Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm a high school athlete who wants to lose fat and gain muscle. On weekdays, I wake up at 6am, ride my bike to school to workout, and train for about 2-4 hours. My training usually involves some cardio(running, bike machine, sprints), and being in the weight room for the majority of the time. I know that cortisol levels greatly affect the ability to lose fat and gain muscle, so I was wondering what are the best ways to keep my cortisol levels balanced. Also, what should I eat the night before and post workout? Anything else I should do? I've heard of leangains and have been trying intermittent fasting and have tried getting into ketosis but I need some advice. I know this is a long-ish question, but training and eating well is really important to me so I appreciate any answers. Thanks!

flag	asked Jul 20 at 18:34 Mikaela 374●1●10

	You train 2-4 hours a day, every day? – Amy B. Jul 21 at 0:57
	No not every day. I play multiple sports so I go to different summer workouts at my high school. Each one is about 2 hrs long & sometimes they're one right after another. – Mikaela Jul 21 at 15:08

JayJay · Answer 1 · 2012-07-20 18:39:01Z UTC

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Train shorter and harder. Be done with the intense part of your workout in about 30 minutes (weights or sprints) about 3x/week. Do ride your bike, play, and walk as much as you like. Don't worry about IF at your age. Eat primal/paleo foods as much as you like. See where you are in a couple months.

answered Jul 20 at 18:39

JayJay
18.7k●6●28

Great answer, thank you. I think I'm getting too caught up in numbers & calculating things. I just need to get back to the basics – Mikaela Jul 20 at 18:46

Crowbar · Answer 2 · 2012-07-20 19:57:19Z UTC

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I think you should cut back on your training and go with more natural movements. JayJay is right. Walk, ride, play, and cut down a bit on the weights. Get LOTS of rest, especially since you're a teen, and you are having epic brain development. Teens actually need more sleep than younger kids

answered Jul 20 at 19:57

Crowbar
7,471●1●3●17

Okay, I'll definitely take your advice, thank you! Besides, anyone who says I get to sleep more is a friend of mine – Mikaela Jul 20 at 21:29

Bill1102inf · Answer 3 · 2012-07-20 19:35:31Z UTC

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Whatever you do, do NOT take a cortisol blocker. Cortisol is VERY IMPORTANT and you want it there when working out. Take the blocker and have an EPIC FAIL training session. Leave your cortisol alone.

answered Jul 20 at 19:35

Bill1102inf
7,656●7●28

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I was talking about natural ways to help balance my cortisol. I don't take pills of any kind anyway(unless it's like life or death) – Mikaela Jul 20 at 21:27

Someone who actually knows · Answer 4 · 2012-07-20 23:26:45Z UTC

You can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time unless you train hard or you will in fact get fatter. Every olympic athlete goes through phases of bulking and cutting. Use Cronometer or some nutritional counter to keep track and make sure you are getting enough protein and calories.

Balance cortisol and build muscle?

4 Answers