Pig Intervention

[CrystalGeezer]

Pigsty friends, I have a problem. I am gaining a lot of weight. I stepped on my father’s scale tonight and it said I weigh (wearing jeans and tshirt and my shoes) 230 pounds. That’s roughly the size of a linebacker. Now the thing is I have zero desire to exercise or eat healthy, it’s like (seriously rationalizing here) I am destined to be a tubbo for some reason. So my question is, what have you done in the past to start the process of getting excited about losing weight, because I look in the mirror and HATE who’s looking back at me and that can’t be a good thing, yet I love the taste of coca cola, it calms me down or something. AND, I know me, I'll start to think that despite the fact I'm asking for help that everyone will be judging me if I fail to shed pound or stuff my face with celery sticks instead of Lays Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ chips which go quite nicely with a light beer.

[CrystalGeezer]

Because also in my brain I'm thinking, "Actually 230 pounds is more like 23 degrees which is roughly the axis of the earth and yada, yada, yada...

But seriously, I'm f-ing FAT.

[CrystalGeezer]

And then another part of me wants to say "Well F you motherfucker if you don't think the shit in this trunk is prime time awesome luscious lovin' real estate" or whatever some empowered self-assured black woman would say. Even though I'm white, but i wouldn't mind being empowered.

Basically, due to a hard life, my self esteem sucks and I think if I were thinner, I'd feel better about myself, but I'm not sure that's the case.

[CrystalGeezer]

Okay, I'll shut up now so I can concentrate on eating my chips.

[iamnicola]

Calm down, sista! It's okay. Eat what you like in moderation. Drink water. And try not eat after 8pm. Instead of white bread, have wheat.

[Dave]

well, if you want to change your eating habits it will be a healthy thing. It's not really about the number on the scale, but if you feel bad about yourself then I hope you can change your habits. They always say to talk to your doctor, but it would be a good idea, I think. Good luck.

[CrystalGeezer]

Thanks guys. Fatty's gonna go night night now. :)

[9 x Fined]

I dropped close to 30 lbs not that long ago. I started by eliminating 3 things: all fried food, butter/margarine and sugar. Within 2 weeks the fat was literally melting away. Once I got down to about 175 I joined the gym. Did weights, jogged as well and before I knew it I was down to a lean and mean 160. I say diet first, exercise later but stay with a good eating plan.

[Seasick]

You and I have something in common, I also weigh 230 pounds, but I'm 6'2".

First you have to resign yourself to making a lifestyle change. That's the bottom line.

Your eating habits, your exercise regimine (or lack of). Diet and exercise is the key to it. Quit thinking of things in terms of weight, because if you eventually do lose the weight, you will go right back to your old habits once your goal is met (the yoyo effect)

Think of things in terms of being healthy. You have to look at exercise like it was a doctors appointment. You don't miss doctors appointments, nor should you miss your workouts.

Stick to a low fat, carb restricted diet that is rich in protein (very important) and eat many small meal throughout the day (5 to 6).

Don't starve yourself.

Those just some rules of thumb to think about.

[EPbabe]

Eat less and do excercise. I don't think there's an easy way. Good luck!

[CrystalGeezer]

Wow, you guys are great. Thanks so much, lot's of good advice, especially the change the diet first and slowly work in exercise. We'll see what happens.

[nugz]

I dropped close to 30 lbs not that long ago. I started by eliminating 3 things: all fried food, butter/margarine and sugar.

those are my 3 favorite things. oh and cheese.

[Cassius]

Diet, but don't overdue it and starve yourself, because you'll just get hungry and end up eating whatever you want. Treat yourself to something you like to eat every once in a while, but just a small portion of it. Try caffeine-free diet Coke. Eat until you are full, but just eat good things. There's a bunch of good tasting healthy foods out there, it's just a matter of finding what you like and giving certain things a chance. Good luck CG. :)

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

You need to remember that it all didn't get put on at once and won't come off at once, and it wouldn't be a good thing if it did.
A life style change is needed, but it doesn't have to be drastic; do a little bit of changing at a time.

One thing I learned that has helped in eating better is to check the labels and reduce or eliminate foods that have more than 3 grams of fat per 150 calories (in the UK I think they count them in kilo-calories). That will help eliminate overly fatty food.

Also, you do have to exercise and that doesn't have to be excruciating exercise. Just go for a walk. At first it won't seem like anything but overtime you'll find that you enjoy getting out and seeing things and that you'll be walking further and more.

And don't worry if you pig out one day. Just move on.
If you were to lose only one pound a week or every 2 weeks, you'll be down 26 to 52 pounds in a year. It'll be slow but you will have done something life changing.

And do not think you can do things like on that show "Biggest Loser". Even though I have never watched those shows, I have heard and read that they are not realistic. They do extreme starving and water intake reduction to loose more for the weigh-ins and things. Many of those people have gained their weight back.

Slow and steady gets the job done.

[nugz]

cocaine will do it.

[Cassius]

cocaine will do it.

If you wanna be that skinny

http://laurganism.com/wp-images/skinnymodel_01.jpg

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[I am a Ghost]

Eat fruit.

[nugz]

If you wanna be that skinny

http://laurganism.com/wp-images/skinnymodel_01.jpg

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

nah, just when you get down to whatever weight you want. stop for a while. cuz you know YOU CAN STOP WHENEVER YOU WANT I DONT CARE WHAT YOU SAY DR DREW

[PregnantForTheLastTime]

Cancer works a treat. The pounds just fell away... :rolleyes:

Anyway, I am rapidly regaining weight so I'm focusing on eating whole foods, nothing pre-prepared unless it's from Trader Joe's and I've checked the label to make sure it's just actual ingredients and no chemicals. Just real, actual food items, minimally processed.

The other thing is portion control. Your stomach gets used to being full and stretches to accomodate. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, take smaller bites. If you don't have someone to talk with during meals, read a book. Take small portions, put them on a plate, go sit down and eat them, then wait a few minutes after finishing before going back for more.

Drink lots of water. Get used to a certain level of "hungriness" and reinterpret it as a clean feeling, rather than an empty feeling. We are chronic overeaters in our society, and that's a hard habit to break. But once your stomach gets smaller, it will be easier and easier.

Oh, and eat lots of vegetables. Many have almost no calories. Zucchini, carrots, etc.

Good luck!

[bored]

those are my 3 favorite things. oh and cheese.

Bacon, cheese and butter make any food better.

[CrystalGeezer]

I want to look like Kate, so beautiful.

http://www.ananova.com/images/web/812120.jpg

[bored]

The weight loss tips are great but you should also look at ways to work on your self esteem.

There is a symbiotic relationship between how you feel about yourself and your desire to take care of yourself.

If you loved yourself more, you'd be more motivated to do the work.
If you did the work, you'd love yourself more.

I think it is important to work on both at the same time. It produces better results and gets you where you want to be faster.

Journaling is a good way to track your progress and gives you a way to be completely honest with yourself.

Another thing that I have mentioned before is making yourself accountable to someone besides yourself for your success.

What is your deepest commitment to losing weight?

Here is an example I give to people a lot.

Take $500 (or some significant amount of money to you) and give it to a friend.

Tell that friend that you are going to lose X pounds by some date.

If you succeed you and your friend will go skiing or to a show or to get tattoos or whatever.

If you fail, your friend will take that money and anonymously send it as a gift to the person you hate most or to a charity you absolutely despise.

If you TRULY want to lose weight you find your deepest commitment to success.

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Here is an example I give to people a lot.

Take $500 (or some significant amount of money to you) and give it to a friend.

Tell that friend that you are going to lose X pounds by some date.


I would add that the "X" pounds should be something reasonable...not the entire weight loss objective. Do it in steps. If you want to lose a total of 50lbs, make your first goal 10 lbs, not the 50. Then after that 10 is shed, make the next goal 12 or something, etc.

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

I want to look like Kate, so beautiful.

http://www.ananova.com/images/web/812120.jpg

I do not know what you look like, so don't take this comment the wrong way:
Do you look anything like her in the first place?
Are you setting yourself up for disappointment in that even if you lost all the weight you wanted, you'd still never look like her?
Is it even possible for you to get a body shape like hers? Not everyone can.

Just things to think about.

[bored]

I would add that the "X" pounds should be something reasonable...not the entire weight loss objective. Do it in steps. If you want to lose a total of 50lbs, make your first goal 10 lbs, not the 50. Then after that 10 is shed, make the next goal 12 or something, etc.

Absolutely. You want to have goals worth having but that can be reached.

Then when you meet them you get your reward.

The downside for not meeting them is so great that you have a real reason not to eat that 2nd serving or that chocolate bar.

The risk/reward for most diets fails because we all can tell ourselves, "next time" or "tomorrow" or "just this once" and then we see our failures and it makes us upset so we figure, fuck it.. I'm a failure and we give up.

[CrystalGeezer]

These are really good ideas, though my diet ransom would be more like fifty bucks. And I picked Kate Winslet because we do have similar curves. I'll never have Anne Hathaway's or any other super slender celeb's body.

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

I want to look like Kate, so beautiful.

http://www.ananova.com/images/web/812120.jpg

i bet she works out...

[CrystalGeezer]

i bet she works out...

Probably. She has really tight abs in this movie despite being criticised for being overweight.

http://www.gurdjieff-legacy.org/90art/holysmoke_pic.jpg

[CrystalGeezer]

She makes Harvey Keitel do this at the end.

http://a660.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/s_8fa2a2b60208c9b0dfb861376115c40b.jpg

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

Probably. She has really tight abs in this movie despite being criticised for being overweight.

http://www.gurdjieff-legacy.org/90art/holysmoke_pic.jpg

ive always had a maddening high level of lust for Kate W. :horny:
which i think makes it impossible for her to be overweight :cool:
you know what i mean? :guitar:
now, back to cg, that was real brave of you posting this thread sis :)
and yeah, i really think exercise is the key for many of us
i get a lot at work, but even i get up earlier now in preparation for my trip
act like you are going on a trip even if you are not
it really can change your whole day...

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

I forgot to add earlier that you shouldn't be overly concerned with the numbers on the scale. Observe more that your clothes fit differently and you look different. Take body measurements and retake them every so often but overly frequently, so you see how your body actually changed.

Also don't do so called muscle building exercises (weight lifting, etc.). You don't want to put on muscle because muscle weighs more than fat and even though you may be loosing fat, checking the scale might discourage you because you gained muscle and the scale didn't change.
Do walking or cycling, things that are aerobic, I guess it's called.

[Sister Rose]

Calm down, sista! It's okay. Eat what you like in moderation. Drink water. And try not eat after 8pm. Instead of white bread, have wheat.


I agree :)

[Sister Rose]

The weight loss tips are great but you should also look at ways to work on your self esteem.

There is a symbiotic relationship between how you feel about yourself and your desire to take care of yourself.

If you loved yourself more, you'd be more motivated to do the work.
If you did the work, you'd love yourself more.

I think it is important to work on both at the same time. It produces better results and gets you where you want to be faster.

Journaling is a good way to track your progress and gives you a way to be completely honest with yourself.

Another thing that I have mentioned before is making yourself accountable to someone besides yourself for your success.

What is your deepest commitment to losing weight?

Here is an example I give to people a lot.

Take $500 (or some significant amount of money to you) and give it to a friend.

Tell that friend that you are going to lose X pounds by some date.

If you succeed you and your friend will go skiing or to a show or to get tattoos or whatever.

If you fail, your friend will take that money and anonymously send it as a gift to the person you hate most or to a charity you absolutely despise.

If you TRULY want to lose weight you find your deepest commitment to success.


I totally agree, building self esteem is very important. Keeping a journal is a good idea too. :)

[Theo]

Originally Posted by iamnicola
Calm down, sista! It's okay. Eat what you like in moderation. Drink water. And try not eat after 8pm. Instead of white bread, have wheat.


I agree :)


Imanicola would've done well to read my medical myths (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=94317&highlight=medical+myths) thread from a few weeks back.

Then she'd have known that eating after 8pm is irrelevant, despite what she heard on her fave pop culture shows.


Nocturnal feasting makes you fat
Holiday feasts and festivities present us with many culinary options. A common suggestion to avoid unwanted weight gain is to avoid eating at night, and at first glance, some scientific studies seem to support this. In a study of 83 obese and 94 non-obese women in Sweden, the obese women reported eating more meals, and their meals were shifted to the afternoon, evening, or night.22 But just because obesity and eating more meals at night are associated, it does not mean that one causes the other. People gain weight because they take in more calories overall than they burn up. The obese women were not just night eaters, they were also eating more meals, and taking in more calories makes you gain weight regardless of when calories are consumed.

Other studies found no link at all between eating at night and weight gain. Swedish men did not show any evidence of gaining weight with night time meals.23 In a study of 86 obese and 61 normal weight men, there were no differences in the timing of when they ate.23 Another study of 15 obese people found that the timing of meals did not change the circadian rhythm pattern of energy expenditure.24 In a study of over 2500 patients, eating at night was not associated with weight gain, but eating more than three times a day was linked to being overweight or obese.25 Studies have connected skipping breakfast with gaining more weight, but this is not because breakfast skippers eat more at night.26 Breakfast skippers eat more during the rest of the day. Records of calorie intake suggest that those who eat breakfast maintain healthy weights because their calorie intake is more evenly distributed over the day.26 27 In other words, when you eat three regular meals, you are not as likely to overeat at any one particular meal or time.

There's also a debunking of the "drink water" (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/335/7633/1288) myth. Again, despite what IAmNicola heard on her pop culture shows.

[Sister Rose]

Imanicola would've done well to read my medical myths (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=94317&highlight=medical+myths) thread from a few weeks back.

Then she'd have known that eating after 8pm is irrelevant, despite what she heard on her fave pop culture shows.



There's also a debunking of the "drink water" (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/335/7633/1288) myth. Again, despite what IAmNicola heard on her pop culture shows.


Theo, you make an interesting point. btw I like your thread "Debunking medical myths" :) I'm still not sure what I think about eating after 8pm, it just doesn't seem like it would be healthy. Regarding the drinking water, yes I think we can get the amount we need, even through other drinks such as tea etc

[Dave]

Imanicola would've done well to read my medical myths (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=94317&highlight=medical+myths) thread from a few weeks back.

Then she'd have known that eating after 8pm is irrelevant, despite what she heard on her fave pop culture shows.



There's also a debunking of the "drink water" (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/335/7633/1288) myth. Again, despite what IAmNicola heard on her pop culture shows.

This is you, Theo.http://www.getsmileyface.com/new/angry/14.gif

[Jose]

Journaling is definitely a very good idea.
Write down everything that you eat (yes: e-ve-ry-thing, even if you don't want to write down that extra bag of chips, write it down).
Also write down the time when you eat something and give it a color.
For example:
-healthy meal (breakfast/lunch/diner) = yellow
-unhealthy meal (breakfast/lunch/diner) = purple
-healthy snack = blue
-unhealthy snack = green
-binging = red

Finally, also write down how you felt while eating what you did (for ex. "felt hungry" "was bored" "felt sad/happy")

Best way to do it is to make a spreadsheet or something and type in the days of the week in 7 lines, and the hours of the day left to right.

After a week, look at your journal and you might be able to see a certain pattern.

Good luck!

[mell]

hey CG, just thought I'd add in my 2 cents...
First of all, I've met you in person and you're a lovely person. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. Work on that self esteem and realize you're a cool chick with real talent!

As for the weight issue--I've been working out REALLY hard the last 4 months. I got laid off from my last job and was so stressed that I lost about 5 lbs. Once I got a new job lined up I decided I was going to keep that weight off and focus on getting more healthy. I started going to the gym between 4-6x a week to run on the treadmill. I felt really out of shape and it was hard for me to even run 2 miles without stopping. But I kept it up and eventually, I was able to run longer and faster. I'm now forcing myself to workout everyday (maybe that's a little extreme, but once you start seeing results you'll feel motivated to keep going because you'll know how hard you've worked and you won't want to gain it back). I'm running ~3-5 miles everyday and I'm doing resistance training too. I've probably lost only abt 13 lbs since I saw you last April, but I've dropped about 4 dress sizes. I don't deprive myself of good foods, but I do watch what I eat. I don't drink sugary sodas and I stopped putting sugar in my coffee. I try to not go overboard on the carbs. To be honest, this is the first time in my life that I've actually been able to successfully lose a noticeable amount of weight and the secret was REALLY upping my level of activity and forcing myself to get out and sweat almost everyday. Try to exercise 5x a week for the next two weeks (30 mins - 1hr), switch to diet sodas or only water, and once you start seeing results you will want to stick with it! The transformation will take some time, but if you are patient and keep up your workouts, you will lose weight. Good luck, I know you can do it! :)

p.s. What's up with your signature? What a coincidence--I've been planning on buying some Onitsuka Tigers for the last couple of months!

[vAndreav]

i haven't read all the posts on this thread, but aside from exercise (which can be a hard thing to be motivated about at first), i agree that one of the best things to start on is drinking lots of water (reduces appetite) and eating smaller and healthier (cut out as much dairy, sugar, and high fat foods as possible) portions.

It's very true that the less you eat at a time, the smaller your stomach gets, and the less hungry you'll be all the time. It really helps a lot, and fast too. AND one trick is to EAT MORE BREAKFAST and eat LESS DINNER! you'll end up burning the breakfast off through out the day and be less hungry in the evening (during which you burn less and should therefore eat less).

Also, exercise is hard to get into at first...but once you start, you'll start seeing results very soon, and then it becomes fun and you feel good about it and you'll end up loving it.

And muscle weighs more than fat, so don't pay so much attention to the numbers on the scale.

oh and girls: building muscle is a great thing...each pound of muscle burns like 50-100 calories (or so my fitness instructor told me). especially back muscles, which are the biggest muscles and therefore burn more calories throughout the day.

[Seasick]

Congratulations Mell. It's really not that bad. It just takes time and a committment to the cause. I love to exercise and you end up meeting some new people in the process.

So CG...how many pounds have you lost since yesterday? Just kidding, but good luck.

[CrystalGeezer]

Since yesterday I've not lost any pounds but I'm hurtin' from walking around Disneyland all day so that must count for some exercise.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'm bookmarking this thread for inspiration. I LOVE the idea of color-coded journalling. Sometimes more complicated systems make it more fun for my brain.

Thanks Mell. I'll consider your advice. If you're as committed to your fitness as committed you are to tracking down Morrissey, then I bet you're the healthiest person in San Diego. :D The shoes were just a joke about ass sex since they're asics. Though I love their products that flimsy waffle sole would only last about a month since I tend to drag my heels. It is a cool looking shoe though. :)

[iamnicola]

Work it, girl! You can do it.

[Seasick]

Since yesterday I've not lost any pounds but I'm hurtin' from walking around Disneyland all day so that must count for some exercise.

I can vouch for that. I was there last year and I about wore out a pair of shoes in one day.

[Hellie]

The only real way to loose it is to just ditch all the fat like butter,milk etc.And drink half a pint of water before you eat to swell up your stomach.

[mell]

Thanks Mell. I'll consider your advice. If you're as committed to your fitness as committed you are to tracking down Morrissey, then I bet you're the healthiest person in San Diego. :D The shoes were just a joke about ass sex since they're asics.
I'm not nearly as committed to "tracking down Morrissey" as I once was...I guess I'm just freakishly driven if I set my mind on accomplishing something! Hmm now I'll never think of Asics without thinking "ass sex." Thanks CG.

[Seasick]

I'm not nearly as committed to "tracking down Morrissey" as I once was...I guess I'm just freakishly driven if I set my mind on accomplishing something! Hmm now I'll never think of Asics without thinking "ass sex." Thanks CG.

Sounds like your personality is a bit like mine. Makes rest difficult doesn't it? :)

[troubleluvsme]

I'm disappointed in myself for not picking up on the Asics word play. Nice one CG!

[CrystalGeezer]

I'm disappointed in myself for not picking up on the Asics word play. Nice one CG!

Were you just disappointed, or disappointed with a heavy rolling rhythm? Because there's a difference. :p

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3220222021_558481f304_o.jpg