I believe that with any endeavor, one should stack the odds in their own favor as much as possible. In the case of body transformation, this will require a clear plan of action, and an array of proactive habits and routines.
Nutrition
Although my determination will ultimately be the most important factor in my success, having a clear idea of what will be going into my body is a huge detail. Since I’m over 20% BF, I will be using a rather strict approach for my carbohydrates, both on regular days and on carb-up days. On regular days I will be shooting for 30g of carbs or less. This excludes carbs from green vegetables and fiber – which can be eaten more or less carte blanche.
my dietary staples
- Chicken Breast
- Tuna
- Turkey Sausages
- Omega-3 Eggs
- Egg Whites
- Baby Spinach
- Celery
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Green Tea
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegarette Dressing
- Mustard
Supplements
Seeing as how my post-workout shake has always been Biotest Surge – which has 45g of carbs, I will be eliminating it for the next four months (carb-up days excepted). Instead I will be ingesting a glutamine/BCAA/creatine/whey isolate combo, so that I can get proper post-workout nutrition, while still keeping daily carb levels below my daily limit. I’ll also continue to be steady will fish oil intake (EPA/DHA), 100% psyllium husk for fiber (Metamucil), and multi-vitamins.
my supplementation staples
- Whey Isolate
- Fish Oils + CLA
- Multi-vitamins
- Creatine
- Glutamine
- BCAAs
- Fiber
- Spike + Power Drive (pre-workout stimulants)
Compliance
Carb-up days will be every two weeks. In addition, they will be “clean” carbs, so only oatmeal, fruits, yams, etc. All other days I will target 100% compliance. Personally, I find it easier to shoot for perfection rather than perfect moderation. This might sound strict, but since I’m 30% BF, I think I will require these added efforts to get off the ground faster. Once I’m below 20%, I’ll expand the selection of foods allowed on carb-up days. This was a major problem with my old routine – carb-up days were too frequent, and composed mostly of fat+carb combos that were too detrimental to my goals (ie. pizza, wings, high-fat cappuccinos, desserts, pasta, etc).
We’ll see how my sanity holds up after the first two weeks. I’ll have updated photos and new data to unveil!
