Posts by celestialfish

Original Post by crittlemeistah:

Original Post by enaque:

I mean, I know they are high on sugar and other carbs. 

But will it at least help make you lose at least 3 pounds in around 4-7 days? (Give me some names of the brands too?)

I've looked up online everywhere that they don't help at all, and I'm still hoping that it might.

I exercise 3 times a week after school for 2 hours, but it seems no effect on my weight. I do weights 2 times a week for an hour.

I gained so much over the holidays, and I noticed I've been eating a lot and I want to stop. I want to try those protein bars so I can bring it to school and other hangouts since it's quick and easy to grub and at the same time it's healthy.

No. That is an unhealthy rate of loss. 

3 pounds in 4-7 days after the holidays is not an unhealthy rate of loss.  Many varities of holiday food are high in sodium which can cause major water retention.  I weighed 184 on the morning Jan 1st.  I felt horribly bloated so I took one water pill and drank a lot of water.  When my trainer weighed me on the evening of Jan 2nd, I weighed 178.

I would suggest that you up your water intake.  Avoid pop, even diet, as it is higher in sodium.  If you must have something flavored, try unsweetened iced tea.  You may be surprised at how much "weight" you can lose just by flushing out the extra water.

As far as protein bars go, I have a protein bar every day as my mid-morning snack.  I look for ones that are high in protein (9 grams or more by my standard) and low in calories (under 250).  Again these are my standards and they are probably lower than others because I also have a protein shake at 15 grams of protein for breakfast every day.

I like Luna bars, Odawalla bars, Genisoy bars, some of the Cliff bars, some of the Balance bars, and some of the Zone Perfect bars. 

Good luck!

If you like the TV series than you really should read "Confessions of a Prairie ****" by Alison Angrim (the actress who played Nellie).  It is a great book about her life and how she grew up on Little House.  You may be surprised to learn how close she and Melissa Gilbert really were.  She also makes the important point that, while based on reality, many of the episodes in the series were largely fictional.

SPOILER ALERT:  The funniest part is when she informs the reader that Michael Landon insisted his pants be tight and seldom wore underwear on set!

BSue-

I am not a medical professional, but many of your symptoms sound like depression. I suffered with depression in college and did not seek treatment.  I was tired all the time, many days just getting dressed took everything out of me and I wouldn't even make it to class.  Some days I wouldn't want to eat at all, other days I couldn't stop eating.  Eventually the symptoms passed but I lost weight and my immune system suffered.

Recently my life took a turn for the worst and I began experiencing the symptoms again.  It put a strain on my marriage because all I wanted to do was sleep.  I lost 10 pounds in under 4 weeks.  I had no anxiety, I wasn't overly weepy.  I didn't have pain or any other "illness" type symptoms.  After ruling out Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, my doctor and I agreed that it was probably mild depression and she put me on a very low dose of prozac. 

At first I was horrified.  I felt like a failure at life...everybody goes through tough times, why did I need medication.  But the meds have helped me tremedously...thankfully there have been no weird side effects.  I'm just having an easier time coping and I feel more motivated.

Again, I'm not a medical professional, but if you've had these symptoms your whole life and haven't already spoken to your doctor about possibly having a chronic case of mild depression you just might discover that relief is possible.

I know protein has been mentioned and seconded...but I wanted to add my vote for protein too!

I hate eating breakfast so I mix cold brewed coffee with vanilla protein powder for a low-calorie "frappe."  I have this about 7am and then around 10am I reach for a protein bar.  The two together average about 300 calories and keep me full until at least 1 pm for lunch.

Are you actually counting and logging your calories or are you guessing at the 1400-2000 calorie a day count??  Yogurt, coffee, a marthon bar, chicken and broccoli - even with a spoonful of peanut butter is not going to be 1400 calories.

You can lose weight while working a desk job.  I lost 40 lbs on 1600 calories a day without working out at all....not saying that's a good way to do it but I understand schedule pressures.  I work a desk job during the week, I volunteer for 3 organizations that require a lot of driving, I take Master's classes and work a register on the weekends.  There isn't a lot of time to work out.

Listen to the suggestions here.  Eat real food!  A Snickers Marathon bar is 290 calories (if your eating the caramel one).... You can have 2 slices of light, whole grain bread and peanut butter for only 260 calories - better for you and fewer calories...add a small apple and a glass of skim milk and you have a great, filling lunch for only a few more calories than you are eating now.  You will be surprised how much you can eat if you take the time to log carefully and honestly.

I am so confused.  How can oranges and water be anyone's primary food and beverage?  Ok, so you never eat yogurt or oatmeal - what do you eat? 

Calorie counting isn't about eliminating foods from your diet.  It's about eating fewer calories than you burn.  You literally can eat anything you want as long as you count the calories and stay within your daily goal.

I lost 40 lbs counting calories and my diet still included things like regular ice cream, chocolate, and McDonalds (gasp!).  Of course, these have to be be eaten in moderation. If your craving chocolate, have some, but then count the calories.

I wouldn't bother with the stuff at GNC, whatever your drinking is probably not worth it.  But if your looking to expand your grocery list ADD FOOD!!

I work in a health food store...I am trying to lose weight....I have tried a LOT of supplements before finding CC.  No, I do not reccommend ANY of them. 

A lot of these pills are scams...especially the acai.  Acai is high in antioxidants but so are other berries, tomatos, etc.  Just because it has an interesting name doesn't mean its magical.

AmethsytGirl stated it well on another thread:  those that might work, aren't safe and those that are safe, don't work.  What works is diet and exercise.

Save your money on supplements, use the tools here and you will see a difference.  Your commitment to yourself and new eating habits will help you lose weight and feel great about your success.

Ask yourself this... Am I enjoying the food I am eating?  If not, you need to spend some time finding low-cal options you love.  It sounds like you are a busy mom, so this may be hard, but spend extra time in a grocery store reading labels and picking food that fits your eating plan and that you will love - it can be done. 

For instance, top that baked potato with a 35 calorie wedge of Laughing Cow mozzeralla with sundried tomato and basil - lower in calories than your margarine and WAY more delicious.  Get yourself some sherbert or sorbet and look forward to a small dish of that while you are scraping plates.  Have half a PB&J using Aunt Millies Whole Grain Light Bread at 35 calories a slice, 1 TBSP of Smart Balance PB at 95 calories, and fresh strawberry slices at 24 calories per 1/2 cup.

I know that I don't always eat "clean"...I do eat some processed food and I do eat some artificial sweeteners but I am losing weight and I am enjoying it, which makes it so much easier.

Remember that this is NOT a diet, you are changing the way you are eating for life...you should be able to lose weight and enjoy what you are eating.  If you have a dinner you love, you may find yourself less tempted to eat what you feel you are "missing out on."

My go to is always a bottle of water and a protein bar.  I probably don't pick the healthiest options as I like Special K, SlimFast, Genisoy, Steel Bar, or Tiger Milk.  They taste good and the are lower in calories then a Snickers or a donut...plus I think they are more filling.

As gbierman mentioned, you can by pure stevia.  This is not an artificial sweetener, it is an herb.  Yes, it has been processed just like beets or cane, but it is a natural sweetner.

That being said, I do not care for pure stevia.  I like the Truvia which is even more processed but I only use it when I eat rice krispies and then only one packet per bowl.

Agave nectar is awesome.  I love it in coffee, iced tea, etc.  I buy the raspberry flavored kind.  However, it is higher in calories than stevia or artificial sweetners so I find it doesn't help if you are looking for low-cal option.

If you are truly just looking for opinions, I would use Truvia for a zero calorie sweetener option.  I think it is better than sweet-n-low, equal, splenda, etc.  However, I only have my personal taste to back that up.