4:45pm - 4 BCAA, 2 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
6:30pm - Solid Meal - 14oz New York Steak, ceaser salad, diet coke + 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
8:50pm - Gym- 10×3 Routine (lat pull-downs, standing one-arm db shoulder press, lunges)
9:30pm - One serving of Surge, 10g creatine
1:15pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD
4:30pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox
8:45am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
9:30am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

Well, the hard part is over. The strict phase of the Velocity Diet is done and I’m feeling good. I will be doing a full write-up with regards to my Velocity Diet results and journey, so instead I will just talk about today.

Began the day with the usual morning walk, followed by my weekly solid meal, which was steak once again. You can probably tell from the photo that it was cooked more to the medium side as opposed to well. Very juicy, however, I prefer drier. As a result of the big steak meal, I decided to go with 3 shakes instead of 4 or 5. It was manageable, especially with the post-workout shake I consumed early on in my day.

Tomorrow begins the first day of my 2 week transition period. During the first week, I’ll be eating 1 solid meal per day, along with 4 shakes. During the second week, I’ll be eating 2 solids meals per day, along with 3 shakes. That makes my final day of the velocity diet April 18th. What makes it even better is that I’ll be flying to UFC 83 in Montreal the following day to watch the first UFC event ever in Canada! What a nice way to end the diet. However, starting that Monday (April 21st), I begin my 7-week journey on the the “Destroying Fat” program to prepare me for my trip to Europe in June for Euro Cup 2008.

I predict that by the end of the transition period, I’ll be just below 205, but probably not exactly at my goal of 200. Even still, if I fall between 200-205 lbs, I’ll consider that a huge success. 200 on my 6′1″ frame is nice indeed, but 190 would be much better. I can’t wait. It’s just around the corner.

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Although I still have 2 weeks left of transition to complete, I thought I’d post a photo evolution of that last four weeks, with a couple of first and last day comparisons. Very interesting.

Day 1 vs. Day 28 (Front/Back)


Day 1 vs. Day 28 (Sides)


Weekly Evolution (Front/Back)

Weekly Evolution (Sides)

I’ll do something similar when the final 6th week is complete.

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Measurements and photos were taken upon waking.

Weight: 208 lbs (-4lbs) (15 lbs total)
Neck: 16″ (-0.25″) (-0.5″ total)
Chest: 43″ (+0.25″) (-1.5″ total)
Torso: 36.75″ (-0.25″) (-3.5″ total)
Belly: 37.25″ (-0.75″) (-4.25″ total)
Waist: 36.5″ (-0.5″) (-2.25″ total)
Arms (L/R): 14.75″/15″ (0) (no change total)
Forearms: 12″/12″ (0) (-0.75″ total)

Total weight lost: 15 lbs
Total inches lost: 12 inches (not including forearms)

Scale weight was down more than expected along with overall measurements. Inches were lost from most areas except the chest, which is fine with me in terms of aesthetic proportions. The drop of 4 lbs this week concerned me at first, but when I thought about it, it could very well be that I had food in my system somewhere. In any case I’m not disappointed with the Week 4 results. Comparing them with the Day 1 photos blows my mind every time. Four weeks has flown by in no time, yet I look and feel like a new man. My neutral facial expression comes off more as a scowl now as a consequence of the weight loss, but I assure you, I’m not as cranky as I appear. I will elaborate more in my final analysis of the diet, where I will also provide some stunning side-by-side progress picture comparisons.

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3:40pm - 5 BCAA, 2 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
4:45pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp instant coffee + 3g EPA/DHA, multi-vitamin
10:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Banana MD
12:00am - 1 scoop Banana MD + 1 scoop Vanilla MD, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA
2:30am - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Vanilla MD
5:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
6:30am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Felt very sore and tight today, which was most likely a combination of Mondays workout and yesterdays thai boxing. Made sure to drink lots of water. Had one small black coffee with splenda around mid-day as a little treat. As a result, I skipped the single HotRox serving for the afternoon. Aside from the soreness, energy levels are still high along with motivation and resolve.

I realize now that I seriously underestimated the amount of fat I’d have to lose in order to be satisfied. My original ultimate goal was 190, but I’m starting to think that maybe 180-185 would be more appropriate. I have confidence that I will reach 190 for my Euro Cup vacation in June. I strongly believe that Coach Thibaudeau’s program is capable of taking me to that goal. Not only will it benefit my aesthetic goals, but no doubt will improve my performance and stamina in martial arts.

Four week progress pics and measurements tomorrow!

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3:00pm - 5 BCAA, 2 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
4:30pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp instant coffee + 3g EPA/DHA, multi-vitamin
6:00pm - Muay Thai Training - Half serving of Surge
7:00pm - Half serving of Surge
9:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Banana MD, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA, 1 HotRox
1:00am - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Banana MD
3:30am - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Vanilla MD
5:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
6:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Bulgarian squats from Monday really fried my glutes, so I found todays morning walk to be quite a chore at 3.3mph for the first 10 minutes before they warmed up. Other than that, thai boxing was really good because I got to train with the advanced students for the first time. By the end of it I was completely gassed and drenched with sweat, so it was a great workout.

In the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that after I take my post-workout shake, I still feel very very thirsty, so it’s been extra important for me to have my 1.5L water bottle with me at all times, because my mouth just gets dry very easily. When I told my brother about this, he told me that in biology class he learned that water is essential in the breakdown of fat, so when you r body is in “fat-burning” mode, it requires more water! I was blown away because it made perfect sense. I was wondering why my hands, face, lips, and mouth have been so dry in the past couple weeks. Now I know.

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2:15pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee + 3g EPA/DHA, multi-vitamin
5:00pm - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
6:15pm - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana
10:15pm - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA, 1 HotRox
1:30am - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana
4:30am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
5:30am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Woke up earlier than I would have today, because I wanted to catch some Champions League soccer. As a result, NEPA wasn’t upon waking, but rather 3 hours after waking. Today there were two stretches where I went without a shake for about 4 hours. It’s funny, in the first 2-3 weeks I had to tolerate hunger pangs, but now it’s actually quite easy to ignore them. I have to be aware of the time in order to feed myself frequently. Maybe it’s just a freak day, I don’t know. What I do know is that any future diet will pale in comparison, difficulty wise, with this diet. When I finish the velocity diet transition phase, I’ll be starting Christian Thibaudeau’s “Destroying Fat” program, which I tried last year, but with half-assed compliance. The fact that I will even be able to eat whole food throughout the entire program seems like a treat instead of a chore like before. I feel like if you can follow through with the Velocity Diet, you can follow through on anything.

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6:45pm - 5 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 5g creatine + 10 minute light warm-up on stationary bike
7:00pm - GYM - 10×3 Routine (bulgarian squats, decline db bench press, one-arm db rows) + Half serving of Surge peri-workout
7:35pm - NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 35 mins
8:30pm - Half serving of Surge, 5g creatine
9:45pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee, 3g EPA/DHA, multi-vitamin
12:30am - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana
3:00am - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA, 1 HotRox
6:00am - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana
9:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
9:45am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Morning workout and cardio went great. Very nice start to the day. Today (tonight) was my last night shift until next weekend.
I’ve also noticed that when I sit down, the flab on my stomach has more horizontal folds than before. It used to just fold into one big pouch when I sat down. I think it’s a good sign of progress. It’s funny, it almost doesn’t feel like I’m on a diet anymore. It’s become so natural and effortless at this point. At the same time, I keep seeing daily improvements.

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6:45pm - 5 BCAA, 2 HotRox + NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
8:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee, 3g EPA/DHA, multi-vitamin
11:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee
2:00am - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA, 1 HotRox
5:00am - 1 scoop Strawberry + 1 scoop Banana
8:45am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
10:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

Today was pretty routine. Had one shake after my waking walk, then 3 shakes packed up in the cooler for work, with the last shake made fresh at home. Simple and convenient. Tomorrow I plan to perform my Monday workout upon waking (in the afternoon) due to my night shift schedule. I’m usually pretty dead by the end of my shift, which is 10-12 hours long depending on schedule. Otherwise, it should be a standard day. Resolve remains rock solid. Energy levels and confidence are high, while spirits remain very optimistic in general. Life feels like an upward spiral.

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6:15pm - 5 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1/2 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.3mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
7:30pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
10:30pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD
1:30am - 2 scoops Banana, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 4 BCAA, 1 HotRox
5:00am - 2 scoops Vanilla MD
9:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA
10:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

Last night I had a dream where my grandfather, for some reason, offered me cookies and ice cream sandwiches. In the dream, I ended up tasting them, but then realized my mistake and put them in my fridge. Throughout the whole dream I’d constantly open my fridge and always see those treats stockpiled inside. In the dream I felt so guilty for even trying them. When I woke up, it felt so real that I still felt somewhat guilty for evening having the dream. At first I thought my mind was trying to sabotage my efforts. In retrospect, I think the dream was a good warning of what a transgression would feel like. Subconsciously, my biggest fear is regression at this point, and dreams tend to bring those little fears into the spotlight.

I’ve also noticed that over the last two weeks, my skin has been pretty dry. I’m probably not drinking enough water. I also happened to run out of CLA and whey isolate today. Not a huge disaster, but I should have been better prepared. Will pick up more on Monday.

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2:45pm - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
3:45pm - 1 scoop whey isolate, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
6:00pm - Thai Boxing Test - Half serving of Surge, 5g creatine
7:30pm - Half serving of Surge
9:15pm - Solid Meal - 14oz New York Steak, ceaser salad, diet coke
2:00am - 2 scoops Vanilla MD, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox
5:00am - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD
8:30am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
10:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

I underestimated both the duration and the intensity of my Thai boxing test today. It was definitely challenging, but I feel good for doing it. I will know the results next week. If it was intense enough to justify Surge, I will count it as my Friday workout.

The next best part of my day was the solid meal. It was so good you wouldn’t believe. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it, and because only sexual metaphors come to mind, I just won’t try. I’ll just say that it was extremely satisfying. I wasn’t that content since, oh, last Friday.

I can’t believe there is just one more week to go. I think I might supplement some light abdominal work on my non-training days next week to maybe improve the appearance of my belly for the final pictures. So far I’m very happy with the results. I think of it as being only half way, because I still have 3 weeks left when I include the transition phase.

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