dancerbyday

Listen, I understand feeling the need to "treat" yourself to junk food (though your mouth and brain are the only ones getting the "treat"), and that is perfectly fine. But you can't deny so stubbornly that putting good, nutritious food into your body will improve anything in the long run. I am a vegetarian, and I live a…

I'm 5'8", 119 lbs. and my sister is 5'2" 105 lbs. (when at her best weight, though right now she weighs 90 and looks like a scarecrow). In my opinion, you should probably weigh between 110 and 125, but it could be more or less depending on your body type, bone density, muscle, etc. I can't tell you how much to eat, since I…

Yes, you are inevitably going to gain SOME fat no matter what, BUT you do need to be selective about what you put into your body. If you don't eat healthfully through this, all that crappy processed, sugary stuff will be stored as fat, instead of being put to good use building muscle and/or burning fat like other foods…

If you are eating to gain, but don't necessarily want to gain fat, you just need to make sure you are eating the right stuff. Cut down on processed foods and sugar, eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, and good fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, etc.). What you put into your body will show…

I am 5ft8, fluctuate between 116 and 120 lbs., with a goal of maintaining or slightly increasing weight while building muscle. I am a dancer, and pretty fit already, but I'm working on toning my body and replacing remaining fat with muscle so that I can really excel. It sounds like you are doing very well, but if your goal…

You do want to make sure you don't go over your calorie limit, but if you're hungry, keep in mind that you can eat more vegetables and fruits and still stay within your limits than you can processed food. Calories are calories, but to an extent. You will lose more weight eating the same amount of calories if you make all…

Ya, but you're used to it. I thought I was eating healthy (I've been vegetarian all my life, minimal dairy, pretty good food choices), but recently I've been eating more vegan than vegetarian, juicing almost every day, and generally eating vastly more healthfully than I ever have. I can't BELIEVE how good I feel, or how…

If you want to keep that weight off permanently, just make sure you are eating healthfully: lots of fruits and veggies, minimal animal products, drink lots of water, good fiber and protein. You might want to try running, too. Even running a couple of miles a few times a week can really help you slim down and drop some…

I'd say don't worry about the spices unless they contain salt and you are watching your sodium intake. The spray... that's a tricky one because it is such a minimal amount. I personally don't use cooking sprays, so I'm not even sure what it's like calorie-wise. You might want to include that if you are using a good amount…

Drinking excessive amounts of water will flush out your electrolytes, but you would have to drink absolutely gallons of water every day. Also, you shouldn't drink water while eating, 1/2 hour before eating, or 1 hour after eating. This way, your food will have time to digest a bit before adding water to the mix and making…

Spinach!!!

Bananas are also good for constipation, as long as they're ripe. When I was younger, I had surgery for tethered cord, and because the pain meds caused constipation, my mom fed me a banana muffin most mornings, as well as juicing lots of carrots and apples. Carrot juice by itself isn't the best if you're not used to it, but…

Try some cottage cheese or a piece of fruit!

Try ordering an appetizer instead of an entrée. I know I normally can't eat all of an entrée unless I am suuppper hungry, so an appetizer is just right! But if you feel like this won't be enough food, try to order something with fresh veggies. And if you go to a burger joint or someplace greasy, ask if you can have a side…

Lots of leafy green vegetables! I am a vegetarian, so I eat a lot of these! Also...good (and interesting) news for you: milk is actually acidifying in our bodies, so it does NOT give us calcium, it takes away calcium. You will now be getting more calcium even than you were before. So don't stress it, and just make sure to…

I don't really eat Kix because it tastes so sugary and kind of artificial to me (and it gets soggy fast, and I'm weird about that). It isn't great for you, but it isn't bad for you either. There are a lot worse things you could be eating, and it is filling without adding a lot of calories. I think if that is something you…

Wait!! Don't use artificial sweeteners!! They may be less calories, and I guess they are less grams of sugar (?), but they are soooo bad for you! I mean really, they are almost poison. Sorry to freak out, but soooo many people think, "Well they are less calories, so that will be an easy way to lose weight," but it's not…

Drink water, water, and more water!! I know it sounds silly, but drinking more water will help you flush out that water weight and stop retaining so much water. Just make sure that you slowly increase your water, or you will be running to the bathroom every five minutes. ;)

I wouldn't worry about it if it is natural sugar. I am a vegetarian, so I eat lots of fruit. Naturally, I am over my sugar allowance almost every single day, but I just ignore it because the surplus of sugar that I am getting from fruits and veggies is good for you. I agree that the sugar allowance is pretty anti-fruit,…

They don't have specific times set for calorie tracking, so whatever he considers to be his breakfast he should log as "breakfast", even if it is at a weird time of day. And if "dinner" happens to be at 4 in the morning the next day, just click back a day and log it in as dinner. Don't worry about it, it's really just to…

Well it sounds like you are doing great so far! I think you should count walking to and from your car, because those half miles will start to add up. And yay for YoNana!! It seems like no one knows what that is, but I am absolutely in LOVE with it!! As for working out... personally, I love to run in the rain. There's just…

It IS calories in calories out, but if you put the RIGHT calories in, then you will be able to keep that weight off. If you just lose the weight because of the deficit and don't really change WHAT you are eating, then as soon as you go off the diet, you will pile the weight right back on. So the calorie deficit is…

Try releves on a raised surface, like a step, with your heel hanging off the edge. This will really strengthen and tone your calf muscles, as well as your ankles, and they are super easy. You could almost read a book while you do them!

Then it's probably because I drink soda so rarely, and so when the carbonation makes me bloated I am extra aware of it. Thanks, anyway!

If you find yourself getting hungry, there are a couple of things you can do: drinking tea, especially green tea, will make you feel fuller; also, fruit is pretty filling and is often very few calories. And if you aren't immediately needed, you could always jog in place for a while. Or you could do some kicks, alternating…

It's hard to say how much you need to lose, but ya you should do some weight training. But the most important thing of all is cardio, cardio, and more CARDIO! Try running, whether on a treadmill or outside. Running really melts fat quickly and replaces it with muscle. If you want to work on upper body at the same time, try…

Those are all great ideas. You might also want to try running if you aren't doing that, because that melts fat very quickly. And if you are a soda-drinker, that could be part of it. Soda can make you really bloated, so it will look like you have a tummy when it is really just all that carbonation.

Yes, you DO need to eat healthy. Otherwise, you will just gain all of your weight back once you stop the diet. Also, being fit and healthy is the whole point, isn't it? And eating healthy isn't really that hard once you get into the habit. Also, if you eat healthy you will feel fuller, more energetic, and will get to eat…

Well, for number 1: this could mean that you are replacing your fat with muscle, which is excellent! Muscle is denser than fat, which means that if you are gaining muscle quickly enough then you could be staying the same weight while actually getting slimmer and fitter. If that makes sense? For number 2: That happens to me…

It sounds like you are doing well. Walking three miles is good. You might also want to try jogging the first mile of that, then cooling down by walking the other two. Eventually you will be able to run all three miles if you want, but there's no need to try that now. However, running will melt fat quicker and replace it…