Well I'm down 1.5kg this week, still not as good as I should have been doing but definitely progress and my fitness is vastly improved in the few months I've been at the gym

Nice! I'm down to about 183 lbs/83 kg (having been at 189/86). Totally off-topic, but I do wish America would switch over to the metric system. I'm no huge Euro-fan by far, but it's illogical to keep using lbs, cups, quarts, etc. (I did just now have to use an online converter.)

That's not surprising, whey being a milk product is building food. I keep my milk products to a relative minimum for that very reason.
Not going to happen. We've slid a bit in that certain things are only really bought and sold in metric quantities, but I doubt it's going to get much further. And ultimately there isn't much reason for us to do it. Trying to switch a country of 310m or so people over to a new system of measurement is more or less futile. It would be a lot easier if we could do it state by state rather than as a nation all at once.

I say emphasize it more in math classes throughout school, so it becomes natural; the change could, imo, be gradual.

You say that, but we have a system that works, and has worked for a long time. The units we use have already been adjusted to just be factors of an SI unit, at this point, I really don't think that it's worthwhile to make the switch.

And I say that as somebody that spent a lot of time in college using the metric system in classes. I still think in imperial units, and for most folks there just isn't any advantage to using metric.

On top of that, things we do all the time are demonstrably harder using the metric system. Ever tried to cook using imperial recipes in metric? We typically use fractions in cooking and fractions don't work so well with the metric system. All our existing buildings were built using materials that are customary in dimensioning, as was all of our infrastructure.

It's not as simple as just educating folks because we've still got billions and billions of dollars worth of equipment and infrastructure that we'd have to redo if we really wanted to make a switch.

I just found a new snack that I may be interested in introducing as a staple. My mom recently bought a bag of dried fish snacks, made up of dried fish, salt and sugar. One pack contains 28 kcal, and 3.7g protein. I'll be trying that for a few weeks and see if I notice any gains.

That reminds me, I really should get back to my chia seeds. They're great for during exercise in particular due to the time release effect on the water they soak up.

Hemp is a plant protein, not an animal one, so it's a lot different (you can't survive on it, you'd still need B12). Still it's an exceptional one and not hard on your body. I've always bought the "chocolate" flavor (meaning it says chocolate and it's brown, but like any health food, otherwise bears no resemblance to chocolate). It's not bad.

Yes different brands do taste different, but not radically so. Manitoba Harvest has one now bulked up with extra fiber, so you might prefer that one, dunno.

Whey protein is hard on a lot of people, since it has casein in it especially. I never was a fan of whey protein.

Hemp protein is way more expensive than whey protein btw, but still it shouldn't run you over 20-40 bucks a month. I know cheap candy is, well, cheap, but you can subtract that from the price. I mixed almond milk normally, but you can save that expense by going with water instead (maybe squeeze a bit of fruit juice in to sweeten it).
I've been thinking of acquiring a large container of pumpkin seeds for snacking. Almonds work great but are hideously expensive.

Does Manitoba's mix well with cow's milk?

Almonds are pretty cheap here, I find. Not sure about the net weight, but a decently-sized bag costs only about $10, and lasts for about a week - and that's including me snacking on 2-3 handfuls a day.

I remember when I was in the army, we'd go on outfield exercises. During those lull periods, we'd just sit around the tanks and do nothing. Then I'd break open a bag of almonds, and start chewing on them for an hour while passing them around. They're just so damn addictive.

I used to jog until I realized not jogging was more fun in the short run. Help me.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfcini3N9j1qbvc38o1_400.jpg

I hate running and jogging. I'd tell you to swim (which as I've probably mentioned what I do for exercise, because it's less painful), but I get the feeling that wouldn't be very convenient for you. Ummmm, at least go for walks? (As has been stated, it's not very effective but ... better than nothing, I guess.) Or you could powerwalk like a grandma. Or go back to jogging, but grab and mp3 player and some sturdy headphones and make it like you're in a music video.

I also enjoy (as silly as this is) freestyle dancing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7movKfyTBII), but only do it when I'm alone, and even then only slightly. The rhythm flows through me.

I love cardio exercises but my nutritionist told me to lift weight because I was losing too much muscle. It took me a while to like it and to adjust (for instance, I couldn't use those work out machines -too painful on my back and arms-, instead I now use dumbbells and I enjoy it much better).

Make sure your technique is correct too. It is too easy to hyperextend your lower back, or work your shoulders when you should be doing your chest. Look up Google and Youtube for instructional videos and advice.

I use dumbbells for my entire workout. And you can do an amazing amount. I personally own and recommend Men's Health Ultimate Dumbbell Guide by Myatt Murphy

He covers pretty much everything you could ever possibly want to know about working out with dumbbells.
Getting correct form is absolutely vital. If you don't you're either going to hurt yourself or your not going to work the muscles you're wanting to work. Either way is not good.

Better to burn or stall than to do the exercise with poor form.