I've been a few things over the last couple of days (I should get out more :D)
Numero uno - Sauces & Condiments - Things like pickle, light mayo, brown sauce etc are these considered "dirty" calories? Should I avoid them altogether or keep them to a minimum?
As long as they're within your calorie and fat intake for the day, and you're not replacing good fats to make room for them, they wont do you any harm.
Johnny wrote:
Next is, if a guy ate over maintentance calories & didn't train, thus letting himself get fat wether it be mainly from clean foods or junk, would he add any muscle? I know he won't have stimulated any muscle growth but some fat dudes seem to be well strong?
Some are, some aren't. Alot of it is to do with decent. For example you'll find people of african decent tend to carry alot of muscle under the fat, whereas asians and indians, for example, don't.
You will gain a certain amount of muscle along with the fat, just nothing to speak of.
I'm still baffled by a few things like simple vs complex carbs, GI, White vs Brown bread etc
Whenever I Google these things I get all sorts of complex answers, on most chat boards I get things like insulin spikes, this makes you fat that makes you fat, don't eat this or that at certain times etc
Could you give me a quick run down of simple answers at how these affect energy levels, bloated feeling, fat gain? That's if there is a simple answer
I'm still baffled by a few things like simple vs complex carbs, GI, White vs Brown bread etc
Whenever I Google these things I get all sorts of complex answers, on most chat boards I get things like insulin spikes, this makes you fat that makes you fat, don't eat this or that at certain times etc
Could you give me a quick run down of simple answers at how these affect energy levels, bloated feeling, fat gain? That's if there is a simple answer
Cheers
Can I have a crack at this?
Imagine complex carbs as sand in one hour glass and simple carbs as sand in a second hour glass.
The complex one has a small hole for the sand to pass through the other a large hole.
Over the course of a a few hours the complex carbs flow through steadily.
Over a shorter period the simple carbs all slip through.
Now imagine that in your body as a release of energy.
The complex carbs release slow and steady and keep you energised over a period.
The simple carbs hammer into your system, you are buzzing but quickly they run out and you need more to keep the energy there...
Hey Tom, that sounds like the same one as at my gym. It hurts my lower back too. I use good form and have tried lighter and heavier weights but it still hurts. I've tried all the seat adjustments too but no joy. I put it down to poor design in the end and started doing hyperextensions.
I'm still baffled by a few things like simple vs complex carbs, GI, White vs Brown bread etc
Whenever I Google these things I get all sorts of complex answers, on most chat boards I get things like insulin spikes, this makes you fat that makes you fat, don't eat this or that at certain times etc
Could you give me a quick run down of simple answers at how these affect energy levels, bloated feeling, fat gain? That's if there is a simple answer
Carbs basically come in two types, sugars and starches. Both simple and complex carbs are sugars. Starches are chains of complex carbs.
I can see why you're confused if you googled! Spike in terms of insulin is really the wrong word. It's a term that came about from the condition and treatment of diabetics. It then became a marketing term used by the supplement companies as it invokes images of massive jumps, so they can then wrongly link it to fat gain. For most people who aren't insulin resistant, in most cases it'll be more of a blip!
In terms of being bloated, some people do have a sensitivity to certain wheat products, and you may find that white carbs (I don't mean sugar, I mean bread, pasta, etc.) can leave you bloated if you're sensitive.
It's like some people get bloated from dairy products. Your body produces hormones for various types of regulation, and in the case of dairy products, some people are intolerant to lactose (which incidentally is a complex carb) because they don't produce enough lactase (I think I got that right, I'd have to refer to the books to correct myself for you if I didn't) to deal with it properly.
So it's not specifically a type of nutrient that will cause bloatedness or similar, it's generally a type of food. I.e. we're now talking about digestion of nutrients rather than metabolism.
So nutshell version, starches are nice slow release carbs and should make up the majority of your diet as a result. Both simple and complex carbs are broken down much quicker, complex taking a bit longer than the simple ones.
Does that make sense/answer your questions? Did I miss anything out you wanted to know?
tomfrench wrote:
I do an exercise for lower back. It conists of leaning forward (this is all using a machine) and then leaning back, lifting a weight in the process.
BUT this tends to hurt my lower back.
Is this a sign a) I am doing it wrong, b) the weight is too heavy c) or that I'm weak there and that's why it is hurting?
You sit down, lean over and a padded bar is across your back. You lean back and the weights are lifted...
You don’t want to use either of those really. A good back machine should have a back rest on the seat which comes up to the top of your pelvis, a seat belt or pad which completely immobilises your hips, and a pad which you put against your upper back to push against.
You should be able to adjust the foot rest so you can rest your feet on it and relax your legs completely, and it should be adjustable enough that the pad on your upper back doesn’t roll up and down your back.
There are very very few decent back machines in gyms because they cost so much. If yours doesn’t have one that fulfils these requirements, don’t use it. Do Back Extensions on the floor instead.
Does that make sense/answer your questions? Did I miss anything out you wanted to know?
It does, thanks Anthony :) I think I read to much into things sometimes & end up in a bit of a tizzy
Just one thing on sluggishness, is this caused by carbs? I read somewher that if you consume a large amount of carbs during a meal, the digestion can leave you feeling tired? Is this normal, were too many carbs consumed or were the wrong type of carbs consumed?
Does that make sense/answer your questions? Did I miss anything out you wanted to know?
It does, thanks Anthony :) I think I read to much into things sometimes & end up in a bit of a tizzy
Just one thing on sluggishness, is this caused by carbs? I read somewher that if you consume a large amount of carbs during a meal, the digestion can leave you feeling tired? Is this normal, were too many carbs consumed or were the wrong type of carbs consumed?
It can be. It's mostly to do with the foods though. Things like pastry's and similar will slow you down for a while because they sit in your stomach, whereas Shredded Wheat on the other hand in the same quantities (grams of carbs wise) is less likely to.
Often what comes with the carbs is to blame. For example, pasta in and of itselt wont make you fat. However, the kinds of sauces you find come with pasta dishes likely will!
But really it comes down to the food. Large amounts of steak will make you sluggish for a while too!
A good back machine should have a back rest on the seat which comes up to the top of your pelvis, a seat belt or pad which completely immobilises your hips, and a pad which you put against your upper back to push against.
You should be able to adjust the foot rest so you can rest your feet on it and relax your legs completely, and it should be adjustable enough that the pad on your upper back doesn’t roll up and down your back.
There are very very few decent back machines in gyms because they cost so much. If yours doesn’t have one that fulfils these requirements, don’t use it. Do Back Extensions on the floor instead.
Hmm, my gym's machine matches that description but, no matter how I adjust it, it still hurts!
Think I'll start with back extensions on the floor too! Tried hyperextensions (using the machines in Tom's links) but they seem to target my hamstrings more.
