Staying Healthy while Brewing

[jlloyd13]

Hi All,

I have been brewing for quite a while, and have noticed I drink a little more than I previously did, but really not much more. I used to struggle a lot more with my weight and have been more mindful as a result. Does anyone else here struggle with their weight? Have you had any diets work long term? Also, have you tried anything that just doesn't work for you, especially in terms of sticking with it?

 

[wxman73]

Yes I struggle with my weight. Or rather I struggle with the choice to dosomething about my weight. I have found that what works best for me is a constant excersise routine and portion control. As long as I don't indulge in seconds I am good.

When I have had to drop weight, I did the wiehgt watchers thing. I think they have changed their program since I did it, but it definitely worked for me.

Good luck!

 

[fivepointslow]

Well I am active army so normally I get daily physical training. However I started brewing after I came out recruiting where pt is on the individual. I did notice some weight gain but I think it's a combination of age (30), change in work out, job stress change, job change (from highly active mechanic to desk jockey) and change from regular light beer to heavy stouts and generally higher gravity beers.

What I did was alter my work out to more cardio and knocked off candy and majority of sodas. I also eat less at night. By doing this I have managed to maintain a consistent 172lbs. I was 187lbs 6 months back. Oh I also don't eat unhealthy while drinking a stout and don't drink during the week for the most part just the weekend.

 

[plumbrew]

Well I am active army so normally I get daily physical training. However I started brewing after I came out recruiting where pt is on the individual. I did notice some weight gain but I think it's a combination of age (30), change in work out, job stress change, job change (from highly active mechanic to desk jockey) and change from regular light beer to heavy stouts and generally higher gravity beers.

What I did was alter my work out to more cardio and knocked off candy and majority of sodas. I also eat less at night. By doing this I have managed to maintain a consistent 172lbs. I was 187lbs 6 months back. Oh I also don't eat unhealthy while drinking a stout and don't drink during the week for the most part just the weekend.

+1 on trying to keep your drinking to the weekends.

One tip to keep mindful of when drinking is what and how much food you're eating, and whether you're eating that food just to eat or because you are actually hungry. If I'm hitting it hard on a night, I tend to find myself eating high calorie food, or just munching on stuff just for the sake of eating. That's where the calories can kill ya.

Then of course, the day after, you're hungover and want nothing less than high calorie greasy food. Then the next weekend, do it all over again. Over time, that's going to slowly expand the waistline.

So bottom line, maybe try to stay away from the alcohol Monday - Thursday, eat healthy and get a bit of exercise too, and then on the weekend, have some beers but, know your upper limit of a buzz before falling over the cliff of drunkenness.

On a side note, as a side business I'm a personal trainer out of my house. And I homebrew. Some would say, two completely polar opposites on the health spectrum. But, it's all about moderation. And it gets a lot of laughs when my clients are done with their workouts and I say "Great workout today, make sure to grab a six-pack on the way out."

 

[Pyg]

I have a great set of abs,
unfortunately they are underneath my beer belly.
I have been a pudgy kid for my entire 40 years on the planet. It does not help that I come home and have 1 or 2 beers. However over the last year I have really worked on changing how I approach eating, what I eat and my activity level.
My wife does Medifast and it works for her. I took that idea and altered it and portion control 5 or 6 small meals a day. Since i come home and have a few beers I usually cut out the last snack "meal" late at night. Of course I am much more active than she is, so I do require more calories. So late at night I tend to binge on pickles.
I eat like this:
Oatmeal (breakfest)
1 cup Dry healthy cereal (10 am snack)
Rice/Beans (.75 cup each, lunch)
Granola bar (PM snack)
Lean Green (dinner)
Beer & Pickles (late night snack)

I do my best not to snack on junk, good thing is, when my wife is on plan there is no junk around the house.

However winter tends to be tough because I am trapped in the house. Spring/Summer/fall I am either walking a golf course (2.5miles) or taking 3 miles walks with my dog.

Since I know I am having a beer which is about 150 calories, I try to be active, but with little ones around finding 1/2 hour to workout is nearly impossible. so I try to do the following once a day:

30 sit ups
10 reps curls 3 sets (25#)
45 sec bridge as often as possible.

On alternating days I use a 25# kettle bell and swing 25 times, and do either jumping jacks or burpees in between.

I have come to the conclusion I will never be thin, ripped or what people deem visibly fit & healthy. (but I am down 4 lbs in the last month)
However I guess I can achieve real world strength and endurance, which will be fine.

And if anyone has any good home workout routines, I am up for a new challenge!

 

[rokfreek]

I have always struggled with my weight I'm 31 now but at 23 I was told I had really high cholesterol. I did the low carb lean meat deal and went from 215 to 175 and knocked 50pts off my cholesterol. I'm more lax about it now but can maintain 185. To lose the weight I cut out all drinks but water. Liquid calories are pretty much the worst thing for you and even though diet soda has no calories it is still linked to weight gain. I drink beer maybe twice a week now and just make sure I get some exercise, honestly I work out just so I can drink. I have a lot if friends who are heavier drinkers than me so I can brew regularly and not have to worry about drinking it all myself.

 

[Brewtah]

I never had an issue with weight until recently, including times I didn't exercise. I gained about 20lbs. I think if you saw me you would say my weight is average, i feel heavy though.

I believe it is the perfect storm of weight gain. 1. My cycling took a major nose dive. I cut down by about 80%. 2. Lots and lots of stress. 3. We remodeled our kitchen and ate out a lot. 4. Age

I am back on track with my cycling, preparing for a difficult Gran Fondo. Kitchen is done. Major stress is over. Unfortunately still aging
I have a theory with kegging. I believe the artifical carbonation contributed in some way. I switched to kegging about the same time the weight gain started. It seems like my consumption is about the same.

So I am cutting out all carbs except for vegetables, coffee creamer, occasional whole grains like flax seed, quinoa and whole grain wheat.

 

[Psylocide]

Eat less, move more.

Weight control is purely calories in/calories out.

Do this: http://manytools.org/handy/bmr-calculator/

That'll give you your BMR, or amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. Subtract 500 if you want to lose ~lb a week and start counting what you consume. It's pretty darn easy... you don't even have to worry about protein/fat/carb at this point (within reason), just eat a normal diet, 500 cal under to get to target weight. If you want to lose faster/slower, cut more cals or less respectively.

The hardest part is the self control. All the fad diets that cut out food groups completely are another form of calorie reduction, just dumber.

 

[Brewtah]

Eat less, move more.

Weight control is purely calories in/calories out.

Do this: http://manytools.org/handy/bmr-calculator/

That'll give you your BMR, or amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. Subtract 500 if you want to lose ~lb a week and start counting what you consume. It's pretty darn easy... you don't even have to worry about protein/fat/carb at this point (within reason), just eat a normal diet, 500 cal under to get to target weight. If you want to lose faster/slower, cut more cals or less respectively.

The hardest part is the self control. All the fad diets that cut out food groups completely are another form of calorie reduction, just dumber.

That is mostly true. I always believed that until recently. They are finding that when you consume calories partialy determines how calories are used. Straight to fat or the business of running your body. New studies indicate that calories consumed after a spike in blood sugar go into the fat category. My doctor told me to have protein in my diet at all meals. The theory, consistant blood sugar level. Since beer is mostly carbs, I am choosing to cut down on other carbs.

 

[tnance1337]

I do struggle with my weight, but probably in the opposite as most of you guys.

I've been pretty small, and wimpy most of my life. Was the smallest guy throughout grade school. Was the smallest guy in basic training. Smallest out of my friends, etc. I usually wear x-small or small shirts. 10+ years ago, I think my average weight was around 140.

However, over the past 5 years, I've worked on building my weight upwards. I'm over 170 now, and mostly through lean muscle. I'm still pretty scrawny, but much more definition than before.

From what I've read and experienced, it's no different from those who struggle with being overweight. It's all about the right diet plan, and the right exercise plan that works for you. You will have to figure that out on your own, or consult with a trainer to help make informed decisions.

I will tell you though, that since I started brewing, I found myself drinking more than I probably should. At least a beer a day when the kegerator is full, but sometimes I'd go for that extra beer or two before bed. While I didn't gain a ton of weight, I did see a correlation between my fitness level and the shape of my body. I continued to get scrawny in my arms and chest, but had a gut. It's an awkward look for a very small guy like myself (to me anyway).

So, I decided to make some changes. I work out 5-6 times a week. I used to run a lot, which I loved doing, and have participated in a few half-marathons (for a dude with asthma, who smoked in his teens through early twenties, that was truly rewarding to accomplish), but I wasn't completely happy with the way I looked. Shaun T (who does the Insanity workouts) changed my life, literally. I picked up his Insanity program DVDs and haven't looked back. I'm now wrapping up the last week of the "Focus T25" workout calendar, and I'm more fit than ever. But, it doesn't come without managing my diet. In my case, I need MORE calories, lots of protein, carbs and fats. It's no different than someone trying to lose weight. I still don't snack all day on chips. I don't drink sodas. I don't regularly drink 2-3 beers a day.

Short of the story is, no matter whether you're overweight or underweight, the concept is the same. If you want results, count your calories. Count your protein, your carbs, your fats. Do the math on what you need to lose or gain. Find a workout program that works for you. I love Focus T25 because it's super intense (which I enjoy, some don't), but it's only 25 minutes a day! 25 minutes is really easy to manage, and not nearly as daunting as a 6 mile run, or an hour long Insanity workout.

If I didn't do any of this, I'd probably be the same puny 140-150 pound guy I used to be, unable to be active, and still unhappy and unhealthy.

 

[Psylocide]

That is mostly true. I always believed that until recently. They are finding that when you consume calories partialy determines how calories are used. Straight to fat or the business of running your body. New studies indicate that calories consumed after a spike in blood sugar go into the fat category. My doctor told me to have protein in my diet at all meals. The theory, consistant blood sugar level. Since beer is mostly carbs, I am choosing to cut down on other carbs.

I'd like to see the pubmed links to those studies, I have never seen conclusive evidence to support that, even though I've seen many people say it.

I also control my macro-nutrients at a 20/60/20 PCF ratio, so if I have a bunch of beer that day, I'll not eat much for carbs. We're on the same page there, but I don't care where I get my PCF from. Taco bell? Sure. "Healthy" whole foods? Absolutely.

Beer. Yes. Of course.

 

[clairecunn83]

I'm not a twig by any means, but I'm not necessarily overweight, either. However, that's because I make a very conscious effort to keep my weight in check. Also, I'm a foodie and a lover of nutritional science; I LOVE to eat! Through all my experimenting and trials, these are my favorite tips for a healthy weight lifestyle:

- PROBIOTICS! Gut health is huge! Not only will you feel better in general and boost your immune system, your gut will become much more efficient at assimilating nutrients and...er..."exiting" waste. Waste = weight. Water kefir is my favorite source for probiotics.
- An everyday walking routine. Don't stress with needing heavy workouts. Just get your body moving daily. You're more likely to stick to walking than going to a gym if you're not a natural, avid exerciser. Walking is awesome. Add in some hills to mix if you can. Friends and dogs love to join in on those walks, as well Another good tip for easy to incorporate exercise is to leave a pair of dumb bells on your coffee table. I do squats and simple arm raises/curls while I'm watching tv in the evenings. Hey, anything is better than nothing.
- Very low sugar intake. Sugar is the debil! Absolutely no sodas, and don't replace sugar with artificial sweeteners; they're just as bad.
- No refined, pre-cooked foods. COOK! Avoid eating out. Make a classic protein, green veggie, and healthy non-grain carb balanced meals. No casseroles.
- I'm a big fan of the Paleo "diet", especially if you like to eat big amounts like I do. (Paleo in a nutshell = low to no sugar, grains, and dairy)

Buuuuuut, if you're the kind of person that needs to track and be held accountable to something, I think Weight Watchers is the best, healthy, whole foods, effective program out there. I highly recommend it. It's inexpensive, applicable to real life, and creates good habits.

Good luck!

 

[OldWorld]

Drink less beer and more exceptional beer. Brew the beer you like to session away at and purchase the bottles you intend to share with close friends and family.

Homebrew tastes better when shared...blockbuster beer taste better when friends are boasting about it

 

[hunter_le five]

My $0.02 (which is overvaluing it, probably).
Everything in moderation. Moderate diet, moderate exercise, moderate drinking.

Diet: I don't believe in going on "diets"; just eat healthy in general. Don't put garbage food in your body. Snack less, and when you do snack, make it something healthy. Cut out sodas, sweet tea, candy, etc. "Diet" drinks are not an alternative. Drink lots of water. Give yourself reasonable portions at meal times but don't gorge yourself. Avoid processed foods and stick to freshly prepared meat and veggies. Just because you eat healthy doesn't mean you need to starve yourself or eat bland boring food.

Exercise: You don't have to kill yourself in a gym, but get off your ass once a day and do something relatively active, even if it's just going for a walk. Find some sort of activity that you enjoy that you can do regularly, such as tennis, swimming, pickup basketball, etc. I like to lift weights and walk/hike.

Beer: It's not the weekend for me unless I can knock back a few beers, but the rest of the week I dial it back. Try to limit drinking during the week, no more than one or two a night. Or less if you can help it.

I let myself get pretty out of shape after high school, but a couple years ago I decided I wanted to get healthy again. For me what helped was changing my lifestyle altogether, rather than looking for a "diet" to go on or an exercise regimen to try out. I'm in the best shape of my life, even though I do drink quite a bit.

 

[Yooper]

I'm pretty small, and at nearly 51 it's more work to be fit than it used to be!

I don't want to start a huge debate, but the whole 'calories in, calories out' thing has been debunked by many scientists and doctors I respect. It has to do much more with your body and the way it burns fuel. This is a reason why Atkins diets work- but people can't stay on them.

I eat mostly paleo/primal. I stay away from most grains, particularly wheat (but I do love my barley in beer!), eat quite a bit of good fats, and lots of protein and veggies. I don't eat packaged foods (except for beer) as a rule. I don't eat 'low fat' anything, and I don't eat sugar which includes honey, agave, ketchup, etc.

I'm fairly slim, although I don't exercise and I need to. My cholesterol, body fat, fasting blood sugar, homocystein level, etc is all optimum.

I weigh 135 pounds, and am a size 4.

The thing is- my genetics aren't great at all. Every single member of my immediate family was obese, and suffered from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. My mom was 44 when she died, my grandma was 57, etc. So, in spite of horrible genetics (my Eastern European belly fat women types) I am relentlessly healthy.

My big splurge is beer, and it's daily. I know it's not optimum, but I'd rather have 2-3 beers a day than pizza once a month or whatever people use for spurges!

Anyway- 'dieting' doesn't work. A healthy diet does, if that makes sense. Being healthy is a long term goal, with conscious choices. Our nation is loaded with obesity related problems- metabolic syndrome, diabetes (even in children!), heart disease and so on, in unprecedented numbers. Even a small change, although it's hard, can make the difference in your life.

The thing is- if you start to get healthy and fit, you feel so great! I can run circles around people half my age, and have tons of energy. I have no afternoon 'slump' like I did years ago. I've been "real food eating" for 5 years, and feel better than I did when I was 35 and going to the gym daily and eating a diet of low-fat and high-carb and I have the results from my doctor to prove that I AM healthier. Weight is not the main proof, but I am a bit slimmer as well.

Anyway, rant over..........................

 

[grathan]

I wish I could be more of a pig. If I drink 6-12 beers on a weekend and have dinner my gut stays bloated pretty much through bed time. Some of that may be enlarged liver or whatever from the alcohol, but still everything seems to digest way too slow.

It's almost like if I don't start with the beer around noon and stop before 6pm, then its a mess. But then of course I look like an alcoholic who drinks all day.



Oh and I agree with the above posts about Paelo, fats, atkins, whatever. They all work if weight is your only concern. It's almost like once you hit 30, you have to count calories.

 

[Calichusetts]

I'll just pile on to what most are saying. First of all, I weigh less than I ever did since high school. Dropped 50 pounds and consistently keep it off. Best shape of my life. A few things I learned:

1. No diets...life changes, a little at a time. Soda is the most disgusting thing for you, cut it out. I cut out sweets nearly a year ago and now I don't even like them. Didn't even eat my birthday cake more than a little slice during the celebration.

2. Portion control. Most correctly portioned meals can fit on a salad plate, not an oversized dinner plate. People simply eat too much at meal time.

3. Speaking of, no late night snacking, especially after drinking. Its not a beer belly, its a snack belly. Seriously. On crazy nights where I find I drink 4+ beers and don't snack. I'll actually lose a pound or two in water weight. Alcohol is a diuretic.

4. You don't need to become a body builder to stay in shape. I started with 30 situps and 15 pushups a day about a year ago. I don't even keep track but the number is now in the thousands a day range. Basically, I keep my beer by a sit-up bench. I do 200 situps and 50 push ups every time I grab a beer. If I drink a 6-pack, I will wake up with a 6 pack. I can usually do this during a commercial break during a show or do some if I do laundry.

My actual work out is 10 minutes of situps and push-ups along with stretching, then 30 minutes of cardio. 1 hour total, including showering. No weights, nothing high intensity.

 

[z-bob]

Wife and I just got back from a cruise. I ate probably 3 times as much as I normally do (the food was amazing) and was afraid what I would weigh when I got back home. I didn't drink much beer, but I did have a few Mai Tais. I gained 2 pounds, and that dropped off almost immediately when I got back. Now that I'm back in my normal routine my weight is trying to creep up.

On the cruise, I walked everywhere, and I never took the elevator except when lugging her heavy suitcase. Now that I'm back home I sit at a desk for 8.5 hours every day.

I saw some pictures of myself on the ship (amazing how your brain processes photographs differently than reflections) and wondered "who's that fat guy that looks like my brother?" I know what the problem is now, just trying to figure out what I'm gonna do about it. It's still too cold to start riding my bike.

 

[Pyg]

I wish I could be more of a pig. If I drink 6-12 beers on a weekend and have dinner my gut stays bloated pretty much through bed time. Some of that may be enlarged liver or whatever from the alcohol, but still everything seems to digest way too slow.

It's almost like if I don't start with the beer around noon and stop before 6pm, then its a mess. But then of course I look like an alcoholic who drinks all day.



Oh and I agree with the above posts about Paelo, fats, atkins, whatever. They all work if weight is your only concern. It's almost like once you hit 30, you have to count calories.

I can not have more than 2 beers in a row with out being bloated and sloshing about.
If I have 2, I have to wait an hour to let it pass.
I turned 30 and my metabolism slowed down. I am now in my 40's and I have to work twice as hard and eat twice as less just to make my pants feel loose.
It does not help that I got all the bad genes in my family. And I refuse to believe my mother who insists I am pudgy because I am allergic to yeast like the rest of my family!

As you get older if you are going to eat an crap food you are going to have to be a little more active (advice SWMBO refuses to accept of implement) and balance it out by eating healthier !

 

[JoshuaW]

I struggle with my weight. I have said before that I dont really drink that much, and that is part of it (the other part is a deathly fear of the raging alcoholism that runs in my family). As a result, I have just a couple beers a week.

I find calories in vs calories out to be the best way to manage weight. If I want a beer, I just make sure I dont have any other treats the rest of the day, and that I have been active enough to burn the calories.

 

[schematix]

You have to balance eating and drinking in order to not gain weight. When I first started brewing I didn't change my eating habits, but was killing 2 5G kegs every 3 weeks (good times!). The net result was gaining 20 lbs.

I first combated this by setting a time limit on my first beer to be 9pm. This drastically cut my consumption because i could only drink so much between 9pm and bed time.

My current routine is no at all drinking Monday to Thursday and I will drop a few pounds between Monday and Friday morning. On Friday there is no drinking until 9pm, but Saturday and Sunday are a free-for-all. That weight comes back over the weekend. Right now I am down about 7lbs from my peak doing this.

Do what you can. It's hard to make instant changes. Try to make them slow and steady and stick with them. Don't come up with excuses for rolling it back.

 

[1977Brewer]

Three words: twelve ounce curls.

I'm just naturally thin though. I burn calories like a furnace. I'll hit a wall eventually I bet.

 

[ColoHox]

If the major component of the calories-in is high protein, good fat, and fiber, the management of in/out is easier. Unfortunately, in our current diet and snacking culture, the calories-in part tends to be carbohydrates. If your calories-in are mostly carbs, you have to work much harder on the calories-burnt side of the equation. The focus needs to be on the composition of the calories, not just the number.

We all need to eat more Bran and yogurt (fermented foods in general), and drink more water.

 

[cernst151]

One simple trick my wife and I use is smaller plates at dinner. If we use a full size dinner plate we're likely to fill it, and empty it. If we use a smaller salad plate for dinner we still fill it and empty it but we get fewer calories.

 

[Calibear]

I would have 6-pack abs if I didn't drink so much beer. Honest.

I teach 4 kickboxing classes a week, lift 3-4 times a week, and do Muay Thai daily. I eat healthy (for the most part) and drink lots of water.

But I love beer.

 

[Calibear]

That is mostly true. I always believed that until recently. They are finding that when you consume calories partialy determines how calories are used. Straight to fat or the business of running your body. New studies indicate that calories consumed after a spike in blood sugar go into the fat category. My doctor told me to have protein in my diet at all meals. The theory, consistant blood sugar level. Since beer is mostly carbs, I am choosing to cut down on other carbs.

High sugar consumption creates a surge in insulin, which results in a drop in blood sugar. Cortisol is then released (this is the hormone that tells our body to store fat), which causes your body to store whatever is eaten afterwards as fat.

 

[Psylocide]

High sugar consumption creates a surge in insulin, which results in a drop in blood sugar. Cortisol is then released (this is the hormone that tells our body to store fat), which causes your body to store whatever is eaten afterwards as fat.

Unless your body is operating at a caloric deficit, it will not be stored as fat at all but used as energy.

In regards to weight control, caloric intake and expenditure is the only contributing factor. Insulin levels and the like can be ignored (unless you're diabetic, of course).

 

[Calibear]

Unless your body is operating at a caloric deficit, it will not be stored as fat at all but used as energy.

In regards to weight control, caloric intake and expenditure is the only contributing factor. Insulin levels and the like can be ignored (unless you're diabetic, of course).

Not entirely correct on your second point. If you are exercising you might see a weight gain. You might refer to it better as "fat control" or "fat loss".

Your body will always store excess calories vs. burning them. Your body only burns a certain number of calories a day on it's own, per genetics and activity level. If you are operating in a caloric deficit, your body is more likely to use calories for energy, not store them. Fat and muscle are only created after you've reached your caloric "needs" for the day.

ETA: Insulin is incredibly important when talking about fat storage. If you eat 4,000 sugar-laden calories in one sitting, insulin will be released, diabetic or not, and you will go into fat storage mode.

 

[Psylocide]

Not entirely correct on your second point. If you are exercising you might see a weight gain. You might refer to it better as "fat control" or "fat loss".

Your body will always store excess calories vs. burning them. Your body only burns a certain number of calories a day on it's own, per genetics and activity level. If you are operating in a caloric deficit, your body is more likely to use calories for energy, not store them. Fat and muscle are only created after you've reached your caloric "needs" for the day.

ETA: Insulin is incredibly important when talking about fat storage. If you eat 4,000 sugar-laden calories in one sitting, insulin will be released, diabetic or not, and you will go into fat storage mode.

No, I'm referring to it as weight control, because that's what it is. If you're operating in deficit, you will lose weight. Excess, you will gain weight. I've never once seen anyone gain weight by operating at a deficit. Water weight? Sure. Anyone that thinks they can cut/bulk at the same time would be mistaken.

Does that have to do with insulin or eating 4,000 calories of anything in one sitting?

The issue I have with the insulin spike myth is that we try to break up our nutrition patterns into single days or even smaller frames of time... but what is completely missing from the equation is that our digestive systems don't work on a 24 hr clock. Nutrients are broken down and absorbed over the span of several days... recovery from working out last several days, etc.

Please, feel free to link published medical studies on the effect of insulin spikes and fat storage and if I see one that conclusively proves that this is indeed the case, then I will change my stance on it. But for 99% of the population, the "insulin spike" is just a weight control boogey man.

 

[bobbrews]

Many people think they eat well, but they actually eat horrible. You will never really know unless you count what goes into your body, over time, and identify the pattern. Counting sucks, but it is the beginning step to understanding why your diet has not been working for you in order to implement a complete Lifestyle Change.

Your best resource is to first understand the basics of nutrition and the role of exercise. It is difficult to "unlearn" what we think we know to be fact (and what Dr. Oz tells us). However, if you learn the right way, then you will quickly realize much of what you think you know is probably false.

Here are a few examples of accurate information...

-You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within the ballpark of your macronutrient targets (carbs/fat/protein), predominate your intake with a variety of whole and minimally refined foods, leave a minority of the diet open for indulgences (10-20% guideline), and ignore the rules of fad diets while sticking with foods that fit your personal preference and tolerance.

Macronutrient targets:

0.45 grams FAT per 1 lb. body weight
0.82 grams PROTEIN per 1 lb. body weight
Allow CARBS to fill the rest of your total daily calorie intake

FAT = 9 calories per gram
PROTEIN = 4 calories per gram
CARBS = 4 calories per gram
ALCOHOL = 7 calories per gram

-Salt is not bad for you per se, especially if you drink enough water; however the ratio between sodium and potassium in Western diets is typically very one-sided.

-Healthy range for Fiber is about 30-40 g/day. Most of us get 10-15 g. This results in gastrointestinal issues over time. And we will not adequately absorb the nutrients delivered to us from food.

-Most supplements are either a complete waste of money or provide little benefit. The exceptions are a "good" multivitamin and whey protein if you are unwilling to first change your diet. Fish oil has some real benefits at the proper dosage, vitamin d3 and well-sourced magnesium can be beneficial in the right doses, and a decent pre-workout can provide a slight edge in the gym.

-Carbs at night. What a twisted bit of information. It really has to do with most folks already hitting their daily calorie limits by 8-9 pm. So by consuming more calories after you've already hit your limit, you overshoot your goals and you may get fatter over time if this is done on a consistent basis.

-Cholesterol is not bad. The majority of your brain is comprised of cholesterol. High cholesterol foods like eggs don't boost your body's actual cholesterol levels. Low cholesterol levels are actually more of a death risk than moderate or semi-high levels. Lowest all cause mortality is when Cholesterol levels are in the 200-240 mg/dl range.

-Dietary fat is not bad; in fact it is crucial for hormone regulation. Saturated fat is not something to be feared within reason. Butter or lard is better for you than most conventional vegetable oils.

-There is no such thing as "toning". 90% of the exercise routines out are designed for spinning wheels.

THE BASICS

This link will be crucial for you if you want to have a better diet and lifestyle:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380183

Basically:

To cut: Consistently eat 10-20% less daily calories than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

To bulk: Consistently at 10-20% more daily calories than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

^Do this with whole foods, rich in nutritional diversity, and continue to lift weights/remain active.

Here is a calculator which does much of the math for you:

http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

After you understand the basics, create a free MyFitnessPal account is the next step, but the program requires some tweaks and it is only good for measuring macronutrients and calories. It does a horrible job at measuring exercise, and you need not worry about the micronutrient values. MyFitnessPal's benefits are primarily designed to help you lose weight and keep it off, or maintain/bulk if that is your goal.

1. Go to myfitnesspal.com. Create a free account.

2. Change goals > Custom goals.

3. Adjust your macronutrients, as instructed in the previous link.

4. Make sure that your calories aligns with your macronutrient targets.

5. The types of fat and cholesterol are not really important. You can leave them blank. I have my sodium/potassium ratio at about 2,000/4000 mg, give or take. Fiber is between 30-40 g. My sugars are at 67 g. The rest of the information I left blank because if I am primarily eating the right amount of whole, minimally processed foods then I will be getting adequate micronutrients (especially if also taking a multivitamin). As I said, the fitness goals/cals burned/workouts/minutes of your workout.... all of that is useless. It does not work when you restructure your calories to 10-20% of your TDEE, which includes your daily activity. You will be short-changing yourself if you use MFP for exercise tracking while also inputting calorie goals based on TDEE.

6. Install the app on your smartphone for convenience and add everything you eat/drink on a daily basis until a pattern emerges. I recommend several months at least. You will also see results if done right.

 

[bragona71]

just cut out food all together and only drink beer!!

 

[Psylocide]

IIFYM, ya heard?

 

[brewman !]

Tell us more about the " low carb lean meat thing" ? I'd love to hear about it.

I have a beer with 75% of my dinners. A beer is only ~$150 calories. I don't think that is enough to cause serious weight gain, especially if its offsetting a decrease in (drink) calories somewhere else.

I've been putting on weight. I gained about 25 pounds since the birth of my second child 4 years ago. I mainly chalk it up to getting less exercise. No more day hikes in the mountains. I haven't been snowboarding in 3 years. Less time to work out. I am getting some cycling with the kids in the chariot in the Summer. My weight instantly drops during those months.

Luckily I think the worst is over as far as being house bound with my kids.

 

[Calibear]

Unless your body is operating at a caloric deficit, it will not be stored as fat at all but used as energy.

In regards to weight control, caloric intake and expenditure is the only contributing factor.

Here. Caloric intake and expenditure are not the only contributing factors to weight control. You forget that muscle weighs more than fat.

Without being specific, how can anyone know, with certainty, the point you're trying to make?

If you're operating in deficit, you will lose weight. Excess, you will gain weight. I've never once seen anyone gain weight by operating at a deficit. Water weight? Sure. Anyone that thinks they can cut/bulk at the same time would be mistaken.

Anyone who knows anything about losing/gaining weight knows this. You could have cleared this up in your first post and I would have agreed with you.

 

[bobbrews]

You forget that muscle weighs more than fat.

Anyone who knows anything about losing/gaining weight knows this.

^ Myth ^


10 lbs. of fat weighs the same as 10 lbs. of muscle. Just as 10 lbs. of feathers weighs the same as 10 lbs. of bricks.

The difference is how your body carries the weight.

 

[Psylocide]

Here. Caloric intake and expenditure are not the only contributing factors to WEIGHT control. You forget that muscle weighs more than fat.

Without being specific, how can anyone know, with certainty, the point you're trying to make?

Have you ever heard of anyone starting an exercise regimen and operating at a deficit of their BMR and gaining weight? I'm curious really, never seen it ever. I've seen people that almost trade fat for muscle pound for pound but I have never seen it go the other way.

Anyone who knows anything about losing/gaining weight knows this. You could have cleared this up in your first post and I would have agreed with you.

Sorry, thought my first one was pretty clear. Although, this site is the last place I expected to get into a conversation about nutrition.

 

[Calibear]

^ Myth ^


10 lbs. of fat weighs the same as 10 lbs. of muscle. Just as 10 lbs. of feathers weighs the same as 10 lbs. of bricks.

The difference is how your body carries the weight.

... by volume.

Have you ever heard of anyone starting an exercise regimen and operating at a deficit of their BMR and gaining weight? I'm curious really, never seen it ever. I've seen people that almost trade fat for muscle pound for pound but I have never seen it go the other way.



Sorry, thought my first one was pretty clear. Although, this site is the last place I expected to get into a conversation about nutrition.

Yes I have several times, but I'm a personal trainer. Unless my clients are lying to me and eating more than they say they are, I've seen people put on muscle and gain weight while operating at a caloric deficit and losing fat. Did they lose mass? Yes. Weight? No.

Myself included. I gained 5 pounds of muscle last summer trying to get in shape for a trip I was going on, eating at a severe caloric deficit. This last for about 4 weeks before I stopped. On the other hand, I've increased calories from 1600 a day to 1900 a day and lost 6 pounds since the beginning of the year. I believe this is because I had damaged my metabolism, but I'm not getting into that discussion on here, mostly because I understand very little of it myself having just stumbled into the concept.

ETA: The last little bit isn't meant to say someone can lose weight while in caloric excess, because I still operate daily in caloric deficit. Just adding that in...

 

[Psylocide]

... by volume.



Yes I have several times, but I'm a personal trainer. Unless my clients are lying to me and eating more than they say they are, I've seen people put on muscle and gain weight while operating at a caloric deficit and losing fat. Did they lose mass? Yes. Weight? No.

Myself included. I gained 5 pounds of muscle last summer trying to get in shape for a trip I was going on, eating at a severe caloric deficit. This last for about 4 weeks before I stopped. On the other hand, I've increased calories from 1600 a day to 1900 a day and lost 6 pounds since the beginning of the year. I believe this is because I had damaged my metabolism, but I'm not getting into that discussion on here, mostly because I understand very little of it myself having just stumbled into the concept.

Ok.

If it is true recomp, then yes. Sure.

 

[hunter_le five]

^ Myth ^


10 lbs. of fat weighs the same as 10 lbs. of muscle. Just as 10 lbs. of feathers weighs the same as 10 lbs. of bricks.

The difference is how your body carries the weight.

You're right. Nothing weighs more than anything else. Everything weighs the same.

Kittens weigh as much as a fully-loaded freight train, if you have enough kittens....

 

[bobbrews]

... by volume.

Weight is measured in pounds or grams... not liters.

but I'm a personal trainer.

Oh boy.

You're right. Nothing weighs more than anything else. Everything weighs the same.

Kittens weigh as much as a fully-loaded freight train, if you have enough kittens....

Not sure if srs or if you're just missing the basic point. There is a whole ton of myth out there that has effectively taken over in the fitness world. Even nutritionists and personal trainers don't know the truth sometimes.