Wrapping this up...

It's over, I'm done!  So what have I learnt?

- The importance of hydration; I think this has made a huge difference to my water retention, mental clarity and digestion.  I was always asking clients "did you drink at least 2 litres of water every day?" and I started thinking, when was the last time I did?  Most people like to have a drink when eating food, I think the biggest reason I wasn't getting enough H2O was because I don't like to drink when I'm eating.  Aside from causing bloating and gas, it also dilutes your stomach acidity - meaning your digestion won't be as efficient.

- The importance of sleep; Certainly in every day life but also the impact it can have on your training and your gains/results.  "much of our attention in planning a training program is directed at determining how we can adjust the content of our training to achieve the maximum tissue damage and yet still recover.  Most of us devote less attention to optimizing the process of recovery" - Sleep and growth hormone article http://canute1.wordpress.com/2010/05/09/training-recovery-sleep-and-growth-hormone/.  Growth hormone is the substance that US sprinter Marion Jones was injecting into her quads, we produce this substance naturally, it is released when we train hard and when we SLEEP!

I couldn't trace lethargic days back to certain foods, sleep was the biggest influence on my energy levels, here's another good article - http://zentofitness.com/how-sleep-can-impact-your-metabolic-health/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

- Blogs are a great compliance tool; Every time I even thought about cheating I wouldn't because I knew I'd have to post it up here and I know my 4 followers would have been devastated!!  As I mentioned in my first post, one of the main reasons for me doing this was as a show of support to a couple of my clients, I think in future, I will ask THEM to write the blog to help keep them on the straight and narrow!

- Control what you can; Late sessions followed by early mornings meant I didn't always get enough sleep, cycling behind London buses meant I couldn't control my exposure to toxins (I'm buying a mask soon!), our climate dictates that my Vitamin D levels are probably nowhere near optimal, I could go on...  BUT I never ate a slice of cake by accident, I never slipped and one fell into my mouth nor did I mistake one for a brussel sprout!  YOU HAVE 100% CONTROL OVER WHAT YOU FEED YOUR BODY - This affects EVERYTHING.

Now some things I've learnt about myself...

- My activity level is high; Now I don't feel like such a pig!  A couple of years ago I worked on a film, we would work 14+ hour days, 6/7 days a week (yes Keith, I know you worked even more!) my role was particularly physical.  I ate constantly, any time I passed a plate of food or something was offered I filled my boots!  I didn't get fat, because my energy expenditure at that time was so high.  I've always had a big appetite (it runs in the family), now I'm living with two good friends, we've really noticed the difference in our appetites - at first I felt quite bad about this, but writing everything down has made me realise that the nature of my work and lifestyle is a lot more physically demanding than theirs - that's how I justify it anyway!

- I'm pretty focused (when I want to be); Temptation was offered quite a few times, a couple of people suggested I could just eat something and not write it down (they promised not to tell!), there was never a time when I even considered this.  As I mentioned at the start, this was a mental test and I think I passed - and no, this does not make me a "freak" or "god" (both terms used in a derogatory sense by a couple of clients who shall remain nameless).

Just a couple more rants whilst I'm on my soap box...

- There is no magic program; In spite of what the magazines would have us believe, you cannot achieve "ripped abs and huge arms in just 4 weeks!"  A few people have asked me whether I changed my training for this challenge, no, I didn't.  Providing you are training intelligently, giving consideration to your individual structure, not doing any ridiculous exercises that have been selected for how they LOOK and not what adaptation they will produce, then you will get results - The key is consistency.

- Sup.ple.ment - noun - something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole; Ok, I've got nothing against supplements, just how they are revered by most people, today most of us are looking for a magic pill that will solve all our problems.  When someone takes a second job to supplement their income, they don't cut the hours of their main job - If you spend all your time looking for the best new product on the market that some steroid using model is endorsing but eat junk food 24/7, it doesn't matter how many powders and pills you ingest, you're doing your body damage and no favours to your training.  For this challenge, I had a whey protein shake immediately after my workout to aid with recovery, this time last year I wasn't even using this, now I just think of it as an instant fix, like a liquidised chicken breast, only easier on the palette!  This was the only supplement I used, I don't like the idea of being on pills and powders every day for the rest of my life.  If you get your diet right AND use the right supplements, you will potentially improve and accelerate your results, but YOU HAVE TO GET THE BASICS IN PLACE FIRST!  Yes, maybe my before and after pics would be a little more impressive had I included supplements in my diet.  But the purpose of this was not for a drastic body transformation, the pictures were just a little extra.

- Calories; I didn't count a single one, I didn't measure the weight of anything, I ate when I was hungry (I ate when I wasn't!)  No doubt they're important, but if I had to spend the rest of my life counting calories, points, 'red' or 'green' categorised foods, I think I'd go crazy.  Just be sensible, listen to your body.  It is getting easier with many restaurant chains now listing the nutritional values on their menus "Damn!  My shake has 600 calories in it!"- thanks for that stat Andy!

What I will continue;

2 pints of water upon rising

I wasn't overly fussed about wheat and dairy before, I'll keep my intake low

On the flip side, I'll keep my veggie intake high

Maximum of 1 regular tea or coffee a day.  Still loving the peppermint tea.

Early nights - they're the new rock'n'roll

Biking whenever possible - saves money, stops me getting stressed on public transport!

Totals from the 28 days;

Sleep - 190 hours.  If I'd managed 8 hours a night, I would have got 224, so I missed out on 34 hours of sleep in 1 month and I was actively trying to get a lot of sleep, see how quickly that can add up?

Water - Minimum of 84 litres (just under 150 pints)

Biked - 263.3 miles - This would have got me from my house in South London to Paris (if I cycled through the channel tunnel!)

Gym Time - 8.5 hours

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - 4.5 hours

Measurements

Weight;  85.6 kg's / 13 stone 7  >  82.6 kg's / 13 stone - I actually put on weight between weeks 3 and 4 whilst still dropping bodyfat.

Lean Mass (everything that's not fat);  72.6 kg's  >  73.1 kg's

Bodyfat;  15.2%  >  11.6% -  I used the BioSignature method for assessing this, it's a 12 point calliper test.  The sites are: chin, cheek, pec, triceps, subscapular (below the shoulder blade), mid-axillary (mid way up on the side of the torso), supra-iliac (side of the torso, above the pelvis), umbilical (to the side of the belly button), knee, calf, quads, hamstring.  ALL SITES DROPPED.  Many thanks to Darron for taking my measurements.  I'm also available for BioSignature hormonal profiling at the studio.

Circumferences (all in cm);

Upper Arm;  R: 35.5 > 36.5   L: 34.25 > 34 (Rafa Nadal weedy left arm!)

Chest;  104 > 101

Waist;  83.5 > 81.25

Hips;  109 > 106.5

Thighs;  R: 61 > 59.25   L: 61.5 > 58.5

Lower Leg;  R: 40 > 40   L: 41 > 41

Total;  569.75 > 558

I actually notice quite a difference in these shots, I think my back looked a little more 'doughy' in the left hand pic (that's the before one by the way!!!)

No majors in this shot.  Before anyone comments, NO I didn't do the Hollywood trick of getting a spray tan - the weather has just been good and YES, I did do the Hollywood trick of getting a hair cut : )

The biggest difference people have noticed is in my face, generally when you drop bodyfat, the first two sites to drop are the chin and cheek.  I can see slightly more definition in the right hand pic, and yes, I know I carry my left arm higher (I had a shoulder op a few years back), see how my shoulder is slightly hunched and my hands are at different levels.  Freak.

Any suggestions for my next challenge?  Michael has already suggested I do a "28 days Eating Filth!" à la Supersize me!  I think the before and after pic's would be more 'impressive' but don't think I'm ready to undo all this detoxifying just yet.

Ok, I think that's it, I hope you can take something away from this blog, at the very least it gave you something to kill time whilst at work!  For anyone reading this for the first time, if you're interested, there are nutrition and lifestyle tips dotted about through the posts.  I'm off for a walk along the coast...