You get reflux after all meals/feedings or just lunch and dinner?
Member
Acid Reflux
Jordan,
Morning, hope all is going well for you at the AHHnolds.
36/6'2"/Male
Currently running 3rd week of TM, SQ: 285x5x5, BP 185x5x5, P 125x5x5, DL 330x5, Power Snatch 90x3x5 (just started doing these about 6 weeks ago), no assistance exercises, no conditioning work
Current weight is 273-278 (it has been all over the place the last week), BF is 30%+ (never had it measured???) From October 2012 until current I have gone from 250 to 275ish.
Current eating:
5am: 40g pro shake with creatine and 5g psyllium husks, 2g beta-a
7am: 5g BCAAs (just got some Green Apple Explosion from Scivation - the shiznit)
9am: 40g pro shake
11amish: Lunch Heavy usually 60-100g pro, 75-150g carb, don't really look at fats, but probably high, 2g beta-a if not training
1pm: 5g BCAAs
3pmish (depends on WO or not):
Pre-WO: 5g BCAAs, 2g beta-a, 5g creatine;
Post-WO 40g pro, 15g BCAA, 2g beta-a, 5g creatine, 5g psyllium.
If no WO, 40g pro shake, 5g psyllium
7pm: Dinner, usually the same as lunch
In bed by 9 or 10p.
My Goal: Continue increasing the weight on the bar and get stronger than fuck. I would like to get a 400lb SQ by August.
First a little background before the question: About a year ago I was at 308lbs BW, lost a bunch down to 238 and started SS. On my way down around 250 or so, I no longer had to take the Nexium that I had been on for two years to control acid reflux issues. Now that I am eating to drive growth and my BW is back up, the acid reflux is back starting about three weeks ago. I eat as early as possible in the evening, and do not eat anything after dinner is finished. I do not have time in the morning to prepare a meal, and I can't do away with dinner anyway, because of my better half's schedule. Dinner time is really the only time we have together on a regular day. Also, even with eating all of the above, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, I feel pretty beat up.
Question: Do you have any suggestions how I can tweak my diet to beat the fucking acid reflux, or do I need to bite the bullet and go back on Nexium? I am willing to modify macro intake if you think that will make a difference and it doesn't interfere with gainz.
Thanks,
Joe
✓ Member
You get reflux after all meals/feedings or just lunch and dinner?
Member
This is not to interfere with Jordan's advice in any way, but I question the logic of taking drugs to control stomach acid to deal with reflux, which is not a problem of excessive stomach acid. Plus, stomach acid does some very important things.
Things that have worked for me:
1) Fewer carbs.
2) Magnesium supplement.
Seriously, #2? I was at a point where going low carb wasn't a viable option for me, and I was plagued by almost incapacitatingly painful reflux. A friend of mine suggested it, and, skeptically and without much hope, I tried it, figuring I'd have to resort to one of the reflux drugs finally. Haven't had reflex symptoms since. If mag. issues aren't your problem, it may not help. But it's worth a try to find out.
Member
First off, congrats on the 2 PR's at the meet, Jordan.
To Jordan: The reflux only occurs overnight. I wake up and at the bottom of my windpipe/midchest there is a dull, burning ache. It usually goes away within an hour or two of waking.
To Simma: It may be the carbs, I only recently really started eating rice and potatoes again. I take ZMA (has 450mg of magnesium) every night prior to bed. Is that the same as what you are suggesting, or do you believe that additional magnesium my be required?
✓ Member
Try shifting the majority of the carbs at dinner into your post workout shake. This may require using a carb supplement like rilose, dextrose, waxy maize, etc. and then sticking to protein, veggies, fat for dinner. Also, I wouldn't take a fiber supplement in my PWO shake just for piece of mind.
Member
I've had the same problem and I noticed 2 things seemed to help me:
1. Don't eat or drink too much too close to bed time.
2. Add some yogurt to the last meal (a few spoonfulls was enough).
Member
Do you drink any soft-drinks during the day?
I used to drink a large diet Coke everyday at lunch and had reflux at night. Switched to unsweetened iced tea at lunch and after a few days realized that the reflux went away. Anytime I have a soft-drink during the day, the reflux comes back at night.
Member
To Jordan: I will look into these. Is waxy maize the only one mentioned that is not straight up sugar? I have been trying to avoid sugary products. Also, doing some Google-fu, it looks like there is quite a bit of controversy over the benefits of rilose. As for the fiber, I was under the impression that was one of your recommended macros. Is it not that important if you are not in need of it (I do maintain pretty regular BMs)?
To Rob: I avoid food late in the evening like it was the plague.
To Culican: No. I drink unsweet tea, unsweet coffee, water, and shakes outlined in original post. I think the last time I had soda was when my wife ordered some with a pizza and I had a sip of hers about six months ago. I gave up soda about four years ago.
Member
So true and sad that so few people (and so few Doctors) realize this. Most reflux is apparently caused by insufficient stomach acid (hypochlorydria).Originally Posted by Simma Park
Jordan/Simma - are either of you familiar with supplementing Betaine HCl with meals? You take 1 pill with the first meal, 2 with the second, etc... until you feel a warm sensation. Then you back off 1 pill and take that number with each meal. As your stomach restores its own acid production, you'll start to feel the warm feeling and back off 1 by 1 until you actually restore your own HCl production and don't need them any more. Is this quackery?
✓ Member
Some people will never get the warm feeling, but I like betaine HCl with pre and post workout meals and dinner (usually the largest 3 meals of the day). It's legitimate.
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