Regaining Momentum

Well it looks like I’m back on tract for loosing that Last 10 Pounds. As my last post noted, I have moved into a 2 day per week 20 hour fast (Sunday’s and Thursday’s) and have been trying Brach Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) to see if there is any effect on fatigue, muscle mass or other safe weight loss effects. I have finally dropped below 190 lbs, lost another full inch around the middle and in general feel pretty good. In fact, a ‘female’ coworker recently commented on my diet and weigh; I think the term was ‘slim’. Remember, when others notice, you’re on top of it.

I can tell you from experience, when on a daily calorie limiting diet and maintaining a high level of activity (intensity of work outs), you get pretty tired and fatigued. You can make muscle and strength gains but generally its all you can do just to maintain (or at least minimize the loss of) any previous gains in muscle or tone. However, with the 2 day a week fasts, one on my rest day and one on a cardio day, and using the BCAAs, I have really taken the edge off that general feeling of fatigue that would come from a daily diet restriction. This has allowed me to maintain the same level of intensity as if I was on a general maintenance diet and I can eat just about anything I want the other 5 days; within reason of course.

I have also deviated from my original plan outlined in my last post and have allowed it to morph into the following;

1) Workouts still from 4:30 am to 6:00 am, Monday through Saturday with Monday, Wednesday and Friday as weight training days and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays as cardio days. Saturday cardio is at recovery level, e.g. about ¾ effort as compared to the intensity of the Tuesday and Thursday sessions.

2) Fasting days are Sunday (rest day) and Thursday. Fasting is from when I go to bed the night before through 4:00 pm on the fasting day (approximately 20 hours).

3) 6 gm of BCAA prior to and 6 gm of BCAA after each workout, including the Thursday fasting day. No BCAAs on Sunday.

4) Diet is ‘fairly’ clean throughout the week. Snacks are generally fruits and veggie’s with occasional cookies and sweat breads (zucchini, banana, etc…). Since we’re close to the Halloween season, there is also a sprinkling of candy corn and M&M’s hidden in that diet (one of my many weaknesses). Lots of water and coffee and keeping wine intake to less than a glass (or 2) per night.

5) With the exception of fasting days, I have an 8 oz chocolate milk (with real sugar, NOT high fructose corn syrup) spiked with 1 scoop of whey in the morning with breakfast.

Now fooling around with the BCAAs has its price. Why; I had another check up from my pill ‘pushin’ doctor to go over resent blood work (check my cholesterol and other issues) and low and behold, besides having a second excellent total cholesterol result (LDLs and HDLs in the correct range and ratios), I had a high Creatinine level.

High Creatinine is generally associated with kidney issues; e.g. not flushing all of the protein wastes from the body.

Did you know that it’s recommended that you NOT eat red meat nor complete weight bearing exercise prior to Creatinine testing (very interesting)? And, high Creatinine levels can also be caused by dehydration? I never new this, nor did my doctor ever say anything. I guess since my previous blood work results have been O.K. as far as Creatinine, there has never been reason to look into the issue.

You should recognize that Creatinine is a waste product of metabolizing Creatine. Keep in mind that Creatine increases the energy of muscle cells by increasing the formation of ATP within the cell; remember the basic respiration, ATP, mitochondria, energy cycle from high school biology. Creatine is manufactured by the body in the kidneys and liver from amino acids; not the BCAAs but by others.

Unlike Creatine, BCAAs are not made or synthesized by the body. Your intake of BCAAs is strictly dietary and is generally sourced from red meat, fish, dairy, beans, etc… Like Creatine, BCAAs are also associated with cell metabolism and the breakdown of ATP within the mitochondria.

Could it be that increased blood serum BCAA from supplementation, during exercise, is related to a faster or more effective use of Creatine at the cellular level and thus, a higher Creatinine level in the blood?

I guess I’ll find out in the next week or so. My doctor had me take another blood test and so for the 2 days preceding, I backed off the BCAAs and drank as much water as I could hold. We’ll see when Dr. Pill Pusher calls again to go over the results; either kidney disease or a good sign that my body is actually responding to exercise, diet and supplements.

Until then, keep physically fit and keep your diet clean.

Happy Halloween