I grew up very skinny, bulked up some from military training, bulked up a good bit more in the first six months of marriage (and good cooking), but in the last year I actually developed a little pot belly.
It took awhile for me to admit I was starting to get fat. I had always thought of myself as skinny. My tall frame can handle a good bit of weight. I have always had a high metabolism because I eat crackers throughout the day (keeping your stomach working all day keeps burning energy). However I have gone over 30 years old now, I had satellite TV service, I was working jobs that kept me sitting in chairs all day, and to be quite honest about the only exercise I got was mowing the lawn once a week.
I woke up to my growing weight problem after a series of college friends came to visit and all made jokes about me getting fat. I weighed myself for the first time in a long time: 225 pounds. It was not huge, but my big gut showed that weight was too much.
I thought about my quitting smoking philosophy in relation to when I might finally start losing weight. I figure smokers have to quit some time, if even when they are in the hospital fighting multiple cancers. I wondered how big would I let myself get before I decided to start reversing it? I also thought about how it must be easier to lose weight at 225 pounds than at 250 or 300 pounds.
I tried walking more, taking the kids out to the park in our neighborhood. The weight hardly budged at all. I heard the comedian Mike Schmidt describe his weight problem, and one part was that he would make two boxes of macaroni and cheese at midnight. I realized I was eating a bunch of junk food late at night, right before bed, and that food was just sitting there turning to fat on me.
So I cut out the late night snacks. If I am hungry at night, I eat a handful of crackers or a fruit. It is difficult because I want to stuff myself. I noticed after some meals I was extremely stuffed, so I began ordering smaller meals. For instance, at Burger King I now order the Whopper Jr. meal instead of the full Whopper meal. You save a buck and get full without getting completely stuffed. I began walking to parks outside our neighborhood. I canceled our satellite TV service and started working in the yard more.
Another thing that helped is what a cheapskate I am. My wife bought a cheap elliptical exercise machine last year, but soon thereafter stopped using it, saying it hurt her knees. I am such a cheapskate that it burned me to look at the elliptical machine and think about my money being wasted. I finally started doing several two-minute intervals on it each day, just so I could feel I was getting my money’s worth.
I finally noticed my weight dropping a few pounds at a time. I kept up my lifestyle changes (smaller meals, less late night food, walking to parks outside my own neighborhood, and two-minute intervals on the elliptical machine), and as you can see from the photo that I am now under 200 pounds. I noticed a correlation between my walks and my weight loss, about every two times I walked to a distant park I lost another pound.
I don’t know what my ideal weight range is, but my little pot belly is visually shrinking. I figure I will go down to about 180, and then the real challenge will be to make sure this weight gain does not happen again like a yo-yo. I am proud of myself that I could achieve this personal accomplishment without paying for a fitness club or paying a weight loss center (like L.A. Weight loss, Weight Watchers, etc.)
Do you have weight gain and loss struggles? I realize everyone is different, so what helped or didn’t help you much?
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Regarding the smaller meal aspect, you know that Whopper Jr. is what the size of a burger was when I grew up, and it suited us fine. We live in such a supersize-me culture that we think we are benefiting with the out-of-scale meals.
Great post Joe. I have joined you in the pursuit of losing the tummy. I have been using sparkpeople.com and charting my progress. It is a great site and best of all it is FREE of charge. They had a story on there about fast food and ordering the smaller burgers instead of the “whoppers” like you suggested. What an eye opener.
Joe, it’s even harder when you get my age (early 60’s). I find that a half hour routine 5 or 6 times a week helps a lot. I use a stair climber machine for twenty minutes (while watching tv) and a rowing machine and yes, the dreaded push-ups. I’m sure that if ice cream had never been invented I would be 20 lbs. lighter now, and I, like you, had to limit my late night food intake which was adding inches to my waistline.
It’s a lifelong committment, Joe, and I applaud you for your efforts. I saw some statistics a few days ago that showed Colorado had the fewest obese people (just over 17%) in the nation with the highest state (don’t remember which one) at over twice that rate. If you walk through Wal Mart on any given day you might well suppose that Idaho is up there at over the 30% obesity rate.
I’m sure vanity plays a very important role in motivating weight control. For me, I suppose, it’s being able to ski down the hill faster than someone half my age or being able to hit a golf ball (sometimes) farther than my same age contemporaries. Exercise, for me, is also a great way to ward off depression and/or anxiety and help me feel better about myself.
I agree! It’s a nice fantasy to think you will do the hour-long mega workout a couple times each week, but I think shorter (5-30 minutes) workouts are much more realistic for most of us. Doing a 10 minute workout once or twice a day has been much easier for me to do.
When I do my elliptical machine, I hit the timer button and only do two minutes. Yeah it’s barely anything, but any more than that and I get more tired the rest of the day and am less motivated to get on again. Two minutes a few times a day has been my happy balance.
Funny you mention Wal-Mart. This summer I’ve avoided Wal-Mart as often as possible because I noticed I would buy treats almost each time I went through. It’s tough to just get milk in the back when you pass by all those cookie displays for $2.
for that reason alone i have started getting reeds dairy home delivery and it has worked wonderful. I spend way less on treats and other things i think i need and could probable do without.
What I wanna know is who’s the person standing in that picture weighing 1,990 pounds! They’ve definately got some “struggles” there.
I am turning 32 and working on my weight as well. My wife and I have found that the few times we do actually go out to eat, that we can easily in most cases split the plates. Restaurants make huge servings these days, and it’s easy to keep your “kid” mentality of, if I bought it, I have to finish it. We found we were always either coming home with left overs, or feeling really stuffed. So, we try to agree on whatever we want and just split it. We also order the smaller meals when eating fast food and never super size. There is a whole psychological game going on there. Well, its only 39c, thats more for my money? That was fine when I was 20 and burned off everything I ate, but not anymore. Good luck!
Great point! My wife and I discovered we could split the Fazzoli’s sampler plate. Only $6, and you can ask them to substitute one of the items for more of another.
Much cheaper and we are always full without being stuffed.
It’s that kind of self-control, that self-discipline that I have realized is key to losing weight. It’s also a difficult thing to overcome.
I think the weight in the picture shown acutally says 199.0 not 1990.
Congratulations on your hard work Joe! From my experience, getting started was the hardest part of taking off weight and getting in better shape.
Almost 2 years ago, nearing age 50, I decided to do something about my weight and belly fat. Like Joe, I had been fairly lean most of my life, or at least not too overweight. At 6 feet tall I could also support over 200 pounds and not look too out of shape. But I realized that for several years I had been putting on a few pounds every year. I had maintained about 195 pounds for a few years, then bad eating and exercise habits kicked in and next thing I knew, I weighed 215. Now with a better diet and exercise, I fluctuate between 170 and 175 and almost have to convince myself to eat more sometimes. I’ll pass along some things that worked for me.
I switched to diet soda. I was one of those who couldn’t stand the taste of diet drinks but it doesn’t take too long to get used to them. All of them that I know of have zero calories. Many of them actually taste pretty good. I like Diet Mountain Dew and a few of the Fresca flavors, among others. So many of the full flavored soda (and even fruit juices and sports drinks) have a lot of sugar and calories. And watch out for high fructose corn syrup, it’s a cheap sweetener that’s used in things you wouldn’t even imagine.
They say not to skip breakfast, but I’m one of those who really isn’t hungry until mid-morning most of the time. So instead of running out and grabbing 2 fast food breakfast sandwiches, I started taking a healthy breakfast to work with me. Usually a low-fat yogurt (only 100 calories) or an apple. If I ate at home I would have cold cereal or oatmeal most of the time. Speaking of fast food, I went from the full Whopper meal to the Whopper Jr. sandwich only, with no fries and if I had soda it was diet. I cut way down on eating fried foods.
I started reading the nutrition labels. I switched to 1% milk, lowfat cottage cheese, light sour cream, light mayonnaise, Smart Balance light margarine, etc. I don’t care for fat free foods personally but low fat is better for me healthwise than full flavor.
I stopped buying candy, chips, cookies and things like that. It’s too easy to go overboard and eat a whole package if it’s there. I didn’t give up ice cream though. Gotta have a few indulgences. But you know what, low fat ice cream is pretty good too. Just try a few varieties and you’ll find one you like.
I started exercising every day. I mean every single day, no excuses. Usually just walking the dog, but I have a route that is 2 miles and I do it either once or twice a day, schedule permitting. This time of year it’s harder since my dog doesn’t handle the hot weather so well, but I just go in the morning or evening (or both).
I remember when I got below 200 pounds, it took about 2 months to lose that first 15 pounds. But what motivation it was to be able to feel some measurable success. I thought if I got down to 190 I would feel pretty good. But at 190 I still had some belly fat and I had already formed better eating and exercise habits so I just kept doing what I had been doing. When I got down below 180 I couldn’t believe I had done it.
I feel so much better. Last winter was a breakthrough year for me at the ski hill. I could do things at 175 pounds that I could never do when I was overweight, and it seemed almost effortless. Riding my mountain bike up a hill at 40 pounds less weight than before is pure joy.
I just want to encourage everyone who is trying to lose weight. In some ways it’s as hard or harder than quitting smoking, I’ve done that too. My experience is to find out what works for you and use it. And hang in there until you can see some results. Personally, I didn’t have to give up everything. I still have a late night bowl of (light) ice cream once in a while, but I do a lot of other things to compensate. Good luck to Joe and everyone else!
Just don’t waste your money on Nutri-System. The food is disgusting. And I’m not that fussy
Too many of our foods have growth hormones in them, i.e. chicken, beef, pork….it makes it tough even if one is exercising. A friend of mine from Africa came to study at ISU. He was slim and trim. His diet didn’t change much when he got here. His wife cooked alot of the same basic foods with basic staples. However, he began getting fatter. He mainly ate chicken.
A food co-op in East Idaho that can offer alternative foods absent the hormones and pesticides will be a welcome addition. Besides, when we spend all the time exercising we want to see some results. This is why finding drug free meats and poison free veggies is so important to an all around weigh control plan–and you feel 10 times better!
Joe, I think your original post was right on, especially about the reality of losing weight: no quick fix, no magic potions… . What worked for me (after kid #3, I packed on a bunch of weight which was so hard to lose!) was simply this: I began eating ONLY when I was hungry. I know this sounds ridiculous but I truly believe in our culture, we have lost sight of what hunger feels like. Once I began eating only when I felt truly hungry (and not just to “clean up” the leftovers or because I was tired, etc.) and then ate only enought to satisfy that hunger, I lost 30 lbs which I have (for the the most part) kept off over the last 5 years.
Sounds too simple, I know, but actually, listening to our bodies is a skill we may have lost in light of (as someone mentioned above) the “whopper” mentality we live in.
Thankfully I’ve never had a problem with my weight, but my youngest brother & his wife does. There’s a huge difference between our eating habits though. He’s all about fast food, candy, soda, no fruits and vegetables. I never eat fast food, and rarely eat out in restaraunts period. I always eat a large nutritious breakfast and a decent lunch, and then a small dinner. Dark Chocolate is my indulgence but because I eat well and exercise regularly, I can eat as much chocolate as I want. At 40, I’m the same weight I was in college. Start making your own meals more and try to stick with “organic” milks, cheeses, fruits, vegatables and meats. All those growth hormones will pack on the pounds. Look at our kids these days. Something like 70% of our children are considered obese. Between the internet & video games and junk food, it’s no wonder.
Good luck to all those working on your weight. Just don’t fall for those weight loss pills and gimics. Weight loss is a billion dollar industry and none of them will work in the long term. It’s about changing ones lifestyle and eating habits. It really is as simple as eating healthy and having a daily excercise routine. Start out slow and don’t get discouraged. The pounds WILL melt off.
Another aspect to this is that I did not have to work hard to lose weight, but I had to work steady. Some of those long walks made me tired and sweaty, but it was never a really hard workout.
It was just steady, trying to do something each day, each week. I’m down to 195 lbs now, so it’s taken me about 5 months to lose 30 pounds. If I had a target date to lose weight by, of course I would have had to work hard to meet it. Of course then I probably then would have been more prone to the “yo-yo” effect of quickly gaining weight again.
And therein may lie another challenge to weight loss in today’s America: our need for immediate satisfaction.
Mike had a good point about the growth hormones in our foods. I have heard anecdotally that parents are reporting kids entering puberty at younger ages, and growth hormones are suspected. Anyone know more about that rumor?
I too have heard that’s the reason our children are hitting puberty earlier. All because of money. All so they can get their chickens to lay more eggs, their cows to produce more milk, etc etc…
quite sad actually what big business will do for the sake of a dollar.
Actually, there is a study, put out by (I think) NIH, in which several pediatricians voiced concerns over children entering puberty at a very young age due to the increasing use of soy products (i.e., soy baby formula, soy “milk”, etc.) because of the phytoestrogens in soy products…also a connection to certain thyroid disorders, as the thyroid can essentially “burn out” when it receives too much estrogen…..
I will try to find the link, as it was a pretty disturbing article…there is a huge and active soy lobby in the U.S….
I read with interest this article yesterday, “5 eating habits of the healthiest countries:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/31/cl.worldly.advice/index.html
Suggestions include at least three servings daily of produce and whole grains, try one new fruit each week, eat meals slower over a longer time frame, eat meal courses one at a time instead of all at once, eating 80% portions of what makes you full, using smaller bowls and plates when setting the table, eat more unprocessed foods like salads, and add more spices to your foods to aid digestion.
Another bit was that some countries treat meat like a garnish. Obviously in America meat is the main event, with steaks that take up a whole plate.
My wife and I have talked about this, where she prepares two chicken pieces and potatoes and vegetables, and we get too full to eat it all. We are going to try preparing one chicken piece and splitting it between us so we have more room for the side dishes.
I like the courses idea, also.
That’s a good idea with the chicken Joe. I’m the cook in our house and I’ll usually split a large chicken breast between myself and my better half, since we usually have a couple vegetable side dishes and a salad during dinner. Even with only having a half a chicken breast its always plenty of food when other side dishes are involved. We always make it a point to have a salad with dinner as well, since that helps fill you up, that makes it easier to have smaller portions of your main course. Remember while you’re cooking that your meat portion, whether it’s chicken, steak, pork or whathaveyou, should be no bigger than the size of a deck of cards. It may not seem like much, but when you’ve got two vegetable sides & a salad, it’s really plenty of food to fill you up.
Another good thing to remember when eating salad, stay away from iceburg lettuce as it has hardly any nutritional value at all. Stick with darker greens like Romaine or spinach. Fresh spinach is our favortie and its got twice as many vitamins than your other greens.
Our one weakness is Geraldine’s dinner rolls. We always buy whole grain bread, except when it comes to dinner rolls, Geraldines has got it going on. But that’s the great thing about always eating healthy….we’re able to indulge on the occasional white roll or chocolate dessert without having to worry.
Fortunately I’ve always had a high metabolism and weight has never been an issue with me, but I know that my eating habits have everything to do with that. My brothers aren’t as fortunate, but I know it’s because our eating habits are completely opposite. Eating healthy really is half the battle. Plus getting out their and walking, riding your bike or any other low impact aerobic excercise everyday, even if it’s only for 10-15 minutes, will help keep everything in check. I know what I do is working since my brothers don’t eat right nor do they excercise and their both overweight. And don’t think of it as a diet, but a way of life. There’s no need to spend lots of money on diet plans, books, workout tapes, etc. Healthy eating and regular excercise is all it takes.
Best of luck to everyone.
I have been working out for a month now…but I havent noticed any change in my weight…I do binge on weekends..but its like a treat for my workout days. Some people lose pounds without exercing…but I guess..my body is too hard and needs a lot more excercise than I really do. I swim twice a week, workout for about 45 mins thrice a week. I really dont get it!!!
Lucky….you’ve answered your own question without even realizing it. “I binge on the weekends as a treat for my workout days”. You’re pretty much working out for nothing by doing that. You have to balance your workouts with healthy eating. ALL the time. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Literally! Until you decide to change your lifestyle and your eating habits for good, no amount of working out is going to help you. You can’t continue to eat unhealthy and lose weight even with working out 3 times a week.
Another common misconception you have is “people lose weight without working out”. That’s just not true. Unless their starving themselves, and even that is unhealthy. The only way you’re going to see the pounds start to drop off is by changing your eating habits. You say you work out for 45 minutes 3 times a week. After doing this for a month, you should be upping those numbers. Start adding an extra day in their and working out for an hour or an hour and a half. I go to the gym all the time and I’ve got friends that tell me, “I work out for at least and hour every day and I’m not seeing results”. So I go in with them and this is their routine. They wander around the gym for 25 minutes, they get on a lifecycle for 10 minutes, the elliptical for 5 or 10 minutes, then they hang out at the waterfountain for another 10 minutes “resting”. Then they’ll do 5-10 minutes on the weight machines. After all of that, they’ve really only worked out for about 20 minutes, if that. Make those 45 minutes count and workout until the sweat is pouring off you, your legs are like rubber and you can barely pick up your arms. That, along with eating healthy EVERY day and I promise you the pounds will drop off quick.
You’re pretty much working out for nothing when you go home and eat junk food and “binge” afterwards, even if it’s just on the weekends. Change your eating habits and continue to work out, really pushing yourself, and see what happens. You’ll get there, it just takes persistence and hard work. Nobody said it would be easy. If it were, everyone would be thin.
Good luck and keep us posted!
My best advice for weight loss, water. I used to drink coffee and Mountain Dew all day long and little to no water. A couple of years ago I started getting migraines and my doctor would not prescribe me medication until I cut back on my caffeine consumption. It was not easy but what a difference. I felt energized, lost weight and had fewer migraines. With the new energy and fewer pounds I started walking 20 minutes a day and eating healthier food. When I feel the urge to snack between meals I drink a glass of water instead. 90% of the time my urge to snack never returns.
A girl friend of mine in high school drank a 16 ounce Pepsi every day one summer and really ballooned up in just those three months. It took her about five years to work it off, changing her eating and drinking habits and expensive gym memberships.
yes Pickens, might be it will take some more time..before i start loosing pounds. I should have patience…and i will keep posting the updates.
Thanks
I must sheepishly admit I have gone back a little over 200 pounds again. I have had a couple injuries the last month which prevent me from using my elliptical machine. I am trying to eat more whole grains because I heard they clean the fat out of your system better. I also realized this week I can take a bit longer walk each day as part of my normal schedule. It’s only about 4 blocks more, but hey a bit more each day hopefully helps. I have been slipping on eating late night snacks, and I think that has hurt, so I’m going to try not eating anything after 8pm anymore.
Joe, don’t beat yourself up; we’ve all been on the roller coaster: one thing I do if I slip up and put on a few: I have breakfast cereal at night; I know, sounds counter-productive, right? But really, I eat less at dinner, and throughout the day in general, if I know that at 7 or 8 I am going to have a bowl of cereal…..usually Raisin Bran but occasionally, Cocoa Puffs….one bowl with 1% milk has less than 250 calories, it is very filling and just somehow seems like a treat…sounds crazy, I know, but it has been tried and true with me for the past ten years….
Good luck!
I don’t consider what Burger King sells to be “food.” Even the Jr. Whopper is loaded with artery & colon-clogging animal fat and sugar/salt/bleached bread/GMOs.
Have you considered trading in the meat for beans & vegetables? Or buying your food at health food grocery stores (Whole Foods,etc.)?
Some people think chicken is “healthy” (fried, baked, etc.) but it’s gross — loaded with pus and all sorts of nasty respiratory ailments from the diseased birds.
I’ve been able to keep the same weight for 20 years since I became a vegetarian & later gave up cheese & milk. Finding out about a plant-based diet with all the mock meats (soysage), etc. is fun. Internet has tons of recipes for beans, tofu, fruit pies, veg Mexican & Italian dishes. Eating lots of organic fruits & dark green salads keep you from getting sick too. Never feel guilty about eating again…
Number 1, we don’t have a “Whole Foods” here, (unfortunately) and number 2, becoming a vegitarian just isn’t realistic. Not to mention the vegan lifestyle isn’t as healthy as it’s cracked up to be. Animals were put on this planet to be consumed by man. Any burger you buy at a fast food rest is going to be bad for you, we know that. But trying to convert folks to an all vegi diet is just plain ridiculous. But whatever works for ya. Personally, I’m not going to take 20 vitamin supplements a day in order to get the protein, fat and carbs that I need to maintain a healthy diet.
I’m not a vegan and I’ve never had a weight problem, so go figure.
Sorry, just noticed you’d posted a follow-up about not being able to exercise lately & the weight was creeping back. I really feel for you. I used to do the “starve & binge” & “diet foods” routine myself until 1 day I saw something gross on TV about meat & never ate it again. In one week my face even changed shape; no more bloat. Gradually I learned about nutrition — it’s the ingredients that count. Unprocessed, unbleached, plant-based whole foods; herbs instead of salt, fruit & stevia instead of sugar, rice milk instead of milk, etc. Try reading “Whole Food Facts: The Complete Reference Guide” or just google search. There’s tons of information out there on “real foods” nutrition. Good luck!
Dear anonymouse, if you’ve never had a weight problem then you don’t know the torment of trying to lose weight. Or the miracle of finding the secret of how eating good food makes you feel good. Everyone in my family has health problems (pacemaker, gout, obesity, IBS, colon polyps) but they think being a vegetarian wouldn’t be “fun” even tho they see how it keeps me young & healthy. You don’t need a Whole Food store to get beans, fruits, wild rice & vegetables or a good cookbook. I don’t need vitamins; I run 3 miles every other day (I’m 53 yrs old) Please don’t be so afraid of change; change keeps you young. God bless.
I’ve never had a weight problem because I excercise and I eat healthy. But I drink 2% hormone free cows milk, I eat chocolate, I drink a soda pop every night at dinner and I’ve never been overweight a day in my life. I eat only wheat & whole grain breads, and pure unprocessed sugar for my coffee or tea. I’m never sick and I eat at least two steaks a week, chicken, ribs, pork chops, fish, etc. I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and I’ve worked out religously since high school. I’m 43. So, there’s absolutely no need to promote a competely meatless all vegan diet and try to talk people into eating tasteless soy and tofu products. As long as you eat a balanced healthy diet and you excercise regularly, you’ll maintain a healthy weight your whole life.
It just bothers me when vegans try to push this “lifestyle” on people and make them think that’s the ONLY way their going to be healthy. It works for you and that’s great, but like I said before, it’s not realistic for most people.
Take care
And I only mentioned the “Whole Foods” store because I like shopping there. They’ve got a great selection of healthy foods. Sure you can find enough healthy food in WalMart, but having a Whole Foods in town would be awesome.
What is “tasteless” to you may be delicious to someone else, just as what is tasty to you may be gross and repulsive to someone else. Everyone’s taste buds are different, depending on what they’re used to eating. But for someone who believes “animals were put here on this planet to be consumed by man,” it would be pointless to try to “push” a vegetarian lifestyle. (I’m assuming you don’t eat dogs or cats or monkeys, though? ) Just be aware that people in the world are steadily evolving toward a meat-free diet for health, ethical & environmental reasons. You’ll still be able to get your meat grown in labs though, and I think that would be great.
I’d have to disagree with you on the “taste” issue. There’s not a person alive that the first time they tasted Tofu or soy anything, said it tasted great. (unless it was covered in flavoring, spices or whathaveyou) It’s definately an acquired taste. I know….I’ve tasted many of these products
As for dogs, cats & monkeys: I may not eat them, but many cultures around the world DO.
And you just proved your own point by saying “no sense in trying to PUSH” your vegitarian lifestyle on me. You’re trying to “push” it on others, when in all reality, its just not realistic. Sure it’s got its good points, and you will be healthier to a certain extent, but humans weren’t meant to be vegetarians. Trust me, our world will never evolve towards a “meat-less” society. We’re trying to evolve towards a more “healthy” one, because their are so many people overweight and sick, but thinking that people will stop eating meat is just plain ludicris.
Like I stated earlier, there’s no reason whatsoever, health reasons or not, for people to stop eating meat. If it works for you that’s great, but you’re missing out on a lot of vitamins and nutrients found in meat, fish & chicken & dairy. And the only way to get said nutrients is by taking supplements. The fact of the matter is, people can and have been healthy since the beginning of time, by eating a well balanced diet that includes meat, fish, chicken & dairy products. The reason so many people are sick and overweight is from all the “additives & presevatives” put in foods these days. Eat a well balanced diet and stay away from processed foods, and un-natuaral foods and you’ll begin feeling better within weeks. More energy, weight loss, clearer skin, etc. It’s common sense. The problem is, people have gotten lazy and don’t want to take the time to cook for themselves anymore. They’d rather buy a box of instant whatever, or go through the drive thru of their local fast food joint. And that is the main problem. I’m also big on “organics” too. Certainly we don’t need all that milk, chicken and beef that has been loaded with hormones. But there are alternatives to that, and every grocery store these days carry organic, hormone free meats.
It really boils down to common sense. Stop putting all that unnaturual processed food in your body that’s loaded with additives and preservatives. Get back to basics with a well balanced diet and excersise and you will be a healthy individual, gaurenteed.
Good luck with your vegetarian quest though.
Take care.
I completely agree with Anonymouse. (good post) Another very simple thing to do while shopping is read labels. If its got ingredients in it that you can’t pronounce or you have no idea what it is, don’t buy it. People are and have been “meat eaters” since the beginning of time, and where we went wrong is with all the garbage in these processed foods.
Stay away from processed foods and you’ll notice a change in our energy and appearance within weeks. Use a good colon cleansing product for at least a week to clean out your system and then stay away from processed food. You’ll be amazed with the amount of energy you’ll have. You’ll sleep better, be in a better mood, no headaches, etc.
Good luck to those fighting weight issues. It really is a lifestyle change in your eating habits. I’d have to agree with Anon….you don’t have to go completely to the opposite end of the spectrum in order to lose weight, be healthy and feel great.
Ditto to #33 and #34….
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein
“From an early age, I have abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men will look upon the murder of animals as they look upon the murder of men.” – Leonardo di Vinci
Guess I’m just way ahead of my time & should be patient for others to catch up. But that’s ok; 2 of history’s greatest geniuses are not bad company at all;)
Just to stir the pot, vegan has nothing on going RAW, yeah baby!
gorawnow.com to see a RAWk star, watch the movie.
I dont agree with #31. eat everything and still no weight problem. Actually evrybody’s body is different,,,my sister for example..eats a lot but is very thin..no excercise nothing..but me on the other side..very particular about what i eat..work out regularly..and still am overweight..some people..are slim, some become slim… some people trying to slim down…and for some bodies like mine..its very difficult to loose weight with the regular diet. I have to starve my self once in two weeks to see a 1 pound change…
“eats a lot but is very thin..no excercise nothing”
Uhhhh hey I don’t want to be mean, but I hope these types who eat a lot and never exercise are not engaging in bulimia to stay thin. It just does not seem natural for this to happen.
Once again lucky….you’re talking about a “diet”. You’re not going to loose weight and keep it off with a “diet”. It’s about a lifestyle change and changing your eating habits. Get rid of all that processed food in your life and continue working out and you’ll see the pounds come off. Like Anonymouse said…”there’s no reason to reason to give up meat just to loose weight and feel better”.
I have to agree with post #40. Over my lifetime, I have probably lost 100’s of pounds, and within a short time have put them back on. If dieting is not done in conjunction with exercise and most importantly, a lifestyle change, the weight WILL NOT stay off — I am living proof of that.
I also meant to add, that the 3 hardest things in life are: 1) losing weight and keeping it off, 2) quitting smoking after a lifetime of smoking, and 3) staying mad. I’m bombing out on the first two, and who wants to do the third? Not me! My odds aren’t too good with only 1 out of 3, but will continue to work on the first two. Things can only get better.
Idaho Native: thanks for sharing your story. I know first hand how difficult it can be to kick the habit of smoking. I’ve stopped and started dozens of times of the course of a couple decades. It finally worked after taking Wellbutrin (generic for Zyban) and lots of gum. I’m now close to my 3rd year smoke free and couldn’t feel better. It’s amazing how powerful a drug nicotine really is. Even after 2 years I still get the occasional craving. The smell disgusts me now, but if I’m stressed out at work or I have a bad day, its really tempting not to go buy a pack. But after not having one for so long, getting my stamina back, not coughing in the mornings, and just feeling better overall, I will not become a slave to cigarettes ever again.
I’m all for people having their right to smoke, their section in the restaraunt and what have you. But for me, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome.
People that don’t smoke have no idea what a powerfully addictive drug this is, and quitting is easier said than done.
Good luck to you and everyone else who is working towards kicking this habit. Stick with it & chew lots of gum!
Interesting comparison of ALL popular fast food selections:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/fast-food.php
My favorite Whopper Jr was picked as a best, though not really great anyways.
And who knew Dairy Queen’s food was so horrible? Besides anyone who has eaten there…
I agree with Blakmire, but I admit, right now I’m gorging on one hell of a good game hen.
For the most part though, I try to stick to seafood.
However, while I’m not overweight, not exercising regularly is not good for you. Ask my surgeon.
I’m currently going through rather strict physical therapy. 
Good diet and exercise are essential regardless of whether you are thin or fat.
I really hate to go off on a tangent like this, but this type of thing happens every single time I go grocery shopping. (and I’m not singling out overweight people. I know some people have issues….but most don’t)
So today i’m standing in line at the store and this woman in front of me must be at least 150 lbs overweight, and everything in her cart is junk food. Soda, 4 different types of chips, ice cream, candy bars, twinkies and every other kind of processed junk food you can think of. (180 dollars worth of junk food) Then her last item was a tub of low fat margarine. I mean seriously folks, what is the point in buying low fat margarine when all the other crap your buying is junk food? It makes absolutely no sense to me! THAN, if that wasn’t enough….she breaks out her Idaho food stamps card to pay for it all. So basically MY/OUR tax dollars ended up paying for this woman and her family to eat junk food. It took everything I had not to say something to her. Which I probably should have. I mean somebody needs to wake these people up!
I remember back in the 70’s – 80’s you couldn’t buy that kind of junk food with food stamps. You were only allowed to buy the basics. Eggs, milk, bread, juice, and meat. All that other garbage you had to pay for yourself. I believe that’s the way it SHOULD be and the laws need to be changed to make it that way again. My tax dollars shouldn’t be paying for people to eat like a pigs. I don’t have a problem with helping people out when they’re down on their luck, but there needs to be limits. Food stamps should only be allowed for no more than 6 months to give a person a chance to get back on their feet. And there should be limits as to what kind of food they can buy. I can’t tell you how many times I see people using food stamps to pay for junk food. It’s just wrong!
But as always….that’s just my opinion.
Yeah,it is amazing. We don’t allow folks to buy cigarettes with Food Stamps. Why not clamp down on unhealthy eaters who choose junk over food that can help them be healthy and trim down? The next thing you know we will be paying more in Medicaid or Medicare for their junk food choices that make them fatter and less healthy.
Is this anyway to run a government program? Or is this yet another example of an uncaring government that doesn’t really give a hoot what people shovel in their mouths? Just keep em happy eating Twinkies so they don’t revolt! That might require exercise and effort and we wouldn’t want to encourage that! Good Post CR67!
I can understand the frustration CR because I’ve felt it myself. However, I think we are very fortunate that the government cannot dictate a person’s grocery shopping habits. I suspect that there were people trying to buy necessary food items that weren’t the items you listed, and got turned down and created a fuss. My oldest child was allergic to dairy products, so if I had been on food stamps, and could only buy the products you listed, I would have been screwed and he would have been one sick baby.
Unfortunately, if people don’t choose to change their eating habits, that’s what happens. Would it be better if they changed their habits? Of course, and we would be spending less money on healthcare for those same people. But that’s not the way it is and if changed, it could in all reality, create bigger problems for innocent people who really are trying and really do need the system (unlike so many who seem to be on it).
I think that the welfare system as a whole needs to change. I also think that State and Federal employees should have more restrictions on spending. Another article in and of itself ( http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/09/gaoreport.pdf
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/09/gao.spending/index.html )
And after these things change, we can determine if there is still a need to dictate what people eat.
Thanks Mike. Glad to have you back! It’s been so quiet around here without your input. And thank you Abby for your participation.
So Abby…you’re telling me your baby would not have survived on the basics? Bread, eggs, vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products? I can certainly understand the dairy issue, but not the others. I’m sure your child wasn’t allergic to fruits and vegetables, protein from meats etc, which is what our children need more of. Food stamps used to be set up this way where you could ONLY purchase the “basics”. Of course the “basics” include more than what I had listed in my previous post, but you know what I mean….I was just trying to make a point.
But I do agree with you in that we definately need welfare and food stamps reform.
The next time you’re out grocery shopping, take a glance at what the family next to you is purchasing. I can’t remember the last time I was at a grocery store and saw a family have a “healthy” basket of groceries. Very few (if any) have fruits and vegetables in their baskets. All you see is frozen and processed foods, cereal thats made of 80% sugar with no nutritional value whatsoever, soda, chips and junk food. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling anybody how to eat, or what kinds of foods to buy, but this is why our nation is so overweight and we’ve got more obsese kids than any other country in the world.
I just dont want MY tax dollars being wasted like this. Like both Abby & Mike noted, their poor food habits are then resulting in higher medical bills due to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, ADHD and a host of other medical ailments. It all rolls downhill…..no pun intended.
So again I ask: “Why SHOULDN’T our government be able to dictate what type of foods you should be allowed to purchase if you’re on food stamps”? Doing without twinkies, chips and pop is not going to kill you. If you want to feed that type of food to your family, by all means go right ahead. Just don’t expect me to pay for it. People have survived for thousands of years on just “the basics”. (and many still do) And I can tell you, not only would your food budget go further, but the healthy food you did buy would last a lot longer than all that overpriced junk food.
No actually I said one very sick baby. Babies can’t eat meat and need more than fruit.
I think that when it comes to the government being involved in personal eating habits, it’s overstepping boundaries. Personally, I buy such things as Olive Oil, fresh vegetables and fruits and eat a lot of seafood. As we all know, that can get costly though. If I were on food stamps I doubt I could afford that. Whatever the case, again, I think having the government dictate what we eat is pushing it a bit far. I don’t want them in the bathroom with me either
Sorry about that! My misunderstanding.
And you’re right, it is a fine line having the government say what you can and can’t purchase with your food stamps. But I do think there needs to be a line drawn somewhere.
I don’t want the government in my wallet either….but I don’t want to spend more money for reactive care of an idiot that eats poorly, smokes, and won’t exercise….and then expect me to fork out more money to save them from themselves. It’s like bailing them out for a life time of poor choices (hmm….sounds like the housing bailout)….anyhow, if people don’t want the government to limit purchases of certain types of foods, then maybe they shouldn’t get on welfare. If you don’t like it, then don’t take out an application for aid. Cities that get federal grants can’t spend them on whatever they want…there are guidelines and restrictions in place to prevent waste and abuse. I would urge Abby and others that don’t want to restrict Food Stamp purchases to seriously examine what these folks spend their cash on and ask if it is in the best interest of the purchaser and the tax payer. IMO, there is a clear governmental interest in promoting preventative incentives and restrictions that don’t directly add to health care costs. We can’t keep Medicare afloat as it is. Why add to strains on the system….remember the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care”.
I think it’s cheaper to buy processed foods that are bad for you than the fresh produce and good meats and healthy foods. My food bills skyrocket when I try to buy unprepared foods that are good for me. Junk food is so much cheaper (and put on sale more, too).
Remember I mentioned the powerful lobbyists who represent corporations that profit by making hemp illegal? Can you imagine the hue and cry from similar organizations if we try to limit Food Stamps’ usage to unprocessed or healthier foods?
They make billions from these unhealthy products, and payment by Food Stamps comes from a large part of their customer base, because again, the foods are cheaper than the wholesome foods folks could be buying.
Plus there are those who make money from the health care industry and they wouldn’t be so profitable if they didn’t have all the obesity and other illnesses to run tests on and sell diet drugs and diet sweeteners for.
Hmmm. This sounds like Black Helicopter talk. Never mind. (They’re coming to take me away, haha, hoho, hehe.)
It’s the end of a long day. Good night, Gracie.
Oh anonymous, don’t get me wrong. I couldn’t agree more that people need to get off their butts and work for a living and not live off the system. I only say that because I know for a fact there are those who need Temporary assistance and I stress, TEMPORARY. Believe me, in the business I’m in, I see way too many people working hard to stay on assistance and live off anyone and everyone they can think of except themselves. They should work so hard at a real job.
But again, that’s not where I direct my comments. There are those who temporarily need a helping hand while they get on their feet. I could never judge them.
I mentioned long ago that I have severe bilateral lymphedema of the legs, and due to the pain have not been able to exercise for years. The weight is piling on, and even though I don’t eat much it doesn’t matter because I move even less, so my metabolism maintains my size and even allows me to grow some every year.
I was a skinny child and mildly overweight adult (after babies) but this last 14 years since I developed the lymphedema have taken their toll.
SO this last month while I was home on medical leave (trying to drain some lymph out of my legs) I gave up artificial sweeteners (no diet drinks, no diet sweeteners/products of any type) and processed foods (high fructose corn syrup and chemicals) and almost all meat. I don’t use much in the way of sugar (stevia is okay) and I never liked chocolate (imagine a fat woman who doesn’t eat chocolate!) so sweets aren’t a problem for me.
I’ve lost 17 lbs but most of that was lymph out of my legs. I’m still big enough to be split into two people, so I’ll just keep working on my dietary changes (not diet) and hopefully get the grit to try to do some workouts despite the pain. But when walking is incredibly painful it’s a challenge.
I’m waiting for the food coop to open next month, I anticipate they will have more of the types of foods I want.
After doing many many diets in my life and never sustaining the losses, I have decided it’s just not worth my time. I’ll take the very slow changes with the lifestyle and learn to live with those.
I think slow/steady changes are usually the most sustainable changes. I used to be able to eat any amount of whatever foods I like with no weight gain. Then the metabolism change arrived and those habits ended. I never went on a ‘diet’ but was alarmed that I couldn’t so easily lose weight even though I had increased my exercise level. I’ve had an extra 35 lbs. for several years that just loves me to death.
What works now is for me to rearrange when I eat, with slight adjustments to what I eat. Once I identified what types of foods to eat less of, I also discovered that I had to change from my favorite thing – big breakfasts. I now eat a very small breakfast, medium lunch, and medium dinner. Marilyn vos Savant has some tips on her website that were interesting. I’m not big on exercise above and beyond my normal running around, but apparently it would help if I would do more.
Motivation? It’s satisfying to see the pounds come off, slow and steady, and I can still have the occasional bit of dark chocolate. After all, it does have health benefits, too. (Does sense of humor count?)
Nemesis, you mentioned the issue with your legs is keeping you from excersising, but what about excersising your upper body? I know a few overweight people that have issues with excersising and basically they just don’t like to do it. There’s simply no way for a person to lose weight on diet alone. Also There are very few weight related diseases that will keep a person from doing some type of low impact cardiovascular workout. Actually there are quite a few number of low impact excersises you can do to work out your upper body without putting any strain on your lower body, and thus help with your weight loss strugles. (just a suggestion)
With a little hard work and consistant low impact excersising, there’s no reason somebody, even with health related issues, can’t loose weight.
Best of luck to you.
Thanks, House#57…I’m not giving up on the exercise options just yet. I agree that upper body exercises are my best options for now, and I’ve purchased a rebounder (the mini tramp) that I’m hoping will have less impact on the lower body, too.
We’ll see.
The dietary changes are also difficult to implement on a permanent basis, and I am still new enough at my attempts to change that I haven’t figured out all the angles. Especially when I travel for work, which is normally difficult for anyone who is changing their eating habits.
It’s a challenge, and I enjoy challenges.
So – 2 questions – We were in the mall yesterday and ran across the Women’s Health Fair and picked up info on the “Inches Away” program, I think they’re on Woodruff. Anyone have any experience with their business, success or not? How doe their prices compare with what you get?
Also, speaking of the food coop – has anyone shopped there yet? How are the prices for healthy food in comparison to local grocery stores?
haven’t heard of that one yet…….
I can already hear the groans but I have to say: I have been on a modified Atkins program for two weeks and I have lost almost 14 pounds……..
I know, I know, we have all heard the horror stories (although Dr. Atkins died from a head injury, not a heart attack) but this has worked for me in the past…….I just wanted to try it out again and so far, so good……..
Hmm, good info on Atkins. I know someone who lost and kept off 50 lbs. I think it can work. If you have a chance, write up a few typical meals and what you’re avoiding. Sugar, carbs, starches? It’s tough doing that for me and trying to feed kids at the same time who need well rounded diets minus so much sugar. Good luck!
Maybe I’ll call inches away – a free coupon to try it out can’t hurt – I don’t have a ton to lose but after kids firming up is very necessary to feel better. Ah, you lucky men!
ditto to the kids element, reader; I have three…
so I am typically trying to eat what I serve them, minus the rice, or bread; usually, grilled chicken salad for dinner or lunch; then cottage cheese for breakfast and for dessert, a tablespoon or two (or three or four) of peanut butter. I make eggwhite omelets for all of us on weekend breakfasts……also all the steamed broccoli I want ha ha…
I snack on olives, tuna, sugar free jello (in those premade cups) and salads…
sometimes I just grab a piece of turkey, roll it up with lettuce and mustard and eat that for lunch or a snack.
I’ll let you know how I do; I can stop being so restrictive and gradually allow in some more carbs (I have been keeping it under 6 g per day) but honestly? I am not really craving cake, etc., like I thought I would. I’m actually full!
Reader #59…Inches A Weigh is a sensible program for women, only. It worked really well for several women I am acquainted with, they’ve lost more than 300 lbs between the 3 of them, in just about a year. Truly amazing.
It is lower impact than Curves, and it seems to be TOO low impact, at first glance…except that it works.
Of course, it includes sticking to a diet with the high amounts of protein (but not classic low carb).
But, you should check it out for yourself (assuming you are female).
1. Here is an interesting link about early onset of puberty, which could in fact be related to our Nation’s high rate of divorce and fatherless homes:
http://www.scienceupdate.com/show.php?date=20061211
2. What appears to be a food stamp benefit card may actually be child support money. While I agree that it can be shocking to see what some people consider food, and even more so what they are willing to feed children, it really seems inappropriate to be so interested in other people’s individual financial transactions.
Junk is junk, and whether or not these items are for sale at all is more germane than how people are paying for them.
Crystal #64, I agree that it’s inappropriate to be passing judgment on the contents of others’ grocery carts, in addition to being concerned about how they pay for their goods.
Not my business, I have enough to worry about to police my own purchases and budget, to spend time fruitlessly grumping over the possible foibles of others.
Good old capitalism, if the junk is good enough to be marketed and sold in our free economy, it’s good enough to be purchased with someone’s food stamps or child support.
And if I notice that they have junk in their cart, AND they’re overweight…hmmm. Nope…still not any of my business, no matter how hard I try to make it something I should care about.
Funny, my daughter had an obese schoolmate, I think the child was in the first grade, and she asked me several times why the school wasn’t calling Child Protective Services to report the parent for child abuse.
I do think creating a malnourishing diet for a child is child abuse, but don’t think that this issue is appropriately addressed on an individual basis by observant shoppers.
It does, however, merit addressing. I’d say donate time or money to programs that teach nutrition, and model that behavior oneself. The retailer is also as much at fault if not more so.
As a former child care professional, I found some of the wealthier clients to have the poorest nutrition choices, and honestly think the problem transcends economic class.
I believe poor eating habits can certainly be generational. We tend to veer towards the foods that we grew up on. However, having only 1 obese member of our family, somehow we lucked out. But I also believe that we all have our addictions. Food is no less an addiction than are cigarettes and alcohol. Anything done in excess is unhealthy. We can rant and rave about how so and so should lose weight or eat the right foods but the reality is, we all have an addiction of some kind or other. Hence, I could no sooner tell someone what to put in their shopping cart or not, than I would fly to the moon and back.
I just came across this article about getting too little sleep and associated problems:
http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/sleepanecessitynotaluxury.html
I’ve been seeing references to too little sleep causing weight gain, and this article explained the hormonal mechanism which causes this.
I’m curious about peoples experience with this, ie are the people here experiencing weight gain as they get older also getting less sleep?
If you eat out a lot, here’s a really good link for anyone trying to lose, maintain, or heck, even gain weight:
http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html
Scroll down past the ads to the middle of the page. Many, many restaurants are listed, with the nutritional content of menu choices. If you are counting calories, watching fats and sugar, anything – it’s great resource. A few of my friends check it BEFORE they go out to local places, and decide what they will have based on their health or weight goals.
That is alot of restaurants! What a site!
I’m going to come in here and give a plug for Inches-A-Weigh on Woodruff. I’ve been a member now all summer, and lost good weight and inches. I’m so close to the hot body
I had back in college! If you stick to the workouts, and follow the diet they give you (you do your own grocery shopping, and end up eating a pretty balanced, nutritious diet) it totally works. You get weighed every week, and measured head to toe every other week. The machines are good at muscle toning and slimming inches.
What I like the most is it gives someone like me (procrastinator, lazy at meal preparation) a check in point. If you don’t show up to weigh in or work out for a bit, they call you and see if everything is OK. It isn’t a high stress, loud music, hardbodies and size 2’s working out kind of place. There are all shapes and sizes of women and the tone is very encouraging. Most importantly, they work with you about making better choices in your eating, esp. more fresh veggies and fruits, and making time to exercise. Some people do this quite naturally, I do not, especially after pregnancy. In the end it will benefit my kids too b/c I put healthier things on the table and not nuggets all the time!
For me, a healthy diet and exercise is really the only way to go. Magic pills and promises in a box are simply too good to be true.
My dad has been raving about the book “Eat This, Not That”. I thumbed through it, it’s quite interesting. I happened to see this article on the web yesterday and thought I’d share it. Little did I know the “healthy” salmon I ordered at the Outback a few weeks weeks ago is worse than the menu leads one to believe. After you check out the links to the worst foods, scroll down and look at “worst foods for women/worst salads/worst drinks” etc. Very interesting and informative.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28862370/?pg=1#TDY_MH_20WorstFoods2009
People need to give up the whole idea of the diet.
The problem is eating out in general, portion control and exercise. People eat out way too much, they eat way too many calories and they don’t exercise. That’s why over half of the American public is morbidly obese. You don’t need a book or the latest diet fad to figure that out. lf people would stop being so lazy, start cooking their own meals, control their caloric intake and get off the damn couch, our nation wouldn’t have this ridiculous obesity problem.
It’s very simple. Burn more calories than you consume.
But diet pushers can’t make any money telling us THAT! LOL
Good point Alice & gastric hiccup. I’ve never had a problem with my weight, but I’ve got a brother that is really overweight. (so is his wife) We’re complete opposites. He eats out all the time, never gets any excercise and eats a lot of junk food. He’s tried every “diet” out there, but always fails. He refuses to change his lifestyle and until he & his wife do, they’ll continue to be obese. I on the other hand, rarely eat out and am extremely active. Like Alice said, “burn more calories than you consume”, is so true. Can’t get any simpler than that.
I like that show The Biggest Loser. It’s amazing the transformations those overweight folks go through by eating right and excercising. Just goes to show you anyone can do it.
Sort of a side note – I was reading over various news sites this morning, including fox news. There are always ads on the site I never read, but this morning I clicked on a few. I was really surprised to read this one, and the girl claims she’s from Idaho Falls. Anyone heard of her? I’m surprised she hasn’t pushed her product locally, or if she has I haven’t heard of it.
The ad on the Fox site says “#1 diet secret revealed” and it links to this:
http://www.sarasweightloss.com/?t202id=256&t202kw=
I’m doing great myself with eating better and regular exercise. I just wanted to share the local (?) story.
I’ve seen those “before” and “after” shots (the very same ones) used on Facebook ads for various weight-loss schemes.
Sounds like a scam to me. At most, it’s just another fad diet that we’ll be regretting down the line.
I’m with the poster above me – I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, avoid soda and sugar, and try to exercise as much as possible. It works for me, and I’ve never eaten an Acai berry in my life.
Yea, I’ve seen this pic plenty of times. I’d bet it was on one of those ads that can tell where you’re from from your log-on and tells you everything on it is local.
I logged in, and it told me she was from Pocatello, not Idaho Falls.
I’m going to check out the Weight Loss Program at RediCare. Does anyone know anything about it? Ever since I quit smoking (15 months ago), the weight just will not come off regardless of what I try.
Acai berry is also known as “MonaVie,” which may be it’s more common name; and, yes, it’s a scam. Specifically, it’s a legalized pyramid scheme or ‘networking marketing business.’
The juice is described as a phytonectar blend made up of nutritional fruits and berries, the prized ingredient of this tonic is the Aci Berry that can only be found in the Amazon, and this supplemental juice has been recommended by celebrity Oprah Winfrey on her television show. Thanks, Oprah.
The “scam” began in 2005 when marketers would get friends interested in making big money to sell the juice by telling potential buyers it would cure all that ails them. Of course, no miracles occurred and the juice was expensive. But more people were recruited to make sales and more juice was sole as the pyramid continued to be built. Unfortunately the only people making any money were the guys on the very top of the pyramid.
Eventually peoples excitement about the juice’s health beneits and money making potential wore off as they so no results. Now, Monavie/Acai berry is on the rise, again. People in the Boise area have been being hit up for over a month to sale the product, and some have fallen for the scam hook, line and sinker. Really a shame; especially during such difficult economic times.
I had a friend try to get me into this type of thing years ago, selling some sort of juice drink (the name started with an x or a z, I can’t remember). You were supposed to drink an ounce (or shot) of it a day and it would work miracles.
This was shortly after I decided that the Melaluca pyramid I had recently, and reluctantly, joined was never going to work, and I saw it as the same thing.
Last week I saw the expensive “shot a day” miracle juice at Sam’s, so if anyone wants to try it without the pyramid issue, there you go.
Let me know if it works
I lost 20 lbs in one month and 15 lbs in the next 45 days, which included two short stretches of no weight loss as my body adjusted. This was through lowering my calorie intake and eating healthy foods. I did not exercise the first month, but I walked and bicycled the next, gradually getting more active. I have maintained this weight loss for over a year. I have no health problems and lost the weight so I would not develop weight-associated problems. I wish everyone well in their endeavors. It can be a difficult journey but well worth the rewards if you persevere and succeed.