Let's Start a Viking Belly Revolution

For the majority of the population, living with abs takes a boatload of work, or assistance, or just isn’t possible at all.  But I would argue that if you have to TRY to get abs, you probably shouldn’t have them for long(or at all).  You are probably the person who’s not ever going to be able to live with abs for any length of time.  I would also argue that constantly trying to get abs may be hurting you in a number of ways.  If you have abs all the time, maybe you should try losing them for a while just to see what happens.  I mean after all abs are like ghosts, vampires, and black…  they are SO 2009!  Let’s start a viking belly revolution!

Vikings were some strong, sexy beasts, but they didn’t run around with abs all the time.  I’m not saying we should fall to the apparent DadBod trend, but let’s not chase abs either.  Let’s strive to look a little more like Norwegian Strongman Ole Martin Hansen:

How many carbs do you eat Ole? “All the carbs!!”

And less like some dude named Stefan that’s in some freakin vampire show:

Viking Belly > Abs

Many factors are at play in determining how lean someone will be and/or can be in their life.  When I say that if you have to try to get abs you probably shouldn’t have them, what I really mean is that one or more of these factors are working against your efforts to get really lean.  Some of those factors are: genetics/epigentics, and metabolic compensation.  Let’s dive into the factors affecting lean-ness now!

I Was Born With Big Bones

The first thing to be said about genetics and lean-ness is body type.  If you were born an ectomorph you’re always closer to a 6-pack than someone born an endomorph.  If you were born an endomorph your life-long dream to have abs just may not ever come true (welcome to my world!).

Long and lean ectomorphs have to do a lot less work than endomorphs to get lean, and endomorphs are much more likely to harm their metabolism in the process.  When I say that if you have to try to get abs you probably shouldn’t have them, I was talking to you endomorphs!

After body types comes other genetic or epigenetic factors.  Scientists are finding all kinds of links between genes and obesity, weight gain, fat storage, etc.  Here’s just a few of the genetics at play in being fat:

• APOA2 gene
• Scientists found that people with the APOA2 gene who ate a diet high in saturated fat had a higher BMI than those without the gene who also ate a diet high in saturated fat.  Similar diets, but different results.
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19901143?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1
• Mutations in MRAP2 gene
• Researchers found that mice with mutations of the MRAP2 gene gained more weight than mice without mutations, when fed the same number of calories.
• Further research determined the mechanism for the weight gain was that mice with the mutated MRAP2 were simply less efficient at mobilizing fatty acids.
• Researchers also found an association between a mutated MRAP2 and obesity in humans, but this needs further research.
• The FTO gene
• Research has shown that people with a mutated FTO gene have a harder time controlling appetite, because their grehlin level (one of the hunger hormones) doesn’t drop after eating the way it should.

These are just three examples of how genes can affect body fat levels.  Whether you’re born with these gene mutations (genetics) or these genes have expressed themselves in a certain way during your lifetime (epigenetics) remains to be seen, but either way there are factors at play that are bigger than just lifestyle.  In fact Dr. Joseph Majzoub, the chief of the division of endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital said: “thus far mutations in about eight genes are known to cause obesity in humans.”  This problem is clearly bigger than self control, or eat less-move more!  For more reading on this topic check out this article.

Is All That Dieting Killing Your Chance for Abs???

We’ve all been told for so long that it’s all about portion control and caloric limitation.  We’ve all been told that it’s about eating less and moving more.  And while creating a caloric deficit by eating less and/or moving more can definitely work in the short term, it can also cause a problem in the long term.  The body will respond to dieting by slowing the metabolism, and the slowdown can last weeks, months, and even years.  This is why eating less and exercising more isn’t a long term strategy.  The deeper you go down the eating less and exercising more rabbit hole, the bigger the metabolic compensation will be, and the longer it’s going to take you get out of that hole.  In fact, you may NEVER be able to undo the damage done by yo-yo dieting or by years of being obese.  

Every time you gain and lose a big chunk of weight, you damage your metabolism.  Every month you spend obese you damage your metabolism.  If you’ve gained and lost a significant amount of weight multiple times in your life (like myself), you might just have to kiss the dream of abz goodbye.  If you’ve spent years being obese (like myself), you might just have to live with a little bit of a spare tire forever.  For more on metabolic damage, check out this article.

As I said I have gained and lost big weight (50+ pounds) multiple times in my life, and the damage I’ve done may just mean I will never live with abs.  I did (kinda) have abs once for about 24 hours, and boy did I have to go to a dark place to get them.  This picture was taken the morning of a weigh in, at the end of the biggest weight cut of my life.  I have no idea what my bodyfat level was here, but I know I was almost dead.  I cut 40 or so pounds for this meet, including about 25 pounds of water in the final week, and the morning this picture was taken I could barely lift a suitcase into the car without getting sick.  I made weight for the meet, and got the qualifying total I needed, but what kind of long term damage did I do in the process?  I don’t know if I’ll ever have abs again, but maybe I shouldn’t even be striving for those abs anyway…

Because GAINZ bro!

The thing about always chasing abs, is that by always dieting and/or doing endless cardio, you are limiting your potential for gainz in the gym.  The best gains in muscle mass and strength come in the overfed state, because being overfed and well rested puts us in the optimal hormonal state for gainz.  If you’ve been underfed for a while, you owe it to yourself to see what happens when you do an entire training block at or slightly above your maintenance calories.  Eating more promotes recovery, and fuels your workouts, which both allow you to have better workouts.  String a bunch of good workouts together, and you have a cycle that produces great results.  

Official shout out to Kayla "Slayla" @KAYLAJAM017 who's an ectomorph trying to gain weight right now, and setting pr's by the dozen!  Ask her what happens when someone who always has abs tries to lose them for a while, or read her recent blog on the topic.

It turns out that eating around your maintenance calories may be your opportunity to get gainz, and abz.  You see our best hormone profile will be with optimum body fat levels.  Not too much, not too little.  If you’ve been training in the underfed state for a long time, you may be seriously limiting your gains in strength and hypertrophy.  You may also be causing your metabolism to slow (as we discussed earlier), thereby causing bodyfat storage.  If you eat to fuel your workouts you’ll have better workouts and more gainz, but you also will start the process of fixing your metabolism.  Fixing the metabolism is the only way for someone who has to TRY to get abs, to actually do it, but it takes time.  The upshot is that while you’re fixing your metabolism, you can be reaping the rewards in the gym.  And maybe, just maybe, once that metabolism is fixed, the abs will come when you want them to (beach season?).  Let’s start a Viking belly revolution because if we eat, the gainz will come!

Because Eating!!

I feel like I shouldn’t even have to make this final point, but I’ll do so anyway…  I’m all for a disciplined approach to nutrition for performance, but I’m also all about ice cream!  Eating is fun!  Being in an underfed state is torturous…  I love to eat!  Don’t you!?!

Growing your Viking belly means you can have that post-workout ice cream, or nachos once in a while.  It means you can look at food as fuel, and as fun!  It means that you don’t have to feel hungry all the time, and it certainly means you don’t have to avoid the carbs all the time.  Look, we're meant to enjoy everything we eat!  So, quit fussing over calories so much!  Enjoy the food that goes in your mouth and never go hungry!  Sounds pretty good right!?!?  Let’s start a Viking belly revolution because eating!


What are you waiting for!?!?

Get out there and get eating people!  If you’ve been chasing abz forever, try dipping your toes in the over-ed state (or at least maintenance) and see what happens.  You may just be fighting an uphill battle that you can’t win, and damaging your body in the process.  Try something new and eat for a while.  It just may allow you to realize the gainz you’ve been waiting for, and you can go back to enjoying some treats here and there without the guilt.  Besides on the way to the gain-train you just might find yourself with a super-sexy Viking belly!  Abs are SO 2009, and Viking belly’s are what’s cool today!  Let’s start a Viking belly revolution!

Grind Like The Norse

The Norse are known for violence and pillaging, but their culture was so much more.  Even before they could pillage, they had to spend days or weeks sailing to the place where they did the pillaging.  The Norse people were in fact craftsmen, explorers & farmers.  They built a democracy, and made beautiful carvings.  All of these things are endeavors that involve patience and deferred rewards.  Fitness should be the same way.

The Norse did the paddling before the pillaging

The Norse are known for violence and pillaging, but their culture was so much more.  Even before they could pillage, they had to spend days or weeks sailing to the place where they did the pillaging.  The Norse people were in fact craftsmen, explorers & farmers.  They built a democracy, and made beautiful carvings.  All of these things are endeavors that involve patience and deferred rewards.  Fitness should be the same way.

Fitness isn’t about immediacy 

It seems to me that many Americans, especially those in the younger generations, tend to want everything to be immediate.  I mean I get it,Gen X, the Millenials, and Gen Z are all the generations that grew up with the internet & fast food.  We’re used to being able to find anything we want to know or purchase very quickly and easily.  We’re also used to computers that can process mega amounts of data in the blink of an eye.  In my mind all of that makes us impatient, and even more likely to look for the magic pill.  These generations want immediate results, and in many parts of life we get those immediate results.  

The thing is that real fitness isn’t built overnight, and there is no magic pill or workout.  Whether your goal is to be an elite level powerlifter or weightlifter, a games level crosffiter, or just look like a cover model, none of these things happen overnight, and they most certainly don’t happen in 1 workout.  In all of these ventures there is no substitute for time.  Sure genetics play a HUGE role in all of these pursuits, but genetics only can get you so far.  If you truly want to be elite you’re going to have to train hard, but more importantly you’re going to have to be consistent.

Start with 1000 and subtract

Elite level athletes have been practicing their sport for years.  So, let’s take a look at what 5 years of training looks like…  Say you’re a powerlifter, and you train 4 times a week with 2 weeks off per year for rest and holidays.  That means if you never miss a session you’re training 200 times per year.  Over the course of 5 years you have the potential for 1000 training sessions!  Now let’s start doing some subtraction…  What about those days you decide to skip the gym to go to happy hour.  Do that 2 times per month, and you’ve cost yourself 120 training sessions in 5 years.  I bet 120 training session could overcome a lot of genetic difference.  Now let’s say you decide you’re going to go balls-out every damn time so you can catch that dude who’s got a few hundred sessions on you, and you end up injured.  Say you end up out of action with a moderate injury (1 week out) twice per year, and over that 5 year span you have two major injuries (1 month out).  Now you just dropped from a potential of 880 sessions to around 808 sessions!  And that’s not even considering any injuries that keep you out longer than 1 month.  The hole is getting deeper!

Be A Viking Grinder

A fair maiden is not an excuse to miss training

It turns out that the best approach to fitness is similar to the Norse approach to life.  They were a people who invested time today, for a pay off tomorrow.  They did lots and lots of boring tedious and non-sexy work, just to get the seemingly singular pay off at the end.  Not to mention the fact that they did all of this in some of the toughest climates in the world!  These guys were GRINDERS!

Just the way the northern European farmer couldn’t skip out on the crops because some maiden (or viking bro) came a calling, we shouldn’t skip out on the day’s training.  I mean everyone want Viking arms, but they don’t want to put in the work!

Similarly, the Norse men would make delicate carvings out of wood and bones that took weeks or even months to complete.  In the fitness world we can equate this to every day not being the day to test our 1RM bench press.  Bro!  There are times to train and there are times to test, but the tests should be a very small part of what you do.  They should only come after lots of hard work.  Moments of fury follow long periods of hard work!

Be A More Like Big Bennie!!

Learn to grind out your training sessions when you didn’t really want to go to the gym.  Learn to grind out a training cycle that is kicking your butt.  Learn to grind out sets even when you think you can’t complete the set.  Learn to grind out your weekly training when life gets in the way.  But also learn when to back off before getting injured, so you can live to grind another day.  Take the long term view instead of looking for immediate results.  Now watch this video to see a great example of how the Norse God Benedikt Magnusson grinds out workouts, and go fourth being more like Bennie!

How I Lost 75 Pounds and Effortlessly Kept it Off

 5 Simple Rules For Losing and Maintaining Your Weight (relatively) Effortlessly

 

The Early Years…

I spent my childhood in the space between chubby and fat.  Plenty of kids have growth spurts, and times where they look a little chubby, but I was one of those kids who looked chubby at my leanest.  It wasn’t like I was completely sedentary; I never really got into video games, usually could be found outside playing in the neighborhood, and played organized sports beginning at age 5.  Despite the relatively high activity level, I was never lean as a kid.

In middle school I started lifting weights to improve myself on the football field (I was still convinced at this time that I was going to play in the NFL), and sometime in high school I went on my first “diet”.   Also during high school I significantly increased my workout schedule, lifting weights more and more seriously as my high school career went along.  Even competing in powerlifting my senior year!  Despite the increased workout schedule and occasional “dieting”, I was still never someone most people would consider lean.  I ranged from stocky to chubby.  Big-boned if you will...

After high school, when I didn’t have access to a free gym anymore (turns out I didn’t get drafted into the NFL, or even get a college scholarship!), I quit exercising all together.  During my first year of college my weight ballooned up.  The combination of no exercise, a terrible diet, and occasional alcohol made me fat fast!  I went from stocky or chubby, to obese in less than a year!  It didn’t take long for me to get sick of being obese, and I began to right the ship.

During my second year of college I got back in the gym, and started learning about nutrition.  I put myself on a low-calorie/low-fat diet.  Combining that with powerlifting and regular cardio, I lost the weight pretty fast.  In less than a year I went from obese to under 10% body fat, and started competing in powerlifting again.  Along that journey I learned enough about nutrition to be dangerous, and got myself to a place most would call “skinny”, for the first (and only?) time in my life.

Fast Forward 10 Years…

After a myriad of life changes in my late 20’s (career changes, major move, divorce), I fell off the wagon.  Though I had a decent amount of nutrition and exercise knowledge I didn’t eat right or exercise.  I was single for the first time as an adult, and I spent my evenings at happy-hours, instead of at the gym.  Lots of alcohol and bad food combined with very little exercise, it turns out, is a recipe for obesity for a guy like me.  For a period of about 5 years my weight slowly crept up until I was nearing 300 pounds.  As I approached the 300 pound mark I also started to have a bunch of health problems (shocking I know!).  The health problems of a man much older than 30!  I had high blood pressure, acid reflux, sleep apnea, TMJ disorder, and migraines…just to name a few!  Maybe most importantly though, I felt terrible every day!

Here’s what I looked like at my heaviest

In early 2011, I decided it was time to make a change.  Somehow during the fat years, I had met and fallen in love with a girl.  She too was a former athlete who had gotten away from sports and gained weight.  Together we got a gym membership, and I designed us a workout program.  We began exercising and we began eating better too.  By the end of 2011 (9 months later) I had lost about 75 pounds and my girlfriend had lost about 50!  Even better was that we had both seemingly cured our health issues!

Here’s what I looked like in early 2012 after the weight loss

Today I’m a Wiser, Leaner Version of Myself

Some 2.5 years after losing the weight, I’ve added significant muscle to my body and maintained my leanness without much effort.  I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learned in the form of 5 simple rules for losing the weight and keeping it off (relatively) effortlessly.

As I mentioned above, when I lost weight the first time I did it by counting calories and macronutrients.  What I’ve learned over the years however, is that counting calories isn’t sustainable for the large majority of us.  In fact, I’ll take that statement one step farther and say that counting anything (even points!) isn’t sustainable for most.  What is sustainable is eating until you’re full.  What I now understand is that if I eat the right foods, I simply eat until I’m full and I maintain my weight.  That seems pretty simple, right?  Combine that with a few lifestyle rules, and what you end up with is a basic set of rules for sustainable healthy living.  And without further ado...

5 Simple Rules For Losing and Maintaining Your Weight (relatively) Effortlessly

1. Eat Veggies and Protein at Every Meal-

Veggies provide the micronutrients we need for health.  Protein makes us feel full and provides the building blocks for lean muscle.  Every meal should center around lots of veggies, lots of meat, and not much else!

2. Move Every Day

Take the stairs.  Park and walk.  Play with your kids.  Find a way to get movement into your day every day.  30-60 minutes of movement is a minimum!  This doesn’t need to be “exercise” in the sense of increased heart rate or breathing, it just needs to be movement.  If you have a desk job this is even more important!

3. Lift Weights

Building more muscle through strength training has a myriad of benefits, including increased metabolism.  Strength training will help you stay lean, and it will help you age better!  Start lifting some weights today!

4. Sleep More

Are you sleeping more than 8 hours per night?  If not, you should be!  Sleep deprivation has all kinds of terrible effects on our bodies, and if you’re sleep deprived it’s hard to maintain your weight let alone lose weight.  If you want to be lean and healthy, you MUST find a way to sleep more!  That doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, right??

5. Kick Up Your Heels from Time to Time

Love ice cream?  Well, have that ice cream... From time to time.  While we shouldn’t be emotionally attached to any food (I could write an entire article on this topic), I have found that one of the keys to sustainability is eating the foods you love.  If you are eating well the majority of the time, your body can most certainly handle some excess in the form of a treat once in a while.  I recommend making your treats the highest of quality (amazing grass-fed gelato, instead of Dairy Queen), but that’s up to you.  Just don’t be afraid to kick up your heels from time to time.

Well, that’s my story, and 5-simple rules based on what I’ve learned.   Give them a try for yourself, and see how it goes!

Random Friday Thoughts...

It's been a while since I've blogged, but I had some time available today and I wanted to get something out...  Aside from being exceedingly busy lately (I know I always use that excuse!), I have also been short on inspiration.  This week a number of concepts have been on my mind, so I wanted to get them down in the blog before I lost them.  What follows is a quick hit list of small concepts I've been thinking about lately.

• Getting what you're paying for:

  If you're paying a professional for services, make sure you're getting what you're paying for.  I would encourage all of you to educate yourself and own your health, but if you're paying a professional you shouldn't have to do all the work.  This concept came up on two separate occasions for me this week, and I wanted to pass it along to you.  As an example if you're going to a crossfit gym, and yet you're turning to blogs or youtube channels for help, well maybe your gym isn't giving you what you're paying for.  I mean I'm all for you trying to educate yourself and take control of your health and fitness, but if you're paying someone for coaching you should be getting coaching.  This concept would carry over to healthcare professionals, anyone you're paying for nutrition/diet coaching, etc. In my mind whenever we hire a health/fitness professional, we should establish a team-style relationship.  It shouldn't be a dictatorial relationship where the professional just dictates everything you do, but the professional should be providing guidance.  In fact it shouldn't be a one way relationship in either direction!  It should be a back and fourth between you and the professional.  Don't  allow yourself to be taken for a ride, and don't allow yourself to be taken to the cleaners.
  
  Here's a link to the two places this concept came up for me this week in case you're interested in reading/listening to what got me thinking about this. Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness podcast: http://eplifefit.com/2014/07/01/paleo-lifestyle-and-fitness-podcast-episode-96/ , Breaking Muscle article by Chris Garay: http://breakingmuscle.com/crossfit/6-practical-tips-for-prioritizing-quality-in-crossfit
  

• Following your passion isn't enough:

  I read a great article series this week by one of my favorite fitness pro's (yeah I have a serious man crush!), Eric Cressy.  Eric wrote a 2-part article directed towards aspiring fitness pro's, but I think the first article is applicable to everyone.  The point of the article was that the old advice "follow your passion" isn't really very good advice, because countless people have lost their life savings following their passion.  What I took away from this article what this...  I have often said (specially in the last 1.5 years since persuing fitness as a career) we spend too much of our lives at work to not love what we do, but what I didn't realize until reading this article is that if you've built a career you may be able to leverage that career capital to do the things you love.  As Eric discussed in the article, if you've been in a career path for a while you've developed specialized skills and expertise that can be thought of as career capital.  Even if you don't love your current career, maybe there's a way to leverage that capital to do the things you love.  I'm not saying we shouldn't follow our passion, but we also shouldn't turn our back on capital we've already developed.
  
  Here's a link to Eric's article: http://www.ericcressey.com/career-capital-fitness-industry-1
  

• Stop obsessing with the shiny thing, and try mastering the basics:

  It seems to me that a lot of people have the problem that whenever they get into something, they immediately want to get into the obscure or advanced parts of their new obsession.  I have DEFINITELY been guilty of this many times.  From a health and fitness perspective, I see a lot of folks trying to get far too deep far too fast.  It's easy to look for the newest twist on diet advice, or the fancy advanced exercise or program in the gym.  I know Dan John has many articles on this concept, but I just want to reiterate that those advanced concept are for people who are advanced.  If you're "new" to the health and fitness world (meaning you've only been into it for 2 years or less), then it's a good idea to master the basics instead of chasing these advanced techniques.  These advanced techniques are not only not appropriate for a newbie, they also can potentially hinder your long term progress.
  
  Bottom Line: If you don't have a top shelf back squat, a masterful deadlift, and an excellent overhead press, you don't really need to be taking on more advanced lifts.  Likewise, if you're not locked in on eating meat and veggies at every meal, don't worry about what supplements you could take.
  

• A few simple dietary ideas to live by:

  The last bullet point is a great segue to this one...  I noticed this week that no matter how many books or articles I read or podcasts I listen to,  I rarely hear anything new.  It seems to me that all the "experts" are giving very similar advice.  There are definitely some experts out there doling out advice that is specifically for niche populations that differs from the rest of the advice, but in the spirit of mastering the basics we can ignore that stuff for now.  I've probably said all this before in the blog, but here are some very basic guidelines that seem to be in all of the books, articles, and podcasts...
  
  
  • Eat lean protein and non-starchy veggies at EVERY meal
  • Eat the bulk of your carbs at night
  • Avoid processed foods (industrial seed oils, sugar, grains, and alcohol)
  • Meals should be protien & fat, or protein & carbs...  Avoid eating fat and carbs together
  
  Those are the very basics that I see in nearly every expert's recommendations.  If you haven't implemented these basics, quit worrying about anything more advanced.
  

• Good things often come quick, but GREAT things take some time:

  One last observation today...  I'm going to make an effort to go to the movie theater this weekend, which is a super rare thing for me.  I MAYBE go to the movie theater once a year, but I'm obsessed with this movie Boyhood and I'd like to see it this weekend.  If you haven't heard anything about Boyhood, it's a coming of age story that the director Richard Linklater filmed over the course of 12 years!  A first of it's kind, it's a movie where we can actually see the cast age, and I have a feeling it will be THE MOVIE of 2014.  Now Richard Linklater is no newbie (he's done films such as: Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, and Fast Food Nation), but I have a feeling this will end up being his signature film... His masterpiece if you will...
  
  Often in the health and fitness industry we see the concept that good things can come quick, but great things take time.  For instance it's very common for someone to see immediate weight loss when they start a new fitness regime or diet, but then they stall out.   The new trainee in the gym can often see great results in their initial months of training, but we all know that making an Olympian takes time.
  
  I simply want to encourage you today to be committed to the long-haul and keep the horizon in focus.  Whether your goal is to compete on a national level in a sport, find your own peak of health, or make your life's masterpiece work, it's more than likely going to take some time.  Don't settle for good, instead search for great!  Commit to the process and enjoy the process, but be prepared to follow the process to it's long term conclusion.

Don't Let Yourself Be Watered Down Any Longer!!!

Lately I’ve been wondering when the mediocre became so acceptable…  When was it that our society became so watered down???  Brace yourself, this isn’t going to be my typical blog!

I feel like the older I get the more I want the finer things in life.  While I haven’t lost my tight wad nature (I still can’t stand spending more than $25 for jeans), I have developed a strong appreciation for quality.  There was a time in my life when I was perfectly happy drinking Coors Light, but now I’d rather drink water than a shitty beer.  There was a time in my life when I was perfectly happy drinking Folgers, but now I’d rather have no coffee than Folgers.

I’m bewildered as I see people, even people who can afford better quality, accepting the mediocre.  I look around and I see people accepting mediocre food, mediocre service, mediocre products.  I even see them paying what I would consider high prices for these mediocre items.  I don’t get it!  How did we lose the ability as a society to recognize and seek quality in life?  

I think a parallel phenomena is our society’s obsession with celebrity goings-on and reality TV.  It brings to mind the Eleanor Roosevelt quote:

Now, I have always preferred discussing ideas or events, but I don’t think that’s because I’m a great mind.  I feel like people discussing people has more to do with settling for mediocrity than it does the quality of someone’s mind.  To me, people discussing people is akin to people being alright with drinking Folgers.  Those people have simply settled for mediocrity.  It’s not that they don’t have the capacity to discuss ideas, or that they don’t recognize quality, they’ve simply settled for less.

At times, in various segments of my life, I have settled for mediocrity too!  When I let myself get to nearly 300 pounds I was settling for mediocrity.  When I didn’t work out for nearly 5 years I was settling for mediocrity.

Today, I want to encourage you to rise above the hoards of people settling for mediocrity every day!  You have the capacity to discuss ideas; you have the ability to recognize and demand quality.  Demand quality in your conversations, in your food, in the service that you receive.  Demand quality in yourself!  Do this because you want to live forever, but you might die tomorrow.  I mean, if you die tomorrow, do you really want to go out drinking Coors Light and watching TMZ!?!  

Inside of you lives a great mind; an athlete; a connoisseur of everything!  Let these parts of you flourish, and you can live the life of a king (no matter your budget) and you just may live forever.  After all, there’s not much better for your health than the fellowship of great conversation; the nutrition of quality ingredients; or the enjoyment of loving the life you live!

What if it Doesn't Fit Your Macro's???

Have you heard of the diet If It Fits Your Macro’s (IIFYM)? Well, guest blogger Alex McMahon NTP flips that diet on its’ head.  Alex is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and founder of Evolve Nutritional Therapy.  He has extensive knowledge regarding the interplay of nutrition & health, and, with a background in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, he’s prepared to help both everyday people and athletes. Check out Alex’s guest blog below, and then check out his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EvolveNutritionalTherapyLLC 

and his website: evolvenutritionaltherapy.com

I believe for a small population that have serious physique and bodybuilding aspirations, their macros do matter. Because of their exact goals their intake needs to be calculated, timed and measured. For these individuals food falls into the calculated category. For the other 98% of us chasing  smaller athletic goals, weekend warriors or people just trying to get healthier and become the best version of themselves, the focus needs to be put on eating nutrient dense whole foods and not on exact macronutrients. These made up systems and ways to count and measure our food have a way of creating an even greater disconnect between us and our food.  Thereby stressing people out and actually being deleterious to our health. I'm going to share my thoughts on what some of the flaws and ways that counting macronutrients, measuring and weighing food can work against folks.

 

Quality Over Quantity

Many of the macronutrient, measuring and weighing methods of eating don't take into account the quality of the foods, they merely recognize the food as a number. There is far more at play here when considering someone’s long term health. Yes the foods we eat do contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates but they also contain micronutrients (vitamins, minerals), and enzymes (which act as cofactors and catalysts to reactions and mechanisms in the body). Not all calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are created equal, and just because a food meets a macronutrient requirement does not mean that that food is health promoting or even an optimal food for you as an individual. In many cases these highly processed foods can begin an inflammatory response in the body, and with all the talk of anti inflammatory diets I think we can all assume that avoiding inflammation by eating or not eating certain foods is a good idea.

Macronutrient based diets take the focus away from food quality. If you compare brown rice protein powder to grass fed ground beef, there is no comparison! While they may contain equal amounts of protein, the grass fed ground beef is a better quality food and is far more nutrient dense while being better absorbed by the body as well. A banana will take the cake over jelly beans or gummy worms every day and even though they could contain similar macronutrients. The quality of the food cannot be ignored when long term health and longevity are a consideration. Push the macronutrient numbers off the side of your plate for a minute and take an honest look at the quality of foods that you are consuming. Are the foods I’m consuming highly processed? Are there ingredients I cannot pronounce? Are these foods making me feel energy followed by a crash? (Hint feeling really sleepy after meals should not be typical)

When eating a diet that is micronutrient based the person needs to ask themselves are these foods health-promoting? Are the foods I’m eating rich in nutrients and in their whole form? Are these foods making me feel great AND helping me reach your goals? If you answered yes to these then I applaud your diligence.

Physically Full, Nutritionally Starving and STILL HUNGRY

Satiation, which takes place in our brain, and satiety which takes place in the gut, are two very different

things working in unison to keep us well nourished and to help with overeating. There is interplay between the brain and intestines with hormones being the great communicator between the two. When we have eaten whole, nutrient dense foods the intestines recognize that. Since adequate nourishment has been received (nutrients sufficient to meet the bodies needs), hormones signal to the brain that "I am satisfied and well nourished" which in turn decreases the desire for more food. This satiety signal that originates in the intestines, and signals to the brain, is based on the actual nutrition in your food, so it is very hard to trick this signal. Because of bio-individuality, some people digest slowly and some digest faster. This is where the brain and satiation can aid in the process of putting the fork down before overeating…sometimes. With satiation we recognize through the texture, smell and sight of a food, along with perceived caloric density, how full a food will make us (or when we should stop eating). In perception lies the problem! Satiation is an estimate while satiety is a measurement.

Now let’s compare a nutrient dense whole food with a highly processed food that meets your macros. In nutrient dense corner we have the grass fed steak and in the highly processed meets your macros corner we have the Powerbar. When eating the grass fed steak you have a complete protein and fat which makes the steak very satiating to the body. As you eat the intestines recognize that they are receiving adequate nutrition and begin to signal the brain to want steak less and less with each bite. The first bite was amazing, the fifth bite was great, but by the fifteenth bite the look, smell and taste are less appealing and your lack of desire for the steak eventually causes you to stop eating. The grass fed steak also requires adequate chewing which allows the necessary time for the gut and brain to coordinate the signal to decrease your desire for the steak. Let’s take a look at how the highly processed, but meets your macros Powerbar stacks up. To begin with the Powerbar is very low in protein (and contains protein which usually comes from poor sources such as soy), is laden with added sugars, has preservatives and strange flavor enhancing ingredients. All of which will only leave you hungry and riding the blood sugar roller coaster! As you eat the Powerbar, it requires less chewing which means you can eat more of it in a shorter time which doesn't allow for the gut and brain to communicate effectively. As the Powerboat hits the intestines it does not contain the nutrients our body is looking for, therefore it lacks satiation and satiety. The signal that we are well nourished is never sent, and the hunger for more food is left on even though we have eaten more than enough calories… So we keep eating.

Stress, Neurosis and Digestion

Cooking with a specific goal in mind such as athletic performance, fat loss or muscle gain while keeping a focus on food quality is a kind of dedication that can help people reach their goals, get connected to the food they eat, and create fun in the kitchen. Counting the macros of every food you make takes the joy and spontaneity out of cooking and only moves your further away from the connection you should have with your food. If you are avoiding going out with friends or social situations because you have become chained to counting macros, blocks or calories this is a sign of neurosis going on that can be very harmful mentally and physically. If the way a person is eating does not leave them feeling mentally, physically and socially healthy then a shift in the paradigm needs to made.

We all know that stress is horrible for us and can have very negative effects on nearly every facet of our life. When stress is associated with foods or stress occurs right before eating, the body will not digest foods properly. When we are in a stressed state the sympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for the fight or flight response) shuts off the ability to digest foods appropriately. Digestion is the breakdown and absorption of foods, and it is how we fuel and nourish our bodies. If our digestion is overburdened and hindered (by stress) the body cannot break down foods effectively, which creates absorption problems and nutrient deficiencies. So, if you are stressing about your macros, blocks or calories before a meal, you are hindering your digestion, making it even more difficult for your body to receive the nutrients it needs to function properly and help you lead a healthy happy life.

A Better Approach

We have covered what is wrong with counting macros, blocks and/or calories, but have yet to talk about a better approach to eating and nourishing our amazing bodies, but that is what this section is for! First and foremost I think nutrition is very individual, there is no one size fits all approach. We all come from different ethnic backgrounds and regions of the world which shapes the foods we will thrive on and do poorly with. Some people feel better using fats as their main source of fuel while others flourish using carbohydrates. Then there are the people who like a mix of fats and carbohydrates to make them feel their best. We all have different daily needs as well. We do know however that there is no person who truly thrives and is most healthy eating highly processed foods. I encourage folks to eat properly prepared nutrient dense whole

foods! These foods come from nature and have not been highly processed and pumped full of chemicals. These highly nutrient dense foods include humanely raised grass fed and pastured animals, pastured eggs, wild caught fish, organic regional vegetables and fruits, starchy tubers, squash, nuts, seeds, coconut products, fats from grass fed animals such as whole raw milk, grass fed butter and cheese ( if dairy is well tolerated), lard, tallow, coconut oil, olives. This is a short list, but I want you all to get the idea. (Hint: you will not find ingredient lists on these foods, and when looking for them in the grocery store you can find them on the perimeter, not the aisles.)

From my perspective, we have lost a large part of our connection to the foods that we consume, and we don't get to experience our food the same way we would if we raised, slaughtered, or grew it ourselves. We have a greater appreciation for things that we have dedicated time and effort to; our food is no different. Taking the quality ingredients that are in season and local and turning them into a meal requires some time and effort, which allows for greater appreciation of that food and what it provides the body. Instead of eating in front off the TV, turn it off and take a second to enjoy the sight and smell of your food while allowing the digestive system to get primed and ready. Chew each bite until it is a complete mush, this time chewing allows for the brain and the gut to communicate the satiety and satiation signals which triggers a person to push the plate away when they have eaten enough. This requires no counting or measurements or stress!  You eat foods that come from nature and are health promoting; the body lets you know when it is nourished and no longer needs any more food; you push the plate away because you are no longer hungry, and laugh about when you used to count and measure your food.