MrsJS5 Member

INFJ too!

I chose Insanity because the workouts looked like something I would stick with. P90X had yoga workouts and pull-ups and it just didn't sound fun to me. Choose the workouts (and instructor) that you know you will stick with for the long-run. Insanity is the only video program that I don't find painfully boring. It's…

Blogilates!! Otherwise I use youtube to check form for different lifts. Bodybuilding.com has better videos but it's easier to find videos on youtube so I use it if I need to check something quickly.

My family is difficult to cook for too! I have two sons and a husband who don't eat vegetarian. I was trying to raise my first son as a vegan and it turned out that he is deathly allergic to almost all vegetarian protein (nuts, soy, beans, peas, sesame....). The other son eats about 5 different foods so mealtimes are…

I'm interested in an active vegan/veggie group! I don't think there is an active group on MFP. I am vegan on and off. I just switched back to a vegan diet recently from eating "green" with chicken and egg whites in my diet. So far, so good! I was eating animal protein for weight loss. I always seem to put on weight with a…

Thanks for explaining your thought process. It's helpful to know how others think through making tough decisions.

Wow! Amazing!!!

If you are a gym member see if there is someone who can measure with calipers. I have a Tanita scale and research shows that the scale is more accurate than the Omron (Texas A&M - I think - did a study on Omron and they are not accurate for women). I measure my BF% every night at the same time and just track over time.…

I was measuring instead of weighing for awhile and when I compared the two - measuring was off by about 200 calories a day and that's a big difference for me. So I was eating at maintenance.

I live in a nice suburb of Los Angeles and there are gyms. yoga studios, and pilates studios on almost every corner. Spectrum, Gold's, 24/7, and a new Equinox all within 1-2 miles of my house. I joined a women's gym though because I use the free weights and I can't move 100 lb. weights off of equipment that the guys leave…

Stevia can cause issues too but really look at the sucralose (which is Splenda). Years ago when I was doing Weight Watchers, they really encourage the sugar free items and I noticed I was getting really bloated. I went online and looked for sucralose - bloating issues. The stories were funny (or sad). One guy said he…

5'5.5 and my current weight is 118 and my goal weight is around 115 but BF% is my real goal. I'm at 18% right now. I want to be around 16%.

Look and see if anything you are eating or the supplements contain any fake sugars or fibers. Maltitol and other sugar alcohols are added as "natural" fake sugar and a lot of people have trouble digesting them. Inulin, chicory root extract and other fibers are also difficult to digest. Splenda/sucralose is also notorious…

Bloating and gas. I try to avoid these if I can :smile: ! Look at the WebMD page on Chia seeds. There are indications of possible side effects - but obviously almost any food can have a side effect and lots of people love chia.

I used to add them to my oatmeal. I would make the oatmeal at night and add liquid and the chia seeds would absorb the almond milk. It would give the oatmeal more of a creamy texture. Tapioca - like is a good description. I don't think they have a flavor but maybe a bit nutty. I really liked the consistency of the oatmeal…

Get a food scale. I confirmed the above quote this week. I had been measuring out a level 1/2 cup of oats and finally weighed them and the calorie difference is significant (especially over a period of time). Otherwise, some calorie counts are for cooked oats and some dry, just be specific if you are getting the calorie…

122 with excess weight in belly and thighs sounds like me. You just carry weight in your lower body (healthier but frustrating :smile: ). I have the same issue - the muffin top/ belly thing happened more after having kids. If you've had kids, it can really change where you hold fat - it did for me. I've started lifting…

Tanita and Omron are the two common brands for electrical impedance measurement. I have a Tanita scale (around $70 I think) and as long as you measure a few hours after eating and not right after a shower or body lotion (water and other things on skin change results) it is pretty accurate if you track over a period of…

Maybe try a weightlifter's diet. They are trying to bulk while keeping fat low.

There's an online company called Pilates Anytime that has "live" classes you can choose from and they have different types of classes (Mat, Reformer, etc...). The monthly fee isn't bad especially if you want choices and there seems to be a lot of new classes added with different instructors. I like "The Method" mat DVDs…

I am so sorry that this happened to you. I work with teenage girls in an affluent area and they are under so much pressure to look right and have a certain body. Think of the horrible place they must be in to feel the need to do that. What must their lives be like if they do that to a complete stranger? Find a positive…

Anything Nike. I like the 2.0 Legend Capris. Nike tights tend to "ride up" less than other brands and they are made of a thicker material so they just look smoother on - don't show lumps and bumps as much.

Sorry if someone has already said this - I'm not going to read through all the responses - but it has a lot to do with your body dimensions. I'm 5'6" and I weigh 119 and I've had two kids. I had great abs 3 weeks after my second child and a 50 lb. weight gain because I hold almost no weight in my abs and I never have. I…

Don't worry about starvation mode - all of those studies were done over long periods of time (over a year) on extreme diets and the Biosphere 2 extreme diet only slowed the subjects BMR by 65 kcal which is half an apple's worth of calories. And of course the subjects' BMR went back to normal once they started eating…

I wanted to add something to my previous reply... Although I am eating around 1200 right now, I just started lifting heavier weights last week and I will probably need to increase my calories to have the energy I need. I think a lot of the people encouraging the OP to eat more are coming from the point of view that you…

Cassey is really motivating and positive! I think her videos are really tough - tougher than most. She has lots of great information on her website. Good luck!

I eat 5-6 small meals a day and I feel great at the end of the day. If lifting I eat a small amount of almond butter and apple before the gym and a protein powder shake when I get home with 1/2 a scoop of powder, 1/2 banana, and 1/2 cup almond milk and water and ice. At 8 AM I eat oatmeal (1/2 cup cooked) with a cup of…

I put them in oatmeal that I leave to soak up water and almond milk all night to take to work in the morning for breakfast. They have a tapioca-like quality that makes the icebox oatmeal really good. I have only read of the health benefits. Now I guess I will research them more.

Not much. I was eating out more before but I would chose salads without dressing (I don't like salad dressing). Even with healthy choices, it's difficult to control any added fats to veggies and chicken so I would say that my fat has probably gone down slightly or is the same. I've added a small amount of almond butter for…

I have had a few really tired days but I haven't felt the need to eat anything to get rid of the tiredness. Does that make sense? Three weeks ago I would eat to try to get rid of the tiredness but I haven't felt the need to. What have I been adding: That magical elixir known as coffee :smile: !