Health & Fitness

General Gibberish Forums The Sports Bar
621

Long time since ive been in here, but ive got some progress to report with regards to weight loss and general fitness.

Firstly, at 90kg, I stopped drinking alcohol at the start of August, and without any changes to my diet or exercise I lost 4kg in 4 weeks. I guess that shows how much i was drinking…

So at 86kg I was already noticing I was looking fitter plus since I wasnt drinking, I was getting up earlier which meant I had time to have a healthy breaky and make lunch. We also have a gym at work which I had been using 2 or 3 times a week (but other than begginer strength gains and slightly better cardio I was wasting the efffort by drinking and overeating). So 4 weeks more of no drinking and working out plus next to no sugar and daily calorie deficits, and bugger me if I didn’t get down to 82kg.

Bring on October and while I was stoked that my BMI no longer said I was overweight and I was looking better than I had thought was possiible, I really wanted to be well and truly in the normal weight range and not just on the edge… plus my attitude to alcohol had a serious adjustment from not drinking and since I had the energy and was enoying the healthy food and lifestyle I kept going and yep, another 4kg gone and down to 78kg.

November came and we went on holiday to Noosa and i had a couple of beers and wines (after 115 days alcohol free) and indulged in naughty food like bacon and eggs and pizza and cheese platters and what not, but after a few days we were back home and I was back on track. I must say it was nice to have the shirt off and not be self conscious. Well I was, but in a good way :wink:

Anyway, I’m currently at maintenance level, trying to stay between 74 & 75kg where I have beeen for the past week. all the fit people I know tell me I look amazing, and all the overweight people I know tell me Im too skinny, but I know my weight is healthy (I would have to be 59kg to be underweight according to my BMI) and Im no longer at risk from diabetes and other weight related diseases.

I plan to continue being alcohol free generally but Im not counting and there is no end date… if I am in the mood on a special occassion i might have one or two but I am in a good place and feel my culture has changed. (Its beeen 2 weeks since I had any alcohol)

Diet… Im indulging a little bit here and there now, just to hit maintenance or when out with friends etc… but the diet is generally small portions and no crap, mainly fruit, vegies, lean meat. we have been getting youfoodz.com meals for dinner and they are around 1500kj each. Otherwise Weetbix with frozen raspberries and blueberries and banana (and LSA mix and some psyllium powder and maybe desicated coconut) for breaky, and lunch is usually some mixed lettuce with a small tin of tuna and beans and corn and some hommus. i will have a banana for morning tea and an apple in the afternoon… and lots of water and coffee and tea. Seems to work.

Gym… Im lifting mon,wed,fri and doing 5km running on tue,thur. Ive also been doing the local 5km parkrun.com.au on Saturdays which are all over the place and give you an official time but its free and community based…check it out. As for my lifts they are pretty tame, basically the starting strength program but Im doing pull ups and some dips as well. I only get around 35mins to work out so after a couplemins on the rowing machine if I spend 15mins on the squat rack it doesn’t leave me much time for bench and pull ups and deadlifts, so I usually only get to focus on 1 of them.

So anyway, thats a fair wall of text, and Ive touched on a lot of things but stopping the drinking was the catalyst for the rest of the changes. There’s lots of diets out there but I will back the ones that say stay away from the sugar, the alcohol, eat fresh foods, have a calorie deficit, exercise and sleep properly. And be consistent. Dont just do it for a day, or 4, give it a few weeks for your mind and body to get into a new rhythm.

622
Anyone else here gluten free despite not being coeliac? I had a massively bloated stomach for a week, and I had put on no weight whatsoever. The doctor basically told me it was stress, but I thought I'd try to cut out gluten. About five days later, my stomach has returned to normal and I don't feel discomfort after eating. My mum knows a few people who have had the same issue, but are not coeliac. It seems that it's becoming quite common. I've found decent gluten free bread, but I love crumpets, crackers, cereal and biscuits, I'm hanging out for them :'(
I stopped eating it at the same time I cut out meat and started getting acupuncture and I couldn't figure out what made me feel best until I accidentally ate some normal bread. I blew up and felt like ■■■■. I actually feel happier after eating something gf. I did a bit of research and the most interesting stuff was theory on how the gluten binds the stomach lining which may prevent the brain talking to the stomach cells which make you feel good. Just a theory but I'm running with it anyway. Hi joy problem with gf foods is just because you eat them doesn't mean there aren't 7.9 metric tons of sugar waiting inside.

Read the books Wheat Belly or Grain Brain, if you want to know about the joys of gluten and potential affects on health and well being. Seems to be a bigger problem nowadays due to the selective breeding of wheat types and the departure from what was once more of an ancient grain type, but is now so modified that perhaps the body just sees it as a irritant.

The research shows that up to 90% of your serotonin is made in the gut. The link between serotonin and feeling good goes without saying. Could be that the irritation in the gut from the gluten/wheat causes an imbalance in the serotonin uptake for some people.

How about not reading books that are not backed by any good evidence? There is some evidence that alot of people who report "gluten intolerance" actually have FODMAP issues of which wheat can be a problem but not barley, oats and rye which also contain gluten (which most people conveniently forget when they decide "gluten is evil").
623
I never had a problem with bread and pasta, until I quit it for a few months.

Now one bowl of pasta or anything with white flour in it feels like a small guerilla war in my guts and I go up a belt size for a day.

Rye-bread is ok.

If you can have Rye gluten is not your problem.
624
Anyone else here gluten free despite not being coeliac? I had a massively bloated stomach for a week, and I had put on no weight whatsoever. The doctor basically told me it was stress, but I thought I'd try to cut out gluten. About five days later, my stomach has returned to normal and I don't feel discomfort after eating. My mum knows a few people who have had the same issue, but are not coeliac. It seems that it's becoming quite common. I've found decent gluten free bread, but I love crumpets, crackers, cereal and biscuits, I'm hanging out for them :'(
I stopped eating it at the same time I cut out meat and started getting acupuncture and I couldn't figure out what made me feel best until I accidentally ate some normal bread. I blew up and felt like ■■■■. I actually feel happier after eating something gf. I did a bit of research and the most interesting stuff was theory on how the gluten binds the stomach lining which may prevent the brain talking to the stomach cells which make you feel good. Just a theory but I'm running with it anyway. Hi joy problem with gf foods is just because you eat them doesn't mean there aren't 7.9 metric tons of sugar waiting inside.

Read the books Wheat Belly or Grain Brain, if you want to know about the joys of gluten and potential affects on health and well being. Seems to be a bigger problem nowadays due to the selective breeding of wheat types and the departure from what was once more of an ancient grain type, but is now so modified that perhaps the body just sees it as a irritant.

The research shows that up to 90% of your serotonin is made in the gut. The link between serotonin and feeling good goes without saying. Could be that the irritation in the gut from the gluten/wheat causes an imbalance in the serotonin uptake for some people.

How about not reading books that are not backed by any good evidence? There is some evidence that alot of people who report "gluten intolerance" actually have FODMAP issues of which wheat can be a problem but not barley, oats and rye which also contain gluten (which most people conveniently forget when they decide "gluten is evil").
Yep, doctor told me to eat alternative grains. I still buy gluten free cereal, but I buy bread made with spelt flour etc.
625
Long time since ive been in here, but ive got some progress to report with regards to weight loss and general fitness.

Firstly, at 90kg, I stopped drinking alcohol at the start of August, and without any changes to my diet or exercise I lost 4kg in 4 weeks. I guess that shows how much i was drinking…Anyway, I’m currently at maintenance level, trying to stay between 74 & 75kg where I have beeen for the past week. all the fit people I know tell me I look amazing, and all the overweight people I know tell me Im too skinny, but I know my weight is healthy (I would have to be 59kg to be underweight according to my BMI) and Im no longer at risk from diabetes and other weight related diseases.

… Ive touched on a lot of things but stopping the drinking was the catalyst for the rest of the changes. There’s lots of diets out there but I will back the ones that say stay away from the sugar, the alcohol, eat fresh foods, have a calorie deficit, exercise and sleep properly. And be consistent. Dont just do it for a day, or 4, give it a few weeks for your mind and body to get into a new rhythm.

What a fantastic story - kudos to you, Wannabe. And a lot of sound advice for others in your experiences.

626

For anyone interested I have been absolutely smashing the research studies the past few months regarding effects of massage and also strength & conditioning.
Some interesting “discoveries”

  1. human tissue is too strong to physically stretch or shape via massage. Think of tissue as steel bonded together by a glue that reacts to electricity. When you get massaged, the physical contact affects the electrical signals and the body stretches/reshapes itself
  2. massage is at least as equally effective at reducing stress and anxiety as prescription drugs
  3. people with low back injuries who get imaging (x-ray, MRI etc) are significantly slower and less likely to recover than those that don’t. They are also far more likely to get surgery (which is largely ineffectual for most low back pain)
  4. the best cure for any tendinitis or fasciitis is progressive loading aka strength training, beginning with isometric contractions (no change in muscle length) as there is little to no inflammatory effect
  5. regarding hypertrophy, doing any rep range from 3-40 reps per set you will get similar muscle growth
  6. however, the higher rep groups gained significantly less strength
  7. there is no advantage to “mixing up” rep ranges
  8. scientifically, the best set up for hypertrophy/muscle growth seems to be: muscle groups trained 2-3 times per week, 40-60 reps in total done in sets of 6-12 reps @ 70-75% 1rm with 3-5 minutes rest between each set
  9. strength training and stretching improves flexibility significantly more than either alone (like, twice as much improvement)
  10. strength transfer to athletic qualities is force vector specific eg squats improve jumping more than deadlifting, deadlifting improves sprinting more than squatting
  11. strength transfer to athletic qualities is joint angle specific eg 1/4 squats improve sprint speed more than atg squats
  12. strength transfer to athletic qualities is velocity specific eg you will jump higher by doing unweighted jumping than weighted jumping (though interestingly enough training heavy loads 2-3 reps increase rate of force development which also improves jump height)
  13. strength transfer to athletic qualities is stability specific eg bosu balls are out unless you’re a circus performer, and free weights are better than machines
  14. foam rolling and/or stretching for 10 seconds twice a day is more effective than the same amount done once a week (basically every study suggests that the more we do something the more we react/adapt to it, which isn’t all that surprising)
  15. women will get more reps at similar 1rms to males up to about 85%, where there is some evidence they will actually get less
  16. women can recover from an intense bench press workout in 4 hours; it takes males 24-48 hours. So if you ever have a girl ask you how to best improve their bench press tell them to bench press 3 times a day lol
  17. foam rolling/stretching your legs will improve your shoulder flexibility
  18. as with 14, the same rule applies to weights - comparing 1 big workout a week with ‘X’ volume to 3 smaller workouts a week each with X/3 volume, the latter has greater strength increases and muscle growth
627

  1. the best cure for any tendinitis or fasciitis is progressive loading aka strength training, beginning with isometric contractions (no change in muscle length) as there is little to no inflammatory effect

  2. strength training and stretching improves flexibility significantly more than either alone (like, twice as much improvement)

  3. foam rolling/stretching your legs will improve your shoulder flexibility

  1. I’ve found this to be the most effective treatment for my transient but recurrent patellar tendonitis. For example, leg extensions done at almost full extension but only ~10% deflection. So close to isometric. Ditto static isometric VMO exercises. I suspect my issue is VMO muscle not “firing”, hence the effectiveness of these exercises without aggravating the underlying tendon issue.

  2. Very interesting. I guess yoga on its own would therefor be less effective.

  3. WTF?!?!?!

628

  1. the best cure for any tendinitis or fasciitis is progressive loading aka strength training, beginning with isometric contractions (no change in muscle length) as there is little to no inflammatory effect

  2. strength training and stretching improves flexibility significantly more than either alone (like, twice as much improvement)

  3. foam rolling/stretching your legs will improve your shoulder flexibility

  1. I’ve found this to be the most effective treatment for my transient but recurrent patellar tendonitis. For example, leg extensions done at almost full extension but only ~10% deflection. So close to isometric. Ditto static isometric VMO exercises. I suspect my issue is VMO muscle not “firing”, hence the effectiveness of these exercises without aggravating the underlying tendon issue.

  2. Very interesting. I guess yoga on its own would therefor be less effective.

  3. WTF?!?!?!

  • vastus medialis runs off the same nerve as medialis and lateralis so it would be firing any time you extend your knee ie all 3 fire at once or none at all (not to brag but I managed to win an argument with a very highly regarded physio over this haha)

  • yoga and Pilates haven’t been shown to be good for anything in a clinical/medical setting

  • goes hand in hand with #1 - muscle tonicity (what most would call “tightness”) is largely neurological and not mechanical (obviously tissue will have an “end” length at which point it will tear)

    • Another interesting thing I found was that a German researcher massaged someone who was under anaesthesia and found that massage did not have any effect on the patient (pain, flexibility, state of relaxation) when they awoke, which again points to massage having a by and large neurological effect

    629

    All good and interesting stuff. Great to see this level of research happening. Often it confirms stuff I’ve learnt over my 40 years in the gym and running.

    I know for a fact that I can get vastus medialis activation without any VMO contraction at certain points of a full leg extension - is clear to see and feel.

    But back to the main point - isometrics works well for me dealing with patella tendonitis. Most of the treatments suggested by various physios and stuff I read online just seems to aggravate the tendon for me. (But I suspect I have some underlying pathology - I suspect a bone spur on under edge of the patella).

    630

    lack of vmo “activation” is traditionally associated with patelloafemoral friction syndrome so it’s quite possible you do have something going on under the patella itself
    Interestingly enough, the latest research shows that there is a correlation between internal femoral rotation and knee valgus with persons suffering from PFFS, and that the best way to help the knee in this instance is to strengthen glute max and piriformis

    631

    1. the best cure for any tendinitis or fasciitis is progressive loading aka strength training, beginning with isometric contractions (no change in muscle length) as there is little to no inflammatory effect

    2. strength training and stretching improves flexibility significantly more than either alone (like, twice as much improvement)

    3. foam rolling/stretching your legs will improve your shoulder flexibility

    1. I’ve found this to be the most effective treatment for my transient but recurrent patellar tendonitis. For example, leg extensions done at almost full extension but only ~10% deflection. So close to isometric. Ditto static isometric VMO exercises. I suspect my issue is VMO muscle not “firing”, hence the effectiveness of these exercises without aggravating the underlying tendon issue.

    2. Very interesting. I guess yoga on its own would therefor be less effective.

    3. WTF?!?!?!

    Can also vouch for #4 with achilles tendinopathy. Took a good 12 months to get it to about 99% pain free but isometic calf raises w/ weighted backpack + heavy (3x6-8 reps) calf raises in the smith machine worked.

    632
    lack of vmo "activation" is traditionally associated with patelloafemoral friction syndrome so it's quite possible you do have something going on under the patella itself Interestingly enough, the latest research shows that there is a correlation between internal femoral rotation and knee valgus with persons suffering from PFFS, and that the best way to help the knee in this instance is to strengthen glute max and piriformis

    Some great tips there - thanks Eastie. I suspect you’re correct with the knee valgus. Better get back into the glute/hip stuff - I’ve neglected my hip rehab, which is probably why my knee is acting up. Any type of squat flares-up the knee once it’s aggravated, but luckily resistance band crab walks don’t - and really work the glute medius for me. Along with isometric (mini) leg extensions for the VMO, as mentioned.

    Chess - yep, been there done that too! Around 12 months for me too. Fun, isn’t it!

    633

    Worth it though! Started probably 2-2.5 years ago, actually thought I just had a bruised heel so did the usual ice, calf stretch, “run through it” thing all of which did nothing at best and aggravated it at worst. Turned out I had degeneration of the tendon at the heelbone insertion point. The actual damage can’t ever actually fully heal but the pain and functionality have essentially completely resolved. Eventually.

    634

    “Why ice delays recovery” - from the Dr who popularised the RICE acronym
    http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html

    635

    Eastie, explain the foam rolling one again

    I thought the new studies said you had to roll over the same spot ffor like 5-10 minutes to notice any change

    636
    I never had a problem with bread and pasta, until I quit it for a few months.

    Now one bowl of pasta or anything with white flour in it feels like a small guerilla war in my guts and I go up a belt size for a day.

    Rye-bread is ok.

    If you can have Rye gluten is not your problem.

    i agree, it’s white flour. also sends my reflux soaring.

    637
    Eastie, explain the foam rolling one again

    I thought the new studies said you had to roll over the same spot ffor like 5-10 minutes to notice any change

    For every study that says 3-5 minutes there is one that says 5-10 seconds, which suggests the answer is “it depends” lol
    To get an actual mechanical change in tissue length it’s 3 minutes + but the forces required are extreme (100s of KGs of force) and you’d probably just damage the tissue
    To get a neurological change in stretch tolerance and/or muscle tonicity the results can be instantaneous in health/normal tissue, then obviously longer in abnormal tissue (scar, hyper tonic muscle fibres)
    I can’t remember the exact figures (or the actual study) but the force required to break collagen (which forms scar tissue) was monstrous - basically your massage therapist would be more likely to break a bone before they broke up any scar tissue

    If you (or anyone) is interested I basically live on this guys IG
    http://instagram.com/chrisabeardsley

    638

    This guy is good as well, though he never seems to have anything good to say about anything lol. Particularly his own (former) professional of massage therapy

    639
    Eastie, explain the foam rolling one again

    I thought the new studies said you had to roll over the same spot ffor like 5-10 minutes to notice any change

    For every study that says 3-5 minutes there is one that says 5-10 seconds, which suggests the answer is “it depends” lol
    To get an actual mechanical change in tissue length it’s 3 minutes + but the forces required are extreme (100s of KGs of force) and you’d probably just damage the tissue
    To get a neurological change in stretch tolerance and/or muscle tonicity the results can be instantaneous in health/normal tissue, then obviously longer in abnormal tissue (scar, hyper tonic muscle fibres)
    I can’t remember the exact figures (or the actual study) but the force required to break collagen (which forms scar tissue) was monstrous - basically your massage therapist would be more likely to break a bone before they broke up any scar tissue

    If you (or anyone) is interested I basically live on this guys IG
    http://instagram.com/chrisabeardsley

    Damn that seems like a lot of reading and technical stuff
    I’m just looking for someone to tell me that I’m wasting my time rolling for 2 hours a week haha

    640
    Eastie, explain the foam rolling one again

    I thought the new studies said you had to roll over the same spot ffor like 5-10 minutes to notice any change

    For every study that says 3-5 minutes there is one that says 5-10 seconds, which suggests the answer is “it depends” lol
    To get an actual mechanical change in tissue length it’s 3 minutes + but the forces required are extreme (100s of KGs of force) and you’d probably just damage the tissue
    To get a neurological change in stretch tolerance and/or muscle tonicity the results can be instantaneous in health/normal tissue, then obviously longer in abnormal tissue (scar, hyper tonic muscle fibres)
    I can’t remember the exact figures (or the actual study) but the force required to break collagen (which forms scar tissue) was monstrous - basically your massage therapist would be more likely to break a bone before they broke up any scar tissue

    If you (or anyone) is interested I basically live on this guys IG
    http://instagram.com/chrisabeardsley

    Damn that seems like a lot of reading and technical stuff
    I’m just looking for someone to tell me that I’m wasting my time rolling for 2 hours a week haha

    Haha you just want these 2 then lol
    https://instagram.com/p/BNoJJeIjqWo/
    https://instagram.com/p/BNBeHuqjSwz/ --> this one says the longer the better, but they’re only comparing 5s vs 10s, and both show ROM improvements