kenyonhaff Member

OK...so first off...sugar isn't bad. MyFitnessPal never indicated that you had to eliminate all sugar from your food consumption. Nor should you. Sugars are a nutrient that we need in our diet. Unfortunately in English we tend to use the word "sugar" to indicate cane sugar, or perhaps other similar sugars like corn syrup.…

There's a couple different ways to do strength training...I'm gonna go another direction. Try Yoga. If you're just started off in doing workouts, and you're...well, mature...the rookie mistake is to go too fast too soon on your body. Starting with yoga will develop strength, flexibility, and stuff like alignment/posture in…

So I just generally can't get by on 2 meals a day and veggies either. I know plenty of people who can; I'm not one of them. What I found worked for me is EMBRACE THE SNACK. The snack has to have high protein and some fat is ideal too. Combining with fruits and veggies is great...apple and string cheese....carrots with some…

* Fruit juice is not really your friend...so many calories. Have a piece of whole fruit and some water. * Carbs aren't the enemy but pick a bread that is whole wheat and not too big. * Life's too short to waste on crappy chocolate. Have the good stuff if you're gonna have it. * Higher protein worked for me. * Fat isn't…

Squats Jumping jacks - modified by only going out one side at a time. You can always do things like burpees, mountain climbers, and so on SLOWER.

You just do your best. For example, you may not be exactly sure what's in the Chef salad at the restaurant you're eating at. (Salads range WIDELY in calorie count!) But you do your best, probably choosing something mid-range or high. (Restaurants typically have high calorie counts.) Success comes from consistency, not from…

OK, I've been here before. One big thing is de-mystifying weight. YOUR WEIGHT IS NOT YOUR WORTH. Repeat: YOUR WEIGHT IS NOT YOUR WORTH. I know it's scary to actually look at your weight. But it also *is* the first step in just seeing really where you are. But what it is NOT is a judgement.

Aging is a thing...and the body of a woman changes over time. Exercise can do a lot to moderate it, but there's really only so much one can do in the face of time marching on. I don't mean give up. But expecting your body to react the way today that it did at 23 is a fool's errand. There's a reason a mature woman needs…

My husband also has a tendency to buy high calorie "treats" to keep in the house ... and then not eat them for a week or two. Then he'll decide he wants one and if they are gone he will complain about not having any. Then I feel bad about myself because I have trouble moderating those type of foods.[/quote] Lemme…

There's a couple of different tacts you can take. If my co-workers were truly being annoying about my eating choices, I would likely choose to eat outside whenever possible. Maybe even get a nice walk in before returning to work. You can take the approach of reflecting the question back on them, which doesn't have to be…

ALWAYS GET TRAINED ON THE EQUIPMENT. Usually gyms are happy to give novices a session of how to use equipment (such as free weights and machines) properly. This is in your best interest (and theirs), because if you do them incorrectly (wrong weight, bad form, unsafe practices) you can cause yourself injury. Most if not…

If there's something very different with your body, err on the side of getting checked out by your medical professional.

You can rarely go wrong with phrases like: "Hi! So good running into you!" "What's your favorite (class, personal trainer, gym equipment) here?" "I like your shirt!" "Good to see you! How are you!" I find, as an introvert, people mostly want to be acknowledge that they exist, want to talk about themselves more than talk…

As others have said, carbs are not the enemy. But saying that, they can be problematic. Carbs are found in carrots, pineapple, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and bran cereal. There are also carbs in bagels, cookies, potato chips, Little Debbie Cakes, and Fruit Loops cereal. Both lists are carbs. Carbs give quick…

Usually the questions we get about pre- and post- workouts are about foods marketed to athletes like protein bars and shakes. There's a lot of "woo" about eating just the right foods around workouts...which is mostly marketing ploys. At elite levels, there is definitely a lot of focus on nutrition and timing of foods. But…

My question is: Why do you have coffee and chocolate? Is there a reason you do this?

Some of the best learning is making mistakes and learning from them. I think that's exactly what happened here. And that's a good thing! You're reflecting on old patterns and making new choices. MFP is a different program, than say, Jenny Craig in which all your food intake is decided FOR you. The idea is that you can't…

A nice hike on a beautiful day, ideally with a friend or two and preferably a dog. Followed up with maple creemees (soft serve ice cream).

There's a great possibility this is an effect of perimenopause. There was a recent article in the NY Times talking about how it is not often talked about, but can have real impact on women...and fatigue is one of the most common negative effects. This also could well be a symptom of aging. Unfortunately recovery is slower…

I really don't have a plan other than eating less and healthier. Now you have me panicking. A diet plan? What is CICO? What's a good diet plan? How do I know what will work for me? I thought all diets are doomed to fail sooner or later? I can't move much but thought I walk in the house until I feel stronger. I really don't…

CARBS ARE A NECESSARY PART OF YOUR DIET. Just like fat, it's a nutrient that you absolutely need. Just like fat, there are different types--pineapple, garlic bread, beans, carrots and chocolate chip cookies all are high in carbs but obviously very different nutritionally. Just like fat, in the modern diet we tend to get…

On a dietician's recommendation I'm off diet drinks and artificial sweeteners. What's working well for me: Coffee Seltzer Water -- It comes in many flavors and has all the fizz. Not as sweet as Diet Coke, admittedly. Stevia-sweetened sodas. OK, it's more expensive than Diet Coke, but it's sweet and fizzy. Oh, and caffeine.…

Depends on your goals. In general, unless you're a serious runner actively training for something, you can absolutely take a break. Engaging in heavy exercise when you're not feeling well will not help you get over an illness. It's also perfectly sensible for just lowering the intensity--like walking instead of running as…

What sort of exercise program are you doing? If you're hurting when you are working out, it's usually because it is: * Too intense too soon * You are doing it wrong (bad form, not warmed up enough for example) * Have an underlying condition (if you are very obese, running might be too hard on your joints at the moment) *…

My husband has severe acid reflux. CAPSICUM is a huge trigger for his reflux...the main culprit is PEPPERS. Hot peppers have the highest concentration, but sweet peppers are enough to cause a pseudo-allergic reaction for him. (That means yellow, green, or red--the spices black and white pepper are not the same substance).…

Maybe not EXACTLY all week, but chili is one of the most versatile leftovers...everything from more chili, to taco/burrito like food, in an omelet, chili dogs (maybe not on a diet, but you get idea.)

A dear departed friend of mine who did martial arts had a saying : "Pain is your friend. It tells your body to stop doing stupid stuff." (Note: Does not apply to all pain. Arthritis, for example.) Saying that, I'm not a medical professional so I can't diagnosis what the pain is. It might well be too heavy too fast,…

A lot of things contribute to eating disorders...including contact with Western civilization, anxiety, poor social skills, a parent with body or food issues, normalizing by peers, etc. That can lead to a weight loss obsession in eating disorders. It's a fine difference, but a difference. No one is born with alcoholism--…

You may want to start with yoga. But you'll need to be careful about the type of yoga, because yoga isn't just one type or level or approach. You can get a lot of strength from a yoga, using just your body and a few props like blocks and blankets.

You always have to take this with a grain of salt, because there are different ways to be physically fit. There's not one universal measure. For example: In high school I was a competitive swimmer. There was a mile run that determined if you were as an athlete on an approved team, allowed to opt out of heavy cardio days.…