rckeeper22 Member

I agree; I was curious as well. That's why I'm proceeding with caution, increasing my caloric intake moderately to see how it pans out. I think it makes sense that eating a bit more would help fuel my body more effectively, which this test confirmed - I'm just not sure how *much* more is appropriate for that sweet spot.

The answer is yes - and by that, I mean combine heavy, low reps for a primary exercise or two, and work in auxiliary exercises that are higher rep, lower weight. An example might be doing 3-4 or 4-5 reps, heavy, for weighted back squat. Then, maybe super-set body-weight or lightly-weighted lunges and hamstring curls, etc.…

Great! Good to know it wasn't smoke and mirrors, hah. It was my first time doing that sort of test, and I wasn't sure if it was normal to 'just' sit there and breathe for it, hah.

I like Metabolic Drive mixed with some banana and plain Greek yogurt to give it more of a milkshake-like texture.

I didn't see it before, thanks for highlighting it. The nutritionist at our gym had me put on a nose clip and breathe into a mouthpiece for around 10 minutes. She also asked me some basic questions about sleep and activity levels, along with height/weight. I'm not sure what the machine itself was called, but the print-out…

I've always been fairly lean, but decided I wanted to see what losing 5-7 lbs would do to bring out the tone a bit more (in conjunction with working out). So, I ate at around 1700 cal/day for somewhere around a week and half, saw progress, and increased to around 2,150. I dropped the 7 lbs in about 2 weeks (which tells me…

I guess you're right - it is fairly close. I think the additional 466 for workout calories (for a total of around 2,900/day) is what blew my mind a little - especially since 2,150 was supposed to be accounting for my activity levels already. Definitely a lot to research out there . . . and I agree, I enjoy logging and…

Wow, 1,500 does seem pretty low for maintenance. Good to know. I used a few different IIFYM calculators and averaged the results to get the 2,150.

You're right, I was commenting more on the fat and carbs - and thanks for the tips on that. The conversation just veered a bit into protein. I'm not necessarily trying to work at a deficit now, so 1g/lb, or at least aiming towards that, works well for me. I'm not going crazy trying to get it in if it doesn't fit for the…

Interesting article! Thanks for sharing it, and I'll have to check out more of that site as well. Makes sense, I probably should have prefaced that I prefer to keep my protein level high to support muscle growth/recovery with an active lifestyle, rather than because I think I need that much to maintain health in general.

I guess the 1g/lb of protein is what I've always seen from lifting websites, advice from friends who are very active, etc. I can accept that somewhere in the range of 0.8-1 g/lb - is probably fine, asa few folks have noted. I guess personally, I'm just more comfortable at least aiming for the higher end to fuel…

Hm, that's the first time I've heard an argument against the 1 g/ lb of BW for protein for physically-active folks, but I can understand the lean body mass argument. That's an interesting one to consider - appreciate the insight.

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, but it's nice to know I'm not crazy or wildly off the mark! I'm getting my BMR and lean mass measured next week because I'm curious, so it'll probably help to have more precise numbers for all that too (one would hope).

I think that's the usual IIFYM formula, which is around 58g of fats for me. However, I routinely go over that by about 10g. I guess I was wondering if there's a 'fat-friendly' modification that's out there to be made to the formula. I know I can just manually fiddle with it, was just curious if anyone knew (or had…

Quest Bars are awesome, and one of the most highly rated in terms of nutritional balance when you look at what goes in to them; though I'm not sure if they're available outside the US.

Three eggs over easy, 3/4 cup plain oatmeal with one cup almond milk, mixed with a tablespoon of powdered peanut butter and half a banana. Like others have said, it's my most dense meal WRT both macros and calories, but I find that it works well to keep me going throughout the day. I'm one of those people who craves…

I think you're right, in that there's a difference between motivation and dedication. It's easy to do things when you're motivated; dedication, which is more long-term, is when you grind through even when you don't feel like it. I think you're dead on that the environment and developing habits has a stronger (perhaps the…

Good deal, sounds like a solid plan!

What plan are you following? If it's IIFYM. . . consider trading carbs for fat. Fat is more filling, and it's a more efficient fuel source for your body than carbs anyways. Not recommending a total loss of carbs, just that upping your fat intake and lowering carbs slightly to compensate for overall caloric intake can be…

If you enjoy cardio from the endorphins, that's not a bad thing, and it doesn't mean you have to cut it out, just need to find the right lifting/diet combo to protect the muscle. Also, it may be time to step away from focusing on the scale, and use how you look in the mirror as a better judge of where you're at. That way,…

What everyone else is saying - you can't out-train a bad diet (for long) no matter who you are, and most weight loss is a result of diet moreso than exercise. I do recommend focusing on macros (amount of protein, carbs, and fats) more than calories; IIFYM is a good place to start. There are several IIFYM calculators online…

You may want to hire a trainer for just one session too, if you're at all uncertain about the form for any of the lifts. That way they can teach you form and what to look for so that you get the most out of your lifts without causing injury. Or invest time watching videos/reading articles about your lifts so that you know…

You could try having a protein shake before bed instead- as long as the ingredients are solid, it's unlikely to have a detrimental effect. If you're not a fan of protein shakes, then a Greek yogurt would be a good healthy choice as well. Or if you want to cut out eating at night completely, maybe try drinking a glass of…

Nice job! I think you're looking at it the right way- the scale isn't an end-all, be-all. If you're feeling stronger, and liking what you see in the mirror more each day, then screw the scale. It's useful for data tracking, but I agree that sometimes folks get too wrapped around the numbers on it. Sounds like you're doing…

Talk to one of the trainers there, do some research online (bodybuilding.com helps you pick a workout program and has pretty good choices). A combination of weight exercises and cario or HITT (high-intensity training, such as high intensity circuits) will work best for weight loss. The more muscle you have, the more…

Good luck, go kick some *kitten*!

For 10k training, I'd recommend checking here http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/10Kbeginner.htm or at Runner's World.com (you have to pay for their full training plans, but they are well-respected for running expertise). As far as HITT training, here's an article that might help you out:…

What are your goals/what result are you looking for?

They don't show calories for exercises other than cardio. It sucks, but it can be difficult to measure too. You might be able to get ballpark estimates from Googling exercises or some of the folks who are more well-versed in the science aspect of it on here.

There are a lot of options out there, and what some folks swear by won't work for others. Just need to see what's easy on your stomach and gives you a boost. Sounds like you're completely kicking *kitten* though.