SparkPeople The Guys' Lounge Messageboard

Punch drunk or slap happy. Which are you

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:44:50 EST

Slap happy from lack of sleep

Hot sauce. Yes or no

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:43:09 EST

Absolutely on everything. Texas Pete (made in N.C. Ironically) or Tabasco Asian sweet and sour.

Archie Bunker-Types

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:15:54 EST

Are these kind of guys still around?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_
Bunker

My efforts are being scuttled

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:07:45 EST

My wife keeps trying to scuttle my efforts. I came home the other day, and sitting on the counter, were three bags of Kryponite (Doritos). I dont know why she bought them. She doesn't eat them (until now). They used to be my favorite. I dont eat them anymore! I didnt even eat one, I am happy to report. I know we need to have cookies, ice cream and stuff for the kids. I never really ate that stuff anyway. Luckily (and I haven't mentioned it) that there are never any peanuts around. I cant help...

Things that bug you

Thu, 9 May 2013 13:07:52 EST

Randomly speaking....

1. People who start sentences with "So...."
2. Saying hello to strangers and they look at you like you just puked on the sidewalk
3. Walking behind someone in a shopping mall who suddenly stops
4. People driving who cut in front of you but then do not accelerate to the speed of traffic
5. People who assume instead of communicating
6. People who don't reply to emails when selling something online
7. Hornets, wasps, mosquitos, black...

WALKING help

Mon, 6 May 2013 11:51:12 EST

I just started walking for exercise and I found I really like it, but I cramp in my claves and my left thigh. I drink a lot of water, get lots of potassium, warm up and stretch, but no matter what I do I cramp. Does anyone have some suggestions

NBA Playoffs?

Wed, 1 May 2013 12:48:47 EST

Who's gonna win it all? I think the Heat are looking pretty dominant, but I would love to see those superstars fall and fall hard

The Spark Book

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:29:31 EST

I'm really digging the book that accompanies this site. Has anyone else read it? I'm a little under halfway done.

I partner up with weight watchers

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:34:43 EST

Spark and weight watchers work well together

Chevy Spark

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:09:26 EST

I recently purchased a 2013 Chevy Spark. I could not justify spending $150 dollars per week on gas with my Dodge Challenger. Just love racing to work with that big engine. To my surprise I really like driving that pint sized car. I can easily zip through traffic and the money I save on gas pays for the car plus some. The Challenger is now the weekend car. I can't believe how much fun it is to drive a slow car fast vs. a fast car slow. Has anyone been surprised with a purchase you had to make?

Hobbies that you really love

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:47:47 EST

I've been a drummer forever and recently was selected over many in an audition for a band.

It's great getting back into it - it's a hobby that really makes a difference for me. It's a great workout since two band practices now have been just over 4hrs each (not to mention lugging gear) - but it's a soul-ful connection with what I'm doing that makes me feel good.

I'd even choose music over women anyday - and that's the the only thing that knocks women out of the top choi...

Vegetarians?

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:23:22 EST

Just curious if there were any other vegetarian guys in here. What are your favorite meals?

Workout tank tops...best kind?

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:50:32 EST

Let me preface this by saying, no, I am not a man, but I need a man's advice on something.

My husband has a 46" chest, and he has a hard time finding tank tops that are wide enough to be comfortable while he's at the gym working out. The undershirt style tanks are what he is wearing now are a 3X, and they are nowhere near wide enough. He says he gets tired of pulling the sides of the tank top to cover his nipples up. I'm not sure why that is a legit complaint for a man, but I...

New Life Challenge

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:28:03 EST

I turned 50 this year.

I've been working since I was 12 years old.

Last Friday, I was part of a reduction in workforce from the place I have worked for the last 16 years.

Sucks to be a line item.

So, I can take this time and devote my energies to self pity, rage at my previous employer, or something constructive.

I think I'll choose something constructive.

Matt

No wonder I'm huge!!!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:40:55 EST

I thought this was kind of appalling so I figured I'd share. Started eating better a few days ago. Before that, my life consisted of pretty much solely fast foot and whatever I felt like at home whenever I felt like it. I had no organization, no accountability and frankly just didn't care.

So I'm tracking my food yesterday and decided to put in what a typical Taco Bell meal I'd normally get just to see what the count would be. Now for the last 4 days, I've had a total of 1800-2000 ...

Trapezius Exercises

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 10:15:23 EST

aka Traps

I have time & again read/heard that the one thing that seperates a guy with an athletic build and a guy who weightlifts are the size of the traps. Supposedly there are no natural things we do that can increase the size of your traps. Don't know if that's true or not but I work on them anyway.

My Shoulder & Trap Day Routine
~Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
~Front/Lateral DB Raises (P90X style)
~Bent-Over Reverse Flyes
~Upright DB Rows

Enough of the crud, let's do this thing!

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 04:41:05 EST

What is all of this stuff about regarding weight loss, healthy nutrition and fitness? Can I really look at all of the things that I have to go through and not be overwhelmed by the challenge of loosing 100lbs? And not only loosing it but keeping it off?

Come on! I have to read labels and track everything and change foods out from what I've been eating all of my life! I have to break old habits and learn new healthy ones! I have to change my way of thinking and learn to like worki...

Who will win the Masters this year ?

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 02:34:18 EST

So, who is your pick to win the April Classic this year.
Here are 20 of the odds makers picks. 278
========================================
====

Odds to win 2013 The Masters, Augusta, April 11-14 (courtesy LVH)
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
-----------

TIGER WOODS 5/1

RORY McILROY 8/1

PHIL MICKELSON 12/1

BRANDT SNEDEKER 15/1

LUKE DONALD 25/1 ...

Low T

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:51:46 EST

For the last couple years my energy level has not been what it use to be, I just credited it to getting older (35 now...lol). With all the ads on tv about low T drugs out there it got me thinking about my own levels. When I first asked the doctor on a regular check up he said he would do the blood work but also noticed that my blood pressure is higher than normal and it has been creeping up in the records. After reading more about high blood pressure I found out low testosterone can be a c...

Dispute about clothes

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:04:44 EST

I just got some clothes back from the tailor and my girl friend thinks they are too loose. I got a suit, three pairs of dress slacks, and some shirts. She told me that I have a sexy body and that the clothes hide that. The clothes I bought were actually a size larger than I wear so the tailor had some material to work with. My measurements are 40 chest, 31 waist, and 35 hips. The tailor suggested size 34 pants so they would be wide enough at the hips and my pockets would not bulge out. They t...

getting ready for running season

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:10:51 EST

Here in the Great White North, I don't run in the winter... there are too many crazies out there who would happily clip ya on their way to Tim Hortons. (Canadians would understand the attraction..)

Running Season: (that time of year when the snow has melted for a while, and the temperature is above 0 Celcius so I don't wear 10 layers and do twice as much laundry)

So in preparation for running season I'm doing the P90X Plyometrics once a week and using my handy-dandy jump...

Sabotaged?

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:52:26 EST

I recently got back into running again and started running with some friends. We're on one of the progressive running schedules I found online and we got to where we were running three sets of 9 minutes with a 2 minute break in between. We were set to move on to 11 minute sets, but my friends were complaining that I was going too fast and they weren't able to keep up.

Now I'm not in great shape at all, I'm just highly motivated to run and get to where I'm in shape so I feel that ...

Who is in your Final Four

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:22:18 EST

I was just hoping to get a "friendly" discussion going about who people are picking to be in the final four of this year's NCAA tourney.

My picks are Louisville, New Mexico, Florida & Syracuse (who got blessed with a great draw from the selection committee).

Torn calf muscle?

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:56:35 EST

So 7 days ago I tore my calf muscle playing tennis with the wife. I visted the doc and he sent me to an Orthopaedic. The tear is about 3" long and was measered using an sonogram. The Orthopaedic put me on rest and I was given a boot to wear that immobilizes the ankle and calf.

From most everything I have read on the internet says I should be using and stretching the calf not immobilizing the calf.

Anyway my question is any of you guys ever suffer a torn calf? What was ...

Your chest routine

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:35:06 EST

Here's my current routine

Bench Press (barbell) 5 x 5 (1st set 50%, 2nd set 75%, 3,4 & 5 80% of my 1RM)
Flat, Inclined or Declined Dumbbell Press 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Flat, Inclined or Declined Dumbbell Press 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Flat, Inclined or Declined Dumbbell Flyes 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Week A is Flat & Declined DB Press and Inclined Flyes
Week B is Declined & Inclined DB Press and Flat Flyes
Week C is Inclined & Flat DB Press and Declined Flyes

Th...

Use of Mirrors while working out

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:01:38 EST

I have several mirrors in my workout area at home, I use them to see if my form is correct and I also don't mind catching a glimpse of my results either.

How about you?

Did You Workout Before, During or After Work

Sat, 9 Mar 2013 22:39:03 EST

During

I'm interested to see how others fit this into thier schedules.

Military???

Sat, 9 Mar 2013 19:57:14 EST

Has anybody served or is currently in the military? If so, which service did/ are you serving in and for how long? I am currently in the Naval Reserves. I am with the United States Naval Construction Battalions "Seabee" (NMCB18). I have been in the Navy for 22 yrs. Six of the those years were served on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) --- active duty and the other 16 years were served with the "Bees". I am currently an E6 (First Class Petty Officer). I have a green light to retire but I am planni...

Anyone ever do a Spartan Race?

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 10:55:33 EST

I'm doing one tomorrow, hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew at my young age of 43.

Have people noticed ????

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 17:23:54 EST

Ok folks,
So, you've dropped some weight and are feeling better about yourself.
How much weight did you have to loose before someone actually said ( totally unsolicited ) something like......
"Have you lost weight" or
"You look good...you on a diet? or
"You been working out"?
Look forward to hearing some fun stories here....

group Exercise

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 16:53:07 EST

Just wondering is their any group that gets together or meets for some exercise in the Morganton area in North Carolina. If so when and where. If Not would anyone in the Morganton area be interested in getting together as a group some where and doing like a boot camp, or organized sports, runs, bikeing, ect?

Little Rock Half Mararthon

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 11:10:13 EST

Just thought that I would share, I did my first half Marathon this Sunday. All the hours I put out on the road is paying off because I finished it in 1 hour and 57 minutes which put me about #706 out of 4430 other people doing it. The other times ranged from 1 hour and 8 minutes to 6 hours and 34 minute.

favorite actresses and tv shows and more

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 07:45:10 EST

on the SparkPeople Cafe message board, KJFITNESSDUDE is killin it with these kinds of great topics that here in the guys lounge we could sorely use...

So here's my homage to KJFITNESSDUDE by dragging some of that good stuff in here where people only seem to care about the wheel points...

My favorite tv shows (past to present - in no particular order)
1. Starsky & Hutch
2. Charlies Angels
3. Fantasy Island (you know what I mean!)
4. X-Files
5. M...

Workout Partner

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 15:15:40 EST

Any one interested in a workout partner in Merrick or Bellmore. Long Island, NY

Sweat etc

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 15:01:38 EST

Hi guys...quick question. I workout 6x week and sweat lots. I have tried wearing a jock under my shorts but my boys have other things in mind. I've tried compression shorts but that makes it very uncomfortable and sweaty down there. Being in law enforcement does not give me much time to do a quick change. . Any help would be great. Thanks. Ps. I've lost over 90 lbs in two years and exercise is now an addiction for me.

the busy week exercise challenge

Fri, 1 Mar 2013 07:25:24 EST

Yeah, here I am writing about this today being Friday when really it started for me on Sunday.

It's been a busy week and I haven't had time for my regular workout routines so last Sunday morning I thought I'd challenge myself - a simple challenge but it's been really effective this week!

My challenge was to do 2 sets of 30 pushups every morning this week. Time permitting do more exercise than that, but at least do that.

Here we now are at Friday and I've done...

Change a life, guide me to success! *photos

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:43:38 EST

Age: Eighteen years.

Height: 5’7 – maybe a little taller.

Weight: 68 KGS- 150 lbs.

Activity level: Moderate (I do a lot of walking and I go to the gym about 2 – 3 times a week and do some light weights, nothing strenuous).

Calories per day: On average 3,000 (I believe I may have quite a quick metabolism).

Estimated body fat: VERY ROUGH calculation using a scale that stated 13%.

Shown as an IDEAL example in the other part of thi...

2013 playoffs Tigers or NYY

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:54:15 EST

I'm picking The NYY. I live in michigan and every time it looks like they are going some place the tigers fold. They had to scrap and claw and hope the white sox chocked just to get in last year. You saw the real tigers in the WS. They look good on paper, but they are still the tigers.

Just wanted to tell someone!!!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:23:16 EST

I am already past the half way point to my weight loss goal; however I realized after I weighed myself today that I am only 3.4 pounds away from being at a healthy BMI in over a decade!!!

Just wanted to tell someone!!!

The wife does not want to go to church with me.

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:14:07 EST

How can I change her mind.

how to get away from the pub

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:22:56 EST

i have it all sorted for what to do after work, but somehow my mind tricks me and i end up at the pub with my mates. some times i am able to go out and do exercise instead, and feel great afterwards.

although i don't want to stop i wish to cut down, and enjoy my evenings doing some sport/exercise.

but my plans just aren't sticking. any ideas on how to over come this issue/ reduce my intake

What is the best workout program?

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:18:45 EST

I am looking for a good workout DVD program that I could do by myself. I am in a new part of Georgia so I have no accountability partners yet. I have some old videos that I have used in the past (One of the Billy Banks Videos, Some Kick Boxing Videos, A Tae Kwon Do Blackbelt Test that a friend gave me, etc.), and I have used free videos from SP, YouTube, Dailymotion, etc. I don't really have the time to create a program of my own. I saw on one of the other message boards people talking ab...

Ruined Thread #27

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:51:49 EST

Accurately Tracking Fitness Minutes

Thu, 7 Feb 2013 23:56:36 EST

I was wondering how everyone here does it.

In my case, I play a lot of basketball and soccer, but figuring out how many minutes I'm actually actively playing is tough. For example, tonight I was at a scrimmage from 6:30 to 8pm, but I only marked down 60 minutes since I have to compensate for the standing around, in between games, stretching, etc.

At the gym, even though I'm there for an hour and a half, I'm mot actually lifting for an hour and a half. Ends up being more ...

Getting rid of new girlfriend

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 07:50:01 EST

Just started dating a new girl. She wanted to go grocery shopping, after we bought the things we needed she went right out the next day a bought cake, cookies, chocolate, and a ton of ice cream. I was quite clear on how I do that sort of stuff. I then told her to take the food home and stay there until she can cooperate with my life style. Not sure why she wants me fat. Any ideas?

Muscle Milk Question

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 17:31:15 EST

So I bought a bottle of muscle milk from the cafeteria yesterday and it was really good. I have a big bag of the exact same powder at home but after mixing the powder with water, it doesn't taste the same at all.

Any ideas why they taste so different? The ingrediants on the bag vs the ingredient on the bottle are identical, the only difference is "water" is on the bottle :)

You guys were right...

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 17:39:08 EST

...about not turning into the Incredible Hulk-ette when lifting heavy weights!

I started working with a trainer last week, and he has me lifting weighs heavier than any I've lifted before. Not actually *heavy*, mind you (the highest so far is a 20 lb medicine ball), but way heavier than the cute pink 1 and 5 lb girl-weights I've been using up until now.

And surprise! I haven't turned into a lumpy, bulky girl. In fact, it seems to have accelerated my weight loss a bit.

Olympic Barbell & Weights

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 14:56:47 EST

Where is the best source for an Olympic Barbell set?

Deloading

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 13:13:34 EST

I was gonna do a b;log on this on my page but I'd rather just do it in an open forum.

Deloading is when you do your lifting routine at a light weight. Of the deloading articles I've read it can be anywhere from 10 - 50% lighter load. I am doing a 2 wekk deloading program and this is week 1 at 20% lighter of my last lifting session (my heaviest ever) and next week 10% lighter.

So far I did it Monday (Chest & Triceps), Wednesday (Back & Biceps) and today (Shoulders & Traps...

Tiger on the move (Warning ;Golf Content)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:10:29 EST

So, will Tiger Woods regain his #1 ranking this year ?
When :
By the Masters?
By the US Open?
By the British Open?
By the PGA?
278

Super Bowl...Who you pickin?

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:27:09 EST

I'm going with the Ravens

Do you believe in aliens?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:37:45 EST

Do you believe in aliens?

Flirt or Perv #2

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:28:08 EST

Jumpi'n jiminey!

Rewind and remove the word "flirt" and insert the phrase "non-work related banter".

Flirting is fun, harmless, and (for the most part) elusive innuendo.

Flirting is not: drooling, speaking to the breast or bodypart below the neck, breathing heavily, sniffing butt; nor, dare I say, using the line "there is a fly on your rear, let me brush it off with my crotch". Or, "I like your lipstick, it matches your nipples".

Take 1 gentleman, n...

Weight unchanged, but losing inches

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:44:42 EST

I know this has been talked to death in the past, but I still can't seem to wrap my head around why my clothes are fitting much better, my waist is shrinking, but I'm still above 200lbs. I've heard the same old "muscle weighs more than fat" line, but I highly doubt I gained 10lbs of muscle this month.

Any ideas?

Expert Guide: Muscle Building

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:14:32 EST

From Muscle & Fitness website:
www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-gui
des/muscle-building

I started reading this article and will chime in on my thoughts when finished.

Strength Standards

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:56:52 EST

So I've had questions about weight training and programs and I think many people like to do different things, that's fine. What ultimately matters is results. If you're building strength and making progress, you're probably on a good program. I find the tables below to be a decent barometer. Thought I'd share ...

www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/S
trengthStandards.html

The big three:

Squat www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/S

Smaller...Man boobs lol

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:38:50 EST

I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on getting smaller man boobs...any help would be great.

Gained 4lbs while on a strict diet and cardo daily

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:58:39 EST

Since Jan 1 i have put myself on a strict 1800-2200 cal diet and have done daily cardio anywhere from a 2.5mi walk with the dogs to multiple runs and walks totaling 10 miles in a day. I stepped on the scale the other day and gained 4 lbs. Anyone know of an explanation for this?

Thanks

2014 Corvette C7 Stingray

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:52:40 EST

Off topic from health/ fitness discussion but regardless....
Im an automotive guy and work in the industry here in Detroit. Been through the good, bad, and hopefully returning to good times. With the 2013 North American International Autoshow kicking off in Detroit (tonight) Im curious what peoples opinion of the new Corvette is. Me, I love it! Definately a changed design with a aggressive edgy look. Sure hte tail lights resemble the Camaro, but is that a bad thing? I believe the designe...

looking for a work - out partner in Yonkers NY

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:08:36 EST

willing to go as far as 225th and Broadway in the bronx or Yonkers Planet Fitness I have a bike as well..... i'm looking to get from 300 lbs to 149 again and I NEED YOUR HELP WHERE ARE YOU? I can work out early mornings or late nights or during the day 249

Overtraining

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:12:03 EST

Going on the premis that men and women have been conditioned in the last 10.000 years to be actively participating in day to day life - foraging, farming, working in mills, marching all day, etc that the theory of "overtraining" would pertain more to extreme fitness training such as bodybuilding, track & field, football, etc? Can you actually ovetrain in something like aerobics? Can you walk or jog too much?

Working out!

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:27:59 EST

I'm doing a 8 week weight training program and also a 6 week Keetleworx program at the same time, body is getting into better shape. Can't wait to change things up in a few weeks.

Cardio time

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:13:13 EST

For the guys here. On average how much cardio do you do each day/ workout?

Right now I am focusing more on cardio and do about 60 minutes each day and then 20 minutes lifting. Eventually as my cardio improves I will change over to maybe 30 or 45 minutes cardio and more lifting to attempt to build mass.

Whats your running shoe?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:20:06 EST

To those who run (seriousrunners and not) what shoes do you find mostcomfortable and best performing?

For the last couple years I have found Saucony Ride (3 & 4) series very comfortable. Recently considering a new pair and getting the Ride 5 I decided to try ie againand go with the Air Max+ 2012. Expensive@ $150 but read some good reviews so figured Id give em a shot. They arrive tomorrow!

Yoga

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 16:37:28 EST

So, my wife says to me last night, "I signed us up for a yoga class so we can get healthier together." I've seen some of those yoga poses and there is no way this old body will get there. She says it is designed for big folks. My question is, have any of you tried it? Should I be thinking of some good excuses or give it the old college try? What is your experience?

Creatine Side Effects

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 14:33:00 EST

Has anyone heard of what possible side effects creatine has? Anyone had a bad experience with it?

Philmont

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 19:04:10 EST

Any of you ever hiked Philmont?

Need help to quit smoking.

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 00:28:44 EST

I need to quit smoking. I smoke as a stress reliever and when bored. I f any one out there has any helpful tips or method they used to quit I would sure appreciate the help.

Let's help each other start the new year right!

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 20:00:11 EST

I need a jump start this year to start eating more healthy, exercising more often, and losing weight on a steady pace. Who would like to join me in helping each other to support and motivate us in this effort.

dispatcher diets

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 19:18:59 EST

I am a dispatcher and i sit for almost all of my shift what can i do to help loose the wait and curb my intake while at work.

6 pack abs

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:40:08 EST

I have lost most of the weight I wanted to, I have a little more to go, but now I am interested in achieveing the six pack abs look, is there any exercises or meals that will help me achieve this

Looking for workout buddy....in person or virtual.

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 15:20:04 EST

Just dropped by to see if there is anyone in my area that like to workout and motivate one and other....thanks

Alabama or Notre Dame: Who wins?

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 12:16:41 EST

I am an SEC fan so I my head says Bama, but I would like to see Notre Dame get the win. I think it would do a lot for college football.

United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:49:23 EST

A friend of mine who does the fitness thing (we do our own thing, we're not fitness buddies or anything) mentioned that he was doing this test. He wants to do it every 6 weeks as a barometer for his overall fitness. It's not necessarily my barometer of choice, but he asked me if I'd like to join him and I did.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_
Marine_Corps_Physical_Fitness_Test

I scored a 175. If anyone else does it, post your numbers. It coul...

the world of smoothies

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:43:43 EST

I got a Smoothie-Bar for Christmas - which is good because I had been thinking about buying a blender... turns out this can do all that as well.

I looked through the SparkPeople recipes for smoothies and found one for Banana & Peanut Butter... holy crap is that ever good! Filling as hell too... by lunch time I still wasn't hungry.

wow. This is an exciting new world for me, but I'll be using that tool like it owes me a living I tell ya!

What's the Most Number of Calories You've Tracked?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:37:17 EST

Had a horrible day yesterday since it was my company Christmas party.

4,800 calories. By far the most Ive ever tracked.

Anyone else?

Mileage

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:27:44 EST

I seen a mileage post at the beginning of the year so I started keeping track of how many miles I actually put in to stay in shape. I started keeping track in about March (I did not do much the first months anyways) and I logged in over 700 miles so far. I know I can do better next year, maybe shoot for 900+ miles. So for the rest of the people who track your miles, how many did you do this year? What is your goal for next year?

jump rope?

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:06:27 EST

Is anyone here using a jump rope as part of their cardio routines?

I live in Canada, and running outside in the winter to me is not something I want to do, so I'm looking at ways of maintining cardio levels inside. I don't currently own a treadmill or exercise bike but I'm interested in jump rope because it's CHEAP...

your thoughts?

Can I be my husband's health and fitness coach?

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 12:48:10 EST

Big Question: Would any of you guys want your wife to become your loving health and fitness coach? I emphasize the "loving" part. I would not be unkind, mean, or spiteful. That's not me. And my husband knows it.

I have found great success with Sparkpeople....been at goal (128) almost a year. My husband, however, is at least 80 lbs overweight (probably more like 100). My example has NOT rubbed off on him. He has probably gained weight in the time I have lost mine. Anyway, should I b...

BMR

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:49:11 EST

I've heard conflicting opinions about the legitimacy of the Basic Metabolic Rate calculation. Some say it's a load of BS, and some swear by it.

What do you guys think?

I ask because I'm trying to get my average down to about (-500) of my BMR (1900 calories), but wondering if it's as mathamatical as we're led to believe. Basically I've ended up at a north of 2,000 calorie average the past 2 weeks, and wondering if I should be freaking out or not.

Any of you guys try intermittent fasting?

Wed, 5 Dec 2012 10:08:13 EST

If you're not familiar with the term, it basically means limiting your meal frequency to once or twice a day. It's not even something you do every day, but I do it probably 5 days a week. I think some of the biological benefits are pretty well documented (I can provide studies, if interested), but aside from that, it helps tremendously with adherence and overall well being.

On my IF days, I will skip breakfast, sometimes lunch (or have a really small lunch). I'll eat about 30g c...

Duck Lip Pics

Wed, 5 Dec 2012 09:16:18 EST

This seems to be the new trend in young women posting pics of themselves, making "duck lips".
www.drpollock.com/images/woman-duck-
lips.jpg
Do you find this attractive?

I Post This Here Because I Need Men's Advice

Tue, 4 Dec 2012 17:18:14 EST

Hello all,
My name is Kari and I really need some advice from men to help me understand. My boyfriend of 3 and a half years broke up with me on Friday. We broke up over an argument-- caused by me. We have been on the rocks for some time. College has been tough on our relationship, but we fought even before college (arguments mainly caused by me). We have broken up before, but love each other more than anything and wanted to make it work so we got back together. He broke up with me two we...

Amazing Shirt!!!!

Sun, 2 Dec 2012 11:57:48 EST

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrNwS1klzSk

Unmotivated

Sat, 1 Dec 2012 00:03:06 EST

I tried getting this wight loss thing going, but am completely unmotivated. Any suggestions?

Meal Planner

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:31:18 EST

I have a question, does the meal planner learn your preferences and adapt to what you actually eat?

BTW, sorry if this question is in the wrong area.

Anyone have an unsupportive spouse?

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:39:22 EST

I'll be leaning heavily on you gents in the coming months. I've reached a crossroads in my life and my marriage. She can be an excellent mother, just not so much as a wife. I've been reading some other books and getting advice and have decided to invest into myself by working out, improving how I dress, carry myself, etc. She's not the only one to blame as to where we're at. Who would want to sleep with someone who could stand to lose 70+ and be attracted to them? I see myself currently as Be...

Unloading Tractor Trailers?

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:53:40 EST

I have an exercise question. I recently started a new job that involves unloading inventory from tractor trailers. How would I log this activity into SP?

I did this at work yesterday, and I anticipate doing it again before the week is over. Any help is appreciated!

I'm gonna' "SPARK.....YOU UP

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 03:50:28 EST

Check out free i-Tune "SparkPeople Radio" podcast.

I find it as, if not more, motivating than some of the music tracks I have on my w/o playlist. 104

plz, don't get rid of the "points" threads...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:15:13 EST

PSYCHE!
100

Cheat Days?

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:49:33 EST

Last week I was on target for 6 out of the 7 days, but on one of the days I clocked in at about 3 times by daily recommended weight-loss caloric range (4,500 calories... rough night).

This week I've only been on target twice (Sunday and Monday), and went over every day since Tuesday night (alcohol played a huge role, actually).

I've decided to track every single thing I've eaten on those cheat days just to give myself a visual of how much damage I actually did to my plan...

An interest in diets for those of us with cancer

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:35:56 EST

Returning to SparkPeople after a 2-yr hiatus. Recently I was diagnosed with cancer. I've undergone surgery and am half way through my chemo treatments.

My interest is in revamping an otherwise inconsistent diet with foods that I can adopt while going through chemo, and then post-chemo once my body starts going back to normal. I try to stay within my caloric window, but am also looking to lose weight.

Since late August's surgery, and a powerport implant, my cardio ...

Alcohol and Dieting

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:12:09 EST

I'm sure this has been talked about to death, but wanted to get some fresh ideas from you guys.

Last night I went out with a coworker after work and had about five bourbon on the rocks, then 3 Amstel lights. Altogether it amounted to about 850 calories, which doesn't seem too bad all things considered.

I did my best to keep the calories down as much as possible, but I'm wondering if there's more I could have done. Are vodka sodas less calories than whiskey? Would stickin...

She started lifting weights and guess what?

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:20:09 EST

Her fears of getting massive and manly looking faded.

I talked my gf into weightlifting/strength training about a year ago or so. Before then she had already started to lose weight through healthy eating and cardio but she wanted to look "toned" but not massively and manly ripped. She said that if she started to lift she'd start to manly.......LOL!

Once I explained to her that she didn't have the testosterone to get ripped she started to lift heavier and now she is thin ...

25 lost, 10-15 to go. looking for challenge

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:32:07 EST

In the middle of making it happen for myself. I have lost almost 25 lbs since June 2012 and want to drop another 10-15 (give or take).

I have been focused with running and traning for a Tough Mudder event that was in October.

It was great to have goal set and something to train for and also have a couple of buddies that were training too.

Looking for other like-minded guys that have same to lose and want to set event goal and train for it, together - or virtua...

Best way to measure other than weight

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:22:47 EST

I'm looking to lose fat but gain some muscle. Not a lot, I just want to look fit and be comfortable in a t-shirt again. AKA - definition or swimmer's body. So, weight doesn't seem to be the best way to check in. I'm guessing measuring key body parts, but how often and which ones?
Also, any good ideas as to goals for this? I'm 6'3", currently 192 lbs, 38" waist.
Thanks in advance for help and ideas!

A question for the dudes about 'Magic Mike'

Tue, 6 Nov 2012 14:20:08 EST

I just wanted to ask:
Have any of you guys seen 'Magic Mike' and what did you think?
Did you feel at all jealous by your wives/girlfriends wanting to go see it?

Just an interesting question to me... I only saw it this past weekend and wondered how dudes felt about it. Is it threatening? Or is it nice to have something out there for the chicks, that helps offset the stuff that guys enjoy (that you usually pretend NOT to enjoy, unless we're not around...)?

I re...

Rate of weight loss

Tue, 6 Nov 2012 12:02:50 EST

What is the average rate of weight loss using Spark people?

As per the plan given it is supposed to be 2lbs/week, however I have got off to a flyer losing 5lbs in 5 days. I know it is common with most diet plans to see an initial success; although I thought with a sensible plan it wouldn't have been as much this early

How has it been for other guys?

Any hunters out there?

Sat, 3 Nov 2012 16:26:57 EST

I enjoy hunting and target shooting. Most of my hunts turn into a going for a hike with a pack and shotgun. I do however really like target practice with my bow. Didn't have time to get out this year with it. This next year will be spent scouting.

blending anyone?

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 09:45:00 EST

For the guys - do you own a blender? and if you do, what do you use it for?

I'm thinking of buying one but still convincing myself I need one.

Healthy at Famous Dave's???

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 09:03:02 EST

I am going to Famous Dave's tomorrow with a big group of friends and I have NO clue what to get. I looked at the nutrition facts online and it seems like everything is awful for you :( Any suggestions??

Sushi?

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 07:29:49 EST

What's up guys? So i went to a nice, upscale Jappanese steakhouse and sushi bar. Got the combination plate of teriyaki steak and shrimp and it came LOADED with fried rice. Good cheat meal and it was fun watching them cook the food right in front of us (but holy butter and oil)

Anyway, we also got a sushi sampler platter as an appetizer and I really liked it. Plus, strip of fish on a little rice seems like a great think for someone who has a binging problem like me. There's a cheap ...

Accountability Buddy

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:11:31 EST

Anyone looking for an accountability buddy? I find that it helps me to stay motivated if I have someone to check in with and discuss successes/problems. I'll return the favor and try to help you reach your goals any way I can.

I'm a typical late 20s guy- I like sports (both watching and playing), I work for a living, and I'm trying to pull back on the eating out/boozing (which is why I have to lose 50lbs).

No offence to the ladies , but I think it would be easier havi...

top 10 favorite movies of all time

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:51:42 EST

my pick:

1. Jaws
2. Coal Miners Daughter
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. The Good, the bad, and the ugly
5. The original "First Blood"
6. The original "Psycho"
7. Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood
8. Titantic
9. Dumb and Dumber
10. Smokey and the Bandit

Adult "Visual" Entertainment

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:39:03 EST

I'm thinking if I titled the thread "porn" it'd get reported by.....well, whomever, I won't say anymore since I'm under "watch" for other do-gooder misdeeds, lol!

Lately I have been curbing it since my gf gets just a little upset when she knows I'm looking at it, she'll ask if she's not enough and that's not it at all I tell her.

I just like looking at naked women, actually, truth be told I like looking at Hot Women with or without clothes on.

I had read a whi...

Sparkpoint Threads... Why??

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:15:29 EST

I don't exactly understand the point of all these threads I see that exist for no other purpose than to boost your sparkpoints. SP don't really account for anything other than... ?? nothing!

I mean, realistically, this site is to help people lose weight and inform about topics like nutrition, diet, exercise, and overall fitness physically and mentally. You can give yourself a billion and 1 sparkpoints if you'd like, but if you're 100 pounds overweight all the sparkpoints in the wor...

NHL - LOCKOUT!

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:10:26 EST

I am SERIOUSLY missing my Penguin hockey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm Back & Bound & Determined

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:11:54 EST

This is such a wonderful website. I'm just wrapping up day 3 of being back again.

When I saw 222.2 on the scale Tuesday morning after returning from a convention in San Fran, I had no choice but to do something.

As the title says: "I'm bound a determined" to get on board with this wonderful program. And shame on me for ever abandoning it in the first place.

Body Building or Building a Good Body?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:08:31 EST

I'm building a good body or at least that's how I'd summarize what I'm doing. I have me goals but to be an amature bodybuilder has long since left my mind. I like my gains and I love how my woman and other women look at me but I'm not dedicated enough to "cut" and be diligent about becoming a bodybuilder. My age (50) has nothing to do with it as I see lots of older guys RIPPED! But I have come to the realization that I'm okay with my path for now. I am NOT gonna stop thinking about the possib...

What would you like to see more of here.

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:29:23 EST

When I say here, I mean in the Guy's Lounge. What kinds of topics and conversations would you like to see more of?

I need a swift kick in the ass

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 06:32:03 EST

I've let my nutrition go to hell. I know that for me, solid nutrition is the key to weight loss. I know that most of my eating is emotion based. I know all this - but I still let it all spiral down these past few weeks.

I need a swift kick to the ass to get back on track.

Question about Dumbbells

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:22:28 EST

I was looking over my weightlifting notes and realized that at some point in time I stopped writing the overall weight and started just writing down the weight of a single dumbbell.

Before I'd write 10 reps x 50lbs (I was using two 25lb dumbbells)
Now I write 10 reps x 25lbs (but that's the dumbbells I use so the overall weight is 50#)

How do you write down poundage for dumbbell exercises?

Stupid romance stuff...

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:29:02 EST

BUT, it's what ya gotta do to keep her happy,.....oh boy....
24

Weight loss by a Vegan

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:24:28 EST

Hey Guys

I was just wondering if there any others that had lost weight while maintaining a Vegan lifestyle

Thanks

Latest Successes

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:45:58 EST

So, I am in the mood to hear some good things. What was your latest success/milestone/something you are proud of?

For me it was getting to two sets of ten close in push ups and progressing to wall walk downs to bridge in my bridging progression.

Michael Phelps sinks incredibly long putt

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:05:48 EST

Just thought the guys on here might appreciate this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9YzQ8biV
qM

crazy, and not even his sport

This is what annoys me about SP

Tue, 9 Oct 2012 13:12:02 EST

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=ho
w_much_protein_should_you_eat_for_exer
cising

56g for men is all you need? My nutritional on here even lists me at minimum 75, and if you are attempting to gain muscle mass you would need more than that. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists it at .55g-.77 g per pound of body weight, for those people who are participating in resistance training. That would put a person weighing 160 lbs at 88-123.2g of protein per day, far ...

Manly recipes?

Tue, 9 Oct 2012 08:11:13 EST

So I'm wondering if there's any interest in this, putting together a recipe collection here on Sparkrecipe with meals for us? I really like finding some of these recipes, but the portion sizes are pathetically small, and they seem to try and save calories by cutting out the protein.

We'd be looking for recipes that are easy and quick to make with a limited number of ingredients that are filling and high in protein. Any one want to help me out? I already have a bunch that I have don...

Guys: Are you weight lifting?

Mon, 8 Oct 2012 21:00:04 EST

Hey, I know some of you do (Billy and others) but what's your program currently look like (no weight numbers, just exercise, sets/reps)?

Currently I am using GymGoal App on my iPod to track what I do.

Chest & Triceps
Close-Grip Bench Press 10, 8, 6, 6
Bench Press 10, 8, 6, 6
Incline Dumbbell Press 10, 8, 6, 6
Declined Dumbbell Press 10, 8, 6, 6
Inclined Dumbbell Flyes 10, 8, 6, 6
Lying Tricep Extensions 10, 8, 6, 6

Back & Biceps <...

Is anyone here a programmer?

Mon, 8 Oct 2012 10:23:34 EST

Specifically, does anyone have knowledge in making add-ons for firefox? The reason I ask, is that I was recently thinking that sparkpeople's message boards would be vastly improved if an add on that was similar to Reddit Enhancement Suite was made for it.

Any takers?

Can't wait to run....

Fri, 5 Oct 2012 10:09:46 EST

I can't wait to get out and run tomorrow morning. I will be skipping a 5k i had initially thought I'd run, because I am thinking of running a 6-mile route in my home town instead. I need the longer run for my training plan, and to clear my head. I feel bad in a way to skip the 5k, but I can save the $25 entry fee and 30-minute drive and just get the workout I need in- there will be other races!

I've got some cooler-weather running gear ready if I need it. Bring on fall runing!

A lesson learned

Thu, 4 Oct 2012 11:33:46 EST

So yesterday I was craving soda far beyond my normal cravings, and I could not figure out why for the life of me. Then, at the end of the night, driving to my girlfriends house listening to the O's lose, I was craving sweets more than I have in a long time. I didn't think much of it at first, but then when I looked at my nutritional splits for the day, it all became clear to me. I had skipped breakfast, and not really had a ton of carbohydrates with lunch or dinner. I was at about half of...

Supplements?

Thu, 4 Oct 2012 09:51:57 EST

I have used supplements in the past ( a pre-work + a protein shake post-work ) I really like them, and im thinking about using them again. I have to workout early in the morning, and i feel like the first 20 mins of my workout are wasted because im still tired / waking up.

How do you guys feel about supplements?

Stanley Cup

Wed, 3 Oct 2012 10:11:15 EST

I get to have my picture taken with the Stanley Cup today. At 60 years old, I have not been this excited about a sporting event in a long time. I am a Flyer's and I only have one Kings shirt. I am just glad that I am able to fit into my Kings shirt.

Differing energy levels in a relationship

Wed, 3 Oct 2012 09:28:32 EST

Guys (and our couple of honorary "guys), have you run into this. My SO and I have significantly differing energy levels. For just about any activity, I just generally have a lot more endurance than my SO. Hiking, Biking, Sports, even shopping or walking around museums, she tires out to the point she just wants to go home and lay on the couch and start at the TV, while I tend to have a ton of energy still and want to engage her in those activities. We end up turning down invitations to do ...

An interesting video, as a strange motivator

Tue, 2 Oct 2012 19:58:17 EST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=rUOpqd0rQS
o

So this video, and a discussion on reddit regarding it, inspired me to keep working on my strength training in a strange way. Watching her video, I couldn't help but think that she should be working to improve her obesity situation. I then realized that she very well may be doing so right now, or may have done so in the past but is currently not, or that she may be doing nothing at all. I realized my judgment on her, was not so muc...

Favorite articles

Tue, 2 Oct 2012 18:40:13 EST

Are there any articles here on sparkpeople that you have found to be particularly helpful or interesting?

I found this one about food pushers interesting - http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrit
ion_articles.asp?id=1685

I also love cooking, so I am always on the watch for good stuff presented by Chef Meg.

My first 3 pointer!

Mon, 1 Oct 2012 16:05:09 EST

224 My first 3 pointer!

This weekend's challenges for me- Wedding Bells

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:39:47 EST

This weekend me and my GF are attending a rehearsal dinner and wedding. These things are difficult to not get tripped up at, both because of the indulgent style food at this kind of thing and the booze that is there to add in unwanted calories.

What are your wedding strategies for keeping strong?

over 30, overweight, and overwhelmed

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:41:08 EST

I've been a member of this site for a few years and I've never been an active poster on the forums. I hope to change that this week. I signed up as part of a wellness program years ago that my employer paid for. Thanks to Spark People I lost 30lb and ran an 8 mile adventure race. I was 27 and living in a new city (Miami) and wanted to take control of my life. In December of last year I moved back to Tulsa, OK. I took a different position in my company and my stress level skyrocketed. I made s...

Temporarily fell off the cart- time to get back on

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:48:47 EST

So the last week, I was pretty busy and pretty depressed feeling, and my workouts suffered. I hadn't logged my meals or exercised since the Saturday before last Saturday. I hadn't been able to play tennis with my brother due to our schedules and some inopportune rain. I ate more fast food- though still not a lot, but enough to have thrown my diet off.

The only things I maintained were my soda ban- I had half a coke one of those days, but immediately threw the other half away in ...

NFL

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:24:15 EST

So who saw that crazy game last night? What an awful call!

Swimmers: Best places to swim on the cheap

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:40:46 EST

What's the best way to get access to an Olympic size pool? YMCA? Community center? Where do you swim?

Booze

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:51:59 EST

I can't be the only guy in here that likes to drink and party. Any tips on how to not let that completely kill my diet? I usually drink 2 times a week on average. Vodka mixed with diet soda.

Are EMS units good for the body?

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 10:44:05 EST

EMS = Electronic Muscle Stimulator

I recently went to a state fair, where there was a group of sales people selling a electronic massage device. This was a small device about the size of a ipod and had wire leads that went to these sticky pads and attached to your shoulder blades (or anywhere you wanted a massage).

The sales person said it was also something he used to do workouts with. He demonstrated by putting one sticky on the outside of my bicept, and one on the i...

What's in your lunch today?

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 10:15:12 EST

Me: leftovers, Quinoa with veggies and a touch of italian sausage mixed in.

How about you?

Exercise after hernia surgery

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:26:22 EST

Hi. I had surgery last Friday, thought I only had 2 hernias, but the surgeon found a third while working(the bonus plan!). I was told it would be several weeks before I could do any lifting of any kind, but I started walking yesterday, albeit just short stretches around my house. Anybody else go thru this here and what did you do to get back on track?

Cheers,
Patrick

Hunger

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:23:03 EST

Guys, what are your suggestions for eating when I'm bored at work? Is there something that is filling but not terrible for me? Sometimes I just can't shake the boredom/hunger.

Finally not fat, want to put lost muscle back on

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:51:03 EST

So I realize Spark isn't the best place for getting advice about building muscle back after losing weight, but I'd like to hear what anyone has to say about my stuff. Hoping the guy's lounge can get this views from people who know what they're doing.

I'm 5'8" and a year ago I was 215 pounds. Now I'm 155 pounds and looking and feeling great. I'd love to put some of the muscle back on that I've lost and want to make sure I'm doing this the right way because although I was pretty stro...

That Orioles Magic- What to Eat at Camden Yards

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:51:10 EST

I just want to start this by saying - Tied for first with a team that has 4 players that are paid more than our entire team. Manny Machado's play at third last night was amazing- http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/video/pla
y.jsp?content_id=24727847&topic_id=280
33182&c_id=bal

The other reason I am writing is to see if anyone has specific recommendations for ballpark eats at Camden Yards. I'm thinking Boogs, but I am not sure if the ballpark location has the pit turkey or not...

Chest exercise

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:16:33 EST

Hey guys was hoping you all could help me out with this. What is the best way to tone/lose chest fat besides push ups. Also any good tips on at home workouts that will get the job done?

Tis' football season...

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:09:49 EST

Gentlemen... The air has begun to turn, and there is defiantly a certain crispness in the morning. We all know that means it is football season. Normally, I have people over to the house on Saturdays and Sundays for the days events. There is beer and other adult beverages involved, plus all the really delicious, horrible for you, foods. Anyone have and suggestions for food to serve that still has the tailgating feel and flavor without the gobs of fat? For opening weekend, NFL, I served...

Crow Stance

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:40:47 EST

Ok, another Convict Conditioning Question. Working towards my handstands, I am supposed to hold a crow Stance for 1 minute. I can only get to about 10 seconds, and I am not really having any luck progressing. Any pointers?

Close in/diamond push ups

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:34:44 EST

Is anyone here doing these? I have progressed to them in my Convict Conditioning workout, and going all the way down is absolutely brutal. I am only doing 3-4 tops each time right now.

Just wanted to see if anyone else struggled with them as much as I have.

Edit: here is the video of them if you are interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ag9qBvqm6I
&list=PL4EC88FAF34CC1F87&index=6&featu
re=plpp_video

Accountability buddies

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:27:06 EST

I'm just curious, has anyone here ever enlisted another person to help them stay accountable for their health and fitness goals. This may include personal trainers, significant others, or even pen or e-mail pals that you would communicate with over the internet. For people that have pre-existing relationships with their accountability partner, how has that effected your relationship with them?

On a related note, I noticed on the front page today a thing about making your tracked ...

Prizes on the Wheel

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:00:48 EST

Has anyone ever actually won a prize on the wheel? I have seen that sometimes it's T-Shirts or books, (never shows up on my wheel!) But i've never talked to people who has actually won something. I assuming they don't really do it.

Do you commute? Experience with carpooling?

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:07:18 EST

I haven't commuted for years, but just started a new job that requires it.

Today I'm on a regional transit bus: so far so good, good wi-fi, cheaper than putting gas in my car.

Looking at carpooling too with some guys at the office. Anyone have experience with this, or commuting in general that can share their advice (dos/don'ts)?

any musicians out there?

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:51:22 EST

Just wondering if anyone out there is into music either as a hobby or full time.

I am getting back into it myself after a 3 year hiatus... all because of a profound tarot card reading at a psychic fair recently. I think that gave me the push I needed to get back into it.

I started playing drums at the age of 5 so it's been a part of my life longer than anything else. I'm happy to be exploring and creating again - it's always been my passion.

What's your stor...

Chain Restaurants with good healthy options

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:53:26 EST

So I have recently been obsessed with finding restaurants with good low calorie options, that won't leave me feeling cheated when I have them for my meal. I have tried the following with good success so far, and will keep investigating more

Ruby Tuesdays - I used to loathe this place, but I feel like they have really worked to improve their offerings, and their fish options, as well as as the spaghetti squash are quite tasty, and with a little effort the salad bar can go a long wa...

Vegetarians

Fri, 7 Sep 2012 12:00:02 EST

.blank.

Interesting Blogpost: Get Discipline, not Motivati

Fri, 7 Sep 2012 09:06:14 EST

http://joelrunyon.com/two3/get-disciplined
-not-motivated

Does outside temperature effect calories burnt?

Thu, 6 Sep 2012 16:21:03 EST

Being that we have just experienced a quite hot summer, I know that my body feels tired much faster when it is a very hot day. Does the body actually burn more calories, in or does it actually hurt my calorie burn by preventing the body from pushing at the same levels?

Tree Climbing Exercise

Wed, 5 Sep 2012 23:10:55 EST

In my line of work i do a lot of heavy lifting and cardio work. I climb and trim trees. I want to know if anyone can figure out how i could measure calories while im climbing a tree or dragging brush or running a chainsaw. I started using this website because my fiance is using it in school and i wanted to know what im putting into my body and what gets taken out of it. I also wanted to start eating healthier and see what i need to work on as far as foods go. If anyone can help me with this t...

Questions about weightlifting heavy loads

Wed, 5 Sep 2012 13:04:33 EST

Okay, so "heavy loads" is relevant so when speaking about it I understand that your heavy and my heavy may not be the same BUT the relevancy is what's important.

How many sets/reps do you do for deadlifts (assuming you do deadlifts with a barbell).
Thanks!

Proving your manliness-- endurance/challenge races

Mon, 3 Sep 2012 11:54:53 EST

I couldn't help it. To get myself back on track, I signed up for a warrior dash. It's like a tough mudder or a spartan race turned down to low. Even so, it's a 5K with obstacles like rope climbs and mud crawls and some soft-core parkour.

Any other guys using a "prove your manliness" race to encourage and motivate yourself to the future? I certainly would like to know what sorts of workout routines you're doing to prepare for things like the rope climbs and leaping and ground crawli...

Does your spouse support your getting healthy?

Mon, 3 Sep 2012 10:48:34 EST

Does your spouse support your getting healthy? How has that helped?

Or are you doing it alone?

My wife started using SP years ago and it helps so much that she follows the same practices, plus has added to it from other sources too. At the same time, we often don't see eye-to-eye on the best choices for food (which I try to hold my tongue, since she's kind enough to do 98% of the shopping), but we just have to work that through.

Also, today's SparkCoach was a...

psa numbers

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 18:46:17 EST

i took my test for psa the other week and it was higher than normal..11.2 up from the last one a year ago. i'm 67 years old and no one (no doctor) had told me to refrain from sex at anytime.he told me to make an appointment with the eurologist,which i did but can't see him till the end of september. should i be worried or just go and see the eurologist and mention that i had sex the night before and see what he says and do the test that he does?

Any flexiterian's out there?

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 10:44:30 EST

SP Definition: Flexitarians don’t give up meat completely but do cut back a little or a lot.

According to their definition, I am a low level flexitarian. We eat very little red meat (1X every 10-14 days).

I do eat turkey deli meat 1x week, chicken or ground turkey for dinner at least 2x week.

We splurge (or eat meat at a friends house) 1-2x/month.

Other than that, we're pretty plant based. How about you?

What activity has become easier with good health?

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 10:37:17 EST

Running (did a 4 mile trail run with my wife this week), WAY easier than before I was on SP (taking my healthy seriously and consistently).

Do you grill? Favorite healthy foods to grill?

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:23:57 EST

I like to put veggies in low fat dressing (or oil and vinegar) and then grill outside.

I'm trying again..

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:56:54 EST

Sorry no post.

What to eat before LONG morning walks.

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:01:29 EST

www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness
_maps_view.asp?rt=587742

This is a regular for me.

Hello There.

I go on walks. Really LONG ones. I am an insomniac.

10-15 kms. What would be best for me to eat before I leave. Sometimes I have felt faint while on one such walks.

Right now, at 345AM, I am having

1. a roti, (Indian flat Bread)
2. half catori dal, (100% protein)
3. half cube Amul cheese,
4. ...

How do I change my fitness goals?

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:25:42 EST

I changed them a few minutes ago but can't seem to find them anymore. Sorry, newbie here.

I am afraid to ask people for help / things...

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:17:45 EST

Hi all, I just wondered whether any of you guys have any tips? I want to excel in my life and the first part is throwing off my shackles that hold me back I guess. I am afraid to ask for help as when I was younger I got shouted at by some crabby teacher with the punchline 'you should have been listening then!' the thing was, I was listening to her, every word.

I want to get rid of this, build my confidence and step up to the world in a new light. I have big plans and want to ...

What's your favorite post-healthy-lifestyle date?

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:15:30 EST

I'm trying to come up with new date ideas that don't require an unhealthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. So far, I'm thinking of hiking, biking, the beach. What do you guys do?

Anyone here doing any sort of HIIT?

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:06:16 EST

I am entering stage two of my fitness plan, which means cutting down the cardio for 3 days of strength training a week. I am thinking about making my off days higher intensity to make it up. Has anyone tried this and what experiences have you had?

Fantasy football?

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:28:40 EST

Wondering if any guys in here just want to chat about fantasy football throughout the fall. I've got my draft with co-workers coming up on Tues. As a convo starter, I did a mock snake draft on ESPN from 9th position out of 12 for practice. How do I look? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

1) RB, Chris Johnson, Ten
2) RB, Marshawn Lynch, SEA (regretting this one, but any thing else would have been a big reach)
3) WR, Mike Wallace, PIT
4) FLEX, Darren Sproles, NO

Any fighters/wrestlers in here?

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:46:41 EST

Wondering if there is anyone who used to be a fighter, wrestler, or jiu jitsu like me. Anyone who has dealt with weight classes in the past.

Trying to lose 5-6 more pounds in 3 weeks to make featherweight, pushing my body lower than it may want to be. Any tips on that? Weigh ins for IBJJF are right before (5 min) we compete so sauna/dehydration isn't an option. Got three weeks to get my weight down low enough to have a bit of breakfast and water that day and be weighing no more tha...

Where do guys celebrate on the 1st day of school?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:04:07 EST

I've noticed that the ladies in my neighborhood celebrate the first day of school at Starbucks. It's like a migration of happiness, women streaming in, high five-ing, like an "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G38I4xjYg
ac

Where do/should guys go to celebrate?

Fixing Anterior Pelvic Tilt.

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:48:47 EST

I came across this video about anterior pelvic tilt. I have been doing a stretching/strength plan to work on this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A0d22x7gTI&
t=1m15s

Has anyone else done work for this to strengthen the glutes and lengthen hip flexors?

EDIT: NSFW LANGUAGE!!! It was at the very end and I didn't notice it until now, but serious NSFW language at the end.

A user guide to men

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:32:10 EST

Someone on Reddit posted this, I have copied the text here for people to read, but I will put a link to it at the end as well. I would kill for a similar guide to women. Let me know what you think. I had to use [this style edit] for potential profanity, because the sparkpeople profanity filter kept catching me. I may have over edited, but for a while I was having trouble finding what the problem was.-

"Woman here...IMO, you can't make a man (or anyone) feel a certain way, but ...

What motivates you most to get healthy?

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:47:36 EST

Doctor's advice

Feel better about yourself

Props from others

Something different?

Target ads / photos

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:43:19 EST

Why is an ad for a lady's diet program in the men's health area? Also why is the
picture of the woman doing the bicep curl the first picture on the top? Should something
a little more he-manish be up there?

Men: Do you fit the stereotype?

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 06:46:38 EST

Unfortunately, I do....

First offense; I have a man cave (I actually have 2 but I won't go into that right now).

I have a "hobby" (non-video gaming, as in Dungeons & Dragons and the likes)

I like beer.

What say you? Do you have any stereotypical MAN traits?

Oh, I fall asleep immediately after sex.

Do you hate interviewing for jobs?

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:59:54 EST

With the state of the economy right now, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only guy looking for work. As a man, I find it very easy to be on the interviewer side of the table and very embarrassing to be on the other side. I feel like I'm begging for work (which I kind am, since I'm the breadwinner in my family).

Yesterday, I had a second interview, this time in-person. It lasted 2.5 hours and I met with three people. It seemed to go really well, but I went in with a different attitude. ...

vent of the day

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:28:37 EST

people cutting out in front of me on the way to work. They do it all the time. Don't they see me? I have to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting them and NO I am going the speed limit, well, 5 miles over I guess. I thought once about slamming into the (curse word here), but I would get the ticket for "following too close" Oh well!

Beginning Running

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:21:03 EST

I've recently started running using the couch to 5k program. I have actually started this on a few occasions and usually get derailed part way through and need to start back a few weeks when restarting. Needless to say, it is taking me a while to get through it and is getting frustrating. Are there any other running programs that could help a beginning runner?

Nutritional Info about Cherries via ASMR

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:09:36 EST

**Warning! You will need headphones & a pillow while listening....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yfm72NKPmc&
feature=related
289
102

Do you tell your spouse when you lose weight?

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:40:25 EST

Guys responses are preferred on this post. I'm sure the ladies (who follow the Guys Lounge) have valuable input, but I'm interested in a guys perspective, at this time.

Here's the sitch:

I find that one spouse/partner finds that their weight loss is faster, often it's a male.

When I Iose weight (or hit any significant goal), I want to shout it from the roof tops, often telling my wife about it first, but I also realize this could be insensitive.

H...

What to do?

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:07:56 EST

I am wondering: what do you do when your will-power wanes? I'm hangin' in there but there are times I want to inhale popcorn with tons of butter!! How do you control it?

How do I strengthen my grip?

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:17:34 EST

Here is a problem I have been dealing with. My hands get too tired to hold the weight before I finish my sets. When I am doing exercises such as deadlift or shrugs with a barbell with heavier weights, I find that I can no longer hold the bar past about 6 or 7 reps and have to stop my set. I have tried using wrist wraps and that has worked okay in the past but recently I damaged the ligament on the outside of my right hand and I'm wondering if the wraps contributed to that. I still can't u...

Caloric difference running hills vs. flat

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:54:31 EST

I've noticed that the fitness tracker on SP doesn't seem to address whether you are running on a treadmill, on a track, on flatland, or on hilly ground. Does it make a difference when it comes to calories burnt? If so, approximately how much.

How's my lifting plan look?

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:11:46 EST

I posted this in the exercise forum as well, but I was hoping with this being the guy's lounge I can get feedback from from some of you.

So I do Bjj three nights a week, and lift 3 times a week. I'm 5'8" and currently working on losing 5 pounds to make featherweight IBJJF (weigh in right before match at 154 with 4 lb gi on) in 5 weeks, so I'm eating at a defecit and running as well. This is what my lifts are now.

Tues-
Bench 3x5 (200)
Squat 3x5 (255)
Row ...

healthy comford food?

Thu, 9 Aug 2012 12:18:13 EST

I posted this in the spark cafe forum as well, but I usually never get a response, as there are so many posts, it gets moved away rather quickly. Anyway, I've been having some major stress issues lately and I turn to junk food to make me feel better. I know, I know, it is only temporary feeling good, but I was wondering if there is some healthy food out there that actually satisfies a stressed out life like mine. Thanks

Current weightlifting program

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:53:39 EST

This is my current workout; moderate to heavy lifts. Goal is muscle mass. One minute rest between sets except for where ** is marked meaning 2 min rest.

Day 1 – Chest & Triceps
Bench Press 5 sets x 8 reps**
Inclined Flyes 5 sets x 10 reps
Inclined Bench 5 sets x 10 reps
Skullcrushers 5 sets x 8 reps
Lying Tricep Ext. 5 sets x 10 reps

Day 2 – Abs & Cardio

Day 3 – Back & Biceps
Deadlift 5 sets x 8 reps**
Bent-Ove...

Simple point gain threads.

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 10:52:05 EST

It seems like there are a number of threads on this forum that are simply a quick way to gain points. What is the point of that? (Honestly, I used to do it too.)

But the points don't mean anything, and if you are cheating the system to get points, what are you gaining?

Applying behavioral psychology to my plan

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 10:27:33 EST

I wanted to run this by you guys, to see what you think. Starting last week, I began trying to lose weight again (about 18 pounds worth). So far it is going well, but I have a tendency to go good for a little while then run out of motivation. So I thought back to my psychology major days in undergrad, and I have applied this plan. The one thing you need to know is that I collect board games and bluegrass music CDs (and there are a lot that have come out recently that I want). Let me know...

Not Hungry?

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 05:17:26 EST

Maybe it's because I've increased the amount of water I've been drinking to 8 - 10 large glasses a day but I find that I am not hungry, especially at lunch time. I have been running about 500 calories a day less than recommended. Is this normal or is it because I've only been doing this for about 3 weeks. I have lost 5 lbs which is a good thing. But I find it really hard to meet my daily protien, carb, and fat goals. Sodium seems to be less of a problem.....figures.

Strengthening wrists?

Tue, 7 Aug 2012 10:17:27 EST

Since I've seen some great posts on strength recently, any advice for strengthening my wrists?

We did a mongo punching drill last night in Taekwondo and I completely messed up my right wrist. I guess my punching is stronger than my wrists (or maybe that's what I'm telling myself)

Anyhoo, someone told me to do my pushup sets on my wrists.

Any other advice for functional strength (not just muscles)?

Starting Strength?

Sun, 5 Aug 2012 10:05:05 EST

Has anyone here tried the Starting Strength workout for their weight training? The guys and gals at reddit.com/r/fitness seem to love it, but there also seems to be a bit of a groupthink effect going on there, so I wanted to get another opinion.
startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Star
ting_Strength_Wiki

Anyone watching weightlifting?

Sun, 5 Aug 2012 09:44:23 EST

Some pretty impressive lifts this go around. Unfortunately the US only has 3 athletes (Robles, Mangold and Farris) this time. Kendrick Farris has already lifted and finished 10th. The North Korean who clean and jerked 3x his bodyweight for a world record was stunning.

Working out, eating right and NOT losing weight

Sat, 4 Aug 2012 15:34:45 EST

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted you guys a question... My husband has gone from 250 to 225, he's about 6'. Anyways, we are both currently losing weight; however he has been putting in hours working out (just about every day, he want's to look good when school starts back up), has a personal trainer, and has been working his butt off eating right. He seems to be getting frustrated. He hasn't lost anything the past 2 or 3 weeks. Honestly, I have never seen him try this hard and it has motivate...

Sensa (I think)

Sat, 4 Aug 2012 13:37:59 EST

Have any of you guys tried the diet supplement 'sensa" ( I think it is). The stuff that is supposed to melt the pounds away. If so does it work or is it a total scam. I'd hate to waste my money on this gorgeous body of mine...tee hee. anyone from Northeast PA in here? I am going to Hillside campground next weekend...hopefully to burn off some calories...lol If you check it out on the web you will get my drift. Have a great day boys....hope to hear from you.

How do YOU eat healthy at the ball game?

Thu, 2 Aug 2012 09:57:19 EST

Going to the ball game in the coming days. Anyone out there have ideas for eating healthy? Here's a SP article that I found. I'm basically going to do everything they listed.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutr
ition_articles.asp?id=419

Is it unmanly to play down a division in softball?

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:28:25 EST

I think so!

My family has a rec softball team. We have some decent guys, but when our experienced girls don't show up it's a bit dangerous. These other teams are in the lowest division (with us), and yet they rifle frozen ropes every other batter. Since we're required to have two girls in the infield, it's borderline dangerous, but clearly makes them feel better about themselves.

Anyone else see it the same, or differently? I'm open.

Getting abs to pop

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:02:35 EST

Hey there, so I have a very shallow question to ask that is probably going to make me sound like a bad person, but what are some exercises to make my abs look better?

I've lost 50 pounds since Christmas thanks majorly to this site and I'm down around where I want my weight to be. Just playing around and figuring out where is best for me. I know that abs are made in the kitchen, but they are defined in the gym. I'm to the point where I can see my top 4 with shallow divides between t...

gotta love county and state fairs!

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:23:12 EST

Our local county fair is ready to roll in a couple of weeks. An ad in the local newspaper touting the fair said that "great new foods, including "DEEP FRIED BUTTER" and "DEEP FRIED KOOL AID", will be available!

Also, the ad suggested that people reserve their rascal scooters in advance.

No need for a punch line, is there?

Trouble sleeping?

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:22:01 EST

Ok gents, do you have trouble sleeping? I do.

I strongly recommend checking out the SP Sleep Challenge. I'm still not getting perfect sleep, but it's much better after just two weeks.

The main change I made was going to sleep at the same time every night. It's amazing how herky-jerky I was about my sleep patterns.

Helppppppppppppppp ppppppppppppppppppp

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:58:07 EST

Watching the olympic openning had a eating binge dont know why and boy do I fell guilty today Ive managed to loose over 52 lbs in last few months and have reached my initial target but wanted to loose another 20 lbs to take me to decent BMI.
Hit the treadmill today did double my normal.
suppose what done is done move on.
Any advise.

exercising

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:49:23 EST

Does anyone here have bad knees and find it difficult to workout because of the pain?

Who out there is doing martial arts?

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:34:18 EST

Tip: don't use this question as an opportunity to rip on different martial arts (MA) styles.

I do Taekwondo, but my instructor has experience with jiu-jitsu too and so we do locks, throws and ground work too.

My brother does old world Judo/Jiujitsu and have learned a lot from him too. I train with my kids too, which is great.

What's your experience? How has it helped you reach your goals on SP?

Patrick

what do you do with this site?

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:10:38 EST

I've been on this site for a couple of years now but am actually just starting to use the message boards this year...don't know why, just never did before.

I can't help but wonder what other guys do with this site - it is fairly biased towards women but there are a lot of good tools and articles for anyone. The site is sometimes so graphic-intensive that its annoying, but other sites are guilty of that as well.

Here's what I use this site for:
1. tracking what I ea...

How many pushups can you do?

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:11:57 EST

OK, I can do 25, which is on the low end of average. My goal is to get to the next level. Check out this SP article with fitness ranges by age group.

www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness
_articles.asp?id=1113

How many of you play fantasy football?

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:39:40 EST

Just curious.

best bodybuilding site

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:38:41 EST

Hey guys, I posted this in the regular message board as well, but I'll probably get a quicker response on here. What is the best strength training site to go to? I am told that men and women should be the same. I am really motivated to do this and I would like a sample menu to go by also regarding nutrition. I want to lose fat and gain muscle. Thanks

Bored Eating at Work

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:06:58 EST

My job is exceptionally boring. I can go for days, even weeks, without an ounce of work landing on my desk, but I am required to be at my desk 8 hours a day. I surf the internet, get on facebook, read, but a person can only do these things for so long.
The problem is that when I'm bored, I eat. I keep healthy snacks in my desk, but if I eat 500 carrot sticks, I'm still not being healthy. Help!

Penn State University vs NCAA

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:42:54 EST

Worse than the Death Penalty?

I agree with all of the penalties except for the erasing of all of the wins since 1998 that's a bit steep. PSU would've been better off with a year suspention of the football program. How could they say those wins never existed?

I am no PSU fan....just sayin

LACK OF MOTIVATION BUT STRONG DESIRE TO CHANGE

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 09:28:41 EST

Yes I know it sounds weird, I have always invisioned having muscled. I cannot tell you what small is because that I have never been. Three years ago I was diagnosed with type two and really went south. I want to be more healthy and there is no motivation. I am a Flightattendant and I am so tired of people looking at me like I don't belong, just two days ago my capt out me down so bad and I just laughed it off but man it hit hard. I am just tired of being out down but because of it I run ...

free weights vs machine weights

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 14:06:23 EST

so i went to the gym this morning with my gf to help coach her (I do that for her about 2x's a week) and on some exercises she doesn't need me. Today is a rest day for me so I had no plan to work out but her exercise was gonna take a little bit of time and so I wandered around the weight machines (I use free weights for nearly everything except leg curls & leg extentions).

So I go to the shoulder press machine and my gf had just been on it a few minutes prior but I thought I'd give...

Do you work your "traps"?

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:17:10 EST

http://www.passion4profession.net/mu
scles-exercises/neck_exercises_b.jpg

Once I got my regular routine down I started to think about other body parts that I had never really paid attention to. One day I noticed a dude at a restaurant that had protruding muscles coming from his bank and neck and I immediately thought to myself if my muscles there looked like that, they didn't. I did some research and found out that shoulder shrugs and upright rows were the key to...

Tour de France

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:37:05 EST

Anyone else watching it?

I've never really paid attention to it other than checking the leaderboard in the newspaper and seeing if LeMond or Lance won. It's on NBC Sports Network incessantly this year though, so it's sucked me in a bit.

I didn't realize there were all of these "races within the race", like best sprinter, king of the mountain, etc. It's interesting to see guys like Peter Sagan win stages, lead in points, and yet apparently be nowhere near the overall so...

Strength Training for Beginners

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:23:20 EST

I do a lot of cardio but on my days off I want to start doing some Strength Training, I have a few dumbbells but that's about it. Every site I go to when I'm searching seems to be focused on gaining as much muscle as possible, that's not my aim, I just want to be healthy. Is there a program that others use that would be helpful to me? Do I need to invest in more equipment? Should I just give up before I start if I don't want to be a body builder?

Want to help out

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:30:27 EST

I lost about 100 pounds over the last year and it was terribly hard. I had no idea what I was doing or where to start and had to work my butt off. I did a lot wrong, nearly developed an eating disorder and struggle everyday with wanting to eat everything in site. That being said I am still going and i want to help somebody out there avoid the problems i fell into. I wrote a lot of it down in my blog http://wallofboogers.blogspot.com/2011_08_
01_archive.html and I work off my own plan now. ...

blisters from running

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:08:48 EST

Hey Runners,

I have recently been getting blisters on the back of my heel from running. They are too big and haven't burst...

The padding on my shoe seems fine. It doesn't seem to be shifting.

Any thoughts on preventing them and treating what I have?

T

ideal protein

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:41:11 EST

Hi. i am very new to spark people. i started ideal protein almost 3 weeks ago, the first two weeks i lost a total amount of 13 pounds. i have 7 more weeks before my sister's wedding and would like to lose about 25 more pounds, is this even possible?

Awesome Fish Recipe

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:32:26 EST

I saw this topc and was intrigued by it, However I couldn't find the recipe! Help pleaswe.

water intake

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:18:48 EST

I would like to drink the recommended 8 glasses per day, but I find that I have to go tee tee about every 30 minutes or so. It's kinda hard when I work 8 hours a day in an office sitting directly across from the supervisor. How much water do you guys drink and how often do you have to run and take a piss? I don't know how other people do it. Maybe I have a bladder problem, eh?

Yard work with my boys!

Mon, 9 Jul 2012 10:52:12 EST

I'm having so much fun adding yard work with my boys into my weekly exercise routine.

There are so many jobs around our yard that get the heart rate going and count as strength training, but are practical and fun to do with my boys.

Anyone else out there discovered this? What's your favorite job to include your kids in?

Bengal

Sun, 8 Jul 2012 14:24:48 EST

the Bengals are going to win the super bowl this year

UFC 148?

Thu, 5 Jul 2012 15:01:39 EST

Hey guys, wondering if anyone here is gonna be watching the big Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch Saturday. What do you guy's think? Picks? All the trash talk by Sonnen and Silva has finally fired back.

How to get a guy to eat to GAIN weight?

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 13:50:27 EST

Hi, I am on this site because I want to lose weight, but my husband is one of those people who can eat whatever he wants, and he is thin and lanky. He's 6'0, and 175-180. (lol same as I weigh but I am 5'4) He has a job where he's on call all the time, and often skips meals because he literally works 15 hour days. I am nagging him partly because he looks as if he's lost muscle and getting too skinny looking, and it kind of bugs me. What foods should I try to buy to help him gain and me lose, s...

Tips and suggestions for a new guy?

Tue, 3 Jul 2012 08:12:36 EST

Just found this site and I'm reading the Spark book. This all seems like a good fit for me. I'm looking to lose weight -- currently obese, and my first goal is to make it out of the 'obese zone'.

Any tips, suggestions, recommendations are appreciated.

Also - I noticed many of you have a weigh tracker pinned to your posts. How / where can I add one of those?

Thanks.

Olympic Trials

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 19:36:41 EST

For some reason I have become addicted to watching the Olympic trials. I'm 49 years old so this isn't my first time cheering for the USA, but I've never watched the trials. Now, I can't seem to get enough watching our younger generations perform. Am I the only one hooked on watching our team being made?

Steve

Confused

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:55:27 EST

I have been talking to this guy for almost a month now. When we first started talking its like we just clicked. He told me all about his life growing up and I shared things with him. Just last week he told me that he loves me and asked me to come and stay with him for a while. Well, our last conversation went good, but I haven't heard from him in a week. He has a full time job working 6 days a week, but I was wondering if I should be worried or if this is just something men go through. Can yo...

i need guys help...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:39:11 EST

where to begin. my bpyfriend and i arnt the skinnest people in the world. and i am very much attracted to him and he recently hurt his back .being in pain and pretty much out of work he gained alot of weight. i want to have sex more often but he says when i bring it up it is a turn off. and im afraid to make a move on him just cause there is a high chance he could turn me down. any advice i see is good advice so please help fix my sex life

Thinking about a Bowflex Extreme 2

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:13:36 EST

Anyone have good luck with these? I would have posted in the general boards but I'm looking for other men's opinion since our weight requirements are usually higher than the ladies'.

It's a lot of freakin dough to to regret spending.

need a man's perspective, please

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:50:27 EST

I've been married for 17 years, we wed at 17 and 19. Over the years I gained about 50 lbs. I know that's a lot, even on my 5'8 frame, but he has always seemed very attracted to me. as Actually, sex has been the one common denominator for us. Recently I have dropped about 30 lbs and have been feeling a lot more confident, therefore I pretty much want sex all the time. He on the other hand seems uninterested. I've expressed to him in no uncertain terms that i want sex at least a few times a...

help me out guys

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:08:05 EST

Ok, I am still confused about this one. I believe I posted something similar before, but I have STML and I forgot, so here goes. I don't know if I'm speaking for everyone here, or just my husband, whom I love very much, and I believe this is unintentional, but he tries to derail me and make me eat. He says, "honey, you know when we first started dating, I told you that I like a little meat on my bones" I couldn't resist it. I said, "ok, then, tell me why you had a picture of Jessica Alba on y...

salad dressing

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:25:05 EST

you guys, are there any good tasting salad dressings out there? I could eat salad if I had a good tasting salad dressing. I refuse to eat anything I don't like. Low calorie also of course!

Saving muscle while losing weight

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:06:02 EST

So I actually found a good article about this here

www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicofthew
eek88.htm

Its got three viewpoints of how to lose fat without losing muscle mass as well. I think the second guy is the best, but the best part about all three is you can make your own interpretation. And none of them are the ones going around saying that you can build muscle while losing weight (2nd guy does hint at it), or saying to lose 3-4 pounds per week. Pre...

Suggestions requested.....

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:52:47 EST

I have a big hobby related event this weekend where adult beverages and food is going to be plentiful and all I want to eat. Along with adult beverages, there will be bbq ribs, beer, bbq brisket, beer, chips and dip, beer, and some unhealthy deserts, and did I mention beer?
Looking for a healthier approach to an afternoon and eating that does not offer many healthy choices. Right now I'm leaning to eating what I want just not as much as I want, reducing serving sizes. May I ask your ...

King James. Ringless no more.

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:03:22 EST

What do you guys think? Although I'm not the biggest fan of the guy after what he pulled on Cleveland, I'm happy for him, and appreciate that he bust his behind to get the Heat over the hump. I refuse to be a hater. Full props to him, and Miami for getting it done. Now if only my Sixers could get the same type of help....LOL!

DALLAS

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:38:37 EST

anybody catch the new Dallas last week? What did you think?

Any jiu jitsu or wrestlers here?

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:12:09 EST

Hey guys,
So I was never a wrestler (played football and hockey in highschool) so I've never had the issue of managing my weight for weight classes. Recently I started doing Brazilian jiu jitsu and fell in love with it. There's a big competition in September and I want to be in top shape for it. They weigh right before the match (with 2lb gi on) so I can't really cut weight for it. Right now, I'm about 170 in the mornign and about 175 during the day all hydrated and with food in me....

Insanity 60 day workout.

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 18:42:54 EST

I been doing Insanity now for 3 weeks let me tell you i love it. Yes doing the same workouts suck but the part doing the same workout is to not stop for a breather. There are 5 fit test i can tell you i just did my 2nd fit test an i did great better than i thought. If anyone has not bought the Insanity email me for any question before you buy it Marshall47825@aol.com

natural pb vs regular pb

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:53:17 EST

Hi! Do you guys know, since I can't find the answer anywhere else on the web, what the diff between regular peanut butter and natural peanut butter is, regarding sugar, that is. I was at kroger yesterday and compared the ingredients on the labels. Every brand of natural that I found had the same amount of sugar as the regular brand. I was going to get natural instead to cut down on my sugar intake, but if it's the same amount, forget it, I'll keep eating the better tasting stuff. Thanks, Amy

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:51:40 EST

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all you wonderful fathers out there. Have a blessed weekend!

Extra Things to Help at Work

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:31:10 EST

Hello Sparkers, I hope this day is going well for you. This is the day that the Lord hath made!

I am shift worker like many others in America; however, I work twelve hour shifts and with travewl time and preperation, it takes my day. On my days off my wife and I do water aerobics and other things at the gym. Since some weeks I am at work for so long I decided to do some things different. I can do stair climbing and to make it harder I skip steps sometimes. On times when we have to...

L.A. Kings: 2012 Stanley Cup Champs!

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:06:10 EST

8th seed Kings wins the cup!

Congrats!

Need advice Please

Wed, 6 Jun 2012 10:26:43 EST

Ok when I first started my life style change about 6 weeks ago, I was doing great, I lost weight, and was feeling better. I went 2 weeks during this time where I was unable to go to the gym, but still ate well and lost weight. It has been a week now and I have not lost ANYTHING despite my working out and eating well. I have to admit it's bothersome and makes me feel like I am doing something wrong. I admit my sodium levels are HIGH and I mean HIGH 4-5K most days, but I drink ALOT of water. I ...

anyone been fishing?

Mon, 4 Jun 2012 13:38:55 EST

Hey guys, we went to lake eufaula couple of weeks ago. Caught about 12 nice eating size catfish and a couple of baby bass. Any of you guys been lately?

Wasting Days Off

Thu, 31 May 2012 20:46:45 EST

I work twelve hour shifts and I'm tired and want to relax when I come home. I've made changes to incorporate more exercise into my work, like jogging up the stairs and such. My problem is wasting time on my days off. Some days I'm so happy to be off work that I forget about being healthy and exercising. My wife packs nutritious lunches and sometimes pon off days I just want junk food and rest. Yes, I feel bad afterward, but still working on breaking the habit.

Girl w/The Dragon Tattoo

Tue, 29 May 2012 18:22:55 EST

www.thegreatmoviereview.com/wp-conte
nt/uploads/2012/01/rooney-mara-the-gir
l-with-the-dragon-tattoo-06.jpg

This isn't really about the story/movie itself but about a scene in the movie where the main character (Mikael) is approached by the girl with the dragon tattoo to have sex.

He's about 50+ and she's 23.

he's in decent shape and she's a mess (or hot, depending on your preference). He retorts that he's old and they work together and ...

Morning run help

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:56:33 EST

Hey guys, so I was gone from spark for a couple weeks because I relocated across the country for a summer/fall internship. I gained a few pounds in that time but now I'm trying to get back into the sucessful habits I was in. I used to run 3 days a week after I got off work, but I moved south and its 90-100 by the time 4:30 rolls around... I'd love to be able to get up and run 3-5 miles before work (have to leave by 7:00am). I was wondering if anyone who has done this before has suggestions fo...

Juicing

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:46:05 EST

How do you guys feel about juicing vegetables and fruits? Is this a safe way to lose weight or is it bogus? Also, does it matter if you blend your smoothies instead of juicing it?

Spark Crunchless Core exercises video

Tue, 29 May 2012 09:30:30 EST

Watched. Three thoughts
1. absurd
2. looks like what would otherwise be called reverse crunches
3. wonder what I would think if a guy were doing it.

What kind of diets do guys follow?

Sun, 27 May 2012 20:54:50 EST

Hi! I dont mean to intrude on the guys lounge, but i usually hear dieting/healthy eating advice from women. im curious. what do you guys do to lose weight, and keep it off? '

- btw, im trying to get back into healthy eating, i made the mistake of losing weight by eating low calories 1200-1400 and exercising 1-2 hours a day, 6 days a week. this led me to overeating, and gaining the weight back. id like to hear a guys advice for once, you know?

help

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:41:30 EST

I recently gained 30lbs out of nowhere, simply being stressed! i live alone and am single(love it)but has no support. Anyone looking for a great buddy? marvin

ALL ALONE!!

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:12:43 EST

hello all, it is great to be here! I am on searching for a pal to help me as i do the same!! I am single and all alone here in idaho and find myself looking for a buddy. Any takers are welcome! . best regards, Marvin

Pittsburgh Pirates: crappy field

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:41:12 EST

If you don't want to bother with the link here's the gist of it:
A sewer line broke under centerfield at PNC park (Home of the Pirates) gushing poop all over that part of the field where the singular Pirate Star Andrew McCutchen plays as centerfielder. He truely is surrounded by crap!

www.unsportsmanlike.ca/sewage-pipe-p
nc-park-breaks-field-covered-crap/

Getting rid of man boobs...

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:00:37 EST

Any suggestions?

Breastfeeding mom, Time mag cover: Agree/Disagree?

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:56:15 EST

Sorry to bust in here, (so to speak), but I was wondering what guys/dads think of this.

Would you care if your wife did it? How about the cover itself?

From the NPR article:

"The photo on the cover shows a 26-year-old mother breastfeeding her almost 4-year-old son. The reaction has been explosive and visceral and a lot of the more thoughtful commentary revolves around a philosophy by Dr. William Sears called attachment parenting, which encourages co-sleeping a...

The Boston Red Sox

Thu, 10 May 2012 20:59:03 EST

The Red Sox are really depressing me...just saying

Skirts or Pants?

Tue, 8 May 2012 20:45:31 EST

Sorry to intrude on your Guy's Lounge, I have a question I want to ask you (men) because I had a disagreement about it in the Ladies' Lounge.

Do you prefer to see women wearing skirts or pants? Which do you find more femine and more likely to draw your attention?

Ok. I'm going now....

I'm new

Sun, 6 May 2012 21:17:30 EST

Hey folks,

I'm new and hopefully, ready to lose weight!

A Fit Partner

Wed, 2 May 2012 00:27:28 EST

What is it that attracts you to someone else who takes care of her/his body?

I gotta admit I'm a legs man.

Your NFL team?

Tue, 1 May 2012 22:18:26 EST

So who's your team and how do you think they drafted? What's your odds of getting to the Superbowl?...and most importantly what would you grade your team's cheerleaders?

The Avengers Movie

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:36:43 EST

250

How do I get him to join me?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:23:46 EST

My fiancé and I have been together 3 years and have both put on a lot of weight in this time. Over the past few months I have reevaluated the way I've been eating and started exercising. On my own I have lost some weight. But my fiancé is still reluctant to embark on this journey with me. He continues to eat things he knows are terrible. I know it's crazy woman talk but when he piles his plate up or throws half a stick of butter on top of whatever healthy meal I've made for him I can't help b...

Amusing People at the Gym

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:41:49 EST

Every gym has 'em. In fact, I had someone over for dinner recently that suggested someone make a sitcom about a gym because of all the colorful characters you would have. I'm curious about some of the people who are fun/funny to watch at the gym. (I am just going to say that I do not find people's weight amusing, because I'm just happy that people are at the gym in the first place.)

Example is the 40-something woman who takes a broom handle to the gym in the mornings and dirty d...

Why Do Girls Post In Here?

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:17:47 EST

Okay seriously, just about every single other forum is utterly dominated by women. Now the Guys' Lounge is being crashed? I'm sort of tempted to create a thread about penis size just so we have a guy conversation. Sorry, just a petty rant on my part.

joke thread

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 12:15:08 EST

ok, don't know what happened to the original joke thread, but here goes:

No offense to blondes, cause I used to be one:

A blonde is talking to her brunette girlfriend and tells her she's having trouble selling her car which has 250,000 miles on it. Her brunette girlfriend tells her that she knows a mechanic she can take it to and he can turn back the mileage by 200,000 miles. The blonde says she is going to do it. About a month later, they run into each other in the groc...

10-week Sad WL Challenge

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:38:15 EST

Spanglishese Rainbow Edition... 437

Race season!

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:01:17 EST

When is everyone's race season starting?

Pre-season has begun for me. Starting to ramp it up a bit on the running side of things. First race tentatively planned for later April, if weather stays nice. If weather goes downhill, I'll wait till May for the 5k.

5k's set for April (maybe-see above) May, June, late July, early September, and Thanksgiving for now. 15k in early July, maybe a 13.1 in late September!

Cool Wheel Points

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:17:35 EST

Flirt or Pervert?

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 15:54:21 EST

What's the difference between a flirt and a pervert? About 30 pounds

Ruined Thread #28

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:50:30 EST

296

Ideal Protein Diet

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:05:03 EST

Has anyone used this program? I seen a lot of people losing lots of weight. But I am curious about the maintaining the weight lost after? What do people know about this diet plan?

Thank you for your time and help.

Can you bench press your own current weight?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:39:37 EST

Yup, I can NOW!

LOL!
23

Has anyone tried Insanity workout?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:49:24 EST

Thinking about doing it. Has anyone tried it? And how did you like it?

Thanks Kevin

Social networking Sites & Forums

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:17:34 EST

I do:
Sparkpeople
FaceBook
Fubar
F...Life

hiking

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:05:16 EST

Any of you hike. I just completed my first hike. Did a 15 mile hike with my son and his scout troop. We had a good time and it was a great workout.

My job sucks!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:10:06 EST

Not really my job, just the bean counters at head office. Sorry to be negative, but people that come from head office and try to tell you what the demographics of your town are, are just plain ignorant!

Jeep Owners

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 17:12:49 EST

Any Jeep Owners out there. I just got a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I think I am really going to like it.

5k's

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 13:37:23 EST

Does anyone else in the lounge run 5k races?

I ran my first a few weeks ago, and have another this month. Excited about it- I have cut my time for my training 5k runs from 40 minutes to around 30 minutes, and my minutes/mile are sub-10 now, which is good for me. I'm slow, if you can't tell!

Looking for the Guys' Lounge

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:46:23 EST

Hey, KJ here, just wondering what happened to the Guys' Lounge. I'll post a link here when I find it.

Thanks!

Bonus Points

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 21:40:32 EST

I got 5 extra bonus points today. What did you get.

what gym do you belong to???

Thu, 5 May 2011 12:49:37 EST

I need to join a gym.. I have all the major gyms around me (golds, world, ballys, 24hour fitness, la fitness) and want to find a good one.. What gym do you go to? And what do you like and dislike about it?

Diet Soda?

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:49:12 EST

Has anyone else read the articles about drinking diet soda and the possibility of increased risk of stroke? What is your favorite healthy drink. I would have to say that mine is V8 Fusion.

All things in moderation, That's the way to go!

What kind of car or truck do you own and what

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:07:01 EST

is your dream car?

Own a Dodge Ram Truck

Dream Car = 66 Sting Ray Corvette

Spark Points

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:58:21 EST

How in the world can someone get 5,000 spark points in a month? I can only get a max of 90 in a day.

When I was a kid.....

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:43:50 EST

We were only in the house for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was no cd's, video games, or compters.
If you had a TV it was black and white and only on at night. There were no seat belts in cars! Most of our toy's were hand made. Fast food did not exist. The government did not protect us from everything, and we are still alive!!

Three points, is three points

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:35:05 EST

I have to get points so I can catch up with my wife.

Weather Today?

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:54:21 EST

Unusually Wram Weather in Wisconsin thsi Week.
Low to Mid 70's with Sun the next 4 days. Average Temp for our Area in late March is 47 degrees. We will take it!

I get three points for this?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:26:49 EST

I get three points for posting a message- how cool is that
So I have to post 400 more messages to get to my next trophy..hmmm

Wheel points

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:12:50 EST

2 today

Do guys really like skinny girls better?

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:05:34 EST

Ok, so I'm a girl and I'm wondering if guys really do prefer skinny women (I'm talking Paris Hilton/Nicole Richie skinny here) because I used to be that thin... and then I got married and put on 25lbs when I started on birth control... my husband is trying to convince me that he actually likes me better now than when I was super-skinny...

UFC!!!

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:44:47 EST

Big event up this weekend. Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn. BJ was the last to defeat the champ Matt Hughes, but I think Matts game has improved enough that he will take this match.

Another interesting match for the Middleweights is David "The Crow" Loiseau vs. Mike "The Quick" Swick. We will find out if Swick is the real deal in this fight.

Also "Lil' Evil" Jens Pulver (who beat BJ once upon a time) fights on this card.

I'm excited for this card though I'm going to...

Sooo.. what happens if a girl posts in here?

Mon, 3 Apr 2006 19:36:36 EST

Forgive me, for I am bored... and easily entertained.

Look! A green mug!! 106

(Simpsons fans will get it...)

Resume your manliness... ;o)

Exercise Today?

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:06:21 EST

Who did what? Anyone get in some good exercise today?

Denise and I just got back from a quick bike ride back into the mountains. We actually got cut short cuz one of the many giant redwood trees fell and blocked the trail. We thought about climing over it, but if we slipped we reisked falling or losing our bikes down a 75 ft canyon. And neither of us were in the mood to risk our bikes! lol

Anyway, a good ride, burned just over 600 calories and enjoyed the gorgeous surrou...