FAQ All Read Before Posting
This one isn't complete, more frequently asked questions will be added with time (feel free to make suggestions on what should be included).
It answer's most questions that seem to pop up 10 times a day. Everyone make it a habit to link to this thread when you see a question that is answered here.
Q. What is flax seed oil?
A. It’s a oil rich in O M E G A-3 that you can buy in just about any health or food store. 10-20 grams/day is a good amount to consume
Q. Whole eggs vs whites
A. Whole eggs are a wonderful protein/fat meal. It is packed with good fats, good protein, lots of vitamins. Whites are only protein and not quite as good as the protein from whole eggs. Don’t avoid whole eggs, but only include them in protein/fat meals. YOLKS DO NOT INCREASE CHOLESTEROL!!
Q. Where can I get EFA’s(essential fatty acids).
A. Flax and fish oil are by far the 2 best sources. Use either one of them each day to be sure you get what you need.
Q. The difference between essential fats and good fats
A. Essential fatty acids are fats you need to survive. They are involved in just about all processes in the body and without them you die. Simple as that.
Good fats are fats that you can survive without. But you wont have optimal health without them. Most good fats are monounsaturated fats while EFA’s are Polyunsaturated fats. There are good saturated fats as well.
Examples of food rich in good fats are:
nuts
egg yolk
seeds
olive oil
coconut oil(virgin)
avocado
Examples of foods rich in EFA’s are:
All fatty fish
Flax seeds
Q. How much protein do I need?
A. We have to distinguish between what you need and what is optimal to eat. You probably don’t need more than 100 grams of protein/day regardless of size. But what is optimal to eat is a whole different story, without any real consensus on what is the best. Since there is no danger in overeating protein(except of course if it goes above your calorie needs) the common suggestion is 1,5g protein/lb bodyweight. If you weight 200 lbs you should eat 300 grams of protein.
Q. How much carbs do I need while bulking?
A. It TOTALLY depends on your metabolism and how your body handles carbs. Some people get as much as 50% of total kcal from carbs while other tend to stay below 200 grams of carbs. You GOT to experiment and see what works for you. Some people get fat by looking at pasta while others just get big and pumped. There is no easy answer to this question.
Q. How much carbs do I need while cutting?
A. See above
Q. How much fat do I need?
A. You should never(doesn't’t matter if its bulking or cutting time) consume less than 50 grams of fats and at least 10 of those being flax or fish oil. To little fat is disastrous for the body. There is no advantage and plenty of disadvantages in being low on fat.
Q. What should I use PWO?
A. This will be covered by Giantz in a separate article.
Q. What is the difference between maltodextrin and dextrose?
A. For all purposes there is no difference. The difference in GI is minuscule. The only noticeable difference is in taste. Dextrose is VERY sweet while malto is hardly sweet at all. Use any of them, it doesn’t matter.
Q. Is it bad to cheat?
A. NO, BUT ONLY ONCE A WEEK!!! But this highly depends on your body. Some people can get away with a whole cheat day and still lose weight while others only do a cheat meal. But you should take a cheat meal once a week since it helps to bring up the metabolism and prevents the body from entering starvation mode. You have to experiment for yourself to see if you should take cheat meals or cheat days. If you are at the end of a diet and weight loss isn't happening do clean carb up instead of cheats.
Q. What should I eat after cardio?
A. Doesn't’t really matter if it’s a protein/fat meal or a protein/carb meal. It all depends on what you are supposed to eat during that day.
Q. What should I eat before workout?
A. The simple answer is carbs and protein. This will be answered by giants in a separate article.
Q. Workout on empty stomach?
A. NO that is one of the most catabolic things you can do. If you want to workout first thing in the morning(best time to workout IMO) down a small carb and protein shake before.
Q. Can you make a diet for me?
A. We are all here to help on our free time so there is limits to what we can do. We can however help you with your diet if you have made one and want critique.
But be sure to read this thread first:
Quote:
Checklist before posting a diet
1. Read the cutting or bulking sticky to see if your diet is in line with those. If presenting a diet based on another set of principles then please inform us of that(GI method, zone, blood type method, eating according to your metabolism etc). Otherwise we wont have a clue why you plan your diet as you do.
2. Make sure to include macro's. At least for the entire day and preferably for each and every meal. We are willing to help but not to calculate everything for you so post up what you have and lets work together on this.
3. Check if the kcal in your diet is reasonable for your goal(with the The Harris Benedict Equation for instance, google it). If they seem way of but you still think it will work then explain your reasoning. If you are 150 lbs soaking wet and want to cut on 5000 kcal then you better have a damn good reason for us to even look/comment at the diet.
4. CLEARLY define what you want to achieve with the diet.
Q. Can I combine *insert any source of fat* with *insert any source of protein*??
A. YES. A protein/fat meal can contain just about any source of protein and any source of fat as long as it fits your daily requirements and doesn’t contain any carbs.
Please be sure to include STATS-AGE/HEIGHT/WEIGHT/BF% (even an estimate)/EXPERIENCE/NEEDS or WANTS FROM DIET HELP.... This will give a starting point and make it easier for everyone to be on the same page with what you are wanting and needing to obtain your goals.
Members and staff are all more than willing to help in this forum, but you still have to do some work first before we can help. So post up and let us work together to help you meet your goals.
