Anyone else trying to lose some weight for interviews?

[princessd3]

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If I lose any weight I might go into double digits. Not a good idea for me.

 

[tigress]

Actually, Risa brings up a really good point. My face is breaking out something awful for no apparent reason. I thought I was supposed to grow out of that! So who has good advice for dealing with this before my interview a week from today?

 

[DrJen]

Unless you're morbidly obese or appear malnourished, I doubt they would care. I'm trying to lose weight for me not for any adcom.

Good attitude! I am definitely doing it more for myself than for adcoms. The only reason I am really motivated to do it for interviews is just that I know I will be more confident in general if I can lose a few pounds.

I don't really think that adcoms really care all that much. On the other hand, adcom members are humans just like the rest of us, and first impressions based on appearances are awfully powerful. Do I think it will be a deciding factor? Probably not. But given the choice between two equally qualified applicants, the one who leaves the best impression will get in.

 

[Saluki]

Actually, Risa brings up a really good point. My face is breaking out something awful for no apparent reason. I thought I was supposed to grow out of that! So who has good advice for dealing with this before my interview a week from today?

I've been having really bad acne ever since I started studying for the August MCAT, so I thought it was just stress. But now I'm done with the test and it still won't go away. I got some retin A from the university health center doctor and it helps somewhat....

 

[mustangsally65]

Actually, Risa brings up a really good point. My face is breaking out something awful for no apparent reason. I thought I was supposed to grow out of that! So who has good advice for dealing with this before my interview a week from today?

I have the same problem since I started taking progesterone-only OCPs. I'm using Proactiv, but I've heard that anything with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide works really well at getting rid of existing blemishes. Also, if they're not really big you can get some of that green concealer stuff (it goes on green but blends in, and is good at covering up the red) I got some from Almay.

The only thing is if you get just the Proactiv 3 piece system and use it morning and night, it will probably dry your face out. I started doing this a few weeks ago, and my face started peeling. 😳 So get the Proactiv moisturizer as well. I just ordered the night cream and the advanced blemish treatment, so I'll let you know how those work.

Most malls have a Proactiv cart that sells the basic stuff and other things like makeup, concealer, and under-eye cream. It's kind of pricey but lasts a long time and if it works it's worth it for the interview season.

Embarassing to have this problem at our age, isn't it? Hope you find something that works!

 

[jj08]

Oh my god I could NEVER exercise at 4 a.m.

hee-he I did that religiously during undergrad...except it was 5 am not 4.

When I was studying for the Aug 2004 MCAT, I actually lost weight. I just stuck to a routine: wake up, workout, packed food for the day, study @ library with group. I am a creature of habit so working out became part of my day. The other thing was I didn't eat junk food. Two of the guys in my study group said to me, "my ass is getting fat! Help!!!" I thought it was hilarious b/c guys hardly ever want to lose weight.

 

[DrJen]

Two of the guys in my study group said to me, "my ass is getting fat! Help!!!" I thought it was hilarious b/c guys hardly ever want to lose weight.

It always makes me a little happy inside to hear a guy talk about wanting to lose weight.

 

[BooMed]

I hear ya brother

Baldness can be super hot! Seriously, just go with the flow and buzz/shave it off. That is the best way to go bald and I think it looks really good. 🙂

The worst is when guys try to grow out the back real long to make up for the front being gone. BAD!

 

[BooMed]

I break out when I use sunscreen 🙁 Has anyone found a brand that doesn't cause this?

I feel terrible if I don't wear it, because I can already see sun damage on my face from not wearing any last year. My people weren't meant to be exposed to the UV levels of the South...

 

[mustangsally65]

I break out when I use sunscreen 🙁 Has anyone found a brand that doesn't cause this?

I feel terrible if I don't wear it, because I can already see sun damage on my face from not wearing any last year. My people weren't meant to be exposed to the UV levels of the South...

I hate to sound like a Proactiv ad, but I use their sunscreen too. it's made specifically not to be oily or cause breakouts. The only bad thing is it's only SPF 15, so occasionally I'll use water babies SPF 50 when I'm going to be outside more than 10-15 minutes. I've used Coppertone before as well and haven't had breakouts from it, but I don't know what you are currently using.

My skin is really fair (Norwegian descent) but as long as I'm not in direct sunlight for more than 30 minutes the 15 SPF is enough for me. I try to move around and change my head position to keep the sun off my face when I am outside so I won't burn. Hope this helps!

 

[jj08]

I break out when I use sunscreen 🙁 Has anyone found a brand that doesn't cause this?

I feel terrible if I don't wear it, because I can already see sun damage on my face from not wearing any last year. My people weren't meant to be exposed to the UV levels of the South...

I have super sensitive skin and I normally hate wearin sunscreen but I found a great one --- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock (spf 45). I have no problems wearing it daily now b/c it doesn't feel oily and doesn't have a funny smell! It hasn't caused me to break out either. Try it! 🙂

by the way...look at how we all kinda veered off topic here... 😀

 

[tigress]

I also break out when I use sunscreen, or any type of makeup, including oil-free kinds. So I never wear makeup except for things like weddings. I haven't decided whether I'll wear for interviews; it depends on how my skin is looking. I use water babies spf 45 sunscreen or coppertone or whatever is around. I always put it on if I'm going to be outside for longer than 15 minutes because I burn very easily. If I wash my face very well after using it I'm usually okay, but sometimes I do break out. But I also get canker sores from being out in the sun too much. I'm not a big laying out in the sun person anyway; the other day I was at a pool party and that was the most sun I've had all summer. Usually we just go hiking or something and it's in the woods. My husband has to put sunscreen on his nose almost every day after he burned it really badly a few summers ago. It never quite recovered and now seems like it burns if a single sun ray hits it! I worry about the skin there so I always remind him to wear the sunscreen 😉

I can't really use any medicine for my skin right now. I do use a cleanser pad thing which helps. My husband has this one spot, on the side of his face by his right eyebrow, that always breaks out. It's the weirdest thing, because he rarely has pimples anywhere. That one area is scarred up now actually. I started using the cleanser on him too and he hasn't broken out lately. I think it has salicylic acid in it.

I also have the habit of touching my face a lot when I'm concentrating, or resting my face on my hand, which I'm sure contributes! Another bit of advice my mother always gives if I'm breaking out is to change my pillowcase as often as every other night, and make sure all sheets and blankets are extra clean.

 

[BooMed]

Wow, thanks. I've always kind of laughed at Proactive b/c of the Jessica Simpson ads, but maybe I should try the stuff. It's really weird to start breaking out in your 20s. I have had great skin every since I went on birth control in high school, until I moved into a freaking sunshine state.

 

[silas2642]

Not a bad thread... I feel the same way everyone else here does. My body (with the exception of slightly elevated cholesterol and low levels of monamines in my cerebral cortex) is healthy, ergo, I should be grateful. I'm not. I'm not fantastically overweight, or even overweight but I'm still not happy with the 5 pounds I've put on this summer. It's really driving me nuts, and starting tomorrow (I say "tomorrow" all the time) I'm going to do something to lose it.

 

[mustangsally65]

Wow, thanks. I've always kind of laughed at Proactive b/c of the Jessica Simpson ads, but maybe I should try the stuff. It's really weird to start breaking out in your 20s. I have had great skin every since I went on birth control in high school, until I moved into a freaking sunshine state.

I know, I never had acne when I was a teenager, I just had an occasional blemish here and there. I've been told the progesterone in the birth control I take (estrogen gives me migraines) is really androgenic and can make your acne worse. Mine's only been bad since the summer started, so it may have to do with more sweating/oil production in the summer time, as I live in the south. The Jessica Simpson ads are pretty dumb, but the stuff works really good for a lot of people. I don't worry too much about makeup or my acne most of the time, but with interviews coming up I don't want to look like a little kind who can't put makeup on and look halfway professional. And I'm not talking about eye makeup or lipstick or rouge, but just a basic foundation that will even out my skin tone and take the shine off. I never wear makeup on my eyes or cheeks, and have only worn lipstick once or twice. It's too much of a hassle! 😀

 

[juiceman311]

Reduce your caloric intake to 1800 - 2300(depends on your size) calories, and walk 60 minutes a day (one 30 minute session in the morning, one 30 minute session at night). That's all. Expected weight loss rate = 7-8 lbs/28 days.

that's pretty half-assed advice without knowing how much he weighs right now. if his maintanence caloric intake is 3000 kcals/day, a cut to 2300 is way too drastic to 'just do'; he'd have to do it over the course of a few weeks, otherwise he'll feel like ass, lose lots of weight at first, then itll pile back on as soon as he thinks he's eating sensibly again. the right answer is find out what your maintanence intake is/should be, a reduce about 300-500/day, and youll lose 0.7-1lb/week, which is a healthy drop.

 

[shivalrous]

Is anyone trying to gain weight for their interviews???????

 

[Hoberto]

I tried Proactive (*thinks back.....OMG it was 12 years ago*) and was VERY unhappy. Everything was so greasy and I never felt clean. It didn't help my acne too much either.

I eventually started using Retin A from the doc. Man, that stuff is amazing! It is a little drying but if you mix it with a little lotion it works great.

Also, like someone mentioned already, that green concealer works nicely. It's kind of scary at first, but just blend it in and then put on your regular foundation and powder and no one will know.

When I switched to the high dose Ortho-Novum my acne finally cleared up. Long live BC!!

 

[Turkeyman]

that's pretty half-assed advice without knowing how much he weighs right now. if his maintanence caloric intake is 3000 kcals/day, a cut to 2300 is way too drastic to 'just do'; he'd have to do it over the course of a few weeks, otherwise he'll feel like ass, lose lots of weight at first, then itll pile back on as soon as he thinks he's eating sensibly again. the right answer is find out what your maintanence intake is/should be, a reduce about 300-500/day, and youll lose 0.7-1lb/week, which is a healthy drop.

Haha

The OP was a girl, so I just went by the averages. I don't think it's difficult for an average sized(or even slightly overweight) woman to drop down to ~2300 Cals. Besides, you can still lose ~2 pounds a week in a healthy manner, equating to about 7-8 lbs a month --> I speak from personal experience. I'm a guy though, so my drop was more like 12 lbs/month when I did it for myself.

 

[LJDHC05]

To be honest with you, I wish it were only 10 pounds. It's actually more like 25, since I was in need of losing about 15 before I started with the whole MCAT stress-induced chocolate and McDonald's fiasco. I'm obviously not expecting to lose 25 pounds in such a short amount of time, but I think getting those 10 off will make a difference in how I look, but mostly just how confident I feel. I don't want to give the impression that I can't take care of myself.

Elliot and Olivia are the best! I love how Elliot always wants to kill the child molestors...

Jen, not trying to be mean, but if your stress level was that high for the MCAT how's it going to be during med school prepping for the USMLE's or during your residency prepping for your boards and working 80 hours/week. It's not like medicine is a 9-5 sneak in the back door and zone out for an hour in your cubicle job, it's alot of stress...

Just a little bit of advice for all, dont make your goal to lose weight solely for interviews, make it a life-long goal to stay healthy. And please dont let your stress level get to the point of binging on McD's and chocolate. Really, there are better ways to deal with stress than food, do little things throughout the day to lower stress (ie take breaks from work/switch tasks/set little goals/meditate/exercize). You're allowed to take some personal time to keep yourself sane folks, you don't need to go nuts with 20 hour days this early in the game....you'll get plenty of that in medschool and residency.

 

[BooMed]

I don't worry too much about makeup or my acne most of the time, but with interviews coming up I don't want to look like a little kind who can't put makeup on and look halfway professional. And I'm not talking about eye makeup or lipstick or rouge, but just a basic foundation that will even out my skin tone and take the shine off. I never wear makeup on my eyes or cheeks, and have only worn lipstick once or twice. It's too much of a hassle! 😀

I can't do makeup at all! It's like I missed some kind of womanhood training or something. I can put on mascara because that's self explanatory, but I'm too afraid to buy anything else because I don't know what colors, brands, etc. I have seriously considered taking a class or something. 😛 And now that I'm growing my hair out, I have no idea what to do with it. Jeez, why did my mom have to be a hippie? 🙁

 

[BooMed]

One way I motivate myself to dragg my a$$ to the gym is to make a rule that I don't get to watch t.v. marathons or read trashy magazines unless I'm on a treadmill. My gym has t.v.s on the machines and I subscribe to some horrible gossip magazines, so between the two I'm quite motivated to work out. 😛

I grew up in a family that really encouraged an emotional attachment to food, and for a long time I would eat bad anytime I was depressed/mad/happy/etc. My goal is to replace eating with exercise as my method of dealing with stress. Also I try to go to be early enough so that when my alarm goes off in the morning, I'm already pretty much awake. It sucks to go to sleep at 11, but it's worth it not to be tired during the day.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I am so fat. I used to be incredibly skinny when I was a kid. Then, in 5th-6th grade, I had a fat phase where I got boy-boobs and thighs, but then lost them in 7th grade until maybe mid high school. Then I started packing it again, and by graduation I was disgusting.

At college, surprisingly, I did not gain weight my freshman year, but lost it. In fact, I lost 20 pounds. It was nice because people were complimenting me. But then sophomore year, I gained all 20 back, to a hefty 190 (I'm 6'). I am by no means muscular, so most of this is fat, so it wasn't pretty. I was gaining a pound here and there through junior year and was around 205 the start of senior year. Then, when med schools weren't interviewing and accepting me senior fall, I spent hours at the computer playing 1980s computer games, taking 4 hour "naps" in the afternoon, and eating literally everything in sight. I would eat Hostess apple pies, dinner, and a whole bag of Doritos in one sitting, with several mugs of whole milk and a thick slice of chocolate cake afterwards. I ate entire boxes of donuts by myself. Gained more weight, by which time I was disgusting even to myself, at 220 lbs.

Lost some, gained some back, now I'm around 210-215, still disgusting, still hating myself, and still incapable of losing weight. On the one hand, I would love to lose weight. On the other, I feel like I don't really have time to exercise, I'm embarrassed to go to a gym and lift like 40 lbs while other guys are lifting 400 lbs, and my schedule is so hectic that oftentimes (tonight for example), I have to prepare dinner at 11:00 at night, which is usually on the fatty side, with cream, butter, olive oil, etc.

I just can't stomach skim milk and dry salads. Heck, even my salads are greasy (a large head of lettuce in one sitting, with about 3-4 spoons of olive oil). I look like a fat buddha, with a double chin, boobs, three folds of belly, and calves that are frightening to behold. Needless to say, I haven't really been attracting any potential mates, but I guess that when the time comes to find that swan I'll just have to lose the weight.

 

[ShyRem]

I've been trying to lose my 20 pounds from going back to school for 2 months now. I started kickboxing classes (AWESOME!) and while I've lost about 8 inches total (don't I wish it was all from my hips?), my weight hasn't changed, nor my size much. My hips are proving especially stubborn. I am, however, toning up and I've lifted my butt off of my knees.

I've started this past week walking my kids to and from school every day with my dog. It's a total of 4.5 miles a day (a pace at least 3mph) which I'm hoping will start working on my hips. I really don't care about my weight (much), but I'd really like to slim down a little. *sigh*

Have I mentioned I'd like to slim down my hips? 🙂

 

[Risa]

Haha... mention a zit and look at the acne thread that got rolling! Seriously though, acne can ruin my day. I've been warring against it for 10 years now, and I've finally found a program that really works. It's described on acne.org, and also in a book by the guy who runs that site. The basic idea is to do the same simple regimen morning and night: first, gently wash your face with an unscented, unmedicated cleanser (I use Purpose). Next, apply 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, and LOAD it on (I use Neutrogena On The Spot). Last, be religious about moisturizing (I use Neutrogena with Alpha Hydroxy). The whole thing works by kicking the acne's butt without irritating or drying your skin. It takes a couple weeks to really see the difference, but then it's gold. I've never had such clear skin!

 

[morgan]

I break out when I use sunscreen 🙁 Has anyone found a brand that doesn't cause this?

I feel terrible if I don't wear it, because I can already see sun damage on my face from not wearing any last year. My people weren't meant to be exposed to the UV levels of the South...

Look around for the stuff that is specially made for your face. It exists!

 

[swimncsc]

So my problem is that my mom fed me cookies as a child and now I have to try to work them all off. Stupid cookies. My kids are never getting them.
Ok, so seriously if you need to lose weight QUICKLY and HEALTHILY(is that a word) you should do the SouthBeach diet. The key is the tomato juice in the am. I don't like eggs though, so I would eat two strips of turkey bacon instead of one. I also would eat as much meat for lunch and dinner as I wanted, and only plain balsamic vinegar on salad. This is for the first two weeks. You CANNOT have any fruits, except tomatoes, and any carbs. It totally works and after like the 3rd day you dont crave carbs at all and you are full all the time.

I did it and lost like 15 pounds in 20 days. After the first two weeks, too, you can start eating fruit and some carbs again.

You must exercise too of course....CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO!

 

[BooMed]

Look around for the stuff that is specially made for your face. It exists!

Well obviously I have, it's just that every one that I've tried still makes my face feel all oily, and I'm tired of buying $20 bottles of stuff that I don't end up using.

Jeez, don't be such a jerk, I just wanted some advice.

 

[mustangsally65]

first, gently wash your face with an unscented, unmedicated cleanser (I use Purpose). Next, apply 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, and LOAD it on (I use Neutrogena On The Spot). Last, be religious about moisturizing (I use Neutrogena with Alpha Hydroxy). The whole thing works by kicking the acne's butt without irritating or drying your skin. It takes a couple weeks to really see the difference, but then it's gold. I've never had such clear skin!

I've been to this website, but your description is so much more clear than the dude's on the website. You make it sound so much more simple, and I may just try it. Where do you buy Purpose? I know you can get Neutrogena just about anywhere, but it would be nice to get stuff at Wal-Mart instead of having to order it and pay shipping!

 

[tigress]

I can't do makeup at all! It's like I missed some kind of womanhood training or something. I can put on mascara because that's self explanatory, but I'm too afraid to buy anything else because I don't know what colors, brands, etc. I have seriously considered taking a class or something. 😛 And now that I'm growing my hair out, I have no idea what to do with it. Jeez, why did my mom have to be a hippie? 🙁

BooMed, I'm the exact same way. I was never too interested in girly stuff as a kid, and now I regret it. My mother actually does use makeup, I just never asked her to teach me to use it! I'm also hopeless when it comes to jewelry. I hardly own any!

 

[tigress]

I've been to this website, but your description is so much more clear than the dude's on the website. You make it sound so much more simple, and I may just try it. Where do you buy Purpose? I know you can get Neutrogena just about anywhere, but it would be nice to get stuff at Wal-Mart instead of having to order it and pay shipping!

I agree, the description Risa gave is awesome. I want to try it too! I don't shop at WalMart though because they're evil 😛 I have to go look for this stuff. I hope it's not too expensive!

 

[N1DERL&]

I've been to this website, but your description is so much more clear than the dude's on the website. You make it sound so much more simple, and I may just try it. Where do you buy Purpose? I know you can get Neutrogena just about anywhere, but it would be nice to get stuff at Wal-Mart instead of having to order it and pay shipping!

hi Sally!! 😀 How you doin girl??

You can find purpose at any drugstore, target, walmart, etc. It's made by Johnsons & Johnsons and pretty inexpensive, which is a great thing!! 😛

boomed, have you ever tried ocean potion? I use the regular ol sunscreen and I like it a lot because it doesn't smell like sunblock. I've seen it at Walmart but it's appearance is sporadic. You can also do a search for the website, but then you have to deal with shipping and stuff. They have a face sunscreen but I've never tried it. Have you tried oil of olay's moisterizer with sunscreen? It's called complete defense and has a spf of 30. They do make one with a spf of 15 but it's too weak for me. I step out in the sun and bam, I'm tanned. 🙁

 

[mustangsally65]

hi Sally!! 😀 How you doin girl??

You can find purpose at any drugstore, target, walmart, etc. It's made by Johnsons & Johnsons and pretty inexpensive, which is a great thing!! 😛

Hey girl! I'm good, at least until MCAT scores come out! 😀

Thanks for the info. I live in a little town with only a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart, so I usually shop at Wal-Mart because it's cheaper for most things. And with gas prices going up (paid 3.29 today) I'll save all I can, even if it's only a few cents and I have to shop at Wal-Mart!

 

[N1DERL&]

Oh my gosh, 3.29?? OUCH! I haven't been out this week and frankly, I'm afraid to see what the gas prices are in cali.

Tell me if you can't find purpose. Heck, with gas prices like that, I'll send you a bottle in the mail! 😀 😀

mcat scores.... argh.... 😱 cross your fingers.... 😉

 

[Turkeyman]

N1DERL&, I could watch your avatar for hours and hours 😀

 

[N1DERL&]

Turkeyman... you defy gravity!! I get all nervous when you run up wall... yowsers! 🙂

 

[abraxas]

gas wasn't that bad in cali 2 days ago i filled up for $2.73

 

[Risa]

I've been to this website, but your description is so much more clear than the dude's on the website. You make it sound so much more simple, and I may just try it. Where do you buy Purpose? I know you can get Neutrogena just about anywhere, but it would be nice to get stuff at Wal-Mart instead of having to order it and pay shipping!

I've been able to find the Purpose at multiple grocery stores... it shouldn't be hard to find a grocery store or pharmacy near you that carries it. Good luck with the program!

 

[BooMed]

Wow, thanks to everyone who posted about sunscreen, I'm going to try some of those out.

Tigress--I'm glad to hear that there's another woman on here as "girly challanged" as I am! 😀 Everytime I go to get a haircut and the hair dresser aks "so what do you do with your hair?" I always just sort of give a lame answer that trails off into... nothing. My friends are always trying to teach me but it seems like such a hassle. I just always ask for a haircut that looks okay without even blowdrying it! 😛

 

[SailCrazy]

I lost a bunch of weight last winter/spring while prepping for the MCAT. I considered working out part of my study routine. I knew I'd need to be in good shape in order to stay alert for 8 hours (and to ditch my caffeine dependency for studying.)

I had a varied cardio routine: running, stairmaster, elliptical, and signed up for a weight training class. (I didn't mind starting out lifting way less than many others in the class, but it was rough knowing how much stronger I had been in the past.) I ran a 25k (15.5 mile) race shortly after the MCAT. I'd run it in the past, but this was my first time in a few year. It felt great!

I gained a little weight back over the summer, but I'll knock that off by the peak of interview season.

I do think there is a slight (perhaps subconscious) bias against being over weight & the more overweight, the more the bias. I hope to go in looking at least average, if not slightly on the athletic side.

 

[argonana]

I've been terrible about running or working out since I finished college last year. My question for you all is: when do you prefer to exercise--morning or night?? I can't bring myself to exercise after work. I'm a daytime studier/secondary essay writer/etc., though, so I'm hesitant to spend valuable morning hours exercising...

 

[jj08]

I've been terrible about running or working out since I finished college last year. My question for you all is: when do you prefer to exercise--morning or night?? I can't bring myself to exercise after work. I'm a daytime studier/secondary essay writer/etc., though, so I'm hesitant to spend valuable morning hours exercising...

I was never a morning person before but i find it alot easier to stick to a routine if it's in the morning b/c you can't make up any excuses (i.e. i have to finish my secondaries, i have to go grocery shopping, etc). Also there's less people in the gym so that's a perk too. Let me warn you that the first week of working out in the AM will me trying at the least. Stick to it and you should see some results! Good luck!

 

[jj08]

Wow, thanks to everyone who posted about sunscreen, I'm going to try some of those out.

Don't forget my recommendation: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock 45! I love it! I think it's only $8-9! 🙂

 

[mustangsally65]

Tigress--I'm glad to hear that there's another woman on here as "girly challanged" as I am! 😀 Everytime I go to get a haircut and the hair dresser aks "so what do you do with your hair?" I always just sort of give a lame answer that trails off into... nothing. My friends are always trying to teach me but it seems like such a hassle. I just always ask for a haircut that looks okay without even blowdrying it! 😛

I think I fit this description as well! I've never been one for makeup or doing my hair, and I feel like such a little kid sometimes!

Gas prices were 2.54 here about four days ago, but I'm in the southeast so I guess they feel like they can jack the prices up some

InWonderland: I'm probably gonna finish using up what I have, but I'll let ya know if I can't find the stuff! thanks for your offer.

 

[Dr2010]

2.54 gas 4 days ago? wat bout now? Here in NorCal theyre toyin with our emotions by keeping unleaded regular pennies away from 3.00, its driving me mad! i understand the need for a competitive market, but lets see how fast they drop those prices, we're not seeing anythin below 2.50 for awhile.- end off topic post...good luck to all shapin up for interviews, its all about confidence.

 

[mustangsally65]

2.54 gas 4 days ago? wat bout now? Here in NorCal theyre toyin with our emotions by keeping unleaded regular pennies away from 3.00, its driving me mad! i understand the need for a competitive market, but lets see how fast they drop those prices, we're not seeing anythin below 2.50 for awhile.- end off topic post...good luck to all shapin up for interviews, its all about confidence.

Yeah, in my above post I said I paid 3.29 today, but many gas stations here in western NC were out of fuel, so people will pay whatever as long as they can get some. I know I will be cutting down on my driving. My car needs premium gas!

 

[DK1]

Resistance training is the key to keeping any weight you lose off. Even if you stop the cardio after you've lost weight, the muscle mass will keep you lean for a few months. Also, I found that the greatest advice I got that helped me lose all the college weight (thirty lbs in my case) was to not eat carbs five hours before going to sleep, and not to eat anything two or three hours before going to sleep. Definitely change up the cardio in your workouts to maximize the calorie burn. Or if you can't stand lifting weights, take two yoga classes a week to supplement your cardio.

Also, has anyone tried Clinique's City Block SPF 30? I tend to have oily skin, but this sunblock for the face has never made me break out, and it's very slightly tinted so you don't have to put on powder/foundation. It might be more like $15 for a tube, but it lasts a very long time.

Isn't it amazing how much diet affects your weight vs. exercise? And how much your basal metabolism works? For example, if you run at a normal pace for one straight hour (SIX MILES!) you only burn 600 calories, which can quickly be regained by eating a Starbucks Egg Salad Sandwich with wheat bread. Running that far makes me hungry all day long....

 

[tigress]

Tigress--I'm glad to hear that there's another woman on here as "girly challanged" as I am! 😀 Everytime I go to get a haircut and the hair dresser aks "so what do you do with your hair?" I always just sort of give a lame answer that trails off into... nothing. My friends are always trying to teach me but it seems like such a hassle. I just always ask for a haircut that looks okay without even blowdrying it! 😛

I don't own a blowdryer; never have!

I work out in the evenings. I can't make myself get up early, so I just gave up and accepted it. If I'm running I have to wait about 3 hours after eating, so I try to run as soon as I get home. If I"m doing the elliptical I still usually do before eating, but it's okay if I only wait like 30 minutes.

Gas here is still $2.70ish, like before. Funny we think that's "low", huh? Remember a few years back it was $0.99? We keep a log when we get gas and we can look back to those days. 😛 Anyway, parents in SC say prices have gone up above $3 and there are starting to be gas lines. They are on a pipeline from the Gulf Coast.

 

[N1DERL&]

I always ask for "a style that I can wash and wear". My friend thinks I'm dillusional, she swears to look good you have to put effort into it. I'm just too plain lazy 😀

Does anyone have tips for bacne? I noticed that I've been breaking out on my back this past summer. Besides just showering many times, I'm at a lost to what I should do.

Is running really hard on the knees? It is less impact if you're running say on a treadmill vs. sidewalk?

Mustangsally, yup let e know if you can't find it! 😛

 

[tigress]

Resistance training is the key to keeping any weight you lose off. Even if you stop the cardio after you've lost weight, the muscle mass will keep you lean for a few months. Also, I found that the greatest advice I got that helped me lose all the college weight (thirty lbs in my case) was to not eat carbs five hours before going to sleep, and not to eat anything two or three hours before going to sleep. Definitely change up the cardio in your workouts to maximize the calorie burn. Or if you can't stand lifting weights, take two yoga classes a week to supplement your cardio.

Isn't it amazing how much diet affects your weight vs. exercise? And how much your basal metabolism works? For example, if you run at a normal pace for one straight hour (SIX MILES!) you only burn 600 calories, which can quickly be regained by eating a Starbucks Egg Salad Sandwich with wheat bread. Running that far makes me hungry all day long....

I know a lot of people who say not to eat before sleeping. It's interesting. I just read a study that said that eating before sleeping actually has no effect on weight gain. Take two people who eat the exact same number of calories (with same nutritional breakdown) and have the same activity level, but one of them eats just before going to sleep, and they won't be any different. At least that's the theory. The main reason why people who eat at night gain weight is because they are actually adding additional calories to their normal intake. I don't know what's reality, that's just what the study said.

Also, as far as eating and exercising: the calories you burn during exercise barely matter, really, unless you're going and running 15 miles or something. It's the muscles you build that are important, and also by exercising you rev up your metabolism in general. So if you exercise, when you are just sitting still the rest of the day you are burning more calories. That doesn't mean that if you exercise you can just eat whatever you want and you will stil lose weight, of course. But personally I think adding exercise and keeping your diet the same is much more likely to make you lose weight than changing your diet but not exercising, unless you have an incredibly unhealthy diet to begin with or you start starving yourself (not healthy). And it's good to burn calories during exercise, too, but in the long run I don't think that's what makes the biggest difference.