The Long Road

04/14/2004 Archived Entry: "Body Image"

I'm currently obsessed with it, but it also seems to be mostly psychological. How much I like what I see is directly proportional to the amount of exercise I've just done. For example, after an easter weekend full of food and empty of exercise, I felt like a total slob that hadn't really done anything all term; but after running for 8k last night I felt completely statue-worthy. It's all in my head of course, an hour of exercise doesn't give any kind of immediate visible difference.

My goal is to get a 6-pack; I'm somewhat close to it but at the same time also really far from. I've been trying the only tried and true method of "eat less, exercise more" but it is a damn slow process. After having lost 1 lb a week for the last 2 months, I THINK I can see some differences but it's hard to be objective about changes especially if you see it everyday. It's also pretty much impossible to tell your body where exactly to burn off mass, I'm probably losing some in places I'd rather not while the veil holding the toned stomach back gets pulled away at a snail's pace.

As a lark, I looked up the cost of liposuction. It's somewhere in the neighbourhood of 3000$ for a small operation. I wasn't quite expecting that high of a cost, but I guess if it were cheaper everyone'd be doing it. I'd never seriously consider unncessary surgery but if it cost maybe 300$ to remove these handles, I think I would be tempted into a quick fix.

Replies: 10 comments

a pound a week for the last 2 months!! That's pretty good I'd say. Plus the fact that you can actually run 8K. Before I had a broken leg I could do maybe 400m before being winded. Good luck finishing your goal. We'll see how you are i n 2 weeks when we all return to Waterloo.

Posted by sbdep @ 04/14/2004 10:14 PM EST

Alright, so you'll think I'm loopy, Thai for even suggesting this, but as a CBA, I must... So have you ever considered using cosmetic products to promote slimming and firming in your abdominal area? Well maybe you should... Biotherm JUST came out with a new product called 'Abdo-Choc' this comes following their previous and very successful 'Celluli-Choc.' It contains active cocoa concentrate and caffeine that promote the draining of fat cells and Ginseng to promote circulation. It also includes the 'Wondershape' complex they've patented that tightens upon application and contributes to the synthesis of collagen fibres. And to top it all off, it has AHA which will exfoliate the skin making it smoother and facilitate the absorption of all these wonderful active ingredients.
Or there's even a new product by Roc on the market that is guaranteeing that their clients will lose one size in two months (2bottles, 2 months, applied twice a day).
It's actually pretty amazing what they have out there. I mean, they're not going to turn some overweight donut chaser into a beach goddess, but for someone who IS taking care of their bodies, these products can really finish off their appearance. I'm not going to lie to you though, they're not cheap...approximately 50 bucks a pop. But I thought I'd offer that info nonetheless... :)

Posted by Jen Smuj @ 04/15/2004 12:10 AM EST

Liposuction, lol :)
..just like that weaksauce guy :P

-Dave

Posted by Dave @ 04/15/2004 07:30 AM EST

jen ... so this roc stuff that guarantees the loss of a size in 2 months ... what kind of guarantee is this? just for curiosity's sake

Posted by melpie @ 04/15/2004 09:35 AM EST

Yeah, 8k's pretty good. I was nowhere close to being able to do that when I started. But running is a lot easier on a treadmill, and it's also easier to push yourself to keep going. When I feel really cramped or exhausted I can always keep running on a treadmill... cuz the ground is moving!

I dunno about using products...seems like cheating. Two months of exercise has more than lost me 1 size...all my pants are loose at the waist now. And I'm sure that if I kept it up for the next two months I'd see even more changes. Anyways, someone else should try this thing and show me some before and after pics to convince me =D

Roc = Reign of Chaos

Posted by Rayne @ 04/15/2004 01:37 PM EST

It's a money back guarantee on their products.
Cheating by using products would be the same as cheating by lyposuction, don't you think???

Posted by jen @ 04/15/2004 01:46 PM EST

perhaps i'll be your guinea pig, thai

i'll see if it works without dieting or exercise ... hehehe

but those creams are supposed to help most in the appearance of the skin's surface (i'm somewhat skeptical of the creams that claim to actually make you drop a size) ... so it could enhance the appearance of you physique ... and that's not really cheating, is it? are body builders cheating when they get all oiled up?

Posted by melpie @ 04/15/2004 02:02 PM EST

I've heard of creams to "remove cellulite," and I've also heard that none of them work.
I don't see these other creams working, either .. 'sides, while you're still young (ie, faster metabolism than someone who's 35), it's easy(er) to lose weight.

Posted by Arshwana @ 04/16/2004 10:21 AM EST

i've heard most of the creams that "remove cellulite" simply just work to tighten skin and thus reduce the appearance of cellulite ... i.e. get rid of the grapefruit skin look (i think that's how one article i read wrote about it) ... so while you don't lose wait ... the blatant appearance of cellulite is reduced

Posted by melpie @ 04/16/2004 11:06 AM EST

While I'm really skeptical about a lotion that can help you lose fat, I'm pretty willing to accept that there's something out there that can tighten your skin. That'd be something useful for later on in life.

Yeah, liposuction is also cheating.

Posted by Rayne @ 04/17/2004 12:06 PM EST