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[CaptainABAB]

Question for the low/no carbers out there, what do you guys eat for a relatively hassle free no carb breakfast?

I can make scrambed eggs in 5 minutes. If I have more time, I add in diced onions, green peppers and ham and mix it in.

I use the stirring technique shown here. (skip the other stuff - bread, tomatoes, etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks

 

[CaptainABAB]

Hey, just wanted to drop by and let you all know I am still on the wagon, even though I have not been posting on here I have continued with the excercise and the diet. its become more of a lifestyle now and I am really enjoying life. so how much have I lost now you ask?

Starting weight: 13th march : 378 pounds
Todays weight: 273 pounds

So that would be a loss of: 105 pounds

So my friends lets break out the party baloons...this is a pretty major milestone for me

EDIT: Also thanks for the inspiration to keep going every day. I am reading this even if I dont post. I am real proud of all of you

100+ pounds in 6 months?!!

Can you give some details in terms of your diet and exercise?

 

[RoodyPooUS]

I can make scrambed eggs in 5 minutes. If I have more time, I add in diced onions, green peppers and ham and mix it in.

I use the stirring technique shown here. (skip the other stuff - bread, tomatoes, etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks

I knew that was the Gordon Ramsey method before I clicked it.

Instead of butter, I used EVOO, just to save like the 1 min it takes for me to cut a piece, etc. Nothing wrong with the butter.

 

[betweenthewheels]

I knew that was the Gordon Ramsey method before I clicked it.

It's like eating a cloud of eggs.

I seriously burnt myself out on eggs my first month of low carb. Now i'd rather skip a meal than eat eggs...I used to be such a fan

 

[teh_pwn]

teh_pwn had mentioned an earlier study I think it was.. That specifically talks about as your body fat percentage heads down and your metabolism rises (really talking about fitness here), that your body definitely seems to be more resilient to bad food.

We don't entirely understand all of the possible causes of insidious fat gain, but in the case of fructose induced leptin resistance we do know that it takes chronic high levels of fructose consumption to induce insulin resistance on the liver. In this case it takes a large amount of fructose consistently consumed to beat the liver down.

One soda isn't going to do it. Or a younger body's liver or genetic variations may allow great tolerance.

An analogy is with alcohol. The guy that drinks a small glass of wine after a meal every day probably won't have a beer gut or signs of intoxication. But the guy that drinks 3 beers on a semi-empty stomach daily will have the beer gut and the fatty liver.

It takes time for the liver to get messed up, and in the case of fructose it causes body wide insulin resistance. If you eat carbohydrates with lots of insulin in your blood, you're going to have lots of triglycerides in your blood. And with lots of triglycerides, less leptin can cross the blood brain barrier. It is that leptin resistance that causes the body fat % setpoint to go up. Once that happens, your liver is messed up and type 2 diabetes is probably forming.


On another note, vitamin D3 is awesome. My knees have been cool/inflammation free since I started taking 20,000 IU daily. I'm doing 30 minutes cardio daily, building up to 45 soon. For the last 2 years before this so much as driving or going up stairs could cause inflammation. My legs were also weak. I think I may have had Rickets or something forming. I don't go outside much, and my CAR is UV sealed with the tinted windows, so it's possible I had severe vitamin D deficiency.

I still take breaks every few days, and I do think overtraining is a problem. But building up to cardio/weight training with adequate rest is probably good for you. It's all about balance as overtraining can cause injury/stress hormones.

 

[Akim]

I'm doing the low carb thing, but today I feel so bad for what I did.

Breakfast - 4 pieces of Bacon, 2 eggs
Lunch - KFC double down (friend wanted to go)
Dinner - Royal Red Robin burger wrapped in lettuce (friends birthday)

Even though I stayed under my carb count, that's no way to eat. I have to confess to gaf.

 

[Dresden]

I can make scrambed eggs in 5 minutes. If I have more time, I add in diced onions, green peppers and ham and mix it in.

I use the stirring technique shown here. (skip the other stuff - bread, tomatoes, etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks

Am I the only one who doesn't like creamy scrambled eggs?

 

[jenov4]

For the people who are looking to get inspired, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU&feature=aso

I love running. That's how it changed my life. I wasn't as extreme, but this transformation is phenomenal.

 

[grap3fruitman]

Okay, I've been working out three days a week for some 2.5 years now and while I'm benching and have built up some pecs, I can't seem to get rid of the fat in front of them. Any suggestions for getting rid of man boobs?

 

[LFG]

I'm doing the low carb thing, but today I feel so bad for what I did.

Breakfast - 4 pieces of Bacon, 2 eggs
Lunch - KFC double down (friend wanted to go)
Dinner - Royal Red Robin burger wrapped in lettuce (friends birthday)

Even though I stayed under my carb count, that's no way to eat. I have to confess to gaf.

was your double down fried or grilled? i think the fried one has something like 50g of carbs.

 

[KJTB]

Okay, I've been working out three days a week for some 2.5 years now and while I'm benching and have built up some pecs, I can't seem to get rid of the fat in front of them. Any suggestions for getting rid of man boobs?

Healthy dieting and just overall fat loss. You can't target train your moobs and hope the fat only disappears there (If only it were that easy :/)

 

[KJTB]

For the people who are looking to get inspired, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbXgQqbOoU&feature=aso

I love running. That's how it changed my life. I wasn't as extreme, but this transformation is phenomenal.

That was awesome. I may or may not have gotten a little chocked up while watching that . Kind of reminds me of how I couldn't even run a mile when I started running and now I regularly run five a day

 

[shim]

Hey guys, don't post often, but I wanted to contribute to this thread. Difference in the pictures is around 5 years, but I wasn't every able to see any abs until recently.
I did around 2 cycles of P90x, during the second cycle I used Insanity on my cardio days instead of the p90x cardio.
But it's true what they say, that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym!
I only started seeing great results after i cleaned up my diet.

I remember constantly going through the body building transformations pictures to keep me motivated. For those of you who are just starting out, hang in there! Just like gaining weight doesn't happen overnight, losing weight is the same. Also, don't measure yourself by a scale, use a mirror. Progress pictures are great to take too!

shim

edit: didn't realize imageshack was banned, changed to tiny pic

 

[Kraftwerk]

Hey guys, don't post often, but I wanted to contribute to this thread. Difference in the pictures is around 5 years, but I wasn't every able to see any abs until recently.
I did around 2 cycles of P90x, during the second cycle I used Insanity on my cardio days instead of the p90x cardio.
But it's true what they say, that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym!
I only started seeing great results after i cleaned up my diet.

I remember constantly going through the body building transformations pictures to keep me motivated. For those of you who are just starting out, hang in there! Just like gaining weight doesn't happen overnight, losing weight is the same. Also, don't measure yourself by a scale, use a mirror. Progress pictures are great to take too!

shim

DAYUMMM...'goes to buy p90x'

 

[Zoe]

What's the recommended diet when doing p90x?

 

[Sarye]

Hey guys, don't post often, but I wanted to contribute to this thread. Difference in the pictures is around 5 years, but I wasn't every able to see any abs until recently.
I did around 2 cycles of P90x, during the second cycle I used Insanity on my cardio days instead of the p90x cardio.
But it's true what they say, that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym!
I only started seeing great results after i cleaned up my diet.

I remember constantly going through the body building transformations pictures to keep me motivated. For those of you who are just starting out, hang in there! Just like gaining weight doesn't happen overnight, losing weight is the same. Also, don't measure yourself by a scale, use a mirror. Progress pictures are great to take too!

shim, great transformation. You mentioned that the before picture was 5 years ago. Do you have a picture of before you started p90x. Also what was your routine before the program?

You're right though transformation pictures keeps me motivated too.

 

[shim]

I have no idea how to quote (I have a total of like 9 posts, and i've been a member since '08) =\.

But to answer your question Sarye, I don't have any really good pre-p90x pictures, but to give you an idea, 1st picture is when I was around 200 lbs @ 5'7".
I was sick of the way I felt and looked so I started lifting and eating tons of food, I wasn't too sure about diet and just ate and ate. I saw huge improvements in my strength, but I was just getting fatter and fatter.
I started incorporating cardio and dieting in addition to my lifting, and dropped around 20-30 lbs.

Pre-P90x schedule/diet
Wake up before class, Ran 1-2 miles on treadmill.
Had 1/3 cup of oatmeal and and 1 6oz can of tuna.
Had first class, ate an apple then went to gym and lifted weights.
Mon - Chest/Triceps
Tues - Biceps/Back
Wed - Shoulders/Legs
Thurs - Whatever wasn't sore.
I liked to change things up, but generally tried to stick to this schedule.

Lunch was usually a salad from the cafeteria, with as much chicken as I could find. Sometimes I would get chicken noodle soup and try to pick out all the bits of chicken for protein. (Yes i was THAT guy)
Then dinner was a chicken salad, or a turkey wrap, or some other low fat/ low calorie meal.

Always tried to eat until I wasn't hungry and not until I was stuffed. I snacked on those tuna salad+cracker packs or some protein bars during the day if I was starving.

I got appendicitis later that year and had to stop for a few weeks after the surgery, and it totally threw me off my schedule. I wasn't as consistent with working out and ate whatever I wanted for a few years after that. Gained some of the weight back, but was never as heavy as I was in the first picture. Probably around 180 or so right before the P90x program.


During P90x/Current Diet:
I didn't follow the P90x diet at all. I used my own type of modified diet.

Breakfast:
Protein shake or can of tuna + 1/3 cup (dry) of oatmeal
Lunch:
Usually a 6" subway or publix sub, bag of chips (light, low fat, etc..) , and a diet coke
Dinner:
Lean protein source - (chicken, lean beef, fish, turkey, egg)
As many green veggies as I want (spinach, asparagus, lettuce, broccoli)

When cooking, I tried to avoid any fatty/sugary sauces.
Used garlic, mustard, spices, hoisin sauce, low fat dressings...

Because i fucking love to eat, dieting was 10x harder than the actual workouts for me. On weekends I cheated in moderation. I would have maybe a scoop of ice cream, or like 2 slices of pizza instead of one of my regular meals.

Rarely drank any alcohol, as it really messes with your body.

After the P90x program I weighed around 165 and still weigh around this much.
Still working out, but I've got into more of a maintenance mode and I'm much more lenient on my diet.

sorry for the messy and incoherent post. Not much of a writer.

 

[Eteric Rice]

Quick question.

When doing a low carb diet like Primal Blueprint or Paleo, how long does it take for the body to adjust and the weight to start falling?

I ask because I lost like 5 pounds in the first three days, but It's been 8 days now and I'm still the same.

 

[Sarye]

awesome post

What are your lift numbers for squat/bench/press/deadlifts if you have them? I'm the same height as you and just got tired of being fat. Right now I'm working on gaining strength as I am a weak mother and it's been a slow process.

To give you an idea of my body type, I was 5'7 165lb but looked much worse than your before picture. I had no muscles... (my bench was 75lb =\). So though I was lighter than you, my body was just unsightly.

Currently I'm 157lb. I'm not planning on losing, just trying to increase my overall strength while losing fat. (I know.. an almost impossible process to do at once but I'm stubborn)

In your pre pic, you honestly didn't look 200lb so I was surprised by that number. In any case, thanks for sharing. You've given me hope and if I can get even half as close as where you are now, I would be happy.

 

[shim]

What are your lift numbers for squat/bench/press/deadlifts if you have them? I'm the same height as you and just got tired of being fat. Right now I'm working on gaining strength as I am a weak mother and it's been a slow process.

To give you an idea of my body type, I was 5'7 165lb but looked much worse than your before picture. I had no muscles... (my bench was 75lb =\). So though I was lighter than you, my body was just unsightly.

Currently I'm 157lb. I'm not planning on losing, just trying to increase my overall strength while losing fat. (I know.. an almost impossible process to do at once but I'm stubborn)

In your pre pic, you honestly didn't look 200lb so I was surprised by that number. In any case, thanks for sharing. You've given me hope and if I can get even half as close as where you are now, I would be happy.

Don't feel bad man, when I was first starting out I could only bench around 115 or so. It just takes time. You make awesome gains when you first start out.
I carry most of my weight in my stomach and lower body, so that maybe why i don't look like 200 lbs. Because of this, i stayed away from doing too many squats. I never maxed out on squats because of my fear of getting squished by the enormous amount of weight sitting on my shoulders.
But my maxes are:
benchpress: 295
squat: 275
deadlift: 275
Most people squat and deadlift WAAY more than they bench press, but I wanted to grow my pancake chest and focused on it the most.

The weight loss was a challenging but oh-so rewarding experience. Just imagining my future ripped self kept me motivated. It's amazing what your body can do given you put the time and effort into it.
Good Luck!

 

[neojubei]

Hey guys, don't post often, but I wanted to contribute to this thread. Difference in the pictures is around 5 years, but I wasn't every able to see any abs until recently.
I did around 2 cycles of P90x, during the second cycle I used Insanity on my cardio days instead of the p90x cardio.
But it's true what they say, that abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym!
I only started seeing great results after i cleaned up my diet.

I remember constantly going through the body building transformations pictures to keep me motivated. For those of you who are just starting out, hang in there! Just like gaining weight doesn't happen overnight, losing weight is the same. Also, don't measure yourself by a scale, use a mirror. Progress pictures are great to take too!

shim

edit: didn't realize imageshack was banned, changed to tiny pic

WOW i am in love.. think i will buy P90x

 

[Messi]

100+ pounds in 6 months?!!

Can you give some details in terms of your diet and exercise?

See I dont think I did all that much to be honest. I am 6'6 and had alot of weight, its seems like the weight kinda dropped off of me as soon as I started going to the gym.

3 meals a day, does not feel like a diet its just like eggs and turkey bacon in the morning, some juice. lunch is soup and a sandwich. Dinner is veggies with chicken and some potatoes. I am surew some of this is not good for me or could be better but it works for me. I drink about 2ltrs of water a day sometimes 3. I dont cheat on food no second portions ect. its more a mental thing for me. the not cheating.

As for the gym I run for 20 mins, use a skiing machine for 10 mins then do various other things for my belly, sit ups and just general weights. A girl in gym gives me a hand but as you can tell I am not all that technical about what I do. I wish I cold be of more help :lol

I seem to have lost this weight crazy quick but im not sure how other that the lifestyle change. that list of food the guy above me posted...I wasnt far off that. I used to drink 5ltrs of coca cola a day....yeah....

EDIT: Oh the food thing, I do eat other things like steak ect...I vary it up. i re read that and realised I seemed like I only eat chicken and veggies. :lol

 

[Dai Kaiju]

A couple questions.

1. What is it about sodium that's bad for you?

2. What is it about alcohol that makes you gain weight?

 

[Akim]

was your double down fried or grilled? i think the fried one has something like 50g of carbs.

11

 

[LFG]

11

ah! i must have been looking at the wrong sandwich or something. i ate one the other week and i swear it said 51g :lol

11 for original, 4 for grilled.

 

[Seanspeed]

A couple questions.

1. What is it about sodium that's bad for you?

2. What is it about alcohol that makes you gain weight?

Someone else can answer the sodium question, but I can tell you straight up that alcohol is a silent killer when it comes to weight gain.

Alcohol itself has 7 calories per gram. So no matter what you drink, it will have a fair amount of calories in it. Even just a pure 1.5 oz shot of 80 proof tequila will have 96 calories purely because of the alcohol content.

A night out on the town can easily get into the realm of 1500-2000 calories, purely from drinks alone. Especially if you're getting mixed drinks and drinking non-light beers.

 

[teh_pwn]

A couple questions.

1. What is it about sodium that's bad for you?

2. What is it about alcohol that makes you gain weight?

1. Sodium isn't bad for you. Too much sodium probably is to a degree, but not in the way the convential wisdom understands it.

The conventional wisdom is: Salt causes you to retain water, more water in the body increases blood pressure, therefore salt causes hypertension.

My understanding: Pre-diabetes or insulin resistance causes the kidneys to release salt into urine at a slower rate, causing the body to retain more salt and therefore more water. Insulin resistance is caused by sugar/fructose which also independently increases uric acid and depletes NO which increases blood pressure too. Therefore, sugar causes hypertension.


2. Alcohol, like fructose/sugar, is a poison. A poison is something that only the liver can metabolize and clean up, and it has negative impacts/waste on the body. Small amounts can be handled by the liver, but too much fructose or ethanol can cause insulin resistance and fatty liver. Insulin resistance reduces the amount of leptin that can reach the hypothalamus. The less leptin in your hypothalamus the hungrier and thinner your body thinks it is. Therefore you eat more and expend less calories.

Ethanol and fructose have very similar chronic effects on the body. Ethanol is after all fermented sugar. The primary difference is that ethanol can also be metabolized by the brain.

 

[RoodyPooUS]

People that are active, work out and drink plenty of water really shouldn't be worried about their salt intake.

Most of the people that should be worried about sodium are those that are inactive and eat tons of junk food. They are probably the ones that don't really care enough to change anyway.

Should I be worried about sodium intake:

You: No.

That fat chick in walmart buying only junk food: Yes.

 

[teh_pwn]

People that are active, work out and drink plenty of water really shouldn't be worried about their salt intake.

Most of the people that should be worried about sodium are those that are inactive and eat tons of junk food. They are probably the ones that don't really care enough to change anyway.

I think most people don't want to be obese, have type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, low energy, etc; as seen by the booming fitness industry in correlation with the obesity epidemic. The problem is that they've been given bad information and assume that they don't have enough willpower. A high fructose diet has been controlled and demonstrated in labs on rats to induce increased hunger and reduced metabolism. It can be food that causes the gluttony and sloth.

 

[RoodyPooUS]

I think most people don't want to be obese, have type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, low energy, etc; as seen by the booming fitness industry in correlation with the obesity epidemic. The problem is that they've been given bad information and assume that they don't have enough willpower. A high fructose diet has been controlled and demonstrated in labs on rats to induce increased hunger and reduced metabolism. It can be food that causes the gluttony and sloth.

Yea I agree that people don't want to be obese.

It is a combination of many factors - a more sedentary lifestyle, conveniences, culture, plus the easy and cheap availability of junk food.

Schools need to do better, parents need to do better, etc.

I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it really shows whats wrong in our schools. The way the children are raised, fed and the lack of food education is only going to make future generations worse.

However, at some point adults need to realize that they can change, they can stop stuffing their faces. They can go outside and exercise even if they have a busy lifestyle.

I am with you though, education and information needs to be much better. Thanks to the internet I have educated myself.

 

[LFG]

177lbs this morning! 38 down 17 to go. if i keep losing 2lbs a week, then the friday before my birthday i shall hit my goal! i may even dip down to 158lbs. that will be a nice birthday gift to myself...57lbs off my body

 

[Guileless]

I quit drinking for 6 months and I know it really helped. Beyond the simple math that alcohol has a lot of calories, you are vastly more susceptible to reverting to poor eating habits when you are drunk late at night. Last weekend several of my friends' wives who I hadn't seen all summer asked me how I lost weight and I emphasized that I quit drinking for 6 months, especially beer. Saying that to their wives during tailgating season doesn't sit well with my friends. But it's the truth.

 

[daycru]

6'0
370
24 years old

I know.


This a good day?

Breakfast

2 scrambled eggs with a dash of shredded cheese and salt
4 slices of bacon
banana
glass of 1/2% milk

Lunch

turkey burger on whole wheat bun with slice of cheese, pickle, mustard

Snack

small bowl of grapes

Dinner

baked chicken breast with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese
corn on cob with fake spray butter and a dash of salt

Exercise

15 minutes on elliptical
half hour walk outside

 

[IronFistedChampion]

Went back to the gym yesterday after two months. Currently at 233 pounds and I'm between 5"11 and 6 feet tall. I'm doing biking for about 10/15 minutes, then bench pressing (about 3 sets), sit-ups, and then some weight lifting. Any tips/suggestions? I want to at least drop below 200. Also, I've stopped eating fast food (save for Subway every now and then).

 

[JB1981]

6'0
370
24 years old

I know.


This a good day?

Breakfast

2 scrambled eggs with a dash of shredded cheese and salt
4 slices of bacon
banana
glass of 1/2% milk

Lunch

turkey burger on whole wheat bun with slice of cheese, pickle, mustard

Snack

small bowl of grapes

Dinner

baked chicken breast with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese
corn on cob with fake spray butter and a dash of salt

Exercise

15 minutes on elliptical
half hour walk outside

Cut out the corn on the cob, and add a vegetable (spinach, kale, broccoli de rabe, broccoli), cut out the fake spray butter and minimize the salt.

The eggs are a good start. I would add some kind of vegetable to your eggs (broccoli, peppers), add two tbsp of olive oil when scrambling and fry the eggs in unsalted butter or lard.

Substitue the grapes with almonds or Chobani greek yogurt (or FAGE). Almonds taste good mixed with yogurt. Steer clear of other yogurts like Yoplait, for example, which is full of bad crap (HFCS).

Turkey burger - have an avocado on the side and a salad w/ balsamic vinegar w/ nuts and other veggies.

 

[Zoe]

Went back to the gym yesterday after two months. Currently at 233 pounds and I'm between 5"11 and 6 feet tall. I'm doing biking for about 10/15 minutes, then bench pressing (about 3 sets), sit-ups, and then some weight lifting. Any tips/suggestions? I want to at least drop below 200. Also, I've stopped eating fast food (save for Subway every now and then).

Move your cardio to the end of the workout. You'll get more out of weights that way, and your cardio will be more efficient because you would have already tapped out your reserves.

 

[IronFistedChampion]

Move your cardio to the end of the workout. You'll get more out of weights that way, and your cardio will be more efficient because you would have already tapped out your reserves.

So just use the treadmill? My ankle and leg usually start to hurt after about 10 mins of running which is the reason I try to avoid it. Is there an alternative?

 

[Zoe]

So just use the treadmill? My ankle and leg usually start to hurt after about 10 mins of running which is the reason I try to avoid it. Is there an alternative?

No, I'm saying instead of your example of 1)biking, 2) bench pressing, 3) sit-ups, 4) weight lifting, it should be 1) bench pressing, 2) sit-ups, 3) weight lifting, 4) biking.

 

[IronFistedChampion]

No, I'm saying instead of your example of 1)biking, 2) bench pressing, 3) sit-ups, 4) weight lifting, it should be 1) bench pressing, 2) sit-ups, 3) weight lifting, 4) biking.

Oh I see, sorry. I will definitely be doing that from now on. What's a good way to warm up before the bench pressing?

 

[NomarTyme]

So just use the treadmill? My ankle and leg usually start to hurt after about 10 mins of running which is the reason I try to avoid it. Is there an alternative?

Stairs? Less impact.

 

[Zoe]

Stairs? Less impact.

Elliptical has even less.

 

[grumble]

Oh I see, sorry. I will definitely be doing that from now on. What's a good way to warm up before the bench pressing?

Well, bench pressing IS weight lifting, so I'm not sure how you're making that distinction.

A good way to warm up before bench pressing is 5-10 minutes on a rowing machine, and then do warmup sets (ie 2x5 with the bar, then add some weight, 1x5, add more weight, 1x3, then do work sets).

 

[teh_pwn]

Yea I agree that people don't want to be obese.

It is a combination of many factors - a more sedentary lifestyle, conveniences, culture, plus the easy and cheap availability of junk food.

Schools need to do better, parents need to do better, etc.

I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it really shows whats wrong in our schools. The way the children are raised, fed and the lack of food education is only going to make future generations worse.

However, at some point adults need to realize that they can change, they can stop stuffing their faces. They can go outside and exercise even if they have a busy lifestyle.

I am with you though, education and information needs to be much better. Thanks to the internet I have educated myself.

While I do think there are some cases in which lack of self control and physical activity are causes of overeating, I think it's uncommon.

The reason why I think it's uncommon is because:
1. We have an obesity epidemic of kids under 3 years old. Kids aren't fat because they don't go to the gym. They eat when they're hungry. Question is: why are they hungry?
2. Look at pictures of people before 1960. Very few would be considered overweight by today's standards and yet there was no fitness industry and food often times was plentiful.

I think most of the cases today are caused by a disregulation of metabolism. Probably due to leptin resistance or a malfunctioning hypothalamus. And it could be something else as we know so little.

I don't think the problem is limited to what is perceived as junk food. For one thing, lots of the stuff the government tells us that is healthy is unhealthy, and things that are unhealthy are neutral/healthy. And another thing is how the government subsidizes corn which allows HFCS to be so cheap that it's in essentially everything that's packaged in the supermarket regardless if it was originally a sweet food. I think stuff we know that's junk food is half of it (soda, chips, pizza, etc), but I also think there's quite a bit of stuff that's unhealthy that's seen as healthy (sweetened yogurt, juice, processed soy, grains).

I certainly could be wrong, and I don't want to reopen this whole argument again. I respect other opinions, but I think one thing is sure: telling people to try harder isn't working for whatever reason. We're trending towards 75% of the US population being obese by 2020. It will bankrupt us if the wars overseas wars and corporate corruption doesn't.

I do think that exercise can reverse the damage that the food inflicts, and it is a valid option for fat loss. But I think often times a deficiency in physical activity isn't the root cause. People that are inactive should just by skinny fat like Bill Gates.

 

[Niks]

Here is my story. Hope you guys can help me on this.

All my life Ive been skinny (very little muscle mass) and recently, Ive been become skinny-fat (belly fat, skinny frame). I was 1.70m tall and weight 75 kgs.
Since a while back Ive been eating healthy and doing cardio and weights. Since starting Ive lost 6kgs and am looking thinner, but people at work say my arms are looking way too thin...

My question is, how do I go about being fit? I want to drop the belly fat and build muscle. Should I eat more to build muscle and not pay attention to my weight at first?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

While I do think there are some cases in which lack of self control and physical activity are causes of overeating, I think it's uncommon.

The reason why I think it's uncommon is because:
1. We have an obesity epidemic of kids under 3 years old. Kids aren't fat because they don't go to the gym. They eat when they're hungry. Question is: why are they hungry?
2. Look at pictures of people before 1960. Very few would be considered overweight by today's standards and yet there was no fitness industry and food often times was plentiful.

I think most of the cases today are caused by a disregulation of metabolism. Probably due to leptin resistance or a malfunctioning hypothalamus. And it could be something else as we know so little.

I don't think the problem is limited to what is perceived as junk food. For one thing, lots of the stuff the government tells us that is healthy is unhealthy, and things that are unhealthy are neutral/healthy. And another thing is how the government subsidizes corn which allows HFCS to be so cheap that it's in essentially everything that's packaged in the supermarket regardless if it was originally a sweet food. I think stuff we know that's junk food is half of it (soda, chips, pizza, etc), but I also think there's quite a bit of stuff that's unhealthy that's seen as healthy (sweetened yogurt, juice, processed soy, grains).

I certainly could be wrong, and I don't want to reopen this whole argument again. I respect other opinions, but I think one thing is sure: telling people to try harder isn't working for whatever reason. We're trending towards 75% of the US population being obese by 2020. It will bankrupt us if the wars overseas wars and corporate corruption doesn't.

I do think that exercise can reverse the damage that the food inflicts, and it is a valid option for fat loss. But I think often times a deficiency in physical activity isn't the root cause. People that are inactive should just by skinny fat like Bill Gates.

Well, I think you will also find that eating healthy is expensive. When I started 7 weeks back, switched from eating out to eating at home for my diet, there really isn't that big of a difference in my money spent (or atleast not as big as I thought it would be).

You have got a population that is increasing daily living paycheck to paycheck. Now as you mentioned the government subsidising HFCS has made junk food very cheap. You can go do McDonald's or some other fast food's dollar menu and end up with a good meal that cost you as much if not less than a more healtheir meal at home.

I think you will see obesity increasing in low income households too as the years tick by.

 

[Ripclawe]

Doing one of those calorie calculators and it came up with this with my goal weight.

You need 428 grams of carbohydrates, 113 grams of fat, and 171.2 grams of protein per day for 3424 calories to maintain your weight of 285 pounds.

You need 387.3 grams of carbohydrates, 102.3 grams of fat, and 154.9 grams of protein per day for 3098.6 calories to maintain your goal weight of 240 pounds.

If this is true, how the hell can I get that much protein in a day? I hate protein drink and bars so that is out. what natural way could I meet those requirements?

 

[AceBandage]

Doing one of those calorie calculators and it came up with this with my goal weight.



If this is true, how the hell can I get that much protein in a day? I hate protein drink and bars so that is out. what natural way could I meet those requirements?

Eggs, milk and spinach?

 

[Biff]

If this is true, how the hell can I get that much protein in a day? I hate protein drink and bars so that is out. what natural way could I meet those requirements?

You're doing it wrong

You can do this with soy and tofu. But 150-170g protein/day will be very expensive. I would strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly strongly recommend you give protein shakes another chance.

There are good tasting shakes. If you shop at Costco, check them out. They are very underestimated in terms of selection; I've never been disappointed with a protein shake purchase from them. And they have a forgiving return policy if you don't like what you buy.

If you don't shop at Costco, check out Optimum Nutrition flavours (available online). They are perhaps the best known 'gourmet' protein shake around. Wide selection of flavours. If you can't find something you like here, you aren't trying hard enough

 

[Domino Theory]

So what's the verdict on having drinks that contain Aspartame when on a low-carb lifestyle? I found some awesome fruit flavored sparkling water at my local Safeway and noticed that they contain Aspartame so I'm hesitant to buy them again.

 

[shim]

I've tried several brands of protein shakes and found the best tasting ones to be the non-protein isolates. Muscle milk chocolate mint is delicious. Garpari nutrition chocolate is awesome, and all the flavors of bsn syntha 6 are very good. There are good tasting proten out there, although a bit more expensive than ON brand, I actually enjoyed drinking them. IMHO they are definiely worth it. Order from amazon or from boybuilding.com..there are 10% off online codes all the time. Much cheaper than retail b&m stores.