mereditheve Member

I'm vertically advantaged like you (I rarely hit my head on anything and on planes, every row is first class) ... I eat around 1250-1300 calories per day.

1) Your dog may make you "feel" safe, but safety comes from being aware of your surroundings and having an exit/defense strategy everywhere you go. 2) You need to be able to protect yourself. It is no one else's responsibility but yours -- sometimes you have to be your own knight in shining armor. 3) Taiwan has extremely…

First, your calorie intake is higher than it should be. Increase your protein and fiber intake and reduce your sugar intake so you don't feel as hungry since you say that any fewer calories and you feel like you're "starving." What you appear to be eating are calorie-dense foods; if you opt for lower calorie, higher…

Wait -- you all get offered cookies all day? I must be doing something wrong.... :frown: Seriously though, I know how you feel -- I travel for work regularly and it's tough sometimes being the only health-conscious person as we determine where to have team dinners. It can be a slippery slope if you don't stick to your…

YES! More than possible! Finishing a race is a mental challenge, as much as (if not more than) it is a physical one. Your strength and endurance are fueled by your willingness to keep going even when it's tough. You'll want to train for it (races are always a little less painful that way!) and I'd recommend a combination…

These are a few supplements I've added to my diet -- some I take regularly, others not so much: Pre-workout: MuscleTech NanoVapor - love this stuff! I started drinking this every time I go to the gym. I definitely notice a difference in performance. Post-workout: Protein bars or Whey Protein (mostly MuscleMilk). I am…

You know what they say... misery loves company ;)

Exactly -- there is no difference between fruit blended in a smoothie, sugar in fruit or added sugar. It is the same fructose, glucose, sucrose and all have the same effect on your body. Your diet should include enough fruits and vegetables to provide your body with nutrients. Cooking often does reduce nutritional value…

Wow, some of the replies are really just dismissive and cruel... Obviously this person is your friend and you care about your friend very much. Be positive about it -- he has an opportunity to regain his life and his health. And maybe you'd like to ask him to join you on your diet/exercise journey. It would be motivating…

Couple bits of advice here from someone who lifts at the gym with someone else, lifts at gym by herself and lifts at home by herself. I think there's value in each of these, but no matter what venue I work out in, I make sure to track my workouts and I use a timer. At home, set aside a place to work out and avoid…

Sugar is sugar -- your body can't tell the difference between white cane sugar, brown sugar, fructose, etc.... the term "added" doesn't really mean anything. All sugar comes from plants. Just because it's "naturally occurring" doesn't make it healthy.

I've had temporary asthma (resulting from colds/flus), so I know how you feel. A lot of people have recommended going outside to run rather than using the treadmill. Honestly, this was always worse for me when I had asthma -- the dry/cold air made it more difficult and knowing that I was going to be miles away from home if…

This sounds pretty good! Thanks for sharing!

Where you get your calories from may not matter from a weight-loss/calorie deficit perspective. However, it does matter if you are concerned about nutrition. When a large portion of calories come from sugar, you may be missing out on important nutrients. Are you choosing foods that have nutritional benefit, or are you…

Puppies intimidate me with their cuteness. Thank goodness they aren't allowed in gyms.

I LOVE going out to eat by myself. And I constantly hear the same kinds of comments from others who are too self-conscious to go out by themselves. I also love traveling by myself. So many people have questioned that too, saying they would never travel by themselves... until I finally convinced one of my colleagues to go…

Anytime is a good time to do ab workouts, although maybe not right after a huge meal..... :) Like any muscle, you won't have the same definition if you have a layer of fat covering it. The same is true for abdominal muscles. There's definitely a benefit to building a strong core regardless of where you are in your weight…

These recipes sound awesome! Thanks for sharing

In addition to what some of the other commenters said, you may just not know enough about exercise to really appreciate it yet. Often we don't like things simply because they don't make that much sense to us. Exercising because you heard it's healthy doesn't provide the same psychological reward as knowing what specific…

Actually an exercise ball is a great addition for ab workouts... and yes, it is good for bodybuilders too. http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/equipment/id/7/equipment/exercise-ball

I have a lot of favorites... here are a few: Muscle Milk Light - Chocolate -- Good, not overly sweet. I've even used this to make high protein brownies Cellucor Cinnamon Bun -- sweet, good for baking and even in pancakes, mixes well in shakes/smoothies (I'm a big fan of this brand in general, and this flavor is pretty…

Your hair is so pretty... it's so golden... like a... like a golden retriever! I have to say that's the worst and the best compliment since I fell over laughing at the poor guy....

Seems like I may be the lone dissenter, but the practical side of me just thinks this is plain stupid. 1 - Increasing the serving size to "what people normally eat" which is more than they should, just encourages them to eat a full serving instead of exercising portion control. 2 - Forcing companies to redesign all of…

The short answer is that it's highly unlikely. Calories in/calories out is the most important metric. And just because you don't exercise immediately after eating doesn't mean you aren't burning calories. You do still burn calories during sleep, assuming you still breathe, your heart stil beats, etc... There are some…

Of course those two exercises don't use the same muscles -- that's the point. As I said, it's not just how much you lift, it's how you lift it. You can still exercise muscle groups with relatively small weights, even if you press, curl, etc. much larger weights for other exercises. But, if you insist on an example that…

Just a comment to some of the posters who are saying you need to get heavier and heavier weights or you won't keep getting stronger. That's a bit oversimplified and not quite accurate. You should still build strength as long as you are lifting. If you find your exercises are getting too easy and don't want to buy new…

Exactly this!

Milk has a good balance of fat, carbs and protein. I drink whole milk every day. As long as you're not lactose intolerant, it's healthy whether you're trying to gain or lose weight. I used to mix it with weight gainer when I was really tiny and lifting a lot.

Sometimes kids say the darnedest things! Seriously, your friend is speaking out of ignorance, maybe she thinks she's helping, maybe she just blurts out whatever comes to mind, maybe she is trying to come up with an excuse for eating that cupcake... Sounds like she's your friend and there's no need to judge her motives for…

Welcome to strength training! 8lbs is a good starting point. There are a lot of great exercises that you can do with free weights. I divide my workouts each day so I work different muscle groups and give others time to rest and recover. Here are a few examples to get you started: For each exercise, do 10 reps, rest for a…