caseythirteen Member

Because a slice of bread is hardly ever what the serving suggests it will be. And because "1/2 cup" of ice cream is sad looking like peanut butter.

For fruit and veggies, I always pick the MFP entry and it always has a grams setting. The trick is to yes, spell it right, but also in some cases you have to do the plural version and add "raw". So the entry is Bananas - raw instead of just banana.

You would need to open your diary for people to see it. You can do this by going to Settings --> Diary Settings and changing it to public.

It's all a matter of taste. I actually really like some replacements (ex: greek yogurt instead of oil) - it up's my protein and lowers my calories and fat - win win! And trust, I get plenty of healthy fat so I'm no low-fat person. There are substitutions that I enjoy and some that I don't so I will do what tastes good to…

Oh no! I hope you're able to recover quickly. I agree with Holly - being in such great shape already should hopefully be a plus for you and recovering. Good luck!

I love reading these! And what I love even more is that even though all of our stories are different, the common thread is that lifting rocks! For some it helps keep a balance in life, or an outlet, or confidence. It's really cool to get under a barbell and do something more than you did yesterday or last week and I just…

Wow Jo, that's one hell of a story! Good luck with your meet coming up! I can see how it would be a struggle between the potentially opposing body types of dancing and physique. Thank you!! That means a lot to me.

Excellent point! While I still enjoy a running, lifting is definitely my first love now. :heart:

Such a great idea! I can't wait to read so many of the stories. You get tidbits of our pasts along the way but nothing as thorough as these. Leena and Holly - you guys have both done an amazing job of getting past your body issues and it's such a great example. My story really isn't all that exciting. I always felt like…

I agree with all of this feedback already. I think you're selling yourself short with this whole "spirit of the goal" type thinking. A goal is a goal - 20 was your goal. Not 5 sets in the 15-20 range. If that was your goal than absolutely you achieved that. But the goal was 20 so go for it! You can do it and you will be…

It's starting to get itchy for some pictures!

That's true but she's not there yet. Bicep curls and tricep kickbacks aren't taxing her system. She will basically be starting from scratch once she starts a true strength training program so she has lots of room for improvement and strength gains. She can worry about this part of it many months down the road.

Good luck with 6:1! I hope it's what you're looking for. Fingers crossed for you! I would try and avoid going too drastic though - you don't want to lose what you worked hard for in the bulk! Good luck with the 5lbs! Sounds like you have a solid plan going forward. I have no doubt you will hit those goals! You are a good…

I get the draw of having lots of drinks when out partying with your friends during the college years. If you want to cut back though, you could also try getting water in between drinks. It will cut back on the number you end up drinking and keep you hydrated so hopefully reduce the hangover affects of alcohol. A few times…

You look fabulous!

I usually get mine straight from Quest because I think they are fresher that way and usually get free shipping. And while this is a long time off still, there was fantastic Cyber Monday deals on them on the Quest site. So keep that in mind come November. I got 3 boxes and it worked out to be about $1.57/bar.

Skinny is such a relative term. Most of the time people aren't going for "skinny", but rather a healthy weight and a fit body. Even that is very subjective. You're doing the right things for your health and along with that will come body changes. Unfortunately those changes don't always come at the pace or from the places…

Same here! I hated eating less on non-wo days. Plus, it was just an extra level of stress to think about whether my wo calories were right or not. One steady level and I'm good. But that's the nice thing about MFP - it does allow for various methods.

First the first lift or two of the session (i.e. the compounds) I don't do anything except stretch a little and walk around a bit. For the later ones, I will superset some of them but if it's still an intense lift I will just start my timer and stand there. There are TV's around so I usually end up looking at one of those.…

'Cause of all dem hot musckles!!

I usually do one or two ab moves in addition to the work they get from the compounds. For me, it seems like a strong core helps keep my back feeling better so it's worth it to me to add in the extra work.

I believe it's drained too. At least that's what my tuna fish cans say. But yes, it would be 1.2 since the serving is 100g but you are actually getting 120.

A) You look amazing! and B) I agree, if you are staying pretty stable then an increase sounds warranted.

I try not to have one every single day but it ends up being about 5 a week I'm sure.

You can stay in the 8-12 rep range if you want. It's just that if you're doing something at 20 lbs for 12 reps then next time go to 25 lbs and 8 reps. Once you work back up to 12 reps with that weight, increase again and go back to 8 reps (or even 6 if necessary). Eventually you might need to drop down to 5-6 once things…

Wow - you are doing great!! I love hearing of the success stories from women who are doing it nice and slow and getting the results they want without sacrificing their lifts. *insert clapping hands here*

Welcome to everyone new! This is a great group of ladies with an extreme amount of knowledge. Don't be afraid to chime in even if you are still waiting to bulk in a few months/the Fall.

Joining the gym is one thing, but actually going and using it is where it's at! But yes, for me, I wouldn't be where I am without my gym. I love lifting and I couldn't do what I'm doing without the gym. I just don't have the room for the kind of set up I would want at home. I don't think gyms are necessary, but I like the…

Those are great results Karen! I think our bodies definitely have a happy place. I've lost weight a few times over the years but I always stabilize back at the same place.

I didn't realize you had moved to cutting Jo - good luck! I'm sure you will do great and figure out the right balance. Sounds like a great plan with the clothes.