Thermogenics is a thing.

It says "BADDASS", must be legit.

Last week, I quoted a not-quite-reputable wimmin's mag as saying:

Studies show that the main compound in chilies, called capsaicin, has a thermogenic effect and may cause the body to burn bonus calories for 20 minutes post chow-down.

The internet seems to agree, this is a thing. Thermogenic effect encourages the body to increase it's heat output, necessitating the use of more calories. Historically, spicy food in hot climates became popular not just for spice's preservative qualities, but because of the thermogenic effect....but not to lose weight. It seems counter-intuitive -- why would you want the experience of heat in your mouth when you live in a subtropical zone? Because when you raise your core temperature, it increases the amount you sweat, therefore increasing the cooling experience as your sweat evaporates.

Funny, I initially assumed the thermogenic effect was silliness, like "fat makes you fat".  Just because you you feel the illusion of heat in your mouth doesn't necessarily mean there is an actual increase in temperature. But there is - in your body. Funnier still, spicy food doesn't have the biggest thermogenic effect. It's, uh, celery.

Celery is one of the best thermogenic foods. First of all, it is very low in calories which is why it is a common staple food for dieters. Aside from this, it also helps you burn more calories thanks to its thermogenic effect. Celery also has a very mild taste which makes it easier to include them in your meals.

So I guess the celery served with Buffalo wings can now be reclassified as a health food?

Eat all 3000 calories on this plate, then burn an extra 300 by just sitting there!

All food takes energy to process and digest, but some take more energy than others. Proteins take the most, about 30% of it's calories, while fats take the least, about 10%. High fiber foods (like whole grains and celery) also take more energy to break down than more heavily processed foods. However, that is not quite what is happening when it comes to the claim of spices increasing the metabolic rate, which controls the speed at which food is turned into energy.

We're all familiar with drugs that increase metabolism. Caffiene is a the most common, speed n' crank are less common but popular among it's dedicated fanbase. I was not able to find any literature that addresses how the feeling of heat from spice translates to the actual heat of increased metabolism, but it does seem to be a real thing, however relatively small and not considered a real effect on losing weight. However, studies do show that on average, people who have spicy versions of a meal versus those who don't tend to eat on average 200 calories less. The spice acts as an appetite suppressant, which makes sense to me. So those BADDASS pills and many other "thermogenic" supplements? They're either some form of speed, or they are just a way to reduce the weight of your wallet.

I've been adding a shot of cayenne to my biweekly juicing, to help with the taste of the beet and make it more interesting. Though I've never been a huge fan of spicy heat, I'm definitely going to BAM! kick a few dishes up a notch in the future.

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I skipped juicing by accident on Wednesday, and picked up an apple from a vendor while travelling by bike to avoid discomfort/bonk. Surprisingly, it was really satisfying. Think I'm going to start adding fruit to my rotation of snacks.

Still no pull up, but twice a week before my routine, I do an honest try at one. damn. pull up. Chin up, whatevs. I can jump into a pull up, but that doesn't really count, nor does the set of six chin ups I do with resistance bands around my knee.
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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2434

Thursday's school dinner messed me up, with a scoop of mashed potatoes sending me into a carb spin in the evening. Still, all in all a good eating week and I feel good. I did an early weigh-in on Friday, as the 1st is mid-week, and I was happy with what I saw.

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MONDAY COUNT: 2225

Good work out, arms and chest felt rubbery after.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 250 cal

PM SNACK: 1pm,  baby carrots, 80 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, scallops, string beans, jodhpur lentils, 610 cal
Sautted the scallops in coconut oil, my first use of the stuff. Verdict: delicious. The oil itself tastes like what you'd hope cocobutter skin cream would taste like, but doesn't due to waxes n' skin stuff. In this amount, the coconut flavor was very mild, given to the sharp tones of the old bay seasoning and the strong undernote of fish.

PM SNACK: 5:30pm, apple/carrot/beet/kale/ginger/celery/cucumber/cayenne juice, 170 cal

DINNER: 9pm, shiritaki wide noodles with homemade tomato sauce, chicken meatballs, roasted broccoli, roasted shitaki mushrooms, roasted cipolini onions, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, water, 815 cal
Skipped stirfrying and went Italian, as I made the sauce today. Pretty decent.

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, Fritos, 300 cal

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TUESDAY COUNT: 2460

Woke up pleasantly sore. A good eating day that was capped by a double evening snack -- makes me think perhaps I should have a new standard for a 2nd snack -- perhaps fruit instead of commodity-based junk from a multi national conglomerate corporation?

AM SNACK: 8am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, fruit smoothie, 400 cal

LUNCH: 2pm,  almond butter and grape jelly on whole wheat, momma salad, water, 490 cal

PM SNACK: 6pm, beef jerky, 160 cal

PM SNACK: 7:15pm, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, 100 cal

DINNER: 8:15pm, ,grilled chicken breast, sofrito black beans, roasted brussel sprouts & cipollini onions, water, 710 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, Fritos, 300 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10:30pm, cheesy poofs, 300 cal
Was honestly hungry, after suffering through some sugar cravings. Funny how my 1st thought is to EAT SUGAR DON'T REPORT IT GO CRAZY then I quickly come to my senses, knowing not reporting eating after taking the time to write everything down makes this whole effort a waste of time, and is just lying to myself. And, uh, you, dear reader!

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WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2070

Good eating day. Forgot to juice right before a bike ride way up town and back, so I stopped at a fruit stand and got an apple, pretty much the only snack I could have gotten that I wouldn't beat myself up about. And surprisingly, it was....good. Hmmmm.

AM SNACK: 7:30am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, Fage whole yogurt with agave, almonds, vanilla, 320 cal

AM SNACK: 11:45am, 1 kasha knish mini, +/- 30 cal

LUNCH: 12:30pm, sardine & avocado on whole wheat toast,  momma salad, water, 520 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, an apple, +/-115 cal

PM SNACK: 8:15pm, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, 100 cal

DINNER: 8:30pm, chicken sausage, sofrito black beans, whole wheat cous cous, water, 685 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8:45pm, Fritos, 300 cal

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THURSDAY COUNT: 3010

Ugh, school.

AM SNACK: 7am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:15am, steel cut oatmeal, 250 cal

LUNCH: 12:30, flounder, roasted asparagus, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, 540 cal

PM SNACK: 2pm, apple/carrot/beet/kale/ginger/celery/cucumber/cayenne juice, 170 cal

SCHOOL SNACK: 4pm, graham cracker cookies, +/- 500 cal

SCHOOL DINNER: 7:15pm, large cesar salad with sauteed chicken breast, shrimp salad, brownies, water, +/- 1250 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10pm, Fritos, 300 cals

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FRIDAY COUNT: 2405

Woke up pleasantly sore. Weighed in early, to see if the last Friday of the month is different than the 1st, which this time is a Wednesday -- pleasantly surprised, particularly after yesterday's eating day.

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10am, Fage whole yogurt with agave, almonds, vanilla, 320 cal

LUNCH: 12:45pm, grilled pork chops, roasted broccoli, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, 790 cal

PM SNACK: 5:30pm, apple/carrot/beet/kale/ginger/celery/cucumber/cayenne juice, 145 cal

PM SNACK: 6:30pm, momma salad, 100 cal

DINNER: 7:30pm, vegetarian Ethiopian food, +/- 750 cal


EVENING SNACK: 10pm, Fritos, 300 cals

You are a very naughty potato.

Spicy Promises

Bedside Astrologer? Sexy weight loss tips tailored to your star sign.

Wimmin's magazines are known for their TEN MILLION TIPS TO MAKE YO MAN GO MONKEY CRAZY IN BED lists, but a close second is their advice to lose weight. One piece of advice that tends to be repeated is:

The extra kick of hot sauce or a chopped jalapeno can make even the most bland diet food more palatable, causing you to be more likely to stick with your weight loss plan. In addition, they may jack up your metabolism. Studies show that the main compound in chilies, called capsaicin, has a thermogenic effect and may cause the body to burn bonus calories for 20 minutes post chow-down.

Is there any truth to this? Will adding cayenne and siracha to all my dishes make the pounds melt away?

It is theorized that the active ingredient in heat, capsaicin, evolved to prevent fungus growing on peppers in moist environments. It is only by luck that mammals experience heat by eating it -- in fact, all non-mammals do not have the receptors to experience the pain of hot pepper. Capsaicin works the same pain pathways as fire: we literally experience the same heat as if our tongues were aflame, only without the consequence of, y'know, being cooked alive.

No other mammal likes spicy food -- spicy is technically not a flavor, but a feeling of sustained heat. Some people seem to dig it because they're masochists, others because they add some variety and interest to otherwise boring food. South American cuisine's staple crops are corn and rice, which can be awfully dull, but with the right finesse of spice and it's a whole 'nuther thing.

Evidence tends to support the idea that there might be a slight advantage to eating spicy to help lose some chunk.

A 1999 study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" investigated the relationship between hot pepper consumption, appetite and caloric intake. Subjects were fed a breakfast and lunchtime appetizer that included red pepper. Caloric intake and appetite were measured before and during consumption of lunch and an afternoon snack. The researchers concluded that consuming hot peppers suppressed the appetite and decreased total caloric intake of Japanese females and Caucasian males. A 2006 study published in "the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" showed that chili pepper consumption improved blood sugar and insulin regulation after a meal. Both studies suggest that consumption of hot peppers contained in spicy foods might be helpful for treating obesity.

Food that delivers a certain amount of pain might be consciously enjoyable, but perhaps there is some mechanism in the body or brain that recognizes painful food as poisonous and works to prevent more of it from entering the system?

Note that many studies have been conducted that point to other health effects of spicy food -- lowering blood pressure, protecting against microbial infection, increasing heart health, boost in serotonin, preventing cancer....why, it sounds a bit like green tea! However, every study that has any credibility points out that these effects are very minor, and even if you were to be blowing out your pain receptors at every single meal, you're O-ring would blow out before you experienced significant positive health effects.

Too much spicy food.

So what about the "thermogenic effect" of spicy food that "may cause the body to burn bonus calories for 20 minutes post chow-down"? After a little Internet-thinkin', evidence points to "yes". As this contradicts my assumptions, I will dedicate the next post to it.
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On Thursday morning I began my work out with an honest attempt to do one. damn. pull up. I psyched myself up in the lead up, and I had my wifey witness my attempt. Started from a prone position, I was able to lift myself about half way with a loud grunt, though Mrs. Wifey said it was more like 3/4 of the way. Though not a success, it's the closest yet, and considering when I first started I could not budge from the prone position, it marks progress in the right direction.
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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2328

Thursday's school dinner messed me up, with a scoop of mashed potatoes sending me into a carb spin in the evening. Still, all in all a good eating week and I feel good.

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MONDAY COUNT: 2395

Started using resistance bands in my pull-ups. Had to use all three bands in the kit just to do 4 or 5 assisted pull-ups. I guess when I can do 20, I'll take away a band.

Had sugar cravings in the evening. Rode them out, and it kinda turned into honest hunger, so I had a 2nd evening snack. Busted my budget, but felt right.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:45am, steel cut oatmeal, 250 cal

PM SNACK: 12:15pm, momma salad, 100 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, scallops, string beans, jodhpur lentils, 490 cal

PM SNACK: 5:30pm, apple/carrot/beet/kale/ginger/celery/cucumber/cayenne juice, 155 cal

DINNER: 9pm, stir fry with velveted chicken, shirataki noodles, broccoli, shitaki mushrooms and black bean paste, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, water, 800 cal
Haven't velveted a protein since c-school, but it's such a tasty way to treat meat -- unfortunately, it's basically deep fried. I did it in peanut oil at a high temp, so I guestimated an additional 150 cal -- next time I do it, I'm gonna measure all-through to actually determine how much oil gets picked up by the meat when fried at the correct temps.

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, Fritos, 300 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10:30pm, Cheesy Poofs, 300 cal

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TUESDAY COUNT: 2065

Woke up with slight soreness in my upper arms, chest, back and even a little in my lower arms. Seems yesterday's introduction of resistance bands have made itself known.

Had an eventful day, able to grab lunch with the wifey (and then she ate half my sammich!), catch a movie in the afternoon and trade in my beef jerky for some popcorn (and +/- 10oz of a 32oz "small" diet coke) and indulged in some comfort food out of a box for dinner.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10am, Fage whole yogurt with agave, vanilla and almonds, 300 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, half an almond butter & grape jelly on whole wheat sandwich, momma salad, 295cal

PM SNACK 5pm, popcorn and about 10oz diet coke, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 8pm, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini dressing, 100 cal
Unlike the first spinach salad, this round was made with savoy instead of flat -- the bigger, crinkly leaves. Found it to be much more bitter, and surprisingly a tad sandy. I washed it 3 times until sand started come out, but I guess that wasn't enough. I think next time, I'll chop it up a little, and soak it in a bigger bowl a few times before spinning it.

DINNER: 8:30pm, Stouffers French Bread Pizza, 860 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, Fritos, 300 cal

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WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2035

x

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10am, fruit smoothie, 400 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, mahi mahi, roasted asparagus, roasted cippolini onions, black beans, kimchi, momma salad, 580 cal

PM SNACK 4pm, apple/carrot/beet/ginger/cucumber/celery/kale/cayenne juice, 165 cal

PM SNACK: 8pm, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini, 100 cal

DINNER: 8:45pm, chicken sausage, string beans, madras lentils, 590  cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, Fritos, 300 cal

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THURSDAY COUNT: 3170

Funny, it didn't feel like such a huge bust over the budget, but upon reflection, that one scoop of buttery mashed potatoes set my whole system up to crave carbs n' calories. I didn't beat myself up for it because a) the cravings were out of line and b) I was going to ride all day tomorrow, so in theory this was "carbo loading", though usually things this enjoyable but justifiable are usually BS. Perhaps for a future post.

AM SNACK: 7:15am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 250 cal

LUNCH: 1:15pm, chicken meatballs, roasted brussel sprouts, tomato soup, spinach poppa salad with miso tahini dressing, 720 cal
Different brand of boxed soup, way too salty, only ate half my portion.

SCHOOL DINNER: 7:30pm, grilled chicken breast, mashed potato, kale & caramelized onions, water, +/- 900 cal
Ate extra chicken, minimized the potato and had a decent scoop of the kale, which I formulated to make over 50% caramelized onion to appeal to the kids. The scoop of potato was relatively reasonable, but I'm assuming it was 500 or more calories in it. There were only full-sugar sodas to drink, but I resisted. Made me realize because I'm not keeping diet soda in the house, I haven't had any since the weekend and it's been OK. Huh.

EVENING SNACK: 9:15pm, Fritos, 300 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10:15pm, cheesy poofs, 300

EVENING SNACK: 10:45pm, pb&j on whole wheat, +/- 400

EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, cheesy poofs, 300

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BIKE CREDIT: 1860

FRIDAY COUNT: 1975

A good day on the bike. Honestly took in about the same as I expended, which doesn't account for my allotment of lunch calories, so I had a big pasta dinner which hit the spot. Only 4 oz of pasta (double the recommended serving size) which was my original go-to portion when I started restricting, now seemed really generous.

Very happy with my granola bars. They're dense, moist, and deliver maximum calories with minimal bulk, not too sweet and a good nutty taste. I store them in the freezer, so they don't have weird gums, stabilizers, preservatives or excess sugar to keep them shelf stable. My next round I'm going to add caffeine extract so I won't need to drink any diet coke on future rides.

AM SNACK: 6:45am, iced green tea, 0 cal

BREAKFAST: 7:15am,  Fage whole yogurt with agave, vanilla and almonds, 300 cal

BIKE SNACK: 9:15am, granola bars, 465 cal

BIKE SNACK: 12pm, digestive biscuits, 520 cal


BIKE SNACK: 1:45pm, 20 oz diet coke, 0 cal

BIKE SNACK: 2:15pm, granola bars, 465 cal

BIKE SNACK: 4:30pm, falafel sandwich, +/- 650 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, apple/carrot/beet/ginger/cucumber/celery/kale/cayenne juice, 155 cal

PM SNACK: 7pm, momma salad, 100 cal

DINNER: 7:30pm, whole wheat pasta with boiled shrimp, roasted broccoli & cippolini onions, dressed in olive oil and romano cheese, 875 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, cheesy poofs, 300 cal

Oh mah lord, someone read to the bottom last week! So this week the secret password is "shmeggy mgeggy"!