Questions about ABE, hunger, and forskolin...

[razz2525]

So I read that one of the effects of ABE is hunger and today is the first day it really kicked in! Other than drinking tons of water, what's the best way to curb the appetite? I can't be hungry ALL the time! I try to eat less on non-training days and it's getting hard to keep my calories lower.

I'm also beginning to experience some joint pain in my hands specifically after having used X-gels for over a week. The soreness has been manageable so far but the stiffness in the hands and hips seems to be a new thing. Could be the X-gels, could be just being over 40 ). Could I just stop the X-gels and run ABE by itself?

Also final question, would ABE and AlphaMaxXT be too much forskolin for a woman? I have both products and I've read that it could definitely be stacked but I do have a sensitive stomach and the one time I took 2 caps of ABE too close together with my meals, my stomach didn't like it at all, so I'm wondering if doubling up on ABE and AlphaMax might be a bad idea. AlphaMaxXT does seem like the "more complete" supplement than ABE so I'm considering switching to AlphaMax instead of ABE due to the constant hunger issue, but I don't want to drop things and start switching them around too early. I'm gaining weight but look a bit harder - don't look as soft as I did at this weight during my last bulk, so unless this is a placebo effect, I seem to be getting results already.

Hope this makes sense - didn't get much sleep last night, melatonin simply not working for me anymore lol.

 

[john.patterson]

ABE made me ravenous too! I actually enjoyed it because I struggle to eat enough while bulking, but I know the feeling. For curbing appetite, I would suggest drinking water and chewing gum. Also eating lower calorie snacks, coffee, and diet drinks is helpful to fight the cravings. Sugar free Jell-o is my go-to snack when I'm trying not to watch my calories.

To answer your question with stacking ABE and Alphamax XT, I would suggest holding off on stacking them and finish the ABE. People have had good experiences with stacking these products, but I personally feel that its a bit overkill. If you haven't tried Alphamax XT, I would recommend running it after your ABE is done so you can compare the two. And as you mentioned, it might be too much forskolin if you're stacking both products. Its hard to know how you will respond to high amounts of forskolin until you try it unfortunately.

If you're gaining weight and looking harder and feeling good, then don't fear eating more calories than you're used to eating. Listen to your body! You'll respond better to the supplements by giving your body enough calories to recover and build strength. If you're having joint issues and inflammation from X-Gels, you could either lower the dose or stop using it and run ABE solo. How much are you currently taking per day?

 

[rascal14]

Take EC once or twice a day. X Gels always made me really hungry as well. I didn't get it too much with Anabeta Elite though.

 

[cheftepesh1]

I did have a slight increase in hunger on Abe. Look at adding in something like hoodia or other items that reduce hunger. As for the xgels maybe try a dose of 1 gram and see how that works.

 

[razz2525]

I started with 4 X-gels and only take them on training days since I train at least 4x a week. I was so sore yesterday - I found out I have a product at home that has cissus in it, took it last night and I feel far less sore this morning.

 

[razz2525]

Ephedrine/Caffeine combo, right? Does synephrine have the same effect? I pause using products with synephrine because they trigger cystic acne. I find that even when I find a great product, the side effect is less than favorable so I'm stuck with the usual muscle gains vs. sleep, or muscle gains vs. acne choices, lol.

 

[rascal14]

Ephedrine/Caffeine combo, right? Does synephrine have the same effect? I pause using products with synephrine because they trigger cystic acne. I find that even when I find a great product, the side effect is less than favorable so I'm stuck with the usual muscle gains vs. sleep, or muscle gains vs. acne choices, lol.

Yeah it's Ephedrine and Caffeine. Bronkaid if you're in the United States. I've never had appetite suppression from Synephrine, it just makes me sweat a lot lol I've never noticed acne from EC, but I tend to have it most of the time anyways, but it never makes it worse. I'm too scared to try Accutane just yet lol

 

[razz2525]

Ok, I'll look into it, thanks! I never went the Accutane route myself either (but I did go nuts with Proactiv back in the day and practically burned my face off -- that's one way to get rid of acne!). I've cut out all supplements that have an obscene amount of Vitamin B12 and my skin has been better than ever! Yes I'm more tired since these products kept me amped all day, especially preworkout, but the side wasn't worth it.

 

[LeanEngineer]

I started with 4 X-gels and only take them on training days since I train at least 4x a week. I was so sore yesterday - I found out I have a product at home that has cissus in it, took it last night and I feel far less sore this morning.

I usually take 6 caps x gels and I have to take cissus when on it to and make sure i'm getting in all my calories and water intake .

 

[Synapsin]

ABE made me ravenous too! I actually enjoyed it because I struggle to eat enough while bulking, but I know the feeling. For curbing appetite, I would suggest drinking water and chewing gum. Also eating lower calorie snacks, coffee, and diet drinks is helpful to fight the cravings. Sugar free Jell-o is my go-to snack when I'm trying not to watch my calories.

To answer your question with stacking ABE and Alphamax XT, I would suggest holding off on stacking them and finish the ABE. People have had good experiences with stacking these products, but I personally feel that its a bit overkill. If you haven't tried Alphamax XT, I would recommend running it after your ABE is done so you can compare the two. And as you mentioned, it might be too much forskolin if you're stacking both products. Its hard to know how you will respond to high amounts of forskolin until you try it unfortunately.

If you're gaining weight and looking harder and feeling good, then don't fear eating more calories than you're used to eating. Listen to your body! You'll respond better to the supplements by giving your body enough calories to recover and build strength. If you're having joint issues and inflammation from X-Gels, you could either lower the dose or stop using it and run ABE solo. How much are you currently taking per day?

This is some great advice here; couldn't have said it better myself. I wouldn't cut the ABE short because it takes time to truly shine. How many caps a day are you taking/ how many bottles do you have of ABE?

 

[razz2525]

I have 2 bottles of ABE and I have been taking 2 caps with my bigger meals. However yesterday I took ABE with a big meal that had a moderate amount of carbs and suffered from bloating and bad stomach. So I have to make sure I really do have some serious carbs when I take it. For example, I had it after a pasta meal and had zero issues.

What's the minimum amt of water intake for ABE or ABE/Ara? That may also be the problem. I know that creatine usually leads to water retention for me so I want to make sure I drink enough to avoid this issue if the ArA is going to add to that even more (the minute I started doing cardio on my last prep, my body started to hold on to some serious water that could definitely see in my lower body).

 

[Synapsin]

I have 2 bottles of ABE and I have been taking 2 caps with my bigger meals. However yesterday I took ABE with a big meal that had a moderate amount of carbs and suffered from bloating and bad stomach. So I have to make sure I really do have some serious carbs when I take it. For example, I had it after a pasta meal and had zero issues.

What's the minimum amt of water intake for ABE or ABE/Ara? That may also be the problem. I know that creatine usually leads to water retention for me so I want to make sure I drink enough to avoid this issue if the ArA is going to add to that even more (the minute I started doing cardio on my last prep, my body started to hold on to some serious water that could definitely see in my lower body).

Yeah it works best for high carb meals. What's your bodyweight if you don't mind me asking? Water intake is not something related to ABE, but you should always drink enough water.

 

[razz2525]

I'm 128 right now so I aim to get 64oz of water in at the very least. I am one of those people where I have to remind myself to drink water or else I fall way short of my target.

 

[Synapsin]

I'm 128 right now so I aim to get 64oz of water in at the very least. I am one of those people where I have to remind myself to drink water or else I fall way short of my target.

You can get away with dosing ABE lower since you are pretty light. If I were you, I'd use 1 cap per meal, that way you get 2-3 in a day. I would also drink more water, that is low.

 

[R1balla]

I'm 128 right now so I aim to get 64oz of water in at the very least. I am one of those people where I have to remind myself to drink water or else I fall way short of my target.

Are you carrying a jug around with you?

 

[razz2525]

I have a 64oz jug actually at my desk that I attempt to finish my noon so I can refill, but usually I just make the 64oz by the end of the workday, and then another 32oz when I work out. But if it's a non-training day, I don't push myself as hard to drink much more. I'm usually forcing myself to drink way into the evening, past dinner, so then I end up getting 2x in the middle of the night. I've tried the tricks, lemon, cucumber, etc., to make myself drink faster, even a single scoop of BCAAs for taste in between meals. I had finally gotten myself up to 4L of water right before peak week when I started drinking gallons.

 

[Synapsin]

I have a 64oz jug actually at my desk that I attempt to finish my noon so I can refill, but usually I just make the 64oz by the end of the workday, and then another 32oz when I work out. But if it's a non-training day, I don't push myself as hard to drink much more. I'm usually forcing myself to drink way into the evening, past dinner, so then I end up getting 2x in the middle of the night. I've tried the tricks, lemon, cucumber, etc., to make myself drink faster, even a single scoop of BCAAs for taste in between meals. I had finally gotten myself up to 4L of water right before peak week when I started drinking gallons.

Okay, that's not too bad. Try to limit water intake before bed if waking up in the middle of the night is an issue. I have the same issue so I try to avoid drinking water 2-3 hours before bed

 

[R1balla]

I have a 64oz jug actually at my desk that I attempt to finish my noon so I can refill, but usually I just make the 64oz by the end of the workday, and then another 32oz when I work out. But if it's a non-training day, I don't push myself as hard to drink much more. I'm usually forcing myself to drink way into the evening, past dinner, so then I end up getting 2x in the middle of the night. I've tried the tricks, lemon, cucumber, etc., to make myself drink faster, even a single scoop of BCAAs for taste in between meals. I had finally gotten myself up to 4L of water right before peak week when I started drinking gallons.

What I like to do is wake up and drink a solid amount with breakfast to get the day started right and my water intake up. You don't get any water when you sleep (obviously) so that's another reason as to why I wake up and chug it. Try drinking more before work then your 64oz bottle during work. Should help some.