illecl Member

It's all about the math, no matter what diet gurus on TV say. Use MFP's tools (calculators) to determine how many calories a day your body burns. Post every bite you take! MFP's diary will tell you how many calories you burn with exercise (although my heart rate monitor says it's a little overstated). I don't eat back most…

Squats and lunges. With weights on your shoulders or in your hands once you start finding the regular squats easy. You'll build muscle quickly. If you're not sore the day after your workouts, you're not doing enough of them. Carol

You are absolutely amazing!!! What dedication to stick to healthy weight loss. You're an inspiration! Carol

Pam, All it takes to succeed is to start one more time than you fail. I've been dieting since my kids were born. I must have joined some sort of diet club or new program five or six times a year for about the same number of years you have. Serious health risks like yours didn't come into play until about ten years ago.…

Frozen chicken breasts, a can of diced tomatoes and chiles or a jar of salsa plus some taco seasoning. When the chicken is falling apart (you can cook on low all day) then shred it and add drained beans, veggies, corn, green beans, plus more salsa and cook for an hour or two. It's low-cal as a soup or over brown rice or…

Way to go!!! It definitely helps to have people notice.

I absolutely agree!!! I've thought of leaving MFP over the obsession with "starvation". I see a dietician regularly, and she laughs at the idea of eating back exercise calories. The one exception is if you're training hard and are terribly hungry a lot. Then you should eat a little more protein. I've provided my body with…

You look great! And definitely nothing manly about the way you look either. You rock!!!

I lost lots of weight with WW's lower-carb Core program some years ago, but still have more to go. I couldn't lose weight with PointsPlus. And it was a pain to have to learn a whole new set of points. I think 29 points, plus extra, is way more than many women could lose with. And unlimited fruit can mean unlimited sugar in…

I'm an avid water aerobics fan, but several injured athletes use the gym's pool to simply run in the water. They said they can get a better burn by using a flotation vest and resistors on their arms (some use leg resistors too). They really make some waves, and look great. I started water aerobics after foot surgery and…

I absolutely understand about the new WW program. I had lost a lot of weight on WW, but couldn't lose on the new program. And I didn't want to learn another one. MFP is perfect, and I've really learned how to track with this. I also see a dietician from time to time, and a calorie-counting diet is working. Hope you'll…

Here's some motivation for you. I gave up my life-habit of Diet Coke the day my bone density test showed I had lost ten per cent of the bone in my spine and eight per cent in my hips in two years. All this after downing lattes, swallowing calcium pills and weight-bearing exercise til I dropped. I'm only 60. This shouldn't…

Maybe 1200 calories is too little for you? Maybe 1300-1500 would be better? Would more protein satisfy you more? I lost part of my weight with Weight Watchers, and with extra points, etc, I was eating 1500. It absolutely worked. I'm down to 1300 now and losing a pound a week. Binge eating is a monster to tame. I've…

I usually do, if I get up late. It's an opportunity to eat a little less on one day or have a nicer brunch. I think it's good to mix up meals a little. Your body gets used to what you ordinarily do.

I've been seeing a nutritionist for 15 minutes a week for about 8 months. It's about the same price as a popular commercial diet plan, and I get one-on-one counseling. I've learned so much from her about balancing my diet. (no, she doesn't advocate eating back your exercise calories). She says if you're absolutely…

Try mixing up your calories a little during the week A couple low-low calorie days, then a high calorie day or two. But ending up with your target calories for the week. If your body thinks it's starving, it'll hold on to weight. On the internet, it's called the Wendie Plan. Weight Watchers never blessed it, but it was a…

Exercise is my mood lifter. Particularly the sweat-producing kind like aerobics and biking. But only after it's over... I find it's a great antidepressant, best if I do it in the morning. If that doesn't work, I agree the doctor might be a good choice.

You look amazing!! Great work! You're an inspiration.

In a previous life at Weight Watchers, they advised to make sure you're eating at least 2 teaspoons of healthy oil, like olive oil, a day --and eat fish, seafood and eggs instead of meats for a week or so. Your body is readjusting. Don't cut calories too much, it'll think it's starving. You'll do it!

There are lots of websites that talk about anti-inflammation diets. Low-sugar and low (bad) fats is important. Healthy oils like olive oil, fish oil, flaxseed, etc. are good. Sugar is the most important thing to avoid. It also involves eating foods that don't have alot of additives. Lean types of protein too. I felt better…

My face was looking thin for a while, but after a few months it filled out and my waist got a little smaller. Weird. But great. I've read that your body distributes it according to your body's shape (genetically). Which is why spot reduction is usually a waste of time.

It does that to me too. I think it's the sweetener or the soy in it. Although soy milk doesn't bother me. Just the cereal, not their bars. Fiber One does it, but All-Bran doesn't. I've never figured that out. Hope someone has the whole answer. Carol

Women won't bulk up. We don't have enough testosterone in our bodies to create the big muscles that guys can. Weightlifting gets a bad rap, but I lost a full size in the first two months I started a program without losing a pound. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it's a lot smaller. It also burns way more calories than…

Welcome to MFP. This program makes it so easy to track and easily see what you're doing (and not doing). It has calorie counts for everything. The topics are so inspirationa,l and support is here whenever you have a question or just want to vent, or cheer, or entertain yourself to keep from eating. I've lost 24 pounds on…

My dietician says you don't eat your exercise calories. That was the point of burning them off. If you're exercising hard and you're starving, eat an extra ounce or two of protein, she said. Weight Watchers used to let you eat half of your exercise calories, but it was optional.

I have an autoimmune disease that involves occasional periods of prednisone and chemo, and lots of body pain when things are rocky. So I know how it feels to feel challenged by getting out of the chair one day and be able to make it through an hour of aerobics on another. My answer is sometimes to give myself a break. I…

As a female, I'd guess water weight. It should come right off, you're on the right track!

They have Splenda-sweetened Diet Coke and many of the grocery store brand diet sodas are also sweetened with Splenda. Look for a different color on the 12-pack box. Aspartame makes my body ache (weird, I know). But Splenda hasn't gotten the bad press that it has.

My dietician says concentrating on lean protein, vegetables and fruit (not tons of fruit for the sugar) and some complex carbs (like whole grains) to a minimum will help with a slower metabolism. Strength training will build muscle, which burns lots more calories than fat. Eat carbs early in the day, not at night.…