nessajk

If you are in a major metro area, you can maybe get bread from French Meadow Bakery - it's often in the freezer section at Whole Foods. They make the first sprouted-wheat bread that I have ever had and actually enjoy, and it has 5 grams of protein (and other good things) in each slice.

I don't have real motivation tips, I guess. I know it's hard, but once you break yourself of the junk food/soda habit, it then tastes bad. I swear. I'm no food saint, but now that I eat mostly whole foods, I find that stuff like soda or snacks with MSG and tons of salt make me gag. See if you can get through a week…

I GUARANTEE that this is your best option - place it between two towels, put a pan or cutting board on top, and then something heavy on top of that. I use my knife block. Let it press for half an hour. It will change your tofu-cooking life. Especially if you want to crumble it up like ground meat. MMMM.

Ooohhh I'm a wannabe foodie. Especially with cheese and wine, which is killer. The way I've tried to compensate is by seeking out new and interesting things to do with veggies that I've never heard of and exotic mushrooms. Also making sure that the foods I do eat are really, really good and quality stuff and then I don't…

Do you have access to workout videos? They can be a good choice in a pinch, and there are even some on Streaming Netflix.

No, it doesn't bother me at all, but I don't feel like in today's world that schools should prioritize teaching cooking and sewing, however. For a daughter of my own, I would be fine with her wanting to do that but I would still expect her to have the technical skills to be able to have a career and take care of herself.…

Spinach dish = saag paneer? My absolute favorite!!

If you're a carnivore, anything that is without sauce and cooked in the tandoor should be a great -and tasty- option for you. Stay light on the rice and you're golden!

Nah, that's more with people losing very large amounts of weight, like 100+. Nothing will be hanging after 20 lbs that toning exercises won't take care of.

At my last job, my nearby gym had 45 minutes classes geared towards people at work at it was perfect! I favored ones like yoga and pilates instead of cardio because I would otherwise end up overheated and keep sweating for another 2 hours despite showering.

My digital scale needs to be recalibrated every time I move it, which is every time I use it since I store it someplace. It usually makes a 3 lb difference or so.

I LOVE quorn! I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, and I've gotten away from many of the faux-meat products in an effort to eat more whole foods. I like to have quorn products around though for protein when I'm not feeling like putting much effort into cooking though, and I prefer not to overload on soy.

Looking for cardio? Maybe biking? I'm not certain, but since the knee is not supporting all of her weight, that maybe an option. And you could get a machine or even one of those indoor adapters for a regular bike. For toning, maybe some pilates while going easy on any lunging. Yay for you helping her out!

Sure, but make sure you eat something solid (protein) shortly before drinking to keep you from getting ridiculously drunk as you would on an empty stomach. Personally, if I get a few drinks in, I tend to forget I'm dieting and start chowing down, too! A glass of water between each drink helps.

The first thing I learned about cooking tofu was to press it first, but it sounds like you could already be doing it. I like to marinade with soy sauce (diluted, or it gets too salty) and just whatever other spices I am in the mood for. Some sesame seeds are good, too. My favorite though is crumbling or cubing after…

You sound so kind! I'm not a mom, but I understand how hard this can be. My own mother went overboard and had me dieting hardcore by 8 years old, and I was never fat! The result was me stealing and hiding food, and seeing myself as overweight when I wasn't. You are really doing the best thing by modeling good behavior. If…

My husband, who is in incredibly good shape, was told by his physical therapist that he shouldn't do that move anymore. It is apparently too hard on both the shoulders and the back. Instead, she told him to squat with weights by his side for the same effect without the shoulder and back injury risk/pain. I think she also…

Obvious question - is there a possibility that you are pregnant? I think exercise isn't supposed to affect your period unless you are at a very very high athletic level with a very low body fat percentage. If you are young (as in adolescent) it can vary, just because you are still changing. Stress can definitely play a…

Love mine! It's a cover up, too, which speaks to how you should be careful. Find an artist you can connect with.

Hey there! You may want to bring a towel, small or large, and water if you like. Here is a good link to yoga etiquette. This website also has a nice area for beginners/basics. http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/166 My biggest tip is to not make yourself do anything that doesn't feel right. People are often injured in yoga…

My Dr. said that anything beyond 5-10lbs usually can't be attributed to OBC, but everyone is different. I went off of them recently after 15 years and have noticed no difference. For me, I just knew that even if they did cause weight gain, it was a heck of a lot less than if I were pregnant!

(Grokette) "I have had much better luck with taking my own health and well being into my own hands using myself as my own "test steak", you know the whole n=1 experiment. No one knows their body better than oneself. We are merely sharing our experiences with the OP and others. It is up to her to decide what is best for…

@ Greg: A lot of research of this type is done by MD/PhD's - they carry both degrees. Though no, not the physician you will see at your clinic.

@ Greg: Well, talk to a nutritionist then. They specialize and are current on the diets and more reliable than message boards. Most research you will find yourself was conducted by doctors and/or government, so pick your poison, I guess.

I think the key for a lot of these types of diets is that they can vary both according to individual body needs and what you choose to fill the missing calories with. If you are eating primarily unprocessed whole grains and don't have any allergy issues, then you may not see a huge health benefit from eliminating all…

I looked a little more closely, and it is true that the only veggies you seem to be eating are peas and corn. Although they have some nutrition, they are pretty much the bread of the vegetable world, as are bananas for fruit. A lot of sugar but not as much fiber and nutrition. I see that when you had takeaway Chinese food,…

Remember that (especially as a woman) your weight will fluctuate by a few pounds with water and your cycle. Mine goes up and down by about four pounds a week without me changing anything. It looks like you are eating a whole lot of processed foods and those are usually high in salt which can make you retain water, too.…

Good grief. My major gripes at my gym are: 1) People answering their cell phones....in YOGA class! It's yoga! Come on, people! 2) The meathead who walks around with the tank top on that is basically three strings but technically passes as clothing. Like if he had a shirt on, we wouldn't be able to tell he is 300 lbs of…

I noticed once that while on a very low-carb eating plan that my sleep troubles significantly increased, and other people on the plan reported the same. Are you getting some whole grains in?

I'm a longtime vegetarian and I have tried to cut down on faux meat a bit because of all the processing, but I still have some faves. :) I like the crumbles a lot for things like tacos. Super tasty. Another idea is to try the Quorn line if you have it available to you. It's made from mushroom mycoprotein instead of soy,…