EODblake's Journal, 20 May 2011

Blake thanks for sharing. I've been eating the Abs Diet plan two weeks now -- in addition to working "Hip Hop Abs" every morning and Zumba two nights a week. While I think? I see change sin my face, breasts and arms, I'm slightly discouraged 'cause the number on the scale is the same as when I started. Nice to hear others who have been successful. When did you start to see the changes?? 

Hey Njallen, Thanks for the praises. First off let me say I've been beyond anal when it comes to this diet. In six weeks the only times I've ate out were on my cheat days so I've had pizza twice and KFC once with the skin removed. I'd say about 95% of the foods I've eaten have been homemade and unprocessed. It's been easier for me then some because it's just my son and I so my only commitments are making sure he's taken care of and work. I've also killed myself at the gym 6-8 times a week. I also try to get out for a walk after dinner 3-4 nights a week. I saw small results the first week then bigger changes increasing to the 2nd and 3rd weeks. I hope you don't mind, but I went through your food diary and thought I could give you some pointers. To give you an idea of where I'm coming from I'm one of those people that are just meant to be big, but with work my body shows dramatic improvement. At 18 I was 260lbs with a body fat percentage over 30%. I decided I wanted to join the military and lost 40lbs in 3 months. Back then I didn't know any better and literally ate nothing but chicken breast and broccoli and rode my bike hours a day. Without even knowing it I was doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) because of the dramatic changes in elevation where I lived. I lost another 35lbs over 6-7 more months putting me at 185. Through activity I stayed below 210 for a long time and now if I don't watch it my weight creeps up on me so I've dieted off and on my whole adult life. Well now I'm way off subject. I hope you don't mind, but I took a look through your food diary and wanted to provide some advice. Some of these things I just saw once, but your just starting so didn't know if they would be a trend or not. I saw canned fruit; of course fresh is always best, but if you need canned for the convenience make sure there is no added sugar. I just compared two cans from my pantry and no sugar added mandarin oranges have half the calories as tropical fruit in "light syrup" per 1/2c. Also we end up losing fiber by not eating the peal. If you listen to atkins fiber doesn't count as a real carb...lol Good on you choosing greek yogurt, but keep in mind the ones with added fruit also have added sugar so the best would be to go with plain 0% and add your own berries. I use greek yogurt for tons of stuff; my smoothies, mixed with salsa for mexican nights, mixed with shaved turkey, garlic and seasonings for a high protein snack, mixed with cucumbers and vinegar for a light creamy snack, and just mixed with different spices for a veggie dip. I'm not saying it's a miracle food, but at 26g of protein per serving it rocks. That’s another thing; your protein levels are way too low. I know this isn't a low carb diet but really work towards dropping some of your carbs and increasing your protein. You'll notice a big change if you stay away from any processed foods other then whole wheat bread and pasta. Easy ways to up your protein are turkey breast. One of my snacks is 6 slices of turkey and a string cheese; peal the cheese apart and wrap the turkey around it (15g protein and 120cal) I also make a lot of lentil, split pea, and bean soups with ground turkey. I don't know if you have a Trader Joe's near you, but they've got some awesome alternatives with reasonable prices. Their chicken sausages are awesome and only $5 a pound; I really like the sun dried tomato one. Rather than ordering pizza now I make my own with store bought whole wheat thin pizza crust, crushed tomatoes with basil for sauce sautéed with garlic and onions, part skim mozzarella and a variety of chicken sausages. A 14" pizza comes in at under 1400 cal. One more way I boost my protein and I'll move on. I saw you eat salmon so I know you're a fish eater. My favorite appetizer is seared ahi and its super simple to make at home. I season all sides with Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle get my pan hot( like 8 on my electric stove) throw the tuna on for 90sec a side if I'm searing 4 sides or 2min+ if it’s the whole steak and depending on thickness. My favorite is serving it over shredded Chinese cabbage with a wasabi drizzle made from low cal mayo, rice wine vinegar and wasabi to my desired taste and consistency. And one last thing salmon marinated in 1:1 ratio of maple syrup and soy sauce with a squeeze of wasabi for 20min is just this side of amazing. Reserve half the liquid and heat it on the stove while you’re marinating and baste the fish twice while grilling. I'd stick with what you’re doing with some minor tweaks if you like any of my advice for another 7-10 days. If you still seem stagnant you could think about cycling your carbs. It's what weight lifters do to avoid losing lean body mass by going completely carb free. I started it around my 4th week because my losses were slowing. Basically this is what I do 2 days normal carbs, 2 days low carbs, then 2 days zero carbs. one of those choose to make 3 days and you'll see bigger results if it’s a low or no carb cycle. That’s my week; I try to schedule my cheat night on a normal carb day. Also after two weeks I did two high carb days where I was just about maxing my RDI. To give you an idea my intake since logging my food is 32% protein, 32% carb, and 36% fat; I'd like to see my fat level lower, but I eat a lot of almonds + my zero carb days cause my fat to go up too. Your break down is 18% protein, 55% carb and 27% fat; I'd try to get your carbs and protein more evened out and remember this isn't a low fat diet so don't feel bad about eating some lean red meat to get your protein levels higher. And finally I try to use every metabolism boosting trick I know. I chug 20oz of ice water as soon as I roll out of bed. The colder your water in the morning and throughout the day the harder your body works to process it. I avoid all carbs after my 4pm snack. On this diet we’re already eating 6+ times a day. I do lots of HIIT rather than straight cardio. And when you start your circuit training really stick to the 30sec between exercises to keep your heart rate up. Throughout the years I’ve tried tons of different supplements for losing weight and I finally found the one for me. It’s called Clenbutrx by VPX; I don’t know if it works at burning fat, but with the changes I’ve seen in my mental state and energy I love it. If you’re interested you can find a 240ml bottle on Amazon for around $46 which is about a 6 week supply. Sorry for being long winded, but I hope you can use something I wrote, good luck! Blake  

lol, thats huge; They took out my paragraph indents though :/  

Thanks for the feedback. I feel off the wagon over the summer but I'm back and committed (although 5 more pounds heavier) now. I'll keep you posted on my progress. 

Thats funny, I was medically retired from the military in June and have watched my weight slowly creap up since. So this is the first time I've been on here in over a year. Recorded a new start weight and gonna kick it off on Friday with a week of zero carbs and then slide back into the Abs diet... Lets do this.