Fellow newbies please read

zawamj · #1 04-05-2007, 10:43 AM

This is a post about my stupidity, I know I was in the wrong and have punished myself accordingly.

Being a poor college student I am always trying to save a couple bucks. Back home there is a GNC that gives the gold card discount all month long on top of whatever sale is going on. I, being frugal, decided to wait till going home to buy protein. Well, about 3 weeks ago I started rationing so I wouldn't run out. I went from one scoop and some oats pre workout and two scoops post to only the pre and a heck of a lot of breakfast. BAD!!!!! I went from 186 lbs at 16% bf to 181 lbs at 16%bf. Doing a little calculator work, that is going from 155.31 lean body and 30.69 lb fat to 152.04 lean body and 28.96 lb fat.

I'm all about losing body fat, but not with sacrificing that much muscle that fast. Moral to the story is this, the PWO shake is, in my newly formed opinion, one of if not the most important parts of working out. It is so vital to making gains. I wasn't getting the same 'pump,' I was having to lower weight, it was plain ugly. Now two days back with the post shake I feel like I'm climbing back up from a workout backslide, it is simply amazing.

DO NOT RATION THE PROTEIN!!!

richnewton · #2 04-05-2007, 01:30 PM

Most likely the 5 lb difference has to do with water retention or food in your bowels. My weight can vary up to 8 pounds in a day if I happen to weigh myself at high/low points (like right after going to the bathroom or right after eating a massive meal). If you are continuing to train there is absolutely no reason for you to have lost muscle mass simply because of a decrease in the amount of whey protein consumed per day. At most I'll eat about 40g of protein from whey a day. Somedays I don't eat any at all. Unless, of course, there is something horribly wrong with your diet that such a small difference would so severely impact your muscle mass..

Oh and keep in mind whey protein supplements didnt even exist til what, 20 yrs back? And people have been building muscle for a far longer period of time. There is no doubt the PWO shake and protein sups are great for building muscle but they are most definitely not required to prevent muscle loss.

zawamj · #3 04-05-2007, 01:42 PM

Maybe it was mental then? It really felt like, and maybe it was just a correlation, that it had a huge impact. It could be just me though. I guess I could weigh in again and check it all. Anyhow, I still think the PWO shake is still critical.

richnewton · #4 04-05-2007, 03:53 PM

Yeah I was thinking similarly. You might have built it up in your head to where it actually impacted your program and led to the changes in results from your training. So much depends on the mental state you are in while training.. that's why I always try to spend atleast 10 minutes mentally preping myself before working out.

JonAtkins57 · #5 04-05-2007, 04:04 PM

In regards to the PWO shake, I'm doing the 13 weeks fat burning workout routine which consist of 60-90 minutes of weight lifting after which I go do low-intensity cardio for half an hour. I have been drinking my PWO shake after working out then doing the cardio then drinking more protein afterwards... does this make since or should I wait until I'm done with the cardio to take the PWO shake? Thanks in advance.

zawamj · #6 04-05-2007, 05:02 PM

I'm also doing the 13 weeks fat burning workout. I don't know about the timing of the shake in your situation. How is the cardio right after, is it affecting your lifting, getting results faster, anything? Again, my major goal is to get at or below 13%bf, preferably lower, but I think 13 is a good goal for now, so if doing cardio right after helps I am all for it.

T-Gunner · #7 04-05-2007, 10:28 PM

Remember that your PWO shake can still be consumed from normal food such as a large steak and vege's ect. I remember watch Ronnie's DVD (yes I know he is an extreme freak and what not) but he always ate out on the way home from a workout. So if you don't have your PWO shake then just eat normal food high in protein.

Qester · #8 04-06-2007, 04:02 AM

I highly doubt it was due to your protein intake

Axilleus · #9 04-06-2007, 11:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Most likely the 5 lb difference has to do with water retention or food in your bowels. My weight can vary up to 8 pounds in a day if I happen to weigh myself at high/low points (like right after going to the bathroom or right after eating a massive meal).

How true, I used to torture myself about my weight gain/loss on a daily basis until I had this fact pointed out to me.