Oh bitter irony.

Counting carbs, counting proteins, counting fats..monitoring sleep needs..taking supplements ( and a little primo), and my best workout in the last year I've gotten was the morning after pigging out on calzones, fried eggplant and only getting 6 hours of sleep?! WTF! I just threw an extra 20 lbs on the bench press and got 1 rep more than I did with 20 less lbs. All I can figure is my body needed a change from the standard routine. Anyone else ever run into this issue? That for all the care you take, all the "good" advise you follow..that sometimes you gain when you think you shouldn't? If you want a good workout and pump, have a pizza the night befoe. HAHA. Yeah dude, it's great huh ?

Counting carbs, counting proteins, counting fats..monitoring sleep needs..taking supplements ( and a little primo ), and my best workout in the last year I've gotten was the morning after pigging out on calzones, fried eggplant and only getting 6 hours of sleep?! WTF! I just threw an extra 20 lbs on the bench press and got 1 rep more than I did with 20 less lbs. All I can figure is my body needed a change from the standard routine. Anyone else ever run into this issue? That for all the care you take, all the "good" advise you follow..that sometimes you gain when you think you shouldn't? This is straight forward. Your not eating enough to make suffcient gains! This is why bulking well gaining some fat mass as well as lean muscle is more effective then trying to remain lean and bulk! You need fuel for energy! I always, ALWAYS have better workouts after 5 or 6 hours of solid eating, and even the day before, if i eat all day the next day my body is just primed! I'd try to eat more food, and you should have continued increase's in weight lifted! 20lbs MORE is abnormal mind you, for a 1 day gain

This is straight forward. Your not eating enough to make suffcient gains! I've been battling that demon for a while, having to force myself to eat. I've been adding more and more protein. Perhaps the huge shot of carbs-calories for a zone diet eater like myself was the boost I needed. Thanks for your input Potential.

If you want a good workout and pump, have a pizza the night befoe. HAHA. Yeah dude, it's great huh ? I never understood why people have to be like this.

I've been battling that demon for a while, having to force myself to eat. I've been adding more and more protein. Perhaps the huge shot of carbs-calories for a zone diet eater like myself was the boost I needed. Thanks for your input Potential. First.. What are your goals bro? cause if you want to look like Clay Aiken, follow the zone diet for years! What are your priorities? If you want to gain mass, eat clean, but eat LOTS, dont worry about the occasional cheat meal, just make SURE you get your set amount of protein and healthy carbs per day! When Im bulking, im eating so much god dam clean food i can hardly find ROOM for junk food of any sort! but i still love my chicken ciabatta bread from Boston Pizza! that shit is great!

First.. What are your goals bro? cause if you want to look like Clay Aiken, follow the zone diet for years! What are your priorities? If you want to gain mass, eat clean, but eat LOTS, dont worry about the occasional cheat meal, just make SURE you get your set amount of protein and healthy carbs per day! When Im bulking, im eating so much god dam clean food i can hardly find ROOM for junk food of any sort! but i still love my chicken ciabatta bread from Boston Pizza! that shit is great! Long story made short..after my Bucs won the superbowl in 2003 ( I feel it coming this year again! ) I weighed in at 385 lbs. Morbidly obese. My daughter started having me drop her off down street from her school she was so embarressed. Next day it was 60-65 degrees out, cool, and I was sweating. The next day I went on the Atkin's Diet and bought a weight set. I lost 180-190 lbs in 13 months. But I kept losing weight..and was very skinny for a 200 lbs man. So I stared eating more of a zone diet ( more carbs ) and was able to get my weight up to where I am now, about 245. I'm 6'3 about 18-19 % BF. I'm a pretty big boy...but I know a couple of guys from work who used to compete at the local level that keep telling me that with some work I could compete. For the last year and a half I've been working my weight up and down, bulking and cutting, getting a little stronger..but much much bigger..I recently bulked, but after seeing my blood pressure get a little high, I decided to shed a little weight. I'm at 245 right now..summer is here , the beaches are breast-covered and I want to get that RIPPED look again I had when I weighted 220. But I want a little more muscle on top of it. This fall I plan on bulking big time. But for this summer..the beach is calling.

Right. Well. Congratulations on the weight loss! The beach is nice, and I too know how good it feels to be ripped at the beach! I had a very in depth discussion with board members (Data and BiGWill) about whether I should just stay lean all summer (I was only 160lbs, cut though) or should I say screw the lean and just start my bulking now (because my end goal is 200lbs at 6% bf) and I decided since im in this sport for myself, I couldnt care less what people thought ( and yes, I was even single at the time) so I started way back in on april 1st, bulking/eating/lifting some heavy ass weight. The Result for me.. Im 195 as of today, at about 11% Bf. Much further ahead then I would have been had I stayed lean all summer,and i STILL have remenents of my ab's poking through! So that's my story, depends on your long term goals, for me, I couldnt wait another day to get up to the size I need to be, in order to cut down to the size I wanted to end up at! Everyone's different, but after this year, I plan on staying lean all year round! One more tip, The best Cardio in the world, is hot and sweaty sex, 6 nights a week!(and I mean with a women, Gribble)

Counting carbs, counting proteins, counting fats..monitoring sleep needs..taking supplements ( and a little primo ), and my best workout in the last year I've gotten was the morning after pigging out on calzones, fried eggplant and only getting 6 hours of sleep?! WTF! I just threw an extra 20 lbs on the bench press and got 1 rep more than I did with 20 less lbs. All I can figure is my body needed a change from the standard routine. Anyone else ever run into this issue? That for all the care you take, all the "good" advise you follow..that sometimes you gain when you think you shouldn't? I think its important to periodize both your training and nutrition. Just as I periodize my training from high volume to low volume, high intensity to low intensity, etc ... I also periodize my nutrition from high calories to low calories, etc. If you are binge eating and observing gains the day after I would suggest you are eating too little or your current diet isn't providing you with your needs. Myself I'm 5f7 and 185lbs. When I start off a diet I'll eat upwards to 4000 calories. Why? Ramp up the metabolism. Your metabolism adjusts quickly. If I start a 12 week diet eating 2500 cals by the 10th week I'll be eating so little that I would waste away. Instead I start off big and by the 10th week I'm eating enough to hold on to some muscle. I don't know what you are currently eating but try consuming an additional 1000-1500 clean calories per day. Each week drop 250 calories. See where that takes you. It might be the "kick start" your metabolism needs. I would caution against binge eating if you do it frequently ... I'm just making an assumption ... if you do ... thats telling you something. Your diet may not be working. You may have to change your attitude towards foods. For example the other day I met a guy who was fucking ripped. I mean Clarence Bass ripped. He only eats organic foods. Claims that eating organic foods he mentally is more cautious about what he eats. He no longer gives himself permission to eat McD's. Eating fast food would be like putting poision into his body. Now thats not true. But its a successful lie.

Thanks Data, thanks Potential. Great advise, all of it!