Going to add yet another element to the eating mix

So I was introduced to the Oly blog the iron samurai a few months ago, and one of the headlines in the margin caught my eye, "Intermittent Fasting, The Vodka Diet, OR How I Got Skinny For My Wedding Like a Real Man" I mean, after all, I was getting into wedding shape as well. He mentions intermittent fasting as his solution, and I kind of thought "yeah that's great and all but I'm not interested in learning about that right now."  Well, I've followed up on that entry and have been reading though the blog the iron samurai points to, leangains.com.  I must admit at the back of my mind the whole time I was saying "but breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!! You'll have high cortisol levels!"  But I've kind of realized that when I decided to start cutting calories I did that by not really eating breakfast.  I would have a protein shake but that was about it, not the protein shake AND sausage and vegetables.

So I've decided to try out intermittent fasting, as prescribed by leangains. It's a 16 hour fast/ 8 hour eating window.  Basically, I skip breakfast, workout around noon, and then eat after that and stop eating around 9.  I'm trying to eat three meals in that window, and am usually pretty successful.  It's not too hard, although that last hour or so the stomach gets to grumbling.  I guess you could say this week is my week one, so it should be interesting to see where I go from here.

I have to admit reading the guy's blog has made me more lenient on what I eat and be more concerned of when I eat.  I mean, this guy is RIPPED (and he used to be fat) and he talks about how he celebrates a deadlift PR with ice cream and his post workout meal is a box of cereal. Suddenly I think "oh hey if he can get away with that then maybe I can too!" and suddenly this week I've had Frozen Yogurt and Subway and Man v. Food favorite Chicken Cheddar Biscuit (delicious, btw) and peanut butter ice cream. Now as long as I have it during my eating window I'm set right?  I just fooled myself into a bit of an eating binge. I should also note that my stomach has not appreciated any of the grains I've had, but seems to be ok with the milk (I don't think I'm lactose tolerant, but it just doesn't seem to upset my stomach like grains do)

So I'm going to follow this fasting thing with paleo food.  However, it seems like there is a lot more work involved with this if I want to get like the leangains testimonials.  I will have to start looking at how much protein I'm taking in and other macronutrient ratios.  For some reason that has always been really, really difficult for me.  I know for some one of my size I should probably start taking in at least 180g of protein, and that should be whole protein too not liquid.  However, I really doubt I've eaten that much in one day in more than two days in a row.

I don't know why, but trying to eat enough protein is tough.  I love eating steak.  Like love it.  Also fish, chicken, etc.  I just need to indulge in that more I guess.  Part of it is cost, I think, but I can just start buying cheaper cuts of meat.  ...I miss my grass-fed steak, but I simply can't afford that right now.

I think it's funny that "conventional wisdom" for losing fat is really like the totally opposite of what I'm doing:

• Avoiding grains, even whole grain
• Avoiding dairy ('A great source of Calcium!")
• High fat
• And now, no breakfast and eating big meals
• no to little cardio (I do love sprinting intervals)

I feel like I have a lot of studying to do.  I need to figure out how much 180g of protein is eating-wise, and I need to then figure out the carbs/fat from there.

Now, Nick Horton (the iron samurai guy), didn't do any of this, as far as I can tell.  He just ate what he wanted as long as it was in the eating window, and saw results.  So maybe I'm making this harder then it has to be.  Regardless, I feel like it's worth a shot.

An example of different prolotherapy styles

Not all prolotherapists are equal, experience is one key, but another is approach.  Here is an example of what the majority of prolo experiences are like:


Here the Dr is using fluoroscopy (basically continuous X-rays) to guide the needle into the hip and specifically the tear.  Very little solution is used, and he has to be very precise in delivering the solution to the tear.  I liken this to a sniper taking out a specific target.

Here is Dr. Hauser's method, the Hackett Hemwall method:


I should also note he had me flip over and worked on my backside as well. The man uses a lot of solution, no guidance, but covers the entire area so even if he misses with one he'll hit it with another. I liken this to carpet bombing.

Sniping sounds like a nice tactic, but your sniper has to be spot on, and even with the xray a miss is possible.  Also, and more importantly, you have to be dead sure that your target is the real target.  Maybe you will hit the tear, maybe your won't but what if there's some other issues as well that's causing the pain?  I know for damn sure I have no pain nerves in my labrum, so maybe other things are causing the pain, and so maybe other things need to be addressed.  If you carpet bomb that shit and make sure no one is left standing, you might not be sure what the problem was but you can be damned sure it was taken care of.

...My hip is really so much better then what it used to be, all thanks to Dr. Hauser.  He's not the first prolotherapist I've seen, but he damn well will be the last.

Some Proof of Improvement.

Sometimes I wonder if the improvement from prolo is all in my head.  I mean, there is much I can point to and say “see, my hip is getting better!”  I haven’t had any MRI’s lately, nor X-rays.  Sure I can say that my hip is feeling better, and the muscles around it are noticeable more relaxed (not just my own opinion, my massage therapists as well).  But it’s nothing quantifiable, and my hip still clicks on occasion. So being the person that I am of course I am going to look at myself in the mirror and ask, “Are you getting caught up in this prolo hype?  Are you just convincing yourself that it’s working? Do you want to believe it will work so badly you’ll lose all common sense?”

Well today I actually have something I can point to, something that I couldn’t do before prolo that I can do now.  Today I tried something that would always make my hip clunk.  Like it was a solid clunk, guaranteed, every time.  I crossed my right leg over my left, and then uncrossed them, and nothing happened.  It was funny how intense it was for me, how I was kind of wigging out while sitting there with my legs crossed the “wrong” way.  I was so nervous anticipating that clunk, that tell-tale sign I had something wrong going on in my hip and nothing seemed to be helping.  But it didn’t happen this time.  Nope, nothing, didn’t even feel like pressure, although it did feel very strange.  I haven’t tried it again, I’m that afraid of that clunk.  But that clunk was something that would happen EVERY DAMN TIME I uncrossed my legs, and it didn’t happen this time!

It may seem like a small thing, but whenever my hip catches it’s a reminder that I’m not well, that I haven’t beaten this thing despite the years I’ve put into trying to figure out what is wrong and how to handle it.  Now I know that I’m getting better, that I’m heading in the direction I want to go.

I remember when I was thiiiiiis close to having surgery.  You can deal with the pain for so long before it starts to really mess with you, and when surgery seems like the solution for all your problems it can sound oh so sweet.  Thankfully, I managed to take a different path, one that, I pray, will take me to a completely healed labrum.

An actual, real life FAI surgery success story

One of the reasons why I've stayed away from surgery is the fact that I have yet to find a success story. I honestly felt that it was just not the solution.  However, I just came across a blog (http://mysistersfaisurgery.blogspot.com), that documents one girls recovery.  It's pretty detailed and shows how he fairs with pt and stuff.  ...It seems that she flew to Vail to see the top fai surgeon and then spent some time there rehabbing.  She took a lot of time, but it seems that a year after the operation she is doing great.  I don't know if I could take off that much time, one of the perks of being a high school student.

Anyways, I know people, like me, are looking for FAI surgery success stories, and after finding one I thought I should share.

First Wod in like a year

Given the very little equipment available for me to use with a more traditional strength training program, I decided to do a crossfit-style workout.  I felt my hip would be ok, and if I felt it catch or anything like that I’d modify straight away. So, after about a year of not crossfitting, I decided to do:

5 rounds

10 burbees

10 30# clean and push jerks

After the first round I knew I was in trouble conditioning-wise so I cut it to three.  Seriously, I could not keep up the intensity at all, I had to take pretty long breaks in between each exercise, but I made sure to do each exercise unbroken.  I was concerned with the large ROM required for the burpees, but those actually went well.  My hip never clicked or anything like that, however I did feel tightness with one of my adductors in the beginning.  Worst case scenario it’s tight because I still have some labral damage and it’s tightening up to protect it.  Best case is that it’s  tight because of the way I sit or walk after the PRP treatments.

Based off of the burpees being ok and the Roman chair lifts still causing problems, it seems that my hip only catches when I bring my knee towards my chest, but not when I bring my hips to my knee.  I have no idea if there’s any significance to this but I thought it worth noting.

Hip is not completely healed

Ok so I just did a few Roman chair leg raises (the bane of my labrum's existence).  At first there was nothing, so I increased the ROM by like 2mm, and I felt some pressure, like I could tell something was going on.  Tried it again, and my hip made a tiny click.

Very little discomfort or pain.  Honestly I'm a little surprised at how little this phases me.  I am still improving, and after this last treatment my hip has never felt so normal.  I still have hope.  I just need to figure out when I can next see Dr. Hauser.  It might have to wait until 2013, but maybe I can work something out.  I've only had three PRP treatments, and considering how it takes 3-6 treatments it's not like I'm really drawing this thing out.

Adam's Gym, Part three

Welcome again to one of this blog's running pieces, where I talk about what I would do if I had my own gym.  Today let's talk about something I think all gyms should have (especially globo gyms): competition.  I've attended my fair share of crossfit competitions, even participated in five of them, from three different gyms, and I see how it helps a gym and its community out.

I think I would like to try a competition that is super, super simple.  It won't be sexy, but I think it would be pretty awesome.  Crossfit likes to say that it's goal is to get you to squat 500 pounds and run a five minute mile, so why not put it to the test?  Once a year I would hold "Adam's squat and sprint".  Unlike most crossfit competitions that surprise you with what the workout is, you'll know way ahead of time what to train for.  Perhaps no one would want to participate, but I'd be fascinated to see how this turns out.

It would be pretty simple.  Morning you have three attempts to get your squat max, it would be like a powerlifting competition with the standards and judging. After lunch and a bit of a rest, we'd then have a mile race.  I guess we'd have it in heats, depending on how many people participate.  I'm not sure exactly how'd I implement it, but the winner would be the person who's average rank between the squat and the mile run is the highest.  Very simple, but very difficult to succeed at.

Anyway, I think it would be awesome to see how close people can come to squatting 500 pounds while running a 5:00 mile.

Necessity is the Mother of invention

Ok, well I’m now living in Durham, and am anxiously awaiting finding a gym to use.  I think I’ll try Crossfit Durham’s barbell seminar, but I don’t think they actually have anything to offer through the barbell club.  It’s kind of strange, like they don’t actually have a barbell club going on, will do more research.

Another option for a place to workout is the Duke activity center.  I’m sure it’s huge, hell it even has bumper plates and platforms for Oly lifting.  However, I can’t get access to it until Labor day (SUCKS!)

So that leaves my apartment’s fitness center.  Not very impressive.  Some dumb bells- up to 50#s!- machines, and treadmills. Not a whole lot to work with.

Yesterday I worked out, did some back and hammy work.  Did some db deadlifts with the 50s, really focused on keeping a tight core and proper form.  Did a little speed work as well, focusing on a fast concentric motion. Think I might be ready for some dumbbell cleans and presses, maybe some thrusters.  This will be interesting to see what I can do.

The hip again feels… normal.  Normal in a way it hasn’t felt in years.  I would be totally ready to try out stuff that has made it clunk in the past, except for the fact that when I was in bed and laid down I could have sworn I felt it catch.  Sigh.  So it seems that I might not be at 100% yet.  However, I really haven’t felt any pain, and that has been the most important aspect of all of this.  However, if I want to get back to Oly lifting Doc said I need to have this labrum healed 100%, and so that’s not going to happen yet.  It’s a strange place: I want to test out the hip, but am afraid that if I do it will disrupt the labrum and set me back. Oh what a quandary.  Like I really want to test it out, but if it makes any catching feel I will instantly regret it.

Now if only I could find some real equipment to work out with.  Time to get whimsical.

Hip and Shoulder Update

So I have yet to do something to make my hip catch/go clunk.  I would be happier about this except for the fact that I’m really not testing it out.  I haven’t really tried bringing my knee to my chest, that still scares the bejeezus out of me.  However, I do notice that I’m trying things out that I’m usually don’t do.  It’s all little things, like lifting my leg to rest my foot on the coffee table, or sitting Indian style on the floor.  The motions feel foreign (haven’t done them for like eight months), and there is some… pressure in the hip, but definitely nothing like pain or the catching sensation of the tear opening and closing.

I really, really, hope that I am done with prolotherapy.  So far I’ve had three PRP treatments, and before that I think I had five non-PRP treatments.  That’s about $5k right there.  Now that all comes from my flex speding account (FSA) so I saved like $1500 in taxes but still: that’s nothing to sneeze at.  If I do require more treatments, I am thinking I will have to wait until 2013, when my FSA resets.  Now that I’m living in Durham, Seeing Dr. Hauser will be a lot more complicated anyway, perhaps something to do after spending NYE in Chicago?

I am excited to start power lifting.  My personality definitely lends itself to Olympic Lifting (technique above anything else), but getting stronger in any capacity is always fun, right? I think Crossfit Durham will be offering its next class in about a month, so I have about four weeks to get a lay of the land, find a rhythm to get into, get my diet back on track.

Regarding the shoulder, I may have figured out something.  Nowadays my massage therapist is telling me that my troubled shoulder is looser than my pain-free shoulder.  If it is indeed looser, then where is this discomfort coming from?  I think it may come from me constantly messing with my shoulder.  Always stretching and foam rolling, I have noticed that if I just leave it alone for a while the discomfort seems to subside some.  I have decided to try going pretty much cold turkey: except for stretching I am going to try to leave my shoulder alone.  No more foam rolling the neck, collarbone, or the back.  It feels counterintuitive, but to be honest I’m willing to give anything a shot to see if it works.  Also, I haven’t cracked my neck or upper back in months, and that accomplishment feels great. 

Third PRP treatment. Final Treatment???

So I saw Dr. Hauser for-*crosses fingers*- my last visit.  I believe this to be my third PRP treatment, my eighth treatment in total.  It was the usual, “Hi, how are you doing?  You’re almost done.”  I also had him work on my back, because it has been driving me crazy.  That night I had a dream where I really used the full ROM of my hip. Frightened that I had gone too far, I slowly straightened out my leg in my dream and… there was no click.  I know this was only a dream, but I now realize that after every treatment I have had dreams where I make my hip go “clunk”.  This is the first time where I had a positive outcome.  Maybe this was my body telling me that I’m all better now, sure hope so.   I’ve been babying the hip for the past couple of days, definitely don’t want to test it out as it’s still healing and I want to let it knit. 

I asked the nurse about the possibility of undoing the healing by doing something like Oly lifting if the labrum hasn’t healed completely, and she said that it was more than likely to happen.  So if I want to get back to Oly lifting (and I do) I need to wait until I can do everything with my hip without it clicking.  I pray to God that I’m done with this, that I can get back to not worrying about using my hip too much.  If there is still some catching going on after this treatment, after moving down to Durham I’m going to start looking into Power lifting.  I can go slow in powerlifting, and I don’t think I have to break 90 degrees in squatting (wow I miss being able to hit full depth) so that will lessen any chances of worsening the tear.

Hopefully though, I won’t have to worry about it because in like two weeks I will be completely healed.  I know I sound like a broken record with regards to this, and that is starting to annoy me.  This process is such a waiting game, but after each session I notice significant improvement, so I really can’t complain.  Each time I think I’m like 98% close to being completely healed, and then after the treatment I realize that I had much, much farther to go because I was in a worse situation then I realized.  Hopefully, this time I really was 98% done and will be completely healed after this.