Happy Friday everyone! I thought that a solid discussion could be spawned out of us talking about weekly health goals and how we've achieved them, so I invite y'all to tell us all about them. Have you recently hit a new personal record in weight-lifting? Run your first mile in ten years? Or have you just been maintaining a good, consistent routine?

There's been an explosion over the past few years, and there's so many to try, but a lot of them don't work for me due to me just not feeling soothed by the speaker's voice. There's Guided Meditations to help you sleep, to help calm anxiety, to connect to your higher self, etc. Any suggestions? Links much appreciated!

It’s that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere- lots of sun and (often) inadequate sunblock usage.

What are your tried-and-true remedies, excluding aloe since that one seems common knowledge at this point.

Hey everyone,

Intermittent fasting is a diet where the user fasts for either periods of their day for 10-16 hours or for set days throughout their week. As long as you don't binge eat and stick to your diet, it's a good option for losing weight. There's other science coming out from rodent testing concerning other potential benefits, though that's not always consistent for the effects on humans.

Check out this article for more information

So, any thoughts or experiences? Who else eats breakfast at 2pm?

I am putting on a fair amount stomach fat. I am not really gaining weight, but my stomach is noticeably bigger and I am getting chubby. I am uncomfortable all the time at work sitting at my desk because of it. I'll be 30 in December so I need to get ahead of this. My body is tight all over. When I walk I can feel how tight my hamstrings are.. My diet is garbage. I just want to start getting this under control and also working on developing routines.

What are some good resources on meal plans and what foods / combinations of foods and hat quantity is however many calories?

I am a very simple person. I look these up and it says stuff like

Breakfast: 1 cup Oatmeal, 2 tablespoons Almond butter, mixed in, top with cinnamon, 1/2 cup Blueberries

Lunch: Tomato hummus artichoke salad

Dinner: Veggie Chili - 1/2 cup black bean, 3/4 cup canned tomatoes and liquid, 1/2 cup sliced zucchini.........

I like basic things. I like plain oatmeal and a banana, salad that is basically lettuce carrots tomatoes and no dressing. Some times I just want a few boiled potatoes for dinner (usually about 2 -3 halved making 4 - 6 halves) with nothing on them or an apple and some few carrots for lunch.. That's what I like.

I really don't like to eat a big lunch at work because I sit at a desk all day and I have no way to burn the calories I take in. So I tend to skip eating at lunch since I don't get very hungry anyway..

I am not currently vegan. I want to transition and I just need simple meal plan ideas for about 2000 calories so I can start exercising again and be able to burn more than I take in. I'd like to develop a routine of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and being conscious of what I am taking in. Even if lunch is an apple and some carrots.

Thanks.

For the last three years at university I've been eating like crap, but luckily my metabilism is relatively high so it hasn't really become much of an issue. Despite this, I still want to make a complete change and try and live a much more healthier life as I'm not going to be this age forever. I already cycle a lot, but I know exercise is one part of the equation and so I want to try a complete overhaul of my diet as well. I've heard and read a few things about the keto diet but was wondering if any other users have already tried. If so, did it work effectively? How hard was it to shift your eating habits and change up what you normally eat? I'm pretty confident I could manage it I would just like to see if anyone already has some experience with the diet and whether they would recommend it or not.

Hey everyone. I keep a pretty rigorous watch on my calories and I am a vegetarian, so a lot of my meals consist of just vegetables. I am mostly healthy, but I have the hardest time kicking my only real vice: soda. I love it, and I may even be addicted. I gave it up last year for lent, but after my 40 days I immediately started drinking it again. I'm trying to cut back my sugar intake, and I keep finding ways to rationalize drinking it. Anyone out there with tips on how I can kick it for good?

I was curious if there are others on this site who struggle with mood disorders and what coping mechanisms are used. I myself was diagnosed bipolarII and have struggled with anxiety / depression for my entire life. Initially I sought relief in medication and therapy but over the last several years have had great success with a variety of coping mechanisms. Specifically each morning I try to ensure I do several 'feel goods' that include:

1. questions - "what am I happy/proud/grateful about? Why? How does that make me feel" and "Who do I love, who loves me, how does that make me feel?"
2. Review core beliefs / positive affirmations that I keep on my google drive. Few examples: "I can weather any storm", "Failure is just feedback the current approach isn't working", "I am responsible for everything in my life"
3. Journaling about feelings, what's happened.
4. Meditation - 20-30 minutes following the breath

I also find that keeping a regular sleep schedule, exercise routine, and scheduling a couple social events a week helps. I have learned drinking and other substance is especially damaging for me so I try my best to avoid as much as possible. I still cycle through depression and hypomania rather rapidly but these things help mitigate those highs and lows.

What do you do to cope?

Hey everyone,

Whether it be yoga, weightlifting, swimming, climbing, cycling, bjj, or any physical activity, we can all gain from each other's experiences by sharing below. Please feel free to post your exercise routines, workout plans, nutritional information, progress and any relative thoughts.

Oh, and happy Sunday all!

I've noticed a lot of people in introductory threads mentioning their mental health issues and a sizeable number of people who took the survey indicated they consider themselves mentally ill. I myself have been dealing with depression for about 16 years.

Without a search function it's hard to tell if this is a repost, but I figured I'd give it a go and see if anyone out there is in need of some support. If you need someone to talk to, consider this thread a support group and I will be here to lean on. :)

So I'm a teen and am starting a new school next year. I get a 12 week break so would really like to try and get in shape, mainly to boost self confidence. What types of exercise / diet would people recommend?

I don't think I'd ever get skinny but I'd I could swap out some fat for muscle that would be fantastic!

Hey folks, so I've worked nights for the last two years and it sucked. flat out sucked. I would average 4-5 hours of sleep before and after a shift and now I've moved to afternoons (3pm-10pm) I find my body still thinks 5ish hours is great.
Often I wake in the middle of the night and then that's it. I'm up. it truly sucks. anyone got advice on how I can change this? I've been on afternoons for a little over a month now, so could it be more I'm still adjusting? appreciate any help and advice.

edit ** thank you all for the advice. I will have to work out a routine and make sure to sick to it, then just not get too down when only making small steps.