@skwigg, I've been reading your posts about Lift with Cee, and I checked out some of her Q&A videos, and looked at a few of the workouts. I, too, have been feeling like my workouts have been getting to be too short/too easy, and would like in increase my strength and bone density now (I am in my 40s) rather than try to catch up 10-15 years from now. Now that I am eating adequate protein, I'm thinking this may be effective. I don't think I can currently lift as heavy as what Cee is doing, but I will get there, I imagine? I know that in order to get stronger, your muscles have to get bigger. However, I don't want to have to buy new bigger clothes. Is body recomposition a thing with these workouts? They seem slow. You said y awhile back you pick one from the 30 min series, and do it 3x/wk with days in between. That seems doable. Are you still sticking to that? I have looked at a few other programs, but they are either longer or more days (which I don't have time for). Currently, I am doing 10-20 min. of Zuzka-style workouts daily, plus 10-20 min. of yoga, and about 20-30 min. intentional walking per day. If I am going to longer workouts, they need to not be daily. Any thoughts appreciated!

What do you use it for, and how often? Does it do anything better or faster than an oven/stovetop/microwave? I have never considered buying one, but I have an opportunity for a free one. Not sure it is worth the storage space it'll require. Thanks!

I have never bought these until now, so I have no idea about the packaging. I was under the impression that they are super airtight and not bendable, but these seems to have some air in them near the top and are flexible/squishable. Is this normal? The package seems intact, not like air is coming out or something. I did curbside pickup, so I don't know if it's just these particular pouches, or that's just how they are. Not wanting to give myself food poisoning. Thanks in advance!

It's now been a month of fish oil, prenatal vitamins, and struggling to reach 70g of protein from dairy/egg/fish/protein powder daily. I feel mental benefits from the fish oil (concentration better), but my hair and nails look the same. I am guessing that may take longer. The protein is still tough. If have to make myself eat it. If I eat intuitively, it is very low protein, and reminiscent of the way I was eating before that got me into trouble in the first place. But I don't LIKE to make myself finish things if I don't feel like it, just so that I get the protein. I understand that I may have gotten used to undereating (even though I am not underweight) and the fact that a 5.3 oz. yogurt feels like a lot probably seems dumb to people who are used to eating eggs and dairy daily. I feel like I am forcing myself to eat a lot of the time, but in a month, my weight has only gone up by about a pound, which is weird. It feels like more. I have to say high protein snacks have been very helpful, as far as my energy level and not being completely ravenous at meals. But going for a long time between meals and being super hungry is what I'm used to, so I guess maybe being well-fed feels "wrong"? I know logically it's not, but it does seem like adding a single-serving container of Greek yogurt (or a homemade protein bar) and a frozen fruit/protein powder smoothie to my day is not much, but it feels like a lot. If you asked me if I actually wanted a snack, I would probably say no, I'm not hungry enough, but then if I skip it, it's a long time between meals and my protein for the day comes up short (maybe 40ish grams for the day without the snacks), which is a problem. I have ventured into fish! Only canned tuna mixed with light mayo and sriacha so far. I can't bring myself to buy an actual fish and cook it. Are pouches of tuna better? What about salmon? I guess what I'm asking is whether this will feel normal? How long should I expect it to take for my body to adjust? Thanks in advance!

Hello! This might get long: Maybe some of you remember that I posted in that I was struggling with protein as a vegetarian last September. When I am actually able to meet my protein goals, I do feel I have more energy, better workouts, etc. but I admit I haven't alsways been consistent, and I rely heavily on soy, veggie burgers, etc. I have been vegetarian (not vegan-- I do eat dairy and eggs but don't eat them more than once a day) for almost 20 years, and it seems it's catching up with me. Over the past 3 months or so, my hair hs started falling out, my skin and eyes are dry, my nails have deep ridges in them (not new, but worse), I'm tired most of the time (need lots of caffeine!), and have weird abdominal bloating, but I am of normal weight for my height. I had more bloodwork done: iron is still very low despite taking iron supplements for half a year, thyroid numbers off, low B12, various other things flagged as low but I don't know how to interpret those. My doctor suggested a registered dietitian. I didn't know this when I made the appointment (I was looking for a medical person who has experience with deficiencies), but the dietitian is a vegan! She was like, "I am a vegan myself; I eat no animal products. I strongly support plant-based diets, but this isn't working for you." I have to take prenatal vitamins even though I'm not pregnant, and an Omega-3 supplement (I got a fish oil one even though I don't like the idea because it's supposed to be more absorbable). Apparently, because plant protein is less bioavailable, you need more than whatever is recommended. Those protein calculators that are .8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight are the amount to prevent deficiency., and I'm barely able to even reach that. She says that depending on the plant source, you can only absorb 25-60% of the protein in a plant food (for animal foods, it's 95% on average, sometimes 97-8%), so you have to eat a LOT to make of that, and it's too much volume. (This is why combo plant protein powders, like pea + rice, with the fiber taken out, can be helpful). As your hormones change, it's also possible for your abiltity to absorb plant protein to change. What was fine in my 20s might not be fine now in my 40s. A lot of things were fine in my 20s. I could sleep on a floor and see you 8 hours later, and now that's not happening :) She said I need to start eating 2 dairy servings a day (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whey protein, cheese) and 1 egg plus 2 whites a day on top of my regular food. This feels like a lot and I am weirdly bloated already (even though my weight is about what it normally is). Does that seem like too much dairy? Too many eggs? I am frustrated at how difficult it is. My stomach can't hold that much colume, and it seems like too many calories, AND I'm fuller because of the protein and inclined to eat less. Struggling with this morally/ethically, but strongly considering trying to eat some fish. I'm sure my omega 3s are woefully low, and it might be easier to get high quality protein that way. Does anyone have experience with this? @skwigg I know you went totally plant based for awhile and then stopped, any thoughts? I am very frustrated and also sad that I can't deny that what is good for the environment/animals/eco footprint is not doing my health any favors.

Just got my annual bloodwork back. I have questions, and don't know how concerning any of this is. As a generally health-conscious place, I thought someone here might have some info, since it'll be several days until the dr. gets back to me. My cholesterol is up 20 points from last year! My weight and activity level are the same, and the only thing that has changed about my diet is I'm trying to include more protein. Maybe it's the additional cheese and eggs? Total is 185, which is supposedly OK, and the ratio of good to bad is 2.2, which is OK since it's supposed to be below 5. But I don't like that it went up that much and I can't figure out why. My iron is still the absolute lowest of the acceptable range. Guess it's time to supplement again. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) got flagged as low. No clue if this is an actual problem, and I have never heard of this or noticed it on previous bloodwork, but they apparently always test it. Google says it can be a sign of protein deficiency, pernicious anemia, or malnutrition?? I am starting to worry that 20 something years of vegetarianism is starting to catch up with me :( Any thoughts? Not sure if anyone here has medical training, but extra appreciated if you do!

Anyone read it? It doesn't feel like her voice, maybe it was mostly written by her co-author? Some good bodyweight workouts, and the stuff about her life and fitness journey was interesting. I would have liked more about that, actually. Her nutrition stuff strikes me as totally out there. Carb-phobic, and this weird idea of workout-earned meals (?!) Thoughts?

After haphazardly doing whatever on YouTube for a few years (I alternate upper, lower, total, and core), I think I want to do an actual progressive program. I don't know if a program that fits my requirements exists, but if you know of anything, I'd love to hear about it! 1) Must not require gym machines or kettlebells. I don't have those. I have dumbbells and resistance bands (but prefer dumbbells) 2) No ebooks! I get really annoyed with those and would rather follow a video. 3) Ideally workouts should be 30 min or less. If they are longer than that, it will likely not be sustainable for me. Basically, I am looking for something a bit more organized and progressive that will challenge my strength level, but I don't want workouts to be to long or 6 days per week. Any thoughts? Does something like that exist?

Has anyone been on the pill/patch/ring/shot/Mirena IUD for 10 years or more and then gone off? Experiences? @skwiggs I think you said you did that recently? I had absolutely hellish periods and a few ovarian cysts, went on the pill for about 7-8 years, had lots of breakthrough and other side effects, went off for about 1.5 years and it was AWFUL, tried a few other brands of pills (same problems), then tried Nuvaring and stuck with it. I've been on Nuvaring for about 11 years, zero problems. Now starting to have breakthrough bleeding and sometimes irritation. This may be because I am 40 and my hormones are changing? No one seems to know how long is "safe" to stay on hormonal bc, and there is very little data on Nuvaring since it came out in 2001. Since strokes run in my family, I am worried about my increased risk by being on the ring. I also don't like that it increases risk of certain cancers, blood clots, liver/gallbladder problems, etc. I also don't want to go back to period hell, so I am not sure what to do. I mean, menopause could be like 15 years away for me. My family doctor doesn't consider herself a bc expert, so she referred me to a gyn who I felt was extremely dismissive of my concerns. My ultrasound was normal, so I don't know what's going on with me and the ring? Thoughts/experiences? TIA!

OK. I avoid tracking things because I hate math and I find it annoying, but I decided to for the past 5 days because I am where you were awhile back, @skwigg with clothes feeling tighter than I would like, feeling puffy, etc. I can post my height/weight if that would be helpful and not offend anyone. I discovered that I am struggling to get 40g of protein per day. This seems very low. It is the bare minimum using the 1g protein for every .8kg that you weigh, if that is accurate whatsoever. I do not know how accurate my calorie tracking has been, but I have done my best, and actually have measured things, which also annoys me and seem to be around 1500ish a day? I am a vegetarian, but still. I do find myself hungry/unsatisfied much more than would be ideal. I have been vegetarian for maybe 25 years and satisfaction has never been a problem. But this is new. I think this may be related to the fact that I have finally been able to get off of a migraine preventative medication (yay!) I was taking that cut my appetite wayyyyyyy down. So, it's quite possible that I have been feeding myself inadequately for years, and didn't know because my hunger was blunted. I got a plant-based protein powder that my friend likes, and I hate it. I have tried whey/soy protein powders in the past and have hated all of those too, lol. I think what I hate is the weird fake vanilla/chocolate/weird "natural" sweetener flavor? So, I ordered a plant-based protein powder that is unflavored and unsweetened. Hopefully I will like that better, or find it acceptable. I am hoping to find a good oatmeal or pancake protein powder combo, that would be easy. I like yogurt and kefir, but do not like Greek yogurt, which would obviously be better. Maybe I can add something to improve the texture and then I would like it? Dairy and eggs in general are OK. But I cannot deal with eggs in the morning, unless they are disguised into some kind of baked good or pancake :) I love nuts and nut butter, but you have to eat massive quantities to get a sufficient amount of protein. Same with lentils/beans, which I also like. Anyone have suggestions? It maybe seems possible that by making a few changes I could improve my energy level/body composition without doing anything drastic, which I heavily resist. I fully admit that I love to eat and bake and don't want to have to stop eating any of those things, even though my fitness-minded friend says I must. She is maybe not a good person to ask, haha. I am not a hard core exerciser by any means. But I could maybe improve in this area. I currently do 20 min of yoga every morning (I enjoy this, look forward to it, and it improves my patience level in the classroom, haha), 10-15 min. of short Zuzka-style workouts (not always her specifically) but not heavy weights, I can't keep up if I use more than 8-10 lbs., and I am on my feet moving around a good bit at work all day if that counts for anything. No clue if this is adequate or not, and also no idea how much of me is fat vs. muscle, etc. Sorry for the long post! Any ideas, anyone?

I just had routine bloodwork done as part of a checkup, and my TSH came back elevated (5.3). It has always been 2.0-2.9. I am supposed to get T3 and T4 as follow up, and may have to see a specialist depending on those results. Does anyone have experience with this?

I can't figure out how to do this. I checked everything under my profile and it doesn't seem to be there. Anyone know?

I have all of my notifications turned off (they have always been off) but over the past week, I've started getting email notifications for every post. I am not sure what else can be done about this since all of my notifications are already turned off. Anyone else having this problem?

I have been a vegetarian for most of my life, and while my iron has always tended to be on the low side, it is now borderline too low for the first time (the lowest acceptable ferritin level is 16, which is what I got). I am wondering if anyone has a multivitamin with iron that they like. The only one I could take without nausea is off the market; that is the only significant change I can think of. I currently take the Trader Joe's high potency chewable, but apparently it's not cutting it. Thoughts?