returning to the gym - diet plan?

I gym but I no longer take protein supplements. I try to just eat more. Definitely not seeing the gains I saw whilst taking supplements but I am still doing ok (I think).

Have you tried pea protein? beef protein? egg white protein? hemp protein? There are various sites that will allow you to custom order a specific protein (eg. you can have a mix of pea protein with added carbs). I'd link a site I used to use but I am not sure if that is against forum rules.

As for diet, when I was a gym junkie, I always made sure I was eating all the freakin time (like every hour or so). Lots of eggs, chicken, beef... everything really.

yes I did take creatine and found it very beneficial to my work outs. I remember that without creatine, on my maximum weight for bicep curls, I could do 3 sets, 10 reps for the first 2 sets, then 7 reps for the third set. With creatine, I was doing 10 reps for all sets. Felt really good. Not sure if it contributed to my IBD though. I know that all my gym supplements (whey protein especially) gave me diarrhoea but I just ignored it back then. I also took BCAAs and l-glutamine. Also took a little l-argenine (sp?).

speaking of muscle memory, I only just recently started working out and a lot of what I used to have has come back. It looks a little weird though because I look like a skinny guy but really toned (sort of disproportionate). I definitely lost most of the bulk I used to have, but my muscles still are in shape (if that makes sense). at my biggest, I was 64kg (on a 167cm frame). Now I am around 56kg, so you can imagine.

good thing though is my abs look really toned and I haven't even started working on them yet.

I work out pretty regularly, and even did through my flare and while on prednisone. It was tough and I required a lot more down time, so more rest days, and not going all out like I'm used to, but I did my best every day, and pushed when I could.   I'm still taking whey protein, but I never noticed anything negative from it. I've actually started a bulking phase, so I'm consuming about 3500 cals a day, with my heavy lifting routine, so far so good. Seems my body is handling the extra strain and cals, but I've only been doing it a few days, so we will see. As far as what I am eating, pretty much whatever I want to stay within my numbers, I use myfitnesspal to track all my numbers, so they don't get out of control. I'm still tweaking them, but currently I'm still dealing with the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers, so once those are gone, I'll get them even more under control. But I plan on doing a lot of eggs, chicken breast and rice. I don't really have any diet restrictions, other than a few foods that mess me up. I am trying to go more gluten free. Not everything, but a good bulk of what I am eating.   I agree with the other post, check out some of the other prot ein powders, there are so many, one should work. I was on creatine, but actually started flaring a few weeks after, so not sure if it was a coincidence or not, but I haven't taken it since, I want to try it again, just to see if that was my problem, but I also don't want to push my luck, so it’s sort of a wait and see thing.   Glad to see you getting back in the gym, I feel so many people when confronted with something like this, just give up, and use it as an excuse on why they can't do something. Sure in some cases that may be the case, but far too many just use it as an excuse, so I am always excited to see others getting out there, and working out again.   - Adam

thanks Adam and Mike.

its great to hear there are people who want to make the effort to have the health and body they want even through such a debilitating disease.

a couple of months ago i looked in to muscle milk and it seemed perfect for what my goals where.
the problem i also face with creatine is that i took it togther with my protien so im not sure what was doing the damage. creatine is very much something i rely on in training especially during the first 3 months. luckily i do not have much dietry restrictions (only dairy, god it brings on the BMs!).

im really going to try and revamp my diet put in the extra macros and see where muscle milk takes me.
after a couple of weeks i will probably add creatine.

do you guys maybe think creatine in pill form would be easier to stomach?

- casey

i agree joanna - and most of the protien supplement stuff contains a lot of crap - i.e., sucralose, also known as frankensugar -

stereofidelic89 - I have P90X as well as P90X+ and P90X2, done around of the first two, and will be doing P90X2 next year. I absolutly love those programs, and got some great results. Currently doing my own lifting routine, along side Rev Abs (another beachbody program) their kicking my butt, and I have to really focus on taking my preworkout supps, I really notice longer recoveries now, not sure if its the meds, or the fact that my body is still fighting off what I got going on, but my body does stay sore longer, also getting older so who knows, but that being said I am determined to not let this disese dictate what I due. I will adjust, and take extra rest, but I am not giving up.

Three years ago I weighed 305 lbs, was in horrible shape, and quickly growing out of all of my clothes. Now I am 225, and in very good shape. I still got a ways to go, but everyday I am making improvements. I hate that I have UC, it is frustrating, but I am glad that it waited to show up until now though, I couldn't imagine what would of happened if it flared up when I was already lazy, I would be in even rougher shape. This diseses has made me more mentally tough, I work out harder now, and won't give in to stupid excuses on why I can't workout anymore, I am so afraid to go back to they way I was that, this has only made me mentally tougher. sure physically I could be better, but mentally there is no stopping me.

Sry for the rant, I'm just very passionate about this stuff now.

whoa - i just imagined a horse with uc - yikes !

geez, you'd think with their messed up digestive systems, they'd for sure get it -

and you'll get there again - it seriously does take our bodies a while to heal -

With the creatine, trial and error, my concern would be the requirement of H2O needed for that supplement and dehydration. And I definitively would not go through a load phase of one week. Personally, I would wait a month or two and see how your body is bouncing back and look at your results then before adding any creatine....if the muscle milk with the creatine is no good, there are so many other options it will make your head spin...bodybuilding.com has reviews and so many protein products that may help you out....trial error here.....get back to the gym and enjoy it...careful on squats.... same mentality as wolfehound here....and 43 here....be darned if this disease takes away my stress relief and fun....no excuses...two tough mudders next year....and they will be completed

Mike

i have heard muscle milk is full of unhealthy sugars just to boost the taste, although saying that im lucky enough only to have stomach troubles with dairy products.

i think those people who have given up on working out because the effects of the drugs are getting them down should not bare that excuse anymore. keeping in shape makes you mentally stronger, pysichally stronger, confident and most importantly disciplined. i believe these things are very important in beating our disease.

i have been through the phase of pred where i had been so depressed i would just watch tv and eat whatever was around, ultimately i just got more depressed out of the proccess.

i myself am now ranting but i do advise everyone to get involved and do some excercise, people would be shocked at how much it will improve quality of life in every aspect.

soystud said...
whoa - i just imagined a horse with uc - yikes !

geez, you'd think with their messed up digestive systems, they'd for sure get it -

and you'll get there again - it seriously does take our bodies a while to heal -

My retired gelding, Max, has "nervous tummy." Whenever we would go to a big show, he would have D the first day - so we put him on probiotics and he was fine as long as he got his scoop a day!

Now he is retired in a big green field up in Solvang (coastal CA, near Santa Barbara) and has no problems.

I've never heard of UC per se in a horse, but I'm sure they can get it - but they probably just colic and have surgery. They can get strictures and twists in their intestines, for sure, and that is all under the heading of "colic," - and most of us carry insurance just in case they need to have surgery. Horses have a LOT of intestines they can twist, so it happens.

Anyway. Hopefully I'll get back to exercising soon! Just this year I had bought a new horse, a 5 year old, but she injured her foot right about when I started getting sick and is off until February, so I have that long to get back into shape! At least we have a real bathroom out where I ride. I could always hand the horse off to a groom and run to the bathroom!

Good to hear you're keen on gym training. Do what you can. I have lifted a bit in my past, am thinking of starting again.

My only advice is, and there are 2 parts:

1. Alarm bells started ringing for me when you asked about creatine. For me it's a definite no-no. It triggered 2 flares with me and I wont go near it again. It might be fine for some but if you can at all find a link to your previous flare-ups and a period when you were on creatine then I'd say it may have been a contributing factor. Google it and you will find quite a few testimonies from people who have had issues with creatine. Of course is a minority of people who react to creatine but you may well be in that minority (UC sufferers are in the minority too remember) so you may have just drawn a short straw with it.

2. Get lots of sleep. If you're training and have UC your body will need loads of sleep as not only your muscles but also your bowel are trying to rebuild.

Good luck the benefits of weight training are plenty just do it as natural as possible. It can be tough (I know) to not want to supplement loads (there's a definite mind game involved about more is better etc.). Anyway Keep us posted.