Migraineur Of The Month But, being a migraine pro I looked over my trusted reference books ("Conquering Headaches" and "Coping with Headaches and Migraines") and recommended sites (listed top right). For me, this did seem like a sensible option. And, let’s not forget, I would be skinny and rich. Oh god I've just realised we both have Copper Auburn hair and power bangs! A cow in labour according to 'The Optimistic Rancher' Blog. *Refer to Page 33 of the BASH guidelines. Topiramate is a really serious drug. I only decided to take it after careful consideration and consultation with my Doctors. The side effects I experienced are relatively rare but there are other side effects, some of which are much more serious. Everyone reacts differently to drugs. This article is not intended to be and should not be construed as being medical advice or a recommendation to take Topiramate or any other medicinal drug. Readers should always seek a professional medical opinion in light of their own symptoms and circumstances.

For more information, book an appointment at The National Migraine Centre and talk to one of their specialist Doctors or refer to The Migraine Trust which has fact sheets online, and an information helpline.Outdoor Patio Furniture Redwood CityIn 1997, Weight Watchers made up the “points system” which helped people to count calories.  F1 Redbull Team T-ShirtThis effectively created a weight loss company that profited from teaching people ineffective ways to lose weight, driving them to spend more money losing weight. Laptop Price List QatarIt was bad for people but good for the revenue stream.  Nutrasweet (aspartame) uses the same business model.  It is marketed as a zero calorie sweetener with the implication that it will make you lose weight  (even though evidence shows that it makes you gain weight.)  

Convincing people to keep doing something that doesn’t really work allows them to spend a lot more money than they would if you sold them something that fixed the problem right away. Fast forward 14 years from the time Weight Watchers began deceiving people, and the President of Weight Watchers now says, “Calorie counting has become unhelpful.” There is no news yet about whether hundreds of thousands of still-obese middle-aged people (mostly women) will sue Weight Watchers for misleading them for so long.  The truth is that you can lose 20lbs in a month. If you don’t lose weight that quickly, odds are you’re just not using the right techniques.  I know countless people who have done it and gained new found energy and mental clarity in the process.  I figured this out in 1995 when I lost 50lbs in 3 months with a program much less efficient than the ones we have now. The former Weight Watchers method of slowly starving yourself while training your body to digest its own muscle mass is unacceptably cruel.

The new Weight Watchers program advocates for eating natural, unprocessed foods to lose weight…exactly the same foods you’ll find on my plate. The main mistake that Weight Watchers is (still) making is to allow an unlimited amount of fruit.  Fruit is full of fat-creating, liver-destroying fructose.  So, the new Weight Watchers diet is better, but it has a loophole to let carbohydrate addicts stay fat on the program, keeping margins higher than they would be if fruit was limited in the diet. I would argue that Weight Watchers suggests too many carbs in general. Their current guidelines for macronutrient breakdown are: I think that’s too many carbs and not nearly enough fat. In contrast, the Bulletproof Diet recommends: And it’s important to note that if you’re following the Bulletproof Diet, most of those carbs will come from vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables, not fructose-laden fruits or grains that are full of lectins, phytates, and other antinutrients.

While our opinions still differ significantly, I do think that Weight Watchers has taken a step in the right direction by suggesting that people interested in losing weight look at quality of food, not quantity of food. If this capitulation by Weight Watchers isn’t enough evidence to help you stop counting calories and start counting food quality and composition, I don’t know what is.  If you eat normal-calorie or even (like me) a high-calorie healthy meals, you’ll find your need for sleep decreases, your endurance goes up, and you’ll feel more energy throughout the day.  That’s what life is supposed to be like! A Slacker's Guide to Losing Weight Without Trying If the idea of counting calories or following a strict diet just makes you want to reach for a candy bar, then you'll love these expert-approved ways to drop pounds.The other night, on twitter, I was asked about different pieces of my story. I guess that means… more about my struggle? How I came to a point where I was comfortable with my efforts and my ability to continue on to where I want to be?

Once upon a time, I lived in Denton, TX. A student at UNorth Texas, I had a close friend who I’ve mentioned on this site before, named Alyse. She’d hit the campus gym (which was absolutely stunning and seriously state of the art.. floating track and all that) at nights, and started inviting me. Me, at 300+lbs and with a 8month old beauty on my hands, I figured it couldn’t hurt, right? I mean, if nothing else, I could get a good walk with minimal exposure to outdoor elements with my daughter. If only I could commit to it. Needless to say, I didn’t. I fizzled out quickly and, although I wish she did, Alyse didn’t push me on this. She did stick by me, though. Fast forward about another 8 months, and I’ve moved back home to prepare to start my own business. In the time of being at home, I’d put on a good 30 lbs. I wouldn’t admit it, but it felt like someone was pumping air into my spare tire. Being home was stressful… my mother – as much as I love and value her role in my life – is a stressor.

Living under someone else’s roof… is a stressor. Single parenthood… is a stressor. Starting your own business… definite stressor. I’d turn to food, simply because it shuts up, gives me what I need, and makes me feel good. Was the high temporary? Of course… but that was all the more reason to eat some more. It wasn’t my house, so I kinda sorta couldn’t really cook in it. I would dip to the grocery store and buy little quick microwaveables – things that’d allow me to heat, eat, and retreat back out of my mom’s sight. It was her house, I didn’t want her to feel burdened in her own home. Needless to say, the weight just came piling on. By about May, I had finally received my articles of incorporation, and was feeling accomplished. Feeling like I could really just get up and take off… and my mother mentioned the brand new fitness center that opened up around the corner. I rolled my eyes… beyond normal eye-rolling, even. But I was so high off of getting incorporated that I said, “Screw it.

The gym, an Anytime Fitness, was gorgeous. Mirrors everywhere (mind you, I didn’t look in ANY), beautiful shiny machines, and TVs! Hallelujah! The owner gave me a personal tour. Told me what some machines did, showed me the importance of certain exercises, and really drove a hard sale on getting me to join. Now, I work in marketing – I know when I’m being pitched to and when someone’s genuine. He was clearly a combination of both – he had to be in his mid to late 50s and was on some Jack LaLanne fitness type mess, but at the same time he needed memberships. So I accepted, and let myself sink into his sales pitch. I NEEDED to be compelled to do this. Once his pitch became unbearable, I excused myself to the bathroom. Inside, it was this beautiful rusty color. Nice lil’ shower curtains. Clean bathroom complete with sprays and magazines. I jumped on that scale. I won’t tell you exactly what it said, but once it soared past 300, I ’bout had a HEART ATTACK. I just sobbed my little heart out.

After remembering that I had to eventually leave the bathroom, I collected myself and stepped outside… only to start sobbing again. The owner (who was also a trainer) consoled me, assured me that I COULD – in fact – do this thing, and offered me the standard two training sessions that came free with my membership. Help me become knowledgeable about the equipment, how different machines help different parts of the body, and help me figure out the best course of action for my own body. I took him up on his offer. To speed up the story a bit, about six months went by with my membership, and I had lost about 28 lbs. In theory, about a pound a week. To clarify, I was going to the gym 28 days a month (yes, that Erika K. over there is me!), and was regularly number 1 for most gym visits in a month. I spent at least an hour in there every night that I went. I didn’t know that there were reasons for such minimal results on a regular basis. Honestly, I didn’t care. I knew there was something much more important for me to address, and getting over myself and getting used to investing in myself regularly was more important than seeing the scale move.

Learning to accept that I had to ruin my hair, on occasion, and sweat a little was more important than seeing the scale move. For now, that is. After those six months, I packed up and moved my daughter and I to Miami. No gym membership here, although there is a little gym in the apartment complex. I never visited that bad boy, though. After three months in Miami, I gained about 14lbs. Talk about a shocker! I was beyond confused! What part of the game was THAT? I knew I needed to start back up, but I didn’t understand how I could gain so much weight so quickly. I didn’t understand how I was shortchanging myself. Two months more passed by, and after changing my eating habits a bit, the weight gain slowed down. I had three relatively traumatic events occur back to back, and I even remember the night the straw broke the camel’s back. I was baking a tin of muffins (you read that right – some box muffins, no less) and when the word came around, I walked in the kitchen, yanked the muffins  – half done – out of the oven.

I just… stared at them. I just so happened to be so nauseated, that I couldn’t eat. I stuck the half done muffins in the fridge. I thought I might have an appetite, and eat them later. In fact, I only had a desire to eat raw vegetables, because they were light, less greasy, and wouldn’t turn my stomach. I won’t tell you how much weight I lost within the time frame that I did only eat raw veggies, but it was enough to make me realize that my eating habits were a problem. I just didn’t know how to address that problem. A Sorority sister of mine with relatively healthy eating habits visited the grocery store with us one day. She knew about the changes in my weight, knew that I wanted to keep up the momentum, and knew that I was serious about changing my life. we literally fought in the grocery store. If I reached for something I had no business buying, she slapped my hand. I think, at one point, I actually started throwin’ stuff at her. “You don’t have to eat like this, Erika,” were her words.

Hell, I didn’t know there were other options. Later that day, I remember saying to her “Gosh, I’m starving. Let’s go to Checkers right quick.” She told me, “No. You’ve got food at home.” That was actually the last time I ever even asked for fast food. I got her point. Time passed, and I was losing weight without even working out. My mentality then became, “If I worked out, I could probably lose even faster!” And with that statement, I started walking. Grabbed my iPod, and hit the trail with my daughter. From there, natural progression has taken me from the walking, to the elliptical at the gym, to running outside. I spent a lot of time learning about calisthenics and with the right resources, I learned the benefits of working out at home. To date of writing this post, I’ve lost 134lbs. If you want to include the 10lbs I actually wound up gaining back, it’s been 144lbs. I don’t like to give myself that satisfaction, though. To break it down, from the moment that I started changing my eating habits, I’ve lost about 80lbs.