Pick your Health Goal Two Month Challenge

[novicewetshaver]

How are you approaching getting the eating down right?

well it seems like everytime i add certain carbs back into my diet my weight goes up. im sitting at 185 right know and would like to get back into the 160 to 170 area. i noticed when i do a paleo style diet is when the weight starts to come off. so im thinking i may need to go back to that.

 

[HMan]

Carbs can lead to the body storing more water, about 3g per gram of glycogen stored, which in the short run, can give a false positive on weight gain, since we don't really care about water, it's fat tissue we care about. That evens out when glycogen stores are topped off.
Also some carbs seem to lead to more bloating in some folks, which is also a false positive, but no one likes to feel bloated anyway. All that to say, carbs aren't necessarily the issue.
Paleo is fine if you just prefer that kind of diet though, but like a lot of diets that are focused on restricting some dietary element, it's not what's being restricted that's the secret, it's just that you're restricting intake in general.

One tricky thing with low carb diets, is it generally means more fat in your diet. Fat has almost twice the calorie content of carbs or protein, and is easy to over do, so be mindful of that.

But even for folks without macro restrictions, carbs are the first thing to be reduced in a diet. The general rule is not even to count the first couple of weeks of weight loss, because when carbs start getting reduced, glycogen stores are emptied, and there's a good deal of quick water weight loss. I certainly notice I have to run to the toilet a lot more ofter the first couple weeks of a cut.

So after that ramble, I guess my point is, don't dump your carbs only to eat just as much fat in it's place, that's actually a net loss.

 

[dangerousdon]

One tricky thing with low carb diets, is it generally means more fat in your diet. Fat has almost twice the calorie content of carbs or protein, and is easy to over do, so be mindful of that.

This is something I have an issue with in myself. I personally want to keep my protein higher and just adjust the carbs and fat as needed. But here is where I am at. If I go with super lean protein and try yo eat nothing else...I get hungry. If I go Lean protein and carbs, I tend to overeat carbs (and by overeat carbs I am not talking about asparagus). But if I eat protein and fat...it seems to satiate me more. But there is the rub of it...trying to find that happy place so I don't overconsume fat is really hard.

 

[ShawnF]

Not really health goal, but related. I have never gone to the Dr.s unless it was something like losing my finger or kidney stone that wouldn't pass.
Well, I made a deal with Chrissy that for her to keep doing her annuals then I would go. I did all my preliminary stuff and got all my results yesterday.
All of my bloodwork is just fine except my vitamin d is a little low. So I am starting a supplement for that. And my poop soup was negative also. Apparently they start checking that at 45 now and since I'm 51 and never checked, she made me do the cologuard thing. So I'm good for another 3 years on that.

 

[Spider]

I hate waking up early to work out. But I did it.

 

[Cvargo]

Doing better this week. My intermittent fasting is more successful, carbs are down, and been adding pushups, situps, and stretching every hour while working in the basement.

 

[HMan]

This is something I have an issue with in myself. I personally want to keep my protein higher and just adjust the carbs and fat as needed. But here is where I am at. If I go with super lean protein and try yo eat nothing else...I get hungry. If I go Lean protein and carbs, I tend to overeat carbs (and by overeat carbs I am not talking about asparagus). But if I eat protein and fat...it seems to satiate me more. But there is the rub of it...trying to find that happy place so I don't overconsume fat is really hard.

Pretty much everyone I know advocates for basically fixing Protein intake in any phase, weight gain, maintenance, or loss. Some prefer to bump protein up a bit for weight loss, but basically it just stays fixed over the course of the phase. That's the right choice.

It is hard, most of the bodybuilder folks I know basically just find a fixed set of meals they know work for them, and then manipulate from there. E.g. 1/2 cup of rice instead of 3/4. 2 pieces of toast instead of 3 etc. I do my own variation of that as well.

It's easier just because if for example you go to 5 different restaurants in a week, you probably have no idea what your base calories are (which isn't essential) but more over, you don't have any consistent variable to manipulate if the scale isn't going down. If I eat more or less the same, then if the scale isn't moving, I can just say, a little less of noodles this week etc...

I guess what I mean is consistency in what you eat makes it a lot easier to manipulate how much to eat, otherwise unless you're really tracking everything, it's a bit of a crap shoot.

 

[dangerousdon]

Pretty much everyone I know advocates for basically fixing Protein intake in any phase, weight gain, maintenance, or loss. Some prefer to bump protein up a bit for weight loss, but basically it just stays fixed over the course of the phase. That's the right choice.

It is hard, most of the bodybuilder folks I know basically just find a fixed set of meals they know work for them, and then manipulate from there. E.g. 1/2 cup of rice instead of 3/4. 2 pieces of toast instead of 3 etc. I do my own variation of that as well.

It's easier just because if for example you go to 5 different restaurants in a week, you probably have no idea what your base calories are (which isn't essential) but more over, you don't have any consistent variable to manipulate if the scale isn't going down. If I eat more or less the same, then if the scale isn't moving, I can just say, a little less of noodles this week etc...

I guess what I mean is consistency in what you eat makes it a lot easier to manipulate how much to eat, otherwise unless you're really tracking everything, it's a bit of a crap shoot.

Definitely good advice. I am a dietary tinkerer since 2018. To be quite honest...I am not as interested in "losing weight." Even though I have plenty of fat to lose. I am more interested in gaining or maintaining muscle mass first and then losing fat second. I a doing a horrible job at doing either right now. Lots of changes in the work schedule and yet again...I have another change in work schedule just today (hopefully for the last time and this one is a good thing...making my round trip commute time go from three hours down to an hour/to an hour and a half at the most).

But I couldn't agree more. I need to figure out my base caloric expenditure. I did a DXA scan and some 3D imaging in December and according to those my Basal Metabolic Rate is around 2500 calories and my Daily Caloric Expenditure is around 3000. It might be a little off...but I think it is close. So...in theory...I should be able to consume anywhere between 2000 and 2400 calories a day and set myself up for slow steady weight loss. Add in some resistance training and I should be a very svelte looking dude. So maybe I need to get back to paying VERY close attention to what I am eating and...ugh! Count calories...even if it is just for a week or two.

 

[novicewetshaver]

how long should a bulking phase last? if you want to put on muscle mass what should you be eating? how should your plate look?

 

[novicewetshaver]

did an hours worth of hot yoga yesterday. fasted until 12 because yoga was at 330. had a protein shake, 1 cup of blueberries/strawberries/bananas. had a pork chop and chicken thigh with some kimchi and rice and a few pieces of sourdough when i got home. may or may not take today off.

 

[ShawnF]

Did the lawn again for my cardio... after a pretty rough day at work. Did skip weights because of it, but doing some tonight.

 

[dangerousdon]

how long should a bulking phase last? if you want to put on muscle mass what should you be eating? how should your plate look?

I'm sure @HMan could probably answer this better than I can. I know one health coach that I talk to frequently suggests resistance training in 12 week phases. Basically alternating 12 weeks of resistance training focusing on strength, and then 12 weeks of resistance training focusing on hypertrophy. So on and so forth. But it's really going to depend on a lot of things...namely your goals. Last year I didn't necessarily do a "bulking" phase, but I ended up doing about 8 months straight of resistance training focusing on strength. But again it really depends on what you want to accomplish and host of other factors.

From my very limited knowledge, if you want to build muscle, you need a few things, physical stimulus, muscle protein synthesis, and a caloric surplus. In other words, resistance training, sufficient protein, and enough calories. The stuff I read and the people I talk to suggest 1 gram of protein (I suggest animal protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids to make a complete protein) per pound of lean body mass. There is a range actually, something like .75 grams of protein to 2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass...but I am not entirely sure exactly what it is. As a general rule it is suggested (at least what I read) that the 1 gram of protein is what your goal should be. From there you need to adjust carbs and fat to fit your caloric needs.

 

[HMan]

I'm sure @HMan could probably answer this better than I can. I know one health coach that I talk to frequently suggests resistance training in 12 week phases. Basically alternating 12 weeks of resistance training focusing on strength, and then 12 weeks of resistance training focusing on hypertrophy. So on and so forth. But it's really going to depend on a lot of things...namely your goals. Last year I didn't necessarily do a "bulking" phase, but I ended up doing about 8 months straight of resistance training focusing on strength. But again it really depends on what you want to accomplish and host of other factors.

From my very limited knowledge, if you want to build muscle, you need a few things, physical stimulus, muscle protein synthesis, and a caloric surplus. In other words, resistance training, sufficient protein, and enough calories. The stuff I read and the people I talk to suggest 1 gram of protein (I suggest animal protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids to make a complete protein) per pound of lean body mass. There is a range actually, something like .75 grams of protein to 2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass...but I am not entirely sure exactly what it is. As a general rule it is suggested (at least what I read) that the 1 gram of protein is what your goal should be. From there you need to adjust carbs and fat to fit your caloric needs.

I probably know who you mean by the 12 week recco. I actually got a cert from them. But that's a very loose and fast rule.

In reality, it's somewhat individual, depending on where the person is starting from training and diet wise, and what the end goals are.
But the simplest metic is simply how much extra body fat are you comfortable with. At least up to a point, obviously no one advocates for getting clinically obese in a mass.
The more important factor is how FAST are you gaining weight? The water you gain, the higher proportion of it will be in fat. So there's been a shift from the old GOMAD days, to slower and slower bulks. The current recommendation is about 1/2% of your bodyweight a week, so if you're 200 lbs about a pound a week.

No matter what when you bulk, even if you train 6 days a week, you're going to put on more fat than most people expect, a general rule of thumb is 50/50 at best. That's why the slow blue is advocated for more and more now. You just can't accrue muscle as fast as fat, so best to spend as much time as you can trying, and that's best done by minimizing the fat gain. Last year there was a 'groundbreaking' study on this, and they clearly showed that you pretty much only gain extra fat bulking faster than very a very slow bulk.

Don hit everything perfectly in terms of the need to stimulate muscle growth and the nutritional needs. 1.6 g/kg is pretty accepted now as sufficient during a bulk, but TBH most of us push closer to 2-2.2 g/kg because it just feels like it works better, but that's likely a bro holdover that dies hard.

 

[HMan]

Whew, prepping for the kitchen demo now, and next week we're displaced between our flat and a studio rental flat a couple of blocks and 7 flights of steps away.
Thankfully the timing is just right to take a break from training. Fingers crossed it's done enough that we can move stuff back in next weekend, and free up the gym room that's crammed with stuff now.

 

[HMan]

I probably know who you mean by the 12 week recco. I actually got a cert from them. But that's a very loose and fast rule.

In reality, it's somewhat individual, depending on where the person is starting from training and diet wise, and what the end goals are.
But the simplest metic is simply how much extra body fat are you comfortable with. At least up to a point, obviously no one advocates for getting clinically obese in a mass.
The more important factor is how FAST are you gaining weight? The water you gain, the higher proportion of it will be in fat. So there's been a shift from the old GOMAD days, to slower and slower bulks. The current recommendation is about 1/2% of your bodyweight a week, so if you're 200 lbs about a pound a week.

No matter what when you bulk, even if you train 6 days a week, you're going to put on more fat than most people expect, a general rule of thumb is 50/50 at best. That's why the slow blue is advocated for more and more now. You just can't accrue muscle as fast as fat, so best to spend as much time as you can trying, and that's best done by minimizing the fat gain. Last year there was a 'groundbreaking' study on this, and they clearly showed that you pretty much only gain extra fat bulking faster than very a very slow bulk.

Don hit everything perfectly in terms of the need to stimulate muscle growth and the nutritional needs. 1.6 g/kg is pretty accepted now as sufficient during a bulk, but TBH most of us push closer to 2-2.2 g/kg because it just feels like it works better, but that's likely a bro holdover that dies hard.

Sorry for the typo, I was in between packing and moving boxes.

The FASTER you gain, the higher proportion of it will be in fat. So there's been a shift from the old GOMAD days, to slower and slower bulks. The current recommendation is UP TO about 1/2% of your bodyweight a week, so if you're 200 lbs about a pound a week TOPS, half a pound is even better.

 

[dangerousdon]

Sorry for the typo, I was in between packing and moving boxes.

The FASTER you gain, the higher proportion of it will be in fat. So there's been a shift from the old GOMAD days, to slower and slower bulks. The current recommendation is UP TO about 1/2% of your bodyweight a week, so if you're 200 lbs about a pound a week TOPS, half a pound is even better.

All great stuff!!!

I can't remember exactly where I left off telling you all about all the changes at work and how they affect my ability to get into some kind of exercise routine. But I had another one. But it's for the good. Brings me closer to home and I no longer have a round trip commute of three hours. This will allow me to implement a regular exercise routine with some ease. This past month I have been trying to force myself into the gym and failing a lot. Very excited for this change.

 

[novicewetshaver]

did an hours worth of pliates yesterday and then another hour in the evening time doing some stretchy yoga, unheated yoga. going to do some more unheated yoga today. these classes arent to intense and are more on the restorative side of things. think i will finish out the day with a hot class later on in the evening time.

 

[HMan]

All great stuff!!!

I can't remember exactly where I left off telling you all about all the changes at work and how they affect my ability to get into some kind of exercise routine. But I had another one. But it's for the good. Brings me closer to home and I no longer have a round trip commute of three hours. This will allow me to implement a regular exercise routine with some ease. This past month I have been trying to force myself into the gym and failing a lot. Very excited for this change.

That's great news!
I don't miss the commuting days at all. I remember so many days almost nodding off stuck in bumper to bumper in the San Fernando Valley on my commute home.
One simple bit of advice, just go straight to the gym if you go after work, no pit stops home, or you'll get bogged down. That and just a simple get'er done style work out.

 

[heysi]

Well....i missed my update on wednesday of last week (sorry guys). But I did keep up my water intake. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be....I just make sure to drink some water everytime my granddaughter got fed....which was every three hours!! Plus I walked plenty while we were out in Tennessee......and Alabama! (side trip)

Overall I didn't gain any weight......didn't lose any but considering I was eating plenty of big meals (and I went to two baseball games!) holding steady is an accomplishment.

 

[Spider]

Went out of town over the holiday weekend. Diet suffered. Lots of fast food, which was unavoidable. Was driving home yesterday so didn't work out. Back to it tomorrow!