When you're obese how long does it take to start getting health problems?

[Neostarwcc]

Okay so I've been over 200 pounds pretty much since I was 14. I'm almost 33 years old now and I weigh almost 400 pounds (about 382). But here's the thing, despite being obese doctors say I'm in good health. My cholesterol is perfect both good and bad, blood pressure meds keep my blood pressure normal. Doctors say I could live for another 20 years or so. But I know that my luck won't last forever and I know I have to lose weight eventually if I want to live past 60. I was just wondering to those older than me and are struggling with obesity too. How long did it take for your weight to catch up with you? Were you in good health in your 30s too? I imagine in my 40s or 50s I could have a heart attack or stroke that could potentially kill me. He'll I could have a heart attack tomorrow although its unlikely with my blood pressure being normal and my cholesterol being so good. I'm also wondering about how you lost weight if you did. Lately I've been telling my wife to give me less food so I've been trying to eat less and I've been trying to exercise. But so far I haven't lost any weight. So how did you lose weight? Because is like to get down to at least 250 pounds. Neck if I got down to 300 pounds id feel a lot better...

 

[expos4ever]

While my situation was much less severe than yours, I hope this encourages you. I am now 60 and weigh about 170 lbs. Given my height, I an generally considered slim to average depending on who you ask. I used to weigh about 210. Eight years ago, I decided to lose weight for health reasons.

It was surprisingly easy - I lost about 40 lbs in 3 months simply by cutting back in carbs. In fact, I “overshot” and my weight dipped below 150 three years ago. That was too thin.

Anyway, it has been my experience that weight loss takes motivation and less discipline than you might think. After only about two weeks at the beginning, my desire for sweet stuff dropped off.

Good luck.

 

[tall73]

I put on some pounds during my thirties and by my early fourties was starting to see issues with blood pressure and borderline blood sugar.

I have lost weight and those two metrics are improving, with the blood sugar already down to mid-range. I did so through a low carb diet which cut out grains, sugar, and starchy vegetables, and focuses on higher fat foods, and green leafy vegetables.

My brother is now doing the same. For different reasons we both originally went on the diet to fight inflammation in the body, and the weight loss is a great added benefit. Our diet is similar to a keto diet (look it up) in the things we eat.

Along with the low carb diet I tend to eat within a certain time window, or do intermittent fasting, usually eating one or two meals a day. Note, I am not a doctor, and you would need to consult your doctor on any details. My doctor and my brother's doctor tailored our diets to our situation.

However, the theory is that this keeps the insulin lower throughout the day. When insulin is high your body will not burn fat. Consult this article for more details on the role of insulin and leptin:

Drop in both insulin and leptin needed for fat burning to occur

Since there is less stored carbs the body quickly turns to fat for energy once it has burned through the other options. And since you are going through longer times of not eating you do not have as long of periods of elevated insulin throughout the day, and your body has longer to access fat stores. Generally eating carbs or protein increases insulin to process it.

The low carb diet is really a high fat diet, low in carbs and moderate in protein. This is again aimed at lowering insulin in the system, allowing your body to turn to fat reserves for energy.

I always struggled on a calorie reduction diet. And it seemed my metabolism would slow down by a certain point and I would not see a lot of results. I was often hungry on such a diet, which makes it a miserable experience.

On this diet I eat until I am full, just less often, and it is not really a calorie reduction diet. I also do not get very hungry when going for hours or even a day without food. Since my body taps into the reserves of fat, it gets the energy it needs.

There are other benefits to fasting as well, spiritually, mentally, and just practically (some days if you are busy it helps to cut out time for eating and food preparation).

One thing to consult on though is if you have high cortisol levels you would want to talk this over with your doctor before fasting. Fasting can impact cortisol and adrenaline levels. The diet can impact other hormone levels as well. So it is best to do it in a program where they check your blood levels every few months to make sure things are in balance.

For health reasons beyond weight I am remaining on the low carb diet. Others use it only until they achieve their weight loss goals then go back on a more traditional diet until they need it again.

If you enjoy learning by video, go on Youtube and type in keto diet, fasting, etc. and you will get lots of information, both for and against, and details on how to do it.

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

Okay so I've been over 200 pounds pretty much since I was 14. I'm almost 33 years old now and I weigh almost 400 pounds (about 382). But here's the thing, despite being obese doctors say I'm in good health. My cholesterol is perfect both good and bad, blood pressure meds keep my blood pressure normal. Doctors say I could live for another 20 years or so. But I know that my luck won't last forever and I know I have to lose weight eventually if I want to live past 60. I was just wondering to those older than me and are struggling with obesity too. How long did it take for your weight to catch up with you? Were you in good health in your 30s too? I imagine in my 40s or 50s I could have a heart attack or stroke that could potentially kill me. He'll I could have a heart attack tomorrow although its unlikely with my blood pressure being normal and my cholesterol being so good. I'm also wondering about how you lost weight if you did. Lately I've been telling my wife to give me less food so I've been trying to eat less and I've been trying to exercise. But so far I haven't lost any weight. So how did you lose weight? Because is like to get down to at least 250 pounds. Neck if I got down to 300 pounds id feel a lot better...

Hi your diet is a bit scientific and if you eat a lot of carbs and sugars the excess calories are stored as fat cells. If you switch to high protien low carbs and of course reduce your portions like count on the charts how many calories you should have your body will start to run on fat rather than sugar and it will burn off the extra fat little by little. The thing with making a change is it requires discipline and personal responsibility so you have to take charge of your portions. For instance if you used to eat 6 tacos beans rice you go to 3 and have veggies instead. This is the type of commitment you will need. If you do this and perhaps research a few supplements that boost metabolism you can get down pretty quick. Your exercise also only burns up calories at a specific rate. So if you walk a mile on the chart it might burn of 1 of the tacos. You have to have balance and a plan and discipline to follow the plan and then a commitment to not returning to the old habits once you get there. This venture should be accompanied by a renewed commitment to the LORD and you should be praying for His strength in this and every other area of your life. In other words self focus should never be the main thing so prioritize your day with Bible reading and devotion and set the time aside to rise early have a small breakfast and meditate on what you read and pray for family and friends and you will get in great shape in more ways then one.

 

[Thess]

He'll I could have a heart attack tomorrow although its unlikely with my blood pressure being normal and my cholesterol being so good.

Hello my friend! I do not suffer from having too much weight, but instead, I was always thin throughout my life. When I was suffering and depressed, the last thing I wanted to do was eat....isn't that a funny thing?! So weather we eat too much or too little, we are suffering from essentially the same things.

I wanted to recount a story for you, and it's a story that has stuck with me forever. I used to be a Cremationist, the most difficult job I've ever had, for sure. One day, the funeral home that I worked for received a body that came directly from the coroners office. It was my job to assist with the body to ensure that the handling practices met [my] funeral homes expectations. I have always estimated that this man weighed about 400lbs. He had a large cut that started from the collarbone area that extended downward towards the heart. This cut was not sewn together, thus the pink flesh was pushing itself outward and beyond the skin....it was just amazing. He also had a long, extended cut that we down his entire chest. The coroners cut strips in his skin, on both side of the cut and actually used those strips of skin to literally tie him together, keeping his entire chest cavity from folding open. Again, I was just stunned, being only a 21 year old at the time. I wasn't ready for what I was seeing.

What struck me more than anything else was the toe jam that was hanging out from underneath his toenails. What I gleaned from this man is that if he were ready, that if he knew that he was going to die, that if he knew that I would be pondering the toe-jam hanging out of his toenail, he would have prepared himself. He would have removed the toe-jam so that no one would have seen it. But that's not what happened....this man didn't act in time and he paid the price with his entire life.

You know what you're doing. You're in charge of your body; you are! Now, I believe in you. You are obviously a clear thinker, for you created this thread. We need to figure out why it is that we are struggling and suffering so much. We need to realize that we are good people, that we are ok. I encourage you to do all that you can to uncover and discover personal confidence. This is a mindset that Adam and Eve possessed, for confident is what we are when we live our lives in alignment with doing things rightly. If we obey, the result is solid thinking. We're confident and don't have to look over our shoulders....ever. We never have to worry about death, for when we live rightly, death does not frighten us.

I believe in you! You can do this! And please know that to the degree that you "love" yourself, you are able to love others. So if we hate ourselves, well.....you see how it goes.

My best to you! I am here to help if I am able. I care about you very, very much.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Okay so I've been over 200 pounds pretty much since I was 14. I'm almost 33 years old now and I weigh almost 400 pounds (about 382). But here's the thing, despite being obese doctors say I'm in good health. My cholesterol is perfect both good and bad, blood pressure meds keep my blood pressure normal. Doctors say I could live for another 20 years or so. But I know that my luck won't last forever and I know I have to lose weight eventually if I want to live past 60. I was just wondering to those older than me and are struggling with obesity too. How long did it take for your weight to catch up with you? Were you in good health in your 30s too? I imagine in my 40s or 50s I could have a heart attack or stroke that could potentially kill me. He'll I could have a heart attack tomorrow although its unlikely with my blood pressure being normal and my cholesterol being so good. I'm also wondering about how you lost weight if you did. Lately I've been telling my wife to give me less food so I've been trying to eat less and I've been trying to exercise. But so far I haven't lost any weight. So how did you lose weight? Because is like to get down to at least 250 pounds. Neck if I got down to 300 pounds id feel a lot better...

If you want to avoid a heart attack then avoid high fat food. You can look at the charts to see when people have problems with different conditions at different ages. You can have them measure the build up of plaque in your bloodstream so you can see exactly where you are at.

 

[tall73]

There are some who do well on other diets as well. I lost weight earlier in life by essentially exercising almost to excess and cutting calories. I found this hard to maintain long term, and my joints over time didn't care for the jogging etc.

I was a vegetarian for about 16 years, and a vegan for part of that. Many do well on that diet, but I was a fat vegan. The low carb diet works better for me in regards to weight loss. I think it may be possible, though complicated, to do a vegetarian keto diet if you prefer that for ethical reasons.

What all of the approaches agree on as well is cutting out processed food.

 

[tall73]

If you want to avoid a heart attack then avoid high fat food.

That is an ongoing debate. Some think the type of fat is just as important as the amount.And some suggest that saturated fats in particular have gotten a bad name:

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Thess]

The problem isn't "food". It isn't. Food by itself sits and rots.

Being overweight or too thin is a result of the real problem, and what is this real problem we ask? The real problem is wrapped up in what we believe. If our beliefs are problematic, then our level of submission to that belief will be made evident through our level of obedience (doing things rightly). Look, over or under eating is the result of weakness and insecurity, thus we MUST become restored to the confident men and women that God designed us to be. Obviously, God doesn't grant confidence, rather, He wants to restore our confidence. In order to fix a weight problem, we need to fix the insecurity problem....this is my personal experience with my ongoing weight issue.

 

[maintenance man]

I lost weight by simply counting calories. I used MyFitnessPal (it’s free) to count calories.

First multiply your current weight by 14. If you weight 382lbs that would be 382 X 14 = 5348

Next multiply your current weight by 16. If you weight 382lbs that would be 382 X 16 = 6112

These two numbers equal the approximate range in which you will find your maintenance level of calories. If you eat in this range you will not gain weight or lose weight. The higher number is if you are more active and the lower number is if you are less active. The only way to precisely dial in this number is to pick a place to start and see what happens after a week. Weigh yourself at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week and note the difference. If you gained any weight at all, you are not at your maintenance level and will need to adjust your calories down by 200. If you find you lost weight, it is because you have gone beyond your maintenance level and have already started the weight loss process.

This is simply a slow gradual process in which you over time train yourself to eat less and hopefully exercise more. 30 minutes of walking each day is a good place to start.

Every couple of weeks you lower your calories by another 200 and just keep going until you hit the weight you’re looking for. Then find your maintenance level and keep you’re calories at a that level to maintain that weight.

It’s better to change the way you eat than go on a temporary diet and go back to your regular eating habits after – then gain all the weight back.

Here’s a link to the diet I used: DIET

Maybe this can work for you.

 

[BlessedVegan]

.

 

[joshua 1 9]

That is an ongoing debate. Some think the type of fat is just as important as the amount.And some suggest that saturated fats in particular have gotten a bad name:

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluatin he association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. - PubMed - NCBI

Yes they are still debating the issue but the Government has established guidelines that they continue to revise. The point I was trying to make is that even if we are 200 pounds over weight and we can not lose any weigh. We may be able to eat right and that would lower our risk. Also eating right is a step in the right direction if we are actually able to lose weight or not. Although chances are good that if we are eating right we will be losing weight.

 

[Neostarwcc]

If you want to avoid a heart attack then avoid high fat food. You can look at the charts to see when people have problems with different conditions at different ages. You can have them measure the build up of plaque in your bloodstream so you can see exactly where you are at.

Doesn't just being obese put you at risk for an eventual heart attack? Because of all of the fat your heart has to beat through? Strokes too. I mean my mom said strokes can happen at any time at any age. When I lived with her she w(she's a nurse so she's seen it happen to 20-30 year olds before) and was always afraid I would have a stroke.

Im not worried about having a heart attack or stroke now but if I don't start taking care of myself one could be a reality 10-20 years from now. But ill cut out fatty foods for the most part. I heard eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help too.

 

[Neostarwcc]

I lost weight by simply counting calories. I used MyFitnessPal (it’s free) to count calories.

First multiply your current weight by 14. If you weight 382lbs that would be 382 X 14 = 5348

Next multiply your current weight by 16. If you weight 382lbs that would be 382 X 16 = 6112

These two numbers equal the approximate range in which you will find your maintenance level of calories. If you eat in this range you will not gain weight or lose weight. The higher number is if you are more active and the lower number is if you are less active. The only way to precisely dial in this number is to pick a place to start and see what happens after a week. Weigh yourself at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week and note the difference. If you gained any weight at all, you are not at your maintenance level and will need to adjust your calories down by 200. If you find you lost weight, it is because you have gone beyond your maintenance level and have already started the weight loss process.

This is simply a slow gradual process in which you over time train yourself to eat less and hopefully exercise more. 30 minutes of walking each day is a good place to start.

Every couple of weeks you lower your calories by another 200 and just keep going until you hit the weight you’re looking for. Then find your maintenance level and keep you’re calories at a that level to maintain that weight.

It’s better to change the way you eat than go on a temporary diet and go back to your regular eating habits after – then gain all the weight back.

Here’s a link to the diet I used: DIET

Maybe this can work for you.

I think the last time I counted I ate like 3,800 ish calories a day. But I think I weighed like 30 pounds less. I probably eat 5,000 ish now because I haven't been gaining any weight lately. I gain like one pound in the last 5 months or so since I last weighed myself. So I should start exercising on top of eating less and maybe I can lose another 20 or 30 pounds over the winter.

 

[Neostarwcc]

There are some who do well on other diets as well. I lost weight earlier in life by essentially exercising almost to excess and cutting calories. I found this hard to maintain long term, and my joints over time didn't care for the jogging etc.

I was a vegetarian for about 16 years, and a vegan for part of that. Many do well on that diet, but I was a fat vegan. The low carb diet works better for me in regards to weight loss. I think it may be possible, though complicated, to do a vegetarian keto diet if you prefer that for ethical reasons.

What all of the approaches agree on as well is cutting out processed food.

I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian I love meat way too much.

 

[Neostarwcc]

Hello my friend! I do not suffer from having too much weight, but instead, I was always thin throughout my life. When I was suffering and depressed, the last thing I wanted to do was eat....isn't that a funny thing?! So weather we eat too much or too little, we are suffering from essentially the same things.

I wanted to recount a story for you, and it's a story that has stuck with me forever. I used to be a Cremationist, the most difficult job I've ever had, for sure. One day, the funeral home that I worked for received a body that came directly from the coroners office. It was my job to assist with the body to ensure that the handling practices met [my] funeral homes expectations. I have always estimated that this man weighed about 400lbs. He had a large cut that started from the collarbone area that extended downward towards the heart. This cut was not sewn together, thus the pink flesh was pushing itself outward and beyond the skin....it was just amazing. He also had a long, extended cut that we down his entire chest. The coroners cut strips in his skin, on both side of the cut and actually used those strips of skin to literally tie him together, keeping his entire chest cavity from folding open. Again, I was just stunned, being only a 21 year old at the time. I wasn't ready for what I was seeing.

What struck me more than anything else was the toe jam that was hanging out from underneath his toenails. What I gleaned from this man is that if he were ready, that if he knew that he was going to die, that if he knew that I would be pondering the toe-jam hanging out of his toenail, he would have prepared himself. He would have removed the toe-jam so that no one would have seen it. But that's not what happened....this man didn't act in time and he paid the price with his entire life.

You know what you're doing. You're in charge of your body; you are! Now, I believe in you. You are obviously a clear thinker, for you created this thread. We need to figure out why it is that we are struggling and suffering so much. We need to realize that we are good people, that we are ok. I encourage you to do all that you can to uncover and discover personal confidence. This is a mindset that Adam and Eve possessed, for confident is what we are when we live our lives in alignment with doing things rightly. If we obey, the result is solid thinking. We're confident and don't have to look over our shoulders....ever. We never have to worry about death, for when we live rightly, death does not frighten us.

I believe in you! You can do this! And please know that to the degree that you "love" yourself, you are able to love others. So if we hate ourselves, well.....you see how it goes.

My best to you! I am here to help if I am able. I care about you very, very much.

My sister had that problem too. She was like 80 pounds throughout most of high school. She was a pole while I was always fat so I was kind of jealous of her. She was also popular in school while I was to say the least a loser. Lol. She had the good looks of the family while I was in my opinion kinda ugly. I mean she would eat as much as I did if not more and she never gained any weight. Eventually when she got pregnant with my older niece she started to gain a little weight. Now she's of normal weight now that she's had two kids.

I'm not afraid to die either but I also want to be with my wife for longer than 20 years. I mean if I make it to 60 I guess I would be happy. I just don't want to die in my 40s or 50s from a heart attack or stroke. I mean right now doctors say I'm in good health but I'm also young. Its also a pain in the butt to be sedentary all the time and not able to do much physically. It's time to lose weight and really get serious about this and start eating a little healthier.

 

[Neostarwcc]

While my situation was much less severe than yours, I hope this encourages you. I am now 60 and weigh about 170 lbs. Given my height, I an generally considered slim to average depending on who you ask. I used to weigh about 210. Eight years ago, I decided to lose weight for health reasons.

It was surprisingly easy - I lost about 40 lbs in 3 months simply by cutting back in carbs. In fact, I “overshot” and my weight dipped below 150 three years ago. That was too thin.

Anyway, it has been my experience that weight loss takes motivation and less discipline than you might think. After only about two weeks at the beginning, my desire for sweet stuff dropped off.

Good luck.

I honestly don't know how many carbs I'm eating. I'll have my wife count them and post back. If its too much ill cut down on them. I just need to stop having pizza like once every 2 weeks. That's too much.

 

[WindHund]

Okay so I've been over 200 pounds pretty much since I was 14. I'm almost 33 years old now and I weigh almost 400 pounds (about 382). ... blood pressure meds keep my blood pressure normal. Doctors say I could live for another 20 years or so. ...

Without going into a lot of detail, your weight is already getting to you. To be on blood pressure meds at 33 is significant. The doctor is possibly pessimistic, but to hear you might live another 20 years when 33 should be significant enough to wake you up. The doctors words are something I would want to hear at age 70. Do keep in mind that many of the detrimental effects of excessive weight can be silent for many years and then they blow up on you or are creepingly slow where you might get some reprieve from your condition. The end result of long term obesity is a newly recognized condition known as "metabolic syndrome." I hate to be really blunt about this, but you really need to get a move on this. You can change the direction of your life if you start soon enough. I would suggest you see a physician who specializes in bariatric medicine. Also, to get a bit more info to see your situation and what you can do about it, I recommend two movies - "Forks Over Knives" & "Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead". These can be streamed or gotten via Netflix.

 

[Invalidusername]

My sister had that problem too. She was like 80 pounds throughout most of high school. She was a pole while I was always fat so I was kind of jealous of her. She was also popular in school while I was to say the least a loser. Lol. She had the good looks of the family while I was in my opinion kinda ugly. I mean she would eat as much as I did if not more and she never gained any weight. Eventually when she got pregnant with my older niece she started to gain a little weight. Now she's of normal weight now that she's had two kids.

I'm not afraid to die either but I also want to be with my wife for longer than 20 years. I mean if I make it to 60 I guess I would be happy. I just don't want to die in my 40s or 50s from a heart attack or stroke. I mean right now doctors say I'm in good health but I'm also young. Its also a pain in the butt to be sedentary all the time and not able to do much physically. It's time to lose weight and really get serious about this and start eating a little healthier.

Bolded is not how it works. I know you really think she ate as much as you did but she did not.

 

[sea5763]

I haven’t been obese before but I just wanted to recommend getting a stationary exercise bike you can keep in your house? I got one recently and I have actually been using it because I can exercise at the same time that I surf the web. Most of the time when I have exercised in the past I couldn’t commit to it long term by myself because even while listening to music it’s boring. But the exercise bike is great because you can exercise with your legs at the same time as using your hands to hold a smart phone and surf the web and listen to music. I also agree with counting calories. I lost 20 pounds in less than a year by just counting calories and eating about 1200 calories a day.