King Kong Matt:
Cameron,
As another person interested in this program, is there any downside to using the bars/shakes? In other words, if I actually like the taste of them, is there a reason (apart from the advertising) that I should not be using them?
When you say "do away with the advice on nutrition altogether", are you just talking about the bars/shakes, or are you referring to the entire nutrition program/eating 6 times a day, small portions, etc.
Thanks.
-Matt
p.s. - Ordered your book from GUE on Friday. Hope to have it soon.
Matt,
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the book!
The reason bars and shakes taste so good is that they are either loaded with sugar, loaded with artificial sweeteners (some have multiple kinds), or even loaded with both. You must read the label carefully and know what you're putting into your body.
Bars are especially notorious for having more sugar and less protein than is claimed on the label when independently tested, with shakes less so. In any case, many of the ingredients designed for palitability are also appetite triggers, so keep that in mind.
As far as eating multiple times a day, it works for some people and doesn't for others. Many people have trouble reducing their meal size enough and end up getting too many calories in a day. Also, some people get dependent upon food for elevating their blood sugar, meaning that they can't go for more than a few hours without eating without getting irritable, distracted, generally suffering from hypoglycemia.
Now, one thing to keep in mind is that the whole amped metabolism thing is blown out of proportion by many fitness professionals. Really, an increase in your resting metabolism of 10-15% (improbably high percentages) would easily be outweighed by an additional 10 minutes of activity each day. Most research finds that weight loss comes directly from either a reduction in intake or an increase in actual activity. Changes in resting metabolism have little effect on what's known as "daily energy expenditure," or DEE. This gets pretty complicated fast, but suffice it to say, it is best to shape your eating habits around whatever makes it easiest for you to eat good, nutritious food in quantities appropriate for your activity level. If that means 6x a day, great. If it means less, equally great.
Cameron
P.S. I personally eat 4-5x/day, though my breakfast is at 4:30am, making it hard to wait until noon for lunch. <g>