xvolution Member

When I have the time, I tend to make either chicken stir-fry or chicken fried rice. They're very versatile and, when done right, fairly healthy.

Have you tried lemon or lime juice in greek yogurt? It adds a bit of a savory flavor to it [I often mix cottage cheese, greek yogurt and lemon juice for breakfast for a salty/sweet/savory protein dish].

That's an interesting sauce. I'll have to try it myself [when I do chicken stir-fry, I tend to use a blend of lite soy sauce, hoisin sauce and chili paste]. A good tip for chicken is to marinade the strips in a beaten egg for 15 minutes. This makes the chicken very tender. Though I assume that's what the liquid amino acids…

If you want to gain/maintain muscle mass, the formula that's recommended the most is 0.8 x your ideal body weight. The distribution of carbs and fats beyond that are up to you [just remember that carbs are 4 calories per gram and fats are 9 calories per gram]

Pretty much. The powder is made from maltodextrin/dextrose. No need for the stick. EDIT: Looking up the ingredient list for pixie sticks, they don't contain maltodextrin. Just dextrose.

I usually go with the AFC entries in the food database [they're pre-packaged containers of sushi]. The entries range from 250-400 calories for 8 pieces, so I count how many pieces of sushi I have and estimate on the high end [it's often safer to overestimate than underestimate].

You can also use Dip It powder for a maltodextrin/dextrose mix if that's available. I would often use those to treat low blood sugars, but they're hard to find outside the month of February.

I typically use EAS Whey + Casein vanilla-flavored powder [the combination of whey and casein is supposed to give a steady source of protein for up to six hours]. It's lightly sweetened so blends well with water flavor enhancers and juices.

What I often do is take a small canned soda with me, and if I feel like I'm having a low I drink that [I've been getting them often since recently starting a new job]. However, if the lows are caused by hypoglycemia and not just a high metabolism, then throwing sugar at it may make it worse. It's best to talk to a doctor…

Do you have a Fitbit and have negative calories checked? MFP will automatically adjust calories and macros if your Fitbit records that your calories burned are lower than usual.

If you really think you need a pre-workout, several stores carry flavor packets made for 16.9oz water bottles that are formulated for energy. They contain Vitamins B6, B12, C and caffeine for the most part.

If you want to make something like a shandy [half soda, half beer/alcoholic beverage] then a diet citrus soda should work well. I used to do this often with Diet Sprite for a relaxing drink after work.

If I had a way to keep it cold, I would bring tuna salad with a little mayo, spicy mustard and lemon juice. Plenty of protein, healthy fats and can be spread on either bread or crackers. As for a drink, probably a 7.5oz canned soda [I usually bring a small Fanta with me to work, only 30g carb and 100 calories so just…

If you can afford those budget dinners, then you should be able to afford to make a nice homemade stir fry/fried rice dish. The most basic of stir fries is just onions, garlic, some kind of meat, and whatever vegetables/fruits you want to add. Rice is also not that expensive. I usually make a stir fry/fried rice using…

For breakfast, fat free cottage cheese and greek yogurt are good sources. For other meals canned tuna, chicken, and other fish are good, low fat sources. A good overall source is whey protein.

I usually just throw together meals for lunch, but they all pretty much revolve around chicken or fish. Depending on if I have time to make a proper meal or not, lunch can vary from something simple [tuna salad for something quick and simple] to something more extravagant but longer lasting [chicken stir fry/chicken fried…

low-fat cottage cheese - part of a protein-rich breakfast mix greek yogurt - part of a protein-rich breakfast mix lemon juice - a staple item for various recipes, mainly for that breakfast mix and fish grapes - either white or red depending on what's on sale. A simple fruit with some fiber that's easy to prepare chicken…

Everyone uses their own methods to calculate their overall macro distribution. Mine was to find how much protein I need per day and work around that [using the 0.8xlean body weight formula]. For me that put my protein needs around 25%, so I adjusted my carbs and fats to fit that [50% carbs/25% fat]. The carbs and fats…

For stir-fry I tend to use a blend of lite soy sauce, hoisin sauce and hot chili paste [equal amounts]. The soy is salty, the hoisin a bit sweet and the chili paste adds a savory flavor. For fried rice I use a blend of lite soy sauce, oyster sauce and hot chili paste.

How light are the weights? You'd be surprised how much strength you can gain with even the smallest weights. Also, if you have some old gallon jugs, you can fill those with water for some weights [a gallon of water weights 8 pounds].

For spices, check out a company called Spice Cave. They make spice blends that are paleo-approved [no artificial chemicals or preservatives, plus low sodium]. They make blends that revolve around whatever meat you're preparing, plus a few others [Land for beef/lamb/pork/etc, Sea for fish, Air for poultry, then there's…

Oven fried whitefish, no salt added corn and a nice salad.

I follow the IIFYM concept, and so far I've lost 30 pounds sticking to it. In the end foods aren't good or bad, just macro light/dense.

If you need low potassium, it's best to avoid most vegetables [tomatoes, potatoes and of course bananas are really high in potassium]. If you don't like the idea of getting rid of potatoes completely, you can peel/blanch/drain them to cut the potassium content in half. Here's a list of foods that are high in potassium,…

I mainly use EAS Whey + Casein [short + long term protein delivery] vanilla flavor. It's light on the sweetener, so it blends well with water enhancers and juices.

For me it's doing one leg dumbbell calf raises on my left foot. I lost part of my plantar due to gangrene in that foot so it's not very flexible. The second worst would be knee exercises [squats/lunges].

All you really need is something that will provide resistance to your muscles, be it body weight, resistance bands, dumbbells or barbells. Resistance bands are good for starting out [helps to teach the proper forms when performing exercises].

If you only have access to dumbbells, you can try a program like this: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html

People follow diets like these for two main reasons: 1) It works for them, or 2) they have a medical condition where eating this way helps with that condition. An example of the latter is for those who need to eat less sodium due to blood pressure/other issues. A paleo diet tends to be low in sodium content.

If you use the Fitbit and negative calorie option, make sure you enter your exercises before the next day starts. Otherwise they aren't added to your calorie total for that day [found this out last night, did a 20 minute workout on the elliptical but didn't add it until a little after midnight, calories were never deducted…