Can I lose fat and build muscle at the same time?
The ability to gain muscle while losing fat is dependent on the relationship between your fatness and muscularity. An overly-fat and under-trained person will be able to achieve simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain. A very lean person near his/her limit for muscle growth will not. As one moves away from the overly-fat, under-trained status towards a leaner, more muscular body this ability is diminished. At some point, the vast majority of people will see better/quicker results by choosing to do one or the other (gain muscle, lose fat - often referred to as 'bulking' and 'cutting', respectively) at a time. For a highly general rule of thumb: if you have been training
effectively for a year or more, you're better off with a bulk/cut cycle. See Lyle McDonald's
Adding Muscle While Losing Fat - Q&A for more discussion.
A 2011 paper suggests a weekly rate of body-weight loss of 0.7% can permit muscle gain in both men and women while losing fat mass. Women were also able to increase muscle while losing fat at a weekly rate of body-weight loss of 1.0-1.4%. Men, however, lost muscle mass at this increased rate.
In real terms, 0.7% body-weight loss was achieved via a daily intake of 3.2 calories per lb of total bodyweight (or 7 calories per kg of total bodyweight). At this rate, your
goal calorie intake = TDEE - [BWlb x 3.2kcal] (or TDEE - [BWkg x 7kcal]).
This is a good place to start. The 1.0-1.4% range works out to a daily deficit of 4.5-6.4 calories per lb of total bodyweight (or 10-14 calories per kg of total bodyweight).
How fast can I lose fat without losing muscle?
How many people should I tell about my goals?
"Substitution" is a well known psychological effect: when you announce your goals to people, you receive psychological satisfaction, and it makes it less likely you achieve them.
See this thread. If you walk around telling friends "I'm going to lose 80 lbs", this makes it less likely you will lose it. If you must tell them something, tell them what you've already done: "I have lost 10 lbs" but don't talk about your goal (although you should certainly have one).
How does this help me get a six pack?
As with every other goal here, having defined abs is a matter of having enough muscle mass and low enough body fat. Generally the hardest part of getting a six pack is losing enough body fat to make the bottom portions of the abs show well enough. Just remember: you lose 3lbs of fat the exact same way you lose 30lbs.
Should I bulk or cut?
For some the answer is obvious - if you are underweight and want to put on muscle, you should eat at a caloric surplus (bulk); if you are overweight and want to lose fat, you should eat at a caloric deficit (cut). But for those beginners who are neither under- nor over-weight, the so-called "skinnyfat", the choice between whether to cut or bulk is a bit more difficult.
You can choose to "cut" in order to reduce overall body fat percentage, but this will be slow going and will postpone your ability to gain appreciable muscle mass. You can "bulk", eating well over your maintenance calories in order to maximize muscular gains, but at the same time gain additional unwanted fat.
Ultimately, there is no right answer for this question. You need to choose one goal at a time. Whatever you choose to start with, be it cutting or bulking, all that matters is that you start doing something.
Did I hurt myself or is this normal soreness?
It's probably
DOMS if the pain..
- Started 24-48 hours after your workout
- Feels more like overall soreness in a particular muscle
- Decreases over the course of a few days
See your doctor if the pain...
- Started in the middle of your workout
- Is sharp and localized
- Has not gone away after 4 days after your workout.
Diet Details
What is the most important rule to follow for a healthy diet?
In terms of what foods you should and should not eat, remember that
calories matter more than specific foods. Adequate macro- and micro-nutrition are indeed part of a healthy diet, but appropriate caloric intake is by far the most important rule regardless of the source and whether or not the food is "natural", "whole", "clean", or "dirty". Repeated studies have shown that having excess body fat, type 2 diabetes and weight gain are resultant from eating and storing more calories than one burns. Eating too many of any form of calories, whether from whole foods or not, will cause these problems. A Newcastle University team has
recently discovered (2011) that Type 2 diabetes can actually be reversed by an extreme low calorie diet alone. In terms of the hormonal response to a single meal,
a fast-food meal has been shown to elicit a similar response to an equivilent organic one.
How do I calculate my macros?
"Macros" is short for
macronutrients. These include dietary carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Alcohol is a fourth macro, but it is not usually budgeted for on it own and its consumption typically comes at the expense of the carbohydrate allotment. Key to setting up your macro split is knowing your
total calorie intake needs and the fact that protein and carbohydrates have ~4 Calories per gram, while fat contains ~9 Calories per gram. (Alcohol clocks in at ~7 Calories per gram.) While everyone will have different needs and preferences for their macronutrient breakdown, the following is a generic guide to get you started. We calculate macros from the ground up, but always in the context of total calorie intake.
Protein
Protein intake is the starting point. If calories are king, protein is queen. There is a large body of evidence emerging that shows adequate protein intake as a key element to achieving body weight and composition goals. (
1)(
2)(
3)(
4)(
5)(
6)(
7)(
8)
One gram of protein per pound of body weight (1 g/lb) or 2.2 grams per kilogram (2.2 g/kg) is the traditional recommendation for protein intake. However, this can be considered the upper bound of target intake, with the
suggested range being
0.68-1g/lb (1.5-2.2g/kg) of total body weight.
Fat
Fats are essential for many bodily functions including metabolism, brain function, and hormone production. For this reason, and despite decades of the low-fat dieting trend, fat calories are not "worse" than other calories. After your essential fatty acid needs are met in the diet, the remaining allocation for fat intake is largely determined by personal preference. A general rule of thumb and good starting point is
0.4g-0.5g/lb (0.9-1.1 g/kg) of total body weight.
Carbohydrate
Now that the essential macros have been calculated, we must refer back to the goal calorie intake to tie it all together. As such, the remaining allotment for carb intake is determined by subtracting your goal protein and fat intakes from your calorie intake. Basically, whatever caloric intake is left over after determining your protein and fat needs is met by carbohydrate consumption. So your goal carb intake in grams = [Goal calories - (Px4 + Fx9)] ÷ 4 where P and F are target grams of protein and fat, respectively. This result can range from 0.0-2.2g/lb (0-4.8g/kg) of total body weight and beyond depending on performance needs and personal preference.
To give an example of this process, let's look at a typical scenario: Billy is 22, 5'9 (175cm), and 175lb (79kg) and works out 3x/week. His estimated TDEE is 2450 but he wants to lose fat and gain muscle, so he is taking
the advice given above and planning to consume 1890 calories daily. Using the suggestions above, Billy decides he should aim for 140g protein (0.8g/lb), 70g fat (0.4g/lb), and 175g carbs (1g/lb).
It's important to base your macro calculations on your own body stats -
especially protein. Calculating macros as a percentage of calorie intake can create situations where some intakes are inadequate or overkill. Also, if you are
significantly overweight, using your total body weight would be inappropriate for this activity and would heavily skew your macro split. In this instance, instead base your calculations on your
lean body mass. Conversely, if you are
significantly underweight, you may instead want to use your
goal body weight.
Should I avoid sugar because of insulin spikes?
Insulin gets a bad rap. Sugar isn't the only thing that spikes insulin - protein does too. Insulin is considered to be
the anabolic hormone - you need it to build muscle.
Rather than worrying about insulin, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you and helps you hit your overall caloric goals.
Do I need protein within one hour of a workout?
Under most circumstances and in the grand scheme of things, it's not critical. Of far greater importance is hitting your calorie, macro- and micro-nutrient needs over the course of the day. After that, consistency and commitment should be applied to an appropriate workout plan that suits your performance and/or body goals. If you tend to train in a fasted state, getting your post-workout nutrition in as soon as possible is a good idea, but the first two points (daily diet goals, consistent training) still take precedence.
For a good paper reviewing the literature examining the ideas and research behind nutrient timing and the "post-workout window", check out
this meta-review.
For a review specific to protein timing and it's effect on strength and muscle building, check out
this review.
A review article of 67 scientific studies found that "when adjusted for differences in fat-free mass, resting energy expenditure values in obese and nonobese individuals tend to be comparable" and that there is "no association of baseline resting energy expenditure with weight change among 775 men during a 10-year period". The review draws the conclusion that "Regarding metabolic factors, available data indicate that although there are variations in resting energy expenditure and in the thermic effect of food, there is little evidence that these variations contribute significantly to the observed trends in weight gain."
Which diet plan is the best?
There is no best. There are many paths to maintaining a good diet and losing weight. The important thing to understand is that people are different in their tastes and lifestyles but not in their body metabolisms by any large degree. Resting body metabolism between extreme athletes and unfit people vary by less than 5% which means it has virtually no impact on how much you can eat or burn in daily decisions. You should be prepared to experiment and find what works for you so that you can maintain a diet that avoids an excess of calories over your lifetime however actively you choose to live.
How can I avoid Starvation Mode?
Starvation mode is a myth that was popularized due to the
Minnesota Starvation Experiment in which subjects were given 50% of their daily calorie intake for months. The result? Well, they lost weight until they had almost no weight left to lose and their bodies simply could not get the calories ANYWHERE. Concisely put: starvation mode happens when you are, quite literally, wasting away. Not when you have a simple caloric deficit. Your body will make up for it with fat stores. That's what they're for.
Do not worry about starvation mode.
What about Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting, or IF, has been shown to
increase metabolic rate in some circumstances. But at the end of the day, IF is just another way to reduce caloric intake over a 24 hour period. It is merely a "trick" to eat less.
What's the deal with low carb diets?
Low-carb dieting is another "trick" that allows people to stop eating so much sugar and carbohydrates (flours and starches and pastas) which greatly reduces caloric intake without jeopardizing vitamin, protein or essential oils (fats) losses. Most processed carbohydrate sources are not nutrient-dense foods and are not ideal, unless you are trying to store more energy for more significant periods of exertion (e.g. marathon, distance bicycling or days of long hiking).
Low-carb dieting has side benefits for ultra-endurance athletes (increase in intramuscular triglycerides), but can negatively impact high intensity strength training by reducing muscle glycogen and forcing the body to convert protein into glucose, rather than use it for muscle building.
Can I still get strong if I am a Vegetarian / Vegan?
Yes. Protein requirements vary, but you will probably want to consume a protein supplement in addition to your normal diet if you are strength training. Rice protein, hemp protein, and gemma pea protein are good options, as is soy. Egg or whey protein is ideal if that is allowed.
There are certain important factors to keep in mind when considering vegetable protein.
PDCAAS, the FAO/WHO standard for determining protein quality, considers soy protein to be just as useful as whey or animal protein. Unfortunately,
recent research suggests that measurements such as
BV and PDCAAS do not take into account important factors such as anti-nutritional factors and chymotrypsin inhibitors. These anti-nutritional factors limit the extent to which your body can utilize the protein and are commonly found in soy and other vegetable protein isolates. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that you may require a higher dosage of vegetable protein to gain the same effect.
If you aim for a more moderate but still adequate protein intake (1-1.2g/kg bodyweight or lean mass), then you can achieve this through a healthy and smart diet. Just be aware to eat varied sources for a more complete distribution of amino acids.
Won't soy protein affect my testosterone levels?
In regards to soy usage and phytoestrogens (isoflavones), they do not affect testosterone levels
per se. They may modulate the androgen receptor, which mediates the effects of testosterone. This is a 'leveling mountains and filling valleys' effect, and could potentially reduce testosterone if your testosterone levels were well above baseline to start. There is evidence that these same phytoestrogens can actually act
androgenic (like testosterone) in older men suffering from low testosterone!
A conclusive statement about whether soy is 'good' or 'bad' cannot be made about the isoflavone content. Just be aware to cook your soy to denature the trypsin inhibitors so you can actually get the protein. A good review of soy can be found
here
Should I take a multivitamin?
Multivitamins are a stop-gap to fill holes in an insufficient diet. The best option is still to get these vitamins from whole food sources when possible.
Should I take other supplements?
As the name implies, supplementation should only be used for additive effects - your primary fitness goals will be mostly achieved via diet and exercise. Still, with that in mind, there are three supplements that are frequently cited for general health and building muscle:
Exercise Details
Should I train full-body or a body-part split?
For the first several months of weight training, beginners can expect to raise the weight they are lifting in a linear progression, without any increased rest time needed - this means you will get regularly stronger day after day.
Beginners to weight training are defined by how quickly they can recover from exercise. For this reason, as a beginner, it is best to get as much work in as possible each week. If you do a full-body routine three times per week, that means you're training your entire body roughly 12 times per month (144 times per year). A body-part split, hitting different body parts over a week is going to train your whole body one (maybe two) times per week, which is 4-8 times per month (48-96 times per year).
This review suggests strength gains in beginners are optimized by training three times a week. As one gains more experience and ability, a two-day split (like push/pull or upper/lower) is suggested as the optimal set-up.
To optimize hypertrophy,
this review paper recommends a frequency of 2-3 sessions per muscle group a week for novice to moderately trained individuals.
As a beginner, doing a body-part split is not taking advantage of your advanced recovery capabilities. Splits should be left to the more advanced strength trainees who need longer to recover.
If I do cardio AND resistance training, what should I do first?
For general health and fitness purposes, the order does not matter. (
1)(
2)(
3) However, the modality you choose to do first
will leave you fatigued - and thus impair performance - while doing the second. For this reason, it's recommended you do the activity you want to excel and improve the most at first, and save the other for afterwards. Be aware that this fatigue will need to be compensated for in your programming and approach to the second activity. If you have no training preference and/or enjoy both equally, it's generally recommended to do your lifting first as lifting weights in a fatigued state could increase your chance of poor form and injury.
Does cardio impair muscle gains?
Yes. No. Maybe. Despite the general attitude that "cardio kills gainz", this question - and thus its answer - is far more complex in nature. While resistance training and endurance work have many overlapping benefits, they also have many distinct and often times conflicting adaptations. (
1)(
2) Simply put, you cannot be an elite bodybuilder AND an elite marathoner. Again, there is a matter of degrees involved here, with the ultimate answer depending on your training status and the modality, volume, intensity, and timing of your endurance work (
3).
If general health and fitness is your main goal, then including both forms of exercise is a good move. If maximizing muscle gain at the expense of all else is your primary concern, then endurance work should be minimized or eliminated entirely.
Conversely, if you want to do both but improving endurance in your primary goal, check out
A Guide to Strength Training for Endurance Athletes Part 1 &
Part 2
What sort of cardio is best?
How do I improve my flexibility/mobility?
Flexibility and mobility are roughly the same concept, describing the ranges of motion that a person can move through. There are many ways to improve flexibility and mobility - stretching, foam rolling, and mobility exercises. In general, foam rolling and mobility exercises should be included in your warmup, and stretching should be done after a workout.
Starting Stretching / Molding Mobility are two programs for raw beginners to get to above average flexibility, but like everything in life, you need to keep increasing the challenge to continue flexibility gains and add more targeted work.
For detailed series on self muscle massage (i.e. foam rolling), mobilization techniques, stretching, and correcting muscle imbalances, check out the relevant self treatment series from
Athletes Treating Athletes.
MobilityWOD is another site that provides exercises and tips for improving mobility and stability, often in a movement specific context.
What are the different repetition ranges good for?
- 1-5 reps primarily develop strength, with more impact on muscle size and none on endurance.
- 6-12 reps develop a balance of strength, muscle size and endurance.
- 13-20 reps develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and limited impact on strength.
- 20+ reps are considered to be focused on aerobic exercise. They do still use the anaerobic system, but usually at a rate through which it can consistently remove the lactic acid generated from it.
Powerlifters typically concentrate on the 1-5 rep range, with forays into 5-8. Bodybuilders typically concentrate on 5-12 reps. Athletes typically concentrate on rep ranges that mimic their sport, or a specific periodization schema.
Will doing high reps of lighter weights help me get toned?
Firstly, being "toned" is not a valid concept.
Muscle tone is the amount of tension a muscle maintains when it's at rest. What most people mean when they say "toned" is certain level of muscular definition. Being "toned" is simply a matter of having enough muscle mass and low enough body fat.
Additionally, working high repetitions of exercises at low weights will increase muscular
endurance more than anything else. If your goal is strength, you should be working high weight for low repetitions. If you goal is size and definition, you should be working medium weights for medium repetitions. Refer back to
the previous question, if need be.
Do women get bulky if they lift heavy things?
While some things are different for women than they are for men (where your body tends to store fat, how quickly you'll lose body fat, how quickly you'll add muscle, etc.) pretty much everything in this FAQ applies equally to women and men. How to lose body fat, how to add muscle, how to get fit, how to "tone up"...the principles are same for both women and men.
Some women are averse to heavy weights because they don't want to "bulk up" or "look like a dude". However, most women will never get as bulky as guys because they lack sufficient testosterone. The female professional athletes you see with "toned" arms are more indicative of what is possible without drugs.
How long should I rest between sets?
In general, the more intense the lift, the longer you should rest.
- Heavy Weight/Low Reps = Longer Rest (3-5+ minutes)
- Light Weight/High Reps = Shorter Rest (0.5-3 minutes)
Rest periods should be determined on an individual basis. Certain programs may call for strict rest periods, or you may have some flexibility.
Is resistance training dangerous?
While there is a risk of injury with any physical activity, the potential for harm in an inherently controlled environment like a gym or weight room is substantially less than many "safer" sports with chaotic or unpredictable environments, such as cycling (collisions with pedestrians and automobiles), soccer (near ubiquitous ACL tears, especially for women), or even tennis (tennis elbow).
The most frequent causes of injury in resistance training are using too much weight, or not using proper form. The first reason is why you see those horrible youtube powerlifting / weightlifting injuries. Competitors are trying to lift the MAXIMUM amount of weight, and are willing to accept the risk of injury. This is far different than lifting in the gym, where you are trying to lift a substantial amount of weight in a safe and sustainable manner.
I am still growing, will lifting weights stunt my growth?
Lifting weights with proper form while maintaining a healthy diet will not stunt your growth. In fact, weight lifting has many benefits for youths including increased strength for sports and higher self-esteem.
See:
Should I use machines to avoid injury?
No! Weight machines can appear safer, but actually can create muscle imbalances due to involving fewer muscle groups and moving along fixed pathways that may not align with your body's geometry. Instead, learn to do the exercises properly with free weights, beginning with just your bodyweight or an empty bar, and gradually adding weight in 5 or 10lb increments until you find the appropriate weight for your ability.
Weight machines are popular in commercial gyms because they may reduce the risk of idiots injuring themselves WHILE working out (which could create lawsuits for the gym), but they increase the risk of injury when you actually attempt to use those muscles outside of the gym (which the gym doesn't care as much about, because they're not going to be sued).
That is not to say that machines do not have a place in a good routine. They should simply not be the primary focus.
What about the Smith Machine?
The Smith Machine should be viewed like any other machine (see the above section). It is not safer than normal free weight work.
Aren't bodyweight exercises for beginners?
This is simply not true. While bodyweight skills definitely have an upper limit, unlike weight lifting which is limited only by how many plates will fit on the bar, leverage can be varied quite a bit, increasing the difficulty of these skills. Progressive resistance makes you stronger. It does not matter if this comes from varied leverage, or extra weight.
The key to getting stronger with bodyweight exercise is to make them progressively harder by changing exercises slightly as you get stronger.
There are many stories of people who don't weight train and end up lifting very large amounts their first time out, due to body weight skills.
Here is a video of Ross Enamait deadlifting 495lbs (at 170lb body weight) with no deadlift skills and a primarily bodyweight-only training routine.
What ab exercises can make you lose stomach fat?
You can't target where you lose fat. This is called "spot reduction" and it doesn't exist. Your genes are responsible for where your body stores fat, and it's the same thing for losing fat. It's pretty much a "first on, last off" type situation. So if the first place you get fat is your belly, it's probably going to be the last place to lose it. Do the things mentioned in this document to lower your overall body-fat percentage and your belly fat will start to go away.
I don't want to get too big, how can I lift weights and not end up looking like a bodybuilder?
Putting on muscle is not easy. It takes years of dedicated work. It is insulting to the people who do this on purpose to think you could get to the same levelaccidentally. Unless you're specifically training to "be huge" you're not going to accidentally get huge. And even if you find yourself getting bigger than you'd like, you can always stop adding weight and/or volume to prevent more gains or stop working out entirely to reverse these effects.
Won't lifting weights make me inflexible? I don't want to get 'muscle bound'.
Strength training does not create inflexibility if done properly - an imbalanced program and lifting through abbreviated ranges of motion causes inflexibility.
I have an injury, what should I do?
Joint Injuries
Joint injuries require lots of extra help. Joint mobility work is necessary and should be done every morning. This typically involves joint circles (except for the hinge joints: elbow, fingers, knees, etc. Never "circle" hinge joints). The best recommendation I've seen is to do a number of joint circles equal to your age, both clockwise and counterclockwise. If you have a popping or creaking joint, double this number. If it is painful, move slower and triple the number.
It may also help to put light pressure on the joints and work them out. For instance, doing standing pushups against a wall is a great way to help a shoulder injury. Doing "squats" while lying on your back will help a knee injury. The key is to move them, and put stress on them, but not a lot. Your body will respond to stress by making things stronger.
Muscular Injuries
RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Additionally, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful to reduce pain and swelling.
As for applying ice, there are many recommended ways to do this, I will provide one: apply ice for 10 minutes, then no ice for 20 minutes, and repeat as often as possible. Ice causes a vasoconstriction. When you remove the ice the vasodilation brings fresh nutrient dense blood into the injury site to speed recovery. This is similar to contrast bathing. There is a good break down of how to implement RICE
here.
Should I work out if I'm sick?
Over the internet, it's very hard for others to evaluate how sick you are. Missing one workout because you're not feeling well is not the end of the world, but repeatedly begging off workouts may have an impact on your longterm goals.
The general consensus is that, if it is a mild head cold (runny nose, sore throat, etc) you should be good to workout--be sure to wipe down the equipment when you're done--but with a chest cold (coughing up mucus) it's probably a good time for a rest day or two. There are some other concerns for those that don't have a home gym. If you are fairly sick you should stay home for the health of others that go to your gym (especially during flu season). If you are sick, can't get to the gym, and still feel the need to workout try some light bodyweight work (see
/r/bodyweightfitness). Keep in mind while you're sick, you should lower the intensity of your workout to keep the body focused on the task at hand (fighting your sickness) and to prevent injury, as your body overall is in a weaker state than normal.
Should I workout again if I'm still sore?
It sounds like you're experiencing
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is merely a sign that you body isn't used to what you did. This is fine. You should workout again today, and make sure to properly warm up. You'll notice that this decreases in intensity over the next couple of weeks.
Am I doing something wrong if I'm not sore anymore after a workout?
No.
DOMS is merely a sign that your body did something new. As it adjusts to your new routine, soreness will lessen and maybe even go away completely.
How do I fix my lagging <insert body part>?
Without fail, everyone that questions how to fix their lagging chest/arms/etc is relatively new to working out, and is seeing quicker gains in some areas and slower gains in others. The solution is simply to continue working out with proper form - get bigger/stronger and things will even out with time.
One exception to this rule is a left/right imbalance - for instance, one arm being stronger or bigger than the other. Correcting this requires attention to proper form on exercises, to discourage leaning or twisting to favor the stronger side. Additionally, unilateral work could be done on the weaker side first, with the stronger side completing the same weight and reps to match, until balance is restored.
Other Q and A
How do I fix my poor posture?
In general, strength training is going to help posture more than anything else. There are specific exercises and methods to fix specific issues with poor posture, if needed:
Lumbar Lordosis, or Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT): Lower cross syndrome is a posture issue generally caused by sitting all the time. The erector spinae (lower back spinal muscles) and hip flexors tend to be tight (and should be stretched), and the glutes and abdominals tend to be weak (and should be strengthened). This typically causes one's butt and gut to stick out.
Find fixes here. The first 3 pages of
this pdf can serve as a handy reference sheet for the exercises mentioned in the linked post.
Swayback, or Posterior Pelvic Tilt (PPT): People with a posterior tilt tend to look as if their lower back and butt are completely flat.
Find fixes here. The "psoas test" link is broken, so
here is a replacement video to go along with the written description.
Thoracic Kyphosis and Forward Head ("Computer Guy" Hunchback): Upper cross syndrome is another posture issue caused by sitting while hunching forward (at a computer, over books, etc). The pectorals and the upper back/next tend to be tight, while the scapular muscles (shoulder blades) and neck flexors tend to be weak.
This post has excellent information on
why you're doing different exercises, but many of the links have degraded.
This pdfdemonstrates how to do the specific exercises mentioned (skip to page 4 for the specifics for this section, although all of the stretches are good).
Why do I feel unmotivated or lethargic in the winter?
There are many reasons you might be lethargic. It might just be a bad day, or life or work stress, or poor sleep or diet. If it's lasting and you've ruled out other possibilities, you might be feeling seasonal effects from winter and particularly lack of sunlight.
About six percent of the United States population, for example, suffers from seasonal affective disorder ("SAD"), with another fourteen percent feeling a milder form known as winter blues. Symptoms include, among other things, lower energy levels and more eating, especially of sweets and starches. Of course, many of us feel these or similar effects every winter, most cases are mild, and SAD is a serious condition involving depression that should be diagnosed and treated by a qualified medical professional. More information on diagnosis can be found
here
With both SAD and winter blues, supplementing
Vitamin D in your diet can
help fend off these seasonal mood effects. Light therapy (light units to simulate sunlight) can also be an
effective treatment, as could exercise and stress management and psychotherapy or medication. If it's winter and you've noticed reduced motivation or increased apathy, consider looking into professional treatment or some of these methods to help keep up your drive to stay active.
I am transsexual. How should I workout?
M to F
If you have not yet started hormones and wish to gain a female shape, it's probably a good idea to avoid lifting until you do start the hormones. Cardio is fine, bodyweight stuff like gymnastics, yoga, and pilates are fine. Your dietary needs are unchanged - work with the BMR for a male until you start hormones.
If you have started hormones, you can follow the standard advice in this FAQ. The hormones will keep you from putting on male-pattern muscles.
F to M
If you have not yet started hormones, shape change will likely need to wait until you do.
If you have started hormones, you'll likely find yourself stronger than you used to be. Lift to gain size and male pattern muscles.
How can I clean my shaker bottle?
The exact same way you clean anything else. Soap and water. If it still smells after washing it, then add a little bit of a vinegar and water solution and shake it around.
