High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 5 of 7

It's time to look at Day 5 of the High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan I've been trying out.  Day 4 kind of snuck by without any real problems which was a little surprising.  All of a sudden I find myself two days away from the carb re-load.  Fortunately, the carb re-load falls on a day where I won't have any scheduling conflicts to interfere with the the strategic meal plan.  But alas, that's still two days away!

Day 5 did have a couple of points to note - let's take a look:

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High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 4 of 7

The dreaded Day 4 is upon us!  Have the cravings become too intense yet!?  Have my glycogen stores been completely depleted!?  Are energy levels near zero!?  Has irritability consumed my psyche!?  Has any variety been added to the diet plan yet!?

Here's what happened on Day 4...
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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:
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High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 2 of 7

Day one of the HPVLC diet plan went off without much fanfare.  Now it's time to take a look at Day two:


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.

Day one stayed pretty close to those thresholds throughout the day and I decided to not mix it up too much for Day two. 
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High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - Day 1 of 7

Day one of any new diet plan (including this HPVLC plan) is always easy.  You're excited to get things going, have a change of pace, something new and exciting that has the potential to bring you fabulous results!  True to form, as I've recommended in the past, in preparation for getting serious with a structured eating plan I had a binge day.  One of those days where you just eat whatever you want and as much as you want.  It worked out perfectly!  Almost too perfectly, though - I was not in any mood to eat on Day one!

I did finally begin to get hungry and here's how things went on Day One:

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High Protein / Very Low Carb Diet Plan - 7 Day Overview

Now that the Holidays are behind us and 2010 is well under way, it's time to implement an effective diet gameplan to reach our fat loss and body transformation goals.  Like many people, I have experienced great success in the past with a High Protein / Very Low Carb (HPVLC) diet plan but found some pitfalls along the way.  The great part is:  you get results QUICK and can see meaningful changes right away.  The pitfalls:  well, there's a few we'll touch upon today and I'll also explain the modifications I'm making to avoid them this time around. 

Here's the plan:

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Update: Ben's Total Body Transformation Progress

I had a chance to catch up with Ben again to see how things went over the Holidays.  Like most of us, it appears he deviated from the course a bit and may have taken it to the extreme.  What gives me that idea?  Well, when he told me he "Fell off the wagon so hard that I'm still recovering" I got the inkling that things didn't go well... 

I could certainly sympathize with him based on my own experience over the past few weeks!  Here's where he's at now:


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Diet Resolutions Galore

A new year, a new starting point and resolutions galore!  When you think about it, it is the perfect time to get started on a new diet and exercise program.  If you're like me, you probably overdid it a bit during the Holidays and ate a little (or a LOT!) more than you had planned.  You may have slacked off a bit with your exercise schedule due to all the other engagements going on.  You may also have settled into a 'new normal' which may not necessarily be better than the 'old normal'.  Thanks to our calendar, we now have a perfect starting point to get back to (or start anew) a sensible diet and exercise program!

Here are some top reasons why now is the perfect time to start and/or get back on track:

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Diet Book Review: Natural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin

During some downtime over the past couple of weeks I had the opportunity to read Natural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin and felt it was worth a review for folks who are interested in total body transformations.  Mr. Faigin's book is just shy of being ten years in print (published in 2000) and has been largely under the radar during that time.  I myself kind of stumbled across it on Amazon.com recently and was intrigued to pick it up.  Should you?

Read on to get my full review:

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Bens First BodyTransformation Steps And Diet Tips

Ben provided me with a thorough update of exactly what he has done to prepare himself to make some meaningful and positive dietary changes for a total body transformation.  While not yet implementing a structured eating plan, he has already seen some fantastic results and provides some insight as to why he feels he's already making progress.  What kind of progress?  How about an 8 pound reduction in bodyweight right out of the gate! 

How did he do it?  Let's hear it directly from Ben:


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Bens Grocery List For His Total Body Transformation Diet - First Two Weeks

Ben has his grocery list in hand and is out picking up the necessary items he'll need to get serious with his diet.  He has already been making some changes over the past couple of weeks to prepare himself and we'll be highlighting those changes in an upcoming post. 

For now, he has a simple, easily accessible grocery list of items he can pick up at his local grocery store or Walmart Supercenter.  It's all about ease and convenience!

Here's his list for the first two weeks:

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What To Do When There's Only Fast Food

It's a hectic day - you've raced out the door in the morning without preparing anything to eat.  You're on the road and need to stop quick for a meal and there's nothing but fast food.  You don't have any meal replacement bars with you.  What do you do?

There are still options you can partake in without destroying your diet.  I personally continue to eat at fast food restaurants regardless of how strict my diet is because there are sensible choices.  What are they you ask?

Here's a quick and concise list I like to use:

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Amanda: Getting Your Diet And Exercise Plan Started

Ok, now that we have Thanksgiving behind us it’s time to get back on track!  Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, and being thankful and as we all know, is centered around food.  I am hoping that you were able to enjoy the feasts.  I know I did!  Now that it’s behind me, I find myself excited to get moving toward my ideal body.  No one can give you the body you want, but then again, they can’t take it away from you either!  Only you have complete control over your body.  Do with it what you will...
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Are You Back On Track Yet?

I hope you enjoyed your Holiday meal as much as I did.  True to form, I completely overdid it!  Waaaay too many calories, waaaay too much volume and waaaay too much sleeping immediately afterward.  As we've talked about previously, it's good to have this break from your eating plan but it's also good to get right back on track as soon as you can.

Are you back on track yet?  Here's what I did to shift gears from feeling sick to getting strict:


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Bens Pre-Total Body Transformation Bloodwork Results

It took a little longer than expected, but Bens pre-Total Body Transformation bloodwork results are finally in.  During our last conversation with Ben, he was concerned that his cholesterol had continued to climb to unsafe levels for his age.  While he initially attempted some positive dietary changes to address it for a solid 8 months or so, he had recently fallen off the wagon and gotten back into some poor eating habits. 

What kind of effect did it have on his cholesterol?  Let's take a look:


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