Mission 2, Day 73: Striking a chord
My post regarding my opinion of fasting and the need for the Shreddersphere to be careful about its content has apparently struck a chord with many of you. I've gotten comments from people who haven't commented on the blog in a long time. Frankly, I figured this would be the case, but I am serious about my stance on this issue. I think that people are compromising their results by fasting. I believe that while they are getting decent results, they could get even better results by eating. I am concerned that people are reading these blogs and going out and trying things without doing their own research. I know that I personally get over 200 hits a day on this blog, but get nowhere near that many comments, so I know there are lurkers out there who are reading and not commenting. I am concerned because I don't want these people trying things without understanding what they are getting themselves into.
Look at Adam Waters for example. I'm sure you've all read the following disclaimer:
"Feel free to use this plan as a template that you can follow. However, this plan is is based on my own personal experience over 3 physique transformation missions. In other words, what works for me may not work for you in the same way.
Success in this game requires research, individual design, real-world testing, monitoring results and making adjustments when necessary. This is your responsibility, no one else can do it for you. However, if you'd like to research further the exact programs I have used (over my first 3 Missions) and will use for M4 Shred you can do so at the links below."
I am merely preaching the exact same thing. So fasting is popular with the Shreddersphere right now and my comments are unpopulare, but they are important because hopefully they've made some people think long and hard about what they are doing before they do it.
I'm not doing this for my own edification. I'm not doing this to make a million dollars. I'm doing this in hopes of helping just one person change their life.
Accountability Log:
| Week Begins 4/13/2008 | |||||||
| Sun | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | |
| Cycle spot | LC | LC | LC | HC | LC | LC | LC |
| M1 * | 5:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | 3:30 a.m. | 5:30 a.m. |
| M2 * | 8:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 8:30 a.m. |
| M3 * | 11:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. |
| M4 * | 2:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. |
| M5 * | 5:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. |
| M6 * | 7:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| Weights * | N/A | Lift | Lift | N/A | Lift | Lift | N/A |
| Cardio * | N/A | N/A | PM | AM | PM | N/A | AM |
| Abs * | N/A | FYA | FYA | N/A | FYA | FYA | N/A |
| Water * | 240 oz | 240 oz | 240 oz | ||||
| Post-workout nutrition * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-sleep nutrition * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vitamins/Supplements * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accountability * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cals within 5% (+/-) * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Target Cals | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Cals | 2975 | 2988 | 3012 | ||||
| Ratios (C/P/F) | 10/58/32 | 9/61/30 | 10/62/28 | ||||
| Target Ratios (C/P/F) | 10/60/30 | 10/60/30 | 10/60/30 | 60/30/10 | 10/60/30 | 10/60/30 | 10/60/30 |
| Total Completed | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||||
| Total Possible | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||||
| Mission 2 Total Complete | 1024 | 1039 | 1054 | 1054 | 1054 | 1054 | 1054 |
| Mission 2 Total Possible | 1050 | 1065 | 1080 | 1080 | 1080 | 1080 | 1080 |
| * = Counts towards total | |||||||
| Success! | |||||||
| Failed | |||||||
| Not Counted! | |||||||
Nutrition Log:
| Mission 2: Day 73 of 100 | |||
| Meal/Training Plan: Real-time accountability | |||
| Day 73: April 15, 2008 | |||
| 3:30 a.m. | Meal 1: Protein shake with 1/2 portion oatmeal, and 1/2 portion yogurt and Udo's Oil | ||
| 3:30 a.m. | Supplements: Animal Pak, Glucosamine Chondroiten, calcium, chromium, glutamine, BCAAs | ||
| 4:00 a.m. | Workout: Lifting, FYA | ||
| 5:00 a.m. | Supplements: Protein shake, 1/2 portion oatmeal, BCAAs, glutamine | ||
| 6:30 a.m. | Meal 2: Chicken breast, large salad and 3 glasses of water | ||
| 9:30 a.m. | Meal 3: Chicken breast, large salad and 3 glasses of water | ||
| 12:30 p.m. | Meal 4: Chicken breast large salad and 3 glasses of water | ||
| 3:30 p.m. | Meal 5: Chicken breast, large salad and 3 glasses of water | ||
| 4:00 p.m. | Workout: PACE Cardio - Elliptical - 24 minutes | ||
| 6:30 p.m. | Meal 6: Stir fry (tofu, chicken breast, snap peas, onions, brocolli, carrots), large salad, 3 glasses of water | ||
| 8:30 p.m. | Supplements: Casein protein shake, glutamine, calcium and 3 glasses of water |
Workout Log:
| Tuesday, 4/15/2008 | B4 | Start: 3:45 a.m. End: 4:47 a.m. | |||
| Exercise | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
| Barbell Bench press | 185 x 6 | 210 x 1 | 195 x 6 | 215 x 1 | 185 x 10 |
| Barbell bent over row | 185 x 6 | 220 x 1 | 195 x 6 | 225 x 1 | 175 x 10 |
| Close-grip lat pulldown | 200 x 6 | 200 x 6 | |||
| DB shoulder press | 65 x 6 | 65 x 6 | |||
| Lower-body Russian Twist | 25 | 25 | |||
Thought for the Day:
Stand for what you believe in and believe in what you stand for.
Until tomorrow...GET BACK TO LIFTING!
Posted by Michael Mahony at 4/15/2008 8:30 PM 
Categories: Weightlifting Logs, Nutrition, Fasting, Old Missions
Categories: Weightlifting Logs, Nutrition, Fasting, Old Missions
I guess we're going to agree to disagree on this, but there are studies which show that even on extended severe calorie deficit (males on 800 calories per day) for 12 weeks, participants retained muscle mass when resistance training 3 times per week. Participants who only did cardio lost muscle mass.
This would lead me to believe that fasting for short periods and eating normally on other days, will not lead to loss of LBM while still performing resistance training.
Oh yeah, nice shirt today!
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Mike, do you have a citation for that study? Something that can be looked up and verified? Also, do you have any citations to a study where two groups go through the same workout routine, one group while fasting and the other while eating 5 to 6 times every day? That's the one that would settle this issue.
Thanks for your comments.
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Citations for that study and a couple of others are found in the Eat Stop Eat book (p36,37). Check out references 19, 20 & 21.
My next "challenge" should be a good gauge of the for the second one. I'll be putting details up of my own experiment soon. I plan doing a 12 week intensive plan on Eat Stop Eat, logging every aspect of my intake, training and measurements. If you're interested you could be the other group.
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Thanks for pointing me to the study reference. I will attempt to find the actual study text on the web.
I will (of course) be very interestedin your results, but really that's not a true experiment because you have no control group to show what would happen if a different approach was used.
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