I'm 5'6", 133 lbs and a medium frame. I use dumbbells, a standard straight bar, and a standard EZ curl bar and workout at home. I curl 36 lbs on the bar. I bench press 55 lbs, clean and press (from the floor) 45 lbs, and deadlift 105. Every week I try to add 5 lbs on the bar. There are some lifts where I go really light for safety's sake. I do 10 reps with a weight. When I can do more than 10, it's time to add more weight. If I can only do 7 or less reps, then I strip it back. I lift 4 days per week and do abs and cardio 6 days per week. I agree that it won't make you bulky unless you're on steroids. Building up muscle will, however, burn more calories than cardio alone ever will.

We don't eat a lot of beef except when dh's parents get a grass fed cow slaughtered. We usually opt for chicken, turkey, tuna, and tilapia. Every once in a while, we get pepperoni but not often. He won't eat the mini pepperoni or diced but he will eat the quarter sized circles on pizza or cold if I cut them into fourths. Fury and Dragon both had their food hangups but they were nothing like this.

Would homemade Greek yogurt (aka straining the regular stuff) have the same protein as the pre-fab? We are gonna run out of things this month. We did our shopping for the month and our freezer died last night. :(

Dragon has been using Vocabulary from Classical Roots for 4th grade and it seems way too easy for him. He was an early reader and decodes like an older kid but I think his comprehension level is on par with an average 10 yo. He's what I call smart but lazy. Help me, please, Hive? I have a very limited budget and need ideas for a kid like this.

He will eat eggs and anything resembling bread. French toast and pancakes are some of his favorite things. I wish we could find Greek yogurt cheaper than $1 per serving.

Trying to reverse engineer Fury's academics. He wants to join the navy and then the police force when his navy enlistment is up. Anyone else have a dc who went this route?

I need advice from the Hive on two problems. Mr. Picky Pants REFUSES to eat meat. He smells his food and if it's there, he clamps up and nothing is going down. He's willing to eat dairy and bread for days. He might eat pepperoni but not always. We all workout now. Fury (14), DH, and myself lift weights 6 days per week and Dragon (10) does yoga 3 times per week. We eat about a gram of protein per pound. We get $450 per month for food stamps and it's never enough. I need ideas on how to boost protein without going broke. DH and I eat 40-40-20 and the kids eat 25-50-25. HELP me please, Hive!!

I have been working out with free weights and cardio since this time last year. I've been counting calories using MyFitnessPal and have lost over 80 pounds as well dropped from a size 22 to a 9 in jeans!

We eat a lot of rice. I love recipes from other countries. $5 won't buy much more than milk, I'm afraid. Please keep the ideas flowing!

Things are a little snug for us. I'm wondering if you would mind sharing some of your tried and true survival recipes with me? Since we cleaned up our diet, we don't eat corn or soy if we can help it. Many thanks in advance for reading and sharing.

I need advice. I have to have something for my boys to open Christmas morning. The money I was supposed to receive fell through and now I have no way to buy them gifts. I thank you in advance. Ikm off to find tissues.

I priced Amtrak and it would not be cheaper. Megabus doesn't go all the way into Duluth but it does at least go to Minneapolis. I may have to do some sweet talking but that might be more viable.

There seems to be no end to pick-your-fare for flying. Why can't there be a site for bus fares? Is it because there's only one big bus company? I'm hunting for a deal to go to MN in February to take care of my mom. I guess $340 on 21-day advance notice isn't horrible but I'm gonna have to sell a lot of books between now and then to make it.

My mom loaded the walmart card and I went on Saturday to get diapers. I had to kill a bit of time for the next bus and so started to read labels. I wanted to cry at how pervasive soy is in foods that wouldn't have it if we made it from scratch. This particular location didn't have much in the way of organic anything. I don't know why I wanted to cry. Maybe because I had been feeding this to my guys and thought it was okay? I paid for the diapers and took the bus to Meijer and my food stamp dollars along with it. I felt better once I got there and away from the frankenfoods.

I'm strongly considering buying "Wildly Affordable Organic" but am wondering if maybe there is there a book that would be better? Or is there something downloadable so I wouldn't need to read everything on a site? There's so many different companies and options to pick from that my head just starts spinning!! Help me find some brakes for the mental roller coaster!!

I received a gift card for Lane Bryant last year. The jeans are still in one piece but the underwear fell apart.

I don't have a license as I would have to have a vehicle with insurance. I think it's an absolutely stupid as, if I did drive, would only be an occasional driver and probably using someone else's car. So I just ride with others and got an ID for when I need to prove who I am.

I'm still learning which brands are non-gmo and which are frankenfood city.

Is there anyone else here trying to change your family to a non-gmo lifestyle or have you always lived that way? We are trying to eliminate frankenfoods from our diet. Not throwing anything out but won't repurchase that brand when it's gone. I have experienced sticker shock on milk at $4.29 a gallon. Any ideas on how to reduce the cost without reducing quality? It's a little late to start a garden and raising our own critters isn't happening in the city.

That is very sweet of you! I would be thrilled to have focus to accomplish the few things I set for myself today and the patience to deal with any barriers that may pop up. Thank you! :grouphug:

We made them with leftover business cards that were on hand. I let Dragon pick the marker color of the day (NO yellow) so he had some ownership of the process. We didn't save them as Mr. Picky Pants wasn't expected. We'll have to do that over again.

Bolt is wise. I worry about my mom. In all the years of walking the earth, my sister forgets that telling me not to worry sends up red flags and makes me worry all the more. When we visited in May, I noticed that my mother needed more care than my sister made known. My mom has made comments to the effect of "J didn't tell you?" Wouldn't you get a little paranoid and a tad peeved if your parent was not well and your sibling kept running interference?

Not SIL, sister. I haven't yet figured out why she feels the need to be a go-between. She even tried to keep me in the dark about *all* of Mom's medical issues. Said she didn't want to say until she knew everything but then she still didn't tell me!! :glare: ETA: I would love to just drop in but that's financially not happening. Plans must be made.

My sister would possibly back out of it. Every time we have ever gone to visit, she has had to be in the thick of *every single word* my mom and I exchange. And for the record, I'm not thrilled about her leaving her son home. I made comments about her doing skype, etc., once a day with him as I've heard complaints from my mom about her going on overnights and "forgetting" the bedtime call she promised him. I should clarify that they live with my mom.

This might be long and involves some drama but here goes. My sister is planning on a trip to Hawaii with her beau and his family. My nephew was not invited so he'll be staying home with my mom for about a week. I think the tentative timeframe is a week in January. I'm not certain. I worry about my mom and nephew. She's in the final stages of COPD and he is only going on 7. I would like to go up there while my sister is gone to visit with my mom and nephew. I have to talk with dh to see if he would rather drive up as a family so all three of our boys can hang with Gma or if he'd be willing to let me go solo. Here is my dilemma: I don't want my sister to know because I don't want her changing her plans. I'd like for the visit to just be my mom, nephew, and myself (or my family). Am I being reasonable or selfish? I get tired of my mom and sis constantly pow wowing and acting like my dh can just go along with things. I don't drive so I would have to take a bus or the train as I won't fly. I'd consider taking one of the older two if DH was up for that. I just don't know which one. My first inclination in that case would be Dragon because he and my nephew are closest in age.