Sunday, February 3, 2008

Swamp water and powdered milk

Woohoo! I have two days worth of photos in my time-lapse series. So far I don't notice much of a change (duh). I should actually redo things a bit because what I have is a slide show of my frontal, profile, and back. That's interesting but the problem is three seconds elapse before the next corresponding 'frontal' picture shows up. It could be distracting.

Anyway "Swamp water and powdered milk"...what the heck do I mean by that? Actually I'm referring to Odwalla Superfood and Whey Protein. In the morning I make a smoothy of the stuff. Superfood is actually a blend of various "wheat grasses" and fruit juices and curiously enough: spirulina algae. Spirulina is the most nutrient dense plant form known to man. Broccoli I believe is the second most nutrient dense plant form known to man. Don't get me wrong, I love broccoli, but for breakfast? No I don't think so...unless I was eating it plain by itself...then maybe. Anyway the combination of the grasses and spirulina gives the beverage a lovely puke-green color, not unlike you would find floating in a stagnant swamp somwhere. Though it leaves much to be desired in the looks department I actually find it delicious and it blends well with the second ingredient in my breakfast concoction: Whey Protein.

LOOK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, you're saying, "Oh for crying out loud you went to GNC and they sold you a line that you need this stuff to 'bulk up' you rube! Those things are just loaded with fat and calories" Well what I'm going to say is going to knock your socks off: I agree. BUT only for the fact that if you take them as an additive to a regular diet you're just wasting time digesting them. Simply adding protein on top of your regular diet won't magically cause you to put on muscle. What tends to happen is: your body absorbs the protein it needs to support tissue regeneration and...poops out the rest. So unless you are someone who enjoys a more voluminous stool I'd say skip the protein supplements. HOWEVER, protein plays a key role in controlling the starvation and hunger response. As there is a minimum number of calories required per day to support the body's metabolism (Basal Metabolic Rate) there is also a minimum amount of protein required to support day-to-day bodily functions. This amount varies from person to person but for a fella of my heighth I should take in between 70-90 grams of protein daily. For the average American slob, getting enough protein is not an issue:

Average American Slob
  • Breakfast - two Sausage McMuffin's with egg, hash browns, coffee: 43grams protein.
  • Lunch - Footlong Subway Club Sandwich, chips, drink: 48grams protein
  • Dinner - Steak, potato, vegetable (left on plate) 52grams protein.
  • Total: 143 grams protein.

Analysis: plenty of protein...plenty of impacted bowels.

Myself (above Average American Slob)
  • Breakfast - coffee, glass of water, coffee: 0 grams protein.
  • Lunch - coffee: 0 grams protein.
  • Dinner - cookies, top Ramen, PB&J sandwiches, crackers, frozen waffles, and a Totino's Pizza (and whatever else is slower than I am): 26grams protein.
  • Total: 26 grams protein.

26 grams of protein...and Heaven knows how many calories from carbohydrates, fat, and sugar. Protein intake is what triggers starvation. Trouble is its a one way trigger. In my case (since I don't get NEARLY enough daily protein) my body responds by: slowing metabolism, consuming muscle tissue (puny arms, sunken chest, chicken legs), and storing fat from whatever I do eat (spare tire). However the opposite is not true for Average American Slobs who get more than enough protein. Their bodies do not say, "Welp, we've got enough protein, time to speed up the metabolism, and dump that extra fat." Instead their bodies say, "Holy moley! We've moved into an area with food! Let's store all the fat we can!" and that's how Republicans are created.

Getting enough protein while still allowing your body to use its stored fat for energy is a tricky balancing act. Most of the foods that we eat which are high in protein are also high in fat and carbohydrates. The answer is lean proteins AND exercise. Lean proteins (Chicken, fish, turkey, soy, and AHEM whey protein) Allow you to eat enough protein to fulfill your daily needs but without adding a whole lot of extraneous calories you don't need. Also exercise is one way to keep your metabolism from falling. Your muscles have to have energy and protein in order to function. By exercising you aren't really giving your body a choice about what to do with its energy reserves. There is only one choice: use em (i.e.: work the fat off). Yes your body will bitch and moan about it but that's life, we all have to do things we hate, and its time your body towed the party line.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Fat Blob Project

By popular request I have decided to include the "before" photos I took in this blog entry. It seems that certain people don't possess technology advanced enough to display a flash program. That's alright though cause it makes sense. I'll be posting the weekly photos in blog form along with a short discussion of my experiences and impression from the week.

Man these pictures turned out larger than I expected. Pay particularly close attention to the lack of any V-Shape to my torso, the skinny computer geek arms, and the complete lack off ass. Also my hair always looks red in photographs and I haven't been able to figure out why.