SilentDrapeRunners Member

Love this, because isn't this how all guys view the wedding? (be honest) Some women too (myself included)....I would NOT want a wedding (except maybe for the cake and fine cuttlery :) But that's why you have a 'celebration party' ....after the wedding at the courthouse & the honeymoon in another country. Save the money…

I agree with the previous posts. Eating clean 100% of the time is not necessary or recommended (especially if you have an eating disorder, because I imagine being so restrictive as to only eating 'clean' foods would perpetuate the eating disorder). For me, I've found that eating mostly clean, whole foods makes me feel…

I became more serious about lifting in June 2013. That's when I started Mike Matthew's Thinner, Leaner, Stronger program. He emphasizes all the basic, important exercises (bench press, deadlift, squats, etc). But he advocates a 'one body part per week' program (I know that some people say an upper/lower body split type…

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it! Just to clarify (since everyone has slightly different definitions of things) is a recomp just eating at maintenance in the hopes you can put on muscle while gaining minimal fat (I know some amount of fat gain is inevitable). My concern with doing that (staying at maintenance),…

Thanks so much for the support and advice! My mind isn't completely made up...I'm kind of taking it a day at a time. I can see your point about continuing bulking. Although, even though my weight is low, my BF% really isn't that low....and I really would like to get around 15% BF (not even sure if that is possible),…

For me, I've found that making a concrete schedule/routine has helped significantly. Also, keeping a journal/log of some sort (I use jefit.com). I used to be less disciplined when I would do cardio exclusively, because I didn't have a definitive schedule and I figured if I skip cardio today, I can just do it…

Exercise (and specifically weightlifting) has helped alleviate some of my anxiety. Reaching and maintaining a stable weight and body fat % that you feel comfortable at can help too, IMO. Also, for me, foods/nutrition plays a big role in my depression and anxiety. When I eat healthy, wholesome foods I feel mentally…

Interesting that I should stumble upon this topic. I just realized earlier today that I had forgotten to take my birth control pill for 2 weeks now (which is unusual because I hardly ever forget anything like that). BUT I don't take it for birth control (I got an IUD last year in the hopes I could stop taking the pill, but…

Agreed about the difference in carbs. I feel completely different after eating oatmeal vs. a sugary cereal. Or whole wheat bread vs. white bread. But I have a sugar addiction too...can't resist my dessert at the end of the day (especially when my bulking diet allows me to eat more).

Quaker plain quick oats with PB2 and milk mixed in and then microwaved. Easy, tasty, and satisfying.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think I'm going to try one more week of higher carbs, and if I'm still feeling crappy I'm going to switch to higher fat. I increased my calories yesterday, and the extra calories (and possibly extra carbs) made me so sleepy. I was falling asleep at 9:30pm and I'm normally a night owl :(

I'm having the same problem. It's definitely a mental hurdle. Since I first increased my calories significantly a couple months ago, I have definitely gotten more squishy/bloated. I've also become more ravenous and lethargic. So I'm really not a fan of the whole bulking/increased caloric intake thing (except for the fact I…

Yeah my body composition looks similar to yours (although I'm 5'4" 104 pounds), and I've guestimated my body fat at 19-20%. I would also advise on not trying to lose more weight, since you might lose the great muscles you're building. For me, I've found that as I've lost more weight, my muscles just disappear, but my…

I'm a female- 5'4", 103 pounds. I try and eat between 130-140 g protein each day. It can be tricky, but my main staples are protein powder shakes, nonfat greek yogurt, skim milk, chicken, peanut butter (watch the fat content), and nonfat cottage cheese before bed.

Bizarre indeed, but it's good to know that other people are having the same issue. Yeah, I used to have little to no appetite (one of the reasons I got so thin). And it was difficult to eat 1600-1700 calories, so I thought 1900 was going to be next to impossible, but in actuality on 1900 I'm starving! I hope it doesn't…

Kind of an unrelated topic, but has anyone ever experienced an increase in hunger when increasing your calories in a bulking phase? Over the past week or so I've hit my mark of 1900 calories (or more) every day (whereas before it could range from 1650-1900), and since making that deliberate increase I've been more hungry.…

Yeah I tend to like more data myself too. I can see how weighing yourself everyday would make some people crazy, but for me, not having enough data to average makes me crazy :)

I'm doing a 5 day a week program where I hit everything once a week. I have recently questioned if that's the best program for me. It's Mike Matthews's program (muscle for life.com), and he's extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He advocates the once a week thing because the intensity of the workouts are high, so most…

I don't have a clear cut end date of bulking in mind since I'm experimenting to see what works best for me in terms of bulking. I wonder about the cardio, because I think some people have any easier time of controlling fat gain through cardio & calories or through just strictly controlling calories (with no cardio). But I…

Thanks for the tips everyone! I think my main problem is not eating enough. I'm going to see if 1900 calories is sufficient, and if not I'll increase. I also think tweaking the cardio may be necessary (currently doing 20 min HIIT workouts 4 times a week). So maybe 2-3 times a week would be better. Is it better to increase…

Good point. My periods are normal (probably because I've been at this weight for a long time now, so it's become my 'normal'). But I think it is possible it could be having an effect on my hormones & other metabolic processes.

About how much time (approximately) does it take to get that ripped, chiseled, no fat look? I'm not in a rush nor am I looking to take shortcuts, I just want to make sure I'm on the right track so I don't wind up wasting years. As it is I'll be turning 30 this year, and I believe that's the year when muscle loss begins,…

Yeah I'm guessing my bulks haven't lasted long enough....basically I've tried bulking and it resulted in me feeling fat and then doing a cut. So now, since January, I'm just continuing on with the bulk and trying to wrap my mind around getting a little fatter (I don't like it...but I'll do it). It is hard mentally,…

That's interesting. How long did it take your sister to put on that amount of muscle?

That's interesting, makes sense. That's actually a thought I had the other day- that I need to build up a certain amount of muscle mass before I can hope to lose the fat without losing the muscle. I guess is it better to put on the muscle (and some amount of fat inevitably) BEFORE trying to get lean? Versus trying to get…

I'm doing the program by Mike Matthews (muscleforlife.com). It's pretty basic/standard- emphasizes bench press, squats, deadlifts. I try to eat at least 130 g of protein a day. I question the BF% as well (I use calipers), and I question the accuracy. Agreed about the not huge change in weight. I weigh myself the same time…

Yeah I'm new to this too, so I've kind of just been experimenting (but still adhering to an intensive weight training and nutrition program). But experimenting with the details. Overall, I've been focusing on bulking, so the majority of the time I've been eating between 1700-1900 calories. In the 9 months, I've only done 2…

Yes to both. Medication, good nutrition, and exercise have been very helpful for me. Therapy is good too. I really believe nutrition & exercise are essential and can sometimes even be sufficient for treatment (thus avoiding the medication route which can sometimes be difficult in finding meds that work).

Slow cookers are excellent and practical. I also recommend you check out this cookbook- http://www.amazon.com/The-Shredded-Chef-Recipes-Building/dp/1938895088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380385885&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shredded+chef In a nutshell, the recipes are easy, tasty and designed for people who want to build muscle, so…