Quick question: Is applejuice good to drink? The canned stuff I mean. Cause i love the stuff and I have always thought it is good for you. I know water is obviousely the best choice and should be taken 8-9/10 but should we stay clear of canned applejuice or just have it rarely?
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
I am discovering that I find lettuce barely edible as a salad component. Onions, peppers, carrots are all good, though.
I’m going to try spinach as a salad base and see how that goes. I like spinach in stuff, so I have high hopes.[/quote]
You’re right – lettuce is kinda gross and worthless. You will be a lot happier w the spinach. And 4 cups of raw spinach is only 9g of carbs, so pile it on!
Watch out for the carrots – they can really spike your blood sugar. A couple mini carrots cut up in a salad is ok, at least in my experience.
I think your breakfast sounded damn good. It seems like you are trying to get in about a gram of protein per body weight every day. That is excellent!
[quote]NorthRugby wrote:
Quick question: Is applejuice good to drink? The canned stuff I mean. Cause i love the stuff and I have always thought it is good for you. I know water is obviousely the best choice and should be taken 8-9/10 but should we stay clear of canned applejuice or just have it rarely?[/quote]
Personally I wouldn’t drink it, but some here and there shouldn’t hurt as long as it’s 100% juice minus sugar and high fructose corn syrup etc. Even then you can easily drink several hundred high GI cals of liquid fructose in a few seconds if you’re not careful. I just eat apples to be honest.
[quote]e-loo wrote:
<<<You will be a lot happier w the spinach. And 4 cups of raw spinach is only 9g of carbs, so pile it on!>>>
[/quote]
Not to mention that spinach is practically a superfood as far as micronutrient density albeit quite a bit more expensive than lettuce.
I second the dont drink apple juice just eat apples idea. Unless you have a HUGE craving for apple juice. Then I would go with the Juicy Juice brand or something similar that is 100% fruit juice. It may not taste as good as other brands, but you also wont be drinking tons of high fructose corn syrup (AKA liquid obesity).
Spinach is good.
Much more palatable texture and flavor to me, so that’s cool. I will say that the week or so I went without solid food made me a lot bigger fan of vegatables.
Started to go hypoglycemic earlier today. I’m not entirely sure what the X factor there is, other than the fact that I’m eating a lot less carbs than previously.
I’ve never had a sweet tooth, but I do have a potato and grain tooth, as it were.
I managed it fine, and I’m consulting with the Doc to see what’s up.
Despite that, had a good workout today.
Bench
45 * 10
135 * 5
155 * 3
185 * 2
215 * 2, 2
225 * 2, 1, 1
205 * 3
185 * 6
CG Bench
135 * 8, 8
Notes: After I got warmed up, I felt pretty peppy, hence the weight increase. 225 and above is where it’s get difficult for me.
I’ve never been much of a bencher, and shoulder problems (now - knock on wood- under control) have usually stalled me after I get 225 for reps.
I’m hoping that’s not going to be the case this time.
Deadlifts
135 * 5
185 * 2
225 * 1
255 * 2,2,2,2,3
225 * 5
185 * 6
Notes: I was feeling a little fried from the benchorama, so I was surprised at how easy these were. I really should have used 265 or 275. Ah well.
Cybex Press
45 * 5
90 * 2, 2, 2
Note : Not bad. Using the two plates on each side is, indeed, fun.
DB Rows
105 * 3
Notes: Left hand kept crapping out on me, and I had to reset between each rep.
So…
Pulldowns
150 * 5
230 * 5, 5, 5
Notes: I have no idea if that weight is accurate or not. Felt awfully easy, considering.
Abs and rotator work.
Walked four miles.
So, good day.
Thanks for the support, by the way.
It is appreciated.
Re: Apple Juice
Berardi makes the good point that it’s really easy to drink calories.
Good if you’re skinny, bad if you’re fat.
One of the bad eating eating habits I don’t have is drinking my calories; it’s coffee, tea and water for me.
I’d rather eat my calories whenever possible.
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
Started to go hypoglycemic earlier today. [/quote]
Define hypoglycemic as you’re using it. 40, 30, 20?
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
Thanks for the support, by the way.
[/quote]
People supported you from jump. They did so by telling you the V-Diet was not for you.
Let’s this be a lesson learned: Often when people tell you what you do not want to hear, they are supporting you. Indeed, they are supporting you moreso than if they told you what you wanted to hear instead of the truth.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
JWJordan wrote:
Started to go hypoglycemic earlier today.
Define hypoglycemic as you’re using it. 40, 30, 20?[/quote]
I’ve been away from the test kit each time it’s happened (kit in car, me, elsewhere) but I get the shakes and sweating that goes away with carbs.
If it happens again, I’m hoping to be in a position where I can hit the blood test.
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
I’ve been away from the test kit each time it’s happened (kit in car, me, elsewhere) but I get the shakes and sweating that goes away with carbs.
If it happens again, I’m hoping to be in a position where I can hit the blood test.[/quote]
When I finally changed my diet like you are doing, I had to test a lot – it seemed like almost everyday for a while, I needed to adjust my insulin dosage downward, as the food I was eating really started to even out the blood sugar spikes. I can’t remember if you are taking diabetes medication or not.
And btw on a totally unrelated note, as you start losing the fat you are going to find out you have a damn powerful set of wheels. Carrying that amt of weight around w you for so long has one benefit – building leg strength and leg muscle. Yr calves are going to be the envy of everybody at the gym. My big challenge right now is trying to bring my upper body up to match my legs.
[quote]e-loo wrote:
<<<When I finally changed my diet like you are doing, I had to test a lot – it seemed like almost everyday for a while, I needed to adjust my insulin dosage downward, as the food I was eating really started to even out the blood sugar spikes. I can’t remember if you are taking diabetes medication or not.
[/quote]
Yeah, I hated those clammy sweats and it’s embarrassing too. I used to wonder if people thought I was on crack or something.
I was amazed how fast my levels fell into place once I got back into training and started eating right again. My body was hugging itself in gratitude for some good food and solid exercise.
On yet another note. Stay away from Ephedrine if you’ve even thought about it. At least for a good while until everything,s under control. I started fiddling with it at very low doses and in a couple days I was averaging 40-60 points higher. Knocked it off and it came right back down.
Checking my blood sugar right before a meal, I was down to 98, which I felt fine on, but is the lowest reading I’ve had since I started paying attention.
Meat, fruits, veggies and shakes. Had some bread at lunch, which jacked the blood sugar up 170.
So long as I avoid grains, or large amounts of grains anyway, the blood sugar is staying down below 120.
Weight went up a couple of pounds with the reintroduction of carbs, but still down a few pounds and feeling good.
Actually, I’m feeling really solid under the weights which may be the protein, the Surge or simply psychological.
Walked a mile and some change today, which was shorter than usual thanks to windchill, snow and ice.
Better than nothing.
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
Checking my blood sugar right before a meal, I was down to 98, which I felt fine on, but is the lowest reading I’ve had since I started paying attention.
Meat, fruits, veggies and shakes. Had some bread at lunch, which jacked the blood sugar up 170.
So long as I avoid grains, or large amounts of grains anyway, the blood sugar is staying down below 120.
Weight went up a couple of pounds with the reintroduction of carbs, but still down a few pounds and feeling good.
Actually, I’m feeling really solid under the weights which may be the protein, the Surge or simply psychological.
Walked a mile and some change today, which was shorter than usual thanks to windchill, snow and ice.
Better than nothing.
[/quote]
Is this with or without the medication? 98 is actually about perfect and 170 while high isn’t THAT bad. For being this early this is really good good especially if it’s without the medication. Be glad you caught it early.
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
Weight went up a couple of pounds with the reintroduction of carbs, but still down a few pounds and feeling good.[/quote]
Don’t worry about the weight so much as body composition, and surely don’t sweat it from day to day… (I know you know that - because you have T-Nation.)
When I was losing my weight, I screwed up for about 4 months on calculating my energy balance and I ate way less than I needed. Man weight was coming off! But a lot of it was muscle. . .didn’t know about T-Nation then or Dr, Berardi’s energy calculator:
http://www.johnberardi.com/updates/july262002/na_masscalculator.htm
Happily somebody at the gym pulled me aside and said “you’re starving yourself.” Recalculated and they were right.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
JWJordan wrote:
Checking my blood sugar right before a meal, I was down to 98, which I felt fine on, but is the lowest reading I’ve had since I started paying attention.
Meat, fruits, veggies and shakes. Had some bread at lunch, which jacked the blood sugar up 170.
So long as I avoid grains, or large amounts of grains anyway, the blood sugar is staying down below 120.
Weight went up a couple of pounds with the reintroduction of carbs, but still down a few pounds and feeling good.
Actually, I’m feeling really solid under the weights which may be the protein, the Surge or simply psychological.
Walked a mile and some change today, which was shorter than usual thanks to windchill, snow and ice.
Better than nothing.
Is this with or without the medication? 98 is actually about perfect and 170 while high isn’t THAT bad. For being this early this is really good good especially if it’s without the medication. Be glad you caught it early.[/quote]
That’s with meds. It’s improving, though, at the same level of medication. The long term goal to be to get off them.
No side effects, but I don’t like having to take pills.
(Well, I don’t mind actually taking the pills, mind you, it’s the having to do so that annoys me.)
But so long as I avoid starchy carbs and sugar, it’s staying down there nicely.
[quote]e-loo wrote:
JWJordan wrote:
Weight went up a couple of pounds with the reintroduction of carbs, but still down a few pounds and feeling good.
Don’t worry about the weight so much as body composition, and surely don’t sweat it from day to day… (I know you know that - because you have T-Nation.)
When I was losing my weight, I screwed up for about 4 months on calculating my energy balance and I ate way less than I needed. Man weight was coming off! But a lot of it was muscle. . .didn’t know about T-Nation then or Dr, Berardi’s energy calculator:
http://www.johnberardi.com/updates/july262002/na_masscalculator.htm
Happily somebody at the gym pulled me aside and said “you’re starving yourself.” Recalculated and they were right.
[/quote]
I’m not really tracking the calories right now, actually.
I’m making sure I get enough protein (200 grams or so, usually a bit more), and trying to eat a veggie or a fruit with every protein.
Well, I say trying, but I haven’t had any problems doing so, thus far. I’ve got a nice rhythym of fruits for the first two meals and veggies for the rest.
Not that it surprises me, and certainly won’t surprise you, but this ends up being quite a lot of food, volume wise.
It’s quite a lot of eating.
I’m not too concerned with the weight. I’d like to lose, and I think I will, but I’m trying to get the eating habits established before I fuck with anything.
Still, waist seems to be shrinking and strength is still going up, so I got no complaints.
[quote]JWJordan wrote:
I’m not really tracking the calories right now, actually.
I’m making sure I get enough protein (200 grams or so, usually a bit more), and trying to eat a veggie or a fruit with every protein.
I’m trying to get the eating habits established before I fuck with anything.[/quote]
That sounds like a hell of a good plan.
Personally I am not good at counting calories – I would rather think about grams for some reason. Dunno, seems like my math challenged brain is better at that.
Are you sure that is enough protein?
There is an advanced version of that calculator over in the Precision Nutrition members forum that calculates the grams of protein, carbs, and fats you need for whatever your goal is. (I think I have seen you over there) PM me if you can’t find it and I will point you in the right direction.
I am damn impressed w how good you are doing.
"Are you sure that is enough protein? "
It’s kind of iffy. I’m getting more than a gram per pound of lean weight, for sure, but probably not as many as Berardi would have me eating.
But I’m working on it.
Workout
Once again, I’ve ran afoul of the gym’s wonky hours. I didn’t hit the gym yesterday because I was playing hooky from work jacking up my basement.
No, really. Stinking home renovation.
Just as well, as my delts were still killing me from the previous workout.
I was planning to do my full workout today, but got to the gym forty five minutes before it closes.
Seriously, why would you close at two on a Saturday.
Bah. Anyway.
Bench
45 * 10
135 * 5
165 * 3
195 * 2
235 * 1, 1
230 * 1
195 * 6
Notes: Not bad. Shoulders feeling good. Actually, my right shoulder was aching a bit from the crap I was did yesterday and it feels better now. Heh.
Rotator stuff.
And that’s it.
Diet is going fine, although I ate a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter this morning.
Berardi is right about just not having stuff around. Still, no worries.
Nothing new to report.
Unlike yesterday, I had an excellent day today, all meat and veggies, with the exception of some cottage cheese and a banana at breakfast.
Should weigh and measure the gut soon.