The Fatman Fights Back with the Help of Syntrax Nectar

I was in bad shape. I had no energy, no drive and I was constantly coughing. I was sleepy, my mind seemed foggy, my back ached and my arms and legs would swell to the point where I couldn't bend my fingers or knees.

When I got laid off, I thought who would hire me. I look like I would die on the job.

I decided to do whey shakes and low carb and it worked. I first combined the approach with walking then went to Kmart and put a weight bench in layaway. I really started making some gains in muscle, fat loss and confidence.

Thanks to craigslist I stepped up to olympic weights and a squat rack. I haven't looked back.



I had lots of protein shakes but primarily used:

Vitaminshoppe BodyTech
Body Fortress Whey
Syntrax Nectar
Iron-Tek Essential
Dymatize Elite Iso
Dymatize Elite XT
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard
Isopure Zero Carb

My typical day:
6 a.m. - shake (pre-workout)
8 a.m. - shake (post-workout)
10 a.m. - shake
12 p.m. - shake
solid food the rest of the day

Here's some of numbers from my journey.

6/22/2009– weight 247lbs

Short of breath, sleep, low sex drive, hip pain, muscle spasms, feet, ankles and sometimes legs swelling, hands swelling, coughing, right shoulder and arm pain.

Cannot do push-ups. Painful shoulder.

Cannot do pull-ups.

Started walking on treadmill.

10/1/2009 - Started weight training.

Cannot do push-ups.

11/30/2009 – MAX: bench press 175lbs

Curl 91.5lbs

12/7/2009 - MAX: bench press 195lbs x 2

1/1/2010- weight 229lbs

1/17/2010 – measurement – abdomen 48

1/17/2010 – past carbohydrate history (weight loss per week)

22 grams per day lost 6lbs

95/day lost 5lbs

110/day lost 1lb

115/day lost 3.5lbs (with exercise)

150/day lost 1lb

2/22/2010 - measurements

Chest 46

Abdomen 46

Left Bicep 14.5

Right Bicep 15.5

Right Thigh 22

Left Thigh 21

2/23/2010 –started working out left bicep and tricep on a second day to even out the size with the right arm.

3/8/2010 –started Muscle and Fitness 4-week Strength Band Workout

Surprisingly, I was extremely sore after these workouts.

3/22/2010 – measurements

Chest 41

Abdomen 46

Left Bicep 17

Right Bicep 17

Neck 17

4/1/2010 –started TABATA HIIT workouts (4 minutes)

4/2/2010 – Able to do push-ups again!

5/17/2010 - First time using chains with ez-bar curls

5/18/2010 - MAX: chins 2

Note: negative-accentuated technique [one second up/six seconds down]

Note: "After [a series of full-range reps] you'll find it impossible to do a complete repetition. But that does not mean the biceps muscle is completely exhausted. You'll find with some effort that you are still able to get a few half repetitions...and when you can no longer do the half movements, you'll find you can do a couple of quarter repetitions."

5/26/2010 - MAX: bench press 225lbs

6/1/2010 – Adopted new workout philosophy. From books Muscle Logic and Get Huge in a Hurry. Morning cardio on empty stomach.

Example: 15 minutes circuit

Pull-ups/Bench Press/Squat-Press

Treadmill wearing weighted vest.

7/12/2010– weight 213 lbs.

7/16/2010 – Did 20 push-ups and 5 pull-ups straight.

8/5/2010 – Did 7 pull-ups straight.

8/8/2010 – Did 25 push-ups straight.

8/15/2010 – measurements

Chest 46

Abdomen 41

Left Bicep 16

Right Bicep 16

Right Thigh 24

Left Thigh 24

9/20/2010– weight 205 lbs.

I am able to button my USAF BDU pants again.

11/13/2010 –measurements

Chest 40

Abdomen 42

Left Bicep 17.5

Right Bicep 17

11/13/2010– weight 195 lbs.

12/19/2010 - MAX: Curl 123 lbs x 1

12/25/2010 – Did 30 push-ups straight.

6/14/2011 – able to fit size 34 waist pants, down from 46 inch pants size.

Some of the numbers and dates don't seem to jive for me but I put them in here as logged them in my journal.

I stopped typing in my journal here. I need to update it so I can update you.

Feel free to email me about muscle building.........at

wheyblog@gmail.com

Best Flat Belly Foods as Seen On Dr. Oz

Breakfast - Yogurt
Snack Attach - Almonds
Canned Food - Olives
Candy - Dark Chocolate

Best all around - sunflower oil


No big revelations here. Go to www.doctoroz.com for more.

3 Natural Energy Drinks Mentioned on Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz focused on alternatives to jittery, high stimulant energy drinks. He discussed how those drinks should be used in moderation for emergencies and not as a daily drink. The below drinks can be used daily. While they will not give you the super boost of high caffeine drinks they will be more nourishing.

1) Yerba Mate Tea

2) Chocolate Whey, Glutamine and Granulated Coffee

3) Infused Waters (lemons, limes, pineapples)

I really like to drink all three. My recommendations are Wisdom of the Ancients Powdered Yerbe Mate Royal, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey, and Iron-Tek Glutamine.

The Iron-Tek Glutamine is more expensive than others but it is not produced from wheat gluten like most others.

Get the full details on www.doctoroz.com and search for Miracle Energy Drinks.

Can a Cream Reduce Belly Fat? The Quest to Find a Topical Fat Burner

Well, we will see. I just received Ab-Solution Plus today from netnutri. They had the best price I could find on this product.

I found only two products that met the ingredients requirements for a topical fatburner.

Ab-Solution Plus by Vyotech
Celluthin by Celluthin


I first came across this concept in a article in Muscle and Fitness magazine in 2006. Muscle and Fitness often will publish information about promising supplements long before they appear on the market and this was one of those instances. I then figured that maybe I would try it after reading about Tim Ferriss' experiences with a similiar product in the 4-Hour Body.

The article and book both highlighted promising ingredients to look for in a topical fat burner and these products all contain one or more of them.

The below ingredients were taken directly from the Muscle and Fitness article Ah! There's the Rub by Len Davis and Jim Stoppani.

» YOHIMBINE Yohimbine increases blood flow to fat tissue and stimulates fat-burning. Topical formulas can have synergistic effects when used with oral fat-burners, increasing the delivery of these ingredients to the target area. A human trial found that yohimbine alone or in combination with other fat-burners decreased fat stores when applied to the skin. Topical yohimbine may also allow more fat-burning hormones to reach the target area.

» FORSKOLIN Forskolin comes from the herb coleus forskohlii, a traditional Indian herb used in Ayurvedic medicine. It also plays an important role in fat-burning within fat cells. Oral forskolin supplements have been shown to reduce bodyfat while boosting testosterone levels. Topical forskolin creams have also helped study subjects lose subcutaneous fat when used consistently for four weeks.

» AMINOPHYLLINE Aminophylline decreases the activity of enzymes that inhibit fat-burning within fat cells. Studies show that topical creams containing aminophylline can reduce fat levels directly beneath the skin. When combined with topical ingredients that increase fat-burning through different mechanisms, aminophylline has been shown to be even more effective at decreasing fat stores.

» CAFFEINE Caffeine is probably the most clinically studied and most commonly used oral supplement for fatburning. A study as far back as 1979 found that caffeine is also well absorbed through the skin, as evidenced by increased urine levels of caffeine after topical administration in humans. Because of caffeine's high permeation through the skin, it's used medically in certain conditions for increasing delivery of caffeine in the body. Topical caffeine applications also increase blood flow -- important for burning fat since limited blood flow can be a limiting factor in fat usage.

My starting abdominal measurement is 41 inches (around the navel). While over the past few years my pants waist has gone from 46 inches to 34 inches, my abdominal area has not budged in a year.

Wish me luck!

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Low-carbohydrate diet burns more excess liver fat than low-calorie diet. Press: http://t.co/xX7NGG4eZ5 Science: http://t.co/vIEtYuJORl
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Pre and Post Workout VPX NO-Shotgun and NO-Synthesize

I love this stack. NO-Shotgun as a pre-workout has everything and more you could ever want, including some innovative ingredients. Here are the highlights.

NO-Shotgun
20 grams of Casein Hydrolysate - faster digesting than whey, Whey Hydrolysate, Ionic Whey Protein
Ethyl Ester Amino Acid Matrix - L-Leucine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, L-Arginine, L-Valine Ethyl
                                                      Ester, L-2-Aminopentanoic Acid (L-Nor Valine), L-Alanyl
                                                      Glutamine, L-Arginine Ehtyl Ester Di-HCL, L-Isoleucine Ethyl
                                                      Ester HCL, L-Leucine Ethyl Ester HCL
Creatine Matrix - containing six forms
Citrulline Malate
Gamma-Butyrobetaine
Beta Alanine/beta Alanine Ethyl Ester HCL
KIC(Ketoisocaproic Acid Calcium)
Hordenine HCL

The post-workout formula (NO-SyntheSize) contains more of the muscle building ingredients to get more gains.

NO-SyntheSize
20 grams of the protein matrix anchored by PeptoPro - Casein Protein Hydrolysates
COP - Creatinol-O-Phosphate
Di Sodium Creatine PhosphateTetrahydrate
BPOV - Bis Picolinato Oxo Vanadium
Beta-Alanine Ethyl Ester HCI
GBB - Gamma-Butyrobetaine

Here's what I ate today.

Time
06:00 NO-Shotgun
07:30 NO-Synthesize
09:30 Hamburger Patty
13:30 NO-Shotgun
17:00 2 Hamburger Patties and McDonald's Side Salad
22:00 Buffalo Wings, Beans, Fries, Roll

Weighed 199 lbs. - No change. Bought four clearance items at the Vitaminshoppe for $43

I got 2 lb Muscletech Nitro-Tech for $17.98, Methy-Mass Pre-workout for $21.48, a Supreme Bar and Blue Thunder recovery drink. I love the 1/2 price table.

Here's todays numbers.

Time
06:00 USPLabs Modern BCAA
09:00 BPI Blox
14:00 BPI Blox
17:30 Bean and Beef Burrito and Doritos
21:30 Chicken Wings and Beans

Weighed in at 199 lbs today, no change from last week.

Weigh in tomorrow. 10X10 Incline Dumbbell Presses Today.

My workout today consisted of a warm-up  on the treadmills and then 10x10 incline dumbbell bench presses. I maybe harming myself by taking Ipriflavone at dinner time. You sometimes see it in hardgainer stacks. I'm far from a hardgainer....endomorph all the way.

Here's what I ate.

Time
14:30 big southwest chicken salad (pictured above) from Walmart
19:00 Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Bar Rocky Road with 30 grams of protein
20:00 rotisserie chicken, green beans, au gratin potatoes

I'll probably cheat later.

Full Body Workout and Today's Meals

My workout

Warmed up with jumping jacks and plate squats.

Shrug Bar Deadlifts 4x Ironman Magazine Style.

Barbell Curls with Strength Bands attached 4x style.

One Arm Band Pressdowns 4x style each arm.

Time

15:30 4 egg omelet

19:00 Titan Low Sugar Vanilla Caramel Crunch Bar

22:00 Hotdog and 50 grams of Optimum Nutrition Whey



Used My New Shrug Bar - Made Me Really Hungary

The shrug bar workout felt really good. But, I ate alot today.

Time
11:00 Breakfast Burrito
17:00 SuperSonic Double Bacon Cheeseburger
21:30 8 ounce milk and 10 grams of Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey
22:00 Cheese Pizza

USPLabs Modern BCAA - This is what I will drink until mealtime.

Drinking an amino acid drink should spare calories, spare muscle and allow me to burn fat. We shall see.

I just received this amazing deal from Nutraplanet. Two 80 serving containers of Bulk Modern BCAA (1 kg) for $56.93 with shipping. To put this into perspective, typically USPLABS Modern BCAA costs $35 for 35 servings.

The Bulk Modern BCAA costs $ .36 per serving versus $1.00 everywhere else.

Modern BCAA contains 10 grams of an amino acid blend that can be taken pre-workout, during workout, post-workout or anytime during the day to stay anabolic.

USPlabs Modern BCAA Proprietary Blend:
Micronized L-Leucine, Micronized L-Isoleucine, Micronized L-Valine, L-Alanyl-LGlutamine (Sustamine™)

The below was reported in Muscle and Fitness Magazine by Tim Scheet, PHD and Jim Stoppani, PHD, M&F Science Editor

"Scientists at Kanazawa University found that when volunteers Ingested about 3 grams of an amino-acid mixture before one hour of moderate-intensity exercise on a stationary bike, they burned the same amount of total calories but more from fat than those who took a placebo drink. In addition, the volunteers in the amino-acid group reported that the exercise felt easier than those in the placebo group did."

Todays eating:

Time
09:00 10 grams of leucine mixed with 5 grams of BCAA (pre-workout)
12:00  1 cup of milk with coffee
14:00 10 grams of leucine mixed with 5 grams of BCAA
18:00 2 Ballpark Brand Hamburger Patties, 4 tablespoons Peter Pan Natural Peanut Butter,
          Little Debbies Brownie.
22:00 50 grams Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey mixed with 8 ounces chocolate milk

Lost 95 LBS on the Tim Ferriss Slow Carb Diet and PAGG, Drank Neuro Sonic

I met a guy today who lost 95 pounds over the last year on the slow carb diet as featured in The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. He said it took him a little over one year and that he also used the PAGG supplement formula.

PAGG stands for

Policosanol: 20–25 mg

Alpha-lipoic acid: 100–300 mg

Green tea flavanols (decaffeinated with at least 325 mg EGCG): 325 mg

Garlic extract: 200 mg

Prior to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner AGG
Bedtime PAG (No Green Tea)

I would say it's worth a try.


Here's what I had today.

09:00 BPI Blox
11:30 2 slices of Buffalo Pizza
18:00 2 bean tostadas, Neuro Sonic Drink
22:00 Beef, Green Beans and a small portion of Hamburger Helper

This was my first time having the Neuro Sonic Drink. It was really good but had a slight "vitamin" taste. I can't wait to try the others but this blend was perfect for me. I was particularly excited about the theanine, Alpha-GPC and the Phosphatidylserine. The below information is from their website.

NeuroSonic supports mental focus and performance.

†Vitamins and dietary ingredients provided in NeuroSonic:

• L-Theanine - an amino acid found naturally in tea leaves, L-theanine is provided in a ratio with caffeine that naturally occurs in tea (dosage equivalent = 2-3 cups of tea). Independent of caffeine, emerging research has also demonstrated the ability of L-theanine to produce unique cognitive benefits. Other emerging research suggests L-theanine can mitigate some of the unwanted side-effects from heavy caffeine consumption.†

• Caffeine - In NeuroSonic caffeine is provided in an amount roughly equivalent to one cup of coffee. Caffeine increases mental energy, including benefits such as alertness, vigor, quicker reaction time, attention and a sense of well-being. Perfect for getting started in the morning.†

• Alpha GPC (choline alphoscerate) - A rapidly absorbed source of choline, Alpha GPC contributes to the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory. A foundational support nutrient for the brain.†

• Phosphatidylserine (PS) - Derived from soy lecithin, PS forms the basis of all biological cell membranes. It serves as an important component of neural cells by modulating the activity of receptors and regulating membrane fluidity. Another important structural support nutrient for the brain.†

• Vitamin D (D3) - Recent research indicates many vitamin D receptors located on both neurons and glial cells in the brain. Emerging research demonstrates a role for vitamin D in neuroprotection and neurotransmission.†

• B-Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid) - Important for supporting functions of the brain and peripheral nervous system.†

• Taurine - An amino acid commonly found in foods such as turkey (dark meat), chicken and shellfish.(2) Taurine is important for neurotransmission.†

• Resveratrol -An antioxidant found in grapes and red wine.†

(1)Lieberman HR. Cognitive methods for assessing mental energy. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2007;10(5/6):229-242.
(2) Wojcik OP et al. (2010). Atherosclerosis, 208:19-25