ChristinWrites Member

Yum :)

Here is what I had to do in order to be able to run at all. In January I couldn't jog up a flight of steps without feeling winded - now I run, albeit very slowly, up to 5k's at a time. When I tried to do the training initially it was painful, so I focused on building up my strength. I started doing a lot of squats, lunges…

Wow, this is such a hard thing for anyone to answer, because we don't know what it feels like to be you or what you are dealing with etc. If it's for postpartum depression - there are varying levels of it. For me personally, I would not do medication if I felt it was manageable. I don't like the idea of altering my brain…

I don't think 7 day fasts are healthy, that being said, if you are feeling sluggish as you mention - why not start exercising more? Even just walking can get everything moving and also boost your energy. If you really feel you must avoid solid foods for whatever reason - could you at least do juice or smoothies or…

As other posters here have mentioned, make it about developing a series of small, positive habits. Once they are established build from them and then let that motivation and feeling of accomplishment propel you forward. I went from being winded jogging up a flight of steps in January, to running my first 5k non-stop a…

Procrastination is sometimes not about "lazy" or "making excuses" - a lot of times procrastination is due to not wanting to face deep seated fears and negative emotions. We have a natural "fight or flight" response to stress - and overwhelming emotions like feeling overwhelmed, guilty, angry etc. can trigger that response.…

My favorite was when I showed up to a market after not being there for a couple of months and one of the other vendors came up to me and whispers like it's some big shameful secret - we noticed you're a little round and wondered if you were expecting again? I said no politely and laughed it off - then she says loudly "Oh…

This looks very good as well. I would never have thought to put mint in it. I grow all sorts of herbs and love making basil and garlic pesto. Always looking for new ways to use up zucchini :).

well now I have another recipe to try when my eggplant in the garden comes in :) looks very good!

The biggest challenge with being vegan is you must be mindful of what you are eating so that you are getting complete proteins. In time, you will want to supplement with B12 also so that you don't become deficient in that vitamin. Otherwise, there are many wonderful things you can discover on a vegan diet, but it will be…

That's awful. I've had pneumonia a couple of times before and it's not fun. I do run with asthma - something I put a mental barrier in front of for a long time. If it's something you enjoy doing, get back into it gradually. My mother has a similar issue to you, a hernia pushes the acid up and causes damage to the…

This! Slowing down and getting the right shoes for my feet was the only way I was able to make it through the first 5k run. For me a long walk as a warmup helps too. Slow down and you'll have better endurance. This was the best piece of running advice I was given when I started out.

So much this! I am the SAME way. I keep track of measurements more than pics - although I should start doing that too. I have been alternating between running and lifting weights/resistance training and some yoga thrown in here and there for good measure. My body shape has changed immensely, I've lost a lot of inches, but…

Thanks for all the amazing replies and stories everyone. It really does help to see the perspective from others with this. I can see for sure how I'd have to always measure some things - like nut butters for example, because a little over is a lot of calories. It is good to know though that I may be able to relax a little…

When I need a shot in the arm, I go back through my old diaries/logs and look at how far I've come and what I can do now. For example in January, I could barely run up one flight of steps without gasping and two days ago I ran 5k straight. I fought with my little five pound dumbells, now I use a barbell and lift actual…

I'm 40 and although I have a way to go yet, I was so connected with your story. I've been working to reprogram a lot of negative self-talk and I have been lifting weights - barbell type weights ;). The other day I ran my first 5k straight. When I started in January, I was struggling with 5 pound dumbbells and was out of…

Have you taken measurements? sometimes the scale doesn't drop even when your body is changing shape. 1100 calories a day is ridiculously low especially if you are exercising a lot. If you aren't losing you may be eating more than you think, not burning as much as you think or a combination of the two, but if it's only been…

I didn't gain weight with the Mirena, but I had other health problems like developing ovarian cysts and hair thinning - both of which stopped when I went off of it. As for the "weight gain" - probably just water like when your hormones fluctuate during a cycle. Drink plenty of water to flush your system and it should…

I totally agree and I am the same way. I am a 40 year old petite woman and I would kill someone on only 1200 calories per day. Why punish yourself to lose weight? I did that route before - low cal, lost a lot fast, also lost muscle and still looked like crap - a smaller flabby person. Then, I put it almost all back on.…

I do this every morning for breakfast - either with chocolate or vanilla powder, a bit of organic light vanilla soy milk, and a bit of stevia and I blend it quickly - only a few seconds and it's amazing. I don't do protein powders any other way now because they dissolve so much better whipped into the coffee.

good coffee coconut freshly cut herbs from my garden (especially basil and rosemary) right after it rains - the clean scent from the pine trees

I can attest to the advice you gave about running more towards the front of the foot and about going for stamina and letting the speed build up gradually at a natural pace. That's what I've been doing and I ran for 2 miles straight for the first time last month with no walking breaks. Also, proper shoes! I got new shoes…

Yes, I am 40 as of last October. On my path to feeling better than I ever have though :). 40's do bring their own unique set of challenges though. Always happy to have new friends in my age range that are active and need/give good support!

I am a 5'2 40 year old woman who works a desk job. I exercise 30 - 40 minutes on average per day - nothing too exhausting - I burn about 3-400 with exercise. My TDEE is 1900 - 2000 on a light day, more like 2200 when I workout harder (I have a BodyMedia armband that tells me what I burn) If you are a male, you are larger…

Walking is great. Maybe look for different local trails or things you can visit to keep it interesting, add some hills, anything that just challenges you a bit more every day. Couch to 5k is good too. I ran two miles straight for the first time ever a few weeks ago - in January I got winded just running up one flight of…

Having battled depression myself in my younger years and having been guilty of "laziness" also - I would suggest to you that you are not "lazy" but engaged in a fight or flight response. You feel overwhelmed by what you need to get accomplished, so you "flee" from it by escaping into television etc. this is a mental issue,…

This totally!

Your soul mate is the person you see looking back at you in the mirror - not some man you met online. That being said, I did meet my hubby online - and he has been accepting of me through weight gain and loss. He's my best friend. I would never put up with someone who thought something as shallow as a few extra pounds was…

I am doing half pound per week and focusing more on exercise/strength this time. I want to lose the fat but I also want to maintain and build some muscle and be stronger. I lost a lot of weight once before - a pound to two pounds per week and at the end I just looked like a smaller flabby person. I've heard that losing…

You're moving 15 minutes away. Who cares if he calls the police? If he is abusive (and I understand I grew up around this sort of thing) why do you not seek sole custody? I spent years living with my grandparents to remove myself from the stress of growing up around an emotionally abusive spazoid of a father. He mellowed…