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PA Weight Loss Challenge: Beware the Ides of March!

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Posts

  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    edited March 2011
    so geckahn

    are you familiar with Lyle McDonald's PSMF thing? I'm on day 3 of it and it seems to make sense to me. What, if any, are your thoughts?

    It's basically a short-term "zero"-carb/ "zero"-fat/ high-protein crash diet that seems to transition into a high-protein/ moderate-fat/ low-carb diet.

    i did a low-carb/ high-fat diet for a couple months last year and didn't have fantastic luck with it. it wasn't particularly hard to stick to, and i stayed in heavy ketosis for a long time, but i think i was eating enough fat that i just wasn't losing much weight.

    Irond Will on
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  • geckahngeckahn Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I don't know anything specifically about it, but a low fat low carb high protein diet will definitely work - just make sure you keep it a short term thing, or you'll probably start feeling pretty terrible as soon as your weight loss slows down (since on this diet you'd be getting pretty much all your energy from use of stored fat).

    I kind of accidentally did a very low carb and low fat diet and it was great when I was losing weight, but as soon as that slowed down I started feeling pretty shitty until I significantly increased my fat intake.

    geckahn on
  • A duck!A duck! Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited March 2011
    You can keep that up with increasing doses of stimulants (caffeine for me, nothing tricky), but yeah, at some point you're just done and your body will just stop recovering from exercise. It's a great bodybuilding cut diet.

    A duck! on
  • JadedJaded Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    tehmarken wrote: »
    Jaded wrote: »
    Could use a critique on the eatting habbits here:

    My day usually consists of the following:
    Breakfast:
    2 eggs, bacon, 2 toast, juice, protein shake

    Snacks through the day:
    Fruit 2 go bars
    Fiber 1 bar
    Carrots
    Apples
    Bananas
    Almonds
    Grapes
    PB Sandwich if fruits are getting scarce around the house.

    Lunch is usually leftovers from the previous supper (hamburger or chicken).

    Supper is always either hamburger or chicken with a side of veggies.

    Always have another protein shake after my workout.
    Thoughts?
    What are your goals? If you're a body builder that sounds good.

    If you want to lose weight, I'd say cut breakfast to just a protein shake. Fiber would be good too, help to keep you from snacking before lunch.

    Cut down on the carb snacks during the day. Like having just one banana between breakfast and lunch.

    Fruit juice is just crammed full of sugar, but doesn't have as many vitamins/minerals as fruit, or the fullness from the fiber and such.

    And probably just cut portions smaller all around.


    Drink water throughout the day to curb the urge to snack. Snacking is usually the biggest problem people have with keeping daily calories down.

    Looking to drop fat and add muscle. I would like my first target to be 205 (I hover between 226 - 229 right now, was 242 60 days ago). I drink 2 litres of water every day at work currently and maybe another 500mls to a litre at home most days. This does not include the 200mls that go into each shake.

    What woukd you suggest for fiber in the morning? Is there something I could add to my protein shakes perhaps? Speaking of which I was grinding up half a banana with my shakes and eatting the other half for breakfast. Bad idea? Is there anything that can be added to a shake to make it not so... chalky?

    My workouts are always after work (6pm'ish usually) and if WiiActive can be trusted burn anywhere from 127 - 200 calories per workout. I have 1 more workout in my first 30 day challenge, then will be stepping up my difficulty to hard (from moderate). Also, I am getting my weight bench this Sunday, since I had to bail on the guy I bought it off last Sunday.

    I don't know if I could drop hamburger, I only eat lean currently, which I suppose is better then fatty fat burger. If anyone could suggest a meal planner with some easy to make (and healthy) foods I would appreciate it greatly.

    Tried carrying some fish and shrimp around the house but am scared its going to go to waste.

    I switched to fruit 2 go bars so I wasn't hitting the vending machine at work here for chips and mars bars. They might not be the best for me, but right now they fill a spot that was previously occupied by much worse garbage.

    Also, as a note to you WiiActive trainer... screw your lunges! I'll do 'em... but I friggen hate them!

    Jaded on
    I can't think of anything clever.
  • lazegamerlazegamer The magnanimous cyberspaceRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I would reiterate some of what was already said. I would nix the juice in favor of actual fruit. It helps control how much sugar you actually get, and provides some fiber in your diet. I don't see a problem with eating the hamburger, however processed meats like bacon/sausage should be treats at best. They carry too much risk of heart disease later in life.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2010-releases/processed-meats-unprocessed-heart-disease-diabetes.html
    The researchers defined unprocessed red meat as any unprocessed meat from beef, lamb or pork, excluding poultry. Processed meat was defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives; examples include bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Vegetable or seafood protein sources were not evaluated in these studies.

    The results showed that, on average, each 50 gram (1.8 oz) daily serving of processed meat (about 1-2 slices of deli meats or 1 hot dog) was associated with a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. Too few studies evaluated the relationship between eating meat and risk of stroke to enable the researchers to draw any conclusions.

    lazegamer on
    I would download a car.
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I know they're not nutrient rich, but they're pretty damned satisfying for the calorie load.

    In other news, I fit into a pair of 40s today (pants). Still got a long way to go, but I was wearing 50s a couple of years ago, and 46s just one year ago. Pretty happy about that.

    Like I said, don't ditch them, but they shouldn't be an every day kind of thing.

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I recall reading/hearing that starchy foods like potatoes and rice are actually less filling per calorie compared to other foods.

    EDIT: Maybe I got this backwards...

    Zombiemambo on
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  • lazegamerlazegamer The magnanimous cyberspaceRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I know they're not nutrient rich, but they're pretty damned satisfying for the calorie load.

    In other news, I fit into a pair of 40s today (pants). Still got a long way to go, but I was wearing 50s a couple of years ago, and 46s just one year ago. Pretty happy about that.

    Like I said, don't ditch them, but they shouldn't be an every day kind of thing.

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I recall reading/hearing that starchy foods like potatoes and rice are actually less filling per calorie compared to other foods.

    EDIT: Maybe I got this backwards...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7498104
    There were significant differences in satiety both within and between the six food categories. The highest SI score was produced by boiled potatoes (323 +/- 51%) which was seven-fold higher than the lowest SI score of the croissant (47 +/- 17%). Most foods (76%) had an SI score greater than or equal to white bread. The amount of energy eaten immediately after 120 min correlated negatively with the mean satiety AUC responses (r = -0.37, P < 0.05, n = 43) thereby supporting the subjective satiety ratings. SI scores correlated positively with the serving weight of the foods (r = 0.66, P < 0.001, n = 38) and negatively with palatability ratings (r = -0.64, P < 0.001, n = 38). Protein, fibre, and water contents of the test foods correlated positively with SI scores (r = 0.37, P < 0.05, n = 38; r = 0.46, P < 0.01; and r = 0.64, P < 0.001; respectively) whereas fat content was negatively associated (r = -0.43, P < 0.01).

    lazegamer on
    I would download a car.
  • DracilDracil Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    lazegamer wrote: »
    I would reiterate some of what was already said. I would nix the juice in favor of actual fruit. It helps control how much sugar you actually get, and provides some fiber in your diet. I don't see a problem with eating the hamburger, however processed meats like bacon/sausage should be treats at best. They carry too much risk of heart disease later in life.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2010-releases/processed-meats-unprocessed-heart-disease-diabetes.html
    The researchers defined unprocessed red meat as any unprocessed meat from beef, lamb or pork, excluding poultry. Processed meat was defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives; examples include bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Vegetable or seafood protein sources were not evaluated in these studies.

    The results showed that, on average, each 50 gram (1.8 oz) daily serving of processed meat (about 1-2 slices of deli meats or 1 hot dog) was associated with a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. Too few studies evaluated the relationship between eating meat and risk of stroke to enable the researchers to draw any conclusions.

    The question to me is if they controlled for other confounding factors, like carbs. But the very narrow focus on *only* red meat makes me think probably not.

    But they also say this:
    “When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, 4 times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives,” said Micha. “This suggests that differences in salt and preservatives, rather than fats, might explain the higher risk of heart disease and diabetes seen with processed meats, but not with unprocessed red meats.”

    Dietary sodium (salt) is known to increase blood pressure, a strong risk factor for heart disease. In animal experiments, nitrate preservatives can promote atherosclerosis and reduce glucose tolerance, effects which could increase risk of heart disease and diabetes.
    If their conclusions are correct, that means it's not specifically processed meats that's bad, but salt and nitrate preservatives, which means we should find the same effect if you add a bunch salt to your unprocessed meat when you eat it, or just buy nitrate preservative-free processed meat. We should also see the same effect with certain high nitrate vegetables like spinach, lettuce, carrots, and potatoes.

    Dracil on
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  • A duck!A duck! Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited March 2011
    Jaded wrote: »
    tehmarken wrote: »
    Jaded wrote: »
    Could use a critique on the eatting habbits here:

    My day usually consists of the following:
    Breakfast:
    2 eggs, bacon, 2 toast, juice, protein shake

    Snacks through the day:
    Fruit 2 go bars
    Fiber 1 bar
    Carrots
    Apples
    Bananas
    Almonds
    Grapes
    PB Sandwich if fruits are getting scarce around the house.

    Lunch is usually leftovers from the previous supper (hamburger or chicken).

    Supper is always either hamburger or chicken with a side of veggies.

    Always have another protein shake after my workout.
    Thoughts?
    What are your goals? If you're a body builder that sounds good.

    If you want to lose weight, I'd say cut breakfast to just a protein shake. Fiber would be good too, help to keep you from snacking before lunch.

    Cut down on the carb snacks during the day. Like having just one banana between breakfast and lunch.

    Fruit juice is just crammed full of sugar, but doesn't have as many vitamins/minerals as fruit, or the fullness from the fiber and such.

    And probably just cut portions smaller all around.


    Drink water throughout the day to curb the urge to snack. Snacking is usually the biggest problem people have with keeping daily calories down.

    Looking to drop fat and add muscle. I would like my first target to be 205 (I hover between 226 - 229 right now, was 242 60 days ago). I drink 2 litres of water every day at work currently and maybe another 500mls to a litre at home most days. This does not include the 200mls that go into each shake.

    What woukd you suggest for fiber in the morning? Is there something I could add to my protein shakes perhaps? Speaking of which I was grinding up half a banana with my shakes and eatting the other half for breakfast. Bad idea? Is there anything that can be added to a shake to make it not so... chalky?

    My workouts are always after work (6pm'ish usually) and if WiiActive can be trusted burn anywhere from 127 - 200 calories per workout. I have 1 more workout in my first 30 day challenge, then will be stepping up my difficulty to hard (from moderate). Also, I am getting my weight bench this Sunday, since I had to bail on the guy I bought it off last Sunday.

    I don't know if I could drop hamburger, I only eat lean currently, which I suppose is better then fatty fat burger. If anyone could suggest a meal planner with some easy to make (and healthy) foods I would appreciate it greatly.

    Tried carrying some fish and shrimp around the house but am scared its going to go to waste.

    I switched to fruit 2 go bars so I wasn't hitting the vending machine at work here for chips and mars bars. They might not be the best for me, but right now they fill a spot that was previously occupied by much worse garbage.

    Also, as a note to you WiiActive trainer... screw your lunges! I'll do 'em... but I friggen hate them!

    There's nothing wrong with red meat, really. I probably wouldn't eat 5 pounds a week, but you can definitely swing it. As for losing fat and gaining muscle, over the last year I've gone from 190 pounds all the way down to 186, but lost at least 20 pounds of fat in the process. What's going to work for you is probably going to be different than what worked for me, and I'll address that, but for workouts I did M-F, seven sessions: two chest days and two shoulder days in the mornings, two squat days and a deadlift day in the evenings. The diet I did was around 1800 calories per day, with usually around 1100 to 1200 of that coming from protein, and most carbs coming right after workouts. No juice, no soda. If you want fiber, add a cup of berries to your morning and post-workout shakes. Two cups a day (admittedly pricey!) is something like 16g of fiber, which isn't bad at all.

    What I would suggest for you if you want to get into lifting is probably Starting Strength or Strong Lifts. I started with strength routines way back, and I feel like it's a much better idea to start with that than a bodybuilding-style routine. You have to have to have to learn the basic lifts (bench, press, deadlift and squat) and learn them well, and I'd really dedicate six months to a year to just basic strength work for that purpose.

    A few years ago I was in a pretty similar position to where you are. I was 5'11", 220 pounds and none of it muscle. I've been at this for four years now (I can't believe that), with injuries and relapses on the way, but if you accept that you just have to bury yourself for a few months/seasons/years you can get some amazing results.

    A duck! on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    The first thing jumping out at me with that study about meat is the word PROCESSED. Usually, processed food means trans-saturated fats; which are definitely bad for you.

    And as usual, duck's advice is solid.

    From my own experience, I started about 2-2.5 years ago getting in shape. I'm 6'3", and when I started I was at about 210-215lb and weak. I dedicated myself to 3-4 days a week of lifting, running, biking, and other exercise. Had some offseasons and such, my fitness fluctuated a bit.
    Right now, I'm at about 3 months since I hit the gym from a combination of illness this winter and being very busy getting ready to move back to the US. But because of my fitness before, I've only gone from 185lb to 190lb. A little bit of muscle loss, and little bit of fat gain.

    tehmarken on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Just a little thing about meat: what parts you eat matter a lot. With steaks, cut the fat off and don't eat it.
    With ground beef, there are different mixtures, usually from 80/20 (lean/fat) up to 95/5. When you're home cooking, get the leanest you can; or if you use fattier mix make sure to drain the meat while cooking.


    The great thing about most meats is that you can just trim off the fat; but nutritional data still includes trimmable fat. So if you trim your meats properly, you end up with healthier food than what labels/databases say.

    tehmarken on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Posts about satiety and stuff:
    lazegamer wrote: »
    I know they're not nutrient rich, but they're pretty damned satisfying for the calorie load.

    In other news, I fit into a pair of 40s today (pants). Still got a long way to go, but I was wearing 50s a couple of years ago, and 46s just one year ago. Pretty happy about that.

    Like I said, don't ditch them, but they shouldn't be an every day kind of thing.

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I recall reading/hearing that starchy foods like potatoes and rice are actually less filling per calorie compared to other foods.

    EDIT: Maybe I got this backwards...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7498104
    There were significant differences in satiety both within and between the six food categories. The highest SI score was produced by boiled potatoes (323 +/- 51%) which was seven-fold higher than the lowest SI score of the croissant (47 +/- 17%). Most foods (76%) had an SI score greater than or equal to white bread. The amount of energy eaten immediately after 120 min correlated negatively with the mean satiety AUC responses (r = -0.37, P < 0.05, n = 43) thereby supporting the subjective satiety ratings. SI scores correlated positively with the serving weight of the foods (r = 0.66, P < 0.001, n = 38) and negatively with palatability ratings (r = -0.64, P < 0.001, n = 38). Protein, fibre, and water contents of the test foods correlated positively with SI scores (r = 0.37, P < 0.05, n = 38; r = 0.46, P < 0.01; and r = 0.64, P < 0.001; respectively) whereas fat content was negatively associated (r = -0.43, P < 0.01).

    I think there's an easy, although possibly innaccurate, secondary conclusion here. Things cooked in water and end up soaking up water give more satiety and lower calorie density.

    Boiled potatoes and rice soak up tons of water (my rice cooker cooks 1 cup of rice with 1.5-2 cups of water). Not surprising if the bottom is a croissant, which is a bunch of thin layers of dough wrapped up and cooked to be dry and crispy.

    This may be another reason why steaming food seems to work so well for people. Steaming vegetables has always been a good way to keep nutrients from leeching out; but maybe steaming meat would also be a good technique.

    tehmarken on
  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited March 2011
    Passed the 25 pound mark, and now entering the low half of the 200s at 248 lbs.

    Getting a lot of protein is annoying, so I got some of the powder to help on the bad days. Also found mint dark chocolate almonds, which are delicious and a step up from peanuts.

    Sterica on
    YL9WnCY.png
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I usually don't have much trouble with protein. Meat at lunch and dinner, protein shake at breakfast and post workout (which is often times with dinner). Then usually protein shake before bed and/or cottage cheese (usually with some jam or berries).

    And often snacking on beef jerky when I'm sitting at my computer playing games or watching stuff. Beef jerky is the greatest snack ever, except for the price =\

    tehmarken on
  • LadyMLadyM Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Like many, I fudged the numbers on my weight when I got my driver's license. It's not like the cops are going to whip out a scale when they give a speeding ticket, so who cares if I put down a lighter weight, right?

    Today I happened to glance at my DL and realized I was now seven pounds lighter than that. YEEEEEEEAH!

    I've been eating pretty much what I always ate, just less of it. And less desserts. There's pumpkin ice cream in my freezer that's been hibernating there since Christmas.

    LadyM on
  • InkSplatInkSplat 100%ed Bad Rats. Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    So, I think I'm going to give Mcdonald's crash diet a try. I've been having trouble getting my eating habits back under control, so something super-restrictive, but with a timeline, should actually be pretty effective to getting me back on track low-carb-wise.

    Plus, hopefully it'll get me craving fat rather than sugar, which is something I'll be able to give in to without feeling nearly as guilty (or as physically crappy, for that matter).

    It's so much easier to eat healthy when you're already eating healthy. Stumbling, and then feeling like crap, is a quick way to continue eating like crap. Especially when you've got other stresses.

    I was down to 223 in August, managed to be good while on a 3 week vacation, and then, as soon as I got home, I got dragged out to do wedding stuff in the city and, when wedding deserts were the next stop, I caved. And then that just led to me eating a "normal" dinner at a nice restaurant after that, aaand now I'm back to 254 as of yesterday.

    220 is like my fucking arch-nemesis. I have hit the low 220s four individual times in the past 4 years, and every time, something happens and I let myself stumble and I end up back at 250-260 (which seems to be where my body likes to stay).

    I'm really kind of sick of it, and I'm totally willing to crash diet just to break that wall, because I think it is absolutely psychological, and once I beat it, I don't think I'll have any problem with maintaining low-carb afterwards.

    Usually I'm not a fan of crash diets, but sometimes you just gotta try something drastic.

    InkSplat on
    Origin for Dragon Age: Inquisition Shenanigans: Inksplat776
  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    OK, protein shakes.

    do they require a blender? Are there good brands that don't taste like i'm eating the leftovers of classroom blackboards?

    My diet is doing such strange things to me down here. At first, i was hungry every bit of the day. But now, I'm lucky if I'm hungry enough to get down more than 2 meals a day, one in the morning, one at night.

    I know that's bad for me, but I can't seem to make myself eat when i'm not hungry, that just makes me nauseous, miserable, and lethargic for the rest of the day. I'm wondering if a protein shake wouldn't help with some of that?


    Also, I am slightly lactose intolerant, I don't know whether or not that has an effect on these shakes or not.


    edit: Man, that thing about stress. I was on a good track last year, although breaking 260 was a pain in the ass, I would always hover around 261, 262, but I could never get lower. Then, I finally did it, I hit 259, I got excited, worked out more, then that night my mom went to the hospital and was diagnosed with colon cancer (she's fine now). Bye bye weight loss, hello stress food. Man, if I can even get myself back down to that low, i'll be on a good roll.

    lonelyahava on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    A good way to psychologically train you for not craving sugar is to eat protein/fatty snacks (like nuts) and then do something active that is fun; at just at least something fun. Eat a bag of nuts, go for a 5-10min walk, then come home and play some video games or something.

    I know chocolate causes a release of endorphines (happy brain chemicals), and I think other carb sources do too (not sure at all). So this trick would be to get the release of endorphines to be associated with healthier food consumption.

    Chocolate covered almonds are also an awesome segway snack.

    tehmarken on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    OK, protein shakes.

    do they require a blender? Are there good brands that don't taste like i'm eating the leftovers of classroom blackboards?

    My diet is doing such strange things to me down here. At first, i was hungry every bit of the day. But now, I'm lucky if I'm hungry enough to get down more than 2 meals a day, one in the morning, one at night.

    I know that's bad for me, but I can't seem to make myself eat when i'm not hungry, that just makes me nauseous, miserable, and lethargic for the rest of the day. I'm wondering if a protein shake wouldn't help with some of that?


    Also, I am slightly lactose intolerant, I don't know whether or not that has an effect on these shakes or not.


    edit: Man, that thing about stress. I was on a good track last year, although breaking 260 was a pain in the ass, I would always hover around 261, 262, but I could never get lower. Then, I finally did it, I hit 259, I got excited, worked out more, then that night my mom went to the hospital and was diagnosed with colon cancer (she's fine now). Bye bye weight loss, hello stress food. Man, if I can even get myself back down to that low, i'll be on a good roll.

    Lactose is the main protein of milk, and therefore the main protein in weigh-based protein shake mixes. Lactose intolerance can be a complication there.


    On the subject of blender/mixing, many powders do great in just a shaker. Little tumbler cups with a screw on cap; I've got one and I love it.
    I can't remember the brand right now, but there's one I use that's great. I want to say the name is something like Muscle Power or Protein Power; it was cheap and I picked it up at a military base commissary (gf's mom is an AF recruiter).
    In the past, I found Myoplex to do pretty well in taste and mixing via shaker. It often clumped when I spoon stirred, but shaking make it good enough for me; and the flavours are good (I think they just have vanilla or cocoa).

    tehmarken on
  • A duck!A duck! Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited March 2011
    OK, protein shakes.

    do they require a blender? Are there good brands that don't taste like i'm eating the leftovers of classroom blackboards?

    My diet is doing such strange things to me down here. At first, i was hungry every bit of the day. But now, I'm lucky if I'm hungry enough to get down more than 2 meals a day, one in the morning, one at night.

    I know that's bad for me, but I can't seem to make myself eat when i'm not hungry, that just makes me nauseous, miserable, and lethargic for the rest of the day. I'm wondering if a protein shake wouldn't help with some of that?


    Also, I am slightly lactose intolerant, I don't know whether or not that has an effect on these shakes or not.


    edit: Man, that thing about stress. I was on a good track last year, although breaking 260 was a pain in the ass, I would always hover around 261, 262, but I could never get lower. Then, I finally did it, I hit 259, I got excited, worked out more, then that night my mom went to the hospital and was diagnosed with colon cancer (she's fine now). Bye bye weight loss, hello stress food. Man, if I can even get myself back down to that low, i'll be on a good roll.

    They don't require a blender, and I wouldn't suggest a normal one for them as the protein builds up if you can't directly scrub it and stinks the joint up. I use a Magic Bullet, which works wonders. If you want to make a less gritty shake, make it the night before and just refrigerate it. Over time the gritty shit will even out and all you need is a quick shake to get everything mixed properly again.

    You don't need milk, but it'll taste a looooot better. Gold Standard is my favorite brand, and that's my favorite flavor. If you mix two scoops in a cup of whole milk and let it sit overnight it tastes fantastic. The Syntha-6 Chocolate Milkshake is similarly great, but that's more of a bulking protein mix.

    EDIT - I would try a regular protein powder before trying a lactose-free one. Microfiltered powders are usually at least double the cost of normal whey protein isolates for about 15% more purity. Get a two pound tub of something and see if you can hack it (look for things with lower amounts of fat and sugar, as that's where the issue is). If not, you can look into microfiltered. Of course, there's also egg and soy protein, but I can't speak for them. This price breakdown is no longer accurate, but it does give you an idea of some of the brands out there.

    A duck! on
  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I should mention that I usually mix my protein shakes with water, not milk. Flavors a bit off (tastes a bit watered down, like you would expect), but it's easier to down.

    Also, I've kinda cut out milk in general. After learning more and more about lactose, nutrition, and metabolic changes throughout life, I figured I'd just try out not drinking milk. (Basically, the principal that milk is meant for consumption by the young. As you mature, your body changes to not digest milk as much; enzymes that helped digest milk as a youth are produced in lower quantities as you age.)

    I'm not a particularly die-hard believer of being anti-milk; but milk did make me gassy, so going without it suites me well :)

    tehmarken on
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    edited March 2011
    InkSplat wrote: »
    So, I think I'm going to give Mcdonald's crash diet a try. I've been having trouble getting my eating habits back under control, so something super-restrictive, but with a timeline, should actually be pretty effective to getting me back on track low-carb-wise.

    Plus, hopefully it'll get me craving fat rather than sugar, which is something I'll be able to give in to without feeling nearly as guilty (or as physically crappy, for that matter).

    It's so much easier to eat healthy when you're already eating healthy. Stumbling, and then feeling like crap, is a quick way to continue eating like crap. Especially when you've got other stresses.

    I was down to 223 in August, managed to be good while on a 3 week vacation, and then, as soon as I got home, I got dragged out to do wedding stuff in the city and, when wedding deserts were the next stop, I caved. And then that just led to me eating a "normal" dinner at a nice restaurant after that, aaand now I'm back to 254 as of yesterday.

    220 is like my fucking arch-nemesis. I have hit the low 220s four individual times in the past 4 years, and every time, something happens and I let myself stumble and I end up back at 250-260 (which seems to be where my body likes to stay).

    I'm really kind of sick of it, and I'm totally willing to crash diet just to break that wall, because I think it is absolutely psychological, and once I beat it, I don't think I'll have any problem with maintaining low-carb afterwards.

    Usually I'm not a fan of crash diets, but sometimes you just gotta try something drastic.

    well so far it's working well for me.

    cooking within those restrictions has actually been kind of a fun challenge and i've been pretty proud of my results.

    prior to starting the diet i was having a really hard time keeping my appetite under control, but since starting it i've had no problems.

    i have gone from 186 (monday morning) to 178 (this morning). most of it is of course water weight, but it still feels nice to see that needle moving in the right direction

    Irond Will on
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  • JarsJars Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Taranis wrote: »
    Mogs wrote: »
    Taranis wrote: »
    Does anyone know anything about yoga? Or more specifically, how much it taxes your muscles? I want to start doing yoga, but I don't know if it would conflict with my current lifting/cardio routine (lifting and cardio 6 days a week).

    I've been regularly practicing yoga for 6 years and I teach part time. I would say that while yoga is a much different kind of workout than weightlifting, it can still "tax" your muscles. Depending on the yoga class/instructor, you can work on strength, flexibility, or cardio (not to mention the whole mind/body piece). I personally don't hesitate to add yoga into my workout routine everyday. Are you thinking of starting on your own or taking a class?

    I'm thinking about starting on my own. I'd like to take a yoga class at my gym, but I don't really have time for it right now. Most of the exercises that I would probably want to do would focus on the lower body, and since I do cardio six times a week I'm worried that I might not be able to do both.

    I do yoga and regular workouts and yoga feels different once you finish a workout. you don't really feel sore or anything, just really stretched out and relaxed. The positions are no joke though, especially if you lack flexibility.

    Jars on
  • Casual EddyCasual Eddy The Astral PlaneRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Taranis wrote: »
    Mogs wrote: »
    Taranis wrote: »
    Does anyone know anything about yoga? Or more specifically, how much it taxes your muscles? I want to start doing yoga, but I don't know if it would conflict with my current lifting/cardio routine (lifting and cardio 6 days a week).

    I've been regularly practicing yoga for 6 years and I teach part time. I would say that while yoga is a much different kind of workout than weightlifting, it can still "tax" your muscles. Depending on the yoga class/instructor, you can work on strength, flexibility, or cardio (not to mention the whole mind/body piece). I personally don't hesitate to add yoga into my workout routine everyday. Are you thinking of starting on your own or taking a class?

    I'm thinking about starting on my own. I'd like to take a yoga class at my gym, but I don't really have time for it right now. Most of the exercises that I would probably want to do would focus on the lower body, and since I do cardio six times a week I'm worried that I might not be able to do both.

    I think it depends on the teacher. I haven't done it often, but one instructor I had gave me the best workout I've ever had. I felt sore all over for days after

    Casual Eddy on
  • Casual EddyCasual Eddy The Astral PlaneRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I personally wouldn't advise ketosis-inducing long term. I found it to be a finicky and extremely restrictive diet, and though I got results, I felt sick and was extremely limited when I ate or drank out.

    Casual Eddy on
  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited March 2011
    tehmarken wrote: »
    I usually don't have much trouble with protein. Meat at lunch and dinner, protein shake at breakfast and post workout (which is often times with dinner). Then usually protein shake before bed and/or cottage cheese (usually with some jam or berries).

    And often snacking on beef jerky when I'm sitting at my computer playing games or watching stuff. Beef jerky is the greatest snack ever, except for the price =\
    That's what I mean. I went to Walmart and got a tub of the protein shake mix. It's cheaper to just get it via other foods, but what people don't remember is that a lot of those other foods have fat or carbs, making it a real bear if you want protein as your largest percentage of your daily calories.

    My average for protein is roughly 20%, which is better than my old, bad eating habits (6%), but I'd like to cut the carbs more and get the protein to 40%.

    Sterica on
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  • TaranisTaranis Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Whey protein is great, but if you're exercising don't forget to supplement your diet with casein as well.

    Taranis on
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  • RisenPhoenixRisenPhoenix SUPER HOTRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Taranis wrote: »
    Whey protein is great, but if you're exercising don't forget to supplement your diet with casein as well.

    I'm currently on 1 serve of Whey upon waking, another post-workout and a serve of Casein before I go to bed. All Optimum Nutrition - Bodybuilding.com has a deal right now where you order a 5lb of Whey and a 2lb of Casein and they'll throw in a Multivitamin and Fiber Powder in for freebies.

    RisenPhoenix on
  • InkSplatInkSplat 100%ed Bad Rats. Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I personally wouldn't advise ketosis-inducing long term. I found it to be a finicky and extremely restrictive diet, and though I got results, I felt sick and was extremely limited when I ate or drank out.

    Before my slip and subsequent plummet, I was on low-carb for quite a while. I felt fantastic, and I could cook quite a bit. I had alternatives for tacos and lasagna and bread and all that stuff, so it wasn't really restrictive at all, except with sugar.

    It was very easy to stay on, so long as I stayed on it, because then I had no cravings. The times I messed up are when I felt pressure from outside, like when my future father-in-law just loved to make jokes to waitresses about my diet, which just made me feel self-conscious about it. Which I know is silly, but not much I can do about it afterwards.

    Anyway, yeah, you feel like shit if you eat stuff that's bad for you..but I think that's largely because its bad for you. :P

    InkSplat on
    Origin for Dragon Age: Inquisition Shenanigans: Inksplat776
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    edited March 2011
    I personally wouldn't advise ketosis-inducing long term. I found it to be a finicky and extremely restrictive diet, and though I got results, I felt sick and was extremely limited when I ate or drank out.

    i found it really hard to eat out, especially if i was also trying to keep my fat consumption down. though i guess on balance, it's going to be hard to go out to eat and drink socially with any regularly and stay on pretty much any diet.

    it's not hard cooking at home though if you have the time and ability. there are a lot of options and you can make your food specifically to your tastes

    Irond Will on
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  • NatheoNatheo Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Alright, I'm in.

    Currently 255.

    Goal is 220 for now.

    My current rate of running is about 9 minutes a mile, But I usually just interval on the treadmill, between a brisk walk and a jog at a 3 degree incline.

    I do this 3 times a week, as well as lifting 2-3 times a week, and I've been starting planks. I usually do 3 reps each forward left and right, between 40-60 seconds.

    My diet usually consists of cereal in the morning, something I cannot remember the name of but it has real fruit in it supposedly. Kellogg's something. Either that or a light english muffin toasted with peanut butter. Oh, and on weekends I'll make something with eggs and ham, like a sandwich. I avoid cheese.

    Lunch is typically a white meat based sandwich or wrap, with some lettuce or other vegetables if they're around, and a little olive oil based mayonnaise. Sometimes it's roast beef, and with that I use some horseradish (not sauce) that I get from my grandpa. So good. Store brand light bread. I avoid cheese here too.

    Dinner is all over the place. Sometimes it's a repeat of lunch, or oscar mayor turkey dogs, tilapia (that I need to start baking, I fry it with as little canola oil as possible, seasoning with pepper and garlic powder), or tuna.

    This all is assuming I don't go out, which I do once or twice a week, and even then I usually avoid cheese, mayo, fries, battered stuff, etc. I have a copy of Eat This Not That, so I usually go along those recommendations.

    So that's about it. Any recommendations?

    See you next weight in.

    Natheo on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • TaranisTaranis Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Are you female by chance? I ask because it seems like you're taking in far fewer calories than a male should.

    Taranis on
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  • ChillyWillyChillyWilly Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Related to working out: What kind of supplements do you guys take, if any?

    I take this stuff pre-workout: Buzzerk

    And this post-workout: Rezzerect

    They're too expensive for me to get by themselves and they have obscenely stupid names, but they weren't too bad together as a package deal. I'll definitely be trying some other stuff once I'm through with them.

    I swam a mile yesterday no problem and still had a lot of energy left afterwards. Works for me. :D


    On hard workout days (5 days out of the week), I'm taking in around 80g of carbs, most of which is due to the above supplements. On non-workout days, I only take in about 35g (in addition to a cheat meal or two, which varies).

    Let's say I work out 45 to an hour on all of my workout days (mostly swimming and running at this point, but I'm going to throw in some weights next week). Is this too many carbs to take in and still lose weight?

    ChillyWilly on
    PAFC Top 10 Finisher in Seasons 1 and 3. 2nd in Seasons 4 and 5. Final 4 in Season 6.
  • InkSplatInkSplat 100%ed Bad Rats. Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Man, it is not easy to get 150-180 grams of protein just randomly without really pushing, if you're trying to avoid fat at the same time.

    Morning: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
    Lunch: Can of tuna + mustard.
    Snack: Some sliced turkey.

    Thaat only puts me at 62g of protein.

    Sooo.. yeah. Going to have to start planning on chicken breasts for breakfast if I don't want to have to gorge myself at dinner.

    InkSplat on
    Origin for Dragon Age: Inquisition Shenanigans: Inksplat776
  • AtomBombAtomBomb Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Regarding mixing powders and such, I just use a whisk and mix it in the glass. It's fast, works really well, and is super easy to clean up. You just need a glass and a whisk that will fit in it. Spin the whisk by rolling it between your hands, like a boy scout would use a stick to start a fire. A simple whisk with a round handle works best, and the smaller the diameter the faster it will go. I have one whisk that has a rubber oblong handle which works, but it's not as great.

    This also tends to foam up the mix a bit, which I like.

    AtomBomb on
    I just got a 3DS XL. Add me! 2879-0925-7162
  • RisenPhoenixRisenPhoenix SUPER HOTRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Blam, suckers.

    Ns4N2.jpg

    Don't buy it from Amazon, you can get something similar for <$5 at any department store last I checked. Shake it up and the spring ball will make sure there's no clumps or the like. I've had the same one since I started seriously working out and as long as you keep it clean you can't stop it.

    RisenPhoenix on
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    edited March 2011
    InkSplat wrote: »
    Man, it is not easy to get 150-180 grams of protein just randomly without really pushing, if you're trying to avoid fat at the same time.

    Morning: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
    Lunch: Can of tuna + mustard.
    Snack: Some sliced turkey.

    Thaat only puts me at 62g of protein.

    Sooo.. yeah. Going to have to start planning on chicken breasts for breakfast if I don't want to have to gorge myself at dinner.

    cans of tuna and chicken breast is pretty much where it's at

    and yeah it's a lot more food than i generally want to eat

    Irond Will on
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  • InkSplatInkSplat 100%ed Bad Rats. Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Irond Will wrote: »
    InkSplat wrote: »
    Man, it is not easy to get 150-180 grams of protein just randomly without really pushing, if you're trying to avoid fat at the same time.

    Morning: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
    Lunch: Can of tuna + mustard.
    Snack: Some sliced turkey.

    Thaat only puts me at 62g of protein.

    Sooo.. yeah. Going to have to start planning on chicken breasts for breakfast if I don't want to have to gorge myself at dinner.

    cans of tuna and chicken breast is pretty much where it's at

    and yeah it's a lot more food than i generally want to eat

    Yeah. Even with a large chicken breast, I'm only at 102g now. So.. that means I'll need another chicken breast for dinner, plus some more cottage cheese, plus some turkey slices to hit my goal.

    Yowza.

    On the bright side, I discovered I can make tasty chicken breasts in the microwave in about 8 minutes. So that's handy.

    InkSplat on
    Origin for Dragon Age: Inquisition Shenanigans: Inksplat776
  • HalibutHalibut Passion Fish Swimming in obscurity.Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    So I started the StrongLifts program 2 weeks ago, and I've been keeping track of my waist and neck measurements so that I can get my estimated body fat % (US Navy method.)

    Along with the StrontLifts program, I've changed my diet some. I've pretty much had to remove anything that was high in carbs and replace it with protein in order to get enough protein without eating too many calories. Not to say that I'm avoiding carbs completely, it's just that carbs aren't ever the majority of my calories in any given meal.

    So far, my waist has dropped from 33.5 to 33 inches and my neck has grown from 14.25 to 14.75 inches, meaning a drop from 15.9% to 13.9% body fat in 2 weeks. My weight has stayed at 188 throughout, so I've gained about 3.5 lbs of muscle, while losing 3.5 lbs of fat.

    Holy crap!

    I'm sure part of it is just the inaccuracies of measuring with a measuring tape (and using a formula to calculate body fat), but I've seen a downward trend after 3 measurements. Looking forward to seeing the results after another 2 weeks.

    Halibut on
  • NatanekoNataneko Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    So.... I tried integrating exercice small step at a time, like maybe doing 10 minutes a couple of times a day so it's easier to do.

    today, for a phys. ed. class I have to take to complete my diploma, I had to do 1 hour, but in one shot. it's not too bad, I walked for 1 hours, my legs hurt just a bit.

    But I feel like... killing myself. I haven't felt that depressed since I started taking antidepressant. Shouldn't 1 hour of walking makes me feel good, full of endorphin?

    is it normal? should I go on like this and hope I'll stop feeling depressed one day?

    on a good note, i'm now at 190 pounds. yay!

    Nataneko on
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