Dieting and Living....

[amlove21]

I just ordered "Enter the Zone". on the recommendation of someone I respect.

Has anyone read it? If so what is your opinion?

So, Barry Sears is a smart dude. I've eaten on the zone methodology for about 11 months at a time (I'd say 90% strictly), 2 separate times. I'll say this- it's somewhat tedious constantly weighing/measuring food- although you get really good at eyeing 1 0z of literally everything.

I did it once while I was in the pipeline and one 10 month stretch recovering from my back injury. I had great results both times. Low (8-10% or less) bodyfat pretty much all the time, great workout and ability to recover, basically everything you'll read in the book.

I got away from the zone for a number of different reasons, the most of which is my athletic performance. I just found that on any sort of restrictive diet, there were times I needed to eat a lot more than was prescribed. Even adding extra blocks of fat (I was eating 5 blocks of carb/pro and 7 blocks of fat, 5 times a day min), I just wasnt recovering. I just moved away from it because it didn't work for me in the end.

I'd say try it for 6 months. Get blood work done before, cholesterol, triglycerides, the whole deal. Pay attention to how you feel- sleeping, mid day tiredness, mood, etc. If it works, continue and tweak for your personal needs.

 

[ThunderHorse]

So next week I'll be doing my BodPod follow-up, I've dropped 5lbs since my first Wellness Center appointment. Weeks 5 and 6 of this last cycle were pretty rough, definitely felt my energy sapping during those lift sessions. On week one and I feel excellent, up early thanks to the Rock Clock and about to head to the gym since it's a DONSA and then hit the road for Phoenix to shoot my gun and see my lady. I've met and surpassed my goal, thought I'd get there last week. But officially down 34lbs now. My next goal is 180lbs, see what my body composition looks like and then pursue abs. Once I get there I want to slowly add muscle to get back to about 185. My Fitness Pal hooks you up with a tremendous amount of data provided that you are honest with yourself.

Now to the living part, going to shoot my gun for the first time a in minute so we can get data on the new powder load we're testing. Tomorrow I'm running my first 10k since Valentines Day weekend... 26lbs ago haha. Following that we're going to the Ameri-CAN Beer Festival in Scottsdale, after that heading down to Tucson to see ASU play UofA. And then on Sunday I have to partially move the lady into her parents house in preparation for her to move in with her roommate by August.

 

[ThunderHorse]

I had been eating around 2300 KCals for most of July since coming back off leave. Had put on a few pounds, but knocked most of them off, yet I was hanging around 190-192 for a whole month. That should have had me building some muscle, but I put five pounds of fat. I'm unsure if that is correct but that's what the BodPod said. I'd had coffee after doing PT. And for the best results you ten not to want to do PT that day, and well my next appoint is in the early AM so I'll be fully fasted and no PT. They also wanted me to add more carbs and take away protein...which is pretty much the opposite of everything I've dug into. They didn't understand gluconeogenesis. But at 2300 KCals I can easily adjust for a cut without going where I was averaging before leave which was about 1500 KCals. Going to 2150 KCals, dropped Carbs to 200g, brought Protein up to 230g.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

About 3 weeks ago cut WAY back in beer. (Only drink on Fri/Sat)

In the past I have always come home from work and had 2-3 after work, typically twice that amount on Fri/Sat/Sun. And not the Bud Light shit either, I'm talking the higher alcohol content IPA's.

First week was tough (more habit than anything else) so I started biking at night instead. I've had my weekend beers, but now going into week 3 I'm not really even looking forward to them the way I was after the first week.

A few very noticeable physical changes:

- I fall asleep within minutes now. Typically it has taken me near an hour.

- I sleep thru the night, to the point of needing my alarm to wake me. It's been years since I've had that pleasure.

- My wife has made the comment that I do not seem as on edge as I typically do, and that I appear more relaxed. Which is interesting since I drank beer to relax and take the edge off.

- I bought a new watch with the money I've saved by not buying all that beer for a month.

- the one slight disappointment is that I had hoped to drop weight faster after cutting out the nightly beers. It's been almost 3 weeks and I m not noticing the difference I had hoped for.

On the plus side my resting heart rate and blood pressure are much better.

 

[SpongeBob*24]

Good to hear you are feeling better!

 

[Polar Bear]

About 3 weeks ago cut WAY back in beer. (Only drink on Fri/Sat)

In the past I have always come home from work and had 2-3 after work, typically twice that amount on Fri/Sat/Sun. And not the Bud Light shit either, I'm talking the higher alcohol content IPA's.

First week was tough (more habit than anything else) so I started biking at night instead. I've had my weekend beers, but now going into week 3 I'm not really even looking forward to them the way I was after the first week.

A few very noticeable physical changes:

- I fall asleep within minutes now. Typically it has taken me near an hour.

- I sleep thru the night, to the point of needing my alarm to wake me. It's been years since I've had that pleasure.

- My wife has made the comment that I do not seem as on edge as I typically do, and that I appear more relaxed. Which is interesting since I drank beer to relax and take the edge off.

- I bought a new watch with the money I've saved by not buying all that beer for a month.

- the one slight disappointment is that I had hoped to drop weight faster after cutting out the nightly beers. It's been almost 3 weeks and I m not noticing the difference I had hoped for.

On the plus side my resting heart rate and blood pressure are much better.

Are you eating more? When I quit, I noticed I was eating more and not eating right. Started eating right. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 2 months. 10 lbs more to go. Lots of veggies, rice, chicken.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Are you eating more? When I quit, I noticed I was eating more and not eating right. Started eating right. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 2 months. 10 lbs more to go. Lots of veggies, rice, chicken.

Yes. I didn't really even notice it until a few days ago. Back to tracking on a regular basis again.

 

[Marine0311]

I feel fat just reading this. :wall:

 

[ThunderHorse]

Keeping the same macros this week and I'm ready to see the results, kind of sabotaged myself by eating half a PB jar this weekend.

It's Max week, failed for my bench, couldn't even get where I needed to make an attempt at a PR...running does this to me, I ran this AM.

For Front squat I matched a PR, but the first time I hit 275 it was a really bad rep, this was smooth, failed both attempts at 285. And this weekend I'm running my first Sprint Triathlon.

 

[ThunderHorse]

So from last week...that triathlon was brutal. Weather and whatever, but we're glad we did it and have another in October. Will adjust my training going forward and I'm back at Rugby practice.

Been eating about 1950 KCALs give or take, macro breakdown is 150-170g Carbs, 230g Pro, 50-60g Fat.

The last time I went into the Wellness Center they wanted me to increase my Carbs by 25 grams and decrease my protein by 25 grams, and everything on the spear end of sports nutrition shows that was in contradiction to what I'm trying to do: look good naked. So I looked at some stuff and switch my macros specifically because I was going to be on night shift for Exercise Control. I'm going to build my Carbs back up to about 190-200g and then add 20 more grams of protein. Working night shift and still training was pretty tough I have to say.

So that ended a week before the triathlon which was where I left off. I set a PR on deadlifts by 30 pounds.

This week I've trained twice, Rugby Practice and three days of PT. Thursday I had the wellness center check up and the results were pleasing, but I wish I'd dropped another pound of fat. My weight only went down by .3 lbs which is ok, I think that was inhibited by the post triathlon binge, but that's living and this whole fitness piece is a marathon of 100 years or so. So, I added four lbs of muscle and dropped four lbs of fat.

 

[Marine0311]

I wanted to bump this back to the top to hear what everyone is doing now...you know new year and all.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I wanted to bump this back to the top to hear what everyone is doing now...you know new year and all.

:wall:x2

 

[CQB]

Paging Mr. Brink, Mr. Will Brink please come to reception.

 

[SmokinOkie]

If anybody is trying to shed those unwanted pounds I have found a new tried and true method, the pneumonia/strep throat diet. 20 pounds in 1 week!

 

[Red Flag 1]

[Q

 

[SmokinOkie]

YUP! I had a couple of inpatient stays for pneumonia, and I lost a good 15 lbs. The food for the staff and the food for inpatients are just somehow...well...different.

It was a pretty good set back for sure, this was my first time. I took a snowboarding trip to Colorado and picked up both the flu and strep while I was there and came down bad on the drive back to Oklahoma. Went to the local clinic and was screened/tested positive for strep but was not screened for the flu. Went on a downhill spiral for a week after the clinic visit before going to the ER and while there I had X-RAYS taken/flu screening and both lungs were full with good ol' pneumonia.

 

[Red Flag 1]

T

 

[SmokinOkie]

Most definitely. I have a good friend who let it go untreated and now he is dealing with slight heart complications that put a big dent in his professional powerlifting career. I am 100% recovered except for my lung capacity when it comes to aerobic conditioning is complete garbage right now. I have been limiting myself to lifting, calisthenics, and kettle bell variation workouts all with a good amount of rest inbetween sets and I am still out of breathe.

 

[Marine0311]

So....how is everyone doing with their diet/living/goals?

 

[mac21]

I'm 3 weeks into Starting Strength, and I've developed an infected ingrown hair on my pinkie. It's swollen enough that I can hardly open a Coke bottle. Since I can't push or pull, and I don't want to spread whatever I have of it's contagious, I haven't lifted in a week. I've got antibiotics, so I'll be good in a while.

My New Year's/life resolution is just to train to live. I just got a cushy office job, with all of my previous jobs being manual labor. There's a gym next door to work, so my excuses are short. I'm not training for anything specific, but it can never hurt to be able to left heavy and run a bit in life.