Worried about losing muscle

[lavendarJ]

I really starting to worry about losing muscle. I've been doing the MC for 24 days now. So far, I have lost 18 pounds to date I think ( I do a weigh in on Sunday)...This is what I am worried about, I am hoping that it is all not just water...but more importantly that this, I don't want to be losing any muscle...I was thinking of extending the cleanse for an additional 21 days but now I have serious reservations. I was wondering if anyone could share any info related to potential muscle loss on long term fast. I am going to do some research on it. I am doing cardio and also some strength training but I really am worried that I am losing muscle that I already have which would be a negative thing....What do you think

[tglasco4]

If you are doing strength training during the whole process you should be ok. Any muscle loss will be quickly replaced with new muscle which will be even stronger. Bottom line, don't sweat it. At the end of the day you will experience a higher level of fitness and health that before.

Peace.

Todd

[jaurequi]

I really can't speak for fasts; since I don't do them, but I retain muscle so much better now *and* with less work -- in other words, my muscle memory is fantastic.
And since I lost fat covering my muscle, the muscle shape shows through now much more prominently.

I don't really know if fasts are bad for muscle, but, I personally wouldn't want to do them.

[rawfigure]

The simple fact is, that if you restrict calories and are burning more than you are taking in, then you will burn muscle. It is hard to tell what % of loss id fat, muscle, water unless you have a Lean body mass/ bodyfat test done prior to the fast. As tg says don't sweat it you can rebuild after the cleanse.

I am always confused by the statement "the muscle you rebuild will be stronger.." the strength of the fast/slow twitch fibers do not change due to a fast, breakdown, rebuild... ?? if someone can enlightenen me on that ?

Also I have heard statements on raw sites that muscle built on raw is stronger than muscle built on a cooked diet...again in one individual muscle is muscle regardless. My strength is same raw or cooked....as I said if someone have the factoids on this please share !!

[tglasco4]

Good question Twinee.

I got my information from one of Storm's (www.thegardendiet.com) e-books. The Anti-Aging Diet. He says (I believe him although I don't know where he got his info), that the muscle built on plant foods is more elastic (and in this way stronger) than that built on animal protein. He says that once you go on a raw diet the muscle built on animal protein will shrink due to the system flushing out toxins. Then the body will re-build muscle (assuming one is doing consistent resistance training) and the muscle will be more elastic.

I guess the reason I believe it is because the friend that introduced me to raw as a lifestyle went thru that. He is a distance runner that got his protein from animal sources prior to raw. He was lanky to begin with (140lbs at 6' 3") but when he went raw he went down to 123lbs. He was doing resistance training the whole time. After a year his weight went back up to 140lbs. I feel like my body is doing the same thing. Before I became a vegan I was 230lbs. Then I went down to 215-220lbs.

Then when I went raw I went down to as low as 180lbs. Now I weigh 195lbs and as I am stepping up my intensity on the resistance side, I can feel my weight will increase more. To what extent I am not sure but it will be all new muscle built on plant foods. Lou Ferrigno (of Hulk fame) became a vegan (I am not sure if he still is) and reportedly was able to work with heavier weight then he had previously as a result. Of course I may be completely off here, but I am just going with the flow on this:). Instinct I guess :rolleyes: .

Peace.

Todd

[lavendarJ]

Thanks for the tips everyone...what you said seemed to really make sense tglasco4...as soon as I am able to I plan to buy Storm's book, I remember reading some of his story on his website and it was very inspiring and encouraging. I am going to continue the cleanse for an additional few weeks because I feel like there is this something else I need to receive from the experience and so I given myself until February 15 (might go through February if it is possible), just started another part-time job, I couldn't find one good job so now I have 3 part-timers but at least I have the flexibility I need to be able to still do my volunteering with hospice...

Have a great Saturday everyone, I'm off to work (here's the funny thing about it, this part-time job that I do on the weekends is supervising student workers in the grill area of dining services at the university; its like with the exception of the salad bar, I am surrounded by all the fried, processed, sugared, and dead foods :eek: )

[rawfigure]

Good question Twinee.

I got my information from one of Storm's (www.thegardendiet.com) e-books. The Anti-Aging Diet. He says (I believe him although I don't know where he got his info), that the muscle built on plant foods is more elastic (and in this way stronger) than that built on animal protein. He says that once you go on a raw diet the muscle built on animal protein will shrink due to the system flushing out toxins. Then the body will re-build muscle (assuming one is doing consistent resistance training) and the muscle will be more elastic.

I guess the reason I believe it is because the friend that introduced me to raw as a lifestyle went thru that. He is a distance runner that got his protein from animal sources prior to raw. He was lanky to begin with (140lbs at 6' 3") but when he went raw he went down to 123lbs. He was doing resistance training the whole time. After a year his weight went back up to 140lbs. I feel like my body is doing the same thing. Before I became a vegan I was 230lbs. Then I went down to 215-220lbs.

Then when I went raw I went down to as low as 180lbs. Now I weigh 195lbs and as I am stepping up my intensity on the resistance side, I can feel my weight will increase more. To what extent I am not sure but it will be all new muscle built on plant foods. Lou Ferrigno (of Hulk fame) became a vegan (I am not sure if he still is) and reportedly was able to work with heavier weight then he had previously as a result. Of course I may be completely off here, but I am just going with the flow on this:). Instinct I guess :rolleyes: .

Peace.

Todd

Thanks Todd for directing me to that. I knew I read it somewhere and I do have Storms books. In fact after you posted this I went to my ebooks and read a few sections again.

I guess what he is doing in his book is that he talks about muscle & exercise and diet in manner that is not keeping with the basics exercise physiology and biomechanics, just his observations. There are specific types and functions to muscle/muscle fibers and it is based on genetics, not so much as to the type of diet and exercise. You can Maximize you genetic potential if you train according to their genetic predisposition, and that is the tough part. Figuring that out when we are just laypeople. I think that is what Storm is basing his info on, his genetics and his experiences.

His books are full of good info, recipes and so on. He states in the Raw Bodybuilding book (his words..) I want to showcase the fact that when you have a balanced diet of Raw Food and a complete workout routine that the body ages at a much slower rate and you are able to maintain your muscle tone ..fine I can see this point !! But then he says...without sagging or cellulite which seems to over take most body builders at around the age of 40. I find this statement to be very specific and in my eyes not "mostly " true. Coming from a Bodybuilding community and being 44 (and not sagging and cellulite before going Raw ) I think this statement may alienate a BB's and looking into the Raw food diet. I have numerous friend in 40-50's who are not raw foodest who LOOK terrific. Maybe they don't look so good on the inside and that is more the issue I think !

[Vandy]

Speaking of cellulite, I have been doing lots of weight lifting lately (3 to 4 x a week), and I am noticing MORE cellulite around mu buttocks area! Is this normal? I don't eat a lot of fats (I usually stick to Dr. Graham's 8 10 10) and I do Cardio every day! If I have been eating nothing but raw food for 7 months, I can't help but think that this cellulite shoulddefinitely NOT be there. Any suggestions or help? I have recently tried skin brushing to help it go away, but I am getting no luck. Thanks

[SamuelWilson]

Vandy, what you may think is cellulite is actually loose skin. I mean, I am not saying you do not have cellulite in that area, I am just saying it is not necessarily an increase in cellulite. As you work on those troubled areas, you may loose water in those areas and the skin may have not caught up with internal changes. In time, your skin should tighten.

[jaurequi]

From what I understand, cellulite is genetic or just individual to some people. It really isn't a matter of exercise. Athletes have it, thin models have it (airbrushing does wonders). Unfortunately, there isn't much to make it disappear. Perhaps some people have had success in diminishing it through weightloss or fat loss since it is fat.
Your body could be working on it. I would keep up the exercise and tighten up as best you can.
Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

Best,

[rawfigure]

for any women with the issue of Cellulite I recommend reading Murads Book, The Cellulite Solution. It is an excellent book. In a nut shell Cellulite is not as much about bodyfat as a breakdown in the cell wall , connective tissue damage and water issues. It can be reduced with cel/connective tissue repair which comes Internally, not external. All the exercise in the world will not repair the damage the cells and connective tissue (thou reduced bodyfat can help visually to a minimal degree) , but thank goodness nutrients can help. Murad recommends certain foods like Gogi berries, nutrients like Amino's and Lethicin and Glucossamine, and a mostly raw food diet.

interesting link.......http://www.murad.com/cellulite-treatment.htm