Intake for Monday 9/30/14
Calories: 2,627
Protein: 272
Fat: 75
Carbs: 257
Sodium: 2,884
Sugar: 100
If you’re truly focused on long-term weight loss (of fat) and not on a large, one-time, drop in weight (a lot of which will be water loss, plus muscle loss from undereating) do not drop your calories below 10X bodyweight. Below 10X bodyweight, you will trick your body into starvation mode, which will cause your body to lower it’s metabolism to save itself, and so on…this is why starvation diets never work long term, and unless they changed the rules, less than 10X is considered starvation levels.
Most people in your situation, and I’d say all of them who lift weights as much as you do, will lose a meaningful amount of fat from cutting out all liquid calories, and all junk food.
Sorry, even if you go up to 10X bodyweight in calories, you cannot afford to have any beers, period.
[quote]punnyguy wrote:
If you’re truly focused on long-term weight loss (of fat) and not on a large, one-time, drop in weight (a lot of which will be water loss, plus muscle loss from undereating) do not drop your calories below 10X bodyweight. Below 10X bodyweight, you will trick your body into starvation mode, which will cause your body to lower it’s metabolism to save itself, and so on…this is why starvation diets never work long term, and unless they changed the rules, less than 10X is considered starvation levels.
Most people in your situation, and I’d say all of them who lift weights as much as you do, will lose a meaningful amount of fat from cutting out all liquid calories, and all junk food.
Sorry, even if you go up to 10X bodyweight in calories, you cannot afford to have any beers, period.[/quote]
Thanks for the advice, punnyguy. I am going to keep an eye on my strength throughout this process, in addition to how I feel in general. Starvation is not a desired outcome.
Intake for Tuesday, 9/30/14.
Calories: 2,765
Protein: 209
Fat: 103
Carbs: 244
Sodium: 3,445
Sugar: 120
Wednesday 10/1/14
BW 293
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
475x1
525x1
565x1 20 lb PR
I have video of this lift, but it is a .mov file so I need to figure out how to do the youtube and get it up.
Press
115x5
155x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
BB Curl
77x10
77x10
77x9
Standing calf raise
580x10
580x10
Intake for Wednesday, 10/1/14
Calories: 2,645
Protein: 233
Fat: 77
Carbs: 275
Sodium: 2,527
Sugar: 117
565x1 PR from 10/1/14
Need to work on getting tighter at setup and should point my toes outward more (I can see how they shifted outwards on their own halfway up). Overall the lift felt pretty good. Plenty of room for improvement.
Any other feedback is, as always, most welcome.
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
It really took the air out of my tires and I have not found that “lighting in a bottle” feeling about fat loss since then.
[/quote]
From the looks of your plan and the mindset you’ve described, it sounds like lighting in a bottle is right at your fingertips right now.
Keep up the great work. Everything you’ve laid out looks great - I bet you are going to kill it with this fat-loss push.
I’ll be following.
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
If she wants to make the things I do for me out to be somehow about her, well, that’s her problem, not mine. If she wants to have her food prepared some way other than what I am doing, that’s her problem, not mine.
[/quote]
Exactly.
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
As callous as it sounds, I am completely ready to disappoint her, annoy her and stir up whatever my actions stir up in the relationship. I’m not going to go out of my way to make waves, but I have to worry about my own goals over her comfort and convenience right now.
[/quote]
Bingo again. I don’t think it is callous at all. You’re pursuing something you love and working to better yourself; good partners should support such pursuits, or at least be neutral, not destructive. It’s not like you’re leaving her at home to gamble away the family fortune at the casino
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
I think the log here will help, since I can dump all of my crazy thoughts on diet and lifting here without making her uncomfortable or irritated. It is a good outlet for me to talk about all of the things that she does not want to hear about.
I was not logging last March and I dumped a lot of those thoughts on her, which is part of why she lashed out at me for doing something positive. She just doesn’t like hearing about me killing it on diet or killing it in the weight room. Not one bit.
[/quote]
…and I think this is absolutely true. Logging here gives you the community to share things you’re excited about that just are of no interest to her.
The last thought is that you obviously love training and put everything (or most everything) you have into that. If you can bring that same level of commitment to the kitchen, and perhaps more importantly, restricting the beer intake, you will succeed. I disagree that you cannot afford any beers, but they have to be a rare treat and you have to stop at one. In the whiskey thread, I mentioned that I stick to a Fridays-only and a 2-drink-limit; that’s often enough for me to savor a good pour without doing enough damage to affect physique goals. Maybe you could set a similar target for yourself. You’re allowed one beer, on one day, or something like that.
Oh, wait, one other wacky thought: for whatever this is worth, when I was transitioning to a mostly-Paleo way of eating, if I had eaten dinner already and still was thinking I had to have dessert or gnash on something…I just cooked another portion of meat. That helped kill any “OMG I need a dessert!” craving for a couple days (now I never really get those any more).
Thanks Serge and AG!
The pedal is to the metal. I’m feeling great this week. I’m kidding myself if I pretend that I won’t have a beer until I’m sub 15% BF, but I am just avoiding it during the week. I’ll probably get a sixer of light beer on Saturday to keep me sane at the cost of 700 calories. Or maybe I won’t. Maybe I should put that cheat off until the 8th. Bruins opener that night, some beers would be great at our neighborhood bar. It is just a fun place to watch hockey, so I think that is a good hold-out date for my first cheat.
The relationship tension is already building, but I will handle it differently this time. After eating dinner I was only at 1,800 calories or so on the day, so I had quite a bit of eating left to do. Meanwhile, the GF announced her intention to avoid eating for the rest of the night. She then got to watch me eat a bowl of jambalaya (spicy chicken and rice), a protein shake, a bowl of cottage cheese and a cup of yogurt to hit my numbers for the night while we were watching TV.
I forget the words she used, but she basically told me I was eating too much. I assured her I was not. I was, in fact, probably under eating a bit, but I did not mention this to her. Nor did I launch into a spiel about the importance of hitting macronutrient targets for a serious lifter trying to lose fat and keep muscle. I kept my goddamn mouth shut about that.
Still, watching me eat all that food will, without a doubt, drive her nuts. But she’s the one who clings to her starvation diet principles and I am the one lifting substantial weights 3x/week. I’ve already tried to change those ideas of hers, but she’s got it in her head that regular intake of a 150 calorie salad is the key to slimming down. This, in turn, drives frustration. Here’s an example of how this plays out:
Yesterday, she suggested salad for dinner tonight.
Um, no. That won’t work for me, but it sounds like a fine side-dish next to a pork chop.
She takes offense, because everyone knows that eating lots of salad is how you lose weight and here I am, shooting down her “healthy” idea. I tell her to eat all the salad she wants, but I will be making some meat for dinner.
I hope that a few weeks of progress, especially visible progress, will change the way she thinks about this stuff. It didn’t last time, but I am making an effort to shield her from my crazy thoughts this time around, so perhaps she will be more receptive to accepting my approach and hopefully find one of her own.
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
I hope that a few weeks of progress, especially visible progress, will change the way she thinks about this stuff.[/quote]
Talk is talk. Results are results. Actual evidence doesn’t always fly with women but I still like having the evidence on my side.
Intake for Thursday, 10/2/14
Calories: 2,799
Protein: 242
Fat: 100
Carbs: 250
Sodium: 5,203
Sugar: 155
I donated blood yesterday which, according to the internet, requires about 600 calories to replace. I’ll take it anywhere I can get it, I suppose.
Friday 10/3/14
BW 292
Squat
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x10
365x6
Rep PRs at 315 & 365.
Bench press
135x10
185x10
225x6
225x4
Bent Over BB Row
135x10
155x10
185x6
135x9
Yesterday’s blood donation and shorter rest periods from only having 30 minutes to get my work in definitely sapped my energy towards the end. Happy with the squats though.
Just getting caught up on your log. Sounds like you’re really ready to tackle this fat loss thing head-on. You may have noticed that I’m a woman, so if I may, I would like to add a little female perspective here. Feel free to ignore it all. Of course I agree 100% that your GF should be supporting you in your efforts to get healthy, but she obviously has her own insecurities to deal with.
If I recall, you wrote about how the two of you gained weight together. She may be feeling like your weight loss reflects badly on her, makes you less attracted to her, makes her feel bad about herself, etc. None of that is your responsibility, but some quiet reassurances that none of these things are the case from your perspective can be very helpful. If you can make a little extra effort to compliment her and make her feel secure, you may be able to mitigate some of that conflict.
Also, on the beer, I am by no means an angel, but I’d rather have 2 good beers than 6 watery lite beers. I went all of September without alcohol (except to share a bottle of wine on my wedding anniversary) and it is helping me a lot more selective about my intake now. Just something to consider.
Whatever you do, I’ll be cheering for you.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Actual evidence doesn’t always fly with women [/quote]
Hmm . . .
Strumpet has some good advice.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Actual evidence doesn’t always fly with women [/quote]
Hmm . . .
Strumpet has some good advice.[/quote]
Yes she does, indeed. Her anxieties over my efforts are something we’ve talked about before, but not recently. I appreciate the reminder and the female perspective.
Intake recap for last 3 days:
Friday 10/3/14
Calories: 3,560
Protein: 307
Carbs: 326
Fat: 127
Sodium: 5,161
Sugar: 183
Didn’t have any alcohol (first Friday abstaining in a LONG time), but I was really, really hungry after lifting. So I ate.
Saturday, 10/4/14
Calories: 3,843
Protein: 311
Carbs: 356
Fat: 107
Sodium: 3,594
Sugar: 116
I had some vodka drinks (vodka and tonic) and one beer. Obviously not a perfect day of diet execution, but a little planning and a modicum of restraint produced a much better outcome than, say, a typical night out at a bar with New England’s finest beers on tap.
Sunday, 10/5/14
Calories: 3,177
Protein: 218
Carbs: 297
Fat: 55
Sodium: 2,279
Sugar: 74
GF asked to split a six pack, and I caved in! Big surprise. Then three beers turned into four when she didn’t want her last one. Like Saturday, this was definitely not a bullseye day, but when I step back and look at the numbers it was not a train wreck either.
I give myself a C- for the weekend. Plenty of room for improvement this week!
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Actual evidence doesn’t always fly with women [/quote]
Hmm . . .
Strumpet has some good advice.[/quote]
Strumpet and kpsnap … Awesome beard plus 565 lb DL equals babes following your log.
This is going to be awesome! WHOOT!
About taking off the weight - It’s a matter of the exterior beginning to match the athletic person on the interior. Appreciating what your body is capable of should make you want to treat it less like a trashcan. I think that’s what is happening here.
With regards to you GF, I agree. Go about it with as little fanfare as possible. She will likely pick up some of your good habits through osmosis. She can always add a side of bread or pasta to what you are doing with protein. We do that a lot. Everybody may be eating the shredded beef and salad but I might turn the beef into a burrito or panini for the hubs and kids. I sometimes make my family keep other foods up in high cupboards so I won’t get into them. Believe me, I can binge like my goal in life is to get a good case of diabetes.
Issues with anything addictive be it food, alcohol, whatever - It’s one of those things everyone has to do for themselves, but I agree with Strumpet. Being supportive and affectionate with of her is probably the best thing you can do. This is more than a hobby. It really does involve a whole lifestyle shift, and people tend to have a hard time with change. It’s a lot to ask of a spouse since food tends to be such a family/social thing. Do what you need to do for your health and fitness goals, and try to be patient and accepting. Your GF may never share your passion for it.
[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
Strumpet and kpsnap … Awesome beard plus 565 lb DL equals babes following your log.
[/quote]
It’s the wolf t-shirt that does it for me. I bet it adds at least a plate to your deadlift.
[quote]LiftingStrumpet wrote:
[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
Strumpet and kpsnap … Awesome beard plus 565 lb DL equals babes following your log.
[/quote]
It’s the wolf t-shirt that does it for me. I bet it adds at least a plate to your deadlift.
[/quote]
Thanks ladies!
I had to stop wearing my Vibram toe shoes and wolf t-shirt out in public. Unfortunately, you just can’t have normal interactions with women when you exude that kind of raw sex appeal.
My wolf t-shirt is also the first shirt I’ve owned that actually has a permanent funk to it from all the workouts, so on top of the sex appeal it is also exuding the odor of an armpit, again making normal interactions with women difficult.
I’ve had some success lifting in shirt designs that have no wolves. My Yeti t-shirt I got at Disney World has helped me put up some good squats and my tie-dyed Bonnaroo '03 shirt with some pot leaves on it is another go-to shirt for heroic lifting.
At some point I may shave, get a haircut, ditch the vibrams, start taking pre-workout, buy some name-brand “athletic” shirt and do a bodybuilding split with no squats or deadlifts. These are the regular recommendations of some of my fellow gym-goers. I was issued an ominous warning last week that I will look like Brock Lesnar instead of The Rock if I continue lifting in my present fashion.
Nobody wants to look like Brock Lesnar, but that is a risk I am willing to take for the time being.
Thanks for stopping in!
[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
Appreciating what your body is capable of should make you want to treat it less like a trashcan. I think that’s what is happening here.
[/quote]
That’s part of it. Not carrying on the family tradition of dying early from a preventable disease is always in the back of my mind as well. However you describe it, I just think about these things a lot differently now compared to most of my 20’s.
[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
With regards to you GF, I agree. Go about it with as little fanfare as possible. She will likely pick up some of your good habits through osmosis. She can always add a side of bread or pasta to what you are doing with protein.
[/quote]
So far, so good this week. We are both handling this much better than last time. I think she likes not cooking more than she likes eating stuff that I don’t prepare. That’s my theory, anyway!
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Actual evidence doesn’t always fly with women [/quote]
Hmm . . .
Strumpet has some good advice.[/quote]
I’ll stand by this statement in the context that he is dating a women. Although I’ll concede I could have used the term “with your significant other in matters like this” and that this statement could be made with respect to either gender.