Powerlifting training log.

[.Mad Hatter.]

God, health is such a crap-shoot because everyone is different as well.

Well, kind of. We are much more similar than most think though with regard to our digestive system.

[fusionx]

My roommate is trying paleo for the month. Geoff you don't do crossfit do you?

[94jedi]

I'm not personally attacking you, just looking for you Paleo'ers to explain why you discount these other studies and I think you've answered the question. I cannot however agree that I think these studies are all corrupted and we are puppets, I think thats too far fetched. What I do agree on, is that these "scientists" MAY be basing their ratings on pre-conceived notions of what is healthy rather than empirical evidence through testing with adequate controls and variable limiting. We DON'T know how these scientists formed their pre-conceived notions though.

God, health is such a crap-shoot because everyone is different as well.

Everyone is different, but we're all human. In a subject like nutrition, the variances are minor in the grand scheme. We're all different, but most of the basic nutritional rules apply to all of us. I do believe in metabolic typing, however I as I said, in the grand scheme of a lifestyle (i.e. not just a temporary diet) the differences are minor.

I don't have any studies proving that big pharma is out to make money on us and as a whole would prefer us to be dependent on them...but think about it. Add to that the fact that all the items that are the supposed foundation of what we should eat - are the items that the govt subsidizes the most. Corn, wheat, soy, etc.

Geoff is right though - Let the average people try those "diets".

[biketsai]

I laughed when I saw the Jenny Craig and slimfast diet up there.

[.Mad Hatter.]

My roommate is trying paleo for the month. Geoff you don't do crossfit do you?

Negative. I'm not a huge fan at all, although I have thought about competing at regionals/sectionals for the games.

[revotuneda3]

Everyone is different, but we're all human. In a subject like nutrition, the variances are minor in the grand scheme. We're all different, but most of the basic nutritional rules apply to all of us. I do believe in metabolic typing, however I as I said, in the grand scheme of a lifestyle (i.e. not just a temporary diet) the differences are minor.

I don't have any studies proving that big pharma is out to make money on us and as a whole would prefer us to be dependent on them...but think about it. Add to that the fact that all the items that are the supposed foundation of what we should eat - are the items that the govt subsidizes the most. Corn, wheat, soy, etc.

Geoff is right though - Let the average people try those "diets".

i think the only proof we need that big pharma is out to make money on us is by the cost of medications. some Vials of insulin cost up to 300 dollars a month and some medications in pill form cost a hundred a month. most people with diabetes also have high cholesterol and need to take lipid reducing medications which cost more $$$$. if people follow the food pyaramid to a T i bet most of them will end up being unhealthy individuals and then will be on a buttload of medications later in life.

sorry to take this thread into another direction but i too read the US News ranking of the diets listed a long ass time ago. And the reason why the Paleo was listed so low was because at the time this study was released, not enough research was done to prove the efficacy of the Paleo diet. I've have omitted almost all dairy and grains in my diet for about a year now and have never felt better. i still have the occasional burger bun maybe 1 every two months. Before i switched my diet, my diet was based on the food pyramid and everytime i went for my routine check up, he'd always tell me to eat less fat, more protein, more whole grains and put me on a 1800 calorie restriction. Even with this, i was still chubby and unhealthy even with exercise. i was only 28 with high blood pressure, pre-diabetic and with high cholesterol. i decided to switch it up, started eating like a caveman, and ate nothing but whole foods and stopped paying attention to calories taken in. and for some reason, i lost a lot of weight, got stronger and no longer have high blood pressure or pre-diabetic and now have an excellent lipid panel. My whole outlook on nutrition has changed for the better I can confidently say. All i know is that my private physician still trips out that im healthier by omitting grains and dairy and by eating 30 whole eggs a week and tons of meat, fat and veggies. before i changed my diet, i was at 265 at 5'9" now I'm hovering around the 215-220 mark. Although I still think I'm chubby, I'm not as bad as i once was. now able to squat 420, bench 350 and dl 350. i'll post the before and after pics one day. :) Hell, maybe i should start a strength log too.

[94jedi]

Do it, revo!

[mdzaudi]

i think the only proof we need that big pharma is out to make money on us is by the cost of medications. some Vials of insulin cost up to 300 dollars a month and some medications in pill form cost a hundred a month. most people with diabetes also have high cholesterol and need to take lipid reducing medications which cost more $$$$. if people follow the food pyaramid to a T i bet most of them will end up being unhealthy individuals and then will be on a buttload of medications later in life.

sorry to take this thread into another direction but i too read the US News ranking of the diets listed a long ass time ago. And the reason why the Paleo was listed so low was because at the time this study was released, not enough research was done to prove the efficacy of the Paleo diet. I've have omitted almost all dairy and grains in my diet for about a year now and have never felt better. i still have the occasional burger bun maybe 1 every two months. Before i switched my diet, my diet was based on the food pyramid and everytime i went for my routine check up, he'd always tell me to eat less fat, more protein, more whole grains and put me on a 1800 calorie restriction. Even with this, i was still chubby and unhealthy even with exercise. i was only 28 with high blood pressure, pre-diabetic and with high cholesterol. i decided to switch it up, started eating like a caveman, and ate nothing but whole foods and stopped paying attention to calories taken in. and for some reason, i lost a lot of weight, got stronger and no longer have high blood pressure or pre-diabetic and now have an excellent lipid panel. My whole outlook on nutrition has changed for the better I can confidently say. All i know is that my private physician still trips out that im healthier by omitting grains and dairy and by eating 30 whole eggs a week and tons of meat, fat and veggies. before i changed my diet, i was at 265 at 5'9" now I'm hovering around the 215-220 mark. Although I still think I'm chubby, I'm not as bad as i once was. now able to squat 420, bench 350 and dl 350. i'll post the before and after pics one day. :) Hell, maybe i should start a strength log too.

This is what I like to hear, personal anecdotes of what worked for people. Good Job and keep it up. Start your own strength log here man and keep the motivation up. I bet you could get yourself down to 190.

[94jedi]

mdzaudi, I ate crap for the first 23 years of my life. Even though I was fairly athletic and active, that lifestyle led me to being 265+lb's and 30% + BF. With the heart and blood pressure issues in my family, I'm sure I was on the track to major health issues. One day, I completely changed my diet. I went strict "Atkins induction". Protein/Fat, less than 20gm's of carbs per day. I lost a lot of fat, quickly and spared most of my lean mass. I got down to 205lb's, but at 5'10", I was still fat. At that point I decided to start strength training (with my limited knowledge at the time)and added veggies and fruits/nuts to my diet. those adjustments allowed me to get down to 180lb's and about 11-12% BF. Although I maintained that for a few years, since 2008, I've been on an upward trend of fat gain and poor health. Very recently, I decided to jump almost head first into an ancestral style diet. I'm now losing weight, performing better and feeling better than I have in a long time. I feel like I'm healthier and more able to fight off infections and illness. My evidence is purely anecdotal, but it is evidence, none the less. I've done this, I've lived this and I'm living this now.

One thing I always noted when I lost weight years ago, was that I still had those cravings for sweets and carbs. Translation? I wasn't getting enough dietary fats and the quality of my food choices was terrible. I used to eat 4 hotdogs as a meal. High protein? Sure. Healthy? Hell no. I also skipped egg yolks like they were the plague. I trimmed the fat off the beef, didn't eat dark meat chicken and didn't eat the skin. I also didn't like Almonds, never at avocado, and really hadn't ever eaten a coconut product, other than maybe some processed/sweetened version of coconut shreddings. The result of that style of eating, combined with an avoidance of all carbs, was weight loss, but I didn't have an overall feeling of well being. I was always tired, performed poorly in sports and was probably suffering from ultra high cortisol and adrenal fatigue.

With paleo style adjustments to my diet, I no longer have cravings for carbs and sweets. Yes, the first week was rough, but once I adapted, I truly no longer feel a physical need or urge for those foods. I now seek out fats, especially animal fats. Granted, most of the meats I buy are free range/grass fed and the chickens are pastured and eating worms and bugs as they're supposed to. I was always a proponent of moderate fats but I think that is the one change in my diet that I've seen the most benefit from, and high fat (healthy non-man made)is a staple of Paleo/ancestral diets.

FYI - I may move this discussion into the Nutrition sticky at the top of this forum as that's where this really should be.

[mdzaudi]

mdzaudi, I ate crap for the first 23 years of my life. Even though I was fairly athletic and active, that lifestyle led me to being 265+lb's and 30% + BF. With the heart and blood pressure issues in my family, I'm sure I was on the track to major health issues. One day, I completely changed my diet. I went strict "Atkins induction". Protein/Fat, less than 20gm's of carbs per day. I lost a lot of fat, quickly and spared most of my lean mass. I got down to 205lb's, but at 5'10", I was still fat. At that point I decided to start strength training (with my limited knowledge at the time)and added veggies and fruits/nuts to my diet. those adjustments allowed me to get down to 180lb's and about 11-12% BF. Although I maintained that for a few years, since 2008, I've been on an upward trend of fat gain and poor health. Very recently, I decided to jump almost head first into an ancestral style diet. I'm now losing weight, performing better and feeling better than I have in a long time. I feel like I'm healthier and more able to fight off infections and illness. My evidence is purely anecdotal, but it is evidence, none the less. I've done this, I've lived this and I'm living this now.

One thing I always noted when I lost weight years ago, was that I still had those cravings for sweets and carbs. Translation? I wasn't getting enough dietary fats and the quality of my food choices was terrible. I used to eat 4 hotdogs as a meal. High protein? Sure. Healthy? Hell no. I also skipped egg yolks like they were the plague. I trimmed the fat off the beef, didn't eat dark meat chicken and didn't eat the skin. I also didn't like Almonds, never at avocado, and really hadn't ever eaten a coconut product, other than maybe some processed/sweetened version of coconut shreddings. The result of that style of eating, combined with an avoidance of all carbs, was weight loss, but I didn't have an overall feeling of well being. I was always tired, performed poorly in sports and was probably suffering from ultra high cortisol and adrenal fatigue.

With paleo style adjustments to my diet, I no longer have cravings for carbs and sweets. Yes, the first week was rough, but once I adapted, I truly no longer feel a physical need or urge for those foods. I now seek out fats, especially animal fats. Granted, most of the meats I buy are free range/grass fed and the chickens are pastured and eating worms and bugs as they're supposed to. I was always a proponent of moderate fats but I think that is the one change in my diet that I've seen the most benefit from, and high fat (healthy non-man made)is a staple of Paleo/ancestral diets.

FYI - I may move this discussion into the Nutrition sticky at the top of this forum as that's where this really should be.

Yeah feel free to move it (sorry for cluttering up your thread geoff). I'm not challenging Paleo myself, i'm merely challenging the idea that the other diets are terrible and what that basis is for discounting thousands of experts' advice. TBH my typical weekly diet only consists of meats, eggs, nuts, berries, and vegetables however I DO enjoy dairy on a daily basis and I carb it up on the weekends from time to time. I changed my diet around November of last year and went from 189 to 175 but was still consuming considerable amounts of carbs/grains. Then in May I changed to the diet listed above to "cut-up" for the summer and sure enough I went from 175 to 168.

One thing I have not experience is this significant "better" feeling that so many of you talk about. I spend less time on the toilet sure, but I'm not more energetic by any means. Perhaps I still have some tweaking to do.

[fusionx]

Yeah feel free to move it (sorry for cluttering up your thread geoff). I'm not challenging Paleo myself, i'm merely challenging the idea that the other diets are terrible and what that basis is for discounting thousands of experts' advice. TBH my typical weekly diet only consists of meats, eggs, nuts, berries, and vegetables however I DO enjoy dairy on a daily basis and I carb it up on the weekends from time to time. I changed my diet around November of last year and went from 189 to 175 but was still consuming considerable amounts of carbs/grains. Then in May I changed to the diet listed above to "cut-up" for the summer and sure enough I went from 175 to 168.


One thing I have not experience is this significant "better" feeling that so many of you talk about. I spend less time on the toilet sure, but I'm not more energetic by any means. Perhaps I still have some tweaking to do.

Semi-paleo!!! haha :P

I'm on the eat as much as I possibly can diet right now. Up to 175 trying to hit 180 soon and still keep my BF under 10%

Matt I thought you were WAY over 168 damn thats crazy. I thought you were pushing like 200

[mdzaudi]

Semi-paleo!!! haha :P

I'm on the eat as much as I possibly can diet right now. Up to 175 trying to hit 180 soon and still keep my BF under 10%

Matt I thought you were WAY over 168 damn thats crazy. I thought you were pushing like 200

Well when we hung out in february i was somewhere around 175-180 I think but I try and keep pretty slim. When I was down to 168, I had begun to lose some muscle mass so I think i'm much better off around 172-175. I'm really trying to improve my strength to weight ratios rather than just gain pure strength at the expense of gaining weight.

Good luck bulking though man. How tall are you again?

[chubbychynk]

I don't believe that there is a conspiracy by the pharm companies to make us sick so they can make money. If this were true then these pharm people "in the know" would be walking around eating "paleo" diets. They don't. They have the same problems as the rest of America.

There is a shit load of money to be made in meat products. There is no reason for them to push grains if it was just about money. We can use the grains to feed the animals all day long. The meat industry is all about taking cheap grains and grass and making it worth something more.

I DO agree that the country is still going to be fat and unhealthy by following the guidelines of these so called experts. However, there are enough idiots out there that really will kill themselves on a paleo diet. BTW, I don't really follow any diet. I try to be in tune with my body and I've gotten pretty good at it. I understand what the foods I eat do to me, not just based on an immediate feeling but based on science. People should concentrate on that. But back on topic, the goal of the average person is not to be ripped or whatever. It might be their dream, but dreams aren't necessarily reality for everyone. I haven't looked at what all those diets are yet but if I have a chance I'll give my opinion on them as well.

[94jedi]

I don't believe that there is a conspiracy by the pharm companies to make us sick so they can make money. If this were true then these pharm people "in the know" would be walking around eating "paleo" diets. They don't. They have the same problems as the rest of America.

There is a shit load of money to be made in meat products. There is no reason for them to push grains if it was just about money. We can use the grains to feed the animals all day long. The meat industry is all about taking cheap grains and grass and making it worth something more.

I DO agree that the country is still going to be fat and unhealthy by following the guidelines of these so called experts. However, there are enough idiots out there that really will kill themselves on a paleo diet. BTW, I don't really follow any diet. I try to be in tune with my body and I've gotten pretty good at it. I understand what the foods I eat do to me, not just based on an immediate feeling but based on science. People should concentrate on that. But back on topic, the goal of the average person is not to be ripped or whatever. It might be their dream, but dreams aren't necessarily reality for everyone. I haven't looked at what all those diets are yet but if I have a chance I'll give my opinion on them as well.

Chubb, you don't find it a little disturbing that all the items that make up the foundation of the USDA food pyramind (I know they have "My Plate" now) are all items heavily subsidized by the govt? Items that can in turn feed cattle, pigs, and other livestock, on the cheap, in order to provide a greater profit? Ultimately, I'm a capitalist and a libertarian/conservative. I understand the game. It may not be some massive movie style conspiracy, but I do think that the govt and big pharma benefit from having a less than healthy population. As long as we "need" them, they're in business. I fully believe they realize this. I'm not saying that everyone that works for the govt or a pharmaceutical co. is in on it. What I'm saying is that the machine has been started, the snowball is rolling. It's too difficult for the majority to stop. For example, My father in law is 72. By all accounts, he looks to be in better shape than any 72 year old I've ever seen. Here's the catch - He takes like 5 prescriptions per day. He's what I consider, the classic case of someone dependent on big pharma. He's on asthma meds, Cholesterol meds, allergy meds, blood thinners, and a bunch of other shit I don't even know what for. Although his diet isn't too terrible, he doesn't eat meat. He doesn't eat chicken. He doesn't eat eggs - Only egg beaters (whatever the hell that is lol). He occasionally eats fish but his diet is mainly grains, refined carbs, and veggies. His sister has celiac disease. I keep telling him to eliminate grains, refined carbs/sugars, to exercise and to try eating a more whole/natural food based diet and yet he resists. His Doctors have never once mentioned changing his diet. In fact, they never offer a solution to his problems, they simply offer treatment for his symptoms. Who knows...maybe they're not out to get us, but they're certainly not doing the right things to keep us in peak health.

[chubbychynk]

I live in Ohio, one of the major dairy producing states in the country. Do you know that we are in a milk deficit? I have visited so many fucking dairy farms in Ohio and it baffles me that we are in a milk deficit. We can't produce enough! If you know anything about business, that means milk is a lucrative business. Maybe not for the farmer, but for lack of a better description, the "institution" of dairy production is very lucrative. Cows that are producing milk can't get enough grains. Their caloric demands are equivalent to that of someone continuously running a marathon. Cows also require lots of drugs, vaccines and disease testing. I go through bottles of vaccines on a single herd of cattle. Every single cow has to be tested for diseases. Who makes the most money from that?

I know many argue about milk's health concerns, but thats another issue. I'm talking about grains. It would be more profitable to stuff our cows with grains and then sell us milk since we're not producing enough to feed the country.

So, I just think its the consumers fault. We demand grains because they are convenient, easy, cheap and relatively addictive. Supply and demand.

[94jedi]

So, I just think its the consumers fault. We demand grains because they are convenient, easy, cheap and relatively addictive. Supply and demand.

I agree 100% with this. We demand, they give us what we want. I guess this is the issue with feeding 380million people.

[fusionx]

Well when we hung out in february i was somewhere around 175-180 I think but I try and keep pretty slim. When I was down to 168, I had begun to lose some muscle mass so I think i'm much better off around 172-175. I'm really trying to improve my strength to weight ratios rather than just gain pure strength at the expense of gaining weight.

Good luck bulking though man. How tall are you again?

Oh ok. Yeah im sure its hard going that low without loosing muscle. 175ish definitely seems like a really good weight to settle at. I hear ya on the strength to weight ratio. Are you going to start doing power sets of 5 or something like that?

Thanks! I'm 6'. My metabolism is so god damn fast so its hard. I think I was like 148ish back in february, put on about 5 or so by the end of the school year then built up a really clean / heavy eating diet over the summer while I was at home and got up to about 165. Ran a shotgun/synth for a month over the summer and put on about 5lbs from that. Now I'm at about 175ish trying to see what I can get to while maintaining very low bf%

[chubbychynk]

I agree 100% with this. We demand, they give us what we want. I guess this is the issue with feeding 380million people.

Indeed. Do you remember when a lot of the fast food companies started advertising bunless burgers? They would use lettuce to wrap the burger instead of the bun. Why? Because the atkins diet was gaining a lot of momentum at the time. The profit was in the meat anyway. It's supply and demand.

I just got back from the pet store, which I rarely ever go to... have you seen how many different dog foods are "grain free" now? I counted at least 10 different grain free dog foods. They are being produced because the demand (and profit) is there.

[chubbychynk]

Carl's Jr press release from 2003, hehehe:

Carl's Jr.(R) Low Carb Six Dollar Burger Now Available at All Participating Locations

The Six Dollar Burger(R) Sheds Its Buns and 55 Grams of Carbohydrates in Time for New Year's Resolutions Video Footage Available Via Satellite Feed or Beta Tape: 12/31 Feed - 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. EST (fed in rotation); Tel 6/22 .c. band; DL 4140 (H)

CARPINTERIA, Calif., Dec 30, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ** The new year is upon us and diets will be starting up in full-force. Want to get back on track without feeling denied of the yummy indulgences of the season? Now you can. Introducing The Low Carb Six Dollar Burger(TM) from Carl's Jr. ** the newest version of the award-winning Six Dollar Burger(R). The bunless, lettuce-wrapped burger contains only six grams of carbohydrates (and only four grams of net carbohydrates ** which is carbohydrates less fiber and sugar alcohols).

"No other quick-service burger chain can offer as delicious a low-carb burger option as Carl's Jr.," said Andy Puzder, president and CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc. "With its 1/2-pound seasoned, charbroiled hamburger patty, the Low Carb Six Dollar Burger tastes great even without the bun ** which means you can have a very satisfying meal and still stick with your low-carb plan. That's great news for the almost 32 million Americans currently on some type of carbohydrate-reduced diet."

As you know most of these 32 million Americans have since given up on a carbohydrate-reduced diet.

[mdzaudi]

Oh ok. Yeah im sure its hard going that low without loosing muscle. 175ish definitely seems like a really good weight to settle at. I hear ya on the strength to weight ratio. Are you going to start doing power sets of 5 or something like that?

Thanks! I'm 6'. My metabolism is so god damn fast so its hard. I think I was like 148ish back in february, put on about 5 or so by the end of the school year then built up a really clean / heavy eating diet over the summer while I was at home and got up to about 165. Ran a shotgun/synth for a month over the summer and put on about 5lbs from that. Now I'm at about 175ish trying to see what I can get to while maintaining very low bf%

Not really sure how I want to approach increasing my strength at this point. I've gotta start getting creative tho because i'm reaching the limitations of my gym (for example my incline dumbell press is at 80lbs per arm right now in sets of 8-10 and there are no heavier ones) etc.

175lbs for you at 6' should still be pretty slim though and If I were you, I would be aiming for 180-185 but its up to your preference. And you're still young enough to where you'll be fighting your metabolism pretty hard to put on that extra 5-10. I used to be that way as well.

[.Mad Hatter.]

DE squats last night: 5x5 @ 225, 235, 245x2, 250
Good Mornings: 155x2, 160, 165
Side Bends: 4x12 @ 60lbs
Med. Ball Crunch: 4x15 @ 7kg

[.Mad Hatter.]

DE bench on Monday:

Feet up Bench: 5x5 @ 165x2, 170, 175x2
Incline DB Chest Press: 3x12 @ 55lbs
BB Supine Row: 3x12 @ 100lbs
Triceps Pressdown: 3x15 @ 95lbs

ME Trap bar Deads yesterday: 6x3 @ 330x2, 340x2, 350x2
GHR: 4x12
Hanging Leg Raises: 3x15
Low Cable shrugs: 4x12 @ 70lbs

Then I did some treadmill sprints to prep for an upcoming Fire Fighter job specific test. Wish me luck!

[Feeesh]

Good luck bro!
It's been a while hope you've been well!

We still doing AZ challenges around here? :P

[.Mad Hatter.]

Thanks! I'm more worried about getting/not getting the job than I am about the actual fitness test but oh well. We have not done a challenge in a LONG time.

Me bench for me today:

Decline bench: 6x3 @ 205x2, 210, 215, 220, 225---Big PR for a triple.
Wide Pulldowns: 3x12 @ 130
DB shoulder press: 3x12 @ 45lbs
Prone DB row: 4x12 @ 30lbs

I drank 1.5L of water during the worklout and almost was sick after, but I feel SO much better when I am hydrated, especially with the pre-workout creatine.

[.Mad Hatter.]

I am kicking the shit out of some food today;

Breakfast 1:

3 all beef patties (beef, water, salt, spice)
~1000 calories
96g fat
63g protein

2 carrots
2/3 ish bell pepper

Breakfast 2:

Coconut flour pancakes; 4 whole eggs, 2 tablespoons coconut flour, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon olive oil
handful of chocolate chips (my only small vice)
~2 tablespoons of natural maple syrup

800 cals maybe?

hard weight gain is hard.

Ok, that was breakfast(s)

Late afternoon I had 5 pieces of bacon with 4 eggs.

Post workout was 3 chicken breasts cooked in coconut milk, thyme and sundried tomatoes.

Now post post workout is a ****load of roast with some carrots.

I'm still hungry...

[.Mad Hatter.]

I just had 1 banana with 5 pieces dark chocolate

[aaaudiprotein]

What creatine you went with?
Good luck on your test

[juggaKnot]

how heavy do you wanna be, Geoff?

and dude, I just searched coconut flour pancakes online and that stuff looks doooope!

[.Mad Hatter.]

I use allmax creatine, just straight monohydrate; 5g pre-workout.

I would ideally like to be around 155 so i can cut to 148.5 for the next comp in Feb.

[biketsai]

Eating like a beast! To put my diet to shame, I only had 1 chicken breast for lunch.

[mdzaudi]

Your diet is odd but I suppose it gets the job done for you. Maybe you should hammer down some carbs if you wanna gain weight haha.

[.Mad Hatter.]

Odd how?

[mdzaudi]

Odd how?

I don't know anyone that has ever eaten 3 beef patties and two carrots for breakfast. Just sayin'

[.Mad Hatter.]

Ya I suppose that is different...but it's just another meal.

[Aliel]

Around how many calories are you eating now that you are bulking? I wish I could find some coconut flower in Albania. I am craving some baked goods really bad.

[94jedi]

Good luck bro!
It's been a while hope you've been well!

We still doing AZ challenges around here? :P

Damn straight we are! Post one up Feeesh!

[94jedi]

I don't know anyone that has ever eaten 3 beef patties and two carrots for breakfast. Just sayin'

How about 3 beef patties and a whole tomato? I've done that lol. It's actually really good lol.

[94jedi]

how heavy do you wanna be, Geoff?

and dude, I just searched coconut flour pancakes online and that stuff looks doooope!

Coconut flour is awesome. I've got my wife baking tasty paleo treats from fastpaleo.com. It's an odd feeling though. For example, she made raspberry coconut muffins the other day. they were so good, but I only ate two and I was satisfied. I didn't feel like I had to keep eating more and more as with traditional flour. The fat content satiated me, and kept my insulin in check. Paleo baking goods aren't cheap but it's so worth it. I'm gonna sound like a weirdo but I actually have a "healthy relationship" with food. I no longer treat myself like a dog; rewarding myself with "treats". I have no need for them. I eat food when I need to, rather than because I want to. Even when I lost a lot of weight before, I still really hadn't made a lifestyle change as I have now.

I just had 1 banana with 5 pieces dark chocolate

I went to Whole foods this weekend and bought some dark chocolate. it's 85% cocoa. I believe you said anything above 80% was good right? I do "treat" myself to dark chocolate several times a week, but instead of two bars like I used to do with Snickers, now it's 2 squares, max...and I'm good with that. There's no feeling of wanting more. No insulin shock/spike.

I am kicking the shit out of some food today;

Breakfast 1:

3 all beef patties (beef, water, salt, spice)
~1000 calories
96g fat
63g protein

2 carrots
2/3 ish bell pepper

Breakfast 2:

Coconut flour pancakes; 4 whole eggs, 2 tablespoons coconut flour, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon olive oil
handful of chocolate chips (my only small vice)
~2 tablespoons of natural maple syrup

800 cals maybe?

hard weight gain is hard.

Ok, that was breakfast(s)

Late afternoon I had 5 pieces of bacon with 4 eggs.

Post workout was 3 chicken breasts cooked in coconut milk, thyme and sundried tomatoes.

Now post post workout is a ****load of roast with some carrots.

I'm still hungry...

I stopped at breakfast #2 lol. You're an animal, Geoff!

DE bench on Monday:

Feet up Bench: 5x5 @ 165x2, 170, 175x2
Incline DB Chest Press: 3x12 @ 55lbs
BB Supine Row: 3x12 @ 100lbs
Triceps Pressdown: 3x15 @ 95lbs

ME Trap bar Deads yesterday: 6x3 @ 330x2, 340x2, 350x2
GHR: 4x12
Hanging Leg Raises: 3x15
Low Cable shrugs: 4x12 @ 70lbs

Then I did some treadmill sprints to prep for an upcoming Fire Fighter job specific test. Wish me luck!

Good luck man! Those tests are all about GPP. You'll crush it, I have no doubt.

I use allmax creatine, just straight monohydrate; 5g pre-workout.

I would ideally like to be around 155 so i can cut to 148.5 for the next comp in Feb.

When I get to my ideal BF%, I'm going to start w/ creatine as well. How do you like that allmax brand?

[.Mad Hatter.]

anything above 85% is ideal, but I sometimes even drop as low as 70% for a REAL treat, haha. As for allmax I have no complaints; it's just straight up monohydrate. I may have to start taking more though

[juggaKnot]

Jedi, are you 100% paleo now?