Eating beef again!???

[IronFist]

For the last 4 or 5 years, I've tried to not eat beef (I mean cow, not all meat in general). I just heard from a bunch of sources that it's not that good for you, that it's very taxing on the body to digest, etc. So, for the past 4 years or so I've had beef maybe 4 or 5 times a year tops.

But recently I've been really hungry after my high volume workouts, and hamburgers are so cheap, and I'm a college student, so who can turn down a $1.00 cheese burger (varies by restaurant, sometimes a double, sometimes a "big and tasty," etc.). I used to eat McChicken sandwhiches every day for lunch ($1.00 each), but I got tired of them after a semester.

Plus, they're pretty high in calories which is what I'm after.

So recently (like the last week) I've been eating burgers. The other day I went to Wendy's and had two double cheese burgers and a 5 piece chicken nuggets for lunch.

Anyway, after a few days of this, I'm totally craving beef. What the hell!!! Hamburgers rule. Seriously. Like right now I want to go to Wendy's and get 3 or 4 double cheeseburgers.

So, is this bad? Can I have some conclusive studies on beef digestion and how it affects you? I know beef contains creatine, so maybe I was creatine deficient while I wasn't eating beef.

Does beef impair qigong (since it's supposedly so stressful on the body to digest compared with other meats)?

Yeah.

btw, here's an example of my hunger. The other day after doing 10 sets of 5 reps of squats (real, ass to the ground squats) with about 1:15 between each set (except the first set, which got about 3-4 minutes of rest), and then some biceps work, I had a 600 calorie shake when I got home with 54g of protein. Then an hour or two later on the way to my friend's house I had two double cheese burgers and 2 orders of Wendy's chicken nuggets (all white meat yeah!). And then about 3 hours later I had this big ass chicken chimichanga (which is a burrito filled with chicken and cheese and beans and rice and stuff, and then they fry the whole thing! :D It's totally bad for you = lots of calories = I like them). And Spanish rice and a salad. That's a lot of food for me cuz I only weigh 170, but I wish I could afford to eat like that all the time.

Answer my beef questions.

IronFist

[SevenStar]

Craving? you might be pregnant. :D

I love beef. Not only that, but I totally understand what you're going through - I've been there. I cut out beef for a while and also went through the burger craze after breaking my beef celibacy. I had the same craving for french fries. Don't sweat it - it'll go away. I'm still eating burgers, but only on occasion. taco bell also has some cheap eats. And subway, if you get a 4 inch round

[IronFist]

Hah, Subway couldn't fill me up if they tried!

That being said, I really like the horseradish dijon melt. Mmm... ham, turkey, cheese, bacon, and horseradish dijon sauce, and the vegetables of your choice...

IronFist

[SevenStar]

Most restaurants can't fill me up. I'm partial to the chicken teryaki with sweet onion sauce.

[dnc101]

IronFist-

Are you by chance blood type O? If so, tell the veggies, bad karmites, disrupted chiites and the rest to bugger off! You need red meat. Other blood types don't need as much- their loss:p .

I'm gonna duck now,before all the hippies start throwing fecal material my way. If you are interested in knowing more about it, get a copy of Eat Right for Your Blood Type by Peter D'Adamo .

[IronFist]

SevenStar, I've not tried that one yet. My mom and sister really like it, though. I can't pull myself away from the one with bacon on it long enough to try something new :)

dnc101 said:
Are you by chance blood type O? If so, tell the veggies, bad karmites, disrupted chiites and the rest to bugger off! You need red meat. Other blood types don't need as much- their loss .


I've heard of that book before. I'm not sure what my blood type is, actually. I'm sure of what my metabolism is, though, it's fast!

I'll check into what blood type I am.

IronFist

[SevenStar]

dangit, now I want that chicken teryaki sub. Luckily, there's a subway right up the street.

[Serpent]

Jeeezus Keeerrist! You people sure do eat a lot of ****! :eek:

You know, there's not a lot of decent beef in those burgers and most of the chicken is reconstituted crap that's mostly water. Not to mention all the preservatives and growth hormones and stuff.

Man, Ironfist, reading your post made me feel sick!

[IronFist]

In college, eating is more a function of how much money you have.

IronFist

[Serpent]

Originally posted by IronFist
In college, eating is more a function of how much money you have.

IronFist

So go to the supermarket and buy some decent shiat instead of filling yourself up with McBollocks and the like. Find the money, dude. Fast food is cheap for a reason.

[joedoe]

Serp, have you been to the US? Even the food in the supermarket is of pretty average quality sometimes.

[IronFist]

I do. We have a Super Walmart here and I buy lots of frozen dinners because I don't like to cook. I can get Hungry Man dinners for $2.50 (much cheaper than the grocery store) and that's like 600-800 calories on average. The Hungry Man XXL's are $3.50 or something and they're usually around 1000 calories (so they say). There are also these smaller mexican dinners called El Charrito that are $.97 and they're like 400 calories.

I also buy lots of frozen vegetables and stuff.

Of course, ramen, chili, stuff like that, too.

But the thing is, my goal is to maximize the calorie per dollar. All these "Lean Cuisine" dinners that are like $2.50 or $3.00 for 250 calories... no, that's not good use of my money. I'd need like 4 of them.

I also buy a lot of pizza (800-1200 if you eat the whole thing) depending on what's on sale. I've gotten Jack's Cheese pizza for 5 for $10 once. That's a 900 calorie pizza right there for $2.00!

I forget what else i buy, that that's the majority of it.

Welcome to shopping with IronFist :)

IronFist

[Serpent]

Originally posted by joedoe
Serp, have you been to the US? Even the food in the supermarket is of pretty average quality sometimes.

Yeah, I have. Point taken.

And so much sugar! Yikes!

[Serpent]

Originally posted by IronFist
I do. We have a Super Walmart here and I buy lots of frozen dinners because I don't like to cook. I can get Hungry Man dinners for $2.50 (much cheaper than the grocery store) and that's like 600-800 calories on average. The Hungry Man XXL's are $3.50 or something and they're usually around 1000 calories (so they say). There are also these smaller mexican dinners called El Charrito that are $.97 and they're like 400 calories.

I also buy lots of frozen vegetables and stuff.

Of course, ramen, chili, stuff like that, too.

But the thing is, my goal is to maximize the calorie per dollar. All these "Lean Cuisine" dinners that are like $2.50 or $3.00 for 250 calories... no, that's not good use of my money. I'd need like 4 of them.

I also buy a lot of pizza (800-1200 if you eat the whole thing) depending on what's on sale. I've gotten Jack's Cheese pizza for 5 for $10 once. That's a 900 calorie pizza right there for $2.00!

I forget what else i buy, that that's the majority of it.

Welcome to shopping with IronFist :)

IronFist

Oh my gawd! That's not better! I'm talking about buying ingredients and cooking up dinners. You can make heaps and then have it as left overs the next day too, so you don't have to cook every day. You can still get your calories without eating crap.

Dayum, shopping with Ironfist is funny!

[joedoe]

I hear ya re. the money situation in college. You know how I got around that? I worked a casual job in a fast food joint. Got cheap or free food most of the time and got paid while I was at it! And it kept me pretty fit.

[Marshdrifter]

Whoa! That's a lot of crap there!

Ok, I can empathize on the Jack's Cheese pizza. As far as I can
tell, those are the healthiest frozen pizzas (no hydrogenated oils).
I usually doctor them up. I've some soy-based pepperoni
substitute that actually isn't that bad (ha! take that meat
eaters!). In college, my senior year consisted of practically nothing
more than beans and rice. You can do a lot with beans and rice.
It's cheap and it's easy (and it can be tasty). Of course, I opted to
buy pop instead of vegetables, but nobody eats that healthily in
college.

I have a theory about the craving beef thing. I notice that when
your body needs fat and protein, it craves the kind you've been
eating lately. So when I've been eating a lot of nuts (cashews are
nummy), I crave nuts. When I've been tossing back the tofu
(because cashews has way more fat than I need), I start craving
tofu. I dunno. It's just a theory.

[Serpent]

I think IF is just addicted to **** food!

[joedoe]

I reckon if he was addicted then he should sue whoever provides that food :D

[Serpent]

Nah. Already proven not to work. He needs to sue on the basis that he's addicted to stuff he didn't know was in there.

Like ****.

[fa_jing]

I hear you about the college thing.

One bad thing about beef is a high level of uric acid. If you boil it first for a few minutes with carrot slices, then remove the carrots, this treatment aleviates the above problem.

I find that some other cow parts are quite tasty as well, when prepared the way I like:

Tripes (stomach)
Feet
bones (like neck bones, soup bones) - especially with ligament

When I eat the above, it gives me a lot of energy and I feel it's good for the joints, etc.

[joedoe]

Interesting thing about the carrots - I suffer from gout so that may be a useful thing to try sometime.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by joedoe
Interesting thing about the carrots - I suffer from gout so that may be a useful thing to try sometime.

Hey, do you think that the Chinese are prone to gout? I know a couple of Chinese guys with it and none of them are too old.

[fa_jing]

My wife has gout, and so does Royal Dragon, BTW. However, neither of them are Chinese, AFAIK. ;)
I do think that Chinese are prone to Lactose intolerance,

[Serpent]

What's AFAIK? That's a new one on me.

[joedoe]

Originally posted by Serpent


Hey, do you think that the Chinese are prone to gout? I know a couple of Chinese guys with it and none of them are too old.

I dunno - it can be a genetic thing I was told. Basically it is an inability of the body to eliminate uric acid sufficiently so it ends up accumulating in large joints causing a type of arthritis.

It does depend very heavily on your diet.

[Serpent]

Right. It's just interesting that I've never really come across it before and the only people I do know with it are Chinese. Interessin'!

AFAIK = As Far As I Know? That would make sense.

[joedoe]

I know it used to be a problem in the British aristocracy, leading it to be labelled a rich man's disease :). Some people reckon it is from eating a diet with too much rich food in it, which is kind of supported in some ways by the fact that gout sufferers should be careful of their intake of things like red meat, shellfish (esp. prawns), alcohol (esp. red wine and including port) and any other foods high in purines (even some vegetables).

It is an extremely painful thing to get stuck with though :(

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by Serpent
Jeeezus Keeerrist! You people sure do eat a lot of ****! :eek:

You know, there's not a lot of decent beef in those burgers and most of the chicken is reconstituted crap that's mostly water. Not to mention all the preservatives and growth hormones and stuff.

Man, Ironfist, reading your post made me feel sick!

I attribute my hyoogeness to the growth hormone in the chicken.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by SevenStar


I attribute my hyoogeness to the growth hormone in the chicken.

That thought makes me shudder.

*shudder*

[dnc101]

Originally posted by Marshdrifter
I have a theory about the craving beef thing. I notice that when your body needs fat and protein, it craves the kind you've been eating lately.

That could be one reason for the cravings, but your body also craves what it needs. One experience that illustrated this to me was mountaineering with some of my more liberal friends who were vegitarians. I've seen them crave fats so bad at altitude that they ate butter straight from the container. They were allways cooking me vegitarian dishes to try to convert me- but in the end a couple of them reverted and started eating real food again.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by IronFist
In college, eating is more a function of how much money you have.

IronFist

heck yeah, student life is frugal life.

[Merryprankster]

Iron, Dude. Learn to cook. Best investment in your pocketbook (and happiness) you'll ever make.

dnc101--exactly! I eat what I want when I want. And I'm convinced that's the secret. If you want something sweet, eat it. You want giant portions of dead moo-cow, dripping in fat and juice, cooked rare, have at it. It all balances out. I've been known to eat a 2 lb salad at one sitting as well as two 20" pizzas (an interesting experiment in gluttony I don't care to repeat).

I label people who tell you "Never eat this or that" as food haters. Guilt when you eat something? Please. Only in the U.S. would we ever think of something so stupid.

Just put the ****ed fork down if you're a fatty! Unless you truly have a glandular problem or something. That's just awful.

[dezhen2001]

Ironfist: learn to cook! i can spend around 20 pounds a week (30 dollars?) and eat plenty of chicken, lamb and fresh vegetables etc. really loads, coz im like u and eat around twice as much as normal people :D

also beans and rice are real cheap, as well as potatoes... if ur careful its easy to live without spending so much money.

the next thing is to learn how to cook! i usually just use a big wok to do most of my cooking as u can stir fry, steam, boil etc. in it real easily. theres also im sure plenty of cheap real cook cook books or somehting available out there?

it can be done :)

dawood

[Rolling Elbow]

Iron,

10 sets of 5 on squats?!!! Eating that much and with that type of workout means you are going for size. Am i correct in this assumption? ..How is progress, you noticing mass from the squatting?

I'm itching to get back to workouts, my back is coming along, another week I think.

[Marshdrifter]

Originally posted by dnc101
That could be one reason for the cravings, but your body also craves what it needs. One experience that illustrated this to me was mountaineering with some of my more liberal friends who were vegitarians. I've seen them crave fats so bad at altitude that they ate butter straight from the container. They were allways cooking me vegitarian dishes to try to convert me- but in the end a couple of them reverted and started eating real food again.
The thing about being a vegetarian is it takes planning. You
need your fats and proteins. It sounds like your friends didn't
plan their meals well enough (not enough starchy seeds and
nuts?). OTOH, I do eat dairy products (occasionally a little cheese
is nice) and fish. I will also each chicken, if pressed.

[SevenStar]

being able to cook is a definite plus. When I first moved out, my best friend was my Foreman Grill.

[FatherDog]

Iron: I do agree with Serpent and MP. Learn to cook, dude.

I've only been out of college two years, and I worked two jobs to put myself through it, so I definitely know where you're coming from about eating on a student budget. And fast food can be your only option if you're seriously limited on time (believe me, I've been there too).

But if you price out the cost of a pound of ground chuck, a bag of kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, cheese, and the fixins, you'll find that almost always, it's the same price per burger (or less) as eating at a fast food place... and healthier (and often more filling) to boot.

If you don't have time to cook burgers, you can go for deli meats... get roast beef and sliced ham and cheese, and lettuce and tomato if you're into those, and just make huge sandwhiches with hoagie rolls. You can cook pasta really easily, which is very filling and a good source of carbs if you need those in your diet, and you can add sausages or ground beef or chicken drumsticks to store-bought sauce, along with some spices, to make it taste much better and add more protein to the meal.

I could go on... if you PM me, I could give you some easy meals that I used to make in college that are fairly healthy and taste great (at least to me).

Or we could just turn this thread into a "post your low-effort healthy recipes for IronFist" thread :D

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Rolling Elbow
Iron,

10 sets of 5 on squats?!!! Eating that much and with that type of workout means you are going for size. Am i correct in this assumption? ..How is progress, you noticing mass from the squatting?

I'm itching to get back to workouts, my back is coming along, another week I think.

Yeah, it's for mass. I always have so much trouble building leg size, though. I guess I've gained a little bit in the last month or so. I've a bunch of stuff for leg mass... squats to failure, Pavel-style training, 20rep squats. The result is that I'm just an ectomorph. I mean, my legs aren't that skinny, but they're not huge either. I'm only 170. But you can see 3 of my 4 quadriceps heads so that's pretty cool :D

IronFist

[fa_jing]

Of course, it's not easy to cook anything but "Top Ramen" in a "crock-pot" And college communal kitchens are usually disgustingly filthy, as they leave it to the students to clean up after themselves.


About the mass-building - strangely, I've gained about 8 pounds in the last few months, and my only regular exercise is hindu Squats. Go figure. Some of that will go away when I start doing more cardio again, but I think half of it is leg mass. Besides which, my legs are looking stronger than ever.

[dezhen2001]

ive been eating 1g protein per lb of bodyweight and all that each day for a few weeks as well as training each day now and nothing has happened :(

ur lucky man! :(

dawood

[Serpent]

Originally posted by dezhen2001
ive been eating 1g protein per lb of bodyweight and all that each day for a few weeks as well as training each day now and nothing has happened :(

ur lucky man! :(

dawood

Dude, no matter what diets and formulas you follow, everybody has a genetic max. You can't beat that. Unless you started eating huge and seriously weight training, you're unlikely to see any more gains. Don't worry about it; get strong, stay wiry and dominate!

[dezhen2001]

i guess, im actually pretty happy with the way i am, just wish i was a little bit heavier :p

now im training again the strength and flexibility is coming back which is kewl :)

dawood

[Serpent]

How old are you, Dezhen?

[dezhen2001]

maaate im 23, was my bday a few weeks ago :D
answering this post made me burn my 6 slices of toast :( oh wells guess the marmite will cover it.

dawood

[Serpent]

Charcoal is good for the digestion.

By the time you hit thirty you'll probably be able to gain a bit more bulk. Only a bit mind.

Never mind. Being an ectomorph has advantages! ;)

[dezhen2001]

true... like now i can be up at 3am, have 6 slices of toast, some ice cram and a drink and not have to worry about putting on any weight :D

any more? :confused:

dawood

[Serpent]

Of course....

Lots more...

er..

Look! A giraffe!


*runs away*

[dezhen2001]

:D

LMAO

dawood

[Serpent]

Hey, here's something else. We can usually run faster and further! ;)

[dezhen2001]

true, usually from those big guys (or ladies :eek: ) who trouble us :D

dawood

[Serpent]

You can squeeze through a cat flap to rob people.

[Serpent]

But you'd have trouble getting the TV and VCR back out the same way, I guess. You'd have to just stick with taking jewellry and cash.

[dezhen2001]

LMAO... ur obviously not a theif... once in u can open the door from INSIDE :p

dawood

[Serpent]

Originally posted by dezhen2001
LMAO... ur obviously not a theif... once in u can open the door from INSIDE :p

dawood

Oh yeah!

****, I'm an honest guy! ;)

[Xebsball]

GDA has orgasmic pleasure mocking tubby people

[dezhen2001]

im sure ur a diamond geezer :D
Xebs: i almost had to spit our my drink of water there when i read that :eek:

dawood

[Serpent]

Originally posted by dezhen2001
im sure ur a diamond geezer :D


I do me best.

[Merryprankster]

Actually, crock-pots are excellent for a busy cook. I don't actually own one myself, but then, I have a stove and an oven, and if I need a "crock pot," I just toss my stew/braise/what-have-you in the oven on low and let it do its thing overnight, vice a very specific tool like a crock pot.


A crock pot is, however, a massively useful thing. It turns out soups, stews, and braises very, very easily. A few cuts you might wish to consider for use in a crock pot--FWIW, all of these cuts are inexpensive because wet cooking like this is designed for meats heavy in connective tissue, which breaks down and lends body, flavor, moistness to the dish. They do, however, make awful steaks.

Beef-
Stay away from: Anything labeled rib eye, anything-loin, anything strip, anything flat-iron. These are good eating but will be expensive and ruined by braising. They will become dry and tasteless. Do not use skirt, hanger or flank steak for braises unless you enjoy sawdust like textures, and want to bring back odd memories of eating pencil shavings as a child. Also stay away from anything labeled round. This is a popular roast for many people for braising, and I find this sort of mystifying. Round roasts of any sort are lean with little connective tissue. Nice for rare roast beef you can make VERY thin slices out of and serve as a sandwich. Horrible for braising. Do not use "stew meat." You have no idea what you are getting, and it is usually more expensive than buying a good roast and cutting it up yourself.

DO use--Chuck, short ribs, shins, brisket, oxtail. Chuck is the most readily availabe and usually pretty cheap. Short ribs and oxtail can also be cheap depending on availability, but chuck is sort of my "standby." I always have one laying around in the freezer. Brisket tends to be a bit more expensive, and a little more lean. It's the same cut classic corned beef is made from. It also requires a bit more attention, so it may not be suitable for your schedule.

Pork-

Don't use any type of loin anything, no pork chops. Country ribs can be used, but are sometimes too dry for just walking away from. I like boston butt the best. It's got plenty of fat and can take benign neglect quite well. It's also fantastically cheap. Just slap in in the crock pot and let it do its thing. If you're making a stew or chili or something, you may wish to stop the cooking before it falls apart completely... but there is another, wonderful use for boston butt: Pulled pork sandwiches. A little salt and pepper, throw the butt in the crock pot, and let it cook to death. When you come back, pull it out and coarsely shred it. Grab some hamburger buns and some of your favorite barbeque sauce and you're in business. I like mine with coleslaw on the sandwich and a vinegar based sauce, but that's up to you :D.

Lamb-

You have to be kind of careful with Lamb. The fat has a VERY strong flavor, and it has a very heavy, greasy mouth feel. Drinking ice cold water with a lamb dish is a bad idea. The fat congeals on the tongue. It's a bad idea, IME. Trim the meat fairly carefully. Breast and leg of lamb are both pretty good. It's hard to find other cuts anyway. If you like the flavor, go with the slightly purplish older lamb. It's almost mutton, but it's a little cheaper, usually.

Root vegetables stand up to long term braising well, and canned stocks are not too bad for standby work. Poultry makes crap braises, as does any sort of seafood. Although, squid can actually take a beating. However, since I don't like fish much, you won't catch me making it.

[guohuen]

Very good advice. (I'd know. I'm a chef.)
MP has done his homework.

[IronFist]

MP: Thanks for the instruction! We'll see if I buy a crock pot. How much do they cost? I'm not usually one for stews, though. How much stew would it take to get 600-800 calories?

Next question, what's a "braise?"

Thanks :)

IronFist

[Merryprankster]

Iron, not as much stew as you might think. Getting 600-800 cals should be fairly simple. Plenty Potatoes and good meat and some bread with butter and you're looking fine. Remember that fats add calories quickly. Heck, make a side salad and use one tablespoon of oil in the dressing and you're looking at 120 cals added right there.

Crockpots vary in price. I really don't know what they go for.

A braise is just cooking in liquid over an extended period of time. Vindaloos, chili, stews, pot roast, tangines, adobos...they're all just braises, really, with a bit more liquid. A casserole is essentially a stew and a starch. Shepherds pie anyone?

The best thing about them is they keep well--they stand up to constant reheating. Make a huge batch and leave it in the fridge and you'll get good meals for a bit. As opposed, to say, stirfry.

Take something like chili--make it, serve it over/with potatoes, rice, pasta (cincinatti anyone?) add some cheese and some sour cream... You're looking at a quick meal with loads of calories. Or use some tortillas, etc. I think you get the idea.

[fa_jing]

You can use the crockpot to make pinto or red kidney bean, too.

The best thing is, you won't burn down the dormitory as it is electrically heated. :)

[IronFist]

Cool, but I'm in an apartment so I get my own stove :)

IronFist

[SevenStar]

cincinatti 5 way chilli is awesome. my mom's side of the family is in cincinatti, and I make it a point to hit skyway chilli every time I go.

[Merryprankster]

Cincinatti chili, while excellent, should not be entitled to the name "chili." That's blasphemy!