I keep a mental note, but I'm so used to it that I've almost got it to decimal points when someone holds up any food product. Running joke among my friends. Just keep carbs to 30 or less. And YES, this is important because you are really bringing home the bacon (and fryin' it up)with respect to fats and protein. I am at 245lbs. I get 300g of protein and no more. The AD is very protein sparring and you can easily get by with even 1g/lb. Different animal than being a carb burner as these poor folks are always on the brink of the body breaking down muscle for gluconeogenesis.

With the AD, glycogen stays in the muscle longer and you use fatty acids to get your energy. This is not a ketogenic diet as everyone assumes. Once you full adapt you will be using FA's for your body fuel. Should be no ketones in your urine within 6 weeks or less.

Surge is a no-go for me. I wish they'd make a low carb version but there probably isn't the market for that yet. I consume, currently, hydrolyzed whey (360-520 daltons) just before my workout, and again about 20-30 minutes after. It tastes like dung, so you can mix some splenda and some sugar free jello mix in with it to help. I also like a few grams of BCAA's too. Then about 30 mins later I have some protein with heavy whipping cream (not whipped cream). Has worked well for me.

This all works better and better as you stay on the diet longer. To really fully adapt it takes around 6-8 weeks. Not to say that you don't see improvements sooner, but you will feel yourself hitting full throttle in the above time frame.

Best,
DH

And yes.. I like a little olive oil and/or some fish caps with the first post drink. Only about 10g or so. Then I hit about 40g of fat on my second post drink with regular protein mix (I like milk isolate w/WPC). Too much fat in the immediate post meal is a bit much on the gut, so I add just a minimum of healthy fats at this time.

DH

Just to let you know, my Italian-ness compells me to reccomend that you buy a quality, dark extra virgin olive oil in a tin.

For me, my first pwo meal is a whey shake and a few fish oil caps...I used to do some flax meal after but, well, it gave me some troubles. Then my second meal is higher in fat.

As for carb grams...as DH said, you will get very good at knowing how many carbs everything has. Personally I don't count fiber, so some vegetables, like spinach, are good for me...dark lettuce too. Keeping under 30 is actually easier than you think and will be easy once you get used to it.

I will say this, at first, I used to turn the weekends into binges, eating everything in site. But after all these years, I find that I get sick if I eat too much junk. It's like the longer I eat healthy, the more adverse reaction I get from junk.

hey DiscHoss,

I was wondering what your progress on the Anabolic/Metabolic Diet has been like, such as where did you start, and where are you now.

Preferably throw down some measurements of size increases, body fat %s, strength increases etc...

I've been trying to follow what you say about the A/MD in other threads and I'm probably going to start it up Monday (as I was just at a book store reading and taking notes from a book that Dr. DiPasquale co-authored because I'm really serious!).

Rock On.

Absolutely. This is the primo stuff, and should be what you consume. And if you really want the best stuff get the cold pressed extra virgin. Always in a tin can to protect from light. Perfetto, eh IL Cazzo?

DH

Good advice again from the esteemed IC. Just a bit of fat for post workout #1. More on #2. Fiber is free and need not be counted. No impact on blood sugar levels of any significance and you should aim for about 25g or more of fiber per day to keep you regular/healthy. I get this from nuts, veggies, and the occassional low carb bread slice. Also psyllium hulls are great for this too. Many of the fiber powders use maltodextrin to flavor so be careful. Those carbs will count. After your 12 day chop-bustin' break in period, you should strive to eat as many quality veggies as you can. Just be careful with peas and carrots. Avoid corn. Just do a carb content search online and you'll be good to go.

CARDINAL RULE: If it goes into your pie hole, you MUST count it's macronutient content. Be it food, liquid, condiment, sauce, gum, anything. Hey you ... that air you're breathing got carbs in it? That is the appropriate level of paranoia until this is second nature to you.

IC is right again on the ease of keeping under 30 when you really jack up your qualifying veggies. Also Hood makes an incredible low carb milk. This thing has only 2g CHO per 8oz glass and 12g of protein. Darn near a protein supplement drink, and it's so good my 8 yr. old son prefers it to regular choc milk. Now THAT is a testimonial.

Something no one has brought up yet that really should be discussed is the plethora of low carb foods that have hit the market. Avoid the vast majority. Some of the sugar alcohols don't impact blood sugar much, and some we really don't know about. BUT anytime you give your body an energy substrate of any kind, it will compete with your fatty acids for metabolic use. On the positive, you usually won't boost insulin with these, but on the negative you'll not be burning as much fat. Save it for the fat Atkin's ladies who want to suck down all their goodies and still lose weight. No guts, no glory. With the low carb milk, some low carb fajita wraps, and the proper low carb bread, you can really enjoy this diet. Especially during grilling season. Just subtract fiber from total CHO content and watch for sugar alcohols. Easy way is to look for the suffix -tol. As in sorbitol, malitol, xylitol, etc...
consider these to be metabolic brake pedals. Suck it up, cookie, you can do it.

And IC's final good advice, do NOT be an idiot on the carb loads. That being said many of you will anyway, and you'll learn quickly that it isn't the way to go. By all means have some cake, ice cream, pizza, etc.. but make sure that the majority of your needs are met with starches. The 75/25 rule works very well. And if you are trying to gain mass and eating 3,000 cals or more per carb day, then you get 1,800 cals or so of CHO. That's some serious eatin'. And NO don't worry about counting the cals and macros. Just eat plenty of breads, pastas, taters, yams, starchy veggies, oatmeal. Then you can shove some pizza and a shake down your throat.

Keep an eye on your body and it'll tell you when you've had enough. Don't listen to your appetite or you'll carb load till your 80. I highly recommend 36 hours. Come Monday (or Sunday) you'll be really pumped and strong. Think of me when you "wipe your hump on the rug" squat for an extra rep or two with ease. Might I even suggest crying out "My life for you!" (For all you King Dark Tower fans)

Questions...
Comments...
Monetary donations...

Anyone?, Anyone?

Best,
DH

Get back on this soon. Might even do an AD thread myself that focuses on how I do it and the things I've come across. Wouldn't mind IC and Morti Co-authoring since they have experience. Perhaps I'd call it The House that Hoss Built. Yeah, I'm a nursery rhyme buff in my spare time...

best,
DH

I am loving this diet!!! I am only a week and a half in, and it is the best thing I have ever done. I am not doing this diet to get ripped up, so I am eating like a freaking king. 18 eggs a day, at least six huge hamburgers a day covered in cheddar and Swiss cheese, lots of bacon, all the good stuff. I am taking a couple of tbls of fiber supplement a day to keep the pipes pumping. I am also eating vegges with three of my six meals and 5-10 fish oil pills with each meal too.
I can't wait for the Biotest to release their fatty acid supp, it's gonna be sweet!

Carb up is gonna be sweet too. I got 4 tubs of Surge I gotta use somehow:) I can say that this is not just gonna be a trend diet for me, but I whole new lifestyle. I am more pumped than I have been in a long while. Disc Hoss, Il Cazzo, and Robert Monti thanks for the tips. Lets keep this thing going.


Joe

Also all my workouts have been great. I thought going into this that I would always feel down and have no energy, which is how low carbs diets usually do me. I was wrong! I stay energized and I feel Grrreat!!! I wake up full too, which is really unusual for me. I can't wait to see how carb up effects me.

I'm lookin forward to it

DH

That would be awesome!

I know what you mean. I'm loving it and am pretty excited to see what happens.

The secret to making the transition a smooth one is to eat lots of calories. Dr. D. suggests at least 16x bodyweight (up to 18x) for a transition phase. You will adapt well and feel much better. Then once adapted (3-4 weeks we'll say) you can begin to fluctuate intake for particular goals such as mass or fat loss. Just keep the veggies, fiber, and fish oil on tap to keep things healthy. Many people mistakenly make the cross over doubley hard by not keeping energy up with the proper caloric intake.

Best,
DH

Anabolic Diet

Below is my diet, since starting the AD. Up to this point last night and today are the hardest as far as cravings. I?m really missing my oatmeal and blueberries, which I?ll be having in when I?m finally on my carb days. I?ve completed four days of high fat/high protein/low carb days and have not experienced being sluggish at all. Only 8 more days until I eat carbs! I might be eating upwards of 50% fat right now. I drank a Pepsi One last night at Wal-Mart ~ I hadn?t had soda for probably six months before that. I don?t plan to make that a habit. I also treated myself to Einstein?s coffee w/half-and-half this morning. I had stopped drinking coffee during the weekdays about a month ago, knowing that it can stress the CNS. The cutting out of coffee has really balanced my energy levels.

This morning as my girlfriend was laying on my chest she said she can already tell I?m ?tighter? with this diet. I wasn?t too sure that she was for the diet but now she is coming around. She is worried I?m not getting enough vegetables. I?ll be loading up on those during carb up both for her and my sake. If this thing is going to work she needs to be on my side, or at least that will make life easier for me. Matt likes when his woman is happy!

When I started this diet I had been going back and forth from 225 to 230lbs. @ 6ft 3in ~ I know that sucks! I want to eventually get to the 250 ? 275 lb range. I train strongman and got 2nd in my first contest last November. I train with a big Samoan guy and we flip tires, carry farmers, carry super stones and squat our asses off every Sunday. Tuesday and Thursday are free weights only.

In February I severed a ligament in my wrist ~ I was only able to front squat (couldn?t use my hands), Saftey squat bar movements and ab stuff. It helped me maintain my weight and gain weight/strength in my legs. I hit them twice a week. I quiet a bit of upper body mass to get back. I still have a good amount of swelling in my wrist after training but it is coming around. I plan to compete in Las Vegas NM on August 13 and at the Pueblo State Fair (Colorado) in late August or early September.

I?m tired of being skinny and I want to move up with the big dogs instead of competing lightweight (231 and below). I may get my ass kicked at first but should soon start kicking ass.

I took measurements after the first day of this diet and will post them since people will ultimately ask what are your measurments. This is the first time I have ever measured myself and I felt like a woman doing it. I thought it would help me know weather this diet is working for me. I?ll post more measurements whenever I feel like a body builder and take measurements again. I?m thinking of hot pink posing trucks with sequins. What do you guys think? Yeah right! That will be the day.

DIET


June 13, 2005

Breakfast:

4 slices bacon, 3 eggs, 3 Omega 3 complex

Postworkout:

1 scoop Low-Carb Grow!
3 grams Creatine

Lunch:

4 Omega 3 Complex

2 chicken breast, 1 cup spinach, 2 tblspoon olive oil, red wine vinegar

Snack:

1 scoop Low-Carb Grow!, 1 tblspn olive oil

Snack:

2 eggs

Dinner:

4 Italian Sausage, Spinnach, Olive oil, broccoli, celery

Before bed:

1 scoop Low-Carb Grow!, tblspn flax


June 13, 2005

Breakfast:

3 eggs, 4 slices bacon, 4 omega complex pills

Snack:

1 chicken breast, 1 oz cream cheese

Snack:

4 slices provolone

Lunch:

Four thick slices of roast beef, 4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese, 3 oz cream cheese

Snack:

2 Italian sausage

Dinner:

2 big hamburgers w/cheese

2 bowls of spinach salad


June 14, 2005

Breakfast:

1 egg, 1 Italian sausage

Snack:

3 thick slices of turkey, 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese, 2 oz of cream cheese

Lunch:

Broccoli, four slices provolone, 4 slices roast beef


Snack:

2 celery stalks, 1 oz cream cheese

Dinner:

12oz. Ribeye, broccoli


June 15, 2005

Breakfast:

2 scoops Low-Carb Grow!

Snack:

4 pieces provolone

Lunch:

4 slices cheedar cheese, 3 slices roast beef, 2oz cream cheese

Dinner:

1 Italian Sausage, 3 hamburgers

Before bed:

1.5 scoop Low-Carb Grow!, 1 tblspn Olive oil


June 16, 2005

Breakfast:

4 hard boiled eggs, 4 pieces bacon, Coffee with half and half

MEASUREMENTS unflexed

Arms 16inches
Waist 38inches
Thighs 26 inches
Hips 41 ? inches
Calves 16 ?
Forarms 13 ?
Chest 45 ?
Neck 16


TRAINING STUFF

Flipped 700(?) lb tire 7 times in a row

Clean and pressed 240 lb log

Best deadlift 485 needs work!

Carried 250 lb farmers 50 ft.

As you can see I need more strength but my athletic ability helped in my first contest.

This is a very interesting thread and also a very interesting diet. Ok so there is 2 forms of the diet tweaked for either body building or powerlifting? So my question is, I want to add raw power without gaining a ton of mass but some mass gain is fine by me. I could stand to gain 20-30 lbs over the next few years without it hindering my goals. My main concern is that I won't be powerlifting or body building at all. I lift total body once or twice a week depending on time and energy and it is mainly explosive moves such as O-lifts and ballistic throws and such. I also Golf 5-6 days a week.

DH or anyone else, would this diet, and i'm thinking the powerlifting variety would be better suited, help me along with my progress? Like I said, I am looking to gain explosive power #1 and possibly help my CNS recover as quickly as possible from many many rounds of golf. There are days when I just feel like poop out on the course and it seems like many of you are feeling amazing energy levels once adapted into this diet. I know it would probably be a bit of a guess, but maybe someone could steer me in the right direction.

Currently my diet is .... eat anything I want anytime i'm hungry. Now obviosly, I make good food choices 80 percent of the time, chicken, steak, I try to stay away from trans fats and hi GI carbs, but there really isn't much else rhym or reason to my diet.

If you need any other info about my current state of existance please feel free to ask.

V

Is all of the info that you guys have been laying out (ex - calories = 16-18 x bodyweight) in the book(s)? Or is this stuff that you guys have found to work through experimentation?

Sounds very interesting...should I just search under DiPasquale?

Many thanks to all the contributors of this thread, and sorry my for ignorance beforehand.

Tucker

Hey Mdragon,

I think you need to eat more. I weigh 195 or so and I eat more than this. Dischoss can probably tell you also that this diet really kicks your engines into high gear and Bud, you need the fuel! Try eating more at breakfast, 4 slices of bacon? A guy your size needs a pound and then a 4 egg omelete to go with it. You have the frame to get up with the 275ers now you just have to fill it in.

Barry

Ah, home again. Best thread going..

Mauro suggests 18x bodyweight for a starting point when you break in on the diet. Can be tweaked but is a good goal. You don't want to be getting hungry or losing more energy than what occurs naturally with the metabolic shift. Just weigh yourself on say friday morns and compare week to week. This will hit you at your lightest weight and give you a constant and consistent marker for comparison. Like any other diet, systematically alter caloric intake depending on goal... mass, fat loss, maintenance.

Vegita,

This diet is the best diet for overall 'energy' I have ever found. Something about the surge of good hormones this diet produces must have something to do with it. Since you have a good apetite the AD will be just the ticket. Make a food log for a few days and just count how many carbs you are currently getting. You will be surprised most likely to see your carb intake in the hundreds of grams. The basic AD calls for no more than 30 per day so judge from this benchmark.

One word of caution on the energy question. On the carb up weekends you can/will have some carb 'crashes'. Usually they come from too many muffins or brownies or whatever. It seems like processed foods cause more of a reaction than whole foods. So if you can get some Potatoes, rice etc. as the main carb up foods you can avoid a couch coma.

Barry

Welcome Vegita. The difference between the two is not great. Training will have more to do with explosive power and absolute strength. Eat the AD. The original is still the best, as the others are 99.9% the same with some supplement advertisements. Anyone who wants access to the AD can PM me for the location. It is no longer in book format, but it still comes with the video. Now the book is on CD-ROM.

Once you adapt to the diet, Vegita, you'll definitely have better recovery from your workouts as well as your daily activities. Golf, not being what most would consider anaerobic ;-), would be well fueled by fatty acids. In about 3-4 weeks you'll be humming along and will never get a blood sugar crash again. 95% or your daily activites are fueled by fat once you convert over. Only your training is fueled by glucose. It takes a significant threshold of effort to meet the anaerobic criteria to any meaningful level. My energy is always good and always sucks when some odd event forces me to have carbs too long. This is a real rarity, and every time I realize that I freaking hate carb based diets. And from the lethargy and GI distress I'd surmise they hate me too!

On mass, that's all in the calories, my friend. Even if you are doing an excellent program, you won't pick up weight unless you supply a surplus. What you will notice is an improvement of body comp on maintenance cals.

Coffee, used more than sporadically, will only prolong the inevitable. For CNS recovery, make sure to get fish oils and some tyrosine (2-4g). This is the main powerhouse in Power Drive. Check out Dr. Kinakin's interview with Shugart in the archives. Tyrosine is very effective at preventing overtraining by keeping neurotransmitters "topped off".

Best,
DH

More ??'s always welcome.

Well said and true, Barry.
Carb quality makes all the difference between feeling like a superman or feeling like a piece of crap.

DH

Anybody know why they should preferentially consume starches instead of sugars for the load? Beyond the obvious feeling of *suckage* that sugars cause. Too many at least.. I still throw down on the goodies too.

Anyone interested?

Maybe I'll start a tips/tricks aspect to this thread to give everybody the full understanding of the whys/hows so that we can mass produce disciples and then buy into the cattle market. Pay ourselves to get big!

DH

I am on day 4 of the AD and I was under the impression that you carb up in days 6 and 7. Are you supposed to wait until you have benn under 30g of carbs for 14 days until you have your first carb up? I didn't think so but another post made me wonder. Thanks for the info.

Everyone;

Do a google search on "the Anabolic Diet". There is a source for the CD-ROM and the video. Book is not in hard copy any longer. And if you want to print it, it's only about 100 pages.

Best,
DH

quote]tucker2024 wrote:
Disc Hoss wrote:
Ah, home again. Best thread going..

Mauro suggests 18x bodyweight for a starting point when you break in on the diet. Can be tweaked but is a good goal. You don't want to be getting hungry or losing more energy than what occurs naturally with the metabolic shift. Just weigh yourself on say friday morns and compare week to week. This will hit you at you lightest weight and give you a constant and consistent marker for comparison. Like any other diet, systematically alter caloric intake depending on goal... mass, fat loss, maintenance.



Disc Hoss -
I was just using that as an example. I guess I am really looking for the title of the book, and whether it completely lays the diet out, or not.

I had a little bit of trouble coming up with anything when I did a general search. Did you buy the book through a store, or online?

Thanks again,
Tucker
[/quote]

Yes. To guarantee a good start go the first weekend as normal on the AD. This will give you 12 days straight to wring every last bit of glycogen out of your hide and then you go 5-5 1/2 days low carb, then 36 hours of food orgy. For mass of course. If you want to cut, then just have a slow dance and some heavy petting. ;-)

Example. I start the AD on Monday, June 20th and go until Friday July 1st OR Saturday July 2nd for my carb load.

Best scenarios.
#1 Standard. Start carbing from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. Give yourself a break before bed Sunday night or you may not sleep well.

#2 My current. Start carbing on Friday morning or at lunch and go till Saturday evening.

Both ways give you *2* days effectively, but it's really @36 hours. That is a good duration. That is the best way to understand your 2 day load. All day Saturday (from about 8am) and all day Sunday (till about 6pm).

DH

I have an oddity to report and I was wondering if anyone experiences this...I'm not doing the AD, per se. I eat more along the lines of T-Dawg 2.0. I love my fruits and vegis.

Anyway, I've noticed that it's summer and everyone seems to be on a cutting diet, of course me included. However, I'm cutting with 4k+ cals a day. In the winter, I balloon up on that many cals a day. Hunger is something I never feel when I'm cutting. I think the main diff is I don't eat much in the way of sugar/simple carbs. Mostly fruit and vegis. I seem to hibernate in the winter and don't stop moving in the summer. Anyways, here's to not being hungry while cutting.!!!! Cheers

I assume that it has to do with the constant highs and lows of the processed sugars and the more level blood sugar that the starches will provide?

Please do a tips/tricks...I'll go in on an overtaking of the cattle market...I say we add buffalo I love that meat!

Sunlight stimulates metabolism and T levels, too.

DH

Thanks Hoss, See boys arms like the Hoss has don't come from tofu and rice cakes.

mdragon, you must live in the west to have eaten much buffalo. Here in Idaho there is a big buffalo ranch, or was, I heard the Doctor who ran it was selling out. Buffalo is really good meat though. Lean and mean. Wild game is good on this diet too. If you can get your hands on some smoked salmon, mmmm, mmmm! Elk is good too as is Deer (if you can get past the sagebrush taste).

Barry

Oh Yeah! Wild game is awesome for the AD. Makes you want to put a loin cloth on and eat without utensils. My grill works some serious overtime most of the year.

DH

Only when I really want to mass up do I dig out the tofu and rice cakes. Can't believe that got out. Gotta save something for my peeps to wonder about. ;-0

DH

Just purchased the Anabolic Solution for PL e-book yesterday, and I've started the strict phase today.

DH, is there really a difference in the AD compared to the AS? I've used the AD as outlined on T-Nation (Shugart's article) in the past with success, but it's been awile.

Looking forward to still being strong while dieting!

Also, if you know, is the 1-2 lbs/week guideline written in stone? I have easily 40 lbs to lose, but I'm not in a HUGE rush, either.

BTW, it's funny that this thread came up. I'd been comtemplating buying this book for a couple of months now. This thread got me of the fence.

Anvil
(my brother thinks meat is evil. he also has long hair and smokes ALOT of pot. Coincidence? Maybe...)

I'm in Colorado!

PM me for the addy to get the AD. No sense getting the AS as it is the same info with some supp advertising.

And IC is correct, you can lose more. My buddy, BookemD, has hit it hard a few times and dropped fast. Of course if he'd STAY away from the carbs he wouldn't have to binge diet. As long as your energy is up and your strength is maintained, you're cool.

DH

Help a Bruthuh out. Calling all techno-nerds.

Got a photo, but no matter how many times I crop it, it still shows size of 283K. Can't exceed 128 for an avatar. I'm considering a switch for some variety. I'm a complete moron with this stuff so it'll take a miracle.

Go to paint, click file, click open, go to my pictures or wherever it is saved, click all files from the drop down at the bottom, save it as a .jpg file at the drop down just above the all files drop down. If I don't make sense PM me and I'll call you.

Thanks all. You guys are so good to me... ;-)

DH

Oh boy, this is one sweet diet. I thought I would be sluggish, tired, week, and dying for some carbs. I am experiencing the opposite of all of these. Here is a sample of my diet so far today.

Meal 1: 1/2 scoop pro powder, six scrambled eggs, 3/4 cup of Cheddar cheese. eight pieces of bacon. 10 fish oil pills,1 liter of water
Meal 2: Same as above minus protein powder.
Meal 3: Pre workout? two scoops of Power Drive mixed with some strong green tea
Meal 4: PWO All you can eat BBQ beef, about 1-11/2 lbs. One huge salad with oil and vinegar. My training partner told me he has never seen anyone eat that much beef in one sitting:)
Meal 5:Two Bubba burgers, four pieces of cheese(Swiss, and cheddar), 10 fish oil pills, and two tablespoons of sugar free fiber supp.

My next meal will be the same as meal five and I will have some full fat cottage cheese and more fish oil before bed. Today I was kind of lacking in the veggie department, but I will make up for it tomorrow. I have never consumed so much fish oil in my life. Hopefully I won't grow gills:) One more week until carb up, and I could care lees. I love cheese!

Joe

It IS a sweet ride. Just be aware that you might hit a wall, but tough it out. This makes all the difference. When I first did it, I was feeling like I had the flu by Friday. Few days later and I'm jumping out of the bed in the morn. GF was amazed as I always hated mornings.

DH

Take some pro powder right before your workouts (whey~ about 30g) and then another about 30 mins after. Then hit the solids.

DH

I'm glad it worked. Thank you for all your help! Dude your hyouge! Maybe if you have someone else take the picture...it would come out better.

That or I've got "the Palsy" or something. BFG has a scientific theory behind it all that really is impressive. :0

DH

mdragon, that is a valid point and one that does play into your choice of CHO on the AD. The big one is that starches are broken down into glucose primarily with small amounts of fructose. Glucose preferentially fills the muscle while fructose heads to the liver. Sucrose (table sugar in your sweets) is a dissacharide and has a larger fructose content that will allow the liver to be full faster and then when you begin carb depletion, the liver will continue to spike and drop your blood sugar levels for hours until it is depleted again.

Better to focus on filling muscle glycogen stores to the max. Also sucrose and fructose stimulate fat creating enzymes. So keep your loads smart. Have your goodies, but do it after you've consumed quality carbs. You'll feel better, look better, and your appetite won't get you into trouble by driving you to down a gallon of Ben & Jerry's.

DH

I just finished reading the book. Man, the more I read, the better this diet looks. I don't think I've eaten real, (read:not cottage), cheese in about a year. One question for those who have been on it for awhile: In his book DiPasquale recommends these four "liquid formulas". Are you guys taking these, or not? I haven't heard anyone sound off about them.

Aw shucks! ;-).

DH

No need. Just keep an eye on here for pre and post workout basics. Let the food do the growin'.

Best,
DH

Alright! That's what I hoped you would say, those things looked like a bitch to make. I'll hang around too, I had some questions about proper pre- and post-workout nutrition. Thanks!

I never took any of Dr. D's formulas...actually, my supplement bill is low on the diet. Basically, I use protein powders like Grow!, fish oil caps, flax seed meal and a multi. Tis all. The cool thing is, that once you shift to a fat and protein based diet, your T-levels will improve. Feel like an-i-mal.

BTW, thanks for the avatar info, I got it working...now I just need a better, more recent pic.

Ya know, I'm wondering if doing this would be a good option for me. I tend to have a hard time dealing with insulin spikes, even post w/o. Then tend to send my body into this almost closed circuit loop of 'need more carbs,' whereas at other times of the time day when it's just P+F and low-gi veggies and fruits, I'm fine.

Would it be feasible to say cycle onto the diet for a 4 week period and then cycle off into a more T-Dawg 2.0 style diet? Or is this an all or nothing commitment to forsaking the CHO lifestyle forever?

The AD offers the best and consequently most "hardcore" approach to the muscle kingdom. That being said, you won't be "far from Eden" by bumping your QUALITY veggies and SOME fruits from time to time. Just be aware that it's never a good idea to be consuming large quantities of fats, yes even good ones, (say 40% or more) and bumping carbs together.

Feel free to intelligently experiment, but realize the Dr. D say's NO screwing around with the diet if you are consuming serious cals. F + C is a real time bomb. Also, because you include more CHO in your diet overall, you shouldn't do the standard carb load. You'll not be glycogen depleted to the same levels and, once you have filled the muscle and liver, you really increase the likelihood of adding body fat. The sugars have no where else to go. You're still burning a combination of fats with some carbs, but you're eating too many carbs to allow for a load. In short, it would be more of a controlled carb diet all the time instead of the carbo feast and famine cycle of the AD.

Beverly has a good diet for those types of folks that is 50%P, 30%F, and 20%CHO. But you must not carb load and only have the occassional "cheat meal" maybe once a week or so.

The AD is so much more fun! ;-)

Clear?

Best,
DH

Hey, IC. What is going on in the Avatar?

DH

Yeah, AD seems very all or nothing. What draws me to it is that fits my nutrition personality to a T. I'm either perfectly "on" (parameters of macronutrient or caloric consumption seem irrelevant), but once a deviation occurs, it's like the apocalypse hit. When I cheat, I tend to cheat very much in the AD guidelines. Quality carb sources (whole grains mostly - whole wheat bagels, fat-free popcorn, high fiber cereals). Hmmm. This deserves due consideration. And your size and BF % are extraordinary - a true testament to the efficiency of this diet.

When you say "about 30 mins after" do you mean 30 mins after the first shake, or 30 mins after the workout?

My interest in the Anabolic Diet is piqued.

Would this be appropriate for a PL that adheres to a traditional Westside split? I want to lose some of the "useless" weight I've accumulated over the past year or so.

EDIT: The print version is no longer available? Crap.

I just got the PDF of the anabolic diet about 5 minutes ago! looks like I got some reading material!

Where did you get the PDF from?

You can search on some file sharing systems and luck out.

post workout. Your pre will keep you going well until then. Not written in stone by any means. Just somewhere soon after to start hammering the aminos in a piggy back fashion to your pre shake.


DH

Dr. D's site. Sells his Anabolic Solution (same as the AD with some supp ads) for BB's and for PL's.

Both are $40.00 each.

DH

And just for fun, IC gets on all fours and drags the shed around the yard too!

I'm totally impressed. Always had great respect for SM (strong man)type movements. Must be very difficult with shifting loads and poor gripping possibilities. Great stuff IC.

DH

pretty much so. And I too am an all or nothing guy. Really a blessing and a curse isn't it... Seems like your not you're own boss at times. ;-).


The AD seems best for this personality type even more. The only time you have to "down shift" is when you walk away from the load on Sat or Sun evening. But it's easy to bear when you know another will be coming soon, and tomorrow morning ... eggs and bacon await. :0.

On a standard diet, you have to become too involved for the all or nothing guy.

DH

And thanks for the compliments. Positive words are always great from other lifters.

Is it possible to due this diet witout eating Pork? I dont have pork in my diet kind like to keep that way but like the sounds of the diet so far!

google the diet's name and you'll find plenty of places to buy it (just as DiscHoss has said before!)

I also said that you could probably search for it on limewire or another file sharing service and luck out. (this part made the post, it was edited so I could see why people think I just downloaded it online)

I don't have the PDF, my friend from the gym printed it all out for me and has given me a notebook with 111 pages in it to read. He said he used Limewire to find it.

This is why I cannot send anyone the PDF, I have it in HARDCOPY not on my hard drive or on a CD (and NO, I'm not about to retype it into word for you cheepskates!)

Well, I've thought it over and decided to give this diet a shot. This week my boss is out of town, so I can be a little light-headed at work. I'm also due for an off-week as far as training goes, so I'll be lifting much less and doing less intense cardio. Seems like the perfect time to start, eh? I'm starting the diet tommorow, June 20th.

My calories will be around 2900-3000 per day, broken into 6 equal meals of 40g Pro and 30g Fat. For CHO, I'm going to try to stay at the low end, (less than 20g),as Doc. D recommends in his book.

The first week I'll be re-testing my max lifts and performing some light cardio, (uphill X-Vest walks). After that I will do the ABBH program for 3 weeks and gauge my results. I just finished the program, so this should provide a good barometer of how well the diet works for me.

Right now I'm sitting at 5'7.5'', 162 at around 10-12% bodyfat. I do not anticipate much weight gain, but I am hopeful of some positive body composition changes. I was going to use some Methoxy-7, however, in the interest of accuracy, I will only be using Low-Carb Grow!, fish oil tabs, a fiber supplement, a multivitamin, and the occasional vitamin-c and calcium supplement. I will be using whey protien shakes for my pre and post workout meals as outlined by DH is previous posts.

Sorry for the hijack, I can start a new thread if needed. I just wanted to lay it all out for myself so I know what I'm getting myself into. I guess I got kind of carried away there.

Chuck, looks great. Enjoy.

And I'm still reeling from finding people on Earth who don't want bacon on the AD.. Stop the Insanity...

I eat plenty of: olive oil, fish oil caps, some Cod liver oil in winter mostly, bacon (entirely unnecessary)
steak, pork steak, ground sirloin, ground chuck, chicken breast, whole chicken, eggs, cheese (real not cheese food), real butter, smart balance butter, almonds (raw), raw walnuts, natural peanut butter, heavy whipping cream, cauliflour, brocolli, green beans, onions, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, cream cheese, deli steak, deli turkey, salmon steaks, shrimp, green peppers, cucumbers, red peppers, ceasar salad dressing, ranch salad dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, tomatoes (7g for a full one), every herb and spice on Earth, and much more...

Also for our pleasure:
Hood low carb milk (choc and whole are my favorites).
Low carb fajita shells (minus the fiber, I've found them as low as 5g each to be used for steak and chicken fajitas or a breakfast burrito.)

Sugar free jello with some Cool Whip

Healthy Life low carb bread (minus fiber leaves 5g per slice. If you are smart AND have ALREADY adapted to the diet you can leave enough CHO from you limit to have a steak and cheese deli sandwich with the veggies and mayo.)

Heinz low carb Ketchup (1g per tbsp)

Pork Rinds with some low carb salsa is great too.

And our good friend Splenda. Use for baking some low carb goodies, for your coffee with the heavy cream, or mix it with your nasty hydrolyzed whey to remove that lovely after vomit/jock strap taste.

DH

On what Disc Hoss wrote:

Thanks DH, I plan on it. I already know what I'm eating tommorow morning, the thing I've been wanting for about a year, Spam and eggs baby! Oh, and Low Carb Ketchup? Hell Yeah! I love this diet!

My normal weekly fare consists of such items as:

Lean beef, chicken by the truck load, many eggs, bacon or canadian bacon, spinach, broccoli, olive oil, flax meal, green tea, pork, salmon, the occasional lobster, crab or shrimp, red or green leaf lettuce, mixed nuts when I just need a little something...protein powders, water, cheese (good greek and italian cheese), once in a while some italian lunch meats (procchuito, etc), tuna, and grass fed beef.

Now, this weekend included such lovely carb ups as:

A box of Fruity Pebbels

A PWO shake with 2 scoops of chocolate whey mixed with a box of low fat, sugar free Pastachio pudding...this is good enough to punch someon for.
Actually, I look forward to my friday night and saturday PWO shakes because I mix them with various flavors of pudding and they are excellent.

I was wondering if this diet would be better geared toward certain bodytypes, i.e., mesomorphs as opposed to ectomorphs (which is what I am)?

It's darn near a panacea for everyone, regardless of somatotype. And of course we all now that no one is a pure meso, endo, or ecto. This diet is EXACTLY what you need Camaro Hair. Say is your "other hair" some Trans Am Hair? ;-)

DH

Youre quote]Camaro Hair wrote:
I was wondering if this diet would be better geared toward certain bodytypes, i.e., mesomorphs as opposed to ectomorphs (which is what I am)? [/quote]

I would be remiss if I did not emphasize one more time:

PLENTY of fresh veggies. (watch labels)
SOME fresh blueberries and strawberries
(HIFWAC fruits) High Fiber/water content)
2-3g of DHA/EPA per day
PLENTY of monounsat. fat (Olive Oil)
PLENTY of fiber (at least 20g daily.

Rest of the sat and unsat fat from foods will keep the T levels nice an high.

And the big back breaker...

COUNT ALL ITEMS THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH (no dirty comments) AGAINST YOUR CARB LIMIT.

Fiber does NOT count.

Want everyone to be healthy. Also it is always smart to have blood work done before the diet and then a while after you've been on. The diet shows great benefit with repect to cholesterol levels (which are beginning to lose importance in the research world) and more importantly triglyceride levels, but CHECK yourself out. Just do it both before and after so that you don't wrongly attribute anything to the diet. Be smart.

FYI. Niacin, in the correct dosage, has been touted to drop cholesterol around 25%.

DH

Time to fess up. On my first carb load, I ate nearly a dozen donuts and a half gallon of chocolate milk. In fact, a guy that I used to train went on it with me in 95, when if first came out. We would joke that if they put each of us in opposite corners of the gym and thew a glazed donut in the middle, there'd be Hell to pay on Friday afternoon for any onlookers who got mixed in the stampede. Wife used to tell people to hide their children when I came over to eat.

IC's box of Fruity Pebbles got me to laughing. The AD is fun, and you'll learn some hard lessons from too much junk. But at the same time, NO other diet gets you in position for such an explosion of food. Dig in, just know when to jump out!!

DH

Well, its time to train and then eat. My dad will be over soon and my little guy just bought me a CD burner. He (son) likes to write my numbes in my log book for me. ;-)

Food and fam today.

Happy Father's Day to all to whom it applies on here.

Best,
DH

Can the anabolic diet accomodate vigorous energy systems work? Right now I'm in the midst of Waterbury's TBT. On my off days, I run sprints (HIIT) for 20min.

Yep. calories are key.

DH

DH, thank you for the info. I didn't realize that you don't count the fiber in things. Tommorow I probably would have gone without much in the way of veggies had you not said anything.

I'm off to do some interval sprints, then to the store!

Where do you get your fiber from? I thought products like Metamucil were out due to the malodextrin content, though it the label reads 0g of sugar, and the 5g of CHO comes from the fiber.

Metamucil's label states 0g of carbs or sugar, but the component breakdown includes maltodextrin. Why is that not included in the label? How do I know how to treat it in my CHO total? Thanx.

Also, for those of you who are not used to eating a lot of fiber...work it in slowly. If you normally are getting less than 10 and suddenly jump to 30...well, you'll notice the change...explosively. hahaha No, seriously, add it slowly.

Holy Crap! An all fruit carbload. Now THAT would put you in for some "potty time". My buddy BookemD and I used to do some work on an apple orchard. While be pressed them into cider, we would swig on a half gallon ourselves(pre AD lest anyone gasp and guffaw). Between the apples, pears and cider we tore that bathroom door's hinges off! Add to it that the bathroom was the only place to get some warmth on the whole plantation (from a space heater) and you had some serious traffic goin' on in there. The pectin volumes we must've taken in are unreal.

DH

IC, I kid you not, I can eat oatmeal or jelly beans and get an arm pump within a half hour without doing anything. Can't notice it that fast with anything else. What the??

Well guys, I just did my first carb up on the AD. I work nights from 2300-0700, so I started this morning at 8 after work, and I think I'm done now. As a FFB, I'd like to start low and increase the length of the carb up only if it seems appropriate.

Anyway, I ate mostly some homemade gumbo for my carbs, also some Taco John's and doughnuts...but mainly rice, beans and meat.

I got the most incredible thirst from this chow-down. Is this some synergy between the water holding effect of glycogen supercompensation and the sodium from the gumbo? Whatever it is, I feel like a big lumbering animal, I;m so full of muscle juice.

I would also like to talk more about periworkout nutrition on the AD.

I've ordered up some free form amino tablets and bcaa's. Wouldn't these be preferable to hydrolysate? I'd like to hear your thoughts on dosage. I was thinking 10 grams of total protein from the amino tabs and the extra bcaa's for my pre workout and the same after. I am going to add about a gram of epa from fish oil to the second serving, and take some bromelain tabs with the first.

The AD seems to be very protein sparing, so I don't think I need to go nuts with supplements, amd I'm already getting lots of protein the rest of the day.

I hit the wall. I was cruising along into my 8th day and boom there it was like a brick shit house. It fell on me and I couldn't get up! Sunday is Strongman event day so I'm at the gym and we start with 5 flips of the 700# tire and then immediately move to the 220# farmers and I can barely lift the farmers. I'm supposed to do two sets I my forearms will barely hold them for 3 yards. After about five drops I got it 50ft. Then I rest forever. Did five tire flips pick up the farmers and have to lay down. I finish the farmers after about 3 min. rest. I finish the rest of the workout but I'm not myself. I hadn't weighed myself since starting AD and so after the workout I weigh myself and I'm down 8lbs. Is this normal.

My girlfriend says I am more cut now than I was 8 days ago. I know for sure that I am eating more calories...Please let me know DH, and IL Cazzo am I fucking up somehow or is this normal? Should I be dropping weight at this point or do I need to eat more?

Mdragon...

If you were into a regular carb based diet before the AD, then yes, you may have hit a wall. No worries, it will pass and you'll end up much stronger.

If you are on day 8 of the first 12 low carb days, then it's normal. Push through it, get to the weekend, carb up, and next week you'll be walkin those farmers bars all over the place.

"The AD seems to be very protein sparing, so I don't think I need to go nuts with supplements, amd I'm already getting lots of protein the rest of the day."

I agree. My supplement bill is ultra low. Basically, I have my pwo shake and maybe a small (one scoop) shake before bed. Between the eggs, fish, flax, and olive oils, I'm never hungry and actually have to remind myself to eat most of the time.

I don't take any other supps at this time. Protein, flax meal, and fish oil caps...although, I don't even really consider those supplements.

"IC, I kid you not, I can eat oatmeal or jelly beans and get an arm pump within a half hour without doing anything. Can't notice it that fast with anything else. What the?? "

DH,

For me, it's cereal. I get the pump without getting the bloat or tiredness from other carbs. I guess we all react differently.

On the all fruit carb up...I tried it for one day but didn't end up eating that much...all the water in the fruit filled me up so damn fast.

Mdragon,

If you went from a lot of carbs to under 30 a day, you'll drop some water weight at first. Just keep an eye on the mirror, your measurements and the scale...I think all 3 are needed.

Day eight and still going strong. I am down about 10 lbs. It is mostly water and Glycogen, possibly a little fat. I have been eating about 1500 kcals over maintenance, but I appear a little more ripped? I guess it is all the water and glycogen loss, but damn I look good. Waist is shrinking and oblique's look huge :) I have been strong in the gym, which I didn't expect not eating any carbs. I can already tell that this is the diet to get huge and ripped. Four days until carb up and no cravings. I think I found the holy grail:)

Joe

I felt like I had a near death experience when I hit the wall during my metabolic shift. Seriously. I was lying on the decline bench and just moaned while a friend of mine said those awful words. "You look kinda puny today." She horrified me. It cannot be emphasized enough, this diet will bust your chops at some early point when you finally deplete your glycogen stores. Sooner or later. BUT that is good because it takes this bottoming out to move to the top.

Everyone is doing fine. Just keep the cals up. Your body will do two important things: 1) you will force it to alter krebs cycle substrate use to burn fat. 2) you will begin to become more efficient at not only sparing protein but ALSO holding carbs in the muscle. Whatever you give the body in short order, it will attempt to hold onto. Holding water, drink some more. Holding fat, eat some more fat. Eat fewer carbs, teach the body to be stingy with them and tap them only when necessary.

You win all the way around.

Hang in there, it's worth it.

BTW, that day's bench workout never happned. I knew not to push it. That call is up to you, just be aware of this and have some spotters if you are going heavy... VERY important. I'd suggest a few days of active recovery instead. Soon, though, you'll be moving along.

DH

MDragon, I was very carb based before the AD. 50carb/40pro/10fat. Well.. it was the early 90's. I think the more carb dependent you are, the harder the conversion is. You're at the money spot now, big guy. Heavier tires are just around the corner.

DH

My supp use is currently:

Whey (hydrolyzed, but WPI works too)
Use for pre and post meals.

Milk protein isolate/WPC combo for genaral use and quick cals. Mixed with olive oil and a few tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Sugar free jello too. *Low-Carb Grow! would be fine here.*

Creatine (5g per day to be sure as per Dave Barr. I get a bit more than suggested just to cover bases)

Multi nutrient caps
Extra Vit. C, E, B's.
Fish Oil caps
Power Drive (to prevent CNS fatigue and to keep me out of the coffee so much)

Some extra minerals such as Zn, Mg.

I also experiment with some herbs from time to time. Avena, tongkat, tribulus, etc..

I also like Calcium D-Glucarate for preventing E increases. I'm paranoid about environmental estrogens.

Very simple, mostly food based. Very effective.

DH

If you want to support T-Nation then Low-Carb Grow!, Power Drive, and ZMA would all fit nicely in the above. Adding HOT- ROX, Carbolin 19, or some of the T boosters would be fine too for specific effect/use.

Dh and all,
How long should I wait before upping the calories from the recommended 18X bodyweight?

I ask because before this I was doing Massive Eating, and taking down 4700 or so cals per day. Now that I'm supposed to be getting 3000, I'm wondering how long I should wait till I up my cals. Maybe after that initial water/glycogen loss?

I'm interested in other's thoughts on whether or not the AD would be good on a MAG-10 bulking cycle? I'm of the opinion that a more standard diet consisting of plenty of carbs would go best with pro-hormone use, but I'd like to hear anyone else's experience/ideas.

Quick question, how long do you do the startup phase, 12 days, or 5 days, then a carb up on the first weekend?

I have been following this thread in hopes of actually finding the details of this anobolic diet however, lots of talk about the diet but no where to be found is the diet itself. Can any one provide that for me? I also searched the archives for it and could not locate it. If I need to purchase a book I will (author?) but if I can get it here it will be to my financial advantage...thanks.

The "book" is called The Anablic Diet, and is written by Dr. Mauro Pasquale. I inclosed "book" in quotes because it is no longer available as a book, but only as a PDF and video bundle.

I was lucky enough to find a copy at a local used bookstore, you might try at a place like this if you really dislike PDF's. Hope That Helps!

Feel free to do so now. The 18x was a security buffer to prevent people from "dieting" while trying to do the metabolic shift. Bump them cals, bro.

Just get your GOOD fats too.

DH

option 1:
Dr. D's site. Do a search on the Metabolic Diet. Buy the AS as it is the same as the AD.

Option 2: Go to google (GOOGLE only)and search it. In one of the descriptions (usually the third one)you'll find a place to buy the old AD that is now on CD-ROM w/ the original video.

Best,
DH

You're doing great, Mdrag.
The SB diet.. that's great. Comparing an AMC Pacer to a Lexus.

And I love that barbell. Everybody should use tires for plates. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "wheels" on the bar.

DH