It’s all about the science (oversharing #2): I ran to the top without stopping.

I’ve decided to call these oversharing chronicles “It’s all about the science” because that is truly the essence of my trainer Ian’s approach. This is not about willpower, deprivation, or hard-core gym-rat behavior. This is simply about zeroing in on the absolute most efficient way to get results (in my case, reducing my body fat from its current 29% to a healthier 22% – I’ve gained 15 pounds in the last year as a result of the demon menopause – and this happens to so many women!! Hence my oversharing.)

Ian corroborates many of the views of Tim Ferriss, fellow Princetonian and proponent of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” “The 4-Hour Body” and general life-hacker strategies to save time and maximize outcome. Specifically what we’re implementing right now is the concept of very low-carb, low-sugar diet 6 days a week, and then a once-a-week “re-feed” to reset metabolism.  I’ve done the South Beach diet before, which includes the low-carb and low-sugar aspect but not the re-feeding – and the big difference here is the weekly system reset. I’m now on day 5 of the 6, and just as with South Beach I’m starting to feel like I have a LOT more energy without the added sugar.

I haven’t done anything smart like stock the kitchen with the right foods – so my current behavior looks like this:

1. get really hungry
2. get my husband to make coffee while I run to Panera and get breakfast “power sandwiches” with egg, spinach, avocado, cheddar and tomato
3. remove the bread on mine, even though it is warm and tantalizing and smells incredibly good
4. have coffee + half & half, and the insides of the sandwich
5. feel very virtuous and surprisingly full.

Repeat similar behavior a few hours later, and occasionally have some carrots with almond butter, chicken with greens (oh! there’s frozen chicken in the freezer, excellent), cheese, nuts, yogurt, or a smoothie. More on that later…I don’t truly have my dietary act together yet, but I can feel that the huge reduction in sugar intake is definitely improving my energy level: this morning I ran all the way to the top of the giant hill in our neighborhood for the first time without stopping.

The top of the hill…