Reviews

January 12, 2009 By JC Deen 8 Comments

The Ketogenic Diet: Part 2 Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

This is part two of the ketogenic diet series where I will be discussing the Cyclical Ketogenic diet.

What is a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet?

A cyclical ketogenic diet can be simplified by breaking the “cycle” up into weekly phases. One typically will follow a ketogenic type set up (high protein, moderate fats, no carbohydrates) for five days. On the sixth and seventh day, they tend to “load” up on carbohydrate rich foods to purposely saturate their glycogen stores which will sustain their weight/cardio training throughout the following week. The weekend carb load should be deliberately set above maintenance intake to ensure the excess carbohydrates are shuttled into glycogen stores, and not used for energy. If done correctly, the carb load will not hinder ones fat loss goals. Conversely the weekend is not a time to “cheat” and eat lots of high fat, high carb junk, or your fat loss progress will most likely be halted and the previous week’s efforts reversed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: Diet, Fat Loss, Reviews

January 5, 2009 By JC Deen 2 Comments

The Ketogenic Diet: Part 1 Running on Ketones

photo credit: donjd2

This is part one of a three part series explaining the Ketogenic diet, the Cyclical Ketogenic diet and the Targeted Ketogenic diet.

Part Two and Part Three [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: Diet, Reviews

November 3, 2008 By JC Deen 1 Comment

The Zone Diet: Lose Fat, Curb Cravings, Feel Great

Barry Sears – Author and Ph.D.

The Zone is a diet approach formed by Dr. Barry Sears. Dr. Sears is the author of The Zone: A dietary Road Map to Lose Weight Permanently. His background is in research with a Ph.D. from the Boston University School of Medicine, but he has spent the majority of his career studying lipids and their role in hormone regulation. In particular he’s focused his studies upon dietary fat, its role in producing eicosanoids, which are molecules made by essential fatty acids that regulate many of our bodily systems.

The Macro Nutrient Ratio

The Zone Diet calls for a macro nutrient ratio of 30:40:30 of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. So at any given caloric intake, one will be consuming 30% of calories from protein, 40% from carbohydrates, and 30% from fat. Sears encourages individuals to focus on lean protein, fruits, veggies and mono unsaturated fats with every meal. He also emphasizes supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids daily.

Reason to Apply The Zone Diet

The theory of this dietary approach is that by consuming protein, carbohydrates and fats in this ratio, the digestion of carbohydrates is slowed due to the macro nutrient combination within the meal. Ideally, if carbohydrates are absorbed slowly, insulin is controlled and therefore less fat is stored. Another reason for this ratio is to provide satiety with every meal and to keep one from over eating. Supposedly, by sticking with this “ideal” ratio of macro nutrients for each meal or snack, the dieter will achieve consistent hormonal balance. I however do not buy the hormonal ideas.

Main Points of this Diet Approach

Consume lean protein with every meal.
Supplement with Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids.
5-6 daily meals and/or snacks of suggested macro nutrient ratios.
A focus on low glycemic carbohydrates such as fruit and vegetables.
Use portion sizes as opposed to measuring and weighing.

My thoughts

Any weight loss diet that one can follow easily is the one they should commit to. I like the emphasis on protein and whole foods The Zone promotes. Satiety during a diet is the key to long-term adherence, meaning if one can consistently feel full on a hypo caloric diet, success in weight loss is inevitable.

Personally, I have used similar macro nutrient ratios when on a maintenance diet, and also whilst dieting. I can attest to the satiety this macro ratio provides. Of course, one is less likely to over eat when they are focusing on lean protein, fibrous vegetables and water dense fruit. I suspect this could be the reason many non-calorie counting dieters have had much success on this type of diet. People run into trouble when the majority of their carbohydrates are refined sugars in the form of high fructose corn syrup because the satiety factor from these types of foods is very low. If one is not monitoring their daily intake, overeating on sugary foods is very easy to do.

I feel that in terms of satiety, this type of diet would be almost ideal for maintenance. You are consuming a decent amount of healthy fats, a sufficient amount of protein (about 1+ gram per pound of body weight depending on maintenance intake) and enough calories left for plenty of nutrient dense fruits and other whole food carbohydrates.

A few links to learn more: The Zone Diet and Dr. Barry Sears

Have any of you had success with following The Zone Diet before? Did you follow it for weight loss or maintenance?

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: Diet, Reviews

October 20, 2008 By JC Deen 7 Comments

Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-Training Program

Authors: Eric Cressey, MS, CSCS and Matt Fitzgerald

Publisher: Da Capo Press (May 12, 2008)

Eric Cressey is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist out of the Boston Massachusetts area. He is co-owner of Cressey Performance and he specializes in strength training, corrective training, performance enhancement and is often known as the “shoulder guy” for all of the help and advice he has given over time to those with nagging shoulder injuries. He graduated from UCONN with a masters degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science.
My Review:

Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-Training Program is the perfect book for those in pursuit of pure strength and power. This book is an easy read and very entertaining. Even if you are not a power lifter or strength athlete, the principles laid out in this book can

serve as a solid platform to base any training off of.

Ch. 1-4

Eric explains his view point on why stronger is better than the typical pump training you might often times see in the gym. He explains in detail the positive factors that training for strength can have on an individual. Some of the positives are efficiency, real-world practicality, self-confidence boosting, better health and longevity. He gives a personal account on his experience with strength training and how it has greatly improved his life. In the 3^rd and 4^th chapter he outlines the program and sets a certain level of expectation for the readers.

These chapters cover the entire training program Eric is recommending for maximum strength. He takes you all the way from properly warming up to effectively executing every exercise with perfect form. This section is very detailed with regard to pictures, explanations, and suggestions for each particular lift. Eric did a very good job in explaining his system in an easy to understand format. He emphasizes the importance of proper warm ups, mobility drills and soft tissue work. I highly encourage all readers of the book to pay extra close attention to Chapter 5: Maximum Strength Warm-Ups. Putting this knowledge to use will keep an athlete’s body safe and in working order for the long haul. In chapters 6-9 Eric takes the reader through a 16 week weight workout that is varied and programmed for the best results possible in the span of 4 months.

Ch. 10-12

Eric covers nutrition, training attitude and how to implement a life-long approach to strength training in the final 3 chapters. He actually uses the principles of

Precision Nutrition by John Berardi for the dietary guidelines in the book. The main gist of those guidelines are pretty standard in terms of frequent meals(6x daily), consuming lean protein often, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, making sure to get adequate amounts of essential fatty acids, and focusing on whole foods instead of pills and powders. He also devotes an entire chapter to the proper mentality that is necessary to get the most out of this type of training program. Then finally he gives his advice on taking a long term approach to strength training, and maintaining this lifestyle for health and longevity.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a fan of Eric Cressey and what he has done for the fitness/strength training community. I am a frequent reader of his blog, and I stay up to date with his articles on various strength training websites.

Chapter 11: The Muscle Between Your Ears was by far my favorite section in the book. I will not give all the details and spoil the read, but I enjoyed Eric’s view on training mentality. I found that his ideology mirrored my thoughts almost exactly.

Remember to leave your cell phone in the car!!!

My Inner Critic:

The only part in the book that I have a differing view point is the nutrition section. In the book, he states if you follow the Precision Nutrition guidelines, tracking calories isn’t necessary. While this may be true for athletes who have a large energy expenditure, I find that it may be difficult for the average Joe or Jane who has a desk job and trains after work. I believe it’s important for the sedentary folks to watch their caloric intake more closely if they are focusing on maintaining their weight, slightly gaining or losing. I also feel that its very important to make sure one is getting a certain minimum of protein(at least 1g/lb) each day especially when on any type of strenuous training program. Another issue I have is that its not always possible for some to consume 6 meals a day. Usually for the 9-5 crowd it is simply easier to stick with the standard 3 meals a day, and some post workout nutrition. Also, some lighter females who may not have a high energy expenditure will most likely never get to have a satisfying meal when eating 6 times a day.

If you have already read this book, what were your thoughts?

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: Book Reviews, Reviews, Strength Training, Training