Get the Winsor Pilates DVDs. The basic 20-minute dvd, and the 20-minute abs workout are guaranteed to work. They also have an Upper Body workout, and a Legs/buns workout. If you do the basic workout and the abs workout (a little difficult but once you learn the motions) 3-4 times a week, you will easily lose at least an inch in the first two weeks.

Also, lots of water will help tummy pooches, bc it helps get rid of water retention and any constipation.

Lastly, try walking 5-10 miles a week to get your metabolism going and build lean muscle. LAst time I did 10 miles a week, I lost 10 pounds in a month. In fact, I am going to start that program again.

Let me know if you decide to do Pilates. It feels awesome.

Go head girl and keep doing your thing...congrats on making Lifetime....YAY!!!!

my confession...
 

I must confess that after my april post I have not lost any weight!!!! :mad: :mad: However, I decided that I needed to be more active. So for the last 3 weeks I've been going to the gym every day and working out for 40 minutes, in addition to doing a 10 minute warm up (160 crunches, 100 jumping jacks, 50 squats, 50 push ups). And as of this week, I cut my calorie intake so that I can drop some pounds (back into the WW counting points mode). I will weigh myself next week and I expect to see some progress (i.e., inch and pound reduction) :)

Stay encouraged everyone... We can do this!!!!

bumping this timely thread...
 

Greeting sorors and sisterfriends!

I'm so happy I found this thread. I've just embarked on a journey to change my eating habits this past week. I had been dragging with no energy and dealing with a lot emotionally, so I decided to do a week long detox at the suggestion of one of my friends.

I spent the week (or most of it) eating only fresh fruits, vegetables, water and fruit juice. I wasn't hungry at all, just craving starchy and sweet foods. By the end of the week, I felt better. Except for an episode of eating a a couple of french fries this past Saturday, I did well. Those fries were NOT worth it because I had the taste of grease in my throat for the next day.

On the first day after the detox, I decided to have a grilled chicken salad and that was not a good idea. After the first two bites of chicken breast which felt "stuck" in the back of my throat like I couldnt digest it, I tossed the rest of the chicken and finished the salad. Ever since, I'm considering making the transition to being a vegetarian. I'm not sure about being a vegan because of the high cost of finding dairy free, egg free protein sources, but I'm happy about my decision especially after I had a very delicious Jerk Tofu Wrap today for lunch(never thought I'd like tofu either).

As a side benefit, I lost 8 pounds over the week and, once I get my protein source settled after Boule, I plan to start the Body for Life program for my exercise plan.

No flour or sugar!
 

I've lost about 75 pounds since November and cutting out flour, sugar, and wheat (as others in this thread mentioned) was the first step for me. That's ALL flower, sugar and wheat because I am a serious addict!

In addition to the food itself, I have had to change many other aspects of my life. I plan what I'm going to eat the night before and it has to be in my refrigerator. I weigh my food so that I know my exact proportions. I cook meats and vegetables ahead of time so that I can simply 'grab and go' for lunch and sometimes dinner (I've eaten out twice in the past 8 months). I NEVER eat between meals and I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at specific times; I schedule my life around these times. In addition, I am learning to reach out to friends instead of "stuffing" my emotions and problems (which send me back to food) and I am slowly but surely cleaning up all aspects of my life by building a spiritual foundation and sloowing down so that I can hear God's voice.

Who knew it took all this to lose a few pounds? I've lost a few pounds before, but to keep it off I know it takes an entire life-change. The outside has completely changed and the inside is changing too, slowly but surely. I'm ready for more!

That is excellent, soror! I too have issues with bread and starchy foods. Eliminating chicken and fish will be easy compared to eliminating flour and starchy foods. My solution is to gradually cut down and eventually eliminate wheat and wheat flour products as well as keep my sugar intake down to a minimum while making fresh/steamed veggies and fruits as the bulk of my diet.

One of my friends mentioned the name of a school mate who is a vegan and I was surprised cause this particular person has hips/thighs/backside for DAYS but then I realized that vegans can chow down on vegan cakes and cookies too LOL. Overeating sweets and carbs can more than make up the lack of meat/dairy/egg products and I believe that they contribute way more to obesity/being overweight than overconsumption of meat products.

Yes, sweets and carbs are also addictive and keep me wanting more and more, unlike meats and vegetables where when I've had enough I simply stop eating. I still weigh all of my food, though, including meats and vegetables. Weighing everything sounds tedious, but it actually makes portion control simpler by removing any guesswork.

I'm noticing that this simplicity is leaking into other aspects of my life, too. I'm more often looking at issues squarely instead of hedging and guessing and rationalizing, like I used to do. It's amazing how my practices are the same in every area of my life: food, relationships, finances--nothing is exempt. It can be a little overwhelming seeing so many deficiencies at one time, but I just have to remember they were always there, I'm just seeing them now so I can actually DO SOMETHING about them. :rolleyes:

WOW!!! That's amazing, congratulations!! A few pounds? Shoot, that's more than a few! :D I def agree that it takes a lifestyle change. I lost about 20 pounds and dropped 2 sizes on South Beach (an idea I got from reading rhoyaltempest's posts in this thread, btw) and noticed a HUGE difference in my energy level. Plus, I've lost so many inches that I have a completely different shape. A year ago, my shape was "cylindrical"--I was just round everywhere! At first, I almost passed out with fury when I realized my backside was the first to go. :mad: My behind has always been my favorite body part and to see it shrink was like watching losing an old friend (yes, I know how dramatic that sounds, lol). However, I added some fun to my workout and started figure skating! Not only did I find something random I'm good at, but my legs and behind look AWESOME. I've never had that much definition to my muscles :D. The changes in eating habits shaved off a lot from my middle and arms as well. Just last night, I went out with my sister and wore a lacy tank that I'd never be caught dead in a year ago. It was so ridiculously freeing to just throw on a tank top and not worry about what spots are bulging!

Now, I've switched to focusing on percentages. I have about a 32% body fat and while it's better than what it was before, I'd like to whittle that down to a healthier number. I'm not so focused on the scale at this point because I've always been heavy, even when I didn't look fat--I was 102 pounds in 4th grade! But it was almost all muscle; I definitely wasn't a chubby child (at least not till I got to the teens). I'd like to get back to that state, where muscle dominates. I love my curves and don't want to lose them, but the fluff can go. :o

Everyone in this thread is doing so well, y'all are inspiring!

I had surgery in March, after which I lost about 10 pounds (the anaesthesia in my system made everything seem almost metallic tasting, which was so nasty). I haven't gained any of that back. Since my recovery, I've been on the road for my job , so I haven't been in the gym. Instead I bought a tae bo dvd and I've been doing it pretty religiously in my room at nights, lol. The tae bo dvd is GREAT for the abs. For those looking into slimming down in the waistline, the best method to go about it is to increase cario. Depending on your body type, our bodies hold fat in different areas. THe only way to trim down your mid-section is to reduce the layers of fat that cover it. Core exercises don't do that. What they do is to build muscle in your core, which has a WEALTH of benefits- the core muscles are key in almost EVERY form of exercise and help with better posture.

The hotel I've been staying in has a gym and I use their free weights as well. I work out with weights twice a week, once for upper body, the next for lower body. I like it waaaay more than cardio, which I can only ever think of as a necessary evil.

Now that I've been told I'm going to Paris in September I am going to kick it all up a notch. I'm not sure what eating plan I'll follow (probably a variation on low carb a la south beach, since studies are reflecting that people lost way more doing low carb than other kinds of dieting) but I am working out daily going forward (one day of rest). My goal is to drop at least one size before heading to Europe.

as if folks need an incentive, here's a good one:The Today Show reports If the trends of the past three decades
continue, it's possible that every American adult could be overweight
40 years from now, based up on figures collected and published in the
journal Obesity, from government survey data collected between the
1970s and 2004.

The study reports 2/3 of the American population is already
overweight. Data regarding African- American women, for instance,
show 78 percent are currently overweight or obese. Weight problems
will be most acute among African-Americans. All black women could be
overweight by 2034:(

Hey everyone! I hope everyone is doing well with weight loss. I don't really post in this thread (or GC that much anymore), but I've lost 40 lbs since mid-February. I hope to join Ideal08, ChooChooAKA, and BabyBlue91 by losing 70+ lbs by the end of the year.

TTT

BabyBlue 91,
I have to keep reading your story over and over again to tell myself not to become discouraged! I've been eating healthier, working out, but I see no results. That is ok! I know I have to work harder and it'll show at some point.

I'm starting AGAIN on tomorrow.

...all that matters is that you're STARTING. :)

Good luck RD! YOU CAN DO IT!

Remember holiday foods can be enjoyed in moderation! Have a happy turkey day!