My Experience On the Anabolic Diet

Nutrition
7723

Just logged on after being away for a few days. Here’s my standard response to anyone new to the AD who asks about adding a food he/she’s unsure about:

“Does it run, fly, swim, or is green? If it is, eat it. If it isn’t, leave it out of your mouth.”

I can’t be any more clear than that. A baseline of foods that have been around forever need to be focused on for an extended period of time before adding anything else. Stick to the basics, stick to the basics, stick to the basics, stick to the basics.

I’ve said this earlier and will say it one more time: do not make this diet more complicated than it needs to be. Focus on fat and protein, eat carbs for a day or two. Repeat, assess, make adjustments, repeat, assess, make adjustments, etc.

I don’t mean to be harsh, just honest.

-Zed

7724

Has anyone considered coconut oil as a large % of their daily intake of fat? If so, any specific reasoning behind it?

7725

[quote]ronaldo7 wrote:
A question:

I love this diet soo far BUT i have been thinking. I am in no way a body builder, I just lift weight to perform better in my sport (soccer). Now when I play footy I need to eat lots of carbs and fat is something that us soccer players bearly eat.

Will this diet work even as a soccer player? or would i have to drop it once the season starts?..if I do have to drop it will i put on fat hence the change from mainly fats to mainly carbs?

Thanks.[/quote]

I have played high level soccer while on the AD. I felt fine, if not even better than while I was eating carbs daily (I just feel better in general on the AD…). I would just see how you react to the carb-ups and maybe adjust their timing if you find them affecting your game in a certain way.

Also, you say you “need to eat lots of carbs”. You don’t.

7726

considered it, but then found that it contains a relatively large amount of medium chain triglycerides, and these are metabolized in a way that is not productive for the AD. I would stay away from coconut oil if possible on the AD

7727

Alright I’m going back and forth as whether or not to start this diet but I need some clarification.

At the beginning, eat about 18xbodyweight (in pounds) of calories per day

<30g carbs
60%fat?
35% Protein?

My question is, how many weeks before starting the weekend carb ups?

And should I hang around 18xbodyweight if I want to lift and do added cardio to lean out a bit?

7728

GetSwole - Read the first twenty pages of this thread. Or, alternatively, read the last 5 pages or so, as we’ve been over these topics recently.

Since I am first to answer your question, I’ll do my best. The rules are simple.

Carbs should be predominantly comprised of green, fibruous veggies. Keep carbs under 30g per day. Focus on healthy fats (olive oil, fish oil, salmon etc.) and protein (steak, chicken, eggs). Especially eggs.

For more information, PM me for the AD diet e-book or read the first 20 pages of the thread. The gurus on this thread – Disc Hoss, Dragon, Oval, Sasha, Trib and the like – will guide you, but only if you take the time to do your research.

The mechanics of the diet are also simple. Stay low-carb for the first 12 days (the “induction period”). After these 12 days, carb-up by eating high-carb foods such as rice, cereal and bread for 48 hours. After the induction phase, the hope is that your body has “made the switch” and is ready to begin using fat as fuel.

Thereafter, spend 5 days low-carb followed by 24-48 hours high-carb (“the carb up”). Repeat and make adjustments each week.

You will lose some weight during the first twelve days and you will gain some of this weight back during the 48 hour carb up. Fear not. Many people, myself included, use this diet to cut. It works – extremely well. I stay about 15x bodyweight on calories, but you’ll need to experiment to see what works for you.

I find that fasted cardio in the morning is effective for weight loss. I find that HIIT training is extremely effective for reducing body fat.

I believe a key to this diet is that experimentation. Our body is a workshop; unlike other diets, this diet does not require us to forego any food or nutrient, it only proscribes certain times to consume particular foods, in order that our bodies will handle them optimally. Experiment and see what works for you.

If you have any questions, feel free to answer and people will do their best to help. This is the best thread going on T-Nation – you’ve come to the right place.

7729

Thanks for your help, after I posted that I had run through about the last 10 pages of the thread and I already read through the first 7 or so. Those cleared up most of my questions but you’re still gonna have a PM your way. Thanks for the help!

7730

[quote]the2pin wrote:
You need to make the call on the crispbreads, but they probably aren’t the best choice, in my opinion, regardless of their taste – which probably isn’t very good either.

I keep my carb-load clean at first, focusing on high-GI foods. I take in a ton of Biotest Surge, oatmeal, and high-fiber cereal. Afterward, I’ll hit up a cheat meal (or three, or four).

It is odd that veggies “bloat” you. I don’t know what to tell you, except that every now-and-then I’ll mix some “Fiber Therapy” by Equate in water for digestive health.

A final thing: Your results may seem odd or atypical for the first month or two, as your body is getting used to the diet. After a couple months, your body will get used to the foods you give it and you’ll hit your groove. Stay with it.

[/quote]

Cheers 2pin

7731

Have ya’ll found this diet successful when coming from a relatively low carb diet (under 150g on workout days) on it. Or is the biggest difference in those who usually consume hundreds of carbs a day?

I have used a similar diet approach in the past but I’m afraid I overdid the protein, and way underdid (word? lol) the fat so I’m not sure my body every really became fat adapted in that period.

7732

What do you guys think of the sugar free jello during the week with some whipping cream??

Also I bough Fiber-Sure so I can add more fiber however it says it has 25 calories per serving with 6 g of carbs with dietary fiber at 5g and soluble fiber at 5 g

so would that count as 4 calories??

why are they counting the fiber as calories?

confused…

7733

Hi I have a question for DH or the other AD vets,
My husband and training partner and I have been sailing along on the diet for six weeks with great results. We are both cutting and loosing approx 1kg per week. Only problem is that my husband injured his shoulder on the weekend and has been told to take at least a week off training until it is better. I am wondering how this will affect the diet, will daily cardio be enough to sufficiently deplete glycogen before the weekend load? We currently do a 36 hr load which we keep fairly clean. Should we reduce calories since we are not training, and reduce the carb load or just continue as normal and hope to not gain weight?

Any help appreciated.

7734

Id say reduce calories by 200-500 and keep up with your cardio and if weight loss is what ya want then reducing the carb load to 1 day or even a nice clean hefty meal would suffice.

7735

[quote]little lass wrote:
Hi I have a question for DH or the other AD vets,
My husband and training partner and I have been sailing along on the diet for six weeks with great results. We are both cutting and loosing approx 1kg per week. Only problem is that my husband injured his shoulder on the weekend and has been told to take at least a week off training until it is better. I am wondering how this will affect the diet, will daily cardio be enough to sufficiently deplete glycogen before the weekend load? We currently do a 36 hr load which we keep fairly clean. Should we reduce calories since we are not training, and reduce the carb load or just continue as normal and hope to not gain weight?

Any help appreciated.[/quote]

Do this:
(1) increase the volume on your legs (i.e. - more squats, leg presses, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, etc)
(2) increase the intensity of your cardio (i.e. - do *HIIT, set cardio machine to harder levels, etc)
(3) keep your current eating plan (same calories, same meals, etc) since you are already losing 1 kg/week

*regarding HIIT:
HIIT is high intensity interval training. It involves the use of cardio machines at near maximum efforts (push difficulty level of machine up and go all out!) of intervals anywhere between 10 seconds and 2 minutes followed by a working rest interval (lower intensity of machine and effort to rest) of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Perform as many intervals as you can.

If you don’t mind my asking, how much weight are you and your husband looking to lose?

7736

[quote]miniarnold wrote:
Are scandinavian bran crispbreads ok on the AD, >>>[/quote]

Only if they’re truly Scandinavian LOL!

I’m not actually making fun of ya pal, well maybe in a good hearted way, but you’re gonna drive yourself nuts.

7737

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
miniarnold wrote:
Are scandinavian bran crispbreads ok on the AD, >>>

Only if they’re truly Scandinavian LOL!

I’m not actually making fun of ya pal, well maybe in a good hearted way, but you’re gonna drive yourself nuts.[/quote]

Mate,

You seriously need to stop trying to out think this diet. You’ve received good direction from a bunch of us now and a wealth of info on the thread. Keep your carbs coming from nuts and green vegetables until your carb ups.

Best,
Sasha

7738

Wow, this thread is an incredible resource. A big thanks to DH, IC, et al for providing insight regarding their experiences. I’ve read over 120 pages of this thread so far, fantastic.

Background

I was probably 7-8% BF prior to beginning this lifestyle. I’m on day 16 and didn’t suffer any major crashes during the break in period; I was already on a low-carb diet. During the first few days of the break in, I probably ate too much bacon and other “dirty” meats. After incorporating more healthy fats, I felt better.

I haven’t noticed any significant changes in weight, but the mirror tells me I’m either dropping a bit of fat, or retaining less water; either way, I’m anxious to see what kind of results I can achieve. My first carb load was pretty clean, oats, rice noodles, and fruit. However, as Owen indicated, maybe too much fruit.

Preliminary Thoughts

  1. Preparing meals in advance is crucial
  2. Mental clarity/focus has improved
  3. Energy levels are more stable
  4. Consuming olive oil by itself can be raw at first but actually becomes more enjoyable. It’s surprising how much energy it provides.
  5. Sufficient water intake can help ward off head aches
  6. Most people don’t want to accept that this diet works and can be employed in a healthy manner, thus I prefer to not talk about it unless people ask.
  7. Strength has increased
  8. Libido has increased
  9. If you watch the coupon section in the Sunday paper, you can take advantage of good deals on meat and fish oil

Question

I’ve noticed that some people significantly increase their caloric intake during the carb loads. What are the pros and cons of this approach? During my first carb up, I kept total calories the same, appropriately adjusting the ratios of Fat/CHO/Pro. I noticed a huge energy rush w/ slight pump after the first meal of oats, but didn’t notice anything after the other meals.

7739

[quote]ovalpline wrote:
little lass wrote:
Hi I have a question for DH or the other AD vets,
My husband and training partner and I have been sailing along on the diet for six weeks with great results. We are both cutting and loosing approx 1kg per week. Only problem is that my husband injured his shoulder on the weekend and has been told to take at least a week off training until it is better. I am wondering how this will affect the diet, will daily cardio be enough to sufficiently deplete glycogen before the weekend load? We currently do a 36 hr load which we keep fairly clean. Should we reduce calories since we are not training, and reduce the carb load or just continue as normal and hope to not gain weight?

Any help appreciated.

Do this:
(1) increase the volume on your legs (i.e. - more squats, leg presses, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, etc)
(2) increase the intensity of your cardio (i.e. - do *HIIT, set cardio machine to harder levels, etc)
(3) keep your current eating plan (same calories, same meals, etc) since you are already losing 1 kg/week

*regarding HIIT:
HIIT is high intensity interval training. It involves the use of cardio machines at near maximum efforts (push difficulty level of machine up and go all out!) of intervals anywhere between 10 seconds and 2 minutes followed by a working rest interval (lower intensity of machine and effort to rest) of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Perform as many intervals as you can.

If you don’t mind my asking, how much weight are you and your husband looking to lose?[/quote]

Thanks Ovalpline, we need to check bf percentages but I think I need to loose another 2 or 3kg my goal is 15% bf. My husband wants to loose another 5-6kg to get to 10%.

7740

cant believe this thing is still going strong. i actually dropped the diet about a month ago…maybe 2? (was on it about 7 months) because the food became so boring that i was eating less. i will say this, from when i was on the diet til now i havent noticed any physical changes…that isnt to say nothing hasnt changed because i never measured my CHL or my T before i started this diet, or after.

although like i said there hasnt been any noticeable change in gym performance or my appearance after stopping this diet. just thought id drop by and mention all this.

7741

Is there any difference between carb loading with “bad” carbs opposed to “good” carbs. I mean if the muscle needs Glycogen does it matter where it comes from and does it effect body composition in different ways??(gaining more fat e.t.c.?

7742

[quote]little lass wrote:
Thanks Ovalpline, we need to check bf percentages but I think I need to loose another 2 or 3kg my goal is 15% bf. My husband wants to loose another 5-6kg to get to 10%.
[/quote]

Keep us posted. And goodluck.