Oh D., I feel your pain believe me! I am turning 40 this year (April 7th) and I am dreading it like the grim reaper's on his way! But I recently have made some life changes, and damn, I'm feeling MUCH better about myself. I have 5 kids ages 21 down to age 1! After the last two, the young ones *from my second marriage* I never lost the weight, in fact I was also weighing about what I weighed when I had the last one.... looking and feeling like a monster in my own skin. I've tried diets before, sure... and I don't have a thyroid problem.. I've lost as much as 14 pounds before quitting any diet in the past. Well my friend Edd, who's even had gastric bypass surgery which even did not help him, never lost serious weight, was always over 400 pounds as long as I've known him, well over a decade. He began something I'd never heard of called the "Medi Fast" diet, this past August. HE IS OVER 130 POUNDS LIGHTER, NOW, looks like a different person. He's never been married, 42 years old, has no kids... because, reality check, it's hard to find a mate when you're that big, let's face it. His social life is blossoming, he's one handsome dude under all that meat, who knew?... his personality went from depressed to bubbly and happy, what a transformation, inside and out! He's even become a "health coach' for this medifast diet, now! Well since I was feeling crappy, then the impending big birthday (yuck) and looking in the mirror, all I do is take care of my kids, everyone but me, like "I" didn't even exist anymore... so I asked Edd, hey, what do I gotta do to try this diet of your's out? Well he gave me this website: www.dontbefat.tsfl.com still I hesitated, but finally my sister announced she's getting married in August, and I'm to be the Matron of Honor.... in front of all those people? ME, in a dress? Well if that doesn't give you a heart condition nothing will! Beside, the thought of being fat like this in front of some folks I haven't seen in years, shoot me now! So I started the diet the very day after my sister told me of her plan. This was February 1st. THe first weight dropped off me like nothing... the rest of it's a bit slower coming off, but since February 1st I have lost 23 pounds, and rather easily, too, I can honestly say, AND, I am NEVER HUNGRY!!! I know everyone says that when they want someone to try a diet, and probably a lot of the time they're full of it, too, but I'm being totally sincere, I am never hungry. I eat a little something every two hours, all day, following their plan, and using their prepackaged shakes, soups, etc., each which is only 100 calories. Also during each day I consume one 'lean and green' meal from my own kitchen. This totals up to 1000 calories a day, and I lose weight. I'm no doctor, but thyroid or not, I don't know how a body could eat the way and the things that I'm eating and not lose some kind of weight consistently?! It's worth a try! And I'll tell you, I'm looking in the mirror, and seeing a face I vaguely remember seeing, it's wonderful, just imagine that! Looking in the mirror and seeing a face you remember was under those puffy cheeks... you can do it, it's amazing! If I can do it, believe me, anyone can... cause I have practically no willpower at all. If I were hungry I'd be ordering myself a pizza right this second and you can believe that LOL I'm also a spaghetti sauce addict who would seriously consider having the joyous sauce intraveinously fed into me LOL so I know if I can do it anyone can. The heck with it, look at Sophia Lauren! Raquel Welch! And they're way older than you!!!! I oughta talk, I was all bummin over being 40, but ya know what? I'm still a hot mama, darnit, and now that I'm practically down to my ideal weight (okay, another 15 pounds to go) I am feeling SO GOOD, and people are noticing, I hear "hey, you look good, did you lose some serious weight or something"? Ya know how good it is to hear that?!? It's awesome!!!! Well good luck, and don't feel bad, it's society that's making us feel this way, we're shown what "beauty" is on the cover of every damn magazine, all these uber-skinny young females, and you look in the real world, women that size are TEENAGERS, hello?!? Women are just not supposed to be that skinny, it's not healthy. Check out Madonna! Sharon Stone! There are so many blazin gorgeous chicks out there that are a FAR CRY from their 20's, ya know? You can be among them too, and so can I! And we just gotta know that, and believe in it. And you'll see, as you do start dropping weight, you get this natural high that I'm feeling now, you'll be on a cloud, too. Give it a try, if you can, it's definitely worth a shot. My buddy Edd never in his life had a good social life, and here he is at 42 for the first time in his whole LIFE all the ladies are flocking around him, suddenly 'noticing' him, he's not just a void sitting in a cubicle at work anymore, he's a person who people are taking time to get to know as a human being, because, sadly and unfairly, we all know, people who are overweight are often just ignored. Or, mocked, or... treated as second class people, like they got big on purpose or something. it stinks! Okay sorry for the novel, I just can totally relate to your situation, and I want to see you succeed! Please, if you think of it, let me know in an update sometime how you're doing, alright? Take care of yourself, lady :)
Sincerely,
K.