Honest answer - yes.
In addition to:
- having cut as much sugar/carbohydrates out of my diet as possible (no sweats, no sodas, as little bread as possible) and altering my diet to include more vegetables.
- reducing both the number (2 per day - lunch and dinner) and portion size of my meals (now using a meal prep service instead of just helping myself)
- the exercise that I’m able to perform due to injuries received in the military. I can’t run or bicycle without grinding the enamel off my teeth so I do a 2 mile force march with 60 lbs rucksack along with weight training.
I’m also on prescription medication that aids in the treatment of insulin resistance. And yes the weight is coming off SLOWLY.... VERY SLOWLY. I’m 6 foot and weight about 240 ... 50 lbs more than I feel I should. It has taken me a year to take off about 10 - 12 lbs.
Yes I have gone on crash diets .... hard core Atkins was the only thing that actually took the weight off. I got down to 205 lbs. Doctor said I had to stop though due to liver and blood tests. And as soon as I went back on the “normal” diet, I put the weight right back on.
So now let me ask you a question. Actions for controlling your weight can be divided into two broad categories, food related and activity related. If a person does have a medically recognized condition (say insulin resistance), shouldn’t they take their medication to treat the condition? What if they honestly have a thyroid problem and are being treated by a doctor? And if that is ok, why not a vaccine against a virus found to cause people to gain weight, or a treatment for a gene disorder?
In short, why in your mind is there only ONE way to treat obesity?
There’s not only one way - as in your case, there may actually be underlying medical conditions that lead to more weight gain. Medical, not genetic like this article was addressing. Additional, some people may not be able to exercise at all, and that can contribute to it.
But what I’ve been talking about is the 99% of the population that is fat because of what they do (or don’t do) and what they eat. I’m sure you’ve known people like that in your life. It’s almost impossible not to. For the VAST majority of people, adjusting their food intake and finding some way to get physical activity will be the key to their weight loss, but they simple refuse to do it.
You’re certainly giving it your best, taxcontrol. Congrats on your weight loss and on staying with your program.
I wonder what would happen if you got off bread altogether and anything containing wheat — maybe experiment for a month. Your success with Atkins indicates that something in the carb family is a very significant factor.
Have you read Barry Sears’ books on the Zone diet? He advocates a balanced diet with very low glycemic carbs. This means you eat sufficient protein at every meal and snack time plus large quantities of veggies and, at least at first, no bread or pasta at all. Works for me every time.