Fine. Let's Get Skinny and Hangry 2017 Diet/Body Compostion Thread

[Hooverville]

My Tuesday morning thoughts:

Enjoy the process. The more we grow and learn in this hobby, the more we can get bogged down with details.

It pays to keep it simple. When I was just starting to get back in the gym I made all sorts of bad choices (in training and diet) without even knowing it. But I made good progress because I enjoyed the process I was engrossed. Excercise had become a habit, and gaining knowledge about nutrition a passion.

I still think about the times that I went PSMF without knowing what it even was, I just figured I should eat only protien for awhile because that's all I wanted on my body. (Jesus the food dreams!) or training hard cardio for 45 minutes pre lifting because I wanted to be "warmed up". Sheesh.

The bottom line, if you enjoy getting results it doesn't really matter how you get there. Just try to know what it is you need to do and forget the mintutia.

I'm looking forward to getting started, and keeping simple.

Enjoy the process.

[induced_drag]

Thanks a lot baker! Not familiar with that program, I will definitely look into it!

Well, I'm rolling on other fronts, anyway. Got a new battery in the food scale, tracked some "normal" days of what I've been eating lately, and it's 3000+ calories. Not surprised in the slightest, I always seem to default to around 3000 calories when I'm not paying attention to my diet. Sigh. So I'm going to initially bring myself down to maintenance calories, which should be just under 2400. Then I'll drop down to some macro numbers that I've done quite well with previously, which come up to about ~1900 calories. We'll see how it goes.

3000 would be a lot. I think that about puts me on a slight surplus. I usually cut around 2400 but when I first started back, my cals were 1900ish on a cut. Not sure how closely you are tracking, but it is worth it to really get in and zone in on the right cal level. Otherwise you can chase your tail quite a bit. I always hated dieting so much, I wanted it to last as little time as possible. (or do it as effectively as I could).

Good luck!

Post holiday cookie binge at 211 lbs.


Its not a big deal if I forget my belt now :/ gonna need to grease my pants up to put them on if I don't get heading in the right direction soon

Start ratcheting down calories during the week. Will have one more weekend of moderate gluttony then try to de-fat myself by spring/summer. It's a vicious circle.

Food it good man. Just be sure to take advantage of it! This should be a good year for you!

[Todd_A]

ok.... Its time for me to do this.

I've slacked off terribly for the last year. Got busy with life and some new business directions that I have to find time to manage and allow time for the gym.

According to some notes, I've gained nearly 14 pounds and 5 inches in my waist since December last year. I am still lifting but it is down to a workout or two every couple of weeks or so... And I have eaten really crappy all year.

I am 192 pounds and have a 39" waist at this point.... the pics I took the other day look horrible.

Goals would be to get consistent with lifting and drop as much fat at possible while retaining as much lean mass as possible. I need to start doing cardio also for health reasons.

Ugh!

[TrotonKat]

Finally think I'm seeing some improvement of my butt

[Faust069]

Height - 5'10"
Weight 202lbs

I'm in on this. I have been counting calories since November 1st. I went from 217 to 201. I'm currently at 202 and am allowing myself some holiday food breaks. I will get back on it heavy next week.

Short term goal is to get under 200 as I haven't been there for years.

Long term goal is to get decently shredded before starting a slow bulk. I'm guessing 170-175. I'll know when I get there.

[itsagoodday]

Enjoy the process. The more we grow and learn in this hobby, the more we can get bogged down with details.

It pays to keep it simple.

Words of wisdom. I shall try to be wise enough to heed them

3000 would be a lot.

I'm an overachiever?

I always hated dieting so much, I wanted it to last as little time as possible. (or do it as effectively as I could).

See now I think of you as someone with absolute control over your diet. That's interesting, so the control is born out of necessity? I think part of my issue with dieting in general is that I do default back to excessive calories, which sets me up for a never-ending cycle of having far too much weight to lose and having to spend too much time doing it. I've never gone on a purposeful bulk, it's always more of a whoops, I guess I'm gaining weight again now.

Incidentally, how did you find a powerlifting gym with good lighting? It lacks the dungeon ambiance

Finally think I'm seeing some improvement of my butt

TK, you'll need to include the .jpg at the end for images to show up.

[scooter925]

Finding this post has been the silver lining in an otherwise crap end of the year. I'm in. If I'm not progressing or checking in feel free to hurl insults, my problem right now is I have no accountability.

Anyway, enough gushy stuff.

Beginning Stats (some of these are ballparked)
Weight 223
5'9
waist 39
age 41

GOAL:
Drop 20 lbs
lift with good form light to moderate weight, old body and recent surgeries prevent going heavy
finding my joy in lifting/working out again
Not necessarily add muscle but def cut

Thanks for your support guys, you can count on mine as well.

[Cass40]

Finally think I'm seeing some improvement of my butt

Jpg added.

I will start my diet January. Until then I'm getting as fat as I can with no lifting.

[blue9steel]

Finally think I'm seeing some improvement of my butt

Hard to judge improvement without a before pic. If you're not doing them already, I highly recommend hip thrusts, they really target the glutes well. When I started losing a lot of weight my wife complained my ass was disappearing (in a bad way) until I started doing those. She's much happier about it now.

[Cass40]

Hard to judge improvement without a before pic. If you're not doing them already, I highly recommend hip thrusts, they really target the glutes well. When I started losing a lot of weight my wife complained my ass was disappearing (in a bad way) until I started doing those. She's much happier about it now.

You were losing weight but started doing hip thrusts and bam booty appears? Yay..
Well, at my job they were claiming that someone gained a big booty by using some magic lotion.
Then they were like "cass, are you saying the lotion wouldn't work?" Ded srs..

Btw, since I'm already here, does anyone know a program that concentrates on upper body?

[TrotonKat]

You were losing weight but started doing hip thrusts and bam booty appears? Yay..
Well, at my job they were claiming that someone gained a big booty by using some magic lotion.
Then they were like "cass, are you saying the lotion wouldn't work?" Ded srs..

Btw, since I'm already here, does anyone know a program that concentrates on upper body?

Where can I get this cream from??? Lol

[Plateauplower]

My Tuesday morning thoughts:

Enjoy the process.

Dieting for me is more like "embrace the suck". Although the results are worth it.

Food it good man. Just be sure to take advantage of it! This should be a good year for you!

Yea I hope its a good year, I know its unlikely to see any more fast progress in terms of gaining muscle. It is getting easier to diet so that's a plus. Like you mentioned I never make it to where I want to be dieting either. I get to the point of diminishing returns and I think for myself to be lean I would need to be VERY dedicated, and as much as I would like to be that lean, its just not really worth it to me at this point. Luckily I have abs at pretty high body-fat, so I'm fine with having abs and still enjoying eating the occasional satisfying meal .

[blue9steel]

You were losing weight but started doing hip thrusts and bam booty appears? Yay..

Well, in the beginning it was more of stopping the losses, but I've kept up with it. It's not magic or anything but it is the only exercise that give me a glute pump, which still makes me laugh every time when I'm walking around afterwards. Interestingly between that and good mornings it's ended up being good deadlift assistance.

[wesleysh21]

Where can I get this cream from??? Lol

Just go to any bar in America and ask someone "can you put some cream on my booty?" You won't even have to pay for it.

[Plateauplower]

You were losing weight but started doing hip thrusts and bam booty appears? Yay..
Well, at my job they were claiming that someone gained a big booty by using some magic lotion.
Then they were like "cass, are you saying the lotion wouldn't work?" Ded srs..

Btw, since I'm already here, does anyone know a program that concentrates on upper body?

Lotion no, lots of ice cream will grow a booty, although it might not be the best for filling out yoga pants...

Why do you want to focus on upper body only? Many programs could be adapted by just modifying the lower work, but you wouldn't want to replace with more upper stuff because it could lead to overuse/tendinitis lack of recovery etc...If you have a lower body injury just find substitutions that you can do. Don't be one of those "gonna train half of myself" people

[Cass40]

Lotion no, lots of ice cream will grow a booty, although it might not be the best for filling out yoga pants...

Why do you want to focus on upper body only? Many programs could be adapted by just modifying the lower work, but you wouldn't want to replace with more upper stuff because it could lead to overuse/tendinitis lack of recovery etc...If you have a lower body injury just find substitutions that you can do. Don't be one of those "gonna train half of myself" people

Ok. I have to do that. I can't do back squats anymore. I think I have some kind of sciatica or nerve thing because it doesn't go away, even though I haven't gone to the gym for over a month. I am very depressed about it because if it's chronic, I don't know what to do. I can do legs like once a week. Front squats and DL's barely, leg presses and lunges are easier.
However, I would like to concentrate on upper body if there's a program like that.

[blue9steel]

Ok. I have to do that. I can't do back squats anymore. I think I have some kind of sciatica or nerve thing because it doesn't go away, even though I haven't gone to the gym for over a month. I am very depressed about it because if it's chronic, I don't know what to do. I can do legs like once a week. Front squats and DL's barely, leg presses and lunges are easier.
However, I would like to concentrate on upper body if there's a program like that.

That sounds pretty serious, you should definitely see a doctor, preferably someone with a sports therapy background.

[itsagoodday]

That sounds pretty serious, you should definitely see a doctor, preferably someone with a sports therapy background.

^^ This.

Was actually talking to a bodybuilder at my gym a few days ago about nagging injuries. He had a back issue that he wouldn't go away, finally went to see his doctor and was diagnosed with a pinched nerve. He said it took about 5 sessions with a physical therapist, then he was as good as new.

I guess the moral of the story is that the faster you can get something diagnosed, the faster you can get it fixed

[Plateauplower]

Ok. I have to do that. I can't do back squats anymore. I think I have some kind of sciatica or nerve thing because it doesn't go away, even though I haven't gone to the gym for over a month. I am very depressed about it because if it's chronic, I don't know what to do. I can do legs like once a week. Front squats and DL's barely, leg presses and lunges are easier.
However, I would like to concentrate on upper body if there's a program like that.

Disclaimer - I no doctor. So maybe get the issue checked out with one, being your spine and all...
Back squats are IMO one of the best things overall, but not mandatory to build legs. I think I get more back and core gains from squats honestly. Don't neglect your legs though, since that could lead to other issues and its half of your body and also works your core etc. Things like Step-ups, lunges, leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, or any other movements that don't cause pain could be used. Hip belt squats might be an option too but requires some set-up and a hip belt etc. You could also look into rehab type stuff from a physio, it is possible for strength imbalances to cause issues. Single leg work is also good. You could just take any of the established program of your choice and swap out the stuff you can't do with stuff you can that is targeting the same muscle groups. If you can do DB step ups (onto a bench or whatever) without pain those are pretty good for working most of the leg. If you want to only train legs once a week run an ABA split and just keep it ABA instead of switching every other week to BAB.

[Cass40]

^^ This.

Was actually talking to a bodybuilder at my gym a few days ago about nagging injuries. He had a back issue that he wouldn't go away, finally went to see his doctor and was diagnosed with a pinched nerve. He said it took about 5 sessions with a physical therapist, then he was as good as new.

I guess the moral of the story is that the faster you can get something diagnosed, the faster you can get it fixed

O.k. Well I guess I have to do this. Thanks.

Disclaimer - I no doctor. So maybe get the issue checked out with one, being your spine and all...
Back squats are IMO one of the best things overall, but not mandatory to build legs. I think I get more back and core gains from squats honestly. Don't neglect your legs though, since that could lead to other issues and its half of your body and also works your core etc. Things like Step-ups, lunges, leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, or any other movements that don't cause pain could be used. Hip belt squats might be an option too but requires some set-up and a hip belt etc. You could also look into rehab type stuff from a physio, it is possible for strength imbalances to cause issues. Single leg work is also good. You could just take any of the established program of your choice and swap out the stuff you can't do with stuff you can that is targeting the same muscle groups. If you can do DB step ups (onto a bench or whatever) without pain those are pretty good for working most of the leg. If you want to only train legs once a week run an ABA split and just keep it ABA instead of switching every other week to BAB.

I cannot physically do back squats anymore. And it's not even about the weight. Sometimes I can't do it even with just the bar. My leg goes from under me and starts shaking, and I'll be limping the next ten minutes. One time I was doing squats with 45 plates, and it just happened and I could barely put the barbell back because I can't put pressure on my leg when it happens. Also, when I get out of the bed in the morning, I have to be careful, I can't just put pressure on my leg without thinking. I feel like Frankenstein.

[Uber_Dad]

So this last go around I really stopped going heavy and started making sure my rep ranges were all 12-15. Frankly I am 6'4" really broad shouldered and big enough. I am also older, 47 and am finding the higher rep ranges leave me less sore and more energized.

I was just wondering if others had any feedback on the higher rep ranges as we get older. I tried looking for some information on this but really only got the classic rep ranges of 8-12, sigh. anybody think I should go back to that?

Also checked in with weight and yeah held steady at 287.8 for Xmas, so here we go for 2017!!

Do we really need the before pics? Guess I will put some together tonight or tomorrow.

[wesleysh21]

Ok. I have to do that. I can't do back squats anymore. I think I have some kind of sciatica or nerve thing because it doesn't go away, even though I haven't gone to the gym for over a month. I am very depressed about it because if it's chronic, I don't know what to do. I can do legs like once a week. Front squats and DL's barely, leg presses and lunges are easier.
However, I would like to concentrate on upper body if there's a program like that.

I have a sciatica issue. It was really frustrating because it kept me out of the gym, it was too painful. My doctor put me onto the sciatica stretches. I played around with them until I found the ones that work for best for me, which is basically the "reclining pose" with multiple leg positions. I do these no matter what my work out is...lower, upper or cardio.

http://www.healthline.com/health/bac...es#Pigeonpose2

[Plateauplower]

O.k. Well I guess I have to do this. Thanks.



I cannot physically do back squats anymore. And it's not even about the weight. Sometimes I can't do it even with just the bar. My leg goes from under me and starts shaking, and I'll be limping the next ten minutes. One time I was doing squats with 45 plates, and it just happened and I could barely put the barbell back because I can't put pressure on my leg when it happens. Also, when I get out of the bed in the morning, I have to be careful, I can't just put pressure on my leg without thinking. I feel like Frankenstein.

Uh, ya you should probably have that looked at. I am frequently stiff getting out of bed, have trouble putting socks on sometimes due to lower back etc after heavy squat or DL wo, but once I get moving I'm pretty much okay. Legs shaking and not working would indicate "something aint right" (medical terminology)...

So this last go around I really stopped going heavy and started making sure my rep ranges were all 12-15. Frankly I am 6'4" really broad shouldered and big enough. I am also older, 47 and am finding the higher rep ranges leave me less sore and more energized.

I was just wondering if others had any feedback on the higher rep ranges as we get older. I tried looking for some information on this but really only got the classic rep ranges of 8-12, sigh. anybody think I should go back to that?

Also checked in with weight and yeah held steady at 287.8 for Xmas, so here we go for 2017!!

Do we really need the before pics? Guess I will put some together tonight or tomorrow.

Try it out and see how it works for you. 15 rep sets are better than not doing anything. I personally recover better and seem to have less joint issues working with higher intensity lower rep sets and lower volume. There are plenty of people much older than you that still lift with high intensity at lower rep ranges though, age should not be as much of a factor as much as how you feel and respond to the stimuli. Less likely to keep it up if you don't enjoy it, so there is that too.

[blue9steel]

I was just wondering if others had any feedback on the higher rep ranges as we get older.

I don't have trouble with lower rep ranges as long as I don't use those exclusively. Different ranges tend to produce different kinds of damage/fatigue. Just about any periodization system (except long linear) will have you rotating often enough that cumulative effects aren't really an issue. Personally I use wave periodization (also used by 5/3/1 program) but there are plenty of other good choices.

[baker]

Cass that sounds like the SI joint issues I was having a while back. Certainly have it checked out!

[MrNismo]

Cass, I had a pain that I think was the sciatic nerve being pinched by a knot in my glutes. It lasted about 3 days and the final straw was having to take a plane from Seattle to Indy and try to sit still. That night I was googling frantically for some kind of relief and found an article saying to use myofacial release (foam rolling) all around the glute and specifically the piriformis.

I kid you not I sat on the foam roller, lifted my leg and twisted and there was this insane pain for a split second and then a shot of relief all the way down the leg where formerly it was hurting like hell.

It can take a bit to find the right spot but you will know when you do LOL.



FYI, in case it's not obvious, I'm no doctor

As for what lower body exercise you might try rear leg elevated split squats. They are very friendly on the lower back assuming you learn proper form and work nearly every muscle in the leg.

[MrNismo]

I'll get pics up after we get back from vacation next week.

I'm putting on just as much fat as muscle, but strength is going up and nothing is hurting -- except my ego when I try to squeeze into my pants haha.

The weights I'm using in the gym are still dismal for someone lifting as long as I have been but I'm still very happy about my squat form at this point. I have videos from 4 years ago showing me squatting 225 for 20 reps. Today I did 5 sets of singles with 225 and each one was a grind.

The difference though? Each one of them now is sitting in ATG for 5 second pauses and not one of them hurts. When I was squatting 225 for 20, something on my body was always hurting and it would be a lot worse by the time I was done squatting.

Now I spend just as much effort outside the gym with foam rolling and mobility moves as I do lifting in the gym and it seems to be finally paying off.

If I don't see a huge difference between June 2016 and June 2017 in both strength and build, I'm going to be really upset

[MrNismo]

ok.... Its time for me to do this.

I've slacked off terribly for the last year. Got busy with life and some new business directions that I have to find time to manage and allow time for the gym.

According to some notes, I've gained nearly 14 pounds and 5 inches in my waist since December last year. I am still lifting but it is down to a workout or two every couple of weeks or so... And I have eaten really crappy all year.

I am 192 pounds and have a 39" waist at this point.... the pics I took the other day look horrible.

Goals would be to get consistent with lifting and drop as much fat at possible while retaining as much lean mass as possible. I need to start doing cardio also for health reasons.

Ugh!

How long since your AVI pic? You can still tell you have a 'lean' frame under the flab. I think you should be able to get pretty damn close to your AVI shape by June if you get the diet right.

[Cass40]

I have a sciatica issue. It was really frustrating because it kept me out of the gym, it was too painful. My doctor put me onto the sciatica stretches. I played around with them until I found the ones that work for best for me, which is basically the "reclining pose" with multiple leg positions. I do these no matter what my work out is...lower, upper or cardio.

http://www.healthline.com/health/bac...es#Pigeonpose2

Thank you. I definitely have to do those kind of stretches.

Cass that sounds like the SI joint issues I was having a while back. Certainly have it checked out!

What's that? I have to investigate.

Cass, I had a pain that I think was the sciatic nerve being pinched by a knot in my glutes. It lasted about 3 days and the final straw was having to take a plane from Seattle to Indy and try to sit still. That night I was googling frantically for some kind of relief and found an article saying to use myofacial release (foam rolling) all around the glute and specifically the piriformis.

I kid you not I sat on the foam roller, lifted my leg and twisted and there was this insane pain for a split second and then a shot of relief all the way down the leg where formerly it was hurting like hell.

It can take a bit to find the right spot but you will know when you do LOL.



FYI, in case it's not obvious, I'm no doctor

As for what lower body exercise you might try rear leg elevated split squats. They are very friendly on the lower back assuming you learn proper form and work nearly every muscle in the leg.

Thank you. I think I have that too because my butt is always aching like crazy. Even the other day when I haven't worked out for a long time, my butt started to ache like crazy all of a sudden. It went away the next day. Sometimes it hurts so much that I sit on a massager thingy.

[scooter925]

First day back went ok, hard not to laugh at myself as I do chest with 20 pound weights. Great form and don't feel like death today, thats the good news. Diet going ok today, have to hit the market tonight to stock up on keto friendly foods. Great job everyone, keep it up!