I'm about to leave for work, but I wanted to say, to insist, please DON'T get anything surgical done to your innards to lose weight. I lost a childhood friend whose large intestines died (causing her own death when her small intestines ruptured during surgery). She grew up neglected in our childhood, and I lost touch with her when her aunt kicked her out.
In the intervening years before we reunited, she married an abusive asshole she was so desperate to appease that she got one of those weight loss surgeries. It affected her intestines, causing them to periodically "collapse" (she described the collapse like a Matryoshka doll set). In the few short years after our reunion she kept complaining of intense pain that the VA (who did the surgery) did nothing to help her with. It turns out her large intestine was dying.
When I first met her again and she told me why she got the surgery, I asked if she used to be 400 pounds or something. But she'd only been about ~210 or so. After the surgery she actually became a regular gym goer and dropped down in weight.
Flip side, I have a physically demanding job (a little more than 10 miles of walking in a day) and I've struggled to lose weight. The last time I saw a doctor she thought I might have a thyroid problem -- an issue which caused one of my aunts to have dramatic weight fluctuations when she was younger -- but I want more testing to be sure. Honestly, I don't want to risk the side effects of the medication she proposed I take for the thyroid problem. I am trying to learn more about the ways I've apparently sabotaged my metabolism -- eating breakfast actually matters, for real? Who knew!
I do wish you luck in your journey, though. The title of the post caught my eye, because one of the things I was always telling my unfortunate friend was that "people don't change if they get everything they just want by being themselves." I said this to help her become more assertive about her own boundaries with her crappy boyfriends and her misbehaving [adult] children. It's the one "life hack" I wish everyone understood: you get more of the behavior you reward, and less of the behavior you "punish."
Change is hard indeed. In 2026 I want to remove my own "barriers to change," and I hope you're able to conquer yours, too! Happy New Year!
Sounds like gastric bypass, which can be so terribly dangerous. I’m happy to say I’m not so far along that the risk of such a procedure would make sense.
I got up to 270 last year. I'm 6'2", but still... Recently I've had good luck with Naltrexone. Though , food noise is still a struggle. I'm down to 250 after 13 weeks.
The pill I am jockeying for (Contrave) is actually compounded Naltrexone + Wellbutrin. A double boot stomp on those "I love food" signals. I should get a thumbs up or thumbs down mid month
“But from what I’ve seen, the difference between succeeding and failing lies in the willingness to say the things you’re not supposed to.”
I’ve taught a class on self-discipline (which includes a “know your why” section,) and while I think the why is important, your how distinction puts somethings to better words.
Many folks think they have to be soft with themselves. And it’s not like you have to be a jerk, but just honest.
In that mindset: I need to lose 10 lbs because I allowed stress and holidays to take my planned bulk too far, and now my stomach is as big as my chest.
Also, I need to stop using my substack writing as an excuse to not work on future novels.
Hey Kristin, been following your YT and substack for years at this point but am not a usual commenter. Here I go.
1. I remember PhilosophiCat from 2018 Twitter. She's really changed her tune on her opinions about men's expectations and femininity. I can't help myself but to say so. Just...yikes. Left Twitter/X years ago, so this was a memory jog.
2. I've been through the weight roller-coaster and I think we're in the same age range, so it happens to us. Hormones, life stress, self-soothing from both, etc.
3. I also did Keto combined with IF/OMAD and lost 10 pounds in a month. Then my gallbladder literally died on me last month. I shed 15 pounds in December from surgery and just the systemic inflammation finally going away. Going from fat tolerance/metabolism to no fat has been...an adjustment. Highly do not recommend! Haha. But the point I'm making is this: People walk around with enormous amounts of inflammation. Various causes, symptoms, etc. but us Americans have no idea how much it's affecting us. Sugar and processed foods...well you get it. Finding ways to heal and eliminate inflammation, finding a low-inflammation diet and supplements can make a world of difference.
4. You mentioned below aiming for the Naltrexone combo. I've been on it myself in years past for another issue, but it does greatly downgrade the dopamine receptors and risks it's own weight retention. Risk vs. Benefits for everything.
5. I could really really relate to this post. Your humor, honesty and insights are awesome and I love your work!
Kristin, fine -- I'm all over the place. I'm a former weight-lifter, boxer and kickboxer who became an endurance cyclist. Hills don't love excess fat and I burn that off before major events because 100 miles of hills won't pedal themselves.
But I also work stupidly long hours, sleep stupidly short hours and I'm in a stressy, peaky service biz as you are. That creates its own ecosystem which I get under control only when *everything* is under control. When external factors set their own demands you adapt to them with what you've got.
(But I don't have to prance about on Youtube like some. If I did, I'd be more concerned.)
What follows isn't advice: more concern. What you're looking after here isn't just your relationship or your Youtube profile. It's future-Kristin, and that's really about vigour and mobility. Her body won't remember how you looked, but will remember what you've done.
That's it. Not even a finger-wag. You work hard, as do I. I don't myself hate brutal training, but please also be kind.
Kristin, I love your writing and your honesty. The part about not wanting your husband to be a stereotype was too real. 😆 And I was nice to see this right when I was thinking about how to lose weight again. Thanks! God bless ya. 😘
I'm about to leave for work, but I wanted to say, to insist, please DON'T get anything surgical done to your innards to lose weight. I lost a childhood friend whose large intestines died (causing her own death when her small intestines ruptured during surgery). She grew up neglected in our childhood, and I lost touch with her when her aunt kicked her out.
In the intervening years before we reunited, she married an abusive asshole she was so desperate to appease that she got one of those weight loss surgeries. It affected her intestines, causing them to periodically "collapse" (she described the collapse like a Matryoshka doll set). In the few short years after our reunion she kept complaining of intense pain that the VA (who did the surgery) did nothing to help her with. It turns out her large intestine was dying.
When I first met her again and she told me why she got the surgery, I asked if she used to be 400 pounds or something. But she'd only been about ~210 or so. After the surgery she actually became a regular gym goer and dropped down in weight.
Flip side, I have a physically demanding job (a little more than 10 miles of walking in a day) and I've struggled to lose weight. The last time I saw a doctor she thought I might have a thyroid problem -- an issue which caused one of my aunts to have dramatic weight fluctuations when she was younger -- but I want more testing to be sure. Honestly, I don't want to risk the side effects of the medication she proposed I take for the thyroid problem. I am trying to learn more about the ways I've apparently sabotaged my metabolism -- eating breakfast actually matters, for real? Who knew!
I do wish you luck in your journey, though. The title of the post caught my eye, because one of the things I was always telling my unfortunate friend was that "people don't change if they get everything they just want by being themselves." I said this to help her become more assertive about her own boundaries with her crappy boyfriends and her misbehaving [adult] children. It's the one "life hack" I wish everyone understood: you get more of the behavior you reward, and less of the behavior you "punish."
Change is hard indeed. In 2026 I want to remove my own "barriers to change," and I hope you're able to conquer yours, too! Happy New Year!
Sounds like gastric bypass, which can be so terribly dangerous. I’m happy to say I’m not so far along that the risk of such a procedure would make sense.
I got up to 270 last year. I'm 6'2", but still... Recently I've had good luck with Naltrexone. Though , food noise is still a struggle. I'm down to 250 after 13 weeks.
The pill I am jockeying for (Contrave) is actually compounded Naltrexone + Wellbutrin. A double boot stomp on those "I love food" signals. I should get a thumbs up or thumbs down mid month
“But from what I’ve seen, the difference between succeeding and failing lies in the willingness to say the things you’re not supposed to.”
I’ve taught a class on self-discipline (which includes a “know your why” section,) and while I think the why is important, your how distinction puts somethings to better words.
Many folks think they have to be soft with themselves. And it’s not like you have to be a jerk, but just honest.
In that mindset: I need to lose 10 lbs because I allowed stress and holidays to take my planned bulk too far, and now my stomach is as big as my chest.
Also, I need to stop using my substack writing as an excuse to not work on future novels.
Hey Kristin, been following your YT and substack for years at this point but am not a usual commenter. Here I go.
1. I remember PhilosophiCat from 2018 Twitter. She's really changed her tune on her opinions about men's expectations and femininity. I can't help myself but to say so. Just...yikes. Left Twitter/X years ago, so this was a memory jog.
2. I've been through the weight roller-coaster and I think we're in the same age range, so it happens to us. Hormones, life stress, self-soothing from both, etc.
3. I also did Keto combined with IF/OMAD and lost 10 pounds in a month. Then my gallbladder literally died on me last month. I shed 15 pounds in December from surgery and just the systemic inflammation finally going away. Going from fat tolerance/metabolism to no fat has been...an adjustment. Highly do not recommend! Haha. But the point I'm making is this: People walk around with enormous amounts of inflammation. Various causes, symptoms, etc. but us Americans have no idea how much it's affecting us. Sugar and processed foods...well you get it. Finding ways to heal and eliminate inflammation, finding a low-inflammation diet and supplements can make a world of difference.
4. You mentioned below aiming for the Naltrexone combo. I've been on it myself in years past for another issue, but it does greatly downgrade the dopamine receptors and risks it's own weight retention. Risk vs. Benefits for everything.
5. I could really really relate to this post. Your humor, honesty and insights are awesome and I love your work!
I hope you reach your goal this year, preferably without needing a GLP drug.
I've had more than one GERD scare over the holidays outside of my place where I try to regulate what I eat more strictly. Definitely a wake up call.
Kristin, fine -- I'm all over the place. I'm a former weight-lifter, boxer and kickboxer who became an endurance cyclist. Hills don't love excess fat and I burn that off before major events because 100 miles of hills won't pedal themselves.
But I also work stupidly long hours, sleep stupidly short hours and I'm in a stressy, peaky service biz as you are. That creates its own ecosystem which I get under control only when *everything* is under control. When external factors set their own demands you adapt to them with what you've got.
(But I don't have to prance about on Youtube like some. If I did, I'd be more concerned.)
What follows isn't advice: more concern. What you're looking after here isn't just your relationship or your Youtube profile. It's future-Kristin, and that's really about vigour and mobility. Her body won't remember how you looked, but will remember what you've done.
That's it. Not even a finger-wag. You work hard, as do I. I don't myself hate brutal training, but please also be kind.
Kristin, I love your writing and your honesty. The part about not wanting your husband to be a stereotype was too real. 😆 And I was nice to see this right when I was thinking about how to lose weight again. Thanks! God bless ya. 😘
Good luck.