caligulala Member

Always happy to hear I might be able to eat more :) The 2300-2400 average is over the last 2 weeks when I've been a bit less active than usual. I think I should have a valid weigh in this weekend and see where I'm at and adjust accordingly.

Hey, thanks, ladies! I didn't see these until just now. I was just too hungry at 2000. I decided to follow my hunger's lead and see where it took me. I think I'm simply more active than I give myself credit for, even during "light" weeks. I've landed somewhere around 2300-2400 calories on average, with some days being…

These are great. http://www.restorativeexercise.com/alignment-snacks/ Pick whatever you want to work on. There's also a blog with loads of free info. www.alignedandwell.com/katysays/ I used to be the joke with all my flexible friends because I was so unbendy, but doing this alignment stuff has been so beneficial. I move…

I'm working on my certification in Restorative Exercise, so in addition to YAYOG I do about 40-90 minutes a day of stretching and strength exercises that target specific functional muscles, like those in the lateral hip. I also walk about 35-50 miles a week. I chose YAYOG specifically to compliment my RE practice and it's…

I find it helpful to make sure that my "elbow pits" are facing up towards the ceiling throughout the movement and my arms stay as close to my sides as possible really increases the contraction. I also split the set between ending up with my elbow level near the doorknob and my face near the doorknob. Gets all the muscles…

Just want to commiserate about the nut allergy. I developed an allergy to tree nuts and a bunch of other foods during pregnancy. I never realized how many desserts have nuts in them! I substitute sunflower seeds for nuts as appropriate, and use lots of tasty oil for satiety since we're also mostly vegetarian.

Priorities: straight. Great work and great attitude.

Thank you! So interesting!

That means that your hips are very tight and need to be stretched. Start on your hands and knees and let your back curve down. Your tailbone should be as high as possible. It will look like you're sticking your butt up in the air. Start leaning back into child's pose. If you feel your back flatten out or butt tuck under,…

Droid app is just as great. I do like using the ipad cause the buttons are bigger and my toddler can "help" by pushing the big red button. Well worth the $3. I don't think we'd have stuck to the program so well without it.

You're looking great! The changes are clear to outside eyes! I was in the exact same boat. Same weight, same measurements, same everything. Was feeling frustrated and then compared these two pictures. 2 months apart. Felt much better.

This is a zero pound change. Pictures are 2 months apart. Woohoo!

I took a two week break after finishing the 10 week cycle. I only meant for it to be a week, but got sick so didn't start back up for an extra week. When I started again, I was surprised at how much stronger I was. Instead of being able to do 10 pushups, I was able to do 30! Taking a break every once in awhile gives your…

Thanks Heybales. I used your spreadsheet to come up with the 2100 goal back in February, but my workouts have changed since I added in the tough mudder stuff a couple weeks ago. It's a lot more cardio intensive, so I tweaked and the spreadsheet is saying to go up to 2300. That's an answer I can live with! And now, I'm…

I like: Popcorn with nutritional yeast and some kind of spicy salt. Right now my favorite is Penzey's Turkish seasoning. I pop mine in coconut oil and top with butter, but air pop is good too. I often use my popcorn as a small meal. Love it and so nutritious! Sliced apple dipped in a 50/50 mixture of balsamic vinegar and…

I'd suggest reading this: http://www.alignedandwell.com/katysays/under-pressure-part-1/ to help understand the underlying causes of diastasis recti. The way we move our bodies plays a huge role in whether or not we develop DR during pregnancy. If you change your movement habits, you should be able to improve your DR. Good…

Contigo water bottle. They sell them in 3 packs at Costco or they are on amazon. The way the spigot is set up helps you drink SO MUCH MORE water than with a glass or through a straw. You'll take a swig or two and look at the bottle and you've had 8 ounces. I finally got my husband to start using one and he remarked on how…

Sign me up!

The ladders make you really sore! I don't usually wait until the soreness has totally subsided, but if I'm really feeling it, I'll take an extra day. Stretching the muscles and doing light movement while you're sore will help it to dissipate. For us, the first week of the program was definitely the worst. Good luck and…

Great work! I noticed a marked improvement in my push ups around week 8 of YAYOG. I think our upper body strength just takes awhile to catch up to the rest of us!

Dips are definitely my most improved exercise. They were so hard to start! I still can't believe I can now knock out 12 without breaking a sweat! Good work getting started!

Our new year's resolution for 2012 was to reduce the packaged goods we used and we've had a lot of success with it. We still buy a few things - graham crackers, annie's mac n cheese and frosted mini wheats - mostly for convenience snacks for the kids when we're out and about. But the vast majority of our diet is cooked…

Can you complete the fitness test for first class? The program is flexible, so if you decide to start with basic and find it too easy, you can start doing the first class program instead. I just finished basic and can do all the fitness test items except the pushups, so I'll start first class and modify the push ups to my…

Yes, just YAYOG, lots of walking (we don't have a car, so I average between 5-8 miles a day), and lots of stretching. Very minimal cut in calories. Four of the weeks I ate at TDEE because I was STARVING. The rest probably averaged at 15% cut, which is around 2100 for me (147, 5'4"). I just weighed myself this morning and…

Stanley's can be great. But better eat their produce FAST or risk throwing a big bag of slime away. Our friends brought us over one of the flats of strawberries yesterday too. Sliced and in the freezer now!

I'm basically following the same plan, but probably with more walking. Took a couple weeks off in February and this week due to major snow/husband travelling, but probably average about 5 miles a day. I haven't lost a ton of weight, maybe 6-10 pounds, but definitely look way better. I actually just posted my progress…

Excellent! The different activity levels make it so much easier to place yourself. Thanks for posting the link!

Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but make sure you are stretching. Lots of people have SUPER tight midsections. Stretching increases blood flow to the area and can help move away any built up lymph. Which looks jiggly like fat, but is actually your body's waste products that haven't been moved out. Spinal…

No, you can go ahead and move on to the next week's exercises. I couldn't do 36 of some of the exercises at first either. The focus of ladders is to do as many as you can, but with good form. You'll improve quickly and get faster. Stick with it - my husband and I are finishing up week 9 and have had great results so far!

I've lifted lots of weights in my life. For some reason the only 2 electives I ever got in middle school were weight lifting and home ec! However, I just can't get to a gym right now and don't want to invest in any weights. So I've been doing the You Are Your Own Gym program and it is really great. There is an app…