BRIENMALONE's CalorieKing Blog
Caffeine, Adenosine and Sleep
Friday, June 27th 2008
Reading "Potatoes Not Prozac" led me to do a lot of independent research on dopamine and sleep.I found a fantastic, easy-to-digest explanation of why we need to sleep. The short version is this:
Adenosine builds up in the bloodstream and in the brain during conscious hours. It is a metabolic byproduct that inhibits dopamine - a neurotransmitter that helps keep us alert and focused. The result is that with a build-up of adenosine in the blood, we feel lethargic and cannot thi...
3500 Calories - A Pound of Fat or Six Pounds of Muscle??
Thursday, June 26th 2008
Here is another fantastic article from Tom Venuto.The Gist of this research is that people with a lot of body fat to lose can take a more aggressive approach to calorie restriction that was thought previously. Most fitness professionals advise against a steep calorie deficit because you will lose muscle mass, which will make it harder to burn fat.
If I remember correctly, Tom's original advice pointed to 15%, as a good starting point, 20% as moderate and 25% aggressive. The new char...
Are you kidding me?
Thursday, June 12th 2008
Sick? How does someone catch a cold in JUNE? I was all set for my first session with Rebecca tomorrow, and now I'm down with a chest cold. Unbelievable. It's probably just as well... While I did run around the block a few days in a row with the family, I never did make it to the gym (which was my assignment).Also, I made my standing appointment with her for 6am Friday before we had our discussion about working out in the evening... so while I was on the phone with her today, I rescheduled...
Friday! The Pre-Session Talk
Saturday, June 7th 2008
Friday's first meeting went well. My trainer from 5 years ago is a little more calm, and a bit heavier. She's about 5'8 and when she's competing, she's 150 and ripped. These days she has drifted away from competition and is being more "photographer" at her husband's wrestling tournaments.She said that she's put on about 30 lbs since we've worked together. She did look "softer" than I remember, but she is still working out and is in a healthy weight range. More importan...
Magic Day
Thursday, June 5th 2008
Tomorrow is the magic day. I'm reunited with the trainer that helped me fine tune my phyisique in 2003. I'm very excited to work with her again.In the meantime, a surprise 4 hour meeting today caught me before I ate lunch. All they served at the meeting was junk: cookies, brownies, cheesecake and sodas. I really didn't want any of it, but when the presenters began running long and they decided to forgo breaks -- I had a brownie... then some cheesecake. By the time I got home, my blood sug...