Posts by redcrane5

Look, if you're hunting for training routines, you can find pretty much every single exercise ever conceived right here on this page.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ThighWt.html

Melissa Cruz2 said:I’m lucky I don't really have many cravings. When I need some carbs, I just grab some bread.
I'm not even a huge fan of bread myself, but my whole point was that we should be making the most out of home-cooked meals. People just hate doing that. They'd much rather grab something quick... you know, "under 45" minutes on the road. 😬
And I think I already asked this somewhere... why bother with a shake when you could just have a serving of cottage cheese with some diced ham and maybe some whole grain toast?

Personally, I knock down a whey isolate shake first thing in the morning right after I get up, just to get those proteins into my system quickly and halt catabolism. Then I have a second one after training with some glucose so I can replenish my glycogen stores and feed my muscles as fast as possible (to put it simply).
Fresh cottage cheese is great to eat during the day or right before bed because it's packed with slow-digesting protein (casein), which feeds the muscles overnight and helps prevent muscle breakdown. On the flip side, after a workout, you need fast-acting proteins to feed those hungry muscles, so milk and dairy products aren't really what you want immediately post-training (again, keeping it simple here).
Those are basically the main reasons why shakes are worth using.

Melissa Cruz2 said:screw your "three healthiest meals a day" theory. For breakfast, I'll grab some orange slices and oatmeal, then hit the cottage cheese, eggs, lean meat, and salads for dinner...
Snacks are just fruit or yogurt, and lunch? Honestly, if you let a little junk food ruin your discipline and routine, you're overthinking it...
I'm a woman, I hit the gym 4 or 5 times a week, eat like this, and I feel great. I actually stick to just three meals because once I've had breakfast, I don't even think about food until lunch.

Must be nice. Right now, since I'm barely active at all (I've been sidelined from training for almost 6 months due to a car accident 😢 ), I’d literally starve to death eating that little. When I am actually training, I eat 🙂 and go up to 4500 calories a day (roughly 350g Protein, 550g Carbs, 100g Fat). As for junk food, I've cut it down to basically nothing because I get bloated way too easily. The only exception is Sunday lunch—I'll eat whatever is on the table, and I swear to God, I eat as much as 😬 .

Anthony Rodriguez58 said:Look, redcrane5, just stop arguing. Let it go. This Calimero guy is a total fraud, basically a MacGragor type.

I’m done. I had no idea it was like that.😉

Angela Rodriguez2 said:Who can actually calculate their exact daily calorie needs these days???

Personally, I’m lucky enough to work within the "Shape works" program. It’s got a much more tailored approach where everyone gets an individual breakdown of their caloric needs—both basal and daily—to give us a solid baseline for building a meal plan, whether you're using shakes or sticking to whole foods.
Of course, those numbers shift depending on your body composition, BMI, gender, and age.

And that’s really the catch— unless we have the luxury of sitting down to a perfect, balanced meal every single time.

Think about it: what percentage of people can actually manage three high-quality meals a day that hit all the nutritional marks we need? And that's not even counting five meals a day.
Can you honestly guarantee that your breakfast or lunch has enough specific vitamins, minerals, or dietary fiber? You can try to aim for it, sure, but you can never be certain because the quality of groceries in America has absolutely plummeted. Just look at this:

http://www.iskrica.com/gallery/slike/1958_11.jpg
http://www.nahrungsergaenzung.de/dow..._1986_2002.pdf
http://www.wolframkober.de/Interesse...htvitamine.htm

Don't lecture me on things you don't fully grasp or haven't seen firsthand.
The shakes I'm talking about contain 52 different nutrients, including dietary fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants... basically everything our bodies crave daily. We aren't just talking about some pure soy protein here; it's a blend of soy and whey designed to meet five essential quality standards:
1. It contains ALL 9 essential amino acids that the body can't produce on its own (isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and histidine)
2. Little to no cholesterol
3. Low to zero saturated fats
4. A Protein Efficiency Ratio (P.E.R.) of up to 2.5.
A 2.5 rating means it's a top-tier protein.
5. Amino Acid Quantity Criterion—which measures how available, digestible, and absorbable the protein is. The max score is 100.

So, in this case, the P.E.R. is 2.5, and the amino acid availability/digestibility hits 100. 🙂

I completely agree with you on one thing: a solid diet is the foundation of good health. We can reinforce that by filling in the gaps—those nutritional holes we can't always control—with cellular nutrition.

- Nobody said you had to calculate calories down to the decimal point; you just take a standard chart from the internet and tweak it to fit your life.

- My schedule is packed. I work from 7:30 to 5:00, hit the gym four times a week, and I'm out with my wife and kids or meeting friends almost every night. Yet, I still manage to eat five quality meals and one or two protein shakes a day. It all comes down to how you organize your life and what you actually want out of it.

- As for the quality of the food I buy and eat, I'm not interested in debating that with you, and I honestly have no idea what you're trying to prove with those links. Can you prove that these shakes don't use GMO soy or milk protein from cows that have been treated like machines?

- From what I can tell, you make your living selling these "magic potions," so I get why you feel that way. I've seen plenty of ads promising the moon in a week or a month. It's wild how naive some people are, thinking they can drop years of weight in thirty days while sitting on the couch eating chips and watching TV, all while staying perfectly healthy.

- What I’m trying to get at here is that there’s no such thing as a magic potion. It really just comes down to eating a well-balanced diet, having the actual desire to change, and the willpower to stick with it (because let’s face it, this is a marathon, not a sprint) plus working hard enough to actually sweat for it.

Kate Grant53 said:redcrane5

I'm actually curious about what else you're eating... but honestly, let's save that for a whole different thread.

Just referring back to what I suggested in that "Rapid Weight Loss" thread.😉

Angela Rodriguez2 said:I have to jump in here because I see a lot of people completely missing the point (and honestly, I’m worried you might be too), and things are starting to get pretty nonsensical.

Just because your cousin is a distributor doesn't mean she automatically knows what she's doing... actually, if she's doing exactly what you're describing, then she's doing it wrong and that's why it isn't working. We just can't wrap our heads around the logic here.

If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you need to:

- Eat 3-5 meals a day—meaning at least 3 actual meals and 2 snacks. For this context, a meal is anything over 220 calories, so an apple doesn't count as a meal; it's just a snack.
- Drink at least 2 liters of water daily.
- Cut down on your calorie intake.
- Increase (or at least maintain) your intake of all necessary nutrients.

So, if you're starting a weight loss program using Herbalife, you SHOULD keep one standard meal (your choice) and swap out the other two for shakes (Formula 1). Each shake is roughly 220-250 calories and packs all the essential nutrients your body needs.
Herbalife meal replacements actually lower your calorie count while simultaneously feeding your cells. You won't feel hungry because the whole thing is based on soy protein that nourishes your cells (since protein is basically the building block of the body), which prevents your brain from sending those "I'm starving" signals.

It is technically possible to live on nothing but shakes, but you'd have to hit your caloric requirements (minimum 1200 kcal), which means you'd be chugging at least 5 or 6 shakes a day.

I don't know what your current weight is, but if you're only eating one apple and two shakes a day, you're overdoing it and that is definitely not good for you. On average, healthy weight loss for men is about 7-11 lbs a month. I say average because if you're carrying a lot of extra weight, you might drop more in the first month, but long-term, that average holds true. For women, it's usually about 4-9 lbs per month.

I agree that the Herbalife zone is overly complicated and that finding a solid combination of everything is probably the best way to go.

Question: how long has your cousin been doing this, and does she actually do "follow-ups"—as in, does she check in with you every single day????

Well, I'll give you credit on a few points:
- Having at least 5 meals a day (frequent, smaller meals help kickstart your metabolism, which is huge for losing weight).
- Drinking at least, and I mean *at least*, 2 liters of water a day (if you're dehydrated, your body reacts by holding onto water in your tissues, and it won't let go until you start hydrating properly again).
- Calculating your daily caloric needs and splitting them into five meals (try consuming more carbs earlier in the day and more protein toward the evening).
- Adding in extra vitamins and minerals.

In my opinion, you don't need any shakes at all to lose weight (unless you're in a situation where you can't grab a real meal); you just need a well-balanced diet and exercise.
I especially wouldn't agree that you can live solely on shakes. Especially since soy protein isn't a complete protein (it lacks enough essential amino acids in its structure), it's hard to digest (because of the cellulose casing), and a diet like that misses out on vital fiber and healthy fats like Omega-3s.
To wrap this up:
Cut sugar, sweets, and generally simple carbs from your diet (you can eat fruit, but don't go overboard), and stick to complex carbs (brown rice, whole grains, potatoes, even pasta).
Minimize saturated fats and focus on unsaturated ones (flaxseed, fish, or olive oil).
Use high-quality proteins that provide all essential amino acids (eggs, milk and dairy, meat, and fish).
And finally, get some exercise in any form—walking, running, cycling, whatever.

Rebecca Myers38 said:I've really had my eye on that Farm Life stuff... hopefully it doesn't break the bank.🙂 😬

Hmm... I might just pick up some of this cold-pressed oil too.🤔

It’s not overpriced, $16 if memory serves, you get 60 tablets at 500mg each.😉
Personally, I stick to the oil because otherwise I'd be swallowing 20 pills a day,😬 so instead I just take three spoons of flaxseed oil along with four 1000mg fish oil tablets. Aside from a little olive oil, that's pretty much the only fat I put in my diet.🙂

Rebecca Myers38 said:I'm actually planning on picking some of those up 👍 any recommendations? 😬

The only ones I've ever tried—specifically the soft gels—were from Bio Farma, an Omega-3 made from flaxseed.
Personally, I usually just grab cold-pressed flax oil in a bottle and take about two tablespoons a day. I typically pick it up at local health food stores or specialty herbal shops. I usually go for a high-quality brand like Lianzaadolie or maybe a premium Italian one like Crudigno; they come in those little 2.5 dl bottles and run you about $12. Honestly, it’s worth the extra effort to make sure you're getting stuff meant for actual consumption rather than some industrial-grade oil they sell in bulk.
I have to warn you, though—the taste is pretty nasty. You get used to it if you mix it into a glass of juice so you don't really notice it, but man, once you realize what benefits you're actually getting from it, you just push through the grossness.😬

Jumper said:Start eating 6-7 times a day, load up on protein and healthy fats (think walnuts, fish oil, flaxseed oil), stick to complex carbs like oatmeal, eat tons of veggies, and don't go overboard with fruit. Just doing that will make a massive difference. If you throw in a gym routine three times a week, you'll see incredible results and definitely feel good about yourself.
I wish someone had pointed me toward the right path when I was seventeen. 😢

Solid advice, and honestly, it's the only way to do it.
Most people struggling with their weight just want a quick fix to look better, so they fall for all these fad diets that are completely wrong.
To put it simply, when you slash your calorie intake to the absolute minimum, your body tries to compensate for the energy deficit by breaking down muscle—since muscle is basically a luxury that requires too much energy to maintain—while simultaneously hoarding fat stores for the "starvation" stage.
When someone loses weight that way, they aren't actually losing fat; they're mostly losing water and muscle mass. This tanks your metabolism, which is terrible news, because as soon as you stop the diet, the weight comes rushing back—usually as fat instead of muscle.

Look, if the smell of fish oil Omega-3 is really getting to you, just switch over to an Omega-3 from flaxseed oil. Honestly, it’s just as effective as the fishy stuff, and you won't have to deal with that gross aftertaste or constant burping afterward. Just try taking them right in the middle of your meal instead.

rustystag7 said:I told myself early on that I’m never leaving the States because I simply don't want to!! I know I can make it here if I actually have what it takes!!
Look, Dwayne was offered terms better than anything anyone in the history of this country has ever seen, and yet he still left. Honestly, I doubt any scientist would even consider moving abroad unless they were handed a deal that exceeds anything ever offered to an American researcher back home!!

It’s real impressive how you’re making such massive life decisions based on your "extensive" experience. I’m sure all those years of wisdom really helped you figure that out.
You're probably twenty years old, living off your parents' dime, and you haven't the slightest clue what it actually means to fight for a career or real success. Half the people on this forum claiming they’ve "made it" didn't earn their money—they just found ways to cheat the system.
Since you want to talk about patriotism, go ask the veterans who fought for this country and now struggle to put decent food on the table or live off government assistance... ask them if they’d pack up and leave for that kind of money. Ask them if they’d turn their backs on the country they bled for. Trust me, most of my buddies—my former brothers-in-arms—would take the money and run in a heartbeat.
As for Dwayne's grant, it isn't a lifetime contract. That $2,000 a month isn't exactly life-changing, even if it looks small compared to $5,000,000.

Give it a rest, seriously. Stop talking just to hear yourselves speak.
I haven't seen this much fake patriotism since... well, ever. Most of you people attacking John would sell out for way less than 5 million, but you’d rather just sit here and nitpick.
How can you even compare 500,000 to 5,000,000? We're talking about a figure that actually secures a lifetime; let's face it, a pro sports career doesn't last forever.
As an American, I look at what John did and see it as the lesser of two evils—honestly, it's more decent than those scumbags hiding behind the American flag, stealing even larger sums from the US government while nobody bothers to put them on the front page of the papers or make them the lead story on the news.
Some of you defend soccer players, basketball players, and all the rest just because they play for the national team and haven't officially renounced their country. But why don't we talk about why these big-name American sports stars don't pay taxes to the country they supposedly love so much? They stash their money in offshore accounts, drive cars and boats with foreign plates, set up businesses abroad, and even adopt kids in other countries... now *those* are the people who deserve the spotlight. That's where the real hypocrisy lies, not with John.
God and Americans.

Hey everyone, this is my first time posting here 👋.
I’ve actually dealt with the exact same thing—waking up gasping for air, followed by those mild panic attacks, and eventually getting diagnosed with PTSD.