6 weeks ago, I set out on a voyage on self-experimentation on the Slow Carb Diet. I was strict on the diet for 3 weeks, and the results were pretty staggering. I have since been less-strict on the diet for a following 3 weeks to see what happens when you come off the diet. Will I simply revert back to my exact state prior to commencement? Will I stay in the same shape I was in when on the diet? A mixture of the two?
I should note here that my habits haven’t reverted completely back to how I was eating prior to the Diet, as I enjoyed the Slow Carb lunches and dinners so I have kept up with those in the week, but incorporated a lot more of my porridge oats of a morning. I have had a succession of a few weekends of events happening, so my eating on these occasions has included Pizza, a burrito the size of my forearm, 2 carveries and a Nando’s. I’ve had a few cheat weekends!
The results are an interesting, yet confusing, yet not as bad as I thought scenario:
This morning I weighed in at 72.9KG, almost back to where I was initially (73KG). Is this a story of fat gain and muscle loss? Let’s delve a little deeper:
The results on the left are my final results from Slow Carb, results on the right are the most recent:
14/05/13
|
04/06/13
|
|
Left Arm (Bicep) |
35.5CM
|
35.25CM
|
Right Arm (Bicep) |
35.5CM
|
35.5CM
|
Left Thigh |
53.5CM
|
53.5CM
|
Right Thigh |
53.5CM
|
54CM
|
Waist (Belly Button) |
80.75CM
|
83.75CM
|
Hips |
95CM
|
96CM
|
Chest |
94CM
|
95.5CM
|
Overall, I have pretty much kept all the muscle I had gained, except for a little loss on my left arm, but gained more still on my thighs, chest and hips. Training was kept the same as before. This would indicate that the weight I am at now is different to where I was 6 weeks ago, more muscle, less fat.
14/05/13
|
04/06/13
|
|
Tricep |
14.1MM
|
17.5MM
|
Scapula (Shoulder Blade) |
14.3MM
|
12.5MM
|
Abdomen |
13.5MM
|
13.0MM
|
Bizarrely, my body fat went up on my arm, but loss on my back and the the abdomen, despite my stomach mass measurement going up by quite a bit. One thing I have noticed over the last few days is a feeling of bloatedness, almost to the point of stomach ache, which could account for some of it, I did feel that I had regained some fat but I do look noticeably different in the morning before I have eaten anything. My energy is far higher when having had a Slow Carb breakfast and i definitely feel more sluggish and tired after having had oats.
So while I haven’t lost all of the gains I received on the diet, I definitely feel the body change has slowed a little. I’m still pleased with the mass gains, but body fat is creeping in to it too.
I am going to write a more thorough conclusion to all of this in the next few days so keep ’em peeled!