AHASRADA Member

It could be a glitch, I suppose, or you could have just spent more time on your feet and active but not really walking. I have days like that, where I think my routine was pretty much the same but I had a much higher burn. But, if I really think about the day, I maybe spent an extra hour in the kitchen baking or doing…

I use liquid Stevia extract to sweeten my tea, oatmeal, plain yogurt, anything like that where you just need a bit of sweetness. I prefer to use something derived from a plant than pure chemicals. Xylitol is also plant-based, and is easier to use in baking, etc. However, I would not try to replace all sugar in baked goods…

I have a Fitbit Zip, a HRM and a BodyMedia Fit link band. I wear both the Fitbit and BodyMedia 24/7, and the HRM during dedicated exercise. I keep a spreadsheet to compare data from all three. I have come to the conclusion that there is no perfect activity tracker. Wrist-worn trackers are convenient to check throughout the…

I used to be afraid of it too. I tried it a couple of times in 2012 and gave up. I never did it the 30 days in a row, but I added it to my rotation, doing Level 1 once a week or so, then working up to the higher levels as each became easier. Now I can do Level 3 without too much difficulty (although it's still a tough…

almonds avocado sliced deli meat cottage cheese string cheese cheddar cheese fresh mozzarella (OK, any cheese :) I'm usually low on fat, so that's why my list looks like it does :) If by some strange twist of fate I had any carbs leftover at the end of the day, I'd add either popcorn or fruit.

I've used the Garden of Life Chocolate Kiss flavored vegan protein powder for over a month (just finished the tub). I've also tried chocolate flavored Lean Whey brand whey protein, to compare. I actually think the Garden of Life flavor is a bit more intense, stronger than the whey, more of a dark chocolate type of flavor.…

I have the opposite problem: I can usually meet my protein goals, but always have to add fat in! I follow a 40c/30f/30p split, so that might make a difference. I get my protein from: whey protein powder vegan protein powder whole eggs chicken breast turkey bacon sliced smoked turkey breast fish beef soy hot dogs 2% cottage…

Welcome, Kathy! Good for you for taking this step to lose weight and improve your health. Just a few comments/suggestions based on your post: 1. MFP is a wonderful tool, the support network is amazing, but it can't lose the weight for you. If you are committed, log your food honestly and accurately and become more active,…

This fall, when my weight loss had slowed down after losing steadily at 1200 cals/day for several months, I tried Chris' plan. The way I did it was: 1200-1250 cals. low carb days 1450-1500 cals. high carb days 1650 on cheat day It seemed to break me out of my plateau, but soon after starting the program I got a Fitbit,…

I wear my Fitbit Zip all the time and use my HRM during dedicated workouts. The Fitbit is best at recording step-based exercise, so walking, running and everyday moving around while you conduct your daily business. I do a variety of exercise DVDs with different styles of movement, so I prefer to use my HRM for those in…

You know, BMF lets you adjust your calorie intake goal based on your burn goal. So, if you choose a 500 cal. deficit, you can slide both your intake and burn goals up and down in order to meet that deficit. If you want to eat more, you have to burn more, and vice versa. After a few weeks of using BMF, I knew what a fairly…

Good attitude and good point. So many of us have a hard time getting motivated in the beginning, and then staying motivated when we hit a plateau or the healthy lifestyle just seems too hard. It can seem like a long, slow struggle sometimes, but what is the alternative? Keep doing the things that made us fat, and keep…

Well, I don't run on my treadmill, I only walk at about a 3 mph pace (this is in addition to my 60 min. AM workouts, just to get in my daily 10k steps!) I walk an average of 1 1/2 hours a day divided between two sessions. That's all the time I have for watching/reading in my day anyway, so I may as well get my activity in…

Good advice! My treadmill has a shelf that holds a media device, so I watch YouTube videos on my iPod or read books on my Kindle. It definitely makes the time pass more pleasantly. I actually don't even watch TV anymore; I do all my watching while walking!

I just started watching "Fat Doctor" on YouTube, which is a British TV series about obese people undergoing gastric surgery to lose weight (I'm not really interested in the surgery angle, but enjoy hearing of their struggles and successes). They refer to their weight in "stones", and I had to plug it into my measurement…

I followed the plan strictly for about 4 months (Sept.-Dec. 2013). It did help me break through a plateau, but I slowly increased my exercise and I started to feel really weak on my 1200 cal. low carb days. After eating a ton more calories over the holidays, I decided to up my calories and I feel much better. I belong to a…

Yes, but many people do some tweaking here. In order for both my MFP and Fitbit daily calorie burn goal to match up, I have them set at the same deficit, but I play around with my activity level on MFP. I choose the level that, when adding my exercise calories, comes closest to my Fitbit goal. On an average day, I'll break…

Fitbit and MFP approach calories differently. MFP gives you a certain number of calories for the day based on the activity level setting you chose. What you see at the beginning of the day is what you get for the day, period, and if you add exercise, those will be added to your quota as well. Fitbit shows how many calories…

I don't eat before my workout, but I do guzzle a liter of water by the time I've finished! I follow my workout with some coconut water, and protein powder mixed with kefir. I have my actual 'breakfast" a couple of hours later (an egg, oatmeal and a piece of fruit). If you are feeling like you need to eat prior to…

Yeah, I tried it with stevia alone and didn't like it at all. Maybe along with fresh fruit it would be better. Personally, I drink plain Kefir and add stevia to it, and it's great. BTW, did you use powdered or liquid stevia? I only use liquid, it mixes a lot better, especially in hot liquids like tea.

Your story brought me to tears. I was well on my way to living your life, 203 pounds at 39 years old 5'4" and I had resigned myself to just being fat for the rest of my life. You're supposed to gain weight as you get older, right? It's reasonable to have weight you can't lose after having 3 kids, right? But my weight had…

Because flavored yogurt has tons, tons of sugar!! It is better to buy plain and then stir in your own fruit, granola, etc. and count those calories and macros separately, and/or flavor it with stevia. Greek yogurt has much more protein per serving than regular "diet" yogurt that might have artificial sweeteners, which is…

I don't know if there are any official instructions. I wash mine in hot, soapy water using blue Dawn dishwashing detergent, but don't submerge the plastic part. It has that indentation that plugs into the charging port on the device, and I don't want to take any chances on moisture remaining in there and messing anything…

Only you know if you are just having a tough day and want to vent, but really are committed to your running goal, or if you truly do hate it and running isn't for you. I also hate running, used to do it twice a week because it was the best thing to get my heart rate up, but then I found other class-based aerobic exercise I…

Oops, double post:)

You might be able to do it on your own, but not simply through "willpower". You have to change the way you think about food, find alternative stress relief, rewards etc. to replace what food is doing for you. It's a total lifestyle and mindset re-do in relation to the role food plays in your life. If you are ready and…

I have an HRM too, and I wear it during workouts. The Fitbit measures your activity over the course of the rest of the day. Before I got mine, I would work out for an hour in the AM and then go on with my day. Until I got my Fitbit, I never realized how sedentary I was during the rest of the day. I was only logging 5k…

I also have a Zip. Love it! You have to decide which type of device you would prefer: wrist band (Flex or Force) or torso clip (One or Zip). The wrist band is nice because you can glance down at the display at any time more easily than if it's at your hip, but the torso clip is more discreet and won't crowd out your watch.…

I have been wearing my Fitbit Zip for 3 months, and my BodyMedia Fit arm band for 6 weeks. I am still collecting data comparing them to each other as well as to my actual TDEE (based on weight loss). I love my Zip because it's discreet, easy to use and motivating. I can check the display at any time and having step,…