Posts by sequoia

Forum	Topic	Date	Replies

Weight Loss	frustration: extra skin	Nov 17 2007 04:36 (UTC)	19
Same boat...could it be that since we're younger, it will get better with time? Pretty please? :)
Vegetarian	Are vegetarians smarter than grass?	Nov 16 2007 02:25 (UTC)	16
No no!! You don't owe me an apology at all (if that was even intended for me!)! I was just trying to explain that movement the way I see it. I, too, agree that sometimes the PETA type people turn people off from their side more than helping people understand, even if they disagree. I know more peta-haters than people who are ambivalent about it, which, I think, speaks a lot about their tactics. I have a mostly omniverous family, with a couple of carnivores thrown in for good measure (dad and brother, figuratively carnivores lol) and I walk the fine line between feeling morally obligated to say something and not wanting to annoy people. When I became a veg when I was 13, I laid my case out to my family pretty clearly. Since then, whenever I find a new tidbit of information, I'll throw it at them. But since I've already talked about it with them I won't start any debate-type conversations about this, although I'll definitely be willing to talk to them about it if they take the initiative. This is my best attempt, however flawed, at appeasing my conscience and my family at the same time. Because being overly-agressive and holier-than-thou and preachy about it a) isn't going to help your cause at all, and b) turn a lot of people off... I'm a veg for environmental and animal welfare reasons, btw, not animal rights. Anyway, I would have to say my favorite veg sandwich is home baked whole wheat bread with hummus, sprouts, green peppers, olives, cucumbers, and I forget what else is in it. Awesome! Happy almost Friday everyone!
Vegetarian	Are vegetarians smarter than grass?	Nov 11 2007 00:35 (UTC)	23
ilia - I really don't want to get into a political argument, but if people are seeing murder, moral people feel as though they have a duty to stop that. NOT saying it's "murder" per se, they don't have to be right, but I think the situation would be much, much worse if they were vegetarians because they thought eating meat was murder and didn't speak out about it. For example, I don't agree with the whole pro-life movement (I think abortion is a very, very complicated thing, so don't lump me into pro-choice quite yet :), but if they view abortion as murder, I sure hope they're speaking out about it!! This discussion isn't any different than any other political discussion; please don't take it that way. Personally, I'd rather have my beliefs challenged over and over and over as much as they can be, because only that way will I know that I choose my beliefs because I think they're true; they're not some untested feeling I have.
Vegetarian	'Vegansexuals'???	Nov 06 2007 13:27 (UTC)	1
The point is some people see cooking the steak (animal flesh) akin to cooking human flesh, which I bet everyone would find repulsive and off-putting, and rightly so. Not saying I necessarily agree with this viewpoint, but I think it's best to understand all sides, and I think I understand this one.
Vegetarian	'Vegansexuals'???	Nov 05 2007 02:58 (UTC)	4
I think there are two schools of thought on this: 1. Vegetarianism/Veganism as kind of like a religion. People see things different ways, and it's not right to discriminate against someone just because of their political or religious views. 2. Some vegetarians and vegans are such because they believe killing animals (hence making the choice to eat meat) is akin to murder. Would it be wrong to refuse to be in a relationship with someone who thought casual murder was okay? I think everyone here would agree that this would be perfectly acceptable. I'm kind of caught in the middle. I am vegan for environmental and animal welfare (NOT animal rights - I have no issues with using animals as food) reasons. I do not support the animal industries in America. In terms of my conscience, how can I reconcile my issues with the animal industries with having meat in the house? I am not of the opinion that meat eaters are murderers, but I don't support eating meat in its present state because of how harmful it is, so is allowing meat in the house making me complicit to this "crime?" Haven't figured that out yet.
Weight Loss	November-May Weight Loss Challenge ? Count Down Till Weigh In #14: 2 Days!!!	Oct 28 2007 22:21 (UTC)	277
1. Starting weight and date: Oct. 28, 159 2. Mini weight loss goal for Dec. 30: 142 3. Mini weight loss goal for Feb 18: 128 4. Ultimate Goal weight: 120 5. Weight loss plan: Eat healthy and exercise 6. Food weakness: anything when I'm in binge mode Awesome idea! I especially like the long term view for those of us who have more than 5 or 10 pounds to lose.
Weight Loss	VOID	May 18 2007 00:43 (UTC)	17
Okay, I'm in! Current weight: 164 Ultimate Goal weight: 115
Fitness	Shin Splints & Bad Weather Q's	May 16 2007 21:01 (UTC)	4
Just a quick note: make sure you're not streching cold muscles. That's really bad and could lead to problems a lot greater than shinsplints. First run a slow couple of minutes for a warm-up, then stretch, or at least walk briskly for 5-10 mins to warm up your muscles before you stretch.
Motivation	Is there something wrong with me?	May 16 2007 20:45 (UTC)
Dancingonmygrave - I assume you've heard of (and, like most people, probably admire) Gelsey Kirkland, judging from your name. So you're also probably aware that she suffered from anorexia (hence the grave part in the title) and she has since issued many warnings to aspiring dancers about the pressures of being too thin. That said, I am very aware of the need for a specific body shape for dancing. "Skinny" v. "muscular" aside, I think we can all agree that 250 pound people are not going to be performing professionally. I am certainly NOT advocating ANY anorexic behavior in ANY form, just to make that clear. I am simply acknowledging the reality, because I believe that in order to prevent eating disorders among this population, we have to recognize that pressure and realize that simply saying "you're fine, improve your body image" isn't going to work when these people already realize they are underweight according to all the charts, but still feel pressure to be thinner. So my advice to you would be much the same as most other people's on this board...focus on the outcome, not the number, like claire said. You need to be very strong! And recognise that there is that pressure to be thinner, but don't let anything or anyone compromise your health. You and your happiness are worth more than that, however conflicting that seems at times when your happiness seems to be dependent on dancing (which in turn seems to be dependent on being extremely skinny). Note the use of "seems" rather than "is." Anyway, just my 2 cents, or most likely a little more :) I also come from an athletic pursuit that requires people to be very thin (distance running) so I know those pressures all too well. I certainly walked a fine line between being light enough to compete my best and being weak from trying to be light enough, so that I didn't compete my best. Now I'm on the other side of that as health issues caused me to gain 50lbs that I'm trying to lose now, but that's neither here nor there :) Anyway, best of luck to you!
Weight Loss	THE WEIGHTLOSS CHALLENGE for 179lbs or less ~ Signups Closed	May 16 2007 19:57 (UTC)	98
Hi! Thanks so much for organizing this. Height: 5'6" Current Weight: 165 Can I vote for Friday as a weigh-in day? I know most of us do well during the week, so Friday mornings are a good choice, at least for me. Then I don't have to feel so badly about a little slip up during the weekend because I have all week do be "good." Thanks again!
Weight Loss	VOID	May 16 2007 02:27 (UTC)	72
Okay that makes sense. But I'm still a little confused. (Sorry, I'm slow lol). If I weigh 164 right now, but I definitely have more than 25 to lose (looking at 40 right now), can I join? I understand either way. Thanks for organizing this, even if I don't qualify!
Weight Loss	VOID	May 16 2007 01:49 (UTC)	77
Can I beg you to let those of us under 180 in? Or should we start another group. I think this is an awesome idea and I'd love to do it, but I'm 164 right now. Some of us in the 150s, 160s, and 170s, are just as "overweight" as those in the 180s but we're shorter... Hey, I never thought I'd wish that I were heavier, so thanks for the first time for that one! :)
Fitness	Jogging and running adivce	Feb 19 2007 13:30 (UTC)	18
Make sure you're not going to fast, the general way to find out is called the "talk test." If you could comfortably talk to a partner, then you're okay, but if if you couldn't hold a conversation, you're going too fast. Of course you're going to be a little short of breath, but not uncomfortably.
Vegetarian	Vegans and Honey	Feb 17 2007 03:48 (UTC)	14
I totally agree with you luna, I just wasn't sure how honey could be considered vegan...I mean that's right up there with eggs and milk...like my friend calls herself vegetarian but eats chicken and seafood. I do agree, though, that it's purely a matter of semantics. For me, it's not about personal purity, it's about not supporting the animal industry. Right now I'm working on getting my dad not to eat meat one day out of the week. Even though he wouldn't be a vegetarian, that would be one less day...every little bit helps.
Vegetarian	Veg'ns in relationships with non veg'ns? (or vice versa)	Feb 17 2007 03:08 (UTC)	9
To people who say "Don't make that choice for your child, let them make it for themselves when they are old enough" to discourage people from raising vegetarian/vegan children, I semi-agree with the statement but disagree completely with the conclusion. I agree that the children should eventually be able to decide what they want to eat, but choosing to raise a vegan or vegetarian child is no different than choosing to raise an omnivorous child. To me, the health costs of eating meat are enough to justify raising a vegan or at least vegetarian child until they are old enough to make their own choice. Whatever you feed your children, you are making that choice. If you raise omnivorous children, you are choosing that path for them. So it's not like vegetarians are choosing diet choices for their kids any more than non-vegetarians.
Vegetarian	Vegans and Honey	Feb 17 2007 02:58 (UTC)	16
Okay am I the only one who thought that honey was hands down not vegan, no question? No animal products mean, well, no animal products. Can someone clarify for me why honey would be considered vegan?
Vegetarian	Dealing with holiday crap	Dec 12 2006 00:31 (UTC)	1
Star - I can sympathize! I'm not even a vegan (yet...I've been thinking about it), but I've been a vegetarian since I was 12. My dad thinks I'm crazy but respects it, he just doesn't go out of his way at all to make things comfortable for me. I also understand the part about tradition, how people like to use the same recipes year after year. My Christmas dinner would end up being green beans and bread if it weren't for my grandma. To her, the "tradition" she wants to preserve is everyone sitting around the table enjoying a big meal, not my former green beans, mashed potatoes and salad. She would rather take the time to put part of the stuffing outside of the bird so that we ALL can eat stuffing around the table, than have me sitting there with nothing. In that respect I am very lucky. Is it more an affront to tradition using vegan margerine on the mashed potatoes or having a family member sitting at the table with a little microwaved dish? But, that's neither here nor there. What to do? Do you think that you could bring some vegan margerine and have your family put aside some potatoes before they put the butter in? Or could you bring some vegan rolls? I like your idea of bringing a vegan dessert, maybe some Christmas cookies? Don't mention they're vegan, that's not the point; the point is that they're yummy cookies! Maybe if you bring a little more than your share (one of those intentional-but-underhanded conspicuous-but-oh-didn't-mean-to-be things), your family will realize that you feel left out. Could it be a case of them not even realizing? Could they be so into the day, the moment, the meal themselves that they don't even really see you sitting there with your microwaved meal? I don't really know what else to tell you, but I do feel your pain! Perhaps I will be in the same quandry next year if I make the switch to veganism. In any case, I hope the food situation won't ruin your holiday too much. Merry Christmas!
Fitness	Question about running	Dec 12 2006 00:04 (UTC)	1
The more you run, the less often you'll get them. Keep at it! I don't really get them anymore, but I've been running for years. I'm not sure if this is just weridness specific to me but I noticed that if I literally pushed in on it, it would feel better. Literally, take your hand and push it in. Not sure if this will be helpful or will just make you feel silly and be ineffective, but just another suggestion to try. Worked for me every time :)
Fitness	Endurance Training?	Dec 11 2006 23:59 (UTC)
Actually, the mile is considered mid-distance, but is mostly aerobic, which is endurance based. I run the mile for my college track team. If you want to decrease your mile time, especially if you're beginning, you really have to increase your endurance by increasing your milage and running relatively slowly, in the aerobic heart rate zone. Only after you have that base will the intervals make a difference. Oh, they might make a little difference at the beginning, just because you are running faster, but you'd reach a point where you couldn't get any faster if you don't have the base. So, I really can't emphasize enough: for the mile, running distance is the key. We begin every year with three months of only running long slow stuff, not a single fast step for three months. (There have actually been studies showing that going anaerobic (sprinting) in your base phase can actually be detrimental to the aerobic endurance benefits) That said, you mentioned that you were into sprinting, not long distance. The mile is certainly not a sprint, so I'm not sure which one you like better. I am not a sprinter, so I don't really have any expertise in that area. So I won't presume to know how to advise you there. Good luck! P.S. If you're really into a specific training program, runningtimes.com has some good mile training programs.
Motivation	Binging	Dec 08 2006 23:38 (UTC)	1
Soshy - I'm 20, 5'7", and 150lbs! With a binge problem as well (although I've done really well the past couple of days)! Anyway, I second what the others have said. Not too much more to add but thought it was weird how similar we are in stats. Good Luck!
Motivation	Party to go to, weight loss wreaking havoc on my wardrobe, HELP!!!	Dec 08 2006 23:31 (UTC)	5
I'd go loose, but that's just me. I'm always more comfortable in larger things, if something's going to be off, I'd rather people think "Oh, she's too small for that outfit" rather than "Oh, she's too big for that." But again, perhaps it's just me and my body image problems :) Have fun, whatever you choose!
Motivation	recovering from BED - new here!!	Dec 08 2006 15:05 (UTC)	12
I have the same problem myself, however much I try to deny it. What has helped me, whenever I do it, is logging every single morsel I eat on CC and making sure it's accurate. I find that I don't want to see that number go over 1,300. On binge days I don't log...so I make sure I log every day now and I haven't binged in 3 days (which is actually very good for me!)
Weight Loss	No bread after 2?	Dec 04 2006 19:13 (UTC)	14
Yes, there is definitely a body clock, we have a Circadian Rythm, but I don't think there are specific "turn on" "turn off" times. For example, our sleep cycle is based on the roughly 24 hour cycle, but we can go without sleep for a night, etc. I'm not a doctor though, so I wouldn't be surprised if I were totally wrong. It's just hard for me to believe that a liver tells time.
Weight Loss	No bread after 2?	Dec 04 2006 18:56 (UTC)	19
Is that 3am eastern standard time? Or rocky mountain time? What about if you fly to another time zone? Does your liver automatically adjust for the time difference? Sorry, didn't mean to be cutting if it came across that way, I just seriously seriously doubt that 3-3 time period. If that were the case, doctors would have definitely told people about it. In fact, lots of medications are prescribed to be eaten with dinner...
Weight Loss	Is There Really Such a Thing as Big Boned?	Nov 20 2006 01:47 (UTC)	9
This site (http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0048.htm) says that "if you were to take two men both of six feet in height but one broader than the other, when their bones alone are weighed the difference is not more than six pounds." Most of it is related to distance running but if you go just a little more than half way down, under "How to take it off," it's there. Not sure how true it is but I thought I'd put it out there.
Weight Loss	Poll: Good method to loose weight without having loose skin	Nov 01 2006 04:39 (UTC)	11
So I've been mulling this question for a while: Does losing weight slowly actually reduce the amount of sagging skin or does your body recover what it's going to recover regardless, but it just appears that losing faster causes more sagging skin because the body can't react so quickly? That was mostly unintelligible, so I'll try to give a hypothetical example. Say it took you 4 months to lose 40 pounds. Since you're only losing a bit every week, your body is reacting in time with your loss. But say you lost those same 40 pounds in one month (remember, hypothetical here). There will obviously be more loose skin at the end of that 40lbs.-in-one-month month than there would be after losing 40 lbs in 4 months, but could that just be because you were losing more quickly? So how much loose skin would you have 4 months after losing the 40? Could that be equivalent to 4 months losing slowly? I guess my point is 40 lbs. 40 months Does it really matter when it comes off? Would the actual results of the fast and slow methods be the same AFTER the 4 months? (after 3 months without losing in the fast plan) Dunno if any of this is understandable at all lol. Just food for thought. I don't know the answer, perhaps some of you might.
Weight Loss	Question about normal calorie expenditure	Oct 31 2006 02:52 (UTC)	2
I see what you're saying...I TRIED to eat like I did every day and was conscious of eating a lot, but I suppose it's possible I could have been off in the overall trend. I'll just try it and see what happens. Silver lining: I felt like I was gorging myself as usual yesterday and THAT'S what CC tells me I need to do to lose weight :) I guess only time will tell! Thanks for helping me out.
Weight Loss	Question about normal calorie expenditure	Oct 31 2006 02:44 (UTC)	4
Thanks for the reply. I'm 5'6" and around 155. Yesterday I did record what I ate and I tried not to make any "good" changes that I want to be making just to see where I was and what I was doing wrong initially. I was just over 2000. Could it be that I have an abnormally slow metabolism?? Hmm. I'm just worried that as I embark on this, if I eat what it's telling me to eat that I won't lose anything... Oh well, I guess I'll give it a try! Thanks.

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