 |
| Before the experiment |
Final
results:
Starting weight=91.84
Current weight=81.43
Total difference= -10.41kgs
Ice Bath results
Starting T.I=111.5“
Current T.I= 106”
Total difference = -5.5”
Starting weight=91.84
Current weight=81.43
Total difference= -10.41kgs
Ice Bath results
Starting T.I=111.5“
Current T.I= 106”
Total difference = -5.5”
I
realize this is a few weeks overdue and I do apologize but my life has been a
crazy adventure worthy of a PS2 title. As some of you may know, I’ll be having
hand surgery shortly to (possibly) remove some scar tissue that has built up on
a tendon and also I’ve been given more responsibilities at work which require
me to step up during March and run the world (Fuck you Beyonce, I run the
world). BUT I have not wavered from the experiment and kept going ahead but
sadly this will be the last update as surgery looms so I need to take a break
as per the request of my surgeon. I will take this week off before being opened
up and tinkered within 2 weeks. A bit pre-mature but life sometimes is that way
and to be honest I am not worried. I am happy with what I did and feel like I
confidently say that the smallest changes have made a huge impact. I truly do
feel better than I’ve ever felt and that positivity will carry over into other
facets of my life. I also realize that this has not been the most detailed and
specific experiment due to the constraints of being a student and not having access
to a lot of things; if I had the chance and resources than I would be doing a
lot more [weekly body composition percentages, glucose readings, Vo2 readings,
blood tests and other Ludacris things] but on reflection, how many people would
actually do that given the chance? Not many I believe and you need to be a new
level of crazy to do so. So, allow me to wrap up this experiment with my
conclusion on the aspects of change that had the best results for me (I want to
digress that I am neither a doctor nor a registered dietician…yet. So please
remember this is based on my individual results and should be considered
accordingly).
Firstly, I want to address the mental aspects and what I have learnt. The biggest thing I want to hammer into people is that you need to be willing to make this change in lifestyle. You want to seek improvement and become a better individual because it will be that mental strength that will be a shining light to motivate you to continue because the biggest killer of lifestyle changes is mental derailing. It is easy to fall into bad routines and even easier to accept them as the norm but if you set yourself up and commit then the results will reveal themselves. Trust me, I lost 10 kgs and 5+ inches (and it could be more if I had gotten my body fat percentages at the start till now) with ease by a few simple tweaks in lifestyle. If you’re mentally prepared and want to improve then go forward, if not then I won’t be surprised if you yo-yo and then email me abuse. If you need to be motivated then the following worked for me and could help you:
1- Keep a blog (you will be surprised at how motivating it is knowing you have an audience that keeps you honest)
2- Make an ultimatum (I will work out X amount of days per week or I’ll donate $5 to an organization which I despise. For me if I didn’t get 3 days at the gym per week I would give online to the Westborro Baptist Church and I never gave a single dollar because of that).
3-Keep a very unflattering picture of yourself hanging on the fridge and say to yourself every day “”I’ll never be that person ever again”. Luckily for me, I have one on Facebook of my doppelganger (who looks very much like me) in her crazy pink wig, pink corset, pantyhose and god-awful pink heels. I see that picture of my doppelganger and that motivates me to keep moving forward.
Whatever suits you and will keep you honest then the next two aspects of lifestyle change will be easier to keep to because this is not a diet but a lifestyle choice. The day you start is the first day of a truly exceptional new you!
Nutritional
You’ll need to make some changes to your diet if you want to see change. Diet is the biggest part of lifestyle change and you need to be smarter with what you eat if you want to lose fat, add muscle or just feel better (and trust me you will feel better with a cleaner diet). The smallest adjustments will make a difference and you don’t need to confine yourself to carrot sticks and tears. The worst thing you can do is confine yourself to a stupidly low caloric set per day as the damage you can do on so called ‘crash diets’ is severe. Don’t believe me? They did a study in the 1950’s called the Minnesota Starvation Recovery Experiment in which researchers cut the daily calories of healthy individuals to see what physiological and psychological effects would be present due to the number of people starving after World War 2 (and how the best way would be to rehabilitate them). The results of the experiment truly were frightening with high rates of depression and emotional distress in the subjects, sexual interests and function dropped, early onsets of eating disorders appeared and one subject cut 3 of his fingers off with an axe! So whatever you do, DON’T CRASH DIET! DON’T COUNT CALORIES..MAKE CALORIES COUNT! I never counted a single calorie on this experiment and I still lost weight and fat.
Firstly, I want to address the mental aspects and what I have learnt. The biggest thing I want to hammer into people is that you need to be willing to make this change in lifestyle. You want to seek improvement and become a better individual because it will be that mental strength that will be a shining light to motivate you to continue because the biggest killer of lifestyle changes is mental derailing. It is easy to fall into bad routines and even easier to accept them as the norm but if you set yourself up and commit then the results will reveal themselves. Trust me, I lost 10 kgs and 5+ inches (and it could be more if I had gotten my body fat percentages at the start till now) with ease by a few simple tweaks in lifestyle. If you’re mentally prepared and want to improve then go forward, if not then I won’t be surprised if you yo-yo and then email me abuse. If you need to be motivated then the following worked for me and could help you:
1- Keep a blog (you will be surprised at how motivating it is knowing you have an audience that keeps you honest)
2- Make an ultimatum (I will work out X amount of days per week or I’ll donate $5 to an organization which I despise. For me if I didn’t get 3 days at the gym per week I would give online to the Westborro Baptist Church and I never gave a single dollar because of that).
3-Keep a very unflattering picture of yourself hanging on the fridge and say to yourself every day “”I’ll never be that person ever again”. Luckily for me, I have one on Facebook of my doppelganger (who looks very much like me) in her crazy pink wig, pink corset, pantyhose and god-awful pink heels. I see that picture of my doppelganger and that motivates me to keep moving forward.
Whatever suits you and will keep you honest then the next two aspects of lifestyle change will be easier to keep to because this is not a diet but a lifestyle choice. The day you start is the first day of a truly exceptional new you!
Nutritional
You’ll need to make some changes to your diet if you want to see change. Diet is the biggest part of lifestyle change and you need to be smarter with what you eat if you want to lose fat, add muscle or just feel better (and trust me you will feel better with a cleaner diet). The smallest adjustments will make a difference and you don’t need to confine yourself to carrot sticks and tears. The worst thing you can do is confine yourself to a stupidly low caloric set per day as the damage you can do on so called ‘crash diets’ is severe. Don’t believe me? They did a study in the 1950’s called the Minnesota Starvation Recovery Experiment in which researchers cut the daily calories of healthy individuals to see what physiological and psychological effects would be present due to the number of people starving after World War 2 (and how the best way would be to rehabilitate them). The results of the experiment truly were frightening with high rates of depression and emotional distress in the subjects, sexual interests and function dropped, early onsets of eating disorders appeared and one subject cut 3 of his fingers off with an axe! So whatever you do, DON’T CRASH DIET! DON’T COUNT CALORIES..MAKE CALORIES COUNT! I never counted a single calorie on this experiment and I still lost weight and fat.
The
following changes are as followed:
Switching over to brown carbohydrates and whole grains.
Increased intake over fruits and vegetables (especially green, leafy vegetables)
Higher intake of legumes and beans (for protein)
Eating 4-5 meals per day.
An early blog I did dived into switching over to brown carbohydrates and whole grains but for those who have not read or have forgotten here is the basics. White carbs are refined and all the fibre and goodness is removed, when digested your body converts them quickly due to lack of fibre into glucose which produces a large release of insulin that tells the body to store whatever you eating as energy in the form of FAT. Switching over to brown rice, wholegrain bread, oats and sweet potatoes to name a few will limit the insulin release and also keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you keep eating processed, white carbohydrates you could run the risk of becoming insulin and leptin resistant which is bad. The less processed the better. (Leptin is the felling full hormone so if you become resistant to it then you’ll continue to eat way beyond what you need and end up like a beached whale)
Fruits and vegetables will also be your friend in this change so please get to know them. Again, the less processed the better applies with produce. Don’t believe that fruits and vegetables have to be boring and bland. This is the chance for you to explore the different tastes and create wonderful combinations and remember to try different spices. Something could be bland but adding some chilli or herbs might bring something special to the table. Roasted vegetables drizzled with either balsamic vinaigrette or garlic salt is truly something and a great way to get your intake up. Otherwise try drinking them! Crazy I know but you will be surprised at how refreshing a green smoothie with berries is in the morning. A while back my breakfast was Spinich, Celery, Carrots, Apple, Orange blended into a green liquid and it wasn’t that bad. Right there is your 5+ a day with little to no effort. Lunch as of late has been spinach wilted in a pan with sunflower oil and garlic, lentils and brown rice with a poached egg on top. Right there you have good carbs, protein and vitamins in the spinach. Easy. Tasty. But again, this is your time to experiment and play around with whatever is in season.
Switching over to brown carbohydrates and whole grains.
Increased intake over fruits and vegetables (especially green, leafy vegetables)
Higher intake of legumes and beans (for protein)
Eating 4-5 meals per day.
An early blog I did dived into switching over to brown carbohydrates and whole grains but for those who have not read or have forgotten here is the basics. White carbs are refined and all the fibre and goodness is removed, when digested your body converts them quickly due to lack of fibre into glucose which produces a large release of insulin that tells the body to store whatever you eating as energy in the form of FAT. Switching over to brown rice, wholegrain bread, oats and sweet potatoes to name a few will limit the insulin release and also keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you keep eating processed, white carbohydrates you could run the risk of becoming insulin and leptin resistant which is bad. The less processed the better. (Leptin is the felling full hormone so if you become resistant to it then you’ll continue to eat way beyond what you need and end up like a beached whale)
Fruits and vegetables will also be your friend in this change so please get to know them. Again, the less processed the better applies with produce. Don’t believe that fruits and vegetables have to be boring and bland. This is the chance for you to explore the different tastes and create wonderful combinations and remember to try different spices. Something could be bland but adding some chilli or herbs might bring something special to the table. Roasted vegetables drizzled with either balsamic vinaigrette or garlic salt is truly something and a great way to get your intake up. Otherwise try drinking them! Crazy I know but you will be surprised at how refreshing a green smoothie with berries is in the morning. A while back my breakfast was Spinich, Celery, Carrots, Apple, Orange blended into a green liquid and it wasn’t that bad. Right there is your 5+ a day with little to no effort. Lunch as of late has been spinach wilted in a pan with sunflower oil and garlic, lentils and brown rice with a poached egg on top. Right there you have good carbs, protein and vitamins in the spinach. Easy. Tasty. But again, this is your time to experiment and play around with whatever is in season.
If
nothing is in season then frozen vegetables are fine. Also, don’t be afraid to
look at alternative forms of protein than meat. Lentils, eggs and beans are
great forms of protein if meat is expensive or if your vegetarian/vegan. Also
Hemp seeds are incredible and are worthy of the title ‘super food’. For gym
goers who want a cheaper alternative to whey protein then look into hemp protein. It has the complete BCAA
profile, higher levels of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and also doesn’t give you
super annoying farts. It will be my choice from now on once I finish my last
bag of whey protein. At $15 a kilo, it’s also the cheapest form of protein on
the market and if you were to add pure cacao powder to it than you would have
chocolate hemp powder. Don’t worry, it’s legal and won’t get you high plus you
can blend it in water, strain it and have hemp milk (because sometimes I can’t
understand how diary can be so expensive here). So, eat more fruits and
vegetables! EAT THEM! SPICE THEM UP! EXPERIMENT! I’m pretty sure that a guy who
can cook is a natural aphrodisiac for women so that is an added bonus for the
blokes if I am correct. Ladies is this true?
Instead of the stock standard 3 meals a day another change (that worked) for me was to remember this little mantra. Eat every 2-4 hours depending on what you’re doing. Working out or playing sports? Then eat every 2 hours (before the game and after). Sitting in lectures or watching TV? Then go to the 4 hour time frame. Again, the less processed the meals the better but adjust it to your preferences. Which brings me to one crucial aspect, “But I love (Cake, Chocolate, Pie, Candy), what about that!? CAN I NEVER HAVE THAT!? No, I wouldn’t think there is anything worse than not enjoying things you love but remember ‘all things in moderation’. Set aside a reward day and enjoy the things you love. Yes, Saturday can be Faturday. Seriously, it can be beneficial for both weight loss and muscle building. Just remember a few principles when doing so and you’ll be OK (this is what I’ll be doing when I get my super caloric blow out Satuday).
1) The first meal is a good clean meal that’s high in protein to set you up for the day. Think turkey bacon and eggs on whole grain toast. Then enjoy a few slices of cake for brunch and have 7 slices of pizza for lunch. 3 brownies to go with afternoon tea before ending with a roast chicken with all the trimmings and apple pie! Bliss? It can be!
2) Make sure you keep your water intake up and eat slowly. This is a free day so don’t feel like you need to stuff everything in your mouth and move on. This is not the case. Eat till you’re just about full and then wait till you feel peckish again. Simple!
Instead of the stock standard 3 meals a day another change (that worked) for me was to remember this little mantra. Eat every 2-4 hours depending on what you’re doing. Working out or playing sports? Then eat every 2 hours (before the game and after). Sitting in lectures or watching TV? Then go to the 4 hour time frame. Again, the less processed the meals the better but adjust it to your preferences. Which brings me to one crucial aspect, “But I love (Cake, Chocolate, Pie, Candy), what about that!? CAN I NEVER HAVE THAT!? No, I wouldn’t think there is anything worse than not enjoying things you love but remember ‘all things in moderation’. Set aside a reward day and enjoy the things you love. Yes, Saturday can be Faturday. Seriously, it can be beneficial for both weight loss and muscle building. Just remember a few principles when doing so and you’ll be OK (this is what I’ll be doing when I get my super caloric blow out Satuday).
1) The first meal is a good clean meal that’s high in protein to set you up for the day. Think turkey bacon and eggs on whole grain toast. Then enjoy a few slices of cake for brunch and have 7 slices of pizza for lunch. 3 brownies to go with afternoon tea before ending with a roast chicken with all the trimmings and apple pie! Bliss? It can be!
2) Make sure you keep your water intake up and eat slowly. This is a free day so don’t feel like you need to stuff everything in your mouth and move on. This is not the case. Eat till you’re just about full and then wait till you feel peckish again. Simple!
This
is a day in which the reigns are loosened but not off. Also, this helps as it
acts as a psychological release valve so you have something to look forward to.
If you’re not allowed something you generally want it more so reward your
efforts. Not only will it help you solider on but it will have a positive
effect on your thyroid’s conversion rate of T4-T3 and actually help with weight
loss. So work for your cake but enjoy it as well (if you want to treat yourself
with something sweet then I suggest baking it yourself, not only will it be
more fulfilling but generally it’s healthier than store brought from
supermarkets and bakeries). Don’t be worried/scared to not reward your efforts;
if that makes sense? Just don’t go overboard and if you really feel like you
have sinned then do something physical around 45 mins (that allows for
digestion and food is converted and able to be used as fuel) after eating and
you can keep your conscience clean.
Cheaters tricks also include adding cinnamon to meals to help reduce the insulin spike when eating food (insulin dumps are bad limit the release of insulin to avoid fat storage). Examples can be cinnamon with oats for breakfast or adding it to brown rice to make a tasty pudding with raisins or apple. The same effect can be had with citrus so water with lemon juice or lime juice while eating. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20515642)
Chillies are also great for those who can handle at raising the metabolic rate of digestion. The hotter the better (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100602121202.htm)
Pro-biotic food and fermented food is also good for weight loss as it aids in digestion and increases the number of good bacteria in the intestines. Kimchee, sauerkraut and kombucha would be excellent to add if you’re looking to lose weight but also would definitely help with digestive health (http://www.livescience.com/24917-probiotics-burn-fat.html)
Cheaters tricks also include adding cinnamon to meals to help reduce the insulin spike when eating food (insulin dumps are bad limit the release of insulin to avoid fat storage). Examples can be cinnamon with oats for breakfast or adding it to brown rice to make a tasty pudding with raisins or apple. The same effect can be had with citrus so water with lemon juice or lime juice while eating. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20515642)
Chillies are also great for those who can handle at raising the metabolic rate of digestion. The hotter the better (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100602121202.htm)
Pro-biotic food and fermented food is also good for weight loss as it aids in digestion and increases the number of good bacteria in the intestines. Kimchee, sauerkraut and kombucha would be excellent to add if you’re looking to lose weight but also would definitely help with digestive health (http://www.livescience.com/24917-probiotics-burn-fat.html)
Let’s
get physical
You can lose weight just with diet alone but why just stop at foreplay? Get physical and you can really have some fun! I personally found Kettlebells effective as a means of working out and had access to the AUT gym but this is really up to you as what you want to do. If you can get access to kettle bells then do it, they truly will accelerate fat loss.
You can lose weight just with diet alone but why just stop at foreplay? Get physical and you can really have some fun! I personally found Kettlebells effective as a means of working out and had access to the AUT gym but this is really up to you as what you want to do. If you can get access to kettle bells then do it, they truly will accelerate fat loss.
This
is something you want to find pleasure in as if you enjoy what you’re doing
then you’re going to keep it up. They say 6 weeks is the hill to climb if you
wish to make some serious changes in routines so keep that in mind. I found the
minimum effective dose to be 3 days of going to the gym but I’m sure you could
transfer it over to other forms of exercise. I have actually gotten into
running as of late (the dog seems to love it as well) and have found that to be
a great way to de-stress but for those who are wanting to get into running,
cycling or any other form of cardio exercises then I recommend High Intensity
Interval Training (H.I.I.T).. Basically, getting the heart rate going at high
and low intervals has been shown to promote higher fat loss and cardiovascular
improvement due to the increased demands on the body with higher levels of
activity. Something as simple as walking up a hill would be a great start. Once
you feel confident then move up to jogging the hill. Start simple and work
forward at something you enjoy but at least 3X week for between 45mins-120mins
works I have found would be the best option to start with. (http://www.simplyshredded.com/fit-with-hiit-science-is-dropping-the-hammer-on-endless-bouts-of-steady-state-cardio.html)
Ice Baths; they suck at the start but you do get use to them and enjoy them. They help with muscle recovery and that alone is a bonus for me but they will aid in sleep. Want to know what a horse tranquilizer would do to you? Take an ice bath 1 hour before bed. You will have the deepest sleep and feel amazing in the morning. In regards to weight loss, I do feel that it contributed in a reduction of body fat but again without a proper and accurate measurement on a weekly scale, I can’t say for sure. I did lose 5.5 inches with this and feel like it helped so it was a successful addition. I’ll be taking them after hard training from now on.
A few other things that a worth mentioning:
Get your sleep! Sleep will help muscle recovery and help replenish cell function and make you less cranky to be around. While I didn’t test it, I am sure that sleep can impact weight loss due to suffering cell functions so you want to get around 7-8 hours I would say. Don’t try becoming a poly sleeper who take 20min naps, it sounds silly.
Ice Baths; they suck at the start but you do get use to them and enjoy them. They help with muscle recovery and that alone is a bonus for me but they will aid in sleep. Want to know what a horse tranquilizer would do to you? Take an ice bath 1 hour before bed. You will have the deepest sleep and feel amazing in the morning. In regards to weight loss, I do feel that it contributed in a reduction of body fat but again without a proper and accurate measurement on a weekly scale, I can’t say for sure. I did lose 5.5 inches with this and feel like it helped so it was a successful addition. I’ll be taking them after hard training from now on.
A few other things that a worth mentioning:
Get your sleep! Sleep will help muscle recovery and help replenish cell function and make you less cranky to be around. While I didn’t test it, I am sure that sleep can impact weight loss due to suffering cell functions so you want to get around 7-8 hours I would say. Don’t try becoming a poly sleeper who take 20min naps, it sounds silly.
Drink
plenty of water. Water is vital again for cell function as well as keeping your
organs happy. Want to know why you have a headache when you’re hung-over? It’s
the result of dehydration and your brain shrinking. NUTS! Keep hydrated and it
will help with all aspects of your life. That’s water, Coke, V, fruit juice and
coffee doesn’t count. How much? 2-4L per day works for me and I’m just a
regular bloke.
Well, that really is the broad spectrum of this experiment and what was done to result in the 10kg loss. But again, I feel much better for it and not just in regards to the weight loss. Energy output has increased as well as mental clarity which I feel has made me a better person to be around. Again, this wasn’t a diet nor did I count a single calorie. I ate when I was hungry and made the small switches in a variety of areas. It truly is simple and you will notice a difference. So have fun if this is truly something you want to do and play around with things. The biggest thing I got out of it was all the amazing things I learnt about myself in 15 weeks: I actually don’t hate running as much as I thought, working out can indeed be fun, experimenting with different flavour combinations is truly an adventure and lastly guys who wear oversized singlets at the gym will never be my friend. If you want to know more or have any questions then please get in contact with me. I’m more than happy to help if I can. Also, if you want someone to read your blogs and give you feedback then I am more than happy to do so as well. You have spent the last few months reading my efforts so I will be more than happy to read yours. I leave you with two quotes that I like to remember whenever I don’t want to do something that would be beneficial for me (like leg workouts)
“You watch those nature documentaries on the cable? You see the one about lions? You got this lion. He's the king of the jungle, huge mane out to here. He's laying under a tree, in the middle of Africa. He's so big, it's so hot. He doesn't want to move. Now the little lions come, they start messing with him. Biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn't do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him. Coming over, making trouble. Still nothing. Now the other animals, they notice this. They start to move in. The jackals; hyenas. They're barking at him, laughing at him. They nip his toes, and eat the food that's in his domain. They do this, then they get closer and closer, bolder and bolder. Till one day, that lion gets up and tears the shit out of everybody. Runs like the wind, eats everything in his path. Cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals, who he is.” Uncle Mike (Poolhall Junkies)
Well, that really is the broad spectrum of this experiment and what was done to result in the 10kg loss. But again, I feel much better for it and not just in regards to the weight loss. Energy output has increased as well as mental clarity which I feel has made me a better person to be around. Again, this wasn’t a diet nor did I count a single calorie. I ate when I was hungry and made the small switches in a variety of areas. It truly is simple and you will notice a difference. So have fun if this is truly something you want to do and play around with things. The biggest thing I got out of it was all the amazing things I learnt about myself in 15 weeks: I actually don’t hate running as much as I thought, working out can indeed be fun, experimenting with different flavour combinations is truly an adventure and lastly guys who wear oversized singlets at the gym will never be my friend. If you want to know more or have any questions then please get in contact with me. I’m more than happy to help if I can. Also, if you want someone to read your blogs and give you feedback then I am more than happy to do so as well. You have spent the last few months reading my efforts so I will be more than happy to read yours. I leave you with two quotes that I like to remember whenever I don’t want to do something that would be beneficial for me (like leg workouts)
“You watch those nature documentaries on the cable? You see the one about lions? You got this lion. He's the king of the jungle, huge mane out to here. He's laying under a tree, in the middle of Africa. He's so big, it's so hot. He doesn't want to move. Now the little lions come, they start messing with him. Biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn't do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him. Coming over, making trouble. Still nothing. Now the other animals, they notice this. They start to move in. The jackals; hyenas. They're barking at him, laughing at him. They nip his toes, and eat the food that's in his domain. They do this, then they get closer and closer, bolder and bolder. Till one day, that lion gets up and tears the shit out of everybody. Runs like the wind, eats everything in his path. Cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals, who he is.” Uncle Mike (Poolhall Junkies)
“When
doubt seeps in you got two roads you can take either road. You can go to the left or you can go to the right and
believe me, they'll tell you failure is not an option. That is ridiculous.
Failure is always an option. Failure is the most readily available option at
all times, but it's a choice. You can choose to fail or you can choose to succeed… That is the
road to victory, or self-doubt and negative talk, and that is the road to
failure. But failure is always there, and it's okay to recognize that. If I can
leave you with anything today, in my long journey through this is, one, it's
okay. Two, it's normal. And as athletes and especially as men, as male athletes
we hate to admit weakness to ourselves, and when you're dealing with something
and you got some kind of a hiccup, yeah, first thing is acknowledge it”. Chael
P Sonnen
For the support, I thank you! Once I get home I'll take the 'After' pictures.
For the support, I thank you! Once I get home I'll take the 'After' pictures.
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