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Catching Up With My Weight Loss
Well it’s been two weeks since the last podcast. The first week I was able to shed the 10 pounds I had gained putting myself back at 339 pounds and 101 pounds lost. The second week I was able to keep the weight off, which I consider to be a great step in the right direction. Maintaining my weight for a second week doesn’t seem to be bothering me as much as it used to. I think I’m beginning to understand that averages are more important than losing all the time. Plus it’s better than gaining, right? Plus, I know what to do for the next week, which is to watch my calorie intake and make sure that I keep all my food accounted for.
Overall really nothing has changed much over the past couple of weeks. Last week I was in training so I wasn’t able to do much in the way of my regular cardio exercising. However, I offset it by drinking a ton of water and passing the test for that class on Friday. Plus considering that week was also the week of my wedding anniversary and this week was a holiday week which means a lot of eating out. So, like I said all-in-all it was a pretty dang good week.
As far as my workouts go, my weight lifting went per normal. I do have a new piece of equipment in my arsenal, which are some weight lifting straps. These straps wrap around your wrists and then around the weight bar in order to take some of the strain off your grip. While they seem to be fairly decent for dumbells, they really excel for things that involve some really heavy weights and pulling up motions such as:
- dead lifts
- upright rows
- shoulder shrugs
- bent over rows
And so forth. I don’t find them very useful for things like bench presses or exercises that involve pushing motions. The only advantage I could see is that the part that wraps around the bar would provide extra cushion for your hands. But since I use weight training gloves for my workouts I don’t see much of an advantage.
Main Topic: Post-Workout Hunger
Now, while my personal preference is to drink a shake made with Herbalife24 Rebuild Strength after a workout, not everyone is going to have that available to them. Hunger is a common result of working out due to the calorie burn that is incurred from the activity. I remember listening to someone who was talking about how when he was working out very hard in the morning he had to stock up on low-calorie high-protein food that he could snack on during the day, because he would find himself hungry all day long. So what should you do in order to deal with any hunger that you might feel when you’re done working out?
- Choosing the right food is important
- Hormones may cause women to feel hunger more intensely than men
- High-intensity exercise may actually reduce hunger
- Pre-workout food will help fuel your metabolism for a better workout and greater energy expenditure.
- Skip sports drinks or anything during your workout that will contribute extra calories.
- Muscles need healthy carbs and protein after working out. 3 grams of carbs for every one gram of protein is suggeste
The Nutrition Diva also weighs in on the subject on what to eat before, during, and after a workout.
- Don’t exercise on a full stomach because it will feel uncomfortable and digestion will prevent supplying you energy.
- Try eating a normal, healthy meal a couple of hours before exercising.
- If it’s been a while since you’ve eaten a small snack such as fruit, a bagel, or graham crackers should help.
- Also hydrating with water a half-hour before the workout is ideal too.
- Sports drinks should only be used when someone is working out very hard, very long, or in very hot conditions. Otherwise water should be used instead.
- If you are working out constantly for over 60 minutes a small snack is OK. You want something quickly digestible such as fruit or fruit juice. You can use gels, but stay away from anything with a lot of fat or fiber because they’re harder to digest.
- Post-workout you want a meal or snack with complex carbs and some protein.
- Calories still count; working out does not cancel them out.
Letters
Jason D
Hi Dodge,
Yes…me again. 
I was reading over an article the other day, and it reminded me of your podcast discussion on rest times at the gym. I remember you comparing the amount of time that you personally rested between sets, and observing others in the gym and their much longer rest times. While I do agree with you for most of these cases that it is unncessary and even annoying, I did find the below information interesting and maybe something that you want to share. As for me, I used to stick to the 60-second rule, but now I’m using 30-60 seconds depending on how taxed I feel before diving in for another set. Love the podcasts. Keep up the great work. ~Jason
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Impact of the length of the rest intervals on recovery between sets of a single exercise.
The amount of rest between sets is directly dependent on your Goal.
The right interval length depends on the intensity of your efforts, as well as on the exercise performed (you recover faster from a set of triceps kickbacks than from a set of squats). The following lists various rest intervals:
20-30 seconds Rest time (strength-endurance zone)
Best suited for Fat loss
Note: Metabolite accumulation and oxygen debt, both of which can lead to the release of hGH and other growth factors
30-60 seconds Rest time (strength-endurance and hypertrophy zones)
Best suited for Fat loss and muscle gain
Note: Some significant metabolite accumulation. More metabolic rest = capacity to use more weight when training in hypertrophy zone
60-90 seconds Rest time (hypertrophy zone)
Best suited for Muscle gain
Note: Good compromise between metabolic accumulation and sufficient recovery to perform heavier work
90-120 seconds Rest time (hypertrophy and functional hypertrophy zones)
Best suited for Muscle and strength gains
Note: Allows you to maintain work capacity between hypertrophy-inducing sets
2-4 minutes Rest time (absolute and limit strength zones)
Best suited for Strength gains
Note: Full neural recovery and strength potentiation, allowing maximal lifting
Again, these are guidelines. Some people need less rest while others need more. For the great majority, this will work fine, so start there and adjust as needed.
Notice that I say “between sets of a single exercise.” This means that if, for example, you’re working in the hypertrophy zone you’d need to take 60 to 90 seconds of rest before performing a second set of the same exercise.
Ben:
Hey Dodge!
Going by your latest podcast Id just like to mention a few things. I was told when you look at a serving size try and find something that has 200 mlg of sodium. But in todays society that would be very hard, so you want to aim for that goal. Also dont add any extra table salt to your food. Salt gives you high bloodpressure which can be just as deadly as being over-weight. I know what your going through with the night time eating. After a long day at work usually I result to eating things I would normally stay away from (peanut butter, chips etc.). Also since you seemed to gain ten pounds, im not sure if you could be retaining water, but I heard your body weight can change up to 6 pounds a day. With all the eating, drinking, sweating, bathroom use, etc. My last thought is my weight keeps hovering at around 323 and im trying to make it to the under 300 mark. Im going to try and stop the late night snacking, im thinking mabye that will help. But my questions is, am I not getting enough exercise? Because of my work, I unload trucks, im constantly standing, lifting boxes, pulling pallets, and I still come home sore after work. A coworker and I talked about finding a 24 hr gym and working out after work, because we get off at 1 am every night. But given my current state I cant imagine doing all I do, and then going to a gym even though I know more exercise would be better because it changes the exercise I get on my body.
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Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content isn’t a substitute for any medical advice and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all related health care related questions and issues.