jessicawrites Member

My staples: Greek yogurt English muffins (because I can't get through a whole loaf before it goes stale) Low-sodium chicken stock (for cooking) Olive oil Frozen cooked shrimp Any and all fresh fruit, whatever's in season Farmer's market eggs Chicken breasts Lean beef Avocados Baby spinach Dark chocolate Slow-churned ice…

This was so sweet and lovely! I am getting married exactly six months from Friday and recently joined to lose about 10 pounds before dress fittings start (most of the weight comes from winter and holiday treats). Being engaged has its stressful moments, but mostly I've been so happy that we have this time to plan, dream,…

I'm all about the Reliant K album, MMHMM, when I work out. The songs are very up-tempo and pretty similar in tempo--maybe not the most versatile band, but consistency is great for me when I'm exercising.

I plan ahead to eat something when I'm hungry. For limiting, I like snacks that come in small containers, so I can go ahead and eat the whole container without feeling guilty. My favorite sweet-tooth snack is a box of blackberries or raspberries, because that's healthy for me as well. Another thing I do is keep a box of…

I'm 5'5 and turning 25 next month...my goal weight is 123 (I tend to roam between 128-132, so it seems like a slim, but achievable goal).

I keep chocolate and cookies in a drawer in my desk (I purposely put it in the drawer I almost never need to open). For me, there's something nice in knowing that if I want a treat, I have my favorites already here. (Disclaimer: I find it pretty easy to stop at 1-2 small cookies or 1-2 small pieces of dark chocolate--might…

You mean cold pizza isn't the breakfast/dinner of champions? Aww....

The interesting thing is...you know wedding dresses come in multiple sizes, right? I am watching my figure for my wedding in October (thus allowing myself a solid 6 months to lose the 5 or so pounds I have in mind--I like to plan ahead), but I am well aware that because I was between sizes and we ordered the larger so I…

I'm a baker, too, when I have time, and I swear I am not *intentionally* wrecking anyone's diet. I can't finish a batch of cookies or a cake alone (or even with my super-slim fiance's help) before it goes stale, so I share. Office, family, class. I try to spread it around so everyone gets some (and so no one has to face…

Weaning myself off...was everyday, often morning and evening, but I'd like to get down to once a week, for my sanity's sake, lol. This week I weighed myself on Monday, Wednesday morning, and last night, and will weigh on Saturday for my preweekend weight and then hold off until next Monday.

I've started planning my meals for the day the way I usually would, but logging everything I plan to eat right away in the morning. From there, I add or take away some snacks (usually take away...) to bring myself within my goal range of 1200-1500. Seeing it all in front of me helps me schedule how to space my meals, as…

I'm 5'5 1/2, too! I just joined, so I can't really speak to weight loss yet (the scale is moving, but I'm holding off on updating until I feel sure we're not talking water weight). I eat 1200-1500 per day, roughly, sometimes a bit more or less. I'm mostly listening to my body at this point, taking note of when I feel…

There is such a thing as an excellent Red Delicious--fresh and crisp and juicy--but they are a finicky apple, and it's easy for them to get mealy. If I were you, I'd try them in the fall, and make sure they're very hard before you buy.

I love Edy's slow-churned ice cream. Half a cup (I serve it in a teacup) is about 100 cal. For salty, to me nothing beats popcorn for volume compared to calories. Go for the low-butter (or no butter and give it a quick spray with Pam and a shake of salt), and you're looking at, what, 50 cal for 2-3 cups? Not too shabby...

What an awful sister! Whether she's in your life anymore is up to you, of course, but at least feel free to decide how often that is, without any guilt or qualms. When I saw the post title, I thought maybe I'd be in the category of underminers (I love baking but try to give as much as possible away to avoid temptation,…

I've had my PF membership for a few years, and I like it a lot. The pros: great price, great hours, and I like the relaxed atmosphere. The cons: it's bare bones. If you're looking for classes, look elsewhere (they're recently started regular mini-sessions--a half hour or so--with trainers, but it's not the same as a…

Most chains have nutritional info online if you Google it beforehand. Otherwise, asking lots of questions and making requests is good (asking for meat to be prepared without butter, for example, can save you a bundle of calories.

Heck yes, weekends are the worst. Even when I don't have holidays spreading temptation everywhere, the fact that I have leisure time means I have time to sit and eat that bag of popcorn or what have you. I just started Monday weigh-ins so I can remind myself that I'd like to see progress instead of a water bloat! I'll…

the holidays reawakened my love of smoked salmon lox

I'd say whenever you're most motivated to do it! The one caveat would be not too exercise too hard too soon before bed or it might be hard to get to sleep. For me, when I exercise in the morning I feel more energetic throughout the day, but sometimes I'm too sleepy and do an evening workout, and that works fine, too.

Wedding dress! It already fits, of course (actually it's a little big because we ordered it to fit my bust, which is a size up from my waist and hips), but it's about looking as beautiful in it as I can. ...Plus, the honeymoon's in Bali, so I'm shopping for a great bikini this summer to take along :)

How is low-fat butter even a thing? I thought butter *was* fat... I am on board with the general consensus here: I like eating real food, don't touch artificial sweeteners, and bake with real butter. I'd rather enjoy a couple really good cookies and give the rest away than binge on some dried-out, low-cal substitute that…