I'm dying...

[niceshotman]

I nearly died, but they managed to save my life. After a long coma, I woke up without a clue. Slowly, things are coming back to me, but I had some major brain damage & I'm not as smart as I used to be. In a coma, I lost all the muscle that took me 20 yrs to build, & I lost my memory about diet & nutrition. In a way, I am a new person...but I'd like to be who I was. I have many problems, & I need to build muscle to survive. I need to be able to function again physically, because I don't have anybody. I am trying to rebuild my weak body that wasted away during the coma. I am having a hard time, & I have many questions. I get confused & overwhelmed easily, so it is hard for me to calculate a meal plan for myself. I've been trying to eat lots of protein & exercise, but I know that my diet could be much better. I'm just scared that I'm going to screw this up & I don't know how long I can last like this. If anyone could help me then it would save my life, because I need to grow just to get around & do daily tasks. I can't drive due to my brain damage. I am 38 yr old, 5'-6", & my arms & legs are really skinny. My abdomen "looks" big, but that is only because of major damage that disfigured that whole area...but really, there is not much left on me. I tried figuring out the diet calculator & it looked like maybe I should try to eat 2500 calories or so? I was looking at other people's diets, & I just don't know if I can eat that much...but I will try. If anyone has a diet that I could follow then I will do it. I'll eat the same diet every day if that's what it takes. I'm not very picky, but I need specific foods & amounts because I get confused if I don't have a detailed instruction...even brands are good for me to know. I will weigh the food or measure it in a measuring cup if that's what is needed. If there is any special products then I will order them online. Once I was discharged from the hospital & rehab I just got "dropped" & I'm lucky that I can function at the level that I am at...but I don't know how long that can last. While I was walking to get groceries a few days ago I was nearly hit by a car because I can't move very well...& a month ago while walking to the gym I was attacked by an unleashed dog which weighed as much as me...& that put me back in the ER again. I need real help. I was looking over that nutrition program that John Berardi is selling, & I'm not sure if anyone else here bought that. I am low on money, but if that is something that would help me figure out what to do, then I guess I could buy it. I hate to complain about all my problems & I wish I didn't need any help...but I'm confused & I do need help to figure out what I need to eat so that the exercise that I am able to do will actually get me to grow. For anyone that can give me help here I'd like to say "thanks" because I really appreciate it.

[DSM4Life]

How did you remember this site ?

[spywizard]

hahah.. i hope you bookmarked this site..

read the sticky for bulking or cutting.. i assume the bulk, that will give you the info you want.. or most people will charge you $200 to do what you ask.. (just read the sticky)

Also, don't know what caused the coma, injury, chemical whatever, but... if it was physical injury due to brain trauma, you will find after some years that you will not be the same, but will be better in some areas that you were never good at..

Myself, i can remember with ease, difficult, long and complicated financial and numerical equations.. never could before..

You, at least you kept your ability to type and spell...

good luck..

[AdamGH]

I would recommend reading the site. Their is a wealth of knowledge on these forums. Most of the answers you want I know are here if you try.

[juicy_brucy]

That is insane!!!! glad you are alright. Go out and eat yourself a big meal. Take a day or two (or week or two) to get re-adjusted. Be the best you can be. We will help you out here. Glad you are okay.

[juicy_brucy]

Sorry if I missed it, but what are you dying from? Or is that figuratively speaking in regards to the weight loss???

[Phate]

2) Another thing is that eat meal is either protein/carb or protein/fat and the fats are good fats(EFA=Essential fatty acids) from flax oil or fish oil. Try not to eat fat with carbs as the fat will become, well, fat since your body is made to be energy efficient, by putting carbs, which are easier to break down for energy, in the same meal as fats your body stores the fat for later and uses the carbs for energy, not what you want.

3) try to eat every 2-3 hours, this is the amount of time it takes for your body to digest a meal and by giving it a constant stream of food you will ensure that your metabolism is kept high, also, calories are not the same, protein has the highest thermodynamic effect, which means that it takes more calories to digest protein than carbs or fat, this also increases your metabolism

4) You should try to get at least 50-60g of protein in every meal, this is about the max your body can take at one time

5) here are some tricks for making eating so often easier, i know it's hard, i go to school 8 hours a day and i'm not allowed to bring food into class so i have to work around that
a) Make a weeks worth of food on your day off, go buy a ton of chicken, lean turkey and very lean beef and grill it, then put it in ziplock bags and label with the amount of calories and protein per bag, YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A CHEAP SCALE FOR THIS, YOU CAN GET THEM AT GNC, MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE THAT WEIGHS IN GRAMS.
b) save grocery sacks or get a lunch box and put a full three meals or so in there, lots of chicken, jerky, tuna, those are gonna be the staples of your diet

6) Don't drink more than two protein shakes a day, there are liquid and don't have the thermic effect normal food does, normal food should make up 95% of your diet, though a shake after workout or in a pinch is perfectly fine


Meal 1 - 5 egg whites (cal 80, pro18), Oats 80g (cal295 carb51 pro12 fat5), 1scoop whey (cal112, carb2.5, pro23, fat1.5). sprinkle cinnamon. TOTALS - Cal 485, carbs 53 pro 50, Fat 6.5

WORKOUT

PWO - 2 scoop whey (cal224, carb5, pro46, fat3), WMS 80g (cal280 carb68) TOTALS – Cal519, carbs73, pro58 fat 3

PPWO - Tuna 1/2 tin (cal 72,carb0 pro15 ), Oats 80g (cal295 carb51 pro12 fat4) 1scoop whey (cal112, carb2.5, pro23, fat1.5) TOTALS – cal480 carbs53 pro50 fat5.5

meal 4 - 175g chicken (cal289 pro54 fat5) Coconut Oil (cal83 fat9g) TOTALS – cal372, pro54, fat14

Meal 5 - 175g chicken (cal289 pro54 fat5) Flax Oil (cal83 fat9g) TOTALS – cal372, pro54, fat14

Meal 6 - 175g chicken (cal289 pro54 fat5) hemp Oil (cal83 fat9g) TOTALS – cal372, pro54, fat14

Before Bed – Lean Mince200g (cal328 pro51 fat12) TOTALS cal328 pro51 fat12

DAILY TOTAL Cal 2928Carbs 179 Protein 360 fat 68.5

Each chicken meal served with a handful of fibrous green veg bringing carbs to approx 200g per day in total.

DIET 2

Macros: Food/Calories/Protein-Carbs-Fat

Meal 1: 60g Oatmeal/225cal/8gP-41gC-2gF
turkey (99/1)/260/54gP-0gC-3gF
2 Tbsp Mayo light 40cal/0gP-2gC-3gF

Meal 2: 40g Oatmeal/150cal/5gP-27gC-1.5gF
turkey (99/1)/260/54gP-0gC-3gF
2 Tbsp Mayo light 40cal/0gP-2gC-3gF

Meal 3: 40g Oatmeal/150cal/5gP-27gC-1.5gF
beef (96/4)/300/50gP-0gC-8gF
2 Tbsp Mayo light 40cal/0gP-2gC-3gF

Meal 4: 10mL flax oil 90cal/0gP-0gC-10gF
beef (96/4)/300/50gP-0gC-8gF
2 Tbsp Mayo light 40cal/0gP-2gC-3gF

Meal 5: 10mL fish oil 90cal/0gP-0gC-10gF
Tuna 170cal/42gP-0gC-0gF
3.5 Tbsp Mayo light 70/0gP-4gC-5gF

Meal 6: Tuna 170cal/42gP-0gC-0gF
3.5 Tbsp Mayo light 70/0gP-4gC-5gF
beef or turkey 150cal/25gP-0gC-4gF

macros:Calories: 2615
Protein: 335
Carbs: 111
Fats: 74

[niceshotman]

I can't explain it well enough. An animal needs to be able to move to survive. If a fish couldn't swim, then he'd die...he wouldn't get food, he wouldn't escape danger. A person who is all alone & can't drive needs to be able to move, or that person will die. There are paralyzed people who would die too...if they didn't have someone to care for them. I'm lucky that I have some functioning...but to survive, I need to improve. The only way you can "know" is to live it. There are bullies who love to harass & rob people like me. I live in the city. I can't run from a teenage kid with a knife. I can't just jump out of the way if a taxi runs a red light. I'm not dead yet, but my clock is ticking until I get some strength back. They want me in for another surgery but it would make me even worse off...I'd lose even more muscle during the months of bed rest & recovery.

I am using the advice that was given to me above from "phate186". I have quaker oats, bumblebee tuna, but I don't know what brand of flax oil or fish oil or hemp oil or coconut oil or light mayo to get. I don't know the amounts of the oils either. I don't know how to use some of the stuff, like the whey powder...is that mixed in water? are the 5 egg whites cooked or raw? how are the oats eaten...cooked with water? I don't have a scale yet, but I was curious how much 40 or 60 or 80 g of oatmeal looks like? does it look like a cup cooked, or 1/2 cup uncooked? etc.

Thank you "phate186" for the help because this is getting me started in the right direction.

-p.s.- I feel kind of guilty asking for all this help, so if anyone ever needs any kind of advice about surviving in the hospital then I'd be happy to help.

[Phate]

I can't explain it well enough. An animal needs to be able to move to survive. If a fish couldn't swim, then he'd die...he wouldn't get food, he wouldn't escape danger. A person who is all alone & can't drive needs to be able to move, or that person will die. There are paralyzed people who would die too...if they didn't have someone to care for them. I'm lucky that I have some functioning...but to survive, I need to improve. The only way you can "know" is to live it. There are bullies who love to harass & rob people like me. I live in the city. I can't run from a teenage kid with a knife. I can't just jump out of the way if a taxi runs a red light. I'm not dead yet, but my clock is ticking until I get some strength back. They want me in for another surgery but it would make me even worse off...I'd lose even more muscle during the months of bed rest & recovery.

I am using the advice that was given to me above from "phate186". I have quaker oats, bumblebee tuna, but I don't know what brand of flax oil or fish oil or hemp oil or coconut oil or light mayo to get. I don't know the amounts of the oils either. I don't know how to use some of the stuff, like the whey powder...is that mixed in water? are the 5 egg whites cooked or raw? how are the oats eaten...cooked with water? I don't have a scale yet, but I was curious how much 40 or 60 or 80 g of oatmeal looks like? does it look like a cup cooked, or 1/2 cup uncooked? etc.

Thank you "phate186" for the help because this is getting me started in the right direction.

-p.s.- I feel kind of guilty asking for all this help, so if anyone ever needs any kind of advice about surviving in the hospital then I'd be happy to help.

i'm more than happy to help in anyway i can, so ask away

the brand of oil doesn't matter, and if you can't get all the oils just use flax and fish, there are the best anyway

the whey powder i mix in water or 8th continent light soymilk(regular milk has too much hidden sugar)

i like miracle whip light, it has the least calories of any brand that i have seen

i either cook the eggs or add them to my oatmeal which thickens it greatly

the oats can be eaten cooked with water or with light soymilk, use splenda to sweeten with some cinnamon to taste

40g is about a cup cooked and 80g is alot of oatmeal, lol

[juicy_brucy]

don't feel guilty. Everyone is here to learn, make some friends and have fun. Phate186 has lotsa good advice.
Also, Check out the stickies in the Diet forum. Very good info there!
http://forums.steroid.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6

[Oki-Des]

Good Luck and I hope you continue to get better.

[StoneGRMI]

I think this thread smells like shat.


If not, I wish you the best. Do some research and post what you're eating right now.

[niceshotman]

stone...if you want to know what "smells like shat", go the Intensive Care Unit at a trauma center. People routinely shit themselves while they are in a coma. It sucks when you've been in a coma so long that when you do wake you can't move anymore, & it takes 4 nurses to try to roll you over & clean the diarhea that spontaneously sprays from being G-tube fed on "Traumacal" (Novartis). I'm sure people just can't possibly believe that horrible things happen...but I assure you that it DOES happen...I've seen kids in the Traumatic Brain Injury unit who are zombies from falling off a skateboard. Most folks here are happy at being so fit & pretty. I was that way...but my luck changed. The trauma surgeons said that my chest muscles saved my heart...my abs weren't so lucky, & I'm missing intestines now. I don't even know if I can use the WMS because it might speed things up "too fast". I can hardly digest anything that isn't blended or put through a juicer. If you need proof that sh*t happens to EVERYBODY, even my best trauma surgeon who designed the procedure that saved my life, died just a few weeks ago...he was a world known master of trauma surgery, & he died in some stupid totally unexpected f*cking accident:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...stPop_Emailed6

I'm doing the best that I can do with what I have. I still have a massive ventral hernia, & I shouldn't be lifting weights because it is slowly getting bigger, but I just can't waste away...I won't allow it...I'll FN die first. My leg is so bad it's like a gravel knee. They wanted to amputate it...& now it's too short & grinds like rocks...there's probably still adhesions in there. The pain that I get from even "light" exercise is something I can't describe...all I can say is that you must make it your friend. The pain is my constant companion & now it is my "friend"...

http://medind.nic.in/maa/t05/i2/maat05i2p181.pdf

...that is not me in the photo, but the photos look nearly exactly how I looked. Right now I look like figure 4...I still have a partial ventral hernia in my abs. Figure 2 is how I looked 6 months ago...that big bulge in the middle is a sac full of guts covered by a thin membrane/skin graft. People used to get sick watching my guts move from peristalsis.

I had oatmeal, tuna, milk, whey protein, & some supplements at home before I got the info here on diet. I still have to walk to the grocery store & buy a bunch of stuff, but I didn't get there yet...my legs & ankles are still too sore from my last workout...& I have to be able to carry it all home on my "good" shoulder in the heat before it all goes bad - but it's better than winter/snow/ice.

I'm trying my best. I get confused, but I'm doing my best. I don't know exactly what supplements to use or amounts. I know some people will help me & they will make all the difference in my recovery...but I just ask that if people don't want to help, then don't bother to ridicule me just because I'm crippled & disfigured.

In a coma they fed me "Traumacal" by Novartis, & then when I woke up & got the stomach tube out, they gave me "Boost Plus" by Novartis. I don't know if these are any good to drink...I used them on & off & they seemed to give me more energy. It's probably better for older people...kinda like ensure. But I guess they help the body make scar tissue to heal incisions & skin grafts. Maybe that's of help to somebody now or into the future if someone needs a procedure.

[niceshotman]

Phate buddy...I really appreciate your help. You got me going on the right track here. I'm going to keep a positive attitude & I know that this can be done. It will be painful & difficult, but I have the discipline & drive to get my diet & physical ability back on track.

I'll get those fish & flax oils as soon as I can get myself to the market. Is there any trick to taking the oils...do you just eat it, or add it to something? I heard about adding oils to fresh grapefruit juice but I don't know if that is typically done?

I've also tried the soymilk before & it was good, so I'll use that too. I actually blend lots of stuff, because a good length of my intestines is gone, so sometimes I just can't digest things like everyone else. I own a Vitamix, which is a kickass blender...I use that for just about everything...the blades spin so fast that it can actually cook stuff, so I've made an oatmeal smoothie with soymilk in the past. Sometimes I add natural maple syrup to my oatmeal, but maybe that's not good?

I have a whole bunch of supplements, but some of these things are like 3 yrs old...I'm not sure if they are any good anymore...

Do you have any recommendations on which fibrous green vegetables to use? I'm thinking maybe broccoli or spinach? Does it have to be fresh, or can it be frozen?

I am planning to get a lot of chicken next time I go to market, & I'm thinking of stewing the chicken & pulling the meat from the bone, & then try to keep it moist (so I can eat it easier) in measured containers. I usually roast stuff in a "dutch oven" since I don't have a grill. I'm going to get all the meats like you said. Do you measure the meat before or after it is cooked? For example, the 175g of chicken is weighed before or after cooking?

The forum rules confuse me, but if it's allowed, then maybe you have a favorite whey powder, or a WMS product brand that you recommend?

I noticed in your post that you mentioned you go to school, which is great. I hope all is going well for you. Thanks again.

[T3/T4 GSR]

Honestly dude I would really just work on diet alone and leave the exercise to just absic day to day tasks until you fix all your problems. Working out with a bad hernia is a terrible idea and will cause mroe harm than good. The high calorie and protien diet alone will put quite a few pounds on you. If they recommend another surgery I would fix yourself up first then focus and building back up. I think you will be happier in the long run.

[AnimalGear]

dude that looks ****in horrible..i'm so sorry