I''m Fat: Giving me dress/wedding nightmares

[eks6426]

So-Happy...can you post a link to the GNC items?

 

[Mara]

sorry but for me advocating something like 'metabolism boosting' pills is so scary!! i can't believe people actually take that kind of thing.

honestly, if it was THAT EASY to lose a fair amount of weight with no side effects, either short term or long term, don't you think that everyone would be doing it? 2 lbs a week doing nothing but taking the pills? drinking this magic shake? that is truly suspicious to me. i'm glad it's working for you so-happy but you should really look into what you are putting into your body long-term. many times those things turn out to have some seriously bad for you long-term effects a year or two years later after they come out on the market. also many times people who lose weight this year don't actually learn anything about the long-term and how to better themselves, they just think you take the pill, drink the shake and it's easy to fit into that dress you have in the closet.

i only believe in doing two things to be healthy. exercising and eating healthily. it can be done and it turns you into a much more discplined person than just popping a pill.

my two cents!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I agree Mara. I believe those pills are pretty hard on your heart and blood pressure. I would clear them with a doctor before you wanted to try them.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

oh my- those pills are like speed. I foolishly took some earlier this year, and my heart felt like it was gonna burst! DH (who''s a medicinal chemist), says they''re like speed. STAY AWAY!

Now, that shake stuff isn''t bad. DH has one on days he does strength-training. Here''s the recipe he uses:

The Quick Magical Breakfast Blaster
2 servings, 136 calories per serving
1 scoop (1/3 cup) Soy protein (like Natire''s plus Spiru-Tein)
1/2 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 large ripe banana (or other fruits of your choice)
1/2 tablespoon apple juice concentrate or honey
1 teaspoon Psyillium seed husks

Peel banana; break into chunks. Put all ingredients in a blender. Add 12 ounces of water and ice, as well as powdered vitamins. Cover, blend until fairly smooth.

 

[Jas12]

thought I would weigh-in on the weight issue (hehe) I am a certified personal trainer so I have a little knowledge and experience in this area

first off, about the shakes & pills: I don''t know what is in them--but I suspect at worst something like an ephedrine derivitive-- any sort of chemical like this (-which will ''boost'' metabolism and heart rate to speed up calorie expenditure) is a short-term fix at best, and dangerous at worst. However, if this is just a protein shake, you are consuming ''dead'' food (food that has been reaped of all it''s original goodness and re-infused with vitamins and proteins) although not terrible, the same effects, and better are achieved by making a real, fresh smoothie at home in the morning. A really good breakfast with a protein and some complex carbs is key to starting your weigh loss program off correctly. Then, a diet really high in complex carbs like oatmeal, brown rice, beans, dark-leafy greens, fruit and lean proteins works for most people. Stay far far away from processed food (anything in a box with preservatives!) white food (=refined sugar, bleached flour etc.) and any beverage other than lots of water, herbal teas and the occassional coffee (if u love it) Most people don''t realize how many calories they ''drink'' by way of juice and coffee additives.

Here''s a great Smoothie recipe to get u going in the morning (the flax will seriously get your bowels going, reducing bloating and aid in helping you look slim and feel slim, try it every moring for a week and see how you like it)...

Lrg handful of frozen berries
.5 cup of pure, pulp-in OJ
couple tbls of pure pomogrant juice
2 tbls of hemp seeds
1.5 tbls of fresh, ground flax seed (grind in a coffee grinder--fresh ground is key b/c it releases the oils)
blend all together
Have this with a hard-boiled egg or two for breakfast and you''ll be good to go

Good luck! If you don''t want this weight loss to come back the week after the wedding you need to change your lifesyle (i know, you''ve heard it all before)

P.S if you really, really need a quick-fix, a lot of people do a detox diet or a controlled cleanse to jump-start their weight loss...however this should be researched and can be difficult so I won''t ''officially'' recommend it

GOOD LUCK--i know it''s not easy

 

[Jas12]

hehe--i see the other smoothie recipe got posted the same time as mine--nice, that''s a good one too. If you don''t want to buy the soy protein (or don''t like it, which is the case for me) have some egg whites (or whole eggs) in the AM. But do get protein in some form! It''s the ''coal'' for your metablolic ''fire'' where as something like a piece of white bread with jam in the AM could be likened to a sheet of newspaper in a fire....as soon as it burns up, you need and want more!

 

[So_happy]

The pills are called "Burn 60" and are natural: guarana seed extract, black tea leaves extract, grape skin extract, ginger root extract, dill weed extract. The list of "other ingriedients" are the ingriedients that help the stuff stay in pill form. No ephedra. No caffiene I''ve taken diet pills before and I know what people are saying when they say they felt thier heart race. I didn''t like that either. Maybe that''s why I didn''t stick with them. The shake and metabo pills are to get me "trained" to eat in a different way, meaning small meals througout the day instead of one huge meal for dinner

The shake basically makes it a no brainer so that I DO eat something at breakfast (which I never used to do because I never have time for).

And this was the plan the GNC person has for me. To get me back on track. She said it would probably take about 3 weeks for me to make a habit of it and she is right. I find that I enjoy the shake and prefer it over anything else because it does give me energy and it makes me feel like I have something in my hand on the way to work (to subsitutue the coffee thing).

The shake is called Spiru-Tein and is made with soy protien powder with spirulina. It''s basicaly a way to get me to eat something half way decent for me that I can reliably and actually DO each morning. I don''t have one for lunch or for dinner ever. Because at those times I can fix something to eat. It also has all the vitamins I need that I don''t get usually.

Should I be eating fruit and oatmeal with wheat toast in the morning instead? Sure. But will I DO that? nope. I''d like to but I just don''t. I don''t have the time. I do have the time for this though and I''ll tell ya it has been wonderful.

This program of mine has "reset" my thinking so that I eat 6-8 small meals a day. It''s FANTASTIC.

Just a note: I don''t have to take the metabo pills anymore as thru eating the small meals now on habit, my metabolism has restarted yay!!!!!!! I bought a second batch because at the time I really wanted to make sure I was really on that track And the shake I COULD nix at this point if I wanted to but until I find something else that I will reliable make for myself each morning, I''ll stay with it thank you very much

In all, this was NOT a diet. It was a plan to get my metabolism back on track. And it worked. Losing weight like I did was a secondary goal but a good one

Best of luck!!!

 

[cara]

Guarana is a stimulant and contains the chemical guaranine which is identical to caffiene*. As well, black tea extract might have caffiene. Guarana also appears to decrease blood clotting, so it has additional medical effects besides just being a stimulant. Not saying its super-dangerous or anything, but just because it is "natural" doesn''t mean it is safe, or isn''t a drug.


*well, according to wikipedia. Not exactly New England Journal of Medicine, but whatever.

 

[Mara]

black tea definitely has caffeine in it. there are so many of those 'diet pills' out there...i mean seriously if i could take a pill to jump start my metabolism without having to work out and eat small meals, i surely would. but it's just really not safe in my opinion. those pills ALWAYS have some sort of weird side effects you hear about a YEAR or TWO later...or when people start to die. i don't care what the GNC people say (they are NOT doctors!! they are retail salespeople)...those places are so scary with their 'staff' trying to give you health advice.

i however, love the smoothie recipes posted here. fruit, soy protein, and flax seed are a great thing to get in the morning. i typically just have a heavy fiber protein cereal and that gets me going and keeps me full for a few hours. sometimes i even have the same cereal for lunch, it has so many vitamins and good fresh stuff in it. and fruit mixed in is awesome.

i have been mixing flax seed into my foods like waffles etc as well and yogurt as a snack. it does not take any longer to open a yogurt and throw some flax seed in or pour some cereal and milk than it takes to make a shake in the morning...for me anyway!!

 

[So_happy]

If we''re being objective here:

1) Most foods are not "pure" and "natural" these days. Asside from fruits and veggies, packaged foods in general are going to have "stuff" in them to help them stay "fresh" in thier packaging etc. That includes yogurt, cereal, and my soy shake Even some fruits and veggies aren''t completety natural anymore

How does anyone really know what side effects will occur in 2 years time?? (and who can reliably point to the ONE thing that caused that ill effect 2 YEARS in the past?????). And how do you really know that the pesticides on your orange for breakfast won''t poison you quicker than guarana extract in a shake?

2)What works for some does not work for others. How many people like to use a treadmill for excersise? How many people prefer walking/running outdoors? There are pros and cons to each but the common benefit is moving your body If it so happens that I USE that treadmill 4 x''s a week because it is convieninent (or whatever), that is MUCH better for me than hoping I can motivate myself to walk outdoors instead (and never doing it or doing it sporadically).

I think we all can say that the key to a healthy body and soul is to eat balanced and healthy foods, excersise, and laugh. And I think we all strive to meet those challenges when we can. Do we all do it perfectly? I don''t know that. And, really, whose to say what defines "perfectly" anyway? Based on my two points above, it seems what is perfect is what works for each individual. Perhaps that''s why there are so many diets out there? Some people swear by Atkins. But I tried it and it is NOT for me! Some people are Jenny or WW fans. I can get onboard with this one but I still can''t stick to it.

By the way, did I mention that my shake, in addition to enabling me to stop drinking a latte each morning (700 calories a pop!!!) also curbs my sweet and salty cravings? THAT alone is probably why I''m losing 2 lbs a week!!! And....altho I can''t scentifically prove it....my skin looks better!!! (I noticed it last week....I am a Phd student and I''m generally considered among my collegues as quite the skeptic but when I see SKIN improving (a very good measure of health as well as one''s hair and nail quality) I get REAL excited

All that said, I''m at the point now in my weight loss where I''ll have to upgrade my activity level to lose anymore. I am a naturally active person so I''ll fit in a couple workouts a week to get the last 5 lbs off

Happy Wedding Planning!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

I''m in agreement to lifestyle change...eating well and exercise are the best ways to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF. I am a testament to that...in both good and bad ways.

The issue I see with shakes and pills is that is not a lifestyle change, it is a diet. You cannot maintain that forever. When those go away, you''re going to substitute it with something...and if that something is not a lifestyle change for the best, that weight will come back on.

But some people just need to see that jumpstart. The results get them more enthusiastic about a healthy lifestyle in general, so maybe there is something to be said for that.

 

[cara]

To So-happy:
Guarana appears to be one of the more safe additives out there, and in is very common in Brazillian drinks, so it is probably not responsible for fen-fen and ephedra like heart problems. However, for you to say that the Burn 60 pills are have no caffiene is misleading, and you were the one that mentioned "natural" as an attribute - natural, synthetic doens''t matter, my point is that guarana is still a drug and a stimulant. Also, diet/health pills are notorious for having misleading and inaccurate labels. Who is to say that that is all that is in your pills? They are not regulated by the FDA, etc. You are trusting GNC, who is trusting some manufacturer somewhere, there is no reputable independant lab running ingredient screening on these things.

However, as a serious caffiene addict, don''t let me rain on your parade if you like a little pick-me-up in the morning, and your vehicle of choice is a Burn 60 pill. Whatever floats your boat...

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters on weight loss is calorie balance: calories in minus calories out. All these tricks about protein, veggies, breakfast, etc, are just designed to manage cravings and hunger. Keep your body from craving more food by eating X instead Y, at X time instead of Y time, makes it easier to have low overall calorie intake. So whatever works for you!

To Indie-Jones:
I think we got off track here. Best of luck finding a new dress, which is what I hope you do. All this diet advice is great, but I don''t think its the right answer. Find a new dress you can look beautiful in and enjoy. If you are inspired on the weight loss path, then that will be a bonus, but even losing a few pounds would be great and you should set yourself up to feel successful if that is the case rather than plan on it and set yourself up for being 5 lbs shy of goal...

 

[So_happy]

Cara~ You do make some good points.

Jas~ Any way to make that smoothie something one could make in a large batch and take from each morning for about a week?

Indie~ Did anyone mention that a 16 is NOT NOT NOT a "plus" size???? And gowns are sized higher than a normal dress in my opinion. My regular dress size and my gown size were WAY different. If you get a dress custom made, it will have NO little tag anyway proclaiming any size of any sort

 

[Jas12]

although it is basically true that most foods do have a level of additives(down to the acid rain absorbed during growth), certainly some berries, ground seeds OJ ect. in a smootie is much, much better than something in powder or pill form sitting in a bottle on a shelf from goodness knows where. The closer the food item is to its ''mother nature'' form the better. Virtually everything we consume has a drug-like power in our body. People underestimate the huge effect food has on our mood, overall health and of course our appearance, so it''s so important to put the BEST possible stuff in it each day. Easier said than done I know, but I am a very very busy person as well and a smoothie takes literally 3 mins to prepare!

smoothie prep: I buy tubs of organic frozen mixed berries at the grocery store and I keep a jar of hemp seeds and ground flax on the counter with my blender. In the AM I toss a handful of berries in, scoop the seeds in, open the fridge and pour a little juice right out of the cartons (no measuring!) and press blend! Literally the whole process takes about 1.5 mins!! I then crack a whole egg and an egg white into a bowl, microwave for 1 min and have it with my smoothies for days when i can''t wait for a boiled egg.
That whole breakfast takes no more than 5 min to make!
As for making a big batch. I guess you could do this, and freeze drink-sized portions in ziplock bags, popping them out into the blender each morning.

just some other really general info: Diet is much more condusive to weight loss than is exercise. It''s all about calories in and calories burned. So for example, if you eat one mars bar at lunch it may take 35+ min on a elipitcal trainer to burn what you consumed. So imgagine how long you would need to bust you butt for to burn off all the little ''extras'' you consume in a day. But, if you didn''t eat that to begin with and ALSO exercised all of a sudden your body is saying ''gezz, i have nothing to burn to get thru this exercise...i better use fat reserves & sugars''. This is why exercise and diet are so important. Exercise will also boost muscle development and muscles require a lot of energy (aka--your burn more calories just by sitting around!) You may know this all already, and it''s really simplified info, but it may be a good reminded. Basically what I am saying is that if you had to choose one or the other, a really great diet alone will produce better results than exercise alone.

 

[galeteia]

Indie, I hear you, oh man do I ever hear you. As a fellow sufferer of "useless @#$% thyroid" issues, I empathize with everything you posted.

I agree with the general consensus of getting a dress that you will look good in, and then tackling the weight issue.

I did the Wild Rose company''s ''Herbal D-Tox'' which has a sustainable food plan and really helped in terms of getting things moving, especially water weight and bloat, so it also helped to clear my skin and give me a ''jump start'' in terms of a lifestyle change. It''s only 12 days long, which gives a ''light at the end of the tunnel'' feeling, but it''s long enough to break you out of the cravings for refined carbs and sweets. It''s is NOT a ''weight loss'' system, it''s meant to cleanse the liver, colon, kidneys, and lymph system, which (thanks to my thyroid) is half the battle for me. As I feel more healthy and ''clean'' and energized, my cravings for ''bad foods'' recede. I did lose weight on it, and apparently most people do. I noticed the ''grain'' of my fat became ''finer'' and was less lumpy after the detox, if that makes any sense. I no longer had the ''orange peel'' issue, if you know what I mean.

I''m not suggesting that this is any kind of a ''miracle cure'', just that if you are looking for something to kick-start your lifestyle changes, this is an option.

Sadly, one''s diet can be near perfect but the weight won''t shift fast without exercise. You''ll need to get the exercise in somehow, or do what one of my managers at work is going to do- rent an elliptical! I find it''s so much easier to just hop on the one in my living room than to brave the wet rainy night to the gym.

Ultimately it comes down to finding the system that works for you.

As for the dress, I think the ones on Trashy Diva look GREAT and flattering for ''curvy'' women. Also, if your wedding will be the ''informal beach wedding'' type, I say draw attention to your assets.

 

[Cheekyprincess]

I have to agree with Mara on the points about pills. Yes Guarana as far as it has been tested is ''generally'' safe for people who are healthy and aren''t taking any other medication, aren''t pregnant, and aren''t caffeine sensitive. For someone with thyroid problems I would say stay away from any pill or ''magic cure'' especially if you are taking medication. Especially if the meds are iodine based (already known to affect your heartbeat) if those are combined with high caffeine foods then you can end up with terrible anxiety and heart palpitations. The one HUGE issue I have with guarana is the fact that it is natural!!!! This poses a problem, because there is no way to ensure that the levels of caffeine in it are going to be the same all of the time. Just like you can only guess the calories in an apple because it can vary so much. It is in such a concentrated form so there is even more variation.

Anyone taking any kind of pills, you must know exactly what you are taking- herbal, natural anything it doesn''t matter. Be CAREFUL! these things combined with alcohol, cough liquids, flu tablets can be very dangerous!!!!

 

[diamondfan]

Indie, try not to be so tough on yourself. Hopefully it will come off, not magically, but it will. I have been a size 0 to a 12 since marriage and kids, and I am now an 8 after months of really pushing myself. You CAN do it, just when there is pressure and a deadline it is not easy. Really think about what you are putting in your mouth, make healthy choices, and try to get a lot of exercise in. Do not fall into bad patterns if you can avoid it. And really do not take pills...even "natural'' stuff is not always safe. I did take one a day weight smarts since I trust that brand, but it really boils down, in a healthy person, to calories in versus calories burned. In 10 weeks you can safely lose 10 to 20 pounds, (1-2 per week) so just take baby steps...and have a back up in case, so you are not stressing yourself. It will all come together...

 

[firebirdgold]

Wow! So many responses!
I''m still on the road. The main reason we''re driving is so we can decompress from life, so we decided to just take it easy. (Still haven''t left the hotel yet this morning!) It may not be much cheaper, but I''d rather spend 2 1/2 days driving with my sweetie than 6 hours of holiday airports!

No worries on me taking pills. My doc would blow a gasket if I took any kind of ''stimulating'' pills. I''m not even supposed to take decongestants.

The protien shakes sound like an excellent idea. I know eating breakfast is supposed to help with weight loss and general health, but I sometimes have trouble facing food first thing in the morning. (obviously don''t have any trouble other times!)

I wonder if the special-k diet would be a good jumpstart for after christmas? Anyone try that?

I''m trying to be good about food on the drive and pick healthier choices. But it''s sort of two steps forward, one step back.

Which at least equates to a step forward. Discipline is not one of my strong suits, so improving that would help all aspects of my life!

I am really starting to think that a laceup dress would be very helpful. The ebayer could be a good solution to the problem of finding a laceup dress that isn''t ballgown formal. My sister bought her wedding... outfit from an ebay sewer in India. It was beautiful, although they did make the waist the same measurement as the hips! opps.

 

[Miss Andi]

HI Indie,

i just wanted to say that my mother sounds just like yours. i went with my fmil to find a dress in secret and she was so supportive and even cried when she saw me all dressed up. i went back a few days later "to find the perfect dress" that i had already picked with my mother and all my mother said is that i looked horrible even though my fmil said its the one. every time i talk to my mum i come home crying and she has even told me that talking about the wedding is just a pain and that im disturbing her from whatever she needs to do.
i have decided to organise my wedding by myself with my fiancee and leave my mum out because talking to her is depressing. i totally sympathise with how you feel talking to your mum and i wish that we could both be supported more. thank god we''ve both got great fmil or we''d have both done our heads in by now.
good luck with everything and i am absolutely certain that if you set your mind to it you''ll find another dress or lose enough to look fantastic in your other dress.
all the best.

 

[firebirdgold]

Date: 1/6/2007 8:24:09 PM
Author: Miss Andi
HI Indie,


i just wanted to say that my mother sounds just like yours. i went with my fmil to find a dress in secret and she was so supportive and even cried when she saw me all dressed up. i went back a few days later ''to find the perfect dress'' that i had already picked with my mother and all my mother said is that i looked horrible even though my fmil said its the one. every time i talk to my mum i come home crying and she has even told me that talking about the wedding is just a pain and that im disturbing her from whatever she needs to do.

i have decided to organise my wedding by myself with my fiancee and leave my mum out because talking to her is depressing. i totally sympathise with how you feel talking to your mum and i wish that we could both be supported more. thank god we''ve both got great fmil or we''d have both done our heads in by now.

good luck with everything and i am absolutely certain that if you set your mind to it you''ll find another dress or lose enough to look fantastic in your other dress.

all the best.

Yeek!

Your mother is actually waaay worse than mine! You have my deepest sympathies!
Mine at least thinks she''s being supportive.

Unfortunately at this point the more positive and complimentary about a dress she is the less I believe her. I really wish I lived closer to my fmil and I had her opinion on the latest dress.

 

[onedrop]

Indie: as I read the subject line of your thread I immediately empathized. I had heard that bridal gowns came 2 sizes smaller than what''s on the tag, which brought a lot of anxiety for me because 1) I am definitely curvy myself and 2) I need a dress fast. Like you I wanted to stay as far away from David''s as I can. I have had bad experiences there just with BM dresses.

Anyway....I wanted to chime in with those who are saying 16 is not a plus size! Please. It is just the bridal industry that is off. Hang in there trying to find something. Maybe if you see something you like at a bridal shop you can have them call the designer to find out if they have your size in stock or if they can do a rush order for you. But by all means don''t feel pressured to lose weight just for a dress. Your future hubby loves you the way you are....and that is what matters.

On a side note: I am glad I checked in here to get all the smoothie recipes. They sound yummy and I''d like to start eating healthier myself.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/22/2006 1:59:27 PM
Author: Jas12

Then, a diet really high in complex carbs like oatmeal, brown rice, beans, dark-leafy greens, fruit and lean proteins works for most people. Stay far far away from processed food (anything in a box with preservatives!) white food (=refined sugar, bleached flour etc.) and any beverage other than lots of water, herbal teas and the occassional coffee (if u love it)

Indie, I totally agree with this, and I can tell you that *this* above works.

I found out day before Halloween that I'm pre-diabetic and highly insulin-resistant. Doctor said to cut out anything white (white bread, white rice, white flour, white pasta, anything with cornstarch). He said to avoid foods that have been processed.....so have an apple instead of apple juice, have a small baked potato instead of mashed. Enjoy fruits and non-starchy veggies, and have some protein.

He also suggested that I eat every 3 hours to avoid feeling ravenous (and for me, to control blood sugar).

A typical day for me now: a Dannon smoothie Carb-Sugar control yogurt drink around 7 am; oatmeal or a one-egg cheese omelet with a slice of multi-grain toast at around 10 am, salad with olive oil and a bit of turkey at 12:30pm, a bag of 100-cal popcorn or some nuts at around 3:30 pm; dinner around 7 pm (usually a small portion of chicken or beef and a veggie), and a small snack (50-calorie sugar free ice-cream bar) at 9:30 if I want it.

Believe me when I tell you - this works, if you're committed to it. I think a key ingredient to succeeding is to find things that are filling that you already like that fit into this. The 100-calorie popcorn bags are a fantastic snack - whole-grain, high fiber, and satisfying. So are nuts.

There are tons of sugar-free products on the market now; you just have to look for them.

Good luck to you.