Surviving Thanksgiving: Fight to keep those extra pounds off with these fitness apps

Posted:
in General Discussion edited December 2017
Gorging on turkey and pie may feel good at the time, but overindulgence may turn the traditional Thanksgiving dinner into the traditional Thanksgiving pounds. Instead of waiting until January and making a new year's resolution that will inevitably be forgotten about within weeks, fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps.




Owners of the Apple Watch will be able to take part in the Apple Watch Activity Challenge on Thanksgiving day itself. Just like last year, participants up for the challenge have to record a distance of at least 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) in a walking, running, or wheelchair workout.

The distance can be recorded using the Apple Workout app, as well as any other third-party app that stores workout data in the Health database. Those who manage to go the distance will gain themselves a badge in the list of achievements within the Activity app, as well as a special Messages app sticker.




Brave enough to face the cold air for a post-turkey run? Runtastic allows you to keep track of when, where, and how far you run in each workout, providing feedback on your speed, elevation, calorie burn, and other statistics. Able to integrate with Apple Health, the app also includes Apple Watch support, so you can start a workout, see notifications, and read real-time activity data right on your wrist.

The tracking allows Runtastic to provide a "Real Voice Coach," which will offer audio feedback on your first mile, while the Live Tracking and Cheering will let friends send messages to you as encouragement for your next run. Lastly, its integrated music player will allow you to to nominate a "Powersong," which can be used to give you a boost when you're starting to flag mid run.




If you feel the run is going to be a bit boring, consider Zombies, Run! By Six to Start. Not your usual fitness app, the running game and audio adventure will pit players against zombie hordes, playing the story to the runner as they jog along, before prompting you to run faster with the sounds of the undead on your tail.

Over 260 story missions are available, unlockable by paid memberships along with interval training and "Airdrop" modes, though new users will be able to play the first four missions for free, and to unlock one extra mission every week. For the more adventurous, there's also a Zombies, Run! 5k Training version, which puts players through an eight-week training program that will get users ready for long-distance running by it's end.




Would you rather stay indoors where it's warm? Seven - 7 Minute Workout will help you work up a sweat without leaving the house. The App Store's Apple Watch App of the Year for 2016 in a number of countries will put you through a variety of workouts, but as the name suggests, the workout routine will only take 7 minutes of your time, making it highly useful for those unwilling to work out for longer periods.

Offering achievements and the ability to compete against friends, Seven also provides workouts that are tailored to the user's needs, including if they want to lose weight or to increase strength. There are also a variety of instructors available, such as the drill sergeant and the cheerleader, to make the workouts more fun.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    Zombies, Run! sounded good, until I read the part about being "unlockable by paid memberships". Let me pay for the app. Don't force some membership shit on me.
    beowulfschmidtStrangeDays
  • Reply 2 of 23
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    cgWerkspscooter63
  • Reply 3 of 23
    running a mile burns about 100 calories...
    Uhm, 100,000 calories you mean.
  • Reply 4 of 23
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    running a mile burns about 100 calories...
    Uhm, 100,000 calories you mean.
    No, 100 calories is about right. It depends on your weight to some degree. A healthy diet for an adult male who exercises moderately is around 2,500 - 3,000 calories per day. Do the math.
    StrangeDaysGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 5 of 23
    I heard a little factoid on the radio yesterday that the average male will consume in excess of 4,000 calories on Thanksgiving in food alone (excludes alcohol).   Easy to believe though, with all the potatoes, stuffing, turkey, cranberries, etc.  Calories add up quick!
  • Reply 6 of 23
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    rattlhed said:
    I heard a little factoid on the radio yesterday that the average male will consume in excess of 4,000 calories on Thanksgiving in food alone (excludes alcohol).   Easy to believe though, with all the potatoes, stuffing, turkey, cranberries, etc.  Calories add up quick!
    My brother in Boulder CO consumes around 8-10K calories per day but only weighs around 180 lbs. That is because rides his bicycle to the top of a nearby mountain everyday which is around a 100 mile round trip. Pro tip: unless you plan for this, the rest of the family will go hungry on Thanksgiving. Never put a platter of hors d'oeuvres within his reach. 
  • Reply 7 of 23
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 8 of 23
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    cgWerks said:
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    beowulfschmidt
  • Reply 9 of 23
    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    edited November 2017 GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 10 of 23
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    cgWerks said:
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
    I am not sure you strictly need carbs at all. I eat virtually zero. There obviously are some in lettuce and avocado etc, so it's not zero, but there are no essential carbs. Protein is human fuel and we all need it. In fact studies apparently show that we are all the same wether eskimos, European or African - our bodies will continue to crave food until we have the right amount of protein, and we all need pretty much the exact same amount relative to how active or sedentary we are. So if we eat high carb low protein food we will continue to eat until we have the requisite amount of protein. And we will do the same with fat - keep eating until the protein level is right. By eating protein dense food you'll need a fraction to be satiated. 
    cgWerks
  • Reply 12 of 23
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    cgWerks said:
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    Yes, you're right -- calorically speaking, 1,000 is a 1,000.
    But, from a caloric density standpoint you can't compare the two:
    1,000 Cookie Calories = 10 (100 calorie) cookies
    1,000 Broccoli Calories = 7+ pounds of Broccoli (at 136 calories per pound)

    You can easily eat the 10 cookies in a single sitting.  (Well, I know that I could!)
    Nobody could eat 7 pounds of anything in a single sitting and few could eat that much in a whole day.

    It's one of the main reasons why Whole Plant Foods produce weight loss:  You fill up before you fatten up.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    paxman said:
    cgWerks said:
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    If, by "carbs" you mean junk food like white bread, white pasta, cakes, pies, and CocaCola (or even G2) I would agree.

    If you're talking about healthy whole plant based foods, that is misguided.  Ask Tom Brady.
  • Reply 14 of 23
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    cgWerks said:
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
    No, he was correct.  That's science rather than the rehashed Atkins junk.
  • Reply 15 of 23
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    paxman said:
    cgWerks said:
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    If, by "carbs" you mean junk food like white bread, white pasta, cakes, pies, and CocaCola (or even G2) I would agree.

    If you're talking about healthy whole plant based foods, that is misguided.  Ask Tom Brady.
    By carbs I mean carbs. Potatoes, bread, rice, fruit, juice, you name it. Remember that just because it is plant based it doesn't in any way make it 'natural'. They sugar content in the fruit we buy today is ridiculously high. Essentially most fruits we eat today are highly engineered. A 'natural' apple for instance is a crab apple. Ever tried one of those? :) Potatoes used to be tiny and extremely nutrient dense but today, although they contain the same nutrients they have many times the carb content. Our bodies were not evolutionary designed to eat large amounts of carbs. 
    edited November 2017
  • Reply 16 of 23
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    GeorgeBMac said:
    Yes, you're right -- calorically speaking, 1,000 is a 1,000.
    But, from a caloric density standpoint you can't compare the two:
    1,000 Cookie Calories = 10 (100 calorie) cookies
    1,000 Broccoli Calories = 7+ pounds of Broccoli (at 136 calories per pound)

    You can easily eat the 10 cookies in a single sitting.  (Well, I know that I could!)
    Nobody could eat 7 pounds of anything in a single sitting and few could eat that much in a whole day.

    It's one of the main reasons why Whole Plant Foods produce weight loss:  You fill up before you fatten up.
    It's also what the body does with them and how it reacts. For example, I'd also say that 1000 calories of cookies ≠ 1000 calories of bacon fat even though they are both pretty dense and we could easily eat either in a sitting. What nutrients are in them, and even the molecular and genetic makeup of the food matters, as we're not just simply calorie burning machines.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    cgWerks said:
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
    Nope, I’m not mistaken, and i’m not proposing eating fat makes you fat (I had a typo in my post when describing the professor who ate twinkies to lose weight due to consuming a caloric *deficit*). As an athlete and weight lifter I’ve been studying nutrition and fitness for many years. Calories in, calories out. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating carbs or fat — excess calories are stored as fat. In fact dietary fats are more readily converted into lipids (body fat) than carbs, if eating in a caloric surplus. But it’s the calories per gram that you need to be aware of — if you’re in a caloric deficit neither are going to “make you fat”. This is why as lifters we can and do eat 400g of carbs a day but less than 100g of fat. It’s just math. One gram of fat has over twice as many calories as carbs. You just need to balance your macros percentages properly. 

    https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-count-calories/
    edited November 2017 GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 18 of 23

    paxman said:
    cgWerks said:
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
    I am not sure you strictly need carbs at all. I eat virtually zero. There obviously are some in lettuce and avocado etc, so it's not zero, but there are no essential carbs. Protein is human fuel and we all need it. In fact studies apparently show that we are all the same wether eskimos, European or African - our bodies will continue to crave food until we have the right amount of protein, and we all need pretty much the exact same amount relative to how active or sedentary we are. So if we eat high carb low protein food we will continue to eat until we have the requisite amount of protein. And we will do the same with fat - keep eating until the protein level is right. By eating protein dense food you'll need a fraction to be satiated. 
    Yes, your body needs carbs and it’s impossible not to eat some anyway. Same with fat. And if you want to get strong by lifting heavy things, then you need more carbs for the increased glycogen store. 

    Youre correct that ta high protein protein diet is key. But it’s the high-protien that is important, not the low-carb — if you’re in a caloric deficit, that is. And that’s where exercise comes in to increase your TDEE. Again this is why strong, fit people eat both high protein and high carbs. There’s nothing to fear from carbs if you’re not eating in a caloric surplus. It’s just math. If you want to lose weight, take in fewer calories than you expend.

    https://www.muscleforlife.com/carbohydrates-and-weight-loss-should-you-go-low-carb/
    edited November 2017
  • Reply 19 of 23
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member

    paxman said:
    cgWerks said:
    paxman said:
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    Pretty much, though we need some carbs too... we just need ***WAY*** less of them than is in the typical diet (in USA) anyway. Of course everyone's body is a bit different and reacts differently to certain foods and metabolisms vary. And, yea, regarding exercise that seems to be the most recent data that just a few minutes of more intense exercise every few days does more than running marathons. If you like running marathons (joint injury and such aside), that's great. But it won't get you optimal health.

    actually no, none of the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) make you fatter or leaner — your caloric intake does. you have a certain total daily enrergy expenditure (TDEE). if you take in more calories than you expend, you get fatter. this is a caloric surplus. if you take in less calories than you expend, you get leaner. this is a caloric deficit. either of these can be done with any macro nutrient. a professor demonstrated this by eating nothing but gas station food, twinkies, etc, but in a caloric surplus. naturally he lost weight. 

    this is not to say the macros have no differences. protein and carbs are 4 cals per gram, fat is 9. fat can make you feel fuller than say, high carb sodas. protein promotes fullness and has a higher thermal effect for breaking down. dietary fats are more readily converted to lipids and becoming body fat. protein is used for building and maintaining muscle tissue via protein synthesis. for changing body composition a high protein diet is key — carbs aren’t detrimental to this, and in fact are crucial for weight training as carbs are your source of glycogen, which is what your muscles use for energy and are needed in order to lift heavy. lifters eat high protein, high carb diets. this is how you build a strong, lean body. dieting alone produces a “skinny fat” look. 

    all three marcos have a purpose. as an active 200lb lifter i need about 450g of carbs in addition to my 200g of protein. fats about 70. 

    exercise is another story, but “lifting to failure” is a bro science myth. there are different goals.. to get strong, lift heavy reps at low reps (4-6) for a few sets. to promote hypertrophy lift lighter weight at higher reps (10-12). lifting to failure by itself is not special. 

    most people are interested in body recomposition and would benefit from a general strength training program. “Starting Strength” is a solid program. “StrongLifts 5x5” is a similar program with a great iPhone app and is a great place to begin. 
    Some of what you're saying is accurate, but I think some of it is outdated or actually in error. Your body fat is ultimately controlled by hormones, not calories. Eating fat isn't what makes you fat. In fact, you're going to gain more weight eating carbs than fat (as carb turn to sugars and the body likes to store them). But, yes, much of it has to do with the impact the various foods have on your eating habits... so yes, roughly, if you eat too much you gain weight, eat less, you lose. But, it's not nearly that simplistic... and if you don't eat the right things, most people don't have the will power to overcome their cravings.

    The eat fat, get fat concept was actually based on a single study that has been debunked... yet it became pretty much doctrine of the medical and government food pyramids. Recent articles have highlighted how corruption from the sugar industry has impacted may related studies as well. And, the understanding of how the body works has advanced greatly in the last few years.
    I am not sure you strictly need carbs at all. I eat virtually zero. There obviously are some in lettuce and avocado etc, so it's not zero, but there are no essential carbs. Protein is human fuel and we all need it. In fact studies apparently show that we are all the same wether eskimos, European or African - our bodies will continue to crave food until we have the right amount of protein, and we all need pretty much the exact same amount relative to how active or sedentary we are. So if we eat high carb low protein food we will continue to eat until we have the requisite amount of protein. And we will do the same with fat - keep eating until the protein level is right. By eating protein dense food you'll need a fraction to be satiated. 
    Yes, your body needs carbs and it’s impossible not to eat some anyway. Same with fat. And if you want to get strong by lifting heavy things, then you need more carbs for the increased glycogen store. 

    Youre correct that ta high protein protein diet is key. But it’s the high-protien that is important, not the low-carb — if you’re in a caloric deficit, that is. And that’s where exercise comes in to increase your TDEE. Again this is why strong, fit people eat both high protein and high carbs. There’s nothing to fear from carbs if you’re not eating in a caloric surplus. It’s just math. If you want to lose weight, take in fewer calories than you expend.

    https://www.muscleforlife.com/carbohydrates-and-weight-loss-should-you-go-low-carb/
    There are lots of heavy lifters that eat barely any carbs. There are endurance athletes that do not eat carbs. As I said, there will be carbs that come along with lettuce and other greens as well as fruits like avocado. Nuts too, have carbs. But high carb food is not required. The body produces its own glycogen. Our bodies are essentially the same as we have been for the last few million years and carbs in any significant amount have only been around since the agricultural revolution. But what you do as a weight lifter is obviously your own thing, but humans do not need carbs to exist. 
  • Reply 20 of 23
    paxman said:
    paxman said:
    cgWerks said:
    "fight the weight gain now with the App Store's plethora of fitness apps. "
    Doubtful:  running a mile burns about 100 calories -- basically a single large cookie.   So how many miles will it take to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?  Or even its dessert?
    ...  Better to watch how many calories you take in rather than trying to burn them off.

    That said, aerobic training is probably the single best way to keep your heart strong and your brain clear...

    Exactly. While exercise is quite good for you, you're not going to out-exercise your mouth if you fill it with bad stuff.
    But, it isn't so much about calories as it is about what the actual food is. 1000 calories of cookie ≠ 1000 calories of broccoli!
    Wanna watch the Lb's just drop off like crazy? Drop the carbs. Eat enough proteins and drop the carbs. Like almost all of them. You will be leaner and fitter in no time. Add in 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a week and you will become a new person (exercise needs to be single SLOW sets to absolute failure, and if you like 5 min sprint type exercise for cardio, also to failure). As for fats? Don't worry about them.
    If, by "carbs" you mean junk food like white bread, white pasta, cakes, pies, and CocaCola (or even G2) I would agree.

    If you're talking about healthy whole plant based foods, that is misguided.  Ask Tom Brady.
    By carbs I mean carbs. Potatoes, bread, rice, fruit, juice, you name it. Remember that just because it is plant based it doesn't in any way make it 'natural'. They sugar content in the fruit we buy today is ridiculously high. Essentially most fruits we eat today are highly engineered. A 'natural' apple for instance is a crab apple. Ever tried one of those? :) Potatoes used to be tiny and extremely nutrient dense but today, although they contain the same nutrients they have many times the carb content. Our bodies were not evolutionary designed to eat large amounts of carbs. 
    Who said anything about "natural"?  Arsenic is "natural".
    But, we know that eating whole, unprocessed plant foods produce the longest, healthiest lives in humans.
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