Diet and Exercise..

[Snarky_succubus]

nutrition intimidates me, there is so much to know. I have a pretty good diet already. On top of working out, which is this best diet to make abs more visible?

There is no "best diet". It just depends on your body. Everyone's ideal macros are different. Generally, carbs and cortisol are the bad guys when it comes to belly fat, though. Too much sodium will make you bloat and that's not helpful either. What's your body fat % and what does your current diet consist of?

 

[deleted553203]

nutrition intimidates me, there is so much to know. I have a pretty good diet already. On top of working out, which is this best diet to make abs more visible?

High protein, High veggie and low carb is generally best for fat control and if abs is one of your priorities I'd recommend working them out 3 times a week because they get strong easily, but are one of the hardest muscles to grow.

 

[str8cmtl]

I've lost 13 lbs since Jan 1, eating using Paleo guidelines. I workout at least 5x per week. light cardio and weights 3 days per week and 2 days straight cardio

 

[Snarky_succubus]

I've lost 13 lbs since Jan 1, eating using Paleo guidelines. I workout at least 5x per week. light cardio and weights 3 days per week and 2 days straight cardio

I have never felt better than when I was eating strictly paleo. Absolutely everything improved for me. I would suggest it to any of the women who have mentioned having hormonal issues like PCOS. The only reason I don't eat Paleo 100% of the time is that it requires cooking pretty much every meal... And I struggle to find the time. I really should do a better job as it has served me so well in the past.

 

[922493]

My main goal is muscle gain and aesthetic body bodybuilding rather than size (Kye Green/ Dennis Wolf etc).

Generally I'm trying to eat four decent size meals throughout the day and a protein shake post workout. A normal day would look like this:

Breakfast -
40g wholegrain cereal
Honey
One portion of fruit
200ml whole milk
2 slices of brown/ wholegrain toast with peanut butter

Snack (about 10/11am) -
250g whole rice
100g mackerel
Green veg (broccoli, peas etc)

Lunch (Two hours after snack) -
250g whole rice
200g grilled chicken
Green veg

Post workout shake with whole milk

Dinner -
200g rice
300g steak
2 portions of green veg
2 portions of fruit for desert

That's the really basic idea, obviously I can change it up a bit but my aim at 75kg training 5/6 days a week is to take in about 3,750 calories per day.

 

[socalfreak]

My main goal is muscle gain and aesthetic body bodybuilding rather than size (Kye Green/ Dennis Wolf etc).

Generally I'm trying to eat four decent size meals throughout the day and a protein shake post workout. A normal day would look like this:

Breakfast -
40g wholegrain cereal
Honey
One portion of fruit
200ml whole milk
2 slices of brown/ wholegrain toast with peanut butter

Snack (about 10/11am) -
250g whole rice
100g mackerel
Green veg (broccoli, peas etc)

Lunch (Two hours after snack) -
250g whole rice
200g grilled chicken
Green veg

Post workout shake with whole milk

Dinner -
200g rice
300g steak
2 portions of green veg
2 portions of fruit for desert

That's the really basic idea, obviously I can change it up a bit but my aim at 75kg training 5/6 days a week is to take in about 3,750 calories per day.

This looks pretty decent..
My only real criticism would be the low protein intake at breakfast, coupled with the high sugar & high glycemic index foods on your menu.
And maybe an extra snack of nuts or a protein bar during the day.

 

[Matt_x]

Weight training seven days a week...
A small amount of cardio to warm up..nothing really challenging.
I average one day off a month from the weights.
Three workouts done in rotation: "push" day= chest, shoulders& triceps. "pull" day= back & biceps. And, legs & abs.
12-16 sets per body part. All sets done to failure. I don't count reps. If it feels like I'm doing too many,I add weight.

My diet is high calorie, high protein,a good amount of carbs.
Five or six meals a day.
A mountain of vitamins, protein shakes, weight gain shakes, pre workout drinks ...and, my all-time favorite supplement, Humapro amino acid pills.
I have cheat meals every week....pizza is the norm.
I aim for an intake of 5,000 calories a day.

I stay fairly lean mostly due to my workout regimen & having a physical job.

Thanks Socal.. I also workout 7 days a week and occasionally take a Sunday rest. I also try to target chest and back on one day and legs and abs on another day. I don't count reps as well, I push to the limit and on to the next exercise.

Do you weigh your meals or just go by what feels right? I used to regulate portions and take snacks in between meals every 3 hrs, so as to not store extra food into fat. Though lately I haven't.

What is the Humapro pills for? I used to take pills that were high in caffeine in my younger years to amp my adrenaline for my workouts. I was only doing myself harm at the time.

My workout regimen is the same, but I typically take one day off a week, sometimes two depending on my work schedule.

My diet is different. When focusing on cutting fat I do best at around 2000-2300 calories a day. Right now I'm probably closer to the 3000/day mark. I'm still dropping fat, just not as rapidly as I can. I try to keep my protein around 200g a day and I do best when my diet is high in healthy fats. My carb intake varies depending on how hard I'm training. I let my body tell me where I need to be. If I'm feeling weak/lightheaded/sluggish I'll toss a bagel or some extra rice into the mix but on a typical day I take in about a half cup of rice and a cup of cereal or oatmeal and the rest of my carbs in veggie form.

Everyone's body is different. Listen to it. Period. Male or female really makes no difference in how you train or eat. It's about your size/body composition... And maybe whether or not you tend to be insulin resistant. I have PCOS and a history of obesity. My insulin resistance goes up when my workouts are lacking so carbs can be an issue. Also, I'm 5'9" and 200 pounds with a significant amount of muscle on my frame... My calorie intake is higher than would be the average female looking to lose weight.

Bottom line - don't eat crap and get off your ass. The more muscle you have, the more fuel you need, the easier it becomes to lose fat. Burn more calories than you use and you will lose weight. Educate yourself... And women... Lifting weights will NOT make you look like a man. Even my muscle mass is unusual... I work my ass off to make gains and my testosterone level is significantly higher than normal because of my PCOS, so I gain much more easily than the average woman.

Excellent post!! Thank you for sharing... I agree, women adding weights to their routine, have gotten decent results. Though they opt for smaller weight resistance like 15-20 lbs, the most I have seen them at my gym. And they look amazing and toned.

 

[Matt_x]

Being a cyclist it is important for me to keep my weight low, and have lots of energy.

I keep it simple. Low on carbs, low on sugars, high on protein. I avoid saturated fats.

I do take carbs the day before long rides or races. And fast sugars during the ride. That's where the energy comes from. During the rides it is of course energy drink, energy bars, and gels. But I don't take supplements or vitamin pills or powders.

To sum it up. I actually eat a lot of different things. But it is very important for me that food is fresh, natural, and unprocessed. I do occasionally sin with a sumptuous meal, but also then it is important for me that it's all fresh and natural.

:yup: This works for every diet I feel..... different frame goal which is good if someone is trying to aim for this. Thanks.

I'm similar to snarky and socal ever since I became diabetic.

I wake up and warm up slowly. Before even getting dressed I'm on neck and shoulder rolls, I reach up and pretend I'm changing light bulbs overhead. Chest and hip isolations, and a little ballet- pliés and rellevés in five foot positions. I stretch out my obliques, and then the tops of me feet and get dressed.

If it is nice out, I play the Zombies, Run! app on my phone, or I jog at least 4 miles. If it is not nice out, I play my Zumba game in my Xbox 360. If everyone is asleep, I just walk up and down my staircase. I do 30-90 minutes of cardio every day.

At this point I may have to eat, or I may be able to go on. If I eat, I warm back up by walking the dog 45 minutes, but only if there's no precipitation. I can't live with wet dog smell, and my dog knows how to use the litter box.

Like socal has his push and pull days, I kind of have my variation. I have weighted resistance days, and unweighted resistance days. On my weighted resistance days I do a kettle bell routine for upper body on one, and use leg weights and resistance bands and do dead lifts on the other. On the other days, I just work against my own body weight and gravity. Those days include negatives and pull ups on one, and dips and pushups on the other. I do crunches and squats every day, but none of my other resistance habits are practiced on the weekend.

The weekend is for cheating on my "diet" and resting from resistance. I have found that despite being muscular, my metabolism is a little sluggish, perhaps because of the diabetes and PCOS. I am most comfortable consuming 1600-1800 calories a day. I eat a lot of protein, 150g a day most days, 200 if I feel like I need it for recovery. I can't explain knowing the difference in feeling to anyone, but you KNOW when you need more protein right after a workout. You can feel it. I get 9 servings of vegetables and fruits most days. Usually, 7 of those servings are vegetables. I eat fat in moderation, aND am careful with cholesterol too. Most of my carbs come from fruits and non -starchy vegetables. I have to make tough choices. A few bites of rice, or a few bites of plantains? I stay under 100 grams of carbs most days.

If I get lazy and find myself inactive over a stretch of time, I immediately cut my carbs down to 30grams , my protein down to 50 grams and my calories down to 1200. This keeps me the same size, and the same weight. My muscles get soft right away though. Three days of inactivity is enough to show a loss of tone.

Thanks for sharing AE, your routine seems pretty balanced and appropriate for folks who deal with diabetes. I hope if the thread goes as planned, a support system could be developed to motivate one another. :wink:

I used to hate veggies but I am making it an effort to consume on a daily.

1500 calories a day- high protein, high fat, moderate carbs(75g). I eat organic and cook 90% of the time since you can't control a kitchen eating out. Grain and soy free because I have bad reactions to both but I'm not paleo because I have Greek yogurt daily. I have insulin issues like the above posters but mine is not pcos, it just makes me tired and retain water so the only added sugar I have a day is when I add 1/2 tbsp maple syrup to my yogurt or chia pudding. To help regulate my insulin, I take 1/2 tsp every morning on my breakfast. I follow food combining rules, learned about food combining from a nutritionist who helped guide me to how I eat now- fruit alone or not at all, start my day with hot water with lemon, I don't combine acid with protein, and if I want to try something new, I check how it would fit with my food combining and it's GI number

For exercise I alternate between barre and pilates classes, cardio, and dance. After working out I always have protein. Even though I don't lift very heavy weights, protein after working out made so much of a difference in how quickly my shape has changed.

I lost over 60 lbs this way and am still on the same plan since I have more to go. I dieted my whole life, my weight loss would only fluctuate between five or ten pounds if I was lucky but never more. When I wasn't rigid about it, the scale would go up on a regular basis. I did everything I could to find out what was wrong- checked my thyroid, checked for diabetes, then I read the Wheat Belly blog but I did not want to jump onto a new fad diet. What I did learn from the blog is I had symptoms of a gluten intolerance or Celiac. Unfortunately for me, checked that I do have Celiac and if I didn't stop grains since my allergy goes beyond gluten, my weight would not go down and my health would decline further. The only reason these changes were very easy for me is that I grew up in a home where everything was fresh and when possible from the farmer's market

What works for me isn't for everyone for sure but I lost over 60 pounds, so many inches, lost a lot of water, gained muscle, I'm not pale or anemic anymore, my hair is thick and strong, my nails are stronger, I am happier, and respect my body more

Wow, thank you for sharing...I'm sure members here will benefit from your advise. Keep up the good work. :151:

 

[Matt_x]

I should apologize if my earlier post came across as saying I don't eat fruit or vegetables at all... I do. And one does need carbohydrate of some kind, especially to fuel gym work.

I just think some people don't really "get" how if works... You might eat say oranges, bananas, kiwi fruit etc. thinking it's healthy and will give you vitamins and minerals etc. It will. But it's also giving you sugar, and you need to offset that; it's easy for most people living in western developed countries to eat too much starch and sugar, relative to protein, roughage etc. And relative to their exercise levels.

At least most fruit is relatively low on fat - but I think in my case nuts and seeds might be my main source of essential fats...

Thanks, no you may be right, they are sweet and tasty but too much can offset what is appropriate for sugar intake and those who moderate their blood glucose levels.

I stay away from the salty and processed nuts, and also incorporate it as a snack. hitwithrock: just in case someone's mind is in the gutter. :tongue1

My main goal is muscle gain and aesthetic body bodybuilding rather than size (Kye Green/ Dennis Wolf etc).

Generally I'm trying to eat four decent size meals throughout the day and a protein shake post workout. A normal day would look like this:

Breakfast -
40g wholegrain cereal
Honey
One portion of fruit
200ml whole milk
2 slices of brown/ wholegrain toast with peanut butter

Snack (about 10/11am) -
250g whole rice
100g mackerel
Green veg (broccoli, peas etc)

Lunch (Two hours after snack) -
250g whole rice
200g grilled chicken
Green veg

Post workout shake with whole milk

Dinner -
200g rice
300g steak
2 portions of green veg
2 portions of fruit for desert

That's the really basic idea, obviously I can change it up a bit but my aim at 75kg training 5/6 days a week is to take in about 3,750 calories per day.

I like this layout.... thanks for sharing!!

 

[twoton]

Wow. So much quality stuff already posted.

I've tried a lot of different workouts over the past....many years. They've all been helpful, but since I have no real goals it's hard to measure their success.

About ten years ago I got bored with regular "machines," like lat pull downs, cable-this, and cable-that. I started looking for whole body compound movements because they seemed more fun and invigorating. After I did that for a few months a buddy sent me an article about Crossfit.

I decided to give it a month--on my own, (I've never joined a Crossfit gym). Gotta say, two-three weeks into it, I had made gains like I never had before. Muscle, strength, definition, loss of bodyfat, you name it. And the admiration of my wife.

After about two years I got fed up with the whole Crossfit cult attitude and quit trying to follow their ridiculous WODs and started making up my own.

So now I do my own program that is a mix of my own metcons, distance cardio, and heavy lifts. For a long time I had stalled. Then a back injury (I'm not blaming Crossfit, but I am blaming Crossfit) happened and sidelined me and put the fear of God in me.

WTF use is elite physical fitness if I'm hurting too much to drive myself to work?

I scaled way, way back and rehabbed my herniated discs. Now I workout no more than four days a week, push myself hard no more than once a week, and over the past few months I've lost a little more bodyfat and developed more strength and musculature.

As for eating, I gave up eating wheat in early October. Just as an experiment to see if my digestion would improve and if my ADD would be helped. I have a family history of DX'd Celiac Disease. I was tested and it came back negative. I do not eat "gluten free," but I do avoid wheat.

It's been off and on with the wheat, but consistently off for about the past month, and I've lost about four pounds. (My weight has been rock solid consistent for about the past 28 years, so a four pound drop is significant to me).

Other eating? I really try to eat as many fruits and vegetables I can each day, eat a lot of varied proteins, and don't worry too much about carbs but I don't go overboard with junk.

As for supplements, I don't take any.

 

[Matt_x]

I agree already there is complexity and diversity to everyone's health/ fitness goal. And there are things that I may not be able to help but others here who may have vast knowledge of what they are striving for can learn a lil something here. Of course if the member is inclined to share/ help out.

Thanks everyone ideally if the thread continues at the top of the page we have a tab to search in this thread to make it easy to find what you are looking for.

Otherwise adding a new thread topic has always worked independently!!

 

[socalfreak]

Thanks Socal.. I also workout 7 days a week and occasionally take a Sunday rest. I also try to target chest and back on one day and legs and abs on another day. I don't count reps as well, I push to the limit and on to the next exercise.

Do you weigh your meals or just go by what feels right? I used to regulate portions and take snacks in between meals every 3 hrs, so as to not store extra food into fat. Though lately I haven't.

What is the Humapro pills for? I used to take pills that were high in caffeine in my younger years to amp my adrenaline for my workouts. I was only doing myself harm at the time.



Excellent post!! Thank you for sharing... I agree, women adding weights to their routine, have gotten decent results. Though they opt for smaller weight resistance like 15-20 lbs, the most I have seen them at my gym. And they look amazing and toned.

Humapro pills are very high-end amino acid pills. The absolutely best ones on the market, without question. They help build/maintain muscle and metabolize fat. I would recommend them to ANYBODY, regardless of your fitness goals. Very effective stuff.

As far as my gf, snarky_succubus,...she shuns the lighter weights. She lifts to be strong, muscular & defined.
We're not talking about moving up to the 20-25 lb weights....
We're talking about a girl who can do almost 700 lbs on the leg press , 200 lb squats, 150 lb shrugs...all for reps.
She can out-lift a good portion of the guys at our gym.
She takes her workouts seriously.

 

[Matt_x]

Humapro pills are very high-end amino acid pills. The absolutely best ones on the market, without question. They help build/maintain muscle and metabolize fat. I would recommend them to ANYBODY, regardless of your fitness goals. Very effective stuff.

As far as my gf, snarky_succubus,...she shuns the lighter weights. She lifts to be strong, muscular & defined.
We're not talking about moving up to the 20-25 lb weights....
We're talking about a girl who can do almost 700 lbs on the leg press , 200 lb squats, 150 lb shrugs...all for reps.
She can out-lift a good portion of the guys at our gym.
She takes her workouts seriously.

Thanks I will try the pills out..

Dayum snarky what a way to go. :wink:

 

[Snarky_succubus]

Thanks I will try the pills out..

Dayum snarky what a way to go. :wink:

"The myth that women shouldn't lift heavy is only perpetuated by women who fear work and men who fear women."

One of my personal favs

 

[deleted848353]

Ive lost weight and got fitter just by cutting out the crap i use to eat and swapping bread id have eaten at lunchtime for pasta or rice with tunna and red lentils and snacking on nuts. I also walk 3 miles a day

 

[Musclehung90]

Gomad!

 

[922493]

"The myth that women shouldn't lift heavy is only perpetuated by women who fear work and men who fear women."

One of my personal favs

"Some women think lifting makes them bulky. False. Cupcakes make you bulky."

One of my personal favs ;D

 

[socalfreak]

"Some women think lifting makes them bulky. False. Cupcakes make you bulky."

One of my personal favs ;D

Absofreakinlutely....
If it was that easy to get big and muscular, we'd be surrounded by 250 lb jacked bodybuilder 20-year olds.

 

[SprinkleMe69]

As if women are the only ones that eat cupcakes. Wtf.

 

[twoton]

Gomad!

I'd gomad but it's too expensive.