Fitness and food

[Eydawn]

Hey folks... anyone have any suggestions for dealing with delayed onset muscle soreness? I haven't lifted consistently since high school (bad Wendy...) and when I go to lift now, I end up with debilitating soreness that knocks me off the training wagon for varying lengths of time. The soreness also makes it hard to do my job sometimes! Yes, I know I should bring it up with a doc, and yes, will do when I have my annual physical next month... but until then, any suggestions/ideas?

Also... has anyone tried the South Beach eating plans? Night shift and school and stress have wreaked havoc on how my pants fit. I'm trying to find something that works for me... and I know everyone is different, but I wondered if anyone had experience with South Beach (not Atkins) who would be willing to share...

One more random- has anyone ever had a migraine triggered by a protein powder shake? The one I tried the other day had creatine in it, and I wonder if that was the culprit. I seldom get migraines- have had maybe 2 hormonal related, one med reaction (macrobid), and then this monster... I don't know if it was too little sleep/run the 5k/too much coffee, or the shake, and I'm nervous about trying it again...

Ta for now...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[paramedicmike]

How much are you lifting? How often? How long after you lift are you getting sore? How long are you sore?

Can't help you with South Beach.

If you're nervous about the protein shake ingredients I'd say stay away from it. If you're eating a relatively healthy diet, or trying to, those things can be too much. Just watch how much protein is in them and how much you're considering taking in.

[Chief1C]

I do a 24hr fasting diet, once a week. Works good, except in the summer, then I tend to have low blood sugar issues-usually late in the afternoon. So in place of a meal, I eat 1 glucose tablet. The orange ones are pretty good. I don't run, it hurts my knees. I'm pretty battered for my age. Likely a combinate of weight in the past, EMS definetly does not help. I'm dreaming of lying in bed right now, b/c my upper back is stiff and aching. Which is unusual for me, as my "EMS back" is my lower spine, with multiple disc injuries. I have CD's from past MRI's somewhere. I have the spine of an elderly man, as one doctor put it.

Support belts don't work, in fact, it's likely that I have some sort of hernia.... \/ down stairs.. and I contribute use of a back support to that. I hate my doctor, so I've never had that officially diagnosed. I usually don't take my pants off for someone I've never met, unless it involved a fair amount of alcohol. ha ha

But I do eat a lot of vegetables and fruits; and instead of snack foods, I eat like breakfast cerials. I had a GI issue and ulcer in the past, so I like to maintain a high level of fiber to prevent any issues. That, and three members of my family have had Diverticulitis, and I don't want any part of that shit. Literally. Big on soy milk too, b/c seemingly overnight, I developed a sensitivity to milk containing products. Like I can eat Yogurt and some cheeses; but if I ordered like Fettucini Alfredo, my 2nd favorite dish when eating out.. I'm prolly gonna be bent over on the floor, gripping my stomach, sweating profusely and maybe crying a little at some point in the hours that follow.

Pardon any spelling errors, auto spell won't work.

[Eydawn]

Lifting varies... seems like every time I go to lift with what feels to me like moderate weight, moderate reps, I'm sore the day after and it sticks around for 3-4 days. Often = nada right now, as every time I go, I get knocked on my buttski and then don't want to do ANYTHING fitness related for the next small while.

I think the supplement is getting sent my friend's way... he uses it and likes it. I may look into getting a protein powder that is just that- protein... one of the hippie ones like Sun Warrior or something... no creatine or unpronounceables for me! I actually did some more research after posting here and damned if a pounding, nasty headache isn't one of the most common Q+A topics on weightlifting forums, and it's all guys who started using creatine... it dehydrates you quickly, apparently. No thanks!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[paramedicmike]

You're lifting too much weight. Lighten your load and reps. Build slowly from there.

As far as the protein shakes go, once you get your diet worked out you shouldn't need the shakes. Go back to your nutrition class and look at intake requirements. Compare what you need with what you're getting in your diet with what's in those shakes. I think you'll find that once your diet is set you won't need all that extra protein from the shakes.

[cscboulder11]

Are you just going into lifting right away? Not stretching will lead to soreness.

As for South Beach, I've known a few people who did and all were miserable with it.

[Pavehawk]

There are no "trendy diets" that will work as well as eating a balanced healthy diet. If you have specific concerns abut your personal nutition make an appointment with an RD and if possible with one who works with athletes. They should be able to tailor a program to you based on what you need to achieve your goals. The simple rule is eat less then you burn to lose weight.

As to the soreness... think what you are doing to your muscles when you lift or actually more so when you lower the weight. That eccentric movement will cause micro tears. There is really no real way to mitigate that other then to wait it out, though some like massage, yoga or low impact aerobic cooldowns. I would Invest in a personnal trainer for a few sessions to make sure you are using both the right weight and the right techniques.

[HellsBells]

Personally, I've been doing about 5-10mins of good streching following my workouts, it makes a huge difference in the amount of stiffness/soreness I feel the next couple days.

[DFIB]

Does anyone know if drinking Alka- Seltzer after a workout will defeat lactic acid buildup or has that been debunked?

I agree with mike, lighter loads and easier workouts until you build a little resistance.

On a side note I ate a bull heart kabob tonight. Not bad at all.

[Chief1C]

I tried my roommate's Ab Circle last night. Yeah, that was a mistake.