That is a great accomplishment, Ze!! I like to use myfitnesspal to help me track my proteins, sugars and fiber, not to mention calories. I found I was very deficient in protein and this has helped me to make the calories more nutrient dense. I try to keep the sugar to a bare minimum. We also try to stay gluten free.
Congratulation on those 9 pounds!

Thank You. I've not been using the on line calculator like my fitness pal. I used sparkspeople.. Either one I found difficult . I kept having foods that wasn't on their list. Do you have any way to keep it simple?

It's great that you realized that you were deficient in protein and were able to correct it . I'm finding a lot of people are going gluten free. Do you find it hard when you go to a restaurant?

Do you count calories and exercise to lose weight?

Restaurants are not difficult for me. I go online and see who has entries I like and that fit on my plan. I remember going to Olive Garden years ago and getting the seafood pasta dish but asked for the pasta to be swapped out with asparagus. A lot of restaurants seem very willing to accommodate. Can't say I keep it real simple on myfitnesspal but I've gotten used to it. At first I thought it a bit daunting but it's gotten easier as I go along.

I do count calories and normally, when I'm not obsessing about school, I make time to exercise every day. Lately with papers and exams, I've been slacking. Need to get back to it.

you are going threw a very busy time right now. .I'm sure you'll get into your exercise routine when all the stress from school slows down. It's great that you can work on my fitness pal now without it becoming daunting. How long did it take for you to get it down so you don't have to stress about the site?

What are you studying at school?

I've been eating out a lot lately and it seems I'm doing ok. I blew it this weekend with making cookies. So back to the really watching again.

I think it's great, an art! to be able to stay on track with the eating when eating out. I go off track now and then too with some sort of binge. I think if I ensure that I'm getting enough nutrients, I won't feel hungry for junk. And, I always try to remember that the junk food causes cravings for more of the same since it does work the glycemic index, keeping those cravings going.

Fitness Pal didn't seem to take too long to stay on track with. I should probably check back and see when I started getting on there more regularly. Could be that because I used to use an Excel spreadsheet to track... (talk about daunting!!) that the MyFitnessPal seemed much more agreeable. I think with the program, as you select your foods in your meals, it becomes more routine since you develop your own list of foods that are eaten most often.

I'm studying psychology in school and the reading is so overwhelming. I should write to one of my professors from that last school and thank her for easing my mind when I always remember that she said most PhD's have no business writing text books because they don't relate to the students at all. Hmm. Daunting may be the word of the day, LOL.

I'm trying to cut back on meat products altogether. I'd rather not have any at all in my diet. I already cut beef and pork from my diet and am trying to find some websites with tips.

You are very busy. Thank you for the support.
PH.D. wow. My daughter is dealing with college now. She's going for womens & gender studies.

Yes Daunting is the word of the day. I can only imagine how much you have to do by what my daugther has to do.. the 4 credit classes of the past are not there anymore... they are getting 3 credit hours with the professor and 1 extra hour of Homework..... so there are many hours of reading... with many subject.. Very frustrating to know you are paying for something and not really getting what you are paying for. Oh well,. my rant is over... I hope you semester is going well. Lots of good wishes.

I'm doing ok. but haven't gone back online for my fitness pal.. i'm doing on paper.. i have a logbook with the layout from an i.e from a book I have... I try to check off everything i'm eating.. i must admit it's a little more difficult when I eat stews and the such... Single Item foods are easy ...just have to measure and check it off.

Let me know more about your school days. Interested in hearing.

My daughter also stays away from meat.. .that's due do having had Lyme... for some reason the meat has some thing in it that reacts in the body like the lyme virus.. I will find out more if you are interested.

Have a great weekend... Enjoy Thanksgiving.. let me know what you re doing.

Oh, I didn't mean that I'm working on a PhD - I haven't decided if I will go that far but at this stage of the game, I'm happy to be working on my bachelors.

I could share a lot about classes for sure. I do have a bunch of reading to do and getting ready for classes the next two days. Finals are coming up in three classes. One class had a project which we did last week. Now I just have to make time to prepare for Thanksgiving as much as I can. I hope your daughter gets a break to enjoy Thanksgiving. Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday.

Thank you. . How was your Thanksgiving?
We had a lovely one.
IT's great that you are going for your Bachelors. OH , boy studying for those tests can be hard. Projects too. I know my daughter has her last final on Monday and she had to do an eight page paper due the day of the final.. I don't know how they expect you to study and do research at the same time.
With all that you are doing ... do you have time for exercise?
Hope you are enjoying the holiday season.

That's the thing... exercise tends to go by the wayside when I'm obsessing about other things like school. <smile> Each semester I try to stick with some healthy habits and tend to fall off track of that too quickly. Hope you are enjoying the holidays too, Ze!

Enjoying the holidays.

L... maybe, if you keep trying you'll get that exercise to become a habit at some point.. I know it's supposed to help with stress... LOL..... So just keep trying. I know you can do it.. Enjoy your time off from school. I know you deserve a break.

LOL. Ze, I'm getting into a habit of exercise. Been eating too many treats and then working them off lately. It's sinful, I tell ya, surprised I can walk after doing so many squats, lunges and calve raises. One thing very cool I remembered is that juggling burns calories and so when I work on my juggling, I am burning away. <smile> That's great incentive to work on this!

:). Juggling huh.. what do you juggle. .Sounds like fun to me. what a way to burn calories.

Yes, I'm finding I'm eating a bit more lately... In a little over week the exercise classes start again can't wait. Right now I'm trying to keep my steps going. Not always getting in my 10,000 :(. but i've noticed that my cal . burn is good. there were a few days where I was below 10,000 steps and still got over 2100 in cal burn.. don't get it.. I guess i must have run up/down my steps a lot LOL.
Have a great Christmas

Happy New Year.

One of my classes required our getting juggling balls and making the effort to learn. If it weren't for that, I never would have thought of the idea.

Zee, sounds like you're in the calorie burning mode and that's a great place to be. What sort of exercise classes are you going to take?

Hope your Christmas was wonderful. Happy New Year to you!

Happy New year to you too.

I will be taking Zumba Gold and Fun Friday. That's what I took in the fall.
How are you doing with the juggling?

Did you do anything special for Christmas?
We went with a friend to your son & future daughter in law's house for the day.

Hi Ze -
Zumba sounds like a fun program. You must enjoy it. Great for you getting back to something you do like doing. My juggling? I haven't worked up to juggling with three balls yet, LOL. I keep getting distracted but it's a great way to exercise the mind too and coordination.

Christmas we had my parents over and my son was here. Now it's on to those New Year's goals.
Just weaning off the holiday treats has been challenging too. I've been hooked on finding gluten free and sugar free recipe alternatives for treats lately. This too shall pass, I say.

:)