We've all heard it. "It takes 21 days to make or break a habit". Does it really work? I've always wondered what started such a saying so I did a little digging. Here's what I found.
Where it Started
As far as I could find it began in the 50's with a plastic surgeon who noticed that the phantom pain from certain surgeries would begin to subside about 21 days post-op. He would go on to write a book about the idea and years down the line, like a decades long game of telephone, self-help gurus began latching on to the idea as a catch phrase. They started saying "21 days to make a habit" forgetting the initial part of the idea that it takes 21 days to BEGIN noticing the change.
You see, the 21 day mark is where you start to notice that the new thing really has the ability to become a part of you. You begin to make peace with it. But you are not adept at it just yet. Come on, did you really think you could quit smoking, give up soda, run 3 miles a day, read each night, stop using your Facebook after 7pm (yeah, right!), etc. in just 21 days?! The only research done around this area has shown that even the simplest of habits takes about 66 days to build! Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, it could take a year or more. Ask anyone who has successfully quit smoking, gotten sober from anything, or mastered any skill, it takes constant work to stay successful.
What You Can Do
Mastery of something takes a lifetime! But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't start. It does mean though, that you must be in it for the long haul. Creating a good habit or breaking a bad one is a journey, not a destination. Rather than try it only to fall off the wagon on day 22 just because you made it 21 days, commit to it for the long haul. Just know that after 21 days of doing it (or not doing it) you'll BEGIN to notice it really might become a part of you.
Here are a 3 tips to get/keep you going:
1) Don't get fooled by the Honeymoon Phase. The first few days may seem easy, like this is going to be no sweat. It might be that way (depending on what you are tackling), be prepared for a fight, and soon.
2) Win the fight thru moments. How? We are the sum of our thoughts. Kill off negative self talk and remind yourself why you wanted to this. Give yourself positive self talk and focus on success in that moment. You may not always be able to control the end result, but you can control your attitude and your effort when you want to give up the most. Lose a fight thru moment, and you'll give yourself permission to lose again and again. FIGHT THRU!
3) Don't let hiccups become road blocks. So you lost a fight thru moment. To borrow a phrase from my days as a hockey goalie, "you gotta have a short term memory". It means if you let one by, don't let it be the reason you let the next one by. Give yourself room to grow and get better. You're not perfect, but you are trying to be better which goes back to the fight thru moments. Here comes another. Are you going to fight to win? Or are you just putting on a show but have decided to lose already? Remember, you can control your attitude and your effort in these moments. Use it to propel yourself toward success.
Showing posts with label Fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitness. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2017
Friday, March 11, 2016
Swimsuit Season, Weight Loss, Nutrition, and Supplements...Pt. 2
So, last week I talked to you about your nutrition. In the past I have given complicated formulas and long drawn out explanations. Last week I made it simple and straight forward and you need to get that going if your ever going to reach your weight loss goals. No amount of supplements or exercise will ever trump having a dialed-in diet, you have to fuel your body well FIRST.
All that said, everyone wants to know what I take, what THEY should take and what works the best when it comes to supplements. So, without further ado, here are my supplement recommendations.
Part 2: Supplements
First I'll say this; there's really no "best" supplement. All of them from every brand have their place and purpose and different folks react differently to different formulations, it's why there are so many different companies and products out there. There are some I would call "bad", but that's because I'm not into taking banned substances while some folks don't mind it as long as they get the results they want. For most folks, a simple stack based on your goals will suit you just fine.
So let's start with maybe my least favorite, but most asked question: what do you take? Here is what I take and when I take it.
First Thing in the Morning: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, Optimum Nutrition AmiN.O. Energy, Extreme Endurance
During A.M. Cardio: Driven Amino
With Breakfast: Animal Pack, Driven Fish Oil
Pre-Workout: Driven PreWOD
Post Workout: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon
Right before Bed: Extreme Endurance
Basically what I take is what I would call a "Performance Stack". I'm not concerned about losing weight or adding mass, I'm focused on performing well. I do CrossFit, Spartan Race, Battle Frog, Warrior Dash, and a myriad of other sporty endeavors that require me to do a lot in a diverse range of athletic ability so that is my focus.
So, what else is out there? What if I have different goals? What should I do? Should I take a fat burner? Should I still take protein? Here are some generic stacks that I put together:
- Performance Stack: What I take. Guys or gals can do this one. Amounts for protein are size and workout frequency dependent.
- Weight Loss Stack: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, MultiVitamin, Driven Fish Oil, Driven PreWOD, Driven Amino, Fat Burner
For this stack pick a Men's or Women's specific multi to fill in nutritional gaps. I like RAW One in this case for many reasons, but mostly because it fills the job and is inexpensive comparatively. You can also check out Optimum Nutrition for their Men's and Women's multi as well as Irwin Naturals. Filing in nutritional gaps is important and a multivitamin does that job well. As for the fat burner, my favorites here are QuadraLean from RSP, Lipo6 Black Ultra Concentrate (there's a men's and women's), and MusclePharm Shred Matrix. Again, the amounts of the protein, CarbIon, and Amino are workout frequency dependent as well as being dependent on the aggressiveness of the weight loss schedule you want to chase. The PreWOD may also get cutout as some fat burners suggest you not take any other caffeine for the day.
- Mass Add Stack: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, Animal Pack, Driven Fish Oil, Driven PreWOD, Driven Amino, Mass Gainer
Nearly the same stack the weight loss stack, with some MAJOR differences. No fat burner here, stick with the Animal Pak as a multi, and you now get to choose a mass gain product. My favorites are Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer, MHP Up Your Mass, Universal Nutrition Real Gains, and BSN True Mass 1200.
No matter what you do your plan MUST be specified, timed, and CONSISTENT. That's the key here. Taking it a few times here and there isn't going to do the trick. It has to be consistent and done for AT LEAST 90 days before you start seeing results. And you won't see anything major for near 6 months. Sorry folks, it's reality. When you start out you may see some fast change, even with in the first 2-6 weeks and it can be encouraging until you hit the slow down. Then it can be DIScouraging and you'll feel like you want to quit. Don't. Stay the course. If you couple one of these with a great nutrition schedule your goals will start feeling more and more in reach (see last weeks blog about nutrition).
And here is where I will insert my only sales pitch; if you want to build a personal stack or are interested in purchasing one that I mention in the article, email me at brandon.garcia@crossfitcrossroads.com because in many cases as a gym owner I can leverage some discounts and save you some money. Also, we offer nutritional guidance so we can figure out the right food and supplements for you.
*A quick note: no, I am not sponsored by Driven Nutrition or any of these companies, I just really like a few of these products. I chose each of these products based on my experience with them, overall company reputation, and reviews from pros who use them.
Next week, part 3. The exercise part. Yes it is necessary. No I will not tell you you MUST drink the CrossFit kool-aid. I will tell you some easy ways to WORK toward your goal while you stay focused on your nutrition.
All that said, everyone wants to know what I take, what THEY should take and what works the best when it comes to supplements. So, without further ado, here are my supplement recommendations.
Part 2: Supplements
First I'll say this; there's really no "best" supplement. All of them from every brand have their place and purpose and different folks react differently to different formulations, it's why there are so many different companies and products out there. There are some I would call "bad", but that's because I'm not into taking banned substances while some folks don't mind it as long as they get the results they want. For most folks, a simple stack based on your goals will suit you just fine.
So let's start with maybe my least favorite, but most asked question: what do you take? Here is what I take and when I take it.
First Thing in the Morning: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, Optimum Nutrition AmiN.O. Energy, Extreme Endurance
During A.M. Cardio: Driven Amino
With Breakfast: Animal Pack, Driven Fish Oil
Pre-Workout: Driven PreWOD
Post Workout: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon
Right before Bed: Extreme Endurance
Basically what I take is what I would call a "Performance Stack". I'm not concerned about losing weight or adding mass, I'm focused on performing well. I do CrossFit, Spartan Race, Battle Frog, Warrior Dash, and a myriad of other sporty endeavors that require me to do a lot in a diverse range of athletic ability so that is my focus.
So, what else is out there? What if I have different goals? What should I do? Should I take a fat burner? Should I still take protein? Here are some generic stacks that I put together:
- Performance Stack: What I take. Guys or gals can do this one. Amounts for protein are size and workout frequency dependent.
- Weight Loss Stack: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, MultiVitamin, Driven Fish Oil, Driven PreWOD, Driven Amino, Fat Burner
For this stack pick a Men's or Women's specific multi to fill in nutritional gaps. I like RAW One in this case for many reasons, but mostly because it fills the job and is inexpensive comparatively. You can also check out Optimum Nutrition for their Men's and Women's multi as well as Irwin Naturals. Filing in nutritional gaps is important and a multivitamin does that job well. As for the fat burner, my favorites here are QuadraLean from RSP, Lipo6 Black Ultra Concentrate (there's a men's and women's), and MusclePharm Shred Matrix. Again, the amounts of the protein, CarbIon, and Amino are workout frequency dependent as well as being dependent on the aggressiveness of the weight loss schedule you want to chase. The PreWOD may also get cutout as some fat burners suggest you not take any other caffeine for the day.
- Mass Add Stack: Driven Whey Protein, Allmax CarbIon, Animal Pack, Driven Fish Oil, Driven PreWOD, Driven Amino, Mass Gainer
Nearly the same stack the weight loss stack, with some MAJOR differences. No fat burner here, stick with the Animal Pak as a multi, and you now get to choose a mass gain product. My favorites are Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer, MHP Up Your Mass, Universal Nutrition Real Gains, and BSN True Mass 1200.
No matter what you do your plan MUST be specified, timed, and CONSISTENT. That's the key here. Taking it a few times here and there isn't going to do the trick. It has to be consistent and done for AT LEAST 90 days before you start seeing results. And you won't see anything major for near 6 months. Sorry folks, it's reality. When you start out you may see some fast change, even with in the first 2-6 weeks and it can be encouraging until you hit the slow down. Then it can be DIScouraging and you'll feel like you want to quit. Don't. Stay the course. If you couple one of these with a great nutrition schedule your goals will start feeling more and more in reach (see last weeks blog about nutrition).
And here is where I will insert my only sales pitch; if you want to build a personal stack or are interested in purchasing one that I mention in the article, email me at brandon.garcia@crossfitcrossroads.com because in many cases as a gym owner I can leverage some discounts and save you some money. Also, we offer nutritional guidance so we can figure out the right food and supplements for you.
*A quick note: no, I am not sponsored by Driven Nutrition or any of these companies, I just really like a few of these products. I chose each of these products based on my experience with them, overall company reputation, and reviews from pros who use them.
Next week, part 3. The exercise part. Yes it is necessary. No I will not tell you you MUST drink the CrossFit kool-aid. I will tell you some easy ways to WORK toward your goal while you stay focused on your nutrition.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Swimsuit Season, Weight Loss, Nutrition, and Supplements...Pt. 1
Man, it's been a while. There are so many things in my head I can't even handle it. I guess I'll start with the thing everyone wants to know about; how do I get skinny/cut/hot for swimsuit season?
Yes it's that season already and the crash dieters and cereal starvers are coming out of the wood work hoping to look good for the summer. Want to know a secret? Even I want to "look good" in a swimsuit (I guess board shorts for me, but ya know, same thing). So how do we get there? What do we have to do? This isn't going to be a sarcastic shaming of people who think they know what they're doing or the folks that want the pill and/or the short-cut to the goal (ok, maybe a little). Instead, I'm really going to talk about what must be done, because after all I am in the business of getting people to their goals. So here it goes:
Part 1: Weight Loss and Nutrition
Ok folks, here's the hard fact: you cannot get fitness model ripped in a few short weeks unless you are already fairly close. And by close I mean 12% body fat for guys and 18% for ladies. Are you not sure? Go to any gym and you should be able to get a body fat analysis done for free or fairly cheap, heck, come see me at CrossFit Crossroads and I'll do it for free.
So then, where does that leave us? First, stop obsessing about your weight. It's your relative relationship to the gravtational pull of the planet. On the moon you weight 50 lbs. What should I be focused on then? How about feeling confident and looking (and feeling) as good as possible as fast as possible. The truth is a lean, healthy body starts in the kitchen so that's where we're headed first. Seriously, I know you're probably reading this on your smart phone or tablet so I'll wait...ok ready? Start in your pantry/cupboards. See all that processed junk? The cookies, the Little Debbies, the "healthy" bars you bought so you could have a "healthy" snack or a "healthy" breakfast. Gather them...and throw them out or give them away. Seriously. Don't hide them, you'll find them and eat them, you know you will. Now, to the fridge. Same drill. All the process crap MUST GO! The "healthy" juice that's all natural and organic...yeah, it's concentrated fruit sugars mixed with water and it's holding you back, get rid of it. Now, time for a trip to the grocery store. Here is a list of the foods you are allowed to buy and eat:
-Ground Meats (Must be EXTRA LEAN)
-Lean Meats (Chicken/Turkey Breast, Lean cuts of Beef, Fish)
-Eggs and/or egg whites
-Veggies, any kind fresh or frozen (stay away from canned), get creative, stay diverse, and buy A LOT!!!
-Fruit, a little. Not too much. Your veggies should FAR out number your fruits
-Raw nuts and seed (and avocados) these are healthy fats, you'll have a small portion with every meal
-Coconut Oil, this will replace any vegetable/cooking oil you have (yes even olive oil and all the other "healthy" oil you have).
-Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Beets . These are starches. You'll have them basically once a day so you don't need much, but you need some.
-Greens aka Spinach, lettuce, kale, cabbage, water cress, bok choy...these will be great fillers to help you feel fuller and you can have as much as you can stomach.
-Spices that you like or want to try (as long as they're not full of sodium or other fillers)
Not too bad right? All healthy stuff and now you have to build your meals. Your meals should look like this: Guys - 1.5-2 Big Handfuls of Veggies, 2 thumb size servings of fat (nuts, seeds, avocado), 1.5-2 fist size portions of protein (aka meat/eggs). Ladies, 1-1.5 Big Handfuls of Veggies, 1.5 thumb size servings of fat, 1-1.5 fist size portions of protein (aka meat/eggs). In either case you can switch out half your veggies for a fruit at breakfast, and half for a starch (aka potatoes and the like) at dinner. Use the coconut oil to do do any cooking you need to do. A little goes a long way so you should rarely need more than a tablespoon. Spices are your friend, use them often with a shake of salt...notice I said A, as in 1...maybe 2.
Also, STOP DRINKING YOUR CALORIES!!! That latte you just had, it has more sugar than a soda. The only liquid you should be drinking is water. Seriously. No milk (dairy, soy, almond, or otherwise...side thought, this also means no yogurt, cottage cheese, or other dairy or dairy type products), no more lattes, frappacinos, "green" shakes from that healthy juice place. No liquid calories. Stop it. Now. NOW! No diet, zero calorie, fake sugar bull crap either. "But what about coke zero/powerade zero/sugar free mocha-choka-bull-crap?" Nope. STOP. Fake sugar is worse for you than the real stuff and the real stuff isn't good either. Water. It's the only thing you should be drinking. You get one exception; coconut water. Raw coconut water. Not coconut water blended with or added to anything. Water or coconut water. That's it.
Got it? Sounds restrictive and exclusive. It is. It has to be to re-teach you how to eat the way should be anyway.
Plan your meals. Go shopping on Sunday come home and make your meals. All of them. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week and put them in Tupperware and fridge them so it's done and you have no excuses. Do this with NO variance for 90 days. I double-dog dare you. If you're about to ask, "well but what about (insert food/ingredient here)?" Is it on the list of approved foods? That answer will tell you if you can have it. Don't bull crap yourself, be real, don't make excuses and don't justify it. For once in your life stick to the plan.
I think that's a great place to start. Part 1 of this discussion is about nutrition because it's THE MOST important. If your diet sucks no amount of supplements, fat burners, protein powders, OR exercise can get you where you want to be. They are all certainly a part of it and can and do help, but get your diet in line first. We'll talk about supplements, what I take and what I recommend next week. So be ready for part 2, it'll be a doozy. But first, get the food you in line and under control. It will take discipline. It will be hard. It will be...WORTH IT.
Yes it's that season already and the crash dieters and cereal starvers are coming out of the wood work hoping to look good for the summer. Want to know a secret? Even I want to "look good" in a swimsuit (I guess board shorts for me, but ya know, same thing). So how do we get there? What do we have to do? This isn't going to be a sarcastic shaming of people who think they know what they're doing or the folks that want the pill and/or the short-cut to the goal (ok, maybe a little). Instead, I'm really going to talk about what must be done, because after all I am in the business of getting people to their goals. So here it goes:
Part 1: Weight Loss and Nutrition
Ok folks, here's the hard fact: you cannot get fitness model ripped in a few short weeks unless you are already fairly close. And by close I mean 12% body fat for guys and 18% for ladies. Are you not sure? Go to any gym and you should be able to get a body fat analysis done for free or fairly cheap, heck, come see me at CrossFit Crossroads and I'll do it for free.
So then, where does that leave us? First, stop obsessing about your weight. It's your relative relationship to the gravtational pull of the planet. On the moon you weight 50 lbs. What should I be focused on then? How about feeling confident and looking (and feeling) as good as possible as fast as possible. The truth is a lean, healthy body starts in the kitchen so that's where we're headed first. Seriously, I know you're probably reading this on your smart phone or tablet so I'll wait...ok ready? Start in your pantry/cupboards. See all that processed junk? The cookies, the Little Debbies, the "healthy" bars you bought so you could have a "healthy" snack or a "healthy" breakfast. Gather them...and throw them out or give them away. Seriously. Don't hide them, you'll find them and eat them, you know you will. Now, to the fridge. Same drill. All the process crap MUST GO! The "healthy" juice that's all natural and organic...yeah, it's concentrated fruit sugars mixed with water and it's holding you back, get rid of it. Now, time for a trip to the grocery store. Here is a list of the foods you are allowed to buy and eat:
-Ground Meats (Must be EXTRA LEAN)
-Lean Meats (Chicken/Turkey Breast, Lean cuts of Beef, Fish)
-Eggs and/or egg whites
-Veggies, any kind fresh or frozen (stay away from canned), get creative, stay diverse, and buy A LOT!!!
-Fruit, a little. Not too much. Your veggies should FAR out number your fruits
-Raw nuts and seed (and avocados) these are healthy fats, you'll have a small portion with every meal
-Coconut Oil, this will replace any vegetable/cooking oil you have (yes even olive oil and all the other "healthy" oil you have).
-Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Beets . These are starches. You'll have them basically once a day so you don't need much, but you need some.
-Greens aka Spinach, lettuce, kale, cabbage, water cress, bok choy...these will be great fillers to help you feel fuller and you can have as much as you can stomach.
-Spices that you like or want to try (as long as they're not full of sodium or other fillers)
Not too bad right? All healthy stuff and now you have to build your meals. Your meals should look like this: Guys - 1.5-2 Big Handfuls of Veggies, 2 thumb size servings of fat (nuts, seeds, avocado), 1.5-2 fist size portions of protein (aka meat/eggs). Ladies, 1-1.5 Big Handfuls of Veggies, 1.5 thumb size servings of fat, 1-1.5 fist size portions of protein (aka meat/eggs). In either case you can switch out half your veggies for a fruit at breakfast, and half for a starch (aka potatoes and the like) at dinner. Use the coconut oil to do do any cooking you need to do. A little goes a long way so you should rarely need more than a tablespoon. Spices are your friend, use them often with a shake of salt...notice I said A, as in 1...maybe 2.
Also, STOP DRINKING YOUR CALORIES!!! That latte you just had, it has more sugar than a soda. The only liquid you should be drinking is water. Seriously. No milk (dairy, soy, almond, or otherwise...side thought, this also means no yogurt, cottage cheese, or other dairy or dairy type products), no more lattes, frappacinos, "green" shakes from that healthy juice place. No liquid calories. Stop it. Now. NOW! No diet, zero calorie, fake sugar bull crap either. "But what about coke zero/powerade zero/sugar free mocha-choka-bull-crap?" Nope. STOP. Fake sugar is worse for you than the real stuff and the real stuff isn't good either. Water. It's the only thing you should be drinking. You get one exception; coconut water. Raw coconut water. Not coconut water blended with or added to anything. Water or coconut water. That's it.
Got it? Sounds restrictive and exclusive. It is. It has to be to re-teach you how to eat the way should be anyway.
Plan your meals. Go shopping on Sunday come home and make your meals. All of them. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week and put them in Tupperware and fridge them so it's done and you have no excuses. Do this with NO variance for 90 days. I double-dog dare you. If you're about to ask, "well but what about (insert food/ingredient here)?" Is it on the list of approved foods? That answer will tell you if you can have it. Don't bull crap yourself, be real, don't make excuses and don't justify it. For once in your life stick to the plan.
I think that's a great place to start. Part 1 of this discussion is about nutrition because it's THE MOST important. If your diet sucks no amount of supplements, fat burners, protein powders, OR exercise can get you where you want to be. They are all certainly a part of it and can and do help, but get your diet in line first. We'll talk about supplements, what I take and what I recommend next week. So be ready for part 2, it'll be a doozy. But first, get the food you in line and under control. It will take discipline. It will be hard. It will be...WORTH IT.
Monday, December 7, 2015
This...is MY Story...
We ALL have a story. Stories fuel us. It's why music changes our mood so quickly. It's why movies and T.V. shows inspire us. We ALL have a story. Even those of us that are becoming or have become leaders. Even me. This...is MY story (a short version anyway).
I spent most of my adolescences as an athlete. A good one. Not a great one. But, a good one. I was a national level Judoka. I was an State Championship placer in 5A High School Wrestling. I was a decent football player. Although I had some "natural" athletic ability, most of what I was good at was because I worked very hard both on the mat/field and in the weight room.
I was fortunate enough to be granted a spot on the University of Northern Colorado wrestling team when I left for college in August of 2000, but I had to work hard for that too. And that's where it all spun out of control.
Although I was a good athlete and a good student, life at home was...well...not good. It was violent. Abusive. And in-turn it made me a generally awkward kid that got bullied a lot in spite of being a strong, well accomplished athlete. Depression was a real thing. College made it worse. I nearly failed my entire first semester of college. My family fell apart while I was in the middle of my first semester. 6 weeks into being a college wrestler (the only thing keeping me sane), I got injured. I was done as a collegiate athlete. No athletics, rough home life, no friends to lift me up while I was 50 miles away from a home I didn't want to go to anyway. I was done. I made the "freshman 15" look silly. I gained 75 lbs. in 8 months. I wallowed in my misery. I hated life. I wanted to die.
I tried to get back in shape a dozen times over the next 6 years only to fail because it was just "too hard". Working out and eating well had always been easy, until now. I carried too many other burdens on my shoulders, working out and eating right was just too hard...so I thought.
Fast forward to 2007. I have finally finished my double degree (not double major, double degree, it sucks more but I was glutton for punishment) and I got a job using my degree managing a local fitness center in Eaton, CO. It didn't take long for me to realize, I needed to apply what I knew or face the fact that I'm a hypocrite. So I set out on a journey. I was 255lbs and 34% body fat. I trained for a Sprint Triathlon. I lost 40lbs over about 6 months. I hated it. I hate running. I made myself do it.
I kept telling myself I was a liar if I didn't do this. So I kept going. I kept pushing. Then life and depression got a hold of me again. I gained 20 lbs. back. I restarted. My wife and I decided to run a half marathon. I lost 30 lbs. Life hits again. I gained 10 lbs. back. Then I found MMA. The place where wrestlers go to "go pro". I busted my butt and chose to fight at 185 lbs...a weight I hadn't seen since 2000...this is now 2011. After the fight I jumped right back to 205 lbs (I did win by the way, check it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm0WfblLL-A). I was following Men's Health and Muscle and Fitness type diets that had me yo-yoing and not finding any real happiness with myself as an athlete or as a man.
Then it happened. I found "it". CrossFit. I really felt like an athlete again. It kicked my butt and I wanted more. The diet was easy. Eat what you want as long as it's real food, not processed junk. I was sold. I couldn't be happier. I hover between 195-205. I'm ok with that. I look good. I feel GREAT! I've started competing again. I am now going to chase the elites in the Spartan Race.
I have learned many lessons in my adult fitness journey that spans 15 years. The biggest of which is this: the claims that you can look like a fitness model in just 12 weeks is absolute GARBAGE!!! I did the P-90X program to a "T". It didn't even come close. You body only BEGINS making physiological change at the 12 week mark and only if you're consistent. Your fitness is a life choice, not a 90 day challenge. Can a short term challenge get you started, yes. But if you want real, sustainable results, be prepared for an up and down journey. The thing CrossFit and now Obstacle Racing has taught me, get some folks around you who will go through this journey with you, it makes it better!
The whole working out and eating right thing is hard...until you realize you're worth it.
Then...oh then...it's the best thing you'll do.
The whole working out and eating right thing is hard...until you realize you're worth it.
Then...oh then...it's the best thing you'll do.
The top 2 pics are me now, as of this afternoon, 12/7/15. The shots below that are me in 2007.
Ready to start your journey? I'd love to be your coach! Click here and sign up for a free week.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Top 3 things You can do to change your life...Seriously.
Everyone loves a list. For whatever reason we see an article like this and we just can't help ourselves. This isn't a bait and switch and I'm not peddling anything here. These are the three things that I see in everyday life that if we all did them, life would be exponentially better. They are...
1) STOP DRINKING SODA!!!
2) Set goals...and actually chase them
3) The Golden Rule
Now, let me give you a break down of what I mean by each one.
1) STOP DRINKING SODA!!!
This one is pretty self explanatory. There are a lot of folks out there right now saying that sitting is the new smoking (and I don't disagree), but I think this is worse. Liquid sugars like this in these crazy high doses are straight up lethal. Seriously. It is slowly killing millions of Americans everyday. We know now, for a fact, that fat does not make you fat. Sugar, especially in such high doses, makes you fat. Clogs your arteries. Makes your brain function worse. We are seeing studies now that are looking at high sugar intake and diabetes and their link to Alzheimer's and Dementia. Meaning all the added and excess sugar we are eating is causing one of the most cruel diseases know to man. What's scary is that many of these studies are pointing to the fact that this link is more than just a link...it really is causal, not just correlative. That means that it's not just coincidence that people who eat high levels of added sugar have Alzheimer's and Dementia, it's actually the high dose sugar that is causing it. This isn't just soda. It's all the sugary coffees, energy drinks, "sports" drinks, juices (yeah, they really are not as "healthy" for you and your kids as they say they are), pastries, candies, etc. that we seemingly cannot keep ourselves from consuming. The processed food industry adds sugar to nearly everything now. If it tastes sweeter, you'll eat it more often and they know it. Liquid sugars like soda are the biggest culprit, and the beverage companies are now lobbying the government to protect their product from studies that say so. Soda companies know that their product is addictive. We have studies that show high dose sugar is as addictive as cocaine. They know this. They don't care, they want you to keep drinking because they want to stay in business and keep making record profit, even if it kills a few million people in the process. You want to shed a few pounds? Have more energy? Think clearer? Feel less stressed? Get all the added sugar out of your diet. Quit drinking soda (this includes the diet stuff too..but that's a discussion for another post), energy drinks, sugary coffees, and quit eating your kids left over Halloween candy (in fact, throw that crap away). For the first 10-14 days you'll have withdrawals...like an addict would have. You'll feel sluggish, irritable, hungry. But after that you'll be in the clear and you'll feel the rebound. Try it. I dare you. I bet you lose 5 lbs. the first week.
2) Set goals...and actually chase after them.
Again, pretty self explanatory. But I'm talking out of your comfort zone, seems impossible, but you would almost die to have it goals. Goals so big they scare the crap out of you. Take a second. What is it for you? I bet you knew as soon as you read it up top. Do it. The chase is what makes life worth living on the days when you want to curl up and hide from the world. But there is a process, you can see some great advice on how to do it in my previous Goal Setting post. The gist is to set a big goal, now devise a path on how to get there. Set small mile-stone markers to reach for along the way. Have accountability partners to keep you in check and focused. Get a mentor to help you. There are so many things that can help you achieve what you once thought impossible. But it starts with you. Set a big, gigantic, terrifying goal. Do it now! I'll wait...NOW GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GO GET IT!!! Seriously, it will make life so much better. Not easier. But better.
3) The Golden Rule
We all know it, we just may not know much about it. It's "treat others the way you want to be treated". Or, the way it was originally said "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you"...by the most influential person to ever walk the earth. Jesus. It was an active command. Go and do. He tells us that because he knows something that we all know internally, just maybe not consciously. He knew that the only thing that evil needs for success, is that good people do nothing (paraphrase of Edmund Burke). Go out of your way to be kind. It may not return right away, or ever. But over time, when you feel down you'll start to automatically do kind things and you'll start to feel better because you are bringing good to the world. And think about this, if we are all out there intentionally doing good things for others for the sake of doing good things, how much bad would there really be? The other part of this is to think about how you react to people wen they're mean. When someone cuts you off in traffic, rather than be angry, think about why they might be in such a hurry. What has made you be in a hurry? Sick kid? Late to work? Just a rough morning? See the mom in the store that seems like she "can't control her kids"? How about asking if she needs a hand and a calm voice and smile and watch her melt with relief...seriously, I've done it. There's no better feeling than knowing you just helped another human being for the sake of doing something good. You'll never know the true content of your character until you do something for someone who cannot pay you back, and you truly expect nothing in return.
There are many things you can do in your daily life to make it better. Disciplines that make you smarter, stronger, healthier. But these 3 things really will make an impact in you life in very short order as well as having the added bonus of making an amazing impact in the world around you. Seriously. Yeah, I know. That's like the 10th time I've said that. Look at the title of the blog. Again, more internet funny. But, seriously. Seriously.
1) STOP DRINKING SODA!!!
2) Set goals...and actually chase them
3) The Golden Rule
Now, let me give you a break down of what I mean by each one.
1) STOP DRINKING SODA!!!
This one is pretty self explanatory. There are a lot of folks out there right now saying that sitting is the new smoking (and I don't disagree), but I think this is worse. Liquid sugars like this in these crazy high doses are straight up lethal. Seriously. It is slowly killing millions of Americans everyday. We know now, for a fact, that fat does not make you fat. Sugar, especially in such high doses, makes you fat. Clogs your arteries. Makes your brain function worse. We are seeing studies now that are looking at high sugar intake and diabetes and their link to Alzheimer's and Dementia. Meaning all the added and excess sugar we are eating is causing one of the most cruel diseases know to man. What's scary is that many of these studies are pointing to the fact that this link is more than just a link...it really is causal, not just correlative. That means that it's not just coincidence that people who eat high levels of added sugar have Alzheimer's and Dementia, it's actually the high dose sugar that is causing it. This isn't just soda. It's all the sugary coffees, energy drinks, "sports" drinks, juices (yeah, they really are not as "healthy" for you and your kids as they say they are), pastries, candies, etc. that we seemingly cannot keep ourselves from consuming. The processed food industry adds sugar to nearly everything now. If it tastes sweeter, you'll eat it more often and they know it. Liquid sugars like soda are the biggest culprit, and the beverage companies are now lobbying the government to protect their product from studies that say so. Soda companies know that their product is addictive. We have studies that show high dose sugar is as addictive as cocaine. They know this. They don't care, they want you to keep drinking because they want to stay in business and keep making record profit, even if it kills a few million people in the process. You want to shed a few pounds? Have more energy? Think clearer? Feel less stressed? Get all the added sugar out of your diet. Quit drinking soda (this includes the diet stuff too..but that's a discussion for another post), energy drinks, sugary coffees, and quit eating your kids left over Halloween candy (in fact, throw that crap away). For the first 10-14 days you'll have withdrawals...like an addict would have. You'll feel sluggish, irritable, hungry. But after that you'll be in the clear and you'll feel the rebound. Try it. I dare you. I bet you lose 5 lbs. the first week.
2) Set goals...and actually chase after them.
Again, pretty self explanatory. But I'm talking out of your comfort zone, seems impossible, but you would almost die to have it goals. Goals so big they scare the crap out of you. Take a second. What is it for you? I bet you knew as soon as you read it up top. Do it. The chase is what makes life worth living on the days when you want to curl up and hide from the world. But there is a process, you can see some great advice on how to do it in my previous Goal Setting post. The gist is to set a big goal, now devise a path on how to get there. Set small mile-stone markers to reach for along the way. Have accountability partners to keep you in check and focused. Get a mentor to help you. There are so many things that can help you achieve what you once thought impossible. But it starts with you. Set a big, gigantic, terrifying goal. Do it now! I'll wait...NOW GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GO GET IT!!! Seriously, it will make life so much better. Not easier. But better.
3) The Golden Rule
We all know it, we just may not know much about it. It's "treat others the way you want to be treated". Or, the way it was originally said "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you"...by the most influential person to ever walk the earth. Jesus. It was an active command. Go and do. He tells us that because he knows something that we all know internally, just maybe not consciously. He knew that the only thing that evil needs for success, is that good people do nothing (paraphrase of Edmund Burke). Go out of your way to be kind. It may not return right away, or ever. But over time, when you feel down you'll start to automatically do kind things and you'll start to feel better because you are bringing good to the world. And think about this, if we are all out there intentionally doing good things for others for the sake of doing good things, how much bad would there really be? The other part of this is to think about how you react to people wen they're mean. When someone cuts you off in traffic, rather than be angry, think about why they might be in such a hurry. What has made you be in a hurry? Sick kid? Late to work? Just a rough morning? See the mom in the store that seems like she "can't control her kids"? How about asking if she needs a hand and a calm voice and smile and watch her melt with relief...seriously, I've done it. There's no better feeling than knowing you just helped another human being for the sake of doing something good. You'll never know the true content of your character until you do something for someone who cannot pay you back, and you truly expect nothing in return.
There are many things you can do in your daily life to make it better. Disciplines that make you smarter, stronger, healthier. But these 3 things really will make an impact in you life in very short order as well as having the added bonus of making an amazing impact in the world around you. Seriously. Yeah, I know. That's like the 10th time I've said that. Look at the title of the blog. Again, more internet funny. But, seriously. Seriously.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Endurance...Why You Haz None
Endurance. The seemingly ultimate holy grail of fitness. Year after year the men and women who compete in IronMan distance triathlons are dubbed the fittest people on the planet. We seem to think that if we just had more endurance we could be fitter, skinnier, happier.
You couldn't be wronger.
Yeah. That's right. WRONGER. I used poor grammar on the internet. It's funny. And I'm right. I'm about to tell you why, but I'm also about to tell you how you can indeed pursue more endurance and achieve it, at least to a small degree.
First endurance can be had thru training, but like anything repetitive it must be periodized (ooooo fancy training words). What that means is you have to build or follow a program that builds, then rests then builds in cycles. Usually in 12 week chunks with 3, 4 week intervals where you build hard for 3 weeks and every 4th week taper the training a bit to allow for recovery but still training within the confines of specific gains in mind.
There in lies the reason why you haz none (see, more silly internet speak, aren't I cleaver). Most of us lack the focus and patience to actually stick thru a 12 week program. In our instant-gratification society 12 weeks is an eternity. We want it in 2 weeks, tops. Unfortunately that is paradoxically impossible. Endurance by definition entails long bouts of facing the same movement for long periods of time both in each session and over a long trining cycle. Be it running, swimming, rowing, climbing, education, a trying season in life, a bout with cancer...endurance is about the long haul and whether or not you have something that can get you through it.
That something is called tenacity.
Tenacity is the ability to see something thru in spite of hardships. Let's face it; running for long periods of time get boring, even if you enjoy it. Tenacity comes in when you continue even when you are bored, frustrated, and stuck. It's being persistent and determined thru an entire training program no matter how much you hate it or how ineffective you might think it is. The fact is you won't truly know its effectiveness until you make it thru the entire program.
That said, the whole truth about gaining long lasting endurance lies not in endurance training itself, but in a holistic training program that develops all of your body's energy systems so it can use all of it's metabolic pathways efficiently so that endurance doesn't come in until the end where your mind can push your body thru the hard part.
Doing long steady bouts help to be sure i.e. running a 10k. But now take that same 10k and break it into 10, 1k sprints with a 1:1 run to rest ratio or make it tough and go 2:1 or 3:1. But endurance goes beyond even that. You MUST be on a sound strength program. And I'm not talking about lifting 5lb. dumbbells 100 times. I'm talking real, measurable strength...as in lift heavy things. As heavy as your body, or more. Being strong is essential to having lasting endurance and that is the issue with most endurance training programs, they just plain ignore and even scoff at true strength. This is why most, not all, but most people who chase ultra distance events can't sustain them for years on end at a high level, they last a couple of years and their body begins to break down. Knees, hips, ankles, back, shoulders. "Runners" are the most injured training group in athletics and it's because their musculature lacks the ability to continue to hold them together. This is also why you can't call triathletes the fittest on the planet. Yeah they have endurance, but they have no other real fitness ability that would measured at even average for their age. The other reason for the heavy lifting is the real place where endurance lives, the mind.
The body can do just about anything the mind tells it. While a long run, marathon, 50 miler, 100 miler, etc. will test you mentally and in many cases you push through, attempting to back squat your body weight is an entirely different mental endeavor. One that can give you the push in a long run once you have flexed and trained that mental muscle and your "endurance" muscle is all flexed out because your body is breaking down. Running long distances can be nice and at times will make you fell accomplished, but world-renowned strength coach Mark Rippetoe once said "Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general". Do you want to feel accomplished, or do want to be able to have endurance in the long haul and still be useful in other places in life?
There are many other things at play when talking about gaining endurance. Physiological limits in capacity, specific plateau breaking training methods, and even nutrition (I recommend a 50%-25%-25% balance of carbs-proteins-fats for endurance athletes). A great place to start is to check out a book by Brain McKenzie and T.J. Murphy called Unbreakable Runner (again, I'm not getting paid for that, I just like it) to get started on the right path. Or, you could do what you do when your car breaks down and hire a mechanic, a.k.a. a trainer (total shameless plug).
To put a nice little bow on all this pageantry; to gain more endurance, stop running so many miles! Have some long runs, work in long workouts based on a bunch of short bursts and for the love of life, lift some heavy freakin' weights! Deuces!
You couldn't be wronger.
Yeah. That's right. WRONGER. I used poor grammar on the internet. It's funny. And I'm right. I'm about to tell you why, but I'm also about to tell you how you can indeed pursue more endurance and achieve it, at least to a small degree.
First endurance can be had thru training, but like anything repetitive it must be periodized (ooooo fancy training words). What that means is you have to build or follow a program that builds, then rests then builds in cycles. Usually in 12 week chunks with 3, 4 week intervals where you build hard for 3 weeks and every 4th week taper the training a bit to allow for recovery but still training within the confines of specific gains in mind.
There in lies the reason why you haz none (see, more silly internet speak, aren't I cleaver). Most of us lack the focus and patience to actually stick thru a 12 week program. In our instant-gratification society 12 weeks is an eternity. We want it in 2 weeks, tops. Unfortunately that is paradoxically impossible. Endurance by definition entails long bouts of facing the same movement for long periods of time both in each session and over a long trining cycle. Be it running, swimming, rowing, climbing, education, a trying season in life, a bout with cancer...endurance is about the long haul and whether or not you have something that can get you through it.
That something is called tenacity.
Tenacity is the ability to see something thru in spite of hardships. Let's face it; running for long periods of time get boring, even if you enjoy it. Tenacity comes in when you continue even when you are bored, frustrated, and stuck. It's being persistent and determined thru an entire training program no matter how much you hate it or how ineffective you might think it is. The fact is you won't truly know its effectiveness until you make it thru the entire program.
That said, the whole truth about gaining long lasting endurance lies not in endurance training itself, but in a holistic training program that develops all of your body's energy systems so it can use all of it's metabolic pathways efficiently so that endurance doesn't come in until the end where your mind can push your body thru the hard part.
Doing long steady bouts help to be sure i.e. running a 10k. But now take that same 10k and break it into 10, 1k sprints with a 1:1 run to rest ratio or make it tough and go 2:1 or 3:1. But endurance goes beyond even that. You MUST be on a sound strength program. And I'm not talking about lifting 5lb. dumbbells 100 times. I'm talking real, measurable strength...as in lift heavy things. As heavy as your body, or more. Being strong is essential to having lasting endurance and that is the issue with most endurance training programs, they just plain ignore and even scoff at true strength. This is why most, not all, but most people who chase ultra distance events can't sustain them for years on end at a high level, they last a couple of years and their body begins to break down. Knees, hips, ankles, back, shoulders. "Runners" are the most injured training group in athletics and it's because their musculature lacks the ability to continue to hold them together. This is also why you can't call triathletes the fittest on the planet. Yeah they have endurance, but they have no other real fitness ability that would measured at even average for their age. The other reason for the heavy lifting is the real place where endurance lives, the mind.
The body can do just about anything the mind tells it. While a long run, marathon, 50 miler, 100 miler, etc. will test you mentally and in many cases you push through, attempting to back squat your body weight is an entirely different mental endeavor. One that can give you the push in a long run once you have flexed and trained that mental muscle and your "endurance" muscle is all flexed out because your body is breaking down. Running long distances can be nice and at times will make you fell accomplished, but world-renowned strength coach Mark Rippetoe once said "Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general". Do you want to feel accomplished, or do want to be able to have endurance in the long haul and still be useful in other places in life?
There are many other things at play when talking about gaining endurance. Physiological limits in capacity, specific plateau breaking training methods, and even nutrition (I recommend a 50%-25%-25% balance of carbs-proteins-fats for endurance athletes). A great place to start is to check out a book by Brain McKenzie and T.J. Murphy called Unbreakable Runner (again, I'm not getting paid for that, I just like it) to get started on the right path. Or, you could do what you do when your car breaks down and hire a mechanic, a.k.a. a trainer (total shameless plug).
To put a nice little bow on all this pageantry; to gain more endurance, stop running so many miles! Have some long runs, work in long workouts based on a bunch of short bursts and for the love of life, lift some heavy freakin' weights! Deuces!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Finding your happiness
What will it take for you to be happy? Hitting your goal weight? A new PR in the gym? A latte? A beer?
Maybe your looks a little different. That new job, a new house, a dream car, or maybe it's that one absolute babe you have been dying to go out on a date with.
No matter what you think it might be, I have a challenge for you. Dig deep. Real deep. Soul search. Now begin to answer that question with some real honesty. Focus on the answer and really, truly accept what it is. Own it. Write it down. Now figure out how you are going to get there.
You can't get what you want until you know what you want (I think I heard that in a song...yep just googled it, it's a Joe Jackson song...man I've heard a lot of odd music in my life). You have to be honest with yourself about what you want. You have to be able to picture it and then be able to chase it with real, deep, heartfelt honesty. It will be, perhaps, the first time in a long time (or maybe your whole life) that you have been the brutally honest with yourself and it will scare you. The thing itself will frighten you because you weren't sure you had it in you. Then you'll look at the journey ahead and think "there's no way I can get there". Really? Is that all you think of yourself? Do really find yourself that incapable?
I'm here to tell you that you are (to quote Marianne Williamson) powerful beyond measure. Check out this piece of amazing word fuel:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Ch. 7, Section 3 (1992), p. 190.)
Maybe your looks a little different. That new job, a new house, a dream car, or maybe it's that one absolute babe you have been dying to go out on a date with.
No matter what you think it might be, I have a challenge for you. Dig deep. Real deep. Soul search. Now begin to answer that question with some real honesty. Focus on the answer and really, truly accept what it is. Own it. Write it down. Now figure out how you are going to get there.
You can't get what you want until you know what you want (I think I heard that in a song...yep just googled it, it's a Joe Jackson song...man I've heard a lot of odd music in my life). You have to be honest with yourself about what you want. You have to be able to picture it and then be able to chase it with real, deep, heartfelt honesty. It will be, perhaps, the first time in a long time (or maybe your whole life) that you have been the brutally honest with yourself and it will scare you. The thing itself will frighten you because you weren't sure you had it in you. Then you'll look at the journey ahead and think "there's no way I can get there". Really? Is that all you think of yourself? Do really find yourself that incapable?
I'm here to tell you that you are (to quote Marianne Williamson) powerful beyond measure. Check out this piece of amazing word fuel:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Ch. 7, Section 3 (1992), p. 190.)
Why fear your power? Your power to create and effect change. Your power to empower others.
Now, focus again. What do you, in the deepest corner of your heart, want more than anything? Where is your happiness? Now focus all you are, all of your power, on it and GO GET IT! When you do (and you should do it now) you may be the reason someone else chases their happiness or maybe even the reason the world changes.
Are you going to accept status quo, or will you be an awe-inspiring, world changing happiness chaser? You have the power, use it.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Brandon's Nutrition Formula
I get asked often "What should I be eating?" Or, "What diet is the best?" The simple answer to the second is, the one you'll stick to, forever. Not just for a few weeks or months, but one you can make into a lifestyle. As for what should you be eating? Well, here is my recommendation after 10 years of tinkering to find what's simple and effective. I call it The PaleoFlexZone.
The Paleo Diet
This is arguably...ok no argument, this is THE best tool for teaching you what foods to eat. The Paleo Diet is restricted to eating veggies, meats, nuts and seeds and fruits. That's it. No grains. No beans (that means peanuts too). No dairy (milk products). No artificial (or "natural" labeled) anything. This is, without question, the best way to teach your body to eat whole, real food basically all the time. If you find yourself constantly eating from boxes and bags, start here for a while. It'll learn ya real fast. It isn't easy, but it is simple and effective. The draw back here is the totalitarian restrictiveness of this method. It becomes excessively difficult to stay on point as you try and eat with and around other people.
The Flex Diet (a.k.a. If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM))
The advantage of the Flex Diet is that it leverages the fact that humans are omnivores and can make energy out of anything we eat. It tells us that as long as your are hitting your calorie count via making it to your macro-nutrient goals you can control your...wait for it...GAAIIINNNZZZZ! (I just threw up in my mouth a little). Meaning your can control your fat loss, muscle growth, and overall performance buy setting specific goals in grams per day of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and hitting them exact (or as near as possible with out going over) each day. I hate how bro-sciencey it sounds, but it's backed by actual science and it works without question. The draw back is that the only restriction it has is caloric. Although Flex Diet "recommends" eating a clean, healthy diet, many folks who eat this way eat poor quality food because it fits their macros.
The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet has been around since the 1970's. The whole premise is balance. Many diets are so carbohydrate biased that getting all of the essential macro and micro nutrients is difficult. The Zone hands us a macro-nutrient balance of 40-30-30. 40% of your calories come from carbs, 30% from proteins, and 30% from fats. This is very effective and makes it more possible to get all or most of your carbohydrate calories from vegetables. This also makes it a great partner for the Paleo diet. The problem with this diet is the way Dr. Sears set up the "blocks". Blocks are used to get people to eat good and correct amounts of each macro-nutrient, but the calculations are flawed and out of date. It also has odd restrictions on it's recommendations of "good" carbs and "bad" carbs.
The PaleoFlexZone
I am a proponent of balance. Ebbs and flows that allow life to happen well and leave us feeling better than we did the day before. The combination of these 3 diets gives us, in my estimation, the best balance for how to eat. Start with the Paleo diet, learn quality foods. Move to the Zone and learn how to portion those foods. Add the Flex Diet in to zero in on the absolute numbers to be in real control over the calories going into your body. The Flex Diet usually sets calories off of 50-55% of calories from carbohydrates on active days, and drops them on inactive days. The PaleoFlex Zone is this: 1) The bulk of your diet should be as strict Paleo as you can tolerate. 2) Use the 40-30-30 Zone balance with total daily calories based off of .7-1.0 grams of protein per pound you weigh. 3) Use the Flex Diet to track those numbers as a whole, as well as allowing yourself to eat not-paleo when it is difficult to do so or when you're in a social setting (see my blog from August 24th about this). This means looking at an egg as fats and proteins, not just proteins or milk as carbs, proteins, and fats or oatmeal as carbs and proteins, or...well you get the picture. It also means allowing yourself to have a meal or snack here or there that is totally not paleo, but you're ok with that. MyFitnessPal (no affiliation here, it's just what I use to help me, they are not paying me... although, I wish they would) is a great mobile app to help you set your calories and macro balance and then track it very closely.
Doing this takes discipline. This is simple, but it is not easy at first. You will struggle with willpower. You will want to quit. You will want to skip logging that fun size snickers you just ate, or that handful of skittles, or that "Sugar-Free/Low-Calorie" mocha-choca-bull-crap you just drank. Tough. Do it. Make yourself aware of where your calories are coming from. Buy a food scale. Weigh and measure everything that goes in your mouth.
If you want to make a change you have to be willing to do something you have never done before. You want to lose weight? Guess what? You gotta track your food intake (a.k.a. diet) and get your butt off the couch. You want to learn to play guitar (a personal goal of mine)? Guess what? You have to buy a guitar and start learning and practicing. None of this stuff is easy, but it works and it's worth it.
You should do it because you're worth it. You are worth more than the handbag you couldn't afford in the first place. You are worth more than the 8 hour Netflix binge in which you just indulged. You are worth more than you think. Are you willing to stop treating your body like a dumpster and more like the high performance machine that it was designed to be on the first place? Time to dust off the work ethic and get going.
Need help? Head to www.crossfitcrossroads.com (link is to our coaches page) and contact one of our coaches to get started on a PaleoFlexZone Plan and begin learning how valuable your health really is.
The Paleo Diet
This is arguably...ok no argument, this is THE best tool for teaching you what foods to eat. The Paleo Diet is restricted to eating veggies, meats, nuts and seeds and fruits. That's it. No grains. No beans (that means peanuts too). No dairy (milk products). No artificial (or "natural" labeled) anything. This is, without question, the best way to teach your body to eat whole, real food basically all the time. If you find yourself constantly eating from boxes and bags, start here for a while. It'll learn ya real fast. It isn't easy, but it is simple and effective. The draw back here is the totalitarian restrictiveness of this method. It becomes excessively difficult to stay on point as you try and eat with and around other people.
The Flex Diet (a.k.a. If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM))
The advantage of the Flex Diet is that it leverages the fact that humans are omnivores and can make energy out of anything we eat. It tells us that as long as your are hitting your calorie count via making it to your macro-nutrient goals you can control your...wait for it...GAAIIINNNZZZZ! (I just threw up in my mouth a little). Meaning your can control your fat loss, muscle growth, and overall performance buy setting specific goals in grams per day of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and hitting them exact (or as near as possible with out going over) each day. I hate how bro-sciencey it sounds, but it's backed by actual science and it works without question. The draw back is that the only restriction it has is caloric. Although Flex Diet "recommends" eating a clean, healthy diet, many folks who eat this way eat poor quality food because it fits their macros.
The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet has been around since the 1970's. The whole premise is balance. Many diets are so carbohydrate biased that getting all of the essential macro and micro nutrients is difficult. The Zone hands us a macro-nutrient balance of 40-30-30. 40% of your calories come from carbs, 30% from proteins, and 30% from fats. This is very effective and makes it more possible to get all or most of your carbohydrate calories from vegetables. This also makes it a great partner for the Paleo diet. The problem with this diet is the way Dr. Sears set up the "blocks". Blocks are used to get people to eat good and correct amounts of each macro-nutrient, but the calculations are flawed and out of date. It also has odd restrictions on it's recommendations of "good" carbs and "bad" carbs.
The PaleoFlexZone
I am a proponent of balance. Ebbs and flows that allow life to happen well and leave us feeling better than we did the day before. The combination of these 3 diets gives us, in my estimation, the best balance for how to eat. Start with the Paleo diet, learn quality foods. Move to the Zone and learn how to portion those foods. Add the Flex Diet in to zero in on the absolute numbers to be in real control over the calories going into your body. The Flex Diet usually sets calories off of 50-55% of calories from carbohydrates on active days, and drops them on inactive days. The PaleoFlex Zone is this: 1) The bulk of your diet should be as strict Paleo as you can tolerate. 2) Use the 40-30-30 Zone balance with total daily calories based off of .7-1.0 grams of protein per pound you weigh. 3) Use the Flex Diet to track those numbers as a whole, as well as allowing yourself to eat not-paleo when it is difficult to do so or when you're in a social setting (see my blog from August 24th about this). This means looking at an egg as fats and proteins, not just proteins or milk as carbs, proteins, and fats or oatmeal as carbs and proteins, or...well you get the picture. It also means allowing yourself to have a meal or snack here or there that is totally not paleo, but you're ok with that. MyFitnessPal (no affiliation here, it's just what I use to help me, they are not paying me... although, I wish they would) is a great mobile app to help you set your calories and macro balance and then track it very closely.
Doing this takes discipline. This is simple, but it is not easy at first. You will struggle with willpower. You will want to quit. You will want to skip logging that fun size snickers you just ate, or that handful of skittles, or that "Sugar-Free/Low-Calorie" mocha-choca-bull-crap you just drank. Tough. Do it. Make yourself aware of where your calories are coming from. Buy a food scale. Weigh and measure everything that goes in your mouth.
If you want to make a change you have to be willing to do something you have never done before. You want to lose weight? Guess what? You gotta track your food intake (a.k.a. diet) and get your butt off the couch. You want to learn to play guitar (a personal goal of mine)? Guess what? You have to buy a guitar and start learning and practicing. None of this stuff is easy, but it works and it's worth it.
You should do it because you're worth it. You are worth more than the handbag you couldn't afford in the first place. You are worth more than the 8 hour Netflix binge in which you just indulged. You are worth more than you think. Are you willing to stop treating your body like a dumpster and more like the high performance machine that it was designed to be on the first place? Time to dust off the work ethic and get going.
Need help? Head to www.crossfitcrossroads.com (link is to our coaches page) and contact one of our coaches to get started on a PaleoFlexZone Plan and begin learning how valuable your health really is.
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