shimmer_glo Member

I haven't had a chance to read this entire thread yet, but just want to chime in and mention that it's not a good idea to drastically increase to heavier weight. It should be done in gradual increments over a period of time to avoid injury.

I look for low sugar, high fiber cereal with whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup. Kashi definitely has some great options.

I don't think it really matters what time of day you exercise unless you exercise so close to bedtime that you are still pumped from exercising and can't sleep.

Haha!!

You probably already know this, but just throwing it out there in case you don't ... make sure if you don't buy pre-rinsed quinoa, you rinse it really well before cooking. Otherwise, it tastes very bitter.

I don't know how much this really helps, but I've found that week by week or month by month, I just have to assess where I am and figure out what my problem areas are. If it's weighing myself too often, I'll change that. If it's eating too late at night, I'll come up with a plan to stop that from happening. It sounds like…

When I lost the 25 lbs, I was eating 1800 calories a day and exercising maybe 30 minutes 5 days a week. I still ate at McDonalds, because I felt like I needed to. I just ate a little less than I did before counting calories. It worked for me at the time, although, like I said, it took months and months and months. I say,…

Just keep in mind that your weight loss rate will be slower. But it might be worth it if you feel like your diet overall is more tolerable from day to day.

I didn't feel much of a difference between eating healthy vegetarian food and eating healthy food with lean meat, but I did feel awful in terms of health when I was a vegetarian who ate out a lot and didn't have healthy options (besides an iceberg lettuce salad -- boring!) I always ended up eating fried food or really carb…

I don't think an average apple or pear has more than 100 calories. Also, try clementines. They're only about 35 calories and still have that orange flavor.

Well if you're in it for the long haul, then 1) that's great! and 2) if you feel like you need a day off or a meal off now and then, I hope you don't feel guilty about it! I think MFP is very helpful because it can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses over time. If you look back and see that you're filling up most…

Practically instant meal: any pre-cut vegetables stir fried with garlic and olive oil and served with baked chicken and/or whole wheat pasta. Go Mediterranean with tomatoes, feta or parmesan cheese, black olives, and artichokes. If you like Chinese food, add some ground ginger and soy sauce to the vegetables, stir in…

I completely agree. This might sound like a weird suggestion, but you might try not even calling it "cheating" on your diet. If you can change the way you think about it, and instead realize that you're making long-term lifestyle changes, then "cheat" days become days where you just ate more calories than you needed (or…

Thank you for the helpful replies!

Great. Thank you.

Thanks, nomorepizza. I'm actually looking for an entire kickboxing workout DVD.

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One tip -- if a trainer is not an option for you, make sure you still learn the proper form for each exercise so you don't hurt yourself. You'll also get the maximum benefit from each workout. Most books with weight bearing exercises will give you this information, (or maybe videos online, also) and it's worth it to really…

just posting so i can follow this topic. :)

I also crave chocolate ... always! I decided a while ago that I wasn't going to try to avoid it. I did have to change the amount and type of chocolate I eat, for the most part. Sometimes semi sweet chocolate chips with something healthy like oatmeal will do the trick. If you melt them into oatmeal, everything gets…

Tony Horton is really enthusiastic, and sometimes I found his antics a little obnoxious, but overall, I liked P90X. One should probably be used to at least 30 minutes of daily regular exercise, including weight training, before starting this program, though. It's a little harder than just basic beginning, get in shape…

This recipe is really low calorie and very easy to prepare. Chicken with Garlic, Basil and Parsley olive oil spray 1 tbsp dried parsley, divided 1 tbsp dried basil, divided 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 1/2 tsp salt 2 tomatoes, sliced 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13"…

Thank you for posting! Here's to improving our strength. :)

That information is too far off my grid for a response right now. I don't even know what to do with it. I think I'm going to keep the things I've learned about compound exercises in mind, and continue tweeking my current weight routine. As far as what you just said about cardio, weight training, hormones, and fat loss, I…

I realize I have to do a lot of cardio and eat properly to lose fat and see the results of weight training, and that cardio burns more immediate calories than weight training (though building muscle burns calories long term.) However, doesn't every weight bearing exercise work generally the same way -- it breaks down…

Makes sense.

Thanks for the input. I just threw all these moves together based on the little bit I know, so it's helpful to read advice. I'm confused, though, because all the fitness books and magazines I read will typically list a few dumbbell exercises for each body part in every routine. For instance, if my triceps area is flabby,…

Is there a particular brand of the spinning bikes in this price range you would recommend?

I am laughing out loud trying to picture myself hanging like a monkey from a towel on a pull up bar, but if you think it would help, I might try it. I think I may continue doing biceps curls without adding any more weight for a while and see if my wrists eventually adjust. They are not bothering me after my workout, so…

Thank you, that is helpful.