caraherch

By all means, continue eating your processed foods. Diet yourself to death, but don't say nobody warned you.

Cupcakes may be addictive, just like cocaine. A growing body of medical research at leading universities and government laboratories suggests that processed foods and sugary drinks made by the likes of PepsiCo Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) aren’t simply unhealthy. They can hijack the brain in ways that resemble…

Totally did not mean to start a frenzy- but I hate the misconception that just because something is diet or low calories means it is good for us. I hope nobody feels I am attacking them and I certainly am not anywhere close to perfect with the foods I eat, but I try and am enjoying the benefits of eating better even in…

Are you kidding? It's pretty universally known in the science and nutrition world that processed foods contain thousands of chemicals that destroy your body... http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9686/how-processed-foods-are-killing-you-one-bite-at-a-time.html http://saveourbones.com/12-dangerous-ingredients/…

The thing about eating clean is that it's not just for your weight loss- processed foods contribute to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, bone disease, so much! You can be skinny and still be at risk for all of those things by eating a highly processed, unnatural diet.

Awesome thank you! So much help, I really appreciate it. I have written down all of the alternatives (as well as routine suggestions) and am reading up on them now! I plan on switching things out and incorporating them this week and hopefully building the courage for tackling those bar bells and benches!

Oh! And someone asked about reps- I am only doing 1 set of 15 reps for the first course weeks while I practice form. I want it to become muscle memory just like any sport :)

At first that was so intimidating! If I pick up a barbell, aren't they all going to wonder what the hell I'm doing!? Haha! But i would be willing to try. Is there a site you could recommend for learning to lift with barbells? I've never picked one up, put on the weights. I wouldn't know what weight to start at either.…

Thank you for such in depth responses! It sounds like 5x5 is a great method, but even after hours of reading I feel that I lack the basic understanding of training to implement the method. To answer a few questions, by leg lifts yes I mean with the cuff around my ankle. I start with putting it on my right ankle with my…

I have done routines like that before and find them good however I didn't have enough structure to them to really gain much. Also, I don't see how to do them properly without sacrificing a lot of cardio time. I hope to switch to a program like that eventually but thought the full body ones would be better as I get used to…

You could quiches or quinoa muffins, or just plain scramble them up with a ton of veggies! I like to use Pinterest for ideas and there are tons of egg whites ideas on there. For me, I usually just scramble eggs with over a cup of vegetables. Sometimes I will add turkey sausage- especially if it's a busy day.

I am definitely not an expert but I read that if you are able to do more than 15 reps in a set then you are probably not lifting heavy enough weights. Worth a thought- perhaps it's time to increase what you are lifting!

I felt like this too. I kept stopping and thinking "wow this is the beginner level? My god!" But every time got easier and after only four times I am able to get through the whole thing and actually focus on doing the moves to the (semi) fullest.

I'm no expert but I have a lot of similar questions so here is what I have learned so far... A lot of people don't even look at their sodium, but I do because even if it's not a big deal jn weight loss it's still very unhealthy to eat large amounts of salt. You can't really reverse the intake like you do with burning…

I always leave at least 100-200 calories to account for inaccuracies during my logging. I also don't eat back all of my exercise calories as I suspect they are very much overestimated. Pay more attention to how your energy is- if at the end of the day you feel satisfied and tired but not wiped out, you're probably fine. If…

I use the Zumba game for Xbox and love it! It kicks my butt but I love being able to use it to switch up workouts or do it at night when I worked out in the morning. And I really love getting to do it at home. I find I do it harder because I know nobody is judging my moves! It really is fun though and is not at all about…

If you are low in energy then you are probably not eating the right foods. You may want to eat more before your workouts so you truly have the energy to go hard. Cut out the packaged foods- they're unnecessary unless they are intentional cheat foods (I like boxed Mac and cheese on Sundays and once in a while have a skinny…

One day is fine. The problem with alcohol is not only the calories, but that it makes it harder to burn calories/fat for a day or two afterwards. So just eat super clean the next few days and enjoy your birthday!

When you are close to your goal, it may be better to look at measurements for progress rather than the scale. Do you feel good, do your clothes feel looser, do you have more energy, is your endurance up? I have a lot to lose so I may see the scale move quickly however your body is a better indicator of your achievements…

Me too! I try to get as very close as possible when logging, but it's nearly impossible to account for all the variables. Having a couple hundred calories left helps me feel like I haven't cheated myself.

THANK YOU GUYS! I feel much better as it has been nagging me ever since. The grain stuff is where I truly struggle in understanding so it's a relief to feel like my instincts were somewhat right!

Cardio really helps me. I balance it out enough with strength/resistence training that I don't lose the muscle like many people think. That could just be my goals though- I want higher endurance and a healthy heart along with the strength. Cardio along with weighing my food when logging and being honest with what I eat has…

I like that you mention the inflated price. All the lists I have read for "best shoes" are full of 150+ shoes and while I'm sure there is some merit there, it's out of my budget by a lot and I'm not sure they are worth it for my needs. Perhaps one day I will need something that nice but for now I just want a good solid…

Thanks guys! It sounds like cross trainers might be a good option for me to start with. I will look for a specific athletic show store but the town I'm jn now is pretty limited! Thanks again for your advice!

This was me too! I thought all the deli turkey was great, but my sodium was through the roof. Took a few days of picking through my items before I realized it was coming from turkey. Next I will look for a different way to eat it without the salt and preservatives- any ideas besides just buying the whole bird and cooking…

Didn't make the routine, so no offense taken! My only fitness knowledge is sports related, so it's hard to know what routines are good! I used to do a range of machines at the gym, but I worry that I'm missing certain muscles that way and have been searching online for a total body plan and that was just one that caught my…

Thanks! I will look more into the strong lift program. If I could have it my way I would only do cardio mixed with stuff like Zumba, but I understand that's apparently not as good for you? My main goal is just to be healthier- I live close to mt rainier so it would be nice to go on hikes without getting so easily winded.…

Sorry about being vague, but I was mostly trying to get input on the setup. A lot of what I was reading was about how often to weight train and do cardio, and then which to do when and in what order and how close etc etc... It got so complicated that I couldn't even get to figuring out the exercises themselves. So I…

I've had this often over the years and also always in my right side. I found switching to the elliptical was really helpful as it forced me to balance out how much I used each leg as well as taking the pressure off your joints of course. At any rate, it can be an alternative to the treadmill until you're feeling better.

Hi! I just joined MFP but I like walking, so I'm in! Today: 25 minutes walking (elliptical+treadmill)