hurricanelena Member

I'd love to do an overnight or multi day trip. Before it would've been a matter of fitness, but I feel I'm up for the challenge now. I don't feel comfortable doing something like that by myself and am having trouble finding others who want to do it with me. And like winter further north, it's rather miserable to ride…

Don't be intimidated! When I first started I couldn't bike the half mile to work. It took me a couple of years before I felt comfortable enough to ride with other people. I rocked my bright spandex even at almost 400lbs. One of my best memories is having someone at a stoplight tell me how awesome I was to be riding in my…

I am pretty similar in size (32/34 DDD/E) down from a 48 DDD so I've been through a lot of bras. Hands down are the Enell bras. Not sure who carries them in the UK, but I've had a lot of luck buying secondhand and "factory rejects" on eBay. They are pricey, but they strap them babies down! For a little less. I've also had…

I've been riding Trek hybrid's for several years, even at my heaviest. I've had both the 1 and 2 WSD (woman's fit), the 2 having more gears which came in handy when my fitness improved and I started biking over our local causeway. I live in Florida and it is otherwise pretty flat so gearing wasn't initially a big issue.…

Thanks for the information. I had heard of this and had considered doing one for a more accurate reading vs the impedance scale they use at the gym. Now I've been inspired to go look more into it! If only my small city in the US didn't share the same name as a much larger Australian city things would be much easier to…

Stevia is a naturally sweet plant, but what you get in the store has been processed so whether or not is "natural" or artificial is open to interpretation. As with all sweeteners, I would suggest you find one whose taste you like and works with your body (blood sugar, tolerance, etc). Most sweetened low cal stuff will…

Whenever I've started falling back into old habits, negative thinking, etc (and this is sometimes a daily or weekly cycle), I've found it useful to pick the one thing I'm going to change for the day/week/month. Otherwise it can start to seem overwhelming. The past few months I've tried to shift my focus from just food to…

You can use just about any chocolate protein powder. The trick is to "temper" the powder so it won't curdle. Mix your powder with about half your liquid, warm the other half really hot, then slowly mix the two. Alternatively, you can Heat your liquid first, and then slowly add your powder. For both, don't reheat after its…

Cycling: It was what I did at my heaviest and its great to see the major improvements in distance/speed. Plus its useful as transportation! I found my town wasn't as big as it seemed in a car when I started biking it. Jogging: Great endorphin rush. And the fact that I can do it now without dying or killing my knees. Plus,…

I add the "clear" fiber to my shakes, at least 1 serve a day. Generally I still need MiraLax (or its equivalent) at least once a week; Smooth Move tea (with Senna) when its really bad since its a stimulant. I also generally drink at least 1 gallon of water and "Calm" (a Magnesium supplement) every day which has the added…

Oh God yes. In full disclosure, my family has iron and B12 absorption issues so I've always been either very cold or very hot, no in between. I went up north to visit the family for Thanksgiving (I live in Florida) and I fell in love with the chemical hand/foot warmers. But then again I brought out the electric blanket…

I am in it depends camp. As I generally follow the rules of the road as a car would until it becomes dangerous. Sidewalks are another story as I live in a rather bike unfriendly area. My exceptions: left turns on multi-lane, high use roads (especially where the speed limit is 45 mph or above), stop signs in residential…

Give yourself a break from salad. I find even foods I love if I've been eating them everyday for a while I start to loathe them. Take a few weeks from salad and look at other ways to vegetables. I'm not sure where you are in the world, but if you're in the northern hemisphere the fall/winter is greens season. Try adding in…

Thank you everyone for posting on this thread. I've been in a weird place lately battling a lot of these same feelings and perhaps some self-destructive behaviors. It helps somewhat to realize I'm not alone.

I have 5 currently as I've been loosing weight rapidly and good sports bras and bike gear are things I spend money on. I've been losing more band size than cup size though. 2 Enell's that are 2 sizes too big (I use them for biking) 1 Glamorise Women's Double Layer Custom Control Sport Bra that about 1 size too big…

There seems to be some difference about that between doctors, nutritionists and other health people. I've heard only water counts, only non-caloric liquids, coffee does/does not count, etc. There's also some debate about counting the water in your foods. The only universal seems to be that soda is bad. I generally only…

Oh man that's awesome! I'm always amazed at people who run! And 10K too!

Excellent :) I've only been spinning once or twice but I bike almost every day. Padded bike shorts are the key to happiness :D

I will second what Asia1967 said in regards to "your mileage may very" in terms of calories. This was something I really struggled with over the summer as I felt that I was doing something wrong when I was eating 400-800 cal more a day that most people who were where I was. But I was sleeved on 29 Jan 2014. From about…

It probably doesn't matter as long as they are in there :), but I log all my videos under "aerobics". I see they also have "high impact aerobics" and "circuit training". However I have a heart rate monitor and I track with Endomomo which uses heart rate zones for input so I know my exact values. I find the MFP values are a…

Thanks for this post. I've had a heart rate monitor for about a year and I've used it for the same reasons as you. It was also enlightening as to how "off" the exercise calculators/machines are for my weight in terms of calories burned. Apparently I am way more efficent than the "standard". My trainer also likes it as she…

We have the exact same surgery day :) I appreciate your posting as it is helpful for me to hear that we all seem to go through similar ups and downs and at times can feel very much alone in the struggle. And a 5K in 34 min? I am impressed. I'm pretty sure I'd still be at the starting line, lol.

Congratulations! I will do a mid shift happy dance in your honor.

i had weight loss surgery earlier this year so I've drank a lot of my calories as they all have an extended liquid diet portion. Some suggestions for ready made/store brought: Premier Protein (chocolate and vanilla, strawberry seems elusive except online) carried by Wal-Mart and Costco in bulk 160 calories, 30 grams…

No! You are never too fat to workout! (as long as your doctor says its okay of course) I think the best way to "get over it" is by exposure. Just go. Also try going over the scenario in your head when you're not at the gym. Think to yourself, what if all the people are looking at me? How am I going to react? What am I…

If you've never lifted weights or done strength training before, I would recommend starting with body weight exercises. YouTube has a number of (sometimes pirated) videos both done by average Joes and by major names in fitness. You might want to look at those geared towards beginners or the senior set to make sure you are…

Hmm, this was an interesting question that I had to think about my experiences for a bit. I've found that I am usually with people who know that I have had the surgery so no one remarks on it, or nobody notices, or if they do they don't care. Most people I've run into are either on a diet of some type, or avoiding some…

I will echo what others have said. I am about 7 months out and have no problems eating anything I want, just it MUCH smaller quantities. I've also made it a point to prioritize protein and generally avoid processed carbs, I avoid a lot of bread products these days mostly because they fill me up too quick without the…

I've worked with trainers on and off for the past 7 years, and 2x/week for the past 5-6 months. Before I really got my fitness on, it was a way to ensure that I would workout at least 1x week, usually more because I didn't want to look bad for the trainer! Mine is really great in that she changes up the routine based on my…

I will echo the sentiments that this is a great thread! I've found the intimidation factor has depended on the particular gym that I'm at. Rather than take the "easy" PE class in high school I did weight lifting, which was taught by this little old lady who could out lift us all, lol. There were two girls in the class…