Hey guys, checking with a quick photo I snapped of myself a couple days ago…
I took some time off from lifting to live my life to the fullest I could. (Riding a bicycle across continents, traveling the world, starting a business, and more.)
There’s no point to being healthy and looking good if you don’t take advantage of it.
I still ate well and lifted… but at times, I literally could not. (Hitting the gym is not a priority when you’re sitting on a bicycle for 8 hours a day for 4 weeks straight, and calorie sources are donuts and peanut butter sandwiches, not vegetables and clean meats.)
The photo above is how I look after a month or two getting back into lifting and really focusing on diet.
As anyone who has read through the most recent posts on here knows, I do not follow the Anabolic Diet anymore. I eat very similarly – low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate/high protein – but there are some very large fundamental key differences in my diet now.
Specifically, the two-day weekend carb binge is completely absent from my diet. That will likely serve to do nothing but make you fatter… and that was my experience when first starting the Anabolic Diet years ago. I do not limit myself to 30 grams of carbs per day. I get over 30 grams a day from vegetables alone, and eat other items that bring me up closer to anywhere between 50 and 100 grams of carbs a day. (Usually in the higher range.)
My diet is actually a bit different now from how I used to write. I have found a sweet groove where my body only gains muscle and loses fat at the same time. Again, it is not like what is written in the Anabolic Diet. I use coconut oil for cooking (a big no-no on Anabolic Diet), eat more than 30 grams of carbs a day in vegetables alone, and do not eat a number of the recommended food choices, like cheeses.
Anyone who would like to get a little more information can start in the archives of this blog, going back about two years. You will see a slow change from Anabolic Diet… to almost Anabolic Diet… to something entirely different… to, eventually, I will update with what I follow now.
11 responses so far ↓
1 D.M. // May 4, 2010 at 4:22 pm
You wrote previously your goal was to have a physique that looks like a model/fitness model. You certainly did that with a change in exercise and dietary habits. I worked for 2 decades as a model/fitness model and found a wide range of dietary and exercise habits of peers and athletes. You never know until you change things were that “tipping point” is for an individual.
Life and desires may or may not change. Genetics don’t. Gene expression? Maybe. The Anabolic Diet does sell because it is like most things in marketing – it tells people what they want to hear. Most people go overboard on the carb phase and don’t have the genes and enzymes to utilize the carbs as they desire. You seem to have found what you can and can not get away with. That is rare.
I can not tell you how many times I have seen people all over this planet prove all the exercise and nutritional gurus wrong with “real world” trial and error. Real world wins over and over.
Personally I do better if I have 0-20g. carbs/day or else swing the other way. High salt intake sends me to the dark side too. I discovered years ago if I fast from morning post workout shake/meal until the next day’s morning post workout shake/meal it helps shed fat faster and stops desire for bad foods if I have gone off track. Fasting 1-3 alternate days per week definitely halts any desire for ANY “bad” food. Seems to alter the brain and any related systems for the “bad” food. If I stay on track of eating 30-35% protein/60-65% fat I am healthy, fit, and keep a 5-6% bodyfat with no problem.
It seems as far as having low bodyfat for a long time ones need either extremely good genetics or extreme discipline. Both rare, but at least one can “train” his or her discipline. You have done a great job!
2 wave_twister // May 7, 2010 at 10:26 pm
I remember you turned me on to a link in one of your older posts to MarksDailyApple. You are spot on 100% about the Anabolic Diet in that it is nothing but a win-lose which means you lose when it comes to those carb days. Since eliminating “carb ups” my body composition has changed tremendously. I still do have 1 cheat meal a week but it is nothing near Anabolic Diet days.
Most of my diet is 80% vegetables and a healthy dose of fat and protein. It’s hilarious you mention coconut oil because that is something we now only use when it comes to sauteing our vegetables and even cooking meats. The new brand our family is trying makes every single food taste like coconut – it’s locally produced here in Hawaii.
I don’t think it’s about “discipline” because when you eat more Primal style then you discipline goes out the door. I eat as much as I want because I truly love the taste and textures in my meals. Some of my omelette’s feel like they weigh over a pound seriously…I eat like a king and lose weight effortlessly.
3 Sean // May 8, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Hey there your progress you have made is fantastic following the diet and or close to it good work. I agree that there really is no reason to have two full days of carb loading, I have personally experienced when I started the diet I was bloated the two days and even put some fat on and that is not good. Now I just do a one day carb load and that is fine for me. So I do a 6 day high fat low carb instead of 5 days high fat low carb. I usually find that 35-45 grams of carbs is sufficient enough for me to keep to the diet through the week.
4 Nathan // May 9, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Interested to hear what you follow now. I also went away from AD getting right into PB now as it just makes sense and works.
5 Joel // Jun 22, 2010 at 7:06 am
Hey, this is great info! Curious as to how this would work on me. What is your waste size and how tall are you? I would appreciate knowing. Thanks.
6 Roger // Jul 9, 2010 at 5:18 am
I’ve started the anabolic diet and read the book yesterday(the anabolic solution for power lifters to be exact) and after finishing I feel you used the diet as intended. It is made to be more of a jumping off point because most people function better with low carb/high fat-protein, but the exact numbers are different for people and everyone has their own tipping point. Many times the author says that anything goes on the weekends, but at the same time he says that once someone finds out their “tipping point” for carbs, they may consume as much as 200 grams a day depending on the person and carb spikes are only to increase insulin for it’s good effects, so there could be a great variability between people. I’m glad you found your optimal diet and have to say it appears to be working wonders for you.
7 tracy roadrunner // Aug 20, 2010 at 7:48 am
ad works dont eat all that cheese and dont carb up heavy on weekend unless u love that treadmill
8 Anabolic Supplements // Sep 5, 2010 at 1:23 am
Hey you have well described about your diet. Can you tell me your waste size????
9 darius sohei // Sep 13, 2010 at 10:59 pm
love this blog – found it via MDA or raw paleo forum, can’t recall as i read both a lot, as well as leangains. anyway, how is your recovery post workout? are you very sore or is DOMS non-existent?
i have insulin resistance and my DOMS is horrible, even while eating similarly, so i’m not sure what to do. i’d really love to know what your daily average diet looks like today and the results you’re getting.
thanks
10 Focus 28 Diet // Dec 14, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Every body is different and it seems as if you are beginning to come into your own and really see what works best for you. Sometimes it takes trial and error. I’d be interested to see more about how your progress goes over the next few months.
11 Randy // Jan 7, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Thinking about starting the diet. I’m curious also about your waste size, height, and so on.
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