Karim's muscle gain carnivore adventure


(Karim Wassef) #602

I feel calmer but I had to up it to 30mg to see that effect.

I don’t see it in the numbers though. There’s probably a difference between the physiological response to stress that I cannot control and my mood that allows me to cope with it better.

The “feeling calmer” is subjective since I can’t measure it. And it could be a placebo effect or just changing circumstances causing more or less calmness. So, it’s inconclusive.

The effects of berberine and bitter melon extract are also diminished when I eat. Seems like they are really only effective while fasting or being very strict keto.


(Karim Wassef) #603

I haven’t been posting for a couple of days because of work and travel… but I ran an interesting experiment

Traveling while on Atkins is much harder than traveling on keto. It’s not easy to get massive protein so I switched to a modified keto.

Unfortunately, I “overindulged” in salted almonds and ended up with 40g or carbs one day and 30g the second with a massive increase in fiber too - definitely not carnivore. It was a stressful trip and I was emotionally eating - almonds are my comfort food. Also some lettuce and asparagus too (no croutons or tomatoes though - let’s not go nuts here).

I see this as my confession where I purge myself of my dietary sins… both on eating carbs and failing carnivore. Absolution please :laughing

At the start of the trip, my ketones were already low from my high protein ~ 0.2… so I expected to be absolutely kicked out of ketosis with my bad behavior.

Strangely, it didn’t! I went into a state of 85G, 0.4K almost continuously for the two days. No exercise, no high protein but lots of fat and fiber and way over on almond carbs.

I think this is butyric acid fats with fiber fermentation basically creating a nearly continuous dosing of short chain fat … it is a fat making machine and keeps my ketones level. Unfortunately, it’s all dietary ketones not endogenous. Still, I felt good.


(Karim Wassef) #604

(Karim Wassef) #605

That is a very interesting vid

And …


(Karim Wassef) #606

Today

Two weeks ago

So I think I see shoulder and bicep development. Mostly because the muscle insertions seem more pronounced.

It could be glycogen replenishment from two bags of almonds too :joy:


(Karim Wassef) #607

Had beef brain last night… very yummy

Breaded on pork rinds and egg

This article isn’t perfect but mostly good: https://www.livestrong.com/article/360367-nutrition-value-of-beef-brain/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-08-23/americans-are-eating-more-brains-as-offal-goes-mainstream


(Karim Wassef) #608

Did I lose you guys?? :joy:


(Mario) #609

sure not :+1:


#610

I’m a bit freaked about mad cow disease. I hear sheep brains are good though.

I suppose if I can eat chicken livers and gizzards, I could stomach some brains. Just … they’d have to be prepared by someone who can make them taste yummy a.k.a. not me.


(Karim Wassef) #611

Mad cow was isolated a while ago. This is all FDA controlled product in the US.

The articles are decent reviews of eating habits.

I think the “eww” factor some feel is not dissimilar from what vegans have for eating animal muscle meat… it’s different so we identify it as “weird” or “wrong”.

I had the same issue with tongue and head and testicle… or ox tail or tendon… but I’m willing to try before judging so I’ve been pleasantly surprised most of the time.

Same with other meats from other kinds of animals like snail, jellyfish, etc… it’s always interesting to remember growing up in the Middle East were the locals considered crab and lobster to be “insects of the sea” and would discard piles and piles that would get caught in their nets… my dad would go and pick them up for pennies and I grew up eating piles of lobster every weekend for nearly nothing…

Today, a lobster is Dubai can cost $80…


(Neil) #612

Nope, still stuck with us!


(Karim Wassef) #613

Good! Eating brain tends to freak some people out. :smiley:


(Karim Wassef) #614

So… I’ve gone through the first batch of whey protein isolate and it’s been a rollercoaster.

It definitely spikes my glucose, insulin, and crashes my ketones. My ketones hover between 0.2 and 0.6… and my glucose is between 75 (rarely) and 110, usually around 95…

The insulin makes me retain a lot more water too and it keeps me ravenous! Eating high protein low fat is a real challenge and I have to admit that I’m failing. Keto is much easier.

I’m gaining weight but it’s as much fat as muscle… and that’s with low carb (under 20g usually). The almonds have been my Achilles heel. Eating liver and eggs with some cheese nudges the carbs up a bit but the almonds are a deep craving aligned with the insulin-driven hunger.

I have 4 days to DEXA again (Friday) so I’m going to push for maximum self control to see what’s possible.

My personal experience is that I need an equal weight of fat to offset my protein intake. So the 240g protein I need for muscle makes me ravenous until I eat 240g of fat.

That is actually the perfect ratio if I were 13% bf or lower, but at 21%, I need to keep the fat at 110g… and it’s not happening “yet”.


(Little Miss Scare-All) #615

It’s interesting, the different kinds of things that people crave. I’m not a nuts fan. I do like walnuts and pecans, but I never, or rarely think to eat them. My cravings tend to be cake-like things, and breaded and fried things.


(Karim Wassef) #616

Salted and spiced almonds are like potato chips to me… so weak!

They’re great on keto but not good on this muscle building carnivore Atkins thing.


(Karim Wassef) #617

so frustrating… I can gain muscle OR lose fat predictably… but never both, yet.


#618

Fortunately for you, we are. :slight_smile:


(Karim Wassef) #619

I don’t know about that girl… doesn’t like bacon or nuts… she’s just not right in the tummy… :joy:


(Little Miss Scare-All) #620

But chu know I’m all about dat cheese, bout dat cheese, no bacon.


(Karim Wassef) #621

Here’s my attempt at self discipline today

You’d think that after eating two grilled chicken thighs, a sirloin steak, three eggs, a plate of beef liver and a plate of beef brain… followed by a large bowl of bone broth and a large shake with almost three scoops of whey protein isolate… and the accompanying fats from butter, ghee and MCT… that I would be satisfied… that’s a substantial portion of protein and not bad control on carbs (9g)…

However, my glucose and ketones went from 86G, 0.4K before to 95G, 0.3K after… and I’m hungry. I swear the salt and vinegar almonds in the pantry are literally holding my mind hostage unless I concede to that initial 40g… that eventually becomes 80g… then 120g before the night is over.

But I will go without for today… the carnivore will assert himself and the tempting almond sirens will be vanquished in a terrible thunderstorm of my willpower… tempt me no more, evil delicious plant!

I did legs today - squat machine (being careful given my latest injuries) with two plates on each side + individual leg quads machine + individual legs hams machine + individual legs donkey kicks machine. Finished off with a sauna.

I also did low weight bicep curls… I’m avoiding upper body for now since I followed up the lower back injury with a severe strain to my right tricep - the deep one. So now my right shoulder injury has cascaded into a bicep tendon tear and a deep tricep strain. I push myself hard like I did when I was in college a few decades ago - but my body doesn’t grow like I want it to… it just gets hurt reminding me of my age.

insert expletive here.