[Kayleigh]

Hey everyone, I'm just disgusted with all the extra weight I'm carrying, and am looking for tips to get rid of all of my extra fat. (I put on no extra weight over thanksgiving, though ) I've tried the whole eating less, walking more deal... my weight merely keeps a constant. although my weekend eating habits could probably use some sort of revision, my mom has way too much candy when I go home from school. Okay, any advice is appreciated! (and no, I can't do the atkins thing )

[kimmydawn]

kayliegh, losing weight is hard...very hard. but one thing that jumped out at me about your post is that you've stopped gaining and maintaining! congrats! that's the first step! you go!

i'm a person who's been overweight her entire life...most 20-40 lbs. however, when on lots of meds, i gained massive weight. i ended up having to lose 87 lbs...it took me 2 1/2 yrs. i've kept if off for six years now if i can do it, you can! you're already on your way! the thing that i had to do is to realize that i will go up and down some and not to get disgusted and just give up...hard to do. i would lose twenty and give my body and break, then i'd gain probably 5-6 of that back during that break (eating pretty much what i wanted)...then i'd go back on watching it and repeated that. i'm still about 10 -15 lbs overweight but not worried about that at all! i'm 42 and it's to be expected right? hehe.

i had to find out what would work for ME, not worked for other ppls. like you said, you already know you can't do the atkins. i couldn't conform to other diets because there are so many foods that i can't/won't eat. i had to figure out what i COULD do and started there, making the necessary changes along the way. one thing i do believe helped me lots is taking that necessary break so my body didn't go into the preverbial "plateau" that they talk about when you keep trying to lose and body adjusts to what you're doing and just doesn't lose for a while. to prevent that, i took a break and then started again after a month. most of all, do it safely!

i don't know how much this will help you, but it's what i did. and please, don't put all your self-worth into weight. i'm no happier or high functioning with the weight loss than i was before. i just feel better physically.

be safe and gl!

kimmydawn

[wisewoman]

Kayleigh, I looked up the information on PKU disease as I promised. Just haven't seen you since I looked it up. I remembered a lot after I read the stuff as they screen babies for this disorder now regularly and years back I had a client who was severely developmentally delayed before the test was around. Basically your diet is as follows: Fruits and veggies, fresher the better, all you want. Limited cereal and grain products. It didn't say what limited is but you can easily consult with a dietician. Avoid meat, fish, eggs, poultry, dairy, nuts, soy, legumes, pennut butterand nutrasweet. You can buy products that are specially formulated for you. The research that I read says that damage can continue happening all of one's life and they must follow the diet. you can e-mail : pkunews@workmail.com

[wisewoman]

ps, I am still holding that you are not too fat but I am concerned about your eating habits. Please take responsibility as an adult and get information and menus from people who know about PKU. You can be healthy and who knows, you might even lose weight.

[Kayleigh]

Thank you for your concern,a little FYI, I know this prolly won't sway your opinion much, but I DO have a pretty mild case (my dad even gave me beef as a small child, and I came out just as smart as everyone else... I think)
I hate "the diet" because I'm not allowed to eat ANYTHING but fruits (barf!) and veggies (yummy as long as they're not canned) and with the on campus food selection... that leaves me with NOTHING I enjoy eating. I eat a lot of cereal, and power bars (nobody tell on me... power bars are SERIOUSLY not allowed) but I stay away from the cardinal evils like milk, nuts, peanut butter, diet pop, and sugarless gum. I can NOT live w/o cheese, chicken, cereal, and whole wheat bread (I know I have to give those up if I ever get pregnant, but that shouldn't be for another 8-12 years)
I know what I shouldn't eat, but I can't go w/o or else I wouldn't eat (I'd rather go hungry than eat an orange) I don't know how much I care about "the diet" I'm just looking to lose some weight.

[Raynaadi]

Pilates!!! I was seeing results doing just a 20 minute Windsor Pilates DVD. Just make sure it's "Windsor" Pilates certified. There are a lot of fakes. I had to stop for a bit because I pinched my sciatic doing too much driving, but it's a good simple quick workout and it helps. Maybe give that a try?

[kimmydawn]

kaleigh, when i posted, i didn't realize that you have a physical disorder. so i didn't consider that in my post

be safe and gl!

kimmydawn

[Kayleigh]

Trust me, it's not a big deal, otherwise I'd be dead by now! I'll follow any sort of NOT high protien diet, even if it does coincidentially add a little too much protien. (that's what I'm supposed to avoid)

[Wants2Fly]

Hi Kayleigh -- It's great that you've stopped gaining. Esp. during holiday pig-out!!!! Give yourself a pat on the back.

I'm especially concerned when I hear women fretting about weight, because of the epidemic of anorexia and bulimia, and the absurd focus that is placed on thinness. I am thin but I am not fit.

Here is a copyrighted PSA I wrote that delves into this subject -- regretably, I've misplaced the site where the original medical study appeared. I've seen this info circulating in newspapers during the past week, as small health fillers.

Overweight women who worked out regularly had healthier hearts than thin women who were out of shape, according to a new study. But don’t throw away your bathroom scale. What this study tells us is that physical fitness is an important factor in cardiovascular health. No matter how much you weigh, you can improve the condition of your heart, lungs, and blood circulation with a brisk work-out almost every day. Being overweight, however, still means you are more likely to develop cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis and back pain. Keeping your heart healthy is a three-step program. First, exercise regularly. Second, control your weight. And third, eat a nutritious diet. It should contain fruits and vegetables rich in anti-oxidants; whole grains; and fish, nuts and oil with omega-3 fatty acids. Include low-fat dairy products and lean protein meats. This new study highlights the importance of physical fitness for cardiovascular health, whether you are heavy or thin. Fitness works with diet to control weight. All three are needed for a strong heart in a healthy body.
174 words

In the end, dieting is an act of supreme faith. We have to make daily, continual efforts. The efforts seem huge, compared with the visible effects. Sometimes, the body just plain doesn't cooperate, as there is a slight gain even while continuing with diet and exercise.

I wish you all the best with this. One of my goals for the new year is getting fit. I was never an athlete, but I was a lot better and more disciplined than I've been for the past 3-5 years.

The best I've ever felt was when I worked out at a gym......so, I'm going back to that.....lifting weights, treadmill, rowing machine.....have you considered trying that? I wear headphones and listen to my very favourite music when I work out!!

[Wants2Fly]

The complex where I'm moving has a gym as part of the paid-for condo fees. I'm planning on using it. About 20 years ago, I had a fitness instructor certificate and knew how to use all the machines safely. I may need to hire a personal trainer to come in, show me how to use them safely, and check on me every once in a while. Since the gym is "free," perhaps I can manage the trainer once in a while.

There's also 2 olympic sized pools, but my rotator cuff started giving me trouble when I used to swim 2-3x week.