vagabondette

current stats (21 Mar) Weight: 193.6 Waist 1: 42 Waist 2: 38 R Calf: 15.5 L Calf: 15.25 R Thigh: 25.75 L Thigh: 25.5 Hips: 43.25 Chest 1: 37.25 Chest 2: 42.75 R Bicep: 12.5 L Bicep: 12.5 Shoulders: 46 Total Inches: 356.25 Inches lost since last measurement: 3.5 Inches lost to date: 18.5 Weight lost since last weigh-in: 4.9 lbs Weight lost to date: 7.9

current stats (19 Mar) Waist 1: 42.5 Waist 2: 38.25 R Calf: 15.5 L Calf: 15.5 R Thigh: 26.25 L Thigh: 25.75 Hips: 43.5 Chest 1: 37.5 Chest 2: 43.5 R Bicep: 12.5 L Bicep: 12.5 Shoulders: 46.5 Total Inches: 359.75 Inches lost this week: 2.5 Inches lost to date: 15

current stats (12 Mar) Waist 1: 43.25 Waist 2: 38.5 R Calf: 15.5 L Calf: 15.25 R Thigh: 26.25 L Thigh: 26.25 Hips: 43.75 Chest 1: 37.5 Chest 2: 44 R Bicep: 12.5 L Bicep: 12.75 Shoulders: 46.75 Total Inches: 362.25 Inches lost this week: 4.75 Inches lost to date: 12.5

loseit also does this. it's a great function!

woo! another way to try eggs!

It sounded gross when I first heard of it, but now this is one of my favorite soups to make. Extremely tasty and even better after a day or two. It is completely adjustable, depending on your tastes. I personally like a bit of kick so I put in at least 2 serrano peppers but you can use mild ones if you prefer. You can make this quick and easy using prepared foods or from scratch, depending on your time frame and willingness to chop. Ingredients: 1 bag black beans prepared according to directions on package OR 4 cans black beans with sauce 3 large sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes 2 cups pico de gallo OR 1 jar salsa (you can usually buy fresh pico in the veggie section of a grocery store and when I use salsa, I prefer Herdez brand) Pico de Gallo ingredients (adjust to taste): 1 medium white onion, diced small 3 medium tomatoes, diced small 1 clove garlic, minced 1 serrano pepper, minced Combine all ingredients to taste in a large pot, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through (about 30-60 minutes, depending on how big you cut them). Garnish with fresh avocado or sour cream.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Workout 2 - March 6 Deadlift 30# x15, 40# x15 Dumbbell Shoulder Press 30# 2x15 Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown 50# 2x15 (need to increase at least 5#) Lunge BW 2x15 Physio Ball Crunches BW 2x15 (really hate crunches, considering doing planks instead) Walked 6.4 km Diet: Breakfast: cheerios w/ vanilla soy milk Post work-out: recovery drink & apple Lunch: Turkey on wheat from subway Snack: chicken & veggie stir-fry Dinner: Veggie Egg Scramble

With your mom loving helping others, maybe there is some kind of volunteerism that will get her moving more? Dog walking at a pet shelter, volunteering at a boys and girls club, etc.? As motivation, perhaps have her touch her artistic side and do a dream collage of what she'd like to achieve health-wise then hang it somewhere she will see it every day? For your dad the cook, perhaps challenge him to makeover his favorite meal in a healthy way. For example, my mom is completely unhealthy. The last time I was visiting her, I took over the cooking for a few days and did a makeover on some of her favorite things. Rather than pan-fried breaded pork chops, we had herb-crusted baked ones. Instead of mashed potatoes, we had mashed cauliflower. Instead of boiled brussel sprouts drowning in butter I sauteed them with balsamic. She loved all the new versions (though still isn't ready to give up mashed spuds) and they were much healthier. For the baked goods, start using wheat instead of white flower and adding healthy stuff to boost nutritional value. For baked sweets, subbing apple sauce for oil, etc. Wheat pasta instead of white or even spaghetti squash instead of actual spaghetti. Fat free greek yogurt vs sour cream, etc. Small subs that make things healthier but don't necessarily make things taste worse. Are they the types who would wear pedometers? That's an easy way to do small challenges and get them focused on how much they're moving.

I second memrise if you are on a budget. If you have the money, rosetta stone is good, but it takes quite a bit of time before you can actually speak sentences vs just knowing vocab. my favorite software for becoming conversant quickly is fluenz though, of the list you provided, they only have mandarin at this time. Not sure where you are, but look for language exchange groups. If you are near an immigrant population, you might find someone willing to do a english/other language exchange which can be really helpful. You can also do this via skype. There are language exchange groups you can join. I studied spanish for a few years in school but when I moved to Mexico I hardly knew anything. Now, after speaking it daily, my spanish is pretty good (though not as good as it should be) so practicing frequently and out loud is the key. Good luck! I wish I were better at languages. As a full-time traveler/expat, it'd be nice to know more than just the nice words when I visit a country!

yes, meetup and meetin are both good options. Find other activities you're interested in and check out craigslist or post an ad yourself. It can be kinda sketchy sometimes but I have made some great friends through CL. If there is something you are interested in learning (art, language, skill) take a class and you'll meet people with similar interests. Volunteering is also a good option. As you get older it can get harder to meet people. i've moved a few dozen times in my life and every time finding a group to hang with has been a challenge but if you put forth the effort it can be done.

I also use salsa as a salad dressing. love it! i also thinly slice carrots on the diagonal and eat those with guac. I live in mexico so I feel you about avoiding chips and tortillas.

And I'm a fan of loseit. I think it's a really personal choice so it's best to try a few different options and see what works best for you. know though that unless you are eating packaged stuff (bad) you will also need a food scale if you want to get really tight about what you are eating.

what fitness moves are you doing when you are encountering pain? if it is stuff like planks/pushups, try doing them while holding on to a dumbbell. it can help keep your wrist in a more neutral position. make sure the dumbbell has flat edges though so you don't roll away. You can either hold the handle part or put your palm on the weight part with your fingers straddling the handle. you might consider getting wrist braces to use while writing/using the computer.

Go to a sewing store for a measuring tape. They'll have one that is fabric. If you want to get really fancy, there are ones you can buy online that self-retract which makes cheating harder since you aren't manually pulling it tighter to hit a number. Also, to be consistent, always measure at the same time of day - usually first thing in the AM after going to the bathroom but before eating/drinking is good as your body will generally be in a consistently relaxed/dehydrated state. it is normal for your measurements to go up and down. torso measurements are the hardest as they're dependent on your inhale/exhale. I take multiple torso measurements to get the most accurate reading - including one of me with my gut sucked in as far as possible.

I am doing the new rules of lifting for women and I really love it. It is a short and sweet workout that hits the whole body.

I am also not at the point where I can use a fully loaded barbel so I use dumbbells and put them on a platform that is the correct height. that might be an option if they don't have smaller plates for you to use.

I agree, it's normal but don't let it make you feel rushed. As long as you aren't hogging the equipments during your rests it shouldn't be a problem. But some people get pissy. I had an incident with a guy the other day. He was resting on the bench for the rowing machine. He'd been sitting there for at least 10 minutes and when I asked him if he was done with the machine he got all pissy with me because he was 'resting' so I needed to wait. Was really frustrating as there is only one row machine but lots of other benches to sit on. But, I live in a country where women hardly hit the gym at all and certainly don't go alone or do more than 3# dumbbells or cardio when there. The guys at my gym aren't very happy to see me using non-pink equipment.

For those who are having issues with a barbell or don't have access to one, dumbbells work just as well and you can more easily adjust the weight.

what motivates your parents? what do they love? can you create some kind of challenge for all of you to participate in that will keep you accountable to each other and keep them motivated which will give them a prize of something they love?

I second compound moves rather than a bunch of isolation stuff. Check out the book New Rules of Lifting for several routine options, depending on your goals.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Workout 1 - March 4 Squats - 20# 2x15 Pushups - 2x15 (off of a bench) Seated Rows - 40# 2x15 (need to increase weight) Step-Ups - BW 2x15 (9" off ground) Prone Jackknife - 2x15

Accountability time! I recently had my 39th b-day. About a week prior I weighed myself and was the heaviest I have ever been. I am determined to be fit by my 40th b-day and as a reward will treat myself to a beach holiday where I can wear a new, sexy, bikini! Starting stats (4 Feb) Weight: 201.5 Waist 1: 44.75 Waist 2: 40.25 R Calf: 16.5 L Calf: 16.5 R Thigh: 26.5 L Thigh: 26.75 Hips: 45 Chest 1: 40 Chest 2: 45.5 R Bicep: 13 L Bicep: 13 Shoulders: 47 Total Inches: 374.75 Current Stats (5 March) Weight: 198.5 (as of 22 Feb) Waist 1: 43.5 Waist 2: 40 R Calf: 15.75 L Calf: 15.5 R Thigh: 26.75 L Thigh: 25.75 Hips: 44 Chest 1: 39.5 Chest 2: 44.5 R Bicep: 12.5 L Bicep: 12.75 Shoulders: 46.5 Total Inches: 367 Inches lost to date: 7.75 Goals: Keep diet clean with no more than 3 meals out a week and only 1 cheat a week Finish the NROL4W program Starting tomorrow I will be logging my food and fitness here and I will measure myself weekly. I don't have a scale so I am not worried about weight at this point (though I am part of a weight loss challenge with a friend so will have to locate one by the end of June. ).

I've done 1000+ mile moves at least a dozen times in my life so here are my tips: 1 - you will need way more than 1 months rent in your pocket. Save up at least 3-6 months of all of your expenses 2 - have a job/school lines up before you go, especially if yoiu are going with little money 3 - sell all your stuff and sublet a furnished room when you first arrive. it'll help fund the move, won't cost you as much to do the move, won't lock you into a location in a city you don't know, and living with someone can help you meet people. Finally, the weather in that area is WET. Make sure you visit a few times during different seasons so you experience all aspects and be honest with yourself about whether you can deal with it. I moved from DC to Portland and HATED IT. It rained ALL. THE. TIME! I was there for 18 months and they were some of the worst of my life because the weather sucked and I was not a good fit with the people. Unfortunately, I was locked into a lease so I had to suck it up. Good luck!

That's a great deal. If the $1k offer wasn't sold out I'd hae grabbed one.

I'm in. It's a 1.7km walk to my gym so that makes it easy.