The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Amen! No need whatsoever for a diet to be nuts off the bat. I mean, lets be honest, most people these days eat/drink so much sugary shit that if they just dropped soda, sweets, etc they'd make progress.

Consistency though cannot be stressed enough.

 

That’s what’s funny! One person can just cut out soda while still eating pretty bad and lose weight.

Then others (like some of us) will gain weight just for straying off the diet a few times.

Crazy.

 

Are your “cheat meals” controlled though? Like are you still counting calories and macros? And is it serving more as a refeed?


That is what I have really changed about myself over the years and what has allowed me to stay lean. I don’t eat uncontrolled anymore. I don’t say fuck it and just eat whatever.
If I know I’m going to have pizza or ice cream I just keep it moderate. Like if I want some DQ I do a mini blizzard.
I could put down a medium... but eating 4 cups of soft serve ice cream really is not the best choice for anyone lol

I’ve tried to change from focusing on how I want to eat food now (like a short term cut) to how I want to eat food forever.
Thats why I hate the term cheat meal. Why do we have to associate a negative word with certain foods?
I never feel guilty or bad if I step off the routine diet and have a burger with a bun (...I know God forbid). Thats not cheating. Its the frequency to which I deviate that matters, not the deviation.

I’ve gained and lost a lot of weight in the last few years. This year has been the only one that has been truly consistent and I credit it to trying to change my life, not just trying to change things for a few months get get a few pounds off.

 

I don't accurately count what is in my cheat meal, however I do my best to guesstimate. On cheat meal day, I remove 2 of my biggest meals for that day - this helps me keep the amount of calories down for the day, and also keeps my in line with my weight loss goals.

I remove roughly 1-1.2k calories before my cheat meal. My cheats are easily 2-3k depending the meal. Last week 3 fish tacos, appetizer (shared) tatertot nachos (amazing btw) and a big fucking brownie

 

Damn. I've been sub'd to this thread for months for no reason then?

 

Last Friday's cheat meal for me was a small personal pan pizza and 3 peanut-butter cookies. It's more of a mental reset than anything for me.

Five weeks in on this cut now and just shy of 15lbs lost.

 

I do similar. My cheat meal is usually on a weekend. I’ll sleep in and wake up late so I’ll either eat a late breakfast and skip lunch or skip breakfast and eat lunch. Then the cheat meal will be dinner. Last one was a cheeseburger and it was worth it. It’s been a couple weeks tho and I’m getting that craving for pizza or something lately lol

 

See I still think thats being mindful. You aren’t just throwing caution to the wind. Which is what I think most people think of with cheat meals.

 

Not to thread jack but let’s talk hydration and sweat.

I normally bring a bottle of water to the gym everyday and typically finish the bottle within the hour I’m at the gym. I’m noticing that I’m sweating more and more (through both sides of my shirt lately) and I’m wondering if I should start bringing a Gatorade instead of straight water?

What’s everyone else’s approach to hydration?

 

More water.

I probably drink 12-14 bottles of water a day.

 

I drink water, decaf tea, or green tea during the day. Black coffee in the morning.

I’m opposed to sports drinks. I didn’t even consume them when I was running double digit mile runs twice a week in the summer. I have added a little bit of orange juice and a salt packet to my water (and BCAAs of course).

Sports drinks are sugar, salt, and artificial chemicals. In my opinion nothing healthy or beneficial.

Its summer, humidity is up, you’ll see less sweat evaporate off giving the impression you are sweating more. It really doesn’t take much water consumption to overcome that.

 

I bring 12oz water for 1 hour session (if I need more - water fountain) I also mix in some pink sea salt and 1 scoop EAAs with 25g fast acting carbs (when bulk i do 50-60g carbs). Whenever I drink just plain water anymore - my workouts suffer (I just burn out so quick) - Could also be placebo haha. However, it's programmed into my macros so it works.

 

I drink plain water. Sip it as I feel thirsty, which tends to shoot up while working out.

I've found that making my pre-workout meal high in carbs keeps me high in energy throughout. This meal is typically large-ish, about 2 hours before exercise, but not 3, and lotta carbs. Works for me.

 

Yeah, I like the approach of factoring some straying from a strict diet into the diet, vs. a cheat meal (as throwing caution to the wind). Allow yourself to have some of the extras, just keep it in check and factor in those calories so you're not regressing.

 

Like I said a million times now and what you guys need to understand - IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW LEAN YOU ARE. Caps not because I’m annoyed but because it literally means everything. My cheat day is either batshit crazy if I’m super lean and feeling flat, or just a small pizza or something if I just need a small cheat - I think most guys need a cheat meal mentally and not physically - and in that case being careful and not over doing it is key. Everyone’s best bet is looking in the mirror and being honest with where you’re at.

For me right now, my cheat day is a refeed day. I need multiple meals to fill back out and fuel another week of low carb training. Rinse and repeat as I get leaner and leaner.

Gatorade is fine. The SUGAR FREE kind. I use Powerade Zero and the pumps from the extra salt is awesome. Remember you don’t want to be chugging water during a workout - that isn’t hydrating you. Powerade has Potassium, Sodium, and a few other electrolytes that are key for hydration.

The biggest factor is the other 23 hours of the day, are you doing what needs to be done around the clock for hydration? (Enough dietary salt). Trying to pound water or sports drinks during a workout when the other 23 hours a day you didn’t keep hydrated is somewhat useless IMO.

While I’ll agree about the sugar in non sugar free sports drinks, there are plenty sugar free that can definitely be beneficial that I use pretty often while I’m on the job sweating during the day. I won’t debate the “artificial” sugar health wise, I think we can all agree it’s probably not amazing for you - but I doubt a few sugar free Powerades per week if you have a great diet is going to impact much. It’s only helped me.

Excellent use of salt packets! Smart and what people should be doing.

 

When you say you guys add a salt packet to your water... like a salt packet you get from a burger joint to throw extra on your fries? Or is there some sort of “special” salt you use? I’ve been bad about keeping hydrated throughout the day but I’ve been getting better. I’ve been using those mio flavor things to help me drink more throughout the day

 

How low carb is your diet? Also... did you choose this diet due to health issues (IBS) or for leanness?

 

I don’t think its how lean you are but what mode your body is in. Fat burn or fat gain.
After a cut you can be pretty lean but any excess calories are going to go towards weight gain.
If you have been maintaining For awhile or are bulking slowly I think you’ve got more wiggle room for some excess cals.

On the artificial sweeteners... no doubt they are bad for you. I think a few sports drinks a week does matter. If its OK to make poor diet choices a few days a week why not make them all the time. But thats just me.
I think sports drinks are a waste of money. You get more than an adequate amount of salt in your daily diet (usually). If not salt your food. But we don’t need to flood our bodies with nasty crap to get it.

I do all non-iodized salt because of my thyroid. So I will just throw a pinch or two of salt in water if I’m on a long run or feel I need the salt.

Iodized salt packets work just fine tho

 

So you're saying I could just throw in a pinch of any (non table salt) salt in my water then? I'll give it a try

 

It truly depends on your diet. Iodine is a helpful mineral for thyroid in the body. Iodine is sufficient enough with proper foods (most micronutrient and such are). I don't recall all the foods they are in, but I believe it's your typical "better" foods - grains, meats, some dairy.

It doesn't hurt either one you typically use, unless you have health issues.