Cali212 Member

Hi! I've been using MFP for YEARS and YEARS! It was mostly as maintenance, and to lose a couple pounds here and there when I went overboard. I had my daughter in early March, and gained somewhere around 40-45 pounds, despite exercising religiously. It's been 8 weeks since my girl made her debut, and I'm at 153. I'd like to…

Lot of naysayers (and rude ones, at that) here, but I think it's a great "reboot" - kudos to you and good luck!

I calorie-counted for years and could never really make a dent until I cut out most grains. I now eat 80% grain free, and leave occasional indulgences for pizza or cake. Interestingly, my total calorie input went up, but the weight just MELTED off. (This did not happen when I increased calories, but kept in the grains -…

I've done two five-day cleanses. I considered it less of a "cleanse" and more of a reset button. It definitely put the following things into perspective: portion sizes, how much salt and hot sauce I was consuming (not that there's anything wrong with hot sauce) and how much sugar I craved. The first cleanse went really…

Good luck! My diet is mostly clean as well (except for the occasional treat). My best advice? Learn to make things on your own. Make your own bread. Make your own crackers. I just made my own breakfast bars. Find good cooking blogs for guidance. Only peruse the outside of the grocery store, or skip it all together for a…

Just received my one-year anniversery e-mail from my spin studio. My instructor just banned me from attending classes more than 4x a week - she says I have to cross train. I found the dance moves in Zumba to be too complicated, but I love spin. Before I started spinning, I could barely run 2 miles. Now I can run 10 miles -…

I visit a spin class studio every so often and also a yoga studio, but then I run outside. I went to a gym yesterday (marooned in cold weather) and I felt like a hamster. Twenty five minutes on that treadmill and I wanted to ring my own neck. Felt like a hamster. Incredibly boring.

You're overcooking the sprouts.

Buy the really expensive kind, not the huge blocks of cheddar you can get for five bucks. When a pound of cheese is $20+, you'll learn to enjoy and savor.

Yes, buy a scale and hold yourself accountable. A no-frills digital one would work fine. Something where you can step on, it tells you your weight, and you step off.

Try taking a half hour out of your day and doing walk or run. Anything helps.

I'm not really sure. I was eating at less than 1200 calories until I realized that I may permanently mess myself up. What if my body only expects 1200 calories forever? I upped to 1600 -1800 calories and I feel much better.

If you can afford it, I would try a one-on-one session with a yoga instructor to teach you the basics. I had a couple of these before I joined regular classes and they were instrumental in dealing with my initial intimidation.

I think I'd probably stick to my current diet - lots of fruit/veggies, low meat. I'd feel so sluggish if I ate big meals 3x a day.

Keep doing it until you love it. It'll happen.

It's true for about a week, then they disappear.

I don't think it's sad. Everyone is here for a journey, and how we achieve it us up for us. I think it's wonderful to have a plan to tackle and enjoy the holiday.

Try it out once and see what happens. You won't kill yourself with one workout.

Dairy: Check your ingredients. Is there anything in there besides milk, cream, or active cultures? Crackers.: If you can't pronounce it, it isn't "clean". Coffee:Regular coffee with some milk/sugar is fine. Bread: Store-bought bread has many additives in it. Try to get bakery bread that has only basic ingredients: flour,…

As many vegetables as possible, as little meat/carbohydrates. Stay away from anything in a box or a package. Here's a great blog that can help: http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/