Ups and Downs

Week two... Hmmm...

After such an amazingly successful first week, I wasn't ruling out the possibility of being 6st at the end of week two, I was wrong, but maybe not by as much as I thought!

Week two has seen a slightly less satisfying result of a three pound loss. This bummed me out a bit, though I then took my measurements, to find that I had actually lost nearly 4.5" overall, including an inch in the gut, which is always good news!

Whilst the numbers haven't shone for me this week, I feel quite different! Suddenly the buttons on my work shirt don't hold on for dear life when I am sitting at my desk, and I don't have trouble breathing when I tie my shoe laces. Those might sound like small things, but they have definitely contributed to a better attitude overall, and I am not nearly as reserved when it comes to wearing a shirt that otherwise I wouldn't have.

This week, there has been a couple of changes, namely the addition of 'drugs'. Whilst not steroids, or heroin, I have begun taking caplets that fall under the name of 'PAGG'. If I've not said it before, I'll say it now, this diet is scientific! Not only does it break a lot of the normal 'diet rules', it also focuses on using some of the tools available on the wholefood market to assist in rapid fat loss. Let's get this straight, I am not taking fat blockers or diet pills, I am taking some nutrients/extracts that are designed to do different (but similar things), which aren't readily available in common foods. This means that at the moment, I am taking up to five caps with every meal, which is a cocktail (or 'stack') which contains Anti-Lipoic Acid (ALA), Green Tea Extract, and Garlic Extract. In the evenings, I treat myself to a P... Policosonal, the final, and more elusive of the stack's components.

So, has the miracle stack made me drop a hundred pounds in four days? Not really, but it has certainly helped me in convincing the calories I am consuming choose to be focused on muscle, rather than fat. This has meant that whilst my body weight hasn't dramatically decreased, I had a very noticeable difference in my work trousers. This is a pretty good result, though I am coming to find that the stack is a bit pricey, as it is due to cost me about £20 per month, though if the benefit is maintained, then I have no problem with this.

Here is what breakfast looked like on day 7 of the first week, odd to see some pills there, though at least there's some variation in taste/colour/size (Only joking!):


Another change for me in week two was adding a bit more flavor to my meals, as I am sure there's no way I could keep this up for weeks without some fun thrown in. This has meant that with my morning spinach, I have added a couple different kinds of simple vinaigrettes. With meats, I am more inclined to add some seasoning, and olive oil. Instead of simply frying eggs, I have added paprika to add a bit of a more meaty flavour, almost makes it taste a bit like bacon! I have varied my choice of beans as well, as I have come to find beans to be the weakest part of this whole thing. They're boring, and there are seemingly only a few different takes on beans that are tasty, and conducive to this diet. Over the weeks, I hope to share some enjoyable recipes for not only people attempting this diet, but also for people who are just looking to change things up a bit in their normal diet.

Now, the fun stuff... and perhaps the most bizarre part of this diet is the cheat day. Every week, I am allowed one day (which needs to be the same day each week) where I am actually urged to bust the wheels off this show, and go crazy! Last week I told you about my McDonalds quest, when I could only manage to turn this:

...into this:

Now if you know me, you know that this just doesn't happen! Whilst I didn't coin the term 'side-burg', I may have pioneered the use of it. I had a habit of eating until I was going to nearly be sick, and then regretting it immediately thereafter! This got me thinking, until dinner that was... when this beauty crossed my lips:


And my god was it good. It went down easily as well! I didn't partake in any consumption of alcohol, which again is an oddity! I thought I'd be dying to have a Schneider-Weisse or two, but not at all!

Tim warns you that you will put on weight after cheat day, and indeed I did! I didn't get back down to my low weight until Thursday, and then by Saturday morning I had lost another three pounds. This time around, I put on nearly six pounds on my cheat day (which was reasonably well behaved), and I am still sitting 6-7lbs above Saturday's weigh-in, though I am hoping it disappears quicker. I have read that this sudden influx of calories shocks the body into working a treat for the week after, though I have also been told to do certain things to ensure that I absorb the least amount of calories as possible from these meals, and I have not yet implemented those changes.

This week, I am strongly hoping for another good loss, as I would really like to get back into running, though I am not at a reasonable enough weight to run comfortably, and safely. I would also like to get to grips (pardon the pun) with the 4HB's favorite exercise, which will be discussed when I finally manage to get the required equipment. Stay tuned for that one!

In any case, I am now officially two weeks in, and feeling great about the whole thing! I am not only losing weight, but I am saving money, and getting healthier one day at a time. I would however like to get my bodyfat percentage tested properly, which is amazingly more difficult than you'd think!

One last thing, just to share something that I thought was a little evil... as I am unbelievably addicted to pasta, and haven't had any for two weeks (as opposed to once every 2-3 nights), as I was headed to the 'Bean aisle', I passed this lovely stack of drool-worthy pastaness, perfectly stocked, as if to say 'Come on fat kid, just do it!':


In any case, thanks again for keeping tuned in to this blog, and I look forward to hearing from more people that have managed to stumble across this page, whether it be through one of Tim's avenues, or through my own.

To all the other 4HB'ers out there, keep going, and share your results! For everyone else, let me know what you think!

To finish it off, here are some of the meals from Week 2. If any of them look interesting, let me know and I'll put some recipes up!

Cheers!

The Four Hour Body

Wow... it's been more than a year. Unfortunate!

But as always, I am back for more, and this time I think I've found something with the perfect balance of structure and freedom to keep me committed to it.

After reading another one of Tim Ferriss's books (The Four Hour Work Week), I decided to give him a shot in crafting a new body for me as well as a few lifestyle tweaks. The new book is called "The Four Hour Body". The principles are simple, and promise that with some substantial changes (though not time consuming), some amazing changes can be seen in body composition in short periods of time. The other book was great, and has improved some parts of my life, so why not give this a shot? What's to lose? £7.49 for the cost of the book? At least I can say I've tried it, and at the very least, Tim's writing style is incredibly fun and easy to read.

Having started reading the book last week, I started the first major change in the book on Monday morning, the 'Slow Carb Diet'. The diet calls for a bit of craziness, and to the 'diet sensible' people in this world, there are a number of things that are easily disagreed. What does this mean? Well... it's more fun to rub it in people's faces if it works! I like anything that proves the majority wrong, and this is definitely one of those things.

So, without spoiling the fundamentals of the book, this diet consists of a few rules, but the biggest of which is to avoid white carbs, and consume more protein at breakfast. One of the bigger bonuses is that every week, you're allowed, and insisted to take a cheat day, on which you can throw the towel in, and partake in some calorie overload. Today is the first of those cheat days for me, and so far, I am surprised at the results. I have been hankering for a Big Mac meal all week oddly enough, and whereas normally I would have a Large Big Mac meal with Coke/Fanta, and disgustingly a 'Side-Burg' which could range from a cheeseburger to a full quarter-pounder with cheese. Holy shit, no wonder I'm the size of a £125,000 Edinburgh Flat!

So would I be delighted with my Big Mac and regular fries?

... of course I was! Are you head-dead? That being said, I got halfway through the burger, and got a cold rush through my cheeks (a sign I've had too much starch), and my stomach was putting on a hold on my account. I got through half of a normal meal, and threw in the towel. Why? Not because I've been eating less, and my stomach is smaller, but my guess is because I've learned in one week that food is fuel, not fun. It can be fun, and will be for the rest of my life, but I've been a horse with blinders on. You don't need to eat the whole burger to enjoy it, it just makes you miserable, and fat.

I'm currently on day six of this diet, and though I initially believed the change of diet would be impossible, it has been a lot easier than I had thought. I have found myself beginning to enjoy the food that I am eating, and I am getting better at stomaching 300-400 calories at breakfast within literally minutes of opening my eyes. Whatever doubts I had can be quelled for now though, as this morning I weighed myself, to find that I have lost 1 stone (14lbs). I don't care who you are, you cannot argue with that kind of result in a week. I doubt my results will be as impressive next week, but I've got lots of time to see results from this.

I have yet to change my exercise habits, and in fact, I am likely seeing less exercise than I am used to. I have another 10K run scheduled for the beginning of October, and I'd like to better my time from last year, though I haven't done any reasonable running since last October, when I was averaging about 5k. I would like to substantially lower my weight before I get back into the running, as my knees have had issues with the abuse they take on a daily basis.

My initial goal is to hit 13st 13lbs (195lbs), and see what I look like from there. Why would I choose that as my magic number? Because it's the lightest I will have ever been in my adult life. I don't want to use weight as my only key measurement, so I am working on getting an accurate body fat measurement taken. I have yet to find someone locally who can offer DEXA scanning for less than £150, so there's a bit of hesitation. I am looking at other options (as discussed in the book) of Bod Pod, or Bodymetrix systems.

In addition to my efforts, my girlfriend Alicia is also changing her diet, though we're keeping seperate to see what happens. She has also had a very successful week, losing a total of seven pounds. Well done pretty lady!

In any case... this week has been incredibly successful, and I look forward to seeing more of it.

Thanks Tim for writing a fantastic book, and if anyone is interested, the link is above. You can get some free insight into the 'Four Hour Body', visit Tim's blog over at The Four Hour Blog

Stay tuned for more, but for some insight into what I've been eating, check out the photos below:

Breakfast, Day 1:

Dinner, Day 2:

Dinner, Day 3:

Lunch, Day 4: