my shrinking waist and ironing board belly :)

[elastigirl]

here I take you through my journey.
I have always dreamed of a tiny waist,and a beautiful flat belly.I have put this off for too long.I now take you through my daily achievments as I take giant steps to making this change.



what is my goal?

* my goal is to be a size 6 - 2 months from today
* to have a very muscley,defined,beautiful belly - 2 months from today
* to dance as beautiful as my fave dancer - 6 months



how?

* yoga for abs
* callanetics
* sun salutations
* fit for life - food combining.
* dance drills each day

what are you willing to do to achieve your goal?

* give up foods that although satisfy my taste buds,don't make my body happy.
* stay with my daily plan of excercise and eating
* failure is not an option.No cheat days.

so here we go,I am ready....

my daily routine

morning

sun salutations - 30 minutes
callanetics - 1 hour

afternoon

yoga zone - yoga for abs-20 minutes


evening

dance drills - 15 minutes each move
dance choreography

[cdn2wheeler]

Originally Posted by elastigirl

here I take you through my journey.
I have always dreamed of a tiny waist,and a beautiful flat belly.I have put this off for too long.I now take you through my daily achievments as I take giant steps to making this change.



what is my goal?

Brilliant plan. Really.

Just one thing: A dear friend of mine had some major-league stretch marks on her belly after the birth of her daughter. No amount of exercise or diet or anything like that would help, because it's not fat; it's just stretched skin.

By all means, I think that setting a goal like this is great. At the same time, if you've got stretch mark issues on your belly, the only way - at least that I've heard about - is surgery.

[elastigirl]

oh I don't mind my stretch marks at all

lets see how this goes eh ,cant wait to post pictures when my goal is achieved
maybe your friend will read this thread and be totally amazed

[NotesMaeve]

Good luck! Enjoy your journey!

When you say a size 6... UK or US? Verrah different things!

[Uplift]

Awesome elastigirl! Lose the weight nice and slowly and it will help with your skin adjusting at the same time. If you eat well for skin and tissue repair it also really helps. Tons of hydration, enough, consistant protein, good supply of A, B, C, E vitamins (collagen and repair), good oils and fats, and so on. Zinc is important for collagen production and recovery too. I really recommend ZMA, as it is one of the few supplements that really works with recovery, hormone balance, nervous system and so on. It is safe, efficient and cheap. I've had clients that looked like they were just about to give birth, with quite pronounced stretchmarks, who have totally transformed, and kept the visibility of stretch marks minimal. You look like you've got deluxe, moist, supple skin and nothing to worry about anyway. You are right, not worrying about them is a smart thing, worry does nothing. You've got the idea, look at any food that interferes with your goal as completely useless. Keep your attention on how deluxe and desirable all the foods are that compliment your awesome health. Seek out and surround yourself with things to inspire and enhance your direction, like you already have! Awesome!

[elastigirl]

hi guys,I am talking uk size 6.
I am a dancer and need to be performing at my best.

with the food combining I feel unstoppable,I am exited to be at day one of my 40 day plan today.I have found a great routine thats perfect for me,and thats why I am so exited!
its by harvey diamond.

You look like you've got deluxe, moist, supple skin and nothing to worry about anyway. You are right, not worrying about them is a smart thing, worry does nothing. You've got the idea, look at any food that interferes with your goal as completely useless. Keep your attention on how deluxe and desirable all the foods are that compliment your awesome health. Seek out and surround yourself with things to inspire and enhance your direction, like you already have! Awesome!

thankyou so much uplift!!
I love the fact that I was able to give life,something I appreciate alott.
thankyou God

Good luck! Enjoy your journey!

When you say a size 6... UK or US? Verrah different things!

thankyou!!a uk size 6
I am a size 12 now.


love and smiles

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[elastigirl]

day one : so far all goals accomplished.
just getting boys ready for bed,then it will be time to dance and do yoga.quite a long yoga session tonight 30-40 minutes for maximum flexibility.

I thought today...wow,I am doing loads,but I need to do alott to catch up to my favourite dancer!!!I am aiming high and am ready to fly!!

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Just wanted to add my encouragement. I am working on making changes myself as well so I am very excited for you.

Keep up the good work!

[cdn2wheeler]

Excellent work, elastigirl. Glad to hear that it's mission accomplished so far.

Me too. Gave up smoking on the weekend. Haven't killed anybody either (but the day isn't over yet).

[elastigirl]

wow we are all making major changes,isnt it great to be able to come here and share!thankyou from my heart for your uplifting commentsand best of luck with your goals.


today was a little tough but great.it was an all day fruit day,then rice dish for dinner.
I got up late this morning,my poor little guy didnt sleep a wink and this afternoon his temp was a little scarey.

I still stayed with the meal plan.even when my partner ate my fave food,I stayed with my meal plan.
so,well done me huh

I was very achey when I got up this morning,I did work extra hard yesterday,so I gave my body a rest today,danced with my friend this evening,but nothing too strenuous,nice and easy....

[NotesMaeve]

You're a tough girl and doing awesome. Keep in touch!

[elastigirl]

thankx notes!!!!

all went well today.
stayed with the programme,apart from having white instead of brown bread.
what did I learn from my mistake?

I used to love a baguette with salad and hummous,but today I didnt enjoy it like i did before

I found a great article today about protein,many of you would disagree,though of course everyone is open to their own opinion,for me I am happy with it

THE PROTEIN MYTH

In 1970 when I first started studying the subject of health, the #1 question asked of those who upgraded their diet was, “Where do you get your protein?” Today, 37 years later, the #1 question is, “Where do you get your protein?” The most successful propaganda campaign ever imposed upon the American people is the one that has convinced them that without eating some form of animal product, they will suffer from a protein deficiency. And that is a great big, fat-laden, enormously profitable lie that has been swallowed hook, line, and pork chop.

WE’RE NOT RATS

The lie was born in the 1920s, based on studies that concluded that rats fared better on protein from animals than from plants. So the results of the studies proclaimed that protein from animals is superior to protein from plants—for humans! The myth was ignited, and it still burns today. Did you know that in the 1920s there were 12 food groups? Oddly, the Basic Twelve revolved around four diet plans that were structured to apply to different income brackets.

So protein could be obtained from the legumes and nuts category for lower-income individuals or from the meat category for those who could afford higher-priced protein sources. Prestige was attached to animal products; they were portrayed as preferred foods for the “upper” class. They were now “elitist foods”. Long forgotten, and extremely important to bear in mind, is that it was never stated that plant protein was inferior to animal protein, only less expensive!

The only way to understand the truth of the matter is to rely, not on studies that can prove any premise if there’s enough money, but on the most reliable tool of all: commonsense.

WANNA ARM WRESTLE A GORILLA?

What animal do you think of as the strongest of all? What animals have been used for centuries because of their strength and endurance; the ones that can lift heavy loads or plow fields for hours on end without tiring? Elephants, oxen, water buffalo, camels, horses, mules. All of these, indeed the most powerful animals on Earth, eat only plant foods. Strict carnivores sleep over twenty hours a day. That’s why you won’t ever see a tiger pulling a plow. An African water buffalo can weigh nearly a ton. They ripple with muscles and are incredibly strong. A bull elephant can weigh more than ten tons, carry astonishing loads and pull trees out of the ground. They live on grass and leaves.

Did you ever see the movie Gorillas in the Mist about the silverback gorilla? These impressive beasts are three times the size of a man but thirty times as strong. Their muscle development is astounding. They eat bamboo leaves and fruit.

How do all these animals develop such imposing muscular strength without ever eating protein? Ever wonder about that? We love eating cows for protein, and it’s supposed to be the ideal protein for us. Ever see a cow eating a steak? What does a cow eat to produce all that protein? Grass and grains.

AMAZING AMINO ACIDS

So what’s the answer? Obviously, all animals, including human beings, need protein to live, there’s no doubt about that. The same way elephants and water buffalos and gorillas obtain their protein is the way we humans can obtain ours. Protein is built from amino acids. That’s it, plain and simple. Amino acids build protein and are resplendent in the plant kingdom. That’s why an elephant or a gorilla has no protein deficiencies. They obtain all the amino acids they need from the source—the plant kingdom.

When you eat a piece of chicken it doesn’t magically turn into human protein; no more so than if you ate an animal’s liver would it go into your body and become part of your liver. An amino acid chain can have from 50 to 100,000 amino acids. They must be broken down, reassembled and built into human protein. You can get amino acids from meat, but we don’t eat meat raw, and the heating of amino acids destroys many of them and causes others to coagulate. Amino acids are delicate and affected by heat the same way other nutrients are. When a lion eats a zebra, the amino acids from the zebra are broken down and reassembled into lion protein. Fortunately for the lion, it is too dim-witted to figure out how to cook the zebra before eating it, so the amino acids remain intact.

Ever notice that carnivorous animals don’t eat other carnivorous animals except under the most extreme circumstances? Why do you think meat-eating animals eat plant-eating animals? Plants can manufacture amino acids from air, soil and water; animals cannot. They either have to eat the plant directly for their amino acids or obtain them indirectly by eating an animal that has eaten the plant. Meat-eating animals instinctively eat animals that have eaten plants. And no matter which they eat, the plant or the animal, both are raw—no cooking.

A SALAD FOR PROTEIN?

Over the years, people have been thoroughly conditioned to automatically think of some kind of meat when the subject of protein comes up. The conditioning has been relentless and successful. It’s almost comical to even suggest that someone would think of a fruit or vegetable salad for protein over a steak or a hamburger. But I’ll tell you what, the amino acids in a salad are a lot more bio-available than the amino acids in meat that have been deranged by heat. It may take you a while to overcome the conditioning, but if you are looking for high-quality protein, which is the same as saying high-quality amino acids, the finest and best source comes from living plant foods, not cooked animal foods. And that’s why a silverback gorilla can pick you up and toss you across the street like a Frisbee.
-harvey Diamond

[escapee]

that is a great big, fat-laden, enormously profitable lie that has been swallowed hook, line, and pork chop.

Animal protein provides bio-available iron and helps the absorption of Iron, zinc and other essential minerals.

A Vegetarian Diet Rich in Soybean Products Compromises Iron Status in Young Students -- Shaw et al. 125 (2): 212 -- Journal of Nutrition

The iron status of young Chinese Buddhist vegetarians (23 men and 32 women) and nonvegetarian students (20 men and 39 women from a medical college) was investigated by dietary assessment of iron intake and hematological measurement of biochemical indices including hemoglobin, plasma iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation and plasma ferritin.

Correlation between plasma ferritin concentration and years of vegetarian practice in vegetarian men was marginally significant (r = -0.38, P = 0.077). We conclude that a vegetarian diet that is rich in soybean products and restricted in animal foods is limited in bioavailable iron and is not adequate for maintaining iron balance in men and women ( despite higher iron intake by the vegetarian group) .

Animal products ( including larva and insects consumed by gorilla ) provide B12 and Vitamin A. Nuts and legume do not.

Dietary Animal Protein has been associated with higher bone mineral density compared to vegetable source ( assuming that Calcium, Vitamin D and etc are also at adequate level )
Protein Consumption and Bone Mineral Density in the Elderly : The Rancho Bernardo Study -- Promislow et al. 155 (7): 636 -- American Journal of Epidemiology

This is why our ancestor choose an omnivore diet. Should you decide to be different, a daily supplement of certain nutrients (eg: B12 ) may be required.

gorilla has no protein deficiencies. They obtain all the amino acids they need from the source—the plant kingdom.

Not 100% true

Unlike human, Gorilla has the ability to synthesize essential amino acids , furthermore, Gorillas aint 100% vegans, you would understand more by perusing below .

What Can the Diet of Gorillas Tell Us About a Healthy Diet for Humans?

One misconception about the gorilla diet is that it contains no animal products. On the contrary, all of the great ape groups take in some animal protein, whether overtly or inadvertently, by consuming insects, insect eggs and the larvae that nest on the plants and fruits they eat. In her pioneering work on chimpanzees, Jane Goodall discovered to her amazement, and to the amazement of the rest of the world, that chimpanzees kill and eat monkeys and make a tool to extract termites from their hills (homes), and that they went to considerable effort to obtain these foods. It is also significant that meat is the only food they share with other chimpanzees.

All monkeys, lemurs and apes are classified as vegetarians and/or fruitivors, but they consume a small amount of animal protein by unconsciously eating the small insects, their eggs and larvae on the plant foods they select to eat. The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. tried to breed the near extinct fruitivorian South American golden marmoset in captivity with no result, but when a little animal protein was added to their diet, they began to breed, which proves that they require a small amount of animal protein to be healthy and reproduce.

Unlike humans, the digestive tract of gorillas is equipped to manufacture the essential amino acids and other vital nutrients.

[elastigirl]

thankyou for that

ok,here I am at day four.

my friend came round,we food combined a great lunch,she couldnt believe how filling it was,and how great she felt.she has started having fruit in the mornings and she gave up coffee!!!



I felt a little tired as my body detoxes,it realy realy needs it.
I have lost an inch in weight,amazing how just that little bit of loss feels so great!

I have a size 10 pair of yoga shorts,I am looking forward to the day they will fit which I know isnt as far away as it can sometimes seem!

heres todays picture,I think I can feel more than you can see the difference,but anyhow,I like to post visual progress,commits me much more somehow...




my boys have been ill with a cold this week,so I have needed extra energy.though I am realy enjoying my excercise and dance.
I had to putcallanetics down to 2 hours a week,which realy is what callan suggests and she knows best!!

the early mornings are going well,all areas are working in a steady way!

I am greatful of strength to come through today
I am grateful of support of friends and family
I am grateful of my faith in God

man can do many things though with God he can do anything
I decided today to believe in miracles
yes,I believe

[elastigirl]

here I am at 5 days...yey!!!almost a week.that feels like quite alott!
realy enjoying my sun salutations,and very exited about my callanetics session tomorrow

i had a great dance session last night,did a little less due to not feeling 100%.the boys have had a cold,so of course I have to join in LOL.

hmmm,gonna take another look at my yoga shorts shortly,keeping on track,I am an unstoppable machine.

[cdn2wheeler]

Congrats, elastigirl! I know you can do it!

[NotesMaeve]

Elastic, I really love your positive attitude and reading about your success!

[elastigirl]

thankyou notes and cdn

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I can definitely see your progress in the photos. I am sure it feels even better than it looks. I love you attitude!

Hope your boys are feeling better.

Keep up the awesome work.

[elastigirl]

thankyou aspiringI am happy that you see difference too.
I food combined yesterday but didnt stay with my plan,so back to the day n5 plan again today with pleasure

didnt dance drill last night,we had company,so I will just do some later after sun salutations and callanetics...thats my evening sorted!!haha!!

so its fruit all day and then curried quorn with yummy salad for dinner...mmmm!how wonderful!!!!

[Livgivare]

Is there any chance for you to record some of your excersize on video and post it on YouTube so I could get some idea on what I can do to follow you in this? Since I need a better back and a lesser stomach like you do.

Love Leelene