Big guy getting Tiny - a V-diet Log

[just2mutch]

Hi all,

Like so many others I am embarking on a 20-day V-diet (Velocity Diet) adventure. I am a pretty big guy. 6 ft. tall, 240 pounds and about 25% bodyfat. For the last six months I have been working out and eating healthy, using a ?Body-for-life? approach, and I am definitely growing muscle, but fat loss has been slow.
I am doing the V-diet to get ripped? or? at least start me down road to my rippedness!!! I would love your support, and even critique of how I am going about it.

Here are some links to the V-diet, for anyone who hasn?t heard of it:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=546491
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....le=05-025-diet
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....le=06-165-diet

OK? down to the good stuff:

NUTRITION:
Since I?m a little larger than the average V-dieter, this is going to get really expensive! Based on Chris' formula, I want to get about 1800 cals per day, Ideally about 240g Protein / 56g Fat / & 50g Carbs. I will accomplish this using the following break-down:
- 9 Servings Metabolic Drive
- 4 Servings Golden Flax Meal
- 3 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 Serving Surge on workout Days?

SUPPLEMENTS:
Pretty Standard for the V-diet, I am no supplement expert , so I simply followed Chris Stuggart?s advice, mixed with some advice from Christian Thibaudeau
- 2-4 Hot Rox Extreme
- 1 Serving Flameout
- 1 Tribex on Work-out Days
- A Trader Joe?s multi-vitamin
- 2 Servings Power Drive
- Do I need Additional BCAAs? (getting 13g from Surge on Workout days)

WORKOUTS:
I am not going to spend a ton of time at the Gym, but I am going to bust my tail every time I am there! On heavy lifting days I will do 10min of Cardio to warm up, then do about 6 exercises for the target muscle group(s). I use a pattern of 4 sets with descending reps, and I increase the weight with each set.

For example - Bicep Curl: 12x40lbs, 10x60lbs, 8x70lbs, 5x80lbs

With each exercies I work hard to totally max out the muscle. Lactate inducing workouts are a Chuck Poloquin thing? basically I?ll do 5 different exercise with no break, rest a minute, and do it all over again. I?ll do 5 total ?circuits? in this manner, maximizing lactate production and hopefully fat-loss as well. I may add cardio as the diet progresses.

WORKOUT SCHEDULE:
Saturday: Lactate-inducing workout
Sunday: Arms (heavy) and shoulders
Monday: Lactate-inducing workout
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: Chest and back, heavy
Thursday: Legs, heavy
Friday: OFF

So? that?s it! I am glad you are joining me on my adventure, thoughts welcome.
-mutch

[advancednoob87]

Good luck, I considered the V-diet once, but decided to wait and use it to burn off that last 5-10lbs before I reach my goal. Please keep us updated on how it goes, I am very interested in hearing!
-Geoffrey

[just2mutch]

DAY TWO

Well, day two passed quite smoothly. I am enjoying the shakes and I feel very alive! I don't know if it is the Hot Rox, The Power Drive, the Tribex, or all the protein, but something is keeping me in a good mood all day!

I was not very hungry Today, and I had a great leg workout! I had lots of energy from the Surge, and I feel like I put a lot of weight up!

My one question is, am I eating too much? should I be feeling so full? Maybe the formula I used to determine calories is not appropiate for someone at 25% BF, who sits on their tail all day.

TOMMOROW... ANOTHER DAY... AND MAYBE SOME "before" PICTURES.

[CTUmp]

DAY TWO

Well, day two passed quite smoothly. I am enjoying the shakes and I feel very alive! I don't know if it is the Hot Rox, The Power Drive, the Tribex, or all the protein, but something is keeping me in a good mood all day!

I was not very hungry Today, and I had a great leg workout! I had lots of energy from the Surge, and I feel like I put a lot of weight up!

My one question is, am I eating too much? should I be feeling so full? Maybe the formula I used to determine calories is not appropiate for someone at 25% BF, who sits on their tail all day.

TOMMOROW... ANOTHER DAY... AND MAYBE SOME "before" PICTURES.

Hey thanks for stopping by my thread. Looks like you have a pretty good plan, the only thing i might suggest is adding a little more light cardio, rember that Chris did an hour of cardio (walking w/ weight vest) every morning, so that probably makes quite the difference. Also there is nothing wrong with feeling full, if you read Chris' journal from when he was on the diet (it's on t-nation) you'll see that he felt the same way. Because the casein takes so long to digest it's going to make you feel full for longer. Anyway keep up the good work.


And yes, we can have a friendly little competition, I say we do it by percentage lost tho seeing as you are a little bit bigger than me

*subscribed*

[mentho81]

Having the same problem with feeling so full on my V-diet, I guess thats better then feeling like im starving though. By the way, what kind of surge did you get? I ended up buying the chocolate kind and its probably all the sugar but wow does it taste good.

[just2mutch]

Having the same problem with feeling so full on my V-diet, I guess thats better then feeling like im starving though. By the way, what kind of surge did you get? I ended up buying the chocolate kind and its probably all the sugar but wow does it taste good.

I have *Wild Raspberry* It tastes pretty good, but I'd prefer Chocolate. (I'm a chocolate hound). I find my Surge really pumps me up for my workout - it's so good - I'm trying to convince my friends to get it too.

[just2mutch]

the only thing i might suggest is adding a little more light cardio, rember that Chris did an hour of cardio (walking w/ weight vest) every morning

A fair point! I am trying to see if I can start out losing w/o Cardio, and then I'll add more of it as the diet Progresses!

As to the Weight-loss... You're on! I am only going 20 days, so if you're able to make special note of that day, that would be great.

[CTUmp]

yeah, im on day 4, ill make sure to leave a special note when im on day 20 of my total progress. Keep up the hard work

[just2mutch]

Ladies & Gentlemen... here are my "Before" pictures. This is me @ 240 lbs and 25% BF.



hmm.... how do I make the picture appear "Inline" in my post?

[Hotmoltenlava]

My one question is, am I eating too much? should I be feeling so full?

Give it a week and you won't be asking that question...... The first few days are relatively easy. Come about day 10 and you will test your sanity.

Good luck.

[just2mutch]

Day Three:

Today was a non-workout day - my first one. It seems strange to be so focused on weight loss, and yet not working out.

WHERE ARE MY ROX?
Funny story! I had a busy morning and then found myself "crashing" in the afternoon. My face felt flushed and dry and tingly. I wanted to eat! I couldn't figure out what was going on?!? But I gritted my teeth and made it through the day. When I got home this evening, I discovered what was happening... There in the bottom of my lunch bag were my Hot Rox and my Fish Oil. I had forgotten to take both of them before lunch, and I think my body was missing them.

DEALING WITH CO-WORKERS...
My co-worker "made" me take a cookie today (He didn't know about my diet). I didn't want to, but I took it, took a dainty nibble, told him how good it tasted, and then set it down on my desk, as if to eat it later (When really, it was going straight to the trash). Has anyone else had this happen to them? How did you handle it?

Well, that's it for Today. Be sure to check out my "before" pics, and I can't wait to see what I look like 17 days from now!

-mutch

[CTUmp]

Great Job, turning down co-workers is one of the hardest things, I kind of just make a point of them seeing me drink my shakes that way, they kind of figure out on their own that I'm dieting, and if that doesn't work, I just tell them straight up. Oh, and I posted my "before" pics only they're from today.

[just2mutch]

Weighed in this morning @ 235! I'm down 5 lbs... although much of that is probably water weight.

[just2mutch]

Today I had my first "cheat" meal... In retrospect, I think I overdid it. That said, I did not feel full at all, only happy and content for the rest of the day.

I ate:
-> A Dinner-sized Chicken Ceasar Salad (I ordered this)
-> Half a meatball sandwhich (My friend offered it to me)
-> 1/3 a small personal-sized pizza... (From the girls I was sitting next too)

hmm.... yeah.... well, back to the shakes. You're getting the good, the bad, and the ugly here folks!

-mutch

[just2mutch]

Had a great, sweaty, Lactate-inducing workout today. The surge/Power Drive/Hot Rox combo seem to help me feel great, even though I am not getting any Carbs.

Today & Saturday I added a 4-minute "Tabatha" to the end of my workout. Wow. Wow. Wow. It was killer, but I felt a full-body pump when it was over.

-mutch

[just2mutch]

they kind of figure out on their own that I'm dieting, and if that doesn't work, I just tell them straight up.

Have you tried, "I'm a gym teacher, I don't eat that kind of crap!"

Kidding!

[CTUmp]

Have you tried, "I'm a gym teacher, I don't eat that kind of crap!"

Kidding!

Haha, I would if I taught gym, but im a math teacher :-p.

Anyway, You're doing good, don't worry about the cheat meal, you may have over done it a little, but thats okay, just try not to next time. Keep working hard.


What exactly is a "Tabatha"

[mentho81]

What sort of tabata exercise did you do? I tried tabata thrusters a couple days ago and I swear I felt like I was going to die. I started using 30lb dumbells and by the third set I was lowering the weight till eventually I was using only 10lb dumbells. Felt like 90 at the end though.

[mentho81]

What exactly is a "Tabatha"

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=490160

You'll still feel it 2 days later.

[just2mutch]

What sort of tabata exercise did you do? I tried tabata thrusters a couple days ago and I swear I felt like I was going to die...

I did Thruster's as well. I was a little girly-man and only held a 5 pounder in each hand - but I knew from the first time I did them that that was all it would take to totally. I am going to continue doing Tabatas on Saturdays and Tuesdays, so perhaps I'l have to keep you appraised of any increase.

-mutch

[just2mutch]

How can it be? 7 Days already? My gut sure looks smaller in the mirror!

Today was my "off" day for my workout. Had another challenge Today at work - It was 80 degrees out and all of us were roasting, and someone went and bought Root Beer and Ice Cream so we could all make Floats.

I tried to excuse myself politely, but one of my co-workers insisted.... so made the tiniest float you've ever seen... and told him how good it tasted. I gotta learn how to get out of those situations!

Anyway, this closes the first week of my V-diet. Tommorow I will change my diet some:

1. Remove on serving of Metabolic Drive - The calories on this diet seem to be a little high for me. Since I am @ 25% body fat & 240 lbs, I am going to "pretend" I was 10%, and slowly adjust my diet down to that level. Practically, this week I am going to remove one serving of Metabolic drive from my diet, bringing me down to 8 servings / day.

2. Up my Hot Rox from 2 to 4 per day.

3. Start supplementing with 9g Creatine on my Workout days - this should help improve my workout intesity.

There you have it, Tommorow, I'll you know how it goes, and hopefully post a new weigh-in.

[CTUmp]

wow sounds like your co-workers are really out to get you. Good job resisting, though, keep up the hard work, let me know how the creatine affects your workouts/progress as I would assume that it will cause you to retain more water.

[just2mutch]

I tried taking 4 Hot Rox Extrm. Today. 2 first thing in the Morning, 1 @ 11:30PM, and 1 @ 5:30PM. I say "tried" because I didn't feel that great! Tommorow, I will go down to 3 (6AM, 12PM, 5PM)

On the other hand, I think my calorie reduction has been a sucess. I feel like I am back in the weightloss "zone." Although, truth be told, I may gain up to 4 lbs from starting Creatine. We'll see what wins out!

-mutch

[mentho81]

Ya I think the creatine monohydrate I started taking 2-3 days into my v-diet really decreased the amount of weight I would have lost in the first week. I know its just a mental thing since its all water weight but I still have to keep reminding myself that it will all even out in the long run.

[just2mutch]

This morning I weighed in ... at 231, 9 lbs below my start weight. Why the sudden drop? I couldn't tell you, but I'm down!

In all seriousness, I just recently changed 3 parts of my diet:
1. Reduced Cals by 150Kc
2. Increased Fat/Prot ratio
3. Increased dose of Hot Rox
4. Added 9g of Creatine on Workout days.

Any of these could be playing a role in this sudden drop. The only Question now is... is it for keeps?

-mutch

[CTUmp]

Looks like things are going great, keep up the hard work! half way there for you.

[just2mutch]

Come about day 10 and you will test your sanity.

Well... Hot molten Lava's words turned out to be prophetic Today! Today did test my Sanity, I felt tired, starving, agressive, cranky and a dozen other things, all in turn!

Hoping Tommorow is a little smoother,
-mutch

[xx1jpt5xx]

Keep up the good work. Its day 12 for me. down to 223 from 237. I'm probably gonna finish off this week and slowly work solid food back in for the other 2 weeks. Lately I've been getting real lightheaded in the evenings.