Breakthrough to 239lbs: Capitalizing on the “easy miles” of early weight loss

After my second 36hr fast this week, another cheeky weigh-in…

I’ve dropped another 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg) in just two days, taking my weekly total to 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) and my cumulative total to 18 lbs (8.2 kg)! It also brings me within a hair’s breadth of a major milestone: 7% body weight lost. I’m now at 6.98%! I am edging ever closer to that 10% initial target, which—according to the guidance—is where people start to see meaningful changes in blood sugar and even early stages of diabetic remission.

That also brings me down into the 230 lb weight range, which is another nice win. Just another 2 lbs and I break through another big milestone. I’ll be out of the 17 stone range and into the 16 stone range instead! That is psychologically huge for me, given that it wasn’t too long ago I was over 19 stone! 😱

An average weight loss of 3.1 lbs per week equates to an average monthly weight loss of 13.47 lbs (6.1 kg). That is almost one stone per month! (For those not familiar with our archaic measurement system, there are 14 lbs in a stone).

I am aiming for 180 lbs (81.6 kg), which is 12 stone 12 lbs. That means I have just over 4 stone left to lose. In principle, I could do that in just over four months if I were able to maintain my current pace! That would be the end of May, or more likely early June. Beach bod here I come! 😝

The Law of Diminishing Returns: Why the Finish Line is Uphill

I’m currently buzzing about this 3.1 lb drop, but I have to keep my feet on the ground. Biology has a funny way of making you work harder the more successful you are.

Think of it like this: right now, I’m driving a heavy-duty truck. At 240 lbs, my “engine” (my Basal Metabolic Rate) burns roughly 2,150 calories a day just to keep the lights on. But when I reach my 180 lb target, I’ll be driving a much smaller, more efficient car. That smaller engine will only need about 1,850 calories. I’m effectively losing a 300-calorie “free pass” every single day just by being lighter.

Effectively, every time I lose weight my BMR drops very slightly and I lose a few calories off of that free pass so keeping to the same level of calorie deficit becomes harder every single week!

The Percentage Trap

It’s not just about the calories; it’s about the math of my own body mass.

• Today: Losing 3.1 lbs represents about 1.3% of my total weight.
• At the Finish Line: That same 3.1 lbs will represent nearly 1.7% of my mass.

To lose that same amount of weight at the end, my discipline actually has to be tighter than it is today. The “Last 10 lbs” are legendary for a reason. You’re asking a smaller body to give up a bigger percentage of itself.

The Evolutionary Tug-of-War

Why does it get harder? Because our bodies haven’t caught up to modern life. As the fat cells shrink, they produce less Leptin (the “I’m full” hormone) and start pumping out more Ghrelin (the “feed me” hormone). My body doesn’t know I’m trying to reverse diabetes; it thinks I’m trapped in a famine and starts trying to save energy by slowing down my fidgeting and general movement. Scientists call this NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis). There’s nothing neat about it! 😁

So, while I’m celebrating the “Big Wins” now, I’m mentally preparing for the fact that the final miles of this marathon will be the steepest. It’s not a plateau—it’s just the tax you pay for becoming a smaller, healthier version of yourself!

The Silver Lining: Getting to the “Finish Line” Faster

On the plus side, losing weight this rapidly does mean that I’ll get to those tricky last 10 lbs much faster! If I can keep this pace up, I’ll be staring down the final stretch before I know it. So, what does life at 190 lbs (13 stone 8 lbs) actually look like?

• The BMI Reality Check: At 190 lbs, my BMI would sit at 27.3. Now, if we listen to the research of people like Dr. Josh Wolrich, we know BMI is a pretty blunt instrument. It doesn’t account for muscle mass or where that weight is distributed. Dr. Wolrich often points out that health isn’t a weight, and you can’t “diagnose” someone’s health just by looking at a height-to-weight ratio. In his view “healthy” BMI is up to 30!
• Focusing on the Markers: For me, 190 lbs isn’t about hitting a “Normal” BMI box; it’s about the health markers that come with it. It’s about being firmly out of the Class II Obesity range and into a zone where my body simply functions better.
• The 24% Club: Reaching 190 lbs means I will have shed nearly 1/4 of my starting body mass. To put that in perspective, that’s like you’ve been carrying your maxed-out weight suitcase to the airport on your back (around 25 kg!) and leaving it at the bag-drop desk. You probably feel like you could fly without the plane!
• The Metabolic Reset: Most importantly, at 190 lbs, the pressure on my pancreas and liver will be at an all-time low. This is well beyond the territory where many see their HbA1c levels drop into the non-diabetic range and neuropathy symptoms begin to fade. As Dr. Wolrich argues, the goal should be health-focused, not just “thin-focused.”

So I’m goint to take advantage of these early days of huge weight losses while I can, build the momentum, build the habits, so when I get down to that point I’ll be ready to deal with the additional challenges. It’s going to be a steep climb, but the view from 190 lbs – regardless of what the BMI charts say – is going to be spectacular, and knowing the end is just over that next ridge will be all the motivation I’ll need!