A few weeks ago, Mark Sisson over at Mark’s Daily Apple posted an article about having Washboard Abs on a High-Fat Diet, No Ab Workouts and No Cardio even while in his 50′s and coming back from a knee injury. A discussion about different approaches to diet started in the comments, and the claim was made that the better dietary approach to building a good physique is lots of whole grains, lots of complex carbohydrates, lean meats, essential fatty acids, vegetables, and fruits (but not many nuts) coupled with lots of cardio and long weight-training sessions. This is more or less the “mainstream” viewpoint on nutrition and exercise right now, and most bodybuilders adhere to this type of plan religiously. I myself followed the bodybuilding advice all throughout high school and for the first half of college but now I know better. The commenter was mainly interested with bodybuilding (improving his physique), so I looked for pictures that showed me back in the bodybuilding “bulking” days and another of me, recently, living the evolutionary fitness way. The transformation between the two pictures reminded me of how much I’ve changed since then, and I was inspired to leave the following comment:
I have two pictures of me and two stories. The first was taken in 2005 at age 20 after I finished a big bulking session. I had spent the previous 4 years working out like a bodybuilder. I ate little to no sugar, only “complex” carbs (brown rice, baked/sweet potatoes, wheat bread, etc) and followed typical bodybuilding low-fat high-carb diet. I worked out 4-5 times/week, did steady state cardio (swimming, usually), etc. This picture is here:
Around this time, I started developing severe anxiety and panic attacks, both of which are disorders of serotonin regulation. Serotonin is largely affected by insulin and messed up serotonin often goes hand in hand with insulin resistance. You can barely tell from the picture that I had substantial musculature, because it is so covered by fat. A week after that picture was taken, I had appendicitis and then an appendectomy,followed by the mother of all panic attacks. For over a month, I was completely incapacitated (mentally) and could only sleep for 1-2 hours each night.
After months of trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me, I stumbled upon the Paleo diet on Art DeVany’s website. I dropped the “complex carbs”, upped my fat consumption, worked out less, and did less cardio. After only 2 years of this, here’s a second picture taken a few months ago at age 22:
I weighed about 160 in the 2nd picture, and my lifts are the same as when I was 175, except that I have more power and control of them now. Panic attacks are non-existent because my insulin levels are low and regular, keeping my serotonin levels low and regular. There is much, much more to the paleo lifestyle and diet then “getting big”; it’s about physical and mental health, sustainability, and quality of life.
The point of my reply to the commenter – who was most interested in building a great physique – was to show that there’s no comparison between evolutionary fitness and the bodybuilding way in that respect. Lean, dense muscle looks better and you don’t have to trade mental or physical health to get it.The idea that one can be healthy diet very high in carbohydrates as long as the sources are “clean” just doesn’t have a lot of weight or evidence behind it. Sure, some people such as endurance athletes can down absurd levels of carbohydrate without getting fat, but that doesn’t make them healthy at all. Bodybuilders do get into shape as well, but they spend endless hours in the gym and on the treadmill to do it. The evolutionary fitness way is so much easier. The real beauty of evolutionary fitness is that you don’t have to choose between being mentally healthy, physically healthy, and fit. It all comes together perfectly.
While I’ve known evolutionary fitness has been great for me, I was still shocked by the physical changes that occurred in just two years. I look like a different person. I’m stronger and faster, my lipid profile has improved, my acne is gone, and I sleep better. I no longer have panic attacks, my thinking is clear, and I’m calmer and far less angry than I was at 20. Of course, I can attribute some of that to simply maturing, mellowing out a bit, and gaining some wisdom from Buddhist philosophy and even that weird realm of statistics and chaos theory. But I don’t think I would have changed like that in the midst of constant sugar and hormonal lows and highs. During high school and early college, I remember getting weird mood swings and occasionally feeling dizzy, hot, and tired. As it turns out, that was my blood sugar going nuts and my poor pancreas trying to keep up by dumping insulin into my bloodstream. My pancreas did keep up, fortunately, but my brain didn’t. I was always tired during the day, my mood was highly dependent on how recently I’d eaten, and I was angry. Never “loud and yelling” angry, but I just held irrational hostile and angry viewpoints that permeated my personality in a negative way. Sure, I’m still pretty cynical (in a mostly comical way) but I don’t hold on to anger and negativity the way I used to. Once my brain chemicals were in the right place, I’ve was better able to live in the here and now.
I imagine many people think I “obsess” (though, one could argue over what exactly that entails) over my diet and workouts for vanity reasons, but the reason for starting and adhering to this was and is mental health. The physical effects came along as a great side effect but I promise that when I’m turning down dessert and asking for veggies instead of potatoes, it’s not my weight I’m concerned about. Instead, I’m avoiding the ensuing brain fog, nausea, panic attacks, sluggishness, heartburn, and digestive problems. When I do go for something carby/sugary, I always feel physically bad and mentally foggy afterwards. It’s usually not worth it. I want to emphasize that I don’t feel guilty afterwards; I feel an acute physical response to something my body now recognizes as toxic.The only things I’m giving up by eating and living this way are those negative physical and mental side effects.
You don’t have to sacrifice anything – “bulkiness” or sugar or whatever – to be fit and healthy. Giving up these things means gaining energy, mental clarity, and a better build. It’s never too late to start and it can be sustained for your whole life, as people like Mark Sisson (54), Art DeVany (70), my dad (51), and numerous other people have shown. Physical and mental health go hand in hand and I have no doubt that the paleo way is the best path to both. It’s certainly been good to me.
Update, four years later: I’ve made a lot of progress in four years. I kept the paleo diet (though I did add protein supplements and post-workout carb-ups) but changed my workout style to focus on progressive overload. I started doing more powerlifting-style workouts in ’08 and since then have increased my strength and muscle mass significantly. Here’s a picture taken a couple days before I turned 26 in July:
Me in 2011 @ 185lbs
I weigh about 185 in that picture and clearly have not gained much fat since my picture taken in 2007. While I typically recommend that people gain muscle first and then go back and “cut”, I did the process in reverse because my goal from 2005-2007 was to eliminate my panic/anxiety and digestive troubles. A paleo diet and lots of brief, intense exercise did that quite readily, but I wanted to add some muscle while maintaining that new-found health. 4 years later, my comment to that poster is more true than ever, as I’ve increased my muscle mass by almost 20lbs without sacrificing my health. Mission accomplished.
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