Senneth12

Walked 0.25 mile Goal: two miles

For me, it is all about sustainability. I gained a lot of weight (70 lbs). I lost a lot of weight (45 lbs). I gained some back (15lbs). I've kept the rest (30lbs) off for six years. That leaves me at 150lbs at 5'9. I can maintain at 150 without counting calories, as long as my diet is decent (plenty of fruits and…

I like the arc trainer. I can use an elliptical, but the arc trainer is easier on my knees.

Do you know what's wrong with your knees? I've done level 1 a few times with some friends. I have one bad knee and one horrendous knee. I didn't do anything that involved jumping. That's just asking for trouble. I agree that jumping jacks are a bad idea for bad knees, but why are you avoiding lunges? I've done them in…

Get a second surgeon's opinion before having another surgery. If at all possible, have your second opinion be with a dr in another town. Good luck. Injuries suck. Since he told you swimming is fine, I'd spend as much time as possible swimming. The stronger you can keep your muscles, the better off you'll be.

I don't drink. It's more accurate to say that I can't drink. I get questions sometimes, but not as often as before. My friends like always having a sober driver :)

Defending this article and defending diet sodas are two completely different things. Since many people accept chain emails as fact, people with health problems (in this case, MS) end up having to explain that they are actually sick and that, using this example, not drinking diet sodas will not cure their disease. Chronic…

Look. I'm all for personal responsibility. I've gained weight on these drugs, I've lost it, and I've maintained a healthy weight for the last five years or so. But these drugs make you hungry AND change your metabolism. So to some extent, I agree with the people who blame their weight gain on the pill. I was always…

The problem with Seroquel (and most of the antipsychotics) is twofold: 1) It makes you hungry, and it screws with your hunger signals so you never know when you're full 2) It messes with your metabolism You can lose weight and then maintain a healthy weight on it. I've done both. But it does make it much harder.

Schedule an appointment with your dr. But until you can get in, I also recommend smoothies. When I'm having trouble eating, they're easier on me. Easy "recipe": frozen fruit, yogurt (I prefer Greek, and that ups the protein content) and either juice or milk.

Butter. Definitely butter. And heavy cream. Cookies and cupcakes and buttercream frosting. I've learned to bake in the last year, and I knew my weight hadn't gone up, but I was worried that all the butter and cream would make my cholesterol go up. Nope. It was down. Significantly. I drink all skim milk, though. My dad…

I have the burger. I almost never eat red meat. Not because I think it's bad for me, just because I don't really like it that much. But more times than not, my PMS craving is a burger. I'd rather eat the burger than be miserable.

Tomatoes. Specifically, almost any of the heirloom varieties instead of the weird ones you buy at the store. Most vegetables and fruits are much better homegrown, but tomatoes are the one where I notice the biggest difference.

That video made my OCD self cringe. Yes, you need to level it, and any time you scoop you're going to get more in the cup. Ex: if you scoop oatmeal or flour, you're going to get way more than if you spoon it into the cup one spoonful at a time. I bake a lot. For quick breads or cookies or cupcakes I use measuring cups and…

Have you had your B12 levels checked? I'm doing B12 shots because I have trouble absorbing it, and my levels were low. They don't hurt, and they aren't a big deal, but I don't know why you would do them unless you have to. If your levels are good, I don't think you'll gain anything. Under 200 is deficient, and my doctor…

Pushing through actual joint pain is a bad thing. I don't push through new pain- ever. With all my old injuries, I know what pain is normal with exercise, and what isn't, so I'm comfortable (as are my doctors and physical therapists) with me pushing through that pain. Muscle soreness? If they're really really sore, I'm not…

I keep a separate physical therapy log. The exercises I do twice a day at home (total of about an hour and a half) help my leg, but I don't think they burn many more calories than just sitting, and after more than two years I figure my body is used to them. I should probably log the pt exercises I do at the gym, though.…

I just wanted to touch on this point. A lot of people who have Marfan's or other connected disorders don't know they have it, and routine sports physicals often miss it. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disorder that can also cause heart problems. I had seven highly respected/well trained…

Yes and no. I'm 5'9, and I can easily maintain at 150. My body likes this weight. I've maintained it for about five years now, after a weight loss of about 30lbs. If I watch calories and exercise more I can get down to 140, but my body really doesn't like it. That puts me at about a U.S. size 2-4. I don't look healthy, and…

It's about health. I need to stay at my current healthy weight, because excess pounds are hard on bad joints. I need to build as much muscle as possible to make up for my defective ligaments and tendons. I have enough health problems I can't avoid- I'd rather not add any more.

Like I said, swimming is long term, not now :) I'm confused. You said you were supposed to try to stay off your leg, and now you say you are on crutches, but can get around without them just fine? If they told you to stay off your knee, stay off of it and stay on the crutches. When you're rehabbing an injury, just because…

Calories are the most important thing. Even if you aren't able to exercise at all, watching what you eat can stop any weight gain. How is your mobility? Are you using crutches? Any upper body exercises are probably fine, but if you're on crutches a hard workout might leave you unable to "walk" as much as you would like.…

A lot of times popping is nothing, sometimes it's something. The only person who can tell you is a good doctor or physical therapist. But, in regards to bracing. I have a couple if joints that are permanently braced, and a couple more that are sometimes braced. The wrong type of brace can do a lot of damage, and one of the…

If you usually log walks, and you are using crutches for a comparable amount of time, it would make sense. In my experience, using crutches burns a few more calories than walking normally until my body adjusts, and then it's back to normal. But I've had quite a few six month stretches, so that may be different. If I were…

Pilates. It won't get rid of your stomach; you can't spot reduce, but careful Pilates with correct form has done wonders for stabilizing my core.

Most mornings, it's one of these three things 1) oatmeal. Not the instant stuff. With lots of cinnamon, fresh apples or blueberries if I have them, and if not frozen cherries (defrost first) or raisins. 2) Greek yogurt and a banana 3) If I feel like I can't eat anything, 8oz of skim milk and 4oz of orange juice. It's…

Thanks. I'll send you a pm. I don't have access to a pool right now, but should within the next month. I used to swim at least a mile a day, and I think it would be a good thing to get back to.

I don't consider any foods as cheating, although I do consider some better than others. I lost 30lbs six years ago, and I've kept it off. One of the things that has made maintenance doable is that while I was losing, I learned that moderation is much more important than cutting out trigger foods completely.

I eat it plain, but it's also good on sandwiches.

Yes, you need to go see your doctor. There are quite a few possible causes for this, and your doctor will help you figure it out. That said, I'm 5'9 and average 153lbs (throughout the month I cycle between 150 and 155) and relatively sedentary, and I maintain on about 1800 calories a day. I'd guess that 1200 calories,…