Workout/Lifting Thread and Health Thread

• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  Sonofanump;1788691 wrote:I really need to eat 3 meals a day, I can maybe 2-3 times a week skip breakfast for grassfed butter coffee. I have found the non-veggie carbs are best at night for me, never during the day. But I need to workout in the middle of the day due to work and family.

  Honestly, unless you're on a no carb diet and use fat instead of carbs as an energy source, I don't get the benefit of this, at all. It won't keep you full and it's just added calories. Do you track macros? I guess if you need to hit certain macro's it makes sense, but overall I don't think this has a benefit unless you're not eating carbs or tracking macros.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Raw Dawgin' it;1789441 wrote:Honestly, unless you're on a no carb diet and use fat instead of carbs as an energy source, I don't get the benefit of this, at all. It won't keep you full and it's just added calories. Do you track macros? I guess if you need to hit certain macro's it makes sense, but overall I don't think this has a benefit unless you're not eating carbs or tracking macros.

  Hipster coffee?
• Azubuike24

  

  I've been drinking coffee blended with coconut oil, heavy cream, an egg yolk and grass-fed butter for many years. It's not so much for body composition, but for mental energy. On a low-carb cycle, it's a great way to get tons of extra fat grams.
  
  For instance, on my low carb days, I'm under 25 grams of carbs...and shooting for 150-200 grams of fat. This makes it a lot easier.
• like_that

  

  Azubuike24;1789443 wrote:I've been drinking coffee blended with coconut oil, heavy cream, an egg yolk and grass-fed butter for many years. It's not so much for body composition, but for mental energy. On a low-carb cycle, it's a great way to get tons of extra fat grams.
  
  For instance, on my low carb days, I'm under 25 grams of carbs...and shooting for 150-200 grams of fat. This makes it a lot easier.

  Damn I just recently started carb cycling (midway thru feb) and I though my 50g carb intake was low on my low carb days lol.
• Azubuike24

  

  It's fucking tough to do unless you prepare everything yourself basically. I don't count fiber though, so it's not so bad if you can get a ton of greens in there.
• like_that

  

  Azubuike24;1789449 wrote:It's fucking tough to do unless you prepare everything yourself basically. I don't count fiber though, so it's not so bad if you can get a ton of greens in there.

  That makes a little more sense, but still I prepare everything for the most part and it's really difficult to keep the carbs low unless you really want to have bland meals, which for me I try not to do. On the flip side, your grams of fat is high too, I think that would be tough to get 150-200 grams of fat. Other than your coffee where the hell are you getting all that fat? On your low carbs day are you also reducing your total calories or youre keeping your calorie intake the same, just cycling the macros?
• Azubuike24

  

  Usually around 2400-2700 a day. I keep my protein roughly 1 gram/lb body weight (180). These are the high ends, roughly...
  
  MON-FRI (25 carbs, 200 fat, 175 protein = 2700 cal)
  SAT & SUN (450 carbs, 20 fat, 175 protein = 2680 cal)
  
  As for the fat, I just bought a whole grass-fed, grass-finished cow to put in the deep freezer. The roasts and fattier cuts there provide some good quality fats along with the protein. Something like a Ribeye, you're getting 8 grams of fat per every 4 ounces. I try to do a serving of walnuts or almonds with each meal too, makes it pretty balanced with protein and fat for those meals.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  From my understanding, grass fed is leaner because well...grass. The people who run my daycare also raise and sell cows and they say they never eat grass fed because it has less fat and doesn't taste as good.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  Azubuike24;1789443 wrote:I've been drinking coffee blended with coconut oil, heavy cream, an egg yolk and grass-fed butter for many years. It's not so much for body composition, but for mental energy. On a low-carb cycle, it's a great way to get tons of extra fat grams.
  
  For instance, on my low carb days, I'm under 25 grams of carbs...and shooting for 150-200 grams of fat. This makes it a lot easier.

  That sounds a lot different than just butter and coffee...it also sounds disgusting.
• Azubuike24

  

  It's really good, haha. It has a huge variety of nutrients too. Short-chain from the butter, medium-chain from the coconut fat and the K-2/Colene from the egg yolk.
  
  Grass-fed butter is better because the toxins from grain-fed animals are stored in the fat. Also, the Vitamin K-2 content is far better than in regular butter.
• Automatik

  

  I was on the "bullet proof" coffee bandwagon for a minute. Not a fan, not worth the effort/money.
  
  
  Random question...
  
  Anyone ever have meniscus issues? I've been dealing with regular stiffness in my right knee for weeks now. It's something that has flared up on and off for years, but it's really been fucking with me ever since 5 days of snowboarding in a row. I didn't do anything major to it such as a fall, twist, trama, etc. It's worse in the morning and lessens throughout the day. I haven't really tested it at all since. No squats or running. It's really starting to annoy me. I fear I'm going to require an MRI, which I'd rather not deal with right now.
• sleeper

  

  Azubuike24;1789507 wrote:It's really good, haha. It has a huge variety of nutrients too. Short-chain from the butter, medium-chain from the coconut fat and the K-2/Colene from the egg yolk.
  
  Grass-fed butter is better because the toxins from grain-fed animals are stored in the fat. Also, the Vitamin K-2 content is far better than in regular butter.

  I was under the impression grass fed is better because it has a higher ratio of Omega 3's to Omega 6's. What are these "toxins" you speak of?
• Azubuike24

  

  Grain-fed animals are sick animals. Cows aren't meant to eat or digest grains, corn, soy, etc. Anything that is a byproduct of that, has the potential to be toxic. Toxins, in any organism, are stored in the fat. When you're consuming something like a fatty cut from a grain-fed animal, you're getting a higher concentration of them.
  
  If I'm eating conventional, CAFO beef...I try to eat the leanest cuts.
  If I'm eating a grass-fed, grass-finished cut...I'm going to go for the fattiest cuts, the marrow, etc...
  
  ...and you're right about the Omega 3/6 ratios too. Grass-fed definitely has a more balanced ratio.
• Azubuike24

  

  Automatik;1789509 wrote:I was on the "bullet proof" coffee bandwagon for a minute. Not a fan, not worth the effort/money.
  
  
  Random question...
  
  Anyone ever have meniscus issues? I've been dealing with regular stiffness in my right knee for weeks now. It's something that has flared up on and off for years, but it's really been fucking with me ever since 5 days of snowboarding in a row. I didn't do anything major to it such as a fall, twist, trama, etc. It's worse in the morning and lessens throughout the day. I haven't really tested it at all since. No squats or running. It's really starting to annoy me. I fear I'm going to require an MRI, which I'd rather not deal with right now.

  Had a medial repaired in my right knee and lateral repaired in my left knee. Sucks to fork over the money for an MRI, but it's the only way to really know what you can do. Sometimes, you can do a full repair, other times, it's not even worth the surgery. I had my latest one done by Greg Bellisari, did a fantastic job and because he was a former athlete, he understood my goals to want to continue to squat/deadlift heavy and remain active playing sports. My biggest fear was a doc telling me I couldn't ever do that stuff again (of course, I tore the left one squatting, haha).
• sleeper

  

  Automatik;1789509 wrote:I was on the "bullet proof" coffee bandwagon for a minute. Not a fan, not worth the effort/money.
  
  
  Random question...
  
  Anyone ever have meniscus issues? I've been dealing with regular stiffness in my right knee for weeks now. It's something that has flared up on and off for years, but it's really been fucking with me ever since 5 days of snowboarding in a row. I didn't do anything major to it such as a fall, twist, trama, etc. It's worse in the morning and lessens throughout the day. I haven't really tested it at all since. No squats or running. It's really starting to annoy me. I fear I'm going to require an MRI, which I'd rather not deal with right now.

  I had my ACL repaired about 9 years ago and recently have been dealing with a lot of unusual soreness and discomfort in that same knee. I'm close to going to see an Orthopedic surgeon for assessment and potentially an MRI. A lot of the times ortho's can diagnose knee issues without an MRI; the MRI just helps them confirm it for potential surgery. If it still bothers you, I'd see a surgeon for an assessment. It's worth the co-pay/fee to see a solid doctor.
  
  Knees suck.
• Azubuike24

  

  sleeper;1789517 wrote:Knees suck.

  So true.
  
  Knees and shoulders, debilitating injuries if not dealt with. Affects almost every single upper/lower body activity.
• Automatik

  

  Azubuike24;1789516 wrote:Had a medial repaired in my right knee and lateral repaired in my left knee. Sucks to fork over the money for an MRI, but it's the only way to really know what you can do. Sometimes, you can do a full repair, other times, it's not even worth the surgery. I had my latest one done by Greg Bellisari, did a fantastic job and because he was a former athlete, he understood my goals to want to continue to squat/deadlift heavy and remain active playing sports. My biggest fear was a doc telling me I couldn't ever do that stuff again (of course, I tore the left one squatting, haha).

  
  My pain is right in my kneecap. It's bizarre because I don't recall doing anything to it other than stress from bending. The more I read the more I think it's a meniscus issue, all the symptoms are there.
  
  I'm going to give it another week or two and if the symptoms are still there I'm going to address it.
  
  I also have a partially torn labrum. Shit started going downhill around age 28. :laugh:
• Azubuike24

  

  That sucks man. A meniscus and labrum are both the kind of injuries that you can tolerate without surgery forever, but it's annoying and limiting as hell. It would almost be better for the psyche to just having something torn completely and force yourself to fix it.
• Automatik

  

  The labrum tear is manageable. It's very slight, so PT helped. I just can't do anything overhead, which sucks. I plan on getting it fixed eventually. It's just never a good time with work and from what I've heard the recovery is a bitch.
• slcoach

  Azubuike24;1788687 wrote:Trying to really cut down to near stage ready shape. I've found that milk and whey protein are great for gaining, but also keep Insulin high enough it's really difficult to efficiently burn fat. I've been making homemade bone broth (which ends up having a little fat and protein) and using that peri-workout. Only been off the milk and whey for about a week but it's already showing. You should definitely eat after a workout, if only for nutrient partitioning and to satisfy hunger. Evolution says you would expend the most energy you would ever use hunting for food. It only makes sense to feed after that.

  Are you cutting to be cutting or is there a competition on the horizon?
• Azubuike24

  

  Nope, I've never done any physique or bodybuilding show but have always kind of wanted to. Doing push/pull or powerlifting has always been able to keep me in solid shape, but never got to the extreme. I'd like to see how close I can get though. Lifelong journey I guess, I'm only 32.
• Automatik

  

  In two weeks I'm moving to a building with a gym....a really nice one. I'm so fucking excited! I've never had this before.
  
  My fitness and diet haven't been great since I've been living in my current shitty area. I'm very far from a gym, and the ones near my office are horrific.
• QuakerOats

  Automatik;1789509 wrote:I was on the "bullet proof" coffee bandwagon for a minute. Not a fan, not worth the effort/money.
  
  
  Random question...
  
  Anyone ever have meniscus issues? I've been dealing with regular stiffness in my right knee for weeks now. It's something that has flared up on and off for years, but it's really been fucking with me ever since 5 days of snowboarding in a row. I didn't do anything major to it such as a fall, twist, trama, etc. It's worse in the morning and lessens throughout the day. I haven't really tested it at all since. No squats or running. It's really starting to annoy me. I fear I'm going to require an MRI, which I'd rather not deal with right now.

  
  I had an MRI followed by knee surgery last June: repair tears in the medial meniscus. Probably damaged over time from basketball and what not, and then further tweaked every once in a while. Finally felt something really go haywire after getting up from being bent over working on a wiring project ..... just felt like something finally popped and it was pretty sore and stiff. Surgery just involved trimming off some of the parts of the meniscus that tore and flared out beyond normal position. I was pretty much up and around in a couple days and within 4-6 weeks felt fairly normal. Seems to be in decent shape now, although I have not really tested it as far as running (which I hate to do anyway). Definitely better than the pain and lack of mobility from April-June last year.
• Automatik

  

  Oh damn, sounds eerily similar to what I'm dealing with. My appointment is next Monday.
  
  I actually tweaked my ACL in the same knee last week when picking up a fucking box. Now the whole thing is bothering me and it feels like it could blow with any sudden/wrong move.
• QuakerOats

  Yep --- sounds similar; I gimped around for 2 months until the surgery.