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1800 shouldn't be too little. I'd suggest working down to it over a week or two. Cutting can really suck, especially if you're still working out hard. The good thing is that protein and complex carbs will keep you feeling full for longer than simple carbs and fats, and protein/complex carbs are pretty much all you should be eating. Also, don't forget that a small cheat every now and then is perfectly fine, it helps keep your metabolism ticking along at a good pace, and it helps prevent cut-ruining binges. If you want a real answer, I'd talk to a doctor. Barring that, check out Dailyplate, see what it recommends you. In personal news, I'm really cracking down on myself this month. I went on a fasted run (well, jog, still adjusting to altitude) this morning, just ate some oatmeal mixed with greek yogurt, and I'm going to lift in an hour or so. I'm doing this routine as of Friday. I did it last winter, and I had a blast. I've also upped my supplements game. I've been downing a whey shake (sometimes with a carb, usually oats, if I'm focusing on getting bigger) post-workout for years now, and added 5g of creatine a few months back. I take it about 30 minutes before lifting on days I lift, or with breakfast on days I don't. I have added a scoop of Jack3d pre-workout on days I lift in the afternoon. Can't take it at night, it keeps me up. I also take only a gram or 2 of creatine on these days, because Jack3d already has some. Post-workout, I'm taking 7g of BCAAs with the simplest carbs I have on hand immediately afterward. Note to self: I need to get some dextrose powder to use for that. I then wait 30 minutes or so, and take my whey shake then. I space out the BCAA powder and the whey because the whey is a jerk and cuts in line in front of the BCAAs. Taking straight BCAA powders are only worth it if they're getting absorbed ASAP, which is what the dextrose is for. It spikes insulin, which facilitates stuff getting into cells. When you're taking supplements is pretty much the only good time to have an insulin spike, at any other time in the day, pretty much all it does is put more fat in your cells.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 18:28 |
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| # ? May 23, 2013 07:03 |
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I just took a look at myself naked. I am so loving disgusting right now. Today I'm going to shoot for 2000 calories.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 18:33 |
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Insane Totoro posted:I think I can do 210 grams of protein while still being around 2000 calories. That should be enough of a deficit. Go here http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and enter your poo poo and put Desk Job. Those are the maintenance calories you should use for your diet plan. The reason is that you're just starting and your body probably hasn't resigned itself to the fact that life sucks and it's gonna have to eat more to survive yet. Exceeding +/- 10% is the generally accepted redzone for your body doing stupid poo poo. For shits and giggles I did some math and you'd have to eat like 65% protein to get 210g out of an 1800c/d diet which is way too much protein for your body to not start just gobbling it up for energy instead of actually using it.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 18:38 |
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Insane Totoro posted:I am so loving disgusting right now. Self-disgust will get you nowhere. Don't hate your body. Nothing wrong at all with wanting to change and get swole, but don't hate yourself and be disgusted with yourself. That's not healthy 
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 18:45 |
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I dunno, self-disgust can be a decent way to motivate yourself. Just be careful, because there's a fine line between "I am so gross, I will eat better today/workout harder today" and "I am so gross, might as well not bother today." There's also the popular "I am so gross, I'm not going to eat and I'm going to do 100 crunches and 200 bodyweight squats today" but I doubt that's an issue with most of the posters in TFR.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 18:53 |
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No I'm definitely going to eat and not go to extremes or jump off a bridge. I know I have some emotional issues with disconnecting myself from foods that I have "history" with and that I am generally an antisocial mess and would rather sit at home and clean guns and drink beer because I am super stressed out from a generally toxic work environment. I also know that being an ex-super fatty makes me feel extremely self-conscious and insecure about my body so it's not really a demotivational thing. I derive a lot of my pleasure in life from lifting weights so I'm not going to stop doing that or go overboard. I am well aware of the dangers of overtraining and I have had several minor injuries before. I want to look better. I feel pretty strong and can hold my own against just about anyone else in my peer group. I just can't seem to get any muscle definition and it has bugged me forever. In my mind, my self-disgust is sort of necessary because I feel that I can pack on the pounds with very little effort. A month of slipping will basically destroy two years of hard work.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 19:03 |
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On the cottage cheese topic how can I eat it without noticing the gross texture (and probably taste)? Any recipe recommendations for creating a before-bed snack on the cheap?
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 19:45 |
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Totally TWISTED posted:On the cottage cheese topic how can I eat it without noticing the gross texture (and probably taste)? Any recipe recommendations for creating a before-bed snack on the cheap? It depends on your diet. When I wasn't doing slow-carb I used to mix pineapple tidbits or fruit salad in with it. My wife adds sunflower seeds, which really changes the texture, and fits in with the slow-carb. Sometimes I add just a little salt, it makes it taste very different.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 19:49 |
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Totally TWISTED posted:On the cottage cheese topic how can I eat it without noticing the gross texture (and probably taste)? Any recipe recommendations for creating a before-bed snack on the cheap? Protein powder of your flavor of choice and mix it in with the cottage cheese.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 19:51 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Could someone explain cutting to me? Insane Totoro posted:Actual question: I am 5'9", weigh 210-ish pounds and lift heavy three times a week. Otherwise I am pretty lazy and sedentary. Insane Totoro posted:I just took a look at myself naked. PLEASE DO CARDIO. Can I join the fitocracy thing? Same fitocracy username as my forums handle. Then we can all create a google+ hangout and do cardio together.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 20:03 |
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Insane Totoro posted:No I'm definitely going to eat and not go to extremes or jump off a bridge. I know how you feel. You're basically a more extreme version of the position I'm in/was. Just keep working at it. I love lifting, but not so much the sorts of cardio I've tried. This leads to me getting lazy with my cardio, and I'm still unhappy with my body composition. I'm in the mid to upper teens in body fat percentage, and have been for a while now. I used to be bigger (not huge, but bigger than I should have been). It's frustrating, but you just need to keep at it. Insane Totoro posted:Protein powder of your flavor of choice and mix it in with the cottage cheese. I tried this once with chocolate protein powder and it was what nightmares tasted like. I love normal cottage cheese, though. As long as the curds are hard. Soft curds gross me out and I end up chucking the container. http://www.epicureanbb.com/ Here is a great website with lots of healthy recipes. Each recipe even comes with a macro split, so you can decide if it fits in with your diet or whatever. A bunch of them hide cottage cheese extremely well. MrKatharsis posted:PLEASE DO CARDIO. I just followed you. My Fitocracy name is my real name, my profile pic is me doing a duckface/myspace angle shot wearing a chest rig filled with Ice and hot sauce. Follow me back and I can shoot you a group invite. Also, yes, do some light cardio. Even just walking at a decent pace for 20-30 minutes after lifting is a good idea. Always always lift before cardio if you're going to do them both in the same session.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 20:46 |
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I just focus my anger on the weights. I now hate the 65lb dumbbells at least as much as I used to hate the 55's, if not more. Listen to hardcore punk in the gym. Glare at everyone. Serious post: it sounds like you have some good self-motivation, you just gotta be patient buddy. Changing your body comp takes time, is hard, and sucks. Keep lifting, do a variety of cardio (HIIT, endurance swims, gently caress man even walking the/a dog a couple times a week adds up) and always always always take the stairs & walk the long way home. Make sure you get enough quality rest as well. I made the nasty habit of falling asleep with the TV on a couple years ago, and now it's like 50/50; some nights I recognize it is keeping me awake & shut it off, other times I'm legitimately exhausted and pass the fuuuck out. e: Internet Wizard will you shoot me an invite too? My fitocracy name is the same as my forums handle. Most of the lifts I do aren't even options 
denereal visease fucked around with this message at Jul 9, 2012 around 20:55 |
| # ? Jul 9, 2012 20:52 |
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Insane Totoro posted:I know I have some emotional issues with disconnecting myself from foods that I have "history" with Stop. Hammer time. Start training and lift planets- you'll work that poo poo out. I just started with a new guy today and after his first session doing deadlifts (ever, I think) he's all "I'm gonna go running tomorrow and I should not eat this but I should eat that right?" and I'm like 'haha if you can go running tomorrow after today you wouldnt be here now lets go get some chocolate milk.' Chocolate milk rules.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 21:42 |
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Unless you're cutting or maintaining, in which case chocolate milk has hella too many sugars. This link may or may not work for getting into the Fitocracy group. I have no idea. http://ftcy.me/rHeepd
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 21:50 |
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For PWO? Not really. No worse for you than gatorade.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 22:05 |
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Well since gatorade is literally sugar water that doesn't seem to be saying a whole lot
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 22:46 |
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and sugar is the devil garrrrrhrrrhhrh!
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 23:14 |
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Depends on the brand of chocolate milk. The kind I used to get didn't really have that much sugar, and it has a decent amount of protein. The thing it did have was a shitload of sodium. I'm not saying it's a diet food or anything but you could do worse.
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| # ? Jul 9, 2012 23:41 |
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It's actually been used as a PWO supplement going back for several decades and only in the last few years it's been getting a lot of attention after a bunch of studies were commissioned by the Milk Industry. Imagine I said that in an evil voice and thunder sounded in the distance as you read it. As per the norm a grassroots organization of plucky young scientists claiming to be impartial and who were totally NOT after fame and attention took it upon themselves to do their own independent studies. The fruits of the skeptoppotomuses research was that the chocolate milk was definitely very likely better than just water and possibly maybe better than sports drinks but they're not sure yet maybe we dont know. If you want jump on google scholar and read a little. The amount of poo poo written on chocolate goddamn milk will blow your occipital lobe right out from your head. There's a Cambridge study that even deduces milks superiority to sports drink because sports drink makes you piss sooner and thus return to a dehydrated state haha. Or dont. Here's a picture of a gun: 
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 00:18 |
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Welp, tried 2000 calories and ended up with 1860. Still managed to do heavy weights today. 275 on squats, 175 on bench, etc. Kind of feel okay. A little bit hungry. Only had 195-ish grams of protein unfortunately.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 01:02 |
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Eat cottage cheese before bed tonight, win forever. Internet Wizard I think that link is just a general Fitocracy invite fwiw
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 01:11 |
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Ok. denereal, got you followed. cuntrageous you really don't understand what I was saying. Chocolate milk is pretty rad, but for somebody cutting or trying to maintain their weight, it has a lot of sugar in it and probably isn't the best choice. Also you keep comparing it to sports drinks, which are pretty useless to like 95% of people. If you're not doing some serious activity for more than 2-3 hours in a go, drinking literal sugar water is a pretty bad idea no matter how you slice it. The M&P Shield might be a lot better than a keltec, but it still makes a crappy USPSA gun.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 03:14 |
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And vice versa. I clicked the JOIN button for the TFR group, so now I wait for an admin approval I guess. And now to eStalk all y'all.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 14:37 |
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Followed all you new goons on Fitocracy. I have no idea what you guys are talking about with the chocolate milk. Just mix some flavored protein powder and milk?
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 15:06 |
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I just want to point out that cottage cheese is the best thing. I usually eat it with meat.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 15:15 |
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I'm eating cottage cheese right now. I find I like black coffee to wash it down.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 15:46 |
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Whatever you do, don't get Fat Free Cottage Cheese. You will rue the day. cottage cheese & peanut butter = bed time meal of champions; I seriously eat cottage cheese in thirds of the container portions
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 15:58 |
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Went for a short, mostly uphill, bike ride. It's not much, but it's a start. Might go back out in a bit and ride some more if it doesn't rain.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 17:02 |
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MrKatharsis posted:PLEASE DO CARDIO. I took my own advice and started again on Couch to 5k. I completed it a year and a half ago but now I'm back on week 4. Pathetic. Once I finish, my reward will be a bacon swiss chicken finger sammich from Hardee's.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 18:55 |
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I'm in the same boat when it comes to having to motivate myself to do cardio. One thing that works pretty well for me is a fitness-oriented boxing routine. While bikes and cross trainers can get boring quickly, punching the crap out of a bag until you're winded never gets old. If you can get access to a heavy bag, there are lots of drills you can do that will give you a fun cardio workout, and they're great for your back and core as well. Also, invest in some wrist wraps in addition to quality heavy bag gloves - it took me a few weeks of wrist pain to learn that lesson.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 20:40 |
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I hate cardio with a passion. I did Couch to 5k twice and it sucked the entire time. I did a 5k for charity once and the entire thing sucked. I even bought nice shoes, did all the stretches, and all I had show for them were terrible shinsplints and side stickers. Thanks for nothing, $100 Brooks Addictions.
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| # ? Jul 10, 2012 22:07 |
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Side stickers sounds like you didn't stretch enough you crazy Totoro. You just have to find cardio that you can bear because it definitely wont always be fun. I dislike running save for if I'm doing it with someone so generally I like to ride my bike or practice kendo or fencing for cardio. When school is in session, I swim. Sometimes, I like to HIIT up the hills in my neighborhood's park. Point is to just stick with it! poo poo is unbearable at points and that's why the diversity helps but bearing with it is rewarding beyond measure.
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| # ? Jul 11, 2012 03:19 |
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Insane Totoro posted:I hate cardio with a passion. I did Couch to 5k twice and it sucked the entire time. I did a 5k for charity once and the entire thing sucked. I even bought nice shoes, did all the stretches, and all I had show for them were terrible shinsplints and side stickers. I don't quite get it that bad, but to me an elliptical machine is "easy" cardio. Easier than a bike. When I'm actually running, it just sucks. It takes like ten minutes of running for my breathing to fall into anything like a reasonable rhythm, and even if I'm conditioned to the point where I'm not sucking wind, my legs are just tired and they ache the whole time. I've bought new shoes, which helped my feet and ankles. But my legs always resist. Those drat legs. I've got to think something's wrong with my stride. Even after doing the Couch to 5k program, I did the 1.5-mile run for work and was barely under 15 minutes. I would have thought it'd be a breeze, running on a nice, comfy running track as opposed to uneven paved streets. But it wrecked me.
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| # ? Jul 11, 2012 21:56 |
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I discovered this weekend I have no idea how you're supposed to use an eliptical. Do you sort of keep your torso in the same spot and pump your legs under you? Or is it more of a running motion?  Also, does anybody have any jump rope recommendations, or is it the sort of thing where pretty much anything will do? I'm looking for a speed rope, rather than a heavy rope, if that matters any.
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| # ? Jul 17, 2012 22:02 |
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infrared35 posted:I don't quite get it that bad, but to me an elliptical machine is "easy" cardio. Easier than a bike. The 1.5 mile run is more of a sprint than a run long distance running can help but you're going to want to do speed exercises. Fartleks can help a lot, as can biking on hills. My buddy Chris was able to run 9:00 flat from 11:00 after biking 50 miles a week through the hills of Palos Verdes. Which part of your leg hurts?
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 00:51 |
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Mishra posted:The 1.5 mile run is more of a sprint than a run long distance running can help but you're going to want to do speed exercises. Fartleks can help a lot, as can biking on hills. My buddy Chris was able to run 9:00 flat from 11:00 after biking 50 miles a week through the hills of Palos Verdes. Which part of your leg hurts? It's my calves that bother me. And the muscles on the front of my legs - tibialis anterior, apparently. Actually I think it's more of the front muscles than the calves. My record best run time on the 1.5-miler was 13:32, and that was after half a year of slowly building up to it by running on an inclined treadmill.
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 01:45 |
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infrared35 posted:It's my calves that bother me. And the muscles on the front of my legs - tibialis anterior, apparently. Actually I think it's more of the front muscles than the calves. If it's chronic and been happening for years you might want to talk to a doctor, it could be compartment syndrome, which happens when the muscles aren't able to expand and the capillary blood flow gets cut off. Physical therapy or fairly invasive surgery would be the fix. That's worst case but if training isn't helping and stretching doesn't help it's worth talking to a Doctor.
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 02:16 |
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Mishra posted:[quote="infrared35" post="405697859"] I'm hoping it's just because I have never been good about sticking with anything resembling a routine, but I'll add it to the list of things to check out.
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 02:17 |
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Internet Wizard posted:I discovered this weekend I have no idea how you're supposed to use an eliptical. Do you sort of keep your torso in the same spot and pump your legs under you? Or is it more of a running motion? I can never get the hang of the elliptical either. They always leave my legs feeling like dead wood.
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 02:26 |
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| # ? May 23, 2013 07:03 |
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Inspector_71 posted:I can never get the hang of the elliptical either. They always leave my legs feeling like dead wood. Now see? I love it. I would literally do nothing else all day if I could get away with it. I would put it on random workout programs and ellipticalize for hours.
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| # ? Jul 18, 2012 02:33 |
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