HappyStack Member

Hydrate and get a decent amount of high-quality food about an hour or so before you start. Sounds like low blood sugar to me. You could try logging it as circuit training, but the calorie burn will probably be incorrect. Heart-rate monitor will get you a more accurate reading.

Personally, I wouldn't add in an isolation exercise until I'd stopped seeing progress with a compound lift. In my opinion, it invites injury.

It's not really a *good* idea to do anything but eat to a sensible calorie deficit. Some people advocate intermittent fasting, some people advocate very-low calorie diets, some recommend eating "clean" all week and then binging on the weekends. Some eat 500 calories throughout the day, then have a huge 1000-calorie meal at…

You look as if you have less lean mass than I'd like to see on someone your weight. You have the same approximate "goals" as I do, and you're the same height and current weight (or thereabouts). When I hit my initial goal of 150lbs, I found that I was still unhappy with my body composition... so I started weight training.…

Focus on getting whole, unprocessed sources of carbs (like fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains -- the less messed with the better) into your diet and don't worry about it so much. I typically get in my protein requirement for the day and then fill in the rest of my calories with healthy fats and varied sources of unrefined…

That's good to know. When I went in for my ultrasound, I'd never experienced anything like it before, so I just shut up and let them get on with it without asking questions... I know they check the kidneys for stones when they check the gallbladder, because they produce similar pain. It makes sense, now that you mention…

Don't TRY to find a comfortable position, don't think about what your arms are doing. You'll probably relax into the most efficient position for yourself once you set off running and forget about it. My arms don't tend to swing all that much, and my shoulders stay quite loose, as do my hands. My arms usually angle in at…

Unless you're eating a pound of actual protein (100g of chicken isn't 100g of protein, of course - oh, if only it were that easy) per day, you're probably fine (save for preexisting medical conditions). I get in around 200g of protein a day, and I'm 145lbs at 5'4.

I had this problem when I was suffering from gallstones, between 'blockages' my liver would be working extra hard. It settled down over about a month or so (my test would come back elevated, then slightly under normal, then slightly over, until finally normalizing). See if you can get your doctor to get your gallbladder…

I used to be 250+lbs, and if I'm completely honest with you, I have no idea how. Laziness and a lack of physical activity, I suppose. The bigger I became, the more withdrawn and self-conscious I became, and it perpetuated the problem. I didn't want to go out looking like a whale or having people stare at me trying to run…

Just as an alternative to a Fitbit, I use an Omron pedometer. It's been fairly accurate for me in terms of steps (I can manually set my stride length, height and weight) and calories burned (I compared it to my HRM, and it fared pretty well). It has a 7 day memory, so if I forget to note it down, I can go back and check…

You look fabulous. If you don't mind, what was your start weight, and how tall are you? :)

1tbsp of almond butter does it, for me. Or jam, in a pinch. I make mine with some strawberry flavour protein powder, though, to even out the protein/carbs, so it's not really lacking in any flavour. Not a huge fan of oatmeal anyway, but I find it edible this way :tongue:

Great idea. Try working out with your bodybuilder friend a couple of times a week. 3 days maybe to start with, nothing too intense, but some lifting will help for when you get nearer to your goal; I have around 20lbs left to go and I still have my "trouble spots," too, you shouldn't be too worried at this point if you have…

Planks and crunches will help strengthen your core muscles when performed properly. Strong core muscles are vital to any type of exercise, especially squats & deadlifts since the muscles that support the spine (the core muscles) are loaded particularly heavily when performing them. They count, bodyweight is resistance. It…

Spot reduction isn't possible, but if you keep on keeping on, eventually these areas will cease to be a problem. What type of exercises are you doing to "fix" these "trouble spots"...?

When I first started using mine, I was very aware of it. Nowadays, I barely know it's there at all. Especially once I get into the rhythm of what I'm doing. Same goes for tight clothing... I used to hate wearing well-fitting clothing to run or work out, but now I feel much better in it than ill-fitting clothes. It still…

It's not pointless. Increased cardiovascular fitness will help your weight training, however - as a woman, especially - lifting more weights and lifting heavier than you think is extremely beneficial. It all depends on your goals and preference. Personally I'd prefer a 30 minute run one day, and heavy weights the next…

Welcome, and good luck on your journey :) I've been doing the C25K program for a while now, and at the beginning I struggled to run the 60 sec intervals, but now I'm even adding on an extra few laps and sprints to the end of my runs. I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Young, old, fit, unfit... you can't help but see…

I live about 8 miles (5 minutes on the train) outside of Cardiff City Centre. I was literally just about to post the same topic. I'm pretty sick of training solo.

Christoph Waltz is hot for a man, let alone an older man.

Easy. My own fully-equipped gym, complete with indoor & outdoor running tracks. Heaven. Need not be owned nor ran by me, just proximate and a good environment. What saddens me is that there's actually a decent chunk of land (big enough to house a great gym) for sale almost adjacent to my house, and it'll probably get…

I'd say this venture was a moderate success. If you're going to try it, I'd recommend adding the protein powder in at the last minute, stirring to dissolve and then putting aside to set. Not that there's anything wrong with the flavour or texture if you shake up the protein first, but I'd imagine the protein distribution…

I've used mint chocolate protein powder in cold-pressed fruit & oat bars, and it's been nice. One thing I will say about whey is if you cook it, it tends to go... well, gross. Unbaked cheesecakes would be alright for that sort of thing, I'm sure. I just put the jelly in the fridge. I have noticed it's got a layer on top…

Long-term scientific study? If I can find the article, I'll post it, but there was a long-term study done on the effects of constant IF and it resulted in an increased insulin resistance & elevated blood sugar levels. Two conditions commonly associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. As a quick-fix, like any dietary…

I've never heard of an athlete using IF, so perhaps some examples are in order. Not trying to baulk at your assertion, I just watch a lot of sports and the eating habits of the athletes I enjoy watching don't involve any fasting; they all eat like horses. If you've ever watched a triathlon or the Tour de France, you'll…

As already stated, your skin is an organ... it will adapt as and when it is able to. Most people go for "corrective" surgery when they still have a good amount of weight to go (most people currently at my weight would -- I have excess skin, but I've lost over 100lbs, and it's not nearly as bad as some may have you…

Calories for meat & produce are usually counted raw, so the method of cooking wouldn't really alter their values.

IF is just another diet craze kicked up from the 60s. You already intermittently fast -- you sleep. You break that fast when you resume eating upon waking (or whenever you get in your first meal of the day). Why anyone would want to extend that is beyond me. Living longer and healthier? we already have a ridiculously long…

I haven't really ever told anyone. I keep a 'journal' where I've wrote similar things, but I'm generally the type to avoid being personal with anybody. Anyway... the sharing here has been nice to read :) My life has always been at such a standstill, despite everyone in my life once telling me I had a lot of potential…