Stretch Marks & Loose Skin

Lets face it, the bigger you are and the more weight you stand to lose, the greater chance you have of incurring at least ONE of these problems. Having lost 90lbs originally with the intention of losing 50 more, I was deeply worried about the possibility of loose skin. I took to the internet and did what I always do to prevent loose skin from happening and to diminish the appearance of my stretch marks. 

Stretchmarks

At 290lbs, I don't believe there was a way I could avoid having stretch marks. Maybe if I knew to take precaution before they appeared but I didn't so here I am. While researching what could be done to reduce the appearance of stretchmarks (there is no way to get rid of them completely unless the skin is cut and removed) I found a nifty little product called a "Derma Roller"

 I purchased one fairly cheap on ebay (I forgot how much) and watched a youtube video on how the process was done. WARNING: If you are NOT a big fan of needles, this may be a hard regimen for you to stick to. I have slacked off entirely myself but as I am losing more weight, I will definitely be getting back on track with this. After I complete the dermaroll process, I clean my skin with a wet washcloth. Depending on how hard you press the needles into your skin, you may or may not see blood. My stretchmarks aren't very deep so thankfully I have never seen blood. Since this process is semi-invasive, I recommend cleaning the skin with alcohol prior to starting the process. Once the skin is wiped clean, I apply a stretch mark cream. The dermaroller is great for helping the cream to penetrate the skin to reach the problem area more effectively. This allows the cream to help increase collagen in the skin to fill in the gaps where the skin has torn.

Loose Skin

Unfortunately I've noticed the presence of loose skin on my thighs *deep sigh* but I won't accept that there is nothing that can be done about it. I still have a ways to go so hopefully all is not lost. While researching ways to prevent loose skin, I came across the process of dry skin brushing. It's a fairly simple process that isn't very time consuming. A simple 5 minutes before your daily shower is all it takes. You could even add in a session before bed. To prevent this post from being extremely too long, you can see how to do the process HERE. 

I purchased a natural bristle brush with a detachable head (just like this one) from my local pharmacy for under $10. It is important that it is a natural bristle brush as anything else will be too hard on the skin. 

Dry brushing helps remove dead skin cells faster so that new ones could be formed thus strengthening skins elasticity and tightens it. Another benefit is the reduction of cellulite. 

 Another extremely beneficial addition for the prevention of loose skin is MSM supplements. MSM comes in many different forms which makes it easy to incorporate into your regimen. You could take it in pill form (I do). You could use the soap or topical lotion or even the cream (I do). They even have a powder. I don't use that one so I'm not sure what you do with it...maybe add it to shakes?  MSM detoxifies the body and increases blood circulation. The sulfur in MSM is responsible for the flexibility and elasticity of skin. An added benefit is that it aids in healthy hair, skin and nails!

Checking In....

Hey guys, I know I missed a check-in last week buuuuut that is because I am annoyed with my results. I gained .2 lbs and that week, I was pretty darn good. I worked out 3x that week and stayed within my guidelines so I was disappointed, frustrated and hella annoyed to say the least. Idk what to do at this point...I am obviously not going to give up on my journey but something has to give. I think I just need to face the fact that low carbing is the only thing that works for me. That's a hard pill to swallow because it is quite difficult being so restricted all the time. *sigh*....maybe I just need to carb cycle and actually DO it. I say I am going to cycle and I end up staying at the same levels and then falling off so this time I'm gonna give it a TRUE effort to adjust my levels. Starting today I'm staying below 40-50 and by the weekend I'll allow myself to have 80-90 and hope the scale moves in the right direction....well, thats all for now. 

Bi-Weekly Weigh-In #1

So the time came again for me to step on the scale...I didn't do it. I've been bloated since yesterday and low and behold my menstrual is coming. So, rather than get discouraged over water weight gain, I opted out. All is not lost though, I snuck and weighed myself a few days ago and I was down 3.6lbs! So happy to have not been in a stall. I more than likely won't wait another 2 weeks to weigh myself, will probably update you guys 3-4 days after my monthly goes away...

RECAP:

I did GREAT. I stayed within 1200-1500 cals, most days I'd only go over 1200 slightly. Stayed under 100 grams of carbs and kept up with my 4 workouts a week. I went to the movies with my bestie as I told her I didn't want to drink this weekend as I felt it was hindering my losses. I am VERY proud of myself and although I have only lost a little over 9lbs since I started a month ago, I am noticing BIG changes in my body so screw the scale and her wishy-washy ways!

FAIL

I was craving french fries so I decided to make the healthy version, sweet potato fries however the fries came out more like baked potato sticks. They were borderline mashed potatoes but were very good so I got the thought to make mashed sweet potatoes some time in the near future. On a shopping trip I discovered an instant mashed potato mix by Betty Crocker and got excited that I didn't have to do the extra work of peeling, boiling and mashing the potatoes and I can instead just add water!

I made turkey chops breaded with Parmesan Shake & Bake and corn and I thought I would love this with mashed potatoes so I decided now was as good a time as any to try my new discovery. It was a complete and utter FAIL! They were waaaaay too sweet! Like I was eating mashed yams as opposed to sweet potatoes. I couldn't even eat them, they didn't go right with the meal. I may make them again when I need a yam substitute, like with my low carb mock-a-phony and cheese but other than that, they'll remain in the cubbard.

Some of My Meals

 Fat free turkey & cheese on a low carb wrap with a side of red hot chips. Chips were only 120 cals and 10 grams of carbs.

 Salsa chicken with brown rice and corn.

Baked lemon-pepper tilapia with brown rice and green beans.

*My "movie" look. I LOVED Twilight: Breaking Dawn!!!

Quickies...

No, not the kind Miguel sings about (you dirty minded folk). I'm talking about QUICK but EFFECTIVE workouts! When I'm counseling people who solicit my opinion on weight loss, one of their main concerns are finding time to workout. They have a number of responsibilities and they feel like there's just no spare time. In addition, after their long day, they are exhausted and simply cant find the strength to workout for 30-60 minutes. I understand. I work at 7 am and would LOVE to squeeze in a nap before my 3 hour class at night but duty calls and if I want to accomplish my goals I have to WORK for them. So on the days I have class I will usually pop in a Jillian Michaels DVD and get to work for 20-25 minutes and THEN rest. However, I am aware that not everyone owns a workout DVD so this post should help a LOT of you guys out (thank me later). For optimum results, do one a day. For BETTER results, do 2 a day.