Travis' Abs Diet Challenge

New Workout

2006-12-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile, but I haven't been away from the gym (at least, not in the last month and a half). I got back in the gym just before Thanksgiving with a newfound determination. I had found myself wasting away and friends were starting to comment that I'd lost some mass. Deciding then and there that I was going to try to really commit myself to gaining mass, I started a new and simple program.

As far as eating was concerned, my goal was simply to eat a lot more, but eat cleanly. I've never tried to really eat for mass gains, so it was a little overwhelming at first to be eating enough food to gain weight.

As for a workout, I went super simple: a two day split consisting of the following exercises:

Day 1
Squats
Dead lifts

Day 2
Bench press
Pullups
Shoulder press
Bent-over rows

That's it.

So far, I've put on a little over 10 pounds in about 6 weeks. Using a scale to check fat percentages, I've gained 1-2% in fat, but that also means I put on 7-8 pounds of muscle. Eating as much as I am has left me feeling better with more energy than I used to have.

I'll try to make another update in a few weeks, complete with before and after measurements.

Monthly Update

2006-04-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

My workouts continue to go well and I'm still making quite a bit of progress. I'm going to take down numbers tonight and try to post them in the next couple of days. I'm also going to take another round of pictures and probably post those, as well.

I've decided to get on creatine for a while (maybe a month?), to see what gains that will produce. My goal right now is to see if I can get up to 170 lbs. I'm currently sitting at about 158-160 lbs.

At that point, summer should be right around the corner, so I'll probably start tightening up my diet and try to lean down again. That's the big plan, I'll keep you posted…

Stats

2006-03-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

I barely noticed, but I guess I've completed another six week stint on the Abs Diet. I made a fair amount of progress in some areas and stayed steady in others. Here are my before and current stats (all measurements are with the muscles relaxed or "un-flexed"):

Weight
151 lb.
155 lb.

BF
5.5%
6.5%

Chest
38.5 in.
40 in.

Waist
32 in.
30 in.

Hips
36 in.
36 in.

Upper Arms
12 in.
12.5 in.

Forearms
11 in.
11.25 in.

Quads
22 in.
22.5 in.

Calves
15 in.
15.25 in.

Workout Routine

2006-02-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

As requested, here is my current workout routine:

Day 1 (chest)
1. Flat bench press with barbell (3 + 2 warm-up sets)
2. Flat bench press with dumbbells (3 sets)
3. Alternate by workout (3 sets)
  a. Incline bench press
  b. Dips or decline bench press
4. Alternate by workout (3 sets)
  a. Upper pulley cable flyes
  b. Lower pulley cable flyes

Day 2 (Back)
1. Lat pulldowns (3 sets)
2. Close grip seated rows (3 sets)
3. Lower back extensions (3 sets)
4. Bent over rows (3 sets)

Day 3 (Shoulders)
1. Front arm raises (3 sets)
2. Side arm raises (3 sets)
3. Shrugs (3 sets)
4. Military press (3 sets)

Day 4 (Arms)
1. Concentration curls (3 sets)
2. Skull crushers (3 sets)
3. E-Z bar curls (3 sets)
4. Tricep press-downs (3 sets)
5. Forearm exercise (3 sets)

Day 5 (Legs)
1. Squats (3 + 2 warm-up sets)
2. Standing calf raises (3 sets)
3. Leg extensions (3 sets)
4. Leg curls (3 sets)
5. Seated calf raises (3 sets)

Notes:
3-4 sessions per week
Warm up before starting each workout
Do abs workout* between warmup and workout (skip on back to back workouts)

* My abs workout currently consists of doing one exercise (3 sets) for: upper, lower abs and obliques

As I mentioned earlier, I found that the Abs Diet workout, while quite effective, simply wasn't working each muscle group to the degree that I desired. Hence, this more complete breakdown.

Additionally, I've been doing the above routine with very heavy weights and low reps. I've always done the 12-10-8 rep style workout and wanted to switch things up a bit. It takes me just under an hour to complete each day's workout.

As for cardio, I play in a couple ice hockey leagues, so I usually have two games on the weekends. During the week, I've been practice skating at lunch on the days I'm not lifting.

Slow 'n Steady

2006-02-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hmm, not really sure what to write on here these days, as I feel like the abs diet is really more of my everyday lifestyle, now, than a life change. I should post something, though, so I will say that eating seems like my new job. I'm literally putting something in my mouth every 2-3 hours as long as I'm awake. Overall, I'd say I'm eating about 85-90% perfect, with maybe 2-3 cheat meals a week.

As for progress, stagnant would best describe my current state, I think. I certainly feel like I've put on some muscle, but the needle on the scale isn't moving in either direction. Who knows, maybe I'm leaning out a tad at the same time? I need to find a dunk tank to get an accurate BF measurement.

One great Abs Diet trick

2006-02-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

For people not in the know, I realized the oatmeal blends better when its not cooked. If you're used to cooking your oatmeal when making your shake, try not cooking it. But realize that the heat from the oatmeal (along with the water in the oatmeal) used to be melting the ice in your blender. So you probably want to replace some or all the ice with just water.

By the Numbers

2006-01-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

Had an almost perfect week, last week; made it to the gym on four of the days and did some cardio for the other three. I say it was almost perfect because of a couple eating snafus (which may have included the consumption of a beer or two). Of more interest, is an actual progress report. So far, I've manage to gain a little over four pounds, of which two to three are muscle (if I've done my math correctly, using an increase in BF% of about 1%). All measurements were taken on the same scale, in the evening.

While shopping over the weekend, it occurred to me that I'm going through quite a bit of food on a weekly basis. Every week, I consume:
2/3 jar of peanut butter
1 carton of eggs
1 loaf of bread
1 gallon of milk
1 bag of oranges
2-3 lbs of lean meat
1 lb of spinach
5 Apples
5 containers of yogurt
½ of a large container of yogurt (smoothies)
1 bag of frozen blueberries
½ lb protein powder
plus a bunch of other miscellaneous food items

Belated Week 2 Update

2006-01-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last week was positively miserable at work, hence the lack of any updates. Fortunately, I didn't let the stress and madness in the office derail my progress too much. Admittedly, I only got one session of cardio in for the entire week, but I stayed true to the dietary portion of the plan.

Currently, it seems like it's the weekends that are causing me the most problems as far as food is concerned. The main cause of disruption, for me, stems from traveling out of town and not having a familiar environment from which to make good and timely food choices. When I can, I try to pack a few Zone bars to take with me to squeeze something in between the 3 main meals that everyone else I'm staying with or traveling with has been programmed to eat. So far, that seems to help me get by. The other, more significant problem is food choices when dining out. Again, the best I (we) can do in those situations is just to pick choices that resemble the Abs Diet and to be conscious of hidden fat and calorie sources.

Had a great workout yesterday and was thoroughly entertained by some guy who worked out nothing but his biceps the entire time I was there. Someone should inform him that the biceps are one of the smallest muscles in the body and he was probably doing nothing except overworking them after the first 15 minutes. Eh, someone who cares can let him know…

Week 1 Update

2006-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

With the better part of a week behind me, I'm still going strong on this second iteration of the Abs Diet. One nice thing about the diet is that it's helped me get back into cooking at home and eating out less. Here are a couple meals that have been working out well for me (keep in mind that I'm trying to put on weight, so I'm sneaking in a few extra calories whenever I can; consider that if you're going to use any of these suggestions).

For breakfast, I've been making a morning sandwich, consisting of a couple eggs, slices of Canadian bacon, a slice of Muenster cheese, and a little ketchup on two slices of whole wheat bread. I'll wash the whole thing down with a tall glass of milk.

At lunch, I'll mix together some canned chicken, low-fat refried black beans, a little flax, almond slivers and a curry or simmer sauce that I picked up at Trader Joe's. One batch of this is usually enough for two, maybe three meals.

I've been trying different things for dinner, but last night I BBQ'd a chicken breast that I'd marinated in lime juice, pepper and olive oil and combined that with some spinach that I sautéed with garlic, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.

As for the smoothies, I've been going the kitchen sink route and throwing the following into a blender: milk, yogurt, flax, blueberries, peanut butter, protein powder, and then I'll either throw in some oatmeal or high fiber cereal.

The exercise is going well, too. I did a little cardio on Monday, lifted on Tuesday and did an hour of cardio at lunch yesterday. I'm resting today and then plan on lifting again, tomorrow.

I've been bad about writing down my starting stats, but hopefully I can get to that tonight. I can't say I've really noticed a change, yet, except that I do feel a tad leaner (probably a result of all the water I've been drinking).

It's all coming back to me

2006-01-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Transitioning back into the Abs Diet eating routine has gone seamlessly for me, so far. Having removed all of the non-Abs Diet friendly foods from my fridge and pantry, I went shopping on Sunday afternoon in an effort to reload those voids with healthier choices. Considering the amount of food I bought, I was pleasantly surprised to note that the cost was much lower than what I had anticipated. A nice reminder that while eating healthy may cost a little more, it's not going to break the bank. Besides, when compared to the cost of an unhealthy lifestyle, there simply is no comparison.

Today will be my first day back in the gym. I hate going to the gym for the first three weeks in January because I'm forced to deal with all of the New Year's resolutioners. That aside, my plan is to follow the Abs Diet routine for today and Friday and then to switch over to my workout routine next week. Ideally, I plan on hitting the gym on MWF and doing cardio TTh.

Abs Diet Revival

2006-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's been over six months since the end of my Abs Diet Challenge. After the six week period, I found myself straying from the diet, but still trying to incorporate its principles. I also took a conscious short break from the gym to allow my body some rest time.

Naturally, the "short break" from the gym became a long hiatus and a quick examination of my diet showed it much closer to my diet before the challenge than during. After watching my abs (and the hard work they represented) fade, I decided to get myself in shape again. I was back in the gym a few days a week, doing a more specialized workout. Not much was changed with regard to my diet, but I did try to eat cleanly. In a short time, I was making good progress and everything was falling back in order. Did I mention that this was partially fueled by my upcoming high school reunion?

Enter a shortage of sleep and a couple back to back colds and the gym and I once again became distant acquaintances. I sit here, now, having not seen the gym for at least a month and my eating habits are far from those recommended by the book (eating 2-3 times a day, not eating enough greens or protein; hell, not eating enough in general). Fortunately, I've been keeping active in other ways, so I haven't really gained any fat, merely losing muscle, instead.

I'm probably the scrawniest I've been since my high school days and it's finally reached the point where I'm ready to make another life change. My intention is to go back onto the Abs Diet, but this time using it to gain weight rather than lose it. I'm going to be hitting the gym, as well, and will be following a much more complete workout routine (while I found the workouts prescribed by the book effective, they didn't seem to work the entire muscle in each group. E.g. did not work the upper or lower chest, completely).

I will begin the diet soon and will post thoughts and progress, again.

Pics

2005-07-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are my pics after doing the abs diet. I can't seem to find the before pics at the moment, but when I do I will post those as well.

Also, as an aside, I got my cholesterol checked a couple of weeks after completing the diet and all of my numbers were very favorable. My HDL was the highest it's been (a byproduct of all the nuts and other sources of monounsaturated fats, I'm sure) and my LDL and overall cholesterol were at very low levels.

And I'm Spent...

2005-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it. It was a pretty quick six weeks and, overall, I'm pleased with the results. I dropped about a pound and lost 2% body fat and I can see most of my abs. I'll throw some pictures up in the coming days. If you'd like to partake in the contest, let me know and send me your pics and stats before the end of next week (6/3/05).

From here, my plan is continue following the general guidelines of the diet and to keep incorporating as many of the powerfoods into my diet as possible. The smoothies will definitely remain a staple in my diet; couldn't ask for an easier, healthy, quick-to-prepare meal!

How'd everyone else do?

Done and Done

2005-05-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

So today was my last planned workout of the 6 week program. Walking away, I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Although I did not lose 50% of my body fat, I'm happy with the progress I made, and it was done the healthiest way possible.

I think I'm gonna take it easy for a week, then get right back on the wagon and make some more progress.

If anyone wants to use my body fat scale this weekend, just give me a call!

An Abs Diet Riddle

2005-05-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

3 friends who are all on the Abs Diet go on a Road Trip. They are lost and it becomes increasingly late at night. They're all out of power foods except a bag of 30 fresh organic fuji apples in the trunk (divided up, they have 10 apples for each of them). Its pitch black and they end up in Amish Country where they ask a family on a farm if they could sleep in the barn for the night. To thank the family for their generosity, the each of the 3 friends offer their 10 apples (30 total). Since apples are not in season, the family are delighted to accept. Later that evening the family realizes they don't want their guests to go hungry so they send their son with a bowl of 5 apples to the barn. On the way to the barn, the son decides to keep two of the apples since he figured it would be hard to divide 5 apples between 3 people. Each of the 3 friends get an apple back.

So to stay at the barn for the night, it cost each of the 3 friends 9 apples each (27 total). The son kept 2 apples. That makes 29 apples. What happened to that other apple?

Final Push

2005-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

…I've been writing this, seemingly a sentence at a time, for the last week, so apologies if it doesn't flow or no longer applies…

It's now down to a matter of days before the official end of the six-week challenge. I will freely admit that this week has been a bit of a pain the ass, as far as the diet has been concerned. There have been multiple occasions this week already and over the next couple of days where I have been or will be dining out. Obviously, one cheat meal can only go so far in these situations.

I know that a lot of you have been faced with similar circumstances and felt really discouraged at the prospect of getting knocked off the diet. It seems timely, then, to interject that the diet is not simply about eating almonds and spinach for the rest of your life. Instead, we should focus on two of the macro-concepts being presented by the eating plan; making smart dining choices and planning ahead.

When going out to eat, unless it's a cheat meal, the objective should be to minimize the impact of the food being consumed. Try to avoid foods that have a high caloric impact or no nutritional value and don't continue eating until you need to be rolled out the door. Similarly, if you know that you're going to be going out to eat and the choices may be limited, eat something good for you ahead of time and then get something small at the restaurant (e.g. an appetizer). This way, you won't feel like you're missing out.

Best of luck to everyone this last week!

Trans fats in quaker oatmeal?

2005-05-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

I was doing some comparison shopping yesterday and stumbled onto something interesting. The total amount of fat per serving of Quaker Oats 1-Min instant Oatmeal has total 3 grams of fats. But the saturated fats and unsaturated only added to 2.5. Going by what I read in the book, I interpreted that as .5 grams of trans fatty acids. The Ralphs brand was on sale for considerably less that seemed to not have this discrepency. In the past, I always favored bigger brands from big companies, but now I see there's a lot more value in getting stuff made by smaller vendors that generally process the food a little less.

The home stretch

2005-05-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

Less than 2 weeks to go. Everyone still hanging in there? I've been doing good with the exercises, and been averaging more like 2-3 cheat meals a week which were all unplanned. I'm gonna try a little harder to not do that for the remainder of this program. Even though I cheat more often then I should, I still try to make better decisions. I guess that's better than nothing. I think I'm making progress although I haven't really continued to lose weight at a rapid rate (2 lbs in the last 2 weeks). My muscles feel bigger, but my flab seems thinner. I guess all is good then.

Repulsed by sodas

2005-05-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what exactly drove me to stop drinking soda 3 years ago. Did I stop just because of the number of calories that I didn't want? Or was it because I just couldn't handle the sweetness? Maybe it was both. I found out that the longer I stayed away from the stuff, the sweetness just became more unbearable to deal with. It definitely wasn't quenching my thirsts for sure. I always thought I just had really bad teeth when it came to genetics. I always averaged 3-5 small cavities every 6-12 months, and I thought it was just something I always would have to deal with in life. But ever since I stopped drinking soda, I've had 0 cavities. Coincidence? Maybe, but probably not.

I guess diet sodas aren't too bad. But as far as artifiscial sweetners go, they all have their problems. Saccarine (Sweet & Low) in large amounts could cause cancer in rats, aspartame (Equal) alters brain chemicals which leads to changes in brain waves, and ever sucralose (Spenda) could cause cell mutation if a chlorine molecule ever breaks free from the chlorinated sugar molecule. I guess you can make an argument that sugar causes diabetes and obesity, which could lead to every type of illness out there. The revelation about HFCS and it dangers in the Abs Diet book was something new and alarming to me. If I knew how bad HFCS was and how bad it was, I would have never drank it.

Knowing all of this, I found myself growingly repulsed by sodas, and alarmed by how much of a staple it is in the American daily diet. I'll go to lunch with coworkers, and find out that I'm usually the only one not getting a fountain drink. Are we all that much in the dark? I guess so. I usually don't say anything but I know there will be a nation wide backlash against HFCS sooner or later.

Halfway point

2005-05-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today marks the official halfway point in our six week dietary adventure. I, for one, am pleased with the progress so far, both personal and the group as a whole. Everyone has been doing great, and I couldn't be happier.

I've cut down my portion sizes a bit so they're more in line with the book's suggestions (I was downing entire smoothies in a sitting) and I've noticed a marked difference. I lost somewhere between 1 and 2 pounds this week and feel much leaner (I've got a four-pack coming to the surface). I'm really excited to see what the next 3 weeks hold!

Yo Soup for You

2005-05-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

I made the "Yo Soup for You" tonight. It was good. Maybe you will think it is good, too.

Dinner idea

2005-04-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a meal that I've made a few times now that's been really good.

Ingredients:
olive oil
garlic
spinach
sliced almonds
ground pepper
salmon (or other fish) filet or chicken breast

Heat a skillet up on medium to medium low heat. Put a little olive oil in the pan and let it warm up. Then put a finely minced garlic clove in the pan and cook it until it just starts to brown. Then, throw in a bunch of fresh spinach along with some sliced almonds. Saute the spinach until cooked. At this point, throw in a little lemon juice and some ground black pepper and cook for another minute or so. Put the spinach on a plate and top with a broiled salmon filet or chicken breast.

Really easy dish and will provide you with 4 powerfoods.

You guys are a bunch of losers!

2005-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Most of us (we have a few people that started a week late) are now a third of the way through the six weeks and it sounds like everyone is doing great! From the people that I've talked to, it looks like the group has lost an average of 4.5 pounds per person!

Last week was a pretty solid week for me, but I will admit to having two cheat meals. They weren't meals that I'd planned on and both were out to eat at restaurants. I did try to minimize the impact of the meals as best I could, though.

There is an Abs Diet potluck at my place this Thursday night. If you did not get the invite, please let me know so I can add you to my list!

Happy Do'

2005-04-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ok so you could sense the frustration in my last post...but I hope my tone has improved! I put on my belt today and I am down a notch! YAY!!! I think I haven't been losing weight as quickly as some of the other women on the forum that Travis posted because I was already active before I started this diet. I also spoke with Trav and he cleared things up a bit and made me feel a little better about my progress. Thanks Trav!

For my cardio today I decided to use my condo complex's pool for the first time today. The water was a bit chilly but the swim was very refreshing and reminded me of how much better I am at swimming than I am running. I will probably play floor hockey tomorrow as my interval workout.

I made a mango-strawberry-banana smoothie last night for today and it was ok. I think it would have tasted better if I had not put oats in it. I guess the oats are not as good overnight. Plus I put a bit more milk in it than usual and that may have effected the taste. But it's still really good for me so I downed it anyway.

For dinner yesterday and today I made this really great dish recommended by Trav and modified by me. I browned some chicken breast with garlic, added black beans, chopped tomato and fresh spinach and lastly added some green onion. I then seasoned with cajun seasoning and pepper and it was oh so yummy.

BTW - I think the potluck idea is great. My condo complex has a little sitting area by the pool and has a spa and tennis courts there too. There is a stove and two grills that are outdoor there too. I would offer the area for the potluck if you guys would like to do a potluck sometime soon. I probably won't have much time when May comes around because of finals.

Abs Diet for Women

2005-04-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to make sure that the women doing the diet are getting their questions answered and are headed in the right direction.

This web page contains some information for women doing the Abs Diet.

Additionally, there is a Women's Abs Diet Forum where you can get a lot of questions answered.

Hope that helps. If any of the ladies would like to chime in, I'm sure the others would appreciate it.

First week? Crushed it.

2005-04-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

When I originally came up with this idea, I never would have imagined that 25 other people would be interested in doing this alongside me. Allow me to say that I've been very impressed with everyone's dedication and enthusiasm for the diet. So far, all the feedback I've received has been very positive and the basic sentiment shared by everyone is how easy it is to incorporate the diet into their lifestyle. It also seems that people are noticing positives results from their efforts – keep it up!

As for me, I've actually gained about 2 pounds but, fear not, I'm not conceding the contest just yet. At the same time, I've managed to lose about 1% in body fat and I feel leaner.

The weekend was a little tougher for me than the week was, mainly because I didn't have a set schedule and the activities were a little harder to plan around. I cashed in my cheat meal on Saturday night at a BBQ. When I woke up the next morning, I'd totally swelled up from drastic increase in sodium. So much so, than when I went bowling that morning I could barely fit my fingers in my bowling ball!

Diet on the Mountain

2005-04-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I just go back from climbing San Bernadino Mountain this past weekend. I stuck to the diet the entire hike except for a few bites of chocolate. We climbed from a little over 5000 ft to about 9000 ft. and about 1/3 of the trip was trudging through snow without crampons. That was tough. My calves are sooo sore today. Needless to say I didn't make it to the gym last night to finish my last strength training workout for the week but my legs definitely felt the burn from the climb. My arms got a bit of a workout too because I was using my hiking poles. All in all, we climbed about 11 miles.

I had a grilled chicken salad with low-fat balsamic vinagrette dressing from Carls Jr. before attempting the climb. I don't think there were enough carbs in the salad to cover my climbing endeavor so I had to have a zone perfect bar (I had strawberry flavor - it is one of the few protein bars that I like and it is also one of the few that does not have HCFS) to make up for it. The rest of the day was mostly drinking water. For dinner, I had some dehydrated chili with lots of beans and tomato paste cooked over a backpacking stove. We spent the night in a little dry spot surrounded by about 4 ft of snow.

For breakfast on Sunday I had oatmeal with a cup of hot chocolate. I had another zone perfect bar for snack. At the summit of te ridge I had albacore tuna over wheat bread. Our biggest challenge was probably melting snow to filter the water. Anyway, our first training hike for Africa was quite and adventure and lots of fun.

When I got back to SD, we went to Souplantation where I had my cheat meal. It didn't seem like much of cheat meal when I had my big bowl of salad at the beginning of the meal, but then I got to the baked potato, cornbread, foccacia, and pasta. I then finished it off with some chocolate frozen yogurt sprinkled with peanuts, oreo cookie crumbles and caramel syrup. So I indulged a bit on the cheat meal.

I have been getting creative with the smoothies and they're really good! I had a smoothie this morning with scrambled eggs and a piece of toast with peanut butter. Then I didn't eat (cuz I wasn't hungry) until lunch. I went to Fins and had a grilled swordfish burrito and beans. The burrito had less of the sauce that they normally put and the swordfish was really good. I think this is ok for the diet right? Other than the fact that the tortilla was not whole wheat, I think it was in accordance with the superfoods. Anyway, you guys can comment but I thought it was pretty healthy and really yummy. I also managed to control myself and did not have any chips which is a big deal for me.

Anyway, I will be heading to the gym again later today to do the Monday abs workout and stregnth training, although I'm not sure if my legs will be able to take the strength training workout today.

1 week down, 5 to go

2005-04-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that one week has already passed. I thought I'd surprise myself and wait until we are done with the diet to jump on the scale again, but i said, what they heck, let's just see what's going on. So 5 days into the diet on Friday, I got on my body fat sacle, and wow I was pleasantly surprised. I had lost 1.8 lbs, and about 1.1% of body fat. I like what I'm seeing! It definitely got me motivated to try even harder and keep pushing forward. Considering that I haven't even seen 1% improvement over the last 6 months in the gym for me, this definitely is the step in the right direction.

I've been following the book very strictly, and doing everything optional. Unfotunately I just got braces, and that's gonna impact my fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts consumption. Good thing we got smooties.

New Super Colon Blow!

2005-04-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Counting every gram of fiber I can ingest has got me feeling like Phil Hartman in this old SNL skit.

Damn you Orowheat!

2005-04-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ok...who knew.. So I went to Costco today to pick up some whole wheat bread. I've been getting whole wheat by Orowheat for like the longest time. Walking towards the register, I read the ingredient. First one on there...? High Frutose Corn Syrup. Boo! So I went to get some whole wheat bread at Trader Joes. They are using HFCS as a cheap substitute for honey. Shame on you Orowheat!

I also went to Henrys to pick up a whole flat of strawberries for $2.59. I think they didn't charge me correctly at the counter, or I missed the 2 for 1 sign. I didn't complain. I cut the tops of most of my strawberries to make strawberry banana smoothies later. With a splash of OJ and strawberry-banana protein powder from Glutapro, it (with milk, yogurt, ice) it tastes identical to strawberries wild from jamba juice. But less carbs and more protein.

Body Fat Scale

2005-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Noticed this Body fat scale is on sale right now at Amazon for $38 with free shipping.

The Abs Diet Potluck

2005-04-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things in the world are potlucks. So why not have one centered around the guidelines of the Abs Diet? What I always tend to do in potlucks is over eat, but I guess that'll have to be moderated by yourself. If you are there for 2 hours, it can be two meals! In the worst case scenario, it'll be your cheat meal. Other than that, I don't see a reason why everyone participating in the challenge (and other people that have interest in the abs diet) can't come together, put a face to the name, share your progress, keep eachother in check, share some recipies, and share tips you might have gained that you think will be benefiscial to others while eating some delicious healthy food.

More details (and a sign up sheet) on the potluck next week. Heck, maybe we can watch "Super Size Me" also. :)

Day 5

2005-04-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

It's almost been a week and, so far, everyone seems to be doing really well. The transition onto this eating plan has been pretty smooth for me. The only downsides are getting up a little earlier in the morning to allow time to make breakfast and lunch and having to clean the blender repeatedly.

On the plus side, I'm starting to feel a little leaner. I think, for me, that is primarily from cutting a lot of sodium out of my diet. I'm definitely eating more fruits and vegetables, which I also feel good about. The workouts are also going well for me and I'm glad I finally found something to force me to change up my routine.

With the weekend just ahead of us I'm sure many of you are already planning out your cheat meal. What temptation have you been resisting all week that you're going to indulge in?

Soy, the near perfect natural food, with one serious flaw

2005-04-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

First, let me say that everything is ok in moderation. But anything in excess can be bad for you. I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad, or take away any thunder of enthusiasm everyone on this diet has going. That's the last thing I want to do, but its better to know now, than to find out later.

Soy is could be nature's perfect ingredient. Its a vegetable that has a lot of protein, and it has just the right balance of protein to carbs. It tastes good, can be eaten raw, cooked, dried, fermented...heck you can even make soy milk with it. We have made it the posterboy of healthy nutrition. So now what's so bad about it? Soy isoflavones found in soy beans are nearly identical in chemical structure to human estrogen. That is really bad news. One of the primary reasons why women generally have a higher body fat percentage then men is because women have produce more estrogen than men (they also produce less testosterone.) Estrogen promotes storage of fat. Since soy isoflavones are so similar in chemical structure to estrogen, they posess estogen like activity. They will bind to estrogen receptors.

You don't have to worry about having some tofu in your soup, but when you are having soy protein powder, eating some soy cereal, and having some soy milk, you are definitely having excess amounts of soy, which might as well be excess amounts of estrogen in your body.

I know this because I am lactose intolerant. I'm at the far end of the spectrum where it can affect me to where my body treats it like a mild case of food poisoning. Here are tips I learned from my experience.

Like any latose intolerant person, I know that sometimes, we are able to handle some dairy, while other times, it could just be an awful experience. Also, I have experienced an affect where if you ate a small amount of dairy on a daily basis, our lactose intolerance could be pretty well controlled. This is because some dairy products have less or almost no lactose (skim milk, aged cheeses), or even though they have lactose there are things in there that help in breaking down of lactose (yogurt). Even if our latase enzyme producing mechanisms have been taking a break for who knows how long, it shouldn't be that hard to condition them to where you are able to drink at least low fat milk 1% without a problem.

If you don't want to go through that, there's always Lactaid and Lactaid milk. Only draw back is that its pretty damn expensive in comparison to milk (might cost the same as soy milk though not sure), and when you finally have some dairy w/o Lactaid after getting used to Lactaid, its not a fun experience since your latase producing mechanisms are pretty much in hibernation mode.

Conclusion. Avoid excess soy and curb your lactose intolerance.

Day 3

2005-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Mas Macho Meatballs turned out nicely, last night. I ended up using ground turkey instead of ground beef, so they may have ended up a little drier than they should have. I also substituted oatmeal for the saltines. I put the meatballs in a couple of whole-wheat hotdog buns with a little mozzarella cheese. Ate about half the batch last night and I finished up the rest today for lunch. I'm still quite full two hours later.

Haven't decided what I'm going to do for dinner tonight, but the post dinner snack will definitely be a smoothie. Since we're playing poker tonight, and 3 of us are doing the diet, I'm going to make up some extra for everyone else.

Rest day, today, so no workout for me today (with the exception of my arms, as I drag pots all night long).

My First Impressions

2005-04-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know about everyone else, but this diet is turning out to be more fun than hard work. At the gym, I'm following the recommended workouts which is bringing a lot of variety to my stale workout routine. In the kitchen, I had never made a smoothie before, but now I can't wait to get creative with my own concoctions of fruits in the blender. I'll be honest, I've never used a blender before this diet either. Not being a big drinker, I never needed to make a margarita. For meals, all the recipies are for things that I had never eaten before. Eating something new and different on a daily basis is really awesome. I'm looking forward to trying every recipie in the book!

Day 2

2005-04-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

I made it through yesterday without too much drama. Although, I must admit that I probably ate about eight times as opposed to the prescribed six. At no point during the day did I really feel "full;" probably the closest I got to having my hunger satisfied was after drinking half a gallon of smoothie for dinner. Did anyone else feel weird using their blender and not putting any alcohol in?

For lunch yesterday and today I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a bunch of spinach (instead of lettuce), mustard and tomatoes. I don't know what part of this combination is responsible, but I swear on all that's holy that it tastes like a club sandwich, complete with bacon. Snacks have included almonds, string cheese, oranges, apples and peanut butter, yogurt, and carrots.

My smoothies have been pretty generic. I just throw the following in a blender: milk, vanilla yogurt, cooked oatmeal, flax seed, peanut butter, whey protein powder, and frozen berries. I haven't been putting ice in because I don't care for it to be really cold. I've felt better today, having started the day with a smoothie as opposed to the cereal route I took yesterday.

I also did my first Abs Diet workout today. I actually started off with the Friday routine (a little more compatible with my hockey schedule). Allow me to summarize my impressions in two words: Holy Crap. That was probably the most intense workout I've done in a long time, mainly because I tried to be stringent with regard to the time between exercises and sets within the exercises. A bit of advice, plan on setting aside 45 minutes to an hour for the workouts; I think 30 minutes is a bit optimistic.

For dinner tonight, I'm going to try out the Mas Macho Meatballs and will probably have the remainder for lunch tomorrow.

Day 1

2005-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's shopping excursion was a success for me. I was able to pick up just about everything on the list except fresh berries. When I got home, it looked like a produce truck had overturned in my kitchen. I think my refrigerator is the fullest it's been since I moved in. I was pleasantly surprised to note that all the food I purchased was only about $20 over what I would normally spend. I figure this is a good sign, because a couple of the items I bought will last for a long time (like the flax seed, protein powder, etc).

This morning, I started the day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal, milk, sliced almonds and a side of turkey sausage. When I got to work, I managed to overtake the fridge here as well, storing my yogurt, carrots, peanut butter, string cheese and deli meat. My desk also runneth over with almonds, apples and oranges.

So far so good for me. How's everyone else doing?

On a side note, in order to make a post or enter comments, you will need to register (this is to keep the blog private). If you need me to send another invite, please let me know!

Tips

2005-04-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few tips to get you started off right.

Don't cook high heat in extra virgin olive oil. Although olive oil itself has a high smoke point, the stuff in the oil has a VERY low burn temp. So when you do any kind of frying with olive oil, you will have oil loaded with carcinogens. For stir frying, cook with extra light olive oil, then add extra virgin olive oil (toss it in) for flavor.

Costco has a 4lb bag of almonds for $7. Much better than a 1/2 lb of almonds for $7 at Ralphs.

When buying sandwich meats, buy from labels that are sold by pro healthy labels. I recommend Healthy Choice sandwich meats which has much less sodium, tastes much better than cardboard textured Deli Select. General, when it comes to packaged foods, brands by pro healthy companies like Smartones, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine are required to have much less sodium.

Buy fruits and veggies from Henry's. You really can't beat Henry's prices on produce.

Read ingredients before you buy. To my surprise, Yoplait yogurt has HFCS. All I can say is that I'm shocked that a company like Yoplait (who's trying to make it seem like they are increasing breast cancer awareness and weight loss by more consumption of calcium) can't seem to spend a few fractions of a penny to substitute some sugar instead of HFCS.

The lowest price I've seen on chocolate flavored whey protein is at Costco. You can buy 5 lb of if for $20. Fantastic deal.

Just a added note, I had an ultimate smoothie today, and it was awesome. :)

Time to Shop

2005-04-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

The final weekend is upon us and it's time to gear up for the next six weeks. I haven't put together a complete shopping list yet, but I will be picking up the diet staples at some point in the next two days. Here's what the book recommends:

The Power Foods (what to really stock up on)
Almonds
Beans
Spinach
Dairy (fat-free/low fat milk and vanilla yogurt)
Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
Eggs
Turkey, sliced
Peanut butter, all natural (no added sugar)
Olive oil
Whole grain breads and cereals
Protein powder (whey)
Raspberries

ground flax seed (1 pint)
Multi vitamin

Other (I will probably pick these up throughout the week, as needed):
Canned tuna
chicken breasts
grapefruit or other fruit
green vegetables
lean fish
lean ground beef
long grain rice
whole wheat pasta

Ingredients for recipies in book:
Baby carrots, balsamic vinegar, bananas, black beans, brown rice, canadian bacon, canned chicken stock, canned peeled tomatoes, Carnation instant breakfast packets, cayanne peppers, celery, chili powder, curry powder, dried chili mix, fat-free mayo, flour, fresh ginger, garbanzo beans, garlic, green and red bell peppers, guacamole, honey, honeydew melon, honey-wheat English muffins, Italian seasoning, jalapeno peppers, ketchup, lean sirloin steak, lean sliced roast beef, lemon, lime, lemon juice concentrate (frozen), low-fat Italian salad dressing, Mexican style tomatoes, mushrooms, navy beans, onions, onion soup mix, orange juice, paprika, parmesan cheese, reduced-fat cheese (cottage, cream, mozzarella, Swiss, American, cheddar), raisin bread, raisins, romaine lettuce, salsa, saltine crackers or bread crumbs, spaghetti sauce, stir-fry sauce, sweet corn, Tabasco sauce, tortillas, trans-fat free margarine, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, whole-wheat pitas, Worcestershire sauce

Obviously, there's no need to pick up everything on the list, but as you can see, just looking over those items, it doesn't appear that we'll be starving ourselves or eating bland, boring food.

Good luck this weekend, everyone! Try not to eat/drink too much...

Green Tea Recommendations

2005-04-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

The book recommends a lot of green tea, and I thought I'd offer some suggestions. I've tried probably 20+ brands of green teas. As healthy as green tea is (and you can enjoy it knowing its good for you), the taste of green tea was never something I used to look forward to every morning. Some taste like straight up sea weed (salt is used to expediate the dehydrating process). Luckily, I managed to find one that i can actually enjoy and found myself looking forward to. It was the Yogi Tea Organic Green Tea. I'm not sure if I bought a flavored one. I might have gotten the Simply Green one, but found that there was a hint of ginger in there which added very subtle sweetness which curbed the bitterness of green teas. There is a new Lemon Ginger one which sounds pretty good. I believe you can find it at Whole Foods, but I'm sure a lot of grocery stores also carries them.

http://www.yogitea.com/Green-Tea/Green.asp

The Last Supper

2005-04-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

We're under a week and it's nearly crunch time (no pun intended). While eating is not totally restricted on this plan, there will obviously be some things that we'll all have to give up. During these last few days are there any final indulgences that you guys are squeezing in?

For me, I treated myself to some bulgogi at lunch today and I have the last of the Girl Scout cookies to polish off. Bye-bye yummy trans-fats.

More Info on the Diet

2005-04-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a lot of questions about the jist of the Abs Diet. Here's an excerpt from Amazon's book review:

"Eat everything. Concentrate on whole grains. Drink milk. Balance protein with carbohydrates. Avoid processed sugars. Do some exercise. The idea that a diet book making such proposals comes as a pleasant surprise shows just how far afield we've gone in the search for new ways to be fit. The only thing new about this diet by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health is its name, and this, one can presume, is because nowadays, a book simply called "Sensible Eating" wouldn't sell. The book's title is indeed misleading; only the final chapter deals solely with abs. The rest is full of rational recommendations for a realistic diet plan: eat more and smaller meals; have oatmeal in the morning for a nourishing breakfast; don't starve yourself; drink plenty of water; and stay away from sodas and foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Whether readers will, in the end, walk away with abs of steel is not really the point. They'll control their weight in a healthy way, without counting calories, cutting out whole food groups or supporting the beef futures market. Best of all, this book tells readers why it works: increase your body's metabolism, gain some muscle and fat burns away. The authors make this seem like a fresh and very attainable ideal."

Nutrition Facts

2005-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Nutritional facts for fast food and sit down places:
http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp

The next item on the menu could be just as filling and just as tasty, but with only half the calories. Do a quick check before you head out to lunch/dinner.

Update

2005-04-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Quick update, I have about a dozen people so far (including my parents) who are going to do the diet along with me. Please extend the word to anyone else who you think might be interested!

2005-03-31T14:48:00.000-08:00

I'll kick in an extra $10 for the gift cert. The $10 I would have spent on junk food this week. ;)

Here's a link on how you can measure your body fat.
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Oh yeah, I have a body fat scale at home. If you wanna come over and jump on, just let me know.

Contest Details

2005-03-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

The judging for the contest will be a two stage process. The first stage will be based on overall improvement, based on weight lost and change in body fat percentage. The top 3-5 (depending on the number of people who enter the contest; I'm shooting for about 25% of those who enter) "losers" will then be posted on the website and voted on by all of the participants as to who the overall winner should be.

I encourage everyone to take on the Abs Diet with me, regardless of whether or not you plan on entering the challenge. That said, in order to be eligible for the contest, you must do the following:

Follow the Abs Diet plan for a six week period (there will be a one week grace period on either side of the starting date (April 11) to give people some flexibility as to when they start the program.
Record your weight and body fat percentage prior to the start date of the contest
1. Most gyms (including RIMAC) offer body fat measurement at no cost to members
Submit before and after pictures (two full body shots, one from the front and one from the side). I highly recommend doing this, regardless of whether or not you enter the contest as it will really provide you with a sense of accomplishment when all is said and done.

You can wait until the six week period is over before submitting all of the above and just do it all at once. Also note that your pictures and other information will not be shared with anyone without your explicit consent. I understand that this can be a somewhat sensitive subject and I respect everyone's right to privacy.

Thanks for your support and participation, and good luck!

The Challenge

2005-03-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

If late-night infomercials, crazy diet pills and magazine covers have taught us nothing else, it's that we'd all like to have "a sexy waistline and rock-hard abs." But, the real question is, is such a physique truly obtainable without starvation and an airbrush?

With summer just around the corner, I have decided that now is as good a time as any to try to uncover that elusive six-pack. In researching a means to success in this endeavor, I happened upon the Abs Diet. The most appealing thing about the Abs Diet, is that it is less of a diet and more of a proposed lifestyle. Capitalizing on common sense, healthy eating and an active way of life, it seeks to help its participants shed fat and feel better both mentally and physically. From what I've seen and read, many people (including a close friend of mine) have had very positive results following this plan.

There is no better motivation than to be held accountable by others. Therefore, in an effort to help keep me on track and motivated, I'm extending an invitation to participate alongside me as I take on this six week plan. Not only that, but I'm challenging you to make better progress than I will. As such, I'm offering up a $50 gift certificate to any eating establishment (and a newfound boost of confidence) to the person that has the most success on this undertaking. The only catch is that you have to beat me.

I will post my thoughts and progress on this webpage for people to follow along and to hopefully be motivated by my success. If you choose to do this with me, I will provide you with the ability to make comments as well as post your own impressions, thoughts and experiences on the webpage.

In order to give everyone enough time to purchase the book and familiarize themselves with the plan, the challenge will officially start on April 11th. That should get us all in good shape for Memorial Day.

If you would like to do this with me, send me an email and I will provide instructions for posting to the website and more information on the challenge. If you're looking for an excuse to make a change, this is it.

Rules and judging criteria are provided here.