How do I make this stick long term?

[therealdlg]

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

 

[byefatlicia]

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

Have you begun injecting GLP1s at this point? because that turned out to be my solution. No more weight cycling, definitely!!!

 

[Don]

Don’t drop 30–40 pounds and then decide “I’m done, cheat day time,” quit logging what you eat, and slide right back into the same routines.

Go after your best physique instead. Genuinely dedicate yourself to getting lean. Forget chasing a smaller scale number; chase an athletic, muscular look with low body fat. Get lean to the point where veins show in your arms, so you notice something you never saw before

Once you get there, proper training and eating will already be automatic. More than likely, you’ll care more about keeping that physique than about squeezing in random cheat meals.

Also, study body recomposition in depth and figure out how to shed fat while preserving or even adding muscle. Most people understand very little about nutrition. They simply eat less, survive on 2–3 salads per day, hardly take in protein, remove every carb, run out of energy for training, and finally burn out because that method isn’t sustainable or sensible

Learn how your body operates. On waking, take in protein to avoid a catabolic state (after 8-12 hours without food). Before training, have some carbs since your glycogen stores will be depleted and you need energy to create muscle stimulus. Much of the weight lost in the first 2 weeks is glycogen and water, not pure fat

After training, don’t hesitate to eat a real meal; your body requires protein and carbs to recover. Don’t finish a hard workout and then think, “I’ll just have a salad and stay hungry until tomorrow morning.” That’s not how it works

Study nutrition, create sustainable habits, train hard, keep protein high, and aim to improve your physique rather than only shrinking the number on the scale.

 

[wildweasel]

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

You're running yourself into the ground. This is a marathon, not a sprint — quit approaching it like a sprint. Those who sprint it are the ones who stall out.

Keep your daily calorie deficit sensible, pick movement you actually like rather than something you drag yourself through, and track your macros.

Rework how you live. Shift your eating patterns. Try cooking dishes from cuisines you haven't made before, and while you're at it skip the junk ingredients loaded with fat — if a recipe calls for yogurt, go with fat free yogurt when you attempt that indian curry.

It sounds silly, but tidy up your home. Shake things up. Give yourself the feeling of a fresh start. Fill your time with something that holds your interest. Hiking. Walks, I don't know, whatever suits you.

Sure, meds are a help. glp1, cagri, and so on, but don't lean on them as a crutch — instead let them speed up what the new habits you're building are already doing.

 

[lessthanhalf]

What you're describing with long-term weight loss happens to almost everybody. The vast majority of people who shed pounds through diet and exercise end up regaining them. My understanding is that once the appetite and weight regulation system is damaged, it generally doesn't bounce back for most people — particularly when the obesity is severe. That means keeping weight off demands eating fewer calories than a normal person would, because of metabolic adaptation, on top of feeling hungrier because of the weight loss. That combination is nearly unbeatable, and very few manage it.

For this problem, GLP drugs are far and away the best option that has ever come along — with the possible exception of bariatric surgery, which works even better but has its own downsides.

So begin reta or tirz and remain on it after the weight comes off, and then you should only need to lose the weight one final time. And yes, you should definitely treat it as a crutch — that's exactly what it's meant for: the long-term treatment of severe obesity. The more you frame losing weight as some standard diet-and-exercise regimen, the more likely it becomes unsustainable over time, because if eating less or even exercising takes constant mental effort, people eventually wear out, quit, and regain the weight. Making sensible, better food choices while on glp's is a good idea, but fortunately they work to make that happen anyway without any special effort. For long-term health, good diet and exercise matter, but GLP drugs produce weight loss regardless of lifestyle changes. And over the long term, GLP drugs lower the risk of a large number of serious illnesses — partly through weight loss and partly as a drug effect — and the more severe the obesity, the more important this becomes.

 

[therealdlg]

lessthanhalf said:

What you're describing with long-term weight loss happens to almost everybody. The vast majority of people who shed pounds through diet and exercise end up regaining them. My understanding is that once the appetite and weight regulation system is damaged, it generally doesn't bounce back for most people — particularly when the obesity is severe. That means keeping weight off demands eating fewer calories than a normal person would, because of metabolic adaptation, on top of feeling hungrier because of the weight loss. That combination is nearly unbeatable, and very few manage it.

For this problem, GLP drugs are far and away the best option that has ever come along — with the possible exception of bariatric surgery, which works even better but has its own downsides.

So begin reta or tirz and remain on it after the weight comes off, and then you should only need to lose the weight one final time. And yes, you should definitely treat it as a crutch — that's exactly what it's meant for: the long-term treatment of severe obesity. The more you frame losing weight as some standard diet-and-exercise regimen, the more likely it becomes unsustainable over time, because if eating less or even exercising takes constant mental effort, people eventually wear out, quit, and regain the weight. Making sensible, better food choices while on glp's is a good idea, but fortunately they work to make that happen anyway without any special effort. For long-term health, good diet and exercise matter, but GLP drugs produce weight loss regardless of lifestyle changes. And over the long term, GLP drugs lower the risk of a large number of serious illnesses — partly through weight loss and partly as a drug effect — and the more severe the obesity, the more important this becomes.

I really appreciate how much thought you put into that reply. Obviously there are physical consequences that come with carrying this much weight...but what it does to your head is a completely different beast. The thought that this could end up being just one more thing I couldnt pull off honestly terrifies me. All I want is to be able to look at the guy in the mirror with love..not out of vanity but in a way that doesnt make me want to break down.

 

[sheilarae74]

For me—and I'm sure many others feel the same—GLPs plus various other peptides are the only route to actually keeping the weight off. That is, unless someone intends to track calories and work out without ever slipping, for the rest of their life. Doing that myself is just not something I could ever manage.

 

[lessthanhalf]

Even though the majority of my weight came off without GLP medications—and regrettably, that was far from my first attempt—they've changed things enormously when it comes to quality of life, or simply feeling that I can loosen up a little around food and eating, rather than piling on kilos every week. Spending a year keeping off a 70kg loss without GLP drugs, compared with a year and a half using them, is genuinely a different experience. These days I don't have to fight myself constantly to eat below what my body is asking for. I still watch what kinds of food I choose fairly closely, but as long as I avoid things that are extremely calorie dense or addictive, I'm able to eat enough to not feel hungry. Previously it felt like a trade-off: either stay thin and stay hungry forever, or gain the weight back.

It definitely hasn't fixed everything for me, but living in my body is far more comfortable than it used to be, and I'm grateful to be able to get around and do things that were pretty much out of reach at 145kg.

 

[Grogu]

therealdlg said:

lessthanhalf said:

What you're describing with long-term weight loss happens to almost everybody. The vast majority of people who shed pounds through diet and exercise end up regaining them. My understanding is that once the appetite and weight regulation system is damaged, it generally doesn't bounce back for most people — particularly when the obesity is severe. That means keeping weight off demands eating fewer calories than a normal person would, because of metabolic adaptation, on top of feeling hungrier because of the weight loss. That combination is nearly unbeatable, and very few manage it.

For this problem, GLP drugs are far and away the best option that has ever come along — with the possible exception of bariatric surgery, which works even better but has its own downsides.

So begin reta or tirz and remain on it after the weight comes off, and then you should only need to lose the weight one final time. And yes, you should definitely treat it as a crutch — that's exactly what it's meant for: the long-term treatment of severe obesity. The more you frame losing weight as some standard diet-and-exercise regimen, the more likely it becomes unsustainable over time, because if eating less or even exercising takes constant mental effort, people eventually wear out, quit, and regain the weight. Making sensible, better food choices while on glp's is a good idea, but fortunately they work to make that happen anyway without any special effort. For long-term health, good diet and exercise matter, but GLP drugs produce weight loss regardless of lifestyle changes. And over the long term, GLP drugs lower the risk of a large number of serious illnesses — partly through weight loss and partly as a drug effect — and the more severe the obesity, the more important this becomes.

I really appreciate how much thought you put into that reply. Obviously there are physical consequences that come with carrying this much weight...but what it does to your head is a completely different beast. The thought that this could end up being just one more thing I couldnt pull off honestly terrifies me. All I want is to be able to look at the guy in the mirror with love..not out of vanity but in a way that doesnt make me want to break down.

I'm roughly halfway through dropping 120 pounds (so far), and while binge-watching around 100 episodes of My 600lbs Life, it hit me that — just like a lot of the people featured in those episodes — my own lifelong obesity likely had something to do with deeper psychological issue(s). Admitting that wasn't easy, and my family couldn't really understand why I'd want therapy, but I went anyway. Speaking with someone helped me untangle the learned behaviors and coping mechanisms I'd carried from childhood into adulthood. It only took a handful of sessions, so I'd suggest looking into CBT at some point. It genuinely helped.

When doubts creep in about whether weight loss on these medications will last, try looking at this graph. I've had those exact same doubts. A typical one sounds like: Why is this time losing 100+ pounds going to be any different that the prior 3 times in my life that I did the same thing...

What you're seeing is long-term tirzepatide outcomes across several years. The weight loss curve levels off and then holds steady for years. YEARS. It only climbs because participants stopped taking the medication. To me that's a beautiful thing, and it's probably what I'm most excited about. Saying goodbye to the Yo-Yo. The underlying study is attached.





Image unavailable

 

[Jfrick11]

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

Hey friend.

Motivation probably isn't what's holding you back. Anyone who has dropped 30-40 pounds more than once obviously knows how to put in the work. If you were lacking motivation, you would never have made it that far to begin with.

What you're talking about sounds like what happens when obesity gets framed as a willpower issue rather than a disease. Each time you shed weight, your body begins to resist. Hunger goes up, cravings go up, and sticking with the same habits that took the weight off gets harder and harder.

Once you've been through that loop for years, feeling worn out makes complete sense.

Try not to view those earlier attempts as failures. What I see is a person who has been battling their own biology for years and keeps standing back up to try once more.

I don't think the answer is chasing more motivation.....The answer is finding a plan that can last, so you don't have to be perfect every day and it's enough that you don't have to depend on motivation forever.

 

[birdwhacker]

Don said:

Don’t drop 30–40 pounds and then decide “I’m done, cheat day time,” quit logging what you eat, and slide right back into the same routines.

Go after your best physique instead. Genuinely dedicate yourself to getting lean. Forget chasing a smaller scale number; chase an athletic, muscular look with low body fat. Get lean to the point where veins show in your arms, so you notice something you never saw before

Once you get there, proper training and eating will already be automatic. More than likely, you’ll care more about keeping that physique than about squeezing in random cheat meals.

Also, study body recomposition in depth and figure out how to shed fat while preserving or even adding muscle. Most people understand very little about nutrition. They simply eat less, survive on 2–3 salads per day, hardly take in protein, remove every carb, run out of energy for training, and finally burn out because that method isn’t sustainable or sensible

Learn how your body operates. On waking, take in protein to avoid a catabolic state (after 8-12 hours without food). Before training, have some carbs since your glycogen stores will be depleted and you need energy to create muscle stimulus. Much of the weight lost in the first 2 weeks is glycogen and water, not pure fat

After training, don’t hesitate to eat a real meal; your body requires protein and carbs to recover. Don’t finish a hard workout and then think, “I’ll just have a salad and stay hungry until tomorrow morning.” That’s not how it works

Study nutrition, create sustainable habits, train hard, keep protein high, and aim to improve your physique rather than only shrinking the number on the scale.

That's awful guidance. Take that loser's word for it and you'll wind up married to a woman younger than yourself. Do you actually earn enough to afford that?

 

[Don]

birdwhacker said:

Don said:

Don’t drop 30–40 pounds and then decide “I’m done, cheat day time,” quit logging what you eat, and slide right back into the same routines.

Go after your best physique instead. Genuinely dedicate yourself to getting lean. Forget chasing a smaller scale number; chase an athletic, muscular look with low body fat. Get lean to the point where veins show in your arms, so you notice something you never saw before

Once you get there, proper training and eating will already be automatic. More than likely, you’ll care more about keeping that physique than about squeezing in random cheat meals.

Also, study body recomposition in depth and figure out how to shed fat while preserving or even adding muscle. Most people understand very little about nutrition. They simply eat less, survive on 2–3 salads per day, hardly take in protein, remove every carb, run out of energy for training, and finally burn out because that method isn’t sustainable or sensible

Learn how your body operates. On waking, take in protein to avoid a catabolic state (after 8-12 hours without food). Before training, have some carbs since your glycogen stores will be depleted and you need energy to create muscle stimulus. Much of the weight lost in the first 2 weeks is glycogen and water, not pure fat

After training, don’t hesitate to eat a real meal; your body requires protein and carbs to recover. Don’t finish a hard workout and then think, “I’ll just have a salad and stay hungry until tomorrow morning.” That’s not how it works

Study nutrition, create sustainable habits, train hard, keep protein high, and aim to improve your physique rather than only shrinking the number on the scale.

That's awful guidance. Take that loser's word for it and you'll wind up married to a woman younger than yourself. Do you actually earn enough to afford that?

The downside of drawing in ladies who have BBLs and a blue link sitting in their insta bio Image unavailable

 

[LabRatts]

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

As long as you keep feeding your ego and dodging your mental focus problems, putting your own desires ahead of what your body actually requires, you will stay stuck.

Nothing in a pill or a syringe will do a thing for you when you refuse to shift how you think.

Facts are facts.

 

[lastresort]

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

When you say "crank up the work outs," what exactly are you picturing?

Exercise needs to be something you can keep up long term, not a series of short, intense bursts.

 

[lessthanhalf]

LabRatts said:

therealdlg said:

Hey all! Losing weight has been my life's project and I've never really cracked it. I'm 42 now, 300 pounds, 6'2". What always beats me is making it last. I go hard on the workouts... eat clean... drop 30-40 pounds, then burn out and the motivation disappears. Going through that cycle over and over is brutal on the mind. How do I get past it and make this stick for good?

As long as you keep feeding your ego and dodging your mental focus problems, putting your own desires ahead of what your body actually requires, you will stay stuck.

Nothing in a pill or a syringe will do a thing for you when you refuse to shift how you think.

Facts are facts.

Honestly, I believe this perspective is completely misguided. It treats the issue as though diet, exercise, and a generally improved mindset can resolve it, yet in my view the evidence shows that this method ultimately fails over time, even if it delivers results in the short run. For many obese individuals, the system regulating hunger and body weight is malfunctioning, meaning the body's own cues about what it needs are actually counterproductive—it constantly pushes you to consume more, no matter what is required or what damage results.

GLP medications are precisely the pill or injection that addresses obesity for a substantial share of those who take them. Fat loss from GLP drugs does not hinge on improved eating or working out; they reduce your appetite so you consume less, and they help correct the metabolic dysfunction present in obese people. Although better nutrition and physical activity are certainly beneficial, GLP drugs will be effective regardless, and they permit long-term weight maintenance provided you continue taking them over the long haul.

Treating GLP drugs as merely one component of a conventional diet-and-exercise strategy actually overlooks what makes them advantageous, and leaves you vulnerable to putting the weight back on once the unsustainable eating and activity portion becomes too difficult to keep up with long term. Building healthier eating patterns while using GLP's and exercising remains a wise move, but I think regarding those elements as the core of the answer is in fact counterproductive. Because once the GLP drugs are discontinued at a lower weight while doing regular exercise, most people will regain the weight, which is fairly strong proof that those habits were not the answer—the GLP drugs were.

 

[therealdlg]

Obviously I haven't solved everything. The reason I'm in this space is to get support... so that this could be the final occasion I ever have to experience these feelings. Once you factor in everything abusive that's happened to me... for me this isn't just about improving my diet and moving more. I'm genuinely trying to overhaul every part of myself.. every untrue belief and bit of conditioning I've tolerated across 42 years, whether it came from me or from other people. GLP's are only 1 piece of the puzzle that I'm hoping will let me begin untangling the chaos in my mind.

 

[lessthanhalf]

If expert support isn’t part of your situation right now, it could be worth exploring whether that option is available to you. What you’re describing makes me wonder if depression might be playing a role?

Getting free from those trapped, awful places is possible. It isn’t something I’ve managed every time, or managed quickly, but it can happen. For whatever it may be worth, here’s what my own recent experience has looked like.

4 years ago, I was staying in my ex’s house at 145kg. Walking even a hundred meters left me drenched in sweat and gasping, and my health was chronically very bad. Covid had killed my business, I had no job and no prospects of getting one, and I had to sell my house because the mortgage payments were beyond me. My ex’s place was fairly run-down since she was a hoarder, but I still felt thankful just to have a roof. At the time, I didn’t understand how depressed I was.

I simply put together a diet I thought might work, low calorific density with very high protein, and kept to it. Back then I believed GLP drugs were beyond what I could afford. So I stayed with it, telling myself it wouldn’t fix everything, but if I could drop 20 or 30 kilos then at least moving and doing things would be easier. Usually it comes down to making a decision and continuing with it, rather than relying on motivation. Gradually it paid off, and in the end I reached a point where I could begin walking, only 5 minutes a day, without too much pain in my feet. I increased it little by little, got to 75 kg, and could walk for 3 hours in a bit less than a year, at which point I was able to start rebuilding my life, get my own place, and move forward from there. With the aid of GLP drugs I have kept my weight down and reached 64kg, with my health and quality of life far better overall. Not everything is fixed or even fixable, but it never is.

 

[Flash-BCR]

This thread is packed with good energy and useful info... Slimming down is tough. Slimming down while on GLP is far more manageable. The urge for food drops. The urge for bigger servings drops. You still notice you are cutting back on eating, and urges do slip back in, yet food is not the one steering everything, if you will...

I find myself really drawn to what the OP has shared, and I hope that through GLP he can reach not just a relaxed connection with eating, but also a calm and uplifting connection with his own body and mind...