BlueRose

Another vote for vanilla chai and chocolate Vega from me! It's my morning staple with half a banana and light chocolate soymilk in a blender.

Same routine, now finally back in my basement--which is now an exercise room of awesome. Once I stop working late I'll be adding on more exercise to my routine. I did 10 mile practice Avon Walk on Sat, and before that added some Ten Minute Trainer exercises to my usual.

I did and they remember you! They had an open house this past Sat--nice timing, huh? Anyhow, definitely going to look into it but need to wait until finances chill out (basement flood took me for all I had D:)

Thurs: 60 min Slim in 6's Burn it up 20 min Slim and Limber 15 min Slim and Six Pack Fri: 60 min Slim in 6's Burn it up 20 min Slim and Limber 15 min Slim and Six Pack Sat: -60 min Slim in 6's Ramp it Up -20 min Slim and Limber -15 min Slim and 6 Pack Did lots of walking in Boston, too--easily a couple of miles. Sun: -60 min Slim in 6's Ramp it Up -20 min Slim and Limber -15 min Slim and 6 Pack Spent about four hours in basement doing heavy lifting, cleaning, sweeping, and painting.

I've heard from others that ACE is "the standard". They seem pretty pricey though...

It's only one of the best tv shows to ever air on television. Total truth. I recommend catching up.

Wed: 60 min Slim in 6's Burn it up 20 min Slim and Limber 15 min Slim and Six Pack

And I'll tell them that I can do whatever I want, cause I'm a candidate!

Too funny--I used to live in Waltham. I live closer to Boston now. I'll check them out, and thanks!

I LOVE Emilie Autumn's music so I squeed when I found out she was vegan

After the basement flood which cost me 5k? You bet!

Just started the last phase of Slim in 6 Burn it Up last night! 60 min of this program daily, 6 days a week for the next three weeks! w00t!

Has anyone here obtained fitness certification and if so, what places/tips do you recommend? Thanks!

Welcome neighbor!

Today's week 2, day four of Slim in 6's Ramp it Up - very nice 48 min routine combining muscle exercises with cardio and all sorts of fun. Already lost inches! Goals are as follows: 1- Get back into the rest of my clothing which I wore when I was close to 20 lb lighter 2- Get into best shape ever to walk 39.3 miles for Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in May 3- Get into best shape and BETTER and stay that way. Never be inactive again!

Hee, small world. Thanks!

Nope, I know you're not. The problem is that this can have multiple roots/sources and without knowing the details, I can't give you the best advice. I know that I've struggling with this for years and it just got worse, not better. My diet is also mostly veggies and I still have problems. There have been days when I was forced to go on a liquid diet until my body calmed down. I'm guessing stomach acid may be the culprit. Look for Betaine HCL in the supplements aisle; I've found it at my local Whole Foods. It has made a HUGE difference for me. It's worth a try. They are VERY different. Enzymes help food to digest. Probiotics are bacteria cultures. Betaine HCL is also another animal entirely (if you'll forgive the expression), which assists with the hydrocloric acid in your stomach.

Yup, taking Betaine HCL has helped me immensely. Digestive enzymes added a kick, but the low acid appeared to be at least most of the cause. The thing is this: if you are also bloating elsewhere - ie, rings get too tight - then it could be some sort of food intolerance.

I'm curious - is this an actual condition? I often get very bloated and look pregnant, but I always just wrote it off as eating a lot of veggies/fruit/beans. Even though I eat a very high fibre diet I'm still not what I would call "regular." I've never brought it up with my doctor though. EDIT - sorry for the hijack It's an actual condition that could mean many things. I am MUCH better than I used to be owing to the fact that I ditched the animal proteins, which brought my digestive system to a grinding, screeching halt--especially meat and dairy. I know of people who discovered they had a food intolerance that a lot of tests were able to uncover. One was able to eliminate her issues by eliminating gluten. Do you feel worse/better after eating certain foods? Pay attention and keep a diary. I've had my prob ever since a bout with a major illness and rather strong antibiotics took the "juice" out of my system over a decade ago, and it steadily got worse ever since. Things I have tried which helped in order from most to least impact: 1 - Take Betaine HCL with meals. It could be a low acid problem and this helps. I gradually upped the dosage to three pills with a meal and I now take them when I eat large meals. 2 - Small meals mostly of the veggie protein and vegetable variety. 3 - Digestive enzymes. Worth a shot. 4 - Probiotics These days I've been adding Triphala as a supplement and it helps a LOT. It has taken my body a while to adjust to the Vega I've been having for breakfast and it's still not fully there yet. There are still times when I have to reach for that combo stool softener/laxative, but it's down to "that time of the month" when I do. Which is another question...have you noticed that your monthly cycles impact this at all? If you choose to go to a doctor, be warned...do NOT let them write you off and hand you a disease of elimination. Ask them flat out to run the barium test, blood tests...mine treated me as a statistic ("did you have something traumatic happen to you in your childhood", etc), was condescending ("oh, you're taking herbs instead of OTC meds? such a *holistic* girl!"), ran ONE test on me and since he couldn't find anything declared it IBS and gave me a medication which was taken off the market a year later (and thankfully was no longer taking by then cause it didn't help). The most amount of help I've received on this matter was by going to a naturopath who asked me a million questions before having me try various supplements to see what ones worked and in what combination. Good luck, and hope this helps!

I'm a chick who has an hourglass so maybe I have it good, but doing exercises like crunches and stretches to help trim your waist might help. In the combo cardio/strength program I do they do a lot of exercise to trim away at the waist and I've already lost 2" in two weeks. Is it genuinely fat or do you feel bloated, compressed, etc?

Then by all means, post the sources. Education is the spice of life.

Bought two tubs on sale at Whole Foods - vanilla chai. Goes great in a blender with half a bana and a cup of chocolate light soymilk!

Supposedly they've done studies to show that some people when they undergo stress gain it in their stomachs. I suffer from chronic constipation and bloating, and know what it's like to go from flat stomach to passing for being 3-4 months pregnant in the span of an hour. At the risk of TMI, is your GI normal at least?

I'm talkative! And you'll never be able to get rid of me. Thanks for the welcome!

Beyond O2 Yoga in Somerville, MA (which is run by people who are pro-vegan, yay!) I'm also involved with Beachbody online as both a coach and a member. I've never had a gym membership. I own an elliptical, work out to exercise programs on dvd, and go to yoga classes so I can learn the positions correctly and not hurt myself.