The Health, Wellness, weight loss, and fitness thread

[Jwar]

Can't tell if serious. LOL

So in general, the ripped dudes that want liver support are using it as PCT. So yes, there is a connection. They just got off a cycle of oral steroids and want to make sure their liver isn't fucked.

For me though, I use TRT (hormone therapy) prescribed by a doctor, so that isn't likely the case. I've never heard of testosterone elevating your enzymes. Anything is possible though, who knows.

My guess is that it's because I taking a LOT of anxiety meds due to stress and gained 30lbs in less than a month. My body went ape shit after I was done with my cut diet. So I'm going to guess that's pretty taxing on your organ systems.

It's actually made me start debating how long I want to compete. I love lifting and being healthy, but if I'm not healthy and it's from Bodybuilding, well, then what's the point? I don't want to look amazing and die young. That's just silly. At least to me it is. I have 3 kids. I want to be around to see them grow old and have their own kids.

My doctor said today to not worry. He said my enzymes weren't that bad. I told him in passing that I was beside myself because of that and that's when he told me to be happy and not to worry. Great doctor man.

I'm taking a few days off from lifting, enjoying the holidays and destressing. Stress is the silent killer afterall.

[gunslinger_burrito]

Good to hear

I don't really follow any modern bodybuilding, but imo the older ("golden era") guys looked better. Some of the new guys just look so fucking crazy. I know you competed in a natural circuit, right? Even in some of the oooooold pictures of Arnold when he was really young, he's still really huge. Before he tried steroids. I think that those body types look better than the super huge, paper-thin skin guys. I guess my point is that it seems like the newer generations put their bodies through a lot more shit than they used to.
-two cents-

Maybe you could get into strength-oriented competition, where you wouldn't have to cut? I think oly lifters look pretty cool myself. Dmitry Klokov comes to mind...

[Jwar]

Sorry I missed your post earlier.

So did I compete naturally? Well that's kind of a double edged sword there. LOL! To be natural in my mind, it would be without the aid of any supplements or anything else. IE all diet and working out. I don't know ANYONE that does that. Even the guys that are doing natural shows don't. They still use a TON of shit that's just not on the huge list of no no's.

For me, I wasn't permitted to compete naturally. What I mean is this. I was feeling all fucked up about a year ago, went to figure out what the fuck was wrong with me. Had a whole mess of tests and the doc concluded all my issues were coming from low testosterone. So we discussed my options, and decided together that the test shot was the best way to go for the time being. Especially since I have young girls, creams were out of the question.

So I started hormone treatment and was naive or maybe stupid, I don't know, to think they'd let me still compete naturally. NOPE. Since I needed test shots to normalize me, I was disqualified to compete in so called natural bodybuilding. I was forced to compete in the untested side, which made me very fearful. You know since a lot of those guys are on gear and have been using for a long, long time. So they would have a advantage or so I thought.

When I stepped on stage I looked better than everyone else. Why? Well, apparently I'm built the right way for bodybuilding and am a lot bigger than I thought. When I started taking test shots, it made my levels go from 300 (which is super low) to 1000 (which is what a 18 year old male would have or a they may have a bit higher). So I felt fantastic and gained muscle mass like fucking crazy! I swear I gained 10lbs of muscle in like 6 months. Insane.

I was pretty jaded about the whole thing and angry about not being able to compete in the natural federations. Then this year I decided, fuck them. They all suck. I talked to judges and competitors and all of them are a bunch of non humble dicks. Plus a ton of the competitors are just liars and using shit and still getting away with it. Ridiculous. So I decided to stick with the NPC for as long as I compete.

I have been doing strength lifts lately! I hit 300 lbs on incline bench press today! I was really happy!!! I've been working my ass off on getting my bench numbers up. I've never been strong at bench, but could squat a shit ton (like 550, which is a lot for me. LOL). My deadlifts suck ass though, but I can row 225? I don't get it. My body is a weird asshole.

Anyway...yea. I hope that all makes sense??

[gunslinger_burrito]

Totally makes sense. I recall you posting about the testosterone treatments and such. The whole modern bodybuilding industry seems pretty crazy to me. I don't think that testosterone treatment should be looked down on unless someone's levels are insanely high. Especially when it comes to aging. When I get into my 40s and 50s I'd totally supplement with something if my levels get low. Because, you know....having energy and stuff seems like a nice thing.

As far as supplements, I just stick to nutrient-based stuff like minerals and aminos, and creatine. I was on the fence about creatine (just because I was being a purist) but since it's something that your body produces, and by taking it you're basically sparing your body's amino acid reserves, I figured "what the hell?" And it's been treating me right. Plus I'm not bodybulding, I'm just looking to get as strong as possible in gymnastic strength. And if I can get the money to go to a gym that has the space for it, I'd like to learn olympic lifting.

[gunslinger_burrito]

(copied and pasted from my facebook......)

This is a long and possibly boring post about diet and ethics regarding sustainability and such, but I'm curious what your experiences and knowledge are. I'm going to pick your brains, if you'd like to indulge me.

I've been thinking about changing my diet, maybe drastically, for a handful of reasons/goals, being:

A: Overall health, meaning improved athletic recovery, better sleep, more energy and more EVEN energy.

B: Sustainability and environmental factors. I'd like to "walk the talk," or put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. I'm not going to turn into a militant vegan or something, because I'd like to promote personal freedom, but personally, I'd like to feel like I'm not contributing to big problems if that's at all possible in this crazy, ass-backwards society we're stuck in at the moment.

C: Cost. I would not only like to, but NEED to reduce my cost of living unless I somehow manage to make more money on a regular basis (which is not in the foreseeable near future)

I've been researching the hell out of extremely low-carb (ketogenic or some sort of modified ketogenic) diets, mostly because there seems to be a significant amount of research showing a slew of health benefits. However, I'm on the fence because I'm not so sure that maintaining my current meat intake falls in line with being "sustainable and environmentally-conscious." To this effect I'm looking into insect-based protein (cricket flour, etc)

The other option is to not go vegetarian, but to replace a significant chunk of my protein intake with plant sources. The drawback here is that I'd likely have to go higher in carbohydrates, which, unless you can cite good sources tot he contrary, would keep me from reaping the rewards of a more ketogenic diet.

Thoughts?

[Jwar]

Carbs are NOT your enemy. It's all about insulin sensitivity. If you shovel in shit simple carbs, you are going to spike like crazy, if you take in complex carbs, your body will have a much better reaction. I try to ONLY eat complex carbs unless it's during and after a workout. I'm not perfect though, especially right now. I'm in a bulk though. So I need food. lol.

I actually had to stop protein for awhile and I'm soooooooooooo glad I did. My fucking liver was super elevated and I kicked protein and a fuck ton of supps. Got my blood work back the other day, my enzymes dropped a 100 points! Fucking whey protein is fucking my gut ups and shit! It sucks ass!! I hate to say it, but I may not take it anymore. I've been using Garden of Life Raw and it makes me feel so much better. It sucks because I want to use it as I'm sponsored, but what I can I do? I think I have a intolerance after all these years. Which is nuts. Fucking stupid.

[Jwar]

UGH! My fucking labtop posted before I was done! Anyway, I don't like keto diets. Infact I hate them. They are a last ditch effort for me to lose fat. You sacrifice too much muscle mass IMO with no carbs. I think that you need them unless your supplementing with a keto replacement powder, which there aren't many I'd refer you to because they are too new. Beta Hydroxybutrate is something you may want to look into though. Couple that with MTC oil and you have a replacement energy source for carbs that your body will actually respond to.

Eating cheap is a bitch. I end up just doing what I can. That's all anyone can do. I'm a bodybuilder and nothing is cheap. My food, supps, clothes, blah, blah, blah. Trying to be healthy is a bitch.


OH! On an unrelated note. Have any of you read my blog?? I'd really love feedback! I just started like 2 months ago I think. I post every Wed. It's at customfitnessconsulting.com/blog

Only one blog on there wasn't written by me.

[gunslinger_burrito]

Thanks as always dude

One big reason I'm looking into this is because I'm just tired too often. I'm going to reduce my training volume or frequency and try to listen to my body more, but I've been wondering if a dietary change would help. I've been higher carb than usual lately, only eating simpler carbs in the couple hours or so right after a hard workout. The rest of the time it's mostly sweet potatoes, veggies and buckwheat. I'm already skinny, so I don't really need to worry about fat loss (although my abs are not really visible at all ).

IF I do try out a keto diet, it'll be a moderate one. Mark Sisson (the Primal-lifestyle guy....) was on Joe Rogan's podcast recently and he was recommending staying under 150-200 grams of carbs a day (for more athletic people) whereas a lot of keto pages on the internet say to stay under 30!!!

Also, a lot of what I'm coming across regarding muscle "loss," isn't actually muscle loss. Sisson was talking about how eating more carbs makes you retain more water, and so when people cut out carbs to "cut-up or get ripped" they're really just dehydrating themselves. At least that what he said.

Years and years ago I did a keto diet while weight training, and while I didn't really see faster gains than before it, my energy didn't really seem to suffer. I just immediately started eating a lot more fat. I just got tired of trying to eat out and having to order weird shit, and seeing people's sandwiches and pasta a whatnot

Edit: I'm not trying to promote Mark Sisson's ideas, I just thought they were interesting. Here's the link if anyone wants 3 hours of diet talk.....
http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/mark-sisson

As to food intolerance, I didn't get allergic to dairy until I did that^^^^ and was getting a LOT of whey, cottage cheese, cream, etc. Now I just do olive and coconut oil, a lot of nuts, eggs, etc. I've read in multiple places how bodybuilders often develop food intolerances because they eat SO MUCH of particular foods. Variety seems to remain king.

I'll check out the blog!

[ChetMagongalo]

I've started going to the gym 3 times a week, I'm a couple weeks into a starting strength program I'm doing with my roommate. It's fun! And I get to feel okay about eating ice cream

[decomposing]

I'll be the conspiracy guy I guess.
Has fluoride been discussed yet?
I've been getting reverse osmosis'd water to remove heavy metals and seems like it's been for the better.

But getting back to basics because of my allergies too.
Which I think are part my fault from being vegetarian and not eating properly for a longtime.
All veggie meats are wheat gluten based. And I used to drink way too much milk when I was young.
So pretty much just organic chickpeas, spinach, soybeans and fruit/veggies.
Some organic olive oil.
And my lifeblood, Louisiana hot sauce.
Some chips if they're simple ingredients like kettle.
And whiskey and Florida's natural OJ.
Kind of defeats some of it, but you can only do so much.
AMIRIGHT?

but need to start exercising again.
did some pushups the other night.
just need to stay on it.

[aens_wife]

OK. I am back on it. I have to lose about 30 lbs, I think. My hormones are all messed up and I feel like shit most of the time. Since our health insurance is garbage, I am going to try to take care of myself better and hope that fixes some issues bc we cannot afford lots of testing by medical professionals.

In other news, I hate that I can't go to the doctor even though I pay $300 a month for insurance. Sigh.

[decomposing]

I haven't had insurance, or credit for that matter, in so long now
I live as proactively as possible for my health and immediate financial needs
freeing in a way and terrifying in others
good luck to all
and
EAT ORGANIC
whenever possible

[decomposing]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTAhSJt_8x8[/youtube]

[gunslinger_burrito]

I'll be the conspiracy guy I guess.
Has fluoride been discussed yet?
I've been getting reverse osmosis'd water to remove heavy metals and seems like it's been for the better.

But getting back to basics because of my allergies too.
Which I think are part my fault from being vegetarian and not eating properly for a longtime.
All veggie meats are wheat gluten based. And I used to drink way too much milk when I was young.
So pretty much just organic chickpeas, spinach, soybeans and fruit/veggies.
Some organic olive oil.
And my lifeblood, Louisiana hot sauce.
Some chips if they're simple ingredients like kettle.
And whiskey and Florida's natural OJ.
Kind of defeats some of it, but you can only do so much.
AMIRIGHT?

but need to start exercising again.
did some pushups the other night.
just need to stay on it.

When you go to the dentist and he/she uses flouride, have you noticed how you're not supposed to swallow it? They have that little vacuum going on in your mouth.... At least that's what I remember. To touch on what aens_wife said about not being able to afford stuff....I haven't been to the dentist in a long while. I avoid sugar pretty hard though and floss and pick my teeth regularly. I've also heard (not confirmed) that the flouride dentists use is a different grade than the stuff they dump in the water supply.

Things you can add to your diet that are cheap and good
Quinoa and buckwheat (both are complete proteins)
Lentils
Nuts. All kinds of nuts.
Avocados.

[D.o.S.]

OH! On an unrelated note. Have any of you read my blog?? I'd really love feedback! I just started like 2 months ago I think. I post every Wed. It's at customfitnessconsulting.com/blog

Only one blog on there wasn't written by me.

Lots of really jacked people on that website. Here's a link that works:
http://www.customfitnessconsulting.com/blog

First bit of constructive feedback: I would get everyone using the same formatting, which means that you probably want everyone to run what they write through a clean tex block (I like http://cleantext.org/ ) before they post stuff to the blog. Also tell Amanda to embrace paragraphs.