mynameisdumbnuts

I buy fresh chicken breasts and freeze them. I find the frozen ones have added chicken broth and more sodium. We eat frozen vegetables all the time, probably more than fresh, unless it's summer.

You could try PETA's website. They have information about going vegetarian. I don't know if they have a discussion board for it, but it might be worth checking out. http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/recipes-food.aspx My boyfriend used to be vegetarian and I still make a goodly portion of vegetarian meals.…

Make a marinade of equal parts olive oil and lemon juice. Add chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary (you could use dried, but it's the fresh ones that make this so yummy). Cut slits in a boneless, skinless chicken breast and marinate for 2-3 hours, turning a couple of times to make sure the marinade…

Try switching to 1 percent. It tastes less rich than 2 percent, but way better than skim.

I faltered a bit over the holidays, too. I haven't weighed myself, in a week, but I feel a bit ... bleugh. I'm drinking more water and eating more steamed veggies and fresh fruit. I'm trying to consume fewer processed foods. I feel like it has a cleansing effect on my body. As far as exercise goes, take it easy for a few…

How big a slice? By the way, caster sugar = powdered sugar in the USA.

Elliptical! I think treadmills are boring, too. Plus, your arms are also going on the elliptical.

What are you eating? If you are eating a lot of processed foods such as potato chips or Pop Tarts, those calories are pretty much empty and won't leave you feeling satisfied. What are you drinking? Sodas are also empty calories. How much water do you drink? It's easy to mistake hunger for thirst. How do you feel when…

I was a size 14, crept up to a 16, then the 16 started getting tight ... I weighed myself and that was it, I joined this website that night. (I'm happy to report that 16 is getting looser!) Also, I have a history of diabetes in my family, so I'd like to minimize my risk. And my doctor has this way of giving me a reproving…

I like snacks that take me a long time to eat. Air-popped popcorn is a good one. Triscuits spread with laughing cow cheese is a good. (A serving of Triscuits is six crackers. Break them in half to make it feel like more.) Baby carrots with a tablespoon of low-cal ranch dressing is good. One of my favourites is roasted…

They're the same unless you add calories through cooking. For example, a scrambled egg made with a teaspoon of milk will have a few more calories than a hard-boiled egg but probably less than an egg fried in a teaspoon of butter. When I eat eggs, I log them as just eggs. I fry mine in a bit of zero-calorie cooking spray or…

Wow, you lost a lot of weight! Well done; I'm sure you can lose everything you need to. I'm sending a friend request your way.

I've made these and they were excellent. http://www.thefreshmarket.com/recipes/recipes_details_review.aspx?RecipeID=1508 They call for a bit of both brown sugar and maple syrup. I would skip the brown sugar. Also, the orange zest you add at the end can be overpowering, so use it sparingly.

Are your mother and sister overweight? If so, their comments aren't about insulting you but about reassuring themselves. It's easier for them to attribute your weight loss to luck, not hard work, because then they don't have to face the ugly truth that, if they put in your effort, they could also lose weight. What's the…

Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a dash of black pepper. Add whatever herbs you like. Fresh ones are best, but you can economize with dried. Some good ones include parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Pour in a bag and add a boneless, skinless…

I don't think it's creepy, and I appreciate KnightofGod's sentiment.

I was like that, too. I find exercise helps because then I really can't ignore my body's demand for water. Eventually, it just becomes habit. I regularly drink five glasses at work. Have you tried adding a bit of flavour to your water? I drink hot water with a splash of lime juice now it's cold.

I count the water I drink while I exercise, too. I find I still drink well more than eight glasses on the days I work out. Even if you sweat it out, you're still ingesting it. Saying that water doesn't count is like saying the calories in a piece of food you just ate don't count because you already burned them at the gym.…

We used to make non-gender-specific gingerbread people at home, ice them and then hang them on the tree. The first Christmas after we got our new dog, we came downstairs one morning and all the ones at dog level were missing. Some of the people gingerbread people were just missing their lower limbs. After that, we made…

Congratulations! You should be very proud of your hard work and good decision-making.

Oh my Lady Gaga. Amazing! Well done!

I don't have a specific recipe, but tomato soup works well in a Crock-Pot. Just watch out for canned broth and canned tomatoes that can send sodium levels through the roof. Add black beans, ground cumin, frozen corn and then a splash of lime juice before serving and you have a southwestern-style soup. Serve with low-salt,…

Mine's 1,550 a day, and I've lost 8 pounds over about six weeks. I exercise about four days a week and usually eat back half my exercise calories. Sometimes I eat as few as 1,200 in a day, sometimes as many as 1,800.

Hi, Rachel. I empathize with you, I really do. But you can lose 30 pounds, and this is the best first step you can take. Believe you can do it; I believe you can. ::smile:: I'm sending a friend request your way!

If it's just a one-off, don't worry about it, especially if your belly is upset by your period. Your body is probably having a little wtf? moment, but you're not going to do any long-term damage by being under so much on one day.

Hi, jtgill! I don't have kids, so I'm not sure how good my advice will be, but I find you have to specifically allocate time for exercise. If you cut down on your calorie intake, even 10 minutes of exercise a day can help. Pick a workout you like, such as dancing or running or jumping rope. Chores like cleaning the house…

The first step is always the hardest, but the journey will be worthwhile. I was scared, too. It's daunting to lose weight. Add me as a friend if you like; we can cheer each other on. Good luck!

Welcome to the site, new people! I hope MFP will help you all achieve your goals. Everyone here is really friendly and willing to support you, myself included. Send me a friend request if you'd like, and we can cheer one another one. Good luck!

We have EA Grand Slam Tennis. It's probably not the most effective workout -- I burned 240 calories in two hours last night -- but it's fun and you don't need any special equipment beyond the remote.

Even though health is serious, I treat my weight loss like a game. How many calories can I burn today? What else can I eat to keep my calories up? Today I ate a bigger dinner than I should have and was over my calorie limit. I took up the challenge, did some exercise, and burned them off. If you stick to your calorie…