goodbye to wine
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free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:39 am

i've put on far too much weight since i've come to france. granted, especially on holiday, the calorie-ridden stuff is hard to resist. but i've been really, truly good and still the weight sticks around. now i'm a naturally skinny person who's had to go on meds that definitely have put weight on me. they slow my metabolism and i'm afraid that's just the way it has to be. (and i'm exercising at home but it isn't quite the same as a gym for pure sweat!) at first everyone thought the extra weight looked great on me, but this has now gotten ridiculous. i'm almost (dare i say it?) chunky. strong but skinny arms and legs, but my stomach and chest have just ballooned. as i said, part of this is the meds. but why then do i lose weight every time i go back to the states?

why indeed.... as i sat sipping my glass of wine last night, it occurred to me. WINE! in france, everybody drinks wine with their evening meal the way we used to drink water with it back in the states. actually, maybe even more. a minimum of half a bottle nightly! it took me awhile to get into, but now i'm just like the french and a meal (no matter how lo-cal) just doesn't seem complete without it.... so, without further adieu, i must give up my beloved wine. Sad

thought i'd share because *nobody* here would understand!

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:23 am

Oh no! I hope you find that you can indulge occasionally.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:38 am

well, on holiday of course not -- i'll *have* to be bad Bad Grin

. and mayhaps the occasional night out. it's how i've handled chocolate (drooling just typing the word).... and, if the Club Med Gym (can you believe they have gyms???) works out, perhaps i'll be able to indulge again after i lose this mound of blubber and behave like a respectable frenchwoman. thank you, nyjlm, for understanding that this hurts me to the very core. it was such a big part of my assimilation into this country.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:50 am

A lot of calories, sugar and carbs in wine. I gave it up too. Except for special occasions.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:12 am

I didn't know that wine would cause weight gain. I have to watch it from now on.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:40 am

tidieu wrote:

I didn't know that wine would cause weight gain. I have to watch it from now on.

i don't think a glass now and then will do you any damage. in fact, it's good for you. you won't balloon up. moderation is the key. my problem is i've been drinking half a bottle through the course of a meal (or through the evening when we're home) EVERY night for almost a year without a thought. *that's* when you gain weight. sigh.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:00 am

tidieu wrote:

I didn't know that wine would cause weight gain. I have to watch it from now on.

Oh alcohol is a bigtime source of hidden calories. Anything that you add to your diet without compensating for it will make you gain weight, it all comes down to calories in calories out.

And La Vie En Rose, its a shame you couldn't find any good at home workouts. I know some people just can't get into it though unless they're at a gym. I've actually found I'm in better shape and workout better/more now that I don't go to a gym. I get to mix and match my own workouts according to what muscles I need to work and not just which class the gym is offering the time I happen to be there. However I do think one needs to have a piece of exercise equipment (like an elliptical, bike, etc) or be a runner to make the whole at home workout thing work. Even though cardio tapes do work, I prefer the cardio equipment to the videos and keep the videos for toning, stretching, pilates, etc. Well hopefully the gym works out for you, but don't be afraid of trying a Firm or Callanetics video for when you can't make it to the gym.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:15 am

Hi la vie en rose - It'so tough limiting wine consumption in France. Wine is so good and reasonably priced there. But besides the weight gain, have you noticed a difference in your skin? I only drink wine when I go out to eat, and WOW, it really shows up on my face the next day! I even try to drink a glass of water for every glass of wine, but it still dries me out and makes me look older.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:31 am

[quote="PhoebesMeow"]

tidieu wrote:

And La Vie En Rose, its a shame you couldn't find any good at home workouts. I know some people just can't get into it though unless they're at a gym. I've actually found I'm in better shape and workout better/more now that I don't go to a gym. I get to mix and match my own workouts according to what muscles I need to work and not just which class the gym is offering the time I happen to be there. However I do think one needs to have a piece of exercise equipment (like an elliptical, bike, etc) or be a runner to make the whole at home workout thing work. Even though cardio tapes do work, I prefer the cardio equipment to the videos and keep the videos for toning, stretching, pilates, etc. Well hopefully the gym works out for you, but don't be afraid of trying a Firm or Callanetics video for when you can't make it to the gym.

been doing Callanetics for years, as well as pilates, yoga, and ballet. i am very stretched, limber, and toned (even under my belly fat). *love* them all! i even have free weights i use here. when i lose some of this excess baggage i'm going to have Linda Hamilton arms. (actually, they're already damned close -- most of the weight i've gained is in the middle.) if i could run, i'd do it, but my knees are shot. so, my problem is the X factor -- that piece of cardio equipment i can attack and sweat on for 45 minutes. i bought a pathetic peice of plastic that claims it's a stair-stepper -- ha!!! i can barely break a sweat after an hour. balancing machine is more like it. i wanted to get an exercise bike, a decent one, but my BF says there's no room. Sad

our apartment *is* really small, but.... well, i have to do something. i'm going slightly mad! those of you who exercise regularly know what i mean. i've done it all my life, come to france and boom -- no cardio to get my yayas out on.... Idea

hmmmmmmmmmmmm.... does anybody know of a *good* stair stepper that doesn't take up much room???

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:39 am

m.april wrote:

But besides the weight gain, have you noticed a difference in your skin? I only drink wine when I go out to eat, and WOW, it really shows up on my face the next day! I even try to drink a glass of water for every glass of wine, but it still dries me out and makes me look older.

good question. i'll tell you if i notice any miracles on that front if i see it.... come to think of it, my skin always *does* look better when i go back to california but i thought it was just the lack of humidity. (i don't drink when i'm there because i'm driving.) you could have a point -- cool!!! thank you!

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:38 am

la vie en rose wrote:

tidieu wrote:

I didn't know that wine would cause weight gain. I have to watch it from now on.

i don't think a glass now and then will do you any damage. in fact, it's good for you. you won't balloon up. moderation is the key. my problem is i've been drinking half a bottle through the course of a meal (or through the evening when we're home) EVERY night for almost a year without a thought. *that's* when you gain weight. sigh.

You are probably right because my husband has been drinking 1 glass of wine everyday at dinner time and it does not affect his weight. But he does not gain weight as easily as me.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:51 am

la vie en rose wrote:

does anybody know of a *good* stair stepper that doesn't take up much room???

You could try one of those newer foldaway ellipticals. Those aren't supposed to take up much room because when you're not using them you fold it up. Proform and Nordictrack make them that I know off (probably all the companies).

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:59 pm

Hi la vie,
I bought a mini trampoline at a local chain store for $30. It can be stashed under a bed or in a wide closet. You'd have to test one first though to see if it is easy on the knees but I think its a good and fun cardio workout.

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:52 pm

But wine has a lot of anti oxidants!!!! Very Happy

I love my wine! Smile

It cleanses my system too! I say just exercise so that we can afford the calories of wine! Smile

and reap the benefits still! Smile

free skin care · Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:19 pm

joziegrozy wrote:

But wine has a lot of anti oxidants!!!! Very Happy

I love my wine! Smile

It cleanses my system too! I say just exercise so that we can afford the calories of wine! Smile

and reap the benefits still! Smile

trust me, my goal is to be able to have my lovely wine again. it is wonderful for you in so many ways and, as i've said, it's the way things are done here. i just need to abstain at the moment as it's obviously the culprit for me. (i've done this with chocolate and bread as well already. i do, however, refuse to cook without real normandy butter when olive oil just isn't right.) also, i tend to have allergies to red wines so i've been drinking mostly the white ones. even though though they're dry, they metabolise as sugar and fat for me. i will start my heavy-duty exercise plan on tuesday when i get back from scotland where i'll be doing a lot of walking and no drinking anyways (am telling my hosts, my BF's parents about my new rule). if all this starts working, i will allow myself half a glass of red now again from my boyfriend's bottle at home and cheat a bit more for our rare dinners out. (sigh. i just found a glorious grand vin for under four bucks too, a 2005 bordeaux.) i'm not talking a huge amount of weight here, it's just all concentrated. and i'm clearly not telling anyone else to abstain. i just wanted people to be aware that so glorious a drink can slowly sneak up on you and pack on the pounds for those who are trying to lose.

do me a favour, joziegrozy, and everybody out there. when you have a glass of wine, have a little sip for me! Very Happy

merci!

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