Get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about the Velocity Diet.

I met Jk0 in person at the 2007 JSF cheatmeal. I had just finished the Velocity Diet designed by Chris Stutgart (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=546491&pageNo=0)

I did the diet for 24 out of the 28 days. Something called Preakness in Baltimore happened on day 25....it was my first time. Just go to youtube and search for "2007 Running of the Urinals" and you might understand.

Alas, the first time through, I lost 18 pounds. Additionally, my cholestrol went from 220 to 142. My doctor wrote in the results of the test to "keep doing whatever you are doing." Little does she know. I am sure that when I see her in person and she ask, she will think that I am nuts.

So, Jk0 asked me to let him know when I was going to do it again. About a month ago we came to an agreement to start today. We have gotten all over our protein, flax meal, and flax oil (at least I am going to use flax oil).



Bandit's set up:
Starting weight: 224

Caloric numbers:
Non-workout days: (10.2 x 224 + 879) x .5 = 1582
Workout days: (10.2 x 224 + 879) x .6 = 1898

So, I am shooting for 1600 and 1900 calories.

I will be using TrueProtein's Team Skip Formula (http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Details.aspx?cid=31&pid=534) Whey Protein. One of the keys that I found the first time through with this diet is to make sure that you have micellar casein protein in your protein shakes. This type of protein is a slower digesting protein so you don't get hungry as quickly. This is key for any caloric deficit diet. Don't be hungry. One additional aspect that I love about TrueProtein is that they will delivery your protein in either tubs or food grade plastic bags. I got a little sick of throwing away or recycling so many plastic tubs. Now, I just reuse them. Team Skip's formula is about an 8 out of 10 on the taste scale and 9 out of 10 on the mixability scale. The formula is made up of:
34% Whey isolate
33% Micellar Casein
33% Egg white protein

Ok, so nutrition comes from 5 meals...ok shakes spread out throughout the day.
Using a baseline of at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, this is what I come up with:

2 scoops of protein
2 tablespoons of flax meal
1 tablespoon of flax oil

The only additional supplement that I will be employing is Beverly International's Super Pak Vitamins.

There will be times when I will not have access to flax meal and oil due to refrigeration considerations. In those times, I will employ metamuscil and either fish oil or flax oil capsules.

The thing I love about this diet:
1) It works and works fast. It is the fastest way to lose the fat.
2) There is no fudge factor. There are no areas where you can add a little here or take a little there.
3) There is no thinking after today. They numbers are set. The meals compositions are done. I don't have to worry about what my next meal will be. It will be the same as the last one.

Things I hate:
1) Without my normal level of carbs, I am lethargic.
2) I cannot go out for a long 5+ mile run...hell, one mile might be pushing it.
3) I don't remember having mood swings, but some people complain of them.
4) Social life is hit hard. Nothing like having to pass a beer to someone else.
5) It is hard. It is an extreme diet. It takes dedication. I did not journal the first time I did it. Heck, I didn't even tell my girlfriend I was doing it until I was five days in. I just had no idea if I could do it.

One of the reasons I am doing this again is to lose some weight for the upcoming running season. Even a 10 pound drop takes an enormous amount of stress off your knees and joints. I am toying with the idea of doing a full marathon this year. As a Christmas gift, my girlfriend signed my up for the Baltimore Half-marathon already. Isn't she a sweetheart? My first big run of the year will be the 10 mile Cherry
Blossom run in Washington, DC.

Jk0 and I wanted this journal to support one another as we go through this. I am happy that sodomojo and arbitrage are two other members who have already started their V-diets. They are doing great so far. Hopefully, I will get permission to post Jk0's pics from the 2007 JSF Cheatmeal. He has made a drastic change in the past 6 months. The Velocity Diet will help even more!

This is Day 1 for me!

Hi guys, Bandit did a very good job explaining what is going on. I will post all my stats later today. I am feeling a bit under the weather and had to take off work so I'm a little behind.

EDIT:

Starting weight: 230lbs

I, too, will be taking in 1600 and 1900 calories.

One thing that you said in your opening post that I'd like to reemphasize is that this diet really hits your social life harder than anything. One of my old college buddies that I rarely get to see, (we live in the same city, just different work schedules) called me yesterday and asked if we could go to happy hour Wed. afternoon. I lied and said I had to work late. I'll catch up with him in Feb.

I knew going in that I would have NO social life for the month of Jan. But that's kind of why I did the diet. I've been married for almost 3 years, and we have a 4 month old son. I don't have many opportunities to go out drinking and parting anymore, so I'm not giving up that much. There is no way I could do this diet if I was still single and chasing girls and hitting bars all the time.

Good luck, guys. I have no doubt you can do it. :tu:

As a Christmas gift, my girlfriend signed my up for the Baltimore Half-marathon already. Isn't she a sweetheart?

Niiiiiiice!

Good luck guys!

Good Luck Boys!

Good luck guys!!! this sounds extreme :nod:

just wondering, last time you did this diet, did you put any weight back on after you went back to eating "normal" food, Banditfist? the famous yoyo effect comes to mind...

Wow, another pair of individuals brave enough to take on the Velocity Diet! :bow: Best of luck to the both of you! :gl:

Get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about the Velocity Diet.

Yeah...but when you consider what jk0's been talking about in the Wastland, you can forgive my bug-eyed reaction to the thread title. :eek: :lol:

As a Christmas gift, my girlfriend signed my up for the Baltimore Half-marathon already. Isn't she a sweetheart?

:lol: WTG, N.! :lol:

Jk0 and I wanted this journal to support one another as we go through this.

Kick some ass, boys! :tucool:

Good luck guys!!! this sounds extreme :nod:

just wondering, last time you did this diet, did you put any weight back on after you went back to eating "normal" food, Banditfist? the famous yoyo effect comes to mind...

Yeah, I initially put on about 6 pounds. That was due to adding salt and water retention getting added back. It took another 7 months to get back up. But, I have enjoyed every beer and nachos in that time!!!

Yeah...but when you consider what jk0's been talking about in the Wastland, you can forgive my bug-eyed reaction to the thread title. :eek: :lol:
:

Weren't you two the ones coming back from the Ale House with the two persons of questionable reference?



Day 1:
Weight: 219.8
Weight loss to date: 4.2

Nothing but water weight. Still I think that I have mentally prepared myself for what lays ahead. I can already start to feel it.

Last night I hit the stationary bike for 45 minutes. I tried to keep my heart rate under 130. Average was 132. Even still I burned over 700 calories according to my Polar. Hmm, 700 calories....1900 calories comsumers. Still another 23 hours and 15 minutes in the day. Uhh...I think I need to throttle back on the cardio to 30 min or less. Back in May, I never did more than 30 minutes. Need to do what works for me.

This morning was leg day. My hip was giving me a problem. It is not bad, just makes me not want to squat. I only did 5 sets of box squats @315 instead of the planned 8. The rest of the workout was good. I am already starting to feel the lack of carbs during the workout.

One thing that I love about the diet is that when I got home from the gym last night, I drank my shake and washed down the flax meal and oil.
Boom, Dinner was done and over. Clean-up was easy. I was able to work on my masters' project a bit earlier than normal.

Day 2:
Weight: 217.4
Weight loss to date: 6.6

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No weight training this morning, so I hit 45 min of stationary bike and a target heart rate under 130 bpm. It was pretty hard this morning. Waking up and doing fasted cardio is tiring when you don't have the carbs in your system.

Diet has been spot on. No cheats! My desk is close to the microwave. People heating up good smelling food are a$$holes!

I learned a new fact yesterday. Flax seeds have two varieties. There is what I considered the normal brown/black. This is what I have used for the past year. But, I was at the organic store when I was buying everything to get ready for the V-diet and I just grabbed a bag. The second variety is "golden" flax seeds. All the nutrients are the same so this is not a big deal.
So, why do I even mention this? Well, pretty much when you look in the bag of flax meal....that is the same way that it comes out on the other end (poop). I don't know about most people, but black/brown is normal. When these golden flax seed start the progression through my digestive track....nevermind. :eek:

Day 3:
Weight: 216.4
Weight loss to date: 7.6
Number of shakes remaining: 116

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Ok, weight loss should start being fat rather than just water weight.

This morning's weight workout actually went better that I expected. It wasn't till I was leaving the gym that I realized I did get the normal fatigue that I remember from this diet. Of course, only 4 days in I guess that can be expected.

I fell asleep last night at like 8:30p. I still had another shake to "eat". I woke at 10 and had to get up. Ate my shake, flax meal, and flax oil but could not get back to sleep for another hour. Nothing to do with the diet keeping me up...just had to make sure I got my last meal of the day.

I'm feeling 100x better today than I have all week. Being so sick really messed up my VD schedule: haven't gotten in all my meals, had unplanned meals (home made chicken noodle soup), couldn't lift weights or do any cardio, stuff like that. Since we're only 4 days in, I'm going to move myself back to day 1, and start lifting weights next Monday. I want to make sure I'm fully recovered from this virus before starting so that should be plenty of time. I will eat my non-weight training calories until then. So pretty much Bandit will be 4 days ahead of me - no problem. :)

I will measure my stats once per week and report them here.

Bandit - you are doing awesome by the way! Keep it up man. :tucool:

You guys are nuts! :lol:
:gl::D

I'm feeling 100x better today than I have all week. Being so sick really messed up my VD schedule: haven't gotten in all my meals, had unplanned meals (home made chicken noodle soup), couldn't lift weights or do any cardio, stuff like that. Since we're only 4 days in, I'm going to move myself back to day 1, and start lifting weights next Monday. I want to make sure I'm fully recovered from this virus before starting so that should be plenty of time. I will eat my non-weight training calories until then. So pretty much Bandit will be 4 days ahead of me - no problem. :)

I will measure my stats once per week and report them here.

Bandit - you are doing awesome by the way! Keep it up man. :tucool:

JkO, I'm glad to read that you're feeling better.

Good thinking about getting yourself to a decent state of heatlh before embarking on the VD trip! You're about to put your body under a lot of stress with the new eating (or lack thereof) routine and to start something so drastic with a lingering virus in only asking for trouble. As you wrote, four days is no big deal, and it's more important that you are well enough to follow through on the program than keeping to some arbitrarily imposed dates. Good luck to both you and BF!

Day 3:
Weight: 215.8
Weight loss to date: 8.4
Number of shakes remaining: 111

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Thanks Seltzer. Yeah, I agree. Jk0 and I agreed on starting on January 7th in early December. I got myself mentally prepared...cause it takes mental strength just as much as physical strength to complete this diet. I am glad that he is waiting. I know that 1esoteric who was the first JSFer to do this diet felt that he got sick from the diet around day 21.

I've been thinking, do you guys think it would be better to restart on Monday? I'm not sure taking in the non-weight training calories for this many days in a row would be a good idea if I want to push for full recovery by then. If no one has any objections, that's what I'm going to do.

I've been thinking, do you guys think it would be better to restart on Monday? I'm not sure taking in the non-weight training calories for this many days in a row would be a good idea if I want to push for full recovery by then. If no one has any objections, that's what I'm going to do.


As long as you are not going to use the delay as an excuse to load up on crap all weekend to "get ready for the program" then you are fine.

As long as you are not going to use the delay as an excuse to load up on crap all weekend to "get ready for the program" then you are fine.
No, what I plan on doing it having my shakes and then a bowl of cottage cheese or something at night before I go to bed.

As long as you are not going to use the delay as an excuse to load up on crap all weekend to "get ready for the program" then you are fine.

or go on a drinking binge and smoking cigarrettes....


Do whatever you need to do to be mentally ready. Being a week behind me is not a big deal. You will hit the big losses while I am only hitting less than a pound.

or go on a drinking binge and smoking cigarrettes....


Do whatever you need to do to be mentally ready. Being a week behind me is not a big deal. You will hit the big losses while I am only hitting less than a pound.
I don't think I'm going to drink this weekend, I might just stay home to avoid it completely.

Day 5:
Weight: n/a
Weight loss to date: 8.4*
Number of shakes remaining: 106

No weight taken today. I am in Nashville, Tennessee to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. I decided not to travel during Christmas because I didn't want to pay the premium and then have to deal with the crowds. So, I planned to come down now.
This is my first of two trips planned during the VD. Next weekend, I am headed to Melbourne, Florida to visit the widow of one of my friends who tragically slipped in the shower and passed away. He left his wife and a one year old son. Very sad event. I want to check to see how she is doing and see if there is anything that I can do for her.

So, I thought that I had everything planned. I do! I have 10 baggies with the measured protein, flax oil capsules, and metamuscil capsules. The only things I can't really control are time and that other people need to eat. So, when I arrive into Nashville last night, I needed to "eat". So did my family. I told my brother that I has doing this diet so leave me out of dining considerations. Alas, we had to go the Macaroni Grill for dinner. Man! The smells! The food! But, I sat there and drank my protein shake. The only problem was that I was so tired that I missed my 5th shake. So, I was short on the calories.
Tonight, I am driving down to Florence, Alabama to visit my other brother. I am planning on taking him out to eat at this awesome steakhouse, Dales! I plan on the salad and steak.

Next weekend, I am headed to Melbourne, Florida

Jealous. Say hi to my mom and dad while you are there.

Did you have any trouble with checking your "food" on the plane?

Jealous. Say hi to my mom and dad while you are there.

Did you have any trouble with checking your "food" on the plane?

Took a chance....checked baggage. Didn't want to explain it to the security why I had all these baggies of powder.

Have a wonderful time visiting with your family and BIG kudos for sticking with the VD under what must be extra trying circumstances.

Have a wonderful time visiting with your family and BIG kudos for sticking with the VD under what must be extra trying circumstances.

It is not that bad as I make it out to be. I just feel bad because I know what they are thinking while I am not eating.
Yesterday, I took my 4 year old nephew to Dunkin Donuts. His mom said that he gets the 'manager's special.' When I wasked him what he wanted, he wanted the chocolate covered donut with sprinkles. But, the manager's special was some kind of chocolate covered boston cream with sprinkles. So, I got both in case he didn't know what he really wanted. Turns out that kids sometimes know exactly what they want. So my sister-in-law ate the other.

The biggest problem that I have is that my flax oil caps have 1 gram of oil and I need 1 tbsp of oil. Why can't the US move to the metric system? When I lived in Germany, EVERYTHING was so easy.
I am an engineer and I know that I could figure out the conversion, but I just popped 6 caps at each meal. It looked like about what a tablespoon would be.

Day 7:
Weight: 216.0
Weight loss to date: 8.0
Number of shakes remaining: 97

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Slight increase due to the cheat meal....time to go down again.
Back from my trip to Tennessee to see the family. Things are certainly much easier to manage when you have a normal routine verses riding across the country on an airplane.
My girlfriend's father is a flght attendant for Southwest. He is retired, but loves working around young women. He doesn't really need the money. He loves the flexibiliy. They have a beach house in Ocean City during the summer. Anyways, he got me started giving the flight crew all Hersey Chocolate bars as a way of saying thank you. I give them as I am getting on the plane and to my seat. I always get a smile in return (who doesn't like chocolate?) and I also can usually get as much water or beer as I want. Flying to the west coast, I can get pretty hammered by the time I arrive. So while everyone gets a small water, I got two cans of water.

Day 8:
Weight: 214.1
Weight loss to date: 9.9
Number of shakes remaining: 92

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Big move this morning with regards to weight. I dropped 1.9 pounds! This is mostly due to some retention I had from the cheat meal on Saturday night. I don't know if I mentioned, but the steak house I went to has the absolute best French onion soup ever...and they don't cover it with cheese. I am sure that the sodium content is through the roof. Hey, I was in Alabama. Trying to eat healthy there, just not going to happen. Too many fried Catfish Cabins around.

I have not been sensing any real cravings until I turn on The Food Network. I am starting to day dream about what I am going to eat. N. and I are going to Arizona to the Four Season resort over Valentine's Day. She made her sales quota with her company. So, we have $1,500 to spend on activities and $500 on food for three days. She sent me a link to a restaurant that she made reservations at on Valentine's. OMG!!!! We plan on a lot of outdoor activities while there, because a week later we are going to the Dominican Republic for an all-inclusive vacation for a week.


So, Where is JK0? I need to email him.

I'm still here! :spaz: Today is my day #2. Everything has been running exactly as planned so far except yesterday when I went to renew my gym membership, I saw that they moved. So now that I found their new location I'll go do that today during my lunch break and lift tonight after work. It's not a big deal since I'm only lifting 3-4 days a week. It was a minor irritation though driving there and seeing a sign in their old door saying they moved in December. :mad:

I've been getting some pretty bad cravings at night, especially when I lay down to try and sleep. It helps not having ANY food in the house except my VD stuff. I'm afraid that if there were anything I might be liable to eat something, so all is well. :D

The biggest problem that I have is that my flax oil caps have 1 gram of oil and I need 1 tbsp of oil. Why can't the US move to the metric system? When I lived in Germany, EVERYTHING was so easy.
I am an engineer and I know that I could figure out the conversion, but I just popped 6 caps at each meal. It looked like about what a tablespoon would be.

Hey, Bandit! Good luck with your VD. :D

BTW, according to the Nutrition Data website, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil = 13g.



Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm an engineer, too.

Hey, Bandit! Good luck with your VD. :D

BTW, according to the Nutrition Data website, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil = 13g.



Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm an engineer, too.

Sweet! I am a lazy engineer I suppose. Of course, that means that I only got half the fat I should have. Oh well, maybe the steak I ate was marbled with fat (yeah, bad fat).


Jk0, good to see ya back at it!

Sweet! I am a lazy engineer I suppose. Of course, that means that I only got half the fat I should have. Oh well, maybe the steak I ate was marbled with fat (yeah, bad fat).


Jk0, good to see ya back at it!

You mean marbled with tasty fat, don't you? :drool: I've marinated steaks in Dale's sauce before (available at grocery stores in B'ham) and it's very good. Really high sodium, though, so it requires copious amounts of red wine to wash everything down. ;)


Forgot to wish jk0 good luck, as well! I've followed your progress journal and you are kicking it pretty hard. :tucool:

You mean marbled with tasty fat, don't you? :drool: I've marinated steaks in Dale's sauce before (available at grocery stores in B'ham) and it's very good. Really high sodium, though, so it requires copious amounts of red wine to wash everything down. ;)


Forgot to wish jk0 good luck, as well! I've followed your progress journal and you are kicking it pretty hard. :tucool:

I forgot that you live in Bama. The Dale's is Florence is the last of the franchise. I think that they used to have several in the state. The sauce is the same however. I would say that it is super saturated with sodium. But....oh it is so good!!!

I would say that it is super saturated with sodium. But....oh it is so good!!!

Hey, check this (http://www.dalesseasoning.com/shop.asp?action=details&inventoryID=120236&catId=14039) out! A low sodium variety. Who knew?

Now, if I can just find a store that carries it. I don't think I need an entire case! :eek:

P.S. That site has some interesting historical info on the restaurants, as well.

keep up the good work, you two! :tu:

keep up the good work, you two! :tu:

Thanks Zo! Why don't you come to Baltimore and run the half marathon with Philly and me?

Day 9:
Weight: 214.1
Weight loss to date: 9.9
Number of shakes remaining: 87

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No change in the scale today. Diet was spot on though. Really interesting were my dreams. Didn't Freud say something about dreams being a window into something? I had strong dream about food and drinking a lot of wine. Interesting that I am not a big wine drinker. I do love German Auslese wine, but that is about all.

Day 10:
Weight: 213.4
Weight loss to date: 10.6
Number of shakes remaining: 82

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I was kind of surprised to see the scale move today....but it did in a good way! Over 10 pounds gone!
Yesterday was tough. I have been doing 45 minutes of the stationary bike keeping my heart rate below 130 bpm. At the 27 minute point yesterday, I got light headed and I was sweating more than normal. I still made it through, but I had trouble concentrating. Even when I got home, I needed to just sit down.
I had the same feeling this morning during my leg workout...but hey it's a leg workout!
Not sure what the light headedness is all about. One thing that it is not is my water intake. I am ingesting at least 2 gallons per day. But, at the same time, I wonder if perhaps my electrolytes might be a bit out of kilter. With the food that I am drinking, am I getting enough sodium and other essential electrolytes with the amount of liquids consumed?

Day 11:
Weight: 212.2
Weight loss to date: 11.8
Number of shakes remaining: 77

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Well, I was not expecting another 1.2 pounds to be gone in 24 hours. As of now, I would have been the biggest loser on the show for the last three weeks. I am a little worried that I am losing muscle which is what the diet is designed to prevent. But, only 16 days left and I put on muscle (and fat) easier than taking it off.
Tonight I am flying down to Melbourne, Florida to visit family and friends. There is the chance that I will have to fly out of Florida on Sunday to Seattle via commercial air, make a pick up, and then fly back on the corporate jet back to Baltimore. I have all my protein powder, oil caps, and fiber caps ready to go. Saturday night will be my cheat meal. Probably going to hit up some blackened cobia or dolphin with veggies. I used to live in Melbourne, so I know all the great places....like Publix Key Lime pie.:drool: But, I don't get any...:cry:.
Only 16 more days then I can indulge a little bit more.

Overall, if I can keep up the rate going of a little less than a pound a day, I will be able to break 200 pounds. It has been over 10 years since that has happened. But, 10 years ago I was much more muscular and weighed about what I do now. Shoulder surgery is a bitch.

Day 11:
Weight: 212.2
Weight loss to date: 11.8
Number of shakes remaining: 77

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Well, I was not expecting another 1.2 pounds to be gone in 24 hours. As of now, I would have been the biggest loser on the show for the last three weeks. I am a little worried that I am losing muscle which is what the diet is designed to prevent. But, only 16 days left and I put on muscle (and fat) easier than taking it off.
Tonight I am flying down to Melbourne, Florida to visit family and friends. There is the chance that I will have to fly out of Florida on Sunday to Seattle via commercial air, make a pick up, and then fly back on the corporate jet back to Baltimore. I have all my protein powder, oil caps, and fiber caps ready to go. Saturday night will be my cheat meal. Probably going to hit up some blackened cobia or dolphin with veggies. I used to live in Melbourne, so I know all the great places....like Publix Key Lime pie.:drool: But, I don't get any...:cry:.
Only 16 more days then I can indulge a little bit more.

Overall, if I can keep up the rate going of a little less than a pound a day, I will be able to break 200 pounds. It has been over 10 years since that has happened. But, 10 years ago I was much more muscular and weighed about what I do now. Shoulder surgery is a bitch.

I'm jealous of your chart, so I'm going to copy it also!

Wow you two!

This VD thing is very interesting. From the looks of things everything is going well. I read the entire post and I must say that I am impressed. This may be something I would try a bit later this year. I will be keeping an eye on this thread to see the final results!

Keep it up!

:gl:

how's it going, gentlemen?

Thanks Zo! Why don't you come to Baltimore and run the half marathon with Philly and me?



ok.. FIRST OF ALL.....:spank:. You know you deserved that!

second, you and Philly are killin me when you ask me to go run with you. i'm SLOOOOOW. i can't handle the pressure of running with you ...runner types! ;)

Wow you two!

This VD thing is very interesting. From the looks of things everything is going well. I read the entire post and I must say that I am impressed. This may be something I would try a bit later this year. I will be keeping an eye on this thread to see the final results!

Keep it up!

:gl:

I hate dieting. I try to keep my normal diet within reasons, but enjoy going out with friends...oh and screw eating healthy when M@ and I go to a Ravens/Steelers game with free beer and food. The VD is just THE fastest way to lose fat weight. The simplicity is key for me. I love not having to think about what meals I need to meet my macros. I love not counting calories each day. This is my second time and I still highly recommend it.

how's it going, gentlemen?

I need to email Jk0. I have not heard from him. See my next post for my update.

ok.. FIRST OF ALL.....:spank:. You know you deserved that!

second, you and Philly are killin me when you ask me to go run with you. i'm SLOOOOOW. i can't handle the pressure of running with you ...runner types! ;)

Zoe! To even call me a runner is insulting to all other runners. I have only run two times since the Baltimore Marathon (I only ran the 1st leg of the relay). You have a half-marathon under your belt. Now, I think that the plan right now is to run the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC this April, followed by the Ocean City Half Marathon the follow week. N. is having a lot of trouble with her IT band since the Marine Corp Marathon. Not sure if she is gonna make it. My cardio training is at a virtual standstill due to the diet.

Day 14:
Weight: 212.4
Weight loss to date: 11.6
Number of shakes remaining: 64

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I got back late last night from my trip to Melbourne, Florida. Weather was awesome! When I got back to Baltimore, it was 7 freaking degrees!
My aunt picked me up at the airport and had a Publix Key Lime pie which is my favorite dessert in the world. I had to decline.
Saturday night I had my cheat meal (weird calling it a cheat meal.....it is a normal meal with no dessert!). I had baked grouper, veggies, and a bowl of chili bean soup. I also had a couple chips and bean salsa. Not too bad of a meal, but not really what the plan calls for. Everything else was on track. I am still holding some water. I expect a drop for tomorrow after I guzzle down a couple gallons of water to flush my system out.

Only two weeks left. Over the hump and down the hill from here.

Hey guys, sorry about the lack of updates. I'm still here. With the exception of a few unplanned meals I've been doing a pretty good job of sticking to the diet. The results thus far have been interesting. I am seeing more changes in the mirror and how my clothes fit than scale movement -- which is fine with me. I don't want to have to cut below 200 if I don't have to.

Hey guys, sorry about the lack of updates. I'm still here. With the exception of a few unplanned meals I've been doing a pretty good job of sticking to the diet. The results thus far have been interesting. I am seeing more changes in the mirror and how my clothes fit than scale movement -- which is fine with me. I don't want to have to cut below 200 if I don't have to.

Glad to hear that things are working no matter how they are working.

In other news....my puppy has been born! (sure I am going to break page....
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The Rhodesian Ridgeback...
One of these 8 pups is mine. The litter had 4 boys and 4 girls. We are hoping for a girl. The breeder is very selective in who gets selected to be an owner....and then I have to payout some big bucks too. The parents of these are strong in lure coursing. I cannot wait!
I might have to do a journal like Silver.

Hey guys, sorry about the lack of updates. I'm still here. With the exception of a few unplanned meals I've been doing a pretty good job of sticking to the diet. The results thus far have been interesting. I am seeing more changes in the mirror and how my clothes fit than scale movement -- which is fine with me. I don't want to have to cut below 200 if I don't have to.

I recommend checking out some of Chris Shugart's writings on the fear of dropping below a certain number on the scale. There's a lot of fluff at T-Nation, but I think he makes a few important points on the topic.

Gus' V-Diet Physique Clinic (http://www.t-nation.com/readPhysClin.do?id=1852678) - You can just skip Gus' posts and see what Shugart writes.

A Blog Post - The Fat Sucking Machine (http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=850767)

Goodluck guys! is the all liquid diet wrecking the digestive system?
everything normal?

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My aunt picked me up at the airport and had a Publix Key Lime pie which is my favorite dessert in the world. I had to decline.
i've heard about you and your love for the key lime pie :neener:

but good job resisting! that is awesome! im sure it was tough. good job! :tu:


Zoe! To even call me a runner is insulting to all other runners. I have only run two times since the Baltimore Marathon (I only ran the 1st leg of the relay). You have a half-marathon under your belt. Now, I think that the plan right now is to run the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC this April, followed by the Ocean City Half Marathon the follow week. N. is having a lot of trouble with her IT band since the Marine Corp Marathon. Not sure if she is gonna make it. My cardio training is at a virtual standstill due to the diet.

yea but it took me almost 3 and a half hours to finish it! which is embarrasingly slooooow! lol! if i can run it in under 2.5, then.. maybe. :nod:

Good luck to N! gotta be careful with IT band injuries, they're no fun
:(

Goodluck guys! is the all liquid diet wrecking the digestive system?
everything normal?

GH, the flax meal provides plenty of solid fiber to keep the plumbing working great. However, things open up a bit more when I have a solid meal. Doesn't sound logical does it?


yea but it took me almost 3 and a half hours to finish it! which is embarrasingly slooooow! lol! if i can run it in under 2.5, then.. maybe. :nod:

Good luck to N! gotta be careful with IT band injuries, they're no fun
:(

So what, at least you get out there and do it. I don't care about my times. I am just hoping to still be alive and breathing when I cross the line.

N has had trouble with her IT bands ever since she started running. It is related to the indoor oval track (1 tenth of a mile) that she started training on. She went around the same direction. This caused one side of her body to do more work and inflamed the IT band. She goes to physical therapy, but it is really hampering her. The Marine Corp race really took a lot out of her. Oh, you should check out the Marathon series on PBS's website. Really inspiring. They took 12 out of shape people and trained them to run the Boston Marathon. Crazy!

Day 15:
Weight: 210.9
Weight loss to date: 13.1
Number of shakes remaining: 59

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Cool, I got the water I was retaining from the cheat meal out. I did not track my daily loss last time and I cannot remember. I am pretty happy though. I had hopes of hitting 199, but don't think that I will make it. When I got down to 206 last time, I felt too skinny for my liking. I am who I am and feel more comfortable being bigger (fat and muscle combined).

Day 15:
Weight: 210.9
Weight loss to date: 13.1
Number of shakes remaining: 59

24526

Cool, I got the water I was retaining from the cheat meal out. I did not track my daily loss last time and I cannot remember. I am pretty happy though. I had hopes of hitting 199, but don't think that I will make it. When I got down to 206 last time, I felt too skinny for my liking. I am who I am and feel more comfortable being bigger (fat and muscle combined).

Hiya, this is going really well, and seems to really suit you as a means of rapid weight loss. I have been reading up on it for women. Do you know any women who have success on it? Was considering it but then looked at the cost of the sups around $400 before shipping (To Europe) it is far too expensive to consider, so will be going back on to AD soon, which i loved anyway :) Bonne Chance for the next 13 days :):)

PS say Hi to N, I struggled for a number of months with IT stuff last year and using the Cho Patt strap+roller+physio helped me :(

Hiya, this is going really well, and seems to really suit you as a means of rapid weight loss. I have been reading up on it for women. Do you know any women who have success on it? Was considering it but then looked at the cost of the sups around $400 before shipping (To Europe) it is far too expensive to consider, so will be going back on to AD soon, which i loved anyway :) Bonne Chance for the next 13 days :):)

PS say Hi to N, I struggled for a number of months with IT stuff last year and using the Cho Patt strap+roller+physio helped me :(

I will let N. know.

As for the V-diet for women, I have not known or met anyone yet. N. is interested, but not really. For this time, the only supplement I am using is Whey. I am not using the Hott-Rox. Does Europe charge tariffs on whey?

I will let N. know.

As for the V-diet for women, I have not known or met anyone yet. N. is interested, but not really. For this time, the only supplement I am using is Whey. I am not using the Hott-Rox. Does Europe charge tariffs on whey?

Hey thats interesting that you are doing without all the sups and it seems to be fine... Whey I can get, its around 25$ for 750 grams but thats nothing compared to what I was reading about... I think i will stick to AD at the moment but reckon one day i will try the VD as I am pretty sure I have the discipline for it :)

Hey thats interesting that you are doing without all the sups and it seems to be fine... Whey I can get, its around 25$ for 750 grams but thats nothing compared to what I was reading about... I think i will stick to AD at the moment but reckon one day i will try the VD as I am pretty sure I have the discipline for it :)

Definitely need to get whey with casein protein. Slower digesting, so you are not as hungry. Also, be aware that cardio like running is not realistic. It is one of those things that I am willing to sacrifice for a month for the results.


Day 16:
Weight: 210.9
Weight loss to date: 13.1
Number of shakes remaining: 54

No weight lose from yesterday. Not that surprising, but I am expecting to be under 210 tomorrow.

Work is a bit hectic and I need to drive into the city to pick up my plasma tv.

As for the V-diet for women, I have not known or met anyone yet.

i think i saw at least one on the t-nation forums. might be worth looking there, if you're interested.

Day 17:
Weight: 210.1
Weight loss to date: 13.8
Number of shakes remaining: 49

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0.8 pounds loss from yesterday. Not bad. Don't think that I am going to make sub-200, but the results are mimicing from the last time I did the diet.

Are you going to do the transition phase like "gus" in the T-Nation Physique Clinic?

Are you going to do the transition phase like "gus" in the T-Nation Physique Clinic?

I have not really thought or looked into it.
Last time, I started by adding a single solid meal per day to the shakes. Your stomach really cannot hold as much food as it used to. But, it doesn't take too long to fix that little problem.
Thanks for bring up this aspect though. I do need to look into what Gus is doing and set up a plan for myself.

I've thought about it, and here's what I'm going to do. I currently running on ~1400 cals on non-workout days. 4 shakes with flax and fish oil caps @ 250 calories, and one shake with natty PB at 400 cals. I drink at around 7:30, 11,2:30, 6, and 9. I'm making 7:30am and 6:00pm 400 calorie solid food meals and keeping the rest shakes for one week. This will only be increasing my intake by 150 cals a day to 1550, so I should keep losing. The next week I'll make lunch a 400 cal meal, so now only 2:30 and 9 are shakes, and I'm at 1700 cals a day. I'll run on that till I hit my goal of having abs (I'll likely have to add some HIIT.)

I have not really thought or looked into it.
Last time, I started by adding a single solid meal per day to the shakes. Your stomach really cannot hold as much food as it used to. But, it doesn't take too long to fix that little problem.
Thanks for bring up this aspect though. I do need to look into what Gus is doing and set up a plan for myself.

From what Shugart says there, it seems like the transition phase is a good way to lose a few more pounds, so if you're disappointed with not reaching 200 in the 28 days, maybe you can get there with a couple of weeks of transition :tucool:

From what Shugart says there, it seems like the transition phase is a good way to lose a few more pounds, so if you're disappointed with not reaching 200 in the 28 days, maybe you can get there with a couple of weeks of transition :tucool:

One of the main reasons that I chose the V-diet was that it was only 28 days. It is a mental game to the extreme. I will take a look at what Shugart says. If I think that I can mentally handle it, I might do it. My girlfriend is also threatening my life if I don't maintain so I don't have to do teh V-diet again.

Day 18:
Weight: 209.4
Weight loss to date: 14.6
Number of shakes remaining: 44

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200 might be in sight.....but the SuperBowl is probably going to screw that up. My girlfriend and ALL her family are NY Giants fans. I lost another 0.8 pounds yesterday. I remembered this morning that I fell asleep without having my last "meal". Only 10 days left, but I will probably end it 2 days early for the SuperBowl.

200 might be in sight.....but the SuperBowl is probably going to screw that up. My girlfriend and ALL her family are NY Giants fans. I lost another 0.8 pounds yesterday. I remembered this morning that I fell asleep without having my last "meal". Only 10 days left, but I will probably end it 2 days early for the SuperBowl.

The super bowl is going to be my first "cheat day." My cheat food, of course, will be beer, lots and lots of beer.

The super bowl is going to be my first "cheat day." My cheat food, of course, will be beer, lots and lots of beer.

You and me both brother! I see Buffalo Wings in my future on that day...oh oh and cheese dip and salsa.

You and me both brother! I see Buffalo Wings in my future on that day...oh oh and cheese dip and salsa.

I have been following your journal along with Sodomojo's and my interest is piqued. It seems that initial organization is key, and it's pretty much willpower and autopilot after that....

Couple questions...

Would mixing whey and soy protein powders matter that much in the long run? I like Spiru-tein, and would almost consider that a treat in an effort such as this.

Are the 'odorless' fish oil caps suitable?

I noticed that you did not use a thermogenic as Stutgart suggests. Is there a reason? I'm thinking that a thermo would just increase digestion, thus making hunger more common. Additionally, it seems to be working well for you without them.

What aspects of exercise do you feel were hindered the most during your experience? Specifically, I am taking karate (complete beginner), but would find it rather disrespectful to faint in the dojo ;)

The biggest reason this diet interests me is twofold - I would like to drop some quick weight before the weather turns clement and long bike rides become the norm, and for the sake of my knees, I would like to drop about 20 pounds before I resume running on pavement (I quit smoking cigarettes in September and it's been Gain-a-palooza since then).

Thanks for the motivation and heads up in regards to the ups and downs of the diet. It really seems that if you keep your eye on your goal (and the calendar) it is doable.

jay.

This is my second round with the V-diet. But, I have used thermogenic caps in the past. I just never found much effectiveness in them. I prefer a cup of coffee. I also leave out all the t-nation propaganda. There are a for-profit site, and have every right to push products. But this diet is more flexible than that.
Shutgart highly recommends a protein powder with casein protein. This is a slower digesting protein. I made sure that my powder from trueprotein.com has it. But, I made it a week on pure whey isolate. I didn't really notice a difference. IMO, if you find something that is not loaded with carbs and taste good enough for you to do it for 28 straight days, then you probably found something good.
You are correct. All the planning takes place before day 0. Figure out your calories and the breakdown protein and fat, then it is all automatic. This makes it easy in terms of planning and day-to-day. There is no stretching a certain food to make you feel better. If you want to put more protein powder in your shake then there might be something wrong with you other than wanting to do the diet. See a shrink! j/k

I only use fish caps when I am on travel if I don't have flax oil caps. At all other times, I am using flax oil. For the same reason that you are talking about, I don't enjoy the "retasting" of oil caps when I burp.

Seems like a lot of your reasons are the same as mine for why I did this diet. Running and joints, and losing the most in the shortest period of time. I would imagine that Karate is fine. I think that it is mostly a sustained high heart rate that can be detrimental to the purpose of the diet (muscle preservation). I have done cardio during this entire time. I made sure to keep my heart rate below 130 bpm, but during weight lifting I routinely exceed 150 bpm for only a couple minutes at a time...not sustained, only during a set.

I have been following your journal along with Sodomojo's and my interest is piqued. It seems that initial organization is key, and it's pretty much willpower and autopilot after that....

Couple questions...

Would mixing whey and soy protein powders matter that much in the long run? I like Spiru-tein, and would almost consider that a treat in an effort such as this.

Are the 'odorless' fish oil caps suitable?

I noticed that you did not use a thermogenic as Stutgart suggests. Is there a reason? I'm thinking that a thermo would just increase digestion, thus making hunger more common. Additionally, it seems to be working well for you without them.

What aspects of exercise do you feel were hindered the most during your experience? Specifically, I am taking karate (complete beginner), but would find it rather disrespectful to faint in the dojo ;)

The biggest reason this diet interests me is twofold - I would like to drop some quick weight before the weather turns clement and long bike rides become the norm, and for the sake of my knees, I would like to drop about 20 pounds before I resume running on pavement (I quit smoking cigarettes in September and it's been Gain-a-palooza since then).

Thanks for the motivation and heads up in regards to the ups and downs of the diet. It really seems that if you keep your eye on your goal (and the calendar) it is doable.

jay.

Hey bandit, how is your progress this time compare to last time? Things pretty much working the same way?

It would be cool if you kept this journal for another 28 days after the end, to chronicle your readaption to normal food. 28 days later. haha.

Is there a spring back? I would think, there would be so many things I would want to eat when it ended, I would instantly jump back 5 pounds or more.

This is the same thing I was wondering.

I figure that weight gain would be minimal and would plateau once "real" food is introduced back to the body. But then again, chicken wings :drool: in an abundance would put on the pounds anyway no matter how you look at it. :D

Banditfist, looks like things are going very well for you. :tu: for sticking with it.

Hey bandit, how is your progress this time compare to last time? Things pretty much working the same way?

It would be cool if you kept this journal for another 28 days after the end, to chronicle your readaption to normal food. 28 days later. haha.

Is there a spring back? I would think, there would be so many things I would want to eat when it ended, I would instantly jump back 5 pounds or more.

This is the same thing I was wondering.

I figure that weight gain would be minimal and would plateau once "real" food is introduced back to the body. But then again, chicken wings :drool: in an abundance would put on the pounds anyway no matter how you look at it. :D

Banditfist, looks like things are going very well for you. :tu: for sticking with it.

Yeah, things are going about the same. One noted exception is that I am tempted a lot more to cheat. This journal is one of the things that motivates me to stay the course.
I am actually going to keep the journal going. There seems to be a bit of interest (from myself as well) about the adjustment and what to expect. With the lack of sodium and water retention, I expect 5 pounds back immediately. This is common for most diets. I got down to 206 last time from the same starting point. Seemed like I hung around the 212-214 mark until the September time frame (did the diet in May). I had some injuries so my cardio was not up to par.
One BIG regret I have this time is that I did not take starting pictures. I should have known better!

Cool, very glad you are going to keep it going as its the transition phase after diets like VD and AD that are as much of a challenge. At least for me I didn't get it right last time and have no idea why as i readded prett gradually:confused:

Day 22:
Weight: 209.6
Weight loss to date: 14.4
Number of shakes remaining: 29

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My Saturday night cheat meal:
SEAFOOD BOUILLABAISSE"THAI STYLE"
SCALLOPS, SHRIMP AND LOBSTER MEAT, WITH RED-CURRY COCONUT BROTH, VEGETABLES, SOMEN NOODLES AND PINEAPPLE RELISH

N. and I had a dinner date with several people that she used to work with years ago. There is a very nice restaurant, The King's Contrivance, that is within walking distance of our house. It was fantastic. I declined dessert (OMG, they had Key Lime pie!), but I did have an appetizer at the house consisting of parmesian cheese and an excellent aged balsemic vinegar. The moderation of the meal and cheese led me to only gain 0.2 of a pound as of this morning. Yesterday is was up 0.8.
This is the home stretch. I am going to end the diet two days early. It will culminate with the my normal Saturday night cheatmeal at a restaurant in downtown Baltimore (It's restaurant week). I still need to decide how I am going to handle the transition phase. I need to figure out where I am mentally and go from there.

Bandit, I'm trying to get an idea of the total cost of this diet. I think from the first page, each shake has two scoops of protein powder. So 10 scoops per day. If we use Nitrean (which I think meets the criteria you suggested). There's 70 scoops per bottle, so you need 4 bottles. Three bottles cost $136. Not sure if they offer a deal on the 4th, but that would bring it up to ~$185. For just the protein. How much does the flax meal and flax oil cost?

If you think about the fact that you are giving up eating out or ordering out for the entire month, you're probably actually saving money, at least I would be.

Bandit, I'm trying to get an idea of the total cost of this diet. I think from the first page, each shake has two scoops of protein powder. So 10 scoops per day. If we use Nitrean (which I think meets the criteria you suggested). There's 70 scoops per bottle, so you need 4 bottles. Three bottles cost $136. Not sure if they offer a deal on the 4th, but that would bring it up to ~$185. For just the protein. How much does the flax meal and flax oil cost?

If you think about the fact that you are giving up eating out or ordering out for the entire month, you're probably actually saving money, at least I would be.

You have about the same body weight as me. I use 1.75 scoops per shake. But, I use the TPC formula from http://www.trueprotein.com.
I think that I will probably finish up using about 3 bags of flax meal ($5 per bag) and 32 ounces of flax oil ($24 total...I use 16 ounce oil). The only other costs that I had was the Beverly Super Pak multivitamin, but I take those regardless of the diet I am on.
A lot of people fret over the costs of the diet, but I think that you have already analyzed it the correct way. If you buy everything up front, yeah it "looks" like a lot of money. But if you itemize what you spend on food for 28 days, I think that diet would be cheaper.
The other big costs saver is time. I am able to prepare and "eat" my meal in about 3 minutes. This includes cleanup too. So, I have time to do other things like that freaking Systems Engineering project that I still have to finish up for my masters from freaking APL.....so hate that place!

So, I have time to do other things like that freaking Systems Engineering project that I still have to finish up for my masters from freaking APL.....so hate that place!

I have to say I have no love for APL either. I haven't updated my journal with anymore info lately, but I need to. My last day there is this Friday! I accepted a job with an aerospace company back up in CT (I use to work for them before). Sorry to say I'll be heading back north and only got the opportunity to meet up with you guys once.

I'm considering the v-diet, but only after I get up there and settled. I also have to put a few more healthy weeks between me and my sickness bout post-Philippines (I'll have to write about that too).

I have to say I have no love for APL either. I haven't updated my journal with anymore info lately, but I need to. My last day there is this Friday! I accepted a job with an aerospace company back up in CT (I use to work for them before). Sorry to say I'll be heading back north and only got the opportunity to meet up with you guys once.

I'm considering the v-diet, but only after I get up there and settled. I also have to put a few more healthy weeks between me and my sickness bout post-Philippines (I'll have to write about that too).

Gravity all these life events and you don't let the JSF community know:eek: please up date your journal soon :)

Bandit I guess that if you don't take the extras the push on Tnation the Vdiet is definitely no more expensice than a normal month of food. I guess i am still too scared of rapid rebound with rapid weight loss but i am sure that is not necessary with good planning.

Bandit I guess that if you don't take the extras the push on Tnation the Vdiet is definitely no more expensice than a normal month of food. I guess i am still too scared of rapid rebound with rapid weight loss but i am sure that is not necessary with good planning.

I was thinking of trying it for only a week, just for fun (my idea of fun may be different from other people's, admittedly). I don't think I could last 28 days. I guess it would be easier on the system and rebound wouldn't be a problem either if I did that.

Bandit, I see that you're taking flax oil - this is instead of fish oil, I take it? When you did the V-diet the first time around did you also substitute flax for fish oil?

Gravity all these life events and you don't let the JSF community know:eek: please up date your journal soon :)

Bandit I guess that if you don't take the extras the push on Tnation the Vdiet is definitely no more expensice than a normal month of food. I guess i am still too scared of rapid rebound with rapid weight loss but i am sure that is not necessary with good planning.

There is no doubt that you need to eat correctly to avoid gaining the weight back. But, the initial gain will be nothing more than water wait with the additional salt being added back into your diet. I worried a bit about this diet because there is virtually no salt/electrolytes. I think that my multivitamin might have enough. I expect about a 3-4 pound bounce.

I was thinking of trying it for only a week, just for fun (my idea of fun may be different from other people's, admittedly). I don't think I could last 28 days. I guess it would be easier on the system and rebound wouldn't be a problem either if I did that.

Bandit, I see that you're taking flax oil - this is instead of fish oil, I take it? When you did the V-diet the first time around did you also substitute flax for fish oil?

It's funny because the first time I did the diet, I did not tell anyone. I wanted to see if I could do it for a week to see if it was something I could do for 20+ days. I think that you can see that you will see a dramatic week one change (see Sodomojo, Arbitrage, and my results in week 1). A very large amount is water weight. But my cholesterol experiment from the first time I did it was really eye opening. My family history has a high rate of cholesterol problems. One of my brothers is on an anti-statin drug as well as one of my uncles. My drop was dramatic. I kind of feel like I know what to do if I need to get things under control. I absolutely hate the thought of taking a drug over a long period of time. I am very anti-pharmaceutical.
As far as the flax oil over the fish oil. I do take 1g of fish oil that is included in my Beverly Vitamin Pak. Either way you slice it, both flax oil and fish oil contain essential fatty acids. I get confused about omega 6 and 3 and which oil has more of each, so I just don't worry about it. Flax oil is more convenient for my to buy, store, and taste infinitesimally better than fish oil. For the V-diet, Shutgart just doesn't like the taste of flax oil, so he uses fish oil. Getting EFAs is the main goal.

Day 23:
Weight: 208.9
Weight loss to date: 15.1
Number of shakes remaining: 24

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On autopilot....nothing much to report. End is near and I will make it with no problem. Feel great!

Oh yeah, just made it past 15 pounds lost.

Weight: 208.9

:eek: You are going to pass me soon! :scared:

Home stretch, dood. Nice work! :D

:eek: You are going to pass me soon! :scared:

Home stretch, dood. Nice work! :D

:scared:
I need to go look at your journal. Of course, our body types are totally different and you are about 3 inches taller than me.

Day 24:
Weight: 207.5
Weight loss to date: 16.5
Number of shakes remaining: 19

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1.4 pounds since yesterday. I only did weights in the morning and no pm cardio. I was tired and felt like laying around after working for 10 hours straight. Leg workout was this morning. Box squats @315 gave my IT bands on my left legs a fit. I decided to hit leg press instead.

This is my second round with the V-diet. But, I have used thermogenic caps in the past. I just never found much effectiveness in them. I prefer a cup of coffee. I also leave out all the t-nation propaganda. There are a for-profit site, and have every right to push products. But this diet is more flexible than that.
Shutgart highly recommends a protein powder with casein protein. This is a slower digesting protein. I made sure that my powder from trueprotein.com has it. But, I made it a week on pure whey isolate. I didn't really notice a difference. IMO, if you find something that is not loaded with carbs and taste good enough for you to do it for 28 straight days, then you probably found something good.
You are correct. All the planning takes place before day 0. Figure out your calories and the breakdown protein and fat, then it is all automatic. This makes it easy in terms of planning and day-to-day. There is no stretching a certain food to make you feel better. If you want to put more protein powder in your shake then there might be something wrong with you other than wanting to do the diet. See a shrink! j/k

I only use fish caps when I am on travel if I don't have flax oil caps. At all other times, I am using flax oil. For the same reason that you are talking about, I don't enjoy the "retasting" of oil caps when I burp.

Seems like a lot of your reasons are the same as mine for why I did this diet. Running and joints, and losing the most in the shortest period of time. I would imagine that Karate is fine. I think that it is mostly a sustained high heart rate that can be detrimental to the purpose of the diet (muscle preservation). I have done cardio during this entire time. I made sure to keep my heart rate below 130 bpm, but during weight lifting I routinely exceed 150 bpm for only a couple minutes at a time...not sustained, only during a set.

Thanks for the input! You are enjoying impressive results!

Banditfist, great going! Your efforts are really paying off. :nod:

Banditfist, great going! Your efforts are really paying off. :nod:

Thanks Seltzer! I am still in awe even after a second time through with the success of this diet. It is extreme, but it works!

Day 25:
Weight: 206.9
Weight loss to date: 17.1
Number of shakes remaining: 14

24684

I was pretty lathargic yesterday. I was tired. I still went out with the boys to play some poker. Not a bad take. I finished 3rd and 2nd. I came away +$50.

A little over two days till Saturday. I am stuck in meetings all day today. Gotta keep my program managers in line with the technical aspects. I am also making sure that I am going to get a free trip to Austraila out of it. I will burn up all my vacation too!

I only use fish caps when I am on travel if I don't have flax oil caps. At all other times, I am using flax oil. For the same reason that you are talking about, I don't enjoy the "retasting" of oil caps when I burp.

Have you tried enteric coated fish oil? These are coated to basically pass through the stomach before being digested in the bowels, so no burp and better absorption of EPA/DHA.

Nothing wrong with flax (I use it as well as fish oil), but it's not a straight substitute for a lot of the goodness that comes from EPA/DHA, because the conversion rate of LNA (in flax) to EPA is very, very poor, and the EPA/DHA is what is the good anti-inflammatory stuff with most of the health benefits.

You can alternatively try freezing the pills. Some find this does away with the burps.

Have you tried enteric coated fish oil? These are coated to basically pass through the stomach before being digested in the bowels, so no burp and better absorption of EPA/DHA.

Nothing wrong with flax (I use it as well as fish oil), but it's not a straight substitute for a lot of the goodness that comes from EPA/DHA, because the conversion rate of LNA (in flax) to EPA is very, very poor, and the EPA/DHA is what is the good anti-inflammatory stuff with most of the health benefits.

You can alternatively try freezing the pills. Some find this does away with the burps.

Did you just cut and paste from one of Chico's post? It is enough for me to think that I am getting EFAs in flax to not sweat any of the other stuff. My Beverly Super Pak has a fish oil cap in it, so I am getting anything that I would need from that?

I can't wait until this diet is over and I can get all the EFAs from McDonald's French fries and a Big Mac (it might take 2 Big Macs just to be sure though).:drool:

Day 26:
Weight: 206.5
Weight loss to date: 17.5
Number of shakes remaining: 9

24706

Ah! Single Digits!
From the looks of things, I will mimic the results from the last time. I am going to weigh in tomorrow morning and follow with four shakes during the day followed up by a cheat meal at Roy's in downtown Baltimore.

I was stuck in a meeting all day yesterday. They supplied lunch. It was hard! I know that some who have done the V-diet like to talk about how their taste buds changed and they don't crave thigns that they used to love. Well, there is not one single desire that I can think of prior to the diet that I still don't want. I can't wait to have salsa again. I make my own fresh salsa. It is a great treat; no fat; nothing but vegetables (tomatos, green peppers, jalepeno peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, cummin and my secret ingredient...liquid smoke). Of course, the chips are the bad part.

Did you just cut and paste from one of Chico's post? It is enough for me to think that I am getting EFAs in flax to not sweat any of the other stuff. My Beverly Super Pak has a fish oil cap in it, so I am getting anything that I would need from that?

Chic would recommend Taco Bell. :)

It's good that you are getting some in your Beverly stuff. But fish oil just has a ton of benefits that flax isn't a substitute for. IMO, people should take fish oil before they worry about about any other supp. But you may be getting enough in your other stuff.

Good work banditfist, you made it!

I look forward to a final write up. You should have taken before and after pictures!

congrats bandit, looking forward to the aftermath.

I think it is cool that your results have been pretty much the same as the first time. Was your starting weight the same too? its great to have something like this up your sleeve that you just KNOW IT WORKS. well done for the discipline! I am in the early days of the AD and i am interested to see if i can keep up my running OK, but maybe with the refeeds it will be fine.

Good job sticking with it, Bandit! :tu: