Posts by tiffgw

Oh my dear *hug* I am so sorry to see this post from such a lovely young lady. I must admit, I did peak at your other posts. Even I, a stranger, am annoyed with the jealous "best friend" you mentioned who had nothing nice to say and should have said nothing at all. We all gain weight the first year of college and try to lose it so I'm sure she experienced this too. Anyways, how rude of her and anyone else who opened their big mouths. Ignore these people- they can't make you any less beautiful or fabulous just by spewing words.

I must say how wonderful it is that you accepted the Reality Check and are going to get help and change. Don't be afraid to cry, don't be afraid to scream, don't be afraid to talk it out. Find some reliable, caring people that you can turn to any time you feel like letting bad habits and bad thoughts take over. You are going to be fine. In fact you're going to be better than fine because you're going to get back to your happy, comfortable weight you mentioned at 130. (and ya know what, even though it's a little low to most of the people on this site, if that's where you have to be for awhile to stay away from where you've found yourself now then go for it!)

Be proud of your progess. This is step one- realizing that you're not where you want to be. I have every confidence that you will get back on track and be successful in your college life and the career life that will follow. Best wishes sweetie!

These are fantastic! I think my favorite is "nothing changes if nothing changes" So true! I'm going to pick out some of these that really speak to me, write them down a little card, and stick it in my wallet so I have these words of wisdom with me always. Thanks guys :)

I did this even though I knew I shouldn't have. Right away, I could tell that I was really "sensitive" and blamed the fact that I went cold turkey off meds. Now (a couple months later) I'm realizing the problems I had that convinced me and my doctor that I needed Zoloft have NOT gone away and I need to just deal with the pain. It's not easy- anxiety through the roof, still crying all the time, still tired all the time- but I'm so sick of "meds" ya know? I try to go to the gym and work out 4 days per week as a mood elevator and I do alot of breathing exercises. The crazy anxiety is so not fun and crying all the time is well...embarrassing but I'm working on truly coping- not just medicating- and I believe it'll be worth it in the end. Just remember that we all have our own experience when it comes to this.

Hope this helps *hugs*

Thanks for the replies! I took your good advice and made a doctor's appointment. I usually wait things out and see if they'll go away on their own, but this time after 2 negative tests and worsening symptoms I'm definitely not going to take any chances. Thanks again all!

That's a good idea about the pictures! The trick is actually bringing myself to take the before picture...yikes!! And I know what you mean about gossip. While I'm fortunate enough to have a family that must be blind or something(love is blind, I guess?), I know that if I ran into some old friends and aquaintances there'd be some talking going on. I must admit- I'd rather have them saying positive things!

Original Post by ladykelien:

My only answer to that, is do your research.  Plants have feelings too.  I think picking a cucumber is completely cruel.   After all its a seed pod of a plant.  You are eating its future children.  And that plant, protects itself by communicating down its long vines.  If one part is attacked by bugs, it can tell the rest of it so that it increases its defences to better protect itself.  But, its not wrong to eat a cucumber.  They after all arn't cute and cuddly.

Yes, please- do your research. There's a reason why plants are pretty, it's so they'll be seen as attractive & eaten. Back in "prehistoric times" humans used holes in the ground in the place of modern luxuries like toilets. After eating something with seeds in it and then burying it in the ground along with poo aka all natural fertilizer, a new plant is sure to grow! Plus we've all heard stories of someone vomiting watermelon or pumpkin and a patch of whatever they ralphed mysteriously growing in that spot a few months later. Not that big of a surprise. And, of course, animals don't bury what they leave behind, but seriously, that watermelon puke patch in my backyard as a kid was actually from the family dog. If fruit just falls off the plant/tree and rots, usually nothing new will grow, right? Well, nature found another way... Anyways, enough gross-ness. The point is you're right about the fruit being the pod for it's seeds. The reason for that and the reason why it's pretty and tasty is so that animals, including humans, and insects can help the plant live on. Even poisonous plants are pretty and sometimes tasty for that same reason. Remember 7th grade biology class? Fruitarians make the rather convincing claim that fruit, beans/legumes, seeds (duh) and nuts are the only things that should be eaten since it's part of the aforementioned natural cycle. They say that since the pretty, tasty fruit is the plant's survival mechanism, it can and should be eaten. (I wonder if they all bury their poo though... just kidding!)The leaves and the stems sustain life for the plant, as do the roots and should be left alone, according to fruitarians that is. I'm vegan for environmental reasons so I eat organic plant foods of all kinds. Scoff all you want, but those fruitarians do have a point....

And getting back to the original point, I'm lucky enough to live in Portland,OR *big smile* and don't have to explain myself daily. My family is very supportive because they get it and some are vegan as well (again, lucky me). But when asked by old college buddies or whomever why I chose this lifestyle, I'll give them a brief yet concise answer. I want to scream about the depleted oceans, but I don't. However, if they ask for more details, then yeah, I'll gladly scream about factory farms because hey, they asked for it.

If you haven't tried probiotics, try that. Also try digestive enzymes from a good, reliable brand.

Original Post by fuzzys:

I do have a difficult time believing anything about your body releasing "toxins" from meat - I would like to see some scientific basis for that.  What does this doctor consider to be toxins?

 Watch Fast Food Nation or Supersize me. Also... imagine if someone took a handful of contraceptive pills all at once or if someone in hormone replacement therapy took their entire bottle at once... yeah, they'd become sick, duh. But the hormones in meat (oh, they're in there) come in small doses so our body goes "Huh? What's this... well, it's not much so I'll just store it," then when new, uninformed vegetarians start eating a barrage of just fruits and vegetables, it detoxifies the body big time and all of those hormones and other toxins stored in the body (from processed foods, the environment, etc) are released all at once. So it's sort of, but not quite like taking too many meds at once. Something like that.... The point is, there are toxic materials in meat because of the living conditions of the animals. Plus, when in detox mode, your body dispells most/all toxins, whether it's from meat or otherwise. This is a good thing, but if it happens like someone dropped a bomb (meaning all at once) then yeah, you're going to get sick.

Um, you're not "vegan" if you're "ok with eggs or chicken" (that'd be an omnitarian type of lifestyle). *excuses self for sounding snobbish* But besides that, if you work out in the a.m. and are thus famished, that's a hint that you may need to incorporate sprouted grains into your diet. Try Ezekiel Bread- it's tasty, good for you and filling. Also, if you're feeling adventurous in the kitchen try baking some flaxseed muffins or baking your own spelt bread. This saves money and calories, plus it just might do the trick. Also, have you tried just making your own oatmeal? Usually a cup of oats, cinnamon, agave nectar and soy milk does the trick for me. Whole grains and/or sprouted grains are imperative in the morning- it's surprising how well they work to prevent the mind-numbing mid-afternoon hunger.