Week 6: Results, PAGG stack, Plateau, New Toys!

So it has been 6 weeks since starting the Slow-Carb diet, and following the Rapid Fat Loss stream of the "4 Hour Body" book by Tim Ferriss. So far I am sticking to the diet, eating Slow-Carb (see previous posts on details), working out according to some of Tim's suggestions.

Here is what I have been doing in a nutshell:
Food: Slow Carb Diet, been sticking to it very closely to the book and never breaking so far.
Workout(incorporated in 3rd week): every Mon/Weds/Fri, Kettlebell swing, Cat Vomit, Myotatic Crunch.
NO SUPPLEMENTS except for Optimum Nutrition Protein Shakes (one in the morning, one after workout), a Multi Vitamin 3-4 times a week, a Calcium & Magnesium pill at night. (suggested by Tim to compensate for the Slow-Carb diet gaps as well as Magnesium promotes good sleep apparently)

Here are my results (after 6 weeks on slow-carb):
Weight Loss: 11.2lbs
Inches off Waist: 2
Inches off Hip: 1.7
Inches off Neck: 0.2
TOTAL BODYFAT Lost: 4%
(using the circumference US NAVY Method)

Considering I eat massive amounts of food and until I'm full. (no starvation tactics, no calorie counting), and only workout less than an hour per week (each workout takes me about 15mins). I am extremely happy with the results so far. I am always looking forward to eating all sorts of junk food on my Saturday 'binge day'. Last week I took a trek all the way to the only real stand alone Krispy Kreme in the city (40min drive) just to grab a box of fresh and hot donuts. Like I said, I take my binge days and use them to the fullest!

Now in order to truly say this is an experiment based of the Four Hour Body book, I have to start implementing more of the key aspects Tim talks about in the Rapid Fat Loss stream. First things first, PAGG, I have talked about this in a previous post. This supplement combination Tim suggests to take on a daily basis is a key to Rapid Fat Loss....according to the author. So in keeping inline with this project I just ordered a 1 month supply of the PAGG stack from Bodybuilding.com. I chose the recommended products suggested in the book except for the Policosanol in which I chose to go with Olympian Labs instead of NOW brand which Tim recommends. This was merely for bottle pill size amounts and keeping it most cost effective by buying the closest to 1 month supply needed. Check the picture below to see exactly what I bought and how much it costs. Keep note that the links in the Four Hour Body book seem to change and so do the prices on Bodybuilding.com so the price you may pay might differ slightly. As of JULY 2011 I paid $60.58 to have it shipped to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bodybuilding.com is a site I've used in the past and it so happens Tim suggests products from that website as well so it was a no brainer but keep in mind there are many more alternatives to find these products, I just found that Bodybuilding.com had all the products I needed and for the best combined price even shipped across the border. (duty fees are included in the shipping btw).

EDIT: I forgot that in the book Tim says to get a B complex supplement to go along with PAGG. So I will be making a trek to the local nutrition store (NOT GNC or Nutrition House as they are overpriced as hell!) to grab a bottle for my 1 month test of this stack. So calculate that into the cost of the PAGG stack when and IF you decide to do it too. Tim mentions it is imperative you get some B vitamins while taking PAGG.

$60.58 spent on a 1 month supply of PAGG stack as of July 2011

Disclaimer: I want to note I have zero affiliation with bodybuilding.com or any of the brands I am using. Just want to make sure people understand I am not promoting any products I am just showing what I did. So please don't brand me with the other bunch of bloggers out there who are promoting to use products they are making commissions off of. I will be giving my honest unbiased opinion on my own personal data on whether PAGG or any other product I use works or not. Feel free to make your own judgements on what, and what NOT to buy. End of Disclaimer!

Over the past week or so I have noticed that I have hit a bit of a plateau in terms of weight. This was definitely another reason I felt it was a good time to try the PAGG stack. The scale was just not moving but I am not taking it very seriously as we all know weight is only a small part of the picture. Since I have implemented the workouts 3 times a week, I am guessing that part of the reason is a slight gain in muscle from fat. SO that being said, I can't wait till the PAGG arrives so I can see if it really is necessary or even helps at all. I am taking measurements, tracking food, taking pictures on a daily basis and recording everything into a spreadsheet so as to have some real data to make some conclusions.

NEW TOYS: I have made some even more investment into this project. A few neccessary goodies as I plan to continue this longer than I once thought. FIRST TOY, a real Kettlebell! Yes the homemade kettlebell from Home Depot (see previous post) has done its job, but I figured it was time for a real Kettlebell. The best price I could find in Toronto was at Treadmill Factory which is selling Ultimatelyfit.com (Chinese made) vinyl coated bells for $1.39 a pound. That works out to about $70 Canadian after taxes for a 45 pounder.

SECOND TOY: I threw out the old $5 dial weight scale and purchased a digital Salter weight and body analyzer one from a The Bay sale. Cost was about $80 after taxes. I have used this scale previously borrowed from a friend so when I saw it on sale I had to pick it up. I of course don't put much into the bodyfat analyzing on these types of scales, but the changes in water, body mass, are really helpful to see changes in percentages over time, ignoring the exact numbers themselves as they aren't very accurate.

Equipped with my new toys, waiting on the PAGG stack, and continuing this 4 Hour Body Project, I am feeling very confident that I will stick with it for the next couple months and continue to diligently record my progress and data as I go along and share my progress...in case anyone is reading this...

Also note, I am adding a 20lb bicep curl x 10 slow reps to my regular workout, and a 20lb slow rep tricep every other workout, I feel that my arms are not getting a good enough workout and I felt like a few extra exercises wouldn't hurt. Even if its only beneficial psychologically.

Time to exercise?

Its now been a full 3 weeks since implementing the Slow-Carb Diet into my life. Following the diet as closely as possible except for two components. The exercise, and the supplements. In the book Tim recommends using the PAGG stack as his supplement stack for losing weight. The stack consists of the following:

Policosanol: 20-25mg
Alpha-lipoic acid: 100-300mg
Green tea flavanols (decaf at least 325mg EGCG)
Garlic extract: at least 200mg

The PAGG is to be taken with the following schedule:
Prior to breakfast: AGG (Alpha-lipoic acid, Green Tea, Garlic)
Prior to lunch: AGG
Prior to dinner: AGG
Prior to bed: PAG (omit the Green Tea extract)

Honestly I'm skeptical on using supplements OTHER than Protein Isolate Powders, so I started to do some research over the past couple weeks on the PAGG stack and other recommend stacks in the industry. It seems there is a lot of discussion whether the PAGG stack is truly worth the extra cost and time. Like most of the health and nutrition world, there are compelling arguments on both sides of the fence. I think I will omit the supplement portion of the 4 Hour Body until I finish more research. I did however want to post about the details of the PAGG stack as Tim highly recommends it along with the Slow-Carb and 3 day a week Exercise routines. The fact is I am approaching this book not as total truth (I mean Tim Ferris although inspiring in some of his documentation and experimentation, he is also looking to make money and sell more books.) Nothing against the guy but we are all human with our own selfish ambitions. That being said, I am going to put aside the PAGG for now, and incorporate it in the near future to test and to give a more complete outlook on the results on this personal experiment. For those of you that have tried the PAGG please let me know your results on the supplement portion of this diet!!

Exercise. Now that I have the data from a full 3 weeks of diet with NO exercise. I am now starting (as of tomorrow) to incorporate the exercise routine that is recommended by the author that mainly consists of a BOSU (pictured at the beginning of this post) or SWISS BALL (a regular inflatable exercise ball you see all over), and a KETTLEBELL. For those who are unfamiliar with this primitive looking piece of equipment it is steel ball with a handle that can be used with one or two hands. The exercise listed in the book is the "Kettlebell Swing" which you can see in this video below:

According to Tim, this is the one exercise you can do for a full body workout and drop huge amounts of weight. It is also beneficial to woman to help with the 'hour glass figure' as well as put some junk in the trunk and get a big booty. Now if your like me, you've never touched a kettlebell and have no idea how much weight is right for you. I'd hate to go out and buy a 50lb bell and find out its too light or too heavy for me. These things are expensive! Ranging anywhere from $50-$300 depending on the weight, quality & brand. One thing I have found from my background research on kettlebells, is that when you DO go out and buy one. Make sure you get one that is reputable and known to be of high quality. They are not all the same, and they do come in different styles (vinyl dipped, rubber coated), and make sure the handle is of the right diameter for your hands. The last thing you want to do is have a kettlebell fly into your wall or TV. Do your research! And get one that is heavy enough, the 5lb-10lb ones you see at Winners, or Walmart are useless for the Kettlebell Swing.

Now onto my kettlebell. Tim Ferris recommends for first timers to make your own kettlebell using pipes and hardware found at your local Home Depot (or Home Depot type) store. I went over to my Home Depot and got all the stuff necessary to build my first kettlebell. Now if you don't already have metal plate weights like I did from my old dumbbell set then it is most cost effective to just go out and buy a Kettlebell. Or borrow some weights for the time being from a friend so you can adjust and add/take off weight until you find your ideal weight. THEN go out and buy a real Kettlebell. These homemade jobs are only supposed to be used temporarily max to 6 months according to Tim.

Here is a list of what you need (located in the GAS PIPE aisle at Home Depot):

ONE 3/4" x 8-12" Black Steel Gas pipe
TWO 3/4" x 4-6" Black Steel Gas pipe (handles)
ONE 3/4" Steel Flange (bottom end)
ONE 3/4" T connector
ONE easy clamp (see pic)
Electrical Tape (to tape over the treading on the handles to prevent harm to hands)
Loctite (optional safety to keep the pipes from unscrewing overtime)
TOTAL approx. COST: $15-$20 Canadian


Check out this link for a video on Tim and his homemade set and more details.

Here are pics of my own version of the homemade Kettlebell:

All the raw materials (cutting and threading service is for free at Home Depot)

Kettlebell Assembled (without weights)

Fully assembled with four 10lb metal weights

Luckily I had 40lbs worth of metal weights at home already so the cost was minimal to start my swinging. The total weight of my Kettlebell is approx. 42lbs which I feel will be a great start. I will give more details on progress later on as I implement both the exercise along with the slow-carb diet. I am optimistic that it will increase progress in both weight loss and overall bodyfat percentage. Let the swinging begin!