From 390 to 280 Pounds: a Reddit User's Weight Loss Journey in 6 Months

Starting on the wrong foot

The user behind the handle limycenter, 36 and 5 feet nine inches tall, weighed 390 pounds in January 2019. In a Reddit post, he lamented that he was not the man he dreamed of being as a kid. Following an incident in 2018 where he realized his weight was taking a toll on his feet and causing Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendinitis in both feet, limycenter decided to take drastic action.

A fast journey to good health

Limycenter, who travels regularly to Japan for his work as an American who had bought a division of a large Japanese corporation, initially lost weight via a keto diet, achieving a staggering loss of 50 pounds in the first 45 days. He then admitted that he found the keto diet restrictive and moved on to general calorie counting, using MyFitnessPal, reducing his daily intake by 100-200 calories every 2 weeks. In six months, he had lost approximately 110 pounds or 28% of his initial weight.

Lifting weights and protein intake

As limycenter lost weight, he lifted heavy weights and ingested large amounts of protein, over 200g/day, to minimize the risk of losing lean mass. He expressed an unconcern for the development of loose skin, but cited accelerated weight loss time due to his anticipated baggy skin outcome.

Lifestyle changes and rediscovery of physical abilities

In the comments to the Reddit post, limycenter discussed the lifestyle changes he had made, focusing on stress reduction and weight loss maintenance once his weight loss slowed down. He noted that "losing weight is a mental game", and he remained dedicated and excited to continue losing the remaining 100 pounds to reach his goal. Moreover, he celebrated his newfound abilities, such as climbing up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.

Being overweight in a foreign land

As an American in Japan with a starting weight of 390 pounds, limycenter described Japan as a vastly different planet culturally. He found his weight to be mostly invisible in Japan, and he felt that he was not under the same social pressure to conform to Japanese beauty standards. Despite the friendly attitudes of the Japanese people toward him, he felt he needed to lose the weight for himself.