This is an article from Alex Millin, one of my top and advanced personal training clients I have been training since 2008. Enjoy!
All of us in this industry go through hectic periods where for many number of reasons our stress levels go through the roof… it just comes with the territory. We just learn to better cope with it. What’s the most basic and easiest way to reduce your stress level – HAVE FUN. Simple, right. So, unless your last name is Hefner or Branson, I will safely say that most of us are guilty of not practicing it enough. Whether that means spending time with your kids, cooking, jumping off a perfectly fine plane, weekend with your buddies or whatever else gets you in that state of mind … Our daily grind and the ever present emails waiting for replies can suck the fun out of life.
So once in a while, you just have to do it… This premise together with our boozing holiday rituals are the reasons behind this morning “off topic “ comments. So if you’re not in that mood, do yourself a favor and stop reading … move on, just get back to whatever it is that you were doing.
As many of you know, when I’m not reading up on the markets or the next great money making idea I’m either in the gym, or reading up on all the latest health/Performance/Longevity biochemistry related Pub med type research and conferences… I don’t like labels but there’s an emerging one out there and that best describes this – “Biohacking.” I can honestly say that throughout the years, there’s not much I haven’t tried. Still here, because this is your last chance to bail… Ok then, here we go.
What I’m about to share with you is my own conclusion (yes lots of trials and errors over the past decade) on how you can strategically use alcohol AND at the same time burn fat and prevent that ever so present Holiday/vacation weight gain. This is especially useful if you’re fortunate enough to use this time of the year to go somewhere sunny and warm.
Now, I have to put this out there before you read any further… If you drink daily already, this just won’t work… Sorry end of story for you. Well… not really, it just means you’ll have to plan ahead and what I mean by that is that for this to work, you need to take a break from alcohol for at least two weeks. Yeah, that’s the price to pay as this is what allows alcohol to have this temporary magical effect – Allowing you to eat like a pig and not gain a pound…and actually get leaner. As I said, the premise here is all about enjoying that time off and not paying the price!
See, the liver is the fat-burning organ of the body. This is where all your fat storage and fat burning starts. Alcohol is a powerful substance. When used correctly, it can create a negative caloric load. And when you drink the right kind of alcohol at the right time, the body diverts all its resources to burn it off.
What happens then? It’s pure magic – Ok, it’s more like biochemistry at its finest since any carbs you eat during this time don’t get stored. Plus, it has the added benefit of draining excess water out of your skin. You’ll look even leaner. Just make sure to drink plenty of water the next day.
So let’s get to it – Here’s “ the game plan”… and it works every time.
First, let’s talk about timing, Ideally one month is the protocol but if you only have 2 weeks, it can work.
Here’s what you do:
Week 1 (& 2) => No carbs at breakfast and lunch, replace them with by eating more healthy fats – Got it, stick with proteins and fats till dinner time… Keep the carbs for the Dinner till bed time window. By the way you should always do this if you want to stay lean. The truth is “When” you eat your carbs has a profound effect on your body composition all things being equal – Anytime at or after Dinner. Yes, I know it’s the exact opposite of what you thought… but that myth’s been debunked.
Week before vacation => Lower your carb intake (no more than 75g) with ONLY one big carb up dinner (Yes it has to be dinner) during that week (i.e.: Eat whatever you want on that night…That’s right, whatever…enjoy!). So outside of that one dinner meal where anything goes just stick to anything that runs swims or is green, that’s it. Again don’t be shy with healthy fats they won’t make you fat – In fact it’s the exact opposite and the main reason behind a host of health problems out there… But that’s a topic for another day.
Week 4 => Holiday/Vacation time… Now that you’ve put in the work… let the real fun begin!!
Here are the important points => for this to work you have to:
- Follow the carb restrictions in week 1 to 3 … As stated above
- You need to drink the RIGHT kind of alcohol.
You can eat whatever you want while you’re on vacation, but for the best results, stick to “hard” liquor. When you’re at the bar, do shots instead of sipping wine or look for drinks with lots of alcohol in them.
So, what’s an average vacation day look like?
Morning to 1 PM: Skip breakfast – Yeah, I know for some this will be tough for others it’s a way of life. Once again, forget that common myth about breakfast – It’s true that it’s the most important meal of the day… but only if you skip it or push it out a few hours. See how you feel and perform with those extra ketones (aka Brain jet fuel) in your body, a clear mind is a beautiful thing… Have only black coffee (or coffee with heavy cream and/or coconut oil) and water. If you’re into butter coffee (aka Bulletproof coffee), perfect, then go for it!
After 1 PM to bedtime: Let the fun begin – Sorry, I can’t say it in in any clearer way – Eat whatever the F*ck you want, and drink high alcohol content drinks after dinner. Do it right and live it up, anything goes so enjoy!!!
Before bedtime => No Not Gatorade – Electrolyte recipe (In 1 liter of water add ½ Squeezed lemon, ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt, ¼ Baking Soda, 2 TBSP Maple syrup- Medium grade)
This can be done up to five (5) days in a row. After this, the magic will wear off.
Bottom line, If you follow this protocol, you’ll come back from vacation looking leaner than you did before you left. You’ll be relaxed, refreshed, and ready to hit it hard at work and in the gym again. Give it a try and let me know your results.
Oh and if you don’t want to do any of this but you’re just looking for the best hangover cure then there’s something for that to… Booze is a solvent and with the help of a few amino acids in certain ratios you can help remove those solvents (ie hangover) in no time… I can give you all the details.
Happy holidays!
– Alex
Leave A Comment