Intermediate Nutrition

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spencermitsch
spencermitsch Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been reading through a lot of the posts here and feel like I have a handle on the basics - CICO, the benefits of each macro, complex vs simple carbs, and the importance of food scales. My basic question is where to go from here. What areas of nutrition have you found helpful or interesting? Should I focus on learning about micros? Gut flora? Third option? Thanks in advance.

P.s. I'm not lifting, because I don't think I would stick with it long term. Is this a mistake? I've seen a lot of convincing arguments for the benefits, just hate the activity.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Keeping it simple, and thinking rationally, has been lifesaver for me.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,217 Member
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    Agree with @kommodevaran in keeping it simple.

    My nutrition-based priorities list:
    1. Log everything meticulously and as accurately as possible.
    2. Manage Calories
    3. Adequate Protein
    4. Stay close to my carb goal
    5. less sodium is probably better for me
    6. Consistently choose foods that are generically "better" for me than not
    THE END

    In my judgement, most things beyond that are minutia, personal preference, etc. and won't cause a significant impact.

    RE: lifting vs. not - that all depends on your goals and what you like to do. It's pretty widely accepted that some form of resistance training is beneficial for maintaining your muscles and skeletal system, but traditional weight lifting (in whatever form) doesn't appeal to everyone. You can get quite a lot of resistance work using just your body weight; maybe that's a path you'd prefer. FWIW I will say I've not encountered anyone who started weightlifting and regretted it or the results; usually it's "I wish I'd started doing this sooner".
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    Examine.com has lots of interesting nutrition and supplement articles if you want to do some more reading.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    What you've learned should be good for now. But if you don't feel like lifting, I would suggest doing some bodyweight exercises to work on muscle retention.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    There are definitely health benefits to strength training, but you have to consider your own goals and the extent to which those benefits are important to you. I will say, though, that I didn't want to do any strength training for a long time either, and now I wish I'd started sooner. I'm in maintenance now and I wish I had been strength training more when I was losing weight. I now have great aerobic fitness, but not a lot of muscle. I still don't enjoy lifting and I prefer to work out at home, so I do bodyweight and dumbbell exercises.

    Regarding nutrition, I think it also depends on your goals, but I'd agree that you shouldn't overcomplicate it unless you have specific health or medical concerns. Stay within your calorie goal, try to hit your macros, get your vitamins and minerals by eating a variety of fruits, veggies, and other foods that are good sources of micronutrients.

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