During my previous six-pack experiment I realized that losing weight was also great because I FELT GOOD all the time from eating healthy food.

However with this weight gain stuff……I’ve been feeling like CRAP all the time.

In fact, I did a pretty bad job of gaining much weight since I simply couldn’t eat as much as I was supposed to everyday!

Adam from MyBodyTutor (who was helping me out) told me:

Eating is your JOB when you’re trying to gain weight.

I thought that sounded FUN!  I mean…..who wouldn’t want to stuff their face every 3 hours with lotsa food??

Well I’ll tell you this:  IT…..COMPLETELY….SUCKED.  

Eating became such a damn chore.

For starters, I always had to be around food…..and relatively healthy food at that (can’t simply eat fast food all the time).

I was supposed to eat at least 3,500 calories per day.

And at least 175 grams of protein a day (I weight about 175lbs right now).

Here’s what I looked like every time I realized how much food I’d be eating:

Plus I had to cut down on cardio exercises, and focus on weight training.  That meant less biking and outdoor stuff, and more pumping weights…..which isn’t all THAT fun on it’s own.

THE GOOD OF GAINING WEIGHT:

• I gained muscle and got “bigger”
• It was interesting to at least experience the weight GAIN part.
• Could eat WAY more at restaurants.

THE BAD ABOUT GAINING WEIGHT:

• I was full all the time, and usually tired because of all the food.
• I wasn’t as “clear” in my head.
• I had to use the bathroom a lot more….and things weren’t as “efficient” when going (picture THAT in your head)!
• I had to actually cook stuff….don’t think I’ve used a stove for over a year before this.
• I had to buy a lot of food all the time….I was going to Whole Foods pretty much every single day to get ready-made food that was healthy.
• Every heavy meal zonked me out.
• I enjoy meat…..but eating SO much meat concerned me.  Every meal was lots of protein which usually meant some meat.

I was actually REALLY BAD at following my diet requirements for gaining weight.  Almost every single day I missed my target calorie or protein intake since it was so damn much.

I just couldn’t do it sometimes.

I even called up Adam half-way through and told him I’d be cutting down my intake because it was interfering with my work (I had WAY less energy everyday).

WELL AANNYYYHOWWW….I’ve decided to start shedding the excess weight and get a bit more “cut” in the next few weeks/months.

I know posting shirtless pictures of yourself in the mirror is extremely douchey…..but it’s necessary as a point-of-reference….so here they are!

I can finally start eating healthier again….like this!

The SumoDietKourse was made not really out of demand for the product (in fact, it’s a huge departure from what AppSumo normally sells)…rather this was made because of the amazing feedback I got from my Six Pack Experiment.

I never intended for that to help that many people, but it really changed some lives (and belly-sizes)  :-)

While I lost a little weight and did my own little Six-Pack experiment….I’m nowhere qualified to talk extensively at help….so I brought in the big guns:

Adam at MyBodyTutor who I filmed all the videos with.  I flew to NYC for a few days to film with him, and I’m actually very proud of what came out!

If you read the Six Pack Experiment you’ll see I mentioned Adam over and over and over and over….so it was cool to actually film this whole thing with him!

One of the other things is…..this was launched today (Dec. 15th) while I’m currently in HAWAII!

Aleks noticed in my Cancun pictures I didn’t have a handstand picture like normal.  Well here’s one fresh off the camera from Hawaii!

That was taken on the battleship where WWII was officially ended.

Anywho…..checkout the sales video thingy and copy I did for the AppSumo landing page:

This means I’ve joined MyBodyTutor again for a one month “Re-fresher”.

In 2010 I did a Six-Pack Experiment where I tried to get six-pack abs in a month (it ended up taking more like 5 weeks).  I’ve pretty much maintained that physique for the most part until 2 months ago.

Two months ago I tried GAINING weight, and would eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day.  That’s actually A LOT considering I eat mainly healthier foods.  It was actually quite a bitch to eat that much every day.

However two months of eating like that put a liiiitttlle more “chub” on me.  I’m still not fat by any measure, but I’d like a re-fresher for summer.

So over the next month I’ll be in extreme-healthy mode and be tracking everything I eat on this ghetto chart I made:

You can already see the first few days have been tracked meal-by-meal.  I’ve been writing the total number of calories consumed per day, then the net calories (total calories – calories burned working out).

Simply by looking at this chart at the end of May I will be able to tell if I lost or gained weight….did you know 3,500 calories = 1 pound?

This re-fresher is not about weight, it’s about looks.  Now to track visual progress I need a reference point.  So that point was today (forgot to take pics on May 1st).

Without further ado, here’s more of what this blog needs…MORE HALF-NAKED PICTURES OF NEVILLE!

From the side I look ok.  This picture was actually taken after 3 full dayrs of extremely healthy and low-cal eating plus right after a workout PLUS I forgot to eat in the morning. …so it probably is slightly better than a few days ago.

I also made a .gif image to show the sucking-in effect on my abs….this picture kind of freaks me out and makes me laugh!

As you can see the six-pack isn’t showing up AS MUCH from the front view.  This will hopefully change over May mainly because of a better food intake and partially because of exercise, and a great help from MBT!

So this year I decided to think about this in advance and solve it…and it worked beautifully!

There was a Zoroastrian Congress in Houston over the holidays where all my friends and family would be.  It took place at a hotel, which ensured I’d be eating out all the time and have plenty of chances and excuses to eat like crap.

It’s easy to think, “It’s the holiday, I’ll just indulge a little”….but I KNOW the end result is being sluggish, feeling fatter and finding it hard to wake up etc…

So for the weeks prior to the holiday I began tracking my meals like I did during the 6-pack experiment.  I didn’t necessarily give up ANYTHING…I simply ate good, not bad.

I made an old piece of cardboard into a “tracking chart” starting two weeks before Christmas.  Everyday I was to write down everything I ate on a little sheet of paper (which I carry in my pocket), then post it on the board at night:

In around two weeks the chart was full:

I actually filled up BOTH sides of the cardboard, for 20 full days of tracking:

It’s amazing how just being conscious of how much you’ve eaten for the day keeps you on track.

Here were some of my eating habits during my hotel stay:

• I’d keep fruit in my room, or eat it wherever I could (I stole a bunch from the gym at the hotel).
• I’d get the vegetarian meals at hotel-catered events because they would generally have more veggies..not just a big piece of meat and little else.
• Tea or water instead of sodas.
• I still drank alcohol, but would account for it and compensate by eating fewer calories earlier.
• Worked out on a normal schedule.
• I wouldn’t “skip” dessert…but rather I’d “pass up foods that don’t add nutrition”.

Since I was eating so well, the tightly packed schedule during the holidays was much easier.  I could wake up easier, recover from drinking much quicker, and just in general feel good instead of weighed down….all by simply writing down what I ate!

Ever since my six pack experiment, no sane person would dare call someone in my physical condition “fat” or “overweight” (this picture was taken today, AFTER a meal):

However, I’ve since stopped being as strict an eater as during the experiment.

The four months I spent tracking my meals (and getting critiqued on every single one by Adam at MyBodyTutor) left a permanent impression on me.

I’m not gonna lie, after eating well for a while, the two things I liked the most are:

• I looked good (at least to me) in a mirror.
• I feel a lot better and get stuff done faster.

I particularly like the positive streak of productivity the experiment left me in. It’s easier to wake up, easier to start my daily work, easier to concentrate, easier to work longer…hey, I’ll take it!

So lately I’ve been indulging A LITTLE MUCH in all the holiday parties I’ve been going to (damn I’m popular)….and you know what?
I DON’T REMEMBER ANY OF IT.

Meaning: the temporary act of eating “one extra” cookie or some other relatively useless piece of food is 100% forgotten, but I do live with the consequences of stuffing myself in the next few hours, and certainly the next day:

Waking up feeling sluggish, wishing I didn’t eat something I KNEW I shouldn’t have.  It’s no good.

So to give myself a quick “reminder” to stay on track, I’d like to return to tracking my meals for the next 11 days before I go back to Houston for the holiday season.

I seriously cannot emphasize enough how insanely well this works.
(Adam will back me up on this).

The holidays will represent roughly 10 days of holiday parties, food and a schedule that won’t be conducive to exercise or productivity.

So to keep accountable to myself, I’m going to carry around a little slip of paper and write down everything I eat:

I will do this for several days, and post each day of eating on a piece of cardboard I had laying around:

I will be keeping this “Accountability Board” on the TV Stand (which I doubt will ever contain a TV) in front of my bed:

THE GOAL:
Track my food intake for the remaining 10 days before I go back to Houston for Christmas.

THE METHOD:
1.) Carry around a piece of paper and pen, and write down exactly what I eat, before I eat it.

2.) Stick each daily list to the “Accountability Board” I made.

THE OUTCOME:
I’ll be productive, healthier, and in shape (so I can show off to all my friends…duh).  I’ll be happier that I’m productive and healthy, and therefore enjoy my time more during the holidays.

I tried to get six-pack abs quickly…and found the main way to get them quickly was by modifying my diet (in a sustainable way).

I started eating mostly raw food (even though I never gave up anything…especially not drinking!) and quickly lost a lot of weight (17 lbs in the first 5 weeks)!

Many people commented this change in eating wouldn’t last.  I didn’t think that was completely true, especially after using Adam’s MyBodyTutor service for four months which completely shifted the way I think about food.

So here we are, months after the six-pack experiment has ended, and even after I stopped using MyBodyTutor.

Have I started eating badly again?
Not really.  I’ve had SOME things I probably wouldn’t have ate during the experiment…but it’s extremely rare and I always regret eating the junk.

Does the temptation to eat a bunch of junk still come up?
Meh.  When you look at the end result of eating a food rather than the immediate gratification of it…junk food isn’t very appetizing.

What do you eat at restaurants now?
Salads.  I’ve never been a big foodie, so I love knowing EXACTLY what I’ll be eating at a restaurant.  It’s pretty hard to screw up a salad.  I’m actually surprised how easy it is to find healthy meals at even the WORST of restaurants.  Sometimes a salad will have meat on it, which is fine since I never gave up any type of food.

Have your drinking habits changed also?
Yes.  When I drink I’ll generally get a light beer or liquor with soda water (NOT to be confused with cola).  I’ll still have drinks that aren’t as healthy, but I keep it to a minimum.

What about your grocery habits?
I still buy pretty much only raw foods to keep at home. I save all the bad stuff for when I go out to restaurants.

What are your workout habits now?
Currently I do Bikram Yoga roughly every other day which keeps me really thin…so I workout in between days to keep my abs and chest reasonably toned.  I started working out again after my abs shrank from doing too much cardio and not enough strength training.

What do you look like now?
I just snapped these pictures in the mirror:

So recently I’ve stuck to my healthy habits.  I’m proud of that.

Will this last forever?  I hope…but that isn’t enough.

I’m a HUGE fan of this particular quote I heard Earl Nightingale say in one of his audio programs (I had to re-listen to about three 30-minute long audios to find this one damn quote):

Remember…Physical fitness is an unusual commodity.  You can’t buy it, borrow it, or steal it.  And once you have it, you can’t even store it.  To possess it you must make regular activity a daily habit, and physical exertion a part of your life.

–Earl Nightingale.   Direct Line.  Tape 2B.  27 min and 30 sec.

That is by far the most elegant quote I’ve ever heard about physical fitness.

The sheer power of consistency.

It’s blatantly obvious being consistent in something is powerful, but I never really HAVE been consistent at anything.  Look at my blogging habits for example.  Right now I’m blogging everyday, but there have been MONTHS in between posts at times.  Inconsistency.

Even through school I would have strong periods of doing well in all my classes…followed by a total fall-behind.  Inconsistency.

So when I did the Six Pack Experiment and used MyBodyTutor I had to answer everyday to Adam (whom I didn’t want to disappoint), and also to NevBlog readers (whom I also didn’t want to disappoint).  I also had a solid end goal in mind (getting a six pack) which I didn’t want to miss.  TRIPLE accountability definitely helped me stay on track.

Adam probably used the word “Consistency” more than any other during that experiment…and how true it was.

As Earl Nightingale put it:

Plan out what you want to do for the day.  Accomplish it, and that will be a successful day.

Have 5 or 7 successful days in a row, and you’ve had a successful week.

Do this 4 times and you’ve had a successful month.

…then year.

…then lifetime.

Imagine a bricklayer building a wall.  He starts with laying a single brick.  He may be able to lay 200 bricks in a day.  Everyday he continues laying the bricks, and after a while an immense building can be made.  However it all happened with single bricks, day after day, week after week of diligent work.

It’s such a simple concept I truly don’t think I’ve ever applied till this Six Pack Experiment!  Imagine…I’m 27 years old and never ONCE have been consistent for over 3 months in anything.  Definitely a late bloomer.

However lately I’ve been keeping the consistency up.  I learned that after about 120 days of MyBodyTutor the eating habits I developed stuck around.  I’ve done 30 day experiments before in consistency, but it seems it takes me 4X longer to learn than most people to learn.

The crazy thing is, when I’ve applied consistency to something and its done very well….I wasn’t even working that hard! Usually I would just do a moderate amount of work each day towards the goal, and if I do that little work EVERY DAY it usually ends in a BIG RESULT.

SO I can either be inconsistent and garner decent results with periods of laziness followed by working very hard.

-or-

Just be moderately productive EVERY DAY and garner BIG results.

I choose the 2nd.

These six YouTube videos (all of the same speech….so technically ONE YouTube video) changed my attitude towards meat.

I doubt I’ll ever fully give it up, but I have been eating significantly less since I saw this:

Next vids:

• Part 1 (embedded above)
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

This video answered a question I long couldn’t figure out: Why do we get fatter?

I mean…how is the fat PHYSICALLY deposited in/on our organs and belly and thighs?

It all made sense to me when I heard:
Animal fats are solid at body temperature.  Plant oils are liquid.  Eureka!

Watch and learn.  He has an easy-to-understand way of explaining this all.

My body fat is still pretty low, so that’s not the problem. Sadly, I know exactly where I’ve slipped….I stopped doing the ab exercises Adam made for me.

Nisch Nisch.  If I’m doing 98% of the work to stay fit, why not do that extra 2% to be REALLY fit??

I’ve been doing Bikram Yoga one day, then biking the next….and somehow stopped doing the ab exercises (which honestly take very little time).

The issue is clearly I haven’t been pushing those muscles to grow (they looked so much better when they were being exercised regularly).

The solution is clearly to start doing them again!

In case you need a refresher:

Bicycle Situps: 3 sets of 20

Knee Bends: 3 sets of 20

Foot Reaches: 3 sets of 20

Checkout the six-pack exercises for more info.

UPDATE (8-19-2010):

Adam (founder of MyBodyTutor) emailed me shortly after this post:

Instead of setting a daunting goal of doing them every day – which is over-training anyway – aim for 2-3 x per week. If you trained your abs 2-3 per week for 15 minutes a shot, it’ll be all you need.

-Adam

The plan was to get 6-Pack abs in one month…did that happen?  Not completely. However by month two and three I was at a physique I was definitely happy with.

With the help of MyBodyTutor, my attitudes about eating and exercising were completely changed by the 2nd month.  It was very easy to eat well from that point on.

The 6-Pack Experiment has been officially over for a while now….so have a I slipped back into bad habits?  NOT AT ALL!  I never gave up any type of food…just ate good and not bad.

Currently I eat pretty well and do Bikram Yoga every other day.

Here are some updated pictures:
(All of these were taken in the last 2 weeks or so…the last picture was taken yesterday after eating a meal):

Four months ago I could wear those shorts without a belt….now they literally fall off without one.

Considering I’m no longer doing the rigorous ab exercises I started off doing, the results are pretty decent.  I don’t have rippling washboard abs or 0% body fat, but this physique is quite satisfactory to me.

P.S. I wonder if posting tons of douchebaggy photos of myself online will come back to haunt me one day??  Good thing I never wanna be president!