Eleisabelle

I'm motivated in the morning because it's so peaceful, and I have the time to myself. I'm a runner, so my morning workout is outside. The whole world is so quiet, that I'm motivated just by the idea of being able to be outside and enjoy the peace of it. Put your alarm clock across the room so you have to get up to turn it…

Scheduling is the hardest part of running for me. I have to be at work at 7:30 in the morning, and my evenings are usually full of rehearsals and such. That generally means that I either run in the early morning, which I can only do in the summer until it gets too dark, or on my very strictly timed lunch break, which means…

Maybe that was the theater and row and seats in which that couple had their first date, and they were celebrating an anniversary. You can never know for sure what someone's motivation is. It doesn't have to be "issues."

Sometimes it's based on culture, too. Sociological research has shown that Americans are some of the most prudish people in the world. Many other cultures (not all, for sure) don't have the personal space demands that we do. It's fascinating research...

I've found that bicycles do a better job of working ALL your ab muscles, and reverse crunches are easier on the back. Planks work the whole core rather than just the abs, which is also good. You want a really simple ab exercise? Just work on holding your stomach in for one minute while you walk around. Then relax the…

This is what I do. That way I've become used to the fluctuations throughout the week AND through the month. I can tell first thing in the morning when I've had too much sodium over the last few days. ;) I just don't let the fluctuations bother me.

I am SO jealous! I miss them...

Drive-in movies. *sigh*

I remember when there was no interwebs. In fact, I remember rotary dial phones, coffee percolators, and hand crank ice cube trays. Oh, and I had to get up and change the channel on the TV. On which there were only four channels that worked.

The scales aren't a good measure. With a new eating regime, you could be retaining water, which will make your weight go up for a short time. Give your body a chance to get used to your new routine. Three weeks is such a short time! I also fluctuate up and down even within a day, as much as five pounds. I currently weigh…

If you use a multi-vitamin, get one that is designed to improve skin and hair. I use Maxi-Hair from Country Life. Vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and vitamin A all help with healthy hair. If you color your hair, stop. If you need to keep coloring it, use henna if you can (info on the best ways and access to PURE henna at…

This--especially if you wear makeup or put other stuff on your face for the day. When you exercise, your pores open up and anything on your skin can slide right in and clog them up.

^^This. Is the goal unrealistic? Probably, but not necessarily. The real question is: is it dangerous? YES!

No--your BMR is the minimum it takes to keep your body functioning. You should try never to go below BMR. Your TDEE is the total amount required to cover BMR plus your daily activities. THAT's what you want to eat below.

It takes your body at LEAST a few weeks to adjust to a new routine. So if you're doing workouts you haven't done before, and eating differently, you may be retaining water (particularly in your muscles if you're doing anything that's helping strengthen them). In all honesty, that first two pounds in the first week was…

You'll be amazed how much the right shoes will help. And you're doing good exercises, so keep them up. If you want to add to it, there's another exercise where you stand facing the wall and flex your foot against the wall, so you're stretching through your calf and achilles. You can lean into it to feel the stretch as far…

Unfortunately it's hard to accurately track potassium on this site. Most foods here don't have potassium values listed. http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/potassium-foods.htm

Glad that worked for you! Actually, calcium and plain old sodium are necessary to prevent cramps, too. I've found that a good calcium citrate supplement with magnesium helps support my muscles quite nicely.

What kinds of stretches are you doing before running, aside from the roller? And what roller exercises are you doing? Yes, I would say that keeping up the roller might make improvements. Are you also using them on the IT band? It helps to make sure you're working with the whole leg. Calves that are too tight can lead to…

That's not how it works: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/08/muscle-does-not-turn-to-fat-if-you-stop-exercising/ The reason you gain fat back if you don't exercise is because you don't change the way you eat to compensate. If you stop exercising, you need to cut back your caloric intake. But muscle BURNS fat,…

I can see my hips sway and not jiggle.

Yep, like most others, I'm getting up early. I start my runs at about 5 am. It helps wake me up in the morning, which is something I need anyway. I think I'll actually be sad when it starts getting too dark.

Two things: 1) Don't worry if you have to go way slow. My first running pace was slower than walking. That's what got me through those first weeks. Then I got better. And when you've succeeded in completing the first week correctly, you'll be amazed how well you'll do on the next week. You really will surprise yourself. 2)…

BTW--when I shifted from a heel strike to a forefoot strike, my pace improved naturally.

For the record, distance runners who are heel strikers are usually running in racing flats and have a very different stride compared to most of us. As a distance runner, I recommend a midfoot-forefoot strike. It's the only thing that keeps me from getting injured.

1. Shoes, shoes, shoes. Go get a good shoe fitting at a reputable RUNNER's shoe store (not a general sports store). They'll watch you run and match shoes to your stride. 2. Do you heel strike? If you can change to a midfoot-forefoot strike, you'll be much better off. If you can't, go back to 1. 3. Rest for several days to…

Simple and tasty? Sliced cucumbers Nonfat Greek yogurt Fresh dill A little yogurt goes a long way. And the dill adds a great, cooling flavor. If you want to go crazy, add some tomatoes and use herbes de Provence instead of dill.

Why don't you want muscle? Muscle for women just makes you look lean and toned--you won't look musclebound unless you take steroids. Only men can look that way naturally. Building muscle is how you will balance out and get to a good body fat percentage. The way you look now, I wouldn't suggest any other method. And…

Proposal writer... zzzzzz. Hoping to wake up soon.

It depends on how much you have to lose, honestly. Some people who are 100 pounds or more overweight can drop those first pounds quickly, adding up to what the previous poster is talking about. However, if 50 pounds is all you want to lose, if you're like most of us, it's better to make a goal of becoming fit and healthy…