Intermittent Fasting

[Trigger Time]

Caffeine pills and water then.

Soda is the worst garbage you could possibly put in your body. Buckets of sugar, and if you aren't burning it IMMEDIATELY.....it gets stored as fat instantly. Absolutely the single worst thing you can put in your body unless you want to be fat.

Well I drink diet soda only. Cant stand regular soda anymore since I've cut out the sugar. But u know the diet Is bad too. That's why I need go replace it. I drink lots of water. I can try caffeine pills I guess.

 

[gregkl]

Is there something wrong with drinks like Coke Zero, which have nothing in them?

Unfortunately even Coke Zero has a bunch of crap in it. Probably the number one is Aspartame. The rest is colors, flavoring and other additives that I don't know what they do, but I'd bet they don't have any nutritional value.

The soda companies do what they can to continue to stay profitable and it's a huge industry. But, unfortunately, soda in any form is not something that can be made healthy.

 

[CindyE]

Cutting out diet soda has been tough for me. I need to find some cafeine drink to replace it with. Not coffee
I cant drink coffee all day long.

How about unsweetened iced tea?

 

[Trigger Time]

How about unsweetened iced tea?

Yeah I can do that one

 

[gregkl]

Yeah I can do that one

There you go! I used to drink sweet tea. When I decided to switch to unsweetened tea I weaned myself by going half sweet/half unsweet, then 25%/75%, now if it's good tea, I'll go 100% unsweetened. But occasionally I'll ask for a "splash" of sweet. Just enough to take a bitter edge off but not really sweet.

 

[CindyE]

I have on of those shaker cups, and sometimes i put Matcha tea powder in there with some water and heavy cream, shake it good and then pour over ice.

 

[CindyE]

Yeah I can do that one

And if you use a good quality tea, it's loaded with antioxidants win/win!

 

[Trigger Time]

I have on of those shaker cups, and sometimes i put Matcha tea powder in there with some water and heavy cream, shake it good and then pour over ice.

Thanks for the tip

 

[thunderchicken]

Seedubs- so far I agree with the info yo have shared. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but, you have shared a fair amount of info as fact (again I agree based on what I have been taught) but I have to ask where do you get your info? Do you work in the fitness industry (trainer or nutritionist) or just very involved in fitness?

I'm one of those fat guys. Yes I have failed to get my tail in the gym and haven't made it a priority for a few years. But, I'm working on it (again) now. I'm working with a personal trainer and a sports nutritionist to get the excess lbs off (I have a long way to go). They both seem to be ok with having 1 or 2 diet sodas a day with meals. But primarily want to see just water intake for hydration. They don't even want to see Gatorade or any of the other sports drinks. There has been talk of using a salt water solution as a meal replacement if I decide to try fasting. But right now they have me following a Macro diet. 5 days a week I get 322g protein, 115g CHO, 35g fat. Then twice a week I get as refeed days and am allowed 200g CHO. So far there have been some challenges. The biggest for me is getting enough Protein and keeping the fat down to just 35g. I only know how to cook chicken and fish so many ways. I am thinking about talking with my nutritionist about lowering the Protein intake a few grams and increasing the fat to allow for a bit more protein source options. I would think it would be ok so long as it doesn't change the calorie balance. But Idk if that is good or not.

 

[foszoe]

Seedubs- so far I agree with the info yo have shared. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but, you have shared a fair amount of info as fact (again I agree based on what I have been taught) but I have to ask where do you get your info? Do you work in the fitness industry (trainer or nutritionist) or just very involved in fitness?

I'm one of those fat guys. Yes I have failed to get my tail in the gym and haven't made it a priority for a few years. But, I'm working on it (again) now. I'm working with a personal trainer and a sports nutritionist to get the excess lbs off (I have a long way to go). They both seem to be ok with having 1 or 2 diet sodas a day with meals. But primarily want to see just water intake for hydration. They don't even want to see Gatorade or any of the other sports drinks. There has been talk of using a salt water solution as a meal replacement if I decide to try fasting. But right now they have me following a Macro diet. 5 days a week I get 322g protein, 115g CHO, 35g fat. Then twice a week I get as refeed days and am allowed 200g CHO. So far there have been some challenges. The biggest for me is getting enough Protein and keeping the fat down to just 35g. I only know how to cook chicken and fish so many ways. I am thinking about talking with my nutritionist about lowering the Protein intake a few grams and increasing the fat to allow for a bit more protein source options. I would think it would be ok so long as it doesn't change the calorie balance. But Idk if that is good or not.

I would definitely want to know why the protein is so high. For a 2063 calorie diet that seems excessive.

 

[thunderchicken]

I would definitely want to know why the protein is so high. For a 2063 calorie diet that seems excessive.

The nutritionist took my BMI, and took actual measurements with one of those body fat calipers (on my legs and arms) as well as tape measured my legs (calfs and thighs, waist/bellie) and my weight. Then did some calculations and said the Macro numbers are based on my body fat & muscle mass percentages. Said this is the same way he forms Macro diets for a number of body builders/Power lifters and a variety of athletes.
I have seen some progress with it. And my workout routine is Mon/Tue strength & cardio, Wed cardio only, Thu/Fri strength & cardio. Then Sat/Sun are rest & recovery days..which are also my refeed days. I work with my trainer on Mon & Fri (chest/arms/shoulders on Mon and Fri is my favorite leg day).

 

[gregkl]

Me too. As a general rule if you are exercising vigorously several times per week and/or strength training to gain strength and add muscle size you should aim for 1.7-1.8 grams per lb of desired body weight. But there are many theories and opinions out there. If you are working with a nutritionist, I would listen to him/her but I would also not be afraid to question the plan and ask why, etc.

Sedentary people are around 0.8-1.0 grams per lb per day.

I try to consume around 200 grams and most days I don't make it. I can't imagine trying to consume over 300 per day!

 

[Ggreen]

This thread kind of blew up.

I'm finding my belt to be loose at its tightest. I do not have the shakes at the end of the day, and I work an evening shift with a morning shift spent watching a 4.5 month old. I eat two clean 300 calorie meals between noon and 8pm on my 2 days (on one today). I'm sticking with the 16 - 8, I honestly like it. My "5" days I'm limiting my intake to clean foods prepared at home. I'm not so worried about counting calories, but I have made a list that has the food item listed to the calories and I'm trying to keep my total day under 2200. Again following the 16 - 8 so I only eat between noon and 8pm.

I may get flamed for this, but I actually learned this from a sports medicine dr that was teaching one of my college courses recently. Exercise is great for your body, but it is a poor and inefficient way to lose weight. To lose the weight you have to eliminate the calories, you do this most effectively by limiting the intake of calories. It takes much longer on a treadmill to burn a calorie than it does to just not eat it in the first place. Now for your overall body health, exercise is vital, but it also can lead to injuries that are irreversible. A heavy person runs a much greater risk of causing harm to their body through strenuous exercise than a person who is lighter. Simple wear and tear issue. He suggested that diet was key to those who need to start living a healthy lifestyle, then to work in exercise as you can.

A major hurdle for those of us big bodies out there is to stop looking at food as comfort or a source of pleasure and start seeing it as fuel. This is where the intermittent fasting is really stepping up. I can feel when I eat a 300cal meal on my "2" days what the food is doing for me. It really doesn't matter that it is bland, it makes me feel good. My "5" days I notice if I make a bad choice that it makes me feel bad. I'll begin to find pleasure in quality rather quantity and flavor. I'm finding the process to be nearly identical to quitting tobacco. The "fog" is the body adjusting to operating without whatever bull*&*( I was putting into it in the fast food line.

 

[thunderchicken]

Me too. As a general rule if you are exercising vigorously several times per week and/or strength training to gain strength and add muscle size you should aim for 1.7-1.8 grams per lb of desired body weight. But there are many theories and opinions out there. If you are working with a nutritionist, I would listen to him/her but I would also not be afraid to question the plan and ask why, etc.

Sedentary people are around 0.8-1.0 grams per lb per day.

I try to consume around 200 grams and most days I don't make it. I can't imagine trying to consume over 300 per day!

My protein powder of choice is Dymatize elite. I have 2- 3 shakes per day. Each shake is 2 scoops of powder. Those are 48g protein each shake. Then I am eating fish, chicken (mostly breast but some trimmed boneless thighs), and very lean beef or an occasional piece of Bison and egg whites to get the rest. I'm consuming 6 meals/snack per day and the goal is to drink a gallon of water per day. I try to get my carbs from veggies but to be honest I am not much of a veggie person so I eat rice, oats and some pasta for quick energy boosts.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Is there something wrong with drinks like Coke Zero, which have nothing in them?

My most recent change is elimination of soda. I thought diet soda was fine since it's no calories or sugar, but research is building that artificial sweeteners trigger fat storage.

Men's Health recently had an article that discussed a University of Texas study over 8 years that tracked obesity risk and soda drinkers. In 8 years the average participant gained some weight regardless, but it breaks down as:

Waistline increase - soda intake
0.8 No diet soda
1.83 less than 1 diet soda a day
3.16 more than 1 diet soda a day

and "...neuroscientist at Yale, recently found that sweetness triggers how your body responds to food. 'Sweet taste regulates the generation of metabolic signals'....linking artificial sweetners to weight gain."

The article goes on to talk about several studies linking artificial and low calorie sweetners to fat storage and fat accumulation" and that while it's better than sugar sodas, the benefit is much more marginal than we've been lead to believe.

 

[Ggreen]

An example of my "2" day meals today -

1230
1 boiled egg
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
10 pitted fresh cherries
11 almonds
-300calories

Dinner will be
-3oz Chicken breast - grilled
-10 sprigs Asparagus - grilled
-1/2 baked potato
-2 tbsp. of sour cream
-296cal

I'm not starving, but I'm not engorging lol.

 

[thunderchicken]

This thread kind of blew up.

I'm finding my belt to be loose at its tightest. I do not have the shakes at the end of the day, and I work an evening shift with a morning shift spent watching a 4.5 month old. I eat two clean 300 calorie meals between noon and 8pm on my 2 days (on one today). I'm sticking with the 16 - 8, I honestly like it. My "5" days I'm limiting my intake to clean foods prepared at home. I'm not so worried about counting calories, but I have made a list that has the food item listed to the calories and I'm trying to keep my total day under 2200. Again following the 16 - 8 so I only eat between noon and 8pm.

I may get flamed for this, but I actually learned this from a sports medicine dr that was teaching one of my college courses recently. Exercise is great for your body, but it is a poor and inefficient way to lose weight. To lose the weight you have to eliminate the calories, you do this most effectively by limiting the intake of calories. It takes much longer on a treadmill to burn a calorie than it does to just not eat it in the first place. Now for your overall body health, exercise is vital, but it also can lead to injuries that are irreversible. A heavy person runs a much greater risk of causing harm to their body through strenuous exercise than a person who is lighter. Simple wear and tear issue. He suggested that diet was key to those who need to start living a healthy lifestyle, then to work in exercise as you can.

A major hurdle for those of us big bodies out there is to stop looking at food as comfort or a source of pleasure and start seeing it as fuel. This is where the intermittent fasting is really stepping up. I can feel when I eat a 300cal meal on my "2" days what the food is doing for me. It really doesn't matter that it is bland, it makes me feel good. My "5" days I notice if I make a bad choice that it makes me feel bad. I'll begin to find pleasure in quality rather quantity and flavor. I'm finding the process to be nearly identical to quitting tobacco. The "fog" is the body adjusting to operating without whatever bull*&*( I was putting into it in the fast food line.

I mostly agree. But keep in mind the bigger/heavier a person is the more calories they burn for the same work done. So a guy weighing 180lbs can run on a treadmill for an hour but a 350lb guy can ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and burn as many or more calories. The exercise is good for losing weight but from what I have learned cardio is not the way to do it. Strength training will burn more calories in a shorter time period than cardio alone. Plus the more muscle mass a person has causes calories to be burnt off faster as well. So building muscle boosts metabolism. Cardio is great but not very effective for weight loss as you mentioned. But it has obvious benefits in strengthening our heart and lungs as well as increasing blood flow and endurance.

While it is true a heavier person can get injured more easily, I would say that is minimized with proper form and technique. I'm 5'9" tall and am currently 354lbs (down from 380lbs in mid May).
But the Dr is right that to lose weight it has to start in the kitchen and what we consume. You can't out train a poor diet....believe me I have tried lol

 

[chocktaw2]

Wearing the same size pants, when I wear pants when I was 18. I am so fortunate.

 

[gregkl]

Ggreen you won't get flamed by me because in my opinion you are mostly correct. A daily hard workout will consume less than 30% of your total caloric burn for the day. We burn the most calories living, breathing, digesting food, etc.

It does take a two pronged approach to a life of health and wellness. Diet is the foundation that everything else is built on. If your diet is crap, you are on a sandy foundation and the rest won't work well.

Keep up the good work. Sounds to me like you are on a good path.

 

[Ggreen]

I mostly agree. But keep in mind the bigger/heavier a person is the more calories they burn for the same work done. So a guy weighing 180lbs can run on a treadmill for an hour but a 350lb guy can ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and burn as many or more calories. The exercise is good for losing weight but from what I have learned cardio is not the way to do it. Strength training will burn more calories in a shorter time period than cardio alone. Plus the more muscle mass a person has causes calories to be burnt off faster as well. So building muscle boosts metabolism. Cardio is great but not very effective for weight loss as you mentioned. But it has obvious benefits in strengthening our heart and lungs as well as increasing blood flow and endurance.

While it is true a heavier person can get injured more easily, I would say that is minimized with proper form and technique. I'm 5'9" tall and am currently 354lbs (down from 380lbs in mid May).
But the Dr is right that to lose weight it has to start in the kitchen and what we consume. You can't out train a poor diet....believe me I have tried lol

I appreciate your input. I don't want to be dismissive, but I completely agree with this doc. He spent years dealing with injuries and health problems and based his advice on scientific grounds mixed with personal experience trying to put fat people back together after they did damage. He never said not to exercise, he said to exercise to be healthy not to lose weight. Injuries are generally counterproductive to weightloss and overall health. I plan to start a low impact physical fitness program as I go along, but i'm taking things a step at a time, nail the diet work in the exercise. Im not sedentary tho.