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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 5:57:37 PM | hey all, I'm 6'1" and 275lbs (last time I checked), I'm trying to lose 85lbs in 8 months and realy have no idea what to do, I'm gonna walk and drink more water/green tea but other then that, not quite sure where to go, I cant join a gym so that is out of the question, any idea's? I've always been fat so I know this isnt going to be easy lol. Thanks in advance  | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 6:38:10 PM | Don't beat yourself up too badly just yet. There are a lot of things that you can do to drop the weight but dedication and commitment are going to be your biggest challenge. It's easy to say you're going to do something, start doing it for a little while, and then become overwhelmed and eventually start to slack off.
But if you are genuinely serious about it, start by asking friends and colleagues that you know that work out regularly and get their input. Second, you should consult your physician before starting any type of weight loss program, either by yourself or assisted. Third, be prepared to change your diet drastically. Lots of vegetables, lean meats, fruits, a lot of water.
I'm not an expert but was in the same boat as you a couple of months ago. I had to lose 60 lbs. over a period of 3 months, since I was in the process of joining the Marines.
The one thing that really helped me out was going to the store and picking up a magazine of Men's Health or Muslce & Fitness. There are a lot of great exercise routines in these magazines as well as dieting suggestions that got me to where I am today.
I hope this helps a little bit. but if you're still stuck on where to start or want a diet plan/exercise regime, let me know and I'll try to help you out.
~Drew | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 6:57:03 PM | 85 pounds is probably not realistic in 8 months...not sure what the timeline is for.. I think before anything you should figure out why you got heavy and fix those problems....
I lost close to 80 pounds over the last year after having pituitary problems....so the actual losing of the weight is not really a problem for somebody that is healthy physically and emotionally....all you have to be motivated and be able to google "how do I lose weight".
Sure, going out to walk an hour a day to start out would be good and cutting out empty calories from your diet would be a great start.....some weights and even pushups to add muscle or else you will eventually plateau since even healthy weight loss will include some muscle...
If you really want the most results.....300 minutes of cardio/week and 2-3 hours of resistance... | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 7:22:27 PM | Is it possible you can search craigslist and find a bench and some weights?
A jump rope. A large exercise ball - do some wall squats/abs/pushups/stretches
You can tie an exercise rope ( elastic ) to just about anything and work your arms/rotator cuffs.
If you can find some weights, a bench, an elastic exercise rope, large exercise ball and a regular jumping rope, you could be well on your way.
I found a weight bench and weights including barbell and clips for only $100 on craigslist. I got lucky, its a pretty nice set up for what I need.
Large exercise ball roughly $20
Jump rope roughly $10
Elastic rope roughly $15
You can find the above at any Big 5 store assuming you have one.
As far as *how* to do the exercises themselves, look on www.bodybuilding.com
Its packed full of articles and pictures that show how to do the exercises themselves.
Best part, its free.
The forum part of bb.com gets crazy. I wouldnt visit that part of the site unless you want to be overwhelmed with info. Just type in a search for : Abs or wall squats or whatever you like. Its all there. Stick to the main page and use the search feature.
As far as some solid cardio ANY movement that is raising your heartrate is a good start. A brisk walk, a jog , jumping rope etc.
All of this is worthless if you cant get your diet where it needs to be.
Doc Oz's * You staying Young * is a great book. The info is solid.
Theres a bagillion other books as well, check them out at the library or hit a barnes and noble.
Regarding diet, Just remember eat when you are hungry, make sure all those meals include lean high quality proteins and veggies, throw in some 100% whole wheat bread or tortillas, keep your simple sugars moderate.
On your off days of working out, Id keep the simple sugars low.
Good luck
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 7:41:35 PM | OP
That amount of weight is unrealistic and you will do more damage to your body than good.
Key things to know.
Adopt a lifestyle that you can live with for the rest of your life.
Understand that a healthy lifestyle is key to a healthy weight.
If you live healthy your body will take care of its self.
Healthy Lifestyle is:
70% What you eat. (broken down to what, how* and when you eat it, yep how can make a difference)
30% What you do. (exercise and getting a goods night sleep)
The best thing you can do for yourself is just live healthy and let the cards fall where they may.
Do not get to concerned with specifics of working out, do anything that raises your heart rate.
*insert food, put down fork and chew, then chew some more. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 9:07:27 PM | really depends on how much you want to spend.
there are lots of ways to lose weight. but you need to do it slow and with a check up from a doctor first to make sure there isnt medical problems.
good luck and email if you want more insight. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/24/2009 10:43:05 PM | I know a lot of people that have lost a great deal of weight by walking! You don't have to have a membership to a gym. The great outdoors are free! Walk EVERY day..... walk further and further. Don't drink soda's. Try to eat more proteins and fresh vegetables.
Eat slowly... put your fork down inbetween bites drink a large glass of water before you eat. Eat healthy snakes like almonds, fruit, sugar free jello. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 12:05:33 AM | I wanted to loose some weight and everytime I tried to diet I gained...so I took the word diet out and now I'm on a "modified eating plan". I've lost 12 lbs this past month and haven't exercised nor am I hungry. I have 20 more to go (my goal) so here it is.
I have a regular breakfast. oatmeal, egg, 1 piece of toast almond butter, 1/2 grapefruit, apple or berries coffee/tea, water
morning snack...1 whey protein drink, (whey protein & water) fruit apple, or handful of strawberries etc.
lunch 7-9 oz of chicken, turkey etc. Baked potatoe or other starch rice, pasta. Salad spinach, romaine with tomatoe, zuccinni, mushrooms, etc. olive oil/vinegar dressing.
desert piece of pie or fruit.
afternoon snack...1 whey protein drink, fruit
dinner (before 7pm) 7-oz of protein different than what you had at lunch. small salad & 1 cup (8oz) cooked veg. (1 glass of wine 6oz optional)
evening snack of air popped popcorn w/2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle spices for flavor or parmesan cheese.
Drink flavored water when thirsty. squeeze of orange, lemon, lime
eliminate table salt and use sea salt (pinkish grey) has more minerals
With this eating plan you have plenty of protein and veg. you'll be getting your calcium from the protein drinks
Your heaviest meal is at lunch time and that is when you would have your starches.
The object is to have a variety of flavors, textures & smells so you won't get bored.
And not to deny yourself of what you like eating. This is why you have your starches and desert at lunch time. If you want a piece of chocolate then replace with your lunch desert.
Protein powders come in different flavors choc, strawberry, vanilla...I will add my fruit and blend/freeze and have that for the afternoon snack or in place of ice cream.
If you wanted a slice of pizza or sandwhich etc. you would have this at your lunch meal and to make sure you have your protein and veg.
This is what I've been doing but you may want to check with a nutritionist.
My mom has lost close to 20lbs this past month she's eating more than she used to and she has been walking a couple of miles every day.
What ever you decide to do just make sure your eating enough so your body stays healthy. Anerobic exercise will help burn fat. Keeping yourself hydrated helps with the elimination process. I hope some of this info helps. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 2:43:09 AM |
That amount of weight is unrealistic and you will do more damage to your body than good.
Why is that so unrealistic? That equals ten pounds every month, which is not too much. Two pounds a week is not unhealthy, and that would be eight pounds a month. Two pounds and a few ounces a week certainly isn't going to harm him.
When people have lots of weight to lose, their bodies tend to let go of it easily when it's fed right and exercised. He may lose more than ten pounds the first month, but that doesn't mean that he's harming himself if he's eating properly. It just means he's overweight, and his body is ready to let it go.
I think it's a decent timeline, OP. I would be careful to use it for motivation, though, and not to feel too bad if you lose less than that.
OT: Use your search engine, and look up some diets. The best diet is one where you lose weight, and that you can stick to forever. Change your eating habits for life, not just for the time you want to lose. The poster who recommeded Dr. Oz's book was right. The information is solid, and you will find some good tips in there. But basically, lean protein, get five to ten servings of veggies, some fruit, and stick to whole grains. Stop eating anything white, including sugar and bread, and shop only in the outer aisles of the grocery store.
Good luck. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 6:30:41 AM | crazy4mars is spot on about the "diet" side of it...Diet modification is the key and I suspect for some it can be a huge part of the program....Somebody posted recently that they were drinking 6 regular sodas a day....just start a back of an envelope calculation and start cutting things out...800 calories a day of empty calories is huge when a pound of fat is 3500 calories...
And yeah, I think it is unrealistic...It makes so little sense to me when people talk about being 80-100 pounds overweight and suddenly want to lose it quickly despite the habits that got them there....Where is the middle ground with people anyway....wouldnt just getting healthy and aim for a pound a week and even losing 10% of your body weight...Reach that goal and be motivated to do more...etc. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 6:52:37 AM | Capricious Jane has it right.
The heavier a person is - the easier it is for them to lose fat -- quicker than someone who has been dieting for a period of time.
Their bodies are primed to let go of excess fat.
The first to go will be water weight, that can be a good 5 pounds. At least
The heavier a person is the better their thyroid and metabolism probably is, opposed to someone, again, who has been dieting for a period of time.
Believe it.
To say the Op could shed 15 pounds in 1 month is NOT unrealistic.
Again, some of that initial loss will be water weight. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 7:01:40 AM |
OP
That amount of weight is unrealistic and you will do more damage to your body than good.
Key things to know.
Adopt a lifestyle that you can live with for the rest of your life.
Understand that a healthy lifestyle is key to a healthy weight.
If you live healthy your body will take care of its self.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'll throw out a number here and I'd be surprised if I'm that far off when I say that 90% of weight-loss efforts fail in the long run because people set unrealistic goals and approach weight-loss as a project rather than a lifetime commitment to change.
Do what you want, but if you really want to succeed then re-read JB III's post and first, let it sink in and then second, work toward doing what he's posted. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 8:36:09 AM | | Weight loss is seldom linear. The more you have to lose, the quicker the loss at the outset. It usually slows down the closer you get to your goal. I think the OP's goals are just fine, he'll be able to tweak them as he sees fit. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 9:28:17 AM | I'll just add this from the mayoclinic.com article titled "Weight loss: 6 strategies for success":
3. Set a realistic goal
When you're considering what to expect from your new eating and exercise plan, be realistic. Healthy weight loss occurs slowly and steadily. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. To do this, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a low-calorie diet and regular exercise.
Make your goals "process goals," such as exercising regularly, rather than "outcome goals," such as losing 50 pounds (23 kilograms). Changing your process — your habits — is the key to weight loss. Make sure that your process goals are realistic, specific and measurable, for example, you'll walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Ignoring for a moment the article's recommendation NOT TO SET AN OUTCOME GOAL, using their guideline of 1 to 2 lbs a week loss would result in a realistic goal of anywhere from 32 lbs to 64 lbs over an 8 month period. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 9:23:36 PM | OP, coastergal and Jumbie are spot on about what you need to do.
Your biggest problem is needing to change your behavior. And if the mountain won't come to OP, then OP must go to the mountain. Get out and walk. At your weight trying to go out and run will result in some injuries you don't want. Walk it off. It is something you can do into your 90's.
Then you need to modify your diet - diet just a word referring to what you eat over all, not something you have to do to lose weight. Modifying your diet is not just about reducing the number of calories, it is about modifying the types of foods that provide the calories. Stay away from fad plans. I'm not a fan, actually oppposed to plans, that restrict carbs drastically. What you need to do is bolster complex carbs and avoid simple carbs like sugars. I like honey, not a complex carb, what can I say.
Some say to avoid any white carbs, like white rice, white potatoes, etc. I'm not so strict, but limit what you put on them if you want to lose weight. A potato ain't so bad in itself, but you load it down with butter, sour cream, etc and you''ve got a heart attack on a platter. Likewise with spuds.
Oh, one other thing, which I find hard to do, that you can do it eat more: eat more often, but eat less each time. Once you get use to that routine, say 5-6 small meals a day, 300-500 cal/meal, your gut stays more evenly full and you may be able to feel more sated through out the day.
TK
{remembers the days of thunder thighs} | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/25/2009 11:05:07 PM | Ask your body to show you what food it NEEDS in your mind like a mental picture or smell or something you can relate to - don't eat until you know what you need
eat that
You can be overweight AND malnourished from not eating what your body really needs - hence the imbalance and sometimes unsatisfiable hunger
your body keeps telling you you need something but you are not giving it what it needs
also take high quality multivitamins or eat superfoods - ask at a health food store or google
it
avoid white flour and sugar - you don't need it
works for me
good luck | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/26/2009 12:03:27 AM | i eat 5-9 fruits/veggies a day
i drink plenty of water
i stay away from refined sugar (evil...it goes right to the gut)
actually, i stay away from all processed foods
fish is great (smoke salmon..yum....and sushi..delicious!!)
and i'm a walker...also i do yoga and tai chi (stretching is wonderful)...once you start eating healthy and walking you'll feel better (at least i do)...now i wonder, how did i ever eat the crap that i did (when i felt horrible about myself!!!!)
and OP...in the beginning...take it nice and easy...be gentle with yourself...each small positive change you make will begin to add up...
and know...you can and will do it!!!
~rosie | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/26/2009 1:40:52 AM | I've lost about 40 pounds so far, since the beginning of November, just by counting calories and changing my eating habits.
Here's a couple articles that sum up what I've been doing:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/HQ01625
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calories/WT00011
Here's a calorie calculator that tells you how many calories you burn in a day:
http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm
Basically, I try to eat fewer calories than my body naturally burns in a day. Most sites recommend 500 to 700, depending on the person. Too low and your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism shuts down and you quit burning calories.
I keep track of everything I eat, and read the nutrition labels. It's kind of a pain (just a bit), but it sure beats the hell out of being fat, sick all the time, or worse! I wish I'd started doing this years ago!
No, I'm not starving myself. For some reason nobody believes that. I'm eating as much as I ever did. I'm just eating less of some stuff and more of other stuff.
I haven't started any exercise program, either. But I am slightly more active, doing fun things (because if it sucks, I won't stick to it).
Here's some tips:
* Talk to your doctor before you do anything else.
* READ THE LABELS! You'll be surprised, again and again and again.
* Don't assume ANYTHING. Look it up. Get the facts from credible sources.
* Pay attention to everything you're eating. One study said that keeping a diary is the most common aspect of most successful weight loss programs.
* Eat 4 or 5 smaller meals a day, to avoid being hungry.
* Go slow and be patient. You don't want to burn out and quit.
* Take smaller portions of high calorie stuff and bigger portions of low calorie food.
* If you get hungry, just remember you're going to eat again soon.
* Make changes you can live with. If it sucks too bad, you won't stick to it.
* Don't deny yourself anything. You'll only want it more.
* Don't keep problem foods in the house. Go out and get them when you want them.
* Plan what you're going to eat ahead of time.
* Plan ahead for special occasions, and then enjoy them.
* It's not pass or fail. If you have a bad day, no biggie.
* You don't have to be perfect.
* You don't have to be an expert.
* Stay focused on the positives: your accomplishments and goals. Don't let the negatives stop you. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/27/2009 1:25:50 AM | I'm no expert but I've lost 40 pounds over the last year- I weigh about 190 now. To lose a pound you have to reduce or burn 3500 calories, that's 500 calories per day. You want to lose 2.5 pounds per week, so you have to reduce by 1250 calories per day. You need to start walking every day. Start at 20 to 30 mins a day for a few weeks then go up to 45 mins at 4 to 5 mph. Stop drinking soft drinks and beer- drink water, diet soda or low cal less than 25 cal per serving. Stop sweets, chips and snacks. Of course you're going to cheat, but you can't do it often the calories add up fast. If you cheat and go to fast food get a medium size meal instead of large- you save calories on the drink and fries. If you go to the fish or chicken joint get a medium 2 or 3 piece instead of the 4 piece- cut back at least ones size from what you normally eat. You got to count the calories and reduce by 1250 per day.
A good healthy diet to follow is the "Exchange List Diet" it was created by the American Dietetic Association its aslo called a Diabetic diet but its a good diet for anyone- it give 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fat. Its hard to find in complete form on the net. Here's a site about it, print it out and "study" it.
http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/exchanges.pdf
If you start walking every day, you can probably lose 2.5 pounds per week on 2500 calories per day for quite a while. As you lose weight though, you're going to need fewer calories so you're going to have to lower daily calories or increase you exercise.
I can't find a 2500 calorie meal plan for the Exchange List Diet but here's a 2000 calorie.
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/2000cal_menu.pdf
If you drink 2% milk (most guys don't like 1%) and make these changes it goes up to 2500 cals. Breakfast add 1 fruit, Lunch add 1 bread & 1 veg, Dinner add 1 meat & remove 1 fat, snack add 1 bread, and create another snack of 1 bread & 2 fruits. If you leave off snack 2 it becomes about 2300 calories.
Hope this helps!
Anybody else interested in the exchange list diet here's links to other meal plans.
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/1200cal_menu.pdf
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/1500cal_menu.pdf
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/1800cal_menu.pdf
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/2000cal_menu.pdf
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/27/2009 1:49:34 AM | Hello, Try the cambridge Diet, it really does work,..
It consists of having a shake in the morning, either a shake or soup for lunch and the same for the evening meal.
Check out the Cambridge diet on the internet and it will show you where your local agent is.. x | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/27/2009 6:57:44 AM | Stay consistent! Slowly start cutting out out sugary drinks, sugary food, junk food. Start eating more fruits, vegies, grilled chicken, fish, egg whites. dont worry about how much of that you eat. your first goal should be get your body used to being without junk food.
Just by walking and cutting out sugary stuff, you should lose at least 15 pounds in 2 months. Baby steps! | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/28/2009 4:05:40 AM | | I know this does not work for all, but for me, adding psyllium fiber to my "power" drink in the blender morning and evening helps, along with drinking a lot of water and green tea during the day. It helps because I feel less hungry less often. | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/28/2009 9:30:16 AM | Buy a bike, and walk or bike all distances your comfortable with that you'd normally hop in your car and drive. Have an urge to mow down some greasy food? ride your bike to go get it.
It basically comes down to not eating more than your burning, your diet itself has little to do with how much you weigh. Best way to go about loosing is replacing all the junk food in your diet with a healthy tasty alternative. Think fruit smoothie not can of pop, ground buffalo meat instead of cow meat, exchanging that deep fried goodie for a baked goodie... Gobble some fruits instead of a bunch of sweets for quick energy.
Keep an open mind to healtheir alternatives and if possble ride your bike to go buy them, a whole bunch of tiny little changes in habits adds up if you keep the balance
Protein at breakfast to stave off hungar for active part of your days, humans are animals that have eaten meat for millions of years, protein has something to do with brain chemicals and your minds measure of how full you are.
If all else fails... Spend a winter working in northern Canada, you could eat whale blubber all winter and you'll come up with a weight loss,lol | |
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| trying to lose weight, any help appreciated :D
Posted: 4/28/2009 10:48:44 AM | well darling i dont feel like reading all the other replies so i will just post what i know.
i dont know how many calories you are intaking a day but i do know that you should probably cut it by atleast 500.
i work at a gym so trust me i always ask the trainers for helpful tips. they told me that you need to be eating 5-6 meals a day. around 300 calories a meal. you might need to up that though to start. it may seem like a lot eating 5-6 meals a day but it actually speeds UP your metabolism. your body is never supposed to feel hungry because if it does then it is entering starvation mode. meaning when you DO eat it will store everything you eat as fat!!!!!
you need to alternate cardio with strength training. veryy important. i try to do about an hour of cardio 3 times a week. an hour of strength 2 times a week. doing strength training helps you burn your fat and helps build muscle. the strength training helps you burn more even when you arent working out. cardio burns the calories. you may want to start out with 15 minutes or a half hour so you dont kill yourself if youre not used to working out.
you dont need to go to a gym to workout. ride a bike, swim, take a walk, hike, do jumping jacks. i know they have some exercise programs ondemand on tv. as for strength you can do dips with a chair, pushups, get some dumbbells from like target and start off with them, crunches, etc.
theres this site.. caloriecount.about.com you type in what you eat and what exercises you do and it monitors how many calories you eat and burn a day. there are also forums on there that can help you and answer any of your questions
if you reallly want to lose the weight you need to monitor what you eat aaaaaaand exercise!!!
dont do any fad diets and dont starve yourself--it will only make it worse!! | |
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