Day 5:

This has been by far the best day so far. I really feel like I am getting use to what to snack on and what my meals will consist of. I had basically no hunger pains this day and felt great. I did a great workout that I wanted to post. I receive John Alvino's newsletter and will post some workouts from time to time. If you have never heard of him he is a well known fitness trainer who is also a writer for Men's Fitness. In his newsletter he was talking about getting a great workout without the use of the gym. I had an extremely busy day today and had no time to workout at the gym. I did have a break between two clients I was meeting at a local park so I tried the workout. It consisted of:
Push ups-as many as possible
Pistol Squats- as many as possible
Pull ups- as many as possible
25 yd sprint there and back
Wrist to Knee Sit ups- 20 reps

I went through the circuit 6 times with as little rest as possible. I felt great and it was a tough workout with no equipment except for a swing set bar I did the pull ups on.

Day 6:
This is my first high carb day. I did my best not to go too crazy with the carbs and to my suprise I really wasn't craving much. I went to a bbq so I did have some turkey burgers and chicken as well as some chips and dip and veggies. Despite some minor set backs I think I did pretty well. I mostly concerned that I will be craving carbs again after the weekend.

Day 7:
One week into the plan and I think I'm doing farely well. I am increasing the carbs but not overdoing it. I am still trying to stick with low glycemic load foods. I had some pretty good sushi for dinner. I also went on about a 4.5 mile run which felt really good with all the carbs I've been getting. Afterwards as usually I really enjoyed my post workout low fat chocolate milk. This is starting to become my favorite drink.

Day 8:
Ok back to the lower carb plan and I actually feel really good today. I thought I was going to be miserable with the hunger cravings but I was fine all day. I have noticed that I am eating a lot of cheese which I need to try and cut down alittle. Besides that I am actually starting to enjoy what I am eating. I also had a great workout again that I would like to share. I was performing complexes. What you do is use one piece of equipment and perform multiple exercises with it without stopping. Here was one that I performed today. I used an olympic bar with 25lb weights on each side:
1. Front squat to push press
2. Bent over rows
3. Deadlifts
4. Floor wipers

I went through the circuit 4 times with a 1 min break between each one.

Day 3:

Today was pretty difficult to stick with the diet plan but I was able to do it. I still seem to be having a problem with my hunger levels. I counted up my calories after my lunch to see if I wasn't eating enough but to my suprise I was over 1400 calories so far. After my lunch though are started feeling better and made it through the rest of the day no problem. I had a tough workout but had enough energy to get through it.

Day 4:

This was probably my best day so far. Stuck to everything no problem and was not very hungry. For cardio today I did a 1/2 mile warm up and 8 sprints (15sec) with a 1 min rest using a parachute for extra resistance. It was pretty tough but felt pretty fast. I'm hoping that I am starting to get use to this eating and won't be as hungry anymore. I am really looking forward to this weekend to have a high carb diet.

On a side note I did want to mention that there is a workout plan in the TNT Diet book but I am comfortable with my own workout and wanted to stick with it.

Day two:

Similar to day 1. No major issues so far. I did notice I was pretty tired today but I think it had more to do with the fact that I woke up at 4:40am and didn't finish work until 8pm. I did notice I was pretty hungry today. Especially again in the afternoon. The morning is always fine then it hits me as the day goes on. I'm still working on finding snack that will hold me over for longer. Today's meals included a western omelet, celery with peanut butter, turkey sandwich with spinach and mustard, chocolate milk, banana, tuna fish, string cheese, almonds, open face portabello mushroom turkey burgers, and a salad.

It seems like a lot of food when you write it all down but it really didn't seem to bad throughout the day. I also went on a 3.5 mile run. I actually felt pretty slow but it could be because I haven't gone on a run in a few weeks.

Mike

TNT Diet Day 1:

I recently have been reviewing the book the TNT Diet. It is basically a combination of low carb and hi carb diet days. It also stresses the importance of pre and post workout meals. The hardest part of an exercise program for most of my clients is the diet. I figured I would put my self through the diet and blog my experience. I will do my best to keep a daily log to report my progress.

What I decided to do was a lower carb diet Monday-Friday and a higher carb diet on the weekends. I have a number of weddings that I will be attending this summer so I will be on the diet from about 3-4 weeks. On my lower carb days I will try to have most of my carbs around my workouts. I will be working out 5-6 days per week. I will post some of my workouts.

To start my day I had 2 hard boiled eggs with a protein bar. It was an easy and quick breakfast before work. I worked out later that morning with a strength routine. 30 minutes before the workout I had 1/2 my protein shake consisting of a whey and casein protein blend with soy milk. Immediately after my workout I had the other half. My next snack was 2 string cheeses with a handful of almonds. My morning workout was cut short so I actually worked again with a core and kettle bell workout. After my 2nd workout, a few hours later, I had a salad with grilled chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and low fat italian vinaigrette. I still feel pretty good. I was worried that I would be low energy but it was no problem. A little while later I'm starting to get hungry so I have a handful of trail mix. For dinner I have some grilled salmon and steamed broccoli. I thought I was still going to be hungry after but I felt pretty good. For a late night snack I have some low fat cottage cheese and strawberries.

Overall I feel fine with the meals. The snack were a little tough but not too bad. I am not keeping track of calories at all for this diet. I am eating when I am hungry and stopping when I feel satisfied. I am making sure that I am never stuffed.

If you are interested in learning more about this diet you can check out the book for yourself here:

What is the best protein shake to take when I workout?

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of different protein supplements out there and yes some are better than others. Please review my earlier post on protein shakes and remember protein does not just magically build muscle. But taking a shake before and/or after a workout can significantly help with recovery. Research has show that a combination of whey protein isolate and casein protein will aid in recovery and muscle synthesis the most. When reading the ingredients look for these two items to be listed first. Also, look for a powder than is low in fat since fat will interfere with protein digestion. Finally remember carbs are not the enemy. You do want some carbs in your protein shake just be careful not to get one with too much sugar. A couple of grams is ok though. A few companies that I have used and can recommend are IDS and Cytosport. Below is a link for a $5 coupon on a $100 purchase at bodybuilding.com. Enjoy.


Take $5.00 Off Your $100 Order! Use coupon code 5off100.

The Fat Burning Zone:

I receive many questions about the Fat Burning Zone and what level intensity is better for cardio. If you notice on most cardio equipment you will see a heart rate chart. At the lower intensities it will usually say Fat Burning Zone. This sounds appealling and many individuals will stick to low intensity cardio exercise. This Zone is very misleading. While it is true that your main fuel source at low intensity cardio is fat you must look at total calories burned. If you look at calories burned during rest (yes you do burn calories while sitting on the couch) you burn almost 100% fat. Sounds great but how many people do you know have lost weight sitting on the couch.

At high intensities you will burn a smaller percentage from fat but it is a smaller percentage of a large number. Would you want 90% of my salary or 10% of Bill Gates? Trust me his will be a lot more. Fat burning is the same way. If your goal is to burn fat and lose weight you want to stick to higher intensity cardio. This may be something you have to build up to but that is ok.

Thanks,

Mike