adding insulin

[bbxtreme]

I really appreciate your feedback! I am not competing, just doing this for myself. I was thinking about increasing my HGH from 1 up to 2 iu per day, but I didn't want to go higher than that due to the risk of increasing insulin resistance even further.

I didn't realize using insulin while cutting increases insulin resistance more than using insulin while bulking (or isocaloric?).

Sorry, I am not familiar with "PSMF diet". What is that?

Thank you very much for the suggested protocol. I certainly respect John Meadows and any advice he offered (RIP). I might just give this protocol a try although I was hoping to find a way to use insulin indefinitely without cycling on and off, but maybe that just isn't realistic. I got tired of the roller coaster ride of blasting and cruising, cycling on and off compounds. I was hoping to find a good healthy protocol to run indefinitely once I reached a level of bodyfat I am happy with. I was well on my way to doing that until I threw insulin into the mix. The first two weeks on insulin were awesome but then some of the negative sides started. I was just hoping to find a way to use insulin indefinitely in a healthy way. Maybe Meadows' protocol is the best way. Do most of the insulin gains fade when you come off for 4-8 weeks?

I wouldn’t be too stressed over 2IU of HGH causing insulin resistance. I’m personally at 10iu daily and I’ve never had an issue with it in all my years, but is because I cycle it and do things to keep it in check. 2-4IU is the sweet spot for many on TRT. You’ll find a lot of guys on here who take higher than I do with no issues as well, but again other factors at play.

Like @b-boy pointed out- when you’re dieting you are going to put the body into a high stress state which will cause a cascade of issues, with IR being one. This is why recovery is so important while dieting, why so many guys implement carb cycling and re-feed days. The body will adapt quickly, especially in a caloric deficit as you go into a different state.

Remember insulin is anti-catabolic, not anabolic. Meaning it promotes recovery so we can grow faster. It’s also an excellent nutrient shuttling agent, thus the full look you have while using it. You’re forcing water, sodium, EAA and glycogen into the cells so will “look” bigger and be fuller. So will you lose some of that fullness on the weeks you cycle off? Yes. But will you lose the “true” muscle maintained from it- not if you keep all the other factors right. A lot of guys just mistake the fullness for muscle. Easy to do.

Some guys use insulin most of the year. I personally wouldn’t suggest it in your case as you’re not trying to compete or win a bodybuilding show. Taking more insulin to offset high glucose levels will just be chasing one problem to create another.

Using PSMF and the other things mentioned in my previous post will get you close, but still personally would suggest cycling off to let your body reset. There are many articles online about it, but like Dr. Brian Mowl’s work on it. I personally would keep protein a bit higher, but build it around your weight and caloric needs.

** Profast website **

www.profastdiet.com

 

[Reno911]

I should have said I do 1-2 day of higher intensity cardio (20 minutes on stair climber) in addition to walking the dogs a few days a week. I feel like I loose muscle if I do too much higher intensity cardio. I try to take the fat off with diet and just use the cardio for fitness purposes.

I'd be willing to bet that your 12% body fat you claim is actually more like 18%.

 

[slesh]

Just to give you a little insight, my last show I did I was 2 weeks out, pretty lean (for me) ketogenic diet and my blood glucose was high 105-125 and my blood ketones were fucking sky high I believe this happens when you have very high cortisol levels (this will create high fasting glucose numbers)

Correct me if I’m wrong but this would be the definition of gluconeogenesis, right?

 

[b-boy]

Correct me if I’m wrong but this would be the definition of gluconeogenesis, right?

To a certain extent yes, but high levels of cortisol will raise fasted blood sugar, you can have high cortisol without having gluconeogenesis.

But at the same time high cortisol will increase gluconeogenesis (edit)