[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

Guys what are some natural carbs I can eat that help me gain size with protein.

I usually eat raw oats, avacados, protein bars, bananas..

What else is out their?

Also, anyone have any good recipes with oats? Somthing like a good oatmeal with too much sugar. Thanx

Avocados are more of a fat source than anything , but the least processed carbs are rice, potatos, beans, fruits, starchy veggies (pretty much any veggie that isnt green. peas are green, but still starchy.). More processed carbs would be bread, pasta, cereal, grits.

A lot of things work well with oatmeal; fruit, cottage cheese, maple syrup, nut butters, etc.

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

Avocados are more of a fat source than anything , but the least processed carbs are rice, potatos, beans, fruits, starchy veggies (pretty much any veggie that isnt green. peas are green, but still starchy.). More processed carbs would be bread, pasta, cereal, grits.

A lot of things work well with oatmeal; fruit, cottage cheese, maple syrup, nut butters, etc.

Understood.

But you mentioned rice.

Rice can be cooked how to be "healthy?" I cant use butter.

Because dont forget, not only am I trying to slim down (I have a small belly and some love handles). Im trying to gain size for my arms, chest, back.

Also what kidn of beans should I buy? Im only allowed to boil the beans with hot water and just eat it like that? And same with the oat meal? I can just add fruit in there obviously what you get what I mean..

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

Understood.

But you mentioned rice.

Rice can be cooked how to be "healthy?" I cant use butter.

Because dont forget, not only am I trying to slim down (I have a small belly and some love handles). Im trying to gain size for my arms, chest, back.

Also what kidn of beans should I buy? Im only allowed to boil the beans with hot water and just eat it like that? And same with the oat meal? I can just add fruit in there obviously what you get what I mean..

Butter is perfectly fine (assuming you dont have some sort extreme dairy intolerance), especially in the context of rice. A tablespoon of butter is 100 calories, a bag of rice contains ~20 servings* of rice, so the butter has added a whopping 5 calories to each serving, which is completely negligible. If it makes your rice taste better, by all means use it. You need fat in your diet anyway, and butter is not bad for you.

*Im using 20 servings as an example. The actual number of servings youll get depends on the size of the bag and how much rice you eat.

I prefer brown rice. I like the taste better than white, plus it has more fiber and slightly better micronutrient content.

Buy whatever beans you like. Except maybe refried beans. I buy canned just because its easier, but buying dry beans and soaking/boiling is most likely cheaper, and maybe a tiny bit healthier. I like black beans and kidney beans.

Im not sure what youre asking about the oatmeal/fruit.

As for trying to lean down and gain muscle in your arms/chest/back. Forget it, at least after the initial few months since you started working out. Losing bodyfat requires extended periods of negative calorie balance, while synthesizing new muscle tissue requires extended period of positive calorie balance. You cant do both at the same time (It can be done to some degree with more advanced diet/training protocols, which basically just alternate between short periods of over/under-feeding, but you are not at a point where you could self-regulate well enough to be able to pull it off). You will end up spinning your wheels. Just focus on one goal at a time. I would diet down to a bodyfat level you are happy with, then focus on slowly gaining strength/weight.

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

Butter is perfectly fine (assuming you dont have some sort extreme dairy intolerance), especially in the context of rice. A tablespoon of butter is 100 calories, a bag of rice contains ~20 servings* of rice, so the butter has added a whopping 5 calories to each serving, which is completely negligible. If it makes your rice taste better, by all means use it. You need fat in your diet anyway, and butter is not bad for you.

*Im using 20 servings as an example. The actual number of servings youll get depends on the size of the bag and how much rice you eat.

I prefer brown rice. I like the taste better than white, plus it has more fiber and slightly better micronutrient content.

Buy whatever beans you like. Except maybe refried beans. I buy canned just because its easier, but buying dry beans and soaking/boiling is most likely cheaper, and maybe a tiny bit healthier. I like black beans and kidney beans.

Im not sure what youre asking about the oatmeal/fruit.

As for trying to lean down and gain muscle in your arms/chest/back. Forget it, at least after the initial few months since you started working out. Losing bodyfat requires extended periods of negative calorie balance, while synthesizing new muscle tissue requires extended period of positive calorie balance. You cant do both at the same time (It can be done to some degree with more advanced diet/training protocols, which basically just alternate between short periods of over/under-feeding, but you are not at a point where you could self-regulate well enough to be able to pull it off). You will end up spinning your wheels. Just focus on one goal at a time. I would diet down to a bodyfat level you are happy with, then focus on slowly gaining strength/weight.

I hear this all the time. I mean, people say it constantly...

But then again, I have friends who say you can pull it off but it takes time and a very strict diet. Lets put it this way.. IM not obese but I dont have a 6 pack or v-cut. I weight 188 and bench 245 if that means anything..

My goal is not be slim or lean, I wanna be bulky and NOT cut yet I want to lose my love handles and tighten my stomach area just a little.

I have already lost 72 lbs from my previous diet, it was sooo easyy. Losing weight and getting slim is easy in my opinion. But having a strict diet and lifting is very tough. I dont care what anyone says, the amount of progress you achieve from lifting take forever to see results.

My problem is, I have been lifting for a little under a year. I have seen progress do not get me wrong. But when you say achieve ONE goal at a time, thats means my other goal has to be on pause. Which means, everything I have worked for as far is my size in arms and chest will decrease because I would have to increase my cardio and have a lean diet.

Its a tough thing to do, I just cant really throw it all way and then come back and do it again. Its like writing a 25 page paper then burning it and then re-writing it.

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

I hear this all the time. I mean, people say it constantly...

But then again, I have friends who say you can pull it off but it takes time and a very strict diet. Lets put it this way.. IM not obese but I dont have a 6 pack or v-cut. I weight 188 and bench 245 if that means anything..

Human physiology says your friends are wrong.

My goal is not be slim or lean, I wanna be bulky and NOT cut yet I want to lose my love handles and tighten my stomach area just a little.

When you say you want to 'lose your love handles and tighten your stomach area', what that actually translates to is leaning out/losing bodyfat. Your goal then is a bodyfat of about 10%. You should be able to accomplish this with minimal/no muscle loss. Its lean enough to be devoid of most/all love handles, but not really 'cut.' Any leaner and performance, hormones, and immune system function may begin to suffer. Sub-10% bodyfat is also treading into 'cut' territory, which isnt your goal.

You may want to look into doing stomach vacuums. I have no clue if they actually accomplish anything, but Ive seen people throw around the idea that they can tighten up your stomach.

I have already lost 72 lbs from my previous diet, it was sooo easyy. Losing weight and getting slim is easy in my opinion. But having a strict diet and lifting is very tough. I dont care what anyone says, the amount of progress you achieve from lifting take forever to see results.

My problem is, I have been lifting for a little under a year. I have seen progress do not get me wrong. But when you say achieve ONE goal at a time, thats means my other goal has to be on pause. Which means, everything I have worked for as far is my size in arms and chest will decrease because I would have to increase my cardio and have a lean diet.

Its a tough thing to do, I just cant really throw it all way and then come back and do it again. Its like writing a 25 page paper then burning it and then re-writing it.

Life: Its full of compromises.

FWIW, I would look into Intermittent Fasting. If set up properly, balancing caloric deficits on off days and caloric surpluses on training days could allow you to slowly lose the love handles while maintaining/gaining strength/muscle. This isnt 'gaining fat and losing muscle at the same time', its more like micro-bulk/cut periods. You may not be familiar enough with your caloric needs to really be successful with it, but here is a link to look over: http://leangains.blogspot.com/

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

Human physiology says your friends are wrong.



When you say you want to 'lose your love handles and tighten your stomach area', what that actually translates to is leaning out/losing bodyfat. Your goal then is a bodyfat of about 10%. You should be able to accomplish this with minimal/no muscle loss. Its lean enough to be devoid of most/all love handles, but not really 'cut.' Any leaner and performance, hormones, and immune system function may begin to suffer. Sub-10% bodyfat is also treading into 'cut' territory, which isnt your goal.

You may want to look into doing stomach vacuums. I have no clue if they actually accomplish anything, but Ive seen people throw around the idea that they can tighten up your stomach.



Life: Its full of compromises.

FWIW, I would look into Intermittent Fasting. If set up properly, balancing caloric deficits on off days and caloric surpluses on training days could allow you to slowly lose the love handles while maintaining/gaining strength/muscle. This isnt 'gaining fat and losing muscle at the same time', its more like micro-bulk/cut periods. You may not be familiar enough with your caloric needs to really be successful with it, but here is a link to look over: http://leangains.blogspot.com/

So wait, your telling me that the days I lift I should eat a lot (obviously healthy) but high calorie, protein, carbs, etc..

and the days I DONT lift I have a strict diet of 2,000 calories or less?

I just want to get an idea of what you were saying and how this will make me lose weight around my stomach. Im going to check out the link later after I get home from school.

Also, if what your saying is true, for the days I have no lifting and I eat less do i still put 1g of protein for every pound in my body?

[Spec 1]

I've been working on getting a 6pack for months now. The last tiny ounce of lower tummy is a SOB.

[nightkhan]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

Human physiology says your friends are wrong.

I would say that losing fat/getting cut while gaining muscle is not entirely impossible. I know it's not as effective as just losing fat and then bulking up, but it's possible to an extent.

I'm 6'1 and have always been lifting and was at a bulky 200 - 205 beginning of the year, around 20-21%% bodyfat, and then ballooned to around 210 spring time due to eating out and partying too much. I definitely noticed the jeans getting tighter around the waist, and my shirts not being as tight as they used to be due to the loss of muscle since i was getting a bit lazy as well. I saw my friends results from P90X and finally got my shit together to start it around summer, beginning of July to be precise. At first I did their normal routine, no weights, just their body weight exercises according to their set schedule, but immediately noticed after a week that my muscle loss was accelerating, so I changed things up a bit.

Instead of doing weights more or less once a week, I doubled it up: chest and back Mondays and thursdays, shoulders, bis and tris tues and friday, abs MWF, plyo twice a week (i'd stack that on top of days I'd lift), sometimes 3 times a week, doing another round over the weekend. And isntead of doing the body weight exercises, i adapted their exercises for weights; same type of movements and concentration, but with weights at the gym, and circuit training style like they do, not really resting between exercises. I'd switch between a set of chest, a set of back, then repeat....etc.

I changed my diet, breakfast i'd have either oatmeal with half a banana, or bran type cereal, also with banana, and a protein smoothie with different types of fruits. Mid morning i'd take another protein shake, lunch is a big salad with chicken, afternoon another shake, and dinner a lean sandwich with whole wheat bread, minimal condiments. I'd also take a shake after a workout, and before bed. Each shake would have about 40 grams of protein.

My fat loss was definitely noticeable, with my abs showing thru now. My jeans have gone down from a 36 inch waist to under 34 inches. And i definitley got bigger in terms of muscle. How can i tell, cuz all my shirts stretch now, and all my friends have noticed that i've gotten bigger as well. My weight now is at 185 lbs, and as far as my P90X routine, I've still kept it kinda the same. I didn't change it up the 2nd and 3rd phase since i got really busy with work, so all i've done is maintain what i've already been doing. So far, it's worked very well, and once i have more time, i'll switch it up to the 2nd and 3rd phase.

I'll post some pics up once i get home tonight, although i dont' have a beginning pic, but i have some recent pics, and a pic from my first month of p90X.

So losing fat and building muscle can work, defintiely not impossible.

[nightkhan]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

You experienced both goals (fat loss, muscle growth) because you had just begun to work out. That's called the noob effect. This lasts for a few months, after which accomplishing both goals approaches impossibility.

actually not really, i've always been lifting, just not as much cardio. I've been lifting since beginning of college, the only new thing was i changed it up a bit to incorporate the plyo from p90 and more of a circuit training routine vs. the lift, rest, lift, rest routine.

i've alway been bulky, but just always with bodyfat hovering between the 18% to 21% mark.

[oldaccount]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

actually not really, i've always been lifting, just not as much cardio. I've been lifting since beginning of college, the only new thing was i changed it up a bit to incorporate the plyo from p90 and more of a circuit training routine vs. the lift, rest, lift, rest routine.

i've alway been bulky, but just always with bodyfat hovering between the 18% to 21% mark.

yea i misread your post.

but youre confusing making progress towards 2 opposing goals over a length of time vs accomplishing 2 opposing goals simultaneously

[nightkhan]

Originally Posted by Suareezay

yea i misread your post.

but youre confusing making progress towards 2 opposing goals over a length of time vs accomplishing 2 opposing goals simultaneously

i know trying to do both isn't as effective and can be counterproductive. my weight has defintiely fluctuated a lot during this time, but can work to a certain extent. i know pushing it tot he next level will definitely require more concentrated periods of fat loss and bulking, but i'm kinda okay with where i'm at right now. when i have more time and energy, i'll put in the sacrifices for it

this was where i was at during the first month of p90




and about 2 weeks after that




about a month ago i kinda cut back a bit with the workouts since i was always busy and didnt' have thet ime,a nd wasn't eating as much, so i skinnied down a bit




and finally here i am now, this past week



definitely toned up a lot more and more muscle mass since the beginning. i havent' pushed the bulking as much recently, and have just been doing maintenance, and making sure my love handles don't come back to haunt me.

as i mentioned too, i dont' follow the p90x routine to the T, rather jsut modified it to work for my current goals and incorporating the plyo and the abs program. but i gotta admit, the plyo works WONDERS.

i forgot to add in my previous post too that i do legs heavily once a week, since the plyo is already a huge leg workout itself.

[Turbo>NA]

Wow dude sick ass progress

Congrates.

[dpwr]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

i know trying to do both isn't as effective and can be counterproductive. my weight has defintiely fluctuated a lot during this time, but can work to a certain extent. i know pushing it tot he next level will definitely require more concentrated periods of fat loss and bulking, but i'm kinda okay with where i'm at right now. when i have more time and energy, i'll put in the sacrifices for it

this was where i was at during the first month of p90




and about 2 weeks after that




about a month ago i kinda cut back a bit with the workouts since i was always busy and didnt' have thet ime,a nd wasn't eating as much, so i skinnied down a bit




and finally here i am now, this past week



definitely toned up a lot more and more muscle mass since the beginning. i havent' pushed the bulking as much recently, and have just been doing maintenance, and making sure my love handles don't come back to haunt me.

as i mentioned too, i dont' follow the p90x routine to the T, rather jsut modified it to work for my current goals and incorporating the plyo and the abs program. but i gotta admit, the plyo works WONDERS.

i forgot to add in my previous post too that i do legs heavily once a week, since the plyo is already a huge leg workout itself.

last 3 pictures look the same to me, it's just the last one has a better lightning then the rest, and the first picture you can't see anything there...

[nightkhan]

Originally Posted by dpwr

last 3 pictures look the same to me, it's just the last one has a better lightning then the rest, and the first picture you can't see anything there...

exactly...nothing to see there

I think the most prominent difference between the last pic and the 2nd and 3rd pic is around my abs area...more specifically the waist area. the last one i've defintiely slimmed down there so the "man-cut" as they call it is way more apparent than the 2nd pic

[dpwr]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

exactly...nothing to see there

I think the most prominent difference between the last pic and the 2nd and 3rd pic is around my abs area...more specifically the waist area. the last one i've defintiely slimmed down there so the "man-cut" as they call it is way more apparent than the 2nd pic

i don't know man, I'm not trying to discourage you or anything like that, but I still don't see any difference, like I said, last picture has way better lightning..

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

exactly...nothing to see there

I think the most prominent difference between the last pic and the 2nd and 3rd pic is around my abs area...more specifically the waist area. the last one i've defintiely slimmed down there so the "man-cut" as they call it is way more apparent than the 2nd pic

Can you plz provide some insight and more detail of your diet and workout that got you that body in the third pic?

Thanks,

Keep up the good work.

[Turbo>NA]

bump

[nightkhan]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

Can you plz provide some insight and more detail of your diet and workout that got you that body in the third pic?

Thanks,

Keep up the good work.

i'll shoot this over to you later today when i have some time to write it up.

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by nightkhan

i'll shoot this over to you later today when i have some time to write it up.

bumpp..

I also have a question, how much water should I consume during a workout? And how bad is high fructose syrup in a diet?

[BMW_TT]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

bumpp..

I also have a question, how much water should I consume during a workout? And how bad is high fructose syrup in a diet?

I try not to intake any artificial sugar. I get mine mainly from fruits.

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by Turbo>NA

bumpp..

And how bad is high fructose syrup in a diet?

Pretty much awful. Mainly because it means you are eating processed garbage.

[Turbo>NA]

Originally Posted by jaiman

Pretty much awful. Mainly because it means you are eating processed garbage.

So basically Gaterade or Powerade are bad for you?