Anything Goes....

If you have been following along, you have seen me progress from being a "healthy, clean" food, macro counting enthusiast to a laid back, watch your calories type of individual.

What is encouraging is that I am still putting on solid muscle and losing fat.  What's even more encouraging is that I have been eating whatever I want to, just in less quantities.  Here is the bottom line:  Until my abs start going away, my diet is going to be varied with nutrient dense foods, and junk.  It will be balanced.  If I had to chart it, I would bet five days out of the week, I am eating a majority foods that are lower calorie and dense with the nutrients.  The other two days, higher calories with lower nutrients.  The point is, I'm not too worried about it.  I'm trying to average 2,000-2,100 calories/day.  The rest just sort of falls into place.

That brings me to my main point....I recommend if you want to get technical and follow a diet, subscribe to John Barban's Anything Goes Diet.  It's full of great information like: eat whatever you want, just eat less........don't mind if I do.

I'm still here....

I apologize for not posting an update for a while.  Things have been very interesting in my work life, and I hope to have things back on track soon.

Weight training has been going wonderfully for me.  I continue to hit personal bests in squats and dead lifts. Yes, I am one of those who carries a clipboard around the gym and records my numbers.  I can't understand why you wouldn't....it seems like I'm just spinning my wheels if I don't document my progress.

I'm beginning to really notice a difference in my shoulders and across my chest.  I put on a suit the other day and needed size 32 pants (down from 38).  I also and wearing medium to large t-shirts...down from XL and XXL.

The other day, a kid came up to me, around my son's age, at the pool, and said I was really athletic and that his dad couldn't do flips off the diving board like I was doing (although with bad form).  I want to let you know, if you are 37 like me and can't do flips with your kid off the diving board because of your physical condition, you're missing out.  I would take that as a slap in the face to switch up your lifestyle.

We were in Wimberley, TX last week at a place named Blue Hole....essentially it's a creek in the Hill Country for recreational swimming.  It also has a few rope swings to swing out over the water.  One particular swing has a ring to hold on to (see picture below), and if you choose, you can get a running leap from a platform and catch the ring mid-air for a great swing.  Let's just say, it took me half a day to get the timing down.  Once I had the timing, I was catching the ring with the high school boys.  Not many were physically able to do this, but it was the most physical fun I had in a long time.  Why am I telling you this?  Because I was probably one of the few 37 year old dads who could conquer the ring.  The best moment came when I swung out over the water, did a back flip off of the ring.  When I looked up, I could see my eight year old son smiling and clapping for me.

Each day, I am getting stronger and leaner.  I don't exercise 6 days a week, and I don't eat 6 clean meals a day. I watch my calories and bust my butt to make it matter in the gym.  You know what?  I'm in my late 30's, and I'm getting in great shape.  One year ago, I was fat, depressed, and confused.  Today, I am happy, confident, and excited what the next day holds.  I'm tired of excuses....I'm tired of seeing other dads sit on the sidelines while their kids play.  I was that way, and thank myself each day for getting control of myself.  I accepted responsibility.  No weight loss or fitness program provided me with the magic bullet.  Yet, I figured it out...YOU DON"T HAVE TO BE DEPENDENT ON ANY ONE PROGRAM OR PLAN....FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.....IT'S MORE SUSTAINABLE THAT WAY.  Yes, I am bragging...you know why?  Because I'm tired of whiny excuses I'm hearing from people.  I'm tired of absolute statements of "this works, but not that"....shut up and find out what works for you.  Oh, and do not drop another dime on some fitness scheme designed to drain your wallet.  There are plenty of free calorie counters out there.  It's that easy.  I'll see you at the pool....will you be doing flips with me and the kids....or will you be sitting on the sidelines?

    

In Defense of Calories

Great article I read that really gets down to the psychology and resentment that can surround calorie counting.  If you haven't been following, I have been shifting my core philosophy towards not exceeding my maintenance calories on a weekly basis.

See link below:

In Defense of Calories

Finding The Right Balance

I thought I would update the blog today because I'm trying to take my mind off that horrible news coming out of Colorado.

Lately, I have been feeling very hungry.  Yesterday, I put away a large amount of food, so much that I didn't really feel like tracking it.  The other night, I consumed 2800 calories, then the next, a little over 2,100.  At the same time, I continue to get stronger.  Most of the calories I have been consuming have been fruits, veggies, and lean meats.  Last night, that wasn't the case, it was Dominoes pizza and wings.  I notice the difference today.  I  feel a little more sluggish, not on the top of my game, and it goes back to my point that there are certain foods your body thrives on.  The key is finding the right balance between those foods that make you feel good, and the kind that you know you couldn't eat on a regular basis, but you enjoy for the taste.  You can have both, finding that balance is the key.  For the most part, my success has come from enjoying that balance and listening to my body.  Getting my fruits, veggies and lean meats in, but topping the day off with an ice cream sundae.  My performance at the gym doesn't suffer, I feel great, and I am still treating myself to things I love...that's balance.  I don't become bent out of shape anymore because I didn't stick to a completely "clean" diet.  The old me would have that mentality, and you see how well that worked for me.

Anyway, I am upping my calories to around 2,400 on gym days (because those are the days I really feel the most hunger pains) and keeping them around 1800 on non-workout days.  My latest calculation for my goal weight at 168 had my caloric need at 2,100 daily if I did very little exercise.  I figure with this conservative estimate, I'll continue to be under my maintenance for the week and shed this last bit of belly fat.

On another note, I continue to implement intermittent fasting into my day.  I don't know if I could have been successful at this point without it.  I still eat breakfast, I just don't BREAK the FAST until 11 am or 12 pm.  If you are finding it very difficult to control your cravings and are ravenous for every little small meal 5-6 times a day....try breaking it into 1 or 2 big meals.  I don't have any scientific evidence, others have done the leg work in this department.  But, my cravings are controlled, and I feel satisfied.  I also still workout in the mornings in a fasted state, and my muscles are still growing.  I've also average out my protein macros over the last month while I have become stronger.  130-150 grams on average, well below 1 to 2 times my body weight.  You don't need as much protein as you think and chances are, you are getting enough in your weekly diet.  This brings me to my CONCLUSION: Watch your calories, try and stick to the foods that make you feel good, but balance in some garbage to make you feel complete.  I assume none of us are looking to get on a stage to flex anytime in the near future, so let's make this journey fun.  Slow and steady will win the race, and may provide a sustainable lifestyle for continued weight control.

Burning Fat/Building Muscle Update

So, 7 weeks ago, I put away the P90x DVD's and never looked back.  I wanted to confirm a few suspicions.  My goal is to shred fat and gain muscle.  Other people have different goals, so what I post may not coincide with what you are trying to accomplish.  Anyway, I felt I didn't have to kill myself 6 days a week with intense workouts to shred fat.  I also felt I was spending way too much time with several different resistance exercises that targeted the same muscle group (i.e.  P90x had me holding the dumbells at several different angles to work my biceps).  Again, I wanted to cut through the BS and get to the bottom line....how can I shred fat and build muscle in a way that is sustainable, understandable and plain simple.  I have been shedding about a pound of fat a week and continue to get stronger.  Here's how I am doing it:

• Eating under my caloric maintenance level (the level at which I can maintain without gaining or losing a pound of fat) which I calculated to be 2,400 calories a day.  This assumes that I am doing very light exercise and I am at my target weight of 168.  I am currently around 180, so I will reassess again at 168.
• The caloric deficit at the start of the 7 weeks was significant.  I would max at 1,800 calories for 5 days and around 1,400 the other two.  I was able to successfully do this by incorporating intermittent fasting into my plan.
• About 5 weeks in, I started to crash as my body fat was continually decreasing (my energy "reserve" was melting away).  I decided to up my calories on workout days (2100-2300), try and shoot for 1,400 calories on two non workout days, and stick to 1,800-2,000 calories on the weekend.  At first, I was shooting for my BMR (which is the amount of calories my body would burn if I was in a coma) and slightly under that.  This was great in shedding more fat, BUT, it is not sustainable.  I recommend only a few weeks of this if you can handle it.  GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY HERE!  I found there is a difference between feeling hungry out of habit and actually having your body crash on you.  
•  I'm really not giving a darn about my macros.  What I am giving a darn about is my fruit and veggie intake.  When I don't eat my daily 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies, I notice it in my performance at the gym.  That actually goes for any nutrient dense food I put in my body.  If I have a burger with fries, I don't freak out because I ate "bad" food, I enjoy it because I know I am still in a caloric deficit.  But, I also know performance at the gym may suffer because I am not getting the most out of my food.
• Again, no pre or post workout supplements, or any supplements for that matter.  I will mix in some Whey Protein Isolate into a fruit or chocolate smoothie that I make, but that usually happens 12-13 hours after my workout.  In fact, my pre and post workout drinks have been coffee and water.
• I only workout at the gym three days a week.  I also only do three different exercises, 5 sets, reverse pyramid style to build strength.  It's working fine for me, but I also believe there is not end all way to train with weights.  Just try and do one more rep than the last time, or add an extra 5 lbs. to the next set, and I don't see why you can't build muscle.  
• No cardio (except 5 minutes on the stationary bike to warm up) and no ab work (I workout my abs with my push ups and squats).

So far, it's been more simple than I could ever imagine.  The only "rules" I am following right now is less calories weekly than my maintenance target, fruits and veggies daily, and lifting more than I did the previous week.  This is not to say that there is not some discipline involved, but for crying out loud, once I stopped worrying about this food and that food, or optimal times to feed my body, or optimal conditions to burn fat, or optimal heart rate zone, or cold vs. hot, etc., this fitness thing became much easier, more enjoyable, and I believe, more sustainable.

Updated Pics

It's kind of hard to see, but I have been averaging a pound a week since the last photos on April 17th. The top pic is the before....about 11 lbs ago.   I will add some commentary tomorrow about my current program.

  

Front.....

Side view....sort of...

In the top pic...I was embarrassed to show my fat roll, which was there.  It's slowly but surely melting away.

I turn to others for inspiration as well.....

One of the many things that have helped me so far is following other people's successful weight loss journeys.  I read many blogs, one of them being the Adonis Index Blog.  They had a great story about Todd Burgette ( http://www.adonisindex.com/save-time-with-dieting/) and his struggles mirrored what I was going through prior to this journey.  He also summed up his approach in such a way that I had to share.  Sometimes, I can ramble on this blog, and my points may not be as clear as I would like them to be.  I think Todd did a good job of summarizing the keys to his success, and follows closely to what I am doing.

Take home message from Todd ( I have added my comments in yellow):

1. Diet Tips

• Be proactive, think in advance, plan, save calories, so you can enjoy social eating events over the weekends
• If you are struggling with a eating disorder, take it slowly, small steps moving forward every day/week/month
• Figure out when it’s easier for you to fast
• Don’t eat too often, taking breaks will give you more control
• Try avoiding snacking
• Eating breakfast will most likely make you overeat, try to put the first meal off as late as you can (I skip breakfast and have larger lunches and dinners - it's all personal preference)
• If you are a boredom eater, you need to plan to be social
• If you eat less, you will save time

2. Training Tips

• Have a well-structured workout plan
• Have a workout plan written months ahead
• Keep a workout log/diary that will help you track your progress

3. Mindset Shifts

• You’ve got to identify the key drivers of your success and work on them
• It’s all in your head, your body can do it, but you have to believe it’s possible
• Clear your mind before your workout
• Work on your key habits and issues every day
• Find someone who has done what you want, seeing it will give you the confidence to do it
• Reward yourself with vacation and clothes (not my ideal rewards, but you get the picture)
• Be covert, you don’t have to tell anyone what you are doing (again, I have a blog, which goes against this point, but the idea is a fitness journey should seen, not heard, although I believe it must be heard if you are trying to inspire)

Thank you Todd, I couldn't have said it better myself!

This is where the fun really begins......

Today I stepped on the scale.....185 lbs.  Back in 2001, when I was doing the Body for Life program, I was able to get down to this weight, which was the lightest I had been since high school (I started at 246 in February 2000, so it was a nice accomplishment).  I was working out like crazy....spending at least 45 minutes on the treadmill 3 times a week, swimming and weight training on the other days.  I also felt hungry....all of the time.  I would gorge on the weekends, starve on weekdays.    I was able to sustain this for a few more weeks, then, the weight started to come back on.  By summer of 2005, I was back in the 238 lb range and hovered around that number for years, losing some, and gaining it back.

Fast forward to this morning, I feel like a completely different person, and much more in control of my fitness goals.  What's different?  I started fasting, which has been a tremendous help.  I'm able to stick to around 1800-1900 calories a day, and bump the number up to 2100 on the weekends.  If you take those calories and break them down into one or two meals, you can eat big and still feel like you are not depriving yourself.  I am not going to go into detail again on why I am convinced fasting does some really good things for your body, but, it is a great way to control calories.  In fact, on days where I am only eating one meal (which is 2 times a week on my non-gym days), the most calories I have been able to consume have not exceeded 1,400 calories, 400-500 calories below my target caloric range to be at a deficit!  The fasting takes some time to get used to, especially if you were like me and thought you had to eat 5-6 meals a day to burn fat.

My workouts are also an absolute pleasure. 30 - 45 minutes in the gym, max.  No cardio, 3 different exercises, then I'm out.  I love it (minus the loud grunting bro who seems to be on the same lifting schedule as me).

Bottom line, I stopped sweating the small stuff.  I have enjoyed brownies, cake, ice cream...you name it.  Oh yeah, check out my sandwich from last Saturday night.....

 
This is the Pig's Delight Sandwich served at this awesome joint called Hoggs-N-Chicks.  Fried pork loin, shaved ham, fried egg, bacon, hatch chili sauce and chipotle mayo.  I would have felt guilty about eating something like this.....not anymore.  I just don't eat them every night.  The fasting and flexible meal plan are going to be the key for my long term success.  I can't wait to to take this on this remaining body fat...I'm getting close...not quite there yet.  I mix in weight training to build muscle.  I am getting stronger by the week.  I have found this awesome recovery drink post workout....it's called coffee.  Updated pics will be coming in about three weeks.

How Many Calories?

This was always a confusing question for me.  I thought that if I didn't eat enough, I would lose muscle.  Bulk and cut, or something like that.  Anyway, John Barban and Brad Pilon did a study about caloric intake, and it has been a tremendous help in setting me straight (How Many Calories? is the name of the study, and it's floating around out there for free in cyberspace).

Essentially, it is our height and Lean Body Mass that determines our overall caloric intake.  Start by using averages....according to the study....assume a male is 5'10 and 5'6 for females.  The median LBM is 148 (for most men who workout) and female is around 104 pounds.  For men, add or subtract 7 pounds per inch to the LBM depending on height.  For example, if you are 5'9....subtract 7 pounds from 148.  For females, use the rule of 3's instead of 7's.  Now, the Katch-Mcardle formula looks like this:

370 + (21.6 * LBM (kg) = BMR (or RMR, I see them used interchangeably).  Convert the LBM in lbs. to kilograms using any website (this is important, DO NOT USE LBS).   Then, solve to get your recommended caloric intake.  Now, I used an LBM of 148 as a starting point and my daily caloric requirement came out to around 1800 calories, about 1,000 less than I had been consuming on some days.  This explains why my weight loss started to plateau....I was so fat in the beginning, that consuming 2,800 calories  was doing me good for the first few months (Jesus, I was eating a lot).  To get to a healthier weight, I had to cut back even more.  Now, before, I had recommended that you go to a website to do this calculation.  I now recommend that you stick to this method instead of going to a website to do the Katch-Mcardle because most will ask for your body fat %.  Also, forget the activity factor.  A couple of things....you need to do a boat load of exercising and gain a boatload of muscle just to put yourself in a nice caloric defecit.  Forget what your heart rate monitor is telling you or your treadmill at the gym.  Also, think about this.  Why would you factor back in the exercise and add more calories?  Aren't you trying to burn those with exercise?  I know, ground breaking, but I have really ramped up my progress again by shooting for the BMR.  Don't try and shrug this off and tell me that you are burning enough calories with your exercise program.  You are not.  Seriously, ask yourself, are you really making progress with your countless hours at the gym?  You spend a lot of time moving on the stair stepper, why are you not happy?  I am still losing weight, and I have actually averaged more than 1800 calories, probably 1,900 -2,100....which is fine....my initial calculation was only an estimate.   Find that range in which you are losing weight, and stick to it.  Exercise is an added bonus to improve your health, but not to be used as a means to control calories.  Also, trust the formula.  In the beginning, I would have said you are crazy to suggest that I only need around 1800-2000 calories a day.  I was wrong, about many things, but I'm learning....slowly.  I am not miserable, hungry or tired, I am feeling great at the gym and am not killing myself with cardio.

On a side note, I had a "consultation" with a trainer at LA Fitness the other day.  Essentially, they want you to pay a lot of money to spin your wheels.  The trainer asked what my goals were.  I replied " to get a waist of 31 inches, and shoulder width of 50 inches.  I am shooting to and 5-7 lbs. in LBM over the next 90-120 days.  I plan on consuming 1,900 - 2100 calories of whatever the hell I want to eat.  I will mix in my fruits, veggies and lean meats.  I will not take supplements, will not do pre and post workout drinks.  I will do heavy resistance training 3 days a week ( I also outlined my training program).  I have lost 52 pounds and am shooting to burn through another 10-15lbs of fat.  I only eat one to two meals a day. What can you do for me?"  His eyes became big and he shook my hand, thanking me for the info and he looks forward to my progress.  End of story.

Day 180

Well, this is my last Day of the P90x program.  My goal weight after 2 rounds was 185, and I tipped the scale at 187 this morning.  Not bad.  In the beginning, I thought 185 would put me at around 8% body fat.  I was not even close.  The calipers were really no help in trying to gain an accurate assessment, so I decided to start basing my progress on proportions, rather than weight and caliper measurements.  Right now, I'm probably around 19% body fat.  In good lighting, you can see my second row of abs....I still have fat to lose.      My goals for the next 90 days will be more proportion based.  Right now, measuring from the belly button, my waist is 37 inches, I'm targeting 31.  My shoulder width is 47 inches, I'm targeting a little over 50 inches.  I think this is the optimal proportion given my height (thank you John Barban and the Adonis Index).  I believe reaching these proportions will allow everything else to fall into place, and I will be about as healthy has I've ever been.  If I am forced to use a target weight, I would say 168 lbs., but the scale really isn't going to be determining my success.  As I mentioned in previous posts, my exercise will be three days in the gym, period.  Heavy, compound lifting to build muscle.....shooting for 45 minutes max per workout.  Also, target caloric range will be 1800-2000 with a 24 hour fast 2 days a week.  I don't know where the thought started (and I was one of the believers) that you have to eat a crap load of calories to build muscle.  The caloric range I am in right now is probably the lowest I have ever been in my entire life, and I am not miserable.  I eat what I want, knowing that it just boils down to burning more calories than you put in. I also understand that it is possible to build muscle and burn fat, don't let anyone ever talk you in to the bulk and cut approach ( I aim to prove this in my next 90 days).  Once I pushed myself past the mindset that I didn't have to restrict my diet, I was able to cut the calories even more.  Case in point:  Today is my son Cade's First Communion...I will be eating fajitas and tamales.  I will not feel guilty.  I will even have a piece of cake.  No problem.  I will also realize the high fat foods and extra sugar will not leave me feeling full and craving more.  Well, I'm prepared for this, and will control my portions, knowing I can still have the foods I love, just less of them.  I have been using this approach the last three weeks, and truly believe I am on the path to long term success.  I still eat my fruits, veggies, lean meats etc., but I don't deprive myself of tasty foods.  My insulin is fine.....that outlook helped me in the beginning in starting this weight loss journey.  In fact, I don't think I would be in this position now if I really didn't get the hell scared out of me at the doctor and start monitoring my food.  I don't believe in good and bad carbs anymore.  There are foods that are nutrient dense and dense in calories.  Some will help fuel your workouts, and some foods will be high in calories and make you crave more, well beyond your caloric requirements.  One more thing....I cannot stress enough this point....P90X WAS NOT THE REASON I LOST WEIGHT.......DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO A WORKOUT STRATEGY BECAUSE IT SAYS IT WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRED WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS....IT IS THE DIET.........PERIOD.....DON'T SWEAT THE TYPE OF FOOD EITHER.....LESS CALORIES CONSUMED THAN BURNED IS THE BEST FAT BURNING TOOL!!!!  I do take cash and checks if you feel like blindly sending your money to the next fitness fad.

It Wasn't the Workout........

I am on my last week of round 2 of the P90x program, I am very pleased with where I am physically.  But, there is still more to go, and I wanted to share somethings that may or may not change the way your are approaching your fitness goals:

• I can honestly say that the P90x workout was not the result of my weight loss, it was my diet.  P90x helped me gain some lean muscle and improve my overall cardiovascular health.  I will never again let anyone sell me on the fact that one workout plan is more effective for weight loss than the other

• Once I broke away from the P90x nutrition guide and started putting together my own plan, my weight goals were easier to maintain.  I was not obsessed with getting every portion of veggies, fruits, meat, etc. absolutely correct.  It was liberating to formulate my own plan

• I started this journey caring about macros, I don't care about macros anymore

• I have better relationship with food because I am not following a strict diet.  I eat what I want, knowing that certain foods will make me more hungry as opposed to making me full (think refined carbohydrates full of fat, salt and/or sugar)

•  It is all about your caloric intake - there is no magical health food

• Health shakes made me hungry and were a disaster as a meal replacement

•  I stopped my pre and post workout supplementation

• I started incorporating intermittent fasting into my nutrition plan

• I workout at 5 am in a fasted state and don't have my post workout meal until 12 pm -no supplementation at all

• I stayed away from alcohol

• My wife and kids were fully on board with what I was doing, and that's all I needed.  I never let my fitness goals interfere with my social and family life

• Brad Pilon, Martin Berkhan and John Barban changed the way I viewed fitness, using logic as opposed to promoting bogus fitness claims followed by recommendations for supplements

• Over the next 90-120 days, I will focus on resistance training to build lean muscle mass, and diet to shed more fat.  At no point will I use exercise as a tool to lose the additional weight

• Over the next 90 -120 days, it will come down to lifting hard and eating less.  I will not care about macros, meal timing, supplements, etc.

I hope this blog, up until this point, has provided some useful information.  I am no expert, I was just a fat guy who shed some serious weight.  Now, I am looking to take my body to the next level by keeping it as simple as possible.  I am still learning, so my perspective on things may continue to change. Right now, I can comfortably say, weight loss for me was more about the calories and less about the P90x workout program.

Mythbusters

Starting May 14th, I will be starting a new chapter in my fitness journey.  I will be shooting for a fitness level that I probably haven't experienced since I was wrestling in high school.  At the same time, I will have more muscle than I have had in my entire life.  On top of this, I will be turning 37 years old, and will hopefully be able to say, at that point, that I am in the best shape of my life.

I have read the blogs, watched the youtube videos and read the magazines where I am cautioned about the last 20 lbs. or so in achieving my fitness goal.  My goal right now is getting into single digit body fat while adding to my lean body mass (at minimum, 4-5 lbs over 3 months).  My target weight is going to be 168 lbs.  Much of the information I have read told me that this is going to be a miserable experience.  I will need to do cardio while depriving myself of carbs.  I will need to eat large amounts of protein and be so anal about everything I put in my body that I will not be able to have a sociable meal with anyone.  A few months ago, I would have believed this.  Now, I have stumbled upon some theories that may debunk many of the myths we believe are required to meet our fitness goals (thank you Brad Pilon and Martin Berkhan).  At this point, I am taking another person's word and research at face value, and applying it to my fitness routine.  The research has been so straightforward and honest (and makes complete sense), that I feel I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't give this approach an honest evaluation.  Will I be successful?  Time will tell, but my body is at a point where I can really document my progress with some concrete goals over the next 3 months.  The last 20 lbs. to your fitness goal is usually the most difficult, so why not implement this new school of thought at the most critical point in my fitness journey?  Here is my new approach:

• Two to three meals a day, with a 16 hour fast in between my meals.  Typically, I will shoot for meals at 12 pm, 4pm, and 7 pm.  Also, I could choose another schedule where I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and choose 2 days a week to do a 24 hour fast.  That would mean if I ate at 7pm on Friday, I would not eat again until 7 pm on Saturday.  When I eat after the fast, I would just eat a normal meal (not loading up on calories with a gorge meal) and continue regular eating until the next break.  This is called intermittent fasting, and I have been fascinated by the actual benefits that may be achieved by giving your body an extended break from eating.  I have been doing this the past few weeks and have felt less stress in my choices of food, knowing I have a nice caloric buffer in my next few meals, but not having the desire to go into an absolute binge because I am starving.  I eat like I normally would, being conscious about my food choices (shooting for 4-5 servings fruits and vegetables, lean meats, etc.), but have automatically built in a caloric buffer through the fasting process.  I don't have to be anal about eating 5-6 meals a day because I honestly believe my metabolism won't slow down and I will go into starvation mode by taking a break from eating.  Also, I was getting absolutely sick and tired of having to obsess over when I was eating my next meal, and making sure it was within the 2-3 hour window.  Fasting allows me flexibility and freedom throughout the day.

• I am going to ignore my macros.  That's right, you read it, I was Mr. IIFYM (if it fits your macros).  Honestly, much of my readings lately have been centered around common sense.  If you burn more calories than you put in, you will lose weight.  I'm starting to believe that protein is not the super nutrient it is promoted to be, so I am not going to worry about getting 1.5 X my body weight in grams of protein to build my muscle.  I will be eliminating my pre and post workout drinks as well.  Again, only time will tell how this works, but my goal is to prove that you can shed fat and build muscle without making it difficult, and cutting through much of the BS that the food and supplement industry want you to believe about staying fit and remaining healthy.  Hell, I may go 75% carbs on my my meal plan while I'm cutting, so I will still be keeping track of my meals in www.fatsecret.com just to prove my point.  In fact, I'm kicking all supplements to the curb....I will be sticking to foods you can get at the grocery store.  No more shakes, recovery drinks (I still have some to finish, but I am not re-ordering), anything that these companies promote as essential for fitness and weight loss.  Grocery store foods will be my supplementation. 

• Here is another shocker, I will be exercising on an empty stomach.  Holy God!  AM I CRAZY???  My muscles need protein, recovery foods, drinks, etc...right?  Really, companies promoting that philosophy right now, including Beachbody, can shove it.  I'm on a mission to find out for myself what really works, and no marketing noise is going to interfere with my process.  Also, I will be working out during my fast, so really the only thing I can have post workout is black coffee and water.  But wait, doesn't coffee stunt muscle growth?  I don't know, and I don't care....we'll see my results in a few months, so stunt this bro.

• I will be doing resistance training 3X a week...that's it....no cardio.....WTF????  You see, I am learning more about my body, and it seems more sensible to me to eat less calories as opposed to eating more and trying to run or jump around to burn off the fat.  In fact, I am learning that my body may be more efficient at burning fat through an extended break from eating than an extra hour moving and jumping around.  I don't know, but it may be as simple as less calories = efficient fat burning as opposed to more calories and  intense cardio workouts.  I mean, let's be honest, how many times have we tried to run miles upon miles only to see little to no progress in successfully losing fat?  I am not saying cardio is bad, I am just trying to find the best, most efficient way to burn fat in the least amount of time.  Resistance training 3X a week seems to be enough time to get the job done in building muscle.  Also, I will not be doing several exercises for each muscle group.  It will be short and sweet.  Maybe 3-4 exercises for a max of 45 mins in the gym.  I will be going early, 5:30 am, so I can get in and get my work done.  I will be focused and intense, with little interruption from the resident, skull cap wearing, bro-science promoting, in your face "gym guy".  They like to show up (and off) at peak times in the gym.

The bottom line, there is a lot of misinformation out there about health and fitness.  I started this blog to show others just how far I had let myself go, and what I was doing to remedy the situation.  This blog is now evolving into my journey against many of the myths out there that can make health and fitness so miserable.  I am trying to accomplish my fitness goals by keeping it simple. Please do not mistake my approach as trying to find a shortcut.  My meals will continue to be sensible and and I will  put everything I have into my workouts.  I am just trying to cut through much of the noise to get to a solution that can work for me and be sustainable into the future.  I also believe the easier I can make this for myself, the more others will want to follow in my footsteps.    

Making An Honest Self Assessment

As I near the completion of my second full round of P90X, I am impressed with my weight loss and the fat that is being burned from my body.  With that being said, I started becoming concerned with my estimates in terms of body fat % and what my target weight should be for a lean, 8% ripped look.  I am using calipers and measuring 3 spots on my body - chest, abdomen, and thigh.  My current calculations have me at around 12% body fat with a lean body mass (no fat at all) at around 167 lbs.  I am only 5 pounds away from my goal of 185 (and supposed 8% body fat based on my initial calculations), yet I really have not been fully satisfied with my abdominal area.  I have a weak 4 pack, meaning in proper lighting, I have a defined 4 pack (if you notice my last photo shoot....I took the updates in the kitchen because the lighting was better for muscle definition).  I was hoping at this point, a six pack would be coming through, regardless of my lighting.

The more research I did, the more I found out how inaccurate the calipers can be....as much as 5% off!  Therefore, to be honest with myself, I added 4-5% bf to my estimates, putting me back at around 16-17% body fat.  This seems more logical for my definition at this point....and my revised target weight is now around 168 lbs....meaning I still have 22 lbs. to shed.   Now, this can explain the fact that I am really not feeling the effects yet of the lower body fat %, and my meal plan to this point has been easy to follow.  So, with my second round of P90X coming to and end and me having to shed another 20lbs or so....what is my strategy going to be?  More cardio?  Increasing the amount of time I workout?  As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been looking outside of the box for ways in which I can successfully add muscle and shed fat while ignoring many of the diet and exercise myths that are floating out there today.  In fact, my approach may go against some of my earlier posts and philosophy on a successful nutrition plan.  In all honesty, the more people I talk to, the more I realize this has to be kept simple for long term success.  Additionally, there is a lot BS floated out there by supplement and food companies telling you exactly why certain foods are good, and which supplements will help you be successful in your fitness journey.  I am going to try and put many of those theories to rest on my last push to lose 20 lbs and get into single bf%.  I will also be looking to gain 4-5 lbs. of muscle during the next 3-4 months.  Stay tuned for my plan.......

Looking Towards the Future.....

I am finishing up my second round of P90x and I couldn't be happier with where I am in my fitness journey.  With that being said, I still have a long way to go (and learn).  I went into this journey with an open mind, and I continue to research new concepts and schools of thought about nutrition and exercise.  In fact, I am currently reading Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat (www.eatstopeat.com).  Essentially, it explains (in great detail), the benefits of working intermittent fasting into your nutrition plan .  In the past, I would have brushed this off and not given it a second thought.  I mean, how can fasting benefit your workout regiment and meal plan?  Wouldn't you go into starvation mode without eating every three hours?  Wouldn't your body eat away your muscles because you chose to fast for a short period of time?  Anyway, I am halfway through the book and it really has a compelling argument for breaking up your eating periods with a fast (Brad recommends 24 hours a couple of times a week).  Also, his view on macros are somewhat different, especially protein consumption, and the timing of meals in relation to your workouts.  Let's just say he is big into debunking many myths the food and supplement companies want you to believe so you will keep buying their product.

I have also been looking into putting on some more muscle while burning fat, and found my training regiment may not be as efficient I thought to accomplish this.  For me personally, heavy resistant training 3X a week  may be optimal to continue building upon the base I created through the P90x program. In any event, my curiosity peaked when I found Martin Berkhan's www.leangains.com.  This was the website that referred me to Brad's book.  In about three weeks, I will be switching up my approach.  I think it's time to move to a new style of training and eating.  I will continue to document my progress as I take this new approach.  Who knows, I may not like it and move on to P90X 2 or another Beachbody program.  Right now, my goal is to build lean muscle.  Brad and Martin's approach seems to have done wonders for a number of people in an unconventional but scientifically compelling way.  I'll keep you posted.

Day 1 to Day 150

What Do I Mean By Macros?

I wanted to give some clarification on my breakdown of macros, and why you want to pay attention to how  much protien/carbs/fats you have in your daily diet.

Let's say you finished calculating your daily caloirc needs after figuring out your goal and workout plan.  If you still have alot of excess body fat (like I did), you are going to want to start with a higher ratio of protein to carbs and fat. 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat.  This is your typical fat shredding macro ratio.  Now, you can get protein from multiple sources, I like chicken, whey protein isolate, etc.  Carbs come from my wheat bread and wheat tortillas.  Fats come from the peanuts, almonds and avacodos.  Notice these are all whole food souces (except the whey protein isolate).  When you start monitoring your diet on a website like http://www.fatsecret.com/, it will calculate all of your macros for you.  Things like Wheat Tortillas are considered carbs, but they also contain some protein and fat.  So, instead of looking at a nutrition label and calculating your macros by hand on a spreadsheet, let the computer do it for you.  Also, like I mentioned in a previous post, you cannot calculate by hand doing a 1 to 1 ratio.  1 gram of protein/fat/carbs does not equate to one calorie.  So DO NOT take 30% and multiply it by your daily caloric goals to get the number of carb calories you need.  There is a formula, and some really helpful programmers have already done the math for you.

As you start to shed more and more fat, you may find yourself requiring more energy and need to increase your carbs.  Please listen to your body on this, you will know because you will start to crash during the day or during your workouts.  It's not hunger, but you will consistently feel sluggish (at least I did).  Try upping your carb macros to 40% and reduce protein to 40%.  Keep the fats at 20%.  As time progresses, you will have to do this again.  Like I said, on my weightlifting days, I am at 50-55% carbs.

Now, you have to understand the importance and quality of your food sources.  Did you realize a cup of oatmeal and a handful of M&M's both have the same grams of carbs?  If you have 13 minutes, this guy does a good job of explainig it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBYnuIJcVTI  So, hypothetically, you could skip that cup of oatmeal and eat M&M's instead, and still be successful in losing weight, as long as you DO NOT go over your daily caloric intake and the carbs in the M&M's help you hit your macro goals.  But, your body needs quality nutrients, and you could be in a world of hurt only sticking to the M&M's.  I provided a link earlier about the guy who successfully lost weight on the Twinkie diet, but how sustainable is that?  But, monitoring your calories and macros also allows you to have flexibility in your diet.  If, at the end of the day, you have had your 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies, you have kept the fat in check, hit your protein requirements, but are short on some calories and carbs, it's not going to hurt to have those M&M's.  Just don't go over your caloric intake.  Remember the 80/20....80% of your calories for the week should be clean and whole foods, 20% can be garbage, but they BETTER fit into your daily caloric intake and your macros.  Questions?  Let me know.

Customizing Your Meal Plan - No Excuses

Ok, let’s get to the details.  After you decide your fitness plan and caloric intake, calculate the % macros for your daily plan.  Now there is a formula for calculating your proteins/carbs/fats per calorie (it’s not multiplying % by daily calories to get your macro allotment), but to save time, use Scooby’s site for the macro portions http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, and this free website www.fatsecret.com to put the meal plan together. 

In the beginning, I wanted to shed fat. 2400 calories/day was my target, and I was looking to get 50% protein 30% carbs and 20% fats in my daily mix.  Where did I get this ratio?  It was recommended in the P90x guide, and it seemed to be a good starting point.  I never hit the macros exactly every day, but, I always was in the ballpark +/- 3%.  Anyway, I started to crash consistently during my workouts after about 60 days, so I upped my caloric intake to 2800 calories/day on my resistance days and kept my cardio days at 2400.  I also upped my carbs to 50-55% on resistance days, and kept them at 30% on cardio days.    This took about 4 months to figure out before I felt I had the right balance, it didn’t happen overnight.  I am still listening to my body, but this mix seems to be working wonders.  I am shredding fat, putting on muscle, and not feeling hungry.  I also realize this is not my meal plan 6 months from now.  Eventually, I want to consistently have 55-60% carbs.  Why the high carbs?  I plan on having low body fat and continuing higher intensity exercises.  This goes back to my point of focusing on your needs and not a meal plan designed for someone else.

What kind of foods should you use to hit your macros?  I have seen this topic debated over and over, and I’m really going to focus on what has worked for me.  Take a look at this meal plan that I took from a professional body builder:

  

	Meal Plan 1
	Item	Kcals
Meal 1	1 medium banana	105
	1 cup egg whites	126
	2 cups cooked oatmeal	290
	2 slices wheat toast	256
	1 serving whey protein	110
Meal 2	1 medium apple	72
Meal 3	2 cups cooked brown rice	429
	6 oz chicken breast	332
	1 package spinach	62
	2 slices wheat toast	256
Meal 4	6 oz chicken breast	332
	1 serving Salad	9
	2 slices wheat toast	256
Meal 5	1 serving casein protein	150
	Total Calories	2785
	Protein	32%
	Carbs	51%
	Fats	17%

This is a very simple diet, very clean and the caloric intake is close to 2800 with the macros similar to my macro needs on my resistance days. 

Now take a look at a sample menu from my diet:

	Meal Plan 2
	Item	Kcals
Meal 1	2X protein greek yogurt	160
	1 serving banana	110
	2 servings Blue Bell No Sugar Added Ice Cream	180
	2 servings chocolate milk	440
	28 oz coffee	17
	2 servings whey protein isolate	210
Meal 2	1 wheat tortilla	90
	1 serving string cheese	70
	1 medium gala apple	71
Meal 3	2 servings 100% whole wheat bread	160
	2 servings chicken breast tenders	200
	1 serving kraft fat free cheese slice	25
	1 serving fat free miracle whip	15
	1 serving KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce	60
	2 cups celery	28
Meal 4	1 wheat tortilla	90
	1 serving string cheese	70
	1 cup seedless grapes	110
Meal 5	3 servings Cheeseburger Pizza (Clean Eating Magizing Recipe)	600
	1 serving cottage cheese (low sodium)	90
	Total Calories	2796
	Protein	29%
	Carbs	53%
	Fats	18%

The daily caloric intake and macro ratio is very similar.  I have much more variety (things that I like), and I am actually looking forward to my meal plan as opposed to the professional body builder’s plan.  So this begs the question, if you are only worried about calories and macros, why not eat whatever you want, as long as it fits your macros?  Well, check out this low fat, low sodium, higher protein diet:

	Meal Plan 3
	Item	Kcals
Meal 1	4 cups Lucky Charms	456
	2 servings chocolate milk	440
Meal 2	1 ice cream sandwich	220
Meal 3	1 serving Doritos	202
Meal 4	1 ice cream sandwhich	220
Meal 5	13 Miller Lite bottles	1248
	Total Calories	2786
	Protein	44%
	Carbs	41%
	Fats	15%

I actually think this was my diet in college, and we all know how that worked out.  Notice that this is closer to the balanced 40/40/20 diet that a lot of people follow.  So, can you be successful by hitting your caloric and macro needs, regardless of food quality?  If you hit your goals based on Meal Plan 3, then you have the inner workings of that friggin DeLorean at the end of Back to the Future, where Doc Brown chucks all of that garbage into Mr. Fusion, then blasts into the future with a hopped up flying time machine.  

Anyway, here’s the approach I took, and still am taking.

I will use my current meal plan as an example.  Monday through Sunday daily calories look like this:

Monday               2800

Tuesday               2400

Wednesday          2800

Thursday              2400

Friday                  2800

Saturday               2400

Sunday                 2200

Total Weekly Intake:  17,800 calories

When I first switched up my plan, I stuck to the 80/20 rule.  80% of my calories would be clean, whole foods, no BS, and I would shoot for 4-5 serving of veggies/fruits per day to get my nutrients.  That means I could indulge in around 3,560 calories that were garbage and still feel good about myself.  I could do that in one day, or spread it out.  Just to let you know upfront, I did not and will not eat foods that I believe can be detrimental to me controlling the insulin spikes.  Therefore, those garbage calories will not include things like alcohol and donuts.  But, I did allow myself wings, baked if possible, but also deep fried in white flour in controlled portions (it was not sending my cravings through the roof, I monitored closely), and it was very satisfying.  I also continued to eat BBQ (Hinze's, Mustang Creek), and instead of mixing fries with it, I would opt for corn, coleslaw or green beans.  I would never do my garbage calories in one day, because I was continuing to exercise, and a whole day worth of garbage would do absolutely nothing for my workout the next morning.

As time progressed, the cravings for the garbage carbs started to subside.  You will notice on Sundays, that I have only 2200 calories, because I want to indulge a little more in fat macros on those days.  2200 calories is in the range of my RMR, so I up the fat and protein more on Sundays, knowing that I’m in a caloric deficit for the week, and none of it will be stored as fat.  I don’t go overboard on Sundays, but I do enjoy a great breakfast like whole wheat bagel with 3 eggs, two strips of bacon, fat free miracle whip on the bagel (to each his own), fat free kraft singles, and ghost pepper salsa.  It’s awesome, and my whole Sunday is kind of structured that way.  The higher protein/fat day really leaves me feeling full, even though it’s my lowest calorie day (and typically my rest day ).  Again, I am paying close attention to the stuff that could potentially give me a nice insulin spike.

After a month, I felt like my cravings were under control.  When I went back to Indiana for Christmas, I was able to stay away from the sweets I grew up loving, and did not really feel the urge to gorge (like every Christmas before that).  I am looking to get a little more extreme with 90/10.  That still means I can have 1700+ calories as garbage, and I’m using that allotment to mix in things like KC Masterpiece bbq sauce with my chicken during lunch.  Again, this approach really can give you flexibility in your meal plan, and at no point do I ever feel like this is a diet.  Anyone can do this….ANYONE….I really don’t want to hear how you would like to do this, but you hate giving up certain things.  Seriously, you don’t have to give up certain things, just mix them in to your calories and fit them into your macros.  There is some discipline involved because you don't want to let the garbage things you love to indulge in exceed your 20%.  You’ll be amazed at how easy this can be with a little planning. No more excuses.