Saturday, May 22, 2021

"My 600-lb Life" shows weight loss devil is in the details: How I lost 100 pounds counting every bite

 

 (me right, 2008 and below, 2014)


Covid 19 has given me lots of time to think about how to lose weight. I also have time to watch the weight loss reality TV show Yeah, okay, you say but these are extreme examples of obesity. Most of us, Thank God, aren't that overweight. Agreed. Sort of. But you might be surprised at how common morbid obesity is becoming. Part of this blog is to share how I lost 100 pounds. I wasn't just overweight, but obese. 

I also thank God I never had gastric bypass. But I did learn a lot from "My 600-lb Life" bariatric surgeon Dr. Nowzaradan about weight loss. That gastric bypass diet he uses is a gold mine in itself. One thing I've noticed about bariatric surgery patients on "My 600-lb Life" is that the devil is in the details. And that oftentimes wee tiny details can trip you up royally. 

I'm referring to little calorie leaks that aren't big in themselves but which can make it very difficult to lose weight. Often it was not the 500 calorie hot fudge sundaes that caused me to be overweight, but many ignored small bites. Obviously, on "My 600-lb Life", large and small calorie leaks have led to morbid obesity. But I'd guess that like me, it is mostly in the little details. Happily, those little calorie leaks are the easiest to plug up. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was by counting every bite. 

For example, on one episode, we watched Penny, after gastric bypass surgery, eating salad, which is great. But instead of adding the RDA serving size, she bathed that sucker in salad dressing. It wasn't diet dressing either, but thousand island which has a whopping 150 calories per 2 T serving. Penny put probably 3 servings on her salad and all the vegetables were robbed of their nutrient goodness being drowned in fat and sugar. 

Covid 19 has forced me to be VERY mindful of what I eat, because the nausea makes everything taste icky. Plus my tummy has shrunk and that's left me easily filled up but also quick to feel sick. Covid 19 has also made it easier to lose weight but harder to monitor what I eat because so little actually sounds good. But I will not let up. I will still count, add, and measure because it works. 

But I don't have time to count and add up calories, portion sizes, etc. It's boring. I'll do it my way, "My 600-lb Life" Penny told Dr. Now. And that translated to changing none of the bad habits and losing precisely 15 of the 400 pounds Dr. Now wanted her to lose after bariatric surgery. Tedious is may be to mind those devilish details but the proof is in the massive weight loss you can achieve by doing so! 



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