ruststar Member

Avocado is great to add to sandwiches or salads, nuts like almonds or walnuts can be added to cereal or salads or just as a snack with fruit. String cheese or greek yogurt are good calcium options. I love my Orchard Bars which are pretty healthy (and vegan if that matters to you), and my go-to need to fill in calories…

Maybe break it up into smaller meals throughout the day and eat more nutritionally dense food? If your target is 2000 calories, for example, you could break that into three meals at 4-500 apiece and have three snacks for 150-200. If you truly feel full, drink some of the calories, provided it's healthy stuff (Silk coconut…

I've struggled with it - still am - but I know that I have to be in this for life, not just to lose weight quickly. I don't want to be back here doing it all over again in a year! Think about what's a sustainable level you can eat for the rest of your life. Do you think you can stick to the ultra low calorie forever? If…

kcalli - I saw a physical therapist yesterday because of my knees and she said if the joints hurt, do something else. I'm going to be modifying the moves and extremely careful on the squats and lunges because my knees have been real issues for a while. Ultimately I want to get back to running more than I want to kick…

MFP defaults to 55% carbs, 15% protein, and 30% fat. I reset mine to 40/30/30 after much fiddling.

I've noticed muscles showing in my arms, shoulders, and abs and it's got me excited to keep going. I have a physical therapy appointment today about my knees (an ongoing problem since March) and I hope I get the go-ahead to keep doing the Shred. If I don't I'll just modify. I try to spend my "sitting time" on stability…

I seriously overpronate and went to a specialty running store to get advice on the right shoe for me. They had me run in the store to assess my gait and then again with several different brands of shoes on. We settled on one from Brooks which I now buy from Zappos whenever I need a new pair. Running shoes is one area I…

My friend does 4 sets of 10-12 reps and takes a one minute break between each set - that stretches the whole thing out. But...from observing the guys in my gym, there seems to be a lot of chatter going on. They're as chatty as my grandma's coffee circle.

I've done 6 days now and the squats have gotten easier. Strangely the squats and lunges don't hurt my knees much, just the jumping.

I worked out for a year before joining MFP and I did that only after realizing that exercise wasn't going to do it. There are a million other health benefits, but weight loss seems to be about 90% what you eat. As long as you can stay in a deficit you will lose weight, even without exercise. My good friend, who has had…

Figure out how many calories you actually burn in a day and you'll see that what they suggest is significantly lower. This tool is pretty helpful: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced, plus there is a weight loss tool you can use after you figured out your expendiature at the same site…

I've had to bind up my knees to get through this workout and I want to throttle Jillian everytime she says "I've had 400 pound people doing jumping jacks - you can do it, too". With a brace and supports on my knee I have been able to get through it, but today there was actual pain (bone on bone grind-y kind of pain) with…

Before you worry about what combination of carbs, protein, and fat to eat, start small and simply change when you eat your calories throughout the day. If you change everything at once you won't know what exactly did the trick. As you eat breakfast in the morning more often you will adjust. I find I can't eat all that much…

I'm on day 5 of level 1 and I can definitely feel a difference. I'm encouraged that many of you are doing additional exercise beyond the DVD - while those 20 minutes kick my butt, my calorie burn goal is twice what the Shred can provide. I'm certain I can keep this going through level 1, but I'm worried about levels 2 and…

I don't trust the MFP calculator at all. My BMR for my goal weight, the amount of calories I need to keep my body alive if I'm in a COMA, is 1499, but according to MFP, to lose 1 pound a week I need to eat less than the bare minimum my body needs even when I'm 60 pounds lighter. My caloric needs at my goal weight, even at…

I had hit a plateau recently and toyed with the idea of dropping my calories even lower, and then I heard some really good advice: eat like the thinner person you want to be. So I researched the BMR of a person at my target weight and guess what? To maintain that weight, lower than I am now, they had to eat more than I was…

I'm nursing a knee injury right now which has me cursing because my copy of the 30 Day Shred is coming in the mail today. I'm going to try it and see if the moves are modifiable this weekend, and if my knee is up for it, I'm in.

Maybe you just need a bit more time to get going - perhaps start with a brisk walk to some up-tempo music will help. I run in the mornings too but I don't find it any more sluggish, but I do take a little longer to warm up.

I doubt it's terrible for you - the snacks help people keep from getting too hungry. If you can go from lunch to dinner without starving that's great - provided you're not nibbling unconsciously as you make dinner or choosing something you hadn't intended to because you're planning with a hungry stomach (those are the…

550 calories in liquid form - no wonder you're hungry! I recommend getting those same nutrients in solid form - two oranges is about 200 calories plus they fill you up. Two non-fat Greek yogurt is 240 calories and you'll feel much more full. Better yet, up your protein - a couple servings of lean turkey meat, some tuna, or…

I have bat wings, so I totally feel your pain. I have noticed that the more strength training I do the more solid I feel. I've even worn short sleeves tops recently that I NEVER would have considered. What's helped is working all the arm and shoulder muscles, not any one particular tricep workout. My shoulders are more…

When I first started running last year I started with walking and eventually just found my body wanted to run - at the 4.0 mph threshold it was actually easier than trying to walk that speed. Over time running became more comfortable and felt natural, but when it was new it felt reaaally awkward. I recommend what others…

I've been guessing that it means "No Small Victories" but I'm not sure.

I found that doing exercise videos and Wii fitness games barefoot in my living room caused me trouble - my floor, even with carpeting, isn't cushion-y enough. Now I always wear shoes (except for the Wii Fit because of the board), and the pain is going away.

I really enjoyed Zumba classes and went a couple times per week when I went to a gym that taught them. I stopped going when they just became too crowded. I wasn't doing anything about my diet at the time, so I can't say they made any difference in that vein, but they were extremely helpful to help me get started working…

When was the last time you bought exercise shoes? You might find a new pair will clear it up, since it's mostly twinges.

Stick to a 5 day per week walking schedule with 2 weight training sessions. Stay off the high heels, which keep exacerbating a hamstring injury. Get back to regular running by the end of the month.

I think it might be jealousy, but do think about your own behavior to see if you might, unwittingly, be fueling this reaction. i have a coworker, skinny little guy, who went on a diet for some reason (he's about 5'10" and 140), and anytime there was food around the office or at social occasions we got to hear all about how…

I tried two different calculators and got 27 and 29% body fat. Split the difference and go for 28%?

I just looked at my diary and I think you may be right - the day before I'd had something carb heavy for dinner and I haven't eaten like that in almost two months. Maybe my body just wasn't used to that anymore.