First Olympic Tri of the season today...

PR by 15 minutes

4/23/2016 7:54:42 PM

Quote :

"eleusis: it's an incomplete protein, as in it doesn't have all of the essential amino acids present. If you eat them in conjunction with another protein source, your body will use the amino acids available in them. The only reason they wouldn't be a significant source of protein is if they were all you were eating. It's similar to why rice and beans are often eaten together, as rice lacks lysine and beans lack methionine, but together they make the protein content of each other more useable."

It's pretty different from the rice/beans thing. Otherwise, beans would be similarly asterisked.

Pork rinds are mostly gelatin--fatty, delicious, crunchy Jell-O.

4/25/2016 12:57:26 AM

it's not different from the rice/beans combo; rice and beans both have all of the essential amino acids present, but the lysine content of rice is so limited that they make the rest of the amino acids almost useless for protein building. Pork rinds just don't have one of the essential amino acids at all, making them by themselves not a good source of protein.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=101.9

Pork rinds have protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of less than 0.4, so they earn that label.
Rice protein has a protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of 0.47, so it is very close to earning that same label.
Proteins like whey and eggs have PDCAAS score of 1.0, which is why everyone recommends them for muscle building.

4/25/2016 8:39:22 AM

Good news: I crushed the local Ninja Warrior course on Saturday. They didn't have the running wall thing at the end, but there were about 7 or 8 exact replicas of stuff I've seen on the courses from the show, and I went through them all. It definitely wasn't easy and I'm still pretty sore today.

Bad news: health screening results came back and my cholesterol levels are extremely high as well as high blood pressure. Heart disease runs in my family big time, so this wasn't surprising...just disappointing to be in what I feel like is the best shape of my life, yet I have major issues. I really don't want to change my diet or get on medication...so I'm hoping I can take some regular supplements (Fish Oils/flax/whatever) and that will help. We'll see..

[Edited on April 25, 2016 at 12:41 PM. Reason : .]

4/25/2016 12:40:40 PM

I knew cholesterol could be genetic, but didn't know the same applied to hypertension. Were your levels in the danger zone or just the "we need to adjust your diet and revisit in 6 months" zone?

4/25/2016 12:58:02 PM

I think the hypertension might have been situational...we're at the finish line of closing on a home renovation loan. Our finances have been stretched thin with my wife having two surgeries in the last two months, our dog having health issues, and writing fat checks to our architect so our house plans can be approved by the city. So I've been stressed as fuck for the past 6 months or so. My health screening last year didn't show high blood pressure...so I just don't know.

The cholesterol is borderline danger zone.

I put off going to the doctor after the result last year, but my wife said if they came back the same, then it was mandatory. It's just weird to be feeling great, but apparently it's not lining up internally.

4/25/2016 1:05:45 PM

Stress is a killer and attorneys have higher than normal levels of stress already so those other issues aren't helping. Have you tried increasing your alcohol intake to deal with your problems?

4/25/2016 1:57:01 PM

Ha! I drink consistently, but in moderation. Couple drinks at the end of the day and with dinner is about it. I never drink more in response to stress...I probably up the consumption more when celebrating a big case win!

I am worried that the doctor will tell me to drink less...which would be upsetting. I don't drink to get drunk...although I do enjoy a good buzz. I drink because I really like good beer and wine with dinner...as well as hanging out at breweries and outdoor bars with my wife and dog. Sad to say, alcohol is a big part of my life.

4/25/2016 2:48:18 PM

Quote :

"Bad news: health screening results came back and my cholesterol levels are extremely high as well as high blood pressure. Heart disease runs in my family big time, so this wasn't surprising...just disappointing to be in what I feel like is the best shape of my life, yet I have major issues. I really don't want to change my diet or get on medication...so I'm hoping I can take some regular supplements (Fish Oils/flax/whatever) and that will help. We'll see.."

I've heard that medication for cholesterol can have some fairly disruptive side effects, but I don't think that's the case for HBP. If I were you I wouldn't be too concerned about taking meds for that. I have recently had moderately HBP (135-150 over 80-90) thanks to a combination of genetics and untreated (moderate) sleep apnea and since November have been on a combination of Metoprolol Succinate and Losartan/Hydrochlorothiazide with no side effects.

4/26/2016 2:31:00 PM

latest trend

https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsider/videos/1541039152870144/

what will it look like when it is not highly choreographed fitness models doing it?

just do a god damn workout like everybody else... it is really funny (sad) to me how in america everything good has to be new and appealingly repackaged for people to adopt it, whether it be food or exercise. regular food and exercise which are thousands of years old and known to be effective are just too mundane and boring

https://www.facebook.com/PoundFit

4/27/2016 11:12:50 PM

One video on facebook makes it a trend?

I doubt you'll see this anywhere other than the place the video was made.

4/28/2016 8:18:42 AM

There is a pound class at my gym. I personally don't get it.

4/28/2016 9:00:27 AM

I don't judge these fads (except I do judge secretly to myself because I would never do this dumb crap). It's better than the alternative which is people sitting on their ass not even attempting to improve their physical well-being.

4/28/2016 1:55:29 PM

Quote :

"eleusis: Pork rinds have protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of less than 0.4, so they earn that label. Rice protein has a protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of 0.47, so it is very close to earning that same label."

It's cool to know the cut off for when the feds require the asterisk on packaging.

I suppose it's because people commonly pair rice with beans and other foods, and nobody considers rice a good source of protein anyway.

But pork rinds are tasty hog skins that somebody could confuse with complete nutrition.

Your explanations still seem dishonest to me, and I'm curious about your point of view.

4/28/2016 9:34:31 PM

https://www.biolayne.com/articles/nutrition/paleo-made-fat-pop-tarts-got-shredded/

5/13/2016 11:59:14 PM

Officially down 10lbs today after my first weigh-in back on Feb. 22. Primarily due to better calorie balance like the article ^ discusses. Turns out you probably shouldn't be eating 5-6 times a day when all you do is sit in front of a computer for 8 hours. I'd submit one of the most cost effective ways to manage your weight is by getting a scale and weighing yourself once a week so you hold yourself accountable on a regular basis.

5/14/2016 7:43:39 AM

^^ You would think that someone who did all that work to keep up with a paleo diet would have learned the importance of macros and caloric balance/deficit.

5/14/2016 9:14:09 PM

Yeah that article doesn't make a lot of sense and some of it is just plan misguided. One of the big value props of cleaner diets like paleo are you get full much quicker because of well....protein and fat. These naturally make you full. Not to mention that but with something like the paleo diet it's very difficult to over eat.

Quote :

"Things like nuts, coconut oil and fatty meat are incredibly easy to overeat, and not all that satiating."

What? This is the opposite of how it works.

Quote :

"Whenever you diet, it’s always a good idea to keep carbs as high as you can, while still allowing for adequate protein and fat consumption. If you’re cutting carbs, your energy and recovery will suffer."

Another completely misguided statement. Keeping carbs as high as you can for dieting? A blanket statement that cutting carbs causes your energy and recovery to suffer?

Quote :

" Likewise, junk food is just fine, provided it only makes up a small portion of your diet, and you still get adequate fiber and micronutrients. What it should illustrate though, is that what matters most in any diet is quantity, not quality."

He goes around in circles and first says that he had no control over his macros eating clean so instead he stopped eating clean and started watching his macros. Then he wraps up by saying it's about quantity and not quality but still points out that you should get adequate fiber and micro-nutrients and only have a little bit of junk food.

He doesn't make a single point throughout the entire article and is probably the only idiot to get over weight eating what he calls a cleaner diet. It sounds like he went crazy with the beef and ate it 5 times a day.

I'm all for watching your macros but if I had to choose eating like shit and counting calories versus eating clean and healthy and not having to count calories (but still watch macros) I'd always pick the later.

5/14/2016 11:55:43 PM

Quote :

" but if I had to choose eating like shit and counting calories versus eating clean and healthy and not having to count calories..."

Isn't this kind of the point the article was trying to make, that calorie balance is important no matter how you choose to eat? Even if you eat "clean and healthy" why do you not have to count calories?

5/15/2016 7:09:48 AM

It is very easy to overeat on paleo. Maybe not right at first as you are adjusting to the diet but after that point it sure is. Nearly everyone I know who tried it for an extended period of time, myself included, lost a good deal of weight over the first month or two and then ended up putting it all back on and sometime adding weight. The reason is because at first you are just removing parts of your regular diet vs replacing them with "paleo alternatives". Once you get used to it and have a lot of different approved foods to eat, overeating is just as easy as any other diet, only difference is when on paleo they say you don't need to worry about overeating and thus people overeat.

It's a fine diet if you have food sensitivities, or like my dad it can really help his blood pressure, but the notion of you don't have to watch how much you eat is laughable.

5/15/2016 8:53:35 AM

Quote :

"Isn't this kind of the point the article was trying to make, that calorie balance is important no matter how you choose to eat? Even if you eat "clean and healthy" why do you not have to count calories?"

I would say he's an outlier. Over the last few years as I've been transitioning from diet to diet and seeing what works the most common theme among all diets that I've found is the cleaner/healthier you eat the less you have to worry about counting calories. This was also very clearly stated by both my personal trainer and the nutritionist I talked to when I asked them what's the best diet where you don't have to be as strict counting calories. Also one of the whole points and value props of paleo is it's much harder to over eat and you get full so much faster because instead of eating processed foods you're eating whole foods which are typically high in proteins and fiber which naturally are the most satiating foods. Things high in sugar and things that are heavily processed are typically the least satiating foods.

I did about 8 months of counting calories (but also eating very clean) and sure I was able to lose, maintain or gain weight very easily but I hated it. I finally settled on a somewhat paleo diet (maybe 80% of the time). I still eat some whole grains, dairy, and occasionally soy but the biggest theme I noticed was it's incredibly easy to lose, gain or maintain my weight without counting calories. I still somewhat pay attention to macros but after eating clean for so long and sticking to a healthy diet the calorie and macro part comes mostly naturally.

^Compared to an average American diet of more sugary and processed foods it's really difficult to overeat on paleo. Almost everyone I know who's stayed on paleo easily maintains their weight and has never complained about putting on weight. These people like me are incredibly active and probably only follow a 80-90% paleo diet as it's very hard to do longer endurance activities purely on paleo. If I'm doing a long ride, run, or hike of course I'm going to eat more complex carbs.

I can see your point if someone eats a very exaggerated paleo diet and really emphasizes the fatty meats then sure maybe you could gain some weight but I also don't consider that necessarily a wholesome diet. My diet mainly consists of fish, chicken and some dairy. I typically avoid red meats. The bulk of my non-meat diet is vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and various other things you can find on the exterior of a grocery store. I don't eat a lot of fatty meats and I eat a lot of vegetables. It's been extremely hard to overeat believe me I've tried.

Quote :

"but the notion of you don't have to watch how much you eat is laughable."

Whatever works for individual people but making a blanket statement like this is laughable. This statement is almost the polar opposite of the whole idea behind paleo.

I agree it may be possible to gain weight or overeat on paleo but in my experience it's very unlikely. Maybe we've just had different experiences. I'm not going to tell anyone their experience is wrong it's whatever works for you and sticking to a very clean paleo-ish diet over the last 3 years as well as staying very active has made it very easy for me to lose and maintain weight without ever counting calories.

Quote :

" The reason is because at first you are just removing parts of your regular diet vs replacing them with "paleo alternatives"."

Yes I replaced spaghetti with spaghetti squash, bread with lettuce/kale/leaf wraps, and mashed potatoes with cauliflower mash. I'd say 9/10 of the "paleo substitutes" I have made in my diet are lower calorie, much healthier, and often more delicious. They're also more rich in protein and fiber so explain to me how that would cause someone to overeat? I'm eating more satiating and lower calorie alternatives...

[Edited on May 15, 2016 at 7:41 PM. Reason : s]

5/15/2016 7:12:31 PM

Quote :

"lower calorie, much healthier, and often more delicious."

Bread is fucking delicious.

More of a personal question, but you seem active as fuck....why do you think you needed a personal trainer and nutritionist? Are you training for some crazy adventure event or something? Just curious.

5/16/2016 8:05:25 AM

^^ says making a blanket statement is laughable, makes blanket statement

5/16/2016 12:22:32 PM

^^Oh I agree I love bread I just try not to eat it all the time. Plus the post lunch slump at work after eating a meal heavy in complex carbs is very noticeable now. So it's more of a matter of I just feel like shit when I eat like shit.

When I graduated in 2009 I was more or less out of shape and ~21-22% bf. I had taken weight training in college and had a basic idea of how to succeed at the gym. My buddy found this trainer in Charlotte in 2011 through a promotional deal for the first couple months. He was raving about him so I thought I'd give it a try. I ended up sticking with it for about 6 months because I enjoyed the sessions and took the best practices and continued them to this day. I think it was more that I wanted someone showing me how to do everything correctly as well. I met a nutritionist at that gym and had some sessions with her as I was interested in the food component as well.

At the time I was doing very strict macro/caloric calculations (using MyFitnessPal and a website my trainer provided) and sure it was great. I got down to 14% BF but I eventually started traveling for work, starting to do longer endurance activities (just gotten back into cycling, running, and backpacking) so the whole counting calories thing I didn't see as a long term way of life. Two of my friends tried paleo and I was hugely skeptical because high cholesterol runs in my family and I was worried about all the saturated fat (you can probably find my argument against dietary cholesterol on TWW years back - which I now admit dietary cholesterol doesn't directly increase your blood cholesterol ). I said what the hell and gave it a shot. I did strict paleo for about 4 months and then transitioned to a 80-90% paleo diet and have been doing it ever since.

I easily maintain my BF and eat more when I need to and eat less when I'm not as active. Currently I bike 50-70 minutes every week day and the weekends are usually some type of outdoor activity. I only make it to the gym twice a week but complement that with climbing and body weight stuff.

I want to strongly emphasize that my current paleo-ish diet isn't heavy in saturated fats or lots of red meats. I basically eat lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts and try to get my protein through yogurt, eggs, cheese, chicken and fish. I don't cook everything in bacon grease nor do I eat meat pizzas. I also don't eat a lot of "paleo substitute" meals that are high in calories and fat. My substitutes as I've previously mentioned are lower in calories and more satiating.

^On the contrary. I'm not saying in any way that this is everyone's experience but in my circle of friends and for me this type of diet and activity levels have been very successful and I eat until I'm full and that keeps me healthy and happy. I do believe that if someone eats healthier more satiating foods then generally one has to worry less about over eating. If you believe otherwise then I'm not going to say you're wrong. Different things work for different people as some people compulsively overeat no matter the type of food. I guess that's my blanket opinion on eating healthy.

5/16/2016 12:53:19 PM

^are you counting calories on top of paleo, or just going with a gut feeling that you're probably within your target range?

5/16/2016 3:42:50 PM

Gym I go to on the regular closed abruptly last week . Been on a FA tour since the end of last week, but I think I finally found a cheaper gym that seems to fit my needs.

5/16/2016 3:55:49 PM

^^So as I mentioned when I first started training I counted calories and wasn't on paleo. This worked well but as I started traveling for work it was a pain to track meals I wasn't cooking myself. Also as I started doing more endurance activities that required fluctuating caloric intakes it just became a pain in the ass to track. I'd end up going on a 4 day trip burning 4000-6000 calories a day and it just messed everything up. My life became way too irregular to try and track calorie intake every day. More power to people who can do it but my life isn't on a regular schedule and once you start adding in day long activities where you basically eat as much as you can carry everything just gets thrown out the window.

When I switched to paleo I did track my calories as best as I could for about a month. What I found was I was eating far fewer calories and needed to actually eat more. I was so used to stopping eating before I was full that I lost a lot of weight too quickly. I then stopped tracking calories (still paid attention to macros) and ate when I was hungry and until I was full. That paired with lots of activities I stopped losing so much weight and was able to maintain my BF % and desired weight. I stopped counting calories when I learned that eating naturally causes your body to regulate itself. If you're active and eat healthy then I believe you can stay healthy without religiously counting calories. It did take me a while to figure all this out though. It's not like I just switched one day and everything was golden.

On that note I had foot surgery on 4/20 for a Morton's Neuroma and just got back on the bike on Friday! I feared the recovery would be 12+ weeks but 3.5 weeks later I'm walking almost normally and back on the bike!

5/16/2016 4:52:27 PM

where da babes at

5/16/2016 4:56:10 PM

Damn, look at these macros. It's hard for me to get in 1700-1800, but...3000 damn.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEhxCKVQ_st/

5/17/2016 11:01:14 PM

thats a good start

5/18/2016 7:14:14 AM

http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Nutrition-Sample-samples-purchase/dp/B01BZV4M3I?tag=slicinc-20&ascsubtag=0c733bb01d3f11e6925c66ecc3bb36e50INT

for prime members, box of samples for $10 plus $10 credit for nutrition purchases. Basically a free box of samples if you get supplements from amazon.

5/18/2016 5:31:14 PM

What is the correct way to do a push-up? I even see stupid female trainers do the spider arm thingy. I dont think that is correct

5/19/2016 11:10:42 PM

A men's pushup or a women's pushup

5/19/2016 11:33:48 PM

this shit is wrong

5/19/2016 11:42:52 PM

https://youtu.be/pD3mD6WgykM

5/20/2016 12:54:52 AM

I think that's actually the optimal arm position and spacing for typical shoulder and pec strength and toning. I was trying to figure out a way to convey that but didn't think "90 degree arms" would suffice since your arms will be 90 degrees in any pushup position, at some point in the rep.

Anyway, I think that's optimal, according to the surgeon general or the Army or the elementary school physical fitness chairman or whoever the hell has the industry standard that people trust.

But of course there's no real right way, since different arm spacing, both on the X and Y axis, work different parts of the arms and chest. I used to work on some with my hands as close together as possible, like doing the Rockafella "spades" sign with your thumbs and index fingers touching. But that was to focus on forearms and triceps, since the regular ones were too easy for me at the time.

If you want to make pushups harder, just elevate your feet and/or put your hands on a couple chairs where you can dip your chest lower than "ground level". Work = Force x Distance still, so just maximizing your up-down is the "correct" way to do a push up.

5/20/2016 12:58:04 AM

Ok guys so I'm just now getting into this. My goal is to first reduce body fat, then do a little bulking. For those of you that know your body fat percentage, how are you getting it? From a specialist, or just from one of those calculators on a bathroom scale?

5/20/2016 8:23:10 AM

re: push-ups, just keep your back straight and actually push your body up and down instead of bobbing your head and your're halfway there.

^ Can't go wrong with a simple caliper to get started. Lots of cheap options on Amazon, just search "body fat caliper."

[Edited on May 20, 2016 at 9:35 AM. Reason : ...]

5/20/2016 9:34:32 AM

I'm getting really frustrated with my cut and don't understand why I'm not losing weight.

I lift five times a week. On top of that I rock climb two days a week, and the other three days I either run or go on really long walks. I've been counting calories (using a food scale) religiously and have been eating under 1,500 calories a day, while burning 3,000+ a day.

I cut out all alcohol on weeknights and I've eaten as clean as I can, usually 4-5 "meals" a day. On weekends, I'll allow one cheat meal and drinks Friday and Saturday nights, but nothing crazy. I'm also walking/burning more calories on average on weekend days as well.

Either way, I'm at a 7,500+ calorie deficit by Friday at a minimum and I'm not eating/drinking on weekends to the point that I'm surpassing my maintenance calories.

I've lost half a pound in the last three weeks, if that. I'm seriously just thinking of quitting and going back to beer and cheeseburgers if I'm going to weight the same anyway

5/20/2016 9:49:03 AM

Weight loss isn't linear. Have you been tracking EVERYTHING including all cheats? Also, there is a phenomenon known as whooshes where it is like your body is just holding onto a lot of water and so it seems like you aren't losing but then almost overnight you will drop a lb or two because the water weight goes away. I would first make sure that your cheat and alcohol aren't cutting out your deficit and that you are tracking every single thing and then I'd just give it a little time. 1500 cals is pretty low for most people so I have trouble believing you won't lose weight eating like that plus exercise.

5/20/2016 10:04:35 AM

I've been ballparking the weekends but even still - I'd have to eat over 3k calories just to start getting into the deficit I've built up all week, which I'm nowhere close to. Hopefully you're right about the water weight thing.

Here's some FitBit screenshots

http://imgur.com/a/yp5j0

5/20/2016 11:38:53 AM

how's your sodium intake?

5/20/2016 11:55:49 AM

normal as far as I know - I don't intentionally load on salt or anything. are you thinking that maybe it's high and I'm retaining more water as a result?

5/20/2016 1:47:52 PM

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

Article on whooshes

5/20/2016 1:50:24 PM

^that might be exactly what the problem is. I do drink a ton of water (over a gallon a day). I'm also not having very frequent bowel movements so maybe some fiber or something might help too. Maybe I should incorporate a couple of re-feeds (my normal Friday night cheat + maybe one on Wednesday or something) to get my body to not think it's never going to eat again.

5/20/2016 2:01:58 PM

man, fuck counting everything. it is exhausting

5/20/2016 8:43:44 PM

That is what scares me about getting into this. I want to lean up but man, I can't get that detailed into counting calories.

How does running go as far as getting lean initially? I run at least 9 miles a week, and on the nights I don't run I'm walking 2-3 miles, plus I'm starting a weightlifting plan.

As far as my diet goes, right now I'm just cutting out the bad stuff and cutting back on my portions.

5/20/2016 8:46:59 PM

Yeah I don't count anything and am very satisfied. I bike and run a ton and weight train twice a week with supplemental climbing. If I eat more I run or bike more. I had a work happy hour yesterday with lots of beer and pizza so I followed it by an hour ride and an hour run with the dog. Eat more, work out more, eat less, do less cardio. We're not made to be counting every single thing we put into our bodies. Eat good food, occasionally eat shitty food and enjoy life.

5/20/2016 8:54:52 PM

You don't have to count anything but if you aren't making progress and can't say how much you eat then you shouldn't be surprised. I haven't counted a thing in probably close to a year now and I've slowly leaned out just as planned. But then again I have been very strict with counting in the past and understand what I need to do in order to stay around or below maintenance.

5/20/2016 10:45:52 PM

Quote :

"How does running go as far as getting lean initially?"

Running will absolutely help you lose weight, especially if you're doing 9 miles a week. I mean you could do more, but 9 miles seems pretty solid. Running, whether outside or on a treadmill, riding a bike (outside or stationary) and swimming are pretty good ways to lose weight. None of them will necessarily add significant muscle mass, except maybe to your calves, but running is about the purest way to lose weight. Not great for your knees and joints in the long run, but oh well.

5/21/2016 12:52:13 AM