Power lifter? Bodybuilder? come on in!

[Ghost1LE]

Originally Posted by Normagene

If your goal is to lower your body fat and still maintain your approximate weight then sugar has to be dropped from your diet as well as all processed foods. No junk food whatsoever, nobody should be eating that crap in the first place, because it is highly addictive. More scientist work in the food industry than for NASA. How crazy is that, but it shows the goals of the food industry, that is to make food as cheaply, and addictive as possible with the longest possible shelf life.

Ever bake a loaf of bread, its shelf life is just days. Ever buy hotdog/burger buns, they can sit for two or three weeks before they start to go bad. Hmmm, pretty amazing what all those chemicals/ingredients can do, and then you're ganna put that crap in your body!

Eat all the fish, chicken, or lean beef you want, along with all the vegetables you can stuff down, and watch the fat melt away. Fruits slow down the fat loss because that's what sugar does, even natural sugar. So limit yourself to one juicy piece of fruit per day!

Bodybuilders will tell ya that even one piece of fruit is out when it's coming down to the wire for a show. Getting from 10 or 12% to that critical 6% fruit is sabotage to your goal. Of course that's the extreme, but it does prove a point.

This is pure bro science and really ignorant to say to the majority of people cause if you're a bodybuilder and dieting down to 5-8% BF i guarantee they don't need your advice to get there cause they know what they're doing and they're probably not looking for advice on a camaro forum.

While lean beef is a great source of protein, chicken, fish, etc.. that doesn't mean you can scarf down as much as you want, I've tried dieting like this and it got me nowhere because at the end of the day protein is still plenty of calories, and little to no fats/carbs leaves people very hungry so they end up overeating on protein and the little carbs that vegetables provide.

A balanced diet is key, learn how to count macros and you'll enjoy life. I dieted down from 175 to 152 in 10 weeks, maintaining almost all my muscle and strength by just setting a daily macro goal and reaching it, and If i wanted fruit or ice cream at night to eat my carb goals, you're damn right I ate it and I still got where I wanted to be. BUT, I'm not competing and I don't have crazy goals, I just wanna be fit and look good and I can accomplish that without eating chicken and broccoli all day and hating my life, then binging on every single piece of garbage I want after 12 weeks of hell.

To each their own, but 13lstuner knows what he's talking about and if you don't believe him go watch some of Layne Norton's videos. Also I'm an undergrad getting a BS in Nutrition, so I know a little bit about it, not everything but I am always learning and I've done diets trying both methods and they work the same, but one keeps me a lot more sane.

[kalimus]

I should have been more clear to say "processed sugars will sabotage your efforts". Maybe not initially, but there is a point where that 10 grams of sugar are simple calories that you just don't want.

For me, I'm not naturually lean, and I have to put an almost absurd amount of effort into seeing my abs. I end up cutting out almost all sugar sub 10% bodyfat. People can do it with sugar, but if you can do it with sugar, it's likely you can do it better and quicker without. But like was said... there is no fits-all approach. I feel immensely better when I'm not using processed sugar as well.

[CFD]

There are so many factors to consider, you see some people who can eat all the carbs and sugar they want and are thin as a rail, not necessarily healthy, every one has different metabolism and generic make up. Because of this I feel the best approach is to figure out your caloric needs, this can be done using various formulas, one that is fairly accurate would be the Harris- Benedict. From there use a macro breakdown that is known to work in many cases, kind of like a mail order tune, such a breakdown that I normally recommend would be 40/40/20. The important thing here is to plan a diet that sticks to the guidelines religiously, record what you eat, everything not just the main meals, everything that passes your lips, this is where many fall short, track your results with the scale, body measurements and fat calipers and the mirror. Weekly measurements are good but bi weekly will be a better determination of what's going on. Depending on your results you can then add or subtract cals if needed and adjust macro's as needed. Start by eating clean unprocessed foods. Restrict sugar intake, practice nutrient timing (it's not at all difficult). As your body get's used to the new way of eating and your results steady(they will not be the same weekly but there should be a downward trend) 1-2 lbs weekly is a good average but not written in stone. Slow steady fat loss is best as you are less likely to be deprived, often the result is binge eating or cheating excessively. As you get the hang of it you can slowly re-introduce the restricted carbs and sugars, at this time watch your results carefully, if the trend starts reversing and there is some weight gain cut them back out. Many times when someone is overweight due to excessive fat and re-introducing carbs and or sugars results in rapid fat gains it can be a result of insulin sensitivity, this is a due to the way your body processes high glycemic food, often caused by to many high glycemic carbs and sugars over time, there's a good chance that's what got you there in the first place. Once you get to where you want to be you can add cals and re introduce some of the foods that you've restricted until you reach a maintenance level, You must still track your stats as you can often creep back to where you started without even noticing it until it's too late. Incorporate weight training and cardio for a handful of reasons, when both methods of exercise are used you will increase your metabolism and burn fat, cardio tends to burn fat while you are exercising resistance training will continue the fat burning for hours after you're out of the gym as well as build muscle although it won't be in large amounts as it's difficult to build large amounts of muscle in a caloric deficit, You've got to eat to grow. Muscle requires more calories to sustain so you will become a fat burning machine if your diet and exercise are spot on.

[Mydivorcegift]

Originally Posted by Ghost1LE

This is pure bro science and really ignorant to say to the majority of people cause if you're a bodybuilder and dieting down to 5-8% BF i guarantee they don't need your advice to get there cause they know what they're doing and they're probably not looking for advice on a camaro forum.

While lean beef is a great source of protein, chicken, fish, etc.. that doesn't mean you can scarf down as much as you want, I've tried dieting like this and it got me nowhere because at the end of the day protein is still plenty of calories, and little to no fats/carbs leaves people very hungry so they end up overeating on protein and the little carbs that vegetables provide.

A balanced diet is key, learn how to count macros and you'll enjoy life. I dieted down from 175 to 152 in 10 weeks, maintaining almost all my muscle and strength by just setting a daily macro goal and reaching it, and If i wanted fruit or ice cream at night to eat my carb goals, you're damn right I ate it and I still got where I wanted to be. BUT, I'm not competing and I don't have crazy goals, I just wanna be fit and look good and I can accomplish that without eating chicken and broccoli all day and hating my life, then binging on every single piece of garbage I want after 12 weeks of hell.

To each their own, but 13lstuner knows what he's talking about and if you don't believe him go watch some of Layne Norton's videos. Also I'm an undergrad getting a BS in Nutrition, so I know a little bit about it, not everything but I am always learning and I've done diets trying both methods and they work the same, but one keeps me a lot more sane.

I for sure have a BS in nutrition

[CFD]

Originally Posted by You Won't

Thanks again. I didn't mean to get anything started. I know a lot of you are very passionate about what you do and how you go about it. On another note, that 1 gallon of tea lasts me 3 to 5 days.

Originally Posted by 13lstuner

Nothing got started! Just intellectual debating. I have nothing against CFD and applaud him for his continuation of fitness.
Nothing but respect!

Didn't see these when I posted earlier. As stated nothing got started, although I may be a stubborn prick at times I do read everything people post. I am by no means an expert, I do read a lot and after a while you start to see a trend in what people in the know say, there are a lot of nutritional experts out there who have a agenda and then there are those that truly try to help. I do practice what I preach and have shared what knowledge I have gained with others both here ( weight loss threads) and in my personal life and I usually see similar results. I still have a lot to learn and when in doubt often rely on trusted sources for info. I do actually appreciate these discussions as it makes me aware of somethings I hadn't considered and it often drives me to research more. I never post my before pictures but I'm not one of those guys who are naturally slim and trim, believe me I've had some serious injuries in my life and at one point was at about 235lbs and had a difficult time walking do to a bad motorcycle accident as well as two hernia repairs, the weight loss and weight training have been life changing for me so I am somewhat passionate about this stuff. Any time someone sees fault in what I post and contradicts it I research and then form my own opinions, it's an educational process that I welcome.

[1badtie]

What's everyone paying per month for a gym membership? It seems they are getting more expensive lately. I'll usually go back and forth between mma training and weight training every so often.

[CFD]

Originally Posted by 1badtie

What's everyone paying per month for a gym membership? It seems they are getting more expensive lately. I'll usually go back and forth between mma training and weight training every so often.

I'm not sure what they are, I have my own gym I put together from equipment I bought from gyms that closed but mostly craigs list. If anyone is thinking of putting together their own my personal thought is that a power rack is essential.

[kalimus]

Originally Posted by 1badtie

What's everyone paying per month for a gym membership? It seems they are getting more expensive lately. I'll usually go back and forth between mma training and weight training every so often.

I have an LA fitness membership. It's $17 per month, but I've had it for awhile. Their rates are higher now, but you can usually talk them down, especially if you pay for the year upfront. It was $30 for the first year I think, but went down after that. Most gyms seem to vary from between 10 and 60.

[kevint]

Accomplished my summertime goal of getting 300 overhead this evening. Missed 290 three times, the first time driving the bar into my chin. Jumped 10lb after the third miss, remembering my coach telling me that my "body doesn't want to waste the energy on such a light weight. Go up a few pounds and hit it."

Bam. Push jerked three bills.

[Normagene]

I like to keep my body fat around 14%. That way I eat plenty of protein and tons of veggies. Not big on fruit, a banana, some raisins in my morning oatmeal and usually an afternoon price of fruit.

My biggest problem is trying to put on or just maintaining my weight. I eat and eat, mostly clean, and just burn it off. According to my scale it tells me that at my current bf it takes just over 2,800 calories a day to maintain my current weight. 14% bf allows me to still have that nice six pack and obliques.

Processed crap is off my list except for maybe one day a week I'll split some sort of sweets/dessert w/hubby. But that processed sugar just immediately bogs me down.

I was thinking about lifting heavy again, but it takes up a lot of time and dedication. And for me it means I have to eat even more just to try and maintain my weight. I don't like getting too lean, falling under 14% for a woman can lead to health issues, been there, done that as they say.

[You Won't]

I am not really that confused. I would like some ideas on some good meal plans to help me reach my goals. For now I will set my goal to get my body fat down to between 10 to 15. I would like to get done in 2 to 3 months and I know, as it has been said before, that what I eat will have a lot to do with it. Again I am limited to what I have as far as exercise equipment. The dumbells, crossbow, and I do also have an elliptical that I did not mention last time. I just had knee surgery last month so I can't run but they said I can get on the elliptical as long as I don't get carried away. I don't really do pictures. I think for every 50 pics the family takes you may catch me in one or two.

[Normagene]

Originally Posted by You Won't

I am not really that confused. I would like some ideas on some good meal plans to help me reach my goals. For now I will set my goal to get my body fat down to between 10 to 15. I would like to get done in 2 to 3 months and I know, as it has been said before, that what I eat will have a lot to do with it. Again I am limited to what I have as far as exercise equipment. The dumbells, crossbow, and I do also have an elliptical that I did not mention last time. I just had knee surgery last month so I can't run but they said I can get on the elliptical as long as I don't get carried away. I don't really do pictures. I think for every 50 pics the family takes you may catch me in one or two.

After surgery you are somewhat limited, but I'm sure you can put a good routine together that will be safe, caution is a must for your recovery. That being said, HIIT/hi intensity interval training, excellent for folks who don't have much time. It takes about FOUR MINUTES. Full throttle, beginners usually start w/30 seconds followed by ten seconds of just trying to catch your breath, then full throttle again/10sec rest/repeat......

Tons of HIIT videos on YouTube/Dr Oz has some posted also. After you do the HIIT you can do 20 minutes of strength training. I always suggest lots of Core exercises, planks, crunches, T-Push-ups etc...

How old are you? Age does matter on how we breakdown what we eat, hormone levels decrease as we get older. What's your BF at now?

I know lots of folks who only focus on weight loss, they end up reaching their target weight, but their BF is still way too high. My hubby needs to lower his BF, think he's around 21% now! he looks incredible at 18%, pretty much rock hard and defined! but not ripped and freaky looking. He does carry a lot of muscle on his small frame, needs to eat around 3,800 calories just to maintain his current weight.

Two months is a pretty small window to get down to 10/15% BF. I'm sure you can lose the weight, but lowering the BF may take a little longer. Good luck, I'm sure you can do it!!!

[kalimus]

Originally Posted by You Won't

I am not really that confused. I would like some ideas on some good meal plans to help me reach my goals. For now I will set my goal to get my body fat down to between 10 to 15. I would like to get done in 2 to 3 months and I know, as it has been said before, that what I eat will have a lot to do with it. Again I am limited to what I have as far as exercise equipment. The dumbells, crossbow, and I do also have an elliptical that I did not mention last time. I just had knee surgery last month so I can't run but they said I can get on the elliptical as long as I don't get carried away. I don't really do pictures. I think for every 50 pics the family takes you may catch me in one or two.

I must have missed it... what kind of shape/body fat are you currently? 2 months is enough time for an average person to drop 12-16 pounds very safely and in a healthy manner. Even more if you're overweight. Getting to about 15% bodyfat is not, in my opinion, difficult at all. You could do that with a proper diet, and minimal physical activity. But the lower you go, the longer it takes and the harder it is.

If you have dumbells, you can do a lot of exercises. If your knees are bad, I wouldn't even worry about a "cardio workout". Just do resistance training and then go for a nice walk afterwards if they'll handle it. No need to put any additional stress on knees post surgery.

You'll have a hell of a time working out your legs though, depending on what you had done. If they'll take it, you might consider slow lunges and things like that. But if your doctor told you that an eliptical would be ok, you might ask about certain leg exercises.

[Mydivorcegift]

Originally Posted by kevint

Accomplished my summertime goal of getting 300 overhead this evening. Missed 290 three times, the first time driving the bar into my chin. Jumped 10lb after the third miss, remembering my coach telling me that my "body doesn't want to waste the energy on such a light weight. Go up a few pounds and hit it."

Bam. Push jerked three bills.

Awesome job! What's your bodyweight?