Dieting for Mountain Training and weight loss

[sp6x6]

Keep on tracking Lew

 

[SugarCake]

Many good tips in this thread, but one that I didn't see in the posts I read was to eat protein supplements.

If you for example skip breakfast every day and instead eat a casein-protein shake with 50 grams of protein - you will not be very hungry. At the same time, it will reduce muscle loss when you are on a calorie-deficit.

If you combine that with other tips in the thread, for example eating smaller, more protein-rich meals with less fat and carbs - you will surely drop in weight. But the extra protein will help you to lose less muscle tissue.

Another thing to take into account is that fat contain a lot more calories per gram than protein and carbs. So if you can pick to reduce either carbs or fat - always reduce fat.

 

[Montucky Roamer]

A solid weight training plan, with a focus on compound movements, squat, deadlift , bench, overhead press, pullups , split squats etc is invaluable for life.
Full body each session, hit it hard with proper rests and get out.
Check out kneesovertoesguy on you tube for bullet proof knees. Awesome channel for us mountain hunters.
HIIT training 2 times a week.
Add in two long weighted hikes per week in the lever 1 and 2 heart rate zone.

Cardio alone and a caloric deficit will reduce metabolism AND is proven to lower testosterone and one gets into a spiral of plateaus and having to reduce more, or add more cardio etc. Although you MAY see faster initial results, the long term price is rough.
Endurance training IS needed for what we do and I love it. Just don't think 1990s style super low cal, low fat diet and all cardio is the answer.

Motivation is a fickle bitch , don't rely on it but use it when it shows up. But really, discipline is key, doing it when you don't want to is key. Start small and work into it. I've never had a training session and wished I hadn't done it. Some thoughts.

 

[Timnterra]

A solid weight training plan, with a focus on compound movements, squat, deadlift , bench, overhead press, pullups , split squats etc is invaluable for life.
Full body each session, hit it hard with proper rests and get out.
Check out kneesovertoesguy on you tube for bullet proof knees. Awesome channel for us mountain hunters.
HIIT training 2 times a week.
Add in two long weighted hikes per week in the lever 1 and 2 heart rate zone.

Cardio alone and a caloric deficit will reduce metabolism AND is proven to lower testosterone and one gets into a spiral of plateaus and having to reduce more, or add more cardio etc. Although you MAY see faster initial results, the long term price is rough.
Endurance training IS needed for what we do and I love it. Just don't think 1990s style super low cal, low fat diet and all cardio is the answer.

Motivation is a fickle bitch , don't rely on it but use it when it shows up. But really, discipline is key, doing it when you don't want to is key. Start small and work into it. I've never had a training session and wished I hadn't done it. Some thoughts.

I've fallen into a pretty disciplined routine. For the last 16 weeks now I've stayed consistent (only missed three workouts). I have done weight training based on the big compound lifts, bench, squat, deadlift, and military press. I have been doing lower reps with higher weight, if I can do 6 reps, I up the weight 10 lbs. I've built back up to where I was in college 18 years ago in just a few months. I have not focused on cutting calories at all since I've been lifting and my weight has stayed consistent. I'd imagine I've swapped some fat tissue for muscle tissue but not much. I am not a low-fat diet kind of guy. I do intend to cut back on carbs and up my protein and fat intake during the next 8 weeks. I'm planning to change gears with the next eight-week session. I want to do higher reps with lower weight and drive the heart rate up working on my cardio that way. I'm not really interested in traditional cardio but I would like to do some HIIT workouts, do you have some recommendations? I also like the strongman style cardio like heavy farmers walk and stone carry stuff, I think that might blow jogging on a treadmill out of the water for effectiveness.

 

[Elkeater]

I've fallen into a pretty disciplined routine. For the last 16 weeks now I've stayed consistent (only missed three workouts). I have done weight training based on the big compound lifts, bench, squat, deadlift, and military press. I have been doing lower reps with higher weight, if I can do 6 reps, I up the weight 10 lbs. I've built back up to where I was in college 18 years ago in just a few months. I have not focused on cutting calories at all since I've been lifting and my weight has stayed consistent. I'd imagine I've swapped some fat tissue for muscle tissue but not much. I am not a low-fat diet kind of guy. I do intend to cut back on carbs and up my protein and fat intake during the next 8 weeks. I'm planning to change gears with the next eight-week session. I want to do higher reps with lower weight and drive the heart rate up working on my cardio that way. I'm not really interested in traditional cardio but I would like to do some HIIT workouts, do you have some recommendations? I also like the strongman style cardio like heavy farmers walk and stone carry stuff, I think that might blow jogging on a treadmill out of the water for effectiveness.

Man that's a great start! For what it's worth I found going full Keto (because me and carbs apparently don't mix according to my blood glucose levels) with CrossFit has worked for me. I'm 31 was getting pretty hefty around Christmas and decided I'd had enough. Dropped about 30lbs since Christmas and now after about 5 months I'm feeling my body not relying on glucose (carbs) for energy. I would encourage you to drop those carbs like you said and see what happens in the long run. When I dropped carbs I found I could t go as hard in the gym but after a couple months I found my ability to go hard coming back. It's just a more long term game.

Keep going!!!

 

[Montucky Roamer]

Awesome work! That's good to hear! To be clear, I DO think the best way to train for a thing , is doing THAT thing. However, if one doesn't have mountains to go hike and 8-12 hours per week to spend doing that ,then what should one do?

Hiking with a pack of moderate weight at low to moderate intensity for 1 - 8hrs at a time(shed hunting!) is great for building the base and would be great if you can fit one session in per week for starters.
Now for HIIT, there are countless ways to put together a workout for this.
Sample: with dumbbells( maybe 40#?)
5 rounds for quality and time. Rest one minute between rounds.
10 deadlifts
10 front squats
10 press
10 rows
10 pushups on the dumbbells
I think it's best to avoid technical lifts such as the olympic lifts, or real heavy squats or deads while in a fatigued state.
Also, simple and sinister kettlebell training is wonderful. The book by Pavel is worth it.
Basically, 100 single arm swings , 10 per arm alternate arms.
Rest a bit , then do 10 Turkish get ups. 1 at a time, taking your time.
Also, try this.
High intensity strength training. Load pack heavy enough( for example, I use about 100# now but start lower around 50 maybe?) I'm also fairly big so it's all relative) that each step up on a less than knee high box is tiring after a few.
I set up a interval timer app on phone to keep a pace of a step up every few seconds with a 3 second break between steps. Start at a 10 min session and work up to 20. 1 session per week is enough. Add a second of you want tho.
Can add time and weight as needed.
Supposedly, this helps train that new fast twitch muscle to have some endurance. Sweat will roll, and it sorta sucks , but it's a slower pace yet taxing , different feel. Like packing meat. Rucking too often with super heavy packs will grind you down so I don't recommend ,bit these short session seem ideal.

 

[Timnterra]

Man that's a great start! For what it's worth I found going full Keto (because me and carbs apparently don't mix according to my blood glucose levels) with CrossFit has worked for me. I'm 31 was getting pretty hefty around Christmas and decided I'd had enough. Dropped about 30lbs since Christmas and now after about 5 months I'm feeling my body not relying on glucose (carbs) for energy. I would encourage you to drop those carbs like you said and see what happens in the long run. When I dropped carbs I found I could t go as hard in the gym but after a couple months I found my ability to go hard coming back. It's just a more long term game.

Keep going!!!

I would love to do cross fit, it seems like the kind of workout I'd like. I guess I could do it on my own but it's a little expensive for my budget right now ( the two local boxes are about 4x what I pay for a membership at the YMCA)

 

[Montucky Roamer]

Sometimes you need to push hard, and go to the limit occasionally , but dont get caught up in chasing fatigue. I did crossfit for years, it's fun and I learned a lot. But some things about it are plain silly. Going balls out every session to get best time possible is one of those. High rep snatches and clean and jerks are another. Piles of kipping pullups eat shoulders for lunch.
There are great crossfit coaches and gyms out there that program with more thought these days tho. Just some things to be aware of. Its hard to back off when you should when the granny next to you keeps going

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

When I was in the military I tore my abdominal rectus muscle and was not allowed to do physical training for more than a year. After the year was up I took the PT test and missed maxing it out by 3 seconds on my run. Throughout the year I exercised walking on a treadmill set at 4 mph. It is about a 15 minute stride for a mile. The clincher here is that every 3 minutes I would elevate the incline on the treadmill by 3º until I was at max elevation. After 15 minutes you are running and breathing hard and your heart rate is over 95% of max rate. I would than turn the speed down to about 3 mph and stay an extra 5 to 10 minutes or slow it more to your pace. I increased my endurance to one hour doing this method which helped on my hunts.

 

[Elkeater]

I would love to do cross fit, it seems like the kind of workout I'd like. I guess I could do it on my own but it's a little expensive for my budget right now ( the two local boxes are about 4x what I pay for a membership at the YMCA)

If you want to add some in many CrossFit websites will post their WOD online where you can access for free and do on your own often with minimal or no equipment.

 

[Snyderite]

Check out Kyle Kamp with Valley to Peak nutrition. Guys a registered dietitian that mountain hunts. He's also lost 100lb himself. He helped me lose 60lb and keep it off. No fad dieting and nothing is bad or off limits. Just portions and understand cals in vs cals out.

 

[mnoland30]

I wrestled in high school and had to go from 103# to 97#. I was getting lots of exercise, and would eat a boiiled egg for breakfast. It sucked. When the season was over, I gorged myself, and went from 103 to 118 in 3 weeks. That is the problem with most diets. You deprive yourself, and eventually you over compensate. Most people that diet end up gaining back more than they lost. It needs to be a lifstyle change.

I weigh myself every morning before my shower. If I'm a couple of pounds over, I know I need to cut back on what I eat. A couple of days of that will drop a couple of pounds. Anyone can lose two pounds, you just have do it before you've gained 40 lbs. I weigh the same as I did 30 years ago. As I get older, I have to exercise longer and eat less, but it is a lifestyle. My knees are old and beat up, so I ride my bike most days. It's not as good as walking with a pack, but it works.

 

[kdye01]

Competed in bodybuilding and I used a traditional diet. Protein intake was about 1.5g to 2g LEAN body mass, carbs about 240-300 depending on how intense the workout was that day, 40-50g Fat. This worked very well for me to lose 50lbs every year during prep.

meal 1
1 cup oats (uncooked measurment)
1 cup egg whites 2 whole eggs or 2 scoop protein powder
1/4-1/2 cup blue berries
meal 2
8oz chicken
1 cup rice
1/2 cup green veggies
meal 3
8oz steak
8oz potato
1/2 cup green veggies
meal 4
same as meal 2
meal 5
same as meal 3
meal 6
1 cup egg whites 3 whole eggs
or
2 scoops protein powder
2 tbsp natural PB

every one is different so what worked for me might not work for someone else. some people do really well on high fats and low carbs.

 

[pmacadelic]

I would consider myself healthy, in shape, but didnt realize how unhealthy i was until I consulted w/ my friend who is a nutritionist. I did it b/c i was having afternoon crashes (extremely tired around 2pm), not sleeping good. He's upped my calories quite a bit and my diet is only whole foods (mostly eggs, fish, ground turkey, blueberries and tons of veggies- mostly squash and leafy greens, ie spinach). 3 snacks, 3 meals, 2 protein shakes a day. No processed foods, no alcohol, caffeine, red meats, gluten or dairy. Also look up Fodmap and learn what types of foods trigger unhappy gut And avoid those, 2 months in now and i've trimmed down, sleep great and no afternoon crashes. Not having coffee has been the hardest, but feeling better has been worth it. Working out, taking walks and doing daily stretching has also been helpful. Unfortunately we have been raised on and crave crappy foods that are horrible for us and its hard to break out of that cycle, but im glad I have committed to being healthy and notice i feel much better.