Nutrition/diet question

Your diet looks like a good one. I'd take a minute to research each food source and it's effect on insulin/glucose levels if you haven't already. For example we know that simple carbs are quick energy. They also cause an insulin/glucose spike that will result in a crash. Not good. Complex carbs help maintain steady insulin/glucose levels. A combination of both is what those energy gels contain. A quick boost following by a slow decline rather than a crash. It's great to have a diet program and it's even better to know why and when certain foods are most effective.:up:

A great carb source is sweet potatoes. Probably one of the best sources of good carbs on the planet. And they're tasty! Super dense complex carbs.

 

Must-have item for track weekends.

 

imo, oh yeah bars are the best tasting by far . I get a dozen for 16.00 too when on sale and for 20 when not. I eat a couple a day in between meals to help keep my protein intake high. I also don't worry about calories (I take in between 4-5k daily). but I agree they would be a treat for someone trying to drop weight. and something that's a easy alternative to - say eating a burger

 

sweet potatoes rock..you want FAST digesting carbs right after you train along with fast digesting protein, along with BCAA either during training or after. personally I drink my creatine,bcaa,carbolean shake right after I train. along with a whey shake as well. before I leave the gym door.

 

i agree that protein bars are better than popsicles and they can be a good piece of the puzzle. however, i still contest that there are better options. at the very least, hopefully the OP will learn about options from this thread.

the bar is 60g @ 190Cal. chicken breast of the same mass would be 100Cal. based on your experience, which one would make you feel more full, more content given the same serving size? which one would curb your appetite for longer? i have a feel that in a real test, the results would be a toss up because theres less digestible mass in the chicken, but at least its less calories.

the bar does have slightly more protein, 21g compare to 18g. however, not all proteins digest at the same rate. whey is one of the fastest, so those 21g will make it into your system much quicker than the 18g. so, like i said b4, ull have consumed all those calories and be less full than other foods. maybe less full isnt correct, hungry sooner seems better.

of course, all that ignores the fact that u could eat almost twice as much chicken breast or add some fibrous vegetables to really fill u up and still be consuming the same number of calories. maybe someone makes protein bars that are meant to be filling and digest slowly. but anyone looking to "replenish after a workout" would hate them and they prob wouldnt/dont sell that well.

 

Your entire daily mealplan is not meant to consist of protein bars. They are there to fill in the gaps, I assumed that you understood that assumption. Its easier to take that bar and stick it in your pocket, glovebox, backpack....whatever, than it is to take chicken and vegetables and put them in any of those same locations and not have it spoil. Have 3-4 square meals consisting of whole food, use those to fill in the gaps for the other 2 or so.

It also has a decent chunk of fiber (which a chicken breast doesn't), and it's made from whey and milk proteins (one slow and one fast digesting). I also find that it's wise to vary your protein sources as well, not just eat solely chicken breasts all day long.

Not quite twice I'd say, 4oz of grilled chicken is about 190 calories, same as one of those bars, but it will have about 10 extra grams of protein, but as mentioned, none of the fiber.

You could of course also eat 20 lbs of broccoli and celery to fill you up, which are both calorie negative theoretically so you can eat as much as you like, but I don't think anyone is going to do that?

 

Lots of good advice here, so I won't belabor it. I'll just say this. Look at it as a long-term project. Forget the "I lost 30 lbs in a month" diets. They kinda work, but most people gain that 30 lbs right back. Lose a pound a week. That's achievable. It doesn't seem like much, but look where you'll be in a year. If you can do that you will have made a lifestyle change, which is what you really need.

One more item. My favorite trick for losing weight is to eat a small dinner, and eat it early. You should be going to bed just slightly hungry. Not starving, just a tiny bit hungry.

 

I have read this entire thread as it has evolved. I lost 25 lbs from October 2012 to February 2013, and have kept it off. I am 5' 10", 160 in my skivvies. I am of the radical school of thought to "eat less, do more" to lose weight. I added exercise, but my goal was to lose weight and become fit. But, I had to change my eating habits. I wasn't anywhere near your level, but I do/did like my junk food.

So, Speedy, here's my take on this. Go online and look for easy recipes. I like stuff that I make by opening bags and cans. Casseroles are great. Tuna and chicken casserole (can of tuna or pieces of chicken, can of mushroom soup, bag of frozen veggies), Mexican enchilada casserole (don't roll the enchiladas, layer it like lasagna), that kind of stuff. It's dead easy to cook. Start simple. Cook one big casserole that will last a couple of days. Once you taste success at that level, start to branch out. Look for pasta roni/rice a roni and add a protein to make it a meal. Don't worry about the perfect meal, train yourself to eat the food you make, not out of a neon lit building.

Buy a rice cooker. Your Asian chickadees will thank you for it. Just a cheap one. You can make ANYTHING in a rice cooker, from flavored oatmeal, rice (duh), cakes, lots of stuff. Toss the ingredients in and let it go.

Buy instant oatmeal to learn to eat a healthy breakfast. Buy bananas, apples, oranges, plums, peaches, whatever is in season and tastes good to you. Ask the produce guy what is good. Buy two of each of what looks good. If you like the fruit, buy more. If you don't like it, don't buy it again. But for breakfast, have a bowl of instant oatmeal and a piece of fruit. That wil satisfy you for several hours.

Lunch- sandwiches, my man! PB&J, ham and cheese, hell, splurge for the ones from the grocery store. Look for sammies with lettuce. Eat exactly half of the store bought sandwich and include a piece of fruit.

Dinner- the above mentioned casserole.

Snacks- fruit and snack/energy/protein bars. If you are really concerned about how much protein to take in, don't be. Read this to understand the basics. Simply replacing carb calories with protein does so little it's surprising. Also, whole wheat bread and peanut butter is a great between meal pick me up. 300 calories, but very filling. I have this when I need something between my early lunch and late dinner.

From the above linked article, take this simple peice of advice for long term success-

In closing, my father just retired after a 25 year career at Weight Watchers. He was a meeting leader/trainer/advanced support person. One of very few dudes in the WW hierarchy. Anyway, his motto was the same as min: "Eat less, do more."

Find a website that has simple recipes and try it out. Good luck, and enjoy your freedom from the neon jungle of food. ANYTHING you cook/make tastes better than their stuff (eventually )

 

if given the choice between protein bars/shakes and real food, I will eat real food every time.
I tell people that come into my store this, all the time!

my hierarchy in my diet/meals

Quality of product/ingredients
who made it
freshness
protein content
vitamin/mineral content
fat quality
fat content
glycemic index
glycemic load


Notice how calorie is not on there?

 

I completely agree with that. I have never really paid attention to it until I read your post and thought about it, but I can't remember the last time I looked at the caloric count of anything. It simply isn't a factor. The only exception was when I was in college and had stopped boxing and was looking to put on weight (I was 153lbs at 6'2"). I opted for the "Mass" weight gaining types of shakes that are packed with calories/carbs. I was a true hardgainer and needed all the help I could get.

As far as protein bars. I agree in that im not going to walk into the kitchen and grab a protein bar as a meal or something. My purpose for protein bars is to keep them in the glove box of the truck, or in my backpack while im traveling, etc. They are basically a replacement for a gas station candy bar or a hot dog or some shit at the airport.

 

Thanks for all the advice (and bashing, lol ) ....love it.
I read everything, lots of great info.

Started Friday morning....
zero redbulls ( down from 4 a day)
1.5 packs smokes (down from 3 a day) and bought several of the e-cigs to transition with.
Small meals every few hours (down from 1 big dinner a day).
1 milk jug of water a day (from zero water a day).

I was eating one meal a day, and was never hungry before or after.
After the first day of eating a bunch of small meals, I was/am hungry all the time?????????
I am now fighting not to eat, and before I could actually go the entire day and miss dinner, and eat nothing, and I wasn't all that hungry. I'm hungry right now

Had a redbull crash Monday....could barely move or think....I drank a ice coffee (I don't know if the coffee was better/worse than a redbull) and got back up to speed.

Drinking a lot of water now.

I'm not losing weight, but I am definitely not as bloated in the gut now. I feel better physically.
I am off the redbulls, 100%, never looking back.
The smokes are gonna be a fight, but at least I cut my smoking production back by 50%....quitting smoking is gonna be tough.
I understand the water intake now, and will keep on that 100%.
My gut/bloating feels so much better w/ the small meals....I am prolly eating more, but the bloat is going down noticeably.

I biked around the city twice too....was a struggle, but I did it. I will force myself to ride 3x/wk now.

Next MOnday I'll start working on understanding calories and daily specific meals. I'll have a lot more questions

Thanks everyone!!!!! :up::up:

 

Oh ya, they make an awesome emergency meal on the go. You should invest in a little fridge for your truck. I keep a little fridge in my truck filled with these.

http://www.theisopurecompany.com/en/drinks

the tea is awesome!

 

I've lost 30lbs in the last 60 days. Down to 180 from 210 by doing the Whole30 diet. You have to be very strict about it for it to work. They only tell you to do it for 30 days but I've made a lifestyle change and can't and won't eat the same crap I was eating before. I'm working my way down to 160-165 and I also Crossfit 4-5 days a week. THe first week of Whole30 sucks while you detox but after that you feel amazing.

 

Speedy,

I thought about you and this thread while I was at the gym today. To steal a phrase, "It Gets Better".

I have found (in my own effort to get healthier):

Eating a little better helped me to lift a little more,
lifting a little more helped me to smoke a little less,
smoking a little less helped me to feel a little better,
feeling a little better helped me to eat a little better.

It's a vicious circle--a positive one though.


Best of luck to you in your quest for improvement.

 

Probably the most important thing is whatever you do, whatever workout program you start, or diet to incorporate, etc.....give it an honest run and do it long enough to actually see results.

The hardest part is in the beginning, when you look/feel the same...but are making lifestyle changes. You look in the mirror and think "fuck this, why put myself through this". Most people don't do it long enough to see results. Trust me, once you start actually seeing results, it gets better and easier.

Speaking of which, right now....take your shirt off, stand in front of the mirror and take a picture.

I don't like scales because muscle is more dense and weighs more than fat (of the same size, meaning a softball sized chunk of muscle will weight more than a softball size chunk of fat). The mirror is good, but you see yourself every day. Diet/exercise has a cumulative effect. You aren't going to wake up one morning in kickass shape. And seeing yourself every day, you wont notice it.

So take a picture, then do it again in about 4 weeks or so. Just make sure you do it at the same time. If you take it in the afternoon now, then take it in the afternoon in a month. Don't take one in the morning now, (when you are dry) then compare it to one taken at night in a month...it will be misleading.

 

I'll tell you one thing I found out: Don't drink so much Muscle Milk.
I think that's what's holding back my weight loss.
Been riding and working out daily, and have hit a wall.
In the past, I would do a short ride,{11 miles/45 minutes} and then work out.
After I'm done with my workout, I drink a 14oz bottle of MM.
But I've also been doing that if I do a ride only and have a couple of them through out the day, along with meal mixed in.
So from today forward, I'm only drinking 1 after a good workout or long {40+ mile} ride.
Thoughts ?

 

Congrats sir and keep up the hard work.

 

I can't speak for the MM brand specifically, that is one of the brands I have never used (no particular reason, I just haven't; I have my favs).

But the protein drink isn't holding you back as far as weight loss. With riding and working out every day, you need the protein for muscle repair and to keep your body in an anabolic state.

You are only talking about 3 shakes. Again, I don't know the nutritional facts of MM. But 3 protein shakes in a day isn't bad, assuming the rest of your diet is ok. I have normally had 3 protein shakes by 9am.

 

sounds like a big change already Speedy...get it going....love hearing that you are getting motivated to do this. keep us updated

I quit smoking cold turkey and for good the second time... it was a matter of withdrawal but also changing habits...like when jumping into the car...the hardest one was after a meal..but once i stopped, i had tried to smoke a few years later and was like heck no..it was pretty disgusting

 

Just started reading this thread,

I did a 6 week crossfit right next door to my shop, fairly intensive workouts, very humbling to see some soccer moms in there barely breaking 120bmp or even sweating. I was at 160 bmp and pouring sweat in the first 5 minutes..

Most crossfit gyms post their Workout of the Day so you can just mimic the schedule/workout when your time allows. I had a difficult time making the workout start times and trying to justify the $150 per month fees.

Another good source for motivation and info is www.stack.com Always something on there that I try out daily.

Quit smoking!!