MelisaBegins Member

Oh come on, Doug, that's just a little cushion for the pushin'. I'm sorry, I can't pass up opportunities for rhymes or puns. But on a serious note, I think that trying to change someone else is a recipe for disaster. When my husband and I first got together, he was overweight and I wasn't. Now he isn't and I am. Meh, it…

There's my pal! Really fantastic results, bud, and an honor to call you my MFPeep! WOot woot!

Base layer of Body Glide on all the unmentionables + a wicking tank top. I run really hot year-round so a tank top is always my go-to. Plus a sports bra, of course, but I realize I'm not your target audience. :)

Agree with this. I think one thing that is confusing is that there are 2 things being asked about: 1) JuicePlus+ (a vitamin supplement) and 2) Juicing. I think we can all agree that you're not going to find a lot of support on MFP when it comes to juicing. As for JuicePlus+, that is definitely not a weight loss system - it…

I'm going to have to agree with ThickMcRunFast here and disagree on a 30+ week being low. DISCLAIMER: I run marathons to finish, not for time, so absolutely agree that that is a factor. However, I have trained for and completed 7 marathon or longer distance races (one being a 50K trail run and one being a full IronMan…

BEST. TOPIC NAME. EVER. Also, congrats!! So awesome. Show us the pics!

Thank you so much for your kind words! As for dietary changes, I haven't changed much, except that I am really watching portions and minding my macros. As a family, we eat pretty healthy already, but I was WAY overindulging in sweets and wine, especially on the weekends. I have cut alcohol out 100% except for my one "free"…

I work-out in the morning Mon - Sat and always have 1/2 a banana or else I feel shaky and dizzy, but more than that and my tummy isn't super happy. I usually run a couple of treadmill miles in the evening and can do this right after dinner on a full stomach if I need to. It's weird, our bodies. I definitely think it's…

Fantastic results! Would've guessed you'd lost way more than 8.8 pounds! Nice work.

I've got my sight set on a New Year's Eve marathon in Bellingham, WA called "Last Chance". Took a break from marathons after a dreadful experience at the Portland Marathon in 2010 but am itching to get back to it! Nice to meet you all!

Hey everybody! What a fun group! I'm Melisa and I too am an adult-onset runner. In high school, I did one season of Cross Country (barely) and one season of Track (I tried the long jump, sort of). My brother was the captain of both sports and I quickly learned it was his thing, not mine. Fast-forward to my late 20's and,…

I have always enjoyed it (but I live in Seattle so I definitely can't avoid it! :) There has only been one time that I have cursed the rain in a big way: during the Portland Marathon a few years back, it POURED buckets during every single step of the 26.2. It was a hopeless puddle-dodge and my shoes and socks were soaked…

Um, apostrophe is spelled with an 'e'. I COULD NOT (couldn't) HELP MYSELF.

First time caller, long time listener. I'll play along because A) I *live* all the days in m'yoga pants and 2) I actually do yoga now, for reals!

I've used Hal Higdon's Novice plan several times in the past (but I'm by no means a speedy runner - my marathon PR to-date is a 4:06). I'm going to start training again this fall for a New Year's Eve marathon and I'm going to try a program I read about in Runner's World called "Run Less, Run Faster". Good luck!

Keeping my sweet tooth in check on this journey has been a challenging eye-opener. I could eat Krispie Kreme every day and never grow tired of it, but the problem is I don't want ONE Krispie Kreme, I want three. So I have none. I think one thing for me, too, is that I like to EAT. I don't want to feel hungry, so I eat 6…

Just chiming in on my shoe preference (with the disclaimer that I believe strongly it's totally individual and unique to each person). I've been wearing Brooks Adrenalines since my first marathon in 2004. I wore them exclusively through 7 marathons and they worked really well for me, until I had a child. What the heck, my…

I really like P90X and modify where I need to (i.e. we have a pull-up bar but I have yet to be able to do even ONE pull-up so I use a resistance band looped around the support beam in our basement. :) Time is a factor, and here's a tip for condensing it a bit: on the weight days, I sometimes skip the DVD forward through…

You guys. This to me is what MFP is all about. The OP was brave and said: "hey, I need some help. here's the deal". And then this community came out and helped her without being rude or judgey. Good job, Pals! As for the dress, I agree with the other posters: you are well on your way to rocking this. It sounds like you're…

I have one can of Coke Zero with lunch every single day! Love it! I want to lose weight and change my lifestyle and be strong and fit .... but I also want to live and not feel like I'm depriving myself all the time. Everything in moderation, in my opinion!

Try not to get discouraged - I have definitely seen fluctuations up and down. I do weigh myself daily but I keep "my eye on the prize" (so corny, I know) and just remember that I am doing what is right for me to lose weight. It is not going to happen overnight, nor is it going to happen in a neat and clean way. It's going…

GREAT JOB!!! You look fantastic.

I have learned that I am not alone!

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing your story - your transformation is admirable and inspiring! Awesome!

^This, 100%. It totally depends on your foot and your running style (pronating, etc). I have worn Brooks Adrenalines faithfully since my 1st marathon, and since having my daughter (she is now 7) I finally decided that my feet changed enough to tweak my shoe (I'm now on the Brooks Ghost model). It is definitely worth it to…

I eat 2 eggs with 2 slices of bacon for breakfast every single morning!

Hi there! We love us some meat around here, too. But also, I hate to waste food (luckily we have hens so they get a lot of scraps :). Anyway, in terms of meal-planning, just thought I'd share what I do for our family of 3 (hub and I plus our 1st-grade daughter): Every Sunday, I plan our entire week (I keep our family…

You should be totally proud of where you are! You look awesome! Keep up the great work.

Hey, we are all learning as we go! I still have no idea what the "Meals" thing is for or how to use it...

Totally agree with Amy and James - I use this tool all the time and it's so helpful! One thing I've found is that sometimes it's hard to know when you're preparing it how much it will make for each day. Here's a common example for me: I make a lean ground turkey chili, and I know that I'm going to have 1 cup as my serving.…