My Experience On the Anabolic Diet

Nutrition
3862

We give the housewives on Atkins a hard time on here, but I have to admit that they know how to cook over on http://www.lowcarb.ca. In particular, I really liked their jalepeno popper recipe:

  • Slice jalepenos in half, remove seeds (and the central structure, whatever it’s called)
  • Spread cream cheese in each half like with celery boats
  • Add shredded cheddar cheese so that one half is overflowing, then press the halves together

At this point you can either wrap them in bacon and bake them, or (my preferred method) you can fry 'em up:

  • beat an egg in a bowl until even in color
  • grate parmesan cheese onto a flat surface
  • dip the peppers in the egg and roll them in the cheese until reasonably coated
  • fry in olive oil at medium heat until brown (~4 minutes, flip, ~2 minutes for me)

Tasty, especially with some blue cheese dressing. Also, you can make up a bunch at a time and enjoy as a snack later. To complete a meal, I’ve found that if you fry up a chicken breast in the pan afterwards, it picks up some of the jalepeno flavor (and you can do the same egg coating-parmesan trick to get a pseudo-breading on it).

Just wanted to get a little more variety in the recipes on this thread. :slight_smile:

3863

What are you all’s thoughts on prebreakfast cardio while on this diet? I like to run in the mornings, and doing rested cardio was something I did for a while. That was until I learned that muscle would be burned instead of fat.

Also, I was thinking of having 2tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 15min to 30min bfor running. MY thoughts on this is that since the only nutrient I put in my body is fat, then thats the only nutrient the body will be able to use as energy. Thats just a thought, but it seems like it might work.

What have you all heard about this or what have been your experiences with this?

3864

Hey Guys Require Some Advice

Have been on a bulk for the last 5 weeks, and roughly putting on a 1kg (2.2lb) a week. Is this too high, i’m starting to get paranoid as i think im gaining to much fat, well according to my calipers i started at around 11.6%bf and currently heading to about 12.5-13% which to too me sounds like a hell of an increase.

Im currently 161 lb/ 73kg and eating around 3300 calories.

I have 10 weeks left on this bulk.

Should i drop the calories or should i keep going and not worry about the fat gain,

I want to pack on some good quality muscle by feb so that i can cut and look good just before the end of my final year at college.

My last cut wenty great but looked very small weighing at only 152lb.

Cheers

Toogoolookin

3865

[quote]Bizmark wrote:
What are you all’s thoughts on prebreakfast cardio while on this diet? I like to run in the mornings, and doing rested cardio was something I did for a while. That was until I learned that muscle would be burned instead of fat.

Also, I was thinking of having 2tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil about 15min to 30min bfor running. MY thoughts on this is that since the only nutrient I put in my body is fat, then thats the only nutrient the body will be able to use as energy. Thats just a thought, but it seems like it might work.

What have you all heard about this or what have been your experiences with this?[/quote]

You might not want to base your life on this because I have nothing, but my own experience to base it on, but I’m not as convinced of the muscle wasting effects of fasted cardio in general as a lot of people are.

Especially when fat adapted because there are ALWAYS ready stores of energy unless you’re already at 3% BF.

I do exactly what you’re saying. A big cup of coffee/green tea with a dash of cinnamon and a tsp or two of EVOO a half hour before running in the morning.

I’m also not convinced that moderate running for anybody, but those with the fastest metabolisms and or the greatest innate propensity for fiber conversion will suffer any appreciable ill effects from doing so. Again just based on my own experience.

3866

[quote]jrk264 wrote:
http://www.lowcarb.ca. [/quote]

That is a great site wit ha shitload of usable info us.

3867

[quote]toogoodlookin wrote:
<<<Should i drop the calories or should i keep going and not worry about the fat gain,>>>
[/quote]

I wouldn’t worry about it if it were me. If you think your last cut went went good wait til you do it with a buncha new meat to chew it off when in a fat adapted state.

I haven’t measured my BF in years, but when I started on the AD in August I was 197 on average first thing in the morning and could pinch a little less than a soft inch next to my belly button. This morning I was 218 and can pinch about an inch.

This is right about where I’d hoped to be at this point. I don’t plan on really cutting for a couple years, but I bet by the time I do it’ll come off like a t-shirt.

3868

[quote]Cthulhu wrote:
Everything has been going good.
My strength has gone up quite a bit in my bench press and deadlift,along with my squats.
A little problem has popped up though.
My g/f is taking cooking classes because she loves cooking,and she’s making pumpkin pies today.
I already had my carb up mon and tues,so I think I’m gonna go and have the pie,then not eat any carbs straight from tomorrow until Christmas,which is about 12 days.
So hopefully this won’t hinder my goals too much.[/quote]

Honestly, I doubt if you even have to do that much. If you wanted throw another “pie day” in the middle of those 12 somewhere I don’t see it setting back to any great degree.

Good to hear from you BTW. I was wondering how it was going. I’ve never been very strong in comparison to other guys my size, but I saw some abrupt increases at times on this diet and I’m making steady gains not to mention that I feel 100 times better than I did before .

You may be interested, as well as some others here actually, in a thread I just started in the Supplements and Nutrition room about just having tested my cholesterol for the first time since starting the AD several months ago.

3869

[quote]toogoodlookin wrote:
Hey Guys Require Some Advice

Have been on a bulk for the last 5 weeks, and roughly putting on a 1kg (2.2lb) a week. Is this too high, i’m starting to get paranoid as i think im gaining to much fat, well according to my calipers i started at around 11.6%bf and currently heading to about 12.5-13% which to too me sounds like a hell of an increase.

Im currently 161 lb/ 73kg and eating around 3300 calories.

I have 10 weeks left on this bulk.

Should i drop the calories or should i keep going and not worry about the fat gain,

I want to pack on some good quality muscle by feb so that i can cut and look good just before the end of my final year at college.

My last cut wenty great but looked very small weighing at only 152lb.

Cheers

Toogoolookin

[/quote]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from bulking, it’s to let the mirror and how you feel be your guides. If you are uncomfortable with how you look and/or feel, by all means STOP. You control your own destiny here. With that said, how tall are you? I weigh about 158 pounds at 5’6" and sit @ (I believe) sub 6% BF. Of course, I would love to get bigger, but… with a low bf%, there is an illusionary effect making me look much bigger than I really am. Furthermore, CT, Berardi, and Dr. D have all discussed the benefits of maintaining a sub 10% level of BF for muscle gain, and I have found their preachings true. I didn’t start putting on serious muscle until I defeated my skinny-fat body and went to somewhere around 7% before I bulked. Really, though… I keep saying it on this thread and I really believe in its validity: eat when your body tells you it’s hungry, however much your body wants, and don’t sweat over calories, meal frequency, etc. Let things come naturally… eating and hunger are behaviors that don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with each other. And, of course, they’re highly addictive. With that said, I would suggest you focus on getting back to sub-10% bf, unless you are something like 6 feet tall at 163, in which case, FUCK IT: go eat. You’ll feel and look better at sub 10%… AND your gains will probably be better.

One last note, if you are in fact tall and about 163 pounds at over 12%, I would suggest eating more moderately during the week and letting the anabolic effects of the carb-up work their magic as opposed to constantly being in a state of hypercaloric intake. You might even consider eating maintenance or hypocaloric during the week to maximize the fat burning effects of glucagon and GH and the anabolic effects of insulin. Keep us posted. Godspeed.

3870

Yeah bud, If you notice too much fat gain then clean up the CHO ups a bit. Stay high cal but hit more oats and less cookies.

Also add in some 400m sprints post training. This has a great effect when trying to control fat. Also finishes your legs good on legs days, proprioception wise. You may also notice that good hard sprints round out your delts nicely if you don’t usually sprint.

Also, sprints are rarely catabolic on regular CHO diets. On the AD you have little if anything to worry about. The AD is THE most muscle retentive and protein sparing nutrition plan ever. According to my last DEXA’s I have lost no muscle despite tons of highly catabolic jiu-jitsu training every day. So 10 minutes of sprinting can’t hurt you if your cals are up.

-chris

[quote]toogoodlookin wrote:
Hey Guys Require Some Advice

Have been on a bulk for the last 5 weeks, and roughly putting on a 1kg (2.2lb) a week. Is this too high, i’m starting to get paranoid as i think im gaining to much fat, well according to my calipers i started at around 11.6%bf and currently heading to about 12.5-13% which to too me sounds like a hell of an increase.

Im currently 161 lb/ 73kg and eating around 3300 calories.

I have 10 weeks left on this bulk.

Should i drop the calories or should i keep going and not worry about the fat gain,

I want to pack on some good quality muscle by feb so that i can cut and look good just before the end of my final year at college.

My last cut wenty great but looked very small weighing at only 152lb.

Cheers

Toogoolookin

[/quote]

3871

Im not so sure fasted cardio and eating a little before morning cardio is a big deal on this type of diet. REally here you’re in a fat burning state all day, I think cardio timing is much less important than other higher carb diets.

3872

Hey everybody! I just wanted to know if the two week induction phase is necessary for me if I’ve been between 60 and 70 carbs per day with a half-day carbup once a week for the past two months. I want to start following the principles of the AD but don’t know if I need to start at the beginning, or if I can just make the transition.
P.S. I’m at about 45% fat, 10% carb, and 45% protein.
Thanks in advance.

3873

so how does everyone enjoy their olive oil?

3874

dude dont be a lazy ass just do it its not too bad. pretend your a barbarian and eat that MEAT!!!(sorry im still a kid)

3875

[quote]bkmacky9288 wrote:
dude dont be a lazy ass just do it its not too bad. pretend your a barbarian and eat that MEAT!!!(sorry im still a kid)[/quote]

If you couldn’t tell from my question, I am eating the meat. I just wanted an opinion on how to start the diet. WTF? Lazy ass? whatever

3876

[quote]josh.shafer wrote:
Hey everybody! I just wanted to know if the two week induction phase is necessary for me if I’ve been between 60 and 70 carbs per day with a half-day carbup once a week for the past two months. I want to start following the principles of the AD but don’t know if I need to start at the beginning, or if I can just make the transition.
P.S. I’m at about 45% fat, 10% carb, and 45% protein.
Thanks in advance.[/quote]

Do the 12 day induction because:

-you need to not only adapt yourself to low CHO but also high fat. so do the 12 days with 60% fat each day.

-also, the 12 day allows you to reduce all of your sugar pathways. So if any of your current CHO have been sugar alcohols or sugar CHO then you can use this week to tighten that up.

-It’s it’s the journey that counts, not the destination (awwwwwwww…)

Buy fish oil in liquid form too. great way to adapt to lipid metabolism. plus it tastes like orange juice.

good luck
-chris

3877

[quote]bkmacky9288 wrote:
so how does everyone enjoy their olive oil?[/quote]

More virginal than Islamic heaven and on the spinach, with real olives and feta, dash of balsamic, and garlic fried mushrooms. Also ice cold. Keep that shit in the fridge guys, prevents gradual deterioration.

I just got into the liquid fish oil and I’m loving that. skin went from dry as British humor to soft in just 2 days. plus abs are ripping through at a faster pace than ti pique.

-chris

3878

[quote]realpeanutbutter wrote:
josh.shafer wrote:
Hey everybody! I just wanted to know if the two week induction phase is necessary for me if I’ve been between 60 and 70 carbs per day with a half-day carbup once a week for the past two months. I want to start following the principles of the AD but don’t know if I need to start at the beginning, or if I can just make the transition.
P.S. I’m at about 45% fat, 10% carb, and 45% protein.
Thanks in advance.

Do the 12 day induction because:

-you need to not only adapt yourself to low CHO but also high fat. so do the 12 days with 60% fat each day.

-also, the 12 day allows you to reduce all of your sugar pathways. So if any of your current CHO have been sugar alcohols or sugar CHO then you can use this week to tighten that up.

-It’s it’s the journey that counts, not the destination (awwwwwwww…)

Buy fish oil in liquid form too. great way to adapt to lipid metabolism. plus it tastes like orange juice.

good luck
-chris[/quote]
Thanks a lot Chris. How is your recovery PWO?

3879

[quote]josh.shafer wrote:
realpeanutbutter wrote:
josh.shafer wrote:
Hey everybody! I just wanted to know if the two week induction phase is necessary for me if I’ve been between 60 and 70 carbs per day with a half-day carbup once a week for the past two months. I want to start following the principles of the AD but don’t know if I need to start at the beginning, or if I can just make the transition.
P.S. I’m at about 45% fat, 10% carb, and 45% protein.
Thanks in advance.

Do the 12 day induction because:

-you need to not only adapt yourself to low CHO but also high fat. so do the 12 days with 60% fat each day.

-also, the 12 day allows you to reduce all of your sugar pathways. So if any of your current CHO have been sugar alcohols or sugar CHO then you can use this week to tighten that up.

-It’s it’s the journey that counts, not the destination (awwwwwwww…)

Buy fish oil in liquid form too. great way to adapt to lipid metabolism. plus it tastes like orange juice.

good luck
-chris
Thanks a lot Chris. How is your recovery PWO?

[/quote]

Recovery without CHO is fine. Depending on my trianing needs I still sometimes use Surge post training. But the Surge is my CHO up. It functions as smaller mini cycles and I get no “days” to CHO up. Smaller mini cycles have their place for growth on a catabolic schedule. Especially when Im skinny.

But regular low CHO PWO is easy just get a strong isolate whey and eat up. I’d say recovery is as much based on what you eat all day long everyday as it is based on what you eat right after training. staying good on both is key. If I make sure my pre bed food is good then I’m great for the next day. Sleeping is when you really grow.

Just don’t eat your fish oil right after working out. that shit is too expensive to have used as calories and not magical super potion.

Recovery on low CHO is just something that eventually comes. Ask il cazzo. He doesn’t likely remember what his recovery felt like on CHO. He functions great on no CHO. So be sure to eat up so you can set PR’s. At first you will feel strong only post CHO up. later on you will feel strong all the time and recover quick as ever. better even because of more optimal hormonal balance.

BTW, get into brick cheeses. they make great snack-skis. carrying steak around is seen as weird by other people. One time I pull a steak out of my back pocket on a work break and everyone looks at me and says “did you just pull a steak out of your pocket?”

“yeah, so? just like beef jerky, but fresher.”

“that’s weird.”

-chris

3880

josh!!dude im just foolin around with ya calm down lol but seriously just do the induction it wont hurt…o and yea you may be eating the meat but ru pretending to be a barbarian lol jk

3881

ha, that is wierd. No jk I’ve done stuff like that, eating brats between classes, but for a snack I like to pull out some cheese curds and ham.