Hi,
This has been bugging me for a while: on the elliptical I go faster than when I run on the treadmill. However, I feel as though I'm working harder on the treadmill and my hr supports that (150s vs 165+). However, the machine claims I burn more on the elliptical (probably as I cover more distance). Is this right? Can I really burn more calories while working less hard? Or are the machines simply wrong? (in both cases I enter my weight and age into the machine).

What do you mean by consistently\ inconsistently?
If running makes you take a break from exercise all together, then find something you can do consistently. Getting injured, stopping to recover and getting injured again is just plain bad.
If you mean run\walk then:
Heartwise - it would be better to run\walk than to just walk (there's a lot of research supporting intervals (bursts of speed with recovery, which in your case would be walk - run) as a good way of strengthening the heart and increasing VO2max)
Weight loss wise - what matters really is how far you go walking or running (there are slight differences, but they are just that, slight).
According to your stats you are now in a normal BMI so I don't think weight is the issue. You might try running slower.
As for shin splints if you're running on a treadmill make sure you're running on an incline of at least 1%-2%. Otherwise check your shoes (they are often the culprit).

At the moment I'm considering yoga, belly dancing, or kickboxing. I was wondering what other people do and what you feel it gives you?

I recently went skiing and discovered my upper body strength was in horrible condition - I couldn't pull myself up with my skis (after falling). Any recommendations on how to get it up to par?

I like Johnny Cash - yes I know It's old school, but his songs have a very regular rhythm them. For speed there are a number of podcasts with fast music (workoutmusic is my flavor of the month). Also good is Lady Gaga (v. good 4 mornings).

Thanks 4 the support guys. I'm still feeling quite down but am trying the "fake it till you make it" approach - i.e. I'm back on the wagon & trying not 2 think abt it. The problem is, like many people I'm an emotional eater, and life is quite stressful at the moment (2 jobs plus uni). But hav already exercised twice (sun & mon) and am keeping my meal plan.
Any tips 4 managing stress\ depression eating (so this is less likely happen again)?

Not really a cookbook but this website http://www.supercook.com/ allows you 2 enter ingredients u hav and see what comes up. I just choose a healthy main ingredient and see what comes up (and choose the healthiest option).

Hi,
I just had a horrible week (lifewise, which was transferred into weight loss-wise), and feel like I've lost momentum. Anybody have any advice?

Darilyn - it's probably a small research done cheaply: the point is to prove that there is a reason to do more research (and therefore give funds). Many medical studies start out that way since you wouldn't allocate funds if there was no change. (Medical research is expensive).

Repeat after me: it's the calories overall that count, not when I eat them.

It's not really a problem.
The idea comes from the fact that many people don't eat during the day and then at night sit in front of the tv and eat (and then they overeat), so saying you won't eat past eight or nine stops the binge.
Also, for some people eating a lot right before they go to bed gives them acid reflux or strange dreams or both. But that's just with large meals.

On a side note: several researches done on mice have shown that artificial sweeteners might have the effect of increasing one's appetite (the mice who had sweetener ate more). There is also a correlation between people who use artificial sweeteners and weight gain.
Make of that what you will.

Grilled bell peppers, egg plant, sweet potato (put over fire on a stick).
Fish, canned or cooked on the fire (depending on space)
Kabanos.
If you need a chocolate fix: cover bananas in chocolate and use like marshmallows.

I've heard good things about the low GL diet for PCOS. Also, high intensity excersize (intervals and such) combined with heavy weights were recommended to my cousin by her doc(who also has PCOS).

Best thing I ever did was get an electric hot pot (also known as a slow cooker) you can make soups and stews in it which are very healthy (no kitchen required) and take very little actual work.

As I'm doing a couch to 5k, I'm listening to the chubby Jones podcast. The music is ok, the ques of when to run and when to walk are great.

My understanding from a number of dietitians is that the idea that eating a lot of small meals raises your metabolism is something of a myth. Slowing down of metabolism needs a few days of not eating, not a few hours. That said, if you find hunger makes you make bad food choices then it's not a bad solution. There are some benefits to going longer between meals (better blood sugar) but waiting makes you eat junk then...
Also, remember: hunger is not a crisis. You can get used to the feeling and a human can live about three weeks without food, so a few hours won't kill you. (Disclaimer: I am not advocating starvation diets, I'm just pointing this out to keep things in perspective).

You can spread it out as long as you do at least ten minutes each time.
When working out in the morning you have a slight increase in chances to get injured so the warm up is extra important and it pays to be a little more careful.
Other than that, exercise when you can and enjoy yourself.

A solution to the grocery store problem: plan your meals in advance including snacks, make a shopping list accordingly (specify all ingredients and amounts), only buy what's on the list.
Benefits: better health, saving money.

Amie, I looked at the article and I have 3 comments based on the article (again, I don't live in the US):
1- the point is to look at food that are equivalent but healthier, which they don't do: french fries should be compared to a baked potato or whole rice (i.e. healthy calorie dense foods). Vegetables should be compared to instant soups, parts of frozen dinners, sauces and dressings.
2- it still seems like making from scratch is your cheapest option (wheat). I imagine whole wheat is more expensive then white, but still less than 50 cents (am I wrong?). And canola oil is cheaper and healthier than butter.
3- Our hunger mechanisms tend to judge quantity rather than quality. Meaning our spending on an unhealthy diet is based on quantity. So unless you have very very little money to buy food and therefore a- have to accept the constant feeling of hunger and b- have to spend what little you have on calorie dense food in order to avoid starvation (like in Africa) comparing calories isn't as relevant as comparing quantity (serving for serving). And even then; wheat flour (yes, even white)made into a simple bread is both healthier and cheaper than fries. The article points out that you can get your caloric needs for about 2$ a day. How many of us, when on unhealthy diets spend anywhere near that little?

I'm really curious about this claim that eating healthy is more expensive. I live in Israel, so obviously my experiences are different (produce is cheaper here, low fat dressing and milk cost the same as regular), but when I switched my food to rely mostly on produce I ended up saving money.
My exchanges went something like this: fruit (one apple\one orange) instead of processed snacks (like chocolate bars), making my own salad dressing out of the basic olive oil and lemon rather than buying. Whole rice and potatoes instead of pasta and chips. Quickoats instead of any kind of cereal. Lentils, beans and fish instead of ready made meats. Fresh and frozen veggies instead of ready made soups.Tap water and herbal tea instead of any drink from a bottle. Home made sauces instead of bought ones.
The only things that were more expensive were the change to whole grain bread, seeds, nuts and edamame instead of salty snacks and possibly the fact that I but more veggies (as an addition).
If I had done this in the states, would I have ended up spending more money? Here I ended up saving the equivalent of 12 dollars per week on groceries (and that doesn't include mystery spending which has been cut since I now bring snacks and drink from home).
Oh, and planning my meals and snacks weekly and shopping only according to that is definitely a big saver.

Extra tip: if you do get a stitch, slow down (don't stop) and contract your abdominal muscles. Works for me like a charm.

I too am allergic to everything outside -two things that really help are steroidal nasal spray and when you excersize put vaseline on your nose. Weird but works really well.
Also, you might simply have had a false positive with the allergy test. Happens sometimes.

Why is no one saying the obvious? Go see a doctor. Such an extreme lack of appetite could mean there's sometjing wrong. How are you feeling aside from the appetite?
If nothing is wrong, you should know that not eating tends to kill your appetite after a few days (ask anybody on a hunger strike). In which case I would eat small meals of neutral foods (like eggs which are easy on the stomach) 3-5 times a day. And I agree that you need a schedule. Oh, and if there's one meal you should force yourself to eat it's breakfast.
BTW, are you excersizing?

Why is no one saying the obvious? Go see a doctor. Such an extreme lack of appetite could mean there's sometjing wrong. How are you feeling aside from the appetite?
If nothing is wrong, you should know that not eating tends to kill your appetite after a few days (ask anybody on a hunger strike). In which case I would eat small meals of neutral foods (like eggs which are easy on the stomach) 3-5 times a day. And I agree that you need a schedule. Oh, and if there's one meal you should force yourself to eat it's breakfast.
BTW, are you excersizing?

Sleepwalking into your gym clothes is the answer. I don't bother to open my eyes just get up and go straight for the gym clothes and by the time I'm dressed I feel more awake. I find this works for me as it gives me some time to wake up. Just clear any obstacles between the clothes and the bed.

My nutritionist told me that if you can't cut your sodium intake - up your potassium intake as what really matters is the ratio between the two.

So, everyone seems to say that getting enough fiber is critical for health and weight loss but from what I can see unless I eat beans and legumes with every meal, it seems impossible. Most veggies seem to pack only 2 or 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams and my whole meal bread only packs about 12 grams per 100 grams. Can anyone recommend food that has a serious fiber punch other than legumes?

If you are running in tennis shoes that could be causing major pain problems while running (I know this from experience). You can try the arches and maybe it will work but for your best bet I would suggest going to a sport specialty store and getting someone to help you. If you're not a big runner, cross- training shoes are probably a good bet as you can use them for other things. This is, of course, if you have the money to shell out. If you don't, two options: go to the specialty store, find out what shoes are good for you and then shop around for the best deal. Otherwise, 2.4 km isn't that long, suffer through it and just go back to tennis.

BTW, do you have proper running shoes? If you don't have shoes that are right for your feet (in your case, high arches) it can cause a lot of aches and pains.