Update for Everyone II - Less Boring, More Whoring

[Simfan34]

Ten pounds is a lot for some people, but how you feel now will depend more on weight loss as a percent of your original weight and how much you've changed your diet and increased your physical activity.

And maybe you're feeling a bit sluggish because you don't have as much to do over the summer?

Well, that must be 5% of my weight. I've been very conscious about my diet and have been going to the gym about 5 days a week now. I was hovering just below 200. I'd like to get to 175. I have a job, but that's just it. I mean it's not that I feel sluggish per se, I don't feel and I don't feel like I look (although my mother says otherwise) any thinner.

[Simfan34]

Ten pounds is a lot for some people, but how you feel now will depend more on weight loss as a percent of your original weight and how much you've changed your diet and increased your physical activity.

And maybe you're feeling a bit sluggish because you don't have as much to do over the summer?

Well, that must be 5% of my weight. I've been very conscious about my diet and have been going to the gym about 5 days a week now. I was hovering just below 200. I'd like to get to 175. I have a job, but that's just it. I mean it's not that I feel sluggish per se, I don't feel and I don't feel like I look (although my mother says otherwise) any thinner.

Weight isn't really the best metric of how fat you are.  You should be thinking about body fat percentage.  If you're losing lean muscle mass, you're not going to look any better.

Personally, I was 5'10," 155 and kind of fat in high school.  I spent like a year running 4 miles every other day and eating salad every day in college and I lost ~20 lbs.  But, then I was way too waify so I spent about two years lifting weights and doing zero cardio because of a running injury.  Because I was so thin I could eat a lot of protein and not really sweat it too much if I put on a little fat with the muscle I added.  Now, I'm 5'10," 155 and I fit the same pants I got in college when I was 140. 

I think that's a good basic strategy, spend some time taking off fat, spend some time putting on muscle.  What are you doing as far as diet and exercise?

Well, in terms of diet I'm mainly cutting out processed junk and all that. I'll be honest- I ate a fair amount of takeout Chinese and McD's. Keeping an eye on portions. Taking my own advice (see Update) on eating a lot of watery fruit. As for exercise I'm mixing upper and lower body. I start with 20 mins of cardio, sometimes more- today I was on the stationary for 90 minutes- followed by weights and the stairmaster when working on the lower body. I'd like some upper body strength, because that's truly lacking for me, but I have little interest in bulking up.

Whether you're noticing it or not, 5% sounds like real progress.

I don't know about you, but I struggle to keep myself occupied when I'm not taking classes. I enjoy having the freedom to explore whatever subject I want in my free time without having material from several classes constantly floating in the back of my mind, but I also lose the sense that I have any purpose when I'm not at work.

Maybe your job is on your mind more often, though. I don't know. I rarely think about mine when I'm not in the office.

I mean, I'm just trying to find people to hang out with.

[Simfan34]

My diet is producing results on the scales, so that works for me. But in regards to the sugar you sound like my mother. I eat a lot of grapes, celery, and so forth. I doubt it's doing me harm. But I haven't been having a lot of straight-up water. That's something I should consider.

I mean I'm aiming for definition, but not a six-pack or anything. It's just way too unrealistic and probably would also necessitate me having to replace all my clothes. The idea is ludicrous. It is utterly inconceivable, to the point it'd probably get me off-target. Right now I'm hoping to get a bit of arm and leg definition and a flat stomach. And I'd like to be able to keep it. That's it.

[Simfan34]

My diet is producing results on the scales, so that works for me. But in regards to the sugar you sound like my mother. I eat a lot of grapes, celery, and so forth. I doubt it's doing me harm. But I haven't been having a lot of straight-up water. That's something I should consider.

I mean I'm aiming for definition, but not a six-pack or anything. It's just way too unrealistic and probably would also necessitate me having to replace all my clothes. The idea is ludicrous. It is utterly inconceivable, to the point it'd probably get me off-target. Right now I'm hoping to get a bit of arm and leg definition and a flat stomach. And I'd like to be able to keep it. That's it.

I don't follow.  You're not accidentally going to put on a ton of muscle.  You're worried that if you have a muscular core you're going to be too trim for your pants?  If you put on some muscle, the only thing you have to worry about in terms of clothes is neck size on dress shirts.

I think it's just efficient from a time/benefit perspective to actually lift weights and not just dick around at the gym.  You can just lift a couple of times a week and do a few compound exercises like squats and bench press and chin-ups, 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

I'm not "dicking around at the gym". I'm doing weights for a good hour. I'm concerned about shoulders, mainly. But I really don't think trying to get a lot of muscle is a plausible idea nor is it what I want.

[Simfan34]

So what do you suggest?

[Simfan34]

...

All right, I suppose I'll have to cut down on the cardio.

[Simfan34]

...

All right, I suppose I'll have to cut down on the cardio.

I didn't say that.  I mean on when you go work out, either lift weights or do cardio, but not both.  Maybe you could do cardio at 7am and lift at 7pm, but you don't want to lift after a 4 mile run.  That's all.   

Right. Understood.

[Simfan34]

At least who was born in this country.

[Simfan34]

Just grabbed dinner with Matt. Sh*t was fun.

I'm jealous.

I've spent my fourth studying for the bar. A girl friend of mine from college came to visit me last night and we stayed up all night messing around till like 5am. It was nice, but now it's back to the grind. At least I could take out my frustrations on her for 12 hours.

Well, I suppose you've got to let out tension somehow.

[Simfan34]

Goodness, I'm sorry to hear that. Hope you pull through and come out better than before.

[Simfan34]

I'm alone in New York with an increasingly large amount of money from my summer job. The only thing I can think of doing is eating it. My family is abroad. Everyone I know has returned home. Surely I'm useless for falling into such a predicament.

[Simfan34]

I'm alone in New York with an increasingly large amount of money from my summer job. The only thing I can think of doing is eating it. My family is abroad. Everyone I know has returned home. Surely I'm useless for falling into such a predicament.

Well, it is still Restaurant Week for two days.

And I've been doing that... even outside of Restaurant Week. Why, just last week I went to "Public", a Michelin-starred restaurant, although I didn't know that until after I had finished... a friend chose. But now that friend is back in Mexico, and the other friend I went with in Las Vegas, so... I can't do this eating alone thing.

Of course if I actually had real expenses I'd be very poor, but I don't pay rent or anything like that so I'm not.

[Simfan34]

Nah, I love eating alone. Bring a good book (preferably on a phone or a tablet or something, because it's easier to read and eat that way) and it's a good time.

You do that? It seems so... wrong.

[Simfan34]

Should we still call you Nathan?

[Simfan34]

90% sure I saw Charlie Rangel in Lincoln Square an hour or so ago...

[Simfan34]

If I hadn't seen a random flyer in the econ department, I would have never known this was happening.

[Simfan34]

Scott is "gender fluid"? What does that mean?

I suppose it is a perequisite to becoming a white heterosexual liberal Christian minister...

[Simfan34]

Scott is "gender fluid"? What does that mean?

I suppose it is a perequisite to becoming a white heterosexual liberal Christian minister...

It basically means you fluctuate between genders on certain days or certain times of the day.  That's really all it means.

I'm kind of hoping no one would be a dick about this.

I just utterly fail to comprehend it. No offense meant.

[Simfan34]

It was a little joke on how all the liberal ministers are either women or gays...

[Simfan34]

I'm sorry for your friend, Sanchez.

[Simfan34]

RIP Grumpy Gramps II, USMC Ret.   FF.

Goodness. I'm so sorry.

[Simfan34]

Oh yes, and I fully expect the 'racist' accusations to pop up any minute now.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic at all here, but if your roommate is black, please say it directly. There's nothing wrong with pointing it out; black people and white people are different culturally. On the other hand, it is wrong to use racially coded language to imply that he's black ("gangsta", "hood"), so don't do that. If he's not black, then it just sounds odd to use those words.

I take issue with your statement that "black people and white people are different culturally."  That's a broad generalization.  Yes, he happens to be black.  Yes, he happens to enjoy rap and hip hop.  We'd be just as different from each other if he were white or I were black.  And for the record, I would've used the same language despite his race -- it doesn't sound odd to me if used in that context, personally.

Come on Scott, you don't see how describing your black roommate as "gangsta" and "from the hood" might make people a little uncomfortable? I'm not saying you were being consciously malicious but that kind of language is a bit troubling. I don't think anyone associated "gangsta"/"hood" with the idea that your roommate might be anything other than black, expressed in a strange wink, nudge manner.

For all we know, the black roommate is on some other forum talking about how he's got a white roommate and hopefully he won't stay up all night playing Mumford & Sons or go off on a spree shooting in a fit of manic-depressive rage as the males of the Caucasian race are so apt to do.

My roommate my senior year of college was black and we got along fine, but every now and then I would do something that seemed to set off the "white" alarm in his head. Like one time we were having some discussion where I kept referring to "economically disadvantaged" people and he was like, "You know, there's a much shorter, easier way to describe those people - poor. Say poor. P-O-O-R." And once when I got upset with him for not using the plant-based biodegradable trash bags that I bought for the kitchen, he gave me this "White people be cray" look.

This is what is meant by "keeping it real".

Also, yes, Scott's choice of language was unfortunate.  Let's call a spade a spade. Let's call a black man a black man. Even if he conforms to stereotype, which I know some of you take all pains to avoid.

[Simfan34]

You go to Sciences Po?! I did not know that!

[Simfan34]

Black people and white people are different culturally.

This is a silly generalisation. Black people and white people are not homogenous groups; I know you know there may be white people who are "culturally" closer to blacks than other whites and vice versa.

[Simfan34]

Scott's wording was poor, but his point was ignored and twisted in order to make it appear that he is a racist. Yes, you could argue that Scott was being “insensitive”, but honestly, who the hell cares at this point? If minor errors in the wording of a sentence is now institutionalized racism in the mind of a certain poster, than he is either hypersensitive or flat out off the reservation.

This form of Social Justice Warriorism (stupid way to phrase it, but I couldn’t think of anything better) needs to stop.

Why can we reliably count on you to always defend this sort of thing?