Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.
Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.
Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.
Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.
anders_CPH said:Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…
Adding a me-too, because a thread of one person's experience is not much use. The detail I would add is minor and it is already implied above.
anders_CPH said:Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…
One year anniversary on mental health — reflections:
What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein is more important than I thought, and the mental health aspect needs as much attention as the physical.
What surprised me: how much my relationship with food changed, the cascade of health improvements beyond weight, and how supportive this community is.
What I'd do differently: start therapy earlier, prioritize resistance training from day 1, and stop comparing my progress to others. Everyone's journey is unique.
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Shop Reference StandardsAdding the numbers, since they settle part of this. Practical: whatever you change, write down the date and the reason. In three months the reason is what you will have forgotten, and the reason is what makes the record worth having.
Moderator note: leaving this open. It is being argued well and the disagreement is the useful part. Tagging this one for the weekly digest.