AyaKara

Aw how cute! Congratulations! You're getting there! :drinker:

Strength train & your problems will go away. Eat >1500 a day, <2000 (unless your body needs more than 2000 -- that you can find out), strength train 3 days a week & do cardio the other 3 days (alternating strength, cardio, strength, cardio), & you'll get there in no time. Cardio is good for health heart, strength training…

I would suggest doing strength 3-4x a week, with cardio on the other 3 days. Do not forgo strength training! It is so important. Get into Stronglifts (you don't need to pay for this -- the exercises are on his website) or NROLFW. I'm doing Stronglifts & I love how much stronger I am. I also do dumbbells to supplement the…

Add cardio to your warm-up before weights, & do some gentle cardio on your rest days (a 20-30 minute walk around the park or something) for heart health, but I wouldn't focus entirely on cardio if I were you. Cardio helps you lose pounds, but strength training shapes your body, tightens your skin, & makes you stronger!

My first question is: do you eat between your BMI & TDEE? My second question: do you strength train (properly, with dumbbells & barbells, & adding resistance/ intensity as it gets easier)? Eventually cardio is going to stop giving you results. Also, you should be tracking inches instead of pounds.

I know that a lot of this thread is focusing on running & walking, but maybe you should do more strength training instead?

Give yourself three more weeks & you'll be shocked. Make sure that you're eating enough, too. My first month I ate 1200 (net 800-900) & didn't see anything. Now that I'm eating properly (1700-1800 a day) & strength training, I see results after a month! They're tiny, but they're there & slowly building up to something…

I suggest keeping things that are easy to have too much of (sodium, sugar) so you can get used to knowing which foods have high amounts, then you can stop. I track sodium & cholesterol, but I'm at the point now where I know which foods to eat to keep those low. I could remove them if I wanted to. It's up to you! Also, I…

Glad to hear it! I actually begun to feel this way after I started strength training & belly dance (on two different sides of the spectrum, I know :laugh: ) Now you can use your passion as something that keeps you healthy, while still being fun. Happy New Year & never stop swimming! :heart:

Omg you look fantastic! Your photos are so adorable, & I'm absolutely in love with the goth wear (where do you shop? :heart: ) Happy New Year to you, it's certainly a year of a new you & the beginning of one of the best years of your life! Continue strength training & you'll be even greater than you ever expected. Wishing…

Do strength training 3x a week in addition to around 30 minutes of daily cardio. Eat 1600 or so a day (unless you get your TDEE/ BMI numbers; then eat slightly below your TDEE & always above BMI), you'll be exactly where you want to be sooner than you think. :smile:

I'm using it to gain weight only because I started off underweight with poor muscle tone :laugh: I started at 104 lbs, I assume I'll be 107 or so now. I've been strength training. I plan on going up to 115-120 & maintaining from there. I'm not bulking in the bulking/ cutting sense, though. :smile:

You can still eat delicious food while having it be healthy & fit your macros. Don't eat something that doesn't taste good because you think that you 'need to' in order to be healthy!

I use 1 cup of water, a scoop of protein powder & a 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Then, I put in banana slices & mash them. I mix it up. Then I top it off with raisins & mix it in. It's my favorite part of the day! :heart: My mom personally does cinnamon & blueberries. I've also done apples with cinnamon. Try it!

I would suggest trying to fix your other situations first (crime neighborhood, job & education) before you focus on going full-on to healthy living. Do your best to live healthily (eat as best as you can, do body weight exercises at home), but I wouldn't focus on the gym right now if I were you. Take care of the ones that…

I think she's gorgeous, but she doesn't accentuate her beauty. Her hoodies + jeans + unkempt hair really keep it from showing, but she's absolutely beautiful. I like that she's comfortable the way she is & doesn't conform to Hollywood standards :smile:

Dee, sticky this thread so it stays at the top of the discussion boards :) I'm at the point where I'm already as small as I'd like to be, now I just need to tone. I want to be tight enough where I don't end up looking pregnant after I eat (I know it's unbelievable, but trust me, I get it all the time & hear it from others…

How long ago did you start lifting, & how quickly did you move to 1900? Were you lifting in the before photos? I started lifting last month & have gotten lots of toning & shape to my arms, still waiting on my pooch to go!

Eating sandwiches, chocolate bars, & other square-like items into actual, even-sized squares that I then eat. I started doing it as a kid & still do for no particular reason. :laugh:

I never have! I plan on making a toast on my birthday & having a drink for the first time with my family + fiancee, but I'm probably not going to have another until my wedding . . . & after that, I have no idea when. :laugh:

It's my favorite, you'll love it! I've done other things like dice some fruits or get chunks of fruit & put them on top, or put in nuts in the final ice cream. A friend of mine put chocolate chips in theirs! Feel free to add me :heart:

Banana Ice Cream -- freeze banana slices for 2 hours, put in a food processor, blend for 5 seconds, then take out the slices that have taken on an ice-cream-like texture. Blend remaining slices & continue taking out the newly ice-creamed chunks until it's all out. Enjoy!

I'm going to continue logging for as long as I live, I think, though I have a much better idea of my needs now, so who knows. :smile:

Eat well at 1500-1600 cals a day (find out your specific need if possible), strength train 3 days a week, do cardio the other 3 days a week, & in addition to shedding pounds you'll also shed inches & will probably reach your goal appearance before you reach your pound goal! You can do this, just take everything one step at…

I am, but only because I'm on semester break & no gym will let me do a one-month membership. I can't wait to go back so I can continue barbelling! We only have dumbbells here so it's just those & calisthenics :flowerforyou: After college I'm going to stop (since it's free :laugh: ) & just do all at-home to maintain. I…

Dancing, whether practicing by myself or social dancing. Never going to the beach. Not wearing something that isn't a hoodie or a turtleneck with jeans. Not really taking care of my overall appearance . . . But that's okay, because I'm making changes to my lifestyle now & I'm not letting anything hold me back, not even…

DEEE YOU LOOK AMAZING!!! Omg! I'm so happy for you. You really do inspire me all the time. Imagine what it will be like next Christmas? Can't wait to see yours & everyone else's progress come March! :heart:

I have a friend whom abides by Jillian. He ONLY uses her videos, besides what he does at the gym. He absolutely refuses to do anything else, including personal trainers. Photos of him: https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/303526_326812897398553_627903648_n.jpg…

I meet 8 because I'm underweight. I'm trying to gain weight with muscle building :laugh:

1/2 cup of old fashioned oats, 1 banana sliced & mashed, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of raisins, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. It's the best part of my day, I love waking up to it. Yummy! :heart: