I have officially decided to do the V-Diet again. I did this diet 2 years ago with fantastic results. In the last year I have begun a PhD program and found myself not having enough time to work out. My eating habits also slipped as I was eating quick, fast things (usually garbage) due to my hectic schedule. Most of my eating has also been at night (the worst possible time), because it's the only time I am relaxing.

I have still managed to keep most of the weight off from my first go around with the V-Diet, but it's time to shock my system back into healthy eating and regular work outs. I will be ordering the supplies at the end of the week and hope to begin on February 18th or 19th depending on the shipping. My goal for next week is to do the Velocity workout to ease myself into it. I will attach images and/or measurements before I begin.
Wish me luck!

Today I started the diet, forgot how disgusting Surge Recovery is. If anyone figured out a way to make that taste better let me know.

So here are my measurements:

Height: 6?0??
Weight: 220lb

Neck: 16.5
Shoulders: 51
Chest-Upper: 42.5
Chest-Lower: 43.5
Waist: at navel 40.75
Wait: at largest: 42
Hips: at largest: 42.5
Upper arm-L: 14.5
Upper arm-R: 14.5
Upper Leg-L: 25.5
Upper Leg-R: 25.75
Lower Leg-L: 16
Lower Leg-R: 15.5
Ankle-L: 9.25
Ankle-R: 9.5

I am doing the intermediate workouts and I performed my first lift today:

A) Front Squat: 115lb 5x4x4x4x3
B) Lat Pulldown underhand: 120lb 5x4x4x4x3
C) DB BP: 55lb 5x5x2, 45lb: 4x4 (Had to lower weight, will start with 50lb next time)
D) Ab rollout 3 sets: 10 reps

good start, good luck! Surge is way too sweet. tastes like cotton candy to me but not in a good way. i just chug it down as fast as possible.

Day 4:

Everything is going good so far. I did my second workout yesterday and am not proud of the numbers. Ever since I started graduate school I went from a gym fanatic to a someone who couldn't even give proper directions there anymore. In retrospect I may have been too ambitious in my first workout so I was still sore for this one. I know the soreness will recede with each week. I am someone who tends to get very, very sore if they miss a week or two between workouts, but I know it will get better. Because of that I tried to take it easy while still following the workout yesterday:

Reverse Lunge: Body weight 8x8x8x8x8
Bent over row(BB): 60lb: 8x8x8x8x8
Push Press (DB): 20lb: 8x8x8x8x8
Barbell Curl: 30lb: 8x8x8x8x8
Reverse Crush: 2 sets of 10 (to failure)

I found my V-diet log from 2 years ago (http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_bodybuilding_velocity_logs/xalors_vdiet_log) and was reading through some of the numbers and it just made me hate myself. I was in the prime of my lifting (but not eating, obviously) and just fell away from that about a year ago. I'm hoping this diet puts the drive and work ethic back into my to approach those numbers again. However, looking at my before and after pictures renewed any motivation that may have waned in the last couple days. I mean do you see that guy on the right?!?!? Who is that?!? Also being able to review my weight loss from last time (noticing how I lost little from week 1 to week 2 and from week 3 to week 4) is going to be helpful. I remember being so disappointed when I only last 2lbs after the 2nd week. This is why I took measurements and have decided to retake them at 3 set periods (after 2 weeks, after 4 weeks, and after transition weeks). That way if the scale isn't telling me what I like, hopefully the inches will.

Surprisingly, the hunger pains are not there yet. The first shake of the day is like an ordeal and takes me my whole 45minute commute to drink. I remember the first week last time I was a train wreck.I think this comes from the fact that I was more of a power lifter 2 years ago and had the "eat anything and everything" mentality. Now I have just become lazy and complacent and barely eat during the day and gorge myself at night. It's a habit I had a very long time ago that I need to break (hence V-diet round 2).

To be fun I decided to write down a "Realization of the Day". This is something that I notice now that I am on the V-diet that I was previously ignorant of or just didn't think about.

Today's: Has anyone else started to notice that there are WAY too many food commercials on TV! Watching TV is more a test of my willpower and commitment than walking past a restaurant.

Now that I've been squatting every day I've learned that soreness is irrelevant (unless its debilitatingly painful). I'm sore, I lift anyway, I hit PRs...nbd.

As for the numbers, dont worry about that. Your strength will return quick. I'm sure you already know that, but I bet the reassurance feels nice.

I just had a "tape measure is mightier than the scale" moment a few days ago too. After a couple weeks my weight hadn't budged, but then I measured my legs and I had added an inch.

Day 8:

So I did my first weight in and V-burn today but first I'll post my numbers for the third workout a couple days ago.

A) Deadlift: 100lb: 5sets of 8
B) Decline DB BP Neutral: 40: 9x8x8x6x6x3
C) Lat pulldown neutral: 80: 5 sets of 8
D) Leg Raises: 2 sets failure (12, 9)

V-Burn time: 51:24 min. Not proud of it, but the first time I did this diet my initial V-burn was over an hr and by the end I had was doing it below 30min. Goal is to just reduce the time each week.

I began the diet at 220lb and weighed in at 211 lb today for a loss of 9lb! I know the first week is always a big number do to water weight and whatnot, but still encouraging.

Plan to do my first HSM today. Going to be Tilapia with broccoli and either a little bit of whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

Day 19:

Still going strong. Haven't deviated at all so far I just get lazy with the log. I will quickly summarize what I have been too lazy to post.

Week 2 Works Outs:
1) Front Squat: 115lb 5x5x5x5
1) Lat Pulldown underhand: 120lb:5x5x5x3x2
1) DB BP: 50lb: 5x5x5x3x2
1) Ab Chair: 3sets of 10 reps

2) Single Leg Split Squats: 20lb DBs: 8x8x8x7x5x4
2) Bent over Row: 85lb: 8x8x8x8x8
2) Push Press: 25lb DB: 8x8x8x8x8
2) Barbell Curl: 40lb: 8x8x8x6x5x5
2) Reverse Crunch:3sets: 10x8x6 (failure)

3) Deadlift: 115lb: 8x8x8x8x5x3
3) Decline DB BP Neutral: 40lb: 8x8x8x8x5x3
3) Lat pulldown neutral: 85lb: 8x8x8x6x5x5
3) Leg Raises: 3 sets failure: 10x10x8

V-Burn Time: 44min 20seconds (down 7minutes from first time)

Second Weigh in I lost 2lb to go down to 209. After two weeks a total loss of 11 lb. The first time I did the diet I lost very little during the second week and after a 9lb first week I can't complain.

My second HSM was baked chicken (no skin) with sweet potatoes and broccoli (AMAZING!). Overall the second week was definitely the hardest for me. I don't know if it was because I was around food more often than the first week, but it felt like I was smelling something amazing everywhere I went. For the most part I wasn't really hungry I just missed food lol. Fortunately, I was able to suck it up and power through.

I have done 2 of the 3 workouts for the 3rd week so I will post the numbers now:

1) Front Squat: 135lb 5x5x4x3x3
1) Lat Pulldown underhand: 120lb:5x5x5x5
1) DB BP: 50lb: 5x5x5x5
1) Ab Chair: 3sets of 10 reps

2) Single Leg Split Squats: 20lb DBs: 9x9x8x7x7
2) Bent over Row: 95lb: 9x9x8x7x7
2) Push Press: 30lb DBs: 9x9x8x7x7
2) Barbell Curl: 40lb: 8x8x8x6x5x5
2) Reverse Crunch:4sets: 10x10x7x6 (failure)


For the workouts I have just tried to make sure I am either increasing in weight each week or the amount of reps I can do. I always start at the appropriate 4-5RM or 8-9RM depending on the day and once I see I can hold those reps through each set I make sure to increase the weight next week.

I'll be back in a couple days to report my third weight in. Wish me Luck!

Day 20:

I have come to realize that the V-diet is not suitable for my 18hour days. I work crazy long an odd hours being a graduate student (read: indentured servant). Today was especially brutal waking up at 6 30am and getting home a couple hours ago. I have decided on days like this to split my last shake into 2 smaller shakes (instead of one 3 scoop shake I do two 1.5 scoop shakes and still save the nut butter for my last).
Has anyone else done something like this? Just curious because I have found this method to be better than going 5 hours between shakes.

I have my third workout tomorrow and than my third weigh in on Sunday. Only 8 more days to go before the transition weeks begin and let's be honest that is a joke in comparison to the first 4. One meal a day will seam like heaven in comparison.

Day 22:

Weighed in at 207lb for a total loss of 13lb int he first three weeks.

I did my third V-burn today and finished in 38min 38seconds (-12minutes from the first V-burn).

For my third HSM I may have gone a tad overboard. I had porterhouse steak (only about 8-10oz of it whereas I could normally eat an entire 28oz steak to myself), Baked potato, and broccoli. Next time I will try to have a leaner protein, but I been craving a good steak all week and figured if I could just limit my portion size it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Heading into the last week and can't wait to have one meal a day.