[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

This is why I had requested the members to share their actual experiences about the protein powde quality / results and long term effects.

There are a number of replies to my post and these contain genuine advice by the members. I will definately discuss with dietitian about "no need for whey protein". However no members have shared their actual experiences; positive or otherwise. Probably noone has taken the protein powder for 3 to 6 months at a stretch. Maybe for most of us, the story of protein powder ends like new year resolution of morning walk. And maybe the protein powder manufacturers take an advantage of this, in respect of the accountability.

The reason is because there is no guy on this forum (and elsewhere also) who can ever single out his/her consumption of Whey protein as the single reason why he/she put on ___ kg of muscles.

Therefore no one can, with certainty, claim what you want as a response!

Please check with your dietician if there has ever been any study, or even anecdote, where the same person was fed with say 50 gram pure protein daily for 12 months followed by 150 grams daily for 12 months, keeping all the other variables like overall calorific intake, training intensity, sleep etc. more or less constant, and did it produce any difference in muscle weight in the subject.

The whole "Science" behind nutrition (and nutraceuticals) is still in snake-oil stage, loads of money to be made by "science backed" sellers because no one can single out your product for success or failure.

• Let say you eat protein and gained muscles - wow the product works!, or was it the new fangled BBB, DOD, etc exercise routine that I did?
• You eat proteins but gained fat - ah, the overall diet must by crap, or perhaps I am not doing the right amount of exercise
• you eat proteins but didnt gain anything - well maybe I didn't balance the exercise, recovery, stress and other factors

The list just goes on, and there is no way to fix accountability on any whey protein product.

Obviously, the dietitian is trying for a balance of fat mass and muscle mass. As we all know, only carbs and fats will only increase the fats in the body.

Nope, unless all you eat is sugar and ghee.
There was a reason I deliberately chose those examples. A baby while growing not only put on fat, but also huge amount of muscles.

Sumo wrestlers may look like overgrown babies, but they carry the highest muscle mass compared to any other guys on earth - powerlifters, strongmen and bodybuilders included.

If you have high calorific surplus, your body uses proteins more effectively for building muscles, and you don't require high intake of it.
IF you are on sustenance calorific levels, your body is not going to put on any amount of muscles - even if you eat 200 g proteins daily.

As per his observation, his intake is more or less same compared to his peers. And according to the dietitian, eating more or less has limited effect. Before going to the dietitian, we had consulted a doctor, who got the fecal fat test done. The test confirmed that the fats aren't getting lost through the stools.

And T3, T4, TSH are within normal limits.

So then what is the reason, according to the medical community and dietician, for the lower than expected weight?

Also, I am quite surprised by the bolded statement, if it is made by the dietician. Countless obese people will definitely disagree. And a smaller percentage of these obese people who got back in shape certainly will disagree.

We use home made ghee in good quantity. The dietitian appreciated ghee but advised against consuming more ghee than required.

And pray who is determining what is the "required limit" and what is that basis?

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Just stuffing calories without taking into account the other parameters is not right. Also, just avoiding sugar and not caring about other fats is again an issue. Quality of diet also matters, not just quantity.

Sure, so what are your recommendations for increasing quality calorific intake?

Being from a vegetarian family, my parents also used to get all these kinds of advice and force me to drink milk, etc. But nobody realized that I have a low tolerance to lactose and I used to suffer from related gastric issues a lot. So, please stop blindly suggesting a heavy diary-based diet whenever someone says they are a vegetarian.

People may have all sort of allergic reactions to different food stuff. Some have for Soy, some for eggs, some for milk, some for shellfish, some for meat.
I would amend what you wrote to "stop blindingly FOLLOWING" certain diet.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by alpha1

If you have high calorific surplus, your body uses proteins more effectively for building muscles, and you don't require high intake of it.
IF you are on sustenance calorific levels, your body is not going to put on any amount of muscles - even if you eat 200 g proteins daily.

This point seems worth considering. I will ask the dietitian about this during the next visit.

Originally Posted by alpha1

So then what is the reason, according to the medical community and dietician, for the lower than expected weight?

The doctor said there is no underlying medical condition restricting the weight gain and if there isn't any hereditary factor, he will improve in future.

The dietitian said, "Right now he is growing more in height and less in weight. Once the height stabilizes, he will gain better in weight." Of course, the diet changes have been suggested without waiting for that stage. But the dietitian has set a goal of only 45 kg (as against 50 kg corresponding to BMI of 18) to allow some margin for weight gain in future.

Originally Posted by alpha1

Also, I am quite surprised by the bolded statement, if it is made by the dietician.

Yes, she indeed said that some children who eat enough may be slim while some who don't eat much have enough (or somewhat higher weight). This, with same activity level. She wanted to point out the variance.

Of course, too much or too little will matter. That isn't our case.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by WanderinNomad

So, for the past week I have tried to reach 135gms protien intake with natural diet but the best I could do was 100gms and on most days it was close to 75gms . I do not think taking 135gms of protein is sustainable for me in the long term. Hence I would like to add an organic vegan protien powder to my regimen. Since I am apprehensive about the hair loss aspect of supplement I would like a natural, clean suppliment from a reputed company. What should I go for?


3) Can anyone guide my towards a beginner oriented dumbbell only workout. I plan to join a gym post the lockdown till then I am following the below routine 3 times a day for full body training but I have taken it from a random android app and I am not sure about the same.

I feel that you are fussing too much about minutiae.
Anything above 50 grams of proteins and you should be good to go. Save your money for other things in life.

Regarding workout: since you haven't explicitly mentioned, I am assuming you want to get "in shape" - which mainly translates to losing fat. And perhaps gaining some muscles as a byproduct of this process.

Most of the "science backed" stuff that you see on internet doesn't really have any underlying scientific experimentation done to warrant that term.

In terms of your workout you need to do indulge in activities that raises your heart rate high for long durations - cardio-endurance activities. Unfortunately most of these activities (like jogging, running) are hard on knee joint ...

Fast speed cycling could be a safer option, brisk walking (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig4Hs-BDESs

), original burpees (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSN63k3WwA

).

Second kind of workout has to be strength training type where you do an exercise that you can't sustain for more than 30-60 seconds or so.
These can be your dumbell based workouts. No matter what you do, please include at least these two movements:
1) squat (preferably with dumbells held on chest/shoulders)
2) overhead press
In fact these two would suffice till you join a gym.

[SohailPistawala]

Hi Rahul,

I am willing to share my actual experience of gaining weight.

Basically what your Son is now, I was exactly the same when i was 16 and continued to be the same till 21. The idea was to keep going on without exercise, without workouts, without any forces, just natural state until i reach 21 post which i would join the gym.

At 21 years with 49kgs of weight finally managed to joined the gym on April 1st, by the end of December 31st that year i touched 83kgs.

What worked for me : Rice, oats - With milk, chicken, eggs, milk, bananas, nuts and training for 60 mins 6 days a week. All the information i gathered was purely about different workout methods (Push pull, superset, drop set, etc etc).

Honestly I did not have anyone whom i could seek advice from so took one day at a time, trial and error, slow and steady as it takes a lot of time to achieve the desired results.

Now I am 38 with a steady weight of 75kg for the past 3 years and have gathered enough knowledge about how my body will react to my eating and workout habits.

My suggestion : don't worry about him now, let him play, study, and do his daily chores, you cannot force feed him. He will find people making fun of his weight and appearance. Relatives talking about him be under nourished, trust me all of that will fade away with time, don't let it effect his mental health. If its effecting you mentally then i suggest to get on a private chat and discuss it out with anyone on this thread or forum.

I am open to private chat in case needed.

All the best

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Sumo wrestlers may look like overgrown babies, but they carry the highest muscle mass compared to any other guys on earth - powerlifters, strongmen and bodybuilders included.

If you have high calorific surplus, your body uses proteins more effectively for building muscles, and you don't require high intake of it.

Although Sumo wrestlers consume more calories than they use, they train a lot too. This is conducive to building muscle but also storing fat. If a normal person just goes on a calorie surplus diet without a matching exercise regimen, he will put on more fat than muscle.

Sure, so what are your recommendations for increasing quality calorific intake?

My suggestion is to eat clean and slowly increase the food intake and not stuff down anything and everything just to gain excess calories. What exactly to eat depends on the person's likes and background. What suits a south Indian palate would not go well with a north Indian and vice versa.

I would amend what you wrote to "stop blindingly FOLLOWING" certain diet.

Agreed. But then people should also stop blindly suggesting ideas like consuming copious amounts of ghee etc.

[TM_Turbo]

Hi All

Can someone please shed some light on muscle blaze biozyme whey protein, is this really good product and will it give good results when combined with workout and diet?

I am 34 and want to build some good muscles and have been heading to gym since 4 months, I want to try some supplements like fish oil, creatine, etc

[amvj]

Are there any vegetarian / vegan iron supplements available in the form of tablet or tonic?
I hear most of the Iron supplements are animal based (contains animal blood?).

[prasi55]

Originally Posted by amvj

Are there any vegetarian / vegan iron supplements available in the form of tablet or tonic?
I hear most of the Iron supplements are animal based (contains animal blood?).

Check this (Solgar Gentle Iron 25 mg, 180 Vegetable Capsules), I got it a while ago and found it to be fine.

[PatienceWins]

I feel thirsty and having dry mouth when I drink whey protein shake (Optimum Nutritiion protein) in the night. This leads to drinking more water, urinating frequently and disturbed sleep in the night. I am taking only half a scoop, much less than the recommended dosage. I researched online and it says happens when the dosage is high and kidneys working hard to dispose the extra quantity, which does not seem to be my case.

Thinking about moving to plant protein to be on the safer side.

Anyone had similar experiences? Any recommendations?

[bblost]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

(Optimum Nutritiion protein)

I don't use any powders but a quick google check says this is already a Veg protein.

If you are using just 1/2 the recommended dosage maybe just skip it altogether and instead have some chicken and beans.

Since you will still need to finish the bottle, why not just have it in the morning. So you have the whole day to hydrate yourself.

[Srini76]

Hey,

I just finished losing about 17 odd kg of weight over 4 to 5 months with a calorie restricted diet worked wonders ! went from 86 to 68 - The goal is somewhere between 70 to 73 kilos , as I end the diet I will likely put on some weight hence the additional loss (Height of about 5ft 10 inches) - I also bought a set of Bold Fit resistance bands (Tubes) actually gifted to help me and arrived yesterday - I am a total newbie to this and have no idea hence asking for help -

No skin sag per se but would like to tone and get in some defined shape - not looking at building huge muscle etc - help is can anyone help or share something like a work out guide with specific exercises and number of reps to be done, I am willing to put in about 30 to 45 mins everyday without fail !

Looking forward to inputs please

Thanks,

Srini

[raptor_diwan]

I was going through my regular life, which includes going to the office, gym, and home, as well as browsing Instagram, meeting new people, even during Sunday rides, One thing I've noticed becoming increasingly common is the use of anabolic steroids, particularly among teenagers.

Why has there been a sudden spike in steroid usage in India? Is it due to people wanting to gain more followers on Instagram and call themselves influencers or models? Are gym owners influencing their clients to take steroids for the sake of financial gain?

I know of a guy who smokes, drinks, and also takes steroids while working out. When I tried to advise him against it, he was more interested in the addiction of gaining more likes and followers on Instagram and couldn't stop after just one cycle of steroid use.

Guess what? He doesn't have the discipline to use a new needle every time he takes steroids. When I tried to educate him and his friends, they simply compared their dosage and medicine model to that of some western bodybuilder, without considering the fact that they are not undergoing regular blood work like professional bodybuilders.

Do you think that the government should impose strict rules on gyms and provide guidelines on the amount of steroids that can be sold to a person and how much they can inject? Should individuals be required to sign a document acknowledging the risks associated with steroid use, rather than relying on gym owners or trainers who may provide false hope and unrealistic expectations for financial gain, thus putting teenagers at risk for their own business profits?

Should it be made mandatory for individuals who consume sarms or steroids to have medical insurance to cover any potential health issues that may arise from their usage?

Videos with egotistic music, where teenagers showcase their bodies, may look cool, but we are missing the bigger picture, and it can be dangerous. Every week, multiple deaths are being reported in the news where a person has died in the gym due to a heart attack. However, so far, there are no regulations in India for such incidents.

What is your opinion on this?

[batish]

Since this one is about Whey protein Powders. It might be helpful to some here. There are around 30 tweets in the thread.

Have a look at this twitter thread. It shows the lab results of protein powders sold in India. Contents, heavy metals and amount of protein percent available in them.

Here is Protein.pdf of these same tweets, in case tweets are inaccessible.

[scorpian]

Originally Posted by raptor_diwan

What is your opinion on this?

Debatable topic to be frank. I have seen both sides and frankly it all boils down to how sane you are when using anabolics, i do not advocate them but if you know your blood work well and use them sensibly then yes they definitely give you a edge.
I have actively used certain anabolics for recuperation from injuries' have recovered faster then what it normally takes time. But like i said i limit it to only using it very very sensibly for recovery.

[raptor_diwan]

Originally Posted by scorpian

if you know your blood work well and use them sensibly then yes they definitely give you a edge.

Exactly, if we are into professional bodybuilding for competition or for recovery purposes, that is great. However, nowadays, people use it just to improve their appearance, and some even use it for good hair growth, which ultimately results in a lot of death and organ failure cases.

Getting blood work done is not common among Indian teenagers (not everyone few does it), and how many people in India actually get their kidney function tested to ensure it is healthy before taking creatine? Although creatine is safe when the user has healthy kidneys, people don't usually take the necessary precautions and blame creatine when they experience issues.

In my opinion, it would be beneficial for fitness centers to implement guidelines to ensure the safety of their patrons.