frhenderson Member

Lower heart rate with the same pace is definitely a good thing. You might want to also check your resting hr. Mine has dropped about 20 bpm, and I have to push resistance and/or speed to get my hr back to where it was a few months ago when exercising. That's how you're able to increase pace/endurance. I've shaved 5 minutes…

I've pretty much always eaten back my exercise calories because I like to eat. :). When I used a similar program 8 years ago to get to my ideal weight, I ate back exercise calories and lost 60+ lbs in about 8 months. When I tried not eating back my exercise calories I found myself more likely to binge or give up. I give…

I've experienced those "results" too in the past and am embarrassed to admit that I've allowed them to be my excuse to give up in the past. So this time I made a list of non-scale results to look forward to. Maybe they will help? 1. Reducing measurements. 2. Increasing energy level. 3. Decreasing resting heart rate (this…

Before you go and eat back all those calories, make sure your burn estimate is right. I have a heart rate monitor and it's hard for me to burn more than 350 calories during an hour in the pool doing some laps and treading water the rest of the time (I make a point of not touching the bottom of the pool). MFP would have me…

I think people who say you can't spot reduce are giving helpful information, as the belief that doing crunches will give you a flat stomach can lead some people to do only crunches and miss out on the benefit of exercises that do a better job of burning fat. That said, if your intention in this thread is to encourage…

I find that exercise helps relieve my cramps. I also find that, with the exception of when I'm running a fever, if I feel like crud, the best remedy is a good sweat session.

I think the best place to start is with a food diary like MFP. If he's the type who likes to research and buy gadgets (and has some discretionary cash) have him start outfitting his "toolbox" with a good kitchen scale and heart rate monitor/calorie burn device. Show him how to use MFP and tell him if he wants to lose…

I'll admit to posting a snarky comment on a snarky thread. I thought about what I posted and tried to steer clear of anything too specific. For me, the snarkiness came partly out of silliness and partly out of frustration. I NEVER respond with a snarky comment in a legitimate thread. I think there is a time and place for…

You're totally measuring the wrong thing. If you want to achieve thigh gapage you need to STOP looking at your thighs and start measuring the diameter of your iris. That's the real indicator of progress. I not only don't look at my thigh gap, I don't allow my husband to look, and I won't visit my doctor until I know I've…

I think that post was uncalled for. I feel like you are calling my best friend AND her cousin liars. There is no need to make this personal.

FOOD DUST.....IT'S EFFIN BRILLIANT......why the hell didn't I think of that??? Oh yes the bulking up, don't touch any weights over 5 lbs or you will become like a man and probably pack on like 20 lbs of muscle in like a week or two.....it discusting. You need to do at least 2000 crunches to achieve noticable results.....so…

I hate to tell you this, but I can reference 12 studies that have established that you should wear one brown sock and one blue one. Not only do I have scientific evidence, but my best friend's cousin said that was the only thing that broke her out of a plateau that had last two days. She had tried EVERYTHING.

Since I tend to focus on meeting my calorie deficit on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis (some days over and some days under) it's usually not accurate on a given day, but if I went to the trouble of averaging the values it would be dead on over the course of five weeks. It's a good reminder to me that I need to…

I understand where you're coming from and sorry if my response to your comment sounded trite or holier than thou. I know death is a fact of life and if trying to reach some elusive weight keeps you from living it will all be in vain when you're dead and buried. Right now I need to focus on the positive and the legacy I…

I need lots of motivations to keep me going. Not a lot of one motivation, but a decent amount of lots of different motivations. I've started this journey many times for many different reasons, and each time I've learned a few more things that I can use to stay on track. Try making a list and when your current motivation…

True, but I want to be one of those who really lives before they die. I've spent too many years not enjoying life because of the extra weight I carry around.

Dislike sideways pics. If I turn my iPad the screen rotates and the pic is always sideways. :)

I like Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint." And when I'm on machines I keep repeating "less than __ left", or "__ done". I figure out the number in fractions and decimals and the pain…

Two of the most important men in my life gave me my wake up call. My dad is on the road to liver failure due partly to bad genetics and partly to a life of being overweight. With the genetic deck stacked against me, I want to do everything I can to save my children the pain of losing me a little bit every year as I've had…

MFD seems to default to 55% carbs, 30% Fat, 15% Protein. I wouldn't say that's a bad ratio, but a lot of people like to tweek that. My personal goal is under 50% carbs with fat around 32-35% and protein 15-20%. Carbs aren't inherantly bad, but I find that if I'm eating over 50% carbs I tend to eat more refined products and…

I speak as someone who lived my entire life between "overweight", "obese", and bordering on "morbidly obese". I honestly thought that the healthy weight range for a woman of my height was not achievable. So in 2004 I set out to prove the charts wrong. I joined a similar food and exercise tracking program with my goal as…

I definitely experience this in the form of not being able to stick with healthy eating if i'm not exercising and vice versa.

One more suggestion. I know that not everyone agrees that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if you are willing to mix things up it would be good to try adding in breakfast regularly. It looked to me like you are not spreading out your calories and that can impact energy level and calorie burn through the…

Is there something you want to eat but are denying yourself? What are your fat/protein/carb ratios? Usually when I find myself binging it is either because there is something I want to eat, but because it is "bad" for me I end up eating too much of everything else. In those cases I've learned to just go ahead and eat a…

I need protein and fat with my breakfast to stay satisfied. My current breakfast faves are an Amy's apple Gouda chicken sausage wrapped in a whole grain tortilla (270 cal) or cooked bulgar wheat with 2tbsp nutella stirred in (340 cal). The first is an easy on the go meal and the second is great for the days when I want…

I made one of my first weight loss rewards a soda stream water carbonator. You can get soda syrups and make your own soda, but I really like plain sparkling water. My new favorite is to add lemon juice to the sparkling water. It didn't take long for me to not miss the sugary drinks.

I enjoying crocheting. It keeps my hands busy, so I can't munch.

I can totally relate. The thing that keeps me exercising despite the exhaustion is the fact that I always feel more energized after I exercise than after I sit on the couch for a couple hours. I just keep reminding myself of that fact, and plan family activities for the weekend that are actually active. The rest of my…

Kudos for asking for help rather than giving up. When I'm not losing what I think I should, I do the following: 1. Check calories going in: I measure almost everything I put in my mouth. You can do this with measuring cups and spoons, but I think a good kitchen scale is totally worth the investment. 2. Check calories going…

In my experience it is good to eat back at least some of your exercise calories. Where you have to be careful is in figuring out how many calories you are REALLY burning with exercise. If you have a lot of weight to lose and are in it for the long haul, I think it's a good idea to invest in two things as soon as you have…