High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 3 of 7

Day 3 of my HPVLC diet.  Typically, this day can bring some unpleasant effects from the severe reduction in carbs as it compares to a 'normal' diet.  Sluggishness, irritability and slowing of cognitive ability can often show up on Day 3.  Keeping dietary fat intake levels high can help a bit in staving off these effects however, it's tough for many people to make this switch because we've been conditioned for so long to believe that 'Fat is bad!'  We often end up feeling guilty for eating 'fatty foods' because everything that is supposed to be good is:  'Low Fat', 'No Fat' and 'Fat Free' !

Here's how Day 3 went:
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.

As you'll see below, Day 3 is a near mirror image of Day 1 and Day 2.  Variety isn't absolutely essential to me at this point and this part of the diet has a near term end date so eating the same things becomes quite convenient.

Scale Weight (first thing in the morning)

176.0lbs


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

8:30am -- 2 scoops whey protein -- 240 --  48 --   6 -- 2
10:40am -- 1c cottage cheese       -- 240 -- 28  -- 10 -- 10
1:45pm -- 8oz chicken breast       -- 200 -- 42  --  0 -- 4
1:45pm -- 2 slices provolone       -- 140 -- 10 -- 0 -- 10
5:20pm -- 1oz plain almonds        -- 160 --  6 --  3 -- 14
5:20pm -- 14 slices pepperoni     -- 140 --  5 --  0 -- 13
6:10pm -- 6oz 93% lean beef       -- 270 -- 34 -- 0 -- 13.5
6:10pm -- 2 slices provolone       -- 140 -- 10 -- 0 -- 10
7:40pm -- Pre workout drink        --   25 --  2  -- 6 -- 0
9:30pm -- 2 scoops whey protein -- 240 -- 48 -- 6 -- 2
11:30pm -- Pre-bedtime protein   -- 224 -- 51 -- 0 -- 1
11:30pm -- 1tbsp Flaxseed oil     -- 135 -- 0 -- 0 -- 15
12:15am -- 2 scoops whey protein -- 240 -- 48 -- 6 -- 2

Totals                                -- 2,234 -- 307 -- 35 -- 92

*** Clarification of some of the food items:
- The Meal Replacement drink is a pre-formulated product.
- The cottage cheese is a large curd, full fat variety.
- The 93% lean beef is ground beef that I cook on a skillet and season with red pepper flakes, chili powder and either a garlic powder or other various seasoning. NO SAUCES ALLOWED!
- The provolone cheese is mixed in the ground beef and melted on top of the seasoned chicken breast
- The almonds and pepperoni are surprisingly tasty together! This is a full fat, pre-sliced standard pepperoni.
- 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

Legs and abs today.  Legs are always brutal and tend to take everything you've got regardless of how you're eating.  I didn't 'hit the wall' during the workout but I was feeling it physically...


How I Felt Physically and Mentally

Today was essentially a normal day mentally.  I felt no typical effects of restricted carbs today which was nice.  Three caffeinated diet sodas were spread evenly throughout the workday to help out.  I was also able to eat within every 3.5 hours or so which also helped to keep a steady supply of nutrients.  There have still been no cravings for specific foods or sugar/carbs in particular.  I have found this to be the biggest departure from my other low carb experiences.  I am attributing this effect to the fact that I'm consuming more calories and more fat than I have in the past while restricting carbs.  That, along with apparently keeping my insulin and glucagon levels balanced and in a tight range throughout the day has mitigated these common deleterious effects. 

Physically, things were fine during the day.  I didn't feel noticeably sore from my previous workout or any real physical lethargy throughout the day.  I did however, begin to feel it during my workout.  Even with having a pre-workout drink with a good shot of caffeine in it I found I began to tire quickly during the workout.  I was still able to progress beyond my last workout but it definitely took concerted effort to do so.  About 2/3rds of the way through I even had a quick bout of feeling nauseous.  Fortunately that feeling quickly went away but by the time I was done I felt solidy wiped out. 
I was definitely surprised that I didn't feel more fatigued during the day and weaker during the workout.  In the past, I could definitely feel wiped out during these low carb phases.  I think this time around, due to have a precision, structured plan that accounts for not only the necessary eating (which is the easy part!) but also appropriate rest, recovery and amount of exercise so I'm not overdoing it.  With that said, I do plan to take tomorrow off to rest but may throw in a little cardio if I feel up to it.  There is certainly a fine balance between doing enough to insure you're always progressing while not doing too much so that you begin to mitigate that progress and regress. 

We'll see what Day 4 brings tomorrow!


Stay Tuned For Days 4 through 7 ! Sphere: Related Content