shellfly Member

Love Skyrim so much...am sorry to be almost finished with it. Nothing left but a few small side quests and undiscovered locations at this point, I'm afraid. I sure did get my money's worth out of it! :)

I'm just a novice when it comes to trying to understand the science behind cooking/baking, so I can't tell you why it worked so well for me. Perhaps someone else might have an idea; I'd love to know. The two recipes where I swapped in dates were Quinoa Brownies…

You might try swapping dates in for some/all of the applesauce/oil. I have been having some really good results doing that in recipes lately. The dates are a bit higher calorie, but they're also healthy, and they seem to really help with the texture and flavor of the food.

Boy, can I relate to this thread. My boobs are smaller than they've ever been and completely deflated. Between my two kids, I breastfed for a total of 4-1/2 years during my late 30's and early 40's, and I knew there'd be issues when I lost the weight, but I never expected it to turn out quite as bad as it has. I doubt…

1. How long have you been maintaining? Since January 2013 2. Did you adjust your initial goal? Yes, I was originally shooting for 120 lbs, but continued to lose a bit after reaching it. My body seemed to want to stabilize at 115. 3. Did you begin the transition to maintenance before you actually hit your goal? No. 4. Did…

Thanks for the response, Ashley. I appreciate all of the information. Sounds like we are pretty close with regard to activity levels It gives me an idea of where I might end up, which I'm beginning to think is going to be around the 1500-1600 mark (but maybe lower if I reduce my amount of exercise). I hope I won't have to…

I've been using their HIIT workouts for a little while now. Love that they're very challenging and with a good variety of moves. I was doing a lot more running HIIT before, but felt like the constant repetition was causing my joints some stress (I don't have the best knees). Since mixing it up with Fitness Blender, I don't…

I would recommend against it if you're in the same department or in departments that strongly interrelate. Years ago, my husband and I worked for the same company. We were in the same department and at the same level (so neither of us reported to the other), but there were definite conflicts, and it's almost impossible to…

I've been doing Stronglifts since June and would love more lifter friends, especially if you keep a detailed exercise log - I love to see how people are progressing and the specific lifts they do vs. just seeing "Strength Training - 60 minutes."

Thank you, DopeItUp and ArroganceInSt for the feedback. DP, good point about unracking - something I hadn't even thought about, but after doing a little research on it, definitely seems important! Yes, I have had the hips before chest problem for a while now (believe it or not, it's actually improved some from what it…

I would really appreciate a form check on my squat. I just moved to 105 lbs this last session. The thing I feel like I'm struggling most with at this point in terms of form is my grip. I'm doing low bar, and I'm attempting the grip that Rippetoe teaches (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0). I feel like I start…

Thanks, Chris. The reverses are already a part of Scooby's program, but I hadn't seen those lat squeezes before. Not sure if they'll help the chin-ups as much as the pull-ups, but I'll give 'em a shot. Steve, I would try it, but I don't use a gym, just our equipment at home.

I actually got started using a video game! Well, sort of - it's marketed as a game, but trust me, it's not. :P I used the Nike+Kinect training program for the Xbox 360. I was completely new to strength training - couldn't even do a proper push-up. I think it was a good place to start because you can tailor it to the exact…

I love this spaghetti squash recipe: http://dandydishes.blogspot.com/2011/10/spaghetti-squash-au-gratin.html#.UkIu_TXn-Um. If you use lighter butter, sour cream, and cheese, you can keep it under 100 calories per serving. It's quite yummy too, if you like spaghetti squash (I don't try to think of it as a pasta replacement;…

Thank you, Cats, Dani, and Bumble for the additional information! Regarding my confusion with the squat, I almost humorously have to add one new, additional point of confusion. A friend suggested that I watch the "So You Think You Can Squat" video series, and I did so. One of the instructions that stood out to me was that…

Thanks, Bumble, I do understand. I am just very hesitant about taking on the kind of lifestyle where I'm deliberately bumping calories up for a while and then having to drop them back down. I like stability, and also, I just don't trust myself. If I start eating more, I'm going to get pretty grumpy when it's time to eat…

Daisy, I'd be curious on what your form tweak was. Even after all this time, I feel like a good portion of my OHP work is form work, and I think it's part of why the weight is still at 40. For instance, I find that I still move my back too much vs. just my head and hips, still have trouble keeping the bar on a completely…

We get them, but last year when we got them in Wal-Mart, I had a reaction (vasovagal) that caused me to pass out in the store. Bumped my head quite a good one which meant a trip to the E.R. to make sure I didn't have a concussion. It was quite the experience! Now logically I know that because it was a vasovagal reaction,…

This article is depressing. I completed my weight loss back in December and was maintaining quite nicely on ~1950 calories/day from February until August. At that point, my doctor adjusted my thyroid down. I was concerned about the effect it might have on my maintenance, and indeed, as time has passed, I've seen an upward…

I'm 42, 5'5", and 115lbs. My starting weight was 176, and my goal weight was 120, but I kept losing a bit more after hitting it. I currently maintain on ~1950 calories based on a moderately active TDEE. I was stable since February but have recently been experiencing some variability, I think due to a reduction in my…

Arctic Zero Chocolate, Arctic Zero Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Arctic Zero Vanilla. Also, some Ciao Bella Lemon Zest sorbet.

I went into maintenance in December and began strength training in February. My weight has remained stable throughout, but I've seen some great changes in my composition.

I'm using Scooby's program too, currently in phase 4 and am up to a 5 chin-up max per set (I don't always hit 5 yet unfortunately). Separately, I'm pursuing Stronglifts 5x5 and bodyweight training (mostly plank variations), so I do Scooby's and some cardio on my in-between days. I don't recall exactly when I started, but…

It is strange how strength at one thing doesn't always translate to another. I have the opposite problem - I can do push-ups and some chin-ups, but I'm only benching 60! Maybe you can give me some advice on that one. For chin-ups, I second Scooby's program - it's what I'm following and took me from 0 chin-ups to a max…

I'm interested in opinions on this too. I've always been intrigued by bodyweight training but have gone down the barbell path. Wouldn't mind switching it up at some point if it didn't mean a loss of strength and if I could make steady progress.

Lost mine, but I was small breasted when I was younger and before I gained weight, so it wasn't a huge surprise to go back to my original size. And I'm actually pretty happy about having them smaller - never liked it when they were so big. However, after breastfeeding two children to ages 2-1/2 and 2 and hitting my…

I really don't want to have to put any weight back on in order to increase my strength. Have you seen this article? http://scoobysworkshop.com/bulking-and-cutting/ - seems to suggest that it's not really necessary for beginners and intermediates. Sure! For squats, I do the bar for 2 sets of 5, 60 lbs for 1 set of 3-5, and…

Wow! I'm very glad I posted - there is so much good information from your replies, thank you! To answer the initial questions, I'm 5'5" and I'm eating ~1950 calories/day. That's my calculated TDEE for maintenance, and I've been at that number and stable with my weight for several months now. As for sleep, well, it could be…

I'm up a pound this week, which I realize doesn't sound like much, but I'm almost never up a full pound on a week to week basis. I'm hoping it's a coincidence, but I can't help thinking it's not. I know one week is too early to tell, so I plan to continue on my usual routine and see what the scale says next week. If it's…

Yes, the bar position is comfortable for the squat - it's probably the one thing that I don't question and feel like I've trained my body right in its placement! Maybe I'll try the stretch again down the road when I feel sure I've mastered the form. Okay, I can stop the stretch reflex on the OHP. I don't mind resetting and…