Posts by hmartin2775

Probably not what you want to hear, but the above poster who said that there's no point in doing a bunch of ab exercises while there is fat over the abs is right.  I tried that, and all it did was push out "the pouch."  My clothes got tighter, my belly looked bigger.  Basically, I was sore all over and not only didn't make progress in the "flatter tummy" quest - I actually went backward.  After I lost 50 pounds, my tummy shrunk considerably (though I still have a bit of a c-section tummy) and looks much flatter.  I discovered I had pretty decent muscles under all of that fat, but there just hadn't been any way to see them.  My recommendation is 3 days weight training, 2-3 days cardio and careful food consumption 7 days a week.  Good luck and enjoy your cruise - regardless of tummy.  I know it's hard, but there's no point in going unless you can relax and enjoy.

You definitely need to eat more to be healthy.  Continuing this pattern will make you sick.  You are at a healthy weight now and your goal weight is also healthy for your age and height (according to the CDC teen BMI calculator), so that is good.  However, you have to go about this in a healthy, balanced way. There is no reason to rush and cause harm to your body. We all need to make sure that we are eating enough to fuel our daily activities and since you are very active (which is great) you need to eat a lot more.  The above posters gave great advice on that.  If the problem is that you are full, try eating foods that have a higher calorie content, but are still healthy choices.  Examples would be nut butters, avocado/guacamole, eggs.  For ideas, try the weight gain forum.  They have several posts in there about calorie dense foods.  This will NOT make you gain weight.  You are active enough to lose weight while eating 1500 calories or more a day.  If you do not increase your calories, you will eventually grow weak, cold, grouchy, and irrational.  Simple things like sitting in a chair will hurt.  I am speaking from experience.  Do not do this to yourself.  You deserve a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you both so much!  You've made my week!

For the record, I'm neither vegetarian nor vegan, but I don't have a problem with either one.  I did think the pamphlet was preachy and unlikely to change minds, but I didn't think it was offensive or more preachy than any similar pamphlets produced on a range of topics.

It did have a few problems, though.  Both my husband and my mother were raised on dairy farms and I think you'd be hard-pressed to say the cows and calves were mistreated.  They had names.  The family could tell them apart, read their personalities - and they provided for the entire livelihood of the family.  Anyone hurting a cow would have found his own backside hurting very quickly!  The baby calves are hand fed from bottles, just like human babies.  The same can be said for my sister-in-law's chickens.  My nephews treat the chickens with the same affection as the family dog.  I'm not saying that some large commercial operations don't mistreat their animals.  I have no doubt that they do.  The pamphlet just seems to paint with a pretty broad brush.

Second question:  what does the author want us to do with the existing livestock?  Let it roam free?  Left to their own devices, the animals will still eat and defecate and ... procreate.  So I'm confused a bit on that point.

Third question:  the "personhood" of animals debate quickly involves other touchy difficult issues regarding personhood.  If it's not okay to consume unfertilized chicken eggs, why is it okay to throw away unfertilized (or fertilized for that matter) human eggs? (A bit of chicken A&P: Most of the eggs we eat from the store would not have turned into baby chicks even if left in the nest because they weren't fertilized.) I am in NO way trying to hijack this thread - merely pointing out that the author might not want to go there.

It's obvious that the author feels deeply convicted about the moral position of veganism and I think we should try to "spread" the beliefs we hold strongly.  Unfortunately, it's hard to write convincing literature.  Belief systems are "caught not taught."  The best thing he can do IMHO is to be a good vegan and to explain his actions to those with whom he has contact.  Just my five hundred and two cents

You shouldn't be that tired.  Are you sure that you are eating enough to fuel your daily needs, including such a vigorous workout?  If you are positive that you are eating enough, I would see your doctor about the fatigue.  I've no idea about the heart rate.  I'm having a similar problem myself.  Good luck!

It's pretty clear that you and your wife love one another and your children, that makes it very worth it to work on and save your marriage.  It will not make your life any less complicated (or cheaper) to have two households to coordinate.

I would highly recommend that your wife talk to a therapist.  I went through post partum depression and I desperately wanted my husband or family to "help" me or get help for me, but not only could I not ask for help, I tried to hide how bad I was doing.  It's an illness and she needs help.  It's very hard on a marriage when one or both partners is suffering mentally.  Love your wife and your children - that is far better than a material/financial goal.  So many times I see a husband working very hard to provide a certain level of material comfort, but not dedicating time to their family - thinking this is what their wife wants, when the wife is really craving his time and attention.  I have no idea if this applies to you at all, it is only an observation.  I wish you and your family much love, strength and perseverence.  Oh, also, as far as your wife's incredibly expensive purchase, sometimes a depressed person can completely lose touch with reality/rationality.  This might be an example?  It was certainly over the top.

I really like "hamburgers" made with ground turkey.  You can also mix lean beef and turkey if you prefer a "beefier" taste.  Our family uses ground turkey for most of our recipes that call for ground beef.  We love to use it on homemade pizza!

Does your bike have a setting for watts?  I was having a hard time figuring out how to get the watts to increase to a point to be a vigorous workout, but found that if I used the  "fitness programs" setting I could get up to 250 watts.  The wattage on the bike at my gym does not seem to be related to speed at all.  The higher the resistance, the higher the watts.  For anything higher than a "light" workout on CC, I basically have to have the resistance so high that it's difficult to pedal without standing up on the bike.  This also really keeps my heart rate up, so you might check your heart rate as a way to confirm how intense your workout is.  It's like going up a major hill the whole time!  It keeps the "ride" a lot more interesting, though.  In the past, I found the stationary bike pretty boring - I'd rather ride outside :)

Thanks to both of you!  I really appreciate the clarification.  Have a great day!

I take inhaled albuterol 30 minutes before my workout and I've been able to do anything I've attempted (running, hiking, swimming, eliptical, lifting, mountain biking).  Talk to your doctor to make sure you are on the right medications.  Lots of Olympic athletes have asthma.  Exercise is definitely possible.

One thing to remember is that just because a drug has weight gain listed as a potential side effect that does not mean that you will gain weight while taking it.  Most anti-depressants that "cause" weight gain do so by increasing appetite.  So like the other posters, I think if you continue to watch your cals, you should be fine.  I know that some people have gained on Elavil (amitryptaline), but I lost weight on it.  It depends on how the medication and your body interact.

I'm sure you know that at your current stats, you have a healthy BMI of 21.3.  Are you sure that you need to lose more weight?  It seems like where you are now would be just right.  Not having the additional strain on your body and mind that might come from focusing on weight loss would probably make things easier right now.  I hope you are feeling better very soon.

I always weigh first thing in the morning, and then no more until the next morning.  This keeps things consistent.  At the end of the day, you will have to deal with the weight of the food and drink that is still in your system, any water retention, and the ...byproducts that have not left your system yet.  That can really add up to quite a lot.  I wouldn't worry about it.  Just weigh in the morning.  As the previous poster mentioned, your weight will probably have spikes and valleys.  When I was trying to lose, I watched the green trend line on my weight loss log.  It gives a more reliable picture of your progress.

Not only are my arms and legs larger on one side, but my rib cage is also larger on one side.  When I had more "padding," I never noticed LOL!  Now, however, it's pretty noticeable, especially in tee-shirts.  So, I think that's just how we're made.

I love ColdStone ice cream!  It's delicious.  But it is very, very rich.  Personally, I like Cake Batter ice cream.  The Cake and Shake (milkshake with cake batter ice cream and yellow cake pieces) is good.  I also like Birthday Cake Remix.  My kids have liked the other flavors, but I tried Cake Batter first and never tried anything else :)  Due to a medical condition, really rich foods make me sick now, but Cold Stone is one of the few things I miss.  Enjoy!

Personally, I don't like Crispy Cremes, but my hubby and kids do.