Posts by courtneyalphin

lol, well, I don't want to be giving advice on gaining weight... I have done that plenty for myself, and not for the right reasons.  They way I did it... I became obsessed with cooking... and there was a period when homemade chocolate truffles became a passion... yikes, that was a quick 5 pounds.

But, it brings me to why I am responding.  Using obsessive behaviors to clear your mind.  I see that the responses are suggesting you stear clear of the exercise over dose because it will be deflating to your purpose of gaining weight.  So how do you fulfill your purpose of dealing with the stress?  A few suggestions:

1. Find a hobby that requires being more sedentary.  Even if it is something like knitting or learning to sew (so you can make your fav summer tops or next years winter quilt) -- you will still get similar satisfaction of running: setting and reaching goals you can accomplish while keeping your mind busy.

2. Volunteer.  Organizations like American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Club are always looking for bright, energetic faces to help out.   This is another way to keep busy physically while doing something worthy with your time.... without the super burn of running or vigorous exercise.

3. Find a good author and read all their books!  Another reason I gained a good 5 or 10 pounds in about 6 months:  James Patterson's The Women's Murder Club series is the basis to ABC's t.v. show and the books are FABULOUS.  Okay, so I get that sitting on the couch in the dark is not a fun time... so, grab your book, a blanket, a dog (or sweetie) and hit the park for the afternoon.... or head to the local coffee shop for a calorie filled choco-latte and just veg out with the local scene for a bit.

4. Most importantly -- vary the "boring" lifestyle.  It's only boring if you do the same thing over and over and over again.  If you start up a long term knitting projects and break it up with short term goals like reading Book One and volunteering for 6 hours a week at ______ then you'll find that every day will bring something different to your To Do list, and you be too busy to think about anything else.

GOOD LUCK.  Losing a close loved one is tough.  But remember, your loved one would only want what is best for you - and if that means getting healthy by putting on a few pounds, then do it for them.  They would want you to.  

I am glad you did it!  But I agree... if you are in pain, try working a different part of your body (ie your waist line or arms)... now if you are just sooore, what would Jillian say?   (he he... okay... probably not "he he")  Sounds like you did an amazing job working through the first two days though - AWESOME! 

I've really enjoyed adding dairy and protein to my diet plan and it has really been working well.  I also find that trying to plan my entire meal plan the day before, or first thing in the morning, gives me a lot of flexibility with creating larger, more nutritous meals that are very satisfying.

This works best when I know I want to have a high calorie dinner (like meatloaf and a baked potato) because then I enter this in first and see what my left over calorie count and nutrition deficiencies are.  Am I missing fiber -- okay, oatmeal for breakfast with a peach diced in.  Missing veggies -- fine, I'll have a one cup spinach with 1/2 cup grated carrots 1 tablespoon salad dressing matched with half a whole wheat sandwich (turkey, hummus & alfalfa is my fav).  Dairy - those lite (dessert flavored) yogurts are incredible.  If I am cutting it close on my calories and still low on nutrition then I just have to suck it up and cut back from 5 oz of meatloaf to 3, and fine... I'll only have half a baked potato and good sized servings of carrots and brocolli.

Enjoy eating... healthy eating, of course.
= )

My grandmother says its because they cleaned house, cooked their own meals and ran after their children all day.  But I agree that the 'fabulous' women you see on t.v. may have managed their weight inappropriately... Lindsay Lohan is not the first, I am sure.