| Forum | Topic | Date | Replies |
 |
|
|
|
| Fitness | Weight lifting know-it-alls - I have a question please | Sep 13 2007 16:21 (UTC) |
1 |
| The arnold press involves more of the rotator cuff muscles than the standard dumbbell press, so if you do switch to it remember to start light (lighter than you can DB press) to allow for muscle adaptation. Generally less weight can be used, since the arnold moves the shoulder through different planes (from front to the side of the body). I'd say if you are only doing one shoulder exercise, make it a normal press and use good form. As far as front squats, they isolate the quadriceps more than typical back squats, and so are much harder (not even consider the requirements of flexibility to keep the weight racked on the shoulders). For an overall workout, back squats (with a shoulder width stance and movement down a bit past parallel) are the better exercise, since you will get more hip/butt/hamstring involvement as compared with the front squat. Just my $0.02. |
|||
| Weight Loss | Time and Calories | Feb 28 2007 20:32 (UTC) |
5 |
| Here's how I normally make the small meals thing work: 200 cal wake-up snack (milk, half a small bagel) 6am, home 500 cal breakfast (oatmeal/cereal, milk, nuts) 8am, work 200 cal snack (fruit, yogurt/milk) 10am 400 cal lunch (bagel, nuts/cheese, lean meat, veggies (no dressing)) 12pm 300 cal before-workout snack (fruit, yogurt/milk, small bagel/slice of bread) 3pm 400 cal after-workout snack (fruit, protein powder, small bagel/slice of bread) 6pm 300 cal dinner (lean meat, veggies) 8-9pm, home Adds up to 2300 cals, which is a good range for me whilst trimming. |
|||
| Weight Loss | I'm in work and hungry... | Feb 28 2007 19:27 (UTC) |
|
| Agreed; fruit and yogurt is a great snack! Combined they give you simple carbs, fiber, and protein. Remember, you're just trying to get a bit of energy before you next full meal. Dolceamara's suggestion of water is spot-on as well! May I ask why you're avoiding carbs? Good complex carbs (e.g. whole grain foods) can provide you with a longer lasting source of energy than the sugars in milk and fruit. Breakfast is a great time for complex carbs (I usually have whole-grain cereal or oatmeal), since our energy reserves are low in the morning after having fasted during sleep. |
|||
| Weight Loss | For people 5 foot 3 inches | Feb 28 2007 19:07 (UTC) |
103 |
| Thought I was 5'4", but I was outted just the other day! .Age = 27 in May .Weight = 149-152 lbs. (depends on day) .Long-term goal = Met (down from 205 lbs. this past May) .Medium-term goal = lose the last bit of fat before summer if possible; most I can reasonably hope for is 1 lb. per month .Short-term goal = Enjoy spring sports for the first time in 15 years! Somone mentioned being saddened by *only* losing 3 lbs. in one month. That is excellent work at *any* stage of weight loss! It's good not to exaggerate, but don't shortchange yourself either! |
|||
| Fitness | body fat! | Sep 30 2006 13:10 (UTC) |
23 |
|
~20% from that site, which jives with the 18.5% I get from neck/waist measurement. Just 4.5% more to go, starting from 32%. I know quite a few people who say that the best measurement of weight loss is how you look in the mirror. While I agree that seeing yourself slim down tells you that you're losing weight, body fat % calculations give you a better idea of the type of weight you're losing. And let's face it; most of us want to lose fat, not muscle. |
|||
| Weight Loss | How much fat loss = an inch? | Sep 16 2006 14:51 (UTC) |
4 |
| Each persons genetics will determine how many inches they lose, where they lose them, and how quickly they lose them. I first lost fat in my upper body, and only now, after 4.5 months, have started to shed some hip/thigh fat. In terms of numbers, I lost about 35 lbs. in 4 months and went down around 7 inches on my waist. That averages to 5 lbs/inch, but that is how *my* body reacted to the weight loss. Your mileage will certainly vary. As far as the building muscle factor: if you're on a weight-loss diet, it's doubtful that you're building up muscle size fast enough to counter the lost fat inches. So don't feel like you need to sacrifice proper weight training to avoid putting on inches. Keep up those weights so that when you DO get your waist/hips down, you'll see nicely toned muscles underneath. Hope this helps. |
|||
| Weight Loss | If I go to McDonalds... | Sep 16 2006 14:36 (UTC) |
7 |
| Take a look at their nutritional information and their nutritional break-downs. You can also use their tool for totaling a meal. Watch out for saturated fats and trans fats, as they tend to be the biggest calorie culprits in fast food, and mind the sodium. Oh, and don't expect any of the carbs to be whole grain, hehe. I agree with husseyal; if you're going to be miserable chomping on a salad w/no dressing in front of your friends, then stick to smaller portions of normal fair (e.g. hamburger instead of a quarter-pounder). Also, don't be afraid to nitpick on ingredients. Taking off the mayo on a grilled chicken classic will save you 50 cals and 5 fat grams. GL and just remember that one meal at McDonald's, even if you splurge on it, won't kill you. p.s. I was not impressed by Supersize Me. Other than being a totally uncontrolled experiment with 1 sample unit, the guy did a lot of things (like force feeding himself), that were unrealistic. Sure, I know he was trying to emulate how obese Americans eat, but I think he could have toned it down a bit and made an even stronger point. |
|||
| Motivation | People Noticing? | Sep 02 2006 02:54 (UTC) |
3 |
| I get comments a lot due to the fact we have to wear our ID badges around work. I still have my pic from the first day, at my maximal weight, so the contrast is pretty stark after 48 lbs. I have had people voice concerns that I'm getting "too thin." I assure them that my fat levels are still not quite to the healthy range, and that I plan to bulk up on muscle once I'm finally down to my first goal weight. But in general, people are very supportive, and I think I've managed to at least pique the interest of a couple of people in terms of getting them to start working out as well. For me that's the best feeling: knowing that my actions might lead others to healthy living as well. |
|||
| Fitness | Cardio and Strength Training on the same day? | Sep 02 2006 02:32 (UTC) |
6 |
| I've done both on the same day ever since I started working out. The key, like has been mentioned, is to make sure individual muscles have time to recuperate from the lifting. Cardio exercise tends to be low enough intensity (muscle-wise) to avoid adding to the risk of overtraining. If you do want to burn more fat, you'd want to add more cardio. It takes a little time for the body to get into a full-fledge aerobic cycle, and it's only then that you're burning fat significantly. Try around 30-45mins of cardio, at an intensity where you can have a broken conversation (the "talk test"). As long as you keep up proper weight training, the extra cardio will not cause muscle loss. In terms of which to do first, I'd say go in the order that keeps you motivated (maybe even switch them up regularly). I do lifting first, since like tracy mentioned it makes logical sense metabolically for fat loss and for maximizing lifting ability. |
|||
| Weight Loss | Curious | Sep 02 2006 00:38 (UTC) |
15 |
| 2100 cals on sedentary. Allowance is 1500, but I eat more around 2000 and do a pretty good workout every day.
|
|||
| Motivation | Down... realy..realy down. . . . . | Aug 31 2006 01:50 (UTC) |
6 |
| han, Remember that as you get closer to your goal the inches will become harder to lose. Our bodies are stubborn little suckers, and they try to hold on as long as they can to our inches. Give your body a reason to keep dropping the weight: change your overall calories as you suggested), mix up the number of calories you take per day, change your workout routine (both cardio AND weights), maybe even change the time you work out if possible. Also, don't forget that, over a month, a good weight loss is probably around 4-5 lbs. Depending upon how you work out, those 4-5 lbs. could come from anywhere, not necessarily where you're measuring. Muscle mass increases can also wash out the 4-5 lbs. when you look on a scale. Don't let this perceived plateau stop you from reaching your goal. Change up your routine for a couple of weeks; if nothing happens, change it up again. The only thing that ALWAYS works in weight loss is perseverance, so stay positive and give that plateau hell! |
|||
| Weight Loss | How to tell if I've gained muscle? | Aug 30 2006 20:04 (UTC) |
12 |
| Get a body fat analyses done regularly (monthly/bi-monthly). This allows you to calculate your lean body mass (bones, organs, and muscle). If your lean body mass increases, you can be pretty sure it's because of muscle gain. If you're currently active in losing weight, you shouldn't expect great gains in muscle mass. However, keeping track of your body fat % will let you determine if you're losing fat or lean mass. A skinfold caliper test can be pretty accurate for fat measurement, but make sure the person who administers the test (perhaps yourself) knows how to do it consistently. GL! |
|||
| Motivation | Throw In the Towel? | Aug 30 2006 13:12 (UTC) |
5 |
| I agree with the other guys in the thread: hit the gym, do some resistance training, and reclaim some of that muscle mass! You mentioned Kate Bosworth; well, if you showed me her in Blue Crush then cut to her in Superman, I'd say she wasn't the same person. Why? She had some muscle on her in the former, and in the latter she looked like she needed a sammich badly. Studies have shown that weight loss without any resistance training tends to cause significant loss of muscle mass. Our bodies have evolved to hoard fat for use in times of famine (humans didn't use to have supermarkets around). Resistance training convinces our body that we need our muscles, so even if you do decide to lose more weight, you should still do some weight lifting. Shift your focus away from rote weight as a gauge of health and beauty, and remember that a toned body requires some muscle as well. And remember that a big part of our battle on CC is self-image, so forget those other girls and focus on what makes YOU happy about yourself. p.s. As far as the bikini: having just visited a water park this weekend, I can assure you that you look absolutely terrific in it :) |
|||
| Weight Loss | Do you worry about getting obsessive?.. | Aug 30 2006 01:26 (UTC) |
6 |
| For some people, a little bit of obsession is helpful. For instance, when i started out I had no idea how to eyeball calories. Some people might be able to see a meal and know if it's within their limits, but I couldn't. So I started off the bat counting everything to the gram (if possible). Even though now I'm better at eyeballing calories, I still use my scale when possible, because I'm quick with it and it gives me assurance. When I can't use the scale, I just eat sensibly (esp. when dining out), and I don't get too worried. Is it obsessive... maybe, but it sure is working! |
|||
| The Lounge | DSCH cont. thread | Aug 29 2006 01:11 (UTC) |
1 |
| I tend to agree a bit with the Feldman syndrome comment, although I like Feldman (but I haven't listened to his 6 hour string quartet, rofl). I don't mind the violins, and especially in more modern quartets they can give nice high scratchy sounds :) I always liked Schubert's Trout Quintet, though, which has wonderful scoring: 1 piano, 1 violin, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 bass... awesome! I've made a few attempts at classical exposure (is that legal?) Mostly people end up saying "I kinda like Mozart but not Beethoven so much... do you have the Nutcracker?" ARGH! Add Vainberg to the list of people I have to try. One day I'll go through my Penguin guide and get one CD by every composer they say is worthwhile, but time and money prevent that currently :P |
|||
| Weight Loss | Question On Diet Coke Nutrition Analysis | Aug 29 2006 01:05 (UTC) |
|
| Evidently it's high in iron and very high in sodium (2mg). I think the 0 calories might be confusing the system (kind of like: whoa, 2mg of sodium is a LOT compared with 0g of carbs...)
|
|||
| Weight Loss | Monday morning weigh-in 8-28 | Aug 29 2006 01:02 (UTC) |
3 |
| 8/19: 169 8/28: 167 I'll take it! p.s. Rhonda: I wouldn't call 4.5 lbs in a month a plateau; 1 lb. a week is good loss! |
|||
| The Lounge | DSCH cont. thread | Aug 28 2006 02:33 (UTC) |
3 |
| Haven't had exposure to either composer, but I'll give them a try. I have nothing against tame music. I had some Pärt on earlier and I wouldn't call most of his stuff exactly ear splitting. That's the great thing about classical; it really comes in all shapes and sizes. My liking of string quartets probably has a lot to do with my having played viola. In big orchestral pieces it's easy to give them a bit part playing inner harmonies, but a quartet really forces the composer to use the viola as more than just fluff. Classical radio has the inherent problem that a lot of good classical just isn't good listening for the road, for acoustic reasons. I had DSCH's 14th symphony on in the car the other day, and it just didn't work; I spent the whole time adjusting volume. A combinatio of this and people's lack of exposure to classical means that radio stations just play the same tired baroque and classical-era warhorses all the time. Have you found a good way of turning people on to classical music, especially later period stuff that isn't always "pretty" sounding? |
|||
| The Lounge | DSCH cont. thread | Aug 28 2006 00:45 (UTC) |
5 |
| LOL on the Ferneyhough. I've been meaning to get his and Carter's string quartets... I should get on that. My favorite to p*** off the neighbors is Xenakis, whose chamber works I really dig. As far as composers I don't care for, it's not so much I wish they had a shorter career, it's more like I wish they got less limelight compared to other composers. A short list is: Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky: With so many other Russian composers I prefer (DSCH, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, etc), I think it's a real shame that these two get all the glory. Especially Rachmaninov, whose fame rests mainly on two pieces (2nd piano concerto and paganini variations), yet gets more cred than DSCH :/ Chopin: His music is great no doubt, and I enjoy listening to it in bursts, but he's too much of a one trick pony, IMHO, to get as much attention as he does. I love the piano, but jeez man try to write a symphony or something! Vivaldi: Again, I like hearing and playing his music, but he's far too overplayed and there are much better torchbearers for the Baroque period. I guess this is more an indictment of how people listen to classical music than of the music itself, but that's a whole other can of worms... |
|||
| Motivation | Flabby Belly and Lovehandles, who's gotten rid of them? How? | Aug 27 2006 20:00 (UTC) |
12 |
| joelle, I think people have a habit of wearing their jeans a bit too tight, which pushes fat all over the place around the midsection. Generally what I call "love handles" are at your sides, at or a bit below the level of the belly button. The obliques cover this area; here's a link that shows the coverage: http://www.sportfit.com/sportfitglossary/abs_ obliques.html |
|||
| Motivation | Flabby Belly and Lovehandles, who's gotten rid of them? How? | Aug 27 2006 19:41 (UTC) |
15 |
| First ask yourself, "Have I lost enough fat from my sides to expect to have no love handles." If you can't say "yes", then you just need to stick with your weight loss regimen a bit longer until you lose the fat covering your obliques (the muscles under your love handles). If you're convinced that you should be lean on your sides, then you most likely need to strengthen your obliques. The obliques are technically considered part of your abdominal group, but they are a separate muscle from the six-pack (rectus abdominus). Many ab exercises (such as standard crunches), focus more on the six-pack and use the obliques as helper muscles. So try to add in some exercises that specifically target the obliques, e.g. side bends and twisting crunches. |
|||
| Weight Loss | Is Splenda bad for you? | Aug 27 2006 18:53 (UTC) |
5 |
| I was jamming to his 8th and 10th string quartets. I'm pretty sure I was driving the neighbors nuts, since it's not exactly easy listening :P As far as LvB, I still think his deafness was necessary for his creative vision to mature to the point it did, but I agree with you that his late works sure make me wish he had lived longer. There's also a long list of artists I'd wish would have died sooner, but we can't get what we want sometimes :D |
|||
| Weight Loss | Is Splenda bad for you? | Aug 27 2006 16:42 (UTC) |
8 |
| athena, I was just listening to the composer my name reminds you of :) I've heard that about Beethoven, although this might be one case where I'm grateful for lead poisoning. The inner struggles caused by his physical and mentail ailments were definitely key in his musical development. If I ever get to Austria, the Zentralfriedhof will be the first place I visit to pay respects. |
|||
| Weight Loss | I really need some answers!? | Aug 27 2006 16:02 (UTC) |
|
| #1: as elin directed #2: if you stick with good grains in your cereals and breadstuffs, you should be able to get all the fiber you need. However, if your schedule/eating habits make it hard to get a certain kind of macro/micro-nutrient, a healthy supplement is a good idea #3: I use smaller plates mainly because I'm eating less, and they're so much easier to hand wash (no dishwasher :/ ) If you're having problems controlling portion size, then smaller plates can help. I've also heard that darker plates tend to help as well, since they also make food look "bigger" #4: If you can only do one, then diet tends to be the easier way. For people who don't exercise, adding in a workout routine typically involves a major schedule reorganization, whereas we tend to have time set aside for food already. Also, it takes no time to not drink a 600 calorie shake, but it takes 45 minutes of good intensity cardio to burn off that 600 calories. A big caution here: when you do start your workout routine, you will have to recalculate your calorie needs to compensate for the exercises you're doing. E.g. If you burn on a normal day (w/out exercise) 1700 calories, then you'll probably be eating 1200 calories for weight loss. If you start a workout routine and suddenly use 2000 calories per day, you'll want to up your calories to 1500 to maintain a 500/day deficit. GL! |
|||
| Weight Loss | Is Splenda bad for you? | Aug 27 2006 15:45 (UTC) |
11 |
| Thanks for that post athena; it made my day! It's funny you mention lead in this discussion: there's scholarly debate as to whether sweet compounds of lead (e.g. lead acetate) were used as sweeteners in wine production in ancient Rome, forming one possible cause for the prevalance of lead poisoning in that era. As far as Splenda, I've used it consistently to turn corn flakes into frosted flakes with no ill effects. As has been said, plain sugar isn't actually bad calorie wise, but since I tend to use sweeteners in colder liquids (milk, tea), I prefer the easy dissolution of Splenda. As far as "chemicals", I eat/drink sodium chloride, hydroxyl acid, beta-D-fructofuranosyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, ethanoic acid, and ethanol regularly. It's a good thing our stomach doesn't contain any harsh chemicals... |
|||
| Weight Loss | BMI losses | Aug 26 2006 13:31 (UTC) |
18 |
| High: 36.9 Start: 34.7 Now: 28.8 At my goal weight (150lbs), I'll be around 15% body fat and still overweight on the BMI scale, so I take these numbers in stride :) |
|||
| Weight Loss | ate bad today.. any ideas/thoughts for tomorrow? | Aug 26 2006 13:20 (UTC) |
2 |
| I had a "bad" day as well; went with coworkers to get some greasy chinese buffet, and I filled up my plate a bit too generously :) I compensated by adjusting some of my snacks/meals for the rest of the day and managed to hit my maintenance calories. So over the week I had a 3000 calorie deficit vs a 3500 calorie deficit... I think I'll survive that extra 1/7th of a pound I might not have lost. Don't worry megz. Our bodies are not pure arithmetic machines; the calorie limits we set for ourselves are on the average accurate, but day by day our actual calorie use varies a good bit. Just hit the ground running tomorrow and get back on your plan, and you'll be just fine! |
|||
| Fitness | INCHES on the waist and hips, UGHGHH | Aug 25 2006 10:28 (UTC) |
1 |
| I agree 100% with steve and nubiker. We all can work our abs until we're blue in the face; we're not going lose inches until we get the fat surrounding (and underneath) them down. That means sticking to a good workout/eating routine until our body fat % has hit the level we want. I also agree with Han. Doing 100 crunches may be a great feat of muscular endurance, but as far as strengthening or bulking the ab muscles, you're better off sticking to lower reps of higher intensity. Abs are like any other muscle: certain rep ranges promote strength, others growth, others endurance. Remember that those last 4 inches are the toughest to lose for everybody, so just stick to a good routine and in time you will reach your goal. GL! |
|||
| Weight Loss | Night-time eating | Aug 25 2006 01:25 (UTC) |
4 |
| If by night you mean after normal dinner hours, of course. While bad foods (sugary, caffeinated, etc.) can prevent proper sleep, healthy foods before bed can just be another one of your meals. Eating before bed is especially useful if you're doing strength training: your body is going to use those calories (esp. proteins) in the muscle repair process. I generally take a small healthy snack before bed. Usually this is an hour before bed/two hours after dinner. I give myself the hour just in case my stomach doesn't like what I eat :) |
|||
| Weight Loss | Body Fat versus Body Weight | Aug 24 2006 17:15 (UTC) |
5 |
|
I think most people (on this site anyway), realize that body fat is a better indicator of health and fitness than pure weight. However, not everyone can or wants to get their body fat % measured regularly, whereas it is quite easy to buy a scale and weigh yourself. Besides, if you're doing things right (proper calorie totals and ratios, weight training and cardio, etc.) you can be pretty sure that you're preferentially burning fat rather than muscle. I'm a month away from my next body fat analysis, but I'm nothing but confident that what I'm seeing on the scale now will be a good indicator of what I will see then, because I've been doing what is necessary to minimize lean body mass loss. That's what great about losing weight the "hard" way; you get a sense of assurance that fad diets and their ilk don't give you. |
|||
Join Calorie Count - it's easy and free!
Advertisement
Advertisement
Calorie Count Challenge
Ask your Friends:
Can you guess which one has fewer calories?
