I’ll be honest; I don’t know what I’m doing. Allow me to elaborate on that just a bit. I’m informed and educated on the actions I’m performing, but I haven’t stopped to reflect on why I’m doing them or what I hope to gain from it. I’m working out and eating with no real plan or objective in mind which, now that I really sit down and think about it, seems pretty pointless. I’ve etched out goals for myself in the past, and even had some earlier this year, but I’ve not been diligent about revising and updating them as I got sidetracked and set-back. Then, when I’d return to action, I would try to resume the path I was on, even if those goals no longer applied. It might be better than not doing anything at all, but without knowing what I’m working towards I don’t know if I’m getting closer, or not. I jumped in the car because I’m anxious to take a trip but I don’t know where I want to go and, without that bit of information, have no way of mapping the route. Instead, I’m just cruising around mindlessly, I guess until I get tired of driving…
That seems like a funny analogy, but I think it fits. In fact, let’s return to it for just a moment to discuss the importance of, not only setting goals but, being specific in their detail. You decide to drive from Pittsburg to Little Rock. If you’re trying to make the journey without a map then you might know to head Southwest, and you’d be going in the right general direction, but you’re going to have a hard time finding it without making several wrong turns, driving in circles and back-tracking. It would be much less taxing on your vehicle, your wallet and your emotions if you first sat down and mapped out a more direct route so you know which roads to take. TSimilarly, you can say “I want to lose weight”, but then you’re driving blindly without first figuring out:
- How much fat (Let’s call it what it is. Weight, as a factor, becomes almost irrelevant in a body recomposition where the weight of fat lost can be offset by the weight of lean mass gained, hydration levels and glycogen stores, etc…) do I intend on losing?
- How much time am I giving myself to lose it?
- Is this a realistic and safely achievable expectation?
- How many calories will I be consuming to accomplish this?
- How far below my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is this?
- How many am I ingesting daily now?
- How do I plan to structure my diet so I consume adequate macro- and micronutrients?
- How are my workouts structured and what will be the frequency of activity?
- Was this figured in to the TDEE calculation? How often will I evaluate my progress to determine what tweaks are needed?
- What do I do when I hit my goal?
Not only are goals important for keeping us on-track, but they’re also a motivating function. When a goal is met it makes us feel triumphant and ready to set – and tackle – the next. For this reason, they probably need to be set in smaller increments so that you’re achieving them more often, seeing actual progress, and staying positive. I just sat down and wrote out short-, mid- and long-term goals for the next 12 months, but I probably need to go back and revise them so that I’m not a) losing sight of them and, b) losing hope. Even when you’re setting goals, if the completion date is 6 months or a year away, it can be easy to become discouraged if you don’t think you’re following a linear path and harder to make adjustments to redirect your efforts.
Tell me about some of your goals. How far out are you setting them, and how often are you updating them to keep pace with your progress?
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement” – Brian Tracy
10 Cheap Protein Sources
For the reason that the cost of living continues to rise, I've had to scale back on the amount I can budget for groceries, which is working against me considering groceries are also continuously on the rise. As I don't expect any change in the foreseeable future, even more sacrifices will have to be made in order to support my daughter and I without relying on consumer debt (which I'm trying to get out of and avoid). We’ve already been going without snacks and extras for the most part, which she isn’t happy about, to make up for increasing meat prices while I try to consume enough protein. When it comes to hitting my macros, I've been getting by on just the bare minimum (1g/lb LBM ~ 165g) and sometimes even coming up short on that. Where I live, beef ranges from $4 to $5/lb, depending on the cut and/or leanness, and chicken breasts are just as much. To get 150'ish grams of protein from meat alone, I'm looking at around 1.5lb of it per day, or ~ $6.75/day. Over the course of 15 days, we’re looking at $101.25, or 72% of my $140-per-pay-period grocery budget. That’s just for meat, and just for me, which doesn’t even account for my daughter’s needs.
I do take advantage of sales, use coupons when I can, and have tried getting by on some less than ideal alternatives. I ate ground turkey (mushy) and ground pork for quite a while because I could get it for $3-3.29/lb, but the sight of it now just about turns my stomach. I tried chicken thighs but don't care for the gristle and greasy taste; drumsticks are good, but 1) I'm always concerned I'm logging calories wrong with them, and 2) they require more time to prepare, which is a precious commodity (especially now, during ball season, which can keep me out at the park until 9:30PM several nights per week).
I'm thinking of ways to adjust my diet/shopping to offset the costs. Obviously I don't eat *just* meat, or rely on it as my lone source of protein, but it might be worth reducing the amount we *do* consume by half, or more, and supplementing the protein from other sources. Eggs are a cheap source of protein, but I've eaten so many over the years that I can only stomach a few at a time now before my appetite shuts down. I guess I need to look at the breakdown of cost for various protein sources.
8oz of chicken/beef will provide approximately 45g of protein for the cost of around $2.25, or $0.05 per gram. Milk is about $3.50 for a gallon, providing 16 cups at 8g/per, so that's less than $0.03 per gram. A can of black beans can be had for around $1, for 28g, which comes out to 3.5 cents/g (slightly more than milk for similar macro density). There's a protein bar I get once in a while that's only like $1.25 for 30g protein. I'm not going to start replacing my meals with them but, for that price and protein-calorie ratio, I can probably work one in on occasion. The same can be said for the 2oz beef steaks from Jack Links, which have the same macros as a lean cut of beef or chicken breast (120 cal 23gP). They're the most expensive on this list at $1.89 (8 cents per gram) but, when you're short on time, the fact that the only preparation needed is the separation of the packaging is very convenient (plus they're tasty and satisfying/satiating). Then there's whey powder. The last tub I bought was a 2lb of ON for $26, I think (I don't use it often because I don't have any problem eating my calories), which has 29 servings at 24g and comes out to less than $0.04/g.
Gah! I guess, when I look at it this way, the meat really isn't as expensive as I thought it was. It just frustrates me that a $10 grocery item only lasts 2 meals… There are, of course, other various sources of protein like tuna, pork, hard cheeses and nut butters. Trace amounts are also found in more processed foods, but I don’t consider them enough to provide adequate levels without exceeding your caloric allowances.
If we were to trim the list down to ten, then they would sort in the following order:
Milk - $0.027/g, or 36.57g per dollar
Eggs - $0.028/g, or 35.56g/$1
Dry roasted peanuts - $0.031, or 32g/$1
Black beans - $0.032/g, or 31.11g/$1
ON 100% Whey - $0.037/g, or 26.77g/$1
Ground turkey (85/15) - $0.037/g, or 26.75g/$1
Premier Nutrition bar - $0.039/g, or 25.42g/$1
Chicken breast & lean ground beef - $0.048/g, or 20.96g/$1
Jack Link’s beef steak - $0.082/g, or 12.17g/$1
Greek yogurt & cottage cheese - $0.083/g, or 12g/$1
Milk & eggs place at the top of this list when we look at the cost value, but keep in mind this isn’t all there is to consider. The nutrient density of milk is much heavier than in a chicken breast: where a pound of the latter would provide around 96g of protein at the cost of less than 500kcal, you would have to drink 1560kcal of the former to reach that level (without getting into a discussion on the levels of availability). Just some ‘food for thought’ (Ha!) if you’re running a deficit to cut. Another factor is convenience. If you’re a busy professional and single parent on the go, then you might find yourself grabbing more beef steaks & yogurt coups when you lack the time to prepare a meal, but you’ll be paying more for it. Again, it’s about finding a balance that works into your lifestyle and your nutritional needs.
How are y'all adapting to this, and what changes have you had to make to your diet to accommodate it? If you've had to cut back on your food budget, what are you doing to hit your macros?
I do take advantage of sales, use coupons when I can, and have tried getting by on some less than ideal alternatives. I ate ground turkey (mushy) and ground pork for quite a while because I could get it for $3-3.29/lb, but the sight of it now just about turns my stomach. I tried chicken thighs but don't care for the gristle and greasy taste; drumsticks are good, but 1) I'm always concerned I'm logging calories wrong with them, and 2) they require more time to prepare, which is a precious commodity (especially now, during ball season, which can keep me out at the park until 9:30PM several nights per week).
I'm thinking of ways to adjust my diet/shopping to offset the costs. Obviously I don't eat *just* meat, or rely on it as my lone source of protein, but it might be worth reducing the amount we *do* consume by half, or more, and supplementing the protein from other sources. Eggs are a cheap source of protein, but I've eaten so many over the years that I can only stomach a few at a time now before my appetite shuts down. I guess I need to look at the breakdown of cost for various protein sources.
8oz of chicken/beef will provide approximately 45g of protein for the cost of around $2.25, or $0.05 per gram. Milk is about $3.50 for a gallon, providing 16 cups at 8g/per, so that's less than $0.03 per gram. A can of black beans can be had for around $1, for 28g, which comes out to 3.5 cents/g (slightly more than milk for similar macro density). There's a protein bar I get once in a while that's only like $1.25 for 30g protein. I'm not going to start replacing my meals with them but, for that price and protein-calorie ratio, I can probably work one in on occasion. The same can be said for the 2oz beef steaks from Jack Links, which have the same macros as a lean cut of beef or chicken breast (120 cal 23gP). They're the most expensive on this list at $1.89 (8 cents per gram) but, when you're short on time, the fact that the only preparation needed is the separation of the packaging is very convenient (plus they're tasty and satisfying/satiating). Then there's whey powder. The last tub I bought was a 2lb of ON for $26, I think (I don't use it often because I don't have any problem eating my calories), which has 29 servings at 24g and comes out to less than $0.04/g.
Gah! I guess, when I look at it this way, the meat really isn't as expensive as I thought it was. It just frustrates me that a $10 grocery item only lasts 2 meals… There are, of course, other various sources of protein like tuna, pork, hard cheeses and nut butters. Trace amounts are also found in more processed foods, but I don’t consider them enough to provide adequate levels without exceeding your caloric allowances.
If we were to trim the list down to ten, then they would sort in the following order:
Milk - $0.027/g, or 36.57g per dollar
Eggs - $0.028/g, or 35.56g/$1
Dry roasted peanuts - $0.031, or 32g/$1
Black beans - $0.032/g, or 31.11g/$1
ON 100% Whey - $0.037/g, or 26.77g/$1
Ground turkey (85/15) - $0.037/g, or 26.75g/$1
Premier Nutrition bar - $0.039/g, or 25.42g/$1
Chicken breast & lean ground beef - $0.048/g, or 20.96g/$1
Jack Link’s beef steak - $0.082/g, or 12.17g/$1
Greek yogurt & cottage cheese - $0.083/g, or 12g/$1
Milk & eggs place at the top of this list when we look at the cost value, but keep in mind this isn’t all there is to consider. The nutrient density of milk is much heavier than in a chicken breast: where a pound of the latter would provide around 96g of protein at the cost of less than 500kcal, you would have to drink 1560kcal of the former to reach that level (without getting into a discussion on the levels of availability). Just some ‘food for thought’ (Ha!) if you’re running a deficit to cut. Another factor is convenience. If you’re a busy professional and single parent on the go, then you might find yourself grabbing more beef steaks & yogurt coups when you lack the time to prepare a meal, but you’ll be paying more for it. Again, it’s about finding a balance that works into your lifestyle and your nutritional needs.
How are y'all adapting to this, and what changes have you had to make to your diet to accommodate it? If you've had to cut back on your food budget, what are you doing to hit your macros?
The importance of your training environment
I signed up for a new gym yesterday and am slightly nervous about my first visit today, though I’m not entirely sure why. I’ve belonged to a smaller, local fitness center off and on for the last 3 years and have grown fond of it. It’s primarily a rock climbing/bouldering joint with a small gym that usually has no more than 3-4 other people working out, so I’ve rarely ever had to wait on anything. It was a block from my office and on the direct route I took to get home, it was affordable, and the owner addressed me by name and constantly complimented me on my arms and/or workout. It wasn’t perfect, but I had become comfortable with it. Unfortunately the relocation of my employer has placed me on the other side of town, making it difficult to drive over there and get a good workout in before I have to rush off to get my daughter. This new place is slightly out of the way, but it’s much closer to the office, so I’m hoping it will be a little more convenient.
The real convenience would be if I could build a monster gym and work out at home. I tried it on a smaller scale a few years ago, after my wife moved out, but it didn’t work out as I had anticipated. I ran out and picked up a bench and a couple bars, several hundred pounds in plates and dumbbells, weight stands to rack it all, and crammed them into the spare bedroom along with the receiver and floor speakers from the garage. I was able to squeeze it all in there, but it left little room to actually move around and any overhead movements were susceptible to interaction with the ceiling fan… Time for Plan B! I moved my project car out of the garage and cleaned it all up, got some rubber foam matting to prevent damage to the cement, and moved everything out from the spare room. This offered a little more openness, but now I was facing a few more issues:
1) I worked out alone (still do), and in my garage there was no one around to notice if I went too heavy or my grip faltered and I dropped 300lb on my throat, so safety was a concern.
2) I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a garage with attic access and un-insulated aluminum doors in South Carolina on a Summer day, but it got up to about 130 degrees in there and that just made it extremely difficult to get motivated. 3) Constant disruptions from my daughter, especially in regards to her expressed concern over my safety
There was little I could do about the last one, other than assure her I would take every precaution possible and beg for 45 minutes of silent observation, but I started looking for ways to cool my garage down since it had no windows and wouldn’t accommodate a window A/C unit. I also began researching ways to increase safety measures which lead to spotter stands and then to a power rack, which I just *had* to have. Due to their cost, it was going to have to wait a while, and as the months rolled by I eventually shoved all the equipment into a corner and brought my project car back in to work on. As New Year’s rolled around, adhering to all clichés as most undedicated (to fitness) dads do, I once again got the notion to “get back in shape” and tried splitting my garage space into one-part garage and one-part gym but, despite being a 2-car garage, there just wasn’t enough room for both with all the shelves, work benches and parts lying about. The car won out and I decided to just get rid of all the equipment I had procured since I was already facing existing issues.
I can appreciate the convenience of a home gym, and hope to one day have the land to build a shop large enough to function as both (or a home with a basement), though I’m quite aware it’s not all benefit:
Pros: No monthly fees so long-term costs weigh in favor as time goes on
Cons: The initial cost to get set up with the appropriate equipment of suitable quality will take several years to balance out versus monthly fees
Pros: The equipment is there and ready to use with no waiting on a particular piece or weight
Cons: If you’re working out alone then there’s no one around for a spot or to help out if you get in trouble (safety equipment to alleviate that burden will raise the initial cost more)
Pros: The conveniences of being at home (save time by cooking dinner during workout, saving time/gas by not driving to gym, being able to work out if you have the kids, being able to work out at any time of any day, etc)
Cons: The inconveniences of being at home (interruptions, the availability of space to create a gym without cramping yourself or anyone else, etc)
Pros: Can get creative with a variety of exercises that may not be available at your gym (hammer/tire or chopping wood, hill sprints, pushing/pulling a sled/car, etc)
Cons: Your limited equipment may mean a lack of variety in movements (unless, again, you increase costs)
A list of pros and cons for working out in a gym, or anywhere, for that matter, is probably just as balanced. I suppose if any of these options were perfect then we’d all be in shape and out of excuses… I don’t think it’s about perfection, though; it’s about finding what works for your lifestyle. And whether you work out at home or at Globo-Gym, if it isn’t the best fit for you, then it could have an effect on your performance.
Do you find your environment has an impact on your training? Do bright lights, cheerful pop music and colorful equipment raise your spirits and motivation? Does a dark, dingy dungeon strip away the distractions and help you focus on what needs to be done? What are your ideal gym conditions?
The real convenience would be if I could build a monster gym and work out at home. I tried it on a smaller scale a few years ago, after my wife moved out, but it didn’t work out as I had anticipated. I ran out and picked up a bench and a couple bars, several hundred pounds in plates and dumbbells, weight stands to rack it all, and crammed them into the spare bedroom along with the receiver and floor speakers from the garage. I was able to squeeze it all in there, but it left little room to actually move around and any overhead movements were susceptible to interaction with the ceiling fan… Time for Plan B! I moved my project car out of the garage and cleaned it all up, got some rubber foam matting to prevent damage to the cement, and moved everything out from the spare room. This offered a little more openness, but now I was facing a few more issues:
1) I worked out alone (still do), and in my garage there was no one around to notice if I went too heavy or my grip faltered and I dropped 300lb on my throat, so safety was a concern.
2) I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a garage with attic access and un-insulated aluminum doors in South Carolina on a Summer day, but it got up to about 130 degrees in there and that just made it extremely difficult to get motivated. 3) Constant disruptions from my daughter, especially in regards to her expressed concern over my safety
There was little I could do about the last one, other than assure her I would take every precaution possible and beg for 45 minutes of silent observation, but I started looking for ways to cool my garage down since it had no windows and wouldn’t accommodate a window A/C unit. I also began researching ways to increase safety measures which lead to spotter stands and then to a power rack, which I just *had* to have. Due to their cost, it was going to have to wait a while, and as the months rolled by I eventually shoved all the equipment into a corner and brought my project car back in to work on. As New Year’s rolled around, adhering to all clichés as most undedicated (to fitness) dads do, I once again got the notion to “get back in shape” and tried splitting my garage space into one-part garage and one-part gym but, despite being a 2-car garage, there just wasn’t enough room for both with all the shelves, work benches and parts lying about. The car won out and I decided to just get rid of all the equipment I had procured since I was already facing existing issues.
I can appreciate the convenience of a home gym, and hope to one day have the land to build a shop large enough to function as both (or a home with a basement), though I’m quite aware it’s not all benefit:
Pros: No monthly fees so long-term costs weigh in favor as time goes on
Cons: The initial cost to get set up with the appropriate equipment of suitable quality will take several years to balance out versus monthly fees
Pros: The equipment is there and ready to use with no waiting on a particular piece or weight
Cons: If you’re working out alone then there’s no one around for a spot or to help out if you get in trouble (safety equipment to alleviate that burden will raise the initial cost more)
Pros: The conveniences of being at home (save time by cooking dinner during workout, saving time/gas by not driving to gym, being able to work out if you have the kids, being able to work out at any time of any day, etc)
Cons: The inconveniences of being at home (interruptions, the availability of space to create a gym without cramping yourself or anyone else, etc)
Pros: Can get creative with a variety of exercises that may not be available at your gym (hammer/tire or chopping wood, hill sprints, pushing/pulling a sled/car, etc)
Cons: Your limited equipment may mean a lack of variety in movements (unless, again, you increase costs)
A list of pros and cons for working out in a gym, or anywhere, for that matter, is probably just as balanced. I suppose if any of these options were perfect then we’d all be in shape and out of excuses… I don’t think it’s about perfection, though; it’s about finding what works for your lifestyle. And whether you work out at home or at Globo-Gym, if it isn’t the best fit for you, then it could have an effect on your performance.
Do you find your environment has an impact on your training? Do bright lights, cheerful pop music and colorful equipment raise your spirits and motivation? Does a dark, dingy dungeon strip away the distractions and help you focus on what needs to be done? What are your ideal gym conditions?
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