Thursday, April 18, 2013

The BioRhythm Diet


This post will outline my favorite dietary protocol and eating pattern, called the BioRhythm Diet. I will not get too far into the sciency stuff, as Borge Fagerli (creator of the diet) has already done that. As a matter of fact, all of his work is quite stellar, so if you are interested in more of his diet & training theory check out his blog and all of his works posted in the articles section of MyRevolution.no (You will have to run these through Google translate, as they are in Norwegian, but trust me it’s worth the hassle).
                             
So here are the main principles of the diet, and my experiences while using it.


The take home points of this protocol

-During the first part of the day (all meals prior to weight training), focus on consuming Proteins & Fats, while keeping Carbohydrate intake low (<30g). Think meat & whole eggs with some additional Fats such as butter (grass-fed), or healthy oils (coconut / macadamia / olive). Also, be sure to consume some veggies and/or light fruit (berries or melon) with each meal.

-Pre-Training, consume 10g of BCAA (or 30g Whey) and a small amount of Carbs from fruit (5-20g).

-Post-Training, consume 30-50g Protein from a mixture of whey & casein, along with 30-50g Carbs from fruit. Including some saturated Fats (~5-15g) from dairy in this meal can be beneficial, as studies have shown this to increase Protein synthesis (link).    

-Eat the absolute majority of your Carbohydrate intake at dinner time, about 2-3 hours before bed. Fat intake should be kept somewhat low during this meal, so focus on lean meats such as chicken breast or beef top-round. My go-to Carb sources in this meal are potatoes, white rice & gluten-free pancakes, but feel free to experiment to find what works best for you.


The benefits I have noticed

-Steady energy all morning and throughout the day. No peaks and valleys like most people suffer due to a High-Carb breakfast.

-Reduced need for morning caffeine. I still have a morning coffee, but just one cup typically fuels me all day, rather than having 2-3 cups throughout the entire day.

-Simplicity. I can eat 3 square meals a day (plus pre/post-workout nutrition) that are delicious & satisfying. No hunger pangs every 2-3 hours. Long-gone are the days of packing Tupperware to eat 5-6 small meals per day.

-Deep, Restful Sleep. In this aspect the BioRhythm diet is pretty much un-matched by anything else that I’ve ever tried. There is nothing better than hitting the sack after crushing a huge Carb-laden meal. It’s truly the best sleep I’ve had in my lifetime. Anecdotally, I believe that I’m actually getting deeper into REM sleep using this diet, because on a regular basis I am having very vivid, almost lucid dreams which don’t usually happen for me.

-Wake up feeling well rested. Obviously a byproduct of a great night of sleep.

-Loss of body-fat. This is surprising considering that my Carb intake is HIGHER than that of my standard diet.

-Increased performance in the gym. Likely because of increased Carb intake, although regardless of the low Carb intake prior to the actual training session.


This is what a typical day of eating looks like for me

Breakfast: Omelet, 4 egg + ½ cup egg-whites w/ mushrooms & salsa, cooked in coconut oil
Lunch: 1 cup F-F Greek Yogurt + 15g Whey Iso + 15g Coconut Oil & Fiber supplement
Pre-Training: 10g BCAA + 2 mandarins
Post-Training: 15g Whey Iso + ½ cup F-F Greek Yogurt & 10g Coconut Oil
Dinner: Chicken Breast w/ 2lb+ (yes, pounds…) Basmati rice or Yukon potato
(Occasionally I will eat a carton of ice cream along-side the rice/potatoes)



So there you have it. A simple eating pattern that allows me to feel great, while losing body-fat and increasing performance in the gym. Do yourself a favor and TRY IT!
If you have questions or would like help setting up your own training & diet, leave a comment or contact me.

41 comments:

  1. Great stuff! Do you ever train in the morning or is the carbs always immediately following your evening training? If you do train in the morning do you still place the carbs in the evening? Thanks for any help!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I train in the evening.

    If you are training in the morning, I'd suggest 25-35g of carbs (i.e.- a banana) after the workout, with the rest being eaten at the evening meal.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Joe,


    The example shown above is a typical training day diet for you but I was just wondering what about carbs on non-training days?

    Also, do you aim for any a specific number of carbs on training and non-training days?

    e.g. Training days - 2-3x / lb of bodyweight etc


    Thanks!



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really depends on your Calorie / Macro goals, but for me I lowered the carb intake on non-training days because I was cycling calories.

      I'd say 2g/lb bodyweight is a good place to start on training days, adjusting based on the results. Less on non-training days, maybe 1g/lb.

      Delete
    2. That sounds good. Thanks!

      Delete
  4. About where were you macro and calorie wise on training and non-training days?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I only have 1 non-training day per week, so that day is barely even relevant. Not sure how my specific macros are helpful to you, but anyway

    Most days were 3000+ kcals, 3g/kg Pro, .5-1g/kg Fat, the rest carbs.

    If you would like help setting up cals/macros specifically tailored to you, feel free to email me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Joe. Ive been looking for some help/advice on diet and macros for a while and have been looking at carb backloading or keto to help maintain muscle and get leaner, just lose some bodyfat.
      I saw your post on chaos and pain.
      If youd be able to help id be much appreciative.

      6ft 4, 260lbs. 25yo. 20% bf...

      If you could email me at adam_hocutt@Hotmail.com or reply id be thankful.

      Delete
  6. Ever heard of Carb Back Loading?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Similar in some ways to BioRhythm. I've experimented with some of the things John Kiefer recommends.

      I much prefer the approach Im currently using.

      Delete
    2. Why do you prefer Biorythm?

      Delete
  7. "Dinner: Chicken Breast w/ 2lb+ (yes, pounds…) Basmati rice or Yukon potato"

    Is it *cooked* weight for rice, right ?

    Saw you via chaosandpain. Great work !

    ReplyDelete
  8. Correct on the rice.

    Thanks for the support.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Interesting stuff. Especially drinking carton of cream with rice or potatoes. That hasn't caused any fat gain.

    ReplyDelete
  10. No, not that I've noticed. Although I do not do it every night. Just occasionally

    ReplyDelete
  11. That seems like a pretty low protein intake?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I always get over 1g/lb.

    Actually I feel & perform much better with a lower protein intake, compared to when I was getting 250+ grams per day. Somewhere around 200g has been my sweet spot lately.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Could i incorporate IF into this and could it be used as a pre contest diet?

    ReplyDelete
  14. You can do whatever you want.

    With that said, Limiting carbs during the first half of the day mimics fasting anyway. So I suggest you try the diet as-is. If you dont like it, go back to fasting.

    There is nothing magic about fasting and fat-loss.

    No reason why you couldnt use BioRhythm Pre-Contest.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh. Ok thank you. I just thought if I used it along with IF the results would come faster. This is.net first contest prep so I wanna make sure I'm ahead of the game. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey! That's not real ice cream ;)

    Nice blog mate. BioRhythm + IF + IIFYM is a winning combination for me.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Why is it improtant to have a low fat-intake in the second half of the day?

    ReplyDelete
  18. To avoid excess fats storage during the calorie/carb surplus at the evening meals.

    ReplyDelete
  19. How much fat do you eat at dinner time in average?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Trace amounts. Just fats from the meat.

    ReplyDelete
  21. do you feel the training time is important with this approach? i.e. if you were training in the morning would you modify it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Read the first comment at the top... posted by Trieater.

      Delete
  22. Just stumbled on this.
    Noticed you from a certain mean forum/jc testimonial.

    Nice article/meals/progress and site!

    Biorhythm, in my opinion is the best diet going round!
    Agree on everything here. I know Borge actually says this > fasting (even though the effects are mimicked). As it's better to have some protein earlier on (insert studies here). I find better adherence this way too, and I've tried IF.

    Protein pre-workout with some carbs/bcaa intra workout.
    Butter + eggs + veg (spinach/mushrooms/tomato) + ham maybe for breakfast
    Vegetables + fatty meat with some form of seasoning/sauce for lunch
    Go HAM on rice or potatoes with lean meat and veg for dinner.
    --or--
    Eat a slightly lower carb dinner and load up on low fat ice cream as per this post! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey man, thanks and glad you like the blog.

      Delete
  23. Just coming to the close of my 1st of a 12 week challenge set for myself came across chaos&pain blog (via IceCreamFitness) and must say I am super impressed by this and would like to follow suit starting next week.

    I however train in the morning and am also likely to be going for surgery on my MCL in the next few weeks (seated upper body work will have to suffice)

    Could you email me some info on this? Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All the info is right here. Not sure what youre looking for exactly.

      Delete
  24. Hi, this looks like Borg's advanced concept diet? Ive been following it for a few weeks but not yet convinced about the high fat intake. How often (if at all) do you incorporate a refeed or cheat meals/days? Also, you say you train 6 days a week. Could you elaborate? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Borge has revised some of his recommendations since the release of the Advanced Concept diet. BioRhythm is a reflection of that, as well as a few of his other articles which I linked at the top of this post.

      I dont usually do 'cheat-meals' because I enjoy all the foods I eat and dont feel the need to splurge on junk. Refeeds are done during a fat-loss period, yes. How often, it depends.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the response Joe. I'm in the 4th week of the diet now and strangely, although my macros and calories are 500 below my established maintenance, I've gained weight!

      It's likely that I've gained muscle as some of my lifts have gone up and there's no discernable fat gain, but it's fairly confusing. Previously, I had been cutting using Layne Nortons protocol, which worked well - I lost 1.5 lb per week on average. When it stalled I decided to give this a go. I was 180 and am now 184 or so, but the trouble is that I'd weigh myself in the morning at my lightest after fasted cardio and a poop (sorry if that's too much info ;-) having eaten lightly the afternoon and evening before.

      With the Biorhythm protocol I'm at my heaviest in the morning which probably accounts for the difference in weight, though I have no idea when the best time to weigh myself should be. What are your thoughts about this? I train in the morning about 2 hours after a light breakfast and keep carbs low until 2 hours before bed.

      I'm 6.1' about 12% bf (lower abs/rear love handles is where I store fat) and I train every day, alternating weights with cardio/abs. My current calories are 2100 ish, 220 p 190 c 50 f and I'm aiming to get down to sub 10% bf over the next 4-6 weeks. Any advice you might have to help me reach my goal would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

      Delete
    3. Continue to weight yourself in the morning. The weight increase is due to switching to the new meal pattern, with a large meal prior to bed-time.

      Delete
    4. will do, thanks.

      If weight loss stalls (but lifts are not increasing/staying the same) how do you suggest I tweak calories to increase the defecit?

      Fat intake is already relatively low at 50g per day and i'm worried that dropping carbs any more will cause my gym performance to suffer... I read that Borge does not reccommend going below 150g carbs per day somewhere as well. Cheers.

      Delete
    5. I believe Borge was specifically talking about training days with that comment.

      You could try lowering your kcals by 10% on non-lifting days.

      Delete
  25. Correct me if im wrong but that lopks close to a 5000 cal day of food?what sor of height weight are you?i only ask because im currently working out mass gain macros and being quite a tall and reasonably big guy im now thinking ive underestimated my own

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most training days were around 3000-3500 kcals. Only the massive refeed days would've been 4000+ ... And I'm not even sure it was really necessary, probably just an excuse to be gluttonous.

      I'm 5'-10", 185lb

      Just use bodyweight x13-15 to estimate your maintenance kcals. Youre gonna have to adjust based on results anyway.

      Delete
  26. Thanks for the reply,im going to give this diet a go (with my own macros) as i think eating most of my carbs in evening would suit me as i tend to feel tired or sluggish after eating any sizeable amount of them

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete