Update for Everyone II - Less Boring, More Whoring

[bedstuy]

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?

[bedstuy]

I have a really bad case of Swimmer's Ear in my right ear and the doctor is closed until Monday when I (yay) cannot go anyway because it will be a busy day at work. Lovely.

Why don't you go to a different doctor or an urgent care clinic?

[bedstuy]

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.

Fruit isn't necessarily all that healthy.  It can have a decent amount of sugar.

I find the best diet advice is to get protein and fiber with every meal, cut out sweets, liquor and beer and only eat carbs that have a decent amount of dietary fiber.  For me, that means a lot of salad, eggs, chicken, pork, seafood and beans.  I also try to drink enough water.  What I do is try to finish a gallon jug of water every day. 

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.

You're not really thinking about exercise correctly.  If you're going to lift weights, you should warm up, that's it, maybe 5 minutes of cardio beforehand.  You don't want to lift weights when you're already tired.  When you're lifting, most your muscle hypertrophy is going to happen because you're working out near your maximum level of exertion.   And, if you're working out to build strength, you're going to add muscle mass.  So, that's kind of a silly idea that you would lift weights but not add muscle mass.  Why would you not want muscle mass anyway?

As for cardio, running is the easiest and best way.  A stationary bike is tough because you're sitting down.  It's tough to get a good workout when you're sitting down. 

[bedstuy]

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.

[bedstuy]

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.

You're not going to get "a lot of muscle" unless you really consciously try to lift weights in a certain way and have a weird body-builder type of diet.  And, it's not like someone with 6 pack abs has a 34 waist because their abdominal muscles are so big, right? 

What I mean is that you may be wasting time at the gym in terms of time/benefit.  The way you're talking about lifting weights, you seem like you're a beginner in terms of knowledge.  If you don't know what you're doing at the gym, you're might be working hard, but you're not working smart.

[bedstuy]

Take a weights class at your school or get one of your friends to teach you.  That could be really helpful.  

The other thing is that "definition" isn't really a thing.  Definition is low body fat and large muscle mass.  That's pretty much it.  In getting there, you never really have to worry about getting huge muscles, because muscle builds slowly and it's not easy to get huge.  People who are super muscular eat tons of eggs, chicken and protein powder and work out in a very specific intense way, in general.  If you're just a beginner, there's no danger you're going to get too much muscle.

Why is a liberal lecturing someone on weight-lifting?

 

I'm a liberal, but I'm gay so I'm in good shape.

[bedstuy]

...

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.