? about weight and nursing school see below

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 12, 2005

Think about it this way: If there really were a magic formula for losing weight and keeping it off, would there be a single fat person left on the face of the planet?

Don't waste your money on pills or potions. Only eating less and moving more can give you the results you want, and sometimes not even that is enough, as some people (myself included) are resistant to weight loss due to metabolic slowdown from repeated attempts at dieting, insulin resistance, or glandular problems (rarely). If you are seriously overweight and cannot lose weight without assistance, it's far better to spend your money on a dietician who can help you develop an individualized eating plan, a gym membership, or even bariatric surgery.

JMHO. :)

FarmgrrlRN · Feb 12, 2005

I have not taken cortislim or any of the diet aids...I have however managed to lose 44+ lbs since last January by joining Weight Watchers. WW teaches you how to manage portion control by making better choices in what you eat, they stress exercise, drinking plenty of H2O, etc. Its definitely worth looking into in my opinion...

EarthChild1130 · Feb 12, 2005

I also joined Weight Watchers in January after being in the morbidly obese range my ENTIRE life and so far I've lost 54 pounds...my BMI has dropped 10 digits as well...I've got 51 to go to lose a total of 103 pounds. It's not easy, but it is definitely worth it because, as the above post said, they teach you HOW to eat...how to make better food choices, healthier food choices, and they teach you how to do it for a lifetime...it's not one of those fad diets or 'magic pills'...They also teach you the importance of exercise, and, most importantly, how to rearrange your thinking and your habits (my worst problem LOL).

If I were you I'd check out Weight Watchers! Best of luck to you!! :balloons:

cingulargirl21 · Feb 12, 2005

Hi, I'm sorry you arent losing weight as quickly as you want. Losing weight is alsmot tougher than nursing school! I dont think diet pills would be a good idea, they are expensive, may have harmful side effects, and they might not work. I lost about 20 pounds 3 years ago and have kept it off. I will share with you some tips that have worked for me. Its really hard to change the way you eat and sometimes its expensive buying special diet foods. So firstly, keep a journal. Write down how you feel......I used to and still do eat in response to emotions or problems that I have. Bu keeping a journal, you will get some of your feelinsg out on apaper and you wont have them bottled up in you, provoking you to snack on something. Next, I would say to start leaving a little food on your plate at meals..I sometimes feel as though I am wasting food, so you could give it away to a pet or child or you could save it. But if you leave a little food on your plate at each meal, you will save some calories......and when you eat , eat on regular sized plates not jumbo plates! Also, drink a glass of water before meals and snakcs........try to eat slowly, enjoying the flavor and smells of the food. Make a scrapbook of pictures you cut out from magazines of healthy fit people, inspirational quotes, weight loss success stories and reasons why you want to lose weight........when you feel like slipping on your diet, look through it. If this doesnt work, do a little exercise, a few situps of pushups or a short walk, anything to remind you of your goal to get fit.....or read or clean something. If you must have your snack, eat it in front of a mirror and watch yourself...you will most likely stop eating. Try to just eat less in tersm of portions, like 2 slices of pizza instead of four and maybe a nice salad with some low cal dressing...........and some fresh fruit. Its important to stay hydrated, so try to drink lots of water during the day and if you want to munch on something, do so on low cal things like pickles, celery, carrots, sugarfree gum.......if you feel hungry between meals, have a few almonds and maybe a little cheese or a little 40z conatiner of yogurt...the protein will keep you full or have fruit, the fiber will keep you full. Try to find some low fat recipes( you can use half applesauce or baby food prunes to replace half the butter in baked foods like cookies), you can use lowfat milk instead of whole.....If you are in a hurry, and eat fast food, choose the smallest servings of things and always get a side salad with low cal dressing. If you want french fries, have them but order small and enjoy! If you want some icream, have it too, but that means no fries...and order small and enjoy.....eat the foods, you enjoy just smaller portions and trim calories elsewhere in the meal. If you want pasta for dinner and you usually eat 4 scoops, eat only two scoops and have some green beans or corn on the side. You can eat regular food and still lose weight, just cut your portions in half. If you are etaing for emtional reasons, you have to find ways to dela with how you feel other than eating. Just remember that how ever you feel, eating is not gonna help and after you eat, the problem will still be there and you will feel worse. Ok, and exercise is important......so you can maybe buy a jump rope, its really cheap and it burns lots of calories, builds up your bones too! If you can only jump 5 times at first, thats ok, try to jump 6 tomorrow. You can use canned goods or watre bottles to do exercises or you can buy a set of dumbells........you can walk.........use a workout video. You could walk 10 minutes in the morning and another 10 in the afternoon, or you could walk 20 minuets at once. Just try to get in a little exercise every day.....focus on feeling more energized when you exercise and not just calories burned.......and make sure you reward yourself for sticking to your eating plan. Make goals such as, I will drink 6 glasses of water today and I will eat dinner slowly and enjoy the food or I will eat 2 servings of fruit today and I will walk for a total of 20 minutes.......buy a pedometer if you want and try to work up to 10,00 steps, that will help the weight come off. Make sure you do some form of muscle shaping exercises like pushups, sit ups, and squats or use weights.....at least 2-3 times a week. The wieght wil come off so much quicker because muscles burn lost of calories just to exist on your body and even more when you use them, know how much calories fat burns,? ZERO. You wont get bulky.so dont worry.....you will feel strong and look sleek..........And remember that it takes time to lose weight, so aim for a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week but dont be a save to the scale, pay attention to how your clothes fit, how you feel, how much better your hair and skin looks, or how you have more energy......your body can hold water or just be darn stubborn and not lose any weight, so sometimes the scale isnt the best indicator of weight loss. Dont think about your eating or exercise plan 24/7..........just make better choices and focus on you, your family, friends, hobbies, and doing well in school. When I was losing weight, I couldnt afford to join a wieght loss program or buy a lot of fancy equipment but look on the internet or in magazines for good advice and motivation!!!Good luck and be healthy!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 12, 2005

Think of CortiSlim this way. It's one of many of the latest "weight-loss" drugs, and i haven't heard of any bad effects from it yet. BUT! How long did people take Fen-Phen before they found out the damage it does????

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2005

There is no effortless way to lose weight.

I joined Weight Watchers November 29. Since then I have lost 20 lbs, gone from an almost size 16 to an almost size 10. Most diets fail because they are diets, not lifestyles. Weight Watchers leaves you in charge of what you eat. They teach you about portion control, moving, and how to eliminate all the negatives you put in front of you. I WAS NOT motivated to join WW when I joined. I saw someone I hadn't seen in awhile and she looked fabulous I asked her what she did and she told me she joined WW. My thinking is changing as a result of WW, I was really stressed a couple of weeks ago about 3 exams and a paper due within 2 days. NOrmally I would have pigged out, I almost did, but I sat looking in the cupboard and nothing looked really fabulous. I decided that eating wasn't going to make me feel better. It felt so good to have control over my thoughts like that.

Another benefit is that I just bought scrubs, I bought a size small top and a size medium pant I probably should have bought a small pant, but it just didn't seem realistic to me. 2-3 months ago I would not have imagined that possible.

Best of luck to you and whatever you decide to do.

tonicareer · Feb 13, 2005

I have heard that cortislim is just dieretics (sp) mixed with vitamins and caffeine.

klone, MSN, RN · Feb 13, 2005

I have heard that cortislim is just dieretics (sp) mixed with vitamins and caffeine.

You're absolutely right. Now that ephedra is no longer allowed in diet aids, that's pretty much all they contain. Some of the herbs also aid in maintaining blood glucose levels so you dont' have blood-sugar spikes, which can help prevent cravings. I also think green tea has some mild lipolytic effects (but nowhere as dramatic as ephedra did).

hangnon · Feb 13, 2005

From what I understand, the key ingrediant in CortiSlim is Magnolia Bark which acts as an antianxiety agent by supressing Cortisol.

If you are a chronic overeater due to stress, it might help a little with anxiety, however I would not expect a miracle. Most of us are over weight due to sedentary lifestlye, and too many calories due to poor food choices and portion size. If you want my two cents, cut out fastfood, load up on veggies, cut down on sugar especially sodas and sugar carbs from white breads, potatoes etc, and try and get active. I personally had luck by just adopting a few changes like whole grain breads instead of white, no sugary drinks, getting more green veggies, drinking water, water, WATER and going to the gym twice a week. Not only will you see positive changes in your body, but you will feel a reduction in stress, which all nursing students definately need! Best of luck. :)

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2005

From what I understand, the key ingrediant in CortiSlim is Magnolia Bark which acts as an antianxiety agent by supressing Cortisol.

I have been overweight for at least 20 years (75 pounds). I have tried low-carb, slim-fast and Weight Watchers. On low-carb I lost too fast, didn't feel good and was sooooo constipated, on slim-fast I was never satisfied and ended up binging, on Weight Watchers all I ever did was think about food and felt so restricted. In the past 16 weeks I've lost 27 pounds. I've been sticking to 30% fat intake with no more than 2000 calories per day. I have also been taking Cortislim. I realize the weight loss is due to the reduced fat and calories but I find it manageable to follow while taking Cortislim. After the first bottle I thought ok I can do this so I continued but w/o the Cortislim. I started binging. I think it's the green tea and whatever else is in the Cortislim that helps me to control my appitite for sweets. I definately notice most of the weight loss is in my waist and belly. Whether it is in my head or that it really does control my appietite for sweets it works for me. I buy it thru Ebay because it's much cheaper. I can buy 2 bottles for $40. I also keep track of everything that I put in my mouth. This free website has been a tremendous help. www.fitday.com Good Luck!

rnmi2004 · Feb 14, 2005

I also keep track of everything that I put in my mouth. This free website has been a tremendous help. www.fitday.com Good Luck!

I second using Fitday! It is great for figuring out how much you're taking in vs. how much you're burning. You have to be completely honest & record everything--even if it was just a swipe of frosting or a spoonful of peanut butter. The nibbles can really add up!