In Moderation
Providing health, nutrition and fitness advice in moderate amounts to help you live your best life.
Rob: Co-host of the podcast "In Moderation" and fitness enthusiast. Rob has a background in exercise science and is passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the show, providing valuable insights on topics such as calories, metabolism, and weight loss.
Liam: Co-host of the podcast "In Moderation" and new father. Liam has a background in nutrition and is dedicated to promoting a balanced and sustainable approach to health and wellness. With his witty and sarcastic style, Liam adds a unique flavor to the show, making it both informative and entertaining.
In Moderation
Protein Cost, Macros and Taste with Former Fat Guy Fitness
🔍 What are your thoughts on calorie deficits for weight loss? Have a favorite protein snack you swear by? Jump into the discussion and share your insights below! Stay tuned for more enlightening conversations, fitness tips, and balanced perspectives on 'In Moderation' - your trusted podcast for moderate musings on health and fitness!
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Okay, okay, here's the first one. I'll go for A Liam. What's the best protein bar, you know, like that was my original wheelhouse, on TikTok.
Speaker 2:What's the best protein bar is how we're starting off today on In Moderation. Welcome to episode 69.
Speaker 1:Again.
Speaker 3:That has to be an episode forever.
Speaker 2:We have former Fat Guy Fitness on the channel. Is podcast a channel?
Speaker 3:Is it on the podcast? I call it a channel. They're all channels. Everything's a channel, if you want it to be.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3:Anyway, former Fat Guy Fitness. It's a YouTube channel. I guess that works.
Speaker 2:Besides, curious about protein bars and what your favorite and my favorite is oh, you know how you doing, how you doing I'm doing good. My favorite is oh, you know, how are you doing.
Speaker 1:How are you doing? I'm doing good, much like you. I run a pretty busy, busy schedule. It keeps me out of trouble, it keeps me moving forward in life, so that's what I try to do.
Speaker 2:I know I probably drive my girlfriend nuts with that, with how much I'm working and how much I try to, you know, be busy, but you know it's good for you, yeah, so I mean, tell us about yourself though, like what do you do on the channels?
Speaker 1:On the channels. I do pretty much anything food and weight loss related. I lost 120 pounds and I hopped on social media just kind of wanting to help people and try to turn social media into a career, and I kind of got the original kickoff by having reviews become really, really popular by making a lot of stupid dirty jokes yeah, definitely see a lot of those Jumped into recipes.
Speaker 1:people really enjoy the recipes, did you know? Just kind of general q and a's and just kind of. I try to stick in the food nutrition world even though honestly, I have the education of a gnat when it comes to that kind of a thing. I just share my own personal experience with it and people find it to be a relatable and helpful.
Speaker 2:So people love it. I'd be lucky, lucky to do it, and the people they do love that. And also, you don't need much. I mean, a Nats education is really all you need to do. Food reviews I know that because I do them.
Speaker 1:I mean as long as you can say that's yummy or that's yucky. You know, you're doing pretty good, you're doing pretty good, I mean that's.
Speaker 2:But to be honest, like people like you know, you see all these like you know people like you know they're often like selling these things like it tastes amazing and they're always you know, you always get that I don't know about this. So to have somebody else be like actually it kind of tastes like wet sandpaper I actually I had that today.
Speaker 1:I, literally I put out a video today of the new alpha prime bites uh banana nut and uh I people keep asking me to review those.
Speaker 2:what up with the Alpha Prime? What's up with the brownie bite things? Whatever Is it? Alpha Prime, alpha Prime.
Speaker 1:And those of you that don't know, like my thing is cost macros taste. Let's do this thing.
Speaker 2:no-transcript don't believe you, it's wait.
Speaker 1:Hold on, hold on, hold on so 40 bucks for a 12 pack 40 um 40 freedom units for 12 individual.
Speaker 2:like Is this company?
Speaker 1:run by Bobby. You know I bet you money. He probably has a stake in it.
Speaker 2:You know I would think so, and with how much I lift him up today, you would expect that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're probably run by Bobby.
Speaker 2:They probably have super low, so there's no way he could put his name on it. Oh God, that's Okay sorry. That's going to be tough for me to get past for the rest of this for the rest of this podcast for a protein bar.
Speaker 1:You want it to be extremely dense in protein, like you. You want it to, you know, not hit you too heavily on the calories. You want to get your protein while you're on the go or when you're busy or if you want that sweet treat. So it's, it's okay on the macro sense, but then you get to the taste and it tastes like you're biting into the Springfield chemical plant that Homer worked at.
Speaker 3:Like it is a straight bite of chemicals.
Speaker 1:Dude, and don't get me wrong, I'm not against the artificial sweeteners.
Speaker 2:Like people say chemicals, but like we're just saying like it has that taste.
Speaker 1:It has that taste. I'm not even against that taste. I'm drinking a diet Coke. I drink artificial sweeteners on a regular basis, but it is so excessively chemical raising I I can't get behind it too much of anything is a problem, and too many chemicals that's the problem. Everything in moderation. Shameless plug for the podcast, but yeah, everything plug the podcast.
Speaker 2:On the podcast of course, if you've never heard of us before, that's weird um so but I would like, so I want to do like a quick thing through because the cost macros takes okay so like we'll get back to this, but but okay, so the the cost, how much do you think is like reasonable for, like, let's say, protein snack? Not even a bar could be, you know whatever I would say so.
Speaker 1:I mean like, like, my 10 score is a dollar or under for a protein snack tens are probably achievable like that's a kirkland protein bar.
Speaker 2:I was just going to say I, that's I like those If you you know a Costco. If you don't know what Kirkland is Costco, kirkland is Costco, costco is Kirkland.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Costco, Kirkland, Kirkland, Costco. You know they go hand in hand, but that's extremely rare to expect that on everything You're not going to do that I would say $2 a bar is like that's my average price, Like that's about what you're looking at. Once you get above that $2 a bar, then you're looking at like, okay, you really better be worth it. And then you know if you get into that $3 or higher range. That's like a three, a two, a one out of 10. It's just, it's not worth it.
Speaker 2:I can't, yeah, I couldn't see myself doing that Canadians over here bars exist under five dollars. I'm so sorry, rob, but that's a monopoly money, so that's a little different pretty much okay, so we look for generally one to two dollars.
Speaker 2:I think that's fair. Like you know, you're um, what's it? You're rob robert irving. I always say irving and people get so mad at me. Uh, irvin or whatever, whatever his name, the fit crunch, the fit crunch, those are like a dollar fifty. I typically around there, at least where we are, and that's reasonable. And the Kirkland bars and then the Pure Protein. I feel like if you go to Walmart you can get Pure Protein for around $1 a bar. It's usually a little bit more.
Speaker 1:That's pretty good, yeah, I would say. When it comes to cost, top three brands are kirkland, pure protein and fit crunch. Cost effective, good taste, good macros like fit crunch isn't the best macros, but if you're if you're really dying for that, go to pure protein, it's that. That's why I look at those three factors, because you're never going to get a perfect score on all three of them.
Speaker 3:Like you know, right.
Speaker 2:Do you want a?
Speaker 1:cheap bar that has really good macros, then go to pure protein. Do you want a cheap bar that tastes really good but doesn't have the best macros? Then fit crunch is your guy you know right definitely.
Speaker 3:No one makes me sad picking up your protein you know, you know I sent the, I sent liam uh um maple oh yeah, you did I did yeah did you actually try?
Speaker 2:those I have them in my drawer right next to me. I could do a live review.
Speaker 3:You keep talking, you. You may have gotten one of the last boxes of those. They seem to have discontinued them the maple's done.
Speaker 2:Oh, here they are, look at that.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 3:Okay so review this for me Live cost macros taste, form of effect.
Speaker 2:I finished is 190 calories and 19 grams of protein.
Speaker 1:That's a 10 on the CTP. What's the fiber and sugar content?
Speaker 2:So then, the fiber pure protein is not known for their fiber.
Speaker 1:Boy sorry it's also in French here, so then the fiber, so pure protein is not known for their fiber. Sorry, it's also in French here, so I'm a little confused, it probably?
Speaker 2:says what fibres, or something like that. They spell it fibres or fibres, fibres or fibres which is zero grams, zero grams of fiber, yeah, and then three grams of sugar and nine grams of sugar alcohols, which some people sugar alcohols that can kind of mess with their digestion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to screw with your gut a little bit, I think. Thank the Lord, I'm not one of those people.
Speaker 2:Oh God, that would be terrible.
Speaker 1:I would probably give that a seven on macros.
Speaker 2:It like melted. It definitely melted on its way, but you know what?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean it's used to being in Canada. When it got across the border it was like, oh God, it's hot. How is it?
Speaker 2:That is chewy.
Speaker 1:That is so.
Speaker 2:Wow, that is even chewier than I'm used to Do. You guys talk for like 10 minutes so I can finish this bite, if that's cool, yeah, that might be what it takes on that one honestly.
Speaker 1:Oh actually, did you ever try the Snickers high-protein bar? I've never, I have yeah it is the chewiest damn bar I have ever chewed in my life uh it does kind of taste like these ones, yeah these are 10 out of 10. On the chew yeah, I mean. I gotta ask, though, does it taste good? Like the chew usually doesn't prevent the taste being good, definitely, chemically definitely artificially, yeah, like the flavor is like a five out of ten.
Speaker 2:It's like mid, for even for a protein bar like it's like. You know, if you're compared to like a candy bar it's like a one, but on like the protein bar scale it's like okay, I'm not. Yeah, those are not my favorite.
Speaker 1:Yeah I can believe that people yeah, you got to look at it, two different levels like you can never compare a protein bar to a candy bar like that's. That's, you're setting yourself up for heartbreak when you do that, right exactly Different scale.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, so we've got that. What about the macros, though? So yeah, we generally want like one gram per like 10 calories, right? So if it's 200 calories, like 20, like dock it a little bit and like the added sugars.
Speaker 1:I usually don't worry too much about that, unless it's like a MedRx bar where there's like 20 grams of added sugar. Yeah, that would really ding it down, but no that, I would give it like a 7 or 7.5. Good source of protein. Wish it had some more fiber, but it's respectable.
Speaker 2:Got it Okay. So like the Fit Crunch is like like 200 or 190 calories and, I think, 16 grams of protein. So it's like not quite there, but still not terrible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that would probably get like a six, five or so. I mean, you know it's not amazing but it doesn't fail. Like I look at things that, like I like on a school grade, sense like if it gets a six, you know, these get degrees- I like that.
Speaker 2:We are fans of that here in moderation.
Speaker 1:We set the bar low.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here at in moderation, we set the bar low. Yeah, I like it, man, I like it okay, and then so, and then obviously okay. So what are the bet? I guess I, you know, we can say, like what are the best? Like macro ones. So yeah, like pure protein, kirkland is still like really good to like you know, 20 grams, 21 grams protein per 200 calories ish and grams of fiber too man and 10.
Speaker 2:Right, some of the bars like okay, I will tell you, listen, listen, we have to discuss this. This is something this must need, this must need, this must need disgust disgust or disgust, it's both.
Speaker 3:Actually, now that I'm, about to say.
Speaker 2:What I'm going to say is the no-cow bars now here's the thing with no-cow bars they taste terrible.
Speaker 2:They're awful tasting, yet for some reason there's a thing with no-cal bars they taste terrible. They're awful tasting, yet for some reason there's a flavor behind it that is oddly addicting to me that I just kind of keep going back. Now the texture is awful. It tastes like wet sandpaper. I don't recommend anyone buy really anyone buy them, unless you're vegan and you're really looking for something. You need a vegan bar, but for some reason I the the code. They have a chocolate coated one which is like a better, still not good. Yeah, that less bad. All right, it's less bad let me put it.
Speaker 2:That's the way to put it it's less bad and I like it because it's got 16 grams of fiber in it, which is like insane. It's almost got one gram per like. That's that's like protein.
Speaker 1:on the macro score, that is, I think, one of the only bars. I think I gave it 10 out of 10 because it had so much fiber in its protein, so much protein, and it's got great protein, exactly.
Speaker 2:So like I add that to my rating, where I'm like this still doesn't taste great, but I love the macros. The flavor is strangely addicting and it's not super expensive. It's not great either. It's kind of mid for price. So, yeah, I like the chocolate-covered peanut. They have a peanut butter chocolate-covered one. So yeah, I don't recommend it unless you're vegan. If you are vegan, I will say though what is there's like Nugo, nugo.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, Nugo's good, nugo's good. I've tried that before the protein isn't the best in the world. But it's a good balance. It has an effect on people being vegan.
Speaker 2:The standard only has 12 grams of protein, but the Nugo Slims have 16 or 17,. So it's just like a fit crunch and those ones I like. I would say, if you're looking for a vegan bar, that's probably your best bet, yeah, but anyway. So yeah, that's just. I had to throw that out there.
Speaker 1:You just had to get that out there, because I made a video with Bella one time. We had to question Liam's taste buds a little bit.
Speaker 2:Listen, it's one of those things we all have, those things we know that are like. I also like licorice. I don't think it's. I don't think I don't recommend people try licorice, but for some reason I find the flavor addicting. I keep going back to licorice I'm with you.
Speaker 1:I like licorice. I can respect that one but right you, you understand why other people don't like it though right, you love it or you hate it, or you like black licorice, enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Exactly, people hate black licorice and I get it, but I still like it. We're getting off the top of the protein.
Speaker 3:So then and then the final category is taste.
Speaker 2:So like what are your best? This is the most important right taste. Well, I guess cost is more important After that. What's you know After that? What are the best tasting bars in your opinion?
Speaker 1:The best tasting bars. Okay, so I would have to go see. Originally it was Bearbell's, but actually my love for Bearbell's has waned for a couple reasons. Like I'm dead convinced, you could blindfold me and put all their flavors in front of me and I won't be able to tell the difference.
Speaker 2:They all taste the same to me. They do taste similar.
Speaker 1:the difference they all taste the same to me that they all have that malachal sweetness, that that overpowers everything, and then the flavor that goes alongside of it is so minimal that you can hardly tell the difference. It doesn't mean it's a bad bar, but the brand is boring. That's that's. That's me being a picky little whiny boy about it.
Speaker 2:It's just boring well, I mean, when you buy different flavors, you want different flavors I mean, if your job is to review things, you kind of have to to be picky. That's like sort of the gig.
Speaker 1:That's kind of the job it really is. If I had to pick one bar, though, that I've enjoyed the variations on it and it tastes so good, it's, unfortunately, one we don't have in the States. It's Grenade Bar Grenade.
Speaker 3:Bar. You don't have that in the States.
Speaker 2:No, I have it. Here in Columbus they sell it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the only time I've ever gotten it is I ordered it off Amazon for an ungodly price of like four bucks a bar because it was overseas shipping, and then I got it from a company called Flake Marketplace. They sent me a care package, but I look everywhere I go, like the salted caramel, the fudged up, like all their flavors are so unique Grenade bars are really good.
Speaker 3:That's funny because that's one of the bars I can literally actually just go down the street and get.
Speaker 1:A lot of us will have to send you some. You can't get stuff up in Canada. You have a one-up on us finally.
Speaker 2:Finally, yeah, I guess it just depends on where you live in the States too. I don't know. That's interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I would say that I grenade. They don't have much fiber, right like. That's like a lower fiber one. Yeah, yeah, the macros on it. You're basically just getting protein. It would probably have the same issue that I would have with barebells, like barebell bars lead me to binge. That's why I look for fiber in my bars, because they slow me down from binging food.
Speaker 1:That was always my biggest, that's fair, that's fair barebell sent me a care package of the their hazel nut nougat, and that box did not, uh, make it past full hour.
Speaker 2:They're still my favorite bar, like I like grenade a lot, but the creamy crisp by bear bell is the only, that is the only bar I would say I've ever had. That I'm like this. You could trick me into thinking this is a candy bar. If you, if there was no packaging and you just gave it to me, I would say, oh okay, that's a candy bar, not an amazing candy bar, but like a good, solid candy bar that's the only one I've ever had You're making me wonder if Bear Bells actually ships to Canada, probably not Just like most things.
Speaker 1:We have the same issue in Echo Vision. Everybody asks hey, do you ship over to Canada? The other thing I was like sorry, we just don't right now. We hate you guys.
Speaker 3:You gotta get the special fancy licensed shipping so that it's actually cost effective. Yeah, because otherwise you're paying 20, 30 bucks to ship. Just a little thing.
Speaker 1:It's not worth it, it's like. It's like you just said go down the street, get yourself a grenade bar. You know you're still getting something good at a way better cost.
Speaker 2:Yeah okay, okay. So I think that kind of wraps up protein bars pretty good. So we got, you know, kirkland brand. If't great, but you know, if you're looking for something more affordable and good macros, fit Crunch tastes better. Less great macros, still pretty good, more candy bar-esque and then like pure protein is just kind of your solid like, yeah, cheaper. You know, these pretty good macros taste OK. I will say the thin they have like a Girl Scout cookie, one that suffered a fine, but I like that one a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, If I had to pick two bars to say that are my undisputed kings of all-around cost macros and taste the Quest Heroes Cookies and Cream Balls.
Speaker 2:Holy shit, I totally forgot about Quest Hero.
Speaker 1:That's so good 150 cals, 18 grams of protein, tons of fiber. Relatively cost-effective you can find them almost anywhere and the taste is bomb.
Speaker 2:That is my number one Almost anywhere but Canada. I like the blueberry cobbler more. Even they have cookies and cream and blueberry cobbler. Blueberry cobbler is so good.
Speaker 1:That's right there. That is probably my undisputed king protein bar. But if you like it, pure protein, the chocolate, what is it? The chocolate, peanut caramel? That is probably my favorite pure protein bar.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I've seen. I've seen chocolate, peanut butter, but I don't know if I've seen chocolate peanut caramel.
Speaker 1:It actually has this nice soft caramel layer on top that actually makes it your protein.
Speaker 2:That's a good one.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Those are my top two.
Speaker 2:Okay, so yeah, good, always good to have that All right. So yeah, we got options for bars, what, what else. Uh, I guess we go like drinks, like protein, like shakes like what do we, what do we go? To. What do you feel like? What do you feel like?
Speaker 1:so I don't okay. So I'm kind of the weird guy I don't like through my weight loss and everything that I did. I never did protein shakes ever, because like I was.
Speaker 1:I was the guy that made protein desserts and protein recipes, like with protein powders. But I did review a bunch of protein shakes and there's only one that that it's worth it to me and it's hard to find. It's the fair life nutrition plan. Um, I go to the costco business center and I will buy those out, by the case, and I'll stockpile them for like three months and just fair life nutrition.
Speaker 2:Wait, just like regular fit, like the little, the little ones with the chocolate or vanilla or whatever the little white ones that are 150, 30 grams of protein.
Speaker 1:Yes, um the fair life nutrition. They're a 10 out of 10. They taste like straight chocolate milk they just taste like chocolate milk they do that by far the best.
Speaker 2:Like premier protein. All the other stuff kind of has that artificial chemically taste that's just like even the power has that issue like it's good but it's not great.
Speaker 1:So the only protein yeah I is oh okay, wait. No, I have one alternative. The premier protein chocolate, peanut butter. That one is fantastic. If you haven't, that's what I.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I have. They sent me premier protein, sent me that, and it was like it's okay, but it's still got that like artificially taste. That just kind of throws me off absolutely and unfortunately, like.
Speaker 1:That's the thing, like I tell, I tell people is, when you're going for protein shakes and protein powders, it is so dense on the protein level you're never going to escape the protein taste. You're going for protein shakes and protein powders it is so dense on the protein level you're never going to escape the protein taste.
Speaker 2:You're not, yeah, like, except for fair life, which uses ultra filtered milk, which is where they separate out basically the parts like lactose, everything and then recombine or reconstitute it in the right ratios, and that's why it doesn't taste like protein powder, because there is no protein, it's just milk.
Speaker 1:You better look out for the microplastics that are in those things.
Speaker 2:I saw yeah, I saw them talking about that but like, what was interesting is like they because that was by consumer reports and consumer reports like they, they never really give the levels or it's just like more or less. Yeah, you know. And and if you look at a lot of other things that you're eating, like it's not even like you have like a, a burger from like a fast food place. It's still like four or five times what you'd get.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely the study that's being referenced in my comment sections lately. I mean, if you actually go look at the study, there are so many other more commonly eaten foods that have like three, four times like peaches like just had four times. Yeah, I would say well don't ever eat peaches, you know, don't ever eat these other things. But it's fair. Life is the problem. It's awesome. Gotta love it.
Speaker 2:And it's all about balance. Like I'm not, are you drinking like dozens of them a day? Like come on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, no, yeah, it's once again. Let's plug the podcast. Moderation, people, moderation.
Speaker 2:Moderation. What you should not have in moderation is what I just tried for a video right before this. Owen is a vegan protein shake. That's bad, as I think it is and it is is. It's worse actually than you think it is. Um, really, yeah, I got the no nut butter cup, which is a name that they decided to call it. Yes, no nut, no nut, no nut. Um, because it's top eight allergen friendly, which, if so, I guess, if you're allergic to like everything, then this is your only option. Then you know, sure, it's a it's, it's an option. It's got 32 grams of protein. That's, that's great, um, and it's even got six grams of fiber. Love that. Love everything except the taste, oh, and the price is also expensive.
Speaker 1:So, oh yeah, that's on those. They're pretty unreal. I mean it's.
Speaker 2:I don't care how good the macros are or even the cost, if you can't stomach it no, it's, it's, it's it's rough, it's, it's it's I'm I'm probably gonna drink them because I paid so much for them, but uh, yeah, that's, that's gonna probably do it they're gonna go down about, as well as your uh gut shots oh, the immunity shots yeah I tried those recently for a video. Yeah, those are homemade gut shots.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you make them out of like a ton of ginger lemon and like an orange and like turmeric. That does not sound good, it's not like I don't think it's made to taste good it's made to, I don't know.
Speaker 3:That's kind of why it's a shot You're supposed to just down it. That's kind of why it's a shot You're supposed to just down it.
Speaker 1:It's like the healthy version of a whiskey. Basically, down it, hold your nose and get it over with.
Speaker 2:That's how I feel like apple cider vinegar. It's like you know that'll help you lose weight, because you feel like shit. It makes your stomach so upset you just don't eat any food.
Speaker 1:That's a good question I would have because I'm a nutritional idiot honestly like is apple cider vinegar even remotely healthy or like beneficial outside of like the myths there have been?
Speaker 2:some studies showing with people with diabetes it can possibly improve blood sugars um but like that's only like gastric emptying, yeah, yeah and that's like a couple studies, but, like for weight loss, it just makes your stomach upset so you don't want to eat anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:That's pretty much it, at least from what I've seen.
Speaker 3:There's. If you have any vinegar that has the mother in it, it is going to contain probiotics, but to a small degree.
Speaker 2:You've got such a small amount, like I've got some kimchi in the fridge, I'd rather just fucking a little bit of that on a plate.
Speaker 1:Damn. I can feel that.
Speaker 2:Anyway, any other ones that you review, a lot of that you want to talk about. I'm just leaving it up to you.
Speaker 1:As far as reviews go, I would say the Undisputed King for all-time protein snack on the market is the Quest Chip.
Speaker 2:It's the most expensive one that I, regrettably, am willing to pay for yeah, questions unloaded, taco literally just ate my podcast loaded talk, I'm telling you, and what's nice is like I'm sure you've done it before like you make a you know some kind of like meal with, like you know, ground beef or whatever, tomatoes, all that stuff, and then you use this as like you're kind of you're you chipped up for more like seriously.
Speaker 1:Take that. Take 96 lean ground beef, some greek yogurt, some chalula, some pico, some lettuce, uh, some fat-free cheese. Yes, I said fat free cheese because I am on 1700 calorie cut right now oh, I'd rather just not have the cheese, just do x, x, nay, the cheese yeah, I've, actually I've learned to love the cheese because, like I, I people always told me before like, rinse the cheese, rinse the cheese, it helps it melt. But are we really getting?
Speaker 2:to the point where we're washing our cheese. I'm concerned.
Speaker 1:It's crazy because it gets all that starch off so it doesn't clump up and it melts so much easier and it at least breaks my brain into thinking that I'm eating cheese and it makes the fat boy and me very happy.
Speaker 2:I guess I've never gone. I mean, I've always been a skinny fuck, so like it doesn't really matter, I guess.
Speaker 1:but yeah, the challenge for me is I was always a big boy and, if I can, I've learned like, whether it's my protein chocolate cakes that I make, or my protein desserts that I make, or just whatever little trick I can find to trick my brain into thinking you're getting what you want and it's it's fitting into your diet right, right, makes sense, makes sense, uh, but okay.
Speaker 2:So yeah, the quest chips expensive. Uh, I will say like target has the best selection of them that I've seen. So, like a bunch of different flavors, kroger, I think it's a little like cheaper, at least you know we have kroger's are a little bit cheaper. And then gnc has the individual packages, which is really nice if you're like I want to try this one, see if I like it. But they're like three, four bucks per bag, which is just crazy.
Speaker 1:What I do is I keep an eye out for two things Vitamin Shop they have deals. You can get 50% discounts. I'll stock up when I see that, or I'll go on Amazon and you can get big bulk purchases of it for, I would say, like one, 80 to two bucks a bag, which makes it pretty good for those Like I just ordered a 12 pack of the sour cream and onion ones, which are fantastic, for I think, um, I think it was like 22 bucks or something like that, that's.
Speaker 1:that's pretty good. You find the deals and stock up when you can.
Speaker 2:That's how I've always done it Right. And yeah, that's the nice thing is they last, for you know, months and months, okay, okay. So, yeah, quest chips. I mean, what's your take? What's your take on these? Oh, the reason I have these is because I was just doing a video before this on some of these things the legendary pastries.
Speaker 1:It's twofold, okay. So if you have them just like plain, like right out the bag, you know your raw dog. Yeah, it's pretty mid, it's like a 6.5 to a 7.5 out of 10. I will give them the break, though, because they say on the package you need to microwave them.
Speaker 2:Yes, 10 seconds in the microwave.
Speaker 1:Then it takes it to an 8 or a 9. But my beef with that has always been a protein snack, is something like I get at the gas station or when I'm on the road or when I'm moving or I'm busy and I don't have a microwave.
Speaker 1:So Legendary is the only company I've ever given the pass on that. But if a snack is required to be microwaved it is like disqualified in my head. Because I love it. I go to the gas station when I'm busy and I get a quick snack, that kind of thing, If you have to prepare it.
Speaker 3:it's no longer a snack, it's a meal.
Speaker 2:Right, that's exactly.
Speaker 1:I'm a meal prep at that point.
Speaker 2:I mean, I love because, like I love that it has also nine grams of fiber, which is great, and, you know, 20 grams of protein for 180 calories. What I heard now I don't know if this is true, I don't know if you know I heard Listen this is I'm not sure, but that the people that used to own Quest got bought out and they started making legendary foods. They, they started legendary foods and they Quest.
Speaker 2:I heard one out foods they. They started legendary foods um and they quest. I heard a lot out the people who originally owned quest, who started quest got bought by a bigger company.
Speaker 1:I could see that because quest I mean the products quest makes. Honestly, quest is probably the top king when it comes right, and so they got bit by the bought by a bigger company so they could get it out there, you know.
Speaker 2:but the people who used to own quest started legendary pastries and they had a deal that they couldn't make protein bars. That was part of their deal. You can't compete with us for a certain number of years. So then they went and made pastries and they made the little rolls and stuff, because it's technically not bars.
Speaker 1:Oh, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Apparently, the deal's going to stop at some point and Legendary's going to be able to make protein bars. So that's what I heard. I don going to be able to. Legendary is going to be able to make protein bars, so, like that's what I heard, I don't know if that's 100 true.
Speaker 1:I heard it from a different creator. I was like that makes sense. I could believe, like I wouldn't that's a story I could believe in this world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, I tried to looking it up. I couldn't find anything on it, so I was like I don't know if that's true, but anyway, yeah, legendary. Like they make the little rolls, like the cinnamon rolls and stuff too. Like it's you know, you microwave it. It's you know, you microwave it, it's still.
Speaker 1:it's not bad. Yeah, some are good, some are pretty missed. I mean, it's kind of like half the point of my reviews is like, you know, some flavors are good. Some flavors just aren't that good, but like the strawberry, the cinnamon roll, the chocolate roll, they're pretty damn good.
Speaker 2:Right, OK, OK. So then rolls and chips, anything. I mean I know you do a lot of energy drinks and stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, I mean, right now I'm clearly and obviously biased. I'm with Echo Vision. We just released our own Echo Vision energy drinks. I have my own signature Fruit Punch flavor coming out. I think in about a month or so, oh nice.
Speaker 1:So that'll be pretty cool. We put a lot of effort into those drinks. So for me to say, oh yeah, top Dog energy drink is my company echo vision. Right, that's pretty biased, but I would probably say, like ghost, the orange cream was a top tier one for me. Uh, the white monster is always going to be a top white monster is classic.
Speaker 2:That's why a lot of people it's.
Speaker 1:I call it the johnny sins for an obvious reason, because it's the white monster. But um no, I would probably say white monster was my top king and the orange cream ghost was my my number two. Uh, but now, just like I said, I'm biased and I'll personally always put echo vision on top.
Speaker 2:Now I don't think I've tried the orange cream. I've tried a few of them a couple of other flavors it's good, it's really good I like cream so I like, like you know, like your cream, sodas and stuff. Yeah, it's good, like a and w has like a diet cream soda that you like that I do like the cream. So like well, like diet cream soda or like a and w the a and w diet cream soda I do like that.
Speaker 1:I like the both of their root beer and their cream soda their root beer is a top three diet soda for me, their cream soda it's. It's just got this weird aftertaste to me that I just can't get down with here's one for you. Here's one top three sodas top three diet sodas.
Speaker 2:I've gone. This has been. I mean it's cycling in and out like uh, you know, really just kind of up in the air, because I keep finding ones. I'm like, oh, that's really good, um, but as of right meow, I would say I still I keep going back to the dr pepper cream soda, zero cream soda because I like, uh, I really like cream sodas, and dr pepper I think is better than the a and w, even though I still like the a and w cream soda, yeah, um. And then I know mountain dew code red zero is up there and people hate that because it's only available in like three places in the whole country.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's a top three drink.
Speaker 2:It needs to be put everywhere it's so good like I just, and it gets my daily max of red 40. I just love everything about it. Yeah, so, um. And then the number three is like I don't know I might put, like I recently tried barks zero sugar root beer and that's really good I finally yeah, I finally think my stores around me started selling.
Speaker 1:I look at every, every store I go to, I look for that damn soda.
Speaker 2:I cannot send you just one, you send me one, I will make a video that day Be like yes, give me a gift, I will send you one, single. You send me your address, I will send you one, you'll have it in the DMs right after the podcast.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, I want that drink so bad because I've heard everybody says that's like a top one says that's like a top one, that's like number one. It's got such a strong. Like you know, root beer has like a root flavor. Yeah, like it's got that strong and I love that. Like I tried mug uh or mug zero which is root beer very good. I like it a lot, but I I think I I like barks.
Speaker 1:I like barks more so I guess those are maybe one too. I'm still looking for that mug. I mean, that's still my back was that was the last one we ever did.
Speaker 3:I mean, I've been looking for that mug.
Speaker 2:I mean that's. That was the last thing we ever did I mean?
Speaker 1:I've been looking for that for ever since.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, baxter, yeah, I was, I tried that after, I remember. Yeah, like after he passed away, I saw that was his last video and I was like, oh, I gotta you know say recipes.
Speaker 2:I've been looking ever since, I just have not been the lucky one to find it yet I, I live in columbus, ohio, and like we're like a testing ground for shit or something, because there's always like new stuff like that and I'm like hell yeah, let's go you know you would think they would have that down here in houston with.
Speaker 1:You know how big of a metro is. But I mean, with the lack of like data and self-service, I'm convinced that we're still in the stone ages down here there are so many of you in texas yeah, houston's kind of a hub for us nowadays, honestly, yeah it's yeah right.
Speaker 2:It seems like everybody's moving in that general area, at least in the nutrition space yeah, yeah, it's kind of like I mean, obviously you have alpha land down here.
Speaker 1:It's uh, I I don't go to alpha land because, like I'm not a bodybuilder, like I'm, I am literally just an ex-fat guy. That is my thing. I, I stick to my, I stay in my lane, um, but a alpha land. There's a lot of like top-end gyms around here, a lot of fitness and nutritional companies down here. So it's it's. You can do a lot of collaboration content, you can bounce off people, like just kind of work in the space. It's. It's very interesting, it's very, especially being a non-bodybuilder being in the area. It's.
Speaker 2:It's unique well, before I move on, because there's some other things I want to, ask you before I move on to that. Any other like review things that you tried, that you're like yes, I definitely recommend anything in like the protein space, you know, fiber protein, whatever that sort of stuff um I'm just gonna leave it up to you.
Speaker 1:That's kind of the thing. There's really nothing groundbreaking, it's. It's okay. Quest quest chips, find the protein bar that you like, uh, diet sodas, energy drinks we didn't even ask you what are your top three diet sodas right now top three diet sodas. I go code red, code red's in the top three um anw root beer. And then my number one is I'm going to give you the basic white boy answer of diet coke, caffeine free. Like I drink soda until midnight every night.
Speaker 3:So the old hey, that's something I actually have access to.
Speaker 2:Hey, there you go not zero, not coke, zero diet coke diet coke.
Speaker 1:We're a diet coke family in this house and I go with caffeine free because I mean I already have too much caffeine on a day-to-day basis anyway. So I I just try to, you know, always keep it caffeine free.
Speaker 2:When I can, I will say, uh, the coke zero has a vanilla. That's so good, but they stopped selling it around me and I'm like a petty bitch about it.
Speaker 1:So I took them out of my top three because I'm mad. I respect that they don't sell it anymore around. You got to send that message, Liam. You got to send that message.
Speaker 2:I held on to one for so long like a case of it for so long because they stopped selling it to a point where it expired and like it didn't even taste as good when I drank it. I still drank that shit, obviously, but like it didn't even taste as good because it was, like you know, older I was like now I'm even sadder, like the saddest, but anywho, uh, okay, those are there. So I kind of want to ask you, though, like during your like weight loss, like I'd love to just get some, because you know, people, what we talked about at the beginning, people love anecdotes, right like what are some of the things that like helped you kind of sustain your weight loss? Because that's the thing it's like people lose weight. You know, most people lose weight for a little while and then kind of yeah, you know rebound.
Speaker 3:So for you up in the roller coaster, right.
Speaker 2:So, like, what are some things for you that, like you know, helps you kind of remain on track?
Speaker 1:that's what I'm curious about it's kind of twofold, like I knew early on when I everything, like I had my various reasons for starting, um, but I it's the old adage of I had to do something that I knew I could do for the rest of my life. Like you know, people ask how, how's keto, how's carnival, or how's the Mediterranean, how's all these things? You know they're all fine and dandy and lovely, they'll all get you that I make, that I love and enjoy. That fits a healthier lifestyle for me, because I know my weakness. Like, the big thing for me is you have to know your weaknesses and you can. If you can learn to manage them and you can learn to live with those weaknesses and find ways to defeat them, um, instead of just kind of ignoring them, then you can do it for the rest of your life.
Speaker 1:Um, so I still eat all my favorite foods. I still eat my Mexican tacos, I still eat my steak, I still eat, you know, my mashed potatoes, but I found a way to make all of them lower calorie, higher protein, like mashed potatoes. I do it with fat-free, fairlife light butter. Add some Greek yogurt into it, season it up to your good taste and then you have mashed potatoes where you're still getting a good amount of carbs, but you get a little extra protein in it and it makes it a little better on the diet. That's what I would say is the number one key. But then the number two is that a lot of people, when they lose their weight, they say, okay, cool, I did it, I'm done, I can get off this I had to set new goals for myself.
Speaker 1:So I went from 275 down to 155 and I was like, okay, where do I go from here? I wanted to get bigger. So I actually I went on a bulk, so I went from 155 up to 200, 205 pounds and now I'm on the way back down from that. On my current cut, I'm at 197, trying to get back down to 170. So I just kind of made it a lifestyle and I keep looking forward of, like, where can I go next, where can I take these health goals next? So those are the two ways that I really did it to make it a lifelong change.
Speaker 2:I like, yeah, I think especially important is. Important is, yeah, what you said about finding knowing your weakness right, because I think a lot of it when you start.
Speaker 2:It's just kind of like what if I just ignore it? You know what, if I just don't, I'll just not do it, but like, for the rest of your life that's gonna be rough. So, yeah, finding ways to go, what was you know? Oh, I'm not. I'm not a huge greg doucette fan, but like he's got some little things that I like. He's like find the circle diet, that's what he calls his thing. We'll put things into the circle where things are higher in fat, higher in sugar. Let's lower the sugar, lower the fat, more protein, more fiber, and bring it into this area where you can still enjoy it.
Speaker 1:That might be the only thing with that guy that I agree on, you know you know one of the few.
Speaker 2:It's one of the few, but I do like that. I just made me think of that. Bring it into the circle, bring it all into the circle. Find ways to still enjoy. Because if you're a sweets person, you know, then you've got like, yeah, your ninja creamies. Uh, if you're, you know, like some people, really into like salty things, so like potato chips are there, you know downfall. So then you try things like. That's why you try things like the quest chips or I don't even know for me like nuts and stuff, like to snack on those you know at least gives me, you know, something similar to that I made right here.
Speaker 2:I got some, um uh, roasted lentils.
Speaker 3:I made for a video like roasted chickpeas, but lentils it's actually pretty good I had a thing of mixed nuts, I emptied it in my mouth.
Speaker 1:See, that was actually the first thing, like when I, when I first started on my weight loss, before I started kind of educating myself on how to do it, that was the mistake I made of like I was going to eat clean, I was going to eat healthy I was going to um like cut out all fast food, cut out all junk food, and I was just gonna super clean, like nuts, cheeses, meats and everything like that.
Speaker 1:But I would find myself going back to the cabinet every five minutes to get a handful of nuts, or I would go into the fridge to get a bunch of cheese, and I'd do that over and over again and I'm actually putting on weight while I'm doing it. That's when I was like okay, why am I putting on weight when I'm trying to lose weight? I'm eating super clean. So I was like okay, there's calories. I had to learn that. I had to be like okay, I need to get myself in a calorie deficit. I need to make sure my protein intake is high enough. That's when I learned about the thermic effect of food and how protein has a way higher thermic effect. I was like okay, so go like the amount of energy it takes to digest the calories you consume.
Speaker 2:So there's, you know, for fats, proteins, carbs, all have different calories required to actually digest those and absorb those. Protein is the highest.
Speaker 3:Now, that's for anybody that doesn't know. Why are you listening to episode 38 instead of listening to episode three? I think we went over it. Is that where you went? Oh yeah, we did go over that. I don't remember yesterday, let alone like a year ago, but yeah so.
Speaker 2:But even more important for me, though, is protein delays gastric emptying. It's food. It takes longer to digest in your stomach, meaning you feel fuller for longer. Same thing with fiber Takes longer for just things to move through. So just you feel fuller. And it's like keto. You cut out okay, let's say you cut out pretty much all carbs, like you're removing, like you know, one entire macronutrient. There's a good chance you'll consume fewer calories and there's only so much fat you can eat.
Speaker 2:There's only so much butter and avocados that you can eat before you start eating things that have protein in them, like you know, your meats and stuff that. So you eat more protein, you feel fuller, you lose weight. But some people, like you said, like you keep going back for cheeses and nuts and stuff like that that are higher in calories. People can definitely gain weight on keto.
Speaker 1:I tell everybody you put me on a carnivore diet and you don't tell me to watch how much I'm eating. I will put on 50 pounds in four months on a carnivore diet. Like give me a pot roast, give me a pork shoulder, give me some prime rib. Like give me all them high fatty bacon I should eat a mountain of food, dude, and you give me meat like. That's why, like, I stick with like top sirloins, pork loins, chicken breasts, like the leaner meats I just go for the leaner cuts of them yeah.
Speaker 2:So I mean, if you're trying to lose weight, like leaner cuts, you know, here do they have like 99 lean turkey, in canada, rob, they have that. Is that a thing?
Speaker 1:I'm not sure. Actually you might be blessed if they don't, because that stuff you really have to. You got to make that stuff really special with spices and stuff to make it taste, taste good they got like.
Speaker 2:so, yeah, now they've just get it leaner and leaner, which is like 100% lean, it's just all just pure protein. But yeah, just going with those, as opposed to the fattier cuts the sausages, the bacons, the thing People they like chicken thighs are great, but going to be fattier, going to have more calories, so try and stick to the leaner cuts, but yeah. So I mean, I like what you said. What, though? I would love to get some? Like, uh, give us, give us, you know, because it's always fun the mistakes, some of the mistakes you made along the way that you realize, oh shit, like you just mentioned one about, like you know, the keto and going back for the cheeses and that sort of stuff. But like what, what else? What can we learn? We always talk about learning from failures here.
Speaker 1:oh, yeah, no that's I, my, my life is a prime example of learning from failure. Um, so, the first one, like I said, would be, like the, the ideal of eating clean and you know, thinking like well as long as I eat clean, it doesn't matter how much I'm eating, cause I'm an overeater.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, that was my first big mistake. My second one was when I was trying to go through my body recomposition. Cause, for anybody that doesn't know, I went through what's called body recomp eat in a small calorie deficit while lifting very heavy and doing progressive overload to try to put on as much muscle as possible. Um, when I was going through my lifting sessions, I was over training, like I was lifting too much, and I actually tore my brachialis.
Speaker 1:Um, when I was shit really yeah, I tore my brachialis probably about three months in, because I was lifting and I was like, okay, I'm feeling some pain there. That must a good thing. You know, it wasn't a good thing, cause I kept going, I kept pushing past it and then it became a very sharp pain, um, and it was. It was a partial tear in my brachialis, um, but actually it was. It was indirectly kind of the one of the best things that happened to me, cause whenever I was doing like a, a back lifting day, like a, like a pull day, so to speak, um, I could never feel the muscles in my back. I kept always feeling it in my bicep. And then, as soon as I tore my brachialis, I was like, okay, I can keep lifting, I just can't use my bicep at all, and that's actually what taught me on how to actually lift and engage my back, not the way.
Speaker 2:I would recommend other. And two if you tear a muscle, maybe don't keep lifting, but uh, no pain, no gain. No pain, no hospital bill.
Speaker 1:I was wrong I was very wrong on that?
Speaker 2:did you have to get that? Do you have to get surgery on that, or did you just rest it?
Speaker 1:I just rested it. But I that pain lingered with me for about nine months, damn, because it was like it didn't need surgery. But yeah, it's a great two tear tear about. So yeah, yeah, um, and they said, you know you don't need surgery on it, but it's, it's gonna hurt, you gotta rest and recover it. But I was like, well, I'm one third of the way into my weight loss journey and my recomp, so I'm not gonna stop lifting. So I just kind of learned to work around it and and avoid the pain. Um, so that that's. I did it, probably not the best way to do it, but it ended up working out okay.
Speaker 2:And for anybody kind of listening, because I get asked about this before you can lose fat and build muscle at the same time in a few circumstances especially when you're early on.
Speaker 2:You just started, you haven't really lifted weights before. If you have never lifted weights, your body will start to put on muscle and also if you have like a lot of excess body fat, that's stored energy, so your body can use that energy to build muscle. Whereas if you're already on the leaner side, like myself I'm already kind of lean it's better to just add calories so that my body has those calories that it can turn that into.
Speaker 3:You know, muscle, anabolism and catabolism anabolism, the process of putting on muscle, and catabolism, the process of breaking down fat are two separate systems in the body.
Speaker 2:they can act at the same time yeah, but when you become more advanced it becomes more difficult. So generally you do want to stick to you know, uh, focus on one as opposed to the other. But yeah, like you, you can do both at the same time, especially early on. Yeah, um.
Speaker 1:Then I guess, going back to that, you asked about the mistakes that I made. I think another one would be um I talked to my girlfriend about this all the time is the scale? Um. I still weigh myself on a daily basis, strictly as a data point. Um, but early on, I mean I think most people in their weight loss journeys, that scale can really defeat them early on.
Speaker 1:And it took me probably about three months of kind of understanding how the scale worked water weight fluctuations, understanding that you know, did you go to the bathroom that morning? Did you have a carb heavy meal the night before? And then they also got to understand if you weigh yourself seven days a week, like I do on a proper plan, you're only trying to lose about one to two pounds a week. So that means you're going to weigh yourself seven times in a week. You're only going to see it drop one time in that seven period. So you have to understand that you're going to lose a lot when you go to that scale. But you you want that data point just for for reference on you know what you should be moving towards.
Speaker 2:Plus, I mean we're all men, so like there's people who have, like, a menstrual cycle goes up and down with that Like.
Speaker 1:I feel so bad for the women that asked me for advice, cause it's like you guys have it so harder, so much harder than we do. It's I. My heart breaks when, when they asked me for advice.
Speaker 3:Oh Freaking. Ryan Reed did a video recently. I don't know if you remember Ryan.
Speaker 2:You've talked, we've talked about. Yeah, we've talked about that.
Speaker 3:I remember, but he apparently posted a video recently lambasting women going through a menopause, saying that like essentially, they just needed to work harder.
Speaker 2:That is pretty asinine, yeah, but when you it's, it's just like one of those things like that's why I especially like to bring people like you, former fag I fitness is because, you know, for someone like myself I've always been like, I've just always been skinny and lean it's tougher for me. I would just eat Cheez-Its all the time. I had a big jar of peanut butter like the Jif big spoon in it under the bed, just kept it there and I just eat out of that and I just never really put on any. It was tough.
Speaker 3:It was difficult for me.
Speaker 2:When I started lifting weights, I'm like, oh, I got to eat more and more and that was actually like difficult.
Speaker 1:so I love to bring people on just different circumstances and get your you know, you know what you went through, because I think for anybody like in my boat, you know, like people who are overweight, they go. Oh, you know people like you, liam, they think you have it so easy, like, oh my god, you're so skinny, like no, it's just a different kind of battle. Like like mine is is a restriction battle. Yours is like you if you wanted to put muscle on, you got to put more calories into your body. But you know, some people just can't do it. Some people don't have that appetite, they don't like to eat that much, or even then their metabolism is naturally so freaking high that it's it's a it's a difficult battle to climb right, it comes down to appetite a lot.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I'll see people like I have trouble eating, like I eat many calories, and then maybe you look at what they're eating. You're like you're not actually eating like that many calories. It might like look like, look like a lot, but and then are you doing this on a regular basis, all that stuff. So like, a lot of times it's just you just have this. Yeah, it's just appetite regulation and that's just kind of your genetics which sucks because you know little you can do about it.
Speaker 1:And that's one thing that a lot of you know. I feel bad for a lot of people that don't understand early on is that you know a lot of it is genetics, whether it's what is your appetite, what is your basal metabolic rate? Well, what is your? What are your muscle insertions where? What muscles on your body are more predisposed to growing quicker? Like my shoulder genetics are fantastic. My bicep and chest genetics are dog shit. Like you learn what parts of your body win, what parts of your body lose? And, uh, you know, for, like you you said, you don't have the best appetite. You might have a really high metabolism, so gaining weight is difficult for you. For me, I, I could eat a 5 000 calorie meal and then 30 minutes later I'm thinking, hey, what's for dessert? Like, yeah, more food, bro. So it's just a matter of you know, finding your own, like I said earlier, your personal weakness or your own issue, and just Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, and yeah, for anyone who was on my side of things. Yeah, I mean, definitely peanut butter out of the jar. If you're allergic to peanuts, it doesn't matter. Sunflower butter or whatever, they're all high in calories, it doesn't matter. I would just eat right out of the jar with that. And yeah, sure, I'd eat more of your ultra-processed foods, but I try not to go crazy with that sort of thing. Make sure, sure, I'm adding in the, the avocados and the other things that are still making you like crap.
Speaker 1:You know they'll add the calories into your diet, but you're not going to be feeling the best on it oh, yeah, yeah, and that's yeah in terms of like fueling your workouts really important.
Speaker 2:So like that's why you know always, like I love a high carb diet, I can man the keto people like it's awesome. Like, if you like, love low carb and stuff, I'm just like how do you like the energy, though? Like I get all my energy from the. I feel like I get that from carbs. If I eat just like a high fat, you know even high protein meal, I just feel like sluggish and tired and I don't really want to do anything no, I think I actually also going back to that mistake thing you were asking about earlier.
Speaker 1:The biggest mistake I made was that I went too low on fats because, like I, I have oh yeah I'm carbs all day, every day, but I actually had days where I would literally have eight grams of fat and eight oh that's how low I went and my testosterone shot through the floor because of it. Like I got to the end of my weight loss and did a blood test and I think my testosterone was 200 um, oh, wow it was really, really low, and it was because I went so low on fat, my hormones weren't regulated.
Speaker 1:Um, but it was because, like, I love my carbs, I want my pasta. That's where my energy came from. Um, but I didn't have any importance of fat back then, like now on my current cut. You know, I make sure I get 25% of my daily calories from fat so my hormones stay regulated and my testosterone is good. Um. So if anybody out there is trying to lose weight and you're trying to manage calories, yeah, you want to go lower fat, but but make sure you're getting your fat, because that's that's what keeps you going so like what was your?
Speaker 3:diets of low fat, low carb, low whatever. No, just no. Everything in moderation exactly.
Speaker 1:let's plug the podcast for the 16th time. Throughout the podcast it's about balance in life.
Speaker 2:So like what was your maintenance like? What have you found? Like is your like maintenance calories?
Speaker 1:Right now, like right now, at 197,. My maintenance is estimated at about 2450. And I'm in a fairly aggressive cut. Right now I'm at 1700 calories, trying to lose about a pound and a half 2450.
Speaker 2:So that's like yeah, 800 calories. Yeah, you know typically if you're like 500 calorie deficit, you'll lose around a pound a week. It'll fluctuate and change depending on you know whatever, but something like that. So yeah, I mean that's not great. Once you get to a thousand calories, it's tough. When you get to like a thousand calories, you know you're going to be pretty damn hungry. That's what.
Speaker 1:I found like for me. Like that 800, 850 mark is the best for me because I can get the dieting process over quicker that way. But I still have enough room to where I can hit my protein, I can hit my fiber and I can hit my fat goals.
Speaker 1:And as long as I can hit those numbers, there's going to be about a four or five hour period in the day where I'm not happy, I'm not enjoying life because I've committed to the hunger through that time. But I've learned how to space my meals out throughout the day to where I don't go to bed hungry, I'm not irritable, I'm not crashing on energy, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Because I mean, I've never really had a trouble with like the low fat thing, I think, because my maintenance calories, when I've tracked it, was between like 32 and 3,500.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God, somewhere in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's I mean so for me to gain weight I was eating like 4000 calories, over 4000 calories to actually put on like any decent size. So if I go into like twenty five hundred, I'm that's like a thousand close, probably close to a thousand calorie deficit for me. So like, even then I mean twenty five, I'm still getting enough fat to, like you know, for my hormones and shit like that. But that's again we come down to appetite regulation and you and you know just metabolism. Like we have our game nights here and I'm like, I'm like I'm gonna get another meal, I gotta get another meal, and you guys are just still sitting there like naeem, like how are you not like I need to?
Speaker 3:I what is going on? I need more, I just have a big plate of just food every like, every hour like every once an hour.
Speaker 2:I gotta get up, I gotta have a fucking meal.
Speaker 1:If I unleash myself, man, that's me Like when me and my girlfriend first started dating and I was on my bulk, I was at about 3,400 calories a day and I was like, yep, I could eat all day Like just go, go, go, go go.
Speaker 2:And then I would still get to the end of the night and be out of calories and go. Man, I want to keep eating right now out.
Speaker 3:Oh so yeah, this just comes down to genetics, the person.
Speaker 3:I mean I'm also talking like it's six, three, yeah, I mean it goes even further than that because, like we got, we got liam here, who's in the, the skinny boat, we've got former fat guy fitness was in the former fat guy boat I'm in the genetics where it was born, with um like mental health problems, and so my problem comes down to medication, and the medication that I'm taking will determine, like, if I'm getting hungrier or maybe yeah, it makes me not hungry and a lot of people are.
Speaker 2:I hear from a lot of people a lot of comments people talk about. Hear from a lot of people a lot of comments people talk about. Like I've taken this medication increases hunger, you know. Does this does?
Speaker 3:that? Yeah, right now I'm on a medication that, like it's taken my hunger away. That's why you don't see me snacking anywhere near as much. Uh huh.
Speaker 1:No, I get that 100%. I mean actually one thing for me when I started my weight loss, I was also cause I don't know if I ever you saw this lamb I was a fifth a day drinker, a two pack a day smoker.
Speaker 2:Oh, really, I didn't see that.
Speaker 1:I smoked two ounces of weed a month. That was me until I was 29. And then I started cutting out all the vices and everything like that and I I first cut out the weed because you know that gave me the munchies and it made me want to cut that out.
Speaker 1:So I had the nicotine to suppress the appetite. So you know that was my go-to friend. But then I quit smoking cigarettes and my appetite, oh my God, like I did not understand the effect that that had on my appetite, and it was brutal. It took me quite a while to get that under control.
Speaker 2:Man, and that's the thing is like. When we talk about like oh, it's calories in versus calories out, you know people that comes. I've got a lot of comments from people like oh, you're just being rude and mean and like I'm just like you're just discounting all these other things. I'm like I'm really not trying to discount that, I'm trying to just be like listen, listen. Like the laws of thermodynamics apply to all of us, okay, but like, because of all the but, you know hormone regulation, you know medications, your genetics all of these things can make it very easy to lose weight or very difficult and anywhere in between.
Speaker 1:I have a friend who said it best, I think, in that weight loss and calories in, calories out. It's a simple idea but it's not easy. It is a complicated equation. There's a lot that goes into it.
Speaker 2:Right. But for me I always say it's kind of like golf. It's like, oh, okay, get this ball into that hole all right, in a few strokes, like oh, that's easy, oh, no, no, no difficult when you start playing.
Speaker 2:Oh shit, I suck at this and it takes a long time, like it's simple but not easy. Uh, so, yeah, you know that's, that's, you know it's trying to get. But also we make videos that are like what? A minute long, 90 seconds long. So it's tough to get all that across. Yeah, to people in a minute video. Okay, okay, okay, former fat guy fans, we're gonna play our um, uh, regularly occurring uh series game, which by that I mean we do it once in a while when we remember which is overrated, underrated other things.
Speaker 2:Four episodes old it's like more episodes at this point, okay. So overrated, underrated, whatever else you say, rob, what are you gonna get first?
Speaker 3:okay, barbecue flavor, quest chips barbecue flavor, just because it's quest.
Speaker 1:It's gonna be underrated, even though they're the greatest thing ever. Quest can't be beaten.
Speaker 2:Fair enough. What about intermittent fasting? Overrated, underrated?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a tough one. I'll go ahead and give it overrated, because there's no magical properties to intermittent fasting in my opinion. It's just a calorie restriction tool that I think is effective. Some people like it a lot because it's simple, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're just like oh, I just don't eat during this time, and then it makes it tougher for me to over consume calories boom, there you go. If you like simple, there you go, but like also, are you going to do it for the rest of your life, right, like that's kind of.
Speaker 1:My thing is like you know if you're doing the rest of your life as a calorie restriction tool, where I just go a certain portion of the day without eating and I'll fill it up with diet sodas and that's that's all yeah.
Speaker 2:So I mean yeah, if you like it, awesome, but you know, I guess all right what else you got, uh, drinking unflavored water unflavored water.
Speaker 1:Here's my answer. That, what is that?
Speaker 2:uh, I would go over the toilet.
Speaker 1:If it's not diet coke or if it's not like a flavor packet or something, I ain't drinking it, like my girlfriend hates drinking it. She's like just drink regular water? I'm like no.
Speaker 2:Oh man, the just drink water comments whenever I have diet soda. Oh, we're water gang. Cool, be a water gang. I don't give a shit, I'm drinking my fucking Diet, dr.
Speaker 3:Piper, oh, ok.
Speaker 1:Oh, what about? All right, how about fat-free cheese? Overrated, underrated. I'm this is going to be the hot one here. It's underrated, in my opinion. It is 45 cals, 9 grams of protein.
Speaker 2:That's almost the protein level, but it tastes like sadness. It tastes like drywall fucked a cardboard box and they had an ugly little baby and it was fat-free cheese.
Speaker 1:Rinse it, put it in a burger bowl and let it get all melty, and then your brain will go cheese it's I know just low fat. It's still like 70, 80 calories I respect that like I can deal with low fat I. I'm still going underrated because I'll do that to pump up the protein when I, when I'm bad, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to ask another one on that topic, because we're close to it Cottage cheese overrated, underrated, oh get out Overrated.
Speaker 1:I had a two-month period where I was tagged in every cottage cheese recipe.
Speaker 2:That's where I'm at. Every fucking video is cottage cheese bread, cottage cheese ice cream, cottage cheese cottage cheese.
Speaker 1:I quit doing them because I got tagged so many times. I was like guys, I hate cottage cheese and I'm not going to sit here and torture myself on the internet. I'm not going to be known as the cottage cheese reaction guy, so I quit doing them all together. Oh, fair that's fair like I.
Speaker 2:even for someone like me who likes I drink, I eat good culture cottage cheese with a spoon right out of the tub. I like cottage cheese. Yes, I'm weird, even for me I will still say overrated in the nonsense we have built ourselves over the last several months.
Speaker 1:If we eliminated all that nonsense and we just took it as the fundamental food that it is. It is an underrated food. You get a fat free version. Yes, Low-cal, high protein. Mix it with some seasonings. Make yourself a sauce out of it.
Speaker 2:Like you can do things with it to make it okay.
Speaker 1:Like nikita fair's buffalo chicken. Uh, burrito recipe that uses cottage cheese. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, it's one of the greatest meals I've ever had in my life, but all this, like you said, the nonsense that we're doing with it, I'm sorry, just get out just like it's not ice cream.
Speaker 2:It's not, it's not fucking ice cream it's not.
Speaker 1:it's not cookie dough, it's not fudgeudge, it's none of these things. Oh, I did the cookie dough.
Speaker 2:I did the cookie dough. It's not cookie dough, it tastes like almond flour. It's so bad.
Speaker 1:Well, it's not horrible, but it's not good.
Speaker 2:It's not good.
Speaker 1:Don't package me almond flour and tell me it's cookie dough, because the fat boy in me wants to throat punch you when you do that.
Speaker 2:No, and like cottage cheese has got very slow digesting. You know like that's, that's great, but just calm down with all this fucking, all this other stuff anyway, anything for the clicks bro, anything I guess holy shit I'm gonna make cottage cheese, cottage cheese and people are gonna flip out I was choking my diet soda on that one wait.
Speaker 1:I've never heard of that before what is that.
Speaker 2:That's just where you take a spoon and you eat it out of the fucking tub dude, you gotta do that in the troll video. I'm gonna do that I'm next is kind of she's, kind of she's, oh man running as an exercise, running oh running as an exercise for me overrated um I'm a walker, like I'll burn my calories by walking.
Speaker 1:I'm less hungry when I do that. Like I had a period where I ran three and a half miles every day. You know know about five days a week. Uh, I was. I was starving every time I did it, but I burned the same amount of calories as if I just went and walked that three and a half miles. Like, oh, I'm all right, I'll walk.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't like. We've talked about it many times, we I'm not a runner, but but like, if other people like it, awesome, oh, um, um, um fiber gummies, so like your smart sweets and your lilies and that sort of stuff. What?
Speaker 1:do you think on that? No, I'm all right. Like I trust me, I get my fiber in as much as I can, but those, those tear my stomach up pretty badly oh yeah, really you get that. That seems like some people get that I have 40 to 60 grams of fiber on a daily basis. But for whatever reason, those, those gummies, hit me different, interesting. I wonder why?
Speaker 2:because most of them are just soluble corn fiber, you know, because that's the cheap source, right. So, like it's just corn fiber from corn, which you wouldn't think. That's weird.
Speaker 3:You know what I?
Speaker 2:tried. Recently, though, is Starburst now has fiber gummies Very pretty. You didn't like those, they were okay.
Speaker 1:They weren't like. Oh, my God, my god, you know, let me get more of those.
Speaker 2:But oh no, like they're still fiber gummies yeah, they're good but in the fiber gummy scale I actually kind of like them and I like that they had a little bit less fiber. They weren't like 25 grams of fiber, it was like eight or ten.
Speaker 3:And I was like I think that's why I like those. Actually, I saw one that was like 30 grams of fiber.
Speaker 2:I don't remember the brand name.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'm right on that.
Speaker 2:I have to try. Mr Beast just came out with fiber gummies. That's my next review thing People like the speed reviews that I've been doing. He came out with his own fiber gummies. I'm going to try those, but anyway.
Speaker 3:I'd order some, but they probably don't ship to Canada. Very good chance, rob. Canada overrated or underrated.
Speaker 1:Ooh, depends like, since you can't ship to them. They're overrated, that's like when I hear about some of the cost and the pricing up there and the economics up there, I'd probably have to go overrated. Bro, the people are underrated, the economics are, because if you can survive up in Canada, it's winners. Bro, you're an underrated human being. You deserve a freaking medal.
Speaker 3:To all our Canadian listeners. You may feel great now that you're underrated. You are so underrated you deserve an underrated All two of you. All two of you listeners.
Speaker 2:And once Echo Vision gets ship to canada or daily.
Speaker 3:I feel so bad telling people we don't ship to canada man uh I think we're kind of used to it, so I don't don't feel bad. Yeah, like it's kind of a thing we're just like. Yeah, they probably don't ship to canada echo vision.
Speaker 1:Echo vision yeah, I'll give you the most biased answer ever. I think we're underrated and there's a reason for it. There's a reason why I partnered with EchoVision is because we do everything on a cost-effective basis. Our creatine, we give it for almost 20 cents a serving. The flavors are fantastic. They're third-party tested. The protein powders we do it on a dollar a serving basis. If you get the 60 serving tub, when you compare that to companies like rise or ghost or other companies like that, they're coming in at a dollar 75 a serving, sometimes over two bucks.
Speaker 3:No-transcript my thing, so I'm gonna go. You may as well just drop your promo code while you're at it what's all right, it's code former guys.
Speaker 1:It's code former, code former.
Speaker 2:I mean, if it reminds you to take your creatine getting a flavor, then go for it, Because that's the toughest part about creatine it's just remembering to take it.
Speaker 1:Yes absolutely and honestly. If you're like a really cost-effective person, just go on to Amazon. Get the NutriCost unflavored creatine. It's stupid cheap Creatine should not be expensive. If a company is charging you $60 for 30 servings. Laugh at that company.
Speaker 2:Did you see my video on the women's creatine? Oh my god, that pissed me off so much.
Speaker 1:I was like are you kidding me? Bcaas and collagen?
Speaker 2:It was one gram. It was one gram of BCAAs. How many times?
Speaker 1:can you make the pink tax? The pink tax is already insulting enough to women and now we have to like straight up, just laugh at them and they got a woman to do the ad and I was like this is so bad.
Speaker 1:I don't like shaming people or calling people out to like that kind of a level, but like for her, like she should be ashamed of herself and the start of the video was creatine was made by man for man, and the start of the video was creatine was made by man for man, which I mean a freaking
Speaker 2:man, I mean made by me, like I could do an hour long podcast just on that tiny segment. Like it was so good.
Speaker 1:Oh, I should be ashamed of themselves. Creatine should be affordable, that's. That's the point of it.
Speaker 2:And it was, and the thing was. They said it. So it's the same price as the, as the men's creatine, but it's less.
Speaker 1:You get less in the, in the product so it's so it is more expensive yeah, see, people don't look at that. You get to look at everything on a per serving basis, that's why so?
Speaker 2:you look at the price. You're like, oh, it's the same price, so I'll get it. Like no, you're, you're getting like 30 less exactly, product exactly.
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, that was. I was like I don't believe this shit?
Speaker 2:that's so, oh yeah. So just just get creatine. Creatine, yes, one of the few sub, one of the only supplements I'd recommend. I think you know, especially if you're working out great, try and remember to take it, oh okay, I got one last one for you would you have liam overrated or underrated overrated, underrated me, I'd go underrated or trash no, I'd go underrated on that, like I.
Speaker 1:You should be like a two or three million follower, bro, like I had a million followers.
Speaker 2:I feel overrated as fuck right now.
Speaker 1:Oh no, no, you deserve two or three with some of the people I see that have 10 million followers. You deserve more than that. You were one of the first guys I actually did collabs with on TikTok dude and I had a blast.
Speaker 2:That was fun, yeah. Yeah, we did some protein bar ones and stuff.
Speaker 1:That's just as fun.
Speaker 2:That's fun.
Speaker 1:You're always underrated In moderation.
Speaker 2:Plug again and underrated. I think we have seven on the podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty proud of that.
Speaker 2:What's the CTP? In moderation, ctp is a four.
Speaker 1:That's the perfect score on CTP.
Speaker 3:You cannot score better than that score oh shit, but that doesn't sound like it's an in moderation score.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter we, but that doesn't sound like it's an in moderation score, it doesn't matter, we still got a perfect score.
Speaker 3:That's what matters. That's the important part.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, where can people find your channels?
Speaker 1:I'm predominantly on TikTok. I'm mainly TikTok former Fat Guy Fitness, but I'll be making some more Instagram and YouTube content, so check me out. Check me out on TikTok, instagram and YouTube Former Fat Guy Fitness, nice, and use his promo code if you want to. Only if you need it, though, like I'll never have anybody buy anything unless you're canadian, in which case you're screwed, sorry, you're screwed, you're totally screwed no echo vision for you, yeah well you know, at least you get free health care, we'll take, hey, at least if you tear your
Speaker 3:bicep you, you can get it. We can actually go no pain, no gain, because you know when we do get the pain, we're covered yeah man Great.
