SpectacuLaura Member

Feel free to add me! I'm a long-time MFP'er that only finally got my act together and super serious about my goals earlier this year. I'm always looking for cool new friends on here :)

It's been slower for me- about a 1 lb. loss per week most weeks- but I'm doing this for more of a true long-term lifestyle change versus a quick weight loss solution. And my actual body composition and overall "look" has changed dramatically since I'm doing a strength training program along with the carb cycling. I do…

Hi there! Longtime MFP-er from Columbus. Always on the lookout for cool new friends on here- feel free to add me!

My diary is open and I avoid processed foods (except for the occasional cheat meal) :)

Thank you for this! Such a great post and a great reminder that being healthy is a lifelong journey and one that you can always return to, even after suffering some setbacks.

Feel free to add me- my diary is open too! My ultimate goal is to lose about 50lbs and I'm over halfway there. I'm always looking for new motivational friends on here :)

You could always make protein pancakes! They're easy and yummy all on their own so you can just throw them in a baggie and head out the door- no syrup necessary. I know these contain both eggs and oatmeal but you can't even taste either one of them in the pancake. I usually cut this recipe in half to make 1 serving for me:…

I'm in favor of a cheat meal...just as long as it doesn't turn into a cheat DAY. It's true that it does sometimes cause guilt or provide too much temptation to turn it into an all-out binge, but typically I like having one cheat meal a week. It makes me appreciate "cheat" foods more and savor them.

Congrats, Angel! Thanks for sharing the photos- you're doing fantastic!

Oh I just blend up ice until it's a slushie/sno-cone consistency and then put that Mio no calorie flavoring on it. It's delicious!

I have a major sweet tooth too. (Hence, my addiction to sugar free gum) I usually chew crazy gum flavors to help with the cravings or grab a sugar free jello cup or make a Mio slushie. It's definitely been getting better though the longer I've been carb cycling and eating healthy. The healthier flavored peanut and almond…

Sometimes you just have to give in to your temptations to keep some sanity and stay motivated. As long as you don't go overboard, you're still staying committed to your fitness goals. I love yummy flavored coffee drinks but avoid them at all costs to stick with my goals. But sometimes (like this morning) I'm just tired and…

Sue-This is as great self assessment of your monthly accomplishments! Knowing what triggers you to fall off track is half the battle and I'm sure you can continue to improve and ward off temptation. You're doing fantastic! Cheers to a successful October and continued motivation! :)

DB- My husband's birthday is Sunday too! We're celebrating on Saturday but happy early birthday to you! :)

I'm with you DB- even though I'm only supposed to have one cheat meal per week, I feel like it starts to spill over into other parts of my weekend. Or I go so crazy over-the-top with my cheat meal that I feel sick over it for the next several days. It's just not worth it. I hate cheat meal guilt. :/ It's my husband's…

Well, my bras are now starting to get too big lol. :D Not sure if I'm as excited about that as I was with my pants...

It's a chain of fitness places that just started gaining popularity in my area. They only do smaller group fitness classes with a personal trainer. Half the class does cardio on the treadmill and the other half does rowing/weight floor exercises and then each group switches for the 2nd half of the class. Everyone gets a…

Welcome to all the new people and amazing job Tiffany and DB! I love reading through everyone's personal successes on here. It really keeps me motivated to stay on track with my own goals. :smile: As far as September goals go, I've been doing pretty good with weight loss but not as good as I hoped with cutting back on my…

I use Questbars as meal replacements on both my high and low carb days too. I just try to keep them to my meals that are earlier in the day since I avoid carbs in the evening on both types of days. Thankfully I haven't had a SUPER crazy craving for carbs on my low days yet (knock on wood). I usually just notice that I'm a…

Agree with most everyone else- you just have to make time. I was a TV addict and just couldn't possibly imagine giving up any of my busy DVR watching schedule...until I did. Working out and meal prep are just simply more of a priority now and I certainly don't miss all of the mindless hours I spent on the couch when I'm…

Tiffany- is there a prize for your weight loss contest at work? That's so fun! We did something similar at my work a few years ago and I "participated" but just wasn't motivated enough to actually try that time. I wish they'd do it again now that I'm more dedicated.

That's awesome!! Having a salad when everyone else is having pizza is sooooo hard haha! And way to go on keeping things light at a buffet :smile:

I'm with you guys- I just leave my MFP settings the same all the time. Since I meal prep every week and measure everything out for my meals to take with me to work it just seems easier to focus on the macros. And I'm also with you on the "good fat" struggle. I could eat avocado on everything! I'm doing ok with saving…

Also, in reference to the coconut oil talk from a few days ago, I've been using coconut oil as an eye makeup remover for years now and it's INSANE. It literally removes every tiny speck of eye makeup with just a tiny bit and some gentle rubbing. So if anyone is looking for any other good reasons to get some coconut oil…

Hi everyone! I had an insanely busy weekend so I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep up with the group much. :smile: I definitely ate more than I wanted over the weekend with my best friend's birthday celebration and a friend's wedding being back-to-back but I'm trying to not beat myself up over it. Better to focus on all of the…

Thanks for the tips/info everyone! I buy my Quest bars and powder from The Vitamin Shoppe. The macro breakdown is a little different for each type of bar but they're great meal replacements for my high carb days when I'm just not able to get to a proper meal. One of my coworkers said they're great if you cut them up into…

DB- Thank you for the recipe! I've been really wanting to try some type of protein pancake since I started and these sound awesome! I actually have a lot of different kinds of gluten free flours already purchased-including coconut. :) Before I was diagnosed, I loved to bake and decorate cakes/cupcakes so I did a lot of…

I love all of the recipes/food specifics! Thanks, everyone :) I'm diagnosed Celiac so I have the added annoyance of having to make everything gluten free. So any tips I can get on how to make my meals more interesting is always appreciated. Right now for breakfast I always have 4 egg whites, 2 rice cakes or 1 slice GF…

Hi everyone! I'm Laura and I'm on week 4 of a carb cycling program and I'm loving it so far! I do low days Sun, Mon, Thurs, Fri and high days Tues, Wed, Sat (with one cheat meal on Saturday night). I also do weight training followed by cardio 4 days a week and cardio/yoga every other day for my "rest" days. I've only lost…

Feel free to add me! I never get why people make their diaries private either. It's always helpful to see what other people are eating. :)