BG Fitness Fanatics II: We Work Out

[Boyiee]

I loved SL5x5 but had to change squats to 3x5 due to time when I did it. Now I'm doing a PPL program set up LPxPxxx so I can do it around work.

[FNH]

Perhaps give 8x3 a shot to mix it up; it comes out to one less total rep, but it's just a better psychological fit for me. I've done 8x3 for most heavy lifts since HS in 2003 and I find it works well for progression, but it's largely user preference. 5x5 is a well documented program; certainly not trying to preach "8x3 > 5x5!" but changing it up can be helpful every now and then if you plateau.

Haven't a plateau yet on anything other than ohp, but I think that's common. Only problems I've run into is when I missed a few days due to traveling. Too much rest was as bad as not enough

[FNH]

Quads hurting like a mfer like not doms pain way worse ugh I guess I didn't warmup enough


Hurts to even squat the bar or bend for rows. Guess it's a heating pad and roll til I can try again Friday

[Darlantan]

...OHP is a struggle to get progression, might try and make some micro plates to try and progress by 2.5 lbs instead of 5.

Back when I tried, I couldnt find microplates where I live and buying online was very costly mainly because of the taxes. But living in the USA I doubt you will have this problem. What I did was to find some really big washers, 52mm or so inner diameter, which happen to weight around 300 grs, so it lets me go 0.6kg > 1.2kg > 1.8kg > 2.5kg.

Really really useful for presses, rows and stuff where you cant lift that much and improvements are slow. My brother and I are actually at a point where they are very helpful even for squats' progression.

Quads hurting like a mfer like not doms pain way worse ugh I guess I didn't warmup enough...

Hope you recover and feel better soon! Is it swollen? Black? I dont know, its not normal to have such pain without any injuries but hopefully it wont be much.

Also, after the mri it looks like my knee is kind of fucked up and got a few things going on, so I am having an operation next Monday. Its a bummer now that I was feeling better but I reckon it didnt look like I was going to get full range of motion back, so its time to heal up, focus on other things and rehab so I can get back to what I enjoy the most in the less time possible and the best condition.

[FNH]

Just a case of the worst doms I've ever had but might be a light strain. around the 3rd set I couldn't even get down under the bar. I was able to fight through it to do my rows. Did hamstring curls with zero pain, but quad extensions were unbearable to do much weight but I found a weight to kind of work out some of the pain. Heating pad after work and I'll try to be less of a wussy Friday night.

[Ksandra]

So like, I have a terrible track record of dieting/exercise for anything long term fixes. I have maintained my weight (170) for a good 6 years now (if you don't count pregnancies, but I returned to that weight the day after birth for both), which while not great is better than gaining.

In any case, my coworkers want to do a biggest loser contest. We weigh in tomorrow and will weigh in again before spring break (late March) to see who wins. Pot is $20 each. Now, I don't really care about the money, BUT I am a hugely competitive person, so this is actually a good opportunity to lose some lbs. (And maybe keep some of them off.)

I was thinking of getting one of those fitness trackers, but I don't know if it's worth it. I definitely don't feel like dropping $100 down on the fitbit considering my track record. How are other cheaper brands?

Any tips on what to do? I already cut out soda (I gave it up while pregnant/breastfeeding). And I am trying to do the whole lettuce instead of bread thing. And eating veggies with every meal.

We are signing up to the YMCA and switching the kids' swim lessons over there (twice a week). We are going to take turns watching the kids and working out. I dunno how much more I can take going to the gym outside of that. I am usually exhausted/starving by the time I get home from work. I have done the gym thing off and on for years and never got the whole "more energy" from working out people talk about. Even after going to the gym for several months. It's really hard to get motivated for it.

Any suggestions?

[Byrthnoth]

My first suggestion is to game the system by drinking a ton of water before weigh-in tomorrow and not pissing or shitting until after you weigh in.

[Zetanio]

My first suggestion is to game the system by drinking a ton of water before weigh-in tomorrow and not pissing or shitting until after you weigh in.

This works really well. You can bulk 2-3 lbs of water weight.

[Ksandra]

haha. Well the point is to use this as a motivator to lose weight, not to find ways to fudge my weight in order to win.

[FNH]

So like, I have a terrible track record of dieting/exercise for anything long term fixes. I have maintained my weight (170) for a good 6 years now (if you don't count pregnancies, but I returned to that weight the day after birth for both), which while not great is better than gaining.

In any case, my coworkers want to do a biggest loser contest. We weigh in tomorrow and will weigh in again before spring break (late March) to see who wins. Pot is $20 each. Now, I don't really care about the money, BUT I am a hugely competitive person, so this is actually a good opportunity to lose some lbs. (And maybe keep some of them off.)

I was thinking of getting one of those fitness trackers, but I don't know if it's worth it. I definitely don't feel like dropping $100 down on the fitbit considering my track record. How are other cheaper brands?

Any tips on what to do? I already cut out soda (I gave it up while pregnant/breastfeeding). And I am trying to do the whole lettuce instead of bread thing. And eating veggies with every meal.

We are signing up to the YMCA and switching the kids' swim lessons over there (twice a week). We are going to take turns watching the kids and working out. I dunno how much more I can take going to the gym outside of that. I am usually exhausted/starving by the time I get home from work. I have done the gym thing off and on for years and never got the whole "more energy" from working out people talk about. Even after going to the gym for several months. It's really hard to get motivated for it.

Any suggestions?

For me it was pretty simply reducing the calories I ate. Using a tool like Myfitnesspal, it was pretty eye opening to see just how many calories could be eaten in a single sitting. Losing weight is simply calories in vs. calories out(being "fit" is a bit more nuanced), and it is much easier to reduce the calories in. Once you have an intake deficit(where you burn more than you eat) you will start burning fat at a rate determined by that deficit. Myfitnesspal is handy because you plug in your stats and how much you want to lose per week (1lb is safe) and it structures your daily calorie intake for you.

Switching from sodas and juice to water is a great start as it is very easy to drink a lot of calories that way and most of that is just sugar. I cut out just about every bit of added sugar from my diet. Fruit juice is the worst parts of the fruit(though I can't seem to convince my parents of this). I eat just enough fruit to cover some vitamin requirements and then it might just be 300 calories a day. A large bulk of my diet now is steamed vegetables because I can eat a good amount to feel full and not intake a lot of calories. My protein intake has switched to chicken breast due to the lower fat and cholesterol, though I do eat beef and pork on a limited amount because fat in moderation is ok. My fiber intake is pretty high. I cut out bread just about 100%. Whole grains are said to be good for you, but I just didn't want to trouble with it. IMO Bread was a huge part of what made me fat and I don't miss it. Carbs are good in moderation, but I'd just prefer getting them from beans or rice(in very small portions).

It takes a bit of time to relearn portioning, but after a bit of measuring and weighing things I've been able to get pretty close eyeballing so that I don't go full autism with it.

"Biggest Loser"(both the tv show and work contests) is mostly just a crash diet consisting of a very low calorie intake and a lot of cardio to increase the deficit. It is often dangerous and does not last long(Most if not all regain the weight in a short period of time). Once you have a diet and exercise plan created consult your doctor about it.

The biggest thing I've told people at work is that they have to put in the work to see results. You have to log your meals, you have to do the exercise, otherwise you are wasting your time and are more likely to fail. If you start small and hit goals that make you feel good about the journey you'll be more likely to keep it up.

I'm probably a bit all over the place, so if you have specifics I am happy to answer.


as for the fitbit:
I have one and I like it, but it is far from necessary and I had already lost 70~lbs before I got it. My main use is for the heart rate(I wanted to track any kind of problems when I experimented with an EC stack) and tracking sleep.

[Byrthnoth]

haha. Well the point is to use this as a motivator to lose weight, not to find ways to fudge my weight in order to win.

I thought you wanted to win! Anything not explicitly prohibited by the rules is part of the game!

All I'm saying is if you bulk up as much as possible initially (wear heavy shoes/clothes, drink a lot of water, don't use the bathroom, etc.) and then you drink a lot of water consistently for a few days before the last weigh-in, eat a low calorie diet, maybe take a laxative, and wear lighter clothes you're probably looking at a change of 10lbs easy. Your body holds about 5 lbs of glycogen / extra water, which you can flush out with a low calorie diet and oversupply of water, respectively. After that, you've probably got at least a few pounds of piss/shit with a full bladder/colon and you can probably squeeze at least another pound or two out of shoes/clothes.

[Ksandra]

I thought you wanted to win!

I do, but only if it means actually benefiting from it. If I was just going to cheat, I wouldn't play. I appreciate the effort, but your tips aren't really what I am looking for.

For me it was pretty simply reducing the calories I ate. Using a tool like Myfitnesspal, it was pretty eye opening to see just how many calories could be eaten in a single sitting. Losing weight is simply calories in vs. calories out(being "fit" is a bit more nuanced), and it is much easier to reduce the calories in. Once you have an intake deficit(where you burn more than you eat) you will start burning fat at a rate determined by that deficit. Myfitnesspal is handy because you plug in your stats and how much you want to lose per week (1lb is safe) and it structures your daily calorie intake for you.

Switching from sodas and juice to water is a great start as it is very easy to drink a lot of calories that way and most of that is just sugar. I cut out just about every bit of added sugar from my diet. Fruit juice is the worst parts of the fruit(though I can't seem to convince my parents of this). I eat just enough fruit to cover some vitamin requirements and then it might just be 300 calories a day. A large bulk of my diet now is steamed vegetables because I can eat a good amount to feel full and not intake a lot of calories. My protein intake has switched to chicken breast due to the lower fat and cholesterol, though I do eat beef and pork on a limited amount because fat in moderation is ok. My fiber intake is pretty high. I cut out bread just about 100%. Whole grains are said to be good for you, but I just didn't want to trouble with it. IMO Bread was a huge part of what made me fat and I don't miss it. Carbs are good in moderation, but I'd just prefer getting them from beans or rice(in very small portions).

It takes a bit of time to relearn portioning, but after a bit of measuring and weighing things I've been able to get pretty close eyeballing so that I don't go full autism with it.

"Biggest Loser"(both the tv show and work contests) is mostly just a crash diet consisting of a very low calorie intake and a lot of cardio to increase the deficit. It is often dangerous and does not last long(Most if not all regain the weight in a short period of time). Once you have a diet and exercise plan created consult your doctor about it.

The biggest thing I've told people at work is that they have to put in the work to see results. You have to log your meals, you have to do the exercise, otherwise you are wasting your time and are more likely to fail. If you start small and hit goals that make you feel good about the journey you'll be more likely to keep it up.

I'm probably a bit all over the place, so if you have specifics I am happy to answer.


as for the fitbit:
I have one and I like it, but it is far from necessary and I had already lost 70~lbs before I got it. My main use is for the heart rate(I wanted to track any kind of problems when I experimented with an EC stack) and tracking sleep.

I will get the myfitnesspal app. I always had a nightmare trying to log my food. Like, trying to judge how thick a slice of cheese is when I cut it n' such. But I will try it again.

You are right about having to work for it. Which is why I always fail. I dunno how to make it so I keep at it, but maybe this contest will help.

[FNH]

I do, but only if it means actually benefiting from it. If I was just going to cheat, I wouldn't play. I appreciate the effort, but your tips aren't really what I am looking for.



I will get the myfitnesspal app. I always had a nightmare trying to log my food. Like, trying to judge how thick a slice of cheese is when I cut it n' such. But I will try it again.

You are right about having to work for it. Which is why I always fail. I dunno how to make it so I keep at it, but maybe this contest will help.

I bought a food scale, which made it a bit easier. Condiments were the tricky thing, so I just opted to avoid high calorie ones. I like ketchup but 70 calories for 2 tbsp wasn't worth it. I opted for a sugar free bbq sauce @10 cal/serving. Pepper based sauces that were 0-5cal/serving. And I'm not a big cheese person, so I just cut that out. If it was too difficult for me to log, I got rid of it.

For me I decided not to give myself the option to fail. I know that sounds weird, but in my mind I had already failed by being overweight, so I needed to change things before I ended up with the health problems of my parents, grandparents, etc. I didn't make large cuts in the beginning to prevent myself from having that zombie feeling, I slowly adjusted to my new lifestyle. I gave myself rest periods between certain weights, as I knew it would take a long time to meet the final goal. It didn't take 3 months to put on the weight, I wasn't going to lose it in 3 either. Find exercises that you enjoy doing and do it a lot, but start small.


sticky from /fit/ that is a good read:
http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html

[Zetanio]

Mustard is a god tier condiment for weightloss.

[Ksandra]

I bought a food scale, which made it a bit easier. Condiments were the tricky thing, so I just opted to avoid high calorie ones. I like ketchup but 70 calories for 2 tbsp wasn't worth it. I opted for a sugar free bbq sauce @10 cal/serving. Pepper based sauces that were 0-5cal/serving. And I'm not a big cheese person, so I just cut that out. If it was too difficult for me to log, I got rid of it.

For me I decided not to give myself the option to fail. I know that sounds weird, but in my mind I had already failed by being overweight, so I needed to change things before I ended up with the health problems of my parents, grandparents, etc. I didn't make large cuts in the beginning to prevent myself from having that zombie feeling, I slowly adjusted to my new lifestyle. I gave myself rest periods between certain weights, as I knew it would take a long time to meet the final goal. It didn't take 3 months to put on the weight, I wasn't going to lose it in 3 either. Find exercises that you enjoy doing and do it a lot, but start small.


sticky from /fit/ that is a good read:
http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html

Thanks!

Mustard is a god tier condiment for weightloss.

Yeah, normally I put mustard on everything, so that helps.

Do you guys have some recommendations on ideas for filling foods? I know the default is veggies, but I also know I'll get sick of eating the same shit everyday. I know have a lot of struggles with weightloss, but feeling hungry is a pretty big one for me. It drives me to want to snack constantly.

[FNH]

Thanks!



Yeah, normally I put mustard on everything, so that helps.

Do you guys have some recommendations on ideas for filling foods? I know the default is veggies, but I also know I'll get sick of eating the same shit everyday. I know have a lot of struggles with weightloss, but feeling hungry is a pretty big one for me. It drives me to want to snack constantly.

Protein and fiber tends to be filling by default. Variety is the key, if you don't like many different types of vegetables it can become a problem. One guy I'm giving advice to at work has like 1-2 vegetables he likes, which is going to be a problem so I have to get him to cook them different ways.

I don't "snack" on a cut and if you don't buy them there isn't anything to snack on. People will say just avoiding it means you never show self control over it, though. Meal prepping might be beneficial for you. Break down your daily allotment into multiple portions that way you don't go long periods of time allowing yourself to feel starved. Be leery of the prepackaged "healthy" snacks like kale chips, some of them are super high in calories from oils and stuff they put on them. I liked the 100 cal packs of almonds, but those tend to trigger a binge for me so I just avoid them.

[Zetanio]

I keep packs of seaweed in my office. My boss and I ordered like 3 cases. Tasty and distracting.

[Ksandra]

Protein and fiber tends to be filling by default. Variety is the key, if you don't like many different types of vegetables it can become a problem. One guy I'm giving advice to at work has like 1-2 vegetables he likes, which is going to be a problem so I have to get him to cook them different ways.

I am a very picky eater. I really do wish I wasn't, but I am. I actually like a lot of veggies, but I am picky about the way they are cooked. I end up steaming them and adding garlic salt more often than not.

I keep packs of seaweed in my office. My boss and I ordered like 3 cases. Tasty and distracting.

No offense, but these are gross and make your breath stink terribly. XD


When I work I don't have time to snack, thankfully, but it usually means the instant I am in the house I am looking for something to eat from hunger.

My default are Egyptian Lib (Fancy Melon Seeds) which apparently have a fuckton of calories. wtf. ;_; Guess those are out.

[Ghost_Wheel22]

In pursuit of improving my grip strength I've managed to finally close a 2.5 CoC gripper and ragesqueeze my mouse into pieces this week. #3 is a whole new level of holyshit.

[dasva]

haha. Well the point is to use this as a motivator to lose weight, not to find ways to fudge my weight in order to win.

Drinking more water will help you lose weight too.

If you can do it less meals/smaller eating windows can be an easy way to limit calories. Stomach will only be able to get so much in it in a limited period. I actually got on the high fat/protein train which has been decent for keeping me satisfied but gotta be rather careful with portions. Like last night made a mushroom cream sauce with heavy whipping cream... very delicious way to help out some boring baked chicken and satisfying but yeah think it ended up being ~4.cal/g so I'd fail horribly without a decent scale or 2.