Saturated fats are used by the body to produce testosterone, but testosterone is produced by the body during sleep, so in other terms you only really need to get your saturated fats in before bed at night. The way I think about it; the morning is for fuel (carbs, water, & salts) and the evening is for repair (fat, protein, & fiber). Also interesting information: fiber cannot be digested by our body, howevet they are digested by our gut bacteria, who produce an extremely simple kind of fatty acids that is extremely similair to ketones, in other words fiber is for fat what sugar is for carbohydrates, fibers are an incredible source of energy, oatmeal has stood the test of time for good reason.
Hey friend! I understand this is unsolicited advice and these are kinda annoying. But as medical student, I hope you'd take a couple things into consideration. Leukemia and Chemotherapy make you immunocompromised, they dump your immunity system and you'd be very vulnerable to acquiring infections. Aerobic exercise is very beneficial for you (especially if on rituximab, actually makes the stuff more efficient), but do consider a period of "rest" to allow your immune system to recuperate after your final chemotherapy round, before beginning rucking in the woods - the woods are just an easy place to get infections if you accidentally cut or graze yourself. Be sure you're up with your diphtheria - tetanus -pertussis (need 1 every decade) and flu shot. And finally, do attend all subsequent checkups to make sure you remain in remission. Wishing you all the best out there!
If I do a three-four day ruck, I live on fresh sandwiches and fresh fruit the first half, and on nutmix and cerealbars second half. These items do not really freeze in winter and are prepared in an instant, also avaivable everywhere. Usually I only use hot tea or coffee to warm up in winter, but if I take a hot meal its plain noodles in salted water to keep the mess kit clean, maybe add a tube-ready tomato sauce if its not freezing cold. Oatmeal and juice also works fine as field nutrition. Small packaged cakes are also nice for energy, they are part of many military rations. If I was scared of loosing muscle I would switch for some high protein bars, the other advantage of them is that they give a good satisfying joy and taste, they fill you up almost like a main meal. Bad part is they usually come with choclate and so make a molten mess in high temperatures. I try to avoid MRE-type meals, they are expensive, cause lot of trash, do not taste well, are not healthy and dont carry a lot of micro nutrients.
My Grunt Proof patch finally arrived today. Looks good! You are spot on about diet endurance and performance. All those carbs are getting burned in the field unless you are a Pogue.
Good point about the stress/adapt concept. I've been skeptical about the pure carnivore folks and the practicality of that diet. I have a bunch of friends doing the carnivore diet or some version of that. I decided to eliminate processed foods as much as possible and eat a diet heavy in animal products and single ingredient foods, including fruits, honey and mixed nuts. I've also increased my intake of electrolytes. I'm almost 60 yrs old and I am able to don a 30# pack and knock out 10-12 mile hikes in our steep Oregon mountains.
Another good vid as usual brother. I to take an electrolyte sachet at mid day and b4 bedding down. I found I would get a charlie horse or a tendon tighten in my leg in my morning stretch. The electrolyte b4 bed stopped this worked for me.
High calorie & high carbs. Jars of peanut butter, dry rice, smoked sausage, a few candy bars. Maybe some cheese sticks to throw in with the rice and sausage.
A guy who blogs as Mountain Guerilla talked once about what mountain men carried: flour/oatmeal/cornmeal and some beef jerky or pemmican. Randall in another video mentioned whey mass gainer and preworkout as field rations. And we probably don't need 3500 calories a day in the field, despite what the macro calculators say.
I'm a mountain climber, it's brutal, but one thing I'm very familiar with is feeding myself. Feeding myself in the mountains, I always went carb heavy. When you're burning a shit ton of calories doing 4,000-6,000 feet of elevation gain or more, and going miles and miles, you need carbs. Especially when it's wayyyy below freezing. You've gotta have carbs if you've got extreme energy output going on. If you don't have carbs your ass is gonna drag, period.
@@PistolsPlayground i like oats for my carbs. It holds me nice and long and keeps me happy. Especially the pre made oat packets with extra protein. Ill eat them dry and drink extra water for a 1:1 ratio oats and water or ill make them how they’re supposed to be. God bless.
Not disagreeing with everything, but (akshully) muscles and brains can use carbs OR ketones. The liver converts fats to keytones AND carbs to sugar. If you have issues with sugars (requires insulin + potassium + magnesium needed to utilize ) then you'll probably be better off going the fat/keytone route than sugar/carbs. If you don't use up the carbs you convert them to fat to later be turned into keytones. So if you know your going to burn it all - carb it up. If you're not going to burn it, fat is the way to go or your body will make fat from the leftovers. Diff people will "feel better" or perform better on one vs the other. Try it out to see what works for the individual's liver and pancreas. Carbs are not the only fuel, and many would argue it's the lesser of the two. eg: Cavemen didn't have shitloads of fruit and pasta available. Carbs are delicious and if you're burning enough then have at it. But if you're not burning it all or have insulin issues fat is your friend. If fat is giving you the runs then work on your gallbladder/liver/pancreas function.
Well done video. The fact that anyone would even say “I’ll be carnivore” in the field is showing how silly and inexperienced they are. As with most in the prepper community, they don’t actually train so they don’t know any better.
@@davem4193 I’m fully aware of pemmican and there’s nothing wrong with using it. Fact still remains you won’t perform well in an austere environment over multiple days on a carb-less diet. It doesn’t even make sense to try. Are you just like super fat with excess bodyweight to lose? It just isn’t a smart way to approach REAL WORLD operating. Eat whatever you can get your hands on - that’s the realist perspective.
Comment and question. Not sure if you mentioned this, it takes more water for your body to digest protein than it does carbs. Question. Recommendations for freeze dried meals with high calorie content. Only thing I can find is MCW's. I've considered buying bulk cans and making my own then vacuum sealing with oxygen absorbers. Or Just buying a freeze dryer. Y'all's thoughts would be welcomed. P.s. typical freeze dried backpacking meals don't have the calories needed for a full day on the move, usually around 500 calories per meal, having to add so much olive oil to everything to the point of causing explosive diarrhea is infuriating.
I heard a soldier say that he was 185 at the start of his tour and 130 at the end. They had to choose between carrying enough food or ammunition. He also said that he felt better fighting at that weight, but also some of that was just that at that point he was more used to the constant stress and fighting. His tour was combat heavy so it may not be applicable to everyone….
I'm going to push back on that a little bit. When I'm out trapping in the winter, I crave fats. I really think it's best to pack some and really accentuate them as a fuel source. First off, they keep you warm. In the winter, you also don't have to worry so much about spoilage. I usually have a ziplock bag full of partial frozen pig fat that I render down into anything I'm cooking. You also can't go wrong with gee - which is clarified butter. That's completely shelf stable and a lot of calories doesn't weigh much. Then there's pemmican which, I mean it's gross, but when you can pack 10,000 calories into a tupperware container that would hold the lunch you'd bring to work, you really can't go wrong.
"...he's lying to you and he's on drugs" thank you for saying that! What a bunch of horseshit on social media. Lift heavy things repeatedly, exercise, stretch, manage your diet, hydrate with electrolytes and let the body rest and recover. It's not very Grunt-like but i've also found yoga increases my ability to breathe deeper and allows me to breathe freer when running (sorry I don't ruck, but I do backpack). Thanks for the upload.
I’m a rigger in a steel mill working in extreme heat, I tried keto, could barely make it through a shift ….I was sluggish and weak….as far as being fat adapted, I’ve butchered quite a few animals and they simply are not that fatty, including hogs. Just my personal experience. As always, great content.
Coming from an ex army medic you’re absolutely right having the proper carb intake so you don’t get muscle cramps keeping your body with proper electrolytes too much electrolytes does cause excessive diarrhea. I’ve seen people that over do the electrolytes and do get diarrhea and it eats the skin off your legs, endurance ready training it’s important but most of all proper diet the amount of carbs electrolytes your body needs the amount of proteins.
Ive read that lawrence of arabia and the bedoins lived off of nothing but dates, water, camel milk, rice, and flour. The flour theyd make flat bread with water and makes rice with water as well. They would survive months fighting guerrilla warfare on that alone. Every few months theyd sometimes eat a camel or horse that died or a cooked goat, but it really shows how much you can do with so little. Rice, flour, and dates last months to years.
I'm not a very active person and I try to keep my (processed) carbs low, but I also don't overload on protein. My wife and I do like to go on day hikes but usually only 4 or 6 miles. To get to my point, a buddy and I are going on an overnight backpacking trip and the first thing that came to mind food-wise was, I'm going to need carbs. Good video, thank you.
I agree with you for the most part. Everyones needlessly afraid of sugar and its annoying. Actual sugar does not hurt people. However, I will say that gatorade has more value than people think and yes I do like that you carry actual electrolyte packets, but when I was younger I went to the family farm and I almost went down because of the Kansas summer heat being in the triple digits, and you can't take any days off with farm work... On my way home bought a bottle of gatorade and a bottle of water and it instantly made me feel better. Gatorade may not be packed full of electrolytes, but it does help replace yiur bodies fluids kind of like a fruit flavored bottle of saline.
I've been into carb heavy diet in the field for years; even before the marathoners started bulking up on carbs before a race, many people made fun of me in those days. Mainly because I took latin in school and translated Caesars Gallic Wars. The Roman Legionnaire carried 60 to 90 lbs weight and could walk 60 miles in a day and then set up a little fort with a ditch when they made camp - I actually calculated the distance of the marches in that book. Their diet was mainly either a type of bread, or a type of pasta and their standard for endurance rivals those of the modern military despite being slightly smaller in stature than modern humans.
Your're alright dude. I'm 60 tomorrow and have a mobile heavy equipment welding repair biz and all these grunt vids keep me going. This shit is real. I about wiped out doing full carnivore to lose weight and hopefully help with heat management. I found myself losing muscle and getting more injuries. The carbs saved me. When work is slow and the break is appreciated, I do more carnivore. When it's full on...Sammiches and LMNT. Coors light in the evenings to be sure I got some carbs to burn in the morning. Rock on.
I’m a keto diet guy where it saved my cdl license. But what you say is 100% true. If you’re humping you need carbs. I change up with what I’m doing. Truck driving vs rucking.
Did try some chewable electrolyte tablets (Salt Stick Fastchews) a while back, seemed good, if pretty expensive. If having to run suspect water through an inline filter, can just pop them down the hatch.
The primary macro you're going to eat depends on what your goals are. Weight loss - Fats. Training the body to eat fat instead of carbs means it will eat body fat for fuel when no other source of fuel is available. Gaining muscle mass - Protein. Endurance - Carbs Look at the typical diet of through hikers and it's mostly what would be considered junk food.
I always ate mostly pastas with meats and tomato sauce (mainly Rague) for dinner eggs and bacon plus cereal for breakfast and shredded lettuce with ranch or pizza for lunch at school and in senior year I was lifting up to 150 (2x 75 lbs weights) 20x the go up more weight until I literally couldn't. Then I when home and lifted a 15lb barbell in each hand on my back 20x each until I couldn't upwards of just over a thousand at the highest plus I would walk everywhere within the city or ride my bike if I had one 10 to 20 miles each way depending where in town I went. And up until fairly recently I used to walk every where in my hometown. Lately I i've been walking around with my ruck/backpack with a full load (basically anything I can legally carry in a backpack or on me in general legally) I make my own MREs with tuna packets and the tuna salad and crackers, beef jerky (jacklinks), drink mix packets (with sugar not sugar free bc they add aspartame to it), peanut butter with honey mini bottles or packets, Ramen squares, etc.
I've been saying this forever. When you're in the field you're not eating like a body builder... it's all purpose driven. Carbs and Sugars in the short term will vastly outperform these other diets. We used to suck honey packs before runs.
You initially come across as a A-Hole. And it would be interesting to see if you could actually work together with a group and what your motives really are. But, hey, you are a grunt, and that is a unique mentality civilians like me rarely understand. Once I set my ego & judgments aside, listened to the points you're actually making, and spent time thinking on your points, I began to realize there is a sh*t ton of things I hadn't thought of and haven't heard anyone else talking about. You challenge my ego & logic. That's pretty damn valuable, so I'm going to keep watching.
Nutrition aside, what about SHTF. I mean, isn't that why we practice patrolling now? What are we going to eat while on patrol after a year or two of not being able to go to the grocery store? My year in Iraq was not as Hooah as others. All I did was drive a HET around the country eating MREs. No dismounted patrols, or even mounted patrols. But every time I got to a base, I would stock up on MREs. They are designed for this, but they have a short shelf life. No one is going to stock enough for a year or two and then continually rotate to always have a fresh supply. Anyways, just something to think about. Great video and topic.
Great video , I work construction in fla. Staying hydrated and having strong endurance gets me through the day and when I'm hungry I try giving my body what it needs , good carbs are the key bad carbs can ruin you're gut and cause a lot of odd ball cravings , do you recommend a certain brand of electrolytes I noticed when I use molasses in my oatmeal I feel really good guessing it's the magnesium and carbs. But I would think electrolytes would be a good replenishment
Pemmican is possible. Fast, easy, no cooking, compact. But I would definitely include carbs too. Why not. Takes years to get similar endurance on ketones instead of glucose. I think metabolic flexibilty is smart. But flexible. Meaning carbs too.
New to the channel, and digging the videos I’ve seen so far. I’m 38, and just recently started exercising again. My job is mostly office, with some field work. I wanna start rucking. What would you recommend for weight and distance?
Always a great video! 🍻 Has anyone put liquid IV hydration powder in a water bladder or usgi canteen? Does it leave a taste of the flavoring after going back to straight water? I have used a water bottle and it left a taste even after refilling and using it 4 times after.
I used to trade most of my MRE's goodies for the Pork and Beans packet...they were awesome, but I've yet to replicate the odoriferous scent that soon followed. 💨 Needed those Carbs.
I contracted diabetes late in life, and no definitely not from being fat... So with all that being said I struggle with carbs but doing best I can with what I have to work with... At my age I do good to tote a 25 lb pack but I'll be out there giving it hell 😆
Just a note; not all field events are created equal. This is light infantry field stuff you're talking about. Mechanized? Still demanding at times....key word is at times. If you are mounted, your workload is overall lighter but you got to work on your APC/IFV. Way less cardio.
I eat an entire can of corned beef hash in the morning prior to moving out to the field in WW2 reenacting, sometimes at 7500 ft. That sh*t is like rocket fuel for me, and I wish I would have had it in the Army. A MP43 and seven mags is no joke, even with blanks.
I did ww2 reenacting tactical for years and it's one of the best ways for civilians to get hands on experience. Trudging through horrible terrain, camouflage, carrying heavy ammo, working as a single unit, and eating whatever you carry. People in my unit would carry crackers, can meats, beans, packaged sausages, jerky. Now that I do backpacking it is such a luxury carrying lightweight freeze dried foods
Brown an entire onion in a pan on with some oil, then add a little chili powder or curry powder into the hot oil (optional). Add in corned beef, stir it in real good. Turn the heat down low and put a lid on it, let it stew in the juices for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with chopped scallions and black pepper, then serve on a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. You'd never go wrong.
I'm almost 55. And busted up. But still ruck up and burn that beer belly. Hard to stay in shape with a busted back. Still can do a ten mile March at about a 36 pound ruck. Winter is 46 pounds. Doc tells me not more than 25 pounds but I'm getting stronger the more I lose wait. Was 280. Suppose to be 190. Am down to 210. Can't double time but I'm a civilian so I don't take any ordinance not even to hunt. Besides. I'd sooner watch them critters. Other's freak out when they see me with a bear till I teach them what I know.
Thanks for a fine and well reasoned presentation, Randall. It is never a good idea to omit actual experience entirely from consideration when forming reliable guidelines. However, it's also a mistake to exclude reliable information that appears to contradict my experience. Our metabolic capabilities have developed over thousands of years in varying locales and climates -- as we say, they are optimised for survival, for both endurance and strength. Only over the last century or so, in areas outside of the tropics, has there been a year-round widespread availability of high amounts of carbohydrate sources. Because of their suitability for modern agricultural exploitation, carbohydrate rich crops are both cheap and easily accessible to the whole planet. It explains why they are included in almost every modern food product. Even one non-carbohydrate, a well known polyunsaturated fat, has proliferated to such an extent that today the average American consumes approximately 50,000 times as much of it as we did only a century ago. I know it looks like this is just an irrelevant digression, but here's the point -- if we take it as a matter of principle that the body will always adapt itself to changing conditions, including diet, then how confident are we about our understanding of those adaptations? So sure that we can say with assurance that a high level of dietary carbohydrate will produce increased athletic capacity, and nothing more? (BTW, the principal functional adaptation for foods is from the endocrine system -- and it's a safe bet that today's experts have a very different understanding of its workings than they did even 15 or 20 years ago.)
It's not like we haven't all tried the paleo/carnivore crap. But we got tired of dwindling strength numbers (without drugs) and falling out of rucks. If it truly works for you, post a link to anything showing your physique or accomplishments
@@GruntProof I agree with your conclusions -- but it should be clear to anyone using them that they are betting against any and all "unintended" consequences as well. My honest answer is that I don't really know enough to be that confident -- but I fully understand the need to act in favor of my highest aim, regardless of lesser influences!
@@robertphillips93 traditionally, ie over the last few thousand years, the most successful cultures are ones that managed to cultivate a reliable source of carbs that could be stored for over winter. Wheat, potatoes, rice etc. No carnivore only society has ever managed to sustain an empire, or even attain one. Pretty much sums it up for me.
@@tonyg25 Of course, you're right -- such flexibility can leverage the innate robustness of the organism. But, for a culture or an individual to settle the question "once and for all" can invite a surprisingly short trip from rigor to rigor mortis. I'm not interested in confusing people one bit, but do we really believe that avoiding difficult problems by putting them behind us or blaming them on others comes from anything else but fear? Randall himself might ask "And where are those successful cultures today?"
Can you please provide the references that show if you eat proteins your body will break down muscle before utilizing the eaten protein? I’ve never heard that. Thank you.
I love your videos, they are straight up on strength training, endurance, cardio, nutrition and conditioning. I am one of those fat asses that you talk about that's been sitting on the couch way too long. I need some help. I want to get back into better shape and build some muscle mass. I eat a good variety of protein, fats and carbs. I'm about 40 lbs above where I want to be. I have lost a lot of muscle and strength over the years. I am 71 years old and have health issues that I believe will mostly go away if I get in the right exercise. Will you give an old grunt some pointers? Anything you can suggest would be highly appreciated.
@@GruntProof I have been walking 20 minutes a day 2 or 3 days a week. I am starting the every day 30 minutes today. What do I do for arms and upper body to build strength and muscle.
Even if you are forcing your body into ketosis to burn body fat for weight loss you still need some carbohydrates. Low glycemic is best unless you're burning fuel as in a hike as described here. I take a large packet of lollies with my on my 'excursions' into the bush. If you're batteries are flat even after a good rest it's because you've used up all the glycogen in the muscles and your body is telling you so. A couple/2 of lollies usually does the trick but can take around 30 minutes to feel the effect/lift in energy. If get accustomed to listen to your body you can preempt the lag and compensate before you feel flat. You will maintain your pace and endurance better... as long as you remember to replace water and electrolytes as is shown. Getting cramped up especially on your own can be dangerous. Help yourself before you need help! Excellent video! Never mind the bitchen'... It's right on the money. 💜👍 Universal Sovereign Citizen
Before i watch the video I'd say the most optimal diet is that of a Hunter gatherer. Our Ancestors survived while on Meat, berries, and shrooms. And whatever else they came across in the wild. Today we have easy cheap low effort access to processed foods whitch i believe is ok for a short term fuel source. In the long term without food our bodies start eating at our fat storage and some of our glucose levels depending on the physical intensity you exert. Now on the field it could be impractical on the modern field when trying to maintain a low profile. You can't exactly just go hunting on the field without getting found. Unless you make youre own pemmican. A mix of fatty meats and berries for a wealthy source of protein,fat and glucose.
We've bee conditioned by TV to believe Salt is the worst thing to ingest. (Table Salt now has alumina silicate Not Good). Pink Salt in a large water bottle, just a pinch/barely to taste, will hydrate every tissue. You won't be running to piss after every large drink. This also hydrates the intestinal tract, making bowei movements perfectly regular/rope like.
That isn’t a protein bar then. It’s a candy bar. lol but will work well in the field. Good advice and content. I approve especially in those situation.
Don't quote me if I'm wrong. But I was always under the impression that protein was to repair the muscles. Obviously it's fuel but when I talked to gym guys, carbs are fuel that lets the muscle operate, when you use your muscles intently the microfibers break and cells die. To repair those cells they use proteins to put it back together.
@@GruntProof Not saying that I'm necessarily growing but there definitely has got to be some level of muscle breakdown over a period of subsequent use right? I still think what you said here is very valid. I'm just trying to understand what the balance should be between carb and protein intake. Though realistically the body should adapt based on what you have available I'd imagine.
Most of your foods will have plenty protein to mitigate any possible breakdown. My point is most of us eat 200+ g of protein daily, and that should not happen in the field
LOL. The low carb/high protein people must think that the main reason the U.S. Cavalry had horses was to provide meat and not take them where they needed to go.
"Fuel yourself for work." A simple and proven concept. Thanks for stressing this.
Rucked 6 miles yesterday. It was hot. Flat ground. Light pack. CARRY ON!!!
I did 5miles 2 days ago, it was 105°. I had to stop every 10min.
Saturated fats are used by the body to produce testosterone, but testosterone is produced by the body during sleep, so in other terms you only really need to get your saturated fats in before bed at night. The way I think about it; the morning is for fuel (carbs, water, & salts) and the evening is for repair (fat, protein, & fiber). Also interesting information: fiber cannot be digested by our body, howevet they are digested by our gut bacteria, who produce an extremely simple kind of fatty acids that is extremely similair to ketones, in other words fiber is for fat what sugar is for carbohydrates, fibers are an incredible source of energy, oatmeal has stood the test of time for good reason.
As soon as I complete this final round of chemotherapy for my leukemia, I’m going to return to rucking. I miss it so much.
Best of luck to you. ✊️
Are you vaxed?
Hey friend!
I understand this is unsolicited advice and these are kinda annoying.
But as medical student, I hope you'd take a couple things into consideration.
Leukemia and Chemotherapy make you immunocompromised, they dump your immunity system and you'd be very vulnerable to acquiring infections.
Aerobic exercise is very beneficial for you (especially if on rituximab, actually makes the stuff more efficient), but do consider a period of "rest" to allow your immune system to recuperate after your final chemotherapy round, before beginning rucking in the woods - the woods are just an easy place to get infections if you accidentally cut or graze yourself.
Be sure you're up with your diphtheria - tetanus -pertussis (need 1 every decade) and flu shot.
And finally, do attend all subsequent checkups to make sure you remain in remission.
Wishing you all the best out there!
"So I know this kinda comes off as me being annoyed and talking sh*t, and it kinda is,..."
He tells it how it is, I can respect that
If I do a three-four day ruck, I live on fresh sandwiches and fresh fruit the first half, and on nutmix and cerealbars second half. These items do not really freeze in winter and are prepared in an instant, also avaivable everywhere. Usually I only use hot tea or coffee to warm up in winter, but if I take a hot meal its plain noodles in salted water to keep the mess kit clean, maybe add a tube-ready tomato sauce if its not freezing cold. Oatmeal and juice also works fine as field nutrition. Small packaged cakes are also nice for energy, they are part of many military rations. If I was scared of loosing muscle I would switch for some high protein bars, the other advantage of them is that they give a good satisfying joy and taste, they fill you up almost like a main meal. Bad part is they usually come with choclate and so make a molten mess in high temperatures. I try to avoid MRE-type meals, they are expensive, cause lot of trash, do not taste well, are not healthy and dont carry a lot of micro nutrients.
What kind of juice ?
@@RonLumbar Haha, well not shrimp-juice nor juice-juice. Simple orange does it for me.
My Grunt Proof patch finally arrived today. Looks good! You are spot on about diet endurance and performance. All those carbs are getting burned in the field unless you are a Pogue.
Good point about the stress/adapt concept. I've been skeptical about the pure carnivore folks and the practicality of that diet. I have a bunch of friends doing the carnivore diet or some version of that. I decided to eliminate processed foods as much as possible and eat a diet heavy in animal products and single ingredient foods, including fruits, honey and mixed nuts. I've also increased my intake of electrolytes. I'm almost 60 yrs old and I am able to don a 30# pack and knock out 10-12 mile hikes in our steep Oregon mountains.
Another good vid as usual brother. I to take an electrolyte sachet at mid day and b4 bedding down. I found I would get a charlie horse or a tendon tighten in my leg in my morning stretch. The electrolyte b4 bed stopped this worked for me.
High calorie & high carbs. Jars of peanut butter, dry rice, smoked sausage, a few candy bars. Maybe some cheese sticks to throw in with the rice and sausage.
Good talk! You need calories, you need salt. Especially in the long winter season environment here, you need every little bit you can get.
Salt is absolutely demonised. an essential electrolyte
A guy who blogs as Mountain Guerilla talked once about what mountain men carried: flour/oatmeal/cornmeal and some beef jerky or pemmican. Randall in another video mentioned whey mass gainer and preworkout as field rations.
And we probably don't need 3500 calories a day in the field, despite what the macro calculators say.
I'm a mountain climber, it's brutal, but one thing I'm very familiar with is feeding myself. Feeding myself in the mountains, I always went carb heavy. When you're burning a shit ton of calories doing 4,000-6,000 feet of elevation gain or more, and going miles and miles, you need carbs. Especially when it's wayyyy below freezing.
You've gotta have carbs if you've got extreme energy output going on. If you don't have carbs your ass is gonna drag, period.
@@PistolsPlayground i like oats for my carbs. It holds me nice and long and keeps me happy. Especially the pre made oat packets with extra protein. Ill eat them dry and drink extra water for a 1:1 ratio oats and water or ill make them how they’re supposed to be. God bless.
Not disagreeing with everything, but (akshully) muscles and brains can use carbs OR ketones.
The liver converts fats to keytones AND carbs to sugar. If you have issues with sugars (requires insulin + potassium + magnesium needed to utilize ) then you'll probably be better off going the fat/keytone route than sugar/carbs.
If you don't use up the carbs you convert them to fat to later be turned into keytones. So if you know your going to burn it all - carb it up. If you're not going to burn it, fat is the way to go or your body will make fat from the leftovers.
Diff people will "feel better" or perform better on one vs the other. Try it out to see what works for the individual's liver and pancreas.
Carbs are not the only fuel, and many would argue it's the lesser of the two. eg: Cavemen didn't have shitloads of fruit and pasta available. Carbs are delicious and if you're burning enough then have at it. But if you're not burning it all or have insulin issues fat is your friend. If fat is giving you the runs then work on your gallbladder/liver/pancreas function.
Great comment!
Well done video. The fact that anyone would even say “I’ll be carnivore” in the field is showing how silly and inexperienced they are. As with most in the prepper community, they don’t actually train so they don’t know any better.
@@davem4193 I’m fully aware of pemmican and there’s nothing wrong with using it. Fact still remains you won’t perform well in an austere environment over multiple days on a carb-less diet. It doesn’t even make sense to try. Are you just like super fat with excess bodyweight to lose? It just isn’t a smart way to approach REAL WORLD operating. Eat whatever you can get your hands on - that’s the realist perspective.
Comment and question.
Not sure if you mentioned this, it takes more water for your body to digest protein than it does carbs.
Question. Recommendations for freeze dried meals with high calorie content. Only thing I can find is MCW's.
I've considered buying bulk cans and making my own then vacuum sealing with oxygen absorbers.
Or
Just buying a freeze dryer.
Y'all's thoughts would be welcomed.
P.s. typical freeze dried backpacking meals don't have the calories needed for a full day on the move, usually around 500 calories per meal, having to add so much olive oil to everything to the point of causing explosive diarrhea is infuriating.
I heard a soldier say that he was 185 at the start of his tour and 130 at the end. They had to choose between carrying enough food or ammunition. He also said that he felt better fighting at that weight, but also some of that was just that at that point he was more used to the constant stress and fighting. His tour was combat heavy so it may not be applicable to everyone….
Always making the complicated under understandable and actionable 👍
I'm going to push back on that a little bit. When I'm out trapping in the winter, I crave fats. I really think it's best to pack some and really accentuate them as a fuel source. First off, they keep you warm. In the winter, you also don't have to worry so much about spoilage. I usually have a ziplock bag full of partial frozen pig fat that I render down into anything I'm cooking. You also can't go wrong with gee - which is clarified butter. That's completely shelf stable and a lot of calories doesn't weigh much. Then there's pemmican which, I mean it's gross, but when you can pack 10,000 calories into a tupperware container that would hold the lunch you'd bring to work, you really can't go wrong.
"...he's lying to you and he's on drugs" thank you for saying that! What a bunch of horseshit on social media. Lift heavy things repeatedly, exercise, stretch, manage your diet, hydrate with electrolytes and let the body rest and recover. It's not very Grunt-like but i've also found yoga increases my ability to breathe deeper and allows me to breathe freer when running (sorry I don't ruck, but I do backpack). Thanks for the upload.
The voice of reason - I agree 100%
I patrol on Little Debbie's and grizzly wintergreen almost exclusively.
Hell yeah. Thats some efficiency right there.
Awesome talk.Im starting to Ruck again after getting back surgery(Fusion L5 S1).I pack my own Ratpack(south african mre)will carb a bit more.
I’m a rigger in a steel mill working in extreme heat, I tried keto, could barely make it through a shift ….I was sluggish and weak….as far as being fat adapted, I’ve butchered quite a few animals and they simply are not that fatty, including hogs. Just my personal experience. As always, great content.
For me, there's nothing like macaroni and cheese after walking miles in the hot sun. That's my leg and cardio recovery food right there.
Coming from an ex army medic you’re absolutely right having the proper carb intake so you don’t get muscle cramps keeping your body with proper electrolytes too much electrolytes does cause excessive diarrhea. I’ve seen people that over do the electrolytes and do get diarrhea and it eats the skin off your legs, endurance ready training it’s important but most of all proper diet the amount of carbs electrolytes your body needs the amount of proteins.
Fellow Ramadi vet here, love the videos. This one was great as usual.
Ive read that lawrence of arabia and the bedoins lived off of nothing but dates, water, camel milk, rice, and flour. The flour theyd make flat bread with water and makes rice with water as well. They would survive months fighting guerrilla warfare on that alone. Every few months theyd sometimes eat a camel or horse that died or a cooked goat, but it really shows how much you can do with so little. Rice, flour, and dates last months to years.
Randall, keep up the good work. Your info is, as usual, on point.
I'm not a very active person and I try to keep my (processed) carbs low, but I also don't overload on protein. My wife and I do like to go on day hikes but usually only 4 or 6 miles. To get to my point, a buddy and I are going on an overnight backpacking trip and the first thing that came to mind food-wise was, I'm going to need carbs. Good video, thank you.
I agree with you for the most part. Everyones needlessly afraid of sugar and its annoying. Actual sugar does not hurt people.
However, I will say that gatorade has more value than people think and yes I do like that you carry actual electrolyte packets, but when I was younger I went to the family farm and I almost went down because of the Kansas summer heat being in the triple digits, and you can't take any days off with farm work... On my way home bought a bottle of gatorade and a bottle of water and it instantly made me feel better. Gatorade may not be packed full of electrolytes, but it does help replace yiur bodies fluids kind of like a fruit flavored bottle of saline.
You’re gradually becoming one of my favorite channels.
i learn a lot of things watching your vids , not just tactical or shtf stuff but other interesting things that help along the way
I've been into carb heavy diet in the field for years; even before the marathoners started bulking up on carbs before a race, many people made fun of me in those days. Mainly because I took latin in school and translated Caesars Gallic Wars. The Roman Legionnaire carried 60 to 90 lbs weight and could walk 60 miles in a day and then set up a little fort with a ditch when they made camp - I actually calculated the distance of the marches in that book. Their diet was mainly either a type of bread, or a type of pasta and their standard for endurance rivals those of the modern military despite being slightly smaller in stature than modern humans.
Your're alright dude. I'm 60 tomorrow and have a mobile heavy equipment welding repair biz and all these grunt vids keep me going. This shit is real. I about wiped out doing full carnivore to lose weight and hopefully help with heat management. I found myself losing muscle and getting more injuries. The carbs saved me. When work is slow and the break is appreciated, I do more carnivore. When it's full on...Sammiches and LMNT. Coors light in the evenings to be sure I got some carbs to burn in the morning. Rock on.
What kind of sammiches
@@RonLumbar Massive ones. Usually ham and cheese I tuck into the welder so they're hot and melty. And a half gallon of whole milk.
I’m a keto diet guy where it saved my cdl license. But what you say is 100% true. If you’re humping you need carbs. I change up with what I’m doing. Truck driving vs rucking.
Did try some chewable electrolyte tablets (Salt Stick Fastchews) a while back, seemed good, if pretty expensive. If having to run suspect water through an inline filter, can just pop them down the hatch.
If you have a stove and do an AM oatmeal on the ovenight ruck, i like to mix some casien protein powder in with the instant oatmeal pack
After three weeks hiking the JMT, I was covering 20 miles per day. Besides dinner, my food was all candy or salty junk food, and I felt amazing.
The primary macro you're going to eat depends on what your goals are.
Weight loss - Fats. Training the body to eat fat instead of carbs means it will eat body fat for fuel when no other source of fuel is available.
Gaining muscle mass - Protein.
Endurance - Carbs
Look at the typical diet of through hikers and it's mostly what would be considered junk food.
I always ate mostly pastas with meats and tomato sauce (mainly Rague) for dinner eggs and bacon plus cereal for breakfast and shredded lettuce with ranch or pizza for lunch at school and in senior year I was lifting up to 150 (2x 75 lbs weights) 20x the go up more weight until I literally couldn't. Then I when home and lifted a 15lb barbell in each hand on my back 20x each until I couldn't upwards of just over a thousand at the highest plus I would walk everywhere within the city or ride my bike if I had one 10 to 20 miles each way depending where in town I went. And up until fairly recently I used to walk every where in my hometown. Lately I i've been walking around with my ruck/backpack with a full load (basically anything I can legally carry in a backpack or on me in general legally) I make my own MREs with tuna packets and the tuna salad and crackers, beef jerky (jacklinks), drink mix packets (with sugar not sugar free bc they add aspartame to it), peanut butter with honey mini bottles or packets, Ramen squares, etc.
Love your approach brother.... complete nonsense out there in terms of diet advice. Tik tok for life....lol. Cheers from Alberta!
One thing I like to add is a good greens powder. Good energy and helps me stay regular even w the field diet
Anyone who has a different opinion on this subject has obviously never worked.
These lessons are learned early in an truly physical endeavor.
I've been saying this forever. When you're in the field you're not eating like a body builder... it's all purpose driven. Carbs and Sugars in the short term will vastly outperform these other diets. We used to suck honey packs before runs.
Damn I’m glad I subbed you answered questions I didn’t even know I had
You initially come across as a A-Hole. And it would be interesting to see if you could actually work together with a group and what your motives really are. But, hey, you are a grunt, and that is a unique mentality civilians like me rarely understand. Once I set my ego & judgments aside, listened to the points you're actually making, and spent time thinking on your points, I began to realize there is a sh*t ton of things I hadn't thought of and haven't heard anyone else talking about. You challenge my ego & logic. That's pretty damn valuable, so I'm going to keep watching.
Nutrition aside, what about SHTF. I mean, isn't that why we practice patrolling now? What are we going to eat while on patrol after a year or two of not being able to go to the grocery store? My year in Iraq was not as Hooah as others. All I did was drive a HET around the country eating MREs. No dismounted patrols, or even mounted patrols. But every time I got to a base, I would stock up on MREs. They are designed for this, but they have a short shelf life. No one is going to stock enough for a year or two and then continually rotate to always have a fresh supply. Anyways, just something to think about. Great video and topic.
Good video Man. Keep up the good work. God bless. From Glenn CATT. In Massachusetts.
Nice video, you know your stuff... keep doing good work
Good vid. Good info. thanks.
Great video , I work construction in fla. Staying hydrated and having strong endurance gets me through the day and when I'm hungry I try giving my body what it needs , good carbs are the key bad carbs can ruin you're gut and cause a lot of odd ball cravings , do you recommend a certain brand of electrolytes I noticed when I use molasses in my oatmeal I feel really good guessing it's the magnesium and carbs. But I would think electrolytes would be a good replenishment
Pemmican is possible. Fast, easy, no cooking, compact. But I would definitely include carbs too. Why not.
Takes years to get similar endurance on ketones instead of glucose.
I think metabolic flexibilty is smart. But flexible. Meaning carbs too.
True pemmican should have berries or some form of carbs such as parched corn. My French Canadian ancestors called it sagamite I think.
New to the channel, and digging the videos I’ve seen so far. I’m 38, and just recently started exercising again. My job is mostly office, with some field work. I wanna start rucking. What would you recommend for weight and distance?
Always a great video! 🍻
Has anyone put liquid IV hydration powder in a water bladder or usgi canteen? Does it leave a taste of the flavoring after going back to straight water? I have used a water bottle and it left a taste even after refilling and using it 4 times after.
My favourite topic
I used to trade most of my MRE's goodies for the Pork and Beans packet...they were awesome, but I've yet to replicate the odoriferous scent that soon followed. 💨
Needed those Carbs.
Great info. Thanks
blue oyster cult into music yeah buddy! good info keep the videos coming!
Dude, that hat is awesome. What camo pattern is it?
I used to carry cans of mini ravioli and jerky. I keep cashews in a pouch in my strap.
I contracted diabetes late in life, and no definitely not from being fat... So with all that being said I struggle with carbs but doing best I can with what I have to work with... At my age I do good to tote a 25 lb pack but I'll be out there giving it hell 😆
Great content, thanks. I came here years ago for an excellent sleeping bag review and I’m hanging around for the live stream shootout with the feds.
You look tired, brother. Love the content, stay strong 🫶
During my time at JRTC, I was eating 3 MREs a day and it was still not enough
Excellent; thanks.
Feed the Machine!! 👍
Try indian Sattu, very practical
Just a note; not all field events are created equal. This is light infantry field stuff you're talking about. Mechanized? Still demanding at times....key word is at times. If you are mounted, your workload is overall lighter but you got to work on your APC/IFV. Way less cardio.
I eat an entire can of corned beef hash in the morning prior to moving out to the field in WW2 reenacting, sometimes at 7500 ft. That sh*t is like rocket fuel for me, and I wish I would have had it in the Army. A MP43 and seven mags is no joke, even with blanks.
Add two eggs and hot sauce... awesome.
I did ww2 reenacting tactical for years and it's one of the best ways for civilians to get hands on experience. Trudging through horrible terrain, camouflage, carrying heavy ammo, working as a single unit, and eating whatever you carry. People in my unit would carry crackers, can meats, beans, packaged sausages, jerky. Now that I do backpacking it is such a luxury carrying lightweight freeze dried foods
Brown an entire onion in a pan on with some oil, then add a little chili powder or curry powder into the hot oil (optional).
Add in corned beef, stir it in real good.
Turn the heat down low and put a lid on it, let it stew in the juices for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top with chopped scallions and black pepper, then serve on a bed of rice or mashed potatoes.
You'd never go wrong.
I'm almost 55. And busted up. But still ruck up and burn that beer belly. Hard to stay in shape with a busted back. Still can do a ten mile March at about a 36 pound ruck. Winter is 46 pounds. Doc tells me not more than 25 pounds but I'm getting stronger the more I lose wait. Was 280. Suppose to be 190. Am down to 210. Can't double time but I'm a civilian so I don't take any ordinance not even to hunt. Besides. I'd sooner watch them critters. Other's freak out when they see me with a bear till I teach them what I know.
Thanks for a fine and well reasoned presentation, Randall. It is never a good idea to omit actual experience entirely from consideration when forming reliable guidelines. However, it's also a mistake to exclude reliable information that appears to contradict my experience.
Our metabolic capabilities have developed over thousands of years in varying locales and climates -- as we say, they are optimised for survival, for both endurance and strength. Only over the last century or so, in areas outside of the tropics, has there been a year-round widespread availability of high amounts of carbohydrate sources. Because of their suitability for modern agricultural exploitation, carbohydrate rich crops are both cheap and easily accessible to the whole planet. It explains why they are included in almost every modern food product. Even one non-carbohydrate, a well known polyunsaturated fat, has proliferated to such an extent that today the average American consumes approximately 50,000 times as much of it as we did only a century ago.
I know it looks like this is just an irrelevant digression, but here's the point -- if we take it as a matter of principle that the body will always adapt itself to changing conditions, including diet, then how confident are we about our understanding of those adaptations? So sure that we can say with assurance that a high level of dietary carbohydrate will produce increased athletic capacity, and nothing more?
(BTW, the principal functional adaptation for foods is from the endocrine system -- and it's a safe bet that today's experts have a very different understanding of its workings than they did even 15 or 20 years ago.)
It's not like we haven't all tried the paleo/carnivore crap. But we got tired of dwindling strength numbers (without drugs) and falling out of rucks. If it truly works for you, post a link to anything showing your physique or accomplishments
@@GruntProof I agree with your conclusions -- but it should be clear to anyone using them that they are betting against any and all "unintended" consequences as well. My honest answer is that I don't really know enough to be that confident -- but I fully understand the need to act in favor of my highest aim, regardless of lesser influences!
@@robertphillips93 traditionally, ie over the last few thousand years, the most successful cultures are ones that managed to cultivate a reliable source of carbs that could be stored for over winter. Wheat, potatoes, rice etc.
No carnivore only society has ever managed to sustain an empire, or even attain one. Pretty much sums it up for me.
@@tonyg25 Of course, you're right -- such flexibility can leverage the innate robustness of the organism. But, for a culture or an individual to settle the question "once and for all" can invite a surprisingly short trip from rigor to rigor mortis.
I'm not interested in confusing people one bit, but do we really believe that avoiding difficult problems by putting them behind us or blaming them on others comes from anything else but fear? Randall himself might ask "And where are those successful cultures today?"
Can you please provide the references that show if you eat proteins your body will break down muscle before utilizing the eaten protein? I’ve never heard that.
Thank you.
What is a good source of protein that you recommend? Protein powder?
Subscribed, great talk.
I love your videos, they are straight up on strength training, endurance, cardio, nutrition and conditioning. I am one of those fat asses that you talk about that's been sitting on the couch way too long. I need some help. I want to get back into better shape and build some muscle mass. I eat a good variety of protein, fats and carbs. I'm about 40 lbs above where I want to be. I have lost a lot of muscle and strength over the years. I am 71 years old and have health issues that I believe will mostly go away if I get in the right exercise. Will you give an old grunt some pointers? Anything you can suggest would be highly appreciated.
Start walking. Min 30 minutes per day, every day, for a month
@@GruntProof thank you for the starting place. I will do that for beginnings.
Then start getting stronger
@@GruntProof I have been walking 20 minutes a day 2 or 3 days a week. I am starting the every day 30 minutes today. What do I do for arms and upper body to build strength and muscle.
Starting Strength
What state is this? Literally perfect wilderness
Even if you are forcing your body into ketosis to burn body fat for weight loss you still need some carbohydrates. Low glycemic is best unless you're burning fuel as in a hike as described here. I take a large packet of lollies with my on my 'excursions' into the bush. If you're batteries are flat even after a good rest it's because you've used up all the glycogen in the muscles and your body is telling you so. A couple/2 of lollies usually does the trick but can take around 30 minutes to feel the effect/lift in energy. If get accustomed to listen to your body you can preempt the lag and compensate before you feel flat. You will maintain your pace and endurance better... as long as you remember to replace water and electrolytes as is shown. Getting cramped up especially on your own can be dangerous.
Help yourself before you need help!
Excellent video!
Never mind the bitchen'... It's right on the money. 💜👍
Universal Sovereign Citizen
Before i watch the video I'd say the most optimal diet is that of a Hunter gatherer. Our Ancestors survived while on Meat, berries, and shrooms. And whatever else they came across in the wild. Today we have easy cheap low effort access to processed foods whitch i believe is ok for a short term fuel source. In the long term without food our bodies start eating at our fat storage and some of our glucose levels depending on the physical intensity you exert. Now on the field it could be impractical on the modern field when trying to maintain a low profile. You can't exactly just go hunting on the field without getting found. Unless you make youre own pemmican. A mix of fatty meats and berries for a wealthy source of protein,fat and glucose.
Low carb diets are great for weight lifting and moderate cardio. Carbs are necessary when you need to perform right 'effing now.
I met akins guys when backpacking
Wow delicious MRE 😮😮😮
Good video man!
We've bee conditioned by TV to believe Salt is the worst thing to ingest. (Table Salt now has alumina silicate Not Good). Pink Salt in a large water bottle, just a pinch/barely to taste, will hydrate every tissue. You won't be running to piss after every large drink. This also hydrates the intestinal tract, making bowei movements perfectly regular/rope like.
Carnivore works. It's not about obesity. It takes a lot of time if you've eating how you do. I eat one meal of beef, butter and eggs.
Every morning is 3 eggs, 3 bacon, 2 butter/grease fried toast. Black coffee.
amen
@@OddArneOseberg it doesn’t work for what he’s talking about.
@@adamal-khouri435 It does. He does not have the experience. Sorry 'bout that.
So what are your lifts at???
Do you have a suggestion on electrolytes?
That isn’t a protein bar then. It’s a candy bar. lol but will work well in the field.
Good advice and content. I approve especially in those situation.
What electrolyte packs do you prefer?
When you are away from the gym for a bit you can bounce back quickly because muscle has memory I know it sounds goofy but it's true
All those diet fads and body building stuff are for looking good at the lake in the summer time. Functional training is king!
Any suggestions for a type 2 diabetic?
How do I find people like this to train with?
Honestly, backpacker homemade meals that dont take cooking seem ideal
The day I'm too old to learn is the day I'm to old to live.
As a Marine 0311 I ate MREs, tuna, candy and jerky
Don't quote me if I'm wrong. But I was always under the impression that protein was to repair the muscles. Obviously it's fuel but when I talked to gym guys, carbs are fuel that lets the muscle operate, when you use your muscles intently the microfibers break and cells die. To repair those cells they use proteins to put it back together.
You're not performing maximal loads in the field, so there should be no muscle breakdown or growth. You're just draining glycogen
@@GruntProof Not saying that I'm necessarily growing but there definitely has got to be some level of muscle breakdown over a period of subsequent use right? I still think what you said here is very valid. I'm just trying to understand what the balance should be between carb and protein intake. Though realistically the body should adapt based on what you have available I'd imagine.
Most of your foods will have plenty protein to mitigate any possible breakdown. My point is most of us eat 200+ g of protein daily, and that should not happen in the field
@@GruntProof For sure, I'm also a bit curious on what foods become the most common during rationing situations.
29 years Wildland Firefighter.. got to have carbs = energy
I'm an idiot too it seems just back from jogging
LOL. The low carb/high protein people must think that the main reason the U.S. Cavalry had horses was to provide meat and not take them where they needed to go.
I'm sitting on the couch watching this video 😢