My Experience On the Anabolic Diet

Nutrition
8283

Hi guys

I must have read nearly every page so far on this topic and i have AD coming out of my frickin ears lol.

Anyway…

I just returned to training a couple of weeks ago after a 6 year lay off due to illness.
I started the AD last week although to be honest the last 2 years i havent eaten much in the way of carbs anyway. My diet has cosisted of lots of fish, meat, c.cheese, veg and some fruits but without the extra calories of all the added fats of the AD. I currently weigh around 150 ish and am very lean @ 511.
I have visible muscles in all the right places (but they are small)as i am also a general builder by day and lift heavy things frequently at work.

I have had no energy crashes or anything in the last 6 days and to be honest i feel stronger and look a tad bigger especially in my arms and legs :slight_smile:

When i trained years ago i ate a very high carb diet and did put on stacks of weight but that really isnt the route i want to take this time around. I didnt look healthy and had bad skin and a belly which is the complete opposite of how i look and feel on the AD.

My question is… do you think this diet is just as suited to a very lean individual trying to gain hard lean muscle, as it is to someone trying to lose fat from over indulgence of carbs yet keep muscle gains?

Im on 150lb x 18 for cals and those are divided between 6 meals a day so i think im on track what with my psylium husk powder drink and fish oil caps and liver tablets.

Is anyone else going for lean muscle gains and if so how long has it taken you to acheive them ?

stuart

8284

Hey guys! Just a random update and typical observations I thought I’d pipe in with. Today is Day 34 (post adaptation period,) and I’ve got to say, I absolutely LOVE this diet. My doctor and I have always suspected I am insulin sensitive anyway, but I think being on this diet has proved that theory without leaving much doubt.

First and foremost, I cannot even describe the strength gains I have been achieving since being on the AD, especially lower body muscle groups. For instance, my incline leg presses have increased by 30-50 lbs. PER WEEK! (Keep in mind, I’m s 5’1" female… that’s a lot!) This past week’s leg day, my last (6th) set of leg presses consisted of 8 quality presses at 400 lbs! Not too shabby for a petite little Italian chick!

Second note… for someone who was by far a self proclaimed carb addict, not only do I not crave carbs during the week, I don’t even look forward to carb reload Sundays. Last Sunday I walked into my kitchen, looked around at the oatmeal, granola, cereals and other carbs, then decided I didn’t want any of it… I was craving steak and eggs! That in and of itself is a true miracle. However, I reminded myself of how energized I feel on Mondays and how powerful my Monday and Tuesday workouts have been and decided it might be a wise choice to have some oatmeal. Although I have noticed on carb days that Rolaids have become my best friend… the indigestion/heartburn I get is ridiculous. Anyone else experience this?

A couple of weeks ago I posted a question here about how my abdomen felt kind of poofed out. I got some good feedback and decided to do some research and figure it all out. I started to keep tabs on my sodium intake to make sure it wasn’t excessive and also started supplementing with potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc and vanadyl sulfate. I was already taking chromium per my doctor [and it should probably be noted I have been on prescription amphetamines (phentermine and adderall) for a dopamine deficiency for years per my doctor.] Since adding these supps, my abdomen is once again nice and flat and sans poof of any sort. Not sure if it is directly related to all of the above or if my body has just made another adaptation to the diet. But I thought it was worth mentioning in case anyone comes across the same problem.

This past week I also started adding amino acid supps. I know there are various opinions about if this is even necessary, so I thought I’d toss the subject out there and see what the opinions might be from any of your experiences. I started taking 5g of glutamine immediately before and immediately after my workouts as well as BCAA’s post workout. Any opinions on if I am wasting my time and money or if this is a valid addition? (I am always interested in amino acids and anything that has to do with neurotransmitters, seeing how I am dopamine deficient and always looking for ways to fix the problem.)

Weight wise… I haven’t moved a single ounce from 112, which surprises me a little. I could care less about the #s on the scale, but I would’ve at least expected some water weight changes. Then again, how little do I think I can weigh and still be muscular and jacked? lol Anyway, even though the weight hasn’t moved my body comp appears to have changed noticeably, my strength increases by incredible amounts each week, my energy is steady and amazing and carb cravings don’t even exist for me anymore. I had a caliper bf% reading on Day 2 of this diet (12.6%), so I will have that done again soon and hopefully the new reading will reflect a decent change.

There have been a couple of days where I was miserable… felt like a bloated fat cow, not much energy, etc. But giving up was never an option for me and I’m glad I didn’t. I knew I just needed to figure how how to tweak this diet just right for my body. So I suggest the same to anyone else who might hit a few bumps in the road. Don’t give up! I know it can get frustrating until you figure out exactly what works for you the best, but it is absolutely worth it and you will thank yourself for sticking it out and putting in the time to figure out how to customize it to work best for your body. Many of your posts offer great advice and pose great questions which have helped me very much in tweaking this diet for my body and I continue to be grateful to all of your valuable info and posts :slight_smile:

BTW… my new main pic was taken yesterday. I only wish I had taken an official before pic to compare it to!

8285

[quote]George700dl wrote:
It was actually posted on this site - one of the AD veterans here (sorry, I forgot the user name) posted an older interview with Dr. DiPasquale, and in it, the doctor corrects people, saying that the AD is actually NOT a ketogenic diet. He said that if you’re adapted, there should be no ketones in the urine. I will try to find the post.

UPDATE: I did a second “pregnancy” test, and this time, no ketones (negative). So I’d say I’ve gone through the shift alright. Carb day tomorrow and Sunday. Thanks for the food tips. I plan on definitely having a few large portions of oatmeal (I’ve been missing that stuff) as well as tons of fruit. I was going to do some pasta, but then I was told about the possible wheat sensitivity I might have, so I’ll look elsewhere.

George
[/quote]

Glad to hear about coming up negative with the ketones! I think everyone (including myself) should do this. Just to see. I would assume we could get them at Walgreens or Walmart?

If you carb up for two full days, just be careful not to go “overboard”. By that I mean if you are starting to “feel” fat, losing definition where you had it at one point, or if you are starting to feel really bloated, then its time to go back to high fat/high protein. Of course, this is your first carb up so it won’t kill you to do two full days. I usually start Friday night and finish on Saturday night. This works for me and others, but maybe not for everyone.

Keep us posted :slight_smile:

8286

MissaJC324,

Congrats on everything that you’ve accomplished. Moving up in the weight room, flattening out the tummy, and toughing it out when needed!

For the indigestion/heartburn, I haven’t experienced it, but for me, I definitely need an outside fiber source besides what is in oatmeal to help keep things flowin’ LOL! I believe others have had heartburn so hopefully they will chime in.

As for the glutamine, I always liked a higher dose of it. Some say it doesn’t work, but I think its because their dose is too low. Maybe even bump it up to 10g before and 10g after. Just a thought. Someone here on T-Nation quoted Charles Poliquin as stating, “Fat people should not consume carbs post-workout. The best Post workout drink for a 200lb overweight man is: Whey Isolate 60g + Glutamine 20-80g + Glycine 20g. This will replenish glycogen while preventing fat gain.” So in other words, it looks like Glutamine (even lots of it) would be a good choice. When it comes to Glutamine and BCAAs, I think more is better.

I talked to one guy that cut his protein in 1/2 and took a lot of BCAAs throughout the day. For one week, he took 100g throughout the day and said he felt great that whole week. Of course, it can be pretty expensive to take 100g of BCAAs everyday. Even though BCAAs are in protein, they are more powerful when taken by themselves.

Sorry, got a bit sidetracked there LOL!

8287

[quote]SHAGLEY wrote:
Hi guys

I must have read nearly every page so far on this topic and i have AD coming out of my frickin ears lol.

Anyway…

I just returned to training a couple of weeks ago after a 6 year lay off due to illness.
I started the AD last week although to be honest the last 2 years i havent eaten much in the way of carbs anyway. My diet has cosisted of lots of fish, meat, c.cheese, veg and some fruits but without the extra calories of all the added fats of the AD. I currently weigh around 150 ish and am very lean @ 511.
I have visible muscles in all the right places (but they are small)as i am also a general builder by day and lift heavy things frequently at work.

I have had no energy crashes or anything in the last 6 days and to be honest i feel stronger and look a tad bigger especially in my arms and legs :slight_smile:

When i trained years ago i ate a very high carb diet and did put on stacks of weight but that really isnt the route i want to take this time around. I didnt look healthy and had bad skin and a belly which is the complete opposite of how i look and feel on the AD.

My question is… do you think this diet is just as suited to a very lean individual trying to gain hard lean muscle, as it is to someone trying to lose fat from over indulgence of carbs yet keep muscle gains?

Im on 150lb x 18 for cals and those are divided between 6 meals a day so i think im on track what with my psylium husk powder drink and fish oil caps and liver tablets.

Is anyone else going for lean muscle gains and if so how long has it taken you to acheive them ?

stuart[/quote]

I think this diet is great for anyone! It can be rough at the beginning and when adjusting to find what works for you, but in the end it works!! You can read one testament by MissaJC324 right below your last post.

Since you lift heavy things at work and are super lean, I would jack up my calories as much as possible. Doing the 150x18 for now is fine, but by all means, if you feel like you are hungry and want more calories, I would eat them. The only thing you don’t want to do in the adaption phase is to UNDERfeed yourself.

Also, make sure you keep your fat calories high. I’m sure you know this, but this is a common mistake by some. 60% of calories coming from fats is a good number to shoot for.

Good luck!!

8288

[quote]IL Cazzo wrote:
Pineapple and pineapple juice absolutely blow my muscles up. I feel great when I eat/drink these…the combo of bromelain and the sugars seems to agree with me. [/quote]

Just thought I’d chime in with a good pineapple recipie.

Grilled Pineapple

1 pineapple
1/2 cup butterscotch liquor
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Peel and core the pineapple, then cut it into spears. Marinate with the liquor and lime for 1/2 an hour. Grill until soft and browned. Ice cream optional.

8289

Sorry for the long post…

I know one thing…one being a heavy guy I am having trouble getting all my cals in in maintenance phase…and secondly it seems like low carb makes me thirsty as a hippo! I am always thirsty and not just for anything…I don’t want soda…which is weird…nor gatorade…

despite drinking both avidly in the past…but nothing but H2O thats all I craving ice cold h2o…I used to drink next to no water…now I do all the time…and glasses at a time not just sips…could this be like some folks have when they are diabetic and thirsty all the time cause my body is not used to no carbs…

I am down three pounds of prolly water since weds…

Another thing is because after college and powerlifting all the time I balooned up from 250 and 15% BF at 5’11 to 327 cause of my bad eating habits…I still have alot of muscle on my frame from then…My arms are 18.5 inches right now with a little bit of fat on them…when I drop down into the 15% range I will prolly be a ripped 17.5 inches…they were 17-18 inches then…

So What I have done is use x15 calories at a starting point in the maintenence phase but man I feel like I am stuffing myself…but nonetheless despite stuffing myself I have dropped some water weight in three days…My carbs have also been high…been trying my best to get them down…but its hard…cheese may say 0 carbs but fitday uses .75 g which adds up!

heres my average calories since tues or weds

Average Calories
grams cals %total
Total: 4000
Fat: 293 2634 66%
Sat: 75 679 17%
Poly: 22 202 5%
Mono: 55 493 12%
Carbs: 66 255 6%
Fiber: 2 0 0%
Protein: 270 1078 27%
Alcohol: 0 1 0%

My goal at x15 cals is as following

cals: 4900
Fats: 327
Protein: 429
Carbs: <30

Another thing guys is that cause of my bad eating habits I developed Reactive hypoglycemia (it is a condition that non diabetic have)…

Your body reacts by releasing too much insulin for the amount of carbs you eat and it results in a state of low blood sugar all the time…well in three days my energy has been awesome!

My first three days I feel more energized and energy levels are stable all day long…not the groggy feeling folks have talked about…I also have not had but one bout of low blood sugar where I had not eaten in a few hours cause of an interview…but I am glad these low blood sugar bouts are clearing up…for the past year they have been a hell…I wrote a letter to a coach on here describing it…here it is…

"I go into hypoglycemia by messing up something on my eating habits…improper timing…not eating often enough, eating the wrong things etc…and when this happens it is the closest feeling to dying that I think a person could ever come to…

sometimes when my blood sugar would be low (I measure it) I would start seeing the early warning signs of low blood glucose for me…tightness in my neck, heartrate increase, headache…unable to focus…"

"Just for a full picture…I do not have any diabetes…tests have confirmed that…my fasting glucose is in the 70’s…and rarely will it go above 120max on any given day regardless of what I eat unless its a soda and bread carb fest…but I am afraid that if this problem is not treated it will turn into type two diabetes…

Doctors have not been much help in treating the problem… just the symptoms and giving me a quick fix…which is what I don’t want…"

""In some people without diabetes, the pancreas pumps out too much insulin in response to a meal. The blood glucose thens drops too quickly. Although in theory this could be one of the low blood sugar causes, the body usually has the smart ability to prevent the blood glucose from dropping too low. It the body pumps out two hormones that increase blood sugar - adrenalin and cortisol.

These hormones in excess can cause the symptoms of low blood sugar even though the blood sugar still tests normal.

It is believed that many people who experience “reactive hypoglycemia” are actually experiencing the effects of too much cortisol and adrenalin in response to too much insulin. There is some hypothesizing that these people might be at increased risk for getting diabetes since the higher levels of cortisol could tire the pancreas out like in Cushing’s disease."

“.I started getting very bad symptoms…headache, vomiting, dizziness, lack of ccordination or being able to stand up…a whole slew of things…come to find out after 8 months of these symptoms I found out the cause of these symptoms was hypoglycemia…or seems to be reactive hypoglycemia…”

Well needless to say when this happens guys it is the closest feeling to dying…I would rather die than go thru it…its that bad…

And I am glad that my body is adapting to using fat to regulate my blood sugar…cause its not a roller coaster and alot more stable…and if ti never spikes that means it never crashes! I hope tons of pleasant days without going thru those things cause for the past year it has happened almost daily…going thru those low blood suagr symptoms and feeling like your gonna die…and I am ready to get rid of it…

Sorry for the long post…

Pugs

8290

Sorry for the long post…

8291

Pugsley,

First off, don’t worry about the long post. It’s good to hear that things are finally turning around for you.

As for keeping the carbs under 30g, I think it is VERY hard to keep it under 30g with your high calorie intake. What was your calorie intake before this? Any idea? Also, if your bodyfat is fairly high, then I don’t think there would be a problem with going with the x15 for your calories during the adaption phase.

If you feel you are stuffing yourself, the last thing you want is to feel sick trying to eat food.

What type of foods do you eat? I see that you only get 2g of fiber?? Is that correct? If so, I would recommend ground flax seed and spinach. All the carbs from them come from fiber, so they don’t count towards the 30g of carbs.

Keep us updated :slight_smile:

8292

well alot of my foods were entered manually and I did not put the fiber figures in there…so I am getting some fiber…

8293

I dont know what my cal intake was before this to be honest with you…

8294

[quote]HouseOfAtlas wrote:

I think this diet is great for anyone! It can be rough at the beginning and when adjusting to find what works for you, but in the end it works!! You can read one testament by MissaJC324 right below your last post.

Since you lift heavy things at work and are super lean, I would jack up my calories as much as possible. Doing the 150x18 for now is fine, but by all means, if you feel like you are hungry and want more calories, I would eat them. The only thing you don’t want to do in the adaption phase is to UNDERfeed yourself.

Also, make sure you keep your fat calories high. I’m sure you know this, but this is a common mistake by some. 60% of calories coming from fats is a good number to shoot for.

Good luck!![/quote]

I was just thinking yesterday how hungry i was even on x18 cals so yes today i have added more fats :slight_smile:
I`m sure i have enough protein already as my muscles seem to be recovering very quickly from my workouts.

Trap bar squatted an extra 10kg yesterday as i felt so damn strong and the same for sl deads too!
If i carry on this way i`ll soon be back up to some descent weights on the bar.

Thanks House

8295

[quote]George700dl wrote:
Anyone here sensitive to wheat? I’m trying to get a nice list of carb sources that I can eat over the weekend, and I’d like to minimize or entirely exclude wheat. I’m definitely huge on oatmeal, potatoes, brown rice, and vegetables (and from the higher GI group - fruit!). So I plan on eating a ton of those things.

Any other big ones that I’m missing?
[/quote]

I consider all the grasses junk food. Except for rice. Potatos and the nightshades make some people’s joint hurt, so be aware of that. If you’re inclined, watch your shits, I know mine are nastier and I’m more gassy when I eat wheat.

I love regular ol’ bread, but I try not to eat it. I use a lot of rice, rice noodles and Ezekiel bread on the carb ups.

8296

[quote]SHAGLEY wrote:
I was just thinking yesterday how hungry i was even on x18 cals so yes today i have added more fats :slight_smile:
Im sure i have enough protein already as my muscles seem to be recovering very quickly from my workouts. Trap bar squatted an extra 10kg yesterday as i felt so damn strong and the same for sl deads too! If i carry on this way ill soon be back up to some descent weights on the bar.

Thanks House
[/quote]

No problem :slight_smile: After looking over some posts in the past few pages, I saw conorh had his food log over at fitday.com. So yeah, I finally started logging my food in there yesterday. What a valuable tool!

Some foods seem to be off from what the packages say, but you can customize it to fit what the packages say. Not sure if you use this or not, but I think its a great tool for us ADers.

[quote]conorh wrote:
I consider all the grasses junk food. Except for rice. Potatos and the nightshades make some people’s joint hurt, so be aware of that. If you’re inclined, watch your shits, I know mine are nastier and I’m more gassy when I eat wheat.

I love regular ol’ bread, but I try not to eat it. I use a lot of rice, rice noodles and Ezekiel bread on the carb ups. [/quote]

Yes! Ezekiel 4:9 bread is awesome! In my grocery store, its in the frozen food section where the other frozen organic foods are. Good call! :slight_smile:

8297

[quote]Justin Negrete wrote:
Here is my meal plan this far… Any constructive feedback? Is it bad to have too much peanut butter (6 grams carbs for 2 tablespoons) or too much cottage cheese? [/quote]

I’m reading up Dr. D’s book and he says that one should be careful with cottage cheese (p. 32). I don’t see why, as the package I have in front of me says 2g/100g.

8298

[quote]HouseOfAtlas wrote:
IL Cazzo??? Where have you been? I remember reading a lot of your posts here on the AD a few years back! Welcome back!! :)[/quote]

Eh I’m not a big fan of this place lately so I tend to not come here…but I do still read this thread pretty much weekly.

8299

[quote]conorh wrote:
George700dl wrote:
Anyone here sensitive to wheat? I’m trying to get a nice list of carb sources that I can eat over the weekend, and I’d like to minimize or entirely exclude wheat. I’m definitely huge on oatmeal, potatoes, brown rice, and vegetables (and from the higher GI group - fruit!). So I plan on eating a ton of those things.

Any other big ones that I’m missing?

I consider all the grasses junk food. Except for rice. Potatos and the nightshades make some people’s joint hurt, so be aware of that. If you’re inclined, watch your shits, I know mine are nastier and I’m more gassy when I eat wheat.

I love regular ol’ bread, but I try not to eat it. I use a lot of rice, rice noodles and Ezekiel bread on the carb ups. [/quote]

Id just like to pipe in here and say that i too have excluded wheat from my diet. It stems back to when i got ill and it still affects me even now. I think rice is by far the best and most easily digested carbo of them all if you have a wheat intolerance. Spuds rock too though! on my carb up next weekend ill be eating a lot of rice and some taters for sure!

8300

Heres an awesome recipe that you guys will scream for more…

Big Pug’s Lettuce wraps

20 oz of regular ground beef
2 tbs of Oyster sauce or fish sauce
2 tbs of rice vinegar
1-2tbs of soy sauce
A bunch of frsh cilantro chopped coarsley
a couple drops of chili oil
a couple drops of sesame oil
2 TBS of oat groats or water chestnuts
Sirancha hot sauce (oriental)
Red onions
Iceberg lettuce pelled off the head to make a “bowl” like leaf…

Brown the beef with chopped up onions, sea salt, black pepper and a little bit of garlic powder…when brown thrown in the Groats or water chestnuts for added crunch! and saute for a min or two…then set aside

Mix the oyster or fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili oil, and the hot sauce, and a little garlic powder (chinese hot mustard works good in here as well…) mix them together…

Take the lettuce and make a taco or wrap with it, with the beef put the cilantro on the top fo the beef, then use a spoon and put a couple spoonfuls of the sauce on top of the beef or dip the wrap in the sauce…

These puppies will make you feel like you are the head chef at PF changs and you will feel awesome knwoing you made such a deliciously tasteful dish…and it is anabolic diet compatible! Sub the water chestnuts for the groats if you trying to avoid the carbs cause your close to thrity…

but this recipe will usually make two huge meals for me…so 20 grams of carbs in the whole two serving dish(using groats not WC)!

Pugs

8301

fitday is awesome use it!

8302

[quote]Pugsley wrote:
fitday is awesome use it![/quote]

Mate those lettuce wraps sound AWESOME!
Iv`e cut & pasted that to my files already :slight_smile:

Gonna check out fitday in a mo

Cheers