Charles Edwards8 said:So, at the end of the day, people always ask why anyone would bother spending four hours a day in the gym🙄 just to get those "tight," defined muscles.
Right. Because clearly, wanting to be healthy and actually look good is the priority. It’s much easier to just grab a bag of chips, sink into the couch for the game, and let yourself hit 300 pounds.
I don't want to go pro or anything, but I keep seeing recommendations for
whey protein🙄
As far as I know, some brands are from Weider, and they aren't exactly cheap (though some people don't mind paying extra).
Nothing in life is free. Weider is just one of many companies making whey.
The fact that they don't have digestive "additives," that they use well-known and very "useful" artificial sweeteners, and then there's glutamine—I don't know why that bothers people.🙄
Honestly, I can't tell if I should laugh or cry. Glutamine as a sweetener? Where on earth did you hear that? Glutamine is a perfectly good amino acid that’s actually been proven to help support the immune system.
I definitely recommend buying a 50 lb bag😉 😛 instead of a 5 lb tub, because for example, half a pound costs somewhere between $110 and $43(roughly enough for 14 servings).
Mmm, sure, better to just buy chips; a hundred grams of those costs about $3.25 (exaggerating here) and they're packed with high-quality, guaranteed weight-gaining carbs and fats. Anyway, a 5 lb tub of Microsoft whey is about $183, or roughly $37. If you actually know how to use it, a tub will last you several months.
So yeah, a 50 lb bag is probably the most cost-effective way to go.
If you happen to find one with a decent shelf life (like at least a year), let me know.
Now, let's clarify what actually happens when you consume too much protein.
Great, I'm really looking forward to this. This has been incredibly educational so far.
I don't need to go on a massive rant about amino acids here because, let's be honest, most of you probably already know that protein is essential for any living organism to function. That's just basic biology. However, I think it’s worth noting—and maybe a little bit of a reality check for those of you obsessively tracking macros—that using protein as a primary fuel source is actually a pretty inefficient way to power your body. It's just not what it's designed for.
Just a quick heads-up for anyone tracking their macros: one gram of fat packs in about nine calories. It’s a small number, but when you're staring down a massive plate of food, those little increments tend to add up faster than you'd expect.
Just a quick reminder for anyone keeping track of their macros: one gram of carbohydrates packs in about four calories. It’s one of those fundamental numbers you just have to keep in the back of your mind when you're planning out your meals for the day.
Just a quick reminder for anyone tracking their macros: one gram of protein packs in exactly four calories. It’s one of those fundamental numbers you really have to keep in mind if you're trying to dial in your nutrition.
I’m with you on that—lard wins hands down when it comes to flavor. It just hits different. Do you happen to know if there's anywhere around here I can pick up some pure pork lard?
Calculating your daily protein requirements usually lands somewhere between 40 and 100 grams. It’s actually pretty straightforward to crunch those numbers, and honestly, if you're eating a standard, decent diet, you'll likely find yourself blowing past that threshold without even trying.😉
Here’s what the daily caloric requirements look like for someone who spends their entire life parked in front of the couch, snacking on bags of chips and... well, you know exactly where I'm going with this.
So, I’ve been thinking about how our bodies actually handle a protein surplus. Everyone loves to talk about it in terms of building muscle or just keeping everything running smoothly, which is obviously the goal for most people hitting the gym. But there’s this common idea floating around that if you eat more than your body can use for repair and growth, those extra grams don't just vanish into thin air. The reality is a bit more complicated than the simple "it turns into fat" narrative, though that's certainly part of the equation. When you consume a massive excess of protein, your system doesn't just sit on it; it goes through a whole metabolic process to break those amino acids down. A portion of that energy ends up being converted into glucose for immediate fuel, and yes, if you're consistently overshooting your caloric needs, a significant amount eventually gets stored as adipose tissue—basically, fat. It's less like a direct pipeline from steak to belly fat and more like a complex chemical conversion where the surplus energy is eventually tucked away for later.😉
Yeah, that’s honestly pretty brutal. I actually went through a phase where I thought the same thing about carbohydrates—that they might follow a similar pattern. But then it hit me, wait a second, carbohydrates essentially *are* sugar anyway.
Look, let's be real about this: if you’re slamming massive amounts of protein that your body simply can't process, you aren't going to see some miraculous surge in muscle growth. It doesn't work like that. Once you hit that ceiling, any extra protein that isn't being metabolized for repair or growth is just going to be stored away. Instead of getting leaner or more muscular, you're essentially just setting yourself up to put on extra body fat.
Look, let’s be real about how biology actually works: if you go overboard on calories—any kind of food, really—your body isn't just going to magically burn that extra energy off. It’s an inevitability. Any massive surplus you put into your system is eventually going to be stored as fat. It's just how the engine is built.
If you’re looking to pack on some serious muscle and actually hit that 45-pound weight gain mark, there is a massive difference between just grinding away in the gym and actually fueling the process. Honestly, you could spend every single waking hour under a barbell, but if you aren't hitting your caloric targets, you're basically just spinning your wheels. It’s all about that surplus; without enough fuel in the tank, those gains simply aren't going to happen, no matter how much time you spend sweating through your shirts at the local Gold's Gym.😉 The kidneys and liver are working under such intense pressure right now—running at a level of sheer intensity—that trying to write it all down would be a pointless exercise.
Sure, you can try to prove that, but let's be real—I'll admit that 45 pounds of chicken is a massive amount of food (we're talking about roughly 9 pounds of pure protein there), but honestly, very few people outside of the professional bodybuilding circuit are actually hitting more than 10% of that kind of intake.
It’s pretty straightforward when you think about it: if your kidneys are firing on all cylinders and everything is functioning exactly as it should, you're naturally going to see a significant increase in urine output. But there's a bit of a double-edged sword at play here. While the body is busy flushing out waste products and toxins through that process, you’re also losing those essential electrolytes that our systems rely on just to keep the gears turning smoothly. It's a delicate balance, really—trying to stay clean on the inside without draining the very minerals that keep us upright and functioning properly.
That’s exactly why staying on top of massive water intake is a non-negotiable pillar of any serious bodybuilding program. If you look closely at most high-level lifters, their bloodwork tells a story that most people couldn't even dream of—it's a whole different league of physiological management.
So, I guess we’ve finally circled back to the main point: when athletes go overboard with the protein intake, they usually end up shooting themselves in the foot. It sounds counterintuitive, I know, but if you push it too far, you're essentially inviting dehydration to the party. And when you're constantly flushing out electrolytes just to process all that extra protein, things start to go south pretty quickly. I won't bore you with a massive lecture on the biochemistry of it all, but the bottom line is simple—your endurance is going to take a serious hit, and you'll find yourself hitting a wall much sooner than you intended.
Did it ever cross your mind that they’re probably sipping on electrolytes and loading up on extra vitamins and minerals to compensate?
The fallout isn't always immediate, but it's pretty obvious it'll catch up with them eventually.
I mean, sure, we’re all heading toward the grave one way or another. Some of us will make it to old age, while others might drop from a heart attack after spending too many years crushing bags of Doritos in front of the TV.
Look, everyone has the right to consume whatever they want, but personally, I'm just not interested in messing with synthetic chemicals just to chase some "muscle mass and definition."
Exactly. You go ahead and stick to your "UN diet"—you know, the one better known as the "Die Fast Diet."