lindsey1979 Member

In my opinion, yes, the protein goals set by MFP are WAAAAY too low if you're looking to preserve LBM/muscle in a caloric deficit. A good rule of thumb is 1 g per 1 lb LBM (but you've got to know your basic body fat percentage to get your LBM). Many will short hand it and say 0.7-0.8 g per lb body weight assuming that most…

Yes, because you're still eating the same amount of calories overall. It may take a few days to adjust, but yes, overall, it shouldn't be a big deal AT ALL. Perhaps you should focus more on eating more satisfying foods. Or shift the cals from somewhere else -- like 100 from your breakfast and 100 from your lunch. Or eat…

Ugh, no. There is something wrong because your result has shifted. If you're THAT hungry from shifting a recovery drink/meal (i.e. result) there is something wrong in your plan with its lack of satiety (i.e. cause) -- and then I gave you some examples of how to improve the satiety. [Edited by MFP Staff]

Because if you're experiencing the type of hunger you posit -- "going hungry all morning or afternoon" -- from just shifting a recovery drink/meal there is something wrong with your plan. You either need to adjust macros -- up protein, adjust carbs (quantity or type), etc. -- or you're taking way too big of a cut (i.e.…

I picked 200 cals, but that's what the OP specifically said. And, yeah, if your meal timing shift is causing such problems, there are bigger issues in your plan. Period.

The vast majority of lifters I know would disagree, both recreational and competitive. People who lift seriously want to maximize the result of that hard work. And we're not even getting into discussions about other things that can improve recovery -- BCAAs, magnesium/zinc, getting enough sleep, etc. If you're going hungry…

The vast majority of lifters would greatly disagree with this statement. The benefits of the meal timing are for muscle recovery from the lifting --- so you maximize the results of all your hard work. People that don't care about that and are just trying to lose weight, maybe. But, it always benefits you to maximize your…

Yes. And there are a few different reasons for this. One is that weightlifting often burns less overall calories than cardio so unless you're making up for it either in diet or other activity (like lots of walking), it's harder to create as big of deficit with lifting only. Many will adjust their diets to compensate or do…

You will improve your recovery if you eat a good deal of protein AND carbs post workout -- carbs create the insulingenic response to help shuttle nutrients (protein and vitamins and carbs) into cell for muscle building/recovery. Maximizing recovery is where you build muscle/LBM. If you're not maximizing your recovery,…

I think it highly depends on the person. For some people HOW they create their caloric deficit doesn't matter. For them, it's all about the total numbers. For others, it can make quite a difference. For example, there was a study done a couple years ago with obese women who were insulin resistant and those who were insulin…

My biggest guess to explain the shift in obesity we're seeing in the last 20 years as opposed to 50 years ago (at least in the US) is the shift in stay-at-home parents. These days we have a lot fewer stay-at-home parents either because both parents are working or it's a single parent household. As a result, less home…

What do you see as the great difference between now and 50 years ago or even 30 years ago for kids? We've advanced in technology somewhat, but it's not like we didn't have cars, trains and airplane 50 years ago or that everyone was a farmer then and now very few are (200+ years ago, sure, but 50 years ago?).

Well, in my nieces case, it's the exact opposite. The big one is the athlete and has always been very involved with athletics and runs with her Dad. The smaller slighter one is more of an introvert and enjoys quieter time more. So, at least for them, I have a hard time imagining that the smaller one is more active than her…

Well, I guess one of the differentiations I take into account are what drives people to eat. For example I have two twin nieces -- they're growing up in the same environment and they have vastly different body types. Most people think that they're 2 years apart rather than the exact same age. One is probably in the 80+…

Yes and no. Don't you think at the very least they demonstrate the spectrum of genetic predisposition -- that there are some people who are fairly naturally thin and that comes rather easily to them and there are other where gain (muscle and fat) comes fairly easy? I wouldn't get into the rest of the theory, but I think as…

Feel free to drop by the hypo boards. A lot of people there facing similar issues and a lot of knowledgeable folks. What I've seen is that it's incredibly variable for each person -- especially for those with Hashi's because it's an autoimmune disease. People half-jokingly refer to it as getting your "personal stars…

I think a lot of this comes down to genetics and medical issues (if any are present). The classic ectomoph, mesomorph and endomorph people. As strong_curves talked about, there certainly are people that have a MUCH easier time maintaining a healthy weight (naturally thin folks) and those that have MUCH easier time building…

I think it really depends on the person and being adequately treated. As many hypothyroid people find out it -- it can be incredibly difficult to find adequate treatment. Many seem to be undermedicated because docs focus so much on the tests and ignore clinical symptoms. And if you Hashi's in particular, many of the tests…

The issue for most people that have PCOS is that they have insulin resistance. Not all, but it's commonly linked. So you may want to ask her if she knows if she has insulin resistance or not. As a result, a lot of people who have insulin resistance restrict carbs in some sort of way. But, there are a lot of ways to do it.…

I also echo everyone that says stay with the resistance training. It is MUCH harder to build muscle for most than to lose fat. So if you just work on losing weight, you can lose a lot of muscle in the process and then trying to rebuild that is really hard. So you're much better off taking the weight loss a little slower if…

Glad to help. I've learned about this stuff over the years through a lot of trial and error and others sharing what worked for them. Happy to pass it along. Good luck with your plateau! They can be so frustrating and sometimes just changing things up shifts things.

This is usually through CNS (central nervous system) activation. Your brain/CNS essentially learns to activate more of your existing muscle fibers. This is especially common in newbie gains (when you just start lifting). This is why you can gain strength when you're not actually gaining muscle.

Yes, pretty easy. Hit your protein goals and then eat non-starchy veggies. Whether in a salad, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Feel free to use fatty sauces -- I personally love vodka sauce on some spaghetti squash with either chicken or chicken and sausage -- because you're just looking to keep carbs low. We're also a…

Okay, here are a couple thoughts. Macros Carbs You may want to look into your macros and make some adjustments. I know there are people out there that say stuff like "No need to cut carbohydrates. Eating in a caloric deficit is all that is needed for weight loss." -- like that previous poster, but there is evidence out…

For those of us that carb cycle (and I do when doing a cut), I tend to just focus on non-starchy vegetables on non-lifting days. Things like salads, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I eat those types of veggies and then avoid other dense sources of carbs (bread, pasta, sweets, fruits [with the exception of berries], etc.). Then…

It depends on the goal -- whether they're cutting, recomping or bulking. The basic idea if that you more calories total and heavy on carbs and protein on lifting days to take advantage of the insulingenic response of carbs -- that helps shuttle nutrients into the cells after lifting so you maximize your recovery (that's…

The only problem is that food availability is markedly different than it has been for the majority of our evolution. Before, there would be times of famine so those that held onto their fat stores or built them the most quickly (especially from cheap carbs) would have an evolutionary advantage because they'd be better…

I think it really depends on the person. Some do better with more carbs, some do better with less. They're not inherently good or bad, but just good or bad depending on your individual circumstances, goals and consumption amounts. For example, there was a study done a couple years ago with obese women who were insulin…

The only explanation I've seen for this is the water weight fluctuations. Some find that refeeds (especially carb refeeds) or even alcohol will create a hormonal response that releases extra water. So it's an illusory thing. It's not that you're actually losing more fat, but that your body releases water it's holding onto…

I think most find losing weight easier than gaining muscle (not just strength). So, the rule of thumb I've seen is to do the best you can to retain as much muscle during your weight loss. You can do this in two ways in particular: (1) eat enough protein (at least 1 g protein per 1 lb LBM) and (2) lift heavy (like a free…