MaryStregger Member

Cardio is really hard to judge from person to person without knowing all the details like heart rate etc. For me - I exercise 6 times a week because I find it really helps with my diet (I eat back at least half of the calories that I burn from exercise). But if this plan is getting you sweaty and elevating your heart rate…

This is what I tell everybody who I know is starting to lose weight. There are three basic components - if you do all three, you will get healthier ... (notice - I didn't mention weight). #1 - diet. You need to eat "clean" (google what that means if you don't already know) and balanced (carbs, proteins, fruits, veggies,…

My guess is that you are probably arching your back in the floor work - make sure that you don't push yourself too far, to the point where your back is too arched. As for the side work, I would guess that you are not standing at the correct distance from your chair. Most likely a mirror, so that you can watch yourself…

I think that you can get the same results with the bands - however; I found it incredibly encouraging to use the weights and track how much I could lift. By using free weights and tracking them, I was able to see really fast improvement in my strength. This is nice on weeks when you don't lose much (or any) weight or…

I really enjoyed Turbo Fire - the calorie burn was high and it does include some lighter strength training.

I have had a lot of success with the Chalean Extreme DVD program from beachbody. Check it out on the beachbody website.

I am 129 lbs and I wear a size 4 and am 5'6".

No - carbs from fruit are not bad for you. Carbs from grains are not bad for you either - carbs are not bad for you period. Just like proteins and fats - your body needs them. If you cut out any one of those three nutrients, you will lose weight but you will struggle to maintain your diet and, eventually, you will suffer…

Personally, I feel like diet and exercise are a part of a concept known as "lifestyle change" that comes for many people in not just one, but several revelations. I lost 20 pounds about six years ago without exercise - then I lost 10 more by taking both exercise and diet to an extreme. Because it felt so extreme it seemed…

don't stop snacking. In fact, you're better off snacking in small amounts throughout the day then you are eating big meals. Listen to your body - if it wants to snack, then snack. Just keep a lot of super healthy snacks that are around 100 calories each handy - this is the hard part. I never leave the house without a piece…

I have a pretty similar lifestyle - except I also help my husband run a company and I have two kids. If I was you, I would head to bed at 9:30 - skip the hour of "getting ready for bed" and then get up at 5 and work out then. Exercise is a priority for both my husband and I, so often we workout together at home to get that…

living with my elderly grandmother. She has so many health issues and is so confined by them - I've just decided to do everything now, even though I'm only 29, to make my old age comfortable and fun. I want to be on the floor, doing puzzles and playing with trucks and dolls with my great-grandkids.

Definitely see a doctor. There are a lot of possible explanations.

Also, eating healthy on a limited budget is possible - it just takes a lot of creativity and planning. I live in a part of the world where food is incredibly expensive (northern Canada) and I manage it by choosing my produce and cuts of meat from the stuff that is on sale and by buying healthy grains like quinoa in bulk.

So, basically, you've slowed your metabolism down and you need to jump-start it. One thing that works for me is to change up my exercise routine fairly drastically every month. I also make sure to always do some form of strength-training as muscle boosts the metabolism.

Okay - so you used to lose a pound after one day of eating healthy. That is what's not normal. Maybe what was really going then was that you were gaining and losing water weight from eating salty and processed foods? Give your body at least two to four weeks of good eating & fitness habits before you get frustrated.…

what about walking your stairs in the apartment building? - holding the handrail of course :)

Thanks - that helped me make my decision.

Does putting yourself first really mean that you have to force others to eat what you're eating? Doesn't putting yourself first mean eating healthfully despite what everyone else is doing? Have healthy food there for you to eat. In my experience, if you can't teach yourself to eat differently around people who are eating…

I used to work for weight watchers and found that many people had the same success that I did with straws. It definitely reduces the air you are swallowing - especially if you are drinking during a high-impact workout and need to drink while breathing heavily. Of course, whatever works for each person is best.

This is a really touchy subject - some people eat them back and some don't. Personally, I exercise quite a bit - my target net calories is 1200 but I usually end up with additional 600-800 each day that I can work with from doing all of the exercise (except Sundays, because that's my rest day). I find that if I eat 1500…

I don't know if you are already doing this but I found that I have to drink through a straw. I know that might sound hokey, but it reduces the amount of air that I am swallowing and I find that I can drink a lot more comfortably. I purchased a water bottle that has a built in straw and I keep it filled, sipping from it…

Fire 45 is also my favorite - stretch 40 is definitely my least favorite.

I am in week 7 although I am doing a hybrid version with Chalean Extreme. I love it - since I started Turbo Fire I've lost over 10 pounds. Even though I am within my final ten pounds before I reach my goal weight I am still finding that the weight comes off pretty easy with this program (not that it's easy) :).

Personally I have had a lot of success with reducing the post weight-loss, post-nursing sag by doing a lot of core work - specifically I do the P90X ab ripper workout at least twice a week as well as doing Turbo Fire.

I've tried it and found it kind of gross actually - like I was drinking chocolate pudding. There are a lot of really great shake options out there that I find filling and a lot better tasting. Visalus is pretty great and if you eat one shake a day it costs about $50 a month plus whatever you mix into it (milk or orange…

Here's a link to a maximum target heart rate calculator: http://www.naturalphysiques.com/2/target-heart-rate-calculator. Make sure you scroll down on the page to find the percentages for working out.

I've been doing the HIIT workouts with Turbofire. I think they're pretty great, considering how much they've increased my cardio in the last two weeks - at the start my heart rate would stay above 180 for an entire 15 minute HIIT workout and now it's down around 165 to 175 - in a more average cardio workout I am usually…

Make sure you are drinking enough water. Also, your body has probably developed a dependence on certain kinds of food - maybe sugar? You need to detox for awhile (ie. suffer just a little) until your body adjusts. Remember that it's not the worst thing to have a little of a bad thing - today I ate 100 calories worth of…

Just say no to cutting out carbs. Your body is probably still making the adjustment to the change in diet plan - give yourself a little more time. If you don't eat carbs you cannot get a lot of the nutrients that your body needs in their natural form - this is why that kind of diet is not sustainable - and any diet that is…