Body Fat %

[GrayClouds]

I read a bit more about the Leangrains diet.

 

I do agree that it would probably help me acheive my goals.

 

Two things are turning me off.

 

I TRY to work out in the mornings, and I don't like how the setup for morning workouts begins with a s!htload of powders/ chemicals. But if it's only protien powder that I can get by on, and I do see results pretty fast, I could probably live with that.

 

The other thing is, I am not a planner. I don't plan my meals, and half the time, I don't even plan my workouts. I TRY to work out in the mornings, but sometimes, I oversleep and go in the afternoons. I don't want to have to keep thinking about what to eat and what time to take which supplement.

 

But perhaps this diet will not be too much of a hassle. Maybe all I really need is to get some whey protient for the days I am going to be working out in the mornings to make sure I have that on hand, and then, just remember not to eat 9 PM - noon.

 

Is it really that easy? I think I'd be able to stick to that.

 

Yes, take some whey before and after your AM workout and if you miss the AM workout, save the whey and take it before and after you afternoon workout. One of the advantages of the program is that it is low maintenance regarding planning.

 

It comes down to keeping you 12 hour feeding fairly window consistent, eating maintenance calories + 20% on hard and intense lifting days 3x week, -20% on none lift days with light SS cardio if you want(like walking 30min), and making sure getting 1.5g per lb. of protein every day.

Edited May 8, 2011 by GrayClouds

[eerie_reverie]

As an update, I am defintiely seeing changes from having incorporated more lifting into my workouts. My arms are starting to show some good definition and my stomach is flatter.

 

My only qualm is, since I've started lifting more, it's been hard to keep being a runner. My legs are so heavy after my workouts that I just don't have it in me to go out and run 8 miles the next day.

 

I am running a 3.5 miler in a few weeks that I've run the last 3 years. I hope my time won't suck.

[Kamille]

 

I am running a 3.5 miler in a few weeks that I've run the last 3 years. I hope my time won't suck.

 

Logging in a good yoga session about once a week (the day after intense weight training) might help with the flexibility of the muscles, thus making them "lighter" for the run.

[GrayClouds]

As an update, I am defintiely seeing changes from having incorporated more lifting into my workouts. My arms are starting to show some good definition and my stomach is flatter.

 

My only qualm is, since I've started lifting more, it's been hard to keep being a runner. My legs are so heavy after my workouts that I just don't have it in me to go out and run 8 miles the next day.

 

I am running a 3.5 miler in a few weeks that I've run the last 3 years. I hope my time won't suck.

 

It is important to decide what your goals are most important. The OP stated you are looking to lose BF % while maintaing muscle, so the likelihood of perusing that goal with effect perform is high. Though I suspect if you back off on running for a few weeks add some long walks instead, allow yourself to adjust to lifting and you will find that 3.5 run to be as good as any in the past.

 

You may want to up your calories a bit if your feeling sluggish and make sure your getting both enough protein and carbs.

[melodymatters]

LOL, 28 relies and 804 views ! My lousy off the top of my head math says, that 28 of us are in AMAZING shape......and 776 of us are reading this thread saying " Hey, hand me another beer and lets order a pizza !":laugh:

 

Seriously, I admire all of you, and I bet you already turn heads spook !

[tman666]

LOL, 28 relies and 804 views ! My lousy off the top of my head math says, that 28 of us are in AMAZING shape......and 776 of us are reading this thread saying " Hey, hand me another beer and lets order a pizza !":laugh:

 

Seriously, I admire all of you, and I bet you already turn heads spook !

 

I personally never made the claim that I WASN'T surrounded by bottles of mountain dew and empty pizza boxes.

 

Here's a pic to prove it.

[tman666]

Eerie:

 

Just to clarify about Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA): It seems your aversion is based on your perception that they are some sort of strange chemicals.

 

BCAA are made up of three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are most likely already present in your whey protein blend (the majority of whey protein blends on the market contain some sort of added BCAA). They are naturally occurring and essential to the proper function of the body.

 

The benefit to taking BCAA over whey would be that the BCAA will help protect your muscle mass during exercise and the fasting period without adding very many calories, which makes the fasting window more effective. In contrast, whey, containing basically the same things and more, has an appreciable caloric load due to the protein content.

 

You also mentioned that you like flexibility. Perhaps I read you wrong, but you definitely don't have to plan out every workout or meal. That's the entire reason why Martin Berkhan created LeanGains, having grown weary of the typical "eating 8-10 clean meals a day spaced no more than 2 hours apart" thing that many (most) bodybuilders do. Not that I'm dogging that, because it works just fine for many (it's just not the only way though, as many believe). During the feeding window, meal frequency is on-the-whole irrelevant. If you wake up late, lift when you're ready. The feeding window is fixed. If you wake up early and lift in the morning, the BCAA (btw, 10 grams of BCAA is a little over 2 teaspoons, so we're not talking about massive powder quantities here) can be taken to help ensure muscle retention. The BCAA I take on occasion is a powder that I mix with approximately 1 liter of water (in a Nalgene bottle). It takes a little while to dissolve, but once it does, there's no weird flavor, color, smell, or "chunks". It's like drinking a glass of water, no joke. There are flavored BCAA mixes out there, but I personally don't want the extra sweeteners/coloring/etc. I get enough of that already.

 

With regards to not being very motivated to run after lifting, GrayClouds hit the nail on the head. That's not to say that you can't do both, but as you get more advanced in each, you'll probably find that one activity undercuts the other. It will happen. The best way to mitigate this is to pay close attention to your recovery time abilities with regard to your workout schedule. I.E., running the day after squats probably won't be much fun. I'm not suggesting that you sit on the couch and wait until you feel 100 percent to go do other things, but it's something to consider as you continue to "optimize".

[eerie_reverie]

Eerie:

 

Just to clarify about Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA): It seems your aversion is based on your perception that they are some sort of strange chemicals.

 

BCAA are made up of three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are most likely already present in your whey protein blend (the majority of whey protein blends on the market contain some sort of added BCAA). They are naturally occurring and essential to the proper function of the body.

 

The benefit to taking BCAA over whey would be that the BCAA will help protect your muscle mass during exercise and the fasting period without adding very many calories, which makes the fasting window more effective. In contrast, whey, containing basically the same things and more, has an appreciable caloric load due to the protein content.

 

You also mentioned that you like flexibility. Perhaps I read you wrong, but you definitely don't have to plan out every workout or meal. That's the entire reason why Martin Berkhan created LeanGains, having grown weary of the typical "eating 8-10 clean meals a day spaced no more than 2 hours apart" thing that many (most) bodybuilders do. Not that I'm dogging that, because it works just fine for many (it's just not the only way though, as many believe). During the feeding window, meal frequency is on-the-whole irrelevant. If you wake up late, lift when you're ready. The feeding window is fixed. If you wake up early and lift in the morning, the BCAA (btw, 10 grams of BCAA is a little over 2 teaspoons, so we're not talking about massive powder quantities here) can be taken to help ensure muscle retention. The BCAA I take on occasion is a powder that I mix with approximately 1 liter of water (in a Nalgene bottle). It takes a little while to dissolve, but once it does, there's no weird flavor, color, smell, or "chunks". It's like drinking a glass of water, no joke. There are flavored BCAA mixes out there, but I personally don't want the extra sweeteners/coloring/etc. I get enough of that already.

 

With regards to not being very motivated to run after lifting, GrayClouds hit the nail on the head. That's not to say that you can't do both, but as you get more advanced in each, you'll probably find that one activity undercuts the other. It will happen. The best way to mitigate this is to pay close attention to your recovery time abilities with regard to your workout schedule. I.E., running the day after squats probably won't be much fun. I'm not suggesting that you sit on the couch and wait until you feel 100 percent to go do other things, but it's something to consider as you continue to "optimize".

 

Thanks, tman.

 

I decided to give the leangrains thing a try.

 

I ate a bunless hamburger for dinner last night, lifted at 6AM, had a protein shake, then ate lunch at 12.

 

Honestly, I didn't even get hungry. I know allegedly there is "science" behind this fasting thing that's more advanced than "less cals in", but I think, for me, it might work just by eliminating some opportunities for mindless snacking. Not that i go overboard, but, for example, right now I'd be snacking on almonds and cranberries even tho I had a big dinner and am not hungry, but since I'm "fasting", I'll wait till tomorrow.

 

I am liking how mindless this "diet" is. For me, it's easier to remember what NOT to do than following a list of instructions. It's easy for me to eat healthy by avoiding eating crap. Likewise, I think I could stick to this by remembering that I shouldn't be eating anything noon - 8 PM.

 

I'm still not sold on the BCAA stuff (just because I know a lot of bad things are "naturally occuring") but I will read up on it and perhaps give it a try. I have no problem with protein powder so it's not like I'm on some kind of high horse regarding supplements, I just want to be knowledgeble about what I ingest. Not that I don't trust you. =)

Edited May 10, 2011 by eerie_reverie

[tman666]

Thanks, tman.

 

I decided to give the leangrains thing a try.

 

I ate a bunless hamburger for dinner last night, lifted at 6AM, had a protein shake, then ate lunch at 12.

 

Honestly, I didn't even get hungry. I know allegedly there is "science" behind this fasting thing that's more advanced than "less cals in", but I think, for me, it might work just by eliminating some opportunities for mindless snacking. Not that i go overboard, but, for example, right now I'd be snacking on almonds and cranberries even tho I had a big dinner and am not hungry, but since I'm "fasting", I'll wait till tomorrow.

 

I am liking how mindless this "diet" is. For me, it's easier to remember what NOT to do than following a list of instructions. It's easy for me to eat healthy by avoiding eating crap. Likewise, I think I could stick to this by remembering that I shouldn't be eating anything noon - 8 PM.

 

I'm still not sold on the BCAA stuff (just because I know a lot of bad things are "naturally occuring") but I will read up on it and perhaps give it a try. I have no problem with protein powder so it's not like I'm on some kind of high horse regarding supplements, I just want to be knowledgeble about what I ingest. Not that I don't trust you. =)

 

Great to hear! Hopefully it works well for you. My biggest advice is to make sure that you eat solid, filling, protein laden meals during your feeding window. Remember that the goal isn't to starve yourself, and that a crappy diet on LeanGains is still a crappy diet. Read absolutely everything you can on his site. Also, schedule a weekly "breakfast for dinner" meal. After about three weeks of not having breakfast, I started missing breakfast food in a bad way. Last week I made salmon/brie cheese/spinach omelets.

 

I was also impressed at how quickly I adapted to LeanGains. I still have the occasional "hungry day", which is generally after squat day (go figure), but overall, it doesn't feel like I'm dieting.

 

Also, I definitely don't blame you for being wary of supplements. The entire supplement industry can be misleading at the best of times, and downright corrupt at the worst of times. It's very wise, in my opinion to minimize what you let yourself be sold on. In actuality, you don't need any supplements, provided that you're getting the necessary micro/macro-nutrients from your normal diet. The only "supplements" I take are whey, BCAA (on occasion), and Vitamin D. There's so much crap out there that does very little or nothing at all that quickly causes a person to throw money down the rat hole. Also, without FDA oversight, quality control is pretty much left up to the companies who produce supplements. As an aside- "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" is a very interesting documentary for anyone involved with or interested in the supplement/fitness world. Very eye opening.

 

If you have any questions along the way, I'd be happy to try and help you out.

[Pfiend101]

I would recommend the Insanity workout. I just started it and let me tell ya. You will shed body fat like no other. I end up drenched in sweat after it.

[eerie_reverie]

I am officially my target size. :bunny: My skinny clothes fit perfectly. Even last week, they were too tight. 6 weeks ago when I started this thread, I could not fathom how I ever got the zippers all the way up.

 

I guess muscle really does weigh more than fat because I lost 0 pounds. In fact I am 10 pounds heavier than 1.5 years ago when I was last wearing this stuff. In this case, I suppose that's actually something to be proud of.

 

Of course I am going to continue with my routine, hopefully continuing to replace fat with muscle. But I wanted to mark this milestone, if only as a reminder to my future self of how quick and easy this was.

[tman666]

I am officially my target size. :bunny: My skinny clothes fit perfectly. Even last week, they were too tight. 6 weeks ago when I started this thread, I could not fathom how I ever got the zippers all the way up.

 

I guess muscle really does weigh more than fat because I lost 0 pounds. In fact I am 10 pounds heavier than 1.5 years ago when I was last wearing this stuff. In this case, I suppose that's actually something to be proud of.

 

Of course I am going to continue with my routine, hopefully continuing to replace fat with muscle. But I wanted to mark this milestone, if only as a reminder to my future self of how quick and easy this was.

 

Good job! Seeing improvements is the most motivating thing...

[eerie_reverie]

On Thursday I ran a 3.5 mile race I have been doing for the past 3 years, that got me running in the first place.

 

I was concerned that the recent changes to my workout routine would make me slower than last year, but I improved my time by 3 minutes, finishing in 28 with a ton of energy to spare. Nothing special, but it's nice to see improvement -2 years ago, I was proud of myself for running it in 35.