Submitted by MisterOwl_94 t3_119p8zo in GetMotivated
I was probably about 165/70 pounds when I started this job Jan last year, and I think I’m somewhere around 260 now. This job has totally screwed me over but also know it’s my fault for not adjusting for my new lifestyle. Working all night, constantly sitting, free snacks, weird sleep schedule have all piled on the weight. I’m only realizing now how bad it’s gotten because I can barely even put on my spring uniform from last year, and my boss has even suggested that he’s concerned that I don’t seem intimidating anymore as a security officer because of how much bigger I am. This all really blows. Just can’t believe I’ve let myself get this much bigger in just a year. Would love any advice from someone who may have been in a similar spot! Wanted to also post just to hold myself accountable. Really wanting to start motivating myself to get back to how I was before.
Also, yes, I have seen my doctor, somewhat recently. He was also alarmed by how fast I put on weight / how much was in my stomach and had me do some tests. He didn’t find any underlying conditions causing the weight gain and attributed it just to my change in lifestyle and diet this past year. Apparently genetics play the biggest role in where you gain weight and he says this must just be how my body puts on fat.
HERE are a couple recent videos/pics of me compared to last year.
AcceptableAccount794 t1_j9ngzci wrote
Although I am not a doctor, this looks a lot like ascites, which is fluid retention within the abdomen. It's commonly caused by excessive drinking of alcohol over many years and can show up quickly once the body's lost a lot of its ability to filter fluids (I don't know the technical terms around that-- but mine developed over maybe 2 years after 10 years of heavy drinking). It can also be cause by other things like congestive heart failure or clogging of vein within the liver.
As I mentioned, I had drank heavily for years (2-3 20oz sugary colas in the afternoons and alcohol in the evening) and was developing a similar condition. I quit alcohol and sugary beverages entirely and dropped about 45 pounds with no other interventions (essentially, I lost all the weight in my midsection) over the course of maybe a year and a half. So the weight loss was slow but steady.
Your case definitely looks like fluid retention to me, but since I don't know you, I am not sure if that ends up being true and if so what factors are contributing towards it. Diets heavy in salt can cause fluid retention too. So if you're eating frozen microwavable meals, many types of fast foods, or cans of soups (or really any meal that has high sodium), that can be something you target to eliminate from your diet.
I'd recommend getting a second opinion from a doctor that looks into liver functioning and heart functioning, but specifically mentioning exploring whether ascites might be a possible diagnosis. There may be some underlying condition that's causing the fluid retention that hasn't been identified yet. Best of luck! ✌