theoneandonlybrookie Member

I agree with the first poster. Obviously if you have a stomach flu or chest cold, exercising would be very uncomfortable anyway. If you have a fever, I would take that as a sign that your body needs rest while it tries to heal itself. I get multiple sinus infections each year (yay!), and my doctor told me that I was free…

Double post.

Thanks! I'm pretty ok with it. I definitely still rock a bikini in summer - just a slightly more conservative one now. :tongue: I also saw the FB post and thought it was great.

I'm sorry but for those of us who have excess skin (I have the twin skin) and / or who had our an muscles improperly cut during a c-section (diastasis recti), we will never have perfectly flat stomachs without surgery. My stomach appears flat in clothing. I do an average of 10 workouts per week, a blend of cardio and…

As Ludacris so elegantly says it... I've got "some big t*tt*es with a matching *kitten*." My curves make me feel sexy!

My Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. It's big and beautiful and powerful and I make delicious things in it. I got it 5 years ago from my husband. It was the first time we were both working (one of us wasn't in school) and we could finally afford to buy nice presents.

I haven't read all of the replies, but I will second the person who advised you to go to counseling. If you have insurance, it very well might be covered (mine was), and it's worth the money. If you have a daughter together, and if he's an ok guy in every other way, you owe it to your child to go to therapy and see if the…

I had an average of 2 cheat days per month when I was losing weight, and I lost *something* every single week. (Even if sometimes it was only .3 lbs - a loss is a loss.) I firmly believe that you need to occasionally cheat for two reasons. 1) If you deny yourself the food you love, forever and always, you very well could…

Let's see... 205 the day before I delivered my twins. My highest weight when I wasn't pregnant is 183, which I weighed a few months after the twins. I'm 5'8 and pretty small framed.

To the OP: I agree with you somewhat. I took spinning and trained with heart rate zones for several years and never burned more than 751 in an hour. I guess if you are much heavier than I am, you could bump that up a hundred calories or so. But I believe that the estimates given by machines, the MFP database, and yes, even…

Self-confidence, a sense of humor, intelligence, the ability to take charge of a situation, dark hair and broad shoulders...

Hi! I'm Brooke and I have 8 year old boy / girl twins. I also have a 2 year old daughter. Oh, and I ALSO have the "twin skin" as my badge of honor. Please feel free to add me as a friend also. :smile:

Black eyed peas made with fat back! If you don't have fat back in your grocery store (and you might not if you don't live in the South), you can substitute bacon. I second the banana pudding recommendation. It's delicious and really a pretty dish to take to a pot luck. So is lemon meringue pie. Chicken bog is also tasty -…

Jillian is really working. You're doing awesome, and I personally think you look great! I can tell a big change from your before and after pictures. Keep it up!

Roasted vegetables, but specifically roasted broccoli, brussels sprout, and asparagus. Just toss with a bit of olive oil and a tiny bit of coarse Kosher salt. Roast at 400. Roasting vegetables brings out such a delicious, deep nutty flavor.

Measuring yourself for your bra is so difficult. Leave it to an expert. Do yourself a favor and get you and your boobs to a Nordstrom's and get fitted! Or, you can find a high end lingerie shop in your area. :smile: Plus, it sounds like you might have a small band size (not the standard 34 / 36 / 38) that most stores seem…

Yeah, this is why we all should realize that chewing someone out doesn't do anything helpful! And believe me, I work with a bunch of egos and routinely am made to feel dumber, less important, and generally just like a complete piece of *kitten* by some people I work for. I have many times wanted to cry my eyeballs out at…

Thanks everyone! I didn't know about the try and buy policy at Road Runner and I actually AM a VIP member already. They always have good deals on Brooks so that's where I have been getting my shoes. I actually used to run in New Balances but those were the first shoes to give my knees problems. I still have a few pairs for…

You look amazing! Congratulations!

Look at you hot mama! Woot! Amazing progress. Gorgeous pictures. You're doing great and deserve all of the rewards you are currently reaping. :smile:

You look amazing! Great work!

Yoda. So wise but so utterly huggable looking! And such an effin' bada$$.

I'm using and loving mine still but I got mine on Craigslist, brand new, for $40. It's worth checking out.

Well, one of the classic cheesy ones is Against All Odds by Phil Collins! And if you feel like crying at work, go ahead and listen to this story about it from This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/339/break-up?act=1

Heels make me feel sexy, always. I have learned that for me, dressing nicely and feeling confident really does improve my mood, my performance at work, and how I interact with people. I don't know that I ever wear flats to work, and only occasionally when I'm out and about. I will never, ever give up my heels! :smile:

^^ This expresses my reaction as well...

I love (cute) pantyhose and heels but I realize that I'm in the minority on the one. Thanks for sharing this, OP. It gave me a much needed giggle. I don't think the bottom row looks bad, but whenever I see those portraits I think about how many damn clothes those poor women had to wear. Ugh. Women from the 1940s were…

I agree with everyone that diet and vigorous cardio will trim down your belly. For me, running is what made my belly flat again after having kids, and it toned it. Once I got to the point that I had lost the belly fat but wanted more definition, I did P90X and the Ab Ripper video absolutely shredded my stomach. (I'm not…

My favorite gas station food is circus peanuts. Yes, the orange Styrofoam looking things! And I love, love, love fried bologna. Mmm. Not the 100% whole beef crap either. I want all the worst parts of all of noah's ark in my bologna.

Everyone has a different maximum heart rate, even people who are the same gender, size, age, etc. Your max heart rate and heart rate zones are very unique to you. For me, personally, the 180s mean that I am hitting my zone 5 and should probably back off a bit to stay in upper zone 4. However, that might not be true for…