should i use Diet Pills?

C

chinesethunda

Member
I am 20 yrs old, 115 pounds and i work out 1 1/2 hours 5 days a week. I am getting desperate because i do everything right, i have been exercising since i was 13, i eat right ( whole grains, nuts, fish, veggies) about 1700 calories a day, i do 40 minutes of cardio a day (heart rate around 140), and i get enough sleep. I lift weights alternating between upper and lower body, AND make sure i get my ab work. I challenge my self everyday. Yet i still cant the belly fat off of me!!! I'm so sick of doing everything right without any results. I am sick of seeing my anorexic friends look great because they dont eat. I have alot of muscle and i dont want to starve myself...please give me advice on what i am doing wrong, or what i should do instead.

The only thing i do indulge on is low fat frozen yogurt and some late night snacks such as fruits or fat free milk ;(
 
Why do you think an anorexic person who doesn't eat look great? Honestly, I think that kind of person looks sick and malnourished. The routine you seem to be on sounds more healthy than what your anorexic friends are doing. I'd rather have a little more belly fat on me than be anorexic looking. In the long run, their anorexia will catch up to them in terms of health problems.
 
How tall are you? 115 pounds doesn't seem so bad. But I can tell you, if it's belly fat, it's probably the low fat frozen yogurt. It still has sugar in it and you shouldn't eat it more than once a week for a cheat if you've been good all week. also, you shouldn't do fruit late at night. It's sugar, even though it's natural sugar and the earlier in the day you do fruit, the better. You really shouldn't eat anything for at least 2 hours before you go to bed. Look at some of the articles in Oxygen mag. and see what those girls eat. Also, you might read the "Body for Life" book. The eating plan there is pretty good.
Diet pills are really bad. I wouldn't do them. I actually have done them in the distant past and they really aren't good for you.
Just cut down the frozen yogurt and the late night snacks and I think you will see a difference.
good luck!
 
thank you for reminding of this, its just so hard to always be around skinny flat bellied girls at my college ( it is a fashion school). but im going to try to keep on doing what i do!
 
thanks for the advice, im 5'2...i was wondering what is a safe amount of sugar to be eating a day w/out the aftermath of a chubby tummy?? i love sweets too much!!
 
Hi Chinesethunda, I am not Cathe, but thought I'd offer some advice to you.

Diet pills are never never a good idea. They can cause serious health issues. Especially since you are so young and seem to be petite in size ( you did'nt mention your body frame type, but 115 is pretty small) You definitely do not need to resort to diet pills! Just eat healthfuly and have your ice cream in small amounts ( your body may actually NEED The fat from some real ice cream to help burn off the fat on your belly, especially if you are on a really low fat diet) and you'll be fine!

also, justfrom my experience:

I think you have to think of your goals here. Is having a perfectly flat tummy going to make your life perfect? or is it going to make you any happier? Just something to consider. I myself was so hard on myself for so long... I just realized that acheiving what we all think is the "perfect" body will cause me to miss out on things that life's all about! I would hate to see you spend as much time as I did worrying about such little things.

Well just my two cents. :)
Best of luck! -Tina
 
the fitness models in Oxygen magazine don't eat any sugar. You can get healthy fat from nuts. there really isn't a healthy amount of sugar. except from natural sources like fruit.
 
I just wanted to add that you might just perceive you have extra belly fat, especially if you see these stick-thin girls who starve themselves and have NO fat (sooo unhealthy) at all. We are usually our own worst critic!

JMHO!
Mary
 
First of all, is it a weight loss diet pill you're looking for or an energy supplement? If you're 5'4 and 315lbs, then yeah...maybe i'd recommend you see your doctor about a weight loss pill..Since you stated that you are 20yrs old an 115, it doesn't sound like you need to loose weight. Now, if you're talking about energy supplements/drinks. Every now and then, i run to the vitamen shop and grab a basket full of Quick Loss drinks. Just be carefull, cuz some energy drinks are nothing more than caffiene.

Secondly, if all your worried about is the 'belly fat' that might not be 'belly fat'. For one thing, i'd check out Teresa Tapp's Organs in place....Here is an article http://www.t-tapp.com/articles/flatstomach/ . Basically, as women age organs start to droop south. With Organs in place, you basically manually manipulate these organs back up where they should be before doing ab/core work. I also find that ballet exercises, stretches really help lenghten my muscles making me appear more slender than i am.

Thirdly, if you are going to consistently compare the look and shape of your body with that of other's, you'll always be miserable and unhappy with yourself. Sit down and reflect WHY it is you challenge yourself everyday. Frankly, if your thin friends are the reason why you want to take diet pills, maybe you should find some larger friends? :D


JMO
 
Wanted to share something with you. First of all, I'm not here to judge but I would say that at 5'2" and 115 lbs, you are a perfect size.

Go easy on the yogurt. I gained some weight a couple of months ago and I determined that it was the lowfat frozen yogurt I was eating on the weekend. Only the weekend mind you but enough to settle in the tummy area.
 
You sound like you have a really healthy approach to maintaining a healthy body. I would definately cut out all sugar, except for a once a week cheat meal (not day) as already suggested. Ideally its best not to eat any sugar. And I'd stop eating fruit after your first 2 meals of the day. Seemingly little changes like this can make a big difference.

Pilates is supposed to be good for flattening the stomach, though I can't tell you that from experience because I've only just begun to add it to my rotation! :)

Heidi
 
Hey - I understand what you're saying! I was in the exact same situation as you - 5'2" around 115, worked out daily (had been for years), ate well, but still had this little belly - a pudge kind of - I wanted a flat, flat stomach! Well, I finally got one, but it wasn' worth it; I had to cut my calories and lose even more weight. I was down to about 108 - losing 7 pounds is a lot on a petite frame - but I wasn't enjoying life. I was tired all the time, I thought about whether I could eat yet all the time, worried about if this will make me gain weight all the time, I was grouchy all the time. I had the flat tum, but I was pretty miserable. If my profession was in fitness (like Cathe), I would have probably tried to maintain and figure out a way to feel better, but I'm a federal government employee and wasn't willing to sacrifice so much. I think smaller-framed women tend to have this problem; you're body HAS to have some fat, and there's just not a lot of space to put it when you're petite!

Now, here I am about 8 years later from that experience, and I'm sad to admit I haven't kept up with fitness the way I should have. I'm getting back on the bandwagon, but I'd LOVE to have that stomach (that made me so unhappy) once again. I'll get there, but the message is to remember that we want what we don't have, but to enjoy what you've got! You're appearance is probably quite different than your own perception. We're not all meant to have a flat stomach!

In my case, I wasn't happy with what anyone said until I felt I had 'achieved' the flat tum and learned it wasn't worth the sacrifices. Sometimes you just have to learn those things for yourself...

Good luck to you!! =]
Liz
 
I know exactly how you feel, and I'm working on getting past this. I don't believe it's healthy to focus in like a laser beam on your teeny tiny, less than perfect features. It's actually very unhealthy. Be the best you can, but don't go to extreme measures thinking you'll find perfection. Your anorexic-looking friends should not inspire you.

You're so young -- please learn to be happy with yourself so you don't carry this with you into later years. You should be happy with yourself for your dedication to health/fitness. Don't sabotage it with diet pills. The number one reason to be fit (truly fit, not "thin") is to be HEALTHY. :) Muscle and strength are healthy. Diet pills are definitely not healthy.

I'm now into my mid-40's and I've always let that small amount of fat on my tummy bother me. It's so ridiculous. I'm in excellent shape -- especially since having two kids. I finally decided to let it go, because stressing about anything is additive and cumulative. If you let it build up long enough, it will hurt you.

You're stats are great -- especially since you weight train. The scale is deceptive because it can't break down muscle and fat for you. Throw out the scale. Cut out the sugar. Keep your workouts going. You're fantastic, so be happy and live your life without that burden hanging around you like a ball and chain. It's nothing but an obstacle holding you back.

Enjoy your health,
Marla :D
 
Thank you so much! I feel like i am very vain for it, but i feel that if i want it, i have to have it, not matter what. I geuss it just drives me crazy knowing that i do everything right and i still cant have to results i want...you know exactly how i feel and thats crazy!
 
The "no matter what" is where you've got to change your thinking. You probably don't really mean "no matter what," (I hope). One little portion of your body does not define you, but your actions do. So forget the "no matter what" stuff -- that'll only lead you in the wrong direction. I understand how you feel at 20, but it's never too early to learn to accept who you are, and to be the best YOU can be, without comparing every little inch of yourself to others.

If only we could leap into the future, grab the wisdom that awaits there, and take it back and apply it to our younger years. ;-)

Take good care of yourself,
Marla
 
Hi,

I agree with what others have responded....you are at a healthy weight and it does seem like you maintain a healthy lifestyle. I understand about those "areas" that won't do what we want or expect, however, so I would only add the suggestion that you change up your workout routine. If you have been doing the same things for awhile, your body may just be so used to it that it is conditioned to your routine so you may be in a maintenance mode rather than a fat-loss or muscle-building mode.

I have belly fat that is very stubborn, and I had really been going hard at it with cardio and lifting. Recently I changed up my routine completely, and actually eased up a bit with the intensity, and I am experiencing some fat loss again!

If you exchange your cardio for something your body isn't used to, as well as your weight routine, your body can experience a "shock" and return to fat loss without you needing to cut calories. But speaking of calories, another idea is to cycle them somewhat. If you stick close to the same number every day, then that is what your body learns to expect. So if you need 1700, you could do 2000 one day, then decrease that some the next, then increase...you get the idea.

Here is a rotation that worked wonders for me:

http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?...opic_id=3576&mesg_id=3576&listing_type=search

HTH, Julie
 
I'm also petite- barely 4'11" and 105lbs. This sounds so skinny to "tall" people, but they don't realize that when you're petite, even 5 lbs is a lot! I agree with the other post, if you're short, your fat can just stick somewhere, like the belly.

I've had a belly forever (nothing major, but as I've said, it's more obvious when you're short and small framed). However, I don't eat well or workout like I used to. I've accepted that I'm never going to have a flat stomach unless I eat perfectly and work out a lot- which isn't worth it to me. I'd rather eat a burger when I want and not obsess. I'm 28 now and think that when you grow older, you realize that a flat stomach isn't everything.

My suggestion: realize what's important to you...do you want to give up sweet treats for a flat stomach? or do you want to accept that right now you're healthy and that's great?
Also, just focus on your favorite body parts...wear tank tops if you have toned arms or skirts/shorts if you have toned legs. The only time you can really show off a flat tummy is in a bikini, which isn't that often. Most importantly, don't compare yourself to your friends!! Everyone is different and have flaws. They're probably wishing they had something you have!

Good luck, Lisa
 
You mentioned that you do ab work, but are you including planks? I think these are great at flattening the abdominal area.

Also, people store fat in different areas, depending on their genetics. I have a nice flat, toned tummy, and never seem to gain any fat there. BUT, I will always have extra fat in my thighs. As I've got older I've accepted that this is just me. I'd have to go to an extremely low body fat level to have lean legs, which I'm not prepared to do, as the result wouldn't be worth the effort. By working on the muscle shape though, I can make the best of my legs.
 
Gosh! I would be so happy just to have your dedication to eating what you do!!!! I haven't mastered that willpower yet.

Is it possible that your anorexic friends look at YOU and enviously think how beautifully fit and muscular you are? Do they realize that your tummy bothers you? It's possible they eat less to make you feel worse or make themselves feel better about their eating disorder because they're envious?

Just something to think about.
 
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