Chips (we call them crisps here) are my kryptonite, too. I can’t have them in the house or I’ll put away 3000 calories in 15 minutes.
Lots of good info being thrown your way, and it seems like you’re definitely getting more and more on track. Great to see.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
But I was wondering if anyone had read any scientific studies about the effects of marijuana on the athlete or body builder or general person trying to get/stay in shape.[/quote]
[quote]Saturday: off grocery shop
Sunday: off meal prep[/quote]
Really good to see this is something you’ve got in place. Dan John once said something along the lines of, for fat loss, preferring to remove two workouts per week and replace them with days to shop and cook. So, good call.
Good to hear that you’re seeing some noticeable physique progress in the calves, arms, shoulders, etc., but I’d still like you to be following some kind of structured training program instead of what looks like just doing some stuff here and there. Also, like I think AG mentioned, it still seems a little cardio-heavy.
Instead of 30-60 minutes of cardio each workout, I might lean more towards harder lifting and/or some complexes so we’re still in more of a “building” phase rather than just trying to burn maximum calories.
Those are all tons better than Snickers and Cherry Garcia obviously, but I wouldn’t call chips & salsa or peanut butter (or maybe coconut chips, not sure what they are) “healthy snacks”, especially when we’re talking fat loss. Hard boiled eggs should definitely be on that list. Also, the Dove dark chocolate is sorta “fake” dark chocolate. As in, it’s still basically a candy bar. If you want to hit that chocolate sweet tooth, go for something that specifies 75% or higher cacao. Whole Foods actually has some decent sales on good brands sometimes.
A quality protein-carb shake should be an always when you lift. Quest bars are okay for during the day, but they’re super-high fiber which is not something you want post-workout. Something as basic as Surge Recovery (in the store here) would be a great addition to have while you train, not even necessarily afterwards.
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
Lots of good info being thrown your way, and it seems like you’re definitely getting more and more on track. Great to see.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
But I was wondering if anyone had read any scientific studies about the effects of marijuana on the athlete or body builder or general person trying to get/stay in shape.[/quote]
[quote]Saturday: off grocery shop
Sunday: off meal prep[/quote]
Really good to see this is something you’ve got in place. Dan John once said something along the lines of, for fat loss, preferring to remove two workouts per week and replace them with days to shop and cook. So, good call.
Good to hear that you’re seeing some noticeable physique progress in the calves, arms, shoulders, etc., but I’d still like you to be following some kind of structured training program instead of what looks like just doing some stuff here and there. Also, like I think AG mentioned, it still seems a little cardio-heavy.
Instead of 30-60 minutes of cardio each workout, I might lean more towards harder lifting and/or some complexes so we’re still in more of a “building” phase rather than just trying to burn maximum calories.
Those are all tons better than Snickers and Cherry Garcia obviously, but I wouldn’t call chips & salsa or peanut butter (or maybe coconut chips, not sure what they are) “healthy snacks”, especially when we’re talking fat loss. Hard boiled eggs should definitely be on that list. Also, the Dove dark chocolate is sorta “fake” dark chocolate. As in, it’s still basically a candy bar. If you want to hit that chocolate sweet tooth, go for something that specifies 75% or higher cacao. Whole Foods actually has some decent sales on good brands sometimes.
A quality protein-carb shake should be an always when you lift. Quest bars are okay for during the day, but they’re super-high fiber which is not something you want post-workout. Something as basic as Surge Recovery (in the store here) would be a great addition to have while you train, not even necessarily afterwards.[/quote]
-
Someone introduced me to the meal prep/grocery day instead of the gym on here actually lol. Can’t remember who, that was like week 1 stuff.
-
Peanut butter is a must for me. I’m willing to try “healthier” peanut butters but when it comes to needing a quick snack to curb salty or sweet or both cravings, this does the trick. Not saying it has to be like this forever. But at least for now so I don’t go off the deep end while I’m still adjusting to cleaner eating. Coconut chips are delicious they are just baked coconut chips. High in fats tho. I guess I could do more research on coconut chips.
-
If less cardio is what will be better for me that shouldn’t be a problem! Not a huge fan of it. Although I do enjoy a light cardio day to clear my mind and listen to music. That’s more of a stress reliever than for weight loss. I guess I could add in an extra HIIT or complexes w/o to make up for it.
-
And once I get rid of the Juice Plus protein that I bought almost a year ago, I will look into some. You reccomend Surge or something with high carbs? That’s funny because I always went for low carb haha. Good to know. What about BCAA’s? Or fat burners? As I get more into the swing of things and trust myself to stick with it I will be purchasing supplements. I want to prove to myself I can do it no matter what first. Then slowly trickle in all the good stuff.
-
Thanks for the advice!
In response to the marijuana article, I found it really contradictory (which is what the author mentions due to lack of research). I really just want to find out why my friend (who was a pretty frequent pot smoker) gained about 15 pounds after quitting. However, there were other factors that may have caused the gains.
One, she was used to her own routine of unhealthy living habits but ate less. For example, she ate like once or twice a day, usually fast food or gas station food, but was satisfied with this. She was most likely not eating very many calories. Then her gf moved in with her and changed everything. They started eating smaller, more frequent meals, which completely disrupted what her body was used too.
But she also started working out so that kind of confuses things. Maybe it was just that point in her life. Idk. But she swears its from quitting weed. She also tried to quit cigarettes a few times too maybe that contributed to it lol!!
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
- Peanut butter is a must for me. I’m willing to try “healthier” peanut butters but when it comes to needing a quick snack to curb salty or sweet or both cravings, this does the trick. Not saying it has to be like this forever. But at least for now so I don’t go off the deep end while I’m still adjusting to cleaner eating.[/quote]
Fair enough, just remember how calorie-dense it is. A spoonful can be fine, spoonfuls, not so much.
Gotcha. Straight coconut can actually be a decent snack because the fat isn’t the same as, like, the fat in butter. Your body processes it differently. If the chips are store-bought, just obviously double-check for any sugar.
Less of that longer duration cardio, not less exercise overall. If you do drop it, make up for it with higher intensity lifting and faster-paced cardio (complexes or HIIT would work great).
Either Surge Recovery or Surge Workout Fuel would be fine. Immediately before, during, and immediately after training your body can put carbs “to work”, so it’s fine and even encouraged to knock back some quality protein and quality simple carbs in that proverbial window. A Sprite and a Slim Jim isn’t what we’re talking about here. Whey or hydrolyzed casein and a fast-acting carb will do fine.
BCAAs, depends who you ask. If your protein intake is on-point throughout the day, I’d say there’s not a real “need”, unless you’re on a specifically-designed overall low carb approach. Fat burners - we’re nowhere needing to discuss those now. They’re one of the last-last steps you might add as you approach the finish line and, even then, they’re certainly not always necessary.
This is the right mindset, hands down. You’re doin’ good, duckster.
If I were to drink Surge Recovery before my workouts, would I want to also drink a post-workout drink? I would most likely drink it after. Or maybe during and after. But just in case. I read the article but it’s still a lot of jargon to me as I am learning the basics.
Just read through this from the point of my last post to get caught up. Just a few observations.
Your workouts are probably fine. I saw where you mentioned you have knee issues regarding the squat. A video of you squatting would help tremendously in assessing that issue. But as far as your general template goes, I don’t see a problem.
It’s pretty clear to me that diet-wise, your problem is the snacks and the cheating. You just do too much of it to make substantial progress in the long run. And your healthy snacks are pretty much things I would consider to be junk food, aside from the jerky and peanut butter. The coconut chips are borderline. Quest bars aren’t great. As far as the peanut butter goes though, the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt.
As far as workout nutrition goes, something like Surge recovery is pretty good. I’ve used it and gotten good results. You could drink a whole serving after workout, or during and after, or even split it up to before during and after. Whatever you’re comfortable with. But I would limit to 1 serving, or 1 and a half for the more demanding workouts. I use Plazma myself, and use 1 scoop for my non-squat workouts, and 1 1/2 for my squat days.
Don’t worry about bcaa’s or fat burners. That’s minutia. Over the counter fat burners have a VERY minimal effect, and really only once you’re in great shape to begin with. The stimulant effect would be the only real benefit there. And bcaa’s just aren’t effective enough at any level to justify their use.
I find that smoking does diminish my work capacity. I would suggest that you smoke often enough that you have no idea what your actual ‘clean’ work capacity is. No real baseline to compare to if you’re smoking more than once a month. But that being said, plenty of people do smoke and see results, so do what you want in that regard.
I don’t believe your friend’s weight gain was related to the pot, based on what you said. She had poor eating habits, and you said she made major dietary changes around the same time. That seems more relevant.
Anyway, glad to see you still engaged in this thread. I assumed you’d drop off the map after a couple or 3 posts, as that’s what we generally see around here. It’s been a pleasant surprise to see you sticking it out to this point. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get where you want to be.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Just read through this from the point of my last post to get caught up. Just a few observations.
Your workouts are probably fine. I saw where you mentioned you have knee issues regarding the squat. A video of you squatting would help tremendously in assessing that issue. But as far as your general template goes, I don’t see a problem.
It’s pretty clear to me that diet-wise, your problem is the snacks and the cheating. You just do too much of it to make substantial progress in the long run. And your healthy snacks are pretty much things I would consider to be junk food, aside from the jerky and peanut butter. The coconut chips are borderline. Quest bars aren’t great. As far as the peanut butter goes though, the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt.
As far as workout nutrition goes, something like Surge recovery is pretty good. I’ve used it and gotten good results. You could drink a whole serving after workout, or during and after, or even split it up to before during and after. Whatever you’re comfortable with. But I would limit to 1 serving, or 1 and a half for the more demanding workouts. I use Plazma myself, and use 1 scoop for my non-squat workouts, and 1 1/2 for my squat days.
Don’t worry about bcaa’s or fat burners. That’s minutia. Over the counter fat burners have a VERY minimal effect, and really only once you’re in great shape to begin with. The stimulant effect would be the only real benefit there. And bcaa’s just aren’t effective enough at any level to justify their use.
I find that smoking does diminish my work capacity. I would suggest that you smoke often enough that you have no idea what your actual ‘clean’ work capacity is. No real baseline to compare to if you’re smoking more than once a month. But that being said, plenty of people do smoke and see results, so do what you want in that regard.
I don’t believe your friend’s weight gain was related to the pot, based on what you said. She had poor eating habits, and you said she made major dietary changes around the same time. That seems more relevant.
Anyway, glad to see you still engaged in this thread. I assumed you’d drop off the map after a couple or 3 posts, as that’s what we generally see around here. It’s been a pleasant surprise to see you sticking it out to this point. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get where you want to be.[/quote]
-
I can probably get a video of my squatting no problem.
-
Working on the snacks. Gotta get rid of the crappy ones first before buying new stuff. I don’t like to be wasteful. This week’s snacking has improved though I think. I will post later on that when the week is over. When I run out of jerky things get a little complicated. Must buy more jerky!
-
I think I will be purchasing Surge Recovery as soon as I get the last thing that I purchased. (Flavor God seasonings). I still have a little bit left of the protein I’ve been using and like I said I don’t want to be wasteful. But Surge for sure because I think a HUGE issue in the past is not feeding myself the right stuff after working out. So I was exercising and dieting but I just never gained any muscle. Also, I never pushed myself to lift heavier. I’m doing that now.
-
And yes, in the past I was that person who posted three times and vanished off the face of the Earth. But like I said, I’m using T-Nation to stay motivated. As long as I surround myself with healthy living, I will never lose that focus. So I will keep posting even if all I have to say is, “it’s working! It’s working!”
If you have unopened products you don’t want to waste, consider a food bank donation. I’ve worked with others to clean out their kitchens and start on diets, and this is something I usually recommend if I see a pantry full of extra boxes of cereal, pop tarts, chips, mac and cheese, etc.
I also believe eating the junk food is more wasteful than throwing it in the trash. If the end goal is to burn off the calories that you’re consuming in the first place, then I don’t see how eating the junk food could be considered anything but wasteful.
Everything else sounds good 
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
If you have unopened products you don’t want to waste, consider a food bank donation. I’ve worked with others to clean out their kitchens and start on diets, and this is something I usually recommend if I see a pantry full of extra boxes of cereal, pop tarts, chips, mac and cheese, etc.
I also believe eating the junk food is more wasteful than throwing it in the trash. If the end goal is to burn off the calories that you’re consuming in the first place, then I don’t see how eating the junk food could be considered anything but wasteful.
[/quote]
This is a really good recommendation. For those of us tackling physique goals, that cereal, pop tarts, and mac-and-cheese is probably more “wasteful” than anything. But for someone with nothing at all to eat, it could be beneficial. And then we get to start eating the good stuff we want right away rather than feeling obligated to eat bags of Goldfish because we just had them laying around.
Good stuff…but I already ate the goldfish haha. Anyways, the diet is coming along better than last week. Also, I just tried some complexes and it was a lot of fun. I like not having to leave the house to work out sometimes so this was nice. (I live really far from EVERYTHING, so not wasting gas and 30 mins both ways is good for me.) Something to know, my right lower and mid back hurt like a bitch during this workout so I was wondering if that means I am doing maybe the deadlifts wrong or if that muscle is just being worked and is weak? I did youtube Romanian and stiff legged deadlifts to make sure I was doing them right and I thought I was.
Here is the workout I did:
(I used circular 5 lb weights that I found in my garage lol)
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of…
- Swings
- Squats
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Stiff-legged Deadlifts
- Bent over row
Rest/dance for 3-4 minutes (back hurt really bad so needed extra rest time. Kept heart rate up by dancing haha)
I did this three times.
Then I did a little ab work.
12, 15, 20 of…
- Crunches
- Oblique twists w/ weight
- Flutter kicks
I did three sets of these as well.
^Any chance you can save $40 and buy a kettlebell? Or a pair of heavier dumbbells of craigslist or a used sporting goods store? I suspect those would give a lot more bang for your buck than a million reps with 5 pound weights.
My GF used to do Jillian Michaels DVD’s with 5 pound dumbbells and considered that a workout.
She now swings a 45-pound kettlebell for high reps (30+) and can swing a 62-pounder for 15 reps.
She has gotten much stronger since she ditched the pink-dumbbell stuff and started doing heavier work.
If the money is an issue…well, I’ll just say this. People spend money on stupid shit all the time. Like you mentioned, driving to the gym a couple days a week will put you through a tank of gas every few weeks. There’s your 40 bucks. It costs less than a night or two out on the town. You can find 40 bucks for a kettlebell (20-30 pounds would be a good start) or a pair of heavier dumbbells (15 pounders, perhaps).
Lol I have $40. We actually sell kettle bells at my work but I’m waiting for this three pack to come in because it’s way cheaper than buying them separately. I don’t remember what the weights were though. So I’ll make sure I get something more than 10 lbs.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Lol I have $40. We actually sell kettle bells at my work but I’m waiting for this three pack to come in because it’s way cheaper than buying them separately. I don’t remember what the weights were though. So I’ll make sure I get something more than 10 lbs.[/quote]
It’s only cheaper if you’ll actually use them.
Good point I’m just not sure what weight to start with. Don’t know what I can handle. My back was hurting pretty bad with just the little weights I had so wondering if just weak back or doing the motions wrong.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
My back was hurting pretty bad with just the little weights I had so wondering if just weak back or doing the motions wrong.[/quote]
weak glutes and core, most likely.
Have you been doing those exercises I told you in your warm up?
I did them once I honestly forgot! So I’ll incorporate those before complexes and legs. Or we’re you thinking I should be doing them even with arm days?
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Good point I’m just not sure what weight to start with. Don’t know what I can handle. My back was hurting pretty bad with just the little weights I had so wondering if just weak back or doing the motions wrong.[/quote]
Which specific exercises? If you’re back is hurting from kB swings or similar, you are doing them wrong. The strain should be in your hamstrings and glutes.
I think my back is hurting from the deadlifts and bent over rows.
Alright here we go, bring on the comments. At first I was like, “Yes, I’m doing way better this week!” And then my best friend came from out of town for her birthday on Friday the 13th and things got a little rocky. And then I kind of ran out of food. But here is my food exercise/log for last week. My big goals to improve next week: LIFT MORE! Eat more throughout the day so I’m not starving by 10pm.
Food/Exercise Log
Monday 3/9:
Meal 1: Life cereal w/ hemp seeds and soymilk; coffee
Meal 2: Almonds and beef jerky
Meal 3: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas, carrots and hummus; yogurt
Afternoon coffee w/ little creamer
Meal 4: Coconut chips; curry chicken w/ veggies [I got hungry!]
Meal 5: Curry chicken w/ veggies
Gym- 30 mins elliptical; stretch
Meal 6: Quest bar
Supplements- Juice plus, fish oil
Tuesday 3/10:
Coffee
Meal 1: Egg whites; two dippy eggs; potatoes and peppers; 2 slices turkey bacon; ¼ grape fruit; soymilk
Gym- Back/bi/10 mins HIIT
Meal 2: Post-workout protein shake
Meal 3: Curry chicken w/ veggies and brown rice
Meal 4: Almonds and tortilla chips
Meal 5: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; carrots, snap peas and hummus; yogurt
Supplements- Juice plus, fish oil
Wednesday 3/11:
Meal 1: Quest bar
Gym- Shoulders/Abs/10 mins HIIT
Meal 2: Egg whites; two dippy eggs; potatoes and peppers; 3 slices turkey bacon; ¼ grape fruit; soymilk; coffee
Meal 3: Almonds and protein shake
Meal 4: Curry chicken w/ veggies and brown rice
Meal 5: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; carrots, snap peas and hummus; yogurt
Late-night snack: Dove dark chocolate
Supplements- Juice plus, fish oil
Thursday 3/12:
Coffee
Meal 1: Egg whites; two dippy eggs; potatoes and peppers; 3 slices turkey bacon; ¼ grape fruit; soymilk
Meal 2: Almonds and yogurt
Weighted complexes/abs
Meal 3: Post-workout protein smoothie (mixed berries, pineapple, spinach leaves, soy milk, honey, maca powder, flax seeds (or meal), hemp seeds, protein powder)
Meal 4: Brown rice spaghetti and turkey meatball marinara; side salad with EVOO and balsamic vinegar
Meal 5: Curry chicken w/ veggies and brown rice
Late-night snack: Dove dark chocolate
Supplements- Juice plus, fish oil
Friday 3/13:
Coffee
Meal 1: Oatmeal w/ peanut butter
Meal 2: Almonds and yogurt
Meal 3: Peanut butter toast; carrots, snap peas, and hummus; milk
Meal 4: Brown rice spaghetti and turkey meatball marinara
Drinks; bite of hamburger and fries from Jack In the Box
Saturday 3/14:
Meal 1: Two over medium eggs; two slices bacon; two pieces of toast w/ butter; ½ grape fruit; milk (3 glasses!!)
Meal 2: Cheat Meal! 24oz smoothie and American cheese pretzel from Keva Juice
Grocery shop
Meal 3: Beef jerky; carrots, snap peas and hummus
Light run/walk with my dog for 25 mins
Meal 4: Brown rice spaghetti and turkey meatball marinara
Meal 5: Chips and salsa
Dove dark chocolate; taste tested Flavor God seasonings with hummus and cauliflower
Supplements: Juice Plus
Sunday 3/15:
Coffee
Meal 1: Egg whites; two dippy eggs; potatoes and peppers; 3 slices turkey bacon; ¼ grape fruit; soymilk
Meal 2: Cashews and beef jerky
Meal 3: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; carrots, cauliflower and hummus; yogurt
Meal 4: Tuna w/ sweet relish, lite mayo, and mustard; chips and salsa; dove dark chocolate
Meal 5: Snap peas and hummus
Supplements: Juice Plus