Posts by theholla

Original Post by bairn:

Some young teenagers are so vulnerable and susceptible... some days I want to mother them, some days strangle them! (Also: feed them.)

Ha! Bairn, you've really summed it up.

Everyone has great advice! I just wanted to add a couple things:

First, make sure that you are wearing the right size bra. A lot of women are actually wearing the wrong size bra, and one of the most common mistakes it to wear a band size that is too large. You may want to try a smaller band size with a larger cup size (like a 36 E instead). Here is a good fit guide.

Also, at the gym you may find that the eliptical trainer creates less "bounce" than the treadmill, while offering many of the same fitness benefits.

I'm hoping that the anemia is temporary, and my doctor seemed optimistic that we will figure out the reason that I'm losing so much blood and be able to treat it. As for exercise, I really am too tired to do any running or strength training, but am still relatively active, since I walk almost everywhere (to work, the grocery store, etc), and have a job that requires some heavy lifting and often keeps me on my feet.

bomiyah: I am finding that I definitely feel better at the upper end of my usual calorie range (around 1800 for me too). Even at my reduced activity level, I still seem to still be losing some weight on that, so I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing for now.

makphl: Taking into account my symptoms and family history, it is probably due to fibroids, endometriosis, or both. I'm going for an ultrasound today, so soon I'll know if I need a fibroid tumor buddy! Ugh. Being a girl really is gross. X(

ima80schick: Thanks for the list of foods. I knew about the good sources of iron, but had no idea that foods could limit iron absorption. Will need to do some research on that - I eat spinach, chard, sweet potatoes, and soy all the time!

There is no way I am going to even try to count calories on Thanksgiving, so I am just going to focus on having reasonable portions and not doing too much snacking.

I'm another "quality not quantity" person, plus I hate the feeling of being over-stuffed (full is good but stuffed is miserable). So, I'll have a small portion of all my favorite foods that I only get on Thanksgiving, and a taste of anything interesting, while avoiding the things that I don't love.

My usual strategy is to fill my plate up 1/4 with salad and 1/4 with pickles (we're Jewish so my family is big on pickled things), and fill the rest with a slice of my aunt's very rich and awesome quiche, a bit of stuffing, and that cranberry sauce that comes in a can. I may have a beer or a glass of wine, but otherwise it will seltzer. Desert will be a coffee with milk and a small slice of my mom's incredible pumpkin pie, plus a taste of anything that a guest brings so that I can compliment them on it.

I've been doing this the last couple years (even before I was trying to lose weight), and I find that the holidays are much more enjoyable when I haven't given myself a stomach ache from overeating.

Everything you said makes perfect sense. I had the same thought process as you, but there is a part of me that still really just wants to get these last couple pounds off. You are right though, so I think I'm just going to eat sensibly while focusing on resolving my health issues.

But once I'm back to normal, this fat is going DOWN. :P

I am one of the people who gained significant amount of weight on 10mg of Lexapro - in my case, I went from 160 to 180. My doctor also denied that the weight gain was a side effect, but the enormous amount of anecdotal evidence I read seems to suggest otherwise. However, at least in my case, the drug didn't "make" me gain the weight, it just made me hungrier. Once I started counting calories and measuring my portions more carefully, I lost the weight and then some (32 lbs and counting), and am now in the best shape I've been in a decade - all while still hungry and still taking Lexapro.

So, if my eating habits had stayed the same, I probably would not have gained the weight in the first place. Even more important, the medication allows me to live a fairly normal life now (woohoo!). Try it out, see how you do, and if the side effects are unacceptable, your doctor can help you try something different.

In that case, your lack of thyroid definitely could be complicating things.

Food allergies can be very tricky, especially since ingredients like soy seem to be in everything, but cooking from scratch can help. Have you considered making your own salad dressing? I usually just mix up some olive oil and red or balsamic vinegar and then add seasonings like sea salt, oregano, basil, pepper, chopped up garlic, etc. It makes a very nice Italian vinnaigrette.

Like chipdog said, don't wait to exercise, either! Strength training, in particular, can help increase your metabolism.

I work for the university life division of a major university. My job title is "creative service coordinator." Basically, it means that my division can't afford to hire separate people to do graphic design, marketing, photography, video, project management, staff technology training, and public relations, so they found a huge nerd who could do all those things.

My favorite things about my job are that I never get bored and I get minions to do my evil bidding (and by minions I mean interns, and by evil bidding I mean project that I don't want to do). Bwahahahaha!!! Also, the free tuition is pretty sweet.

My least favorite thing about my job is that my office is also used as a hallway, storage area, and occasionally reception area (when it's not filled with other people's boxes o' crap).

At night, I take marketing classes and occasionally do freelance jobs.

Do you actually have no thyroid? If so, I am assuming you are on medication. If your levels of thyroid hormone are still too low, you may need to work with your doctor to adjust your dosage or pursue additional treatment options. That is the first thing you should be looking at. If your hormone levels are normal, you would need more than 1200 calories/day though.

As to your question about timing, the simple answer is no.

The more complicated answer is that weight loss is primarily about calories in vs. calories out, but food combinations and timing can make the difference between being fine and being miserable. For example, I find that I feel best when I eat 3 main meals and 1 or 2 snacks per day. I also find that eating meals with a lower glycemic index helps to keep me from getting hungry too soon or running out of energy and "crashing."

I am fairly certain the no eating at night thing is a myth, by the way.

I saw results very quickly when I first started doing those sorts of exercises 3 times/week. Within two weeks, my starting routine had become too easy and I was able to add sets, reps, and intensity. I also saw a physical improvement within that time period. A certain amount of that is just the "pump" (your muscles filling with blood due to being worked), but you may as well enjoy it anyway. I think I started to see a real difference (actual increased muscle mass) after a month or so.

Just make sure that you continue to challenge yourself. For example, if bodyweight squats are too easy, try doing split sqats or adding some weight.

Have you been counting your calories? Even exercise and a healthy diet won't make you lose weight if you are taking in more calories than you burn.

I definitely agree with the posters who suggested practicing riding the bus with your husband. Also, how about going to campus together and locating some areas where you can feel safe, so you can survive a 2.5 hour wait? I sometimes have a difficult time with both crowds and feeling too "exposed," so I like to find places that are quiet, hidden, and out of the way. I work on a college campus, and there are definitely parts of the library that are usually deserted, computer labs that don't get much traffic, and a few lounges that tend to be empty too.

Also, while your school may not offer health insurance, most schools do offer some sort of mental health care for their students. Contact the staff there to explore your options.

As to whether you sound needy, yes. Of course you are needy - you have an illness and need and deserve support. In an ideal world, your family would be able to give you that support. Unfortunately, your family sounds pretty disfunctional, so you will just need to figure out how to do it without them.

Original Post by dnrothx:

Original Post by alibsam:

Eh not necessarily. I knew I'd need more than a BS in psych to do anything and had always planned to get my PhD in Social Psych. Things just change. However, I'm not sure my upcoming MA in International Peace and Security will do a WHOLE lot either. haha

 I have more respect for the social sciences than I do, say, art history or english.

lolz! I have degrees in both visual art and english! In my field (marketing & communications) they happen to have served me well, since I can handle both the copywriting and the graphic design end of things. I'll probably still go on to get my MBA though.

Anyway, singing_girl, I am so sorry to hear that you got fired! Unfortunately, telemarketing jobs are usually just like that. Have you considered doing voice lessons to pick up some cash while you are looking for something more permanent?

GI Jane's points about calorie needs are right on. It absolutely does matter how many calories you eat in comparison to how many calories you burn. If the lifestyle choices you described represent an increase in calories you burn or a decrease in what you are eating, you will likely lose weight.

I just wanted to add that some people will acheive a calorie deficit and lose weight easily making the lifestyle choices you described, while other people (like myself) find that they need to actually count the calories.

ETA: I took a look at some of your old posts to see if I could find your weight so I could figure out your burn - at 133 you are very slim already and do not need to lose any more weight. You would be better off focusing on eating a balanced, nutritious diet that meets your energy needs, while working out to improve your general health and appearance.

Hi Maddy, and welcome to Calorie Count!

Please DO NOT try to lose any more weight. You are already at the low end of the healthy range for your height, and losing 16 more pounds would make you medically underweight. Instead, you should focus on eating a healthy, nutritious diet (including at least 3 meals per day!) and possibly doing some strength training to "firm up" and improve your body composition.

If you want to tell me what sort of foods you are already eating, I can help you figure out a healthy meal plan, if you like.