The 4-Hour Body: 3 week checkpoint

3 weeks ago I began a new approach to my eating. I had read various positive reviews concerning the Four-Hour Body and decided that it sounded like something worthwhile to try out for a month or so.

Taking the Man out of the Manzier
My goal is simple, to lose some body fat. Over the last year I have seen my waistline creep little by little and the manzier reaching its outermost limits as well. The final straw was the winter/ baby time off couple with quick fix eating and a lack of sleep. I stepped on the scale one day and the hard truth was blankly staring upwards at me. No more could I say I was wearing my "heavy" shoes today, things weren't fitting well and I felt squeezed. None of my shoes weigh 15 pounds...

Even 'stylish' manziers are a FAIL

About this time I was reading reviews of the 4-Hour Body
(4HB if you are into brevity) and it got me thinking... I thought:

"You know, you've been doing the same thing, for a long time, and even when running decent mileage (up to mid 60 mpw) you still aren't losing any weight, you are gaining weight... maybe try something new..."    -record of me... thinking about what I thought.


So- I visited Amazon.com and bought the Kindle version of 4HB and began reading it right away. I won't go into the details of the program here, I am not trying to sell you anything (unless author Tim Ferris would like to compensate me for such, then... maybe). But- basically sugar is out, or anything kin to sugar, including dairy.

Now 3 weeks into the 4HB program, I feel much leaner and lighter. If this is all I get, then I consider my $10 well spent. I am also saving money on food since I eat beans, legumes and veggies 6 days a week, as much as I want, no calorie restrictions, typically 4 small meals (two lunches).

Binge-opolis
On the 7th day is a real treat... binge day. For 24 hours, once a week, you get as much of anything you want...really.  This made me skeptical but it helps on those challenging days when you want to cheat to know you can just wait for the big binge. Why does it work? Chalk it up to priming metabolism for the next 6 days (85% of your life)... or for the runner's mind- it is recovery day. I guess I look at it this way, I train my running body 6 days a week and give it one to do whatever... consistency over time= results.

Beer-burger smoothie... yes please!

Binge day typically something like this:

• 2 large supreme pizzas
• 6 pack of good beer
• 2 bags of chips
• 15 Chicken strips
• Bowl of ice cream
• Miscellaneous candy
• Baking sheet of French Fries
• 32 oz. Dr. Pepper

Total calories??? No clue, but it is truly gluttonous and I typically find myself unable to move as I make my way toward bed... the odd thing is that I find I am much "hungrier" on binge days than during the week. Is the food more filling? Is it mental? Probably a little bit of both... along with more free time at home.

I have found the diet very doable and perhaps most important I have paid more attention to what I am consuming... always a Big WIN!

But- what have my results been >>>

From these pictures you can see a little definition coming out in my torso as subcutaneous fat stores go away. Full disclosure on the before and current photos... completely relaxed in both photos, I am NOT sucking in or doing any infomercial-style tricks;) What you see is what has happened for me so far.

To this point the results have been promising and honestly, fairly immediate. Within 5 days I felt a real difference and saw it too. I estimate that I have lost about 4% body fat from 16% to 12% in this time frame.

Bottom line: I will continue with 4HB, it is working for me. Toward the goal of 8-9% body fat, hopefully by Boston.    

Though it is snowing as I type
I think spring is coming, time is right-
after all, winter cannot last forever!! 


can it?

Recover... Resume... Run... Repeat...

Two weeks after Goblin Valley I am back to the day to day in preparation for Thunder Road next month and a return to the roads.

Because of the upcoming decrease in race distance and the asphalt surface and the time goal associated with this event I am adding a little bit of speed to the next month of running, decreasing volume a tad and working on running relaxed and fast, not hard- never hard.

We know that no matter our level of fitness, the absence of hard does not equate to easy. Yesterday's run was a great example. As I laced up for the reunion with the long training run I felt a little warm and a little bored. Not good signs.

On the Blue Ridge Parkway I set out and began the continuous climbing and descending. After 8 miles I was ready to turn... tired... tired.

I set my sights on the return and was cruising along, relaxed but feeling the effort. The run was being completed at goal MP or a little below but something was getting to me. The Heat. Running in Boone heat is not something I generally have to deal with, especially since August when I began taking night classes and jamming an hour of running into the fading daylight/ pitch darkness and resulting chill.

I am not complaining about 70's in November but it does cause concern on the run, especially a longish run. I struggled on back to the car, staying mechanically efficient, focusing only on form and not on the bubbling in the gut which seemed to want to surface. It never did.

The rest of my day was spent in Asheville, taking in the local culture and looking for Gluten Free eating options before 5pm on a Sunday (not many). Lynnea and I ended up at the Outback for delicious cuisine. I had the scrumptious, salty Teriyaki Steak. Lynnea had chicken.

As we were settling up the bill, the waiter asked us:

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No, we're good."

"Okay, Love you too."

...and then he walked away. Without explanation. Was this a bet, a prank? I did not feel such a connection with the waiter. Maybe he was just thinking about someone else?

Lynnea and I made our way to the car... flabbergasted as to what had just happened to us... victimized by wayward sentiments of Love.