Fitness/Crossfit/Diet

[J.DavisNJ]

Hello gents,

One of the reasons I haven't been here very much is my new found fitness goals. I've pretty much been a sedentary slug for many years, with a brief period of attending a globo gym a year or so ago.

Needless to say, I am/was out of shape. Not horrible, but definitely overweight. I can stand to lose 10-15 more lbs and my strength needs to improve.

I know Crossfit has gained a lot of popularity recently, and I also know that there are tons of haters, specifically from the bodybuilding crowd. Ya can't please everyone, right? I get their gripes though. The scene is sort of filled with a bunch of know-it-alls and elitist types. Any newb can spout off about being able to deadlift x amount of weight, or how great the Paleo diet is. I never claimed to really think it was revolutionary, but I definitely dig their approach.

I joined a local Crossfit affiliate recently and am really diggin' it. It's the most physical activity I have had in a while and it definitely shows. I die after every workout, hahaha, but it feels damn good. I like that it's constantly varied.

Anyone into it?

Also, as many of you probably know, many in the scene are into the Paleo diet. What are your opinions regarding this diet? I tried to stick to it for a few weeks, but god damn is it tough to give up bread, dairy, etc. I did give up a lot of crap food including junkfood, but some of their concepts are ridiculous to me. They claim to all know that x is bad for you, x is good for you, because a cave man did/did not eat it.

Basically I am looking to drop body fat and keep increasing strength. I definitely feel that I am on the right track, but was curious if you guys had any more advice. I try to get a few good servings of vegetables and meat per day, but also have the occasional slice or two of bread. Also feasting on nuts, olives, etc.

Cheers

 

[Djunn]

I'm on low-carb diet since January (yeah, new year's resolution ) and lost 13 kgs (28.5 lbs?) so far. Last week, I had to change all my wardrobe because of 1 size drop on everything. My beer belly is almost gone. I achieved this with almost no activity, just casual walking like 30 mins a day. Hooray.

I'm going to join gym next week and change my diet to a more activity friendly one. I don't know about Crossfit but I can say having progress is feelsgoodman.jpg

 

[J.DavisNJ]

I'm on low-carb diet since January (yeah, new year's resolution ) and lost 13 kgs (28.5 lbs?) so far. Last week, I had to change all my wardrobe because of 1 size drop on everything. My beer belly is almost gone. I achieved this with almost no activity, just casual walking like 30 mins a day. Hooray.

I'm going to join gym next week and change my diet to a more activity friendly one. I don't know about Crossfit but I can say having progress is feelsgoodman.jpg

Good for you man! It always feels good to shed some pounds.

I like Crossfit because of the extensive barbell use. Nothing bores me more than using machines for hours at a gym. I'm more concerned about diet right now though.

Will eating bread seriously kill my chances of losing weight and gaining mass/strength? Sorry, but I'm seriously retarded when it comes to this stuff.

- Total newb

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think Crossfit gets stick mainly because it's just circuit training under a fancy name.
I think the general consensus is that it makes women's asses look great, but other than that it's a random assortment of circuits, if it works for you that's great.

It's probably a good idea to read a few articles on basic nutrition before you get too into paleo and keto and whatever diets too.
If you want to get strong it might be an idea to stick to a more basic/classic strength training routine.
Something like a 5x5 or 5/3/1.
Stick to the basics and try to get someone to teach you correct form in the basic movements.
Then squat, pull and press your way to godliness!

 

[J.DavisNJ]

I think Crossfit gets stick mainly because it's just circuit training under a fancy name.
I think the general consensus is that it makes women's asses look great, but other than that it's a random assortment of circuits, if it works for you that's great.

Thanks for the reply. It has so far, but seriously I am open minded to any sort of alternatives. Another huge aspect that makes it suitable for myself is the group environment and coaching. I tend to be of the lazy sort and it helps to have someone push me. I supposed having a tight knit workout group would be a suitable alternative as well.

Joe

 

[egan.]

Hey J, if it works for you then great. I looked at it briefly and the people were the big turn off for me but I imagine that varies greatly from gym to gym.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Hey J, if it works for you then great. I looked at it briefly and the people were the big turn off for me but I imagine that varies greatly from gym to gym.

It definitely does. My gym is more of a small start up and really has minimal egos floating around. I can't say the same about other gyms I've looked at.

I guess I'm just trying to widen my scope of powerlifiting, circuit training, Olympic style lifting in general. I dig Crossfit, but I'm also never the type to just adopt something because it's a fad or whatever ya know?

Joe

 

[AllanD]

Crossfit is gay

 

[updog]

been on a low-carb diet like Djunn since january and while it hasn't been as effective for me, i've still lost 8 kilograms so far which is pretty good considering i still mostly just sit on my ass, literally - i haven't walked anywhere for some time now. the weight loss has almost stopped within the last month but it was to be expected.

i think you could try combining low-carb diet with gym or something like that. i know the hyping involved with the diet can get annoying, but it has completely stopped any craving of sugar i used to have while trying to diet. letting go of bread and stuff like that has also been surprisingly easy, and these are some substitutes for bread if you really want to have it.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Crossfit is gay

Hah, not the first time I've heard that.

I think this is a fair writeup on it: http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/all-aboard-the-crossfit-bus/

Also, holy old school hardcore/metal album in your avatar dude!

Joe

 

[Headof75]

If you plan to bulk up (ie muscle) then more protein is more important than less carbs. Firstly fix on an ideal weight scenario if you were 12% body fat.
You then need to try and get 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. I'm aiming for 80 kilos (176lbs) so my target is 160 grams per day. If you work in pounds do it as 1 gram per pound. This either means eating a shitload of meat, fish, eggs, nuts and beans, or eating more of these and also using a protein supplement.
If you are eating too many carbs you won't shed your body fat as fast and let's face it there's no point building muscle unless people are going to see it right?
However I still eat a controlled amount of carbs in the morning and evening post workout and you need some carbs in order to build muscle. Switch to wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta etc. to get slow release carbs which are better for even energy release throughout the day.
If you're looking to build muscle the compound moves and lifts are your best bet. If you want to burn fat look up HIIT online. I've got a couple of nice little routines that are short and intense that I can provide if you're interested and which you can do at home with a minimal outlay on equipment.
Dieting to lose weight is one of the biggest wastes of time there is imo. Far more effective is to change your lifestyle, change what you eat a little and change what you do a lot.

 

[Scott Horner]

Unfortunately, dropping body fat while increasing strength is contradictory. In order to lose weight you need to be at a caloric deficit. Simple as that. While it may be possible to maintain strength while losing weight, it will be hard to actually increase it unless you are new to working out and still benefit from noob gains. What I would recommend is figuring out your BMR and then subtracting 200-500 calories per day. In order to maintain the most muscle mass, you want to aim for around 1-2 lbs of wight loss per week. Any more than that and you start losing muscle. Depending on your current physical condition, you could always just diet down and then work on building muscle but if you have a reasonable amount of LBM already then you will want to pace yourself with the fat loss.

As far as the paleo diet, It's just another fad. Like I said above, figure out your BMR then calculate your macro-nutrient needs and make sure you meet them each day. For example, if your BMR is 2500 cals/day you would want to figure out your breakdown for 2000 calories. I would recommend a 40/30/30 split where 40% of your calories comes from protein, 30% from carbs and 30% from (healthy) fats. Contrary to popular belief, you still need fat on a diet as it regulates hormone production and will keep you sane; jsut avoid saturated fats. You could also try carb cycling to keep your metabolism guessing.

All-in-all it doesn't really matter what diet and routine you are doing as long as you are at a caloric deficit. Eat under maintenance and you will lose weight.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

If you plan to bulk up (ie muscle) then more protein is more important than less carbs. Firstly fix on an ideal weight scenario if you were 12% body fat.
You then need to try and get 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. I'm aiming for 80 kilos (176lbs) so my target is 160 grams per day. If you work in pounds do it as 1 gram per pound. This either means eating a shitload of meat, fish, eggs, nuts and beans, or eating more of these and also using a protein supplement.
If you are eating too many carbs you won't shed your body fat as fast and let's face it there's no point building muscle unless people are going to see it right?
However I still eat a controlled amount of carbs in the morning and evening post workout and you need some carbs in order to build muscle. Switch to wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta etc. to get slow release carbs which are better for even energy release throughout the day.
If you're looking to build muscle the compound moves and lifts are your best bet. If you want to burn fat look up HIIT online. I've got a couple of nice little routines that are short and intense that I can provide if you're interested and which you can do at home with a minimal outlay on equipment.
Dieting to lose weight is one of the biggest wastes of time there is imo. Far more effective is to change your lifestyle, change what you eat a little and change what you do a lot.

Thanks for the advice. I usually don't have a problem getting enough protein each day, but will certainly calculate exactly how much I should be eating.

As far as lifestyle changes, I quit smoking cold turkey two months ago. I feel great and I can literally feel calmer and less anxious than I used to be. It has worked wonders.

I feel that my interest and newb participation in Crossfit is a step in the right direction, but I am always looking for other ways to improve and to avoid fads at all costs.

Thanks

Joe

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Unfortunately, dropping body fat while increasing strength is contradictory. In order to lose weight you need to be at a caloric deficit. Simple as that. While it may be possible to maintain strength while losing weight, it will be hard to actually increase it unless you are new to working out and still benefit from noob gains. What I would recommend is figuring out your BMR and then subtracting 200-500 calories per day. In order to maintain the most muscle mass, you want to aim for around 1-2 lbs of wight loss per week. Any more than that and you start losing muscle. Depending on your current physical condition, you could always just diet down and then work on building muscle but if you have a reasonable amount of LBM already then you will want to pace yourself with the fat loss.

As far as the paleo diet, It's just another fad. Like I said above, figure out your BMR then calculate your macro-nutrient needs and make sure you meet them each day. For example, if your BMR is 2500 cals/day you would want to figure out your breakdown for 2000 calories. I would recommend a 40/30/30 split where 40% of your calories comes from protein, 30% from carbs and 30% from (healthy) fats. Contrary to popular belief, you still need fat on a diet as it regulates hormone production and will keep you sane; jsut avoid saturated fats. You could also try carb cycling to keep your metabolism guessing.

All-in-all it doesn't really matter what diet and routine you are doing as long as you are at a caloric deficit. Eat under maintenance and you will lose weight.

Honestly, before my journey I had sort of a childish view of the whole thing and just wanted to look beach ready. Now that I am deeper into it, the "losing weight" aspect is less important to me than the big picture of being fit and gaining strength.

Sure, I have a beer gut, extra fat around the midsection like most sedentary adults, but I'm not necessarily looking to lose before I gain strength if that makes sense. If I can do both simultaneously, even better. I'm more concerned with absolute health than just having a flat stomach. Unless focusing more on weight loss is a better option initially? I'm ok with slow losses.

I definitely do not have enough LBM. I have a decent metabolism but can't certainly stand to drop my body fat.

According to an online tool, my current BMR is 1,861.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Also, does anyone know of a reliable source that lists calories counts for various foods based on portion, etc? thanks

 

[ratsapprentice]

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

 

[J.DavisNJ]

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

thanks

 

[Djunn]

Also http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Cheers guys, thank you.

 

[ArthurD]

You should be careful with protein as it has double calories than carb.
My objective this year is to get athletic. I satarted the yer with 119 kg, now I am with 113. My goal is to get 90kg until december. But I WILL ACHIEVE EARLY.

LOSING IS THE EASY PART. MAINTENANCE IS THE HARDEST. EXERCISE WILL HELP. BUT THE BAD HABITS COULD KILL YOU EFFORT. DON'T LET.
THIS IS TRUE HEAVY METAL ON LIFE. WHO IS ADDICTED TO FOOD (eats/drinks this more than 3 times a week: Beer, Hamburgers, Fast Food, Ready Food from market, SODA) KNOWS HOW MUCH ITS DIFFICULT TO HAVE LONG TERM DIETS.

Anyway, I started 1 month ago my resolution for this year and already lost 6 kg (13 pounds).
I had a nutritionist to make a diet for me. Eat 6-7 times a day.
And exercise.
I'll put my diet here.

Breakfest: -Juice: 1 fruit + cabbage + celery + little slice of ginger + 100ml (3.38 oz) cold green Tea.
-Gluten Free Bread or boiled corn or banana
- 1 spoon of olive oil

Cofee Break: 2 fruits

Lunch: coarse rice (6 spoons) + saffron + boiled beans (4 spoons) + Salad (no dressing here) + boiled vegetables (6 spoons) + (grilled chicken) or (fish) or (2 boiled eggs) + 1 spoon of olive oil

Break: 2 red fruits + (cereal bar) or (8 raw almonds)

Dinner: (3 glutten free bread slices + [2 boiled eggs] or [4 thin slices of turkey breast ** in Brasil its like a ham] + salad with no sauce) or chicken soup or vegeteble soup (all made in home)

Before Bed: Melissa tea or balm tea or passion fruit tea + 1 fruit (or 1 slice of pineapple).

_____

Also, taking vitamin suplements and Omega 3 and 6.

AND EXERCISE AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK
(NORMALLY 5 TIMES)

I am doing this:
- MAKE IPOD LIST WITH THE MOST BRUTAL STUFF BECAUSE THE EXERCISE WILL BE BRUTAL. NO EXCUSES. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT AT LEAST YOUR BODY WEIGHT. REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD. YOU COULD RUN A LOT (IT WAS JUST FUN). YOU COULD DO PUSHUPS EASY AS BUTTER, JUMP A LOT, SWIMM.
-10 min. for heating
-streching
-bodybuilding (just the basics, all legs muscles, chest, back, biceps, triceps, abs)
-40 min. aerobic exercise @ 60% cardio capacity. (THIS BURNSTHE FAT, more than 70% don't burn the fat as this, just increase your cardio capacity)
-10 min. hitting the sandbag to relax
-final streching


YOU WILL SEE THE RESULTS. INCLUDING IN YOUR POCKET. IT WILL BE CHEAPER. I SUGGEST YOU INVESTING ON A NUTRITINIST DIET THAT FITS YOUR ROUTINE. AND REMEMBER: 70% IS DIET. 30% IS EXERCISE. IF YOU JUST DO DIET YOU MIGHT GET FLACID. IF YOU JUST EXERCISE IT WONT GIVE YOU THE BEST RESULTS.

Good luck my friend.
Let's get formidable.


PS; IT WILL BE HARD. BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT.