HappyStack Member

Definitely a full body workout. Stronglifts is good, but if you struggle with the volume (i.e. the number of sets x reps - in Stronglifts it's 5x5) then feel free to switch to 3x5 for the exact same program. You'll basically then be doing Starting Strength's practical programming routine.

This is my absolute favourite breakfast food. Quinoa porridge. Quinoa for breakfast!! http://theshiksa.com/2012/05/15/quinoa-porridge-with-maple-and-brown-sugar/ It is absolutely divine and beats regular old oats every day of the week.

All good advice above... I'll also add that if you're intolerant to cow's milk and dairy product derivatives, try goat's cheese and other goat milk products, or sheep's milk products.

Friday and Tuesday were decent days for you in terms of calorie intake. Tuesday was great for protein, and Thursday and Friday were at the lower end of what I'd recommend for an active individual, especially someone undertaking strength training. Try to consistently hit your calorie goal if you've been sedentary all day,…

You should be netting at least your BMR, even more than that if you're active. It sounds like your quick weight gain is due to undereating. If I were you, I'd up my calories significantly, take the initial weight gain and then work on slowly dropping body fat by maintaining lean mass. 10-20% less than your TDEE will do…

I would suggest looking into strength training and how women who are the same weight manage to look so much slimmer and tighter with a greater ratio of lean mass. Chances are whatever extra 10lbs you manage to lose, around half of that (or slightly less) will come from lean mass... so your body fat percentage won't change…

That's what I was replying to, the poster who asked what the gluten-free version was made of.

"A-maize-ing" for sure.

It's made from maize.

I pre-plan and then add or remove things if my plans change. Apart from anything else, because I cook only for myself, it helps prevent wastage.

Exactly. "Cut" carbs, not "cut carbs out". i.e. reduce, not remove. You're talking about "quality" of carb, which is a given if you have IR or diabetes, but also glazing over the importance of other macros in controlling blood glucose levels. Carbs, however refined, plus protein source = increased postprandial insulin…

Yes, I do. You might see the Olympic plates behind me in my profile picture. Couscous is med-GI. Combined with a protein source it's low-GI.

No, they don't. I was once prediabetic and I have IR. I have never cut carbs in my life, yet I've lost over 120lbs. Both the ADA and Diabetes UK say it's not necessary to cut carbs out or down if you're diabetic and want to lose weight. People would be less incredulous if OP was saying she'd take it to a food bank or…

lol

That's because carbs = water retention and higher glycogen storage. Any extraneous weight loss or gain you experience from cutting them out/down or eating them again is artificial.

Unless you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, there's no reason to limit how many carbs you're eating. It won't make you lose weight any faster to cut out or down on carbs. Just maintain a calorie deficit, either through diet and/or exercise, and you'll lose weight.

What's "unclean" about carbs?

You didn't. Unless you have abnormal pancreatic function, blood glucose levels are pretty inconsequential (unless you're attempting keto or something). It's the insulin response and sensitivity that counts. Ironically, preventing insulin spikes contributes to insulin resistance. And as I said in an earlier post, the order…

Superscribed!

Read through quickly and didn't see much in-depth explanation about the proper technique for OHP. Deads have been well-explained. This breaks down what's in Starting Strength quite well, everything from position of the bar across the palm to lock-out position, as well as videos of Rip himself coaching the press:…

You can do many of the main lifts with dumbells, like deadlifts, bench & overhead press and squats (you can do goblet squats, at first, using a single dumbell and then progress to holding one in each hand). You can also use resistance bands if money is really that tight. A "stackable" set of Bodylastics is a fairly decent…

But if you put in hard work and eat 6,000 calories and train like Kai Greene you'll gain like 50lbs of muscle in 8 months. Obviously.

Unless you're turning orange, you're doing OK on the carrots :wink: 4x RDI is about 3000ug, I think, and you have to be eating about 9000ug a day for a prolonged period of time (months) to it to be toxic. Just make sure you're not consuming too much vitamin A at the expense of other vitamins.

Definitely go about strengthening your knees, definitely find good, well-fitting, supportive running shoes and definitely go about reading up on correct posture and running technique. These things will help minimise any impact on your joints. Running on a softer surface will help, too, and will also reduce the likelihood…

You'll need to open your diary, if you've been logging consistently and honestly, to get a decent response. Binge eating can be caused by a lot of things, but one of the primary reasons is being too restrictive with your diet.

Yes and no.This isn't even remotely my area of expertise (or interest, really) but this is just what I understand of it. Dopamine is just one of the neurotransmitters released by the pituitary gland in response to something that's pleasurable. Any food. Sex. Opioids, and stimulants (such as caffeine). Exercise, etc. they…

I suggest having a good read of this: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html (You can ignore the age-references in the article, they're irrelevant.) And in lieu of trying counselling or something similar, I'd suggest a lot of research on many of the…

I would suggest getting some guidance from a counsellor or a dietitian that specialises in EDs. The problem in your case is, after eating so little for so long - clearly way below your BMR, even gradually increasing your intake is likely to result in a small amount of weight gain over time. This isn't a bad thing and it…

No, not really. In my experience of medical study, it's a method of accurately measuring responses to a certain trigger. Basically, even the control groups (if there are any) are subject to the same deprivation. It just shows that the dopamine responses associated with a sugary/carby reward is much more potent following a…

Don't call it a diet, call it a lifestyle change. Don't be unrealistic in your goals. Break your weight loss goals up into small portions. Don't be unrealistic in your intentions. Eating "no unhealthy foods" and exercising every single day can be unrealistic if you're normally sedentary. Ease into your changes.