For the 'Just Eat' Crowd

Diet and Nutrition
1

I’ve been looking at post after post at the “Rate my Physique” area of the boards and I repeatidly see “Eat food” in responce to small, fetus-like children, beind disapointed in their 2.4/10 rating.

After hearing this comment over and over, I question the people saying such things. Are people practicing what they preach? Don’t think of this as a angry rant because it’s not. I’m just curious what these people look like.

I often speak to kids in their late teens, early twentys and find them reporting to me that their “eating a ton” is 3,000 calories for Bean Stock Billy, who’s 6’ 145lb and his emaciated abs. He claims his size is due to his large intake of calories and constant meals. As I respond with, “you should probably be taking in more in the neighborhood of 5-6k calories a day.” They can hardly comprehend how that’s even humanly possible.

So my question really is, what does the guy on the other side of the computer screen really look like? Should he even be allowed to be telling you, “EAT.”

2

[quote]naughtybox wrote:
I’ve been looking at post after post at the “Rate my Physique” area of the boards and I repeatidly see “Eat food” in responce to small, fetus-like children, beind disapointed in their 2.4/10 rating.

After hearing this comment over and over, I question the people saying such things. Are people practicing what they preach? Don’t think of this as a angry rant because it’s not. I’m just curious what these people look like.

I often speak to kids in their late teens, early twentys and find them reporting to me that their “eating a ton” is 3,000 calories for Bean Stock Billy, who’s 6’ 145lb and his emaciated abs. He claims his size is due to his large intake of calories and constant meals. As I respond with, “you should probably be taking in more in the neighborhood of 5-6k calories a day.” They can hardly comprehend how that’s even humanly possible.

So my question really is, what does the guy on the other side of the computer screen really look like? Should he even be allowed to be telling you, “EAT.”[/quote]

I wish you would have posted this in another forum because I believe it could actually turn into a decent discussion. It may not get enough views here.

I have never competed but may in the near future. My pics are in my profile and if it is set to private (I haven’t checked) I can pm them to you. I honestly believe that no one should be giving advice on this forum unless they have shown their picture (not even shirtless) somewhere on this site in the past. I get the feeling there are way too many 135lbs newbies “advising” everyone on how to get big.

3

Well for me personally: When I’m done with the v-diet and transition and the like and am getting around 3000kcal my food will look about like this:

Meal 1: 3 servings oatmeal, 1 cup skim milk, s scoop Metabolic Drive
Meal 2: 4eggs, 2 egg whites, 2 servings cheese, onions, tomatoes
Meal 3: sandwich, 2 slices pumpernickel bread, 3 servings turkey, 2 servings cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, green beans
meal 4: Surge
Meal 5: 2 chicken breasts, 1 cup brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower
Snack 1 1/2 oz almonds
Meal 6: 200 grams-95% lean ground beef, salad type veggies, 1 serving cheese, 1 serving sour cream

This will be when I’m getting back closer to my maintenence calories, these numbers worked up to in the ballpark of 3000 calories with about 250g carbs, 240ishg protein.

This will be a typical workout/higher carb day

I forget the exact numbers that will be a few hundred calories under maintenence for me.

4

I think people just say “eat food” because it’s short and catchy and makes them sound clever.

After three years of hard, but admittedly in-consistant work, I don’t have a physique to brag about. I’m 6’2", 225lbs the last time I weighed and probably around 18% bodyfat. I put on 55lbs of that in the last three years, but about half of that was fat, mostly because I’ve been inconsistent in my diet. I don’t have a camera, but plan on getting one soon, and will post pics asap.

Anyway, because I don’t feel I’ve walked the walk, I don’t often talk the talk. I only occaisionally post in the Supp and Nutrition Forums when I feel I have something to add.

But getting back to the ‘Just Eat’ responses, I recommend the “but I already eat a ton” kids count their calories. Always eating means nothing. Always being full means nothing. You’ve got to sit down everyday and do the math to make sure you’re getting enough, and if you’re not you need to find ways to pack more in. It’s just that simple.

5

[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
But getting back to the ‘Just Eat’ responses, I recommend the “but I already eat a ton” kids count their calories. Always eating means nothing. Always being full means nothing. You’ve got to sit down everyday and do the math to make sure you’re getting enough, and if you’re not you need to find ways to pack more in. It’s just that simple.[/quote]

Man, this hits close to home. I’ve never been ‘small’ in my life, and I’ve gained a good amount of weight and muscle, but It was mindblowing when I first counted calories. In my first few years of serious lifting, I felt like I was eating all the damn time, and I never once felt hungry.

However, the math told a different story, and I was barely getting 2,500-3,000 calories a day. I somehow had gained a ton of weight eating like this, and because of my results, I thought I was an eating machine and was doing everything right.

6

[quote]naughtybox wrote:

So my question really is, what does the guy on the other side of the computer screen really look like?

[/quote]

Just look at their profile pictures.
Sounds kinda gay, doesn’t it?
NTTAWWT

7

It’s a messageboard. People bullshit all the time and you might not even know if the picture the person posted is real or not. If someone who isn’t getting the gains they want, they should just search the board and read some articles from the professionals who post here. Nobody would even have to tell the person to eat more if they researched it first.

8

[quote]strungoutboy21 wrote:
It’s a messageboard. People bullshit all the time and you might not even know if the picture the person posted is real or not. If someone who isn’t getting the gains they want, they should just search the board and read some articles from the professionals who post here. Nobody would even have to tell the person to eat more if they researched it first.[/quote]

There are thousands of articles from different authors, some with conflicting points of view. One even seems to think bodybuilding is the devil (at least that’s the way it seems) but there is no need to go there. These forums do serve a purpose. They allow communication with people with similar goals. No one should try to degrade that as if it doesn’t mean much. It would also mean a whole lot more if everyone was required to show whether they actually lift weights or not.

9

Why does it matter what someone looks like (to an extent)? Honestly, I’m not a big guy, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if someone isn’t gaining weight with their current intake, they need to then eat more. Granted, more details are needed, but this is a message board, what do you expect.

To put it another way. Take someone with a great amount of knowledge on fitness, and let’s say they’re handicapped in some way, so would their advice not be good because they don’t have an amazing physique?

It’s one thing to know something and help coach people, it’s another to know something and put it into practice.

I’m 5’8 170 lbs, so again not big by any standards, and I know people at the gym probably look at my size and think, geez he’s a trainer? As long as you’re “fit” what’s the need for someone to have a huge frame?
Doesn’t make their knowledge any less true.

This is one reason that I’m currently “eating more food” to gain weight, to get away from that stigma along with some other reasons, but it’s still a crock of crap IMO.

10

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Why does it matter what someone looks like (to an extent)? Honestly, I’m not a big guy, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if someone isn’t gaining weight with their current intake, they need to then eat more. Granted, more details are needed, but this is a message board, what do you expect.

To put it another way. Take someone with a great amount of knowledge on fitness, and let’s say they’re handicapped in some way, so would their advice not be good because they don’t have an amazing physique?

It’s one thing to know something and help coach people, it’s another to know something and put it into practice.

I’m 5’8 170 lbs, so again not big by any standards, and I know people at the gym probably look at my size and think, geez he’s a trainer? As long as you’re “fit” what’s the need for someone to have a huge frame?
Doesn’t make their knowledge any less true.

This is one reason that I’m currently “eating more food” to gain weight, to get away from that stigma along with some other reasons, but it’s still a crock of crap IMO.

[/quote]

It’s hard to get around the fact that you are training others to become strong yet you yourself are not.

Sure, you don’t have to be large to have knowledge, for example, Chad Waterbury isn’t massive and he admits he doesn’t want to be.

I’m talking about the uneducated, people that resemble twigs who feel they can tell others their size, that they need to eat more like them, “A LOT.”

It’s almost like they’re puppets. One of these skinny kids over hears a bigger dude telling other smaller guys that they need to eat more. Now a couple days later this kid is sitting around with his equally sized training partner and tells him “you need to eat more!”

Yuk.

11

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Why does it matter what someone looks like (to an extent)? Honestly, I’m not a big guy, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if someone isn’t gaining weight with their current intake, they need to then eat more. Granted, more details are needed, but this is a message board, what do you expect.

To put it another way. Take someone with a great amount of knowledge on fitness, and let’s say they’re handicapped in some way, so would their advice not be good because they don’t have an amazing physique?

It’s one thing to know something and help coach people, it’s another to know something and put it into practice.

I’m 5’8 170 lbs, so again not big by any standards, and I know people at the gym probably look at my size and think, geez he’s a trainer? As long as you’re “fit” what’s the need for someone to have a huge frame?
Doesn’t make their knowledge any less true.

This is one reason that I’m currently “eating more food” to gain weight, to get away from that stigma along with some other reasons, but it’s still a crock of crap IMO.

[/quote]

I used to be a personal trainer. I also speak with bodybuilders who compete often whether they are smaller than me or not. It isn’t that hard to figure out if the person you are speaking with is helpful or speaking out of their ass. I personally would never walk up to someone that much smaller than me for advice. About what? It does take a different approach once you already have significant size on you.

Do you honestly feel you are the best person to speak with to get a 250+lbs bodybuilder into contest shape? If you do feel that way, please explain. If you don’t, why?

12

[quote]Professor X wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Why does it matter what someone looks like (to an extent)? Honestly, I’m not a big guy, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if someone isn’t gaining weight with their current intake, they need to then eat more. Granted, more details are needed, but this is a message board, what do you expect.

To put it another way. Take someone with a great amount of knowledge on fitness, and let’s say they’re handicapped in some way, so would their advice not be good because they don’t have an amazing physique?

It’s one thing to know something and help coach people, it’s another to know something and put it into practice.

I’m 5’8 170 lbs, so again not big by any standards, and I know people at the gym probably look at my size and think, geez he’s a trainer? As long as you’re “fit” what’s the need for someone to have a huge frame?
Doesn’t make their knowledge any less true.

This is one reason that I’m currently “eating more food” to gain weight, to get away from that stigma along with some other reasons, but it’s still a crock of crap IMO.

I used to be a personal trainer. I also speak with bodybuilders who compete often whether they are smaller than me or not. It isn’t that hard to figure out if the person you are speaking with is helpful or speaking out of their ass. I personally would never walk up to someone that much smaller than me for advice. About what? It does take a different approach once you already have significant size on you.

Do you honestly feel you are the best person to speak with to get a 250+lbs bodybuilder into contest shape? If you do feel that way, please explain. If you don’t, why?
[/quote]

considering my area of expertise (or niche you could say), is not the bodybuilding type going into a contest, no I don’t think I should be the one giving the advice.

however, just because I’m not 200 lbs at 6% BF, doesn’t mean that I don’t have the knowledge to help someone put on muscle.

13

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:

considering my area of expertise (or niche you could say), is not the bodybuilding type going into a contest, no I don’t think I should be the one giving the advice.

however, just because I’m not 200 lbs at 6% BF, doesn’t mean that I don’t have the knowledge to help someone put on muscle.
[/quote]

Oh, so we are speaking of hypothetical situations? Well, gee, then I guess it is possible that the 160lbs trainer is who I should speak with. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what do you think the probability is that 160lbs trainer is who the 250+lbs bodybuilder should search for info?

Another question, why do smaller lifters always have to inform everyone that there is a possibility that smaller lifters are more knowledgeable than those who have either built the size currently or in the past? Why is it those same people are rarely more knowledgeable themselves even though they want to inform of the possibility constantly?

You wrote, “doesn’t mean that I don’t have the knowledge to help someone put on muscle.”. Wouldn’t someone weighing 250+lbs at average height already know themselves how to put on muscle?

14

The only person I would seek advice from, is someone who has been where I want to be. If I want to squat 700lbs, and I currently squat 600, I have strong doubts that someone who squats 315 can help me achieve that.

Same holds true (for me) for physique. If I want to get to 250 and am currently at 220, I would not ask someone 160 how to do it.

Right or wrong, thats how I see it.

15

I would not trust a 160 lbs “bodybuilder trainer” who only trains himself.

I WOULD trust a 160 “bodybuilder trainer” who has several 250 lbs clients who swear by his training.

Somehow they need to prove themselves.

16

[quote] Matt wrote:
The only person I would seek advice from, is someone who has been where I want to be. If I want to squat 700lbs, and I currently squat 600, I have strong doubts that someone who squats 315 can help me achieve that.

Same holds true (for me) for physique. If I want to get to 250 and am currently at 220, I would not ask someone 160 how to do it.

Right or wrong, thats how I see it.[/quote]

I agree with this completely.

Even if the 315 squatter did “know” what it takes to reach a 700 lb squat, he would have no idea what holding 700 pounds feels like. I don’t trust that.

I look for people who are where I want to be for advice. They would have to have a pretty impressive training resume for me to think otherwise.

17

[quote]Professor X wrote:

I get the feeling there are way too many 135lbs newbies “advising” everyone on how to get big.[/quote]

or they are 16 and have no real life experience, or only 1 month ago they were asking for help and now they dish it out.

It would be nice to have a “this guy knows his shit” gage under peoples avatars, but people repeating other ppls advice would also get high ratings.

In a strange way the T-Nation “Level” helps me a little. I at least know that the person didn’t start last week and probably lifts themselves.

But “Level” is obviously not flawless, it misses people who did not order from the site and includes the people who spend hundreds on sups and expect the sups to do the heavy lifting and physique building.

Seems to me pics, or pics of clients would help weed out the wanna be’s.

18

I disagree with this attitude completely. There are A LOT of coaches and trainers out there that could never hope to approach the level of their genetically gifted, younger, or chemically enhanced trainees. Sure, it’s great if they can also “walk the walk”, but knowledge and successful training experience count for more in my book. I would learn just as much from someone half my size who could snatch twice their bodyweight as I could from someone my size even though the actual weight is greater. What’s the difference as long as they’re teaching good form with solid methodologies and helping me progress?

As far as the “Just EAT MORE” crowd goes, it’s usually good advice if they’re also stressing healthy food choices. I agree it’s often a silly, flippant response written without any real thought behind it. But again, just because you don’t have a body like Ronnie Coleman doesn’t mean your incapable of teaching someone else how to achieve it.

Knowledge is the key.

20

Great rant but how important is it really?

I mean I just want to make sure I understand your question.

Your telling me if I’m 125lbs and want to gain muscle. Then some 100lb guy tells me to “just eat”, and I do this. That the end result is not the same as if some 300lbs muscle behometh says the same thing?

21

[quote]Airtruth wrote:
Great rant but how important is it really?

I mean I just want to make sure I understand your question.

Your telling me if I’m 125lbs and want to gain muscle. Then some 100lb guy tells me to “just eat”, and I do this. That the end result is not the same as if some 300lbs muscle behometh says the same thing?[/quote]

It’s not bad as long as the answer is given at the right time.
If a guy lifts no weights and jogs 10 miles a day and 10 newbies reply “Just eat” it is not the best advice in the situation.