All Jayme

Skinny me and the real slimming strategy that works

Can you believe I was this thin?

This photo was taken at the height of my crazy dieting and slimming days.

I had gotten complacent about my weight and gym workouts then that I felt like a huge balloon. So I resorted to a quick fix that most women probably turn to in desperation: diet pills.

I’ve heard of Ballerina, 7 Days, and the more popular Xenical. When I researched online, there were a host of other diet pills and appetite suppressants: Hoodia, Akavar and Bangkok pills.

Among the dizzying lists of pills promising to magically melt away your fats, I’ve tried only two: 7 Days and Xenical.

Did they work?

Let’s just say after trying both consecutively, I became stick thin. As thin as I was in that photo above.

Would I recommend you to use them?

Let’s just say I wouldn’t take any of those pills again.

The effects of diet pills and suppressants vary from person to person. I guess in my case, it worked. And unlike most women who complain of side effects like nausea, weakness and vomiting, I was one of the lucky ones who experienced very little side effects and just a little bit of discomfort.

With 7 Days, I was always thirsty and dry. With Xenical, I was always carrying packs of wet tissues and extra underwear. (If you’ve taken Xenical, you know what I mean.)

You could say it worked really well for me but, eventually, I felt that it was not the kind of thin I wanted. When I look at my pictures now, I realize that then I looked so dry, deprived and well…dry. I was thin but I wasn’t eating anything. I ate once in awhile but it was mostly unhealthy food.

The worst part after I stopped taking the pills, my fats and flabs slowly found their way back to my body’s every nook and cranny.

What can I expect, it was the artificial kind of thin.

The only real slimming strategy that works? Exercise.

I can hear some of you groaning. But whether you like it or not, it’s the most surefire way to achieve the healthy kind of thin.

The radiantly beautiful slim.

The super fabulous skinny.

Of course, there’s always surgery and all other kinds of cosmetic procedures. But I think nothing beats the glow that radiates from a healthy body.

I know it’s not the easiest thing to do. I’ve tried going to the gym, Bikram Yoga, boxing and Hip Hop Abs. And though I did see and feel some results for each one, my “instant - gratification - addicted - self” still found it really frustrating most of the time.

I haven’t been persistent enough with each one to really see dramatic results but it was only when I did a physical workout that I felt really good about myself.

The quick fixes I tried made me happy initially but, just like its results, it was the artificial kind of happiness that faded away once you’re off the pill.

My due date is a month away and I know I’ll be facing the “getting back in shape” hurdle again. I’ll probably be tempted to try another quick fix. But I know better to really stick to a healthy and natural way of getting fit.

More than that, my attitude about it will play a huge part whether I achieve my weight and shape goal or not. I have to brush all doubts aside and just focus on what I want. I need to be my own cheerleader, fan and supporter because if I don’t, who else will? (Okay, of course, my hubby will, as he has always been.) But really, I think that no matter how much effort you put into it, if you don’t pour in a heavy dose of self-belief, you won’t really get that far.

As for me, I want to achieve the healthy kind of thin and the radiantly beautiful slim and be super fabulously skinny.

How about you, have you been struggling to get back in shape? What have you tried to achieve it?

Posted in: Fit and fabulous, Just Jayme

Tags: 7 Days, appetite suppressants, Bikram Yoga, boxing, diet pills, exercise, fitness, Hip Hop abs, Xenical

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 1:02 pm and is filed under Fit and fabulous, Just Jayme. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.