My Experience On the Anabolic Diet

Nutrition
8183

[quote]Ad B wrote:
Yea It can be quite tricky to start with. As i said before I just try and eat everything without carbs in except my veg’s (usually just spinach, brocolli, kale etc)

todays Ive had,

20z ground beef, 2 rashers bacon, 2 eggs, kale, 10ml olive oil, 3 fish oil

100g mince, spinach and spices, 10ml Olive oil

10g bcaa, 20g protein (peri workout)

5g bcaa, 20g protein, 2 eggs, spinach, ice, 30ml cream, vanilla, cinnamon pwo shake

100g ground beef, 1oz chorizo, 10ml olive oil, spinach, 1.5oz tuna
brocolli avocado & parmesan soup

Thats put me at about 15g net carbs with one meal left to go which is usually a little higher in carbs to help with sleep

[/quote]

My problem is I need a lot more protein than this, and getting it consistantly, every day, without resorting to protein powders, is nearly impossible for me. And those powders do come with a few grams of carbs (18g protein comes with about 2 carbs, so MY serving results in about 6 carbs added). I love red meat, but even with steaks and burgers every day, I’d have to add protein powder, since I’m shooting for about 300g of protein per day.

I eat a lot, but I’m not a HUGE eater. So sometimes I have to remind myself to eat.

Just to clarify: those 2 eggs in your PWO shake ARE raw, correct?

8184

[quote]CJK wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
I started this diet 9 days ago, and have already docked 13 lbs from my weight. I hit my transition on Day 5/6, and since then I am almost through the roof with energy. I am very much looking forward to the carb-up this weekend! I’ve never felt better, am enjoying the diet, and I’m in it for the long haul!

Quick question: is it okay to use HOT-ROX while on the AD?

Yes.[/quote]

I’ve started using it and I just broke through my plateau. Plus I’m one who doesn’t have much energy on this type diet, but I’ve been getting it with HOT-ROX. I recommend it.

8185

I understand that you need more protein. if you weigh 250lbs you only need the equivalent of that in grams on this diet (250g eg). You could probably get away with less, because the AD is protein sparing. I believe the more fat percentage you have in your diet the better you feel and perform with the AD.

Even so 250g protein can equate to 10 eggs, 1lb ground beef and 8oz cheese, couple of rashers of bacon and your there. olive oil, fish oil and green veg can make up the rest of your diet. voila, no powder :stuck_out_tongue:

8186

[quote]Ad B wrote:
I understand that you need more protein. if you weigh 250lbs you only need the equivalent of that in grams on this diet (250g eg). You could probably get away with less, because the AD is protein sparing. I believe the more fat percentage you have in your diet the better you feel and perform with the AD.

Even so 250g protein can equate to 10 eggs, 1lb ground beef and 8oz cheese, couple of rashers of bacon and your there. olive oil, fish oil and green veg can make up the rest of your diet. voila, no powder :stuck_out_tongue: [/quote]

I was thinking the same thing, after I posted. I know people who push the 2g of protein per 1lb bodyweight, but they’re also from the low-fat school. Under the AD you spare more protein, like you said.

I also doubt those people are truly getting the amount they think they’re getting, at least not daily.

By the way, Dr. Hatfield says, if I remember correctly, to get roughly 1g protein per 1lb of your LEAN bodyweight. So that would be somewhere in the low 200’s for me.

I just got back from the store, and realized an emergency food item for when I run out of things to eat at work - sardines in olive oil! 20g of protein per can, no carbs, tons of fat, and it goes down in about 1 minute.

Thanks.

8187

Sardines are great.

Anchovies, not so much. I feel like I’m eating an eyebrow.

8188

Third day of having carbs after a workout and now finally have a ton of energy in the gym!

For those of you that have been toughing it out on the AD for more than 6-8 weeks with lack of energy in the gym, I would HIGHLY recommend eating carbs after a workout. Dr. Mauro even says so!! :slight_smile:

8189

House:

I did this for a small stretch, and my recollection is that I didn’t feel much of a difference. But then I never really have energy problems with the normal layout. How many grams of carbs/what type are you consuming after your workouts?

8190

CJK,

I am eating cereal like Frosted Flakes after a workout with a small amount of milk. I have struggled on this diet in terms of energy in the gym. My fats are high enough so I know that isn’t the reason. I have recently incorporated potassium, but that still wasn’t it. So I decided to do what Mauro says and try incorporating carbs into my diet.

Of course, including more carbs than suggested is NOT for those who are just starting out on this diet (Initiation phase). So, hopefully I’m not giving people who are just starting this diet the wrong idea LOL!

I have been on a higher fat/higher protein diet with carb up weekends for months, but just started to really count the fat, protein, and carb calories for the past two months.

At first (months ago), I was fine until it was time for carbing up, but for some reason, after a while, I couldn’t keep my energy levels up during the week. I tried carbing up on Wednesday night, but I didn’t like not having energy on Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, my training wasn’t really all that hardcore or long, so I know that wasn’t it. So I decided to just have about 50g of carbs after a workout. Now, I bumped it up to about 75g and feel great.

I just posted this so others, if struggling, can try it. Not everyone needs carbs after a workout. If I felt fine throughout the week, I would NOT be eating the carbs. But, I’m one of the lucky/unlucky one that needs them. LOL!

8191

Sorry, double post.

8192

House,

Thanks for the info. How long is your weekend carb-up? Are you seeing any strength/muscle gain/fat loss, depending on what your goals are?

PS This is NOT directed to you House - But all newbies who are just starting the diet, notice that House waited SEVERAL months before making modifications. You should do the same. I have tried several different modifications, all after I was on the diet for several months, and have returned the the original layout, FWIW.

8193

[quote]CJK wrote:
ronaldo7 wrote:
Do any of you have some good low carb-recipes for protein shakes…I really really dislike my protein powder with water…

2 scoops protein powder
2 oz cream
2 eggs
Splash of vanilla
=Amazingness

Alternate:

2 scoops protein powder
2 oz cream
2+ TBS nat. peanut butter
=Incredible[/quote]
just blend them in a regular blender?

8194

[quote]socno24 wrote:
I�??m new here so first a little introduction:
I�??m 18, approximately 5�??10�?? weigh 150 and have a completely undefined figure. I�??m neither fat nor skinny and I don�??t look particularly muscular or scrawny. If I had to guess I’d say that I’m at 15-17% body fat. I started Rippetoe�??s Starting Strength a couple of weeks ago. I started to clean up my diet around that time as well but decided that it is now time for something more structured and serious.

Today was my first day.
I got about 2300 calories
156g fat
180g protein
31g carbs

I know that I should be getting more calories (150*18=2700) but this is already a 500 calorie increase from what I used to eat.

The reason that the carbs came out to 31 is because when calculating how much BeneFiber to take, I forgot to include my morning snack. This threw the numbers off but luckily not too much. I ended up with more fiber than needed but thankfully not too many more carbs.

Here is what I ate today. If I could get some suggestions that would be great:

Breakfast
4 eggs

Snack
2 slices of cheese
1/2 cup of almonds

Snack
Chicken Breast

Lunch
3 sausages
1 slice of cheese
5 pieces of turkey bacon
2oz broccoli

PWO
48g whey
6 servings BeneFiber
1 cup calorie counter milk

Other Supplements:
Multivitamin (Centrum)
Minimal amount of fish oil
Vitamin C tablet

I had the PWO shake around 5:30 this evening and have not eaten since because I’m simply not hungry. This is odd because I used to have one of my larger meals at 8:30

Let me know if I’m doing anything wrong.
[/quote]

hmm the big green giant would frown upon you if he saw that you were only eating 2oz. of his delicious nutritional ripe children

8195

also, I usually do a 12 hour carb-up because i tend to go crazy with eating carbs…that’s when i was trying to cut some fat…now that i’m trying to gain muscle what is better??..i mean, how many grams of carbs should i get during my carb-ups to grow?

8196

hmm wow i apologize for my latest posts(just on pg 331) im quite tired but cant sleep…just hit some cardio 3 hours ago and ate 10oz t-bone steak, so logically of course, my fingers are moving faster than my mind

8197

[quote]CJK wrote:
House,

Thanks for the info. How long is your weekend carb-up? Are you seeing any strength/muscle gain/fat loss, depending on what your goals are?

PS This is NOT directed to you House - But all newbies who are just starting the diet, notice that House waited SEVERAL months before making modifications. You should do the same. I have tried several different modifications, all after I was on the diet for several months, and have returned the the original layout, FWIW.[/quote]

My weekend carb up usually only lasts a day and consists of a lot of oatmeal, organic whole wheat spaghetti, brown rice, and even some cereal like Frosted Flakes or Rice Crispies. I’ll throw in a pizza and ice cream, also. I am “trying” to do the Mass Phase, but am missing my mark by 10-15g of protein and 10-15g of fat per meal and that adds up.

As for fat loss, I haven’t used a caliper or anything, but I follow the way my stomach looks LOL! When I flex, I can still see some abs a bit and my stomach is cursed with having a layer of fat on it LOL!

Also, I totally agree with you about modifications on this diet. If something is working well, there is no reason to mess with it. I wish I had the book in front of me because there is a “problem solving” guide as to when and how to add carbs into the diet if needed.

What are your goals and calorie intake on this diet?

8198

[quote]ronaldo7 wrote:
also, I usually do a 12 hour carb-up because i tend to go crazy with eating carbs…that’s when i was trying to cut some fat…now that i’m trying to gain muscle what is better??..i mean, how many grams of carbs should i get during my carb-ups to grow?[/quote]

What do your calories look like right now? As for amount of carbs, I just keep eating carbs until I start feeling a bit bloated and start smoothing out. I’ve never tried a two day carb up, but I don’t think it could hurt. If you start eating carbs on the second day and you start smoothing out, just go back to the AD right away.

I would highly recommend spacing out your carbs instead of trying to scarf down like 10 glazed donuts in one meal. I know its common sense, but sometimes its hard to do on a carb up :slight_smile: I usually eat like a big plate of spaghetti that has approximately 100g of carbs, wait 2 1/2 hours, then eat another 100 grams of carbs. Of course, this is what I do and the amount of carbs might be different for you.

8199

I’m eating around 3000 calories per day, so if i did a one day carb up i would get in around 600-800 grams…

8200

[quote]ronaldo7 wrote:
I’m eating around 3000 calories per day, so if i did a one day carb up i would get in around 600-800 grams…[/quote]

I’m guessing that’s you in your profile pic…if you’re trying to grow, don’t limit yourself to 3000 calories, especially on your carb ups. It’s hard to get in a lot of clean carb calories, since whole grains and such tend to be pretty filling. Make the bulk of of your carbs clean, but let yourself have some simple starches, cookies, cereal, bagels, whatever…don’t be afraid!

8201

[quote]HouseOfAtlas wrote:
CJK wrote:
House,
My weekend carb up usually only lasts a day and consists of a lot of oatmeal, organic whole wheat spaghetti, brown rice, and even some cereal like Frosted Flakes or Rice Crispies. I’ll throw in a pizza and ice cream, also. I am “trying” to do the Mass Phase, but am missing my mark by 10-15g of protein and 10-15g of fat per meal and that adds up.

As for fat loss, I haven’t used a caliper or anything, but I follow the way my stomach looks LOL! When I flex, I can still see some abs a bit and my stomach is cursed with having a layer of fat on it LOL!

Also, I totally agree with you about modifications on this diet. If something is working well, there is no reason to mess with it. I wish I had the book in front of me because there is a “problem solving” guide as to when and how to add carbs into the diet if needed.

What are your goals and calorie intake on this diet?[/quote]

My calories range from 3000-3500 depending on the day, whether I strength train that day or not. My goals are strength and size. I am training for MMA now so I am trying to slowly put on a little more size, while trying to significantly up my power and strength, and work on my conditioning. It’s a lot to do at the same time, but with enough food to offset the conditioning work, I think it is going work.

My carb-ups are mostly clean now, after several months (think like 8-10) of going almost all dirty. I do not condone this. I have felt night a day better keeping the bulk of my carb foods low-GI and throwing in one or two meals of shit foods.

8202

[quote]ronaldo7 wrote:
I’m eating around 3000 calories per day, so if i did a one day carb up i would get in around 600-800 grams…[/quote]

Just don’t forget to get in some fats, also. A lot of carb foods (bagels, pancakes, pasta, etc.) have very little fat yet have protein in them. You should try and keep the protein lower and have more fat calories than protein calories, just like during the week.

I usually have a little more than a tablespoon of olive oil with my carb meals so my fat calories are lower than my carb calories, but more than my protein.