Month: January 2008

  • Roe v. Wade Quiz

    Roe IQ Test

    I got 4 correct out of 12, below the average score of 7.07. 

  • The Zone Diet

    Each year's top 10 New Year's resolutions inevitably include "lose weight."  I have become convinced that proper diet is the most effective means of reducing excess body fat.

    Lipidologist Barry Sears was searching for a magic bullet to save himself from heart disease, which killed his father and two uncles in their fifties, and to make a fortune on the patent.  He experimented with the essential fatty acids GLA (borage oil) and EPA (fish oil) to regulate eicosanoids, but found that diet was a more effective way.  He designed the Zone Diet to regulate eicosanoids by controlling insulin levels.  He still recommends high-dose fish oil, but its effectiveness is reduced without the Zone Diet.

    When I first read the nutrition portion of What Is Fitness?, I dismissed the Zone Diet, because it contradicted what I learned in school, the USDA's food pyramid, and most nutrition experts.  I started to change my mind after reading some articles about how scientific evidence doesn't support a low-fat diet.  In November, I watched a video article of the CrossFit Journal where Coach Glassman stated that 1) when a second-tier athlete takes the discipline to weigh and measure food according to the Zone Diet, he or she quickly separates from the rest of the pack and becomes a first-tier athlete, 2) high performance tells him something about what you're eating, 3) the Zone Diet flenses body fat, and 4) the Zone Diet increases pull-up numbers that aren't attributable to weight loss (e.g. increased 15 pull-ups with a weight loss of 3 pounds).  The part about pull-ups clinched it for me.  I couldn't do any.  I decided to try the Zone Diet to see if it would enable me to do a pull-up (and also to shed more body fat).

    After a week on the diet, I did my first pull-up in years.  3 weeks later, I did 2 pull-ups in a row and could do intermittent singles.  Another 2 weeks later, I did 3 in a row with intermittent singles.  I also lost about a pound per week.  I could do push-ups on the ground instead of elevated.  Workouts that I thought would make me sore didn't make me sore.  I believe the Zone Diet increased my physical performance.  It seems to also have reduced drowsiness after meals.

    Dr. Sears's latest book, The Anti-Inflammation Zone, hypothesizes that the underlying cause of most chronic diseases is inflammation below the threshold of pain.  If his physical performance theory works, his inflammation hypotheses for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and other diseases may also work.  His first book, Enter the Zone, being an old diet book, is cheap used at Amazon.
     
    A few caveats: 1) Dr. Sears believes the hypothesis of Evolution, 2) he recommends Eastern meditation to reduce stress (I suggest prayer), and 3) protein is not cheap (at least not as cheap as the carbohydrates I used to buy).  However, I believe good health is worth the extra expense.
     
    "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

  • CrossFit

    Each year's top 10 New Year's resolutions usually include "exercise more" or "get fit."  Bodily stewardship is a worthy pursuit for several reasons:
    1. Christians' bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and should be living sacrifices to God.
    2. The body's condition can affect the mind, will, emotions, and spirit.
    3. An out-of-shape body can be a poor witness, giving others an impression of gluttony and slothfulness.
     
    My pursuit of fitness was initially motivated by a desire to lose fat.  My pants were getting tight, but what bothered me more was that my shirt collar was getting tight.  In March, I saw a newspaper article about the wild popularity of internet searches for the workout used by the actors in the movie "300" (I had not watched it).  Intrigued, I tried searching for "300 workout" myself.  This led me to http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=35.  The hard work involved was inspiring, but Gym Jones is a private gym for elite athletes and doesn't offer much guidance for normal people.
     
    Fortunately, I found a website that did: www.crossfit.com.  Apparently, many of the elements used at Gym Jones originated from CrossFit.
     
    A few caveats: 1) with few exceptions, I don't care for the music in the videos.  Some songs are raunchy or have explicit lyrics.  2) some of the coaches swear.  3) the Hypothesis of Evolution is widely accepted.
     
     
     
    What is Fitness?  This article persuaded me to pursue fitness instead of just losing fat.
     
    The Workout Of the Day (WOD) can literally KILL you.  I started with the Beginner's Routine and have been doing scaled WODs for about 3 months now.  I'll eventually work up to the WODs as prescribed.
     
    My fitness has improved dramatically.  When I first did two 400 meter runs in a row (Week 3 of the Beginner's Routine), I felt like my head would explode if I didn't have a heart attack first.  I have since done workouts with six 400 meter runs with no fear for my life.    I can easily pick up weights that used to give me trouble.  I've lost over 10 pounds.
     
    I started for about the cost of a year's gym membership (24 Hour Fitness $80 sign up fee +$40 per month =$560):
     
    approx. $500 barbell- ($198.74 bar +$268.86 180 pounds rubber bumper plates +$8.94 15 pounds metal plates + $22.94 muscle clamps)
    $35.94 pull-up bar
    $20 running shoes
    approx. $556 TOTAL
     
    I don't have to drive to the gym; I work out in the basement.
     
    Since then, I've added about another year and a half's gym membership worth:
    approx. $135 90 more pounds rubber bumper plates
    $4 sand for homemade medicine ball
    $75 gymnastic rings- the most humbling piece of fitness equipment
    $38.24 jumprope (gift)
    $215 squat stands
     
    $25 CrossFit Journal subscription
    $180 CrossFit Journal back issues
    $68.90 World Class Coaching olympic lift DVDs
    $29.95 Starting Strength (2nd edition) book (gift)
    approx. $771 TOTAL
     
    With the exception of the shoes and jumprope, I expect the rest of the equipment to last many years, if not a lifetime.  I believe that exercise will extend the usefulness of my body while I'm in it.
     
    "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." -1 Timothy 4:8