Week 4 Progress Report
I am four weeks into my new-found lifestyle and here to report some useful trends.
Starting Weight: 207 lbs
Starting Body Fat: 23%
Total Body Fat: 47.6 lbs
Weight: 199 lbs (Wahoo! first time under 200 lbs since college)
Body Fat: 20%
Total Body Fat: 39.8 lbs
That is a change of 8 lbs overall and 3 % body fat. For all the haters out there, I use this scale:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/escali/body-fat-and-water-scale.html
I also verify the reading using this:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bbcom/defenderbodyfatcaliper.html
They have been within 1% of each other and I have been reporting the higher body fat of the two for this blog.
So, what have we learned so far?
Commitment
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
You have to commit fully to something like this. As I was approaching the 200 lb mark on the scale, I cheated and had a dinner roll one night with family. The following day I was at 202 lbs. WTF!! Some people eat garbage all day and don’t gain two pounds. What I have to remind myself is that when you are transitioning your body composition, it becomes very sensitive to irregularities. When you eat Big Mac’s all the time, your body learns to adjust and the rate at which you get fatter decreases simply because the human body is an incredible machine and doesn’t want you to be a squishy lazy thing. When you start to eat clean and diet, your nutrient uptake is high, your insulin response is altered and something as simple as a cheat donut can wreck a whole week’s worth of work.
I read a lot of fitness blogs and forums these days and I notice dozens of people a day complaining that they blew their weight loss for the week with one or two bad meals.
Remember, Abs are made in the home kitchen, not McDonald’s.
Hydration
That is actually what I look like. No, really.
Now that I am experiencing heightened metabolism and exerting more energy daily, I really need to keep up on my water intake. I shoot for around a gallon a day knowing that some days I will go under. Days where I really drop below that gallon, I am noticeably sluggish the next morning in the gym. Regarding composition, you want to be hydrated early on in something like this so that your body sees that it has tons of water available and doesn’t feel the need to hoard water. So, it is counter intuitive, but drinking more water will cause you to shed water weight.
The Work
All elevators should be “out of order.”
I don’t care if you go to the most expensive gym in the town you live or you work out in your basement, you have to put in the time. I find it hilarious that my coworkers tell me they don’t have an hour a day to workout, but then those same people sit and talk about all the shows they watch on tv daily. “Oh, did you catch American Idol, MadMen, and Biggest Loser last night?” That is a whole lot of couch surfing, but unlike regular surfing, it does not burn calories.
So, I hope to see you all out there. Keep eating clean and keep lifting those heavy things.
Be sure to tell your friends and share me on Facebook!
Week 1 Recap
Okay, everyone bear with me as we have some catching up to do.
Diet
A typical day this week looked something like this:
6:00 Wake
6:15 Whey Protein Shake
6:45 Workout
7:30 Whey Protein Shake
9:00 Oatmeal (Plain) and hard boiled eggs
11:30 Lunch (Leftovers mostly consisting of chicken and either salad or steamed veggies)
2:00 Lowfat Cottage Cheese (The full fat isn’t bad for you, I just don’t like the taste)
4:00 Unsalted mixed nuts
6:00 Dinner (Meat and vegetables here. This week we did chicken, beef, lamb really just trying to mix it up. Lots of grilled vegetables as I love to grill!)
9:00 Casein Protein Shake
10:00 Bed
Exercise
Monday: Deadlift
Tuesday: Bench
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: Military Press
Friday: Squat
The Results
The most notable and important but impossible to measure was my wife’s reaction. She is jokingly starting to call me muscles.
Weight: 202
B.F: 22%
So, I lost 5 lbs and 1% body fat in the first week. Not too bad. Stay tuned for more updates. The easiest way to stay tuned is to subscribe to the RSS Feed at the top right.
Thanks!
Week 1: The Theory Begins
So, we have finished up the fat week with three servings of pizza and a case of beer. The photos were taken (you will not be subject to these at this point) and submitted, the measurements were written down, and the cupboards have been emptied of temptation.
Now, everyone is probably wondering why my efforts merit blogging. Well, if this is your first time in cyber space, I will direct you to blogs such as the following*:
*Disclaimer: Please do not visit these sites if you actually value your sanity. I merely reference them to prove a point, and take my word for how much of a waste of time they are.
Now that you have wasted some brain cells, you can see that my little corner of the blogosphere must offer at least something of quality compared to your other options. So, if you have nothing better to do today, read along as we map out my plan of attack on how to get Caveman Shredded.
DIET
“Abs are made in the kitchen”
I had always heard this term, and it never quite sank in. Are we making ab soup? Do I do 1000 crunches a day in the kitchen? Is there something about working out while holding a sandwich that unlocks the primordial goo that will enable us to shred like the Hulk? Nope.
It’s very simple. What you eat, directly determines what you become.
Can you build a brick house out of shit? Perhaps maybe after letting it dry, and then throwing the poo in the trash and driving to home depot and buying bricks. So, unique circumstances and superior logic aside, let’s operate under the premise the in=out and “shit in” = “shit out.” Capiche?
If you would like to read in-depth about some topics we will cover later you can start here:
Cliff notes: High carb, sedentary lifestyles increase cortisol and makes you fat. Lower your carbs and increase your activity and your body will align it’s hormones and naturally reduce your fatassness.
The dietary plan for Caveman?
The Paleo Solution will be followed to about 85%.
Highlights:
High Protein
High Fat
No Gluten
Low Carb
Drink Water
We are not going to count calories or count carbs. We are not going to weigh our food or measure things with calipers. Very simply, pick up the package and read what you are putting into your body. If it says sugar, put it down. Better yet, let’s stop buying things that come in packaging for the most part. Here is how will we will shop:
Go to the store and ask yourself WWCMD? (WHAT WOULD A CAVE MAN DO?)
Would the caveman buy Oreos and Doritos? No.
Would the caveman buy individually sealed and frozen microwave dinners? No. (Hint: He didn’t own a microwave)
MEAT GROUP
A caveman would head straight to the meat department, so that is where we will go. From here, let’s fill our cart up halfway with meat. Let’s be diverse and include beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, and maybe a couple of varieties of fish. Bonus points for choices that include multiple animals in one pass like homemade sausage or “Turducken.”
Cavemen did not live on lean, grass-fed, chicken alone. If he stumbled across a buffalo that had eaten tree bark its whole life, he threw a spear at it, and then cooked up the deliciousness. Pigs eat mostly garbage, but I guarantee if one crossed his path what would he do? Reject the product because it contained fat
NO!!! He would……Eat the pig! Or perhaps in Caveman time periods, there was a substantial risk that the pig would eat our hero. Nevertheless, when popular culture and media tells you to focus on lean, organic, grass-fed blah blah blah – stick your fingers in your ears and hum along as you enjoy your delicious meal.
We are looking for protein and diversity here people, that is all. Do not get bogged down in the details. I guarantee that eating a pork chop from your local grocery store is still a better health decision than a burger and fries from a local fast food restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, if you are already a pro at this Paleo eating thing, there is nothing wrong with picking meat preferentially based on quality. In the early stages of any new plan, we need to focus on simple and the simple tenet here is buy and eat meat!
Now that we have bought close to our body wight in flesh, let’s graze over to the produce section. Now, most grocery stores are going to try to trick you here so watch out for the following issues:
1. Bread aisle in between butcher and produce section
“I bought all this meat, so we need hamburger buns, right?”
No! You are going to learn to eat the meat and love it. We will entertain options for how to enjoy the meal with the bun, but the short version is close your eyes and run screaming through the bread section.
“But they have bread that is all organic, whole grain, flax-seed, omegas, blah blah blah…..”
I stopped listening at bread. I don’t care what they put on the label or what buzz word is driving you towards the bread aisle. If it contains wheat, gluten, flour, bread, any of these words your instruction are to scream and run.
2. Magazine Racks
“Look, look, this magazine has ten ways to lose weight in 10 days.”
Stop listening to pop culture and the media when it comes to your health. There is a reason that we are the most medically advanced in Human History and the life expectancy in the United States is DECREASING!!! The people who publish those magazines do it to make money and sell product. This blog is free, and I will give you all the tools you need to succeed.
VEGGIE GROUP
Your instructions here are simple. Buy as much as you want of the things that come out of the ground as your little heart desires. Exercise moderation with potatoes. Try to mix and match colors.
Buy limited fruit, but you can get enough for one serving per day.
Pick up a variety of raw, unsalted nuts.
That is all. You may now leave the store.
“But Caveman, what about the food pyramid?”
The food pyramid is a scam. I won’t bore you with my tinfoil hat theories. Just know that it is garbage.
“What is the purpose of the rest of the store?”
Stores are businesses and they make money. They make more money off processed food and garbage. Buy the fresh stuff, the other stuff will survive on the shelf. Ie. not your problem.
Can I buy things like toilet paper?
YES
EXERCISE
No caveman is complete without ripply abs and big arms. So, the theory here is to get big and strong.
The theory is simple and it goes like this:
Muscle burns fat
Fat is undesirable
Muscle is then desirable
We are going to follow a very simple plan developed by Jim Wendler
Buy the book if you want to know all the ins and out and details. I have read it and am going to break it down very simply here, but the credit goes to Jim.
Lift, Eat, Water, Sleep
My workout routine focuses on building muscle up front assuming that as the body increases muscle mass, it will increase the average daily caloric load, which is turn will burn fat.
“But Caveman, everyone I see at the gym spends hours on the treadmill”
Some cardio is okay. Lots of cardio is a waste of time. Do you see Lion’s running laps around the Serengeti? No. They save their energy for when they need it. The hunt. And this is how you should approach your life. Also, ask yourself if you think you would rather look like a professional marathoner or a sprinter?
Which person do you think get’s more action?
I mean, some people may enjoy the skeleton on the left, but my experience at the bars in the wild has been that the person on the right would be more successful when dealing with the opposite sex, job interviews, looking good in formal clothes, and not hurting themself when siting down.
Workout Plan
Monday:
Military Press
Tuesday:
Squat
Wednesday:
Optional High Intensity Cardio
Thursday:
Bench Press
Friday:
Dead Lift
That’s it. It’s truly easy to follow. I use the calculator found in Jim Wendler’s blogspace to calculate my reps and plan my sets. But essentially this is all I do.
“But Caveman, I do 100 reps at 5% of my 1RM (1 rep max – ie. the most you can lift)”
You are wasting time and are part of the reason I wish I could afford to open my own gym. I would establish a 45 minute time limit and start throwing people out at that point. I would also not have televisions in my gym.
Stop the nonsense of low weight, high rep. Go into the gym, lift heavy things*, achieve hypertrophy, become strong, and your body will love you for it.
*Please consult with you physician before any exercise plan. I don’t enjoy being sued.
“But caveman, I can only work out 4 days a week”
Eliminate the cardio day
“But Cavemen, I can only work out 3 days a week”
Now you are making excuses and starting to bother me. If you own a television, and it is ever on, then you have time to go to the gym. If you cannot afford a gym membership, there are plenty of heavy things you can lift at home, starting with your own fast ass. If your ass is not fat enough to elicit muscle hypertrophy, lift your neighbor, he probably has a huge ass.
“But Caveman, excuses, excuses, excuses, ”
When asked how he was so productive, Richard Branson responded with ““Work out.” If one of the richest people in the world, who manages multinational corporations and jet sets constantly can work out, so can the rest of us.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Some of the best advise I ever received was people don’t do what you expect, they do what you inspect.
If you do not track your progress, you will probably fail.
Do the following:
1. Weigh in
2. Measure body fat
3. Measure body dimensions (go to www.bodybuilding.com for instructions and some really good tracking sheets)
4. Keep a record of your workouts and enter them into an online format
5. Record your meals (Mrs. Caveman goes as far as taking pictures of everything she eats)
6. Find like-minded people and share in the joys of better health
7. Compete – Human beings are driven to compete. If you enjoy running, sign up for a Tough Mudder. If you like lifting, see about entering a body changes contest like Summer Shred. Whatever the case, find some way to compete. I guarantee that it will provide motivation and spark something inside you that perhaps you have never felt. That feeling is excitement and the primal urge to win.
CAVEMAN STARTING STATS
Weight: 207 lbs
B.F: 23%
Height: 5’11”
GET PRIMAL!!!
So, let’s all hit the grocery store, donate your junk food to a charity, find heavy things to lift and let’s starting getting our lives headed in the right direction.
Also, this is a very new blog space for me, so comment, tell your friends, and pass this information along. Facebook, Twitter, etc is coming…
The Anti-Paleo Update (Day 4)
So, 4 days into wrecking my body for financial gain and I figured it was time for an update.For those of you just tuning in, I am currently fatting up in order to take a satisfactory “before” photo for a bodybuilding contest. Cash, prizes, and fame are on the line, so it is essential that we sandbag, lie, cheat and steal. Mrs. Caveman needs a vacation and the spoils of this contest will hopefully get us there.
So far this week, we have been successful at being “Anti-Paleo.” I wasn’t able to take pictures of the twice McDonalds greatness or the Carl’s Jr. wonderment simply because my caveman paws lunged for the food before proof could be attained.
One perk to the corporate office life is that there is no shortage of provided lunches. Yesterday, we were treated to delicious breakfast burritos from the bar next door.
Mmmmm….. Sleepy Time
Notice the shear disregard for human figures with the copious amounts of bacon, cheese, sour cream, oversized deliciously gluten filled tortilla, and did I mention bacon? Also, nothing hates waistlines more than delicious chips. The quinessential empty calorie. We all know that most renditions of prehistoric man are of him holding crisps and sitting on his ass.
Today, we ventured to the local hotdog eatery where their interpretation of “jumbo” was skewed but the spoils were still delicious.
So good, couldnt take a picture without biting it
Bread, bread, and fries. MMMMmmmmmm….. The Homer Simpson in all of us drools…..
I am pretty sure there was protein somewhere on that plate, and the greens serve no purpose other than to trick us into thinking we are being healthy.
I am hoping that my body will survive until Sunday. I can definitely tell that as the week progresses I get sleepier in the afternoons and my motivation is shrinking. Truly, this is why Cavemen invented tools, fire, and eventually farmed. It was so that we could all feel lethargic and sleepy in the afternoons and plunk down on our couches once the sun goes down and wait for television to get dull enough for us to cash in for the night. Our prehistoric forefathers would be proud…
Stay tuned to see if I even survive it to the weigh in.
The Anti-Paleo Solution
Over the years, I have been a bit of a diet fiend. Soup diets, juicing diets, gluten free, carb free, all raw, etc.
Starting March 25, 2013 I am entering the bodybuilding.com Summer Shred contest
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2013-bsn-summer-shred-challenge.html
Edit: That is not me in the photos.
So, in order to take a good “before’ photo, I need to make sure I look as fat and miserable as possible so that the after photo is that much better.
Checklist for before photo:
Pale skin
Need a haircut
No gym for a week before
As flabby and bloated as possible
The pale part is easy since it is still winter in Colorado. I am in desperate need of a haircut, so we can hold off for one more week. And I am enjoying sleeping in this week and skipping the gym.
Now the fun part – Looking flabby and bloated.
I have one week to effectively be fat and disgusting knowing that on Monday March 25, 2013 it will all change. This will all culminate on Saturday night when my family goes to Crave, a local burger restaurant. Stay tuned for the related story.
The meal plan:
A year ago I read The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf. You can find more information here http://robbwolf.com/shop/products/the-paleo-solution-the-original-human-diet/
Since I had experienced solid results eating Paleo, the only natural assumption would be to eat the opposite for fat and flabby results. So this week my diet will consist of:
Processed Food
Fast Food
Bread, Bread, Bread
Anything Gluten
Processed sugars
Any junk food I can think of craving over the next 12 weeks.
On Sunday we will weigh in and take photos and all of you Caveman Adventurers can track my progress every week right here.
Stay tuned for reviews on how to pack on the pounds right before we dive into removing the pounds!
Caveman Adventures 
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