I have no interest in educating the readers of this blog in any overt manner. In fact, I have deliberately avoided doing so. My sole intention is to record an experience, to detail a progress under a certain methodology and to do so with a certain degree of rigor. In sort, this blog is a spatter of breadcrumbs without the pretense of a notion of direction.
This is not to say that I am uninformed or that ignorance is acceptable when embarking on this kind of pursuit. The opposite is true. In my opinion, those wishing to invest time into any activity must acknowledge the responsibility of educating themselves properly. In other words, I am holding back in order to force you to understand that it falls on you to research these subjects.
Please consider the following.
I started studying nutrition and fitness approximately two years ago. I am an academic and I pursued these topics in the same systematic matter I pursue interests in my own field. My education in nutrition and fitness involved extensive reading, from academic papers to popular books. I also took advantage of the informational flotsam scattered in blogs, wikis, etc. Over time, I amassed large amounts of data and processed it as best I could.
About eight months ago, I came to the conclusion that a Paleo diet and a H.I.T. protocol were worth a shot. This was not the first time that I had put my findings into practice and it would not have been the first time results did not match expectations.
As it happens, this has been the most productive approach so far. Nothing that I found in my research ensured this outcome. Eventually, I had to self-experiment. Educating oneself on the subjects of nutrition and fitness is a never-ending process that holds no guarantees. There are no final words, no dogma or hidden truth, waiting to be discovered. These are not topics that can be resolved like a jigsaw puzzle. This is science and its concern is reality. The amount of complexity involved is, literally, astronomical.
Thus, I make no reference to academic papers or books. I offer no leads. I contend that forcing you to do the footwork will be more helpful to you than trying to tell you what to think. I have made one exception by making explicit reference (several times) to Body by Science. It is a good book but so are many others. Why recommend this one alone? There is no particular reason that would be meaningful to anyone but me.
Last, I cannot emphasize enough how important critical reading is. Never, ever, take for granted the (in)validity of a notion on account of its origins. Focus on what is being said, not on who is saying it. If you are unsure as to how to put this into practice, my advice is that you start by clearly distinguishing what you know from what you believe.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Measurements III
It has been two months since my last measurement. I will use tables from now on since they are easier to figure out at a glance. For instance, it is clear (and remarkable) that my height has not changed a bit.
As before, the fat loss is likely to be larger than the weight loss since I have put on a certain amount of muscle. I find interesting, even surprising, the lack of change in hips and waist size (these two months) considering the drop in weight. Where did the loss come from? I guess it is an overall issue. I do look thinner. In fact, it is odd that, based on simple BMI calculations, I am supposed to be borderline obese.
The table format is much better. No surprises here. For convenience, the numbers over the last 4 months are shown above.
| Height | 181 cm | ||
| 9-30-11 | 7-27-11 | Diff. | |
| Weight | 80.3 kg | 83.4 kg | -3.1 kg |
| Chest | 103 cm | 101 cm | +2 cm |
| Arm | 33 cm | 32.5 cm | +0.5 cm |
| Waist | 86 cm | 86.5 cm | -0.5 cm |
| Hips | 94 cm | 94 cm | n/c |
| Thigh | 59 cm | 61 cm | -2 cm |
As before, the fat loss is likely to be larger than the weight loss since I have put on a certain amount of muscle. I find interesting, even surprising, the lack of change in hips and waist size (these two months) considering the drop in weight. Where did the loss come from? I guess it is an overall issue. I do look thinner. In fact, it is odd that, based on simple BMI calculations, I am supposed to be borderline obese.
| Height | 181 cm | ||
| 9-30-11 | 5-31-11 | Diff. | |
| Weight | 80.3 kg | 86.9 kg | -6.6 kg |
| Chest | 103 cm | 100 cm | +3 cm |
| Arm | 33 cm | 32 cm | +1 cm |
| Waist | 86 cm | 91 cm | -5 cm |
| Hips | 94 cm | 102 cm | -8 cm |
| Thigh | 59 cm | 64 cm | -5 cm |
The table format is much better. No surprises here. For convenience, the numbers over the last 4 months are shown above.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
A 36 hour fast
I have just completed a 36 hour fast. It was neither intended nor motivated by a physical or psychological malady. I fell into it by chance. It happened. The experience has been interesting so I thought I would add it to the blog.
First off, though, I have been doing intermittent fasting since June (I think). It was surprisingly easy to get into and maintain. In fact, I can only say positive things about it. I don't foresee any reason why I should abandon this meal schedule. It is effortless and rewarding.
I should also add that, in my opinion, the reason why IF has come easy to me is because I am doing a Paleo diet. This is not to say that only a Paleo diet works (for this), it simply means that it works (for this). I know that I would have not been able to do IF with my near-vegan or any of my other previous diets. It would have required an amount of determination and will-power that I know I cannot sustain. I know this because, over the years, there have always been occasions when, as in anyone's life, I have been forced to skip meals. It was never easy for me.
Which brings me to the 36 hour fast. Like I said, it wasn't planned. I was distracted, busy, otherwise engaged. There was no stress or hurry. It was simply that by the time I remember it was time to eat, I realized that I was not hungry. So I decided to skip a meal. Skipping a meal lead to skipping another and, before I knew it, I had not eaten during the entire day. I went to bed last night thinking about this. Why am I not feeling hunger pangs? Why did I not feel tired and without energy at any time during the day?
These are important questions because as I said before, we have all been in this kind of situations at one point and another. And, yes, I have had abdominal pain due to insufficient food intake. And, yes, I have experienced lack of energy when I have skipped a meal or meals in the past. In fact, I can remember situations when I "survived" from energy bar to energy bar.
So, again, why did I not have any of these symptoms yesterday?
I can only say that it appears that the Paleo diet allows me to manage my metabolism (food-wise) with more freedom than the previous diets that I have had over the years.
First off, though, I have been doing intermittent fasting since June (I think). It was surprisingly easy to get into and maintain. In fact, I can only say positive things about it. I don't foresee any reason why I should abandon this meal schedule. It is effortless and rewarding.
I should also add that, in my opinion, the reason why IF has come easy to me is because I am doing a Paleo diet. This is not to say that only a Paleo diet works (for this), it simply means that it works (for this). I know that I would have not been able to do IF with my near-vegan or any of my other previous diets. It would have required an amount of determination and will-power that I know I cannot sustain. I know this because, over the years, there have always been occasions when, as in anyone's life, I have been forced to skip meals. It was never easy for me.
Which brings me to the 36 hour fast. Like I said, it wasn't planned. I was distracted, busy, otherwise engaged. There was no stress or hurry. It was simply that by the time I remember it was time to eat, I realized that I was not hungry. So I decided to skip a meal. Skipping a meal lead to skipping another and, before I knew it, I had not eaten during the entire day. I went to bed last night thinking about this. Why am I not feeling hunger pangs? Why did I not feel tired and without energy at any time during the day?
These are important questions because as I said before, we have all been in this kind of situations at one point and another. And, yes, I have had abdominal pain due to insufficient food intake. And, yes, I have experienced lack of energy when I have skipped a meal or meals in the past. In fact, I can remember situations when I "survived" from energy bar to energy bar.
So, again, why did I not have any of these symptoms yesterday?
I can only say that it appears that the Paleo diet allows me to manage my metabolism (food-wise) with more freedom than the previous diets that I have had over the years.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Template menu 0.4
I have come to the conclusion that the cocoa at night could be upsetting my sleep. A few days ago, I decided to switch breakfast with dinner. There are no other changes to the template menu.
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
I am no longer engaged in the social event that brought about the somewhat insane weekly meal. This means that in a few weeks I should be completely off non-paleo foodstuffs.
On a different subject, I prefer not to throw away food and, well, I have a little dilemma. I have just found 9 liters of juice that will go bad in a few weeks. This is a special juice made from 18 different vegetables and fruits, purportedly 100% natural. During my years-long near-vegan diet, I thought this juice was great because it includes a handful of unusual veggies and fruits (e.g. purple carrots) that I would never be able to purchase fresh.
In any case, the juice is going bad so I have decided to drink it up rather than pitch it. After considering the options, I have finally settled on the following approach. I am going to do an all-day fruit-juice-athon tomorrow. I will, of course, respect the intermittent fasting window. If I survive the fructose overload, I will do this twice more, once a week, over the next two weeks. That should take care of all the juice. We will see what effects this "sugar trauma" will have on my weight as well as strength and stamina levels.
Breakfast:
- 2 boiled eggs with 3 teaspoons of homemade mayonnaise.
- ~200 grams of plain yogurt with a spoon of cocoa powder.
Lunch:
- ~200 grams of beef or pork.
- Salad: Lettuce, 1 medium tomato, 1 cucumber, 1 medium onion (sautéed with a tablespoon of butter), and 3 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise as dressing.
Dinner:
- 1 egg omelet.
- ~200 grams of fish (pan-fried butter).
I am no longer engaged in the social event that brought about the somewhat insane weekly meal. This means that in a few weeks I should be completely off non-paleo foodstuffs.
On a different subject, I prefer not to throw away food and, well, I have a little dilemma. I have just found 9 liters of juice that will go bad in a few weeks. This is a special juice made from 18 different vegetables and fruits, purportedly 100% natural. During my years-long near-vegan diet, I thought this juice was great because it includes a handful of unusual veggies and fruits (e.g. purple carrots) that I would never be able to purchase fresh.
In any case, the juice is going bad so I have decided to drink it up rather than pitch it. After considering the options, I have finally settled on the following approach. I am going to do an all-day fruit-juice-athon tomorrow. I will, of course, respect the intermittent fasting window. If I survive the fructose overload, I will do this twice more, once a week, over the next two weeks. That should take care of all the juice. We will see what effects this "sugar trauma" will have on my weight as well as strength and stamina levels.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
VIII H.I.T. report
Yesterday I completed my 5th workout in a gym. It has become clear that high intensity training demands specialized equipment. This was not apparent to me before. In fact, it is the case that my home gym was perfectly adequate for my perfectly inadequate old routine.
The gym. Let's see. It is relatively well equipped, relatively uncrowded, relatively inexpensive, relatively nearby. In short, it is not perfect but it will do.
My progress has been impressive. I can now perform all big five exercises properly. My form has improved and so has my confidence regarding injury-free performance. This is crucial because I am already lifting poundage that sometimes frightens me. My leg press is over 300 pounds. There are times I think I am dreaming when I see a huge stack of weights going up and down.
Delusional as it sounds, I can realistically say that there will be a time in the not-too-distant future when I will max out some of the machines.
I am now working on disposition as I feel it is my weakest point. Motivationally, I am solid. However, I know that a change in attitude would improve my physical performance. This is fine tuning, of course. Still, when you are working at the edge of your capacity from the very first rep and when you are going all the way to momentary muscle failure, you need every asset you can muster.
The gym. Let's see. It is relatively well equipped, relatively uncrowded, relatively inexpensive, relatively nearby. In short, it is not perfect but it will do.
My progress has been impressive. I can now perform all big five exercises properly. My form has improved and so has my confidence regarding injury-free performance. This is crucial because I am already lifting poundage that sometimes frightens me. My leg press is over 300 pounds. There are times I think I am dreaming when I see a huge stack of weights going up and down.
Delusional as it sounds, I can realistically say that there will be a time in the not-too-distant future when I will max out some of the machines.
I am now working on disposition as I feel it is my weakest point. Motivationally, I am solid. However, I know that a change in attitude would improve my physical performance. This is fine tuning, of course. Still, when you are working at the edge of your capacity from the very first rep and when you are going all the way to momentary muscle failure, you need every asset you can muster.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Positive failure
The idea of working a set of repetitions to the point of muscle failure has been around for decades. The claim is that this practice maximizes the rate of muscle growth. The claim is that a lack of sufficient intensity of effort will only tire you and trigger no development.
It should be said that working to failure is anything but easy. For example, I have found that I didn't actually know what it really meant until quite recently. The reason is that, as an unassisted beginner, I first had to overcome deficits in my ability to deliver intensity of effort (form, unknown personal limits, etc). This was in no way apparent to me early on and meant that, although I was working to the point of failure, I was not able to give everything I had even if I wanted to. I had to learn to do so. This is OK but something to expect and look for. Why?
Because gradually I got to the point when I could put more into an exercise but didn't. I had fallen prey to another difficulty of working to failure, the rut. Pushing oneself to the limit every single time is, as someone put it, masochistic and counterintuitive. Here is an example:
Imagine you take a math test and you fail it. The score tells you know some math but not enough. That's OK. You study more and retake the test. The thing is that the test has become harder and you fail it again. The score tells that you know more math than before but still not enough. Imagine this situation going on indefinitely. You will become very, very good at math but you will fail the tests nonetheless.
Working to muscle failure means that, no matter how strong you get, you will never pass the test that you put your body through. In fact, that is precisely the objective. You don't want your metabolism to ever consider that it can handle the "situation" it is faced with. Rather, you want your metabolism to always "think" it needs to grow more muscle in order to match environmental demands.
You fall into a rut when you fail to challenge yourself sufficiently, when the test you put your body through is not demanding enough.
It should be said that working to failure is anything but easy. For example, I have found that I didn't actually know what it really meant until quite recently. The reason is that, as an unassisted beginner, I first had to overcome deficits in my ability to deliver intensity of effort (form, unknown personal limits, etc). This was in no way apparent to me early on and meant that, although I was working to the point of failure, I was not able to give everything I had even if I wanted to. I had to learn to do so. This is OK but something to expect and look for. Why?
Because gradually I got to the point when I could put more into an exercise but didn't. I had fallen prey to another difficulty of working to failure, the rut. Pushing oneself to the limit every single time is, as someone put it, masochistic and counterintuitive. Here is an example:
Imagine you take a math test and you fail it. The score tells you know some math but not enough. That's OK. You study more and retake the test. The thing is that the test has become harder and you fail it again. The score tells that you know more math than before but still not enough. Imagine this situation going on indefinitely. You will become very, very good at math but you will fail the tests nonetheless.
Working to muscle failure means that, no matter how strong you get, you will never pass the test that you put your body through. In fact, that is precisely the objective. You don't want your metabolism to ever consider that it can handle the "situation" it is faced with. Rather, you want your metabolism to always "think" it needs to grow more muscle in order to match environmental demands.
You fall into a rut when you fail to challenge yourself sufficiently, when the test you put your body through is not demanding enough.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Template menu 0.3
The diet I am following is working well. I don't feel hungry or lack energy.
There have only been small changes, as I expected. I have been keen for a while on replacing the 3 satsuma age with real fish. I have finally been able to do it. I have also eliminated the bacon since I eat meat every day.
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
The weight loss continues. It is a gradual process and I have ceased to be concerned about it.
There have only been small changes, as I expected. I have been keen for a while on replacing the 3 satsuma age with real fish. I have finally been able to do it. I have also eliminated the bacon since I eat meat every day.
Breakfast:
- 1 egg omelet.
- ~200 grams fish (pan-fried butter).
Lunch:
- ~200 grams of beef or pork.
- Salad: Lettuce, 1 medium tomato, 1 cucumber, 1 medium onion (sautéed with a tablespoon of butter), and 3 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise as dressing.
Dinner:
- 2 boiled eggs with 3 teaspoons of homemade mayonnaise.
- ~200 grams of plain yogurt with a spoon of cocoa powder.
The weight loss continues. It is a gradual process and I have ceased to be concerned about it.
Friday, August 5, 2011
VII H.I.T. report
I did my last workout at home yesterday. From next week on, I will be going to a gym. I expect this will allow me to push harder and get greater benefits out of each session. If this is not the case, I will go back to working out at home.
As I was looking at my H.I.T. sheet, I counted 10 workouts in 11 weeks (I traded one WoW for an enduro day). I would be lying if I said that I am not astonished by the progression. I am fitter than I have ever been. It's almost absurd. Ten workouts amount to about 3 hours of exercise for me. Before I started this protocol, I would invest that much time in less than a week and all I accomplished was to wear myself down. Ridiculous.
My performance on yesterday's session was below my expectations. Fortunately, I know the cause of the problem. I did not rest properly. I have been too enthusiastic about sprinting, walks, and strong kicks. I did not give my body enough time to recover. The end result is that I failed to inroad. It is true that I didn't regress, though. My strength is still there. But I was not able to improve on my previous TUL's.
Next time, I will.
As I was looking at my H.I.T. sheet, I counted 10 workouts in 11 weeks (I traded one WoW for an enduro day). I would be lying if I said that I am not astonished by the progression. I am fitter than I have ever been. It's almost absurd. Ten workouts amount to about 3 hours of exercise for me. Before I started this protocol, I would invest that much time in less than a week and all I accomplished was to wear myself down. Ridiculous.
My performance on yesterday's session was below my expectations. Fortunately, I know the cause of the problem. I did not rest properly. I have been too enthusiastic about sprinting, walks, and strong kicks. I did not give my body enough time to recover. The end result is that I failed to inroad. It is true that I didn't regress, though. My strength is still there. But I was not able to improve on my previous TUL's.
Next time, I will.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Measurements II
Almost two months have passed since I recorded my size (see Measurements).
This is where I am today:
The fat loss is likely to be larger than the weight loss since I am quite confident I have developed at least a little bit of muscle.
The numbers show a general decline in size as I become leaner. My muscle tone has improved significantly and it would be easy to think I have gained more mass than I actually have. Looks are on my side but deceiving nonetheless.
I am clearly stronger and fitter. Although I still have reservations regarding the health aspects of the paleo diet (I bought more multi-mineral/vitamin and fish oil supplements), I have to give a thumbs up to the HIT protocol as outlined in Body by Science. In these two months I have achieved more than in the previous two years. I'm sold... and I have yet to get to a gym and work with proper equipment.
This is where I am today:
- Height: 181 cm.
- Weight: 83.4 kg (-3.5 kg).
- Chest: 101 cm (+1 cm).
- Arm: 32.5 cm (+0.5 cm).
- Waist: 86.5 cm (-4.5 cm).
- Hips: 94 cm (-8 cm).
- Thigh: 61 cm (-3 cm).
The fat loss is likely to be larger than the weight loss since I am quite confident I have developed at least a little bit of muscle.
The numbers show a general decline in size as I become leaner. My muscle tone has improved significantly and it would be easy to think I have gained more mass than I actually have. Looks are on my side but deceiving nonetheless.
I am clearly stronger and fitter. Although I still have reservations regarding the health aspects of the paleo diet (I bought more multi-mineral/vitamin and fish oil supplements), I have to give a thumbs up to the HIT protocol as outlined in Body by Science. In these two months I have achieved more than in the previous two years. I'm sold... and I have yet to get to a gym and work with proper equipment.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Kicking a ball ~ sprinting
By '~', I mean 'roughly similar'. This has been my experience.
Two, three times a week I go for a one hour walk... or, rather, a stroll. There is a clearing in a nearby forest large enough to fit a stadium in it. The ground has been flattened and covered with fine dirt. It is sufficiently large to be used for games that require fields and some people use it just for that reason. There are no stands or anything blocking the view. The forest makes the edge of the clearing and it is a very pleasant and quiet place to spend a while enjoying nature in peace.
It takes me about 4-5 minutes to slowly walk the clearing long-wise. I choose to come here rather than the hills because it is a location where it is comparatively difficult to injure oneself. Walking over flat, even ground, is quite safe compared to hiking.
To the point.
A month ago, I bought a ball. It is similar to a soccer ball except that it is somewhat smaller and softer. The idea was that it would help me "break my step". By this I mean that I would go about kicking the ball softly and, in this manner, I would be forced to adjust my stride every so often. Think of it as a cheap imitation of walking over uneven terrain.
Now, I have never played soccer before so the first consequence of this addition to my strolling routine was that I would continuously zigzag chasing the ball around. It seemed impossible for me to kick it straight. This, of course, was fine. If instead of 5 minutes, it took me 10 to stroll across the clearing, so what?
After a while, I got better at kicking the ball so that it would roll in front of me if I wanted it to. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I actually hit it hard. I was surprised at the results for two reasons: first, it was a very difficult thing to do well; second, the before-during-after feeling in my leg muscles was very similar to that of sprinting.
I have been practicing my strong kick since then. Unsurprisingly, it is a considerably difficult thing to do adequately. As always, acquiring proper form takes time. However, as my form has improved, so has my ability to kick harder and harder. The feeling of sprinting is also getting stronger and stronger.
So, there. It is clearly anecdotal (n=1, as is fashionable among goofs nowadays) but it is what I am doing for exercise. Thus, it goes into the blog. When I walk, I kick a ball.
Two, three times a week I go for a one hour walk... or, rather, a stroll. There is a clearing in a nearby forest large enough to fit a stadium in it. The ground has been flattened and covered with fine dirt. It is sufficiently large to be used for games that require fields and some people use it just for that reason. There are no stands or anything blocking the view. The forest makes the edge of the clearing and it is a very pleasant and quiet place to spend a while enjoying nature in peace.
It takes me about 4-5 minutes to slowly walk the clearing long-wise. I choose to come here rather than the hills because it is a location where it is comparatively difficult to injure oneself. Walking over flat, even ground, is quite safe compared to hiking.
To the point.
A month ago, I bought a ball. It is similar to a soccer ball except that it is somewhat smaller and softer. The idea was that it would help me "break my step". By this I mean that I would go about kicking the ball softly and, in this manner, I would be forced to adjust my stride every so often. Think of it as a cheap imitation of walking over uneven terrain.
Now, I have never played soccer before so the first consequence of this addition to my strolling routine was that I would continuously zigzag chasing the ball around. It seemed impossible for me to kick it straight. This, of course, was fine. If instead of 5 minutes, it took me 10 to stroll across the clearing, so what?
After a while, I got better at kicking the ball so that it would roll in front of me if I wanted it to. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I actually hit it hard. I was surprised at the results for two reasons: first, it was a very difficult thing to do well; second, the before-during-after feeling in my leg muscles was very similar to that of sprinting.
I have been practicing my strong kick since then. Unsurprisingly, it is a considerably difficult thing to do adequately. As always, acquiring proper form takes time. However, as my form has improved, so has my ability to kick harder and harder. The feeling of sprinting is also getting stronger and stronger.
So, there. It is clearly anecdotal (n=1, as is fashionable among goofs nowadays) but it is what I am doing for exercise. Thus, it goes into the blog. When I walk, I kick a ball.
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