To start let me thank everyone for their feedback on part one of a series I had no clue would be a series and more, again thank you.  That being said I apologize if I don’t hit on a specific question or comment, I am reading them  =).

Ok where to start… I guess the best thing to do is start back at the basics, a review for those following but if your just joining the table I’m talking about your food or “fuel” and your activity/training or exercise.  I just cant say it enough that, FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! “You are what you,” eat a greasy meal from a fast food restaurant and what does your sweat smell like an hour later? I had many replies on twitter and comments about “genetics” and “slower metabolism” so I’ll bring this into the topic as well.  Like I said before and many text say, genetics do play a role in our physical appearance and metabolism but unless your current diet is honestly brown rice, grilled chicken, fruits and vegetables then you’re cheating yourself and wasting hours in the gym and most likely overtraining.  I’m only speaking from experience, I too once ran/trained five days a week for about five years but was eating and terrifying rushed american diet of fast food, mountain dew, and oven ready pizzas.  After all that work a close friend of mine called me out and basically told me to stop training like athlete and eating like and asshole.  Within 3-4 months I had shed that last 10-15 pounds of fat hiding my six-pack and overall definition and that was a little of 2 years ago and mostly done by cutting out all sugars not from fruit and no more fast food.  So “stop and think” because your probably not eating like the animal you are.  Plain oatmeal with bananas, quinoa or brown rice and salmon maybe with some lightly grilled or steamed veggies, tuna or lean turkey meat with tomato, red onion, fresh spinach on sourdough or rye are all some good “basics.” Notice there was no mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, teriyaki  or ranch on the list.  These are all loaded with hidden sugars, fats and sodium on top of a list of artificial colorings, flavors, preservatives and whats worse you’re paying for them =).  A little mustard will make your taste buds come alive after you’ve gone a couple days without your favorite “additive.”  While on food I want to mention caffeine  for a second.  Simply put, caffeine’s a hell of a drug… and should be treated/respected as one, moderation.  Caffeine will speed up your metabolism for a short duration but like alcohol it is a diuretic, so you’re increasing the chance of getting dehydrated if your already working out or not staying on top of your water consumption.  Keeping your urine clear to slightly yellow is a good way to measure if your hydrated enough and you  should have to go every hour or two.  Your body can’t convert all that good  food to energy efficiently and everything else in you body requires it so just get used to always having a water bottle with you.

Moderation… this is something I preach and honestly, just between you and me selectively follow =).  I say this for two reasons,

one because if you can’t be honest with yourself whats the fucking point!? and two, just so everyone feels me on this, I’m not perfect and you aren’t either (doubly if your hard corp republican, haha jk).  I have my vices and I have the occasion 300 calorie worth of dark chocolate “fuck up!”  That being said I make a mental note of the so the next time I’m offered or tempted I have some kind mental log on my last “treat,” which for me is usually every two-four days depending on if I’ve earned it.  ”Earning or rewarding” yourself is also a good way to incorporate the inevitable “fuck ups” into your week by allowing that candy bar or cheeseburger after a couple of days or weeks of good workouts or following through on your diet. I frown against “cheat days” where you end up bingeing because you’ve already predetermined in your head its what the day is for.

Overtraining is something I often find myself doing, training for two or three months without more that a couple days off here and there, and I know lots of you do the same.  We feel guilty for taking a day of and go even harder the first day back =) and we know what we are doing is stupid but cant help it, hitting home lol?  Trust me, I’m the king of jumpy and cant sit still for a second so a day off can be miserable but if you don’t learn to take a week or two off from time and again or  even a mini 3-4 per months, couple of years of that and you’ll be feeling it, a lot sooner for most.  Bringing up another great point, “its a marathon, not a sprint.”  Science and technology says my generation should live to see 150 years old for those born around my generation, that was in a Life magazine last year and there are some who say thats not even close.  So if your 50 just starting out or 25 and already know everything =), it doesn’t matter because you’re training for the same thing, a long healthy life of sexual deviance.

As far as exercising goes you should first know what your goal is so you’re not running 50 miles a week try to pack on 25 pounds of muscle, I’ve had to almost completely stop running just to be able to start gaining weight.  Start slow or if you’re burning out start over, switch it up, stop lifting and swim for a week, stop biking or running so much if thats you’re thing and embarrass yourself in the weight room.  Make it fun, just like your sex life your workouts should be flavorful and come with some variety and spontaneity from time to time.  Eating the proper diet for and getting the proper amount of exercise/training is just something you do, like go to work, or plan financially for the future.  Get a personal trainer if you have the money, motivate a friend to go with you or follow an online workout?  Google some “beginner  workouts” or “new workouts.”  Its 2011, the answer to the riddle should always be by logic more simple than the riddle itself.”  Keep it simple stupid =).

On a similar note I’m going to start a page or two as a little “nutrition 101″ as a way of putting out the facts instead of the “can help,  may improve  or studies show” you read in most magazines trying to sell you a dangerous supplement that have most likely an “all natural” label and absolutely no research or studies on the long term effects on the human body.

All in all I don’t know everything but I’m happy to share what should of already have been taught to us as children.

Kevin

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