Mar 08 2009
The Natural History of a Challenge!
The Natural History of a Challenge!
The purpose of this blog is to explain the most commonly experienced physical difficulties during a challenge, the cause, and what you can do about it, if anything. See, the book, Body for Life, as good as it is, still represents a one-size-fits-all type of effort at a great transformation, written by an experienced bodybuilder, but it simply does not contain everything you might encounter during your efforts.
1. SLEEPLESSNESS AND FOGGINESS: Yes, these seem like opposites, and they are, but they will happen to your rather quickly. If you have been eating a diet heavy in fat and sugary or bready carbohydrates, one of the things (day 2 or 3) that will happen is you’ll wake up several times during the night or early in the morn. It’s not hunger, but just sleeplessness. It’s likely caused by the changeover in your diet from junk to great food. The body uses heavy carbs as a sedative, and a tummy full of them helps you to sleep soundly, almost like you were drugged. The “fogginess” during the day also comes from the absence of loads of sugar, not to mention that you’re not getting quite as much sleep. Hang in there, and you’ll be over this in a week to ten days. Drink lots of water, don’t exercise or consume caffeinated beverages late in the evening and you’ll have more energy than you ever imagined.
2. HEADACHES, BODY ALL ACHING AND RACKED WITH PAIN! Early on, you’ll have some headaches. They are related to sugar and fat withdrawal, just like the sleeplessness. You’ll also experience body soreness from using muscles you never knew you had. You can try stretching, massage, aspirin and other pain killers, and anything else you want, but only time will take care of this. In about 3 to 5 days the condition will subside and you’ll be well enough to exercise those muscles again. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness, and there’s no cure for it than time. Usually it does not recur until you try a different exercise for the same muscle group, or slow up and use extremely slow negative strokes with heavier weights. It’s harmless though annoying, and it IS NOT a sign that you’re necessarily doing something right or wrong.
3. HUNGER: We’re talking REAL hunger here, not cravings. Real and intense hunger may strike around weeks 6 to 10. If it does, evaluate your diet and see if you need to moderately increase protein and good fats. As you get fitter and gain more muscle mass, even though you’re getting littler in the mirror because fat is going away, the muscle is increasing your resting metabolic rate and the body is demanding more food. Increasing your consumption in very small amounts of protein spread out over the six meals will usually take care of this without interrupting or adversely affecting your challenge results. It can also be that your hunger is a sign you’re not getting enough good fat too, though this is rare. You need to proceed carefully here, and you only might need to add a bit of a good oil like fish oil or flaxseed oil. These come in capsules or liquid forms and flaxseed oil can actually be added to a shake, about half a tablespoon should do the trick.
4.EUPHORIA!: No one complains about this, but it too is a “side effect” of a challenge, and it is a brief state that replaces the sufferings mentioned above. It comes around week 2 or 3 and lasts maybe a week. Colors look brighter; people seem nicer; the world is a better place; you have boundless energy! All these things tell you that it isn’t going to last, don’t they! And it doesn’t. Soon enough it is gradually replaced by normality.
Those are the most common phases people go through. Not everyone experiences them all. Not everyone gets them or gets over them during the time frames I’ve mentioned, because everyone is different. But no one gets through a challenge, unless they’re simply just not doing anything, without experiencing at least one of these.
Above all else, try to keep in mind that the purpose of a challenge is a transformation–to literally change you biochemically from a sugar craver to a sugar and fat burner, to change your muscle mass from wimpy to strong, and your outlook from an unhappy, selfish and out-of-shape person to a joyful, giving, fit and beautiful one. This obviously happens over time, and the old you will put up a fight. So, expect roadblocks, adversity, and even outright resistance. They are there to make you stronger! Have a great day, and God bless!