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I am absolutely disgusted. Kudos to you for speaking up and not punching him in the face. Especially after a workout, I probably wouldn't have had that much self-restraint. Everything you said to him is exactly right: you're taking care of you and he's pathetic. Wow. Just wow. Keep at it, girl, and don't EVER let people…

You don't have to lose all your fat before exercising your abs (I don't think that is even possible), but no matter how many ab exercises you do, you will not see your abs until your body fat percentage is lowered. Probably around 20% for women, give or take. Do exercises that work your ab muscles (people have already…

I never really cooked before, but I've found www.thegraciouspantry.com to be a HUGE help. Lots of healthy recipes, many are few easy and use ingredients that aren't that hard to find, and every single thing I've tried so far is delicious. The blogger just launched a new site called http://uncomplicatedcooking.com/, which…

I don't know what the point of a "carb up" day is...You suggest that having 200-300g carbs on that day, but that seems excessive to me, granted our stats may be vastly different. I try to keep my carbs around 30-40% of my calories, which is probably in that 100-150g range. Just find a minimum that you feel okay doing and…

P90X is a more well-rounded program, in my opinion: you have strength workouts, cardio workouts, and yoga/stretch workouts every week. The workouts require about an hour a day (the yoga workout is about 90 minutes long, though). Insanity has shorter workouts (30-45 minute range, I think) and is a very cardio-heavy program.…

You could totally do Chalean Extreme as a beginner! I wouldn't call it an "extreme" or "advanced" level program at all, but it can be challenging enough for anyone, really. You may find yourself using lighter weights and taking breaks or doing modifications, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!

I've also done those programs and they will definitely build the muscles and burn the fat. You're exactly right, though: the change will probably need to come from your nutrition. AND lower body fat. You're just not going to see abs at 17% (on a guy - as a girl, if I hit 17%, mine would be poppin, haha). The meal plans in…

Wow! Way to go, lady!!! Congratulations!!! You look amazing! I'm doing Chalean Extreme now after finishing a round of P90X and you're so right: muscle burns fat and lifting heavy weights does not bulk you up - it makes you smaller and tighter! So happy for you and wishing you continued success on your journey! Thanks for…

The best tool I've found is a heart rate monitor (HRM) with a chest strap. I'm a fan of the Polar brand. I won't say it's a PERFECT tool, but it's more accurate than MFP or cardio machine estimates because it actually measures your heart rate. Wrist-only models of HRMs are less accurate than those with chest straps, too.…

bump for later, for sure. Sounds yummy!

Skip the Muscle Milk. Optimum Nutrition makes a good whey protein powder (chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate mint are all delicious). For bars with high protein, low carbs, check out Pure Protein or Life Choice (I think that's what it's called). It's always better (IMO) to eat real foods when you can, so also…

Your weight is going to fluctuate day to day. A couple pounds is not unusual. Hell, I bet you fluctuate a pound or two if you weighed yourself several times in the same day. Bowel movements are relevant, exercise is relevant, hydration is relevant. Keep following your nutrition and exercise plans and long-term, you'll see…

I have the 5-50lb selecttechs and my fiance has the powerblocks. I'd recommend either of those, although I'm entirely unfamiliar with weiders. I seem to remember seeing something about a bowflex selecttech recall on the 1090 recently, so check into that before you buy. Adjustable is the way to go with limited space and the…

What a wonderful post! Congratulations! You made me choke up a little :) Great work on all your accomplishments!

The leg exercises others have recommended will help, but also keep in mind that our bodies hold on to fat in different areas and it sounds like your thighs might be the last place clinging on to the fat for dear life. Be patient and keep doing what you're doing! It will come off of your thighs in time, but the fact that…

I love chocolate mint - the mint seems perfect to me, and not too overpowering. I also have vanilla ice cream, which tastes really creamy and treat-like. I'm not usually a fan of vanilla flavors but I use that one to make a pumpkin flavored protein shake and it's perfect for that.

I also love that HRM but oh, how the problem you've described annoys me... Some combination of washing or just thoroughly rinsing with water with varying frequencies tends to solve the problem early on. I rinse mine after every workout and let it air dry. Before I work out, I wet the band thoroughly, and I carefully wet…

As pp said, starting an intense program can cause your body to hold on to some water and weight. Many people don't see pounds lost until 2 weeks in. There's nothing "wrong" with weighing daily, unless you get discouraged or frustrated when your weight goes up and down. If you can live with that reality, by all means, weigh…

I did Chalean Extreme around this time last year and finished a round of Insanity in Jan/Feb. I love Chalean Extreme as a strength builder, but you won't be too challenged by the cardio routines in that program because you're an Insanity black belt :) I haven't looked at the hybrid schedules but anything that uses the 3…