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Amanda76

"Oh yeah...bikini season is on it's way again!"

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Amanda76's Blog Stats
Created:06/27/2008
Total Visits:1358
Total Blog Entries:25
Total Comments:26


Weeks 6,7 and 8

August 24, 2008

IN A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Things are finally looking up.  I have decided to continue with AD through September.  I can’t remember whether I’ve posted that some people reported not feeling good on AD until between weeks 5 and 8 and that I read somewhere that Dr. Pasquale said it can take some people up to 4 months to truly see the benefits of AD.  I DO seem to be one of the people who respond slowly to it.  I’m really happy I read other people’s accounts of not getting “instant gratification” before I gave up.   

Still eating around 1,500 on low carb days and 1,800+ on carb ups.  

I have had some issues that I guess are hormonal.  Let’s just say if I had a significant other, this diet would be OVER.  LOL  TOM was a little different, too, but overall it was in a good way (just didn’t know what to expect with it).  If you’re female and want further details about that, just pm me.  LOL   

Hunger: None on low carb days.  My appetite is definitely stimulated during carb-ups though.  Carbs used to not have that effect so I’m not sure what to think about that.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: I’ve been getting lots of compliments from people at the gym, so that’s good.  I’m definitely not flattening out as much as I was and my body really appears to be tightening up even though there has been no real change in my measurements.  I still get a little smaller as the week goes on, but not like I was.  I had been Weighing in at 124 after my carb ups and would weigh 120 the morning of my carb up.  This last week, I only lost 2 lbs over the course of the week (that I gained back after carbing up), so I think that’s also a sign that my body is getting better at rationing glycogen or something.   

Workouts: Workouts have been going SO much more smoothly.  Still not as strong as I was before AD and I’m still having some endurance issues but they’re pretty slight.  And I have felt good enough to add a 5th day back into my routine.  I think there is a chance that strength might be able to come up over the next few weeks.  We shall see. 

Amanda76, Age 31, Height 5″4″
(measurments taken morning after carb ups on empty stomach)
<em />

28JUN08
19JUL08
24AUG08
(start)
(Day 22)
(End of Wk8 )
Weight:
126 lbs
124 lbs
124 lbs
Shoulders:
41″
41”
41”
Chest:
32.5″
32”
32.5”
Arm:
13”
13”
13”
Waist:
26”
25.5”
25.5”
Abdominal:
29.5”
29.5”
29.5″
Hips:
35.5”
35”
35”
Upper Quad:
21”
20.5”
20.25”
Mid Quad:
20.25”
19.25”
19.5”
Calf:
14.25”
14”
14”

Again, my measurements aren’t changing much, but I do feel like I’m losing size where I should be losing size (places like my hips, upper thighs and glutes, where I know I carry a lot of fat) and gaining size back in places I was disappointed about losing.

I think my skin texture is totally better…even through my legs, an area that was totally freaking me out before.  They lost size and got saggy looking!  But now they’ve filled back out and look tighter.  I’m definitely holding onto muscle volume better throughout the week and that’s made all the difference!

My abs are starting to look really nice, but I’m a bit disappointed in my back compared to last year.  However, I am feeling good enough about AD at this point that I think there’s a chance for a comeback over the next month or two.  :p

Anabolic Diet, Weeks 4 and 5

August 3, 2008

Just a quick update on how things are going.  No major epiphanies just yet.  :-p

IN A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Have been eating around 1,500 on low carb days and 1,800+ on carb ups.  It’s definitely getting easier but I don’t enjoy what I eat most days as much as I used to.  I’ve shifted my carb ups to Friday and Saturday instead of Thursday and Friday because I have a lot of family celebration type stuff coming up and it will be easier to deal with celebrating if I can eat carbs on the weekend.  Don’t want to miss any vino!  LOL

Hunger: It’s getting easier to eat.  I have more of an appetite on carb up days than non-carb up days.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance:  Everything seems to have tightened back up to what I consider to be normal, including my legs and glutes!  Either that or I forgot what I used to look like.  LOL  It also seems like I’m not flattening out as bad as I get further away from my carb ups.  I’ll let you know if I get any more horrified looks or comments about looking small or “not like me.” 

Measurements have remained about the same as they were a couple of weeks ago.  I did weigh in at a lot less than usual a few times, but I’m having some issues that will keep me from getting accurate readings this week so I’ll wait for measurements. 

Workouts:  It’s VERY important that I get my workouts in starting the day of my first carb-up.  I guess because I work out at night, that gives me plenty of time to store up carbs throughout the day and have good energy that night.  I feel best on my 2nd carb up day, but there’s not too much difference between my workouts until I get to the 2nd day after my carb up.  I can go about my daily routine as normal, but my workouts tend to fall apart as I move further from my carb-up.  Overall, I’m still weaker and have less endurance than I had before starting AD, but my workouts have started to become a lot less aggravating in ways I’m not sure how to explain so I’m hopeful that things might start to turn around.   

Anabolic Diet, Day 22 Measurements

July 19, 2008

Amanda76, Age 31, Height 5″4″

28JUN08
05JUL08
19JUL08
(start)
(1 wk no carbs)
(2nd carb up)
Weight:
126 lbs
124 lbs
124 lbs
Shoulders:
41?
41”
41”
Chest:
32.5?
32”
32”
Arm:
13”
12.5”
13”
Waist:
26”
25.5”
25.5”
Abdominal:
29.5”
29.5”
29.5″
Hips:
35.5”
35.25”
35”
Upper Quad:
21”
20.5”
20.5”
Mid Quad:
20.25”
19.5”
19.25”
Calf:
14.25”
14”
14”
As you can see, some of my measurements are going back and forth a bit but not changing significantly…I’m a tad bit bloated today after my carb up (nothing major) and there is a possibility that with me doing my own measurements they’re a bit off from time to time.  My waist does seem to be steadily going down, though.  My legs are really my biggest disappointment.  My skin just doesn’t look right over them.   
Since things seem to be stabilizing, I plan to begin updating this blog once a week (on Saturdays when I normally do my measurements) instead of trying to get to it daily.
At the moment, my plans are to continue the Anabolic Diet through at least the end of July.  So long as it looks like my workouts are continuing to look more normal, I’ll stick with it through August.  Depending on how I feel about it’s potential at that time, I may stick with it for a few more months. 

Anabolic Diet, Day 21–Carb Up

July 19, 2008

In A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Yum.

Hunger: None.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: A little more full than yesterday.

Workout: Back day.  Another day with steady energy.  This is the first time in a long time that I’ve started with heavy close grip pulldowns and man…I beat my back up and it let me know it!

MEALS:

M1: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats in water, 1 scoop Beverly Ultra Size (chocolate), 1T peanut butter, 1 medium banana

Supplements: Beverly International’s Super Pak, Move Free Advanced plus MSM, HEB brand Calcium 1200 with D

M2: 4 oz salmon, 1/2 cup rice, 2 oz snowpeas, 2 oz sweet onion (same salmon meal as yesterday)

M3: 1/2 cup oats, 1T peanut butter, 1T honey

M4: 4 oz strawberries, 2 oz pineapple, 2 oz cantelope, .5 oz blueberries, 10 grapes, slice of kiwi,

M5: 1 medium banana, .5 oz cashews

M6: 3 eggs scrambled with 1/2 cup red rice and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and sprinkled with tabasco.

1886 calories: 25/44/31 (p/c/f)
111g protein, 225g carbs, 62g fat

WATER: 1 gallon

BACK and BICEP DAY

Close Grip Pulldown: 1×4 @ 150+3 @ 130, 2×6 @ 130

Lat Pulldown: 1×4 @ 110, 2×6 @ 100

BB Close Grip T-bar Row: 1×7 @ 60, 1×6 @ 60, 1×6 @ 60+2 @ 50+4 @ 25

1 arm Inc UH Cable Row: 2×10 @ 30 (left arm weaker)

Pull Ups: 1×7 @ BW+(assisted)3 @ 60+5 @ 80+9 @ 100+12 @ 20

Alt DB Curl (dropset from intentionally too heavy): 1×1.5 @ 40’s+1.5 @ 35’s+3 @ 30’s+5 @ 25’s

1 Arm Cable Hammer Curl: 1×10 @ 20, 1×6 @ 25, 1×5 @ 25

Shoulder Width Chins: 1×5 @ BW

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Anabolic Diet, Day 20-Carb Up

July 19, 2008

In A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Enjoyed this carb up day a lot more than last week’s!  Still not very good at not eating protein.  LOL

Hunger: None.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: About the same as yesterday.

Workout: Leg Day.  Hammy still trippin’.  :-p  Energy was pretty steady through this workout and I didn’t feel like I was weak for any reason other than my hammy problem so I’d say things are lookin’ on the up and up.  Pre-fatiguing quads and hams with isolation exercises and then working up to as heavier weights instead of doing all sets with heavier weight on compounds seemed to be a good workaround.

MEALS:

M1: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats in water, 1 scoop Beverly Ultra Size (chocolate), 1T peanut butter, 1 medium banana (all mixed together)

Supplements: Beverly International’s Super Pak, Move Free Advanced plus MSM, HEB brand Calcium 1200 with D

M2: Peanut butter and jelly on wheat

M3: 10 grape tomatos, 1 oz cashews

M4: 6 oz salmon (stirfried in juice/soysauce/sesame oil mixture), 1/2 cup red rice, 1.5 oz snow peas, 1.5 oz sweet onion 

M5: 1.5 oz pineapple, 1.5 oz kiwi, 1.5 oz cantelope, 1.5 oz strawberry, .5 oz blueberry, 10 grapes, .25 cup cashews

1815 calories: 24/42/35 (p/c/f)
105g protein, 213 carbs, 68 fat

WATER: 1 gallon

LEG DAY

Hammer Strength Iso Leg Ext: 1×8 @ 35’s, 1×6 @ 40’s, (toes in) 1×6 @ 35’s, (toes out) 1×6 @ 35’s + (toes up) 5 @ 30’s+6 @ 15’s+6 @ 10’s

A2G Squats: 2×5 @ 95, 1×5 @ 100, 1×5 @ 105, 1×2 @ 110

Hammer Iso Curl: 1×7 @ 45, 1×5 @ 45, 1×4 @ 45+3 @ 35+ 4 @ 25

Deadlifts: 1×5 @ 95, 1×5 @ 115, 1×5 @ 135, 2×5 @ 165

Strive Plie Press: 2×10 @ 190, 1×6 @ 210
ss w/
Precor Donkey Calf Raise: 1×10 @ 280, Precor Angled Calf Raise: 1×10 @ 60, 1 Leg FreeMotion Calf Press: 1×15 @ 200

Stairmill: 20 minutes between levels 7 and 10, alternating between narrow, wide, side and crossover steps every minute.

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Anabolic Diet, Days 17-19

July 17, 2008

These three days were completely messed up.  I was having allergy problems that were sending me to bed pretty much immediately after work.  All I can tell you is that I ate fatty protein and likely way less total calories than I was supposed to.  I also missed two workouts.

On the bright side, I didn’t start looking flat until the day 19, which was the day before carb-up day.  And I really didn’t look too bad.  Aside from the allergy issues, I think my energy would have been alright.  Will be able to deal if this is how things stay. 

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Anabolic Diet, Day 16

July 15, 2008

A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Offically dropping to around 1,500 cals to hopefully get some good fatloss going. This has been my most normal day so far. 

Hunger: Too full.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: Actually looking pretty good, finally!  Butt is still worrying me so I think I’m going to start doing some stairmaster and/or stepmill at the end of my leg workouts until I have my hammy issue sorted out.

Workout: Day late Back Day.  But it went pretty normally.

MEALS:

M1: 3 whole eggs, 1 oz habanero jack cheese, 60g spinach, 2 oz red bell pepper

Supplements: Beverly International’s Super Pak, Move Free Advanced plus MSM, HEB brand Calcium 1200 with D

M2: 4 oz ground round, 4 oz yellow squash

M3: 1 hard boiled egg (not at all hungry for this…I was going to eat 3).

M4: 4.5 oz ground round, 1 oz habanero jack cheese, 1T psyllium whole husks

M5: 4 oz ground round, 2 cups spinach, 2 oz red bell pepper

M6: 1T Walnuts

1559 calories: 33/3/64 (p/c/f)
123g protein, 19g carbs, 106gfat

WATER: 1 gallon

Back Day

<strong />

Chin-Up Rotation (rest between sets):
Meet or beat 46 in 6 sets!

  • Pullups: 1×10 @ BW
  • Wide Chins: 1×8 @ BW
  • Close Chins: 1×8 @ BW
  • Wide Nuetral: 1×7 @ BW
  • Close Nuetral: 1×9 @ BW
  • Pullups: 1×7 @ BW

New PB! 49 TOTAL!  Oh the joys of getting lighter!  LOL

BB Row: 1×8 @ 105, 2 x 7 @ 105

Hammer Strength 1 arm Iso Rows: 2×8 @ 70

EZ UH Cable Rows: 2×6 @ 110

1 arm Lat Pulldown: 2×8 @ 40

1 arm Close Lat Pulldown: 2×6 @ 50

 

 

 

 

 

Anabolic Diet, Day 15-Measurements and Migraines

July 14, 2008

Amanda76, Age 31, Height 5″4″

  28JUN08
05JUL08
12JUL08
  (start)
(1 wk no carbs)
(1st carb up)
Weight:
126 lbs
124 lbs
124
       
Shoulders:
41?
41”
41”
Chest:
32.5?
32”
32.5”
Arm:
13”
12.5”
13”
Waist:
26”
25.5”
25.75”
Abdominal:
29.5”
29.5”
29.25”
Hips:
35.5”
35.25”
35”
Upper Quad:
21”
20.5”
20.5”
Mid Quad:
20.25”
19.5”
19.25”
Calf:
14.25”
14”
14”

My measurements pretty much have ended up in better places than a week into carb depletion.  My skin is looking tighter.  I’m a bit concerned about my legs/glutes but I think that the issues they are having have as much to do with my workouts suffering because of my hammy as anything the diet may be causing. 

Today was pretty much a bust.  Had a migraine caused by sinus pressure and slept most of the day.  I ate a bit–all the right stuff but didn’t really keep track.  I had 3-4 eggs at three different times that day and also made a tuna patty with an egg in it.  But that’s all I remember.  No carbs except for psyllium husk. 

 I should have worked back, but wasn’t feeling better before the gym closed. 

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Anabolic Diet, Day 14–Second Carb-up Day!

July 14, 2008

In A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: This day went better than my first carb up day.  But I still didn’t feel as good as I expected to.  Still kinda failing at hitting my macros.  LOL  It’s difficult for me to eat carbs without protein…not difficult to do, but difficult to wrap my mind around.  LOL 

Hunger: None.

Cravings: None.

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: Still feeling a little small, but definitely closer to normal

Workout: Leg day.  Definitely going to need to see chiro again.  My discomfort and weakness seems to be stemming from the front of my hip now…I realize this actually has been going on for a really long time now that I feel that sensation again.  It wasn’t making me so weak months ago, though…The good news is that I was able to half-ass it through my entire workout instead of simply having to stop.   

MEALS:

M1: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats in water, 1 scoop Beverly Ultra Size (chocolate), 1T peanut butter, 1 medium banana

Supplements: Beverly International’s Super Pak, Move Free Advanced plus MSM, HEB brand Calcium 1200 with D

M2: 1/2 cup Daisy 4% cottage cheese, 2 oz cashews

M3: 4 oz chicken, 6 oz sweet potato

M4: 6 oz sweet potato

M5: 1/2 cup oats, 1T peanut butter, 2T honey

1703 calories: 25/41/34 (p/c/f)
103g protein, 195carbs, 63fat

WATER: 1 gallon

LEG DAY

A2G Squats: 1×3 @ 115, 1×2 @ 115, 1×1 @ 115 (this should have been a pretty easy 5×5 exercise)

Hack squats: 3×8 @ 90

Strive Plie Press: 2×10 @ 190, 1×4 @ 230+10 @ 150

Smith Single Leg Press: 2×10 @ 70

Precor Prone Leg Curls: 3×8 @ 110
ss w/
Leg Ext: 3×10 @ 140

Precor Angled Calf Raise (enhanced negative): 1×10 @ 60

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Anabolic Diet, Day 13–FIRST CARB UP DAY!!!

July 10, 2008

For the last 12 days, I’ve been in the Induction Phase of the Anabolic Diet.  During that time I ate less than 30g of carbs per day, aiming for 35/5/60 (protein/carbs/fat).  Now I will switch to doing that 5 days out of the week and carbing up with macros of 10-15/45-60/30-40.

Carb-ups are supposed to last 24-36 hours or until you go past the point of extra vascularity and extra definition to smoothing out. 

A NUTSHELL:

Anabolic Diet: Thought I was going to enjoy this day a lot more than I have.  Starting with my oatmeal this morning, I felt nauseated and headachy.  Possibly because I didn’t get enough sleep last night, but I’m really not horribly tired.  The food tastes good…my body just doesn’t seem to know what to make of it.  It’s kinda like the first days of cutting carbs, except…I feel a bit ickier.

I have NO idea how people have such problems getting enough protein in their diet.  I went way over my macros in protein…had a bit more difficulty getting carbs, but I think I’ll have that sorted out tomorrow by eating more whole grains instead of jumping into eating fruit (I just really wanteds some fruit, dammit!). LOL

Hunger: None.

Cravings: Cashews.  There’s a reason I don’t normally keep them in my house!  LOL

Energy: Normal.

Mood: Normal.

Mental Clarity: Normal.

Physical Appearance: My dad looked at me with a concerned look today and told me I was looking skinny (he doesn’t live in town so he hasn’t seen me through this whole switching metabolisms thing.  I explained what was up with my diet and he looked at me like I was nutso.  LOL  Anyway, at the moment, I can see my veins a bit better and my arems are starting to look more like my own again.  I can feel some solid muscle!  YAY!  Belly looks like it’s “fattining up” a bit, surely from water retention, but not bloated. 

Workout: One of my 3 days off.

MEALS:

M1: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats in water, 1 scoop Beverly Ultra Size (chocolate), 1T peanut butter, 1 medium banana

Supplements: Beverly International’s Super Pak, Move Free Advanced plus MSM, HEB brand Calcium 1200 with D

M2: Mango, apple, grape and strawberry fruit salad, 1/2 cup Daisy 4% cottage cheese

M3: 2 oz cashews, 4 oz grape tomatos

M4: 6 oz sweet potato, 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

M5: Cantaloupe, kiwi and pineapple fruit salad

M6: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats in wate,r, 1T peanut butter, 2T honey (yes, looking for easy carbs…LOL)

1913 calories: 22/47/31 (p/c/f)
104g protein, 250g carbs, 65g fat

WATER: 1 gallon

 

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