Azercord Member

Horse mats from tractor supply are great for the floor and you really just can't hurt them (plus they are cheap). Power rack is nice and I'll also throw a vote to the rower, I primarily run but the rower is great for those cold or rainy days.

I wouldn't say I'm brutally honest but I'm very factual. If you ask me a question I will answer but I try to leave opinion out of it (I'm an engineer and don't like opinions and have basically no empathy so I try to stay away from the realm of "feelings") and stick to facts. If asked about an article of clothing I will say…

Kind of glad I found this. I use 2.5-3 grams of cinnamon in my yogurt everyday because I really like the taste. I need to double check the source now and make sure I'm buying the good stuff.

Most people at the gym started at square one, I know I did. The only advantage I've got at this point is that I've been going for over 10 years. That also means a few things: I'm mostly focused on doing my own thing, I understand where you are at, if you need help ask (really, 98% of us are nice people). I hit the gym at 4…

Odd question but do you have ADD or some of the symptoms? I'm borderline ADD and my reaction with caffeine is that it slows me down and helps me focus. A cup of coffee does bring my heart rate down, you might have the same reaction and this is just the first time you picked it up at a high level. No sure but just…

Agreed with what has been said. I love my Ultra Lone Peak 3.0s, not so much on the rest of their lines, and have like 5 pairs in my closet. Ultras have a wide toe box which is nice if you need it, they let your toes really spread out. Shop around, try shoes on, be a complete pain in the *kitten* for you first few pairs,…

I focus on lean meat (I know less fats there) but then use things like PB and chocolate to make up the difference. I'm not sure why but the oils/heavier fats seem to be more satisfying than when it comes from meat sources. I have a PB sandwich at lunch and a serving of chocolate chips after dinner each day to round out my…

Intermittent fasting is just meal timing, you can use it for weight loss/gain or maintenance. How much you eat in your window determines weight loss/gain/maintenance not some magic of IF. Also 12/12 split is a good way to test the waters of IF but I would generally recommend moving up to a shorter eating window if you find…

I second @jjpptt2 mapmyrun and strava are pretty good for phone apps. The best route if you are really looking to get into it though is to bite the bullet and get a fitness watch geared towards running. I like my Garmin and they have a lot of different options. Fitbit does ok in the beginning but you can out grow it…

I can agree with the OP on some of this though, there are some people at the gym you just get that vibe from. I don't wear headphones at the gym which is the equivalent of walking around with a sign that says "talk to me" and while I'm friendly I'm not overly talkative and I respect other peoples space. I just don't wear…

I eat sugar from all sources: natural (fruits/veg), refined, and artificial, every single day, I don't discriminate. I wouldn't say I'm addicted or even have cravings. It might also be that I don't restrict (not even the dreaded "c" word - carbs) and my body have plenty of glycogen to run on and doesn't see the need for…

My wife stated that she is not a short order cook, I eat what she cooks and the kids eat what she cooks. If we don't like it then we can cook. That being said we do have input on meal planning and we have a voice on what is being cooked. We eat a well balanced diet (no keto or vegan or anything weird) so as long as we…

I built a home gym and while my SO and I workout at the same time (and it is nice) we don't do the same thing. We are available if the other needs some help but beyond that we do our own thing. We chat a little bit but not as much as one might think when occupying the same space for an hour, I guess once you are focused in…

Love me a protein shake. Never tried Protein World though. Any good? Although I have to admit it looks expensive. I like to roll with Optimum Nutrition mainly because I can do things like mix their Blueberry Cheesecake and Birthday Cake to make Blueberry Pancakes (don't judge :tongue: )

I also have a $10 scale which I use about once a week. I have a $15 kitchen scale (to track down to .00g cause I'm a nerd) that I use constantly. And I have an expensive Garmin watch that you can pry off my cold dead arm.... :) It really depends on what is a priority to you and what numbers are important. I don't care…

I do the daily style of fasting (16/8 to 18/6) not the weekly and I do it because I really like to eat big meals. While there are reportedly some benefits I think more research needs to be put into it much like anything else in the fitness realm. I started it to help stay in a deficit and it definitly helped make things…

STOP THE PRESSES THEY HAVE IT WRONG!!! I buy whole meat and grind it at home, it isn't the processed meat that has the higher risk or the meat at all....MEAT GRINDERS GIVE YOU CANCER!!! How else would the risk increase so much? Beware the meat grinder. But seriously, treat you colon right: eat fiber and poop good.

I second Animo Energey (grape is my favorite) also as a caffeine delivery system over anything else. It is something different than coffee or soda and has caffeine and a good flavor, I have some every 2-3 weeks.

I see my multivitamin like a reserve parachute. With my diet I probably don't need it and probably won't ever BUT if I do it is there and it will fill in the gaps without me ever knowing. It is easy for me to remember to take and easy on my stomach and not that much money so it works for me. My hope is that I'm just peeing…

I never ran into muscle economy issue until I started pushing distances around the 50km mark. I was still making gains in squats when training for halfs and maintaining when doing marathons, not until 50kms did I see detriment to my squats. So rest easy, your muscles should be fine although you'll probably have a few worn…

A heart rate monitor of some sort is the best way (be it Fitbit, Garmin, chest strap) since it will measure your heart rate during the activity and give a better estimate of your energy output at the time. A wearable one like a watch has the added benefit of being able to pull your average over a longer period of time…

If anything the opposite is better. Shivering to stay warm actually burns some calories (can't remember how many per hour but it is out there somewhere) but being warm near internal body temperature means you don't need to try very hard. Plus burning calories warms you up, if you are already warm biology would suggest you…

If I looked at the day to day, a 20. If I took the time to plug the day to day into a tracker and looked at the trend over a few month, a 1 or 2. The dips and bumps along the way make everything look bad on the small scale but if you look at the big picture things are usually spot on if you are following a plan and staying…

Agreed with the cracking-a-rat, trying not to laugh too hard and let one slip in my cube right now. I would say that is one of the plus sides of my line of work (mining), even though I'm in a cube farm everything pretty much smells like dirt so letting one go doesn't really make a difference. That and with the type of…

I'm on Topiramate for migraines and it is supposed to crush your appetite and help with weight loss but I haven't had any issues. I'm not sure if it just doesn't bother me (not a side affect) or I'm just so used to looking at my numbers and eating to that amount (been maintaining for several years).

Darebee.com is also a good resource for at home bodyweight workouts. Lots of different workouts and programs from built for you to build you own.

Yeah I can do that as well (all the way vertical, ankles to the ground). The only warning I've ever gotten about it is that in my old age I may need those tendons tightened up but not to really worry about it.

33, dad of two crazy little boys. I've made it down to maintenance but I'm active on here and there are lots of homemade recipes in my diary (made by my wife, don't worry they are safe). Feel free to add me if you like, I'll try to answer any questions you might have and cheer you on when you need it.

I stick with IF because I'm a volume eater (I really like big meals, 1100-1400 cal per meal) so a couple of those per day and I'm good. Fits well with IF. I started IF on a deficit and lost weight and now I've been using it while maintaining for about 2 years. I just like the big meals :)

I agree with the post above. Talk with your doctor, express you weight loss goals, and see if there is something else you can take that doesn't have the weight gain effect. I'm on a pill for migraines that is really bad at causing appetite loss, I'm not having any issues there but it was discussed with the doctor because…