jillerin457

I've been on since the day after Thanksgiving 2010. I've gotten much better at estimating the calories in individual foods, but am still terrible at keeping track of an entire day in my head, so I expect I'll keep using MFP for at least this year. Also, I haven't even reached my goal weight, and I'd really like to be even…

Haha, thanks! Glad someone was amused.

There's nothing wrong with Khloe and I hate that people are so hard on her. However, I do think she's a little overrated -- it seems like everyone on here and Gawker/Jezebel is always saying Khloe is their favorite Kardashian, like it's the cool thing to do! Kourtney barely ever gets mentioned by name, and she's actually…

800 calories is not enough to sustain a human adult, much less one who exercises. The standard here is that anything less than 1200 puts you in danger of the dreaded "starvation mode" -- which will have the opposite effect. Search the forums; there are tons of threads about it. I'm by no means an expert, but when I hear…

That sounds like it would taste pretty good, but I couldn't drink too much since it does have calories and sugar! Maybe I'll try mixing it up a little though.

The caffeine in tea is not nearly enough to replace what's in soda. The content is lower to begin with, plus tea contains tannins, which help fight cancer (yay!), but also render most of the caffeine ineffective. My parents, both food scientists (one has a PhD) say that decaffeinated tea is a marketing gimmick, as most…

Some people swear that diet soda is terrible and will kill you. I tend to take a more moderate approach: it's not as healthy as water, but at least it has no calories. My main concern is that the acid in any soda (diet or regular) destroys my already-weak tooth enamel. I'm trying to cut back, but the fizz is my favorite…

If you're set to Lightly Active, that should cover it. You could switch to Sedentary and then log the calories as exercise, but it would have to be one or the other. Any movement that burns calories should be counted, EITHER in your activity level or your exercise log. Your body doesn't know if it's in a gym, wearing…

- skim milk - boneless, skinless chicken breast - frozen broccoli - grownup cereal - Diet Dr Pepper (I know, I know...)

If you're being careful about sugar, you don't need to get too hung up on sodium unless a doctor has specifically advised you to watch it. Most people don't have a sodium problem -- you need it to balance the potassium in your diet, so slicing half a banana on your cereal should take care of it, unless you have a BP issue!

Just be careful you don't burn the 100 calorie bag of popcorn and smoke out the entire floor of your building like I just did! No snack for me today. :(

We do this too! My cat Jane was Chini, Kissmiss Chee (don't ask), Quiltine, Poppet, and who knows what else. We've only had our new cat, Bennie, for 2 weeks, but he's already Ben, Baby Ben, Benjamin, Benchermin, Poppet, Benjamin BRATman, etc. No wonder these kitties never come when they're called!

The usual: carbs, sweets, and soda. I switched to diet sodas but it's still bad for my teeth and bones! And I could eat sour Gummi Life Savers every day for breakfast if it weren't so unhealthy!

I switched from regular to diet soda around Thanksgiving last year. I was a huge soda addict, especially Dr Pepper. It took a while to get used to the taste, but now I really like Diet Dr Pepper. I also lost several pounds thanks to the switch. However, I know that diet soda is just as bad for my teeth and bones, and…

I really think your best bet is not to follow a fad diet at all. Just stick to a healthy balance of the traditional food groups, drink lots of water, exercise, and get enough sleep. It's not exciting or magical, but it's really the best for you, long-term. ETA: I'm endomorphic, too, so I feel your pain! Have you tried…

It's never safe to completely eliminate a food group. Fad diets, including Paleo and Atkins, are not healthy for any long term. Just stick to the conventional wisdom: a diet based in vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, with a moderate amount of healthy fats and just a little natural sugar. You can't go wrong.

Thanks for posting the Snopes link, Becca. When you hear something like this, that someone's friend of a friend sent in an email, always check it out on Snopes first. That "after 2 times" seems kind of arbitrary, doesn't it? Related PSA: antiperspirants do not, in fact, cause cancer. ;)

I used to make playlists of all my favorite early '90s hip-hop and pop because it was so fun -- Janet Jackson, Salt-n-Pepa, Technotronic, Black Box, C&C Music Factory, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, etc. I do love that stuff and it's fun to dance to! However, I realized I was spending more time flipping through my iPod and…

Sugar from fruit OR milk totally doesn't count as far as I'm concerned. (I actually think the current fad of "sugar is evilllll!!!!" is a little overblown, too, but that's a whole other topic.)

"Veins are supposed to be private" -- that's hilarious! I like guys somewhere in between. Thicker than me, for sure, but not huge! There's nothing attractive about a gym rat who can't wear normal pants. He's probably going to be way more obsessed with working out that maintaining a relationship or even a friendship. Guys…

Thanks for the input, everyone! It's true that at least I'm *losing* and not gaining! For the zig-zagging calories, I agree that is a good idea. I've tried it before and could definitely stand to try it again. As others said, a change to my routine couldn't hurt. I'm currently studying for my PhD qualifying exams, so most…

PROS: you may lose weight slightly faster, and if you make good choices, it can be healthy CONS: it will be much harder to get enough protein and especially iron (not impossible, but challenging)

It may take a week or two to feel "normal." I've been at it since November, and still think about food a lot! But believe it or not, you will eventually (in a couple of months) start to feel like this is the new normal, and you really won't want more food! If you are absolutely starving, though, a small, protein-rich snack…

PhD student in Art/CC professor of Art History/artist/editor of a literary and arts journal -- my life is very busy and all about creativity!

When I'm on a 1500 cal/day diet, I usually do: 150 - small breakfast 500 - early lunch 150 - afternoon snack 600 - dinner 100 - evening snack Now that I'm trying to stay at 1310, it gets a little tricky. I aim for a smaller dinner and/or skip the evening snack.

Yes, I am currently 149 lbs. I mis-typed, but meant to say I am at 1300 calories/day, and have been at that about 2 1/2 weeks. However, it's been surprisingly tough, after being at 1500/day for a few months before that. I track everything I eat in MFP, but do not have a digital scale. I use measuring cups when eating at…

I was wondering if you could offer any advice for my particular situation. The short version of the question is: what should I do differently? I'm 5'8", borderline small/med frame, and trying to get back to what I feel is my optimal weight, in the low 130s. Over the past few years, I started grad school, got married, and…

This cannot possibly be true, or the human race would not have survived and thrived for millennia before the invention of "natural health consultants."

It's always better to get nutrients from actual foods. The body absorbs them better, so it's far more efficient. You can get calcium from non-dairy sources, even though it's tough!

It sounds like they're just not open to the idea or any explanation of it. You've already tried and they're being a little obtuse! So don't waste your energy on explanations that fall on deaf ears. Just smile, nod, and quietly go back to doing whatever it is you need to do to stay healthy. (And remind yourself that the…