CaffeinatedConfectionist Member

I had to switch to diet mixers because I can easily rack up 600 calories in whiskey each day, which is kind of absurd, given my calorie goal is 1800-1900 per day. Of course, drinking 600 calories in liquor is not the healthiest, either mentally or physically, so I've also tried to cut back to only drinking on the weekends;…

This. You need a calorie deficit to lose overall body fat and resistance training to retain the lean muscle that you have, unless you want to end up with just a smaller but equally flabby version of yourself. I have strong, thick thighs and I love 'em. Ain't nobody gonna be able to push me around ^.^

Eh, I agree with what others have said. It's not nearly so much about what you eat as your overall deficit and finding something that is sustainable for you. Mind you, it IS a good idea to eat fruits and vegetables and meet those macro and micro nutrient goals. But one of my favorite phrases I've read on here is (though…

That sounds like a good way to put on fat.

This. I eat WHATEVER I want. I cannot, however, eat AS MUCH as I want of whatever I want. I still eat whatever I feel like eating, but I do so in appropriate portions and in addition to staying within my calorie goal (this past weekend aside >.>) I also try to hit my nutritional goals. ETA: Also this. I pre-log and it…

And how! (though I'm personally in favor of doing both cardio and weights for physical and mental health reasons, it's not required to lose weight)

Snacks are not going to stunt your weight loss unless they are causing you to exceed your daily calorie goal and no longer be in a deficit. Many people eat treats and snacks in moderation, without needing to cut them out of their lives entirely. Just fit reasonable amounts of snacks into your daily calorie goal (also, make…

Same! I knew I recognized those tattoos ^^ (ok, that sounds seriously creepy). Glad to see you back, and for your success a second time around. You were absolutely an inspiration for me. I think that one of the most important things that you are showing people in this post is that with the proper education and by finding a…

Congratulations! (Also, yay, Settlers!)

Not an exact parallel by any means, but you could try barbell complexes. Complexes are a sequence of lifts that segue into one another smoothly so that, like in pump, you move from one lift to another without stopping. You also use a conservatively low weight because you have to be able to, for example, both upright row…

Yeah, if you don't like them, don't eat them. You can find other foods with similar macros. I really enjoy oats, but I also don't eat them plain. I don't even eat them as regular, eat-with-a-spoon oatmeal. I make them into baked oatmeal (often with protein powder) or oat and fruit pancakes. Or cookies >:)

Like others have said you'll get there if you keep working at it. Being slender is not the same as being fit, which was a mindset I struggled with at the beginning. I started back in 2011 just by going for walks every day. I still remember how excited I was the first time I was able to jog on the treadmill for 5 minutes. I…

Intermittent fasting is simply eating in a way that involves some periods of not eating, or fasting. Intermittent fasting is different from fasting for religious or spiritual reasons, just to be clear. Many people do daily intermittent fasting and will say, for example, that they do 16:8 intermittent fasting. This means…

Feel free to friend me. I do a roughly 20:6 - I don't eat (aside from coffee) until I get home from work, typically. Then several snacks and a large dinner. I have always eaten this way naturally, but it wasn't until I got on MFP that I realized there was a term for it. For a long time I believed the "must eat X number of…

I have a Century Wavemaster. I would not recommend it unless you're a pretty small person (I'm 5'2 and I basically have to wedge it into a corner because it moves so much). I wish I had gotten a Century Wavemaster XXL, which is not all that much more spendy. I like having a stand-alone bag instead of a hanging bag because…

I do krav maga, which has its share of kicking and boxing. I really enjoy it - what surprised me, when I first got started, was how much of a core workout it is. I love it! It leaves me drenched. I also enjoy the practical self-defense aspect.

I watch TV on the elliptical; I usually don't have a ton of time to watch TV otherwise, so it kills two birds with one stone. Plus, action scenes or fight scenes can help me pick up the pace ^.^ But when I'm running outdoors I listen to audiobooks.

That was how I justified my eating for most of 2015. Except that it really worked out to be more like "dirty maintenance," and that just sounds... unhygienic?

As people have mentioned, insanity is very popular, or Jillian Michaels. You can also try following some of the at-home bodyweight training routines that are out there. Nerd Fitness has a couple decent ones, though there are many other options:…

Oreos schmoreos - it's all about: (I mean, not that I'm going to turn down an oreo, except peppermint. Those can gtfo)

First, I wanted to note that eating every 3 hours is completely unnecessary. It works for some people; there is nothing inherently wrong with it. But you mention you never feel full, and I think this meal timing is a large part of why. I would suggest eating fewer, but larger, meals so that you feel more full after each…

I have a Flex, so it was nowhere near that expensive, and I find it moderately useful. The calorie burn estimate has been helpful when paired with my own TDEE estimate and observed data, and I like that it tracks my sleep, but I mostly enjoy having it as that little, annoying reminder when I have suuuper low days, like…

Haha, yup. I often have to bite my tongue on the temptation to offer unsolicited advice on eating and exercise habits, but as it has been said, "unsolicited advice is criticism in disguise." It's not going to help anyone unless they ask for it - and quite often, even when people ask for advice, they don't really want it…

Alcohol - I can easily have ~600 calories of booze a night and it's not so much those calories but the fact that I then have no self-control when it comes to snacking that tends to be my downfall. I've had to cut back to only drinking on the weekends, which has been helpful.

Seriously, starting Krav maga was the best thing I ever did to limit my drinking. It's almost like being an entirely different person. But anything, mountain biking, MMA, running, lifting, swimming... non-exercise things like joining meetups, reconnecting with friends, finding someplace to volunteer, whatever - as long as…

I can't really think of much to contribute (my stupid decisions were primarily food related) but I did purchase one of those mini stepper things in high school. A definite waste of money. Mostly this thread is really reinforcing for me not to push myself beyond my limits in lifting or to try to lift with a mostly but not…

I would certainly recommend substance abuse counseling, if you feel like rather than you being in control of your drinking it is the other way around - because if you can't stop now, it's not likely to get any easier. There are usually both individual and group counseling opportunities, and it can be a good way to create a…

Yup, 3x/week (down from a 4x/week upper/lower split because I also added in a new class 4x/week and so had to cut back on some other exercises). It's great - helps me with physical strength and mental self-confidence. And being able to carry all the groceries inside, including the cat litter, in one trip ain't bad either.…

One of the things that I have found most helpful is to pre-log my snacks and meals for the day in the morning, and try to stick to that. I make better choices in the morning, but if I let after-work-me make my decisions for me, I'd never lose weight. I also find it helpful to drink a lot of tea or water to keep my hands…

It's spelled "elliptical," and will show up as "elliptical trainer." But take MFP's calorie estimates with a grain of salt - it's very easy to overestimate calorie burn on something like an elliptical.