parmoute Member

I take the average pace across the whole workout and log that. Just divide the total distance by the total time, regardless of how many intervals you do and at what pace. Over time, you'll make it further and further without increasing the length of the workout and you'll know you're picking up speed!

Gold stars, just like grade school :smile: When I started adding workouts, I decided I'd just walk every day for three weeks. I printed out a blank table with 21 squares and taped it to the fridge. Every day I walked, I put a shiny star sticker on my "workout calendar". After the first few stars, I didn't want there to be…

I most definitely do as well! Went for a 4 mile jog yesterday morning and spent the whole day doing spring cleaning (moving furniture and stuff) and rewarded myself with Pizza Hut for dinner. Since it's just me, there's leftover pizza and I ate some for breakfast today, even though I know I need to be at the computer all…

I don't need a six pack, but I would really like to be able to do at least *one* regulation sit-up at my next fitness assessment in August (you have to be able to reach past a certain point for the sit-up to count: 4 inches maybe?). I'm taking some strength/core classes at the gym now; just finished week 1 of 12. Any…

I take melatonin (3-5 mg) then take a hot shower with lavender soap (the Sleep aromatherapy line by Bath & Body Works). By the time I'm out of the shower, the melatonin starts to work and I'm usually relaxed enough to sleep. If my skin is dry, I use Aveeno Stress Relief with lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang (because…

Something else that it helps to remember is that one day isn't the end of the world. I was unexpectedly invited out to dinner last night and didn't have the calories left to splurge, but I went anyway and I ate anyway, including a soda and dessert. I was almost 700 calories over yesterday but I plan on trying to come in a…

I don't think I have any vitamin deficiencies for most of the month, but I do have sleep and anxiety problems which would get really bad just before my menstrual cycle restarted -- like PMDD bad, not plain old PMS. I'm now on medication for it, but taking extra calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D the week before my period…

Have you tried the Sweatin' to the Oldies DVDs or something like Wii Just Dance? My friend made me do Wii Just Dance at her place once and even though I felt so silly at the beginning, it was so much fun. I didn't have a Wii, so I got myself the Sweatin' to the Oldies DVDs (super cheap on Amazon or eBay) and they're just…

Taking a week off for exams is a great plan -- I just had to take a week off to finish my finals (I'm a PhD student) and I'm still exhausted despite the break! The longer you're at this the easier it will be to see these times coming and be able to plan for them ahead of time. That and what everyone else has already…

Hi Mallory! Great job on the weight loss so far! I'm not obese from the medication but for how I failed to take care of myself as a result of depression and GAD over the last 10+ years (I've been overweight my entire adult life). Since I was diagnosed with ADHD last fall, life has changed dramatically! Unfortunately the…

I've had mine register as high as 193 on my HRM while sprinting or climbing hills, but I usually work out in the 160s or 170s. I know if it stays in the 180s I start to feel kind of sick, so when it hits 180 I back off a little bit to make sure I can keep on going!

I've seen reports (though now I couldn't cite them) that while it works great for lots of people, it's not a guarantee. I went looking for that information because it's never really helped me feel better, no matter how long or how hard I work out (in fact, years ago I would run until I had an asthma attack *hoping* I might…

I'm sending a friend request. I've got ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (not the same as OCD) -- basically I'm an uber-perfectionst, with an executive function capacity that literally make it impossible to be one! I can absolutely relate to the need for balance, and I'm searching for it in my own life.…

I don't have bipolar, but I have my fair share of other mental health issues and the same holds true for those as well. I'm fortunate enough to have family and friends who are willing to remind me that seeking mental health treatment is no different than wanting to know that my asthma is under control, but I also have…

Thanks. Turns out Vyvanse and I have and odd relationship and I'll probably start looking for something new next month (but I want to finish out the semester as stable as possible). I thought I was working hard enough at the 30DS -- I certainly felt it after! -- but I'm still not sure what the problem was. I did eventually…

I am having the same kind of evening but with a different kind of habit (school work that I told myself I'd do this weekend and didn't, again) and am feeling down about it. As a result, I don't feel like feeding myself tonight, and certainly not any of the healthy food that I have in the house (the cupcakes I baked this…

I second the Cocoa Krispies! But now I eat Kashi Black Currant & Walnut. Definitely the best of all the Kashi cereals. I used to get the giant boxes at Costco, but they haven't had this flavor the last two times I've looked :(

I am also trying to get into running as a way of strengthening my lungs and controlling my asthma. Here are some of the tips that have made a difference for me so far: -- Be mindful of pollen and temperatures. Right now the cold would be a potential asthma trigger for me, and once it warms up the pollen might be a problem.…

To be fit enough to run without needing an inhaler for my asthma. I'd also like to be able to touch my toes -- both feet at the same time -- consistently. Right now if I've been walking and stretching all week I can sometimes get there, but I'm often not even close. I figure I'll be touching my toes long before I'm fit…

I can feel that way sometimes too: if I've been having a down/insecure day, like you said, a good solid dinner can really make me feel better. Not giggling hysterically, but calmer and more balanced. I have no idea if there's something nutritional going on because I don't necessarily eat anything different than what's in…

You might be able to get a different medication just for those days, though. There are a lot of anxiety meds that you can take with Wellbutrin (I've probably tried half a dozen) to calm you down and help you think clearly on just the really bad days. This might be a good option (and cheap, since they're almost all generic…

I agree -- dance! When I was baby sitting, that was a great way to wear out a 4 year old! Even if yours is too young to have a long attention span, dance while you're making the cookies -- then eat one :tongue: But when you eat it, eat it dancing. Giggle about it with your kid, and enjoy every bite. Then dance some more!…

If you're focused on which individual foods are good and which are bad, you are going to drive yourself insane, even if you do eat more calories first! Several people have linked you to the roadmap -- read it, then read it again. Individual foods are only good or bad if they fit (or don't fit) into the plan you've made for…

I can do a vinaigrette once in a while, but not all the time. Try the yogurt-based dressings from Bolthouse Farms. I use the Ranch and Honey Mustard all the time and it's only 45 calories for 2 tbsp dressing. I don't think I could eat salads regularly if I didn't have these dressings. The honey mustard my sister served at…

I think the first thing you should do is stop shooting for 2 lbs per week, even if just to give your body a break. I'm your height but a little heavier (and probably with a much higher BF% based on your photo) and set my MFP parameters to assume no exercise at all, then eat back whatever I manage to burn off (diary is open…

I used to feel that way before my period (now I'm on Yaz). When I first started having trouble with anxiety, it would come and go even more frequently. One day I'd be sick of fighting, the next day I'd be sick of failing and I'd swing way out to the other end of the control spectrum. With the menstrual cycles, I'd get…

I read this thread earlier this morning and I've been thinking about it since. It would be easy for me to blame it on the mental health issues I've had to deal with over the last 8 years (where approx. 60 pounds of my excess weight comes from), but I don't think that would be the whole story: I was already roughly 30 lbs…

Thanks for the articles Azdak! I knew my HRM allowed me to input VO2max, but even after I found out what that was, I couldn't find a good way to estimate it. I used the worksheet in the article you linked to and I would agree with where those numbers put me on a scale of physical fitness, so I updated the HRM accordingly…

I would also like more information on how others are handling this difference. I have a Pyle PHRM38BK heart rate monitor and I'm having the opposite problem as the OP: treadmill says approx. 200 calories for a 2 mile walk, HRM has been giving me numbers in the neighborhood of 360. I also have my profile set up so that I'm…

I think you've already gotten a lot of good advice that I won't repeat, but I want to add some more specific advice because maybe it will help others too. The level of guilt that you feel is something that you need to pay attention to. It sounds like from your post that your guilt goes beyond the "I wish I hadn't eaten…