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[Keylime]

So it seems that getting older, hours of college studies, and an 8-4 desk job are taking their toll on me and I'm getting a bit of that stomach flab. My initial instinct is to start doing a bunch of stomach crunches in addition to normal jogging and lifting, but I thought I'd ask here - what's the best way to get rid of this stuff?

(If there's a general fitness thread I haven't seen it, feel free to point me there if this isn't the right place.)

There's a general fitness thread here, but in general body composition is mostly diet. If you're not eating too well and have been generally sedentary than you're going to start accumulating fat.

What's your diet and exercise looks like these days?

 

[Zoe]

So it seems that getting older, hours of college studies, and an 8-4 desk job are taking their toll on me and I'm getting a bit of that stomach flab. My initial instinct is to start doing a bunch of stomach crunches in addition to normal jogging and lifting, but I thought I'd ask here - what's the best way to get rid of this stuff?

(If there's a general fitness thread I haven't seen it, feel free to point me there if this isn't the right place.)

There's no such thing as spot reducing. Building your abdomen muscles could actually make the fat more pronounced by pushing it outwards.

 

[Genesis Knight]

Dang, I even searched for "Fitness".

@Zoe that's what I was wondering; I've kind of heard that before I think.

In the summer I ran 3-4 times a week (3 miles, about 20 minutes) and then lifted weights for 30 mins 3 times a week. Since then I've done nothing because of school and weather... Excuses, excuses. Although even in the summer I was in good shape but I wasn't beating this stomach flab. As for diet, not great. So eating better and getting back on the exercise routine is pretty much all I can do, I guess, if there aren't specific exercises or anything.

 

[Keylime]

Sounds like your fitness routine was great, and really the diet side of things is going to cause the stomach not the lack of exercise.

Try and reduce the amount of high glycemic carbs from your diet (breads, rice, sugar, etc) to get your diet heading in the right direction and pick up your exercise routine again and that stomach will probably go away in no time (depending on how much of it you've got).

 

[Zaptruder]

1000 cals? Goddammit people, that's horseshit.

Daily caloric intake of less than 50% of your BMR is going to make your body and mind kick your ass something fierce. You're going to need some titanic willpower to get through that shit. And you know... most people don't have that shit.

Just stick with 2k... weight loss will be slower, but it'll be more certain... something that can be maintained as a healthy lifestyle over the course of multiple decades.

Also abs are nice... but unless you're prepared to maintain them; just aim for looking good in clothes. Once you're fucking... you're fucking!

 

[SeanR1221]

Started mixing whey powder into my coffee thermos. No it hasn't made me want to poop right away .

 

[SeanR1221]

Any protein bars that aren't trash?

If they're not loaded with sugar, they have 30G of carbs.

On the go, if I'm near a Wawa I'll grab 2 of the hardboiled eggs double packs, but sometimes I'd like a variety.

 

[Keylime]

Every protein bar I've seen either is loaded with sugar, or sugar alcohols. What I've read on sugar alcohols isn't actually that bad...basically on par with artificial sweetners in that they don't seem to affect blood sugar so much so from that point of view they seem OK for weight loss.

Forget which one actually came with sugar alcohols...I think it was a "carb conscious" version of one of them. I'll have to go to the store again to check.

Generally I'd avoid them if you can, but if you had to eat them I'd go for ones with the sugar alcohols vs. something like brown rice syrup or cane juice which is basically another word for sugar.

 

[SeanR1221]

Hm, I'm probably better off making my own.

 

[mysticwhip]

under 1000 cal?! jeez man how are you surving? I'd actually like to see what your daily diet routine is.

I just eat dinner at around 5 pm.

edit: I fucked up today though. got a bit too happy, imma need to workout for an hours to burn a few hundred calories.

edit2: I forgot to update you guys, after one week of my under 1000 cal diet, I am down 1 pant size. from a 40 to a 38.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I do around 1500 calories a day. I find that I feel full on that but it helps when trying to lose weight.

 

[SeanR1221]

I just eat dinner at around 5 pm.

edit: I fucked up today though. got a bit too happy, imma need to workout for an hours to burn a few hundred calories.

edit2: I forgot to update you guys, after one week of my under 1000 cal diet, I am down 1 pant size. from a 40 to a 38.

Congrats on the progress, but I can't help but feel you're setting yourself up for failure. 1,000 calories is really not sustainable long-term.

 

[mysticwhip]

Congrats on the progress, but I can't help but feel you're setting yourself up for failure. 1,000 calories is really not sustainable long-term.

You're right. I'm kinda just experimenting and seeing if I can get to a good weight and try to maintain it somehow,

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

You're right. I'm kinda just experimenting and seeing if I can get to a good weight and try to maintain it somehow,

This is why you will fail. Don't change your diet to something that will get you to where you want to be, change it to something that can keep you there.

 

[mysticwhip]

but what would be wrong with changine my diet to desired weight after I actually reach my desired weight?

 

[dralla]

Any protein bars that aren't trash?

If they're not loaded with sugar, they have 30G of carbs.

On the go, if I'm near a Wawa I'll grab 2 of the hardboiled eggs double packs, but sometimes I'd like a variety.

Quest Bars. I eat them all the time, just ordered 2 more boxes.

 

[Miutsu]

Is it recommended to boil several batches of broccoli/coliflower and then put them in the fridge/freezer for a snack? how long would they last? Same question for boiled eggs

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

but what would be wrong with changine my diet to desired weight after I actually reach my desired weight?

Because crash diets don't work in the long term. As you lose weight you should learn how to eat, not try and learn when you get there.

 

[mm04]

I do around 1500 calories a day. I find that I feel full on that but it helps when trying to lose weight.

That's not enough calories to properly fuel your workout. I don't know if the P90X2 suggested calorie intake is different from P90X, but my 5'3" 117lb sister is consuming around 1500 calories while doing P90X Lean to tone up. I guess if you want to go Biggest Loser style, then go for it. But you will still lose weight and get in better condition by eating more calories than that. I'm now 164lbs now (5'10") and consume around 2200 calories daily and am still shedding pounds (P90X Classic).

I just don't know how you'll be able to sustain eating less than your base metabolic rate for long, while also doing P90X2. I'd hate to read about you yo-yo'ing back up after you reach your goal weight. Don't try and rush it. It's not a race. Getting and staying healthy is a long term commitment. If you continue to exercise and select a reasonable calorie intake level, you're going to reach your goal and keep it off.

 

[Jharp]

What's the over/under on going from chubby with a bit of definition to straight on motherfucking bear mode. Like this:

?

 

[lenovox1]

What's the over/under on going from chubby with a bit of definition to straight on motherfucking bear mode. Like this:
*thenoblebear.jpg*

?

Something like that takes more than a few years and a lot of hard work. Is the fitness thread |OT| still around? That place is a good start. On the positive side, you probably wouldn't have to change your diet very much, and you'd get all the cardio you'd need to get that shape by lifting weights.

 

[Keylime]

Jesus christ...tabata sprints!

Just did this for the first time to fulfill the my "sprinting" portion of the Primal Fitness plan. Basically you go all out for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest...rinse and repeat for 4 minutes. Supposed increased your aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

That shit kicked my ass. My lungs haven't burned that much in awhile.

My activity was to bolt down my first floor hall, charge up the stairs to the second floor, tap my bedroom door and run down the stairs again, bolt down the hallway and touch the couch. This whole stretch would take about 20 seconds.

When I was done I was reduced to a heaving pile a flesh. Pretty damn awesome. I'm going to look forward to when I can do multiple sets of these things.

 

[Draft]

but what would be wrong with changine my diet to desired weight after I actually reach my desired weight?

Eat for how you want to look. If a diet gets you to a certain body fat level, but then you stop eating that diet and start eating more, what's going to happen to your body fat level?

 

[Spiritreaver]

Tabata is the shit, great work man. I'm going to toss in tabata sprints/jump roping once I'm a month into my cut. Gonna hate my life haha.

I kinda want to be a big bear like that when I grow up. :X

 

[SeanR1221]

Help me out, guys. My fiancé won't switch from turkey bacon to regular bacon. She doesn't want to get "fatter" (she's a little over 100 pounds!) and eats around 80-100g of carbs depending on the day. Any links to point her in the right direction?

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Uh, there's nothing wrong with eating turkey bacon provided it isn't a brand with excessive amounts of additives or unusual ingredients. The nutritional content is pretty similar and it largely comes down to taste preference.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

That's not enough calories to properly fuel your workout. I don't know if the P90X2 suggested calorie intake is different from P90X, but my 5'3" 117lb sister is consuming around 1500 calories while doing P90X Lean to tone up. I guess if you want to go Biggest Loser style, then go for it. But you will still lose weight and get in better condition by eating more calories than that. I'm now 164lbs now (5'10") and consume around 2200 calories daily and am still shedding pounds (P90X Classic).

I just don't know how you'll be able to sustain eating less than your base metabolic rate for long, while also doing P90X2. I'd hate to read about you yo-yo'ing back up after you reach your goal weight. Don't try and rush it. It's not a race. Getting and staying healthy is a long term commitment. If you continue to exercise and select a reasonable calorie intake level, you're going to reach your goal and keep it off.

Oh I agree with most of what you said, thing is I have been doing 1500 calories (just during the week mainly) for months now and had no issues. I get a bit hungry around 4pm but I am going to add some almonds as a snack twice a day or something to fix that. The whole reason I wasn't losing weight at all was due to how I was eating on weekends. On weekends I would eat out too much and just not continue my healthy weekday eating. Plus I was only doing P90X once or twice a week (cardio X, plyo, or kenpo usually).

I have a hard time losing weight though. My body type is such that I don't look big (aside from a chubby face) with a shirt on, but I have a bigger build thanks to genetics. When I did P90X a year and a half ago I lost 20 pounds, but I really need to lose a bit more.

 

[lenovox1]

Help me out, guys. My fiancé won't switch from turkey bacon to regular bacon. She doesn't want to get "fatter" (she's a little over 100 pounds!) and eats around 80-100g of carbs depending on the day. Any links to point her in the right direction?

She doesn't want to eat pork bacon because she doesn't want to get fat? Well, like Cosmic Bus said a low sodium bacon and a normal turkey bacon are largely the same nutritionally, but I don't know if straight logic works on this one.

What if you promise to bake your bacon?

 

[SeanR1221]

Yeah straight logic may not work. I mean, we're dealing with a skinny girl who thinks she's fat (you can see her picture I posted a page or so back with us on new years). I may just bite the bullet and buy us separate bacon.

 

[dralla]

Just a heads up for for people who use supplements. Walgreens is running a promotion for all of January, buy 1 get 1 free for supplements and vitamins, so if you want to stock up on fish oil pills for those Omega-3's, now's a good time

 

[mysticwhip]

Because crash diets don't work in the long term. As you lose weight you should learn how to eat, not try and learn when you get there.

It's not as if I'm still eating shit. I've cut out all grains and I only drink water. I've also replaced rice and starchy foods with veggies and meat.

 

[Orgen]

Jesus christ...tabata sprints!

Just did this for the first time to fulfill the my "sprinting" portion of the Primal Fitness plan. Basically you go all out for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest...rinse and repeat for 4 minutes. Supposed increased your aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

That shit kicked my ass. My lungs haven't burned that much in awhile.

My activity was to bolt down my first floor hall, charge up the stairs to the second floor, tap my bedroom door and run down the stairs again, bolt down the hallway and touch the couch. This whole stretch would take about 20 seconds.

When I was done I was reduced to a heaving pile a flesh. Pretty damn awesome. I'm going to look forward to when I can do multiple sets of these things.

What the... 20 seconds sprints and 10 seconds rest? That's like HIIT lite version? or what? I'm interested!

I asked months ago about HIIT in this thread because I read it was a better solution for weight loss (or lowering body-fat) than running long distance (I was running 10km in 50 minutes). So I'm like "cool, and it'll be less minutes exercising!" and I end with a routine of 60 seconds sprint / 50 seconds rest (8 times). You can imagine I'm nearly dead when I reach my 8th sprint, so... are this 20 seconds tabata sprints a good substitute for my HIIT routine? If I can get the same results from a 4 minute exercise... brbrbrbr

More questions about HIIT: why is it better for weight loss/low body fat than running long distance? Any studies that can demonstrate this?

I'm in good shape but I want to get rid of my belly fat. I know I have to lower my body fat and diet is the best way to get it, right? But my diet is a mess (not fast food mess, but I eat rice and pasta 3 times/week and a lot of bread) so first I want to get my exercise routine right and then I'll change my diet (I'm not eating bread for two weeks... I miss you!).

Now I'm running 3 times a week (2 times the HIIT routine mentioned before and 1 time 10km) and doing muscle exercises (push-ups, biceps, dead-lifts, planks...) twice a week just to maintain muscle while I do the running/cardio exercise. Is that right? wrong? what could I do better regarding this?

Thanks in advance!

And when I say my diet is a mess it's for things like this... (sorry for the cellphone pic)

This is my second leg since Christmas. Thank god it's the last before next Christmas but man it's soooooooo good... and also sooooo bad haha

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Help me out, guys. My fiancé won't switch from turkey bacon to regular bacon. She doesn't want to get "fatter" (she's a little over 100 pounds!) and eats around 80-100g of carbs depending on the day. Any links to point her in the right direction?

I dunno... show her that there is absolutely no evidence that dietary fat helps make a person fatter? Show her the science about what foods raise blood sugar and induce an insulin response and point that bacon is not among such foods?

It's hard for a lot of people to wrap their head around the fact that low-fat is a scam. It sure was for me at first.

 

[lenovox1]

I dunno... show her that there is absolutely no evidence that dietary fat helps make a person fatter? Show her the science about what foods raise blood sugar and induce an insulin response and point that bacon is not among such foods?

It's hard for a lot of people to wrap their head around the fact that low-fat is a scam. It sure was for me at first.

The only problem with that is that turkey bacon and low sodium bacon contain about the same amount of fat per serving. I don't think it's the fat that's got her hung up, it's just that SeanR1221 fiancée seems to think that turkey bacon is somehow inherently "better" and will make her less fat than regular bacon.

It's really a shame too. Based on the photo upthread she's stunning, and I know tons aspiring actresses and singers that would kill to have a body like hers. She really shouldn't have to about food like that, but, hey, what's there to do?

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Guys, the world isn't gunna end if she eats turkey bacon, tebow Christ.

 

[MG310]

Working my way back into a good routine, went from 338 down to 313 at the end of last year, then kinda slacked off and stopped working out until this week. Did 20 minutes of intervals 3 of the last 4 days (and 10 on the 4th when I wasn't feeling well) on the recumbent bike.

Just need to keep it up once I go back to work in February, work in a restaurant so its difficult to stay away from the shit food. Going to bring in some of my own stuff and just have it at the ready so I don't go near any of the evil fried and delicious.

 

[Zoe]

Comparing the nutritional facts:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.aspx?SiteId=1&Product=4470001988
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/productinfodisplay.aspx?siteid=1&product=7187154860

The only disadvantage turkey bacon has going for it is less protein. I don't see the big deal.

Plus, you don't have to deal with the chewy fat on turkey bacon which I've never been a fan of.

 

[SeanR1221]

In fairness to her, it would be the kirkland bacon from Costco

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/generic/kirkland-bacon/

Which has 10.5g of fat per piece compared to the Oscar Turkey Bacon at 3g of fat per piece.

I tried talking her into it, but looks like we'll have to go our separate ways ;__;

 

[lenovox1]

Guys, the world isn't gunna end if she eats turkey bacon, tebow Christ.

Comparing the nutritional facts:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.aspx?SiteId=1&Product=4470001988
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/productinfodisplay.aspx?siteid=1&product=7187154860

The only disadvantage turkey bacon has going for it is less protein. I don't see the big deal.

Plus, you don't have to deal with the chewy fat on turkey bacon which I've never been a fan of.

There's nothing wrong with turkey bacon. SeanR1221 just wanted to find ways to get the pork stuff back into his life. Regardless of anything else, he found the best option for him and his fiancée in the end.

 

[Zoe]

What would you guys do for a week or two of a liquid/soft food diet? Trying to plan ahead for wisdom teeth extraction, and I want something healthier than mashed potatoes the entire time.

 

[OG Kush]

What would you guys do for a week or two of a liquid/soft food diet? Trying to plan ahead for wisdom teeth extraction, and I want something healthier than mashed potatoes the entire time.

get a blender, get meal replacement type things like Shakeology

 

[PotatoeMasher]

What would you guys do for a week or two of a liquid/soft food diet? Trying to plan ahead for wisdom teeth extraction, and I want something healthier than mashed potatoes the entire time.

A day or two before buy a nice chicken and roast it. Save the bones and make a stock. A beef bone broth would also be good.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Agh dammit, my boss walked over and set a Big Mac on my desk. They were selling them for the price of the temperature yesterday, so 17 cents...

I ate half of it, added it to my food tracker, and threw the rest away. It didn't put me over on anything besides protein and still left 500 calories for dinner.

I'll just have to work a bit harder on P90X2 tonight.

 

[Bealost]

What would you guys do for a week or two of a liquid/soft food diet? Trying to plan ahead for wisdom teeth extraction, and I want something healthier than mashed potatoes the entire time.

How many are you having removed? I had both my lowers done on the same day and was able to eat almost anything a few days later without too much discomfort. The biggest things to avoid are things with small seeds and such that can get stuck in/around the holes and cause problems. (I.E. strawberries)

As for healthier stuff that is soft, you can bake sweet potatoes and mash em up they are marginally better than white potatoes. Greek yogurt is a fantastic source of protein. Some greek yogurt in a blender with some milk and whey protein can make one hell of a smoothie that you can drink, although straws should be avoided until your mouth is healed up.

Edit:: The only real reason to do a liquid diet, not sure why I found that so funny, but I chuckled when I thought of it.

Edit 2:: OMFG I'm not a junior?! As a celebration I'll throw my real progress pictures up if I'm under 195 tomorrow morning.

 

[chumps]

Is low carb effective for people that are just a little overweight or is it only effective for those who are morbidly obese? I've never been able to lose the last 15 lbs or so, no matter how low I go with my carbs.

Also, is there any evidence that low carb dieting (when combined with high protein intake and weight lifting) does not cause muscle loss? I'm terrified of losing muscle, because I know the more I lose the slower my already slow metabolism will become.

Try experimenting with intermittent fasting, i.e. skipping breakfast. Then carbs aren't really a big deal (so long as they're not from sugars) because you are still at a caloric deficit.

I work out fasted (deadlifts/squats/bodyweight stuff) as it's more convenient and eat a lot on workout days and less on regular days.

Also you don't want to go too low carb cause you need them for a lot of regular bodily functions (like mucus production*) and without enough carbs your body will catabolize muscle.

*learned this the hard way and got massively sick and a lung infection.

 

[Agent Cooper]

This is my second leg since Christmas. Thank god it's the last before next Christmas but man it's soooooooo good... and also sooooo bad haha

I thought that was a real human leg and it freaked me out.

 

[chumps]

Dumb question: anyone ever try doing a prolonged intermittent fast (24/36 hours) and exercised at the same time?

I'm going to try a 36 hour fast (currently 19 hours in) but I have tennis lessons this afternoon. Wondering if it'd be safe to go ahead and continue through the lessons or if I'll die or something

Don't have a lot of experience fasting, but I'd love to keep it going.

I'd say just experiment. Part of the fun is finding out what a body is really capable of instead of the whole 'omg i didn't eat breakfast I need food stat I'm dying' drama.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Agh dammit, my boss walked over and set a Big Mac on my desk. They were selling them for the price of the temperature yesterday, so 17 cents...

I ate half of it, added it to my food tracker, and threw the rest away. It didn't put me over on anything besides protein and still left 500 calories for dinner.

I'll just have to work a bit harder on P90X2 tonight.

So if you didn't have the big Mac you'd have half assed your workout?

 

[DJ_XMX]

What the... 20 seconds sprints and 10 seconds rest? That's like HIIT lite version? or what? I'm interested!

I asked months ago about HIIT in this thread because I read it was a better solution for weight loss (or lowering body-fat) than running long distance (I was running 10km in 50 minutes). So I'm like "cool, and it'll be less minutes exercising!" and I end with a routine of 60 seconds sprint / 50 seconds rest (8 times). You can imagine I'm nearly dead when I reach my 8th sprint, so... are this 20 seconds tabata sprints a good substitute for my HIIT routine? If I can get the same results from a 4 minute exercise... brbrbrbr

More questions about HIIT: why is it better for weight loss/low body fat than running long distance? Any studies that can demonstrate this?

I'm in good shape but I want to get rid of my belly fat. I know I have to lower my body fat and diet is the best way to get it, right? But my diet is a mess (not fast food mess, but I eat rice and pasta 3 times/week and a lot of bread) so first I want to get my exercise routine right and then I'll change my diet (I'm not eating bread for two weeks... I miss you!).

Now I'm running 3 times a week (2 times the HIIT routine mentioned before and 1 time 10km) and doing muscle exercises (push-ups, biceps, dead-lifts, planks...) twice a week just to maintain muscle while I do the running/cardio exercise. Is that right? wrong? what could I do better regarding this?

Thanks in advance!

And when I say my diet is a mess it's for things like this... (sorry for the cellphone pic)

This is my second leg since Christmas. Thank god it's the last before next Christmas but man it's soooooooo good... and also sooooo bad haha

Wtf are you from spain? we have those here damn i love spanish ham *drools* although thats the normal type not "pata negra" lol i want some

 

[Zoe]

How many are you having removed? I had both my lowers done on the same day and was able to eat almost anything a few days later without too much discomfort. The biggest things to avoid are things with small seeds and such that can get stuck in/around the holes and cause problems. (I.E. strawberries)

As for healthier stuff that is soft, you can bake sweet potatoes and mash em up they are marginally better than white potatoes. Greek yogurt is a fantastic source of protein. Some greek yogurt in a blender with some milk and whey protein can make one hell of a smoothie that you can drink, although straws should be avoided until your mouth is healed up.

I'm getting all four removed. I'm a pretty picky eater which is why I want to try out some things ahead of time so I wouldn't be completely miserable.

I didn't think about the seeds in strawberries. That sucks