Lifestyle tips

I Pose this question to the combined knowledge here. How does one get morbidly obese while still being healthy? Is it possible to be 350-400 and still be healthy? I want to be a big guy but don’t want diabetes or heart trouble.

I'm not sure but I can say that if you begin to exercise that will certainly help to minimize certain ill effects

Exactly! Look at i.e. sumo-wrestlers who can stay healthy as long as they keep fit, but often gets detoriated health after they stop being active.

Exercising and eating a healthy diet helps a lot. But understand that even healthy people can get diabetes or heart trouble. This is about reducing your risk, not preventing it entirely.

I feel like reaching a morbidly obese weight inherently comes with *some* health risks, though, I'll be careful to add that obese people can have health problems that are entirely unrelated to their weight. I've always been fat, and now I'm over 500 lb. That said, being thin and fit doesn't protect you forever from health risks either.

A morbidly obese person can, however, take some steps to mitigate risks. I haven't always been health conscious, but because I'm so big and don't intend to lose weight, I'm implementing small changes. I used to drink only soda, shakes, and fruit juice all day; I've started drinking water. I have never, ever engaged in any kind of exercise until now; I'm adding steps to my day and doing chair yoga so my knees and back don't hurt so much. I still eat around 4000 calories a day or a little more, but I'm making some different choices; I have at least one salad a day, and I make it a clean salad that isn't loaded with cheese and croutons and ranch dressing. Consequently, I'm in better health at 520 lb that I was at 375. My blood work and blood pressure reflect it.

I struggled with the same thing for several years, but I have to reading books like the obesity code. I learned how to use intermittent fasting and avoidance of process and sugary foods to be metabolically healthy and gaining.

Take away: olive oil and apple cider vinegar in small doses all day will put weight on without spiking your blood sugar. Heavy cream and moderation (morning coffee). It's all about keeping your insulin levels low, while still consuming many healthy calories.

I started measuring my belly, and my waist and trying to get those numbers to be as close as possible to each other. It is working.

Being morbidly obese and healthy is pretty rare according to my doctor.

I am amazed that I don't have some sort of health issues as fat as I am.

After a recent pretty high sugar scare I'm pretty much over this whole fetish for myself.

So sorry that happened MVP76. I hope you can control that.

My personal observations and experiences:

- As others have said, regular exercise and staying active. Even just walking. That's going to burn visceral fat first (which is the more unhealthy type).

- Less junk and more healthy fats. Olive oil can help with cholesterol. Seeds and nuts tend to be more calorie dense. Coconut and avocado as well. Whole grain over white. No sugar added/ diabetic friendly options (you don't have to be diabetic to be mindful).

- Monitor your health. Particularly blood sugar, lipid panels, blood pressure. Take breaks and either maintain or lose for a bit.
I have observed that Resting Heart Rate goes up when I am gaining. But once I stay at a given weight for awhile (maintain) it will stabilize and come back down (again, with regular exercise)

Granted, my heaviest weight was right around 200 lbs (I'm 5'4 for context)