smilingirisheyes Member

As others have said, it's just a matter of sticking with it. One thing that was helpful for me was to stop beating myself up for unsuccessful days and just looking at what worked for me that day and what didn't. When I see something doesn't work for me, I have to evaluate what I could have done instead, and just know to do…

You beat me to it! I'll add Marzia Prince to the list though... http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Marzia/

I'm also not a fan of "cheat days." I can do a whole lo of damage in a full day, and my thinking is what takes the worst of it. If there's something high in calories that I really want, I can plan it along with a really long workout so it fits into the day.

Thanks for your story! It's wonderful that the two of you can do this together.

I believe you've won this one.

Yes, that's what it means. As for the right ratios, there are several schools of thought, and it seems like what works best varies by individual.

Another vote for dip wih raw veggies.

Macronutrients are carbohydrate, fat, and protein.

Commercial granola... I was a kid in the 70's. Nothing but added sugar & fat!

I agree. Also, if it interfered with sleep for you, you'd know it. I'm a morning person, and I need at least 5 hours between workout and sleep - I just can't quiet down to sleep. If thats not happening to you, you're good.

If it doesn't cause you problems and makes you happy, drink up.

You are truly amazing!

The bowl has 4x3.5 servings, or 14 servings. If the nutrition info is for .5 cup, that's still valid for .5 cup. 2 cups of the mix would have [4x(nutrition info for .5 cup)].

If I get the urge to eat late at night, I immediately brush & floss my teeth and go to bed if I can. But i hate the whole brush/floss routine, so the idea of having to redo it is enough to motivate me.

Perhaps she's a Nigerian princess and her uncle wil approach you to hold funds for him soon. I say go for it!

I have a bowl of coarse oat bran and TVP with a glass of low-sodium V8 most days.

Here's a link to a bunch: http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/low-calorie/300-calorie-main-dish-recipes/vegetarian/

I do the same. I find it easier to make the decisions all at once. The only negative can be something that just happened today - a last minute change. I'd planned my day around eating out for lunch, but my friend had to cancel. Not a big deal though, and easier than fguring out macros every time I need to eat.

That's an incredible difference in just three months! Great job.

I log individual components too, so it ends up looking like I ate a grocery list for lunch! Thats okay.

OMG! I opened this thread to see what a fat girl squat is, and I have to confess I've done it!

I'm off work & school this week ad spring cleaning. I can put in 5 hours of work (actual work, not counting the breaks), which I wuld not have been physically capable of not too long ago. It makes it more fun when I impress myself with my stamina!

That sounds wonderful!

Thanks for the replies. They helped. I make myslef mad being a people-pleaser, and it looks like that's what I'm doing here...

Thanks! I'm 41 and I think I'm circling the Aha moment!

You could kill two birds with one stone - lifting weights can really burn off some stress.

Non-food rewards help me a lot. If there's something I want that's not a necessity, I set some goal to reach before getting or doing it. The added bonus is that the reward is a reminder of the accompishment. I'm starting to keep my eyes open for a 100 lb reward. Most of mine have been smaller items, but they're treasures…

Then you don't know enough people. :D

I used to drink a 2-liter of diet soda per day. Those little packets of water flavoring (like Crystal Light) in a bottle of water helped transition to water. Now I drink water only most days and will occasionally have a packet or two of flavoring as a treat. I don't think it's a horrible habit, I just know I do a lot…

They're different, but not bad. It's kind of worth it to have one minute between wanting scrambled eggs and having them. Edit: Yes to precooking veggies - then mix into the eggs and stir a couple times while cooking.