neurochamp Member

I actually agree completely with this. Scientific studies have apparently found that there isn't enough caffeine in coffee to act as a diuretic....but my own experience keeps me from drinking it before long road trips (stopping every 20-30 minutes = no fun, lol) ;-)

The way I see it, you have 2 choices: 1. Feel guilty and beat yourself up for enjoying your vacation or 2. Start fresh tomorrow and make good, healthy food and exercise choices. If you stick to it, you WILL see results - you just have to move forward and not beat yourself up for things in the past that you can't change now…

I use fat free half & half. It's still 20 calories/2g sugar per 2 tbsp, but I only need 2 tbsp for a great big mug of coffee (and yes, I measure it). Unlike almond milk (which I LOVE...in cereal) - I need to use so much to make my coffee satisfyingly creamy that it either makes my coffee too cold or it no longer tastes…

I zig zag with an average of 1300cal/day (net) through the week. I work out daily, so in reality I eat 1700-1900cal/day. I can't imagine routinely being too much under that (or not getting some exercise in at least 5 days/week), I think my head would explode :laugh:

It definitely counts towards your water intake! And coffee should NOT dehydrate you (caffeine is the diuretic in coffee, and, well, decaf doesn't have any...anyway, research suggests that even full-caf doesn't have enough caffeine to act as more than a very mild diuretic) :drinker:

I second this! I'm a neuroscientist - I study the brain - and what you said about our brains being fueled by sugar (specifically glucose) is 100% true. For what it's worth, our brains also require plenty of sodium and potassium to work, too, so salts are a MUST...just goes to show that balance and moderation are key. My…

I love quinoa! As others have said, it's a grain that has a couscous-like texture. It's very protein-rich (and it's a complete protein - has all the essential amino acids we need, so it's kind of unique). It doesn't have a strong flavor, but I love love love seasoning it with a little lemon juice (or a lot) and olive…

Agreed if you can handle it! And the DVD is less than $10 at Target, Walmart, etc. (I just finished 30DS once a day for 30 days, not HUUUGE results, but definitely more toned and bikini-ready)

I just bought a Timex Zone Trainer (chest strap HRM), about $60 on Amazon. The same one is $100 in stores. I've only been using it for about a week, but I freaking love it (especially for the price), and, since I'm new to using a HRM, I was cool with getting a model without all the bells and whistles. It's water-resistant…

For burgers, I prefer Boca - their grilled vegetable burgers are my favorite, super yummy. Morningstar Farms makes a maple breakfast sausage patty that is absolutely TO DIE FOR, though. Just so you know :-)

Yeah, I've been there. After looking through a bit of your diary, it looks like you have several days (usually ones where you log exercise) where you're anywhere from a little to a LOT (several hundred calories) under 1200 net for the day. For example, last Sunday you ate about 1400 calories, but you burned 800 in…

To the OP: thanks, this is an interesting and amusing thread :happy: A couple of weeks ago I spent a few hours at the driving range with friends, hitting buckets of balls and sweating buckets, too. After that, we went to Portillo's and I had a hamburger and fries with lots of ketchup. This was my first burger and fries in…

I say myth. I eat right before bed all the time if I'm way under my net calorie goal for the day at bedtime. At least once in the last week I've had a slice of whole-grain (double fiber) toast with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (Peanut Butter & Co's Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter is my current fave) LITERALLY…

Bump. I have 4 zucchini plants in my garden (among other things) and they grow like nuts up here (near Chicago). Just picked my first zucchini, and I think it might find its way into a big plate of whole wheat pasta tonight - yum! =)

Just to add my two cents, since I didn't see any responses dealing with the fact that this was a college health service doctor (though, to be fair, I didn't read all of the posts thoroughly)... I had a similar disappointing service with college health services. In grad school I developed severe chronic shoulder problems -…

I always try to pre-plan stuff like this when I think I'll be tempted. Most of the time, if I can see just how bad something is for me, I'm a lot less interested and more willing to find an alternative. So crunch the numbers on your ice cream treat options: A tiny snack size McFlurry ranges from 180 calories with 4g fat…

I use the same one (100 calories/18g protein per scoop). I haven't tried peanut butter in it, but that sounds delicious! As-is only almond milk makes this stuff taste tolerable...it's really bland.

Yeah, there should be instructions on the bag - I typically rinse and sort (pull out any that look funky) then soak overnight in a big pot of cool water. In the morning I drain and rinse the beans, add about 6 cups of water (or a can of chicken broth plus water to make a total of 6 cups), bring to a boil and then simmer…

My mom is visiting, so I haven't checked in for a bit, but finished D2L2 this morning. Despite the ridiculous number of planks in this level, I really like it a lot more than level 1 - my abs are on fire by the time I finish, and I can mostly only follow Anita (once again...after working my way up to following Natalie most…

Finished day 9 this morning, along with C25K W2D3. The shred is definitely getting easier, but I'm mostly following Natalie instead of Anita, so now my quads are in flames (deep static lunges kill me). Like several others, I am also planning to do 10 days at each level, so looking forward to changing it up Thursday for…

Well, to be fair, I'm on week 2 of a C25K program...so I'm only running for 90 seconds at a time, with brisk walking between running intervals (I despise running, so I'm trying to build my tolerance so 3 miles doesn't feel like death). Even after shredding, I can tough those 90-second bursts out because I know I'll be…

Seven days down, 23 to go! I made the mistake of doing my C25K run before the shred today (though I usually do it after)...yowza that makes those side lunges harder! Just a few more days until we move up to level 2, good times!

This is completely normal, no worries! When you really push your muscles, they retain extra water and swell to repair (and get stronger...and yes, you'll retain this water even if you reduce your sodium and drink plenty of water, there isn't anything you can do to prevent it) - the soreness and weight gain are all a part…

Actually, saturated fat IS bad for you too (not just trans fats, though trans fats are really, really bad for you) - the American Heart Association recommends that no more than 7% of your total calories come from saturated fat (less if you have a history of heart problems; see www.heart.org - search "saturated fat"). All…

I love this thread - to all who posted before and after pics, you are amazing! I'm going on vacay in a little over a month (with shutterbug friends who will likely post pics of me in a bathing suit on facebook...gah) so I bought this and am giving it a shot. I'm on day 3 of the shred, also doing C25K (started same day) and…

I was a little worried about making progress today since a nasty thunderstorm woke me up at 3:30am and I couldn't fall asleep again....HOWEVER...day 3 done here, too, along with second run for week one of C25K. So far so good! (I may go to bed at like 8 tonight, but still.)

Finished day 2 at L1...IMHO it was a lot easier the second day (granted yesterday I was more sore starting out due to the previous day's workout), so interested to see what days 3-30 will bring!

You need to compare your net calories to your basal metabolic rate (BMR; see the tools section). For me, my BMR is approx 1360Cal/day (so I should burn 1360Cal if I just stay in bed all day; more if I go about my normal daily activities). On MFP my goal is 1200Cal/day, which is well below my BMR, so I should lose weight…

I'm a biology professor, and I explain this to my students (mostly non-biology majors)...usually with pictures, but here goes: Fats are very energy-dense (about twice as much energy per gram as carbs or protein), and they're also a critical component of every cell in your body. Fatty acids (major component of all fats) are…

L1D1 done - whew! I did a squat/lunge-heavy workout yesterday, and started C25K today too, so my legs are super sore...we'll see how that works out ;-) I plan to take a nice walk later to help ease soreness. 30DS/C25K starting stats below...will perhaps post pictures towards the end of 30DS (which I'll finish just a few…