Time to talk about my weight with you

Hey friends! Today, I’m sharing my weight loss and weight gain journey. I’ve struggled with weight since high school, and it's been a rollercoaster. I've always found therapy crucial and recently got rediagnosed. Weight issues are personal, and everyone's experience is unique.
I've been making slow changes and trying to find healthier habits. Inspired by others, I'm committed to improving. Let's support each other in our struggles. Share your tips and tricks for managing weight and food cravings.
#WeightJourney #MentalHealth #HealthyHabits #Therapy #WeightLoss #SelfCare #Diet #Fitness #Mindfulness #Motivation
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[@genesis631]

I appreciate you being so honest and open about your experience. I feel like people just assume it's so easy to manage weight when there's so much mental health involved. My weight fluctuates so much. It's so dehumanizing how people treat you because people want to asign morality to your weight. And it's so fucked up. I have schizoaffective disorder and ocd- I literally will not eat anything certain days because my brain decides it's poison or contaminanted, but then I'll feel better and then over eat because I'm starving. It makes me want to find some sort of food substitute where i dont even have to think about it, but that doesn't really exist safely. I wasn't quite an alcoholic but I was getting there, the only thing that made me stop drinking about 2 liters a week was how expensive it was becoming. I hate to say it, but what really changed my patterns with food was just side effects to zoloft. My other medications make me feel like I'm starving, but zoloft made me lose interest in food. I think addictions may require more help than just will power. There should be treatments like ozempic specifically for weight issues, not just cosmetic issues.

[@Schwansonian_Townsonian]

This was so honest and vulnerable. You are such a nice guy Kevin.

[@tinabarone5138]

Kevin, thank you. It's good to know I am not alone. A picture was taken of me today out a show with my students, and I was just horrified by what my face looked like, because just two years ago I was in a much better place with my weight management. And I feel so badly I took such a long slide backwards. So thank you for sharing so honestly and unapologetically. We all need a little grace and patience with ourselves.

[@ChrisLynn-qq9xt]

Gosh, Kevin. In no way am I making light of your struggle, but honestly, while I notice that you have changed (back and forth) with weight, I just never focused on that. Your great content overshadows all of that. Sometimes it is sparce as far as frequency, but that is ok. Less is more and very rarely do you make a mediocre post, which would seem to be a symptom of those who post a ton frequency wise. Cheers!

[@scottdavis7730]

You're such a beautiful person at any weight. Losing weight will help make sure that you're around to enjoy all of your talents and share them with others so I'm all for you losing weight if you want to. I recently lost 50lbs (out of 250) and my 'secret' was definitely exercise, specifically walking and then slowly ramping up to jogging. I started out walking during the pandemic just to get outside and it just sort of morphed into running a block, then two and then little by little I upped my game. Measured progress, as you said, is the key. It's not that the exercise burns off enough calories to lose weight, it's all psychological for me. Running gives me focus. It calms me down. It makes me feel like I'm making progress and that helps tons with my depression and the weight loss just sort of followed as a side effect. I realize you are extremely busy but my advice is to start walking a couple of miles several times a week. You never know where that path will lead. Regardless of what you decide, I know all of us here wish you the very best. Keep us updated. I hear that making more KZbin videos can help with weight loss. Try that! ;)

[@livelaughleitmotif]

I don’t care if you gain or loose weight, and it’s really shitty and weird if people are constantly psychoanalysing your weight or interrogating you about it (I’m not saying that has for sure happened but if it has/ever does just ignore those pricks) I’m glad you’re taking steps towards self improvement and being kind to yourself though. We’re all proud of you Kevin 🤠

[@MajorAlenko]

The struggle is real. My weight has fluctuated over the years. Being a skinny kid in high school but in my own body dysmorphia I couldn’t see that I was thin and I just thought I was fat. I got to college and first time I had my own money and fat food was so readily available. I had aspirations of joining the military when I was younger but instead I ended up gaining a ton of weight. After years of trying to lose it again I found it possible through motivation of joining the military. I was finally going to do it. I went from 220lbs at my heaviest. Down to 170lbs joined the military felt like I was heading in the right direction. But then I hit setbacks with different injuries and slowly but surely started to gain the weight back. I was fitter than I’d ever been but still struggled to keep a consistent weight. Went through a period of depression where I struggled to even find any reason to live let alone a reason to eat healthy. I found solace in food and alcohol. The latter being a big one for me now. I never drank all that much before the military and now I drink a lot. Not even in excess to get drunk etc it will be like 1/2 pints a day in the local. Left the military, I joined a gym and was going really well till I got a new job that consumed so much of my time that I stopped going. Now the weight has increased even more I last weighed myself and I am now around 280lbs. Really at a loss what to do anymore

[@s2nopasta469]

I don’t really know what to say but. Life is full of changes and things will get better.

[@marcomotroni]

Thanks for sharing your journey, Kevin! Looking forward to your progress :)

[@Jackmille20]

Damn kevin… I feel SO heard. Almost identical story to mine. I am now at a healthy weight. Here are the rules that changed my life: 1) push breakfast back as late as you comfortably can. I usually will drink just coffee until 12:00-1:00ish before my first meal 2) before every single meal, eat a salad and drink a liter of water. I used to be able to eat a ton (I’d regularly eat a large pizza as a single meal) once I started doing this it became impossible for me to eat more than 2 slices at a time. 3) go on a short walk in the morning and at night. I hate excercisinf and this was really the only way of burning calories that I enjoyed That’s it! It’s actionable and simple, but it can be very hard some days. Try it out and let me know what you think. Sending love !

[@mssarahdale]

Thank you so much for sharing. As someone that has always struggled with weight, you shedding light on yourself took away a little bit of shame in myself as your brought it into the light. Im at a space where I dont feel comfortable in my body and I want to address it. Personally Ive gained and lost the same 40 lbs over and over. I have done a lot of work on myself (and continue to), but ultimately, I dont truly believe in my heart of hearts that I am worthy of loving myself. I wear my weight like a shield. That is the piece of the puzzle I need to unlock still. A few thoughts on things that do help. 1) don't let perfection be the enemy of good. If you have a "bad" food moment, meal, day ... Give yourself grace and decide to make the next right choice (for example - say you had an extra slice or two of pizza - dont throw in the towel and turn around and eat the whole pizza just because you fell short of an eating goal. 2) Check out the book Atomic Habits. Essentially, you cant change your triggers, but you can change what you do. - also stack your habits on things you already do. Say you practice for an hour a day, decide ok after every practice session Im going to do 20 situps or whatever. 3) drink more water - 1/2 your weight in oz. Its amazing what happens when you arent dehydrated 4) focus on improving your sleep - yes its a bit chicken / egg but sleep repairs so much from your mood to ability to deal with challenges throughout the day. 5) look at places you might be wasting a lot of calories. Sauces, dips, condiments, liquids. Reducing these or using alternatives makes a big difference. (For example, I love using greek yogurt instead of sour cream). (Im talking to myself here too!). I also have been working as a tech as a day job and noticed after a week off its tough - so Im joining the gym so I can keep strength training. Everyone is different, but I am far more interested in feeling great and improving my heart health vs being a specific number on the scale. Take care and here's to feeling better in our own skin!

[@not2complicated]

As someone who has always been on the thin side and „athletic“ it’s hard I’m in my late thirties now and even going to the gym regularly I’m constantly not satisfied with myself. I was a dancer so I was constantly looking at a mirror and and still do it today other may think that I am narcissistic… it me constantly judging myself… good for you for speaking out! Maybe not related directly but something similar with mental health. Tip I have heard helps only eat till you are 80% full.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

The gym is so hard now!!

[@farawaykin]

i relate so much to your situation, i basically have the same family background where everyone is an addict and kinda out of tune with themselves mentally overall, so i've had a very unhealthy relationship with food for as long as i remember myself. in 2020 i got obsessively into dancing and began exercizing excessively despite not having done almost any excersize for 10 years prior... so i lost a huge amount of weight, almost 20 kilos (went from 80 to 60 basically) in a year, but also it was such a horrible strain on my body that it caused a hernia in my spine to grow vert fast and i even had to go through surgery. it's important to note that i never actually began to eat healthy when i was in my work out era, maybe i did only a little bit better. i just found another obsession so my body couldn't handle it at all. and now, 2 years later i got back half of what i had lost and i still haven't quite figured out how to actually be healthier in body but most importantly in mind and ideally get back to those 60 kilos because i actually felt the best and looked the best back then:( sorry i wasn't able to share any tips and tricks, only my own story up to this point in my life. but i appreciate greatly that you decided to talk about it as it's super important. i hope that you will find a way to do whatever you want and need to do, to feel good physically and mentally!

[@MM-jf6sh]

Listen to Allen Carr’s audiobooks

[@aka_panda13]

Hey Kevin, I really appreciate this vlog and how open and geniune you are. I'm going through a similar situation in that I decided I want to change my relationship with food/eating habits by trying to be cognizant about what I'm eating and why.. I eat for generally the same reasons you stated~ and going to the gym can be tough, but I make it there a few times a week. I've lost some weight already by eating about half of what I order at restaurants, trying to pick dishes that are "better" than other options, and if I do pick something less healthy I pick a healthier side dish to accompany it. I also allow myself to eat a bit extra once a week or so.. but I try not to "get seconds" and will just eat what is on my plate slower and try to savor it more (I also like to eat what I have). Also if I am craving a certain snack or treat, I tell myself I can have it if I use a small cup/plate or can have so many pieces so I enjoy a taste of it and view it as a true treat. Drinking water and flavored water, unsweet/herbal teas, and coffee has been a big help to curb my eating out of boredom too while still providing a comfort. Best of luck to you on your journey (and thank you for your videos)!

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@emmarose7738]

Thanks for your vulnerability and talking about this!!

[@elmodias]

Kevin, my boy... I´ve been fighting with it since 12 years old... I am 52... ! Fat people - like me - pardon my french - will never be "gym slim people" - we will fight to the end... sorry to tell you that. But... for me, and as far as I know... there´s no other solution than keeping a good condition for a good time. I am not thin now.. but the first time I knew things have changed... was when I took 18 months to calmly loose weight. Now... I have to do it again a lot of times... but I never let it get too much distant. Everybody talks about magical formulas. There´s no such thing. You know it... clearly. So... thanks for the good vibes with your music, please work on your happiness, because few people are so spontaneous and gifted, and a little more happiness maybe, is just the midway between the thinnest and the largest Kevin. Regards from Brazil.

[@armypanda]

No matter what you decide to do, do what makes you happy. I think you’re beautiful. Other people may not agree, but that’s their opinion of you, not yours. Do what you feel makes you feel right and happy with yourself. You’ll continue to have people who admire you even when there are haters calling you fat and stuff. ❤

[@AsherGenesius]

For me, the biggest thing on my road to weight loss has been 3 things. Biking/using public transit EVERYWHERE. It’s been helpful in getting me to my golden hour, at which point I break my fast. That simple 12 hour intermittent fast is doing so much work. The last thing is calorie counting: taking an accounting of every single thing I put in my mouth. It’s starting a habit of opening up the Lose It App every time there’s food in front of me and saying “ok, how much does this cost me, how much of a caloric deficit am I at today? Will I have time to work off this surplus later today?” I lost 30 pounds earlier this year and while I’ve stopped needing these habits, I’m fortunate in that I haven’t gained it back since.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

I use Lose It too!! I’ve tracked for 700 days. I have to be more honest with my numbers. I purchased it outright and have it on my phone.

[@mullencat2]

I share so many of your struggles. I have started to have them box 1/2 of the meal BEFORE it comes out to the table. So my mind reads it as this is the "size" of this meal. Then I paid and done and here comes the boxed to go. I for sure don't have the answers for real just look at my body.

[@jjiveyactor]

I feel this. I’ve been struggling with weight since I was very young. No amount of dieting, calorie counting, and exercising would get me anywhere past 15lbs one way or the other. The medication I just started this past year has helped me so much. Of course, insurance refuses to cover anything for weight loss since US health insurance doesn’t actually care about our health. It’s compounded Tirzepatide if you want to look into it.

[@BilykTrombone]

I struggle with weight/food/body issues a lot. Therapy has helped for sure. Having a partner help makes the dealing with all of it much easier. Gradually changing habits is totally the best way. The all or nothing approach never works. Long term sustainability is the path for sure.

[@MM-jf6sh]

Try Allen Carr’s audiobooks

[@Herfinnur]

I've got my first stage performances since 2021 coming up (overeating mostly because of the stress of suddenly having to finishing building our house myself because of rising costs) and since then I've become about 18kgs overweight. Seeing footage from the rehearsals is so very unconformable Edit, Because you asked: How I lost weight before this And how I'm going to get my weight down again: fast and hard rules. That takes the decision fatigue out of the equation. I also have ADHD which means that decision fatigue kicks in way faster than for normal people. And I word the rules in a way that helps me own the rules. So it's not: "I am not allowed to..." Or "I can't...", but instead it's: "I don't eat breakfast", "I like to count my calories", "I don't eat food for pleasure. I eat for my health", "I really don't like how wheat makes me feel and look (I have a gluten intolerance that makes my face and joints swell and my skin flakey 🤢)", etc. Those might sound a bit gaga, but I felt fantastic for the four years before the house project threw me off the rails, and it was very easy to stay on target. The house isn't quite finished yet, but enough that we're able to live in it. The rehearsal footage has made me consider taking a winter break from handiwork and focus on my well-being

[@nr7701]

Some tips: 1. Get smaller plates. Since you said you are a guy who likes to finish the whole plate, just put your food on a smaller plate. 2. Park further back in the parking lot. It helps you get in more steps. 3. Ask restaurants to immediately separate half of your food when serving it to you at your table, that way you can put it it into a to-go box more easily.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you!!

[@mywalterego9248]

Keto works! I lost 100 pounds on Keto and it was easy, it also did AMAZING things for my mental health. Let a binge be a binge, do not continue to punish yourself for "falling off the wagon". Acknowledge why you needed the break or why you needed the release that the binge brought, then move on from it. Also, write down why you started, in the most excruciating and heartwrenching detail you can muster. Be honest about it. Even if it's "superficial" or "embarrassing", and read it every day. Let that person speak to you everyday. The one who is stuck and struggling, the one who hasn't started yet but knows he needs to. You're not losing weight because you hate yourself, you're losing weight because you love yourself, let that be your mantra. You know that you're not the person you can and should be, you're not a bad person, you're a very good person with some baggage, don't ever think you're doing it because you hate yourself or your decisions, that's a trap. I know you can do it. I know you've done it before. You may have to do it again in the future, but that's not a reason to not do it at all. I'm here for you, stranger.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you!

[@dreamysunshine]

Just be you. Do what you think is best for you and your body :) :).

[@MM-jf6sh]

You should listen to the audiobook “good sugar bad sugar” by Allen carr. Fixed the way I look at food.

[@Blackkittymom]

You're such a good, honest guy. Believe it or not I struggle on and off with food, but it used to be in the opposite direction. I did serious deprivation and borderlined on starving myself back in my 20s. Not healthy in any way. I think a few things helped me have a better relationship with my body and food... first off like you said, meditation helps me sooooooo much in keeping myself in a more controlled place. I also do intermittent fasting which helps me feel that sense of control without going too overboard. I eat my first meal around 11-12 and then give myself a hard cutoff around 8pm. It allows me to have that control but not go too crazy. And then lastly, I know we've mentioned the goofiness of veganism before BUT I'm not gonna lie...getting dairy and meat out of your diet is crazy good for the metabolism. I stay at a pretty consistent weight and I eat pretty normal shit and have actually become a pretty good cook learning to substitute and recreate my favorite foods but with plant based alternatives. And cooking at home helps SO much. You'll always have healthier food if you cook it yourself. Also, veganism forces you to not just grab crappy stuff from anywhere. I can't walk into the bodega and mindlessly grab a snickers bar as an example. When I eat treats like ice cream or candy, it's because I had to actively seek it out and it becomes a once in a while thing and not something I have constant access to. So that has been a huge help in making it easier to make good choices and feel good about what I put in my body. If you didn't live in the third world country of New Jersey I'd have you over for a home cooked meal more often! Haha.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you for sharing !!!

[@TylerBuenoMusic]

I feel this. Ive never been skinny but i have gone through spurts of weight loss. Im at a point where i shuffle from 350 to 360 and I cant break it. Ive been so tired lately that i have no motivation to get up some days. If it wasnt for my wife... im not sure where Id be. Thank you for sharing. It actually gave me some motivation.

[@mywalterego9248]

Try keto, buddy. I lost 100 pounds. Eric Berg and Thomas DeLauer had great videos getting me started on keto. I know you can do it but you have to first let go of guilt and shame, they are liars. You are not this person, you are stuck in this person's mindset but you are NOT this person. You are NOT your weight. You are the decisions you make everyday, so decide to try something else. I believe in you.

[@MM-jf6sh]

Try Allen Carr’s audiobooks

[@sneakysnake2330]

For solving my compulsive behaviors as someone with ADHD, my strategies have been: 1. Remove myself from any situation that would enable said compulsive behaviors. Definitely harder with eating to be fair. 2. Practice executive function, or practice choosing not to give in to certain compulsions, even if only a little bit. That might look like me taking one less of something for example. Practicing the little things. 3. Pray

[@kittee6409]

Have you ever been tested for OCD? I have an eating disorder (I starve though), and most people who have disordered eating also have OCD. Your habit sounds a little bit like that. Maybe talk to your therapist about it!

[@KevinLynchNJ]

No OCD here, just ADHD-C !

[@DMasterChifu]

Write a film musical.

[@jamesmcarthur6945]

Honestly you look great like this. You look much more like a man instead of the stick figure you used to be. Just remember eating at home and making your own food saves you calories in sugar and salt. And cut out soda thats 100% harmful to your body. And focus on your brain as well if you're not happy you need to change something. Hope this helps. Remember being fat doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

I think where I was wasn’t great. I was vegan for two weeks and felt like I was gonna pass out all the time. I don’t mind being a little bigger, but my body is talking to me at the size that I need to do something about it.

[@jamesmcarthur6945]

@@KevinLynchNJ well I hope you get to where you want to be wherever that is. Do keep us in the loop much love brother

[@jamesmcarthur6945]

I have to admit I do love your belly 😊🥵

[@MM-jf6sh]

You can abstain from sugar and bread. They are both sugar and added sugar is a drug. It’s not your fault. Do keto. Why not explore ozempic as a kickstarter to new diet habits?

[@claytonhenriksen-goofytrai4890]

Let yourself have diet coke, no calories!

[@germanopolito5294]

That’s not how it works

[@mywalterego9248]

Diet Coke and other "sugar free" drinks have sugar substitutes that spike insulin response (some higher than sugar) which tells the body to store extra sugar as fat. Better to have moderated pure cane sugar and honey than artificial sweeteners in most cases.

[@jamesmcarthur6945]

Cut soda out completely that's ten pounds right there

[@marathonrunner2590]

I'm not convinced that it was a good idea to "out" your parents for being recovering alcoholics. If their family/friends/co-workers didn't know about their alcoholic past, they sure know about it now.