Re:
Expanding on Warboss Alex's post...
1) To get bigger, to add more "cells", and therefore mass of some kind, you MUST eat more. Are we in agreement on this?
2) Then it begs the question, how much? Well, as stated before, it isn't a precise number. It can't be. The energy equation, simple as it is, could really only be solved if we were hooked to machines all day measuring each movement and the calories burned as a result. Yet, if we reason that 3500 calories - 1 pound, then we can eat 3500 a day, OR, 500 per day for 7 days. Generally people don't grow because they eat only a moderate amount above their required maintenance, say 200, which would take 17.5 days to add one pound, and that assumes your activity is 100% constant during those days. To do that, you'd have to be living in a cage, or a bubble. So we build a margin of safety into how many extra we consume for the extra energy needed to support recovery, growth, and new muscle once it appears.
3) Where should you take these calories from? If your need to build a foundation of a home, do you get tons of wood, dirt, cement, rebar, what? You get the component you need to build the extra support you require. If you add a room to your home, you don't go get straw, or leaves. You get the components necessary to BUILD that additional muscle. Is it carbs? Is it fat? Is it protein? I'm going with Protein, something I didn't do in my early years.
4). When you get the protein, then you try to figure well, if I eat a diet based ONLY on carbs, what happens? What happens if its only fat, if thats even possible? What happens if its only protein?
Well carb only leads to obesity and muscle loss, even a diet with a majority of calories derived from carbs will cause such things. Don't think so, find me someone who downs more than 50% carbs, and let me know their BF% and their weight. Complex or simple sugars aside, the body doesn't derive much benefit beyond quick energy and some basic vitamins and minerals. There aren't REQUIRED sugars, but there sure are REQUIRED fats and REQUIRED amino acids.
And a protein only diet or excessive protein, beyond atkins or close to it, leads to protein poisoning. Some symptoms would be diarrhea, nausea, lack of fullness, etc. Such things can be found in the Paleolithic diet book for Athletes. Even then PROTEIN only forgets totally about how fats contribute to hormones, and that during strength training workouts, you do need SUGAR from the body to convert quickly to energy so you can push yourself. We don't have time to weight for 9 calories of fat to convert to energy; that's slow activity stuff, like walking, living, sleeping etc. That's why you have bodyfat to begin with. If you're not dropping bodyweight, a few things are wrong...
1) you're eating too many calories
2) not enough activity to create a burn below your maintenance levels
3) excessive carbs; you're still storing carbs as fat, and not burning fat as energy, drop carbs down to 25% of calories per day or less
4) not enough calories, too low or too high and you're screwed. only diet initially about 250 below maintenance calories, or the body will think its starving. it truly doesn't want to lose weight, but it WILL if you trick it into thinking you're ok in your external environment. that comes with still eating sufficient food and getting your fats. if it thinks that, then it will continute to operate as if everything is ok.
And lastly, I'm not sure you can find 100% fat in existence without it being manufactured, like Crisco. And if you could, it wouldn't be very appetizing. Also, you'd miss out on the amino acids needed.
I can't fathom why a diet like TUrkey burgers, eggs, cottage cheese, protein powder, fish, steak, meats (not sausage, who knows what's in it, though I do indulge once in awhile @ fenway), chicken, with vegetables, salad, some fruits, ISN'T better than what other people propose. You see...it might seem unfathomable to move up from 1 tuna fish sandwish, to 2, but it is definately possible, is a MUST. The BODY FOR LIFE PROGRAM, might work ok to dump weight, but a good piece of that weight WILL be muscle, too. Oh sure, you'll decrease in pant sizes, and weight, and so will you too in muscle. 30g per meal might be ok for maintenance @ 180, but for someone who wants to sling around big weight, to do 20 rep squats, and 15 reps deads, and have big arms, little protein amounts won't count.
People can reference all the stuff they want about cattle and dinosaurs, but first off, they're DIFFERENT than humans. Second, they're built different genetically. Third, their internal organs are different and digest food different. Those ALONE are enough to suggest our dietary intake is different. Vegetarian bodybuilders are more the excetion THAN THE NORM, and alot of athletes interviewed will disclose their eating program, minus the supplements, unless its a magazine they're getting paid for it in.
I've been eating 30g per meal since 18 roughly, and only started gaining anything when I upped my protein to 1.5g to 2.g. I also recovered better, decreasing the days I was sore from 4/5 to about 2/3. I feel full. I look forward to my meals. I eat more completely. And don't worry that I wasted a workout by not eating properly afterward. Food is everything when it comes to any progress made. Most people I know not making progress think they will in due time fool themselves by owning 1 tub of protein and having the recommended amount once perday. I'm sure other guys buy more than I do, but I alot 60g per shake, and have 1 5lb tub of optimum nutrition and 1 2.5 lb of muscle milk. I like them both for price, components, and taste. You can pick which ever you want to buy and consume. But if you're paying for the protein shake, get more than 30g. And 60g doesn't taste any different than 30g, it just takes more water and 1 more minute to drink. If you've never done it that big, it might take more time to adjust, but most people can do it over time. And if you're cramping, or going the bathroom, or farting, eat some carbs with it, or fat. I get muscle milk with optimum nutrition b/c the muscle milk has about 18 g of fat in 2 scoops, and normally I use 1.5 scoops. Never have problems with the digestion. I feel great, and full.
You guys can do whatever you want. The ones who post here in this forum, post their experiences, good or bad, in the hopes you can refine them to your own program. But, if you're NOT planning good health, by negligence, you're PLANNING POOR health.
Sorry for the hijack, Alex. Nice thread, brotha.
A-Unit
