28M, 5'6, 497lb journey, overweight my entire life seeking support where I can.

[Pennywisest]

Sorry, no I did not see your post.

1.) I'm eating mostly chicken for protein, turkey from time to time, tuna, salmon and cod but not often maybe once every two weeks. veggies are mixed spring, baby spinach, broccoli. Fats are avocado, cheese, what comes from meat, the occasional meal out which is very rare and from protein bars (Quest and Pure). Carbs come from rice, whole wheat tortilla, rarely quinoa, the occasional croutons on salad but not often, 100% whole wheat sliced bread and not as often anymore but oatmeal. Pretty much no fruits besides avocado and what may come in the light and fit yogurt which I try to have a couple a week, one maybe every other day?
2.) Weighing with food scale.
3.) Water is 128-160oz of water daily.
4.) Haven't had a Dr. pretty much my entire life so unsure on Edema, actually got lucky and my appointment got pushed to tomorrow instead of end of Sept. I do believe I was told I might as I had sores on my legs that I could push in and it would leave an imprint of whatever I was pressing down on it with(would turn my skin white for a couple seconds before changing back to normal color), otherwise not sure.
5.) For example on MFP, I only eat 2k calories. The "remaining" is usually what I burnt which is usually 1600-2k+

and as for the exercise I was doing some simple things like bicep curls, squats, calf raises, assisted pushups etc. but eventually just started doing only basketball and walking but have heard from three people now, including you, that say I should definitely look into weights of some sort one of which said that could be why as my metabolism is slowing down and with doing weights it should help it? Something along those lines.

Thank you Pennywisest for your post as it was asking the right questions instead of assuming/blaming, I appreciate what you do on here and what information you can bring.

I'm glad you're seeing a doctor sooner rather than later, especially since it does sound like edema or possibly an infection. I've cared for people with that before and it's rather cruel how much it can effect observed weight loss on people I do genuinely believe were MOSLTY following their diets.

I will warn you, I doubt it's an explanation for a month of stalled weightloss but it might explain some of the swings you have seen.

Depending on your sources of protein you might be getting a high amount of sodium as more processed forms of your meat choices (canned, deli, etc) have a lot of sodium... I could see a situation where someone with other health problems, cuts their calories and ups the processed meat for protein and causes a bit of a water-weight-wave... I would ask your doctor if they think you're appropriate for a low-sodium diet, and ask for a cardiac screening to rule out anything structurally wrong because edema can sometimes signal deeper issues with the cardiovascular system.

One warning about MFP... At least the last time I used it, it was absolute crap at measuring salt.

[Khrozt]

One warning about MFP... At least the last time I used it, it was absolute crap at measuring salt.

I have noticed that as well. Also, I use the most basic seasoning for when I meal prep my chicken and I have found that as much as I love turkey deli meat(I use Prima della brand) It's just not worth it being as I still don't have work and have no income. It's protein/dollar or whatever you want to call it just isn't worth it(it's basically inefficient at 7 or 8$ a pound) vs buying my own chicken and meal prepping 15+ lbs of it every couple weeks.

As for everything else you mentioned I will take it into consideration and be sure to mention these things to my new Dr. tomorrow. If you don't mind, if you would like to, a list of things I should most likely get checked asap or things you may think could be going wrong with me since it seems you were a caretaker, nurse, Dr. or something to that extent at some point or possibly still are. Thank you so much for all your help, information and kind words and I hope to see you around in the forums as always.

[Pennywisest]

As for everything else you mentioned I will take it into consideration and be sure to mention these things to my new Dr. tomorrow. If you don't mind, if you would like to, a list of things I should most likely get checked asap or things you may think could be going wrong with me since it seems you were a caretaker, nurse, Dr. or something to that extent at some point or possibly still are. Thank you so much for all your help, information and kind words and I hope to see you around in the forums as always.

1) basic blood test with a focus on thyroid t3/t4 levels, blood sugar, micronutrient level (salt, potassium, etc...)
2) skin integrity test to see if there are any points of breakdown, this should confirm any infection/edema that might be going on
3) general cardiovascular health screening, making sure to note to doctor anything symptomatic of High/Low blood pressure (you can look that up).... There's a high chance they'll want to start you on blood pressure meds... It's important you prioritize that because it will support your cardio
4) lower joint (orthopedic) integrity test... Things to focus on are knees and ankles
5) foot examination... If you have untreated diabetes this is, and your eyes is where they'll likely catch any first signs of obvious deterioration.
6) mental health eval... I hate to say it but the higher a persons weight gets, the more likely they're going to have some traumatic mental health issues either making them obese or as a result of living with obesity... The flavor and extent varies, but mental health is a major factor in regain.

You can also talk to them about any options for physical therapy as you loose the weight and your medical care options improve.

Ask them for a referral to any options for financial assistance both in house for the clinic and in general, for any organizations for conditions you come back positive for... Grants love people who can actively demonstrate commitment to improving their health which you can demonstrate through your prior loss... You just have to find the right person in the financial/philanthropy department.

At the very least you could probably talk your way into a comped gym membership if you bark up enough trees.

[Khrozt]

Thank you Pennywisest, sorry for late reply got busy that day with doing the normal + Dr. appointment + Interview and then yesterday spent most the day doing the normal + cleaning and rearranging. Dr. appointment went well told them all I could for that visit they are doing blood lab test, checking thyroid too. My Dr. was super motivated and inspired about my progress so much so that it made her want to do better and she even went and told the supervisor who came to ask questions and talk to me, was honestly a really good time besides the normal being "scared" of hospitals. Setting me up for everything they can think of that might help too. Interview went well he pretty much made it sound like I was going to be hired so that's nice. I'm worried about getting the job and then losing my coverage with the hospital though. More cleaning today and weigh in tomorrow, hope all are well!

[Khrozt]

Today's weigh in was 364, Dr. lab results came in a couple days ago and Dr. said everything looked fine. My kidney, liver and electrolytes all were "unremarkable", their words, I am no longer diabetic and everything else seemed normal, including my thyroid which I was convinced I was hypo but I guess not from the results.

Update on the job, I got it and just need to sign some papers next time they call me to come in, I assume within the week.

Stay happy, stay healthy and stay consistent. Consistency is key! Also, I updated the main post.

[Khrozt]

Weigh in was 360 (Aug, 27th)

Went in to sign those papers and was told within the week I should start working. Bit questionable since I wanted the building monitor job so I can stay walking around as I told him that I'd like to stay active but he put me in for membership rep job which how he explained it was just sitting at the front desk trying to sell memberships to people but he said if nothing is going on I can walk around and workout but with how he was talking I'm only assuming he was just saying that so I'd be more content with the position. Either way I think I need to get a job especially if this offers me a free gym membership, personal trainer, making some fitness friends to possibly work out with and a chance at getting some resistance training in and some water aerobics in instead of ~6 miles walking every day.

[Pennywisest]

Weigh in was 360 (Aug, 27th)

Went in to sign those papers and was told within the week I should start working. Bit questionable since I wanted the building monitor job so I can stay walking around as I told him that I'd like to stay active but he put me in for membership rep job which how he explained it was just sitting at the front desk trying to sell memberships to people but he said if nothing is going on I can walk around and workout but with how he was talking I'm only assuming he was just saying that so I'd be more content with the position. Either way I think I need to get a job especially if this offers me a free gym membership, personal trainer, making some fitness friends to possibly work out with and a chance at getting some resistance training in and some water aerobics in instead of ~6 miles walking every day.

Yeah I think regardless of the job's mobility this job will be a level up for you... They probably want you out front to leverage your results as people will assume you got them working out there.

[Khrozt]

Hey all, hope everyone is well! Sorry I've not updated in a little bit but with the new job I've been trying to figure out my new routine and see how the job goes in the sense of break times or times where it's more dead than not etc. My weight for this week was 353 lbs still having protein around the 40-50% mark of macros. Still doing cardio, just started back up actually as I was trying to get used to the standing for four hours at work. Doing 15-20k steps a day with cardio before work and the steps I do at work which is usually in the 8 to 10k range. Hope all are well and making gains/losses, have a great weekend!

[Blackvans1234]

Amazing progress! Saw you in the Sept-Dec weight loss thread and was going to say you should definitely have your own thread.

IMO I'd say find things that you enjoy doing (activity/exercise-wise), because those will stick for a lifetime, even when motivation fades.

If you haven't already, I'd say get a digital food scale so you can be aware of portion sizes. I am a big over-eater when it comes to portion sizes so the scale helped me understand what ''one serving'' of something really looked like.