Fitness And Nutrition General

Dietary fat is fat that you eat, as opposed to fat that is already in your body at a cellular level. Eating fat is good for you, for the most part. Trans-saturated fats are the exception but they're getting very difficult to find these days. Beyond those, there's literally no such thing as "bad" fats in food.

Definitely check with your doctor. And look very seriously at your diet. I've gone through periods where I wasn't losing any weight and said that I was eating X calories, but I was ignoring or misreporting a lot of those calories. Losing (or gaining) weight isn't quite as simple as calories-in-calories-out, but it isn't hugely more complicated than that, either. It's just not likely that you're eating that little and staying at your weight.

Edit:
The mindless hatred of carbohydrates and fats really needs to die. Except those rare few that verifiably cause problems (trans-saturated fats), they're just things you need to educate yourself about rather than treating them like nuclear waste. The science is simply not present on the majority of claims that currently decry carbohydrates.

People have gone on McDonald's-only diets and lost weight (actually not that surprising given the macros on a basic hamburger). People have lost weight eating *** Twinkees, which are pretty much the ultimate combination of everything you shouldn't put in your body in a measurable quantity.

I am certain the bulk of anecdotal claims that removing X or Y from someone's diet are a combination of placebo effect, misplaced attribution of causation, and occasional genuine medical conditions like those with coeliac disease.

Pretty much everyone has to figure out what's going to work for them individually because the only conclusion to be drawn from all the research I've read is that people and our diets are not as easily generalizable as doctors, trainers, and the diet industry want us to believe. It's hardly surprising, either. I've known a lot of pet cats and dogs in my life and, unlike us, they get fed a consistent diet throughout their adult lives. I've seen some wind up obese and sedentary, some that are so skinny their owners have been incorrectly accused of abuse, and the full spectrum in between. That humans can be as variable is hardly a shock.

I'm not dismissing the possibility that I may be underestimating my consumption. It's a possibility.

It's also a scary possibility, because I'm already not eating what I'd like to; this facet has been a problem for me my whole life. Even in high school and college when I would literally eat the exact same thing as people around me (due to dining plans, etc.), participate in the exact same activities (band, casual sports, walking to classes, etc.) and still put on weight.

Had one friend who would literally eat more than three of the rest of us combined and stayed freaking cut. Still hate him for that.

I readily reject any notion that Twinkies are things you shouldn't put in your body.

Underestimating your consumption is very likely the culprit. I know if I'm not measuring out what I eat and being conscience of it, I tend to overeat.

Not to mention I frequently don't remember everything I ate two days ago if I'm not actively tracking it.

It's just basic conservation of energy. And before you claim that it's caused by his faster metabolism vs. your slower metabolism, the variation between the two of you is likely <200 calories. Aka. a single granola bar.

And here's your source. (Sorry, I'm not legally allowed to give you my version of the PDF, but the results are written clearly on their abstract.)

When I was a teenager, my friends were always amazed at the fact that I could consistently eat enormous means daily. (I'd eat 3-5 Big Mac's in a sitting) and still stay cut. But they didn't see the other part of my life where 6AM in the morning, I'd have 1.5 hours of swim practice before classes, and 5:00-5:30: cardio and weight lifting and 5:30-7:30 I'd have swim practice again. Every_Single_Weekday.

Mis-counting calories is a common problem because you don't know exactly how much you're eating. I approach this by using a digital balance to weight out everything. Don't just eye it. Weigh and measure EVERYTHING.

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Fat vs Carb/Protein have their own arguments but stem on the idea that Fats pack more calories than the other two per unit volume. Anatomically, we feel full based on stretch receptors in our stomach. Fat, because of their higher calorie/volume make you less full than other types of food.

For example, sometimes I eat bacon. When I do, I limit myself to 1 strip of bacon. They are 80 calories each. I can eat two pieces of bacon or I can eat 1 granola bar. The granola bar is likely going to satisfy me instantly more than than 2 puny pieces of bacon.

It's not necessarily bad advice to tell people to avoid as much fat as you can because satiety is determined by stretch receptors. It is naive to avoid fat cold-turkey though because many important vitamins are obtained from fat (and nutritional deficiency causes cravings). Fats also keep you from getting hunger strikes soon after a meal but that's an entirely different topic.

It's all about calories in and calories out. (Barring whether you have a serious metabolic problem such as Hashimoto's Disease).

I think there is a clear difference between "hatred" and "discouragement". I do not hate fats and carbs - to do so would be counterproductive to bodybuilding in general. The general idea here, as I have always stated, is this is what has worked for me and has been relayed to me from others who have seen huge improvements from making small changes in eating. This isnt a war between "Science and bodybuilding" - He asked for suggestions and tips and we are simply sharing ideas with him that have worked for us.

Like has been said before, everyone is different and everyone's body responds differently. but the underlying message is that simply trying out new things can be advantageous. If it is not, there was nothing significant that was lost.

I'm likely going to always disagree with the remark about the McDonald's only diet, because it is taken out of context. Weight loss is different than fat loss. There's even a move of a guy who ate mcdonalds every day for a month, and after like the third day, his body rejected it. Then there's people who eat it religiously and it doesn't affect them.

There is science behind steroids, and then there is science that debunks that science. Everything in this industry affects people differently.

But I digress.

The point I am trying to make is that you can make minor changes in your exercise and diet without killing yourself, see if it works for you, and if not, tweak the regiment to your liking.


Just as a side point with fitness/science: I hate the "science/doctors proves this" claim, because its all relative to too many factors. Some people would rather read what science/others say online. Others would prefer talking to people who do it personally and get advice from them. I'm a mix of both, but at the end of the day, I do what works for me. I'd rather get advice from someone who battled similar issues as me, who is very active, and who is knowledgeable about what works and does not work than read a claim online about what "science" proves. They don't always agree on the same thing.

The circumstances in which this took place were rather controlled. Trust me. He ate more and was no more active than I was. Ever so slightly less active, actually, because at the time all of his classes were in buildings closer to our dorm than mine.

Yes, and that movie was built on the premise of taking someone who ate exactly what his body needed (around 2000 calories based on how skinny he was) and grossly exceeding it. He crammed something like 3000-5000 calories in his mouth every day. Several movies were made after Super Size Me showing how eating a diet exclusively of McDonald's food is not inherently unhealthy and, indeed, can be used to lose weight.

Which isn't to say that I recommend McDonald's or any other prepared food. I make my own bread from the least-processed ingredients I can get my hands on (I don't have the room or resources to grow several acres of wheat, among other things). But there is way too much propaganda and confirmation bias floating around that rarely, if ever, stands up to scientific scrutiny.

Agreed.

Were you around him 24/7? Some people do crazy stuff like working out in the evening instead of reading a book or watching TV. Was he a fidgeter? Did he get laid more often?

I've heard lots of anecdotes about people who appear to eat a lot and do nothing, but there is usually something being missed in the narrative. Ditto for people who appear to control their diet, work out, and still get heavy. It's shockingly easy to miss 500 calories of extra eating, especially since I'm sure you're like most people and eat multiple meals per day.

24 some days. Others only about 18-20. We were in a social and educational setting that was as such we were together for a very significant portion of it. And were pretty much asleep when not. I frequently had to wake him up, because we were in the same building. He wasn't one that was getting up early to work out.

It is anecdotal. Maybe I am missing something. But the fact remains. What you're saying is taken well and I don't know what to tell you. The little *** ate ridiculous amounts of food, at most was minimally more active than the rest of us and stayed just how he was.

Truthfully, what you're missing may be that I used the world "friend" when maybe I should have said "close acquaintence". Same circle of friends, same social circle...I was never overly fond of him, so there's certainly some bitterness to it. He's the kind of guy who's ridiculously talented, naturally gifted physique-wise, who manages to do some of the dumbest ***of which you've ever heard tell and somehow come through all of it with zero negative consequences.

So there's some jealously involved. But for at least the 4 month period in question, the facts as I'm relaying them are pretty damn accurate.

I should probably point out a lot of this is all moot discussion. The bottom line is there isn't a single other person's metabolism or whatever else that is actually of concern to me at this juncture. Discussing this stuff is fun, but right now I just need to make something work for me. Everyone else in the world could gorge themselves and never lose weight, but it wouldn't mean a damn thing because that's not the case for me.

The combined factors are all just very, very frustrating sometimes.

The difference between you and your friend could well be his musculature. Heck, even if he was being lazy and letting his muscles go soft, that still means that he was able to lose muscle, gain fat, and appear more or less the same. Plus, men of a certain body fat percentage can hide their excess adipose in surprisingly effective ways. And, of course, his metabolism might have been genuinely better just because of more muscles and the testosterone that accompanies it.

So the question that arises with regards to your concern is what your muscles are like and, possibly, what your hormones are like. Being fat tends to reduce testosterone and boost estrogen and it can get a bit chicken-and-egg since boosted estrogen and diminished testosterone will also make you fat. It's why chubby girls tend to start puberty early and chubby boys are often late. Dunno how old you are, but have you considered a hormone panel? There's a host of factors that could be contributing, it's just difficult to pin them down.

Its within your power to do something about it, my friend. Don't compare yourself to someone who has insane genes or a different metabolism and try to measure up. The best part about it is you can opt to make changes today.

Make the effort, not excuses. If you really put forth some effort into a program that meets your schedule and addresses your needs, you won't be disappointed in the long run. Don't psyche yourself out of it just because of factors you can't control. Focus on what you can control and work at it!

Knowing myself it's probably as much a calories in and out issue as anything and I just have myself convinced that things are more skewed than they are. There are medication factors I'm not really wanting to go into in depth here, but overall my health is pretty decent. Being obese is certainly a risk factor for other things, but they're things I and my doctor keep monitored pretty well due to my family history. (edit: that said, I do avoid some exercises because I really don't want to put that kind of pressure on weight-bearing joints until I lose some more weight in the first place.)

I'm just not having the success I had sort of hoped for and expected when I started this whole process several months back. I sort of figured even if my diet remained constant and I worked out more, I should lose some weight at a steady pace.

I've dropped about 10 lbs, give or take, and just hovered.

It's more than a little upsetting.

It also might be age or other factors. My doctor is going to place me on AndroGel, depending on one more testosterone test. I'm 30, going on 31 this year, and over the past few months have noticed problems gaining muscle mass despite proper exercise and diet.

What was your total test if i may ask?

I'll ask him the next time I see him April 7th. But When I spoke to him three weeks ago he said they were low, but that low test is very common for HIV infected individuals. He also said testosterone can drop in early 30's in men.

What upset me is that a testosterone test wasn't part of my regular bloodwork and that I had to ask for it specifically.


EDIT: I tried SuperPump MAX from Gaspari it was on sale so decided to try it, but err it's kinda expensive when it isn't on sale.

That's why I asked, normal for a lot of docs varies greatly. Any type of hormone is not a part of CMP, you need to specify a type of hormone (tsh, cortisol, test, estro, complete thyroid, etc.). Check your prolactin too. that can wind up being a nightmare too.

Greatness from small beginnings. Just hang in there and keep it interesting for yourself. If it gets stale, mix it up. It's a longer process than most people assume. Years not months.

So I have a weird question that no one may be able to answer.

I ended up driving myself into hypoglycemia today. It was enough that my dad is going to send me a glucometer just so I can double-check because this isn't the first time.

I ended up biking 24 miles (12 to work, 12 home) in addition to putting in 8 solid hours on the job, all operating on a bottle of Powerade. Insane as that probably sounds, I've done similar on many occasions, but I have been cutting my calories all week which is probably what triggered it.

What I want to figure out is an estimate for the calories I burn at work, if that is possible. The biking alone kills 1200-1400 depending and I have difficulty convincing myself that spending half a day hauling loads around a construction site is a trivial expenditure. I just want to get a handle on what I'm burning so I can better tailor what I put in, as otherwise I'm shooting blind and, in all likelihood, winding up well below my needs.

Anyone know if there is any kind of method or resource for this kind of thing?

Also learned that simple sugar, like a candy bar or fruit juice, is a much better solution for hypoglycemia than my usual refueling option of a glass of milk. Makes me wonder how low-carb people deal with this.

Question about creatine. I know there's tons of articles on it on bodybuilding but they don't seem to agree with eachother.

Load or not load? I've been off creatine for a few months, decided to go back on this week.

Should I bother loading it or just take it with dextrose or some simple sugar?

Getting back in shape and it sucks... a lot.

Anyway I was looking at adjustable free weights and was a little torn between what to get and was wondering if anyone had suggestions. From everything I have read I should stay away from the bowflex one because they apparently just break if you're not super careful with them.

Got it narrowed down to these two.

XMark Adjustable Dumbbell 10 to 50 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JVIDVU/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Powerblock Elite 10 to 50 lbs (can also add expansions up to 90 lbs with these)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G7RHGNY/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p200_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1W4HBX5Q4G59TKBA6ADZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

Anyone have experience with either? They are basically the same price point, so that is moot. If anyone has any other suggestions as well that would be awesome, trying to keep it below $400 for a set though.

Loading is not required Bacon. Depending on your product, you can start taking the recommended dosage right out of the pack, based on how your body generally reacts to supplements.

As for you Path, it would be difficult to ascertain that information without actually knowing how long and strenuous your "work periods" are. 8hours is a blanket time frame, and im assuming you ARE taking breaks in between your lifting loads etc, even if its for 5min. Biking is certainly a hell of a strenuous workout to be doing twice daily, so assuming you're on your feet all day, I'd say you're likely burning upwards of 1500+ calories in a work day. I say this based on what my brother in law used to tell me (use to work in a steel mill hauling large pieces of metal while wearing a fireproof suit).

And yes, something small like a banana, power bar, or even a butterfinger would help. Hyperglycemia is no joke, you don't want to dehydrate yourself either. Stay fueled up if you can bro.

I spent a month last summer dancing (yes, literally) out in direct sunlight for 6 hours a day. I assure you, I'm all too aware of hydration needs.

And, yeah, it's impossible for me to say that I do X or Y for Z minutes because my duties can change day-to-day. Last Friday, I was doing cleanup, so I was pushing a broom and shoveling dirt and masonry chunks for a good... 4 hours? That's not really strenuous work, mostly just boring. Throwing 500 lbs. (roughly) of mud and gravel over your head into a dumpster, on the other hand, or hauling small steel I-beams is quite different. I guess I'm more wishing in a kind of pointless sense to find some way to figure out what I'm doing.

Between BMR, 25 miles of riding (in about 2 hours, so a pretty middling pace of 14-15 MPH), and the work I did, I doubt it's unreasonable to figure I torched 4000 calories minimum, but if it was closer to 5000, that makes a helluva gap if I'm only eating ~2000 calories for the day. It sounds great to have a 1000 calorie deficit but it can get risky if I let it persist too long. I generally either end up so exhausted that I can't move and have to call off or overcompensate and wind up putting on a couple pounds. No-win.

My lifting budding has these, which are Bowflex (nevermind the price, wasn't shopping):

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/4182483627508312452?q=adjustable+dumbbell+set&espv=210&es_sm=122&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.63808443,d.cWc,pv.xjs.s.en_US.9CjFb4DKbRI.O&biw=1366&bih=681&tch=1&ech=1&psi=Aow5U4XFNePisATW0YGQCw.1396280348643.3&ei=Jow5U7GsJ-7r0QGK1YGACg&ved=0CHoQpiswAA

Have used them and they are great, but weight is weight to me. He always tells me to put them down carefully, which we always do when we lift because they do indeed break easily (so no, you cannot drop them).

Not sure about the other two, but out of personal preference, I'd go with the one that isn't blocky. I've seen those in hotels on trips in the past, and they are really flimsy. But that's just my opinion. Weight is weight, but I would go with the XMARK.

When I did Tough Mudder last fall, they had frequent refueling stations that fed us bananas, gatorade, and energy bars/chews. After a long period of activity, the body breaks down and will need some refueling method. I'd recommend keeping those silly gatorade chews or some fruits nearby so you don't completely faint one day.

I don't know if they have something for your type of activity online, but didn't NIke have some type of "fitness tracker" wristband or application you can install on your phone, keep on your person, and it tracks the amounf of calories you burn based on the movements it detects?

Not totally sure, but I think between the Nike Fitness step tracker, there was another product that can measure your calories spent throughout the day.

Is space an issue? If not why not get a bench set. I mean you can load way more weight onto a barbell than those dumbbells and you can buy plates at a variety locations.

He didn't say he was using the dumbbells solely for Benching. Dumbbells have more versatility, and depending on what he's trying to improve, free weights without bars is better anyways.

Considering that free weights relies on the individual strength of each section lifting the weight. A bar lets the dominant arm compensate the weaker one, but free weights allows for both arms to get a nice and even workout.

You can use a barbell for exercises besides benching. Obviously a combination of dumbbells and barbell is good. The reason I suggested a bench set was mainly because over time if he needs to increase the weight. edit: Buying plates versus buying additional dumbbells for the home as far as cost/space goes.