How about this:
My cardio is increasing steadily, and the same guy who "hated running" a few months ago (thread available for reference) is now getting comfortable with the treadmill in addition to the bike. I am seeing strength gains in the gym and generally feeling wonderful when I go there, and my goal is to go every other day during the work week and Saturday and Sunday.
So I'm firmly in the build muscle and lose fat camp, aren't I? Those are my goals -- to significantly cut the 23% body fat number that I'm carrying, and to build muscle while I'm doing it and look better. And I am following the general principles that are re-affirmed by trainers and my friends who are very athletic: mostly full-body exercise, almost all compound, focusing on the large muscles, etc. Squat, bench, dip, pull up, etc. It is my understanding that you burn fat by building muscle, which will eat those calories and burn that energy, and that fat.
So what should I be eating? I typically go like this:
Morning: 25G "24 hour protein" shake w/ flax
At work: multi-grain cheerios, skim milk, a banana. Double espresso.
Mid-morning: another banana OR another piece of fruit OR some nuts or trail mix if I have it
Lunch: often a turkey sandwich, on wheat, or a salad. Very rarely something fatty or unhealthy (a burrito every 2-3 weeks)
Mid-afternoon: Something, don't always know what. It might be another bowl of cereal, or some fruit, or nuts, or something in that time period. 0, 1 or 2 cups of green tea. Mayhaps a starburst or tootsie roll.
Post-workout (if I work out): 50G Whey Protein Isolate (no-carb, but that's just because it's the kind I happened to buy)
Dinner: some combination of chicken breast, quinoa, soy pasta w/ jarred pasta sauce, perhaps some raw veggies or canned peas or corn.
Dessert: fruit shake (OJ base, and then 2-3 different fruits put in.) Sometimes flax.
And I'd say 6 liters or so of water on average throughout the day.
So, how's it look, how can it get better (given my goals)? I see noticeable improvement in my physique as it all goes on, though the belly is a stickler. And as a side question, I never know how much flax to add into a shake. I've taken a huge bag of the Bob's Red Mill ground flax and put it in a ziploc bag, and took a 25G protein scoop and put it in there. Don't know how much I should be adding.
My cardio is increasing steadily, and the same guy who "hated running" a few months ago (thread available for reference) is now getting comfortable with the treadmill in addition to the bike. I am seeing strength gains in the gym and generally feeling wonderful when I go there, and my goal is to go every other day during the work week and Saturday and Sunday.
So I'm firmly in the build muscle and lose fat camp, aren't I? Those are my goals -- to significantly cut the 23% body fat number that I'm carrying, and to build muscle while I'm doing it and look better. And I am following the general principles that are re-affirmed by trainers and my friends who are very athletic: mostly full-body exercise, almost all compound, focusing on the large muscles, etc. Squat, bench, dip, pull up, etc. It is my understanding that you burn fat by building muscle, which will eat those calories and burn that energy, and that fat.
So what should I be eating? I typically go like this:
Morning: 25G "24 hour protein" shake w/ flax
At work: multi-grain cheerios, skim milk, a banana. Double espresso.
Mid-morning: another banana OR another piece of fruit OR some nuts or trail mix if I have it
Lunch: often a turkey sandwich, on wheat, or a salad. Very rarely something fatty or unhealthy (a burrito every 2-3 weeks)
Mid-afternoon: Something, don't always know what. It might be another bowl of cereal, or some fruit, or nuts, or something in that time period. 0, 1 or 2 cups of green tea. Mayhaps a starburst or tootsie roll.
Post-workout (if I work out): 50G Whey Protein Isolate (no-carb, but that's just because it's the kind I happened to buy)
Dinner: some combination of chicken breast, quinoa, soy pasta w/ jarred pasta sauce, perhaps some raw veggies or canned peas or corn.
Dessert: fruit shake (OJ base, and then 2-3 different fruits put in.) Sometimes flax.
And I'd say 6 liters or so of water on average throughout the day.
So, how's it look, how can it get better (given my goals)? I see noticeable improvement in my physique as it all goes on, though the belly is a stickler. And as a side question, I never know how much flax to add into a shake. I've taken a huge bag of the Bob's Red Mill ground flax and put it in a ziploc bag, and took a 25G protein scoop and put it in there. Don't know how much I should be adding.
