I know this is my thread, but I just watched this video and it has a lot of good info on this subject, so I thought I would add it for others to find later.
https://youtu.be/2JC9gnTVKxg?t=174
https://youtu.be/2JC9gnTVKxg?t=174
I have the exact opposite story of you. I've been actively working out for 11 years, 8 of which I have been actively bodybuilding. I've done a couple shows, never placing anywhere significant, but I have managed to get to single digit bodyfat weighing around 225lbs at a height of 5'11. That was my heaviest/leanest point. I always hate when people say nutrition is more important than exercise. It's never ever 80% this or 20% that, it's always 100% everything involved. That being said, nutrition is often the most misunderstood broscienced aspect and takes up vastly more time and effort than any other factor. Some people have somewhat hit the nail on the head in this thread, "watch carbs" "calorie intake" etc. The most important thing to do is figure out and track all your macros which are your fats, proteins, and carbs. Our bodies are ironically similar to yeast in that we can process all three of these for energy and macros are exactly where calorie counts come from. 4 calories for carbs, 4 calories for protein, and 9 calories for fat. Carbs are your primary energy source same as yeast, lacking that your body will consume fats for energy, and if pushed to an extreme will convert protein derived from your muscles and diet into sugar and use that. ALWAYS find the proper balance of all three, as cutting one completely out usually yields initial fast weight loss, followed by a metabolic crash to compensate for decreased energy intake , which inevitably results in a quick regaining of bodyfat, usually worse than when you began, and it starts as soon as you begin eating normal again. This is exactly why virtually all diets fail long term is because usually people cut macro intake too low seeking quick results or following a fad diet. Carbs act as your body's primary fuel. Fats make up a huge amount of your body(hormones, every single cell membrane you have) so they require a minimum amount each day, below that amount your body will burn its stores to compensate, and will use fats as an alternative to carbs. Proteins will be utilized to repair broken tissue. No protein, no repair, but your body can only change proteins into carbs if desperate for fuel. This is why low carb or ketogenic diets go so far is that on top of your metabolism eventually crashing, it will just make its own carbs anyway from your own muscle tissue if it has to. I was extremely serious in contest prep. Meals were always prepped in advance, tubberwared, and taken with me everywhere so I never missed a meal. School, work, social outtings, etc. I tracked my macros, bodyfat, weight consistently always knowing where I was at. You in no way have to be this serious. There are alternatives to tracking macros that are less tedious and straining in which you can still achieve phenomenal results. Don't even bother with supps. If you have questions just ask. I've done gym membership sales, training, and I sold supps for about a year too. With school, my job, a bad ending to a 6 year relationship, and strained finances, I haven't kept up with it. I always loved the microbreweries in my area and always wanted to get into brewing. I thought it would be alot cheaper than what it has been, but still so far it hasn't scratched the surface to the resources I've poured into bodybuilding. I will tell you that the brewing community is way more opening and friendly than the fitness community you encounter in forums, gyms, or on social media. You'll encounter some *****ers that'll make beer snobs seem like scholarly gentlemen. If you have any questions at all always feel free to ask.
Alcohol is carbs no? Gonna have to freshen up on this
Bro, very nice post
Welcome to the community!
So you have given up on the bodybuilding in pursuit of homebrewing? I am not wanting to compete, but I do want to have a nice physique some size and a low bodyfat %.Did you drink when you were seriously bodybuilding? I'm guessing not during prep, but off season?
Only supps I take are a pre-workout and protein. Currently tracking all my macros with Myfitnesspal and have been getting great results. I'm bulking right now with 4000 calories a day 45% carbs, 30%fats, 25% protein. When drinking do you think it is better to borrow from carbs or fats?
No sugar is a carb, once it becomes alcohol it is no longer a carb, however beer will have carbs left in it (unfermentable sugar) whereas most distilled spirits do not contain carbs or contain very low amounts.
Alcohol is it's own macronutrient, and a calorically dense one at that containing 7 calories per gram second only to fats.
Our bodies also prioritize burning alcohol for energy over all other macronutrients, because as far as our bodies are concerned alcohol is a poison.
Yeah all carbs are sugars just varying in complexity. From table sugar to wood. Alcohol does add 7 calories per gram, but it is not a macro. Calories are just a measure of energy. Macros are the basic nutrients for all life, alcohol can't be utilized this way, otherwise we could exist off of pure alcohol alone, or yeast or other microbes in brew could use it that way as well. It is purely the sugar by product of yeast as a result of fermentation. We ferment too, except our by product in our cells is lactic acid though, hence the lactic acid build up when straining muscles. Alcohol does contribute to weight gain in that there are usually carbs present, and your body processes macros differently when processing alcohol. For instance rather than rebuild muscle tissue with protein, with the presence of alcohol protein synthesis shuts down and protein is then just converted for pure energy.
So for tracking purposes if you want to have a few beers would you say it is better to borrow those calories from your carbs or your fats for the day?
So for tracking purposes if you want to have a few beers would you say it is better to borrow those calories from your carbs or your fats for the day?
So for tracking purposes if you want to have a few beers would you say it is better to borrow those calories from your carbs or your fats for the day?
True.On a semi-related note to this thread, I have long felt that beer gets overly scapegoated for weight gain. I've spent tons of time in the last 25 years hanging out in large groups of beer-drinking dudes. I can't count the number of times in these groups I've heard conversations that go something like this:
"Whoa man, puttin' on a bit of a belly there huh? LOLS"
"Yeah man... the beer is catching up with me!"
"No doubt! Me too!"
etc.
And I know most of them genuinely believe it. I'm not a nutritionist, but I just don't buy it. No, beer definitely doesn't do your waistline any favors, but my point is this: if your day-to-day consists of large amounts of pizza, burgers, fries, soda, potato chips, chicken wings, processed convenience foods, desserts, candy, etc. then it seems absurd to single out beer as the culprit for a growing belly. It's not a "beer belly," it's a "crappy diet belly."
If beer were as bad for weight as it is held to be in scapegoat lore, I'd definitely have a beer belly. I'm 43, not into sports at all, office job, and drink beer almost every day. I work out a few times a week max, and never terribly hard, at that. Somehow, at 5'11" and 180lbs, I manage to be the same weight and waist size as my 20s. Heck, if the light hits me right, I can even see abs.
In my early-mid 20s I started to feel a bit run-down and lethargic from my "college student" diet of processed food and junk, so I decided to make changes, and I'm so glad I did.
IMO, it comes down to 3 things: 1) you can't fly blind; you can treat yourself to unhealthy things in moderation, but it's mandatory that you understand the nutritional impacts of everything you eat (learn how to read food labels, etc.); 2) eat meals made from the ground up with whole ingredients as often as humanly possible instead of overly processed "convenience" foods that are almost always brimming with salt, fat, and sugar to make them palatable; 3) LEARN HOW TO COOK.
The last point is very important because I just don't see how it's possible to consistently eat tasty and healthy meals if you're wanting everything just served to you on a platter all the time. Not only is it expensive, it rarely lives up to the promise.
These days I cook 5-6 nights a week, always making sure to make too much so there is a steady stream of healthy leftovers for lunches and to stock the freezer for lazy nights, etc. I only eat meat once or twice a week, a crap ton of fruits and vegetables, lots of legumes, lots of healthy grains like quinoa and farro, lots of seeds. I generally avoid desserts altogether, don't buy chips or junk snacks (out of sight, out of mind), and water has 100% replaced soft drinks (I haven't drunk a Coke or Mountain Dew or similar for probably 10 years or more.)
The best part is, this is not a fad diet that takes immense willpower to stick with, it's just ingrained in my lifestyle now and has been for years. With proper care in your meals, you can almost eat as much of it as you want without worrying too much. When you maintain a properly stocked pantry of herbs and spices and vinegars and healthy oils and other staples, there is no need to suffer through bland meals. The myth that eating healthy must mean bland and boring is another one that needs to die. I'm not eating boiled chicken breast and cabbage water here.
Of course, my approach probably wouldn't work for a bodybuilder or serious athlete, but I don't aspire to be either of those things so I don't care.
I clicked the "Like" button because there's not a "Nominate for POTUS" button.IMO, it comes down to 3 things: 1) you can't fly blind; you can treat yourself to unhealthy things in moderation, but it's mandatory that you understand the nutritional impacts of everything you eat (learn how to read food labels, etc.); 2) eat meals made from the ground up with whole ingredients as often as humanly possible instead of overly processed "convenience" foods that are almost always brimming with salt, fat, and sugar to make them palatable; 3) LEARN HOW TO COOK.
Heck, if the light hits me right, I can even see abs.
I follow a guy on instagram named Justin Cross who is a brewer/fitness freak and CEO of Earn your booze. There are quite a few times when I can placate my inner crybaby with the promise of a beer after a good run. Starting to get into lifting because runners have noodle arms and my kegerator is upstairs.
me too! I joke that I drink my carbs, but even then it's not that much.Now, I believe low carb is a lifestyle that I'm going to stick with.
Much thanks to the OP and 1Amalia1 for dredging it up. I gained weight since I started homebrewing years ago and struggled with weight loss for several years. January 2020, I decided to make some changes and went low carb, (I did the same years ago and lost weight but gained it back). Now, I believe low carb is a lifestyle that I'm going to stick with. I don't eat any carbs, but I do drink plenty of them. I don't really work out, but I go for 20 mile bike rides, have a season pass at the local ski area, cross country ski when there is enough snow, chop firewood, work in my hobby orchard and garden, do yardwork, and generally keep pretty active when the sun is shining. I've lost 30 lbs and my goal is to lose 15 more, which will put me at at about the same weight I was when I was 18 (I'm 61). So what I'm saying is that if you want to slim down AND still be a beer drinker, you can do it, you just have to make smart choices and stop eating refined crap. If I quit drinking I'd be at my goal weight already, but life is short and beer, wine and cider are things to be enjoyed.
Not a bodybuilder, but mediocre powerlifter (in that "strong as **** for the real world" realm but amongst seasoned heavy lifters by no means impressive). My general rule for macros is "more" though my diet is heavy on the protein. That said I don't shy away from carbs, or beer. I'm not horrendously worried about my body fat percentage, and I'm by no means a physique model. Try to keep bodyfat under 20%, and if it spikes too high over I'll do a fairly soft cut cycle to drop it back down. If I do a good hard cut I can drop fat fast but my lifts suffer immensely, and I'm far more worried about my 1rms than what I look like in a mirror.
I do laugh when my coworkers talk about "ballooning" to 200 lbs. If I hit single digit body fat I'd still be above 200 lbs. Without muscle loss sub 200lbs I'd be dead.
I don't really group either bodybuilding or powerlifting in the same group as "fitness", though they could be a part of it. Fitness is more well rounded. A former coach is a highly ranked oly lifter. Looks lean and lifts HUGE, but he eats like a trash can and isn't actually healthy at all.
Yes, a 5'3" person at 200 should worry - 6'3" person... not so much.
I used to cycle before I got into weightlifting. My energy was through the roof. Could go for a 15 mile bike ride then go swing a pick axe for 4 hours. After getting hit by a car not once but twice, I transitioned out of cycling and into lifting. Before wuflu hit, I was almost exclusively doing power lifting. I was hitting new 1 rep max personal records on a near weekly basis, but definitely at a sacrifice of stamina. You have to pick a priority. It is one of funny to see guys at the gym who are shredded and strut around like a rooster, then sweat bullets deadlifting 150 pounds.
One of my inspirations was reading about the story of hafthor bjornsson. He plays "the mountain" on game of thrones. Believe it or not, he used to be a basketball player - 6'10", 165 pounds. Now he weighs 365 pounds and just set the deadlift World record for 1121 pounds!
I’m at a loss for how BMI is still an accurate measurement of health.
BMI is good for population trending; it's not so good for individual health. Unfortunately, that's what the medical/health professions use it for.I’m at a loss for how BMI is still an accurate measurement of health.
Enter your email address to join: