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Old thread died off ages ago. I let myself go a bit and gained weight and lost strength. 'tis terrible. I'm working on getting back into it and feth, it is is annoying lifting 75-80% of what I used to be able to do. I figured I would type up a bit of my knowledge and also open up a forum for other's to share their advice and experiences as well as motivating each other to achieve our goals.
Newcomers are of course welcome.
My thoughts on nutrition
Spoiler:
First thing you need to understand about nutrition is that calories are just energy. There's really no such thing as a bad food, with possibly the sole exception of completely empty processed crap like Poptarts or Twinkies, but even those can fit into a fat loss diet, though I wouldn't advise it simply for other health reasons.
The most important way to lose weight is reduce caloric intake or to maintain caloric intake and improve your metabolism by building muscle or increasing activity.
The number I see thrown around most frequently for maintaing weight for men is 11-12 calories per pound of weight. This of course will vary based on body composition and activity level. The more muscle and less fat you have, the more calories you need. The more active you are, the more calories you need.
Assuming you have a smartphone the Cals and Macros app is free and I love it for tracking my caloric intake.
Food is broken down into 3 macronutrients.
Protein: This is necessary for rebuilding damaged muscle. I typically see .75 grams of protein recommended per pound of weight and up to 1.25 grams recommended per pound of lean body mass. I'd recommend doing your own research into assessing how much protein you need. Personally. I think the above numbers are fine.
Carbohydrates: The most important carbs you can take in are fibers. You can find these in fruits, vegetables, and nuts as well as in fiber supplements. It is absolutely imperative you take in 20-30 grams of fiber (preferably 10 grams per 1000 calories) a day in order to keep your digestive system working in a healthy manner.
Fat: It is absolutely vital that you eat, in my estimate, 30-50 grams of healthy fats (preferably polysaturated and definitely not trans fats) a day for healthy brain and organ function.
Now, I stand by the belief that outside of fibers carbohydrates are not necessary to consume. A diet consisting in 70%+ of it's calories from fats and less than 30 grams of net carbohydrates (all carbs minus fiber) per day will lead to one entering Ketosis, where the body utilizes ketones from fats for energy.
However, making such a switch may not be an option for you, or perhaps you fundamentally disagree with this approach. If your goal is fat loss, I'd recommend restricting carbohydrates to no more than 150grams per day or even less than 100. Healthy fats ARE not evil. I know this isn't exactly the best evidence, but I consumed 100-125 grams of fat per day while dropping down to 9-10% body fat and I had excellent blood work.
Essentially you should eat the following:
.75 grams per pound of weight per day
50 grams of fat per day
20-30 grams of fiber per day
make up the remaining calories in whatever manner suits you.
As long as you're in a caloric deficit you will lose weight. I just find it easier to do so while eating a low carb diet, but my personal theory is that either I, or Scandinavians in general, are more carb sensitive than others.
Ideally, you shouldn't eat more than 500 calories below maintenance if you are trying to preserve muscle. Should you have minimal muscle and a high body weight to begin with than it's probably safe to eat up to 1000 calories below maintenance.
Eating healthy foods such as the following will do a lot to combat hunger pains:
Lean meats
Vegetables (at least 300 grams of leafy greens a day!)
Fruits (preferably apples or berries, other fruits are often high in fructose)
Whole Grains
Avoiding heavily processed foods (cereal, candies, soda) is very important to losing weight. Whether or not you choose to consume dairy is entirely up to you, but I did consume lots of cheese and ice cream while dropping weight.
Weightlifting
IMO, weightlifting is basically mandatory to improving your physique. It's common perception that there are two schools of thought to weightlifting, size (bodybuilding) or strength (powerlifting/Olympic weightlifting). I think that is beyond idiotic for the average, non competitive lifter. Especially if you refrain from taking PEDs.
Once you've developed a strength base doing a beginner program for linear gains (Stronglifts and Starting Strength being good ones, but I'd add in upperbody work for the shoulders and arms) you should basically do the following IMO.
Begin each workout with a heavy compound movement such as Overhead Press, Bench Press, Squat, or Deadlift.
If you can't squat or deadlift comfortably there are alternatives should you not want to do mobility work to reach that point. Personally, due to long legs and short arms, I can't really get into a comfortable deadlift position and ALWAYS overwork my lower back). In that case I'd recommend two exercises that nearly everyone should be able to do.
Box Squats
These won't generate as much leg development as regular squats, but I'd advise following up any squatting routine for an average lifter with leg press and leg curls for the quads to begin with.
Box Squat video!
Spoiler:
All you do for these is sit down on a bench, box, etc, pause momentarily, and stand back up. Really simple.
Trap Bar Deadlifts
These won't tax your lower back as much as conventional deadlifts and brings the quads more into play. Also, since many trap bars have handles your starting position will be more upright, again, this takes less stress off the lower back.
Decent enough video on trap bar deadlifts.
Spoiler:
Bench Press is pretty self explanatory. Just remember to not flare your elbows and bring the bar down around your nipples to avoid shoulder pain.
Overhead Press is slightly more complex. You'll want to squeeze the glutes and quads as you drive the bar overhead and behind your head. Lower it slowly and repeat.
A decent program that utilizes these 4 movements and supports them with various auxiliary work is 5/3/1. Personally, I'd recommend Matt Ogus's 7/5/3 instead, assuming you have the time and work capacity to handle that volume.
Either way, I believe it's best to start out any workout with a heavy compound movement and follow it up with lighter isolation movements for more targeted muscle growth.
Cardio!!! How I hate thee.
Spoiler:
I despise cardio and frankly don't do it. Well...I walk, probably 20 miles a week, but that's literally it. Unless you really enjoying running and actually run, none of this 8 minute a mile or slower slogging about, I'd skip running.
Walking and cycling are both great.
Another alternative is conditioning for developing work capacity and cardiovascular strength.
This could be any of the following:
High Intensity Interval Training
Sprint: Once properly warmed up (this should take a minimum of 10 minutes to avoid injury) sprint anywhere from 50 to 400 meters. Follow this up with walking an equal distance or up to twice the sprinted distance. Repeat for 10-15 minutes as your level of training dictates. However, I'd avoid sprinting since muscle tears are much more probable with this and I've injured my hamstrings numerous times sprinting!
Sled Push/Pull: Load up a sled and either push it or pull it a given distance, probably 20-50m. Walk 2 to 3x that distance to recover. Repeat for 10-15 minutes.
Weighted carriers: These can be done with dumbbells held in both hands, a trap bar, or a barbell held overhead. Pick up something moderately heavy, carry it a certain distance. Walk to your recover your wind. Repeat. Farmer Walk's are a great way to develop your forearms and grip strength! The oscillation caused by overhead carries can be beneficial to growing and strengthening the entire shoulder girdle.
That's all I have for now, feel free to question, critique, or add more.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/08 05:28:32
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
Nice man. I've been gymming from junior year in HS and first year university kind of inconsistently. Picked up Muay Thai for a bit somewhere a long the way too. Nice squat weight there! Mirin amount of plates!
Current stats:
Bf: 15-16% ish
160lbs
5'8" manlet and proud
Squat
180 lbs for 5 reps
Deadlift: 225 for 3 or 4
Bench: 155 lbs for 5
Wide Grip Pull ups: can do 13 or 14 at maximum
Heres to a good summer and year of gains
Random question: Do you often lift with other gamers?
Also: What wargames do you play and what armies?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/08 18:57:17
But seriously, nice opening post. but I mainly go in for running (I ran 21 miles today) p, speed training and cardio style workouts. I don't do much in terms of lifting weights but I do enjoy it- I prefer body weights though. For both me and Mrs deadnight one of our favourite toys is our chin up bar. Thst thing is horrible, but great.
Good luck with your training
greatest band in the universe: machine supremacy
"Punch your fist in the air and hold your Gameboy aloft like the warrior you are"
I lit weights 5 days a week with deadlifts and squats on different ends. For squats and deadlifts I do 5 sets of 8 and the other workouts I do 3 by 8. And on tuesday through Thursday I do a mile of sprints (sprint on length walk the rest rinse and repeat).
I've been exercising since the military. I'm leaning towards functional fitness now. Problem is I don't know much about the training philosophy behind it. I gotta do some studying
I can't stand going to the gym or weightlifting, so I get around it by being active outdoors, hiking, working outdoors jobs, etc.
I have no idea what it is, but it feels like a massive waste of time. Within 20 minutes of getting there I get annoyed or bored and leave. Not really sure why, because it's proven that it's probably more efficient than just hiking or something, but that's how I am.
However, tell me to do a 10 mile dayhike to a local spot and I'm all for it, even with crappy weather. It's part of the reason I work outdoor jobs and prefer them, helps keep me in shape and happy.
'I've played Guard for years, and the best piece of advice is to always utilize the Guard's best special rule: "we roll more dice than you" ' - stormleader
"Sector Imperialis: 25mm and 40mm Round Bases (40+20) 26€ (Including 32 skulls for basing) " GW design philosophy in a nutshell
MaxZ wrote:Nice man. I've been gymming from junior year in HS and first year university kind of inconsistently. Picked up Muay Thai for a bit somewhere a long the way too. Nice squat weight there! Mirin amount of plates!
Current stats:
Bf: 15-16% ish
160lbs
5'8" manlet and proud
Squat
180 lbs for 5 reps
Deadlift: 225 for 3 or 4
Bench: 155 lbs for 5
Wide Grip Pull ups: can do 13 or 14 at maximum
Heres to a good summer and year of gains
Random question: Do you often lift with other gamers?
Also: What wargames do you play and what armies?
Decent enough lifts for your size. I used to play 40k/WHFB and MTG. Sadly I've never met a fellow gamer that also lifted.
Deadnight wrote:Pfft! Weights! :p only for beefcakes!
But seriously, nice opening post. but I mainly go in for running (I ran 21 miles today) p, speed training and cardio style workouts. I don't do much in terms of lifting weights but I do enjoy it- I prefer body weights though. For both me and Mrs deadnight one of our favourite toys is our chin up bar. Thst thing is horrible, but great.
Good luck with your training
Incorporating light squats 50-60% of your max for high reps can help improve endurance and run times. Even if your focus is muscular endurance there is some benefit to lifting. Amazing endurance you have!
Ustrello wrote:I lit weights 5 days a week with deadlifts and squats on different ends. For squats and deadlifts I do 5 sets of 8 and the other workouts I do 3 by 8. And on tuesday through Thursday I do a mile of sprints (sprint on length walk the rest rinse and repeat).
Damn, your legs must be yolked.
yellowfever wrote:I've been exercising since the military. I'm leaning towards functional fitness now. Problem is I don't know much about the training philosophy behind it. I gotta do some studying
Eh, based on some numbers I've seen thrown around from MMA clubs, this is the basic standard they use for functional fitness.
0.75xBW OHP
1.25xBW BP 1.5xBW Squat
2.0xBW Deadlift
Pretty easy to achieve in a year or so, but you'll also need to do some form of medium distance running/sprinting for military work, as well as heavy rucking, and probably some HIIT style workouts to prep for combat scenarios. You can't just be fairly strong, you have to be fast, and have good endurance. Increasing strength relative to weight can help with those, but you actually have to train all 3 areas ideally.
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
Oh I know all that. I'm not in the military anymore. Here's some numbers from back then. I weighed about 194 pounds and I'm 5'8". I was around 10 percent body fat.
Bench. about 400 pounds.
Squat. About 300
Barbell curl. Around 160
pull ups. Around 35. (Correct pull ups)
the maxes are a guess as I never cared what my max was. For example on bench press my last set was usually 365 5 to 7 reps.
I used to run half marathons at that time. My 3 mile time was around a 17.10. For some reason my legs never got real strong.
You sound pretty functional to me then. It's not exactly uncommon for guys to be upperbody heavy in terms of strength, especially if they're distance runners.
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
A number of years ago (7ish I think) I dropped a chunk of weight. Went from around 230 to 175ish. No real exercise, just a few simple rules.
Get some exercise. I did a mile walk most every day. It’s burning calories.
Cut the crap out of your diet. Soda was the big one. Most prepared/fast food is really bad for you. And calorie laden. Alcohol is also bad.
Portion control. Look at the serving size on the bag/box. Measure it out. Be aware of how much you are eating. Even healthy snacks are bad when you eat a lot of them. A serving of pretzels might be 100 calories and be a good snack, but if you sit there with your hand in the bag, you are not going to stop at 100.
Your wight finds an equilibrium between calories in and calories out. Burn more, eat less, your weight goes down. But if you slip back into your old habits, you will resume your old weight. So you need to make some lifestyle changes. Not that you can’t have treats and make exceptions from time to time, just not all the time.
YMMV. I’m no health expert. But this worked for me. And didn’t require hitting the gym or anything like that.
After Falling into a deep depression and nearly flunking out of school and gaining alot of weight back that I lost Im feeling better and Im back to the gym and eating healthy. I currently go 4 times a week. Im hoping once I graduate this quarter I can bump it up to five or 6 times a week. And I started walking to all my classes but one. So yeah. Im back on the wagon after getting off. The good thing Is I actually lost very little muscle. I can still lift what I used to when I left off.
A balanced program of weights and cardio is, in my opinion (and experience) the best way to shed unwanted weight.
The weights can be free, machine, or even body weight.
When I had been eating less and working out, I did a circuit of free and machine weights on certain days.
On other days, I tackled the Spartacus workout.
Do not....I repeat...DO NOT try and do all 3 sessions at least for a week or two if you aren't in some semblance of shape (other than round). Unless you really enjoy puking after working out because it has totally kicked your ass.
Judt anout 2 years ago now I had lost 60lbs (239 to 179) in about 6-7 months managing my diet with MyFitnessPal, and working out 3-5 times a week.
Even ran my first 5k that year
I need to do this again....up to 213 as of this morning.
Spoiler:
Automatically Appended Next Post: HIIT is proven to burn more energy and help you shed weight the best.
Nevelon wrote:A number of years ago (7ish I think) I dropped a chunk of weight. Went from around 230 to 175ish. No real exercise, just a few simple rules.
Get some exercise. I did a mile walk most every day. It’s burning calories.
Cut the crap out of your diet. Soda was the big one. Most prepared/fast food is really bad for you. And calorie laden. Alcohol is also bad.
Portion control. Look at the serving size on the bag/box. Measure it out. Be aware of how much you are eating. Even healthy snacks are bad when you eat a lot of them. A serving of pretzels might be 100 calories and be a good snack, but if you sit there with your hand in the bag, you are not going to stop at 100.
Your wight finds an equilibrium between calories in and calories out. Burn more, eat less, your weight goes down. But if you slip back into your old habits, you will resume your old weight. So you need to make some lifestyle changes. Not that you can’t have treats and make exceptions from time to time, just not all the time.
YMMV. I’m no health expert. But this worked for me. And didn’t require hitting the gym or anything like that.
I did the same thing at one point. Biked 3 miles to and from work, did pullups and pushups, and counted calories. It's simple enough for losing weight, but I think improving body composition is a worthier goal.
Strength training has a myriad of benefits.
hotsauceman1 wrote:After Falling into a deep depression and nearly flunking out of school and gaining alot of weight back that I lost Im feeling better and Im back to the gym and eating healthy. I currently go 4 times a week. Im hoping once I graduate this quarter I can bump it up to five or 6 times a week. And I started walking to all my classes but one. So yeah. Im back on the wagon after getting off. The good thing Is I actually lost very little muscle. I can still lift what I used to when I left off.
Good to hear that you lost very little strength. Time to build on it! You can do it Hotsauce.
TheMeanDM wrote:A balanced program of weights and cardio is, in my opinion (and experience) the best way to shed unwanted weight.
The weights can be free, machine, or even body weight.
When I had been eating less and working out, I did a circuit of free and machine weights on certain days.
On other days, I tackled the Spartacus workout.
Do not....I repeat...DO NOT try and do all 3 sessions at least for a week or two if you aren't in some semblance of shape (other than round). Unless you really enjoy puking after working out because it has totally kicked your ass.
Judt anout 2 years ago now I had lost 60lbs (239 to 179) in about 6-7 months managing my diet with MyFitnessPal, and working out 3-5 times a week.
Even ran my first 5k that year
I need to do this again....up to 213 as of this morning.
Spoiler:
Automatically Appended Next Post: HIIT is proven to burn more energy and help you shed weight the best.
yellowfever wrote: I've been exercising since the military. I'm leaning towards functional fitness now. Problem is I don't know much about the training philosophy behind it. I gotta do some studying
The problem that I've personally had in searching for "functional fitness" stuff, is that I invariably come across a bunch of CrossFit bullgak. I've had a few doctors personally tell me to NOT do specific lifts already, and I don't need some ill-thought CF "workout" being thrown into the mix and making things generally worse.
I'm at a point right now where, I have a bunch of knowledge regarding lifting and getting/being fit... but I too easily find excuses to not do so. Right now, I have a gym membership, but with the end of semester a couple weeks away, my routine is to wake up, go to school, get the kids, cook dinner, eat, do homework/work on large assignments, go to bed hopefully before midnight.... and repeat 5 days a week.
If my job situation doesn't improve soon, I'll be ditching the gym membership, but I'll have more free time with my kids, so park time, setting my road bike up on a trainer and actually riding it will be much more down my alley.
If you don't mind me asking, what lifts specifically?
As far as functionality goes, if you can execute a correct body weight power clean+push press you've pretty much hit every muscle group outside of your chest and I would deem that pretty functional.
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
trexmeyer wrote: If you don't mind me asking, what lifts specifically?
As far as functionality goes, if you can execute a correct body weight power clean+push press you've pretty much hit every muscle group outside of your chest and I would deem that pretty functional.
Any kind of overhead press, dips, pullups, decline press. I "can" do bench press, but the weight I have to keep on a barbell, it's a pointless lift (I'd be doing like, I dunno 20-30 reps to feel a burn), so I tend to do dumbbell bench press. My shoulders are quite tore up from my 10 years in the army.
I used to have some issues with barbell shrugs, but then I got a set of Versa Gripps (they are fething amazing!) and now, with enough weight on the bar, I can flex my upper arms just enough to keep my arm from coming out of socket during the lift
MaxZ wrote:Nice man. I've been gymming from junior year in HS and first year university kind of inconsistently. Picked up Muay Thai for a bit somewhere a long the way too. Nice squat weight there! Mirin amount of plates!
Current stats:
Bf: 15-16% ish
160lbs
5'8" manlet and proud
Squat
180 lbs for 5 reps
Deadlift: 225 for 3 or 4
Bench: 155 lbs for 5
Wide Grip Pull ups: can do 13 or 14 at maximum
Heres to a good summer and year of gains
Random question: Do you often lift with other gamers?
Also: What wargames do you play and what armies?
Decent enough lifts for your size. I used to play 40k/WHFB and MTG. Sadly I've never met a fellow gamer that also lifted.
Deadnight wrote:Pfft! Weights! :p only for beefcakes!
But seriously, nice opening post. but I mainly go in for running (I ran 21 miles today) p, speed training and cardio style workouts. I don't do much in terms of lifting weights but I do enjoy it- I prefer body weights though. For both me and Mrs deadnight one of our favourite toys is our chin up bar. Thst thing is horrible, but great.
Good luck with your training
Incorporating light squats 50-60% of your max for high reps can help improve endurance and run times. Even if your focus is muscular endurance there is some benefit to lifting. Amazing endurance you have!
Ustrello wrote:I lit weights 5 days a week with deadlifts and squats on different ends. For squats and deadlifts I do 5 sets of 8 and the other workouts I do 3 by 8. And on tuesday through Thursday I do a mile of sprints (sprint on length walk the rest rinse and repeat).
Damn, your legs must be yolked.
yellowfever wrote:I've been exercising since the military. I'm leaning towards functional fitness now. Problem is I don't know much about the training philosophy behind it. I gotta do some studying
Eh, based on some numbers I've seen thrown around from MMA clubs, this is the basic standard they use for functional fitness.
0.75xBW OHP
1.25xBW BP 1.5xBW Squat
2.0xBW Deadlift
Pretty easy to achieve in a year or so, but you'll also need to do some form of medium distance running/sprinting for military work, as well as heavy rucking, and probably some HIIT style workouts to prep for combat scenarios. You can't just be fairly strong, you have to be fast, and have good endurance. Increasing strength relative to weight can help with those, but you actually have to train all 3 areas ideally.
Not super big I am only doing 225 on squats and deadlifts (but that is usually set 5 on a pyramid load regiment)
trexmeyer wrote: If you don't mind me asking, what lifts specifically?
As far as functionality goes, if you can execute a correct body weight power clean+push press you've pretty much hit every muscle group outside of your chest and I would deem that pretty functional.
Any kind of overhead press, dips, pullups, decline press. I "can" do bench press, but the weight I have to keep on a barbell, it's a pointless lift (I'd be doing like, I dunno 20-30 reps to feel a burn), so I tend to do dumbbell bench press. My shoulders are quite tore up from my 10 years in the army.
I used to have some issues with barbell shrugs, but then I got a set of Versa Gripps (they are fething amazing!) and now, with enough weight on the bar, I can flex my upper arms just enough to keep my arm from coming out of socket during the lift
Could you do close grip DB bench with your arms basically parallel to your torso?
A lot of people have shoulder issues...damn. I couldn't care less about bench, but if I couldn't push press I'd just quit life.
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
Could you do close grip DB bench with your arms basically parallel to your torso?
A lot of people have shoulder issues...damn. I couldn't care less about bench, but if I couldn't push press I'd just quit life.
Just about any kind of bench press I do, whether it's a "chest press machine" or DB bench, my main concern is what my elbow does. If the weight is too heavy, particularly on a machine, and my elbow drops close in to my torso to try and "cheat" a rep, I'm screwed.
I'm confused? You're supposed to keep your elbows close to your torso to protect the shoulder. It's not cheating a rep. It is bringing the triceps more into play though.
Benching with your elbows flared out is asking for an injury.
The only way we can ever solve anything is to look in the mirror and find no enemy
trexmeyer wrote: I'm confused? You're supposed to keep your elbows close to your torso to protect the shoulder. It's not cheating a rep. It is bringing the triceps more into play though.
Benching with your elbows flared out is asking for an injury.
Perhaps my description skills need work then, lol... I tend to go heavy on lifts, and as such, take a little bit of a wider grip. Because of this, ideally, my elbows should move in a straight line along the axis of movement...
Using that video as a guide... usually I'd put my middle finger in that gap on the grip.... by my elbows going in close, when they go into that vertical/top down camera angle... my elbows essentially go from being along the movement line, to rotating in towards my torso... if that helps the visuals any better, lol
Sadly, I'm rather oddly proportioned lol. I'm 5'10" to 5'11" depending on what day, and time of day... but like you, I have about a 6' wingspan. For me, narrow grips always felt weird... like I had a too long range of motion, whether it was pushups or more machine/weight based lifts.
The burning pits of Hades, also known as Sweden in summer
I am almost 5'10" tall and I weigh 171 lbs (yes, I am a very big person), which is about 25% more than I'd like. A lot of the weight is muscle mass I've generated through heavy exercise in the past, as well as a naturally heavier than average build, but I have not exercised properly for way too long and between a period of depression, intensifying schoolwork and a love for food... Well, I am not fat - I am not a supermodel but I am not a hamplanet either - but if I go up any more I may well become.
My most intense studying time is almost over and then I intend to get going again. I am thinking of going back to my beloved Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu but, while it made me very smooth and agile while I did it, I may need something more intense.
Weightlifting? Maybe. I was never much of a weightlifter and I won't pull any impressive numbers. But maybe.
I really need to eat less, too.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2016/05/10 07:18:33
I should think of a new signature... In the meantime, have a
Nevelon wrote: A number of years ago (7ish I think) I dropped a chunk of weight. Went from around 230 to 175ish. No real exercise, just a few simple rules.
Get some exercise. I did a mile walk most every day. It’s burning calories.
Cut the crap out of your diet. Soda was the big one. Most prepared/fast food is really bad for you. And calorie laden. Alcohol is also bad.
Portion control. Look at the serving size on the bag/box. Measure it out. Be aware of how much you are eating. Even healthy snacks are bad when you eat a lot of them. A serving of pretzels might be 100 calories and be a good snack, but if you sit there with your hand in the bag, you are not going to stop at 100.
Your wight finds an equilibrium between calories in and calories out. Burn more, eat less, your weight goes down. But if you slip back into your old habits, you will resume your old weight. So you need to make some lifestyle changes. Not that you can’t have treats and make exceptions from time to time, just not all the time.
YMMV. I’m no health expert. But this worked for me. And didn’t require hitting the gym or anything like that.
Great job Nevelon!!!
I've done the same - dropped about 30 lbs and kept it off over the last year. Watching the documentary Fed Up was key - cutting out sugars and processed foods, being cognizant of how much sugar goes into "healthy" foods.
My work has a gym where I can do some free weights and cardio during lunch.
One side effect, my arms and such are more "veiny" now. But I'll take it
There is a lot of misinformation about diet. Much of what we have been told about healthy eating, for decades, was based on the Seven Countries study, which I believe has been largely debunked by more recent studies. The claim was that fat makes you fat and leads to heart disease. Advertisers jumped on it, and started offering "low fat" alternatives, which they pumped full of sugar to replace the flavour, and then people bought right into it, especially vulnerable people, such as young women, who were trying to watch their weight.
Sadly, it turns out that fat is actually important for maintaining a healthy weight, as it is one of the markers that suppresses appetite and regulates insulin levels. Without it in our diet, the real culprit: sugar, has been allowed to run rampant, which is why obesity is endemic now. Carbs get converted to sugars during digestion, and if you're insulin levels are off, those sugars get stored as fat, and then you still feel hungry because your muscles and organs didn't get the energy they were supposed to.
It makes me quite angry when I see so called "health experts" on television recommending low fat yogurts, and semi-skimmed milk as the "healthy option", perpetuating this fallacy that cutting fat will help people lose weight, when in fact the research indicates that the opposite is true.
Calorie counting is also a bit of a fallacy, as the connection between intake an expenditure is tenuous. The real advantage of exercise is not its capacity to burn calories, but the effect it has on your metabolism and hormone levels. It would take forever to burn off even a small meal through exercise alone, but if your metabolism is stimulated then you will tend to excrete what you don't need rather than storing it as fat.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/10 13:42:19
I really wish I could eat healthier, but in my area the unhealthy junk is cheaper and as a student, I have to make my money last. Partly why I love going back home, I can start eating healthier.
Same for gym. I get out and about including walking to class, but I would love to spend £200 not including hidden costs on a gym membership.
High protein, lower carbs, healthy fats, lower sugar. That's about as basic as I think a person can get with their diet if they are looking to lose weight while building/maintaing muscle.
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