With a fat loss program you have to try different things.  It is not as cut and dry as keeping a car running at its best.  However, once you discover what works for you it is then time to be extremely consistent.  For me I have discovered that a diet low in carbs with alot of protein 4 days a week and then a diet with higher carbs and moderate protein 3 days a week is optimal for my body to burn fat.  There is just something about this mix that really stokes the flames in my fat burning machine.  I have found that the flexibility I get with this type of program helps alot as well.

To me, optimal fat loss involves gaining muscle as well.  Some will tell you that it isn’t possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but I am living proof that it is possible.  The results I got on M4 were amazing.  I gained muscle and lost fat.  I did this through a system of High Intensity Training coupled with what I call High Intensity Eating.  You’ve read my description of my High Intensity Training workouts, but let me explain what I mean by High Intensity Eating.

I eat the same whether I am weight training that day or not.  The only difference is that I will have an extra protein shake on a training day. 

On a training day, the day begins with a 900 calorie shake that includes protein powder, oatmeal, yogurt, non-fat milk, and a banana.  If it is a non-training day I would add peanut butter which would bring the calorie total to 1,000 calories.  If it is a training day I have another shake with peanut butter immediately after my workout.  From Monday through Thursday I will follow this up with 4 more meals that involve alot of protein and alot of lettuce and/or vegetables.  As you can see, I keep the carbs at the start of the day, with next to none the rest of the day.  This is so extremely focused that it becomes High Intensity Eating. 

I get my protein from 3 main sources:  Chicken breast, canned chicken and canned tuna.  I throw in beef from time to time, but mostly this is saved for the weekends.  I use lettuce and vegetables (fibrous carbs) to fill myself up.  I utilize nuts and seeds to keep myself full of energy. 

The key thing to notice here is that I need to hit 3,400 calories every day, Monday through Thursday.  When I have 2 shakes that total close to 2,000 calories combined, it makes it much easier to eat clean.  I have 1,400 calories to make up for the rest of the day and thus, it is much simpler to eat clean when the calorie count per meal is so low (350 calories per meal).

High Intensity Eating is filled out by eating pretty much whatever I want on weekends. I pay attention to the calories, but I am not neurotic about the macros.  As long as I get them close to the planned number I am happy. 

Let this be a lesson to everyone.  I could have gone to the gym, lifted and made my back worse, but instead of doing that I put heat on it and avoided stressing it out.  I am now (16 hours later) feeling much better.  In fact, I feel absolutely no pain in my muscle at all at this point.  Listen to your body!  Your body uses pain to signal things to  you.  You should never just ignore what your body is telling you.  I know had I gone to the gym I would have missed several workouts.

Alyssa decided that she wanted to go to Adventure City, an amusement park aimed at very young children (younger than 10 years old).  We set out to Adventure City at Noon.  As we walked into the place I could see the excited look on her face.  She immediately ran to the carousel and wanted to ride.  I joined her and my youngest child, Mitchell, for a carousel ride.  They insisted that I get on the horse as well, so I did.  We went from ride to ride like this.  Each time she wanted me to join her and each time I did.  The excitement was infectious as we walked through the small park.

Alyssa had a day that she will remember for a long time.  She went on her first roller coaster, a very small, geared for children, coaster that was actually alot of fun to ride.  I enjoyed experiencing that with her. 

It made me wonder why we can’t maintain this type of excitement for our own fitness programs.  We start out this way, but it eventually fades if you let it.  What can be done to keep the excitement?  I think the answer to that question lies in the workouts you do.  Change them up frequently enough and you won’t get bored.  Continue to show progression and you will be excited at your own progress. 

Due to the birthday festivities taking up the entire wonderful day, no video podcast this week.

M527 (D435) How much intensity is enough?

There are some who believe that keeping carbs low causes cravings.  It is said that after a period of time on a low carb diet your craving for sweets and other unhealthy things goes up.  I wonder if this is really because of low carbs or because people just have a hard time staying compliant period.  I actually believe that low carb dieters do tend to have lower compliance in the long run, but not for the obvious reasons.

I believe that people who focus on very low carb diets tend to be way too strict about their diet overall.  They tend to be the type of people who are aiming for 100% compliance to their low carb decision.  It is precisely this need of their’s to have 100% compliance that causes their compliance level to drop.  Nobody can realistically expect to be 100% compliant for long periods of time.  This is actually where the concept of reward meals comes from.  However, even a scheduled reward meal every two weeks is a rather strict way to go about things.  Does this mean that low carb diets shouldn’t be followed because they cause your compliance to drop?

The answer is that people who want or need (due to carb sensitivity) to keep their carbs lower should have a better plan for how they are going to handle their meals.  This type of issue is what initially attracted me to the Anabolic Diet and it is why I’ve been compliant to my nutritional plan for such an extended period of time.  I just don’t mess up on my diet any longer.  When looking at my plan, my week basically starts on Monday.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday see me keeping my carbs extremely low.  I typically consume between 85 and 100 grams of carbs on these days and that is it.  I make up for the energy loss through an increase in fat grams.  However, it should also be noted that on the Anabolic Diet, vegetables are not counted towards the day’s carbohydrate portions. Additionally, I do not count my post-workout meal towards my carbohydrate count for the day either (because your body needs carbs immediately after a workout, especially a high intensity one). My typical daily menu (Monday through Thursday only) looks like this:

I eat very large portions of protein and I snack on almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds throughout the day to get my calories up.  By getting my calories up I feel satiated and thus, I can stay on task with my nutritional plan. 

However, there is more to it than just being satiated, it is about having choices at some point.  Yes, my carbs are ridiculously low Monday through Thursday, but I know that after those 4 days I am free to eat what I want.  If I feel like eating pizza during the weekend it is allowed as long as I am keeping my calories where they belong.  The fact is that weekends are very relaxing now because I don’t worry so much about what I eat.  I keep my carbs under control at a normal level and just eat and eat alot.  It also gives me the flexibility to eat things during the week that I might not be able to otherwise.  If I happen to eat a little more carbs Monday through Thursday than I am supposed to, my body is ready for it because it has gotten efficient at using fat for energy.  This process has lead to some insane increases in lean body mass in a short period of time.  It has also lead to long term compliance to my nutritional plan.

The answer to this question lies in my training philosophy:

You can never work hard enough because you can always  go harder than you just did.

Yes, I believe that intensity is something that grows with each subsequent workout.  You can’t ever think you’ve gotten intense enough.  Intensity in the moment is giving every single ounce of energy you have to the workout.  I have been told by numerous people that most people are not capable of doing this on their own.  I say that most people just never want to do this at all.  They want to do just enough to get by and nothing more.  This is unacceptable and is really not intensity.

You owe it to yourself to go to the max.  Up that intensity to the highest possible level.  When you walk out of the gym be satisfied with nothing less than the knowledge that you could not have done even one more rep on any of the exercises you just completed.  Be totally sold out to your workout.  Don’t accept anything less. 

Matty’s Workout Log: