Mission 2, Day 99: Nutritional Secret Unveiled!
For the past several weeks I have had my nutritional plan under top secret status. Today I am about to reveal exactly how I came upon this nutritional plan and what I did during the plan.
During the past 199 days of shredding (and probably even longer than that), I have paid careful attention to how different aspects of nutrition change my body. My body tends to react violently to carbohydrates. When I say "violently" I mean it tends to pack on the fat. If I eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates (50%) and do alot of cardio, I tend to just remain the same body fat percentage. However, if I do less than 5 days a week of cardio while at the 50% carb number, I increase in body fat percentage without fail.
My body's behavior was frustrating. It lead me to a carb lowering plan that I worked for the majority of Mission 2, but this plan also lead to some major loss in lean body mass, another undesireable outcome for me. Around the time of Mission 2: Day 72, Fasting Explored I was doing some research using the data that I had been collecting. It was at this time that I came upon something that would become the basis for my new nutritional program.
The Velocity Diet - Not Quite
As I was searching the web for my issues, I found The Velocity Diet and I was intrigued. I started to analyze what would happen if I followed the diet exactly as it was outlined. For those of you wondering, this diet called for 28 days straight where you eat nothing but protein shakes. The idea is to induce rapid fat loss. As I considered what this meant I realized there would be no way for me to accomplish this without the fear that I would binge at some point. I just know my own limitations and 28 straight days of protein shakes wasn't on my list of fun things to try. It was at this point that I applied the many things I've learned through reading, researching and data collection and came up with a new plan.
High Velocity Fat Burning Is Born!
Using the concepts in the Velocity Diet and everything else I knew about carb cycling, carb tapering and how my body reacts to all these things, I came up with what I call The High Velocity Fat Burning Machine Eating Plan and it worked from the start. Here is how things panned out.
Important Notes: It is extremely important for the reader to note a few things about this plan. First, it was geared towards the short term, but with the idea being to figure out how to incorporate some of the fat burning ideas into my regular nutritional plan. I ate every 3 hours like clockwork. I averaged 2900 calories a day and my ratios of carbs/protein/fat averaged 10/70/20. I threw in days where I was at 30/50/20 to keep my metabolism running at its highest point. I never felt fatigued because I was getting good fat sources (Udos and peanut butter) for energy. The high calories did wonders for my lean body mass and the low carbs really had me shedding the fat. I took the following supplements daily:
Glutamine (5 g)
Magnesium (to avoid muscle cramps)
Calcium (to avoid muscle cramps)
Multi-vitamin
Inulin (5 g for digestion)
Papaya Extract (1 capsule for digestion)
Psylium husk (3 capsules twice a day for fiber)
The Final Stats for 19 Days on the Plan
That's right, I managed to burn 8.2 pounds of fat and added 2.2 pounds of LBM during my 19 day experiment. This results have lead me to my final nutrition plan that will form the basis for M3's nutrition. I am obviously going to tweak the food choices a bit to avoid monotony, but it won't be too much different than what I did the past 19 days. I will reveal all on M3 : D1.
Warning to Readers
Do not attempt this nutritional experiment without consulting with your physician. This is an extreme approach to losing fat and I do not recommend it for everyone. If you'd like more information about how I came to this system, please comment me and include your email address in the form (it doesn't get shown to anyone but me) and I will contact you directly.
Remember, you may think this was an awfully extreme approach, but the ratios match that of Metabolic Surge and my energy sources (EFAs) is higly recommended by Nick Nilsson, the author of Metabolic Surge. Basically this is a combination of the Velocity Diet, Metabolic Surge, and BFFM (refeed approach).
I cannot argue with the results!
During the past 199 days of shredding (and probably even longer than that), I have paid careful attention to how different aspects of nutrition change my body. My body tends to react violently to carbohydrates. When I say "violently" I mean it tends to pack on the fat. If I eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates (50%) and do alot of cardio, I tend to just remain the same body fat percentage. However, if I do less than 5 days a week of cardio while at the 50% carb number, I increase in body fat percentage without fail.
My body's behavior was frustrating. It lead me to a carb lowering plan that I worked for the majority of Mission 2, but this plan also lead to some major loss in lean body mass, another undesireable outcome for me. Around the time of Mission 2: Day 72, Fasting Explored I was doing some research using the data that I had been collecting. It was at this time that I came upon something that would become the basis for my new nutritional program.
The Velocity Diet - Not Quite
As I was searching the web for my issues, I found The Velocity Diet and I was intrigued. I started to analyze what would happen if I followed the diet exactly as it was outlined. For those of you wondering, this diet called for 28 days straight where you eat nothing but protein shakes. The idea is to induce rapid fat loss. As I considered what this meant I realized there would be no way for me to accomplish this without the fear that I would binge at some point. I just know my own limitations and 28 straight days of protein shakes wasn't on my list of fun things to try. It was at this point that I applied the many things I've learned through reading, researching and data collection and came up with a new plan.
High Velocity Fat Burning Is Born!
Using the concepts in the Velocity Diet and everything else I knew about carb cycling, carb tapering and how my body reacts to all these things, I came up with what I call The High Velocity Fat Burning Machine Eating Plan and it worked from the start. Here is how things panned out.
| The High Velocity Fat Burning Machine Eating Plan | ||
| Day | Meal | What? |
| 1 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake, 1/4 cup blueberries | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 2 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 3 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake, 1/4 cup blueberries | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 5 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 6 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 5 | Steak, chicken breast, potatoes, green beans, mixed veggies | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 7 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 8 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 9 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Chicken breast, large salad, green beans, rice | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 10 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 11 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 12 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake, 1/4 cup blueberries | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 13 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Lean beef, brown rice, veggies | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 14 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 15 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 16 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake, 1/4 cup raisins | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 17 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Whey protein shake | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 18 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | Whey protein shake | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Lean beef, chicken breast, brown rice, veggies | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 19 | 1 | Whey protein shake with Udos |
| 2 | 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, lean beef, whole wheat toast, cucumbers | |
| 3 | Whey protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| 4 | Tofu, brown rice, chicken breast, chinese brocolli | |
| 5 | Whey protein shake with Udos | |
| 6 | Casein protein shake, 1 tbsp peanut butter | |
| Average | Calories | 2900 |
| Average | Carb | 10% |
| Average | Protein | 70% |
| Average | Fat | 20% |
Important Notes: It is extremely important for the reader to note a few things about this plan. First, it was geared towards the short term, but with the idea being to figure out how to incorporate some of the fat burning ideas into my regular nutritional plan. I ate every 3 hours like clockwork. I averaged 2900 calories a day and my ratios of carbs/protein/fat averaged 10/70/20. I threw in days where I was at 30/50/20 to keep my metabolism running at its highest point. I never felt fatigued because I was getting good fat sources (Udos and peanut butter) for energy. The high calories did wonders for my lean body mass and the low carbs really had me shedding the fat. I took the following supplements daily:
Glutamine (5 g)
Magnesium (to avoid muscle cramps)
Calcium (to avoid muscle cramps)
Multi-vitamin
Inulin (5 g for digestion)
Papaya Extract (1 capsule for digestion)
Psylium husk (3 capsules twice a day for fiber)
The Final Stats for 19 Days on the Plan
| Experiment Stats | ||||
| Date | Weight | BF% | LBM | Fat Lbs |
| 20-Apr-08 | 213 | 17.60% | 175.512 | 37.488 |
| 27-Apr-08 | 210 | 15.83% | 176.757 | 33.243 |
| 4-May-08 | 207 | 14.63% | 176.7159 | 30.2841 |
| 11-May-08 | 207 | 14.13% | 177.7509 | 29.2491 |
| 18-May-08 | ||||
| Experiment Total | -6 | -2.97% | 2.2389 | -8.2389 |
That's right, I managed to burn 8.2 pounds of fat and added 2.2 pounds of LBM during my 19 day experiment. This results have lead me to my final nutrition plan that will form the basis for M3's nutrition. I am obviously going to tweak the food choices a bit to avoid monotony, but it won't be too much different than what I did the past 19 days. I will reveal all on M3 : D1.
Warning to Readers
Do not attempt this nutritional experiment without consulting with your physician. This is an extreme approach to losing fat and I do not recommend it for everyone. If you'd like more information about how I came to this system, please comment me and include your email address in the form (it doesn't get shown to anyone but me) and I will contact you directly.
Remember, you may think this was an awfully extreme approach, but the ratios match that of Metabolic Surge and my energy sources (EFAs) is higly recommended by Nick Nilsson, the author of Metabolic Surge. Basically this is a combination of the Velocity Diet, Metabolic Surge, and BFFM (refeed approach).
I cannot argue with the results!
Posted by Michael Mahony at 5/11/2008 7:13 AM 
Categories: Nutrition, Nutritional Experiment, Old Missions
Categories: Nutrition, Nutritional Experiment, Old Missions
Well done to sticking with that for so long. I tried the Velocity Diet about 18 months ago and lasted about 5 days.
Big reveal tomorrow?
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That was extreme! I really think you have to be in the right frame of mind to be able to undertake a diet like that. good job at sticking to it! I too think I need to stay with lower carbs.
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I've thought about a velocity style diet in the past and I'm hesitant due to the lack of solid food. Since the first of the year I've dropped my calories (50% P 20% C 30% F)and I've lost 30 pounds, but my strength has diminished, and it tanked almost immediately. Did your strength suffer during these 19 days?
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It works alot like Metabolic Surge in that you drop the carbs down to about 100 grams a day and make up the difference with higher protein and higher fat. It forces your body to burn fat for energy. As for my strength, take a look at my workout numbers during the time (just click on the category for weight training logs to get all my posts that are linked to that topic). As for strength, my deadlift went from 300 x 5 on 4/22 when I started the plan all the way to 350 x 5 19 days later and still growing. I had no problem with strength because I was able to inject carbs into the plan at will due to the fact that I was keeping carbs down the entire time. The major difference (and something I took away from this experiment) is that I now look at things in terms of the average for the week, not a daily thing anymore. Thus, I am trying to hit an average number of calories. So if I want to average 3000 calories a day, I would be ok with the following daily run:
Sun 2000
Mon 3500
Tue 2500
Wed 3000
Thur 2700
Fri 3800
Sat 3500
This approach gives me much more flexibility and control over fat burning vs. bulking phases. Again, it is all experimental, but I'm documenting it all because the approach is a mish mash of other approaches and I want to have documentation on how it all works. Thanks for the comment!
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" I had no problem with strength because I was able to inject carbs into the plan at will due to the fact that I was keeping carbs down the entire time. "
I hadn't looked at it that way, smart strategy and seems to be working. Thanks
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Michael,
Those are pretty impressive results. Burning 8lbs of fat, while gaining 2 lbs of LBM is really unheard of. That is an extreme plan!
I have a friend back home who was doing the same thing…protein shakes for every meal.
He wasn’t even doing it for fitness purposes but he checked with a doctor and the doctor told him it was alright, as long as he took a multivitamin and took in plenty of water. But did recommend he try to work in some whole foods.
That would be rough…protein shakes every meal, but I do agree with the idea of limiting ones choices for a certain meal, that way one wouldn’t be tempted to make the wrong choice.
You’re a man of steel to stick with a nutrition plan like that for 19 days.
Way to go.
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Hey Michael,
I'm glad you saw the results that you wanted. I know you have read tons of material on this so I am confident that you know what you are doing but it does worry me to see a distinct lack of food in your diet.
I guess I'm doing the opposite of you, in that I'm trying to do this without using any supplements at all. I know that it may well take longer.
Anyway looking forward to seeing the big reveal.
Congrats on the 200 days bloggin as I guess you will have reached that when you read this.
Take care,
Andrew
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Andrew, I can understand your concern, but I checked with my doctor and for the short term there is no harm done as long as you take vitamins and add fiber to your diet and drink alot of water. I will correct one thing: protein shakes ARE considered food. They are a pretty complete meal minus the carbs. My new plan involves interjecting solid meals alongside protein shakes as a way of upping my calories slowly. You will see all the details in tomorrow's M3 : D1 post. Thanks for the well wishes.
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Wow MICHAEL, I never suspected that you were doing that...all shakes and not much else. A tsp of peenie butter is sure not much. I am now really in awe of your dedication and so pleased that you got the results you wanted. I do go with having less, few, choices of eating, as it does help not to have to choose between a lot of food, but just bet you got so tired of ONLY shakes. I read an article recently, tho forget where, that said that if you use CASEIN powder, you lose quite a lot more weight than if you use WHEY. Wish I could remember where I read that, but have so many things come across, as guess you do too.
Anyway, congrats on finding the way to lose weight. Now I have another WOE on the back burner. You really are a strong-willed person. You deserve to be in Skinnyville!
Lynda
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