Bodybuilding Forums

I've read Mark's book and was really stoked to try his diet. However, I've been previously dieting for close to 20 weeks and dropped my weight from 220 lbs down to about 190. The first week on the diet was fine, but the weeks after I begin to feel light headed and my strength was dropping with every workout. Also, thinking began to get very hard(I've heard this is a problem with very low carb diets). For example someone would ask me my phone# and I couldn't remember what it is. I'm going to post my diet and perhaps Mark or one of you other low carbers can critique it. I am in no way knocking this diet, as I did lose weight(went down to 180) but this week I had to start eating carbs again b/c I couldn't take the "side effects" anymore. This is what I was eating:

Meal #1
5 whole eggs
1 tbsp of Heavy Cream

Meal #2(Post Workout)
2 scoops Whey Protein
1 tbsp Dextrose

Meal #3
4 oz extra lean beef
2 cups Spinach

Meal #4
4oz chicken breast
22 almonds

Meal #5
1 Can of Tuna
2 tbsp's Miracle Whip
2 cups Spinach

Meal #6
2 scoops Whey Protein
1 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Flaxseed Oil

Steve_C -

At first glance, nothing in your diet seems unusual - but if you dropped 10 lbs too quickly than you may have found your culprit. I suspect that you aren't eating enough.

You don't need to count calories every day, or every week. But, I would take some time to figure out your body's calorie needs (there are several methods you can find on the internet - just get a rough feel from a few of them), and then calculate all the calories you are eating for a few days.

Running at too low of a calorie deficit can be dangerous. I suggest trying to hit your maintenance needs for two weeks or so, and then start thinking about reducing calories and burning fat. That will give you time mentally to adjust to low-carbing.

I had a little bit of trouble the first two weeks adjusting to low-carbing (carb cravings, etc.), but nothing that severe. Now I crave my low-carb foods!

Think of your nutrition as one big experiment. Don't be afraid to change the inputs a little bit and give low-carbing another shot.

Hi Bdunks,

I don't think I dropped my calories too fast. The weight I lost was two pounds each week. I used the forumula's Mark provided in his book for my Protein/Fat requirements. Thanks for the reply.

Steve, have you been working out in addition to your diet? If so, 2lbs a week can be safe.

However if you're losing 2lbs a week simply on diet, you have created a minimum 7,000 calorie deficit in your diet (3,500 calories is roughly equal to one lb of bodyweight).

A male, 5'10 weighing in at 220lbs, 30 years of age, needs about 2,545 calories per day just to maintain weight. Over a 7-day week this adds up to about 17,800 calories. With a 7,000 calorie deficit, you are eating 40% LESS calories than what you need to maintain your weight, and you are SERIOUSLY undernourished.

What kind of exercise routine (if any) did you incorporate?
Have you attempted to count calories in your food? If not, why?
Have you thought about using FitDay.com or any other sort of fitness journal to keep track of your caloric intake?

well 2 lbs a week corresponds to a deficit per day of 1000 calories. I think that that's just a bit too much. as a previous poster said too much of a deficit isn't good either, also make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

Hi Hardyb,
I have been following a bodybuilding routine for 10 years, and I am a certified personal trainer so I'm covered as far as workouts go:P
I did count calories, and I do use Fitday.com
I have heard pro bodybuilders say that they can't go for more than 3 days with severely low carbs as it causes their IQ to drop. If you've ever read Scivation's "Cut Diet" it is similar to Mark's with one exception; every 16th meal they do a carb up meal that consists of oats, a sweet potatoe, raisins, honey, etc. I may try this next week as I find with the carbs I added in this week I'm feeling the stomach bloat:( although I have tons of energy and it has been easier to make it through my workouts, less cravings, etc.

Hey Steve,

I decided to give one more quick look at your diet. Depending on the kind of whey you're using and how you're cooking your spinach, along with a few other x-factors, you may be down under 20g of carbs per day.

The goal of the MANS isn't "as-low-as-you-can-go." It's all about as-low-as-you-can-go without effecting your performance mentally and physically. For some people that's 25g per day, for others it's 35g. You could always try increasing up the amount of carbs you are eating during the week until you find your spot.

If you're drinking a high-carb whey, then your carb count could be well above 30g/day. Switching to a zero carb whey and allotting those new found carbs towards solid foods might help.

Good luck!

Steve_C wrote:Hi Hardyb,
I have been following a bodybuilding routine for 10 years, and I am a certified personal trainer so I'm covered as far as workouts go:P
I did count calories, and I do use Fitday.com
I have heard pro bodybuilders say that they can't go for more than 3 days with severely low carbs as it causes their IQ to drop. If you've ever read Scivation's "Cut Diet" it is similar to Mark's with one exception; every 16th meal they do a carb up meal that consists of oats, a sweet potatoe, raisins, honey, etc. I may try this next week as I find with the carbs I added in this week I'm feeling the stomach bloat:( although I have tons of energy and it has been easier to make it through my workouts, less cravings, etc.

Good stuff! I've never heard of Scivation's Cut Diet, however that sounds like not-so-bad an idea. More or less every day or every other day you reup on carbs... sounds doable. Personally, I have been doing a 40-40-20 split with carbs, Protein-Carbs-Fat. Most of my carbs actually come in the morning with toast and oatmeal, simply because I burn them up after a taxing run or bike ride. Are you incorporating a heavy cardio routine? If so, that may be eating up your carbs throughout the day and leaving you feel drained.

I'm sure you're well aware, but to reiterate: Carbs turn into glucose which feeds your brain. When you go low carb, your liver uses up fat to produce ketone bodies, which then replace glucose as the primary source of energy to the brain. This process is called ketosis, which occurs favorably when on a low carb diet, basically teaching your body to burn fat rather than carbs. It very well could be the transition period to where your body is not sure how to efficiently and effectively burn fat in absence of carbs. I find it strange that your body reacted the way it did after an entire week. Typically carb reserves are the first to go in any workout, so I imagine yours would have been drained within a few days.

Personally, I'm not about the extreme-low carbs. I always find that it has a nasty effect on me after a few days and I get super cranky and unhappy. I definitely do see the positive aspect of this diet, however I had to tweak it to work for me. Most specifically I carb up EVERY morning, never eat carbs after about 11AM, usually not after 9:00-9:30 AM. This combined with my AM cardio gets me energized for the day, and then after my workout, I eat a protein heavy meal and am good and tired for bed around 10:30-11:00.

Keep us updated on what you try and how it works.

You know i had the same problem. I have to eat 8-10 good meals per day. What the heck! it's cheaper to fill up my mini cooper and drive around then feed my face to grow muscle. Even with protein and MR as snacks I am not eating enough. I looked at Mark's diet in marvel. I want to bulk up (gain muscle) but I do NOT want to get fat, I can't stand it. SO I started the diet and the first day was light headed but passed it off as my body adjusting. After the first week I got real sick..sweating, light headed, couldn't concentrate, ornery, etc! I ate like a freakin pig too. Eggs, chicken, etc. I had to stop.

What am i doing wrong? How come this diet doesn't work for me? Anybody near Chicago wanna take me grocery shopping??? HELP!

A little background: I was 160lbs. and wanted to add any weight. So I ate like I wanted to die for 2 months (i.e., 2 triples from wendys with a large chocolate shake and chicken fingers and large fry, or the worst thing from burger king and crap like that all day everyday.) I at so terrible for 2 months on purpose to see how I'd react... NO WEIGHT GAIN. I just kept burning it off. No fat gains. No one pound.

THIS MAY HELP: I only saw gains with: Lot of Chicken, Lots of Peanut butter (small jar before I went in), N.O. Xplode, NDS AmplifyXL, NDS CR5, NDS X-plode XL, MuscleTech Anator p70, GNC MegaMan. I went from 160lbs. to 182lbs. on this diet and hit a stop. I think the NDS AmplifyXL with NDS X-plode XL were what really helped because the AmplifyXL has flaxseeds in it and the X-plode XL was allowing me to control my complex carbs.

I need help. You guys are the experts.
Please help!! email me... h g f i r e [at] g m a i l [dot] c o m
any suggestions would be so appreciated.

thanks everyone.

Skinny Chicago
~~~~----///
currently taking Black Powder (just started), CR5 creatine, NOW Gainer (vanilla)

One thing I noticed is that you only eat lean meat. On low carb fatty meat is perfect and ups your calorie intake easily, cheaper too.