Stalling……

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  • posted by SunnyB
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    Think we probably all have a stubborn area somewhere – mine is back fat under the shoulder blades. I should be wearing a size 32 bra now, but the resulting splurge over the top at the back if I do, is very unsightly!

  • posted by Squidge
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    I’m guessing the problem is at least partly that some areas are harder to exercise and tone up than others. Also if we lose an inch of fat all over, that will show far more on some areas than others and could actually make problem areas relatively bigger, even though they’ve actually shrunk.

  • posted by alliecat
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    I understand those “back issues” too, Sunny, and the only solution is a larger bra band. One with 3 sets of
    hooks seems to work better than 2, also! I don’t think it’s back fat though, but loose skin that spills over, in
    my case 🙂
    Luv, sometimes that below the navel ledge persists, inspite of significant weight loss. I used to have an 11″
    differential between waist and hips. I’m the identical weight today, but the differential is now 7″! I’m most
    comfortable in tunics, and J Jill always has a large selection. Have a look!

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Thanks for the advice Allie, I’m experimenting with bra band sizes, cup sizes and styles at the moment. Sadly, I think my overspill is fat rather than excess skin, but in most things I wear, I don’t think it’s too eye catching – hopefully!

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    SunnyB, I have never done this myself but I have seen so many fashion shows on TV that say one of the biggest mistakes women are making is that somewhere like 60% of them are wearing the wrong bra size. They highly recommend if you have changed weight to get a professional bra fitting at one of the better department stores. You may end up needing to buy one or two “better” bras, but then can buy further ones at less expensive options. I may treat myself to this once I get at/close to my final weight (hoping that is one place I hang on to some of the “growth” from my weight gain. If not, a few bandaids may be sufficient). For one who has always carried most of my weight in my hips and not so much on top, “everything has gone pear shaped” is not one of my favorite of the Brit sayings. I take it too personally (LOL).

  • posted by alliecat
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    I KNOW what you mean LTC! I HAVE HAD that professional fitting, and the results are AA. Am I 12 years old???

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    Allie, bummer. Those letters look all too familiar to me. Was hoping NOT to go back there. Oh well. If that is what it takes so be it. Funny you should mention JJill. Sweater ordered on sale from there just arrived today. I don’t have many winter tunics, but my spring/summer closet is FILLED with them. Anything that “drives on by, and keeps going” past my problem areas is my friend. The tunic and I are well aquainted. Have my eye on a lovely white 3/4 sleeve crisp white shirt from Foxcroft that will be one of my celebration purchases once I get “there”. Too pricy to be a transition piece. Will just have to wait on that one.

  • posted by VictoriaM
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    Hi all, the discussion of where we loose weight and AA cups made me smile. I’m E hoping to get down to DD, and would love to loose some there, but I never do! However, the positive is that it’s more important to loose it from my stomach and that’s what seems to be happening.
    Health over fashion I guess!

  • posted by alliecat
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    Happy that you’re amused, Victoria! We get the genetic hand that we’re dealt, don’t we?? You are apparantly
    one of those ladies destined to stop traffic 🙂 You are right, though; health over fashion! Being 5’7″ and shaped
    like a coat hanger, anything and everything looks great on me. It’s good to hear from you! Stay in touch…

    Allie

  • posted by marie123
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    Hi Luvtcook
    You’ve got my total sympathy. Me too. I have lost 63lbs total so far, 46lbs of which has been while on the BSD. Like you, JGwen and Mariet, I’ve lost from all sorts of places – arms, wrists, feet, midriff – but my waist and pot belly seem to be going down oh so very slowly.
    I’ve just been congratulating Sarah_500 for losing 5” from her waist in less than 8 weeks – that’s a great result. I know others have had similar successes. I started BSD at the beginning of August and have only just (Feb) managed to lose 6 inches from my waist (and 2 of those have been in the last few weeks). But, the inches are going even if it’s very, very gradually, so I’m thrilled with that.
    My pot belly is still stubbornly there, too. But unlike you, I’ve always stored fat around my belly. Like JGwen, I’ve also read a few maintainers saying it was the last place from where they lost the fat. So I think there’s still time for us. Here’s hoping.

  • posted by Mariet
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    I’ve just had the professional bra fitting and the lady was adamant that I should wear a 34b. She got me some with a flourish but no, my back spilled out most unattractively. So she ate her words and I’m in 36c which is what I’ve worn most of my adult life. That’s cool as far as I’m concerned, a year or so ago I needed 40e which looked overwhelming at 5’2”.

  • posted by Gattina
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    I’m enjoying your conversation about pit bellies 😀 This is week 8 for me and so far the weight loss has been fairly even. I’ll keep a closer eye on my pot belly from now on😉

  • posted by Verano
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    I find when it comes to bras that one size up on a tighter hook looks better than my actual size on the loosest hook. Don’t know why but that way there is no over spill.

  • posted by JGwen
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    I think the pot belly may be exercise related. My arms and legs get a work out every day just doing the normal daily chores, but probably not so much the muscles that would make up my six pack area. – I think the phrase they use is strengthening the core. So maybe time to research that a bit more. –
    Maybe I should be worried about how my bum has shrunk and not my belly, am I spending too much time sitting around?

  • posted by JackieM
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    JGwen @- if you are spending too much time sitting around, with your workload, we are all doomed! Your core is probably pretty strong with all the bending lifting etc.

    A while back (like September maybe) I gave Esnecca some abs exercises that my PT does with me, they are vile but might help. Not sure how to find them though. In search maybe?

  • posted by alliecat
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    Oh yes, Jackie…the reverse sit-up/crunches! I’m just starting “planks” JGwen. How about giving
    them a try?

  • posted by marie123
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    Oh thanks all – I’ve been thinking I need to change up my exercise from a more general programme (which I do on my exercise on referral programme) to include some more targeted exercises. I remember when you posted those exercises, Jackie, I’ll search them out, and your post on the plank, too, Allie.

    Btw, I do like a nice white, crisp shirt and I particularly like 3/4 length sleeves so I’m off to browse at Foxcroft.

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi JackieM Sadly my core isn’t as robust as I would like, I have been trying to work out how heavy my spare tyre is, there’s at least one maybe two stone there to loose.

    I suppose if we are being logical we should expect the inch loss pattern to be different with this eating plan to standard dieting. We are setting up our bodies to burn fat where as a standard diet wouldn’t put us in fat burning mode. So if we are going to understand the way of getting targeting areas of fat we maybe need to look at research on the order in which the body burns fat reserves.

    For example the ‘marbling’ in a joint of meat (Which are the threads of fat within the muscle) comes from sugar in the animals diet and reduces within a couple of months of sugar levels dropping. Its reasonable to presume that the same applies in our bodies, so our initial weight loss when we go on a low carb diet will involve the reduction on these fat stores.

    I found this article interesting http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/targeted-fat-loss-myth-or-reality/ it hadn’t occurred to me but of course studying the weight loss patterns with a form of exercise like tennis which would exercise one arm more than the other would illustrate if fat is used from the local muscles first. – It isn’t. So the bottom line is exercising doesn’t control where the fat is burnt from, just speeds up the process of burning off the fat stores. Which sort of makes sense as the fat has to be converted by the liver.

    So I guess its just lots more KOKO, to get rid of this belly.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Thanks for all the bra suggestions. I’m sort of working with Verano’s solution at the moment. I know that most women are wearing the wrong bra size and I’m certainly one of them, but I did have a professional fitting a few years ago, when I was heavier and a generous 14/16 dress size. The professional ‘prescribed’ 32E’s – well the 32 band was so painful to wear, I gave them away – one of them never even having been put on! I’m scared that if I get re-measured now, the verdict will be 30 something and I’ll feel like my ribcage is being crushed!

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi JackieM, I tried to search for a previous post from you mentioning exercise, but couldn’t find one which described some exercises for the pot belly.

    I believe that I heard somewhere that the actor who plays Wolverine uses this style of diet plan plus exercise to get in shape for the films. – Could be a reason to have a few inspiring photos on the fridge 🙂 – however, he probably gets a support from a range of experts and is focused on just preparing for the role for some months before each film so it will not be easy for us mere mortals to do the same.

  • posted by alliecat
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    JGwen, the thread that you’re lookinjg for is entitled “2017 mini goals..what are yours”

  • posted by Flick
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    Just to add, a very fit and trim middle aged friend told me one trick she uses when desk bound (or watching tv) is static muscle tension. Basically you just hold your abs in whenever you think of it. Try sort of pulling from both the spine and the front. This is also good when just walking about and I find helps a lot when I’m carrying a pack bushwalking.

    Bras are the still the bain of my life. i tried a few sports bras but still no joy

  • posted by JGwen
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    Thanks for the name of the thread Alliecat. It seems that the search option on the website limits the results to posts less than a year old, so the only post that shows when I search on that thread is your post. – I will have to search through the forums to find the thread, do you happen to know which forum it was on?

  • posted by alliecat
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    JGwen, just click on forums, then all recent topics. Scroll down to page 5. The thread you are looking for is on
    that page.

  • posted by Gattina
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    I had a professional bra fitting once – years ago. The band size was right but I was told I should be wearing a H cup. I was wearing a DD at the time. I tried on the H and it was so big I could fit about 6 of me into it. The saleswoman kept getting me the next size down and asked if I was putting all of myself in. I can’t imagine where she thought I was leaving half my boobs…
    When we came to the DD and it fit perfectly! Hmmm…

  • posted by rubyred
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    Could someone please explain what ketosis is ? And ketone sticks? Is this something I should get and how do you use them?
    Sometimes I’m not sure what all the abbreviations mean…..I think I’m a bit slow to catch on!!
    I have finished week 8 for R1 and have lost 19 lbs, so am really pleased. My hubby has lost 3lbs short of 3 stone, which he is delighted about.
    We plan to continue for 2 more weeks on the 800 calorie diet until I leave for Washington. I hope to be a few lbs under 13 stone to give myself some wriggle room while I’m away. I know that’ll be a challenge…then I will have 1.5 stone to lose when I get back.

    I find everyone’s contributions on this forum really helpful – we all have such different experiences, but I have found that it’s so important to trust the process…..in the beginning I didn’t believe that I would lose more than 10% of my body weight because I am such a slow loser generally – but in the end, it happened!!

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Hi rubyred – ketosis is the state in which the body is burning fats for energy, rather than using carbohydrate, so yes, on the BSD it is quite a desirable state. Ketone sticks measure the level on ketones in your urine, which indicates that you are in ketosis. This can be done just by holding a stick in the stream of urine, or you can take a sample in a clean container and then dip the stick. The ones I use take 40 secs to ‘develop’, but some take a shorter or longer time, so instructions need to be read. Hope that clarifies things a little.

    It is not necessary to use ketone sticks – not sure if anyone else on the forum uses them. However I have found when I am away from home and unable to weigh myself, having the ketone sticks and a ‘control’ garment (by which I mean a garment that fits comfortably and I can use to check it’s not getting uncomfortably tight) helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. Not sure anyone else uses this approach, but do whatever you feel is right for you while you are away.

    You have done a great job so far. Like you I am a slow loser, so know it feels fantastic when you can see results you never though possible. Keep on keeping on and you will be even lighter by the time you head off to the States.

  • posted by rubyred
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    Thanks, SunnyB

    So, do you buy those ketone sticks from the chemist and presumably the instructions tell you what the colour changes mean?
    That’s a helpful tip re the piece of clothing as a measure….will try that.

    Thanks for responding.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    To be honest, I don’t know if you can purchase from a chemist. I buy my sticks from amazon and have found that the Mission brand seem to give the most consistent results, but there are other brands available too. There is a sheet of instructions in the box and then on the tub, there is a coloured label showing the result range, but basically the darker the colour change (pale pink for low level through to dark purple for high level) the more ketones found.

    I usually use a pair of cropped trousers that fit comfortably, as any gain on me usually shows in the waist and lower portions, so they make a good indicator if the pounds start to creep back. This gives me a chance to have a couple of stringent days to pull things back a bit.

    Hope this helps.

  • posted by Joes Nonna
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    I bought mine from Amazon and I have never had a positive result. Maybe I never go into ketosis. I have fasted for 48 hours after fasting for 24 hours concurrently.
    Sorry I can’t help further.
    Nonna Mary

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    Mary, I do test myself periodically for blood ketones and find that I get very low readings until I have been very low carb for about 3 days. Then I will see readings of about 1.0 until after midday, then if staying very low carb I finally see readings rise to 1.7 – 2.2. But it takes 3 days of 20g and under to get that.

    The urine sticks and not as sensitive and you get more of an average of what you have been doing the last few hours as long as you have been very low carb for several days first. Any tinge of pink shows you are at least buring some fat. More of a raspberry color means good solid fat burning. The high end (purples) are only seen in Type 1 diabetics getting into the danger area with keto acidosis.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    The brand used matters, I have had others from amazon that were useless, but as I said I’ve found the Mission ones to be reliable. Also bear in mind that if you are drinking heaps and flushing the system, the level of ketones available in the urine will be lower due to the level of dilution.

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