astralpictures Member

Apparently I'm getting up and taking steps in the middle of the night multiple times, but I never remember doing it. I'm thinking, based on the number of steps, that I'm heading to the bathroom. Or the app is tracking awake times and steps when I'm just tossing and turning in bed. But the steps are almost always 30-60…

Wine is already pretty low calorie. Try being a beer drinker who enjoys Double IPAs and Imperial Stouts that are 200-300 calories per 12 ounce bottle! You learn to either work out like mad if you want to drink that day, eat less calories and make them fit, or just deal with the fact you'll be going over.

The only people who can't drink diet sodas with Aspartame have a rare genetic condition called Phenylketonuria who must avoid anything with phenylalanine. You would definitely know if you had this condition. Besides for that, too many a day could cause issues long term with tooth decay or stomach irritation from the…

Yes, that's generally what happens in discussions where people contribute ideas that make you consider other aspects. I don't believe I have seen your absolute definition posted.

Didn't I say that in the end?

And we're back to cucumbers and lettuce. The issue is you are using extremely low calorie foods. Eat 300 calories of cucumbers or lettuce, and look at how much those small amounts of vitamins and minerals for a regular serving grow. I would amend the previous quote and say anything with high calories and zero to almost…

People suggest half of the exercise calories because machines and databases usually overestimate burns, and even HR monitors aren't accurate. If you could know how much you actually burn with 100% accuracy and log your food with 100% accuracy, then it'd be okay to eat back all of the exercise calories. Most people aren't…

Not at all. A 3/4 cup serving size is fortified with a ton of vitamins and minerals, usually meeting 10%-50% of daily needs (and I eat way more than 3/4 cup). It also has protein, fiber, and tastes delicious. It's the opposite of empty, to me.

Are you arguing for the sake of arguing? It has those things I mentioned in a small serving size. 52g of cucumbers provide 76mg of potassium, which is enough to aid in reaching that goal. When I snack on cucumbers, I eat much more than 52g, and get about 10% of my daily potassium from them. So yeah.

Maybe it's a semantics thing. Ice cream has the potential to have a lot of calcium, vitamin D, and protein, so it definitely isn't an empty food. I see it as being generally high in calories though, depending on the type and contents, so it's on my list of foods to watch portion sizes for sure. All of the food on the list…

Uh. no. Where did you come to that conclusion? Lettuce has lots of vitamin A and potassium, along with fiber. Cucumbers have potassium, fiber, and small amounts of vitamins.

Your metabolism WILL slow down over time if you lose weight, but you don't need to worry about it. It's natural and not preventable since there will be less of you to carry out your normal functions, your body will need less energy. However I also believe that people's TDEE does suffer if they eat too little, which can…

That's how I understand the implied meaning when people say "empty calories" as well. If a raging alcoholic drinks most of his or her meals, it's common to say they are consuming empty calories not because they are devoid of energy, but because they aren't providing adequate nutrition. And we all know there is a real…

Because many people eat a ton of meat. One big 8oz piece of chicken has enough protein to get most people close to recommended levels for the day. And like I said, this is my second time around losing weight after already getting close to my goal before. I was not skinny and weak on this much protein.

This is my second go around losing the weight. I already almost hit my goal 2 years ago, losing 60 lbs and hitting 160-165 lbs. I actually maintained quite a bit of muscle mass that time around still eating the same amount of protein I am now and lifting about 3 times a week. Did I lose some muscle? Of course, I lost 60…

That's how I do it too, although we usually add some black pepper, garlic salt, and parm cheese crumbles to it as well.

I'm about 5'7" - 5'8", and I take in about 50 - 75 grams of protein daily on average. I've had no issues wasting away. Only consuming 1g of protein daily is very unlikely with most people's diets, so is a non-factor. My point was that while he may reach those protein levels since his calorie allowance is much higher than…

So you're claiming that if I'm in a deficit but not eating enough protein and fat, that I will lose weight from other sources more than fat? Funny how I eat more carbs than fat and protein, yet still have been losing mostly fat and still have muscles on my frame. You'd think I'd be nothing but bone and fat now! You have…

Be careful with eating back the 1000 calories from walking. You may not be actually burning that much, so a lot of people here say they eat back half of their burn to be safe.

I do a mixture of cutting things out completely, moderating others, and substituting. Certain foods I will never want to deprive myself of because it will lead me back to poor eating habits if I feel psychologically stressed by not eating them. Pizza is a great example, and it's also easy to moderate since I can just buy a…

Why is it "necessary" to eat that specific amount of protein and "healthy" fat? In terms of weight loss, it doesn't technically matter what your macros are as long as you're eating under maintenance, and you certainly don't need to fit in specific foods like salmon and nuts. And if you're going to talk macros, wouldn't it…

Do a search for Keto diets, because there are numerous threads posted daily. I personally love carbs, and would never restrict types of foods as long as I'm staying under my calorie goal.

If you think you're dehydrated, you definitely should drink more water to not only help with retention, but also other medical issues that can come with chronic dehydration. The quick test is to check the color of your urine. Darker yellow to brown means you're dehydrated, like usually when you go first thing in the…

You don't have to cut back on running, but you should probably eat more if you want to run a lot to reach your calorie goals, which need to be over maintenance in order to build muscle. If building muscle is your main goal and you don't have additional time to do both running and extra lifting, I would cut back on some of…

As long as you aren't at a BBQ frequently, just enjoy. One day of going way over won't derail you too badly, and you can always make up for it slowly throughout the next week or so. I enjoy drinking really high calorie beers like Double IPAs and Imperial Stouts, so 2-3 beers can throw me off my daily allowance. But I'm…

V8 Juice for sure. I buy the low sodium version. One glass usually gets me the rest of the way to my nutrients goal.

Have you seen a doctor about controlling your Thyroid function? It has a slight effect on your metabolism that you need to consider when calculating how much you eat. A doctor or good nutritionist should help you out. As for lifting, do a search here. There are a ton of great threads to get you started. Go into this…

Your metabolism naturally drops when you lose weight, because there is less of you and your energy needs decrease. On the flip side, your metabolism goes up when you gain weight. Unless you have a medical condition, your BMR will stay pretty consistent with your weight and some genetic and physiological factors, while your…

I really think it depends on individual needs. My wife is very thin and likes to eat smaller "meals" every couple of hours, or else she feels a little dizzy. I'm totally fine not eating a traditional breakfast after waking, and can usually make it to lunch before breaking the fast (but sometimes I do have a small snack…

I've been going to the same gym for three years, and there are quite a few men there who have bulk, but have a lot of fat covering their bulk. They've been there at least as long as I have, and have shown no visual progress. Maybe they're happy just being strong and bulky, but I also wonder if they realize they need to cut…