jvandertuin

I've been measuring myself and graphing it since December and sometimes the tape measure is smaller and sometimes it's larger and I've lost over 23 lbs since Dec 08. I have to agree with others, my boobs are only about 2 cms smaller then when I began with the largest coming off my waist/hips...and my calves have not…

I'm a planning junkie! I plan my meals one week in advance (makes grocery shopping easier too!). I eat the same breakfast and then plug in what I'm going to eat for the day (usually dinner leftovers for lunch, then the new dinner:bigsmile: . When I see the number of lbs that will be lost in 5 weeks, it keeps me motivated…

Welcome! When I had my kids, I used them as weights, I would exercise with them and they would love it. I still do it with my 6 year old and 3 year old. Chest press with my son, (he's 3), reverse curls with a kid on my legs, airplane type games. Kids absolutely love it and I get a little workout in! Good luck, if you…

Thanks for sharing your stories. One of the wonderful things about this site is that you know you are not alone. There are many people that are struggling just like you and I bet 99% of the people on here thought they couldn't do it. Well, there are MANY people who are and are changing their lives and their families lives…

which one??? I'm a full time PhD student in Health Sciences, teach a course at University, and have 2 research assistant jobs right now...oh yeah and I have a 3 and 6 year old! Life is busy, but REALLY good, wouldn't have it any other way!

You have done a wonderful thing for yourself and family. You keep the proud feelings and keep at it! You've shown that you can go this far. Although I don't know you, I wish you the best! That is truly wonderful news and...you did it on your own without meds or surgery and you can continue to do it.

I agree and disagree with FC. I agree with glycogen depletion, however, in my experience women, yes I said it, don't lift enough or heavy enough weights and therefore never go to exhaustion depleting their energy stores. And, it still boils down to your heart rate. If your heart rate is elevated, your body requires more…

It depends on what your goal is. If you are interested in primary heart health (i.e. aerobic exercise) then cardio first, if you are interested in weight training (cardio second). The reasoning is this: If you want the most from weight training and do cardio first, you will deplete your food stores (glycogen) and therefore…

I mean eating the ice cream in one sitting is worse for you then spreading it out over a period of time. Guess, I never really answered your question; I provided the explanation more so then answering it!

I would think, and I'm no nutritionist, but eating the tub of ice cream (or anything high in sugar) would be very bad for you. The primary reason is a spike in your sugar levels forcing your insulin to work overtime. Insulin acts as a bus, picking up sugar and transporting it into your cells for energy. Too much sugar, not…

You are an inspiration! Thanks for showing it can be done! Great work!

I think you will hear over and over again...this site is amazing, (as long as you use it). I religiously log ALL my food and exercise and it is a big wake up call as to how many calories I like to eat. Now, because I'm accountable, I say to myself, "Do I really want that food, I have to log it and look at the numbers!"…

I find sometimes that my weight doesn't change, but my measurements do. Take some measurements and compare them, I bet you will notice a difference, especially if you are weight training. Muscle is denser and therefore "weighs" more then less dense fat. So, you might be developing more muscle and weighing the same. You can…

anyway, my big Q is how to realistically estimate calorie output so that i eat enuf calories to make up for it, and so i get to eat more food altogether. i know it's all a guideline/estimate, but it would be nice to have an accurate estimate. thanks for your research--a phD, huh? that's a lot of school! :tongue: [/quote]…

The quick and dirty: It is based upon body weight. Someone weighing 300lbs will burn more calories walking .5mi then someone weighing 100lbs and walking .5mi. I'm taking an example from a book I have by McArdle, Katch and Katch Exercise Physiology 5th ed. If you weigh 104lbs and play ice hockey during a structured game,…

Well, I'm the Canadian equivalent to the athletic trainer (Athletic Therapist in Canada) and also a PhD student in Health Sciences. I'm VERY confused with lots of this stuff and some of it may be misleading to many. So, I spoke with a PhD in nutrition yesterday and asked her about lots of this stuff and her primary…

Thanks so much for posting! I'm plauteauing and I'm not sure why. I like most people hate to eat their exercise calories and so I'm wondering if I'm starving myself. Maybe that beer won't be a bad idea after all! I've been wanting one for a few months!!!!

Hi spicy: I just looked at your diary and I see (maybe?) 2 or 3 things. You generally don't eat enough (you are deficient on average 200-300 calories/day). Plus, are you tracking all your exercise correctly? You are burning a tremendous amount of calories via exercise. I'm struggling with the same thing about not eating…

Okay, I'm in. I'm from NS and have been on Weight Watchers and have lost 16 lbs on it since Dec/08 and decided to add MFP as well. I'll check back in on Wednesday. Good luck everyone!

Brag away...you deserve to brag and pat yourself on the back. Good for you! Keep at it!

Absolutely...don't starve yourself, I did/do and it doesn't work. Feel free to read my latest blog, because it obviously doesn't work. You eat ALL of those exercise calories or you will gain. Heed my advice! It seems counter intuitive, but it is so true. I knew about not eating enough, but didn't take in what I preach.…

Thanks, you did a much better job of explaining it! Good for you. Hope this helps!

Because you need to eat a minimum amount of food to survive. Check you BMR on tools. That is how many calories you need just to live if you don't do anything. It is up to use whether you want to use the calories or not. My understanding of how this site works is that you "plug" in how many lbs (kgs) you want to lose this…

I agree with Benw about getting a trainer. Generally, the lower the reps <6 you are training for strength (think of how power lifters look), anything over 10-15 you are training for endurance. If you can do more then 15 reps without it being difficult, you need to increase your weight. However, form is crucial so if you…

You can do this! I was in the same boat...I had no energy to play with my boys and would read while they played in the park. I have always been active and want my boys to be active so they learn that being healthy is fun and does not consist of playing video games and leading a sedentary lifestyle. By being healthy, you…

Welcome, I found this site through a friend and she swears by it...and I can see why. The ability to track your food and workouts are fabulous. The people on this site are also very supportive and amazingly encouraging! Stick to it...you can do it!

DON'T GIVE UP! Remember, that the body will adjust to your "new" way of life. Losing weight is hardwork and you are fighting your body's desire to hold on to the fat stores so the next time you starve (think prehistoric times) you will have fat stores to survive. Your plateau could be due to a few things 1) You aren't…

Hi Lupe: Start by tracking your food and then going for a walk! You can do this! Best of luck

The benefits of weight loss FAR outweigh any skin issues. Be proud that you've taken the first step! I'm 38 and have stretch marks from pregnancy and weight gain, but they are a reminder of my beautiful boys and where I was. The skin will return as long as it is SLOW, quick weight loss does not allow the skin to return to…

I"m absolutely in! My workout consists of mainly weights. I do 20 minutes elliptical and have a 2 day split. Legs (squats, leg press, leg extension, hamstring curls on the ball) and core. Day 2 is Upper body (chest press on a ball, chest press on flat bench, lat pull down, one arm rows, overhead press, lateral raises,…