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I've been reading some books on fat loss science and also started (more like renewed) a discussion on nutrition with Chad Tackett from Global Health and Fitness (http://www.global-fitness.com).  Chad taught me alot of interesting things.  We discussed carbs and their effect on your glycogen stores, carb cycling, fruit, dairy products, and man-made carbs.

Chad has convinced me that the ideal daily meal plan would work like this:

Meal 1 – Starchy carb and protein source with fruit

Meal 2 – Starchy carb and protein source with fruit

Meal 3 – Starchy carb and protein source with fruit

Meal 4 – Protein source and fibrous carbs (load up on them)

Meal 5 – Protein source and fibrous carbs (load up on them)

No fruit after meal 3.  This would be a “low-carb” day.

On the “high-carb” days we sould do basically the same thing, but we could eat fruit at all meals.  The ratios would change as well.  High carb days would be 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat.  Low carb days would be 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat. 

I have really focused on this because, as Chad says, diet is the major reason for not getting the results we want.  Chad has informed me that going low carb will deplete my glycogen store, so cycling in 2 days each week where the carbs are higher will replenish those glycogen stores.  Chad has made it clear that fruit is not evil like some people would have us all believe.  Chad and I also discussed dairy products.  He made it clear that low-fat and non-fat dairy products are perfectly acceptable.  He explained the following:

“Provided that you select reduced fat sources (lowfat/ nonfat), dairy products are healthy foods that should be included as a part of almost any fat-loss diet. Dairy products contain complete proteins and they are excellent sources of calcium and Vitamin D. These days, you can find lowfat and nonfat versions of just about anything, including cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, and frozen yogurt.

Many bodybuilders and fitness models swear they get leaner by reducing or eliminating dairy products before competitions, but most dieticians claim that this is not necessary. There are several reasons why bodybuilders believe in this practice: First, complex carbohydrates (especially fibrous carbs like green vegetables) are higher in fiber and lower in calorie density, and they are more slowly released than simple or sugary carbohydrates. Dairy products contain a simple carbohydrate called lactose.

Although lactose is naturally occurring and not a refined sugar, replacing some dairy foods with lean proteins and high-fiber complex carbohydrates may help increase fat loss.

Complex carbs with lean proteins (e.g., High Protein Oatmeal, Chicken & Spinach Salad) also help to control insulin better than simple carbs (for more information on insulin, see below). These foods have the highest “thermogenic effect” on your metabolic rate. When you eat from a limited number of calories, it is most effective to eat the foods that will get your “metabolic flame” burning the hottest; those foods are lean proteins and fibrous carbohydrates, not simple carbohydrates.

Bodybuilders also frequently report that dairy products make them bloated and water-retentive, producing a “puffy” appearance that ruins their hard-earned muscle definition. This may have something to do with the sodium content or with lactose intolerance. People who are lactose-intolerant do not posses the enzyme needed to digest lactose. This produces symptoms including gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. In those with severe intolerance, the symptoms can be very pronounced. In those with a minor intolerance, the symptoms can be as subtle as bloating and water retention.

It would be incorrect to say that lowfat or nonfat dairy products are fattening. As long as your calorie balance is negative (you expend more than you consume), you can lose body fat even with a large amount of dairy in your daily menus. However, by reducing your intake of dairy products for short periods of time when maximum fat-loss is desired, you may find that you can lose body fat even more quickly and maintain a sharper, more ‘cut' appearance.” (excerpted from Global Health and Fitness online book located at http://www.global-fitness.com/nutrition/n_onlinebook.php).

Thus, it seems that there is nothing wrong with dairy products. 

The fact is that if we eat correctly we will turn our bodies into fat burning machines.  Focus on the nutrition, mix in the weightlifting and cardio and you are headed for success.

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I finished off with HIIT cardio — 5 minutes of warm-up, 4 intervals of 3 minutes each, 5 minutes of cool down.

Today I felt pretty strong.  I am focused on beating my previous workouts and that drives me towards my goals.  Later today I plan to sit down and create some new goals. 

I'm finding that the idea of beating my previous workouts (espoused by the book The New Rules of Lifting) really helps with the intensity of the workouts.  Instead of worrying so much about increasing the weight with every workout (something that isn't always possible) I focus on just beating what I did on the previous workout.  Looking at my current day's workout, I will explain how I beat my previous workout.

Front Squat:  I increased the weight from 135 to 140.
Wide grip seated row:  Previous workout I did 3 sets of 135×10 and this workout I did 3 sets of 135×11.
Suppine Hip ext. w/leg curl:  I added one rep to each set.  This is a great hamstring workout.  The link http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1546556 (scroll towards the bottom) has a good video of this exercise. Give it a try!
Barbell push press:  I added 5 pounds.  See http://www.myfit.ca/exercisedatabase/viewanexercise.asp?exercise=Push+Press+&table=exercises&ID=75 for how to do this exercise.
Dynamic Lunge:  Last workout I did 2 sets of 32.5×10 and 1 set of 32.5×9.  This time I hit 10 reps on all 3 sets.
Upper body Russian twist:  I added 1 rep to each set.  See http://golf.about.com/library/weekly/aa052506a.htm for how to do this exercise.

As you can see, small improvements each time you do a workout lead to bigger and bigger gains.  For instance, 3 weeks ago I was lifting 105 on the front squats, meaning I've added 35 pounds in 3 weeks.  This happens because I'm working each time in the gym to beat my previous results.  One major point regarding motiviation and beating your previous workouts–you feel incredible when you continually beat what you did in the gym the previous time.  Each time you workout it feels like you can't possibly do any better and yet the next time you hit the gym you do better.  It helps to keep your intensity high.

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This week was good.  I started off with a really good workout on Tuesday.  I've been doing the workouts from “The New Rules of Lifting” book and I am currently doing the Fat Loss II workouts (both A and .  The A workout has me doing Front Squats.  At first, when I began this workout, I absolutely hated those front squats.  I couldn't figure out the form and it just felt awkward.  Through a ton of concentration, I've managed to master the form and have been slowly increasing my weight.  I am now up to 135 pounds (having begun the program at around 65 pounds) on the front squat.

In addition to the front squat, the program has me doing lunges and a killer exercise called the Bulgarian Split Squat with Overhead Press.  This involves starting the exercise with one foot flat on the bench (the top of the foot is flat on the bench) and then you squat down with the other leg until the leg touching the bench is at a 90 degree angle.  All the time you are holding a pair of dumbbells.  You clean the dumbbells to your shoulders and then press them up.  At the end, you drop them back down and rise up for another rep.  You do each side independently.  This one really gets my heart rate going!  I feel like I've been running a marathon after I'm done.  I am really working hard and it feels like crap most of the time, but when I get done with it, I feel on top of the world.

I did alot of thinking this week as I went through “The Lean Body Promise” by Lee Labrada.  It didn't teach me anything I didn't already know, but it definitely helped to increase my own personal motivation.  As I've looked at pictures of myself I've realized that I'm making gains.  I can see the difference in my body.  While I wish it was going along faster, I am very happy with the gains I'm making.  My legs are toned up and the thighs have increased in side.  My butt has gotten bigger and it is all muscle.  I never even had a butt before.  It must be all the squats and deadlifts I have been doing.

Speaking of deadlifts, a funny thing happened at the gym yesterday.  I was at the squat rack and I had the bar down on the lower (flat) restraints.  I was loading it up to do my snatch grip deadlifts.  A guy I see at the gym quite oftten said hello and smiled.  He watched as I loaded 155 pounds on the bar and then commented “I know your strong, but are you gonna curl all that weight?”  He was joking and I got a really good laugh out of it.  I simply moved on and did my deadlifts.

I will begin a daily chronicle of my workouts beginning tomorrow.  I will most likely post the workout log and then my comments about how I've been feeling and what I'm thinking.  I'm focusing hard on doing things the right way.  I'm even reading a (rather boring) book about fat loss science right now.  It isn't the most interesting read, but it has already given me a better understanding of fat loss and why it sometimes just doesn't work.

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