I thought they were all bullshit. I'm a skeptic and I have no doubt that there are many, many supplements out there that are more placebo effect than actually effective. Though, there is something to be said for a mental boost.
My budget doesn't like pricey supplements, so for the first six months of this journey I outright refused to even think about them. I was eating super healthy, on plan, every day. I wasn't tempted to cheat and I don't have a cheat day or even a scheduled cheat meal. I rarely eat off plan and if I do, you can bet that I make up for it.
Simple. Keep It Simple Stupid was and remains to be my motto. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there when it comes to diet, exercise and supplements. You can read an article backed by studies and books and science about the ills of carbs only to click on another article to read that carbs aren't that bad and we shouldn't really worry about them. Its pretty nutty out there and I really needed to just stick to my thing and get it done.
There are three supplements I couldn't escape. Every article had them named as beneficial to men and women. These are: whey protein isolates, creatine and BCAA's. I'm not a fan of redundancy, so here are a few articles that really convinced me to give them a try:
I was noticing that I was taking forever to recover. Whether this was from my age, the fibro thing or what, I really didn't care. My doctor will tell you it is the fibromyalgia. As with anything, I ran these supplements by her to make sure they were safe. She suggested to try them for a few months and see what happens.
I started adding a protein shake every day. I needed to increase my protein intake because at this point I was a hardcore vegetarian. I was also beginning the C25K program and needed a way to add some calories to my diet. I didn't feel any different, but the shakes I make (recipe on the sidebar!) are so healthy I felt good just chugging them back.
With the New Year, I started to take two other supplements: creatine and BCAA. I add these to my protein shake every day. It took around four weeks before I started to notice that I was recovering faster. That was the first difference. Then I started to notice that my leg and arm muscles were bigger. I'm sure nobody but me can see this, but there it was. I also found that the things I've been struggling with were getting easier, namely push-ups and upper body strength. The difference is notable, so much so that I can't brush it aside as wishful thinking or imagined benefits.
There are many, many more supplements out there. From pre-workouts to supplement stacking to things I've yet to discover, the information out there is endless. As with anything, the key is finding what works for you and what doesn't. What works for me may not be right for you or even healthy. Ask your doctor. Try it and see. If it helps and keeps you moving and grooving... that's what its all about.
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