t

You will find yourself favoring some foods over others, though, and this is all part of the
learning experience you’ll go through on this diet. Some bodybuilders have found themselves
focusing on salami and bacon at the beginning of the diet, only to find their preference moving
to steak later on. They found themselves feeling better as a result, and some chalk it up to the
decrease in sodium involved in the change. Others have started with a lot of hamburger in the
diet and also moved over to steak and found themselves feeling better.

This preference for steak seems common with many on this diet. They claim to feel better
and experience improvements in training while focusing on steak as their primary meat but,
again, this is up to the individual. You’ll have to feel your way through the diet to see what’s
best for you. And, always, look for alternatives and variety where possible.

A GUIDE TO ‘GETTING STARTED’ ON THE ANABOLIC DIET

• Get a complete physical


• End carb loading the moment you begin smoothing out


• If dietary percentages are a problem, keeping carbs below 30 grams and fat above
  40% on weekdays will insure “metabolic shift”


• Appease sugar cravings during the week with artificial sweeteners


• Add variety to the diet where possible


• Eat when hungry, not by the clock


• Don’t make weekends “No-Fat”


• Experiment with foods to find what works for you


• To maximize energy, eat carbs at end of day

WHEN TO EAT
With the Anabolic Diet, when it’s time to eat, it’s time to eat. There are no set times. You eat
when you’re hungry. Some people on the diet will find themselves eating meals 3 times a day
and supplementing this with snacks as needed. Others will sit down 5–6 times a day for a more
formal meal. It’s up to the individual, his schedule, and his appetite.

BUT YOU’VE GOT TO EAT WHEN YOU NEED TO. One of the biggest mistakes you
can make with this diet early is skipping a meal. You’ll miss one, get very hungry, blame it on
the diet and jettison it. At the beginning of the diet, for the first 3–4 weeks, you’ve got to be
regimented about eating. You’ve got to eat regularly as needed.

Have you ever noticed how children will eat at “odd” times? Unlike adults, who eat at 7 a.m.,
Noon and 6:00 p.m. every day whether they need to or not, children eat when they feel they
need to. They may leave their plate full at lunch but be in the refrigerator 2 hours later.

That’s the way many bodybuilders find this diet to work best. We all have an instinctive voice that
will tell us when to eat, and this voice can become insistent during training. Listen to it and do what

THE ANABOLIC DIET — HOW AND WHY IT WORKS 33