arlenesway.com.au Loose weight with Arlene Normand

Question

I’m doing the Atkins diet and by mistake..(without thinking) I had 3 or 4 ( Allen’s) minties (wrapped), I’m wondering if you know the carb content in minties?

Answer

Each mintie has one gram of carbohydrate and 15 calories.

Question

I am going to buy a piece of exercise equipment to help tone up and lose weight. Is a treadmill best or exercise bike? I would think an exercise bike as it works the muscles in the butt, legs and thighs. I am unable to go for daily walks as I suffer from severe depression and am too self conscious to have people see me. I am 5ft 2inch and weigh 9 and a half stone. I am 46 yrs. I would love to get down to 8 stone. I am currently a size 12 top and bottom but ideally would love to be a size 8 or 10. I really need to exercise in conjunction with my diet as I have thick calves, fat butt and thighs. Hoping you can help.

Answer

The equipment you enjoy using most is always advisable to purchase.  From a scientific point of view, a treadmill is better, as walking is a weight bearing exercise and therefore more calorie burning, in addition to being better for the prevention of osteoporosis.  You are 160 cm and 61kg, so you have a Body Mass Index of 23.8 which is within the normal limits (between 20-25).  You are definitely not enormous so should not feel self conscious about your weight.  Start exercising on the treadmill every day – you should walk approximately 5km each day.  Initially you might have to build up to this, as you might not have this degree of fitness.  In addition, follow the NW diet plan which can be found on the internet site www.ninemsn.com.au/nw.  You should consult a doctor about your depression.

Question
I saw an article yesterday in the last NW magazine about weight loss, which is what prompted me to come to this website. I had a little browse around the website but couldn’t really see anything that fits into my current situation. I’ve just had a baby 3 months ago and I have gained 15-20 kg, I desperately want to loose this weight but I am breastfeeding and know that I can’t follow just any diet, do you have any advise?
Answer
When you are breastfeeding you eat normally, but must ensure you increase your intake of fluids and calcium.  You normally get thirsty when you are breastfeeding so you automatically drink more.  You should be consuming at least 3-4 serves of dairy products a day.  In addition to the meal plan which is on the NW magazine website which advises two glasses of low fat milk each day, add another glass of milk or a yoghurt.  The eating plan is balanced and will satisfy all your other nutrient requirements.   The exercise regime is healthy.  Consequently, it is acceptable for you to follow the regime. You might feel hungry initially as you are obviously eating too much to have gained 15-20 kg, but within four weeks you will be managing more easily.

Question

I have lost 42kg and kept the weight off for three years through diet and exercise, but I am left with an ugly pouch of skin on my abdomen.  Can any type of exercise help, or do I need surgery to get rid of the excess skin?
Answer

After three years your abdominal skin has contracted maximally and what you see now is permanent.  Therefore, you will require a surgical procedure to remove the excess skin.  The procedure is an abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck.  The surgeon will make a horizontal incision at the bikini line, cut away the extra skin, and then stitch you back up.  Typically within two weeks following surgery you can begin controlled, very light aerobic workouts, such as walking, that avoid abdominal tension.  However, you will need to wait at least six weeks to start conservative abdominal exercises.