zer0vital

Not much response so far so I'll bump once. :-)

This thread = torture

I learned everything I now know about the food pyramid from Eat, Drink, & Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. The first thing the author does in the first chapter is slam the USDA's food pyramid. As others have stated, it is essentially the aggregate of propositions and requests made by the food…

I've tried and failed many times at living healthier, and it's completely different this time. The key for me has been to only make one small change here and there at a time, but EVERY change I make is PERMANENT, for the rest of my life. I had too much of an all or nothing attitude before and the lack of record-keeping…

I've owned two Foreman grills in the past, and I'm happier with my Cuisinart griddler. It's at a higher price range but is noticeably higher quality than a typical Foreman. The reversible grill/griddle plates are removable, which makes cleaning the whole thing a lot easier. There's also a removable drip catcher that slides…

I use an EatSmart scale too, but I use the extra wide one for added comfort. It's very accurate; step on it 4 times and you will get the exact same reading 4 times, to the nearest 2 tenths of a pound.…

A little more information would help us help you. Have you been running? A lot? On pavement? Has your weight loss been rapid? Any history of knee or joint problems? Etc etc etc.

Since your metabolism shuts down overnight, it's not too surprising that you'd have trouble eating in the morning. I always try to eat breakfast, but it's always something light, less than 250 calories (I have a 2180/day limit). One of my MFP friends was discussing some new research that may cast doubts on the absolute…

I have an iPhone app that gives me a bunch of recipes for green smoothies. They contain a large amount of leafy greens, and although they do take a little getting used to, they are just as satisfying as a traditional fruit & yogurt smoothie. You can add yogurt, milk, soymilk, or protein powder if you want to (I've done it…

Doing a little resistance training might help you build the muscle you need to burn more fat., and prevent you from losing too much lean muscle mass doing all that cardio. As for "spot reducing," my understanding is that it is not a very realistic goal, and may end up being counterproductive. Focus on your body's complete…

Sounds like you're responding with an appropriate attitude though. I started MFP in January too and cheating is an important part of my strategy. I will never (permanently) fall off the wagon the way things are now, because I am totally satisfied with what I get to eat. Keep up the good work!

I daresay that MFP would do well to expand to the realm of a Facebook app. Lots of times, I find myself wishing that MFP had some of the same features that Facebook has, which is not realistic because MFP is not a multi-billion dollar entity recruiting the hottest programming and web development talent from around the…

Putting healthier alternatives aside, do you think it would be possible to train yourself to be satisfied with just the 7 chips? (Or 10, 14, whatever) I snack on low-salt Triscuits and find that by simply counting them out beforehand, I can eat and enjoy them and feel satisfied, when in the past I would have just eaten…

Sea salt and regular table salt have more or less identical chemical makeups; one is not really any healthier than the other. Table salt contains more iodine (a good thing) but may be more heavily processed and contain trace additives. There's no good reason to prefer one over the other besides taste and texture…

Ideally, you want to be eating 5-6 times a day. I think about food and eating way more than I did before I started living healthier. It's a constant cycle of getting hungry and then eating something not too big. And that's exactly what you're looking for! You'll get used to it over time, and as you hinted you should…

I got an extra wide scale because I'm an extra wide guy. :-) I think a regular-sized scale can be just as accurate. Good point about the moisture; luckily I keep my scale in an upstairs bathroom that pretty much never gets used and has no shower or bath.

About a month ago I purchased an EatSmart Precision Plus digital scale, extra wide. I've been really happy with it so far. It reads out to the nearest 2 tenths of a pound. I used to step on it multiple times to get an accurate weight, but it gives me the exact same answer every time so I learned to just trust it. I'm in…

Your body burns calories most optimally when it is constantly taking in nutrients. I think some of the members above who are claiming that your body burns calories the same all day long may be neglecting this fact. When you load all your calories into two meals, then your body will slow down during the times when you…

It's worth keeping in mind that there is already a calorie deficit worked into your MFP goals. If your goal is 1570 and you eat 1300, it doesn't mean that you burned 270 more calories than you took in that day. It means you burned 270 calories plus whatever is recommended by MFP, so you will end up with a pretty big gap.…

I'm no professional, but... The quick answer is that when you give your body too little in terms of nutrients, it will go into a "survival" mode. Your body will shut down or decrease unnecessary processes and start storing as much fat as possible. This is obviously not what you want, so you do indeed want to make sure…

58. As a game designer, I think this quiz has serious shortcomings...but in the sense that it has us here all talking about NuVal scores, it is a success!

I've been using Barilla. If anyone has a reason I should stop, please let me know. I go WAY over on sodium most of the time so that's a big incentive.

I'm doing pretty well on calories and fat, but horrible on sodium and I know it's the result of not eating clean. I'm trying to do better in small steps rather than adopt a new way of life I am completely unfamiliar with - this post will be on the back of my mind as I start making better decisions in the future. I bought a…

Spaghetti with homemade pesto, fresh celery, Texas toast. Small portions, of course.

Saturday night went pretty well; I came in just under my calories and only had a few drinks. It probably could have been better but I stayed home Sunday and Monday and had healthy days. Crisis averted.

I was at the party for maybe three hours. I had two Stellas and about 2-3 oz of nigori sake, putting me at about 350 calories for the night. The kicker is that I walked to the party and back, just under a mile each direction and all uphill on the way there. Tonight will be more challenging. This time, it's eating at a nice…

Lots of good info here; thanks for the feedback. I still haven't decided on a strategy but I'll let you know how it goes. This is my first time drinking since starting at MFP so whatever happens, it will be a learning experience.

Good idea, seconded.

Wow, so many of us. San Diego here (also lived in East Bay previously), new to the site and looking for a few more buddies.

Hey, I accepted your friend request. Let's do this!