Hi, I’m Don, and I have an Obesity Addiction!
 

“I have an Obesity Addiction!”

Greetings fellow LowCarb-ers, after stalking the site for some time, I finally have decided to commit to this community, I hope you are willing to receive me.

While I may have started my WOE on February 22nd, 2017, an emotional foundation had been in progress for some time. You see, I do not believe I could have changed my lifestyle without first changing the way I saw myself.

I am fortunate that I had the wisdom of an empathetic Veteran’s Affairs Psychiatrist. I came to him desperate for help; constantly depressed and weighing a staggering 393 pounds. While I have no health ailments other than a bit of knee pain, I knew that at 40 years of age, this might be my last chance for real change.

By working on my emotional maturity, he guided me through the devastating effects of 20 years of suffering with dysthymia…or constant low grade depression.

High Fat Low Carb(HFLC) eating is only the second phase of this continuing therapy.

I write these lines just short of 11 weeks into this WOE. While I currently weigh 347 (46 pounds lost), I know that is not the result, but more the effect of life now committed to both healing my body and emotionally forgiving the perceived failures of my past.

In short, I am losing weight, not because I’m exercising, working harder, or trying to change my self-image; I’m losing weight because my self-image has already changed, and my body is just catching up!

I have started a journal and made the first entry, I invite you to it. It is my hope that through these stories, you might see how obesity can slowly rob us of life by dominating our minds with negative thoughts. It is the goal of this journal, not to simply give the journey of me moving forward, but also detailing the complications of the past that led me down this road of addiction.

This journal will be the journal I wish I had read when I first considered myself to be “Nuclear Waste” almost 20 years ago.

My friends, Obesity is not only disease but an addiction, a slow and steady encroachment on the will of the mind, body, and soul. Obesity devours our hopes and dreams and forces us to live in a world trapped pain and exhaustion. There is no cure, only rehabilitation. We didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t reach our goals through this rehab overnight either.

But perhaps together, we might stand a fighting chance!

Please join me on the journey, I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.
Blessings,
Don

Hi Don!

What an insightful approach. Kudos to you and your therapist for tackling things in such a great way.

I think I know what you are talking about: I know the feeling that Obesity is our armor, and our cage.

Many of us have journals -- look at the button where you log in, or at the bottom of any posts, for that person's online journal. Sounds like you could take that option and run with it.

Welcome, Don :wave:
A wonderful introduction and we look forward to reading your journal.
All the best,

Hi Don, you will find me a compatriot on your jouney back to health but I will make my opinion known know to you that, I believe, that obesity is not a disease, it is, can can be, a symptom of many things. I'm certainly willing to have my mind changed :)

However, if it's helpful to frame it this way, go for it! What ever it takes to get back on the path of allowing yourself to be as happy and healthy as possible without causing damage to others, I'm all in for.

peace.

Thanks for the note!

Nomenclature can be so arbitrary, and I can certainly see your side on this one!

It wasn't even until 2013 that the American Medical Association classified obesity a disease. Regardless, the way certain foods create a long term and (I believe) incurable insulin resistance, calling it a disease for the result of such an effect certainly gets people's attention. It may or may not be a 'disease' by definition, but it certain works metaphorically!

Anyways! I'm totally inspired by your journey and only hope to be able to follow in your footsteps!

Sincerely,
Don

Thanks Don. The path that I followed to this point is open to all, very wide and easy. Relaxation, Time and Patience - along with avoiding all GPS (Grains, Potato-like foods and Sugar) to the best of your ability may yield results.

You will do well.

PS, I love your writing style. You will be a refreshing addition to this forum. Please stick around :)

You might be interested to know that the word "disease" has no definitive definition. It is used kind of willy nilly and the most obvious effect of having something labeled a disease is that whatever is now called a disease then may qualify for insurance reimbursement and of course pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. There is a lot written about the medicalization of life and who profits by it. This does not mean that obesity isn't a real problem but whether or not it is a disease is unanswerable since the concept of "disease" is fluid, changing all the time and not consistent. What's important of course is that you seem to have gotten a good handle on what you need to do to regain your health. However obesity gets labeled this is a good thing.

Jean

Interesting discussion for an introductory thread. Hi Bubbayob, always nice to see new faces. Or "no pizza" signs. It's all good.

Obesity as a disease, healthy at every size--I think both are true. Storing fat isn't unhealthy by definition--but overly fatty liver, heart, kidney, and even fat cells are unhealthy. Two people, same body fat percentage, one person has normal size fat cells, the other oversized fat cells, the second person's fat tissue will be inflamed, putting out peptides and hormones that may cause inflammation and damage elsewhere in the body. My highest bodyweight was 190 pounds, my health was already falling apart.

Hi Don, Welcome and congratulations on such a good start to your journey. I look forward to reading about all of your great progress!

Thanks for the note!

Agreed that fat storage isn't unhealthy...in fact, its vital! From what I've read, the body only stores so much gluconate in the liver, so without fat storage, all us low carbers would have died of starvation in less than 24 hours! :lol:

But the creation of that viseral fat around the midsection of the body is destroying all of us...while it may be natural to form this fat from the body's long term exposure to high insulin concentrations, its certianly isn't benefitial.

I guess throughout our history, the human body has simply never been tested in this way. The poison that constitutes our wheat and processed sugars today is the pathogen that is making obesity a disease. I am thankful that we have already an evoloved cure with ketosis!

Anyways!...Looking forward to many converstations with you,
Blessings,
Don

Welcome Don. I feel your pain, and your freedom. It took me a lot of self analysis (years) to drill down to the reasons I overate, ate the wrong things, didn't exercise, etc. We all know how to lose weight, and to be thin and healthy. If it was as easy as knowing, no one would be a bit overweight. It's the doing part that's hard. And in our wonderful brains there are a multitude of reasons, some overt and some hidden, that keep us from following the right dietary and exercise path. Discovering those little nuggets, and working on them, is a long and difficult process. It has been for me, anyway. The result right now for me is over 70 pounds lost over a year, a clearer self-awareness, and a liking for who I am as a person and where my life is and is headed. You must believe that you are worth it - YOU ARE WORTH it - all the effort. Stick with it and best of luck!!!

Thanks for the note!

I think you've nailed it! While I know it is not the reason why everybody becomes obese, feelings of worthlessness has got to rank up there!

As I've been reading, it is hard to know whether depression contributes to obesity or that obesity contributes to depression, but what I do know is that where one lives, the other isn't that far behind.

but dam'n it, WE ARE WORTH IT! There is no reason why we cannot enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy is a natural right infringed by no one but ourselves and its time we got out of our own way to start living life to its fullest!

Congrats on your success and I look forward to following your progress,
Blessings,
Don

Don, I'm with you man. Will check out your journal.

Going My Way??..then walk with me awhile!
 

Welcome to the Forum Jared.

Looks like we traveling down the same road together! If your looking for teammate I'm in the market!

Blessings to you,
Don

Yes we are. Team up, Let's do this! :thup: