Rant of the Day

Diet and Nutrition
1

By nature, im a pretty angry person. I criticize everyone and anything, get pissed off at something or someone 25 times a day yet I tend to hold everything in until I find an equally angry person to vent with. From now on, T-nation will be my equally angry person…

Here goes:
Im 22, and work with two older guys, I’d say mid 40s, both pretty out of shape, yet trying to get into shape.
At the time of this incident, I was cycling MAG-10, and as such eating a crapload of food, including for lunch that day a 16oz top sirloin steak and 3 cups of pasta. During my excellent, protein packed bulking meal, on two seperate occasions, both co-workers came in to the warehouse, surveyed my lunch and said “You’re going to be fat one day, look at all that red meat youre eating.” I basically laughed, and continued stuffing my face. Not long after, the other guy came in and said “if you keep eating like that, when you get older, youll be fat.” Seeing as how this is the second time someone has mentioned this to me, I responded by saying “how come?” playing dumb of course. The guy came back to me and said “When I was your age, I weighed 127lbs, and when you get older, your metabolism slows down and you get fat”

now, I have certainly heard that excuse before. Blaming the ever popular metabolism on you being a fat ass. Its funny how the only people that blame metabolism for their fatassness are the ones who dont work out and dont watch what they eat.

Now understandably, they dont know my background, for all they know I could just be some “skinny” punk kid (im 6’ 183 ~12.5% bf) who has the metabolism of a race horse. I mean, what are the chances I log my food intake and work out 5 times a week?

When will people begin to understand that THEY control their metabolism, and THEY control their fat asses. These same co workers are the ones who eat special K for breakfast and a plate of pasta for lunch, then dinner, comprimised of the same, and wonder why they are fat. Sorry, one of them is a fat-skinny bastard.

Tell me to shut up if im being unreasonable, but when will people get it? They are to blame for their own demise. I HATE it when people blame their metabolism, their schedule, or their lifestyle on the fact that they look like shit.

Soapbox off…
Thank You T-Nation…
Until Next time…

2

You’re not being unreasonable. I hate this pansy ass excuse over any other. Yeah, you’re metabolism slows down when you get older. It always does come from some fat ass. I’m 34 and I hear it all the time. They’re telling me this while I sport a six-pack now and will sport a six-pack ten years from now. Trust me, you’re not the only one. This comment irritates me more than any other. In National Geographic they actually did a study to see why we are in the midst of this obesity epidemic and were testing the theory of a slowing metabolism across the population. You know what they found out? Our metabolisms aren’t any slower now than they were 50 years ago. The reason why for the epidemic you ask? The average fat ass is stuffing his/her face with an additional 200+ calories per day compared to the average person 30 years ago.

3

Add in the fact that we know so much about our bodies now, for example how many calories we need to MAINTAIN our weight, how much to add to gain weight, and how many calories to subtract to lose weight… To me, it seems impossible to get fat IF you take the right steps.

Good for you for maintaining the six pack. Look at Arnold. Still looked super shredded in Terminator 3 regardless of the fact he was 56.

4

Yeah, I felt the EXACT same way as you - 12 years ago. I stayed lean eating monstrous amounts of food, and I thought I would ALWAYS be able to eat like that because I lifted weights for 5 hours a week! Those old people had pathetic metabolisms because they didn’t lift weights like me!

Well, years have gone by and even though I still lift weights, I can’t eat as much as I used to without putting on FAT. Is is OK for me to bemoan losing the metabolism of my youth? I LOVE to eat and I MISS being able to eat everything I want! (Not that I am bitter about that!)

Sure, you can stay fit and lean and muscular, like Arnold, as you get older - BUT can you still eat JUST AS MUCH as you did when you were 20? Do you think Arnold eats AS MUCH now as he did when he was younger?

I would love to know how much food YOU will be able to eat and still be lean 20 years from now. But since that requires too much patience, let’s hear from the over-40 crowd on this board. If you are over 40, reasonably lean, and a typical meal consists of 16 oz of steak and 3 cups of pasta, speak up! And most importantly, TELL ME YOUR SECRETS!

5


he he good rant. I concur; too few people take responsibility for themselves these days.

On a side note: Arnold and Ferrigno have really maintained their physiques over the years eh?

Look at Defranco’s dad. He’s quite the inspiration too.

6

You have a good point. One way to look at it is that those people haven’t been exposed to the BB lifestyle and don’t realize how many more calories are consumed when one trains heavily. Iron and my saying is “people don’t understand the BB lifestyle”, when ppl comment about the large amounts of food we eat. Also most ppl are sedentary, so even more so this rule applies. It’s from a lack of knowledge and exposure where these comments come.

7

Dont get me wrong, If I eat a crapload of food, by this I mean an amount way over my limit (4142 kcals) I will no doubt gain weight. In fact, just 2 years ago, I was on the POW diet because I thought I could never gain weight. I ended up balooning from 163 to 195 and it took me over a year to diet off all of the excess fat.

I am in no way disputing that as you get older your metabolism may in fact slow down. I am moreso disputing the fact that people tend to blame their slowing metabolism as a reason they are fat. If you take your slower metabolism or in general your RMR into effect when calculating your daily caloric intake (which you HAVE to do anyway), there shouldnt be any reason to get fat.

In 20 years from now, im sure I wont be needing to eat a 16oz steak and 3 cups of pasta for lunch to gain weight, im sure it will be much less, but regardless of this, the fact still remains that I will indeed know what my limit is, and im sure most of us on here do.

8

Good posts, everybody. I wish more people watched what they ate, then I wouldn’t have to see so many fat corpses around here.

Geez, that was morbid. Sorry, I’m having a hell of a time at work right now, and needed to get my T-Nation fix! I’ll stop being a downer later, honest!