My Experience On the Anabolic Diet Part II

Nutrition
61

[quote]Max888 wrote:
ONE QUESTION: Ive eaten usually below 30g CHO for the last week, but for some reason I am putting a lot of weight on the belly area - looking a bit pregnant! Now this could be due to all the saturated fat Im taking as I am eating a lot of ground each day!..and about 5 eggs each morning!
SO…is this normal on the AD? - to see a bloated (almost pregnant) belly!?.. what can I do to get rid of it???.. more exercise… less fat (less sat fat??).Its the same effect when I was eating lot of CHO…so really confused here!! HELP!
Thanks
~M~[/quote]

The training will smooth itself out after a couple of weeks.
I have a strong feeling that you are taking enough fiber and the bloat is a result of that.

Take 1 serving of pure psyllium husk every night with a glass of water to keep things moving.
Beef does tend to take more digestion time that other meat, so you could try rotating your proteins.

Are you drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water?
Is you salt intake higher or higher than normal on the AD? if it is, then the bloat will dissipate once your body adjusts to the higher salt intake.

if you are taking fiber supps and drinking enough water, I would suggest looking into Apple Cider Vinegar. It helps me if I have it before a particularly large meal (wing nights etc)

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I have a related question about keeping things moving. Does dietary fiber really count as net 0 carbs? Say I have 4 fiber choice and 2 servings of milled flax seed (total 24g fiber/carbs). Does this really mean my carbs are 0? What about vegetable carbs?

What’s the best way to count these. I’ve been continuously accumulating more than 30 CHO if I don’t take the net (of fiber).

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[quote]bulgarian wrote:

The off days are probably because you have not fully adapted to the diet. Also i think you should decrease your protein intake and up the fats a little. For me i found that 70% fats 25% protein really works well and i did that with 3500kcal for the past 2 weeks, my protein was around 240g.

As far as the weight gain, do not do anything drastic. It could be just bloat and even if its not thats ok too. We can change it. Are you taking any EFA’s ? Also what time and how many calories is your last meal? And how strictly are you monitoring the calories?
[/quote]

Hey Bulgarian - Well I am taking the macros in accordance with the AD book - 60% fat, 35% Protein, 5% (0r 30g max) CHO

Ive also cut out all dairy (milk, cheese, cream), except eggs, as Im lactose intolerant. I have to admit Im not taking enough EFA - usually 4-6 fish caps per day. Is that enough?

My last meal is around about 8-9pm and its usually a big one (like today was ground beef with lot of greens - approx 700kcals, 80g protein, 40g fat). I also have a protein shake before bed. Im not afraid to eat a good meal late at night. Is that a bad thing?..what do you recommend?

And when you say “we can change it”…how so?

Cheers
~M~

[quote]Evil1 wrote:
The training will smooth itself out after a couple of weeks.
I have a strong feeling that you are taking enough fiber and the bloat is a result of that.

Take 1 serving of pure psyllium husk every night with a glass of water to keep things moving.
Beef does tend to take more digestion time that other meat, so you could try rotating your proteins.

Are you drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water?
Is you salt intake higher or higher than normal on the AD? if it is, then the bloat will dissipate once your body adjusts to the higher salt intake.

if you are taking fiber supps and drinking enough water, I would suggest looking into Apple Cider Vinegar. It helps me if I have it before a particularly large meal (wing nights etc)
[/quote]

Hey Evil1 - Funny thing is…I havent taken ANY fibre supplement since starting the AD!!..I have ordered some Psyllium Husk Powder which should be here tomorrow. My bowel movement have been okay - no terrible runs, just mild constipation, but it tends to sort itself out.

Its not just bloating though - I can physically grab more bulge around my waist than anywhere else! Its not a pretty site! Obviously with more calories comes more weight, but I was under the impression the AD would ‘burn more fat’!?

Water wise, I easily drink about 2-3 litres per day, and thats excluding the water based protein shakes! (3 per day, at 400ml water each!)

With regards to salt intake, well Im sure it has gone up due to the increase in meat (and pork), but nothing drastic.

Basically, Im a bit peeved that Ive eaten about 20-30g CHO for the last 7 days and I look how I would if I was eating much more CHO!!!..and my muscles are very flat and skinny, and I dont have a huge energy boost!!!

BUT…I will stick it out for at least a month… and workout- 4-5 times per week, then assess it from there. First carb up is in a weeks time… hope I ‘adapt’ soon!! :S

Any thoughts??

Cheers

~M~

64

Haha, oh Max I wish I could give you particular insight, but I just find it funny that you almost sound just like me the first few weeks.

65

your muscles are flat because they don’t have any glycogen in them. 1 gm glycogen in a cell usually has 2.7 gm of water. as you lose glycogen from weight training, you also, lose the water, hence the ‘flatness’. there really is no remedy for that.

2-3 days after a carb you will always reach a sort of ‘peak condition’. you’ll feel tight. then flatter on Friday before carbing up again.

The ‘excess’ you can now grab onto now, may also be due to the fact that your cells are no longer full of glycogen and water to stretch them. so you feel like you kind of have excess skin. It will dissipate to an extent.

Go for 3 more weeks, and if you are gaining fat (caliper measure not scale weight) adjust you cals. After the induction, I would up at BWx15 for maintenance.

66

Ok, after searching far and long, I finally found the link I wanted to share with you all.

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[quote]Max888 wrote:
bulgarian wrote:

The off days are probably because you have not fully adapted to the diet. Also i think you should decrease your protein intake and up the fats a little. For me i found that 70% fats 25% protein really works well and i did that with 3500kcal for the past 2 weeks, my protein was around 240g.

As far as the weight gain, do not do anything drastic. It could be just bloat and even if its not thats ok too. We can change it. Are you taking any EFA’s ? Also what time and how many calories is your last meal? And how strictly are you monitoring the calories?

Hey Bulgarian - Well I am taking the macros in accordance with the AD book - 60% fat, 35% Protein, 5% (0r 30g max) CHO

Ive also cut out all dairy (milk, cheese, cream), except eggs, as Im lactose intolerant. I have to admit Im not taking enough EFA - usually 4-6 fish caps per day. Is that enough?

My last meal is around about 8-9pm and its usually a big one (like today was ground beef with lot of greens - approx 700kcals, 80g protein, 40g fat). I also have a protein shake before bed. Im not afraid to eat a good meal late at night. Is that a bad thing?..what do you recommend?

And when you say “we can change it”…how so?

Cheers
~M~

[/quote]

i would still lower the protein abit though i think it might help with the fat adaptation. 250g would still be enough even 200. For EFA’s I take 1 table spoon of cod liver oil and usually few spoons of flaxseeds. I also consume around 6-8tbl spoons of olive oil per day.

If you can do that, i would recommend it and you’ll see and feel a difference. flaxseeds also have lots of good fiber in them and i like them more than psyllium husks.

Some ppl do not react well to large meals before bed. Your food seems clean, steak and veggies should be good thats exactly what i have and then a protein shake before bed. How is your weight fluctuating? are you gaining or losing on the 3000 calories?

Add in some flaxseeds and olive oil to your diet and lets see how your body responds for the next week, and then we can make adjustments as necessary. The good thing about this diet is that once your fat adapted its more predictable in how your body will respond

68

I just picked up a big tub of Mayonnaise from Costco today. What the hell can I use it for? Recipe ideas guys?

Another q…SURGE Workout Fuel has 21g of carbs per serving. I realize this isn’t a good idea on the AD but wouldn’t those simple carbs be fully used by your body for energy during a workout instead of storage?

I could easily save it for another time (after giving the AD a fair shake) and replace with BCAAs peri WO.

69

Wow. After reading through the old thread and the original book, I realized the “Anabolic Diet” I did was just a regular ketogenic diet a la Dave Palumbo. The true AD is a much different and more intriguing animal. With that said, acouple questions to those in the know…

  1. So I understand the percentage should be 60%F/35%P/5%C. I’m bad at match, so I’m wondering for a 210lb dude who wants to lean up, would the macros be something like 200P/300F/30C?

  2. I assume the carb requirement will be satisfied by whatever nuts, PB, and vegetables I eat, am I right?

Thanks!

70

[quote]phatkins187 wrote:
I just picked up a big tub of Mayonnaise from Costco today. What the hell can I use it for? Recipe ideas guys?

Another q…SURGE workout fuel has 21g of carbs per serving. I realize this isn’t a good idea on the AD but wouldn’t those simple carbs be fully used by your body for energy during a workout instead of storage?

I could easily save it for another time (after giving the AD a fair shake) and replace with BCAAs peri WO.[/quote]

Mayo is magic. Makes everything delicious. various salads and dressings come to mind.

Personal Favourite:
Fowl + celery + mayo + black pepper + spinach + sliced almonds

you could use the SURGE, Shugart did on his AD experiment, But I would advise getting you 30 gm from veggies instead. You could use it on the weekends. Got some left from the V-Diet eh?

71

[quote]Evil1 wrote:

Personal Favourite:
Fowl + celery + mayo + black pepper + spinach + sliced almonds

you could use the SURGE, Shugart did on his AD experiment, But I would advise getting you 30 gm from veggies instead. You could use it on the weekends. Got some left from the V-Diet eh?[/quote]

HA, I have an entire tub of SURGE Recovery left, but I’m more interested in the Workout Fuel. I’ve decided to save the Recover since the Post workout carbs aren’t necessary to refill glycogen stores (51g carbs per serving). I’ve decided to save the SWF too.

You mentioned saving carbs for veggies…which is confusing to me since I’ve read several places that greens are free (broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, etc.) I was hoping to use most of my carbs on yummy things like almonds and peanut butter. Which CHO should I count into my 30?

72

[quote]phatkins187 wrote:
Evil1 wrote:

Personal Favourite:
Fowl + celery + mayo + black pepper + spinach + sliced almonds

you could use the SURGE, Shugart did on his AD experiment, But I would advise getting you 30 gm from veggies instead. You could use it on the weekends. Got some left from the V-Diet eh?

HA, I have an entire tub of SURGE Recovery left, but I’m more interested in the Workout Fuel. I’ve decided to save the Recover since the Post workout carbs aren’t necessary to refill glycogen stores (51g carbs per serving). I’ve decided to save the SWF too.

You mentioned saving carbs for veggies…which is confusing to me since I’ve read several places that greens are free (broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, etc.) I was hoping to use most of my carbs on yummy things like almonds and peanut butter. Which CHO should I count into my 30?[/quote]

its really hard to eat 30g of carbs from brocolli. At first count everything that enters your mouth except air. Once you are properly adapted, then you can eat as much brocolli as you want. Right now i have 300g brocollli per day. It has 15g carbs and like 7g fiber so thats 8 in total. as far as your previous post, if your 210lbs and eat 18x calories in BW for induction phase that equals to 3780 calories

0.6x3780/9=252g fat
0.35x3780/4=330g protein
30g carbs

what i would do is, i would decrease the protein and increase the fat a bit more. I think its better. Up the fat by having more Mono and polyunsaturated fats. use fitday to track everything its awesome

73

So you are taking the “net carbs” of fiber. Gotcha. I’m going to give the 65/30/5 split a whirl when I start. I’m coming off of the Velocity diet so the solid food will be an absolute blessing.

Should I DEFINITELY start on the maintenance phase with the 18Xs body weight? Currently around 180 lbs so ~3250 cals.

74

this may have been asked and answered before on the hundreds for pages of AD forums here, or could be in the book, which i have not read (im sure it is…) but-

i started to follow the AD principals about 2 months ago, as best i could and after a month or so i went to the docs for allergies and had my blood pressure taken, it was high, 149/85 or 90 i believe, question is, any corrolation to the AD and high BP and or clogging arteries? or is it one of the magical things about eating a lot of fat, that it affects you less in more than 1 way…???

75

[quote]phatkins187 wrote:
So you are taking the “net carbs” of fiber. Gotcha. I’m going to give the 65/30/5 split a whirl when I start. I’m coming off of the Velocity diet so the solid food will be an absolute blessing.

Should I DEFINITELY start on the maintenance phase with the 18Xs body weight? Currently around 180 lbs so ~3250 cals.[/quote]

start off on 3000kcal, and since your coming off the velocity diet, keep a few shakes still in your diet. maybe have one solid meal and then alternate with a shake meal. for shakes i usually have 1 scoop protein,3tbps cream,3tbsp olive oild, yields 600 calories.

Its funny i’ve never used this diet to get super shredded, i found it after my contest but i start another contest prep in 2 weeks so i will see how effective this is. Keep me posted in your progress im curious as so far it has affected all the poeople i know well.

76

[quote]dakotah_13 wrote:
this may have been asked and answered before on the hundreds for pages of AD forums here, or could be in the book, which i have not read (im sure it is…) but-

i started to follow the AD principals about 2 months ago, as best i could and after a month or so i went to the docs for allergies and had my blood pressure taken, it was high, 149/85 or 90 i believe, question is, any corrolation to the AD and high BP and or clogging arteries? or is it one of the magical things about eating a lot of fat, that it affects you less in more than 1 way…???[/quote]

From what i’ve read it it suppossedly decreases blood pressure and cholesterol. DH from the other thread posted some results from his mother as well as a few other members have posted very positive improvements. But get your blood work tested after a few months on the diet and see how it affects you

77

[quote]bulgarian wrote:

start off on 3000kcal, and since your coming off the velocity diet, keep a few shakes still in your diet. maybe have one solid meal and then alternate with a shake meal. for shakes i usually have 1 scoop protein,3tbps cream,3tbsp olive oild, yields 600 calories.

Its funny i’ve never used this diet to get super shredded, i found it after my contest but i start another contest prep in 2 weeks so i will see how effective this is. Keep me posted in your progress im curious as so far it has affected all the poeople i know well.[/quote]

Thanks man that’s the plan…3 meals and 3 shakes. I’ll give the higher fat a try at first. I still have 8 days on the transition phase of the Velocity diet and it sucks! I’ll have been eating at a significant calorie deficit for 6 weeks when I start the AD. So far the results have been great though (lost 12 lbs of fat and am now somewhere around 12% BF).

Has anyone done some sort of HIIT cardio on off-days? I’ve been walking on an incline after my weight training but would like to mix in some serious sweating on off-days.

78

I’m curious about this whole AD thing, so I threw together a theoretical meal plan. I’m about 210 now, would like to be a consideraebly leaner 200ish.

Meal 1 -
5 Whole Omega 3 Eggs
2 Slices American Cheese
5 Fish Oil Caps
2 tbsp Low Carb Ketchup

Pre-Workout -
5 g Creatine, 5 g BCAAs
Peri-Workout -
10g BCAAs
Post-Workout -
2 Scoops Metabolic Drive
5g Creatine, 5g Glutamine, 5g BCAAs, 5g Leucine

Meal 2 -
6oz Ground Bison
2oz Mixed Nuts
2 Cups Broccoli
5 Fish Oil Caps

Meal 3 -
6oz Ground Turkey
Salad w/ Romaine LEttuce, 2 tbsp EVOO, Red Wine Vinegar
5 Fish Oil Caps

Meal 4 -
2 Scoops Metabolic Drive
3 tbsp Natural PB
5 Fish Oil Caps

Meal 5 -
6oz Ground Bison
2oz Almonds
2 Cups Broccoli
5 Fish Oil Caps

Meal 6 -
6oz Ground Beef
2 tbsp Ketchup
2 Slices American Cheese
Cucumber Salad w/ 2 tbsp EVOO & vinegar

Meal 7 -
2 Scoops Metabolic Drive
3 tbsp Natural PB
5 Fish Oil Caps

How does that look? Too much protein?

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*NEED HELP HERE

To: Bulgarian/ Evil1/ NZ,…and any other helpful AD-ers!

You guys have been very helpful!..and now I REALLY need your help!!

Ive posted some pics of myself to show you guys how the AD has really got me quite bloated…and then i need your STRAIGHT advice on how to change things!!!

Now remember…Im NOT a bodybuilder, nor do I workout like 6 days per week!..Im just a regular guy, with a full-time job, and just starting to workout (about 3 times per week)… so BEAR that in mind when you look at my hideous physique!!! haha!! (plus I weigh about 161 lb, 6ft tall, and about 12% bf)

***===>>>Click on my name above my avatar and then click on photos - Ive posted pics there of the front, side and one of me grabbing my gut (just to show you its not mere bloating)!!! You can see how protruding this is, and it was about half this size before I started!!..and I havent eaten carbs for over a week!!!

I am really frustrated with this guys!! I went onto the AD thinking I would at least stay lean and tight… and my gut would not get bigger, esp only eating meat and veg!! Im totally lean everywhere else but my belly!!..But as you can see, I have lost definition, and my body looks as bloated as it did when I was gorging on a carb based diet!!..!?!

Ive been eating - 3000kcals per day, 300g protein, 200g fat and less than 30g CHO for last 7 days. All in accordance with % recommendations of the AD. I am happy to post some sample diet days if that gives more help?

Bulgarian - I wanted to know why you recommend I eat less protein??..Im taking the 35% level as recommended by the AD (300g protein per day). Why would lowering this be beneficial? My weight tends to fluctuate up and down only by a couple of pounds each day.

REALLY need some clarification here guys! - also should I do my carb up this coming weekend???..or wait until I know I am fat adapted??..C-O-N-F-U-S-E-D!!! :frowning:

Hope you can all help!!

Cheers

~M~

80

Psyllium husk fiber, stat!