On Getting Fit & Creating The Body You Want

I recently received a letter asking me my thoughts on what is needed to Get Physically Fit given that the individual clearly was ready to change their body. I summarized a few basic principles on fitness that have always worked for me, again and again, over the years of my differing fitness needs and capabilities. At the time of writing this I have personally lost 30 pounds of “bad weight” that I gained as a result of a severe sports injury making me more or less bed-ridden for several months. I applied all that I wrote below to myself over the course of the 6 months since I was able to get back into the gym, shed the bad weight, reshaped my body, and I am now about 95% back to my previous peak fitness level. I intend to keep applying these exact principles and exceed that previous peak fitness level. 🙂

This is pretty much the exact advice I give to my own slave on How To Get Fit.

Enjoy.

Oh you mean do I have fitness advice in general?
Heaps! 😀

Fitness REALLY DOES break down into 3 Basic Categories:
1) Exercise
2) Diet
3) Getting Enough Sleep

If you are on top of all three you will get in shape pretty darn fast.

#3, sleep, often goes underestimated. What people do not realize is that HGH (Human Growth Hormone) is produced mostly when you sleep. HGH burns fat, repairs muscle tissue, and so much more. HOWEVER, what you eat before bedtime will affect the HGH release as you sleep (more the “when” as opposed to an “if”). Ever heard the rule, “NO CARBS 3 hours before bedtime?” Thats because ALL CARBS cause an insulin spike. The scientific name of HGH is “IGF” which stands for Insulin-like Growth Factor. Thus if you ate carbs at bedtime you cause an insulin spike, and your body is fooled into thinking that is does NOT need HGH that night, at least not until much later. So when you compare a night of carbs at bedtime vs no carbs 3 hours before bedtime, you are talking about minimal HGH release vs normal, strong HGH release while you sleep. This is given 7-8 hours of sleep. Key point: HGH is your best friend when trying to stay in shape (naturally occurring). Note that “No Carbs 3 Hours Before Bedtime” does in fact mean that you CAN have a slice of Turkey or a Protein Shake AT Bedtime – no carbs, see? Turkey, yes. Cranberry sauce on that piece of Turkey, NO.

For diet – one of the best rules I use is “Reach For Protein.”
The idea is that when you get hungry you think, “what source of protein can I eat / would I enjoy?” So you grab a chicken sandwich with mayonnaise, bread, etc. That is STILL soooooo much better than that blueberry muffin! “What do I want for breakfast? A bowl of cereal (carbs and milk) or eggs and toast?” You choose the eggs and toast!

The fact is that when you Reach For Protein, a number of good things happen:
1) Protein slows the breakdown of sugars in your stomach, thereby lowering the overall GI of the sugars (glycemic index – lower is MUCH better).
2) You fill up on protein more substantially, and so you eat less.
3) The carbs that accompany protein will always be less than if you just grab straight carbs.
4) Protein is a long-burning fuel source for your body, so you get less hungry overall.
5) Protein is CRITICAL to support any workout / exercise program.

Another GREAT rule is “6 days ON, 1 day OFF.”
There are a billion diets in the world. The problem is that when you 100% deprive yourself of all “fun” foods you start to OBSESS over them.
6 On, 1 Off is the solution.
For 6 days of the week you do your absolute best to eat super-healthy. On day 7 you can eat ANYTHING YOU WANT.
The reason it works is that say around day 3 you smell fresh baked cookies in a store. With a standard strict diet, you start to drool, to crave, and you are tempted to break the diet. There is inner conflict that then makes the whole dieting process uncomfortable.
With 6 Days On, 1 Day Off, on that same 3rd day with that same delicious cookie smell, you barely start to obsess/drool when you remind yourself, “Oh, ok. I am DEFINITELY coming back here on Day 7 and buying a bag of cookies!” LOL!! Sounds crazy right? But the magic is that in that moment of thinking how you are coming back on Day 7, YOU TAKE ALL THE PRESSURE OFF. Your mind RELAXES about the strictness of eating super-healthy for 6 days, and you move right past the bakery with a note to yourself to come back on Day 7. Day 7 should always be the same day – we like to use Saturdays as our Day 7. 🙂

The best thing is that when you eat super-healthy you will FEEL GOOD. You body will be sending you signals that say “thank you.” So suddenly Day 7 comes around after being a few weeks or months into “6 On, 1 Off” and suddenly you find you don’t really feel like breaking the diet at all, or only minimally, and magically 6 On, 1 Off becomes 7 On, 1 Off…. 10 On, 1 Off…. etc, without you really putting much thought into it Because You Just Feel Good. But you never really say “never” – you always know you CAN have your “Day 7” when and if you want it, and that TAKES ALL THE PRESSURE OFF. I have personally seen better results in more people around the world using “6 On, 1 Off” than every other diet I have ever witnessed someone trying COMBINED. No Joke!!

Lastly, of course you MUST exercise. Straight up, when the heart rate is increased above a certain (pretty easy) threshold, chemicals are released in the bloodstream that directly affect the body’s changing fitness. There is no magic pill to substitute for exercise. The good news is that exercise comes in MANY MANY forms. You do not have to be a gym rat like me. There is the entire world of outdoor activities from walking to hiking to sports to vehicles (bikes, skateboards, rollerblades) to running to swimming, etc etc etc etc. There are classes at all hours of the day for dance, yoga, fitness, martial arts (a zillion kinds both hard and soft), etc etc etc. There are traditional team sports like basketball, baseball, etc, and there are solitary sports like kayaking, surfing, etc. Thousands Of Options!!! 😀

The point is that you CAN find fitness activities that YOU REALLY LIKE. It does not have to be a forced feeling – it can and should be Fun. Also, getting a friend or someone to workout with you / come do that outdoor activity with you ALWAYS makes it even better. Even if you just go hit the gym together and do completely separate things, it helps a LOT with motivation. Eventually again your body will be sending you all kinds of happy signals and you won’t need that extra motivation because you will love being fit / love the activity. 🙂

If you do hit a gym, consider buying a dozen sessions with a personal trainer (PT) if you have the funds – its awesome motivation and you will learn HEAPS about fitness that way. BUT screen them! Not all PT’s are alike – there are good ones, there are SUPERB ones, and there are bozos. A good personal trainer who knows you are sincere about it and that you want to buy a dozen 1 hour sessions should at the VERY LEAST offer you a free “trial” session. During that free session, TALK to them about your fitness goals, what you are capable of, and always tell them if you have had any injuries or conditions that could affect what you do (i.e. sports injuries, asthma, etc). Most trainers work with weights and / or general fitness exercises. Pick one who is going to put you on a program that sounds like it will be FUN. If weights are not your thing, there are all kinds of new fitness training programs that involve you and gravity, and just using your own body really, really well – and trust me they can be just as heart-pumping as using weights! A lot of people are turning to these new programs and getting awesome results. Never feel like you need to stick with a PT who is not getting you to your goals, or giving bad advice. I heard recently of a supposedly good female PT telling a woman with bad knees to use a machine that was an absolute no-no for people with bad knees. Fortunately the client knew what was up and saw the immediate ineptness of that PT and dropped her like a rock – good for the client! She then went on to sign up with another female PT who showed superior understanding of the body and has been working with her since. 🙂
When picking a Personal Trainer it’s also a VERY good idea to make sure they LOOK like the body you would like to have – their best calling card is the success the PT has had with Their Own Body! 🙂

Otherwise the usual rules apply for getting in shape. Workout 3 days a week to start, then try to do more – 4 days, and eventually 5 days if possible. Being FIT is a LIFESTYLE, not a passing phase. Minimum 1 hour to start, but more is fine. Ever heard of “Runner’s High?” Well we here in the BDSM Lifestyle are pretty familiar with ENDORPHINS. They rock! 😀
Endorphins are Nature’s Best Drug Ever, and they are produced by Your Own Body when you workout. So when you are working out and the endorphins start to release – Embrace Them. 🙂
Nonetheless, PACE YOURSELF. You are not going to become an Olympic Swimmer overnight. Do FUN activities that get you in shape – it’s SUCH a good way to teach your new body that the LIFESTYLE of Being Healthy is actually a Pleasure. 🙂

DRINK HEAPS OF WATER! The average human SHOULD drink 2-3 liters of water EVERY DAY! Make WATER your favorite drink. No Joke!!
I keep two Brita Water Filters in my home – one for room temperature water, and one for cold water in the fridge. At the gym alone I drink at least a liter or more, often 2 during an extra hard workout. Outside of my breakfast coffee I drink water about 90% of the time. Find your favorite brand of bottled water, buy a case, and keep it in the trunk of your car – always handy, never thirsty.
ALSO, Proper Hydration (i.e. drinking 2-3 liters of water a day) helps with Clear Thinking, Alertness, Stress, etc, AND it can take the edge off of hunger too!
MANY, MANY reasons to drink Water. 🙂

Adding Lemon Slices (squeezed into the water, not just sitting there as decoration) is also Extremely Good For You…and tastes Awesome! Every single time I eat out at a restaurant I order “water with lemon slices” – sometimes I even ask the waiter to bring me a dish of lemon slices and add 3 or 4 more to the usual one they put in the water. For a full list of the numerous benefits of adding plain and simple Lemon Juice to your water, just do a Google search for “physiological benefits of lemon juice.” 🙂

Keep your Brown Carbs (flours, breads, cereals, etc) & Sugars LOW (kind of the same thing, since all sugars are carbs).
“6 Days On, 1 Day Off” will help make that Really Easy. 🙂
If you are craving sweets try FRUIT – there are So Many Kinds. It really works.

NEVER, EVER beat yourself up about results you cannot see yet!
BE PATIENT with yourself. I usually tell people – including my own slave – to allow Three Weeks between “assessments.” What this means is that you need to be on this Healthy Path, 6 Days ON 1 Day OFF, Reach For Protein, Drink Water, etc, for THREE WEEKS before you should “see how you are doing.” So yes, go ahead and take that photo on the first day of Your New Life Of Fitness, weigh yourself, etc, and then DO NOT take another photo or step on that scale for THREE WEEKS! That way you will ALWAYS see improvement, and that is always going to be inspiring. 🙂
You can keep making assessments every Three Weeks, but never more often than that. The reason is simple physiology – it takes about 3 weeks for every distinct and noticeable change in fitness and physiology to “lock in.” 🙂

And lastly, close your eyes and VISUALIZE your Success. STOP looking in the mirror and seeing what is “bad.” Instead, look into Your Mind’s Eye and see the NEW YOU that you are BECOMING. See and Feel yourself Living In The Body You Want. 🙂

All the best,
— Arcane

ADDENDUM (from the comments below)

GLYCEMIC INDEX, CARBS, and FATS

Carbs (brown / grain based) are where most body-fat comes from, especially High Glycemic carbs – the sweeter it is the worse it can be in driving up your blood sugar and concurrent insulin (which can trigger fat storage), although the actual Taste of “Sweetness” is NOT a measure of the Glycemic Index. The herb Marshmallow-Root Powder is actually much sweeter than white sugar but has a Glycemic Index that is rock bottom (which is Awesome!). Stevia, another alternate sweetener has a Glycemic Index of – no joke – Zero (O). Apricots have a Glycemic Index of only 15, while french fries (not really thought of as a “sweet”) have a horrible Glycemic Index of 95!!

To get an idea of how the Glycemic Index works, consider a Carrot (or carrot juice). Carrots are actually extremely sweet for a vegetable. The Glycemic Index, or “GI,” for Carrots is about 30 on a scale of 1-100 where 1 is AWESOME all the time, and 99 is very unhealthy if consumed regularly or in large quantities (a GI of 100 would be Pure Glucose). So a GI of 15 for apricots is GREAT, and that GI of 95 for French Fries means it is going to spike your insulin – and trigger fat storage – through the roof!

The good news is that its not really a linear progression. A GI of 50 is actually pretty good – Brown Rice has a GI of about 50 (and for the record, Brown Rice is about the healthiest of ALL the “brown carbs”). MOST sweet vegetables are right around GI of 10-30. Fruits tend to be GI of 20-40. HOWEVER, the “Brown” (aka flour / grain) carbs and white sugars & their extrapolates tend to be a MUCH higher GI. Example: Candy Bar GI of 70, Corn Flakes GI of 85, Baguette of White Bread GI of 70, Cola GI of 70. So its sort of like there is a threshold around GI of 60-65 that you want to steer clear of…. for at least 6 Days a week (ON). 😉
Lower GI is ALWAYS better.

Mind you, NOT all carbs need to be avoided – Vegetables are technically Carbs, but they are “Good Carbs.” Its the flour / grain carbs and the high-glycemic carbs that are the problem – cakes, cookies, muffins, cereals, breads, etc. That said, if you are going to enjoy some flour carbs in your diet, the consensus is do it at the Start Of The Day so you have a chance to burn it off more cleanly. Nonetheless, don’t go overboard. A bowl of cereal for brekky is 1000 times better than that exact same bowl of cereal late at night.

Regarding the tenets of the Atkins Diet – “eat as much fat as you want,” etc. While I have seen people get results with that, I have seen Better and More Consistent results with even greater strictness during the 6 Days On, and then saving all that fatty bacony goodness for Day 7 where you can eat a table-full if you really want – though you may want to keep some antacid tablets handy if you really do gorge on Day 7 – LOL. 😀

So for 6 days ON, try to keep the fat intake LOW as well. That’s also a good idea for multiple health reasons – fat negatively affects digestion, there is the factor of the cholesterol, etc. A few sources I investigated said try to keep you Grams Of Fat to less than 30 Grams per day IN ANY FORM (for the 6 days). Thats really quite reasonable when you think about it, but be aware of every gram of fat you eat. Did you know that a single tablespoon of extra virgin Olive Oil has 15 grams of fat in that one tablespoon? Yep. A good start is to always buy the “Low Fat” or “Non-Fat” versions of your favorite foods. For example: Peanut Butter, normally 15-16 grams of fat per tablespoon. It turns out Trader Joes makes a version of peanut butter, normally extremely fatty, that is only 2 grams of fat per tablespoon (it’s called “Better Than Peanut Butter”). Proof that you can enjoy awesome foods and still stay within “6 Days ON.”

A super-healthy personal trainer buddy of mine says superior fitness means you should eat no more than 15 Grams of fat per day, maximum. I tried the 15 Grams rule – it can be done with mild effort and a healthy degree of self-discipline. Nonetheless 30 Grams is both reasonable, healthy, and actually 300% easier than aiming for 15 Grams. When you get comfortable with less than 30 Grams of fat per day (in ANY form), then try scaling it down to 25….. 20…. and eventually you can shoot for 15.

Another important factor about fat is to get “Good Fats.” After going round and round and round with my own personal trainers and experts, it looks like a good rule of thumb is fats from Vegetable sources are SUPERIOR to fats from meats in every way, with One Exception: FISH OIL. Fish Oils seem to have a heap of great benefits, such that mainstream doctors are now recommending taking fish oil supplements for the Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

As for how much vegetable fats you can eat? Best measure I have received recently (if you don’t want to simply count the grams) is about one small Avocado per day. But that does not mean start eating 1 avocado + 12 slices of bacon + 3 ounces of cheese, etc. That means more or less staying away from the bacon and the cheese (small exceptions ok) for 6 Days On.

Remember: 6 Days of Discipline = permission to FEAST on Day 7. 😀