Misc Chat Thread

indianarose2

I've finally been losing (on whole30) eating similar calories and similar macros but have also been losing strength BIG time. Not just stalling but backwards progress. Has this ever happened to any of you?

xcalygrl

If I remember correctly, Whole 30 cuts out quick carbs (bread, rice, pasta, etc.), right? That could be a huge part of it. Those carbs are quick fuel, which can assist in workouts. More complex carbs (beans, veggies, etc.) are good, but they aren't as quick burning.

andylllI

I agree with xcalygrl. When I don't eat enough carbs from grains I bonk. Big time. A bowl of oatmeal and some rice and things sort themselves out.

indianarose2

Thanks for the feedback!
The plan is for the body to start using fat as fuel which must be happening to some extent because my bf% is going down but I still have a pretty high carb intake around 100/day. I have a friend on here who is on a keto diet which is mostly fats and she is a beast...physique competitions, Titan races...lifts a lot.
We'll see... I don't mind sacrificing some strength temporarily to finally lose some fat which wasn't budging until now.
I'll try a banana before my workout today and see if that helps. That should be pretty fast burning. Thanks again!

andylllI

You could also look at things that effect recovery like sleep, training volume and intensity, rest days. You might be trying to do too much in a deficit.

indianarose2

I wish! Lol! I'm not doing much. The banana helped and I was able to increase today. I'll just keep building back up as I'm able to. I look forward to getting to maintenance to say the least! :-)

Llamapants86

I found when I started not having simple carbs before I worked out (had to move workouts to the morning and working fasted was the only way that was happening) it took me a couple of weeks to get back to normal. It was a bit of an adjustment period but eventually things settled back down. That said, I still eat plenty of my simple carbs, just not directly before a workout.

indianarose2

That is good to know! Thanks! I will be patient and give it some time.

canadianlbs

i am so happy so happy i feel like doing the snoopy-foot dance. i made microweights.

edit: for less than 8 bucks.

Llamapants86

I think I'm going to have to copy cat you Canadian. Too bad it means talking to some one at the hardware store.

canadianlbs

Llamapants86 wrote: »

I think I'm going to have to copy cat you Canadian. Too bad it means talking to some one at the hardware store.

if it saves you having to interact . . . ten links of the 500lb chain weighs 1.4 pounds around here. and costs around $3.74.

i'm so pleased with myself. even pleased-er than i would have been if i had just found the giant washers everyone recommends. i have these folk-arty looking microweights now instead, with cool wooden buttons to keep them closed. i feel like the kind of chick every guy gets all sentimental about - she can pump iron AND YET she's got these cute little female-type things.

and they're less likely to saw a hole in the bottom of my pannier bag while i cart them around. i can even wear them as wristbands while i'm doing my shoulder-rehab thingies like flyes and airplanes, here at home.

indianarose2

Sounds like there will be a trip to the hardware store in my future...maybe tomorrow even. I keep forgetting about micro weights. Might just get me unstuck on my OHP. Going to bring my digital scale with me.

andylllI

I need a visual. Can you post a picture? Have you started an etsy business crocheting chain covers? Can I order a pair?

DawnEmbers

One step closer to posting progress images. The tinypic image sharing site works out well in can upload them to email size or web page size. However, the regular camera is fine but the ones from my phone, although show upright in the raw image view end up sideways in the forums. Not sure how to fix that.

But maybe soon i might have a picture up in some forums...

canadianlbs

DawnEmbers wrote: »

But maybe soon i might have a picture up in some forums...

you've got so much stronger since you started i just can't wait to see your pictures.

Sumiblue

@canadianlbs, I want to see these micro weights and the sleeves. I'm having a hard time visualizing them but it sounds like a great idea and one I can replicate(minus the knitted sleeves because I don't knit

canadianlbs

if i ever find my webcam and remember how to make it take stills, i'll post one.

canadianlbs

Sumiblue wrote: »

@canadianlbs, I want to see these micro weights and the sleeves. I'm having a hard time visualizing them but it sounds like a great idea and one I can replicate(minus the knitted sleeves because I don't knit

um well, seems like my webcam is dead.

so. i will try to explain. it might be easier to picture if you use an actual sock and follow along with it, if you're like me.

1. take the sock and cut a small slit in the cuff, about an inch from the top (doesn't really matter, i guess, but w/e. i made mine pretty loose so they kind of hang off the bar, but you can always measure more precisely than i did)
2. turn the slit into a buttonhole by blanket-stitching around the edges. keeps it from fraying.
3. hold sock in both hands, fold into a circle and push the toe a little way into the cuff.
4. sew a button onto the toe. i made sure i did this with a pretty sturdy dose of stitching, since the button and buttonhole will be taking most of the strain. a strip of velcro would work even better, i guess. but i'm impatient when i get an idea, and i didn't have any velcro handy.
5. pour your chain into your sock, curl into a doughnut shape and close with the button.

the main disadvantage i discovered today is that i made my loop pretty big so it's not snug on the bar. i also didn't 'fix' the chain inside the sock by anchoring the first and last links in the toe and the cuff. so that means my own microweights just kind of hang off the bar with the chain collected mostly at the lowest part of the loop. this leaves only the fabric of the sock to be compressed by the clip/collar, and that caused a bit of play in my plates. not an issue to me atm, but for people who are lifting really heavy, i think total plate stability would be important so this might not be a perfect idea.

krokador

@canadianlbs Couldn't you just have it hand on the chain link side, so as to not have that button take all the weight of the thing? (And thus also preventing moving around a bit). Or is the chain not all *that* long? I mean it probably shifts as you move around so maybe it's a moot point anyway. Although you could use it as a tool to self-diagnoses forward lean in the squat and all lol.

Oh! How about sewing magnets in there to keep it together/from shifting?

Sumiblue

Brilliant!

canadianlbs

chain's about a foot long, and so is the sock. i think the solution would be to either anchor both ends of the chain, or tighten up my buttonholes so it wraps round the bar without being loose. either way would probably work.

for people who aren't worried about scratching up the ends of their bars the fastest answer would be to skip the sock entirely and just use carabinier clips on it. but i lift in a public place and their bars don't need to get any more beaten up than they already are.

indianarose2

Nice progress in your profile pic Sumiblue! What was the time frame between shots?

DawnEmbers

Interesting. I still lack micro plate options and am not quite that handy but hmm.

I figured out how to fix the picture orientation issue. Just need to decide what ones to post. Figure MFP is okay to post on for now as I'm still not posting anything on Facebook until November, after stepsister's wedding. But I may put them all on something like Instagram or such so that I can post a link and not just a bunch of pictures at once when I do that. Options, so many options.

jessiefrancine

DawnEmbers wrote: »

Interesting. I still lack micro plate options and am not quite that handy but hmm.

I figured out how to fix the picture orientation issue. Just need to decide what ones to post. Figure MFP is okay to post on for now as I'm still not posting anything on Facebook until November, after stepsister's wedding. But I may put them all on something like Instagram or such so that I can post a link and not just a bunch of pictures at once when I do that. Options, so many options.

I too lack handiness (and time!) so I bought these fractional plates from Rogue Fitness. They are 1.25 lbs each, and the set was $7.50 plus shipping (the most reasonable deal I found on fractionals). They came fast and they're very nice quality.

http://www.roguefitness.com/weightlifting-bars-plates/bumpers/fractional-plates

Look at the Olympic ones at the bottom of the page.

DawnEmbers

Yeah. I've seen the ones from Rogue fitness and such. Just planning my money right now. Still have to buy shoes and such for the wedding. Maybe spanx too. It's so much effort just to attend one of those events.

But one day I shall have fractionals. Wonder what the small gym near here has. I need to get a day pass and try it out as I'm still trying to decide on a different gym that is closer to where I live now.

Sumiblue

@indianarose2 , thank you! The first photo is from 6 mos. ago, about 4 mos. into Strong Lifts. Second photo taken very recently taken. My strength has improved a lot but I feel like I'm seeing real results since I started Strong Curves. My measurements now are at about the same place as they were back in March when I was dropping fat and inches. Unfortunately, I gained some back after my vacation in May and had to work hard at it again.

DawnEmbers

Progress photo posted in the sticky thread up there.

canadianlbs

^^ wow. amazing pictures.

DawnEmbers

Thanks.

Sumiblue

@DawnEmbers , wow! Nice work!

canadianlbs

quit quit quit quit! this may be friday night bravado, but i've been brooding/processing about it all day, and i'm still pretty close to certain i'm going to quit on monday. it's the right time (original project rolls out tomorrow) and the right reasons (they suck). and besides, i just can't stand them. tbh it's put-near impossible for me to imagine myself UNquit by this time next week. i try to picture myself doing what they just announced they 'expect' of me for their next project up, and it's just . . . no.

not saying acts of god never happen. and i still have to dial the recruiter in on my plans, which looks like happening sunday. but now that i've opened that door in my head, i can't picture anything less than an act of god keeping me from walking through it . . . and even then it would only be until the first available moment came up to get out, or until they fired me; whichever came first.