2019 Body Transformation Thread

[Dahobbs 17527]

18 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Stupid question...

How effective are resistance bands?  I've never lifted weights in my life; however, with my current lifestyle, I can see having quite a bit of time to do some version of resistance band exercise throughout the day.  Anyone else use these items frequently?

Bands provide a different resistance curve than free weights or cables. They are useful for adding resistance to the portion of the exercise that usually has the least. Also, they are very good for working on the rotator cuff. 

[El Diablo 4232]

My cuffs don't rotate.

I killed off most of the last of the tamales I bought at Thanksgiving and will polish off the remaining few on New Year's day. Neighbor lady says quinoa is a good food but it just looks like a carb or rice substitute to me. Is it okay on a Keto diet  in any quantity?

[DCA_HORN 725]

My cuffs don't rotate.
I killed off most of the last of the tamales I bought at Thanksgiving and will polish off the remaining few on New Year's day. Neighbor lady says quinoa is a good food but it just looks like a carb or rice substitute to me. Is it okay on a Keto diet  in any quantity?

No it's the same carb wise.

[El Diablo 4232]

34 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

44 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

My cuffs don't rotate.
I killed off most of the last of the tamales I bought at Thanksgiving and will polish off the remaining few on New Year's day. Neighbor lady says quinoa is a good food but it just looks like a carb or rice substitute to me. Is it okay on a Keto diet  in any quantity?

No it's the same carb wise.

That's nuts.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

Well - last day of the year.  I didn't weigh in this morning but I was 188 on 12/23.  Went to my folks house and gorged myself on peanut butter chocolate balls.

I'm back home and back on my IF.  Increased by max bench by 40 pounds this year (195 to 235).  Goals met.

Onward to a new decade.

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

awesome to see everyone kicking ass!

just checking back in.  I have found a sweet spot between keto and a 'normal' diet and been bouncing around between 206 and 210 and am very happy with that.  The wife is doing keto now and has also had good success.  We would normally give each other chocolate and other sweet stocking stuffers at xmas, but it was funny to see all the choc zero and beef jerky type stuff in there this year.  Kids were like WTF is that shit?

had another lipid panel and it came back good so still no ill effects seen on that front from switching the diet back in May.

 

[Storm the Field 5294]

Has anyone started the 2020 Get Less Fat Thread?

[Sbbruin 21829]

On 1/3/2020 at 11:49 AM, Storm the Field said:

Has anyone started the 2020 Get Less Fat Thread?

This one will work fine.  I'm back on board after some failings.  Want to lose 15-20 lbs.

[Storm the Field 5294]

Just now, Sbbruin said:

This one will work fine.  I'm back on board after some failings.  Want to lose 15-20 lbs.

Same here. Started back up this past Thursday at 205. Trying to lay off the booze as much as possible this month. Spent the weekend walking dogs down the bayou and riding my bike instead of laying around hungover and eating crap, which was pretty much how I spent every weekend since Labor Day.  

Want to get back to my "normal" weight of ~185 and regain some muscle tone by the time my birthday rolls around in early March. 

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

we were gifted this huge vat of popcorn for Christmas and I ate damn near the whole thing after starting the new year.  jumped on the scale and had gained a solid 10lbs.  yeesh.  well back to dialing it back in with the low carb diet.

Not going to say it was worth it, but man after adding truffle salt it was impossible to stop eating it.

[4th&Five 41519]

Gained about 4lbs over Xmas/NYE. Not too bad. Back on track this week. 

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

14 hours ago, gyroprotagonist said:

we were gifted this huge vat of popcorn for Christmas and I ate damn near the whole thing after starting the new year.  jumped on the scale and had gained a solid 10lbs.  yeesh.  well back to dialing it back in with the low carb diet.

Not going to say it was worth it, but man after adding truffle salt it was impossible to stop eating it.

I've got a big bag of the caramel and cheese corn mix they sell at Costco. It's unopened and staring at me a lot. I put on about 10 over the holiday's but then had to go on the road for work, so I'm still eating like crap. That's not a good excuse, but I gotta get home and get back on track. 

[Goofyboy 3269]

212. Back on track this week.

[txhorns 2409]

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

[Goofyboy 3269]

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

You skipped the most important part - what is your current nutrition plan? Supplements are well and good, but not really needed if your diet is trash.

[txhorns 2409]

2 minutes ago, Goofyboy said:

 

You skipped the most important part - what is your current nutrition plan? Supplements are well and good, but not really needed if your diet is trash.

 

Breakfast is fruit.  Lunch is on the road so usually not good.  Dinner is typically healthy.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

2 hours ago, txhorns said:

Breakfast is fruit.  Lunch is on the road so usually not good.  Dinner is typically healthy.

Meal prep on Sunday for lunches during the week.  Eat a lot of chicken breasts/thighs.  You can't outrun a bad diet.  It all starts in the kitchen.

[Parliament 14247]

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

Whey protein and creatine.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

I've always felt that when you want to lose weight AND put on muscle, it's better to do one first and then go with the other. When I've increased my work-out (or started a program from nothing) my appetite goes through the roof. It's also hard to avoid bad food because I'm so freakin hungry. I gain weight and not just muscle.

In the past I've found the best method to lose weight is to stop all exercising and focus on a strict diet. When I do that, I can easily drop 15-20 lbs in a month. Now there may be some muscle loss with that but it's mainly fat.  What you do in the kitchen is mainly what determines your body fat. 

I'm not saying it's impossible to have two simultaneous goals being met but I think it's more than twice as hard as just doing one at a time.

[El Diablo 4232]

Weight's been fluctuating a good bit over the last month. 4 dozen tamales between T-Day and NYE, quite a few slices of pecan pie, chocolates and assorted candies, etc... I had a 6 pound weight swing this past week, went from 208 down to 202 this morning so I don't honestly know what I weigh right this moment. I'll track it twice a day for a few days and get that figured out before I decide what my starting weight is for this year. I'll post up in a few days on that. Otherwise I'm back on the Keto train. The first couple of days carb free caused me some mild discomfort with cravings but that seems to have passed fairly quickly. Let's do this, 2020!

[pearlandhorn 3269]

1 hour ago, Parliament said:

4 hours ago, txhorns said:

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

Whey protein and creatine.

I also found that Casein protein is also a good alternative at night while asleep.  You can use whey (make sure you get the ISOLATE whey and not whey concentrate).  Casein doesn't provide the insulin spike that whey causes and is a slow releasing protein rather than an initial jolt from whey.  It could all be gobblygoop for all I know but I've read about it quite a bit.  Casein tastes a shitload better too.

[Dahobbs 17527]

4 hours ago, txhorns said:

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

Start with getting diet in order and adding resistance training at the gym. Once you have those two things going for you in a consistent way, then you can start to think about supplements. It would be a waste of money for you right now.  

[South Austin 52456]

8 hours ago, txhorns said:

I've been trying to lose some weight for a month but more importantly just get into better shape.  Been going to the gym a few times a week.  I also want to put on some muscle as I've always been puny since I've never lifted weights.  Not looking to get body builder ripped though.  Should I start taking any supplements to help?  If so what should I be taking?

 

5 hours ago, Parliament said:

Whey protein and creatine.

 

3 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

I also found that Casein protein is also a good alternative at night while asleep.  You can use whey (make sure you get the ISOLATE whey and not whey concentrate).  Casein doesn't provide the insulin spike that whey causes and is a slow releasing protein rather than an initial jolt from whey.  It could all be gobblygoop for all I know but I've read about it quite a bit.  Casein tastes a shitload better too.

 

3 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

Start with getting diet in order and adding resistance training at the gym. Once you have those two things going for you in a consistent way, then you can start to think about supplements. It would be a waste of money for you right now.  

All this is good for starters. 

Find a good weight-lifting program, and start easy.  Check your ego at the door, and ignore how much the guys next to you are lifting, concentrating on form over weight, and building up slowly so you don't injure yourself.  Work a day of cardio into your lifting cycle.  Start with the whey and casein protein right away, taking whey after your workout and casein before you go to bed.  Cut down on the sugars and processed foods, and consume the "good carbs," such as oatmeal, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta.  If you stick to a fairly disciplined diet (allowing for some cheats every now and then) and workout program, you can add on 15-20 pounds of lean muscle pretty quickly, and you can do all that without supplements like amino acids and fat burners, most of which aren't worth the costs.  At least that what worked for me. 

[4th&Five 41519]

6 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

Meal prep on Sunday for lunches during the week.  Eat a lot of chicken breasts/thighs.  You can't outrun a bad diet.  It all starts in the kitchen.

Fact. People see my weight loss and most of them assume it’s all from spending a ton of time in the gym. Truth is I do the exact same workouts now at 182 that I did at 250. It was literally all diet. 

[Longhorn Al 440]

I'm a total fatass again. I let the last few months of 2019 really sabotage me.  But having the calendar flip into 2020 has motivated me.  I've been back on the horse since midnight January 1st.  I fasted till Saturday, then had bbq for lunch and dinner (leftovers), and have been fasting since then.  I've lost 14 lbs so far.

2020 goal: lose 150+ lbs.

I want to lose another 10-15 lbs and then go back to the gym like I was doing pre-Thanksgiving.  I need to be down to a manageable weight so I can workout. Shouldn't take too much longer.

I'm weighing every day and taking video of it.  I created a youtube page to keep track of all my weigh-ins and refeeds.  I'm hoping this will help keep me on track.  Every 50 lbs I lose, I'll take a couple photos and create a quick before & after video for youtube.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Dropped 5 since NYE to back under 190
Goal is ~185.

I’m 45 now so it’s getting tougher keeping muscle on.

[Rougarou 594]

My wife is really pushing me to lose weight to get healthy. Health, not anything to do with attractiveness...so she says

In 7 days since 2020 began I've mixed in more salads (3) than I had in all of H2 of 2019. I'm trying to do keto/no-carb too. I want to lose 25 lbs.

[Fastbreak 3984]

Nov 12, 2018 - weighed 366.5

2019 recap:

Jan 4, 350

Feb 8, 327

March 4, 322

April 8, 304

May 16, 297

plateau - fuck you!

August 10, 297

Sept 14, 292 (low)

Nov 14, 298

Dec31, 306

 

In 2019 lost 43 pounds, even with gain over holidays. Roughly lost 70 pounds since all time high weight. 
 

my goal with my height (6’3”) and frame is 240-250 (I played basketball and football at 235 in HS). I think I can achieve it with what I learned in 2019. 

[Fastbreak 3984]

what worked for me:

AM

30g protein bar (200 calories)

nitro coffee

lunch

salad stop salad (usually 400-600 calories)

Afternoon

30g protein bar or protein shake (love the Quest brand)

Dinner

200-300g of protein meat (striploin, chicken breast, salmon)

baked vegetables with olive oil (sweet potato, pumpkin, Brussel Sprouts, asparagus)

 

Drinks

2-5 liters of water a day 

 

went from 2-5 beers a day to 2-5 beers a month  

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Fastbreak

[SimonBolivar 10957]

6 hours ago, South Austin said:

 

 

 

All this is good for starters. 

Find a good weight-lifting program, and start easy.  Check your ego at the door, and ignore how much the guys next to you are lifting, concentrating on form over weight, and building up slowly so you don't injure yourself.  Work a day of cardio into your lifting cycle.  

ICF 5x5 + 5k in off days is a good start and roughly 1 to 1.5 hrs a day.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

I advise against planning for cheat days on diets, or at least set high goals that must be met before you cheat. I don’t think 1 cheat day itself will cause much weight gain by why torture yourself.

Ive see a few people plan their cheat day in advance and it’s all they talk about when describing their new diet. The chance of that person succeeding is 0%.

finally meal prep is key because few of us always have enough time to cook a healthy meal, defined by whatever diet. If you tell yourself you will wake up early to make your lunch to take to work, you won’t. You’re having chick fila that day.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

15 hours ago, South Austin said:

 

 

 

All this is good for starters. 

Find a good weight-lifting program, and start easy.  Check your ego at the door, and ignore how much the guys next to you are lifting, concentrating on form over weight, and building up slowly so you don't injure yourself.  Work a day of cardio into your lifting cycle.  Start with the whey and casein protein right away, taking whey after your workout and casein before you go to bed.  Cut down on the sugars and processed foods, and consume the "good carbs," such as oatmeal, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta.  If you stick to a fairly disciplined diet (allowing for some cheats every now and then) and workout program, you can add on 15-20 pounds of lean muscle pretty quickly, and you can do all that without supplements like amino acids and fat burners, most of which aren't worth the costs.  At least that what worked for me. 

This is truth right here. All the shit you see on TV like “lose weight and eat what you want!” Is all bullshit. 185.6 this morning. Lost the Christmas weight I gained (only a few pounds). 

It really is eating less calories than you burn in a day which is why a lot of people are doing intermittent fasting. Find consistency with your diet and you’ll be surprised how motivated you are to see the scale dropping.

[Goofyboy 3269]

This is truth right here. All the shit you see on TV like “lose weight and eat what you want!” Is all bullshit. 185.6 this morning. Lost the Christmas weight I gained (only a few pounds). 
It really is eating less calories than you burn in a day which is why a lot of people are doing intermittent fasting. Find consistency with your diet and you’ll be surprised how motivated you are to see the scale dropping.

You’re right. I sell shakes as a side hustle. I have people ask if the can drink while on the program.... simple answer is sure, if you don’t want to lose weight. Same with eating shitty dinners - won’t lose weight. I’m on shakes because my wife and I failed at meal prepping every Sunday. Our evening diets have changed and we don’t eat out often. I’m down from 241 to 208 as of this morning. I’m back on plan.

There is no magic bullet. It takes effort.

[Post Oak 20208]

Gonna be a dry January for me.  I'm actually looking forward to it. Intermittent fasting 18/6ish.

Started jumping rope and doing kettlebell and bodyweight workouts.  Yoga in the AM if i can make myself get outta bed.

I'm 40 and I want to be able to be flexible, have functional strength and balance as I get older.

6'1 200 this AM.  Would like to be about 170ish.

[HouTex 1866]

Alcohol has been discussed and, of course, all booze has calories, but drinking less wine has helped me reduce my overall calorie intake.  I'm drinking more vodka and bourbon these days, but all-in, I'm taking in fewer calories by having a couple of ounces of bourbon or vodka 4-5 nights a week vs. half a bottle of wine most nights.  I still enjoy a good wine with the right meal, but I no longer drink it daily.

[Post Oak 20208]

I'm not much of a beer drinker.  I prefer wine and whiskeys.  

I feel like when i drink pretty regularly i don't savor it as much. 

The good stuff should be savored

[Storm the Field 5294]

First little victories for me today, after 6 days of living the straight and narrow.

Woke up at 204.7 on 1/2. 199.6 this morning. First time below 200 since Thanksgiving.

Annoying, but satisfying to see that I'm now between holes on my favorite belt. Usual is too loose, though the next one down is a bit snug. Give it another week or so.  

Edited January 8, 2020 by Storm the Field

[pearlandhorn 3269]

I don't drink beer anymore.  I've kind of lost the taste for it.  I'll have a glass of wine at a nice restaurant every once in a while but I mainly drink Glenlivet when I drink.

[Post Oak 20208]

Same.  I drank barrels full of beer when i was younger and I'll have one every now and then but I've lost the taste for it too

[Longhorn Al 440]

I've lost 16.4 lbs so far in 2020.  Feeling much better.  Starting to cramp slightly at night, so I need to push more water and electrolytes.

Had my refeed today. Was ~90 hours fasted. Went to Mighty Fine and got the Beast in a bowl with bacon and chili (carbs, I know).  Added pickles and grilled japs/onions.  Forgot to add the cheese.  I thought it was automatic.  I also had some onion rings.  Next time I'd add cheese and lose the onion rings.

I expect to gain some at tomorrow's weigh-in with the 50-60 carbs I ingested and the water I'm going to drink tonight.  You'd think that expectation was obvious, but I lost 0.2 on Sunday after eating 2+ lbs of bbq on Saturday. So who knows?

Edited January 9, 2020 by Longhorn Al

[Longhorn Al 440]

I lost 0.4 today 23.5 hours fasted after that meal yesterday.  Really thought I'd gain.  I'll take it.

Down 17.2 so far in 2020.

[Longhorn Al 440]

24.0 lbs lost.  I just broke my fast at 93.5 hours with a meal at Buffet Palace.  I'm full but not stuffed.  Good to go for another 90+ hours.

[irishtexan 11515]

OK. Got super fucking fat over the holidays and feel like shit. I'm not going to go on any major diet like keto or anything like that. Going to stop eating as much shitty food and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, which my wife has been wanting to do for a long time now anyway. So that ought to help. When we cook dinner we typically make extras to bring for lunch the next day or two, so I don't eat out a whole lot. Need to cut back on the booze. I go to the gym but mainly just lift weights. I want to change from a Chest/Shoulders/Tricep, Back/Biceps, Legs routine to a full-body high-intensity circuit to increase the intensity of my exercises and incorporate more cardio. Was thinking about doing a circuit of decreasing reps going from 10 down to 1, 15 second rest between exercises, with a one minute rest between circuits with the following:

Monday

barbell squats

burpees

ropes (start with a minute and just reduce time because these aren't traditional "reps")

ab roller

 

Wednesday

deadlift

dumbbell pushups with rows

box jumps

dumbbell shoulder press

 

Friday

incline or flat bench dumbbell press

reverse lunges

kettlebell swing

crunches

 

I'm no exercise expert, so if anyone has any insight and has suggested changes, or a medium to high intensity circuit I could at the gym in about 45 minutes, I would certainly welcome the input. Is that enough? Too intense? Thoughts surly workout bros?

[DaysOff 7947]

You can't out exercise your fork and spoon.

[irishtexan 11515]

19 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

You can't out exercise your fork and spoon.

Thanks?

[Goofyboy 3269]

Thanks?

Sent you a message.

[crash_davis 23101]

22 hours ago, irishtexan said:

OK. Got super fucking fat over the holidays and feel like shit. I'm not going to go on any major diet like keto or anything like that. Going to stop eating as much shitty food and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, which my wife has been wanting to do for a long time now anyway. So that ought to help. When we cook dinner we typically make extras to bring for lunch the next day or two, so I don't eat out a whole lot. Need to cut back on the booze. I go to the gym but mainly just lift weights. I want to change from a Chest/Shoulders/Tricep, Back/Biceps, Legs routine to a full-body high-intensity circuit to increase the intensity of my exercises and incorporate more cardio. Was thinking about doing a circuit of decreasing reps going from 10 down to 1, 15 second rest between exercises, with a one minute rest between circuits with the following:

Monday

barbell squats

burpees

ropes (start with a minute and just reduce time because these aren't traditional "reps")

ab roller

 

Wednesday

deadlift

dumbbell pushups with rows

box jumps

dumbbell shoulder press

 

Friday

incline or flat bench dumbbell press

reverse lunges

kettlebell swing

crunches

 

I'm no exercise expert, so if anyone has any insight and has suggested changes, or a medium to high intensity circuit I could at the gym in about 45 minutes, I would certainly welcome the input. Is that enough? Too intense? Thoughts surly workout bros?

keep your heart rate up and keep rest to a minimum. year over year, it's no coincidence that you see the same overweight dudes at the gym doing the same, dated mr olympia work outs, resting 1-2 mins between sets. they are in the gym for an hour and doing nothing to burn calories. they could do HIIT routine for 30 mins and have 3 times the benefit towards their weight loss goals.

just keep moving. do other exercises (core) between sets if you can. you'll shorten your workouts to 30 mins because you'll be dead tired.

on tues and thurs, do 50-100 burpees in sets of 10s with as little rest in between as possible. do it in the morning before getting dressed for the day.

edit: i didn't answer your main question about routine.

I work out 4-5 days a week. i do the 2 muscle groups per workout, for example chest and tris on one day. but i always do core exercises in between sets, keeping rest to an absolute minimum. you'll find yourself lifting a little lighter weight because of how tired you are. at the end of my work out, i try to do 100 burpees in 12-13 mins. on dedicated leg days, i don't have the energy to do core exercises in between sets or burpees after the work out. leg days are my hardest workout days.

this workout allows you to build/keep a muscular physique while burning a shit load of calories. win/win.

Edited January 15, 2020 by crash_davis

[Post Oak 20208]

I've been doing Simple and Sinister.  Its a fucking workout.  I had planned to add some running but after doing some bodyweight stuff and medicine ball work along with kettlebells I am spent.   

Couldnt get in the right frame of mind today.  Wasnt a good workout.  Chickened out.  

[Dahobbs 17527]

5 hours ago, crash_davis said:

keep your heart rate up and keep rest to a minimum. year over year, it's no coincidence that you see the same overweight dudes at the gym doing the same, dated mr olympia work outs, resting 1-2 mins between sets. they are in the gym for an hour and doing nothing to burn calories. they could do HIIT routine for 30 mins and have 3 times the benefit towards their weight loss goals.

just keep moving. do other exercises (core) between sets if you can. you'll shorten your workouts to 30 mins because you'll be dead tired.

on tues and thurs, do 50-100 burpees in sets of 10s with as little rest in between as possible. do it in the morning before getting dressed for the day.

edit: i didn't answer your main question about routine.

I work out 4-5 days a week. i do the 2 muscle groups per workout, for example chest and tris on one day. but i always do core exercises in between sets, keeping rest to an absolute minimum. you'll find yourself lifting a little lighter weight because of how tired you are. at the end of my work out, i try to do 100 burpees in 12-13 mins. on dedicated leg days, i don't have the energy to do core exercises in between sets or burpees after the work out. leg days are my hardest workout days.

this workout allows you to build/keep a muscular physique while burning a shit load of calories. win/win.

This is good advice if your primary goal is to burn fat, but isn't ideal for muscle development beyond a certain point (the "newbie" gains). Intensity is absolutely critical, but mixing cardio between your lifting sets is just going to burn the glycogen stores that you need to power your muscles.  Technically, I think the most efficient way is to mix in cardio is AFTER intense strength training (working the muscle to or near failure each set). You're glycogen stores will have been depleted, meaning your body will have to move to burning fat during your cardio session. 

[crash_davis 23101]

2 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

This is good advice if your primary goal is to burn fat, but isn't ideal for muscle development beyond a certain point (the "newbie" gains). Intensity is absolutely critical, but mixing cardio between your lifting sets is just going to burn the glycogen stores that you need to power your muscles.  Technically, I think the most efficient way is to mix in cardio is AFTER intense strength training (working the muscle to or near failure each set). You're glycogen stores will have been depleted, meaning your body will have to move to burning fat during your cardio session. 

Good point. I typed mindful of the audience of surly. Most of the people on here are older fucks. Very few of us are going to get or want to be swoll enough to be on any fitness or body building covers. I've been doing variations of this exercise for 15ish years and am pretty damn cut. It will build muscle, you just wont get huge, which many of us probably do not want to get.  I look at crossfit. It's basically the same concept. Spread weight work with body weight and core work throughout the workout. Limit the rest. The crossfit people aren't huge, but they are cut and in shape.