mangorabbit Member

Points to all for being here and making the effort! That said, I have found MFP (particularly the calorie tracking) to be a massive help and a motivator unto itself. Having that numeric reminder of how I am going on my food intake basis has kept me a lot better behaved (most days) than I would be without it. ...and it is…

Had a Polar (don't recall which one, pretty basic model) -love it! Swapped for a Garmin Forerunner when I started doing more running outside and wanted to be able to accurately track distance as well. Polars are great though, and as an added bonus, A LOT of gym equipment that has heart monitoring stuff in it will interface…

Welcome, you have found a wonderful place to aid in your journey! And congrats on quitting smoking, as well as seeking to shed the weight that the process left you with. You can do this! ^_^

Welcome for MFP! 'Hope' or 'Will' drop those pounds? ^_^ Remember, much of this is about the choices you make. Decide you don't want those unwanted guests, then start showing them the door! You can do this! It is not always easy, but it is completely worth it. Live the dream!

No worries! With the HRM, one thing, make sure it is the kind with a chest strap - they are the most accurate that I have found. I love the yoga! (I was doing Bikram for a while, but time and now location make that an impossibility.) The yoga workout at home is pretty good for me, though I can tell when I have been…

Spices, literally are a great way to change things up (as previous posters have mentioned). Another one is to try new things - see a vegetable you have never had at the grocery store? Pick it up! Find out what it is, google some ways to cook it (or if you can eat it raw) and go wild! It is amazing the tasty treats that are…

Sorry for the delay! I saw this in the AM but was running off to work and did not get a chance to reply. I have had a Polar (forget the model number, but pretty basic) and a Garmin Forerunner 305. I have not used the Polar in a while so I don't recall all of the functions it possessed, but I really liked it - nice HRM…

For what it is worth, as another person with their cal limit set at 1200 - I pretty much always eat into most of my exercise cals. (Granted I work 5-6 days a week and we are fed one meal a day...which usually makes staying w/in 1200 pretty rough if I plan to eat more than once a day!) I go back and forth on how far into…

^_^ Good for you for finding things to keep you from those evil tempting treats! For what it is worth, as someone with a bit of a sweet tooth who is nolonger allowed ice cream, I find that frozen banana is not a terrible substitue when I think I'm gonna spaz out if I don't get something of that ilk. (I know it is not…

Greetings and Welcome! Yes both the visability of calories and the ability to choose other things you want to track is a HUGE thing. (I too am a veggie who is often low on iron.) On the yoga (and every exercise) the most accurate way of measuring is to wear a heart rate monitor while you are doing the exercise - that way…

A wonderful post. Thank you - and good on you for taking the time to be kind to yourself and knowing that life is now...AND when we reach whatever our goals are, but your attitude is amazing! With that thinking I know you will get to where you want to be and be able to maintain the lifestyle you have created. ^_^

Welcome! You can (and will!) do this! Your reasoning is both sound and AWESOME. This is is a choice you are making to change a lifestyle, not just to look sassy in those tight pants. (Though it sounds like that could be a bonus!)

For what it is worth - in my time zone it is Friday, and two things: 1) You make it through Thursday 2) Friday is a MUCH better day! You can do this! From the future! ^_^

I have to agree with CroakerNorge in this - I don't really have a 'Cheat Day' or anything as such. I am trying to come up with a lifestyle that works for me, and I have already learned that if I make something into a big deal in my mind, it is only going to mess with me. I do occasionally take rest days in regards to…

A great option (IF you have access to it) is go for a swim on your non-running day/days. It is still cardio, works some of the upper body too, and gives the joints and muscles that are taking a pounding from the running a bit of a break.

Nuts are always a good option, and depending on if you are going for a snack, or if there is a full meal missing - eggs are a great way to get some protien - omelette, scrambled, hard/soft boiled (I am trying to avoid the fried ones just cause, well...they are fried.) toss some veggies in if you like and make it a…

Granted, I think the answer is kind of different for everyone, and certainly depends upon what/how much you have eaten - I tend to try to do my morning workout before breakfast, because the waiting afterward tends to kill the motivation as I come up with excuses to avoid the workout. If you need/want to eat first and it is…

Everyone has very useful advice - the big one for most of us (of the non-iron willpower ilk) is the feeling of deprivation - if you can have a wee bit of the things you CRAVE - by all means, find a way to make it fit into your calorie count and give yourself treats now and again. If you are trying to ditch soda - might I…

Admittedly I know literally NOTHING about chronic fatigue as an entity unto itself, so really just a random piping up from the peanut gallery: Have you thought about it being food allergies/intolerances? I spent eighteen years thinking that wanting to sleep twenty hours a day was how everyone lived, and you just sucked it…

Though possibly not the 'dance' you are looking for, The New York City Ballet Workout(s) (I and II) are pretty groovy - granted not HUGE on the calorie burn...(I wore my HR monitor and avg heart rate was barely 100BPM) but it helps with flexibility, balance and generally that 'dancer' kind of vibe. Each one is just shy of…

Well played! This is one downward trend that is AWESOME to see! ^_^

Mathematically - the doctor's statement is correct. You eat less calories than your body burns, you will lose weight. Is it fat? Is it muscle? Is it some combination of the two? Who knows! To sum up all the above very useful posties... You dont HAVE to exercise to lose weight, BUT that also means you are not really…

Many thanks for sharing this!

It is not entirely 'cheating yourself', though if you feel fine doing the exercise and not eating the extra calories granted, by all means go for it! Everyone's bodies will react differently to things, finding the balance between eating all, some or none of the exercise calories seems to be a pretty common theme amongst…

Whee! Talk about all kinds of answers! So...does that clear the sonfusion? ^_^ Really it comes down to finding what works for you and your body. Some people can avoid eating the extra cals, some choose not to, some work out in order to be able to eat as they wish while still staying in the green (or close to it) according…

Welcome! You have taken a pretty big first step by finding MFP and getting set up to use it/ If by easy you mean relatively simple, yes. There is a basic formula to assist in the wieght loss - calories in vs calorie burned, etc etc. However, if by easy, you mean in that 'not a whole lot of work way' then, unfortunately no.…

It happens, more in, more out and all that. I tend to drink a whole lot of water, at all times of day, and really unless you have a hard time falling back to sleep, I wouldn't stress too much about it. But occasionally planning is important if you are going to be stuck in traffic, or on an airplane..or generally somewhere…

Thank you for the link! I am not sure that I have ever sought out watercress, but will certainly do so in the future - yay for green things! ^_^

Greetings! I am currently doing 1200 cal/day more or less, but I am also on a mission to dump a fair amount of the weight I am aiming to displace in a safe/healthly but semi-expedient fashion. If you are looking to shed less weight, or up the cal intake, perhaps readjusting your profile settings to lose less weight per…

Thanks guys! ^_^