I am a 28-year-old female. About 3 years ago, I was a lean, mean, fat burning machine. I had recently broke up with my ex and was determined to lose 10-20 pounds to show him what he was missing out on. I lost about 20 pounds in 5 months. I went from a size 9/10 to a size 4 and my body fat dropped by 12%. To everyone that is in a hurry to lose weight 20 pounds in 4 months sounds like a long time. But it wasn’t because I gained muscle and burned fat. I did this by following the USDA Food Pyramid and working out 4-5 times a week.

Two years ago, I found love and got lazy. In a year, I gained 10 of those pounds back. By year two, I gained all of it back. In an attempt to fit into my old clothes again, I tried everything. Mesotherapy, every diet pill mentioned in magazines and on TV, Ephedra, Clenbuterol, the lemonade diet that Beyonce did for Dreamgirls and the list goes on and on.

June of this year I decided to stop damaging my heart with Clenbuterol and Ephedra and go back to my old ways. I bought 3 workout DVDs that I alternate every week. I follow the food pyramid and try to substitute fruit with my sugar cravings. As of today, I have lost 10 of the pounds and my body is building muscle, tone, and definition.

The moral of the story is, you do not need a personal trainer or some fad diet. You MUST gradually change your lifestyle. None of the get fit and thin methods you read about work. I know because I spent at least $6,000 trying them all in the last 18 months. Go to Fitness magazine.com and read all of the free and motivational information on their site. My motivation came from their free “Virtual Me” feature that allows you to enter your current weight and characteristics and your goal weight. This feature allows you to view your body at your current weight and your goal weight side-by-side. Once you se these changes you will be motivated to look that way. At least I was. My best advice is for you to start out with low realistic goals, and then move on to the long ones. You know what they say, “good things come to those that wait”.

I hope this helps.

–helpppp

Don’t wait for Janet J. to reply to your requests here! She does not read these postings! Just find a diet and ex. program that works for you and do it!
(Hey, I’m preaching to myself here…after reading all your postings I’m ready to get with a program too!…need to lose 25 pounds.)

So, tell us WHAT you did for the hour of exercise? 25 minues max heart rate low impace aerobics so you did not increase your appetite? And was it more fres veg, frut, comlex carbs with fiber and a moderate protein portion you were eating? give us TWO different breakfasts, or lunches or dinner’s.

Thanks,
This is from someone who only looses weight doing aerobics regularly and sticking with the internal hunger cue and found WEIGHTWATCHER”s point counting as much fun as an AUDIT by the IRS.

Ciao!

HOWEVER I disagreed about how some people say that it’s easier for celebrities. I think being under that much pressure you stand up to it or buckle. Plus celebrities are under so much more temptations. I live in LA and there are a million fantastic 4 star restaurants and yummy hole in the wall places. If you are on a movie set they cater all the food! You are constantly attending parties (alcohol has so many hidden cals). I think there is a lot more temptation so the will power of a celebrity is amazing!

She also allowed herself to eat a desert or something like french fries once-a-week, on Sundays. She said she did tht to stay sane

I have a much smaller goal (10-15 pounds) but it’s my own fault that I haven’t motivated to do the exercise, or make the minor dietary adjustmants (I already eat pretty well, but could be better.)

I applaud Janet for her hard work. Jackson or not, she’s a self-made person who is not easy on herself. I say that not as a fan (since I wasn’t, initially), but as someone who had to learn about her from differing viewpoints for a documentary.