Posts by briskjackal5

Henry Evans3 said:I’ve been checking out protein prices over at Nike in Vienna, and man, they are actually kind of hilarious compared to what we pay here...😂, like, they're way cheaper

Does anyone ever actually head over there to stock up on protein? Is it just this one shop in Vienna, or is there somewhere closer to us?

They do shipping to a small town in the Midwest.

-Steve

Christian Harris2 said:I mean, you didn't actually finish reading that article I linked, did you? Or maybe you're just trying to comfort yourself? 🙂 The truth is, basically everyone in America is being poisoned by what they eat and drink for all sorts of questionable reasons.

I don't really get this part, I'm not sure what you're even aiming at here.

Nah, I didn't read it. Honestly, I don't bother reading most of the articles people link.

-Stipe

Hey there! I was just thinking... maybe I should share some thoughts? I don't know, I guess it might be helpful! Just some random musings floating around my head today. I'm feeling pretty upbeat, though! Hope you guys are having an awesome day! kaže:
Here you go, check out this link: Is aspartame actually safe? Honestly, I feel like this is one of those topics that gets people worked up for no reason, but I get it—it’s hard to know what you're actually putting into your body these days! So, I was looking into the whole aspartame debate, and if you ask me, there’s a ton of unnecessary panic out there. Most of the scary stuff you hear online seems to be based on studies that just don't hold much water when you look at how we actually live our lives here in the States. I mean, we see these massive headlines about artificial sweeteners being "dangerous," but then you look at the actual science, and it's a totally different story. From what I can gather, the amount of aspartame used in things like Diet Coke or sugar-free gum is incredibly tiny compared to what would actually cause an issue. I guess most of the health concerns come from these extreme studies done on lab animals using doses that no human would ever dream of consuming in a lifetime. Like, unless you're chugging hundreds of cans of soda every single day, you probably don't have anything to worry about. Maybe some people are more sensitive than others? I suppose that's possible, but for the vast majority of Americans, it seems perfectly fine. I’ve always figured that if the FDA says it’s okay, it’s likely okay, though I know people love to argue about government agencies. But seriously, if you're trying to watch your calories or manage your blood sugar, having these options is a huge win. It's such a lifesaver for anyone trying to stay lean or avoid the massive sugar spikes you get from regular sodas. At the end of the day, I think we should focus more on the big picture—like eating whole foods and staying active—rather than stressing over a sweetener that's been around forever. I guess it all comes down to moderation, right? Just enjoy your diet drinks and don't let the internet doom-scrolling get to you too much!

Honestly, I feel like aspartame is totally irrelevant anyway. It just doesn't matter!
Honestly, if you go looking for supplements that don't use aspartame, you're probably just going to end up finding some other sweetener used instead. It’s pretty much the same thing, really. I guess it doesn't make all that much difference!
There’s just a handful of them out there, I guess, and honestly? They don't really stand out at all.

And on top of all that, I totally agree—it’s definitely not dangerous if you're just sticking to normal amounts, I guess.

I don't really have some kind of definitive ranking system for which proteins are the absolute best. Honestly, I think it’s actually pretty tough to pin down which specific product reigns supreme. I mean, it's like everywhere else—you really get what you pay for, I guess. There are a few whey brands that most people seem to put at the top of the list, though—things like Optimum Nutrition, Warrior, Dymatize, Twinlab, MVP, and Scitec, for example. Now, just to be clear, when I say "top tier," I’m talking about the heavy hitters that everyone actually buys. I’m not necessarily talking about those ultra-premium, crazy expensive products that are nothing but pure hydro-whey. Those aren't really worth it for your average gym-goer or even most regular fitness enthusiasts; those are really only for the hardcore bodybuilders and pros who have money to burn. So, like I was saying, it's super hard to say which of these popular ones is the most recommended or gives you the best bang for your buck. Everyone is looking for something different, I suppose! Some people want extra vitamins mixed into their whey, while others are dead set on finding something without aspartame. Then you've got people hunting for zero sweeteners, or maybe they want something that doesn't have any controversial quality issues surrounding it. Some folks love a blend of different types of whey, some swear by pure isolate, and I've even met people who care deeply about whether the shake foams up too much or not! It's all very subjective, I guess. 🤷 Honestly, I really think choosing what to buy is just purely subjective. Like, there's no right or wrong way to do it, you know? It all just comes down to what you personally feel like.

I’m asking because the whole way people rank protein brands feels so... I don't know, repetitive? It’s always the same old stories. Like, you’ll hear someone say, "Oh, don't bother with Multipower, it's garbage because they manufacture it in Canada," or "Skip Twinlab, it's just way too overpriced." It honestly feels like most people haven't even formed their own actual opinions—they're just repeating stuff they heard from someone else.
And that’s just how it happens, I guess... you know, almost by accident or just kind of picking things up as you go. You hear stuff through the grapevine, maybe some chatter here or there, and suddenly you’ve got these whole opinions forming about certain brands. It just sort of happens!
I honestly feel like that’s true for like, 99% of people out there!

Hey everyone! So, I was just sitting here thinking about everything, and I guess I wanted to share a few thoughts. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there's so much to dive into lately! I'm feeling pretty pumped about it all, though. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and get the ball rolling!

nimbleskipper89 said:That’s just what I know, anyway! So, since they don't carry Inko over there, I actually tried checking out what the prices look like for Inko products in Germany because a buddy of mine visits pretty often. But honestly? I totally gave up on that idea. It turns out almost everything is actually cheaper here in the States than it is over there! To me, that kind of feels like a total confirmation of the quality, too—like, it's not just about some crazy high markup, you know? It's just a good sign, I guess!

Spot on.
I mean, I was looking at the prices recently, and it turns out Inkospor is actually a few percentage points cheaper here in the States than it is over in Germany! It’s kind of wild, honestly. Maybe it's just how the market is set up here, I guess? Either way, it's a nice little win for the wallet!

Christian Harris2 said:Why all the bitterness? I mean, seriously, what’s with that attitude? 🙂 So, here’s the thing—I feel like you didn't really dive into *why* that specific protein is such a game-changer. I mean, you threw out some numbers, sure, but looking at them, I just wasn't seeing any massive, earth-shattering differences compared to other brands out there. It's hard to tell if it's actually better or if it's just... well, the same? I guess I was hoping for a bit more of an explanation on what makes it stand out!

So, what’s your take on this? Like, how would you actually rank everything, and what kind of logic did you use to come up with that order? I'm super curious!

Hey everyone! So, I was just thinking about things... maybe it's nothing, but I wanted to share. I guess I've been looking into some stuff lately, and I'm feeling pretty pumped about it! Honestly, I think there's so much potential here if we just dive in. It's all just kind of swirling around in my head, you know? Anyway, I'll try to explain better soon! Just feeling really positive today!

So, lactose is basically just milk sugar.
Since protein powder doesn't have any sugar in it at all, that means there’s zero milk sugar to worry about either.

-Steve

Honestly, you can drink it before you hit the gym, right after your workout, first thing in the morning, or even in the afternoon.
Seriously, any time works!

The main reason people suggest having it after training—especially if you mix it with some carbs—is just because whey is what we call a fast-acting protein. It hits your system at that exact moment when your body is basically screaming for it.
But hey, there’s absolutely no rule saying you can't have it during the day too... I mean, if you need the extra supplement to help hit your macros, go for it.

-Steve

Joshua Carter5 said:I mean, I found some calorie charts online and tried to build my whole meal plan based on those, right? I was trying to hit about 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day spread across six meals. Maybe I messed up if that’s actually too low, but honestly, looking at everything I was eating, it didn't really feel like that little...

So, for breakfast, I’d have like 3 or 4 eggs, some salami, full-fat yogurt with bread...

Then for a snack, maybe some cheese with yogurt, milk, bread, and some fruit or cereal...

Lunch would be pork, fish, or chicken—maybe 2 or 3 cutlets—plus pasta and bread...

And dinner was usually 5 or 6 hot dogs, more salami, some cheese (the 45% fat kind), eggs, even some chocolate...

That was pretty much the gist of it. I ate like that for maybe a month, maybe a little longer, and then... nothing. Just nothing. So I eventually gave up once I realized the scale wasn't moving at all.

That doesn't sound like six meals to me. It feels more like you're just giving me a highlight reel of what you ate over the last three or four days. I need something way more specific and precise than that. Also, it seems like you're listing things you eat throughout the week rather than what you actually consume on any given day (or your daily average).
Once I strip away all that uncertainty in this "daily menu," I can totally see why your weight stayed stuck.

Basically, you just weren't consistently eating enough.

-Steve

Joshua Carter5 said:Hey, hi everyone on the forum! 🙂
I'm having a bit of a struggle with my weight... I'm about 6'2" and only 136 lbs, and I just can't seem to put on even a single pound, no matter what...

Oh, you totally can. You absolutely can.
Well, looking at your stats, if we set aside any medical stuff—you know, the kind of things people joke about in those mean memes—it seems like you just aren't eating nearly enough to actually function properly.
I mean, maybe you're skipping breakfast, or maybe you just have one big plate of food once a day and think, "Yeah, that's plenty," or maybe you just don't feel like eating dinner? Something like that, I guess.

So now I'm thinking about starting to work out, and I was wondering what you guys recommend for drinks and diet? I'm hoping that might help me pack on some weight...

Honestly, I'd recommend everything.

If you could, maybe write down everything you ate yesterday, the day before, and even Friday? Just roughly how much of each thing you had.
That would probably give us a pretty clear picture of where things are hitting a wall.

-Steve

Henry Evans3 said:So, does the energy levels recovery happen faster or something?

Exactly! That's basically it.

-Steve

Go Sandy...
Go Sandy...
😁

-briskjackal5

Tyler Campbell57 said:So, I’m doing cardio twice a week and hitting the gym maybe two or three times a week, but lately, my calves have been cramping up on me. It even happens during really basic exercises sometimes! Diet-wise, I’m not taking any supplements or anything crazy, just some protein and glucose (like 30g/60g). I was reading somewhere that maybe high blood sugar levels or maybe just a magnesium deficiency could be causing the cramps. Does anyone have any advice on this?

We definitely do, since if magnesium deficiency is causing those cramps, the solution seems pretty obvious, right?

-briskjackal5

boldcanyon72 said:week five>>> down to 156lbs... total loss of -2.7 inches!! specifically from my hips and waist!👍

Way to go! 👍

-Steve

bluestag7 said:Usually, one 32g scoop lands you right around ~120 calories. Personally, I think MuscleTech and Microsoft are both pretty solid options, and I believe some other folks here have mentioned those brands are totally fine too.

The glucose from GNC looks a bit like this:

Oh, and there's a new package out now, kind of a greenish color.

Just grab some dextrose and you really can't go wrong.

-Joe

All sorted.
The process -

http://www.reddit.com/showpost.php?p=2...9&postcount=33

And honestly, even big 👎 👎 👎 anyone who goes out of their way to annoy people like that.

-Joe

So, here’s what’s going on with my issue
http://www.reddit.com/showthread.php?t=536552

I’ve got the screenshot right here:



-briskjackal5

It’s not exactly a photo, more like a video 😁

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Hh0we-ag0

-Steve

I mean, you aren't even paying attention to where you've ended up!
Those high-society types up there have already started eyeing your husband...

-Steve

You don't need a comma before conjunctions.
"You will be".
Honestly, I'm totally lost when it comes to capitalization... like, I have no clue where to put uppercase letters at the start or end of sentences.
😁

-Joe

quietpilot87 said:she probably needs to switch up what kind of food she's eating first

That’s exactly right! 👍

-Stipe

In my experience, you really can't rely on your body to guide you.
When it comes to losing or gaining weight, your system doesn't actually know—or even care—how much it "needs," and honestly, trying to listen to your hunger cues isn't a very reliable strategy.
If I want to pack on some pounds, I’ll just toss in a protein shake, drink a quart of milk a day, and make sure I'm eating bread with dinner. And sure enough, the scale goes up.
On the flip side, if I'm looking to slim down, I just cut back on the milk and skip the bread (though I’m definitely not skipping protein, since I've got about 12 pounds of it sitting in my pantry right now 😁). Just those two little tweaks easily creates a 500-600 calorie deficit every single day without any hassle.

Through all of this, my appetite stays pretty much the same. I guess I just can't use my own hunger as a compass. Instead, I decide what to give my body by playing around with my habits, and the weight follows suit. For instance, over the last month or so, I managed to bulk up from 195 to about 210.

By the way, I actually had a dream last night about lifting weights. 😁

-Stipe