“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.” ~ Winston Churchill.
It’s easy to to become discouraged. We all know, or think we know, fitness is a journey and not a destination, and yet the reality is that everyone feels that if they can just get past a certain point, it will be much easier.
It’s not.
The problem on this journey is that setbacks are real and frequent. It’s the friend from out of town that didn’t consult your binge-day schedule; it’s the business lunch with the important client that happens to be the very next day; it’s life.
There will be challenges and as you may have learned with my story, it was these very setbacks that drove me to find an innovative way to progress more quickly. Perhaps some of our success will be because we simply will it to be so. Many are in search of a prescriptive method for thermal loading. In time, I’ll provide a lot of additional resources and tips. For now, I’d like everyone to stick to the protocols listed in The 4-Hour Body as much as possible. I hope to see direct results from many of you and encourage EVERYONE to report.
I’m extremely excited about some of these well designed experiments in scientific journal articles I found buried among other academic-geek speak that have INCREDIBLE implications to this entire thermally-driven weight loss focus. Today, or in the next few days, many of you will take your measurements. Please consider uploading them. Most importantly don’t be overly encouraged or discouraged with the results.
Instead of gloating in glory or drowning in gloom, take the time to reflect on EVERY misstep this week. Write it down or at least acknowledge it somehow and then commit to making the change NEXT week, or tomorrow, or the next meal/workout, but figure out when you will take an active progressive step. Then, do it.
I am POSITIVE that many of you are going to see the same amazing results that I experienced. I would say none of the explanations out there (at least that I can find) are moving in this direction. I am certain that therapeutic cooling is here to stay. We’ll dig into the details in the coming months. For now, let’s create an open forum for ideas, discussion and success. Let’s be constructively critical and have healthy skepticism, but have a great time doing it.
Don’t see success in one direction and failure in another – leave Dr Dolittle’s pushmi-pullyu mentality out of your program. See each failure as a successive step to success. Write them down and celebrate these failures. The only time one really learns something new is when they fail. Just be certain to keep records so that you can recognize the missteps and not let them evolve to permanent bad habits.
Good luck on your weigh-ins. Don’t forget to report back!
Ray,
Can’t thank you enough for all of this great information. I’m using the spreadsheet you linked earlier in the week and have a couple of questions?
Do you want us to upload the spreadsheet weekly as we move through the process?
I’m planning to start the 4HB thermal loading protocol after the third week, so if we do upload on the Progress page will we still be able to leave notes about details of what we are doing during the 12 weeks?
The good news is the Slow Carb Diet is actually a very easy and convenient way to eat, I could see eating this way all the time – it’s not nearly as restrictive as one would think at first blush. And tracking all of this data actually appeals to my techno-geek side, making it fun to track the minute changes along the way.
I took a Before Picture, and WOW! Seeing that was a real reality check for me – I’m still debating whether to upload it or not… Talk about a blast of ‘look what you’ve become’ slapping you in the face. For all who haven’t taken a Before Picture I would highly recommend doing it, just to get a real good look at what’s going on with your body. There’s a great difference seeing an image of yourself vs. looking in the mirror (it was for me anyway).
Week one is done, and I feel great. This coming week will see the addition of weight and cardio into the program, and then of course, thermal loading beginning week four. Again, thanks for this platform to share information!
Craig
Craig
Yes. I’d prefer both the sheet and the data be uploaded weekly. If I have to copy paste – I will. Otherwise I plan to write code to grab data out of database to do some automated summaries. I’d rather do it the second way, but life gets in the way.
As for pictures – I hear you. I can’t tell you how much I thought about that before I hit the send button to tim. I’m thinking – do I REALLY want these in a book? What if I gain it back?
Listen, it becomes real when you put it out there. I can’t even imagine what Tim has gone through to challenge status quo. No worries. If there is one thing I wish I had more of it’s fat photos.
You are going to succeed if you stick with it. Those that have nothing to lose have nothing to lose. Take chances. Embrace failure. Draw a line in the sand and just make it happen!!!
Ray.
Even though my weight today (171.4) is about one pound above last week’s low, I lost about 0.5% body fat and 7.5 total inches. Considering all I have done is the Slow-carb diet, thermal loading and a few kettlebell swings, I am very impressed.
Everyone around me thinks I’m some kind of freak or crazy. I can live with that :).
progress not perfection… oddly enough when i don’t think i am being perfect i get the idea “why bother”..but if i breathe, relax and focus on the progress it keeps me going. Keep spreading the word, brother.
I’m all in and will be reporting back as you suggested.
So today I bit the bullet and submitted my first data set including photo, its all the “Before data” as I will be taking my readings for the end of the first week tomorrow; as such I have a question for you Ray.
I took my readings on New Years Day and started the Slow Carb Diet on 2nd January, so today (8th January) is my cheat day. I would therefore take the readings after the first week on the 9th i.e. my photos and my measurements. Being the day immediately after my cheat day, do you think this will skew the results at all? Would you suggest taking my readings in future on the Saturday before my binge?
I would do the measurements before….BUT, how about doing both? This is the amazing part of science – learning to gain through “mistakes.” why don’t you start doing two measurements each week. One on the morning of cheat day (before food, etc…) one morning after.
This way you will have two sheets. It will be fascinating to watch this on the entire group and provide both individual and group insight on the nature of these cheat days.
Anyone else in?
Sounds like a plan, I will try and get organised with this on my next day off work. I am a bit shocked as I put on 5lb on my cheat day, the morning will tell how much is still there!
This diet is very much in the “low-carb” category, since insulin spikes are low. This means there is little glycogen storage.
Now, when we do a binge day, suddenly we have insulin spikes and glycogen storage, and glycogen is hydrophilic – it likes water. Off the top of my head I believe it is 2g water stored for every 1g of glycogen.
Low-carbers deal with this all the time after some kind of cheat or binge. It will drain off over the next 3 days or so.
I start tomorrrow. I always lose 8-9 lbs the first week on teh SB diet so it will be intersting to see if that gets amped up by all of the hydro exposure I plan on doing.
Ray
I have started the lean carb plan as well as a cold shower each day. Too early to comment on results but so far unremarkable. I have a question though. Is it not possible that cold exposure initiates a thermogenic response to somehow preserve fat? It seems like that would be a natural evolution based response
It may seem reasonable, but then again why don’t we grow fur coats too? We certainly have the evolutionary Pilo erector muscles to stand these hairs on end (chill bumps). I think that animals that have excessive blubber for insulation, always have it. We’ll discuss brown adipose tissue (BAT) soon and how that plays into all of this. Humans are not hibernators or even pseudo hibernators. Even those animals it’s tough to distinguish whether they put on fat to insulate or whether insulation simply comes as a added bonus with the necessary caloric store.
The real studies of Human adaptation to chronic cold (which I doubt anyone on thisnlist is experiencing) is a suppression of the metabolic response to cold shock and the body allowing up to 2 deg drop of temperature. Wim Hof, through a lifetime of training can supress these refexes.
The only place I find any discussion about this is in general debate, mostly associated with swimmers, and I know for certain that the main papers sited over and over (e. g. Gwinup 87) are not appropriate interpretations. Keep in mind that I suggest one have a solid diet/exercise foundation and then add thermal loading. The reason mainly is that the increased metabolic burn can result in wanting to eat – and one must resist. I think people would have the same reaction to running excessively. More calories burned = more hunger I assume.
Make sense?
Ray
Slow carb should be having a measurble effect in a week.
The nice thing about a low-carb/slow-carb diet is that even with some increased appetite, one shouldn’t have to limit caloric intake that much. No insulin spikes means less fat storage in general and meat + salad is very filling and satisfying. Tim even says on page 72, “Eat as much as you like of the above food items, but keep it simple.”
Thanks for the reply Ray. I’ve had my usual water weight loss of about 3 pounds in the first week of a lower carb diet. Body fat % hasnt budged but not surprising based on previous diet history. Im not discouraged, just waiting to see how this goes after a month or two. I think the dietary principles in 4HB are sound and they have worked for me before. I am more intrigued by some of the novel strategies in the book such as cold exposure. Obviously its worked for you so thats at least anecdotal evidence, and I am giving it a try based on that. But our body is diabolically well adapted to find ways to conserve fat and cold would seem to be an environmental stress where conserving fat would be even more important to survival. Have you come across any epidemiological evidence that populations in cold climates tend to have lower levels of fat?
My motivation started when my 2 year old asked me if I was having a baby like mommy (my wife is 4months pregnant). As a computer geek and SEO, I sit all day and I’m at an all time high on my weight – 237lbs./ 37% body fat / 5’10”. This is up 7lbs from last year at this time.
Just like everybody else in the new year, it’s my resolution to lose massive amounts of weight this year – and get back to what I was in college. So I was thinking to start P90x again (I got through 45 days a couple years ago before I gave up), but had remembered that Tim had mentioned his book on his blog, so I went to B&N and picked it up and read the majority of the chapters. I’m really truly amazed at your results and want to achieve the same.
So, I started last week with the Slow carb diet, two-a-days walking 1.5miles (one in the morning at a fast pace and once in the evening with my wife), and thermogenics (cold showers, cold walks, and an ice pack on the back of my neck while working at night) and PAGG. My first weigh in showed 5lbs difference in a week. I’m expecting this next weigh-in to be even better.
In this next week I’m going to get a watch that measures my heart rate as well as counts calories burned in my walks. I’m interested to see what the multiplier is in my body for the amount of weight that I SHOULD be dropping.
About drawing a line in the sand – Done. I WILL be 50lbs lighter by beach time. 🙂
Thanks for the resource Ray (and Tim for that matter). I’ll keep track of the results and send them in. 🙂
Chris
Fantastic Chris!!
I know baby-belly first hand. At least with women, people don’t dare ask them…we have no excuse and get called out on it all the time.
Take pictures. you will want them later. keep good records.
Ray
Ray,
Began on 12/16/10 and as of Monday the 10th, I’m down 11 lbs. of fat. About 3.5 lbs a week so far. I’ve taken the extreme route (some would say) and have incorporated the guidelines in 4HB. I’m also doing the ice baths as outline by Tim 3 x’s a week. Having done the weight loss merry-go-round before and comparing my numbers, I’m losing just over 1lb additional each week that I attribute the cold exposure. It is going to be fun comparing as the weeks go by. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Fantastic Greg! if you saw my other note and it’s not too much trouble, please do measurements on day of cheat and day after…I want to get some good brackets so that we can help others on the swing…
Thanks!
Ray
Hi
Im not overweight, rather Im lean, train alot, especially martial arts and have been trying to build more muscle. I was interested in the Ice Age chapter in Tims book and actually tried following the protocols today. The first question I had was considering my body type outlined above, how will this cold exposure stuff benefit me? Secondly the pure cold shower was pretty much a disaster this morning, I could only manage 2 minutes 30, too bloody cold!! Is there a way one can adapt the body over time and get used to such cold exposure for 5-10minutes, you know like getting your body used to lifting weights and swinging kettlebells before going real heavy?
Thanks
Adam
Adam
Ice baths have been used to help with recovery and I can’t remember how much tim talks about that in his book. My work has centered on caloric deficit. I’ll look into it more in some of my exercise physiology textbooks and you might want to scan 4HB.
If anyone wants to weigh in here, it might be a good place to start.
Ray.
I do the cold showers and got used to it by starting the shower with normal heat and turning it down every so often until all the heat is gone. Let the water run all over your body each time so that all parts can get used to the latest temp. drop. Warning: What they say about cold water on Mr. Happy is true, but they dont tell you how much it hurts. Next time, instead of turning around to get the BAT in my chest, I will keep my back to the water towards the end of the shower. I felt like I could stay in there all night and had no shivering or heavy breathing after like a minute.
LOL…that’s funny. I don’t believe it necessarily HAS to be on your back or chest, but I have not tested. It seems like anything you do to get a “cold response” has an impact. It does not hurt to go all the way cold, but if you can just get down below the 26-27C mark, you are definitely into cooling.
Keep notes, and report back.
Ray
I too am experiencing some pain with Mr. Happy. I don’t think I will do the front cold showers anymore. Also makes my nipples so sensitive it hurts. ouch!
I was thinking if you walked into a cold refrigerator would you get the same reaction as a cold shower?
Yes, but not as rapidly. Water has both increased heat capacity (can hold more heat) and increased thermal conductivity (transfers faster). That being said, most of my weight loss was done in the 35-45F(1-7C) range. Also a fan placed toward you on a treadmill will also work.
Ray
I haven’t read all the material yet, but are we saying that cold showers, ice baths, and swiming are superior to shiver walks, cold packs, and lowering the thermostat due to the presence of water on the skin?
Ok, I’m a little afraid to try all this, but I need to drop fat fast due to my military requirements. I so wish I were under 141, but am hovering in low 160’s as a mid-45 year old woman. I did body for life last year, lost 20, now with 10 back on. So, my body temp runs a little cool anyways, typically 96.5 or 97.1 due to thyroid issues or some metabolic disorder anyways. All the books I read always push me to stay warm as much as possible, in fact I was doing a hot FIR sauna 2-3 hrs a day to reset my body temp to 98.6 on average, but it didn’t really work out that well, but I enjoyed the sauna, detoxed and watched a lot of movies (now just about 20 min a day now and then) A lot of books said I could lose weight on that, but it never happened either!! So, about to get back on the workout bandwagon, low carb and low sugar and wondered if these cool showers were safe for someone who likes being very warm!!