Health & Fitness Thread

[LogGrad98]

Week 0, Aug 15 - 287.0 lbs
Week 1, Aug 23 - 282.4 (-4.6)
Week 2, Aug 29 - 276.8 (-5.6; -10.2)
Week 3, Sept 6 - 274.0 (-2.8; -13.0)
Week 4, Sep 13 - 272.8 (-1.2; -14.2)

Ok week 4 was less lost as expected. I probably have burned through all the water retention and am adding some muscle. I can do my 20 pushups fairly well now, and pullups are getting easier, and I am walking more around the warehouses. Walk around a million-square-foot building a few times and you get the steps in. Generally happy with the progress, but sometimes the sugar cravings are tough. 4 weeks in, firmly in ketosis, yet the appetite hasn't diminished as much as I expected and man do I want pie. Pumpkin pie is calling to me considering we are heading to Halloween not too far off, and then Thanksgiving. But I will have allowances for stuff then. Planning a 5 day water fast the week of October 10th, that is the week my wife gets her surgery, so I am restricting my diet as she restricts hers in solidarity, but I am NOT eating pureed food. Yikes.



Edit coming on PC. It's a pain on mobile.

Edit: and it's done!

 

[Eminence]

Finally started hitting the gym regularly for the first time in a decade a bit over a month ago. Up somewhere between 5-10 lbs in that time. Generally feeling pretty good. Cleaned up the diet a bit at the same time (nothing drastic, already only drink water so was like 80% of the way there).

Trying to keep the weights routine pretty basic so far - 2 leg days and 2 upper days a week.

Leg day - deadlift, squat, hip thrusts, bulgarians, single leg rdls, calf raises, hamstring curls

Upper - bench, row, overhead press, pullups, dips, face pulls, lateral raises

The babes are digging it.

 

[Avery]

Week 0, Aug 15 - 287.0 lbs
Week 1, Aug 23 - 282.4 (-4.6)
Week 2, Aug 29 - 276.8 (-5.6; -10.2)
Week 3, Sept 6 - 274.0 (-2.8; -13.0)
Week 4, Sep 13 - 272.8 (-1.2; -14.2)

Ok week 4 was less lost as expected. I probably have burned through all the water retention and am adding some muscle. I can do my 20 pushups fairly well now, and pullups are getting easier, and I am walking more around the warehouses. Walk around a million-square-foot building a few times and you get the steps in. Generally happy with the progress, but sometimes the sugar cravings are tough. 4 weeks in, firmly in ketosis, yet the appetite hasn't diminished as much as I expected and man do I want pie. Pumpkin pie is calling to me considering we are heading to Halloween not too far off, and then Thanksgiving. But I will have allowances for stuff then. Planning a 5 day water fast the week of October 10th, that is the week my wife gets her surgery, so I am restricting my diet as she restricts hers in solidarity, but I am NOT eating pureed food. Yikes.

View attachment 13046

Edit coming on PC. It's a pain on mobile.

Edit: and it's done!

My personal take is that you should transition out of ketosis as those cravings are never going away and long-term, you're not going to probably want to stay there. Start to add in some carbs and reduce your overall fat and you'll still see some good results. Ketosis is a good icebreaker to get you motivation and get going, but cheating yourself out of 'wants' is only going to make you want them more.

Water fasts and what not are fine to chip down the overall weight, but it's not a long-term change. You've found the easiest part is done, what comes now is actual dietary changes that can be long-term. Keep your calorie restriction at a manageable level, stay active walking the warehouse and I guarantee you'll still shed `2 pounds every week.

With winter weather coming, look into soups as there's many recipes out there for soups that will make you feel fill but contain minimal calories (some even get to the point that you consume more calories eating it vs. the actual nutriontal value of it). You see these online as 'peel a pound' soups and they're a bit nasty after a few days, but you can find different recipes that will work for you.

Stick to that and I guarantee you that come New Years, you'll probably be down to about 240.

 

[LogGrad98]

My personal take is that you should transition out of ketosis as those cravings are never going away and long-term, you're not going to probably want to stay there. Start to add in some carbs and reduce your overall fat and you'll still see some good results. Ketosis is a good icebreaker to get you motivation and get going, but cheating yourself out of 'wants' is only going to make you want them more.

Water fasts and what not are fine to chip down the overall weight, but it's not a long-term change. You've found the easiest part is done, what comes now is actual dietary changes that can be long-term. Keep your calorie restriction at a manageable level, stay active walking the warehouse and I guarantee you'll still shed `2 pounds every week.

With winter weather coming, look into soups as there's many recipes out there for soups that will make you feel fill but contain minimal calories (some even get to the point that you consume more calories eating it vs. the actual nutriontal value of it). You see these online as 'peel a pound' soups and they're a bit nasty after a few days, but you can find different recipes that will work for you.

Stick to that and I guarantee you that come New Years, you'll probably be down to about 240.

Good thoughts. The plan is to continue with ketosis until my wife has her surgery. Then a water fast looking more for the autophagy aspect than just weight loss. Then after my wife's surgery I'll transition out of a ketogenic diet into a diet that mirrors hers too make it easier to help support her, since her diet will drastically change. Eventually I'll settle into a whole/natural foods diet closer to and Atkins ratio than anything else really. That will be more of what my wife will be on long-term after her bariatric surgery. I figure I'll be on a heavily modified diet for the better part of a year and will likely lose about 60 pounds during that time.

Even in the past when I was actually young and generally in shape it was almost impossible to get below 220 except when I was on chemo. Now that's a ****** diet plan.

 

[Avery]

Good thoughts. The plan is to continue with ketosis until my wife has her surgery. Then a water fast looking more for the autophagy aspect than just weight loss. Then after my wife's surgery I'll transition out of a ketogenic diet into a diet that mirrors hers too make it easier to help support her, since her diet will drastically change. Eventually I'll settle into a whole/natural foods diet closer to and Atkins ratio than anything else really. That will be more of what my wife will be on long-term after her bariatric surgery. I figure I'll be on a heavily modified diet for the better part of a year and will likely lose about 60 pounds during that time.

Even in the past when I was actually young and generally in shape it was almost impossible to get below 220 except when I was on chemo. Now that's a ****** diet plan.

Sometimes, certain body types and metabolism just have a floor. Doesn’t matter how little you eat, how much you exercise, you just can’t drop below it.

And that’s fine. Once you hit that limit, accept it and make the best of it. None of us are 20 anymore (with the exception of those that actually are 20 which is hardly anyone on this forum).

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Sometimes, certain body types and metabolism just have a floor. Doesn’t matter how little you eat, how much you exercise, you just can’t drop below it.

That's not true.

Do certain people hold onto fat more easily? Yes, but no one has a weight "floor".

 

[LogGrad98]

Sometimes, certain body types and metabolism just have a floor. Doesn’t matter how little you eat, how much you exercise, you just can’t drop below it.

And that’s fine. Once you hit that limit, accept it and make the best of it. None of us are 20 anymore (with the exception of those that actually are 20 which is hardly anyone on this forum).

That's not true.

Do certain people hold onto fat more easily? Yes, but no one has a weight "floor".

Not sure why but I have a hard time getting to 200. Even in my athletic days, I weighed between 215-220 at my best and had only about 7-8% body fat. I would have to be like at 3% body fat to get under 200 and then the muscle would likely replace it for weight and keep me over 200. I could not imagine being that skinny as that is not my body type. I haven't weighed under 200 since I was 14, except hitting 195 on chemo. Don't recommend that. But according to BMI (a completely useless measure we still hold onto for some reason) I need to be 185 or so to be healthy. Never gonna happen. Maybe 6 months after I am dead. Then I will be the healthiest I have been since I was 14!

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Not sure why but I have a hard time getting to 200. Even in my athletic days, I weighed between 215-220 at my best and had only about 7-8% body fat. I would have to be like at 3% body fat to get under 200 and then the muscle would likely replace it for weight and keep me over 200. I could not imagine being that skinny as that is not my body type. I haven't weighed under 200 since I was 14, except hitting 195 on chemo. Don't recommend that. But according to BMI (a completely useless measure we still hold onto for some reason) I need to be 185 or so to be healthy. Never gonna happen. Maybe 6 months after I am dead. Then I will be the healthiest I have been since I was 14!

You are practically dying under 5% body fat (if you look at high level body building competitions, those competitors extreme diet for months just to get down to 5% for a day then they immediately gain a ton of weight after their shows, and that's with the help of a ton of steroids and other growth hormone drugs). Anything under 10% is extremely hard for 99% of the population to hold. You probably arent judging body fat percentage correctly. The "healthiest" body fat percentage to be at is in the 12%-15% range (and everyone's body is going to self-regulate to a certain body fat%, which is probably what Avery was getting at. So you might have a body that self-regulates to 15% when you are optimally healthy but you can push it down lower with more dedicated diet/exercise). Most people are going to experience negative hormonal effects under that, but some people can be at lower body (8-10) comfortably.

An example of how inaccurate a lot of body fat test are is the NBA Combine. They will regularly put NBA prospects as having 5% body fat who are actually in the 12-15 range.

A good example would be Karl Malone. You can google "body fat" and "Karl Malone" and you will get articles claiming he was 5%. This is what Karl looked like shirtless with a pump from working out:

That's not even close to 5%. Its probably 15%. Any professional athlete who played in a contact sport would be clinically insane to play at 5% body fat. They would have 0 energy, be constantly injured, and would tap into their muscle mass to burn energy throughout the season. That's why you hear "gained 15 lbs of muscle in the off-season" because like 10 of those pounds are just them recovering from all the weight loss that happened during the season. If they started the season at an incredibly pealed state, they would be emaciated by the end of the season.

I guess I should have clarified, obviously you can't go past a certain point of body fat percentage. But no one is destined to be at 25% their whole life.

 

[Avery]

You are practically dying under 5% body fat (if you look at high level body building competitions, those competitors extreme diet for months just to get down to 5% for a day then they immediately gain a ton of weight after their shows, and that's with the help of a ton of steroids and other growth hormone drugs). Anything under 10% is extremely hard for 99% of the population to hold. You probably arent judging body fat percentage correctly. The "healthiest" body fat percentage to be at is in the 12%-15% range (and everyone's body is going to self-regulate to a certain body fat%, which is probably what Avery was getting at. So you might have a body that self-regulates to 15% when you are optimally healthy but you can push it down lower with more dedicated diet/exercise). Most people are going to experience negative hormonal effects under that, but some people can be at lower body (8-10) comfortably.

An example of how inaccurate a lot of body fat test are is the NBA Combine. They will regularly put NBA prospects as having 5% body fat who are actually in the 12-15 range.

A good example would be Karl Malone. You can google "body fat" and "Karl Malone" and you will get articles claiming he was 5%. This is what Karl looked like shirtless with a pump from working out:

That's not even close to 5%. Its probably 15%. Any professional athlete who played in a contact sport would be clinically insane to play at 5% body fat. They would have 0 energy, be constantly injured, and would tap into their muscle mass to burn energy throughout the season. That's why you hear "gained 15 lbs of muscle in the off-season" because like 10 of those pounds are just them recovering from all the weight loss that happened during the season. If they started the season at an incredibly pealed state, they would be emaciated by the end of the season.

I guess I should have clarified, obviously you can't go past a certain point of body fat percentage. But no one is destined to be at 25% their whole life.

Good thoughts here - there seems to be some perception that any % of fat indicates that progress can still be made, but the reality is that if you're pushing 5% body fat as a male, you are opening yourself up to a host of health problems because it's not normal. Brittle bones, immune system problems, your heart and cardiovascular system in disarray, etc. Look at how many bodybuilders die prematurely or suffer from a laundry list of medical issues even in their 40's once they quit gear or dial back. The numbers and the gains are the drug.

The reality is that the right weight is the one you feel good at that you can regulate with easy to moderate exercise and good dietary choices. Different body types are going to achieve that different ways.

 

[LogGrad98]

You are practically dying under 5% body fat (if you look at high level body building competitions, those competitors extreme diet for months just to get down to 5% for a day then they immediately gain a ton of weight after their shows, and that's with the help of a ton of steroids and other growth hormone drugs). Anything under 10% is extremely hard for 99% of the population to hold. You probably arent judging body fat percentage correctly. The "healthiest" body fat percentage to be at is in the 12%-15% range (and everyone's body is going to self-regulate to a certain body fat%, which is probably what Avery was getting at. So you might have a body that self-regulates to 15% when you are optimally healthy but you can push it down lower with more dedicated diet/exercise). Most people are going to experience negative hormonal effects under that, but some people can be at lower body (8-10) comfortably.

An example of how inaccurate a lot of body fat test are is the NBA Combine. They will regularly put NBA prospects as having 5% body fat who are actually in the 12-15 range.

A good example would be Karl Malone. You can google "body fat" and "Karl Malone" and you will get articles claiming he was 5%. This is what Karl looked like shirtless with a pump from working out:

That's not even close to 5%. Its probably 15%. Any professional athlete who played in a contact sport would be clinically insane to play at 5% body fat. They would have 0 energy, be constantly injured, and would tap into their muscle mass to burn energy throughout the season. That's why you hear "gained 15 lbs of muscle in the off-season" because like 10 of those pounds are just them recovering from all the weight loss that happened during the season. If they started the season at an incredibly pealed state, they would be emaciated by the end of the season.

I guess I should have clarified, obviously you can't go past a certain point of body fat percentage. But no one is destined to be at 25% their whole life.

Agreed. However many athletes maintain body fat at between 10-13% for men and 15-20% for women. These are the peak athletes at their best of course. Most generally athletic and healthy people will be higher than that by a bit.

At my peak I was running a lot and doing other sports, this was just after my mission and I was playing a lot of b-ball and racquetball and martial arts and seriously controlling my diet, and lifting a lot. I had dreams of walking on for b-ball at whatever college I ended up at, but those were killed by marriage and kids. I was playing racquetball seriously though and was on the jr team for a season. Did all right.

They took my body fat at that time with the water displacement method and calipers combined to get about 7 point-something, and the coach told me I was pushing it too hard. I think I weighed 210 at that time. The lowest weight I have ever been since jr high. In high school my body fat was around 15-ish and my playing weight was usually between 225 and 235, but of course, being high school, it fluctuated. That is where I see that for me to go under 200 I would be emaciated and sickly. As was actually the case when I did get to 195.

As most homo sapiens do, thanks to our genetics evolved to store food as fat in times of plenty, I add fat fast. But I can usually take it off pretty fast too. I am hoping to be around 250 by Thanksgiving. That is only another 22 pounds or so. The tough thing has been the exercise at this point, and I am feeling my age. Have been doing a push-up/pull-up/ab routine for the past 3 weeks that I have used before, and in the past by the 3rd week I have usually doubled my push-ups. I have barely cracked 20 with good form in these 3 weeks. I expected to be at 30+. Feeling that 50 years for sure. It definitely gets tougher.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Hit a 405 lb deadlift today which is the most I've ever done.

 

[LogGrad98]

Hit a 405 lb deadlift today which is the most I've ever done.

Pssh, I lift 300 pounds every time I get out of bed.



Nah, really though, that is awesome!

 

[KqWIN]

I was really out of shape ~4 years ago. I remember weighing in at 190 lbs before Thanksgiving Dinner and that was a lot more than I expected. I didn't even realize how much my health deteriorated during/after college. I was able to get down to about 160 through mostly diet and walking around/hiking during COVID. I still wasn't in great shape and was skinny fat, but I felt accomplished being back around my high school weight.

I gained a little weight during the holidays last year, but about 6-7 months ago I started lifting weights for the first time. I hadn't lasted more than a week in the gym before and when I went I had no idea what I was doing. This time I started on a basic program and was counting calories/protein everyday. I was a big weakling at the beginning, but I've gotten a lot stronger in comparison since then. For the past couple months I've been in a recomposition phase where I'm not gaining or losing weight, but I'm still getting stronger (albeit slowly). No one would look at me and think I'm fit, but I feel better than I have since HS and I'm definitely as strong as I've ever been. It feels great.

I've learned so much about nutrition and fitness this year....I was finally able to put together a diet and workout program that is effective but also one that I can stick too. It has done wonders for me both physically and mentally. Definitely support everyone trying to reach their fitness goals and I'd encourage anyone to start.

 

[KqWIN]

I also got a weighlifting belt coming the mail. I've been stuck repping 225 on my squat because my core is not strong enough. I've been getting better at bracing, but I still feel too much in my lower back at times. I know I should probably keep lowering the weight until I can properly base, but I had a friend tell me the only way he learned to brace correctly was with the belt.

 

[Miggs]

Hit a 405 lb deadlift today which is the most I've ever done.

Weren’t you skinny af?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I also got a weighlifting belt coming the mail. I've been stuck repping 225 on my squat because my core is not strong enough. I've been getting better at bracing, but I still feel too much in my lower back at times. I know I should probably keep lowering the weight until I can properly base, but I had a friend tell me the only way he learned to brace correctly was with the belt.

I use a belt. It doesn't really help teach you bracing imo. You just get better at it the more you do it.

 

[KqWIN]

I use a belt. It doesn't really help teach you bracing imo. You just get better at it the more you do it.

I find that cues really help me when lifting, "breaking the bar" etc. I heard that the belt acts as a cue so that you always brace. However the belt actually works, I hope it does. My lower back would appreciate it.

 

[Douchebag K]

Hit a 405 lb deadlift today which is the most I've ever done.

niiiiceee

18 yo daughter (5-6, 61 kg) has is doing 90 kg deadlifts 6 reps atm

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Weren’t you skinny af?

When I was young sure, but I've always had a large frame, I was just lanky. My dad was a college football offensive lineman (albeit a smaller school) so I always knew I would fill out.

I also put on weight relatively quick (nothing exceptional, but definitely above average) when I committed to lifting, but that never lasted for more than 5 months or so at a time.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I find that cues really help me when lifting, "breaking the bar" etc. I heard that the belt acts as a cue so that you always brace. However the belt actually works, I hope it does. My lower back would appreciate it.

For me I use the belt if I'm doing high rep work or if I'm pushing heavy weight.

I can do all those things beltless tho, I would say the belt usually just helps me hit that last two or 2.

Maybe you are hyperextending your back when you brace? Are you doing high bar or low bar?


Also just doing some core isolation and anti rotational work will help you have a better connection to bracing. Crunches, oblique work (deep side bends on a black extension machine), cable crunches, hanging leg raise, paloff presses, Russian twist, axe chops. Are mostly what I do.

In December of last year I had a lower back tweak because I lost position on a deadlift and I had to stop doing squats/deadlifts with any working weight for 2 months and had to do PT. It helped a ton with my lower back. My issue was hamstring tightness and a hip imbalance.