ABS DIET POWERRR -- ITS OVER 9000!!

So after 3 semi-allnighters in a row and a weekend of working, my workload should be slowing down. I have updated my spreadsheet; since I was so overwhelmed with work, there were a lot of unsuccessful red marks. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come in the future.

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I have been getting a lot of questions about my A.B.S.D.I.E.T.P.O.W.E.R resolution that is in the health section of my resolution. Here are the basics of the diet:

I learned about the ABS Diet from Mens Health. The fundamental concept is that instead of eating less often like a majority of diets, you eat more often. By proportioning your meals six times a day, you increase your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day. In addition to this, your body will never go into starvation mode. Since there is a sufficient amount of energy in your body at all times, your body will never feel the need to store energy as fat for emergency energy purposes. Read more in-depth about its concepts here.

A typical workday for me goes like this if I'm not dead tired from the previous day:

8:15 AM Go running on a treadmill at the local work gym
9:45 AM Eat breakfast, typically an egg sandwich on whole wheat muffin
10:15 AM Take One-A-Day multivitamin, Vitamin E, and Calcium Pills
12:30 PM Eat half a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread
1:30 PM Sometimes I get hungry around here and eat carrots and almonds that I keep in a bag at my desk
3:00 PM Eat some more unsalted unsweetened almonds
4:00 PM Eat the second half of my turkey sandwich
6:30 PM Eat dinner -- Ranges from leftover fried rice to salmon (my favorite)
8:00 PM Workout in my basement and dance in-front of a mirror while on constant lookout to make sure I don't get caught
8:30 PM Get caught by my brother while dancing in front of a mirror and proceed to beat him up

As jam packed as the schedule seems, it is basically routine for me now to eat like this. The last time I dieted using the ABS Diet routine and workout schedule, I lost a whopping 12 pounds. I didn't lose it in two weeks like this ridiculous advertisement below, but it only took me about 6 weeks.

MTV True Life: The Hard Bulimic Life of a Male Model

This time around, I am starting off the diet a lot skinner, 12 more pounds would probably be impossible. Still, I hope to have proportionally equivalent body fat losses to my first trial while following the ABS Diet this time around.

So why the periods in the A.B.S.D.I.E.T.P.O.W.E.R? They are acronyms for the 12 essential foods that I try to fit into my diet. As a rule of thumb, Mens Health recommends eating at least three of the 12 "power" foods a day to gain a healthy, protein rich diet.

Almonds and other nuts (... yes, I love nuts)
Beans
Spinach and other green veggies
Dairy
Instant Oatmeal (I don't do this one)
Eggs
Turkey and other lean meats
Peanut butter (a very good source of protein if chosen correctly)
Olive oil (or as the Wifey McCutie Rachael Ray would say, some E.V.O.O)
Whole Grains
Extra Whey Protein (Are they allowed to use adverbs as acronyms? CHEATERS.)
Raspberries and other berries

So these are the 12 power foods that I try to fit into my diet. Surprisingly enough, I was able to produce that list without having to reference the website. All in all, this is a very summarized overview of the diet that I am following. If you are considering a diet, I highly recommend the ABS Diet for these reasons:

1. I can still party (drink beer) and it lets me live my life without feeling like a prisoner calorie intake
   
2. The diet allows for one or two times a week where I get to eat whatever I want; thus I can enjoy my weekends and restaurants without the nutritional guilt trip
   
3. The proportioned meals made my stomach smaller, meaning I feel full much faster and easier now
4. I love eating, now I get to do it all day!

I've read a ton and ton about this diet and its associated workouts, if you want to know more or are interested in starting, leave a comment or toss me a message. By the way -- If you don't get the it's over 9000 joke, it's totally nerdy and not worth explaining :]