Four_Leaf_Clover Member

The best thing I have done to save money is to plan our meals for the whole month. I can schedule them to make the most out of things (roast chicken on Sunday, chicken soup later in the week, etc.). I also know what I am planning and buy things when they are on sale and freeze them. I shop weekly and then have everything…

My strength training is whatever my trainer makes me do :-) - a combo of machines and free weights for now (I am pretty new to strength training), along with some ab work as I have very poor muscle tone in my core. We do this in circuits and I am struggling through the last sets. I do my cardio after just because I am at…

One of the best places to start is walking - and it is free (you can even walk in mall or other indoor place in winter). Once that gets easy, work up to something else. I have done a variety of workouts on DVD at home over the years. I personally enjoy Tae Bo, but there are low-impact aerobics, pilates, zumba, etc. There…

I tracked sugar for about 5 minutes - it is not an easy target to hit if you eat ANY fruit or ANY dairy. That said - I often have a tall skim latte with one splenda as a morning snack. It is warm and filling and gets me a decent amount of protein. I try to stay away from most other drinks there - save an occasional skinny…

I am not a fan of the traditional foods either (save sweet potatoes - and yes with butter and sugar or homemade bread). I do love wine, which flows freely at our Thanksgiving :-) Who wants my stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy?

I made mini pies with my 9 yr old - they were so cute and portion controlled. Cut out shapes in the pie crust with a round cookie or biscuit cutter, lay a few tablespoons of fruit jam or pie filling, top with another piece of crust, seal edges with a fork, brush with egg white or beaten egg. We did all different flavors -…

I understand your dillema - I work full time and cook for 7 people every night! I make one meal. I plan meals for the whole month with input from the family (but I am the cook, so I make the final decisions). Kids get to pick on Tuesdays (they love this). We do a lot of meat, starch, veggie combos and I just have a smaller…

I am going to get in a good workout and save my calories for things that I really want. No wasting calories on nibbling or soda, etc. But I will be all about a nice glass (or 2) of wine, some sweet potatoes slathered in butter and sugar, some homemade pumpkin bread, some turkey.... Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! <love the…

I admire you for teaching your child about making better choices and helping to get him healthy, but at only 7 this is something I would DEFINITELY discuss with your pediatrician. Our office has a dietician available to assist with these kinds of issues. They can tell you what the ideal weight is for him given his…

My tip to get started would be to buy a digital food scale (cheap at Walmart, etc.). Weigh/measure EVERYTHING you eat and log it all. It is all about calories in and calories out. Once you get the hang of that - you can start tweaking what you are eating and aiming to meet your macros. But start out by being accountable…

Dark chocolate - just a small amount really hits ths spot. Trader Joe's has 100 calorie bars and these cool tins with tiny triangles of chocolate. Cocoa roast or cinnamon almonds Greek yogurt - I like the key lime flavor eaten with a crushed graham cracker Fruity herbal teas FWIW - I used to have a terrible sweet tooth. I…

Grilled chicken, a little cheddar cheese, and some hot sauce! This might sound gross, but tuna nicoise - some water packed tuna tossed in a vinagrette, steamed green beans, diced hard boiled eggs (you can add olives) Beans, corn, peppers, garlic, and a little lime juice Cottage cheese mixed with articholes and mild green…

My goals are to Continuously weigh/measure/log and be accountable through the holiday season (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas) Establish a new indoor workout routine for the fall/winter (cardio and weights at a gym) If I can somehow lose 10 lbs by then (hopefully by doing the above) - that would be the best present in a long…

Congrats on the twins! I have twin boys myself. I know it is a crazy roller coaster. What kind of schedule do you have? When do they go to sleep/wake? When mine were that age, I will still on leave so I would walk with them in the double stroller everyday first thing in the morning after they ate. Could you workout just…

Going out to lunch is a very social thing in my workplace. It was hard to stop, but it was getting out of hand calorie wise (even ordering healthy things) and even more so $ wise. I try to go only once a week at most now and only to a place I really enjoy. Since you asked for advice about eating in restaurants - here is my…

I struggle with this, too. This weekend was not pretty for me, but usuall I can make it work. Here are some things that have helped me: Plan out your meals (I plan for the entire month, including weekends) - and I cook usually 6 nights per week. This has not only saved me a lot of calories, but a lot of money! Make sure…

Plain roasted with salt, pepper, EVOO is awesome, but if you want a little more to it try these: Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary (soooo good) http://www.padmaskitchen.com/2008/09/roasted-butternut-sqaush-with-rosemary.html Butternut Squash with Baby Spinach and Cranberries (excellent, holiday dinner worthy)…

That is a good one!

Do, or do not. There is no try. - Yoda :bigsmile:

100 calorie Emerald Cocoa Almonds - satisfies the chocolate or muchy craving in the afternoon. Greek yogurt tides me over between lunch and dinner if I really need something. A granny smith apple with peanut butter is another favorite.

Try wrapping boneless skinless chicken breast chunks with a 1/3 slice of bacon, stick a toothpick in it and broil. Dip in something sweet & spicy - mmmmmm (Skinnytaste recipe)

Homemade 100 whole wheat bread (toasted) with peanut butter - 200 calories Sweet potato (cooked very soft), steamed broccoli, and a huge chicken breast sprinkled with lots of Old Bay - total was 400 calories and I am stuffed

Planning will be your key to avoid take out/fast food. I started a monthly meal plan in September to avoid the constant struggle of what to make and to curb the desire to just grab take out - I am starting week 4 and it's great! I made a list of our favorite meals (simple things - I have a job and 4 kids!) and filled in…

Try onceamonthmeals.com - they have all sorts of recipes (including paleo, vegetarian, etc.) You have to be a member to get access to some of their content - but not the recipes

avoid high sodium levels and keep drinking - it will come off

It's an old one, but I LOVE it Calvin Harris feat Ne-Yo "Let's Go" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zCy3EWs9Q0 P!nk Blow Me (One Last Kiss) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jNlIGDRkvQ And some old school... Michael Jackson Don't Stop 'Til you Get Enough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo I love this for a slower but…

Folks with medical issues/intolerances aside, I think this is the key to success if you want to cut down or eliminate grains - replacing them with real foods and thus eating "better." My MIL has celiac and also cannot have dairy and eats tons of crap all the time - mainly highly processed GF products (cookies, crackers,…

My 2 cents is that you may not be eating enough or netting enough calories considering your activity level. I would suggest weighing, measuring, logging everything and weighing once a week. Then you will have more information to move forward with. Have you noticed a difference in how your clothes feel (or measurements)?…

I love my Polar FT4 - it's pretty basic, but easy to use.

I am just a beginning runner, but I am on my second go round of C25K and I have managed to avoid injury despite being big (194) and older (40). I have found the key to be well fitting shoes (I went to a local running store to get fitted), warming up before, cooling down after - and stretching well, and taking it slow - I…