CaffeinatedConfectionist Member

Like you say it's most likely water weight, if your actual calorie intake hasn't changed - but you may want to get a food scale and be as strict as possible with your logging, as medications can increase appetite and you might be eating more without really fully realizing it. I had been off birth control for several years…

ETA: Never mind, I didn't realize you were getting conflicting USDA entries. If you can't find a more accurate entry on the USDA database itself, I'd either take an average of all entries or, if you're worried, enter the highest calorie option to be on safe side.

Try searching for USDA entries; these are typically accurate, and have the option of entering by grams or ounces. You can also cross-check their accuracy here: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

Anyone interested can feel free to add me. I'm a chatty bish on my feed. I post about fitness and food, but also about other things going on in life, because it seems silly to compartmentalize fitness and health from everything else in our lives; if there's one thing I've learned over the last five years on MFP it's how…

I think this is a great plan! I often find myself having to take maintenance breaks, and it helps with the mental component a lot. Motivation for me, and I think for most people, comes in waves. Right now I am hella motivated and I will stick to my calorie limit without a problem and I will lift and kick all the things,…

One thing that you can do to mitigate DOMS once you do have them is to take a long, hot soak in epsom salts. This can really help reduce muscle soreness. Also, foam rollers, which someone already mentioned. But I kind of like DOMS... they make me more aware of my muscles and I can feel all "aww, yeeaaah, I'm so strong and…

I have added some of my own cardio workouts, since many activities I do are not in the database. If you're in the app, just go to your diary and tap "cardiovascular," like you're going to log an existing activity. Then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list and you will have an option to create an exercise. ETA:…

This. Also, if you're completely new to lifting, you may want to consider following a program, such as StrongLifts, Starting Strength, NROL, etc, if you aren't already. These programs are designed to help you progressively add to your lifts, and also help you ensure that you have a well-rounded program.

If I'm short on calories for the day and don't want to use regular mayo, yeah, I'll do what you already mentioned and do a blend of mayo and greek yogurt, maybe in a 1:3 ratio. I've also used the olive oil mayo instead of regular; I can't tell a taste difference although my sister tells me it's blasphemous

The latter. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/meal-patterning-part-1-book-excerpt.html/ http://www.simplyshredded.com/carbs-at-night-fat-loss-killer-or-imaginary-boogeyman.html http://www.leangains.com/2011/06/is-late-night-eating-better-for-fat.html

Bahaha. While I do put booze in my coffee, sometimes, I typically drink it black. If you feel like you need something sweet, but don't want to continue using your creamer or have decided it's not worth fitting into your daily calorie goal, you could try adding protein powder, which I always use to help my meet my protein…

Even though I have found exercises that I really enjoy and going to the gym or working out at home is a pleasure rather than a chore, I still go through times when I don't exercise. And, unfortunately, for me if I do not maintain my fitness routine I usually let my logging and portion control slide and gain weight again.…

Going to admit I didn't read through all the posts, so some of these are probably duplicates. Someone mentioned poaching chicken - this is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken for shredding (plus, stock for later). I just poached a chicken yesterday and used half to make chicken melts - homemade bread, garlic basil…

Just popping in to say that 2000-2200 calories a day may not necessarily guarantee a surplus for someone who is extremely active. Try what someone else suggested earlier and set MFP to gain X number of lbs per week, and track your progress for a few weeks and adjust accordingly. If you're not gaining at the desired rate,…

I'm somewhat similar to this - outdoor trail running is one of the best things for my mood. I have noticed that if I'm already depressed or angry, weightlifting can exacerbate it, and I have to really be mindful to make sure I don't injure myself by throwing weight around indiscriminately because I'm pissed or dgaf (that…

Feel free to add me, though I just got off a stretch of being a lazy bish and not logging (I had some injuries and couldn't work out and I'm bad, bad, bad about logging food when I'm sidelined from exercising). Also, I do IF so my diary might not be super helpful.

Just a third vote for Nerd Fitness, if you are in the market for exercises that don't require any equipment. Depending on how much of an investment you want to make, you could work on building up a home gym. I have a barbell set and bench, some dumbbells, and a kickboxing bag, but my favorite new toy is a suspension…

While being happy in your life and your self is, of course, the most important thing, can I just say I am floored by your amazing physique. Look at dem guns!

Trutein is my favorite protein powder. I've liked all the flavors I've had from them, and you can order samples from their website so you aren't shelling out a ton of money on a giant tub of chalk. My favorite shake to make is just cold coffee, whole milk, and trutein. All the noms...!

Like some other people have mentioned, I just allot myself more calories on the weekends because I know I will want to indulge. I eat 1500 on week nights and 2100-2200 on weekends so that I hit 1800 or so as a weekly average calorie goal. This helps me keep my deficit on track but not feel deprived or resentful on…

No. Eating a large amount of food before bed is not, in and of itself, going to cause you to put on fat. I'm not totally sure what you're asking here, but it sounds like you're asking if eating at a calorie surplus, and eating a lot of those calories before bed, is going to cause you to put on more fat than eating at a…

Only sometimes :s

I also get *kitten* from my coworkers. Which is weird, because generally I have incredibly kind and supportive coworkers (in my line of work we have to be pretty tight or things can go south quickly). But there is a constant, low-level passive-aggressive snark in terms of my fitness level and especially my eating habits -…

This. So much this. Meal timing has nothing to do with weight loss; meal timing is only relevant as it impacts adherence. If you find you do better sticking to your calorie goal with a big breakfast and smaller meals later in the day, do that. I'm the opposite, and my biggest meal is late in the day, usually around 8:30 or…

Like some others have said, I weigh daily. I do this because I get a better idea of how my eating, especially sodium and alcohol, affect my weight, as well as how hormonal changes impact it on a day-to-day basis. Knowing how much water I tend to retain from these things, as well as from muscle recovery after a strenuous…

Full fat dairy for freakin' sure. That skim, low-fat nonsense is unbearable after the glory that is full-fat food. Desserts. None of that "banana ice cream" or those "black bean brownies" for me. And real wheat. I'm not making pizza crust with cauliflower. Actually, I guess I just don't buy into those "diet" substitutions…

This is what I do, almost every day. Peach is my favorite. I prefer this over flavored greek yogurts, because I can adjust the sweetness to taste. Fage full fat yogurt ftw. Jam is also great between cake layers ^^

I think some men can look extremely hot that way. But also, it's none of my damn business how they wear their hair. I wouldn't want to critique a guy's appearance any more than I would want a guy to judge me based on my boobs or butt.

I do intermittent fasting, so that gives me plenty of time to pre-log my entire day in the morning. I find this helps me stay on track and ensures that I do a better job of hitting my macros, and allows me to budget for snacks or treats. This also helps cut down on decision fatigue - the more decisions we make in a day,…

I'm 31, and like you, trying to stay on top of my health and fitness; I know it's only going to get more difficult as I get older, so I need to get serious and stay serious NOW. I have let the job stress derail me, too, and gained a good ten pounds or so over the past year. Basically I got into a "f- it" mindset and while…