Amanda76 
"Can't wait for it to be summer!"
|
| Created: | 06/27/2008 |
| Total Visits: | 2415 |
| Total Blog Entries: | 26 |
| Total Comments: | 32 |
|
October 5, 2008
My experiment with the Anabolic Diet came to an abrupt halt on Sunday, September 21st. A bit over a week prior, I started not feeling well and quit looking forward to meals at all. Was "gumming" my food like a baby.
On the 17th, I made eggs for breakfast and could only eat a couple of bites of the white. Went to work and had a handful of nuts around meal 2 time…the thought of eating more eggs (like I normally would) filled me with actual dread. At lunch (when I’d normally eat ground beef), I could only handle a cup of chicken broth and tried to nibble on some swiss chard. I didn’t eat anything for the rest of the day and went to bed as soon as I came home from work (sometime between 5 and 6). I woke up in the morning, feeling super-weak and exhausted and had to call in sick. I slept until 1 in the afternoon, had some more broth and decided I needed to move my carb up up a day. I went to the store and bought soup, crackers, gatoraide, ginger ale and the usual "sick people" foods. Started feeling immediately better. The next day I continued my carb up as usual.
On Saturday, I tried going back to eating the high fat portion of my diet. "Gummed" the fatty meat down. But eggs…OH-MY-GOD, EGGS. Every time I ate eggs, I had to lay down and nap to keep from letting the feeling of nausea send me to the toilet. I STILL can’t eat egg yolks without getting the same feeling I get when I try to drink liquor I’d gotten way to trashed on in the past (I can’t even smell goldschlager or jager without feeling sick…egg yolks are doing the same thing to me atm). I dealt with it until Sunday night and finally just decided, "screw it," and have gone back to my 40/40/20 - 50/30/20 ways.
Since dumping AD, I realize I pretty much felt like crap the whole time I was on it. I did not realize how tired (to eventually exhausted) it was making me until I quit. It’s kinda funny because I mention people not knowing how bad they feel eating the wrong things until they start eating the right things and I just put myself through that again, fully knowing that happens! LOL The wishful thinking that my body was finally starting to do better on it was just that–"wishful thinking." I tried to be positive about it (attitude is everything, after all  ). Most of the positive things I got out of it were only positive when compared to how I felt during the first two weeks, though. The cons of the Anabolic Diet far outweighed the pros, for me:
PROS: Less water under the skin
………..Abs look better than ever
………..Skin more clear than usual
………..Fatty meat and eggs are cheaper than lean meat and produce
………..No hunger
CONS: Loss of strength
………..Loss of endurance
………..Loss of muscle volume (limbs look small)
………..Butt looked saggy and awful a lot of the time
………..Loss of body’s sex drive (mind was still excited about the idea but body didn’t know what to do with that info)
………..Loss of appetite to the point that eating what I needed to was miserable.
………..Not knowing what appearance would be from day to day
………..Bloating for no apparent reason at times
………..Pale skin
………..Tired all the time
………..Tight, uncomfortable lungs/metallic, blood-like taste that seemed to come from lungs
…………I’m not a big fan of fatty meats
*I might have to update this list if I think of anything else as I reflect upon my experience*
So, really, the only thing about my physique that I liked better was that I was drier looking more often…totally not worth it when I could get the same effect from a shorter term carb depletion as though preparing for a competition. I think I’ll have to play with how to peak for a competition a few times.
I mentioned that my skin was more clear on AD…funny thing about that is I’ve gotten TONS of compliments on my skin since quitting AD. People say I don’t look so pale lately (odd since I skipped tanning as I started feeling bad) and that I have a glow to my skin. Other people commented I’m looking more like myself lately. Healthier. A guy who I’ve known at the gym for years said I’ve looked a lot more like I’ve wanted to be there the last couple times he’s seen me and that I’d been looking like I was struggling to be alive over the last few months…LOL
Supposedly, Anabolic Diet is a "lifestyle." Not for me. I was at a point where I should have started feeling GREAT on it. I felt the best around weeks 8 or 9 and things started going back downhill from there.
Over the last 3 months I lost 2 lbs during the first 2 weeks I was on Anabolic Diet…I did that while trying to consume 1,800 cals per day. I lost inches through my glutes and quads…but I fear a lot of it wasn’t fat. Most of my size/weight loss happened at the beginning of the diet and then "measureable losses" stalled. I felt like I looked leaner off and on. Kinda depended on the day, though…and leading up to the week I started feeling sick, I felt like I was puffy all the time.
Since I quit, I’ve felt like I’ve been in recovery from a major illness. The week I got sick, I should have gone to the gym Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I took Friday through Monday off and only worked out Tuesday and Thursday. Starting the 28th of Sepetember, I decided to do low volume Max-OT style workouts as I continue to recover and have been getting sore doing a lot less work than I had been doing…I was pretty shocked because I expected for Max-OT to be a pretty good rest for now. But I am feeling good in the gym again. Have a lot of strength to regain, but I feel good to be there. 
I meant to take some official "after" pictures, but once I started to get sick I lost interest in putting effort into a lot of things including something that was going to require a lot of running back and forth and frustration like self-timed picture taking. LOL I have progress pics on my bodyspace that show how I was looking on good days of the Anabolic Diet, though. So I guess that’ll have to suffice.
I’ll check back in, in a couple of weeks to report how the carbs are treating me.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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.
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
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
Posted in Training, Nutrition, Anabolic Diet
|
View all comments | Leave Comment