Evolutionary Eating

The one thing I can be certain of is that human beings as a species have passed the point of physical evolution.  You may not see this in a science textbook, but I have a simple hypothesis and one that ultimately may be a bit controversial.

As a species, we have reached a point in our intellectual development to where we are adversely affecting our evolution.  I joke that my wife is blind as a bat.  Ten thousand years ago a human with her vision would have walked right in front of a saber tooth tiger and been taken out of the gene pool.  But with modern science and optometry, she is able to trick me into thinking she has perfect vision (contact lenses) and now we have a chance at having another kid with bad vision.

Now before I go too far, please realize that I'm not making any moral judgements here or supporting eugenics.  I'm essentially stating that as we learn more and more about medicine and science and are able to keep people alive longer, our physical evolution as a species has stopped, and our intellectual capacity is taking over.  This graphic above almost illustrates that point.

No longer is survival dependent on physical strength and superior hunting skills.  Mastery of intellectual skills is more desired and rewarded.  So, there are some of us that wish to "throw back the clock."  As our  intellectual capabilities have drastically improved, our genetics haven't.  We now have abundant food sources and instead of working for days to find our next meal, we can find thousands of calories in minutes and not even have to leave the comfort of our cars to do so.

So this is where Paleo/Primal eating comes into play.  By eating like our caveman ancestors did, we can hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls of modern life.

I struggle with paleo eating.  I shoot for the 80%.  Today I did pretty well, but I did have one big piece of wheat bread with lunch.  The problem I always have is a lack of planning.  I can find some pretty decent options out there, but my downfall is my lunch meals.  I have to be more disciplined on how I eat.

I just cam across this video.

http://wimp.com/mindingmitochondria/

Check out this doctor's speech.  Very powerful.

Time to get Extreme Baby!

OK folks, forget what I may have said. The "Push" phase of ChaLEAN Extreme is no joke.

The "burn" phase focuses on synergistic moves, shooting for 12 slow controlled reps. It's a great workout, but not as intense as I was used to during P90X.

I started my first Push workout the other day not knowing what to expect. The warm-up was standard. Then Chalene says to pick a weight for 6-8 reps. First move is bicep curls. I challenged myself, set my power-blocks for 40 lbs each and got started. I've never attempted to curl more than 35 lbs an arm before. To get through 8 reps at 40 lbs an arm was a great feeling. The rest of the workout was similar. I was trying heavier weights than I had ever used before and doing great. Sweat was pouring out everywhere. When I got done with the workout, I knew I had really broken through a mental barrier in my workouts.

The one problem I've been having lately is my diet. Some really exciting things have happened at my work lately and I've been given a lot more responsibility. I've strayed a bit with my diet mainly because my schedule has been all over the place. I haven't been preparing a good healthy lunch. I've been trying to hit up Subway, but I won't lie. The Golden Arches have called my name once or twice and I've given in.

More to come soon. Sorry for the lack of time between posts.

John

Diet vs Exercise

This video is a great visual illustration of how making mistakes or cheating on your diet can affect your results. A lot of people think, "I work out, I can afford to eat some fries, or drink a double whip white chocolate mocha."

Think about what you're doing. I know I'm not the perfect example of this. I've been struggling a lot with this lately. I'm not gaining any weight/fat. However my frequent straying from my diet has stalled my results.

Check out this video. Why I don't agree with the sentiment that Cardio isn't important. Its critical for your overall health. However, why do all the work if you're going to waste all your back breaking hard work and effort with your diet.

P90X...What to expect.

I have to say, I DID NOT write the following. It has been sent around the P90X world and I've received it from a few folks. If you are the original author, or know who is, please let me know so I may give them credit.

RESOLVE TO EVOLVE

Clarity, like the fine edge of a newly sharpened blade. You have a plan, a goal, a schedule; you have your nutrition down to a point. Your workouts are intense, you suffer daily. You are making sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night to ensure adequate recovery from your brutal regimen. You are even doing your own version of "Doubles" whether its 20 minutes of HIIT, running, swimming or any other form of cardio three days a week to burn even more fat. You have a clear mental picture of what you want to accomplish during your round of the X, you have your "mind right". So what should you expect? I'll give you some insight so there are no surprises.

DAY 1 - 30 (PHASE 1 - APPROXIMATELY)
1.) This is the adjustment period. Your body is getting into the schedule and tempo of your workouts. It is adjusting to your new nutrition habits. Expect some differences, perhaps not the drastic visual differences you crave but your clothes will become baggier.

2.) Stay the course during this period. I have had allot of people say to me "Something is not right, I'm not getting as lean as I should be."

This is normal; during Phase 1 you are priming the body and stoking your metabolic fire. **YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! I REPEAT, YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! **

Your body will take body fat off in "sheets". What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes, stay off of the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard.

DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This phase is where your body kicks into high gear. You are getting stronger and leaner. Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily.

2.) WHAT TO EXPECT: You will start to see that your outer extremities, (Forearms, calves, upper back, shoulders) generally where people hold the least amount of fat, will start to get leaner.

3.) Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest.

4.) REMAIN PATIENT AND STAY THE COURSE!

DAYS 61 - 90 (PHASE 3 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It's an all out assault on body fat. Your metabolism is in high gear, you have noticed a drastic improvement in definition throughout your entire body and your most stubborn pockets of fat are carving away.

2.) This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat.

3.) At the end of this Phase you want to be standing tall on Day 90, proudly take your after pictures and be able to say, "I worked as hard as I possibly could have during the past 90 days, I BROUGHT IT!"

So there it is, what to expect during a Phase of P90X. If you have any questions and would like to discuss some of the finer points of what I have described above, please don't hesitate to ask.