Losing Weight off Middle?

[AmberWaves]

Hey all, after recently being diagnosed with Cushing''s Syndrome (from being overexposed to steroid meds for asthma) I have been changed over to a non-steroidal med. I am now trying to lose the 40+ pounds I''ve gained over these past three years under medicinal treatment. I was told it takes 2 to 18 months for the weight to come off, but I''d like to aid in removing it faster, if possible. The weight is mostly around my waist and face. Any ideas on how to target this area, other than a healthy diet and exercise? What specific exercise? Thanks in advance, I''m getting married in a year, and hoping I can fit into a normal looking dress.

 

[SoonIHope]

I don''t have any real advice, but just wanted to send you some good weight-losing vibes!!

And you WILL fit into a normal looking wedding dress, shush!

 

[Tybee]

Hi Amber!
I''m glad that you were able to target the problem. Now the work towards the solution begins!

I think that it''s different for everyone, but generally, aerobic exercise is the way to whittle away your middle.
For me nothing works better than running-- because you really USE your whole body.

BUT, I believe that any cardio vascular exercise will help you get results.

Good luck!

 

[Mara]

well it's really more about the healthy diet to start off, as well as getting some exercise, aka cardio to burn calories. a specific exercise to target your abdomen doesn't really work right now because you have a layer of fat over your muscles. so i would work to burn general calories and also eat well to burn general calories, aka calories in and calories out is how you will lose weight. then once your weight starts falling off, you can do specific targeting abdomen muscles to tighten up the muscles under the skin.

i used to do a ton of crunches and this and that and my trainer was like well you have a layer of fat over the muscles so you might have a 6 pack going on under there but no one will see it with the fat. hahhaa. i was like ding ding!! so after that i didn't even bother with situps or anything and just focused on cardio and burning fat and calories and then once my waist was small i started doing abdomen exercises.

good luck!!! also we have a weekly workout thread in the FHH area too which is pretty inspirational and has lots of advice and tips and similar so check it out!

 

[KimberlyH]

I don''t know a lot about Cushing''s Syndrome but I do know a lot about weight loss (I lost 60+ lbs four years ago and have kept it all off). As frustrating as it may be, there is no way to do spot weight loss. Cardiovasular exercise paired with light weight training and abdominal exercise is your best bet. Losing weight around the mid-section is the most difficult and tends to be the last to go. Don''t get discouraged, though, just keep at it and you''ll see results. eat lots of high fiber, low-fat foods and monitor your calories and slowly but surely you''ll get there.

And you''ll look beautiful in your wedding dress on your big day no matter how far along you''ve gotten in your weight loss.

 

[Miranda]

Sounds like you have been through a lot. I hope you are feeling better. You are right, a healthy diet and exercise are the only way. Aerobic activity is the best way to burn fat. Lifting weights will help to build muscle which will burn more calories. Crunches, etc. to tone. Also, I''m a total sugar junkie. I swear that stuff goes right to the middle so cut out any sugar. Diet sodas or anything carbonated seem to cause bloating for me, so I try to limit those as well. Good luck to you!

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks you guys, for all your advice. It really has been a pain, for three years of not knowing why I''m getting heavier, and clothes literally not fitting from one day to the next. It really depresses you, but at many points it was weight vs. breathing well. Luckily I found a doctor who figured out what the problem was, and now we''re looking towards getting it under control, now that I am completely off the medication. I will pick up walking first, since my asthma is gradually stabilizing, and once that is better I will hopefully pick up running. I am a vegetarian, so most of my intake is carb laden. I need bread, well, not NEED it, but you know what I mean. My diet is basically grains, legumes, dairy and vegetables, but we do a lot of grilling, and don''t really ever fry anything. Oddly enough, I can give or take pasta, but I love potatoes. I''m not a soda drinker, and my one weakness is lemonade, REAL lemonade. I don''t drink alchohol, or sugary things. But, I can have a candy weakness. Once Halloween and my birthday (Nov. 5th) have passed, the full blown diet will commence. Thank you all for your advice, I''m thinking of getting roller skates (I''m a nut in rollerblades) or a bicycle, to get me moving. I really appreciate all the good vibes and the well wishes as well as the advice. I''m tired of being "husky Amber".

 

[poptart]

I would suggest yoga as a way to tone your body and help your breathing. Since you have asthma any breathing techniques would be helpful, and yoga focuses on the breath and stress relief. There are also some wonderful abdominal workouts that are much easier on your back than normal crunches. Here are a couple links to look into if you are thinking more about it.

www.yoga.com

www.yogajournal.com

Best wishes,

Marisa

 

[AmberWaves]

Thank you for the yoga tips, Marisa. Ironically, my dad had us doing yoga when we were yound children, more than 20 years ago! I should start working on it again, though. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[~*Alexis*~]

Well here is a tip-
where I live we have a cardio dance class thats fun and it doesnt even feel like you are working out and that is the best thing. It really is. Find something fun that won''t feel like you HAVE to do it make sure it is something that you want to do...

 

[Mara]

Date: 10/31/2006 2:00:34 PM
Author: ~*Alexis*~
Well here is a tip-
where I live we have a cardio dance class thats fun and it doesnt even feel like you are working out and that is the best thing. It really is. Find something fun that won''t feel like you HAVE to do it make sure it is something that you want to do...

I totally agree, I do cardio kickboxing...it''s fun, as challenging as you want it to be, and it burns the cardio calories. I also hit up the gym but the kickboxing is the ''fun'' component of the workouts and I do it about 3x a week.

 

[AmberWaves]

This is so sad, but I''ve belonged to Ballys since about ''98, I think? Yeah, should probably get in there. (Hangs fat head in shame)

 

[appletini]

Ditto on the cardio and yoga (I'm a big fan of bikram yoga). I've had the best results with cardio combined with weights...kind of like an obstacle course or different stations b/c it keeps things interesting.

Also when I used to lots of crunches my middle area got bigger from the muscle that developing...that just made things b/c my clothes weren't fitting.

ETA: and drink lots and lots of water!

 

[poptart]

Date: 10/31/2006 2:31:59 PM
Author: appletini
Also when I used to lots of crunches my middle area got bigger from the muscle that developing...that just made things b/c my clothes weren''t fitting.

ETA: and drink lots and lots of water!

Yea, the yoga stretches out the middle so this doesn''t happen... gotta love it! Water and bananas... that''s what my yoga teacher always says.

Marisa

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks again, you guys. I can''t wait to get this started so I can "bulk down". It''s been long enough, I don''t want to end up wearing pants with an elastic waist because they no longer make my size.

 

[diane5006]

HI Amber...glad you got the asthma meds changed over...hopefully the change will help a bit with your weight...one thing you should keep in mind because of your asthma and the change in meds is to begin any exercise routine cautiously...as to not exacerbate your asthma

I love lemonade too...Minute Maid makes a light lemonade...it is really good...

Other than the basic eat right and exercise, drink plenty of water advice...easy to give hard to follow...

If you have the time...I think Weight Watchers is great...you can go to meetings or do it on-line...it worked for me before my wedding...

Best of Luck

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks Diane, I hear ya about the water drinking. I have my crystal light singles here, but can''t bring myself to use them! I will take on things slowly, to not aggravate my already touchy asthma, thanks for your advice!

 

[diane5006]

I hear ya with the water...I go through phases...right now I am loving plain water...I like the Crystal light....but unfortuately I like the raspberry at at least double the concentration...makes my tongue red...

This is a tough time of year...for dieting...but you will do well...that is why I suggested Weight Wathchers...support through the holidays...

 

[gailrmv]

Like you, I gained weight quickly but could not determine the cause. I exercise a lot and eat healthy and did not change anything. Drs ruled out numerous things and finally we attributed it to very rapid metabolism slow down. I am finally having some success losing it by eating healthy snacks in between meals and by walking during the day in addition to my gym workouts. It seems to keep my metabolism up! Some other tips: don't absolutely eliminate any of your favorites from your diet, but reduce portion size and frequency of things that aren't so healthy. I.e. split portions with a friend, or take home half of a restaurant portion. Don't feel guilty about wasting food if you get full halfway through eating something, it's better than stuffing yourself. Also, celebrate your successes with non food rewards i.e. pedicure, new outfit etc. And don't be too hard on yourself if it takes longer than you are expecting. Making positive changes to your eating and exercise routines are going to help your health even if it takes a little while to show up on the scale. Oh, I also highly recommend entering a local event such as a 5-K or fitness walk. They are a lot of fun and help you get motivated with your workouts. Good luck!!!!

ETA re: the exercise, I forgot you had asthma - but whatever you can do will help!

 

[AmberWaves]

Diane, I also like the raspberry with less water, it just tastes better!! Gail, I will try to follow those tips you gave me! Thanks everyone!!

 

[eks6426]

Seltzer water can be really helpful when on a diet. Kind of makes you feel like you are having a real drink but gets in those water points. I make my own using the SodaClub seltzer maker. We drink a lot more water now.

 

[AmberWaves]

Island, that is a GREAT idea, I bet I could add lemon or lime to it and make it taste pretty posh, too! Thanks for the idea!

 

[qtiekiki]

I agree with what everyone said. Lots of cardio to get rid of fat tissues, then work on toning the muscles. Ok, and here is something that I do and it seems to work. I actually would suck in and release my stomach (in a controlled manner) when I am sitting around at home or at work or shopping or whenever. That totally helps tone my stomach muscle. Plus it's easier to do than crunches. I sometimes also do the hula hoop. I think it helps define the waist (not sure if it actually works or if it's a mental thing for me). I figure it's worth mentioning since it's not the typical recommendations.

 

[gailrmv]

All the weight loss recommendations call for drinking plenty of water, but does anyone know why exactlly? Is it to help keep you full?
I have one more hint - this one not so scientific. At my work we have this really strong coffee that is not good at all, but when I drink it, it absolutely suppresses my appetite for hours!

 

[AmberWaves]

Qtie, thanks for those tips, I wish I could hula! For some weird reason, I am unabe to hoop it. Gail, I know if I drink too much water, I start getting nauseous, so maybe that''s because it fills me up?

I just started drinking coffee instead of hot chocolate, because I heard it helps with weight loss, and asthma and my migraines (he caffeine). I walked fast for about an hour, maybe more- uphill! Yay me!!

 

[Kit]

Amber, best wishes to you for weight loss success. I lost about 45 lbs a few years ago and I would recommend seeing a nutritionist. I think it''s important to get the right balance of carbs, proteins and fats in your diet. Lean protein is really important, cutting back on carbs (not eliminating) and a reasonable amount of unsaturated fat to keep you satiated and for the nutrients. And don''t forget about the fiber, soluable and insolubale. Lots of water, like everyone is saying. Small meals throughout the day keep your metabolism going. Not eating at night, it just turns into fat. A nutritionist can really work with you to make sure you''re not sabotaging yourself with diet choices.

The other thing I''ll say is, cardio is obviously key. But at one point I plateaued and so I saw a personal trainer. I was doing about 60 minutes of cardio 5 days a week plus 20-30 minutes of weight training a day. She told me I was overdoing the cardio and under-doing the weights! So she put me on a schedule of 30-45 minutes of interval training a day (more efficient, better for your heart) and about 45 minutes of hard core weight training 3 x week. After one session I could barely walk, it was so hard. But it totally worked.

I would also say, I don''t recommend going to the gym as I did above....I really burned out and lost momentum after a while. Sounds like you have a more sensible approach!

Good luck!!!