My Experience on the Anabolic Diet Part IV

Nutrition
541

[quote]“You pooped in the refrigerator?!”

Haha, just trying to help out my fellow ADers buddy.

Something I’m still confused about. Whey around workouts? I e-mailed the Doc himself asking if I should add fat to me pre/PWO shakes. I told him I was currently doing 1 scoop before and after, and loading up on BCAA’s on top of that, and he said to continue doing that until he released his next newsletter explaining what is best.

In the big picture, it doesn’t matter much as long as you’re eating solid food throughout the day. But what is everyone else doing?[/quote]

Yea the big picture is pretty clear, just some details arent so much

I’m just having a meal prewo now and it seems just fine, just not sure about the other times especially first thing after you wake up. i used that in my diet last time i bulked because it is advocated normally but since you dont want the insulin spike in the AD im not so sure its advised…

i will use some whey pre morning cardio though, no bcaas on hand

542

[quote]EngUAFitness wrote:

[quote]“You pooped in the refrigerator?!”

Haha, just trying to help out my fellow ADers buddy.

Something I’m still confused about. Whey around workouts? I e-mailed the Doc himself asking if I should add fat to me pre/PWO shakes. I told him I was currently doing 1 scoop before and after, and loading up on BCAA’s on top of that, and he said to continue doing that until he released his next newsletter explaining what is best.

In the big picture, it doesn’t matter much as long as you’re eating solid food throughout the day. But what is everyone else doing?[/quote]

Yea the big picture is pretty clear, just some details arent so much

I’m just having a meal prewo now and it seems just fine, just not sure about the other times especially first thing after you wake up. i used that in my diet last time i bulked because it is advocated normally but since you dont want the insulin spike in the AD im not so sure its advised…

i will use some whey pre morning cardio though, no bcaas on hand
[/quote]

I wouldn’t do whey before cardio man. Think about it, you’re running on empty. Giving your body something you like for it to use to repair muscle isn’t the best thing since it is going to be looking for something to use for energy for your cardio. Tribulus said he would have maybe a teaspoon of olive oil before morning cardio and that worked well for him. Personally, I wouldn’t do morning cardio. I just stick with the heavy lifting and let the AD do the work. Every now and then I’ll throw in some jump rope at the end of my sessions. It’s actually somewhat fun and gets your heart rate up pretty nice. That is gonna do you more good than morning LISS IMO.

543

its more of a muscle breakdown concern, im not sure but i would think that half a scoop of whey would be better than nothing at protecting against that?? if your reasoning is correct, which it may be, then why do you have whey prewo? I’m not really sure whats right and wrong anymore haha

but what about the whey first thing in the morning thing, any thoughts on that?

544

ashylarry - Haha, I was expecting this kind of an answer. It’s just that this chocolate seems REALLY AD-friednly, with lots of fat in comparison to CHO, eapecially saturated (19g CHO, 28g SF and 46g total fat in 100g, and that’s just the 85% cacao one, I know there’s a 99% too). I also understand the SF acids in this are pretty healthy compared to beef. Plus, it’s chocolate. And it just seems wierd to me that I haven’t seen anyone mention it, and so I thought maybe there’s some kind of a catch.

mqrc - I actually expected it to be far more bitter. You just need to let it melt in your mouth.

Also, about insulin spikes - I remember I was doing a search about sweeteners like Aspartame on the AD and a thread here came up in which DH said insulin spikes aren’t to be avoided since the insulin would actually drive protein into the muscle and won’t store any fat because of the low CHO. He didn’t say if it works the same for both bulking and cutting though.

545

Dark chocolate - this is something I know too much about:

Dark chocolate is yummy and delicious with lots of antioxidant benefits…and if it fits into your macros, I say why not? I think the 85% Lindt has only 4-5 net carbs per 4 squares, which is an incredibly low-carb and tasty treat at the end of the day. A lot of other brands are lower or comparable. Just keep an eye on the fat content if you’re cutting.

I should disclose: I am a dark chocolate fanatic - I will try just about any bar; the 85% Lindt is actually considered a great starting place for newbies to try “real” dark chocolate (not Hershey’s garbage). You do kind of have to let it melt in your mouth, and if you get really into it, you can try to pick out notes in it like you would with wine, beer, or coffee.

There are some brands that have things like cacao nibs in them, or cardamom, or this one I found that has hot chili pepper and flaxseed in it. I also REALLY enjoyed a dark chocolate bar with sea salt. It sounds wacky, but it was out of this world. Possibly my current favorite. I’ve had the 99% before - get it only if you’re hardcore. Go for the pricey stuff; you just eat a little bit at a time, anyway…small luxuries, right?

Dr. DiPasquale talks about “saving” carbs for the end of the day, and it’s awfully difficult to eat that many grams of veggies in one sitting…so if you make sure to still eat your veggies with your meals and then have room for a piece of chocolate at night after a long day, I say go for it.

And that concludes the longest (and probably only) post on chocolate to ever grace an AD thread. :wink:

546

[quote]Artemisia wrote:
Dark chocolate - this is something I know too much about:

Dark chocolate is yummy and delicious with lots of antioxidant benefits…and if it fits into your macros, I say why not? I think the 85% Lindt has only 4-5 net carbs per 4 squares, which is an incredibly low-carb and tasty treat at the end of the day. A lot of other brands are lower or comparable. Just keep an eye on the fat content if you’re cutting.

I should disclose: I am a dark chocolate fanatic - I will try just about any bar; the 85% Lindt is actually considered a great starting place for newbies to try “real” dark chocolate (not Hershey’s garbage). You do kind of have to let it melt in your mouth, and if you get really into it, you can try to pick out notes in it like you would with wine, beer, or coffee.

There are some brands that have things like cacao nibs in them, or cardamom, or this one I found that has hot chili pepper and flaxseed in it. I also REALLY enjoyed a dark chocolate bar with sea salt. It sounds wacky, but it was out of this world. Possibly my current favorite. I’ve had the 99% before - get it only if you’re hardcore. Go for the pricey stuff; you just eat a little bit at a time, anyway…small luxuries, right?

Dr. DiPasquale talks about “saving” carbs for the end of the day, and it’s awfully difficult to eat that many grams of veggies in one sitting…so if you make sure to still eat your veggies with your meals and then have room for a piece of chocolate at night after a long day, I say go for it.

And that concludes the longest (and probably only) post on chocolate to ever grace an AD thread. ;-)[/quote]

After this post I will make sure to give it one more try!

Marc

547

[quote]Artemisia wrote:
Dark chocolate - this is something I know too much about:

Dark chocolate is yummy and delicious with lots of antioxidant benefits…and if it fits into your macros, I say why not? I think the 85% Lindt has only 4-5 net carbs per 4 squares, which is an incredibly low-carb and tasty treat at the end of the day. A lot of other brands are lower or comparable. Just keep an eye on the fat content if you’re cutting.

I should disclose: I am a dark chocolate fanatic - I will try just about any bar; the 85% Lindt is actually considered a great starting place for newbies to try “real” dark chocolate (not Hershey’s garbage). You do kind of have to let it melt in your mouth, and if you get really into it, you can try to pick out notes in it like you would with wine, beer, or coffee.

There are some brands that have things like cacao nibs in them, or cardamom, or this one I found that has hot chili pepper and flaxseed in it. I also REALLY enjoyed a dark chocolate bar with sea salt. It sounds wacky, but it was out of this world. Possibly my current favorite. I’ve had the 99% before - get it only if you’re hardcore. Go for the pricey stuff; you just eat a little bit at a time, anyway…small luxuries, right?

Dr. DiPasquale talks about “saving” carbs for the end of the day, and it’s awfully difficult to eat that many grams of veggies in one sitting…so if you make sure to still eat your veggies with your meals and then have room for a piece of chocolate at night after a long day, I say go for it.

And that concludes the longest (and probably only) post on chocolate to ever grace an AD thread. ;-)[/quote]

Also, this weeks t-mag features an article on 5 foods that should be in your diet…one of those being real chocolate.

548

just had some dark choc. 85% i feel soooo sick! had bout 40g which is only 7g of carbs! crazy never entertained the idea of choc on this diet. another thing i have just started seriously cutting to blast that last bit of fat but even before i started i had started to feel tired all the time, keep training but only have about 2 or 3 good w/o out of 6per week. have been on almost 5 months dont want to yet but how do u ever come off with out ballooning??? or any other options anyone got for me to consider thanks

549

From the stuff I was reading a few days ago, I think you should drink some BCAAs or about 10g of casein protein
This article is kind of old (2005) I think if i interpret it right, but it is a roundtable on fasted cardio, there are some pretty interesting things discussed.

Brian

550

[quote]mqrc wrote:

After this post I will make sure to give it one more try!

Marc[/quote]

Awesome…Whole Paycheck, I mean, Whole Foods has a nice selection, and so does World Market. Also, TJ Maxx stores often get in really great dark chocolate (either in the foods section or by the registers). Target also carries some good stuff - the Endangered Species brand makes an extreme one I like a lot, and I think Chocolove has a very dark one, too.

I just check the percentage of chocolate, since some dark chocolate is as low as 50%, which means that the carb content is much higher. Around 75% and up usually puts carb counts within acceptable limits.

I’ll be sitting down to 20g of dark chocolate with coffee and cardamom tonight. :wink:

551

[quote]tams88 wrote:
just had some dark choc. 85% i feel soooo sick! had bout 40g which is only 7g of carbs! crazy never entertained the idea of choc on this diet. another thing i have just started seriously cutting to blast that last bit of fat but even before i started i had started to feel tired all the time, keep training but only have about 2 or 3 good w/o out of 6per week. have been on almost 5 months dont want to yet but how do u ever come off with out ballooning??? or any other options anyone got for me to consider thanks[/quote]

Tams, that sucks that it made you sick. Did you at least enjoy eating it?

What’s “seriously cutting” to you? What are your six workouts like right now? What are your current stats?

I’m somewhere between 12-13x bodyweight for the past two weeks to get down to business; before that I was at 15x. I’m going to be getting some beach time in a few days and am pretty satisfied at this point…I expect in a month I’ll be very, very pleased. I don’t feel hungry, especially since I have a tendency to space out lots of small meals and conclude the day with a treat, like dark chocolate or berries with a tablespoon of cream. The last cutting diet I was on was just awful in comparison. Not feeling tired, either, although I suck down iced green and white tea like crazy, so it’s possible I get a boost there.

I’ve heard if you keep your calories in check coming off of a lower carb diet you won’t balloon. My plan is to stay on the AD indefinitely; I’ll probably start a mass phase this fall (not going to lie; I’m very excited about it - more steak!).

552

Alright AD porridge lol I love it as pre-bed meal!
It’s a lot like faux cauliflower mashed potatoes but bigger!
-So in a small pot, full head of cauli floretss and ~1 inch of water
cover and just throw on high on the stove for 7 minutes(or wait for a boil and time it at 5 minutes, instead of waiting i just set my timer to keep ‘an eye’ on things while prepping the rest)
-1-2 TBS of whatever oil you like and throw in your blender (I personally go for my lemon or orange flavored fish oil here)
-along with the fish oil add in half, or one full, scoop of whey (whatever flavor you want)
-add in the cauliflower AND the remaining water in the pot puree, pour into a bowl, and enjoy
-EXTRAS: nuts, superfood, stevia, caocao, sugar free flavorings, 1 serving of spinach broccoli or cucumbers (doesn’t add a taste just green color)

This is so good and will have you waking up the next day with the most relieving deuce ever! Sorry had to say it. I guess I should note this will ease anyone’s plumbing issues ESPECIALLY if flax is added in the mix

553

[quote]Artemisia wrote:

[quote]tams88 wrote:
just had some dark choc. 85% i feel soooo sick! had bout 40g which is only 7g of carbs! crazy never entertained the idea of choc on this diet. another thing i have just started seriously cutting to blast that last bit of fat but even before i started i had started to feel tired all the time, keep training but only have about 2 or 3 good w/o out of 6per week. have been on almost 5 months dont want to yet but how do u ever come off with out ballooning??? or any other options anyone got for me to consider thanks[/quote]

Tams, that sucks that it made you sick. Did you at least enjoy eating it?

What’s “seriously cutting” to you? What are your six workouts like right now? What are your current stats?

I’m somewhere between 12-13x bodyweight for the past two weeks to get down to business; before that I was at 15x. I’m going to be getting some beach time in a few days and am pretty satisfied at this point…I expect in a month I’ll be very, very pleased. I don’t feel hungry, especially since I have a tendency to space out lots of small meals and conclude the day with a treat, like dark chocolate or berries with a tablespoon of cream. The last cutting diet I was on was just awful in comparison. Not feeling tired, either, although I suck down iced green and white tea like crazy, so it’s possible I get a boost there.

I’ve heard if you keep your calories in check coming off of a lower carb diet you won’t balloon. My plan is to stay on the AD indefinitely; I’ll probably start a mass phase this fall (not going to lie; I’m very excited about it - more steak!).[/quote]

after the last couple of days have felt better, perhaps not the diet at all. wont come off this cause if im honest, the science of it, what could possibly work better???
bout 18% bf atm lowest ever but still not satisfied. enjoyed choc whilst eating it yeah!! have lost alot of muscle purposely cause i was just too big! have upped cardio to daily, sometimes twice< dont worry dont want to loose any more muscle now. cant c myself going on mass phase again for a long time! lots of kick boxing, skipping, explosive weight training, intense metabolic circuits that sort of thing> what training and how often you on atm?? bf etc? how long carb up do u do. sorry this post is mega messy and un-punctuated! thanks tams

554

Gotta give this thread a bump.

I’m not sure if I’m going to be following through with AD much longer. With all of the hype on preWO CHO to spike insulin, I feel like I’m selling myself short. I have not even close the amount of muscle mass I desire to carry so this is a problem for me.

How is it going for everyone else?

555

ashylarryku-

While I am a big fan of the AD, lack of pre-workout carbs is what made me quit. I just have better strength gains with a big carb shake with training. I also do not have the discipline to keep the refeeds clean. This is a psychological flaw on my part and no fault of the AD.

I have a few carbs from fruit during the day and just a big carb spike for a pre/during/post workout shake and that is it and I have been doing fine.

556

OMG seems as though we are all getting to a certain point and quitting!!! Am doing 1 0r 2 meals every 4th day. seems cool keeps crazy cravings at bay. the AD is slipping, good whilst it lasted

557

Thought I might ask about it now since I’m gonna have to leave this diet too during the next few months - How exactly do I get out of this diet? I mean, I can’t just go out and eat carbs like nothing, right? Also, how long does it take to fully leave this diet?

558

[quote]Alon32 wrote:
Thought I might ask about it now since I’m gonna have to leave this diet too during the next few months - How exactly do I get out of this diet? I mean, I can’t just go out and eat carbs like nothing, right? Also, how long does it take to fully leave this diet?[/quote]

There’s an article around somewhere, I think it’s called “The Getting Unshredded Diet” but basically you should just start adding in some around your workouts for a week. Then after a while maybe add some to your breakfast, then you should be good to go in a months time probably.

559

[quote]Alon32 wrote:
Thought I might ask about it now since I’m gonna have to leave this diet too during the next few months - How exactly do I get out of this diet? I mean, I can’t just go out and eat carbs like nothing, right? Also, how long does it take to fully leave this diet?[/quote]

All I did was add preworkout carbs and 1-2 pieces of fruit a day. Other than that, I guess I am still on the AD.

My diet is right around 300pro, 120fat, and 60-150 carbs depending on the training day, so its not much different than when I was doing 300pro, 150 fat, and 30-50 carbs on the AD.

560

[quote]ajweins wrote:

[quote]Alon32 wrote:
Thought I might ask about it now since I’m gonna have to leave this diet too during the next few months - How exactly do I get out of this diet? I mean, I can’t just go out and eat carbs like nothing, right? Also, how long does it take to fully leave this diet?[/quote]

All I did was add preworkout carbs and 1-2 pieces of fruit a day. Other than that, I guess I am still on the AD.

My diet is right around 300pro, 120fat, and 60-150 carbs depending on the training day, so its not much different than when I was doing 300pro, 150 fat, and 30-50 carbs on the AD.[/quote]

Do you still do CHO ups? Obviously they’re not gonna be as crazy now that you’ve added CHO back in. AirBoren showed me a response from CT that I’ll be using soon that should be shared on here:

"Thibs,

I just bought the protocol.

I’m a competitive Powerlifter (drug free) and I’m coming off a recent pec tear. After the tear, I decided to drop two weight classes from SHW to 275 and maybe lower. I’ve chosen to use the AD diet to achieve my goals and so far it’s worked very well dropping 25 lbs and not loosing any strength.

My question is specifically on how to adjust the protocol to stay on the AD diet. I was thinking of maybe taking a half bar prior to training or possibly even one full bar. I’ve been pretty good to keep the carbs at around 30g or lower per day. The other thought was to take one scoop of Surge Recovery preworkout instead of the bar.

My overall goal with the protocol is to help with recovery. As soon as I thrown on the gear, I typically start to wear down, so without all the carbs, I’m hoping this will be the answer.

Any advice would be appreciated and I may even throw in a log here while I get ready for the meet."

CT’s response:

Drop down to one FINiBAR and reduce the weekend carb-up. If you are doing the regular AD then you are carbing-up for 2 full days. If you are doing so, drop it down to 1 day and a half (stop carbing up at lunch on Sunday).