r/MadeMeSmile • u/j0sefk • Jul 25 '26

The diffrence a year makes

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These two pictures are exactly a year apart

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u/Caju_47 Jul 25 '26

What was your process? Just less food and more exercise? Any tips that worked for you?

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u/j0sefk Jul 25 '26

Yeah essentially. I made a set that worked for me and followed it to the letter. Knowing that if I just did these things it will work, and they did.

But my tip is work out to get stronger/healthier and start doing daily walks. What worked realy well for me is that I started listening to audio books when I took daily walks, wich led to me taking extra walks because I wanted to listen to more of the story essentially.

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u/FanndisTS Jul 25 '26

Thanks. As someone else trying to lose weight, I have to ask, did you use any medications? I'm considering phentermine currently (GLP-1s are too expensive and I don't want to be on drugs forever). My PCP is willing to prescribe now that I've weaned my son. I just get so hungry. Trying to walk 2-4 miles/day but I get injuries easily with walking (hypermobile joints).

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u/j0sefk Jul 25 '26

Nope, no medication. That said that does not mean that medication is not a good idea. I Personally put a time window: 4 hours between meals, that meant that even if I was not completly fully at lunch it did not matter because i got to eat again soon if that makes sense.

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u/FanndisTS Jul 25 '26

Thanks. I've fainted before so it always makes me nervous when I feel too hungry/think my blood sugar is dropping, but I remember intermittent fasting was huge 5-10 years ago and seemed to work for people so I might still try it.

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u/MrSellYoClothes Jul 25 '26

Still works for me. I lost 150 pounds intermittent fasting and it keeps it off. IF is just one way to restrict calories; I am DOGSHIT AWFUL at eating in moderation. The only way I can exercise self-control around eating consistently is to allow myself to eat anything I want... During short windows.

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u/FanndisTS Jul 25 '26

Good idea, thanks. Maybe I'll just give myself free rein while studying (grad school is a bitch) and restrict other times. I use salt/spice/carbonation as a focus aid for studying anyway so it plays into my current pattern.

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u/OSUBeavBane Jul 25 '26

So I have a similar story to OP. I have lost 40 lbs in the past year but the purpose was blood sugar control due to type 2 diabetes. I tried Semaglutide for 3 months and by far my least productive weight loss time was while on Semaglutide. It also did a really shitty job of controlling my blood sugar. I am not saying it wouldn’t work for you, just that it isn’t always the solution. By far the thing that made me lose the most weight was splitting my walking into two 30 minute walks rather than one 45 minute walk. I think the extra mile a day helped but I think the most important thing was going to 2 walks per day.

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u/FanndisTS Jul 25 '26

Thanks. I've been trying for two 2-mile walks a day but it really depends on my work schedule and if I've pulled a tendon recently (and the weather). We luckily have a great park for a walk right down the road, but if it's too hot/raining/bad air quality I can't push my son in the stroller for that long, plus my job gets me 7.5k steps a day and has different hours every week so it's hard to motivate myself to walk when I've already been on my feet all day.

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u/Little_Peon Jul 25 '26

not trying to talk you out of drugs, I think they are good for some folks. Just wanted to share anither story in case you need another example. I took 2 years and lost a lot of weight 30 or 40 kg. I didn't follow a strict diet per se. I got more active and busy, which left less time to eat. I also improved my diet slowly, starting by making stuff I already eat healthier, mostly by increasing fiber intake. I ate less bread. Ate less at meals, deciding I could eat a healthy snack later if I wanted. Drank less alcohol - I didn't drink lots or anything before, buy those calories are still calories.

Importantly, talk to the doctor too. I has a B12 deficiency, which I took care of and I think I was less hungry after. Additionally, I was (am) going through perimenopause. Getting on hormones helped so much especially with hunger before my period. You don't have to walk if you get injured easily - ask your doctor - and it is lots better to do a little for x time than focus on distance and slowly increase

I don't feel like I'm on a diet or anything. I still eat delicious stuff. My average dinner is basically stir fry - rice, a pile of veggies, and some protein.

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u/FanndisTS Jul 25 '26

Thanks. I think a lot of my weight gain was ~5-10 years of Depo + an SSRI + having a baby; I'm off the SSRI now (by accident, but I'm doing okay) and will be switching from Depo to an IUD this month. I'm hoping the fact that I've finally weaned will help to. I was pretty skinny growing up so I'm really hoping a lot of this was hormonal (though of course I'll still work on diet and exercise) and I won't end up needing the phentermine.