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I've been dieting and just generally eating better for about a month now, and I've lost around 8 pounds. I did this through cutting calories. I also go to the gym at least three times a week, at which I run on the elliptical 3 miles and lift light 2.5 lb weights to try and tone my arms [not trying to gain muscle just trying to keep from losing muscle along with the fat I'm losing]. I also walk to and from my classes, at least a mile total each day. I haven't slipped up at all with my eating habits since I started this diet, yet I went to weigh myself and the scale said I gained two and a half pounds... I'm kinda really upset about it since I have been doing really well with everything, and I could expect maybe staying the same weight but not gaining any!

I weigh myself at the same time everyday and I use the same scale at the gym, so unless someone screwed with the scale, I dunno how I gained weight. Any ideas?

Look, it is a bit hard to say exactly what it could be. Apart from water weight, as mentioned below, I would say it is down to two other possibilities- the scales could indeed be off (not that uncommon for public scales), or you need to adjust your calorie balance.

I do not really buy the muscle hypothesis because the body needs a calorie surplus to gain muscle. So unless you have been either eating too much, or zig-zagging your calories, it is not likely that you could have gained muscle.

As for the 8 glasses of water... show me the money. This is something that has weaved its way into popular fitness, even though no evidence suggests that we need to drink more than when we are thirsty. That being said, do drink when you are thirsty...

So, this is what you should do. Wait a week and weigh yourself again. If you still have not made the right progress, lower your daily calories by a few hundred. Do pay attention though to how you look and feel, and how your clothes fit. If it looks like you are making progress, but the scales show weird results, change the scales.

Oh, and on a side note, dont be afraid of the weights. You can lift as heavy as you want, you will not gain muscle when you are on a diet.

Good luck.

Okay im 17 and i love my boyfriend to death! We have talk about babies a few times and we both want one but our only problem is that we have no money so we dropped the subject, well atleast he did. I really want one but i dont know why. I thought it was just a faze but i been wanting one for awhile now! I love babies. Im going to college to be a midwife and ultrasound tech. Its a possibility that i may be pregnant now but i wont know til this weekend. I dont know how he will react if i was but if im not i may be real upset. I dont really like kids though lol well kids that im not use to. They all seem so bad but my lil brother is one of the baddest kids i know and i love him soo much! Maybe because he was raised around me so he listens to me. Hummm i think i would be a good mother and i know i would love my kid even as it grows cause i mean its mine. What do i do? Do i talk to him about having one? Or just keep praying that the subject pops up and he tells me that he's ready? Im young but i know i can do it. i dont know help? =]

Your whole life will change, and I really mean everything. The reason that kids your age are not encouraged to have children is because of the huge responsibility that comes with it. At your age you are supposed to have time to develop certain skills, to socialise and evolve your personality, and generally to experiment with life.

A child will change all that. From the minute its born you will have to worry about its health, about money, and about the future. Needless to say you will have a very hard time making it through college.

Now, why on earth would you want to take the risk at this stage in your life? While I know that emotion can be overpowering at times, this is the time to rely on reason. Everything you want to give to this child you will be better able to do a few years down the line. Why risk this now? And I dont mean just for yourself, but also for your child.

Anyhow, I hope you reconsider. No harm in waiting a few years and getting a better foothold in life.

Good luck

Alin 34/m

I have a powerlifting competition in less than 8 weeks and need to get down from about 260 to 242, it's alot but i really need to get down without suffering alot of muscle loss

Hey there.

This is not going to be easy since it is a lot of weight to drop without losing strength substantially.

I would suggest the following:

- Start doing low intensity morning fasted cardios. So, a cardio before breakfast, of at least 30 min. Slow and steady to target the fat stores.

- Make sure you eat enough protein, and calculate your nutritional requirements carefully. I take it you probably already have a good diet, but here is a link on calculating your nutritional needs just in case:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm

- Use supplements, particularly BCAAs, glutamine, and a good whey brand. I don't know much about fat burners and so on, but I don't think they could ever be recommended for someone so young (assuming the age on your profile is updated).

- Cut your calories primarily from carbs and saturated fats. Particularly stay away from carbs when you have periods of low activity ahead of you. Make sure you still get your daily EFAs and so on. Carbs can go quite low, but you still need enough energy to work out effectively. So you need to experiment with them a bit.

Good luck in your competition.

this is deff under the wrong category but whatever.
how can i smoke pot in my room and hide the smell from my parents?

For one thing, you really are not being very fair to the columnists on this site. Essentially you are asking them to help you figure out how to do something that is illegal. Now, ethical issues aside regarding pot (and I do know that this issue is debatable), you should not put people here in that position.

So, if it were possible, I would not answer you. Fortunately however, you have picked a substance with such a powerful and lasting smell, that I can throw my vote with the answers below that say it is virtually impossible to do. It spreads so quickly, and you can smell it even in clothes and things like that hours later, if you know what you are looking for.

Now, that being said, part of me thinks that you are better off getting caught. Whether or not anyone should smoke is one thing, but a 15 year old needing to find a way to do it regularly... well, that one is not debatable in any way at all.

As almost everyone else said, you are better off not doing it at all.

Alin 34/m

my boyfriend and I had unprotected sex and he didn't cum but I did. do you think I could be pregnant ? do boys feel it when they are about to cum ? please help !!!

Yes guys do feel when they actually orgasm, however pre- ejaculation can get you pregnant. And that happens during most of sex. So yes, you need to get a pregnancy test.

Next time, use protection not only because of this, but also because you are playing with fire if you put your faith in the self control of a (presumably) teenage boy.

There are two treadmill i'm considering right now. There's one sorta expensive one, and the other is cheap. I know i should hold up and wait till i can actually buy the expensive one, but i'm not sure when i'll be able to get it. I could afford the cheaper one though, and i was wondering if i should buy it. BTW the tradmill is a proform 400X and i'm not quite sure about the other one. Should i buy it...or wait a few (maybe 2-4) more months?
Does anyone have a proform 400x or similar one? how long will it last?
thanks

I was about to answer generally about treadmills, and then I found this review which confirmed everything I was going to hypothesise about it.

http://www.consumersearch.com/treadmills/proform-400x

Basically the cheap treadmills I have tried were not very good. The belt size and motor power, as they mention, is very relevant. Training on them was always annoying, and that is something that exercise cannot be if you want to stick to it for years to come.

I would seriously urge you to wait and get a good one. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a fitness apparatus that you end up not liking.

Good luck.

Hi I just went out and purchased a yoga mat, blender, protein shakes and protein Powder. I am a little under weight by like 5-10 lbs and want to be healthy. I want to start doing yoga, having atleast a shake a day and hopefully that will help my put on weight. I purchased the ISOfemme protein powder, it says it is good to have more meals a day, it has hardly any fat and only 1 g or carbs. I thought carbs helped put on weight so I am wondering if this is a good product. On the plus side there is 27g of protein per scoop. I would like to know if I am on teh right track and if this protein powder was a good decision?

Hey there.

Protein powder is normally designed to be just a protein supplement. That's the reason it has little or no carbs. This way they can be used by people who are on a lean bulk or cut. They do have products designed specifically for people who are trying to simply put on weight... they are called weight gainers and have protein, carbs and fats in them.

Now, that being said, protein powders are a good supplement to a weight gaining program. However, how you train, and what you eat is more important.

Essentially gaining weight comes down to the following:

- You need a significant calorie surplus. This is a must, and no amount of training or protein powder can get around this. This is essential for muscle or fat gain. Eating balanced meals with adequate carbs, proteins and fats is essential. Remember the powder is just a supplement.

- For muscle gain you need to train in such a way that the muscle fibres are significantly damaged. The body then super compensates during the repair process and one gains weight. For this to work you also need a certain amount of protein per day. How much depends on how and how hard you train. For optimal weight gain, resistance training and other short term intense workouts are best (e.g. weight training, exercises where you lift your bodyweight, sprinting, explosive sports, etc). Follow your workouts with a protein shake taken immediately after training, then have a meal about one hour after that.

Here is a useful article that teaches you how to calculate calories and protein requirements:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm

With a proper routine and diet you should begin to gain weight right away. Fat and muscle are separate things. One does not turn into the other, and the body works by gaining or losing weight (not both at once). Therefore when one gains muscle, one will also tend to gain a certain amount of fat. Similarly if one is losing weight, some muscle loss is also expected.

To sum up, the protein powder is a useful supplement on top of a balanced diet with a significant calorie surplus and a good training routine.

Good luck.

male 17 year old! I am considering doing sprints at my school since they have a good track team. I wanna get in shape because I definitely have not worked out regularly since last june. Do you have any suggestions for a work out that I can do? I am considering doing weights and running...but I really would like a suggestion.

Thanks

The thing to remember is that in any workout you get good at exactly what you train. If you go out and do steady pace running, you will get good at steady pace running only.

So, you should focus either on training the exact movement, or splitting it up into exercises that emphasise components of that movement.

I read the answer below, and I do agree with some of the specific recommendations, though not fully with the weight training part of it. I will mainly go into that in my answer, but I have the link to a full sample program for a top sprinter below.

Short term explosive sports like sprinting, have a strong anaerobic component and can benefit a lot from weight training (particularly the starting speed). In fact, I would say it is essential for top line performance. Endurance and cardio on the other hand are less important since the duration of exertion is short (cardio is still good for your health though I might add).

I would definitely focus on weights as well. Here too though, there should be focus on explosive movements and acceleration, as well as on big, multiple joint movements (called compound lifts) that are relevant to your sport.

Please do note that if you are not used to weights, you need some weeks of steady lifting for conditioning before you jump into things like compensatory acceleration or explosive training.

Here is the program I mentioned above:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/tomgreen.htm

You can see how many different things he incorporates, and you can see his weight routine at the bottom.

Even if you cut the routine down, make sure you train all muscle groups. Also keep the power cleans as these are important (after you are conditioned). Otherwise focus on the other compound lifts- squat, all the presses, rows (as a more common alternative to his bench pull), etc. It should be ok to add compensatory acceleration onto all the compound movements (for isolation moves like biceps curls, good mornings, or whatever, you dont need to add it).

Here is an explanation of compensatory acceleration:

http://www.martygallagher.com/compensatory-acceleration-another-lost-concept-that-deserves-resurrection/

That's it. Good luck and happy training :)

well i do NOT eat healthy to start out.
and i try to fix that...
it doesn't work out.
i am a SUPER picky eater, so pretty much anything healthy like repels me.
well i take add pills, and those are also appetite depressants.
so i don't get to eat a lot at school, or when they are in my system. (which is only at school, or until it wears off)
so my weight stays a little bit below average.
i'm about 96-99 pounds.
i'm 14 in february.
but are there any ways to help me become a better eater?
i'm just so bad at it because i get cravings, and the food just looks and smells so good.
i'm just trying to tone up my stomach mostly.
i saw this and thought it would be good to start out on this since it looks pretty easy and like it would work.

http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2006/09/ab-sculpting-without-crunches-video?mbid=yahoo

well at the top, it says not to do them all at once? and to only do them a couple times to prevent injury?
well i would like to do it everyday because i don't even have a routine. and maybe a couple of times a day just to stretch.
would this really be bad if i did it more that one time a day, or every day?
and if you have any pretty easy and not torturous stomach routines i'd like to know.
thanks a bunch!
please hurry by the way!

The reason they tell you only to do them a few times a week is so as to allow the muscle enough time to recuperate. Abs work no differently than any other muscle.

What you need to focus on is to maintain a steady routine over many weeks, rather than to try to create a really intensive short term workout (which you will not be able to stick to in the long term anyway).

I have one thing to add on ab workouts. Very often they are misleading. Just so there is no misunderstanding since people label their videos and articles ambiguously on purpose, ab workouts will not burn fat from your stomach. To get great abs, you need to have flat stomach already so that these workouts can build muscle.

As for your eating habits, I would start by looking into different options for healthy cooking. Get your hands on a good cookbook, go to online forums where people share healthy recipes, and try to find foods that are good for you and that you like.

There is a lot out there that tastes good, even for the picky eater. Its a matter of finding it, and then making the effort of preparing it ahead of time so that one is not tempted by the fast and easy choices. That is really the main problem with good, healthy, and tasty food. It usually takes more work.

Good luck.

EDIT: Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to lose weight overall. Fat loss cannot be targeted (despite the rampant myth). When one loses weight our genetics seem to determine if one area is more "stubborn" than others, but exercising it has no real effect on its surrounding fat. So, its regular diet and exercise to lower your overall body fat...

My BF is always playing "Mob Wars" on facebook and like other video games. Its really annoying me cuz we don't talk as much as we used to before he started playing video games. Hes on level 155 on Mob Wars. How many levels are there on mob wars? I wanna know so that I know when he will stop playing. & how do I get him to focus more on me than on his vdieo games?!?!?

Hey there.

Let me start with a few comments on facebook games. Now, I did try Mob Wars, but not extensively, however I am pretty sure my comments apply since all the crap on facebook follows the same pattern.

As a gamer myself, I was amused by their applications for a short while until I realised how they work. These things are designed in such a way that they never end. They are made so as to reward the player that keeps at it endlessly, not the player that actually has any skill- in fact skill is something they purposefully minimise/ eliminate in most facebook games.

Personally, I dont understand how a routined gamer could be anything but insulted by facebook application games. That aside, dont expect the game to stop, there is a bigger chance that he will get tired of it, or die of old age first :D

Now, onto your problem. Gamers are really drawn to their games. Its much more than just a hobby, its a real passion, no different than a sportsman and his sport. However, what he needs to realise is what he stands to lose. You need to make him understand that if he continuously prioritises these games ahead of you, you will not be there any more.

You should be fair of course. Understand how much these things mean to him, and give him the time to have his fun. Its a question of finding the right balance if he is willing to do it.

There really is no magic formula here, it is a question of choosing what is more important to you. However he will not do that as long as he thinks he can have both.

Good luck.

I'd like to go further into advertising, since it it something I'm interested in doing in the future.
What type of subjects should I pick in school and also in the future; so what kind of things I should study?
A teacher I talked to said that Philosophy would be very useful, does anyone have any experience with this?

Any answers would be appreciated! :)

Very broadly speaking, there are two sides to advertising. There is the more strategic side, and then there is the implementation and design oriented side.

The former deals with the more strategic aspects. The issue here is who to advertise to (understanding consumer segmentation and so on), and which resources to use/ focus on. This section fits under the marketing strategy.

The latter deals more with an actual understanding of communication and design. These people are usually experts in formulating ads, designing commercials, communicating through images, etc. They know how to best get the message across to the segments that were chosen above.

Now obviously these two are not totally separate, but people do tend to specialise in certain aspects. I for one know quite a bit about the former, but I would never try to actually design an ad.

I do not know what courses are available these days in school (and certainly not in a US school), so I will tell you the kind of thing that is useful. The answers below mine were good, so there will be some overlap.

For the former, a good foundation in business management disciplines (like strategy and marketing) is useful. Anything that emphasises your ability to plan really, even if these courses are not directly related. It is much easier to become a good planner and organiser if one starts early. The skills are the same no matter what the discipline.

For the latter, any courses to do with media, with design (anything from art, since some ad designers are really artists, to computer related courses in specialist programs), or with communication. Remember the idea here is twofold, first to understand how people perceive and react to a message (whether a picture or a tv ad) and second how to actually design that message.

In all honesty I have no idea how philosophy can work here, but its such a broad subject it might be good to ask your teacher which branch he meant. I would rather say that psychology would be extremely useful, since that gives you an insight into how people think (and the object of the game is to influence their thoughts, actions and desires).

Well, that more or less it. Good luck :)

okay so i was looking in buying that fat loss 4 idiots thing because ive gained about 10 pounds lately (i used to be really skinny) and im not fat or overweight but i definatly think i could lose some fat. im 5'3 17 years old about 118 pounds and i would like to be back to about 110 ? will this work for me? ive read on it and most everywhere says that its effective.

Ok, I went on and checked their website. Now, assuming I got the right one: fatloss4idiots.com, then I have a few comments to make just off from my first observations. If for some reason its some other similar program or site you were after, just ignore my answer :)

Now, let me start with my first impression. This struck me like one of those work from home scams, or other such site that drones on and on and on about their miracle, while telling you nothing. Then after all the exclamation points and ooohs and aaahs, you have to buy something that invariably is not that great. I could be wrong, but beware... these sites almost always follow the same pattern.

The other thing is they made some unsubstantiated claims. It has not been proven that eating many meals a day has the effect they claim. Now, I would recommend for anyone to do it (for other reasons), but they are stating an unproven hypothesis as a fact. They use the word "fact" very liberally on that site.

Moving along, no one should aim to lose 9 pounds in 11 days. I have never seen that sort of recommendation from a serious professional. Again... its like those "earn up to 1000$ a day filling envelopes" sites. Not even the extremely obese should be up in those numbers, let alone a normal or thin person. Its not healthy, and its generally not sustainable. Most of the time thats water loss and maybe muscle too.

In the end, diet and nutrition really are not that complicated. With all the hype on that site, all I see is basic advice repackaged. I mean, he repeats over and over the amazing notion of eating more than 3 meals a day when every basic nutrition/ training article for years and years has recommended 4- 6.

Also it misrepresents the information. "Eating less is not the answer". Want to bet that one way or another this system has a calorie deficit?

I know I am going a bit hard on it, but the guy has plastered the web with dummy review sites that lead back to his product. I find it very, very hard to discern between the reliable reviews and his promotion.

If you do decide to do this then at least keep the following things in mind:

1. The reason most people's weight jumps up and down is because they never learn about proper nutrition. They diet, then they eat "normal", then they diet again. Quick fixes rarely stick because eventually you stop doing them. The key is learning sustainable long term nutrition.

2. The program does not emphasise exercise. He even mentions the "myth" that you don't need it for weight loss. While on paper that is correct, it is a rather irresponsible way to get the lazy people to buy his program. Exercise helps immensely in your weight loss efforts, it preserves muscle mass, burns calories, and influences your metabolism. Moreover it keeps you healthier in countless ways, and as a bonus it makes you look more attractive.

Ok, I'm done lol. I realise that this is not exactly what you were after, but I hope its of some use to you.

Good luck.

im 17 female and im 5'3. i weigh 115 pounds. im not overweight or anything but i have a little extra fat that i would lke to get rid of. i want to be at 110. i dont have a whole lot of time to workout, only about 2 days a week that i can run and lift weights at the gym. if i eat healthy and workout 2 days a week how long on average do you think it would take to lose 5 pounds

Well, that depends on how much you eat, since it is the calorie deficit that will determine how much you lose. So let me put it this way, since you are not really overweight and quite young, the ideal way to do this is probably at a rate of no more than 1 pound per week.

Start your exercise plan, eat what feels like less than normal, and weigh yourself regulary tweaking your calorie intake until you reach the desired weight loss amount. Keep in mind that weight fluctuates during the day, so weigh yourself at the same time and in the same conditions (ideally in the morning on an empty stomach).

You can make do with the 2 days of exercise per week. That is not a problem. I would recommend a full body weight training routine on both days (mainly compound exercises that use many muscle groups at once), followed by a 30 minute cardio. Try to leave two to three days between these workout days.

Remember if you train with weights, it is a lot better for you to incorporate as many muscles as possible. This will prevent muscle loss amongst other things.

Good luck.

I just starting doing the low carb diet today and all day i've been feeling really tired more than usual why am I feeling so tired?

Carbs are an important source of energy. They are the easiest thing you can burn, and become of increasingly greater importance as the intensity of activity increases.

In normal diets fats and carbs are used for energy. During periods of low intensity activities (everything from sleeping to walking), fat is the dominant source, but as intensity increases, carbs become the primary fuel.

Low carb diets induce a state called ketosis, where fat is converted to ketones which are then used for energy. This condition is what occurs during starvation as well, and it is the body's way of preserving glucose for essential functions. Its not necessarily bad, but it is certainly not yet totally accepted (in all honesty I am not a fan of the low carb diet for a few reasons I won't go into here).

Now, your body will adapt and your energy levels will not always remain this low, many people function very well on a low carb diet. However do not expect to be able to perform strenuous activities (e.g. sports) as well as you could when you were eating carbs.

I don't really know much about weight loss so help me out. When you eat less / better / drink more water, you start losing fat right? Well does your face lose weight also? That would mean like your chin and cheeks right? What about your nose haha? Do you have to excersize as well, or can you just eat less. I'd be very happy if someone gave me some tips and facts =)

Hey there.

When you lose weight you will lose fat from wherever you might have fat deposits. So yes, you can lose weight from your cheeks and chin, however it is very unlikely there will be any noticeable difference in your nose.

You do not need to exercise to lose weight. However it does make things easier and it will keep you healthier and probably better looking. But strictly speaking, all you need is a calorie deficit which can be achieved by diet alone.

Oh, and in regards to the water intake, there is no evidence to support the myth that a higher intake of water will help you lose weight, or is necessarily better for you- a myth that was probably started by bottled water companies. There is also no set standard of how much to drink, and it seems that for normal, healthy people our thirst mechanism regulates our need for water just fine. So I would not add this into the weight loss equation.

Good luck :)

17/f
so i need to lose weight, i need to feel better. ive been so tired and im sick of it. i want to look and feel better.

a few questions:
-what kind of vitamins are good for me to take everyday?
-for breakfast, what could i eat besides cereal? is there anything fast to make? i was thinking about making one scrambled egg and a glass of juice and vitamins. would that be good enough?
-what is something really healthy that i can bring to lunch, besides salad. i dont really want to bring anything to school that can spoil in my locker, just something really light that wont make me too full. and not really sandwiches either, because i get sick of that too quick.
-what are some healthy snacks that i can eat, besides yogurt, veggies, and fruits?
-how much water should i drink in a day?
-is there any other drinks that are healthy besides water?
-should i completely cut out junk food, or have it once or twice a week?

i want to lose weight, but i want to be healthy. i dont wanna starve myself like i already am. im slowly stopping the pop drinking, and sticking with juice and water. ill have a pop once in a while. for dinner, i just eat what my mom makes me, but im gonna start eating in smaller portions.

also, what is a good exercise plan to go on?
i have a treadmill and a bike, how long should i go on each every day?

i could use loads of help from people that have lost a lot of weight, and it would help if some vegans could tell me what they eat. im not turning vegan but i like some of that kind of food.

please any advice can help!

Hey there.

Ok starting at the top:

- One multi vitamin every day is plenty, particularly in conjunction with a good diet.
- Well one or two eggs are fine. Some whole wheat bread for carbs is also a good choice. Other healthy options include: any sort of lean meat, low fat cottage cheese, oats, fruit, etc.
- The lunch question I really dont know. In principle any lean protein source with some carbs will do, but I have no idea what is a good lunch option for you.
- Other healthy snacks: nuts and seeds in moderation (particularly walnuts), protein bars, low fat cottage cheese.
- Drink whenever you are thirsty. The ever so popular recommendations of drinking large amounts of water seem to be bogus. Turns out the body regulates its need for water just fine with thirst. Now, of course if you engage in strenuous workouts, do pay attention that you are not suddenly dehydrated.
- Skim milk is ok, natural (no sugar added) juices are also ok but in moderation since the carb intake can get out of control. Coffee and tea are also good (but what people put in them often isn't).
- Junk food once in a while is ok.

Any exercise is good exercise, but cardio is key. That means using the bike or treadmill and training at a steady pace (with a training intensity that would allow you to engage someone in conversation) for over 20 minutes. As you get fitter I would aim towards 45 minutes.

Cannot help you on the vegan side, but maybe some other people will have some input there.

Anyhow, good for you, sounds like you are really making an effort.

Good luck :)

so this guy asked me out like 2 months ago but i kindly said no because i didnt know him.i mean it was the first time i really talked to him ya know?
then i didnt seem him till about 2 weeks ago.he was flirting with me and stuff.well then when i walked by him he was like so whats up?and then when i replied he asked if i like him and i said well i dont know you really.so then he was like what you dont know me now?and i was like i never really got to know you but he didnt seem upset about it because he still flirted.well then i saw him last night and he was with some girl i believe was his girlfriend.and it kinda made me jealous i guess.it kinda made me think what if i really missed out ya know?now i dont know what i should do.i felt like i liked him last night when before i didnt feel it but between 2 weeks ago and last night i was thinkin like next time i see him if he asks me out again i was gonna say yes well know i feel im too late.am i just feeling this because he does have a girl now or what?i mean the only reason i turned him down was because i didnt know him all the well,he wasnt what i would date(appearence wise) and my friends opinion but when i thought about it he is a really great guy besides i never really see him but i was thinknin that would change if we dated ya knw?well i wanna thank you all before hand

I remember talking to this girl once about the difference in the perceptions we have for people that are "taken". Most often a girl with a boyfriend is something most of us will stay away from, yet I often noticed the exact opposite with women. Anyway, she said that guys with girlfriends sometimes appear to be better because that girl has already approved them so to speak. No idea if this bears any truth, but it might be relevant to your case.

Now, random thoughts aside, my advice is pretty simple but I doubt you will like it. Any guy that hits on a girl while he has a girlfriend is pure scum. No redeeming quality can make up for the deceit that he is apparently so comfortable with. This is the sort of situation where it would be good to put yourself in her shoes (and also to remember that if he could do it to her, he may well do it to you when a better "catch" comes along).

It really doesn't go beyond that point in my book and anything else is therefore irrelevant.

Good luck.

during war in Europe who said

"The lights have gone out all across Europe and we dont know when they will come back"

Don't you mean World War 1?

There was a famous saying by a person called Edward Grey who was Britain's foreign secretary.

Here is the wiki article on the quote:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Grey,_1st_Viscount_Grey_of_Fallodon

Apparently there have been many misquotations, and his original line was:

"The lamps are going out all over Europe: we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."

Assuming of course that there wasn't a similar quote for WWII I am not aware of :)

i've started to work out a lot more than usual because i feel my ''excercises'' aren't working. so i decided to step it up a notch. i do all the normal crunches and push ups, blah blah blah..i just want to know two things:

#1- i want to loose a substantial amount of weight. SO, what kind of exercises should I do everyday?
#2- how many calories should i set a goal for loosing everyday?

By the way im 17/f if this helps and i want to loose about 15-20 pounds. im not on a time limit but i would really like to loose it as quickly as possible. im on a healthy diet. and i really badly want to loose the ''extra baggage'' if u know what i mean.

kthxbye :]

1. Cardio is essential. Steady pace exercise (e.g. jogging, biking, stairmachines, etc) for 30 minutes+.

2. I would say about 500 would be a good number. That would make about a pound lost a week, which is a reasonable number for someone who is young and not obese.

Just an addition to question 1. If you do other things than cardio, try to make those exercises as "full body" as possible. The more muscles you work, the better it is for your metabolism.

Also train opposing muscle groups. If you train your chest and abs, make sure to train your upper and lower back too. Strengthening just one side can lead to posture problems which can give back problems etc.

Good luck.

hey. let me give you some background information on myself. i was always a little bit of a chubby girl. not really because i use to eat like a pig or anything like that. i would excersise, and i really didn't watch what i ate that much. i would go to mcdonalds and stuff and i really wouldn't think about it. well, to make a long story short, after trying so many diets and putting so much work into my body, i got very thin, and i look fantastic. i am now weighing 95 pounds of pure muscle. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I really do look great and it's just that i'm very proud of myself because i worked so hard to get here. but, i did go a little crazy. i started to become a bit anorexic, counting calories obsessively. i started eating no more than 600-800 calories a day. along with this calorie intake, i would do spinning and strength training every day. i go to the gym every day (or atleast 5-6 days a week), and atleast 2 or 3 of those days, i do spinning. i've been getting a little better about the calories, because i started to feel really sick. my hands would get really cold, and i was really tired. i would stare off into space and i lost consciousness a little bit. i knew that it wasn't right, but i just didn't want to lose everything i had worked so hard for. but, i've been getting better because i've realized that i'm not going to gain weight by eating things that are low fat. it's not about calories. it's about healthy foods. if i eat fish and chicken and fat free yogurt i'm not gonna gain weight, especially with all the excersise i do. i'm not going to get fat by eating fruits and vegetables, that i was cutting out to save calories. so, basically, i increased my calorie intake a little bit, but sometimes i feel kind of guilty, and i just want someone to tell me that it's ok and that i'm doing the right thing. (i haven't gotten my period in like 3 months). but, i can't ask my mom to tell me, because she gets mad whenever i mention food because she's so concerned with my situation.

like today, this is what i had
Breakfast: gritz (100-calorie quaker oatmeal pack)
Snack: sliced pineapple
Lunch: lemon chicken and1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
Snack: non-fat greek drained yogurt
Dinner: 1 drumstick chicken (baked) , 1 chicken wing (baked), 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, watermelon slice

i know i overdid the dinner a little bit but I was STARVING when I got home after my workout. i don't know why. but, anyway, would someone just show a little support for me? you have no idea how much I would appreciate it just to hear that i'm doing good.

Thanks
=)

Hey there.

You are definitely on the right track.

First off, you did not overdo dinner. If you work out a lot, you really need to intake the calories to sustain your activity. Its ok to go to the gym almost every day. Its ok to do two workouts in a day here and there (within reason). But you have to eat accordingly.

Your calorie intake before was dangerously low. 600- 800 calories is not enough to sustain you if you sleep all day, let alone lead an active life style. So it is a VERY good thing you are doing now to increase your food intake.

I would like to make a few suggestions. First I would add some more calories at breakfast. Its ok to eat a proper meal here, it will give you energy and improve your performance during the rest of the day.

Then, you do not have enough fat in your diet. I know that many diets talk of fat as a bad thing, but in reality only some fats are bad, while others are essential. Animal fats are generally bad for you. Fats from fish, good oils, nuts (particularly walnuts), etc have to be a daily part of your diet. Without them you risk a whole list of serious medical conditions. You can also use supplements (e.g. fish oil supplements), but do make sure that you eat them daily.

Finally, I would also add a lean protein source before bed (depending a little on how far dinner is from bedtime). But you will not gain any body fat by adding something like low fat cottage cheese before bed. All it will do is give your body something to work with, to rebuild your muscles while you sleep.

In any case, congrats for the progress you have made so far, and on the fact that you are putting things in perspective now.

Good luck.

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