Good stuff everyone!

I think a big mistake I see people making is on the fitness side of things. Basically, they look at exercise as just part of losing weight and thus end up largely wasting time doing inefficient things that at best are mostly a time waster (after they have adapted to it) and at worst lead to over use injuries. (My post isn't about anyone in this thread, just meant to be helpful)

First, I don't look at weight loss, but body composition change. After all, if you lose 10lbs of fat, but gain 10lbs of muscle, you will look night/day different and yet the scale didn't budge.

When it comes to fat loss, I view it as 100% nutrition. Sure, exercise burns calories, can add muscle (increasing metabolism) and should be a part of any weight-loss program...but almost all the (fat loss) results come from diet/nutrition.

I suggest not to exercise for weight loss. I suggest exercising for health and to improve physical performance in whatever areas you want to be better in. You'll get the body composition benefits as an extra.

For example, as an Infantry officer and someone interested in personal protection, (and because I don't like to waste time), my workouts focus on strength, strength-endurance, and anaerobic conditioning. They are typically full-body and often use little or no equipment. Typical duration is 20-45 mins max.

You would neither catch me dead on a treadmill watching a show, nor doing the classic bodybuilding protocol of a 60-90 min weight lifting isolation routine followed by "cardio."

That is because the former will build zero strength and zero improvements in anaerobic capacity and the latter will put on heavy muscle (if done with high volume, lots of food, and rest) that I now have to carry along with my gear and reduce my strength/weight ratio and also not do a lot for anaerobic capacity.

However, reverse-engineer the classic body-building routine above to consist of multi-joint free-weight exercises covering the whole body, then do them in super-set fashion with minimal rest between super-sets and it is now a full-body strength, strength-endurance, and anaerobic routine at the same time done in ~30 mins.

My advice is not to get in a rut of going through exercise motions just as part of a weight loss plan. Set some physical goals and attributes you want to improve and do time-efficient workouts to help you achieve them.

My wife got really annoyed when me and the kids were doing pull ups/chin ups a few months back (my 8yo boy and girl and 12yo girl could get at least 1), and now she is working diligently towards her goal of a chin up along with other bodyweight exercises rounding out the rest.

I built a bodyweight gym in the backyard and it is cool to have a family fitness "micro-culture" going on by happy accident!

quote:

Originally posted by zdog16:
-2 boiled eggs in the morning
-chicken breast with broccoli for lunch
-chicken breast with broccoli for dinner
-only water no other liquids
-30-45 minute workout four times a week using only body weight.
-allow one cheat day every other week.

Is this enough food? It seems like it falls pretty short.

(I'm not doubting you. I just find it counter logic to the whole "if you don't eat enough, your body won't shed weight because it thinks you are starving it".)

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by zdog16:
-2 boiled eggs in the morning
-chicken breast with broccoli for lunch
-chicken breast with broccoli for dinner
-only water no other liquids
-30-45 minute workout four times a week using only body weight.
-allow one cheat day every other week.

Is this enough food? It seems like it falls pretty short.

(I'm not doubting you. I just find it counter logic to the whole "if you don't eat enough, your body won't shed weight because it thinks you are starving it".)

Unless you actually do starve it, evidentally. That's what, 1,000 calories? Maybe?

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by zdog16:
-2 boiled eggs in the morning
-chicken breast with broccoli for lunch
-chicken breast with broccoli for dinner
-only water no other liquids
-30-45 minute workout four times a week using only body weight.
-allow one cheat day every other week.

Is this enough food? It seems like it falls pretty short.

(I'm not doubting you. I just find it counter logic to the whole "if you don't eat enough, your body won't shed weight because it thinks you are starving it".)

Unless you actually do starve it, evidentally. That's what, 1,000 calories? Maybe?

Maybe. But, the PT will burn half that, maybe more depending on what you do. Nutrition seems to be the biggest black magic voodoo. Especially as you get closer to 50 than you are to 40.

Great job! I'm down 41 pounds since I gave up carbs and sugar. It took a bit getting use to but the cravings went away. I feel so much better!

If I can do it, anyone can.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by zdog16:
-2 boiled eggs in the morning
-chicken breast with broccoli for lunch
-chicken breast with broccoli for dinner
-only water no other liquids
-30-45 minute workout four times a week using only body weight.
-allow one cheat day every other week.

Is this enough food? It seems like it falls pretty short.

(I'm not doubting you. I just find it counter logic to the whole "if you don't eat enough, your body won't shed weight because it thinks you are starving it".)

My typical daily meal is:

Breakfast@ 05:30 Coffee light cream 2-3 eggs, 1/2 cup of fruit like strawberries or raspberries, 1/4-1/2 of a avocado or nuts 1/4 cup and lastly 1/2 cup of oatmeal or a slice of dry toasted Ezekiel bread.

Snack@ 09:00 almonds or fruit, real low fat, high protein yogurt.

Lunch@ 12:00 5-6 ounces of chicken breast, ground turkey or fish. 1/2 cup of vegetables.

Afternoon snack @ 14:00 almonds, walnuts or pistachios. And usually a protein shake.

Dinner same as lunch no carbs, if I am still hungry I eat more green vegetables.

My vegetables are from the following list: broccoli, cauliflower, beans, Brussels sprouts and occasionally a salad just as a filler.

4-5 32 oz containers of water thru out the day.

My workout is HITT or weight training 4-5 days a week. I started with 1 day a week and worked up to this. I should mention I am on a multi vitamin, protein shake after every workout and BCAA drink during every workout.

I have never asked what the caloric intake is, I just know it is filling for me.

Shawn

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by zdog16:
-2 boiled eggs in the morning
-chicken breast with broccoli for lunch
-chicken breast with broccoli for dinner
-only water no other liquids
-30-45 minute workout four times a week using only body weight.
-allow one cheat day every other week.

Is this enough food? It seems like it falls pretty short.

(I'm not doubting you. I just find it counter logic to the whole "if you don't eat enough, your body won't shed weight because it thinks you are starving it".)

Oh damn I forgot to add Protein shake immediately after workout and off days take a shake in between meals. Also I eat 1 and a half breasts every meal. That way I can buy the three packs and its a meal for a day.

Don't over associate your body weight with progress. If you are hitting that Rower hard, and supplementing recovery with quality proteins, you are going to gain some lean mass - which is great !

Stick with it.

And yes, I love Bourbon and 200 calorie IPA's and struggle with conditioning vs. drinking what I love. (hint - the bourbon is less calories than most beers

I stopped eating grains and refined sugar and limiting natural sugar 6 months ago and have lost 40 pounds, have more energy, and just generally feel better. I found out I had celiacs disease I adopted the Paleo diet and now I wished I would have adopted this way of eating 20 years ago. I honestly believe that grains are the hidden killer in this country. Good ole whole grains metabolize into sugar but the government says we're supposed to eat tons of them..... . Paleo diet is about how my grandparents ate minus bread and they lived into late 90's.

My Achilles heel is alcohol as well. Not so much raw quantity, but quality. I had 12oz of an IPA at dinner..."Notoriuos" from Boneyard Brewing...probably 350+ cals in those 12 oz (~11% abv). The typical beer I drink or brew is about 200 cals per 12oz (and I'm usually drinking pints) vs a light beer coming in at 110-130 for 12.

A single shot of hard alcohol with a no cal mixer (if any) is pretty decent when trying to lose weight. About 96 cals in a shot of 80 proof alcohol (type doesn't really matter).

When I'm actively trying to lose fat, I either don't drink at all (or the rare shot of hard alcohol) and don't eat fruit or any other carbs. Lots of meat and veggies, eggs, nuts etc.