No I am not saying because one group that I may belong to is being persecuted that everyone should be, but that no one should be persecuted because of their problems. sure you can say that this is addictive, that is addictive, or anything you want. my example is of a real person who for some reason doesn't care about his health. just loves to eat, eat in huge quantities, not just a little but huge amounts. he looks like a beach ball with a head and is happy with himself being that way. me I hate the fact that I smoke and have tried multiple times to quit, repeat multiple times. he, he doesn't care for the fact that he is killing himself, I know I am and want to quit, have tried the pills, as well as the e cigarette and hypnosis, but none has worked.

but him he won't even try anything, just keeps stuffing his face, day in day out, just keeps gaining weight and stuffing his face. never exercises, never get off his ass, remember I said he broke the toilet. I have told him he needs to try, try anything, but hey he knows he is right and that is what works for him.

he is denying the fact that he is killing himself, I know I am and have tried, he won't even try. to be honest I can't figure out how he ever got his wife pregnant.

now if you try then I can accept that but if you won't even try then WTF am I supposed to think, you don't care about your own body why should anyone else.

Steve

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quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: ... just keeps stuffing his face, day in day out, just keeps gaining weight and stuffing his face... to be honest I can't figure out how he ever got his wife pregnant.

Works for me... I just lost my appetite.