BG Fitness Fanatics II: We Work Out

[Odesseiron]

"I don't see a whole lot of change just yet, but stuff is fitting better than ever and I feel fantastic."

That sure looks like a great change right there.

Touche.

[Ksandra]

What would you guys recommend in a fitness DVD that focuses on burning calories?

My daughter has gotten too big for the double stroller which means I can't go for long walks unless my husband is home. We also don't have a lot of space for any exercise machine, but I would like to have something I can pop in at night when I gotta watch the kids.

[Guitarman]

I mean, nothing, really. Find a routine that works for you and stick to it, but if I had to choose? I guess P90X. I know people that have had good success with it. Dunno guess I'm pretty anti-workout vid.

[Boyiee]

While I'm up about 10lbs from the last month or two plus vacation, and about 15-20 of where I want to and normally be at, I'm running a bout of SL 5x5 to get back to 300+ squat/DL post injury and focusing on that rather than any cutting. I'm currently at ~200.

I need some pre and post workout meal advice. I already have my post-shake which is usually optimum whey with pb2 and usually a frozen banana for some sugar/carbs, but I am not sure if that's enough. Also I'm not certain of what to eat preworkout. I was thinking PBnJ or something. I've always lifted while on some type of deficit be it calories or carbs and this time I'm not. I want to eat this time around. It's outside of my comfort zone and I'm not sure the best way to go about it.

[Odesseiron]

What would you guys recommend in a fitness DVD that focuses on burning calories?

My daughter has gotten too big for the double stroller which means I can't go for long walks unless my husband is home. We also don't have a lot of space for any exercise machine, but I would like to have something I can pop in at night when I gotta watch the kids.

I did p90x a few years ago. It's how I went from 225>185. (With proper dieting of course)

Let it be said though I didn't start immediately with p90x. I think I would have died. I started with Power 90. It's a good intro, but there's only like 4 workouts, so it gets boring quick. But as long as you do it every day for the 90 days, you'll have a good headstart when you jump into p90x. P90x isn't really "hard" once you've been doing it for 3-4 weeks, but god DAMN are you sore everywhere (and I mean everywhere) when you first start it out. Once you learn the routines and stuff it's easy to keep up. Some of the workouts (with the ab stuff) can last up to about 80 minutes, so if you have kids running around, it can get tough. Definitely works if you stick with it. Was in the best shape of my life back then.

[Darlantan]

I need some pre and post workout meal advice.

First, pre/post workout nutrition isnt nearly as important as the industry advertises and wants us to believe. As long as you have some protein in the body you are pretty much set, that is, except for very particular cases like if you have a long distance race the next day, back to back long training sessions during the day, you are on a hard deficit, etc. In extreme cases such as those you woud have to program your meals.

If you havent eaten in the last few hours its been proven its more useful to get your protein shake before/during workout than after. You dont really need carbs before unless you havent had enough carbs after your last training session and your glycogen reserves arent full. And you dont need carbs right after unless you are going to train again soon and need to start carb loading. Many people get used in a couple days to fasted training and do just fine. Some even prefer it this way. In this sense, unless you are at a really high level where every minor thing counts, you can keep it simple and just have your normal meals, hitting your calories and macros throughout the day and thats it. Whether you have a post-workout shake half an hour after training or just have dinner two hours after will not really make a difference.

THAT BEING SAID, since you are going to be eating your daily cals and nutrients anyway, having a good amount of them around workout just makes sense and may help with that little 1% here and there. Plus it usually helps people mentally, so whatever works. What I do is, pre-workout, I just try to have a meal rich in slow-medium digesting carbs about two hours before along with around 30-50g protein. That way when I train I am not bloated yet still feel I have fuel. If I havent had a meal in 3-4 hours, and havent got the time, I will make a shake and drink a bit, about 20-30g protein, plus 30-50g carbs that arent neither too fast nor too slow. After I workout I will have dinner or lunch or whatever meal it is, but if I finish at an odd time, I will also have about 40g protein one way or another and up to 150g carbs depending on what I have done, so I start filling glycogen reserves and also favour muscle synthesis, recovery and what not.

As for fats, I feel in normal situations its timing is even less important than protein and carbs. So I just focus on eating enough of them day by day and of the right kinds if at all possible, and thats it.

[Boyiee]

Thanks. I got really bad doms this week, a combination of things such as getting back into it, going a little to hard, and the nutrition being off. So I really wanted to take each one on and remedy it.

That information is extremely useful and will continue to help me for a while. In the mean time, may I ask what is that meal you have if you aren't doing the shake? I'm shameless, and if left to my own devices over do it and end up making myself something gourmet and expensive when all I needed was a banana. I might have trouble hitting that 50g of protein without the accompaniment of a shake.

[Guitarman]

So I work out fasted; I have for the past year or so, but a great quick snack is those small tuna packets; 70 cals for 17g of protein. If you're worried about mercury, bumble bee brand has the same packets of salmon. Highest protein/low cal ratio in a food I can find, plus a nice hit of fish oil, which is fantastic for inflammation from working out, among other things.

[Gustave]

So I work out fasted; I have for the past year or so, but a great quick snack is those small tuna packets; 70 cals for 17g of protein. If you're worried about mercury, bumble bee brand has the same packets of salmon. Highest protein/low cal ratio in a food I can find, plus a nice hit of fish oil, which is fantastic for inflammation from working out, among other things.

Through in a half cup of brown rice and that's my afternoon/pre workout meal.

[Guitarman]

Through in a half cup of brown rice and that's my afternoon/pre workout meal.

Good point. the uncle ben brand of rice has small cups of rice you throw in the microwave for 60 seconds to heat up. Toss in the tuna/salmon and you've got a good preworkout in no time flat.

[Guitarman]

Also big shoutout to Amy's brand frozen organic mac and cheese. Pretty damn healthy for a frozen meal with low sodium. Toss in a tuna packet after it's cooked and it adds up to like, 36g protein for <500 cals. great dinner when you're too tired to make anything or ran out of your meal prep.

[Darlantan]

That information is extremely useful and will continue to help me for a while. In the mean time, may I ask what is that meal you have if you aren't doing the shake? I'm shameless, and if left to my own devices over do it and end up making myself something gourmet and expensive when all I needed was a banana. I might have trouble hitting that 50g of protein without the accompaniment of a shake.

Glad it helps! I hesitated a little bit about giving you the long explanation or just the short answer/example, but in the end thought the long one would be way more useful in the long run. Most people, I for one, spend many years reading this or that and worrying about silly stuff, going from thinking A to B to C, just to end at the opinion I explained.

If you go gourmet, thats good! The problem is usually the opposite: you tell someone they can get by just making a shake with some oatmeal and fruit and they will base half their diet in just that. About the protein, you may not need as much, I just split my intake so its easier to enjoy eating because I lift and run/swim a lot and have an intake kind of high.

My normal meals are similar in composition no matter they are a couple hours before workout, at lunch, or dinner. They are usually 150-200g of meat/fish or some eggs along with rice/pasta/potatoes and some veggies, fruit, cheese, nuts...

Quicker, faster options are a shake with oatmeal or a not too shitty breakfast cereal like muesli, some tuna with a form of carbs like the fellow BGers said, or maybe a "bocadillo jamón serrano" (google it up because the translation I can think of is ham sandwhich but its not close to what we in Spain have). Adding some fruits or nuts to this quick meals is normal, too.

[Kalmado]

I'm going to be blunt and say I'm a functioning alcoholic that's starting the process of weaning down. I'm very overweight (mostly due to the empty calories of craft beer) and am in need of advice for some meal plans. I've read keto is for those working out and I don't think doing DDP Yoga would count so keto would be bad for me no? High protein with low carbs be a good start? What's a good beginners plan?

[Astylla]

I'm going to be blunt and say I'm a functioning alcoholic that's starting the process of weaning down. I'm very overweight (mostly due to the empty calories of craft beer) and am in need of advice for some meal plans. I've read keto is for those working out and I don't think doing DDP Yoga would count so keto would be bad for me no? High protein with low carbs be a good start? What's a good beginners plan?

I did keto while working out 5-6 days a week at home however have continued such overall for about 2 years and have kept now over 60lbs off. I just started doing my workouts again on a regular basis but I've seen those without exercise so quite well on keto.
For me though I feel stronger/better doing my swimming , walking, running and cardio workouts while doing keto. Since I'm still overweight like yourself , I stick to high protein and moderate fat overall versus adding excess fat since I want to burn what I have already.

Reddit has some great into on keto if interested too.

[Kalmado]

I need to start with yoga since I'm so out of shape so I can loosen up. I've also always been stiff so I really want to go all in with yoga in hopes it can make me more flexible. I so hate walking/running because of my flat feet. I was told by a coworker I need to go to (I think) Runners World where they examine your foot and do other things in order to sell the best thing for the persons foot. Years of trying Asics, Adidas, etc have done nothing positive for my feet.

I'll take a look on Reddit for keto info as well. My weak point is pasta and egg sandwiches. Those are my comfort foods!

[Yabby]

What would you guys recommend in a fitness DVD that focuses on burning calories?

My daughter has gotten too big for the double stroller which means I can't go for long walks unless my husband is home. We also don't have a lot of space for any exercise machine, but I would like to have something I can pop in at night when I gotta watch the kids.

Other have said P90X, personally i didn't like it nor care for the main guy. He would say dumb shit that I was sick of the 1st time i watched it, let alone 3 months down the road. That said, it does a good job once you mute it and play your own music.

I would also like to say i enjoyed Insanity Max 30 more than all the others (I've done all P90/x/insanity/piyo/etc I just like to mix things up to stack with my normal workouts). You don't need any extra equipment, not even dumbbells or pullup bar, and the max 30 has a fixed camera on someone that does an easier version of each workout just in case you want low impact.

[Odesseiron]

Yeah, Tony Horton is fucking annoying as hell. I mean I get it's his job to be motivational but after I learned the routines I just muted it for cues only and used my own music

[Darlantan]

I wouldnt go the keto route or start with any other pretty specific, restrictive diets right away, particularly if you are quite overweight. What you need to do is track what you are eating/drinking, set a calorie deficit and not lie yourself. Identify shitty food/drink choices and either eliminate/cut down them or change them for healthier options. And by healthier options, I dont mean the same crap in a box just that now you pick the pink, cool picture diet/light/sports one, I mean real, fresh food. Food you need to buy and eat every week as it hasnt got a shit ton of stuff in it and it decays fast. Something that works well is paleo, which you could most likely add legumes, cereals and lacteous, the key is to avoid processed food.

Just taking out most of those beers and other beverages will have you losing weight. Its amazing how easy it is to chug calories that way. If you prioritize protein, it will help you keep your muscle and protein will keep you full, its more filling. Then you can eat some fats, the healthier the better, think avocados, olive oil, fish oil, nuts and traces from meat. Avoid frying stuff, most meals you can cook about as tasty grilling them or with the oven. Vegetables you can eat whatever you may like, in terrible quantities, and they wont really add calories. Fruits at first may not be so tasty depending on how processed, sugary and salty you have been eating, but as you clean your diet they will be delicious and awesome snacks and desserts.

Really, you dont need to go for diets that people usually try when the normal options just dont work. Then again, if you are of the type that needs something very specificic or complicated to stay with it, then go with it. Its of somewhat common use from people that workout but it has not much to do with it, it will work just fine if you dont workout and just do your yoga stuff. The thing about keto is it works great for some people and its just a burden for some others, you will have to try what works for you. Same with intermittent fasting, and so on... none have big differences enough to tell you right away "do this", they are just better or worse in the extent they suit you and your life style/schedule or dont.

[Kalmado]

I wouldnt go the keto route or start with any other pretty specific, restrictive diets right away, particularly if you are quite overweight. What you need to do is track what you are eating/drinking, set a calorie deficit and not lie yourself. Identify shitty food/drink choices and either eliminate/cut down them or change them for healthier options. And by healthier options, I dont mean the same crap in a box just that now you pick the pink, cool picture diet/light/sports one, I mean real, fresh food. Food you need to buy and eat every week as it hasnt got a shit ton of stuff in it and it decays fast. Something that works well is paleo, which you could most likely add legumes, cereals and lacteous, the key is to avoid processed food.

Just taking out most of those beers and other beverages will have you losing weight. Its amazing how easy it is to chug calories that way. If you prioritize protein, it will help you keep your muscle and protein will keep you full, its more filling. Then you can eat some fats, the healthier the better, think avocados, olive oil, fish oil, nuts and traces from meat. Avoid frying stuff, most meals you can cook about as tasty grilling them or with the oven. Vegetables you can eat whatever you may like, in terrible quantities, and they wont really add calories. Fruits at first may not be so tasty depending on how processed, sugary and salty you have been eating, but as you clean your diet they will be delicious and awesome snacks and desserts.

Really, you dont need to go for diets that people usually try when the normal options just dont work. Then again, if you are of the type that needs something very specificic or complicated to stay with it, then go with it. Its of somewhat common use from people that workout but it has not much to do with it, it will work just fine if you dont workout and just do your yoga stuff. The thing about keto is it works great for some people and its just a burden for some others, you will have to try what works for you. Same with intermittent fasting, and so on... none have big differences enough to tell you right away "do this", they are just better or worse in the extent they suit you and your life style/schedule or dont.

We do not eat much processed food. Only mac n cheese usually once every two weeks. Every day I usually eat two eggs and a meat for breakfast (ham, b. sausage), lunch is a toss up. Either leftovers or same a breakfast. Dinner is either pancit, kaldereta, Philippine adobo, and as a side dish for some meals lumpia. We'll smoke different meats like western ribs, spare ribs, whole chicken, chicken thighs, etc. I also make variations of chicken dishes like szechuan, Italian, or just throw stuff together. When it's a noodle dish it's either rice noodle or corn noodle. When we eat out it's either mexican or something asian (usually sushi). I don't eat much rice at all. I don't drink soda. I only drink water, coffee, and Mio with 0 calories. 75% of my calories is beer. My doctor said I need to very slowly wean off. She said it will take weeks. I'm mentally focused on this so I know it's going to be a process to see the weight loss. I'm trying to build a solid game plan to stick with so I'm just looking for good advice from everywhere!

[Boyiee]

I know that food all too well, your servings are probably too big. So hard not to be though fam.