Originally Posted by Salomon Ponte
Gates, do you have a gym membership of any sort and/or do you partake in any kind of sports (or vigorous activities) besides the occasional workout?

Also, if you can, write out what a sample day (or week, ideally) would look like for you in terms of your diet.

The first thing I tell people, before getting to exercise, etc. is to make a detailed diet log of EVERYTHING they eat and drink, ideally for a week. I mean everything down to a grain of rice or a half cup of water. If possible, weigh out all the portions, measure all the sauces (how many tablespoons, etc.), as that is really the only way to accurately assess and improve upon a diet that's already somewhat healthy. You'd be surprised how little of something can be sooooo many calories.

No gym membership anymore. I had one and didn't find that the cost/results ratio was worth it. I'm not sure how much gym memberships cost over there, but around Ottawa the prices are insane. Plus it sucks to go there alone because I find it better to go with a partner for that kind of thing. The bright side is that I do have some free weights already and could invest in some things that I don't have so long as they don't take up much space. Other than the free weights, I do rollerblade and bike from time to time and I often find myself helping people do "hard" physical labour on weeknights and weekends. Once I find a stand for my 80 pound punching bag, I'll be beating the stuffing out of it for sure!

Regarding my intake, I already measure everything and have a good grasp on my portion sizes now. That was a huge part of my problem before. I try to stay away from any kind of sauce unless it's homemade and my drink of choice is either water, black coffee or green tea. I used to drink TONS of Pepsi and Coke, not anymore! I'm trying to wrap my head around eating less but more often so that would be a good start. I also think it might help to inform myself on the intricacies of nutrition so that I can make better decisions at the grocery store, restaurant, etc.

Originally Posted by Bryan Lawrence
Salomon has you on the right track for diet. You can decide how much dedication you have and then I think that's the best way to choose what diet you like. I personally don't have the dedication for paleo, but I do have enough dedication for iifym (if it fits your macros) and intermitent fasting, so I stick to those two.

I personally only got into diet within the last year or so, which would probably explain why I haven't plateaued since.

I have been wanting to be a personal trainer for a while and would love to have you as my first non family client. As my first client it would all be free, and all I would ask that you give lots of feedback.
We can do skype calls too if you like and I can walk you through the tools I use.

That would be awesome, Bryan! I'd be more than happy to provide feedback. I'm pretty good at communicating, too. The only difficulty would be arranging times that would work for both of us, and that's not too hard to do. Feel free to hit me up by PM and we can discuss further. Plus I'd like to know more about the IIFYM, never heard of that before. smile

Originally Posted by Michael Lee
You don't wanna be a calorie counter though.

And that's awesome stuff Gates!

I'm still struggling with my "flab" around the mid section, because of my poor eating habits. I just love food!

I've shrunk quite a bit, but more importantly, I'm MUCH stronger, and cardio is there.

That's what's most important to me. So I'll keep on with my occasional icecream waffle cone (Strawberry, mmmm), and keep training hard.

Oh, recently passed my intermediate test at my Muay Thai gym, and have been sparring, which is loads of fun.

Hrmm, I may have mentioned this already. Just wanted to share, cause it's awesomesauce!

I wouldn't bother counting calories. I've been doing great so far without having to and I don't like the idea of being a slave to the numbers. I hear you on loving food, Michael, I do too! I do cheat from time to time but I make up for it the following day. I also don't go overboard like I used to. Glad to hear you've been doing so well too, keep it up and congrats on passing the test! As for me, the biggest thing I've noticed is a drastic increase in my energy level and I don't feel like I'm crashing 3/4 through the work day anymore. smile

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