CK is so right about not wasting calories on liquid. It's just a waste IMO. I only drink water, diet iced tea and diet soda when I'm dieting.
Why? Just curiosity. Whole food has far more satiety and a higher TEF. If you're dieting, I can't se the point of liquids. If bulking, they're far more useful.
So tomorrow my Research Program is taking me out to a 4 or 5 star expensive restaurant and since we are going as a big group we only have a few options when ordering. It's at an Italian place so I am anticipating a lot of unhealthy food. That being said, I plan on only eating 1 serving of almonds and a sandwich (400 calories) prior to our dinner. Could you all help me pick the best dinner in terms of healthiness? As far as appetizer I am leaning towards the Bruschetta or Calamari (all those appetizers look pretty unhealthy) For the Entree I was thinking the Veal or Salmon (I think these are the healthiest and I wouldn't mind a break from chicken) For dessert I don't know yet
1. Go to the 4/5 star restaurant 2. Give no ****s about eating "healthy" and eat what you WANT. 3. Enjoy yourself 4. Get back at it tomorrow 5. ???? 6. Profit Any other strategy is bordering an eating disorder. Dieting is poker. Know when to hold em and know when to fold em. Be as diligent as you can. You're going to have to make sacrifices to reach your goals. That said, your diet shouldn't consume you. Your everyday life must be incorporated in your diet. Did you read that book I emailed you? If not, get on that. Lyle explains the psychology of dieting better than I ever could. For the record, I would pick (because I want to live vicariously through you, not suggesting "healthy" choices)... Drinks: Cabernet Sauvignon. Goes good with red sauces. A. Bruschetta E. Chicken Sorrentino w/ extra sauce. Seriously, light marinara? Go **** yourself, please. D. Tough. I hear Tiramisu is awesome. But I also like ice cream. Especially covered in chocolate chips, nuts, cherries, and other assorted ****. I'd pick both (srs).
Whats number 5? lol I'll definitely cut loose and enjoy myself tonight, I guess sometimes I feel like I have too many cheat days. I haven't yet started reading the book you sent me although I plan on getting on it soon. My summer research program is almost done so I have been consumed with writing my abstract, making a powerpoint, and a research poster (Pain Vigilance compared to Pain Tolerance and Pain Severity, in case you were interested lol). I am going to start reading it as soon as I finish and present my project on Monday. Seriously what the hell is light marinara, as an Italian I take offense to that lol.
Hmm, but not booze though.. IIRC it requires additional energy to process. I'm leaning up instead of bulking up, and prefer the liquid to the food simply b/c now my appetite overall has decreased, which was one of the points.
The importance of staying hydrated: It has been ridiculously humid these last few weeks. I work in a kitchen (the AC is broke) so I've been forced to sweat ballz for the last few weeks. I went to the gym around 4 yesterday. Finished my workout at 5. Went home, showered, and was off to play poker with my buddies. I stopped at subway to get dinner. While ordering in line, I passed out. I knew something was wrong when I started getting a weird feeling of being drunk. Maybe not drunk, but a really strong buzz and cold sweats out of no where. I woke up on the ground with some girls who had been eating there. They were really panicked and I was just plain confused. I tried to get up but they wouldn't let me. They pointed out the small pool of blood behind me. Apparently I whacked the **** out of my head. Nothing a few staples to the back of my head couldn't solve, smh. Funny enough, I used to be a fan of survivor from way back when. When the heroes and villains season started, I regained some interest and watched a few of the seasons I missed. A few people have passed out, so I knew what was going on. As I sat up, a minute later I could feel my blood pressure drop (buzz). I started sweating profusely, so I laid back down, felt better. Paramedics came, I tried to refuse treatment (as far as an ambulance ride and hospital visit). My insurance sucks, so I was hoping I could simply get some fluids in me and walk on out of there. Didn't happen. As they sat me up to get me drinking, my blood pressure dropped again, so I was forced to lay down once more. I realized there was no other alternative. I relented to go to the hospital. Excited about the bill. They started me on a bag of fluids. I got to the hospital, nurse took my BP, gave me a EKG, took temp, etc... Doctor stapled the gash in my head closed. Shoulder hurts like **** though. Pretty much the long and short of it. Got a ride from my buddy to my car at subway. Went back in and thanked everyone. The employees told me they thought I was having a seizure because my eyes rolled all the way back and I was ghost white. Kind of embarrassed about the whole thing. Drink more water. It's good for you.
Wow, hope you feel better now Bro, that sounds like an extreme case of dehydration and maybe some heat exhaustion. I make it a point to drink 200 oz's of fluid a day or so, mostly black iced tea that is very diluted.
Last few days have been crazy. On Monday I presented my presentation on pain and then moved out of my apartment and into my parents place. Tuesday: I worked 11 hours Wednesday: Worked 10.5 hours Thursday: Worked 10.5 hours Friday: Woke up at 8am, ran to a bunch of stores shopping then starting on vacation with my parents Saturday: Finished driving down to the Florida Keys. I worked as a stock clerk at Publix running around stocking shelves and was constantly moving around. I ate okay those days, but probably had a HUGE caloric need based on my activities those days (I was constantly on my feet moving around) so I didn't bother counting anything, but at the same time didn't eat horrible. I figured I would just take it easy on myself. I did not give up or anything like that, more so taking a break for a while. Once vacation started I have had a hard time picking and choosing what to eat and everything because my parents packed the camper with food and planned out all the meals etc. I am probably eating well over my usual caloric limit, I may put on a few pounds over this week (I doubt it though, coming later..). Ironically, tonight we ate at The Hogfish in the keys, which was featured on Man vs. Food. A big reason I am not worried about what I am eating right now is because starting Monday we will be diving for Lobster. Basically, I will be swimming all around in the water for probably a good 6 hours per day. I am going to be doing this Monday to Friday. I did it last year and it wears you out fast and uses up a bunch of calories. I think between eating whatever I want and what my parents make/take us out to eat I should either stay right around my current weight or gain (doubt it) up to 2 pounds. I think in order just to relax and have a good time with my family that is worth it. When we get back to our house on Saturday I will be able to get back on my diet posting what I eat etc. I move back up to Gainesville on the 17th and it was really easy to lose weight when I lived by myself planning out my meals and all that. I will get back into that habit again. Its a war not a battle. I want to get down to 175 and I am going to get down there. Thanks so much for your concern. How are you doing buddy? That post was hard to read about you and I've wanted to make sure you were okay...
Man, I really miss counting calories and charting out my progress and everything. It became addictive and I sincerely miss it. Monday cannot come soon enough!
I don't know how many weeks ago I first weighed in (I think it was the beginning of summer). Well anyways I just stepped foot on the scale again and weight 201.5 now. I lost 17 pounds since the beginning of summer when I weighed in at 218.5. My goal was to be under 200 before the start of school (next Monday), it's going to be super close. That being said, even if I miss that goal by a little bit I am still really happy with the progress I made and look forward to continuing my weight loss journey. I still have about 25 pounds to go.
Same here UCF, I want to be 195 before school starts Monday, but I don't have to step onto campus until next Thursday. Weight room opens Monday, so along with 2 a days I think it can happen for sure..especially if I throttle back the adult beverages..
I haven't weighed myself in a while. I think I am under 200 now, I'll have to check soon. I haven't been monitoring my macros yet because my program keeps feeding me food everyday so its hard to guesstimate. Just have been eating less and healthier options.
Weighed in today. I was freaking 202.5... The only way I could have put on that weight is from all the beer I have been consuming recent. I am going to have to step that back some. This coming week all of our lunches will be provided via lunch and learns. They following week I get back to counting calories. I worked out today. Did some bench presses, squats (with weight), and pull ups.
Fell 2 pds short, last week of summer break so I went out a lot and stayed out really late. Thing is, with college starting again and I'm bike commuting every day I'll hit and then some in the next 2 weeks or so.
It will do it to you UCF... This is one of the reasons why I bike every single day, it really does help to handle those little blips upwards.
How are you all doing? I haven't seen a post from Clark Kent in a while... Hope you all are going well. I just weighed myself today for the first time in a while and gained even more weight... Up to 208.4 or something like that. Freaking dental school/stress eating. I've realized I cannot "eat healthy" without recording every little thing I eat. I am going to start recording my intake tomorrow. I guess not being able to workout hasn't helped either. I am pretty much stationary the whole time now due to being in class and studying so much.
Sup bro. Thought you gave up, so I stopped coming. I got bored and checked the thread. Sorry to see you've added some weight back. Still Less than the 216 you started with (it was 216 right?). So the good news, you're still down. Just not where you were. Watch this if you're bored... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTlvDMBDIxQ Sad story. Happens a lot. While I don't think this guy situation is indicative of everyman (obviously, you're not 500lbs, nor are most), I think it speaks to the larger issues. While I don't know the full details of the story, I do know that he stopped doing what made him successful. Without much knowledge of your situation, you've likely done the same too. So I'll recap... For 1 month, I want you to record your calories ahead of time. Basically, create a meal plan. So today, you would eat the food you put in the meal plan (just record them in myfitnesspal) yesterday, and tomorrow, the food you put in today. No excuses like "I was going to but..." "I did, but then...". If it's not in your meal plan, you don't eat it. Want to go out and drink? You had better have planned for that yesterday. Because if you didn't, you don't drink it. Your food is going to be the equivalent of a bank account and you're on a budget. Do this for a month, without fail, and you'll begin the process of learning discipline. Without that, you're going to yo-yo. As long as you hit your macros and calorie goals, that's all you should care about. And you'll do it by staying one step ahead of yourself. As far as exercise, you know the drill. Get a gym membership and get lifting 3x per week. Google starting strength and learn everything you can. Watch videos on youtube to see how to do it with proper form. Cardio: At your leisure. 30 min a day is better than 0, right? Keep working at it. Good luck.
Yeah, I gave up but I missed talking to you all. Is this the only place you usually post? I thought I played the GM league with you last year, but haven't noticed your posts anywhere else on thephins (unless I was looking in the wrong places). That video was so freaking sad... Thank goodness I haven't gained that much weight back. I just have been noticing that clothes haven't been fitting as nicely, etc and want to change that asap. I am at the perfect point to start recording my calories and everything I eat again because I don't have much crappy food at my place now. I used to keep saying well I'll eat this pizza today and then start tomorrow, etc. It's funny how cyclical weight gain can be; and like you said a while ago one bad decision usually leads to more nutritionally because you get the mindset of well I already messed up... My biggest problem has been that I sort of lost motivation and time. I really wanted to get in shape for the start of dental school to look good for my fellow classmates. So once school started it was like well I made my first impression so I don't need to keep losing weight, getting more in shape, etc. Also the stress of dental school has taken its toll on me. I usually have to wake up at 6:30am to be at school by 8:00am and am in school until 5:00pm and go home and have a bunch of studying to do. I'd get so caught up that I wouldn't pack a lunch for the following day which would result in me buying fast food at school. Then I would drink various coffees to stay awake during class (extra "liquid" calories). Then I wouldn't want to spend time cooking dinner so I would heat up pizzas or grab fast food. Then I wouldn't have time to workout. Just a bad, bad cycle and place to be. Well I am going to start lifting 3 times a week (usually do it for an hour: bench, squats, and pull ups). I'll try to work in cardio, but it may be harder because my roommates are pretty big lifters but they don't do any cardio. So its easy for me to just tag along with them to lift, but it might be harder to make myself go to the gym for cardio on days that I don't lift. I'll restart posting my daily meals and macros and calories tomorrow. Lets get this!!! Hope all is well with you Clark Kent! It was good/motivating to seeing Padre still going at it!
Nah, I post on the main forum too. Usually take a break in the off-season. i Yeah, good food in the house can be a *****. I tend to do my shopping day by day because A). I buy things and don't eat them later because I want something else. And B). It can get tempting. There is a difference between hunger and cravings. I can deal with hunger no problem. The cravings are far more bothersome. Usually, I only buy Chicken and veggies (stream fresh broccoli lightly sauced is amazing). Then I buy any other goodies day by day. It's a good strategy. Yeah, no motivation is a killer. Gotta want it. [/quote]Well I am going to start lifting 3 times a week (usually do it for an hour: bench, squats, and pull ups). I'll try to work in cardio, but it may be harder because my roommates are pretty big lifters but they don't do any cardio. So its easy for me to just tag along with them to lift, but it might be harder to make myself go to the gym for cardio on days that I don't lift. I'll restart posting my daily meals and macros and calories tomorrow. Lets get this!!! Hope all is well with you Clark Kent! It was good/motivating to seeing Padre still going at it![/QUOTE]Don't need cardio if you diet correctly. Good luck getting back on track. Regardless of anything else, getting in the gym to lift it important for a ton of reasons... Even if you decide to not diet. I don't think you can go wrong with a solid 3x a week workout routine. Who knows, after putting in all that hard work, you might re-find motivation. I'll try and stop in from time to time.
Well UCF, here is the thing, it is somewhat normal to give up or throttle back, the key here is how long you do so and how much work you are making for yourself via stopping then starting. For me, that is a huge motivator, work THAT hard to regain some semblance of health, only to toss it away? I've toned it down as well, and picked up some bad habits BUT only gained maybe 3 pounds.
Lol Ironically, a little bit after I posted that I hadn't seen Clark Kent post elsewhere on this site I saw one of his posts on the main board. I'm the same way, I can deal with hunger but cravings can be a *****. I was doing great yesterday until my gf came and she wanted to go to some place that was on man vs food lol. So I decided not to publish my results from yesterday because they weren't pretty. That being said, today I did a little better. Right now I am finding that old habits die hard. Today for instance one of our apartment complex staff come around to do some BS survey and gave me a little bite size Butterfinger, sure enough I ate it without even thinking about the macros and calories (I felt so freaking stupid after this). Then later on in the day I went to Chipotle and got regular coke without even thinking about it... It's easy to see how I put on weight now that I am taking notice of what I eat. Tomorrow there isn't going to be anymore "Oh sh*t, I shouldn't have eaten that" moments. Your right Padre, I worked my *** off this summer (literally) and now am watching myself throw it away... not anymore. Official weight: 206.6 lbs (I bought a scale too so I can weigh myself daily. Honestly, that's not as bad as I thought it was. Easily thought I was around 210. I'm still down 12 pounds from the start of summer.) 10/09/12 Food 1/2 Starbucks Cookies and Cream Frappuccino 10 oz Ground Beef Lean Cuisine Fajita-Style Chicken Spring Rolls Chipotle Coke Candy Exercise None 10/09/12Totals: Calories - 1820 Protein - 127g Fat - 83g Carbs - 172g Notes: Gosh those numbers are horrible. Too many calories, too little protein, too much fat, too much carbs. I am going to do much better tomorrow, but I wanted to get in the habit of recording what I eat again. I need to "remember" how to think about every little thing that touches my mouth before I eat it again.
Remember, flexibility is the key. Rigid dieting leads to failure. Flexible dieting leads to success. "Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend." - Bruce Lee Oh, and I gotta say... I upgraded my protein intake. After reading some interesting articles on protein, I decided that my 140ish wasn't good enough. I upped it to 170-180g per day. It was a great decision. Feeling stronger in the gym and the diet is as smooth as ever. Only thing that sucks is protein is so much more expensive than carbs and fats. Then again, if the investment into yourself isn't worth it, what is, right?
Actually UCF that is not horrible, at the end of the day it wound up being 1820 calories Way I see it, the lack of motion is more of an issue, as has been said in this game consistency is more important than sporadic effort.
Ok so hope you don't mind me asking here UCF, but I want to drop 30 pounds. I have been doing Rugby practice, so a lot of running short burts (football type workouts) ((which i love))...I am going to start jogging daily....About 3-4 months ago, I was lifting and taking suppliments very often...was bulking up....not losing weight, but gaining muscle....I am already a pretty stocky/bulky guy....so I want to lose weight, and drop down fat....then work on cutting some muscle. Playing football my entire life, I was always lifting max weight/short reps to get thick, strong muscles......I am not playing anymore, I want to cut down and get ripped. Any advice for diet/lifting to cut not bulk? I drink about 8-10 bottles of water a day. No more soda. One cup of coffee a day. Thats it. I drink a lot. I need to cut back, because even light beers, I pound 8-9 anytime I drink. I hate the empty calories. I need to cut back drinking anyways. I made 4 grilled chicken breasts and put them in tupperware for the week, so lunch is provided and I don't get temptations to eat out. I was thinking small portions, low calories, no more bull**** chips/ice cream. For a snack is popcorn good? Low calories. But I also want low carbs.
Clark Kent and Padre are better at answering these questions than me, but from everything they have taught me I can tell you: 1.) If you want to cut and keep your muscles you need to limit your calories and increase your protein. Protein will nourish the muscles while you lose fat this way. 2.) Keep track of everything you eat. If you have an Iphone or another smartphone download myfitnesspal app. It is a great diet tool. 3.) You will need to cut back on the beer, but if you plan for drinking beer you can still drink (but doubt you will be able to pound more than 6 unless you are drinking Bud Select 55). 4.) Depending on your height and weight I would say try to limit calories to around 1800 and get 150+ grams of protein. I am sure Clark Kent and Padre can fill in the rest. Also maybe you should read the beginning of this thread because they gave me a bunch of information to help me out in the beginning. I was basically in the same shoes as you and they helped me work out a program that I lost about 18 pounds with over a couple months.
Sick, the deal is you can eat, or you can drink beer, don't do both or the weight will stick like glue. As I've been telling UCF, in this game consistency is more important then short term effort, whatever you do, do so every day. I picked up bike commuting and have lost 60+ pounds in about a yr.
Official weight: 206.8 lbs 10/10/12 Food 5 Eggs 2 slices of cheese Toaster Strudel Bonefish Ahi Tuna Bonefish Bread Bonfish Lily's Chicken Bonefish Whipped Potatoes Exercise None 10/10/12Totals: Calories - 1790 Protein - 120g Fat - 73g Carbs - 115g Notes: Well, I did a little bit better today. I could have done better, but I had to take the GF out for dinner and that kind of messed me up (I tried to eat the healthier stuff that I could find the nutritional value for). I didn't slip up and eat any candy or have any regular soda though so that is a plus. Today was easier than yesterday so far as fighting off cravings and hunger. Tomorrow I am going to try to restrict my diet a bit more. I think gradually getting back to my caloric intake is helping me adjust along the way. I think this is working better for me right now than going cold turkey. That being said, my goal is to get my calories between 1600 and 1700 and protein over 130 grams. Hopefully, the weight fluctuation is just water weight or something like that.
. For n00bs in the weight room, focusing on strength (3-5 reps) is important because 1). Strength (3-5 reps per set) and Hypertrophy (enlargement of muscle size) are almost one in the same. So doing strength training allows them to get stronger and get hypertrophy, as oppose to one or the other. 2). They're below baseline for muscle development and can develop muscle even while cutting (unless cutting is too extreme). However, if you're an experienced lifter, you have a good base of muscle, then you can choose to do any workout you wish. A lifting routine based on strength (3-5 reps) or Middle of the road for a combination of strength or hypertrophy (6-8 reps), or hypertrophy (9-12 reps) will be perfectly fine. If you're not exaggerating about your muscle, you'll be a ****ing beast when you cut to a lean state. Water is good. Soda is OK if you manage calories. I hate drinking my calories, so I just drink diet (sprite zero = godly). Black coffee is amazing. Coffee has so many health benefits you're practically suicidal if you don't drink it. PLus it's thermogenic (makes your body burn more calories) and the caffeine is an appetite suppressant. Don't be afraid of black coffee. Cutting back on drinking is never a bad thing. Drinking is a such a gray area when cutting and it's a pain in the *** to explain fully. The less your drink, the better is a good summary. I use the strategy of eating tons of chicken everyday, right away. My first 2-3 meals are all chicken. I eat anywhere from 20-24 oz (raw weight measured) for 120+ grams of protein. You seem like you might be implementing that type of strategy and it's a good thing. It will pay off. As for your second quote about ice cream and chips... **** that. Eat them! Just save them for the end of the day... They're your reward for a days work of dieting. If you fit them into your calorie and macronutrient budget, it's going to be fine... If you want to do low carbs, it's up to you. Just to be clear, your other options are going to bring you just as much success. At the end of the day, calories, calories, calories. If counting calories is too much of a problem for you, maybe carb-less is the way to go. But if you want low carbs, you need high fat (for energy)/high protein (muscle maintenance). Once your body becomes ketogenic, it needs fat (both body and dietary) to sustain energy. I can give you a simple keto diet outline to follow if you're want the low carb road. That said, you WILL have to do occasional carb ups (which I'll explain) to refill muscle glycogen. If you don't, you're going to lose energy to lift, and lose strength/and muscle as a result of lowered intensity.
So for me, I am 6' 1/2 and 230. Like I said, I dont look as "fat" as some at 230, due to some muscle from previous life in football. MY legs are fine.....got some fat in my butt, but its mostly my chest and gut. Arms are cut, not much fat. So what would you think is a good start for calories/protein a day? I can run about a 7-8 min mile for 3 miles on tredmil, do some reps on machines and ab work 4 times a week. Should I do 6 meals a day? or 3 protein packed meals, and some snacks for calories? Do I HAVE to reach the calories if I hit protein? Whats some good protein sources besides tuna, chicken, and shakes?
The other guys are better at setting goals, so I'll leave this to them. I went home to my parents for the weekend and to celebrate my 2 year anniversary with my gf. I know this sounds bad, but I am going to take a break from counting everything out. The other days I tracked everything got me locked and loaded and I am going to start Monday. I just have a hard time counting eating home cooked meals that my parents prepare, and when I eat out at restaurants. Figured that I would enjoy these few days then hit the ground running Monday with my limit of 1700 calories.
Eat as many or as few times as you want. There is no magic number. Eating more frequently doesn't raise metabolism and eating less frequently doesn't lower it. You should set a caloric goal and reach it. Not doing so causes problems ranging from psychological, physical, hormonal, etc... If you're fat, you could get away with eating 800-1000 calories per day of protein and spare some LBM. However, it's a topsy turvy road. Fact is, we all want to lose weight yesterday. Reality is, it's not going to happen. People try to hurry the process along and it never works. They learn bad eating habits, develop eating disorders, goof hormones, fail and gain weight again, etc... If you want to lose the weight, do it right. Don't look back and wish you did it right. Just do it right, right now. The difference between 500 calories more or less is 1lb. Is 1lb per week more worth the problems you'll cause yourself? Probably not... In the end, it's going to take months to get where you want to be. Maybe even a full year depending on how lean your goal weight is. Be smart. Be patient. You'll get there. And you won't have to suffer if you do it correctly.
