High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 6 of 7

Day 6.  Exhausting Day 6.  I can't blame it all on the lack of carbs, however.  Last night was another night with very little sleep.  I think I inadvertently took too high a dose of caffeine too late and was still wide awake well after 1am.  Four and a half to five hours later of 'quality' sleep and all of a sudden Day 6 becomes a struggle! 

Here's what else happened...

First, here's a quick recap of my goals for the daily diet plan:

Total daily calories in the 2,100 - 2,300 range.
Protein will be held in the 50% - 55% range of total daily calories.
Fat will be held in the 40%- 45% range of total daily calories.
Carbs will be held in the 5% range of total daily calories.

I was a little surprised that my scale weight didn't budge any further overnight since I did the 15 minutes of HIIT cardio.  Typically, I'll find that I will see an accerlated scale weight drop overnight when I consistently perform those sessions.  I'm pleased that it didn't drop further because my goal is not to just 'lose weight' but lose FAT.  If, over time, I can maintain a 170lb to 175lb bodyweight while continually reducing my bodyfat percentage I would be pleased!  By keeping my calories high (in respect to my BMR and current condition) and the macronutrient percentages in the areas they are (high protein, moderate fat, low carb) I believe I'll be able to retain more muscle and effectively lose more fat over the coming weeks and months as opposed to drastically restricting calories and performing tons of cardio. 

Scale Weight (first thing in the morning)

175.4lbs

Foods Eaten During the Day - Cals -- Protein -- Carbs -- Fat

8:30am -- 2 scoops whey protein   -- 240  -- 48 -- 6 -- 2
11:30am -- 2.6oz salmon packet    --   70  -- 13 -- 0 -- 2
11:30pm -- 1tbsp full fat mayo      --    90 --  0 -- 0 -- 10
1:20pm -- 1oz plain almonds        --  160 --  6 -- 3 -- 14
1:20pm -- 14 slices pepperoni      --  140 --  5 -- 0 -- 13
3:10pm -- 2egg/3wht omellette     --  191 -- 24 -- 2 -- 9
3:10pm -- 2 slices provolone       --  140 --  10 -- 0 -- 10
6:30pm -- 6oz 93% lean beef       --  270 --  34 -- 0 -- 13.5
6:30pm -- 2 slices provolone       --  140 -- 10 -- 0 -- 10
9:45pm -- 2 scoops whey protein  -- 240 -- 48 -- 6 -- 2
11:30pm -- Pre-bedtime protein    -- 224 -- 51 -- 0 -- 1
11:35pm -- 1tbsp Flaxseed oil      -- 135 --  0 -- 0 -- 15
11:35pm -- 1 scoop whey protein -- 120 -- 24 -- 3 -- 1

Totals                                         -- 2,160 -- 273 -- 20 -- 102.5

*** Clarification of some of the food items:
- The salmon is a single serving size in foil packet and I'm sure you figured that the mayo was mixed in with the salmon.
- The provolone cheese is melted on top of the seasoned 93% lean beef.
- The almonds and pepperoni are surprisingly tasty together! This is a full fat, pre-sliced standard pepperoni.
- The omellette is made from 2 whole eggs and 3 whites with provolone cheese melted on top and drizzled with hot sauce. 
- The Pre-bedtime protein is a pre-made combination of whey, casein, calcium caseinates and milk protein to cover the full spectrum of fast acting through slow digesting proteins.
- The tablespoon of flaxseed oil is mixed in with the protein drink. Flax oil is much better for you than other oils and I would recommend using this over vegetable oil.


Workout

No workout today.  I was going to attempt some cardio but my schedule filled up and it didn't happen.  I was however, able to take my son ice skating for an hour which ended up being something of a workout.  Not being on skates for some time and trying to keep up with a little guy whose only goal is to go as fast as he can around the rink until he can't do it any longer cetainly turned into a workout!  We'll see how sore I am tomorrow from that session...

How I Felt Physically and Mentally

I started feeling effects today.  Mentally, there were a few times where I found myself thinking twice about what was going on and retracing things in my head to make sure I've completed everything I intended to.  Irritability made a visit today too.  I found little things to set me off pretty quick.  Not 'snapping' by any means, but just no patience for anything that I percieved as annoying throughout the day.  This may have been attributable to the lack of sleep as well.  Either way, low carbs and no sleep aren't a good combination! 
I also found myself concentrating heavily a couple times while on the road today.  Really just focusing on making sure I was stopping in plenty of time and keeping with the flow of traffic.  It may sound funny, but this stuck out because driving is such second nature and I thought it odd that I was paying so much attention to details that typically require no thought at all. 

Physically I felt pretty good but worn out.  Just plain exhausted from no sleep and lack of carbs.  Today really felt like a 'low carb day'.  I had some old Ketostix kicking around from some time ago.  I think they're a solid year past expiration.  They're the individually wrapped variety in single foil wrappers so I was hoping they may still work.  I don't think they do - I only got a 'trace' reading first thing this morning.  After 5 solid days of 30-40 grams of carbs or less per day I should be registering a little more than that in the ketone department (ketones in the urine stream are an indication of muscle being broken down and used for energy in the absence of carbohydrate).  I didn't get a chance to pick up some new ones today so I'll have to wait until Day 7 to get another reading.  I just wanted to check to see if I had dipped too far into a state of ketosis (which isn't my goal). 

Again today - no cravings.  I had a couple of periods where I went a little long between meals and I began to get hungry but there was no trouble whatsoever sticking to the plan and eating what was next in line. 

My shoulders and arms didn't give me any trouble with respect to soreness today resulting from yesterday's workout.  My legs felt fine when I was skating so I think they're pretty much ready to go again.  The only concern I have going into my next workout (scheduled for tomorrow) is my left rotator cuff has a slight twinge of pain when working out.  I'm not sure if th 48 hours between the shoulder workout and then a chest workout (which is scheduled for tomorrow) is enough to sufficiently heal and get me through without injury.  The last thing I want to do is get derailed due to something like that.  I've been trying to mix up exercises  and perform movements that are less harsh on the joint while still working the muscles effectively.  We'll see how it all goes tomorrow. 

I'll grab a bodyfat percentage reading tomorrow as well.  I don't know why I didn't take one at the outset - just wasn't thinking!  The last reading I got was ~11% and I'd guess that I was a little higher than that on Day 1 of this series.  After all the junk I ate in the two days prior to starting I don't see how I could've stayed around 11%.  That seems like so long ago now! 




Stay Tuned For Day 7 !  The Big Finale To Cap Off the First Week of the HPVLC Diet Plan !

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