| The Physics of Transformation | Week 8 of 12, Day 52 of 84
Einstein rocked the world with his theories of relatively. Before his amazing discovery, the world was ruled by Newtonian physics. This physics requires a coordinate system because all items are considered relative to that system. For example, the Earth moves relative to the sun, so when our coordinate is the solar system, we can detect that motion. If, however, we map our coordinate system to the surface of the Earth, now the Earth IS our coordinate system, and all motion is relative to it ... so we don't sense that the Earth itself is moving, only that we are.
Einstein threw a wrench into the whole equation. It was assumed that time was absolute. Something that happens here will occur at the exact same moment as something on the other side of the world, in Australia. Not entirely true. It turns out that time itself is mapped against a "higher coordinate" system. Clocks don't tick at the same rate and events don't ever happen simultaneously - they only happen simultaneously relevant to a given coordinate system.
The best illustration of this I remember is simply the fleeing spaceships. Two spaceships leave the earth traveling at 80% the speed of light, away from each other. Conventional physics will say that that you add the relative velocities of the ship together and get their "relative speed", i.e. the speed at which they are leaving each other. So, if I'm in ship one, traveling 0.8c (80% the speed of light) away from Earth, and I'm trying to figure out how fast ship two, traveling 0.8c away from Earth in the opposite direction is going, I simply do 0.8c + 0.8 = 1.6c, or 60% faster than the speed of light. Of course, we know that the speed of light is fixed, so what happened?
In reality, we find something interesting. Let's say I shoot a light signal at the other ship. Bleep. It leaves my ship. Now, I'm traveling away from Earth at 0.8c, which is slower than the speed of light. That light signal WILL eventually reach earth. I know, complicated stuff, but bear with me. Now, that light signal reached earth, and passed it, heading towards the other ship. Again, since the speed of light is fixed, it is traveling at exactly c, i.e the speed of the light. That other ship is traveling at 0.8c, or only 80% of the speed of light. So, we know my little light beam will reach that ship. If we were truly traveling apart at 60% faster than the speed of light, it could never reach its destination!
This is going somewhere, please bear with me. Things are relevant, but not always. I sense that moving relative to me, some ship is going faster than the speed of light, but it's simply not true, because relative to the Earth, I know my light beam will reach that ship. Time has changed between us, and even our act of observation can affect the outcome. Consider the old map analogy, a favorite of people who dabble in fractal geometry and chaos theory. It goes like this:
How long is the cost of Florida? The answer: it depends on the size of your ruler!
If you took a snapshot from space, you could mark two points on the cost, draw a line, and estimate that the coast is 200 miles (I'm just grabbing numbers from the air). But now you fly closer, and realize that it really bulges out. You need a better approximation, so you break your ruler in half and draw two lines. Now the coast 215 miles. Of course, when you get closer, you realize there's a little bay that wasn't visible from space, a little curved part going inwards. So you make a smaller ruler and measure the inner coast of that bay, and now you're at 222 miles. But as you zoom in, you realize that even the bay has little jetties and penninsulas ... etc. In fact, mathematically, we find that this number does not converge, as we hoped it would - the cost continues to get bigger and bigger. This is confirmed in nautical and government sanctioned maps, where the error can be tremendous when estimating coastlines - it depends on the size of the ruler!
So let's go back to physique transformation, and talk about the physics of it. It IS all relative. You know how mass increases as you approach the speed of light? This is the famous E=mc^2, energy is mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. Since Force = mass x acceleration, as we accelerate towards the speed of light, our Force has to increase based on Einstein's equation, and therefore our mass increases until we are too heavy to move. Well, when you are approaching your goal, it's a similar thing. If you had the convenience to step outside and see someone transforming, you'd know that goal was fixed and can be reached. But when you're in the game, when you are doing it yourself, sometimes that goal looks like a speeding spaceship. You feel it is traveling away, faster than the speed of light. But rest assured, relative to your feet firmly on the ground, you are approaching it.
See, you have to consider the size of your ruler. I was 206 yesterday, and am 207.5 today. With my ruler stretched out to the size of a day, I'm going BACKWARDS - AWAY from my goal. OH MY GOSH ... can it be reached? How is it that I'm gaining weight? WAIT A MINUTE! Let's move my ruler out to be a week long. Whew! (Wipe the sweat from my brow). This time last week I was 209, so it looks like I LOST 1.5 pounds, not gained. Hey, let's look at my "coastline" from outer space ... let's set my ruler to two weeks. WOO-HOO - I'm smokin'!!!!!!! 215 to 207.5, baby! It's all about the ruler.
Don't get too caught up in your own reality, in your own RELATIVE perception. There is a fixed goal, and you need to look at THAT goal, not the moving, relative frame of reference that changes day by day. See, I can be 207.5 pounds and I can look in the mirror and either notice my muscle definition, or focus on my excess fat. Whichever I choose is a mental exercise - an emotional mind game - and it can make me feel up or down. The only SANE and OBJECTIVE data is that I am 207.5 ... and if I set my ruler to the right size, I know I'm headed my way.
I see this all the time. When I leaned down to 6.5% body fat the first time, the numbers over 12 weeks showed I lost a bit of lean mass. Heck, when I leaned down to 7% a year later, the numbers also showed I lost lean mass during my leaning phase. That ruler was a bad one ... it made me lose muscle mass! But when I stretch the ruler to a year, I find out that in June of 2001 I was 178 at 6.5% body fat and in April of 2002 I was 188 at 7.5% body fat ... wow. Now it looks like I actually GAINED muscle. I LIKE that ruler!
Don't get lost in your frame of reference. Focus on the ultimate goal. Use the right ruler ... stop worrying about the day to day fluctuations. Take your CHALLENGE day by day but gauge your PROGRESS week by week or even month by month and, most importantly, year by year. See, when I was 219 just a few weeks ago I was miserable ... wow, how I had "slipped". But it's funny, because in August of 1999, I was 245 and couldn't run a mile ... at 219 I was running 5 miles. So did I really SLIP?
I hope this helps you think about how you feel when you head for your goals, and how you can't get lost in the details or in that temporary frame of reference that sometimes gets us down on ourselves.
Oh, and, by the way, I don't care what Einstein says about relativity or Mandelbrot says about the fractal geometry of nature ... there is one thing that NEVER changes, and that is the ONLY thing that can truly change us ... GOD. In Christ, all things are possible!
Erin - if it's nasty, don't eat it! There are alternatives. We have to enjoy what we eat, all the time ... the more you enjoy the food, the more successful you'll be! (I hate oatmeal and protein, too, though some people swear by it).
Marie - I heard you talked to my woman. Anything good she said was right on, and everything bad was lies! LOL .. just kidding.
Ron - that's great. I wouldn't sweat 1 - 2 pounds per week. I'd sweat more than 1.5% of body weight per week. At 235, that means 3 pounds, etc are fine. Heck, I lost 7 pounds in just over a week and still hit a personal best at bench last night ... if I were you, I wouldn't worry about rate of loss but rather progress towards your goal. I'm cheering you on, bro. We've been chatting for nearly 4 years now and it's time for you to take the bull by the horns and ride it until it can't move. I don't care what it takes, you see this thing THROUGH ... if you stumble, you better enjoy the dust while it's settling, then pick your rear end back up off the ground and keep going. You KNOW you can do, you've MET those people who have and they've given A TON to you, my friend - I know a few who have really pushed hard to help out in any way possible, so this is your chance to repay their efforts and shine for them. I'll be waiting at the finish line ... see you there!
Chuck - that's interesting, checking your heart rate. I like to use heart rate for training, too. However, I've found that as I get in better shape, my heart maxes out at a lower level. So instead of going for an exact number, I try to target ranges. My favorite method is to wear a heart rate monitor and then do a heavy set of lunges or max out on squat or bench. This lets me know my upper, anaerobic threshold, then I use that as a baseline for my cardio - my high intensity sprints should hit that level but everything else should be just underneath it.
DeniZ - yes, I learned the value of a good warmup from my Aussie friend, Ian King. Now that, and stretching, and control drills, are part of my whole injury prevention suite!
Mimi - you're most welcome!
Everyone else - GREEEEEEEN GREEEEN GREEEN keep it up!
posted by Jeremy on 5/21/2003 9:19:12 AM | | Shout outs | Week 8 of 12, Day 51 of 84
Rob - get that rest buddy, and search deep within. You know there is a time for everything, and if the time is not right, then take a breather and focus on the next goal! One of the most difficult things for me to do was learn humility last year. I had planned on competing and told most of the world, but then personal issues (not even something as serious as injury!) affected my progress. I struggled for a bit but then I realized that the only thing keeping me focused on the goal was pride ... and that pride was getting in the way of family and friends. So I chose to wait until the time was right. It was rough to have so many people say, "How'd the competition go?" or "When is the competition?" and to say, "It's not happening, hasn't happened, and I'm just putting on fat weight right now" but that's something my Savior taught me ... that it's okay to be humble and not conquer everything in life, sometimes submission is the right way to learn and move on. So now I'm back with a vengeance and with more drive and resolve than I've ever had ... so again, do what's right for you and even if you pass this one up, we know you'll come in gangbusters when the time is right!
Chuck - as fellow dad, I'm so happy to see your goals are with your son and his projects. Missing a workout to help your children is, in my book, just as much of an achievement as lifting a personal best!
Kristin - sweet dreams!
Sue - callouses are great! I've not used lifting gloves in the past four years, I think a bee could stink my palm and I wouldn't feel it! LOL! C'mon, go for the ROUGH HANDS .. who needs gloves? LOL. Just teasing ... hope your headache clears up and I'm glad you got some good training in!
Tim - at least you recognize your friend. Some people get paid a visit and think it's an excuse to train harder! You're looking good, my friend, can't wait to see the end result.
X - are you "back" or are you picking up where you left off? C'mon, man, let's hear it ... I know you never LEFT, right?!!!
Shane - good to hear about your great day. Don't worry about the pictures, we all have our funks ... and you sound like you're sorting things out and moving on!
Kelly - lookin' forward to the start of your new challenge!
Emma - just love your posts, you have quite the journalistic style!
Tracy - good to see you moving into the groove
Michal - welcome back! Here's a toast to your goals, may you conquer them all!
Mimi - love the star sign. A butterfly is a beautiful analogy. I look forward to seeing the metamorphosis unfold ... I know you'll be making some incredible changes as you use your inner shine to transform your outer beauty!
Sanieh and Hubby - great to hear the update, I can't wait to see updated pics of both of you. 28 days ... you are amazing girl. And "Big Sexy" (oops, that's reserved for Sanieh, LOL) I'm sure your getting freaky muscular and lean! Better you than me, I don't know if I could handle all of those egg whites and cream of rice bowls ... I'd turn into a grit!
Jason - DietPower is HORRIBLE at first, you feel like you spend 23 hours of the day just logging the meals you ate in the other 60 minutes. But you will come up with a system and it will help you out, and it'll get faster and more efficient. I like to take common meals and group them in recipes. My post-workout shake is a "recipe" and the combination of fruit I typically eat for breakfast (apple/orange/pear) is a "recipe" all to speed entry. I think the software will teach you a lot about yourself ... I can tell you this, when I'm using diet power, I know there is NO ISSUE with reaching my goal. Congrats POPPA!
Ed - haven't shouted out your way but you are the MAN. The fact that you can hold yourself accountable, post your pictures up, and head on down that path says a LOT for your ability to create success. Keep it up, and remember, we all stumble at times ... you can either use it as an excuse to lay down and enjoy the sunshine, or you can brush off, stand up, and truck on even harder.
DeniZ - great to hear from you, love the tattoos. I'll have to take some piccies of mine and post them up. Nothing special, but I do love the one the Australian tattooist living in Amsterdam gave me ... I'll post it up. I can't wait to meet you, I feel like we are old friends who just haven't realized we've known each other yet ... strange, I know, but you inspire me!
Marie, Teri, Linda, Buzz, Sharon, and many, many others who I failed to mention by name and apologize - thanks for being part of this positive, uplifting community and keep up the great work. Here's to being GREEN!!!!!!!!
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/20/2003 7:45:14 AM | | Coffee concerns | Week 8 of 12, Day 50 of 84
Well, I am going through my caffeine adjustment phase right now, especially after having started with the ECA stack. I was curious to see how much caffeine would really be in my system at a given time, and after running the numbers, either I'm missing something or I should be concerned.
The half-life of coffee varies widely from individual to individual. It can be as low as 3.5 hours and as high as 100 hours, but 6 hours seems to be a prevalent number. Based on this, and the schedule I use to take my ECA, I ran a chart to show what my serum (blood) caffeine levels would be over a 72-hour period. Here is the chart:
The trend-line is misleading. This is because the first 48-hour window is a net increase, but after that, the levels stabilize. If you look at data points, you max out at about 530mg around 3pm and 185mg at midnight (that's disturbing, to think I have the equivalent of a tall or grande Starbuck's in my bloodstream after being asleep for 3 hours). At any rate, it is very interesting. Of course, drinking regular coffee will contribute to this and knock it into a longer cycle.
Bottom line .... while doing this type of thing for a short cycle (up to 12 weeks) to cut for competition, etc, is probably fine (caffeine toxicity in humans is more towards the 10gram mark, so the levels here represent 5% of the toxic level) long term, watch out! I would be very interested to learn if chronic coffee drinkers build some sort of resistance, i.e. speed up the half life so the caffeine is metabolized more quickly, because otherwise there would be some critical point where the levels would accumulate over a long period, rather than fall off!
(PS - even if I sleep soundly, 185mg is a lot of brain stimulation and probably prevents stage 3 sleep, which could contribute to less ability to recover, something to keep in mind).
Anyway, just thinking out loud.
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/19/2003 1:59:30 PM | | The only "dumb question" ... | Week 8 of 12, Day 50 of 84 cont...
... is the one that isn't asked.
Clarissa, it depends on what you're counting calories for.
If, for example, you are using DietPower, than I'd say, "Yes", log EVERY calorie. DietPower has a feedback mechanism that adjusts to your metabolism. In other words, if adding another 100 calories of flax happens to speed your metabolism by the same amount, DietPower will pick up on this and simply budget another 100 calories of food for you ... that's why it's such a great program.
On the other hand, if you've had a nutrition plan built for you that says "x calories per day" I wouldn't sacrifice 100 calories on that plan to add flax - I'd add the flax on top of it, because my experience is that most trainers aren't aware of the thermogenic effect of omega-3 fats and therefore just count them as regular calories, when they're not.
On the third hand, if I had one, a good nutritionist will recognize this and the plan they built would have incorporated it, so you should stick to the plan as is.
See? In other words, flax IS 100 calories and SHOULD be counted, but keep in mind your metabolism may increase as result, so your plan should be flexible enough to allow more calories if the addition of the flax doesn't stall your weight loss (or, as I've seen many times, increases it).
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/19/2003 9:40:05 AM | | Reversible ... irreversible? | Week 8 of 12, Day 50 of 84 cont...
Thanks for the kind words, about always accomplishing what I set out to do, being a champion, etc. I just wanted to address that. There are many times that I don't accomplish what I set out to do. I'm far from perfect, as we are all human. What is also human is that the failures tend to become overlooked or brushed aside and the successes more celebrated. I've made sure that any time I fall short of my goal, that I don't just brush it under the table. I look at where I've gone and why I'm there, and then use it as a lesson to take with me in life.
This gets to my point of reversible and irreversible. When I was promoted to development manager at Manhattan Associates (my last job) I had a responsibility for 4 programmers and was handed a project that was a 2 year, multi-million dollar project that I would have to manage virtually every aspect from a technology perspective. Needless to say, I was quite nervous at first and allowed myself to become fairly stressed when I saw certain milestones slipping or when issues arose. My boss, one of the founders of the company, was a great man - he was a mentor and didn't just tell me what to do, but taught me many ways to do it. When one stressful situation had me working late and feeling frustrated, he called me into my office. I sat down and he smiled, then said, "Jeremy, I want you to know something very important. This is the key. If you learn this, then all of your worries will go away. See, everything mistake is either reversible, or irreversible. If it is irreversible - why the heck are you worried about it, man? There's nothing you can do! Learn from it and move on! If it is irreversible, why are you spending your time worrying about it? FIX IT and move on!"
That really stuck with me. So in life we sometimes fall short of goals but when we stumble in life, we can either reverse the damage, or we can't, in which case we need to make that lesson a part of us and simply move on.
GREAT pictures Zach. Momma Zach you aren't as far from your goals as you seem to think. If Pam Brown can do this:
http://www.bodychangers.com/pbrown_inter.shtml
And Sue Elias can do this:
http://www.bodychangers.com/selias_inter.shtml
I know you can dial into your goals and achieve them!
Teri, thanks for the update.
Everyone else ... keep it green. Nice to hear from everyone, and I hope you all have a blessed week!
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/19/2003 7:12:01 AM |
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