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** IF YOU'RE LOST ON THE METABOLIC BATTLEFIELD **
Some tips for The Frustrated on what works:
I love experimenting with WoEs - I've tried a lot of them... not so much in a struggle to find what works, but to tackle the challenge of making each one work.
I've got a pretty decent metabolism, so I'm not afraid to try new things.
My body responded well to keto. I dropped weight and kept my carbs around 10g/day for 4-5 years. I couldn't do the bodyweight exercises/HIIT/running I loved because I continued to lose weight. As a naturally scrawny guy, I couldn't eat enough calories in keto to keep weight on - let alone gain any weight. But on keto, calories were never a topic of discussion... carbs alone were the limiting factor for me. I took calories too high and got fat without carbs at one point 😕.
Enter LCHF. Meal time and logging wasn't an obsession and I became less insufferable to those around me. No more struggling with what was "legal" when going out to dinners, or worse, my folks teasing when I'd come over and they'd need to cook separate meals especially for me (sorry, mom).
This was like a flexible version of keto for me. I stopped using FS for years and was an "intuitive eating" hipster; I'd found my happy. I could now make weight stop dropping and just listened to my body as to when and how much to eat. Always satisfied, never hungry. I just limited carbs, eliminated sugars, and ate lots of fats while keeping an eye on the mirror to measure results.
Around this time, a friend had turned me onto power lifting with free weights. I got pretty strong for a string bean! However, I still had issues putting on any weight. I must've been at sub-10% BF because my abs were rocking... but so was my ribcage 😧.
About this time last year, I discovered the community here. Through support and some critical relationships I'd formed early on with folks like Diablo360x, Rosio19, and Deadpool12345, I finally got a working strategy together to gain muscle mass! The results are taking forever, but they are continuous and very noticeable!
After a couple months I'd played around enough and figured out EXACTLY how calories affect my body. I pretty much mastered my body through a bunch of trial and error and can now understand exactly how this whole game is played:
(1) CICO: Calories are the most important factor in losing or gaining weight. Eating less and moving more will decrease weight over time. Eating more and moving less means increases in weight. It doesn't matter how or what is eaten. Period.
(2) Calisthenics/HIIT and cardio burn calories for sure, but do very little for gaining muscle. After doing a lot of studying on "metabolic stress vs mechanical stress" in relation to muscle mass gain, resistance training (aka: weight lifting) is the CLEAR winner! I was scared of gyms and especially weights, but once I got past the intimidation, there was no turning back!
(3) Carbs, although technically "unnecessary" for bodily functions, I've found them to be advantageous in staving off cravings and avoiding binge sessions when kept in moderation. They do increase water retention so there is weight gain, but...
(4) The scale is gonna spit out a number every day. That number is just that: a number. Not an important number. The important number is on the tape measure. My weight goes up, yet my waist size goes down... which do you think is more important? 😉
(5) Eating foods that are enjoyable (yes even treats in moderation until you're square with exactly how the affect you) will provide continual, predictable, and sustainable success.
(6) Weight loss (as well as weight gain) takes a long time. There are tons of ups and downs. YOU MUST BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT TO SEE LASTING RESULTS!
(7) Don't overreact and make a course correction or think you've failed after a month. Make no drastic changes - they will jack up your metabolism with lasting damage... especially if your calories aren't high enough to properly fuel your activity needs.
Following these guidelines, you WILL ultimately have great results! (Note: #2 and #3 are optional, depending on your WoE/body composition goals)
🤘
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151.5 lb
Lost so far: 6.5 lb.
Still to go: 0 lb.
Diet followed reasonably well.
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Diet Calendar Entries for 24 March 2019:
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2745 kcal
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Fat: 92.96g | Prot: 179.38g | Carb: 312.15g.
Breakfast: Oakdell Jumbo Eggs, El Popular Chorizo, Winco Foods 1% Lowfat Chocolate Milk, Publix Quick Cooking Oats. Elevenses: Nature's Best Isopure Low Carb Dutch Chocolate, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Winco Foods 1% Low-Fat Chocolate Milk. Lunch: Fiber One Protein Bars - Peanut Butter, Fiber One Chewy Bars - Oats & Chocolate. Dinner: Hidden Valley Fat Free Ranch Dressing, Schwan's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Daisy Low Fat 2% Small Curd Cottage Cheese, Fat Boy Cookies 'N Cream Ice Cream Sandwich, Stouffer's Classic Chicken Enchiladas, Nature's Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Whey Protein Isolate - Mango Peach. Supper: Extra Strength Melatonin Gummies, Dr. Tobias Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins. more...
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2139 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Watching TV/Computer - 4 hours and 30 minutes, Sleeping - 6 hours, Bus Driving - 9 hours and 30 minutes, Driving - 1 hour, Showering - 15 minutes, Resting - 2 hours and 45 minutes. more...
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gaining 7.0 lb a week
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