Minch00

I only use wheat bread now, I still eat pasta after I work out, and I guess I'll start adding rice into what I eat

esCarbonie

brown rice if you can

RMATIC09

Theres so many advertisments out right now, WHAT TO EAT, WHAT NOT TO EAT, BLAH BLAH BLAH....

You have to monitor your body for yourself....

Carbs are not the enemy, its all about chosing the right carbs, or more less, controlling your insulin.

High sugary foods, white breads, white pastas, white rice, potatos, sugar, candy, all that will spike your insulin to high hell, telling your body to store more fat....

People get way to absorbed into counting their calories, i dont think its important personally so long as you dont go overboard, and make sure your calories come from clean sources...

also, i take note of what kinds of food i eat together...for example

I only eat protein/carb meals

or protein/fat meals....

I try not to mix carbs/fat becuase your body favors carbs as a #1 energy source, then fats, then protein. If your feeding your body high carbs, it will utilize them for energy, but have no need for the fats, so then store them....

Heres a quick list of some nice healthy foods

Carbs:
old fashioned oatmeal (not the instant crap, ingredients should read 100 percent rolled oats)
Brown rice
organic breads/pastas
yams/sweet taters
all veggies
apples/oranges

Proteins
Fish
Chicken
Lean cut steak
Cottage cheese
Eggs (egg whites more then yolks)
Tuna
Beans

Fats
Fish oil
flax
natty PB

And as for supplements
i stay away from all the bars, none of the ingredients are usually true, and their loaded with sugar

for protein powders, i recommend ON Whey, but then again most all whey powders are good, just make sure the calories are mostly derived from protein (1 gram of protein=4 calories)

With that you can do alot, mix it with milk, or make your own protein shakes...for example

2 scoops ON whey
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 Banana
3-4 ice cubes
either water/milk

and blend....
and there you go!

In regards to exercising, 3 times a week will help more then you know, so for those of you who want to shed some lbs, hit up some sort of cardio activity 3 times, 30 minutes, monitor your heart rate, and youll be suprised how much fat youll drop.

Then you just take it from there, always switch things up after a few weeks becuase the body adapts extremely quickly, and "new/different" things will spark better gains/results.

Hope this was a help....

1killercls

I can have pretty much whatever I want...as long as I dont have what I want everyday. So at least once a week I treat my self to something bad for me.

Adam_Schwartz

My bad, use www.labrada.com

Go to the Coaching Club - you'll have to register, but it's free. Tons of good tips available.

blumpkin

screw you-- i dont have that control

ur previous post about a double bacon cheeseburger is making me go to wendy's for lunch... to get the triple bacon

Adam_Schwartz

I'd highly recommend you DON'T do a low-carb diet. Carbs are essential to our body's funtion. Just eat the right carbs in the right proportions and you'll be fine. Remember, not all carbs are the same.

ric

I've added about ten pounds over a year of concentrated anaerobic and aerobic exercise, follwed by a no-refined sugar diet (insulin dependent diabetic) and care in picking easily metabolized carbs and a protein milkshake. I''m 6'-2, and now weigh about 170, not too bad given that I have a light bone structure. Strength gain is signifciant, muscle mass is substantial, never had any fat to begin with, so there was none to "convert". Up from 160, used to be 150.................... will probably stabilize in another couple of pounds.

ricecake

I have lost some weight (well, for me at least) and have toned up since switching jobs. Stress is actually a factor in weight gain, since it affects your eating habits and screws up your metabolism. It was (and still kind of hard for me) to balance work, family, but having a corporate gym and co-workers that are also pretty healthy helps. (I am not too far from my goal of looking halfway decent in a bikini for summer. )

Bulldog01

I have had success with a healthier diet and running (or other regular exercise) to drop pounds of chub off. I haven't consistently run or played basketball in a couple years, so I've fattened up more than I would like. My diet hasn't changed much in that period, but my activity has decreased. So, with increased activity, the pounds will come off, so I can fit into my clothes more comfortably. Then, I'll think about lifting a LITTLE, to increase strength, not necessarily to get big.

[/My experience]

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I'm working on dropping about 20 lbs. I'm about half way there, just by watching what I eat, and drinking a lot of water. I need to start working out, but I'm a lazy bastard.

According to most of those calculators I should be about 175 lbs. I'm about 5 ft 10 inches. But I would have to cut off a let to ever weigh 175, so I'm going to settle for about 185 to 190. I've already dropped from 205 to about 193.

joedokes28

lots of good info in here....

esCarbonie

nice!!

is300eater

cardio+diet= cut your time in half

(at least 45 min. a day at least 5 days a week)

Doc.Booty

If you want to eat pasta, make it whole grain pasta. You're probably using up a ton of carbohydrates over that 3 hour period of exercise (extended exercise like that is not optimal for burning fat itself) and you crave foods dense in them. Pasta is one of those foods.

One cheat meal a week is a great way to stay on target. I use it as a reward - if i keep my diet on target all week, i get to chow down on Friday night.

youngTL

Also, people in high stress jobs tend to tell themselves "I don't have time to work out". That corporate gym goes a long way. Good luck with the exercise

youngTL

It's always been hard for me to put on weight. Don't fret, because you're only 3 months into it. I've been working out since I was 14 (started really light), and I'm STILL small!

Adam_Schwartz

Partly true - you don't need to be on a constant 5/45 cardio plan to lose fat. You can build up to this and maintain it for 4 weeks or so, but long-term it isn't necessary.

GoDucksCLSPride

by responding without thinking.

I took a full series of anatomy and physiology courses in college as well as I am a liscensed EMT Basic. I know better, just not thinking before i post.

It's called a trapesius in part because it's shaped like a trapezoid in your upper back.

nicholbr

I'm on the cheesesteak diet. No more than 3 cheesesteaks a day. only half a jar of mayo per sammich too.

Doc.Booty

I work 50 hours a week and have a 1.5 hour round trip commute. I find time to hit the gym at least 3 times on weekdays for over an hour each time. I could work 60 hours a week and still find the time, especially if i started going on the weekends.

Doc.Booty

gavriil

Most high school and college athletes are overtrained mostly because of ignorant trainers (probably 98% of them are so). Not to claim that I know everything but I read on the latest research which most trainers dont.

I mentioned I cant say for sure you're overtraining before mainly because I dont know about how much you overload and what levels of intensity are involved when you lift.

But let me make a general point here: Latest research shows that when lifting and when an athlete reaches 1-5 MAX RM set or sets, the main (but not necessarily synergist) muscles (or groups) involved, must completely rest for 5-7 days in order to totally recover.

We also found that only after 14 days of no training does a muscle start to lose its strength (but not necessarily power - gets complicated here).

That's the latest research.

So if you dont reach 1-5 MAX RM sets, then you might be find training repetative muscle groups more than once a week.

gavriil

Correct.

Two completely different processes within your body.

dallison

everyuthing i see i eat

gavriil

I am not sure about this guy's situation but it is physically impossible for a totally untrained your person to start physical activity (and also diet) and become "very fit" in 6 months. Unless the definition of "very fit" is very different than what it is on average in the industry.

GoDucksCLSPride

Seafood diet eh? Hey, im on that one too.

slo007

I'm on a diet. Goal is to loose 10-15 lbs from 170...

My problem is that I'm already a healthy eater. I only drink water & orange juice. Eat a small turkey/lettuce sandwitch for lunch every day (no mayo), and a salad and rice/meat for dinner. Sometimes replaced by chicken soop. For breakfast, I eat a bowl of cereal with milk. Usually some granola cereal or the like.

To improve things, I'm doubling my exercise. From 2 trips to the gym weekly, to 30 min run (2-3 miles) every week day plus 2-3 weight-lifting sessions. I also stopped eating bread for breakfast, and am cutting down on pasta for dinner. I'm eating fruits for dessert instead of sweets, and taking carrots to work to keep from buying snacks in the vending machine (rare).

I also stopped buying gum, which became a bad habit.

Teh Snaps

Im on a DIET for life gastric bypass YEAAAA 185 LBS.

GoDucksCLSPride

HOLY SHIT...thats what you weigh? or what you lost. Either way. HOLY SHIT

gavriil

See that's where I completely disagree. These are the completely unrealistic claims that companies which try to make money off of people, claim and hence people get discouraged after trying this kind of stuff.

If one's goal is to gain muscle mass and lose fat WHICH MOST WILL STAY OFF, then none of the above will happen in 12 weeks. None of the above will happen in 24 weeks either.

This is a very long time dedication-intense process and the three factors involved (cardio training, overload weight lifting training and "kitchen work" - what you call diet), cannot be executed at the same time, most of the time. Mainly because, for example, diet and muscle mass gain are an oxymoron. You cant not eat fat and carbs for example if you're gonna add muscle. It wont happen as efficiently as your body could execute on that.

It's like telling your feet to move, but at the same time chaining them. It's contradictory.

And that's why this is a long time process. Because you have to add musle first (that's why I mentioned you might gain weight in the first year, but it's fine - although you will look better with the same % of fat on you), while doing very little cardio (maybe 10% as compared to the time spent on lifting) then (probably 1.5 to 2.5 years later) you have to ease yourself into balancing it with cardio (50%-50% possibly here). No special diet yet. Just use the principles I mentioned before. Eat every 2.5 hours, eat small portions, dont ban foods unless you hate them, dont eat anything low fat, etc.

Then (probably 2.5 years after you started) you can start getting into a maintenance mode with your lifting and still doing about 50% cardio and start cutting down on food, but very carefully. At this point you want variety but the principle is what you mentioned below which is:


But the above works ONLY after a very long and intense round of weight lifting and cardio exercise. You cant just start untrained and cut on food and thinking you will lose fat. Actually in the beginning you will be losing, believe it or not, more muscle than fat. Yes. Your body prefers to attack lean mass before going into the fat reserves. That's very dangerous especially when combined with very intense cardio exercise which most that want to lose weight do.

Now why does it take so long to lift before going into the cardio and dieting seriously? Well, this is complicated but a basica example is this. For the untrained person, it takes up to 2 years for testosterone levels to reach their peak (assuming you're in your 20s or 30s). You have to reach that point first before you start dieting or doing serious cardio.

It gets complicated from there.

Adam_Schwartz

Some quick tips - lose the OJ and milk - those have lots of sugar in them and sugar is not good for fat loss. Eat more complex carbs to make your body work harder to break carbs down into sugars.

You are on the right track, but a few more changes (not forever, just for 8-12 weeks) will make a big difference. The sugar and flour-based foods are the worst when it comes to losing fat. Dairy too. Try to eat 5-6 small, balanced meals a day to up your metabolism. And some carrots or a granola bar is not a meal But veggies are great snacks because they are so low in calories.

Also, good job on the exercise - you will see results sooner than later.

Good luck!

gavriil

Absolutely not!

He is saying that he is lifting at the gym and that if anything he is doubling his efforts there. If anything, he now needs WHOLE! milk more than ever.

I mean stuff like that is what completely discourages people from sticking to a healthy but doable program. You cant cut on milk when you go to the gym, that's when you need to add on milk, I am sorry.

The main problem with the above, as I stated in my previous message, is that you're asking an athlete to do two counterintuitive things at the same time.

People that want to lose weight must stop asking for their cake and eat it too. You will go to the gym first to lift without any intend to lose any weight. And if weight is added because of added muscle mass then that's fine. We'll deal with the fat later. Read above post for some of the details (although it's very high level).

Remember: the more muscle mass one has, the easier it is to lose fat when doing ANY TYPE OF ecercise afterwards. You must work on adding muscle first. That's the base.

Adam_Schwartz

We'll have to agree to disagree - I have seen it happen too many times and know people personally who are natural BB who do this all the time.

I know this - you either do one or the other, not both. But it is completely possible to lose fat and maintain muscle mass, within reason. It is also completely possible to add muscle mass and not get above 10% bf.

As for the rest of what you said, I completely agree. My comments were more anecodtal than anything. I have been lifting for several years and never incorporated much cardio into my regimen. I simply hate cardio, but the time has come that I am willing to do it to achieve a leaner body. I walked into a gym about 3.5 yrs ago at a flimsy 215 and now I am 250. No roids - just hard lifting and eating well. But the body can, has and will make HUGE transformations in 12 week periods of time when it comes to fat loss. Go to Lee Labrada's web site and look at what people have done to themselves in 12 weeks in terms of fat loss.

Muscle mass gains...that's another story all together. It is not as easy to gain lean muscle than it is to lose fat.

Again, I agree that it takes a long time to achieve those poster boy physiques that we all see on TV. But just general fat loss need not take years.

gavriil

There you go. You said it yourself

gavriil

Make sure you follow some of these principles at the gym if you are saying that you dont get to add muscle as quickly as you would have liked to.

gavriil

I am not saying it cant happen (as far as losing the weight). I can lose a ton of weight in very little time too if I

1. am gonna abuse my body and reach dangerous levels of health
2. am not expecting for the weight I lostto be mostly fat (and not muscle)
3. am not expecting for the weight to stay off

Adam_Schwartz

no way man!! Whole milk is loaded with sugar and lots of it. I'd much rather get my protein intake from lean beef, fish egg whites and poultry than milk anyday of the week and get my carbs from other sources than sugar (unless we are talking about post-workout meals, then junk carbs are acceptable).

Sugar is NEVER a good idea when one is trying to lose body fat - that is fact.

I have never heard of ONE BB that when shedding fat did not incorprate lifting into their regimen. That's because they don't.

I am not sure why you are on my jock so hard, but me telling him to cut out sugar on a fat loss program is NOT discouraging, but rather helping him achieve his goals faster. He wants to lose fat, not gain weight. And I think I was nothing but encouraging in my post.

F900

Only time i see a gym, is when i'm walking past it......lol

I'm 5'11 175lbs, firm and in excellent shape, i dont know why, some people used to say when i hit 30 its all down hill and i'll be out of shape in no time.. Don't think so.....

Adam_Schwartz

But going from, say, 15% bf to 8% bf in 12 weeks is NOT dangerous to the body. It is an achievable goal that does not destroy one's health.

With regard to #3, I am failing to mention that people need to adhere to lifestyle changes. They cannot eat like champs and exercise 4-5 times a week and then go back to Mickey Ds and couch potato status and not expect to get fat again. But I would hope that is impplied. Before I began my current 12-week program I already ate well and will continue to eat well. I also lifted a lot and will keep lifting. I will need to mix in 3 cardio sessions/week, but I know I can do it.