Topic : 08/22 Unforgettable Weight Stories

I would like to point out to those of you who are complaining or are scared of having loose skin.  What is more important to you in the long run?  Do you want to lose the weight and live or stay overweight, be ridiculed, and finally die at a young age while having people gawk at your titanic coffin at your funeral?  Either way you look at it, the only benefit is to lose the weight and live.  Even if you do have loose skin, you'll be alive and you'll be thin.  Skin can also be removed!  Don't make 'appearance' an issue when it's really your LIFE that is in danger!

Also, I would like to point out something.  Weight training helps A LOT when it comes to tightening skin.  Lifting heavy weight causes your body to increase a hormone called HGH (Human Growth Hormone).  This hormone is responsible for the tightening of skin and the enlargement of muscle.  The more muscle you have, the less chance you'll ever gain back any of that weight since every pound of lean muscle you gain, your body burns approximately 50 to 100 more calories per day.  So if you lift weights you'll become stronger and have less loose skin as a result!

I know a lot of women seem to be 'scared' of weight lifting because they think they'll end up looking like a professional body builder, but this is NOT the case.  Professional female bodybuilders take steroids.  If you're not juicing, you're not going to look like that.  You'll gain some muscle tone and lose a lot of fat just by lifting weights!  Don't be afraid of the dumbbells ladies!  They ARE your friends!

 I have weight to lose like most people but the saggy skin is a worry. Plastic surgery is expensive and if loosing weight still leaves a person with saggy skin that chafes and leaves a person uncomfortable while it is beneficial for health reasons  to loose weight it does seem to present other problems.Like trading one problem for another

You are so right about having "down time", it rejuvenates me. I am 53, on my birth certificate, but in my heart and my head I am much younger. Eating right and joining the gym has been so good for me. Sometimes I don't feel like going to do another workout, but once I get to the gym, I feel so much better about myself. I wish all of us a good year of health and fitness. Happy New Year!

I MISSED THE SHOW BUT I READ IT HERE. SO I'M ASKING WHERE IS THE HELP FOR THE REST OF US THAT HAVE LOST THE WEIGHT AND DON'T HAVE THE RESORCES OR DR PHIL TO PAY FOR OUR SERGURY. 

I LOST MY 100 POUNDS BY EXERCISING 5 DAYS A WEEK, WEIGHT LIFTING AND CARDIO, WITH DR PHIL'S PROGRAM OF WORKING THE KEYS AND HEALTHY EATING, AND I LOOK LIKE THE GIRL ON THE SHOW. ONLY ONE MORE PROBLEM IM 55. SO THERE'S NOT MUCH HOPE OF ANY ELASTICITY COMING BACK INTO THIS SKIN. 

I WROTE TO DR PHIL WHEN I STARTED GETTING FLABBY AND GOT NO ANSWER. I WROTE ON SOME OF THE WEIGHT LOSS MESSAGE BOARDS AND GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS LIKE TO WEAR SPANDEX ALL THE TIME AND WHAT KIND OF OINTMENT TO BUY FOR THE SKIN RASHES. 

 

SO I'M ASKING DR PHIL AGAIN...BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU ANSWERED THIS QUESTION ON YOUR SHOW....WHAT CAN THE REST OF US POOR LOOSERS DO ABOUT ALL THIS FLOPPY SKIN? 

 

BECKY 

That is a lot to post, really.  I could probably write a book about what I did to lose weight.  However, the real key to weight loss is developing healthy habits and a routine.

One of the first things I did was convince myself that certain foods were my enemy.  The "White Death" or processed sugar, white flour, and white rice were the first things to 'go away' from my diet and anything that had more than 10 grams of fat in it per serving. 

The first night I was on my diet I took all the junk 'bad' food outside on the sidewalk, took one last look at it, and then smashed it into nothing with a sledge hammer I borrowed from my downstair's neighbor.  I probably looked like a complete madman to anyone who was watching, but when I was done I felt a lot better.  I felt like I could finally do away with the past and start creating my NEW life.  My first workout was picking up all the trash I just created.  LOL

My actual workouts were simple at first.  I started with a half a mile walk around our apartment complex in the morning BEFORE breakfast. Why before?  Your body is more likely to burn fat after waking in the morning because you have burned all the stored carbohydrates you consumed the day before while asleep.  In other words, your body has very little else to burn at that point.  Never make this work out longer than 30 minutes though.  Anything longer runs the risk of causing your body to burn protein from muscle and that muscle is what really fuels your metabolism and weight loss.  Mid-day or evening I would spend an hour to and hour and a half in the weight room pumping iron.  Muscle growth is important for fat loss!

I now eat 6 times per day and must consume anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 calories a day (in 6 seperate meals) to maintain my new muscle mass.  Keep in mind that these are all from 'clean' sources, so no junk food for me.  In fact, the thought of eating pizza or a potato chip makes me nauseated now and I would never eat that kind of food unless I was absolutely forced to do so.

I lost most of my weight the first year, dropping about 165 lbs.  The second year I dropped another 120 lbs. and gained about 20 lbs. of muscle from lifting heavy and lifting often.  This year I have lost 35 lbs. of actual fat and gained another 30 lbs. of lean muscle mass.  I am now a healthy 14.5% bodyfat when I used to be 62%.

Hi Nichole!, my name is  marty and im  48 yrs old. i weigh 342 lbs as  of  monday. i saw  the  show  today and i  had  to  write and tell u that  id  love  to be  your   email diet  friend. i weighed over 350 in march of 05   when i found out i am   type 2  diabettic. and  have  high blood pressure.  for me food  has   been the one thing  that  was  always there  for me. i  love the  way  food makes  me feel and how it   feels in my mouth. in  fact  i cant   say  i really know what  being  really hungery  feels  like. as  soon as  i   got a   twinge of   stomach  feelings  i  ate. and  ate  and  ate.  i  joined    curves  on  dec 12th cus my mom  who is  72 wanted me  to  join   with her. she isnt   even over  weight  but   wanted  to  do it  to help inspire me. the  first   week i couldnt  even   do the  whole  circut  of  machines. i  gave  out  and it   seemed  like a  torture  session. it  had   become hard  to even  walk from knee pains.. i dreaded  going 3  times  a  week. well  last  week i  finially made  it   around the  circut  2  times  for   my  first   30 min  workout and i   found out i have  lost 8 lbs!!  and   to my  total  suprize   my  knee pain is 85% GONE!!!!!!!   what i  have  done is   this..  no  sugar only  sugar  free food or  something  with splenda.  lots of  salads  with  tuna   or    chicken meat and  sugar free jello  and  pudding. i also  have  added  fruit  to my diet. so   it   keeps me  full. i  do not  eat   white  bread anymore. only  whole  grain bread  and  pasta. another  thing  i   i  started   eatting   soup!!  with   wheat  crackers..and i  try   very hard  to   not   eat  after  7pm. if i do it is   sugar free jello with  fruit or    sugar free pudding, cus  sometime  i   just must  eat!!!!!!!  hahah plus the   soup is   filling  and  full of   veggies  that help keep me  full and  not   hungery.  i want  to   keep  this up and  i  know ill have   down  days.  maybe if  we   could  email and   chat   on msn  or  something  we   could   help each other. please  email me if u  want  too.   ibmoongazer@bellsouth.net....   also any one else  who  would  like to  be my  live style change   buddy please email me.   peace   to all  .. marty b 

One of the ways I did it was to confront myself with my weight everytime I went into the kitchen.  I did this by taking digital pictures of myself without a shirt on and printing them out at which time I taped them to the front of every area of the house that contained food.  It was almost like exposing a vampire to a blessed cross whenever I went into the kitchen for a 'craving' and I had to flee the exposed flesh of my malignant fat!

I also physically destroyed all the junk food in the house with a sledge hammer to empower myself and to show my body that I was not addicted to food any longer.

I saw todays show, and just cryed. I see myself as Nichole. Im 35 about 290 ish! I was over weight all my life, going to school was prue hell for me, the kids were just so hurtfull, My mom told me dont worry about it, when you get into JR High & High school it will get easyer, not true it got worse. After high school and now in to my mid 30's its still horrible. Comments people make, even older people i swear anyone, they just cant wait, to put down others to make them selfs so much better. Even though I was over weight it didnt stop me i was active. i went Country line dancing and Karoke singing weekly im very out going. I worked 13 years in Retail, then hurt my back at work. I have not worked in 3 years due to back and leg problems. I was told 4 years ago i had Diabeties. My dad died 7 years ago from Complications of Diabeties. I know what im headed for. i know the warning signs. I just cant seem to make my self remember to take my Diab. pills. or sometimes i feel so depressed i just dont care. 

 I got married  1 1/2 years ago to a wonderfull man, who would do anything for me. Due to my Diabeties and a start of kidney problems, i was told i cant get pregnate, it would kill me. We have started Adoption classes. I want to be healthy for myself, husband and possible child or 2.. I know a few people that have had Stomach Surgery and tell me to get it done, But im afraid of complications from that. I have gone to a nutritionist in the past and have done the Nutri system,weight loss classes,and the GYM thing. yea i lost around 40 lbs. but it always came back, but with much more to follow. I need a buddy.. some one to talk to online. Support for me is a must..   sandyc2004@comcast.net   or yahoo chat  " sc060504 " 

I started his weight loss plan a couple of years ago and lost 40 pounds. But began to get worried about the flabby saggy skin. I've already got major issues with this already even at my current weight because of having 3 really large babies in such a small frame. I am sure it is the fear of what is unknown and what I would like if I lost 80-100 pounds that has sabatoged me.  At last overweight I know what I look like. I'm afraid like the girl on tv, that if I lose the weight, I could actually look worse. I've put the 40 pounds back on because I gave up on the plan. I want to lose the weight, because I want to have more energy and get back to my athletic lifestyle. But I can't get past the fear of what I would look like if I do. I've never had much elasticity in my skin and I will turn 40 this year. Anyone else trying to overcome this obstacle?

  

  i feel there was alot shown to nicole on this show.....maybe too much. showing her an "image" of herself at 131 lbs, to me was cruel and totally unrealistic. it was like, this is what you have to do !!! why not break it down a tad, like an image of 150 lbs less. i'm  not trying to minimize her condition , heavens  no , but show her goals that are realistic.....break it down so she can achieve goals as she goes along. who knows,  nicole may be very happy with a weight other than 131!!! and certainly less than what she is. one step at a time...one day at a time... showing her a futuristic image was not fair....it was totally unreal. 

  

sincerley luka....recovering addict one day at a time = 18yrs of clean time