MENA diet/exercise thread

[chaishai 1]

All my pants are 12s, and they're all way too big. Some of them won't even stay up at all, they just slide right down. Yes, I'm gonna have to buy new work clothes too. My tops are pretty much fine, but I need all new pants. Little by little...

I did a lot of cardio today, so tomorrow will be a good time to do planks.

Oh yeah, that's a huge difference! So this means you've met your size goal, right? or are you still going to try for the extra weight to come off? I think I remember you're shaped differently than me, but I was gong to say if you keep going on the weight loss, size 4-8 isn't that different as you can wear the same pants and your hips' width should keep them up.. unless you don't have that particular curve going on. you'll definately need new pants, but your clothes won't fall off as much as from a 12 to an 8.

Hmmm, i never come in this thread. I don't have goals to lose weight, but I really enjoy reading the ideas you all have. I run a couple times a week and do some push-ups, sit-ups, weights sometimes. It helps me have more energy and keep my muscles more toned. I have been trying to stick to more water because sodas definitely make me feel more bloated and make running more difficult. I naturally don't eat big meals. I am the slowest eater I have ever met and eat less than most people though I love to snack throughout the day (which makes up for the smaller meals). Lately I have been avoiding processed foods as much or canned vegetables. I try to use fresh vegetables (or else frozen if I must) and I cook meat in healthier ways. I do all these things just to feel better and it does help when I stick with it.

non-processed frozen vegetables are often more healthy than fresh in the grovery store-- unless you're growing your own or getting from a farmer's market. Fresh in teh store are picked before they are ripe and are stored in O2-free trucks for shipping.. and are pretty old by the time they get to you comparitively, and lack a lot of nutrients they would have gotten if they were ripe when picked. Frozen is often picked actually ripe and then frozen within a day or two of harvest so it's much more nutritious.

Thanks Jackie, I appreciate the advice about the vegetables. I had no idea!

I will second Jackies statement, I read an article that there are some frozen veggies that are actually healthier than fresh. I forget which though, I think corn was in there. It doesnt seem to make sense and I forget the reasons why but htey were compelling.

[Jenn! 918]

Ok, planks....

The front ones were fine. I think I'm doing something wrong on the side ones because the only place I feel anything is my elbow - ouch!!

[chaishai 1]

But HFCS isn't in no-calorie diet soda, correct? I know there are plenty of chemicals in them anyway, and I'm better off without it. (Possibly TMI:

A friend once told me her doctor told her her urethra was partially clogged from drinking diet sodas - ack!

) I'm just hooked on my diet Coke in the morning. But I've cut that out, and I'm upping the water and veggies little by little.

I was feeling pretty blah yesterday, but my energy is up today. I walked 2 miles at 3.5 mph yesterday evening at the park while hubby played soccer. That put me at the top of my target heart rate, so I'll stick with that until the heart rate drops and I don't feel like I'm working as hard. I started logging everything on the Daily Plate a couple of days ago. It's so helpful! Thanks to those of you who recommended it.

My coworker's been on WW for a few weeks. The other day, she told me she'd shrunk out of some of her pants and asked if I'd like to try them. I always thought she was thinner than I was, even before she started dieting, but I tried them anyway, and they fit. Now I want to outshrink them too. Yay for second-hand clothes!

Actually, it contains:

Carbonated Water

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Caramel Color

Phosphoric Acid

Natural Flavors

Caffeine

Aspartame (NutraSweet brand)

Potassium Benzoate

Citric acid

Aspartame and HFCS are both pretty bad!

I have a regular soda addiction. I am trying to be below 20oz a day, but sometimes? it's not happening. I imagine if I cut it I should drop some weight, right?

julianna, isnt 12oz of soda like 200 cals? so you are drinking like 400 cals of soda a day - so that is 2800 calories a week, so approximately every week and a day or two you would lose a lb just by cutting out the soda. not to mention you would FEEL so much better. i had so many issues, sluggishness, ADD feelings, anxiety, all kinds of ####### when i drank soda. i NEVER drink soda now, i went cold turkey years go and now i think it tastes like syrup. occasionally i will sip a high quality rootbeer or something but that is just a taste and not to quench my thirst. i think its the most important thing you can give up (not to nag)

[chaishai 1]

Ok, planks....

The front ones were fine. I think I'm doing something wrong on the side ones because the only place I feel anything is my elbow - ouch!!

i have this issue too bc i have bony elbows. i only do them on a padded mat. or take your flat yoga mat and fold it up into a bunch of layers and put it right under your arm where you hold up the plank. side planks are HARD but best thing to do is hold a regular side plank, then try dipping your body up and down while in the side plank then holding it some more and eventually graduate to putting a dumbell on yoru side while you do it. the best for defining your waist i have noticed such a difference

[Jenn! 918]

I don't drink soda anymore either. Only water, coffee, and alcohol!

It makes having a Coke such a treat for me. I really do enjoy it.

[S and S 12]

But HFCS isn't in no-calorie diet soda, correct? I know there are plenty of chemicals in them anyway, and I'm better off without it. (Possibly TMI:

A friend once told me her doctor told her her urethra was partially clogged from drinking diet sodas - ack!

) I'm just hooked on my diet Coke in the morning. But I've cut that out, and I'm upping the water and veggies little by little.

I was feeling pretty blah yesterday, but my energy is up today. I walked 2 miles at 3.5 mph yesterday evening at the park while hubby played soccer. That put me at the top of my target heart rate, so I'll stick with that until the heart rate drops and I don't feel like I'm working as hard. I started logging everything on the Daily Plate a couple of days ago. It's so helpful! Thanks to those of you who recommended it.

My coworker's been on WW for a few weeks. The other day, she told me she'd shrunk out of some of her pants and asked if I'd like to try them. I always thought she was thinner than I was, even before she started dieting, but I tried them anyway, and they fit. Now I want to outshrink them too. Yay for second-hand clothes!

Actually, it contains:

Carbonated Water

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Caramel Color

Phosphoric Acid

Natural Flavors

Caffeine

Aspartame (NutraSweet brand)

Potassium Benzoate

Citric acid

Aspartame and HFCS are both pretty bad!

I have a regular soda addiction. I am trying to be below 20oz a day, but sometimes? it's not happening. I imagine if I cut it I should drop some weight, right?

julianna, isnt 12oz of soda like 200 cals? so you are drinking like 400 cals of soda a day - so that is 2800 calories a week, so approximately every week and a day or two you would lose a lb just by cutting out the soda. not to mention you would FEEL so much better. i had so many issues, sluggishness, ADD feelings, anxiety, all kinds of ####### when i drank soda. i NEVER drink soda now, i went cold turkey years go and now i think it tastes like syrup. occasionally i will sip a high quality rootbeer or something but that is just a taste and not to quench my thirst. i think its the most important thing you can give up (not to nag)

I noticed on days that I didn't drink Soda and did drink lots of water that I fell asleep easier and I slept better through the night. My problem is I love the taste of it, along with candy, and lots of other things I shouldn't eat. I try to just keep the bad stuff in small amounts as a compromise. As for calories, that just depends on the metabolism and what else you eat. Other than a bloated feeling if I drink too much soda, I have no weight gain from it.

[Nasturtium 500]

Ok, planks....

The front ones were fine. I think I'm doing something wrong on the side ones because the only place I feel anything is my elbow - ouch!!

Actually, they are pretty hard until you get used to them... and i would definately put padding under your arm. I have to do them on something really padded.

[Nasturtium 500]

But HFCS isn't in no-calorie diet soda, correct? I know there are plenty of chemicals in them anyway, and I'm better off without it. (Possibly TMI:

A friend once told me her doctor told her her urethra was partially clogged from drinking diet sodas - ack!

) I'm just hooked on my diet Coke in the morning. But I've cut that out, and I'm upping the water and veggies little by little.

I was feeling pretty blah yesterday, but my energy is up today. I walked 2 miles at 3.5 mph yesterday evening at the park while hubby played soccer. That put me at the top of my target heart rate, so I'll stick with that until the heart rate drops and I don't feel like I'm working as hard. I started logging everything on the Daily Plate a couple of days ago. It's so helpful! Thanks to those of you who recommended it.

My coworker's been on WW for a few weeks. The other day, she told me she'd shrunk out of some of her pants and asked if I'd like to try them. I always thought she was thinner than I was, even before she started dieting, but I tried them anyway, and they fit. Now I want to outshrink them too. Yay for second-hand clothes!

Actually, it contains:

Carbonated Water

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Caramel Color

Phosphoric Acid

Natural Flavors

Caffeine

Aspartame (NutraSweet brand)

Potassium Benzoate

Citric acid

Aspartame and HFCS are both pretty bad!

I have a regular soda addiction. I am trying to be below 20oz a day, but sometimes? it's not happening. I imagine if I cut it I should drop some weight, right?

julianna, isnt 12oz of soda like 200 cals? so you are drinking like 400 cals of soda a day - so that is 2800 calories a week, so approximately every week and a day or two you would lose a lb just by cutting out the soda. not to mention you would FEEL so much better. i had so many issues, sluggishness, ADD feelings, anxiety, all kinds of ####### when i drank soda. i NEVER drink soda now, i went cold turkey years go and now i think it tastes like syrup. occasionally i will sip a high quality rootbeer or something but that is just a taste and not to quench my thirst. i think its the most important thing you can give up (not to nag)

20 oz is like 260 calories plus or minus, depending on the soda. i keep my diet at about 1500 calories per day. So I'd need to subsitute something in there, wouldn't I? Or do you think I would still lose weight still if I dropped to 1300 calories? I know 1200 or below are generally considered where everybody switches into conserve mode in their metabolism.

Ok, planks....

The front ones were fine. I think I'm doing something wrong on the side ones because the only place I feel anything is my elbow - ouch!!

i have this issue too bc i have bony elbows. i only do them on a padded mat. or take your flat yoga mat and fold it up into a bunch of layers and put it right under your arm where you hold up the plank. side planks are HARD but best thing to do is hold a regular side plank, then try dipping your body up and down while in the side plank then holding it some more and eventually graduate to putting a dumbell on yoru side while you do it. the best for defining your waist i have noticed such a difference

Thanks for the side plank goal tip!

I'm drinking like 80oz of water a day. I'm thinking I need to up that. How much does everyone else drink?

[S and S 12]

I drink about 40 to 60 oz of water a day. You are doing way better than me!

[Nasturtium 500]

I drink about 40 to 60 oz of water a day. You are doing way better than me!

I was thinking about upping it to 100oz. If I stopped drinking soda, I'd have to up it. I have a weird habit of needing to drink something all the time.

[S and S 12]

I drink about 40 to 60 oz of water a day. You are doing way better than me!

I was thinking about upping it to 100oz. If I stopped drinking soda, I'd have to up it. I have a weird habit of needing to drink something all the time.

If I could cut out the soda then I think I would drink about 100oz of water too. That is a good point. Maybe your goals will inspire me too!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Whenever I cut out soda and alcohol the lbs melt off my belly.

[Nasturtium 500]

I drink about 40 to 60 oz of water a day. You are doing way better than me!

I was thinking about upping it to 100oz. If I stopped drinking soda, I'd have to up it. I have a weird habit of needing to drink something all the time.

If I could cut out the soda then I think I would drink about 100oz of water too. That is a good point. Maybe your goals will inspire me too!

I side with you though, water is terrible. I hate it so much! It tastes like total butt crack. I have to add something to it or else I cannot even get it down. I actually write in on my list of things to do because otherwise I will not do it. How bad is that?

Whenever I cut out soda and alcohol the lbs melt off my belly.

That could be part of your plan!

[S and S 12]

I drink about 40 to 60 oz of water a day. You are doing way better than me!

I was thinking about upping it to 100oz. If I stopped drinking soda, I'd have to up it. I have a weird habit of needing to drink something all the time.

If I could cut out the soda then I think I would drink about 100oz of water too. That is a good point. Maybe your goals will inspire me too!

I side with you though, water is terrible. I hate it so much! It tastes like total butt crack. I have to add something to it or else I cannot even get it down. I actually write in on my list of things to do because otherwise I will not do it. How bad is that?

Whenever I cut out soda and alcohol the lbs melt off my belly.

That could be part of your plan!

lol, I haven't noticed a bad taste unless it is some bad tap water. I filter it in a britta water filter jug and keep it cool in the fridge which helps. My problem is I love the taste of soda, lol. It is like my comfort food. I need it more than any deserts, lol. When Ramadan comes I really suffer because I force myself to prioritize water since I can't drink anything all day. It doesn't leave much time for soda!

[Nasturtium 500]

lol, I haven't noticed a bad taste unless it is some bad tap water. I filter it in a britta water filter jug and keep it cool in the fridge which helps. My problem is I love the taste of soda, lol. It is like my comfort food. I need it more than any deserts, lol. When Ramadan comes I really suffer because I force myself to prioritize water since I can't drink anything all day. It doesn't leave much time for soda!

I feel the same way about soda. if there was a way to take away all its bad qualities, I would drink nothing but soda! For me, it doesn't matter what kind of water it is. Tap is about the only tolerable kind for me, the more filtered it is, the more i think it tastes nasty. The problem is here our tap water is scary, so I am stuck with filtered.