pbxr Member

My favorite is: 1 c. frozen whole strawberries (no sugar added) 1/2 c. frozen blueberries (no sugar added) 1/2 c. natural applesauce 1 c. light vanilla soymilk (or more as needed) - (can also use vanilla rice milk or almond milk) 1 large handful of spinach This has been a favorite for 2+ years now - I never get tired of…

I was told that exercise is like a natural decongestant & to expect a runny nose sometimes. It actually motivates me to go on to the gym even when I feel stuffy, that way I can take less medicine. :wink:

Hi there! :flowerforyou: I'm in the same boat, and last month, Lindsay Nixon of The Happy Herbivore wrote a GREAT piece addressing this precisely. Here's a link to her Top 10 reasons the weight loss stops, even when eating plant-based. Hope this helps! :smile: http://getmealplans.com/blog/2012/07/12/get-out-of-diet-rut/…

Congrats! You are doing an AMAZING job & you are LOVELY! If you continue to work this way with your body - eating well, exercising WITH strength training - you probably won't have much in the way of loose skin. It's really seen most when people lose too quickly, as with fad or extreme diets. The strength training is key…

Hi there, Our family watched Forks Over Knives last fall. As of December 2011, we changed to plant-strong eating altogether, the kids included. This weekend we have been visiting with family who have also transitioned thanks to FoK and they have been cooking from the Engine 2 book, which I don't own yet. Every recipe so…

The Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon (www.happyherbivore.com) - she does simple, inexpensive meal plans through her website. Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. Robin has TONS of great cookbooks, but I've not had ONE failed recipe from this book. LOVE IT! :flowerforyou:

One of my dear friends had one of the surgeries and has since lost 132 pounds. It isn't for everyone, but it was a good decision for her. She does record her intake here on MFP, so maybe you could message her? She might be willing to share some of her journey with you. Her username is TrishBarnaby (you can find her in my…

I had a very positive experience with the Planet Fitness in Shelby, NC. I am a member of another gym here in Missouri (there isn't a PF) and had been losing weight for about a year when my family took a trip to see extended family in NC for Christmas. We were to be there for about 2 weeks and I was terrified that with the…

Check out Robert Cheeke, a vegan body builder. If you Google his name, you'll find lots of resources. :smile:

Forks Over Knives made me angry. But in a good way. In a get-off-your-butt-and-change-your-life-and-the-lives-of-your-children kind of way. While I did read some of the article that the above posters cited, I confess to being bogged down by it. Maybe I could be accused of being sucked in to "vegan propaganda," but I can…

Hi there, Where I live there aren't any vegan restaurants and only a couple of restaurants offering vegan options. Because of this, we don't eat out very often anymore. When I do eat out, I've had to make a habit of ordering food as close to vegan as possible (veggies steamed with no butter, salads with no cheese, etc.).…

I have to try REALLY hard not to eat avocado on toast every day (just add a little salt & pepper...). It's no doubt my favorite food now! I do try, however, to keep a level head, hence not eating it every day, every meal. My motto is "all things in moderation." Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Kwim? But if I…

Hi there, My husband has been eating well and exercising for about 6 weeks now. I noticed the other day when I hugged him that the "reach" was different around him. He still has a belly, but his body is changing. No doubt with the good things you're doing yours is, too. Keep doing what you're doing and you will get there.…

When I was younger I used to hear Brooke Shields, then Kirstie Alley and Debra Messing. Other than maybe the eyes, I never saw myself in any of them. :smile:

I eat half a medium avocado on toast for breakfast many days & don't go over my fat goals for the day. But I'll echo what the others have said: fat from avocado is not to be feared. Enjoy! :)

Hi there & welcome along. :flowerforyou: I met with a personal trainer when I started my journey. In sharing my fear of saggy skin with him (having had two children), he said what an earlier poster said: "Take it slow." The last thing we want to do is to lose weight slowly, but it really is the best way. He said that the…

Hi there! :smile: I've been here near daily for over a year and I call myself a "life time member" because I know I will always need to be aware of what I'm eating if I don't want to go right back up the scale. I'm happy to be a friend. I, too, am planning a tattoo reward for my back. I got my last one at 19 and I'm 37 now…

Hey there, friend! :smile: I've not gone vegetarian (yet), but I'm definitely a lot closer than I used to be. The nutritional counselor I have through my insurance has given me a lot of encouragement to eat less meat and animal products. Cheese used to be my favorite food - mac & cheese is how I gained most of my weight…

Applebee's now has a wonderful set of menu items that are 550 calories and under. I've had all of them (I travel a lot with work) & the only one I'd steer clear of? The salad. :happy: A couple of the shrimp dishes are pretty spicy, but they sure are tasty! I was so impressed with their selections that I talked to the…

Agreeing with the others ~ even if it's just for you, you'll be glad to see the change. I never DREAMED I'd post what I call the worst of my worst, but *gasp* I did. (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/114519-30-pounds-gone-before-current-pics) However you decide to mark your journey will be right for you; but even if…

(((Hugs))) to you, friend! Remember that it's probably not actual weight-gain. It's incredibly difficult to gain a pound when you're watching what you're eating & exercising as you are. Most likely it's water. As someone else suggested, make sure you reach your water goals for the next couple of days & it should come right…

Congrats on your new purchase ~ you'll be seeing those numbers before you know it! :happy: I weigh every few days at the same time of day. In the beginning I discovered that my lowest weight of the day was happening at around noon. No matter what day it is ~ sometimes every day (when I'm anxious, usually), and sometimes…

Hi Tim & welcome! :flowerforyou: I've been at MFP for over a year now and committing to coming here every day & being honest has given me great results. In addition to that, I feel great. (An awesome byproduct!) I would encourage you to remember that this is a process and it takes time. None of us became overweight…

WAY to GO!!! :happy:

Hi! :flowerforyou: I'm 5'9". My starting weight was 219 (on MFP) and I topped out in a size 20. I'm currently at 180 (size 16 jeans - loose!) and trying to get to 150 (what I weighed when I got married). 135 was what I weighed in my early 20s and it was really too skinny for my build, so I'm trying to be realistic. Kudos…

Way to GO! The in-between pictures are even more encouraging to me than before & after ~ they show the journey & how much we change along the way. Thanks for sharing your story! You look great! :happy:

In my opinion, the best instructors are the ones who've battled with weight themselves. They tend to have an understanding of the journey that someone who's never struggled simply cannot. I'm sure you would be a super encouragement to folks coming to your classes. Go for it! :smile:

I started out just recording what I was eating. That allowed me to see just how much I was overeating. After awhile, I began to notice how I felt after eating certain things. Now I eat less of those. Still, if I'm going to feel deprived because I can never have cheesecake? There's no way I'm sticking to this thing! I…

(((cyber hugs))) to you! I'm sorry that people can be so thoughtless. Yes, it happened to me, too. When my daughter was around 3 or 4 (she's my youngest), I ran into my old Anatomy & Physiology teacher & his wife at Lowe's. After greeting my husband & me (we were on a much needed date), he points to my stomach and says,…

Congratulations on meeting your goal, Chris! And may the next 525,600 minutes be rewarding and rich! :wink: Way to go, friend!