Testimonial for the benefits of glucomannan

Cover via Amazon

This was was pretty busy for me: lots of work, and not much time at the computer at all. So, I'm sorry for not publishing all the great posts after last week's blog right away (I seriously am considering getting an iPhone so I can approve comments and blog on the road... that phone rocks).

Anyhow, what I'd really like to bring your attention to today is one of the comments an anonymous reader posting regarding her experiences with glucomannan. Her feedback really speaks the power of this special fiber and how it can help men and women with poor blood sugar and appetite control.

Here's her story:

First of all, I want to thank you for your book, Women's Health Perfect Body diet, which really introduced me to Glucomannan. I had heard of this fiber before, but never had taken it seriously.

Let me cut to the chase. I am not on any diet (except that I avoid casein and gluten for health reasons), and to be honest, I bought your book because I wanted to learn more about this unique fiber, not because I wanted a new diet.

End result: Glucomannan is helping my prediabetes unlike everything else I've tried. I finally feel like a normal person as far as food is concerned. I can literally go HOURS without food, thanks to glucomannan. I used to be hungry ALL DAY LONG.

The secret, as you say in your book is not swallowing the capsules, but emptying them whole into food.

I use the capsules to open up and dump in food when I'm away from home. At home I use Konjac brand Glucomannan powder to mix into food/beverages.

Thank you for your book, recipes, and wonderful tips on using this amazing fiber. I can't believe it's not more popular.

Please come out with a cookbook entirely devoted to glucomannan.

Because of this centuries old fiber, I will finally reach my goal weight.

Thank you again for bringing it to public attention. I truly believe it's saved my health.

Whoever this is: Please send me an email at cassandraforsythe@gmail.com because I have something special for you.

Best, Cassandra

Fiber helps you achieve your own perfect body

Weight loss is hard. Period.

And, for most women, it can be really hard. For women, our hormones, genetic evolution and hectic lives as wife, mother, worker and housekeeper really make it difficult to take of those pounds that have creeped up over the years.

Sure, maybe it's easy to lose a few pounds here and there, especially when those pounds are just unwanted water weight. But, to really lose weight, it takes some effort.

It's not just about eating less either, although that can help since many of us eat much more than our bodies need (especially at holiday events, picnics and celebrations). It's really about eating better calories and eating them more consistently.

But, to some, those "better" calories might not always be as filling or give us that same feeling that unhealthy calories gave us (ie., the difference between eating a large ice cream cone vs. a bowl full of berries with a slice of cheese).

That's why I love fiber and one of the major reasons I included it in my book, Perfect Body Diet.

Fiber can help fill you up and make you feel very satisfied without adding excess calories.

One of my favorite fibers is glucomannan (pictured above as part of Your Perfect Mannan glucomannan).

I first learned about this fiber while researching it at the University of Connecticut for a weight loss and exercise study. For this investigation, we had our subjects consume 2 capsules (containing 2 g fiber) three times a day before meals. For some, the fiber helped them eat less, but for others it wasn't that effective.

The problem was taking the fiber in capsule form and not the fiber itself.

I then learned while at a fiber conference I attended, that glucomannan and other fibers, worked best when then were consumed as part of a meal and not as a separate unit (like a capsule). Mixing the fiber in food (like as part of a smoothie or added to yogurt), makes the food thicker, more filling and thus, helps you eat less later on in the day. It also makes you feel more satisfied at that meal time.

Another issue with glucomannan is that the actual plant it comes from can be processed in many different ways to produce different thickening-rate abilities, different granularities, different solubilities in food and different rates of digestion. Some might not thicken food well, might make it grainy, and might not dissolve easily, leaving your food lumpy.

So, after testing and checking the type of glucomannan in several different brands of products, I found that Your Perfect Mannan brand had the properties that were most desired for consumption within a food product.

Also, this product does not contain any other fillers (like magnesium stearate) or starch, instead of 100% pure fiber.

In your quest for your own perfect body, fiber can really be your best ally. It can help you choose the right proportion of healthy foods, but still feel as full and as satisfied as you did eating more of potentially unhealthy items.

If you haven't tried fiber yet and are struggling to reach your ideal weight, I highly recommend Your Perfect Mannan glucomannan. Let me know what you think. For additional recipes with this weight-loss fiber, check you my book, Perfect Body Diet.

Beaches and bikinis, here we come!

My plan for my Perfect Body

Wow! What a wild week. It seems that following my defense, my body and mind were just utterly and completely exhausted. Finally though, I'm feeling more like myself and am ready to get my body back to where it should be.

My approach to my perfect body may be different than what others might do, but it's what works for me and doesn't leave me feeling terribly.

Since I've been pretty sedentary (relative to my normal activity level) since basically January, my first step is to get my cardiovascular and muscular endurance back to a decent level. Also, I need to accustom my muscles to the heavy lifting and the soreness that occurs when one isn't trained.

In simple terms, I'm increasing my energy expenditure with exercise WITHOUT cutting back on calories from my normal intake OR following an ultra-strict diet plan. True, I eat quite "clean" and healthy for the most part, but I'm not counting my calories and macros to stay within and certain range. I'm just eating well, and listening to what my body needs.

As I said, I've been more sedentary due to my PhD work than I've ever been. As a result, my body doesn't look the way I want it to. I've definitely put on more body fat as my clothes are tighter and my measurements have all increased by at least an inch. It's frustrating for me to even admit this, but I had to cut back on exercise and strict caloric control because I needed to focus my efforts on my dissertation (and do it the best possible... which I did... and I'm very happy for that).

I'm just like any other woman: if I don't exercise or pay much attention to what I'm eating... I gain body fat. There's no special genes in my family tree for me to fall back upon.

The difference with me however, is that I know how to take the fat off and I don't give up because it takes some effort.

So, to start, I'm re-training my body physically. THEN, once I don't feel so sore after workouts and am not so pathetic in the gym and on the trails (I mountain bike).... I'll start controlling my diet more carefully.

During this time, I'm recording what I eat to see how many calories and macros my body is taking in before I start defining what level I need to drop fat and weight. If I try to increase my exercise level at the same time as dieting, I just won't be able to progress.

That's where I see so many women go wrong. They're not trained to begin with and then they try to restrict their calories while increasing their exercise time and intensity. This only results in fatigue, frustration and eventually for most... failure.

If you're out of shape (like me to some extent right now), you have to start slowly with one step at a time.

My plan for exercise is to weight-training for muscular strength 2 days a week (between 4 and 7 reps) and then for muscular endurance another 2 days (between 12 and 20 reps). Then, I'll follow each workout with either 20-30 mins of cardio, or 15-20 mins of HIIT endurance training. On my off-days from weight training, I'll spin for one hour one day a week and/or mountain bike for 2+ hours the other day. One day will be completely off, other than walking with my dogs, which I do almost every day anyhow.

Again, once I'm feeling stronger, and more energetic in the gym, THEN I'll start controlling my food/macro intake a bit more carefully.

For example, this is what I did today, on this cloudy Sunday:

I walked in the morning (8:30am) with my dogs for 25 mins before breakfast. Then, my breakfast (9:15am) was goat's milk yogurt with goat protein isolate, chia seeds, glucomannan and flax oil. I sat at the computer and did some cleaning around the house for the next 5 hours, and in there I ate two meals: one just of steamed vegetables, the other of a salad and 3 oz of pork (at noon and 2:00pm). On my way to the gym in the afternoon, I had a handful of raisins (3:00pm). At the gym, I did my weight training routine of 12-15 rep exercises and then 35 mins of cardio (some was before I trained and some was after). Post-workout (5:20pm), I had whey protein plus cheerios plus raisins (about 35 g protein and 45 g carbs). Then, for dinner (7:30pm), I had a big salad with avocado, olive oil, cucumbers, carrots, 4.5 oz chicken, accompanied by 1.5 cups of steamed green beans. I followed this by a piece of dark chocolate and a few pistaschios. I haven't calculated my calories yet, but I'm at about 1700 to 1900 calories. Once I start dieting, that number will go down. But, for now, I need this so I don't avoid the gym because of fatigue.

Already, within just a week of doing this (being more active for the most part), my clothes are starting to feel loser and I have more energy. My goal is to get down about 8-10lbs overall, and lose at least that inch I gained since Christmas. I know I'll get there because for the first time in my life... I'm not a student!!! Woo-hoo!

I did it!

I'm proud to let everyone know that as of 12:30pm on Wednesday April 22nd, I passed my PhD defense with flying colors!!!

I can now officially call myself "Dr Forsythe"! So exciting!

After 5 great years at the #1 Kinesiology program in the U.S., and 12 years total of post-secondary education, I'm now D.O.N.E.!!!!!

It's hard to believe this day is actually here! Wow!

I'll be back to blogging once the weekend (and celebration) has passed. A few things I'll touch upon will be:

1. My journey to a better body. After 4 months of sitting on my butt writing my dissertation and 1 month where I didn't even go to the gym, I have to say I'm not looking that bikini-body ready. I'll outline my training plan and eating plan to acheive my goals.
   
2. My experiences in my dietetic internship (that ends June 26th).
   
3. Important topics pertaining to both my books, like brands of glucomannan and foods choices
4. Athletic Amenorrhea and my own personal experiences.
   

Also, I want to wish my good friends Jonathan Fass congratulations for graduating with his Dr of Physical Therapy on the same day I had my defense. Good things come to those that work hard :P Way to go buddy!!

Picking the right brand of Glucomannan

Happy Spring Readers!

I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely resurgance of Spring!

Also, with Spring, comes t-shirts, shorts and... eventually,... bathing suits. Oh my!

With that said, many women are picking up my new book, Perfect Body Diet, to help them reach their perfect body goals.

This book is great in that it teaches you how to determine what types of foods are best for your body and recognizes that we're all different. It also has an excellent workout plan, developed by yours truly, that'll definitely help shed uncomfortable body fat.

In the diet plan, I've incorporated a special fiber called glucomannan. This fiber comes from the Konjac plant and is tasteless, colorless and odorless. You can mix it in many types of foods, like oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, and it'll make them thicker and more filling without any aftertaste or grit. But... that also depends on the brand you buy to use.

I've had a few readers email me saying that the brand of glucomannan they bought just doesn't mix well or taste right. When I ask them which one it is, it's not the one I spent months researching and cooking with.

When it comes to glucomannan, quality is important. The best brand I've found is Your Perfect Mannan brand. This brand comes from a high purification process and contains no added fillers or thickeners. It's plain white (instead of off-white like some brands) and mixes smooth and effortless (other brands are clumpy and chalky... not good for your food).

So, please, if you're using glucomannan as part of your own perfect body plan, buy the brand that works best. Your Perfect Mannan brand is a true winner and is the same brand of glucomannan we use in research at the University of Connecticut.

To learn more about Your Perfect Mannan glucomannan, please visit the website here:
http://www.yourperfectmannan.com/

You'll find new recipes, complete referenced research and happy testimonials.

With glucomannan you can reach your goals without feeling starved. It works great and is a safe and non-stimulatory addition to your weight-loss goals.

Enjoy!

Happy 2009! Resolutions? No, just goals.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope everyone is recovering from a late night of whatever you did to celebrate the coming of a new year. For myself, I spent it with friends and many good games of Guitar Hero (I'm almost ashamed to admit that... but that's what we did).

Many people use the new year to bring about change. We call these our resolutions, and while many people don't stick to them, they are meant to improve ourselves in one way or another. So, they're not totally silly.

For myself, I've really never made a resolution list. Instead, I use New Years day to reflect on what I've accomplished in the past year, and then make plans for the upcoming year. It's my goal list with mostly things I want to get done, rather than things I want to change about myself. I believe that if there's something you want to change (like your weight or your habits), you just do it some way or another, and you don't need a "resolution" to make it happen.

So, here I'll share with you some of the things I accomplished in 2008, and then what I plan for 2009:

In 2008:

• My two books, New Rules of Lifting for Women, and Women's Health Perfect Body Diet were released back to back. With this came many interviews (radio, web, etc), a T.V. satellite tour and other book promotions.
• I started and finished the second part of my dissertation study and then went on to complete all the blood analysis and calculations. (I did a human feeding study in which I cooked all foods for my subjects for two 6-week periods... it was a lot of work).
• In February, I got my own dog: Tazz (the spazz), who I love with all my heart. He also keeps my feet warm when I sleep (because he sleeps at the foot of the bed).
• I took my CSCS exam and passed (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist).
• I travelled across the country to attend some great scientific conferences including ISSFAL, ISSN, and the American Dietetic Association annual meeting.
• I was awarded a placement with UMass Amherst to complete my one-year dietetic internship (which I'm currently half way through).
• I planned, created and designed my wedding to marry the love of my life: Justin Pribanic on August 2, in Huntington Vermont. Despite the rain, the day was absolutely gorgeous and there was fun to be had by all (even for our three dogs who attended).
• I started my own bootcamp class, which I teach every Sunday morning.
• In October I spoke at the 2008 Charles Staley Summit in Phoenix AZ on the topic of women specific nutrition.
• I completed my own Greencard application (without the help of a $3,000 attorney), so I can stay in the US as a permanent resident once I'm done my degree. (I'm Canadian, and just because you marry an American does not automatically mean you're an American too).
• In December I finally started writing my dissertation paper to complete my PhD work at UConn. My goal is a May 2009 graduation. So far, writing about science is killing my back and widening my back side... but that's the way these things go (at least I have colleagues going through the same thing to empathize with).
• Finally, on my birthday, I took an organic gardening course at UConn, so I can grow my own vegetables next spring instead of buying them (which helps save the planet that much more).

There's been more, but those are the major talking points for now. I think I've done pretty good with myself considering that with wedding and a PhD, others would have just choose one over the other (instead of both at the same time...).

For 2009, these are the goals I have in mind:

#1. Finish my dissertation, defend my thesis and get my PhD. FINALLY.

#2. Lose the weight I've gained from sitting on my butt writing my dissertation with the help of my secret weapon, glucomannan, and a lot of exercise. Then, enter a bench-only powerlifting competition with the goal of 155lbs.

#3. Go on a honeymoon with my husband after I graduate from my dietetic internship at the end of June (we didn't honeymoon after our wedding because there was not enough time -or money-). We're thinking Maui, or Eastern Canada (just depends on our budget, once again).

#4. Obtain a job as either a post-doc, assistant professor, high-level Registered Dietitian, writer with Men's Health magazine (I love them) and pay off my student debt (thank goodness I've won a lot of scholarships, so it's not that bad considering I've been in school for 12 years!).

#4. Work in a strength and conditioning facility (maybe with Mike Boyle or Jeff Oliver, etc) to polish my abilities as a CSCS.

#5. Write a book with my good friend Jonathan Fass. (we have it started already.... but are not revealing the details just yet).

#6. Do a seminar tour with Jonathan, Mike Ormsbee and Eric Cressey.

#7. Plant, maintain and harvest my organic garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce and squash.

#8. Take and pass the exam to become a Registered Dietitian.

#9. Complete the renovations on my house (new kitchen!!!!).

#10. Change the look and format of my website.

#11. And finally.... Celebrate my 30th birthday in style.

I've shared my goals for this upcoming year. What are your goals for 2009? I'd love to hear about them, so please share them here. Or at least, just write them down and stick them to your wall so you're reminded about them everyday.

Best wishes for a great 2009. Love, Cassandra

Review of Perfect Body Diet in Toronto Star (Canada)

A friend of mine, Vivian, recently tipped me off to an excellent review of Women's Health Perfect Body Diet in the Toronto Star newspaper, a printing out of Canada (my home country). The review was very positive and if you'd like to read it, please go here.

Thanks to Vivian, here's the take away at the end:

EXPERT VERDICT: "This is a well-rounded, nutritionally sound diet plan that is definitely geared to women, especially those who have some nutrition and fitness knowledge. Since the diet is lower in calories and lower in carbohydrates, most people will lose weight."

OUR VERDICT: Best for those who are familiar with the nutrition and fitness world and who have less than 25 pounds to lose. This will take some dedication to fruits and veggies and requires regular dates with the treadmill!

To get your own copy of PBD, you can visit your local bookstore, go online, OR, my mother in Canada told me it's also at Costco! :)

Then, to get your own supply of the purest, most convienient glucomannan, to help you stay full and stick with your diet plan, visit www.yourperfectmannan.com.

Thanks Vivian!

Glucomannan Mustard Dressing

One of my friends who uses glucomannan daily, as part of her Perfect Body Diet plan has come up with a tasty, almost calorie-free glucomannan dressing. You can use this on salads, veggies, or to marinate fish or chicken.

I'm not sure what the official name of this dressing is, but for now we'll call it Yummy Mustard Dressing:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. hearty grain mustard
1 Tbsp. low-sodium tamari sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 g glucomannan
1 Tbsp. water

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour immediately over salad, or wait 2-3 to spoon it onto meat, fish or veggies.

If anyone else has any new Glucomannan recipes, please feel free to pass them along.

Yumm :)

Glucomannan Noodles Control Blood Glucose

In the May 2008 issue of Men's Health magazine (pg. 42), Matt Goulding and his writers reported the beneficial recent research surrounding Shirataki noodles (rich in glucomannan) on health parameters.

Researchers from Thailand found that noodles enriched with just 1 gram of this highly soluble fiber significantly slowed the release of sugar into your bloodstream after you've eaten a carb-heavy meal.

The lead researcher, Dr Chearskul, explained that this effect leads to a more steady supply of nutrients into your bloodstream which prevents blood vessel damage and body fat gain.

A single serving of Shirataki noodles supplies 3 grams of glucomannan.

If you're not into noodles, then a better way to get your glucomannan is to just add it to foods you're already eating, like yogurt, oatmeal, protein shakes and healthy baking. Find the purest, economical, and most user-friendly source (no pill opening here) of glucomannan at www.yourperfectmannan.com

Glucomannan used to treat Hyperthyroid

Recently, I was directed toward a study of glucomannan treatment for hyperthyroid (high thyroid hormones). A woman has asked me if this fiber (glucomannan), is used to treat hyperthyroid, will it have negative consequences if used in women with hypothyroid (low)?

The paper that I'm speaking of is this: "The Use of Konjac Glucomannan to Lower Serum Thyroid Hormones in Hyperthyroid" Azezli AD et al., Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 26(6), 663-8. 2007.

In this study the investigators explain that in persons with hyperthyrodism, there is often excessive circulating or peripherially stored thyroid hormone, which leads to continued symptomology, despite prescription drug treatment (such as antithyroid drugs). In these cases, bile acid sequestrants, such as cholestiramine, the same drug used to bind cholesterol in the gut and draw it out of the body to lower blood cholesterol levels, is also useful for blocking the gut-liver exchange of thyroid hormones and thus reducing blood cholesterol concentrations (and eleviation of symptoms).

With this in mind, these investigators looked at the use of glucomannan, the most viscous soluble dietary fiber found in nature, that is also used to lower blood choletserol, to lower blood thyroid levels in persons with excess thryoid found in the gut-liver circulation.

What they found was that in 48 patients with hyperthyroid disease, after two months, has significantly lower thyroid hormones (T3, T4, FT3, FT4) that persons who took a placebo.

Thus, the conclusion was that glucomannan can be used as a safe and effective natural adjunctive treatment (i.e., used along with oral thryoid-reducing meds), for hyperthyroid diseases.

Now, with this said, you might think that is has the potential to lower thyroid levels in euthryoid or hypothroid (normal or low) persons. But this is incorrect. The reasoning being, as explained above, in persons with hyperthryoidism, there is excess thyroid spilled out into the gut, but in normal and low thyroid cases, this does not occur. Thus, if you have normal to low thyroid levels, you are not at any risk of lowering your thyroid levels if you use glucomannan.

No matter who you are though, if you are on any medications, don't take them at the same time as glucomannan or any dietary fiber, as the fiber will bind the medication and draw it out of your gut during digestion.

So, go ahead an enjoy the benefits glucomannan for satiety and weight loss. To learn more about this fiber, visit www.yourperfectmannan.com, or read Women's Health Perfect Body Diet.

Enjoy!

It's easy to be a critic....

When I need to take a break, I spend my time surfing the 'net to see what's going on with the world. Tonight, I thought I'd check out what people were saying about the book I wrote, Women's Health Perfect Body Diet.

So far, what I've seen is that the comments are 50/50 pro/con. Some women LOVE the plan and are so happy that they finally feel full, while others feel the glucomannan is a gimmick and that the plans designed are not customizable at all. This, I find, is a pretty harsh thought, but we're all entitled to our own opinion.

However, with this all said, it's easy to be a critic instead of coming up with a better solution. When I was asked to write a diet book for Women's Health last year, I went straight to the book store and checked out all the other diet books on the shelves. From Protein Power, to Sugar Bustars, to Body for Life, I wasn't sure how the heck I could write a diet book that would be different than the zillions of other diet books out there now!

But, I had just finished a recent research project at UConn the previous year with glucomannan and had been using the fiber myself successfully for two years.So, I thought, "Hey, why not come up with a book about this? No one else has tried to write about the benefits of staying full with a calorie-free fiber!"

Also, I knew from personal and research experience that not all women were meant to follow the same type of diet plan. Some of us do better with more carbs in our diets, some do better with much less. So, that's why I gave two options and had women learn (through the diet challenge) which option was best for them.

At least I tried to give options, where other diet books preach that there's only one way, and no other, to eat right and lose weight. Too boot, some woman out there critisized the book (and me) for only having these two options. I felt like writing her and saying "If this book isn't for you, you have every right to pick up one of the thousands of other diet books out there and find one that does work. No one is making you do this diet. You have a choice and you are the one that knows your body best. So go forth and discover."

Another critique about the book is that it's too structured. Well, when I was asked to write the book, I was also asked to provide weekly diet examples, which I did. It took a lot of though and effort (knowing that most of the women out there would choose their own meals), but it was done. However, the key word in all of that is that the plans are EXAMPLES. They're just to show you what you can do with the food. They're not meant to be the end-all, be-all of what you eat everyday. That would be impossible to do for each and every person!

I'm really sorry if it sounds like I'm ranting, but I needed to convey a few of my thoughts on this issue. If it was really easy to write a diet book that worked for everyone in the world, do you think there would be so many available? This book is just one option and some people find it's a good one for them.

If anything, the book is full of great nutrition information and explains a lot of the reasons why it's hard to lose weight and why our bodies fight against us when we try to do so. When I wrote those topics, I just wanted women to be aware of what they were up against so that they could fight back with the right equipment and thoughts. This way they'd have a better chance at winning.

Since there isn't a formal place yet on the Women's Health Website for women to discuss the book, if you have any questions or need any help with the plan, please email me. I've helped many women so far and I look forward to helping more. There's also a lot of discussion about this book and a few women following it on the Oxygen mag message boards.

Overll, instead of being a critic, try putting yourself in the place of the author. In my case, I wrote a book with the best of my ability. Sure, maybe it's not South Beach or Eat Right for Your Type (some of the best selling diet books right now), but those were already written and I was asked to come up with something new. That I did.

Now, I've got to finish my PhD (and get married this year...). Yikes.

Perfect Body Diet Update

The Women's Health Perfect Body diet released on December 26th, 2007 is generating a lot of interest and sales are great.

However, unfortunately, Women's Health does not have the PBD website up yet. I was in NYC yesterday speaking to the company about this and they hope to have it up soon. There were some glitches in the system and they apologize for the delay.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the book, like about the diet or glucomannan, please feel free to contact me or post questions here. I will reply right away. The best contact for me is my gmail address: cassandraforsythe@gmail.com

I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Cassandra

Countdown to Vegas - T minus 12

This day was perfect. Macros and calories lined up excellently.

Cass's diet record Tues May 28, 07. (Training Day)
Good sleep last night. Slept 12:30 am to 8:30 am

6:30 am - Got up and made Justin his lunch for work and his breakfast for the road (a shake). He started summer hours this week, so it means, we'll be going to bed a lot earlier (not that last night was a good example). When he left, I came back to bed and slept for another hour and a bit (I just wasn't ready to be awake at 7am).

9:00 am - went for a quick walk/jog with the dogs outside - 25 mins.

9:40 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
10:00 am - Took 2 fish oil, 2 GLA, se7en (am going to take this 2xday for next 2 weeks) and Rev-Z = 18 cals, 2 g fat

10:10 am - Made a whole food meal for breakfast: 1 large egg, 1/3 cup egg whites, 10 g walnuts, cilantro, spinach and pepper. Served over 1 slice of Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, with 1 tbsp Heinz One Carb Ketchup. Had 10 big fresh blackberries = 242 cals, 19 g protein (some from bread, and nuts), 19 g NET carbs (27 - 8 fiber), 10 g fat

Worked on computer all morning. Back to work day.

12:30 pm - 120 g Extra Lean Ground Turkey with 90 g Organic Pasta Sauce. 1 Medium red bell pepper, and 65 g blackberries, 2 fish oil = 292 cals, 34 g protein, 12 g NET carbs (16 -4), 12 g fat

3:45 pm - 150 g cooked tilapia with Hot Sauce and spices. 70 g corn, 100 g green beans. 10 g walnuts = 308 cals, 39 g pro, 20 g NET carbs (23-3), 8 g fat

5:30 pm (pre-gym) - red bell pepper, 60 g lean ground turkey with One Carb Ketchup, 60 g blackberries = 148 cals, 18 g pro, 10 g Net carbs (15 -5), 4 g fat

Gym workout 7:30 pm to 9:10 pm: Took 1 F-heit before training (made me kind of nauseous)
Heavy upper body workout 4-6 reps,
Start with 20 mins on crosstrainer
Warmup A1) Single arm rope tricep pushdowns - 15 reps, 3 sets
Warmup A2) Single arm squat row - 15 reps, 3 sets
B1) DB Bench Press: 45 lbs each hand - 4 sets
B2) Single arm decline ab crunch - 15 pounds, 4 sets, - 12 reps each side
C1) Military Press: 65 lbs, 6 reps
C2) Rope Bicep curls, 10 reps
D1) Seated Row: 115 lbs, 6 reps
D2) Staggered Pushup: 4 each arm
D3) Assisted Pullups: 5 reps
Cardio 30 mins more

Stop at grocery store. Home at 9:45 pm

10 pm - Eats: 140 g cooked tilapia with Hot sauce, 20 g walnuts, 95 g apple, 100 g blackberries, 60 g corn plus 100 g green beans with 30 g organic tomato sauce and glucomannan. Two Flameout, Two GLA = 462 cals, 39 g pro, 36 g NET carbs (49 - 13), 18 g fat

Totals = 1500 cals (1608 if fiber was added), 149 g pro, 103 g carbs (130 - 27 fiber), 55 g fat

Countdown to Vegas - T minus 13

Cass's diet record Mon May 27, 07. (Mountain Bike Day)
Good sleep last night. Slept 12 am to 8:45 am

Back on diet watch today after a long weekend of eating whatever I wanted.

9:00 am - It's a holiday, so I slept in. Got up, took probiotics, woke up, foam rolled and stretched/strengthened. Got dressed and ready for our mountain bike day. Justin and I were planning on heading out by 11 am to hit the trails.

9:40 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
10:00 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z = 36 cals, 4 g fat

10:00 am - Drank a shake for breakfast because it was habit (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 10 frozen strawberries, 1/6 cup almonds, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 325 cals, 39 g pro, 13 g NET carbs, 13 g fat

Helped Justin get the bikes ready. One of the perks of dating an engineer is that they can build/fix anything. We've also got a roommate that is a bike mechanic, so we've got a whole bike mechanic work room in the breezeway. Justin put a new fork on my bike because I've been complaining it didn't have enough shock absorption. He also put on a new tire (bigger with more grip).

11:00 am - Headed out for the trails. Ate 20 g raisins on the way there = 56 cals, 14 g carbs,

12 pm - Started our ride. Road HARD for 2 hours and got back to the cars by 2:30 pm. My body was DEAD when we got back. I felt SO out of shape the whole time we were riding. Since I've not done anything seriously cardiovascular for the last 4 weeks, I was a super slow poke. I was drenched with sweat when we got back to the car and felt like I got hit by a truck. It was a hot day and a difficult course of more than 75% climbing… ugh. While riding I ate the other 1/2 of a Larabar and drank BCAAs = 201 cals, 3 g pro, 18 g carbs, 13 g fat (for whole bar, because ate rest later)

We went out for lunch after the ride and ate at Atlanta Bread Café. No, I didn't eat bread, but I had a chicken salad with corn and black beans: 3 oz chicken breast, 1/3 cup mandarin oranges, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1 tbsp sliced almonds, 3 cups romaine, 1 tbsp sesame salad dressing and 1/3 cup corn and black beans = 347 cals, 31 g protein, 22 g carbs, 15 g fat (I don’t know if this is correct, but I'm going with it)

I was still so out of it after this. Justin and I went to EMS and I bought those Reef sandals for women that have the little compartment under the heel. We then went to home depot to get new towel racks for the bathroom. Fun, fun. J

Got home at 4:45 pm and rested for 15 mins, but didn't sleep. Showered, etc.

6:30 pm - made a tuna sandwich: 1 can tuna plus mustard and glucomannan, 2 small slices sprouted grain bread. Drank water and had another 1/2 of a Larabar = 297 cals, 40 g protein (10 g from bread), 23 g carbs, 5 g fat

7:30 pm - Felt crappy, so had 1 red bell pepper, raw, and cooked broccoli and green beans, with 1 tbsp organic pasta sauce and glucomannan (makes it thick) = 70 cals, 13 g carbs, 2 g fat

10:30 pm - 1/2 scoop Dymatize Whey, 1 red bell pepper, 25 g almonds = 202 cals, 20 g pro (some from almonds), 8 g carbs, 10 g fat

Totals: 1558 cals, 133 g pro (35%), 117 g carbs (30%), 62 g fat (35%)

I thought I'd eat 50-25-25… but it didn’t turn out that way. This 35-30-35 is still good though.

Last OFFICIAL day of the modified velocity diet

Friday was the last official day of the diet for me.

I followed it to a "V" (standing for Victory) up until after my workout. Then, it was time to EAT. I consumed a heck of a lot of calories in the form of sweet potato, corn, Sunchips... yes, sunchips, salmon, white beans and... strawberry shortcake (light coolwhip, fresh strawberries and a small foam cake mold). I felt so good and slept like a million bucks.

My measurements were OK, but I wished they would have been more significant. I really restricted as much as I could and worked out harder than most people would while following this diet. But, it was OK.

What happened is: I lost another 1/2 inch of my waist for a total of 1 1/2 inches for the 4 weeks, but nothing anywhere else. This 1/2 inch did make me somewhat happy though because I was expecting to be bigger due to PMS. I ignored my body weight because it wasn't accurate (PMS) and my body fat % was a bit lower at 17.5%. I took pictures and the loss was noticable in my waist area. Plus, I looked a bit harder all over.

So, it wasn't all for nothing. When I put on my bikini yesterday (Saturday) for the beach, I was impressed that I looked pretty damn hot (must have been all that food I ate the night before... haha) and it inspired me to keep going hard on a restricted diet for the next 2 weeks. Two weeks is my goal for now because that's when I make my way over to Vegas to speak at the ISSN meeting. Such fun!

I trained lightly on Saturday morning (lifted for 20 mins and did 1 hour straight cardio), and ate big all day. We went to the lake (as I mentioned) and I just ate a lot of food. I was so exhausted, so I needed it. Today, Sunday, I've just done some walking, and again another higher calorie day.

I can see how easy it is for people to get fat though. We've got so much access to high calorie foods and we don't do anything to burn it off. All the people I hung out with this weekend ate about the same as me... but they really shouldn't have, because they didn't work out all week long, nor worked out much at all.

Tomorrow, I'm going to use all my stored glycogen to hit the trails for a hard mountain bike day (probably climb for 2-3 hours) and will also lift later in the afternoon. I'll eat at maintenance (1800 to 2000 cals) or slightly lower with a 50% pro, 25% carb 25% fat split of only foods that I can calculate the calories on (which is what some people refer to as "clean foods" like chicken, tuna, salmon, rice, etc). Then, starting Tuesday, it's back to low cals of about 1200 to 1500 and 1-2 shakes per day with all whole foods and lots of vegetables until Sunday which I will eat one more maintenance day, and then back low again until I leave for Vegas (because in Vegas I won't have the luxury to calculate my food, but I will eat good).

It was nice to not have to count anything or weigh anything this weekend. Left me time to think about me and what I really wanted.

This is it: I want to be 16% body fat or less (that's reasonable). I want to be muscular. I want to be happy with myself and not let my diet craziness harm my relationship with Justin AND I want to be able to function normally around my friends (and not act like a food snob... which they all think I am anyhow).

Alright. Gotta work. Will post my food up until my trip to Vegas and will blog about more fun things,,,, like the craziness of Cassie's mind. And, some cool science news.

Here's my log for Friday. Have a great Memorial day!

Cass's diet record Fri May 25, 07. (Training Day)
So-so sleep last night. Slept 12 am to 7:15 am.

7:00 am - Got up, made Justin breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, took probiotics etc. Foam rolled quickly but didn't go for a walk because I had to start working right away on the book. Needed to get a lot done in the morning because didn't get much done last night and figured I wouldn't get much done again this evening.

7:40 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
8:00 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z = 36 cals, 4 g fat

8:30 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1/6 cup almonds, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 296 cals, 38 g pro, 9 g NET carbs (17 - 8 fiber), 12 g fat

Worked at computer all day again. Didn't take as many breaks as I should have… was on a mission to get a lot of work done.

10:30 am - Shake #2 (made in blender): 1 scoop Dymatize Whey, 7 frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup almonds, and glucomannan = 320 cals, 32 g pro, 10 g NET carbs (18 - 8 fiber), 17 g fat

12 pm = Ate 1/2 a red bell pepper and 50 g of blackberries at 12 pm = 30 cals, 7 g carbs

1:45 pm = Shake #3 (made in blender): 1 scoop Dymatize Whey, 10 frozen strawberries, 1 Tbsp ground flax, 1 tsp ENOVA oil, and glucomannan = 242 cals, 27 g pro, 11 g NET carbs (18 - 7 fiber), 10 g fat

3:20 pm - Drove to get measurements done. Went grocery shopping, and drove back home.

5:10 pm - One scoop Dymatize Whey plus 20 g raisins and glucomannan = 161 cals, 23 g pro, 15 g carbs, 1 g fat

Totals so far: 1117 cals, 120 g protein, 58 g carbs, 45 g fat

Workout 6:30 to 8 pm:

THRASHER WORKOUT!!!!
1 1/2 hours of brutally hard weights and cardio. Burned at least 400 calories. At least.

Came home and BBQ'd with friends. Ate onion Sunchips (damn they were good), salmon, sweet potato fries, 1/2 corn of the cob, white bean and tomato Italian salad, Strawberry Shortcake. Felt like a million bucks!

This whole meal was about 700 calories easy and about 100 carbs at least. My muscles sucked up that food like they were starving for it (which they were…) Damn. That was awesome.

Modified Velocity Diet Day 28 - May 24 (one more day)

I'm going one more day with the strict V-diet plan before I weigh in/measure up. Not sure how accurate the results will be tomorrow because I'm PMSing like crazy and holding a bucket load of water... sigh.


Cass's diet record Thurs May 24, 07. (Cardio/Light workout Day)
So-so sleep last night. Slept 12 am to 7:15 am.

7:30 am - Got up, made Justin breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, took probiotics etc. Foam rolled quickly and then went for an easy walk with the dogs for 30 mins.

I was feeling really drained this morning and wasn't really sure why. It could have been because I didn't eat the right combination of macro's or total calories after my workout last night. I could have been because I really didn't sleep all that soundly (for some reason I had some really nasty dreams). It could be that I've trained every day without a break for the last few days OR it could be because that TIME of the month is coming and my body is revving up it's metabolic rate and wants more calories.

** On that last note, yes, it's true, your metabolic rate increases right before your period and that’s usually why women have cravings --they need to EAT! They also have crazy cravings for things like chocolate because serotonin and dopamine declines and we all know how good chocolate make you feel (albieght a temporary high). Whatever it was, I knew it was OK to take it a bit easier this AM.

Got back to the house at 9 am and drank my greens and supplements right away. There was going to be NO waiting around this morning to eat. My body needed the calories.

9:00 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
9:20 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z = 36 cals, 4 g fat

9:30 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender) and made it a little bigger because I was so hungry this morning: 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 10 frozen strawberries, 1/6 cup almonds, 1 TBsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 351 cals, 40 g pro, 14 g NET carbs (23 - 9 fiber), 15 g fat

Worked at computer all day again. Took breaks when I could to play with the dog.

11 am - was really foggy, so ate 1 red bell pepper and 1/3 cup corn =64 cals, 16 g NET carbs

12:00 pm - still hungry so ate 3 cups of broccoli and 1/4 cup green beans = 50 cals, 2 g pro, 10 g NET carbs

1:30 pm - Shake #2 (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize Whey, 7 frozen strawberries, 1 TBsp hemp seeds, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 247 cals, 36 g pro, 10 g NET carbs (14 - 4 fiber), 7 g fat

Headed out at 3 pm to pick up more protein and go to the gym. It was 90 degrees today which made me almost wanted to lay on the lawn and tan, but I decided to get my workout done anyhow. Did go for a tan though at the salon…

Gym workout 4:15 pm to 5:30 pm.
Mostly just cardio and rehab because was still feeling a bit blah.
Did weighted ab exercises such as Saxon side bends and weighted decline crunch. 4 sets, 20 reps. Plus rotator cuff work i.e. straight arm pulldowns.
Did 20 mins on cross-trainer not holding on to anything.
Did 10 mins on treadmill at 4.0 mph and a 4 incline.
Not bad. Good recovery day.

Grocery shop etc. Sipped BCAAs on way home.

Home at 6:15 pm.

6:30 pm - Whole food meal: 0.8 lb shrimp steamed (bought at store like this.. I was craving fish), 100 g blackberries, 100 g kernel corn, 20 g raisins = 480 cals, 75 g protein, 40 g carbs, 1 g fat

I was still hungry after this meal, probably because there was no fat. So, had a red bell pepper, 10 g whole almonds and drank some power drive (which, I think has been sitting in my cupboard for too long, because it tasted kind of old…) Also took 3 more fish oil. Continued to drink BCAAs. = 121 cals, 10 g carbs, 9 g fat


9:00 pm - Another red bell pepper and shake: 1 scoop Dymatize Whey, 1 tsp ENOVA oil, 1 tsp ground flax, glucomannan, ice = 199 cals, 24 g pro, 10 g NET carbs, 7 g fat

10:00 pm -Ate broccoli and cauliflower (steamed)

Totals = 1624 cals, 177 g pro, 130 g carbs, 44 g fat

Calories and carbs were a bit high for today, but it was from vegetables. Now, some people don't count those calories in their calculations, but I did for this experiment.
My body need this amount today. I was running on zero energy it seems, so I'm not feeling bad about this. If it means my weight loss progress is slower, I'll take it.

Modified Velocity Diet Day 27 - May 23

Cass's diet record Wed May 23, 07. (Workout Day)
Good sleep last night. Slept 12 am to 7:00 am.

7:00 am - Got up, made Justin Breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, took probiotics etc. While trying to wake up, I looked through some of the cookbooks I own to pick more recipes to modify for the new book today. By 7:40 am, I still felt a bit blah, so I went back downstairs to bed and rested for about 25 mins.

Finally got going at 8:15 am and went out walking/jogging with the dogs for 35 mins. Nice day again, which made me feel much better. Got in the house, showered, did a load of laundry and took greens and supplements.

9:30 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs

Had a phone meeting again this morning from 9:45 am until 11:00 am, so didn't get to drink my shake right away. I was ravenous when I finally got off the phone as a result. THAT is why I tell women to eat within at least 2 hours of waking. Otherwise, you'll feel crazy when you finally do eat and may not want to stop. (I wanted to drink more… or dig into the bag of natural almonds,,, but I didn't)

11:00 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z = 36 cals, 4 g fat

11:00 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 8 frozen strawberries, 1/6 cup almonds, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 291 cals, 38 g pro, 10 g NET carbs (15 - 5 fiber), 11 g fat

Worked at computer all day. Took breaks to do burpees, jumping jacks, bridges, etc when playing with my dog.

12:30 pm - Red Bell Pepper = 20 cals, 5 g NET carbs,

2:00 pm - Shake #2: 1 1/2 scoops LC Metabolic Drive whey, 1/6 cup almonds, 1 Tbsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 290 cals, 35 g pro, 6 g NET carbs (12 - 6 fiber), 14 g fat

4:30 pm -Shake #3: 1 scoop Dymatize Whey, 6 frozen strawberries, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp ground flax, glucomannan = 218 cals, 24 g pro, 8 g carbs, 10 g fat
Peas and corn = 52 cals, 13 g carbs,

5:50 pm-(Was kind of hungry and going to the gym at 7 pm so had something) = 1/2 scoop LC MD, 20 g raisins = 56 cals, 14 g carbs

Gym workout, 7 to 8:15 pm.
10 min on crosstrainer plus upper body dynamic warmup
A1) Bench Press: 5 sets, 10 reps, 90 lbs
A2) T-bar row: 5 sets, 10 reps, 45 plate
B1) DB Incline Press: 3 sets, Alt arm 5,4,3,2,1 reps (total of 15 reps each arm), 30 lbs each hand
B2) One arm DB row: 3 sets, 10 reps, 35 lbs
Bicep curls, tricep dips as finisher.
20 min more cardio

Quickly changed and headed out from the gym to meet Justin for dinner where I met his friend from CA who was in town because his sister just passed away (sad, sad)

9:15 pm - Whole food meal: Mahi Mahi 7 oz (it had butter on it), steamed zucchini (1/3 cup), 3 tbsp whole wheat cous-cous (probably had butter on it too). Drank water and unsweetened iced tea = 354 cals, 45 g pro, 12 g carbs, 14 g fat

Totals = 1368 cals, 142 g pro, 74 g carbs, 56 g fat

It was great to socialize with Justin's long-time buddies. I wasn't so excited about eating out though and almost wished that I just drank a shake and had a fruit leather in my car on the way there because I didn't want to go too far off my eating plan. I still chose wisely and didn't eat as much as I possibly could of if I wasn't caring about it. I was a little snobbish too in that I wished I could have cooked the fish myself since I just KNEW the chef would cook it with some gawd-awful soybean oil or hydrogenated margarine. That's why I love going out for sushi and just having the raw fish - I know you can't mess that up too much.

Home at 11 pm, felt a little restless because of the caffeine so didn't fall asleep until about 12 pm.

Modified Velocity Diet Day 27 - Kick my butt sprint day

Tuesday's workout (yesterday) was AWESOME. I did a great sprint workout at the track and felt like I was floating when it was all over. See below for all the details.

Despite low cals, when I want to push myself I really can.

I'm glad I ate enough after my workout too, because today I don't feel like I'm in a fog as I do sometimes when I don't eat right after I kill myself training.

Oh, and yes, Aunty Flo (aka PMS) is on they way. That, or I'm pregnant.... ugh, let's not even joke about that. lol.



Cass's diet record Tues May 22, 07. (Sprint and Cardio Only Day)
Good sleep last night. Slept 12 am to 7:30 am.

7:45 am - Got up, made Justin Breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, took probiotics (normal morning ritual), foam rolled briefly (body wasn't really sore anywhere so didn't need to foam roll long).
Jogged outside with the dogs for 25 mins. Beautiful morning again.

9:00 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs

Had a phone meeting at 9:30 am until 10:15 am, so didn't drink shake right away. Normally I would though.

10:15 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z (no Se7en, just taking it in PM once a day) = 36 cals, 4 g fat

10:30 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 8 frozen strawberries, 1.1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 239 cals, 34 g pro, 10 g NET carbs (13 - 3 fiber), 7 g fat

I thought I was still hungry after having my shake and I was going to eat a red bell pepper. But, I got busy working on the computer that I didn't get a chance to eat again, and by the time I thought about it again, I didn't feel like eating anymore. It's true that you have to give yourself at least 20 mins after eating before you decide if you're really still hungry.

Worked on computer all day. But, took breaks every 30 mins to an hour to play with the dog outside. Each time I threw the ball to him I would do burpees or jumping jacks or other plyo exercises until he brought the ball back to me (sometimes it was a little too long, so I helped him find the ball when it got lost… ). This kept me feeling energized all day and stopped me from eating when it wasn't technically "time yet".

12:15 pm: Shake #2 (made in blender): 1 scoops Dymatize whey, 6 frozen strawberries, 15 g whole natural almonds, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan = 200 cals, 26 g pro (some from almonds), 8 g NET carbs (13 - 5 fiber), 7 g fat

3:15 pm: Shake #3 (made in blender): 1 scoops LC Metabolic Drive, 3 frozen strawberries, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp ground flax, and glucomannan =168 cals, 20 g pro (some from almonds), 4 g NET carbs (6 - 4 fiber), 8 g fat
Also had 1/4 red bell pepper and some pureed broccoli = 20 cals, 5 g carbs

5:30 pm Shake #4 (pre-workout… but first, had to clean up the garbage bag that my dog destroyed in the front lawn when I wasn't looking… grr): 1 scoop Dymatize Whey, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1 tbsp hemp seeds and glucomannan = 169 cals, 25 g pro, 6 g NET carbs, 5 g fat

6:50 pm to 8:35 pm - CARDIO TIME/Sprints and bike!
Biked over to the high school track on my rusty old mountain bike. It took me 1/2 hour to get there with constant peddling. Once I got there I thought I wasn't going to be able to do my sprint workout because I was a bit hypoglycemic, however, I pushed myself hard and actually ended up having a great workout. After a 10 min warm-up of walking/jogging, I sprinted the straights (100 m) and walked the curves for 8 laps. It was awesome! Then, stretched quickly and got back on my bike to go home. The ride back was a little slower because I was fried. Plus, the pain in my back from riding sucked the energy out of me (I've got a spondylolithesis on L5, so biking is really a pain in the…back). I got home at 8:25 pm and then proceeded to take out all the trash for garbage day tomorrow. We had a lot of bags because of all the cleaning we did this past weekend. All-in-all, it took another 10 mins to get this all accomplished and I made it harder by sprinted back up the long driveway after every load. I WAS POOPED.

That makes a good solid 2 HOURS of cardio today, and that's not no long-slow duration cardio either! Nice!

Had a shower and then proceeded to eat whatever I wanted because I had done such a crazy hard workout. I really didn't eat that poorly, but I did indulge in one homemade peanut butter cookie that my roommate had made for the new book. Ingredients were natural PB, Rye Flour, Sugar-free apple juice and spices. It was awesome and I really felt no guilt. All in all, it was about 30 g of carbs.

So, 9:00 pm - Whole food meal: 116 g cooked chicken breast with One Carb Ketchup, 6 fresh blackberries, 1 PB cookie, and 2 small homemade falafel (chick peas and spices), 1/3 cup frozen corn = 575 cals, 53 g pro, 45 g carbs, 20 g fat (from PB)

Totals: 1521 cals, 158 g pro, 103 g carbs, 53 g fat

Modified Velocity Diet Day 26 - May 21

Cass's diet record Mon May 21, 07. (Light Training Day with more Cardio)
OK sleep last night - my legs were achy and my shoulder was bugging me so I didn't sleep as good as I could. Slept 11:30 am to 7:30 am

Got up, made Justin Breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, took probiotics (normal morning ritual), foam rolled briefly (was tired and didn't feel so peppy). Went outside instead of walking on my treadmill and walked/jogged with the dogs for 40 mins. It was a beautiful morning, so I'm glad I got to enjoy it instead of staring at my wall busting my butt on the treadmill.

9:15 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
9:30 am - Took 4 fish oil, and Rev-Z (no Se7en, I'm cutting back the dose) = 36 cals, 4 g fat

9:30 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 8 frozen strawberries, 2 tsp ground flax, 15 g whole natural almonds, and glucomannan = 282 cals, 36 g pro (some from almonds), 12 g NET carbs (18 - 6 fiber), 10 g fat

Worked on computer all morning.

11 am - 1/3 cup corn, 1/4 cup peas = 60 cals, 2 g pro, 13 g NET carbs,

12 pm - 1/2 cup corn, 1/4 cup peas = 80 cals, 2 g pro, 18 g carbs,

(For whatever reason I was just dying to eat peas and corn, so I did. I really absolutely love to eat these, and felt it was better than being in a pissy mood from avoiding something that my body would benefit from just for the sake of eating shakes).

1:20 pm - Shake #2 (in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Dymatize whey, 8 frozen strawberries, 2 tsp ground flax, 1 tsp flax oil, and glucomannan = 261 cals, 35 g pro 10 g NET carbs (18 - 6 fiber), 9 g fat
Also had more peas and corn = 60 cals, 2 g pro, 13 g NET carbs,

Drove to PT. Ate 20 g of raisins at 2:30 = 52 cals, 13 g carbs,

Drank BCAAs and then got to gym at 4pm.

Gym workout 4 to 5 pm.
Did 30 mins of quick tri-sets of 25 reps including: DB bench press with single leg DB with RDLs with single arm DB rows. Then, inverted rows with pushups and single leg bench sits. Good cardio on cross-trainer for 25 mins just as planned. (look ma! No hands! i.e. I didn't hold onto the bars…).

5:30 pm: Sushi dinner for whole food meal. 4.5 oz sashimi, bowl of miso soup and 3 pcs red dragon roll, 3 pcs eel roll and 2 pcs rainbow roll = 398 cals, 40 g pro, 35 g carbs, 22 g fat

8 pm- Shake: 1 scoop Dymatize Whey plus 6 strawberries, 1/6 cup almonds and glucomannan = 234 cals, 27 g pro, 9 g carbs, 10 g fat

9 pm - 1 red bell pepper and homemade broccoli soup (I made this containing glucomannan, fresh pureed broccoli, salt, pepper and onions) = 60 cals, 15 g NET carbs,

Totals: 1566 cals, 144 g pro, 144 g carbs, 46 g fat (almost gagged when I saw my carb totals… but it's from peas and corn which aren't even fully digested. So, I'm not too worried, but didn't mean to eat this much… yikes).

** I think I'm getting close to "that time of the month" because I'm displaying all the classic symptoms - probably explains some of my bitchiness this past weekend. In a way I do hope I have it, but in a way not. I'll just wait and see I guess.

Modified Velocity Diet Day 25 - May 20

I can't believe I've been doing this for a little over three weeks. Time sure does fly. The plan is to carry this out until at least this Friday and then see where I've gotten. So far, I'm still the same weight and I've been able to maintain the 1'' loss of my waist. Nothing spectacular, but it's still progress in the right direction.

This weekend was good. I stayed right on track with food and exercised a lot (mostly housework, but that's better than sitting all day, like I do during the week).

I've got a lot on my plate this week, so I just hope that I can keep my head on straight and focus depite the low cal level I'm putting myself at.

My plan for training this week is to do a little less weight training (40 mins max) and increase my cardio to at least 45 mins - 1 hour total each day. For today, Monday, I already walked about 40 mins so will do 30-40 mins of weights later this afternoon and then at least 25 mins of cardio (probably light sprints and walking on the gym treadmill).

Here is my record from yesterday. I was quite bitchy and brain dead this day... not fun.


Cass's diet record Sun May 20, 07. (Cardio Only Day)
Good sleep last night. Slept 12:30 am to 8:30 am

8:30 am - After getting up, walked fast on my treadmill, with incline for 20 mins. Good workout. Heart was pumping and felt great.

9:25 am - Took greens and supplements = 30 cals, 6 NET carbs
9:45 am - Took 4 fish oil, Se7en and Rev-Z= 36 cals, 4 g fat

9:50 am - Drank first shake of day (made in blender): 1 1/2 scoops Low Carb Metabolic Drive, 10 frozen strawberries, 1 Tbsp ground flax and glucomannan = 226 cals, 32 g pro, 11 g NET carbs (16 - 5 fiber), 6 g fat

Justin and I went to Costco and Home Depot to get morning errands done and pick up new shelving for the basement.

Home at 12 noon and had to eat again - Shake #2: 1 scoop Low Carb Metabolic Drive, 5 frozen strawberries, 1 Tbsp ground flax and glucomannan = 186 cals, 26 g pro, 7 g NET carbs , 6 g fat
Also had 75 g fresh blackberries = 40 cals, 9 g NET carbs

We worked in the basement most of the afternoon building shelves. I was cranky and nasty to Justin… side effect of low cals and stress. Don't like being this way.

The whole time we were doing this, our other roomies were brewing beer, hanging out in the sun and grilling. Justin had to join them, but I just didn't feel social. I hung out a bit, but really wasn't in the mood to be there long. Is this what the attainment of a lean body composition is all about? I remember having these shitty days when I dieted hard before and always wondered why I did that to myself. Oh well, the only way you understand something totally is if you engage in it yourself (referring to dieting hard to lose body fat fast).

3:15 pm - Shake # 3: 1 1/2 scoops Low Carb Metabolic Drive, 5 frozen strawberries, 75 g blackberries, 1 Tbsp hemp seeds, 10 g almonds and glucomannan = 266 cals, 30 g pro, 14 g NET carbs , 10 g fat
Took 4 more fish oil = 36 cals, 4 g fat

Worked in basement more. No sitting. All standing.

6:10 pm - Workout at home time: Foam rolled, abs, push-ups, lunges, hip lifts, bridges, rotator cuff work. Then, walked on treadmill from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. Great workout. I was a little hypoglycemic though during the walk and by the end I thought I was going to fall off the treadmill -not cool

Showered, made dinner.
7:20 pm - Whole food meal (at leftovers to get them out of the fridge and ate the creamed gluco-caulifower I just made): 2.75 oz salmon fillet, 1.45 oz grilled chicken breast with 1 tbsp Carb One Ketchup, 75 g brown rice with 1 tsp canola oil, 100 g plain low-fat yogurt with cucumbers and dill (sounds weird, but tastes awesome), 1 cup cauliflower = 352 cals, 37 g protein, 24 g carbs, 12 g fat

10 pm - Red bell pepper and more cauliflower = 50 cals, 2 g pro, 10 g carbs,

Totals: 1176 cals, 127 g pro, 72 g carbs, 42 g fat

Bed at 11 pm