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When all your plans keep falling apart because of mental illness
This month I am "starting over" in MFP for what feels like the millionth time. Every time, I create what feels like a very reasonable and long-term sustainable plan. I follow it, and get good results, and it works for me. I'm the type of person who likes to follow a plan and have structure, with built-in indulgences that…
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Freeletics App
If you use this: How do you decide which workout to do? The names are spectacularly unhelpful for choosing which one you want to do, and they don't have descriptions. And when you choose one, what's the difference between endurance, standard, and strength? Also, when I started the app, I put in that I am not very fit at…
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Alta battery life suddenly tanked
I've had my Alta since April, and I love it. The battery life has always been pretty good, lasting about 5 days. The past week or two, it's suddenly tanked! I charged it fully on Wednesday evening, and today (Friday) it was almost dead by late afternoon! That's only two days! The only thing I can think of is that the…
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Do you burn more calories while sick?
Just curiosity, really. I've been sick for over a week. Just this horrible cold that I can't shake. Because of it, I haven't been exercising (hardly been getting out of bed), and eating over my calories a few times. I have been drinking plenty of liquids, as I always do. But I've lost 3 pounds (when my deficit is only for…
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Beginning lifting
I've been trying for ages to figure out how to work out at home, and it's just not working for me. I'm considering using a gym, but the closest one available to me is 20 minutes away and attached to my kids' favorite park, which means it's going to end up taking a whole afternoon every time I go. So I'm wondering how many…
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The Happiness Project / Better Than Before
Anybody else love the writings of Gretchen Rubin? I found her blog several years ago, while she was still writing The Happiness Project. I was seriously depressed, and her writings really spoke to me. Unfortunately I just wasn't in an emotional place that I could put much of it into practice. A few months ago I found out…
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Mom with social anxiety looking for a buddy
I'm a 35yo homeschooling mom, and a geek of many interests, trying to lose the last 15 pounds and then keep it off by building healthy habits. I keep falling off track, and I know it would help to have an accountability partner, but I SUCK at socializing! I get anxious, don't know what to say, and don't feel like I really…
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Does my calorie goal even matter?
I know this is something that gets discussed a lot, and I'm sorry that I still don't quite get it. But if my Fitbit is estimating how many calories I burn today, and it's going to adjust my calories up or down based on my activity, does it even matter what my calorie goal is on MFP? MFP tells me that a good goal for me to…
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Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and Breastfeeding
Sorry if this has been asked before. I thought there used to be a way to search the discussions in a particular group, but since the forums have changed I can't figure out how to do it. In my FB profile, I set the option that says I am breastfeeding. In MFP, I account for breastfeeding by entering a -500 calorie meal every…
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Does Fitbit Flex take speed into account?
I see many places the suggestion that you not log "step-based" exercises separately, but let the Fitbit account for them. So I am wondering if it takes speed into account when calculating your step calories? If I go for a fast walk around my neighborhood, and take 5,500 steps in 30 minutes (about two miles for me), that…
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Strength Training - confused and overwhelmed
On Monday I reached my goal weight, 135 lbs, and now I am skinny-fat. Sigh. People keep telling me that I look great, and I do look much better, but I still have all of this fat around my midsection. At least I knew it would be this way; even when I was 18 and barely 110 lbs I had a flabby tummy. I have this vague idea…
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3 days or 4?
I heard about this program yesterday, bought the app, and it looked great. Today I started reading Body By You, and now I'm confused. The app has 4 workouts per week, but the book keeps saying three. The whole reason I wanted a program like this is because I don't feel confident about figuring it out on my own. Why don't…
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Ok, starting resistance training?
So, I only have a little weight left to lose, and I'm interested in strength training. I work best with progressive challenges, so I'm thinking of doing some of those apps that, for example, have you do a few more push-ups every day until you get to a hundred. Any opinions on whether that's a good way to start? Would it be…
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Honestly, should I increase my calories?
I know a lot of people will want to just say yes based on the title alone, but hear me out. Based on the facts that I only have a little to lose, and that I'm exclusively breastfeeding, I am eating 1900 calories a day, plus exercise calories (based on HRM), and trying to lose half a pound a week. I feel great, plenty of…
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Body Fat %?
What is the cheapest, least hassle way to get an accurate body fat % calculated? I'm not a member of a gym (as a SAHM in a one car family, it makes way more sense to work out at home), and I only go to the doctor once a year. Do most general practitioners even have the equipment to do body fat? My doctor has never offered…
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What is the difference between "heavier" and "denser"?
This is the "is muscle heavier than fat" question. People keep saying it's not heavier; it's denser. When I ask for an explanation, I get told that a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle. Well, no ****, Sherlock. A pound of concrete weighs the same as a pound of feathers, too. But if you fill a 6-cubic-inch…
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Babywearing + HRM?
This is more of a post-pregnancy question, but it got buried on the Fitness and Exercise forum. I'm hoping someone here might have an answer. Has anyone managed to use a heart rate monitor while babywearing? I borrowed my husband's Zephyr HxM Bluetooth HRM to do the babywearing workout, but as soon as I put the baby in the…
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Babywearing + HRM?
I've posted this question in a few places, but I'm really hoping someone here might be able to help. Has anyone managed to use a heart rate monitor while babywearing? I borrowed my husband's Zephyr HxM Bluetooth HRM to do the babywearing workout, but as soon as I put the baby in the wrap, the connection died. I took her…
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Babywearing + HRM?
Has anyone managed to use a heart rate monitor while babywearing? I borrowed my husband's Zephyr HxM Bluetooth HRM to do the babywearing workout, but as soon as I put the baby in the wrap, the connection died. I took her out, and it reconnected, put her back in and it died. I'm using a thin gauze wrap with only one pass…
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Looking for pregnant accountability partner
I'm looking for someone to help me stick to my goals for a healthy pregnancy. We would tell each other our goals, and post on each other's walls regularly (hopefully every week day) to keep each other going. I'd really like to find someone who is pregnant and due to have their baby in December 2013 or January 2014. I'm…
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Jogging stroller that can be used with newborn?
I'm looking for recommendations for a jogging stroller. I have had to stop running while pregnant, because my pelvis hurts too badly, and I want to get back to it as soon as possible once the baby is born. I don't know much about strollers because I don't usually use them, and I don't know ANYTHING about jogging strollers.…
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Apparently walking to the store makes me a freak
OK, I do live in a very car-oriented area (suburbs of Houston), but I think it's silly to drive places if it's convenient to walk. Apparently, other people find this insane. For example, I sometimes go to a church that is right by my house. As in, the church property starts right behind my catty-corner neighbor's house. It…
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How do I input my jump rope workout?
I'm following a workout app on my phone that has you do 2 minutes of stretching, and then 5 minutes of alternating between 30 seconds of marching in place and 30 seconds of jumping rope. I'm pretty sure that the purpose of the marching in place is to keep your heart rate up in between bursts of jumping rope. So how do I…
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Looking for accountability partner due late Dec or early Jan
I had a really rough year. I had some personal stuff that totally derailed my entire life at the beginning of this year, and then I was sick, and now I'm pregnant! But I keep thinking about how much better I felt last year when I was exercising, and I really want to have a healthy pregnancy. I am not so concerned with how…
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Appropriate weight gain?
Ok, pre-pregnancy I was a little heavier that I'd like to be, but not technically overweight. In the first couple of weeks after I found out I was pregnant, I somehow gained ten pounds, despite the fact that I could barely choke down a few bites at every meal, and half of that came back up. I honestly don't know how that…
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Really Irritated About Clothing Sizes
Ok, I am 5'6", and I usually hover around the high 140s or low 150s. The MOST I ever weighed (non-pregnant) was 160, and that was when I realized I needed to eat better and exercise, and I came down pretty quickly. I'm not thrilled with my looks -- I have a weak chin, and I feel like it looks bad if I have any extra…
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Running program easier than C25K?
I spent the whole summer doing C25K, and I never got past week 2. It just moves too fast for me. I know you can repeat weeks, but doing it that way was very discouraging for me. I felt like I wasn't making any progress, and since every workout was so exhausting, I NEVER felt like I was ready to move on. Eventually I just…
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I'm so confused. Am I an hourglass or a rectangle?
Ok, a couple of years ago I used a calculator on some site that told me I had an hourglass body shape. I was pretty shocked because I have small boobs and hips, but I also have a small waist, so whatever. I followed the tips for dressing on that site, and right away people started asking if I had lost weight (even though,…
