1BlueAurora Member

I like the portability of Atkins shakes. They fit nicely in my car's cup holder so I drink some on my way to the gym. My fave is the Vanilla. It's got 9 grams of protein and I think it tastes pretty good.

I think you're eating too little. MFP calculates your net calories, assuming you eat back the calories you've earned through deliberate exercise (your after-work running, cross training, cardio). I usually didn't count regular on-the-job steps, since that was taken into account when I chose whether I was sedentary, lightly…

OK, I wonder whether you'd consider changing your goal to losing 1 pound a week. I lost at 1200 calories a day and lost 2 pounds a week. (By the way, 1200 calories is the lowest MFP recommends). I regret that fast rate of weight loss. I ended up losing muscle mass as well as fat, despite the fact that I was lifting weights…

Well, I'm 58 so a little out of the age group, but I'm committed to losing the last few pounds and wouldn't mind a new friend. Feel free to add me.

Why so nervous about tea? Before you go, pre-log the calories for a scone or whatever you think you'll consume, and work around those calories when you choose what you eat the rest of the day. You've been eating under your calorie goal for the last three days (good for you!). I only looked at the past three days. Even if,…

For weight loss, it does not matter when you eat. Just consume fewer calories. If you're hungry after your workout, eat.

I've just doubled up my exercise and have gained two pounds this week. My thighs are sore from my three hour uphill hike yesterday, and the running I did the day before. Finally, this morning I found that I lost those two pounds and another 0.2 pounds. So I'm back to slowly losing weight and am on the right track.…

Some stress could be part of it. Adding in a new exercise routine could be an added stress, I suppose. If that's it, the change in body odor could be transitory as your body gets used to it. If you've added more spice and garlic to your diet, that could be it. Have you changed medications? Are you drinking more water? (You…

I didn't believe a food scale would make a difference, and boy was I wrong. I was eye-balling cheddar cheese, and underestimating a serving of 1 oz. by two or three times the actual weight. I was eating 200 to 300 calories more than I thought! I've increased my exercise and have gained 3 pounds in two weeks. I think it's…

Went biking on Sunday. Went running for the first time in a couple months on Monday. Here it is Tuesday, and hurrah! My juror number didn't get called for jury duty today, so I called a friend and we went on a three hour hike to a gorgeous lake overlook. We climbed 1,000 elevation to get there. Hurrah!

I'd set your weight loss for 1 pound loss per week, just so you could eat a little more. And if you log your exercise, you'll get to eat some more calories that you've earned.

I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning and maybe a piece of toast before an early morning workout. If I'm doing cardio, I don't like having much in my stomach. I drink water before and during. For workouts after work, I'll usually drink a protein shake (there are a lot on the market you can pack into your gym bag)…

My husband makes an olive oil/salt/pepper puddle on a plate and dips his bread in it. So there's one snack that has carbs and salt. When I crave salt, I grab some kalamata or green olives and a few small whole dill pickles. The pickles have almost no calories and I'm satisfied with just a few.

I eat back about 75% of the exercise calories I earn through exercise. I found that I continued to lose weight at the rate I set for myself.

Good heavens, why not stop texting, and make a plan to meet at a coffee shop or bar and have a drink? You'll definitely learn more about each other in the light of day than living in your head and horrible-izing about all the things that can potentially go wrong. This man is a stranger to you right now. You have seen him…

Your planned activities sound great! Those long car drives can be killer. We always pack a small cooler of no-calorie drinks, fresh fruit, cheese and yogurt to eat at scenic overlooks or pretty rest areas. For the big family dinners, I just confine myself to a portion of everything or a huge helping of what I want to eat…

Forty years ago I was your age, and shy about my body. I didn't really think I measured up. Here's the thing that may happen to you: when you get older and see pictures of yourself at 18 years old, you'll think to yourself, "My God, I was a hottie and was too insecure to see it!"

Are you eating your earned exercise calories? If your daily goal is 1200 and you burn 300 calories through exercise, you get to eat 1500 calories that day. And you need to do that to fuel yourself. I wonder whether Gatorade might help with your leg soreness, maybe some more electrolytes could help. MFP sets the absolute…

As others have said, logging your food every day as accurately as you can so you come in just under your calorie allowance for the day will get you to where you want to be. I found using a food scale helped a lot. For instance, eyeballing a serving of cheese was inaccurate. I was eating more than an ounce of cheese per…

You look fabulous! It does take awhile for your own brain to register that you look different. I took my sister shopping and found some pretty clothes for myself. I picked up some jeans and my sister said, "Nope, you need the next size or two smaller." I felt I looked the same, but my weight loss really did translate into…

It's really hard to say. Could be water weight. But if your weight is trending downward, that's a good thing, right?

My husband lost some weight on Atkins. I think it was about 6 pounds in the first month. I don't do the Atkins diet, but sometimes for a snack I'll grab one of their 11 ounce French Vanilla Shakes, 160 calories. It helps keep me full and is tasty and I think it has something like 9 grams of protein.

I believe that getting my shoes at a running store was the best thing I did regarding exercise. I used to get shin splints. With a professionally fitted pair of shoes, I have had no ankle, shin, knee or hip pain. Hallelujah! The employee put me in one pair of shoes, watched me jog outside on the sidewalk, and then three…

You could always check out YouTube videos on exercises you can do at home. Maybe Pilates or Yoga? Anyway, there are those old standbys like push ups and situps, etc. There are quite a few exercises to do with your dumbbells. What kind of cardio do you like? I tried out the Couch to 5K app for my phone and enjoyed running…

Call a friend and go for a walk together. It's nice exercise, it's outdoors, you'll get in a nice visit with your pal, it's free, it's low impact, and the scenery isn't necessarily boring.

This probably has little to nothing to do with waking up, but if you need a pillow that lasts forever, try out the TempurPedic memory foam ones. If you sleep on your back, you have one side of the pillow up. If you sleep on your side or face, you flip the pillow over and use that side. They're $98 on Amazon or the…

I avoided hip and knee pain by going to a running store and being professionally fit for new shoes. It's worth the cost!

OK, so you know you don't need to lose weight, but you still want to. I agree that "intuitive" eating is hard to develop on your own. So my advice is to use MFP as designed and start logging in your calories. You won't have to do it for life, just to reach your goal and see how it goes after that. By the time you've done…

Just keep losing weight. Your stomach and hips will eventually get smaller. But it never hurts to try some overall exercises like yoga. Just find an exercise you like doing. I jog/run and go to Zumba classes. After a year of Zumba and losing weight, when I bring my legs up my thighs no longer hit the bottom of my belly. My…

First, your friend is an idiot. Walking is exercising. You have no reason to be embarrassed because what you're doing isn't "real" exercise. Sheesh! And for crying out loud, a 45 minute walk is about 2 miles, which is a respectable distance. Good for you!! I agree with @Cherimoose about staying hydrated. Kind of related to…