RMR (really mean rabbit?)

Really mean rabbits aside the above acronym actually means resting metabolic rate and I had it tested today, the results were interesting to say the least.

  It might not make much sense to you, but the top table is the one to focus on. The figure of 2,578 kcals a day is what I should be eating just at pure rest. The figure of 3,764 kcals a day is what I should be consuming in order to function effectively at my current activity level.

I can pretty much guarantee that I am not eating anywhere near enough calories. Even on my current keto diet I'm hitting closer to 2,800 per day. To say I am on keto is a little lie as it has become more like a low carbohydrate (carb) diet now. Especially since I've incorporated a little more of the good stuff this week in order to sleep better. If you didn't know carbs are a great source of seratonin, a neurotransmitter that helps with sleep, mood and appetite. It seems like I'm finding excuses for carbs, but the amounts I've eaten have been small, honest!

As well as the test I had a consultation afterward with the exercise scientist Matthew. Other than the need to increase my daily calorie intake he showed me that the keto may not be working. What you can't see on this photo is that 96.8% of my calories during the test came from carbohydrates. This is more than annoying because if keto was proving to be successful then the calories would be coming from my fat stores. I won't fully pass judgement on keto until after my body fat scan in a week, but I will be changing the macro nutrient percentages going forwards. After consultation with Matthew I am going to change those amounts to 25% carbs, 35% protein and 45% fats. I'll keep you updated on my progress in the coming weeks. Photos of cheat meals to follow ;)

Today I have been relatively busy trying to finish off the editing of my first podcast, which will go live on my website soon. This blog will also move to that site soon too, just as soon as I finish off all the other components! I'll tell you one thing though, recording a podcast is much harder than writing. I know I should probably edit these posts a little more, but if I did I'd never publish anything. That my friends has been the problem with the podcast, listening to your voice is painful to say the least and I've spent hours repeating parts to get it right. Nevertheless I will soon have a short weekly podcast to go along with this blog. It will be covering tools to help improve mental health, everything from nutrition to meditation and fitness training. Let me know if you have any tools that you use or topics to discuss, soon enough I'll be looking for people to interview!

Right I'm off to eat more calories, catch you tomorrow friends!

Tom :)

"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable" - Seneca

What I learnt from coffee and Alpacas

Today I was reminded that coffee isn't always my friend, especially when I consume two of the fuckers before 9am and then stand in one spot until the afternoon. But hopefully this is one of those occasions when I actually learn from my mistakes. I am going to cut the caffeine down from tomorrow onwards, after all nobody needs a twitchy Tom. But what did you learn from the bloody Alpacas! Well they take a great photo don't they?!

This morning during my hour long cycle with Gavin around Centennial Park we talked about the benefits of exercise on the mind and why it is so important to do something regularly. However I may have taken this conversation a little far when I ran intervals for an hour after work. As I write this I am waiting for the full feeling to return to my limbs. Thankfully I am proper knackered and mega chilled after all this exercise, so I'm looking forward to my day off tomorrow.

After eating a large dinner I am ready for the resting metabolic rate (RMR) test that I have booked tomorrow. As I can't eat for a minimum of five hours beforehand I made sure I consumed a decent amount and will be enjoying a nice lie in. That way I will only have a few hours of not eating before the test and then a decent lunch straight after. This RMR test along with the body fat scans I have done recently will help me to determine the best way to eat for my mind and body. I love testing things out on myself not only to help myself but also other people. After all we are individuals with very different biochemistry and not sheep that can eat the same diet. There is no better way to find what works for you than use science and a good experiment. I'll let you know what the results are from tomorrow.

Following the RMR test will be my second body fat scan to see if the Keto diet I have been doing (which may have developed just to low carb) has had a positive effect. I'm hoping to see a small reduction in my body fat, which is currently sat at 14.5% and the largest I've been in a number of years. Despite this my muscle mass has actually increased on previous years, so I may be fatter but I'm not losing muscle like many do as they get older. If I can see some reduction in bodyfat then I know I am on the right lines with this way of eating because I feel the best I have in months.

Anyhow I best leave as I am off to dream of doughnuts, pizza and other carbs that I can't eat.

Until tomorrow!

Tom :)

"Eat to train, don't train to eat." - some clever bastard.

What day is it?

The last month since I tapped out a blog post has passed in a blur and I don't really know where it went. On a few occasions I have sat down in front of the computer but I've been at a loss as to what I wanted to write. Each time staring blankly at the screen in a daze before closing the lid on my efforts.
A podcast I listen to this week though reminded me of the importance of consistency and what can happen if we stick with it.

All to often we might create a healthy habit in order to fix a problem yet abandon it when we feel good. Once out of the newly developed routine we quickly fall back into old habits, after all it's easy after years of learning that. It's a frustrating experience and one that we go through time and time again, just think about all those new year's resolutions!

Personally what I have found over the last year is that unless something is stupidly easy to do everyday I won't do it. As my Dad always says "with the best will in the world" it ain't going to happen! All too often I set out with great plans of what I will do, yet get bored, distracted or just move onto something else before any real success is produced. So in order to achieve results I actually have to break things down to small achievable actions. By small I mean tiny, as simple as brushing your teeth (although even that seems to be a struggle for me). Something that you can wake up and do before your brain says, "hang on there's this easier habit you've done for the last 20 years..."

My inconsistent writing is something that I guilt trip myself about all the time. I will generally only write when I have the TV off (I'm a man and have the attention span of a Red Setter on acid), so when I sit down to watch some Iron Fist writing takes a back seat. Or I try and write in front of the TV, error. On this occasion I have prised myself away from watching my programmes in order to write a few lines. The reason I do this is because unless I sacrifice a little time each day to invest in writing I won't actually get any better at it. Nor will there be a cathartic effect unless I am consistent. I may not have goals of being a best selling author, but I like my mind feeling a little more "stable" and a little less "stabby".

I have no idea where I was going with this post, so forgive me. What I must do now is simply type a bit each day, because it is a free form of Prozac to me. With that in mind I'll leave you with a quote from someone much wiser and more historic than myself, in the hope that you too might keep plugging away with whatever you are working on.

Tom :)

"We are what we consistently do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle