Ripped in 45 Days

Some Thoughts After the 45 Days

Nate — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:55:51 +0000

"Abs are Made in the Kitchen"

So looking back at the past 45 days, I have to say its been an enlightening ride. As I started out I had the intention of going for max results in 45 days, of course, but I didn’t realize what a habit building process it would be.

They say it takes doing something 21 times to reinforce a habit. Now I look back at numerous meals, meal planning and workouts each day over the course of 45 days and can see that the process I went through is now ingrained in my daily routine.

Day 46 (yesterday) I went grocery shopping and I had no inclination to buy “crap” or foods I avoided while on the 45 days. I shopped for the exact foods: veggies, lean meats, avoided processed and starchy carbs etc. This is a far cry from how I ate prior to this. I used to regularly eat pasta or rice, had a wicked sweet tooth (still do but its so under control now) and really didn’t want to work out much. I had lost my fire. This is not good as a personal trainer.

Results Beget more Results

From the time I first started noticing my waistline come down, I was excited. Food was no longer all pleasure, I now ate with purpose. This is what you should strive for when eating. Eat for purpose, to fuel your body and if your goal is to change your body only put foods in that take you towards that goal. This is not to say you are a hermit in the food world, but rather you are very specific about what you eat BECAUSE you have a goal.

Seeing changes in your body will motivate you daily to do better and to take your results as far as you can.

Why I did 45 days…

I believe that some of the “programs” out there are just too long! 8-12 week programs look great on paper, and usually when you look back at “results” of said programs the numbers are larger but I looked at this from a psychological standpoint. Its just too long to try to stay focused!

I did this process along with 11 of my personal training clients and they said similar things; 45 days is a good stretch to stay focused. After you do 6 weeks (45 days) you need to regroup, reset your mind and take a short break before you push again. I personally was feeling burned out a bit at the 30 day mark.

Its not over!

So just because 45 days has passed doesn’t mean I’m done with this journey! I plan on refining the process and sharing that with you here. January I will be taking my personal training clients through this again with more precise methods, ones that I found to be most effective here.

I also plan to maintain my condition..even through the upcoming holiday season using a “maintenance” program I am working on. This program could the the “easy” way to continue getting lean without making huge changes to your lifestyle.

Stay tuned for more updates, results from my training clients on this program and more thoughts on how to make YOUR 45 day transformation even more dramatic!

Day 45 Final Results

Nate — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:58:28 +0000

Day 45 is here! Its time for final weigh in, body fat measurements and see the progress that has taken place over the past45 days.

Final numbers of weight and bodyfat percentage lost

15.6 lbs Lost

4.2% Body fat Lost

Side by Side Comparison from Day 1 to Day 45

Day 40 High Intensity Crossfit Workout on Intermittent Fasting

Nate — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:00:07 +0000

Today is “Fast Friday” and that means I am intermittent fasting. Basically I haven’t eaten anything in the past 24 hours. All of my past fasts have been pretty easy. Most of the days I didn’t work out, but the past two weeks I have been adding them in. Today’s was pretty tough workout and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel or if I’d completely hit a wall.

Let’s just say I was surprised.

Today’s workout was 5 round for time of:

800m run
30 pull ups
30 kettlebell swings with 45lb

I scaled the Crossfit Workout of the Day on the kettlebell swings only because it called for a 72 lb KB swing and that’s about 22 lbs heavier than I’ve ever done. I wasn’t sure how it would go over with a half mile run and the pull ups seemed like a lot.

Lots of excuses going into the workout right?

I started out the run and things felt pretty good, got to the first round of pullups and suprisingly got through them relatively quickly and the KB swings went fast. Round 1 went well.

I went through rounds two and three about the same. I was running out of time though as I had a client coming so I decided to just see how much more of round four I could get. I was halfway back on my run and I got a cramp, or what I thought was a cramp in my calf. I limped it home for a decent showing on what I thought would be a workout that would kill me by the first round. So I didn’t finish all 5 rounds but realistically I could have!

Observation 1: I had A LOT more energy than I thought, especially while fasting.

Observation 2: Even when tired, my energy replenished fast. Probably due to the workout being so cardio in nature I could really tap into the freed up fats from the fast.

Conclusion: (for me) It takes a pretty good excuse to blame an intermittent fast on not working out. I’ve proven that I can work out in some of the most high intensity workouts and still keep up. Energy felt good all the way through.

So if you are thinking your workouts will be hindered by an intermittent fast, think again.

That’s all for today!

Day 36 Results are in!

Nate — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:02:23 +0000

The day 36 results are in!

To be honest, I’m a little happy and a little disappointed. I’m happy because I can physically see a difference, actually dramatically see a difference. I’m disappointed because I thought the body fat percentage would be lower at this point.

I “ballparked” being under 10% body fat by this weight but am sitting around 11.2%. I’m pretty consistent on how I’ve been doing my body fat the past 5 weeks. Always in the morning, first thing upon rising. No water before to throw off the readings. One of the things to watch out for with impedence body fat measuring is that you have an empty stomach and your water levels are pretty stabilized. I do each body fat test three times to make sure its the same. I do the same with weighing myself on the scale.

So here are the results with photos.

I can definitely see the difference in my face, waist and upper chest. The skin is clearly thinner. I can also see a difference in my forearms and calves but thats to be expected as the skin is thinner there so definition will be more pronounced in those areas first.

I was actually surprised when i got on the scale though. I didn’t expect it to be in the 167′s. I did a quick weigh in a couple days ago and was at 169 and thus upped my food a bit with some more carbs so I thought it would slow things down. I guess not!

So now there is 9 days to go! Usually when body fat gets to a lower level the visual results are more and more dramatic. I noticed this when getting ready for the 2002 California Collegiate. Something I just remembered about getting ready for that show was that I misjudged my weight on that one. I figured I would be around 160 and contest ready, but when I stepped on the scale on contest day I was actually 151! I was shocked!

Since I usually stand pretty flat, square and relaxed for the comparison photos and its hard to see the actual results of definition, so I took a shameless “underwear model” shot to illustrate a more dramatic change. I’m feeling like a total dork during this shot but oh well.

So 9 days to go, time to turn up the heat and make some more big changes!

Results to Date: Day 1- Day 36

Nate — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:21:58 +0000

Day 1: 181.4 lbs at 14.9% Bodyfat

Day 36: 167.4 at 11.2% Bodyfat

Day 35 How to Shop in a Grocery Store the RIGHT Way

Nate — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:25:49 +0000

Grocery stores can make or break your diet and health plans if you don’t know how to shop. That’s right there is a correct way and an incorrect way to shop!

Stick to the Outsides of the Store

Photos courtesy: Ninja M., Chia Lynn and Cafe Mama on Flickr

If you give it some thought, the majority of all supermarkets are laid out with all the freshest foods on the outside of the store. Produce, dairy, meats, fish, even fresh breads sections are all on the outside edge of the store. This is where you would find foods that are freshest. This means packed with valuable nutrients and bound to give you the best bang for your buck. Think quality carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

The fresher you can eat the more nutrients you can get from your food. Higher amounts of good enzymes, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, plus you won’t take in as many additives, preservatives, insulin spiking sugars and sodium. Think of all the foods that are perishable (“gotta hurry up and eat it before it spoils”) and you’re on your way to making good choices at the grocery store.

Whats in the middle of the store?

Now think about what is in the middle of the store. Packaged cereals loaded with sugar, canned goods loaded with salt, chips, preserved cakes (Twinkie?), candy, and things that have a high shelf life. This is where the “processed” food tends to be which usually gives you less nutrients, vitamins, minerals (unless they artificially add them in) or are just plain empty calories (sodas, fruit juices) loaded with sugar.

The middle of the store isn’t all bad

You can get beans, legumes, rice and pasta there which are obviously dry and in the middle of the store. If you are in need of convenience, some canned veggies, meats, fish, etc are an option. Also the frozen foods section can be alright for frozen veggies and meats but by and large stick to the outside of the store if you can eat fresh.

Homework for the next time you go shopping

Next time you go shopping take a look at where you spend most of your time when you fill up your cart. Are you putting a lot of chips, cereals, sodas, juices, mac and cheese, crackers, etc in your cart? Or do you spend the bulk of your time loading up on veggies, lean meats, fish, nuts, whole grains, beans, fresh eggs and dairy?

I’ll bet if you add up the calories from all the “inside” store food and compare it with “outside” store foods you’ll see where all of your added calories are coming from.

Just a little “food” for thought.

Day 33 Fast Friday: 7 Ways Fasting Can Boost Your Fat Burning

Nate — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:30:33 +0000

7 Ways Fasting Can Rev Up Your Fat Burning Furnace

By Brad Pilon, MS

Flexible intermittent fasting is becoming a very popular way to use your body’s natural ability to burn lots of fat in a short period of time.

Here is a list of the ways that flexible intermittent fasting will turbo charge your fat loss.

1. Increases Fat Burning Hormones

Hormones are usually at the root of most of your metabolic functioning, and fat burning is no different. Growth Hormone is the most important fat burning hormone in your body. Fasting pushes growth hormone production into high gear and this makes your fat burning furnace start to work overtime. Fasting also decrease your insulin levels, which ensures that you burn body fat instead of storing it.

2. Increased Fat Burning Enzymes

Fat burning hormones need the help of fat burning enzymes to get their job done. Fasting will sky rocket the activity of two of the most important fat burning enzymes in your body. Adipose tissue HSL (Hormone Sensitive Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your fat cells to release fat so it can be burned as energy in your muscles. Muscle tissue LPL (Lipoprotein Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your muscle cells to take up fat so it can be burnt as a fuel. Fasting increases both of these enzymes to optimize fat burning – A perfect combination.

3. Burn More Calories

Short term fasting (12-72hrs) actually increases your metabolism and adrenaline levels. This causes you to increase calorie burning during the fast period. The more calories you burn the faster you can lose weight. The extra energy you get from the fast might actually help you through a workout or get more work done at work or around the house. When I did my first fast I was shocked at how awake and energetic I was. My fasting days are now my most productive days of the week.

4. Burn Fat Instead of Sugar

Fasting shifts your metabolism from burning blood sugar to burning mostly body fat. When you eat a meal your body likes to burn carbs first, then the fat from your food. Any extra fat that your body can’t burn in the few hours after you eat get stored as body fat. When you fast your body has no choice but to burn stored body fat. By the end of a 24 hour fast your body is burning way more fat than it would during a regular day of eating.

5. You’ll Find Out Why You Eat

The most surprising benefit people report back when they start fasting is a new found awareness of what causes them to eat. When you make a conscious decision to fast for a day your less than flattering eating motivations become painfully obvious. This is the first and most effective step to getting rid of bat habits for good. Knowing what your motivations are for poor eating choices is essential before you can change them and build better habits.

6. Builds Positive Attitudes Towards Yourself and Food

Each short fast is an accomplishment that can build self confidence and gratitude. At the end of a 24 hour fast you can feel good about your accomplishment and start feeling good about your relationship with food again. The positive empowerment from each fast builds on the last until you feel completely in control of your food choices.

7. Eat All The Foods You Love Guilt Free

Short term fasting allows you to lose weight and burn fat without restricting any of the foods you love to eat. With this style of eating you can consume any and all of the foods you like whenever you choose without feeling guilty about it and still lose weight. You will never again have to be sitting in a restaurant picking at a salad while everyone else at the tables indulges in their favorite entrée and dessert.

Eating for fat loss doesn’t need to be complicated and food should never be a source of anxiety or guilt. Mixing in a few 24 hours fasts to your week can liberate you from the dieting prison and allow you to enjoy food again.

Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.

His trademarked book Eat Stop Eat has been featured on national television and helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat without sacrificing the foods they love. For more information on Eat Stop Eat, visit www.eatstopeat.com

Day 32 Diet Dessert? You Have to Try This!

Nate — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:30:44 +0000

Revenge of the Sweet Tooth

I have a tremendous sweet tooth.

Yep, its pretty bad. The hardest thing about the past 32 days has not been getting enough food but satisfying that sweet tooth and not blowing my calories or overloading on sugar. I originally started by eating one of those small boxes of raisins but they were a) small and b) pretty high in sugar. One small box had 19grams of sugar and 160 calories. The “cost benefit” was not weighing in favor of raisins.

Skip the Snackwells…

I don’t buy into the “low cal or low fat” 100 calorie food rip offs that are out there. To be quite honest, they are smaller versions of regular cookies and cakes. Nothing healthy or smart about them. You end up buying a whole lot of packaging and very little satisfaction. Finding something filling, sweet and nutritious is the only option to long term sanity when dieting.

I soon got creative. Having discovered Greek yogurt, I started to brainstorm some ideas.Since I can’t have ice cream, and I’m avoiding frozen yogurt just because I’ll want to eat A LOT of it, I had to come up with something creative, filling and satisfying.

Here is my “dessert” treat:

Strawberry Banana Yogurt “Treat”

3/4 cup of fresh strawberries 38 calories

1/2 banana 55 calories

3 oz of plain Greek yogurt 60 calories

4 Tbsp of Cool Whip 50 calories

Total: 12 g Protein, 19 g Sugar, 203 Calories

Not too bad. It is filling, has a good amount of protein and for the size fairly low in sugar. That same box of raisins I would eat had more sugar and was gone in a flash.

If it is not sweet enough you can always add Stevia or even Equal or Splenda to sweeten it up. I like the tartness from the yogurt and the sweet from the fruit. The Cool Whip goes on and stays frozen so its *almost* like ice cream but with a fraction of the calories.

So this “treat” works for me. Its not low carb or Zone friendly for Zone dieters but is probably where I get the bulk of my sugar for the entire day so no harm no foul.

Enjoy!

Day 31 A Quick Weigh In and a Surprise!

Nate — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:51:19 +0000

Today I just hopped on the scale first thing in the morning and much to my surprise…I was in the 160′s!

I’m not counting on sticking there too soon just because I can fluctuate a pound or two but it was a pleasant surprise. For the past 5 days or so I have been stuck around 171′ish so this lets me know we’re moving on DOWN again. I’ve seen that before where I hover at a certain weight while my body readjusts its set point.

Broke into the 160's...barely!

So with 14 days to go we’ll see how much more fat I can lose and hopefully live up this blog’s namesake of Ripped in 45 Days!

Day 26 An Earlier Intermittent Fast for Fast Friday

Nate — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:12:49 +0000

Today or yesterday actually, I decided to start my intermittent fast earlier. Before I had been eating my last meal on Thursday evenings and it always seemed a bit late which pushed my 24 hours to eat to a bit late on Friday. This actually worked against me a bit because most of my fast I spent awake. Basically I’d eat, go almost right to sleep and then wake up with a full day and well into the night to fast.

So yesterday I had eaten a smaller meal around 4pm and then went in to the gym to train. I got home late and then took my time getting around to starting dinner. I thought to myself that I should just start the clock at my last meal at 4pm and just go from there.

Let me tell you this worked like a charm.

I was up for about 7 hours, not really hungry, and then went to bed. I slept through the night waking up and getting today rolling and by the time I looked at the clock, I had only 6 hours left to fast. No more watching the clock, cruising over to the fridge to peek inside or anything.

So thats the trick. Start a fast with some portion of the day left that is manageable for you.This will allow you to sleep a good amount through your fast.

Tempting little devils!

On a side note, tonight I have two Halloween parties to go to. This will be the test of how much willpower I have. I ate a decent meal after breaking the fast but those damn Halloween candies can be so tempting.

Though I have plenty of calories left, the point of the fast is to get a good solid drop in WEEKLY caloric intake so I don’t want to not only blow the advantage I gained from fasting but also I don’t want to spike my insulin and shut down fat burning.

Wish me luck!

Oh and PS…as of yesterday I was down 12lbs. I’ll give you an update on total stats with pictures soon!