cs2thecox Member

I only started doing it when my trainer was snooping on my MFP and complaining that sometimes I had a protein shake AND a latte in the mornings. Took me another 2 days to realize I could have the barista dump the coffee straight in there... It's 100% the way forward!

Current breakfast faves... 25-30g chocolate whey protein about 250ml almond milk (unsweetened) 1 banana 10g peanut butter sometimes Sometimes I have the barista chuck in a shot or 2 of espresso - discount for using my own cup even when it already has something in! 25-30g vanilla whey protein about 250ml almond milk 1…

Actually doing things, 35-45mins. Add in getting changed, shower etc... more. Because of where my (brilliant) gym is, I can only really go at lunchtime, so I just have to power through my weights and get back to the office. My programme currently has me supersetting, with 2 batches of 3 exercises in each workout (so…

I plateaued on OHP and DL really fast. (DL because of specific medical-related leg issues, so not too relevant.) Plateauing on OHP, bench and rows is apparently REALLY common for women, particularly OHP. They're not big muscles, and they sometimes need to be deloaded. I found that getting a really good sports massage…

1) Daily Fail 2) Clearly promotion for her book I'm just proud I resisted the sidebar of shame today!

Good luck. It sounds like you have your head screwed on well this time! When it comes down to it, it's all about wanting the results more than you want that chocolate bar, or more than the annoyance of weighing or measuring food. Every time you're tempted, check in with yourself. What do you want more? Health, or the…

Massive YES to the Diet Coke. And Dr Pepper Zero (that's how they brand it in the UK - weird). <3 <3 <3 Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Max will do in a pinch. But Diet Cherry Coke is problematic for me. Makes me shaky and paranoid. Very odd! Coke Zero Cherry is fine, Pepsi Max Cherry is fine. Who knows. Who cares when there are so many…

Nike Pegasus for me. I definitely do NOT have Asics shape feet. Horrendous issues for one heel for me - weirdly not the one with the screw! (Both ankles have rearranged tendons as well, the left one has some staples in to fuse some of the smaller joints.)

I still have a Fitbit Flex that's going strong. I use it to keep an eye on my sleep, and also to note when I've had a less active day so I can either do something about it, or just not have dessert! It's also good for reminding me to eat more when I've been extra active. I moved house a few months ago, and my commute has…

I thought I'd got away with 2 weeks being bad on holiday in Canada and the US recently. Turns out it just caught up with me after I got home! However, I'm leaner than I've ever been, so it seems that my body handled 2 weeks of junk and eating out much better than similar experiences in the past. Sadly, it means I notice…

The trainers at my gym advocate an even split to start with, and then see what it feels like. So 33/33/33 Remember when you start with macro tracking that it's better to look at the Nutritent view on the phone app than Macros. Not every meal has to be balanced exactly, but the day should be. If you have a carb-heavy…

You totally CAN retrain your brain! You just have to choose to want to... And frankly you've started that already by saying you're even slightly thinking about accepting your new weight, so acknowledge that as a positive step. I don't know what the best way is to do the brain retraining thing, and I'm sure there are a…

Walden Farms pancake syrup is ace. I just have to not think about what it might be made of! :# The barbecue sauce is also not too bad, but whatever you do, don't try and cook with it. It went HORRENDOUS! Definitely made of nasty chemical nonsense... I now have a couple of syrups from MyProtein to go on ice cream sometimes,…

I really like that sort of rep range too. It feels manageable. Even if the 3rd one is really hard, you know you only have 2 more to do! I've been lifting that way (ish - initially 5x5 but now my trainer sets slightly different things for me) for a year now, and have changed my shape a lot in a really good way, without…

I'd be inclined to go with the Polar HRM, particularly if it's one with the functionality to set it up for your specifics. If you're not the average person that the elliptical thinks is on it, then the calories will definitely be off! They may also be off on the HRM, but hopefully less so...?

I was fine on the combined pill (Microgynon), but had a bit of a nightmare on the mini pill (can't remember brand) with things just all over the place including some weight gain and skin breakouts (part of the reason I went on the pill in the first place). At the time, there was no massively compelling reason for me to be…

As other people have said, a 4lb gain isn't really much, particularly if your clothes still fit the same. It's super rare to have your weight be totally consistent so, as someone who also used to chase a number, I'd recommend making sure you take some time to figure out *why* that number is important to you. Think it…

That my success was linked to my weight... It was linked to sports and the requirement to be a certain weight for that. Took me 7 years to find self worth in other ways. That I could eat whatever I wanted and my body would change for the better if I ate little enough of it. I was already at a reasonable weight, and it…

Me too. I have to have planned snacks at work to avoid the unplanned lure of the vending machine. But I'm often so busy at the weekend doing things that take my mind off food, and I find I don't notice the lack of snacks. My trainer keeps reminding me that from a nutrition and biological point of view, your body is fairly…

Fat burning without undue calorie restriction? Strength training, not too much cardio, plenty of lean protein, good carbs and veg. I would massively recommend working with a *highly qualified* trainer with a strength and conditioning qualification. Find one you trust, and be open with them about your past so they can help…

My trainer has me set at about 2,000 as I was losing when I didn't want to on about 1,800. So yes, perfectly possible that it's a loss-inducing number! I agree that a terrifying number of people seem to think that they have to be on 1,000 or 1,200 to lose when it's rarely true. All the heavily advertised crash diets and…

Thanks! B) It's really all down to whether I'm willing to put in the effort to drop even MORE body fat! Bit worried that continuing to try would lead to other issues. (Not least a full-blown obsession of the kind that lead me to be border-line bulimic in the past. Am in a good place now, and don't want to mess that up!)…

This is me at 15.8% body fat, just as a fairly arbitrary reference point. I never get the vertical lines - everyone's musculature is different. I've been tracking macros and training properly for about a year now. It takes tiiiiiime!

@mrsagraham At the moment it looks like this... Day 1 Leg press Incline bench press with dumbells Lower ab lifts Lat pull downs Day 2 Barbell glute raises Crunches Bench press Standing single arm rows with dumbells Day 3 Cage lifts (like deadlifts but with one of those square bars you stand inside) Cable rotation thingies…

What a calorie is, yes. I learnt that in school, with the science experiment where you burn a peanut to heat a small beaker of water. But good nutrition should be taught separately. I worry when people jump on the counting bandwagon too young - I'm not convinced it's constructive. I like the hand approach -…

I'm at about the same stage... I measure at 15.8% body fat, but my abs are barely visible. There's muscle there (I have really good core strength), it's just flat. Apparently to get them to show, I'd need to do "pumping" exercises, like body builders do to make e.g. their biceps pop for a competition, and do them daily. I…

Money side... I didn't find the food all that expensive. It's a lot of lean protein and veg, which isn't that different from a normal healthy diet anyway. They do recommend whey protein, but that was about it. There are a number of other recommended supplements, but they're all totally optional. I now work with a trainer,…

I was told that for HIIT, the rest has to be at least equal to the time spent exercising. The plan I was given was: - 30-45s max effort - 45-60s rest or active recovery - repeat 12 to 15 times I used to go SO hard that I desperately needed all the rest I could get. But I did almost all my HIIT on a rowing machine, which is…

If you want to achieve a lot in 12 weeks, you need a structured programme that covers both training and nutrition, and to stick to it 100%. Look in to Joe Wickes' the Body Coach 90 day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan. I've done it, and it's super tough but it made massive changes to my body. It's also well planned, provides…

It's all about the sugar free syrups for me. Not so many flavours, but they keep it light and sweet. Starbucks normally have caramel and vanilla, Costa (UK) have caramel and gingerbread. Or I get my barista to dump a shot of espresso into my morning breakfast smoothie (chocolate protein, almond milk, banana, peanut butter)…