Oops. I fell into the trap.

When I first started writing this blog, I really wanted to avoid what happens to so many little blogs with no readership: writing a few enthusiastic posts, and then dropping off the face of the earth. Unfortunately, the knowledge that essentially no one is reading your blog (and may never) isn't exactly the greatest motivator. Nonetheless, I'm back, I have plenty of things to write about, and I'll try not to waste it all in this post.

Here, I'll concentrate on my thoughts and efforts regarding The Zone diet, mentioned in my previous post. The bottom line is, it seems interesting. There isn't enough detail for me to evaluate it from a scientific perspective, and, although I respect and appreciate the bibliography which offers the opportunity for more detailed research, let's face it, I'm not going to spend the time doing that. I'll just say the ideas are interesting, and I'm not willing to dismiss them out of hand. So, that's a definite victory for Dr. Spears.

I have a few of problems with the book. The first I expected, which is that it's directed more towards people who are out of shape. Sure, it mentions athletes, and even mentions in passing the changes that are needed for them, but not in very much detail. I mean, the chapter on exercise recommends a few minutes of walking and a handful of push-ups a day; it clearly isn't for people who are already performing at a high level and want to push that higher.

Related to that, but not exactly the same, is the fact that it really isn't directed towards smaller, lean people. I am short and thin enough that I "bottom out" the body-fat estimator tables in the back of the book. That means that, according to the estimator, I have 3% body fat or less. First of all, I'm thing, but not that thin. But it's an estimate, so I forgive them. The bigger problem is, all of the book is dedicated towards reducing that number. It doesn't really talk about what to if you're already very lean.

Other than that, I think the book was clear, easy to understand, and a quick read. I really still want to try a couple weeks of following the diet very strictly, but I just haven't had a chance yet. In the meantime, I've been trying to apply the ideas as much as I can, without being really strict about it. The only real difference between what I ate before (when I was simply trying to eat "healthy" with no plan) is a lot less grains, but I'm not finding it difficult. I can't say I notice a huge improvement, and it's hard to say whether any progression I've had is due to what I'm eating or just normal changes due to training, but I'm definitely not getting worse.

Coming up next
So, there, I posted again (finally). In the next little while, I will post on some of the things I've been up to recently, which might include posts about:

• Handstand and other tumbling training
• Capoeira
• My new favourite workout equipment (hint: it cost $6 at the hardware store)
• Climbing in Squamish, British Columbia (I'm going in a week)

Thanks for bearing with me, non-existent readership!

Maybe I'll meet Zod

Whenever I'm in town I work out at CrossFit Toronto. There's no CrossFit facility convenient to where I live, so I jump at the chance and have had really great experiences there. At the end of a recent week there, John, the head trainer, mentioned that he had wanted to bring me an article on The Zone diet. I responded with skepticism; I certainly don't need to lose any weight, and I try to eat well and avoid junk. John quickly sold me with an analogy about putting standard gas in a race car - if you want to perform at your best, you need to have the best fuel. He told me to get the book Mastering the Zone, which seems to be the most-recommended starting point. I found many used copies online for $4 US including shipping (try Amazon Marketplace or AbeBooks.com for used copies). He basically challenged me to try following the diet to the letter for two weeks, and see if I didn't notice a difference.

As a scientist the idea of optimization appeals to me, but, when it comes to diet, I really just have been following "common sense" haphazardly. Having a good set of rules to follow also appeals to me. A lot of athletes and trainers I admire seem to swear by The Zone, so I figured why not give it a try? The book arrived today, so after I've had a chance to read it and plan it out, the experiment will begin.

Incidentally, this was the impetus behind starting this blog. I figured there might be other people out there who are in a similar position as I am: trying out a new diet to improve performance, rather than to lose weight or look better or anything like that. Hopefully, this might prove informative to someone out there. If not, well, at least it provides incentive to keep me on track!