AdamWW's Retrospective 'Intuitive Eating' Test Log

[AdamWW]

So I did a dexa scan since it was marked down to $50 as my friend works at the place...

I now know why my test is low... im apparently 6.1% on a DEXA... explains a lot...

[hercules666]

So I did a dexa scan since it was marked down to $50 as my friend works at the place...

I now know why my test is low... im apparently 6.1% on a DEXA... explains a lot...

How do your joints and tendons feel in general? Unless I properly warm up, I feel fragile like an 80yr old

[AdamWW]

How do your joints and tendons feel in general? Unless I properly warm up, I feel fragile like an 80yr old

I’m similar

[AdamWW]

Did a pull session today... went very well.

Main progress was overall form and control. I've been kind of aggressive in moving weight increases per lift, and I kind of feel like I need to chill for a week or two and let things settle in.

I did, however, do 3 sets of 7 with +15lb on pull ups today which is my best during this bulk period.


Pendlay Row

4 sets of 7 with 145lb

RDLs

3 sets, 175lb, 8-7-7 reps

Pullup, weighted

3 sets of 7 with 15lb on waist

Standing BB Curl

3 sets of 10, 50lb

Laterals

3 sets of 11, 20lb

Abs

3 sets, Standing cable crunch variations




Very controlled today with the weights. Going to go in for Push tomorrow, and then I have my first golf match of the season on Sunday

[AdamWW]

I see someone enjoys Gillette.

Do i now?

[AdamWW]

Crop more next time, Adam.

I don't need much cropping... I'm evolved... you savage bear.

[AdamWW]

Pfft. THEY LIKE THE FUZZ! You HIPSTER.

[Strawng]

Pfft. THEY LIKE THE FUZZ! You HIPSTER.

Can Confirm. Fuk Gillette.

[AdamWW]

I’m just smooth. Srs

[AdamWW]

Ah. Groupon wax deals.

Nope, genetics.

And maybe ED-related hair loss... but was never a Wookiee

[Strawng]

Nope, genetics.

And maybe ED-related hair loss... but was never a Wookiee

I thought almost every white guy without any significant Mediterranean ancestry of some sort was basically hairless. Even in the worst of my ED when I was only 19 or so, I had a carpet.

[AdamWW]

Fine I’ll draw it on... I can’t take this attention

[AdamWW]

Finally added reps/hit a progress PR for my OHP today...

Must have been the huge ice cream feast before bed ;o)

[hercules666]

Good lad!

Is your avi recent?

[AdamWW]

Good lad!

Is your avi recent?

Yes... 2 days ago... morning after eating 2 full pints of extremely fatty ice cream... believe it or not, thats me after GAINING 3 pounds in the last 3 weeks... finally decided to weigh myself.

srsly can't wait to not be so lean.... I find the more water I retain, the more I purposefully overfeed carbs along with fats, the stronger I feel and the better I sleep.

I've been trying to make sure that every night before bed I get in at least some carbs and fats because otherwise I wake up hungry and because of my reflux I can't do big-volume meals pre-bed...

So, i've been eating clif bars and other higher-calorie options late at night... or just sugary oats with peanut butter, etc.

The abs and veins will be gone soon... for sure...

[hercules666]

Yes... 2 days ago... morning after eating 2 full pints of extremely fatty ice cream... believe it or not, thats me after GAINING 3 pounds in the last 3 weeks... finally decided to weigh myself.

srsly can't wait to not be so lean.... I find the more water I retain, the more I purposefully overfeed carbs along with fats, the stronger I feel and the better I sleep.

I've been trying to make sure that every night before bed I get in at least some carbs and fats because otherwise I wake up hungry and because of my reflux I can't do big-volume meals pre-bed...

So, i've been eating clif bars and other higher-calorie options late at night... or just sugary oats with peanut butter, etc.

The abs and veins will be gone soon... for sure...

Don't take this the wrong way but I would've assumed bf% 6.1 to look leaner than that

But definitely, when you gain some healthy bodyfat, your body will be in a far better state to make progress in the gym and hell life will be more comfortable in general

So there are some good things ahead for you bud

[AdamWW]

Don't take this the wrong way but I would've assumed bf% 6.1 to look leaner than that

But definitely, when you gain some healthy bodyfat, your body will be in a far better state to make progress in the gym and hell life will be more comfortable in general

So there are some good things ahead for you bud

I mean who knows... the % doesn’t really matter... any test has margins for error. Main takeaway is my leanness is not healthy.. if you zoom in, there’s multiple veins on my lower abs/obliques, and I have striated glutes and veins also on my hamstrings... NOT bragging, just saying it’s never a sure thing.

[AdamWW]

Zoom in? What? You want more people seeing how smooth you can shave your junk?

WHatever it takes, right babe?

[AdamWW]

Very interesting workout yesterday... my pull day... in that I think I discovered I might not be able to do DL's of any kind on the same day as much rows.

Yesterday I swapped them for weighted hyperextensions, and this morning my back is WAY more fresh/soreness-free compared to usual.

My existing pull days were: 4x8 pendlays, 3x8 RDLs, 3x8 Weighted Pull Ups... for the main lifts.

Simply by swapping the RDLs for the hypers, i slept so much better.... feel stronger today (an off day), etc. So we'll see. I want to have at least one heavy hip hinge movement per week, and I need to squat 2x per week, so I might have to have to different pull days.

Maybe one with RDLs, etc, and then a lateral pulling focus, and on the other day, heavy rows with hypers. So maybe:

Pull 1
Pendlay Row 4x8
Weighted Pull Ups 3x8
Weighted Hyperextention 3x10
Curls 3x10-12
Laterals or Face Pulls 3x10-12
Abs 3x15-20

Pull 2
Weighted Pull Ups 4x8
RDLs 3x8
Non-Standing Row Variation (undecided) 3x8
Curls 3x10-12
Laterals or Face Pulls 3x10-12
Abs 3x15-20



I think the main issue is having to much 'bent over' work on the pull day and killing my lower back. We'll see.

[AdamWW]

Definitely changing up my split to avoid RDL's / DL's at all when I do rows... my lower back and hams just lack the juice to keep them up after the rowing.

That being said, added 5lb to my weighted pull ups... did +20lb for 7-6-6... felt good

[Heisman2]

Have you considered hip thrusts for a hip hinge movement? That shouldn't really tax your system otherwise.

[AdamWW]

Have you considered hip thrusts for a hip hinge movement? That shouldn't really tax your system otherwise.

I have, yeah. Only thing I don't like about them is the time to set it up... seems to take me like 10 minutes ;o)

I do enjoy them though.

[AdamWW]

Today was kind of a feel and form session in the gym.

I golfed yesterday (had an awesome time, played like crap, but oh well), and my shoulders were quite sore after months with no playing at all. With the season starting up again, will probably still be going once a week or so... it's kind of my weekend therapy with friends

Anywho, I have a bad feeling I didn't eat enough... which happens when I'm more active. Though I packed lots of calorie-dense stuff with me (including my new favorite high-cal 'recovery' aid, the MTS Outright Bars), this morning I woke up ravenous, which usually means I just needed more.

I did munch down a huge dinner (I made an entire container of goat cheese ravioli topped with 3 sunny up eggs, spinach, and hot sauce, followed by some strawberry greek yogurt), but I'm finding more and more that the underlying repairs my body needs -- I think -- simply requires a huge surplus.

But today's training was fine... worked with my current 5x5 levels for squat and OHP, and was glad to get in and stretch out my muscles/joints.

I think sometimes it's good to just go and lift for 'fun' without feeling pressure to increase the weight. I still did it 'right', got in the groove, and stimulated everything, but I did so understanding the context of my limitation just for the day. It was a nice shift.

All this being said, my stomach feels like it's finally adjusting to my weight-restoration approach, eating more than other people seem to need, etc. It's funny, I never thought I'd understand what people mean by "sometimes bulking isn't fun"... but I get it. There are times now where I just don't want to eat, but for my mental and physical health, I need to for now. In the future, when I have more stored fat, etc, I'm sure it'll improve, but for now, this is how it is.

Sun's out today tho, which is awesome... might have to go get some street tacos and ice cream later.. we'll see

[AdamWW]

After a horrible Push day yesterday following maybe 3 hours of sleep, and ultimately waking up feeling like death (zombie style), I made sure yesterday to get in some extra carbs so I could sleep better, and wake up today for a Pull session.

Today's session felt great... I got better sleep, etc. I am noticing that many issues I have with sleep are unrealized incidences of my 'extreme hunger', basically my body overcompensating for chronic absence of adequate calories at a low level/long period, and by simply forcing myself to eat when I wake up in the night, I end up falling back asleep.

It's a hard balance to strike when I don't 'feel' hunger, but it's needed for now I believe.

Ended up hitting targets, will likely add reps next time.

Pendlay Row

4 sets, 145lb x 7 Reps

Weighted Pull Up

3 Sets, +20lb added weight, 7-6-6 reps

Weighted Hyperextensions

3 sets, 35lb plate, 11-11-11 reps

Standing BB Curl

3 Sets, 50lb, 10 reps each

Lateral Raise

3 Sets, 10 reps each, 20lb

Cable Crunches

3 sets of 12-15... varied angles, etc.



This felt FAR better not also including RDLs on the same day as Pendlays

I think I'm going to make a second Pull day variant for either DLs or RDLs, just to get more weight on hip hinging... perhaps do 3x8 for RDLs, then 3 sets of weighted pull up, then a cable row, or something similar.

Felt very controlled today... focused... happy with it.

Yesterday got in about 3k calories... but, I was 100% sedentary except the crap, lazy push workout which only lasted about 45min before I gave up.

Today targeting more, hopefully, but going somewhat on feel.

[Strawng]

Today's session felt great... I got better sleep, etc. I am noticing that many issues I have with sleep are unrealized incidences of my 'extreme hunger', basically my body overcompensating for chronic absence of adequate calories at a low level/long period, and by simply forcing myself to eat when I wake up in the night, I end up falling back asleep.

Yup. I had "extreme hunger" masquerading as insomnia in my recovery. Sporadically, and even lately as I've recently lost some weight, I've had it since. Even though you don't "feel" hungry, your "body-mind" knows better & pumps out stress hormones to keeps you awake & searching for food in the case of the overnight fast. Even temporary fasting will trigger a major fight-or-flight response for someone in your position. Another reason IF is a terrible idea for anyone even prone to an ED. Also, are you doing any cardio? How far are you walking each day? Cardio could also have major negative impact on the way you're feeling.

[AdamWW]

Cardio... absolutely not... no...

I actually have a goal to never do 'formal' cardio again, such as stairmasters, jogging, etc. Reason being, as soon as I create structure around exercise wherein a primary outcome is caloric burn, my focus turns to that control on calories.

Instead, as I rehabilitate, I will be able to do more social activities which, perhaps, involve movement, but I will likely never again in my life ever perform 'cardio' as most people see it, for much the same reason I will never be able to formally 'diet', either.

Right now, my planned activity (rather than calling it exercise) is limited to:

- Weight training for about 60min, 4x a week, limited volume and lower reps.
- Golf 1x a week, wherein a ride a cart... removing the walking component makes me focus only on the game and not the calorie burn.

I'm not 100% on steps... right now because I am trying to purposefully be very sedentary outside the gym and golf, maybe 3000 a day? If I hang out with friends... I don't know... depends... maybe add a few thousand.

I relate to you on the extreme hunger portion... by God it's an inconvenience...

I long for the day I might have normal responses to hunger... right now, I feel like I either cannot stand the thought of eating, or I feel like I must eat or I might pass out... I actually wrote a little bit about this in this thread (https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...post1576908311), specifically on the genetic/migratory theories around ED's which I 100% agree with.

I will say, though, I have finally reached a phase where I am enjoying food more without guilt and apprehension... obviously not all the time, but the meals I eat now, even though they're mostly high-fat and high-sugar, are becoming more pleasurable at a hedonic level and not just on a 'I gotta do this to survive' level.. which is great. It makes the processes of purposeful calorie surplus so much easier on those occasions.

Digestion... not great... yet. I've been eating what I crave... which sometimes is a pint of ice cream at midnight... this is expected obviously, and I know that.

[AdamWW]

Fantastic Workout today... finally... finally this recovery feels like it's working. Joints felt awesome, my knees and hips felt warmed-up quickly, etc... core felt braced and strong..

Was a push day.. finally locked in 5x5 with 160 on squats without compromising any depth. super, super happy....

But more importantly... I'm finally feeling a shift toward focusing less on food and more on social stuff... i'm noting all my stupid habits and doing the opposite... very liberating. Oh, and lots of ice cream. Yeah... a lot

[AdamWW]

Went out for Golf yesterday in the sunshine.

Had a blast, played horrible, but it was tons of fun to be playing on my league again.

I'm going to start sharing what I 'intuitively' eat on here more often, hopefully with pictures, etc, because I think it'd be a fun little experience for people to see what someone with knowledge about nutrition ends up eating when they're just left to their own devices.

Didn't take photos yesterday... but here is what I had:




Proats: 80g raw, scoop of MTS whey, blueberries, flaxseed
On the course: 1 Outright Bar, 2 Bananas, 1 Jam Sandwich, 1 cup of lucky charms, 1 pack of jerky
When I got home: 4 eggs, 4 pieces of toast, PB, 1 Apple
2 hours later: 2 ice cream bars
2 hours later: 2 mini burgers with cheese and bacon
Right before bed: 2 2% greek yogurts with raisins and honey

By my estimate... it's about 3500 calories... give or take.

[AdamWW]

Well... did my pull day today... was pretty solid really.

Tallied up my macros (estimate) at the end of the day once I was satisfied and yeah... plenty of carbs

80fat 450-500 carbs, probably 170
protein or so.

But then I also have been getting night time cravings for cereal so... still might have more to go.

No cardio obviously... not many steps... just the 70min lifting session in the AM.

Feel pretty good really... not cold and tired like usual... but a shift from my usual going to bed cold and still craving stuff.

[letsallmakeit]

Well... did my pull day today... was pretty solid really.

Tallied up my macros (estimate) at the end of the day once I was satisfied and yeah... plenty of carbs

80fat 450-500 carbs, probably 170
protein or so.

But then I also have been getting night time cravings for cereal so... still might have more to go.

No cardio obviously... not many steps... just the 70min lifting session in the AM.

Feel pretty good really... not cold and tired like usual... but a shift from my usual going to bed cold and still craving stuff.

have you checked your thyroid? especially t3- free t3, t4- free tf4 and tsh?

i saw you limited volume and went low reps. why?