divcara Member

Maybe you don't make it all or nothing right now. Instead of looking at eating well and exercising as a chore that you are so not feeling right now, try to incorporate little ways where you feel you are just nourishing yourself and doing things that make you feel a bit better. So maybe it's not 5am boot camp. That's okay.…

Congrats on your weight loss, 83lbs is amazing!! I have lost 67lbs. When I first started losing weight (the first 42lbs), I had cut carbs completely. I did lose weight so it worked, but when I brought them back in, I felt so much better and less sluggish. I still continued to lose weight (another 25lbs). I wish I hadn't…

My trainer always says, "Feet to the floor, you just gotta do it." That's become the phrase that goes through my head when I wake up and need to get out of bed. Can't think about it, just gotta put my feet to the floor. I love that. I lay out my workout clothes the night before, bag packed, car keys, everything. The less I…

I know, being home and bored eating can be more challenging than being busy! Try not to sit on the couch too much. Maybe go for a nice walk or two today, or do something active, so you aren't just home thinking about your next meal. Don't have the cheetos, they aren't worth it! Since you do have the day off and time today,…

I would not feel bad at all eating 2 tbsp a day.... my problem would be not sticking to that serving! I love peanut butter! But no, I don't ever feel bad eating good fats if I'm not going nuts with the serving size.

That's awesome! Becoming a "morning person" is one of the best things that completely changed my habits. Now I kind of like working out first thing before I have time to even think about it or give myself a chance to opt out. As much as it is hard to get out of a warm bed sometimes, I love driving to my class or trainer…

I like using vanilla or chocolate protein powder in my overnight oats. I don't know if you are really supposed to cook or bake with protein powder (I've read it may lose some things in the process?), but I still like doing for flavor. I like using in my ezekiel bread french toast. Or Protein pancakes with protein powder,…

That's awesome @carmaxgurl35! Keep lifting heavy, you will get body fat % down. You aren't that high so you may just have to be patient. Especially for your body weight. The lower body fat % gets, the longer it seems to take. How tall are you? Keep building up lean muscle mass and you will see your body transform. Make…

Why other than carbs? I typically will eat a (portioned) good carb (oats, sweet potato, potatos, brown rice, pasta, etc) with my protein and/or healthy fat every 3.5-4 hours. I personally find it keeps my blood sugar levels from spiking or dipping and I feel like I have energy, not sluggish, and I am not starving until I…

I saw a quote the other day that said: When a child is learning how to walk and falls down 50 times, they never think to themselves, "Maybe this isn't for me." Habits and routines help a lot, even when life starts getting in the way. It's almost more important than ever when you are busy to make time to take care of…

Vodka soda. I'll have a michelob ultra from time to time. I've made blended cocktails with LaCroix water, rum, fresh strawberries.

You don't need exercise to lose weight or create a calorie deficit, but building muscle has helped ramp up my metabolism. For what it's worth, I burn more calories at rest now at a smaller size than I did a year ago when I weighed more, by increasing my muscle mass.

Yes! When I eat out, everything tastes so salty to me now. When I have an occasional margarita, the next day I will wake up tasting salt like I inhaled half the ocean!

That's a great idea for when you really need a treat to stop at a bakery and buy A cookie or whatever you are craving...instead of buying a whole bag of something to bring home. I read once about not buying something at the grocery store because at the store you only have to resist it one time. Once it's home and you know…

Exercising has helped significantly with my overall health, including stress and anxiety. I had never worked out before the last 18 months or so. I wasn't fit and I never understood people who exercised for fun. It started for me as simply a way to burn calories and drop pounds. Somewhere in the process, it became…

I'm so sorry, Aries. The best advice someone gave me was to take care of yourself right now. To be selfish. That this is Aries time. All you. It sucks and it feels horrible, but pour all the love you can into yourself right now, nourishing yourself. Treat yourself well, do your best to get good rest. Just move your body.…

I had a stress fracture last summer and couldn't do much cardio for 5-6 months and I did continue to drop a lot of weight by eating clean and doing upper body strength training. I basically cut all sugar. I'd have the occasional fruit or natural sugars, but not too often when I was in lose mode. I aimed for less sodium in…

My fitbit scale has my body fat % off by more than 5-6%. I wouldn't worry much about a slight increase. Also, water weight may impact that number too. If you want to lower body fat % in general, add a strength component along with your running! Adding muscle will help power your legs and entire body really when you run.

My favorite quest bars are S'mores and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I also like Oh Yeah One bars (1g sugar) - Birthday Cake, Almond Bliss, Peanut Butter Pie, and Lemon cake are my favorites. I do think real food is generally better, but protein bars do satisfy some of that sweet tooth/dessert fix. If I have too many, they…

Ice cream!!

HIIT interval training will help with overall endurance.

Sugar grams are a good thing to look at on nutrition labels. Also what is listed for a serving/portion size. If you are just starting out, I wouldn't worry too much about natural sugars in fruits, etc. An apple or carrots are probably not going to be what throws you offtrack! You want to read ingredients listed and try to…

When I first started to lose weight, I cut carbs completely. I did lose quite a bit of weight (35-40lbs during that time), so it did work. After about four to five months, I started with a new trainer and he said I should be having (good) carbs with my meals. I was afraid I was going to blow up, but I continued to lose…

Oh!! Thank you so much. Keep at it bhanvi, I truly believe in the workout! My very first class, the instructor ran over to me and said, "Don't put your incline up any higher!" because I was clearly dying. He would never let me get away with that now! You will see sooo much progression, whether it is a new speed for your…

Today I had 3/4 cup brown rice, 6oz skinless/boneless chicken, and brussel sprout slaw. I threw the cooked rice in a skillet with the cooked chicken and slaw and added some low sodium/low sugar smoky chipotle bbq sauce and called it a day. Super easy and yummy. Or I'll do basically the same thing with 6oz lean ground…

Omg. People are SO rude. I don't think it is ever appropriate to make a negative comment on someone's body. Just think, "I can lose the weight but you'll still be an ugly jerk with a black soul." I guess I would just say something sarcastic like a big smile and in an enthusiastic voice say, "Why thank you so much! That's…

@STLBADGIRL - Thank you! I think that was actually one of the most interesting things about these past 18 months. I had never exercised before or ever enjoyed working out. I would join gyms and never go. I think I took one spin class and walked out after 10 minutes. Or I would typically try one class, be so out of shape…

Yes, I think so! That is one of my favorite go to meals as well because of how simple it is. I use 2oz (2.5oz when I'm working out intensely) whole grain pasta, boneless/skinless chicken, and then whatever veggies I have - broccoli, cauliflower...or I'll use those bags of broccoli slaw or brussel sprout slaw or pre-chopped…

I eat pretty healthy most days without splurges, but I get pretty creative with my daily meals. When I have an occasional splurge, I just have whatever I want and don't feel guilty about it. But - I get back on it the next meal. Meal, not day. Consistency is what what helped me drop the weight (60+ lbs) and has become so…

Maybe try adding some carbs like oatmeal or a sweet potato? I try to eat every 3.5-4 hours which is about when I start feeling starving again. While I think real food is better, a protein bar (I like Quest bars) or a protein shake will typically hold me over until dinner and also helps with my sweet tooth, dessert fix.…