Maggieba Member

I have 3 young kids and a husband who loves junk food, so there's always temptation in the house. But I figure I have to learn how to handle temptations because they'll always be there. Even when I'm no longer actively cutting calories, I will live in a world of temptations - because I don't plan on being a hermit - and I…

Lyle McDonald finally put out his Women's Book. It has several chapters dedicated to the menstruation cycle, including the impacts of estrogen and progesterone, and how the hormones impact water retention, weight loss, hunger, etc. I found it fascinating if you're interested in the science/biology behind it all.

Home scales are not super accurate. But using your numbers: Jan 1 : LBM was 51.03 Jan 21: LBM was 51.00 4.7kg loss and no change in LBM

First of all, be kind to your body. You've just birthed a little human. Second, hormones do wild things to your body. You will read post from woman who breastfed and the weight just "melted off." I wished to be one of those women, but I fall into the other end of the spectrum - can't lose the last 15 pounds until I stop…

A few weeks back someone posted an article in this section about actual calories needed to build muscle. For women, under ideal conditions (calorie surplus, progressive heavy lifting, etc) a 1/4# muscle gain per week was cited. If I'm remembering correctly, the author proposed that while eating at maintenance and lifting,…

@ssbbg There are a lot of exercises! But I did Strong Lifts for 5 months and was over the monotony of the same 5 exercises. Although I hate to admit... I don't do the SC program warm up or the activation exercises! I do my own warm-up. For glute activation, for me at least there's a "sweet spot"; either not enough weight…

I started week 5 of Strong Curves. I really enjoy lifting and like the variety and glute focus of the program. I just wish I would have taken measurements and pics when I started for comparison.

Hi everyone! Name: Maggie Age: 37 Height: 5'10 Current weight: 194 Goal weight: 184 Ultimate goal weight: 160/ 20%bf Goals: consistently logging over summer. I have summers off, and I get lax about weighing & logging. Motivation: being a good role model for my kiddos I started back lifting at the end of December and…

Those are all great programs. My local library had paper copies of many of them so I read up and picked what worked for me and the equipment I have access to. Most people will say you can't build appreciable muscle while eating at a deficit. There are some exceptions including those new to lifting that you'll see…

Like others have suggested, a food scale is a great investment. From personal experience, I would also suggest letting go of the number on the scale. I'm 5'10 and 185, and this month I've only lost 1.2 pounds. However, my hips are down half an inch, belly, waist, and under bust (aka back fat) are each down an inch. Some…

I've used the BodySpace app for the last 2 years and really like it. It's bodybuilding.com's app. It allows you to create your own routine, use templates created by others, or use BB's programs & routines.

I got the Vivosmart HR for Christmas and have worn it consistently. I've noticed my burn is significantly different when I "log" an activity vs when I don't. For instance, I used the "other"workout setting to track a lifting session followed up with 15 minutes of HIIT. That day I hit 7800 steps. My activity burn was 750…

I'm considering it. It's good to hear you found it helpful... might nudge me to just do it! What was most surprising?

I'm starting tomorrow! I'm 7 weeks postpartum and have been following this group for months, knowing I'd start once I got the all clear. For hybrid workouts, I've used this website https://workoutscheduler.net/hybrid-workout-scheduler/ It's awesome for scheduling multiple programs.

If you want an at-home bodyweight program, check out You Are Your Own Gym &/or Convict Conditioning. Both are progressive programs (start easier and become harder to challenge the muscle to continue making gains). I really like YAYOG and the app is worth the $5. I also have the book which goes into more depth. There also a…

There are benefits to both. Check out PHUL; it's a structured intermediate program that incorporates heavy and hypertrophy. Also, I found this article interesting: optimizing muscle size through different training methods. www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly6.htm

If you want liquid calorie options, try making smoothies with Greek yogurt, milk, and fruit.

Do what feels good for your body. I found I feel best when I do a 15-20 minute HIIT workout after I lift. I'm less sore the following day. Plus I have 2 young kids and committing to 3 days a week was manageable. I lost 25 lbs in 5 months with very little cardio, mainly lifting, and tracking calories.

I started with Bodybuilding.com and Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer (tons of other free programs on BB). I liked it because it includes more dumbbells and machines and eased me into lifting. My favorite feature of BB is their Bodyspace app. I could track all my workouts and watch form videos if I wasn't sure about a move. I…

Depending where you live, look into Stroller Strides or other similar programs. I did this when my 1st was about 3 months old. It helped me connect with other moms ease back into working out. Now with 2, double jogging stroller is awesome and we turned our garage into a gym with an Olympic weight set etc. Dad watches the…

Congrats on your success!

Awesome!

Love it! I freeze Greek yogurt in ice cube trays and add a few for extra protein.

My favorite is Labrada/Jamie Eason Lean Body for Her. It's a whey protein that's lactose free (other powders gave me major stomach/stink issues). They mix well and taste awesome. The chocolate is like a Wendy's frosty. The peanut powder is excellent as well. Vanilla is good, but the other two are my favorites. I think…

I'm 18 weeks pregnant and was also doing 5x5 before. I haven't worked out for almost 4 months due to extreme nausea and vomiting (love being pregnant :# ) Due to time off, SI joint/ligament pain, and general hormones/elastin, I decided heavy wasn't the way to go at this point. I just started You Are Your Own Gym last week…

Have you looked at You Are Your Own Gym? All bodyweight exercises and routines. I recently started (after doing SL 5x5) and its definitely challenging with 10 week programs for 4 different levels. I bought the book but the app is great (only $2.99) and includes all the workouts plus an option to create your own workout…

Like most have said, I think following a structured program is most helpful. I read many of the resources mentioned (SL5x5, Strong Curves, NROLFW, Female body breakthrough - most were available at my library). In the end, I found bodybuilding.com and they have tons of free programs designed for all fitness levels. I liked…

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Try adjusting your stance. I had a similar feeling at first when using a narrow stance and toes straight forward. After reading some of these forums, I played around with my stance and found that a wider stance with my toes slightly turned out was so much more comfortable. Also, my IT band was super tight when I first…