healthy stuff

hi katie!

i’m so sorry you’ve had to go through such a horrendous experience, but i’m extremely happy you’ve made the important realization that what you were doing was unhealthy.

i know people always talk about how “acceptance is the first step” blah blah blah insert other cliches here. but really, you have no idea how often i get messages in which people ask me how to starve themselves more effectively, lose 20 or so pounds in a week, etc.

so you’re absolutely welcome! i’m so happy to have made a difference— thank you very much for sharing this with me, and best of luck to you on your healthy weight loss journey. :)

thank you very much, chloe! i’m happy to share what little i know. :)

a different push-up with the same reps. Same with the sit-ups. Usually this lasts me around 15-20 minutes with a 30 second to a minute break between each set.

yikes! sorry that it took so long to reply, nick. i’ve been trying to catch up with private questions that people have been asking, causing me to be pretty MIA with updates and “public” Qs.

anyways, after reading your answer to my first question, your diet is definitely the problem that needs to be addressed. that wide range of weight fluctuation kinda proves how much diet is a factor in your weight.

and i know you said that you’re not interested in losing weight, but if you want to “lose some of the leftover fat,” you may have to— at least in terms of dropping some of that fat mass.

still, based off of your height-to-weight proportion, i’d say that you’re at a weight in which stubborn fat (that is, the last layer of belly fat that is such a challenge to lose) is what you have to target. 

so the first thing that i’d suggest is to really take a look at what you’re eating (count your calories for at least three days to gain a perspective on your diet). then it’ll be time to make some changes.

regarding your cardio, i wholeheartedly believe that it’s necessary to get rid of fat. if long distance bores you to death, then i’d like to introduce you to HIIT (high intensity interval training)— which is actually better than regular old long distance.

…the subcutaneous fat loss was ninefold greater in the HIIT program than in the traditional long slow distance cardio program. 

(source: http://www.balancedexistence.com/cardio-fat-loss/)

and finally, i’m not too sure about just doing push-ups and sit-ups. i mean, it’s still a workout, don’t get me wrong. but i always suggest a little diversity in workouts simply because certain muscle groups need to be isolated. in this regard, i’d recommend doing more than just push-ups and sit-ups (especially because sit-ups can be bad for your back).

if you could, i’d appreciate a little more detail on these “various push-ups and sit-ups.”

sure, no problem! just get ready for a whole slew of products haha. currently…

skin:

• noxzema deep cleansing cream plus moisturizers - i use this every morning. the added moisturizers make my skin feel so soft, but i still use a moisturizer afterwards.
• st. ives “timeless skin” collagen elastin facial moisturizer - every morning, after i cleanse, and also at night before i sleep, unless i have to apply spot treatment gel/alcohol on pimples.
• oxy maximum face wash - in the shower.
• apricot scrub (i use equate from walmart because it works just as well as st. ives, in my opinion) - twice a week, i use this in the shower instead of the oxy wash.
• noxzema triple clean anti-blemish pads - these sit by my bedside, for the nights where i’m too tired to get up and wash my face before i sleep. seriously, set some sort of cleansing pads by your bed, just in case, because you should always cleanse before you sleep.
• freeman “feeling beautiful” facial clay mask (avocado & oatmeal [i’ve also used the cucumber peel-off one, which i like just as much]) - once a week, typically during the weekend.
• clean&clear blackhead eraser cleansing mask - every once in a while, i use this on my nose for blackheads. i’ve never been a fan of this particular brand, but i do like the cooling tingle it leaves on my nose.
• for pimples, i used to use clindamycin phosphate topical solution, USP (1%), but now i simply use 70% isopropyl alcohol or zapzyt spot treatment gel.

hair: i use pantene pro-v, aussie (my fave!), or head&shoulders, but it doesn’t make too big of a difference to me. other stuff…

• organic root stimulator hair mayonnaise - enriched with olive oil, egg protein, and herbs, i use this every once in a while to maintain my hair.
• garnier fructis wave-enhancing spray - if i want my hair to be wavy.
• tresemme thermal creations heat tamer protective spray - before i straighten/curl my hair, which is rare… i usually leave my hair natural, but i always protect it when i do decide to style it.
• tresemme hairspray - to hold in the straightness or curls, or to keep fly-away hairs at bay.
• nexxus salon hair care split end binding leave-in treatment - after i shower, when my hair is still wet.
• eboline coconut oil hair conditioner with vitamin “e” - once a week, i massage coconut oil into my scalp to promote natural shine and prevent breakage.

teeth: 

• i rotate between arm&hammer advance white anti-cavity toothpaste, crest 3D white “glamorous white” toothpaste, and crest 3D white “enamel renewal” toothpaste. 
• i floss at least once a day (don’t really care about the brand of my floss haha) and use ACT mouthwash 1-2 times a day as well.
• every once in a while (not often, since it can be damaging to your gums if you aren’t careful), i use a 5-minute speed whitening gel to brighten my smile.
• and finally, to clean my retainers, i soak them in water with a denture cleanser tablet. ;)

oh, also, i do use tea tree oil for my nails every once in a while (either by soaking them with a combo of the oil and water, or massaging the oil into my nails directly).

anddd that’s about it for what i use! haha. :)

no, not at all.

it can cause irreversible damage to your heart and brain and is simply something that cannot be sustained for a long period of time without dire consequences.

as many of my earlier blog posts illustrate, i’m totally against starvation as a means of weight loss (i will never be a fan of the abc diet, diet coke diet, or any of the pro-ana diets out there).

seriously, it’s okay to eat— that’s something that i wish everyone could remember. 

in all honesty, i’m probably somewhere between 1500-2000 calories a day, but it definitely varies on a day-to-day basis. still, i haven’t done a food diary (i.e. checking my caloric intake) in a while, simply because weight loss isn’t my goal.

as long as i’m eating right, exercising regularly, taking care of my body (teeth, hair, skin, etc.) to the best of my abilities, and feel good (that’s the most important), i’m satisfied. :)

yeah, you’re definitely right! overeating is overeating, regardless of what particular food is being eaten. however, i’m more concerned with the inside than the outside of one’s body.

while it is indeed possible to lose a lot of weight by simply eating junk (and i’m no way saying that that’s what your mom is eating), i don’t like it.

when it comes to weight loss, yes… it does come down to the numbers.

without considering exercise/calorie expenditure, here’s an example: you can eat 3000 calories of fruits and vegetables and the good stuff every day, or 1800 of ice cream, chips, and candy. obviously, you’re gonna gain weight with the former because your caloric intake is higher, even though the food is better for you.

and while obesity in itself raises one’s risks for certain diseases, the “ice cream diet” isn’t much better, as it ups the bad cholesterol levels in one’s body in addition to increasing other health risks.

the fist-size portion four times a day probably works simply because it prevents overeating. that and it’s easier than having to count out one’s calories per meal.

since it’s working wonderfully for her, sweet! but for others, it’s just as easy to achieve the same result by monitoring one’s daily caloric intake (though it takes some practice and a little bit of thought).

tell her congrats on the 40 pounds though— that’s quite a feat! :)