The "I just got back from the gym" and this is what I have eaten thread.

[SenselessChiefsFan]

Okay, so there are a ton of guys in here that are working out, trying to work out, or 'thinking' about working out.

So, I figured I would start a thread. I am all about making myself accountable. The more people that I tell about working out, the more people I would let down by not going.

If you go to the gym.... then post here when you get back. If you do P90X, post here when you get done. If you ride the excercise bike.... post it here.

Anything you do to get in shape.... share with the board. I know I have gotten some great advice and feedback.

Also, post what you eat. If you post everything you eat, and you know others will be critical, you may think twice before you grab a Twinkie.

Okay, so, I went to the gym. I did five minutes on the cross climber to warm up. I stretched for about three minutes.

Then, I did three sets of squats with just 135. I did back extensions and hanging leg lifts. Three sets each. I did leg curls, calf extensions, abductor and adductor excercises as well.

On my leg day, I do very light chest exercises to work on my explosive power. I do three sets of six pushups as explosively as I can. I throw the excercise ball up like a chest pass while laying on the bench.

Then, I finished off my workout with 30 minutes on the eliptical.

As far as my diet.

Breakfast two pieces of peanut butter whole wheat toast, protein shake, and banana.

I have had another banana, two yogurts, and a handful of cashews as snacks.

I didn't have a 'lunch' per se.

Kids had sloppy joes with lean beef (as if that makes it great).... I took a baked potato, and put a serving of sloppy joe over it, with jalapenos and 2 oz's of lowfat cheddar cheese.

I have also had shotgun with water, and synthesize with water.

I won't eat again before bed.


Okay, I know putting everything down here will open me up to criticism. I know some will think that I am doing things all wrong. I appreciate any advice, but I have done a lot of reading and talking to trainers.... so, I have an idea of what I am doing.... or at least what I think I am doing.

The point of this thread, isn't to get into pissing matches about how to do things.... but rather to give ourselves a gold star for making an effort.

Try not to beat anyone down on this thread, because this is about encouragement.

[RedThat]

Interesting article I thought I'd post if you're concerned with bodyweight plateauing.

Body Weight: Is it Predestined by Genetics?

by James S. Fell Apr 14th 2010 3:05AM

Categories: Advice, Health, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Fit Family Guy

Print Email More
Some people believe they are doomed to be overweight. They think that no matter what they do, they can't permanently keep the pounds off because they are predestined to exist at a certain genetic body weight set point.
This is also known as "poor me syndrome."

I can't wait to see the hate mail.

There is a common myth that 95 percent of people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, which has contributed to the idea of a body weight set point, but in reality we don't have any accurate numbers as to what percentage of people gain the weight back. My guess is that it is considerably less than 95 percent.

The more important question is not how many people gain the weight back, but why. Does a person's body really have a set point?

Answer: No, it doesn't. It has an infinite number of set points based on current activity and caloric intake levels.

Find out more after the jump




Your body will try to find a fat-balance equilibrium according to how much exercise you get and how much you eat. It is possible to fight this equilibrium effect by beating it into submission through extreme sloth and gluttony (think of those TLC shows that have some half ton guy who needs to take in a whopping 30,000 calories a day to maintain his massive weight), continually gaining weight until you die, but even most obese people eventually level off and achieve a degree of energy balance.

I want to drive this fact home, so I'll reiterate: The most important thing to know about body weight set points, or fat balance, is that it fluctuates based on your current behaviors.

In analyzing the role of dietary fat on weight gain, renowned metabolism researcher Dr. Angelo Tremblay discovered that metabolism adjusts to level of caloric intake so that a plateau is eventually reached. It seems counter-intuitive, but the more you weigh and the poorer shape you are in, the higher your metabolism. Conversely, when you get in shape and lose weight, you metabolism begins to slow down and become more efficient.

If you start exercising and limiting calories, then you will achieve a new, lower body weight set point based on these new, healthier behaviors. For example, let's say you're a donut-scarfing couch potato (hypothetically, of course), and you decide to cut 50 percent of the junk food out of your diet, lower your caloric intake by a moderate amount, and get three hours of pretty intense exercise a week. After several months you're going to look and feel a lot better, but you will eventually hit a plateau that is quite likely a bit shy of "I'm ready to oil myself up and prance on stage in a bikini in front of a bunch of people." If you want to reach that stage-prancing stage, then you're looking at close to zero junk food and many more hours of exercise each week. Not only that, but to sustain the new Kelly Ripa version of you (which I actually think is too "Ripa-ed" and sort of creepy. I mean, what the hell is going on with her belly button?) then you need to keep eating that same sweet-deprived diet and maintain the endless hours of exercise or the flab will start to come back.

You can make positive changes in your life that lead to positive changes in your body shape, but if you go back to your old behaviours, then you are going to go back to your old body weight set point. You can't just do all the work to lose weight and then expect to maintain your new weight if you return to your old habits. I lost a fair bit of weight 16 years ago, and I know that if I went back those old habits that I'd go right back to being that same chunky guy.

In short, you need to strive to lose weight through eating healthy, eating less, and getting lots of exercise, but then you need to keep on striving to maintain the new shape you achieve. It's a lifelong commitment, and that's why it's important to find a form of exercise you enjoy doing and learn how to love eating healthy food, because doing something you hate is not sustainable for an extended period of time.

And this is why a New Year's resolution fueled rapid weight loss approach is such a bad idea. Many people can suck it up and go hard for a few months a drop a lot of weight even if they hate the process, but after a while they start to backslide. A skipped workout here, a bag of chips there, and before long they're back to the old habits that got them fat in the first place and, big surprise, they go back to being fat.

Alternatively, those who opt for the "slow and steady" approach to weight loss can learn how to not hate the process, and eventually even love doing it, making sustainable health and fitness more achievable.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

I am not using any supplements for the next 30 days. My Monday workout struggled.... but my workout last night was great.

I am going to start taking supplements on May 3rd.

Last night's workout was great. Ate well yesterday. Just have to do it again today.

Like what supplements?

[Silock]

Originally Posted by RedThat

Interesting article I thought I'd post if you're concerned with bodyweight plateauing.

Body Weight: Is it Predestined by Genetics?
*snip*

Yup. Sounds correct to me.

[Silock]

Just back from leg day. Decided to back down the weight a bit, since I have a game on Friday. Still got a great workout in. Legs are shaking anyway.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I hadn't gone to the gym since Saturday. I've been eating too much for the last couple of weeks as well.

But I finally got off my ass today and went back. Ran a mile to warm up, did a full body workout, and then ran a 5k to wrap it up. I've had a protein shake today and that's it.

Although if I don't get my calories from 2000 back down to 1300-1500 the gym isn't going to save me. A light went off once I got under 300 lbs. I need to find a way to turn it back on, without completely obsessing over the whole thing like I did the first 3 months of this year.

Such a psychological process for me..................

[Hammock Parties]

You weigh 299.9 pounds.

Your BMR is at least 2500 calories.

[Bowser]

Vacation this week, so the diet has been iffy. Still hitting the workouts, but damn the loss of stick-to-itiveness with the food when I have down time!


And Silock - oneof my presents for the birthday was getting the P90X Plus. I'll give a report on how the workout differs from the original (looks like a bitch), since I know you are dialed in and interested in the world of P90X.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I hadn't gone to the gym since Saturday. I've been eating too much for the last couple of weeks as well.

But I finally got off my ass today and went back. Ran a mile to warm up, did a full body workout, and then ran a 5k to wrap it up. I've had a protein shake today and that's it.

Although if I don't get my calories from 2000 back down to 1300-1500 the gym isn't going to save me. A light went off once I got under 300 lbs. I need to find a way to turn it back on, without completely obsessing over the whole thing like I did the first 3 months of this year.

Such a psychological process for me..................

It's all good, man. It's hard to keep up that mentality every single day. We all go through lulls. The problem for bigger guys is that the process is so long, a lull feels really terrible. For a guy like me, if I don't do a ton of stuff for 2 weeks and eat like shit, it's not REALLY that bad. We all just have to get back on the wagon. No big deal. Don't beat yourself up for it. Just work hard, keep your head down and keep your eyes toward the finish line. The race isn't over... you're still in it!

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Bowser

And Silock - oneof my presents for the birthday was getting the P90X Plus. I'll give a report on how the workout differs from the original (looks like a bitch), since I know you are dialed in and interested in the world of P90X.

LOL

I don't have any problems with it as a WORKOUT. I have a problem with it misleading people into thinking they're going to pack on ridiculous amounts of muscle with 15 lbs DBs and a pull-up bar.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Silock

LOL

I don't have any problems with it as a WORKOUT. I have a problem with it misleading people into thinking they're going to pack on ridiculous amounts of muscle with 15 lbs DBs and a pull-up bar.

Agreed, completely. Until I got my adjustable Bowflex dumbbells, I was limited in the gains I was having to what the 20 lb. dumbbells I had would give me (Lawnmowers with 20 lbs.? Please!). The dumbbells made ALL the difference in gains and effort exerted during the workout.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Silock

It's all good, man. It's hard to keep up that mentality every single day. We all go through lulls. The problem for bigger guys is that the process is so long, a lull feels really terrible. For a guy like me, if I don't do a ton of stuff for 2 weeks and eat like shit, it's not REALLY that bad. We all just have to get back on the wagon. No big deal. Don't beat yourself up for it. Just work hard, keep your head down and keep your eyes toward the finish line. The race isn't over... you're still in it!

I'm really not. I hate having to come on here and say I've been less than stellar because I take a lot of pride in my work ethic.

But really, I've been hammering this out for over 3 months this time, let alone everything else I did before this. I haven't put any weight on. I've been maintaining. It's like a little vacation is all.

Provided I get back to it and push the gas again, everything is great. I have a helluva lot more to be proud of, than not proud of, that's for sure.

I'm good. But I am nervous about trying to accomplish all of this without the OCD tendency that I've had to this point. I'm pretty determined to just ride it out from now on. Otherwise it's almost a guarantee that I'll get where I want to be and then just drop it. The novelty will wear off when I weigh 225.

I'm really focused on trying to manage it, and while that may seem ridiculous to some of you guys, it's a pretty big struggle for me. I've been an all or nothing guy my whole life. That's one of the biggest reasons I got to where I was at in the first place. I need to find that happy balance. This is more than just a health and weight issue. It's a life issue. That's a lot of honesty for the internet in one post, I'm done for now.

[Silock]

Yup. As you do exercise, your body becomes more efficient at it. So, you have to increase the intensity or change the exercise, and that's really where P90X hits a wall. There's only so much you can do. But that's okay. It has its place. I just hate those stupid ****ing commercials that trick people into thinking they can buff up with it. And I hate that dude, especially his attitude in the Ab Ripper X routine. "THIS IS ****ING HARDCORE! IT'S AB RIPPER ****ING X, MAN! *struts toward camera*"

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I hadn't gone to the gym since Saturday. I've been eating too much for the last couple of weeks as well.

But I finally got off my ass today and went back. Ran a mile to warm up, did a full body workout, and then ran a 5k to wrap it up. I've had a protein shake today and that's it.

Although if I don't get my calories from 2000 back down to 1300-1500 the gym isn't going to save me. A light went off once I got under 300 lbs. I need to find a way to turn it back on, without completely obsessing over the whole thing like I did the first 3 months of this year.

Such a psychological process for me..................

Dude, I'm right there with you. It's like I lose my edge... and the whole house of cards comes crashing down: working out, eating, good routine, etc...

I wish I knew the answer to keeping that edge. I'm not sure there is one. I think the best thing is just to maintain and do -something- when you're lacking that super motivation and "edge." I've completely lost my edge the last couple of weeks (it corresponded to reintroducing sugar into my diet post-Lent), but I'm trying to get back on it.

[Shag]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Agreed, completely. Until I got my adjustable Bowflex dumbbells, I was limited in the gains I was having to what the 20 lb. dumbbells I had would give me (Lawnmowers with 20 lbs.? Please!). The dumbbells made ALL the difference in gains and effort exerted during the workout.

I had been using resistance bands for almost my entire P90X workout, but got a great deal on the Bowflex dumbbells over this past weekend, and pulled the trigger. WOW, what a difference. The workouts feel MUCH more effective with the dumbbells than the bands. Kicking myself for not doing this at the beginning.

I'll be very interested in your experience with P90X+ vs P90X...

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I'm really not. I hate having to come on here and say I've been less than stellar because I take a lot of pride in my work ethic.

But really, I've been hammering this out for over 3 months this time, let alone everything else I did before this. I haven't put any weight on. I've been maintaining. It's like a little vacation is all.

Provided I get back to it and push the gas again, everything is great. I have a helluva lot more to be proud of, than not proud of, that's for sure.

I'm good. But I am nervous about trying to accomplish all of this without the OCD tendency that I've had to this point. I'm pretty determined to just ride it out from now on. Otherwise it's almost a guarantee that I'll get where I want to be and then just drop it. The novelty will wear off when I weigh 225.

I'm really focused on trying to manage it, and while that may seem ridiculous to some of you guys, it's a pretty big struggle for me. I've been an all or nothing guy my whole life. That's one of the biggest reasons I got to where I was at in the first place. I need to find that happy balance. This is more than just a health and weight issue. It's a life issue. That's a lot of honesty for the internet in one post, I'm done for now.

That fact that you've hung in and maintained should speak volumes to you. In the past, you likely would have put a good 10+lbs. back on at this point, no? It's a process, man. We all live in that lottery society where we want it NOWNOWNOW, but you're going about it the right way. Do NOT beat yourself up, and hang in.

Originally Posted by Silock

Yup. As you do exercise, your body becomes more efficient at it. So, you have to increase the intensity or change the exercise, and that's really where P90X hits a wall. There's only so much you can do. But that's okay. It has its place. I just hate those stupid ****ing commercials that trick people into thinking they can buff up with it. And I hate that dude, especially his attitude in the Ab Ripper X routine. "THIS IS ****ING HARDCORE! IT'S AB RIPPER ****ING X, MAN! *struts toward camera*"

Ok, his little strut during the Ab Ripper routine IS annoying, I'll give you that. I guess P90X is like any other workout in that regard - you have to go off the grid with something new to keep yourself interested, if at least for a little while.....