mangorabbit Member

Suzi is correct that there are entries in the cardio section of exercise to give you an idea about calories burned, but really, the most accurate way to determine what you are burning is to wear a heart rate monitor while you are doing your strength training and calculate it from there (or let the monitor tell you what you…

^_^ Generally once a week is a pretty good frame of reference - though I tend to go about a week (give or take a day or two) then weigh myself for two or three days in a row to make sure I am coming up with a pretty consistent number which I then enter in MFP. (I will occasionally weigh myself everyday, but when I note…

Wow, that is a whole lot of useful info all at once! Everyone makes very good points - I was told to imagine that there is an orange between my chin and neck/clavicle...essentially it is the same as making sure you are looking more up than in towards your torso - the orange bit just caught my fancy. Good luck in reducing…

Greetings! Welcome to the fun and games (And hard work and sweating at times...) that is MFP! Thus far (little over a month) I have found it to be a very useful tool and excellent resource for support and answers to some of my questions. Stick to it, it is worth it! Cheers! ^_^

I'd tend to agree with mystic - log it, but in the 'Notes' section at the bottom, make a note of the unfortunate rejection of lunch. (And don't stress out if you are a bit over your cal limit today... just try to get your stomach sorted!) Good luck! ^_^

Kia Ora, and welcome! You are not alone (not by a looong shot!) and MFP is a pretty groovy place to find help, answers to questions and inspiration to keep at it. I hope you find it a useful tool. Though it is about balance and some sacrifice, try to continue thinking of it as a change in lifestyle and not 'something I…

Fair enough, and thank you for your clarity. I apologize for the misunderstanding, having popped over to your profile page to perhaps get a slightly better idea of where you were coming from, I found the statement 'I will stay under 500 cal a day.' and found it a bit alarming. That you are working with qualified…

If you are truly eating 500 cal or less a day, you cannot fault ANYONE who cares for you for trying to get you to eat in front of them. I apologize if that seems unfair or harsh, but at 400-500 cal a day you are going to destroy your body. If you don't feed it, your body will find the things it needs - taking them from…

Thank you for your post - it is heartening to hear a very well-adjusted outlook to things 'post weight-loss quest'. Cheers!

Um, while I am probably not the most useful person to be answering this (still pretty early in my weight-displacement project) - perhaps adding some strength-training to the things you are already doing? You are doing awesome, but maybe you just need to coax some of those muscles into tightening up to achieve that clothing…

I agree with what a lot of you have said - I tend to only log the things I view as exercise for its own sake. A lot of the other stuff seems like it could fall under whatever lifestyle you listed for the original caloric determination. HOWEVER, having said that, there have been days when I didn't want to go to the gym, so…

As someone who has had 'real' (read: normal) ice cream, some of the Soy Delicious stuff (Fruit sweetened because cane/beet sugar is a no-go for me) and the Purely Decandent (coconut milk) ice creams - I'd say the coconut milk are by far the closest to standard ice cream in texture, and generally the tastiest. (Unless of…

Monda has a great point, salsa makes a LOT of things tasty (and works well as a veggie dip!) If you are after the one stop kind of meal, grab some veggies, and stir fry them, toss them together with the cooked rice and go from there. In more simplistic fashion, black pepper, garlic powder and some mixed herbs can reduce…

Well done! Two things that I find helpful (I cannot have soda due to food allergies) - if you miss the bubbly texture, grab some sparkling water - throw a wedge of lemon or lime in it...it will give you that fun fizzy-ness without all the extra stuff that comes in soda. If you are worried about the loss of caffiene and not…

http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/ That will let you choose your location and season, then give you a list of what is in season and when. The knowing if things are good is a little more tricky though...other than asking people, I am not really sure. If there is a farmer's market near you try them, often the…

Greetings Jen! (And welcome to MFP!) Much of my work takes me traveling fairly often as well, so I can kind of understand some of the difficulties you are facing. A couple things I have found - biggest one food-wise - plan ahead! I always have some Larabars (foodbar/granola-y type things) and other non-perishable items…

Under the 'Track Food' Option (Food Diary) as you log what you have consumed MFP tracks the calories and whatnot - at the bottom of that page is a running total for the day. You can change what the diary shows besides calories by going into 'Settings' from your MFP home page and clicking on 'Diary Settings'. (Of course, if…

As so many have said, I can empathize with the rest day guilt, but since I am trying to make this more about a shift in lifestyle than a crash course in weight loss, I have been trying to do other things on that day off... You know that list of things that you either never have time to do, or have always wanted to…

Woo hoo! Sounds like the concensus is for some weight training, and it is something I keep hearing as well (though I keep trying to ignore it...) Shall we embark upon a new phase of fitness wherein the weights/weight machines become our friends and torture devices? ^_^ Nice work on the running though, you'd kick my butt!…

The previous posters have good points and ideas - a group of people to be accountable too is probably a good way to keep yourself a little more honest and motivated if the calorie counter alone is not doing it anymore. ^_^ Belatedly- Congrats on getting as far as you have, that is quite something. In regards to the…

Perhaps some time management? I can understand wanting to go and do 'the fun stuff' that all your cohorts are doing, but perhaps not every night? There is something to be said for knowing that you are going to have to drag your (possibly hungover) butt out of bed at 7AM the next day to encourage moderation in both the…

Kudos on your choice, it can be tough! Excellent ideas put forth - and having something stashed as a standby meal is always a great option for those days when brain-farts happen. Best of luck, and enjoy!

Congrats on your choice. May I ask what the reasoning is/was for the shift? (Just to get an idea of where parent's minds may be on said issue). In regards to the dinner, it is entirely your call how strict you want to be with what you eat. I can completely understand not wanting fried rice that has been cooked with meat,…

If you have a place to go swimming, perhaps that is a workable option? The lack of pounding on joints and whatnot may be gentler on a body that is already battling allergens (and as pools generally be indoors this time of year - the environmental issues should be lessened?). (Just don't do any deepwater diving!) ^_^ Or…

One of my mates introduced me to using Spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta...sneaky vegetable usage and so tasty! Way to go, fall has some excellent seasonal foods!

Many good points made by all. Something I'd add is try to figure out what time of day you are most motivated to exercise. I know that sounds kind of obvious, but for me, I find that it is easiest to get my butt up earlier in the morning and do something before I officially 'start my day'. Granted, I have had to balance…

I understand that weight training should be a part of my fitness program, but could you give any suggestions as where to start? There are so many machines and options that I just don't know where to begin to make a functional plan that I will stick with! Cheers.

I have two pairs of the VFF's, the KSOs and the Sprints, and I love them! Currently hoofing it all over Shanghai, and no problems. The people here find the fascinating, I take that as the price of wearing what I want. ^_^ I have done a fair amount of walking, and circus classes in them (as well as climbing trees...oh the…

A timely question, as I have found myself doing similar things. It has been suggested to me that perhaps it is a way to continue the cycle of 'needing to be better' without ever finding out what comes after achieving that percieved goal. (Fear of change/the unknown.) Sometimes we slip, human nature, and personal choice…