A Tanzarian it's weird because it's happening only when I'm inside. I clean the house religiously, shampoo the carpets regulary, change the air vents, and all of a sudden it's become pretty bad. I had a close call the other day where I kept going and almost went into full on asthma attack. Very scary.

[Edited on September 18, 2011 at 7:26 PM. Reason : New page]

[Edited on September 18, 2011 at 7:26 PM. Reason : NAme]

9/18/2011 7:25:16 PM

CassTheSass brought me cupcakes.

I am fat now.

9/18/2011 8:41:29 PM

Those donut cupcakes were pretty amazing. I will bring you cupcakes any day of the week.

I was thinking I wanted to make some sort of brownie next.

9/18/2011 8:44:53 PM

1) I'm always pro-brownie
2) They're really good and there's only one left and I'm doing my best to not to eat it right this second and I'm probably going to fail sooner than later.

9/18/2011 9:35:50 PM

Well I'm glad they went quick. Better than them sitting around my house like my Nutella banana cream cheese frosting cupcakes did. I have no will power

9/18/2011 10:10:38 PM

Has anyone here made the black bean brownies?

9/18/2011 10:16:30 PM

I would totally do it but I can't have canned black beans and cooking regular black beans is too much work for me

9/18/2011 11:01:13 PM

Black bean brownies sounds like something you would make to torture someone.

9/18/2011 11:04:36 PM

Like surprise Fiber One muffins?

9/18/2011 11:05:28 PM

I found a recipe using sweet potatos in a brownie recipe. I'm all about throwing in healthy stuff when I can (all natural applesauce, bananas, etc)

9/18/2011 11:08:55 PM

Cocoa powder, flour, eggs, sugar, butter.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DISCUSSION.

[Edited on September 18, 2011 at 11:15 PM. Reason : Back me up Samwise16!]

9/18/2011 11:14:39 PM

I LOVE applesauce in cookies!

Zucchini is another nice touch in baking.

9/18/2011 11:19:03 PM

box of devil's food cake mix + fresh pureed pumpkin = best brownies ever*

*if you like the chewy, moist, super delicious, ooey-gooey type brownies

9/18/2011 11:22:41 PM

^ heck yeah! That and pumpkin pancakes!

Pumpkin in anything rocks. Great sub for butter/oil.

9/18/2011 11:23:46 PM

I love using applesauce, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes in baking


Goals for this week: go to taekwondo 4 times, lift weights 3 times, and take Gambit out to play frisbee as much as possible


And a new rule for a while: no more whiskey

9/19/2011 12:37:14 AM

Quote :

"I LOVE applesauce in cookies!"

applesauce in anything is awesome. i use it as a substitute for honey and/or butter. i get the all natural kind so its just straight pureed apples (no additives or preservatives).

i also use greek yogurt a lot too in my baking.

9/19/2011 8:03:04 AM

^^ Samwise16 and assorted people - can you provide me with any recipes where you use pumpkin in them? I love pumpkin.

9/19/2011 8:37:09 AM

still no picture update however:

with my base of 4/22/11: 225 lbs

up to 9/18/11: 185 lbs

took just under 5 months to drop 40 lbs

9/19/2011 9:07:15 AM

People with terrible non-chocolate opinions itt

( )

9/19/2011 9:08:35 AM

Kinda pissed, woke up at 7 with a shitty ass headache and tired as hell. Decided to skip class this morning, gonna go to the 6:45 one hoping it's not too busy or too crazy.

9/19/2011 9:24:53 AM

^^^ congrats Grimmy!

9/19/2011 9:25:38 AM

i started working out again recently, and i have noticed that when i am on the dip/pull-up machine (and a few other things that strain my arms/chest) i feel a lot of pain in my chest. it's the right side, right below my collarbone. it doesn't feel like a sore muscle but more like a sharp, stabbing pain.

i feel the same pain at work sometimes when i lift something heavy, it's almost like someone poking me really hard, it takes my breath away. i am guessing it's a muscle thing but i think that it's weird that i only feel the pain on one side, and it isn't a dull lasting pain. does anyone know of any stretches or exercises that would help with this? ( i would like to be able to do dips and pull-ups without having to stop because of it ).

also, i apologize if this is a silly question, i am an exercising noob ok

9/19/2011 9:37:55 AM

Quote :

"http://^^ Samwise16 and assorted people - can you provide me with any recipes where you use pumpkin in them? I love pumpkin."

Honestly, for most recipes, I prefer to go to epicurious.com or foodnetwork.com, do a basic search and then sort for most popular recipes. The most popular recipes are the ones to go for ... particularly if they have hundreds of positive reviews.

9/19/2011 9:46:49 AM

^I also use cookinglight.com for recipes. They can be a bit healthier as well.

9/19/2011 10:01:14 AM

I found an awesome pumpkin bread recipe on All Recipes (Maine pumpkin bread I think)

I also use http://www.howsweeteats.com and Whole Living very often

9/19/2011 10:10:13 AM

Quote :

"but i fluctuate ~10 lbs day to day. Jesus Christ. "

long, pointless ramble alert:

yeah it's weird. i guess i should have put up to 10lbs/day.

sometimes ill weight myself before bed, go to sleep, wake up, piss, and be down 7lbs overnight. i know for damn sure i'm not pissing out a gallon, so where does it go? everyone's am/pm splits are different though.

out of curiosity i tracked mine in an excel sheet for 60 days once, with an average am/pm delta of 7.65 lbs. the water % measurement my scale produces (super accurate for sure) stays between 56.5-58%, which is probably about right as i estimate i hover around 18-20% body fat.

over the two months the weekly average weights didnt vary more than 1.4 lbs. so i wasn't gaining or losing.

a lot of it depends on what i eat, and how much i drink (durh). i had a bunch of food and animal allergies diagnosed as a kid, but after years of shots and shit i just started not paying attention to it. perhaps as ive gotten older it's more pronounced. if i fatty up with pizza and beer, i'll bloat out like crazy. probably a factor. not enough of a factor yet to cause me to stop eating the things i like.

i do find it interesting though that as i gain more muscle, the beer gut stays put. developing definition on arms, legs, chest, and back... but whatup there pot belly.

i need to clean up my diet like whoa, and have been doing so. except with blowout weekends. that's the hard part. just wrapped up a really hellacious period at work where since august 25th i've had 2 days off, and been working 11-14 hour days every day. add in 90-120 minutes commute time, going to the gym for an hour+ then coming home and planning meals and cooking well for the next day is tiring. fortunately there's no cafeteria where i work, so im forced to bring lunches, so that helps. those days off are hard not to just lay around and drink a case of beer and eat two pizzas. with the schedule getting more routine, now is the time to get the discipline in check and start eating right again, with less drankin.

however, right now im trying to build more strength, and trying to just maintain current weight.

perhaps in the spring, as i get closer to getting married, ill have the impetus to lose some of the gut.

[Edited on September 19, 2011 at 11:46 AM. Reason : e]

9/19/2011 11:40:28 AM

Quote :

"i had a bunch of food and animal allergies diagnosed as a kid, but after years of shots and shit i just started not paying attention to it. perhaps as ive gotten older it's more pronounced. if i fatty up with pizza and beer, i'll bloat out like crazy. probably a factor. not enough of a factor yet to cause me to stop eating the things i like."

yeah i said the same thing until extremities started swelling for 14 hours straight and i was having shooting pains. and then i woke up one morning and my lips were swollen

it sounds like your food allergies are definitely what is causing the "pot belly" effect. bloating in the intestines is common with food allergies. it's good that your allergies seem to be restricted to the stomach region but sucks because they could flair and get worse without warning.

but in regards to pizza and beer - i bloat up too whenever i have pizza (all the sodium and cheese) and alcohol (still trying to figure that one out).

9/19/2011 12:14:14 PM

I concur with the pizza and alcohol statement


I had whiskey all night on Saturday and made the mistake of eating pizza that same night.. yesterday the bloat was so bad it was pulling my skin

I still haven't figured out how to get the bloat down fast either

9/19/2011 12:20:11 PM

i would stick to lots of water (and water only), lots of highly digestable foods (high in fiber - things like lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, fruit - apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, melon), steer clear of broccoli - i hear it bloats, stay away from cheese/dairy, limit carbs to whole grain only and only 1 a day.

i found if i eat a cup of oatmeal in the morning (the old fashioned oats what what), it really helps digestive wise. plus it's a great way to get in a dose of healthy carbs in the morning

i also saw something on twitter this morning about how cinnamon helps speed up metabolism a tad so maybe sprinkle some of that on your oatmeal?

9/19/2011 12:28:40 PM

I have also heard cinnamon somehow helps people with type II diabetes work with carb intake. Not really sure how...just what I have read (very little about) and have heard. It might help regular people with "hard to digest carb" problems. Disclaimer: Don't take for fact.

9/19/2011 12:39:56 PM

I enjoy fattying up with pizza and beer. And chicken mcnuggets.

9/19/2011 12:47:38 PM

^

9/19/2011 1:14:58 PM

just wondering, but would it be problematic for the growth of a child to have them doing high bar squats and deads at like 10-12 years old?

yesterday i was at the squat rack and this dad and son moved into the power rack and he was coaching the kid on form and things. removed the safety bars, and was spotting the kid.

kid was rail thin, less than 5', and the dad seemed to be pushing him towards maxing out with sets of 3 reps, until he could do no more. kid went from bar->~110lbs before failing.

i was done with my work, but noticed they went on to deads next. epic rounded back on descent.

it was quite distracting on my heavy set to see them in the mirror pointing and whispering to each other about my form, while i was lifting. i was going for as many reps as i could on my last set, and hearing "you see that?" after i got a little forward coming up out of the hole, due to form starting to break down with fatigue, i decided just to rack up and move on. left some in the tank, and that irritated me.

idk, just seems like trying to lift to max while the kid is growing could cause some issues with development. i'm all for keeping kids super active, but yelling at a kid when he fails on a squat that's probably full bodyweight seemed a bit off.

[Edited on September 20, 2011 at 11:12 AM. Reason : but wtf do i know]

9/20/2011 11:10:27 AM

it's probably not safe for most children to lift weights that they can't safely do 8-15 reps

but there's no set limit on minimum age or anything

9/20/2011 11:16:42 AM

If they can lift with good form and maturity, ie know hot to respect heavy weight and know when to call a set; they should be able to lift fine.

Most adaptations a youth (pre-pubescent) will make will be primarily neuromuscular, since they don't have the testosterone levels to support significant muscle growth. Bone density and connective tissue adaptions will also occur too.

The training approach towards youths will be significantly different than adults, more of a focus on form, fun, and building a foundation needs to be brought.

9/20/2011 11:21:35 AM

I've always read that general strength/resistance training is fine, but heavy lifting (powerlifting, bodybuilding) should be avoided until around age 19.

9/20/2011 11:24:07 AM

Took hot yoga last night.

Followed it up with a chicken strip tray from Cook Out.

9/20/2011 11:40:35 AM

I feel that strength training in males prior to puberty should not involve weights, but instead be limited to bodyweight exercises (lunges, high box jumps, pullups, pushups, etc.) Since the body is producing very little testosterone and all gains will come from growth factors and neuromuscular development, there's no need to try to invoke muscle hypertrophy at that age. They can, however, try to push hyperplasia and coordination with their training, and you can teach kids that exercise can be fun and rewarding.

I've never given much thought to females strength training prior to puberty, since the rise in testosterone production they get during puberty is nowhere near what men get. i would think the logic still applies, with the exception that females aren't going to see the massive increases and strength and muscle potential that males do at puberty.

9/20/2011 12:00:05 PM

While teaching spin class last night, one of my students shocked me with some nutrition comments/questions. The worst was about water.

Me: Remember to drink plenty of water during and after this class. We're sweating a lot, so be sure to rehydrate!
Her: But I heard that drinking water makes you fat.
Me: Pardon?
Her: Drinking water makes you gain weight. I'm trying to lose weight, so I can't drink water.

She and I had to have a discussion about water after class. Stuff like this makes me sad about nutrition education in this country.

9/21/2011 11:02:57 AM

what i remember someone saying is that if you're going from infrequently drinking water to drinking a lot more water - your body can bloat and retain the water for a few days until it's used to more hydration. once it's used to it, it'll stop retaining it.

(maybe that's dumb, but i think that's what my urologist told me?)

9/21/2011 11:13:08 AM

That's true. And I explained to the woman that yes, you will gain water weight. However, water weight is not horrible. It's discouraging, but it's temporary. The focus should be on fat loss rather than a number on the scale.

When the body is consistently dehydrated, it can confuse thirst with hunger ... and it's rough on your digestive tract.

I think the key is to avoid foods that will make you retain water if you're trying to avoid bloating.

9/21/2011 11:18:40 AM

I love that the scale has me up 2.6lbs from three days ago yet I'm consistently under my calorie goal and working out regularly. heh


Also, I can tell the inches are going down on my legs but I can't go down a pant size yet because my waist is NOT BUDGING. So while the size smaller fits my legs it's a little too tight on my waist making it uncomfortable. So the size that fits my waist requires a belt and is saggy looking as hell. Annoying in between size!

Never gonna give it up though.

9/21/2011 11:41:06 AM

Burned 850 calories last night.

Crazy sub at spin class plus it was warmer.

9/21/2011 12:41:01 PM

I'm one lb away from hitting my goal. I'm very happy!

9/21/2011 12:48:38 PM

^ nice!!!!!

9/21/2011 12:49:36 PM

i think i'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens. I still have fat to go!

9/21/2011 12:55:49 PM

Quote :

"what i remember someone saying is that if you're going from infrequently drinking water to drinking a lot more water - your body can bloat and retain the water for a few days until it's used to more hydration. once it's used to it, it'll stop retaining it. "

if you drink water constantly, your body will retain less water. Bloating is a defense mechanism of the body against dehydration, not a response to overhydration.

It's also hard for your body to burn fat effectively when you're dehydrated. Your body can't transport fat / triglycerides as effectively when your blood hematocrit levels are elevated from dehydration, so your body will slow down metabolism rather than deal with elevated hematocrit levels. Also, dehydration stresses the kidneys, which in turn stresses the liver, which in turn prevents the liver from optimally being able to oxidize fat into ketones for use as an energy source.

The flip side is also true; dehydration prevents the liver from optimally producing cholesterol and synthesizing non-essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. A dehydrated athlete will not make muscle gains optimally either.


TL;DR - drink lots of water if you have fitness goals.

9/21/2011 12:57:16 PM

Drop that motherfucking KNOWLEDGE, son. We need more of that and less crying about pizza, alcohol and cupcakes.

9/21/2011 4:18:49 PM

are the glycogen replenishment and muscle generation benefits enough to justify carb cycling and high carb food blowouts as post workout gorge sessions?

just wondering if anyone has much experience.

been trying quasi carb cycling for the last two weeks. it's fun as shit, but i dont have enough empirical evidence yet to make an objective conclusion.

i have noticed significantly lower soreness the subsequent day after a heavy workout, so there's that.

[Edited on September 21, 2011 at 4:25 PM. Reason : BROSCIENCE]

9/21/2011 4:24:46 PM

Quote :

"She and I had to have a discussion about water after class. Stuff like this makes me sad about nutrition education in this country."

It's probably even worse than you think. The studies I've read and the things I've seen first hand are astonishing! There is a severe lack of nutrition education everywhere from elementary schools to medical schools.

But I'm trying to change that.

9/21/2011 4:31:36 PM