writergeek313 Member

I canceled it after about 6 months. The portions were small, and even though I marked dozens of things I wanted to try, I very often got a box of mostly or all repeats. It felt like they kept sending me the same things over and over.

Chili, spaghetti sauce (which you can use in a lot of different ways besides just with pasta), curries, stuffed peppers, and stews freeze well in my experience. My freezers are pretty full right now, but once I empty them a bit, I'm going to make a double batch of these:…

I try to avoid anything that has trans fats in it. Other than that, I eat what I enjoy as long as it fits in that day's macros and calories.

This is what I was going to bring up. My boyfriend is 15 years older than I am and we've been together for about two and a half years. We have a lot of shared interests and value a lot of the same things, and most of the time our age difference isn't really an issue. But I think of how much I've grown and changed since I…

Optimum Nutrition is my favorite. It dissolves really easily and mixes well with everything I've tried it with. I like the double rich chocolate flavor.

Surgery can be stressful on your body. Some swelling and retaining some fluid are normal. Don't stress out--it will just make the recovery process tougher on you both physically and emotionally. Try to stay off the scale and don't worry about your calories for a few days. Give your body all the rest and fuel it needs to…

I have to take birth control to help prevent me from getting uterine cancer. I would really rather not take it, but if I don't take it, it's almost certain that the precancerous cells I had problems with a few years ago will come back. I had a Mirena IUD for three months and had to get it removed. I had all kinds of side…

The other day I had three tablespoons of hemp seeds with a cup of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of honey. They taste slightly bitter, but the honey helped. I switched from hemp to whey powder because I wanted one I could just drink with milk or water. I found I was having a hard time getting the hemp shakes to fit my…

I would say focus on eating at a deficit and give yourself a few days to rest. If ice, elevation, rest, and ibuprofen don't help your knee feel better in a few days, see a doctor. As down as you are about not being able to exercise now, imagine how frustrating it would be to do more serious damage to your knee and not be…

I like hemp protein when it can be hidden since it sort of just looks like pond scum when you mix it with water (I was never brave enough to actually try drinking it). I'd use it in a smoothie with a banana and some frozen strawberries and usually some kind of milk (water would work, too, to keep the calories down). I also…

Two pounds a week is way too aggressive of a goal for somebody who wants to lose less than 25 pounds. That's only realistic for somebody trying to lose 75 pounds or more. Try changing your goal to a pound a week and make sure you're logging everything accurately. I got my food scale on Amazon for about $15. It was a big…

If I'm eating cereal for breakfast, it has to be one that's high in protein. Otherwise, it doesn't keep me full and makes it tough for me to reach my protein goal for the day. I like Kashi Go Lean Vanilla Graham. A 1 cup 170 calorie serving has 11g of protein. Low calorie isn't always best--it's what you get for the number…

I no longer drink alcohol because of a medication I'm on, and most of the time I only drink water or unsweetened iced tea. You could say that I gave up things like soda, juice, and other higher-calorie drinks, but I just see it as choosing to use my calories on food instead. When I was starting out, I did cut some things…

Weigh only the part you actually eat. If you can weigh just that portion (if you're going to cook a piece of meat on the bone, or if you're eating a piece of fruit whole), weigh what's left when you're done. If I don't have time to cup up an apple before I take it for lunch, I weigh the whole apple and write down the grams…

I make what I call "Protein Bomb" stuffed peppers. Cook 1/4 cup of quinoa according to package directions and let it cool (I used Trader Joe's white quinoa). Cut the tops off of five sweet red peppers. The ones I used when I made it last time came out to 884 grams. Trim any useable pieces of pepper off the stem and chop…

Your best bet would probably be to add protein powder to your oatmeal if you want at least 20g of protein, or else eat something other than oatmeal for breakfast. Also, for what it's worth, regular rolled oats take 2 minutes in the microwave. You'll save a lot of money and can have complete control of what it's your…

Appetite for Reduction is my very favorite cookbook, and I'm not even a vegetarian! I have a few other cookbooks of hers, but this is the one I like the most. The recipes are healthy, relatively easy to make, and most importantly delicious. My favorites are the black eyed peas and collards, the eggplant and chickpea curry…

If you've just started working out, it's probably water weight. Your muscles are retaining water to help them repair themselves. It will naturally go away. And as frustrating as it is, weight loss isn't linear. Stick with it! It will probably take a few weeks, but if you're logging your calories accurately and eating at a…

People who are trying to get you to stop doing something that's a serious danger to your health aren't mean. We're trying to urge you to stop hurting yourself before your energy level plummets, your hair starts breaking and falling out, and you put yourself at risk for damaging your bones and heart. NOT trying to help you…

Please stop starving yourself. It's not going to help you lose weight, and it's going to lead to serious health problems.

A container of 2% Fage topped with honey and pecans, plus two cups of coffee.

You don't need to lose more weight to start strength training. Start now. It will help you keep your lean body mass as you lose weight (meaning what you lose will be fat instead of muscle). It's hard to offer specific advice without being able to see your diary. If you're not losing, my guess would be you're not logging…

I use Optimum Nutrition protein powder. It's 28 servings (25g each) and I get it at the Vitamin Shoppe for $29.99. I also stock up on Powercrunch and Quest protein bars there, especially when I get coupons. I make tuna salad from two cans of tuna, a hardboiled egg, about 3T of light mayo, and a tablespoon or two of sweet…

I second this recommendation. I've been using protein powder for a few years, and Optimum Nutrition is the brand that I've found mixes the best and sits with me the best. I get mine from the Vitamin Shoppe, and the price is reasonable for the quality. I signed up for their free rewards program, and they send me coupons in…

Before the school year starts, you might try to stock your freezer with single servings of things like soups, stews, chili, spaghetti sauce, and other things that freeze well. Look for sales on lean proteins that you like. When I can get a sale on chicken, I'll often grill a bunch of it to freeze or make something like…

Is there a reason you're avoiding protein powder? The nut butters and seeds do have protein, but to get the same amount of protein from those that you get from a scoop of powder would get to be pretty high calorically. The only additions/replacements I can think of that would be high protein and relatively low calorie…

I made this again this morning but swapped the PB2 for half a tablespoon of dark cocoa powder. It was super chocolatey!

Rather than focusing on what he shouldn't eat, help empower him by involving him in meal planning, shopping, and preparation. 12 seems like a good age to start learning how to cook. Obviously you won't send him out to fire up the grill by himself, but he can start helping. Summer is a great time to do this because it's so…

The other day I made a shake for breakfast that had a scoop of Optimum Nutrition double rich chocolate, a cup of light vanilla almond milk, a tablespoon of PB2, a banana, and 45g of baby spinach. It was really good and around 350 calories, which is usually what I eat for breakfast.

:laugh: There's no reason to waste your money. Your goal should be to make gradual lifestyle changes that you can stick to. Quick fixes aren't sustainable. There's no magic pill or potion to jump start weight loss.