My Experience On the Anabolic Diet

Diet and Nutrition
9343

Hi Fellow AD’ers

After initially reading the first 100 pages of this thread and eating the AD way for 5 weeks i thought I’d share my experiences.

firstly, thanks to all who have contributed, the combined knowledge and sharing of that knowledge with all has been inspiring.

My reasons for starting the anabolic lifestyle/diet are quite simple and probably mirror some of yours. I was sick of yoyo dieting and fluctuating weight and waistline.

i wanted to get back to enjoying an active life like i did in my youth, i wanted to look healthy, not just be able to lift heavy things and lastly, i want to be a good role model for my children when they’re born in a world that seems to say “being overweight is ok”.

my stats

i am 35, and, drive a desk for a living
starting weight - January 5, 2009
141kgs(310lbs) now 5 wks later 138kg (303lbs)
waist circumfrence at start - 131cm (51in)
waist now - 119cm (47)

i am of fijian heritage and so have descended from cannibals and fish eaters. (this diet is perfect for me)

when designing my excercise routine i decided that i wanted to get out into the sunshine as much as possible and so designed my programme around that.

i also wanted to retain as much muscle as possible so that by the time i had burnt my fat off, i could take some photos to brag to my kids about. i have, at this time, no intention of competing in any BB or PL type competitions.

my routine
Day 1 = HIIT - Sprinting (this is how i get my sunlight)
Day 2 = Chest/Bicep/Tricep
Day 3 = HIIT
Day 4 = REST
Day 5 = Legs/Abs
Day 6 = HIIT
Day 7 = Back/Shoulders
Day 8 = Rest

as you can see my 8 day routine is out of sync with a 7 day AD diet cycle. This was deliberate and is intended to cycle all my body parts into days of the week at varying levels of glycogen stores.

as you can imagine, if fridays are a gym day then my weights are lower and so i use this day for dynamic effort lifting instead of Maximum effort lifting and i use this day for isolation excercises.

My current girth means i only run with a 24 hour carb up, which i generally start on saturday night which fits my lifestyle.

sorry for the long post but after losing 12cm in 5 weeks and retaining 98% of my body weight i am pumped. just wish i had taken starting photos.

9344

[quote]Kairewa wrote:
Hi Fellow AD’ers

After initially reading the first 100 pages of this thread and eating the AD way for 5 weeks i thought I’d share my experiences.

firstly, thanks to all who have contributed, the combined knowledge and sharing of that knowledge with all has been inspiring.

My reasons for starting the anabolic lifestyle/diet are quite simple and probably mirror some of yours. I was sick of yoyo dieting and fluctuating weight and waistline.

i wanted to get back to enjoying an active life like i did in my youth, i wanted to look healthy, not just be able to lift heavy things and lastly, i want to be a good role model for my children when they’re born in a world that seems to say “being overweight is ok”.

my stats

i am 35, and, drive a desk for a living
starting weight - January 5, 2009
141kgs(310lbs) now 5 wks later 138kg (303lbs)
waist circumfrence at start - 131cm (51in)
waist now - 119cm (47)

i am of fijian heritage and so have descended from cannibals and fish eaters. (this diet is perfect for me)

when designing my excercise routine i decided that i wanted to get out into the sunshine as much as possible and so designed my programme around that.

i also wanted to retain as much muscle as possible so that by the time i had burnt my fat off, i could take some photos to brag to my kids about. i have, at this time, no intention of competing in any BB or PL type competitions.

my routine
Day 1 = HIIT - Sprinting (this is how i get my sunlight)
Day 2 = Chest/Bicep/Tricep
Day 3 = HIIT
Day 4 = REST
Day 5 = Legs/Abs
Day 6 = HIIT
Day 7 = Back/Shoulders
Day 8 = Rest

as you can see my 8 day routine is out of sync with a 7 day AD diet cycle. This was deliberate and is intended to cycle all my body parts into days of the week at varying levels of glycogen stores.

as you can imagine, if fridays are a gym day then my weights are lower and so i use this day for dynamic effort lifting instead of Maximum effort lifting and i use this day for isolation excercises.

My current girth means i only run with a 24 hour carb up, which i generally start on saturday night which fits my lifestyle.

sorry for the long post but after losing 12cm in 5 weeks and retaining 98% of my body weight i am pumped. just wish i had taken starting photos.[/quote]

Welcome Kairewa and congrats on your progress!

9345

thanks DJS

this is certainly one of the most interesting journeys i’ve been on with regards to diet.

this diet has made me start listening to my body and its needs and its funny the sort of things it tells you. for example if i eat carbs from veges, oats etc on my refeed then my body is insanely happy, if i try to have something that is wheat based, i.e made of flour etc, then i get punished, i am lethargic for the next 2 days and most of that time is spent in the toilet.

i seem to have developed an aversion to salt and cannot even stand the taste of bacon. on the other hand i actually crave green leafy’s like an addict.

i’m really enjoying the abundance of stable energy i have when i wake in the morning that carries me through all day, though i have found i feel mentally slower if i have more than 3 red meat meals per day so have started eating more chicken and tuna.

9346

That’s great.

I feel like the dietary changes of mood and energy didn’t have much of an effect on me because prior to this diet, I would never touch anything that I didn’t believe was the most optimal food for me to be eating with regards to timing (what I did, am about to do, and currently feel). Body composition was always in the forefront of my mind whenever making a choice of food.

It’s funny you don’t like bacon, because my craving for bacon increased over the course of the diet (last 2 months). I did however just cut it out for reasons of health and longevity. My breakfasts seem empty now: day 2 of 5 eggs with mushrooms and peppers. Not too exciting by my culinary standards.

9347

i agree nz,

the loss of appetite for bacon was bizarre for me as i have always loved it but now even the first taste sends me reaching for water to flush it.

no drama’s the beef pattie/cheese slice and fried egg :slight_smile: help me make up for it.

actually i think the hardest thing i’ve noticed is trying to get enough food in during the day as we seem to be programmed by media to minimise our portions. i sometimes find myself forcing down the last part of a meal. this was especially true during the first week (18x 131 kilograms is over 5,500 calories) and i’ll admit that i only lasted the first five days before i dialled it back to the 12 times multiple.

i wish i had previously been committed to a healthy appearance as i could have then gone straight into a building mode. being an islander is much like being greek/italian and it seems that i am surrounded by friends & family who, if not eating, are at least planning and discussing their next meal. it is nice however to see my choices and short term results have an effect on the way those loved ones plan their dietary intake.

9348

[quote]Kairewa wrote:
thanks DJS

i seem to have developed an aversion to salt and cannot even stand the taste of bacon. on the other hand i actually crave green leafy’s like an addict.

[/quote]

oh yeah the AD has made a salad junkie out of me;)

9349

Haven’t posted in a bit, but don’t worry I’m still on the wagon. I am however keeping my carb-ups to about 150-175g on Saturday only for now. We’ll see where it takes me.

I’ve decided to get my body fat down, so I started reducing my caloric intake Monday to 2800 calories - I’m at about 189 lb. I’ll keep it here for two weeks and check my progress and cut calories more from there if need be.

I think I’ve gotten cleaner as I’m cutting out a lot of the sausage/cheese type stuff. Here’s my meal plan for today.

Cheddar Cheese Stick

-Commute-

Breakfast
6 large omega-3 eggs
5 slices bacon

2 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega 3 peanut butter

1/4 cup almonds

Lunch
.5 pound Sara Lee Rare Roast Beef
Mountain of spinach
Flameout

ON Whey + 1tbsp Flax/Olive/Sunflower Blend

-alactic training-

ON Whey + 1tbsp olive oil

Dinner
0.8 lb ribeye
Spinach

flaxseed meal

2800 calories - 60% fat 35% protein 5% carbs

9350

my current meal plan - feel free to critique

bodyweight 138kgs(303lbs) x 12 for fat loss = 3,643 target calories

6:30am - 3 HOT-ROX
commute
7am - 6 eggs scrambled with 1 TB of EVOO, multivitamins, 1000mg Vit C, 2 fish oil capsules.
9:30am - 6 eggs scrambled with 1 TB of EVOO
12:30pm - 3 HOT-ROX
1pm - 3x125g meat pattie fried with EVOO, 3 fried eggs, 3 cheese slices, multivitamin, 2000mg Vit C, 2 fish oil caps
3:30pm - workout
5pm-Ice Whey Shake -33g pro, 0.6gCH, 0.3g fat, Musashi BCAA x 2 caps
6:30pm - 425g can tuna in olive oil on 120grams of salad leaves

plus i drink 8-12 litres of water per day

total calories = 4009 being 267.5 fat grams, 23.5 cho grams, and 370 protein grams.

my problem is this, i am trying to build/retain muscle while burning the inches around my waist and everything i’ve been reading says at 1.5g of protein per lb of b/w i should be eating 455g of protein which means i’m currently underfeeding my protein levels, yet i’m concerned with the total calories i’ll be taking in if i increase my protein while trying to maintain my fat loss.

any ideas, thanks in advance

9351

[quote]KingIndy wrote:
Haven’t posted in a bit, but don’t worry I’m still on the wagon. I am however keeping my carb-ups to about 150-175g on Saturday only for now. We’ll see where it takes me.

[/quote]

150gm of carbs only nets you 600 calories.
If 600 calories is your required 60%…that would make your total intake 1000cals.

You sure of the carb count?

9352

This diet rocks. I am approaching my 2nd carb up. Stayed pretty clean 1st carb up. Enjoyed a few Thai meals with lots of rice. Mixed in some pasta and oatmeal.

I have a question regarding a full 48 carb load:

Can you use 48 Carb load in a litteral sense?

I mean, start carbing Friday evening, and have last carb meal Sunday eve.

Thank you

9353

[quote]Evil1 wrote:
KingIndy wrote:
Haven’t posted in a bit, but don’t worry I’m still on the wagon. I am however keeping my carb-ups to about 150-175g on Saturday only for now. We’ll see where it takes me.

150gm of carbs only nets you 600 calories.
If 600 calories is your required 60%…that would make your total intake 1000cals.

You sure of the carb count?
[/quote]

I don’t mean to speak for Indy, but he’s not using the ratios. He’s just keeping carbs controlled even when they’re present to help in reducing bodyfat.

We had a big discussion on all that with inspiration from Thibs.

9354

[quote]citrus100 wrote:
This diet rocks. I am approaching my 2nd carb up. Stayed pretty clean 1st carb up. Enjoyed a few Thai meals with lots of rice. Mixed in some pasta and oatmeal.

I have a question regarding a full 48 carb load:

Can you use 48 Carb load in a litteral sense?

I mean, start carbing Friday evening, and have last carb meal Sunday eve.

Thank you
[/quote]

Welcome! Good luck!

As far as a full 48 hour carb load, it is not recomended for most people as it is a bit too long. 36 hours is usually the max (sat morning to sun night)and some people need to reduce it from there if needed.

However, the diet is very flexible. If you really want to begin on friday night then you could revert back around lunch time on sunday. Have a carb breakfast and then move back to your weekly eating. Many people don’t go all the way through sunday even when they start sat morning. Everyone is different. You will need to experiment a bit to see what is right for you and even then you may need to adjust it over time. Personally, I am trying to hold off on reducing cals for as long as i can. Since, once you do, then you really can’t go back up(on a cut). So that is my last resort. I will probably play with my carb ups first by cuting out a meal at a time etc. I think 48 hours is too long even on a bulk though from what i have read.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it works for you.

9355

[quote]nz6stringaxe wrote:
Evil1 wrote:
KingIndy wrote:
Haven’t posted in a bit, but don’t worry I’m still on the wagon. I am however keeping my carb-ups to about 150-175g on Saturday only for now. We’ll see where it takes me.

150gm of carbs only nets you 600 calories.
If 600 calories is your required 60%…that would make your total intake 1000cals.

You sure of the carb count?

I don’t mean to speak for Indy, but he’s not using the ratios. He’s just keeping carbs controlled even when they’re present to help in reducing bodyfat.

We had a big discussion on all that with inspiration from Thibs.[/quote]

NZ is all over it.

9356

hey guys,

has anyone used carb blockers to help manage their carb intake.

sorry if this has already been covered

thanks in advance

9357

[quote]Kairewa wrote:
hey guys,

has anyone used carb blockers to help manage their carb intake.

sorry if this has already been covered

thanks in advance[/quote]

I have but I dont feel it necessary or advisable. If you reduce the amount of carbs absorbed by your body during a carb-up you alter the macro-nutrient ratio of a meal, which could prevent an insulin spike.

They are useful for mid-week usage where you simply have to go to an unavoidable event and won’t get meat and veg alone, or when faced with the possibility of hidden carbohydrates at restaurants.

9358

sorry evil1, i should have explained better.

i meant to use the carb blockers during the week to help keep carbs low, when so many foods have carbs in them, including eggs when you’re eating 15 or so a day

9359

[quote]Kairewa wrote:
sorry evil1, i should have explained better.

i meant to use the carb blockers during the week to help keep carbs low, when so many foods have carbs in them, including eggs when you’re eating 15 or so a day[/quote]

true…try some variety though. Also, make sure you are aware of the fact that Phaseoleous Vaulgaris (the blocker)is only effective in blocking starch not sugar. And I think the the greatest reduction in the amount absorbed was 60% at around 1500mg of Phase 2(brand name).

9360

Hello everyone. We’ll since everyone is cutting i guess we need a bulker to spice things up.

I have been cruising on around maintenence cals and this week progress has stopped. Meaning I am still making progress in my lifts but my weigh in this morning was about the same and so was my waist measurement. I don’t apear to have lost any more fat anywhere else either.

My original plan was to cut first and then bulk. But I have changed my mind for a couple of reasons. First and formost because I am loving the progress i am having lifting to give that up just yet for a propper cut. Second… its still february and my original plan of cutting and then bulking will get me too close to summer during the bulk.

I would of liked to of been leaner prior to bulking but i don’t really feel like starting to pile on fat right into the summer after working so hard to lean out.

Soooo I am increasing my cals to a whopping 4750 per day for the forseable future. I’m excited. Mentally I really do want to be bigger and am not totally committed to the cut. I believe i will be though after some serious overfeeding and some more mass.

Starting weight as of today is 190 going into 4th carbup. 215, hear i come!

I want those 18 inch arms!!! whoo hoo lets eat!

I’ll keep everyone posted.

9361

Go Hard DJS,

this diet & excercise combination is doing things to my body i dont understand at the moment but i’m enjoying the journey.

i must be putting on new muscle as waist circumfrence diminishes, an occurence that for years i’ve been told couldn’t happen.

date waist weight
5/jan/09 131cm(52.4") 141kg(310lbs)
10/jan/09 127cm(50.8") 138kg(303lbs)
17/jan/09 125cm(50") 137kg(301lbs)
24/jan/09 123cm(49.2") 138kg(303lbs)
31/jan/09 123cm(49.2") 137kg(301lbs)
07/feb/09 122cm(48.8") 138kg(303lbs)
14/feb/09 119cm(47.6") 138kg(303lbs)
21/feb/09 119cm(47.6") 140kg(308lbs)

if this trend continues i’ll be down to my target waist circumfrence of 91cm(36") in 14 weeks, though i am expecting that it’ll be more likely 28 weeks at 1cm per week average to accomodate the slowing of returns. i haven’t set a weight goal as i really have no idea what that number will be on this diet.

i just want to look like an animal :wink:

9362

Go Hard DJS,

this diet & excercise combination is doing things to my body i dont understand at the moment but i’m enjoying the journey.

i must be putting on new muscle as waist circumfrence diminishes, an occurence that for years i’ve been told couldn’t happen.

date waist weight
5/jan/09 131cm(52.4") 141kg(310lbs)
10/jan/09 127cm(50.8") 138kg(303lbs)
17/jan/09 125cm(50") 137kg(301lbs)
24/jan/09 123cm(49.2") 138kg(303lbs)
31/jan/09 123cm(49.2") 137kg(301lbs)
07/feb/09 122cm(48.8") 138kg(303lbs)
14/feb/09 119cm(47.6") 138kg(303lbs)
21/feb/09 119cm(47.6") 140kg(308lbs)

if this trend continues i’ll be down to my target waist circumfrence of 91cm(36") in 14 weeks, though i am expecting that it’ll be more likely 28 weeks at 1cm per week average to accomodate the slowing of returns. i haven’t set a weight goal as i really have no idea what that number will be on this diet.

i just want to look like an animal :wink: