week 2

So I did not do to shabby overall, I did accidentally go over on carbs for 2 days so I am doing an additional 7 of 30 grams of usable carbs or less to ensure I am doing it by the book. I should note that I am hitting that 50:50 ratio of fats to protein pretty consistently at around 160 + each and around 2540 to 2600 cals a day, making sure the fiber intake is up there takes a bit of supplementation but I do manage to get most of it in there. I am not going to go into the daily breakdowns unless requested the first week was more for those whom are curious what the layout is. There is a significant increase in my memory though with the coconut oil and I know my body likes the stuff as I get a boost of energy from it as well.

week 1 log for those whom want to try the diet and my experience.

So I figured I would post up a log of my trip down carb nite lane and the results/experience along the way to my goal of a solid 6 pack. Now I am pretty low bodyfat to begin with (around 10%) I had started my fat loss journey about a year ago and I did shed about 40 lbs by counting cals at about a lb a week. Some weeks more some less but on average about that much. The problem I found with counting cals was that I never really got to that desired look, and then after a 1 month break from counting cals to do a bulk phase to regain some muscle I found that counting cals no longer really worked for me. I still count cals but I was in need of a better way, hence my attraction to cns. Anyhow long story short I will start with my experiences to date:
FYI Usable carbs is total carbs - fiber that is how you calculate it out.
Starting weight: 167.7 lbs current weight: 162.6

Day 1: Sunday
Pretty easy day energy was good, not really missing carbs 233 g protein / 157 grams fat / Usable carbs 30g

Day 2: Monday
Worked out energy was mediocre not great but not terrible. 225 g protein / 153 fat / Usable carbs 32g

Day 3: Tuesday
I wanted to sleep, had to work late, no energy, crabby, missing carbs pretty bad but I fought through it.
275 g protein / 161 grams fat / Usable carbs 24g

Day 4: Wednesday
Wow, woke before my alarm energy was wayyyy up, good mood, ready to go. Not really missing carbs but with both my wife and son eating carbs around me its a challenge.
259 g protein/188 g fat / Usable carbs 32g

Day 5: Thursday
Energy is really good today, feeling fantastic, noticed my skin and hair are looking better today and I am experiencing an energy rush nearly every time I eat now. Pretty sure its because I am tweaking my diet slowly to include more fat.
196 g protein / 177 g fat / Usable carbs 21g

Day 6:Friday
Today was freakin awesome, I tried the coconut oil in my coffee and wow, I experienced a rush of energy and it seems like the more fat I eat the more energetic I get. I am starting to enjoy the diet and it seems like the more dialed in I get the ratio the better it feels trying for a 50/50 split ideally.
207 g protein / 189 g fat / Usable carbs 53g oops

Day 7: Saturday
Today was deadly worked about 6 hours and got home to have a nice relaxing day, made some meals with the wife, had to really fight a craving for ice cream when my son had a cone from Mcdonalds lol but I managed to fight the urge and stick to the diet. I am not having any issues with energy at all and it seems like the more coconut oil I am using the better I feel.
178 g protein / 203 g fat / Usable carbs 31 g

Day 8: Sunday
Today was good, felt good got to spend some time with the family took my lil guy swimming he had a blast. I should have ate more though I fell a lil short on cals which I am trying to avoid like the plague lol. O well tomorrow is a new day.
166 g protein / 185 g fat / 18 g usable carbs

Day 9: Monday
Good day again, work was not to busy I am really loving the coconut oil in my coffee it kicks butt. I am pumped and looking forward to my carb nite, I may destroy a tub of my fav frozen yogurt lol, either way it is going to be epic. I am loving the results to date.
160 g protein / 181 g fat / 30 g usable carbs

Day 10: Tuesday/ First Carb Nite
Game plan today is work followed by a 5:30 pm workout and then a massive gorging post workout as per the carb backload method muwahahaaa. I have my leucine and pre/post workout shakes ready to go from the cbl book to maximize my gains from this all out full effort complete body workout. * evil smile * It is going to be epic.
Monster 1 hour total body workout I hit 4 personal bests, I am never eating before a workout again lol.
216 g protein / 186 grams fat / 364 g carbs, 324 usable carbs (total cal count 3956)

As a side note I was up to 164 wed morning a gain but minimal carb nite damage. Will reference this carb amount as safe for next round. 

change in diet trying a new plan

So I have been doing more research into fat loss and see what is out there for me to try. I love the science side of things and in my pursuit of shedding fat and gaining muscle I have gone to the books researching things and seeing what really works and what is bull crap. Much to my amazement I tried skipping breakfast as per John kiefer's suggestion from dangerouslyhardcore.com. Now why would I do so? Well to test the age old diet mantra of breakfast being detrimental to shedding fat and that we should eat first thing to get the metabolic fire stoked. I did try it and for the first few days I did see a drop in metabolic rate but I found that it was due to a drop in calories once I had readjusted them I was back to proper metabolic levels and further to that I saw a visual change in my bodyfat in 2 weeks. Further to that my energy increased, my mental sharpness was better in the mornings now and I was waking before my alarm went off. So it appeared that he was on the money for his recommendations. This deserved more investigating I thought to myself.

The fat loss strategy that he proposed was called Carb Nite, in essence you are eating 30 grams of usable carbs a day or less. Now let me elaborate here usable carbs is essentially carbs - fiber content. So you can exceed 30 grams of carbs a day so long as the fiber content is there. You do not cut calories, you just use fat as 50% of your calories or slightly more and the remainder being protein/carbs. Now I know it may sound crazy to you shed fat and not cut cals, well we should first establish that cals are not all created equal, our body can get x amount of usable calories from what we eat so the age old diet mantra of all calories are equal is really not true. We have to look at how the body uses said calories for energy. Once a week post orientation phase we have a carb nite which is 1 night where you can consume carbs ad nauseum if desired. The theory/science behind it is that keeping carbs so low for the orientation phase prevents the body from being able to digest carbs as fat, the enzymes are simply not there. The reason I have turned my attention towards this as a goal is simple, results. I want to shed more fat to push my body composition further than I have ever done before.

The reasoning behind not cutting calories is simple, muscle retention, cutting calories will allow for muscle loss which I do not want and had experienced while doing caloric cutting to get to around 10% bodyfat. I want to lean out, retain/build some muscle and not cut cals. According to conventional wisdom this would not be possible without cutting calories if it is as simple as cals in vs cals out. So I will be updating thing as I go along with recommendations for those whom want to try this out and follow in my footsteps as well as post results and answer questions from fellow fat loss seekers.