#it's a multitude of factors on a case by case basis i guess but i sure do love the women in xena

[marley-manson]

one thing i love about xena fic is that no one ever mentions makeup

[ooooo-mcyt]

Yknow what? I'd actually go so far as to say that, as much as ive seen it complained about, it's actually pretty hard to "UwU" or "Woobify" Grian within the context of yhs.

I mean. It's possible if you go really extreme with it, but it's hard.

Grian at his core is actually a primarily decent person most of the timeand is a primarily innocent party in most things. One who goes through a Lot.

If you really think about it Grian's moral compass isn't too far off normal basic human morality. He's often anxious and hesitant when faced with any involvement in criminal activity, he's frequently dismayed and offput by suggestions of violence (the less deserved the more dismay is expressed as well), he's disappointed and frustrated at seeing the people around him do fucked up things, he's almost always polite with a good head on his shoulders when faced with a kind or reasonable person. Even well into ts, long after first coming back to Japan, Grian is still incredibly uneasy and fidgety with the suggestion that he take part in violence, I mean, remember that time he, Taurtis, and Sam were tasked with killing Geode and Grian not only initially tried to refuse outright but then checked in shakily with the other two multiple times just to confirm if they were really going to kill someone. Grian's typically the character most likely in the entire series to be incredibly put off by and very hesitant about doing bad things (especially to people he's not one million percent certain deserve it).

And while one could argue that we can't really praise his moral compass for being hesitant about involving himself in crime/wrongdoing when he often ends up participating anyways. Actions speak louder than words and all. However I disagree. The fact that Grian vocally does not wish to be involved in this kind of thing and has proven to behave on the more reasonable and polite side when acting independently in relation to likewise level headed people....is Very important. In fact, in actual legal cases, oftentimes a factor in trying individuals is the question of whether they would commit the crime in question indepently or under normal circumstances. This is the basis for necessity, duress, and insanity pleas, amoung other's. People who would not act the way they did in a certain scenario under normal circumstances are often liable to be judged favourably in their actions. In fact, speaking of duress pleas, Grian's got a pretty solid one for a lot of his actions. The times Sam or Yuki held a knife to his throat or the times police threatened to kill him if he doesn't comply with orders or any alike incidents. In cases where duress isn't applicable to Grian's behaviour there are oftentimes incidents in which an outright case for violence in self defense can be made. In fact, most of Grian's circumstances leave him very viable to be judged sympathetically on a legal standpoint. The fact that he was a minor, the fact that he had no apparent history of violence or crime, the fact that he was in a severely abusive relationship with a criminal and entering said relationship marked the start of any sort of criminal behaviour from Grian, any criminal behaviour from Grian always being in a group setting never lead by himself, the fact that he always clearly and openly protests when pulled into these group settings, the duress and self defense pleas that are applicable to pretty much all incidents in which he does engage. Which are also all factors that can and should be accounted for on. a moral basis as well, obviously. And like, Grian has a reputation for being arrogant, cynical, and rude or whatever, but he's really not. He very rightfully calls out other people's horrible bullshit and makes snappy remarks towards his abuser but that's the opposite of a problem and Grian's proven himself more than capable of reasonable civility towards reasonable people. Grian just isn't the selfish arrogant disrespectful criminal that he's sometimes implied to be and in fact he's largely innocent- or absolvable, if you'd rather- in most of the things levied against him. Grian's not a literal saint giving to the needy and taking care of orphans in his spare time but he's a decent guy overall???

And hey, speaking of that super abusive relationship Grian landed in. Let's not forget the impact of that situation. Sam was undoubtedly abusive towards Grian. He threatened Grian's life various times, he basically told Grian he was nothing compared to Taurtis, he shoved plastic down Grian's throat and laughed when he choked, he got Grian locked up in solitary confinement through complete lies just because he thought it'd be entertaining I guess, he forced Grian to kiss an abnormally large amount of people against his will (some of these instances sam recorded despite being asked not to), he himself tried to make out with Grian without consent while Grian was sleeping in his own private room, he forcefully dressed Grian up in feminine cosplay meant to be ~attractive~ complete with fake breasts, he lied to Grian about the gender identity of someone Grian dated as a joke (his words) and lightly mocked Grian afterwards, he locked Grian in a basement for three days straight and it's unclear whether or not he was planning to let him out anytime soon, he dragged Grian into a closet with school staff despite Grian's very vocal distress and discomfort then scolded Grian for considering reported it when this staff member made uncomfortable comments on the outfit Sam had forced Grian into, Sam offered to give Grian to another guy who made a similar uncomfortable comment later on as part of some trade, he consistently dragged Grian against his will into criminal activity whether by threatening him, tricking him into participating, or just altogether falsely implicatng him, amoung Many other things. And every step of the way Sam did his best to completely gaslight Grian. He used every gaslighting technique in the book. Telling blatant lies (for example, "i would never stab taurtis", "you are taurtis", "grian's crazy and he stabbed taurtis"), he denies doing shit to Grian that Grian knows damn well he did ("i would never stab taurtis"). He hard projected his bs onto Grian (from blaming grian for 'making' sam do awful shit sam did to claiming grian actually fullstop did the awful shit sam did). He was just constantly trying to turn people against Grian (convincing yuki and taurtis to back him up in calling grian a bad manipulative friend and insisting he needed to apologize for 'making' sam horrifically abuse him. arriving in the police station and instantly without hesitation telling them grian was crazy and dangerous and pinning his own crimes on grian. having taurtis back him up and help scold grian for getting mad about being locked in the basement for days). Telling Grian he's crazy (taurtis incident again, solitary confinement incident, the time sam kissed grian without his consent while he slept and grian got mad). Telling everyone else that Grian's a manipulative liar (taurtis incident again, solitary confinement incident again). Yknow. Gaslighting. Sam was just so unbelievably abusive. In like. Every possible way. Which adds a LOT of trauma to Grian. That on top of his parents abandoning him as a little kid too because we couldn't leave it at severe abuse.

Grian's not a bad person. And he's certainly a very sympathetic person. Which is why it would be hard to woobify yhs Grian. It would be hard to make a very sympathetic very sad character egregiously sympathetic and sad. His whole arc is getting abandoned by his parents, going to visit his friends, and getting violently abused and forced into a multitude of disturbing activities against his will for an extended period of time.

One could argue that sure Grian isn't a bad person and sure Grian's got a pretty sad life, but certainly a lot of people are guilty of making Grian more helpless and scared and generally 'pathetic' than he is in canon.

To which I reply...not really?

Grian already doesn't have half the fight response people ascribe to him throughout the series. That was a whole other post but honestly Grian's response to traumatic situations is very frequently to cave to them and he's got a much stronger submissive streak than people often admit. I mean, Grian was asked to dress up as his best friend who just got stabbed "to make things less awkward and make me feel better" and he did it within ten seconds of being asked without the others even needing to threaten him at all. Grian does express quite a bit of despair, fear, and submissive tendency in canon when faced with dangerous or traumatic situations. And while it's possible to go a bit too far with that if you consistently leave out the token fight entirely, I see people swing way too far un the opposite direction way too often. There's a reason Grian never actually killed Sam in canon. There's a reason Grian never made a serious attempt to get him arrested for his crimes. There's a reason Grian never just left. When Sam found Grian after he ran out of the gym during the Taurtis incident? Grian didn't lunge for Sam. There was no serious altercation between the two. Grian scrambled back and tearfully babbled platitudes while shoving plastic down his own throat on command. And even beyond that, a lot of the interpretations accused of making Grian too helpless/scared/'pathetic' are works that involve Grian processing trauma years after the fact. Which. Even if Grian was the most aggressive on edge fighter in the history of trauma responses during the traumatic events? People don't process their trauma after the fact the same way they instinctively respond in the moment. Even if Grian never shed a tear throughout any of the traumatic ordeals he experienced, it would be far from unrealistic behaviour for him to still process after the fact by panicking and sobbing his eyes out regularly. Which, again, Grian wasn't even all that fight oriented while it was happening so panic and tears isn't even super far removed from his actual in the moment responses let alone processing after-responses. It's just. It's really hard to "UwU" Grian tbh. He's a decent person, he went through hell (his own words actually), and he was never even really very effectively aggressive when he did. And while it's possible to dip too far into that territory, far more often I see things swung egregiously far in the other direction.

[shellheadtmark2]

hey, i come bearing more gifts than just space gladiator tony icons (and shaming myself for my greg land love don’t fucking look at me), okay, i’m here today (because a post on the dash reminded me) to talk to you about the differences between the arc reactor and the rt node; two things that are similar, but behave very differently.

the rt (repulsor tech) node of 616 is similar, but not the same, as the arc reactor in the mcu.  the mcu treats the arc reactor as just a battery, and that’s fine, i guess, it does what it does, it serves a function, but that function is basically behaving like the king of double as.

the rt node, on the other hand, is a hell of a lot more than just a battery.  it’s the basis of later iron man tech.  period.  the rt node has a multitude of uses - it can be used for clean energy, like the arc reactor.  it can be used as a bomb.  it, like the arc reactor, is the basis for powering the later iterations of the iron man (tony used to have to plug himself into a wall, y’all, it wasn’t a good time).  but the rt node also:

+ not only powers the various suits, it can be used as a weapon all its own.  which means someone (like tony, or pepper) that had/has an rt node implanted in them can literally do a unibeam without a suit.  snazzy. + it makes the user more sensitive with emf detection.  buzzing in the chest is a common side-effect, they can literally feel machines. + can be used to generate a magnetic field.  pepper finds this out when she realizes she can levitate on her own with no suit. + it enhances the user’s senses.  hearing, sight, smell - the whole shebang acutely sharpens with an rt node.  pepper’s vision corrects itself, as she needed glasses before the rt node was implanted. + increases the user’s strength. + with an rt node, you get a healing factor!  it’s not on the level of wolverine, obviously, or even steve rogers, but it toughens the user up beyond that of a baseline human. + iq jumps up between 20-30 points.  you literally get smarter just for having the damn thing in your chest. + in tony’s case, it acted as a second brain, taking over the autosomal functions of his body, like breathing and swallowing, since he suffered brain damage when he wiped his brain.

the rt node is connected to the user’s physiology in a way the arc reactor really isn’t.  sure, a hole in your chest is a hole in your chest, but the perks of the rt node far outweigh the cons; enough so that ms. pepper potts demanded to have one shoved back in after hers was used to reboot tony out of brain death.

currently, as of this moment, however, the only rt nodes you’ll find with tony are in the actual suit.  his body is current (though it probably won’t last) blemish and injury-free.

[itsjaybullme]

Lose It

Pavel Ythjall

It’s time to take stock of the physical goals you accomplished (or didn’t) so far. If you're in lean-down mode and want to get in the best shape of your life, now is the perfect time to torch fat.

Throughout this series, I’m going to be giving you a very strong overview on how to optimize fat loss across all facets. Each of the three installments will be segmented into specific topics as follows:

Part 1: Nutrition

Part 2: Training & Cardio 

Part 3: Supplementation

By the time you’ve covered all three, you will have a strong understanding of what it takes to maximize fat loss, avoid common pitfalls, and ultimately achieve the results you want. Ultimately, when it comes to dieting for fat loss, there is a lot to take in and apply. Patience and staying rational are also essential. In the next installment, I will examine training and cardio.

IT ALL BEGINS WITH NUTRITION

Nutrition will always be essential to achieving your fat-loss goals, and every client I work with has a very structured diet plan he or she has to follow. When there is no structure, people will find reasons to fall offtrack and ultimately miss meals or pick foods they shouldn’t, in turn derailing their progress. Different nutrition protocols will work for different people because everybody has their own circumstances. Variables such as genetics, age, gender, training age (overall years devoted to consistent training), training volume, intensity, and even stress levels will come into play. There is a lot to consider.

BALANCE CALORIES

Energy balance can never be disputed; that is, in order to reduce your body-fat percentage you need to be in an energy deficit. This requires specific tracking for every meal in order to know exactly what your net caloric intake is. Guessing doesn’t work because, ultimately, if you’re out by 10–15%, then your deficit is gone, which means you won’t lose fat. It goes without saying there is far more to fat loss than simply being in a calorie deficit, but you do have to remember that the laws of thermodynamics can never be forgotten. The accepted mainstream number is that an average man needs to eat 2,500 calories per day to maintain body weight, so going down to 2,000 will net fat loss. However, this is just a general guideline, and you will need to take into account the other variables included in this feature.

MASTER YOUR MACROS

Once your net calorie intake is taken care of, the next thing is filling those calories with specific macronutrient sources. For instance, some people will require 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight, along with an even split in carbohydrates and fats to make up the rest of the remaining energy. Other people will need far more carbohydrates and less fat; some will be the complete opposite. Getting this breakdown correct for your body is essential because it will help sustain performance in the gym, which is where you’re going to be burning a lot of energy. If optimal performance isn’t supported, then you will naturally be using less fuel, thus potentially slowing down your progress.

BASAL METABOLIC RATE EQUATION

Use this formula to figure out your caloric needs:

BMR = 66 + (6.23 X BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS) + (12.7 X HEIGHT IN INCHES) – (6.8 X AGE)

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Per Bernal

MIND THE MICROS

Micronutrition is often forgotten about because people fixate themselves on calorie and macro numbers. However, in order for cells to recover and your body to function at an optimal capacity, you require specific micronutrients in your diet. These will generally come from vegetables and fruit. Never forget the importance of wholesome food sources. Numbers alone will not maximize fat loss.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

As well as having your nutritional targets for the day, it’s important certain foods are timed correctly to optimize performance, recovery, and fat loss. More insulinogenic meals would be best suited in the post-workout window in most cases to help maintain better insulin sensitivity.

EAT...AND EAT SOME MORE

All my clients will follow a high-meal-frequency pattern throughout the day, typically eating a meal every two to four hours. The composition of the meals will depend on the overall nutrient profiles I’ve prescribed and the time of day. The reason I feel high-meal-frequency diets are best for fat loss is mainly because of the improved muscle retention you benefit from. As muscle- protein synthesis is heightened, you will fight catabolism more effectively, meaning you hold on to more muscle. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, which means you burn more energy throughout the day by having extra muscle.

FILL UP ON FIBER

Consuming enough fiber on a daily basis is one of the most important parts of losing body fat. Fiber helps manage blood-sugar levels, mediate insulin sensitivity, and also reduce cravings. If you’re not consuming adequate amounts of fiber, expect to find achieving fat loss difficult. Usually I will focus primarily on green, leafy vegetables as a main source of fiber, with a mixture of vegetables, nuts, and seeds thereafter to give a broad spectrum of soluble and insoluble fiber.

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

THE GOOD OLD REFEED

Refeeds are a very good strategy to use when you’re facing a plateau during the fat-loss process, especially as you become leaner and your net calorie intake is tapering down. The aim with a refeed is to accelerate metabolic output by having an acute influx in calories, usually primarily from carbohydrates.

BE CONSISTENT

Don’t underestimate how important consistency is in order to achieve fat loss. Each pound of fat is about 3,500 calories of energy. Although this is a “case by case” thing, in my experience one to three pounds of fat loss per week is where I usually aim. The more weight you have to lose, the more you will need to lose on a weekly basis.

ANALYZE AND ADAPT

This is the bit that a lot of people tend to forget about. Once a plan is put in place, it can still change even if it works at the beginning. It’s essential to analyze progress by taking weight and site measurements, as well as progress photos. The key is to be patient enough to avoid making unnecessary changes, yet being able to recognize when changes are needed. Usually, I allow a seven- to 10-day window during a fat-loss transformation before making changes if I’m not seeing the progress I’d like from a client.

STAY SATISFIED

Fat loss can be a very challenging process in any case; therefore, you want to do everything possible to avoid making it harder. Maximizing satiety levels is essential, and this can be achieved through eating volume- dense, low-calorie foods, drinking a lot of water, and managing blood- sugar levels properly. If you’re always excessively hungry, then there is something wrong with your diet.

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Walter Cimbal

  PITFALLS TO AVOID

There are three main issues people usually face because of mistakes they make at the start of and during the process.

1. UNDEREATING

The temptation when starting a fat-loss plan is to undereat to “get ahead.” However, all this does is lead to more stubborn fat loss down the line because you catabolize muscle tissue that supports energy expenditure, and your thyroid activity becomes suppressed. You want to eat as much as you’re able to while losing fat—don’t be tempted to undereat.

2. DOING TOO MUCH CARDIO

When you start o with one hour of cardio every day, what do you do when your fat loss plateaus? There’s nowhere else to go other than to do more. Very quickly this becomes impractical as well as counterproductive. Do as little as you’re able to get away with for as long as you can, so when you need to increase output you’ve got room to work with. Usually my clients will start their fat-loss transformations with around 20 minutes of cardio four to five times a week.

3. MAKING CHANGES TOO QUICKLY

It’s frustrating when you don’t see results as fast as you’d like, but you must always remember it’s crucial to be patient and realistic. Most people underestimate how long it takes to lose body fat. People tend to make too many changes too soon, which leaves them unsure of what is and isn’t working. If you are making changes, ensure that they are small, incremental progressions so they’re always measurable. Don’t get caught up in fads. 

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Brian Klutch

CARB CYCLING

Although there are a multitude of nutritional strategies available to maximize fat loss, I feel that some variation of carb cycling is going to be one of the best routes to take. Carb cycling is a strategy that can be applied in many different formats, depending on many different factors, including muscle mass, body-fat percentage, training volume, training frequency, age, gender, and genetic tendencies (i.e., carb tolerance).

However, the fundamentals of carbohydrate cycling are, to a degree, the same regardless of application. Here is an overview of why this works so well for fat loss.

1. WHAT IS IT?

Carb cycling simply means to rotate carbohydrate intake across the week, usually between low, moderate, and high days. These terms are relative to net calorie intake: For instance, somebody’s “low” day might be somebody else’s “high” day, depending on the variables I explained above. Usually fats will go up as carbohydrate intake goes down for the day, and vice versa. These two nutrient groups usually have an inverse relationship when it comes to optimizing fat loss with carb cycling.

2. HOW DOES IT WORK?

First, cycling carbs makes it easier to sustain an energy deficit because, collectively across the week, your net carb intake is going to be lower. Psychologically it’s nice to have “high” days during which you know you’re going to be able to eat, making days where there’s short-term hunger easier to cope with (although hunger shouldn’t really be an issue until you’re very lean). However, carbohydrate cycling does have a more specific application than basic energy management. By reducing energy intake for short periods of time and then giving your body acute increases in carbohydrates before backing o again the next day, your metabolism is far more likely to remain optimized. Many people notice a reduction in metabolic activity after spending too long in an energy deficit—periodically feeding carbs back in higher quantities helps stimulate the thyroid. It’s also good for keeping leptin levels high as you become very lean, which can be one of the causes of stubborn fat loss.

3. APPLYING CARB CYCLING

There is no specific carb-cycling protocol that I favor over another—it’s usually on a case-by-case basis that I create the plan. However, as a starting point, here are some things to consider:

Have your high days on leg and/or back day—this is when you’ll be spending more energy, therefore your body will utilize the extra muscle glycogen.

Low days are usually best had on rest days, with medium days falling on smaller muscle group days.

Ensure your fat intake goes up on low days to account for the reduction in energy. This means that your body also becomes more efficient in using glucagon and insulin pathways to burn energy.

Even on high days, ensure your calories come from wholesome sources, because these will give your body more nutritional density.

Analyze how your weight is coming o on a weekly basis and adjust your carb-cycling formation accordingly. Usually you will feel hungrier the day after a high day because of the elevation in metabolic output.

 FLEX 

from Bodybuilding Feed https://www.flexonline.com/nutrition/lose-it via http://www.rssmix.com/

[itsjaybullme]

Lose It

Pavel Ythjall

It’s time to take stock of the physical goals you accomplished (or didn’t) so far. If you're in lean-down mode and want to get in the best shape of your life, now is the perfect time to torch fat.

Throughout this series, I’m going to be giving you a very strong overview on how to optimize fat loss across all facets. Each of the three installments will be segmented into specific topics as follows:

Part 1: Nutrition

Part 2: Training & Cardio 

Part 3: Supplementation

By the time you’ve covered all three, you will have a strong understanding of what it takes to maximize fat loss, avoid common pitfalls, and ultimately achieve the results you want. Ultimately, when it comes to dieting for fat loss, there is a lot to take in and apply. Patience and staying rational are also essential. In the next installment, I will examine training and cardio.

IT ALL BEGINS WITH NUTRITION

Nutrition will always be essential to achieving your fat-loss goals, and every client I work with has a very structured diet plan he or she has to follow. When there is no structure, people will find reasons to fall offtrack and ultimately miss meals or pick foods they shouldn’t, in turn derailing their progress. Different nutrition protocols will work for different people because everybody has their own circumstances. Variables such as genetics, age, gender, training age (overall years devoted to consistent training), training volume, intensity, and even stress levels will come into play. There is a lot to consider.

BALANCE CALORIES

Energy balance can never be disputed; that is, in order to reduce your body-fat percentage you need to be in an energy deficit. This requires specific tracking for every meal in order to know exactly what your net caloric intake is. Guessing doesn’t work because, ultimately, if you’re out by 10–15%, then your deficit is gone, which means you won’t lose fat. It goes without saying there is far more to fat loss than simply being in a calorie deficit, but you do have to remember that the laws of thermodynamics can never be forgotten. The accepted mainstream number is that an average man needs to eat 2,500 calories per day to maintain body weight, so going down to 2,000 will net fat loss. However, this is just a general guideline, and you will need to take into account the other variables included in this feature.

MASTER YOUR MACROS

Once your net calorie intake is taken care of, the next thing is filling those calories with specific macronutrient sources. For instance, some people will require 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight, along with an even split in carbohydrates and fats to make up the rest of the remaining energy. Other people will need far more carbohydrates and less fat; some will be the complete opposite. Getting this breakdown correct for your body is essential because it will help sustain performance in the gym, which is where you’re going to be burning a lot of energy. If optimal performance isn’t supported, then you will naturally be using less fuel, thus potentially slowing down your progress.

BASAL METABOLIC RATE EQUATION

Use this formula to figure out your caloric needs:

BMR = 66 + (6.23 X BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS) + (12.7 X HEIGHT IN INCHES) – (6.8 X AGE)

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Per Bernal

MIND THE MICROS

Micronutrition is often forgotten about because people fixate themselves on calorie and macro numbers. However, in order for cells to recover and your body to function at an optimal capacity, you require specific micronutrients in your diet. These will generally come from vegetables and fruit. Never forget the importance of wholesome food sources. Numbers alone will not maximize fat loss.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

As well as having your nutritional targets for the day, it’s important certain foods are timed correctly to optimize performance, recovery, and fat loss. More insulinogenic meals would be best suited in the post-workout window in most cases to help maintain better insulin sensitivity.

EAT...AND EAT SOME MORE

All my clients will follow a high-meal-frequency pattern throughout the day, typically eating a meal every two to four hours. The composition of the meals will depend on the overall nutrient profiles I’ve prescribed and the time of day. The reason I feel high-meal-frequency diets are best for fat loss is mainly because of the improved muscle retention you benefit from. As muscle- protein synthesis is heightened, you will fight catabolism more effectively, meaning you hold on to more muscle. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, which means you burn more energy throughout the day by having extra muscle.

FILL UP ON FIBER

Consuming enough fiber on a daily basis is one of the most important parts of losing body fat. Fiber helps manage blood-sugar levels, mediate insulin sensitivity, and also reduce cravings. If you’re not consuming adequate amounts of fiber, expect to find achieving fat loss difficult. Usually I will focus primarily on green, leafy vegetables as a main source of fiber, with a mixture of vegetables, nuts, and seeds thereafter to give a broad spectrum of soluble and insoluble fiber.

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

THE GOOD OLD REFEED

Refeeds are a very good strategy to use when you’re facing a plateau during the fat-loss process, especially as you become leaner and your net calorie intake is tapering down. The aim with a refeed is to accelerate metabolic output by having an acute influx in calories, usually primarily from carbohydrates.

BE CONSISTENT

Don’t underestimate how important consistency is in order to achieve fat loss. Each pound of fat is about 3,500 calories of energy. Although this is a “case by case” thing, in my experience one to three pounds of fat loss per week is where I usually aim. The more weight you have to lose, the more you will need to lose on a weekly basis.

ANALYZE AND ADAPT

This is the bit that a lot of people tend to forget about. Once a plan is put in place, it can still change even if it works at the beginning. It’s essential to analyze progress by taking weight and site measurements, as well as progress photos. The key is to be patient enough to avoid making unnecessary changes, yet being able to recognize when changes are needed. Usually, I allow a seven- to 10-day window during a fat-loss transformation before making changes if I’m not seeing the progress I’d like from a client.

STAY SATISFIED

Fat loss can be a very challenging process in any case; therefore, you want to do everything possible to avoid making it harder. Maximizing satiety levels is essential, and this can be achieved through eating volume- dense, low-calorie foods, drinking a lot of water, and managing blood- sugar levels properly. If you’re always excessively hungry, then there is something wrong with your diet.

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Walter Cimbal

  PITFALLS TO AVOID

There are three main issues people usually face because of mistakes they make at the start of and during the process.

1. UNDEREATING

The temptation when starting a fat-loss plan is to undereat to “get ahead.” However, all this does is lead to more stubborn fat loss down the line because you catabolize muscle tissue that supports energy expenditure, and your thyroid activity becomes suppressed. You want to eat as much as you’re able to while losing fat—don’t be tempted to undereat.

2. DOING TOO MUCH CARDIO

When you start o with one hour of cardio every day, what do you do when your fat loss plateaus? There’s nowhere else to go other than to do more. Very quickly this becomes impractical as well as counterproductive. Do as little as you’re able to get away with for as long as you can, so when you need to increase output you’ve got room to work with. Usually my clients will start their fat-loss transformations with around 20 minutes of cardio four to five times a week.

3. MAKING CHANGES TOO QUICKLY

It’s frustrating when you don’t see results as fast as you’d like, but you must always remember it’s crucial to be patient and realistic. Most people underestimate how long it takes to lose body fat. People tend to make too many changes too soon, which leaves them unsure of what is and isn’t working. If you are making changes, ensure that they are small, incremental progressions so they’re always measurable. Don’t get caught up in fads. 

  Click "NEXT PAGE" to continue >>

[pagebreak]

Brian Klutch

CARB CYCLING

Although there are a multitude of nutritional strategies available to maximize fat loss, I feel that some variation of carb cycling is going to be one of the best routes to take. Carb cycling is a strategy that can be applied in many different formats, depending on many different factors, including muscle mass, body-fat percentage, training volume, training frequency, age, gender, and genetic tendencies (i.e., carb tolerance).

However, the fundamentals of carbohydrate cycling are, to a degree, the same regardless of application. Here is an overview of why this works so well for fat loss.

1. WHAT IS IT?

Carb cycling simply means to rotate carbohydrate intake across the week, usually between low, moderate, and high days. These terms are relative to net calorie intake: For instance, somebody’s “low” day might be somebody else’s “high” day, depending on the variables I explained above. Usually fats will go up as carbohydrate intake goes down for the day, and vice versa. These two nutrient groups usually have an inverse relationship when it comes to optimizing fat loss with carb cycling.

2. HOW DOES IT WORK?

First, cycling carbs makes it easier to sustain an energy deficit because, collectively across the week, your net carb intake is going to be lower. Psychologically it’s nice to have “high” days during which you know you’re going to be able to eat, making days where there’s short-term hunger easier to cope with (although hunger shouldn’t really be an issue until you’re very lean). However, carbohydrate cycling does have a more specific application than basic energy management. By reducing energy intake for short periods of time and then giving your body acute increases in carbohydrates before backing o again the next day, your metabolism is far more likely to remain optimized. Many people notice a reduction in metabolic activity after spending too long in an energy deficit—periodically feeding carbs back in higher quantities helps stimulate the thyroid. It’s also good for keeping leptin levels high as you become very lean, which can be one of the causes of stubborn fat loss.

3. APPLYING CARB CYCLING

There is no specific carb-cycling protocol that I favor over another—it’s usually on a case-by-case basis that I create the plan. However, as a starting point, here are some things to consider:

Have your high days on leg and/or back day—this is when you’ll be spending more energy, therefore your body will utilize the extra muscle glycogen.

Low days are usually best had on rest days, with medium days falling on smaller muscle group days.

Ensure your fat intake goes up on low days to account for the reduction in energy. This means that your body also becomes more efficient in using glucagon and insulin pathways to burn energy.

Even on high days, ensure your calories come from wholesome sources, because these will give your body more nutritional density.

Analyze how your weight is coming o on a weekly basis and adjust your carb-cycling formation accordingly. Usually you will feel hungrier the day after a high day because of the elevation in metabolic output.

 FLEX 

from Bodybuilding Feed https://www.flexonline.com/nutrition/lose-it via http://www.rssmix.com/