LBATL Member

Whatever you do, do NOT give up. I had the same problem. I lost a good 30-40 lbs before I went down a pant size and then all of a sudden - BAM! - the sizes started going down at a rapid pace. When the sizes do start going down, buy clothes in moderation :) I have a huge stack of clothes that I wore only a handful of times…

Woo hoo!!! That's awesome. Going "shopping" in your own closet is lots of fun. You should do a victory dance in your pants! :)

Thanks for posting the article. Very interesting stuff :)

It can definitely be from the switch in your BCP. Give your body a few months to adjust to the new pill and if you are still have problems talk to the derm or to your doc who prescribed the BCP. There may be a better one out there for you. The crazy thing is that when I went off the pill, my face got noticeably better.…

You can definitely leave it on your skin over night. It's sulfur based and it should work really well to reduce the size and redness. The mask is the only ProActive product that I liked.

I have struggled with acne my entire life. Started on my forehead and cheeks in my teens and early 20s and now that I'm in my late 20s its all on the lower portion of my face (mainly my chin). I went to the derm and was told it was hormonal acne. Apparently when its on the lower portion of your face it is typically…

Love it! Most of my meals are vegetarian since that is what my body (and taste) craves now. I had never been a huge meat eater but when I started changing my lifestyle meals with meat became few and far between. There are so many great vegetarian dishes out there that I think "Meatless Monday" can work for just about…

Congrats! :)

Great suggestion to journal! I haven't done it (yet) although I have been encouraged to do so by my doctor. I do however take inventory of my body to determine if I am really hungry or if it is an emotion (usually anxiety) that is driving me to want to eat. If you listen to your body and give it what is needs then you'll…

MFP is seriously not good for people with food addiction (or compulsion). I myself am compulsive when it comes to food and was able to overcome it by myself in my own time. However, I highly recommend not logging food/exercise if you really think you addicted. It's just going to make it worse. I logged for about 2 weeks…

Thanks everyone! My ears are just special. I have tried the standard Sony inner ear earbuds and they'll stay in my right ear but ALWAYS fall out of my left no matter what size bud I use (small, med, or large). I have the Sony PIIQs right now that clip onto the lobe and it still falls out of my left ear. I'm going to look…

Yes, men lose weight more efficiently than women. They typically have more muscle mass which means more calories burned per day. Also, hormones have a LOT to do with weight loss. The hormonal makeup of women makes our bodies want to store fat. Men on the other hand have more testosterone which again means more calories…

Which shampoo are you using? Which brand is it? I have come across a lot of "sulfate free" shampoos that actually still contain sulfates, just not the SLS we are all used to reading about and seeing on labels. My guess is if your shampoo is lathering, it still contains sulfates since that is the lathering agent in most…

Do you allow the shampoo to sit in your hair? If you are using true sulfate free shampoo you really need to let it sit in your hair for a few minutes to work out all the gunk. Also, have you tried rinsing with apple cider vinegar? A lot of times when you switch to sulfate free shampoo it can leave a sticky residue on your…

I have a similar problem. I started using John Master's Organics products and it has really helped and has not stripped my color. I use the Zinc and Sage shampoo and the Intense Conditioner with avacado. I try to rub the conditioner into my scalp as much as possible to help moisturize my scalp. It doesn't leave greasy…

Deborah - You aren't playing around! 4 AM workouts? I was just planning my workout schedule for next week and was thinking about a 5:45 am class but decided that was too dang early. I'm so used to working out in the afternoons!

Good for you! I'm right there with you. I hate it when people question me about my "diet" - hellllloooo I'm not on a frickin' diet. I'm making healthier choices across all aspects of my life including food. I am of the belief that you can eat what you want when you want in moderation. I follow how my body is feeling and if…

Hey Deborah! Greetings from Atlanta. I look forward to following you on your reinvention journey.

I have honestly lost 91 pounds without counting calroies. I signed up for this site a few weeks ago because a coworker encouraged me to try it with her. I'm really not a fan of counting calories at all. It makes me feel like I cannot trust myself to eat healthily on my own and that I need to report everything to a log in…

I love Tae Bo. It has been an integral part in my 91 lbs weight loss. I highly recommend the "Get Ripped" series. I bought the DVD set that has two DVDs and I believe it contains 6 workouts. The instructional workout, two basic workouts, two advance workouts and an 8 minute fast workout. I have been using these DVDs for…

I am a huge fan of Tae Bo. I know there is kicking and other leg movement but all of the movements are super controlled especially if you start off with the basic workouts. Form is really important and the Tae Bo DVDs move at a pace that allows you to have the correct form the entire duration of the workout ; plus Billy…

Thanks for sharing your story. Based on what I have read - it definitely sounds like you need to get help in getting over your eating disorder(s). You have to get to the root cause of what going on emotionally and mentally before you are ever going to acheive your goals. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and…

Oh believe me I did!!! The cheapest I could find them for online was $100 ($25 off retail) and I scooped them up as a replacement pair. My original pair I paid the suggested retail of $125 less 5% for turning in my old running shoes. I'm hoping that once the Nimbus 13's come out I'll be able to find the 12's on clearance -…

It sounds like you are getting shin splints and it could very well be from the shoes you are wearing (among other things). Here is a blog posting on shin splints: http://blast900.com/blog/?p=80

I also agree with checking out a running store. They will examine how you run and take into account your foot shape in selecting a shoe for you. I have a medium-high arch and slightly underpronate. I ended up with the Asics Gel Nimbus 12 and LOVE them! Only thing I don't like is the price point because I end up wearing…

[[/quote] Wow, 7000 calories on her cheat day. 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat. [/quote] I know which is why I think this idea sounds totally ridiculous. I can agree with upping calories on a day here and there (calorie shifting) but just excessively eating like that sounds insane.

Not sure about Sketchers Shapeups as I've never worn them but the Reebok Easytone's messed up my feet. I now have pain in my arches several times a week from wearing them and I haven't even worn them in about a year. Not sure what they did to my feet but I regret ever getting them. I'll stick to plain ol' running shoes.

I always eat a banana or other whole fruit before a morning workout. I am an oatmeal girl myself but its way too filling before a workout. After I workout I like something thats high in protein - usually greek yogurt because it doesn't require me to cook anything :laugh:

I weigh in daily - once in the morning. That's it. Body weight fluctuates too much during the day to get accurate readings all day long. Pick a time of day and stick with it. One time I weighed myself in the morning and then again at night. There was a 5 lbs difference! The next morning I weighed again and I was back down…

I kind of use the opposite approach than other MFP members. I weigh myself everyday. In all my previous weightloss journies I had the mentality that I wasn't going to weigh myself - I was just going to go based off of how I was feeling and how my clothes fit. It always worked initially but then I would slack off for a day…