It’s why I ask if you have a reason. Many folks who are advised to monitor sodium levels are those with a predisposition/family history of these things. From my very limited research, there hasn’t been much linking excessive sodium intake to increase risk of these things for individuals that DON’T have a predisposition, BUT, if you have it in your genetic cards, it might be worth looking into.
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Ahhhh got it. Makes more sense now. I appreciate the back and forth. Now I’m curious about my generic cards on the topic.
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So nutritionally, looking at the macros, if you’re getting the loin chops that are super lean and trimmed (not eating the fat around the edges), the pork will be lower in fat and calories for roughly the same amount of protein. So, do not hesitate to add a little of the “Other White Meat” to the mix!!
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I’m exactly the same!! It just doesn’t fill me up for the long haul. I need some higher volume foods in there too (enter veggies…).
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I’m at that same point. Already adding in pickles to my lunches for a little extra volume in my belly.
This is gonna be a long couple months!!!
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I think it depends on the person, but also what you mentioned about how much you’re eating.
I am completely miserable if I match my weight in grams of protein. I don’t even have to be full per say, but every meal of “just about full”, leaves me mildly nauseated.
I tend to eat around 140-160 grams if I’m going the 0.8-ish route, because trying to shove just shy of 200 grams of protein, into myself is irritating.
As of late, fats have become my friend because I get a much bigger energy spike than I do from protein or even carbs, and I don’t have to even feel remotely full (carbs have been my main source for the last handful of years). Protein for me is like that one person who irritates me, but I’ll be nice and tolerate them when they’re around.
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Love the way you phrased that, I get what you’re saying. I’m around 150 lbs and have been eating 180g of protein - the only time something will feel unappetizing/nauseating is if it’s slightly dry grilled chicken breast in a large quantities (tried shoveling down 10 oz and if it’s dried out at all I struggle). Otherwise it hasn’t been too bad. I do find that fats seem to satiate me more for sure.
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I feel I’m one of the few where carbs are most satiating, if I’m comparing calorie to calorie. Eg my typical breakfast of 400 calories worth of oats with a little fruit and nut butter, (so primarily carb based) carries me much further than a 6 egg veg omelette cooked in butter, with give or take same calories. I don’t count macros, but I know roughly what a meal consists of. And I know the omelette would nutritionally perhaps be the “better” option, but I love and tolerate carbs and can be damn miserable without …
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Ahh gotcha. I’m like that with rice if the moisture has been cooked out of it.
I refuse to eat chicken breasts as is though. The last 6ish months if I eat chicken, I’m shredding it, or dicing it up before I cook it, and it’s a rare occasion I don’t have it mixed in with something else.
Salmon too. I have to drown it in a salad or something.
I’ve been reading this and at a loss a little. I eat a lot of chicken breast and they are never dry.
I wrap them I foil add some lemon juice, or sometimes just spice or herbs and then cook them in the oven for 45m - 1 hour and they are juicy and moist.
If I’m in a rush I’m stir fry them (with a minimal oil) in chunks and they cook up a treat.
Chicken should be juicy.
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Same. I’ve even cooked 1kg packets of chicken together and in a rush had to just microwave them the next day (whilst adding a tiny bit of water to help the process). If I have time, mixing them in a really basic chicken stock sauce dish, they absorb all the moisture back in.
The only time my chicken is dry is when I over cook it in a stir-fry. In the oven I never have that issue. I often need to let it drip a bit as I transfer it from baking tray to a dish to weigh it because I don’t want that moisture to impact what it says too much.
Are we getting better chicken in the UK or something?
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Possibly, but for me usually it’s either user error (my husband somehow always grills them perfectly and I’m more hit and partial miss), or I suspect being on day 3 or 4 of leftovers may cause them to dry out more. They’re never completely dry, but over time the leftovers often seem to lose some juiciness, especially if I slightly overcooked them to begin with.
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Initially i went for the slow and steady approach, aiming for a lb a week however it finally dawned on me that the idea of being in a deficit for so long will drive me insane and rip my family apart 
I’ve decided go full on ruthless aggression and just attack this shit
I don’t care about carbs and fat. As soon as my protein goals are met then I can stop eating.
Might be quite daft in some ways however it seems to be working so far
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Look straight off the set of Vikings @ChongLordUno .
I am thinking the same thing, the weight seems to come off fast so maybe i should let it, and make this shorter but more aggressive so i can be normal by April. Will see.
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Nothing wrong with being able to grow into the finish line
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Re: chicken conversation - I tend to cook chicken dry 25% of the time. Mustard is my friend when I do that.
@TrainForPain I am definitely “growing” into the finish line. But then again, that’s the plan. I am currently on a .25lb weight gain a week goal. Would it be unreasonable to up it to a .5 lb a week gain? I’m a beginner so I want to get everything out of the newbie gains I can.
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There’s a shockingly large can of worms in that seemingly simple question!
Simply: No, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to gain half a pound a week for you.
How much it’s safe to gain comes with context, though: timeframe, how lean you are, how fat you’re getting, how long you’ve already been training/ size you’ve already gained, how hard it is for you to lose fat, etc. In your case, I think you can gain .5 weekly and be fine. Honestly that amount is probably a relatively conservative target for most folks.
The “newbie gains” piece I wouldn’t worry about. Yes, you definitely grow more easily when you’re newer to this and certainly you don’t need to throw the kitchen sink at yourself yet (get the most out of the least), but there’s not some magic window when all that ends. There’s a law of diminishing returns to everything, so, at earlier stages of development, you’ll gain more easily than later. It doesn’t stop because you’ve been training for 6 months, it slows because you’re reaching higher bars. Same as running: it’s easier to improve your 9-minute mile than your 6-minute, but that’s more based on the performance metric rather than how long you’ve been running.
Sorry for the long response; I apparently can’t help myself.
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Yo please share the tenacity. I’m losing at a “moderate” pace, and am two steps away from throwing a couch out of grouchiness.
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Rolling into a new week, everyone!
This is about the time the “novelty” of being excited to make a big change wears off and we’re just having to commit to the daily grind. How’s everyone doing?
The good news is there is still plenty of time to right our path, if needed. Maybe these first couple weeks were just getting some new habits started or maybe we dove into way too hard a calorie/ cardio crunch and fell off the wagon a bit; we’re good. It’s a great time to take a look at the last 3 weeks, see what’s been sustainable and what hasn’t, and double down on the right habits going forward.
18 weeks to go! That may sound like a lot or a little, but it’s the perfect amount of time to make your friends reintroduce themselves this summer because they don’t recognize you!
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