Dave's Not Here

Today was my final weigh in for a Biggest Loser competition at the gym.  So, even though the last week I was supposed to be transitioning, I was really trying to pull a “from behind” win.  So, I did something evil . . . I tried to cheat

First, I dropped down to <10g carbs a day to try to drop some water.  But, since I was coming off of starvation mode (more on this below), it really didn’t do anything.

Next, I attempted to manipulate the water in my body.  I started drinking two gallons of water a day, up to Saturday, then, 24 hours before my weigh in (approximately), I started a fast.

Finally, just before my weigh in, I ran about 5 miles, spent some time in the sauna (which made me feel really bad, so I didn’t do it twice), and I did a one hour spin class.  Total loss for all of my manipulation:  Almost 10 lbs.

According to all the references on cutting I read online, I should have been able to drop 10-15% of my bodyweight in water.  But, I was at the end of a loss plan, not a bulking plan, and, I simply didn’t want to feel as bad as I would have felt, spending several hours sweating, when I was already really dehydrated.  So, I don’t know if I won or not — will probably be a couple of days before I do know.  But, I should be in the top few.

After the weigh in, I chugged a couple of liters of water, and had a protein shake with banana and almonds in it.  Lots of H2O, fat, carbs, and protein to fill my reserves.  Then, the debauchery began.  Oh, I called it a day of “celebration” for the diet being over, but, what I did was way dirtier than any “celebration” could have been.  Here’s what I ate today . . . and why I have an upset stomach right now

• Lunch – Mexican
  • Chips & Salsa
  • Fajita Nachos
  • Diet Coke
• Snack – Mall
  • Two Double Doozie Bites
    • One chocolate chip
    • One M&M
• Dinner
  • Salad
  • Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wrap (only ate half the tortilla)
  • Some steamed veggies that I barely touched.
  • Diet Coke
  • Sweetwater 420
• Snack / Dessert
  • Small Reece’s Cup blizzard

Like I said, pure debauchery.  I will say, though, that the only “bad” food that was really worth it, in the taste-vs-waistline category, was the Double Doozies.  The Buffalo Chicken wrap was also good, but, I can make that one relatively healthy, if I manipulate it a bit.  (Make it a salad, with the ranch on the side)

I mentioned starvation mode up there.  As usual, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on different health plans, diet plans, bulking plans, cutting plans, etc.  I’ve been really intrigued by the new carb cycling diets.  Of course, this is a little late, since I am done  Anyway, the “Carb Cycling Diet”, by Roman Malkov had an interesting section on “Why other diets don’t work”.  (Or something like that, I’m paraphrasing because I’m too lazy to go pick up the book)  In that section was a list of symptoms for being in starvation mode.  About 75% of them nailed me.  And, if you follow my weight charts, you’ll see that I have only lost five pounds in the last two months . . . looks very plateau-ish to me.  That was about when I started running, which makes another strong argument for starvation.  I was already eating less than 1000 kcals a day, and I was running and burning another 5-600 kcals.

So, let’s just assume that I am in starvation mode.  What now?  From everything I could find, including asking Roman Malkov himself (he responds to e-mails, btw – very cool), it seems that I now need to not only find my real maintenance level of calories, but I need to exceed them for a while, to let my body recover from all of the abuse I’ve put it through.  And, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do that slowly transitioning with MediFast.  I think eating healthy meals, supplemented with healthy snacks (Still six meals a day) is the only way to do it.  I’m going to start at a 1500-2000 kcal diet (after I find some calculators to try to guestimate where I should be), and start a bodybuilding regimen.  I don’t think I’m going to stick with Stronglifts now.  It’s a bit small on the workout side.  I’d like something closer to an hour of work.  Or at least 45 mins.  I think I’m also going to alternate heavy weeks and rep weeks, to both build size and strength.  That way, even when I go into my caloric surplus with my diet, I’ll be burning it nicely building muscle . . . hopefully!

Anyway, as I figure out wtf I’m going to do, I’ll keep ya posted. . . . . .  And I’ll let you know if I win anything from the contest.  (I already won $50 of “nutritionals” — whatever that means)

After a failure, then a slight shoulder pull, I finally managed to get up 5×5 of 180#.  Yay!  But, I had another issue with the workout.  I started getting stretchmarks under my right arm.  Where I’ve gotten them in the past.  At first, I thought I had caught an armpit hair in my clothes, when it started to burn and pull.  Then I realized, that, for the first time, I was actually feeling the skin stretch.  Yeuch and Owie, all at the same time.

And, I had a failure with power clean, but only because I’m a moron and jumped up 20 lbs.

Interestingly enough, Loch did not fail.  And, I think it’s due to body types.  He’s taller and lankier than I am, so, power clean is harder for him.  So, in order to do even the 105, he has to do it right, while, I get the benefit of not having to move it as far.  So, when I did the 120#, I failed, because I’m not using my legs enough, and I don’t have the strength to reverse curl 120#.

Anyway, here was the workout:

• Cardio:  Jog 1 mile (Did it in 9:30 — trying to beat a 9 minute mile now.  This INCLUDES 30 seconds of walking for warmup . . )
• Squats 5×5: 160#
• Bench 5×5: 180#
• Power Clean 3×5: 120# FAIL -  I accidentally read my notes wrong.  I need to unload.  I’m doing hang cleans now, and doing them wrong, so I’m having failures.  Dropping to 105# next time.
• Bar Dips 3×8: +20lbs – Fun Fun — but started getting an owie, so I dropped one rep from the last set.  I’ll repeat at 20#
• Two sets of dragon flags, 1×12 of reverse crunch – With the Dragon Flags, I’m doing three “Reps”  One “Rep” is starting at the top position (toes pointed to the sky), and dipping low, then back up, till I get tired, then doing a slow dip, as low as I can go, till failure.  Lots of burn.

One final note.  My triceps are getting lots of pump from the bench, and the dips.  But, on the Overhead press days, my biceps do not get the same joy.  So, I’m going to add some biceps work in somewhere, somehow.