8 Comments

I am a faster! But I am trying to eat a lot of protein and fat to build back muscle now. I can finally do squats with a straight back. And push ups on incline but lower.

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An incline is the perfect way to learn good pushup form! And, yay, for protein!!

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Karen, this is harrowing. I am so glad you have told this story and shared these truths. I adore you too much to imagine you consuming your own self.

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Thank you, Beth!

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Thank you for this post. I read Lyon’s book as well and am all aboard the protein train…in theory. In reality I’m having a very hard time getting close to the 120 g a day I should be eating. Any tips?

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To be honest, I have a hard time hitting that goal, myself! I do use a protein shake in the morning, as I said) and I try to keep Greek yogurt and cottage cheese in stock. I’ve read that you should consume the protein first in a meal (too bad— I would prefer to start with salad!) I’ve also read that chicken and turkey are highly bioavailable. It’s much harder to, though doable, for vegans.

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I've used intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets for years for weight loss, and most of that time I thought 50-60 grams of protein a day was plenty. I had a hard time building or even maintaining muscle though and it turns out I need to at least double (maybe more than double) the amount of protein I consume. I'm trying to do that, but it really feels like chore.

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Right? After years of believing “people eat too much protein” and prioritizing complex carbs I finally get why it is hard to build muscle. And skeletal muscle has so much power to make all of us healthier, without reliance on new, expensive, trademarked drugs. Sadly, that’s not an idea likely to catch on because it’s noninvasive and ultimately far less expensive than our manufactured food supply, which is designed to create a weak, sick population for the benefit of corporate shareholders….

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