flaminica Member

This is so true. Set yourself progressive goals and reward yourself for meeting them. Goals like a BMI milestone, dropping below 200, etc. Make the reward non-food related, like a new outfit to show off your progress.

Two words: Children's section. A girl's 14 is a women's 8-10 depending on make. For teen section Junior's sizing just go up one. If you're short, kids and teens not only fit, but frequently fit better than women's petites.

Not similar at all. My mom had menopausal symptoms serious enough to be talked into HRT, which eventually killed her. I had none whatsoever. Aside from the obvious cessation, my menopause was entirely non-symptomatic. Even my doctor was a little surprised. He shrugged and said "Eh. It happens."

At 5'5", age 38 and 189 pounds there is no possible combination of conditions at which 1200 calories a day is healthy or sustainable for you. You're too young, too tall and not heavy enough. You chose 2lbs a week, right? Reduce it to one. At your stats and assuming a Lightly Active profile, you should have no trouble…

I feel your pain. This is where diet ends and fitness takes over. After I reached my goal weight I joined a gym. One year later I'm two pounds heavier and two sizes smaller. You've figured out the weight issue, now you just need to reduce body-fat and lean out a bit.

H&M Kids, the Juniors rack at Winners, Forever 21, Hot Topic. Yes, I'm in my mid-50s and shop at Hot Topic. They're not technically clothes made for a teenager if they're off the 'tween's rack. ;) Go to Chinatown. Chinese garments (i.e. garments made in China by Chinese domestic labels for Chinese women versus garments for…

Vanity sizing makes sense when you remember that sizes are tailored not to women's bodies but to the desired demographic of the retailer. This is why a Medium at Forever 21 (age demographic 16-25) is much smaller than a Medium at Reitmans (where the age target is 35-50). Because an average twenty year old is a different…

It becomes habitual. I got to my "goal" weight and thought yay I can eat more now. And then realised I didn't want to. I just wasn't hungry, and I had far better things to do than eating to amuse myself or keep my hands busy. I maintain on a couple of hundred calories more than I lost on, and I'm still getting smaller.…

Relationships with family can change as well. I was always the chubby kid, the fat teenager, and the obese adult. My sister was always the skinny one. Then after a couple of decades she gained two kids worth of weight and I lost 110 pounds. At first she was supportive and graciously passed down a lot of her clothes as I…

Well spotted. Clearly I need to worry less about BF numbers and remind myself that I'm buying in Girl's sizes. :D

Ok this factoid jumped out at me because the trainer did the test after a one hour workout, but before I had lunch. Not being much of a breakfast person, I'd had nothing to eat but an apple and a lot of coffee. (Not ideal I know.) Point being I was probably very dehydrated at the time. The initial BF test (the one that the…

Thanks all for the feedback. I'll ask my GP about more accurate options at my next checkup. For now I'll trust my (shrinking) gut and your well-informed opinions.

I lost 90 pounds in 18 months while going through menopause and it was a snap. If anything, it's easier because you don't have to factor in monthly fluctuations in water weight. You can do it! Good luck!

I have no hard statistics on the subject, but I have heard anecdotally of people's eyesight changing as a result of weight loss. It has to be fairly extreme loss (100lb+) and the person I heard this from was told it was a side effect of losing visceral fat in his eye sockets. I've lost 90lbs and my vision certainly…

The sandwich builder on Subway's website is one the best calorie calculators in fast food land.

If by "that weirdo" you mean the person who wants their clothes to fit and doesn't care what random strangers think, then yes, we do. I've personally never gotten a second glance in a changing room. If it's a department store, and you're self-conscious, you could always carry your things over to the ladies' department.

As others have suggested, try H&M. My 4'11", 90lb mother swears by them because it's the only chain store that ever carries anything small enough for her. As a general rule, try stores aiming at younger (think teen and college age) shoppers. Those clothes will be cut to Juniors sizing rather than women's and will be…

First I've heard of it. Got a reputable source?

Half-pack of sweetener and double cream. Cream, not milk. Sweetener or sugar I can live without but the cream is non-negotiable. Coffee cream is probably my single largest source of dietary fat and I don't care. Priorities.

Old saying: The proof is in the pudding. Your actual maintenance calories may be higher than MFP claims. Continue to closely monitor your calories and your weight. If pounds continue to drift off, increase calories until you find your balanced point. This may take several months. MFP told me back in May that my maintenance…

Salt is a mineral and has no calories, hence by definition is not fattening. It'll make you retain water, feel a bit bloaty, and if genetically predisposed, may eventually make your heart explode, but not fattening.

This is correct. If you are not in the United States be sure to specify the country when doing this. For example search for "McDonalds UK" or Denny's Canada" etc. This is because the same menu item may have a very different preparation and macros in other countries.

Short answer: If it's a chain, check their website. If it's not, you're not going to get reliable numbers, so use common sense when ordering. Rationale: People dump on chain restaurants and "junk" food all the time. I don't personally feel that any food is junk. Fast food chains, being lightning rods of blame for the…

Based on your starting weight and your present weight and progress (50% there--well done!) you've passed the point where you will ever will (or should) drop two pounds a week. You probably did at first and are now wondering why you're not? It's not because you're doing anything wrong--quite the opposite. The less you…

There's no meaningful difference in the calorie count of white versus brown basmati rice. Brown is higher in fibre and may therefore have a higher satiety profile, but honestly it's not going to make much difference to most people and will probably cost more. The nutritional info on the rice cup will refer to an objective…

What you can't guesstimate in restaurant food is how much added oil is in the food. I find this especially true of side-dish vegetables, which may arrive blanched/boiled or swimming in grill oil. Lots of places entice people to eat their vegetables by dosing them with fats. Rule of thumb if you can't weigh or measure:…

That magical moment when there's so much spam the browser no longer recognises the default language.

Really, don't stress over it. The danger of sodium is overstated in the media. Unless you're among the minority of people with specific sodium-sensitive health issues, you can eat way more sodium than the conventional wisdom allows. I've lost 90lbs and I go over on sodium almost daily.

I once had a customer return a product because it had MSG and exchange it for a different brand that also had MSG, but listed under a different name.

It also depends on what kind of sick you are. If it's flu or some tummy problem, chances are you're dehydrated and/or under-eating, because of nausea or inability to keep anything down. When I had flu last winter I dropped five pounds in a week and regained four of it. Stay hydrated and nourished for now and let the weight…