Fat Loss: Is it really about calories?

Check out these articles regarding brain function and fat loss:

Damage To Appetite Control Cells Causes Obesity

Anti-Addiction Drug Causes Weight Loss

Thanks to Chris for the links!

Zone/Paleo Challenge Rules - Food Logs and Weigh-ins

Food Logs:
Post them either in the comments to this post or at the gym on Monday or Tuesday.

Posting your blog to the comments:
Get a Google account and sign in to docs.google.com.
Click on the link to the right labeled "MDF Food Log Template."
This will open a template in your Google Docs account.
Add your food info and save it.
Click on the Share tab in the upper right-hand corner.
Under advanced options, click on the checkbox labeled "Anyone can view this document WITHOUT LOGGING IN."
Copy and paste the given URL into the comments for this post.
Save and close your spreadsheet.
Let me know if you have any questions.

Weigh-ins:
You only have to weigh in once a week but you must use the Scale of Record at the gym.
You only have to put in your weight differential on the food log not your actual weight.
Again, let me know if you have any questions.

The Easiest Lunch Ever!

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This has got to be the easiest 4 block lunch ever.

2 Turkey slices (4 blocks, bought at Costco)
1/2 Avacado (5 blocks)
40 g Pesto (12 blocks, I used the nutrition info on the Trader Joe's Pesto, but this is the last of my mom's pesto from the party. This is actually closer to 36 g but I licked the container clean :-) so that is probably 4 more grams)
1 Apple (2 blocks)
2 Tbsp cashew/macadamia butter (8 blocks, 3 x the missing 2 blocks carbs is 6 blocks so I am over 2 blocks fat)

Zone/Paleo Challenge Rules

The gauntlet has been thrown to look good naked by Labor Day (Monday, September 1)! OK, you don't have to be naked, but we are looking to see who can change their body composition the most in six weeks.

You are cordially invited to participate in the 1st Annual Peninsula CrossFit Zone/Paleo Challenge. You can use any diet you choose, but I can only help with the Zone or Paleo diets. My suggestion is weigh and measure the final 3 weeks if this is your first time on The Zone. The first 3 weeks you should just clean up your diet and by following Robb Wolf's shopping and food guidelines.

The rules are simple, to be eligible to win a prize (see below) you must do the following:

• Keep a food log and publish it either on the web (see this example or the template above) or in the gym at weeks end (no excuses please, you get one grace day, otherwise you are out of the compition).
  
• Keep an exercise log with workouts, times and weights.
  
• Weigh yourself every week and publish your weight gain/loss. Note that some people will gain weight/mass.
  
• Take a start and ending picture of yourself with as little clothes on as you feel comfortable showing publicly and be Work/Family Safe (I am sure I will have to amend this after a few choice comments from Travis, but until then be an angel or at least pretend to be one).
  
• Do Fran on either Monday, July 21 or Tuesday, July 22 and on either Thursday, August 28 or Friday, August 29.
  

Judging: There will be some issues, but for now it is 1 point for each pound loss and 1 point for seconds/5 time differential on Fran. For example: If you lose 5 pounds and your Fran time is 65 seconds faster, your total score is 18. I will take suggestions for scoring here until Wednesday, July 23 midnight, otherwise this is it.

Prizes:
Weight loss division:
1st place - $50 MDF gift certificate
2nd place - $40 MDF gift certificate
3rd place - $30 MDF gift certificate

Mass gain division:
1st place - $50 MDF gift certificate
2nd place - $45 MDF gift certificate
3rd place - $30 MDF gift certificate

Finally, thanks to Erin and Mildred for suggesting this idea and to Jason, Dan C., Chris, Mike M., Danny and all the other people who have undertaken their own challenges and been successful.

Zone/Paleo BBQ

Mushrooms, Spinach and Chicken with Dessert

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This meal took me 20 minutes from removing all the ingredients from the refrigerator to setting it on the table including washing dishes (the dish fairy didn't do her job last night). It is a 4 block meal with 3x fat and not quite 4 blocks carbs.

Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms
Add pre-cooked chicken and heat for about 2 minutes
Add spinach and cook until the spinach starts to wilt.
Add chile powder to taste.
Cut up one apple and add 2 Tbs. almond butter.

MOD - Milly

This is the first in a series of video of Zone/Paleo meals of the day (MOD). The hardest part of staying on a performance-based diet is that it takes a while to weigh and measure food. Each of these meals will be named, like CrossFit WODs and will be for time. My hope is that these will show some tricks and tips to make staying on a healthy diet easier.

Easy Zone Lunch

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I made this easy Zone lunch the other day. It was pretty good but I think it would have been better if I let it marinate for a few hours. This took me about 5 minutes to make.

12 Marinated artichoke hearts - about 12 g fat (4 blks), 18 g carbs (2 blks)
1 Tomato - 1 blk carbs
2 Sausages - about 20 g fat (7 blks), 6 g carbs (2/3 blk) and 24 g protein (3.5 blks)
1 Jalapeno (optional)

Fat: 11 blks (3 x)
Carbs: 3 2/3 blks
Protein: 3.5 blks

Artificial Sweeteners Linked To Weight Gain

Cutting the connection between sweets and calories may confuse the body, making it harder to regulate intake

WASHINGTON — Want to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Read more here...

Exercise and Weight/Fat Loss

I have talked to a number of people about this really interesting article my friend, Robb Wolf, wrote:
Exercise: Ineffective for Weight Loss

Also interesting:
Obesity, With or Without Insulin Resistance?