breanamock Member

Agree with everything above! Also, you can still increase strength without increasing the weight you're using. Check out YouTube videos from people who know a lot more than me, but slowing down your reps or changing to more difficult variations are ways to increase the work the muscle is doing without making the weight…

Have you gotten new shoes recently? I found out a few months ago that the support in athletic shoes actually dies after a few hundred miles. And of course the soles wear down, too. I just fixed all kinds of pain by replacing my well-worn walking shoes. Also, have you tried complete rest? Annoying as all get out, but…

Not sure how low carb you're going, but I like an apple and cottage cheese. Beef jerky is also good, but definitely needs to be weighed; it's something I can never successfully "eyeball" an accurate serving of.

Fat free yogurt, strawberries (maybe with lite cool whip or stevia), apple (maybe with either cottage cheese for protein or a little caramel dip for sweet tooth), popcorn, pretzels...

I've been reading, but sometimes reading leads to snacking for me. Therefore, I'm walking circuits around my apartment (basically in/out of the laundry room, through the kitchen, in/out of the powder room, and around the bedroom) while reading. Can't walk too fast or I start running into things, but it burns more calories…

I can't take vitamins in the morning at all if I want them to stay down long enough to do me any good. I take mine in the afternoon. I also usually split them up (you're supposed to take two of mine), with one at lunch and the other with a snack or supper. You might experiment with switching up your timing. I also agree…

And lots of lysol wipes for the counter!

I made chicken parm in mine. No oil required. Also sliced some beef up thin, tossed it in corn starch, and threw in the air dryer before putting it in a taco or asian dish. That was very tasty. I tried fried okra, but I think next time I'll give it a spritz of cooking spray before putting it in the air dryer.

I like to put a little salsa, barbecue sauce, or salad dressing (any kind) on top before cooking in the oven or on the stovetop. There’s also teriyaki, gochujang, jerk...I’ve been enjoying exploring the sauce and seasoning mix sections of my grocery store!

I have the same problem with raw cherries and jackfruit. Love them, but they make my lips/mouth swell. Since it’s just the two, I simply avoid eating them. You could try out different fruits/veggies: go to the grocery store (or an Asian/African/whatever kind of interesting market you have in town) and get one or two of…

Elementary music teacher here, so I totally feel you on the exhaustion. Is there a gym you could get to on your way home from work? I have to drive past mine to get home, which certainly helps keep me from skipping it. Or is there a place you could work out on campus? Some of my coworkers get together to run/walk in the…

Parsnips Don’t add much to the look of a plate, since they’re just white, but they have lots of vitamins, and if you roast them, they get incredibly sweet. Fried okra Obviously not the healthiest of veggie preparations, but one of my faves that not a lot of people seem to like. Toast with strawberry preserves and sour…

I reduce calories in a lot of my regular dishes by sautéing in broth instead of oil. Works great in a nonstick pan, although I doubt it would work as well in an iron skillet. I also use fat free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or heavy cream. I’ve had success looking on Pinterest for “skinny” versions of recipes. Found…

Wow, a 1-2 hour commute! I found it really useful to have a membership at the gym I had to drive past on the way home, but my commute was only 20-30 minutes. And during the seasons when I was working 12-14 hour days, the gym just didn’t really happen. I did discover that if I didn’t leave the school by a certain time, my…

“Oh, that’s actually outdated information. Newer studies show that intermittent fasting actually helps the metabolism.” Two can play at the “studies show” game!

Yes to all the IF stuff said above, as well as the flavored tea ideas. You could also try hot water (perhaps with a squeeze of lemon or lime). If you really want your morning coffee, you might try stevia. Since it’s an actual (highly refined) plant like sugarcane (though without calories), it doesn’t have the artificial,…

I’m in! Ultimate starting weight: 180 Challenge starting weight: 160.6 Challenge goal weight: 150 Ultimate goal weight: 135

I’m going to say this because it’s something I struggle with: just because it’s on the plate doesn’t mean you have to eat it! Even if it tastes really good and you want to eat it all. Eat slowly, savor the taste, and then leave half of it on the plate.

How long did you do these activities you don’t like? I am a complete klutz (three left feet), but I went to a ballroom dance class because a bunch of my friends wanted to go. Of course I didn’t enjoy it, but I liked spending time with my friends, so I went with them the next week, and the next. Once I’d been going a couple…

I had a goal to be able to wear all my shorts before the end of the summer. Today they all zip and button! Two pairs need a few more pounds before they’re appropriate for public wear, but there’s a lot of summer left!

Thanks! I had been doing barre for a couple months. When I started tracking my calories, I also added running. Then, in the course of a week, I increased my running speed/distance and added weight stuff. My body told me quite firmly that all that was just too much! I’m feeling better now, but I’ll add distance and speed…

Thanks! I’ll keep the running and back off on the lifting. At least until my body is stronger and won’t get totally worn out by doing it all!

I’ve recently started using chicken stock instead of oil for sautéing. Not sure it would work well in my iron skillet, but it works great in the nonstick one, and saves loads of calories.

Add me! Trying to get back down to a healthy weight.

My diary is open to friends. I’ve not been feeling well this week, so my eating has been off, but I like eating all sorts of different foods most of the time.

Wow, sounds like you’re having an adventure! I totally thought I would lose weight in Asia, what with all the “healthy” food, and quickly discovered that, between all the incredible new foods that I had to try and the oil- and sugar-laden sauces on everything, weight loss just wasn’t happening. And it’s hard to count…