It’s early … The birds are chirping outside. I just looked at my calendar and wondered what the hell happened to this year.
One moment, I was making plans that where going to change my world and the next, I am still sitting in front of my desk, making plans that will change the world, while, well, the days of this year, are ticking to a gracious end. I think there are 72 days left in this year. I guess if you’re sent to do 72 days in solitary confinement, then it’s a long time, but if you are holding the days in your hand like sand, then you’ll quickly find how they run through your fingers, and before you know it, the days are done…What I was getting at is that 72 days is a ample time to learn a new habit. We under estimate what we can do with a a number of days if we only do it consistently. How long did it take you to get out of shape? I’m assuming you didn’t go to bed one day with washboard abs and woke up with a gut that made you question when last you saw your toes in the shower.
The change happened gradually and over time. You actually learned a habit, but it was not a goodie. Perhaps you softened over the course of a few years. There’s the frog in the boiling water. Small, incremental allowances ad up over time and eventually, before you wipe your eyes out again, your friends are calling you Captain Chubby behind your back. It’s not a pretty site or a great look for that matter.
I want you to know that there is a way back to the old you…back to that feeling that you’re something special, something a little dangerous.
The reason that I want to share this little book with you, was to share that I have been down that road and I have returned from it to tell the story. I definitely did not find the only path, but at least I can attest that my path works. It’s also not going to demand every last bit of your sanity. You see, in my 20 plus years of experimenting with myself, I’ve done some pretty stupid things, but believe me, if I rack them up as experience, then I have a whole pile of crappy experience, that I can save you from having to step into.. and that’s gotta count for something.
Anyways — just by means of disclaimers, I need you to know that I’m not a medical doctor… nor am I a dietician or a lifestyle consultant. I’m just a regular guy who is not a saint, and wants to get into shape… I’ve jokingly called this the rockstar diet, because there is something quite rockstar about leading a fun filled life, and getting into great shape too. Don’t get me wrong… — it’s not a walk in the park, — if it was, everybody would be doing it — quite easily.
Let’s get to the meat and salad (not potato’s) of this regime….
It’s a journey we are going to undertake together. I am going to educate a little, give some daily instructions regarding what you’re going to put into your system and how you’re going to sweat. I could give you just a plain old table, stating what to eat and when to eat it, without telling you any of the why. — but I doubt that you would stick to it, because you would not have a strong enough why.
Why do you want to lose your gut? — You want to feel better about yourself. A virile physique alludes to a virile mindset, and what’s not sexy about that?
If one where to dig a little deeper, I am sure that the answer would have something to do with self respect and the knowledge that if you can change yourself, you can change the world or your circumstances for the better.
Day 1 of 77
Ok, here we go… — You want results first, so the format that we are going to adapt, is as follows…
Each day, I will give you one or 2 instructions and pointers. I will follow these up with explanations on why you are doing what you are. In my years of training, I have found that one can suffer from overwhelm if there is too much to take on once. All I ask is that you stick to these tips. Pretty soon, you will find that the small changes stack up onto of each other. It’s like the sum being greater than the parts of the whole.
Food tip #1
Subscribe to intermittent fasting. This means that you do not eat within a 16 hour window. If your last meal was at 8 in the evening, this means that your first meal will be at 12h00 midday.
Fasting allows your body to “turn on the dishwasher” and do basic and very essential maintenance. If there is no food to “eat”, your body turns to its own damaged cells and chomps those. This is good. It’s like taking out the trash. There is less of it in your system and this allows your body to spend better energy on basic functions.
When you’re not eating, your body goes into “hunting mode” — Imagine a cave man whose tummy is grumbling. Survival is at stake. He’s going to think clearly, grab that spear (or rock) and have the presence of mind to bring down the Mammoth. We’re still like our ancestors. When we’re not flooded with food, our system just operates on a higher level. It’s only since we believe that we need to eat 3 square meals a day, that our edge has disappeared.
To sum up, you need to abstain from food for 16 hours at a time. Don’t worry, we are going to build in a cheat day down the line, but for now, grab control of your eating times. It’s the very beginning of discipline and you will smile all the way to the scale.
Workout tip #1
So you want to shed the tire… We’re going to start slow, and that’s ok. It took years to acquire the tire and it’s not going to be gone in a week, but that’s ok. For this week, I want you to include cardio in your workout. It’s ok to walk, run or do whatever you like, but slow and steady does the trick. Do half an hour, irrespective of what else you do in your training. Yes, we will get to the weights component, but 30minutes of cardio is essential. When we go into the next 30 day cycle and your abs are beginning to peek out, we will increase the cardio and include some High Intensity training. — For now — just be sure to do your cardio… 5 days is good. 6 days is better. Choose your day off but stick to this, come hell or high water.
Tip for the day
If you’re feeling a bit flat from having to work out and not eating as you are used to, you can supplement your morning intake with black keto coffee. Get yourself some MCT Oil from a health shop, and put a table spoon of it into your coffee. Next, take a spoon of grass-fed butter (Lurpack is good) and ad it to your coffee. Blend the brew and you will find that it makes quite a delicious drink. You can have 3 of these before your first meal. As you go along, you will learn to regulate your intake. — meaning that you may not need 3 cups to get you to lunch.
How does it work? — The MCT will improve your brain function. Your energy curve will not spike, as with sugar. Your body will access the oil and your energy curve is more gradual. MCT Oil also lowers cholesterol and keeps your blood sugar levels at bay. This prevents insulin resistance, but more about that another day.
The butter will release CLA’s which in turn give you that full feeling, whilst not allowing your normal fat to accumulate. Butter has micronutrients which are good for you. — besides, it tastes great!!
Lastly, you can only track what you measure. Take a moment, strip to your undies in front of a mirror and take a front, side and back picture. Remember to save the date you started. You’re going to find that when the going gets tough, you’ll be able to check in with your pics and be assured that you’re making progress. That’s going to juice you to continue.
Good Luck with day 1. It’s my commitment to you that we will talk every day for a period of 75 days. I’m going to show up and I hope you do the same. To be happy, we need to learn to lean into discomfort. It’s how we grow and it’s how we become better people.
