Questions for the blokes who work out

[lance konami]

I don't really use the word "bloke," but I like the word and I think Americans should adopt it and use it instead of "dudes."

Anyway, seems like a lot of you work out pretty regularly, and I was wondering how strict you are with your diet. How often do you eat per day? And how often do you have "cheat meals?"

Also, how often do you take in any sugar, and do any of you really notice a difference when consuming a lot of sugar vs. not?

 

[terminat]

On the whole, I tend to be quite strict with my diet - for me at least, its a slippery slope - having a chocolate bar a few times a week rapidly ends up becoming part of my diet.
These days, I just make sure I have three decent meals a day and nothing else, except if I'm hungry in between I'll snack on fruit (bananas, grapes etc.) Occasionally though, I have a chocolate bar or some other sugary thing if I'm just about to do an intense workout/tennis game - for a quick-fix energy boost.
The thing I'm strictest on is eating sugary foods in front of the tv - in the past, I've just ended up scoffing in front of some programme or another, you don't tend to really notice how much you're actually eating.

As for lot of sugar vs. not, yes I do tend to notice - I mean, a chocolate bar or two never hurt anyone, but if I eat a lot of sugary snacks over a week for some reason or another, I end up feeling sluggish and with considerably less energy.

 

[lance konami]

How about fat loss/gain depending on your sugar intake? Excluding "good" sugars found in fruits.

I've seen articles saying there is no correlation between sugar intake and weight gain or loss, and I've seen others saying it certainly is a factor. So I'm curious to see what people's experience is with this.

 

[LA Guy]

I eat pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want. And what I want is usually Biggie Smalls style stuff - cheese, eggs, and steak. And pasta. And cake (like the piece I just ate now.) I am in pretty good shape, under 8% bodyfat, but partially because of my diet, a bit more of it than it should be is around the belly (at my weight and fat level, you don't really get a spare tire, but that is where I am softest.) When I was really training, and could afford to have non-muscle mass, I usually cut out simple sugars. Carbs I'd leave because I racked up a lot of mileage. I'd eat 3 squares, and maybe a snack between lunch and dinner. I have a reasonable amount of definition even now, but only had a six pack and defined obliques when I was down to 4-5% body fat. Above that, and the fat goes immediately to the midsection - yay. (I've been told that this is actually good, means that I am not susceptible to heart disease, but I am not completely mollified.) Ultimately, where your fat deposits and how much diet has an effect is a matter of genetic luck. I have a good friend who works out considerably less than I do, does absolutely no cardio, eats pretty much whatever he wants (granted, he's not a pig, but he does like to eat,) and is absolutely cut, super strong, and has something like a 13 inch drop. It's very annoying. I'm hoping I just age better than he does, but I've seen his parents, and have very little hope of that.

 

[terminat]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about fat loss/gain depending on your sugar intake? Excluding "good" sugars found in fruits.

I've seen articles saying there is no correlation between sugar intake and weight gain or loss, and I've seen others saying it certainly is a factor. So I'm curious to see what people's experience is with this.

i've personally found that sugar intake correlates heavily to fat loss/gain - if I cut most sugars out for a week and continue rigorously exercising, I can often lose a couple of pounds of fat; the opposite is also true.

 

[whodini]

I've been letting my eating habits slide lately. Not in what I eat, but how often I eat. I used to do a protein shake for breakfast with cereal, then meat/salad or meat/rice for lunch/dinner. Now there are days when skip lunch completely which is a no-no. Ideally, though, I eat small bits of meat for a snack since I feel like I get enough carbs from the rice.

 

[denarii]

I've been out of the "working out" scene for a few years, but there was a time when I consumed 7-8000 calories a day without gaining weight.

The largest factor to worry about is calorie intake versus calorie burn. If you eat more calories from burger king (or from fruits and vegetables) than you expend via exercise, your body will store the excess as fat for use at a later time. Conversely, if you burn more calories than you consume, your body will convert your existing bodyfat into fuel to compensate.

As for caloric intake? It depends a little on how you want to burn the calories. For sustained cardio exercises you will need ***** foods to ensure that you have energy remaining at the end of your workouts (so, if you dive into an all-carb diet, you may find that the carbs are rapidly converted into energy, giving you a lot of "umph" at the beginning of a workout, and very little "umph" at the end). Back in the rowing days the fat intake made quite a bit of difference.

I believe the SEALs pre-BUD/S workout recommends the following, which is also roughly in-line with the recommendations my trainers used to make:
Carbohydrates 50-70% of calories
Protein 10-15% of calories
Fats 20-30% of calories

But, this is also dependent on your activity. Now that I hike, I find that I'm a lot more interested in the weight-to-calorie ratio of my foods, so will often devour copious amounts of nuts/chocolate/jerky/cheese just to (attempt to) offset the caloric burn (8hrs hiking over rough terrain with expedition weight pack == lots of calories).

You might run a google search for articles by Lance Armstrong or his trainers -- they turned this question into a serious art.

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by denarii

You might run a google search for articles by Lance Armstrong or his trainers -- they turned this question into a serious art.

His trainers would have tailored his diet to his goals. Considering he competes, or use to compete, in long aerobic activities he probably would have had a fairly high amount of carbs in his diet, compared to someone who who might be more interested in gaining muscle mass and cutting fat (whose diet would consist of less carbs and relatively more protein). Your diet should reflect what your goals are.

Someone who works out for health reasons, someone who is a championship body builder, and someone who is an long distance runner would most likely have different diets.

 

[knucks]

It all depends on what I am doing. If I am bulking, I try to eat clean, but I do not limit myself to foods. If I am cutting, as I am now, I am staying away from anything that isn't "healthy" by my standards (for instance, I eat my omellete w/ 4 egg whites and 1 yolk)

 

[mose]

Originally Posted by lance konami

I don't really use the word "bloke," but I like the word and I think Americans should adopt it and use it instead of "dudes."

Anyway, seems like a lot of you work out pretty regularly, and I was wondering how strict you are with your diet. How often do you eat per day? And how often do you have "cheat meals?"

Also, how often do you take in any sugar, and do any of you really notice a difference when consuming a lot of sugar vs. not?

i agree with what Knucks says as far as clean eating and amounts depending on goals.

My recommendation, get a bodyfat scale. They aren't tremendously accurate for establishing initial bodyfat, but they can be gold in tracking bodyfat changes. Weigh-in(and fat-in) daily under the same conditions(for me, it is about 8:00 a.m. when I've been up 2 hours), and keep a log. Keep a food log, and compare the two to see what works and what effects certain foods/calorie amounts have on your body.

The more information you have, especially about your own body, the better.

 

[Thomas]

Anything I feel like eating. Sometimes it's oatmeal with blueberries, other times eggs with sausage and biscuits. I do stay away from the fried stuff, try to eat beef three times a week or more, and choose fiber over non-fiber (brown rice over white).

I have a wicked sweet tooth (just like the parents) and tend to compensate with higher mileage, rather then practice self-denial or willpower or any of that garbage.

 

[knucks]

I think a mirror is best for determining "bodyfat". I have a skin caliper, and it's all fine and dandy, but to a certain extent, I think a mirror is your best bet.

 

[AdamG]

I cheat too much, but I try to cheat with meals that have a lot of protien, and on days that I workout.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

Very strict. Otherwise, I'll gain weight. Until I hit forty, I could eat just about what I wanted, and never gain more than a pound. My sister, still can. Alas, I'm not so lucky. If I stray once or twice . . . it shows on the scale, three or four days later. Also, I have found that regular workouts, have increased the size of my waist, rather than to decrease it. Before I had abdominal definition, my waist was 31 or 32. Now, it's 33.

 

[lance konami]

Originally Posted by Ivan Kipling

Also, I have found that regular workouts, have increased the size of my waist, rather than to decrease it. Before I had abdominal definition, my waist was 31 or 32. Now, it's 33

Try doing stomach vacuums.

I've been doing these for a couple weeks and I already am noticing a HUGE difference. You learn to control your abs much better.