My Diet Journal-Comment as you see fit

Preface: I've recently hit 30, and my weight has steadily increased in the past few years. I've always been able to bulk up. I kept a strict diet while training for the Olympics, but I never micro-managed it. Who cared-right? I was training 6-8 hours a day anyway... I tore my shoulder doing a cross during the trials, probably because I was 167lbs.. At 5'4", I may have been ripped, but it doesn't take a genius in physics to see I was a little heavy. At the time, I'd never even experimented with AS.
I continue to perform gymnastics skills at different shows and events. This pays for a relatively stress free life; work is under 8hrs/week, provides a good income, and I have a woman who I'm deeply in love with.
But for the past 3 years, as the weight's come on, I'm getting slower and can feel a risk of serious injury around every corner. I haven't been sleeping well at night, and my libido's decreased. I have even wondered if my body's making more estrogen, which is another reason I'm keeping this weekly journal.
My Goal is to drop 30 pounds/14 kilos, and get to a more reasonable size for what I do. A the end of this journey, My strength has to exceed my mass by far.
Please comment or critique as you see fit. This'll take awhile.

P.S. I'm not a noob to this board. I just find that it's better to read rather than write comments.



Current Weight: 186 pounds, 20% Fat Target Weight: 155 pounds, 7% Fat

Day 1

2461 calories = 100%
40% Protein = 985 calories = 247 g
30% Carbs = 739 calories = 185 g
30% Fats = 739 calories = 83g

8AM 1cup oatmeal
6 egg whites

10AM 1can tuna
greens salad
w/3 tbls olive oil
1 protein shake

12PM 1cup brown rice
2 chicken breasts

3PM 1 baked potato w/salsa
1 apple

5PM 1 can tuna
greens salad
w/3 tbls olive oil
1 protein shake

7PM 1½ yams
2 chicken breasts

10PM 1 protein shake

Day 2

1723 calories = 70%
40% Protein = 690 calories = 173 g
30% Carbs = 517 calories = 130 g
30% Fats = 517 calories = 58 g

8AM 1 cup oatmeal
6 egg whites

10AM greens salad w/2 tbls olive oil
protein shake

12PM 1cup brown rice
2 chicken breasts

3PM greens salad w/2 tbls olive oil

5PM protein shake

7PM 1 ½ yams
2 chicken breasts

*Protein shakes are with water, zero carb
*Salsa and other condiments are all pure spices-no sugar, no fats, cheeses, etc.
*Total veggie intake is 1 pound of dark greens daily
*No carrots in the salad
*Drink 1 gallon of water daily
*I don't drink alcohol or coffee
*I do morning cardio workouts before first meal, then gym every afternoon
*I have a solid regimen of vitamins/minerals

Every 7th Day
1 Burger Meal for Brunch
Any 1 Dessert in the afternoon
Workouts as scheduled, other meals from either Days 1 or 2

Cleaned out the fridge, got stocked up, and prepared my meal regimen. Made some adjustments to my thinking, and had no real desire to deviate from my course. Cardio was tough on the 3rd day, and had no power in the gym. Twice this week I had to take a caffein pill for a boost, and one time an ephedra. I began sleeping better by the 4th day. My girl even says I'm laffing out loud in my sleep occasionally. No change in libido. I am taking 10mg of var daily to keep down cortisol and to try to maintain my strength. I've lost some water and bloat.
Had a slight lapse on Tuesday- I forgot my mealsack when I left for the day, so I substituted my meal for a zero carb +flax seed shake at my gym bar- then I just took a nap for 45 min. before my workout; after the workout, a friend of mine was doing a stand-up show that I didn't want to miss by driving all the way home, so I sub'd my meal again (this time it was my pwo) for an ABB Blue Thunder drink- about halfway through my buddy's show I broke into a cold sweat and started swooning-when I got home it was late, so to make up for my losses I had a tablespoon of coconut oil+spinach+tuna+shake+2 tblsp olive oil.
Started tanning in my gym, max time, on the 5th day-not sure if the bed's worth a nickel yet.
Losing my pump early on in the workouts. I assume it's because I run out of glycogen stores. My muscles fill like balloons when I get my potato or a yam.

Current weight: 183
Down by 3 pounds

one thing i noticed in day 1 that you shouldn't be doing... especially when cutting. NEVER eat carbs alone... NEVER... Especially fast digesting ones like a baked potato. In my honest opinion i've found that you can shred fat extremely fast almost like butter if you limit your carbs to ONLY and i mean ONLY to your breakfast and your PWO.... i wouldn't eat carbs at any other time of the day... and when you do eat them, make sure they are quality carbs like oats, whole grains, brown rice... so forth. And make sure you don't top them off with fatty shit like butter and crap due to the minor insulin spike and the fact that your body will be inhibiting fat breakdown when you eat carbs.

two other things i noticed... you should only be hitting the gym 3-4 times a week... not everyday. You will kill yourself and have no energy and be grump/tired all the time, i know, it's happened to me. You need to give your muscles plenty of time to rest and re-cooperate, and become stronger, not weaker. Also the libido and exhaustion could be due your lifestyle and stress... i've had this same thing happen a few times when life was very hectic. Start having a grapefruit every morning with a cup of black coffee and try hitting the gym less. You need more fat burning tools it looks like apart from cardio in the morning.

lol... p.s. i keep re-reading it all and keep finding little things here and there...

EAT YOUR VEGGIES BOY!!! lol, didn't your mother tell you?

Veggies are a MUST in a cutting diet. They are great for many reasons... appetite reasons, vitamins, fiber... the list goes on... They are a staple in cutting diets. I feel like i'm harping... i hope you don't feel that way... i just want to help. Anyways, i hope it all goes well and you reach your goal in a couple months! I'm sure you will, you seem dedicated.

Now on my 7th day. Despite taking a melatonin and an aspirin, I tossed and turned all night, so I played on the computer til I got sleepy...I finally got some shut-eye around 7:30AM. It's almost noon, and I just got up. My schedule for the day is a little off, now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Destructo

Now on my 7th day. I tossed and turned all night, so I played on the computer til I got sleepy...I finally got some shut-eye around 7:30AM. It's almost noon, and I just got up. My schedule for the day is a little off, now.

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Get some melatonin.

thanks for posting starting to understand the cutting diet a little better. these are the type of post i need.

Not sure if I care too much for the 7th-day-off meal thing. I didn't enjoy the piece of cake I had for a dessert, and it felt like it took the past 2 days to work off... I think I'll limit my off-meal day to just the burger meal for lunch, at least for now.
Water is amazing. I always knew I was supposed to have it, but I never really cared or paid attention to it. Drinking a gallon a day for a week now, I'm seeing a difference in everything-my skin is looking heathier and younger, despite the extra poisons my body is pushing out; my muscles aren't as stiff; my breath is clean; I just feel better all around.
Somethin' goofy about my chemistry- I feel like I've woken up an anabolic machine. My body is showing strength and results already. My armpits are giving a smell like raw hormones and poisons-I haven't smelled like this since my first muscle-growth-spurts when I was 11, 13, and 15 years old.
I'm only on 10mgs of var per day, so it's not the AS.
I'm guessing I've just let myself get through lazy workouts over the past 6 years, and this renewed training effort and micro-managing of my diet is just waking up the stuff I've always had just sitting around inside. It feels good, and keeps me motivated to keep training harder.
My leg day was yesterday. Since I was using a workout drawn up by a friend who's a pro-BB, I didn't think I'd make it. I was also hungry, and halfway in I was going to miss my dinnertime- so I substituted Calories with a Blue Thunder. A healthy dose of focused aggression found its way to my legs within the first few sets, and I was able to continue to power through right until the end- I got to squats, and fell over with 110lbs, lol. I had no shame though- it was a great workout. I was at my caloric limit, so I couldn't have anymore to eat before I went to bed.
My schedule's like clockwork now-I get up, do cardio & stretch, cook my breakfast and take my vitamins...
Today's my girl's birthday, so I may forego the gym to serve her like she's a princess..;)

I've come to really dislike my 7th day. The burger & fries meal leaves me feeling pretty full and a little bloated for the rest of the day, and there isn't enough water to flush it out fast enough. Today, I'm watery and feel irritable.

WEIGHT: 181 lbs - down 2 more lbs.

I had to work 14 hours on Days 4 & 5 this past week- so I got up extra early to do cardio and fix my meals, and then crammed in the gym just an hour before it closed each night. This wore me out enough that I slept 14 hours on day 6, and started my day at noon.
-When I went out for cardio (on day 6), I felt like doing a run. My area is littered with hills and slopes, so this has never been easy.. but it WAS that day- I felt better than I had in years- it took no effort to run, and I mean RUN up any hill road; and I had no need to stop at all. My legs just enjoyed giving the asphault a punishment! Before, it was always like I'd just swallowed a bottle of carbonation; that there was some stress bubble holding me back inside from my bowels and no matter how I pushed past it, I was just trying to ignore a problem, and there was no way my athletic performance was goin to get better.

Just as I thought,The tanning beds at my gym are crap. I'm getting the sun I need from the pleasant weather we've been having. I'm riding my bike without a shirt whenever I can, and I've already darkened up.

I'm planning on throwing in my gymnastics training now in the evenings- I'll give it a try later this week.. I'm a little concerned that the cardio and the lifting has left me too fatigued to take on anymore at this point, but progress has been steady- I may as well try..

The var is going to run out in ten days- at which point, I'll switch to 50mg V tabs.

This past week I saw a slight dip in my performance. It could be just another phase, or the fact that I was having problems with my mp3 player, lol.
Overall, things were the same- had cravings between days 4&5, and zero cravings on day 7. Day 7 was yesterday, and I feel crappy today.
I'm starting to see more impressions between muscle groups now. People around me are noticing as well.

WEIGHT = 179lbs. - down 2 more lbs.

V starts in later this week, I'll note the transition.

CURRENT WEIGHT: 181 LBS

-Back up 2 lbs....

I'm training a little bit harder each week, and looking really good now. I know that I gained 2 lbs this week due to increases in muscle, but it's still working against my goal..
I'll maintain this regimen for a little while longer before tweaking my diet. I'm hoping this is just a momentary plateau. I'll steadily increase my training over the next two weeks and see where it leads.
If I continue to grow, or have no change, I'll adjust my diet to
50% P 30% F 20% C or 40% P 40% F 20% C

My V has been delayed, so I'm running clean now. I occasionally take some ephedra.
Sex isn't really any better or worse, and sleep doesn't come easy (even with my aspirin and melatonin) unless I've punished myself thoroughly in the gym.

For the most part, I feel great. My workouts are considerably more productive-I wish I'd micro-managed my diet like this when I was still competing.

Another sleepless night... my mood/thoughts are low. I feel hot, and thirsty. My diet's on, nutrition's on, exercise's on, and AS are off....I wasn't having this kind of low since before taking my small supply of var. I AM thinking estrogen or an under-active thyroid may be my problem here...

By the end of week 6,

Weight 178lbs - back down 3 pounds

On week 7, day 4 My girl and I began celebrating July 4th and 7-7-7 by taking a vacation. I gradually took myself off the diet in liu of the vacation. I mean, just the first day of vacation I tried my leg workout only to cramp up horribly half way through! So, I promised myself not to care, have some drinks, and let life happen...
Our sex jumped through the roof on the 3rd day of vacation! I never realized it, but I must be internalizing a ton of stress. I guess it doesn't matter that I have to pressure from work. It just comes from the environment of our city and maybe my own need to have things perfect!
So much for the estrogen theory...
Anyways, I'm right back on track this week. Since I had a week off, I'll begin again with week 1.

Current Weight: 177lbs

No problems to speak of. Waist is another inch smaller, despite last week's vacation.
I'm replacing one of my potatoes on Day 1 with a protein shake.