Health & Nutrition Thread 2023 LFG!!

[Kiddo]

Anyone here have experience with testosterone pills? I started taking some a while back, to improve my energy, blood circulation, sex drive... They worked great but gave me a slight headache, my arms ached slightly and i felt antsy. Should i keep taking them?

 

[sportscoach]

New custom insoles (100 fuckig dollars) and new shoes yesterday. Don't know that new shoes will actually do anything, may return.

Super low arches, I can show the analysis they did on everything if anybody thinks they can help.

Volumental

my.volumental.com

I noticed a lot of fucking pain when walking on their treadmill, I hit my heels hard. I run on my toes so I don't actually think the running is the issue.

Gonna eventually try to change running form.

Sprint Training Explained

docs.google.com

This doc looks helpful per stretches and warm ups.



In the meantime, wanna drop like ten lbs and then bulk up that 10

View attachment 14175

Let us know how the feet feel after the change in shoes... it can take a moment to adjust to them!

 

[David.]

Anyone here have experience with testosterone pills? I started taking some a while back, to improve my energy, blood circulation, sex drive... They worked great but gave me a slight headache, my arms ached slightly and i felt antsy. Should i keep taking them?

Were you prescribed them or did you pick up something at a store?

 

[Kiddo]

Were you prescribed them or did you pick up something at a store?

Ordered online, so no wasn’t prescribed

 

[David.]

Ordered online, so no wasn’t prescribed

General rule of thumb is if it's legal it's not good, if it's good it's not legal.

Testosterone pills that actually make a significant difference require prescription. Would just toss

 

[natedagg]

General rule of thumb is if it's legal it's not good, if it's good it's not legal.

Testosterone pills that actually make a significant difference require prescription. Would just toss



View attachment 14177

I am no expert but the first thing that I would recommend for anyone is fixing their sleep. This includes not drinking. Try it for a week and then see how you feel. Fixing sleep can be a discipline in and of itself. It’s hard to put the phone down or stop watching Fauda. I know from experience!

If you don’t sleep well often bc you haven’t dedicated much thought to it, you will know immediately when you do. I believe it’s pretty good for hormonal regulation too.

 

[BMAN]

Anyone have advice/meal ideas for cutting? I’d like to lose some weight before June for a beach vacation. Currently 195 and am 5’8. I’m an experienced lifter (power lifted competitively/track everything) and have had experienced cutting before but shit was miserable. I lost about 25 lbs, wasn’t exactly cut when I did it, and my lifts sucked and I bombed out of my competition at the Arnold. I also know how to calculate how many calories I need to consume, I just suck at thinking of meals/sticking to it.

 

[bronko]

First off, I wish I could see how you walk in shoes and whatnot... The best support end up being in hiking shoes normally. Do you have a wide foot? Are your feet flat or do you have an arch? The shape of your feet and how you put down pressure matter. It sounds like you may be really heavy on your heel so adding maybe a bit of heal support may help...

Next, it sounds like you need to stretch and train your calves more... I would really focus on adding a few more lower leg stretches to the routine...

Next do you know how to swim? The exercises you need to do are actually in the water... You don't have to be swimming laps but there is deep water exercises (Aka where you cannot the ground) that can strengthen the joints and you can actually get some sprint speed by using resistance of the water in the shallow end. Doing some sprint drills in the water can help without putting as much strain on your body...

I've been doing Deep Water Toning for about seven years. It's been a godsend. I retired eight years ago from a very physical job with knees that were shot. An ACL reconstruction and two meniscus cleanups helped, but over time, my knee pain was becoming overpowering. I mistakenly thought that by eliminating the job, my legs would get better, but after a year of golfing as my prime exercise I was only getting worse. DWT has changed things dramatically. I no longer dread long stairways, can usually do day to day stuff without much pain, and simply enjoy life better. With my knees, DWT is the safest way for me to exercise intensely without repercussions. Lots of core work and stretching are involved. If you really attack it, it's great aerobic work too. I do a little weight work, but it's the DWT that's improved my quality of life.
I played all the major sports, plus volley and racquet ball into my early 50s, but the risk of seriously damaging my knees became too much. In my mid 60s now, I don't even want to risk pickleball because I'm a competitive mf and I can't just play at a casual level. So swimming and DWT is my main outlet these days.

 

[sportscoach]

I've been doing Deep Water Toning for about seven years. It's been a godsend. I retired eight years ago from a very physical job with knees that were shot. An ACL reconstruction and two meniscus cleanups helped, but over time, my knee pain was becoming overpowering. I mistakenly thought that by eliminating the job, my legs would get better, but after a year of golfing as my prime exercise I was only getting worse. DWT has changed things dramatically. I no longer dread long stairways, can usually do day to day stuff without much pain, and simply enjoy life better. With my knees, DWT is the safest way for me to exercise intensely without repercussions. Lots of core work and stretching are involved. If you really attack it, it's great aerobic work too. I do a little weight work, but it's the DWT that's improved my quality of life.
I played all the major sports, plus volley and racquet ball into my early 50s, but the risk of seriously damaging my knees became too much. In my mid 60s now, I don't even want to risk pickleball because I'm a competitive mf and I can't just play at a casual level. So swimming and DWT is my main outlet these days.

People don't understand nor think about how much the water training helps... If you have knee issues/leg issues, water is amazing for that...

 

[bronko]

People don't understand nor think about how much the water training helps... If you have knee issues/leg issues, water is amazing for that...

Yep, horse trainers have been using water treadmills to protect their million dollar animals for a long time. Travis Kelce credits underwater treadmills for helping him avoid leg injury at the age of 32. If you're rehabbing a leg injury or just getting old and need to lessen stress on the knees and hips, the water exercises work terrifically.

 

[Kouki]

Anyone have advice/meal ideas for cutting? I’d like to lose some weight before June for a beach vacation. Currently 195 and am 5’8. I’m an experienced lifter (power lifted competitively/track everything) and have had experienced cutting before but shit was miserable. I lost about 25 lbs, wasn’t exactly cut when I did it, and my lifts sucked and I bombed out of my competition at the Arnold. I also know how to calculate how many calories I need to consume, I just suck at thinking of meals/sticking to it.

I'm not exactly the most experienced in bulk/cut cycles but I go through phases where I obsess, read/watch all the info I can, etc. And I enjoy cooking so I was happy to try out new things, seek out low-cal alternatives etc. Pretty easily lost ~25 lbs at a rate of 1lb/week a year ago. Lifts improved during the cut but I am a beginner/novice.

I am all about high volume / low calorie food, eg filling up your belly with very little calories so you are satiated and never feel like you are starving (or honestly even feel like you are cutting).

High protein, high veggies, high fiber. Sugar free and fat free alternatives. Low fat just because fat is calorically dense but definitely get enough fat in your diet or you will have other problems. I typically get fat free stuff and eat lean means as a baseline, then add in fats like olive oil. Just easier IMO.

As a rule of thumb I target a 10:1 ratio of calories to protein for meals. Definitely not strict about it, not every meal is like this, but good rule of thumb since it scales to 2000 calories and 200g protein, which is what I cut at.

And drink a lot of water, personally I get thirst cues confused with hunger cues very easily, because I don't drink enough water.

Breakfast - keto bread/toast (35 calories a slice), berries, zero-calorie pancake syrup, turkey sausage, peppers/onions/mushrooms, spinach, last but not least egg whites. My typical breakfast was a brick of frozen spinach, a cup of egg whites, frozen peppers/onions, canned mushrooms, all scrambled together. Big plate of food for ~300 calories and 30+g protein.

Lunch - lean protein in a giant salad. Like take the biggest bowl you have and fill it up with spring mix - that's only 50 calories. Low or non-fat dressing. Whatever additional veg you want (tomatoes, cucumbers, celery etc). Sandwiches - deli meat is really low calorie, eat on keto bread with mustard or whatever.

Dinner - lean protein, bag of frozen veggies and if you are really stretching for calories, konjac/shirataki noodles

Lean proteins - chicken breast, cheap lean steak, pork tenderloin are my go-to's.

Misc snacks and tips -

• Smart Pop Popcorn, 100 calories for little bag and like 240 for regular bag. Add popcorn seasoning.
• Baby carrots, ~150 calories per 1lb bag (warning, this can cause upset stomach, start with < half a bag)
• SF jello - only like 20 or 40 calories a box, can spruce it up with frozen fruit for additional minimal calories
• SF pudding - 120 calories per box. Can just use water, though it tastes a bit flat. Sugar free almond milk is nice. Can also mix in protein powder, or do 1/2 and 1/2 pudding/protein, etc. (I recommend casein for this but whey works)
• "Pizzas" - keto tortillas, sauce, fat-free cheese, turkey pepperoni, whatever other toppings you want. Bake or air fry. ~200 calories per pizza. If you can find it, Joseph's Lavash bread is the GOAT for low-cal pizza.
• Low-cal french toast, you can make 4 slices for ~250 calories if you try
• Cereal - plain puffed wheat is only 50 calories per cup, you can make a giant bowl with almond milk and sweetener for 200 calories or so
• Halo Top or Artic Freeze are ~320 and ~180 calories respectively for a whole pint of ice-cream-like dessert (Ben and Jerries: 1200 calories)
• Protein mug cakes, google for recipes - mix up protein with baking powder and a liquid and a few other things, microwave a minute, boom, protein cake

I have a bunch of pictures if you are curious

 

[BMAN]

I'm not exactly the most experienced in bulk/cut cycles but I go through phases where I obsess, read/watch all the info I can, etc. And I enjoy cooking so I was happy to try out new things, seek out low-cal alternatives etc. Pretty easily lost ~25 lbs at a rate of 1lb/week a year ago. Lifts improved during the cut but I am a beginner/novice.

I am all about high volume / low calorie food, eg filling up your belly with very little calories so you are satiated and never feel like you are starving (or honestly even feel like you are cutting).

High protein, high veggies, high fiber. Sugar free and fat free alternatives. Low fat just because fat is calorically dense but definitely get enough fat in your diet or you will have other problems. I typically get fat free stuff and eat lean means as a baseline, then add in fats like olive oil. Just easier IMO.

As a rule of thumb I target a 10:1 ratio of calories to protein for meals. Definitely not strict about it, not every meal is like this, but good rule of thumb since it scales to 2000 calories and 200g protein, which is what I cut at.

And drink a lot of water, personally I get thirst cues confused with hunger cues very easily, because I don't drink enough water.

Breakfast - keto bread/toast (35 calories a slice), berries, zero-calorie pancake syrup, turkey sausage, peppers/onions/mushrooms, spinach, last but not least egg whites. My typical breakfast was a brick of frozen spinach, a cup of egg whites, frozen peppers/onions, canned mushrooms, all scrambled together. Big plate of food for ~300 calories and 30+g protein.

Lunch - lean protein in a giant salad. Like take the biggest bowl you have and fill it up with spring mix - that's only 50 calories. Low or non-fat dressing. Whatever additional veg you want (tomatoes, cucumbers, celery etc). Sandwiches - deli meat is really low calorie, eat on keto bread with mustard or whatever.

Dinner - lean protein, bag of frozen veggies and if you are really stretching for calories, konjac/shirataki noodles

Lean proteins - chicken breast, cheap lean steak, pork tenderloin are my go-to's.

Misc snacks and tips -

• Smart Pop Popcorn, 100 calories for little bag and like 240 for regular bag. Add popcorn seasoning.
• Baby carrots, ~150 calories per 1lb bag (warning, this can cause upset stomach, start with < half a bag)
• SF jello - only like 20 or 40 calories a box, can spruce it up with frozen fruit for additional minimal calories
• SF pudding - 120 calories per box. Can just use water, though it tastes a bit flat. Sugar free almond milk is nice. Can also mix in protein powder, or do 1/2 and 1/2 pudding/protein, etc. (I recommend casein for this but whey works)
• "Pizzas" - keto tortillas, sauce, fat-free cheese, turkey pepperoni, whatever other toppings you want. Bake or air fry. ~200 calories per pizza. If you can find it, Joseph's Lavash bread is the GOAT for low-cal pizza.
• Low-cal french toast, you can make 4 slices for ~250 calories if you try
• Cereal - plain puffed wheat is only 50 calories per cup, you can make a giant bowl with almond milk and sweetener for 200 calories or so
• Halo Top or Artic Freeze are ~320 and ~180 calories respectively for a whole pint of ice-cream-like dessert (Ben and Jerries: 1200 calories)
• Protein mug cakes, google for recipes - mix up protein with baking powder and a liquid and a few other things, microwave a minute, boom, protein cake

I have a bunch of pictures if you are curious

Great freaking post, exactly the info/motivation I was looking for. I love ice cream, and do enjoy the halo tops.

But those are some great ideas for recipes, I’m a person that gets sick of eggs, but I should probably just man up. For breakfasts lately I’ve been doing a smoothie of whey protein powder/frozen strawberry/bananas/oat milk.

I also tend to just overeat/binge. No clue why, I’m not sure if it has something to do with when I cut. I may have a slight eating disorder who knows.

 

[Kouki]

Great freaking post, exactly the info/motivation I was looking for. I love ice cream, and do enjoy the halo tops.

But those are some great ideas for recipes, I’m a person that gets sick of eggs, but I should probably just man up. For breakfasts lately I’ve been doing a smoothie of whey protein powder/frozen strawberry/bananas/oat milk.

I also tend to just overeat/binge. No clue why, I’m not sure if it has something to do with when I cut. I may have a slight eating disorder who knows.

I am pretty sure I have a binge eating disorder. I just kinda work around it. I get the munchies at night really bad. I wake up between 6-8, drink coffee, light lunch, light dinner, then crush a ton of food close to bedtime. Any time I try to eat more evenly over the day I still get munchies at night.

I'm also not a huge fan of eggs, I mean I could take them or leave them. Hot sauce is good, also popcorn seasoning is very versatile, basically calorie free and comes in a bunch of flavors like ranch, nacho, white cheddar, bacon etc. I usually use that in eggs.

 

[FiveThous]

Salsa and Hot sauce are great condiments if you’re on a cut, zero to minimal calories.

A big bowl of greens and veggies of your choice with olive oil and some time of vinegar (balsamic and red wine are my go tos) with some salt and pepper make a delicious salad dressing. Add your favorite protein (skirt steak, chicken, etc) and to @Kouki point, you’ll feeL very satiated.

The absolute best thing to do would be a breakfast of 30-40g of protein. This should help with curbing afternoon snack cravings. 2-3 slices of Turkey Bacon or Chicken sausage and a couple of eggs put you right in that zone.

 

[BMAN]

Salsa and Hot sauce are great condiments if you’re on a cut, zero to minimal calories.

A big bowl of greens and veggies of your choice with olive oil and some time of vinegar (balsamic and red wine are my go tos) with some salt and pepper make a delicious salad dressing. Add your favorite protein (skirt steak, chicken, etc) and to @Kouki point, you’ll feeL very satiated.

The absolute best thing to do would be a breakfast of 30-40g of protein. This should help with curbing afternoon snack cravings. 2-3 slices of Turkey Bacon or Chicken sausage and a couple of eggs put you right in that zone.

My appetite is awful in the mornings. My buddy (who is extremely knowledgeable as well) thinks I might be eating too much at night.