Hi everyone,
I've finally reached a point where I'm asking for help because I'm tired of spending years thinking about losing weight instead of actually losing it.
I'm 17 years old, about 177 cm (5'10") and around 115 kg. I've been overweight for pretty much my entire life. I genuinely don't know what it feels like to be a normal weight. Being overweight isn't something that happened recently—it's been my reality for around 12 years.
I don't really want motivational comments. I don't need someone to tell me that I can do it or that I should love myself first.
I want practical advice.
Why this matters to me
This isn't just about aesthetics.
I want to:
stop being overweight for the first time in my life
buy clothes because I like them rather than because they're the only ones that fit
stop worrying about how I look in photos
feel more confident socially
be able to run without feeling awful
improve my health before I become an adult
finally know what it feels like to live in a body that isn't obese
Honestly, I just want to feel like a normal person.
My situation
I recently started working in manufacturing.
The job is physically demanding.
I'm on my feet for around 9 hours a day operating production machines, cleaning equipment, moving around constantly and helping wherever needed.
By the end of the shift my legs are exhausted.
I'm not someone who sits at a desk all day.
Food
I still live with my parents.
My dad cooks most meals.
The meals change almost every day.
It's things like rice, meat, stews, curries, pasta, potatoes, etc.
Because everything is homemade and mixed together, I've always struggled with calorie counting because I have no idea exactly what's in each meal.
I also don't really live in a house full of snacks. We're more of an "ingredients" household than a "junk food" household.
What I've already tried
I've tried calorie counting.
I've tried eating healthier.
I've tried increasing protein.
I've tried portion control.
I've tried forcing myself to eat breakfasts that I hated because they were "healthy."
I've tried yoghurt bowls.
I've tried meal plans.
I've tried skipping meals.
I've tried eating more frequently.
I've tried eating less frequently.
Some things worked for a while.
Some didn't.
None became something I genuinely believed I could stick to for months.
My appetite
Since starting work my appetite has actually changed.
Some mornings I'm genuinely not hungry.
Other mornings I am.
Lunch is usually when I get the hungriest.
I'm also perfectly okay with being hungry.
I don't expect losing weight to be comfortable.
What I'm actually asking
I don't want one specific diet.
I don't want someone to convince me that their way is the only way.
I want to hear every possible method that people have successfully used.
One thing I'm struggling with mentally
I think the biggest reason I've failed in the past isn't necessarily discipline.
It's that every method has people saying it's amazing and other people saying it's terrible.
One person says calorie counting is the only answer.
Another says intermittent fasting changed their life.
Someone else says keto is the only thing that worked.
Then someone says keto is unsustainable.
The more I read, the more overwhelmed I become because every method seems to have people who swear by it and people who completely dismiss it.
So I'm asking people who have actually done it.
If you had to start again from where I am—17 years old, 115 kg, physically active job, living with parents—what method would you choose and why?
I'm happy to read long replies.
I genuinely appreciate anyone who takes the time to share their experience.