Damage Control
As part of my meal plan, I take 1 day a week to eat whatever I want, whatever I’m craving, whatever I miss. I use saturdays. On monday morning I weight myself again, on average I gain 2.54lbs from saturday to monday as part of my binge. Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Body does outline damage control techniques for minimizing this gain.
The last 3 weeks I’ve been experimenting with a new damage control technique. On sunday, the day following my cheat day, I’ve been eliminating carbs all day. So basically, instead of protein, beans, and veggies every meal, I have only been eating protein and veggies in greater quantities, and skipping the beans.
Here’s data for the last 3 weeks:
Weight gain from saturdy morn weigh-in to monday morning
Week 8: +1.4lbs (hey, this new technique might work, the gain is below average)
Week 9: +1.8lbs (two weeks running, I think I like this damage control technique)
Week 10: +3.4lbs (WTH?)
Perhaps my ‘hack’ isn’t going to pan out after all. Maybe week 10 was an anomoly, perhaps the effort of my Spartan Race thru stuff off. I have 1 more chance to test this before I head to South America. I’ll see how it goes.
Running
I ran to work again today, here’s the stats (including all of my runs to work):
Run 4: Aug 24
km: 14.6
time: 94.35mins
pace: 6.46 min/km
cal: 1137
Run 3: Aug 17
km: 14.67 (I shaved 300m off the run with another shortcut)
time: 87.5mins
pace: 5.96 min/km
cal: 1244 (this dropped compared to previous runs because I just updated my weight in my computer)
Run 2: Aug 10
km: 15
time: 104mins
pace: 6.93 min/km
cal: 1306
Run 1: Aug 4
km: 15
time: 108mins
pace: 7.2 min/km
cals: 1269
Push ups
Just as Aaron at Project Guinea Pig is embarking on his 100 push ups challenge, I’m slackin’ on mine. 9 days ago I cranked out 56 pushups during my exhaustion test for week 6. Two days later I started week 5, day 1, tier 2 of the program. I was tired, the house felt like a sauna and I flamed out during my second set. I haven’t been back to them since.
Tonight, I will resume my programme. If I have to break the push ups into 10 sets, I will.
Hone Improvement 
I think breaking up the sets would be a great idea. Especially over not doing them.
The best thing I have learned on my journey to better health is that plans are great, but are often best as a foundation of a customized plan based on you. Some people approach push ups with the idea of adding one push up a day till they get to a goal. I like the one hundred push up approach, but may end up modifying it down the road.
Of course I am sure you already know and have found that kind of thing out for yourself, but I thought I would throw that out there.
Thanks for the advice. My last attempt was such an epic fail that I sort of just shelved it. I definately need to adjust and persist. I’ll hit the mat today.
“The best thing I have learned on my journey to better health is that plans are great, but are often best as a foundation of a customized plan based on you.”
Well said, Aaron. I’ve done more experiments and alteration of my current program than any other I’ve done before and it’s made a huge difference for me.
You know . . . regardless of what I decide to do as my next workout program, I think I am going to add in the 100 push ups regimen. I can do 30 without too much trouble right now (did 210 in sets last Saturday) but I don’t know what my one-set-max is. I guess I’ll find out this Saturday. 😉
Work smart and work strong,
New John
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We will either find a way . . . or make one. – Hannibal
New John for a New Year, My 4HB Blog