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Brainstorm Session: How to Make Money Losing Weight
By Tiffany | July 21, 2008
Hi y’all!
Well as most people know (if you’ve seen my outdated pic), I’m overweight (by a lot - I have a whopping 130 pounds to lose). I’m embarking on an extreme program today (my doctor assured me I’m healthy despite my weight). It’s not an official diet or anything - I’m just going to push myself similar to how they do it on Biggest Loser, if you’ve ever seen that.
It will consist of eating a specific calorie count each day (1,200) and working out for about 2-3 hours per day. I plan to lose a lot of weight, fast. Don’t argue with me that it’s unhealthy, etc. I know the situation - and I’m doing it anyway. I’m a big girl - literally and figuratively.
Question is - how can I turn this experience into a money-making one? I have good writing abilities, so I can convey it to others in a good way. But should I do a blog and rely on affiliate and AdSense income or make it an eBook once I’m completely finished? Perhaps sell it as resale rights?
Since I’m following no specific diet “plan” per se, I’m not sure how I could market that.
I know the weight loss niche is big, but saturated. Still, it’s something that has potential. Since I’ll be devoting 3 hours a day to this topic in my life, I’d hate to just do it without connecting it to my income in some way. In fact, it will be motivating to know it’s somehow being turned into a product.
Why am I doing this? Aside from the superficial and emotional reasons, it’s hampering my business, too. I have turned down SO many seminar invitations (to be a speaker), invites to network in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I won’t do a video other than a screen capture because I’m ashamed of my weight, and that old pic you keep seeing of me and my husband on all my sales pages? It’s about 4 years and 45 pounds ago and I refuse to take a new updated picture of myself because it’s so humiliating and I have an irrational fear that it will negatively impact my sales and even friendships (I know it’s stupid, but it feels real).
So what’s your advice? I start at 12:30 PM today. I need to set up asap.
Tiff 
P.S. - I bit the bullet and took my before pictures IN A SWIMSUIT! (Gulp!) If you have just eaten, please avert your eyes and even if not, I’m so sorry for what I’m about to show you. I might as well be nekkid on here because that’s how exposed I feel. I also gained some common sense about doing 3 hours and 1200 calories. lol That’s laughable. I got real really fast:
Topics: Personal Life |
July 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
Hi Tiffany!!
First of all - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
As far as the monetization of your journey, you are the one who is the expert. BUT, I think in the beginning, you should rely on adsense and affiliate programs. As you continue your journey, I strongly believe that the product(s) that you create will manifest themsleves. Make sense?
ENJOY the process… you are in for some amazing things I do believe!
Blessings!
Lauri
July 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
Tiff,
Congrats on your decision to make a change.
I think perhaps a Slim Down with Tiff blog would be great.
As you hit certain milestones, it wouldn’t hurt to not only talk about your success but also profit from those changes by including info about the foods, products, and or exercise equipment you’re using to aid in your success.
To a Healthy Slimdown,
Yoki
July 21st, 2008 at 11:21 am
Tiffany - first of all - congratulations! For the first time in my life, I am facing weight issues - I am 54 and menopause has packed on pounds that need to come off due to family health history risks, etc. Having never had weight issues - I am having to learn how to eat all over again….many may tell you you should be happy with yourself as you are - but I totally understand your self-esteem issues, and I am so happy for you to be doing this!
I personally think,knowing your writing skills, that you could turn this into a) a daily online journal/newsletter that could eventually become b) a membership community based on your story and c) a book of a courageous young entrepreneur’s battle to take back her life!
We who have followed you (Melody at the WF) and are long time customers, know that you have all the skills you need to create a wonderful story here that will be heartwarming, motivating…..and profitable!
Melody
July 21st, 2008 at 11:22 am
I think you should do both. Keep the blog as you progress, and then write a book based on information from the blog.
Personally, I’d prefer a “real” book to an e-book, as it is more portable, and I can cozy up in bed or in a big puffy chair to read. I don’t tote my laptop around to be able to read an e-book, and if I do, I have to sit up with it on my lap or at a table. Not conducive to relaxing!
And I TOTALLY empathize with you. I can lose the weight, usually in 10 lbs. increments, then I get bored or fed up. If you can share how NOT to give up, you’ll have a gold mine!
July 21st, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hi Tiff,
There is only one answer to this…VIDEO DIARY!!!!
Daily or milestone updates on YouTube. Keep records of absolutely everything, recipes, exercise, range of emotions, measurements…whatever…the whole lot and when reach your goals market your system. All the way exploiting your commendable command of social media.
Why not get sponsored by your friends and fellow warriors:)
I know how hard it can be to take such a decision and it really is the hardest step (never mind to declare it publicly) so be proud already:)
You can do it.
Thomas
July 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
Tiffany,
You said, “Don’t argue with me that it’s unhealthy, etc. I know the situation - and I’m doing it anyway. I’m a big girl - literally and figuratively.”
I’ll suggest that you not do a “quick loss program” on practical grounds that you may not have thought of. I’ll not make my suggestions on grounds that it might affect your health negatively (though I fear it will, but you’ve already said you don’t care to discuss that), but on practical aspects of making money from it.
First, you strike me as someone who has too much integrity to recommend that anyone follow a diet plan that is unhealthy. Therefore, it will be very hard for you to write an ebook on your method of dieting and actually sell it, because you’ll be afraid of having people follow your plan and hurt themselves. I suspect your conscience will get in your way here.
Second, I think you’ll have a hard time recommending people follow a diet for which you’ll have an affiliate arrangement, when you yourself took a course of action that was hugely different from what you are promoting. How will you be able to say, “This is a great program that you should follow,” when you yourself thought a program like that one was too slow.
Therefore, if you do “quick, unhealthy” weight loss, I wonder if you’ll find it hard to make money from this niche.
Maybe I’ve given advice that crosses the line of what you were looking for (and if so I apologize), but it’s the thing that came to mind.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hey Tiff
Way to go, this is the first step toward making it happen, Congrats!
You could do a blog and post daily. The twist is you could talk about the various struggles and how you face them each day.
Like:
I can’t go another day
I’m afraid of what others think
I still feel….
Then you could take each of the various things you faced on your diet, and make them into “teaser” reports to sell the ebook you will write, or A/R messages…
Also consider a video series of your experience each day. That way you can offer people videos and audios.
I am really excited for you!
Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Thanks!
Gods Blessings, Anthony
July 21st, 2008 at 11:41 am
I think you should go the blog route. That way you can keep everyone up to date as you go. I think you already knew the answer to that, though.
You NEED to shoot that video though. Trust me, I know how you feel and I’m HERE with you. But, I saw myself on video recently. I didn’t like what I saw, but I know I’m working on changing that, so it became inspiration.
Don’t let that video be an obstacle. Like you said, you want to go to the network sessions, do the videos, etc. Why not go to the next one with a story to tell?
Show them that sexy, -130 lb body! Then look back at today and say…
“I don’t believe I was afraid to shoot that first video… lol”
July 21st, 2008 at 11:46 am
Just bought unzipmyfatsuit.com - because I feel like I’m trapped in a bad Halloween costume.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hi Tiff
Well done you. A great inspiration. You are an honest girl and helpful to so many people. It would be great to explore your journey in print. I also think lots of people will read and buy it.I know you are also a fan of the secret and the law of attraction. How about how you use your subconscious mind to re-programm your mind.This would be really useful for people. If you need any help let me know ( You know my email Tiff its Denise from the UK)
Best Wishes
Denise
July 21st, 2008 at 11:53 am
Hi Tiffany,
I agree, a video diary would be priceless–perhaps one per week as you get started.
I know several people who have lost a lot of weight, and they keep photos of their former self as motivation to stay at their ideal weight, and as an affirmation of what they have accomplished. This sounds counter intuitive to me, but that’s what I’ve noticed. It will also help overweight people relate with you.
Here’s an idea you might consider for your focus–how you keep yourself motivated throughout the process–that seems to be the biggest problem.
I like the idea of your creating your own diet/program. So many people are so discuouraged by diet plans, you can talk about how you started and then over time, what changes and different decisions you are making.
I would do a blog to start, with lite monetization (adsense, etc). During your journey, you’ll learn quite a bit, and will probably find some ebooks to write and affiliate products to endorse.
My suggestion is to just start without worrying about the monetization. It will come to you along your way. I’m betting you’ll look at things very differently in a couple of months.
Best wishes on your new adventure. You’ll feel great in no time.
Kaye
July 21st, 2008 at 11:54 am
Tiffany! A blog with lots of video will be awesome, and you can write the e-book after you succeed.
But you won’t succeed the way you’re doing it. I won’t say “it’s bad for you.” I’ll just say that it won’t work. You can’t add 2-3 hours of training, and reduce your calories to 1200.
You won’t make money or lose weight unless you come up with a plan that’s better than this one, darlin’.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:58 am
Follow the Messies Anonymous model which includes support groups on Yahoo!Sandra Felton is the brains behind it, and she has print books, too. Very successful enterprise and I thoroughly enjoyed her recent telephone conference. gooogle and poke around at her sites.
My diet plan is simple. Every other day raw vegetables only and lots of water. That’s low calories 3-4 days a week. Sunday is free-for-all-day. If you’re really serious, don’t eat anything white. Flour, sugar, whipped cream. I lost more weight fast on an involuntary toothache diet than ever in my life.
And you’re a doll no matter how you feel about your looks right. Losing the weight will make you feel better on many levels though, and will definitely keep you healthy when you’re older.
Good luck!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Hi Tiffany,
I would go for the blog first and then do a hardcover later.. Most likely there will be times when a blog will do, and other times when what you would like to convey will require more pages than would normally appear on a blog.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Yeah, and I agree with the blogging comments. There was just an article on cnn.com about someone who blogged their weight away, and the hits were out-of-this-world.
Blog book tours, too!
http://quickest.blogbooktourguide.ever.com
Now if we could just edit our typos in blog comments. Sigh.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Hey Tiff…
Congratulations on your decision to shed the pounds. And you’re a brave girl for not only STARTING, but deciding to share your journey publicly with others.
But as you know, this will be a quite rewarding process for you - For all the reasons you want to lose the pounds, AND for the lucrative income potential of sharing it with others.
I’d have to aggree with everyone else who’se suggested HOW to monetize this.
1. DEFINITELY do an ongoing blog/diary
2. VIDEO blog or any venue for videos period - a progessive video series of your journey I highly recommend. This alone can draw in readers to your blog and boost Adsense/affiliate income during your weight loss journey.
Plus, you could end up creating a stand-alone product with the videos.
3. An ebook, yes. As a long-time customer of yours, I KNOW you could write your way to anywhere you want to go.
But I suspect that by the time you arrive at your target weight, you’ll have more than ONE plan for stand-alone products incorporating your successful weight loss experience.
Sending you TONS of ‘white light’ and energy for success, Tiff.
You GO Girl!
Deb
ps. I, too, have found myself suddenly much bigger than the ME I was. Turning 55, menopause, all that good stuff… it’s finally caught up with me. And sitting for 10 hours a day working on line has NOT helped. Maybe you’ll inspire me to join you in your weight loss…
July 21st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Tiff - Want real motivation?
Make a video blog of you exercising daily nude.
Now - i’m not getting pornographic here but that would sure motivate me
If I was showing god knows how many people myself jiggling i’d watch those calories.
It would probably go viral too
— Have to change your name of course, move to a different town, and hide from the mailman once you get on letterman though.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Hi Tiff,
Just wanted to offer my congratulations along with everyone else’s!
I empathize completely with your situation. Years ago I lost 120 pounds, so I’m speaking from experience here. I didn’t do it the smart, healthy, long-lasting-but-takes-forever way either. I wanted fast results and I got them…120 pounds in 8 months.
All I can tell you is that while it was great for a while, without the underlying lifestyle changes, 20 years later I’m right back where I started from.
The problem is now, at 20 years older, it’s not as easy to lose.
My point is, don’t do all that work and put forth all the effort only to be faced later with having to do it all over again.
As far as monetizing the event, I can’t even recommend to others how I did it because of exactly what Thomas said…I wouldn’t want anyone following the plan I used because it simply isn’t healthy.
I won’t even promote weight loss products that I know are not healthy, safe and smart. (Maybe that’s why my sales are so slow…people don’t want healthy, safe and smart…they want fast and easy.)
Plus the fact, and I know you probably know this, but if you lose more than about 2 pounds a week, you’re losing muscle mass too.
Okay, motherly lecture over…I wish you much success and I think if nothing else, you should at least document on a blog your struggles and your success.
Knowing that you’re accountable for showing progress to a loyal list of readers could be even more highly motivating than your desire to take the weight off!
I love the domain name…and your last comment can be the opening line on your blog!
Best of luck, and I’m pulling for you!
Honey
July 21st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Nude? HAAAA HA HA HA HA HA AHA HA HA HA.
I’m not here to BLIND anyone! I know what you’re getting at, but I am not gonna go there. Will have to leave that to someone else. lol
I have some thinking to do. Don’t want to promote unhealthy stuff. I forgot I had Lewis at http://www.YourNicheBlog.com develop a niche automatic blog for me called diydietplan.com and that fits PERFECTLY with what I’m doing. Although I planned on developing a pen name diet plan. I’ll use that! It’s already ready to go.
Tiff
July 21st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
OMG, I love the domain, Tiff! Great pic!
I’m on a weight loss journey, myself - it’s been two months almost and I’m so excited - I haven’t done this well for this long in just about forever! So I’ll definitely be here supporting you! I am also eating about 1200 calories, but, I’m not doing so well on exercising. I’m walking two miles today, though, so that’s good.
Anyhoo - onto my thoughts. I had similar thoughts to Rob. Not so much - ‘don’t do it, Tiff, it’s not healthy for you’ - most especially because I’m in the middle of really pushing myself right now. Each time the scale goes down is like taking drugs - it’s addicting watching it go down! But - as far as promoting my sometimes not the best efforts to someone else - I couldn’t do it.
My original thoughts were for you to start a blog, blog daily, vlog once a week. Hell - do from the neck up at first - just to get yourself used to it. But - do it! It will not only be inspirational to others, but, will really pull in your traffic more!
Now, on the affiliate thing, that Rob mentioned. Perhaps, if you took a different slant on it - promote a clothing store and stuff like that. Like you could start with ..oh, you know, the big girl store - I never get to shop there, (too pricey for me) so I can’t remember it. But you have to feel good about yourself NOW, to make progress, I think. So buying a killer ‘fat girl’ outfit is actually a good way to start losing weight, you see? (No, I don’t have one, can’t convince hubby of this fact!)
And then, as the pounds come off, you can say, OMG, I can shop at ‘blah blah’ store now - I’m so excited! And look at this adorable blouse I got there today!
And you could also promo healthy foods/drinks, that you might be using or want to try.
And things like that would not conflict, in anyway, with your ’speedy methods’, you know?
July 21st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Tiffany,
I think a blog to chronicle your progress would be great.
A Vlog? That would depend on how comfortable you are doing it. Maybe you can record the video of yourself and then use it later as you see fit. In your shoes, I would fear unasked for immortality in a vlog.
Actually I am in your shoes — trying low glycemic and exercise. I don’t have the energy to do it fast like you.
that’s also a topic of conversation and a zillion posts. (membership site?)
Other uses for a vlog?
What are your favorite recipes? Show and tell time here.
As a dieter what cooking utensils are most important?
Walking shoes? Running shoes?
Exercise bras?
Microfiber vs. good old cotton?
Exercises? Favorite exercise machines. Aerobic/Cardio, Weight training, pilates, blah blah blah.
Or why no exercise machines. Even if you craft your own weight loss plan there must be books videos DVDs etc for you to recommend.
This could become your industry!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hi Tiff,
You go girl:-) I have always struggled with my weight and I know how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy weight. I’m new to the internet marketing (You have some wonderful tips and information for newbies:-) I suggest that you go to burnthefat.com and look at what Tom Venuto does for weight loss. He also has an affiliate program which could help you make some money at this. Maybe you could barter some writing for weight loss and exercise coaching. Please be cautious with the 1200 calorie diet. In my experience, you are better off increasing your activity and eating a bit more (1400 to 1600) calories. You’ll be less hungry and less likely to push your metabolism into starvation mode (which will make your task harder). Good luck! I look forward to the updates.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Hi Tiffany,
I’d like to second what commenter #6 (Rob Favero) said and also add that you may want to check out this website (I’m not an affiliate, but he does have an affiliate program): http://www.drfuhrman.com/success/stories.aspx/weightloss
It’s a really healthy way of eating and according to Dr. Fuhrman, you can lose a lot of weight very fast even without exercising if you follow his diet very strictly. He has some amazing testimonials on his site.
I think a blog with pictures and videos would be great with affiliate links, adsense, etc. would be great, especially if the desire to avoid failing publicly helps to keep you on track and motivated.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
First off, congrats!!! Any time you make a choice to better yourself in whatever way, then you are doing a great thing!!! My suggestion is to start off with a blog/newsletter and then maybe turn into a membership site at some point. Those are my thoughts.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
On a side note — a few hours of exercise a day DOES call for more than 1200 calories even if your goal is to lose weight.
In fact that’s a tall work out order if you aren’t used to it…. eat more at first so you have the energy to get into the shape you need to be in to do it… or you are going to be one worn out lady.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Epiphany of Tiffany
What niche is more overweight than weight loss? Thanks to our inaction it is where the action is!
Being a WF and newsletter fan of yours is one thing but confess I will have a wait-and-see approach to this venture. Six months back I emailed you indicating an intent of finding enough money to have you pen a lot of script for a very large website idea I have spent some 4 years formulating and that remains one of my top goals.
Carrying 40 out of place pounds myself leaves me being less than an expert on shedding weight. Same for this being my 50th year as a smoker despite weathering a stroke and a heart attack.(Told you I’m not the brightest Crayon in the box!!)
One lesson from me I do believe may provide you some “food for thought.” Thanks to God and a well known 12-step program I have shed my destructive taste for alcohol the past 25+ years.
I truly feel God+supportive friends+ personal commitment are equally needed to be successful in such an endeavor.
That is just one person’s view though I find it works best for me in all things.
Being overweight is not unlike abusing drugs or alcohol…it is an ADDICTION. At the base of all addictions lies low self esteem; I, and I suspect you, busted my butt endlessly from age 7 to help my Mother and 2 younger brothers survive but moreso to erase the haunting echo’s of my Dad before he abandoned us. That led to failed marriages later as I was first a WORKAHOLIC, everything was geared to being SUCCESSFUL. Success like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and most of us “project” what we want others to see while often being totally unhappy deep inside. We escape dealing with our real issues by “hiding” in work as our life instead of really living.
My suggestion asks you to consider what you really want out of your life. Progress and not perfection aids us all in defeating our addictions. As in any business, PLAN YOUR WORK, THEN WORK YOUR PLAN! Many of us have found we languish until, like meditation to our spiritual needs, we devote a full hour each and every day to FOCUSING on what we, in TOTAL SELF-HONESTY, truly desire our well-rounded LIFE to be and in MODERATION.
Rome wasn’t build in a day only because an addict wasn’t in charge!!!
Continue to surround yourself with winners as I will be following your latest “course.”
My Best Wishes to You,
dsnyder1@hotmail.com
July 21st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Tiff, I understand your delima, both literaly and figeratively. I have a wife who has a few hangups of her own, which frankly are kind of silly. American’s are impatient people and we want everything NOW, and I’m somewhat of no exception. Thoughout life, patients is a virtue.
So, with that said I want to thankyou for a report on Veggie Dog food which I’m reading at the moment. The reason I bring this up is it has bearing on what’s happening with you and in my personal life. In a nut-shell, I’m learning about internet marketing and now must apply it to my own life, which is not somewhat unsimilar to your own situation!
If your going to market something about loosing weight, then if you write an e-book about the subject it will sell to a certain extent, based on your credentials. If you have it endorsed, it will do much better. I guess you target market would be overweight people.
To accomplish any kind of sale volume, I’d assume your going to need some sort of authoritative figure, such a doctor to back your process. So, make your approach scientific so that your process can be validated. This would be needed to get someone to endorse it.
That will help your sales.
Greg
July 21st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Good Morning Tiff!
A lot of great suggestions here!
For what it’s worth:
Through the weight loss blog and utube.
THEN write the book.
This is off the wall but I bet it would work:
Give money or credits to whoever can guess how much weight you’ve lost, each week. If you lose nothing, the reward to the correct guess is doubled or tripled or whatever will cause you enough pain to make sure you lose at least ONE POUND a week (or whatever you decide)!
TIP: Alli the weight loss pill has helped me lose 40 pounds in a year.
I only take it once to three times a week. It makes your stomach rumble and some other unpleasant side effects (nothing serious). Buy it at Costco and ONLY use it when you KNOW you’re blowing the diet that meal! It’s intended for 3 pills a day . . . I wouldn’t recommend it. If you don’t know, it soaks up the fat in what you ate.
Using it my way works because previously my down fall was just one or two days off the wagon and I’d blow the whole diet. Alli has let me get over the bumps!
-Scott
July 21st, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Tiff - you are SO BRAVE! You totally ROCK! Now I ‘might’ be brave enough to post mine on SparkPeople.com - not sure about on my blog, though.
Good on ya, Tiff!
July 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Congratulations for taking that big step of commitment and public accountability. That’s fantastic.
And it shows that you are putting yourself first, which I know you don’t do as much as you should as a ghostwriter and all that
I’d like to connect you to my friend and accountability partner, Scott Tousignant (@TheFitB on Twitter, and The Fit Bastard online).
He has a motivated customer base and support center set up on a ning site http://FitChicFatLoss.ning.com that is free.
His Fit Chic Fat Loss workout program has helped many people - http://The-Fit-Chic.com
He and his wife are both certified personal trainers in Canada, and he’s very inspiring.
He’s also done a lot as an affiliate marketer blogging about his fitness goals, and has a new report and blog out called http://FatLossRiches.com about this very topic. He’s going to have an affiliate contest with this in August to win a cruise, too. (I’ll be there also and would be great to meet you!)
Scott’s a great guy and somebody you can trust to motivate you to your goals.
Hope that helps!
Your Squidoo pal,
Bob Jenkins
July 21st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Hi Tiff,
Proud of you, Girl! And I agree with almost all of the great comments above. So I won’t really repeat most of those even though endorsed) or the private
suggestions I’ve sent, but give these brief comments:
(1) Love the domain name! Definitely do the blog, progress report (building toward book and more).
(2) DO videotape key events, aids or equipment that helped you, meal preparations that really worked for you, major checkpoints in your progress… 1.5-2.0 minute segments… with keyword laden titles and descriptions, distribute them through Tube Mogul, then download to your blog through Blip.tv (converts the video to multiple formats, so your followers can get it in whatever form they like)…
(3) For yourself, do NOT count calories, but watch portion size and components, and make sure you DO eat regularly. Do not let your body get into “starvation mode,” or it will hold onto everything you put in your mouth! Instead, it’s best to avoid hunger and keep the fires burning (burns fat) by eating more small meals (5-6) per day.
4) And you don’t want to lose the weight too fast, or the flab will be uglier than the fat. Protect your health and appearance by slow, steady weight loss. That will also be a pattern others can follow… so a program or plan that will SELL!
(5) Watch food combinations (sort of like Suzanne Sommers’ diet) and the quality of foods you eat - no sodas (even diet - they are terrible!), nothing “white,” avoid chemicals (MSG tells your body to crave more), no corn (tells your body to store fat), etc.
Based on digestion, don’t eat heavy carbs with meat, and follow the adage about fruit: “Eat it alone or leave it alone!” You don’t want it rotting in your gut waiting for something else to digest! So finish fruit 1/2 hour before other food, or start it about 2 hr. after. Makes a good mid-afternoon snack… in addition to the requisite one apple per day.
And listen to Suzanne Sommers - She’s right, that after you train your body to eat right and recognize only good food combinations for a couple of weeks - THEN you can give yourself a treat (I mustn’t call it “naughty,” or my body will think it’s wrong and hold onto it!) and feast on your favorite pasta, pizza, or whatever… and your body will think, “Say what?!!” and will simply eliminate it.
Just don’t do it a couple of days in a row. Keep your body trained.
(6) Drink that WATER! (Remember Oprah’s famous diet?) Removes toxins, flushes fat, fills the belly so you don’t feel hungry, hydrates cells to make you look younger…
(7) MOST IMPORTANT - The WORDS you speak and the thoughts you think… Most of us have made ourselves overweight by our MOUTHS (and not by the food that goes in them)! Do not say, “I’m going to lose 10 pounds,” because then your body focuses on 10 pounds. Do what I’m trying to learn to do - chant while I walk: “I’m a lean, mean, fat-burning machine.” Not THAT’s an instruction to my body!
(8) EXERCISE in a way others can do, too. Don’t kill yourself! Two hours is fine if it’s something like 1 hr. walking in the morning, 1 hr. walking in the evening after dinner. Add hand weights for the walk after a while. Change one of the walks to a feasible exercise program after a while (I like “Slim In Six” on the first mode, not harmful to joints but a great total body workout). Find what works for you, and work into it sensibly.
I’ve said enough for now, but I hope this helps. As you blog about this, with periodic videos for checkpoints and special features, you will build ever greater interest and respect… and followers… and customers for your future product!
Blessings to you, my friend. Success and victory are yours. Now go claim it!
Margaret
July 21st, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Tiff!
It’s been a while since we chatted…
I have SO been where you’re at and know how you feel - more or less.
Last year I just bit the bullet and headed to StomperNet in Atlanta anyway - 30 lbs overweight and all. And here’s what I know - if people ‘assume’ that you don’t know what you’re talking about because you’re size XL, it is THEIR mistake, not yours.
You have so much to offer, so much knowledge, so much integrity, so much to share. Do what you need to, to become comfortable in your skin, and then get into the speaking and training circuit - there’s more money to be made and people to be helped there than anywhere else. These are areas you excel in.
Just my two cents.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 am
Hi Tiffany, I am SO glad I read your email. You have alot of courage and you can do this! Lots of great ideas from other people that have posted here and it is wonderful to see how caring they are of you.
First off remember your average person doesn’t have 2 or 3 hours to work out every day. And to be honest, that is alot for anyone to do. They would have to call the paramedics if I even tried to work out for an hour a day LOL
I too had alot of weight to lose and had been saying for the last 3 years that I was going to go on a diet. I have almost an entire gym at my house and never use the equipment. btw a BowFlex makes a great clothes hanger hehe Seriously I walk from my bedroom to my office and that is about the extent of my exercise.
But 9 months ago I started with some medical issues and didn’t have a choice ended up losing 72 lbs cause I could not eat. I was not a pretty site and still not.
Why am I telling you this? Cause with that amount of exercise and only 1200 calories you may be very unhappy with the outcome. If you body goes into starvation mode like mine did and other people here have mentioned, it just eats up your muscles and you will still retain alot of fat, plus your skin begins to hang. I can’t stand looking at myself in the mirror and just hope that my skin will tighten again.
So what if it takes you longer than you plan to lose this weight, the point it you are committed and will do it. And above all you want to do it in a healthy way.
There is alot of good info out there on how to lose weight and what works for one person doesn’t for another, so you need to find your “niche” and what works for you.
Someone mentioned eating 5 - 6 times a day and I did that several years ago and it worked well. Check out The 3 Hour diet by Jorge Cruise. This type of diet does take some planning so the food is ready when you need to eat. The other suggestion I have for you and this is what I am now doing, is I bought a digital kitchen timer and have it on my desk. I set it for an hour or so and when it goes off I get up and go do something around the house. This is also helping me eat at normal times, which most of us who work from home probably don’t do and that is part of the reason we gain weight. We get so engrossed with our work that we forget to eat and then it is 1am and we are hungry, so what do we do, we eat and then go to bed.
Tiffany I wish you the best of luck and keep us informed on your progress, we are all pulling for ya.
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Good luck to you, Tiffany.
I found the cave man diet (Google “paleo diet”) to work very quickly and to be very healthy. It’s sort of the original low carb diet, heh. You don’t have to eat any woolly mammoths or anything… it’s just based on eating the foods mankind evolved eating (lots of fresh veggies and lean meats and fish).
We didn’t actually eat grains on a regular basis until 10,000 years ago and the agricultural revolution. Can you imagine a world without bread?
Again, good luck to you!
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Tiff,
Best of luck. I suggest you do some research and buy a few products. It’s madness to try and do this making up your own rules e.g 1200 calories a day that will end up burning muscle.
YOu’ve done well in IM by having a mentor you can still do the same with fat loss.
James Brausch is doing something simiular http://www.weightlossdude.com he si trying different diets each week I think.
Another guy that I am working with is Matt Lovell who is the sports nutritionist for the England Rugby Team http://www.sportsnutritionvlog.com
Go for it
Gavin Allinson
August 17th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Hi Tiff,
Congrats….it is so very hard to lose those pounds…..I, myself have 50 I need to take off..and I just can’t seem to accomplish it!! My wife is a bigger girl and has the same problem…I am very proud of you, keep it up….
And by the way….I do like a little more meat on a woman’s bones..and that picture of you in the post is very HOT!
Have a great day!
Robert