[quote]FE_FrEaK wrote:
Dang I am having so much trouble getting 6000+ cals and staying under 30g carbs! If one of you master minds out there has a minute, could you write me a sample day for a 320 lber?[/quote]
Where are the majority of your carbs coming from?
Perhaps you could post your menu for critique?
What are you attempting to achieve with the AD?
[quote]ovalpline wrote:
labikes wrote:
Ovalpine: Just wondering as to how your pumps have been since you only do 1 carb up day?
The pumps are good. Of course, as the week goes on and my glycogen becomes increasingly drained, the pumps do decrease.
As a side note, I caution you about putting your faith in the pump. The key is always progressive overload; I have hit personal bests in near depleted states and without wicked pumps.
Are you doing the low carb days clean as well?
Not sure I understand this question. If you are asking if I stay below 30 grams of carbohydrate everyday, the answer is no. On training days I am usually between 50-60 grams (about 30 grams post workout). On non-training days, I stay very low carb (30 grams and below).
[/quote]
I was doing the post workout shakes with about 30-40 grams of carbs before, following the rest of the diet but with only 1 carb reload day. I stopped and continued doing the 5 days low carbs and 2 days reloading, I honestly looked and felt better doing 1 day carb reload and post carbs after workout. Will the post workout carbs slow down the fat loss on this diet?
[quote]FE_FrEaK wrote:
Here we go…
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/Fe_FrEaK/Fitday.jpg [/quote]
Some suggestions:
For heavan’s sake eat more. I weigh 160 and eat 4000+ calories.
That was my first day on the diet so I need to get in the groove, but how do you go about consuming EVOO? Good cals, I’ve just been drinking a tablespoon straight from the bottle.
And how do you all count your cals?
[quote]FE_FrEaK wrote:
That was my first day on the diet so I need to get in the groove, but how do you go about consuming EVOO? Good cals, I’ve just been drinking a tablespoon straight from the bottle.
And how do you all count your cals? [/quote]
You can use EVOO / heavy cream in shakes. You can drizzle it over anything you are eating (meat, veggies, etc.), you can also take it straight like you have been doing (Ugh). For a calorie dense side you can do the following:
Calorie dense greens:
While the broc is steaming, prepare in a decent sized bowl:
When broc is ready, place in bowl with other ingrediants and chop with paring knife into bite sized morsels.
Add a sprinkling of EVOO
Eat this with a nice steak, chicken, salmon, or ground beef. I sometimes prepare a few day’s worth of seasoned ground beef (not in patties, but granular) and heat a serving for 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave and dump it in with the broc and mix it all together. It really sticks to the ribs and is delicious and satisfying. Quick preparation too.
I just guesstimate my calories, but I see you are using fitday.com - that is about the best as far as I have heard.
Below is feedback on the recently discussed topic of whether flax and sesame seeds / lignans are detrimental to optimal free testosterone level from - Disc Hoss - the mentor of this thread. Enjoy…
Hi BC,
Thanks for the PM. Good stuff.
Overall, PUFA’s (polyunsaturated fats) are to be controlled on the AD or any diet. We want the benefits without the drawbacks.
Usually, the natural outworking of the AD is to consume “larger” volumes of animal fats and olive oil. This provides MUFA and SFA (monounsat and saturated fats). These have a positive effect on testosterone counts when they constitute at least 1/3 of the diet. We get more like 1/2 to 2/3 on the AD.
But, I believe I had cautioned the AD’ers not to consume too many PUFA’s. And make Omega’s from fish oil the main component of one’s PUFA intake.
Personally, I average about 10%-15% or so from PUFA and half of that comes from fish oil. A little more from walnuts, seeds and raw almonds. Beyond that its all olive oil and the natural mono’s and sat’s that come from meat, cheese, eggs, cream etc… BTW, almost all salad dressings are primarily PUFA, so be careful. Maybe use some olive oil and vinegar instead.
As you probably know, one only needs 2-5g of the Omega’s to provide full benefit. I’m pretty sure that the suggestions to intelligently limit PUFA’s was pretty early on in the thread. But many don’t or can’t read such a monster thread so that info may have gotten buried.
In short, I agree that you are best served by backing off flax and simply making sure that your omega-3’s are covered
Also, I’ve “heard” that ActivaTe Xtreme is a good product to boost free-t. I’ve orederd two bottles to give it a run and will let you know how that works out. I’ve seen a few experinced lifters claim it works well.
To be sure, free-T is the real engine behind androgen mediated growth. It’s best to do all you can to maximize it. A diet sufficient in nutrients, fat and limited CHO and PUFA’s is the foundation. Intelligent training and perhaps a few supps like Alpha Male, TRIBEX or this new ActivaTe are a nice addition. I like TRIBEX Gold, but have yet to try Alpha Male.
Best,
DH
[quote]Black Cat wrote:
Hi DH,
I got acquainted with your knowledge through the “My experience on the AD” thread. I wanted you to weigh in on a possible T level saboteur that was just brought to my attention and hadn’t surfaced in any of the 298 pages of the AD thread. I was shocked when a poster on the HRT thread for over 35 lifters suggested that I eliminate ground flaxseeds from my diet since the lignans contribute to reduced T levels and increased SHBG levels. I googled a bit and found adequate cause for concern. This could potentially impact a large percentage of AD followers among many others.
What say you?? Maybe you could post to the AD thread (I already initiated the question on page 298) and on the “HRT Guys - THANK YOU” thread page 6 where it is addressed. This is my last post on that page:
"Found this thread. Not conclusive. I will keep looking…
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=631716&pageNo=0
Found this one. It raises cause for concern.
Quote from link below: "Additionally, lignans have also been shown to inhibit other enzymes, which are essential for the synthesis of testosterone and estrogen. Lignans may also potentially reduce the amount of testosterone available for the body to use. In the average male, only a small amount of testosterone roams free in the blood. Most testosterone is bound to protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). An increase in SHBG would theoretically leave less testosterone available to stimulate prostate cell growth. Lignans have been shown to increase SHBG production in test tube studies and research also demonstrates that people consuming large amounts of lignans exhibit increased blood levels of SHBG. "
www.americanwellnessnet…
I may well cut out the generous amount of ground flaxseed I am consuming. I was also using lef.org omega-3 with sesame lignans. May have to reconsider that too. It would be amazing if I could reduce my SHBG levels so simply."
[/quote]
Fish oil question. I would like to know which fish we should look for in our omega-3 supplements.
Today I bought a 500 ml bottle of Ascenta Nutra Sea EPA/DHA rich omega-3 oil (lemon zest flavor). It contains 800 mg EPA / 500 mg DHA / 300 mg other omega-3 totalling 1600 mg omega-3 per tsp.
By coincidence I watched Dr. Berardi’s scrawney to brawny part 3 mini lesson and he said to look for salmon, anchovy, menhaden, and sardine based omega-3 supplements.
It turns out the product I bought (Nutra Sea EPA/DHA) is comprised of pharmaceutical quality herring oil, thyme oil, rosemary extract, natural lemon, ascorbyl palmitate, and natural tocopherals.
Up to now, I was using lef.org’s super omega-3 which employs anchovy, sardine, and mackeral sources.
I had also gone through a few Jaimeson omega-3 which doesn’t specify which fish are used.
Please weigh in as to whether the Nutra Sea EPA/DHA a top quality oil. The price at a local health food store was $39.99 and contains 100 teaspoons.
Does anyone use Krill oil? I have heard good things about it. Some say it will replace fish oil as the supplement of choice. Any opinions?
I hear that krill oil contains vastly less mercury than the (already rather mercury-low) other fish oils, which is good. It’s supposed to have a rather high-quality fatty acid spectrum, as well.
If it’s about the same price as a comparable fish oil, I’d say get the krill, but otherwise, just stick with the fish oil unless you have the time and money to go and do research to see if it actually is that much better, and then buy it.
How much fish oil is allowed per day for a guy that weighs 215 lbs, 14% bodyfat.
I don’t think it’s quite so much ‘is allowed’ as ‘would be necessary’.
Anyway, I don’t entirely know, personally. The others might, though.
[quote]labikes wrote:
How much fish oil is allowed per day for a guy that weighs 215 lbs, 14% bodyfat.[/quote]
DH is in that weight category and says the following:
“As you probably know, one only needs 2-5g of the Omega’s to provide full benefit.”
Some important factors are that it should be pharmaceutical quality. That means it is filtered for impurities, heavy metals, etc. Also look for high content of EPA & DHA. They are the source of omega-3 benefits. Try to find a product that has a 4:3 ratio of EPA to DHA or thereabouts. You need both and it makes no sense to have a 10:1 ratio. The amount of product you take (dosage) should be based on the amount of EPA & DHA we require. So for example I am using the new oil I bought which has 800 mg EPA /500 mg DHA / 300 mg other omega-3 per tsp. That makes a total of 1.3 grams of EPA/DHA (combined) per tsp. Two tsp per day (2.6 grams EPA/DHA combined) should be sufficient to cover your bases. It wouldn’t hurt to go up to 4 tsp (5.2 grams EPA/DHA combined). Depends on your budget and if you feel additional benefits.
If you are using gel caps, the same applies. Look for pharmaceutical quality and higher potency EPA/DHA (say around 300-400 mg EPA & 200-300 mg DHA per gel cap. To calculate dosage, do the math to figure out how much EPA/DHA you want to shoot for. Again, 2-5 g/day should cover you.
If you eat omega-3 rich fish on a particular day, you can afford to reduce your omega-3 supplement dosage on that day.
I’m not sure, but I think our olive oil may be going off. I’ve tried it twice (well, I’ve used it on fish a number of times, but I’m a little nervous about it turning into trans fat, even at ~300 fahrenheit). Outside of using it to cook meat, I can’t stand the taste or the texture.
It’s in metal canisters that probably have a plastic lining on the inside, which may have something to do with it. When I get out of the house for college, I’ll look into opaque glass jars, but for the time being, I’ve got a question:
Is the EFA content of olive oil unique to olive oil, or are all of the actual EFAs in it also found in various fish oils? Fish oil I can get and probably digest before bed, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to use our olive oil…x.x
(Oh, by the way, if you get the Cocoa Camino cocoa powder, you can make an excellent mini-meal by mixing one serving with it with a given quantity of well-taken-care-of almond butter; almond butter should be mixed and cooled once open to prevent oil separation and keep it soft, and, when soft, it mixes with the cocoa really well…tastes a bit like truffle if you do it right).
Here is a new question for all of you AD gurus. I have been on the AD successfully for about 6 months now, and have shed some serious fat without losing any muscle. Problem is I still am making no Testosterone naturally. Doctor put me on Test now and I am feeling good, but here is my question.
Should I abandon the refeeds and go low carb high fat/protein for good now? I want to drop another 20 lbs or so. Or am I over simplifying this? My thinking is the refeeds are to help the body create an anabolic environment and get that surge of hormones once a week. Is that right? If so, I now am getting a surge of pure Test once per week with a large needle!
My test has been incredibly low for several years, but I have tried everything natural I could and lost 60 lbs, thinking it was metabolic syndrom(which it could be and I have not recovered from)I was happy with my muscle mass before, now I should actually be able to make some gains while dropping another 20 lbs.
Any of you that understand the metabolic system better than I do, please chime in. I have read the book, but I don’t know what the test replacement will do on this diet.
Thanks guys!
Any thoughts on using Coconut or Palm oil (both vegetable sources of Saturated Fat)? I am about to embark on this diet and, though I will be eating plenty of meat, wonder if these two oils have some place in the AD.
[quote]jonnosferatu wrote:
I’m not sure, but I think our olive oil may be going off. I’ve tried it twice (well, I’ve used it on fish a number of times, but I’m a little nervous about it turning into trans fat, even at ~300 fahrenheit). Outside of using it to cook meat, I can’t stand the taste or the texture.
It’s in metal canisters that probably have a plastic lining on the inside, which may have something to do with it. When I get out of the house for college, I’ll look into opaque glass jars, but for the time being, I’ve got a question:
Is the EFA content of olive oil unique to olive oil, or are all of the actual EFAs in it also found in various fish oils? Fish oil I can get and probably digest before bed, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to use our olive oil…x.x
(Oh, by the way, if you get the Cocoa Camino cocoa powder, you can make an excellent mini-meal by mixing one serving with it with a given quantity of well-taken-care-of almond butter; almond butter should be mixed and cooled once open to prevent oil separation and keep it soft, and, when soft, it mixes with the cocoa really well…tastes a bit like truffle if you do it right).[/quote]
If you are in doubt, lose the questionable olive oil. Buy some first pressed EVOO (most aren’t first pressed. It will clearly state if it is.) in a dark bottle or now they are starting to be available in the tetra pak (like a milk carton with a screw top and plastic spout. Some swear by the tin containers, but they creep me out.
If you read DH’s comments that I posted just a few posts back, you will have most of your answer as to what categories olive oil and fish oil fall into respectively. Olive oil = MUFA (monounsaturated fat) / fish oil = PUFA (polyunsaturated fat). So no, they are not inter-changeable. Mauro Di Pasquale recommends high fat and isn’t emphatic about the source.
The consensus of this thread has been to try and balance your fat intake between SAFA (saturated fat) / PUFA / MUFA equally and avoid dreaded trans-fats altogether. If you look at DH’s comments above in my prior post a few back, you will notice that he has some concern about overdoing it with the PUFA’s. He suggests obtaining most of your PUFA’s from omega-3 supplements and omega-3 rich fish in your diet (fish 2-3 times per week to avoid ingesting too many toxins).
Your point about keeping olive oil and almond butter in a cool dark place is prudent to avoid it going rancid. The same applies for flaxseed once it has been ground or in oil form.
Thanks for the truffle tip.
[quote]entheogens wrote:
Any thoughts on using Coconut or Palm oil (both vegetable sources of Saturated Fat)? I am about to embark on this diet and, though I will be eating plenty of meat, wonder if these two oils have some place in the AD.[/quote]
I personally like coconut oil. It’s an excellent cooking oil, tastes great, and has immuno-supportive effects.
The only thing I’ll add is that I would advise incorporating as many sources of monounsaturated fat as possible and minimizing your polyunsaturated food sources to those with the best omega 6 to omega 3 ratios.
Black Cat…on the prowl
[quote]FFB WannaB wrote:
Here is a new question for all of you AD gurus. I have been on the AD successfully for about 6 months now, and have shed some serious fat without losing any muscle. Problem is I still am making no Testosterone naturally. Doctor put me on Test now and I am feeling good, but here is my question.
Should I abandon the refeeds and go low carb high fat/protein for good now? I want to drop another 20 lbs or so. Or am I over simplifying this? My thinking is the refeeds are to help the body create an anabolic environment and get that surge of hormones once a week. Is that right? If so, I now am getting a surge of pure Test once per week with a large needle!
My test has been incredibly low for several years, but I have tried everything natural I could and lost 60 lbs, thinking it was metabolic syndrom(which it could be and I have not recovered from)I was happy with my muscle mass before, now I should actually be able to make some gains while dropping another 20 lbs.
Any of you that understand the metabolic system better than I do, please chime in. I have read the book, but I don’t know what the test replacement will do on this diet.
Thanks guys![/quote]
FFB,
Congrats on the fat loss and maintanence of muscle. What do you mean when you say “I still am making no testosterone naturally”??? Is your total testosterone low or is it just your free testosterone? I ask because HRT (hormonal replacement therapy) for each of those respective afflictions is completely different. I recommend you visit the HRT forums under “The over 35 lifter” section of T-Nation. This thread is pretty good among others:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1200966&pageNo=6
KSman checks in on the HRT threads and is extremely knowledgeable in these matters and I defer to him.
As for the refeeds, it is always better to produce your own test naturally, or the AD can complement HRT therapy. If you can reach adequate levels using the principles of the AD, you can even abandon the test injections. Again it all depends on the nature of your shortfall. If it is a case of not enough production (total test is low) or elevated estradiol and/or SHBG (sexual hormone binding globulin) levels which impact your free testosterone level (while maintaining a respectable total testosterone level).
If you are not producing an adequate total testosterone level, then you will need supplemental testosterone to raise your total level to an adequate level. You will also have to monitor your free testosterone level and ensure that it is also maintained at an adequate level.
Free T is the usable form. You can have all the total T in the world, but if it is aramotized (lost due to elevated estradiol or SHBG) your free-T could still be in the sewer and you will feel like crap, have great difficulty putting on lean body mass, lack energy, be depressed, have low libido, poor morale, display apathy, lack drive - you get the picture.
Even with T injections raising your level of free T, you may well require an AI (anti-aromatase) to counter the probable increase in estradiol and possibly SHBG levels. They tend to rise in tandem with free T. Also, shedding weight is great as elevated body fat promotes elevated estradiol and thus lower free T.
All this to say consult with guru KSman or a good endocrinologist or age management doctor. BTW, those (doctors knowledgeable on this issue) are few and far between… You can get pointed in the right direction through the forums I mentioned.
Godspeed
