redgirl1974's Journal, 06 September 2015

Glad you had a good time! 

Glad you had fun. It's always good to take a break every now and then. The only thing I would recommend for working out is to make sure you get enough protein. There are different thoughts on how much to take in. I would suggest researching it and deciding fot yourself. I found out that if I eat more than 80 grams of protein it would knock me out of ketosis. It's one of the reasons why I'm not on a ketogenic diet. 

i read that too CH about too much protein. I'm trying to figure out my macros and so far I came up with 1905 cal./25 net carbs/147g of fat and 120g of protein but I'm worried about that being too much protein and then if I add a powder, what would that do?? Imma play with it this week and just wrote my weekly shopping list based off induction and I planned to order some supplements off the interwebs and give it go but I wanted to get everyone's input 1st.. Im also thinking Im over thinking this too much bc Ive never worried about macros before and always just counted my net carbs and seemed to do fine.. bahaha  

I had way too many adult beverages last night also at a fish fry! Didn't do too bad with food, but the empty calories from beer didn't do me well! Oh well, starting over today. 

IMHO, you should only be using the protein supplement to "supplement" any lack of dietary protein. I've been too heavy on the per meal protein as of late so I've cut back my breakfast sausage and now I'm back into a comfortable level. Most WPC/WPI (Whey Protein Concentrate / Whey Protein Isolate) are 25g/serving. If you're looking to stay under or around 100g/day of protein AND use a protein shake post-workout, you'll need to subtract that 25g from your other meals, or account for it some how through out the day. For me, I couldn't cook a 25g protein pork/sausage patty and actually save it for post-workout. I would laugh myself silly thinking I could of saved that, so I'm eating less during the day and having a 25g of WPC post workout. One thing I learning as of recent is that different protein sources are broken down, absorbed and are bio-available at different rates; way too confusing right now to graph out right now to figure optimal protein source in take. On the subject of supplements, there is a lot of options out there. They get divided into two categories, Pre & Post. For the PreWorkout, you're going to have an energy source like Caffiene, and vasodilators & NO (Nitric Oxide) enhancers/helpers like Vit-D and amino acids like L-Arginine and L-Citrulline, and BCAAs. Up regulated NO allows your veins to 'soften/widen' so a greater volume of blood can flow to your muscles and it reduces your blood pressure too. I can tell when the PreWorkout kicks in; I get this reassuring pat on the back and a voice in my head that tells me that I'm ready. The big goal for PreWorkouts is to give you energy & to get the blood flowing less obstructed then when you're resting, etc.. Post Workouts will mainly be a dose of protein and additional BCAAs (These amino acids are broken down in the muscles and have an anabolic/anti-catabolic effect on them; ie, they cause muscles to grow if needed and not to break them down for energy). You'll also find creatine (Pre, Post & on off days) to be essential for repairing and growing your muscles. There are other supplements in Pre & Posts too; some are semi-questionable as to their actual benefit, some have been studied at length and there is good science behind their use. I have 8 supplements in my PreWorkout and 5 (incl WPC) in my PostWorkout. Take a look at your protein shake you've got and any supplements you buy and read all the ingredients, especially the "Other Ingredients" and ask yourself if you're ok with things such as Magnesium Stearate, Artificial Flavors, FD&C Red #40, Maltodextrin, Soluble Corn Fiber, Sucrolose, etc.. We're trying to eat clean right? Why can't we insist that the supplements be 'clean' as well? I ended up buying all my supplement components separately and mixing them myself. It's not as easy as I thought it was going to be, but my pay off is that It's a bit cheaper then the cost to buy them already mixed AND with the added benefit that there isn't anything artificial in them. My previous few journals show the different powders I'm using, it may be a little bit overboard, but it's a huge learning experience for me. I'm owning that part of my development. You won't 'bulk' up by taking supplements, you've got to progressively overload your lifts, a lot, if you want to stimulate large muscle growth. I'm trying to bulk if possible, at a minimum maintain my lean muscle mass as I loose; I'd hate to try and add back to it once I get to a goal weight. If you're up for it, feel free to add me on Bodyspace 'FrostyHeimdall' (no space). Good luck with your lifts, keep us updated on your progress here or on Bodyspace! 

What Frosty said....LOL LOL LOL! 

And, I had a couple adult beverages today at the ball game. It was very hot and humid...that's my story and I am sticking to it! 

@Frosty Would a warm-up have a similar effect to the NO enhancers in increasing blood flow? 

I make fat bombs and have begun adding some non flavored NOW whey protein because I was short some days on it but It is not a full serving for a single fat bomb just one serving of WPI for an entire recipe that makes (8) 2 tbsp or (16) 1 tbsp servings.  

I am fairly sure I am not ready for all that Frosty has put into his supplements. WTG for you Frosty that looks and sounds like an undertaking. 

Hey i am on BB.com,, I am doing Jaimie eason 12 week plan,, friend me please, I am still learning to navigate the site but like it .. I don't plan on doing supplements,, I am not lifting that darn heavy ,, just trying to tone up build some muscle and get strong . its really boosted my weight loss even just 1 week . 

You know know I think sometimes it actually helps to do that you know we are human and social :)  

@hedij123 - Working out raises the NO level in the blood, I imagine that warming up does too, but to a lesser extent. Supplementing the NO or at least the precursor's to NO have the affect of widening/unrestricting the blood flow before you get to those high levels of workout intensity. The overall healthy goal is to have higher NO levels all the time, not just during a workout as there are other benefits that can be gained from it. There are foods (ginseng, gse, garlic) and activities (sun, laughter) that also raise the NO levels. Load up google and search for these words "anabolicmen boost nitric oxide naturally". Most, if not all, of their conclusions are based off of research and studies that are linked at each point. // @Pterath - That WPI has a proper BCAA profile with no additives! I'm a fan of WPC over WPI but there sure doesn't appear to be any adulteration going on with NOW's WPI. 

doh.. One thing I forgot to mention was that I'm by no means an expert in any of this. Everything I share here or IRL is just what I've learned to this point. I do not enjoy nor endorse the broscience approach to diet/weight loss/metabolism/lifting/etc.. If it's not in a study or based off of research I give it less credit than stuff that has been studied more in depth. I'm a autotelic nerd at heart so most things fascinate me and the more I can dig into something and understand it the more rewarding it is for me and we pursue what rewards us 

Great, thanks. It's good to have a nerd around! 😀 

i love nerds.. Thanks frosty for the insight...SO i want to buy some stuff but not sure where to start... I was thinking aminos for pre work out and whey for post. I already do the post whey but was thinking in investing in Isopure, which is low carb/zero carb amino powder and protein whey.. As a beginner, do I need anything else in your opinion?I've done whey for about 3 weeks now BUT my concern is too much protein will stall ketosis..however I haven't seen that happen yet BUT , i haven't really been watching macros or even interested in them till now. I've been working with a trainer for a month now and just took it up a notch this week and my trainer tells me to add this and that with no regard to my low carb lifestyle. I just want to do it right.  

For PreWorkout - Just found one that meets everything I'm aiming for (No GMO, carbs, sweeteners, artificial colors or flavors, proprietary formulas, ACE-K, etc...), via Amazon/Google search for "ALTIUS Pre-Workout Supplement - Naturally Sweetened". It's on the costly side of about $2/workout; maybe only use 1/2 a serving (weigh it out on a food scale)? We pay more for quality and less fillers, it's the nature of the business. I'm sure that there are others out there, just not so well organized as those that contain fillers and unnecessary additives. At a minimum, you should have something with caffeine & creatine in it. If there were some BCAAs in it, it would seal the deal for me. Your post workout has BCAAs though and you can even pill supplement those if you need. Like protein though, you get a lot of BCAAs via your dietary intake of protein. I tend to workout in a fasted state, so my system is void of things like BCAAs, I would just add them via power or pill separately. // For Protein supplements, there are differences between WPC & WPI that go beyond their protein content and how bio-available they are. Lactose issues? Choose WPI, it's more processed and the lactose is 99.999% removed. Money Issues? Choose WPC, it's less processed which will cost less to manufacture. Insulin issues? Choose WPC, WPI is more rapidly absorbed and will cause a greater insulin response. Need quick absorbing protein? Choose WPI, there is less to digest and it's quicker acting. If unadulterated, WPC has about about 5g carbs (My ProMix that I use has 2g) and WPI < 1g carbs. WPC has added benefits to your immune system (Cysteine, Lactoferrin & Immunoglobulins) and the inclusion of natural MCTs. I'm not trying to convince or sell you on one or the other, I just want people to know the difference in what they're choosing. /***/ TL;DR - Most PreWorkouts don't by nature don't have any significant level of carbs, they get added by the way of sugar, dextrose and maltodextrin. WPI without added carbs is a solid choice. I also found the mainstream gym community not aware of us Low-Carb Ketoers. I'm very happy so far with what I've found in my carb levels and overall return on the time and effort that I've put into lifting heavy things. Adding a solid pre & post will give you a greater return on your sweat equity that you're putting in at the gym.  

For your pre-workout you can build your own stack for less. You can get 200 mg caffeine pills at Wal-Mart. You can add to that creatine monohydrate of which you should take about 4-5 grams/day. You can add BCAAs. Make sure they are instantized otherwise they will not mix with water. For the BCAAs you should be in the 5-10 gram range for those. You can also get those in capsule form but it's more expensive that way. I go with a 2:1:1 ration of leucine:isoleucine:valine. Leucine is the most important component and there are different ratios. I use a BCAA mix that has artificial sweeteners and fillers. It doesn't really bother me so I mix the creatine in with the BCAAs and use that to wash down the caffeine pill. I am getting some powdered caffeine which I will start using in the morning for a quicker kick. I also use another supplement called HMB (calcium beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate). It has mixed results in trials and seams to be most useful for beginners. I found it helps with post-workout soreness, as in I haven't had any since I started taking it. It's kind of pricey though so do your research and see if it's worth a try. I've also ordered some citrulline malate to see if that shows any benefit. I also have beta alanine and Betaine on order. I'll let you know if I see any difference when I add those in over the next couple of weeks. I still think that whey protein is your best supplement and if cost is a factor then stick with that. You can cheaply add caffeine. The rest is optional. As a beginner you'll probably get sore a lot but you should make quick gains if you put the work in. Have fun! 

Hey Red, check what protein whey you use - the good ones have BCAA's added. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is a great one and you can buy it on line easily.