Swolecats, Fitcats, Thincats, Cardiocats, even Yogacats

[XocolateThundarr]

FWIW, I had the same form issue with DB's at the time. 

Yes...I think it is easier to focus on form using light dumbbells.  I will be surprised if I will be able to use much over 20 lb dumbbells when I am able to start weight training again.

[Fedor]

FWIW, I had the same form issue with DB's at the time. 

Yes...I think it is easier to focus on form using light dumbbells.  I will be surprised if I will be able to use much over 20 lb dumbbells when I am able to start weight training again.

Did you do both or just one?

[XocolateThundarr]

FWIW, I had the same form issue with DB's at the time. 

Yes...I think it is easier to focus on form using light dumbbells.  I will be surprised if I will be able to use much over 20 lb dumbbells when I am able to start weight training again.

Did you do both or just one?

One...

[The Big Train]

This could very well go in the brag about something thread.

I just screwed a top back on a bottle and broke the top of the cap off 

[Bqqkie Pimp]

I hope it's ok if I post here, since the OP thinks I'm "a huge rough ridin' tool" but I came here to confess and to get the support of the other Fitcats...

Confession: After being consistently pretty fit and healthy, I got lazy about mid-Sept of last year and just stopped working out.  Fast forward to last week when I finally got disgusted enough with myself after putting on ~ 20 lbs of "bad weight".

Plan of attack: Although I have a pretty good concept of the how/what/why process of strength & conditioning, I spent several hours one evening last week searching for a well designed workout plan that included a diet as well. I found the "Bizzy Guide: 21 Day Start Phase" that was produced by Muscle Pharm (The supplement company) because it seemed to make sense as a good "starter program", especially for someone who'd been lazy for about 10.5-11 months.

I embarked upon my journey back to physical fitness on Friday, Aug. 1 and I can tell you that the diet is surprisingly adequate although it seemed like there wasn't going to be enough calories when I first read it.  I can also tell you that, despite using insanely light weights for the first four workouts, I am sore as a motha-fucka!!

Ps - Great thread and glad y'all keep this up.

[Asteriskhead]

I started tracking my macros today using the MyFitnessPal app and this website (http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/). I haven't made any adjustments to my normal diet yet. This should be interesting.

[CNS]

I started tracking my macros today using the MyFitnessPal app and this website (http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/). I haven't made any adjustments to my normal diet yet. This should be interesting.

One warning re: myfitnesspal, it is great except it inflates the cal burn it calculates for you when you enter in workouts.  For me, it very much so over calculates.  If you have a good handle on your cal burn quantities and manually enter them, it is a pretty great tool, imo.

[Bqqkie Pimp]

I started tracking my macros today using the MyFitnessPal app and this website (http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/). I haven't made any adjustments to my normal diet yet. This should be interesting.

One warning re: myfitnesspal, it is great except it inflates the cal burn it calculates for you when you enter in workouts.  For me, it very much so over calculates.  If you have a good handle on your cal burn quantities and manually enter them, it is a pretty great tool, imo.

How does that compare to the LiveStrong app? I've been using that and it seems relatively accurate.

[CNS]

I started tracking my macros today using the MyFitnessPal app and this website (http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/). I haven't made any adjustments to my normal diet yet. This should be interesting.

One warning re: myfitnesspal, it is great except it inflates the cal burn it calculates for you when you enter in workouts.  For me, it very much so over calculates.  If you have a good handle on your cal burn quantities and manually enter them, it is a pretty great tool, imo.

How does that compare to the LiveStrong app? I've been using that and it seems relatively accurate.

no clue on the livestrong ap.  I have never used it.

[Emo EMAW]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

[The Big Train]

The myfitnesspal app is awesome

[Mr Bread]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

CNS intuitively knows how many btus his man-furnace pumps out.  Some guys got "it" and some guys (you) don't. 

[CNS]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

CNS intuitively knows how many btus his man-furnace pumps out.  Some guys got "it" and some guys (you) don't.

Well, this, but also I used a Body Media monitor for a while and got a baseline for what I burn doing a whole bunch of different types of stuff.  Enough to know that I usually burn around 400-450 per work out rather than the 850 that MFP says, etc.  None of it is dead on accurate, but some of the readings I got vs MFP cals weren't even the same sport let alone in the same ballpark. 

[steve dave]

I use runkeeper. it cuts into my tunes to tell me what my time/pace/distance is. then I can tell if I need to kick it into gear to break my previous extremely slow records.

[Emo EMAW]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

CNS intuitively knows how many btus his man-furnace pumps out.  Some guys got "it" and some guys (you) don't.

Well, this, but also I used a Body Media monitor for a while and got a baseline for what I burn doing a whole bunch of different types of stuff.  Enough to know that I usually burn around 400-450 per work out rather than the 850 that MFP says, etc.  None of it is dead on accurate, but some of the readings I got vs MFP cals weren't even the same sport let alone in the same ballpark.

Isn't the actual number arbitrary, though?  Like who cares.  What you should care about is consistency/repeatability.  You want to know if you're doing enough, should do more, relatively how much more, etc.  Right?

[CNS]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

CNS intuitively knows how many btus his man-furnace pumps out.  Some guys got "it" and some guys (you) don't.

Well, this, but also I used a Body Media monitor for a while and got a baseline for what I burn doing a whole bunch of different types of stuff.  Enough to know that I usually burn around 400-450 per work out rather than the 850 that MFP says, etc.  None of it is dead on accurate, but some of the readings I got vs MFP cals weren't even the same sport let alone in the same ballpark.

Isn't the actual number arbitrary, though?  Like who cares.  What you should care about is consistency/repeatability.  You want to know if you're doing enough, should do more, relatively how much more, etc.  Right?

MFP is all about calories.  Primarily to mark what you consume vs what you burn.   The program basically sets up by telling you what you burn just getting through a standard day, then you set up how much weight you would like to lose a week and that establishes a daily calorie deficit.  They recommed that what you burn gets entered in so that you consume enough calories so that you don't drastically exceed your planned deficit.  The problem comes in to play in that if you want a 1000/day deficit, burn 500 calories but it gets entered at an incorrect rate at 1000 calories, and then you plan your meals according to the calories burned that day, you end up with less of a deficit.  Not making the correction on the calories consumed side would basically make you double your workout time to get the same effect you could if you just got your calories right.

Long story, but consistency is important, but more so is efficiency. 
 

[Emo EMAW]

How do you know the difference between what a program says you burned vs what you actually burned?  It seems like the 2nd number would be impossible to know.

CNS intuitively knows how many btus his man-furnace pumps out.  Some guys got "it" and some guys (you) don't.

Well, this, but also I used a Body Media monitor for a while and got a baseline for what I burn doing a whole bunch of different types of stuff.  Enough to know that I usually burn around 400-450 per work out rather than the 850 that MFP says, etc.  None of it is dead on accurate, but some of the readings I got vs MFP cals weren't even the same sport let alone in the same ballpark.

Isn't the actual number arbitrary, though?  Like who cares.  What you should care about is consistency/repeatability.  You want to know if you're doing enough, should do more, relatively how much more, etc.  Right?

MFP is all about calories.  Primarily to mark what you consume vs what you burn.   The program basically sets up by telling you what you burn just getting through a standard day, then you set up how much weight you would like to lose a week and that establishes a daily calorie deficit.  They recommed that what you burn gets entered in so that you consume enough calories so that you don't drastically exceed your planned deficit.  The problem comes in to play in that if you want a 1000/day deficit, burn 500 calories but it gets entered at an incorrect rate at 1000 calories, and then you plan your meals according to the calories burned that day, you end up with less of a deficit.  Not making the correction on the calories consumed side would basically make you double your workout time to get the same effect you could if you just got your calories right.

Long story, but consistency is important, but more so is efficiency.

Gotcha, understood.   

Can that program calculate weight gain assuming lean muscle mass, working out, protein intake, etc?

[CNS]

Great question.  Its free and super easy to use.  You don't even have to use the app.  Just check out the website and see.

[Asteriskhead]

I'm not using MFP to track calories burned. I'm only using to track my macro intake (total grams consumed of protein, carbohydrates and fat). It is working well for my purposes so far.

[nicname]

I'm not using MFP to track calories burned. I'm only using to track my macro intake (total grams consumed of protein, carbohydrates and fat). It is working well for my purposes so far.

Holy alcohol.

[Asteriskhead]

I have noticed that I'm going to have to change a few things really quickly. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room with 50g+ of fat, but that quickly evaporates if you drink whole milk.

[Asteriskhead]

I'm not using MFP to track calories burned. I'm only using to track my macro intake (total grams consumed of protein, carbohydrates and fat). It is working well for my purposes so far.

Holy alcohol.

huh?

[nicname]

I'm not using MFP to track calories burned. I'm only using to track my macro intake (total grams consumed of protein, carbohydrates and fat). It is working well for my purposes so far.

Holy alcohol.

huh?

MFP makes what I already know even more blatantly obvious. I intake A LOT of extra calories via cereal malt beverages.

[CNS]

I have noticed that I'm going to have to change a few things really quickly. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room with 50g+ of fat, but that quickly evaporates if you drink whole milk.

I started looking into the macro thing and found that other sources were way off from what MFP recommends.  I discussed it ITT a while ago.  I am sure you are up to date on things like that, but my macros were way off.  Like over 200% for protein, for example.

[Asteriskhead]

I have noticed that I'm going to have to change a few things really quickly. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room with 50g+ of fat, but that quickly evaporates if you drink whole milk.

I started looking into the macro thing and found that other sources were way off from what MFP recommends.  I discussed it ITT a while ago.  I am sure you are up to date on things like that, but my macros were way off.  Like over 200% for protein, for example.

I linked this site in my original post, http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/. It's recommended as a good starter site for calculating your macro levels by Dr. Layne Norton, a natural bodybuilder and powerlifter, who is probably the face of flexible dieting/ IIFYM.

I used that website to calculate what my macro intake levels should be at and then adjusted those levels in the MFP app.

Hitting my protein (193g/pd) and fat (51g/pd) goals won't be too hard, but holy eff, I'm not sure how in the eff I'm supposed to eat 463g of carbs per day.