happyhiker83

It's also used in Okinawan cooking, where it's called "goya." Try making a goya champuru: slice the goya into thin half-moons, soak in salt water for 15-30 minutes to cut some of the bitterness, then stir-fry with pork or Spam, soft tofu, and scrambled egg. Some people don't like the bitterness of goya, but once you…

I have a strong genetic predisposition to cellulite. All the women on my father's side of the family have it, no matter their lifestyle or fitness level. It first appeared on me in large quantities at age 12, when I was 5'2" and weighed about 108-110 pounds. I can't tell you how much anguish it caused me during most of my…

Have you recently started or quit the pill? Could you possibly be pregnant? If not, you might have ovarian cysts, which affect your hormone levels and disrupt your menstrual cycle. They are very common in otherwise healthy young women and eventually go away on their own. As long as your weight is within the healthy range…

None of the above. http://www.thisgoesin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Lady-Gaga-Butt.jpg :love:

I've never met a tea I don't like! In addition to the ones you listed, I also love corn, barley, and dandelion teas. The healthiest tea is whichever one replaces soda in a person's diet. :smile:

You are amazing. Enjoy your beautiful, healthy body and your happy new life!

I love wine and the occasional beer. When I first started MFP, I was surprised at how many calories alcoholic drinks have. I now indulge in smaller quantities: one drink instead of two or three. Since my alcohol tolerance has gone down, one drink feels like plenty. My liver, my waistline, and my wallet all benefit, so I'm…

I live in Japan and have eaten konyaku in its many different "native" forms. It's not a fad or an expensive novelty food here, just a traditional part of the Japanese diet. It's typically sliced into very thin strips and added to stir-frys, or made into jelly for low-calorie desserts. It can also be cut into cubes, lightly…

I want to repeat what someone else said: is it possible you could be pregnant? I am 5'1" and started out at 120 lbs with a goal of losing 10-12 pounds. I tried 1200 calories a day for a just a week and was miserable. Now I eat 1390 plus all my exercise calories (net calories usually come to 1600-1650) and I am still losing…

I am pescetarian and eat fish about 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time, I eat vegetarian. I stick to fish that are sustainable and low in mercury. My cholesterol levels are excellent. If you have problems with cholesterol, then this is the way to go. On the other hand, I don't credit my good cholesterol just to being…

I've lived in Japan for six years. Many people here eat white rice with every meal but the portion sizes are small. Brown rice is available (and delicious!) but white rice is considered perfectly healthy. Not all Japanese are thin, though. The typical Japanese diet is not nearly as healthy as it once was, and the rates of…

I understand your frustration, but in my experience it takes at least six weeks of regular, frequent workouts before the results start to become visible. Since you've been working at it for a month now, that means you're almost there!

Beans, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, nuts, and nut butters are good vegetarian sources of protein. Try to include one serving of any of those during each meal. Also, whole grain bread and brown rice have more protein than their white counterparts. LizWe5ty, your meals sound delicious!

I just love feeling my clothes get looser, and feeling lighter and more energetic.

Go see a doctor. Do it ASAP. Even though you are taking iron supplements, there could be something going on that's inhibiting your body's absorption of iron. Or you might not have an iron deficiency at all, but a B12 or potassium deficiency, which can cause similar symptoms. There's no way to really know what's wrong…

As long as you stay under your calorie goal, you will lose weight. Try to stay under the carb, fat, and sugar limits as often as you can, but hey, nobody's perfect! Sometimes I go over my sugar limit just from eating healthy foods like beans, carrots, and fruit...

I love Smuckers Natural peanut butter! It contains no added sugar, but it's a little annoying having to stir in the oil when you first open up a new jar.

Please don't give up cucumbers and fruit! I am seriously into sweets and gave them up for Lent one year. By "sweets" I only mean foods with significant amounts of added sugar like candy, cookies, desserts, sugary drinks like cocoa, etc. I did it cold turkey. When I had a sweets craving, I ate some fruit. It was hard at…

I was a vegetarian for nine years. For the past six years, I've included small amounts of fish (1-2 servings per week) in my diet, but otherwise eat vegetarian or even vegan on most days. I also was a runner, until a knee injury put me out of commission. Identify healthy vegetarian sources of protein and eat at least one…