EmbracingChaos

Certainly, I agree 100%! I just didn't know myself for a long time, and find it interesting so thought I'd share. Calories in / calories out works great in practice, I just enjoy discussing theory as well, sometimes a little too much! :-)

Not to be nitpicky, but things are actually a bit more complicated than that due to the thermogenic effect of food, in addition to how different macronutrients are converted to fat for storage. Most people don't need to know, or care, about the details, but I personally find them interesting so I thought I'd share. Eating a 600 calorie surplus of protein will result in less fat gain than a 600 calorie surplus of carbohydrates, and carbohydrates less than fat. Here's a good link explaining the details for those who also obsess over the details, but the general reasoning is that fat can be directly stored as fat whereas protein and carbohydrates expend some of their energy (calories) in the process of being converted to fat for storage.

Saturday 8/02/2014 Details are in today's daily battle log entry, but I had to sacrifice meeting target macros in order to stabilize my massively over calorie surplus from Friday. Now my weekly surplus will remain +2000 as planned for the week, as long as I meet today's goal of a -187 calorie deficit for the day. Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g-1463 cals, 110/66/7 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Chest/Shoulders/Triceps workout Quest Status: Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. 5/6 daysReach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g 5/6 daysDo some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio) 6/6 daysFinish reading a non-fiction book 43/342 pages

Saturday 8/02/2014 Workout: Barbell Bench 2x190, 4x180, 6x170, 8x160 Overhead Press 2x120, 4x115, 4x110, 6x105 Dips 9x27.5, "", 8x", "" Decline Pushups 25, 25, 20, 20 Tricep Extensions 10x80, "", 9x", "" Diet: -1463 cals, 110/66/7 macros Comments: Changed the daily calorie goal to have a large enough deficit to make up for the splurge on Friday, which I was able to maintain despite going to a family birthday party where they were serving hot dogs, chips, cake, and ice cream. So I was pretty pleased with yesterday's results. To make the lower calorie deficit I had to sacrifice making my macro goals, but it was a worthy trade-off for the day. My calorie target for today (Sunday) is -187, which will give me an even +2000 surplus for the week. I'm sure that the week won't be as effective as it would have been without having a massive surplus one day instead of a moderate surplus for two days, but as Voltaire said, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." I'm going to keep the same calorie surplus next week, +2000, but change the daily calorie cycle targets to +600 for surplus days, and -500 for deficit days. So next week's schedule will look like this: Mon +600, Tues +600, Wed -500, Thurs +600, Fri +600, Sat +600, Sun -500. On Monday the 11th I'll reevaluate to see if I need to raise or lower calories.

Yea I hadn't really known about the 6 week challenges, but since the FAQ said we could jump in even if it had started, I figured what the hey... I was already tracking all of the data anyway. Thanks for stopping in!

Have you ever heard of Anki? If you have a smartphone, it's a godsend for a language learner (or in general for any type of memorization task).

Hey there kenbear, When I initially starting doing squats and lunges I found that my knees hurt as well. For me the weight loss and acclimation to the exercise eventually alleviated the issue, which could also happen for you. That said, here are a few things you could try: Rather than doing squat reps, try squatting and holding the position for longer and longer periods of time. For example, start with remaining squatted for 2 seconds, and build up to 30 seconds (change the length of time to match your current abilities)Record yourself doing several squats, then compare to a few videos on YouTube of proper form. Analyze in critical detail, and make sure the form you 'feel' is correct, really matches the form you should be followingSubstitute reverse lunges for lunges every other workout, or in general if you find them more comfortableI read in your challenge that you're self-learning Portuguese, that's awesome! I enjoy learning languages, and French has been my current project. I also have a similar problem in that I'm not friends with any French speakers, so my learning is all passive (e.g. media, books, etc.) Have you ever visited the All Japanese All The Time blog? If not, I highly recommend it. There's all kinds of great information there on language learning, and personal development/habit building in general. Good luck, I'll be following your progress!

Monday 7/28/2014 Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals.Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g+605 cals, 214/336/74 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Lower body workout Tuesday 7/29/2014 Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals.Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g+721 cals, 213/344/85 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Back/Biceps workout Wednesday 7/30/2014 Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g-754 cals, 176/146/51 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Chest/Shoulders/Triceps workout Thursday 7/31/2014 Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g+686 cals, 190/375/77 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Lower Body workout Friday 8/01/2014 Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g+2220 cals, 231/509/277 macros Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio)Back/Biceps workout Quest Status: Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. 4/5Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g 5/5Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio) 5/5

Main Quest: Clean bulk up to 150 lbs. from 130 lbs. Three quests for this challenge: Reach the stated daily calorie target each day with an error margin of +/- 100 cals. Measurement: A = at least 36/42 days, B = 30/42 days, C = 24/42 days Reach my target macro minimums for each day within -5g Measurement: A = at least 36/42 days, B = 30/42 days, C = 24/42 days Do some form of a workout each day (strength training, stretching, cardio) Measurement: A = at least 36/42 days, B = 30/42 days, C = 24/42 days Life Quest: Finish reading a non-fiction book Measurement: A = finished book, B = 3/4 of book read, C = 1/2 of book read Motivation: I've lost a lot of muscle mass in the process of dieting down from 192 lbs. to 129-130 lbs. Starting stats: 5'6", 32 years old, Male, 129.18 lb trend, 10.85% body fat trend First week targets: calories Mon +700, Tues +700, Wed -750, Thurs +700, Fri +700, Sat +700, Sun -750 macros minimums Protein (1.15 * bodyweight), Carbs (1.5 * bodyweight on +cal days), Fat (.4 * bodyweight) Starting pictures (taken from my Daily Battle Log):

Friday 8/01/2014 Workout: Pullups 6x27.5, "", "", "" Neutral Grip Pullups 6x27.5, "", "", "" Barbell Row 6x125, "", "", "" Bodyweight Row 14, 14, 12, 12 Barbell Curl 7x75, "", "", "" 2 mile run 1/2 mile walk Diet: +2220 cals, 231/509/277 macros Comments: I tried to tough through keeping with the Warrior Diet during my wife's company picnic, and almost made it. Unfortunately we stayed much longer than I anticipated, and more food kept arriving that I have a tendency to splurge on. The tipping point came when someone brought two cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory, a standard cheesecake with strawberries and a chocolate mousse cheesecake. I broke down and ate some wings and rice in hopes to avoid the desserts, but before I knew it I had demolished several pieces of cheesecake. I don't know what happened, it seemed to make sense at the time. I think it was a mistake to show up to the picnic without having eaten anything. I didn't put the calories of what I was eating in to MyFitnessPal until after I had finished eating, and I was horrified at the damage. I did some extra cardio last night, and ate a salad for dinner when we went out for my sister-in-law's birthday, but I still ended up way over my calories. I'm going to try and keep a large deficit today to 'normalize' what my weekly surplus should be, but that would mean both today and tomorrow have to be about -750 days. My plan is to stick to basically just chicken, fish, and vegetables today and tomorrow, and make up as much as I can. I also postponed my workout until after the company picnic yesterday, which caused it to be merely lackluster because I felt bloated, full, and guilty. I'm very disappointed. I need to keep in mind what Steve says (paraphrasing), "Is that 5 minutes of satisfaction of eating the candy bar, etc. worth more than the lifelong satisfaction that you're making the right choices?"

Thursday 7/31/2014 Workout: Barbell Squats 1x155, 3x145, 5x135, "" Barbell Lunges 2x115, 4x105, 6x95, "" Hack Squats 2x210, 4x200, 6x190, "" Jackknifes 20, 18, 15, 15, 15 Diet: +686 cals, 190/375/77 macros Comments: Decent workout. My squat strength feels weak. Today was the first calorie surplus day on the Warrior Diet, no issues with making it to dinner without eating or getting my calories in. I even wanted to eat more after meeting the daily calorie goal, but knew I shouldn't.

Notes: In my shorthand I use the following symbols/colors/designators " = the same as previous set for reps or weight, depending on its location "" = the same reps & weight as the previous set number = met target within reasonable error margin number = almost met target, slightly too high or low number = did not meet target, too high or low macros are given in the format Protein/Carbs/Fat Monday 7/28/2014 Workout: Barbell Deadlifts 2x225, 4x205, "", "", "" Leg Extensions 10x100, 8x105, "x110, "", "" Walking Lunges 1, 1x25s, 1x20s, "", "" (the length of my basement and back) Jackknifes 20, 15, 15, 15, 15 Diet: +605 cals, 214/336/74 macros Comments: Strong workout. Started taking fish oil and multivitamin. Tuesday 7/29/2014 Workout: Pullups 8 x 27.5, "", 7x", "", "" Neutral Grip Pullups 7x27.5, 6x", "", "", "" Barbell Row 8x115, 6x125, "", "", "" Bodyweight Row 17, 16, 16, 14, 14 Barbell Curl 7x75, "", "", "", "" Diet: +721 cals, 213/344/85 macros Comments: Good workout. Wednesday 7/30/2014 Workout: Overhead Press 2x120, 4x115, 6x110, 6x105 Barbell Bench 2x185, 4x175, 6x165, 7x155 Decline Pushups 25, 20, 20, 20, 20 Dips 9x27.5, 8x", "", "" Tricep Extension 10x80, 9x", 8x", "" 4 mile run Diet: -754 cals, 176/146/51 macros Comments: Good workout. Switched to 4 sets per exercise to hopefully alleviate some potential overtraining aches. Going to try and transition most days to eat warrior diet style starting today.

I've been a lurker on Nerd Fitness for quite a while, and finally decided I'd start a thread of my own to track my progress to gain muscle mass while staying lean. Here's a little back story to who I am, and my fitness/diet history. I'm 32 years old, and have 3 daughters with ages 10 years, 2 years, and 15 weeks. I have a wonderfully supportive wife, who does more for me than I deserve. So basically the only males in the house are me and my Alaskan Malamute, so we're quite outnumbered. This will be a long post consisting of my dieting/fitness history, but I'll provide a simple summary of current goals and fitness/diet plan at the end, so feel free to skip the long story section if you want or it gets boring. Long Story: I didn't really get overweight until after I separated from the military in 2006. I was a Seabee in the military (construction), and tended to stay in pretty good shape the majority of the time. I got my college degree, separated from the military, and started working as a Software Engineer a month later. Over several years the weight started piling on, and I topped out at a weight of 192 pounds and 30% body fat in April 2011 due to stress, poor eating habits, and decreased activity. I'm only 5'6" tall, and had typically hovered in the range of 155-165 for my adult life. I decided on 4/9/2011 to get a handle on the weight through a combination of tracking calories, running, and weight training. I moved to maintenance on 8/27/2011 when I made it down to 154 lbs, and a body fat of about 18%. I fluctuated up and down between 146-165 lbs. for the next two years, and focused on increasing my running ability. I ran a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, and finally a 50k during this time. After running the 50k, I decided that I wanted to have a lower body fat and weight than the 155 lbs. and 18% body fat I had fluctuated around up to this point. On 10/14/2013 I dedicated myself to getting down to 145 lbs., and re-evaluating at that point. I reached that goal on 11/6/2013, but my body fat had only decreased to 17%. I still looked pretty similar, since I had lost probably about half muscle mass and half body fat. I seem to lose a decent amount of muscle mass when I diet, and I knew that if I wanted to lower my body fat further I'd probably lose muscle right along with it. I then decided I'd just go all the way down to about 10%, and just accept the loss of muscle mass that comes with it. I reached mid-10% body fat on 7/3/2014, and have been eating maintenance for the past four weeks to give my body some time to stabilize and it seems to have settled at 129-130 lbs. and 10.8% body fat. I'm now on a quest to slowly add back some muscle mass, while staying lean. As of Monday I've set my weekly calories in an estimated surplus of 2000, and I'm using a calorie cycling strategy of: Mon (+700), Tue (+700), Wed (-750), Thurs (+700), Sat (+700), Sun (-750). Why the drastic cycle of calories, you ask? Well I enjoy eating big, and I have a bottomless stomach. I'm very much a man of extremes, and I find it easier to eat big when I'm letting myself eat, and eat small when I'm trying to keep things restrained. I'm a big fan of intermittent fasting, and I follow the blogs of Anthony Mychal, Leangains, Brad Pilon, etc. I've been doing 16/8 fasting since around January for days that I eat maintenance, while also incorporating two days of Eat Stop Eat style where I just eat dinner one day each week (so I only had below maintenance calories two days per week). Currently I lift weights every day, as I've slowly built up the tolerance to it since last October, and I just lift lighter when I feel residual soreness. This may change in the future, as I've started lifting heavier and adding weight now that I'm increasing calories, and may need more recovery time. I follow a 3-day split primarily composed of all compound movements: Day 1 Back/Biceps, Day 2 Chest/Shoulders/Triceps, Day 3 Lower Body. The exercises done on any given day may change, but the body parts I work don't. We'll just have to see how my body holds up. I also run 4 miles in steady state cardio fashion twice a week on my below maintenance calorie days. I'm debating on just eating in Warrior Diet fashion each day. I've been eating in a window from 12PM-8PM, but I find that I don't want to stop eating at 8. I think I'd rather just not eat until I get home from work about 5 PM, and just eat until I go to sleep around 9:30 PM. I'll probably switch back and forth on various days based on how I feel, and what fits my life best on the specific day. For instance I'm going to a daytime company picnic for my wife's job on Friday and then out to dinner for my sister-in-law's birthday that night, so it'll probably be a 16/8 day. After this post I'll add my data for the past couple days, and I'll try to update the log with my daily workouts and diet adherence. Hopefully this will add a little bit of pressure for adherence. I've attached my start pictures from Monday, and I'll try to upload monthly progress pictures, which will help to gauge my results. Summary: Stats: 5'6", 32 years old, Male, 129.18 lb trend, 10.85% body fat trend Goal: Add muscle mass while staying lean or until 15% body fat (hopefully the former) Diet Calories: Mon +700, Tues +700, Wed -750, Thurs +700, Fri +700, Sat +700, Sun -750 Macros: Protein (1.15 * bodyweight), Carbs (1.5 * bodyweight on +cal days), Fat (.4 * bodyweight) Strategy: Various fashions of intermittent fasting Workout Day 1 Back/Biceps, Day 2 Chest/Shoulders/Triceps, Day 3 Lower Body Two 4 mile runs per week on -cal days