newcs Member

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  • Everyone starts somewhere and you might be surprised how quickly you'll catch up or progress. I'm doing the insanity videos right now and the warm up kills me but I hang in there, do what I can and it gets a tiny bit easier each time. 30 Day Shred is a good one to start with (only 20min), as are some of the other Biggest…
  • If you did your best, there's absolutely no shame. I'm doing my first 5K next month and I've been told by many people that the atmosphere and everyone running around you will often push you to keep running. Running is often a mental game just as much (or more) than a physical one. Good luck!!
  • I started with free weights but got really bored and switched to bodyweight exercises (using Mark Lauren's book/app). Just keep googling, maybe check out some of the books recommended and figure out what type of lifting/strength work makes you happy. The bottom line is to stay safe - so start at a lower weight if that's…
  • Yep, sadly they did. But I'm not aiming for super low bodyfat so really I just look better proportioned now. Though it's a bit of a buzzkill when I see the size tag.
  • I love my Polar FT7 but would get the FT4 next time. Just not enough features on the FT7 that I care about to make it worth the extra $$ ETA: mine syncs with the machines at the gym. Might vary by machine but it's been fine with both stationary bikes and treadmills at my gym. And since a HRM is more for workouts than all…
  • Feel free to add me. I'm pretty short (5'2" on a good day) so I don't usually go much over 2K but on active days, I almost always eat more than 1800. I'm trying to lose (probably about 7lbs) at the moment and plan to up my calories a bit more when I get back to maintenance and will probably aim to net around 1750-1800 so…
  • Yes, just watch the salt. Usually broth is more boiled down and saltier. I made some last night. I ran some baby carrots and broccoli in the food processor on pulse a few times to chop them up fairly small and then sauteed that with garlic and butter (could use olive oil) for a few minutes. Added chicken stock, quinoa and…
  • I drink tea. Sometimes I'm just bored so that keeps me occupied for 10min or so. Or I eat popcorn for my night snack. I air pop it and it's filling and low calorie. I know this about myself so I try to save a LOT of calories for 6pm and later.
  • I agree with this. I also think that jump roping is a great add on (and jump ropes are really cheap - I got mine on Amazon). You can definitely do a lot to get your lungs and legs in shape while allergy season is here but you should make sure to get out there and run in the weeks leading up to the 5K so you can enjoy it…
  • Eat at a deficit for weight loss. Work out for fitness. Walking will get you a few extra calories but not as many as most people would like. I lost all my weight (trying to lose the last 5lbs again after a vacation) on diet alone. Then I decided I would look and feel better with some muscle and strength so I started…
  • I learned to lift with dumbbells on my own. Just google a lot of videos and figure out who is reputable so you don't take bad advice. I've been told that form is often more difficult with dumbbells because you have no bar to keep you balanced but take it slow and use low weights to get your form in line before you start…
  • If it fits your macros, I say go for it. Then again, I don't track/control sugar and I know others do. I'm not worried about the hazelnuts in it but you might want to keep an eye on the refined sugar aspect. Up to you. Also keep in mind willpower. Are you able to have just 20g or will having that cause you to have another…
  • I didn't take weekends off until I had reached maintenance. I'm currently trying to lose about 5lbs again due to slacking off and going on vacation but I'm still taking weekends off unless my progress slows. With that said, I don't go crazy on weekends and I usually have healthy meals in the freezer (home made) for…
    in Weekends off? Comment by newcs May 2013
  • Olive oil can also help. My go to is almond butter though.
  • Also...try the bitter apple spray in a low risk situation first. Turns out our pittie is weird and likes it. Then again, he doesn't like peanut butter so he's just a strange one.
    in Bad dog... Comment by newcs May 2013
  • Do you keep the windows closed when you drive? We found that cracking a window helped a lot with his car sickness (as did age thankfully but he still loses his kibble after an hour or so). Do you run? Could you swap some of your gym time out for a run with your pup? I'm hoping to start with mine now that he's a little…
    in Bad dog... Comment by newcs May 2013
  • Ours needs about 2hrs of running or playing hard to tire him out and a walk does just about nothing, even if we walk for a long time. Those pittie legs could walk all day! Could you bring him to daycare a couple times a week? If he gets played out at daycare, it sometimes carries over into the next day. Do you have a yard…
    in Bad dog... Comment by newcs May 2013
  • I'm not a fan of sugar free (since it's basically chemicals) or skim/lowfat milk (because it's extra processed) so I just consider Starbucks drinks to be a dessert and only have them occasionally (even a short of that is 180 calories with skim milk and no whipped cream). On a daily basis, I either drink espresso, espresso…
    in Coffee Comment by newcs May 2013
  • Pits tend to be high energy and that can turn into anxious energy pretty easily. Ours is about a year and a half now but we keep him in his crate when we're not home. We did a trial period of letting him have the living room and kitchen while we were gone...he chewed the baseboards. So we put him in a large pen in the…
    in Bad dog... Comment by newcs May 2013
  • Try infusing water with fresh fruits and/or herbs. If you google it, there's a ton of ideas. More water and less sugar than juice but you'll still get a little bit of a fruity taste.
  • I have and love my Polar FT7 but would recommend the FT4 since I never use the fancier features.
  • You've gotten some great recommendations so far. If you're at all interested in bodyweight exercises (which you might be since you said you'd like to do some of this at home), Mark Lauren is great. He has a book called You Are Your Own Gym as well as an iPhone/iPad app by the same name. I bought the book, then the app. The…
  • I love almond butter. This definitely sounds like a good snack to pack :)
  • I'll need food for about 5pm - 10:15pm (end of work until flight time) and don't want to rely much on restaurant or convenience store food. We also have a transfer in the morning when we get there so we'll land, have 2hrs in the airport and then another hour flight. I find that the food on airplanes is either kind of gross…
  • Good point. Last time I traveled internationally, the only thing I cared about traveling with was candy. The fresh stuff we'll definitely consume. Not sure if dried is an issue (you can bring dried fruits into the US...still trying to see what Portugal's law is).
  • Usually a little oil plus salt and pepper. We also use a lot of garlic powder but for most veggies, I just use salt & pepper unless I get bored. Also: if you've never tried roasting broccoli, I highly recommend it! For some reason I never though to roast it until a month or two ago and now I can't get enough of it.
  • That's pretty much what I do but it's personal preference. I don't like feeling particularly full and make really poor decisions when I get hungry. I also have the symptoms of hypoglycemia so eating frequently helps me avoid that. This also helps me with the psychological aspect of it because I feel like eating even if I'm…
  • They're a great compound exercise, especially since you can do them anywhere. As a bodyweight exercise, they're versatile for scaling (making easier or more difficult). I'd suggest giving up doing them on your knees though...you're not doing yourself any favors. I started out trying to do one and instead, just sunk to the…
  • I aim to hover around 120 and drop a couple pounds for the summer look a little leaner at that same weight by changing my body composition. So far, so good with maintaining around 120 except lately with a mysterious 5lb weight gain with no change in size.
  • Check out paleo recipes. They tend to be pretty low carb. Typical breakfast foods (pancakes, waffles, toast, english muffins, cereal) are carb heavy so you may need to change up how to view breakfast foods. You can make pancakes without flour: 3 bananas, 3 eggs, 1/2c almond butter, 1t cinnamon. Add more almond butter if…
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