DAVE PALUMBO'S FAT LOSS PRE-CONTEST DIET....

Doing your first show this year, or maybe your 2nd??
Have a ponder over this....

I eat 8 times per day (50g protein, 20g fat, 30g carbs per meal).

Pre-contest, I cut the carbs back to 15 grams per meal, and I up the fat to 30g per meal.

Sources of protein include: chicken, fish, lean red meat, whole eggs, and whey protein.

Sources of fat include: olive oil, cashew nuts, almonds, all natural peanut butter, egg yolks, and salmon.

I've actually designed a protein shake called, PALUMBO'S ANBOLIC ELIXIR. It includes a unique protein blend consisting of whey and egg protein complexes with a rich variety of essential fats.

In recent times, my weight gain in the off-season has been minimal. I usually go up to 280lbs (the heaviest) and then, for a contest, I come down to 265lbs. Back in the late 1990's, I used to blow up to a relatively lean 315lbs; however, it was just too uncomfortable.

When dieting using my HIGH PROTEIN/ MODERATE FAT/ LOW CARB approach, my post workout shake would consist of 50g whey, 30g fat (coming from all natural peanut butter), very low carbs (just whats in the PB). Remember, the brain is not using carbs when in a state of ketosis so carb intake (even after the workout) is unnecessary.

OFFSEASON, my post workout shake consists of 50g whey with 50g Vitargo (i just started using this high molecular weight carbohydrate supplement. It's fantastic. It empties from the stomach faster than dextrose yet causes no bloating)

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On my recommended high protein/moderate fat/low low card diet, your muscle glycogen levels are very low, however, they never get depleted since the only activity that requires glucose (carbs) is WEIGHT TRAINING. And since you probably only require 50g carbs per workout, you'll have no problems since that's just about the amount you'll be taking in per day (from indirect sources-- nuts, peanutbutter, whole eggs, ect). Also, you'll be having a cheat meal once per week which will act to reload glycogen stores.

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ESSENTIAL POLYUNSATURATES:
Omega-3 Fish Oil pills 1000mg 3x per day
Evening Primrose Oil (Omega-6) 1300mg 2x per day

NON ESSENTIAL but HEART HEALTHY
Macadamia Nut oil (Omega-9 monosaturates) 2-3 ablespoons per day

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Meal 1 6 whole Omega-3 eggs
Meal 2 8oz chicken with 1/2 cup raw almonds
Meal 3 50g whey with 2 tablespoons all natural peanutbutter
Meal 4 8oz salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
Meal 5 50 g whey with 2 tablespoon PB
Meal 6 6 whole eggs

This is typically how i start off most clients diets.........then there's modifications along the way and I have to cater it according to how hte client looks.

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CARDIO should be performed at a low intensity (under 120bpm heartrate). This will ensure that you use FAT as a fuelsource since as your heartrate increase, carbohydrates begin to become the preferred fuel of choice for the body. When on a low carb diet, you're body will break down muscle and turn that into carbs. Remember, Fat CANNOT be changed into carbs. Therefore, for bodybuilding, the rule of cardio should be LONG DURATION, LOW INTENSITY

CARDIO:
I walk on the tredmill at 100bpm (the most) for 30 min (although I hardly ever do cardio). Forge the incline, forget going super fast. Just walk 30 min-90 min (I increase cardio as people get closer to competition) at a leasurely pace.

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Virgin Coconut Oil is a MEDIUM CHAIN SATURATE FAT. Because it's not a long chain fatty acid, it avoids digestion, processing, and the need for a carrier molecule (L-carnitine) to get into the mitochondria to be burned for energy (oxidized). Becuase of this, Coconut oil (and all medium chain fats) have been called the FATLESS FAT. From a health standpoint, its a great immune system stimulator (lots of AIDS patients are now using it for its antiviral properties). We must remember, however, that Coconut Oil is not an essential fat and, in my estimation, is useless when dieting. What it's good for as supplemental calories and fats while on a MASS BUILDING program. I used to put one teaspoon in my morning Oatmeal. Give's it some moisture and a nice coconut taste. I wouldn't advise cooking with it however. Stick with the heart healthy monounsaturated fat, MACADAMIA NUT OIL.

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EGG YOLKS:
If you use the OMEGA-3 EGGS that I recommend, you can eat as many whole eggs as you like since most of the saturated fat has been replaced with Heart Healthy Omega-3 Fats.

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I recommend 8-10 meals for OFFSEASON MASS BUILDING. 6 meals for pre-contest dieting. There's no need for more than 6 meals when dieting. I only have TONEY FREEMAN eating 6 meals and he's huge!

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DIET FOR NATURALS:
Everything stays exactly the same. The same principles apply to the body whether on drugs or not. High protein, moderate fat, low carb is the ideal environment for optimal fat burning/muscle preservation.

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WHEY PROTEIN:
Cheap whey protein that tastes good probably has a higher percentage of lactose (milk sugar) in it. I'm lactose intolerant. If i used that whey protein, I would be in the bathroom all night long-- not a pretty sight! My SPECIES BRAND of Whey will be out in the next month or so (I hope). I'm working on a PURE WHEY ISOLATE (no lactose) that actually tastes good. Once I have the formula perfected, I'll release it! For now, you can try the REEVES ULTRA WHEY that i sell on my websit (Dave Palumbo- The Official Website of"Jumbo Palumbo"). It's one of the best low lactose WHEY PROTEINS i've ever tasted.

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MACADAMIA NUT BUTTER still contains the carbs (unlike pure macadamia nut oil). That is fine if you want to use it in place of all natural peanutbutter (it's actually healthier). When you purchase an all natural PB and you notice that the oil has separated from the rest of the PB, make sure you mix it up before using the stuff. Don't pour off the oil or else you're losing all the good fats.

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Remember, the diet I suggest has all its components in place for a reason. I constantly get questions of whether a person could follow my diet suggestions and use a bit less fat and one or two small carb meals. The truth is, any diet works if there's a logical plan behind it and if you stick to it. If you add some carbs to my diet and take away some fat, it will no longer be my diet. You're changing the conditions and becaues of that, you won't get the same consistent results I get with my clients. If you add carbs, you'll never get your brain into KETOSIS. If your brain isn't in ketosis, it will constantly be searching for CARBS to use as energy. In the absence of carbs, it will turn muscle into carbs. You'll be moody, hungry, and you'll have energy fluctuations all day long. When in ketosis, your brain is using FATS for energy, so carbs become irrelevant to the brain. Energy levels are stable, moods are stable, and hunger is really a non issue. Also, when carbs are eliminated, so is the FAT STORING hormone INSULIN. NO INSULIN, no FAT STORAGE possible. If you have INSULIN release (because you're eating SOME carbs), you'll have a hormonal drive to store fat that you'll be combatting. Once again, If you change the diet, it doesn't work as effectively. Then, you're just left with the same diet that everyone else does. Hope that helps!

When you're trying to add mass, you need PROTEIN, and ESSENTIAL FATS to build muscle.......and you need CARBS to be the FUEL SOURCE to make all this happen. When dieting, we're using FAT for the fuel source; that's why it's hard to grow. Remember, the formula never changes. PROTEIN + FAT = MUSCLE. CARBS - GASOLINE

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Carbohydrates cause insulin release which, while being a fat storage hormone, is also an anabolic hormone that helps drive carbs and amino acids into the muscle cell where they are then used for building muscle. Offseason, you NEED insulin to build muscle. Precontest, we're just trying to preserver muscle while maximizing fat loses.

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If you're followin my high protein, moderate fat, no carb diet...........THEN, you CAN NOT take in 50g of VITARGO (even after you train).........PERIOD!

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EVENING PRIMROSE OIL:
Contains high quantities of the GOOD essential Omega-6 fat, Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). This is the only O-6 fat that lowers inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and lowers cholesterol. It also happens to be a great liver detoxifer and it's great for PMS women. It's also needed for the proper repair of muscle cells (the cell membrane).

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NO CARB DIET:
When you diet on no carbs, you're brain goes into a state of ketosis whereby it no longer requires glucose for energy. This means your brain will never be at a loss for fuel. This makes for more stable blood sugar levels-- less tiredness, less moodiness, and less irritability. Also, insulin levels will be very low (insulin is a fat storage hormone) and GH levels will be very high. Another thing to consider is that on this diet your body will be receiving adequate levels of good essential fats that it requires on a daily basis. Fats help repair damaged muscle tissue and are necessary for the synthesis of key hormones.

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POST WORKOUT:
(1) Pre-contest: No carbs, No vitargo, No sugar period! Stick with your whey and all natural peanutbutter shake

(2) Offseason: Whey and Vitargo pre-workout. Whey, Vitargo, tablespoon of Macadamia Nut Oil (I love this combo) post-workout.

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PALUMBO DIET:
Watch the FAT FREE cheeses since they all have CARBS..........Remember, carbs, not fat, are the enemy while dieting.

CHEAT MEAL: You should have ONE MEAL per week where you eat what you want. If you have a psychotic appetite, try to limit you cheat meal to about 500g carbs the most (remember, that's the MOST)..........As it gets closer to a show, many times I have to cut out the cheat meal to help the bodybuilder suck out that last bit of stubborn fat.

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MY CHEAT MEAL:
For years, I always went to the all you can eat sushi buffet for my cheat meal. Sometimes i finished that off with a non-fat yogurt (ice cream). Nowadays, I'm completely lactose intollerant so no yogurt. I do still go to the sushi buffet. In 2002, I went to the Italian restaurant with my friend DAVE WATSON who i helped for the Nationals that year. We ate everything in site (including a canoli). We both placed 2nd that year (DAVE W in the Heavyweight; Me in the Super HW, behind my man TONY FREEMAN).

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As for NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS for NATURAL BODYBUILDERS, I suggest the JUICE PLUS, EVENING PRIMROSE OIL (1300mg 2x per day), OMEGA-3 FISH OIL (2000-3000mg per day), 1500mg Coral Calcium per day, and 2000mg MSM 2x per day. Also, make sure to take a fiber supplement (Sugar-free metamucil is good) 2x per day and my non-stimulant based fat burners are excellent: Lipolyze (1 pill 3-5x per day with meals) AND Somalyze (3 pills with your last meal before bed).

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meal 1 6 whole omega-3 eggs
meal 2 8oz of chicken with half cup raw almonds
meal 3 50g whey with 2 tblsp all natural peanut butter
meal 4 8oz of salmon with 1 cup asparagus with 1 tblsp macadamia nut oil.
meal 5 50g whey with 2 tblsp of peanut butter
meal 6 6 whole omega-3 eggs.