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> that I probably should have did all along I think you've accomplished something really incredible with your weightloss and I'm very proud of you! .... but th
by t-writescode 2y ago
> that I probably should have did all along
I think you've accomplished something really incredible with your weightloss and I'm very proud of you! .... but this part right here concerns me.
The reasons for eating beyond maintenance calories are broad, complicated and robust and I don't think it's fair to say "I should have just been more disciplined, 4head". The negative side-effects of food cravings can be really serious and "too hard" to fight against and that's a reasonable enough stance, especially when there are chemical changes you can make for yourself, such as this medication, that can help you.
In a very related sense, I was taking a (relatively) high dosage of a medication for myself that I needed for a time. I gained 30 pounds over about 2 years while on that stronger medication. I also tried to lose weight; but the cravings for food were becoming too much - far too much; and I had just come off the best shape of my life, where I actually had to force myself to eat *more* so that I would gain muscle. I just plain wasn't hungry. But this med I was on, yeah, I just ate more, regularly. It was easier - but trying to slow down my eating? The cravings were bad. Unlike any I'd ever had. And if I didn't eat, I was tired, angry, unfocused, a world of problems.
Now that I've reduced this medication (with the help of a psychiatrist), the cravings have effectively disappeared; and when they are present, it's very easy to overpower them and just move on. They don't cause my to be literally unable to sleep. I don't lose all my focus, it's just ... easier - easier enough that it's actually doable.
And a medication changed helped that.
Crutches are a very good thing when you can't walk or when it hurts too much to walk. It's okay to use a crutch. It is not a personal failing, it is a medical aide and an accessibility tool.
Please, I encourage you, give yourself some grace :)
- david-gpu 2y agoI agree, but let me get on a soapbox for a moment. In the context of weight loss, "cravings" is just a judgemental way of saying "hunger". I have gained a ton of weight in the past four years, going from a BMI of 19 to a BMI of 28. I do not have "cravings". I experience constant hunger. I got tired of being hungry all the time and started eating until I am no longer hungry, and that's why I'm fat now. Calories in, calories out, and all that nonsense that doesn't account for hunger is just a way of dismissing the very real struggle of people who, for whatever reason, have a disproportionate amount of hunger relative to the amount of energy they need on a daily basis.
- idontwantthis 2y agoDo you feel like there are different kinds of hunger? For me there is the kind I can usually ignore and the “I feel sick” kind I can’t.
- t-writescode 2y agoNot the person you're responding to; but, it's called "hangry" for a reason! I definitely have the: * "I could eat" * "I should probably eat soon" * "Everyone around me is now annoying and I hate everyone and everything and why is this work problem so hard and darn it, I have a meeting in 3 minutes? Who schedules a meeting at this time?!" level.
- nsxwolf 2y agoThere is another kind of hunger that kicks in when you’re actually dying from not eating. I had advanced gallbladder disease that went misdiagnosed for a long time and the last month I was able to eat about 500 total calories. I had a desperate desire to eat something, anything, that is impossible to describe accurately.
- cthalupa 2y agoOne interesting thing I have noticed on tirzepatide is I am much better able to differentiate when I am thirsty vs. when I am hungry. Before, if I wasn't getting to "my mouth is dry" levels of thirst, they were indistinguishable for me. It frequently became a guessing game for me to try and figure out which it was - did I gamble that I just needed to drink some more, and run the risk of feeling worse from what turned out to be actual hunger? Or did I just eat some food, which also included drinking more fluids, and make sure I was back to feeling OK soon after? I can tell you which option I chose most of the time, particularly if I was busy with work or a personal project. Now, I have a much easier time differentiating.
- t-writescode 2y agoThank you for the add. You've clarified something I didn't even realize needed clarifying! This is a fantastic way of thinking about it.