[dhuge67]

It's rough going from eating around 200-300 grams of carbs a day to less than 30 a day. However, now that I'm a few days into the Anabolic Diet, I'm starting to see how I will be able to deal with the carb restriction. The good thing is that I'm not hungry at all, but I do miss carbs.

I'm taking in an absurd amount of fat; about 65% of my calories are from fat. Olive oil, fish oil (40 g a day), natural PB, steak, eggs, hamburger, cheese, etc.

Today I took in around 165 grams of fat with 250 or so grams of protein.

I know it's going to be hard to stick this low-carb thing out for another 8 days and still lift hard, but I'm DOING IT. It's worth it to me if this style of eating will really put me into a fat-adapted state and have me using my own fat stores as energy (what could be better?).

The eventual carb-up is keeping me sane, and knowing that they will occur every 5 days (after this initial 12-day induction phase) is a comforting thought.

Anyone else here on the Anabolic Diet? If so, do you have any good meal suggestions?

Also, what is a tell-tale sign that you have become fat-adapted? My breath is weird-smelling right now and I am lethargic and mentally foggy. I'm going to take Venom Hyperdrive tomorrow to help with it.

Anyway...rant over, thanks for listening or taking the time to reply.

PS - I love flavored BCAA drinks like Xtreme Formulations.

[drewh10987]

Do you have a link to some more info or anything you could give me about this. I'd be interested in learning a little more about this. Good luck with your diet also, it sounds like it might be a tough one to stick to.

[dhuge67]

Originally Posted by drewh10987

Do you have a link to some more info or anything you could give me about this. I'd be interested in learning a little more about this. Good luck with your diet also, it sounds like it might be a tough one to stick to.

http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=658379

[drewh10987]

Thanks man.

[Insidious1]

To the original poster...

What are your reasons for going on SUCH a low carb diet?

I did a diet like that and dropped a good 20lbs in 1.5 months or so... got my abs back.. but now i want to bulk BACK up to where i was (weight wise) but WITH my abs....

I was HUGE into the low carb thing.... but a sustained low carb diet sorta depleted me of enery, even after 4-5 days (i would carb up every 4-5 days aswell...)

I have noticed, especially when trying to do a REALLY clean and lean bulk... that "carb cycling" (also can be found at t-nation) worked GREAT! Cycling from high to low throughout the week. With one day having darn near NO carbs...

Anyways... interested to hear your thoughts views....

[phatkid77]

i too am 4 days in....like it alot!!!

down 6-9lbs.....although i just want BF% to drop 10% or so...dont care about weight....

when i feel its time to get off, i am going to go on the carb cycling....

phats

[dhuge67]

Originally Posted by Insidious1

To the original poster...

What are your reasons for going on SUCH a low carb diet?

I did a diet like that and dropped a good 20lbs in 1.5 months or so... got my abs back.. but now i want to bulk BACK up to where i was (weight wise) but WITH my abs....

I was HUGE into the low carb thing.... but a sustained low carb diet sorta depleted me of enery, even after 4-5 days (i would carb up every 4-5 days aswell...)

I have noticed, especially when trying to do a REALLY clean and lean bulk... that "carb cycling" (also can be found at t-nation) worked GREAT! Cycling from high to low throughout the week. With one day having darn near NO carbs...

Anyways... interested to hear your thoughts views....

I will probably not maintain this diet as a lifestyle change, but will transition off into a carb-cycling approach (like the poster before me said) when I feel it's time.

I like this version of dieting because you're not hungry at all. High fat and protein with zero-30 grams of carbs is not a big deal when intake is still around 2,650 calories a day. Once fat adapted, I will slowly bring down the total fat (and thus caloric) intake and will hopefully lose more fat at that point, and when i'm happy i'll go right into cycling.

Also of note, though, is that the Anabolic Diet can be used to put on serious mass. If you ratchet up total intake you're going to gain weight (I.E. muscle mass) regardless of carb restriction (which really isn't restricted since you get them in bulk every 5 days).

PS - the reason for going on such a low carb diet? I am not very carb tolerant and even eating 100-150 grams a day can add fat to me pretty quickly. This is a way for me to get a lot of calories and still build muscle, while simultaneously lose fat (as it is burned for fuel).

[HITscientist]

Realize that our internal biochemistry is what makes our "metabolic type". Only REAL way to determine that is through hair tissue mineral analysis testing via a lab. This test tells you out of the 15 biggest chemical components, where your body stands compared to the ideal levels. These results produce dietary directions to follow, such as which foods to decrease to avoid any further problems or metabolism slow down, and which foods will increase your chances of building a ideal profile for you body chemistry.

The Anabolic Diet is awesome, IF you are a certain metabolic type. If not, it is the worst thing you could be doing. Certain people need less fats and less dairy products and certain people need higher fats and exclusively dairy products for their system to run efficiently.

You may wonder how this has anything to do with building muscle and bodybuilding, well if you can learn one thing today, it has EVERYTHING to do with bodybuilding. The better state of equilibrium you have with your body chemistry the easier time you have BUILDING muscle and LOSING bodyfat. You basically turn your body into a fu**ing machine!

[mbj0186]

There's absolutely no way one could maintain muscle long term on such a diet. Carbohydrates (glycogen) are the body's primary fuel for anaerobic exercise...hands down. Fat CANNOT be converted to carbohydrates, it's metabolically impossible. Protein can be converted to carbs, but it's not ideal and may require extreme amounts which can cause havoc on your kidneys and liver in the long run.

And a diet of 65% fat is absolutely insane. Maintaining a diet this high in fat for a prolonged period will have you on the operating table getting a triple bypass in no time. You'll be lucky to live to 60 on a diet that high in fat.

This diet long term is, in my opinion, a no-no. Short term...for a few days or weeks...probably won't hurt you, but making it a lifestyle....well that speaks for itself.

[JakeVendetta]

no one said that fat could be turned into carbs, but fat can be used as a source of ATP, it actually produces roughly six times more energy per gram than glucose. I think this is a very interesting diet, plan on trying it myself. In your first post you mentioned an introduction phase, how exactly is that done?

[HITscientist]

10-14 days at no more then 30-40g carbs. Then a 1-2 day refeed day.

[HITscientist]

Refeed being low protein (no more then 1x your bodyweight) and about 450-600g carbs

[mbj0186]

Originally Posted by JakeVendetta

no one said that fat could be turned into carbs, but fat can be used as a source of ATP, it actually produces roughly six times more energy per gram than glucose. I think this is a very interesting diet, plan on trying it myself. In your first post you mentioned an introduction phase, how exactly is that done?

Your right...fat is a significant source of ATP, and far more than carbohydrates. However, glycogen is the primary fuel source for anaerobic exercise which comes from ingesting carbohydrates, not fat. Fat only becomes a significant form of ATP in the presence of oxygen or aerobic type exercise, and I assume we are talking about building muscle for bodybuilding which involves weight lifting (anaerobic).

To gain the most muscle, you have to replensih glycogen stores for propery recovery. That will not happen with too little carbohydrate in one's diet. Fat only becomes a significant source of ATP after about 20 minutes of continuous exercise that elevates and maintains the heartrate at a certain range. However, if one if trying to get lean while minimizing muscle loss it's a whole different story. Fat can then provide the calories needed to maintain muscle while restricting carbohydrates, but will not be optimial for muscle gain.

The diet short term might produce an anabolic effect, but I would guess that prolonged use of such a diet would be counterproductive to gaining lean muscle. However, I could be wrong. Are there any studies on this diet?

[JakeVendetta]

Sorry MB just reread your origanal post. The diet is designed to lose fat and maintain muscle, and also designed so you can cycle in and out of it, and according to what you said i think that it would serve its purpose. The glycogen stores are supposed to be restored on the refeed days, so while not making it optimal for bulking, i think its a good way to lose fat and maintain lbm, IMO.

[JakeVendetta]

HIT do you know the reason for the low protein on the refeed? just curious

[mbj0186]

Originally Posted by JakeVendetta

Sorry MB just reread your origanal post. The diet is designed to lose fat and maintain muscle, and also designed so you can cycle in and out of it, and according to what you said i think that it would serve its purpose. The glycogen stores are supposed to be restored on the refeed days, so while not making it optimal for bulking, i think its a good way to lose fat and maintain lbm, IMO.

ahhh! Ok, that makes sense. I'm going to see if I can find some research studies on this one. Sounds like a good way to get lean, and it probably tastes good too!