Sara1978 Member

Depression isn't something you ever completely recover from, so if you have been diagnosed with it before, it is probably rearing its ugly head again. I've had depression and social anxiety disorder since age twelve. The depression, at least in my experience, tends to cycle-- I'll go through periods where I'm feeling fine,…

Are you seeing changes in your measurements? A couple weeks back, I stepped on the scale and noticed that I had actually *gained* three pounds since my last weigh-in. I might have been concerned if I hadn't gone out shopping that same day and purchased a size lower in pants than I have ever worn in my adult life. Sometimes…

Blue jeans with lycra in them. I've been on a three-month-long quest to find 100% cotton jeans, and they seem not to exist in this universe any longer. :(

I'm a big fan of the Kirkland Signature Cinnamon Pecan cereal that I purchase at Costco. It is not a low-fat, low-calorie cereal, but it is low in sodium. What drew me to it honestly was the calcium content-- I don't do very well with most types of dairy, so calcium is something I struggle with. One serving of the cereal…

About ten years ago, I was an avid runner. While running through the park one day, someone attempted to assault me. I managed to fight him off, but I stopped running after that incident, and that was the start of my gradual weight gain up until last year when I decided it was time to take control of my health again. Weight…

Wow, you look wonderful! You've made spectacular progress-- great job. :)

There is fast food everywhere, but most areas also have grocery stores everywhere too, and it is perfectly easy to get healthy food at the grocery store. I can list at least 10 grocery stores within a five mile radius of my apartment. There are probably about 10 fast food joints in the same radius. It's just a matter of…

Measure out what you put in, and list each ingredient on its own. Not that I always do that, but it is the most accurate way.

<- Gamer to the max. :) PC, console, tabletop, you name it. I think games were to blame for a lot of my weight gain. I've had to work on balancing a more active lifestyle with my old lifestyle, but it has worked itself out. I'm treating gaming like I do eating these days-- it's fine in moderation, but I don't have the…

My photo is on top of a mountain ridge in Hawaii a couple of months back. It had been raining so everybody was drenched, we'd been hiking for hours, everyone else was miserable and exhausted and ready to go back-- and I wanted to keep going. :) A year ago, I would have been exhausted and miserable too, instead of being the…

A lot of little local places are kinder about making things specially for their patrons than the big chains as well-- don't be afraid to ask. My favorite locally owned Mexican place is super nice about allowing me to substitute things on their platters to make it a little bit healthier and easier to track.

I attended a Passover Seder on Saturday and then a big Easter Dinner on Sunday. Back-to-back holiday feasting madness. :) It happens-- don't stress over it. If you're approaching being healthy as a lifestyle change, life has holidays, and you'll want to enjoy them with your friends and family. There's no reason to feel…

I love the cocoa ones. They are one of my staples to bring hiking and camping; portable, high-energy, non-melting, chocolatey goodness!

Oh wow, I can't wait to make this... it has so many of my favorite foods in one place! Thanks for the recipe.

My favorite sushi place (Izumi in Kirkland) has a really nice ratio of fish to rice in their nagiri-- lots of fish relative to the rice content! I eat there with no guilt. :) I'd just try to follow the same "rules" when ordering sushi that you would follow at any restaurant. Make choices that don't involve frying or sauces…

I always make mine in a rice cooker. It's well worth the cost if you eat a lot of rice, in my opinion-- makes it perfect and fluffy every time.

This sounds weird, but trust me-- it's good, easy, and involves minimal ingredients and virtually no time. Chop up some onion and bell peppers. Cook them with chunks of chicken tenderloins on the stovetop in one can of Diet Coke. Stir in some BBQ sauce. Serve over brown rice.

ALL RIGHT. Party on the Holodeck; you're all invited, plus Professor Moriarty.

5'3" Weight: 115-ish (115 give or take a pound on any day of the week). (US) Size 2 pants, though I'm beginning to think I'll need to go down to size 0 soon-- the waist keeps loosening as my tummy firms up, and the size 2 pair I'm wearing today have to be held up with a belt to avoid social awkwardness. (US) Size X-Small…

I still want to be an astronaut. Am I allowed to choose locations from Star Trek: The Next Generation? Because that'd be waaaay better than actual space travel. Most of the planets they visit are wholly inhabitable, and they've got the holodeck to keep them busy along the way. If I'm locked in to actual space travel in the…

Congratulations! :)

Before MFP, summer of 2009: After MFP, February of 2011: I should take a more recent one-- tummy is looking even better now. :) Maybe I'll post one next month to mark my one year anniversary on the site.

I think the most important thing is to find a doctor that you are comfortable with. You need to be able to talk to your doctor. For some people, that means they look for a doctor of a certain gender, or a certain age, or who has a certain personality-- and for you, the weight issue might be a determining factor. It really…

I'd suggest eating many small meals throughout the day. If you intake food as 100-200 calories every few hours, you can eat more calories without stuffing yourself. I find myself eating 4-5 "little" meals of about 200 calories each over the course of the day, and then one "big" meal most days. Breaking my calorie goal into…

I'm fond of Brummel and Brown Yogurt Spread for things like buttering toast. I cook with real butter.

I eat at least five or six times a day-- often 4 "meals" of about 200 calories each, one "big" meal, and then some littler snack(s) at various points. I have an active lifestyle and find I need to do this to keep my energy level up. Most days I end up needing to eat between 1600 and 1800 calories-- even more on some days--…

I thought of another great one... When I was in college, I used to go for a four or five mile run... Stop at McDonald's as I was running by, get a burger and a diet coke, and then keep right on running. lol. ;) I'm amused by the absurdity of that now.

Quiznos. I used to eat Quiznos for lunch almost every day because there was one adjacent to my old workplace. I shudder to think of it now!

I'm American, and have lived soooo many places that it is hardly even funny. And no, I'm not military-- just the kind of person who took a while to find a spot that she would call home. Michigan: I lived both in the Detroit metro area and on the other side of the state in Berrien County along the shore of Lake Michigan.…

I'd recommend getting a copy of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook-- it's got a red and white plaid jacket, and various editions of it have been out since 1930. The recipes in it aren't always as healthy as they could be, but as far as being a survival guide for someone just learning to cook goes, it is GREAT. There's a…