Good info! Thanks. I think that may just explain why I can eat higher carbs and still lose... which I've often wondered about... especially when I see folks here who can't go higher than 20 or 30. I can still lose at 70 or 100 carbs a day as long as I don't go overboard on calories.

I have never tried to adjust my food intake based on my workout schedule. I've been waiting at least 1 hour both before and after workouts to eat anything. (I do drink water right before and after, though.) And what I've been eating hasn't been targeted at a specific item, like proteins, carbs. etc. Since I still have so much weight to lose, do I really need to change this? I am losing a bit of lean mass as I lose fat and that has me concerned. I know I'll lose some (excess blood vessels, etc.), but I'm hoping to increase the muscle enough to at least maintain LM as I lose the rest of this fat.

Sorry to keep having so many questions, but when you've never been "into" building muscle before...it's like learning a 2nd language and learning a new job at the same time. I've been trying to understand all this since last winter. I think I need a good book to read on it. Any recommendations? Thanks for your help!

It's perfectly normal to lose a LITTLE lean mass when you lose fat, even if you're watching your protein and doing weight training. If you're doing weights properly--and you are--and the lean mass loss is not very much, it is probably due to the water which is lost with the fat. Fat tissue has water in it and that counts as part of your LBM. When the fat breaks down, the water goes away too, so LBM shrinks a little.

As long as you are not losing strength at the weights, IMO your muscle mass is doing fine. If you do start losing strength in the gym, it's possible to stop the LBM loss by upping the calories for a week or two, as long as you're willing to pay the price on the scale. This kind of "resets" your hormones and pretty soon you're ready to blast the diet again.

Emily

Tholian, you always give such great posts.

The "upping the calories" thing is a very good trick, especially if you up your carbs during this time. It always comes at a price, but it's only short term, and it can pay tremendous dividends down the road.

And the cost of cutting is always muscle, no matter what you do. The trick is to minimize it - continuint to lift your heavy weights, in shorter and more concentrated sets, helps. (The old wisdom was to do lighter weights in longer sets to cut up. We now know this can actually catabolize muscle.)

Hey...great thread by the way...I have long held the notion that after I wokout I need some carbs and fat, but it looks like I'll be laying off the carbs after a workout and adding some protein. Is it necessary to eat after I work out every time? Sometimes I can't get to the gym or go running (cardio stuff) until after supper, so just curious if it's okay to eat, or not eat, ya know what I mean. I started to do the HIIT stuff, but found that I just got lazy and ended up not really doing ANY cardio, so now I'm back to running to get rid of excess fat, as well weight training for muscle gain. I'm an endo/meso, so I'm gaining muscle but still holding on to the fat...making me feel even FATTER! AAghhh this is so frustrating but I just need to accept that changes will happen as they come. I also need to work on my diet...I'm doing low carb but am probably consuming too many calories + lc ice cream, which I know is no good. I move out of my parents house in 2 weeks and I VOW not to buy any lc ice cream, unless for a special occasion (bday, etc.) Any words of wisdom or whatever you want to say is much appreciated! Thanks for all your help and attention you give to us all Built! You're great! ~Starkat
P.S. Never heard of any woman taking Creatine...does it enhance your muscle building noticeably?

Well, I finally took the "body type" quiz. I come out a mesomorph each time, even when I answer "borderline" questions differently. But from reading the "characteristics" I am more of an endomorph than meso. I have a heck of a time losing body fat, and can gain weight at the blink of an eye. Maybe I come out a mesomorph because I have small bone structure (my wrist measurement is 5 3/4 inches). I guess all quizzes aren't perfect.

From this website http://www.weightlosscontrol.com/bodytypes.htm I seem to be what they call a


I want to thank Built for starting this thread, and everyone else for the good information they have posted. I have been incorporating it into my workouts the last few weeks and have already noticed a difference.

I've been using a gym semi-regularly since 1998 but have not had any real structure to my workout. I've managed to keep off the 35-40 lbs I lost from my 1996-97 weight of 170+ lbs, however. Now I can get my body into ideal shape. I've been going regularly since school let out at the end of May, started light and built up to where I'm using the highest weights I can with fewer repetitions. I can already see a visible difference in my thighs and my "female pouch" is getting smaller, even though I have not gained or lost any weight. I will tackle the last few pounds when I come back from my vacation to Cancun at the end of July.

Joan

Tagcaver, Starcat - glad you're finding this thread as helpful as I am.

Starcat, yes, I like to get glutamine into me IMMEDIATELY after all training, and slow protein with fat after that.

I DON'T recommend doing cardio after supper unless you wait at least 2 and preferrably 3 hours after eating. I don't do cardio unless EITHER it's after weights, OR it's on a low-carb/keto day, OR it's first thing in the AM, either empty, or with only a small amount of slow protein and fat (single fried egg in butter). Otherwise, you'll just burn off your food. No carbs ever after cardio.

That's me, anyway.

And I love creatine. I don't think it's worth taking until you are really pushing yourself, though. My personal opinion on it is that it's a waste of money otherwise.

I have tried taking it as many ways as I've read about, and since I like to get in a bit of fast pre-workout carb, I take my creatine then. I sometimes take an extra hit by itself after lifting, but I don't take in post-lifting carbs because of fat spillover, so if I do, it's in water. I don't bother with a loading phase though. I got a kidney stone when I did this, although it was my own fault - I didn't drink enough water.

Cheers!

- Built

Tell me more tell me more! Anyone have any tips or words of wisdom for a newbie just starting out? I want to do 3x/week of strength training + 3x/week of cardio..how does that sound? How long do you think it would take to get some results? I'm just sick of my body not changing shape at all..I try so hard and then I get on these eating binges and sabotage myself. It's like in the back of my mind I don't really want to succeed for fear of attention, I don't really know what else?! Any suggestions? Thanks, Starkat

I'll go to your journal.

What are some good examples of "fast protein" and "slow protein"? And when is it best to consume each kind with the goal of building muscle?

Oh, and by the way, my partner, who hasn't seen me since the 1st of July (he was in Florida with his kids visiting family), said to me this morning that I look leaner. Now THAT started my day nicely!

Thanks

Joan

I'll answer here.

Slow protein takes a long time to break down. Whole foods, steak, cottage cheese (casein) are fairly slow proteins.

Whey powder is a FAST protein. It's a powder, you drink it down with water, so basically it's pre-chewed. It goes right in. For me, if I take it after lifting, it tends to glycolyze. It doesn't do this to EVERYBODY, but it does to a lot of low-carbers. Women have trouble with post-lifting carbs, so if my whey is glycolyzing after I lift, it's as if I took in carbs - I get spillover into fat stores. This may not be a problem for ALL women, for ALL low carbers, I just dunno. But it's something to watch for.

I take whey PRE lifting, but slow protein AFTER.

Another vote for Built's whey protein method. I was using whey before and after workout, and was getting very annoyed by blood sugar issues. Axed the post-workout whey, replaced it with cottage cheese--lo and behold, no blood sugar problems.

I think the "problem" with whey protein is that there's no fiber whatsoever. Good for pre-workout, bad for post-workout. At least for me.

No fiber, no fat, micronized particles, and a protein that is quick to digest.

Hi there,
Built, first of all, thanks for starting this thread...it is full of great info that I am going to sift through. I used the link to find that I am Body type--mesomorph.

As far as diet, right now I am just doing lower carbs. I had a ton of success the first time I did the CKD, over 3 yrs ago. I slimmed down a lot. The 2nd time I did it, I didn't have a ton of success and I hated being in the bathroom all weekend.

Lots of great info here and I am going to look into the NHE some more. For exercise, right now I am doing the Slim in 6 program. I want to stick with it for 6 weeks and see its effects and then go from there with a new workout plan. I have done a lot of different heavy lifting before and this is something different I thought I would try.

Anyway, just swinging by to say hey and thanks for starting this thread.

Linda

Not sure if this question belongs here or not but you never know about the differences between the genders.

I know that glutamine helps with muscle recovery. Does it hurt you if you are not taking it?

Glutamine's in practically EVERYTHING. I just like to take extra.