allbarrett Member

I went from the Flex to the Charge HR and love(d) them both. I wouldn't say it is an "investment" though, they are toys. They are toys that I enjoy and have fun with, but I don't take anything they come back with as The Truth (TM). I find it motivating when I'm nearing a step goal (conversely, I find it depressing after a…

Bold mine, added for emphasis. And has it struck you that if a company has shady practices (such as automatic programs, making it hard to put an end to a service, etc.) that possibly it is a shady company that doesn't deserve your money? Just wondering. We all have our preferences, but I prefer not to deal with companies…

I enjoy cooking and don't have trouble following recipes, but I do occasionally take a cooking class just for fun. Community colleges and specialty programs exist that will offer a class (typically centered around a theme: cooking with garlic, beef 101, Mediterranean, are all classes I have taken) that goes through several…

Don't swim with your Fitbit on. I wouldn't shower with it either. I did (the showering, not the swimming), with my first one, and it lasted about 6 weeks. They replaced it but it was a hassle. Just take it off for swimming, showering, doing dishes by hand, or whatever. Their idea of "water resistant" is "it can get…

Thanks, I was about to write something on this also. Some guys just grow genuine breasts (not just the fatty deposits but the underlying tissue) and weight has nothing to do with it. Get checked out by your GP, raise the issue, and have them check for it. Be strong!

I make this one: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/dried-cherry-coconut-granola.aspx and skip the added brown sugar (it doesn't need it) and I usually used 2-3 times as much cardamom. You can change up the fruit (pretty much any dried unsweetened fruit works, from what I've tried). This does not have a significant amount…

I have preferred dark (not sweet) chocolate for years, so if I feel like some chocolate, I have chocolate. If I want sweets, that is a whole different issue. I love baking, so I sometimes keep homemade cookies or squares or whatever in the freezer, so I can grab one (or one piece) when I want something sweet. I build my…

Maybe he's being a little controlling, maybe he's trying to baby you a little (if you are just back for the summer, this is a real possibility...his little baby growing up and all!), maybe he is just uncomfortable with his cooking skills. My suggestions (in order of application): 1) If he offers to go out for food, suggest…

The only training programs I've used were 16 weeks, and involved up to 5 or 6 runs per week for a (though the speed work ones were short, and only one run per week was considered a "long" run). Be careful, don't injure yourself, and come up with a race plan that is realistic for your activity/health level. Remember that if…

The opinion of random people off the street is worth exactly what you paid for it: nothing.

I love my Charge HR. I don't rely on it for motivation, exactly, but it is a fun toy and I love data...and it provides lots of that. ksinsane: the HR monitor in the Charge uses an optical sensor to monitor heartrate (it flashes light to highlight your capillaries and a sensor beside the LEDs counts the pulses of blood…

My phone doesn't fit in the pocket of the dress pants I wear to work (we're on the more formal end of "business casual". Hell, the bigger phones these days barely fit into any of my pants' pockets (stupid women's clothing). The Fitbit is on my wrist 24/7 except showers and doing dishes. :) Fitbit is cheaper too. Downside:…

If you are just walking around in the pool with your child, you probably shouldn't really log it as exercise. I know there are people who log everything (I've seen entries for housecleaning, gardening, and intercourse...it is scary!), but sometimes you are just living your life and doing your normal thing. This sounds like…

I replaced my defunct Flex with a Charge HR and I really like it. Amusing thing: the HR monitor stops working if you sweat too much (had a great workout at the gym yesterday, weights, and the HR monitor conked out about halfway through....had to remove it, wipe it down, wipe down my arm, and put it back on to get a…

As I see it: Option 1: use commercial almond milk data, understanding that this may underestimate. Option 2: just assume you ate the almonds and enter that, understanding that this may overestimate. Honestly, this probably isn't a huge deal. You probably aren't getting a large % of your calories or macros from this, so…

Food can be so much more than fuel; an experience, a way to see the world and experience other cultures, a way to experiment, etc. I can't imagine eating because you must and only what you must (people like that are probably hoping for a "eat this one pill per day and it will take care of all your nutritional needs"…

My father just lost a foot (+/-) of his colon to cancer. Believe me, you actually wouldn't choose it. The side effects can be...extremely unpleasant. That said, Dad has a lousy diet and multiple risk factors...I'm pretty sure his red meat consumption (which is well over the current recommendations) is only one of many…

Most weeks I would say I have 2-3 beers and a half bottle of wine (not all at once, that is spread out over 7 days). I account for it in my log and make it fit my weekly calorie count.

Make sure you tell your health care provider about your dietary changes. There are vitamins and such that are easier to get through eating meat or other non-vegetarian/non-vegan products and you'll want to make sure that you aren't developing any deficiencies (usually entails slightly more detailed blood work when you have…

If I gave up diet soft drinks, I wouldn't be able to have my gin (+tonic) or rye (+Coke) either. That would make me sad. Watch the caffeine intake, and take good care of your teeth, anything else is either personal preference or between you and your doctor. I must applaud all the virtuous people here who apparently only…

I have a great bourbon pecan pie recipe that uses 8 egg yolks. This usually has to be paired with a batch of meringue cookies because I hate wasting all the whites. Oh...wait, that probably isn't what anyone wanted to hear.

I had a Flex which finally bit the bucket and now have a Charge HR, which I really like. I previously calibrated the Flex against both a Jawbone UP and against a Garmin watch and found it accurate, but I had terrible difficulties getting my Flex to charge. The Charge HR charges easily, seems pretty accurate except for the…

I used to have a Flex but replaced it with a Charge HR. Be warned about the Flex: there is a serious problem with charging. The unit does not fit into the charger very well and sometimes needs to be jammed or held in the charger to actually get a charge. I had two different units (the first one broke and was replaced…

We roast or grill vegetables rather than boiling or steaming (as much as possible anyway). This works great for potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and lots of others. I personally like to sprinkle them with a little curry powder or garam masala for added flavour.…

The "how" is going to be different for everyone, I expect, but the biggest thing is probably outlook: this isn't a temporary fix, it is a set of new habits. You get into the habit of cooking for yourself, making good and tasty foods and enjoying them. You get into the habit of doing exercise (whether it is a walk, going to…

It is water resistant, not water proof. While the website says you "can" swim with it, I had one die on me after I went swimming with it a couple of times (just laps at the local pool) so now I take it off when I shower, do dishes or anything else. It is a pedometer anyway. Just manually enter the swimming as an exercise…

You can link your Fitbit account to MFP. What it will do is carry your meal calories over to Fitbit (not the details, just the total calorie count for each meal). On the website, select "Apps" then Fitbit Tracker. It will guide you from there.

My husband has an UP and has been really happy with it. Once or twice in the year he's had it, it has grossly underestimated step counts for the day (usually when the battery is low, which he kicked himself for later!) but other than that he has had no problems at all. I'm surprised, honestly, that you've had 2 go "bad" on…

They are high in calories (i.e., calorie dense) but that doesn't mean you can't eat them. Weigh them and include them in your diet all you like! Of course, I firmly believe "all food is allowed" just not "I'm allowed to eat all the food", if you get my drift.

crockpot pulled pork (lasts all week, can have with bread, crackers, in a wrap or without any bread at all if that is your thing) chicken and vegetable curry, doled out in lunch-sized portions canned tuna grilled meat and veggies meatloaf doled out in lunch-sized portions quiche doled out in lunch-sized portions etc. etc.…