Hey, I just received my Velocity Diet package in the mail today. I was planning on starting it tomorrow. However, according to the website, I consume a measly 1380 calories on a non-training day, and 1,710 calories on a training day. WTF?

I am/was currently consuming 3k daily, and around 3,500 on training days. My current breakfast is 16 oz. of whole milk, mixed with 2 scoops of Muscle Milk - 660 calories - half of an entire non-training day's worth!

I am 5'6.5", and weigh 160 lbs. I got DEXA scanned(the most accurate), and it told me I was 26% bodyfat. I had started out at 135 lbs, skinny-fat w/ man boobs and a gut, but twigs for arms and chicken legs, and zero lifting experience. Did Starting Strength, ate mostly Paleo but with 1/2 GOMAD.

My current lifts are: Squat 235x3x5, Bench 150x3x5, Deadlift 355x1x3 (no, not a typo), Press 110x3x5, power clean 140x2. However, my pesky gut and moobs did not go away, and have only gotten larger (obviously because I was focused on just bulking).

I have no intention of ever bodybuilding, and my lifts have been going up, but this fat is starting to get to me a bit too much Now, I want to get rid of my fat once and for all, before I get back on linear progression and start eating disgusting amounts of meat and milk again.

With that said, I guess all I'm looking for is clarification/reassurance to put my mind at easy, on why 1380/1710 calories is enough food for me to survive, let alone prevent my lifts from regressing. Will my lifts stall/regress? This is my biggest worry.

It's a rapid fat loss diet with protective mechanisms in place to prevent muscle loss. Hence low calories.

Did you read the full diet plan before you ordered it?

I did, are you talking about sections 2 and 3? i'm sure it works, i read the entire diet plan. I just can't grasp how low the calorie count is.

I'm just having last minute "stagefright" before taking the plunge. Was seeking some reassurance from the master behind this, and other people. I was a "hardgainer" and had trouble recovering and making gains on the lifts from eating 2500 cal.

Last night for dinner I gulped down a 660 cal protein shake to wash down a 10 oz steak and side of beans... it hit me like a train the reality. In one sitting I'd amassed my total calories for a non-training day.

On another note, I notice my package did not contain the l-leucine. is there a reason this isn't included? should i pick up an l-leucine supplement, or not? I also decided to opt out of the HOT-ROX, since I take Jack3d before I train, and it contains a lot of caffeine/stimulants as well.

Hey man! Yes the calories might be low ... But the results work!!!! Also, I hit a personal record the last week of the diet and hit 4 singles of a deadlift at 345lbs ... I was good for about 365 but wasn't going to push it (Dan John principle of "Sorta Max" and always leave gas in the tank ...). So you wont lose strength if you do it right ... So suck up that Stage Fright!!! ;-)

Keep us posted!

Leucine question: http://tnation.T-Nation.com/...ocity/leucine_5

Just remember, this diet is 100% fat loss focused. Don't worry about your lifts for a while. Sometimes any diet causes people to see a temporarily drop, but it'll come back. And let's be honest, it's not like you're a world record holder anyway. Let's lose the fat, then worry about other goals later.

For best results, follow the diet to the letter. You can't change it all up then say it "didn't work" for you.

And just a bonus tip, drop milk forever. You'll be glad you did.

[Quote]And just a bonus tip, drop milk forever. You'll be glad you did. [/quote]

Is your thought process dropping milk entirely? Or just from the shake mixes? What would you replace milk with in the diet to get the same benefits?

You never mix milk with shakes in the V-Diet. That's adding tons of sugary, bloating calories and turning the V-Diet into a fat gain diet.

You mix the shakes with water, as the diet instructs.

Thanks! I actually got excited last minute, and jump started the diet yesterday evening.

A few more newbie questions. Sorry, I realize you must be getting sick of answering for every new person starting the V-Diet

1. I lift late at night. I get home, eat, and go to bed. On a training day, should my last meal be the Surge Recovery shake PLUS the Bedtime shake w/ nut butter? Or should I have the "bedtime" shake pre-workout (around 8 PM), and the Surge Recovery right before bed (midnight - 1 AM)?

2. Why drop milk permanently? (why do you advise not returning to it after, I need it to get in my liquid calories, otherwise i just cant eat enough food). Is it because of the sugar? Would milk be fine assuming I eat Paleo... ie no bread, no fruits, no deserts or soda, brown rice on rare occasion.

3. What is a "serving" of flaxseed and nut butter? I bought some from Whole Foods. Is it the serving size according to the package? The flaxseed is 2 Tbsp (80 cal total, 5g fat, 5g carbs, 3g protein). Got some natural 7-nut and seed butter. 2tbsp serving size, 180 cal total (15g fat, 8g carbs, 6g protein)

4. Cacao powder - can i add these to my shakes?

One I got is 1 Tbsp serving size(10 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g carbs/2g fiber/0g sugar, <1g protein). It is this brand: http://shop.dagobachocolate.co...

The other brand is 2Tbsp serving size and 120 calories (4g fat, 15g carbs/9g fiber/0g sugar, 6g protein) http://www.royalhimalayan.com/... (see the Raw Cacao Powder)

I realize the latter has some calories to it. Can I substitute that for the flaxseed or nut butter Every now and then? Or perhaps half a serving of nut butter mixed with the cacao?

and before anyone asks... i hate sweet flavors, so i don't want sugar-free chocolate sweeteners or other syrups (like the da vinci syrups). I actually like the bitter taste of dark chocolate and even raw cacao.

@Vash: I may have an article in the archives somewhere, but yes, I ditched milk years ago. Almond milk is a good replacement.

1. Take Surge as soon as you're finished lifting. You can even sip it during lifting. Drink shake before bed if you have a shake left to go.

2. Milk makes you fat and bloated. I have an article in the archives somewhere with details. And if you "needed" those calories, then you would not have fat to lose, no?

3. See label. Nut butter label should have nuts, salt, and that's it. There's a lot of "fake" natural nut butters out there with added sugar. These are advertised as "no stir."

4. Adding 10 calories to a shake is fine. More than that is not. Those things are not subs for flax or nut butter.

Thanks!

yes, the nut butter is all natural. No other ingredients. Not even salt. Not the no-stir variety.

My question was about the flaxseed serving. Just wanted to be sure what you mean by a serving, is the same as the packaging. When I was shopping around, different brands had different serving sizes and calorie counts, ranging anywhere from 60 - 100 calories per serving.

I bought finely ground milled flaxseed. 2 Tbsp, 80 calories total per serving (generic Whole Foods store brand)

Salted is best. You need some salt on the V-Diet.

2 Tbsp is correct.

Just an update on my progress:

I fucked up on 2 occasions, and drank beer. There was nothing I could do, it was 2 dates with 2 different girls. These were both 1st dates, so I wasn't about to go on a spiel about my crazy dieting, workouts, training philosophy, etc... To make it worse, they were strong IPAs (not the cheap light shit). So higher alcohol ( ~ 7% each) and around 250 calories EACH (i am going by Sierra Nevada's nutrition guide, and factoring in that I had around a 14-15 oz. pour vs the 12 ounce bottles). See here: http://www.sierranevada.com/...s/nutrition.pdf

Friday night I drank 3 pints of beer.

Yesterday (Wednesday), I had 2 beers on another date. I skipped the bedtime almond butter to make up for it, even though just 1 of those beers equals the calories in the serving of almond butter.

Aside from that, I've been following the diet as prescribed. No problems here. I love drinking shakes. Quick, easy, efficient. I had a healthy solid meal Saturday night, which was a ribeye steak, some black beans, and spinach.