iammegs Member

^^ This!! When I moved outside the South, I actually was treated more rudely for trying to make polite gestures such as this, by teachers, servers at restaurants and peers.

Southern hospitality does still exist - it's the idea that you can share food with someone, have a nice conversation at a grocery store, and so on. The key is to make sure politics and religion never come up! I lived in Texas and Louisiana, but then attended high school in Germany. I experienced greater culture shock…

Anytime it changes smells, it indicates something's changed with your body... or you've eaten something weird. (the tuna and asparagus posts are all too true) But it could be anything ranging from ketosis or diabetes to a UTI - UTIs aren't always painful. I'm glad so many have already suggested the doctor, as that's the…

I'd actually been thinking the reverse was happening: men trying to assert their masculinity because they feel threatened. But if there is a masculinity crisis, it goes hand-in-hand with showing increasingly androgenous-looking men and women in fashion.

I think the only issue for me is context. Same as most people on here, if I saw a guy walking around the gym with the low-hip pants on to show it off, that would just be ridiculous. I'm not turned on necessarily by all the low pants on MFP, but I have to admit, I've had fun wondering how long the guy spent getting the…

It sounds like the biggest problem is you've been pigeonholed into one diet or another. After acknowledging that what I needed was weekly accountability and someone actually holding me accountable to lose weight, I joined Jenny Craig - and I still get crap for that, even though it's working for me!! I'm an emotional eater…

I can't believe one can only put on 7-10 pounds of muscle in a year. Think about people in traumatic accidents who are bedridden for weeks, can hardly stand or walk, and then after a few months of therapy, can walk and move normally again. There's no way they could make all those changes without gaining a lot of muscle…

For awhile when I was concerned I might have gluten intolerance, I mourned the loss of sandwiches - in particular, I eat a lot of light tuna salad, light chicken salad... you get the idea. Try rice cakes at least once to see if you like them - I was surprised that I did, and still swap out bread for rice cakes every now…

What is it about Sams club pizza that's just so good?

Add one yolk to your many egg whites, or use a one-second low-fat spray (10-25 calories depending on brand). Sounds like the OP is missing the small bit of fat in a meal that will tell your stomach to "shut off." Fat floats to the top of your stomach, so it's the last thing to leave - when fat gets to the beginning of your…

I am on JC but had considered ending because of cost. I found ways to make it work for me, but the key reason JC works is Volumetrics. It's actually much lower in sodium than Lean Cuisine and so on as well. Since you've decided to leave, I would HIGHLY recommend you still use the Volumetrics guide. The sections about…

For the first months (of success) on MFP - when I lost 30+ pounds - I was tracking calories and had two low-carb days (<20g) per week. I was also exercising in a spin class, elliptical, etc but no weight training and no eating the calories back. After awhile I did start tracking exercise on MFP and was amazed by how much…

Maybe it's because I don't watch much reality/weight loss TV, but I had NEVER heard of this before and am now terrified. Does it matter how old you are? I've already been doing cardio and strength training, and am hoping it won't be too bad/noticeable since I'm still early 20s... I'm really surprised I haven't heard of…

Currently in McAllen! Formerly of Houston, Katy and Victoria.

Glad to be able to join a group to know someone else, somewhere out there, is going through the same challenges and improvements as me. Looking forward to all the happy voices come Labor Day! ;)

I used to have a Fitbit, but gave it to a friend because I got the BodyMedia Advantage Armband with my Jenny Craig membership. If you get an armband and have a smartphone, you should definitely get the LINK Armband because it will sync with your phone via Bluetooth. If I'd bought mine on my own (rather than as a plus to my…

If you don't want to change up your workouts TOO much, here's a brief article on interval training (and how to incorporate it into your workouts) from Shape: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/interval-training-short-workouts-really-pay The basic idea of interval training is you're tricking your heart into staying in a…

I also use the microwave to cook almost everything, but want to warn people to do it right - ===> Use a glass container whenever possible because of plastic! <=== Obviously that's not always practical: Who among us has NEVER eaten a microwave meal? But even BPA-free plastics still have other things you shouldn't want to…

This is especially for those of you who managed to go from 4-5 hours to 7-8: Over summer vacations (in college and now that I'm a teacher), I do get my 7-8 hours, but my body wants to go to sleep late and wake up late. How do you shift your clock so you can go to sleep early to fit that many hours in?

I'd already made this sort of challenge for myself (with staff development and a conference coming up, I know I'll be tempted!) so I was glad to find this challenge on here to keep myself accountable. Used to have a glass of wine or a fruity drink at least every other day with my roommate! I'm loving the ideas people have…

Tape the fridge, freezer and pantry shut. Not duct tape or anything too serious, just something extra to help you stop. I've heard of people putting Velcro on the same places during college so they couldn't get anything out without waking a roommate... But seriously, the most effective two for me actually are just going to…

I was so glad to find this thread because I was curious myself. I haven't been below 140 since the 6th grade (pathetic, I know... that's why I'm here). Did research, measured my wrists, etc and settled on 125 as my goal weight. So glad to see others have the same!

Guess that answers the question running through my mind. It works when the guy is too needy for just one woman. ;) Can't imagine myself being in a relationship like that, but then, I also can't see myself wanting to be in a family with that many kids. On the bright side, women who choose plural marriages leave more men for…

Same as many on here: I was very successful while tracking. As soon as the tracking stopped, the weight loss stopped. If I can't keep up with a Survivor challenge like this, how can I keep up with my weight? :O Thanks again for starting this.

This idea is so awesome. I am very much in!

I'm really intrigued by the teachers who find the school year easier in terms of getting fit. I was so proud of myself Spring 2011: I lost 30 pounds and even kept it off all summer! Then I moved, the school year started, and I felt like I didn't even have a chance to figure out eating patterns and the like. I also live in…

Easy yet okay fixes to add to salads or whatever you cook on the stove: 1. Olive oil 2. Avocado 3. Non-processed cheese 4. Nuts (also easy on the go) Basically, if you're already having 3+ meals a day (i.e. not skipping any) and aren't hungry, adding more meals doesn't make sense. Just add some calories to every meal. Like…

Totally depends on the top. Not-low-cut leopard print under a black sweater or jacket = classy. I would never recommend wearing anything sleeveless to an interview, though. That being said, if you have to ask... better be safe.

The main issue is that he lied on the application. It's one thing to list a stepmother and SAY it's a stepmother - there are all kinds of legitimate reasons why someone would do that - though as an employer I would be leery of her recommendation if she had been in the picture a long time. But in general, it would speak a…

If you have to keep a specific pace, look up songs with that many beats per minute. I've used LoLo but also just looked up songs on my own - it really does make all the difference, whether you're running inside or out.