Nutrition in Context: #3 - Carbohydrates

 

Warning, this is a fairly complex subject and it is difficult to try to communicate it concisely…that is why it’s taken me so long to finally blog about it…that and I’ve been really busy wrapping up this session of Boot Camp…and I’ve also been watching the Olympics in my free time…and there might be a little laziness sprinkled in there as well.

I want to put out a disclaimer that I am going to significantly summarize the physiological processes that take place in dealing with carbohydrate ingestion, conversion, storage, etc. Partly because I don’t know how many of you actually want to read all that…and partly because I am just not that smart and would probably screw something up if I tried to pretend that I was that smart J

I do want to try to explain some important concepts in layman’s terms, and then try to address some of the misconceptions I’ve heard about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are an incredibly important macronutrient, but how you utilize them should be drastically different depending on the goals that you hope to achieve. BTW…I’m also assuming that you are reading this post in the context of the series on nutrition in context, so you already know about weight loss and calories, etc. Nothing in this post contradicts anything I wrote about calories, so don’t think that if you focus on carbs and ignore calories you’ll effectively hit your weight loss/gain goals.

How your body uses Carbohydrates:

I’m sure you already understand the concept that food is the primary source of energy for your body. If you don’t expend that energy in some way, your body will store it. Your body stores energy from carbohydrates in two ways, temporary storage as glycogen, and more long term storage as body fat. Remember that calories are the energy source for your body, but the content of the calories are used in different ways by your body. The 3 primary macronutrients that your food contains are carbs, proteins, and fats. Each of these macronutrients contain a specific calorie content…which I mentioned in a previous post.

When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar (glucose) level rises. This rise in blood sugar triggers your pancreas to secrete the anabolic hormone, insulin. Insulin is considered an anabolic hormone because it triggers the intake of nutrients for repair/growth/storage (anabolic = grow, catabolic = shrink). The resulting action is the intake of glucose from the blood in order to regulate your blood sugar level. The intake of glucose is stored as glycogen in your muscles for repair/regrowth and into your liver for storage and a variety of necessary physiological functions. When your body stores more glycogen reserves than it needs (energy excess) the glycogen eventually gets converted and stored as fat.

On the flip side, when your blood sugar levels are low, your liver converts stored glycogen into glucose to regulate blood sugar levels. In healthy persons, usually the only time you are going to have a decrease in blood sugar level to trigger the release of glycogen from the liver is after intense or prolonged exercise, or if you are in a low carb or fasted state.  Once the liver exhausts it’s stored glycogen (typically after 8-12 hours with no other activity), the body digs into fat reserves which are eventually converted into glycogen and released from the liver to regulate blood sugar.

The Glycemic Index and Simple Vs. Complex Carbs:

You’ve heard about high glycemic Index (GI) carbs and low GI carbs. You’ve heard about simple carbs and complex carbs. For the most part they are one in the same. Simple carbs (high GI carbs) are broken down by the body rapidly, significantly increase blood sugar, and spike insulin levels. Complex carbs (low GI carbs) break down more slowly, do not increase blood sugar levels significantly, and do not spike insulin levels much. To complicate matters further, you not only have to consider the glycemic index of the carbs you are eating, but the total glycemic load. In other words…portion control! 50g of a complex (low GI) carb may spike blood sugar levels higher than 25g of a simple (high GI) carb.

You’ve probably heard or read that simple carbs are bad, and that you should avoid them and eat only complex carbs. For example…eat sweet potato (complex) versus white potato (simple) or eat wheat bread (complex) versus white bread (simple). If this advice is taken in the proper context, it can be good advice. However, as I’ve been trying to point out throughout this entire series, context is everything…and many sources that solicit this advice don’t bother to take the time to put things in context. There are circumstances where simple carbs can be very beneficial for your goals and other circumstances where they will be detrimental.

Carbohydrate strategy for muscle growth

If your goal is to build muscle, you will want to utilize simple carbs immediately before, possibly during, and immediately after a workout. Why? Because immediately after an intense weight lifting workout, your muscles are depleted of muscle glycogen and spiking your blood sugar and insulin levels through simple carbs is the fastest way to reload your muscle glycogen and begin the rebuilding/repair/growth process.

Simple carbs should probably be avoided outside of the workout window (let’s call the workout window less than 1 hour before your workout, and less than 2 hours after your workout) as once you refill your muscle glycogen, the rest of the glycogen will be stored in the liver and if not utilized for energy will be stored as fat. Therefore, simple carbs can be helpful in a muscle building strategy…but only if properly utilized. Outside of the workout window, complex carbs are a better choice. 

Also, focus more on starchy carbs versus sugary carbs as a greater portion of the glycogen in starchy carbs will go towards muscle glycogen. Breads, cereals, potatoes, rice, etc. are starchy carbs. Sugary carbs are ice creams, sugars, syrups, fruits, etc. Keep in mind, this strategy will help create an environment an environment to help build muscle assuming proper exercise and protein intake…but it is not a good strategy to burn fat.

Carbohydrate strategy for fat burning

If your goal is to burn fat, a low carb strategy isn’t a bad idea. However, depending upon your workout load, you will still need some carbs. My suggestion is that you do try to avoid simple carbs, and focus on eating a reasonable amount of complex carbs within your workout window. Outside of that, limit carbs…especially later in the day when your body doesn’t need the energy. If you go to bed depleted of glycogen, you’ll burn more fat while you sleep.

Keep in mind that ALL OF THIS IS DEPENDENT UPON  YOUR CALORIC INTAKE. You can go low carb all you want, but if you eat an excess of calories through excessive fats and proteins, you’ll still struggle to lose weight. Also keep in mind that when you replete carbs, you will lose water weight. Therefore, don’t be surprised if you see some immediate weight loss in the first few days of a low-carb diet…but understand that you are mostly losing water weight. Also, don’t get discouraged if you have a weekend binge where you eat plenty of carbs and gain all of the weight back…more than likely that is water weight as well due to the carbs. Finally, keep in mind that this strategy will make it very difficult for you to build, and in some cases maintain your lean muscle.

Combined muscle growth and fat burning

The most efficient way to both build muscle and burn fat that I’ve found is through Intermittent Fasting. Why? Because you can combine both of the strategies above by partitioning your days and weeks. You can have a muscle building (anabolic) window, and a fat burning (catabolic) window. In your fasting window, you deplete glycogen and your body taps into its fat reserves to regulate blood sugar. In your feeding window, immediately after you workout, you can reload your glycogen stores quickly so that your muscles begin rebuilding immediately. For those not familiar with IF…have you not read the rest of my blog? Haha…no worries, here is a very brief summary:

• 16 hour fasting window each day – no calories
• 8 hour feeding window each day – majority (approx 60%) of calories in first meal
• Exercise during the fasting window

Ideally, I would be able to workout from 10:30am to 12pm everyday and immediately eat my first meal of the day at 12pm. Unfortunately, I don’t get paid to blog, so I have to work. Therefore, I workout at 5am, and don’t eat until 12pm. Does this potentially limit my ability to pack on muscle? Probably some, but it does increase my ability to burn fat. However, on the weekends I can workout and immediately eat afterwards…I love weekends! The first meal of the day should be heavy on carbs (simple carbs are welcome) and protein. I limit the amount of calories I am getting from fat because they are not efficient calories in helping to build muscle. Later in the day, I’ll try to eat more complex carbs instead of simple carbs. On the days I don’t workout, I’ll try to go low carb all day long, and avoid simple carbs. This is because I don’t need the carbs for energy/rebuilding, and I can focus on fat burning.

Summary

So there you have it. You know how the body absorbs carbs and regulates blood sugar. You know what the Glycemic Index is all about and what simple versus complex carbs mean. And hopefully this blog post helped you to better understand and develop a strategy to have carbs work for you. So, next time you read an article that talks about carbohydrates, you can put it in proper context, and determine if the advice makes sense for you or not.

Scripture for the Day

 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Nutrition in Context: #2 - Weight Loss

Weight Loss

I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record...but this is something that probably needs to be repeated over and over so that it gets lodged in everyone's brain nice and snug. Weight loss is calories in versus calories out. Your macronutrient (carbs, fats, proteins) content will not make or break your weight loss...it's all about the calories. Ultimately, if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If you consume more calories than you expend, you will gain weight. Now, the type of weight that you gain or lose has ALOT to do with your macronutrient content and your exercise habits, but that is for another blog post. Speaking of macronutrients, do you know how many calories are in each gram of carbohydrate, fat, and protein? Carbohydrates and proteins each contain 4 calories per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram. You learned something new didn't you?




* It should also be noted that carbohydrate cycling can cause water gains and losses, and this can give people an unrealistic view of true weight loss. Because water bonds to carbohydrates (approximately 3 to 4g water per 1g of carbohydrate), if you eat a lot of carbs, you'll retain more water. Conversely, if you cut carbs you'll flush water out of your system. This is why people who go on a low carb diet can lose 5-10lbs in a week and then suddenly their weight loss stops cold. They get frustrated, and return to their regular eating habits, only to see that 5-10lbs come right back. Without a proper understanding of true weight loss, these people think they burned 10lbs of fat in a week, and then added the 10lbs of fat back over a weekend of binge eating. Sorry Charlie, that was almost all water weight. True weight loss doesn't happen that that fast (without insane caloric expenditure and calorie restriction...i.e. the Biggest Loser).

Breaking it Down

In order to lose 1lb of true body weight, your body must expend 3,500 more calories than it consumes (caloric deficit). Conversely, in order to gain 1lb of body weight, your body must consume 3,500 more calories than it expends (caloric surplus). So, if you want to lose 10lbs, then you'll need to expend 35,000 more calories than you consume (10lbs x 3,500 calories = 35,000 calories). Weight loss really is that simple. Most people try to make it a whole lot more complicated than it needs to be...but there it is in 3 sentences. Ok, now it's time to get practical and actually understand how to track the numbers and create a plan to lose weight. With discipline, it is fairly easy to track how many calories you are consuming (myfitnesspal is a great calorie counter). The question of how many calories you expend is a little more complicated. You'll need to consider your BMR and your activity level.

BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate

Your body burns a certain amount of calories each day just to carry on life and normal functions. The calculation for how many calories your body burns each day at rest is called BMR (basal metabolic rate). This number varies for each person depending on a number of factors including but not limited to: gender, age, weight, height, hormone levels, and body composition. One of the primary factors is how much lean mass your body has. In order for your muscles to move, they need an energy source...calories are that source. Fat reserves just sit in your body as storage, they don't expend calories...however, your muscles (lean mass) have to work harder to support the additional weight that fat stores add. Therefore, a person who has weighs 200lbs at 11% body fat  (178lbs of lean mass) will burn less calories than someone with the exact same lean mass (178lbs) but weighs 240lbs at 26% body fat. This is because the larger person expends more energy via the work their muscles are doing by carrying around the additional weight. BMR calculations are an estimated average at best and aren't 100% accurate because they don't take body composition and hormone levels into account. BMR is calculated using gender, age, weight, and height; but again, it doesn't factor in how many pounds of lean mass you have. Looking for an online BMR calculator? Click HERE.

* It should be noted that various hormones and enzymes that your body produces can up-regulate or down-regulate your metabolism. The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) which play a factor in your body's overall BMR. A condition of hypothyroidism may account for a small decrease in BMR; however, this factor is insignificant when you consider the overall picture of calorie consumption through diet and expenditure through exercise. I've read somewhere (which I can't find now) that most cases of hypothyroidism are responsible for less than a 5% decrease in metabolic rate. In a 2,000 calorie diet that amounts for about a 100 calorie allowance. My opinion is far too many people who have a hypothyroid condition use this as an excuse for weight gain versus looking at their eating and exercise habits. Furthermore, the majority of these people are taking medication to regulate their hormone levels, negating the majority of the metabolic slowdown. These people sell themselves short by buying into the myth that they can't lose weight, and give themselves an excuse to eat poorly and not exercise (the actual cause). There are A LOT of overweight people who don't have a thyroid condition, and it is due to their habits not a hormone imbalance.

Calories Burned Through Activity

Exercise is the #1 thing you can do to increase your body's calorie expenditure. Do you have a job where you are on your feet all day, or a sedentary desk job? Do you play sports or exercise regularly? There are some very good calorie counters available online which can provide you a good estimate of your calorie burn for varies types of exercise. The biggest challenge for getting an accurate estimate is your own estimate of "effort." The difference between moderate and intense exercise may be lost on some people, and studies have shown that most men women overestimate exercise intensity (see study #1 and study #2).

Putting it all Together

Ok, so now that: 1) you understand that you have to expend more calories than you take in to lose weight, 2) and have tools and methods to track your calorie intake, 3) you have tools and methods to track your calorie expenditure, and 4) you know that in order to lose 1lb of body weight you have to expend 3,500 more calories than you consume; it's time to put together a weight loss plan. I consider healthy weight loss 1-2lbs per week. Depending upon weight, this number could be greater or smaller, but 1-2lbs is a good range for the vast majority of people. Therefore to lose 1lb per week, you'll need to run a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories (-500 calories x 7 days/week = -3,500 calories, or 1lb weight loss per week). To lose 2lbs per week, you'll need to run a 1,000 calorie deficit each day. Still need some help visualizing how to calculate your daily calorie goal to lose weight? Check out the following formula with an example.

FORMULA to lose 1lb per week:

BMR: _____ + ADCB _____ - 500 calories = Daily calorie goal: _____

* ADCB = Average Daily Calorie Burn.

Here is an example (with estimates provided for BMR and exercise activities) which shows you how to calculate your ADCB and your Daily Calorie Goal for 1lb weight loss:

Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) (how many calories you burn at rest per day based on your age, height, weight):   1,700

Average calories burned daily through exercise    (ADCB)                                       + 229

(Add your total exercise calories for the week and divide by 7 days)

                Boot Camp x 2 days = 950 calories

                Jogging 30 mins x 2 days = 400 calories

                Strength training x1 day (45 mins) = 250 calories

                = Total 1,600 calories / 7 days  = 229 calories per day

Daily caloric expenditure with exercise                                                                     = 1,929

Less 500 calories per day for 1lb/week weight loss                                                      - 500

Daily Calorie Goal in order to lose 1lb per week:                                                       1,429

Hopefully this post clarifies some of the mystery behind nutrition for weight loss. Yes, there are many other factors to consider when you have goals aside from just losing weight, but if weight loss is the context in which you are considering a plan of action...focus on CALORIES. In the next post in this series, I'll try to address nutrition for muscle gain. I won't get into supplements in that post because that is rabbit trail that I'd never make it back from...but I'll talk about carbs and protein quite a bit.

Scripture for the Day:

WOW! I came across this blog post today, and it is the BEST explanation of why bad things happen to good people that I've ever read. The author wrote this (Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering) in response to the Aurora, Colorado shootings. Take a few minutes and read it...it is inspired: http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/07/why-does-god-allow-tragedy-and-suffering/

Nutrition in Context: #1 - Making Sense of the Nonsense

This is twice in a row I sat down to write a blog about carbs and twice I somehow started writing about something else. I am definitely going to get to the carb post, but when inspiration comes I roll with it.

I'm going to write a little mini-series called Nutrition in Context. I think I'll call this first post: Making Sense of the Nonsense. So...here we go!

Making Sense of the Nonsense

What I've found over the past few years of learning more and more about nutrition is that there is A LOT of conflicting information and nutritional advice out there. Sometimes it is due to flat out bad information and people who have no clue what they are talking about. However, I think most often the advice is decent but it isn't placed in the proper context.

For example, I'm sure at one point or another, every one of you has been told that you need to cut carbohydrates out of your diet in order to eat healthy. Or, you've been told to avoid starchy foods, or that you shouldn't eat any dairy, or take your pick. It seems like there is a never ending drum beat of diet plans that promise to be the key to get your body to look like this:

In reality, the proper nutrition plan for  you depends upon what your goals are (what you hope to accomplish) and where you are currently at. Is your goal weight loss? Do you want to pack on muscle? Do you want to change your body composition without losing weight? Do you want to increase physical performance (sports, running, etc?), or do you have a specific medical condition in which certain foods must be restricted for optimal health (gluten free diets, etc). All of these goals would necessitate a different eating plan.

I'm not going to try to tackle putting all of the various diet plans in context in this little blog series...I'm also not going to pretend that I have all of the answers. My purpose is to get you to begin thinking about proper context when you read an article that throws out nutritional advice; or further, begins to recommend eating or not eating a specific food. Without proper context, you can become frustrated and confused, and make the process of reaching your goals quite a bit more complicated than it needs to be. So how do you make sense of all of the nonsense?

1. First, you have to have a clear, tangible goal in mind of what you hope to accomplish. You also need to be realistic about what it will take to achieve that goal. For example, if you want to have any muscle tone at all...your plan will need to involve exercise, and specifically strength training. 
2. Second, you need a very basic understanding of nutrition and physiology. This doesn't mean you need to go take a college course or sit for a nutritional certification, but it does mean that you need to do a little independent research so that you understand what a protein, a carbohydrate, and a fat are. You need to know a little about calories, and you need to know how to read a nutrition label.
3. Third, you need to use a whole lot of common sense. Understand that there is no miracle diet, and that achieving the results that you are looking for will take hard work, discipline, and consistency. Diets or products that promise FAST results with little effort are bogus. If there really was a miracle diet, everyone would be in fantastic shape. Whether we are talking about diets or products, the same logic applies. For example...the Shake Weight:

...I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this guy, who is a paid fitness model/actor, never used the shake weight a day in his life...until, of course, he was hired to do their infomercial. So the picture you see here is just a snapshot of the entire 30 minutes that this guy had a shake weight in his hand. Common sense should have prevented anyone who didn't intend to order a fancy paperweight from buying this...but something tells me they sold way more than they should have. Yes...I know I transitioned from nutrition to exercise products, but I've been wanting to find a way to say something about crazy products like the Shake Weight...maybe I forced it? Oh well.

My plan for this blog series is to hit a few of the optimal nutritional strategies that can help with common goals. I will attempt to tackle: weight loss, muscle growth, and toning/body composition in different posts. I'll probably talk about caloric deficit and surplus, macronutrient content, carbohydrate refueling, and calorie cycling as well. Hopefully the series as a whole will help you to understand nutrition a little bit better so that you can make sense of things and put all of the conflicting advice you read in context.

Scripture for the Day:

I may have posted this passage of scripture before in the past, but I felt it was applicable today based upon some opportunities God has given us recently.

James 2:14-18 ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Just in case you were unclear about my stance on Fish Oil...

Alright...the wife is at work, and the kid is asleep...time to update the blog! I know I haven't been blogging lately...that is partly because I'm busy, partly because I'm lazy, and partly because I'm not narcissistic enough to believe that there are hundreds of people out there waiting for me to blog about something...dozens maybe...but definitely not hundreds :) However, I've run across some interesting info this week and decided to share. Additionally, I can feel myself slacking significantly on my food intake (burgers, brownies, pizza, Chinese, more brownies, more burgers, more pizza), and keeping the blog up to date and posting weekly evaluation numbers and photos seems to help me stay on track.

Originally, I was planning on writing an article about carbohydrates today. I will still do that in the upcoming days, but today I'm going to follow back up on one of my favorite topics...Omega 3's and specifically fish oil supplementation! I've written some stuff about this before HERE. In my previous article, I really didn't talk much about Omega6's, but for things to make sense in the context of my experiences over the past month or so, you'll need to understand the relationship between Omega3's and Omega6's.

PUFA's

First off, Omega3's and 6's are essential fatty acids. They are also known as a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFA's. PUFA's play a critical role in brain function, skin and hair growth, bone health, metabolic regulation, reproductive systems, and a variety of other important functions. Your body cannot produce Omega3's or 6's and you must get them from your diet. If you live in America, the good news is you are probably getting plenty of Omega6's in your diet...the bad news is you are probably not getting enough Omega3's. Omega6's are very predominant in our western diet, but Omega3's are not because we don't eat a lot of fish. There are 3 common Omega3's - EPA, DHA, and ALA. EPA and DHA are primarily found in fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon. ALA can be found in certain green vegetables and grain sources such as flax seed. For the purposes of this blog post, we will focus on the EPA and DHA.

Standing Up for Omega3's

I'll be honest, one of the reasons I'm posting about this is a friend of mine (he knows who he is) recently came across some info that vilifies all PUFA's including Omega3's. Many times there is a thread of truth in just about any reasonable point of view you come across; however, some truth doesn't mean all truth. The author of the article that vilified PUFA's is immanently more qualified than I am to write about this topic...but that doesn't mean he is right. Sometimes we can get so locked into our point of view, that we disregard solid logic and evidence if it contradicts our agenda. There is a vast amount of info out there indicating the importance and health benefits of PUFA's...but as you'll see very shortly...balance is important. Ok...now that I got that out of the way, and I've come clean on one of my motivations for blogging about this topic, I'll continue.

Balance, Balance, Balance

Ok, now onto the meat. It is important to have a proper balance of Omega3's and Omega6's. When your body is out of balance and is short on Omega3's, a number of inflammatory conditions including tendinitis can arise. There is some variance among doctors and scientists on the optimal ratio of 3's to 6's, with some arguing for a 1:1 ratio, and others at least a 1:4 ratio. Dr. Matthew Isner has estimated that the average American has a diet probably varies from a 1:10 to a 1:25 ratio of Omega3's to Omega6's. Pretty ridiculous huh? No wonder there are so many chronic health conditions and obese people in America...we don't know how to eat properly.

God designed our bodies very intelligently. Inflammation is an important function within the body, as it aids in growth and repair. The problems come into play when our body experiences chronic inflammation and leads to tissue damage and even pain. Let's cut right to the chase...I want to talk about tendinitis.

Matt's Anecdote

I am always leery of other people's anecdotes. Everyone seems to have a different experience and therefore a different opinion on a matter. When it comes to anecdotes you have to use your best judgement and be sure that you have a good bull-crap sniffer. Take into consideration what the person is telling you, but weigh it against other factors, including the knowledge and credibility of the person who is telling you their experience. Hopefully you guys trust me...buhahahaha! In all seriousness, I am shooting you straight because I am passionate about health and nutrition, and my experience only verifies the science that I've found and that I've tried to explain in very brief details above.


About 2 years ago I developed extremely bad tendinitis in my right elbow. The injury stemmed from overuse as I was playing softball 2 nights a week (sometimes 3), working out 6 days a week, including 2 days of fairly intense Boot Camp. The pain got so intense that I was no longer able to throw a softball, and had to stop doing triceps exercises at the gym. Even push-ups were painful, and if I bumped my elbow...it felt like someone was stabbing me with an ice-pick! I wore a tennis elbow brace designed to put pressure on the tendon and relieve the inflammation...that didn't work. I iced the elbow down in the evenings, and sometimes during the day at work...that didn't work. I took Ibuprofen and put pain relieving creams and gels on it...that didn't work. I even took a week and a half off from any type of exercise that affected the tendon...and it began to feel much better...until I did anything with it and then it hurt again...so that didn't work. I even went to a doctor, he told me to do all of the things that I just mentioned, and when I told him that I had done all of that he said "you just need to rest it some more." I battled the tendinitis for over a year...YES...an entire year. I had essentially given up triceps pull downs, skull crushers, etc. because they hurt too bad. I even backed off of push-ups...it was miserable.


Then one day I was watching a YouTube video (The video I was watching) that was talking about Omega3's and how they can help increase muscle recovery. I remember my doctor also telling me in the past that I should supplement fish oil to increase my HDL...so I figured I should start taking it. I had no idea that this is what would cure my tendinitis. After a few weeks I began to notice that the pain in my elbow was dulling. After another 2-3 weeks it was completely gone! I was EXCITED...but I still didn't put it together. What can I say...maybe I'm slow. I was racking my brain to try to figure out why (after an entire year) did my tendinitis suddenly go away??? Then it hit me...the fish oil was the only thing I changed. I did a quick Google search for "fish oil and tendinitis" and BOOM! Apparently this stuff is all over the internet...but I didn't know...and apparently neither did my doctor...thanks a ton Doc!

Since then, I've been taking fish oil supplements every day. Even though I work out 6 days a week, I hadn't been experiencing chronic inflammation...until the last month or so when suddenly, my tendinitis flared up again. Talk about a kill-joy. I had been lifting heavier weight, so I thought maybe that was part of the problem, but with my daily fish-oil supplementation (1.5g EPA/DHA per day), I just couldn't see why the tendinitis came back after a year of being gone. However, this time I got my light bulb a little faster. Since I began the Intermittent Fasting program, I have changed my diet up and I've been consuming a lot more Omega6's than I have been at any time in the past. I decided that if this was the case, I had fallen out of the proper balance and needed to supplement additional Omega3's (increase to 2.25g EPA/DHA per day). Just like clockwork, after a few days the tendinitis began to dull, and now it is gone once again. So...whether you understand the science or not, if you are having tendinitis pains, and you don't want to back off of your exercise program, I'd suggest you consider supplementing fish oil before something more extreme like a cortisone shot. Even if you aren't dealing with chronic inflammation, there are so many health benefits of getting enough Omega3's you can pick your reason for why you should be making it a regular part of your diet.

Moral of the Story

...well I'll just let Arnold explain it to you...

Scripture for the Day

^{I John 3:16-18
16} This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Getting the Bug Again...

I haven't blogged in a while...but I think I might start doing it a little over the next few weeks. I've learned a few new things which will cause me to tweak my nutrition a little bit. I'll talk about that a little more on my next blog update. For a little preview...we're talking about carbohydrates and the differences between how the body utilizes carbs that come from starches and those that come from sugars.

I'll write a pretty good blog update on Saturday, and will do an eval update on Sunday.


Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Day #63 - Week 9 Evaluation

We did our evals this morning, but didn't take any photos. I might wait another week or two before taking photos as the progress at this point is so gradual I don't know how obvious the changes would look. One additional tweak I'm implementing this week is adding another rest day into my routine. Up to this point I only had 1 rest day, and 6 lifting days. I worked Back and Biceps 2x per week (1 high volume day, 1 low volume day), Chest/Triceps 2x per week (1 high volume day, 1 low volume day), and Legs/Shoulders 2x per week (2 low volume days). I'm switching this up because I think I can combine a low volume chest/triceps day and a low volume legs/shoulders day into one...and then I can replace the extra workout day with a low calorie/low carb rest day in order to burn more fat. We'll see how that works out. I also need to increase volume on my leg/shoulder day to include some leg extensions and curls. If things go well, I'll in below 9% on my next eval.

Matt's Week 9 Evaluation

Weight: 191.0lbs
Body fat%: 9.09%
Body fat lbs: 17.37 lbs
Lean lbs: 173.63 lbs
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 5, Abdominal - 13, Thigh - 12, Tricep - 8, Subscapular - 9, Suprailliac - 7, Midaxillary - 8.
Circumference measurements (inches): Bicep - 14.75, Flexed Bicep - 16, Chest - 42.25, Waist - 35.25, Calf - 15.25, Thigh - 23.5


Analysis: Since starting the program 2 months ago, I've dropped 2.16% body fat. That translates to losing 4.27lbs of body fat, while gaining 2.87lbs of muscle. Circumference measurements have been encouraging, and strength gains at the gym have been the best I've ever experienced. LeanGains has far exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to see if I can hit my goal, and maybe even go lower! The two primary areas I'd like to see progress in are 1) reduction in body fat/circumference size around my stomach and 2) increase in circumference size in my legs. I am starting to lift heavier on my legs, but I still may have to step it up with some increased volume on my leg days.

Leigh's Week 9 Evaluation

Weight: 118.6lbs

Body fat%: 23.24%

Body fat lbs: 27.56 lbs

Lean lbs: 91.04 lbs

Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 11, Abdominal - 25, Thigh - 18, Tricep - 16, Subscapular - 13, Suprailliac - 17, Midaxillary - 17.

Circumference measurements (inches): Bicep - 10.5, Hips - 37.50, Waist - 30.5, Calf - 13, Thigh - 21

Analysis: Since starting the program 2 months ago, Leigh has dropped 3.41% body fat. That translates to losing 4.15lbs of body fat, and gaining 3.75lbs of muscle. Circumference measurements have been good. Leigh has started to lift heavier in the gym and increase her running distances. Leigh has also begun tracking her calories and attempting to create a caloric deficit everyday to lose body weight. Her goal is 115lbs, while still maintaining and gaining lean mass.

John 15: 18-25

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name,for they do not know the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason."

Day # ...uh...59?

It's been a while since I've blogged...over 2 weeks now. I'm still on the LeanGains plan and I still feel like I'm making good progress. I've been a little smarter about my nutrition on my rest days...been going low carb and lower calorie. Workouts are still progressing well. What I may end up tweaking in the upcoming weeks is my total calorie level on workout days. I've been focused on a calorie surplus to try to promote muscle growth, but I might transition to a reduced calorie intake for a short period of time to see if I can cut fat a little faster. Haven't decided yet...we'll see.

What I'm trying to decide now is whether to post eval photos again each week, or wait until I get down closer to my goal of 8%. I guess we'll see on that one too.

Oh yeah, and my brother Steve is going to start LeanGains tomorrow. He is at 16.5% body fat right now...I bet he cuts down to about 12% over the next couple months. He has big arms for his frame, so even at 12% he'll look pretty awesome.

Scripture for the day:

John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

I heard a really good thought on the radio this morning about Heaven. The speaker said that Heaven is not a figment of our imagination, or a symbolic place or a state of mind...it is a prepared place for a prepared people. 


So my question for you is...do you know if you are prepared?

Day #42 - Week 6 Evaluation - Single Digits!

Finally! For the first time since I was a bean-pole in high school I made it down to single digit body fat%!!! I admit I did much better on my macro-nutrient intake this week and I bet that had something to do with it. Basically, I didn't have a ridiculous cheat meal like I had been doing just about every week...funny how that works huh?

Come a Long Way:

Since single digits is somewhat of a milestone, I thought I'd break out some old photos for fun. Here are some pictures from 2008 where I was my biggest. I weighed 240lbs and was probably 30% body fat. I ate like junk and didn't exercise at all. The crazy thing is I had no idea that I had let myself get fat. I looked at myself every day in the mirror but didn't see it. It was these pictures that finally opened up my eyes and convinced me that I needed to make a change.

Here are some photos from 2010. At this point I had made significant changes in my eating and exercise habits, and I had started participating and leading in boot camps. I was in decent shape, but still had some body fat that I needed to shed. I was probably about 200lbs in this photo and around 18% body fat (estimate). 

No matter where you are at on your health and fitness journey, realize that huge changes are possible with consistency. Don't blame genetics...if you do you are selling yourself short! Don't give up and think just because you are overweight now that you will always be overweight. Habits trump genetics 99 times out of 100. My journey didn't happen overnight, so don't quit if yours doesn't either. Start moving in the right direction and you may look back after a few years and be amazed at the changes you've made!

Matt's Week 6 Evaluation

Weight: 190.2lbs (back up from week 4 eval)
Body fat%: 9.72% (down .38 from last week)
Body fat lbs: 18.48 lbs (down .88 lbs)
Lean lbs: 171.72 lbs (up .88 lbs)
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 5, Abdominal - 14 (down 1mm), Thigh - 12 (down 1mm), Tricep - 9, Subscapular - 10 (down 1mm), Suprailliac - 8, Midaxillary - 8.
Circumference measurements (inches): Bicep - 14.5, Flexed Bicep - 16, Chest - 42, Waist - 35.25, Calf - 15.25, Thigh - 23.5 (all measurements stayed the same this week)

 Relaxed Pose

 Side Pose

Flexed Pose 

Analysis:

Strength continues to go up on all strength markers. It feels awesome going into the gym just knowing that even though I pushed it last time and lifted more than I've ever lifted...it wasn't a fluke and I can do it again! I feel like I've got my calorie intake estimate down pretty well since I've been able to hover around 190.2 lbs pretty consistently for a few weeks now (baring the week I was on antibiotics and lost my appetite). I have to admit that was a little skeptical of the I.F. plan before I started it...but I was willing to give it a try. Now I've got to say that it has exceeded my expectations and all of the science in theory seems to be working in practice. My goal is still to make it to 8%. I honestly didn't know how realistic that goal was before starting the plan...but now, I'm 100% confident that I'm going to get there. Give me another 6 weeks and we'll see what happens!


* Note: Leigh didn't want to take photos today, but we did do her eval. Numbers looked good, so we'll have a full post with numbers and photos next week.

Scripture for the Day:

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."


AMEN!

Day #40 - Don't Be Fooled!

There is, has been, and always will be bad information out there about nutrition and exercise. Do I have all of the answers? No. Have I been guilty of falling for and repeating bad info? Yes. Are we learning more about exercise and nutrition everyday that can help us figure out fact from fiction? Yes. Can this stuff be confusing? Absolutely…eecially when people are selling you bad information!

This week, more so than normal, I’ve run across people 1) taking a worthless product that promises wild health benefits, or 2) preaching bad science without a fundamental understanding of physiological factors, or 3) even stuff out of left field that defies all logic and reasoning…if I went into specifics, you would be in disbelief! It is amazing how blind to logic and common sense some people will be if they have an agenda. In most cases, these products are harmless and simply cost money without any real benefit. In other cases, a bad product or bad information can actually be dangerous, and people who don’t know any better can be the victim. As a fitness professional, I feel that I’ve got an obligation to protect my clients from bad products and information…while at the same time walking the line of not straying outside my scope of practice. I am not a registered dietician…I am a personal trainer…and there is a big difference. With that being said, basic nutrition and physiology is within my scope of practice, and I’d like to set the record straight on a few things just in case you run across a so called “expert” who tries to sell you a load of crap.

Weight Loss (Rant coming…you’ve been warned!)

I’m sure at some point you’ve known of someone who has tried a “new breakthrough product” and experienced dramatic weight loss with it. We always want the magic pill or the easy way out. It is amazing how many “breakthrough” products have come out over the years…but somehow all of them fade into the background after the fad is over. In the last few years Americans have become more and more obese, despite the miracle products. With all of those miracles, how is that possible? Shouldn’t we all be thin and healthy? Claims of losing 5lbs, 10lbs, 15lbs per week without doing a ridiculous amount of exercise and caloric restriction are either bogus or are fluctuations of water weight. The following is a physiological fact - take it to the bank. In order for you to lose 1lb of true body weight, your body must spend approximately 3,500 more calories than it takes in. Therefore, 10lbs of weight loss would amount to you creating a 35,000 calorie deficit. You think you can do that in a week? Probably not unless you are on the Biggest Loser! A 400lb person burns a lot of calories to sustain life. Change their diet to extremely low calorie levels and closely monitor them by a team or doctors and nutritionists and then have them work out 8 hours or more a day, and yes, they can lose 10lbs or more in a week. Isn’t television awesome? Massive weight loss only comes with massive changes in caloric intake and expenditure. So if you think you are incinerating fat because you put a few drops of HCG under your tongue, or you took some raspberry ketones, or you started drinking almond milk…I hate to tell you this, but you’ve been duped. Test this theory if you want. Baring water weight (which I explain a little further down) take all of the “special breakthrough product” that you want and consume 500 more calories per day than a you expend, and I promise you’ll gain weight. Stop taking the product and consume 500 calories less than you expend and I promise you’ll lose weight. Say it with me “weight loss is calories in versus calories out.” Body composition is a different story…not sure if the rant will lead in that direction yet or not J

Metabolism (Rant #2 coming…by now you know what to expect)

Did you know that you can increase your metabolism by eating 6 small meals every 2.5 to 3 hours? Pretty cool huh? Would be nice if it were true, but unfortunately that statement is COMPLETELY FALSE. This is one of the things that before I became a trainer I believed and even spread the bad info to others. Why? Well, I was guilty of repeating something that I’d heard without doing any intelligent research. Notice I said “intelligent” research. There is A LOT of junk out there on the internet written by clueless people. At the time it made sense...after all, once you get on a 6 meal schedule you get hungry if you skip a meal…doesn’t that mean your metabolism has sped up? Um…nope, it’s called entrainment (your body gets used to a certain schedule). Here are some actual factors that affect metabolism: body size, body composition, gender, age, heredity, hormones, psychological state, and temperature. Because erratic eating can affect hormones, it is possible that completely inconsistent eating habits can cause hormone induced metabolic changes. However, the notion that eating 6 meals versus 3 meals, or the notion that having an 8 hour fasting window versus a 16 hour fasting window each day will speed up your metabolism is simply not the case. Your body metabolizes food without fail…it can’t not metabolize food…it’s like breathing. You would need to go 60 hours or more without food for your body to register any real metabolic decrease. The food you eat the night before doesn’t just sit in your stomach idol until you eat breakfast to “wake up” your metabolism…that is ridiculous. I’ve already mentioned in a previous post that there have been studies showing that a larger percentage of obese people skip breakfast than those who are thinner. These are correlation studies, but they don’t consider the important factors, such as diet and exercise. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here. If you are on a 6 meal schedule and you like it…keep doing it! I personally think it can help you to create good eating habits and remain structured with your nutrition…in fact I did that for years and will probably do it again if/when I transition out of my I.F. plan. However, don’t think that eating every few hours spikes your metabolism…because that is hogwash.

Carbohydrates (Rant #3 …or is this all just one big rant?)

Do any of you think the only way to lose weight and get in shape is to cut carbs? If so, you’ve been fooled! Carbohydrates are not the enemy…they are the energy! Carbs are the primary fuel source for your body, and you will not function efficiently without them. Various forms of low-carb diets are all the rage, and many people have lost weight through some form of variation of a low carb diet. BUT…this is the key…true weight loss was due to the caloric deficit caused by cutting out calories, not cutting out carbs. Many people who cut carbs drop weight dramatically at the onset of their diet. Creating a caloric deficit will lead to some true weight loss…the rest is water weight. Carbohydrate intake directly affects glycogen, and each gram of glycogen in your body is bound to about 4g of water. When you cut carbs, your muscles and liver empty their glycogen stores and you shed water weight. This is why some people fluctuate on the scale so much, especially when dieting. Replenish the carbs and that water weight will come right back. Consistent eating habits (both time of day and nutritional content) will give you the best picture of your actual body weight. So next time you get on the scale and think that you gained 5lbs in 2 days…relax! Unless you ate 5 whole pizzas, 3 entire apple pies, and an entire gallon of ice cream in those 2 days…it’s mostly water weight. Same goes for weight loss. Just because you changed your diet and started working out doesn’t mean you really lost 10lbs in the first week…most of that was water. I hate to break it to you, but true, healthy weight loss isn’t going to be quick. I recommend 1-2 lbs per week depending upon your size. Some people can lose 3-4lbs per week consistently depending upon a number of factors.

Final word:

Diet and exercise should go hand in hand. You are just making life more difficult for yourself if you exercise your tail off but eat like crap. A single piece of pie will put back all of the calories you burned during that hour long intense workout you did. On the flip side, cutting calories can help you lose weight, but if you want to preserve your lean mass, strengthen your bones, and make your heart healthier…you need to exercise. Do them both successfully and you’ll be very pleased with the results!

Rant over, thank you for your time and attention J

Love me some deadlifts

Today I deadlifted 385lbs 4x! Last week, I lifted 380lbs 1x, then jumped up and was able to get 400lbs 1x. I feel like I’m finally hitting my current strength ceiling, because that 4^th rep was HEAVY! I could not have lifted a 5^th rep. If heavy strength training jacks up your catecholamine levels, then I have am pretty convinced I’ve got those things in overdrive today! Aside from some weighted pull-ups and bicep curls, here is what I did on deadlift today:

Deadlifts:

269lbs – 8 reps

337lbs – 6 reps

385lbs – 4 reps

I haven’t weighed myself all week which is not normal…I usually try to weigh every other day during the I.F. plan so that I can keep an eye on my caloric intake/expenditure. I’m going to weigh tomorrow, and then do another eval on Sunday to see where I’m at. Have I made it to single digits on my body fat %? I really don’t know. I might have to really focus on clean eating in order to make progress now that I’m down to 10.1%. If you read my initial goals, you’ll remember that 10.06% is where I stalled in the past. Despite eating clean and working out A LOT was never able to hit single digits.

I continue to feel like my greatest progress is in my love handles. I’m hoping to continue to burn off fat and hopefully cut down those love handles and lower abdominal fat. I’d also like to see some gains in my legs as I’ve really been pushing myself there lately. I’m already looking forward to my Saturday leg work out and I might even add in some isolated extensions and curls for fun.

Scripture for the day:

This kind of goes along with the theme of this post:

Proverbs 26:4-5

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Or you will also be like him.

⁵ Answer a fool as his folly deserves,

That he not be wise in his own eyes.

Day #38 - Intermittent Fasting for weight loss

A number of people I've talked to lately have been following the blog and are interested in seeing if Intermittent Fasting can help them lose weight. The answer, is yes, it can...and it might make your weight loss plan easier, but it isn't a magic bullet. If I've said this before, I've said it 1,000 times...weight loss is calories in versus calories out. Therefore, whether you eat 6 meals a day, or whether you get on an intermittent fasting schedule, you will need to create a caloric deficit to lose weight. Consume more than you expend, and you'll gain weight...fasting or not.

So how can I.F. make weight loss easier?

Well, I'm glad you asked ;) Let's say your calorie goal for the day is 1,800 calories. If you eat 6 meals throughout the day, you'll have to really watch your portions. Lets say this is how a successful day hitting your calorie goal while eating 6 meals breaks down:

6:45am Breakfast - 400 calories
10:00am Morning Snack - 150 calories
12:00pm Lunch - 400 calories
3:30pm Afternoon Snack - 150 calories
6:30pm Dinner - 600 calories
8:30pm Late Snack - 100 calories

This is 1,800 calories...and all of those meals and snacks are pretty small. Note that there is nothing wrong with this at all. If you can handle small meals and not fight the urge to indulge and grab something that will push you over your calorie goal then you win! However, if you really aren't satisfied with a 400 calorie lunch, and a 150 calorie snack...then you'll be hungry most of the day and adhering to the diet might be tough.

Now let's look at a successful I.F. day:

12:00pm Lunch - 800 calories
4:00pm Afternoon Snack - 300 calories
7:30pm Dinner -  700 calories

That is also 1,800 calories, but lunch and afternoon snack and twice as big, and dinner is slightly larger. For some people that have problems controlling portions, the I.F. plan would be much easier because you can eat larger meals that are more satisfying. You might also find that you can easily cut calories down to 1,700 or 1,500 with this plan and still feel more satisfied when you eat. This could lead to better adherence.

But what about my metabolism slowing down?
HOGWASH! Yes, I used to preach the often repeated mantra that eating small meals every few hours will increase your metabolism, and skipping breakfast will slow it down, etc. This is completely false...go ahead, try to find a scientific study that shows that your metabolism will slow down skipping breakfast or eating 3 meals a day versus 6. You won't find one. What you will find is "correlation" studies. There are studies that show that overweight people typically skip meals including breakfast, whereas thin people typically eat more smaller meals throughout the day. The problem with these studies is they don't take into account any of the really important things...such as caloric consumption and exercise. Those who are overweight probably don't exercise much, and they probably have bad eating habits (fast food, etc). Thinner people probably exercise, and probably make better food choices. If you are comfortable with 6 small meals a day...great...nothing wrong with that, in fact it might be a good habit to stay structured on your diet plan. For years that was my routine. However, the notion that it increases metabolism is just not true. In order for your metabolism to slow down to any measurable level, you would need to go 60+ hours without food. Therefore, a 16 hour fast with an 8 hour feeding window will not slow down your metabolism one bit.

Say it with me everyone..."Weight loss is calories in versus calories out"

Scripture for the day:

Ephesians 6:11-17

 ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Day #35 - Does fasted training make you stronger?

Does training fasted result in greater strength gains than training in the fed state?

Ultimately, I don't have a definitive answer, but I have seen significant gains over the past month while training fasted. It seems like almost every workout I'm adding weight or adding reps. I was not seeing this kind of consistent gain while training in the fed state. Last week I had the strongest chest/triceps workout I've had, and then today I blew that one out of the water. Gains in my chest/tricep workout is significant to me because it is the workout that I've done most consistently for a long period of time. Some of my other workouts I've either lifted further below my strength potential (squats), or I'm doing lifts that I've only recently started doing (i.e. dead lifts and front squats). Gains in DB Chest presses come hard and slow.

Today, here is what I lifted compared to the workout I did right before starting I.F.

Dumbbell Press 5/13/12:
100lbs - 13 reps
100lbs - 11 reps
100lbs - 9 reps
100lbs - 8 reps
Total load - 4,100 lbs


Dumbbell Press 4/01/12:
100lbs - 11 reps
100lbs - 8 reps
95lbs - 8 reps
90lbs - 8 reps
Total load - 3,380 lbs



Incline Dumbbell Press 5/13/12:
95lbs - 8 reps
90lbs - 8 reps
85lbs - 10 reps
80lbs - 10 reps
Total load - 3,130 lbs


Incline Dumbbell Press 4/01/12:
80lbs - 8 reps
75lbs - 8 reps
70lbs - 9 reps
65lbs - 10 reps
Total load - 2,520 lbs


As you can see. these are significant gains in just over a month, especially since I've been doing this workout for a while. This makes me wonder...why am I getting stronger so much faster than before? Can fasted training make you stronger than fed training? If the answer is yes (and I believe it is) here are a few theories/explanations as to why.

1) The "Fight or Flight" Theory (unscientific)
Humans have not always had supermarkets, fast food, and vending machines. In less modern times, men went out and hunted for their food and they wouldn't have any food to eat all day until they drug something home. If the body grew weak without food every few hours, most of our great, great, great, great, great, great...you get the idea...grandfathers wouldn't have been successful at providing food for their families. At times of stress certain hormones and enzymes kick in, giving our body what it needs to perform.

2) Catecholamines -The "Fight or Flight" Theory (scientific)
When your body is placed under stress, it releases hormones called catecholamines, one of which is epinephrine (adrenaline). Heavy strength training increases the catecholamines your body produces, and studies suggest that fasted training increases catecholamines even more. Catecholamines cause general physiological changes that prepare the body for physical activity including  increases in heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and a general reaction of the sympathetic nervous system (fight of flight).


 3) p70s6 Kinase
A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology in 2010 compared controlled groups training fasted versus training fed. The fasted group had twice the concentration of the enzyme p70s6k post workout. "Among other things, increased levels of p70s6k may lead to a faster transport of amino acids into the muscle cell membranes, which should lead to a more rapid and potent anabolic response to post-workout nutrient ingestion. The effects seen on the other myogenic signaling mechanisms could also affect muscle growth through other pathways." In other words, after fasted training, your body is primed to utilize the nutrients that you eat to rebuild itself more efficiently. The downside of fasted training is muscle catabolism due to the lack of available amino acids. This is where Berkan suggests taking 10g BCAAs at various intervals during the fasted period to "sidestep" the negatives of fasted training, and reap all of the benefits.


4) Various other uncontrolled factors
I've got numerous variables in my I.F. plan, and I haven't been performing a controlled study, so I can't definitively say what is the cause of strength increases. If I had to guess, I'd say it is a combination of the items listed above, and also better tracking of my workouts, so that my mind is right and I'm pushing myself each workout.

Evaluation Today:

We did do our evaluations today, but the vast majority of the numbers stayed the same. I did gain back up to 190.2, but also dropped my body fat from 10.33 to 10.1%, so I am pretty excited about that. We will probably post pictures and eval numbers next weekend.

Scripture for the day:

^{Galations 6:14 "}May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

I saw this verse tattooed on the guy who won the 2011 Crossfit Games on ESPN. While I'm not a fan of tattoos, I thought this was a pretty awesome testimony. This guy is one of the fittest, most athletic guys in the world, and he has a constant reminder about boasting only in the cross of his Savior Jesus Christ. That has got to be the most awesome tattoo ever!