I have the worst running strategy for the girls - I wear two sports bras just to hold them. :\ I know it's bad but I can find a good sports bra that'll actually work without making me broke

6/14/2010 1:34:20 PM

how are we supposed to see your headlights when u do that

6/14/2010 1:57:14 PM

Afterwards, once she gets fit and goes to the beach.

There's a time and place for everything.

6/14/2010 1:59:43 PM

Yea but it is a much appreciated sustenance whilst I am dead-dragging on my jog.

6/14/2010 2:14:30 PM

Quote :

"I'm also really worried about my carb intake. Like so far today the biggest percentage of my calories have come from carbs. However I feel like I'm eating healthy, blueberries, strawberries, soy milk, grilled chicken breast, and green beans. Am I doing it wrong?"

Are you logging this into The Daily Plate on livestrong.com or some other website? That will help you better identify your trouble areas. It's great that you're eating fresh fruits and veggies ... they're carbs, but they're healthy carbs. You may need to sub some veggies for your fruit ... veggies have less sugar and will provide a nice punch of vitamins.

Are you getting a healthy balance of protein, fats and carbs at every meal?




Today has been a challenge ... it's reeeaaallly hot and the last thing I want to do is eat ... though I really don't want to get ravenous late at night and go on a snack binge. Here's my nutrition/workout thus far:

workout
P90X Cardio DVD (approx 40 minutes of cardio, plyometrics and yoga), followed by a 1.75-mile run in 12 minutes
diet
breakfast: venti iced americano (25 calories) + salmon salad made with one serving of canned salmon, 1 celery stalk, 1/4 red bell pepper, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash (approx 130 calories)
morning snack: another serving of the salmon salad from above
lunch: 1/2 grilled chicken wrap with romaine lettuce (approx 200 calories)

way low on calories right now ... it's just really, nauseatingly hot outside

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 2:55 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2010 2:46:23 PM

Since I haven't been to Detroit in nearly 2 years, I almost forgot why it is the fattest city in the union. Absolutely ridiculous.

6/14/2010 2:57:21 PM

I think I need to start eating more. I'm pretty sure most days I don't break 2000 calories and that's probably killing my ability to lose fat instead of muscle mass.

Given how much no fat foods, turkey and chicken I eat, I probably don't even get anywhere close to the proper amount of dietary fat.

6/14/2010 4:50:19 PM

Ok, I decided to join.

I'm 5'9" and I weight 174 (but I really don't show that weight -- most people think I'm in the low 160's). I think my ideal weight would be around 168 or 169 but that is just a guesstimate.

First, here is my baseline picture -- it's shitty because all I have is an iPhone but it hits the two major things I'd like to work on.


Parts I'm not satisfied with and would like to improve:
- Chest definition. I am lifting every week with a dedicated routine and I've seen MAJOR gains in my arms, shoulders, and legs but am not seeing the results I would like in my chest. Part of it is likely my genetic predisposition but I can't help but feel part #2 is also hiding it a bit........

- That bit of stomach pudge that you can very easily see. Now I know it's not much, but I really really want to get rid of what's left and I know the biggest thing is my diet/lifestyle -- of which, I turn to TWW for help! I have no soft edges anywhere but the stomach/chest which I know is normal for someone who likes to eat like shit and drink beer but I think I'm willing to start trying to change that.

Ok, on to my diet. I eat like a caveman. Meat, potatoes, pasta, fast food and pizza. I don't think I'll ever gain a lot of weight thanks to my genetics and metabolism but I'll also reach my goals. I'm willing to restrict and nearly completely give up my fast food and love for pasta. I'm unwilling to give up pizza (!) once a week.

I'm going to start to transition from a medium size breakfast and a huge lunch/dinner and go more towards the six lighter snacks/meals. I'm thinking I want to get between 2600-2700 calories per day but I'm having trouble figuring how many grams of each (protein, carbs, fats) I should be getting per meal. Is there like a set time of day where I should be getting more of one than the other -- Makes sense to have more carbs a few hours before a workout and more protein immediately following a workout?

Basic nutrition questions and I am about to go back and read through the thread so some of these questions will likely be answered.

*** Also, I lift weights MTHF mornings and typically mix in an hour of basketball most days ranging from shooting around to playing a max-energy pickup game. I also typically run about 2.5-3 miles four to five times a week at a medium intensity level. I don't typically run immediately after my weight lifting so I should be OK when it comes to burning too much muscle correct?

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 5:36 PM. Reason : oh and I have FitDay so I'll start logging my food next time I go grocery shopping!]

6/14/2010 5:32:17 PM

i took one look at what i've done so far on my sugar intake (i am HORRIBLE about tracking food and what not) and holy jeebus i think i found my main problem

6/14/2010 5:59:03 PM

i am EXHAUSTED today and i'm not sure why.

i mean really, really, really, really tired.
i think its because i worked out pretty intensely this weekend.
who knew beach running was so freaking hard?


no gym today. doing some cleaning, cooking some tuna, and hitting the sack

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 6:05 PM. Reason : gfhgf]

6/14/2010 6:03:10 PM

i hit the sack too when I do shrugs and jefferson squats

6/14/2010 6:06:47 PM

im down 6 lbs since this thing started

6/14/2010 7:29:37 PM

Over the past 2 weeks, I've put on 5 lbs, lost 8, and gained 2 of that back, for a net loss of 1 lb.
I'm gonna remeasure tonight to see if I've lost any inches so far...
But I've definitely got a better understanding of how I'm going to reach my goals now

6/14/2010 7:47:44 PM

sorry I've been MIA (read: eating too much). here's my update:

averages since this began:



today:



fattie:



I've been trying to run at least 5x/week. Today I did 60min on the treadmill at different speeds/inclines.

blah.

6/14/2010 7:52:58 PM

25 min elliptical

3x8x30 overhead press
3x8x40 alternate overhead press
3x10x50 chest press
3x8x5 dumbbell jack
3x8x140 leg press
3x8x140 alternate leg press
3x8x50 dead lift
10x10sec lateral plank on dip machine
3x10x40 seated row

I have been eating a lot of lentils lately. I made this lentil chili tonight. Maya even ate it. So yummy! Getting back on the diet after the anniversary weekend. I do have to say I had no alcohol this weekend and I drank water with every meal except 1 (sweet tea).

6/14/2010 8:00:31 PM

Checking in for week 3:

I don't feel like the results I've noticed show up well in the pics ... but I feel them and other people have noticed, so oh well

6/14/2010 8:03:11 PM

okay stupid question that may have been answered - is it bad to have too much protein in your diet?

6/14/2010 8:09:18 PM

I feel the same way Tara. I can tell your results are there! GOOD JOB!!

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 8:19 PM. Reason : I have no idea about the protein, LunaK.]

6/14/2010 8:16:02 PM

^^^cough cough...get a trainer

^^define "too much"...I'm sure you're fine

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 8:20 PM. Reason : ]

6/14/2010 8:19:40 PM

^^^ It is, but people in this thread all seem to be thinking "too much" is over the amount Livestrong (or whatever it is that everyone is using) sets. If you're active you need more, as PackMan92 said a couple pages ago:

Quote :

"protein should be set at 1g per lb of bodyweight OR 1.5g per lb LBM (if you know body fat %) fat should be set at .5g per lb of LBM (or higher) carbs can fill in the rest (I tend to keep my carbs as low as possible)"

^^

^ haha. OK, but don't go easy on me because I was all broken and stuff!

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 8:22 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2010 8:20:54 PM

Quote :

"I don't feel like the results I've noticed show up well in the pics"

im in the same boat.
it's really amazing what lighting can do

6/14/2010 8:21:04 PM

Quote :

"^^define "too much"...I'm sure you're fine"

daily plate set me up on saying i need 50 grams of protein a day - i'm at 87 today with dinner

(granted i had WAY TOO much in the way of carbs today - but i just started tracking this stuff, and realizing how much i need to alter what i'm eating)

6/14/2010 8:22:49 PM

thats nothing!!

i eat around 150/day!

and while im here.....

stats:
cals 1415

131p/150c/40f
not bad. could be better

no workout today. i is le tired.

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 8:25 PM. Reason : gfhg]

6/14/2010 8:23:40 PM

^^ how about too LOW

6/14/2010 8:25:25 PM

haha okay cool.

sweet! just figured out how to calculate my goal... wow i'm simple

^ okay, okay, okay. my diet is completely out of whack ... will work on figuring this one out this week!

6/14/2010 8:25:49 PM

Just bought some creatine... Hope it works.

6/14/2010 9:04:12 PM

take it after your workouts with a sugary protein drink. that always seemed to make creatine work the best for me. If I tried taking it in the morning without a sugary drink, the only thing that got stronger were my bowel movements.

6/14/2010 9:09:13 PM

wait so is myplate even legit then

i mean you can choose your exercise level. i think i put active or very active (based on what they said - the one with walking, running, tennis, etc is my activity level)

and it says i should eat 33g of protein a day. is that too low? it seems like it. ahhhh this is so confusinggggggggg. rawr!

Quote :

""protein should be set at 1g per lb of bodyweight OR 1.5g per lb LBM (if you know body fat %) "

if this is true then yes 33g seems kinda low. like really low?! crap. i'm doing it all wronggggg.


[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 9:27 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2010 9:22:10 PM

most nutritionists recommend less protein than most of us advocate for someone looking to reduce weight. 33g seems a bit too low though, although, you should still see weight loss results as you won't have enough protein to support your natural turnover of muscle and you should lose both fat and muscle...calories permitting of course

on a side note...

i think the food pyramid, especially the original, was just a marketing scam from the US Gov to eat more corn...corn corn corn...now it has shifted to dairy beef and corn...all of which is still corn

corn corn corn and BHT

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 9:29 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2010 9:28:16 PM

33 is incredibly low

6/14/2010 9:32:11 PM

the govt food pyramid is a fucking joke

6/14/2010 9:48:26 PM

Another reason: different people need different things to eat to be healthy so it makes sense for a blanketed food pyramid to be bull shit.

6/14/2010 9:50:36 PM

i bet DNL is way into this thread

6/14/2010 9:52:55 PM

my food pyramid:

6/14/2010 9:53:47 PM

I ate wicked shitty at my cousin's grad party yesterday, I didn't even bother counting... today I had a protein bar, 2 salads, a tuna melt, and grilled salmon. I'm home now, and I'll be benching tomorrow/back on the ball.

6/15/2010 12:53:30 AM

^^ Why are berries separate from fruits in that pyramid?

What about beans and lentils? No need for those? Well I guess not since you get all the protein from the meat section and the fiber from the remaining 3 sections. But still, beans and lentils have nutrients in them aside from protein and fiber which are really good for you.

And calcium? If there is no dairy, where do you get calcium from? Yogurt should be included in that pyramid. It is easily digestible unlike milk, and gives you protein and calcium, not to mention, beneficial bacteria for gut health.

[Yes, I know that's the Palelithic Diet in the payramid, and that diet excludes dairy and beans]

6/15/2010 5:31:26 AM

you actually get a lot of calcium from green veggies...spinach being a prime example


dairy is another one of those things hyped up by the government, that is not necessary

[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 5:51 AM. Reason : ]

6/15/2010 5:51:40 AM

'necessary'

what exactly does it mean when it comes to the human diet?

meat is completely unnecessary. you can get all the amino acids required from a varied plant diet. so why not exclude meat as well (except for oily fish for DHA and EPA)?

as exact a science it is or it can be (talking about human nutrition), our knowledge of it is very imperfect.

but what about beneficial bacteria which have been shown in countless studies to improve health, including reducing cholesterol and blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, decreasing the incidence of diabetes, heart diesease, etc? where will one get them from? that's why i said yogurt should be included in everybody's diet... it is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.

my philosophy is that any food item that provides some beneficial or unique compounds known to improve human health, should be consumed. of course, if a food contains both beneficial and harmful compounds, you have to weigh the benefits and harm.

you said dairy is not 'necessary'. well as i explained, yogut provides something that almost no other food do, so it should be eaten. protein you can get from so many sources, but oily fish provide EPA and DHA, which are not found in any other foods (except marine algae), so oily fish should be consumed. and so on and so forth.

6/15/2010 6:20:57 AM

^what if we found a wet nurse who could supply us with breast milk, doesn't that have the EPA and DHA? Breast milk and greens and we're good to go

Anyone a fan of Nootropics?

6/15/2010 6:24:53 AM

go for it, man! doesn't matter what the source is...

6/15/2010 6:26:43 AM

I've been eating two hard boiled eggs and a big glass of skim milk every morning for breakfast.

6/15/2010 7:24:12 AM

That's great in terms of protein (20-25 grams) and fat, but there is 0 grams fiber in that breakfast. And no fruits/vegetables.

Add the following and then it will be a complete meal:

1-2 slices of some nice grainy whole wheat bread (have the eggs fried in some olive oil if you like)
1-2 pieces of fruit (or vegetables)
Handful of nuts (optional)


[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 7:35 AM. Reason : ]

6/15/2010 7:29:55 AM

no.

6/15/2010 7:32:32 AM

determined to stay on track for my diet today....

knocked my intake down to about 1300 calories a day based on what i want to lose and where i am now

6/15/2010 7:35:46 AM

^^ have it your way... when you are straining on the toilet like hercules, you will remember my post.

come to think of it, seems like at least half the people posting in this thread must be chronically constipated. with daily fiber intakes ranging from 3 grams to 15 grams, they must be.

6/15/2010 7:38:10 AM

Quote :

"knocked my intake down to about 1300 calories a day based on what i want to lose and where i am now"

great job! keep it up

6/15/2010 7:40:59 AM

Signed up for this MyPlate.com thing, my daily goals are 2,071 calories to lose 1lb. per week. Starting at 190lbs. and 6'

6/15/2010 7:48:23 AM

I need to eat more to maintain/increase my body weight, but its been kind of tough being in a new area and trying to eat on a small budget.

For lunch and dinner I'm mostly eating meals of

Chicken breast
White rice
Mixed vegetables

or

Spaghetti with pasta sauce and hamburger meat

and I have 2 chocolate spread sandwiches (bread is like 4"x4", protein in the spread is listed at about 3g per serving, bread has some in it as well) as snacks after work. For breakfast I typically just have this chocolate coated belgian waffle thing that tastes like sugar. After workouts I grab a protein bar that has 29g protein.

I am walking a lot, at least 40-60 minutes a day, and lift weights for about an hour after work. I feel like I get enough protein, but not enough carbs and I am losing weight because of this. I've lost about 5-8 pounds over a week.

I feel like the walking is having a big impact on burning my fat reserves, but I want to be bulking up. Besides simply increasing the volume of my meals, are there foods I can target to keep my weight up? I know there isn't a lot of detail in this, but I can try and give estimates later if necessary.

6/15/2010 7:58:00 AM

sausages. definitely sausages.

6/15/2010 7:59:39 AM

Quote :

"I've lost about 5-8 pounds over a week."

Wow... have you reduced your sodium? Maybe you used to eat a lot of chips and then stopped for this week?

6/15/2010 8:13:45 AM