Random:
Here is some random fun stuff I couldn't fit in to any of the other posts but still thought you would like to hear about it.
My 'Morning Cocktail'(non alcoholic):
One of my fitness sources, The Strength Sensei turned me on to a little non alcoholic cocktail that I drink each morning and sometimes when I am feeling overwhelming hunger.
- ¼ Tsp. Colored Salt – any colored salt works
- A shot of Lime Juice – fresh or from a glass bottle
- A shot of Vinegar - Distilled White is my favorite so far
- A glass of water – ideally filtered
It will sound gross at first but I have come to relish it. His original mixture called for everything except the vinegar.
The lime juice affects your pH levels but you will need to read his post for the details.
He explains the benefits of the salt as well but beyond that on days when I am doing my intermittent fasting I am not eating much sodium in the morning and because of that I retain less water which has been know to cause more hunger. The sodium helps me retain water so I stay more hydrated and less hungry.
After reading his post on how vinegar increases your insulin sensitivity and could help trigger fat loss I decided to add a shot of that to the mix.
Testosterone Boosts:
As you all know I am a big fan of Tim Ferriss so I have of course read The Four Hour Body a couple of times. There is an interesting chapter on boosting testosterone in there.
Previously when cutting weight I have seen signs of low testosterone in myself. I will spare you some of the symptoms I have experienced. For a full list check out This post on bodybuilding.com. For now the important ones to note are as follows:
- Decrease in muscle protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle mass
- Increase in muscle glycogen breakdown during exercise
I also find there are some mental effects too. While increase in testosterone can cause elevated emotional levels that could include anger a decrease in testosterone can cause depression as well.
Putting it to good use:
To get to the point this past holiday season when I knew that I would be experiencing an increase in calories due to the excesive holiday meals I decided to try to put those calories to good work by Bulking. During this period I decided to try one of the Four Hour Body's recommended testosterone boosting methods.
Specifically eating grass fed organic beef 3 times a day during the weeks when I knew I would be eating more. My primary goal was to increase muscle protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle mass.
As for my exercise I also stuck with lower reps of higher weight during my workouts which is also commonly done during bulking.
Overall I would say it was a success. Though I did see some fat increase I saw one of the smallest fat gains of any holiday season I can remember. I also packed on a little muscle but gaining muscle has never been an issue for me. Getting rid of my gut on the other hand is an on going challenge.