rackham

People with huge upper bodies and twig legs... never gets old!

Well, since my advice to anybody trying to lose weight is to count their calories, I don't advocate cutting carbs in any fashion. I lost 16 pounds in 2 months (that's the upper limit for safe weight loss) and ate tons of carbs the whole time. Like I said, I don't think people should be skimping on essential meals just because they're trying to lose some weight.

True, I misread the original post. I was thinking more of doing cardio on different days.

Umm... elites... what are you talking about? Skim milk *is* a great source of protein and is NOT "just a great source of fat". Skim milk - Fat 0g Carb 12g Protein 8g

n/m I hope you find happiness. I really think you can have it, no matter what size you are.

I only ordered 5lbs to test, so we'll see how it goes... I don't seem to mind the chalky taste of protein powder as much as most people I've met!

Okay, just as long as you understand that the price difference may actually make sense.

Have you ever had sushi? There's a world of difference between $50 sushi and $10 sushi. This is no different.

It's not "just steak"... those cows are given a royal treatment and the taste is apparently quite unique.

If you are lifting weights correctly, 0.8-1g per pound is a good target for anybody.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artkobebeef.html

You must have a horrible boyfriend.

I promise I won't get that crazy.

Well, according to this study, the protein you consume BEFORE working out is actually more important, so you might want to focus on that instead. I'm learning a lot today!!! P.S. This study says that "Phenylalanine disappearance rate [is] an indicator of muscle protein synthesis from blood amino acids," which explains why the researchers in the previous study listed it separately. The 4-fold increase in leg fractional extraction of phenylalanine probably references the disappearance rate, meaning that protein was being synthesized that much faster.

I'm also finding many studies showing the value of high-glycemic carbs before, during, and after a workout, but I'll spare you all the mumbo-jumbo. They basically say that carbs improve training capacity, recovery time, and subsequent performance. This is actually making me think I should sip on a Gatorade or something during my workouts... hmm...

Power rack: Avoid Bowflex like the plague. It has a limited number of exercises with absolutely no way to branch out. That applies to ANY home gym. Free weights are the only way to go!

English translation (as I understand it): If you take a protein shake immediately following exercise, 2 hours later you will have: - 33% more essential amino acids - 400% more phenylalanine (a particular essential amino acid that enhances mood and sexual function, among other things) in the worked bodypart - 350% more glucose in the worked bodypart - 600% more protein in the worked bodypart - 15% more protein in the body overall. Meanwhile, not consuming a protein shake results in a net LOSS of amino acids and protein that time period. Seems pretty desireable to me.

Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002 May;34(5):828-37 (ISSN: 0195-9131) Levenhagen DK; Carr C; Carlson MG; Maron DJ; Borel MJ; Flakoll PJ Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. PURPOSE: Exercise increases the use of amino acids for glucose production and stimulates the oxidation of amino acids and other substrates to provide ATP for muscular contraction, and thus the availability of amino acids and energy for postexercise muscle protein synthesis may be limiting. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of postexercise nutrient intake to enhance the recovery of whole-body and skeletal muscle protein homeostasis in humans. METHODS: Primed-continuous infusions of L-[1-13C]leucine and L-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine were initiated in the antecubital vein and blood was sampled from a femoral vein and a heated (arterialized) hand vein. Each study consisted of a 30-min basal, a 60-min exercise (bicycle at 60% VO2max), and a 180-min recovery period. Five men and five women were studied three times with an oral supplement administered immediately following exercise in random order: NO = 0, 0, 0; SUPP = 0, 8, 3; or SUPP+PRO = 10, 8, 3 g of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to NO, SUPP did not alter leg or whole-body protein homeostasis during the recovery period. In contrast, SUPP+PRO increased plasma essential amino acids 33%, leg fractional extraction of phenylalanine 4-fold, leg uptake of glucose 3.5-fold, and leg and whole-body protein synthesis 6-fold and 15%, respectively. Whereas postexercise intake of either NO or SUPP resulted in a net leg release of essential amino acids and net loss of whole-body and leg protein, SUPP+PRO resulted in a net leg uptake of essential amino acids and net whole-body and leg protein gain. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the availability of amino acids is more important than the availability of energy for postexercise repair and synthesis of muscle proteins.

I'm jealous. Hope it was your refeeding day!

I don't like doing cardio on machines; I get too bored. I like to run outside. If I have to be inside, I like to use bikes because I can read at the same time.

Power cage Adjustable bench Olympic bar Weights as needed You should be able to get a perfectly respectable workout with just these items.

Not significantly, if done in moderation. No. In fact, if you're trying to lose weight, you'll burn more calories with interval training, which takes much less time and definitely doesn't keep you in the so-called "fat-burning" range. It depends. Some people even gain muscle while losing fat, but you shouldn't count on it. You're doing the right thing by continuing to lift. Also, aiming for no more than 1-2lbs of weight loss a week (approx. 12x your bodyweight in calories a day) will help you keep your muscle. More than that and you're much more likely to lose muscle. Congrats on your progress so far, and good luck!

There is no reason why a person should not consume a *reasonable* amount of carbs immediately after a workout. It's been shown to make lifting significantly more effective. If a person is dieting, they should be watching their overall calorie intake, not cutting out essential meals. People these days treat carbs like the devil, the same way it used to be with fat. It's about CALORIES, people -- plain and simple!

You should ALWAYS take in carbs after lifting weights. Your muscles need to restock as ASAP!

He has his shirt off in the pic.