Musings on a low-carb diet

So I've been low-carbing it for a few days now. Yesterday was the last day of my low carb cycle and today is HIGH CARB DAY!!!!!

Eating less than 60 carbs a day while still maintaining muscle mass and working out every day is extremely difficult. The majority of my carbs were coming from breakfast and were in the form of brown rice, which should last me all day, right? Wrong. Come 3 or 4 in the afternoon the honey buns were looking mighty good, as was anything else sweet or starchy. I did get a minor carb burst every afternoon in the form of some strawberries in my protein shake but they didn't help much.

Seems like the first couple nights were the worst. I'm used to taking a break at work between 7 and 8 in the evening and eating typically a turkey sandwich (on whole wheat bread) and a little something sweet. Can't do that any more.

The "mental fog" most people have on a low carb diet didn't affect me. I dunno, maybe I'm immune. Or maybe I'm far smarter than most morons who post on the Internet. Take your pick.

High carb day is gonna be fun. Instead of my usual 6 fried eggs in the morning, I had 2 fried egg sandwiches. I'm thinking... "I LOVE fried egg sandwiches! With a little mayo, and a little ketchup, and a slice of cheese, it'll be just like Mom used to make every Sunday for lunch."

WRONG.

Fried egg sandwiches on white bread are frakking awesome.

I can't have white bread.

Let's put it this way... I'd rather not even have the bread if I have to eat a fried egg sandwich on whole wheat EVER again. I'll pass, thanks.

Chest

Wow. This new high-intensity routine is... uh... intense. Highly so.

I did:

Bench press (50% 1RM) to failure, superset with pushups to failure, then "girl" pushups to failure. 3 minute rest, repeat for 5 supersets.
Dumbbell Flyes (50% 1RM) to failure, superset with DB press at same weight to failure for 2 sets. Dropped 5 pounds and repeated for two sets. Dropped 5 pounds again and repeated for one set. Incline bench today, gonna rotate between incline, flat, and decline weekly.
Cable crossovers 25% 1RM for long isometric reps... 20 seconds down, 20 seconds hold, 20 seconds back up until I couldn't stand the burn any longer. Only took 6 reps.

Plus 20 minutes low-intensity cardio on the elliptical.

I'm doing good on the diet, too... over halfway through the day and at 766 calories, 63 net carbs, and 113g protein. Gotta up that protein before the end of the day.

Switching to a 6-day split, and carb cycling

So I'm going from my current 3-day lifting split to a 6-day split to allow me to concentrate more on specific body parts. More concentration = more growth.

Also carb cycling the diet. On my low-carb days I'll be consuming between .25 and .5g of carbs per pound of bodyweight (closer to the bottom limit, which puts me at about 60g per day... HARD to do), 1-1.5g protein per pound, and not too particular about the fat intake (I'm not going to eat an entire stick of butter but I'm also not going to cut fat out entirely, as I'm trying to get my body used to burning it for fuel). On high carb days (those glorious days!) every fourth day, I'm going to get between .75 and 1g carb per pound.

I'm cycling back up to keep my body guessing, lose fat, and keep the ketosis going while maintaining my sanity with a "good" day every fourth day. Hopefully I'll go from 237 lbs and 30% or so bodyfat to... maybe 220 and 12%? In maybe 6 months or so...

I will be in line for this one DAYS in advance

http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/03/with-atlas-shrugged-hollywood-may-have-its-first-antibailout-movie.html

The film adaptation of the greatest book ever written may finally be going somewhere.

In the article, it says Anne Hathaway may be playing Dagny. I think she'd be perfect... now who for Hank? Who for Galt? How about Francisco? And I think Randall Wallace (writer for Pearl Harbor, before Michael Bay pissed all over it, and Braveheart) is perfect to adapt what is an extremely difficult and weighty story to the screen.

Well, he would know about mental illness...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0409/Barney_GOP_suffers_pyschological_disorder.html?showall

House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank was in quite a mood on the floor of the House today -- questioning the sanity of Texas Republican John Culberson and other conservatives over their opposition to the new AIG bonus bill.

Let me get this straight. Barney Frank has the audacity to call someone crazy?

Excuse me while I go pee myself laughing.

I guess curtseying is too old-fashioned?

So I'm sure you've heard by now that PresBo and his wife gave the Queen of England that most appropriate of gifts for a sovereign... an iPod. But what was on it?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/what-does-one-g.html

• Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit
• Photos from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit
• Photos from the Queen's 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit
• Video from the Queen's 1957 Jamestown Visit
• Video from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown Visit
• Video from the Queen's 2007 Richmond Visit
• Photos from President Obama's Inauguration
• Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
• Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

Plus the following music:

• "Oklahoma!"
• "If I Loved You," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
• "You'll Never Walk Alone," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
• "There's No Business Like Show Business," Ethel Merman, "Annie Get Your Gun"
• "Once in Love with Amy (Where's Charley?)," Ray Bolger
• "Some Enchanted Evening," "South Pacific"
• "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Carol Channing, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
• "Getting to Know You," Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
• "Shall We Dance?" Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
• "I Could Have Danced All Night," Julie Andrews, "My Fair Lady"
• "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," Rex Harrison, "My Fair Lady"
• "The Party's Over (Bells Are Ringing)," Judy Holliday
• "Maria," "West Side Story"
• "Tonight," "West Side Story"
• "Seventy Six Trombones," "The Music Man"
• "Everything's Coming up Roses," Ethel Merman, "Gypsy"
• "The Sound of Music"
• "Try to Remember," Jerry Orbach, "The Fantasticks"
• "Camelot," Richard Burton
• "If Ever I Would Leave You," Robert Goulet, "Camelot"
• "Hello, Dolly!" Carol Channing
• "If I Were a Rich Man," Zero Mostel, "Fiddler on the Roof"
• "People," Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl"
• "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," John Cullum
• "The Impossible Dream," Richard Kiley, "Man of La Mancha"
• "Mame," Charles Braswell
• "Cabaret," Liza Minnelli
• "Aquarius, Ronald Dyson, "Hair'
• "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins, "A Little Night Music"
• "All That Jazz," Chita Rivera, "Chicago"
• "One," "A Chorus Line"
• "Tomorrow," Andrea McArdle, "Annie"
• "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," Patti LuPone, "Evita"
• "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," Jennifer Holliday, "Dreamgirls"
• "Memory," Elaine Paige, "Cats"
• "The Best of Times," George Hearn, "La Cage Aux Folles"
• "I Dreamed a Dream," Aretha Franklin, "Les MisDerables"
• "The Music of the Night," Michael Crawford, "The Phantom of the Opera"
• "As If We Never Said Goodbye," Elaine Paige, "Sunset Blvd."
• "Seasons of Love," "Rent"

Showtunes? And are La Cage Aux Foiles and Rent really appropriate to give to... anyone?

Plus, how self-centered is it to give someone a copy of your inauguration address?

More incompetence from the White House

White House Corrects Conference Call Number After Directing Reporters to Sex Line

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/02/white-house-corrects-toll-free-number-mishap/

Journalists seeking to talk a little foreign policy with high-profile Obama administration officials live from the G20 meetings in London this week were solicited for phone sex instead after ringing up the toll-free number given by the White House.

In a press release, the White House accidentally listed a sex line number for journalists seeking an "on-the-record briefing call with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Jim Jones to discuss the NATO summit."

But after dialing, a soft-voiced female recording that was clearly not Clinton asked for a credit card number if you "feel like getting nasty."

After several efforts to make sure that the phone number was correctly dialed, a call to the White House resulted in a corrected press release. "If you are having trouble dialing into the call, please try this number as an alternative," and listed the international line included for reporters abroad to dial.

By this time, the conference call was already under way.

*snicker*

Tea Party

WHAT: Warner Robins Tax Day Tea Party Protest
WHEN: Tax Day, April 15, 2009 from 1500-1900.
WHERE: In front of the Homer Walker Municipal Complex, 700 Watson Blvd, WRGA. This is on Watson Blvd (obviously!) across from Macon State College, Robins Federal, and the Library.
WHO: You, your friends, your family, wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, domestic partner, love interest, baby momma, baby daddy, uncle, aunt, grandparents, kids, people you don't even know, basically ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has an interest in eliminating taxes. The more people we get the better. I'm hoping to have all kinds of local media present so we want to show that we're not just a couple of kooks, but a whole TON of kooks.

More information to come. State information can be found at: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/

More information can also be found at http://www.jeffscottshow.com/ or by listening to the Jeff Scott show on 99.9 FM or 1350 AM in the afternoons.

Facebook group coming shortly.

Email me at jakefletcher@gmail.com if you have any questions or can help out.

Is this one covered under the Interstate Commerce clause, too?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/02/house-approves-plan-fda-regulatory-power-tobacco/

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved sweeping legislation to bring tobacco under control of the Food and Drug Administration for the first time.

The vote was 298-to-112, with more than 60 Republicans joining majority Democrats in backing the legislation.

However, at least eight Democrats bucked their party and voted against the bill.

Under the bill, the Food and Drug Administration would be able to regulate, but not ban, cigarettes and other tobacco products. The FDA could make ingredients public, ban flavoring and prohibit marketing campaigns.

The plan would bolster tobacco warnings on cigarette packages and could require firms to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes.

Apart from the rather dubious Constitutionality of this, my main question is... why? If the market calls for flavored cigarettes, why not produce them? When I was a smoker I was rather fond of a few of Camel's flavorings... the Mandarin Mint were really good (and about $3 more a pack, if I recall correctly, which severely limited me smoking them).

And on what grounds is it anywhere near fair to violate intellectual property rights and copyrights by making ingredients public? Or to prohibit marketing? There'd be no more need for brands, competition, or anything else. The government could just consolidate all means of cigarette production centrally. Hell, we've started with cars, why not move on to vice (where the REAL money in a recession is)? Little steps, get the people used to the feeling of Socialism's big, hard manhood poking at their behinds, so they won't notice it as much when PresBo rams it all the way in.

Like I said, I'm an ex-smoker. Not healthy, too expensive, bad breath, tough to run, all that. But I firmly believe that if you want to put something that you KNOW will kill you into your body, you should be able to do it. I'll question your wisdom all I want (privately, because I know there's nothing more annoying than a self-righteous ex-smoker) but I'm not going to stop you from doing it. Big Brother is here to save you from yourself.

Makes me want to go fucking light up.

Found on GeorgiaPacking.org...

Funny joke, purporting to be a letter from the boss...

LETTER FROM THE BOSS.....


As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President, and that our taxes, and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%.


Since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.


So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lot and found six Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change; I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

Favorite pre- and post-workout shake

6-8 fresh or frozen strawberries (about 1/2-1 cup)
1-2 cups water
1 serving (2 heaping teaspoons) Universal EAA Stack, Fruit Punch Kicker
2 servings (2 heaping scoops) Universal Ultra Iso Whey, Lemonade Chiller

Combine the strawberries and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the EAA and protein; blend until mixed. Consume and enjoy.

Most protein shakes taste like ass. This one tastes like a good smoothie.

40g protein (and it's fast-digesting to get into your muscles quick), about 10g carbs (also VERY fast to boost insulin uptake, helping shuttle protein and the aminos from the stack into your muscles). No fat.

Gym today

Chest, biceps, and triceps.

Nothing particularly impressive to note. Just an average day at the gym. Set a couple personal best 1RMs but nothing special.

I did try something new... I did some isometric stuff at the end of the workout... put about 1/3 my 1RM on the pushdown, cable crossover, and curls and did SLOW reps, like 20 seconds up and 20 seconds back down. Only managed about 5 reps like this. Freakin' BURNS but it oughta shred me up quick.

Drinking a shake right now. Recipe to follow.

Yeah, it was a joke.

April Fools.

Not as good as Car and Driver's April Fools joke about PresBo ordering Chevy and Dodge out of NASCAR... I think that one wins this year...

Quit my job today.

I quit my job, sold my car and possessions, and am signing a three-year contract to go to Sudan to teach English today.

Starting May 1 I'm not going to be able to blog a whole lot. I'll pop in occasionally when I get a chance but don't expect much.