The only clean protein while deployed to Iraq

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

Guy long story short; I can only get my protein through what they sell at our post exchange here on this small, small base here in at in Iraq.

The chicken is by Tyson and it comes in a pouch just like how you can get tuna in a pouch. I am cutting at the moment and I refuse to eat at our local dining facility cause the food is anything from what you'd want to cut with and I can't count on clean protein being there every day so I buy like 35 pouches of chicken a week to utilize for all my meals to exclude the pre/pwo meals.

Here is my diet but be kind cause this is all I have to work with out here and am trying my best to get the proper nutrients from supps that I can't get here like green fibrous veggies and low GI carbs on a daily basis:

45 min low intensity cardio

7:00-- pm- 50g carbs from plain instant oatmeal, 49g pro from tyson chicken breast in a pouch- (396 cals)

9:00-- 49g pro from tyson, 3-5g of Psyllium husk fiber; 10g of fish oil @ ea. sitting. ( cals)

12:00-- 49g pro from tyson, 3-5g of Psyllium husk fiber; 10g of fish oil @ ea. sitting. ( cals)

3:00-- 49g pro from tyson, 3-5g of Psyllium husk fiber; 10g of fish oil @ ea. sitting. ( cals)

5:00-- 49g pro from tyson, 3-5g of Psyllium husk fiber; 10g of fish oil @ ea. sitting. ( cals)

6:55-- Pre- WO- 20g whey pro, 30g carbs from MALTO ---(220 cals)

7:00 Train

8:00-- PWO (post work out immediately after training) shake is 42g of whey with 50g of malto (488 cals)

10:00 42g casein protein, 50g of low GI carbs(plain instant oatmeal) ( 368 cals)

Total cals = 2796


My main concern is that after I added up all the fucking sodium from just the chicken alone, it came out to like 3700mg's- WTF!!!! I'm cutting and I'm drinking at least 10 liters of water a day but I don't think that much sodium is good for cutting right? I know this is real chicken and will post pictures of the pouch:

Serving size 2 oz. (56g)
Servings Per container 3.5
Calories 70 Calories from fat 15
Total fat 1.5g
Saturated fat 0g
trans fat 0g
poly unsat-fat 0g
mono unsat-fat 0g
Cholesterol 45mg
Sodium 210mg
dietary fiber 0g
Protein 14g

The ingredients say: Boneless, Skinless chicken breast with rib meat, water, salt, modified food starch, rice starch, sodium phosphates, roasted chicken flavor ( maltodextrin, natural flavoring, autolyzed yeast extract, salt, yeast extract), chicken powder (ground chicken and natural flavoring)

Thanks for any help guys

 

[aesop]

Your diet is severely lacking in micronutrients, vitamins minerals etc, and you are taking way to much fish oil imo.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

40g of EFA's is too much?

 

[b-boy]

damn i was shredded when i was in the army and i ate a lot at the chow hall! I would eat the leanest meat available, rice, and salad. when i moved off post then that was a whole other story but i did fine with the chow hall food when i had to, and i stayed shredded! But then again i wasn't in Iraq either so im not sure what you guys have available in the chow hall over there?

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

Ah man hell yeah B-BOY! if I was at a big FOB, the DFAC's are great casue the contractors run them and they have a vast selection of food that a pro BBer could utilize but at my FOB or firebase if you will, it's not like that. the PX is the size of a 20" container.

And the DFAC here is great if you love to eat junk but other than that it's garbage. I'd say the best thing you can get from the DFAC would be the real egg white omelets in the morning, plain instant oatmeal, and a variety of fresh fruits cause everything else is some type of food that taste realllllllllll good but not good for you in the least bit. I was able to get the contractor does the admin work for the dfac to email a calorie chart of all the food they bring in and man the nutrients in this shit is fucking horrible.!!!!!!

So I'm stuck like chuck at the moment but i at least wanted to get the majority of my food from solid sources and not shakes all damn day.

That's why I was asking about the sodium content in the chicken.

 

[inoverdrive]

If you can rinse your chicken with a strainer, that may help get rid of some of the salt. What kind of whey protein are you using.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

I use ON whey protein for pre/pwo shakes and ON casein for before I hit the sack.

 

[MilitaryMuscle]

I feel ya man. The only thing you can count on at the chow hall here is breakfast. The rest of the time its almost always greesy/fried cheap meat/chicken. Key word ALMOST. Sometimes they have good stuff like lean chicken breast but its hit or miss.

I may be going over there at the end of the year. Im probably going to have to do the same thing.

Sodium isnt bad for cutting. It may make you hold more water, but unless your competing it wont really matter. Its not going to make you not loose fat. Just hold a lil more water. But that chicken does have a bunch of hidden flavors and food starches. I dont know how much are in there, im not an expert in that field lol. May be better off getting the good ole tuna/water.

 

[ghostdog128]

swing,
When I was over there I would order my protein bulk through TP and have it shipped to a family member and then they would reship for me. Whole process took about 3 weeks. I don't see why you can't do the same? Believe me I've been to some rat trap places that weren't even FOB's but outposts and it still worked for me.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

Military Muscle and Ghost thanks for the understanding how it is out here as I'm sure everyone else can too.

Ghost what kind of food were you using from that website? Do they ship to APO?

Military Muscle, I can get the tune in the pouch to which is so much better than cutting cans all day but all then comes those speculations about how much mercury I would be getting from all that tuna.

but Ghost please hook me up with info on that website.

 

[Phidias]

I agree with MilitaryMuscle, don't worry about the sodium... since you're on a low carb diet and drinking 10 liters of water a day, you absolutely NEED sodium. Plus the heat in Iraq probably makes you sweat a lot... so I'd even say that 3.7g is not that much

Aesop is right too... WAY TOO MUCH EFA'S... 10g a day is more than enough. Polyinsaturated fats in too high of a quantity are not healthy at all

Take olive oil instead for a good source of monoinsaturated fats... protective for your heart. Coconut oil, although containing only saturated fats, is great too cause it has a high % of MCT.

Last, instead of taking your carbs only post cardio in the morning and pre/post workout in the evening, try to spread them in each of your meals... this way you'll keep your blood glucose levels stable and avoid possible insulin spikes & hypoglycemia.

If you're not already taking one, add a multi vit/mineral to your diet.

Good luck over there bro

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

Phidias,

Thanks for the kind words!

As far as the fish oil goes, would you guys suggest breaking the fish oil into 10g scattered throughout the meal range? Or should I use the flax oil I have for that? Because shouldn't I be getting around 40g of total fat from my diet through EFA's? If I only take 10g of fish oil then wouldn't that put me at more of a deficit because my carbs are already low?

I take an animal pack multi vitamin everyday.

But to spread my carbs out over the meals would mean taking pro/carb/fat in all together. Wouldn't the insulin spike caused by the carbs have a negative effect while being consumed with fat?

 

[Phidias]

Phidias,

Thanks for the kind words!

As far as the fish oil goes, would you guys suggest breaking the fish oil into 10g scattered throughout the meal range? Or should I use the flax oil I have for that? Because shouldn't I be getting around 40g of total fat from my diet through EFA's? If I only take 10g of fish oil then wouldn't that put me at more of a deficit because my carbs are already low?

I take an animal pack multi vitamin everyday.

But to spread my carbs out over the meals would mean taking pro/carb/fat in all together. Wouldn't the insulin spike caused by the carbs have a negative effect while being consumed with fat?

Let's say you indeed have to consume 40g fats a day: all those lipids MUST NOT come from EFA'S... you only need a certain amount of omega-3's & 6 a day, and it's certainly not 40g total.

7g om3 is more than enough to cover your needs. Most of your others lipids should come from a monoinsaturated source, hence the olive oil.

As far as spreading your carbs out over all your meals and your concern about a possible bf gain, don't worry... the small amount you'll be eating each meal (especially if they're complex/low GI ones) will only cause a very little insulin spike... not enough to cause a storage of your dietary lipids in adipose cells

And yes, just like the carbs eat lipids in each meal... forget the concept of PWO... since you're not taking any creatine, glutamine, EEAA'S, BCAA'S or stuff like that, it's kinda obsolete

 

[alan1973]

after 3 months deployed I came back with bodyfat 5% lower and lean muscle up about 4%. I looked great. between the chow hall and all the beef jerky I bought at the PX I had plenty of protein. Where I was there was no sports supplements being sold, I had to order online and wait a month for them to show up. I had some get forwarded to my home base because they took too long to get to my deployed location.
Nothing wrong with the chow hall. I know they usually have salads with all the fixings. grab a bowl and fill it up with legumes and tuna and eggs.

Every supper meal was 2 very lean hamburgers, no buns, smothered in chili and lots of onions on top. and a little shredded cheese for flavor and calcium. Drank water by the gallons too.
I never changed and never got tired of it. still my favorite!

 

[ghostdog128]

Military Muscle and Ghost thanks for the understanding how it is out here as I'm sure everyone else can too.

Ghost what kind of food were you using from that website? Do they ship to APO?

Military Muscle, I can get the tune in the pouch to which is so much better than cutting cans all day but all then comes those speculations about how much mercury I would be getting from all that tuna.

but Ghost please hook me up with info on that website.

Swing,
TP is just True Protein. Yes they ship to APO's but it would be outrageously priced that's why I had it shipped to a family member stateside for reshipment by USPS rather than UPS or DHL, I forget who they use for APO shipping.

If you don't mind me asking what service and MOS. That would give some of us more info on helping you with your problems. Meaning are you 11B, living out of your 998 or some other MOS stuck on the FOB most of the time. This helps with some of your other questions, like sodium intake. If your humping all day doing foot patrols you could take in 7 grams of sodium ED and maybe still not be taking in enough.

If you're at a decent sized FOB or a straight up LSA like anaconda or taji then just hit morning salad bar for cottage cheese, and for lunch and dinner the sandwhich bar for tuna. We could take as much as we wanted. At least back then anyways.

Overall I wouldn't worry to much about the particulars over there. Just do your job, move some iron and don't get hit by any incoming. I never worried about anything else.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

after 3 months deployed I came back with bodyfat 5% lower and lean muscle up about 4%. I looked great. between the chow hall and all the beef jerky I bought at the PX I had plenty of protein. Where I was there was no sports supplements being sold, I had to order online and wait a month for them to show up. I had some get forwarded to my home base because they took too long to get to my deployed location.
Nothing wrong with the chow hall. I know they usually have salads with all the fixings. grab a bowl and fill it up with legumes and tuna and eggs.

Every supper meal was 2 very lean hamburgers, no buns, smothered in chili and lots of onions on top. and a little shredded cheese for flavor and calcium. Drank water by the gallons too.
I never changed and never got tired of it. still my favorite!

Bro I hear ya but I'm at a "small" firebase. It's not like a huge FOB. Man I looked at the chili they serve on the main line and then asked to see the nutrition label......................needles to say I won't be eating that-LOL

I love beef jerky but jesus all the sodium in that-LOL

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

Swing,
TP is just True Protein. Yes they ship to APO's but it would be outrageously priced that's why I had it shipped to a family member stateside for reshipment by USPS rather than UPS or DHL, I forget who they use for APO shipping.

If you don't mind me asking what service and MOS. That would give some of us more info on helping you with your problems. Meaning are you 11B, living out of your 998 or some other MOS stuck on the FOB most of the time. This helps with some of your other questions, like sodium intake. If your humping all day doing foot patrols you could take in 7 grams of sodium ED and maybe still not be taking in enough.

If you're at a decent sized FOB or a straight up LSA like anaconda or taji then just hit morning salad bar for cottage cheese, and for lunch and dinner the sandwich bar for tuna. We could take as much as we wanted. At least back then anyways.

Overall I wouldn't worry to much about the particulars over there. Just do your job, move some iron and don't get hit by any incoming. I never worried about anything else.

I actually work for the DOD supporting ODA. Sometimes it's a hit or miss depending on if it's an outpost or a Warm Base.

Remember I work nights behind the computer 70% of the time and the other 30% requires me to move. So that's why I do cardio two times a day to keep me burning.

But ultimately the food we get is sub par at best due to how far out we are from any big base. I have to order the food I need to sustain a healthy diet or as healthy as it can be with my resources.

So what do you like about True Protein so much or should I ask how does it compare with previous proteins you've tried?

 

[alan1973]

Swing,
TP is just True Protein. Yes they ship to APO's but it would be outrageously priced that's why I had it shipped to a family member stateside for reshipment by USPS rather than UPS or DHL, I forget who they use for APO shipping.

If you don't mind me asking what service and MOS. That would give some of us more info on helping you with your problems. Meaning are you 11B, living out of your 998 or some other MOS stuck on the FOB most of the time. This helps with some of your other questions, like sodium intake. If your humping all day doing foot patrols you could take in 7 grams of sodium ED and maybe still not be taking in enough.

If you're at a decent sized FOB or a straight up LSA like anaconda or taji then just hit morning salad bar for cottage cheese, and for lunch and dinner the sandwhich bar for tuna. We could take as much as we wanted. At least back then anyways.

Overall I wouldn't worry to much about the particulars over there. Just do your job, move some iron and don't get hit by any incoming. I never worried about anything else.

HUH?!
APO pricing is usually no different than shipping to Alaska at most. some places still consider it as stateside since APO, AP is San Francisco and APO, AE is New York.
Oh, and you can ONLY use USPS to APO, others must use a foreign local address. (Like DHL and FedEx) UPS wil NOT ship to APO.

 

[heavyiron]

hey swing
i know this is off subject but thanks for serving your country. i admire your courage.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

HUH?!
APO pricing is usually no different than shipping to Alaska at most. some places still consider it as stateside since APO, AP is San Francisco and APO, AE is New York.
Oh, and you can ONLY use USPS to APO, others must use a foreign local address. (Like DHL and FedEx) UPS wil NOT ship to APO.

Actually FEDex and DHL have small offices on the FOB's that have a decent size airstrip for airfreighted mail. They're now popping up all over the place out here as the infrastructure continues to grow.

Once small detail is that when you want someone in the states to ship something to you, they have to make sure to tell the FEDex rep to look for the specific address that my FEDex out here would give me because this is a relatively new system but FEDex and DHL are flowing.

But you are correct in terms of the APO pricing be in the same price as Alaska because it's considered a US address.

HeavyIron 1 thanks for your support Bro. Although I really don't go outside the wire, I try my dam-nest to make the guys that do go outside the wire and do "unconventional" stuff (military SOC guys know who & what I'm talking about) to have the easiest life they can when they come back in.