Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Let's talk about dieting, supplements, etc.

So I went from a healthy 160 lb. back in 2004 / 2005 to a whopping... wait for it... 215 lb. last year. I'm 5'8"

Last summer, I picked up cycling and started to hit the gym regularly and got my weight back down to 190. An achievement of sorts, though it's still far from the goal. And it's been hard as balls trying to get those last 30 lb. off.

The culprit: horrible eating habits. I picked them up when I moved to the northeast four years ago (the whole hibernation cycle wreaks havoc on me) and have had a very difficult time kicking them.

Another thing is, I can't do caffeine or any other energy boosters, since they've all given me horrible migraines since forever. And that kind of sucks, cause sometimes you need that little extra boost to get going. Plus it helps the metabolism speed up. So I'm at a definite disadvantage by not being able to consume this stuff.


So how do you peeps go about it? How do you stay motivated to eat right and cook right? Cooking right is not really a problem for me. The problem is just busting through the laziness and actually getting down to it. :lol: Always end up just grabbing something on my way back home from class or work... and it's usually not the healthiest stuff

And, any recommended supplements besides caffeine, ginseng, etc? I'd been taking Vitamin B12, since it seemed like a safe enough way to get an energy boost, but to be perfectly honest, I felt no effect.

You're not going to find a solution in a bottle or the medicine cabinet. It's really pretty simple, cut down on your caloric intake, do at least 30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise every day, minimize the consumption of meat, particularly red meat, avoid processed and refined (aka junk) foods and drink lots and lots of water (I only drink distilled water). Not only will your weight (% body fat) come down, but you'll be a lot healthier.

^^This

Also, changing some simple habits made an good impact for me... Easy things like making sure you eat breakfast, and having some fruit or nuts for a snack in the mid-day kept me from gorging during meal-times. I also switched to using smaller plates to trick myself into portion control.

Good luck!

you would better served by posting on bodybuilding.com forums but as for supplements that work to cut weight, I can say that ephedra works for sure. Not that I am saying you should take it.

Any thermogenic that raises your pulse will work. Most of the big supplement companies and their stuff like lipo6 and hydroycut do work but not as well as ephedra + caffein but since you said no to "energy boosters" I guess all of those are out

if you wanna loose some weight

1. figure out your caloric maintenance level and then drop that by a few hundred calories
2. add some muscle as it will burn calories throughout the entire day just by being present

i wrote a blog post a while back about cutting diets that you might find interesting : http://www.jonhaber.ca/post/112863089/anatomy-of-a-cutting-diet

its not just about eating good / bad food its how many calories you need and how much you take in, i could loose 20 pounds eating nothing but mcdonalds if i wanted to, A cutting diet is forcing the body into caloric negative state or a catabolic state. That is the be all and end all of what it means to be on a diet in order to lose weight. Anything other than being in a caloric negative state will not result in weight lose.

Oh of course. I never intended to rely solely on some "magic pill" to do the work for me. I literally talk about "supplementing" diet and exercise with something for enrgy.

The meat thing is a big part of it. I've always been a hardcore carnivore.

Also, I have a crazy addiction with soda... and I don't drink diet soda (aspartame is horrible). I go regular all the time. I know that's a big factor right there. I've been drinking a lot of water lately and I'm sure it's helped with the first chunk of weight that I've lost.

Just need to finally cut out soda completely, and take it easy with the meats.

What about carbs though? yay? nay? some? I always get so much conflicting info about that. I used to have a pretty low-carb diet before, and that used to keep me in good shape. But as soon as I started hitting the carbs during the winters here (why is it that wintertime just makes me crave the carbs so much?), then it all went to hell.


EDIT:
this was a reply to Tejano. I'll read the following posts closely. Thanks

Oh of course. I never intended to rely solely on some "magic pill" to do the work for me. I literally talk about "supplementing" diet and exercise with something for enrgy.

The meat thing is a big part of it. I've always been a hardcore carnivore.

Also, I have a crazy addiction with soda... and I don't drink diet soda (aspartame is horrible). I go regular all the time. I know that's a big factor right there. I've been drinking a lot of water lately and I'm sure it's helped with the first chunk of weight that I've lost.

Just need to finally cut out soda completely, and take it easy with the meats.

What about carbs though? yay? nay? some? I always get so much conflicting info about that. I used to have a pretty low-carb diet before, and that used to keep me in good shape. But as soon as I started hitting the carbs during the winters here (why is it that wintertime just makes me crave the carbs so much?), then it all went to hell.


EDIT:
this was a reply to Tejano. I'll read the following posts closely. Thanks

One thing that got me off the sodas was fruit juices. There's still a lot of sugar in them, but they lack a lot of the other junk that makes soda so nasty, and it's a good stepping stone for total independence from the stuff.

I have a bit of an opposite problem, I need to continuously be eating and weightlifting or I lose weight.

I weigh between 160-165 now, but when I moved over from MTB/BMX to fixed and road-type riding with considerably longer distances, I shed mass.

In college at my heaviest (double split workouts, heavy supplements, lifting to failure, massive food intake), I got up to 183. I'm 5'8-5'9, so it was really way too big, and really not necessary.

Now, since I ride more than anything, I have to basically put my bike away and focus on weightlifting or I'll simply waste away. My senior year of high school I weighed 142 lbs.

Are you supplementing your riding with gym time as well naterod?

Healthy eating goes a long way.

As far as cooking goes, the real task is buying the right foods at the grocery store. Never go to the store hungry. If you only buy healthy foods, you can only eat healthy foods, at home that is.

You'll just have to face the arduous endeavor of resisting the urge to eat fast food.

Once you go a long period without eating fast food, you probably get a sour taste in your mouth at the thought of it.

Focus on increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in your diet. As many as possible really. Eating them raw is good, or lightly steamed with a minimum of olive oil. You might look into joining a [organic] CSA, this makes it so you're dedicated to eating a big box of these every week. find a CSA (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/)

Watch out for refined wheat. If it doesn't say [100%] whole grain as the first ingredient, it's basically the same as white bread, and you may as well be eating sugar, it's very high-glycemic. The nutrients are stripped away then they have to add vitamins so it's not completely worthless, and they call this "enriched". Wheat also causes mucus buildup in the intestinal walls, impeding absorption and potentially causing more cravings for nutrients (unneeded calories). Lastly, wheat is actually addictive, its peptides have a slight opiate effect, similar to that in dairy (casomorphins). Quinoa and sweet potatoes are great cooked carbs to eat. I also eat a lot of bananas. Cheap and easy. Brown rice may be ok too.

No processed/packaged stuff at all if possible, and no fast food, incl all chains like Subway. Too many chemicals. Try and do all your shopping on the periphery of the grocery store.

It's expensive, but try to only buy organic meat and dairy if you must eat them. The chemicals, hormones, pesticides and antibiotics in non-organic are nasty and accumulate in the fat of animal products. They're actually estrogenic, causing us to accumulate stubborn fat around the gut and chest. Grass-fed meat and raw dairy are best.

Are you drinking much alcohol? Another huge source of extra calories, makes us crave more food, and is also estrogenic.

Do some weight training, nothing revs the metabolism like putting on muscle. I recommend high intensity interval training. Go all out for 20-30 minutes 3-5x per week, that's all you need. Plus cycling.

I've been getting down with this guy's stuff lately, he's a badass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBrwRiSjd3I

Interesting comment about wheat being addictive. Sometimes I feel like I'm REALLY FIENDING for some wheat. Bread, cookies, cereal. Horrible stuff.

Especially at night. My hunger just gets BAD. Probably due to the fact that I usually get through the day without having a single bite of food, being busy and whatnot. I'm sure this has messed up my metabolism pretty badly.

On that note, Jhaber's article is a very interesting read. Makes good sense. I probably do need to "eat more" but just spread it out throughout the day, instead of just gorging at night to overcompensate for an entire day without food.

Thanks for the advice so far, peeps!



Are you supplementing your riding with gym time as well naterod?
I was, up until winter came around. During the winter I just rode the bike on rollers, and occasionally took it out for a spin on the rare days in which I got REALLY motivated. And even the rollers thing was occasional. Winter just makes me lazy. Hibernation instinct or something kicks in. This was a problem I didn't have when I lived in PR, since it's basically summer year-round.

do not eat simple carbs if you are overweight and trying to lose weight.

oh and anyone ever do p90x? i did and got in the best shape of my life. highly recommend it. althought its very time consuming.

No one has mentioned it, but you need to remember that any changes you make to your diet need to be sustainable. That's why long term weight loss can only work without pharmaceutical intervention.

eating healthy is incredibly important.

if you're not already on a multi-vitamin, get one! b12 is good, but it's not going to do everything for you. I think it's one of the most important things you can do when you're aiming to get healthy. I really like liquid multi-vitamin complexes, the one I take is packed with good stuff (it's far more than just a multi-vitamin):

http://www.vitacost.com/TRC-Nutritional-Lab-Liquid-Life-Complete-Nutrition

whenever I am feeling sluggish during a workout, I mix cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and apple cider vinegar in water. it's better (for me) than any energy drink!

I think as you heal your body, eating healthy foods, and replenishing your body of minerals and vitamins... you will naturally have a boost of energy and endurance, and the weight will melt off.

I follow the weight watchers plan. I do the point system. I feel like a sacrifice very little, eat mostly what I want, and have lost 65lbs in 2 years. The biggest factor in this recipe for loss, of course, is my bike. Another something that I've been doing lately is dumping asian crushed red pepper sauce on everything. When I started with that (on top of eggs, pizza, chicken, really anything) I saw loss greatly accelerated. Look it up, it's true. It speeds up the metabolism. My BMI went from 39.5 to 29.6. I still have 25 to go, so... I just wanted to share that. 170lbs, here I come.

I used to be over 200 pounds, now I am 140 (I should be 120 though as you might know I am a short guy, the last 20 pounds requires total and extensive life changes, which I am working on). The key eating mostily fruits and vetables and replacing all beverages with bottled water. Stop going to the gym, focus on something you love (biking obviously) and buy a weight set. You save money and its a much more healthy choice. You can always do running for free if biking is not cutting it. I would suggest avoiding all processed foods and modified sugars that is what destroyed america. Avoid all dairy if possible (guys only). All that diet pill/powder/etc is garbage or plausebo. 99% of the time it only works based on other diet and excersie in your life. Honestly at this point in my life I lost my love affair with food by depriving myself so long I have actually lost my desire for the bad stuff- Because I either forgot how it tastes, or am repulsed by it or its manufacturing process. If you think my advice is garbage alright, but watch Food Inc, Biggest Looser (watching people who have to wear machines just to not die during sleep, will make you put down that slice of pizza), etc that will inspire you.

What helps me is not looking at food as a source of pleasure but simply as a source of fuel. Before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself if it's going to efficiently serve your nutritional needs first, or if its going to serve your taste buds first.

I'm not saying that healthy food can't taste good, but for people without much time to devote to preparing food (like me) it's a toss up between nutritious food and delicious food. Lots of raw or lightly cooked vegetables tossed together with a little olive oil and some spices. It's boring, and it isn't gourmet, but it's healthy and it's very quick to make.

I purchased cookbooks and looked up recipes for "healthy but delicious" meals, and to be honest they just take so long to prepare... at least for me. I make all my lunches for the week on sunday night, and it's just a mix of vegetables, maybe some lean chicken thrown in, with a little oil and seasoning.

For quick breakfast I make a smoothie with soymilk, a banana, a small scoop of natural peanut butter, and some fresh berries and drink it on my way to work.

Check out http://hundredpushups.com too. I could see a difference in about a 3 weeks. It is a calorie burning nightmare actually, and it only takes about 5 minutes. And one more thing, and this sucks, but cut out beer. It makes a difference.

Cut out beer and soda and move to red wine and mad liquors

Also, maybe don't set a number goal for weight. Biking and gyming will put on some muscle mass while burning fat and you may not see a big difference on the scale. If possible, try checking body fat % using one of the anthropometry methods. At 5'8" you are close to average stature and these measurements could be reasonably accurate. Take waist measurements. You aren't likely to be building a lot of muscle mass there, so it could be a decent indicator of how 'healthy' your physique is becoming.

Even with biking and rock climbing frequently for lean muscle build, I definitely put on some mass and thus haven't seen the number on the scale drop dramatically.

For me years ago, cutting sodas out dropped a seemingly instant 10 lbs off. Instead of soda I'd get water, club soda, or sparkling water.

Also, alcohol (beer or liquor) was a triple threat for me. It lowered my metabolism, provided empty calories, and increased my appetite for crap food late at night (while my metabolism was low).

Now I'm working on reducing my sugar intake. My sweet tooth is a real problem, so I've got my work cut out. I'm also working on weaning myself off of coffee. I suspect that it's somehow upsetting my body's natural balance. I enjoy the adrenalin rush of coffee, but too much over the course of weeks has the opposite effect and the lows are really low. Everything in moderation, eh?

I'd suggest also getting into the gym. For fastest results, I suggest a book called "Starting Strength" and following the novice program. I went from deep squatting 160 to 345lbs (3 sets x 5 reps) in 16 weeks while using no supplements except MILK. Seriously. My female teammate at 120lbs went from deep squatting just the bar (45lbs) to squatting 170lbs (3 sets x 5 reps) while on the same program.

i switched to mich ultra. still need to drop some serious weight but nobodies touching my beer. i've lost 5 pounds in a week.

Also, maybe don't set a number goal for weight. Biking and gyming will put on some muscle mass while burning fat and you may not see a big difference on the scale. If possible, try checking body fat % using one of the anthropometry methods.

I agree. Lean muscle mass is good weight. When I got into the gym I picked up 10-15lbs of muscle while my body fat went down. My net loss was lower, but now I'm much stronger and leaner. Still not where I want to be.

Body fat measurements would be a better gauge of progress. Keep in mind that calipers (cheap) aren't the most accurate, but the way to use them is as a relative measure. Maybe measure your knee, stomach, and chest and just log the values over time and you will see if your program is working or not.

Also, increased exercise not only increases muscle mass weight, but blood volume also increases which is significant, too. That's why body fat measurements would be a better gauge of progress.

Loving this thread already. All such great advice. I actually went straight from work to buy some new groceries and cooked myself a decent dinner. some fruit for snacks. Drained the Sprite 2L bottle down the sink.

Will be looking to get back into strength training in the next couple of days.

Booze is indeed a big issue for me. I drink a LOT (not to the point of alcoholism. Socially. but I do go out plenty). Used to keep it "light-ish" and only drank clear liquors, such as vodka. Over the winter though, I fell back into the beer habit. And I also fall prey to the drunken munchies more often than not.

Do some distance running. Like 40+miles a week.
I did that for three years regularly and raced, now, I don't really have to watch what I eat anymore or really exercise much at all, except when I want to, and when I do it's intense to compensate for its rarity, haha
That, along with biking, I maintain a very lean (too much?) body weight.
5'6" 125
any good?
Also, I lift a lot.

edit: 90% of diet = home-cooked food :) steak mmm

Regular soda isn't really any better, it's not sugar you're drinking.

I don't always drink soda, but when I do, I choose Jones cola.

Also, cutting out 3 Square Meals a day and going to maybe 1 full meal and lots of smaller meals throughout the day. A sandwich here, banana there, etc... just enough to cure the craving and top off your energy. This will help you feel lighter, too. Not the bloated feeling after eating a full "American" meal.

It only takes a week or so and you will find yourself not finishing entrees at restaurants because you are filling up sooner.

This does become a pain in the butt sometimes. It's rare, but getting ridiculously hungry while sleeping has happened to me before. I'll have to get up and eat something in order to go back to sleep. But, that's a sign of my metabolism working.

Also, listen to your body. Don't eat if you don't feel the need to. Your activity levels change on a daily basis, so should your caloric intake. If your blood sugar is low and/or your stomach is growling then, yes, you are hungry. But, don't go eat a full Ruby Tuesday lunch with co-workers just because it's lunch time.

Loving this thread already. All such great advice. I actually went straight from work to buy some new groceries and cooked myself a decent dinner. some fruit for snacks. Drained the Sprite 2L bottle down the sink.

Will be looking to get back into strength training in the next couple of days.

Booze is indeed a big issue for me. I drink a LOT (not to the point of alcoholism. Socially. but I do go out plenty). Used to keep it "light-ish" and only drank clear liquors, such as vodka. Over the winter though, I fell back into the beer habit. And I also fall prey to the drunken munchies more often than not.

I used to drink a lot socially, too. You aren't alone. A few things I've learned:
- Take a month off from booze. It's not hard to do. Tell your friends that you just need a break. They will understand.
- You will feel the need to have something in your hand while socializing. So, get a glass of club soda. No one will notice (who cares if they do). Two nights ago I was at a bar with two girls and when we all separated to go home one girl says, "Be careful driving!" I smiled and said I'd been drinking iced tea all night.
- Bartenders will give you non-alcoholic drinks for free if you mention that you are the DD. You should still tip, though.
- You can party sober. You will realize that the socialization is still the same fun as before. BUT, you will probably start leaving earlier because it gets boring when you are sober. Your tolerance for drunken stupid crap of others will go down, too.
- You will feel better about yourself. Not in a self-righteous way. More of a "I just worked out at the gym" way.
- With no hangovers, you will say, "So this is was getting up early on the weekends feels like! Not bad!"
- You'll have more money in your pocket at the end of the night. LOTS more.

carleton: The need to eat something to fall asleep is a symptom of hypoglycemia, I think.

Nate: You should buy some whole wheat bread and stock up on a ton of fresh sandwich ingredients like lettuce, tomato, cucumber or pickle, good cheese. Mustard if you like it. Turkey? A nice fresh and light sandwich with a tall glass of water always makes me feel good. You won't have to pick something up on the way home because you have delicious sandwich stuff in the fridge!

http://www.herbalhealer.com/loseweight.html

Everything you could buy from this website is awesome. I'm a member/taking mail-in herbology classes from them.

carleton: The need to eat something to fall asleep is a symptom of hypoglycemia, I think.

Maybe not. It's my stomach growling and not just an urge to eat.

Of the 24 symptoms of hypoglycemia listed here (https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hypoglycemia), "hunger" is the only one that I have.

It may have something to do with my training (not just riding) 6 days a week on the bike combined with 2-3 days/week of gym work :)

Ah. ;]

I enjoy one beer or wine with dinner nearly every day, but that's about the extent of my drinking. If you can't go out and not drink a "lot" but you really don't want to drink a lot, avoid going out. I've dropped about 18 lbs to get to 175 (I'm 6'1") in the last two months by making lifestyle changes and simple diet changes. I still eat what I need to have plenty of energy for my rides, but I've changed what and when I eat more than anything else.

It's a pretty easy formula - when I ride a couple hours a day, I maintain weight at around 3000-3500 calories a day. I've been eating around 1800-2500 calories a day and losing between a pound or two a week. This seasonal flux never ceases to amaze me time and time again! My goal of 165 by my first 1/2 Ironman this September is easily in reach at this rate. It sounds simple, but it's having the dedication to be consistent for an extended amount of time, and not justify this-and-that more than you should. A bad weekend may not kill you, but it sure can set you back a week or two if you're not careful. Keep with it - you've come a long way and seeing more progress will only motivate you more. Good luck!

I quit smoking just over a year ago, and I went from a healthy 155 to over 180. I'm working on getting back down, but my appetite just got huge for a while. Someone mentioned joining a CSA earlier, and I completely agree with that. It is like a commitment, but it's also like an adventure. Trying to find ways to cook vegetables that I've never cooked before, having fresh fruit to eat for snacks/dessert, and eating food that grows under the same sun/rain that I grow under just makes me feel whole. Having more fiber in the diet is never a bad thing either.

Another thing I would recommend is getting a nice rice cooker with a timer. It really helps take out some of the "work" of eating healthier. I load up my steel-cut oats and night, set the timer and wake up to a hot, healthy, whole-grain breakfast. Then I load up brown jasmine rice and set it for when I'm coming home and then there's dinner, almost ready. I say almost because I will steam/sautee some veggies from my CSA box to go with the rice or make a bowl of miso soup. Brown rice is a little healthier than white rice, but I eat a lot of white rice too. I'm going to try some brown japonica rice next time I go to the Asian market. What's great about this is the rice cooker automatically switches to keep-warm mode after the cooking is complete, so there's no worry of wasting food. Also, rice is cheap as hell. No work, delicious, clean food. I mix in about 40-50 grams of lean protein throughout the day too.

Lastly, I had to quit buying peanut butter, and junk foods in general. PB&J is one of my favorite foods, and I would find myself having at least one a day AFTER a meal, for dessert. That's a lot of sugar and fat. And when I buy bread, I buy spelt bread rather than wheat bread. I'm trying to lose a pound per week, so by the end of the year hopefully I'll be back down around 155 or so. Good luck at any rate, and congratulations on cutting out the soda!

Nice Lorok!

I used to drink a lot socially, too. You aren't alone. A few things I've learned:
- Take a month off from booze. It's not hard to do. Tell your friends that you just need a break. They will understand.
- You will feel the need to have something in your hand while socializing. So, get a glass of club soda. No one will notice (who cares if they do). Two nights ago I was at a bar with two girls and when we all separated to go home one girl says, "Be careful driving!" I smiled and said I'd been drinking iced tea all night.
- Bartenders will give you non-alcoholic drinks for free if you mention that you are the DD. You should still tip, though.
- You can party sober. You will realize that the socialization is still the same fun as before. BUT, you will probably start leaving earlier because it gets boring when you are sober. Your tolerance for drunken stupid crap of others will go down, too.
- You will feel better about yourself. Not in a self-righteous way. More of a "I just worked out at the gym" way.
- With no hangovers, you will say, "So this is was getting up early on the weekends feels like! Not bad!"
- You'll have more money in your pocket at the end of the night. LOTS more.
Yeah. I've been considering taking a good break from the booze lately. I love it while the night is rolling, but I'm always regretting it the next day... a day that I usually waste just trying to recover, instead of being productive. Some of these pros you've mentioned have actually crossed my mind once or twice. I need to actually put it to practice. Going to try it out this weekend. See if the willpower stays strong. :twitchy:

Continuous thanks for the continuous barrage of advice! Y'all are a lovely bunch.

- You can party sober. You will realize that the socialization is still the same fun as before. BUT, you will probably start leaving earlier because it gets boring when you are sober. Your tolerance for drunken stupid crap of others will go down, too.

Ha! i did that once. Not coz I was watching my weight, it was becoz my co-worker hailed a crazy ny taxi and I was car sick for the 1st hr in the bar so i just had water. Afterwards I felt that just feeding on water is actually pretty nice so i kept drinking water. 3 hrs later, I realized how unfunny all my friends' jokes became while I'm sober and they're tipsy. It did become boring. And I realize 'wow, am I that silly too when tipsy?' Epiphany moment.

Anyway. If u're gonna shedding pounds, NateRod, maybe on top of eating right you might wanna consider investing in a heart rate monitor as well. I think it's nice to know what range u are in while riding bikes or at the gym. Sometimes u might want to push ur heart rate up for cardios and sometimes u want to stay in the 'fat burning' range. I'ld suggest one that is like a wrist watch thing instead of a cycle computer w/heart rate function so u can also use it off ur bike.

Oh. And whoever said P90X on the first page.. it's awesome!

i will say when i was doing the p90x program, diet was just as important as the exercise.

the diet consisted of lots of lean protein, lots of veggies, lots of lean dairy, a few pieces of fruit in the morning, and very very little carbs and fat.

it was actually based on portions, and looked like this:
8 portions protein (boneless skinless chicken, turkey bacon, egg whites)
4 portions veggies
4 portions dairy (low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, lo fat mozzarella cheese stix)
2 portions fruit (and only in the morning)
2 portions carbs (usually in the form of whole wheat)
2 portions fat (healthy kind...like avocados and olive oil)

during this phase of p90x i lost the most weight. about 15 pounds in a month, but that was on top of lots of strength training plus lots of protein meaning i probably gained some weight in muscle mass.
of course i am 210 6'3, so the portions would probably be different for smaller people, but around the same proportions.


if you have time to workout 1 hour a day for 3 months straight, i totally recommend p90x because i saw really good results, and everyone that does it pretty much gets great results (IE overall body strength increase with good body fat reduction as well as just overall increase in fitness....more flexible, jump higher, stronger in weak places, etc.)

ok so what do we veg heads do in order to lose weight? most of what i've read in these past two pages has suggested that processed food is bad. if this IS in fact the case, (which i'm leaning more and more towards in my own personal research) WTF am i supposed to do for protein? up until now, i've been content to just take in tofu and other such meat subs but most of these (if not all) are just heavily processed crap that never appear naturally. there's beans but those get old quickly. where do you guys turn for non animal derived protein?

I quit smoking just over a year ago, and I went from a healthy 155 to over 180.


Sorry, but....LoL!

Look to your other friends in the grain family. Flax and Quinoa are both great for you and I know Quinoa is supposed to be a great source of complete proteins. I'm sure there are other grains out there you can use instead of rice/pasta/whatever to suppliment processed protein intake.

I've always been a little apprehensive about those mass-marketed workout dvd's, but I have a few friends who had great things to say about that p90x program. I've been considering giving it a try.

ok so what do we veg heads do in order to lose weight? most of what i've read in these past two pages has suggested that processed food is bad. if this IS in fact the case, (which i'm leaning more and more towards in my own personal research) WTF am i supposed to do for protein? up until now, i've been content to just take in tofu and other such meat subs but most of these (if not all) are just heavily processed crap that never appear naturally. there's beans but those get old quickly. where do you guys turn for non animal derived protein?

Nuts, edamame, beans, peas...? There isn't much out there really that has high levels of protein (8+ g/serving) that does not come from an animal source. Sorry dude

The amount of protein truly required for athletes looking to gain anything BUT large muscle mass is probably much smaller than people think. We are generally supposed to consume about 55 grams per day, athletes about double that. I'm certain that most of us here probably get close to or above that with our normal diet. A couple portions of meat and beans in a day will easily get you close to that number. Add a glass of milk and a snack of nuts and you are likely above that.

1/2lb fish, lean meat, etc approx 50g
cup of cooked beans 14g
2 cups of milk 16g
1/2 cup COTTAGE CHEEEESE 15g

This is 95g without counting the small amounts of protein in all other grains, vegetables, and fruits people take in.

yah i totally was at first. when i saw the infomerical i was like "oh man this is like Tae Bo extreme lol"
BUT i read about it more and more online and heard some first hand accounts and decided to give it a try. it really works well.

its REALLY hard though. expect to work out an hour to 1.5 hours each day 6 days a week for 3 months, WHILE changing your diet dramatically if you are used to eating whatever like i was.

you do strength training 3 of the days, all muscles from arms to legs, and one day of plyometrics, one day of yoga, and one day of kenpo karate.
you basically pop in a DVD and do what they are doing. the main instructor guy is a total ****** bag, but in a likable way lol

and so after a month, the program changes up the exercises. your body gets used to a work out after a certain point and benefits plateue, so to combat the body getting used to a workout the exercises change after each month.


if you have the time and the will power definitely give it a try, its totally worth it.

im actually going to do the program again this summer.

i will say when i was doing the p90x program, diet was just as important as the exercise.

the diet consisted of lots of lean protein, lots of veggies, lots of lean dairy, a few pieces of fruit in the morning, and very very little carbs and fat.

it was actually based on portions, and looked like this:
8 portions protein (boneless skinless chicken, turkey bacon, egg whites)
4 portions veggies
4 portions dairy (low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, lo fat mozzarella cheese stix)
2 portions fruit (and only in the morning)
2 portions carbs (usually in the form of whole wheat)
2 portions fat (healthy kind...like avocados and olive oil)

during this phase of p90x i lost the most weight. about 15 pounds in a month, but that was on top of lots of strength training plus lots of protein meaning i probably gained some weight in muscle mass.
of course i am 210 6'3, so the portions would probably be different for smaller people, but around the same proportions.


if you have time to workout 1 hour a day for 3 months straight, i totally recommend p90x because i saw really good results, and everyone that does it pretty much gets great results (IE overall body strength increase with good body fat reduction as well as just overall increase in fitness....more flexible, jump higher, stronger in weak places, etc.)


BTW, i forgot to mention all that food in the diet was suppposed to be eaten in 5 small to medium sized meals throughout the day. like, within 3 hours of each other. supposedly this boosts your metabolism....its sort of like this (im no expert lol): if your stomach gets constant meals during the day everyday, IE the 5 small meals, your stomach thinks "oh man im getting bombarded with food every 3 hours, i should burn it off quicker" hence your metabolism increases.....if you only get two large meals a day (which unfortunately i was doing for a while, hence i gained some heft) your stomach is like "uh oh im only getting 2 meals a day, sometimes 1, seperated by allot of time....im not sure when or if im getting another meal anytime soon, so i should hold onto this" hence your metabolism slows.

lol like i said, im no expert and super dumbed down, but thats how i understood the reasoning behind the 5 meals a day as opposed to 2 or 3....

also, i was eating WAY more food during this than i was before, but losing weight and the metabolism was definitely kicked into overdrive. obviously i was working out hard at the time too which would obviously help.....

anywho bla bla bla

i'm doing the p90x program again now. Day 4 today.. 86days left....... this is when i feel like i want to die but also really accomplished at the same time.

Low fat, high protein, hit the gym. Lifting burns a lot f fat.

I started at 215, got down to 160, now weigh 170 after gaining 10# of muscle.

ok so what do we veg heads do in order to lose weight? most of what i've read in these past two pages has suggested that processed food is bad. if this IS in fact the case, (which i'm leaning more and more towards in my own personal research) WTF am i supposed to do for protein? up until now, i've been content to just take in tofu and other such meat subs but most of these (if not all) are just heavily processed crap that never appear naturally. there's beans but those get old quickly. where do you guys turn for non animal derived protein?

Grilled chicken or baked tilapia aren't processed foods, and they're full of protein.

^^^
u missed the part where he said "veg"

Grilled chicken or baked tilapia aren't processed foods, and they're full of protein.

Reading comprehension: You're doing it wrong.

I think proper eating and sleep are supremely under recognized when talking about overall fitness. Being active and exercising are important, but not without proper fuel/nourishment and adequate rest.

Going hunter gatherer/primal has been the best health decision I've made. I've gotten off my weight loss plateau, I'm not always hungry, I'm eating more sustainable foods and I feel great. But what's cool is that it's not really a weight loss program or anything. I'd recommend reading Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint(or check out his site marksdailyapple.com) as well as Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

I am appreciative of what you just said, nineohtoo.