My Experience on the Anabolic Diet Part IV

Nutrition
261

[quote]FadeIntoBig wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Fade where do you live? It is worth it, i thought it was shit when i first heard but i have seen first hand results. Not personaly but many pt clients. Type ‘charles poliquin bio-signature’ in to google you will be able to find someone near you. Im english and prices range from about Ã??Ã?£30-Ã??Ã?£40 round here. How’s the diet treating you in general?[/quote]

Minnesota. I have not done a carb-up yet (on day 45) so technically I guess I’m not on the AD yet, ha. Looking forward to that this Saturday tho. But so far so good on the low-carb part. I’m more vascular than I have been in a long time but am actually up a couple of pounds from the low mark so I’m thinking that’s muscle.

[quote]smithers584 wrote:
BioSig Link:

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/TheBiosignatureMethod/TheMethod.aspx

I might check it out, if I can find someone near me. [/quote]

Thank you both for the info. on BioSig.
[/quote]

Thats ages, how come you decided to low carb for so long? Be sure to post how he carbs make you feel. Enjoy.

262

[quote]talenaah wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

[quote]talenaah wrote:
.

[/quote]

hi there…i’ve come down with a pretty bad cold so sticking to the AD is not really an option for a few days til i get over this bug. i’m probably about 22-24% BF. 5’ 5" 148 with some solid muscle under a little fluff. i store fat more so on my upper body (arms/back) there is pic in my hub that was taken in oct or so. (i also have a log in Powerful Women) i’m not sure how many pounds i need to lose to get as lean as i would like, but i’m thinking that # would be about 135-138. which is not much to lose, but definitely the “last 10” are a bitch!

and yes, cycling cals is generally a great way to go. so bummed i got sick, i finally saw a drop last week to 146 on the scale and wanted to kill it on nutrition this week.
[/quote]

Life always gets in the way. It will come, its slowly working for me. Slow progress but definatly worth it. btw your tats awesome

263

Peeps… TGIF… did the day 12 weigh in this morning and measurements. Down 7 lbs to 188. Mostly water of course. All measurements down a bit… the good ones and the bad ones. Now I have my baseline going forward. Carbup tomorrow! Bring on some pizza!

264

Hi to Talenaah and Tams88…

I’m also a girl…this is the end of my seventh week on the AD. Love it. I’m trying to lose a bit of bodyfat - yes, those last few are really stubborn - without sacrificing strength or muscle. So far, it’s been awesome. I’ve made strength gains and can tell I’ve leaned out a bit at the same time.

Oddly enough, some of it seems to be redistribution of some sort, if that makes sense. I’ve always had a bit of fat below my stomach, and my waist was at about 26" (36" hips)…my waist measurement hasn’t changed much, but that bit of fat seems to be melting away. Needless to say, I’m pleased.

Easiest eating pattern I’ve ever tried, for sure.

By the way, I found out a couple of days ago that heavy cream has carbs in it. I feel like a total idiot because I thought I was being awesome and meticulous with this gigantic spreadsheet I made to track carbs down to the half-gram and everything…fail! Thought I’d share.

265

[quote]tams88 wrote:

[quote]FadeIntoBig wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Fade where do you live? It is worth it, i thought it was shit when i first heard but i have seen first hand results. Not personaly but many pt clients. Type ‘charles poliquin bio-signature’ in to google you will be able to find someone near you. Im english and prices range from about Ã???Ã??Ã?£30-Ã???Ã??Ã?£40 round here. How’s the diet treating you in general?[/quote]

Minnesota. I have not done a carb-up yet (on day 45) so technically I guess I’m not on the AD yet, ha. Looking forward to that this Saturday tho. But so far so good on the low-carb part. I’m more vascular than I have been in a long time but am actually up a couple of pounds from the low mark so I’m thinking that’s muscle.

[quote]smithers584 wrote:
BioSig Link:

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/TheBiosignatureMethod/TheMethod.aspx

I might check it out, if I can find someone near me. [/quote]

Thank you both for the info. on BioSig.
[/quote]

Thats ages, how come you decided to low carb for so long? Be sure to post how he carbs make you feel. Enjoy.[/quote]

I was diagnosed with mild-diabetes and wanted to get a good handle on blood glucose, etc. first. So far so good, some pancakes (well, many pancakes) for breakfast this morning. I know, not the cleanest but give me a break, heheh. I thought it would be like Christmas in March but on the way home I briefly thought about stopping in for one of those sugar-laden $5 flavored cappachinos, and the thought of that syrup going down the hatch just about made me puke. Strange as this might sound, I don’t think I’ll miss the carbs come tomorrow and might actually have trouble finishing the carb-up today.

266

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Oh yeah any one that knows. Yesterday i was eating rasberries. the nutritional content to 100 grams was 4.7g sugars/carbs and 6.5g fibre. Yum i ate lots with cream. I was no where near 30g for the dy so even if it wasnt that much fibre its cool but was curious as to what your nutrition tables say for rasberries? Thanks
Tams[/quote]

I go by this:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2053/2

You can select your serving size. 100g has 5.4g of carbs (11.9g total carbs - 6.5g fiber). I looooove berries. Blackberries have even a little more fiber per 100g. Yum!

267

[quote]FadeIntoBig wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

[quote]FadeIntoBig wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Fade where do you live? It is worth it, i thought it was shit when i first heard but i have seen first hand results. Not personaly but many pt clients. Type ‘charles poliquin bio-signature’ in to google you will be able to find someone near you. Im english and prices range from about Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?£30-Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?£40 round here. How’s the diet treating you in general?[/quote]

Minnesota. I have not done a carb-up yet (on day 45) so technically I guess I’m not on the AD yet, ha. Looking forward to that this Saturday tho. But so far so good on the low-carb part. I’m more vascular than I have been in a long time but am actually up a couple of pounds from the low mark so I’m thinking that’s muscle.

[quote]smithers584 wrote:
BioSig Link:

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/TheBiosignatureMethod/TheMethod.aspx

I might check it out, if I can find someone near me. [/quote]

Thank you both for the info. on BioSig.
[/quote]

Thats ages, how come you decided to low carb for so long? Be sure to post how he carbs make you feel. Enjoy.[/quote]

I was diagnosed with mild-diabetes and wanted to get a good handle on blood glucose, etc. first. So far so good, some pancakes (well, many pancakes) for breakfast this morning. I know, not the cleanest but give me a break, heheh. I thought it would be like Christmas in March but on the way home I briefly thought about stopping in for one of those sugar-laden $5 flavored cappachinos, and the thought of that syrup going down the hatch just about made me puke. Strange as this might sound, I don’t think I’ll miss the carbs come tomorrow and might actually have trouble finishing the carb-up today.
[/quote]

I know what you mean. Sometimes I just can’t wait to get back to meat, cheese, etc.

I feel you on the coffee drinks. They seem like such a waste! If I want “dirty carbs” I’ll have a homemade cookie or a nice piece of poundcake with some berries, not gulp down liquid sugar and goodness knows what else is in those things.

268

[quote]Artemisia wrote:
Hi to Talenaah and Tams88…

I’m also a girl…this is the end of my seventh week on the AD. Love it. I’m trying to lose a bit of bodyfat - yes, those last few are really stubborn - without sacrificing strength or muscle. So far, it’s been awesome. I’ve made strength gains and can tell I’ve leaned out a bit at the same time.

Oddly enough, some of it seems to be redistribution of some sort, if that makes sense. I’ve always had a bit of fat below my stomach, and my waist was at about 26" (36" hips)…my waist measurement hasn’t changed much, but that bit of fat seems to be melting away. Needless to say, I’m pleased.

Easiest eating pattern I’ve ever tried, for sure.

By the way, I found out a couple of days ago that heavy cream has carbs in it. I feel like a total idiot because I thought I was being awesome and meticulous with this gigantic spreadsheet I made to track carbs down to the half-gram and everything…fail! Thought I’d share.[/quote]

Welcome! We’ve all made mistakes. For a while last time i tried this diet i was counting all the calories in a lb of raw ground beef and didn’t account for any of the fat pooring off when you cooked it. That definitely helped me. But i made a lot of other mistakes like counting oz of grated cheese in a measuring cup for calories instead of a scale. As long as you are consistant things will work out.

269

[quote]Artemisia wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Oh yeah any one that knows. Yesterday i was eating rasberries. the nutritional content to 100 grams was 4.7g sugars/carbs and 6.5g fibre. Yum i ate lots with cream. I was no where near 30g for the dy so even if it wasnt that much fibre its cool but was curious as to what your nutrition tables say for rasberries? Thanks
Tams[/quote]

I go by this:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2053/2

You can select your serving size. 100g has 5.4g of carbs (11.9g total carbs - 6.5g fiber). I looooove berries. Blackberries have even a little more fiber per 100g. Yum![/quote]

Wicked thanks for that. My little pinch of low ab flab is disappearing too. Its the most stubborn place! Do you find you are repeating the same foods over and over? I dont think im getting enough rotation regarding red meats, eggs, cheese. I did know bout the carbs in cream but its gorgeous, mainly where i get my cho other than veggies. Mix it with flax and eat with a spoon!!!

270

What’s going on all? On week 7 of the AD and couldn’t be much happier. Read the first 70 or so pages of the first AD thread and that really helped out during the first couple of weeks. Reading that thread and the original AD book are essential IMO.

I am keeping at maintenance cals (18x BW) for awhile before I even think about messing with it. I am losing some weight, constantly pumped (until my last no carb day of the week) and getting stronger. I find the diet extremely manageable and easy. I see no reason why I could not do this indefinitely.

A couple observations and tips:

  1. Preperation. This is often my saving grace. On Sunday I have an AD cookathon. Last night I grilled 8 cheeseburgers, 2 huge angus sirloins and 6 chicken sausages. This yielded 12 tupperware meals, each with raw spinach, mozzerella, olive oil and pepper. This will feed me all week.
    Edit: This will be a bulk of my cooked dinners and lunches. Also, I make a big ass breakfast every morning and eat huge spinach salads loaded with olive oil, ground flax and a little bit of meat cheese and sunflower seeds for my other meals.

  2. Buy in bulk. I do most of my shopping at the local whole sale club (Sam’s Club for me) twice a month. I buy ground beef, steaks, spinach, cheese (goat or mozzerella and cheddar slices), bacon, olive oil (organic cold pressed) and eggs (two 18 packs for under 4 dollars). This keeps everything easy and much cheaper. I can get 4 huge angus steaks for under $25.

  3. Read the damn thread. If you are on this diet or thinking about doing it, read the first “My experience on the AD” thread. It is invaluable. Especially every post made my Disc Hoss. He is an AD veteran and answers every question you will ever have about this diet. The best info I got from this was about adaptation. Your body will not reach optimal adaptation until you get around the 6 month mark. Every week I do this diet I feel better and better…I can feel the efficiency. Patience and consistency is key with the AD.

271

[quote]tams88 wrote:

[quote]Artemisia wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:

Oh yeah any one that knows. Yesterday i was eating rasberries. the nutritional content to 100 grams was 4.7g sugars/carbs and 6.5g fibre. Yum i ate lots with cream. I was no where near 30g for the dy so even if it wasnt that much fibre its cool but was curious as to what your nutrition tables say for rasberries? Thanks
Tams[/quote]

I go by this:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2053/2

You can select your serving size. 100g has 5.4g of carbs (11.9g total carbs - 6.5g fiber). I looooove berries. Blackberries have even a little more fiber per 100g. Yum![/quote]

Wicked thanks for that. My little pinch of low ab flab is disappearing too. Its the most stubborn place! Do you find you are repeating the same foods over and over? I dont think im getting enough rotation regarding red meats, eggs, cheese. I did know bout the carbs in cream but its gorgeous, mainly where i get my cho other than veggies. Mix it with flax and eat with a spoon!!!
[/quote]

Yay for disappearing ab flab! I keep telling myself this is the summer (well, the first in awhile) where that last bit of fat will be gone in time for swimsuit season.

I think sometimes I do end up repeating (fattier chicken cuts, beef, bacon)…I try to buy different types of cheese, and rotate in things like lean proteins + fats like avocado and olive to make sure I’m getting some good, anti-inflammatory monounsaturates. I made chicken breasts the other day with homemade guacamole - very good stuff! I buy almost exclusively the omega-3 eggs…even if I can’t really afford buying grass-fed beef and such, I can at least afford an extra $1-2 per dozen for eggs with a better profile. I had lamb the other day; unfortunately it’s ridiculously expensive. Pork is nice, too - I brine the chops for a very moist dish, otherwise it’s hard to keep them from getting tough because pork is just so lean anymore…

I love to save about 10-15g of carbs for the end of the day and eat some berries with homemade whipped cream and some cinnamon on top…a great bedtime snack! (And who could get tired of it?)

272

[quote]Snydiesel609 wrote:
I am keeping at maintenance cals (18x BW) for awhile before I even think about messing with it. I am losing some weight, constantly pumped (until my last no carb day of the week) and getting stronger. I find the diet extremely manageable and easy. I see no reason why I could not do this indefinitely.
[/quote]

Hey, I’m just starting week 8. I agree, it is super-easy and manageable. It’s nice to be able to have a nice dinner on the weekend with my family or fiance and not be freaking out about cheat meals and macros and blah blah blah. And making Sunday morning pancakes (buckwheat + whole wheat pastry flour) is a tradition I missed so very much when I was doing a different eating pattern (it involved lots of measuring of vegetables, no cheese, 96% lean beef, egg whites for breakfast…you get the picture).

I like my big breakfasts, too. I find that it really gets me going first thing in the morning.

273

Quick question for everyone - when you use oil for sauteeing, do you count all the fat grams? Like when I sautee my broccoli in a tbs of sesame oil, I count all 14 grams of fat and 130 kcal in my overall macro breakdown. This is correct, yes? That’s what I’ve been doing all along, but now I’m starting to second-guess myself I guess. How does everyone else deal with this?

274

Do any of you find that your hair and skin has improved with this diet? I had a bit of an initial skin problem (which is normal for me…very breakout prone), but now things seem to have balanced out and I noticed that my skin and hair seem very, very healthy, especially in comparison to the higher carb diet I was eating before…must be all of the fat? I do supplement with fish oil and evening primrose oil, too.

Also, oddly enough, I was having issues with hormones (DHEA-S) before I started the AD…and you’d think a diet that possibly increased androgens, especially for a woman, would be problematic…but I seem to be having way less symptoms than before. Go figure.

275

Day 1 of my 12 day assessment phase done, still trying to knock down those carbs, I took in 32 grams today, I had too much trail mix I think, I’ll be under 30 grams tomorrow. What do you guys do to keep your calories up? Also, I’ve seen that a lot of you are keeping track on a spread sheet. Would it be possible to obtain a copy of one to see how you format it? Thanks!

276

[quote]Artemisia wrote:

By the way, I found out a couple of days ago that heavy cream has carbs in it. I feel like a total idiot because I thought I was being awesome and meticulous with this gigantic spreadsheet I made to track carbs down to the half-gram and everything…fail! Thought I’d share.[/quote]

when shopping i’ve noticed some brands of heavy cream have a few grams of carbs, but not all.

there are several products that i’ve made this same mistake with, thinking that just because many brands don’t have carbs, then that’s just a quality of that food and no brands will contain them. cheese, mustard, lunch meats and so on. always gotta check those labels!

277

[quote]Artemisia wrote:
Do any of you find that your hair and skin has improved with this diet? I had a bit of an initial skin problem (which is normal for me…very breakout prone), but now things seem to have balanced out and I noticed that my skin and hair seem very, very healthy, especially in comparison to the higher carb diet I was eating before…must be all of the fat? I do supplement with fish oil and evening primrose oil, too.

Also, oddly enough, I was having issues with hormones (DHEA-S) before I started the AD…and you’d think a diet that possibly increased androgens, especially for a woman, would be problematic…but I seem to be having way less symptoms than before. Go figure.[/quote]

Yeah skin and hair is much better though it has almost gone to the other extreme being a bit tight and dry. I also used to have excess androgen symptoms, making you store fat on the tricep? is that right? my symptoms improved also.

278

Guys/girls, new plan of action. Re-ducing my one day carb up to half a day of intense loading. ?? I feel if i start early i eat for the sake of eating and continue to do so through the day, not that im eating bad foods but just dont feel hungry though i eat anyway then feel lethargic and bloated. Is this the best tweak for accelerated fat loss? Hate counting kcals though they are waved through the week. Thoughts appreciated
Thanks

279

[quote]TMillions82 wrote:
Day 1 of my 12 day assessment phase done, still trying to knock down those carbs, I took in 32 grams today, I had too much trail mix I think, I’ll be under 30 grams tomorrow. What do you guys do to keep your calories up? Also, I’ve seen that a lot of you are keeping track on a spread sheet. Would it be possible to obtain a copy of one to see how you format it? Thanks![/quote]

Trail mix!? What is in this? The title sounds carby. Try fitday.com or nutritiondata.com. Or co.uk! Its not usualy too difficult considering that small amounts of fats are realy calorific so you dont have to eat alot to get kcals in. Try adding mayo, snacking on cheese, nuts(walnuts) high fat min cho. Cream with flax or in shakes, olive oil on salad, avacado. Theres a few ideas keep posting letting us know how your doing. Btw did you come from high carb?

280

[quote]tams88 wrote:

[quote]Artemisia wrote:
Do any of you find that your hair and skin has improved with this diet? I had a bit of an initial skin problem (which is normal for me…very breakout prone), but now things seem to have balanced out and I noticed that my skin and hair seem very, very healthy, especially in comparison to the higher carb diet I was eating before…must be all of the fat? I do supplement with fish oil and evening primrose oil, too.

Also, oddly enough, I was having issues with hormones (DHEA-S) before I started the AD…and you’d think a diet that possibly increased androgens, especially for a woman, would be problematic…but I seem to be having way less symptoms than before. Go figure.[/quote]

Yeah skin and hair is much better though it has almost gone to the other extreme being a bit tight and dry. I also used to have excess androgen symptoms, making you store fat on the tricep? is that right? my symptoms improved also. [/quote]

I’m not quite sure on the triceps site - I’ve never been good with remembering which storage site means what! The only one I know is that abdominal fat is related to cortisol.