scookiemonster Member

Vampires? Try hanging some garlic on the windowsill.

I don't, but my mother does. She's in her sixties now, and she had major back surgery due to her scoliosis about 40 years ago. I know that she finds that if she doesn't work out her pain gets a lot worse. Her solution has been swimming several times a week and doing pilates daily, or at least as often as she can do it. She…

Too cute! I've always kind of wanted a pet pig :-) I have two dogs who are my workout buddies. My boy loves to run with me - I don't even need a leash, he just stays right next to me. My girl likes to run too, but she's lazy and wants to lay down after about 5-10 minutes. We're working on her endurance. The two of them get…

A cup of chamomile with a little touch of honey usually does the trick for me. I like peppermint too, but I use it more for upset tummies and to aid digestion than for relaxation.

I'm surprised how many people expect the bride to pay for the bridesmaids' dresses. I've never heard of the bride doing that unless she had extra money to spare and wanted to treat her bridesmaids. It certainly wouldn't be expected around here. I think, with things like this, it's important to remember that expectations…

I'll admit it: I take all my vitamins in gummy form, because I'm a child and can't remember to take them otherwise. This way I get some lovely chewy candy every morning. I take vitamin D and omega 3 on the recommendation of my dermatologist, plus a women's multi for general health, vitamin C to boost the immune system, and…

I have different leggings for exercise and for regular wear. I prefer moisture wicking fabrics for exercise, so I stick to leggings that are specifically marketed for working out, or as "running tights." The regular leggings that I buy in clothing stores tend to be mostly cotton, which isn't so great when you get sweaty.…

So much agreement with this. Very well put. Personally, I think of it less as being "fat positive" and more as just being body positive and self positive. Our society today is so damn critical and nasty about other people's bodies. It is considered acceptable to snark at someone's body, comment on someone's body, and tell…

While I totally agree with you that going gluten/wheat free is unnecessary for anybody who isn't sensitive to it, I think it's also important to recognize that non-Celiac gluten intolerance is a very real thing - there are plenty of people (myself included) who test negative for Celiac but have a bad reaction to gluten. I…

All of this. We have a Bowflex in our basement, and it's much more usable for me than free weights. I would be worried about working out alone with free weights, and I think I'd be more worried about hurting myself. The bowflex allows for a huge variety of exercises - I'm not really sure why people think it limits you. How…

I have the One. I like that I can actually see my info on the device without having to sync it, and it was important to me to have something that would basically be invisible when I was wearing it so that I could wear it to work, etc., without having to feel self conscious.

There is no "what I would normally make." I make new recipes every single week and rarely make the same thing twice (at least not the same way), other than a few basics. Every week, I sit and sift through recipes online and in cookbooks for ideas for what to make. I am doing the same for this visit, and thought that since…

Folks, there seems to be some misunderstanding here. I am aware that I don't need "special" kid foods. I have no intention of making separate meals for the kids. I will be feeding the kids and adults the same options. I am looking for dinner ideas that are family friendly and easy to make for a large group of people. I am…

Thanks, that sounds perfect! I actually do this for my husband and I sometimes, I just kind of forgot about it. That's a great suggestion so that everybody can have what appeals to them.

Thanks! I've tried a few times actually, and I just keep getting "Oh, they're easy! They eat everything!" or "I'm sure whatever you make will be fine!" I think she's just really stuck on trying to be easy (which I appreciate!), and maybe doesn't have anything specific in mind. According to her they love fruits, veggies,…

I just generally prefer to be barefoot whenever possible. I have probably half a dozen pairs of barefoot/minimalist shoes (for both working out and daily wear) and I lift barefoot in my basement. I really don't get how people run with traditional shoes on - it looks and feels like running with a pair of bricks on your feet…

Find a couch to 5k program that starts you off with short intervals and builds. They're all over the internet. The one I did a few years back started me with 1 minute running, 4 minutes walking, repeat for 30 minutes. I could barely breathe after that first 1 minute - I seriously thought I was going to collapse on the…

Ha, I totally thought I'd look at this list and be guilty of everything, but it looks like I'm doing okay so far. The only one I'm definitely guilty of is too much stuff. I can't help it - I love stocking up on new "toys" for things. At the least, I always run with my cell phone in an arm band with headphones and a garmin…

Google "lunk alarm." You'll find some pretty ridiculous results. Planet Fitness has based their marketing strategy on soliciting people who find regular gym-goers "intimidating." They blatantly and actively discourage members who might be more intense (and therefore noisy) in their workouts, and make a point of not…

That's clearly your problem. If it's not NY pizza, what's the point? (Unless you're a deep-dish type person, in which case... fine for you, but we clearly can't be friends). Outside of NY, unless it's some sort of specialty pizza place, like brick-oven style, I just stick with Dominos. At least it doesn't even pretend to…

I always keep a few really good quality chocolate bars on hand (not hersheys, the good stuff). I eat and savor it one square at a time when I feel the need. If my husband doesn't get to it, one bar can last me at least a week or two (or longer, depending on my sweet needs). It's all about quality over quantity.

Yeah, that's why I just don't bother with McDonald's (and its hamburger joint cousins) anymore. After years of not eating it, I thought I'd treat myself one day... imagine my surprise and disappointment to find that it just tasted like salty grease. No thanks. For the pizza... wish I could help you. I'd pretty much kill to…

Eh, you're better off just being grateful for all of the future back pain that you're saving yourself. Don't worry, the smaller waist makes the smaller boobs look proportional anyway.

Ha, awesome! I was particularly entertained by his diatribe against crunches and tanning beds. Hysterical.

Fascinating. According to the website, I guessed myself 10% larger than I actually am, and also have the same body type as Beyonce and Katie Holmes. I think they may be a liiiiittle bit smaller than me though :-p

I'm in! Feel free to friend me. I teach high school. I tend to gain weight during the school year and then either lose or maintain over the summer - last school year I managed to lose a few pounds in the spring time and I've maintained since then; my goal is to being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle (and a real life!…

Sounds likely that might really have been a gluten intolerance after all, especially if it flairs up again if you eat bread. My understanding is that there isn't a blood test that can reliably diagnose non-celiac gluten intolerance, and the only way to really know is to try an elimination diet. Glad to know you had success!

Except that for those of us who have gone through the diet roller coaster for years and are tired of the lose/gain/lose/gain/lose/gain cycle that comes with crappy crash diet methods, knowing that someone uses slimfast to "kickstart" their weight loss is not only meaningless, but also an eye-roll inducing reminder of the…

My mom really doesn't like to cook, but she still put a home made dinner on the table every night. She basically had maybe a half dozen recipes that she cycled through, but she always tried to keep things relatively healthy and balanced, I think. I remember some of the regular items in rotation being baked ziti, steak with…

Yes, definitely. I don't really do it now when I'm in public because I'm still pretty chubby, but I do it when nobody else is around (working out in/near my house), and I would definitely do it elsewhere if I lose a little weight. I also wear a bikini at the beach, even though I'm still a good 20-30lbs overweight. That's…