[quote]Otep wrote:
Consistency is key.[/quote]
Thanks for the strong reminder and all the great knowledge and encouragement. It is much appreciated
Hey, don’t be discouraged. You’re doing GREAT.
You just started lifting weights, and you CAN get some incredible results in a short time when you do, commonly called “newbie gains.” It really is possible to lose pounds of fat while gaining pounds of muscle during newbie gains. The scale doesn’t change much.
This is why I use a caliper to estimate bodyfat while dieting and helping others with their diets. The cheapies used at home are not that accurate, but if you are careful to pinch the exact same spot each week or two, you can certainly tell if you’re making progress.
Pics are good too.
As far as the calories and carbs, I too am impressed with CT’s knowledge of implementing low-carb diets. But it may be better to eat small amounts of low-glycemic-load carbs throughout the day, rather than build up intense cravings and binge on bad ones at night. I have dieted very successfully eating starchy carbs at every meal, including at night, but I am super strict about the carb sources and portion sizes. I eat mainly a blend of brown rice, barley, and black radish seeds; a wholegrain bread with flax; whole grain flatbread crackers; or beans; all with at least 15%-20% fiber content. This would help you get more fiber too, since you had only 17 g.
Or, like Otep said, don’t binge at night. You could try 5-htp to help with both sleep and carb cravings. Biotest’s new sleep supp, Z-12, contains 5-htp.
Either way, though, KEEP IT UP, don’t get discouraged, and your body WILL burn fat.
Thanks so much for the support andersons. Means a lot to get encouragement. Overall, I feel like I am on the right track and feel like I am learning more about how to stay on it.
I would like to incorporate healthy carbs in the future, but for right now I don’t think I can handle moderation. So far, i have been finding if I make my shake right after dinner and have it about an hour before bed I can control the cravings.
Also that is a great suggestion about the sleep supplement. I’ve been trying to create a little “sleep ritual” for myself every night, to signal to my body its time for bed. About an hour before bed no television and I have the lights on fairly dim.
During this time I read, plan out my next day, write in my journal, update my logs, etc. Nothing stressful. Then a hot shower and bedtime. Now this may sound gimmicky, but I’ve actually been using a program called pzizz. It creates a soundtrack to fall asleep to at night with verbal cues.
It’s also used in a lot of the more progressive companies for power naps. Anyway, I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks and have noticed I’ve been having a much easier time falling asleep. I still wake up after about 4 hours but I am able to fall pretty quickly back to sleep— if I have taken my shake. If not, that is when the carbs start whispering to me.
Anyway, I will look into Z-12. And you mentioned my fiber looked low-- what is a good amount to be taking in every day?
I remember Darwin mentioned earlier upthread not to worry so much about the other people at the gym, at that eventually I might even learn some things from the other people there. Well, today I got some much needed help with my squat. I had been so concerned with getting my thighs parallel to the floor that I didn’t realize that the rest of my form really sucked.
A guy in about his 30s came over and pointed out that my heels were coming way off the ground and that I was not leading with my hips. We then took the weights off and just worked on the movement using the bar and he had me practice with a bench behind me. Christ I did 5 sets of 5 with just the bar and it killed. I thought I was a lot stronger in my legs— the movement just feels so weird, especially pushing back up through my heels. Anyway I’m really glad the people on this thread pushed me into the gym and to try something new.
Session 3 Starting Strength
May 6
Squat: 44/44/44
Press: 80/80/80
DL: 120
One hour walk- moderate speed
Diet Log
5/6
Calories: 2054
Protein: 198
Fat: 130
Carbs" 26g
Fiber: 12g
Breakfast: 21g PRO 229cal
Spinach omlette with 2 eggs and 1 egg white
3 Fish oil caps
Morning snack
Missed–
Lunch: 40g PRO 422 cal
7oz wild salmon over romaine and cherry tomatoes, 1 tbs oil
Afternoon Snack: 46g 578 cal
7oz salmon over romain and 1oz almonds
Dinner: 44g PRO 456cal
6oz lamb chops with Romaine and tbs olive oil
4 caps Flameout
Evening Snack: 47g 429cal
Metabolic Drive with Flax +tbs olive oil
It’s good that your squat got corrected, and that you’re having good experiences with the other people in the gym.
The FDA recommends 20g of fiber a day. More is usually better… up to a certain point. I carb-loaded a pound (dry weight) of black beans last weekend. 180g of fiber in a day. Not pretty.
If you’re regular, and over 20g, don’t worry about it. Otherwise… up it a little. Flax meal is a great way to get in some fiber and polyunsaturated fats.
A pound of black beans! My god, man.
SS #4
May 8
Squats 120/120/120
Military Press: 65/65/65
Rows: 115/115/115
My Starting Strength book finally arrived today . It’s funny the more I learn about proper form for these exercise the harder they seem. I guess I was relying on momentum and just trying to muscle the weights. The press was especially difficult to get through. I had a bit of trouble of where to put my elbows and how far back my head should be. I found this video with Mark Rippetoe training some people that was very helpful, especially using your hips to generate power. - YouTube
The row felt a bit better this time— focused on using my upper back doing the work and using elbows.
Here’s another page I found with video on proper form-- I like to be able to see it and not just read it. How does this look?
stronglifts.com/how-to-perform-the
-barbell-row-with-proper-technique/
[quote]atom00 wrote:
Thanks so much for the support andersons. Means a lot to get encouragement. Overall, I feel like I am on the right track and feel like I am learning more about how to stay on it.
I would like to incorporate healthy carbs in the future, but for right now I don’t think I can handle moderation. So far, i have been finding if I make my shake right after dinner and have it about an hour before bed I can control the cravings.
Also that is a great suggestion about the sleep supplement. I’ve been trying to create a little “sleep ritual” for myself every night, to signal to my body its time for bed. About an hour before bed no television and I have the lights on fairly dim.
During this time I read, plan out my next day, write in my journal, update my logs, etc. Nothing stressful. Then a hot shower and bedtime. Now this may sound gimmicky, but I’ve actually been using a program called pzizz. It creates a soundtrack to fall asleep to at night with verbal cues.
It’s also used in a lot of the more progressive companies for power naps. Anyway, I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks and have noticed I’ve been having a much easier time falling asleep. I still wake up after about 4 hours but I am able to fall pretty quickly back to sleep— if I have taken my shake. If not, that is when the carbs start whispering to me.
Anyway, I will look into Z-12. And you mentioned my fiber looked low-- what is a good amount to be taking in every day?[/quote]
Fiber: 25-35 grams per day. For you I think the recommendation would be 35.
Hey, practically nothing’s too gimmicky to try if it means better sleep. I have used a progressive relaxation tape before.
So keep up with the shakes and maybe add some Fibersure to them. 
[quote]Otep wrote:
It’s good that your squat got corrected, and that you’re having good experiences with the other people in the gym.
The FDA recommends 20g of fiber a day. More is usually better… up to a certain point. I carb-loaded a pound (dry weight) of black beans last weekend. 180g of fiber in a day. Not pretty.
If you’re regular, and over 20g, don’t worry about it. Otherwise… up it a little. Flax meal is a great way to get in some fiber and polyunsaturated fats.[/quote]
What the heck, Otep – a pound of black beans???
You have got to be kidding.
[quote]atom00 wrote:
Hi:
I’ve been reading articles and discussion posts as I’m trying to figure out how to get into shape.
Last year I lost 50 pounds through a low carb diet and walks and went from 330 to 270. AT 6"1 I am still very overweight and hope to start a new stage in losing fat.
For the past two weeks I have been reading lots of articles on here and trying to get my head around some of the ideas here-- some of them are very new to me. I purchased a set of dumbbells and a bench and have started to lift at home and incorporate cardio,
Anyway, there are so many smart people here and I am amazed at the support given to members. I was hoping to post my diet and workouts so somebody could take a look.
This type of eating and working out is so new and I have so much to learn that I wanted some more experienced members to take a look at what I’m doing. Basically, I am following John Berardi’s principles for diet and the type of exercise Christian Thibaudeau talks about in his “Refined Physique Transformation.”
Here is my food log for today: It is pretty typical-- I have been eating about 1900 to 2100 calories a day the past week
1940 cals + 9 Fish oil capsules 1200mg
Total Protein: 250.7 g
Total Carbs: 48.8 g
Total Fat: 79.6 g
Total Fiber: 13.6 g
Breakfast
Protein Carbs Fat Fiber (cals)
1 slice, Cheese Sharp Cheddar, 5.0 0.0 6.0 0.0 80
1 cup Spinach, raw, edible portion 0.9 1.1 0.1 0.7 7
2 egg Extra Large, Grade AA 14.0 2.0 10.0 - 160
1 serving, 1/4 cup AllWhites 6.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 33
Breakfast snacks
3 oz Strawberries, 0.6 6.5 0.3 1.7 27
2 tablespoons Flaxseed Meal 3.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 70
2 scoop Grow! Whey 44.0 4.0 4.0 0.0 240
Lunch
0.5 tablespoon (0.5 oz) of Oils: Sunflower 0.0 0.0 6.8 0.0 60
1 tablespoon (0.5 oz) of Oils: Olive 0.0 0.0 13.5 0.0 119
2 serving, 1/2 cup, Cucumber 0.7 3.8 0.1 0.5 16
4 oz Chicken: Breast, Boneless, Skinless 26.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 107
Afternoon snacks
3 medium, Strawberries, raw, 0.2 2.8 0.1 0.7 12
2 scoop w.: Grow! Premium Quality Whey, 44.0 4.0 4.0 0.0 240
Dinner
1 teaspoon (0.2 oz) of Oils: Olive 0.0 0.0 4.5 0.0 40
Mixed vegetable tossed 1.3 3.3 0.1 - 17
(3 oz) of Chicken: Breast, roasted 26.7 0.0 3.1 0.0 142
(3 oz) of Top Sirloin, Lean Only, broiled 26.0 0.0 4.9 0.0 156
Evening snacks
1 tablespoon Peanut Butter, chunk style, 3.8 3.5 8.0 1.3 94
2 scoop Grow! Premium Quality Whey, 44.0 4.0 4.0 0.0 240
2 tablespoons Flaxseed Meal 3.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 70
Exercise
30 minutes walking on park trails in am
PM Worked on legs with DB at 35 pounds with 10 reps a set
A1 Lunges
A2 Squats
Rest 2 minutes
B1 Reverse Lunges
B2 Romanian Deadlift
Rest 2 minutes and Repeat 3x
Anyway, let me know what you think. I am especially interested in hearing about the diet— Am I eating enough— too little, too much? Not really sure but I’m glad I’ve started moving toward my goals and found this place.
[/quote]
As far as diet is concerned, I think you should get “Power Eating” by Kleiner. The goal is to burn off the fat but not the muscle. She would recommend a 40/30/30 diet for you, cutting no more than 400 calories from maintenance. Do you have any energy to workout and think on so little carbohydrates?
[quote]Andersons wrote:
What the heck, Otep – a pound of black beans???
You have got to be kidding. [/quote]
No, I am not kidding.
I got the idea after reading DirtyTiger’s Bodybuilding on the Anabolic Diet thread. Tiribulus posted about his carb loads being super clean, consisting of beans, potatoes, and fruits.
I’d also read some other thread about flatulence, and a number of posters who follow the AD talked about how grains on their carb-up lead to flatulence. If you’ve read mDragon’s Expierence on the AD thread, around page 15-20 everyone bitches about not having flatulence at all, and then it gets really big on the carb-ups.
I put two and two together, and decided to switch my box of pasta for two big-ass potatoes and a pound of black beans. The macros and calorie requirements added up, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it.
I did not get any work done this Sunday.
I am thankful my first final was on Wednesday, as I had time to get my studying in.
[quote]PRCalDude wrote:
As far as diet is concerned, I think you should get "Power Eating" by Kleiner. The goal is to burn off the fat but not the muscle. She would recommend a 40/30/30 diet for you, cutting no more than 400 calories from maintenance. Do you have any energy to workout and think on so little carbohydrates?[/quote]
Actually, I am finding I have more energy and i am able to think a lot more clearly eating this way. For the foreseeable future I will keep my carbs at these levels. Eventually, I would like to add in complex carbs, but for now I feel the need to limit them. When I eat carbs, even whole grain stuff, I start to crave starchy, sugary stuff.
Earlier in the thread I mentioned how powerful these craving can be-- I can wake up in the middle of the night and the only thing I want is a bagel or muffin or cookies and not stop eating until I get sleepy.
On this diet, that has happened only once in the last week- as opposed to the 5 times a week night feedings I usually experienced. With that alone, I must have cut about 5,000 calories a week-- and I think that is a low estimate.
The last two nights I started taking ZMA, GABA, and glycine before bed and have been able to sleep straight through the night. I hope this keeps up, as I have never been able to sleep more than 4 hours straight. On the low carbs, I would still wake up, but I wouldn't be craving carbs. With this sleep stack, I fall into a deeper sleep and feel more rested in the morning with energy.
But getting back to your original post PRCalDude, you do mention upping the calories I am taking in. That is something I am slowly doing, yesterday I went up to 2400-- it was too light on protein. . I didnt post my food log, but my macronutrients:
Calories: 2400
Protein: 223g
Fat: 153g
Carbs: 38
Fiber: 10
I am also going to pick up some sugarfree fiber supplements. Over the course of the next week my aim is to get up to 2700 cal with 320g protein and 150g fat.
DAY 9 Check In
Age: 34
Height: 6’1
Weight: 264.5
Chest: 44
Waist: 51.5
Hip: 46.5
Thigh: 26.5
Lost 5.5 pounds
2 inches off chest
.5 inches from waist
.5 inches from hips
Glad to see the scale moving in the right direction. Not dramatic numbers but I’m happy to see some progress. Yesterday I weighed myself in the morning and it read 270-- and I had been in compliance with my diet. Weightloss is such a mindfuck. Oh well. I like seeing those inches coming off. I bought a Myotape-- makes things much easier.
Good job on your progress, atom!
Don’t kick yourself too much for your little lapses, else you might sacrifice your future willpower. When I slipped in the beginning of my lifestyle change, I looked at myself in the mirror, called myself a dumbass, and told myself it would not happen again. I found it helped me build up my willpower.
You’re doing great, and if you keep this up, you’ll be where you want to be soon enough!
[quote]atom00 wrote:
PRCalDude wrote:
As far as diet is concerned, I think you should get "Power Eating" by Kleiner. The goal is to burn off the fat but not the muscle. She would recommend a 40/30/30 diet for you, cutting no more than 400 calories from maintenance. Do you have any energy to workout and think on so little carbohydrates?
Actually, I am finding I have more energy and i am able to think a lot more clearly eating this way. For the foreseeable future I will keep my carbs at these levels. Eventually, I would like to add in complex carbs, but for now I feel the need to limit them. When I eat carbs, even whole grain stuff, I start to crave starchy, sugary stuff.
Earlier in the thread I mentioned how powerful these craving can be-- I can wake up in the middle of the night and the only thing I want is a bagel or muffin or cookies and not stop eating until I get sleepy.
On this diet, that has happened only once in the last week- as opposed to the 5 times a week night feedings I usually experienced. With that alone, I must have cut about 5,000 calories a week-- and I think that is a low estimate.
The last two nights I started taking ZMA, GABA, and glycine before bed and have been able to sleep straight through the night. I hope this keeps up, as I have never been able to sleep more than 4 hours straight. On the low carbs, I would still wake up, but I wouldn't be craving carbs. With this sleep stack, I fall into a deeper sleep and feel more rested in the morning with energy.
But getting back to your original post PRCalDude, you do mention upping the calories I am taking in. That is something I am slowly doing, yesterday I went up to 2400-- it was too light on protein. . I didnt post my food log, but my macronutrients:
Calories: 2400
Protein: 223g
Fat: 153g
Carbs: 38
Fiber: 10
I am also going to pick up some sugarfree fiber supplements. Over the course of the next week my aim is to get up to 2700 cal with 320g protein and 150g fat.[/quote]
Did you check out kbessette’s post over on “Rate My Physique?” If you look at his food log on his website, he’s doing about 40/30/30, with only about 112 grams of fat (30% of calories). He’s shredded.
The thing is, excess fat (especially saturated and trans) can make it harder to lose fat. There are scientific papers proving this and my wife is a dietitian and says the same thing. If you’re shooting for 200 lbs or something like that, Kleiner would recommend this ratio:
3-4 workouts/week: 28 kcal/kg = 2545 kcal
200 gr PRO
1.4 g/lb CHO = 200*1.4 = 280 g CHO (limit high glycemic to post-workout, roughly 70 grams CHO postwrkout with 35 grams PRO)
Fat:
2545 - (2004 + 2804) = 625 kcal
625/9 = 70 gr FAT
I can also point to papers showing how EPA, DHA, and CLA can aid fat loss. If you look at atom’s food log, he’s getting most of his fats from mono and poly unsaturated fats, not saturated and trans fats. I would argue that for his goals, he’s better served by limiting his carb intake to the point where his body is forced to use fat as a fuel. Once he starts getting leaner, then I would up carb intake.
[quote]Otep wrote:
Andersons wrote:
What the heck, Otep – a pound of black beans???
You have got to be kidding.
No, I am not kidding.
I got the idea after reading DirtyTiger’s Bodybuilding on the Anabolic Diet thread. Tiribulus posted about his carb loads being super clean, consisting of beans, potatoes, and fruits.
I’d also read some other thread about flatulence, and a number of posters who follow the AD talked about how grains on their carb-up lead to flatulence. If you’ve read mDragon’s Expierence on the AD thread, around page 15-20 everyone bitches about not having flatulence at all, and then it gets really big on the carb-ups.
I put two and two together, and decided to switch my box of pasta for two big-ass potatoes and a pound of black beans. The macros and calorie requirements added up, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it.
I did not get any work done this Sunday.
I am thankful my first final was on Wednesday, as I had time to get my studying in.[/quote]
This is the hardest I have laughed in awhile.
LESS flatulence from a sudden tidal wave of black beans hitting your gut than from pasta? Wow! On the one hand, it’s kinda inspiring when people do something like this in pursuit of their physique goals. On the other hand, my gut churns just THINKING about it!
Sorry for the hijack, atom. You’re doing great!
You are on your way dude!
Doing your homework ahead of time was a very smart thing to do. Kudos.
I don’t reccommend eating carbs at night but if you “must” try Power Pasta(forget the company who makes it) or plain ol’ beans/rice. Beans/rice together are a complete protein- not just starch.
Also, when you are night binging- follow these 4 steps/tricks:
- eat/chew with eyes closed the entire time- don’t even look at the food…
- chew food till it is near liquid.
- put fork down between bites and take a few deep breaths.
- savor each bite
**step 1 seems silly but it’s incredibly effective and the most effective of the steps/tricks.
Make sure you’re drinking enough water through the day. Sometime dehydration feels like hunger.
Thanks for all the encouragement. This forum has been so helpful in getting me started-- not just with information but motivation too. Doing this in a sort of public way makes me think differently about how I approach each day in terms of eating and training. It’s just amazing.
CalDude: I did check out Kbessete’s post. Yes, he’s got a great physique at 7 percent bodyfat. He also says he’s been lean all his life and he even writes that he “got lucky in the gene pool lottery.”
I am starting at very different place with a lot of bodyfat to lose. I am not a dietitian like your wife, all I can do is read and talk with lots of people about the best way for me to lose weight. The general consensus seems to be that carbs need to be limited
Have you read “Refined Physique Transformation” by Christian Thibaudeau-
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/refined_physique_transformation&cr=
- he argues how the fatter you are, the less able your body is to tolerate carbs. With body fat over 20 percent, he recommends eating 30 grams or less, not counting greens. As you get leaner, you can start adding more carbs.
Also, I know how my body reacts to carbs at this weight-- not well. So for me, in the short term my diet might be “unbalanced”-- but I think it is far unhealthier for me to carry around this weight