I've bounced around between vegan and vegetarian for the last few years (cheese was always my binge / trigger food since I was a kid, and my medical diet has whey at the moment), and I spent a couple years dieting while vegan. Since it sounds like you're just transitioning towards more of the whole foods thing recently, plus my bland medical diet is making me reminisce about all the great foods I haven't had in way too long, so I'll write this out more exhaustively. A lot of it might be stuff you already know.

I found a shake mix that is great, by Garden of Life. It's basically just dehydrated, powdered sprouts with a touch of cocoa powder on it. You definitely need to like your veggies to enjoy it, as the flavor of the sprouts bleeds through a little, but hey, that was always a plus to me. Great protein, no real junky ingredients, no added sugar, lots of protein, and a good amount of fiber. Drinking a shaker of that and you feel like you had a salad. I always keep a tub of that around the house. I often don't feel like eating breakfast, so I'd have a shake. If MFP said I wasn't meeting my macro goals, I'd have a shake. Only warning is that the texture is a little thicker than most, because it's got a lot of insoluble plant fiber.

For protein, I'm a huge fan of lentils (a legume). Look up daal recipes (Indian food) for a healthy, high-protein meal. Whenever you'd have a grain like rice, quinoa makes a great substitute. It's still carb-y, but it's twice the protein of any rice, and has a good amino acid profile. Also, don't underestimate the sheer amount of green veggies you can get in a day. I often would use a full bag of spinach in a soup or cooked down for one meal, and that's about 10g of protein in about 80 calories. Also, tofu and tempeh all the things. Just such a versatile food. You can add tofu to a shake to make it rich and creamy, you can make it into dessert, you can marinate it, pan cook it, grill it, throw it in soups (miso), etc. It'll taste like anything you do to it. General tso's tofu was a great from-scratch meal to make. Beans are pretty great too. Beans on toast is a very normal British breakfast.

If you're looking for good fats, avocados, nuts, seeds, etc. are great. Avocadoes are great on just about everything. I love throwing sesame seeds in to stir fry meals. Chia seeds are a wonderful addition. 1 oz is 5g protein, 9g good fats, and 12 g carb, but 10 of those are fiber grams. They work great in smoothies to make them really filling. If you've never had chia seeds before, they gel up in water. Cashews or peanuts are used in a number of great Thai recipes. Honestly, just some random nuts or seeds (pumpkin seeds are awesome) work great for this.

So some of these might seem like more calorie heavy foods than you want. That's why the shake is such a nice go-to when you need to fix a day that doesn't have much room left. It's pretty easy to fall into carb traps, so it's nice to get a goal protein in each meal.

Great giveaway! First of all, congratulations on choosing to get healthier! I'm sure you can't wait to be a slimmer you :D I'm also on a weightloss journey, so I'd love to share some tips that have been helping me along the way.

1. Do you like to cook? It can be really fun, rewarding, and cheaper than eating out! You really don't have to go crazy, either, but its all about knowing what goes exactly into your food! This obviously helps with MFP, too. Try doing things like replacing white sugar with a low calorie sweetener or natural sugar like agave or honey or coconut sugar. Also, instead of frying, try baking your foods! You'll be shocked by how many calories you save when you remove all the oil that frying requires. And if anyone tries to tell you that your dredged foods won't come out crispy, fie on them!! try breading with flour, then an egg mixture, and then into panko breadcrumbs. They're so crispy, and the flour and egg will keep them from coming off your food.
   
   
2. Exercise (duh). Everyone always does cardio when they try to lose weight, which is great and can burn a lot of calories, but you should also consider lifting weights. Okay, I know what you might be thinking, you don't want to bulk up. I PROMISE, you will not get bulky if you lift weights!! As a woman, it is almost impossible to get bulky and manly. What it does do, however, is build and tone your muscles. That way, when you lose the weight, you'll be nice and toned. A lot of people expect to lose weight and have this tight, toned body sitting underneath, but it doesn't work like that. Also, building muscle will increase your body's natural caloric burn at rest! Cool! Also, consider doing fun out-of-the-norm workouts every once in a while. Do some yoga. Sign up for kick boxing. Change it up a little every once in a while to keep it fresh and challenging.
   
   
3. Macros. Okay, some people track their macros, and they are SUPER intense about it, and that can be scary. You don't have to live like that. You don't have to obsess. However, MFP does have a nutrition bar that adds up all of the macros and vitamins and stuff you ate throughout the day, not just calories. Your goals are adjustable, and there are tons of different ratios that you could go for to help with your weight loss. I'm currently on a high protein kick, and I'm trying to cut down on carbs (my weakness!) but there are lots of ways to go about this. On that note,
   
   
4. Consider a protein powder! Most people try to cut fats or carbs out of their diet to lose weight, which means MORE PROTEINS! WOO!! Obviously you could eat things like beans and meat and nuts and soy, but protein powders are a great source too! If I may, I would recommend a plant-based protein powder (I currently use hemp protein because its natural and high in fiber, too). Animal based proteins such as whey and casein can give some people stomach problems like gas and bloating, and not everyone can eat soy proteins for health reasons. Hemp is a good plant-based to go for, but there is also rice, pea, and other blends.
   
   
5. To stay motivated, maybe make a point system. Example: for every week that you go without eating a bad-for-you or fattening food, you get a point. For each point, you can trade it in for a cheat food at the end of the month, or however long you saved up. I like to rank mine by the damage: a cookie costs 1 point, a slice of cake costs 3, and a fast food meal costs 8.
   
   
6. Remember to check yourself out! Soon you'll start to see the progress in your body, and that's the best motivation there is!
   
   You're awesome and you can TOTALLY do this. I hope some of these tips were helpful. Sorry the post was so long!
   
   Also, if you pick me, I really have my eye on that San Francisco set. Thanks for hosting!!

I've been doing Keto since November...and I fucking LOVE dessert. My solution was to just make Keto Dessert!!

My goto is Ice Cream. It isn't identical to regular ice cream, but it is MUCH closer texture and taste wise than Halo Top.

You will need the following kitchen tools

A blender

An ice cream maker (either the frozen bowl ones, or a real one with a compressor will be fine.)

A spatula to move the ice cream from the beater between batches.

A spoon to eat your ice cream before it makes it into the freezer...

Ingredients!

OK so you can make a bunch of different flavors with this base recipe, the only thing that you change is the flavor of your IsoPure Zero Carb Protein

1 pint of Heavy Cream (yup the whole pint). I try to find things with 0 carbs listed, I feel that while it is rounding that allows them to list 0 (they aren't really 0) the ones that CAN list it as 0 will have fewer carbs in it when compared to the ones that list this is 1 gram per serving.

1 cup of Califia Farms 0 carb almond milk I have tried others...but this one gives the best texture.

1 tablespoon of Food Grade Glycerin Buy this online, it's expensive as fuck locally, this bottle will last a super long time. Locally near me it's 9 dollars for 4 ounces, SOOOOO much cheaper online.

1 cup of granulated splenda or granulated swerve (whichever you like better)

1 tablespoon of Psyllium Husk powder (not necessary but this gives an easy kick of fiber for 0 net carbs without affecting the taste noticeably)

1 scoop of Isopure Protein. This is what gives your flavor...the zero carb ones are perfect for this, and it gives a HUGE improvement towards the nutrition of the ice cream, and it makes the ice cream much more filling...to encourage you to eat a lot less.

I'm terrible...but there are at least a few days every week I eat Ice Cream for dinner (the metrics are quite close).

What you do is add the dry ingredients to your blender...then the wet ones...and blend them up. DO NOT BLEND THIS TOO MUCH. If you overblend this, the heavy cream will separate into butter. If that happens you need to put the whole thing onto the stove and GENTLY heat it and use a stick blender to re-emulsify the butter fat back into the ice cream.

Then load the whole thing into your ice cream maker in batches and let it run (seriously that's it).

Enjoy your keto ice cream!! The directions may sound hard, but once you have made it a couple times, you can get a batch ready and into your ice cream maker in like 6 or 7 minutes, and then the time required will depend on your actual ice cream maker.

I am EXTRA lazy so I premix the dry ingredients and keep them in tupperware (I told you...I eat a lot of ice cream). I just then dump the dry ingredients into my blender and then add the wet ones.

It will take a bit longer than most ice cream to harden, probably around 24 hours if you have a normal freezer, certainly faster if you have one of those nifty sub-zero ones, but it won't get rock hard like the Halo Top stuff does, and the texture (provided you did a good job mixing) will not be weird either.

Ok, this might be a lengthy response so I apologize! In the "before picture" I had done P90X all the way through about 2-3 times. I was getting tired of doing the same thing and wanted to know more about how lifting worked and how it could change my body. I joined a gym and started going every day and working on my own routines. I've bumped around a lot in terms of weekly splits, rep/set numbers, etc. What I usually do now is this:

Week 1: This week I focus on working up until failure. I usually do a warm up set (something I can do 10 reps pretty easily with), then do 3-4 more sets adding more and more weight with each set. I go until failure for every one, and on the last set (as soon as I fail) I drop back down to my warm-up weight and go until failure again. I do this with pretty much every exercise for this week. I do the muscle groups highlighted below for this week, so usually one major group a day.

Week 2: I usually like to do a 3-Day split, so Chest/Back, Legs/Abs, Shoulders/Arms. I'll do these two times a week, with one day being a designated "heavy day", where I work up to a one rep max, and one designated "light day", where I usually do more reps (usually 10, 15, 15, and 20 if I'm doing four sets of something). I like to do more compound movements on heavy days, and more isolation/body weight movements on light days.

Week 3: This week I divide up into a Heavy/Medium/Light split with 3 muscle groups a day. So Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep or Heavy Back/Medium Bicep/Light Legs. I then just switch up the order of these and do them 2 more times that week, so for example it would be Monday- Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep but then on Wednesday it would be Heavy Tricep/Medium Chest/Light Shoulder, and so on. Does that make sense? Sorry if that's tricky to understand! Usually for "medium" things I do 8-12 reps, and "light" I do 15-20 in this week.

Week 4: This week I usually just mess around with supersets and drop sets! Not much order going on here, haha.

These are some of the exercises I do for my muscle groups!

Monday (Chest/Calves): Incline Bench, Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press (superset with a Dumbbell Fly - loooong holds), Decline Cable Fly, Flat Cable Crossover, Incline Cable Fly, Hammer Strength Chest Press, Chest Dips. For calves, my favorite exercise is to take a step-up platform (I think that's what they're called) and put it at the Smith Machine. I put some weight on the bar and stand so my heels/feet are hanging slightly off the back of the platform and then I raise up. I also like to do calf raises on the leg press, and seated calf raises too!

Tuesday (Back/Abs): Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, Hyperextensions, Bent Over Rows (both underhand and overhand grip) usually superset with a One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Hammer Strength Rows, Wide Pull-Ups (I used to climb a lot and these helped a ton), Close Grip Pull-Ups, Cable Rows, Lat Pulldowns (I do regular as well as reverse grip on these, I also sometimes like to take the handles vs the bar and pulldown as well!) I'll write my ab routine on Sunday (below).

Wednesday (Legs/Calves): Squats, Box Squats, Hack Squats (usually lighter weight but a huge hold at the bottom), Leg Extensions (superset with lying Leg Curls), Leg Press (I usually finish with this, I don't like it as much as squats), Walking Lunges (I grab a pair of dumbbells and go to town on the track, usually doing 100-150 lunges).

Thursday (Shoulders/Abs): Military Press, Arnold Press, Dumbbell Front Raises, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Cable Upright Rows, Cable Lateral Raises, Shrugs, Bent Over Lateral Raises.

Friday (Arms/Calves): Barbell Curls, Preacher Curls, Cable Forearm Curls, Side Hammer Curls, 21's (curl from the bottom to halfway 7 times, from halfway to the top 7 times, then the full ROM 7 times), Negative Curls (if you have a partner, this is a great one that gives a delicious pump! Have them push down as you are bringing the weight back down, and fight their push), Incline Skull Crushers, Rope Tricep Extensions, Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks, Seated Overhead Tricep Press, Dips.

Saturday (The Big Three): Why, Squat/Bench/Deadlift, of course! I usually work up to 1 rep max on these and pyramid back down.

Sunday (Cardio/Abs): I usually swim for a half hour or so. I do slight cardio every day, usually about 10 minutes. For abs I really like to do weighted things, and then once I can't do any more I drop the weight and start doing just bodyweight. For abs my favorite things are Hanging Leg Raises, Decline Sit-Ups, V-Crunches, Windshield Wipers, Cable Crunches, Kayak Twist (I think that's what it's called), Oblique V-Ups, Dumbbell Decline Twists.

As far as my diet goes, I haven't quite figured out how to tailor calories/macros to fit my body yet, but plan to do that soon. I eat pretty healthy but once or twice a week I like to eat Dominoes cheesy bread or pecan pie or something. I usually just try to get about 2800-3000 calories in, and get about 250 or so grams of protein. Then the rest of the day I fill the rest with carbs/fats. My day is usually set up like this:

Breakfast: 2 Eggs, 4 whites, 1/2 cup oats, blueberries.

Mid-Day Snack: Almonds (Salt and Vinegar are awesome), protein shake

Lunch: Tuna or ground turkey with broccoli or spinach

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Quest Bar, Cottage Cheese with grapes or something

Dinner: Chicken or tilapia with vegetables and quinoa/rice

All in all, it's usually pretty clean but I'm not a guy who will shove clean eating down your throat. I do it because I like buying things kind of basic, I've never really liked chips/poptarts/etc. and I've always eaten this way. Not saying this is the "right way to do things", if you know how to track macros right, you can eat what you want and get great results. Just wanted to throw that out there just in case people might bash me!

As far as supplements go, keep it simple. No, and I repeat NO supplement is going to be some "miracle pill". Trust me, last year I spent 200$ on a month supply of Shredz like a sucker. Stuff like that's not worth your money. Spend it on food. Anywho, I take 5g of creatine a day (check this out, its what I use) and a scoop of whey protein after my workout (I use Gold Standard if anyone's interested). I also drink green tea every morning and take psyllium husk powder (for fiber) every day.

Well, that's about it! Give yourselves time and keep going, push yourself every day, and never lose sight of your goals! :)

the downside of aerobic exercise is how boring it can be. It's long, tiring, and gets to be very monotonous. Some people can get into it. That's great if you can, me personally I'd just have a hard time sticking with it. I focus on anaerobic exercises. They're better for strength and muscle growth anyway. I've seen some amazing gains. Not necessarily size gains either. I mean, obviously, I've gained some muscle but I've developed more in a definition sort of way. I've actually lost a pretty significant amount of weight doing the exercises that I do. I started out at ~170 but now I hover around ~157 and I've got a six pack for the first time in my life at the age of 23. It's easy to get intimidated by the gym, but fuck it man, don't worry about it, everyone is in there to become better versions of themselves anyway. We all had to start somewhere. I personally like seeing out of shape people in the gym. Better than them sitting in front of a fucking television anyway. For my workout routines, I find the website www.muscleandstrength.com to be very resourceful. There are some great motivating articles in there, very knowledgeable users, and that's where I learned how to do certain specific exercises. Starting out, I followed this 3 day split for about 8 weeks and then I switched to this 4 day split that I'm currently following. I take whey protein supplements and do cardio on Saturdays/Wednesdays and use Sundays as a rest day. For protein, I use this delicious powder using a blender bottle I picked up at GNC. For cardio, I use Dr. Layne Norton's 'Best Damn Cardio Humanly Possible in 15 Minutes'. I love talking about exercise, and I try to recommend it whenever I can, it's the easiest way to start becoming a better you!

(Edit: 140mg caffeine, correction courtesy of DonOblivious)

This is a good answer, but an incomplete one. Looking at the side of a can it looks like you have a few basic ingredients: Sugar (25g), Taurine (1000mg), Caffeine (2500140mg+), Ginseng (200mg), and B Vitamins.

Taurine and Caffeine are both stimulants, and do the bulk of the CNS loading in the mix.

B Vitamins aid in the metabolism of energy from various energy sources, and alone is a very effective supplement for energy levels.

Ginseng seems to have about a thousand unproven uses, but is generally accepted to lower blood sugar, and improve insulin response, this is likely responsible for the 'whoa this is great' energy drink high, instead of the 'too much Halloween candy' sugar sickness.

And Sugar is just a pick your poison kind of exercise.

Adding costs all up to the above linked products:
Taurine: $23/kg Serving: 1000mg = $.023 / serving (1000 servings per pouch)
Caffeine: $2.99/(100200mg) Serving: 140mg = $0.02 / serving (143 servings per bottle) (edited)
B Vitamins: $8.98/100 Serving: 1 tablet = $.09 / serving (100 servings per bottle)
Ginseng: $18.65/(250500mg) Serving: 200mg = $.03 / serving (625 servings per bottle)

Grand total is about 5116 cents per every can of monster replaced, assuming you're alright providing your own juice crystals, I have as well not hunted at all for price reductions or bulk pricing on the above supplements.

If you want to avoid the stimulants and still get an invigorating effect, I would just recommend the B vitamins on their own, combined with some free office coffee, they work quite well.

All the basics that help people stay regular. Eat a salad for lunch, the insoluble fiber will help with your constipation and as a benefit will keep your blood sugar stable and reduce your cravings for snacks in the afternoon.

You can try taking a probiotic, this is the one I'm using.

But you know what has seemed to really help eliminate my constipation problem, I mean totally eliminate it? Magnesium.

Not only are my poops no longer hard but they are many times actually soft. I recently decided I didn't like the direction my health was headed, got my blood work done and found I was pre-diabetic and had slight anemia. So I started hitting the gym nearly every day, eating way better, and supplementing. I did some research for supplements backed by science. The list I came up with was this:

Creatine Monohydrate

Magnesium (L-Threonate is supposedly better able to cross the blood-brain barrier)

Vitamin D3

Turmeric

Fish Oil

I've been taking all of this stuff for about two months now and between that, the better diet, and working out my energy levels are much higher, my strength is already improving a lot, and my poops are not hard anymore.

Right now I'm on a low dose of Suboxone, 2mg/day, so I'm sure that helps. After being on this drug for 11 years I'm a big believer in being on the lowest dose you can be comfortable on.

I don't want to get too off topic but this channel has been so helpful to me for to start improving my health that I'm going to link to the supplements video in case anyone else here finds it useful:

https://youtu.be/1U5W1pQjqmA

Good luck with your poop!

This wiki/blog post is helpful but here is a past comment I made as an answer:

• 
  A fitness mat (thicker) is nice for the plyo day (easier on the knees) but you otherwise want a thinner mat (e.g., yoga mat).
  
• 
  Resistance bands or weights. I have bands and might break down and buy weights. It is just easier and more intuitive. They are fairly expensive though...
  
• 
  Pull-up bar. I think this bar works well and it's not too hard to put together. Bonus: bands.
  
• 
  Chair for certain exercises.
  
• 
  Yoga blocks. I have not used them and you can get away without them but I can see their use. They make stretches easier (or harder) and are demonstrated in p90x.
  
• 
  Protein shake and bars. I hear the p90x products are actually very good but they're definitely expensive. I opted for Optimum Nutrition Whey Powder with a cheap blender bottle and these bars after a little research on /r/fit and google.
  
• 
  Lots of water and even more motivation! It feels like such an accomplishment after each day though. Off to go do Plyo for week 3!
  
  Ninja Edit: Heart rate monitor and push up bars are two very optional but very useful items that I plan to invest in soon.

I say a samsung galaxy note the 10 inch or preferably for extra screen real estate 12 inch. Nice to have your book, internet tab for extra study material (or reddit), youtube and a some part to write on for notes. 4 apps simultaneously playing on the screen. PLUS unlimited browser opened! Its a must have. Changed my note taking and multitasking career. Also increased distractions but its a tool. ALSO get to kickstarter!

A notebook that is a white board https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1470156778/wipebook-3

A phone powered breathalyzer for those fun nights https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edgetechlabs/drinkmate-the-breathalyzer-that-fits-your-lifestyl

Turn your study table into a full blown white board! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1466102417/wrap-redefining-your-workspace

Other things I have for college life:
A credit card size phone charger that fits in your wallet. HANDY! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PMC8WRE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

TRUST ME you will count on your hands the times you made breakfast during school days in a semester. This meal replacement comes handy. When you have class at 8 and wont have break till lunch. You cant run on empty stomach. BUY THIS! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIPJ0M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Its also nice to have a plant to keep you responsible and relaxes you. After a long unproductive day watering it just relieves you seeing it grow makes you feel accomplished. Just the right push you needed to not go crazy during finals week. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005L9YN6M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

WHY THIS PLANT? Cause its the best plant you can own! Its a plant that eats animals how metal is that! You thought gardening is for pussies!

Last but not the least
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009PJV6KK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CAUSE!

I would avoid pasta, rice, bread unless it is 100% WHOLE WHEAT, no white bread, no pasta unless it's wheat pasta, go with brown rice instead of white, eat oatmeal thats like the greatest complex carb IMO I even put it in my shakes:)

You want all your carbs mostly from fiber, so I'll break ti down for you
Complex Carbs (starchy take longer to digest and more filling)

• Wheat pasta
  
• Sweet Potato
  
• Brown Rice-
  
• 100% whole wheat bread
  
• Steel oats
  
• there are more but not going to list them, just focus on these
  
  Vegetables are complex carbs but are actually processed more like simple carbs in your body I would say in between starchy foods and fruits
  
• Brocolli is king of all vegetables focus on this mostly, high in fiber and nutrients
  
• Spinach
  
• Asparagus
  
• Onions
  
• Peas
  
• Kale
  
• Red Bell Pepper
  
• Alfalfa Sprouts
  
• Brussel Sprouts
  
• Carrots
  
• Mustard Greens
  
  Simple Carbs
  
• Fruits
  
• Focus on Grapefruit, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and apples
  
• tomatoes
  
  Protein:
  
• Chicken Breast
  
• Lean Turkey
  
• Lean red meat (good source of fat too)
  
• Wild caught fish (not farm raised)
  If on a vegan diet like me then consume
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Protein-Powder/dp/B0031JK96C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421268310&sr=8-1&keywords=garden+of+life+protein+powder
  
  Fats:
  
• fish
  
• grains
  
• almonds
  
• peanuts
  
• hazelnuts
  
• avocados
  
• soymilk
  
• walnuts
  
• peanut butter
  
• olives
  
• Olive oil and vegetable oil.
  
  I personally recommend against eating dairy period it contains a lot of crappy fat, the list above is the fat you want that can lean your body out. Remember good fats help you burn fat, the bad fat that gives you cellulite:)
  
  The protein is mostly for your organs to function and slightly your muscles so you don't feel weak. The carbs are the trick to everything, your body will use this as it's main source of energy and this is where you get the curves from but only if you eat the good carb sources I mention above. I see people eating gluten loaded white bread, rice, and pasta and their weight goes to their belly. It's because it raises insulin levels your body doesn't know what to do with all the excess junk goes into fat storage mode and put it where it's most easily accessble...your GUT! lol
  
  Sorry for being dramatic, i'm very passionate about this as you can see^.^
  
  Good luck let me know if you need anymore advice
  
  It gets more complicated I have formulas to calculate how many calories you need to intake to maintain your weight, lose, or gain. As well as the macro nutrient ratios that pertain to your specific goal and how to do measurement properly all based on your height, weight, body fat percentage and activity level. But that is for another time, you just need the basics for now:)

I love my EC stack. I buy OTC bronkaid and take 25mg with a 200mg caffeine pill. Quality of caffeine seems to vary, so I get this brand

The full stack is ECA, including asprin. I don't have any heart conditions or problems with my blood work, so I don't take the asprin. Some people take fish oil instead of asprin, but most fish oil capsules are sold rancid due to how the oil is processed and can actually be bad for you. Just the ephedrine and caffeine work well for me. Boyfriend takes them too and loves it. You can take the stack long term without negative side effects, too.

I ramped up the dose slowly, taking half a pill once per day in the mid morning when I usually started feeling snackish, slowly increasing the dose over a week. If you start at the full 25/200 dose, you might feel funny. I had some shortness of breath when I did, so I cut to half dose.

It's honestly been really great. When I take it, I intermittent fast or eat very lightly during the day with a larger dinner. It doesn't completely kill my appetite, but I appreciate it because I need to be able to listen to my body.

One thing I haven't quite figured out is whether I should be supplementing more potassium. Apparently ephedrine can deplete potassium, so I have lite salt (half sodium, half potassium) and eat avocado everyday.

I think the potassium issue is discussed with EC stacks because of the danger of taking ephedrine when you have a heart condition. Potassium levels are critical in the management of some heart conditions. I'm not sure if ephedrine specifically warrants potassium supplementation, or if it's the underlying heart condition. Would love to hear more about this from someone knowledgable

So I had a chance to look at Re-Power, and it has a similar amino acid profile to beef. All the extracts are pretty much garbage:

Chemical | Weight | %DV
---|---|---
Chicory Root (as Cichorium intybus Extract) & Rocket Plant (as Eruca sativa Extract) Blend| 500.00 mg|
Chinese Skullcap Root Extract (Scutellaria baicalensis) Catch Tree Bark Extract (Acacia catechu)| 62.50 mg|
Olive Leaf Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Maslinic Acid)| 200.00 mg|
Olive Fruit Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Hydroxytyrosol)| 50.00 mg|

Some do have studies done them but most results are nothing more than unremarkable in terms of use for fitness. Chicory root is a coffee substitute good for removing internal parasites. Rocket Plant is just arugula, so you might as well just eat it. Didn't see much studies on the benefits. Chinese skull cap seems to be a traditional Chinese remedy for various ailments with some conclusive evidence for efficacy but mostly it is a nootropic (smart drug). Cool but wholly unnecessary for this application. You'd be better off with Creatine as it is both a nootropic AND performance enhancer. Also, really cheap. I cannot find any info on even what a "Catch Tree" is so no conclusive data for what the extract might do. Olive Leaf/Fruit Extract seem to be super expensive antioxidants with anti-HIV properties. If you don't have HIV just drink Black coffee or tea or eat olives.

So, the good stuff in here seems to be Beta Alanine an Betaine, but Beta Alanine is cheap and Betaine is in beets (super cheap) or is made in your body from Choline (from eggs).

If you have any more questions please let me know. If you can't return these things then I guess just take them until they are gone, but definitely don't buy them again.

Congratulations! You look great!

If you want to add a little more protein into your meals you can throw in a protein shake throughout the day. This one is raw and tastes decent if you blend it up with some bananas and almond milk.

As far as exercise, you can check out this girl's site for strength training that's easy to do at home since you don't have a gym membership. There are some pretty simple exercises that don't require special equipment but will leave your body aching the next day. Some of it can be pretty intense though so make sure you know your limits and stop if you have to. And if you don't like anything there, pure body weight resistance is great for strength training too. Just throw in some wall squats, push ups, lunges, etc when you have some spare time at home.

Also I would definitely go with the yoga. Not only will it give you a great workout and increase you flexibility, but it can be very relaxing too.

While you want to bulk up on calories, you need to make sure the foods you are eating are also not empty calories. While I don't know the prices over there, top of mind, here are some traditionally cheap sources of calories:

• Peanut butter sandwiches is higher in calories while still being nutrient rich
  
• Dark meat chicken (legs and thighs). These you could get fairly cheap, but may take a little longer to cook than 30 minutes. Very well worth it though.
  
• Adding brown or white rice or noodles to every dish.
  
• Eggs are full of protein, fairly cheap if you shop around, and are 70-80 calories per and easy to cook
  
• Oats are fairly cheap and you can get a lot of calories from it. Add PB or maple syrup to add flavor and calories
  
• Bananas are typically cheap and 100 calories per. Add them to oats, sandwiches, or just to have as a snack.
  
• Cheeses typically are calorie rich and have good protein content and plenty of vitamins and minerals.
  
• Protein powders/gainers may seem expensive at first, but knowing you could get 1200-1600 calories from one serving is great, especially with all of the nutrients you get. Example of a good option.
  
  Hope this helps!
  

No side effects, just use it as it is intended. Definitely noticed benefits, but I also avoid junk/fried food and colas and try my best to eat healthy stuff.

I use it with one spoon of creatine, one big spoon of peanut butter and a banana sometimes. You need to drink lots of water if you're consuming creatine. Yeah, I have noticed some improvements, my shirts are getting tighter from forearms and I can't fold my arms in front of my chest without tearing my shirts.

I use ON whey protein, it's considered to be the best one out there in terms of mixability, results and everything else.

One 30 grams scoops has like 24G protein and everything else is negligible. Calories is around 120, so if you can easily get a low calories high protein diet with one scoop or more. When you are lifting heavy weights, your muscles will break, to repair and build new muscles protein is necessary. Since whey protein is almost 90 percent protein that is in liquid form, it gets easily absorbed helping in muscle growth.

I'm a little late but as a trainer AND a bartender this is one of the few times my experiences can help!

Where are you doing the KB swings? CrossFit, martial arts, gym?

I ask because I'm curious to know if you just started KB swings (and how you're being taught). They really shouldn't be tearing up your hands like that, but if you just started doing that then there is going to be a "break in" period where your hands are just going to "toughen up," literally.

Make sure you're not gripping the bell super tight, that will really destroy your hands. It should "float" lightly in your hands and the momentum will keep it from flying off. Remember kettlebell swings are a lower body and core workout. Your hands and arms are just ropes attaching it to your body and thus shouldn't be flexed or tense.

You can also experiment with your grip on the bell. It's uncommon but I've seen folks use a hook grip on kettlebells. If you're also doing Oly lifts you might as well practice this anyways.

If it's the kettlebell itself that's too rough you can use regular old athletic tape on the handle and remove it when you're done.

Depending on where you're at chalk will help out tremendously. As someone mentioned you can also use liquid chalk (if you don't make it I've used this before for deadlifts)

Make sure you keep your hands nice and moisturized after your workouts. It'll help the callouses heal and prevent future blisters.

Make sure you also show off your gains when you serve otherwise you might as well just quit. Like everything.

Serious Mass. I get the 12 pound bag and that lasts like 2-3 months. It works well when you add things to your shake like peanut butter, bananas, whole milk, and Ice cream. A couple of months ago I was actually trying to eat a lot and gain wait, and I managed to get from 140 to 150 in a month or so, then I stopped because it was getting expensive, but it was totally working. If I kept it up I'd probably be around 160ish by now, but I'm gonna be trying again soon.

If you're someone like me, just design yourself a meal plan and stick to it everyday of the week. I don't mind eating the same thing everyday so it wasn't so bad for me. Myfitnesspal is a good app to use as well as the website http://www.eatthismuch.com/. If you have to, even schedule your meals, like be sure to wake up at 10:00 and eat breakfast at 10:30. At 11:15 eat a small snack, at 12:30 eat your big lunch, at 1:15 have another snack, etc... It really helps build a routine and it'll be easy from there on out. Treat it like a job with deadlines and such.

Hey man. I wasn't quite that skinny, I was M/20/5'9"/135lbs. But I decided I wanted to be heavier, so I started tracking calories, trying to eat about 3000 a day and making sure to get minimum of 120g protein. I used MyFitnessPal (Free smartphone/web app). This mass gainer and creatine helped me a TON. They say to use "2 scoops" for the mass gainer but that's absolutely stupid. Just use 16 ounces of 2%/whole milk and ONE scoop, and it still adds up to like 800 calories.

Use a TDEE calculator and aim to go about 500-750 calories above that. A faster bulk will mean more fat mixed in with the muscle, but if you wanna gain weight faster, it's just how you do it.

Best of luck skinnybro! I gained 15 lbs in 6 weeks just between eating more, using that mass gainer, and creatine. Did I gain some fat? Sure, but by the end of it, My dad saw me (after not seeing me for about 2 months) and said "I barely recognized you! You're so much bigger!". So it made a huge difference, and I looked more muscular too, not ripped, but muscular.

Everyone is circling the correct answer here but not giving you specifics.

To gain muscle, you need to aim for ~1.5g protein intake per lb of body weight. If you weigh 150lbs, you're eating ~225g of protein a day.

Eat as many eggs as you can stand. Cholesterol is THE Testosterone precursor. I'll do 40+ pullups and 100+ pushups and smash down 6 eggs. Lift later that night and then eat another 6. Then eat another 6 the next morning.

Oatmeal with fruit is a perfect breakfast. Processed as little as possible. Old-fashioned or Steel-cut oats preferably.

Take Creatine! Monohydrate is typically cheapest but pre-workouts will usually have HCL or nitrate. Dosing here is gonna vary dependent on your size and tolerance but maybe just start with one 2g pre-workout dose and one 5g dose immediately after. Maybe take another 5g dose the next morning. Water is critical here. Creatine is hella rough on your kidneys so you should probably be taking each dose with 8 oz of water and shoot for 64+ ounces of water every day.

Take a mass gainer if you're really struggling with calorie intake. This is a good one thats not too expensive. Usually on these things they recommend two heaping scoops for a single dose but i find just doing a single scoop plus milk and a couple eggs is more than sufficient.

If you're trying to go for cheaper supplements, try Grocery Outlet. I've found hella good shit there for cheap thats a couple months away from expiration. 30-serving 3g creatine pre-workouts that were 1g mono/ 1g hcl/ 1g nitrate for only $9.99. 6lb bags of mass gainer for $14.99 and stuff like that. The business model means product availability will always be changing but price-wise Gross-out beats the shit outta places like GNC.

And most of all, SLEEP! You need to get that deep R.E.M level 6+ hour sleep increment kinda sleep for your body to actually take all the work and calories and actually turn it into muscle.

Good luck homie!

An easy one that requires no cooking is a weight gain smoothie. Some bodybuilders and weightlifters take them. I'm in the military and I'll have one if we suddenly get on 12 hour shifts and I need the calories but couldn't cook.
Optimum Nutrition has one. The total calorie count is around 1000 calories so it will be a healthy filling along with containing protein, vitamins, and lots of amino acids. I recommend the chocolate flavor 👍. Good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000GIPJ0M

Edit: Remember the key to gaining weight (or losing it just reverse this) is keeping your caloric intake higher than your metabolic rate. You must consume more calories than your body burns at rest + when active. I put your stats in a calculator (assumed you're about 24). http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=24&csex=m&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=4&cpound=94&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cactivity=1.2&printit=0&x=40&y=15

It's showing you'd need about 2000 calories/day to gain 1 lb per week. Right now, you need to put on weight. If you do not, you'll start getting sick and you'll be overly tired still. Don't be too worried about all the stuff like it being nutritionally perfect so long as you're not just eating a ton of processed foods. Gain weight now and worry about eating particularly healthy later.

If you're not going to the gym every day and eat a lot of red meat, you shouldn't need any creatine. If you're going every day and lifting heavy it would be good to get about 5 extra grams of creatine a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Unflavored-Servings/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508622&sr=1-1&keywords=creatine

Multi vitamins are the most unappreciated supplement in the world! Please get on a daily regimen, it'll do so much good for you.

Get some BCAA's combined with glutamine. It is good for recovery and helps build lean muscle. oldschoollabs.com makes a great BCAA with glutamine and creatine. I like it alot.
http://oldschoollabs.com/vintage-build/

As far as pre-workout, I cannot workout without it. Judging from you being 260 previously, you're not naturally motivated. Not to take away from your weight loss, which is still very incredible!
It will make your workouts much more efficient and make you want to do exercises.

My recommendations are C4 (Watermelon or Fruit Punch), it'll make you a little itchy at first but that's how you know its working.
http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Fruit-Punch-grams/dp/B008LE8RE8/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508422&sr=1-2&keywords=c4

If your sensitive to creatine, there is a creatine free pre workout called volt that is pretty nice. It also happens to be the same parent company that makes the C4.
http://www.amazon.com/Neon-Sports-Pre-Workout-Watermelon-Servings/dp/B00E0NG44E/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508452&sr=1-1&keywords=volt

Good luck and keep at it!

Changes every morning depending on what we have. The staples tend to be a giant compressed wad of spinach (like 4 or 5 cups), a banana or an avocado, flax seed or flax seed oil, frozen organic fruit -- i prefer mango chunks or blueberries, but strawberries or whatever are great -- not a lot of this, as the frozen stuff makes the smoothy too cold for my taste. I also throw in organic cacao powder, which is super high in magnesium, sometimes part of a carrot. If I don't have that much spinach I'll throw in an equal amount of greens. Greens are important. Give a lot of energy.
Then I put 1 to 2 scoops of [Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007S6Y6VS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) -- 2 scoops is enough protein, carbs and vits for a dietetically sound full meal. All that gets squished down and I fill the blender to the brim with some nut or bean milk, either soy or hazelnut, almond, and lately mung bean milk.
I tend to like the soymilk or almond milk unsweetened though, because the fruit and the stevia in Raw Meal is sweet enough. Can get too sweet for my taste if the milk is sweetened too.

Some days the smoothies are good, some days not the best tasting. Just depends on whatever's there.

> 1. My first concern is the reps. I found myself not able to do as many reps as the trainer wrote on my plan (For example, i had to do 4x15 reps of chest exercises-i pushed 15kg weights with handles away from my ches). I could only do the first 15 but then it gradually got harder and i could do 8 or at most 10. I'm worried i'm not going to make any progress if i don't stick to the plan. What do you guys recommend ?

That's...likely pretty good. You don't gain muscle by doing 15 reps of the same weight all the time. You gain muscle by trying to do 4x15. You can't do all of them. Stop when your form starts getting bad. Next time try again. You'll probably be able to do 1-2 more reps the next time.

When you can successfully do all the reps, then it's time to increase the weight a little bit. With more weight you won't be able to do all the reps right away. You do as many as you can. The next time you do the same thing. Again when you can do all the reps, then you increase the weight...

People working out doing 4x15 reps spend very little time actually doing every one of the 4x15 reps, because when they can do it they increase the weight a little and with more weight, next time they can't do them all again. That's how you gain muscle.

> 3. The 3rd thing is food. My father is a vegetarian so we don't eat meat at home.

You don't necessarily need meat, most people go with it because it's the easiest.
You need protein.
You can find protein in eggs, protein in milk, etc.
You can also buy protein powder:
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B002DYIZH6/ref=zg_bs_6973717011_4

You mention that you prefer not to eat "tortured food." I am a vegan of four years and it IS possible to have a high-protein diet without consuming animals. I'm not going to babble on about the vegan/vegetarian ways of life because I do not wish to infringe upon your beliefs/choices.


I just wanted to let you know that it IS possible to have a high-protein diet without consuming animal products. If you have questions, feel free to pm me- I am aware that a lot of people are touchy about the topic of veggie-ism and I would prefer not to engage in any arguments.


If you are still interested in other sources of protein, you could always try vegan/vegetarian protein powders. I realize that they are highly processed, but I found this one that is raw AND vegan- definitely less processed than the typical protein powder


Additionally, there are also vegan/vegetarian sources of Omega-3's.



For those of you that are interested, here are some helpful sources for more information:


Information about animal-free protein sources as well as some general information about vegetarian/vegan protein sources



High-protein vegan meal ideas and recipes


Not exactly a reference source, but this link contains an interesting account of the high-protein vegan lifestyle by a famous vegan body builder. This link also includes meal ideas, suggested protein ratios, as well as dietary transitioning suggestions and dietary supplement recommendations


Some anecdotal accounts of veganism improving ADHD. There is very little scientific literature/studies on this subject, but it is compelling and this blog is definitely something to think about.

It's definitely optional but if you have the rest of your diet and training dialed in then it could be useful to add to your routine. As u/JrDot13 said, 5 grams is a good daily dose. It's probably best to put it in your pre-workout meal/shake/drink, but overall that's not a huge deal. For the best value, I would go with something like Bulk Supplements on Amazon.

Well, electrolyte pills aren't "fuel" but it makes sure you don't screw that part up. Temp of 65 means you can probably get away with two bottles, but if you're not pissing clear or close to it then that's problem #1.

At a 65 temp, you're probably not in a monster UV area (southern US or lower, or Australia). If you are, and you're outside during like noonish for 5 hours, you could be getting a headache from that (some people do). Another random thing to watch out for, but it seems very unlikely here.

What do you crave when you get back home?

• Anything and everything: increase general food count on the ride; possibly electrolytes as well
  
• Chips, pasta, other salty things: increase electrolytes and maybe food
  
• Liquid things that aren't beer: increase water + electrolytes
  
• Water: Increase water
  
• Passing out tired: try to take it a little easier
  
• Nothing because you're nauseated: electrolytes, some water
  
• Beer: Looks like you got it right :)
  
  Lastly, I do Salt pills from Paceline because Paceline makes butt butter and that stuff is amazing. These are amazing too.

I live at sea level so didn't have the chance to train in high elevation. Luckily I do have some mountains nearby that are about 2000-3000ft and I love to run. I would run those mountains over and over. I also ran a lot of stadiums and would walk the stadiums with my pack on. I also ran 12-13mi for fun and cycled 20+mi.

Surprisingly walking/running the stadiums helped. A lot of the JMT is literally stairs going up a mountain. The combination of running and endurance training helped me prepare mentally and physically for the elevation and distance you are going to have to travel per day on the JMT. I did not have a problem acclimating.

Also these salt pills seemed to help, although it may have been a placebo effect:
https://amzn.com/B002IY96B0

Hiking poles are a must. You don't need anything fancy, just make sure you have some. I had some cheap $30 poles, couldn't have done the JMT without them.

Be prepared to be hungry all the time. Unless you resupply every 2-3 days, I just don't see how you can pack enough food.

Make sure your pack supports heavier loads as well. I didn't know this was a thing until after the JMT. I used the Osprey Atmos 65. Anything above 45lb, it felt super mushy and unsupportive.

Be prepared to be in shock for a week or so when you come back to the "real world." For me everything was crowded, loud, and bright.

If you're trying to build some muscle, it definitely is important to get enough calories. So if you've calculated your goal intake at 1515/day and you want to add a swim, you should increase your intake to account for that.

As for learning the lifts, I'd start with very basic stuff like bench press, squat, deadlift, and maybe shoulder press. There should be loads of video tutorials on YouTube for this, but proper form is extremely important to minimize risk of injury so don't be too shy about asking someone to check your form in the gym. Most good lifters will be happy to help out with spotting and/or form-checking once in a while, just try not to ask the same guy for stuff all the time or it might get annoying. The biggest single piece of advice I can give to new lifters on form is this: If your muscles are sore the next day, you're probably doing it right. If your bones or joints are sore the next day, you're probably doing something wrong.

As for getting adequate protein as a vegan, that may be your biggest challenge. This stuff is awesome, this stuff isn't bad, and this is a good recipe for a high-protein seitan.

Good luck!

I used food as a comfort and as a result gained 40 pounds in college because of the stress of school. It's now coming off. ^^ I was definitely addicted to bad food though. My primary strategies for breaking that addiction were:

• Spices as a replacement for craving greasy food. Specifically garlic powder, black peper, and cumin. These have no nutritional value but make dishes taste delicious. My rice and beans dish fulfills what deep dish pizza and other crap used to fulfill.
  
  
• Fruit and protein shakes for caving sweet food. The protein shake a make literally tastes like a chocolate milk shake. I use this powder in the extreme milk chocolate flavor.
  
  The above two strategies got me started. Now that I've lost a decent amount of weight, it becomes self reenforcing. I like looking good and the positive feedback I get helps to counter the need for emotional eating.

Hey, I just wanted to comment with internet hugs and say I know what you're going through. I lost 10 lbs last year from "stress-starving" as I called it. Still working on getting it back.

I know it's hard to motivate yourself to do anything, but walking helps me. Just throw on sweats and go walk somewhere. Nowhere. Whatever. You'll work up an appetite pretty quickly.

Everyone else said protein shakes. They're the only reason I ever get a breakfast in me so I wholeheartedly agree. Your grocery store probably has pre-made shakes, but honestly homemade is so much better.

My go to recipe is: unsweetened almond milk, spinach (can't taste it), almond butter, frozen banana, a small handful of dark chocolate chips, and unflavored protein powder (I get this stuff). It looks disgusting but it's really easy on the tummy. It's only about 400 calories so it's not a meal replacement entirely, but it's a very good start, and it tastes like a banana split.

Also, this is gonna sound really stupid, but don't try to diet or anything at first. I had to learn that the hard way...

Good luck, friend!

Sometimes metabolism is just too high. I was 115lbs from the time I was 16-19, and after that I gained 30lbs in the last year. He can try doing GOMAD or or changing his routine. I gained 30lbs when I started doing SL5x5.
I also ate:
Breakfast:
2 cups yogurt with granola
2 eggs
1-2 breakfast sausage
1 bowl Kashi GOLEAN cereal
Lunch:
2 Hamburgers
2 cups salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, pine nuts, vinegar and oil dressing
1 sandwich(usually chicken) with mayo and lettuce
1 dessert (would be a cookie or slice of pie)
1cup yogurt
Dinner:
Whatever high protein dinner was that night (2 servings)
2 cups salad with balsamic dressing
1-2 servings of a starch
1 large mcflurry
Snacks: nature valley peanut or almond bar, usually 2-3 a day.

That was when I dormed and had full meal plan. Now that I am home I have dropped a few pounds. not many though.

You're friend has to realize that he might not be able to gain it that easily. The gainer he uses might not work for him too. Different mixes of weight gain supplements work for different people. I've tried a few, and found that ON Serious Mass works for me. Maybe he should try them? They are as natural as I have found, in weight gainers. Also, if he's using gainer and supplements all the time, it could possibly hinder growth. I cut on and off of gainers and protein shakes, and found better growth than when on them full time. Hope something in this wall of text helps!

TL;DR: Try SL5x5, try new weight gainers, or take himself off and stick to real food

I also work out, and over on r/fitness you'll find a ton of vegetarian lifters. They have some good info for vegetarians and vegans in their sidebar/wiki. If you don't find what you're looking for there, make a post and I guarantee someone will be able to answer you. There are plenty of vegetarians who lift.

Creatine is made by your body but also comes from meat. There's some evidence that not getting enough creatine can impair cognitive function, and vegetarians tend to have less creatine than our carnivorous brethren. That doesn't mean that we're all a bunch of dummies, but it might not hurt to take a creatine supplement, especially if you're lifting. Personally I do take creatine. As for protein, remember that your body can only process so much protein at one time, and once you go above that the returns diminish quickly. So eating more protein does not directly correlate to building more muscle. The actual amounts that you can process at once are not completely agreed upon, but I've read a few of the studies and it seems like anything above 20 grams in a single sitting is a waste. You can easily get that in a vegan protein powder. I love the brand I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J074W7Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484769696&sr=8-2&keywords=protein%2Bpowder&th=1&psc=1

It's got a nice wheaty-vanilla flavor, and it's also very high in fiber. That second point is more important than it might sound. You don't know what it's like to have great poops until you've been getting the right amount of fiber. That Western diet I talked about earlier also tends to be fiber deficient because humans are supposed to be eating more plants than we do these days. This causes all sorts of gastrointestinal issues. Tell that to the next carnivore who gives you shit about "but humans are meant to eat meat! It's only natural!"

Edit: pun definitely intended.

I recommend getting a pull up bar (it's great for pull-ups, chin ups, push ups) and doing 3 sets of this workout, with pull ups added in. Starting out, you won't be able to do all the reps recommended, but just find what your limit is and do that. As you get stronger then you can increase. This regimen got me into pretty good shape before I recently started going to a gym and doing Wendler 5/3/1. And as /u/requires_distraction said, read up on /r/bodyweightfitness.

Edit: Also, diet is just as important as exercise. Make sure you're getting about 1g of protein for each pound of body mass, and you can calculate your approximate caloric needs here. I don't know how much detail you want to go into in tracking your diet, but using myfitnesspal to track macronutrients and calories has done wonders for me. Lastly, consider supplementing with creatine. It's a very cheap supplement (4 month supply for $16 on amazon), and has been proven to provide more energy during workouts (resulting in more productive workouts) with practically no side effects, other than the need for increased water consumption during the first week of loading.

I don't know how much you've looked into the options that are available out there, but I've been using this for about 6 months now and love it. It tastes great and has some real good ingredients in it. A little pricey, but totally worth it.

I'd look into the entire line of RAW products, like flavored protein powders and meal options. I would totally recommend.

I actually failed three times before I got it down. Cutting out sugar and carbs was sooo hard because I am pakistani and all of our meals contain carbs. Also, I love love love chocolate. The first day the only carbs i ate were nuts....toward the end of the day, I felt so nauseous like I was going to pass out. I immediately went for a cookie and felt instantly better and at that point I knew my body tricked me lol. Then I tried again and failed again grabbing a cookie. The third time, I realized that the reason I felt so nauseous was because I wasn't getting enough electrolytes. So i ordered [Saltstick Caps] (https://www.amazon.com/SaltStick-Electrolyte-Replacement-Capsules-bottle/dp/B002IY96B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497512701&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+sticks) and took them twice a day. I ate eggs cooked in beef bacon fat with veggies for breakfast. For lunch I had smoked salmon and for dinner I ate a hot dog wrapped in cheese. I basically ate whatever was in my fridge and wasn't carb heavy. I made myself "fat bombs" out of coconut oil and cocoa powder. I put the mixture in an icecube tray, put em in the fridge and ate one whenever I felt like I wanted something sugary. Bullet proof coffee was nice too for breakfast. I also drank a TON of water like 2-3 liters throughout the day. Eventually I found that breakfast made me so full and I had to actually force myself to eat my meals to maintain my calorie intake because I wasn't eating enough calories....(never thought that would happen ha). In one month, I lost 35 pounds. It's been a year now and I've lost a total of 50 pounds and my skin has never looked better. So anyhooo......if you're easing into it...you should have a meal plan set for the week so you don't find the need to grab anything sugary because you're too lazy too cook. It takes roughly three days for your body to get into ketosis so keto strips are helpful and saltsticks were a life saver. You don't have to keep buying them...eventually you'll start finding foods with the electrolytes you need and you'll begin to love salt water haha. Jk....you'll hate it but it's easier to get some electrolytes that way if your meals are not sodium heavy. Your pee will also start smelling different when you're in ketosis so you won't have to check your piss every time to see if you're in ketosis or not. Also, you'll find that there are so many delicious recipes out there so that made it much easier. There's only one food that I still miss and cannot find a equally delicious substitute for: mashed potatoes. I tried different mashed cauliflower recipes but its just not the same. One thing to note is that you can only have a certain amount of carbs a day before you get your body out of ketosis. Mine is 28g so sometimes I'll save my carbs for the end of the day so I can have a sandwich or even mashed potatoes if I feel like it. The cool thing is that you don't need to calorie count on this diet....only carb count. I calorie count only because I find myself not eating enough and I don't want to be toooooo skinny..never thought I'd ever be saying that either lol. One major Con for me is that I pee at least 10-15 times a day. It's very inconvenient and my bladder loves to drive me crazy when I am driving -_-

Thank you for your responses, I appreciate your continued explanation.

I've endured a long and difficult relationship with psychoactives. I first took DXM 7 years ago, and I have since run the gamut. Drug combinations, dosing methods, kitchen extractions, you name it-- I've done it. In other words, learned the hard way. I think this may be why I have such reverence for your approach. I am humbled by your thoughtfulness.

Note: this post is very, very long.

My method:

Preparation begins several days in advance. Like you, I have obligations that necessitate some schedule-shuffling. In many ways, this makes the experience feel more like a vacation; it's a special occasion, so I treat it like a holiday.

I abstain from alcohol and other drugs for at least 72 hours before the trip. As you mention, hydration is key to basic health, and this is a component of the days leading up to the trip. If I haven't been hydrating well, this is my chance to catch up.

I clean my environment fully. I dust, vacuum, mop, and sanitize my bedroom. I clear rubbish and generally tidy any areas I might enter around the time of the trip, such as the bathroom, kitchen, and living room.

I make sure to eat plenty of fiber, protein, and nutrient-rich foods like nuts, leafy green vegetables, and fish. If I can't get fish, I make sure I take a good amount of high quality fish or cod liver oil. I practice a high-fat, adequate-protein diet; basically, it's a modified ketonic diet. I usually take in 1-2 tbsp of cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil once or twice a day both for its health benefits and for increased absorption of other chemicals. However, I skip this on DXM day, which I'll explain later. I have a wide range of supplements I take as well. These include micronized creatine, HMB, a multivitamin, and a number of nootropics. My nootropic stack varies depending on whether I have to work or not, but usually includes piracetam, aniracetam, ashwagandha; sometimes I add phenibut and/or phenylpiracetam.

The day before the trip, I exercise-- hard. I push myself to my absolute limits with calisthenics, weightlifting, and cardio. If I have the time for it, I will go for 2-3 hours split up throughout the day. I find that this accomplishes two things: 1) I achieve a deeper state of rest the night before and 2) I have considerably less anxiety about the trip. At night, I take ZMA. This contains a form of magnesium, but I've never had any issues with interactions. I'm pretty certain that the peak levels of magnesium occur sometime during the night, but I would recommend caution when using magnesium supplements within 24 hours of DXM use. As I have said many times before, every body is different and every brain is different. Your mileage may vary.

Not OP but I've tried a random variety of protein powders, and Optimum Nutrition is far and away the best. It comes in a ton of flavors and the couple I've tried (Extreme Milk Chocolate and Double Rich Chocolate) aren't too sweet, like some protein powders can be. But the best part it that it completely dissolves so it doesn't make your smoothies gritty. I also just drink it straight mixed in water a lot, because I'm lazy haha. Optimum Nutrition is recommended a lot all over this sub and r/fitness, and for good reason!

I'm confused too, but here's what I'm finding:

It looks like there are two kinds: "natural" and "non-natural".

The "subscribe and save" option only exists for the natural one.

The natural one has three favors (vanilla, chocolate strawberry). It's naturally flavored and has 5g of carbs.

The non-natural has like 20 flavors, and only 1g carbs (or maybe 3 grams... The description says one thing but the image of the nutrition label says something else).

They both have 24g protein and 5.5g BCAA. Natural is 130 cals and unnatural is 120 cals.

I know nothing about tastes, but the reviews seem to say both are good.

I found the regular simple protein powders to be fine.

If you use a regular protein powder then make sure you're also taking 1 'heaping' teaspoon of creatine per day too.

I like the Optimum Nutrition Extreme Chocolate (https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Extreme-Chocolate/dp/B000QSTBNS) but go with whichever you like the taste of best.

Make sure to get a shaker cup (like this: https://www.amazon.com/TOP-QUALITY-Shaker-Blender-14/dp/B01DTHWY5O ), it helps make sure it is good and mixed up.

I honestly don't mind it for the most part. It's versatile enough I can put a reasonable amount of it into pretty much any kind of food. It does have a noticeable effect on the food's taste if I put in a full 3TBSP, but I usually only do like 1.5TBSP (and just add it to two different foods instead of all at once) and it doesn't really mess with the taste too much. It does make things a little grainy though if you use the full 3TBSP and don't have enough (more?) of everything else to balance it out. I found it really works best in fruit smoothies, since everything is blended so much that it's not as "offensive" in its texture, and its flavor is a bit more muted since it's being smothered by fruit, haha. I found the same sort of thing if I cooked it with oatmeal, some flavoring (for me I use chai powder), and milk (nondairy for me), though to a slightly lesser extent.
Plus, it has is it has a crapton of iron in it. For someone that's iron deficient, it's really beneficial to have that since I can't stand iron pills, which is why I picked it originally over other kinds. Though I can definitely see why the taste would be a turn off.

This is the kind I use currently.

Coffee (or any caffeine source, pills are uber cheap), ephedrine, and capsaicin. Lots of water. Yohimbine for some people but start with a VERY slow dose (I react very poorly to small doses even though I have a very high tolerance for most stimulants).

Keeping your diet high in protein and fiber will generally help.

Not really a supplement but getting as much high quality of sleep as possible and avoiding alcohol will both often help appetite.

Definitely take another look at caffeine. It's so cheap and you might be surprised in it being effective in body composition improvements even after tolerance is built to its stimulatory effects.

Most of the diet pills at the drug store that work are heavily labeled toward some proprietary blend and hype up that they contain raspberry ketones or something but the energy and effect is 99% because they're also loaded with caffeine that you could get for a small fraction of the cost (shipped-for-8-cents-each-cheap).

Thank you!!!

I started about 10 months ago and, admittedly, have been a bit more lax the last couple months.

Fasting: I'm a workaholic with a mentally demanding job. Usually, I do 20:4 because it means I can work 10ish hours straight and plow through everything I need to do in the day. If I do 16:8, it's a high protein snack midday (like greek yogurt or string cheese) and then a meal after work.

Diet: Normally, I eat about 1200-1400 calories per day. On average, 35% is protein, 32% carbs, and 33% fat. I try to keep carbs at about 100g/day and to make sure protein is higher. With the 20:4, it's often a struggle to get to 1200 because I'm eating one meal and then piecemealing the additional calories I need! When needed, I'll have a protein shake (I love Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate) to boost my protein.

Exercise: As far as working out, I average 6 days a week, but half of those days it's walking (about 60-120 minutes). The other days I run or, if the weather is poor, hop on the elliptical. Sometimes I'll do both if I'm feeling particularly motivated! I aim for at least 7000 steps but always try for more.

Tools: I use a FitBit charge and MyFitnessPal to log my food. I really like how easy MFP is for food logging and it connects with the FitBit app so I'm not having to do stuff twice.


Hope that helps!!

Breakfast: Oats, Egg Whites, Mass gainer, Kashi Go Lean cereal, Water
Lunch: Chicken Breast/Tuna/Salmon/Trout, mixed vegetables, Mass gainer, Juice
Dinner: Tuna/Salmon/Trout/Chicken Breast, more vegetables, Mass gainer*, Juice

Now my diet was and is very repetitive and boring, and to be honest I was limited to a budget so I couldn't go harder on my diet but above is a basic version of it.

My portions are decently sized and it took my sometimes more than an hour to eat all of this when I was starting out, I had little appetite and would get full easy so I just sat down at the table and focused on finishing everything, I tried to make sure I was full at all times except before the gym.

I only listed 3 meals here but those were the big 3, I would eat in between as well.

My mass gainer was: Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass + whole milk + 2-3 Bananas + 1 tbsp Honey

The mass gainer had the most fat/carbs but it really helped put on size fast, and i'm well aware I had an excess of protein, drinking a good amount of water was also key.

Hope that helps.

http://www.bulksupplements.com
That company, but I generally just buy through their Amazon page as I have prime and get free shipping. 19$ for a kilo of creatine (on their Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NM57ybC3W811G ) is hard to beat, and it's ultra fine, I barely even notice it mixed with water. Of the multiple brands of creatine I have tried, this is my favorite (and cheapest). As well, they will give you few samples for repeat purchases, I got 20 servings of 2:1 BCAAs (but you can choose from all like 200 of their items) for free after purchasing 3 kilos of creatine.

I ate a lot of chicken and eggs. I also ate a lot of pasta, mostly chicken Alfredo and other pastas with meat. Yogurt, rice, bread, and milk were also good. I tried to stay away from foods that were high in fat but you don't have to watch what you eat as much when you are bulking. The protein that I used is called Serious Mass . I liked the chocolate peanut butter flavor and I would add two scoops to some milk, banana, ice, and a little bit of ice cream in a blender. I drank this after workouts and I would spilt it up into two servings because it is a lot to drink all at once. I pretty much just set a goal of 4000 calories and 190g protein everyday.

As far as my gym routine, I split my workouts up for each muscle group. I would do chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms, legs again, and then repeat it. Each workout, I would do about 30 min of warming up and stretching. I also took preworkout to help get that extra boost. I can go in more detail when i get home about what lifting I actually did each day if you would like to know that as well?

Well I want to go to the gym at least 4 times a week and I was going to start taking this [weight gaining supplement] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIPJ0M/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_g121_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=0J20Q1XB47G6S4XR0PN2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=77b9e727-3844-3e7b-b75e-2a06ec7f4c9a%2F3a3d36d0-3620-34af-bce5-32807ed07ad7&pf_rd_i=6973725011) I have been taking Phase8 protein but recently ran out. When it comes to excerises to do at the gym I am a bit lost, I want to learn more free weigh exercises I can do. Right now I typically do dumb bell bench press, bent over row, lat pull downs, tricep pulls, biceps curls, and there are some pec machines I use that havnt done much for me lately) I would love to have a defined workout routine that I can stick to and just add weight/reps as I go...I have yet to do that. I also need to learn what I should be feeding my body. I know I need lots of protein and water but other than that I just eat anything I can find haha. I would love some help in creating a routine to stick to

You'll definitely need to recalculate your macros to incorporate working out and losing more fat/gaining more muscle.

Calorie-wise, Fat contains 9 calories per gram, Protein contains 4 calories per gram, and Carbs contain 4 calories per gram. That's essentially why we can remain satiated eating far less carbs by comparison, and more fat than the Standard American Diet (acronym is SAD for a reason...).

But the good thing with incorporating exercise, specifically lifting weights with this diet, is that you can cut back on some of the fat and incorporate more protein, which not only fuels your muscles, but is less calories per gram, so less to burn. For example, your macros are the following:

• 98g Fat (882 calories, 51%)
  
• 79g Protein (316 calories, 41%)
  
• 16g Carbs (64 calories, 8%)
  
  For a grand total of only 1262 calories. You could easily afford to eat more protein while lifting since you'll probably burn at least another 100 calories during your workout. Since protein is just as calorie-dense as carbs, and more than half as calorie-dense as fat, you can afford to increase your protein intake by another 25g to compensate for the 100 calories you're burning during a workout (again, just an estimate).
  
  Luckily, Isopure Zero Carb Protein Powder has exactly 25g of protein per scoop, zero carbs, and zero fat.
  
  Also, as another tool, try the Fitbod app, which can be used for free for three workouts before you have to pay. That can give you a relatively decent idea of how many calories you're burning per workout, and it has a lot of specific lift exercises that can really narrow it down.
  
  Hope this helps!

2 years ago I was 185lbs at 6'7". I started to gain muscle by talking to multiple trainers at multiple gyms and types of training. It comes down to high weight, low reps. Check out 5x5 Stronglifts if you are somewhat of a beginner/novice. It has a great way to plow through plateaus and will make you work on full-body exercises. For tall guys like us, youtube was a huge help in form for stuff like squats and deadlifts. Back to the weight gain: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000GIPJ0M/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1493038492&sr=1-6&keywords=weight%2Bgainer&th=1 This stuff helps a bunch! Not sure how healthy yada yada yada..but it worked to get me to 235. Hope any of this helps.

Last time I posted a link to a product people bitched because ugh, marketing even though I had deleted the /ref= tag from the amazon url.

A simple "What kind did you use, brands can vary in consistency quite a bit?" probably would have been more constructive than "it's useless to people," but whatever.

Isopure Zero Carb Protein Powder, 100% Whey Protein Isolate

Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, 8 oz

I figure if we're doing this, I might as well make the links easy to click, ya know? Enjoy these exciting products. You're welcome. Glad to have helped.

Avocado is a pretty neutral flavor, packs a good healthy fat and makes the texture awesome! They also freeze pretty well, if you want to buy in bulk, just chop, peel and store in freezer bags. Break a chunk off when you need it.

You could also try whey protein isolate, has virtually no flavor, gives the smoothie a bit of a frothy texture. If you add ice to the blender the texture becomes something like a Wendy's Frosty.
I recommend this for both value and quality.

Isopure makes powders too (albeit still fairly expensive). Optimum Nutrition makes a Whey Protein Isolate called Hydro-Whey, these are supposed to be fine with lactose intolerance.

That being said protein powder is way overrated, as are high-protein intake (> .8 gram of protein per lb. of body weight) diets. Unless you're a huge body builder and have been lifting for multiple years you'd probably benefit more from sticking to natural sources of protein. Most of the mis-information around the importance of high protein diets are peddled from industry funded studies.

I used to eat like that too, 200g+ protein every single day with multiple shakes. Then I became enlightened, probably hover closer to 100g per day and have seen no drop in gains. The only powder I ever use now is an Organic Hemp Protein that helps me get my protein over the threshold (I only need the additional 15g) plus packs a ton of micronutrients including 8g of super important fiber.

My recommendation: https://smile.amazon.com/Nutiva-Hemp-Protein-Powder-Organic/dp/B001JU81ZG

At 6'2 145, you aren't, and likely have never, been eating enough. Download MyFitnessPal, and track your calories. Don't estimate stuff, put it in a measuring cup or on a food scale. If I were you I would aim for 3000 calories a day to get started at least. It'll probably be tough for you to get there. If you're not gaining weight over the next couple weeks doing that every day, you're counting the calories wrong (fast and slow metabolisms are a lie).

A lot of people are saying there's no need for protein or creatine when you're just starting lifting. The first and most important thing is to eat more. If you don't eat more you won't get bigger. Once you start eating enough though, I would add protein and creatine on top of that. When you couple them with the newbie gains, in my experience, it's pretty noticeable.

You didn't mention lifting in your post, but my response is assuming that you are going to lift. If you don't, you'll only gain fat. Pick a good routine from the r/Fitness wiki, I really enjoy the PPL on there.

To sum things up:

1. most importantly, eat way more every day and lift consistently.
   
2. once #1 is happening, start taking one scoop of whey protein after workouts, and one teaspoon of micronized creatine monohydrate once a day every day (even on days you aren't working out)
   
   The protein I use is MyProtein Impact whey
   https://m.us.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-whey-protein/10852500.html?_ga=2.11746045.855534342.1496496945-717054701.1457580580
   
   The creatine i use:
   Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pURmzbBXDWFRS
   
   Feel free to ask if you have any questions

Nature's Best Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla is a staple in my diet. 50g protein per 2 scoops and 0 carbs. I add 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter for an extra fat boost and blend it with some water and some crushed ice which gives it a nice smoothie texture. Tastes great and fits my macros nicely. If you're not down for Vanilla flavor, the dutch chocolate is pretty good and only 1 net carb per 2 scoops.

I've usually used Optimum Nutrition when it's come to protein powder and can get it through Amazon or supplement stores around me.

What would you recommend as a keto-friendly option, and how much protien powder per serving / per day would I be using?

I personally think the label of Super Fiber should be adjusted to fit when you order them next. Would streamline the DIY process. Its not too crazy though, just add the servings to get the daily and divide by the number of meals each day.

You mentioned cream, I thought I read that I could sub the cream out for olive oil or canola oil? Or are the servings portioned specifically for cream? I was looking at it mostly for the Omega-3 and 6 it would add. I'm sure the cream would taste better though haha.

2 strips bacon every other day & egg daily (fried in bacon or coconut oil) for breakfast. If it's not a bacon day the coffee also gets the bullet treatment.

Lunch is 1oz of cheese, 1 oz summer sausage, and 10-15 almonds.

The simplicity of the morning routine (make egg, cut cheese and meat for lunch, coffee in mug) is easy for me to do whether I have to work at 8am or 4pm, and fills me up surprisingly well-- I almost never get hungry before 6pm.

Bonus, the mostly/high fat intake early in the day sets me up for a pretty flexible feeling dinner. I try to put everything in MFP before I cook it though, just to check. Last night was cauliflower rice and spinach, with blue cheese sprinkled on top, and some leftover flank steak. It was really good.

Also if you're feeling off, look at your electrolytes (I love these: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Nuun-Active-Hydrating-Electrolyte/dp/B001QW1L72?th=1)

AND remember keto flu is real. It took me appx three weeks to get "over" it. You can do it!

I think it really depends on how long you've been working out. When I was new to working out I said to myself that I would never try creatine (I still don't know why but ignorant people always seem to think it's not "natural"). However, I did a lot of reading on it and figured I'd finally give it a try last March since I kind of hit a plateau.

I started taking 5g a day (forget the "loading phase" there are no studies that actually support it) and about a week in I went from benching 200lbs x 8 to 220 x 8. I had an increase of about 10% on pretty much all my lifts! I gained 6 pounds in the first 3 weeks. I was also eating about 3500kcal a day at the time so I don't know how much of that was the creatine.

Didn't have any negative side effects apart from having to take a piss about 5 times a day due to drinking 5l of water.

Should you choose to try it be sure to buy quality creatine. Read the reviews or better yet, buy "creapure" creatine. It's manufactured in Germany and therefore strictly regulated. Most other products are from Asia/ eastern Europe and can cause all kinds of nasty side effects. It's well worth paying an extra 20% just to be sure. Creatine is still the cheapest supplement you'll find!

EDIT: I use Optimum Nutrition Creatine which is made from Creapure. At 5g/day it costs me 5$/month. Generic cheap creatine might be a dollar cheaper a month but it's not worth the risk.

Whey caused a lot of acne for me. I switched to a dairy-free, NOW Sports Pea Protein powder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JL6ZKFE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_eykCzbCSNEEV9

Saw good results from this and it's really cheap. The only problem is that it tastes pretty bad. I got used to it and it doesn't bother me anymore but starting out it's like eating unflavored chalk. I think Vega One makes some better tasting dairy free powders, but be prepared to spend a little more.

Hope this helps!

So if you're trying to add mass/strength, your biggest concern with going vegetarian is probably going to be getting enough protein. I try to take in like ~200g/day. You can calculate what you need here.

I personally get most of my protein from protein shakes. I use pea protein exclusively, this brand. Unfortunately, it comes from China but I can't pass on the price point. I also add peanut flour, cocoa powder, bananas, flax seed meal (good source of omega-3's), psyllium husk fiber (helps to slow down digestion of protein), BCAA's, creatine, and beta-alanine all in almond milk. The reason for some of those supplements can be found here.

Thanks to the fiber and the flax seed, it gets super thick almost like pudding if you let it sit. Usually, I'll mix in cold brewed coffee to get the consistency I want. It's really good. I drink like ~48 ounces a day, every day. Still have yet to get tired of it.

As far as recipes go, I try to eat high protein meals usually with beans/legumes and quinoa. I use tofu or tempeh as meat substitutes quite a bit too. I eat a lot of chili and curries. My instant pot (pressure cooker) is always getting used.

I also supplement with this multivitamin.

In response to the anti-protein focus comment, I guess I would say that I eat at a calorie deficit so it's hard to hit my protein targets unless I supplement. However, you should still count your macros at least at first to make sure you're getting in the range of where you should be.

http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=44

Increase Fluid and Salt Intake

"It is often recommended to increase both fluid and salt intake in order to increase blood volume, which is typically low in POTS patients. This has proven to be particularly helpful in patients with blood pooling, hypovolemia, or hypotension.2 Except for the hyperadrenergic subtype of POTS, a fluid intake of approximately two liters and an intake of three to five grams of salt is typically recommended per day.3 Note that salt includes sodium and chloride. One gram of table salt contains approximately .393 grams (393 milligrams) of sodium. That means that five grams of salt contains approximately 1.965 grams (1965 milligrams) of sodium. This number can be useful when tracking salt in food with nutrition labels, which often list sodium content."

5 grams of salt sounds like so much. I think it probably varies for each individual. I'm seeing a specialist soon and definitely going to ask about the salt because I don't want to be taking too much.

Edit: I take salt pills and you're right that sprinkling a little salt on your food is not enough. Forgot how much salt is in each off the top of my head.

2nd edit: https://www.amazon.com/SaltStick-Electrolyte-Replacement-Capsules-bottle/dp/B002IY96B0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496179412&sr=8-3&keywords=salt+pills These are the ones I take, they have 215 mg in each pill and I take a minimum of 3 a day.

Creatine will effect women the same way it does men. It is one of the most researched supplements so you can show her research and let her know she already gets a natural source of creatine from meat.

Water retention is held in muscles and might make you weigh more but it's not going to make you "bloated" in the sense you get from like your period or eating a ton of salt.

I recommend pure creatine monohydrate for anyone interested in it. You can mix it in with any drink mix if you don't want to drink it straight because it has a slightly bitter taste and a weird texture. I like this brand because it's milled pretty fine, really cheap, and I can buy it in large quantities.

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Chocolate-2-7lbs/dp/B007S6Y6VS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1420086736&sr=1-1&keywords=raw+meal

This mix and almond milk (you can also use just water but it tastes a little icky) and a $5.00 plastic protein shaker/mixing cup from walmart. and you can get complete nutrition, have it washed out and ready to do something else in 5 minutes. (a friend of mine and I would do this at work when everyone else was having a smoke break) It does get kind of old if this is all you do. but for breakfast and dinner it works out great. (oh and mix it and drink it fast, after a couple of minutes it sets up to a paste consistency it's not bad just THICK) chi vanilla is my favorite but now I just buy vanilla because there are so many different flavors of almond milk)
I've also been buying http://www.hackleyhealthmanagement.com/assorted-pb2?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=feed&152=70&gclid=Cj0KEQiA2o6lBRCn_b7yppe98rQBEiQAMpnYneN_yBB-TVMaGzQWa0stRYCaiuNa_9OPe6cwRcEjgdMaAsBX8P8HAQ (and just dumping it in the container with the mix it makes it taste awesome)

*Not affiliated in any way with this product I just use it A lot and have for about the last year and a half)

A few key facts:
1.)Creatine has been proven to work. Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/873.html

2.) 5 Grams a day is usually advised on the SIDE of your creatine container. 5 Grams is around a teaspoon. Source:http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Mass+of+one+teaspoon+of+Creatine+monohydrate

3.) Cycling creatine is key. Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/phano85.htm

4.) Creatine is cheap. 14$ a serving. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-600g/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292895221&sr=8-1

A few comments on what ever people have posted. You should already be drinking a gallon of water a day. If you are don't worry about that. Creatine is usually grainy. It tastes like nothing. Throw it in a Protein shake. Do not expect to become god after taking it. Your mileage may vary. Penultimately, qho cares if you gain water weight? Odds are, you're not Arnold yet or anywhere close. Five extra pounds of water isn't going to break you. Finally, watch out for Grade A Bro science and stick to the good sources. Trust the NIH.

edit: minor spelling.

I know they're usually targeted at athletes but energy gels such as this one (but there's many other brands) could be up your alley. They're not very high in calories but they give you a good boost and given you're in construction, that's equal to working out I'd say! They give you quick energy and a nice boost.

No link on these since I came up with them myself. I can probably make an album this weekend though if there is interest. I'll link the products I use below. As far as how I make them, I just use a blender. I put the liquids (milk and oil) in first, then the frozen berries followed by all the powders, and finally the spinach. I blend it until everything is homogeneous then I add in the oats and pulse a few times just to combine them without pulverizing them. This is not a smooth shake like you might get from a smoothy place. There are bits of of spinach (although quite tiny) and the seeds from the berries. The oats are mostly whole still. I prefer it like that and feel that it helps prevent any possible stomach issues since there is some whole food for your stomach to work on instead of pure liquid. You could always blend it longer to get a smoother texture, but it will start to warm up since there is no ice.

• Protien Powder (I get the vanilla)
  
  
• Spinach
  
  
• Frozen Berries
  
  
• Flax Seed Oil
  
  
• Super Greens phyto nutrient blend
  
  
• Oats
  
  
• 2% Milk
  
  I also add the following for my exercise supplements
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• BCAA blend
  
  
• Arginine
  
  
  I will also sometimes put in a scoop of fiber if I think about it (I LOVE MYOFiber, but any fiber is good). You can also sub out peanut butter for the flax oil. It's still healthy fats, but you miss out on a lot of the benefits of high lignan flax, particularly the Omegas. You can also tailor it a bit to your needs. If you want a carb heavy version, swap the milk for OJ. Want less calories? Swap the milk for water and cut the oil in half. Prefer chocolate? Change the whey flavor and use a banana instead of the berries. etc. etc.

I feel like this is my 2nd time asking this but people keep telling me on different approaches about when and how much creatine to take.

My stats M/20/5'2" and 132 lbs

I'm just bought some a few Optimum Nutrition's creatine and they've yet to arrive. I'm currently planning on loading at 15g every other day half before and half after my workout for the first week. After the first week, I will be taking 5g again split before and after my workout.

My questions are:

1. Is the amount that I am planning on taking correct?
   
   
2. Does it really make a difference if I take half before/after workout? Or would it be the same if I just took it all at once? If it's the same, should I take it before or after working out?
   
   
3. I drink whey protein after every workout and from what I've read, creatine doesn't mix well with protein shakes. If I mixed it in with my shake, will it affect how much of the creatine I absorb?
   
   Thanks for reading. Please feel free to give additional suggestions :)

I am a pictarian as well, and i take protein shakes religiously. This is what a normal day looks like for me. I am a 24 m 5' 11" 179 lbs and doing p90x + cardio everyday. Im doing the lean program at the moment. I take http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZH6 once in the morning with my oatmeal (not together) and one after my workout at 6 pm. Lunch is usually salad with 2 egg whites, ready made 4.5 oz flavored tuna (no fat, 2g carb, 30g protein) with multivitamin, dinner is usually brown rice, lima beans (or other types of beans), lentil soup, spinach. Sorry for the long post about my diet but just putting that up there so you can compare. The flavor i like is extreme milk chocolate and tastes pretty damn good for a protein shake. All i need to make that shake is some luke warm water and stir for like 20 seconds. I aim to put my protein intake atleast at 100g a day, so the shake helps me with that goal.

Creatine + puberty is a pretty powerful combination, I remember friends in high school who started it and would gain like 20# over a summer. Not sure how much of that could be attributed to the creatine instead of the puberty, but the stuff seemed to work like magic for 15 & 16-year old meatheads.

Personally, I don't notice any effect from the stuff. No noticeable change in performance, bodyweight, or recovery, and zero side effects either (gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc). About the only thing it does to me is make thirstier in the morning.

Honestly, creatine is so cheap per serving that there's no reason not to experiment with it. Don't spring for anything fancy, get something like this and see where it takes you after 2 weeks. If you like it, keep taking it, if you don't, stop.

Agree with /u/MacGuffinn -- the problem is not having healthy options nearby. To help, bring snacks with you everywhere. I pretty much never leave the house without a shake, protein bar, or jerky/fruit/nut snack. Keep good food options in your home, office, car, and on your person if necessary. This, for me, is the key to keeping discipline in check. Real food is better than these quick options, so like /u/Realtimes alluded to, planning is key. The grocery store should become your second home. Bringing meals everywhere can become a habit. Good luck.

Try the Gu gels instead of the chews:

https://smile.amazon.com/GU-Energy-Original-Nutrition-Assorted/dp/B00CQ7QDQA/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1525096879&sr=8-2&keywords=gu%2Bgels&th=1

Note that you should take it with water as it helps your body to absorb it quicker.

You can also try PowerGels (this is what the NYC Marathon provides on their course).

A lot of people's stomachs will like/dislike certain brands of gels so you should experiment with what works best for you before your race in a couple weeks. I would just try out the gels on your next run or bike ride to see how your stomach reacts (it doesn't even need to be a long run).

And general advice is to not try anything new on race day so you should bring the gel brand you know your stomach likes instead of relying on whatever the course will be handing out on that day. Good luck!

I can't say from experience in regards to MusclePharm Z-Core PM; however based on the supplement facts on their website it doesn't contain any BCAAs. Not to mention this isn't really a pre-workout supplement, more for before you sleep (unless you workout before you go to bed). *Note that it has melatonin.

[Unstoppable pre-workout?] (http://www.bodyenfitshop.nl/workouts/pre-workout/dedicated-nutrition/unstoppable/#ingredienten) based on this, since it doesn't have any BCAAs either, yes you will need extra BCAAs (preferably post workout).

ON Amino Energy has all the essential BCAAs, so you're good with that.



Frankly, you would benefit the most from the creatine (make sure it's monohydrate) and from ON Amino Energy. However, it would be more cost effective if you just bought straight up BCAAs like [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-BCAA-Capsules-400-Count/dp/B000SOXALE/) and instead of using that Unstoppable pre-workout, go for some coffee or caffeine pills.

Just buy whichever's cheaper/tastes better, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Neither of them will do a significant amount of anything aside from helping you reach caloric/protein intake goals, let alone provide strength gains.

I'd go with this if I were you, as it's on a big sale and has like 700 calories/serving when mixed with 16oz of milk.

Also, some brands have unusually/worryingly high levels of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Stay away from EAS Myo-[anything] and Muscle Milk just to be safe.

Nice I'll check it out. I struggle with recipes but am having a huge craving for pizza and might try to make an almond flour pizza soon.

I'm all about eggs, avocados, bacon, chicken, quality beef, coconut oil, macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, light fruit, tons of mixed veggies and broccoli (mostly fiber) and I drink VegaOne (good source of vitimins and omegas) and IsoPure (low carb and high in potassium).

If you do go keto you need to make sure your electrolytes are high. I eat pickles, supplement magnesium (not oxide but most other types are good), and make sure I eat a lot of spinach. A lot of people use bone broth but I've never tried it. This pic is a good rundown of all the beautiful things you can focus on. Not limiting at all and once you're a week or two in your carb cravings mostly dissipate.

Pea protein, my man. Say goodbye to whey farts.

Edit: I use this. It's very cheap too! It does gets a bit foamy if you only use water - I throw a scoop of PB in and it cuts the foam, blends nicely, and kills the "pea" taste :) and peas are a complete protein!

If you're interested in milk substitutes: soy is a great one. If you choose to believe the unfounded smear campaigns against soy with regard to estrogen, I suggest trying Silk Protein Nut Milk. This stuff is amazing though can be hard to find sometimes. Good luck!

I think there are products that are both cheaper and better than the ones you're looking at. I always aim for the cheapest price per unit (bulk powder in large quantities) while still making sure it's a high quality product. For protein, I would suggest unflavored Now Foods Whey Isolate. For oats, if you're planning to use a lot, stock up here. For creatine, creatine monohydrate from BulkSupplements. I don't have a recommendation for ZMA, but Optimum Nutrition is probably a safe bet, or just buy zinc and magnesium separately from Now Foods. Don't worry about supplementing glutamine. It will not do anything for recovery or growth.

I make my own pre-workout using beta alanine, citrulline, and sometimes some caffeine. For extra energy throughout the day, I would suggest vitamin D, Rhodiola, Tyrosine, and maybe some ALCAR, assuming you're already taking fish oil as mentioned.

Oh wow as if it's nutrition and supplement thursday on the one day I am looking to commit and switch to using supplements!

You gotta know, money's tight so want to get the protein I need on my heavier workout days at least without having to pay for it as the second half of the month is always tough.

I was 250lbs, now 180lbs. Switched to weight training at the start of the year while trying to keep up my cardio but want to lose that last bit of fat and figured supplements could help.

I've heard good things about this- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B002DYIZH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426761079&sr=8-1&keywords=whey+protein

But not totally sure what it does, when to take it etc. Oh also- HOW to take it? Like what do you mix it with? Milk?

Also what's this casein night stuff?

I've had a good search but it tends to be people's results threads that show up, I just want some pointing in the right direction.

> Buy your protein at Vitamin Shoppe. They have an incentive program that earns me enough in-store spending dollars to get me a couple of free tubs of protein each year

Subscribe & Save through Amazon will save you 20% on each tub. This ends up costing $52 for good quality isolate.

Recipe :

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup Isopure Zero Carb Whey Protein Isolate

2 Tbsp Flax/Chai Seed Ground Mix

A non-measured amount of (to taste) :

Chicken Bouillon, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Preheat oven to 325F

​

I melted the mozzarella in the microwave, mixed in all other ingredients with a spatula. I put 'dough' in-between 2 pieces of parchment paper (see, I learned my lesson from the pizza dough). I rolled it out as thin as I could with a wine bottle (because I could not find my rolling pin...... don't judge me). I cut dough into triangle shapes and placed cut outs on a parchment lined sheet tray. I put them in the oven for about 8-10 mins, turning half way.

I ended up making 2 batches. The first was too thick, and tasted very powdery for my liking.. so my mom took those. The thinner the better they are. I ate them with some guacamole from Whole Foods. They were pretty good, but I can't wait to find my rolling pin to try to get them a bit thinner.

With the ingredients I used, the only real carbs are from the mozzarella cheese.Everything else was <1 carb.

The recipe I was going off of is from Sugar Free Londoner (I changed the recipe to use the things I had in my kitchen rather than buying something new. We all know keto can be expensive at time.)

​

Edit : Words.

Edit 2 : This is the Protein Powder I used, and I purchased it through amazon.

This is the Fried Chicken Recipe I originally purchased it for.; I used it to make chicken cutlets for chicken parm, which was absolutely delicious and my non-keto SO did not know the difference.

Stop taking in sugar and drink more water, actually ditch everything besides milk and some juices for water. Gaining weight can burn a hole in your wallet depending what you get. Eating more vegetables and fruit help a lot. That's just me i gone the healthy way of eating since august 27 and have gain like 15 pounds. I'm going to start taking in http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Pound/dp/B000GIPJ0M/ref=zg_bs_6973717011_2 and the 100% whey gold option to get bigger tho the serious mass only is going to last me 2-3-4 weeks and its around 45$ and is highly recommended for slim to skinny people trying to gain weight.

Personally I love "Optimum Nutrition" and "NOW Foods"... I like them because they're relatively cheap, easy to access all over the world, and they put ONLY the supplement you're buying in their products (usually)... some companies will sneak in weird ingredients that don't really need to be in the supplement. Oftentimes preservatives... If you buy supplements from the grocery store, that's often what you'll find.

I use Optimum Nutrition (ON) for BCAAs... for me, I like just taking BCAAs in pill form. You can buy a powder and put it in a shake if you'd like but the pills are easier for me... I take them at least 3-4 times per day. From what I've heard, the more the better when it comes to BCAAs.

NOW Foods is where I get all my vitamins and mineral or herbal type supplements. Also, I live in Germany and I can find lots of cheap and quality products at the supermarket... in the States, it was much more difficult. Fortunately, Europe is a bit ahead of the power curve.

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Capsules-1000mg-Count/dp/B000SOXALE/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1487775411&sr=1-1&keywords=ON%2BBCAA&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Capsules-1000mg-Count/dp/B000SOXALE/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1487775411&sr=1-1&keywords=ON%2BBCAA&th=1

Personally, I don't like Whey protein. It upsets my stomach too much. I use Hemp protein whenever I want a protein shake. Of course, it's much easier to get here in Germany so I understand if you go with Whey... honestly though, you can get the same effect from BCAAs (others might tell you differently... just my opinion).

EDIT: Whenever possible, DO NOT buy from GNC or some random store... Amazon is almost always cheaper.

You're awesome!! Thank you!!

edit: For anyone else who's into natural protein, here's Dymatize Elite All Natural @ $47.99 from CutorBulk.com vs. NOW Foods All Natural from Amazon @ $59.99

I drink this for a meal replacement on a pretty basis. It has a great macro breakdown and is pretty filling. They have a vanilla chai flavor which is the best tasting in my opinion, but the chocolate isn't bad either. I'd avoid the regular vanilla and I haven't tried unflavored, but I don't imagine it being pleasant. Oh, and it all tastes better if mixed with almond milk or another flavored drink.

>all I want is a little boost on my gains

Sadly there is no supplement for this, unless you count protein powder...

Honestly all you need is some plain creatine monohydrate, and solid whey protein.

If you are under 40 you don't need a pre-workout, you should have natural energy and you can just eat a piece of fruit before hitting the gym, all you are paying for in most supplements is caffeine. Granted I would say caffeine is a welcomed boost after a low sleep night.

In summary

• Protein Powder
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• Caffeine (If you need a boost once in a while)

What are people's views on supplements? I've researched a bit but have seen very mixed opinions. I'm looking to buy: (Money not an issue, but do care about effectiveness)

Creatine Pills

BCAA Caps

Glutamine Caps

Currently only using whey protein, all feedback appreciated. Thanks in advance

Depends on what she does - but if she lifts:

Liquid Grip

Squat Shoes

Microplates

Creatine - Incredibly cheap

Practical Programming - If she likes to read and if she wants to become more sophisticated with training programming

Foam rollers, water bottles, gym shorts\pants, etc. can be good too!

Awesome! Glad you're feeling better!

I ordered some Nuun tablets. I've heard they're incredibly helpful with salt/electrolyte deficits. They should arrive later today. Can't wait!

Have you looked into pea protein? I switch between it and whey. It's cheaper than whey, is a complete protein, and has good BCAA numbers (not quite as good as whey, but it's up there.) There's been some recent research suggesting it's nearly as good as whey for protein synth., and in one study, there was an unexpected result that the pea protein population did slightly better (probably sample size in my estimation...). Anyway, on price alone, 3.175 kg for $43, and a 120kcal serving has 96kcal of protein. From my reckoning only milk protein isolate (meh on BCAA due to high casein content) and whey isolate (not concentrate) give more protein /kcal. I find it hard to believe that soy would be cheaper per gram of protein. I use NOW Pea Protein, but there are others. https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Protein-Natural-Unflavored-7-Pound/dp/B00JL6ZKFE/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1500553927&sr=8-1&keywords=now+pea+protein+7+lbs I'm not sure how that works out in Sweden price wise, but this product always works out cheaper than any other protein source I can find...eggs, milk, chicken, especially when you consider how much fat and/or carbs those other sources (soy too) deliver along with the protein. For what it's worth, whey in bulk is pretty cheap too. 2KG for roughly the same price as the pea protein in 3+kg.

BCAA and water right after, banana or other light snack after drive home. Super hot then super cold shower. Read/watch show for a little bit. Zinc/Magnesium/B6 supplement 15 minutes before sleep time. Bedroom is super quiet and I installed blackout curtains which make a huge difference.
https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Capsules-1000mg-Count/dp/B000SOXALE/ref=zg_bs_6939949011_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=VNZ5NETWXJVAWQSQY74C&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GIQS02/ref=sr_ph_1_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487811737&sr=sr-1&keywords=zma&th=1
IF all that isn't working, slap on the headphones and listen to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SmAqaCrCpU&list=PLp5q1GrVm5zUJyx-5kSQKIhjhCN3AoLsQ&index=2

Hey. I started lifting weights about a year ago. Feeling like I've plateaued lately and am thinking of adding supplements. Right now all I take is Whey Protein after each workout. Was looking into other supplements and was thinking of adding Creatine and possibly BCAA for preworkout. And Casein Protein for before bed. Would this be a good regimen for gaining muscle? Are there anythings I should worry about when it comes to these supplements? The research I have done makes it seem that these are all pretty safe. Any and all advice is welcomed. Thanks.

>So, should I be eating a surplus on my rest days/weekends if I'm doing SS 3x a week?

Yes. If you're concerned of gaining too much fat during your bulk, it's recommended that you begin counting Calories once again to prevent under or overeating.

>Also, which protein powder is best to mix into oatmeal?

While I haven't done it with oatmeal, my favorite powder so far to mix with milk and cereal is ON Gold Standard Extreme Milk Chocolate.

I like this stuff with my breakfast and one for a postworkout shake. I know it's a little pricey, but it is great quality and tastes really good. I drink one of these every night before bed. Those are the only supplements I take besides a preworkout. I like this stuff for a preworkout but if you are just starting at the gym I'm not sure I'd recommend it. If you DO choose to take a preworkout right away, BE CAREFUL. If you take too much, or you take some and then decide not to work out, you will feel like shit for the rest of the day.

I use Nutiva Hemp Protein powder in my smoothies. I like it because it doesn't have a super strong flavor, though you wouldn't know it from the smell of it lol. I usually throw in a couple of frozen bananas for texture, and then any combination of the following: flax meal, ground oats, peanut butter (I've found it's worth it to buy the natural, no-sugar-added kind), chia seeds, cocoa powder, almond, cashew, or soy milk, strawberries, spinach, blueberries, cranberries, etc.

The nice thing about smoothies is you can hide those greens in there and never be the wiser. Throw in a handful of spinach with your fruits and grains, and you can't even tell it's there!

EDIT because you want links: This is the protein powder I use, this is the flax meal I like (if you have Prime it's a PrimePantry option here), and this is my favorite brand of peanut butter - it's a lot cheaper at my local grocery, though.

Carb loading the day prior is a must. I had to do a 20k hike in the Marines and carried one or two energy gel packets with me, they are a great source of quick energy to help you push through near the end if you're feeling drained. If you can get your hands on something similar to what I linked I would suggest using one right before you hit a water station. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CQ7QDQA/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_a-Qgvb1RFSHE2

I do two servings either in the morning or the night before. For me that's:

• 4 scoops Soylent
  
• 8 scoops unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  
• 2 scoops protein powder
  
• 2 cups of ice cubes
  
  Blend it up and throw it into a thermos. These thermoses are fantastic. I had a smaller one for coffee and it kept the coffee warm for days. Sometimes I wouldn't finish what I brought, and I wouldn't have time that night to clean out the thermos. The following morning I'd clean it out and the coffee'd still be warm.
  
  Just as effective in keeping the Soylent cold.
  
  At night I make myself a single serving and that's it.
  
  3 servings per day. But with the almond milk and protein powder, I'm still at around 2k calories a day.

I tried HempForce, but liked Garden Life, Chocolate much better. I add Hemp, Cocao, and Maca for extra protein, flavor, and energy boost.

If you have a sweet tooth, Chocolate Orgain organic plant protein powder
It's a little bit pricier than bulk whey powder, but it tastes delicious with just milk or even water and serves as a great dessert replacement .

My gym doesn't allow chalk but I have been using this gel called Liquid Grip that I found on Amazon. It's basically a chalky alcohol-based lotion that really helps keep my hands dry during workouts. Over the past two months I went from deadlifting ~380 with straps to hitting my PR of 425 without straps!

The previous videos posted about shifting your grip to your fingers are also incredibly helpful.

Here's a link if you're interested:
LIQUID GRIP 1.5oz by Liquid Grip http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009M3OEV2/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Tzyvtb1N3WH8A

They're still a little hard to find, depending on where in the world you are, but hemp products are great. Hemp seeds seem expensive, but they have 10 grams of protein per 30 grams / about 3 tablespoons, so you only have to buy a pack every few weeks. They also make hemp milk and ice cream, though they're a little tougher to find, and hemp protein powder though it has almost the same protein as hulled hemp seeds, but has the weird powder texture.

These days, I get most of my protein from hemp, oats (steel cut), and cheese (parmesan has 11g/oz! ), mixed into everything I eat - sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads all get hemp and cheese - the oats are a bit of a nuisance cause you have to cook em, but they can go into most things too if you pre-cook or meal prep. Also try lentils if you're sick of beans (I've never really had a taste for beans, so I feel ya). Wholefoods and other earthy crunchy stores have lentil based pasta which sneaks extra protein into your carbs. Add some tomato sauce with hemp seeds and parmesan cheese, and you've got an easy 35-40g protein meal, with no beans. Don't forget nuts and other seeds and butters which can really pack a punch too - I've been on antibiotics lately, so my breakfast has been yogurt with dried fruit, hemp seeds, chocolate covered raisins, and nutty granola, starting the day with about 25-30g of protein.

Also, that nutrition data site has been GREAT for meeting my macros. I was copper and AC&E deficient when I first gave up meat, got really depressed, then found this site and have been able to figure out what I'm missing, and why I crave the weirdest shit. I'm not trying to build, and I'm a generally light eater (3 meals a day is TOUGH for me), but it doesn't take much effort to get >50g/protein in a day, now that I've been checking up on the content of what I eat, and shopping wisely. It would probably take a bit more effort, or maybe do the 5 smaller meals a day thing, to reach 85 but I'm sure you can do it.

Also, don't be so quick to knock foods you think have low protein - look them up. I've been pleasantly surprised to find higher than expected protein content in foods I would never have thought to have protein, like sun dried tomatoes. Don't think about getting all your protein in one place - it's easier for your intestines to aborb a higher percentage of the protein consumed from numerous sources, than trying to get it all from one meat source - apparently (according to my athletic trainer friends), only a relatively small portion of the intestines is even capable of absorbing protein from meat, while far more is able to absorb protein from plant and other sources, so you'll absorb a higher percentage of what you eat, eating plant based proteins than meat based. The figure I seem to recall is only about 30% of meat protein is absorbed, so... you can eat that 85 g of meat protein, but you're only gonna get 29g... But I'm no expert.

How did you feel after? Was it clearly a joint or muscle group getting tired and overused? Or did you overall feel just worn out?

There are really three things to do:

• General conditioning. Sounds like you mostly have that covered from your commute. If you had a random muscle/joint aches/pains I'd say ride more in general.
  
  
• Interval training. Your commute is pretty flat. You should try more hills. You'll survive without this but this is really how you get strong and fast. It will build muscles (lactate threshold?) and build cardiovascular strength.
  
  
• Nutrition. I think people might overlook this the most. Generally when you train for more than 1-2 hours at high intensity you need to replenish calories and salts. Especially salts. Put salt tabs (ie electrolytes) in all your water and make sure to eat snacks (bars, etc) while you ride. It differs for everyone a little. I like at least 16oz and a bar an hour or so. When you don't do this people usually feel really tired and just hit a wall after a while. I notice salt tabs make the biggest difference. They keep me coherent.

You can certainly use protein powder, even if you're not a body builder, but they are pretty calorie dense so you'll want to be careful you're going over. One serving of just the powder has 150 calories and my strawberry banana shakes are about 600 calories.

This is the one I use.

/r/xxfitness is a good resource for general fitness related advice.

You may need more electrolytes. You're probably sweating a lot and plain water sometimes needs a boost!

Pick up some electrolyte packets. I like ElectoMix by EmergenC. I keep a couple in my purse and my yoga bag. All you need is a cup or bottle of water to mix the powder in and you're ready to go!

Nuun makes electrolyte tablets. They reforms latex their product a year or two ago and it tastes pretty good. Same with the ElectoMix, just mix it with water and you're set.

ElectoMix

https://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S

Nuun

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Nuun-Active-Hydrating-Electrolyte/dp/B001QW1L72/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468125794&sr=1-1&keywords=nuun

Lots of different sources: hemp protein (http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Hemp-Protein-16-Ounce/dp/B001JU81ZG), nuts, beans, many vegetables have protein in them, quinoa (packed with protein) and other grains, tempeh, soy, seitan (tempeh soy and seitan can be cooked as fake meats although i personally don't eat much soy if i can avoid it).

Not only are they good sources of protein but they don't come with the downsides like heart disease and other issues that you get from a diet really heavy in animal proteins.

To be fair, it's very difficult to look like this dude when you are on a vegan diet without intense calorie heavy foods like whey http://a0.img.mobypicture.com/08b0ee8a29a9dbc46590802cc2b40aa3_view.jpg but for 99.9% of people who are training and working out there is more than enough brotein in what i've mentioned

I use Isopure Unflavored Whey in my oatmeal; when I'm soaking it overnight and then heating it up in the morning, I just add it to the rest of the dry ingredients (~1/2 scoop with 1/3c. oats plus other nuts/seeds and 2/3c. almond milk). When I'm making hot oatmeal, I mix it with a little almond milk then stir it in at the end.

For shakes, I drink EAS Chocolate Whey, which I think is super good! I've also had lots of terrible protein shake experiences and for whatever reason I really like this one. I'll usually do a scoop in 8oz. almond milk; my husband likes using dairy milk, which is also good.

I use these salt pills before/after exercise now and they often prevent the lactic acid build up in the first place but they're also good for helping ease the soreness after. Make sure you drink a big glass of water with each pill. https://www.amazon.com/SaltStick-Electrolyte-Replacement-Capsules-bottle/dp/B002IY96B0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=salt+pills&qid=1558122122&s=hpc&sr=1-3

Yeah, this. High protein diets are going to cost a little bit more but they don't have to be insanely priced. 50 dollars per month for any diet is pushing it hard. That's eating beans and rice every day kinda meal planning.

If your protein powder is more than a couple of grams of fat and carbs per serving, you're not looking at the right stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Pea-Protein-Powder-Kilogram/dp/B00RPMMFWM

That is one of the powders I use. 1g fat, 1g carbs for 24g of protein.

Here's the other one I prefer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SCO8AA8

0g fat, 0g carbs for 25g protein.

These aren't flavored or sweetened in any way so you have to learn to deal with that but they work and it's totally doable to have real effective decently cheap protein powder to help supplement.

Turkey in the US in the off season(aka not fall) tends to be reasonably cheap but only if you do the cooking and teardown yourself. You can get a lot of meat for cheap and some of it is quite lean. Take a look at picking up a frozen turkey breast and seeing if you can cook it yourself.

Honestly, and this is just me being 100% straight up, sink the extra money into chicken breast. I know. I know, but pound for pound it is really hard to get those macros any other way and you absolutely can cut the cost by mixing in smaller amounts of chicken thighs or legs with your chicken breast to offset but you need to calculate that when you're doing meal prep.

This is how I do it if I need to make 2 weeks worth of chicken stretch a bit more. Is it harder on my fats and a drop in protein? Yes, but it's still 70% there instead of 0% there.

My Dr. told me that without having kidney disease or some similar issue that it's not even possible to develop hyperkalemia from food. Your kidneys will take care of excess potassium. With Spironolactone, the main thing to worry about is dehydration. Make sure to drink plenty of water but not too much water as that can lower your sodium. Keep something like nunn electrolyte tablets on hand for that. Also, pickles are awesome.

I get straight soy protein from Winco. It has a very mild flavor that I like, and can be bought for $5.5-$6.5 / lb. Note that your caloric intake is a bigger factor than your protein intake. Since you're really skinny, you'll have to eat significantly more than you're used to in order to gain muscle.

I'd also recommend creatine, which is a pretty standard supplement. It's around $20 for 200 servings

Not really; they all seem to soak it up. Coconut flour really does.

I will tell you what makes a delicious breading. Unflavored whey protein, like this stuff: https://smile.amazon.com/Isopure-Protein-Friendly-Unflavored-Packaging/dp/B00SCO8AA8

I've used it to make chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and fried jalapenos and pickles. All delicious. Just do the egg dip first and use it like you would flour.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSTBNS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I liked extreme chocolate and cookies and cream, but I'd buy a small bit before buying a big tub to see what flavors you like. Amazon #1 best seller for protein

Caffeine pills will save you. I don't know if you're into it, but they help me a ton when I need to get up and get my ass moving. You won't have to buy a $4 coffee every time you need energy. They're incredibly cheap for what they do. It's much better to be taking something like caffeine, rather than Adderall like many college students. I use this brand.

http://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Maximum-Potency-Tablets-tablets/dp/B0011865IQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369175700&sr=8-1&keywords=caffeine+pills

Pillowy soft on the inside, delicious all the way through. Mmm....buns.....

Ninja edit: these are meant to be burger/sandwich buns, but if you want dinner rolls, feel free to cut them into 8 or 10 pieces instead. Also, if you prefer seeded buns, brush the tops with an egg wash right before baking and then sprinkle the seeds on top.

Ingredients:

14 g whey protein isolate (source)

57g carbalose (source) Also, this is the lowest carb version available. Do NOT use carbquick))

118g resistant wheat starch (source)

42g vital wheat gluten (source)

.5 tsp xanthan gum (source)

.75tsp salt

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature

3 tbsp sour cream, at room temperature

.5c warm water

.5 tsp syrup (corn syrup, maple syrup, or honey will do)

2tsp instant yeast

Note: if you are new to keto breads, a high carb syrup is used to feed the yeast. Don’t panic! It gets eaten by the yeast and turned into tasty yeast farts. None of it remains.

The method:

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl, except the yeast.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or other bowl), combine the water, syrup, and yeast. Use the paddle attachment, but keep the dough hook around, you’ll need it later. Turn on the mixer for a few seconds to dissolve the syrup, but don’t worry if there’s clumps in the yeast. Add in the eggs and sour cream, and turn on the mixer again to combine. Don’t worry again about clumps of yeast, clumps gonna clump.

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, then turn on the mixer again, medium speed. After about a minute things should be coming together. At this point, start adding in the butter, a piece at a time, letting each piece get mostly incorporated before adding the next (10-30 seconds between each addition). This goes much quicker when the butter is soft, so it’s important to not skip that step.

Let the mixer run for about a minute after the last bit of buttery goodness, then scrape down the sides. Switch to the hook, and run the mixer for about 6 minutes. The dough should be soft and not particularly sticky (it may stick to your hands, but will come free with little effort). If it’s too sticky, try kneading it with the hook for a bit longer before you try adding more flour.

Once the kneading has been done, place the dough into an oiled bowl, turning it to coat, cover the bowl, and let it rise until it’s nearly double. It happens quickly – for me it’s usually about 20-30 minutes. Dump the dough out on a work surface and divide into 6 portions. Shape those portions into flattish balls, tucking and pinching the dough on the bottom if needed.

Place the dough balls on a baking sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment, setting them about ½” apart. Let them rise again until nearly double, again about 20-ish minutes for me (YMMV). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375, and when they’re ready bake them for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool before cutting them open. Then do cut them open and stuff them with deliciousness!

Nutrition per bun: 212 cal/7.2g fat/14.5g protein/21.4g carbs/17.4g fiber/4g net carbs

Here's an unflavored whey protein powder that I've used. link

I bought the 5 pound sucker. I enjoyed it! When I drink it with 8 ounces of nonfat milk, it tastes like milk. My boyfriend's taken it with just water and said it tasted like water. It's 25g protein for 110 calories. It's a pretty good payoff, imo.

You could also consider ON's natural line. It uses fructose instead of artificial sweetener.

Forget protein only stuff. You need a full meal because that has vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all the protein you need. I drink this with fat free milk and a banana mixed in a blender. http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Meal-Chocolate/dp/B007S6Y6VS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1413684235&sr=1-1&keywords=meal+replacement Best meal there is cause its organic, no fillers and other crap. Cheaper on Amazon trust me. iHerb or Amazon for best deal.

Joylent's second ingredient is Maltodextrin (as part of the "Joylent Vitamix").

To be clear, I'm not looking for something which has zero maltodextrin, but it's commonly one of the first set of ingredients (in the examples so far, in the top three) and is essentially sugar, although it doesn't need to be categorized as such on the nutrition facts. This concerns me from a dietary perspective (for instance, risk of diabetes) and also makes me question the company's ethics.

For example, ON Serious Mass has 56g of sugar in a ~1250 kcal serving, whereas ON Pro Gainer drops this to just 12g in a ~1300 kcal serving (2 scoops). How do they accomplish this feat? They increase the amount of fat (from 4.5g to 16g) and up the amount of maltodextrin - a sugar that doesn't have to be listed as a sugar in the nutrition facts. (Incidentally, both these weight gainers have maltodextrin as their first ingredient.) In their defense, post-workout is just about the only time you'd really benefit from a big kick of glucose, as your muscles are starting to repair themselves.

My friends and I used to all be skinny motherfuckers because we were in cross country in high school. We’re talking 6’0-6’3, all under 150 pounds. All complaining about being too small and being unable to gain weight.

Then I discovered this shit. Drink it WITH YOUR MEALS 3x per day. Unless you’re working out like crazy, you WILL gain weight. And you will gain it quickly.

I overdid it and now I’m a fat fucker because I combined it with a desk job, but all of my friends are now in the 180-200 pound range which is good for 6’.

Follow the instructions on the tin, and don’t be a fucking boot and eat like shit all week thinking these will save you on hike day.

Also, if this is happening on the regular, check with your doctor about getting some tests done.

If you think being able to squat something heavy a few times translates whatsoever to hiking, I’d have you go take an anatomy and physiology class.

Don’t get me wrong, the squat and dead are core exercises for me in the off season, and definitely help strengthen your back and supporting ligaments and tendons, but they aren’t good metrics whatsoever to determine your ability to participate in an endurance/aerobic activity like hiking.

I’ve done a shot ton of grunting and now civilian hiking is my thing. Hit me up if you want workout suggestions or nutrition advice.

Okay, fuck lifestyle changes. Forget that. I'm going to make this super easy for you - as easy as possible - and you should be seeing pounds within a week or two. Go out and buy his favorite meats. Buy them all, and plenty of them. Ground beef, chicken, steak, pork, lamb, fish, sausage, I don't even care. Then, order this. It works. It has over 1200 calories per serving, with 250g carbs and 50g protein.

Try and have him eating throughout the day, but at a minimum, make sure he consumes 1/2 serving of Serious Mass three times daily. This isn't some pseudo-scientific supplement industry bullshit. It's just a shit ton of calories, coming mostly from carbs. Buy it in his favorite flavor, and just make him choke it down. I love Optimum Nutrition's protein shakes, they're delicious, so I imagine this isn't bad tasting at all either.

You're basically shoveling calories down the guy for the sake of shoveling calories. It gets no easier than this. Good luck.

Are you not able to purchase online? You should try a vegan protein powder which are great and don't cause the inflammation that dairy based powders do. I've tried only the first one (Garden of Life) and am pretty happy with it. I don't get the gassy and bloat that came from my days on whey powders. Next I'll be trying the Planthead brand powders.

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Protein-Grams/dp/B0031JK96C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394078963&sr=8-2&keywords=vegan+protein+powder

http://www.amazon.com/Genceutic-Naturals-Protein-Dietary-Supplement/dp/B00CG2SLWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394078985&sr=8-1&keywords=plant+head

I've been taking 2 pills on my drive to the gym now for about 8 months. I take them with a huge thing of water. I love em. Cheap, easy, and effective. This is the brand I've been buying. Prolab , never tried anything other than these.

Pamela's pancake mix. Light fluffy pancakes every time. Also, redditors, don't give me crap about how easy it is to make pancake mix.

Raw Meal chocolate replacement meal. This is my breakfast everyday. I drink it with almond milk. Doesn't taste good with regular water. Whole Foods sells this for $50-60ish.

Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice. Only applicable if you have a rice cooker. Best rice I've ever cooked. Maybe cheaper if you have an asian market near you. I do not, so I bought this. I bought this bag for $22 last time.

Unless you're buying imitations of non-vegan foods, veganism can actually be one of the most affordable ways to eat. The vegan meals that I make are almost always the cheapest. If you don't like beans, stir fry is pretty great. Here is a recipe for sesame stir fry that I made earlier this week. It was delicious, and you can substitute different veggies each time you make it to keep it from getting boring. PB&J is a cheap and easy vegan option. If you're worried about not getting enough proteing because you don't like beans or nuts, pea protein is actually cheaper than most other protein powders. The only downside is that it's a bit high in sodium. Here is the stuff I use. Good luck!

Interesting read, I drink a chocolate protein shake with a blended banana and sometimes peanut butter when I'm done working out. The extra chocolate might be redundant for me?

As for the "fad" fitness. People gravitate towards them because they work for a startling number of people. Same reason everyone was doing the Atkins a few years back. It worked for a lot of people. Not everyone has the know-how or patience to sift through all the bad fitness advice and people would much rather have someone lay down the law for them and tell them what they need to do in a nice neat readable format sort of like our FAQ. I also find that the lifestyle change comes naturally when people get serious about any of the above programs.

I have a GearFit2. Try MyFitnessPal app. I know that when I connected my GearFit2 it gave me a FREE year prem access to MFP. Maybe it will do it for you.

I recommend isopure for protein shake. I've been doing it for a month now. Add some heavy whipping cream and coffee to it to really make it good.

https://www.amazon.com/Isopure-Protein-Powder-Isolate-Flavor/dp/B000E95HP0?th=1


For snacks, try mozzarella cheese sticks or sugar free jello.

You will probably get dietary fatigue sooner or later. Biggest Con off the top of my head. Happens to POWs and prisoners fed the same thing over and over. Eventually you just stop eating. Although there's a girl in the UK whose lived on nothing but Ramen for like 10 years so I guess it's possible to avoid dietary fatigue. There are other people who live on Soylent meal replacements too for months at a time so it's possible.

Why not order a meal plan like Nutrisystem or Medifast? $300 a month which will come out cheaper than living on bars. No cooking required. Grab a box, rip it open and eat it.

You could also use mass gainers as meal replacements. Would be cheaper than living on energy bars. Energy bars aren't very calorie dense. You'd have to eat like 6 or 10 a day or more. Most are at least $1.50 each so that's $10 a day minimum. Probably double or triple that. Mass gainer would be $5 a day. Or do half bars and half mass gainers.

https://www.amazon.com/OPTIMUM-NUTRITION-Serious-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000GIPJ0M

It would be much much cheaper to just make your own bars though. Super easy. Just mix all the crap together in a giant bowl and form into bars. You could make enough for a month at a time, or more. Fill up your fridge and freezer with them :D Some don't even require cooking and they last at least 6months, years if frozen.

https://greatist.com/eat/diy-energy-protein-bar-recipes

This. I've been doing this for about 6 months now. Not only is it cheaper, but you know exactly what's going into your body. I highly recommend the 200mg of caffeine, and sticking towards the top end of his BA/CM dosages.


If you're into that "focus"/"mind muscle connection" aspect of many preworkouts, you can toss in 1-2g of ALCAR as well.


Creatine can be taken any time during the day and the impact is unchanged, but you can just make it more convenient for yourself by pre-mixing little baggies with all of your supps.


Also it's important to note this is WAY CHEAPER!


Beta Alanine, 125 Servings for $24

Citrulline Malate, 25 Servings for $16

Creatine, 200 Servings for $19

ALCAR, ~500 Servings for $18

*Caffeine, 100 Servings for $5

Yup. As someone else pointed out, Optimum Nutrition uses Creapure and is micronized ($14.50 for 600g w/ amazon prime shipping), and this is the stuff I got most recently. It claims to be "ultra-micronized" or something and is even more fine than the ON stuff. It is almost like powdered sugar fine. I don't believe it is "Creapure", but at $15 for 800 grams and free shipping, I'm pleased so far.

I used to drink monster, but instead I got these

I'll take 1 or 2 throughout the evening and it works great. Far cheaper, more effective, and doesn't fill my stomach up with alcohol. I only take them on Friday/Saturdays, or if I'm going out on a random day (so it isn't a daily thing).

I’ve always taken ON’s BCAAs but I ran across ON’s Superior Aminos and I’m so confused. Is one better than the other? Should I take both?! HELP MEEEEEEE!

I'm looking into going on a ~800mi tour at the end of August and I was just wondering how you performance was? Did you take and electrolyte supplements or eat on the saddle?

I was thinking of just taking jerky and almonds on the road with me for the times in between towns. I also worry about electrolytes cause I enjoy not dying (I found these which seem promising).

Any information would be wonderful, this is the post I have been waiting for, thanks! =D

If you want to do a whey protein, I've been using Nature's Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure. Tastes good and doesn't have anything ketoers don't want.

There ya go! Same exact one I buy. I'll caution though, it tastes kinda bad. However, if you mix a teaspoon of cinnamon (not cinnamon sugar) in with each scoop it tastes pretty good. I'll even use it to make pudding.

A scoop of this, two cups of defrosted berries, 1.5-2teaspoon of cinnamon, and 12 dates chopped up. Generous scoop of coco powder. Mix in just enough water to make it like a pudding. Boom.

I don't have a lot of experience with recumbent bikes, but I imagine that they would be easier on the joints. That said, I'd highly recommend getting fit for that bike too, should you decide to buy one. The angle your knees and feet should be at the highest and lowest points of the stroke will vary by person, flexibility, prior injuries, etc.

The right shoes, clips, and inserts can all make a difference if you're having knee troubles.

As is probably obvious, changing bikes won't help your energy problems substantially. Personally I ate Gu for a long time, but have recently moved to making my own energy gel because it's a lot more cost efficient if you go through a LOT of gel.

Gu: http://www.amazon.com/GU-Energy-Labs-Original-Nutrition/dp/B00CQ7QDQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396217366&sr=8-1&keywords=gu

DIY Energy Gel Recipe: http://www.instructables.com/id/Energy-Gel/

Maltodextrine: http://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Feast-Malto-Maltodextrin-Pounds/dp/B008P5QBX2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396217270&sr=8-3&keywords=maltodextrin

EDIT: formatting.

If you can't deal with regular coffee or tea isn't doing it for you then here's a perhaps unconventional option: Caffeine pills. They're very cheap and many people who have queasy stomachs in the morning but still want to work out swear by them. One 200mg pill is approximately equal to one 8oz cup of decently strong coffee (average range is between 150-300mg depending on the bean roast and strength of the brew). I drink coffee personally so I don't really have any experience with these but I've read about a lot of people using them on /r/fitness without any ill effects.

BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate 1kg - $0.09 per 5g serving

BulkSupplements Beta Alanine 500g - $0.15 per 4g serving

BulkSupplements Citrulline Malate 1kg - $0.27 per 8g serving.

Total in bulk - $0.51 per serving
Total with pre-made - $0.83 per serving

I'd say overall it's not bad, but it'll certainly be cheaper per serving to buy in bulk. And while it's refreshing to see more supplement companies not using proprietary blends and using effective doses I find it odd they decided to include creatine and beta alanine in a product marketed as a pre-workout, given these supplements are not timing dependent.

Also, unless you're doing a large volume of high rep work (15+ rep sets) you might not be getting much benefit from beta-alanine.

Caffeine

EMT's are awesome!

Good luck! I took a EMT certification course back in 2006.

Prolabs Caffeine pills (https://www.amazon.com/ProLab-Caffeine-Maximum-Potency-100-Count/dp/B0011865IQ) I would do two a day until you control the caffeine addiction. Half a tablet every two hours starting whenever you normally have your first Coke Zero (or one full 3-4 hours apart). I used to drink Rockstar Ice Zeros and Coke Zero like water and switched to caffeine pills instead. Night and day change. I used to get grogy and headaches and didn't realize the drinks were causing them. If you're still craving the fizz, try switching to club soda. It also helps get some sodium in you. Best of luck.


Edit: if you're looking to cut body fat you may also want to consider doing an ECA stack. Google it.

I would also add, bring electrolyte salt tablets with you to prevent leg cramps and guu packets/food in your running belt. Not so much of an issue in a Sprint since it's a short distance, but more of a concern in a longer race like Super or Beast. I like to set an automatic alarm timer on my Garmin to beep every 45 minutes to feed myself 200 calories and take 1 salt tablet. Never had cramps because of this strategy!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017O8EEAW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CQ7QDQA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm sure that any paleo "purist" would probably argue that protein should be sourced entirely from whole foods. However, for different reasons among different people, not everyone can do that. Hemp protein is quality but it's kind of high in omega 6 (inflammation) and a bit pricey. Your best bet is finding high quality whey protein ISOLATE and I will shamelessly plug NOW foods. Their protein is affordable, flavorless (no aspartame, sucralose, etc), and high quality. It's probably your best bet. Add some blended fruit or cocoa to get your own shakes.

Is whey isolate "paleo"? Probably not. However, I haven't noticed any problems with adding it back in to my diet.

Whey protein is going to be the cheapest (BodyFortress at wal-mart is only like 15 bucks), BUT you did say you want to transition from ova-lacto to vegan, so unless you want to spend a ton more, be prepared to sacrifice taste in your protein.

Now personally, I use this and this together (since neither are complete proteins by themselves). They lasted me close to 1 1/2 - 2 months, but I'd be lying if I said it tasted good.

Checking amazon, I found Life's Basics on sale for about $15. I've used it before, and it's awesome.

I will definitely look for that. Have you ever heard of cq10? Is it okay to take on keto? It's just antioxidants.

cq10:

Doctor's Best High Absorption Coq10 (100 mg), Softgel Capsules, 30-Count
http://amzn.com/B0007RDQJS

Also I found the creatine on Amazon for a decent price:

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g
http://amzn.com/B002DYIZEO

Currently using this stuff mostly cause it was cheap on Amazon and had prime (students get prime free, it's awesome). I use pea/hemp mostly because of the estrogen concerns about Soy.. I don't fully buy into them but I figure better safe than boobed.

Do you mean Isopure Zero Carb Protein Powder?

I use that too - it's great stuff. They have a bunch of flavors, the chocolate and strawberries and cream are my favs. Combine it with some heavy whipping cream, ice, and a sugar substitute in a blender you get a pretty good smoothie going on.

I was where you're at and what I found helped A LOT was getting liquid chalk, something like this: https://www.amazon.ca/Liquidgrip-1-5oz-portions-1-5-ounce/dp/B009M3OEV2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509992383&sr=1-1&keywords=liquid+chalk

what I started doing was using double over-hand grip for all my warm up sets and then putting a little liquid chalk on my hands and using a mixed grip for my actual heavy sets. suddenly I could focus on form and lifting the weight instead of just trying to keep the bar from slipping out of my hands. my gym doesn't let you bring in chalk as far as I know so the liquid chalk is a less messy alternative. I didn't get the exact stuff in the link I put there but anything like that should be fine. plus, it's cheaper than straps and all that. hope this helps!

• OPTIMUM NUTRITION Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate
  
  
• Flat shoes for lifts. If you have the money you can do something like adidas powerlift 2.0 shoes for 90 dollars or so and use them for squats and such. Grab some barefoot shoes or just deadlift barfoot.
  
  
• Grip chalk. You likely won't need it now but getting a brick
  
  
• calipers. You don't really need this unless you just want to track it and to ensure not gaining too much fat.
  
  
• Maybe some vitamins
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• blender bottles. Grab a couple.
  
  
• Gym bag, lock
  
  
• Small tanktops to show off the gains

I was using this before i started keto, and im still using it. Its the most delicious thing ever. And it doesn't even taste bad with just water (always heard that protein is horrible with water and before keto i always drank it with milk) but it was great. Not exactly low-carb, but it smells and tastes almost like Nesquik.

Garden of Life is expensive but is entirely soy free and no added sweeteners. I mix it with frozen bananas, strawberries, and milk and find it tastes great as is!

Optimum Nutrition is freaking great!! Overall good brand, and always priced pretty affordable - no frill good stuff

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-BCAA-Capsules-400-Count/dp/B000SOXALE

All sorts of sizes avaiable!

This recipe at https://www.certainlyketo.com/keto-pumpkin-swiss-roll/

Cake Ingredients

• ½ cup powdered erythritol We use this
  
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened
  
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1 cup almond flour We use this
  
• 2 Tbsp. unflavored protein powder We use this
  
• 1 tsp. baking powder We use this
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• Filling Ingredients
  
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  
• 2 oz. cream cheese (softened)
  
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
  
• 3 Tbsp. powdered erythritol We use this
  
  Instructions
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a medium bowl, mix together softened butter and powdered erythritol until well blended and smooth.
   
3. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla to butter mixture and blend well.
   
4. In a separate bowl, add almond flour, protein powder, and baking powder. Mix together with a fork to blend.
   
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
   
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
   
7. Spread the cake batter across the entire cookie sheet evenly.
   
8. Tap the cookie sheet on the counter a couple times to get out any bubbles and to even the batter out. Put it on the middle rack of the oven.
   
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes. It will spring back a bit when touched and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
   
10. When cake is done, let cool for 5 – 10 minutes. After it has cooled for a few minutes, roll the cake with the parchment paper, starting from the short end. Try to make sure that the roll is tight as you roll.
    
11. Leave on the counter to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Make the filling as the cake cools.
    
12. Filling Directions
    
13. Place softened butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl.
    
14. Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
    
15. In another bowl, add heavy cream and beat until whipped cream.
    
16. Add the whipped cream to the butter and cream cheese mixture.
    
17. Add powdered erythritol and beat all together until smooth.
    
18. To Assemble
    
19. After the cake has cooled and the filling is made, unroll the cake gently so that it does not crack.
    
20. When completely unrolled, spread the filling over the whole cake, leaving a bit of space at the end without filling.
    
21. Roll the cake back up without the parchment paper. Make sure you keep it tight, but not too tight because the filling will spill out.
    
22. Wrap it in plastic wrap.
    
23. Place in the refrigerator for a couple hours to overnight to set.
    
24. Garnish with a dusting of powdered erythritol (optional).

haha, I signed up in November too! But mine is NEXT WEEK >: ] Just wait until you finish your 11 mile run. You're going to feel ecstatic. There is something about the 5 mile+ runs, it almost feels like I am able to transcend pain and worry and I am at this sort of zen like state. Or maybe it's all the dopamine being flushed into my brain. Once you start getting past like 7-8 miles, you should look into something like GU's or gels to keep your salts up as you are losing water.

https://www.amazon.com/GU-Original-Nutrition-Energy-Assorted/dp/B00CQ7QDQA

good luck on your half, and dont injure yourself training. are you aiming for a specific time or just looking to finish?

I haven't started lifting again yet, but I just got a 1.2lb bottle of this stuff to try out:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015AQL1Q/ref=s9_simh_gw_p121_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-2&pf_rd_r=0SDJ6H78XA6KRM1FY2WN&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1935682402&pf_rd_i=desktop

I've tried it with water then vanilla almond milk so far, and I seem to tolerate it well. It mixes well in a shaker bottle and while the taste is bland, it's not a bad taste. I just man-up and drink it - I don't get why people complain about protein powders that don't taste awesome. It's fuel for your body, not dessert, so chug it and get over it. If you want it to taste awesome you'll have to get one that has tons of other ingredients in it, but for me, I prefer something that has a short list of ingredients and no unnecessary sugar or sugar alcohols. Knowing that my condition is exacerbated by sugar, sugar alcohols, and probably a lot of other things, the fewer additives, the better.

Creatine: Don't buy into any bullshit here. Whatever a supplement company is adding to their creatine probably isn't doing anything for you. If you want creatine, just get a huge stock of plain creatine monohydrate. This is personally what I take.

Protein: It's harder to make a decision here because just about every company is hawking some form of whey. Like others have said, some companies have been known to lie about their protein amounts. I would recommend just sticking to a trusted brand like Optimum Nutrition until you've had some time to look at reviews of some other brands you may have seen. Plus ON has the glutamine and BCAAs thrown into their blend, so why not. My only other recommendation would be not to buy into the "hydro-whey" hype. Unless you really have the extra money to throw around, it's probably not going to be worth it in any capacity.

Second this. Here is my favorite one, it’s vegan, dairy free, and gluten free!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J074W7Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7R6RCb3PA4QGA

There are other kinds of protein you can use that isn't mixed with chocolate, and soy in a protein powder shouldn't be a problem for acne. I used pea protein when I was trying to gain weight since the typical whey proteins made me break out, and I had great results. However, there is also rice protein and hemp protein I know of off the top of my head. this is what I used

This protein powder is pretty great.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0031JK96C?pc_redir=1410394826&robot_redir=1

Natural, organic, raw and full of stuff.

Not sure how long you are planning to run, but SaltStick caps may be good for electrolytes https://www.amazon.com/SaltStick-Electrolyte-Replacement-Capsules-Supplement/dp/B002IY96B0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483455835&sr=8-3&keywords=salt+tablets And dates are an excellent fuel source for mid-run pick me up (and they are portable).

Yup, this is the one to go for.
Just don't get strawberry. Mix a scoop into half a cup of hot water with a fork, then pour in your milk and let it sit for like 5 minutes. Shake in a bottle and it's super smooth. Has been my breakfast every day for months and has helped me gain a lot.

Ones that I've found that have decent reviews and good "cost per pound":

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HOPJAAE/ ($9.19/lb)
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JL6ZKFE/ (If I wanted to go Pea Protein, $6.38/lb)
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KCL1222/ (Less than a gram of carb, $11.38/lb)
  
  I just noticed that first two have numbers based on a 33g scoop instead of a 25g scoop of the last.
  
  I'm not opposed to Pea Protein if it mixes well, tastes decent and provides me enough actual protein. The price is certainly nice, $0.46 per shake for 96 shakes.

Supplements and a bunch of pills is not necessary. I read this guy's book and he pretty much lays it out for ya. He recommends only Gainers and Protein Shakes. Pills and such are just a way to empty your wallet fast!

A lot of people on this sub really like this Gainer and this "Gold Standard Whey" ... Fish Oil is a De-inflamatory and helps to reduce muscle soreness. Those are the three I use.

Search this subreddit if in doubt, and do some research. Unfortunately a lot of the crap online is catered toward helping fat people loose weight. Find communities (like this one) and get advice straight from the skinny guys who have gotten bigger.

And if you're diet doesn't include every vitamin, start taking multi vitamins. You must be healthy, not just mad. Initially since you weigh 100Lbs you may want to do the Seefood diet: You see food, you eat food.

DO NOT GIVE UP! I let work get me down last year (working 150+hours a week) and stopped lifting. All I had time for was running. I finally got back into lifting this month. I could be pretty set right now if I kept at it.

What /u/fitty_sense said is right on. You don't need to change your protein supplement if your only goal is to get more protein. However, if you're in a bulk period, you can take advantage of gainer supplements that intentionally have a high calorie and carb content, in addition to the protein. This way you can sneak in extra calories in addition to what you eat and bulk faster. One I use while bulking is Optimum Nutrition's Serious Mass.

If you look at the nutritional info and compare it to your whey isolate, you'll see the difference. The BioX whey isolate has 30g protein/1.5g carb/140 calories per serving. ON Serious Mass has 50g p/250g c/1250 calories per serving. The serving size is actually HUGE though, so I only took half a serving and that was plenty.

Also, "BioX power whey isolate" just means that it is a certain type of protein powder. BioX is the brand, obviously, power is just a filler, so "whey isolate" are the operative words. In general, the protein you find will either be whey or casein (or a blend of both). Whey is considered a "fast" protein, in that it is processed by your body quickly (30 minutes to an hour, I think). Casein is considered a "slow" protein (processed in 3-4 hours). A lot of people swear that one is better and the other is worse, for various reasons, or use the timing knowledge to game the system and try to keep their protein levels high. Personally, I consider the benefits of protein type and timing to be so low that they're not worth the effort to consider unless you're trying to compete in bodybuilding. But if you'd like to learn more, there are plenty of articles describing the difference - here's one, for example.

Finally, "isolate" just indicates that the whey was isolated from other products in the solution, like fat and lactose, to make it more pure. An isolate like that is more ideal for when you're cutting and you need to micromanage your calorie intake but, again, it's typically so marginal that you're better off focusing on large scale components in your diet first.

So your issue here is that you aren't getting enough protein with the foods you've chosen? Is there any reason you cant eat a food with low environmental impact that isn't lentils in order to get more protein. Like a hemp based protein powder, tofu, seitan, tempeh, quinoa, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, etc... Sorry I'm kind of conflating low environmental impact foods with vegan here, but I think that's what you were looking at through most of this post. There's lots of stuff out there that isn't lentils and has low environmental impact. Not to mention a diet of lentils and rice is really dull.

>In the documentary, they advocate for 2 g protein/day. Good, that's about what we're using here as well.

200 g?

A few notable foods from that list I made that are more protein dense than Lentils if you're worried about it. I did some quick and dirty estimation to get these per 100 calories so they might be a little off +/- 1 g protein per 100 calories.

Seitan: 20 g protein per 100 Calories

Tofu: 11 g protein per 100 Calories

Protein Powder: https://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Cold-Processed-Sustainably-Canadian-Hempseed/dp/B001JU81ZG About 16 g protein per 100 Calories

Lentils: Only about 8 g protein per 100 Calories

Then moving on to some non environmentally friendly foods that are traditionally known for having high protein content.

Beef: from what I'm seeing about 8-19 g protein per 100 Calories depending on what part of the cow it comes from

Chicken Breast: 31 g protein per 100 Calories, oh if you want lots of protein chicken breast is the answer

Whey Protein Powder: https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Protein-Powder-Replacement-Vanilla/dp/B00T4D0CQQ 16 g protein per 100 Calories

The main issue I'm seeing here is that you want to eat lots of lentils and have a high protein intake. Sure it's hard to match the protein content of chicken with environmentally friendly alternatives, but there are vegan/ environmentally friendly foods that provide more protein density than lentils and rice.

Hello! I come from r/weightroom to bring you the information you seek. A favorite over there is Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard. Many people, myself included, favor the Double Rich Chocolate flavor. It isn't super expensive as protein goes - a couple of folks below me have posted Body Fortress, which is $15 for a 2lb tub. ON is $20-25ish for a 2lb tub depending what flavor you get, and I've seen the prices on Amazon fluctuate a bit. The cheap Walmart stuff works fine, but I find ON tastes better.

Personally, I prefer my protein supplements to be just protein (not a complete/balanced meal replacement). I get other macros (& additional protein) from other sources/foods. It's easy for supplement makers to use cheaper ingredients as fillers while charging more (by volume) for the overall product.

I like NOW Foods natural unflavored whey protein isolate.
Only 2 ingredients: whey isolate & soy lecithin.
No fillers. No flavors.
25 grams of protein per 28-gram scoop.
Amazon usually has it at a good price for a 5-pound jar.

I also like Muscle Feast unflavored casein.
Only 2 ingredients: micellar casein & soy lecithin.
No fillers. No flavors.
20 grams of protein per 22-gram scoop.
Amazon usually has it at a good price for a 4-pound jar.

Of course, being unflavored, these have a very bland taste - which is fine with me because I add other stuff to my shakes before mixing/blending & drinking (like a banana, or some blueberries, maybe some cocoa powder, maybe some almond butter, etc.).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GIPJ0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1486303715&sr=8-1&keywords=serious+mass

I use this Serious Mass stuff when I'm really pushing to gain. Mainly because it has so many calories and a decent amount of protein.

1250 calories and 50 g per serving.

Do note that the serving size is 2 scoops and they are MASSIVE scoops. A single serving is not the easiest to take down so I usually split it into two different shakes and have one in the morning and snack on one in the afternoon or before bed.

But I like it. One of the easier ways to get 1250 calories in your system on the road to 4000.

It tastes decent and mixes well in a blender with whole milk and sometimes peanut butter or ice cream.

This is the one that I️ just recently bought. Works great with vanilla almond milk and is such a good deal



NOW Sports Pea Protein Natural Unflavored Powder,7-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JL6ZKFE?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Yea, it's much cheaper if you buy it in big quantities. This is the caffeine I get, and this is the creatine I get. You can get them in varying sizes, and the bigger quantity you buy, the cheaper it gets. But regardless of the quantity, it's massively cheaper than pre-packaged pre-workouts, and if you mix it with a powder that has a good amount of simple carbs (Gatorade, Lemonade, Tang, etc) you get a good performance boost from the added glycogen in your system during a workout, which is something that seems to have been lost somewhere along the line with pre-workouts (probably for companies to have a bigger profit margin=/)

Protein powder? I use this kind because it truly is flavorless, so I can add it to pretty much anything, be it sweet or savory, without affecting the taste of the food at all IMO.

I've been using this which has pretty much JUST protein in it:
http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-2135-Pea-Protein/dp/B001DB4MFO/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_1

pea powder... yes, it has a bit of an after taste. I use it with my morning fruit smoothie for extra protein which covers most of the pretty neutral taste. 28g or protein 1g of carbs. nutrition label: http://reviews.bodybuilding.com/NOW/Pea_Protein/

I actually like optimum nutrition, it's what I use recommend. I've got good news for you to, compared to most supplements, creatine is cheap.

If you want the powder, go with this stuff
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=as_li_tf_mfw?&linkCode=wey&tag=fuel0d3-20

and if you want capsules (they're 2.5 g a piece) go with these http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-2500mg-Capsules/dp/B000GIQS0W/ref=as_li_tf_mfw?&linkCode=wey&tag=fuel0d3-20

I read all of the PMs, there's definitely some great info here! Thank you so much for taking the time to send that. I think either the problem might be 1) pistachios are too high in carbs and I shouldn't eat them and/or 2) the labels on the food I ate today didn't provide all the info needed to correctly calculate net carbs.

One big question i have is when a label says Carbs 3g but sugars 1g and doesn't list any other source of carbohydrates, what do you count? 1 or 3? See here for an example: https://www.amazon.com/OPTIMUM-NUTRITION-STANDARD-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B002DYIZH6?th=1

Thanks again!

There's Joylent for Europeans. There's a powder from a company called "Beyond Organic". Jevity is also out there.

Soylent is just marketing better than the rest, but it's made by a dude who is not a nutritionist or a businessman, and is making things up as he goes. Gotta give him credit for enthusiasm, but his logistics and production are not where they could be with his funding. And the actual nutrition profile is something that has been replicated elsewhere.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007S6Y6VS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I eat my breakfast before working out. Eggs, bacon, pork, a little salsa. That usually gives me a little kick. Helps me wake up too knowing there's some good food waiting for me (I make the food in advance so I don't have to cook so early.)

Afterwards I have a whey protein shake I got in bulk on Amazon. You could actually do the protien shake with a little [creatine powder]
(https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=zg_bs_3773431_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=TFWW9YVQXZW3HAMASQ19&th=1) mixed in before working out. That's worked well for me too.

I'm not a fitness expert so take that with a grain of salt, but it's worked well for me and it's reasonably easy.

Kind of expensive, but they come in handy when you need electrolytes fast. And they're pretty good ratios too.

Thank you so much for the recommendation! This thing never came up when I was searching amazon for "sports drink mix." This looks like something I can really try out.

Do you usually get this one or is there a better priced one?

http://www.amazon.com/Nuun-Active-Hydration-Electrolyte-Enhanced/dp/B001QW1L72/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

48 tabs for 17 dollars seem very competitive price though IDK how much a tab makes.

Thanks for the tip! I can get 5lbs of that one for the same price as 3lbs of the Isopure:
https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Packaging/dp/B0015AQL1Q

Looks like I'll just need to account a bit for…

Calories (1x serving has 110 cal, so reduce my heavy cream and such)

Sodium & Potassium… hmm. Not sure how best to account for that. Is an additional 6% and 12% DV of each a huge deal? (Anyone? I really don't want to go the DIY route. -_- )

1x serving in each of my three KCs would get me an additional 75g of protein, for a daily total of 152, about right in the middle of the Keto Calc's min and max for me. So that's good. (And I can always adjust that down to less than 1x serving.)

No, I usually buy my creatine through Smart Powders or on Amazon from Bulk Supplements. Plain old creatine monohydrate is going to be the same from any brand, so I go with what gives me the best deal. I currently am working my way through this right here. It is $20 for 2.2lbs of it, as opposed to $15 for ON's 1.3lbs of it. Just remember whatever brand you get, look for micronized!

Edit: Micronized creatine monohydrate has the consistency of powdered sugar, which is why it dissolves way better than the normal granules it usually comes in.

Protein isolate is a type of protein powder. Definately don't cut essential fats or nutrients to replace with proteins. You want to focus on getting essential fats, nutrients, and protein while limiting carbs as much as you possibly can to achieve your goal (essentially a keto diet). You're gonna want some low calorie whey protein powder. This stuff should do the trick, but it will probably taste like sour milk. Disclaimer: if you are young (under 20), make sure you don't limit your caloric intake too much as this can hinder growth and development.

Nah stay away from that ! I have never heard of the brand in so many years...

UN, ON and Arnold are the go to ... Muscletech and Cellucor are pretty solid too !

Stay the fuck away from generics. You could fuck up your liver bigtime...


Yeah man ! PM me anytime... I aint a pro like Suhas but I am more than qualified to help out. Also do check out r/fitness and subscribe to a couple of no bullshit youtube fitness videos for form checks ... buffdudes is an awesome channel that would help you !

NINJA EDIT : since i got so any many pings regarding subscription ... Refer the above comment for it ! Also here is what i am subscribed to.. http://www.amazon.in/Optimum-Nutrition-100%25-Whey-Standard/dp/B002DYIZH6/ref=sr_1_2?m=A14UQ4H17XUX90&s=specialty-aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1474277121&sr=1-2
It is unavailable as of now! But you can try for other brands here http://www.amazon.in/ref_dynamicbrowse4x1/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_ln_x_3_1?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&node=1374491031&pf_rd_m=A1VBAL9TL5WCBF&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-leftnav&pf_rd_r=0NDDVDS8N1KDJA3MSC81&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=990675327&pf_rd_i=1374489031

I use Scivation Xtend BCAA + Energy about 15-30 mins before my workouts. It is sugar free and calorie free and has about 125 mg of caffeine.

EDIT: It helps replenish electrolytes as well, so you don’t get the keto flu.

If you want protein plus BCAAs I use Isopure Zero Carb Protein

I am also a college student in a similar predicament. There are these "gel energy packs" that I first found in a bicycle shop, as they are designed for athletes to eat while doing intense workouts, such as a long bike ride. I always keep a couple in my bag because they take about 5 seconds to eat, and will hold me over until I can have a proper bite to eat. Heres a link to them on amazon. Good luck.

> BCAA

Creatine yes, BCAAs are really only valuable if you're taking them immediately before a workout after fasting for a significant length of time (great for IF dieters).

Amazon. Get Creatine Monohydrate. I buy this.

Nature's Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure, Creamy Vanilla, 3 Lb Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E95HP0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_.ugdub15FRAKZ

38M here, you most likely don't need to supplement testosterone. In fact there is no testosterone "supplement", there is either full testosterone replacement or nothing. As you get more active and lift more, not only will the DOMs go away, but your testosterone will naturally rise to accommodate your activity level. Also, don't forget about ibuprofen. It's a wonder drug.

Creatine does help, though. I like this stuff.

I been loving on the now sports whey isolate. Dutch chocolate 2g carb. 2g dietary fiber. Natural vanilla 2g carb. 1g dietary fiber. They also have an unflavored version that's less then 1g carb. I get mine at natural grocers for 37 buck a 2 pound tub. Amazon 67 bucks for a 5 pound tub.http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Packaging/dp/B0015AQL1Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1411870693&sr=8-7&keywords=now+foods

Anything with good reviews on Amazon is probably fine. I go with this stuff, which I think is the best whey isolate (no additives).

A lot of people use Gu. I personally use them, but only on long runs (generally speaking, I take 1-2 if I'm doing 16 miles or more, and I'll take 3 for 20.

You don't NEED to eat them, but you do need to hydrate well. Some people find them a little difficult to digest while running, but I've been pretty lucky with regards to that.

I paid$22 and that listing is still up:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IY96B0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g-dUDbXNPTM63

I tried making my own drink and it tasted like drinking the ocean and made me gag. It’s 100 tablets for $22, and I use 4/day when fasting, so that covers 25 fasting days. Oh yeah, TOTALLY worth it and is still an enormous net gain if you’re not eating. Also, no work to make it and I can carry a few in my pocket. What’s not to like?