blissmanifesto

OH heck yeah. I got up as high as a 38J when it was real bad. I had to order bras only online for years. I had to order only British bras. Even after I lost weight I was still like a 30H, so weird. Just recently got down to about a 34DDD and I could not be more pleased. I hope maybe next year I might get down to a 32DD.…

I don't know why you'd be "loathing it." Why does everybody love dairy so much, anyway? Sort of mystifies me. I say, embrace the challenge. Make it fun. Learn to cook with coconut milk. I love the So Delicious coconut milk ice creams. . . they even have sugar-free flavors which is a bonus for me. They have yogurts, too.…

People find it very, very frightening when you do something to change an old, established pattern. Your mom is used to you being fat like her. She is afraid of the changes that will inevitably occur if you insist on going ahead with this wild, crazy, wacky new course of action. (And of course you will go ahead, won't you?…

Some people who are super-strict on Paleo don't eat much salt. Sometimes they even eat no salt! Not many are that strict. But those sorts of people typically will make their own sausage by combining ground meats with spices and whatnot. I eat commercially prepared sausage myself, but you have to read the labels pretty…

You are indeed supposed to strain out the solids. But I must be honest: I never do. I just pour the whole skillet into the jar. The crunchy bits sink down to the bottom so I don't have to mess with them. I do keep my jar in the fridge, though, because it's warm where I live. I love using bacon grease! It's so delicious and…

Montgomery County here!

I have the loose skin on my belly from being obese and having 2 kids. It used to bother me a lot, but as I've lost weight it just bothers me less as it shrinks. I'm coming to view it as just a normal part of me, and also as a sign of all I have been through. I do fear that I won't be happy at my goal weight. . . it's not…

Hey!! I started at around 214 lbs, probably about a size 22 US or a 2XL. I am 5'4" and I've had a couple kids, so the midsection is no longer like a young person's tummy! Now I'm down to 137 lbs. I just got new stuff lately. I got some t-shirts from J.Crew that were size Small, and I got some new pants from Athleta and…

Dr. Pam Peek, the weight loss doctor, says that it takes the mind a year to adjust to every 25 lbs lost. So it's no surprise that you still see yourself as fat. You need to be patient and loving with yourself and take the time to get to know your body all over again. Go to the store and try on lots of clothes. See what…

Between your boyfriend who loves red meat and your own love of food, you might enjoy the Primal diet. Check it out at the Mark's Daily Apple website. I follow the Paleo lifestyle myself, which is similar to the Primal lifestyle. But honestly, whatever diet you settle on, you should never have to eat the same thing all the…

I think it is terrific that you have decided to take better care of yourself now, while you are still quite young. So many of us don't get around to it until years of bad living have taken a real toll on us. So definitely feel proud of yourself for deciding to work on it now! What have I got for you in the helpful hint…

Also not juicing here. I think I'd only try a juicing approach if I contracted a serious illness. But since I work out 7 days a week, I pretty much need food.

The key to forgiveness for me has been to understand that people do things for reasons that make sense to THEM. Everyone is on their own journey in their own life. And usually, they are in their own pain and sadness and struggle. So if they do something that hurts you, just remember that they are in a lot of pain too. Can…

I've got one for you, Ruger2506, since we are both well out of our 20s. Both cardio and serious strength training are important tools for combating the aging process. A lot of what we view as normal aging is actually more like atrophy due to under-use. It's usual for people to lose significant muscle mass as they age, but…

Hey msslimann, go ahead and add me! I'm 42 and I would love to support you on your journey. Today I offer you the inspirational example of the Unofficial Mayor of Kona. This 88-year-old man has run the Hawaii Ironman in Kona every year for more than 20 years. At this point they pretty much let him in for free, I believe.…

I pretty much agree with previous posters. It looks like you need to be eating more in general, and in particular more real food. Fruit, tasty veggies, meat, fish, chicken, eggs. If you are more satisfied and full with real food you will slowly need less of the unwholesome, processed snacks. I do find that getting plenty…

I think you just log it all as moderate effort. If you want more accurate calorie counts, you'll probably need to invest in one of those fancy heart-rate-monitor gadgets that give you more accurate numbers, and then you can input those numbers when you log your exercise. I have the same issue with strength training. . . I…

The real answer is, there's a lid for every pot. Different men like different things! Some men are very picky, others are very open and accepting. Just like some men are kind, loving and supportive, while others are massive *kitten*. There's men out there who love big breasts, small breasts, tall gals, short chicks, shy…

I'm 42 with 2 kids, including my son who has special needs! Add me if you like.

It's taken me more than 2 years of continual effort to drop 76 lbs. It was indeed "dribs and drabs" at time, and sometimes I would plateau for weeks as well. I imagine that the whole 111 lbs you want to lose will take at least 2 years, and that's if you really stick to your program 100% and don't get stuck on a plateau for…

I have a small rib cage and full bosom, so I am hard to fit. I can only buy certain brands that actually have my size. I'll typically spend at least $50 but I've spent up to about $75, if I recall. I would spend $150 if I had to, but thank goodness it never got that bad. Why'd you spend so much? Did you have to? Are you a…

Small changes are the easiest to maintain over time. So here are a few simple things you can do: instead of white potatoes, choose sweet potatoes instead of the usual mash, choose the green veg instead of a sweet drink, choose water or plain tea The most fundamental thing you can do is, whenever you have a choice about…

Celery or baby carrots with almond butter for dipping. Barbecue chicken wings. One of those big fruit platters from the grocery. Nuts. Raisins. Dates. Uh. . . roll-ups made of deli meats and cream cheese? Bell pepper strips.

I agree with you: one puny little serving of oatmeal is just not good enough. Also, it's got hardly any protein. For the same calories you could have a whole scrambled egg. Actually, considering how little you ate today, you could have had 2 or even 3 eggs and been stuffed with delicious protein for half the day. The other…

I am 42 and have lost over 70 lbs, very slowly over the past several years. I just joined MFP last week because I need some help breaking through a plateau I've been stuck on lately. It's totally possible to lose weight after 40! I look at it this way: all the hard work I put in now to improve my health is basically a down…

I have been Paleo since late October of last year and I gotta say that I am loving it. After the initial learning curve, it's both easy and delicious. I love being able to eat foods I love in abundance and never feeling hungry or deprived. Keep it up, you will definitely see benefits.

Yes, I am having a similar issue. Since I've lost quite a bit of weight, I can see wrinkles under my eyes that weren't there before, and also deep marionette lines by my mouth. In fact, these days I can accurately judge if I've lost weight or had too much sodium just by looking at the marionette lines. Sadly I do not have…

Yeah, I agree with the others here; you need a lot more protein in your meals. Also, think about staying away from crunchy carbohydrate-filled snacks like the pretzels, the Wheat Thins or the Lorna Doones: simple carbs like that are delicious but then about 20 mins later you get a mini-blood-sugar crash and feel hungry all…

Net 850 is not enough food. You will stall out for sure. Usual guideline is net 1200 no matter what. As for food, I agree with the other posters about making plenty and portioning it out for future use. Often you can even freeze it so you don't have to eat it all this week. So for example you can make a nice big batch of…

The green smoothies you make sound good, but the premade fruit drinks from the store are usually way too sweet and full of carbohydrates. Make the smoothies really nice and green with lots of kale and good stuff like that. Many Paleo or Primal people who are big into smoothies will add protein powder; Mark Sisson sells a…