I thought I was doing it right

[neutronnorman]

Hi everyone:

I started induction about three weeks ago and did not keep an accurate food log. I thought is was a pain in the donkey. Fit day was the answer, for me. I've reached a constant 65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carb macro nutrient split and the results are mind boggling.

Although I wasted 3 weeks and was about to blast the AD, in retrospect I was doing it all wrong. Once fully adjusted to the correct way of eating, the diet has produced remarkable visual results in 2 days! I'm developing arm, shoulder definition and my abs are hinting at some indentations here and there. I can see the horseshoe shape once again on my triceps.

I was heavy into bodybuilding for 12 years but the last five years were so intense (heavy school load, I've been attending university for 9 years after my fist degree from college) I had no time for working out. I spent these last 5 years studying, doing research and drinking vodka and beer.

Luckily, I have a fairly good muscular foundation. I weigh 242 lb (yesterday, I weighed 245 lb.) but I am at about 20-23% bodyfat. My goal is 9-11%. I use calipers and not the BMI thing.

I splurged and downloaded Fit day so I can store it in my lap top when I go out to the middle of no where to do star gazing. (No, I'm not an astrophysicist, but the polar opposite though I own large telescopes and enjoy amateur astronomy.)

Cheers,
Norman

[pagliaccia]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

If you don't mind my asking, how were you doing it wrong before?

[imagood1]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

good for you -- instead of blasting Atkins you actually looked in the mirror to find the real culprit (LOL) .... I'm so happy you found FitDay and are using it - it is a wonderful tool once you figure it out, that is so helpful.

Continued good luck to you!

[neutronnorman]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

Hi Pagliaccia:

First, I thought I weighed 242 lb but I was wong. To my amazement, using the scale at lab (I made sure the scale was calibrated) which I initially weighed myself last saturday, I'm weighing 238 lb. This past weekend I weighed 245 lb! And nope, this is not water weight loss.

I thought I was doing induction properly, eating low carb, high fat and med to heavy protein. I would drink diet sodas and zero carb teas, etc. and my weight wouldn't bulge a bit. I used heavy whipping cream and ate only when I was hungry.

For my metabolism, that was totally wrong. I cut the diet drinks and am drinking plenty of H2O, and I'm making sure I eat 4-6 meals per day. The meals are not gut busters. I prefer not to drink cream, although I know it's perfectly alright as an induction food. I'm keeping my calories just a little under a 1000 calorie deficiet. I do have two srong expressos without any sweetener before my morning workouts. Beware of fast food places, I suspect there's plenty of hidden fillers in their foods.

Track your calories and macro-nutrient splits. Using a good nutrional program you can easily adjust, after eating, what percentage of nutrients are missing from an ideal AD induction diet. Stay away from artificial sweetners except what is allowed on induction. Personally, and I'm just throwing this up in the air, it's possible that the sweet taste might trigger an insulin response. Maybe parasympathetic or visa versa. I don't know, I'm only speculating.

I also stagger my calories to keep my body "guessing."

I did get results following a half *** induction phase but when buckling down and doing it right, the weight loss is mind blowing. Remember also, we did not put fat on in a few months and we are not going to lose it overnight. It's going to take a long time to bust out and mask your genetic predisposition.

Exercise is not an option and you must find ways to change your routine frequently; sometimes a little less is better, other times a high intensity workout is best.

One more word about weight loss from my own personal experiences: bodyfat melts off the body analogous to the way a mound of snow melts. The more accumilated the longer it takes to shrink from those areas. Us guys tend to put it on on the belly and dreaded love handles. (Love handles, I use far darker superlatives to name my own.) Ladies around the thighs hips and butt. Hey, blame the last ice age if you want.

Anyway, I hoped this helped. Keep to the basics and use experiments to see what works best for you. Your BMI might be a helluva lower than you think if you have a fair amount of lean tissue. Use bodyfat calipers or tape measures. Also stay away from the scale. The added stress might release cortisoids and throw your body into a catabolic state. But, I'm not a biochemist (although I've had two semesters of biochem and bio-organic chem).

I believe a slowdown in weight loss is due to an extreme cut on caloric intake. If your body thinks it's starving it will hold on to body fat and canabalize its lean tissues. You'll be getting fatter but smaller.

Remember I train very intensley using free weights 4 times a week and my core exercises revolve around compound movements. I do cardio 3-4 times weekly anywhere from 45-65 minutes each session. I tend to keep saturated fats low, but the mono, polys etc. are at 45-55% of my calorie intake.

That's my personal view point. I believe everybody is slightly different biochemically. Use the induction but experiment which induction foods work best for you.

Cheers, and go for it. Luck has nothing to do with it.
Norman

[pagliaccia]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

It's great to hear you're finding success. Fantastic job, keep it up!

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

That's awesome that you've figured out how to work atkins to suit you and understand the science/math behind it.
Good luck on your journey!

[neutronnorman]

Re: I thought I was doing it right

Almost one year to go for your wedding! Great. Your fiance looks like a great, happy person. Cheers! Bet you'll knock 'em out in your wedding dress!


Best,
Norman