Carpe Diem 2012!

December 28 has become my Carpe Diem for it was the day in 2009 that I made the conscience decision to do something about the physical aspect of the person I had become. I tipped the scales at 215lbs, my all time heaviest and have reached 151.6lbs and currently sit at 158lbs.  I look upon that day and think of that first 20 minute session I did on the elliptical that almost killed me and think what I have done since then.  A return to competitive cycling with some notable results, 100mile bicycle rides, countless 3+ hour training sessions on the bike, 7 to 12hr training hours per week, 10 continuous pull-ups; I wouldn’t have imagined that 3 years ago!

See last year’s comparison photo.  This year’s photo is coming soon.

Over the last three years I have adopted different eating styles to test the effectiveness of weight loss/satiety and to fuel my body for the rigors of weight lifting and cycling.  Needless to say it’s been challenging; not so much in the way of eating, but balancing the intake of food to accommodate weight loss / maintenance, muscle growth and energy needs.  Through this journey I have read and learnt a lot on nutrition (both conventional and unconventional) and have learnt what works best for me.  With that knowledge, I have been successful in loosing or maintaining my weight without extreme caloric reductions while building muscle and fuelling my body for cycling.

One of the biggest revelations I’ve had is the fluctuations in weight experienced on a daily or weekly basis.  These fluctuations are primarily water based and can sway in the range of 3 to 5 pounds.  Deplete your glycogen through reduced carbohydrate intake or exercise and you can easily drop 3 to 5 pounds in less than a week and appear and feel thinner.  Replenish your glycogen and watch those same pounds return.  The reason for this is the glycogen/water relationship.  For every gram of glycogen stored in your liver and muscles, your body will store approximately 3 to 4 grams of water.  So say for instance your liver stores 100g of glycogen and your muscles store 400g, your body will store approximately 2000g of water resulting in 5.5lbs of weight (1g = 0.00220462lbs ).  With this knowledge, I became less concerned with these daily fluctuations and relied more on body fat percentage rather than weight.

As an example of this, last winter in my attempt to shed body fat for the forthcoming cycling season, I changed up my macro nutrient intake consuming approximately 160g of protein (1g per pound of body weight to maintain lean muscle mass), no more than 100g of carbohydrates and the remainder of my caloric requirements (approximately 2400cal) in healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avacados, nuts etc.).  Within the week I dropped approximately 4lbs (glycogen depletion + accompanying water) bringing me from 164lb to 160lb.  From there until the 1^st of April, I lost an additional 8.4lbs for a total of approximately 12.4lbs and 3% body fat according to my scale.  Approximately 7lbs were lost in fat and the remainder (5.4lb) in glycogen/water and likely some lean tissue.  During this time I had periods (weekends) of carbohydrate loading where I would consume approximately 350 to 400 grams of carbohydrates, 160g of protein and the remainder of my caloric requirements in healthy fats (approximately 40g).  After this period, my weight would increase by 3 to 4 pounds but then drop when glycogen was again depleted.  It was interesting to observe and gave me a better understanding of the cause/effect of food.

So into a new year I will again challenge myself but with a new way of eating.  One drawback of my previous way of eating was the financial requirement due to the increase in meat proteins I was consuming.  I’m about to try a lacto-ovo-vegetarian/pescatarian approach but model it similarly to the above (primarily health fats, 1g of protein per pound of body weight and minimal carbohydrates to keep my glycogen depleted).  I have yet to work out the details but suspect I will rely on eggs, dairy, fish (pescatarian) and powder sources for protein.  In time, I may reduce if not eliminate eggs and dairy just because as I have no ethical issues with eating these nor meats.  Fish I will continue due to the health benefits.  I find it’s good to change your way of eating up as it keeps things fresh and keeps me motivated.

Paleo / Primal Eating - Let the Shredding Begin

With the Christmas season behind me, I was fortunate enough not to pack on any extra pounds. I did okay resisting most temptations but did treat myself to a few occasional desserts. As I look ahead, my cycling racing season is a mere three months away and I am now looking at losing fat stores I have not been able to shed to date. Since September, I have been in the gym working on muscle development and most recently strength and have put on approximately 8lbs of weight in that time with both my body fat percentage and water retention rising slightly. I hope to shed the fat while maintaining the muscle mass and retain the strength gains. To do this, I have decided to follow a Paleo / Primal way of eating. The process is new to me, both the diet and the challenges I will face, therefore as the weeks go by, I'll have to evaluate myself, my energy and strength and make adjustments where necessary.

A Paleo Diet is based on the understanding that the best human diet is one in which we are best genetically adapted. It includes foods believed to be eaten by our primal ancestors that promote good health such as fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats and seafood that are all high in beneficial nutrients such as soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals (having the potential to affect diseases), omega-3, monounsaturated fats, are low on the glycemic index scale, low in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. A Paleo diet further encourages the replacement of dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables.

For the most part, I will follow a Paleo Diet (more specifically a diet based on the Primal Blueprint) and eliminate all grain products however I will not limit the amount of dietary saturated fats and will not eliminate dairy as I know I have tolerance for it. To me, the approach is very similar to Atkins which I did years ago however the carbohydrate intake will not be highly restricted at first. On Atkins during the Induction Phase, carbohydrates in the form of vegetable are limited to 20g. I will limit myself to 75g to 100g of carbohydrates or approximately 15% of my net daily calories in the form of vegetable, fruit, nuts, natural plain yogurt and sweet potato. I will continue to consume a moderate amount of protein, approximately 1g per pound of body weight from fish, chicken, turkey, pork or beef. The remaining calories will be consumed from fat sources such as olive oil, butter, avocado and coconut.

My expectations are that I will begin loosing fat stores as my body will more readily rely on its fat stores for energy as stored glycogen will be depleted. However I do expect muscle to be cannibalized which I hope the moderate protein intake and continued weight lifting will alleviate. I expect my energy levels will be lower so high volume cycling sessions will be affected and not highly recommended, therefore my cycling sessions will be limited in volume but intensity will increase. This will coincide nicely with the ending of my weight lifting strength phase and the beginning of my High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) both in the gym and on the bike.

To prepare myself for this change in diet, I have already completed one week of Intermittent Fasting (IF) where I ate only between 12pm and 8pm daily. The remaining time I was in a fasted state and water was the only intake. I'll write more about IF in a later post. I began this primal eating this past Sunday and to date I already feel lighter, look a little leaner and weight has decreased by a few pounds since IF'ing. In the gym this past week I lifted heavier on all exercises but noticed a decrease in energy while training on the bike. Fatigue could have been a contributing factor so I'll continue to gauge.

I’ll report on my progress in the weeks to come.  I welcome any comments or suggestions from those having success loosing fat while retaining muscle and strength.  In the meantime, if you are interested to learn more, check out the links above or this book.

Eating for Life

I am often asked by those who have not seen me in a few years what I did to lose all the weight.  Initially I took offense and would often ask them, "Why... did you think I was fat before?"  "No", they would say; "Just… er, bigger!” they would embarrassingly add.  Soon I became to realize just how far I had come with my weight loss and how I might be able to help others that want to lose weight or have struggled with weight loss in the past.  Fortunately I am not one of those people who had tried every conceived weight loss program available, but I did follow a few programs that in the long run, would not allow me to manage my weight effectively.

Initially I was sold on the low carbohydrate approach as advocated by Atkins.  After considerable research, I forged ahead for three months on the program losing 30lbs in the process but the net effect was a lack of sustainable energy once I started exercising.  Additionally, limiting myself to the carbohydrates I could consume; notably vegetables, legumes, nuts and berries; made it very difficult to continue.  I soon lost my motivation and fell back into my previous way of eating.  A little over a year later, all the weight I had lost was back.

With my latest attempt, a little less than two years ago, I was prepared to go the low calorie approach.  As the months went by, I was again shedding the pounds.  However in time, the weight loss stopped likely as a result of inadequate food intake, increase in lean muscle mass and/or my body getting use to the exercise and unable to adapt further.

After months with no significant change, I began to research more into why I had hit a plateau.  What I learned was food intake is a lot like water intake.  Drink an adequate amount of water and your body sheds stored water weight.  Eat an adequate amount of “sensible” food and your body sheds stored fat weight.  If you limit the amount of water consumed, your body will retain water as a precaution.  Likewise if you limit the amount of food consumed, your body will retain its fat stores also as a precaution.  Give your body both water and food and watch the weight melt away!  Now of course this an oversimplified statement as there are a number of variables involved but this is what I observed during the period in which my weight loss had hit a plateau and I began following the approach described below while exercising at a higher intensity.

1. Create an account on Calorie Count and begin logging your food intake without making any significant changes to your diet.  This will give you an idea of the quality of your diet and quantity of your calories.

What was most surprising to me was how off I was with my diet.  For the exercise, duration and intensity I was performing, I should have been eating approximately 2,600 calories per day.  In reality, I was lucky to get 1,400 to 1,600 calories per day.

2. Take your body measurements (neck, chest, waist, biceps, quads) every week or two to gauge your progress.  The scale is fine and convenient but it is not a true representation as your overall weight will fluctuate (water, lean muscle mass, hormones etc.).  If you have a scale that reports on body fat, it is better than a scale alone.

3. Calculate your daily caloric expenditure.  To loose weight and up to 1lb a week, consume 500 less calories a day.  Theoretically, a 500 calorie reduction equates to 3500 calories per week or the equivalent of 1lb of fat.  In reality, you will find your weight loss will fluctuate.  Some weeks you will loose more than 1lb and some weeks you may stop loosing or even gain weight.  Do not be alarmed.  Rely more on how clothes feel and body measurements than to the scale.  If you are doing any strength exercises, remember the volume of lean muscle mass pound for pound is less than fat.

4. If you want to reach a specific goal weight, calculate it here.  Keep in mind to loose weight, you must eat.  Drastic caloric deduction will do you more harm than good as your body will go into starvation mode and store food intake as fat.  YOU MUST EAT TO LOOSE WEIGHT!  Drastic caloric reductions are generally reserved for the obese or those who have a considerable amount of weight to loose.  They are also monitored by doctors.  Typically those that reduce their calories drastically, when returning to normal eating habit, gain all the weight back.

5. Purchase a scale to weigh your food portions.  This keeps things as accurate as possible.  If making a meal which combines ingredients such as a casserole, weigh and track each ingredient added to calculate the total calories.  Then weigh your portion size to get an approximate calorie count.

6. With your daily caloric expenditure calculated, divide the calories consumed into the following 6 meals:

• Breakfast - 25% of total calories
• Mid morning snack - 8.3% of total calories
• Lunch - 25% of total calories
• Mid afternoon snack - 8.3% of total calories
• Dinner - 25% of total calories
• Evening snack - 8.3% of total calories

By eating more frequently, your body will remain fuller and satisfied longer and you are less likely to over eat at one meal.

Some also advocate eating more calories earlier in the day and less in the evening.  There’s some sense to this as your body requires the energy early to fuel your body for the day.  You can change the percentages above but I would still recommend the 6 meals (or 5 at the least).

7. Your macro-nutrient ratio (Fat, Protein, and Carb) should be based on your activity level.  The more active you are, the more carbohydrates you will require.

• If exercising (weights, cardio - treadmill jogging brisk walking cycling etc.) use F-20% P-30% C-50%
• If exercising extreme (running cycling hard intervals etc.) use F-20% P-15% C-65%
• To maintain weight use F-20% P-20% C-60% w/o caloric reduction

Nutrient Sources

• Fat (unsaturated fats in fish, oils, nuts)
• Protein (lean meat, fish, nuts, eggs, quinoa etc.)
• Carbohydrates (100% Whole Wheat breads, 100% Whole Wheat pastas and 100% Whole Grain rice, fruit, vegetables etc.).  Eliminate refined carbohydrates found in white bread, white pastas and white rice.

If your activity level is less than moderate, increase protein and decrease carbohydrate.

8. Try to balance your nutrient intake at each meal or at the very least, consume protein with carbohydrates and when possible, consume vegetables first, protein second and remaining carbohydrates last.

9. Drink fluids!  Eight 8oz of fluid a day should be your target.  Your urine should be a pale yellow and odourless.  If not, you are dehydrated and retaining water.  Fluid intake does not have to be limited to water, 100% fruit and vegetable juices will also work but be mindful of the caloric expense.

10. Follow the Canada Food Guide or your own region's food guide for recommended servings

11. Low to moderate exercise will burn more fat (up to 80% of your energy will come from fat stores) however you will have to exercise longer to loose fat.  Moderate to high intensity (HI) exercise will burn more carbohydrates (up to 80%) but fat is still burned and will continue to burn after exercise (known as the after burn effect).  HI exercises are completed in shorter durations.  Recommend low intensity and gradually increasing the intensity as your body and will allow.

12. Change things up every once in a while as your body will get use to the food and the exercise.  By changing things up, it confuses your body and avoids weight loss and exercise adaptation plateaus.

13. Shop the outer isle at the grocery store.  There you will find vegetables, fruit, dairy, bread and meat.  Limit or eliminate the amount of processed food and refrain from eating refined carbohydrates as these spikes your insulin levels and may contribute to over eating.  This includes any carbohydrates including the words enriched in the ingredients (e.g. enriched white floor, enriched wheat flour etc.).  Stick to wholesome carbohydrates found in breads and vegetables.

Outcome... in the 6 months following this approach, I broke through my plateau and shed an additional 14lbs of fat and dropped from 172lbs to 158lbs.

Protein Muffins

If you are looking for something different to complement or supplement your protein intake, you might consider the following muffin recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 scoops strawberry whey protein
1 whole egg
3 egg white
2 baby jars apple, strawberry & banana fruit mix
3/4 cup oatmeal
125ml water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions: combine eggs, fruit from baby jars and water with flour, whey protein, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  Poor into muffin tin.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden and piercing muffin with toothpick or knife is dry.

Makes 12 servings

per serving (1 muffin): 118 Calories : 2g Fat : 16g Carbohydrates : 8g Protein

These work great for breakfast on the go or as part of a mid morning snack.  You can adjust the ratios to suit your needs.

Transitioning Time

As I begin transitioning my training I am once again confronted by my diet.  Having increased my carbohydrate intake in the last five months to meet the energy demands of cycling, with fewer hours on the road, less intensity and more time in the gym lifting weights, my macro nutrient intake and percentages must be adjusted accordingly.  The adjustment can be as challenging as giving up a filthy habit which I must admit, I’ve had to do once or twice already.  For me it is not necessarily the love of carbohydrates, rather it’s more a love of breads and cereals!  Reducing if not eliminating them is hard and challenging.

One misconception a lot of people have when exercising is that they can eat whatever and whenever they want as they’ll just burn off the calories or that they deserve a reward for a good workout and either eat more or indulge in a few sugary treats.  I too have fallen victim to this and at times convince myself that my body needs the extra calories for tomorrows ride.  Before I know it, an evening cup of cereal with a splash of milk becomes a whopping 3 cups of cereal with a half pint of milk.  This gradual increase occurs as the net effect on my weight is not initially apparent and I keep pushing or rather gorging ahead.  Two to three weeks later, a pound or two is gained.  No problem I say to myself… must be water retention.  Five to six weeks later… WHAM… I’ve realized not only have I gained 5lbs, but my body fat percentage has increased by 2%!

My goal over the next 6 months is to increase my upper and lower body strength, power and add muscle.  The addition of muscle will of course aid in my appearance, but more importantly, increase my metabolism and assist with the burning of fat.  To add muscle, it is necessary to increase your caloric intake.  However it is not necessary to increase drastically or put on a ton of weight in the process.  An additional 100 calories per day is sufficient.

I like to keep things simple as I am no gourmet chef.  I also like to eat so the approach I take works best for me.  For one, I eat at least 6 meals and snacks a day every three hours from 7am until 10pm.  I include both protein and carbohydrates sources in each meal.  Each meal will consist of a quality protein source, a serving of vegetables and/or a serving of fruit.  Between meals I drink water but will have a coffee or tea in the morning and sometimes in the evening.  I limit my intake of processed foods; refrain from refined carbohydrates such as white breads, white pastas and white rice (or anything in the ingredients that starts with “enriched”), bakery type desserts such as cakes, cookies, donuts etc and sugary beverages other than 100% fruit or vegetable juice.  Yogurt I will eat as a source of protein and calcium and the odd ice cream as a treat. Carbohydrates in the form of whole wheat / whole grain cereals and breads are consumed at breakfast to replace depleted glycogen stores and as the body will utilize these for energy throughout the day.  A typical day for me would look like the following:

7:00AM Breakfast – 1 cup of plain Oatmeal; slice of 100% Whole Wheat Toast w/ tablespoon of Peanut Butter; Whey Protein Smoothie with a cup of frozen berries; coffee with a single milk and sugar.  Multivitamin and Omega 3-6-9 supplements.

10:00AM Snack – 2 to 3 larges eggs scrambled or as an omelette; an ounce of cheese; ¾ cup of chopped peppers (red, orange and green) and onions; a medium apple

1:00PM Lunch – Salmon steak w/ beets; a half cup of whole long grain rice; yogurt and 100% orange juice

4:00PM Snack – Whey Protein Smoothie with a cup of frozen berries and cup of mixed veggies (not included in the smoothie unless it was a sweet vegetable such as carrot or beet)

7:00Pm Dinner – Chicken breast w/ broccoli and yogurt

10:00PM Snack – Turkey breast slices w/ cheese and an apple

NOTE: the WHEY protein at breakfast addresses my post recovery needs as I generally work out prior.  Foods with a high glycemic index and low in fat aid in the rapid delivery of protein to the muscles.  As my workouts occur before breakfast, I find it challenging to balance this requirement while at the same time, feeling full and satisfied until my mid morning snack.