Fitness/Diet Accountability Thread

[FireDragon76]

I got a 30 dollar knockoff of a Body Blade off Amazon (Reactor Aeroblade). The glue it came with wasn't particularly good, so I reglued the ends with Gorilla Glue. The size and weight is similar to the smallest Body Blade.

Using the Blade messes with optical heart rate sensors, the optical sensors track the vibrations in your arms, not the heart beat, because the vibrations are so strong, and it will report crazy readings like 160 beats per minute with normal usage. I'll have to try an ECG chest strap some time and see if it fairs better. The Blade is obviously doing something as I feel a little pump in my arms after using it for a minute.

I also went ahead and bought a Polar H9 chest strap off Amazon so I could use it with FatMaxxer, an Android app for HRV analysis. HRV Logger requires a two minute window to do detrend function analysis accurately. That's alot of potential exercising to get a few data points. FatMaxxer can do the same thing in seconds, but it only supports Polar's API. So I'll save my Moofit chest strap for everyday use, and use the Polar for testing.

At the gym today I used the Iso-Strength program on the Sci-Fit machines. I could see doing that a few times a week as a way to step up my strength with less risk of getting alot of muscle soreness. The lateral cycling exerciser in particular is a good workout for core muscles.

They were playing some awful music at the gym today. Hip hop on one of those big Bluetooth speakers somebody brought out, where the bass was turned up too much for my liking. I prefer the usual pop/rock background music. Maybe the PA system was broken. I'll have to start packing ear plugs I guess.

 

[FireDragon76]

...there are also different varieties of lupin beans.

The primary difference here is that lupin beans can either be sweet or bitter.

The bitter varieties contain various quinolizidine alkaloids that are mildly poisonous...These bitter lupins mainly grow on a plant called Lupinus albus, which primarily grows in the Mediterranean region.

In contrast, sweet lupins are produced by a domesticated version of a plant called Lupus angustifolius, which grows in Australia.

It is possible to eat bitter lupins, but they must first be soaked in salted water to remove the alkaloids they contain. Removing the alkaloids also eliminates their bitter flavor.

However, most of the world’s commercial lupin bean production (around 80%) comes from Australia and focuses on sweet lupin beans.

Furthermore, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) recently conducted an in-depth safety evaluation of lupin beans and lupin products.

The EFSA’s final report noted that intoxication with unprepared bitter lupin seeds could have various neurological, digestive, and cardiovascular effects. However, intoxication is infrequent and rarely leads to life-threatening conditions.

As a legume variety that belongs to the same wider family as peanuts, lupin bean allergy is a potential concern.

Lupin Beans: The Unique High-Protein Legume

Lupin beans are a unique type of legume that offers high amounts of protein and fiber but very few carbohydrates. Here is a complete guide.

www.nutritionadvance.com

The variety I tried was traditional Italian lupin beans, made from bitter lupins, and pickled in a jar: I assume they have been processed enough. Bitter lupin beans have been eaten for thousands of years in the northern Mediterranean. They are quite tasty, but it looks like they are a chore to process, and they aren't an everyday type of food in Italy.

The Lupin beans eaten in North Africa traditionally were sweet lupin beans, and didn't require as much soaking.

 

[BPPLEE]

I just did another 600 reps with the Mace and on the one arm swings I switched hands each swing releasing with one hand and catching it with the other. This made it more challenging and fun

 

[FireDragon76]

Last night I must not have had great sleep. I feel OK, but maybe not as rested as I should be.

My weight loss seems to have stalled. Ketones are at zero. I've been getting too lax with my diet. Resistance training has a way of making me very hungry. I'm going to have to start counting calories again for a while.

Eating protein bars or supplements seems to do little for muscle gain. The past two weeks I've been eating 20 - 30 grams of extra protein per day to see if it would make any difference, with no noticeable change in muscle growth, and seemingly unfavorable changes in body composition. I think I will start taking rice cakes to the gym instead of protein bars. I think you really are better off eating real food. Protein bars mess with your appetite as they are designed to be hyperpalatable, and most protein bars are engineered to taste like junk food.

 

[timewerx]

Last night I must not have had great sleep. I feel OK, but maybe not as rested as I should be.

My weight loss seems to have stalled. Ketones are at zero. I've been getting too lax with my diet. Resistance training has a way of making me very hungry. I'm going to have to start counting calories again for a while.

Eating protein bars or supplements seems to do little for muscle gain. The past two weeks I've been eating 20 - 30 grams of extra protein per day to see if it would make any difference, with no noticeable change in muscle growth, and seemingly unfavorable changes in body composition. I think I will start taking rice cakes to the gym instead of protein bars. I think you really are better off eating real food. Protein bars mess with your appetite as they are designed to be hyperpalatable, and most protein bars are engineered to taste like junk food.

Professional endurance athletes don't snack on protein bars during workouts.

What they snack on during workouts are mostly carbs. Some fruits are allowed especially those containing lots of carbs and electrolytes like banana.

Protein is harder to digest and during workouts, blood flow is diverted from the gut so digestion is less efficient and it would be better to take on foods that are easy to digest like carbs.

Any rice-based food is good and also banana. Sugar is terrible. Personally, my favorite "workout fuel" for consumption during workouts is rice crackers. I make these myself with some salt added for electrolyte. Best to use are steamed rice that's been refrigerated overnight to convert the rice into "resistant starch" so it doesn't spike your blood sugar.

Rice cakes often have sugar added in it. The reason I avoid sugar in my workout fuel, not only it can spike the blood sugar It also make hydration more complicated. It generally makes you consume more fluids beyond necessity. Some people have issues digesting sugar during workouts and may even cause gut irritation. And if you're trying to lose weight, sugar in your workout will make it harder for you to utilize body fat and ketones for energy.

 

[FireDragon76]

Here in the US, rice cakes are just made from puffed brown rice and salt, usually. There are some that are sweetened, but I avoid them for the most part.

I do some strength training so that's why I tried the protein bar. I don't think eating protein after a workout matters that much, though. I certainly am not seeing any noticeable results. I think what's happening is glycogen is being depleted, and that makes me hungrier. However, most protein bars have quite a bit of fat as well, and aren't particularly high in carbohydrates.

I suspect the sleep problems are due to needing to take more rest days. Also, eating the wrong food at the wrong time seems to reduce sleep quality.

 

[BPPLEE]

Last night I must not have had great sleep. I feel OK, but maybe not as rested as I should be.

My weight loss seems to have stalled. Ketones are at zero. I've been getting too lax with my diet. Resistance training has a way of making me very hungry. I'm going to have to start counting calories again for a while.

Eating protein bars or supplements seems to do little for muscle gain. The past two weeks I've been eating 20 - 30 grams of extra protein per day to see if it would make any difference, with no noticeable change in muscle growth, and seemingly unfavorable changes in body composition. I think I will start taking rice cakes to the gym instead of protein bars. I think you really are better off eating real food. Protein bars mess with your appetite as they are designed to be hyperpalatable, and most protein bars are engineered to taste like junk food.

I hardly slept at all. I took something I have never tried for sleep, it didn’t help me sleep, it made me high, and left me feeling anxious this morning. I threw the rest of them away and will never take it again.
I’m going to workout today without stressing my lower back

X3 Seated Row ss/w Krusher ss/w BodyBlade x 12-7-30 seconds, 10-7-30 seconds
TG Pull Up x 17,20
Rear Band Pulls ss/w InnStar Shoulder Press ss/w Krusher ss/w BodyBlade x 15-10-8-30 seconds, 15-10-7-40 seconds
InnStar Shoulder Press x 10,10,10
Brief, Intense, didn’t strain lower back. Left leg has been hurting today so no Kettlebell or Rope today
That’s Wed-Thu-Fri so far this week. If my leg feels better I may do the Mace again tomorrow. Probably going to work Chest and Arms too, I can do that without irritating my back which is what causes the leg pain.

 

[BPPLEE]

Here in the US, rice cakes are just made from puffed brown rice and salt, usually. There are some that are sweetened, but I avoid them for the most part.

I do some strength training so that's why I tried the protein bar. I don't think eating protein after a workout matters that much, though. I certainly am not seeing any noticeable results. I think what's happening is glycogen is being depleted, and that makes me hungrier. However, most protein bars have quite a bit of fat as well, and aren't particularly high in carbohydrates.

I suspect the sleep problems are due to needing to take more rest days. Also, eating the wrong food at the wrong time seems to reduce sleep quality.

Try Pure Protein Bars

 

[timewerx]

Try Pure Protein Bars

What worked for me in the past was sweetened protein shake AFTER workouts. Really helped grow my muscles even more.

I've always spoken against sugar but there's one part of workout they're actually useful - post workouts.

Combined with protein rich food after workout, the sugar spiking insulin helps protein delivery to the muscles. The effect is enhanced by not eating before and during workouts and this includes limiting hydration products to zero-calorie drinks.

Sports drinks are terrible for training. They're only ever useful for "supported racing events" something you probably won't be doing every week but only couple of times a year at most.

 

[BPPLEE]

DxVxP >R=C

D = desire and demand for the change, dissatisfaction with the status quo’s

V = vision for change

P = plan and process for achieving the change

R = resistance to change

C = change the learner most desires, the goal to be achieved

DESIRE VISION and PLAN must be greater than resistance

There will be resistance in many forms, particularly procrastination, complacency, and falling back into old habits.

Goal. Actual. Date

340. 336. 4/21

328. 319.2. 5/21

320. 314.2. 6/21

312. 299.6. 7/21

304. 291. 8/21

296. 285.4 9/21

288. 285 10/21

280. 280 11/21

In November I got a respiratory infection and couldn’t train and got off my diet so I had to adjust my goals and then I took some time off my diet to let my BMR reset but I kept working out. I reset my goal to be 240 by New Years Day

Goal. Actual

12/1 290. 290

1/1 285. 285

2/1 285

3/1 285

4/1 285. 285

5/1 280

6/1 275

7/1 270

8/1 265

9/1 260

10/1 255

11/1 250

12/1 245

1/01 240

I have a vision, desire to reach it and a plan. I will reach my goals, my desire, vision and plan are greater than the resistance.
For more on reaching goals visit createconnectcommit.com

 

[FireDragon76]

The Polar H9 chest strap didn't work out, so I sent it back (the software support isn't as good as the Polar H10). I'll probably get an H10 if I were to get a Polar chest strap, as they seem to have the best support, but at this point, I'm not sure it's worthwhile. Maybe if I were interested in analyzing actual ECG signals, but I don't think it's worthwhile just to use for threshold testing (I could buy a newer Garmin watch for a little over twice the price of a Polar chest strap, and there's a third-party widget called Alpha HRV that can calculate DFA Alpha 1 in real time on the watch).

I have been tinkering with a feature on Runalyze instead, to get DFA alpha 1 predictions on lactate threshold. I recorded the test using my Moofit strap and HRV Logger recently at the gym, during a twenty minute session. You have to use a ramp test on a treadmill or stationary bike for best results, similar to a VO2Max test.

Runalyze predicts my lactate threshold is at 139 beats per minute, and my anaerobic threshold is around 150. That seems to be plausible, although I think 132 bpm or lower would be a safer bet for regular exercise. I'm not exactly sure what my maximum heart rate is- I've seen it as high as 164, but I doubt that's my actual maximum heart rate. When I set DFA Alpha 1's value to 0 Runalyze computes the that as being 172 bpm, which may well be near the actual maximum, since DFA Alpha 1 has been observed by researchers to be near zero at maximum heart rate.

I think using the Sci-Fit equipment is going to pay off long term in terms of sustainable strength gains with less fatigue, as I noticed I had more power in my legs as I ramped up resistance on the recumbent bike in my recent ramp testing. Particularly working the posterior chain by pedalling backwards. I also discovered you can use most elipticals pedalling backwards as well. I'm thinking about getting a small, short-stride elliptical for my apartment, as it would seem to be the most space-efficient way to go for cardio. Either that, or possibly an air walker (or maybe both).

I also got two grip strength dynamometers recently. It's taken some practice to use, as my initial tries were surprisingly weak. But now my grip strength is in the normal range. One of the models is an American-made Baseline pneumatic type that I plan to use for day-do-day checking, the other is a Chinese-made strain-gauge based unit that I plan to use every few weeks.

 

[FireDragon76]

Today was mostly a rest day. I did ten minutes of cardio and strength training with the Body Blade knockoff (Aero-Blade) and Indian clubs. I also did some bridges, planks and stretches. Nothing too intense.

 

[BPPLEE]

Today was mostly a rest day. I did ten minutes of cardio and strength training with the Body Blade knockoff (Aero-Blade) and Indian clubs. I also did some bridges, planks and stretches. Nothing too intense.

Do you know anything about hyaluronic acid? People are particularly fond of Umary brand for some reason . They say they needed knee replacement and started taking hyaluronic acid and their pain went away. It’s also getting great reviews for helping fight arthritis pain.
I want to try it but one reviewer said that after taking it their liver values were off the chart when they went for their check up

 

[BPPLEE]

Today was mostly a rest day. I did ten minutes of cardio and strength training with the Body Blade knockoff (Aero-Blade) and Indian clubs. I also did some bridges, planks and stretches. Nothing too intense.

I’m thinking of trying this brand

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CN1QDPVS/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A26XED0S1E7AO&psc=1

 

[timewerx]

Do you know anything about hyaluronic acid? People are particularly fond of Umary brand for some reason . They say they needed knee replacement and started taking hyaluronic acid and their pain went away. It’s also getting great reviews for helping fight arthritis pain.
I want to try it but one reviewer said that after taking it their liver values were off the chart when they went for their check up

Lactoferrin and "nanobodies" from camel milk is a much safer natural alternative for joint issues including arthritis. While lactoferrin is also present in cow milk, concentration is higher in camel milk and different in many ways. Generally, camel milk stands out as a natural remedy for dealing with arthritis and other joint pains.

 

[FireDragon76]

Do you know anything about hyaluronic acid? People are particularly fond of Umary brand for some reason . They say they needed knee replacement and started taking hyaluronic acid and their pain went away. It’s also getting great reviews for helping fight arthritis pain.
I want to try it but one reviewer said that after taking it their liver values were off the chart when they went for their check up

It can be a biomarker of liver disease, so maybe that has something to do with it (people with liver disease often have elevated hyaluronic acid). However, it's generally safe to take. I've mostly used it topically to treat sensitive skin, but it might have benefits internally as well.

Glucosamine has more of an evidence base than collagen peptides.

 

[FireDragon76]

Lactoferrin and "nanobodies" from camel milk is a much safer natural alternative for joint issues including arthritis. While lactoferrin is also present in cow milk, concentration is higher in camel milk and different in many ways. Generally, camel milk stands out as a natural remedy for dealing with arthritis and other joint pains.

All I could find about camel milk was a study on rats. Here in the US, camel milk is an exotic food. Camel's produce very little milk compared to commercial dairy cows, and while their milk does seem to contain anti-inflammatory compounds, this is true of many foods.

For arthritis, getting more fermented foods in ones diet would help, especially if a person has an otherwise low intake of fruits and vegetables. Many supermarkets have kefir, a fermented beverage usually made from milk (but which can also be made from water and sugar), and it contains alot of beneficial live bacteria that help reduce inflammation. Raw dairy kefir is an acquired taste but you can use it in place of yogurt typically (as long as you don't cook it). Water kefir is sold commercially in health food stores and chains like Target under the brand Kevita, and usually comes in different flavors and is more palatable. The residual sugar content is relatively low. I prefer it to kombucha, another fermented food that's worth consuming for the probiotic benefits.

And of coure, if you get some kefir grains and have some milk (any kind will do, I have made it with soy milk before) or sugar water on hand, you can make your own kefir. It's similar to making yogurt. You just put a bottle of milk that has been sterilized and cooled with some grains in it in a dark room temperature environment for about 18-24 hours, and you get more kefir.

Turmeric is also worth a try. It's not expensive here in the US. Look for preparations that contain black pepper extract for better absorbtion. Cherries and berries in general are also good for arthritis, the darker the better, typically.

 

[BPPLEE]

All I could find about camel milk was a study on rats. Here in the US, camel milk is an exotic food. Camel's produce very little milk compared to commercial dairy cows, and while their milk does seem to contain anti-inflammatory compounds, this is true of many foods.

For arthritis, getting more fermented foods in ones diet would help, especially if a person has an otherwise low intake of fruits and vegetables. Many supermarkets have kefir, a fermented beverage usually made from milk (but which can also be made from water and sugar), and it contains alot of beneficial live bacteria that help reduce inflammation. Raw dairy kefir is an acquired taste but you can use it in place of yogurt typically (as long as you don't cook it). Water kefir is sold commercially in health food stores and chains like Target under the brand Kevita, and usually comes in different flavors and is more palatable. The residual sugar content is relatively low. I prefer it to kombucha, another fermented food that's worth consuming for the probiotic benefits.

And of coure, if you get some kefir grains and have some milk (any kind will do, I have made it with soy milk before) or sugar water on hand, you can make your own kefir. It's similar to making yogurt. You just put a bottle of milk that has been sterilized and cooled with some grains in it in a dark room temperature environment for about 18-24 hours, and you get more kefir.

Turmeric is also worth a try. It's not expensive here in the US. Look for preparations that contain black pepper extract for better absorbtion. Cherries and berries in general are also good for arthritis, the darker the better, typically.

I used to take cumulin turmeric but I stopped it because I have a prescription for Diclofenac which is also for inflammation. I will have to try kefir. It sounds promising

 

[FireDragon76]

I used to take cumulin turmeric but I stopped it because I have a prescription for Diclofenac which is also for inflammation. I will have to try kefir. It sounds promising

If you try kefir, start out drinking only about two ounces a day for a week. Then increase to four ounces, then six or eight. If you're unaccustomed to fermented food, you could get "die off" and Herxheimer reactions (feeling worse instead of better due to detoxification pathways increasing, as well as changes in the microorganisms living in your gut) if you drink too much

Sauerkraut and kimchi are also both worth looking into. Bubbie's brand of sauerkraut is a live culture, but you can also make your own from cabbage, salt, and a little water.

 

[FireDragon76]

I finally got the FatMaxxer app working with a Polar chest strap. The app is finicky and can hang the Bluetooth stack. It also requires "Locations" to be set in permissions to "on", part of an Android security feature involving Bluetooth.

I did a 15 minute test today on a steep ramp after a few minutes of warmup on a recumbent bike. FatMaxxer created a log file and I sent it to a spreadsheet. The DFA Alpha 1 threshold seemed suppressed, which fits with my subjective experience that I was more fatigued than usual. Then I did ten minutes of arm cycles, and five minutes of backwards leg cycles. I got about thirty minutes of Intensity Points on my Garmin watch and I feel cooked. I plan to rest until Saturday.

If DFA Alpha 1 is an accurate correlate of lactate threshold, then lactate threshold can vary alot from day to day, and heart rate zone training might not be the best guide to exercise intensity. Most exercise physiologists and sport scientists are heading towards a "perceived rate of exertion" paradigm. I could also see monitoring DFA Alpha 1 as superior in the future to monitoring raw heart rate. However, DFA Alpha 1 appears to be relatively computationally expensive- I wouldn't be surprised if it drains smart watches faster to run the math- it's relatively heavy even on a phone, especially if you want real-time updates every five seconds. Maybe in the future we'll all just have Continuous Lactate Monitors to wear, similar to CGM's today that are used to monitor glucose.