Shedding the Weight!

Question
OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS I HAVE GAINED AROUND 85 LBS.  I HAVE NEVER BEEN A SMALL PETITE GIRL.  BUT IN THE SAME SPIN, I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS OVERWEIGHT.  BEING OBESE IS IS THE GENES... I HAVE TRIED DIET PILLS YEARS AGO AND THEY SEEMED TO HELP.  I ALSO THINK THAT 2 YEARS USING BIRTH CONTROL DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION EITHER.  I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO LOOSE WEIGHT... BEFORE IT GETS TO OUT OF CONTROL.  PLEASE HELP ME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

Answer
Sheena,
First of all, let me be honest with you, it sounds like it might already be out of control if you have gained 85 pounds.  So you need to do something now and take if very seriously!  Added weight can have a lot of health implications!  I am not sure this is the answer you want to hear but if you want to take the weight off in a safe manner and keep it off you need to do it the old fashioned way of a healthy diet and exercise!  Diet pills are dangerous and they will NOT help you keep weight off in the long run as you have obviously already figured out.  The only thing that will help is permanent lifestyle change.  You HAVE to make changes that become permanent so you can take the weight off and keep it off.  For starters, make sure you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and watching your portion sizes.  How much you eat has a huge impact on the calories you take in.  Extra calories lead to extra pounds.  However, you DON'T want to eat too little because that will NOT help you either!  If you check out www.mypyramid.gov it will give you an idea of what you need to eat.  You also need to start some type of regular aerobic exercise.  Walking is a great way to get started!  Start by making some realistic short-term goals for yourself and write them down.  Start keeping diaries for yourself of what you eat each day and what exercise you do.  That can be helpful in keeping yourself committed to your goals.  If you feel like you need help, a dietitian is the person to see!  They can definitely help you lose the weight in a sensible way!  I DO offer online services if you are interested in taking that route.  You can check out my web site or email me at [email protected].
Good luck!
Kim Tessmer, RD LD
www.Nutrifocus.net

*Always check with your doctor before starting any weight loss/exercise program!

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