sympha01 Member

How do you come to the conclusion that your dinner -- which you have characterized as "big dinner" -- can't possibly be more than 500 calories? Seriously, a "big dinner" isn't going to be 500 calories. The amount of fat in it has nothing to do with it. One typical boneless skinless chicken breast is going to be 200…

Okay you want advice? My advice is weigh the food in your big low fat dinner. Carbs and protein have calories. EVERY TIME I've seen a 1200-er say they're not losing weight, it turns out they're not practicing portion control of some set of foods they've mentally classed as "harmless." Look, I used to think I couldn't lose…

How do you know for certain what your calorie count is? I assume you're weighing your food, right?

This is really not what moderation means. And assuming it does mean that is the primary mistake that a lot of people arguing against moderation make. Moderation means ... being moderate. That means more than just counting calories but going hog wild otherwise. As others have said, moderation generally means something like…

I used to weigh 335+ and have lost half my bodyweight. So here's some heart-to-heart advice. 1. The beginning of your diet is the hardest part. So congratulations, you took that big step! It's hard, but from here it only gets easier with time. Hand to heart, I'm not lying. IT ONLY GETS EASIER. So stick it out. 2. So ...…

You probably have access to a dietician then? I'd stick to their professional advice regarding fruit and fruit juice rather than asking random folks on the internet. Speaking as random folks on the internet myself, drinking smoothies sounds sketchy if you are diabetic, but for health reasons. Not for diet or weight loss…

Yes, but from an overall health (and performance!) standpoint there's a big difference between occasionally including a burger in your meal plan and eating nothing but burgers and cupcakes all the time. Burgers are not inherently evil. Burgers have protein and fat and carbs, all of which you need in some degree. You can…

Yeah, once I figured out that I had to log a little more carefully to capture entries with accurate potassium info (esp for fresh ingredients), I realized I was easily getting >4000 on the regular, and I often have 6500 mg days. There's potassium in EVERYTHING. Even a small cup of black coffee has >100mg of potassium!

I like the way you math! I get annoyed in the Recipes forum when someone posts that a recipe has "100 calories per serving" or something but doesn't think to give up any information about how many servings they arbitrarily decided their recipe makes or how big a serving is LOL. Can always add it to the recipe builder…

For the greens: you must trim them off the beets IMMEDIATELY if you want to eat them. Trim 'em off, wash 'em, saute w/ a little olive oil, maybe some garlic.

As a general rule, before I go to bed I know what I'm going to wear tomorrow. Sure, sometimes I'll change my mind and wear the flouncy white blouse instead of the cute tight red top. But in general, this helps me space out my clothes and make sure I've got reasonably coordinating outfits available until my next laundry…

Um, no it's not? Try FitnessBlender for example, or HasFit. Plenty of options, many of them (including those) are free.

I find it's a poor substitute for real peanut butter in most traditional peanut butter applications (e.g. sammiches, on apples), but it's AWESOME in a few more unusual things I've tried: 1. Add it to hot cocoa. With or without also adding a pureed banana. OMG my cocoa is so thick and rich and delicious. And now: more…

I'm saying that the people who insist that calorie counting is wrong for everyone and that a way around it must be found because NO ONE should count calories -- those are the people with psychological problems. Calorie counting a problem for you? Fine. Lots of people do. That's on you though. It's not fundamental to the…

I love how people with psychological problems around food are so eager to tell the rest of us we're doing it wrong OMG DANGER. Counting calories works. Counting calories is not incompatible with good nutrition (the "quality" of what I eat). Counting calories does not inevitably lead to obsessive behavior. Counting calories…

The guy who wrote that article sounds like he's got an axe to grind tho. I mean, the thing he asks his clients who want to lose weight is how much they drink. THE FIRST? Really? There are so many better first questions to better understand someone's goals, strengths, and weaknesses (like: how much do you eat each day? or…

200 mg a day is a red flag. It is nigh impossible to achieve that if you're eating food, even if you've given up dairy and bread -- unless you're just eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and even that seems unlikely to me. There's sodium in fresh meat, for example. There's a surprising amount of sodium in many green leafy…

^Passes inspection as far as I'm concerned. :) ETA: And very much in line with my general thought that protein timing does not matter.

Agree with Chief. Pay attention to how you feel. If you feel underfuelled during your workout, you might need to switch things up so you've got some food -- especially carbs -- in you before working out. If you feel great during the workout, don't change a thing. If your tummy is complaining, the "before" part should be…

Mine's about 250 g. I have lost >165 lbs and currently weigh 169. Do I win a prize?

"eating back your exercise calories" is not the same as eating within an hour of your workout. It is possible to do either one without the other, to do both, to do neither. That being said, I commonly see advice to eat (it could be a meal that is part of your eating plan -- doesn't necessarily mean extra calories) within…

I made this Indian-style curry with ground turkey last night and it was delicious. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/curried_ground_turkey_with_potatoes/ This bbq chicken quinoa casserole is also good and can be made with turkey instead of chicken http://fabtasticeats.com/2014/06/10/bbq-chicken-quinoa-bake/ This…

Chop into cubes, add a can of black beans, a diced red onion, crushed clove of garlic, a diced chipotle in adobo sauce (alternatively, a couple of tablespoons of salsa), some cumin and oregano, a couple of tablespoons of lime juice. Put in a non-stick pan with a lid and simmer until the potato is soft enough. Can eat with…

I used the Fitbit Force last year. Considered the Charge HR but didn't like what I was hearing reviewers say about its accuracy as a heart rate monitor (for heart rate monitor purposes eg heart rate training HIIT sessions -- I don't care for calorie burn purposes: they're all nonsense for that, I think). I was also getting…

It's a mistake to think there is only one right way, and every other way is wrong and blasphemy and will stall progress. Either is fine. Whichever you find easier to stick to. Some people (like me) cannot imagine giving up substantial meals, and avoid snacking to save up the calories for a nice dinner or whatever. Other…

If you're willing to do both, just do both, because they're both so good for you! Split it 50/50, or if you like one more than the other then do more of that LOL. The only caution I would make about weight loss is that if you count and eat back exercise calories, be real skeptical about burn estimates for cardio from…

^^^This. People post panicky things on the forums all the time about how MFP says they're not getting enough potassium, and 90% of the time it's that users are choosing database entries with missing potassium info. Reality check: Step 1: Look at the nutritional data for the food. Step 2: Is the Potassium "zero" or "N/A"?…

I don't know that it's helpful to divide the world into calorie counters and non-counters and then choose sides for a holy war. Like, I count calories and I respect that some people don't need to, or that they simply have other priorities. I hope that my friends who don't count calories respect the reasons why I do so.…

I think a lot of people who maybe have never had a weight problem or have only needed to maintain weight or just lose 15 pounds once in a while can be quick to slap the "obsessed" label on those of us who need to count calories. I love food, and if I'm not weighing and tracking my food then my estimate of portion sizes…

tl;dr Comment on my own post above: Today's thought on people who say "moderation doesn't work for me": if a dog can balance a biscuit on his nose and not eat it, you can master moderation. That dog can control his urges when he makes an effort, and he is willing to eat his own poop the rest of the time. All you need to do…