I'm not sure why so many people think "eating balanced" or "everything in moderation" makes so much sense. You wouldn't say that it's ok to just do a little cocaine right? Some junk is just junk and should be kept as low as possible. I think the great quote from Benjamin Franklin is "Keep all things in moderation, including moderation." There is a time for being hardcore, I believe.
Is the cocaine example too much? Alright - maybe. What about eating a moderate piece of fudge every day, and a moderate amount of pizza and McDonalds? I think we all know where that leads.
Some people think keeping fat low is the answer to weight loss - I tried that with mixed results. It did reduce my fat and left me fairly lean, but I couldn't stop binging on sugary/carb foods. The problem was I was trying to eat that junk in moderation. That's way harder for someone like me than just cutting the cord entirely.
It wasn't until I gave up having a few hundred grams of carbs/sugar (which are basically the same thing) a day, that my binges came under control and I finally could stay on track for long period of times.
Paleo lowish carb nutrition has worked for me for over a year now. It has been amazing. It's made eating out so easy, and less stressful, it's helped with keeping my body fat nice and low and has helped with my general energy levels. I no longer crash after a big carb meal, my energy is more of a baseline all day long. Sleep has improved and all my blood tests have come back with improved numbers.
I don't worry about calories at all - that's a tremendous relief. It caused a lot of unnecessary stress worrying that I'd be over calorie by the end of the day, under calorie, miss a 3 hour feeding window - whatever. Now, I eat 2-3 meals a day, until full, no worries.
Here's my simple rules:
Eat: Animals/Veggies
Don't Eat: everything else. (including wheat, rice, corn, anything out of a box, fruit, sugar)
wait.... fruit?
Yeah - here's the thing.
Fruit has some great stuff in it (although all that can be found in a healthy variety of veggies) but also a bunch of fructose. That's not so great. It's probably too long to post the whole thing, but can you just go with me that fructose won't help big weight loss. Once a client is close to their goal weight, some fruit probably won't hurt, but during the big weight loss portion, I recommend to stay away.
Can overeating protein/fat make you fat?
OF COURSE!
However, when is the last time you really binged hard on protein and fat? If you have - then by all means, ignore me. But if you're like me, I never binged on steak and chicken. It was always carbs/sugar. Ice Cream, Doughnuts, Cake, Pie, Chocolate, Chips - whatever. I have a long long long history of binging and not once crushed an animal in a 3 day mega binge.
I believe that for many of us who struggle with overeating and weight gain - carbs/sugar (love how that's one word?) are as much of an addiction as heroin or cocaine. In fact, it actually activates the same part of your brain - the reward center.
I wish that I could have just a bite of a doughnut and walk away, but I can't. That bite will lead to a whole pie, a pizza, a bag of doritos and all the rest. I've stayed lean for a couple years by completely eliminating all carbs except veggies from my life.
If what you do is working for you - then please, keep doing it. But if it's not - if you're struggling, try my way for a month. If you do it and it doesn't work - you may come to Pittsburgh and kick me in the shin.
Steve.
Resources:
www.Whole9Life.com
www.Marksdailyapple.com
www.RobbWolf.com
The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes
www.KnightFit.com - by me.
Showing posts with label Primal Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Primal Life. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Simplified Meal Plan
I want to streamline my life. I also want to streamline the life of my clients and friends and really feel like I stumbled upon the right way to do it. When I was starting the journey down the path to healthy eating and fitness, I certainly took the long road. I've documented that a few different places, but just for added simplicity, I'll sum it up.
Sept 1, 2008
I started going to the gym. I was 235 and had never exercised before in my life. I would go two times a day, mostly hitting random machines and doing as long as I could for cardio. Usually this was about 10-12 minutes per session at a very slow pace. Nutritionally - the only thing I heard is I'm supposed to eat every 3 hours. I went to the store and bought a whole freezer full of Michealina's Lean Gourmet frozen dinners. I would eat one of these 200-300 calorie boxes every 3 hours, on a precise schedule (I would set my phone alarm - seriously...) and stop everything when it was time to eat. My daily total was usually about 1200 calories. This included 2 workouts a day. I lost weight - really fast. I turned into a flabby, skinny, pale, sickly looking wimp.
Feb 22, 2009
Started P90X and learned about protein! Oh man did I learn about protein. Well, honestly, mostly I learned about grilled chicken breast. I would eat grilled chicken breast for about 3-4 of my 6 meals a day. My protein numbers were often around 300g of protein a day, with the rest of my calories coming from extremely low fat, instant microwavable food. Basically, one step better, but still junk. I was still losing weight, but not adding any real muscle.
My binges during this time were mostly under control due to my excitement from P90X and starting to really get fit. It wasn't until I finished my first 90 day round that my Binge Eating Disorder truly came back, with a vengeance. After I finished my first round, after many attempts to stop binging, I reentered therapy.
Feb 22, 2010
I celebrated a year of doing Beachbody programs with a 4 day binge (very typical) of pizza, ice cream, doughnuts, and all the rest. I just couldn't stop binging out on everything I could get my hands on. The 24 hour gas station was my worst enemy. I would go out in middle of the night and buy 6-10 king size candy bars, 2-4 quarts of cookie dough ice cream, several 2 liters of pop, and 2 big bags of doritos in a single haul. I was working my ass off in the gym, under-eating, stupid low fat, fairly healthy food for maybe 10 days to 2 weeks, then binge like a maniac for 3-4 days. UGLY. I was spinning out of control and starting to get chubby again. By mid summer, I had ballooned from 168 to 190 again and was heading down the path of relapsing.
I kept trying to get back to the hard P90X workouts, and eating super low calorie meals every 3 hours, but something wasn't working. I couldn't keep it up for long stretches of time. Finally, things changed.
April 1, 2010
I found out about www.MarksDailyApple.com. This started to make sense, but it went against so much of what I had come to believe. Eating fat makes us fat! Carbs are needed for energy! etc. I butted my head against it for a while, but after binge after binge, decided that I HAD to change something up, or I would keep falling off the wagon.
I took the Primal Plunge.
I started eating a lot of fat and pretty lowish carbs. It was terrifying. I expected to blow up like a freaking balloon - yet after the first couple weeks, I actually lost a couple pounds. After a month, I was down about 10. More importantly, I hadn't had a major, fall off the wagon binge in over a month! I was slowly starting to believe.
It wasn't until I bought in completely that the real effects started to happen. I started getting leaner and building muscle at the same time. I started having more energy while I ate more fat. I continued to learn about the really good effects of eating animal fat along with tons of veggies. Everything was coming together.
Now, I believe I found the last part of the puzzle. It's time to simplify things even more. No more 6 meals a day. No more stupid cardio all the time. Here's the simplified plan:
Nutrition:
3 meals a day in a limited feeding window. Eat whenever you want for the first meal, then eat a second a few hours later, and a third a few hours after that. Then shut it down until the next day. Ideally, this should create a 16 hour fast every day. More on the reasons why down below.
Meals will consist of plenty of protein, plenty of fat, and plenty of veggies.
No grains. (Wheat, Rice, Rorn)
No sugar.
No fruit.
No legumes.
A typical day might be this:
Noon: Meat Omelet, coffee
3pm: Ground Beef Salad
4:30pm -workout-
6pm: Sweet Potato, Steak/Fish Salad
Done. I'll only have the sweet potato on workout days, none on rest days. Easy right?
Workouts:
3 strength sessions per week, using mostly compound full body moves. (Deadlift, Bench, Military Press, Row, etc.)
1 hard cardio sprint session/Insanity type workout a week for cardiovascular performance.
lots of walking.
That's it! Easy stuff! Every time you eat - eat lots of veggies and meat. No bread, no pasta, no sugar - whatever. It's junk, it's stupid calories. It's stupid insulin-creating junk. If you're very lean, you may have some fruit, if not, skip it.
Why the small feeding window with the intermittent fast?
Check out Martin Burkhan's amazing site - Leangains.com
http://www.leangains.com/2011/03/intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss.html
Sept 1, 2008
I started going to the gym. I was 235 and had never exercised before in my life. I would go two times a day, mostly hitting random machines and doing as long as I could for cardio. Usually this was about 10-12 minutes per session at a very slow pace. Nutritionally - the only thing I heard is I'm supposed to eat every 3 hours. I went to the store and bought a whole freezer full of Michealina's Lean Gourmet frozen dinners. I would eat one of these 200-300 calorie boxes every 3 hours, on a precise schedule (I would set my phone alarm - seriously...) and stop everything when it was time to eat. My daily total was usually about 1200 calories. This included 2 workouts a day. I lost weight - really fast. I turned into a flabby, skinny, pale, sickly looking wimp.
Feb 22, 2009
Started P90X and learned about protein! Oh man did I learn about protein. Well, honestly, mostly I learned about grilled chicken breast. I would eat grilled chicken breast for about 3-4 of my 6 meals a day. My protein numbers were often around 300g of protein a day, with the rest of my calories coming from extremely low fat, instant microwavable food. Basically, one step better, but still junk. I was still losing weight, but not adding any real muscle.
My binges during this time were mostly under control due to my excitement from P90X and starting to really get fit. It wasn't until I finished my first 90 day round that my Binge Eating Disorder truly came back, with a vengeance. After I finished my first round, after many attempts to stop binging, I reentered therapy.
Feb 22, 2010
I celebrated a year of doing Beachbody programs with a 4 day binge (very typical) of pizza, ice cream, doughnuts, and all the rest. I just couldn't stop binging out on everything I could get my hands on. The 24 hour gas station was my worst enemy. I would go out in middle of the night and buy 6-10 king size candy bars, 2-4 quarts of cookie dough ice cream, several 2 liters of pop, and 2 big bags of doritos in a single haul. I was working my ass off in the gym, under-eating, stupid low fat, fairly healthy food for maybe 10 days to 2 weeks, then binge like a maniac for 3-4 days. UGLY. I was spinning out of control and starting to get chubby again. By mid summer, I had ballooned from 168 to 190 again and was heading down the path of relapsing.
I kept trying to get back to the hard P90X workouts, and eating super low calorie meals every 3 hours, but something wasn't working. I couldn't keep it up for long stretches of time. Finally, things changed.
April 1, 2010
I found out about www.MarksDailyApple.com. This started to make sense, but it went against so much of what I had come to believe. Eating fat makes us fat! Carbs are needed for energy! etc. I butted my head against it for a while, but after binge after binge, decided that I HAD to change something up, or I would keep falling off the wagon.
I took the Primal Plunge.
I started eating a lot of fat and pretty lowish carbs. It was terrifying. I expected to blow up like a freaking balloon - yet after the first couple weeks, I actually lost a couple pounds. After a month, I was down about 10. More importantly, I hadn't had a major, fall off the wagon binge in over a month! I was slowly starting to believe.
It wasn't until I bought in completely that the real effects started to happen. I started getting leaner and building muscle at the same time. I started having more energy while I ate more fat. I continued to learn about the really good effects of eating animal fat along with tons of veggies. Everything was coming together.
Now, I believe I found the last part of the puzzle. It's time to simplify things even more. No more 6 meals a day. No more stupid cardio all the time. Here's the simplified plan:
Nutrition:
3 meals a day in a limited feeding window. Eat whenever you want for the first meal, then eat a second a few hours later, and a third a few hours after that. Then shut it down until the next day. Ideally, this should create a 16 hour fast every day. More on the reasons why down below.
Meals will consist of plenty of protein, plenty of fat, and plenty of veggies.
No grains. (Wheat, Rice, Rorn)
No sugar.
No fruit.
No legumes.
A typical day might be this:
Noon: Meat Omelet, coffee
3pm: Ground Beef Salad
4:30pm -workout-
6pm: Sweet Potato, Steak/Fish Salad
Done. I'll only have the sweet potato on workout days, none on rest days. Easy right?
Workouts:
3 strength sessions per week, using mostly compound full body moves. (Deadlift, Bench, Military Press, Row, etc.)
1 hard cardio sprint session/Insanity type workout a week for cardiovascular performance.
lots of walking.
That's it! Easy stuff! Every time you eat - eat lots of veggies and meat. No bread, no pasta, no sugar - whatever. It's junk, it's stupid calories. It's stupid insulin-creating junk. If you're very lean, you may have some fruit, if not, skip it.
Why the small feeding window with the intermittent fast?
Check out Martin Burkhan's amazing site - Leangains.com
http://www.leangains.com/2011/03/intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss.html
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
How to Lose Fat on Paleo/Primal
I was doing some research on Leptin tonight and came across this very well written article by celticcavegirl over at cavemanforum.com - I think it's well said and short enough for a quick read.
How to lose fat on the Paleo WOE, or Endocrinology for Dummies
« on: March 24, 2011, 03:54:20 PM »
This post is written for the benefit of stumblers and newcomers 
The paleo way of eating is about optimising health, and that's what we should all ultimately be aiming for. But the fact remains a lot of people start the paleo diet because they want to lose weight, so as we have a lot of new people on the forum these past few weeks (hi guys!) I thought I would write a little endocrinology 101
When I first started paleo I read quite a short, simple article online about insulin, carbohydrates and weight. I don't remember where it was but I do remember that as a person who knew little about the subject, it really clarified it for me and made me finally understnad why it is important to cut carbs to lose weight. So to help others, I will attempt to reproduce it!
The below is all very basic common knowledge for anyone who knows much about diet and biology, but not necessarily such common knowledge for the average stumbler starting out on the paleo diet.
Part 1 - what happens in the body when you consume carbohydrates, a very simplified version
- Consumption of carbohydrates results in an increase in blood sugar. The more refined the carbohydrate, the faster and higher the rise
- Glucose is a fuel when it's in the muscles, but when it's in the blood stream in high levels it is essential a toxin. Yes, a toxin.
- The body wants reduce the amount of this toxin in the blood, so the pancreas produces a load of insulin. Again, the higher volume and refinedness of the carb ingested, the more insulin is produced.
- Muscle cells are covered in insulin receptors; insulin binds to these and prompts them to take in glucose to remove it from the bloodstream. It is stored in the muscles as glycogen, to be used as energy when necessary (e.g. anaerobic exercise)
- if the muscles are 'full', the excess is converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes i.e/ turned into fat. (this is why athletes, whose muscle cells have 'space', can eat a lot of carbs and not get fat. But they can still get diabetes on route to winning 5 olympic gold medals - see Redgrave, Sir Steve). -
- This is not a problem in and of itself, because the body is creating and burning fat constantly. However because of the spike in insulin, some of the glucose that was already in the blood is also converted to fat as well. So you end up with slightly more energy stored as fat than the energy from the carbs you just ate.
- Additionally, this leaves you with low blood sugar and makes you more likely to snack or overeat, as you are hungry!
Insulin sensitivity and Insulin Resistance
- if someone is described as being insulin resistant, this means that their muscle cells are not as sensitive to the effects of insulin and do not uptake glucose from the bloodstream so readily; the excess glucose is more likely to be stored as fat rather than stored in the muscle cells.
- this turns into a vicious cycle of the pancreas producing more and more insulin in response to the same carbohydrate intake. Diabetes and obesity are the eventual results.
- Someone who is insulin sensitive has muscles that are good at taking up glucose from the bloodstream. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity, as does intermittent fasting.
How to lose weight on the paleo diet
- first one must understand that to lose weight, one must minimise the production of insulin
- rule 1 - every time you eat, insulin is produced. So to lose weight, eat less frequently, and don't snack
- rule 2 - carbohydrates result in the largest insulin response, followed by protein, followed by fat. So to lose weight, the intake of carbs (especially sugar) must be minimised and the intake of fat must be maximised. This is one of the many reasons why so many people on the forum will say 'eat more fat'. Remember that protein still has an insulinogenic effect - http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/1/11/insulinogenic-is-not-hyperglycemic.html
- rule 3 - anaerobic exercise uses glycogen for fuel and increases insulin sensitivity = less of the energy from your carbohydrate food will end up in fat cells, because it will either be burned, or taken into the muscles. It will also liberate body fats for use as energy, which can then be burned off via LOW INTENSITY aerobic exercise. Lifting heavy things is also crucial
- rule 4 - In terms of minimising the insulin spike, **Carbs from leafy green veg > carbs from roots and bulbs > sugars in fruit**
Paleo doesn't have to be very low carb - you can eat 30/30/40 as carb/protein/fat or 5/30/65. But the *less* carbohydrates (especially sugar) you eat and the *more* fat you eat, the more easily you will loose weight.
Paleo is not a weight-loss diet, it's a way of eating
Sidenote 1 - leptin
- Leptin is a hormone that inhibits the appetite. It is (mainly) produced in the adipose (fat) tissue
- Wheat germ agglutinin is a protein found in wheat and contributes to leptin resistance
- obesity results in overproduction of leptin and thus leptin resistance
- one who is leptin resistant does not feel 'full' so readily so is more likely to overeat
- this is one of the many why it is very important to cut out gluten grains
Sidenote 2 - Fasting Induced Adipocyte Factor - simplified
(I believe the the below is still a theory rather than a fact)
- FIAF is another hormone, produced by the gut wall, liver and muscles.
- FIAF is mainly produced in times of starvation and prompts the body to burn fat by blocking the action of another hormone (lipoprotein lipase)
- active gut bacteria inhibit the production of FIAF, inactive (hungry) bacteria cannot do this
- gut bacteria live on carbohydrate and fibre. They cannot 'feed' on fat and protein, become inactive, and stop blocking the production of FIAF
- for a proper explanation see http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/12/fiaf-whos-fat-is-it-anyway.html
Further reading
1) Good Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes
2) http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/8/27/how-to-lose-weight.html
3) http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/8/27/can-protein-turn-into-fat.html
4) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-carb-binge/
5) http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html
The paleo way of eating is about optimising health, and that's what we should all ultimately be aiming for. But the fact remains a lot of people start the paleo diet because they want to lose weight, so as we have a lot of new people on the forum these past few weeks (hi guys!) I thought I would write a little endocrinology 101
When I first started paleo I read quite a short, simple article online about insulin, carbohydrates and weight. I don't remember where it was but I do remember that as a person who knew little about the subject, it really clarified it for me and made me finally understnad why it is important to cut carbs to lose weight. So to help others, I will attempt to reproduce it!
The below is all very basic common knowledge for anyone who knows much about diet and biology, but not necessarily such common knowledge for the average stumbler starting out on the paleo diet.
Part 1 - what happens in the body when you consume carbohydrates, a very simplified version
- Consumption of carbohydrates results in an increase in blood sugar. The more refined the carbohydrate, the faster and higher the rise
- Glucose is a fuel when it's in the muscles, but when it's in the blood stream in high levels it is essential a toxin. Yes, a toxin.
- The body wants reduce the amount of this toxin in the blood, so the pancreas produces a load of insulin. Again, the higher volume and refinedness of the carb ingested, the more insulin is produced.
- Muscle cells are covered in insulin receptors; insulin binds to these and prompts them to take in glucose to remove it from the bloodstream. It is stored in the muscles as glycogen, to be used as energy when necessary (e.g. anaerobic exercise)
- if the muscles are 'full', the excess is converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes i.e/ turned into fat. (this is why athletes, whose muscle cells have 'space', can eat a lot of carbs and not get fat. But they can still get diabetes on route to winning 5 olympic gold medals - see Redgrave, Sir Steve). -
- This is not a problem in and of itself, because the body is creating and burning fat constantly. However because of the spike in insulin, some of the glucose that was already in the blood is also converted to fat as well. So you end up with slightly more energy stored as fat than the energy from the carbs you just ate.
- Additionally, this leaves you with low blood sugar and makes you more likely to snack or overeat, as you are hungry!
Insulin sensitivity and Insulin Resistance
- if someone is described as being insulin resistant, this means that their muscle cells are not as sensitive to the effects of insulin and do not uptake glucose from the bloodstream so readily; the excess glucose is more likely to be stored as fat rather than stored in the muscle cells.
- this turns into a vicious cycle of the pancreas producing more and more insulin in response to the same carbohydrate intake. Diabetes and obesity are the eventual results.
- Someone who is insulin sensitive has muscles that are good at taking up glucose from the bloodstream. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity, as does intermittent fasting.
How to lose weight on the paleo diet
- first one must understand that to lose weight, one must minimise the production of insulin
- rule 1 - every time you eat, insulin is produced. So to lose weight, eat less frequently, and don't snack
- rule 2 - carbohydrates result in the largest insulin response, followed by protein, followed by fat. So to lose weight, the intake of carbs (especially sugar) must be minimised and the intake of fat must be maximised. This is one of the many reasons why so many people on the forum will say 'eat more fat'. Remember that protein still has an insulinogenic effect - http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/1/11/insulinogenic-is-not-hyperglycemic.html
- rule 3 - anaerobic exercise uses glycogen for fuel and increases insulin sensitivity = less of the energy from your carbohydrate food will end up in fat cells, because it will either be burned, or taken into the muscles. It will also liberate body fats for use as energy, which can then be burned off via LOW INTENSITY aerobic exercise. Lifting heavy things is also crucial
- rule 4 - In terms of minimising the insulin spike, **Carbs from leafy green veg > carbs from roots and bulbs > sugars in fruit**
Paleo doesn't have to be very low carb - you can eat 30/30/40 as carb/protein/fat or 5/30/65. But the *less* carbohydrates (especially sugar) you eat and the *more* fat you eat, the more easily you will loose weight.
Paleo is not a weight-loss diet, it's a way of eating
Sidenote 1 - leptin
- Leptin is a hormone that inhibits the appetite. It is (mainly) produced in the adipose (fat) tissue
- Wheat germ agglutinin is a protein found in wheat and contributes to leptin resistance
- obesity results in overproduction of leptin and thus leptin resistance
- one who is leptin resistant does not feel 'full' so readily so is more likely to overeat
- this is one of the many why it is very important to cut out gluten grains
Sidenote 2 - Fasting Induced Adipocyte Factor - simplified
(I believe the the below is still a theory rather than a fact)
- FIAF is another hormone, produced by the gut wall, liver and muscles.
- FIAF is mainly produced in times of starvation and prompts the body to burn fat by blocking the action of another hormone (lipoprotein lipase)
- active gut bacteria inhibit the production of FIAF, inactive (hungry) bacteria cannot do this
- gut bacteria live on carbohydrate and fibre. They cannot 'feed' on fat and protein, become inactive, and stop blocking the production of FIAF
- for a proper explanation see http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/12/fiaf-whos-fat-is-it-anyway.html
Further reading
1) Good Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes
2) http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/8/27/how-to-lose-weight.html
3) http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/8/27/can-protein-turn-into-fat.html
4) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-carb-binge/
5) http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html
« Last Edit: March 24, 2011, 06:33:57 PM by celticcavegirl »
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Big Ass Primal Salad Take 3
Not a lot to post here, but I wanted to show pictures of probably the very most epic salad I've ever made. It wouldn't fit on one plate, I had to get a second plate. The whole meal took me nearly 35 minutes to eat.
OK, Here's the damage.
8oz Pork (left all the delicious saturated fat on baby!)
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Small Tomato
1/2 Onion
1/2 Cucumber
2 TBSN Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
621 Calories 51g Protein 19g Carbs 36 Fat
It was one of the biggest single meals I've ever put down (this coming from a former Binge Eater....)
Total dishes: 1 skillet, 1 plate, 1 fork, 1 knife.
That's how I roll.
OK, Here's the damage.
8oz Pork (left all the delicious saturated fat on baby!)
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Small Tomato
1/2 Onion
1/2 Cucumber
2 TBSN Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
621 Calories 51g Protein 19g Carbs 36 Fat
It was one of the biggest single meals I've ever put down (this coming from a former Binge Eater....)
Total dishes: 1 skillet, 1 plate, 1 fork, 1 knife.
That's how I roll.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Big Ass Primal Salad Take 2
I've learned a couple things that have improved my Mark Sisson Big Ass Primal Salad. First - I learned that I don't really like salad in the traditional sense. The cold, crunchy veggies just don't really do it for me. Second - I could never find a salad dressing that is Primal/Paleo and that I actually liked. You know what I do like? Beef. Third - I really don't like doing dishes. I cook for one (plus the dog) about 99% of the time and hate spending more time cleaning than I need to. Thus - here are the changes for my BIG ASS PRIMAL SALAD MARK 2!
1. 1 pound of ground beef. I like 85% lean. It has enough fat in it to brown on the skillet and have left over fat for the veggies.
2. 1 Bell Pepper, 1 Small Tomato, 1/2 Onion Cut them up and throw them in the skillet right after you flip the beef over.
3. A lot of organic baby spinach. A lot - seriously. Fiber dude.
4
4. Pour the beef and veggies over the spinach. ps. Always use baby spinach instead of lettuce - lettuce has almost nothing in it. Get those nutrients. Scrape all the fat over top for your dressing. It's delicious. I use a bit of salt and pepper over top and take my time to eat this beast.
5. Temp the dog with the scraps.
For the calorie counters out there.
1005 Calories 92g Protein, 16 Carbs, 64 Fat
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... This is really good - I ate it right after my really hard leg workout and it was amazing. Going for a walk with the dog to let this bad boy settle.
44. Pour the beef and veggies over the spinach. ps. Always use baby spinach instead of lettuce - lettuce has almost nothing in it. Get those nutrients. Scrape all the fat over top for your dressing. It's delicious. I use a bit of salt and pepper over top and take my time to eat this beast.
5. Temp the dog with the scraps.
For the calorie counters out there.
1005 Calories 92g Protein, 16 Carbs, 64 Fat
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... This is really good - I ate it right after my really hard leg workout and it was amazing. Going for a walk with the dog to let this bad boy settle.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Nutrition Simplified
I think in the huge web out there, and today's instant fad diet world, we see conflicting opinions as information overflow. Low carb vs. high carb vs. high protein vs. the cookie diet vs. emotional eating vs. whatever. Today's post is not going to explain anything. It's going to give you a very simple plan of how to get lean, stay lean, stay healthy, and have energy. There is endless information out there - and even here on my site that will explain it, but for now, if you just do this, your life will improve.
Eat Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs.
Don't Eat Grain. (wheat, rice, corn)
Eat Veggies.
Don't Eat Sugar.
That's it. No macro-nutrient talk, no calorie intake. I'll get to the sciency-stuff later, but take it like this. If you follow these rules - you will certainly lose fat and get more fit.
It's not exercise.
It's not calories in vs. calories out.
You don't have to weigh your food or count your grams of protein.
Simple right?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sugar is the Devil
Carbs are grass, wheat, veggies, fruit, bread, and everything in between. Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs... ugh. Not quite that easy. There are 3 types of sugar that carbs are broken into.
- Monosaccharides: The two that are most common are Glucose and Fructose. More on this later.
- Disaccharides: It litterally means two sugars. Glucose and Fructose meet and start a band.
- Polysaccharides: "Many Sugars" The main two types here are starch and fiber.
Much of this glycogen is stored in muscles, which can be used for energy. Great right? If you only ingest a small amount of carbs - that's it! It goes in your muscles and is used for energy. Awesome.
However. (come on, you knew that was coming.)
What if your glycogen stores are completely full? Excess carbs are converted to a little thing called palmitic acid. FAT. After it's formed it heads out to be used as energy or just hang out on our bellies. Super fun stuff.
"So Steve, we can have some carbs, just not more than we require to fill our glycogen stores right?"
Ummmmm..... sure.... good luck with that.
Palmitic Acid is ubber strong and doesn't play nice with our hormones. It decreases our sensitivity to Leptin. When we are leptin resistant, the satiety signal that is sensed from food in our belly is LOST. We stay hungry, even though our blood glucose levels are elevated already and thus OVEREAT. Damn.
Robb Wolf calls this the reason behind our "sweet tooth." We simply can't sense the signal that we're full, and keep shoving food in our mouths. Ever see a whole bag of Doritos disappear before your eyes? Ever notice that you keep eating or picking at food, even though maybe you're not hungry? Here you go.
Once our liver and muscle glycogen stores are full, the insulin sensitivity in our muscle tissue is lost and it can physically store no more glycogen. Our muscles are drowning in glycogen which in turn, drives blood sugar higher, which in turn drives insulin higher..... not a fun merry-go-round.
Here's where the bad stuff starts. (Yeah, the really bad stuff)
Once your body is totally full of glycogen, yet insulin resistant, inhibitory stystems in the liver are overwhelmed and blood glucose is convert to fats at such an incredible rate that fat can no longer escape into circulation and it begins to accumulate in the liver.
The liver is fully saturated with glucose, yet it is insulin resistant and some cells notice this perceived lack of insulin as low blood sugar. Man, this is crazy right? We're over flowing with sugar in our blood and body, yet, because of this insulin resistance, we don't feel that and real low blood sugar can kill us - that's bad, so our body, by misreading this signal, calls in the reserves.
Cortisol.
Once our body produces cortisol to save us from our "low blood sugar" which is actually crazy high, our body starts producing MORE GLUCOSE from our muscle and organs. UGH - so terrible! Muscle is so hard to build, and we're ripping it down in order to form more sugar - even though we are already filled to the brink with it. Guess what happens to the excess sugar? It's stored in the cells as fat. Crappy.
Fructose is not great for us. Now fruits have many good things in them, basically huge amounts of vitamins and minerals. Fructose will fill your liver glycogen and speed up the process in which the liver fills and leads down the road to cortisol production. Fructose up-regulates the glucose transport molecules in the liver, making the liver hungry for more sugar.
This leads directly to increased Palmitic Acid production, and later, leptin resistance. Remember this? (If not, scroll up and read it again - then come back and tell me how good fructose is for you.)
Lastly, if you have 90 minutes to kill (and want to save your life - I'm serious here) watch this lecture and lose weight.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Paleo Pizza
I made this delicious pizza tonight that is fully Paleo/Primal. Sure, it didn't come out exactly as I had hoped as far as holding together goes, but it was awesome tasting and I would be happy to have it again any day. As a side note, I added 2oz of cheese to get the pizza taste. If you want to be 100% strict Paleo, then skip the cheese, but it was delicious!
- 1 Whole Egg Plant (get a big one!)
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Almonds
- Salt & Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for greasing the parchment sheet)
- 2 Parchment Sheets
- 1/2 Cup Marinara
- TOPPINGS (left out of calorie count to allow for customization)
Here's the recipe:
- Preheat oven to 350
- Skin the whole eggplant and grate it with a cheese grater.
- Blend/crush 1/2 cup of crushed almonds (honestly, I might use 1 cup next time)
- Blend the eggplant, almonds and 1 whole egg together. (I used my magic bullet)
- Add salt and pepper to taste. The "dough" should be fairly smooth by now.
- On a greased parchment lined baking sheet, pour batter and smooth with hands. (OK, this is where I dropped the ball. I didn't have parchment paper and forgot to buy it. I had trouble flipping it because of this.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked enough to flip.
- Add marinara, cheese, toppings and bake for another 5-15 minutes
- Flip onto another greased parchment paper
Whole Pizza: 819 calories, 41 protein, 38 carbs, 59 fat
1/2 Pizza 410 calories, 21 protein, 19 carbs, 29 fat
Epic Pizza - SO GOOD! I can't wait to make it again!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Primal Personal Training
Guys.
That's just not going to do it.
It took me years of studying, reading, learning, training, and personal experience to figure out that these well worn road is not the path to fitness.
When I started training my clients, I was teaching them free weights, some machines, recommending 20 minutes on the treadmill and all the other usual crap. We would talk nutrition - you know... whole grains, veggies, extra lean meat - or even better, just chicken! They didn't get the results they were looking for, and neither did I.
It wasn't until I stepped back from the "Traditional" training systems and took a hard look at what was happening that I figured it out. We need to go even more TRADITIONAL! I'm talking seriously old school.
It's about getting back to our roots and relearning what we used to know very well. Fitness is about functional fitness. It's about being able to do the things you want to do, and as a bonus, look great doing it! It's about feeling good every day, from the time you roll... no JUMP out of bed, until the time you sleep.
Nutrition isn't about whole grains and reduced fat. It's not about crap that's made in factories at all. STOP IT! It's not about medication, not about "nutritional supplements" or any junk that was created by man. It's about the stuff that we were meant to eat.
Since I started living the "Primal" lifestyle over a year ago - here are the changes.
- No more back pain.
- No more knee pain.
- No more sugar cravings!
- No more out of control binging for days on end.
- I'm leaner and more muscular than ever, without dieting.
- I'm so much happier every day than I was before.
It's not too intense at first. My clients move in baby steps until they fully realize how amazing a Primal lifestyle can be. The workouts are intense, but shorter than what most of you are used to. No more machines. No more silly waste of time in a Curves circuit, sharing machines. You workout at home or outdoors with me. We get back to basics. The real basics.
Much more coming about this new step in Primal Personal Training, contact me for more information.
Steve
412-735-0706
facebook.com/stevemcknighttpt
email: stevemcknighttpt@gmail.com
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Letter: Should I try the Primal Blueprint?
Steve: My exact diet is a combination of Primal and The Anabolic Diet. With my goals being lose about 2% body fat and gain muscle, I'm pretty close to as small as I would like to be (173.6 today - which is getting close to my all time smallest). I did feel a reduction in energy for the first week or 10 days, but then it bounced back. Here's the thing though - you can't go "kind of" low carb. Or you'll most likely feel like crap.
It takes about 2-5 days (everyone's different) to switch from burning glycogen (carbs) for fuel to burning fat (both dietary and body fat) for fuel. During this time, your energy will dip because your body is still looking for new glycogen reserves to burn. During that depletion time, it's normal to be tired and have workouts suffer, but after you make that fundamental switch, your energy will bounce back better than ever. Why better?
We only carry a very small amount of glycogen at any time. When you eat a huge carb meal, your body replaces what glycogen you need, then stores the rest as fat... that's no good. Then when you run out of glycogen, you will get tired, and need to replenish it with more carbs. This is why so many people really have to eat every 3 hours - to replace the small amount of glycogen that we can store in the body. Also, this is why you often get tired after eating a huge carb meal (in addition to a minor gluten intolerance that many people have).
When you're fully converted to living off fat, you won't run out of energy to burn. Ever! We have so so so much fat to use for energy that you can go all day. My endurance is better than ever, even for long runs, or multiple training sessions. You don't run out of fat, not only because you have basically unlimited, but also because 1g of fat contains 9 calories (energy) where 1g of carbs = only 4. You get a lot more bang for you buck (or pound for you I suppose!)
Some people who go primal never quite get here though because their carb intake is still too high for the initial cross over. For the first 2 weeks, the Anabolic Diet recommends going almost no carb. I still ate a big amount of spinach to help my bathroom situation be more regular, but kept it to under 30g for the first 12 days. Then I do a weekly carb up. This is strictly for muscle building.
When you're on a ketogenic (extremely low carb) diet, you primarily lose fat, but there is a small muscle loss as well. Since I don't want this, I do a weekly carb up, in order to fill my muscles with a big glycogen stores for 2 big weight training sessions Mon-Tue (I carb up on Sunday usually). I can lift and build huge muscle, then by Wednesday, I'm back in ketosis, leading to fat loss again, but the glycogen left over in my muscles is the first to go out, rather than my newly made muscle size.
I have yet to find anything that proves that eating low carb for the long haul shows any risk at all. There are study after study that fail to show eating high fat diets as raising LDL, hardening arteries, increased risk of heart disease and in fact, many of them show a decreased risk of cancer. Even saturated fat (which you eat a lot of on Primal and Anabolic Diet) is not shown to increase risk of heart disease. The U.S. government recommendations to eat low saturated fat (and low fat in general) is actually based on..... get ready for this - only 2 studies. 1 showed a very slight advantage to eating low fat and the other showed that eating low fat, high carb actually INCREASES your chances to die from heart disease. The American Heart Association threw out the findings of the second study (actually done in England).
I would recommend, first, reading the book The Primal Blueprint (or researching it on the web - most of the information is there) and then deciding to go all in or not. Marginally primal will leave you drained and still looking for carbs/glycogen - I won't lie, the first week is tough - but if you make it through, it gets so easy!
Speaking of that, I'm going to hit the treadmill for some weighted walking before my training session.
Have fun,
Steve
Friday, October 22, 2010
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The Best Ever Bodybuilding Diet?
This is so close to the diet I've been following for 6 months, except for the heavy carb day - I'm going to give it a shot and see how it follows. I've increased my calories from 2000 to 2500 until next weekend, then I'll go up to 3,000. I'll be nervous - I expect you guys to keep on me about eating 3k calories, I'm admitting right now that I'm scared to get fat again!
This is long and wordy - but worth the read if you're bored and want to see what I'm up to. I found it on www.Bodybuilder.com
----------------------------------
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The Best Ever Bodybuilding Diet?
By: Mark McManus
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The Best Ever Bodybuilding Diet?
What would you consider to be the perfect bodybuilding diet? If such a thing existed it would meet the following criteria:
What would it mean to you and your bodybuilding goals if this diet was not something that only existed in fairy-tales, but was available to you right now!
You may have heard of this strategy before, but dismissed it. I advise you to keep an open mind and test it for yourself, many others including Hugo Rivera have tried it with amazing results.
Origins And Method
This diet did not originate with me of course. However, because of the massive impact it had on my results, I feel compelled to share it with as many people as possible. I would like to credit the following people for their wisdom before I go any further:
o Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale
o Anthony Colpo
o Gary Taubes
o Dr. Michael Eades
o Dr. Robert Atkins
o Dr. Jeff Volek
So what is this diet? It's a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, or CKD for short. CKD basically means that you cycle periods of low carb, high protein, and high fat with periods of high carb, high protein, and low fat.
The majority of time you will be consuming a low carb diet, with a period set aside each week for carbing-up. This isn't for the fun of it; there are real scientific reasons for this, reasons with exciting implications for the bodybuilder.
Increasing Anabolic Hormones
A diet that maximizes serum levels of growth promoting hormones is a dream come true. Specifically we're talking about:
1. Testosterone
2. Growth Hormone
3. IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1)
I'm sure that all sounds good to you. So how do you actually implement a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet?
For most of the time you will be consuming a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. This is interspersed with smaller periods of high carb, high protein, low fat nutrition. There are variations on the CKD but the standard (and my favorite) way is to implement it in the following way:
o 5-6 days of low carb.
o 1-2 days of high carb.
This gives a manageable and sociable weekly cycle where you carb up over the weekend and return to your low-carb diet during the week.
Please note: Depending on how intense you train, some people may find that their gym performance deteriorates towards the end of the low-carb phase. In this case, it is highly recommended that you implement a mid-week carb-spike to replenish your muscle glycogen stores by having another high-carb, high-protein, low-fat day on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Low-Carb Advantage
When you keep your carbs sufficiently low, you body switches to a fat metabolism; this is called the 'Metabolic Switch'. Switching from a carbohydrate to a fat metabolism has some real advantages for the bodybuilder:
o Increased Lipolysis (breakdown of fat)
o Decreased Lipogenesis (accumulation of body fat)
This metabolic switch usually takes around 3 days to take full effect. Synthesizing the correct enzymes in sufficient quantities to become a fat-burner takes a little time. This is why some new comers to low carb diets can feel foggy at the beginning.
Please do not confuse this short period for the whole diet; your energy will be back up in no time, and for some people, better than ever!
The Role Of Insulin
Some of you may have noted that I left out an important anabolic hormone in the above list - Insulin.
What Does Insulin Do?
Insulin is a hormone with extensive effects on both metabolism and several other body systems (eg, vascular compliance). Insulin causes most of the body's cells to take up glucose from the blood (including liver, muscle, and fat tissue cells), storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stops use of fat as an energy source. When insulin is absent (or low), glucose is not taken up by most body cells and the body begins to use fat as an energy source (ie, transfer of lipids from adipose tissue to the liver for mobilization as an energy source). As its level is a central metabolic control mechanism, its status is also used as a control signal to other body systems (such as amino acid uptake by body cells). It has several other anabolic effects throughout the body.
So when does our body produce insulin? Insulin is secreted by our pancreas primarily in response to the carbohydrates in our diet. Since we are keeping carbs low, our insulin levels will also be low. Does this mean we miss out? Not at all.
This is where the carb-up period comes in. Once a week you should load up on carbs and let your insulin levels spike. Insulin will shuttle amino acids into the muscle tissue, but we also refill our depleted muscle glycogen stores during this time.
Our muscles are like tanks for glycogen. They fill up and empty again when we workout. Unfortunately when we eat too many carbs these tanks become satiated. Some glycogen is then stored in the liver and any excess is converted to triglyceride and stored as fat. This is where traditional high-carb diets can let us down. So why fill them at all?
Muscle glycogen means better performance in the gym. We load up on it and fill our tanks. By the end of our low-carb period we have once again emptied the tanks and we repeat the cycle over again.
Growth Hormone & Insulin
These 2 hormones have a strange relationship. It seems that when one is in abundance, the other is nowhere to be found. We therefore do not want chronically elevated insulin levels as:
1. Our growth hormone production will be blunted
2. We may overspill our glycogen tanks and start to lay down fat (lipogenesis)
Fat & Testosterone
Testosterone and dietary fat have a positive correlation; i.e. diets higher in fat and dietary cholesterol lead to higher concentrations of circulating testosterone.1 We all know how important this hormone is to maximizing our lean muscle gains. You could be throwing away potential gains by consuming a low-fat diet, that goes for the ladies too.2
How Many Carbs Is Low-Carb?
In order to become a 'fat-burner', you should consume around 60 grams or less of net carbohydrate per day (total carbs minus fiber). However, in order to determine just how many carbs you personally should be consuming, a little trial and error is necessary.
The general rule is this:
Eat the smallest amount of carbs it takes to allow maximum output in the gym.
This will vary from person to person. Please bear in mind that fat will become your main source of energy and large quantities of carbs are unnecessary.
If you are unsure, try beginning at 30 grams and adjust as necessary.
What About Post-Workout Carbs?
Remember, our goal is to keep insulin low and growth hormone elevated for most of the week. Post-workout carbohydrates will therefore work against you here.
Apart from blunting growth hormone levels, carbohydrates may do nothing to increase protein synthesis in the post-workout period beyond that which protein can do by itself 3. Take the following study for example:
The following study took place in the Netherlands, the subjects being healthy young men. The study split the men into 3 groups, each ingesting different combinations of protein & carbohydrates. Therefore the only variable was the level of carbohydrate.
Each group performed resistance training for 60 minutes and was given either protein or a combination of protein and carbohydrate each hour for 6 hours after training. The amount of protein for all the groups was 0.3g per kg of bodyweight. The protein and carbs varied as follows:
o Group 1 - Just protein, no carbs
o Group 2 - Protein with 0.15 g per kg of body weight of carbohydrate
o Group 3 - Protein with 0.6 g per kg of body weight of carbohydrate
Protein synthesis rates were then measured for 6 hours after training. The results?
1. The intake of protein after training increases protein synthesis.
2. The addition of carbohydrate (whether in small or large amounts) to this protein did not further increase protein synthesis at all.
This is good news for those interested in or currently living a cyclical ketogenic lifestyle.
What To Eat
Any anabolic lifestyle is only as good as it is practical to actually live.
Perhaps you think a low-carb diet is too restrictive. Maybe you've even tried something like this before and failed because you felt that there wasn't a wide enough variety of food. This is understandable.
In order to experience the awesome benefits of this diet and also make it enjoyable, I am continually searching for recipes and concocting a few of my own. To show you just how tasty and easy it is to live this lifestyle here's a typical 1-day eating plan:
Breakfast:
o Bacon
o Whole Eggs Scrambled
Mid Morning:
Low-carb wrap filled with:
+ Tuna
+ Mayo
+ Cheese
(Low-carb tortillas can be bought in some stores and online)
Lunch:
o Caesar Salad
(With full fat sauce, no croutons)
Main Meal:
o Taco Salad
Post-Workout Shake
Low or no carbs.
Late Snack:
o Protein bar
Low Carb Concerns
When the light of science shines on the concerns some people have about low carb diets, they vanish without a trace.
Sluggish Gym performance
Once your body gets fully fat-adapted (3-14 days) this isn't a problem. Also, you fill you glycogen stores once or twice per week. Once Your Body Gets Fully Adapted Sluggishness Isn't A Problem.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Is a high fat/low carb diet increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease? Not on your life! This belief is based on an unproven hypothesis from the 1950's. The surprising truth is that low carb/high-fat diets consistently outperform all others in improving lipid profiles. Typically, HDL (good) cholesterol rises, LDL (bad) cholesterol drops and triglycerides plummit, producing a much reduced risk of heart disease.
Brain Fog
This does not happen to everyone though some experience it only in the initial 'metabolic switch' period. A fat metabolism requires different enzymes to function than a carbohydrate one. Synthesizing the correct enzymes in sufficient quantities to become a fat-burner takes a little time, stick it out.
Conclusion
So there's no reason to not give this a go. Prepare for some initial water weight loss at the beginning, you'll put it back on every carb-up phase.
This could be the step you've been waiting for. Take your game to the next level!
Mark McManus
References:
1. Alteration of the Lipid Composition of Rat Testicular Plasma Membranes by Dietary (n-3) Fatty Acids Changes the Responsiveness of Leydig Cells and Testosterone Synthesis1 Elena Sebokova2, Manohar L. Garg3, Antoni Wierzbicki, Alan B. R. Thomson* and M. Thomas Clandinin4 Nutrition and Metabolism Research Group, Department of Foods & Nutrition * Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2C2
2. Effect of low-fat diet on female sex hormone levels. Ingram DM, Bennett FC, Willcox D, de Klerk N.University Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia.
3. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Sep;293:E833-E842
4. Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. N Engl J Med 2008 Jul 17; 359:229.
5. Krauss, Ronald, et al. "Carbohydrate, Weight Loss, and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006 May;83(5):1025-31.
This is long and wordy - but worth the read if you're bored and want to see what I'm up to. I found it on www.Bodybuilder.com
----------------------------------
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The Best Ever Bodybuilding Diet?
By: Mark McManus
- Article Summary: This diet plan will work to increase some anabolic hormones.
- The plan will give you enough carbs for energy, but still burn more fat.
- The negative side effects such as brain fog disappear quickly.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The Best Ever Bodybuilding Diet?
What would you consider to be the perfect bodybuilding diet? If such a thing existed it would meet the following criteria:
- Allow you to build muscle without accumulating fat when bulking. You'd stay lean all year round.
- Allow you to lose fat without losing muscle when cutting.
- Induce an increase in serum anabolic hormones naturally (without supplements).
What would it mean to you and your bodybuilding goals if this diet was not something that only existed in fairy-tales, but was available to you right now!
You may have heard of this strategy before, but dismissed it. I advise you to keep an open mind and test it for yourself, many others including Hugo Rivera have tried it with amazing results.
Origins And Method
This diet did not originate with me of course. However, because of the massive impact it had on my results, I feel compelled to share it with as many people as possible. I would like to credit the following people for their wisdom before I go any further:
o Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale
o Anthony Colpo
o Gary Taubes
o Dr. Michael Eades
o Dr. Robert Atkins
o Dr. Jeff Volek
So what is this diet? It's a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet, or CKD for short. CKD basically means that you cycle periods of low carb, high protein, and high fat with periods of high carb, high protein, and low fat.
The majority of time you will be consuming a low carb diet, with a period set aside each week for carbing-up. This isn't for the fun of it; there are real scientific reasons for this, reasons with exciting implications for the bodybuilder.
Increasing Anabolic Hormones
A diet that maximizes serum levels of growth promoting hormones is a dream come true. Specifically we're talking about:
1. Testosterone
2. Growth Hormone
3. IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1)
I'm sure that all sounds good to you. So how do you actually implement a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet?
For most of the time you will be consuming a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. This is interspersed with smaller periods of high carb, high protein, low fat nutrition. There are variations on the CKD but the standard (and my favorite) way is to implement it in the following way:
o 5-6 days of low carb.
o 1-2 days of high carb.
This gives a manageable and sociable weekly cycle where you carb up over the weekend and return to your low-carb diet during the week.
Please note: Depending on how intense you train, some people may find that their gym performance deteriorates towards the end of the low-carb phase. In this case, it is highly recommended that you implement a mid-week carb-spike to replenish your muscle glycogen stores by having another high-carb, high-protein, low-fat day on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Low-Carb Advantage
When you keep your carbs sufficiently low, you body switches to a fat metabolism; this is called the 'Metabolic Switch'. Switching from a carbohydrate to a fat metabolism has some real advantages for the bodybuilder:
o Increased Lipolysis (breakdown of fat)
o Decreased Lipogenesis (accumulation of body fat)
This metabolic switch usually takes around 3 days to take full effect. Synthesizing the correct enzymes in sufficient quantities to become a fat-burner takes a little time. This is why some new comers to low carb diets can feel foggy at the beginning.
Please do not confuse this short period for the whole diet; your energy will be back up in no time, and for some people, better than ever!
The Role Of Insulin
Some of you may have noted that I left out an important anabolic hormone in the above list - Insulin.
What Does Insulin Do?
Insulin is a hormone with extensive effects on both metabolism and several other body systems (eg, vascular compliance). Insulin causes most of the body's cells to take up glucose from the blood (including liver, muscle, and fat tissue cells), storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stops use of fat as an energy source. When insulin is absent (or low), glucose is not taken up by most body cells and the body begins to use fat as an energy source (ie, transfer of lipids from adipose tissue to the liver for mobilization as an energy source). As its level is a central metabolic control mechanism, its status is also used as a control signal to other body systems (such as amino acid uptake by body cells). It has several other anabolic effects throughout the body.
So when does our body produce insulin? Insulin is secreted by our pancreas primarily in response to the carbohydrates in our diet. Since we are keeping carbs low, our insulin levels will also be low. Does this mean we miss out? Not at all.
This is where the carb-up period comes in. Once a week you should load up on carbs and let your insulin levels spike. Insulin will shuttle amino acids into the muscle tissue, but we also refill our depleted muscle glycogen stores during this time.
Our muscles are like tanks for glycogen. They fill up and empty again when we workout. Unfortunately when we eat too many carbs these tanks become satiated. Some glycogen is then stored in the liver and any excess is converted to triglyceride and stored as fat. This is where traditional high-carb diets can let us down. So why fill them at all?
Muscle glycogen means better performance in the gym. We load up on it and fill our tanks. By the end of our low-carb period we have once again emptied the tanks and we repeat the cycle over again.
Growth Hormone & Insulin
These 2 hormones have a strange relationship. It seems that when one is in abundance, the other is nowhere to be found. We therefore do not want chronically elevated insulin levels as:
1. Our growth hormone production will be blunted
2. We may overspill our glycogen tanks and start to lay down fat (lipogenesis)
Fat & Testosterone
Testosterone and dietary fat have a positive correlation; i.e. diets higher in fat and dietary cholesterol lead to higher concentrations of circulating testosterone.1 We all know how important this hormone is to maximizing our lean muscle gains. You could be throwing away potential gains by consuming a low-fat diet, that goes for the ladies too.2
How Many Carbs Is Low-Carb?
In order to become a 'fat-burner', you should consume around 60 grams or less of net carbohydrate per day (total carbs minus fiber). However, in order to determine just how many carbs you personally should be consuming, a little trial and error is necessary.
The general rule is this:
Eat the smallest amount of carbs it takes to allow maximum output in the gym.
This will vary from person to person. Please bear in mind that fat will become your main source of energy and large quantities of carbs are unnecessary.
If you are unsure, try beginning at 30 grams and adjust as necessary.
What About Post-Workout Carbs?
Remember, our goal is to keep insulin low and growth hormone elevated for most of the week. Post-workout carbohydrates will therefore work against you here.
Apart from blunting growth hormone levels, carbohydrates may do nothing to increase protein synthesis in the post-workout period beyond that which protein can do by itself 3. Take the following study for example:
The following study took place in the Netherlands, the subjects being healthy young men. The study split the men into 3 groups, each ingesting different combinations of protein & carbohydrates. Therefore the only variable was the level of carbohydrate.
Each group performed resistance training for 60 minutes and was given either protein or a combination of protein and carbohydrate each hour for 6 hours after training. The amount of protein for all the groups was 0.3g per kg of bodyweight. The protein and carbs varied as follows:
o Group 1 - Just protein, no carbs
o Group 2 - Protein with 0.15 g per kg of body weight of carbohydrate
o Group 3 - Protein with 0.6 g per kg of body weight of carbohydrate
Protein synthesis rates were then measured for 6 hours after training. The results?
1. The intake of protein after training increases protein synthesis.
2. The addition of carbohydrate (whether in small or large amounts) to this protein did not further increase protein synthesis at all.
This is good news for those interested in or currently living a cyclical ketogenic lifestyle.
What To Eat
Any anabolic lifestyle is only as good as it is practical to actually live.
Perhaps you think a low-carb diet is too restrictive. Maybe you've even tried something like this before and failed because you felt that there wasn't a wide enough variety of food. This is understandable.
In order to experience the awesome benefits of this diet and also make it enjoyable, I am continually searching for recipes and concocting a few of my own. To show you just how tasty and easy it is to live this lifestyle here's a typical 1-day eating plan:
Breakfast:
o Bacon
o Whole Eggs Scrambled
Mid Morning:
Low-carb wrap filled with:
+ Tuna
+ Mayo
+ Cheese
(Low-carb tortillas can be bought in some stores and online)
Lunch:
o Caesar Salad
(With full fat sauce, no croutons)
Main Meal:
o Taco Salad
Post-Workout Shake
Low or no carbs.
Late Snack:
o Protein bar
Low Carb Concerns
When the light of science shines on the concerns some people have about low carb diets, they vanish without a trace.
Sluggish Gym performance
Once your body gets fully fat-adapted (3-14 days) this isn't a problem. Also, you fill you glycogen stores once or twice per week. Once Your Body Gets Fully Adapted Sluggishness Isn't A Problem.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Is a high fat/low carb diet increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease? Not on your life! This belief is based on an unproven hypothesis from the 1950's. The surprising truth is that low carb/high-fat diets consistently outperform all others in improving lipid profiles. Typically, HDL (good) cholesterol rises, LDL (bad) cholesterol drops and triglycerides plummit, producing a much reduced risk of heart disease.
Brain Fog
This does not happen to everyone though some experience it only in the initial 'metabolic switch' period. A fat metabolism requires different enzymes to function than a carbohydrate one. Synthesizing the correct enzymes in sufficient quantities to become a fat-burner takes a little time, stick it out.
Conclusion
So there's no reason to not give this a go. Prepare for some initial water weight loss at the beginning, you'll put it back on every carb-up phase.
This could be the step you've been waiting for. Take your game to the next level!
Mark McManus
References:
1. Alteration of the Lipid Composition of Rat Testicular Plasma Membranes by Dietary (n-3) Fatty Acids Changes the Responsiveness of Leydig Cells and Testosterone Synthesis1 Elena Sebokova2, Manohar L. Garg3, Antoni Wierzbicki, Alan B. R. Thomson* and M. Thomas Clandinin4 Nutrition and Metabolism Research Group, Department of Foods & Nutrition * Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2C2
2. Effect of low-fat diet on female sex hormone levels. Ingram DM, Bennett FC, Willcox D, de Klerk N.University Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia.
3. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Sep;293:E833-E842
4. Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. N Engl J Med 2008 Jul 17; 359:229.
5. Krauss, Ronald, et al. "Carbohydrate, Weight Loss, and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006 May;83(5):1025-31.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Ellipticals, Treadmills and Bears.... Oh My!
Ever belong to a gym for a few years and notice that the people on the treadmills and ellipticals basically look exactly the same month after month and year after year? I've been there. Hell, I was one of them! When P90X arrived in the mail, my view on cardio changed forever and I've never looked back.
Plyometrics is the second DVD in P90X and certainly the disc that changed everything for me. No more would I ever go for 45 minutes of steady pace on that elliptical or treadmill and have ankle/knee pain due to the repetitive motion of the machine. Never again!
Plyo is 30 seconds of a cardio move, then a new move. 30 seconds, then a new one. Think you get bored of cardio? Think again, when the moves change every 30 seconds. What I love most about Plyo is the scalability of it though. After more than 2 years of doing this workout, I could be right beside someone who hasn't worked out in 2 years and get an equal workout.
How? I can jump higher, while they step instead of jump. I can go double speed and get my knees up to my waist, while their feet barely leave the ground. It is the PERFECT WORKOUT! (Take THAT silly Perfect Push-Up toy)
However, sometimes life throws a big ass elliptical in your path. For me, it's if I'm on tour and one of the guys just wants to do the elliptical in the hotel gym instead of a Beachbody dvd (I ALWAYS have my laptop and dvd's on tour!) So, look, I'm no party-pooper - I'll go along with it, but I won't go quietly into this night.
There is no rule on the treadmill that says you have to just shuffle along at 5.5 mph for 45 minutes and quit. Instead change it up. Variety is the Spice of Fitness! Try this routine next time you're on the treadmill.
5 min warm-up - nice and easy
Stretch!
1 min run
1 min run high knees
1 min sideways run
1 min other side
30 sec all out max speed
90 sec walk backwards
1 min highest incline hands straight up in the air
1 min arms out to side
30 sec all out max speed
90 sec walk backwards
1 min high knees
1 min walk highest incline
1 min sideways
1 min other side
1 min max speed run
- cooldown
That's a 20 min workout that will bust your ass harder than just going the normal relaxed pace for the same time. Repeat it if you want, but I would then switch to another machine and do a similar thing. Elliptical/Stairmaster/Swimming/Bike - whatever, just keep changing it up every minute. That is the absolute key to keeping cardio working not only physically, but also mentally. If you get bored, you will eventually quit. Change things before you hit that point, it's crucial.
The workout we did at fit club tonight has 20 different moves, 30 seconds each, then repeated. I defy you to get bored on this workout! By the time your brain starts thinking about anything other than the new move you're doing, the next move already started.
The thing I love about it is every single move targets your core. We did Ab Ripper X from P90X after the workout and it was BRUTAL because we already just worked our abs DURING CARDIO!!!! How freaking sweet is that!?!?!?
The DVD we did tonight is called Tony Horton One on One Core Cardio Intervals from Season 2 of the One on One series and it is available by clicking the banner below.
Plyometrics is the second DVD in P90X and certainly the disc that changed everything for me. No more would I ever go for 45 minutes of steady pace on that elliptical or treadmill and have ankle/knee pain due to the repetitive motion of the machine. Never again!
Plyo is 30 seconds of a cardio move, then a new move. 30 seconds, then a new one. Think you get bored of cardio? Think again, when the moves change every 30 seconds. What I love most about Plyo is the scalability of it though. After more than 2 years of doing this workout, I could be right beside someone who hasn't worked out in 2 years and get an equal workout.
How? I can jump higher, while they step instead of jump. I can go double speed and get my knees up to my waist, while their feet barely leave the ground. It is the PERFECT WORKOUT! (Take THAT silly Perfect Push-Up toy)
However, sometimes life throws a big ass elliptical in your path. For me, it's if I'm on tour and one of the guys just wants to do the elliptical in the hotel gym instead of a Beachbody dvd (I ALWAYS have my laptop and dvd's on tour!) So, look, I'm no party-pooper - I'll go along with it, but I won't go quietly into this night.
There is no rule on the treadmill that says you have to just shuffle along at 5.5 mph for 45 minutes and quit. Instead change it up. Variety is the Spice of Fitness! Try this routine next time you're on the treadmill.
5 min warm-up - nice and easy
Stretch!
1 min run
1 min run high knees
1 min sideways run
1 min other side
30 sec all out max speed
90 sec walk backwards
1 min highest incline hands straight up in the air
1 min arms out to side
30 sec all out max speed
90 sec walk backwards
1 min high knees
1 min walk highest incline
1 min sideways
1 min other side
1 min max speed run
- cooldown
That's a 20 min workout that will bust your ass harder than just going the normal relaxed pace for the same time. Repeat it if you want, but I would then switch to another machine and do a similar thing. Elliptical/Stairmaster/Swimming/Bike - whatever, just keep changing it up every minute. That is the absolute key to keeping cardio working not only physically, but also mentally. If you get bored, you will eventually quit. Change things before you hit that point, it's crucial.
The workout we did at fit club tonight has 20 different moves, 30 seconds each, then repeated. I defy you to get bored on this workout! By the time your brain starts thinking about anything other than the new move you're doing, the next move already started.
The thing I love about it is every single move targets your core. We did Ab Ripper X from P90X after the workout and it was BRUTAL because we already just worked our abs DURING CARDIO!!!! How freaking sweet is that!?!?!?
The DVD we did tonight is called Tony Horton One on One Core Cardio Intervals from Season 2 of the One on One series and it is available by clicking the banner below.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Big Ass Primal Salad
As promised, I wanted to give a virtual tour through my 9 minute prep time for my huge primal fresh salad. Here we go.
One small cherry tomato and a slice of onion.
7oz of Pork Chops - cut the fat off.
1 green bell pepper
1 small green apple - awesome taste surprise!
Cut the pork chops up and season to taste.
Sliced Almonds, get some healthy fat in there!
1/4 cup, 120 calories should be great
1/4 cup cheese over the whole thing, melting goodness.
Some Cucumbers - last to stay crunchy!
Avacado Oil - my secret fatty treat as the dressing.
Get some baby spinach ready for the hot stuff.
Little bit more seasoning over the veggies.
BOOM! DONE!
Life on the Road
My work leads to some pretty crazy hours. Sometimes I have to be up at 6am for a morning church gig, then sometimes my night club gig doesn't even start until 10pm. Sometimes I have a training session at 5:30am (leave my house by 4:30am) then train all day, and head to a gig that lasts until 1am. This is the life I choose and I'm happy with it.
However, that being said - it makes nutrition on the go, sometimes difficult. So many people complain that life is just too busy to eat right. I will prove otherwise if you give me a couple minutes of your time.
Excuse 1) My friends eat poorly.
Fine, let them. Just because they are ordering the 2 doughnut special with a side of fries doesn't mean you can't find something that you want that will make you feel better long past the initial satisfaction when it hits your tongue. You will feel so good about yourself when your friend finishes the doughnuts and adds 100g of pure fat to their waistline while you eat your healthy option.
Excuse 2) I have to keep bad food in the house for my wife/husband/kids/friends/whatever.
Really? You've chosen to make eating and living a healthy, happy lifestyle a part of your life, yet you're fine with feeding Doritos to your kids or mate? No way! Throw it out. They shouldn't eat it anymore than you should. They'll be pissed, but probably live longer for it.
Excuse 3) I'm too busy!
This drives me insane! Eating healthy does NOT take more time than eating crappy! In fact, most of my meals are cooked in less than 15 minutes. INCLUDING clean up time! I'll work on posting some super fast, nutritious ideas for people on the go in the future.
Road food tips!
1) McDonalds Grilled Chicken Patty. Look - I'm not saying this is the best health food out there. Sometimes, you are just forced to fast food. The chicken patty (no bun - just chicken) comes out to 22g Protein/2g Carbs/2g Fat - 120 calories. No, it's not pure chicken - there is a list of ingredients that I don't love, but I'll take it over a Big Mac and fries any day!
2) Sliced Ham (or other lunch meat) - it's easy to grab while running out the door and eat it when you need a snack.
3) Olive Oil - I keep a jar of Olive Oil in my car all the time. If you're out and grab a salad (available almost anywhere) instead of use the horrible dressing that comes in packets, use a tablespoon of oil for some healthy fats.
4) Fruit. An apple and banana will keep all day in the car. Just keep a couple in the fridge for when you know you'll be busy all day for a quick healthy pick-me-up!
Look - it comes down to preparedness. If you plan ahead, you won't get stuck out there with nothing to eat. Next time you're in subway - go with a salad with double ham or turkey and your trusty olive oil dressing instead of a giant insulin producing bun with that $5 footlong. You'll be happier and healthier and you can still sing the song!
However, that being said - it makes nutrition on the go, sometimes difficult. So many people complain that life is just too busy to eat right. I will prove otherwise if you give me a couple minutes of your time.
Excuse 1) My friends eat poorly.
Fine, let them. Just because they are ordering the 2 doughnut special with a side of fries doesn't mean you can't find something that you want that will make you feel better long past the initial satisfaction when it hits your tongue. You will feel so good about yourself when your friend finishes the doughnuts and adds 100g of pure fat to their waistline while you eat your healthy option.
Excuse 2) I have to keep bad food in the house for my wife/husband/kids/friends/whatever.
Really? You've chosen to make eating and living a healthy, happy lifestyle a part of your life, yet you're fine with feeding Doritos to your kids or mate? No way! Throw it out. They shouldn't eat it anymore than you should. They'll be pissed, but probably live longer for it.
Excuse 3) I'm too busy!
This drives me insane! Eating healthy does NOT take more time than eating crappy! In fact, most of my meals are cooked in less than 15 minutes. INCLUDING clean up time! I'll work on posting some super fast, nutritious ideas for people on the go in the future.
Road food tips!
1) McDonalds Grilled Chicken Patty. Look - I'm not saying this is the best health food out there. Sometimes, you are just forced to fast food. The chicken patty (no bun - just chicken) comes out to 22g Protein/2g Carbs/2g Fat - 120 calories. No, it's not pure chicken - there is a list of ingredients that I don't love, but I'll take it over a Big Mac and fries any day!
2) Sliced Ham (or other lunch meat) - it's easy to grab while running out the door and eat it when you need a snack.
3) Olive Oil - I keep a jar of Olive Oil in my car all the time. If you're out and grab a salad (available almost anywhere) instead of use the horrible dressing that comes in packets, use a tablespoon of oil for some healthy fats.
4) Fruit. An apple and banana will keep all day in the car. Just keep a couple in the fridge for when you know you'll be busy all day for a quick healthy pick-me-up!
Look - it comes down to preparedness. If you plan ahead, you won't get stuck out there with nothing to eat. Next time you're in subway - go with a salad with double ham or turkey and your trusty olive oil dressing instead of a giant insulin producing bun with that $5 footlong. You'll be happier and healthier and you can still sing the song!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Primal Blueprint Day 3
Look, everyone struggles with health and fitness. EVERYONE!
For the past couple weeks, I've been reading www.Marksdailyapple.com about the Primal Blueprint plan and why it's a great way to go about life. I think I'm officially s0ld, as it just makes a ton of sense. The other day, on my drive home from a kick-ass training session, I stopped at Borders and bought the book The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson.
It basically outlines the 10 Primal Laws which completely go hand-in-hand with my overall fitness perspective. They can be found on Mark's Site here.
So basic right? Yeah, I mean of course we know most of this stuff, but of course, it's a little deeper than just that. The number one thing I'm currently struggling with is the Law 2 - Avoid Poisonous Things. I suspect that many of us have this issue.
Poisonous things aren't just limited to actual Poison - but also go on to include wheat, grain, sugars, rice, processed anything and more. I had been trying to go as gluten-free as possible for the past 3 months, so I was thinking that the gluten-free, lowish carb thing wouldn't be a big deal. Man was I wrong.
As a side note - this is not a low carb diet. More of a different carb diet. Basically fill up on fruit and veggies - they are the base of the pyramid. Avoiding them (ala-Atkins) seems insane to me, if man was made to eat anything - it was certainly fruits and veggies.
After 2 days of following the diet 100%, this morning I woke up with a deep urge for something sweet - doughnuts were my goto crash binge, so on the way to a 5am training session, I stopped at the local gas station for a coffee and walked out with a box of 6 big cookies. Before I even knew what I was doing, I devoured 5 of them.
UGH!!!!
Well, as I tell my clients, move on and forget the past! (Tony Horton would say "Do your best and forget the rest!"
I will recover from this early a.m. binge with a otherwise perfect nutrition day and move forward positively.
For the past couple weeks, I've been reading www.Marksdailyapple.com about the Primal Blueprint plan and why it's a great way to go about life. I think I'm officially s0ld, as it just makes a ton of sense. The other day, on my drive home from a kick-ass training session, I stopped at Borders and bought the book The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson.
It basically outlines the 10 Primal Laws which completely go hand-in-hand with my overall fitness perspective. They can be found on Mark's Site here.
Primal Blueprint Law #1: Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
Primal Blueprint Law #2: Avoid Poisonous Things
Primal Blueprint Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
Primal Blueprint Law #4: Lift Heavy Things
Primal Blueprint Law #5: Sprint Once in a While
Primal Blueprint Law #6: Get Adequate Sleep
Primal Blueprint Law #7: Play
Primal Blueprint Law #8: Get Adequate Sunlight
Primal Blueprint Law #9: Avoid Stupid Mistakes
Primal Blueprint Law #10: Use Your Brain
So basic right? Yeah, I mean of course we know most of this stuff, but of course, it's a little deeper than just that. The number one thing I'm currently struggling with is the Law 2 - Avoid Poisonous Things. I suspect that many of us have this issue.
Poisonous things aren't just limited to actual Poison - but also go on to include wheat, grain, sugars, rice, processed anything and more. I had been trying to go as gluten-free as possible for the past 3 months, so I was thinking that the gluten-free, lowish carb thing wouldn't be a big deal. Man was I wrong.
As a side note - this is not a low carb diet. More of a different carb diet. Basically fill up on fruit and veggies - they are the base of the pyramid. Avoiding them (ala-Atkins) seems insane to me, if man was made to eat anything - it was certainly fruits and veggies.
After 2 days of following the diet 100%, this morning I woke up with a deep urge for something sweet - doughnuts were my goto crash binge, so on the way to a 5am training session, I stopped at the local gas station for a coffee and walked out with a box of 6 big cookies. Before I even knew what I was doing, I devoured 5 of them.
UGH!!!!
Well, as I tell my clients, move on and forget the past! (Tony Horton would say "Do your best and forget the rest!"
I will recover from this early a.m. binge with a otherwise perfect nutrition day and move forward positively.
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772 calories
53 Protein
37 Carbs
50 Fat
10 Fiber
100% awesome