FitnessBore - 2018 edition

[TakingBackSunday]

Wow, that's really encouraging!  I'm gonna give it a shot immediately tomorrow!  Thanks a ton man!

How tall are you, skidmark?  Curious.

I'm 5'11 at 140 now.  And damn, I'ma have to buy a fuckton of milk :-/

[The Sceneman]

anyone here tried Zumba? I played the Kinect game last night and it seems like a good aerobic workout.

[Skidmark]

Wow, that's really encouraging!  I'm gonna give it a shot immediately tomorrow!  Thanks a ton man!

How tall are you, skidmark?  Curious.

I'm 5'11 at 140 now.  And damn, I'ma have to buy a fuckton of milk :-/

185 or 184 cm, that's 6 feet I think.
The dude at the local store will start to give you a weird look if you buy nothing but a whole gallon of milk every morning for several months in a row 
In the beginning you might find yourself unable to yawn because your stomach is full. You might also have wet dreams about drinking milk off a girls face, I did.
Your friends might also start milk jokes about you but they will all shut up when you start showing some progress.

Don't start drinking all that milk until you start working out or you will just get fat. I mean don't start gomad now and then start SL 5x5 2 weeks later.
Also, sometimes skipping breakfast will feel better than a bj. The worst thing you can do is keep telling yourself that you will eat after you just do this or that, you will never eat it. and don't let your plate lay in front of you forever until you find something to watch while you eat. Just eat.
use http://www.fitday.com/ to get an idea about how many calories you are consuming on average every day:

[TakingBackSunday]

Nice!  Yeah it might take me a little longer than you, just because I don't know if I can afford something like this just yet.  So I may just do half a gallon a day or something.  And yeah, I actually don't eat breakfast all that much --when I wake up I usually just grab a banana and head off to class. 

Do you go to a gym or do you have your own weights?  That's another issue of mine: I have a barbell and weights, but they're real shitty.  Only goes up to...100 lbs I think, I lost some of the weights.  My thing is that I'm not really looking forward to going to a gym unless I have some friends with me, because I'm a bit self-conscious and I'm not a fan of those jacked as hell dudes who are ALWAYS at the gym.

[Skidmark]

Nice!  Yeah it might take me a little longer than you, just because I don't know if I can afford something like this just yet.  So I may just do half a gallon a day or something.  And yeah, I actually don't eat breakfast all that much --when I wake up I usually just grab a banana and head off to class. 

Do you go to a gym or do you have your own weights?  That's another issue of mine: I have a barbell and weights, but they're real shitty.  Only goes up to...100 lbs I think, I lost some of the weights.  My thing is that I'm not really looking forward to going to a gym unless I have some friends with me, because I'm a bit self-conscious and I'm not a fan of those jacked as hell dudes who are ALWAYS at the gym.

Yeah I do:

A bench press bench and a whole bunch of weights. Its was enough for me but now I want to do dips, chin ups and other exercises that I can't do at home. I have to admit that I really enjoyed working out at home, a lot less pressure, you get to enjoy all the time, space and privacy you want.
Its actually better to train with someone even if you work out at home, I become more confident to left heavier when there is someone who is going to spot me and help me if I get stuck.
I'm sure you know a couple of guys who already work out at gym, discuss the idea with them. Also jacked dudes here are really cool, its more the jersey shore looking dudes that are douchebags here. The older ones tend to be a lot friendlier.

[Mupepe]

anyone here tried Zumba? I played the Kinect game last night and it seems like a good aerobic workout.

uhhh  I watch my wife do it.  She has the Kinect game and she goes to classes with her sister.  All chicks, bro.  And the dances are female club (reggaeton, bachata, cumbia, etc) moves.  Maybe you were being facetious.  If not, please stop

[Cormacaroni]

At this point, a 'good aerobic workout' is an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned

[Cormacaroni]

Nice!  Yeah it might take me a little longer than you, just because I don't know if I can afford something like this just yet.  So I may just do half a gallon a day or something.  And yeah, I actually don't eat breakfast all that much --when I wake up I usually just grab a banana and head off to class. 

Do you go to a gym or do you have your own weights?  That's another issue of mine: I have a barbell and weights, but they're real shitty.  Only goes up to...100 lbs I think, I lost some of the weights.  My thing is that I'm not really looking forward to going to a gym unless I have some friends with me, because I'm a bit self-conscious and I'm not a fan of those jacked as hell dudes who are ALWAYS at the gym.

btw, you should be aware before starting that this isn't really a program that scales down. You HAVE to lift as heavy as you possibly can. You HAVE to eat as much as you possibly can. If you don't eat, you can't lift. If you can't lift, your body won't send the right signals to convert all those extra calories into lean muscle and you'll just get fat. (you also won't have the appetite, which is probably going to be a major issue for you anyway)

In some ways, it's the perfect program for total newbies, because you will get an incredible amount out of it, and it's relatively simple. But on the other hand, it's incredibly hard and takes a lot of commitment to both lifting, eating and recovery, so not really for people who don't have defined goals or lack determination (I did 6 months of a similar program so I'm not totally talking out of my ass here).

[Groogrux]

So I've been doing strength training since January.  I'm starting to get concerned though.  I haven't lost any weight since the middle of March.  I've been hovering in the same range (+/- 5 lbs) ever since.  Some weeks I'll lose 6 lbs, but then I'll put it right back on by the next week.  Granted, I've been weighing in at different times and different days lately because of schedule changes, but I'm not sure it should fluctuate that much.  (Keep in mind that I'm still a big guy so losing 6 lbs in a week doesn't really surprise me)

The thing that baffles me is that people say that I'm still getting thinner.   

I have to wonder if this is just a stage where I'm building muscle so the weight isn't disappearing, or if that whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing is all just bullshit.

[Edit] Let me add the parts that Cormac is going to ask about.

Yes, I'm using creatine right now.  But I've only been using it a little over a couple of weeks now.

I try to strength train at least 3 times a week.  I know this is more than Mark Sisson suggests, but it makes me feel better.  I try to do it every other day.

I am still getting in at least 2 hours of accumulative cardio a week if not more.

I have a protein shake (8oz water + 1 scoop of Whey Protein Complex) after every workout.

I eat mostly paleo.  I try not to eat any processed foods unless I don't have a choice (and I usually do have a choice).

[Cormacaroni]

You are changing body comp, so you look thinner. Even though your weight may not be changing that much, you are getting less pear-shaped and more V-shaped as the weight goes in the places it should be (muscle around the shoulders, thighs, arms etc rather than fat around the waist).

What is baffling about this? Didn't you want/expect this to happen? This is why I said to take pics and take measurements, 'cause the scale doesn't tell anything like the whole story. Now you have to trust other people's eyes rather than your own.

[Groogrux]

I guess I just assumed that even though I was packing on muscle and my body composition was changing that I would still be losing weight, even if it was just a few pounds a month.

But yes, this is what I wanted.  I just want to make sure that I'm constantly on the right track.  And I do take a picture for tracking about once a month.

[Mupepe]

yeah, that's not a weight loss diet.  That's a recomp diet.  It goes slowly and for the most part you'll stay around the same weight and slowly trade off fat for muscle and slowly go down in weight.

And +/- 5 lbs in a day is normal.  Throughout the day between food and water and hormonal changes, I gain between 6 and 8 lbs.  The next morning and pissing and shitting and resting I'll be down 6-8 lbs.  Don't worry about it.  Keep your diet and exercise in check and try to weigh yourself less.  I stopped caring.  I weigh myself randomly and I'm stuck around the same weight too (since I quit the Palumbo diet).  But everyone tells me I look smaller and I see it too.  It's just happening more slowly so I'm not using such a drastic diet anymore.

[Groogrux]

So you guys are saying that it was a bad time to join a Biggest Loser contest at work?   

[Mupepe]

  What I'm saying is that if you want to lose weight fast, then you're on the wrong diet.  You're building muscle and weight each time you lift.  You need to keep your food intake up enough to keep that growth up.  You can lose weight by going on a really strict diet and not lifting heavy, but I bet a good amount of the weight you lose is going to be muscle.  If you wanna try to lose a bit more, lower your caloric intake some.  If it doesn't affect your lifts, then you're good to go.  If your lifts start to go down, then you know that you need to eat more.  Play with your diet and see what works.  You should be always trying to tweak it and perfect it. 

[Cormacaroni]

There are a couple of reasons why I originally suggested weights and slower weight loss (IIRC). The first is that at the kind of weight we are dealing with here, mobility is a serious issue. Getting usefully stronger is going to be faster than losing 150-200lbs. Also, it will help keep motivation up by leading to increased activity and quality of life generally, whereas the kind of heavily restrictive diet you are talking about is almost impossible to stick with for long enough to lose that kind of weight (as I believe you just proved Mr Can't-Eat-Eggs-No-More ).

There is no reason why he can't do a short-term high protein, low fat, low carb rapid weight loss diet if he feels like it though, and feels like he won't go off the wagon totally (which is a concern since he did that before in a major way). Slow and steady just strikes me as the best way to win this particular race. I might be wrong

spoiler (click to show/hide)

hey, there's a first time for everything!

[close]

[Mupepe]

Hey now! Im back to eating and enjoying eggs again! 

But to be clear, I wasn't saying I disagreed with his current diet. Shit like palumbos diet is not for everyone. Eating the same thing over and over is tough mentally. And rapid weight loss has a tendency to create a yo-yo effect. I was just telling him his current diet and routine are not appropriate for rapid weight loss. I still stand by my comment about tweaking his diet though. If he needs a little extra motivation then lowering his intake another 300-500 calories isn't bad so long as it doesn't tip him over into starvation and affect his lifts. But only he can know that.  I personally get sick and lose strength below 1800 calories. So I stay between 1800-2200 depending on how much I want to lose or what I want to eat that day. Its good to know your limits as a calorie counter. Not only to maximize weight loss, but there's a nice sense of control you develop when you don't feel like you're at the mercy of every bit of food.

[Groogrux]

There are a couple of reasons why I originally suggested weights and slower weight loss (IIRC). The first is that at the kind of weight we are dealing with here, mobility is a serious issue. Getting usefully stronger is going to be faster than losing 150-200lbs. Also, it will help keep motivation up by leading to increased activity and quality of life generally, whereas the kind of heavily restrictive diet you are talking about is almost impossible to stick with for long enough to lose that kind of weight (as I believe you just proved Mr Can't-Eat-Eggs-No-More ).

There is no reason why he can't do a short-term high protein, low fat, low carb rapid weight loss diet if he feels like it though, and feels like he won't go off the wagon totally (which is a concern since he did that before in a major way). Slow and steady just strikes me as the best way to win this particular race. I might be wrong

spoiler (click to show/hide)

hey, there's a first time for everything!

[close]

You do make a good point.  And you're not wrong about me falling off the wagon in a big way. 

I knew when I tried again that rapid weight-loss wasn't for me.  I also knew that I wanted to get more muscular when I lost weight that way I didn't come out with a dozen folds of skin hanging off of me. 

But I am doing better this time and I want to keep it that way.  I don't have much of a support system at home because my wife doesn't like eating paleo and my friends and family that do care about health and fitness are all "ewww that's like atkins!  stay away!"  They don't seem to understand that it's working for me even if it is a slow process. 

Just this morning my wife was trying to convince me to get like one of her old friends.  "She eats whatever she wants, but she walks 5 miles a day.  She's lost 70 lbs in the same amount of time that you've lost 50."  And I try to tell her that I think that's great, but I've tried it and it wasn't for me.

[Mupepe]

She probably lost muscle too.  She can enjoy being a flabby mushy mess.

[Groogrux]

I went to college with this girl and she always had a bigger frame and probably weighed between 180-210 lbs.  Then after college she partied hard, then got married, popped out a kid, and ate nothing but Taco Bell for 5 years.  She got to the point where she was catching up with me in size.  Then she divorced and decided to start taking care of herself again.

The way she's going, she might get down to her original weight, but she'll never be back down to her original frame.

[EmCeeGrammar]

I  just wanted to say skimming the diet advice in this thread has greatly contributed to me losing 30 lbs since march, and am on track to be at my ideal weight after the summer.  I guess the only downside is that I feel physically sick when trying to eat the foods I used to love on my monthly cheat day.  But seriously, thanks.

[Cormacaroni]

there ya go!

[Groogrux]

Yeah man, when the wife and I move later this year, I'm hoping we can move to a house with a pool or at least a community with a pool.

[Cormacaroni]

KettleBELLS, dude. They sell them on amazon.co.jp now so no excuse.

[Cormacaroni]

I have a 16kg and a 24kg - one of each should keep you busy for quite a while.

[Beezy]

I don't understand why the kettlebells on amazon all look like plastic toys...

[Cormacaroni]

I've tried both uncoated and coated and I prefer the rubber-coated ones. Try grabbing a hunk of solid iron that's been sitting outside on the porch in mid-January sometime. Your hands will be too frozen to pick the fucker up.

[cool breeze]

what is the advantage of a kettlebell over a dumbell? just more/different workouts?

[CajoleJuice]

My dad bought a couple of diet/health books and was just talking about them during dinner. It's a Bible-based diet.

 

[Cormacaroni]

what is the advantage of a kettlebell over a dumbell? just more/different workouts?

You can use a DB for most things you can use a KB for, but it's kind of a pain in the ass (and if using added weights rather than a fixed weight DB, quite dangerous). If you can get one, you should.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I just made an awesome tasting spinach frittata

[Cormacaroni]

It's a Bible-based diet.

is the accompanying excercise course Cross-Fit?

not sure if or

[lennedsay]

Should've spelled it exorcise instead.

[Cormacaroni]

I see your Cheeto-binging couchsurfing days of unemployment have brought you slinking to us at last, Lennedsay. What can we do for you?

[lennedsay]

I take a pilates class twice a week and I haven't changed out of yoga pants in two weeks. It makes me feel like I'm really doing something productive without doing anything at all.

[Cormacaroni]

that's why I wear shorts all the time. Always ready for action. Never really do anything.

[lennedsay]

Finally changed into jeans today. But they're pretty stretchy, so they're equally comfortable while I lay on the couch with my feet on the ottoman. I could go to Pilates tonight, but tomorrow sounds even better. My schedule's pretty tight today.

[Mupepe]

why not go today AND tomorrow? double the girl on girl fun

[lennedsay]

mmm... tempting. But I did get a private on Saturday...

What should I cook for dinner tonight? I have chicken breasts and want something somewhat healthy.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Something to counteract the Chick-fil-A I'm getting for lunch.

[close]

[Mupepe]

I've made this before...

Chicken Breasts Piquant
-----------------------
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth or bouillon
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried onion
1 tsp. paprika
2 chicken breasts, split

Combine first 7 ingredients in skillet and bring to a boil. Add chicken,
cover and simmer 15 minutes. Turn chicken over, and simmer 15 minutes
longer, or until tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

[CajoleJuice]

It's a Bible-based diet.

is the accompanying excercise course Cross-Fit?

I don't get the joke, but no.

[Mupepe]

It's a Bible-based diet.

is the accompanying excercise course Cross-Fit?

I don't get the joke, but no.

http://www.crossfit.com/

[CajoleJuice]

It's a Bible-based diet.

is the accompanying excercise course Cross-Fit?

I don't get the joke, but no.

http://www.crossfit.com/

I don't see anything religious, though

[Mupepe]

  i don't know if you're trolling me now or not.

crossfit

bible based diet

[CajoleJuice]

and now i get cormac's reaction

gonna go commit suicide bbl

[Rman]

I was confused because the founder of Xfit is a hardcore Christian.

[Cormacaroni]

maybe one day we'll log on and find the WOD is 'Carpenter's Walk' - carry a cross 5km, then 3 days of dead hang

[Groogrux]

maybe one day we'll log on and find the WOD is 'Carpenter's Walk' - carry a cross 5km, then 3 days of dead hang

 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[CajoleJuice]

maybe one day we'll log on and find the WOD is 'Carpenter's Walk' - carry a cross 5km, then 3 days of dead hang

I'm swimming 4-5 times a week now and have shaved my chest.  Yesterday I dove in and lost my shorts.  Swimming at a pool on a military base is a lot like what I imagine a gay cruise to be like. 

Maybe this is where Greatness Gone went.

[Cormacaroni]

nuts are not really advisable

[Mupepe]

fuck it.  i eat almonds everyday.  sooooo good.

[Cormacaroni]

Go ahead, but be aware they are as nutritionally empty as a bowl of spaghetti. Except they provide fat, not carbs. Plus they come with digestive issues, and lots of omega 6 from linoleic acid.

One of the daftest things about Crossfit nutrition/ the Zone diet is the way they keep pushing almonds as some magic food that everyone must eat in measured quantities 4 times a day or die. It's total fucking nonsense.

[Mupepe]

they're just delicious and a 1/4 cup of it is super filling as a side to something like tuna.  and they fit my macros.  beyond that... nom nom nom.

[Cormacaroni]

I saw that cheeseburger Mups. You can't hide from me you fat pig

[Mupepe]

that cheeseburger was delicious!!!! 

Although not paleo, the beef was grass fed and I only had one tbsp of ketchup!  one!!!!!  but the kraft cheese

[Mupepe]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm down another 3 lbs this week   Broke the plateau from leaving palumbo's diet

[close]

[Cormacaroni]

...and the bun...

And I don't want to hear about 'delicious'

[Mupepe]

dee.lish.us!

I'm not saying it was good for me, I'm saying it was very good to me

Like I said before, I'm into paleo for aesthetic reasons, so if I can get away with eating bad every once in a while and it fits my macros/BMR requirements, I'm going to.  Plus, I'd go crazy if I couldn't have my favorites every once in a while.

Tacos

[Cormacaroni]

indeed, at 5% body fat, you can certainly get away with the occasional cheeseburger. oh wait

[Mupepe]

at 20% I can still get away with the occasional cheeseburger!  Weight is still going down enough to keep me happy and I'm not driving myself crazy depriving myself of foods I love 

[Cormacaroni]

wow I must have clicked on the Fatness Bore sticky instead