Today’s Stats: 120 pounds, 22.6 percent body fat. Down -2 pounds and - 1.6 percent body fat from yesterday. The loss is likely mostly water loss due to the low carb diet and exercise. Less bloat, hey, I’ll take it. (Body fat monitor readings can vary due to changes in body fluid, time of day, etc. What's important is to watch for a downward trend).
Bruno and I videotaped our swimming pool workout yesterday. It's an hour long and I'm having trouble getting it uploaded onto my laptop. I'll post part of it as soon as possible.
Eating fats on a carb cycling diet vary by phase – no carb, low carb, high carb. But it’s vital to get your fats and the right kinds fats at that. Generally eating lean meats and a variety of fish including fatty fish like salmon can provide most of the saturated fats you need for healthy skin and hair, not to mention production of enough healthy hormones. Olive, flax, walnut, grapeseed, and other omega rich oils make great complimentary foods on salads, vegetables, and in shakes. The key is keeping your fat portions in line with your goals. A cup of oil a day and you’ll likely never get lean.
Supplementing with fish oil has shown promise for fat loss and I’m trying it this time around. Why? The article excerpt below explains it better than I could. Bottom line, if I can increase my leptin sensitivity I can burn more body fat.
Fat Consumption
“As for fats, this diet does not worry too much about them. Nor will we discuss them much, save for this brief discussion here. While this is not a high fat (or Ketogenic) diet, it certainly is not a low fat diet. When I first started cycling carbs, I kept fats to probably less than twenty grams a day. Here, I recommend keeping dietary fats on the low side, with the majority of fats coming from supplemented EFAs (essential fatty acids)-specifically fish oil (high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids -- EPA/DHA).
Why fish oil? There are so many good reasons that a detailed discussion can be an article unto itself. For our purposes, it is sufficient to know that it has all the benefits of other EFA sources (such as flax and hemp oil) and in addition, has been shown to increase leptin sensitivity and exert positive effects on body composition much more efficiently than other EFAs (this is one of the important nutrient partitioning "tricks" one must employ for a successful recomposition).
Now, on to the practicality of it. First, you will be getting some fats in your lean protein sources (probably between 10 and 20 grams of fat) and a few grams from the carb sources (another 10 to 20 grams on high carb day). Second, at least two meals per day will include protein of the higher-fat variety. And if not, then you should add a fat source from the list below.
Fat Sources (an amount equal to 10 to 15 grams of fat).
(Natural) Peanut Butter
Flax Oil
Heavy Whipping Cream
Mayonnaise
Hemp Seed Oil
Olive Oil
Third, you will be supplementing with fish oil at 10 to 20 grams a day -- the more the better. This assumes you are using a standard fish oil supplement which, on average, contains one gram of oil and is 30% EPA/DHA. Should you choose the superior version, you may consume a bit less. I recommend you either split it up equally across all meals, or split it in half, and consume it with two meals. If you absolutely refuse to take fish oil, despite my pleas that you should (and the evidence that will be provided in the third installment), add in one to two servings of flaxseed or hempseed oil daily. – From “What You Need To Know About Carb Cycling”
10 Reasons Fish Oils Are Essential & Eating Right For Your Type! By Charles Poliquin
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Here’s today food and exercise plan:
Meal One - Egg white omelet (six whites, one whole egg, veggies), 1 teaspoon olive oil
Meal Two - Smoked Salmon, cucumber slices,
Meal Three – Protein shake, 1 teaspoon walnut oil, 1 cup mixed fruit
Meal Four - 4 ounces Tequila Lime chicken, 1 cup salad, 1 teaspoon olive oil
Meal Five – 4 ounces pork tenderloin, ½ cup mixed berries
Meal Six - Smoked salmon & 1 cup veggies,1 teaspoon flax oil, 4 ounces vodka
Calories 1542, Fat grams 66, Carb 50 grams, Protein 122 grams, Alcohol 37 grams
Supplements - 10 grams fish oil softgels, multi-vitamin, 2000 mg calcium, 3000 mg cranberry, Max CLA 1000 mg.
Beverages 2 cups coffee, 1 gallon water with lime, 4 ounces vodka (counted in my carb allowance and drank post-workouts when muscle glycogen is depleted).
Morning Leg Day – 5 sets x 25 reps each of front lunges, side lunges, wall squats, regular squats, and three angles of calf raises, most performed on the ProForm BioVibe.
Afternoon Pool Jogging / Swimming / Tag – 1 Hour.
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My recipe for Spicy Tequila Lime Chicken - Marinating & Grilled
Ingredients
6 – 4 ounce chicken breasts
Marinade:
¼ cup lime juice
1/8 cup water
2 tablespoons Tequila
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
Place chicken breasts in a large glass cooking dish. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate at least two hours, turning chicken once. Drain and grill (or bake, broil, fry). Serves 6.
Calories 209, 4 fat grams, 0 carb grams, 24 protein grams, trace alcohol gram (alcohol burns off during cooking).
Tip: I’m a bit of a chili-head. If you’re not into spicy or like it really hot adjust the spices accordingly.
Bring In The Fats by David Knowles
The Importance of Saturated Fats In Bodybuilding
