mightyminerva Member

Bump for later! Thanks for posting.

Edit: Sorry for posting twice. The server was a bit slow...

I agree with many other posters: it has its uses! Besides being faster to write than print letters, the fact will remain that other people will use cursive. At the very least we all should be able to recognise it, and that takes learning it ourselves. It's also a lovely way to represent oneself in letters or on cards. It's…

I do both! I try to log breakfast and lunch in advance and estimate what I'll have for dinner (the most social meal of the day for me). If I think about eating something in the evenings in addition to my pre-estimated dinner, I can log it and see if I can really get by without exercising that day or not. I'm a convenience…

I know for me, if I exercise early in the day (instead of right before a dinner with chicken and veggies), a tablespoon of peanut butter on toast is my go-to to help me get past the shaky feeling after strength training and to revive my body. If you don't want to eat it, don't, but I think the point is that it will help to…

I thought it was just me! Mine was working okay the first few weeks I had it, but recently it's been working the first bit of a workout, then drastically going up or down. I have mine set to beep when I'm not in my target heart rate zone, and the beeps aren't as frequent as they are supposed to be or are nonexistent. Most…

Later today I'll be doing day 3 of level 1, and I'm trying this for the first time. I've heard that people tend to lose major inches but not a huge amount of weight. While my goal is to lose weight, I love the workouts because they're short and I can see the changes from day one to day 10 in a level. I think doing this…

I was shocked by most snack foods! Dried fruit is supposed to be the healthy option, but it's packed with sugar, and even the "pure" stuff is rather high calorie. I used to get Graze boxes (4 punnets of dried fruit/nuts/seeds/chocolate pieces per box), and one got to me after I'd started MFP. Holy cow! More than 200…

I quite like the beginning level Tae Bo workouts. They were the thing that got me into exercising consistently. I don't know where would sell them (I'm assuming they're a bit old compared to Jillian's, for example), but the 40-50 minute workouts are challenging and paced well for me. I also own some yoga DVDs I bought at…

Bump for later. These look delicious and are so super easy!

Bump for later! OM NOM NOM, they look fabulous!

I agree! Swimming is the easiest on the joints, and you could do either a stroke (freestyle, backstroke, etc.), water walking, or water aerobics. Check with your doctor to make sure, but I would think this would basically void the "too big" concern. Water will hold your weight. =) Good luck.

I love, love, love my Chacos, too! I have hard-to-fit feet, and the single strap running all the way through was so easy to adjust to my feet. Totally worth the price. I've had them for something like 4 years, and they still look great!

Thanks for this! I stumbled upon a simplified version, and it said (for example) if the usual daily goal is 1600 calories, then Mondays you eat 1800, Wednesday (and the other days not mentioned) you eat 1600, and Fridays you eat 1400. I love the calculator because it varies things a bit more and you get a daily breakdown…

I agree with this. I had been doing Tae Bo before I began 30DS, and I knew that I needed to modify any move that would make me 1) lift up both feet off the ground at the same time and 2) made me balance on only one foot for too long. My recommendation is to perhaps try the jumping jacks, and if you find you can't do them,…

The suggestions thus far are great, and I'm definitely stealing that black bean burger recipe! You could put tofu in anything, really. Even desserts! I've had some amazing tofu cheesecake, and I recently stumbled upon a chocolate chip cookie dough recipe using chickpeas. You could change different textures of things and…

YES! You may not agree with the way some people use the site, but you can't change other people. Just do what Mal does and walk away without getting involved! Don't let it get you down.

Tofu is yummy in almost anything! This is a website with a load of recipe ideas using "real food" (not processed, fruits and veggies). If nothing else, I'm sure it can give you some recipe ideas and you can modify them to fit your budget. http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/#dinner

I have a little over 100 to lose and have lost 6 pounds thus far. I don't have the money to spend on fast food--my weaknesses are sweets and treats with friends. However, those are part of my diet rarely because I'd rather spend the money on buying fresh. I've been eating lots of produce and working out most days to lose…

I do something because I feel better afterwards! If you really don't feel like doing intense cardio, there are some yoga moves which help with cramps. Do something light like that, and you may feel better and have less pain!

I collect exercises on Pinterest, and here are some I've come across for knees: http://thisiswherelifegetsgood.tumblr.com/post/22365516071 And here are some tips for lessening knee pain with a few tips for ways to strengthen your knees: http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/4-Tips-to-Protect-Your-Knees.htm?cmp=23-69

I'm totally in the same boat (popping knees and all). I agree with the others: swimming is the easiest with the least strain. If you need something not using water, I do different aerobics with some modifications. For example, if I'm supposed to do jumping jacks, I do standing alternating leg lifts with jumping jacks arms…

I think I am, too! I gain weight in my stomach, back, thighs, bum, and chest. I have a defined waist, so I'm not the typical apple shape, but I do gain in the middle (chest down to thighs). I look proportional--no large stomach and tiny calves for me! Hopefully I'll show some loss soonish to see if my extremities shape up…

Oh, I forgot! Dried fruit is yummy! Be sure to get some that doesn't have added sugar so that you aren't wrecking your diet or your teeth. Cranberries, mango, and pineapple are my favourites!

I've just begun this programme, and I've been doing yoga before I begin her workout. Not long, but enough to warm me up. Perhaps that would be good for you? I have bad knees, and even though she says that the jumping jacks aren't supposed to be modified, I do intense alternating leg lifts and jumping jack arms. Jumping out…

I know the feeling! I have a couple go-to snacks. I love sweet things too, so grapes are great. I don't like them this way, but I've heard of people who *love* them frozen. Then after a few hours, they'd still be cold for you! Nuts are great, too, provided that you count how many there are or weigh them ahead of time so…

I'm currently in my first year of working on my Ph.D. in English and Related Literature with a focus on ancient and medieval texts (3-4 year programme). Last year I did my M.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and before that I got my B.A. in Classics. Humanities, represent! I've made the leap from an American B.A. to…

Don't stress! As others have said, it's probably water weight and sodium that's making you "gain" that weight. I was similarly shocked last week when I gained weight. However, I figured out that it was only bloating and hormones when I dropped 6 pounds in a night. I'm sure it's the same for you. Keep at it and don't give…

That's a great tip. I wasn't sure how much extra exercise to do on the left side. Thanks!

I do Tae Bo videos on YouTube and DDPYoga. Both need a limited amount of space (roughly 5 x 2 feet, max), and both are mostly small, stationary movements. The DDPYoga DVDs are a bit expensive, but it counts as my strength training, too. I would go through several YouTube videos until you can find something that you like…