I'd guess that any scale can be off. That's why it is important to use the same scale consistently.

The scale is an important tool, but it only measures weight. Not BF% (unless it has that feature, but those are pretty dubious in accuracy), not strength, and not well being.

I track my progress by examining my visual aesthetics in the mirror, how clothes fit, weight, and most importantly performance & well being.

I couldn't careless about my weight, if my abs are showing and I am hitting personal records in my lifts.

[Edited on March 27, 2012 at 2:04 PM. Reason : ;]

3/27/2012 2:03:03 PM

Quote :

"I track my progress by examining my visual aesthetics in the mirror, how clothes fit, weight, and most importantly performance & well being."

I've always found it tough to gauge my progress by looking in the mirror because both my highs and lows are so close...especially when you check on a day-to-day basis.

My performance is pretty well...my running is getting back to personal bests and I've been crushing my personal workouts. I'm just worried that my age (getting close to 30!) is finally catching up with me and that I'm going to REALLY have to start getting strict with my diet.

3/27/2012 2:07:10 PM

Where do people get quinoa pasta? I was looking all over the pasta aisle at Harris Teeter and couldn't find it.

3/27/2012 6:52:35 PM

Try the whole foods/fresh market route

3/27/2012 7:04:15 PM

Probably shouldn't have been looking in the pasta aisle

3/27/2012 7:33:17 PM

Week 1 Progress



to



I actually weigh a bit more, but I look and feel better, so fuck you.

3/27/2012 8:15:51 PM

Quinoa pasta is sold pretty much everywhere - HT, WF, Kroger.

3/27/2012 9:35:16 PM

i saw the quinoa with the rice on the top shelf at Harris Teeter, like next to the fancy wild rices, in a bag

3/27/2012 9:51:31 PM

I know this is a late response Matt, but I really do not think it's an over compensation of movement. I say this because I haven't changed anything about the way I walk because of the pain, and if I do have pain I just keep walking through it (and it's usually only because I have my heavy bag and put a little more weight on that hip when I have pain walking). But, I still need to try those two movements so I'll report back when I get a chance (doing school work right now).

I guess it's time to go see a doctor since I have time this week :\ the pain is in the same spot and never radiates or anything. It's just a chronic, sharp pain that feels like it's on the bottom back portion of where my hip and thigh bone meet. I'm mostly worried about something like this:



this is the best I can pinpoint it

3/27/2012 11:27:30 PM

i think i am going to join this thread soon. i have been working on my beach body for a few weeks now. i go to the gym after work (usually 11pm-1am-ish) because i like working out when no one is there. i do wish i had a workout partner sometimes though, someone who knows what they're doing. i have three personal training sessions that i bought so i think i'm going to use them next week. i really want to learn more exercises with the kettle bells and free weights and bars. right now i am just using machines and doing cardio.

really i am working on my beach BOOTY, so i am excited to work with this personal trainer to make sure i am doing my squats right.

3/27/2012 11:45:45 PM

Yeah you dont wanna mess with labral tears.

3/28/2012 1:05:24 AM

Quote :

"i saw the quinoa with the rice on the top shelf at Harris Teeter, like next to the fancy wild rices, in a bag"

lol that's regular quinoa.

quinoa pasta is found in the pasta aisle near the gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta.

3/28/2012 8:26:54 AM

most of the quinoa pasta isn't 100% quinoa from what I've seen... I have a bag of the stuff... i'm going to make red beans and rice, and sub in about 50% quinoa grains and 50% brown rice instead of the white jasmine rice I usually use... think that might taste good? (experimenting here)

3/28/2012 8:41:43 AM

^^damn lol what the heck did i buy then? Can i eat it?

3/28/2012 10:28:57 AM

^^ you are correct - it is a mix of corn and quinoa i believe.

you probably just got regular quinoa - which is more like couscous. quinoa pasta looks like pasta - they have spaghetti, shells, and spirals.

[Edited on March 28, 2012 at 12:55 PM. Reason : i know too much about quinoa pasta]

3/28/2012 12:54:34 PM

Doh! just bombed on my diet... went drinking and ended up at mojoes...

10oz burger with bacon, pimento cheese, and a friend egg + chilli cheese fries. Was going to take some picture updates tomorrow, but that's probably not going to happen.

3/28/2012 11:26:15 PM

lots of protein at least.

and you made a new egg friend.

3/29/2012 7:21:47 AM

^^ that sounds SOOOO amazing. i can't have dairy or pork anymore so just think every bite you took, you took one for me

i splurged a bit last night. i had a chicken panini at Panera but changed out the foccacia bread to whole grain and nixed the cheese and onions. but then the pastry bar was calling my name. i could hear it faintly "casssiiiiieeeee we look delicious, i'm sure there is something you can eat over here." so i caved and had a cinnamon scone. it was amazing. and i only slight reacted so go me.

3/29/2012 8:02:02 AM

Yea, I was a little upset with myself after I finished it. I had fasted practically the whole day. I think the few cocktails I had lowered my judgement and decision making.

I was only up a lb from the previous day, so no biggie. I'll just count that as my cheat day, and stick to low calorie/low carb for the new few days.

After evaluating my progress, I think I should slow down the diet a bit. I tend to be an all or nothing type of personality, but in this situation I think it may be better to lose it slower.

3/29/2012 9:58:51 AM

Quote :

"and you made a new egg friend."

lol

3/29/2012 10:09:31 AM

Two questions about IF:

1. If I fast at a time that excludes breakfast, would having breakfast 1 day a week really impact the benefits of IF?

2. Would having coffee and cream in the morning have a real impact on the benefits of IF?

Those are really the two things that I worry about with the diet. I need coffee in the morning and like it with cream. I can drink it black but I would rather not if there aren't many negative consequences. Also, I eat breakfast out with my wife once a week and don't want to quit doing that. I assume the first question isn't a big deal, not sure about the second if the calories in creamer would negate the benefits of a fast.

3/29/2012 1:17:05 PM

I wouldn't sweat it.

Obviously, if you break the fast you will lose some of the benefits. But, if it happens sparingly, I'd guess it's fine.

It depends on what you are using the fast to obtain. The lean gains style fasting of 18/6 breakdown is mainly to facilitate calorie partitioning and deficit.

Many people have great success with it because it is easier to be compliant with it, for them.

3/29/2012 1:24:23 PM

I'm just trying to slim down by about 15-20 lbs. I know I can do it by diet changes/calorie reduction, I've done it before and can do it again but I have never tried IF so I figured I would give it a shot along with cleaning up some of my food choices.

3/29/2012 2:08:37 PM

Thoughts on purple rice?

3/29/2012 10:19:53 PM

Has anyone tried A Simple Beginner's Routine by Allpro?

I've done Starting Strength twice and after awhile (6+ months) I just can't consume enough food and/or find adequate recovery to move on. I like the built in recovery of Allpro's but 5 weeks to move 10% sounds like forever.

I will miss pull-ups but I guess that I came fit them in on my PT days.

In an ideal world, I would like to only lift 2 days a week with the other days doing Cardio/PT.

3/29/2012 11:20:39 PM

skywalkr:

Quote :

"* No calories are to be ingested during the fasted phase, though coffee, calorie free sweeteners, diet soda and sugar free gum are ok (even though they might contain trace amount of calories). A tiny splash of milk in your coffee won’t affect anything either (½-1 teaspoon of milk per cup at the most - use sparingly and sensibly if you drink a lot of coffee). Neither will sugar free gum in moderation (~20 g)."

http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

3/30/2012 8:00:52 AM

Thanks, I think I will just stick to straight espresso during my fast for a month to see how it works.

3/30/2012 10:23:04 AM

crap.....just blew my low carb diet...

imma go burn 1000 calories at the gym hopefully will put me back on track. I am so freakin weak-willed

3/30/2012 11:44:20 AM

if youre going to come here to say you blew your diet, you need to tell us what you ate

3/30/2012 2:32:18 PM

went on a date last night, indian food. I basically ate super light all day so i could enjoy it, and then pigged out, brought home leftovers, and had a bunch of naan for breakfast instead of my usual egg whites and celery. Chicken Tikka masala, man it was soo good.

3/30/2012 3:00:22 PM

Egg whites and celery?

Do you like torturing yourself?

3/30/2012 3:16:32 PM

Yeah I can see why the celery.

Very low carb and lots of fiber...fills you up/keeps you full.

3/30/2012 3:19:36 PM

You know what else keeps you full and has way more nutritional value than celery? The perfectly good egg yolk not being used. Just because the macronutrient is called "fat" does not automatically mean it will put on fat any differently than other macronutrients of the same caloric level. Instead, animal fats are delicious, filling, and nutritious. I can't believe chicken thighs are around half the prices as the breasts if not cheaper. More nutrients plus better taste plus not as dry plus cheaper? Yes please.

/rant

3/30/2012 3:44:42 PM

Quote :

"went on a date last night, indian food. I basically ate super light all day so i could enjoy it, and then pigged out, brought home leftovers, and had a bunch of naan for breakfast instead of my usual egg whites and celery. Chicken Tikka masala, man it was soo good."

Good thing you avoided 50 calories and a whole bunch of nutrition in that egg yolk.

3/30/2012 3:54:27 PM

^^ I know...

The whole LDL vs. HDL debate has changed over the years now.

I love yoke. And I can tell the difference between regular eggs vs. Eggland's Best too. Eggland's is

much sweeter.

And as far as the breasts goes. I can't believe some of the size of the breasts. That's can't be natural.

Skywalkr....what about chicken gizzards? Have you tried it? It's high in protein and it is so cheap. I don't like the smell of it but I used to cook them all the time for my ex-boyfriend. The key is to cook them down to death until they are chewable.

[Edited on March 30, 2012 at 4:39 PM. Reason : ...]

[Edited on March 30, 2012 at 4:40 PM. Reason : ...]

3/30/2012 4:38:16 PM

Yeah I am not really down with gizzards. I am not that brave when it comes to stuff like that


And I guess I am now officially joining this thread/challenge. Sick of weighing this much so I am going on a pretty solid cut until I get down to 210-215 (230 right now). Mainly going to do whatever crossfit wod my gym is doing Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and do a pure strength day on Friday to try to maintain my max lifts. Diet is going to be a paleo-ish IF diet.

Hit it hard today:

Low Box Back Squats - 265lbs 3x5, 325lbs 2x3
Dead Lift - 365lbs 3x5, 405 2x3

Absolutely nothing left in the tank after that, my legs were shaking all over the place on that last set of deads, kept solid form though.

3/30/2012 7:34:37 PM

hey does anyone go to the YMCA on HB street? I'd love to meet up with some folks for spots and whatnot once lacrosse season is over and I can get back to gymming regularly.

3/30/2012 7:59:12 PM

Quote :

"BEACHBODY CHALLENGE"

Quote :

" I can't believe some of the size of the breasts. That's can't be natural. "

If I can touch them, they're real.

3/30/2012 9:33:34 PM

Ctrl + F for breasts was severely disappointing

3/30/2012 10:35:19 PM

Hey, wanna lose like 15 pounds on the quick? Catch the flu.

3/31/2012 8:00:56 AM

week 2 was terrible. I had 3 dates in which i gorged cause i didn't want to look like a pussy eating salads and stuff, and then 2 birthday parties and i went to town on some birthday cake because i have no will


and that intermittent fasting thing is a crock of sh*t. I tried it for a few days, skipping breakfast, all it did was make me hungrier later in the day and then make terrible choices with my meals and whaddya know i gained 2.5 lbs back. Screw whoever thought of it. And you can argue 'well you are supposed to keep strict and not overdo the other meals' ya well harder said than done guys. Up 2.5lbs from last week, now 203. Not gonna bother with any pictures.

I'm going back to what I do best, eating 5-6 meals/day, keeping to 1800cals/day. Breakfast will be my most important meal from now on. It's what got me all the way to where I am now anyways and prevents me from eating late in the day and going to bed w/a full stomach like I had been doing before.

Got 2 weeks left, doubt ill get to my goal weight/BF% but we'll see what we can do. Be nice if my BF can be in the low 15's range.

4/2/2012 3:16:12 PM

Quote :

"I had 3 dates in which i gorged cause i didn't want to look like a pussy eating salads and stuff"

Common misconception. We're not cave men. We don't have to eat six pounds of flesh every meal to impress women. If I abstain from a salad, its because I didn't want it, not based on some preconceived notion that she'll think I'm a pansy.

4/2/2012 3:19:59 PM

Quote :

"I tried it for a few days"

Quote :

"that intermittent fasting thing is a crock of sh*t"

Quote :

"my usual egg whites and celery"

[Edited on April 2, 2012 at 3:22 PM. Reason : ]]

4/2/2012 3:21:40 PM

IF is definitely not a crock of shit.

Not sure where you get the idea that you can eat over maintenance and expect to lose weight. And going to bed with your stomach full doesn't matter in the slightest. There's some evidence that it can actually benefit nutrient partitioning.

Did you try it with low carb? Or did you just eat everything in sight? What was your protein intake?

4/2/2012 3:27:54 PM

Quote :

"and that intermittent fasting thing is a crock of sh*t. I tried it for a few days, skipping breakfast, all it did was make me hungrier later in the day and then make terrible choices with my meals and whaddya know i gained 2.5 lbs back. Screw whoever thought of it. And you can argue 'well you are supposed to keep strict and not overdo the other meals' ya well harder said than done guys. Up 2.5lbs from last week, now 203. Not gonna bother with any pictures."

The first week doing IF, as I recall, was pretty bad. I felt hungry, irritable, and lightheaded. There's definitely a transition period where your body adjusts to a new feeding period. If you're fasting for 16 hours, your 2-3 meals in the feeding period should feel big. Obviously, shit like birthday cake doesn't have a good place in a cutting diet.

I overdid it this weekend in a big way. Went to a friend's lakehouse from Friday - Sunday, ate WAY too many carbs, but also ate plenty of meat. Weighed in this morning at 6 lbs over my low, but I also blasted through a new rep PR on overhead press last night. Felt easy, even though I was lethargic from the weekend.

Part of life is that you're going to get in situations where overeating is easy. Holidays are a good example, vacations too. Life is too short to eat grilled chicken and salad all the time. You just have to be able to switch gears when appropriate.

4/2/2012 3:54:38 PM

I am on my third day of IF and it hasn't been too bad really. Hungry in the late mornings for sure but I eat plenty during my non fasting time so that after 8:00 I don't get hungry. Only problem can be making sure I eat dinner by 8 most nights, didn't realize I ate so late sometimes.

4/2/2012 4:10:49 PM

Phew...got on another scale this past weekend and it showed a more accurate weight of where I felt I was at. That scale at the hotel the weekend before last must have been really fucked up.

So I'm pretty close to where I want to be. Maybe about 5 pounds off. The arch on my left foot has been a little sore recently so I'll have to rest it cut back on my running. I'll up the weight training a little bit and watch my diet to compensate. Beach season is pretty much already here down in Charleston, but I've still got a couple weeks before I'll be going every weekend (when the water warms up enough).

4/2/2012 5:32:43 PM

Quote :

"Did you try it with low carb? Or did you just eat everything in sight? What was your protein intake? "

protein intake low. Cake intake high

4/2/2012 5:44:26 PM

why "gorge" or "eat like a pussy" when you could just make smart choices and show control...AFAIK women like that

down 21 lbs since Feb 1

4/2/2012 7:42:48 PM

I started Lyle McDonald's Ultimate Diet 2.0 today... It is going to be tough, but I have pretty high hopes for it.

The gist is a 7-day cyclical diet that attempts to maximize fat loss and maintain/potentially build muscle. It depends on how you set it up for you individual goals.

Looks like this:

Mon - Low Carb/Low Calorie - High Rep, High Set, Low rest break full body pump/depletion work out
Tues - Low Carb/Low Calorie - High Rep, High Set, Low rest break full body pump/depletion work out
Weds - Low Carb/Low Calorie - light cardio
Thurs - Low Carb/Low Calorie - Heavy, high intensity, high rep, low sets work out. Then you start the carb feast. Try to put doing about 1,000 calories of carbs post work out.
Fri - Double your maintenance calories... shooting for 5,000-6,000 calories
Sat - power training work out - max effort 3-5setsx3-5reps full body. Continue to pound carbs until the evening.
Sun - Moderate calorie or slight deficit. No training.

[Edited on April 2, 2012 at 8:25 PM. Reason : CARB MONSTER]

4/2/2012 8:24:26 PM