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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 12:22 AM, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

I don’t like working out on vacation.
I also hate the week after and get mad at myself for not working out on vacation.

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I usually end up going at least once every 3 days or so. Otherwise, the gym week back from the vacation would absolutely suck. 

Posted

Regarding all the "healthy" snacks posts in this thread. Just my two cents here and I've been doing this for decades, I follow a calorie/macro plan. Usually for snacks, I eat sardines and tuna to hit my protein and fat goals. Normally, I lean heavily into protein/fat in the morning and afternoons for my macro goals.

When it comes to an actual snack, I don't mess around with protein bars as a snack. If I want an actual snack and have the calories and carbs to spare I eat a candy bar.

I'll usually eat a half of one of these. Which is about 250 calories and 12g of sugar amd 70+% dark chocolate. Tastes better than a protein bar and way less sugar than a Snickers.

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Posted

A lot of fitness gurus recommend taking about a week off of your workout routine every couple months or so. I usually try to book a vacation right around the time when I should take that break, so I go on trips without the guilt of not working out.

And my typical vacation is an urban setting where I’m doing a lot of walking, often breaking 20,000 steps a day. So it’s not like I’m laying on a beach all day doing nothing.

There have been a couple trips when I’ve been a week at Rosemary Beach, and I paid for a one-week pass at the local gym because we were, for the most park, laying on a beach drinking beer most of the time, and I wanted to offset that with a workout each morning. But that’s been the vacation exception for me.

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Posted

If you are trying to lose weight I have absolutely no idea why you would consume protein bars instead of whole food. Putting aside the fact that food is more nutrient dense, it is incredibly more satiating than a protein bar. More satiety = less hunger.

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 1:22 PM, Herbie Hancock said:

If you are trying to lose weight I have absolutely no idea why you would consume protein bars instead of whole food. Putting aside the fact that food is more nutrient dense, it is incredibly more satiating than a protein bar. More satiety = less hunger.

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I mean, say more? I don’t want to eat a sardine. For me, a protein bar *is* satiating, and I guess also carries the convenience factor. A quest bar is like a snooze button on my next meal, or adds that satiety to a meal that might not carry much otherwise, at the cost of 200 calories. I’ll eat one in the morning if I’m hungry and don’t want to wait till lunch (and am either at work or am cramming it into my face between my busy block of meetings from 6-10), or I’ll eat one with lunch on a day like today when I’m likely to get a bowl of soup from the chinese place next to my office and then have a quest bar for dessert.

What is the whole food I should be eating instead? Cottage cheese?

This is my normal lunch when I’m wfh. 500 calories, it’s highly easy for me to eat this and a healthy dinner and a small night snack and that’s it for the day.

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 10:15 AM, South Austin said:

A lot of fitness gurus recommend taking about a week off of your workout routine every couple months or so. I usually try to book a vacation right around the time when I should take that break, so I go on trips without the guilt of not working out.

And my typical vacation is an urban setting where I’m doing a lot of walking, often breaking 20,000 steps a day. So it’s not like I’m laying on a beach all day doing nothing.

There have been a couple trips when I’ve been a week at Rosemary Beach, and I paid for a one-week pass at the local gym because we were, for the most park, laying on a beach drinking beer most of the time, and I wanted to offset that with a workout each morning. But that’s been the vacation exception for me.

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I’m the same way. I coincide my fun travel with my week off from the gym. My April week off is going to be in Santa Fe so I can do some hiking in lieu of the gym 

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 4:35 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Do you know if their recommendation is for a mental reset or to give your body a deeper rest and recovery? Or perhaps both.

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More the latter.  And articles I've read don't simply recommend doing nothing and eating like shit in the off week.  Work in some stretching and light cardio a few days, and give the weights a rest.  

But for some the week off provides an additional much-needed mental recharge.  

Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 4:35 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Do you know if their recommendation is for a mental reset or to give your body a deeper rest and recovery? Or perhaps both.

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This is probably exercise dependent. I can only speak to strength training and there is the idea that people should take a week off to recover. Personally, I don't schedule any time off. As South Austin mentioned, life often presents time off via vacations, work, illness, etc..

Unless you are grinding away all year long come rain or shine, I'm not sure taking a break is necessary. Sleep, nutrition and proper technique are more important than taking a week off.

 

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 1:42 PM, Celery Man said:
I mean, say more? I don’t want to eat a sardine. For me, a protein bar *is* satiating, and I guess also carries the convenience factor. A quest bar is like a snooze button on my next meal, or adds that satiety to a meal that might not carry much otherwise, at the cost of 200 calories. I’ll eat one in the morning if I’m hungry and don’t want to wait till lunch (and am either at work or am cramming it into my face between my busy block of meetings from 6-10), or I’ll eat one with lunch on a day like today when I’m likely to get a bowl of soup from the chinese place next to my office and then have a quest bar for dessert.
What is the whole food I should be eating instead? Cottage cheese?
This is my normal lunch when I’m wfh. 500 calories, it’s highly easy for me to eat this and a healthy dinner and a small night snack and that’s it for the day.
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Add together the calories from those snacks, then break down the total F/C/P. I’m willing to bet a meal of roughly 3/4 cup rice and 5oz chicken breast/thigh would be better and less overall calories.
Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 4:35 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:
Do you know if their recommendation is for a mental reset or to give your body a deeper rest and recovery? Or perhaps both.

What he’s speaking of is called a deload. It’s only necessary if you are truly taxing your CNS on a consistent basis, but even then a deload isn’t taking time off from the gym. It’s reducing the stimulus (intensity) for 7-10 days. You still workout/move, just typically with less volume and less weight.
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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 5:32 PM, Herbie Hancock said:


Add together the calories from those snacks, then break down the total F/C/P. I’m willing to bet a meal of roughly 3/4 cup rice and 5oz chicken breast/thigh would be better and less overall calories.

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That amount of chicken and some rice would be ballpark 400 calories and would be a good meal with some veggies or fruit. But yeah that would be an entirely different purpose than how I eat protein bars.

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 1:42 PM, Celery Man said:

What is the whole food I should be eating instead? Cottage cheese?

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I won't mention sardines or tuna.

I had a link of apple chicken sausage, hummus and an apple for a midmorning snack today.

Cheese, boiled eggs, grilled chicken breast, a cup of Mootopia, plain Greek yogurt, smoked salmon, are my common go to protein snacks. I keep boiled eggs and grilled chicken in the refrigerator for easy access.

 

Posted

I wish I liked sardines more, but unless they're fresh out of the Mediterranean (I ate them like nobody's business over a few days in Cinque Terra), they're too "fishy" for me.  And they have a lot of sodium.

Cottage cheese is an excellent protein source, but also is high in sodium content, if you're mindful of that. 

Plain Greek yogurt, or Icelandic Skyr, is usually my mid-morning between meal snack, along with blueberries.  I also keep a bag of raw nuts in my office at all time for a handful in between meals -- walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or cashews.  They're excellent sources of protein, fiber, and for the satiation angle, health fats.

Posted (edited)

I need to eat more cottage cheese. And I made these egg bites for the kids the other night and was thinking I need to come back around and get these added into MyFitnessPal for my own consumption-

https://www.allrecipes.com/copycat-starbucks-bacon-and-gruyere-egg-bites-recipe-7724623
 

As I start coming off of a deficit and trying to consume my daily calorie expenditure or closer to it I’ll need to get some better easy healthy food options.  But the caloric equivalent in cheese sticks (2) of a quest bar would be less filling to me (and have 2/3rds the protein) of a quest bar. I’m not trying to convert you guys to protein bars or whatever I’m just trying to think through if there is some thing that is better that strikes the same mix of tasty/filling/portable/about 200 calories. I will say that stuff like kind bars don’t do nearly the same thing for me in terms of staving off hunger as do higher protein bars like quest.

I should make those egg bites with fewer yolks and a healthier meat, keep those frozen for a quick breakfast when I’m home.

Edited by Celery Man
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Posted

Those egg bites are an excellent idea. I’m not a fan, but I make them for my wife and they really help her.

My go to when I start to really drop the hammer calorically is chicken sausage links and the egg life egg-white wraps. 3 sausages and 3 wraps used like a tortilla. Some hot sauce. Sometimes if I have time I’ll dice and grill some jakapenos and onion and it almost looks like a hot dog.

3 links at 80 calories each. 2.5F 1C 13P

3 wraps at 25 calories each. 0F 0C 5P

That’s a meal/snack of 54 grams of protein, 1g carb and 2.5g fat.
Lots of similar options out there, just gotta go looking for them.

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Posted
  On 3/26/2025 at 6:46 PM, South Austin said:

I wish I liked sardines more, but unless they're fresh out of the Mediterranean (I ate them like nobody's business over a few days in Cinque Terra), they're too "fishy" for me.  And they have a lot of sodium.

Cottage cheese is an excellent protein source, but also is high in sodium content, if you're mindful of that. 

Plain Greek yogurt, or Icelandic Skyr, is usually my mid-morning between meal snack, along with blueberries.  I also keep a bag of raw nuts in my office at all time for a handful in between meals -- walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or cashews.  They're excellent sources of protein, fiber, and for the satiation angle, health fats.

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Yeah, fresh sardines from the Mediterranean are great. I wasn't always a fan. As a kid in Spain, I remember being shocked when my aunt put a platter of sardines on the table. The fish were staring at me and my younger cousin sucked out the eyeballs. It freaked me out.

 

Posted

ETA

MyFitnessPal says it’s 715 cal and 78 grams of protein.  The complex carbs in the granola and lactose (sugar) in the dairy make you wanna run through a wall on the way to the gym.  No joke.  On a day when you’re feelin’ good already, this shit is like crystal methamphetamine.

Posted
  On 3/27/2025 at 2:05 AM, Parliament said:

ETA

MyFitnessPal says it’s 715 cal and 78 grams of protein.  The complex carbs in the granola and lactose (sugar) in the dairy make you wanna run through a wall on the way to the gym.  No joke.  On a day when you’re feelin’ good already, this shit is like crystal methamphetamine.

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How much sugar?

I just drink coffee with a half a cup of chocolate Mootopia milk before a workout in the morning. I'm caffeine sensitive so some coffee does the job.

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Posted (edited)
  On 3/27/2025 at 3:24 AM, F250 said:

How much sugar?

 

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Only the lactose that’s in the yogurt, milk and whey.  I think it is widely believed that lactose isn’t bad.  (I have not googled that myself.)

Edited by Parliament
Posted
  On 3/27/2025 at 1:39 AM, Parliament said:

This on top of Greek yogurt, washed down with skim milk and whey protein. It’s my go-to meal an hour before training.

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My breakfast is similar. Metamucil crackers crumbled in Greek yogurt. 

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Posted
  On 3/27/2025 at 11:12 AM, Parliament said:

Only the lactose that’s in the yogurt, milk and whey.  I think it is widely believed that lactose isn’t bad.  (I have not googled that myself.)

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I meant the Nature Valley product. I was curious because granola tends to be pretty sugary.

Regarding lactose, that is bad for me or I should say it's bad for people near me. My lactose farts make Briskets Allsups burrito farts smell like potpourri in comparison. 

I can handle Greek yogurt because of the lack of lactose in it. Thank God for Mootopia, it's the only milk I can stomach. I went years without milk until HEB started selling Mootopia.

Posted (edited)

I have been out of the gym for 2 weeks now. One of these weeks has been in recovery from a cortisone shot in my forearm to try and help with the tendinitis I've been experiencing. 

Holy shit, I'll never do that again unless I have no choice. My arm was almost completely dead the next day. I am still experiencing pain that's worse than when I went in for this visit when I make certain moves. I am planning on not stressing my arm at all until I have no pain, so all upper body workouts have been halted. I want to continue with lower body workouts, but I don't want to lift the plates to do squats, etc and risk injuring it again. 

I'm feeling very discouraged by this setback, but I also know that only time can heal with injuries like this. 

Edited by SurlyBDR
Posted
  On 4/2/2025 at 3:17 AM, SurlyBDR said:
I have been out of the gym for 2 weeks now. One of these weeks has been in recovery from a cortisone shot in my forearm to try and help with the tendinitis I've been experiencing. 
Holy shit, I'll never do that again unless I have no choice. My arm was almost completely dead the next day. I am still experiencing pain that's worse than when I went in for this visit when I make certain moves. I am planning on not stressing my arm at all until I have no pain, so all upper body workouts have been halted. I want to continue with lower body workouts, but I don't want to lift the plates to do squats, etc and risk injuring it again. 
I'm feeling very discouraged by this setback, but I also know that only time can heal with injuries like this. 

You don’t need plates. Tempo air squats, Bulgarian split squats at tempo, etc. If you make all movements 3 seconds down, 1 second up (for push movements), you’ll still get a great workout.
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Posted

Lunges and split squats wear my ass out more than most other exercises.  But depending on how heavy you go, you can put some stress on your arms while holding the dumbells for 10 reps on each leg per set, or so.  But it's mostly in the shoulders and traps, so the biceps might be okay.

But at the very least, there are tons of bodyweight exercise to keep you in the gym while your arm recovers.

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Posted
  On 4/2/2025 at 9:02 PM, South Austin said:

Lunges and split squats wear my ass out more than most other exercises.  But depending on how heavy you go, you can put some stress on your arms while holding the dumbells for 10 reps on each leg per set, or so.  But it's mostly in the shoulders and traps, so the biceps might be okay.

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My "lazy" version of both is to use the Smith machine

Posted
  On 4/2/2025 at 9:52 PM, South Austin said:

What difference does it make?

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Regarding a Smith machine, the lack of instability and range of motion. Stick to free weights whenever possible. If you can't use barbells then use dumb bells, if you can't use dumb bells then use kettle bells. If you can't use any free weights and someone has a gun to your head then I guess you should use a Smith machine.

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Posted
  On 4/3/2025 at 3:40 AM, F250 said:

Regarding a Smith machine, the lack of instability and range of motion. Stick to free weights whenever possible. If you can't use barbells then use dumb bells, if you can't use dumb bells then use kettle bells. If you can't use any free weights and someone has a gun to your head then I guess you should use a Smith machine.

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It makes none, but now you have gone, and you must be looking very old tonight.

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Posted
  On 3/23/2025 at 6:35 PM, Celery Man said:

In the protein bar conversation, my wife loves these. I might have to steal one, she says they’re much more like a candy bar than the quest bars

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I think I’m starting to bottom out in the low 160s. I’ve upped my calories a tad which could be it but the curve has started to flatten out. My 15 month old weighs 28.5 pounds so I’d like to hit 160 at this point just to be able to have lost the weight of my child in single quarter. Still maybe possible. But I’m at the point where I probably need to start doing crunches or some shit to get a bit of belly definition happening. My new pants are already loose but I can wear the shit that I never had the heart to throw out and the shorts that I got in the wrong size 2 years ago.

It’s funny the kind of body dysmorphia you can get from being overweight but not obese - i look now what I always thought I *should* look like in pictures with “bad angles” or where I was making a funny face. Just all the pictures are good pictures now.

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Just catching up on thread. Whole lot of complete garbage in this pic. Take a look at the sugar alcohol content in any of those, especially Qwest bars. They are terrible for you.

Posted

Also holy shit at thinking a smith machine gives you the same workout as free weights. Smith machines can be useful for certain exercises but by it’s nature it’s not giving you the range of motion or working the stabilizing muscles as much as free weights. 
 

In all seriousness this is a subject I know a decent amount about. I’m 5’11, 195 right now and my main goal this year is to hit 5 reps on 225 bench. I’m at 2 right now, need help getting up the 3rd one. So it’s getting there.  I also really need to improve my cardio endurance, definitely lacking knowledge/experience in that field. 

Posted
  On 4/3/2025 at 1:07 PM, Herbie Hancock said:

Goddammit. One of the few threads worth being a part of on this site has now been infected with aids. Yay.

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I’m not going to be a regular contributor. Or chime in on weight loss stuff as I recognize that’s not something I’m trying to do or know much about. I just had to comment on the protein bars because they can be pretty detrimental if eaten regularly. 

Posted

UPDATE

I’m down 15# since Jan 1.  Only change was getting rid of calorie-dense food and replacing with only healthy stuff.  As discussed upthread, you can’t overeat when you’re eating only healthy.
 

Protein intake is up a bunch.  Fruits and veggies too.  Probably the first time in my life I’m getting enough fruits and vegetables.  I will get some cravings; intense but thankfully short.  Drinking easily 2x the black coffee I used to.  But on balance it’s a good trade.

I don’t think it’s sustainable to drop weight this fast.  Goal is to drop another 15# or so and I wanna do it slower.  Like 4#/month.  To that end I’m cutting cardio (in lieu of more weight training) and adding just a bit of calorie dense food.  Like a glass of 100% fruit juice as part of my pre workout.

Guys I won’t say it’s easy, but it really is that simple.  And once you get some habits and see some results, it does get easier.

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Posted

I got some new amino’s changed up some other supplements and recovery has been improving, biggest issue was legs. I was never too sore on upper body.  Yesterday I was feeling good before the gym, got all hopped up on a pre workout drink and did back, biceps and shoulders. In my mind I’m like do more reps, add more weight, upper body never gets too sore.  It’s going to hurt like a sob tomorrow on day two and it’s going to be hard to move.  Dumb shit people over 40 do in the gym..  

Posted (edited)
  On 4/8/2025 at 12:13 AM, Hook1997 said:

I got some new amino’s changed up some other supplements and recovery has been improving, biggest issue was legs. I was never too sore on upper body.  Yesterday I was feeling good before the gym, got all hopped up on a pre workout drink and did back, biceps and shoulders. In my mind I’m like do more reps, add more weight, upper body never gets too sore.  It’s going to hurt like a sob tomorrow on day two and it’s going to be hard to move.  Dumb shit people over 40 do in the gym..  

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Muscles get stronger faster than ligaments. And since you’re new(ish) to working out, your muscles are building strength that your tendons and ligaments may not be ready for, which could increase the risk of injury. 

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add some variety to your workouts. Isometrics and static holds, work your muscles in a different way and build your ligaments and tendons. Bodyweight exercises and  calisthenics develop balance, body control and overall proprioception (awareness of your body in space) This will keep you in the gym while letting the rest of your body adapt and catch up to the gains your muscles are making. 

As middle aged men there’s a lot more facets to strength than lifting weights in the gym. Building balance, body control and proprioception allows our bodies to incorporate our strength and muscular gains into a literal armor that will protect us as we age. 

Good luck and keep on keeping on! 

Edited by destroya
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Posted
  On 4/8/2025 at 12:13 AM, Hook1997 said:

I got some new amino’s changed up some other supplements and recovery has been improving, biggest issue was legs. I was never too sore on upper body.  Yesterday I was feeling good before the gym, got all hopped up on a pre workout drink and did back, biceps and shoulders. In my mind I’m like do more reps, add more weight, upper body never gets too sore.  It’s going to hurt like a sob tomorrow on day two and it’s going to be hard to move.  Dumb shit people over 40 do in the gym..  

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Your strength comes from the rest that comes after training.  Congratulations at doing your part, and apparently finding your limit.  Now take an extra day off and let your body do IT'S part and recover.  If you just can't stand to take that day off, do some light cardio.  Get the blood flowing and push those toxins out.

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Posted

Came here to say lunges, squats and core exercises can fuck off. 

10 weeks back at it with weights and resistance training, weight room and HIIT with a trainer 2x a week to go with tennis 2x a week.

yesterday was the first work out where I felt like crap the whole time, no endorphins, honeymoon phase over. 

fuck lunges, squats and core exercises. Hate with the heat of a thousand suns.

 

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