kristingjertsen Member

My husband and I have entirely different eating habits. I am a fruit and vegetable lover, eat fish several days per week, some chicken, but no red meat. I do most of my cooking at home and this works well for me. My husband loves red meat and pork, eats meat at almost every meal, covers everything in cheese, dislikes the…

Pick a protein (for me yesterday Applegate Farms chicken breakfast sausage (45 calories) and 1 whole egg plus an egg white scrambled (90 calories ), and either a cup of fruit or two veggies ( I had a cup of spinach and two Compari tomatoes so less than a 100 calories but a lot of nutritional bang for your buck). I will add…

My thighs no longer rub together and I am getting lots of compliments about what good shape I am in now. Down a size in pants. My face is no longer as full and my chin wattle is diminished.

NC resident so our winters are nowhere near yours. On really cold or rainy days, I do workouts I find on Youtube. Walking workouts(Leslie Sansone), pilates, cardio, yoga, weight training. We also have a simple home gym set up. Exercise bike, Treadmill, weights of various sizes, a mirror, and TV. Looking at exercise…

My rule of thumb is to make sure I get at least two cups of veggies and two cups of fruit into my daily meals. Always some whole grains at breakfast and lunch. Protein of some kind (lentils, salmon, sardines, chicken, beans, eggs). Eat the "fun stuff last" and don't make too much. For example, my husband bought a full size…

I am down 19 pounds now. My mini goal is to go below 150 pounds and reach the 140s again. I have not seen that weight in 7 years. Only 6 pounds from a normal BMI.

I have been in the operating room observing surgeries multiple times. I have never seen the surgeon, the nurses, or any of the staff not wearing masks or gloves. An aseptic field is vital to prevent surgical infections in patients. I have been in rooms with C Diff patients and we would always, always gown up, glove up,…

Casein Allergy here so I will stick to unsweetened soymilk. Works well for cooking and coffee. Neutral taste.

I am not cooking tofu or brussels sprouts--think fish, chicken, small portions of red meat, vegetable side or a salad with oil and vinegar, fruit for dessert or snacks, a whole grain like polenta or rice, corn on the cob, or a baked potato and carrots. Unsweetened tea or water with lemon or lime, no soda (which they drink…

Skinny kid who got chunky as a self-conscious, exercise averse teenager. Lost the weight in the Army, gained some back after a miserable relationship fell apart, married my pleasantly plump husband and cooked and ate our way to obesity. Adding kids to the mix made my weight go even higher. I hit 203, developed high blood…

I hate the smell of bagged popcorn in the microwave or movie popcorn. I also dislike the taste and texture of red meat, so I don't eat it. I don't like brussel sprouts no matter how I cook them. I don't like fast food--greasy and not very appealing when you see the real thing instead of the advertisements on TV. Cheese…

I think we all have been there. I went on a comfort food, bread, cake and cookie baking extravaganza in March and April. Gained 5 pounds. Decided to get back on track with healthy eating, twice daily exercise, and following MFP. Down 15 pounds with 10 to go for a normal BMI. Forget the past and take it day by day. And yes,…

You look wonderful. Congratulations for your success.

Nutrition. I use a food scale and measuring cups to keep myself on track with portion sizes. I also eat slowly and stop eating when I feel around 80 percent full. Exercise comes second. I bike, swim, and stretch daily. And yes, I have occasional cheat days (I made brownies this weekend and ate at least one per day, so…

Gained 5 during the breadmaking, cake making, comfort food season during March. Then I realized that being overweight in a pandemic is not a good idea. I have lost 15 pounds now. My husband is now asking me to cook healthy meals for him so he won't end up going out to eat, snacking on junk food, or eating food that makes…

Also check out The Eldergym blog and Youtube videos. Don't be put off by the name. Run by a physical therapist who works with older adults. Exercises are safe, straightforward, and effective especially if you are just starting out. What is the cause of your neuropathy? I live with it as well, so I understand how unpleasant…

Ignore them. Do what you need to do to get to better health. I have had a spinal cord injury and two big back surgeries and I know what an achievement it is to get back in the game, do what you can, and regain your health. You really should look into swimming for exercise. My legs, core muscles, back and shoulder muscles…

A close friend of a family member died in March from Covid-19. Triathlete, Iron Man in his 40s. He died at home because he could not get tested because he had no travel to China and no known contact with someone with the virus. He lived alone and a friend went to check on him after he didn't answer his phone for a few…

My goals are exercise twice per day (early morning and late evening right now because it is hot and muggy where I live), stretch daily, take a multi-vitamin, weigh at least once per week, make sure every meal has a protein, vegetables and/or fruit, measure my portion sizes on my food scale, and keep tracking with MFP (my…

You will get there. Harder when you have a sedentary job, but still doable. It is very hot where we live in North Carolina, so I have been using Youtube videos for home exercise programs. Leslie Sansone has some gentle walking routines that are a good start. Don't be fooled, she really gets your heart rate up and your…

Love seeing all of the beautiful babies. I am happy because my weight finally dropped into the 150s (technically 159.3, but I will take it). I have been measuring portion sizes, making sure to exercise daily, and staying on track with occasional flubs (my son and I ate Mcdonald's french fries yesterday and we had an…

One final note. I lost the 20 pounds I gained after surgery by swimming every morning and biking every evening. If you find a way to move that works for you and eat well, the surgery weight will gradually come off. It took me almost a year to find my groove.

I have had two spine surgeries, both multi-level (cervical C3 to C7) and a 6 level thoracic fusion. I also have lumbar issues (not bad enough for surgery but painful). Definitely connect with a physical therapist and possibly a massage therapist as well (best pain relief I have found is via massage therapy). I have had to…

Not vegan, but a vegetarian. Love eating this way.

What an amazing achievement. Congratulations for your success.

It was helpful in teaching my children and myself about what a true portion size is for each type of food. I still fill my plate with half veggies, a quarter of protein (mainly vegetarian options because of a family history of heart disease and colon cancer), and a quarter serving of a starch (usually whole grain or an ear…

Exercising daily and watching portion sizes. Slowly losing weight. Thank God for outdoor exercise options right now. I also saw my pain management doctor about the painful scar tissue on my back after a thoracic fusion. Just started injections to soften and loosen the tissue. More next month. And I reached out to my…

My bike is wonderful right now. I cycle through my neighborhood and the neighborhoods around it. Usually spent an hour a day on the bike. I live in Charlotte, NC and there are not a lot of bike lanes on the major roads here. I would love to bike on the greenways, but right now cases are spiking (we are nearing our peak),…

Biking and swimming daily while I can (pool is open by appointment and I have discovered that weekday early morning and afternoon, I have the swim lane to myself). Loving being able to swim, even if it means taking precautions to stay safe right now. I have a mask, hand sanitizer, bag for gear, bottle of water, and I keep…

Our neighborhood pool is open by appointment. I have discovered that getting an early morning or mid-afternoon spot means access to an almost empty pool during the week. There are two lanes strictly for lap swimmers. I don't spend time in conversation, I get right in and swim for 30 to 50 minutes and then head home. I take…