Nutrition and exercise!

[bettier]

In April of 2005 I was working for a home health agency. I ate everything in site with my co-workers when I went for lunch. I started to have trouble breathing, so I visited my family doctor. I hate scales, I do. I weighed in that day, and I weighed in at 249 lbs, 5'7 height. I guess wearing scrubs kept me from noticing how much I was gaining. I changed all my eating habits, everything healthy, only water. In December, I became ill, and had to see the doc again. I weighed 148. In January, I had a big family tragedy, and went into a depression. I gained a good amount back, again, no scales, but my clothes were way too tight. I devoted myself again to my health, and body in May. I go by measurement, and I had increased quite some inches. I have been working hard, yoga, bowflex, and my measurements sit at 36-26-40. I have huge hips and a huge rear, I don't mind my lower body, other than that darned hail damage! Working hard to get back to where I was. It's tough.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

Wow Bettier, good for you missus!
I find that I do overeat when I'm depressed or unhappy. Trying to change that habit.
What is bowflex?
K

 

[bettier]

Wow Bettier, good for you missus!
I find that I do overeat when I'm depressed or unhappy. Trying to change that habit.
What is bowflex?
K

Thanks! A bowflex is an exercise machine. You can do so many different exercises on it. It is mainly resistance. I never get bored. I spend my time doing different exercises. It has helped me a lot. Toning is a major issue when you lose a lot of weight and it is perfect for that.

 

[gingermore]

Hi all,

This is my weight loss experience.

About two years ago I was carrying more weight than I was comfortable with, but I didn't really think that changing my eating habits was possible for me (or worth the effort). Then my naturapath diagnosed candida (a yeast infection in the gut) and suggested I go on a no-sugar diet for two weeks.

This was an intense diet. No chocolate, dairy, soy, fruit, bread, rice, pasta, carrots, mushrooms, pumpkins. Basically all I could eat was salad or veges and meat, eggs or nuts. On my second day I had intense sugar cravings (I was weak, shaking and emotional - I cried all day!).

Through the course of the two weeks a lot changed. I started to realise that I could still be happy without chocolate in my life. I learnt how much willpower I actually had! I did away with some bad habits (like snacking before bed). I realised that I was a person that could actually restrict what I ate. I also dropped a lot of weight very quickly.

When I started eating "normally" again I really noticed how sweet a lot of foods were (too sweet!) and how compared to no milk in my coffee, rice milk is creamy and sweet, and how fruit tastes so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. Since I finished the diet I've maintained a lot of the habits I learnt, and I've never put the weight back on. Compared to being on that diet, small changes to what I eat are nothing (for example, eating rye bread instead of white bread is much easier than eating no bread).

So for me deprivation really worked because it gave me a new appreciation for the tastiness of healthy food (and how unnecessary it is to have sugar in everything) and made me realise how strong I am.

 

[Smuterella]

i'm trying to be more healthy (well aside from my hungover breakfast of crisps and coke yesterday - but that was medicinal) and am eating a lot of fruit and veg, chicken and fish at the moment and brown rice, pasta and bread. I certainly feel more energetic - in that I can get up in the morning without feeling too groggy.

i'm not good with deprivation, as I have a rebellious nature, and the denied item becomes all the more covetable. so instead I'm trying moderation. i'm not too good at that either so we'll see

smuts <-------hedonist

 

[anabolina]

In April of 2005 I was working for a home health agency. I ate everything in site with my co-workers when I went for lunch. I started to have trouble breathing, so I visited my family doctor. I hate scales, I do. I weighed in that day, and I weighed in at 249 lbs, 5'7 height. I guess wearing scrubs kept me from noticing how much I was gaining. I changed all my eating habits, everything healthy, only water. In December, I became ill, and had to see the doc again. I weighed 148. In January, I had a big family tragedy, and went into a depression. I gained a good amount back, again, no scales, but my clothes were way too tight. I devoted myself again to my health, and body in May. I go by measurement, and I had increased quite some inches. I have been working hard, yoga, bowflex, and my measurements sit at 36-26-40. I have huge hips and a huge rear, I don't mind my lower body, other than that darned hail damage! Working hard to get back to where I was. It's tough.

I think your measurements sound great, very curvy. I hear you about looser clothing helping you not notice weight gain. I took May off of work and basically lolled about the house eating, reading, and playing games and living in sweats. (What can I say, I was job hunting online and had nothing specific to do and didn't notice the time pass). Before I knew it I was 15 pounds heavier and my clothes were all much too tight. Bummer. Well, I finally found something a few weeks ago and got out of the house and have lost 5 of the pounds so far from simply moving more and not snacking all the time. Anyway, so yeah, I understand how this weight can creep up on you and how much harder it is to get rid of it then it was to get it. Anyway, so I've decided to go back on my diet and watch everything I eat, drink a lot more water, and dust off the old Turbo Jam. It helps that my family and their pizza, fried chicken, and fast food selves are in San Antonio until next week.

 

[pigeon toe]

I just got back from my second yoga class this week and I am so exhausted! It's not like any yoga class I've taken before, I was sweating buckets! It's helped me shed some extra pounds I gained from going out to dinner every night with friends though, so I gotta stick with it.

I'm trying to lose 15 lbs (125 to 110). Doubt I can make it to 110, but if I can make it to 115 I'll be happy!

On another note...

When I started eating "normally" again I really noticed how sweet a lot of foods were (too sweet!)

The same thing happened to me when I got back to the States and started drinking Starbucks again! There are no Starbucks in the Netherlands (save for the airport), and I was an addict before I arrived. But eventually I got used to drinking regular coffee, and now most Starbucks drinks are way too sweet for me. Which is probably a really good thing!!!

 

[cassylynn]

I was just diagnosed with Candida Albicans about 8 months ago. Not every doctor believes this exists and basically will laugh about it if questioned (they just say there is no such blood disorder), but I will only do "alternative" medicine so my chiropractor took some blood tests for allergy reasons and that is how this was found. It is yeast that lives freely in the bloodstream and feeds off any available yeast product that enters the system and therefore does not allow your body to be free of infection and bloating. So I cannot eat ANYTHING that has yeast or any food that can ferment on their own (apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, etc.) I'm severely allergic to yeast products (so no wonder I had bad reactions to beer lol ) but it has been good for my weight. It's amazing how much weight you loose once you cannot eat sugar or white flour products. Now its peas, potatoes, fish and salad with no dressing (because I can't eat anything w/ vinegar!) All in All I feel a lot better but there are days that I crave sugar and bread that I go on an all out binge and end up paying for it 2 days later. Water with a little lemon has become my best friend lol I absolutely love Yoga, especially Hatha Yoga. It's very relaxing focusing on breathing and slow fluid movements. It's a little different from the more quick movements of Sun Salutations, but that's also fun especially good to get your heart rate pumping and the sweat running! It's funny to think you actually can be drenched with sweat just by doing Yoga lol

 

[PolkaDotMeggie]

My a$$ has been expanding.....

so I have just joined a gym and got a personal trainer. The hubby and myself got a good deal on membership but he has different goals when it comes to fitness, so we decided he wouldn't be the best to help me all the time.

During my initial consultation, I was told one arm and one leg are longer than the others, so they suggested I get "corrective and professional" training. Hence, the money being shoveled out for a trainer.

I can't run to save my life, but my trainer said I need to do cardio 4-5 times a week. So I have been rotating between the 2 bike machines and treadmill. I have cellulite on my upper thighs and butt, but even after a week of working out, it seems less visible. Plus, my hubby and I have been eatting extra healthy for about 2 weeks now.

I am excited to see the trainer again because I don't know what his plan of action is. I am going to be meeting with him twice a week.

Is it possible to see results so soon? Or am I just kidding myself in order to stay motivated??

 

[PolkaDotMeggie]

YIKES

A thread killer.... Sorry!

 

[The Shirt]

You didn't kill it! I think it's possible to see a difference in firming over a relatively short time. I'm very jiggly (was) and have been on WW for a month losing 10 lbs and biking like a madwoman this summer.

Good for you - I always wanted to go the route of getting a trainer - it's just not in the financial cards right now.

 

[Lillemor]

I've been avoiding this thread. It's really playing on my feelings of guilt I'm only 147cm so a few kilos gain really show and while I won't obsess over fitness and actually won't go to a gym or do anything more extreme than walk or ride my bike but I do have to care if I want to be able to fit my clothes, and perhaps I have to care more than taller people because even a fluctuation of a 2-3 kilos means I have to buy larger clothes or have clothes in 2-3 different sizes which I can't afford and 2-3 kgs weight gain really does change my appearance and makes my already round face look fuller.

I prefer to weigh around 50kgs and when I go a couple of kilos over that, I know I have to watch it. This is my personal choice, it's not BMI ideal which is closer to 47 but I'm just not willing to have to make the fitness and diet commitments to maintain a weight under 50kgs.

I've been having a few too many alcoholic drinks, icecreams and white bread recently. Starchy foods and alcohol always makes me gain weight fast and feel lethargic. I'm around 53-54kgs right now, so I want to lose 4 or so kilos within the next few months. I know this isn't showing much commitment. I guess that's part of the reason why I've always struggled to maintain a healthy weight. According to my GP and any BMI chart, 54kgs puts me right into the lower end of overweight which is frustrating. This is perhaps the thing I hate the most about being so short.

From having lost 22 kgs. last year, I know that it's much easier for me to lose a few kilos when I'm slim than when I'm overweight. For nearly a decade I struggled to get under 72,5 kgs. to just 70kgs. It felt as if nothing helped. Now I can shed a few kilos over 1-2 weeks all depending on how dedicated I am to eating healthily and going for my walks and bike rides.

 

[Darhling]

any advice for de-poofing one self in a few days? Got a photoshoot coming up starting on saturday..

 

[Lillemor]

any advice for de-poofing one self in a few days? Got a photoshoot coming up starting on saturday..

Avoid champagne and other fizzy drinks, avoid wheat based breads; white bread...uhm...drink plenty of tap water! Get lots of sleep. I'm not kidding, I can shed a kilo by sleeping two more hours than usuallol I think salt is water retaining too so be careful with salty foods too. Disclaimer: This works for me, usually anyways. It may or may not work for others. I think staying off sugar is another advice I've heard. Cardio exercises of any type are supposedly good too. I wouldn't really know because I won't do anything beyond walking and bike riding.

 

[Paisley]

any advice for de-poofing one self in a few days? Got a photoshoot coming up starting on saturday..

Lay off anything with wheat in it--that's what works for me.

 

[hotrodmama0201]

I'll go along, eating what I want and not exercising regularly (I know I'm bad) until I notice my favorite dress or pair of trousers has mysteriously shrunk in the wash (Oh no!, How'd that happen?! ) Then, I become a health nut for about six months, eating organic and semi vegetarian, walking four miles a day, doing yoga every morning. Then, back to the slacking off, it's a vicious cycle with me.

You just described me exactly.

Right now I am going back to health nut. Me and my husband have been super broke for the past few months, so I've been living on Ramen, mac n cheese, hamburger helper.....But now we're starting to catch up so that means I can once again afford healthier food. I just made out our grocery list for the week and wrote myself up a little eating plan. It's semi-vegetarian, no red meat or pork, no fried foods, no refined sugars, and lots of vegetables, occasional lean fish and chicken, and lots of whole grains and beans.
The poor man's diet has really caught up to me, I think I've put on about 10 lbs, or so in the past 3 months. I have yet to step on the scale cause I know it will upset me even more.

 

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

I've always had a weight problem, and for the last year was seeing a personal trainer, and didn't have much success because I was still going out and drinking and having late dinner with friends, then going home to sleep. I'm my own worst habit! I'm on a strict regiment now, though I am healthy as can be, it's a preventative measure against family history of heart disease. it also wouldn't be so awful to be able to wear whatever I want!

been looking into bike riding, and and starting the personal trainer again next week, which I'm super excited about after about 2 months of not being able to go to the gym. also thought about taking up a dance class, but I'm too afraid since I'm chubby, and I would be too embarrassed taking a swing class.

any of you ladys have any luck with meal replacement drinks?

 

[Inky]

also thought about taking up a dance class, but I'm too afraid since I'm chubby, and I would be too embarrassed taking a swing class.

You look smaller than I am in your avatar (I am 5'4" and 188 pounds today, wearing a size 12 or 14) and I went to my first swing dance class last Saturday - it was great! terrific exercise and we've been practicing the few steps we learned ever since. Dancers are so nice, no one made me feel out of place at all and even one gentleman said I had natural talent and to keep at it.

please don't avoid doing things because of size - i did that for the last 20 years and have missed so much (i lost 134 pounds in the last 15 months with gastric bypass as a last resort). I won't get that time back and I don't want you to feel this way when you get to be older. it makes me sad the opportunities I missed.

as for meal replacements, they have worked for me in the past to get weight off, but nothing helped me keep it off (yet). I am hoping this combination of nutrition and exercise I am on now will do the trick after the surgery helped me get to this point. I have 38 more to go!

Good luck and start dancing with me

 

[kamikat]

any of you ladys have any luck with meal replacement drinks?

If you have alot to lose, I recommend Medifast. It's 5 meal replacement drinks per day, plus one regular low fat and low carb meal. I lost 60lbs in about 7 months on it. I still have another 40lb to go, but I've stalled out.

 

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

that's because the photo was taken by my chubby friend who knows the rules of photographing a chubby girl, downward angles! lol

congratulations to both of you on your weight loss success!! that's very encouraging and I will definately look into that meal supplement.

and maybe get the nerve to at least get some info on the dance class. one step at a time!