A small compilation/work-in-progress of things that I've picked up and realized over the past few years.
Things I've Learned (Nutrition):
Fasted Weight-Training really isn't the Devil -
For the longest time I avoided fasted cardiovascular and anaerobic training like they were the plague. Why? Mostly due to my (wrongly held) belief that they would most surely strip me of all of my hard earned muscle. I've been, for the last 30 days, training in a fasted state anywhere from 1-2 hours after waking. I have done so in an effort to lose body fat. It has worked, most certainly. It has far greater implications, IMO, than just burning higher amounts of fat due to the fasted state. It's an excellent tool for decreasing overall daily calorie intake for those of us who are attempting to lose weight. Not having the traditional breakfast will cut out around 500 calories for most people, easily. After doing this for 1 month, I've discovered that this form of training really just IS NOT going to strip away an appreciable amount of my lean mass either. It just hasn't happened. Sure, I've lost some muscle, when dieting however, this is generally permitted to a degree, and this degree has not been reached, by any means. Lastly, training in a fasted state just makes sense when you realize that our ancestors - who were in amazing shape, mind you - would "train" fasted everyday while hunting down their meals for the rest of the day. Without doubt, this was some rather high intensity "training." With all of that said, fasted weight-training, is NOT the demon I believed it to be.
Carbohydrates may not be responsible for making people fat, but Grains most certainly are! -
Are grains completely terrible, no, not at all. However, they are a rather calorie dense form of carbohydrates, and impact insulin levels to a far greater degree than either fruits or vegetables. I cut out grains about 2 months ago based on some reading I did (The Paleo Diet; Loren Cordain). Since that time, it has been markedly more easy to lost body fat than it has been in the past. Plus, I can't help but believe that my overall health is surely benefiting from this change. Pound for pound, fruits and vegetables contain far more beneficial nutrients than most all grains. Not only are fruits and veggies great for you, they're certainly a fun way to eat. You can literally stuff yourself with a plate of veggies and feel full for hours, all while hardly impacting your calorie balance for the day. In my opinion, grains are NOT the answer, for any healthy individual.
Things I've Learned (Nutrition):
Fasted Weight-Training really isn't the Devil -
For the longest time I avoided fasted cardiovascular and anaerobic training like they were the plague. Why? Mostly due to my (wrongly held) belief that they would most surely strip me of all of my hard earned muscle. I've been, for the last 30 days, training in a fasted state anywhere from 1-2 hours after waking. I have done so in an effort to lose body fat. It has worked, most certainly. It has far greater implications, IMO, than just burning higher amounts of fat due to the fasted state. It's an excellent tool for decreasing overall daily calorie intake for those of us who are attempting to lose weight. Not having the traditional breakfast will cut out around 500 calories for most people, easily. After doing this for 1 month, I've discovered that this form of training really just IS NOT going to strip away an appreciable amount of my lean mass either. It just hasn't happened. Sure, I've lost some muscle, when dieting however, this is generally permitted to a degree, and this degree has not been reached, by any means. Lastly, training in a fasted state just makes sense when you realize that our ancestors - who were in amazing shape, mind you - would "train" fasted everyday while hunting down their meals for the rest of the day. Without doubt, this was some rather high intensity "training." With all of that said, fasted weight-training, is NOT the demon I believed it to be.
Carbohydrates may not be responsible for making people fat, but Grains most certainly are! -
Are grains completely terrible, no, not at all. However, they are a rather calorie dense form of carbohydrates, and impact insulin levels to a far greater degree than either fruits or vegetables. I cut out grains about 2 months ago based on some reading I did (The Paleo Diet; Loren Cordain). Since that time, it has been markedly more easy to lost body fat than it has been in the past. Plus, I can't help but believe that my overall health is surely benefiting from this change. Pound for pound, fruits and vegetables contain far more beneficial nutrients than most all grains. Not only are fruits and veggies great for you, they're certainly a fun way to eat. You can literally stuff yourself with a plate of veggies and feel full for hours, all while hardly impacting your calorie balance for the day. In my opinion, grains are NOT the answer, for any healthy individual.