Posts by damsell300

I am also a student, and I have class from 5-8 in the evening.  It's a weird time because it's too early to eat before I leave, but I tend to get hungry for a real meal during that window.  Luckily, my professors encourage us to bring dinner, because it helps us stay awake.  Here are my favorite low-cal, portable options:

-Fiber One Bars (I like Oats and Chocolate) 140 Calories and VERY filling

-Protein Shakes (I buy Gold Standard Whey protein powder and put one scoop of the powder into a blender bottle, when it's time for the shake, I just go to the water fountain and add 6-8 oz. of water and shake to mix).  Blender bottles and protein powder available at Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, etc.

-Salsa Chicken:  Get 2-3 lbs of chicken (I used boneless, skinless breasts, but this would work with this bone in as well), a can of chicken broth, and a big jar of your favorite salsa.  Put the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 3 hours.  The chicken will be incredibly tender.  You can eat it plain or shred it and make tacos, put it in a salad...whatever you like.  I like to have one breast with some extra salsa on top.  I just pop it in the microwave at school, and it is so tender that I don't need to bother bringing a knife, just a fork!

100 Calorie Packs - There are so many of these to choose from, and they are a great option for times when you need to bring something non-perishable.  The options, such as cheez-its, ritz-mix, and chocolate covered pretzels keep you from giving in to that trip to the vending machine during the mid-lecture break.

-Campbell's Select Harvest Light Soups - My favorite is Savory Chicken and vegetable.  Usually not more then 160-200 calories for the whole can (2 servings), has protein, and fiber.  I find it to be very filling and easy when I'm in a rush.

-Quaker "Quakes" Mini Rice Cakes - Again, these are my way of avoiding the temptation to get chips.  They make them in favors like ranch, nacho and cheddar cheese, and bbq, as well as the regular rice cake flavors (caramel corn, etc)  70 calories for 10 cakes, not bad!  They also have a new product called "Tortillaz" which are air baked chips made from rice and corn, in flavors like guacamole and nacho cheese.  These are around 130 calories for 15 chips.  Also a much healthier substitute for the junk that you'll see many of your classmates munching on.

I have heard of this and also have experienced it personally.  I used to very very mentally unhealthy and after taking many medications, became morbidly obese as well.  Now I am a graduate student studying to be a therapist.  One thing that my research focuses on is treatment programs that focus less on medications and more on helping patients to get their bodies to work for them naturally.

Basically, the psychotropic medications are a very crude substitute for the way your brain would naturally regulate itself.  When your brain is exposed to chronic stress is can cause actual shrinkage of the brain and other types of damage.  Additionally, depressed people typically are nutrient deficient, which causes all sorts of other physical problems including weight gain.  Diet and exercise may not be enough for everybody, but it really has been proven to go a long way in getting the body and brain back to normal functioning!

that is completely hilarious!  thanks for posting it.  i couldn't help but think as i was watching it, that paris probably did not come up with that energy policy herself.  it was still entertaining though.

i work out when i am mildly sore.  once, i worked out when i was extremely sore and ended up in the emergency room due to near crippling back pain.  listen to your body.  if you are really in pain, it might be better to just watch the calories really strictly that day and avoid strenuous exercise!

I have been on calorie count for 9 months.  I went to try on wedding dresses last October and I was so big that they couldn't get some of the dresses around me.  The sales girls just had to hold them up in front of me and tell me to imagine that's what it would look like.  I never want to feel that way again, especially not at my wedding, which is in 1 1/2 months!  I've lost 61 pounds since that horrible day in October and 82 pounds since my all time highest weight.  I plan to continue the diet after the wedding and lose another 23 pounds to get down to my goal of 125! 

Knowing how far I have come and how physically strong I am now because of all of the hard exercise is what motivates me to keep going and reach my final goal.

It's really funny that you wrote that because abs are always difficult for me to get through as well.  I carry my excess fat almost solely in my abdomen, but since I know you can't "spot burn" fat just by working those muscles, there's not much motivation there for me to do it!

Fiber is definitely the way to go on this one, and the more natural the source is, the better.  Whole grains, especially bran, as well as prunes or prune juice usually get things moving for most people.  You can also try metamucil, which is gross, but pretty safe to use on a regular basis. 

Since you are a teen, if this problem is persistent, it is probably wise that you go see your doctor, just to make sure everything is OK.

Thanks for the advice everyone!  Today I totally revamped my work out routine and did a 15 minute cardio warm up, follow up 45 minutes of weight training!  Woohoo!!

I have also been getting in shape for my wedding and have a strapless dress and previously flabby arms.  As part of my work out routine, I started using the indoor rowing machine for 30 minutes, a few times per week.  My arms are no longer flabby and I have  lost a very significant amount of shoulder and back fat.  This exercise is low impact and great cardio as well.  I bet if you do it 5 times per week until your wedding, you'll be happy with the results.

Almost 95% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV (human papilloma virus) that is gone unnoticed and untreated.  HPV only causes genital warts in a small percentage of the people who have it, as there are over 100 strains of HPV and only a few of them cause warts.  If you are young and healthy, and have had an abnormal pap smear, chances are you might be in the 85% of people in their 20's who have HPV. 

Here's the good news:  A young healthy person can fight off the virus, although it will lay dormant in your system forever, as it is a virus.  For most people, you just need to go back for a pap smear every 6 months for a few years and eventually your tests will start coming back normal.  If they do find abnormal cells, they have a very simple and relatively painless outpatient procedure that removes them.  You have it and just get up and can walk out and drive yourself home.

Even though HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, it really is not a big deal for most people and will not cause a lot of problems as long as you get regular pap smears.  Taking a folic acid supplement has also been known to help fight the virus.  It is also extremely contagious and you can get it even if you are using protection!  If you do indeed have HPV, you should disclose this to your partners before engaging in sexual contact with them.

I sincerely hope that your test was just wrong, and you are perfectly healthy.  Try not to stress yourself out too much until you hear back from the doctor.

The boards on this site can be a great place to get motivated or even just vent when you've had a rough day!

As far as your weight loss goes, since you have had a previous struggle with an eating disorder and still are dealing with a mental disorder, my best advice to you is to seek medical supervision for your diet.  Many bariatric clinics offer the support of a nutritionist, fitness expert, psychologist, as well as multiple physicians to attend to the health problems that are common with obese patients.  Since you are 100 pounds overweight, if you have health insurance, you may be able to get visits to a clinic of this kind covered, at least partially.  If this is not an option, I highly suggest you find some way to have your diet and exercise plan supervised by a professional.  This way, you can keep on track with what they tell you is healthy for where you are instead of just guessing on your own.  A professional will also know what the warning signs of an eating disorder are and will know when to tell you to seek treatment, especially if you tell them ahead of time that you had dealt with anorexia in the past.

Good Luck to you!  Please post on the boards anytime you feel that you need support!  This website is WONDERFUL!

I moved across the country last year with my fiance for his job and even though I'm in graduate school, I still don't have very many friends!  Money is also tight since I am in school full time.  In the past 8 months (since I bought my wedding dress) I've lost 54 pounds.  Basically, I spent my days alone, waiting for him to come home and entertain me and doing mountains of homework.  I took all the "I don't have friends or anywhere to go" free time and put it into diet and exercise!  Don't worry if your boyfriend can't stick with you.  You CAN'T change him, he needs to change HIMSELF.  Just do what you know you need to do to change your life and your body for the better and eventually he'll catch up with you!

rmgarcia - My experience is similar to what you are describing.  Sometimes it will happen everyday, even multiple times per day, and then it won't happen at all for a while.  It happens more often when I am already really tired or not feeling well.

I did speak with a few doctors who are friends and family.  They all said the same thing...basically, if you want to get it checked out for peace of mind, you can, but it's probably nothing.

Sounds to me a little bit like your mother is not very confident about herself, and it makes her feel better to cut you down.  This does not mean that she doesn't love you.  It just means that people act in crazy ways when they feel insecure and threatened.  If you, her daughter, were able to lose weight, while she is not able to, it would mean that you are growing up and are now able to take care of yourself...and do a better job of it then she can!  Don't let your mom get you down!  I know it's hard because she's your mom, and also because you live with her, but it will be worth it for your health and peace of mind in the end!

That sounds horrible!  It's bad enough that your friend is dealing with ED, but now she's stuck in a treatment program where they don't even take her illness seriously?!

I have not had an ED, I am a graduate student training to be a therapist.  I have not met one single student, doctor, or professor who thinks that ED's are a choice.  Yes, you can make a choice to start adopting unhealthy behaviors, but once it gets out of control, it really is a disease.  ED's can also lead to other very serious mental problems (depression, self mutilation, substance abuse, body image issues, etc.).  Everyone I know takes ED's very seriously as they can quickly turn from an attempt at weight loss to a life threatening situation.

I really hope your friend gets out of that place and into a better program that takes her condition seriously!