Solar_Cat Member

Diet soda! Horrible stuff, full of harmful chemicals. Artificial sweeteners aren't good for us.

Or even more than 3 weeks. I don't think that's a magic number. My first 10 pounds came off in a few weeks, followed by a month-long plateau, followed by more, but slower, losses. I log very scrupulously, and I know I did nothing different. That's just how the body sometimes responds. Based on my experience, anyone who…

Sushi. More protein, less salt!

Brilliant post! Very inspirational! I wanted to underline that part of it because it reminds me so much of how I quit smoking, almost 40 years ago, after a 10-year 2-pack-a-day habit. I woke up one morning and said to myself, "I refuse to think of myself as a smoker. From now on, I'm a non-smoker." It totally worked. No…

Solid Albacore Tuna in water. It has 1 g fat, 13 g protein per 2-oz serving. For a quick high-protein, low-calorie meal I throw a whole can of tuna onto a simple green salad and sprinkle with lemon juice.

It also depends on the proportion of protein in your diet after you increase your intake. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2012/01/05/diets-differ-in-effect-on-weight-gain-and-fat-and-lean-mass/.

I favor the Kind Healthy Grains bars myself. Some of the flavors have up to 7 g protein and around 200 calories.

Good question! This is a salt fiesta even without the extra Tbl. 1 can Progresso French Onion Soup: 1572 mg sodium 1 can Libby's green beans: 1015 mg sodium That's already more sodium than anyone should consume in an entire day, according to the standard guideline of 2300 mg. Add a tablespoon of salt (6976 mg) and you get…

I just hit the 17-lb mark too, which is halfway to my goal weight of 164. (Very similar numbers to yours. See my ticker.) My body is not that different from when I started. Maybe one inch smaller around the waist. I know from prior experience that changes in body shape will lag behind weight loss on the scale -- possibly…

Thanks for inspiring me to customize mine! This is a detail from Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper. I guess the strongly horizontal image appealed to me as well as the implication of no more solitary late-night snacks! :tongue:

Depression is an illness. In serious cases medical intervention may be the only effective option. I've dealt with it at various times in my life. There are two activities that I've found to work really, really well: 1) Regular exercise 2) Regular mindfulness meditation One or the other works a bit. Both together work…

No. This calculator is based on the discredited assumptions mentioned above by bwogilvie. There's wide variation among individuals. If you see your heart rate reach 190, then you know for sure that your HRmax is at least 190, regardless of what the formula says. As an example, when I was in my mid-50s and training for a…

I've just one small point to add to the advice here. Folks talk about reaching goal weight as the point when it makes sense to invest in a new wardrobe. In my prior experience (been through this several times before), my body continues to remodel for a couple of months after reaching goal weight. So I'd say wait until…

Get a reference book. They're portable, about the same size and weight as a tablet. Very handy. :) If your local public library doesn't have one, two weeks is plenty of time to buy one online. Here's an example from Amazon for a few dollars: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Food-Counts-9th/dp/0440245613/

Variety is one great feature of the NROL programs. They're all about changing things up to keep challenging the body to adapt. They introduce increasingly difficult variations as you progress.

Great thread! I'll be looking into some of these myself. I recently started with New Rules of Lifting for Life. For younger folks, the original New Rules of Lifting or the newer NROL - Supercharged would be excellent. Even if you don't adopt their programs, the books are worth reading both for theory and for technique. You…

Exercise! The effect of food on metabolism is minor compared to the effect of exercise. Any form of exercise raises your metabolism, even standing up from your chair. Sustained exercise raises your metabolism during the exercise and for some time afterward too, which varies depending on the type of exercise and the…

Agreed. On the other hand, this is a peer-reviewed journal, with editorial review besides. I expect that the folks who reviewed it prior to publication know more than I do about methodology. Yes, I realize the reviewers may be prejudiced, or corrupt, or deficient in any number of ways, but if you, or I, or anyone wants to…

Yes! The new study discussed in this thread - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1425718-new-study-train-your-brain-to-prefer-healthier-food - confirms this. We can acquire new food preferences. We aren't doomed to the same likes and dislikes for life!

...or the ear to prefer symphonies over heavy metal. I agree. From one perspective the study is so obvious as to make one scratch one's head over how they ever got it funded. On the other hand, it's valuable to see it in black and white for anyone here who believes that they just can't change their "inherent" tastes. How…

Nothing wrong with the microwave. Look for tasty, healthy frozen dinners. Two brands I like are Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine. They have a wide variety of dinners. Learn to read the nutrition labels on the packages, and match them up with your nutrient targets here on the site. Very quick and easy!

Oh, boy. Get the popcorn. Time for another holy war up in here. @160wannab: Consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist. Do your own research in the scientific literature. At the very least ask anyone who states an opinion here to back it up by citing scientific studies. If they can't or won't, then you know it's just an…

Height: 5'9" Frame: medium Highest: 208 Lowest: 148 after a 5-week modified fast and cleanse, many years ago Current: 185 Current goal: 164, may adjust downward (I figure 155 - 165 is a healthy range to be in. Lean body mass is probably around 132, so that range is roughly 15% - 20% body fat.)

Good stuff! Here's to having the awareness and courage to question all our thoughts!

A can of no-salt-added tuna over a bed of greens, sprinkled with lemon juice and red pepper flakes. I know it sounds austere, but I like it!

WALL-E is at the top of my list. Brilliant in conveying subtle meaning without words. And for something totally different and seriously warped, try The Triplets of Belleville. Unforgettable.

I just began New Rules of Lifting for Life last week, and I'm loving it. This is some intense stuff! I used to be mainly into HIIT cardio and strength training on the standard machines. Now I see the error of my ways! Hallelujah! :) No, but seriously, learning and performing the complex motions in these workouts is a very…

I love the Einstein quote about the mysterious (top of page 2, from @weavernv). Here's a favorite of mine that expresses a facet of the mystery: "In reality time and space exist in you; you do not exist in them. The mind creates time and space and takes its own creation for reality." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

^^^ This. And I've noticed that part of being kind to myself means not getting drawn into ANY of the self talk. If I notice the thought "I suck" and then try to counter it with the thought "No, I'm awesome," the only thing I accomplish is starting a mental war. I find it works much better when I disbelieve any and all such…

Do you monitor your blood pressure? One common effect of decreased calorie intake and increased exercise is lower blood pressure. And one common effect of low blood pressure is -- you guessed it -- lightheadedness. I'm not saying that's what you're experiencing, just raising it as a possibility. See your doctor for an…