Fitness Whole Pizza In My Mouth

[.RJ]

Decide on your goals, make a plan, stick to it. Simple.

If everything were so easy we'd all be billionaires with six packs.

[Ken]

Nothing really to add here either but i will. Recently tried eating better, and by that i mean just actually paying attention to what i am eating and actually stop eating when i am starting to feel full, not until i clear my plate.

Other than that i am miserable for a gym or running. Prefer using sports to keep myself in shape and currently am in volleyball, soccer and kickball (lol) leagues. Does the job for right now, but i assume as my metabolism slows further it won't cut it anymore.

[WRXtranceformed]

Step one: remove as much refined and added sugars from your diet as you can
Step two: profit

My wife switched to a whole 30 almost 2 months ago, we started with the plan of doing it for the month but we both felt better so why not just keep going with it. Its crazy how much crap gets into your diet if you're not really paying attention, and we were already pretty good about doing most of our cooking and buying most of our produce/meat from the farmers markets.

Whenever you think you cook a lot, try doing a diet like that. Some weeks I feel like I'm chained to my kitchen, like last week when my in-laws were staying with us.

I hear you man! Wifey does most of the cooking but I really haven't changed my diet drastically in the last few years besides being better about what food we buy. Aside from a few basic junk items like frozen burritos and pizzas that I refuse to remove from my diet, in the last year and a half it's basically been an entire shift to true organic, no non-fat / low fat foods (ie we drink whole milk, whole milk yogurt, cook with butter/lard/olive oil etc.), drinking basically only water and dramatically lowering our added sugar intake. I have always had a terrible sweet tooth and the initial shift away from sweets (I am in the south for crying out loud, the land of SweetTea) was really hard. Like to the point I was actually getting blood sugar dips & dizziness. After a week or so of sugar detox, I felt best I have in my entire life. I quit grinding my teeth in my sleep, I slept better, my energy levels were consistent throughout the day vs. peaks and valleys and I could think more clearly.

With no other activity or lifestyle changes, my body shed 12 pounds in less than 3 weeks. That was only eclipsed by the change I saw when I quit drinking years ago. Sugar is one of the biggest long term poisons you can put in your body and really needs to be moderated. I watched this after I had actually made the lifestyle switch and it explains a lot of the reasons why, is a decent film and it's free with Amazon Prime: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.amazon.com/That-Sugar-Film-Damon-Gameau/dp/B0132TVFL8">https://www.amazon.com/That-Sugar-Film- ... B0132TVFL8</a><!-- m -->

I still cheat here and there (natural cream/sugar coffee creamer, a shamefully large dessert every now and then) but it's one habit that everyone needs to look at a lot more closely.

[Steve85]

According to my research, I am 70 - 90 pounds over the recommended weight for my height and I hate it.

I've struggled a lot with this. I know the simple solution, eat less move more all that, but getting to how much less eating and how much more moving and trying to stick to it has been tough.

I lost a lot weight many years ago on Atkins which taught me the carb lesson so I've always been low on carbs since then (not ketosis low, but avoiding processed sugars and such). Excuses followed excuses...I would eat well all day, exercise pretty regularly and then after 9-10 o'clock hit the fridge and pantry. A lot of it was stress and some was replacing a drug habit with eating.

I did all the BMR calculators and stuff and something really clicked recently. I tried doing WW starting in March which worked great for my wife. I was given 50 points a day plus 42 weekly extra points. I monitored a single day without any changes and found I was already eating less than they said I should. The same thing happened when I looked into P90x, based on my weight etc. they recommended something like 2900 calories a day!

So, recently I decided to take a new tact and put in the BMR calculator the weight an avg 6' 2" male should be (I used 190, I've seen as low as 170...), added some calories based on burn for "just being awake", and then subtracted out what I wanted my deficit to be. Turns out if I want to lose weight with any good progress, about 1300 calories a day.

I've stuck to that and run / lift 4-5 days a week and have lost 10 lbs over the last 3 weeks. Being strict about my intake has and the resultant success has helped me stop eating at night. (Runs are anywhere from 3.2-4.5 miles, lifting is...not great, mostly push-ups, pull-ups, shoulder work, curls type stuff)

I remember my last check-up, being borderline obese I made sure to have all the blood work done before seeing the doctor. Despite being that overweight, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate, all were well within the healthy range for a 44 year old male. It was frustrating because it kind of meant I was healthy inside, making good food choices (mostly) but fuck I was fat.

I just got back from the lab to get my blood work done as part of a health assessment to get discounted insurance through work and I'm really looking forward to the results. Blood pressure is down (111/70) to even better level so that's a good sign.

1300 calories seems ridiculously low, but whatever my body is doing for metabolism, that's all I can seemingly take in at this point to lose weight. I have a spreadsheet with all kinds of foods in it and I'm tracking everything, so far so good!

I need to work harder on the lifting to gain some muscle and turn up the resting burn.

TL;DR - I'm fat, I don't like it, and I'm finally making progress by cutting to way less calories than I thought I could eat based on BMR calculators and recommendations. Down 10 lbs in 3 weeks and I'll let you know how it goes from here.

[CaptainHenreh]

Decide on your goals, make a plan, stick to it. Simple.

If everything were so easy we'd all be billionaires with six packs.

I didn't say it was easy. I said it was simple.

[Jewels]

The only thing I really have to add here is that I've lost roughly 60 lbs over the last couple of years with diet and exercise. I counted calories for a couple of years as far as diet goes. After I hit a pretty long plateau on my weight loss, and gaining a few pounds training for a half marathon (ie: I ate all the f'n time), I decided to join my gym's accountability group. 8 weeks of macro counting. Well, I've continued because while I've only lost 2 lbs, I've lost serious measurements, and I've PR'd lifts, and have shaved time off my mile run time. This helped me realize that while I was getting plenty of calories, I had learned that I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and stayed under my calories. What I didn't realize was that a lot of those calories were fat and carbs. So with macro counting, I have a certain amount of grams of Protein, Carbs, and Fat I'm supposed to hit each day. If I do that then my calories should work out too, and my body gets proper fuel. Its amazing how little protein I was getting, and now how much I get. Sometimes its silly how much protein I have to eat at a meal, but I like Shrimp and chicken, so that's helpful. I always do some minor meal prep. I usually buy a family size of meat and grill it all, and then eat on that for the week with different easy pairings. I'm no cook, so simple is best. Quinoa and rice from Costco is a big go to for me, 90 seconds in the microwave and I'm good to go. I typically buy steak every other week, grill it, and slice it into pieces to put on sunflower crunch chopped salad by dole. I can get 2 really good lunches out of it that way. It does require some planning to eat better, but your body starts feeling better within a couple of days, and its motivating.

[WRXtranceformed]

Anyone ever looked into this stuff?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.soylent.com/">https://www.soylent.com/</a><!-- m -->

I read a story about the founder and how he invented it a few years ago, when they were in like prestartup phase. Super interesting story and something like this is a great idea to be able to chip away at the world hunger problem.

The concept is fantastic and the fact that you can customize it is cool for people inclined to that kind of thing. I am not crazy about the soy protein or canola oil in the powder though. Supposedly this stuff gives you mega bad farts (from the sulfur) :lol:

[CaptainHenreh]

Anyone ever looked into this stuff?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.soylent.com/">https://www.soylent.com/</a><!-- m -->
:

I like the green flavor.

[Deceus]

Just keep it simple. Like real simple.

-track what you eat for a while. You can't really manage something effectively if you're not measuring. Once you get a good idea of what your diet looks like you don't have to do this so regularly.
-cut out alcohol. All of it, you can start drinking again when you've lost the weight but it has no place in a diet.
-cut out anything that's not water actually. It's not hard and you don't need it.
-ignore all the stupid fad diets and "super food" bullshit. You don't have to shop at Whole Foods to lose weight. Just cut out fast food and restaurants. Just get some lean protein and add in some rice, pasta or potatoes. Doesn't have to be boring either, learn some decent recipes. I ate a lot of burritos, nachos, chili and chicken parm when I was dropping weight.
-set goals. A lot of people will tell you to not step on scale but it's the only thing that kept me going most of time. You shouldn't worry about day to day fluctuations but you should see an overall downward trend week to week. This goes back to point #1. It was rewarding to see a solid week of dieting rewarded with a nice downward slope on my weight graph.
-do a routine you like. Screw worrying about bullshit like strength vs hypertrophy, beginner routines, SUPER ULTRA EXTREME SPARTAN GAINS ROUTINE, or any of the other general brolifting routined just get in the gym and do something you like doing. I went with a Push/Pull/Legs split. Mostly just focusing on heavy compound lifts. My gym was usually packed so I needed something flexible and I really liked doing heavy compound movements.

In the end you either have the willpower to do it or not, it's not complicated. The biggest reason I've see most people fail is they over-complicate the whole thing. The next biggest reason is justifying failures. Don't try to get away with things here and there, don't reward yourself, just set a course and stay on it. The destination is all the reward you'll need. You're obviously not going to be perfect but too many people justify their mistakes, you'd be surprised how much a single trip to Taco Bell or a night out can set you back.

Last summer I lost a TON of weight by picking up hiking. You're around some of the best hiking in the country, use it. The best part about it is that it's really hard to just give up. You can step off the treadmill at anytime but once you're a few miles into the wilderness, there's only one way out.

This was June to August last year:

[V1GiLaNtE]

I'm boring. Typical Crossfit 2x a week with other activity mixed in (biking, hiking, blah, bah). I eat to ~macros making sure I'm consuming the right amount of Protein, Fat, and carbs. It's noticeable in the gym as I had string of setting PR after PR on just one lift in a session as well as PRs across different lifts for the week. Like Julie I shaved time off running and overall felt invincible at the gym.

I recently went down on protein/carb/fat intake and took a break from crossfit to focus on a strength training class we have at my gym 1x a week. The rest of the time I'm doing HIIT stuff at the office gym, rock climbing, and the other things I mentioned before. I've leaned out, but feel and look fantastic (in my mind).

When you actually start eating what you NEED it's a shit load of food. I usually do all of my food prep for the week on Sunday.

Example eating for today:

Breakfast: (all wrapped up nicely in the pita)
4 egg white omelette
3 strips turkey bacon
1 serving of cheese
1 whole grain pita

Morning Snack:
Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes Unleashed

Lunch:
4oz grilled chicken
mini guac cup
Rice
Roasted broccoli
cherries

1st Afternoon Snack:
Almonds

2nd Afternoon Snack:
2oz beef jerky

Late afternoon snack (4pm):
Chobani Greek yogurt

Dinner:
6oz grilled chicken
mini guac cup
Rice
Romaine lettuce salad (or whatever vegetable I've cooked for dinner)

[Jewels]

When I started IIFYM I upped my caloric intake by 300 calories. By eating food for fuel, I sometimes had to eat A LOT to hit my goal. I've eaten like crap this week due to VBS at my church, and I still haven't hit my total calories. On the downside, I haven't had nearly enough protein this week, and I'm feeling it. Also, I eat a lot of greek yogurt to help with protein, and drink Fairlife Milk, which is heavy with protein and lactose free. I got no issues with milk of course, but the 13g of protein per cup goes a long way to help hitting enough protein.

[.RJ]

When you actually start eating what you NEED it's a shit load of food. I usually do all of my food prep for the week on Sunday.

I have had a really hard time getting enough calories in since changing my diet. A lot of days I am dragging ass and feeling like shit, or am hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day, although the worst thing in the house right now is some fruit so its not all that bad. Going to add back in some rice or quinoa or other carbs soon and see if that changes things.

[Apoc]

When you actually start eating what you NEED it's a shit load of food. I usually do all of my food prep for the week on Sunday.

I have had a really hard time getting enough calories in since changing my diet. A lot of days I am dragging ass and feeling like shit, or am hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day, although the worst thing in the house right now is some fruit so its not all that bad. Going to add back in some rice or quinoa or other carbs soon and see if that changes things.

Quinoa is pretty carb dense, so it's not a good option if you're avoiding them. Fat is the answer. It's always the answer.

[V1GiLaNtE]

When you actually start eating what you NEED it's a shit load of food. I usually do all of my food prep for the week on Sunday.

I have had a really hard time getting enough calories in since changing my diet. A lot of days I am dragging ass and feeling like shit, or am hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day, although the worst thing in the house right now is some fruit so its not all that bad. Going to add back in some rice or quinoa or other carbs soon and see if that changes things.

This is A-typical people in the office and why 99% of the people I work with eat like complete shit. I'm in complete awe when people pop over to the Rosslyn McDonalds and get a burger or a fucking hot fudge Sunday at 3pm. Or somebody brings in cake for a persons birthday and it's gone by 9:30. They don't eat anything all day or very little and then somebody is always bringing in candy, cookies, whatever the fuck sweets and then devour it because they're so hungry. Then they wonder why they're so tired and feel like shit the rest of the day... damn skinny fat people.

Most people when you look at it are not eating anywhere CLOSE to what they need to fuel their bodies (even if resting and not active). I'm not a nutrionist, but my friend was the one who inspired me to start looking at macros. He had a trainer look over what he was eating and figured out he was basically starving himself by eating little salads and not much during the day (typical "diet" bs) and that was what lead to him being a hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day and eating everything in sight.. AKA NO WEIGHT LOSS.

Once he started eating right for his body and was working out consistently he started drop LBs like mad. :thumbup:

[V1GiLaNtE]

When you actually start eating what you NEED it's a shit load of food. I usually do all of my food prep for the week on Sunday.

I have had a really hard time getting enough calories in since changing my diet. A lot of days I am dragging ass and feeling like shit, or am hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day, although the worst thing in the house right now is some fruit so its not all that bad. Going to add back in some rice or quinoa or other carbs soon and see if that changes things.

Quinoa is pretty carb dense, so it's not a good option if you're avoiding them. Fat is the answer. It's always the answer.

Carbs are not bad.. you do need carbs. Quinoa also has a good amount of protein and relatively low fat. It's the timing of carbs that is the most important. Usually close to when you're working out.

[Apoc]

Carbs are not bad.. you do need carbs. Quinoa also has a good amount of protein and relatively low fat.

You get plenty of carbs from fruit, nuts, and tubers. Also, (healthy) fat is good, not bad.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Carbs are not bad.. you do need carbs. Quinoa also has a good amount of protein and relatively low fat.

You get plenty of carbs from fruit, nuts, and tubers. Also, (healthy) fat is good, not bad.

No disagreeing with you at all about fat, but if you're going to be choosy about your carbs quinoa is a cheap and healthy choice to go with. Like Rex said you need a plan and stick with it. So planning around what your eating takes work. I certainly wouldn't load up on potatoes and quinoa in the same day, but I basically have a whole serving of rice (4.4oz) between lunch and dinner. Good source to get the protein, fat, and carbs I need.

Granted I'm probably the odd one out weighing my food the night before I pack everything. It's kinda fun for me. :dunno:

[V1GiLaNtE]

When I started IIFYM I upped my caloric intake by 300 calories. By eating food for fuel, I sometimes had to eat A LOT to hit my goal. I've eaten like crap this week due to VBS at my church, and I still haven't hit my total calories. On the downside, I haven't had nearly enough protein this week, and I'm feeling it. Also, I eat a lot of greek yogurt to help with protein, and drink Fairlife Milk, which is heavy with protein and lactose free. I got no issues with milk of course, but the 13g of protein per cup goes a long way to help hitting enough protein.

Amen. Greek yogurt is amazing for protein. I like to do granola and cottage cheese for the same affect!

[Jewels]

Carbs are not bad.. you do need carbs. Quinoa also has a good amount of protein and relatively low fat.

You get plenty of carbs from fruit, nuts, and tubers. Also, (healthy) fat is good, not bad.

No disagreeing with you at all about fat, but if you're going to be choosy about your carbs quinoa is a cheap and healthy choice to go with. Like Rex said you need a plan and stick with it. So planning around what your eating takes work. I certainly wouldn't load up on potatoes and quinoa in the same day, but I basically have a whole serving of rice (4.4oz) between lunch and dinner. Good source to get the protein, fat, and carbs I need.

Granted I'm probably the odd one out weighing my food the night before I pack everything. It's kinda fun for me. :dunno:

So I have taken it as a challenge. How close I can get to all my macros for the day. Its hard at first, but yeah, I weight my food, my food scale stays on my kitchen island. Having a plan is the only way going into it. I plan my meals on Sundays and then grocery shop. I have a good many grams of carbs and fat to use, so I make a point to use them. I am not afraid to pop some cheese on top of something if I have the macros and I want it to fill me up. Fat keeps you feeling full, carbs give you energy, and protein builds muscle. I'm certainly not perfect at it, and I definitely have days where I'm off by a lot. but over all I feel better eating better.

Also, for people in the H'burg area, if you are having trouble meal prepping or want some easy lunches you can reheat, I would suggest my friend Jakob to you. He used to be an executive chef at the Local Chop house, but ran a side business called Swole Chef. He now runs that as his full time job its been so successful. His food is $9 basically a meal, and he delivers on Mondays to local gyms. His menu is send via email on Fridays and you have to pick what you want by Monday at 7 am. Earlier the better of course. His food is all organic, mostly paleo, and meats are almost 100% locally sourced. If you want his info send me a PM. He includes the macros so you don't have to figure it out yourself.

[WRXtranceformed]

I have had a really hard time getting enough calories in since changing my diet. A lot of days I am dragging ass and feeling like shit, or am hungry hungry hippo at the end of the day, although the worst thing in the house right now is some fruit so its not all that bad. Going to add back in some rice or quinoa or other carbs soon and see if that changes things.

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