Lil’ Mama, fashion to die for
Posted on | May 18, 2008 | No Comments
Photo curtesy of Mumajugs myspace page
Lil Mama started in radio in 2000, debuting on Ugly Phil’s Hot 30 Countdown, co-hosting on Kylie and Jackie O show, and co-hosted some of the largest Australian radio shows, Rumba and red carpet premiers and long time member of Auststereo Network.
She is a plus size her self and this is what prompted her to design clothing. All those red carpet events and premiers she went to were proving difficult to dress for. She always found it hard to find something glamorous that accentuated her body type. Hence Lil Mama was born.
As you can see this lady is well known around Australia and has made a splash in the fashion world with her unique and exquisite pieces. She has successfully debuted her clothing in San Francisco, LA. She has done wonders for the Australian market and has made her mark in the international market. All in all the future looks very bright and the possibilities are endless.
Here are a few must haves you should have in your wardrobe in 2008. She caters for Australian sizes 8-18 and in some styles up to 20. Just look at this beautiful jacket Stella and you will see what I mean. The cut, the style that it will bring to your wardrobe will accompany any of your slacks for an office look, leggings for a casual look whilst going out to dinner or a restaurant. The choice is yours.
Don’t forget a pair of Embodied Denim Bebe Jeans, they are a must especially in Australia but will be popular anywhere in the world. Us Aussies love the jeans look, which now days can be dressed up or down, that is the beauty of them.
Take the tour of Lil’ Mama’s site to find all the fashion you will ever need right in one store. She has an online store as well as her Head Office address at Suite 9, Level 1, 110 Botany Rd, Alexandria, NSW, 2015. To contact Lil’ Mama please phone: +61 2 9690 0219 and Fax: +61 2 9690 0651, for all enquiries email them at info@lilmama.com.au or give them a call.
Make sure you visit her on myspace and twitter.
Me about 8 weeks ago
Posted on | May 13, 2008 | 7 Comments
When I first weighed in I was around 150kg this is what I looked like. I am taking a new photo next week so hopefully you will see the slight change in my body. Please feel free to comment on this, your opinion is valued. I have been struggling with the eating allot the last few weeks. This whole baby thing has taken it’s toll on me and I am not happy how it has made me feel both physically and emotionally.
I am doing more Gym work and will make a concious effort to eat more healthy and not pig out on junk food. Unfortunately I am one of those people who is an emotional eater. It is like someone takes over my body and mind and then I wake up the next morning and think to myself what have I done? It will be the most difficult thing to change and control – I have made a lot of progress but I would have lost more weight if I could control myself. (Am working on it).
Any encouragment you can give me will help. I need help with this that is for sure.
Ill post more next week when I get the photos, I will also have measurements for you as well as an overall weight loss.
With comfort in mind
Posted on | May 9, 2008 | 2 Comments
Photo credit: Sevenworlds16
Today I was looking at Glen L’s site, an online colleague (if you like) at Full Figure Plus and found some wonderful tips for us girls on Bras. The tips are really great as I am sure you have some lovely intimates that you find get ruined with regular washing. So here are the tips you have been waiting for.
I also found at Body wise Emporium which is an Australian site for intimates that also ships internationally. They had some very valid things to say about bras being comfortable. They also have a link that takes you to their site and offers some great comfortable bra options. Yes even you Mum’s to be have some comfortable options available to you and the sizes range from Australian size 10-22. A plus size paradise.
Choosing a comfortable yet flattering bra is sometimes a very hard thing to find. After all women are different shapes and sizes and our breasts are no different, so finding that one bra that is comfortable and yet flattering is a must find. The link above will tell you the answer.
Harvard study – Obese pregnant women
Posted on | May 2, 2008 | No Comments
Here is a link to a Harvard study about obese pregnant women. It is something that every woman should read. The health risks are enormous and very dangerous for both Mum and Baby. If you want to find other studies about this subject please visit the Harvard website to find more interesting studies and articles.
No more baby talk
Posted on | May 1, 2008 | 2 Comments
Photo credit: Jaypee Online
Well where do I start ladies? My husband and I have decided not to go ahead with IVF treatments because the drugs that I have been on have not allowed me to ovulate. Instead I became quite ill on them. Not to mention all the stress that has come along with it.
When my husband and I finally agreed to stop I felt kind of relieved. This may sound kind of strange but in all honesty I just couldn’t handle taking all these drugs and then going on the scans (which were horrible and painful) only to be told that my follicles had not grown.
I became ill this last two weeks especially and have not been able to go to the Gym at the doctor’s orders. This has pis@#$ me right off. I am probably back to square one and have to struggle again now to lose the weight that I gained while I was ill.
Well thank God for my inspiration queen Angie All The Way who has shown me that by moving on and not giving up you can still be a WINNER. So I am gathering all my strength (what ever is left) after the emotional realisation that we may never have children.
My head is like a merry go round and it just isn’t stopping. I have been spinning out of control and I don’t like it. So after I have recovered I will get my Gym bag and my water bottle and off I go on Monday to my beloved Fernwood and go nuts.
Nothing relieves stress like a good strong structured workout. My husband and I will continue trying for a baby but we are not going to go crazy about it and basically just be spontaneous and hopefully I will lose more weight in the next few weeks and my body will be on the mend again.
Till the next time!!
Scan #3
Posted on | April 28, 2008 | No Comments
Photo credit: Dafina
I had my third scan this morning and guess what my follicles didn’t grow which means that I won’t be ovulating any time soon. I was so upset and disappointed that I cried all the way to work.
Basically this nurse advised me that even if I lose a whole heap of weight it still may not make me ovulate. So I am thinking that I am wasting my time and money on something that may never happen.
Not to mention that I am an emotional wreck, feeling sick all the time and being moody. This is not what I want. I knew this would be hard but never in my wildest dreams thought it would be like this.
You might be saying to yourselves that it has only been a few weeks of this process but let me tell you they have been very intense weeks. The medication, the waiting, and the awful scan you have to do. (The scan hurts). Then lastly the disappointment of them saying oh well the follicles haven’t grown.
I think after talking to my husband tonight we might give this whole process a miss. If they can’t get me ovulating with drugs then what hope do I have? I know when I talk to my husband tonight he will be really upset at the news and he will definitely want to give all of this amiss.
I feel like I am falling apart and the realization that I may never get pregnant has hit real hard. Because now it is all a reality where as before I even went through the testing stage it was all a possibility, now it is looking bleak.
THE INTERVIEW WITH ANGIE
Posted on | April 25, 2008 | 2 Comments
Before and After pictures of Angela
I have found a very inspirational woman online recently, just by searching other blog’s of interest to BGDC. I was especially interested in this young girl because her blog was amazing. She has written her diary entries of what is happening in her daily life as well as her weight loss story. She also has some interesting articles of the facts about food, nutrition, and all kinds of health issues associated with being obese. She has recipes, menus and ideas and links to other people’s blogs that have ideas of what to eat.
What really stood out for me is that once reading her blog and commenting we had sustained a repour and I knew she knew what I was going through myself. Let me introduce Miss Angie All The Way to you ladies.
Her strength and determination has inspired me not to give up, even when I have felt very low and just wanted to quit. I haven’t because reading her story and the journey she is taking still has helped me personally to stay on track.
Angie is a 28-year-old woman from Halifax, Canada. She works full time, has a wonderful fiancé, and has only recently started blogging. Angie was kind enough to allow me to delve further into her journey of weight loss by agreeing to do an interview. The transcript is featured below this article.
As all who are trying to shed some pounds know, it is a never-ending battle to keep this up. It is a life change and that means that you have to fight to stay on track. It won’t just fall in your lap. It will be the hardest thing you probably do. So I hope Angie’s story helps each and every one of my readers to find the courage that she has given me to continue on with my journey.
We can gain support from people like Angie and myself – sometimes our family and friends don’t know how to support us and therefore with the wonderful group of people out there who are doing the same thing as we are should definitely stick together and help each other through the very tough times.
The times that you don’t think you can exercise any more, the times when you overeat and you think what is the point and quit. This is a time to all stand together and be strong. We can achieve anything with great support systems like this. Don’t give up ladies we can do this together.
I am sure I can speak for Angela in saying that we both hope you enjoy this article and if we inspire one person it was all more worth doing.
THE INTERVIEW
Tell me about when you decided to start your weight loss? What was the contributing factor that pushed you to do this?
I was always chubby as long as I can remember beginning in elementary school. In high school, I was overweight, but remained active playing soccer and basketball. I loved playing soccer and I always attribute my healthy self-esteem - despite being unhappy with my weight – to my involvement in sports. In my final year of high school, I sustained a knee injury playing soccer, which prevented me from continuing being active in sports. It wasn’t until I was 22, that I had surgery to repair my knee and from the time of my knee injury to the time of my surgery, I had let my weight creep up to 298 lbs.
I was happy in every other aspect of my life. I had found the man I am now marrying, I had graduated University and additionally completed another college program and starting work in the real world. I had achieved most everything I had wanted to achieve up to that point in my life accept, of course, I was unhappy with my weight. Then came the craze of Dr. Phil and his Ultimate Weight Loss Solution.
For the first time in my life I was ready to face losing weight and ready to give it a sincere effort. My knee was fixed and I had no excuses. I jumped on that bandwagon and was successful at losing 28 lbs. I can’t remember exactly why I stopped, or the day I stopped, but I drifted away from that regimen through what I can only explain to be boredom! Sure it was a healthy way to lose weight, but I got bored and that was that. I never did re-gain that 28lbs back even after going back to my previous lifestyle.
Two years passed and I was 270 lbs. Any person who is that overweight can relate when I say not a day (or hour) would go by that I was not saddened that my weight was not where I wanted it to be. Then came February 19, 2006. I don’t know what it was specifically about that day that made it “the day,” but I remember thinking to myself that here I was again, another new year had come and the first month was already gone and the second month was almost over and I had still not taken control of my obesity.
Another year would come and go and time would still pass by even if I didn’t take that step to commit and I decided that there was no way that I was going to be standing there another year later in the same position. No way. Immediately I knew that through all of the diet programs that have flown through the mainstream through the years, Weight Watchers was the only one that I had not heard negative things about and it was a program that was still alive and well.
It was healthy and I was going to do this right. I was only going to do it once and so I was willing to take the safest, most healthy approach to slow and steady permanent weight loss. I signed up online that day and promised myself that if I found that the online program wasn’t working, I would switch to attending meetings. Even though I was nervous and excited about my new commitment, I knew that if I kept it private it meant that I was hiding behind the fear of failure. I knew that if I spoke up about it, I was creating my own element of accountability.
Because I was not a meetings member, I needed to create my own real feeling of accountability. At first it felt almost embarrassing to admit that I had joined a weight loss program because I was in such a state of denial I felt that I was almost “admitting” to others that I had a weight problem which is absolutely ridiculous because that’s a problem that is obvious to anyone who sees you! That was the day I became real with myself and my need to lose the weight.
How many years have you been trying to lose weight?
Having been overweight for most of my life it was something which was always on my mind constantly, but not something I actually had attempted for real many times. There was the one time I mentioned on the Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Loss Solution and before that, there was only one other time when I was a University student and during my working summer, I committed to healthy eating. There were no scales and I got a lot of attention from people who commented on my success. It felt great, especially not being tied to a scale at all, but once I got back to school and back into the student life routine, it didn’t last and I eventually gained it back.
How do you feel each week when you lose a kilo?
In Canada, we weight ourselves in terms of pounds, which actually seem a little bit more encouraging when you see them drop off more quickly than kilos would. A healthy weight loss in pounds translates to about 2 lbs per week and that was where I held steady for many many months. At first it was so exciting to see that scale dropping lower and lower each week and I would have weeks where I would lose more than 2 lbs too. However, because I knew that I had such a long way to go stepping on that scale every week, I tried really hard not to be too emotionally affected by what it said. I began recording my losses like it was any other day. I realized that a day would come where the scale wouldn’t be declining so steadily, so by not attaching too much of an emotional response to the result, I knew it would help me get through the stages where the scale would go up or stay the same.
When you exercise, how did you feel the first time you did that and how do you feel now when you exercise?
As I mentioned before, I had always been relatively active, even at my largest, but there is no comparison whatsoever on how much easier it is to do after losing such a large amount of weight. I was able to compare the drastic difference because unfortunately I was in a terrible car accident when I was about 30 lbs into my weight loss that rendered me immobile for months. I had broken my hip and my foot and suffered various soft tissue injuries to my neck and shoulder. I was completely unable to exercise for a very long considerable period of time.
I worked at physiotherapy for a very long time to work up to being at a point of being able to exercise normally again. Ironically, during that time of immobility, I had lost the majority of my weight without meaningful exercise. Good healthy nutrition was entirely to credit. There was no way I was going to let it stop me from getting to my goal because I knew that it would only make me feel worse, given my current situation. By the time I was able to try regular exercise again it was like I had an entirely new body and I experienced what it was like to exercise like a “normal” person and feel what it felt like. Everything is all relative, and you become used to the body you are in, but it was not nearly as difficult to sustain the same period of time of cardio.
I know for me the menus are the hardest things to juggle, how did you tackle your menu planning and how has this affected your other half? Do you cook separate meals?
I find the menu planning and grocery shopping a very challenging part because it takes constant attention and effort. This was the part that I just had to accept. There is work to losing weight and you have to put in the time and effort required in a consistent way to be successful – period. This is particularly difficult in my house because my other half is a very picky eater who does not eat vegetables or even regular staple foods in most households. So to answer your question, yes I do end up cooking two separate meals almost every day for my Mister and myself. I have gotten quite good and cooking for “one.” Having said that, he has been so supportive of my weight loss and efforts to better health and has tried very hard not to let his own issues with his picky eating affects my food decisions. I still remember on my first birthday after jointing Weight Watchers Online, he looked up a cake that he could make me that was low point!
I am trying to fall pregnant and this is why I am doing this, on a personal level, are there any health issues with you? Or are you just trying to get fit and healthy because you want to be healthy?
This is so so important. As I mentioned above, I was in a very serious car accident where I sustained serious injuries. One of which was a dislocated and fractured hip, even though I was already 30 lbs into my weight loss at the time (and so very proud), the doctor could not stop stressing how important it was that I LOSE THE WEIGHT. My hip injury was serious and the more weight I carry on my body, the more stress my joint would feel and the inevitability of arthritis would rear its ugly head much sooner. At that point, I was still 240 lbs and he did not believe that I was going to continue with my weight loss. He was a great orthopaedic surgeon, but lacked bedside manner to say the least.
No matter how many times I stressed to him that I had my weight problem under a control, he would always look at me like I was a drug addict who had been sober for a week and couldn’t be trusted. It was devastating. I also plan to become a mother in the next year or so, in addition to the obvious reasons to be a healthy mom, the additional weight gain during pregnancy will inevitably be bothersome on my hip, so getting down to a healthy weight before becoming a mom is extra important to me.
What is the thing that most motivates you when you are feeling down and feel like you want to quit?
As you know, I started to blog. Through blogging I have been introduced with the greatest, most supportive comrades a person could every encounter that understand all of the ups and downs through the weight loss journey. I am first and foremost inspired and encouraged by all of my fine ladies who check in on me daily. They are amazing individuals. I try to be as positive as possible in every aspect of my life, but there are of course going to be times when you’re not feeling so great. When I get the courage to post during those times, my girls are always there to bring me back up and remind me how far I have come. I try not to focus on the small set backs and keep the perspective on what I have overcome and how far I have truly come on this journey so far.
What exercise do you undertake to stay fit? – Please do a list in point form.
- I started running! I am so very excited about this because this was not fathomable when I was at my heaviest, or even as I was losing weight. The impact of running just wasn’t doable. I am running my first 5km race at the end of May and I am committed to crossing that finish line with open arms.
- Strength training is very important as well. Even with the struggles I have with my shoulder, I am working hard in this area. Having lean muscle mass at my goal weight is another goal of mine.
Do you have a source of where people can go to find healthy recipes?
I am a member of Weight Watchers Online Weight Watchers Canada and that is a huge resource for recipes and the like. In addition, I have found Spark People to be an amazing site. It is a free site that provides tools to track food, weight loss, recipes, message boards, exercises etc.
Lastly, what would be your most important advise for others who are trying to lose weight?
My biggest piece of advice to those trying to lose weight is to be 100% honest with yourself. You have to accept what it takes to be successful with losing weight and you have to be consistent. DON’T ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS! Successful weight loss is not for chumps! 
Anyone can do it, but you need to be realistic and serious. Life is chalked full of obstacles and set backs that will try to stand in your way form time to time, but it’s all about learning to be flexible and not to let it take over your direction.
If you find yourself whining, you are most likely making excuses for why you didn’t or couldn’t. You have to become good and knowing yourself and recognizing excuses when you hear them. Learn to move past set backs quickly and not to let them keep you down. Your mindset IS the driving force behind your success, so stay positive and keep going no matter what! Show yourself what you are made of and it will be the biggest personal accomplishment of your life.
A picture of Angela Now April 2008
My Journey of discovery – part 5
Posted on | April 25, 2008 | No Comments
Photo credit: Cindytoo
By the way I have lost another 100gm this week. Also I have changed my work out by adding more things in there. Well not me but my lovely personal Trainer Julie. I tried the new program for the first time today, couldn’t do all of it and misunderstood one exercise and ended up lifting 6kg weights on each hand. It was a bonus. I tried using the cross trainer and I almost killed my self on it.
Haven’t done real well on the food front but am still trying very hard. It has been really hard to find things that are healthy and that my husband likes too. I am so busy and tired now that I just can’t be bothered cooking two meals.
Even though I feel I haven’t made a big progress I know that most of what I am feeling right now is not me being negative but all to do with the drugs that I am on. It has really messed with my feelings a lot more than I expected them too.
The last thing I want right now is to feel like I want to give up. I haven’t yet and hopefully I will have the strength to get my @#$% together. Excuse the French people but I am trying to stay very calm and not doing a very good job of that.
My clothes are still getting loose on me and that has cheered me up a little. Not to mention that if I was in the right frame of mind right now I would be happier about the result and more focused on what will happen next week.
I am off to the Gym tomorrow and will do my best to get all that aggression out of my system and come home and just relax and gather my thoughts.
Scan 2 – disappointing results
Posted on | April 25, 2008 | No Comments
Photo credit: Apostolis L
I went for my scan and it wasn’t what I expected. My doctor did the scan for me and he didn’t find any big changes from the last scan. This means that the follicles had not grown. The whole purpose of this medication is to get me ovulating. I am not currently doing that and it has been driving me crazy.
While I was waiting to be seen, all I kept on hearing is two pregnant women talking about ovulation this, and how their system of getting pregnant they should sell that secret. BLAHHH BLAHHH BLAHHH. I say that because I am being polite. In my head I was swearing at them to shut up already.
For obvious reasons my reaction was totally irrational and I have this women’s intuition if you want to call it that – and my gut was telling me that I wasn’t going to have good news in there.
Needless to say I was devastated and now my doctor has put me on two Clomid tables a day for 5 days and yet another scan on Monday morning. My husband has been getting stressed out about this whole process. My side effects have been affecting him too. The emotions and the mood swings have been a tad much.
I can tell you that I started the new dose on Wednesday and it is Friday now and my stomach has blown right up. You should see it. I have been eating things and not being able to finish because I am that bloated it has been making sick to eat too much.
I don’t know how much more of this I can handle and it things don’t look my way soon I think that we will stop this treatment all together and just try to accept that this won’t happen for us and get on with our lives. I do however have just that little bit of hope that God won’t let me down. Yes, I have been praying every night that my body can do this.
I have also been thinking that my work out regime has been kind of saving my life right now. The stress you feel and all that pressure has to be released somewhere and I have released it at the Gym and not on my husband. So it has really been a blessing in disguise.
More next week.
Scan #2
Posted on | April 22, 2008 | No Comments
I am having my second scan tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it. After all who likes being poked and proded. My husband and I have been going for it every second day (which is killing us) but we are hoping for good results – hopefully a little baby. That whole process has been quite funny.
It’s like you have plan when and where – I might have to ring him to come home one day so we can get busy. You would only see that in a movie but let me tell you it is heading that way. I can say we have been having alot of fun along the way.
My second scan will determine whether or not the eggs have grown, hopefully they have and are almost ready to be released. The bad thing is that by my taking Clomid it has given me some side effects. I have been feeling nausious, head aches, feeling like I want to vomit. Not a good feeling, it has been hard at work always feeling dizzy.
I not only have my scan tomorrow but I get to see my Doctor as well so I can ask a million and one questions. We haven’t discussed what other procedures I will have to undertake. I might have to do an IUI procedure – but let me cross that bridge when I get to it.