9:00am - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop whey + NEPA walk @ 3.3mph,4deg incline for 60 mins
10:00am - 1 scoop whey, 3 BCAA
1:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ coffee
4:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Banana MD, 3 BCAA, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
7:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD + 1 scoop Banana MD, 1 HotRox
9:00pm - 5 BCAA, 10g creatine - GYM - 10×3 Routine (db lunges, standing db press, db bench press)
9:45pm - 1 serving Surge, 10g creatine, 5 BCAA
12:30am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
1:30am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

Woke up rested this morning and had a great 60-minute walk on the treadmill. Energy levels were much better today, as well as mental focus. For some reason, libido is unusually low. My guess is probably from the lack of saturated fat in the diet, I don’t know. Otherwise, had a great day at the gym. Lat pull-down machine was out of service, so I subbed in bench press instead. Strawberry-Banana MD shakes are extremely tasty, so I made two of them today. Progress is looking good in the mirror. Day 21 is gonna be here in no time. Can’t wait for steak.

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10:00am - 2 scoops Vanilla MD + 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
1:00pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
4:00pm - 1 scoop Chocolate MD + 1 scoop Banana MD, 3 BCAA, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
7:00pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD
8:45pm - 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 45 mins
10:30pm - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter
11:30pm - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, melatonin

Energy levels were very low today, probably due to only 5 hours of sleep last night. I think the fatigue also led to some cravings that I felt at times today. Morning NEPA was missed, so I performed it in the evening. Hopefully some melatonin and a solid 8 hours of sleep should do the trick. Looking forward to the gym tomorrow.

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9:30am - 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
10:00am - 1 scoop Chocolate MD + 1 scoop Vanilla MD
1:00pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
4:00pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD + 3g EPA/DHA, CLA (forgot to pack BCAA and HotRox)
7:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee
8:45pm - 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox, NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 30 mins
9:30pm - 1 scoop Chocolate MD, 1tbsp flaxmeal, 0.5tbsp p-butter
4:00am - 1 scoop Chocolate MD, 1tbsp flaxmeal, 0.5tbsp p-butter
4:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Today was the most difficult day for me thus far. I underestimated the strength of large social situations, specifically involving large birthday groups and clubs. In order to accommodate the outing, I split the last shake of the day into 2 half servings, which turned out well, even though about 6.5 hours elapsed between. I suppose the constant water-drinking curbed any feelings of hunger. Although the temptation to have one or two drinks, just to loosen up, was extremely high tonight, I’m very proud of myself in retrospect. I know that any concession, however moderate, would have left me with remorse afterwards. Remaining sober also gave me a new insight into the nature of drunkenness. It’s amazing how much more you understand the real nature of it when you soberly observe.

Beforehand, I was 99% certain that I wasn’t attending, since I was in a sleep deficit already, and not to mention the diet itself. I also had to work the next morning, so it would have conflicted with both my sleep, diet, and work. At the last moment, however, I decided to go on emotion instead. It probably wasn’t the most logical decision, but in the end, I remained integrated while still being able to show my respect to a good friend.

Last night I was able to get 6 hours of sleep at the expense of my morning NEPA walk. Instead I performed it this evening, which is better than nothing. Shakes and supplements were routine, aside from the splitting of the last shake. Looking forward to the rest of Week 3.

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8:40am - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 30 mins
9:10am - 5 BCAA + GYM - 10×3 Routine (decline db bench press, bulgarian squats, and one-arm db rows)
10:00am - 1 serving Surge + 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
1:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD
4:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee, 3 BCAA, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
7:30pm - Solid Meal - 10oz filet mignon, steamed broccoli, and diet coke
10:30pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
2:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
3:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

I woke up earlier than usual in order to complete my morning walk and 10×3 workout. Due to the road trip, I knew I had to get it done before I left. I wasn’t accustomed to taking HotRox before a lifting workout, so I was surprised by the amount of sweat that poured off me over the course of the workout. Surge was pleasant afterwards, as usual. I prepared 3 shakes for the road trip, knowing that I would have my healthy solid meal somewhere in Montreal. I didn’t research any good restaurants, so we found a place called Le Rib’n Reef, which ended up being a very nice steakhouse. The filet mignon was flavor country and the steamed broccoli was pretty damn good too. A bit pricey, but rewarding. Next week will definitely be steak once again. Overall, the day went very smoothly, despite being away from home base.

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Measurements and photos were taken upon waking.

Weight: 215 lbs (-2lbs)
Neck: 16.5″ (0)
Chest: 43.5″ (0)
Torso: 37.5″ (-1.75″)
Belly: 38.75″ (-1.25″)
Waist: 37.25″ (-0.75″)
Arms (L/R): 14.5″/15″ (-0.75″)
Forearms: 12″/12″ (-0.5″)

I’m very pleased with progress this week, despite the minor change in scale weight. The measurements and photos tell a different story. All of the inches lost this week were below the chest, which really had an affect on my torso taper. Basically the problematic love-handle area is being attacked. I’m not concerned about the scale weight, because it may very well be that I lost 2 pounds of pure fat. Not too shabby. The likelihood that I lost muscle is very slim, given the constant intake of BCAA tablets, high protein intake, and heavy lifting workouts. Compared to the Day 1 photos, I can already see a drastic change in the love-handle area, and I hope that in the next 4 weeks, the change will continue in the same direction.

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11:00pm - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
12:00pm - 1 scoop Whey isolate, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
2:00pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
5:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD, 3 BCAA, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
8:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD
11:00pm - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
1:00am - 3 BCAA, melatonin, calcium, magnesium

I had to deal with a sore neck for the first half of the day, before it began to get better. Otherwise it was a perfect day in terms of diet compliance and performing the daily walk. Felt energetic and got much accomplished.

One of my friends is celebrating their birthday party this Saturday night at a club downtown (Toronto), which I plan to attend. Naturally, I’ll be the designated driver due to the diet, which is great news for everybody else I’m driving. It’s not like I won’t have fun being sober, plus, I’d rather attend my friend’s birthday sober than avoid it altogether because I lack the control. It will be an interesting test. I have nothing good to wear to it, so I made a trip to the mall today, which was a pleasant experience for someone almost half-way through a mini-transformation. I ended up buying two sweaters instead of one, only because they looked so damn good on me. As you can see, things have gotten to my head already, and I’m still miles from the finish line. Must remain grounded.

Tomorrow I’ll be going on a day trip to Montreal to take care of some stuff, so it will be definitely be a long-distance test of will. There shouldn’t be any problems as long as my cooler is always nearby and I keep track of time. A nice little bonus is that I’ll be able to enjoy my weekly whole meal at a nice restaurant in Montreal, which should be nice. I hope to find a good steak house. I’ll have all my measurements and photos taken in the morning, but I may not post them until later that evening, or at worst on Saturday morning.

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1:00pm - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
2:00pm - 1 scoop Whey isolate, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
4:30pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD, 3 BCAA, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
6:00pm - Muay thai training
7:00pm - 1 serving Surge
9:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee
11:00pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD
1:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
2:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Woke up a little late, but I still had enough time to get my morning walk done with a few hours to spare before muay thai. Insane class today. We trained clinch, so my neck is completely fried. Just goes to show how little I directly work my neck muscles. It all fun having someone in your clinch and unloading knees into them, but no so fun when the roles are reversed. Anyways, it was great class. The extra Surge shake was really nice, especially since it allowed me to shorten the times between my other shakes. Confidence remains high going into Day 13.

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1:00pm - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 60 mins
2:00pm - 1 scoop Whey isolate, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
5:00pm - 2 scoops Vanilla MB w/ 1tsp coffee
8:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Banana MD, 3 BCAA, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
10:30pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
1:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
2:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium

Good day, feel great. Accomplished many of my errands. Shakes were routine. My mother cooked fish, so when I visited home, I was unfortunately only savoring the smell. I swear my sense of smell has heightened since the beginning of this experiment. Otherwise no real challenges. I say that because I don’t consider the mere presence of food to be a threat anymore. Once you’ve refused something enough times, it becomes trivial, which is especially true when you don’t even let yourself begin to rationalize it. Food seems to be very easy to justify, especially since we happen to need it in order to survive. The problem is discrimination. Luckily, I have a strong feeling that my judgment will improve once I have the opportunity to actually eat again.

Before I began this diet, I had my doubts. I argued in my mind that it didn’t contain enough fat, and that my body would become a protein-burning machine and I’d lose all my muscle and none of the fat. Then I saw Gustavo’s results. That made me a believer. So instead of my usual self-debate in my head, I’m trying a new thought pattern for these 28 days: Stick to the decision. Evaluate results when complete. Simple but not easy.

Surrounding my morning walk, I replaced one of todays normal shakes with two single scoop shakes of whey isolate for faster absorption. Same calories and macros, so no biggie. Morning walks are honestly such a great way to start the day. Even with music blaring into my ears, it’s a great way to just think, contemplate, strategize, reflect, and just put the imagination to good use. And for some reason the thoughts also tend to be overwhelmingly positive in nature. In North American society, how often do people get the chance to be alone with their thoughts for an hour a day? Combined with the physical benefits, I think it’s an extremely valuable habit. Definitely one worth keeping over a lifetime.

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9:45am - 3 BCAA, 2 HotRox, 1 scoop Whey isolate + NEPA walk (3.2mph,4deg incline) @ 30 mins
10:30am - 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin
1:30pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
4:30pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
7:30pm - 1 scoop Chocolate MD, 1 scoop Banana MD
9:30pm - GYM - 10×3 Routine (lunges, standing db shoulder press, lat pulldowns)
10:10pm - 1 serving Surge, 4 BCAA
12:00am - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
1:00am - 3 BCAA, melatonin, calcium, magnesium, zinc

Today was a great day. Morning walk was shorter than usual, but always a good start to the day regardless. Shakes were prepared in the morning, so drinking them throughout the day was pretty mindless. I was hungry around 9:00pm and thought that my next shake was at 10:30, but then I remembered that it was a training day, and knew that I would get extra calories (and carbs!) from the post-workout shake. Workout was great, except for when my iPod ran out of juice. My fault for neglecting to charge it.

I’m really craving saturated fat. This Friday I’m planning to have a good steak. And with that said, Day 10 is over, almost half way there.

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9:00am - 3 BCAA, 1 HotRox, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA, multi-vitamin, 2 scoops Vanilla MD w/ 1tsp coffee
12:30pm - 2 scoops Banana MD
3:30pm - 2 scoops Strawberry MD, 3G EPA/DHA, CLA, 1 HotRox
8:00pm - 1 scoop Strawberry MD, 1 scoop Vanilla MD
9:00pm - 3 BCAA, NEPA walk @ 3.2mph on a 4 degree incline for 60 mins
11:00pm - 2 scoops Chocolate MD, 3tbsp flaxmeal, 1tbsp p-butter, 3g EPA/DHA, CLA
12:00am - 3 BCAA, calcium, magnesium, zinc

Today was challenging, especially in the evening. Woke up earlier today, but wasn’t able to fit NEPA walking before work, so I had to settle for an evening walk. I think morning walks are superior because it’s when you have the least amount of food cravings. On the v-diet I notice that my food cravings are much higher in the evenings, so combining that with cardio just compounds the overall difficulty. Had some strong cravings and hunger pangs, but answered them with coffee and spenda, or a Diet 7-up. It gets boring at times. It’s amazing how much time we spend both mentally and physically in seeking out and eating food. Whenever I find myself thinking about food, I have to force my mind to change the subject, or else I’ll start getting physical cravings. I’m starting to see why Week 2 is said to be the most challenging.

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