CaffeinatedConfectionist Member

Gotcha! :)

I don't think anyone in this thread is advocating this...

I feel like it's possible to understand moderation and incorporate foods that you like into your diet and still have foods you don't eat much/at all that you used to eat in the past. Basically I just stopped eating foods that I didn't really enjoy, but still ate just because they were there. Like grocery store cookies.…

Yeah, I also tend to eat leftover poultry cold. Chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken avocado wraps, chicken dipped in bbq sauce/hot sauce, etc, etc

Yup, when I first started counting calories I really had to decide what was worth budgeting for. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Worth it. Crappy grocery store cookies that are often on offer at work? Not worth it. Counting calories has really encouraged mindful, rather than mindless, eating (except when alcohol…

I love Greg Nuckols, but somehow missed this guide. I haven't had a chance to read it in depth, obviously, but it looks fantastic - thanks for sharing! This may be the incentive I needed to change up my own lifting routine.

Thanks!

If anyone can recommend a good brand for women who do a fair amount of lower body work, I'd be grateful. I'm in decent enough shape, but because I squat, etc, most jeans that fit my thighs are about 4" too big in the waist. I've had some pretty good luck with Big Star brand jeans from Buckle, but that's about it.

tldr: figure out what stresses you out in life and triggers bad decisions or helps contribute to laziness/lack of motivation and find alternate ways to deal with these situations, people, or events. I've been up and down a few times myself in terms of my weight, and I've found that I can't really rely on anything external…

I try to go for high-protein snacks, so I eat a lot of whole-fat plain greek yogurt (fage is my preferred brand) with jam or honey mixed in. I really dislike the taste of the low-fat yogurts, but the whole-milk yogurt is very decadent and creamy. Cottage cheese is another go-to, and I like it with cocoa powder and honey or…

I also like it with applesauce, like someone else mentioned. Or canned mandarin oranges. But my current love affair with cottage cheese involves honey and dark cocoa powder. Mmmmmmm. Sometimes I mix in protein powder, but if I put in too much powder it gets too thick and grosses me out.

Gotta agree with everyone else who has said to make sure you're setting an appropriate deficit, and to save some calories for late night-snacking. I've found I do best if I fast until I get home from work and also eat a late dinner with a pre-bedtime snack. I also have a tendency to midnight snack, so I try to make room in…

Amen to that. Aside from needing my coffee in the morning to prevent me from murdering all and sundry, I do find it to really help me manage my deficit.

In my experience, motivation comes and goes. I can't stay motivated all the time. I have plenty of days when I would rather do any number of things than work out, like yesterday when I was stuck late at work with some unexpected overtime. All I wanted to do was flop down on the couch when I got home, especially since I was…

It sounds like you know what you need to do. It can be difficult getting started, but once you have developed healthy habits and routines, being fit becomes much easier. It can be incredibly rewarding and satisfying. I'd encourage you to read some of the intro threads, like…

In for browned butter... especially when combined with salted caramel...

While I agree that patience is the key to long-term success, I don't think there's anything wrong with being excited or with feeling an increased self-confidence/attractiveness. Plus I think that hanging up your old "skinny" clothes sounds like a good way to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself of your goal. (But I…

There are some foods I have a hard time eating in moderation also. And I'm totally stealing this phrase when I talk about them, because it cracked me up :D

You could try a bodyweight program, such as those offered at Nerd Fitness. The important thing in retaining your lean body mass is to make sure you're progressively overloading your muscles. Nerd Fitness does over a beginning and an advanced bodyweight program to continue challenging yourself.…

No... you're fine. Eat it and enjoy.

This thread is making me nostalgic for the nutella-swirled cheesecake with shortbread crust that my sister made me for my birthday last month. /drool. (of course, I have just a hair of a hangover and that makes cake and cheesecake sound even better than usual)

I will sometimes get some abdominal DOMS from pull-ups/chin-ups, also, from bracing my core. That's the joy of the big compound moves :D

My go-to protein snacks are jerky, greek yogurt (generally I like full-fat Fage mixed with honey or jam or some such), cottage cheese (I have a sweet tooth, so I mix it with honey and dark cocoa powder), Clif builder bars, and protein powder, which I either add to my iced coffee or use to make protein muffins. I also eat a…

IMO, the helpfulness of friends depends entirely on your perspective and what you expect to get out of your interactions with them. Are friends going to somehow magically motivate you to work out and eat within your goal? No. (Not that I think this is what you're getting at, mind, since it looks like you're having plenty…

I know I shouldn't be feeding the troll, but just so much no. If you go into a relationship feeling that you are doing someone a favor, that's a pretty clear indicator that there is an imbalance in the relationship dynamic and an expectation of gratitude. And usually consequent resentment if that required gratitude is not…

You don't get to tell women what they/we want. Especially in an attempt to justify why someone would turn you down romantically. I'm sure women like this exist, but this sounds like a salve to your pride and an attempt to again reiterate how "shallow" this woman must have been for not wanting to be with you. Honestly, it…

So the first part of this, yes. The second part is a good example of what I meant earlier when I said "Learn to differentiate between legitimate information and baseless claims so that you don't waste time and effort and become demoralized doing "fad" diets or trying to adhere to unnecessary rules like "eating 6 meals a…

I'd suggest reading the following posts and to just generally read and educate yourself as much as possible. There's a lot of misinformation out there that can waste a lot of your time and unnecessarily complicate the process of weight loss.…

I would recommend starting by doing a lot of reading. Educate yourself as much as possible on the science behind weight loss and fitness. Learn to differentiate between legitimate information and baseless claims so that you don't waste time and effort and become demoralized doing "fad" diets or trying to adhere to…