HappyStack Member

As many dried herbs and spices as you can accumulate. Same goes for rice (white & brown basmati, red or wild rice), pasta (if dried, made with durum wheat), dried beans & pulses, bulgur wheat, quinoa, lentils... anything you can keep in your store cupboard. Things like soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) taste great and they…

I've heard things like sweet potatoes are ridiculously overpriced in the US, which seems exceptionally unfair, and I've never understood how that works with fresh produce. I think it's a government/FDA thing, but I've been disgusted with the attitude towards food in the USA since I learned what the milk is allowed/forced…

The initial bump to add in things like recipes and frequent meals is comparatively small to the time it will save you in the long run. I usually add in a few recipes every day, that way I can plan my meals in advance and add them easily to my diary -- making sure that all the values for calories, fats, proteins, carbs etc.…

My understanding of the English language is that when someone uses quotes and the words "as such," that person usually means 'not as the phrase is normally used' and 'within the inherent nature of' that particular phrase. i.e. if you're looking to strength train to gain muscle mass, as what is usually implied by using the…

You should probably reread my post before you decide that I said you can't get strong with bodyweight exercises. The implication was that you will not build as much muscle using bodyweight exercises because the total sum of the weight you are lifting is never more than your actual bodyweight, which is often less than your…

The only thing I will say about Shock Absorbers is that as you're moving between sizes and your bra fits less snugly, the straps at the back (not the clip) tends to work loose. I solved the problem with some Micropore tape, or a plaster if I'm in a pinch, but I've heard and read from a few others that they get this issue…

There's a book called Starting Strength which is used as a basis for anyone looking to get on with some serious strength training. If you're just looking to tone up and not really 'strength train' as such, bodyweight exercises are as good as any.

Ah, dollars... conversion rate, we meet again, haha. The Bodylastics set is around £25 for a stackable 96lb set of bands. That's pretty good for some at-home training.

It's actually entirely possible to gain muscle mass on a deficit, especially if you're a newbie, and if your deficit is ~1lb a week (as recommended by MFP). But in response to the worry about looking bigger if you lift heavier, the answer is... you won't. If you're lucky enough to have all of the variables right for…

Wales, UK. Which, for some reason, displays as WA on my profile and that always makes me think I'm posing as somebody from Washington, because Wales in never included on any country lists as independent from the UK, haha.

My reaction exactly. I remember wandering around the block in the dead of night in my PJs and a pair of flip-flops just to find out what the noise was outside the back-bedroom window. It turned out to be someone trying to break into the building. Probably not that smart, actually!

Oh, I also have a Beurer PM 25, which is about £35, I think. But it's waterproof, is very accurate (it should be, it has a chest strap), and when in training mode will beep at you if you're working too hard or too little. I've had it for a year now, and it's still going strong, even though I use it every day.

I find an airtight box with some veggies works. I don't mind them cold (or raw, even, depending on what I'm eating) but I presume you have a microwave at work to heat up the hotpot. Just dump a tablespoon or so of water in there, put the lid on so there's a gap for steam to escape and let them steam themselves in the…

I bought some cheap PowerCords from Amazon about a year ago, and they're still holding up. There are also the Bodylastics sets, which are more expensive, but just as good -- if not better -- quality-wise.

You don't need to avoid strength training in order to lose body fat, in fact the best way to drop excess fat is to take on some form of resistance exercises. (edit: to elaborate; strength training will maintain your lean body mass as you lose excess weight, and help ensure it's just fat loss and not muscle loss you're…

I wake up at 5, but I don't really exercise until 7. It's usually just after walking the dog for half an hour... I find that to be a pretty good warmup and can launch right into my dynamic stretches, then onto my workout. 3 times a week I also fit in some strength training in the afternoons.

I use resistance bands when I'm working out at home, because I had no space for any more dumbbells. I find the bands give a completely different muscle reaction because the weight is not constant, i.e the rep is easier at the bottom and at its max effort right at the top. But with dumbbells you'll probably find that the…

In that case, with the over/underestimation MFP tends to calculate for both or either food/exercise, and your planned meals for the day I'd suggest some vegetables with the hotpot (2 servings usually does it) and some form of protein with the bubble & squeak. Or otherwise add in another 200ish calorie meal sometime during…

I have two different reactions... for people I barely know and haven't seen in a while, I do seemingly the most grossly condescending/sarcastic thing ever and say, "have I?" I don't mean it that way, though... I'd never really paid attention to my body shape before I started losing weight and had a serious lack of mirrors…

In addition to what's already said, you'll notice, when you update your food & exercise diary, your 'daily goal' for calories, fats, proteins, carbs etc. changes. Try and get as close to this as possible if you're not sure where to start. Do you plan out your meals in advance? your diary is already filled for today.

Love the progress pics. Congrats! you look amazing, and probably feel it too :)

Anything dried, tinned and frozen works for me. I usually buy beans dry and my vegetables either tinned or frozen, depending on my taste. That way I'm generally only buying fresh meat, eggs, veggies that can't be frozen as-is and so forth during the week. You do have to do a little bit of stock control for a few weeks, but…

I'm curious as to why nobody has mentioned smoked fish. It almost completely overrides the original flavour. Smoked mackerel, haddock and salmon are my favourites. Just bake, and away you go.

Eat small and eat often. My 'goal' is around 1200, but my intake is usually around the 1500 mark per day less calories burned, which is only just above my BMR. Make sure your exercise takes you below your caloric goals, not simply a lack of eating.

You just have to do it. I know it doesn't sound helpful, but it only takes a push to do a full day's worth of good things before you begin to realise you feel much better for it. When I've had health issues and didn't feel like carrying on with my routine I set my alarm for different things I had to do during the day; when…

All ways. I have at least one egg a day (today was soft-boiled) in different ways. I don't add anything to them aside from some pepper or salt for seasoning; I quite enjoy them plain. Though if I'm scrambling them, I tend to use some salsa or something similar if the rest of the meal is also dry. I do like poached eggs,…

I drink a lot of water and other healthy liquids, I have the occasional blip, but nothing too major. Rather than a change in my appetite (I usually tend to eat less, oddly enough) I find I have a pretty lackadaisical attitude towards exercise for the week, especially cardio.

It's far more. Not least because calorie counting within itself isn't entirely accurate to begin with. The body undergoes massive hormonal and metabolic changes through various stages of weight loss as a method of self-preservation more than anything. A simple calories in vs calories out method won't work through all of…

5'4 @ 145lbs, looking to lose around 20-25lbs, and gain some strength in the process.

You have great arms, haha. I agree that you should probably be eating more. Also, I've read in several reputable books and on a number of popular websites that changing up your routine is absolutely unnecessary when you hit a plateau. The basic principle is "muscle confusion," but the body is supposed to adapt and get…