ShannonMpls Member

I had to reply just to say thanks - because this made me smile :) I think the bar was loaded with 145 in that pic, and you're right. I definitely can't do that with dumbbells. That's not to say that I don't include dumbbell squats in my routine, but there are always secondary to barbell squats.

True, but pile/goblet squats max out for me around 100 pounds due to grip, and I can do a lot more than that with a back squat. OP can definitely do squats without a rack, and definitely hit her quads, but I'm not sure I consider that "squatting heavy." In my opinion, a rack is a necessity for that goal.

I honestly don't think there is any safe way to do heavy barbell squats without a rack.

I actually did have remarkable experience at consignment stores (less so at places like Goodwill). That's where I got almost all of my interim pants; I also hit up clearance sales at NY&Co, which has talls in stock. Barring that, I spent a lot of time in skirts and dresses :)

Wow, how awesome! I love this new section. I hit my goal weight in September of 2012, so I've been maintaining within a 5-6 pound range (right where I want to be) for almost a year.

This is - literally - exactly what I came into this thread to post.

Just start. And then don't stop. The rest is just details.

I'm kind of obsessed with mine. I had an Ultra, which cracked, and Fitbit kindly replaced for free it with the new One model, which is my BFF.

You see that weight loss below in my ticker? The whole time I was achieving those results, I had 2-3 "cheat days" a month (though I never called them that). Not cheat meals. Days. I did not track them. I did not binge, but I ate well over maintenance. Granted, my typical days were awesome and I exercised regularly,…

I cannot get rid of it altogether. It's one of several tools for me to stay on top of weight maintenance. However, I hardly ever weigh myself. I do if I'm feeling particularly lean or particularly un-lean...maybe once a month? These numbers matter more to me: The size plates I'm loading onto a barbell The reps and sets I…

I find it quite useful. If I go to a friend's house for dinner and she makes chicken pad thai, I will search the database for a homemade chicken pad thai to add to my diary so I can estimate. I'm certainly not going to ask my friend to keep track of each ingredient used and its quantity to create a recipe in MFP, so the…

It makes me feel awesome and look hot.

In all honesty, while working in an office, this is how I responded to food pushing. I never got upset, I would just say: I'm down 40 pounds and want to keep going that way. Looks great but I already have my treats planned for the day. I just burned 500 in the gym and can't bring myself to put it back with that cookie! I…

Now picture the salad girl responding the way some of the posters in this thread have suggested, and it gets even more ridiculous.

I'm obsessed with my FitbitOne. LOVE it. I also have an HRM, which I wear during cardio most of the time. But my Fitbit is a far more useful device to me these days.

Different kind of cheese and gravy, but hell, I'd like some chili-cheese fries too. We sometimes make a ridiculous meal we call tot-chos. Sweet potato tots topped with chorizo, queso, sour cream, and jalapeno. Glad I'm not on a diet so I can eat this kind of stuff ;) I feel like these posts are very cruel given OP's…

Yes, they do have a chest strap but I promise that you get used to it quickly. You really got a bargain! Yes, they are waterproof but my experience with Polar in water has been hit and miss. You aren't supposed to press the watch buttons while in the water but that's not a big issue.

The basics: fries with cheese curds, topped with gravy. It's Canadian. Some places around me are doing variations, like an asian kind with bulgogi and a fried egg and kimchi. Or braised beef poutine. It's just as awesome as it sounds.

I say this as nicely as possible: get over it. By asking you to join them in their lunch orders, they're being nice, not sabotaging you. The pushiness sounds like it's coming from a different place. How you react matters. If you act upset, they'll continue doing it, likely. If you say, "nah, I don't want to eat that - this…

I am. My BMI is 24ish, sometimes above 25 if I'm retaining water for whatever reason and I go up a few pounds. I'm 5'10.5 or so. More photos are in my profile and blog.

Are you 4'5.5"? Because only at that height and shorter is 102+ overweight.

leelah's my hero.

This. Nothing worse than being "punished" for taking a necessary rest day by having to starve yourself.

Old Navy and Target both go up to, I believe, XXL. Athleta has good qualify stuff but only goes up to 16.

bench press: 145x6 overhead press: 70x5 back squat: 145x5 front squat: 115x6 one arm row: 45x6 5'11" - 175

It's only a problem if your fat intake is preventing you from reaching your other macro goals. Fat is calorie-dense, so too much might prevent you from, for instance, reaching your minimum protein intake without going over calorie goal. Obviously the answer to going over, if that's an issue for you, is to eat less fat and…

Ha, thank you! 4x8. Could do more if I had better grip strength.

I get 99% of my recipes from Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, and Pinterest (mostly from various blogs - we're loving How Sweet Eats and Bev Cooks in particular lately).

Okay, works for me ;) And you're right, the heavier weights are never the issue. It's the 20s and 30s that are always mis-racked, lying around on the floor unused, and generally abused by gym-goers with bad manners.

I'm down 133 pounds, which is about 43% of my starting weight. I do not *need* surgery. I go through periods of wishing I could afford it, though. It's solely cosmetic...I'd like tighter thighs, a flatter stomach, and bigger boobs (which will be your issue, I hope!). Here's the thing though. I think I look great in…