Out of the Closet

I think one of the most important skills to learn if you are heavy is how to dress- at least in my humble opinion. You need to know how to put yourself and your jiggly bits together pleasantly and in a way that does not compromise your hard won confidence. One big lady that inspires me is Mellisa McCathy (pictured), she is always so well put together!

Anyway, I am going to take a stab at this topic and come out of the closet so to say (I’ll be sharing some of my own personal tips for dressing while PHAT aka Pretty Hot And Thick) J

BUILD

Every good building starts from the foundation, the same should be said for your dressing.

Ground Zero for dressing while PHAT is investing in well-fitting underwear; I’m talking brassieres, panties, girdles (although I personally don’t like these, but if it works for you – go for it) etc.

Well-fitting Brassieres will help lift what needs to defy gravity, support your figure thus helping you look younger and perkier; help save you from back aches and help support your posture!

Do you know your real bra size? Some of us pick the most foundational piece by trial and error. I’ll put a quick guide to help you know your bra size at the end of this post. Please invest some time and get this right!

Forget granny panties; give low-legged, high-waisted underwear in a firm supportive fabric. From experience I know that M&S stocks excellent options for the fuller figured woman.

Coverage! Coverage! Coverage!

Be 100% sure you have/achieve sufficient coverage both on top, down and in between! The aim of being well put together is lost if your jiggly bits are left...jiggling all over the place! Underwear that’s too small is not underwear you should spend your hard earned money on! And because it’s on sale doesn’t mean you should buy it! Don’t forget money spent on underwear is an investment in you!

If you know you carry a few extra pounds, when you think underwear, always think control panties. I love them, they nip and tuck as good as any doctors scalpel. And they are not all granny panties – if you look around you will find really sexy designs for full figured women aka you and me!

The benefits of control underwear only have to be seen to be appreciated! 

 

See?

KNOW YOUR BODY

Shakespeare famously said (at least I think it was Shakespeare) “to thine ownself be true” – this is also relevant in dressing well! I know I have a hint of a muffin top and the beginnings of bat wings, so you will never catch me in a tight sleeveless top that lets it all hang loose. I don’t care how comfortable the outfit is supposed to be, I just won’t do it  - because I know my body.

Become acquainted with your problem areas and use colors, design cuts, patterns etc to take attention OFF those not so good areas and emphasize the good points. Don’t fret, everyone has bad areas AND everyone also has good area eg fabulous well-toned legs, the elusive hour glass figure (yes even big gals have the elusive 8 curve) etc. A few pointers:

Dark colors hide while light colors highlight. So if you want to highlight your good areas like your waist, you can wear a light colored belt over a dark bottom or top. On the other hand, if you want to de-emphasize your thighs, wear dark colored bottoms over light colored tops (shhh….but this is actually my default dress mode because I kind of have thunder thighsJ).

Big patterns make you look bigger, while smaller patterns help shrink you. This is particularly applicable when choosing your African fabrics. I try to mix and match big patterns with plain fabrics in dark colors to balance everything out – that and my tailor is a miracle worker! Whatever you do, please don't do a Madea and come out in this...it does NOT work! 

I’ve noticed that I look trim and nice in red, so I gravitate to this color when I need to wear something colorful, then I stay away from bright yellow which always makes me look like a UFO. So I will recommend that you know which colors flatter you – flattering colors can make you glow plus give you the needed confidence boost, while the wrong color can leave you looking pale and washed out. Let’s avoid that as much as we can.

Where do you carry your bulk? I carry mine mostly in my legs and hips so I generally would avoid:

• Tight skirts and trousers
• Formless and shapeless garments – (I wore one of these once and my friend said I looked like four bags of rice stacked two by two!) – they only make you look BIGGER!
• Clothes that synch at the hips, I believe they draw too much attention to my hips and thighs
• Skinny jeans… did I mention that I also have K legs…? This plus the thighs…mmm…God is good!

 

If you are heavy on top, I hope these tips help:

• Choose shaped T-Shirts and dresses over straight T’s
• Give your spaghetti and halter tops a miss. If you really love them and can’t do without them, then please do something to cover your bra straps which will be wide (if you are heavily endowed)
• Try ¾ sleeves – I don’t know why or how but they seem to shrink your entire silhouette
• Now the biggie! Please your button down shirts should fit across your bust and stomach and not gape, aka that telltale pulling of the fabric across your bust line that screams ‘this shirt is too small for me!’. To help why not invest in a minimizer bra (I got mine from M&S).

   

  

My own personal rules of thumb for dressing include:

• Just because an outfit is made in my size does not mean that I have to wear it!
• You are already big, your jewelry should be the only bling on your person – you don’t need extra bling from a blinding outfit! That jazzy applique blinking from your hips are singing "♪♪♪see them hips♪♪” "♪♪♪see them hips♪♪” "♪♪♪see them hips♪♪”
• Big tents are just that – big tents. Those big shapeless clothes you hide behind actually emphasize your bigness. So ditch them already!
• Hating mirrors does not do me any good – I try use mirrors to my advantage. Before leaving home I look myself critically in a mirror and I ask myself if my problem areas are de-emphasized, and the good areas highlighted. Then because I work in a corporate environment, I always ask “Liz, if your boss says you should accompany him for a meeting with the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, will what you are wearing pass muster?”

Dressing is about the whole package – the dress, the smell, the jewelry, the shoes, the purse etc – it all points to a well put together you & me – irrespective of our individual sizes. So, work that combination and come our confident and in style.

This has been a long one…but I hope it has been of value to you and given someone confidence that irrespective of your size you can be every bit is gorgeously put together as any runway model (giggle).

I am certain everyone has rules they follow when dressing, do you mind sharing so the DROP IT community can learn from you? Thanks! And if you have questions, feel free to pop them in the comment box below – we (the DROP IT community) are a mine of information and are happy to help.

In the meantime, please FOLLOW "DROP IT" via email by inputting your email address on the field to the right side of the blog post, then click submit. Don’t forget to recommend DROP IT to a friend!

I Have Confidence In Sunshine...

Living fat all my life has been really difficult. Apart from the obvious health benefits, one of the main reasons I push so hard to ‘DROP IT’ is the mental or should I say emotional benefits I hoped to derive from the weight loss.

For the first time since I started seriously to work on my weight and seeing some benefits I had an amazing experience today that was a two edged sword – it both gladdened the cockles of my heart to no small extent, and was an amazing eye opener. It may seem like nothing to some people – but if like me you and have engaged in the battle of the bulge all your life you may just understand how I feel right now.

Today I actually walked into to a photo studio to take a picture – a passport photo yes, but the fact is I went to a studio! It was when I walked out after collecting my pictures that I realized what a big deal this was. I had walked in confidently, and heard not a word from my inner ‘Chuky’ (that’s what I call the devil on my shoulder telling me how fat and ugly I am and how I don’t measure up). That is HUGE for me – because my weight always made me feel really bad about myself and I tended to avoid a lot of places I felt were or would be or could be unfriendly to a big girl.

I can hear someone saying ‘oh Liz, it’s all in your head, people don’t ever make fat people feel bad or uncomfortable’ …and I answer – you’ve got to be kidding me right? Naïve much? I could tell you some horror stories, like the time:

• When I walked into a shop, and the skinny shop assistant headed me off at the door to tell me the shop did not stock items in my size…
• Or the time when to a fast food place to buy some pastries…and after giving the attendant my order I could almost see her roll her eyes at me. It was a big order though! [smile]
• Or the time I walked into the ‘man trap’ doors trying to gain entrance into a bank in Abuja, and the auto-voice thing said (loud enough for people inside and outside the bank to hear) “one person at a time please”. (Hand on my heart, this really happened) – this put me off banks in Nigeria for years!
• Or the time and times I’ve had to ask the flight attendant for a seatbelt extension because the standard seatbelt would not go round my hips/waist.   

I could go on….and I am sure other people like me can relate and share similar horror stories.

Back to my epiphany today, I did not feel so conspicuous today in the photo studio and I wonder why. Yes, I have lost some weight since I began this journey in January 2013, but has who I am – the real Liz changed much? No, I don’t think so. I still have two eyes, one nose, thunder thighs (giggle), two arms etc – a slimmer waist line yes, but basically the same person. So why on earth did I give people and things around me the permission to make me feel inferior. The main word is ‘feel’, I was never inferior – not ever! But I allowed myself ‘feel’ so. Because truth be told, I could have lived a rich and full life if I had just seen past my mirror and see the fullness of who God has created me to be – the gift in me to the world.

A word to you (yes, you on this journey to DROP IT FOR LIFE), you are amazing the way you are. Yes, you could be healthier when you drop a few pounds – but that does not remove from the fact that you are AMAZING NOW! You need to get used to it – get to your amazingness!

I’ve lost a lot of time feeling sorry for myself and inferior! Who knows I could go to another bank tomorrow and the ignorant inanimate man trap door will say I weigh too much to be scanned. I have purposed in my heart to laugh it off. I will not wait  to be my perfect size before I am decree myself happy! NO WAY! I will start from NOW, TODAY… I’ve made up my mind. Something is happening with me…what about you?

One last thing - if you have difficulties boosting your confidence why not try some of these affirmations that have worked for me...like:

• "Everyday in everyway, I am getting better and better by the grace of God."
• "In all things, and in everyway I am the best at what I do and among my peers"
• "No one can make me feel inferior without my permission"

Do you have any affirmations you use, and want to share?

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Celebrities Before & After

 

As I struggled with my own weight loss I've looked up to some 'celebrities' for pointers and encouragement. Kind of like if they can achieve this, so can I...! Some would argue that I am setting myself up (trying to get celebrity results, when I don't have a celebrity bank account) - but hey, don't knock it till you have tried it.

Anyway, I've put together a photo feast for your viewing enjoyment... these are the pictures I look at myself when I need encouragement and want to assure myself that it is possible to DROP IT 4 LIFE. Pls don't get too caught up with the pictures that you forget to read through some of the things these celebrities do to DROP IT following.

Yemisi Ashimolowo







Venus Williams 

Star Jones










Adele 

Amber Riley










Chaka Khan 

Jill Scott










Jennifer Hudson 

Kirsty Alley







Monique 

Oprah









Queen Latifah 

Don't know this guys name, but he acts funny movies... I wanted to include him so the chaps that follow this blog don't accuse me of marginalizing them! LOL

Another inspirational weight loss is that of singer Patti Labelle - sorry I could not find any before and after pictures on the net. But I assure you, her story is worth noting.

That brings me to the 'WHY' they wanted to shed the pounds in the first place. Reading throgh articles and watching interviews of these phenominal women and men one thing stands out to me - HEALTH. They all wanted to get healthier. Someone like Patti had diabetes in her family, and realized that if she did not take control of her life/health, she would go the same way. Others battled with high blood pressure and were advised by their doctors to shed some weight. Did you know that you can drop your blood pressure by dropping your weight - almost point for kg? I am a testimony to this fact - as at January 2013 I was on Moduretic, Exforge and other such medications. And my BP was usually 160/110 or there abouts then. Now my BP is doing 120/80 and I am totally off blood pressure medication. If that was my only incentive to loose weight, it was well worth it, wouldn't you think?

So, you have seen the pictures, I want to share some of the things these people have done and do to lose the weight and keep the weight off.

Here goes:

• Drink LOTS of water
• Join & be committed to Weight Watchers (or some other weight loss assistance group - eg Swimming World, Jeny Craig etc)
• Reduce carbs intake
• Cambridge Diet
• Raw food diet (paleo - ie eating food as close to thier natural state as possible eg veggies, nuts etc)
• Cabbage Soup Diet
• Bariatric Surgery (by-pass, gastric sleeve, gastric balloon, gastric band etc)
• Insanity work out
• Hire a personal trainer
• Yoga to firm & tone muscles
• Zumba
• Kettlebelling
• Walking 1 hour each day
• Baby food diet
• Go Go Dancing

I wrote this post to encourage you & myself as well; and I hope that I have. Apart from being celebrities, I realize that these people are people like you and I, and if they can achieve such results what is stopping you and I from dropping it for life? I think the most important thing that we can learn from them is discipline and determination. Get a picture of your goal, and keep that picture in your mind, and no matter what (because I assure you, some times will come when you will want to give up) DON'T GIVE UP! As I always say (borrrowed from AA) 'it works, if you work it'.

 

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ü  Drop A Comment about your thoughts about this topic and or how it made you feel

Learning From Bugs...

…as in Bugs Bunny!

The famous Looney Tunes character ‘Bugs Bunny’ was created in 1940 and this is 2013 and he’s still got ‘it’ – the ability to keep us all entertained! Wouldn’t it be neat to be so advanced in age and have all your faculties, energy and ‘jour de vivre’ (aka joy of living)? Well, I think I have an idea…

CARROTS!

Yes, you heard me right….carrots!!!

Taking this thought further, I was stunned when I read that Steve Jobs was a great fan of carrots too. It is said that he “would fast for extended periods of time, recognizing that it created a sense of euphoria within him that motivated his dazzling output of ideas. He also loved carrots, eating so many during one period that his skin turned a soft orange color”. I read this on Robin Sharma’s blog post yesterday (I seriously recommend Robin Sharma to anyone who wants to take their level of achievement to the next level).

Anyway, a friend of mine recently got me back to enjoying homemade smoothies – both fruit and veggie. And in experimenting with my smoothie maker/juicer at home I found that carrots make a good base/foundation for an excellent smoothie (keep reading and I will share my super detox smoothie recipe with you). Then I started reading up the benefits of the contents of my smoothies and how to get the best nutritional benefit from these and would like to share what I have learnt [specifically about carrots – for now].

In the mythical nation of heroes, carrots are top of the ‘hero-chain’ and really worth their weight in Vitamin A! So while here I am talking about the benefits of vitamin A, I am really singing the praises of carrots – I find that incorporating carrots to your diet is much easier and cheaper than buying vitamin A tablets (don’t know about you, but I always forget to take my supplements each and every day…).

So here we go….benefits of carrots (or vitamin A) to YOU & meJ:

ü  Improved vision: I’ll write this as I read it: Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which are converted to vitamin A in the liver. When this vitamin A gets to the eyes it is converted (in the retina) to rhodopsin – which is key for good night vision. Eye doctors also believe that beta-carotene help in the treatment of senile cataracts (I guess this is a particularly good thing to note for the elderly…)

ü  Cancer prevention: Studies have shown that carrots help (the key word is ‘help’) prevent lung, breast and colon cancer.

 

ü  Anti-aging: This is my best: Beta-carotene helps slow down the aging process – because it’s an amazing antioxidant.

ü  Healthy glowing skin (from the inside): Vitamin A’s antioxidant properties helps protect our skin from sun damage. This follows because we were taught in school that a deficiency in vitamin A could cause dry nails, hair and skin. I also found out that vitamin A helps prevent premature wrinkles, acne, dry ashy skin, pigmentation, blemishes and uneven skin tone. This is good EXCELLENT news to those of us thirty-something’s!

ü  Antiseptic (helps prevent infection): Western herbalists recommend carrots (used on cuts shredded raw or boiled and mashed) to prevent infections. 

 

ü  Beautiful skin (from the outside): A carrot mask will rejuvenate your skin in a few minutes. Just grate a carrot, add some honey and some extra virgin olive oil; use as any normal face mask. Leave on for 15minutes, and then wash off with warm water. I hear that this mask actually can help tone and clarify your skin.

I would appreciate it if you try this mask and give us feedback on your experience.

ü  Prevents heart disease: Apparently, carrots have not only beta-carotene but alpha-carotene and lutein which –if I got this right helps lower the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, personal experience and feedback from my doctor has taught me that when you are obese, you are highly susceptible to heart disease. So in addition to all of the things we do to lose weight, I think it would not hurt to add carrots to our daily diet.

Another plus is the fact that the fibers in carrots bind with bile acids which helps lower cholesterol levels.

ü  Cleanses body: Your liver works to flush out toxins from your body, and carrots in your diet help your liver in doing this – thereby cleansing your body. In addition, it helps reduce the fat and bile that could accumulate in your liver. You need a healthy liver to function properly – so get crunching.

ü  Healthy teeth & gums: Ever wondered why rabbits seem to have really white teeth? It’s all in the crunch of the carrots they eat. We humans can get the benefits of healthier teeth and gums from crunching on carrots regularly. The crunching motion scrapes off plaque on your teeth and triggers the production of a lot of saliva which is basically alkaline and balances cavity forming bacteria in your mouth.

 ü  Prevent stroke: A study from Harvard University suggests that people who eat more than 6 carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than other people who eat one carrot a month or less. Don’t ask me how they came about their findings – I take it as fact, after all its Harvard!

So finally, with all of these benefits, what’s not to love, right? As we all try to lose weight, we often neglect our health, and end up looking washed out, unhealthy and saggy. What’s the use of shedding those extra kilos if you will end up looking 10 years older? That’s my thinking, and I will do all I can to add carrots to my daily routine…

Now as I promised, my super detox smoothie.

Liz’s Super Detox Smoothie (makes one cup)

Ingredients:

• 3 Carrots
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 handful Parsley
• 1 medium Cucumber
• ½ cup of water
• 4 ice cubes (to chill)

Method:

• Stuff everything into your juicer/blender/smoothie maker with ½ a cup of water, and pulse until it’s all ‘smoothiefied’ (you know what I mean).
• Distill into your favorite smoothie glass
• Drink it all up...

Note:

• Please drink as soon as you make it, because after a while the sediments float to the top of your glass…I personally do not like this.
• I generally stay close to home when I take this – I don’t call it ‘super detox’ for nothing. But then, I have a sensitive system. This is just another drink to one of my fab sisters… (wink)

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ü  Do you want me to do some research and blog about it? Drop A Comment!

Bread, I BIND you...!

I have been worried for a bit now about having plateaued (i.e. for the last 4-5 weeks my bathroom scale just won’t shift downwards); and the feeling of despondency, being stuck and silent desperation has been creeping in. From experience, I have found out that these negative feelings are a precursor for a binge. Binging is basically a period of uncontrolled eating brought on by varying factors; it is actually viewed as a disorder. And for those who have experienced a binge experience, it does so much damage to your psyche – you feel deflated and could actually add more weight. Considering that what triggers my binge episode is the pressure of NOT losing weight…for me a binge episode is a negative double whammy.

Anyway, in a bid to stave off a binging, I have chosen to take my work out a notch higher. I started waking up by 5:45am to walk/jog for 20 to 30 minutes …with my 3kg dumbells in each hand. Crazy right? I know – but that’s how desperate I have become to push this extra 40kg on me off! The first few days I did this I felt like something a bull tossed around in a bull fight. Everywhere – even places I did not know I had muscles hurt …and BADLY. I frankly felt sick. But I am not just involved in the process (positive confession), I am committed (ever heard the story of the hen and pig? In the breakfast arrangement, the hen is involved [for eggs] but the pig committed [for ham]…LOL).

Okay, I have done this crazy morning regime for a couple of weeks so far, and guess what? Just one miserly kg lost! All that pain…and just 1kg? This is so NOT FAIR! 

So the other day I was talking to one of my mentors/friend John Tschohl (He is an amazing customer service strategist and GURU; learn more about him from www.johntschohl.com/) and sharing my current troubles and he recommended a book called ‘Wheat Belly’.

John said that in trying to improve his fitness levels, he decided to shed some weight, and that this book helped a lot. One major life changing idea he  practiced was dropping bread from his diet. My reaction was -“BREAD? BREAD? MY BREAD?? My staple breakfast food? My 'go to' when my pantry is empty? You expect me to give up my bread?” 'What else will I eat?' - (Confession: I have actually cut down my carbs, but I still eat my bread and biscuits!) But John assures me that while this is not easy (like me, John is/was a bread lover), he has seen amazing results – by simply cutting out bread from his diet. I'm like...oookkkaaayyy!

After the call, I said to myself - “what good is a mentor if you won’t listen to him and take his advice?”. The least I can do is look up this ‘wheatbelly’ thing online, right? Well I did that the next morning, I found the website on Google (http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/ ), and the first thing that caught my attention was this picture – see…

Boy! Do I want this to be my story!

Then I read some of the testimonials/success stories and noted first off that most of the people were talking about dropping wheat from their diet. I guess bread is my biggest wheat culprit, followed by biscuits.

Reading the testimonials I read someone called Amine who said “…the stunning part for me is I have exercised like a maniac for years and never noticed a difference in weight. By dropping wheat and exercising like usual, I have quickly noticed the difference.”

Another person, this time Donna said “…progress report at 3 weeks: Lost 4 pounds around my middle (and thighs), body aches have disappeared, my previously distended, uncomfortable belly has deflated, can go for 6 hours without feeling hungry, I feel so energetic and practically spring right up a flight of stairs, sleep like a baby with no hip pain waking me up, no longer feel depressed because I was slowly gaining weight despite being a runner and person who doesn’t overindulge.”

Then I even read something about a Jon who got relief from acid reflux which he attributed to dropping wheat products from his diet. I could jump for joy – because I too suffer from awful acid reflux…

I could continue, but I think you get the gist – I certainly did; especially as these people seem to have been in a similar situation as me. Looking at all these stories/testimonials…I could hear the penny drop. So, this is what my nutritionist (Dr Fiona) meant when she said cut out carbs! (Duh!)

But I don’t kid myself that it will be easy…especially as the dreaded bread is akin to hallowed culture in my family. Do/will I have the will power to turn away from wheat products aka bread & biscuits? What alternatives do I have for bread and biscuits? Are there any substitutes for my mid day cup of green tea and biscuits?[sigh]. This is a new level, and do I have what it takes to make it? I will get back to you on that…

In the meantime, I will find the book (wheat belly) and read it cover to cover. Maybe I’ll learn some strategies that can work for me – I will be sure to share them here. I’ve checked my 'goto' online store (www.jumia.com) for the book, but they do not have it…any ideas where I can get a copy? Please let me know pronto J

Have you ever to tried cut out wheat/bread/biscuits from your diet? How did that go? Please drop a comment (below) and share; let’s all learn from you. Meanwhile, encourage me as I BIND MY LOAF OF BREAD...From October 1, 2013 its NO MORE BREAD.

Also, if you have any ideas for what I could eat as an alternative for my bread, please buzz me in the comments section!

Finally, please FOLLOW "DROP IT" via email by inputting your email address on the field to the right side of the blog post, then click submit. Don’t forget to recommend DROP IT to a friend!

Tried & [NOT] Tested

Over the years, in my ‘QUEST’ to lose weight, I have heard [and been scandalized] about many methods and ‘quick fixes’ to achieving weight loss goals. Some of them did make some sense, others I actually tried (I may just own up and tell you what I have tried…you may be shocked), and the rest had me running for the hills!

So as I blog about weight loss (and still try to lose some weight) I thought it would be fun to look at the weight loss options out there. Each of these may or may not work for you, but at least you will have some fun learning about what people like you and I are getting up to.

So here there they are… my top list of [some crazy] ways we try to lose weight the world over. Wanna guess which I have tried?

Tapeworm Diet

You can say it out load…’ewwwwuuu’! I said the same thing when I heard about this weight loss trick last year!

This diet propagates eating tapeworms (they actually have tapeworm eggs in capsules), thereby letting the worms chew on the carb or excess food content, making you lose weight. But I have to ask, does the end justify the means? These creepy, wriggly, maybe slimy creatures will crawl around in my/your tummy laying millions of eggs….(give me a minute to close my eyes and shudder in distaste).

…Okay, I’m back. One last word if this track seems attractive to you… tapeworms can lead to loss of nutrients and vitamins in your body. You CAN get REALLY sick.

Lose Weight by Having Sex

Interesting….yea?

According to researchers sex is a one of the craziest way to lose weight. Check this…the average sex session burns 150 to 250 calories per half hour, depending on how athletic your sex tends to be. Really?

I read somewhere that it’s a commonly known fact (although my mom never told me this) that sex is a very good workout, even if you aren’t extremely acrobatic, as sex naturally gets your heart rate up, which in turn improves circulation and burns calories and fat.

When I read further (YES, I did do further textbook research… wouldn’t you?), I read that by practicing positions other than just missionary, we are also engaging different muscle groups, so it can be both a cardio and toning exercise…not to mention doing wonders for your overall flexibility (They say!). The best thing about it, that there is absolutely no energy or equipment necessary, except your own.

Does this work? You tell me… 

Lose Weight with Laughter

In a study on 45 adults (rather small sample, wouldn’t you say?) American scientists have claimed that a good laugh makes a first class diet! These Next Gen researchers sustained (for 10 – 15 minutes) strong laughter daily can up your energy consumption (kind of like mimicking energy guzzling exercise) by 10 to 40 calories per day. Note people! 40 calories is equivalent to two cups aka handfuls of cabbage! This fact alone may induce a weight loss of 0.5kg to 2 kg annually! At this rate I’ll shake off my extra 40kg in …20 years! I had a real belly laugh with this one.

Seriously though, laughter really may be the best a good medicine to try. As it is claimed to calm the nerves, improve the immune system, and break the ice, AND it also burns calories.

Lose Weight by Smoking

I heard about this weight loss trick sometime in 2004, and have to admit that I was [briefly] tempted to try it. Anyway, when I remembered the statement that ‘smokers are liable to die young’ I gave up that idea in a hurry!

Having said that, some people [I know] smoke to suppress their appetite. Nicotine is believed to both curb appetite and increase the rate of metabolism. When metabolism increases, more energy is used to perform bodily functions. I have not been able to find any scientific research to support these claims (if you do please send it to me).

But a quick caution: smoking may seem to be quick win, BUT the habit has been associated with various malignancies, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. I’ll stick to laughter, thank you very much!

Lose Weight with Hypnotism

I had the privilege (?) of watching the British hypnotist/mentalist Darren Brown a few years ago. I came off from that experience frankly disturbed, mainly because I did not understand how it worked or the power the hypnotist has over the subject.

That being said, people who go for this option leave not having lost any weight immediately, what they do is try to condition their minds to change long term behavior. Researchers have said that people who try to lose weight with hypnosis may lose a few pounds, BUT only IF done with a combination of diet and exercise. So just hypnosis alone does not work; but it’s a free world…if it floats your boat, go for it!

Using Abdominal-belts

Slimming down without exercising or eating healthy proves nearly impossible. You can attempt temporary weight loss around the waist, though, with a massage slim belt. A massaging slimming belt claims to help you shed excess water weight, at least briefly, by causing first vibrating the fat stores in your abdominal region, and secondly using heat to cause you to sweat around the middle (Or so the lady I got mine from promised). These popular belts run on batteries, and you can set the belt at different strengths. These belts are touted to be easy-to-use solutions to weight loss, BUT do they work? I don’t think so! I tried this a few years back, and all that shrunk was my wallet.

Bariatric Surgery

I know I said I would give you ten ways to lose weight, but this list will not be complete without the surgery option (aka bariatric surgery). This option is becoming increasingly popular with celebrities like Star Jones, Al Rocker, even the current governor of New Jersey Chris Christie going for this option.

This extreme method of weight loss is NOT a miracle pill; it only assists the patient with weight loss over time, and is not for the faint of heart. And it’s only currently available for people with BMI (body mass index) of 40 and above. If you are unsure of your BMI, you can use the cool widget at the bottom of the blog page to calculate yours.

Weight loss surgery comes in various guises, but I am familiar with the gastric balloon (reversible procedure), gastric sleeve (not reversible), adjustable band (reversible procedure), gastric bypass (not reversible) etc. If you are interested in this you can read more about the surgical options to weight loss here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariatric_surgery BUT most importantly ask your doctor if you are eligible.

Using Slimming Creams

They say the truth will set you free, so I will confess that I have bought and used a product (which will remain unnamed) touted to shrink girth and dissolve cellulite. Did it work, you ask. Well…NO!

I am not alone in this; researchers say that British women spend up to £30m a year on such products that are claimed to be the ultimate solutions to weight loss. But medically speaking, there is no evidence to prove the benefits of these creams. All they can do is give you an illusion of tighter and smoother skin, and to some extent appear to reduce cellulite.

Although sold as miracle creams, slimming creams cannot spot train your body. Only cardio and strength exercises, when worked together on a regular basis can help with healthy weight loss.

Lose Weight by Plastic Wrap

Be truthful...the picture kind of cracks you up, right?? I hear that this is popular with brides, who need emergency fixes to get into that special dress. What you do is you wrap your body parts eg thighs in the plastic wrap (many people use cling film) for a protracted period of time causing you to sweat out water weight and give you an illusion of loss of just an inch or two in the wrapped body part. But be careful, wrap up for too long and you run the risk excessive fluid loss, and endanger your health (dehydration etc). In addition, another concern is the fact that many of the plastic wraps (including some cling film) are made from Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which has been claimed to be a dangerous consumer product. Although a well-known spa in my city offers this therapy I have not tried it (yet), but please buyer beware!

The Dream Diet

Go to SLEEP. Yes, you read correctly. Sleep more…and lose weight. My first thought when I heard about this was ‘Right! If this were true, I’d be a size ZERO!’ But reading more about this, I think we should not knock it at least just yet. I got this from the Mayo clinic website, and they claim that research suggests that the quality of sleep you get each day affects your weight loss/gain! When I read this I immediately remembered by battle with insomnia.

To quote the Doc -have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate, you never felt full/satisfied? If so, you have experienced the workings of a couple hormones that affect behavior, sleep and eating patterns. From what I gathered, to improve your feeling of fullness and manage your eating, get more restful sleep - it's all about QUALITY of sleep.

I don't really understand the science, but the 'get more sleep' bit kind of makes sense to me. I am sure going to look for innovative ways to get my recommended 8 hours of shut eye daily! 

Wire Jaw/Teeth Shut

I have some friends who have honestly gotten massive results from this, but I’ve always been too chicken to try it out. Take away my ability to talk, and you might as well lock me up in a nut house.

Wiki How explains this process as ‘wiring your jaw closed, forcing you to adhere to a liquid diet, which ultimately will allow you to lose weight’ over time. Jaw wiring is a simple dental procedure and is sometimes recommended by a doctor for patients that are morbidly obese.

The goal of jaw wiring is to inhibit the intake of solid foods, dramatically decreasing the amount of calories one can consume. By wiring the jaw, you are unable to chew and essentially getting all of your nutrients from a liquid diet. When I say liquid diet, I mean shakes, soups, gruel, broth etc. Are you GAME?

NOTE: Please don't go off any try ANY of these 

without checking with your Doctor FIRST

What have YOU tried in your bid to get rid of your muffin tops and love handles? Is it on the list? Please let me know…

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