Starting information

As part of this project, I’m going to be making more of a concerted effort to read up on standard nutritional and exercise advice. I’ve obviously read some about these things in the past, but there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Undoubtedly, some of what I think I know at the start is wrong. Still, let’s see what I think I know about these topics to begin with:

Things I think I know about diet:

The most important consideration is calories in – calories out. If it’s a negative quantity, weight will be lost; if it’s positive, weight will be gained. % breakdowns of protein, carbohydrates, and fat are much less important than total caloric consumption.

A pound of fat is 3500 nutritional calories (which are kilocalories in a strict scientific sense, but for the purposes of weight we refer to them as calories). A daily deficit of 500 calories is thus sufficient for a pound of fat loss per week. This is near the limit of what can be maintained over the long term without triggering the starvation response.

A larger number of smaller meals is the ideal.

When trying to lose fat or gain muscle, it is critical to increase protein intake to prevent muscle loss, up to around 30% of calories.

Too high of protein intake over the long haul can lead to organ trouble, as the kidneys in particular work to detoxify the amino acid excess.

Consumption of dairy products does seem to lead to a higher amount of fat loss than a calorically equal diet without dairy products. I do not believe the reasons are well known.

Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are preferable to processed/juiced ones, as they contain the additional fiber and what nutrients are stored in the sections left out of the finished product.

A serving of meat is 3 oz. This is smaller than the typical hamburger patty. Most people eat far more servings of meat than they realize.

Beware too strict of a diet – it tends to set people up for failure, and many people when they fail stop making any effort. Instead, aim for sustainable, long-term better choices, and accept that there will be days or even weeks where you don’t follow your own guidelines.

Most vegetables, other than beans and potatoes (which must be cooked) are better for you either raw or steamed. Fresh and frozen are roughly equivalent in nutrients; canned varieties lose some of their benefit. Stewing and boiling vegetables can leach out many nutrients if the broth is not consumed.

Most meats are healthiest baked or grilled. Poaching and stewing are also perfectly acceptable. Frying should be kept to a minimum, with the possible exception of very high heat, low cooking time, minimal oil frying like using a wok.

It is impossible to spot reduce fat. Fat deposition is different among different people, but generally follows the LIFO policy: last in, first out.

Things I think I know about exercise:

Proper form is more important than weight used or repetitions performed.

Skeletal muscles need at least 24 hours of rest before substantially challenging the same ones again. This includes the abs. Sometimes, 48 hours can be needed. For smooth muscle, changing the type of exertion can allow daily activity, but you should leave a day in between doing the same general type of activity.

Higher weight with fewer repetitions leads to mass. Lower weights with more repetitions leads to definition. For adding weight, look for the most weight you can maintain proper form with for 6-8 repetitions. To tone, look for 12-15 repetitions.

Stretching is better performed after exercise than before; loosening up joints prior to exertion can lead to hyperextension.

Your body will adjust to anything done at the same intensity repeatedly. If you want to keep improving, you need to change something: the exercise, the weight, the speed, the distance, the grip, etc.

For the ectomorph, focusing on large muscles in multijoint exercises (eg the bench press, the pull-up, the deadlift, the squat) will yield far better returns than focusing on smaller muscles in isolation exercises (such as the bicep curl).