enchantedgardener Member

My current favourite is Chili Chocolate Chai from David's Tea. Sooo amazing! But pretty much everything from David's is great. The only tea I hate is Earl Grey. I cannot stand the smell of bergamot.

Get rid of your big clothes!!! I've decided that I never want to fit in that size again, so why bother holding on to my old clothes? Besides, I'd rather have my closet and dresser containing clothes that look great on me right now rather than stuff that does not fit. Clothes that don't fit are just excess clutter, and I…

Re: Iron intake Since food labels aren't required to list the iron (mg or DRI%), oftentimes a food item might have 0 mg iron in the database when it actually does contain iron. I noticed raw carrots, as an example, are often listed as 0 mg iron when in fact they are a good source. Some entries for 'carrots' in the database…

As others have mentioned, yes, it does speed metabolism, but not by any significant degree. However, if you are replacing your sweet tea with green tea, you are doing your body a world of good! Sweet tea has a LOT of sugar, green tea with a bit of honey has much less. It will help you lose weight not by boosting your…

The default setting for macros in myfitnesspal is 20% protein, 30% fats, and 50% carbs. Personally, I find that I do much better with a higher ratio of protein. I like 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs. I need to restrict my carb intake because I LOVE breads, pasta, sweets. I can't just have a little - I always want more,…

Tissues, 2 stuffed hedgehogs (toys), books galore, my phone, condoms, lube, and a wooden chest full of adult toys! Aside from the tissues, all things that I love and enjoy!

I've been meaning to start making my own yogurt from whole milk. I go through so much plain yogurt in a week! I love it! Fat free yogurt is terrible. I always choose 2-5% fat yogurt, sometimes the 10% fat when I want a healthy treat.

My favourite protein powder is Whey Gourmet Naturelle Vanilla Bean. Amazing great taste on its own (can drink it stirred into a glass of water), mixes well without a blender, and well priced. No artificial flavours, no artificial sweeteners, only a few ingredients (whey, cane sugar, stevia, natural flavour, calcium…

I don't use any sweetener in my coffee or tea anymore. I got used to it by slowly decreasing the sugar I used over time. I do sweeten my plain greek yogurt as well as my oatmeal. I usually use either stevia or dark maple syrup when at home. I'll occasionally use white, brown, or turbinado sugar. I avoid Splenda and…

I scored an 18, which is the low end of moderate. I'm quite surprised I didn't score higher, and I'm certain a few months ago I would have scored much higher. I've been working hard on controlling my urge to binge. It isn't easy, but I've been making progress. Having healthy snacks every day at work has helped a lot. The…

Curried pumpkin soup! I'll share the recipe once I find it.

I've been getting rid of them as I move forwards. It kind of hurts sometimes to part with my more expensive items, but I know someone else is going to enjoy them (and look good in them) and that makes me feel a little better. If it's too big, donate it!

I don't believe in following strict diet plans that completely eliminate certain kinds of foods. The healthiest diet is the one that you know you can follow for the rest of your life. I've just cut down on refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, etc), fewer sweets, less processed foods. I now eat more vegetables, whole…

Green tea makes a great iced tea! I especially love the flavoured green teas for this: jasmine, citrus, peach, pomegranate, etc. Do be sure not to over-steep green tea as it becomes bitter in less time than does black tea.

OH YEAH!

I've dated my fair share of inconsiderate jerks. I know how painful it can be to realize you've been wasting your time on someone who clearly didn't deserve your love! Now you're ready to embark on a new journey. How wonderful indeed! Taking good care of yourself is the absolute best thing you can do to get over a painful…

I cook in a restaurant, so I know how difficult it can be. It's so easy to grab a handful of fries at any time of the day/night, but the calories (high) and nutrition (low) just don't justify eating them. Sandwiches are generally a healthy choice if you: choose whole wheat breads, replace mayo with mustard or bbq sauce,…

I hope you gave her a big hug! It's wonderful when those closest to us encourage us to be our best and support us in our goals. You're lucky to have such a great daughter!

I was very proud the day I say 'goodbye' to obesity and am very much looking forward to the day I hit my healthy weight!

I also endorse Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food.

2 lbs a week for 3 weeks is excellent progress! You say you're disappointed because you've lost more than that before when first beginning a diet? You can't expect the same results as you've gotten in the past. Your body has changed (postpartum) and you've gotten older, perhaps your body composition (fat%, etc) is…

I've gone from a 38H to a 36FF after a 20 lb loss. It's hard to gauge accurately (different brands and styles = different fit), but I'm guessing I'm down two cup sizes and down one band size.

I've been in Toronto 15 years, but my heart still lives in Moncton, NB.

He presents a few good eating rules, but lots of junk nutrition/dieting information. The facts is that you can lose weight eating any kind of diet provided you are using up more calories than you are taking in. Calculate your BMR and your TDEE. If you eat fewer calories than your TDEE, you'll lose weight. The greater the…

- Looking at my body in the mirror every day and feeling proud of the transformation I see - Wearing clothes that haven't fit me well in 5 years - Strangers noticing me more often; smiles, flirting - Co-workers commenting on how I look - Being able to do things with ease I once found difficult: walking up 4 flights of…

I read your post and it echoes a lot of the challenges I have faced. One of the things I'm hearing you say is that you're willing to go out of your way to do kind things for others, but that kindness is not always reciprocated and this hurts you. And it sounds like maybe you give others more support and care than perhaps…

Give yourself SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based/Trackable Here's a good outline on setting SMART goals: http://www.fitnessmantra.info/2007/09/13/smart-goal-setting-for-fitness-and-weight-management/ The great news is that you're already doing this with your exercise regimen!!!!! Set a…

I buy workout clothes, shoes, and gear as 'rewards' for working out consistently. I recently got a pair of Reebok runners, my first ever 'expensive' workout shoes, and gosh do they ever make a difference when I jog! I love them! And I'll never purchase cheap running shoes again.

Hi Sara. I'm Lisa, and I'm a binge eater too. For me, it started when I was a kid. I used to sneak into the kitchen at night to find snacks to hide in my room. At around the age of 13, I used to bake cookies and other desserts after school (before my parents came home) and I would hide part of what I made. Noticing my…

I try to eat clean most of the time. It's not always possible, of course, but I do my best! I'm happy to add friends who are also trying to adopt clean eating habits. My current focus is on eating mostly whole, minimally-processed foods as often as possible. I don't follow any strict eating rules other than trying to…