Lizzgeorge77 Member

I usually prioritize sleep when forced to decide between that and exercise. If you are actually staying up for 20 hours a day though, you are probably burning more calories than usual just because when you sleep your metabolism drops. But the problem is those super busy weeks are probably also the hardest time to eat well…

I always buy a package of spinach (or kale) for the week and find a way to eat it by sticking some leaves in sandwiches, wraps, or as a side salad with a wedge of tomato and a drizzle of dressing. If I have any left as it's about to go bad I'll sautee it up and put in an omelete! You don't feel like you're eating veggies…

Any time you consume even one calorie less than 1200 a day, MFP will tell you to be careful that you are at risk of going into "starvation mode." Your net calorie intake doesn't matter at all for that purpose. I generally ignore that warning since I only occassionally dip below 1200 calories consumed - and when I do it's…

You are presumably trying to lose 52 pounds - one pound a week for a year. That's reasonable to be sure. But if you're really so discouraged about it taking that long then why not work a little harder and bump your goal up to losing 2 pounds a week? Then you'll be at your goal in half the time!

I'm a F/G and I use Moving Comfort bras. Love them! However you can also do elliptical, biking and swimming for your cardio if you're truly uncomfortable running.

I have about 15 more to go, and I'm limiting my carbs - specifically I'm trying to limit my sugars to only fruit and dairy sources. I'm aiming for about 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. It's hard to keep my protein level up so I'm basically trying to move 10% from carb to protein so I don't lose muscle as I fight off…

I'm also 5'6" and am just a bit heavier at 150 lbs (give or take a couple depending on the day). I like the shape of my body and am confident, but I know I'd look better and feel more comfortable in clothes if I were 15 pounds lighter. My goal is 134 lbs. The problem is that whenever I hit the mid 140's I start feeling…

As long as you are eating at least 1200 calories, you can and should eat less (i.e. not eat to make up your workouts) for a day or two to average out your net calories. As others have mentioned, averages over time are what matters - if you go way over one day, it's definitely OK (and a good idea) to cut way back the next…

And even water weight lost does make a difference in your appearance!! When you aren't bloated - with fat or water - you will look tighter and smaller and often less puffy in your face. So whatever the reason, when the scale goes down it's a good thing!!

Too much protein isn't a significant risk as far as the nutrient itself is concerned - it's certainly not as potentially damaging as too much sugar, for instance. However loading up on one gram per pound or more is not likely to help your body unless you are doing serious athletic training. It's not someting humans "need"…

As an aside, when I'm eating out I use the same chicken information that I usually use from my grocery store purchased chicken nutritional label - but then I also add a tablespoon of butter or oil to the meal. That way I stay on the conservative side, since usually meat is brushed with it which will kick up the calories in…

The chicken I buy (boneless skinless chicken breasts by either Bell & Evans or Sanderson Farms) has the nutritional information on the package, which is GREAT and one reason I buy those brands. So I search by brand name in the database (both of those show up accurately). You just have to know how many ounces to put in, so…

Massages are great, but expensive and not very practical as the pain relief is short lived. I'd recommend yoga. It will strengthen and stretch the muscles which will address the cause of the pain - massage just treats the symptom. Lots of folks in my yoga classes started out there to deal with chronic pain and have had…

You'll probably get some great links to forums and groups about alcohol from other commenters, but this is my primary diet struggle as well. Drinking alcohol is bad for dieting for a variety of reasons: it's empty calories which don't fill you up (and can even stimulate your appetite), it lowers your willpower to resist…

I think it's definitely appropriate and necessary to just respond with a smile and a "thank you!" It's short and simple and there's really nothing else that needs to be said to a compliment of any kind. You don't need to go into how you did it or what your goal is or how long it took or how you still feel bad about your…

The sugar recommendations on here really don't allow for the natural sugars found in fruits and dairy products. So I always go over my sugar limit but am under my total carb limit. One piece of fruit with a plain greek yogurt will send me over my 30 gram per day limit! So don't fret. However it IS good to limit sugars,…

That seems like a LOT of calories to me, especially if your daily target is 1500 calories or less. I think I eat about the same for lunch/dinner regardless of weather my breakfast is 100 calories or 300. So boosting my breakfast ends up boosting my overall daily calories (unless it's the weekend and it's more of a brunch…

If you aren't hungry, don't force yourself to eat. It's OK to be under your calorie goal on some days, especially if you go over on other days. Remember it's an AVERAGE that matters - your body isn't going to go into starvation mode after one or two days of not getting enough fuel (especially if the day before you gave it…

I think ideally yes - but most people (myself included) have more trouble limiting calories in the afternoon/evening rather than in the morning so it may make sense to consume less at breakfast when you least desire food in order to minimize overall calories. I usually shoot for about a 200 calorie breakfast (sometimes…

The most important thing is calories in vs calories out overall, but if you want to get technical there is a physiological difference in how your body processes food - especially sugars - while sleeping versus while being awake. If you eat a bunch of sugary snacks and then go straight to bed it can disrupt your sleep (i.e.…

It looks and sounds to me like you don't really need - or even want - to lose any more weight. If I were you I'd shift my focus to strength training and look for results in the mirror instead of on the scale. Toning up a bit will do a lot more for your physique than losing 7-10 more pounds. Which, in my humble opinion, is…

You might find yoga beneficial to add to your routine - it's strength training but in combination with flexibility and light cardio. A lot of people with chronic pain have found relief that way. I'm in a different place than you are, but personally I aim for strength training / circuit training 3 days a week, cardio 3 days…

I just want to say that it's been one week since I had my last drink, and I feel GREAT! I have been sleeping like a rock and I feel like my workouts are suddenly making a huge difference (my muscles seem to really be hardening even though I'm not doing much more than usual). Also this might be TMI but my BMs are suddenly…

The reason you are lighter the morning after drinking is that your body is dehydrated. It looks good but will inevitably bounce back up the day after that!

I did it years ago as a college student and had great results. I think it changed the way I look at food and planning my diet. Go for it!

OK so it has been over a week since my last serving of alcohol - and for the first time today I am REALLY craving a nice glass of wine!!! I'm going to dinner with the girls so it will be hard to resist. But I gave it up for Lent and so *can't* cheat. I really feel like my muscle building and weight loss is on a roll…

I run into the same problem on here when half the stuff I search for is listed in "grams." How should I know how many grams of blueberries I just ate?? :) I downloaded a handy free converter app on my iphone though, and so it easily converts pounds, ounces, liters, cups, etc.

I love this thread and am brand new to the Lushes! Alcohol has always been my primary - and pretty much my only - diet derailment. I drink 3-4 nights per week and have 3-5 drinks (usually wine) every time. That's around extra 2,000 calories a week! Not including the extra food I consume when under the influence and my…

I just did a post on this and got a lot of great responses. Everything I've read says that women (and men for that matter) should limit ADDED sugars to 30 grams a day. Added sugars don't count those found naturally in produce and dairy products - what it really refers to are those found in breads, cereals, desserts, and…

The key is to have a hearty breakfast - and you have to add produce to pretty much every meal for fiber and nutrients or else you'll be hungry and/or end up overdosing on higher calorie foods. Here are some examples of my meals: 200 Calorie Breakfast Whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter Greek yogurt or cottage…