hannakengu Member

Go do your workout (whatever it may be), and after you've kicked a** doing it and feel great because of that, taking the picture won't be so upsetting because you JUST did something about it.

Studying law in Finland - I'm with you, buddy!

I don't have a specific size number in mind, but I want to get comfortably in the middle range of the size range, instead of where I'm now: I'm too big to fit in the largest size of the regular selection of many stores, but too small to fit into the clothes designed for larger ladies.

22 right here!

Day 1 of the C25K program.

I'm 22 and a freshman in law school (did several gap years working), and I currently work part-time in addition to studying. Balancing is hard and during the first semester of my freshman year I gained back everything I lost last winter/spring, meaning a total of 20 lbs. I wasn't at my goal weight even at my skinniest, so…

Set mini goals and mini rewards. I had/have mini goals with rewards set every 5lbs, and my rewards were things like one new decorated coffee mug (I collect a certain type of them...), lessons on a new sport (I tried pole dancing) or a movie night with your favorite movie, candles, healthy snacks etc. Just be sure to also…

I just got back to MFP today, after what ended up being a 6-month break. I've figured out before that I have to restart things gradually or I give up on day 2, so here's my plan: eat/drink whatever I feel like eating tomorrow, and don't start logging food until the new year. Meanwhile, I'm getting started on excercising…

Hi! I'm new in this group as well - although I "started" MFP for the first time almost a year ago. It's been a lot of ups and downs for me, and I started my first year in law school this fall. I'm looking for some support and tips on how to fit working out, cooking etc. into my life. Besides school, I work part-time and…

Besides what everyone else said, which are excellent points, bust out the tape measure. I'm taking a wild guess here: deep down, you are more interested in being skinny/pretty/thin/fit to smaller clothes/having a healthier waistline/whatever your thing is, than the number the scale shows. It's exactly that: a number. Take…

I don't have any science info, but this sure sounds odd. I checked, and last week I ate two tortillas for dinner, and the meal had 46 grams of protein. I had two tortilla breads/wraps/whatever they are with ground beef, grated cheese, sour cream, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. Nothing in this meal screams protein-loading to…

My uncle quit smoking years ago by first switching to nicotine gum, and then gradually switching to regular gum. I think it took him two years - first the nicotine gum to quit smoking, and then to the regular gum, and then quit chewing the regular gum. I'm really glad he quit, and the phase where he'd crave regular gum 3…

I just got home from a 60 minute spinning class and burnt close to 500kcals. There's no way I could do it again today. I have been able to burn at a 600kcals/hour rate, but that was when I was in better shape and even then I couldn't keep up with that pace for more than an hour. A different thing is, my work (part-time a…

Do not fast. Eat normally. If you can't be at peace with yourself without doing something about it, go for an extra walk outside to get some fresh air, burn some calories and think about why you felt like eating an entire block and how you could stop after a few pieces the next time. You aren't going to live the rest of…

My breakfast is the same every day: 408 kcals, coming from two slices of toasted rye bread with margarine, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, and a glass of orange juice. My calorie goal for the whole day is 1460 kcals. I'm one of those people who need a good breakfast or they can't function.

Yes. I don't know the exact science behind it, but at least my HRM shows significantly higher calorie burn when my heart rate is higher etc. Just remember to keep your personal info updated on your monitor when (I'm sure you will!) you lose weight so it's more accurate.

Moment number one: how much just tracking changes my eating, even if I'm not making the concious decision to start eating less/healthier/cleaner. Simply the idea of having to figure out how to log an afternoon cinnamon bun from a random cafe makes me think twice. Moment number two: serving sizes in general, especially…

HI and welcome! If you put your lifestyle/job as Active, MFP already counts the calories from cleaning the house/walking around the workplace etc. Do not add these as excercise unless you do something you don't do regularly. If you set your profile as Active, I'd only log actual excercise as excercise - you know, the…

Ohh you little devil. I was perfectly satisfied, just sitting here reading this thread, and not really getting any cravings... until now. Apart from the pickle, you just described perfectness. Now I want to a) bake b) have the cider I didn't have with my dinner c) have some bread with lots of butter and cheese on it.

If it's not possible to weigh your food (scale broken, at a buffet/potluck, whatever), take as much salad/veggies as you want, and only take half of what you really want when getting anything else. Then go back for seconds if you still feel hungry.

Congrats on the 7lbs, that's awesome. For the veggies, here's my number one tip: add chopped fresh spinach to things. I've made meatballs, pasta bolognese, hamburger patties etc. with spinach added, and even my picky-eater boyfriend agreed you can't taste the spinach over what the dish "should" taste like. You get your…

Use the first couple of days just to get used to logging everything, and then start working towards your actual calorie goal. If you start now, and gradually lower your calorie amount over the next, say, two weeks, it won't be too long a wait considering the rest of your life, but you're less likely to quit (in my opinion)…

21 here, and it's crunch time! I have 5 weeks to go until I start college after two gap years, and I want to be as close to normal weight BMI by then as possible - 8 pounds to go!

I'm not obese either. I walk all day at work, and yes, lift some heavy boxes etc., but not enough to count it as strength training of any kind. My thigh muscles are visible and they've definitely grown during my two years at my job. Does strength training get faster and better results? Absolutely. Does cardio get results…

Ok, here's one: last week I started the cycling season and cycled to work, about 2.6 miles. A co-worker (who knows approximately where I live) happened to be outside when I got there, and asked how long it took - and then was real surprised I could get there that fast. Also, he's the unofficial powerhouse of the workplace,…

Goat cheese. Feta cheese. Salt-cured fish. Cold-smoked fish. Full grain rye bread. Smoked cod. Hmmm what else?

I'm sorry if you said this already somewhere and I missed it, but did the 4lbs come and stay for a while, or did the 4lbs just randomly show up and leave the next day/next week? It could be period bloating, water retention after working out like endoftheside explained, or simply not going to the bathroom (ok, 4 lbs of…

It's about finding a method/pill that suits your hormone levels. I never had side effects or other problems with my pills (Mercilon), but my best friend is going through sixth or seventh brand she's tried, and the side effects are all over the place. From what she's told me, she's been gaining, losing, eating, having no…

Agreed, unless there's a medical condition. It's the parents' fault until the kid is old enough to go out and buy candy with their allowance and eat it with friends without the parent knowing, or the kid is old enough to go to their hobbies without somebody taking them and picking them up (as a teen, I totally did this: I…

This, absolutely. The human body comes in different varieties, is completely normal, and if you don't like the way somebody looks, then you have every right to just NOT LOOK. I know my culture (Finnish) is very different to American, especially in this matter (I've lived in both countries), but here it's normal to be naked…