Q and A thread - Angus is peppered.
Options
Replies
-
I'm getting back on the wagon after a long time off (for a lot of reasons). Anyway. I'm working on tracking foods and need to add some activity into my daily/weekly routine. I cannot fit a gym membership into my budget/schedule right now. I hope to in the not-to-distant future, but I want to get started anyway.
What is your best resource/advice for a starting at-home workout? I can go outside and walk/jog/bike but I don't have a treadmill or other at-home cardio equipment, I'm willing to get some equipment if needed (but again - budget), and I do currently have some hand weights and resistance bands but I'm anticipating needing to do mostly body-weight workouts.
Two resources I often hear great things about are the following:
1) You are your own gym
2) Convict Conditioning
The latter of the two has been posted online in pdf format for free so you may be able to google it and use that as a starting point.
One thing to keep in mind is that we really want the big picture items taken care of first and those would be as follows from a training standpoint:
1) Choose something you enjoy or at least something you don't hate.
2) Ideally, train your entire body at least twice per week, up to 4 times (2-4 is a good average for most people but not a hard rule)
3) Start with low volume (1 to 2 sets per exercise)
Over time, you should gradually/incrementally build volume or load so that you are doing more total work over time.
I use "You Are Your Own Gym" and I really like it. It's approachable for different fitness levels, including absolute beginners to resistance training (like I was), you don't need to buy anything, and I personally saw changes in my fitness quickly (both in progressing in ability and visual changes in my body).1 -
I first need to disclose that for a fitness professional I know very little about the sport of weightlifting. I can make some assumptions about it but they are only assumptions.
I would think that you are best off learning how much water weight you can SAFELY cut in the final week of prep and by SAFELY I mean such that it will not negatively affect health OR performance and then I'd hang out around that weight throughout most of prep (meaning, hang out on the high end of weight)
So for example for me if I compete in the 83kg class and I know I can easily drop 2 to 3kg in the final week, I'll hang out around 86kg throughout the training cycle.
Basically remain at the upper end of where you are comfortable such that you can confidently reach weigh in without doing anything stupid.
For me the most extreme I will get with myself or clients is to do an isocaloric swap of carbohydrate and fat in the final week of the meet so that carbs are being replaced with fat, I set a floor carb intake of about 100g for me, and then I fast about 14hours before weigh in. Usually see about a ~6-7lb drop in the final week from this.
Beyond that I think it's really a matter of program design assuming you have your nutrition dialed in.
And as much as I LOVE talking about programming, I'm clueless with Oly lifting.
Thank you so much! That’s very helpful.0 -
You are still around?
Who would have known
2 -
Thoughts on Calgary Barbell program? https://www.dropbox.com/s/zvtuma1krpfv9ic/Complete 16-week Program.xlsx?dl=0
I've been lifting steady for 4 years. SL for 1 year, 531 for 2 3/4 years and currently running PHAT. Looking for something new along the PL lines. Calgary barbell was something I read someone else is trying but they are only in 2 weeks, so not enough feedback from them yet.0 -
I'm getting back on the wagon after a long time off (for a lot of reasons). Anyway. I'm working on tracking foods and need to add some activity into my daily/weekly routine. I cannot fit a gym membership into my budget/schedule right now. I hope to in the not-to-distant future, but I want to get started anyway.
What is your best resource/advice for a starting at-home workout? I can go outside and walk/jog/bike but I don't have a treadmill or other at-home cardio equipment, I'm willing to get some equipment if needed (but again - budget), and I do currently have some hand weights and resistance bands but I'm anticipating needing to do mostly body-weight workouts.
Two resources I often hear great things about are the following:
1) You are your own gym
2) Convict Conditioning
The latter of the two has been posted online in pdf format for free so you may be able to google it and use that as a starting point.
One thing to keep in mind is that we really want the big picture items taken care of first and those would be as follows from a training standpoint:
1) Choose something you enjoy or at least something you don't hate.
2) Ideally, train your entire body at least twice per week, up to 4 times (2-4 is a good average for most people but not a hard rule)
3) Start with low volume (1 to 2 sets per exercise)
Over time, you should gradually/incrementally build volume or load so that you are doing more total work over time.
Thank you! I will check those out. I really appreciate the direction - sometimes its hard to narrow down the wheat from the chaff on an initial Google search!0 -
What Strength program would you recommend for a woman who...
- Doesn't really love going to the gym and would prefer shorter, more frequent workouts than long ones
- Is a strength-training/weight-lifting newbie worried about form and looking silly and won't have a spotter
- Would like to focus on recomping and general health, as opposed to bulking
I tried Stronglifts 5x5 a while ago, it was okay. I'd be open to revisiting it but I'd prefer some additional dumb-bell stuff. I also tried Strong Curves but TBH, some of the moves were kind of confusing to me (they didn't feel like they were working out any muscle groups) and some of them felt too silly to do at the gym.0 -
piperdown44 wrote: »Thoughts on Calgary Barbell program? https://www.dropbox.com/s/zvtuma1krpfv9ic/Complete 16-week Program.xlsx?dl=0
I've been lifting steady for 4 years. SL for 1 year, 531 for 2 3/4 years and currently running PHAT. Looking for something new along the PL lines. Calgary barbell was something I read someone else is trying but they are only in 2 weeks, so not enough feedback from them yet.
It will probably work but there are aspects of it I don't like. However, I'm likely biased in that I tend to program less movement variation in the main lifts for powerlifters.
I would prefer to see more time spent doing competition movements. I do think some movement variation is fine but this particular program doesn't go beyond 1/week frequency of competition movements until the final week.
The load and volume progression looks reasonable.2 -
What Strength program would you recommend for a woman who...
- Doesn't really love going to the gym and would prefer shorter, more frequent workouts than long ones
- Is a strength-training/weight-lifting newbie worried about form and looking silly and won't have a spotter
- Would like to focus on recomping and general health, as opposed to bulking
I tried Stronglifts 5x5 a while ago, it was okay. I'd be open to revisiting it but I'd prefer some additional dumb-bell stuff. I also tried Strong Curves but TBH, some of the moves were kind of confusing to me (they didn't feel like they were working out any muscle groups) and some of them felt too silly to do at the gym.
I would want to identify what movements you find embarrassing or silly and I'd remove those up front so that you're as comfortable as possible when exercising, so that your adherence/enjoyment of the program remains high.
Another thing to consider is that strength can be defined in different ways. For example as a powerlifter I may be biased towards defining strength as "one repetition maximum strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift" but this isn't a universal measure of strength, it's a measure of strength in the skill of the squat, bench press, and deadlift.
And so these are just things from a philosophical standpoint I'd identify.
You say you want to be strong -- strong in what way? This will affect programming decisions.1 -
What Strength program would you recommend for a woman who...
- Doesn't really love going to the gym and would prefer shorter, more frequent workouts than long ones
- Is a strength-training/weight-lifting newbie worried about form and looking silly and won't have a spotter
- Would like to focus on recomping and general health, as opposed to bulking
I tried Stronglifts 5x5 a while ago, it was okay. I'd be open to revisiting it but I'd prefer some additional dumb-bell stuff. I also tried Strong Curves but TBH, some of the moves were kind of confusing to me (they didn't feel like they were working out any muscle groups) and some of them felt too silly to do at the gym.
I would want to identify what movements you find embarrassing or silly and I'd remove those up front so that you're as comfortable as possible when exercising, so that your adherence/enjoyment of the program remains high.
Another thing to consider is that strength can be defined in different ways. For example as a powerlifter I may be biased towards defining strength as "one repetition maximum strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift" but this isn't a universal measure of strength, it's a measure of strength in the skill of the squat, bench press, and deadlift.
And so these are just things from a philosophical standpoint I'd identify.
You say you want to be strong -- strong in what way? This will affect programming decisions.
Thanks for the response! As for 'silly', I didn't really enjoy doing glute bridges and lying clams LOL. I know nobody really gives a crap about what others are doing at the gym, but I just wasn't comfortable. I don't mind squats, deadlifts and any assortment of dumbbell exercises. Bench presses just make me nervous because I can barely lift the bar alone.
As for what exactly I want out of the program... not sure. I guess, mostly aesthetics. I'm sitting at 150lbs and 5'7", hoping to lose another 10lbs before focusing more on recomp. Basically lowering body fat and gaining a little muscle. Plus the health benefits that come with regular strength training (reduced back pain, better bone density, etc.).0 -
Hello, I would appreciate the benefit of your experience. I started Jamie Eason's Livefit trainer in late summer as part of my recovery from severe sesamoiditis. It's been great, even though I still have to limit my running, holding off on rope jumping and slowly ramping up some moves like lunges. I also have a couple of herniated disks in my lower back that I don't want to re-injure by rushing into heavy compound lifts. I'm a 37 y.o. female and strated this process at 182 pounds with very poor muscle tone. I'm now at 168 pounds and the musculature is noticeably improved, as has my cardiovascular endurance. The program I'm now following with abovementioned modifications is coming to an end. I like using an app to log my workouts. What program would you recommend? Thank you for your time.0
-
So this post is in regards to both of the previous posts as it pertains to program selection. This is purely in the context of resistance training.
There are some considerations I'd want to observe with respect to choosing a program and off the top of my head those would be as follows, and I'll also include what any good program should have:
1) Individual limitations such as injuries, past surgeries, etc.
2) Goals. The more specific the goal the more specialized the program, basically. So for example if the goal is "get stronger" or "build muscle" then there's a ton of programs to accomplish this. But if the goal is "I am peaking for a powerlifting meet on February 4th and I need an 8 week peaking block" then you will need something very specific to that goal.
3) Equipment and time availability.
4) Ability level/experience. If you have the appropriate knowledge you could scale some programs to fit a wider range of experience levels.
5) Up front "cost". By this I don't mean $ as much as I mean effort. For example if a program has you do power cleans and overhead squats and you don't know how to do them this could be a high up front cost.
There are certain principles that a program should have in order for me to even consider it as being a good choice:
1) Does it train the entire body at least twice per week in terms of providing a stimulus to your muscles.
2) Does it consist of mostly multi-joint (compound) movements.
3) Does it include a method of progression so that progressive overload is applied. Progressive overload is the process of gradually increasing the amount of work done, typically through increases to either absolute load or volume.
4) Slightly less important but still worth mentioning: Does it seem to have a reasonable balance of upper and lower work, pressing and pulling work, etc.
Truth is, I don't have a huge knowledge base of what available programs exist for consumers to purchase. I know a decent amount about the more popular ones, like Starting Strength and Stronglifts, 5/3/1, Strong Curves, etc. --- But suggesting a program doesn't really teach the end-user about what makes a program good, and so I wanted to list out some of these considerations in case it helps you choose a program based on these factors.
So for one example, if someone wanted to get stronger overall -- lets say this person is a retired grandmother in her mid 60s with some home dumbbells and she wants to improve strength and bone density to improve quality of life and perhaps prevent injury. Am I going to suggest Stronglifts? Do I think she's going to invest the up front cost of learning how to squat and deadlift and bench and press with a barbell? Do I expect her to buy a gym membership because either you do Stronglifts or you don't even lift?
She's not likely going to do this, and this recommendation would therefore be pretty awful.
But if I could find her (or write her) a program where she learns how to goblet squat with one of her dumbbells, and maybe do some mix of pressing and rowing with those dummbells, and I find a way to gradually improve workloads over time, granny gonna get jacked.
I sort of rambled here but these are the things people should think about when selecting something pre-written.
@psuLemon has a great thread with several available programs you can use as a reference.
10 -
Some background, then a couple of questions.
I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.
In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.
If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.
In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?
Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)
I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.
I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).
Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.
My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.
Questions:
1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and
2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. )
Thanks in advance!1 -
Some background, then a couple of questions.
I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.
In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.
If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.
In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?
Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)
I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.
I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).
Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.
My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.
Questions:
1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and
2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. )
Thanks in advance!
This was incredibly thorough and also enjoyable to read.
1. If you're asking about focusing your efforts in terms of how to structure things for the goal of rowing, truth is I wouldn't know enough about the sports specific demands in order to help you structure that, but the info on the main page of this blog looks pretty solid from a theoretical standpoint as it pertains to periodization for sports specific applications. http://strengthcoachwill.com/2015/07/17/the-basics-of-strength-training-for-rowing/
So what I mean is, even though I am not certain what the sport specific demands are, I can tell you that the general explanation of periodization and the fitness/fatigue model are good on that site, and I SUSPECT the programming will be reasonable based on that.
If you're asking how to remain focused because you become somewhat disinterested or indifferent to the off-season training, I'd suggest the following things: a) Use programming that has a built in progression plan not only for progress but for the sensation of productivity. You might have a greater investment when you see tangible results in the form of getting stronger if that makes sense. b) Identify the outcomes you want from training and from there, identify which tools to use to get there as far as exercise selection. THEN, select the ones which are most enjoyable to you. Just for example, a powerlifter MUST perform the barbell back squat. But perhaps an endurance athlete looking to strengthen his or her legs would choose a goblet squat if it's more enjoyable or easier to learn (both valid reasons).
2. So I've only hired one personal trainer before. I've worked with a couple of different online coaches but it was primarily for my own education as a coach rather than hiring them to coach me as an athlete. And so my answer to this question is somewhat biased from the trainer perspective. Consider that bias when you read my answer.
I think you should look for the following characteristics with a personal trainer:
a) Do they ask you questions about your goals and do they provide evidence that the resulting choices they make are a result of your answers to those questions?
b) Do they demonstrate the ability to listen to you when you offer feedback or opinions?
c) Do they care about you?
d) Do they allow you to question their methods and do they attempt to explain why they are choosing to do what they do?
e) Are they willing to say "I don't know" when they don't know something rather than making up an answer?
f) Do they consider your limitations when it comes to exercise recommendations?
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts.0 -
I think it's great of you sharing your knowledge. I have 10 more lbs to lose.I've always enjoyed salty taste as opposed to sweet my whole life but this winter I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime , I still have all my regular meals of protein & veggies etc but is it ok (not harmful) for me to be eating these sweets every day?I'm not diabetic . My question may sound naive to some but before, I rarely ate any kind of sweets0
-
Some background, then a couple of questions.
I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.
In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.
If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.
In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?
Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)
I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.
I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).
Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.
My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.
Questions:
1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and
2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. )
Thanks in advance!
This was incredibly thorough and also enjoyable to read.
1. If you're asking about focusing your efforts in terms of how to structure things for the goal of rowing, truth is I wouldn't know enough about the sports specific demands in order to help you structure that, but the info on the main page of this blog looks pretty solid from a theoretical standpoint as it pertains to periodization for sports specific applications. http://strengthcoachwill.com/2015/07/17/the-basics-of-strength-training-for-rowing/
So what I mean is, even though I am not certain what the sport specific demands are, I can tell you that the general explanation of periodization and the fitness/fatigue model are good on that site, and I SUSPECT the programming will be reasonable based on that.
If you're asking how to remain focused because you become somewhat disinterested or indifferent to the off-season training, I'd suggest the following things: a) Use programming that has a built in progression plan not only for progress but for the sensation of productivity. You might have a greater investment when you see tangible results in the form of getting stronger if that makes sense. b) Identify the outcomes you want from training and from there, identify which tools to use to get there as far as exercise selection. THEN, select the ones which are most enjoyable to you. Just for example, a powerlifter MUST perform the barbell back squat. But perhaps an endurance athlete looking to strengthen his or her legs would choose a goblet squat if it's more enjoyable or easier to learn (both valid reasons).
2. So I've only hired one personal trainer before. I've worked with a couple of different online coaches but it was primarily for my own education as a coach rather than hiring them to coach me as an athlete. And so my answer to this question is somewhat biased from the trainer perspective. Consider that bias when you read my answer.
I think you should look for the following characteristics with a personal trainer:
a) Do they ask you questions about your goals and do they provide evidence that the resulting choices they make are a result of your answers to those questions?
b) Do they demonstrate the ability to listen to you when you offer feedback or opinions?
c) Do they care about you?
d) Do they allow you to question their methods and do they attempt to explain why they are choosing to do what they do?
e) Are they willing to say "I don't know" when they don't know something rather than making up an answer?
f) Do they consider your limitations when it comes to exercise recommendations?
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts.
Thank you. This is helpful and thought provoking. I'll check out the site you linked, and do some thinking on the rest. Thank you for your time & insight!0 -
I think it's great of you sharing your knowledge. I have 10 more lbs to lose.I've always enjoyed salty taste as opposed to sweet my whole life but this winter I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime , I still have all my regular meals of protein & veggies etc but is it ok (not harmful) for me to be eating these sweets every day?I'm not diabetic . My question may sound naive to some but before, I rarely ate any kind of sweets
Provided that you meet the following conditions:
1) Your total calorie intake for the day lands in a reasonable spot for your goals. In other words are you able to reach or maintain a healthy bodyweight with your dieting habits?
2) The amount of added sugar in your diet does not cause you to become deficient in other needed nutrients. In other words, is your consumption of added sugar such a high portion of your diet that it's pushing other needed nutrients off the table?
Those would really be my main concerns with added sugars in the diet.
And for most people I think it's the first one that causes issues. Foods high in added sugars tend to be very highly palatable and lower in satiety. They also tend to be high in energy density (calories per unit volume).
And because of all of this, foods high in added sugars tend to be hypercaloric, which causes fat accumulation which leads to obesity and the potential of associated negative health outcomes.
I've obviously gone into more detail than you probably require based on what you've provided, but these are the things I'd concern myself with and so that's why I'm laying it out like this.
If you are eating reasonably as far as calories and nutrients (cliffs: eat fruits and vegetables and lean proteins most of the time) you're probably doing fine and you probably don't need to eliminate the cool whip.
Plus, we at least have some evidence that dietary flexibility can be a good thing: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10336790
2 -
I appreciate it. I have it for a snack, don't substitute it so I will keep an eye on the macros.0
-
I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime
Because measuring a "tablespoon" of cool whip is "interesting", I bring to your attention that each 1L (1000ml) tub contains approximately 300g of cool whip and that 15ml is approximately 4.5g.
So you would be adding 9g to 18g of various kinds of cool whip to make your 2-4tbl treat. Which does not sound excessive! (regular, 25% and 95% fat free cool whip all come to about the same weight per tub--not that I would have measured or anything)4
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 394 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 939 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions