tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250239231783347352024-03-05T02:07:28.748-08:00Ice Cream DietMartin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-17812938502460541812012-07-19T16:38:00.000-07:002012-07-23T07:53:14.254-07:00An Absurdist Monologue on Physiology and Endocrinology<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This post is reference-free. Due to the speculative nature of this 'stream of consciousness' piece, please refer to this site's disclaimer. What a good way to usher in the looming London Summer Olympics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A shredded 155 pounds is my goal, which I plan to achieve by way of IF coupled with coffee and 2x/day sessions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My single-meal IF scheme more closely reflects Ori Hofmekler's Warrior Diet than Martin's Leangains protocol, but I apply principles from both.</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Former Mr. Olympia Franco</em><br />
<em>Columbu, the "Sardinian Strongman"</em></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A small 20-minute fasted morning cardio session on the treadmill will take care of insulin's inhibitory effect on hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), leverage high morning cortisol levels as well as lower alpha-2 adrenergic receptor activity toward the goal of fat oxidation, and, while inconvenient (inasmuch as it requires waking up earlier in the morning to allow for shower time before class), improve general mood throughout the day thanks to the opponent-process theory of emotion. To reinforce execution of the cardio session a la Premack's principle, the pace of the cardio will start out at 6.5 mph and progressively decrease at regular time intervals. Furthermore, the training scheme for each week will reflect the Premack principle: the cardio will be front-loaded during the first half of the week and decrease as the week progresses. Concurrently, in order to progressively reward myself for getting through the week, intake of carbs and dirty food will gradually increase. The dual purpose of better lipolysis and oxidation (first half of the week) as well as acute leptin, dopamine, and serotonin restoration (latter half of the week) will thus be served.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">For breakfast, coffee and green tea. Not just for their appetite-suppressing properties, but also for their myriad of other benefits. To wit, coffee consumption is associated with lower skin, breast, and prostate cancer risk, lower risk of developing dementia (most notably, Alzheimer's, via its effect of increasing plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, GCSF, which suppresses beta-amyloid deposition in the brain), type-2 diabetes prevention, and lower incidences of cardiac arrythmias. The caffeine in coffee is also a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE); PDE inhibition leads to less degradation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which phosphorylates HSL, the activity of which was preserved owing to the morning cardio session's insulin-lowering effect. Lastly, coffee increases non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and potentially induces borderline hyperpraxia, which is fancy for fidgeting. As for green tea, the anti-amyloidogenic properties of the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) present in the tea are enhanced by fish oil supplementation (in mice, at least). Fish oil also increases the bioavailability of EGCG in the body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The fast continues after the dismissal of class at 3PM, at which time I perform my second session. On cardio days, it's simply an identical 20-minute session. On heavy training days, it's, well, heavy training. I generally follow Martin's rest-pause scheme. I include heavy training at least twice a week, and I execute it according to the Premack principle: the least enjoyable exercises first, the most decadent ones last. And while Martin strongly advises in favor of having a pre-workout hit of BCAAs, EAAs, or at least some whey for the purposes of halting fasting-exacerbated peri-workout proteolysis and increasing p70s6k and mammalian target of rapamyacin (mTOR) phosphorylation, for personal behavioral reasons, I prefer to wait until after I have completed my second session of training for that day. Only then do I deserve my 'reward': feeding. And while a study showed that exercise acutely suppresses regional brain reactivity to enticing meals, the goal of classical conditioning is more important here: the only time to feast is after a hard day's work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Food choices will include clean and dirty food. I don't shirk microwaveable foods, ice cream, and the like because I feel these to be tantamount to a sustainable eating lifestyle that does not neurotically demonize any category of food and possibly contribute to an eating disorder. Just take a look at pre-contest dieters; I do wonder if they truly mean to bulk up that quickly upon exiting the stage, or if some other underlying problem exists. That's what 12 weeks of eating bland chicken and brown rice does to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">For supplementation, a daily intake of 13 USP-verified omega-3 fish oil capsules by Nature Made, amounting to 2340mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1560mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These amounts satisfy the conditions necessary for subchronic omega-3 supplementation to ameliorate leucine resistance and improve muscle protein synthesis (MPS) following aminoacidemia. They also more than replicate the methodological conditions of a study that found that administration of at least 8mg of fish oil per kg of body weight (again, in mice) allowed EGCG to do a better job of suppressing cerebral beta-amyloid deposition. Furthermore, fish oil boasts a host of other perks that Martin discusses: suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), which lowers atherosclerosis risk, lower incidence of depression (epidemiological link, mind you), and lower cancer risk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Calcium consumption has been shown to influence regional adiposity (the trunk region, namely), though I would say the phenomenon is still contested. It will be be taken in the form of a calcium-magnesium-zinc pill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dieting in general lowers tryptophan availability to the large neutral amino acid transporter (LAT1), and low-carb dieting moreso. Not good for those having trouble sleeping as the BCAAs leucine, valine, and isoleucine can then better compete for LAT1, blocking out tryptophan and consequently lowering serotonin production. Bad implications for both mood and sleep, and it explains why both dieting and the high protein intake that it entails have led some dieters to complain about their sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">On that note, given that a bolus of intact casein protein will continue to yield metabolites in the blood at even the 8-hour mark, it would be prudent for me to separate my protein-heavy and carb-heavy meals in order to direct traffic at the LAT1. In fact, another individual with stellar results follows a similar protocol (his 2 meals are a giant, 100g protein shake and a normal meal). Barring supplemental L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a likely scheme for maximizing serotonin synthesis and avoiding diet-induced insomnia, then, would be to follow up 100 grams of alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA), a rapidly digestible whey protein derivative high in tryptophan, with a carb-heavy (with some fat) meal around 4 hours before bed (in accordance with a study that found that a high-glycemic-index carb meal 4 hours prior to bedtime shortened sleep onset). PeptoPro's hydrolyzed caseinate has an astonishing 8 grams of tryptophan per 100g of protein material (Lyle has stated that most protein brands contain 1-2g of tryptophan per 100g of protein material). The blend happens to be near-optimal for the purposes of providing more dietary tryptophan as well as preserving peri-exercise fat oxidation (however negligible). Plus, owing to its faster absorption kinetics, hydrolyzed protein has a better chance of bypassing splanchnic extraction. First-pass portal-drained visceral (PDV) and hepatic metabolism utilize the majority of amino acids before the remainder is passed on to the peripheral tissues (and, relevant to our purposes, muscle). That's a long-winded way of suggesting that total daily dietary protein requirements may be lowered if more of it is reaching the muscles. Anyway, better sleep equals better appetite control equals better diet adherence. And besides, the two-a-day sessions should ensure that I sleep like a rock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the topic of sleep and ensuring its quality, carb-centric refeeds will be incorporated, though still done on training days after sufficient whole-body metabolic work is done to stress the energetic components of the muscle (especially adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, or AMPk) and divert calories to the lean tissue compartment. Anecdotally, my sleep begins to deteriorate 3-4 days into the diet week probably for the reasons discussed above. Not surprisingly, pre-contest dieters have complained about sleep issues, at times having as low as 4 hours of sleep each night. For this reason, progressively re-introducing carbs throughout the week, supplementing with alpha-lactalbumin, and having bi-weekly refeeds will be the measures taken to fix the problem. At least then, the higher-tryptophan conditions of a eucaloric or hypercaloric diet can be simulated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">All things said, I don't want it to appear that an over-reliance on supplements is a requisite for success. Insofar as drugs cannot conceivably correct any behavioral problems associated with diet and weight control, the myriad of pharmaceutical 'solutions' being released to the public will fail as usual. People tend to believe that the drugs will chronically facilitate their weight loss goals. For some, use of the drugs may only serve to bring their behavioral problems to the surface. Some examples of drugs (both approved and withdrawn) and drug components: Belviq (lorcaserin), Qsymia (formerly Qnexa and containing extended-release phentermine and topiramate), Alli and Xenical (orlistat, also known as tetrahydrolipstatin), Hoodia gordonii and XR, bitter orange (citrus aurantium, active compound synephrine), Sensa, chitosan, Meridia (sibutramine), rimonabant, and raspberry ketones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Let's begin, shall we?</span></div>
</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-82289012205289704112011-12-28T17:09:00.000-08:002011-12-28T17:09:52.481-08:00Home for Christmas Exodus, Language Assignment<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g7YqkJMh_U-RHeKxH2Said3s829GILavIm24cupBvaWQc4zPBVAahXlkqQAkAZZmEXSXCZJglOdKcCwJlVpBrP1c13oWlkbjz-U5FZQqUGtMFXk7_Qu9XN3pfiFLsvumJYUBzBELyw/s1600/army18.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g7YqkJMh_U-RHeKxH2Said3s829GILavIm24cupBvaWQc4zPBVAahXlkqQAkAZZmEXSXCZJglOdKcCwJlVpBrP1c13oWlkbjz-U5FZQqUGtMFXk7_Qu9XN3pfiFLsvumJYUBzBELyw/s320/army18.PNG" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>67th Platoon at the 120th Adjutant General<br />
Battalion (Reception), Fort Jackson, SC</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Much-Needed Break</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">All basic training recruits at Ft. Jackson have gone home for Victory Block Leave (VBL), better known as <b>Christmas Exodus</b>. Recruits will be able to spend time with family for Christmas and the New Year before returning to the post to complete training. Our cycle, Delta Company (Dragons), 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, has 2 weeks left before graduation. I've been assigned to 1st Platoon; 4 platoons, each headed by 2 drill sergeants, make up our company.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Training's been a "hurry up and wait" experience during the 9 weeks we've been on post so far, and I hear the Active Army's the same. There's plenty of waiting around in line and formation, but at the same time, the training's something no civilian can normally experience. To date, we've qualified on the shooting range with our M16 rifles, done nighttime reflexive fire with M4 carbines outfitted with red dot sights and night vision goggles, stacked on doors to clear rooms, neutralize insurgents, and evacuate casualties, practiced bounding overwatch under fire (finding forward/rearward cover while a battle buddy covers you with suppressive fire aimed at the enemy) in leapfrog fashion, ridden in and dismounted HMMWVs (Humvees) during convoy operations, low and high crawled under barbed wire while live rounds were being shot several feet above our heads, thrown live grenades, shot the M249 SAW and M240 Bravo machine guns, M203 grenade launcher, and AT-4 anti-tank weapon, done tactical foot marches as far as 10 miles in full "battle rattle" (combat boots, Kevlar helmet, ballistic and ammo vests, assault pack, and M16), done land navigation with a compass and map, and practiced drill and ceremony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A typical day consists of wake-up between 0445 and 0600, PT (except on Sundays, when recruits may attend religious service), breakfast chow, movement to that day's scheduled training, movement back to the post (the "rear"), weapons cleaning, personal time, final formation (and mail call, if there is any), and lights out at 2100. The training's carried over to home somewhat; I wake up between 5-7 AM and begin to get sleepy around 6-7 PM. While substantial, both the chow hall food and MREs (meals, ready-to-eat) were devoid of the love one would find in a home-cooked meal. It just isn't the same.<br />
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After arriving home, I learned that my language assignment at the DLI would be Pashto pending approval of my security clearance. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adjusting to the Army lifestyle will obviously take some time. Thanks to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), more rules are imposed upon a U.S. serviceman than a civilian would ever care to know, but that's a good thing. Integrity is a big deal in the military, and in life, it's one of the few things that matter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I report back to training in early January. In the meantime, I'm making the most of my time at home with family and friends.</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-76385805166176299212011-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:002011-09-30T12:12:24.925-07:00Physical Fitness Assessment Test, Final Inspect at MEPS<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Letter from Fort Jackson's Battalion Commander</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO426uTylt-bSb5vgMrlh09J9CwKWObuZGbrZmHLUtKL5Ppqdv6x7glGaUsCffGigkQFdqnRkGk6HdX-BRVHf8YXfcdR_dXQBO-plghtQ7e_Z4NRfL6n-5mO4cW6gc1aC2OMGJ2_UhQ/s1600/march.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO426uTylt-bSb5vgMrlh09J9CwKWObuZGbrZmHLUtKL5Ppqdv6x7glGaUsCffGigkQFdqnRkGk6HdX-BRVHf8YXfcdR_dXQBO-plghtQ7e_Z4NRfL6n-5mO4cW6gc1aC2OMGJ2_UhQ/s320/march.PNG" width="276" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">The battalion commander emailed all of us Future Soldiers shipping out early October with a briefing on potential units we'll be assigned to at BCT. All recruits will fall under either the <b>165th or 193rd Infantry Brigades</b>. Within these, they may be assigned to the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Battalions.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">He also gave us a general overview of the goings on at BCT. Confiscation of cell phones and other contrabands at Reception Battalion (RECBN), PT 6 days a week, the option to worship on Sundays, and 2 phone call privileges during the 10 weeks of training.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">A family friend gave me his <b>IET Soldier's Handbook</b> and <b>Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks</b> (SMCT) to study out of. I've already begun studying for everything imaginable. Probably the hardest topic is the weapon systems. It'd be easier to memorize all the parts of an <b>M203</b> if it were in front of me.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">I'm going to pay a visit to my recruiting station next week to weigh in and do the <b>1-1-1 test</b>. My final inspect at MEPS will be on the 11th, a day before I leave California. Less than 14 days to ship, and I can't wait!</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-15895576372949173282011-09-27T12:46:00.000-07:002011-09-27T20:47:27.067-07:00Cyclic Hedonic PSMF Diet for Satiety, Adherence, Reward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx7o_rlDo3-_Q8mRI-GkiAIWLZORK4Gj9OeJGbVxC5AvABPR0yngi2Awvifisk2WBJLTayIaXMbt87TDzMoxl5Gxvhv_mqcv0b6GAFTqHPQ54md8Sryn6v1Xyt2rLfwAKWELoq5IVEQ/s1600/hedonic1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai green curry</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I.</b> A diet that doesn't suck</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>II.</b> Why diets eventually suck (bullet style)</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>III.</b> Instant gratification and goal-setting </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>IV.</b> Cyclical IF and the PSMF</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>V.</b> Reasons behind the diet</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>VI.</b> Other ways I've maintained adherence</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>VII.</b> A case study: me</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>VIII.</b> Throwing supplements into the mix (optional)</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>IX.</b> Closing</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A diet that doesn't suck</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Over the years, I've progressively changed my dieting style. Each step is generally in the right direction as far as improving overall adherence. Here's how it's evolved:</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BG-5iRcal-Qpbs7wuGkGoOuPb5wivmkXXSxj5NR0kAOcKs4DMx36XyhI8CsCs-p-1W-uOJA-b3lSsDUjRTb0O6GcXeCwAKx8tJ81pYb6lvVIy1_quM1NaukTnb0D2z513nyQtuSfnQ/s1600/hedonic2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BG-5iRcal-Qpbs7wuGkGoOuPb5wivmkXXSxj5NR0kAOcKs4DMx36XyhI8CsCs-p-1W-uOJA-b3lSsDUjRTb0O6GcXeCwAKx8tJ81pYb6lvVIy1_quM1NaukTnb0D2z513nyQtuSfnQ/s320/hedonic2.PNG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vietnamese beef pho</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">1. <b>Beginning:</b> 3 meals/day</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">2. 3 meals + 3 snacks/day</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">3. <b>High school: </b>3 meals + 3 protein shakes/day</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">4. 6 meals/day, Atkins style</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">5. <b>College: </b>6 meals/day, low carb, mostly protein shakes + nuts (Dave Palumbo style)</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">6. <b>Recently:</b> 1 meal, intermittent fasting (IF), no food restrictions</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">7. <b>Current: </b>1 meal, cyclical IF with protein-sparing modified fasts (PSMF), no food restrictions, no protein shakes</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">The jump from number 5 to 6 greatly improved my adherence, but not entirely. The problem was in my head.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">I'm a <b>goal-oriented</b> person, which I'd like to say is a good thing. However, humans are evolutionarily hardwired for <b>instant gratification</b>; I'm personally more likely to accomplish a goal if it's in the near-immediate future.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">That said, there's already a problem with dieting, a relatively long-term commitment. Neurophysiology explains why the problem exists.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why diets eventually suck (bullet style)</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">There's lots of chemicals involved, but there are 3 we'll worry about today:</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUhaHjoCl1ew3Z_VcFcin-g7MwTWEXVabPYJM1UXGtMu10lL0003RGKimq91eq5J6oZcQ4i_A90zbY1xUPrk3rGeKtp63P0MdNTZX6SWv2NRAY4aO1rzyezQAPuc_1Ag8-K_laPZfKA/s1600/hedonic3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUhaHjoCl1ew3Z_VcFcin-g7MwTWEXVabPYJM1UXGtMu10lL0003RGKimq91eq5J6oZcQ4i_A90zbY1xUPrk3rGeKtp63P0MdNTZX6SWv2NRAY4aO1rzyezQAPuc_1Ag8-K_laPZfKA/s320/hedonic3.PNG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had too many carbs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>1. <b>Leptin</b>, a hormone that for our purposes acts as a satiety/fullness signal and increases fat burning. Levels of it drop <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-hormones-of-bodyweight-regulation-leptin-part-2.html">a lot</a> within a week of dieting.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">2. <b>Serotonin</b>, a neurotransmitter implicated in mood (depression and anxiety), sleep, appetite, and alpha-male syndrome in animals. Dieting <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/carbohydrate-intake-and-depression-qa.html">lowers</a> serotonin (low-carb diets even more so), while eating a boatload of carbs increases it (people tend to get drowsy afterward).<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. <b>Dopamine</b>, the reward hormone crucial to pleasure-seeking behavior. You can probably guess that dieting lowers it.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16239836?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed">Exercise</a>, overfeeding (especially with <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11126336">carbs</a>), and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12119240">fish oil</a> supplementation either increase the synthesis of the above or improve the sensitivity of the receptors that bind them. Some regular combination of the 3 should help combat some of the physiological problems associated with dieting, which in theory should make it more bearable.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In reality, it doesn't.</b> Not without some tweaking, at least.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Instant gratification and goal-setting</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm a man of extremes. While it sits well with many, <b>moderation</b> feels like stagnation to me. I'm someone who'd probably do only marginally well on the <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/marshmallow-test.html">marshmallow test</a>. I can hold off for a bit and distract myself, but I'd like my marshmallow pretty soon - <b>within 24 hours.</b> That's why I landed on Diet Incarnation No. 7. </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I mentioned earlier that I'm more likely to reach a goal if it's in the short run. And in the big picture, several completed short-term goals contribute to the realization of a more <b>long-term aim, which in this case is the attainment of low body fat. </b>There's nothing earthshaking about this approach to dieting; most people set a weekly weight loss goal (e.g., 1 pound of weight loss/week). Breaking it down even further, many strive to achieve a daily energy deficit to ensure they meet their weekly weight loss.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">So what are the <b>short-term goals</b> of my diet?</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cyclical IF and the PSMF</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">My diet breaks down into 2 alternating days:</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynmtdf6TbVhHqO1ile6dlypZ7RtSXlrHrNVyXv_TBxXyRn4gzVCRQuCcsSd8j8iKy7DHA6I-R3s04WmEZ4Y6HG6fV84QRBSHLokmDEFkvoDjVoYF_amavzOsWylVofYzsau7gi-Q7sA/s1600/hedonic1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynmtdf6TbVhHqO1ile6dlypZ7RtSXlrHrNVyXv_TBxXyRn4gzVCRQuCcsSd8j8iKy7DHA6I-R3s04WmEZ4Y6HG6fV84QRBSHLokmDEFkvoDjVoYF_amavzOsWylVofYzsau7gi-Q7sA/s320/hedonic1.PNG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A sign of better things to come.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>1.</b> <b>PSMF: A single, ~1200-calorie meal</b> eaten in the PM and consisting of ~225 grams of protein in the form of boiled chicken breasts and shrimp, the incidental fat found within the chicken, and 8 fish oil capsules. <b>The "goal"</b> of this day is <b>fat loss.</b> </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>2. "Mini-refeed":</b> A term I first learned of from <a href="http://www.leangains.com/">Martin Berkhan</a>, this day consists of a gigantic and very satisfying <b>~2800-calorie meal</b> eaten in the PM and consisting of whatever I want that day. <b>The "goal"</b> of this day is to <b>restore leptin, serotonin, and dopamine and the sensitivity of their receptors.</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reasons behind the diet</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>1. PSMF: </b>Studies have shown protein to have the greatest satiating effect of all macronutrients. However, similar to the relationship between <b>carb consumption and serotonin synthesis</b>, the hunger-curbing properties of protein are most effective when it's eaten <b>in isolation</b>. That has been the experience of myself and a few others, at least.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Under normal conditions, 1200 calories a day doesn't make for a very fulfilling diet. However, eating over 200 grams of protein in one sitting removes any desire I have to eat anything else for the day. Additionally, as advised by Martin, nothing is done to make the chicken or shrimp palatable. Both are boiled dry and no condiments are added. This is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of the mini-refeed.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <b>purpose of the PSMF is twofold. First, due to the absence of carbs and the fact that I prefer training on this day, the PSMF serves as a caloric sink that improves partitioning during the mini-refeed that follows. Second, and more importantly, it's meant to enhance the hedonic quality of the refeed.</b> This is important; if the refeed doesn't hit that <b>"hedonic threshold"</b> (the level of which depends on the person), then in that person's eyes, it isn't worth subjecting himself to the PSMF day. This also explains why the target calories for the PSMF are so low; it allows for a larger feast the following day. And for me, anticipation of a rewarding refeed makes the PSMF day bearable, and overall adherence to the diet is more likely.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFnxlIRtEAT7FvsfNWhjgZPJOPSQCR8N3uLDbj4wC6lLJ-bmu9rVcsnV5nmE7LjWxLK_u51ERZL0D4Ry-3rPCfXEI95ANT2TLAaTN9lrbscXajXzyZcIobeMfzyixUCWNKhyphenhyphenUN6OitA/s1600/hedonic5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFnxlIRtEAT7FvsfNWhjgZPJOPSQCR8N3uLDbj4wC6lLJ-bmu9rVcsnV5nmE7LjWxLK_u51ERZL0D4Ry-3rPCfXEI95ANT2TLAaTN9lrbscXajXzyZcIobeMfzyixUCWNKhyphenhyphenUN6OitA/s320/hedonic5.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of my refeed foods.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>2.</b> <b>Mini-refeed:</b> Despite the nominal goal of this day being the restoration of hormone levels to normal, the <b>real purpose</b> of the refeed is to make it so that the <b>diet feels like less of a diet.</b> Most diets are devoid of the hedonistic aspect of eating. On these days, I'm practically eating at above-maintenance levels while still losing fat in the overall picture (that's what the PSMF days are in place for). In addition, by frequently refeeding, I'm somewhat avoiding the natural deterioration in mood, metabolism, and hormone levels that a stringent PSMF would normally cause. That definitely beats going day to day on a measly 1800 calories.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">If we examine the day-to-day goals of this diet, we see that the goals aren't always to <b>"achieve the day's deficit to burn fat"</b>. That's not what I'm telling myself, at least. It gives me a mental break and allows me to reward myself very frequently. And that's the winning ticket if I want to guarantee adherence.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lastly, notice that when averaging the 2 days, my daily intake would amount to 2000 calories a day. Not that extreme of a diet when you take a step back.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other ways I've maintained adherence</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>1.</b> <b>I don't step onto the scale.</b> It messes with my head too much, and I forget that the mirror is a better means of physique assessment. Even then, I try not to look into the mirror too often. I remain steadfast in my belief that on my PSMF days, I'm losing fat. However, the water weight caused by the mini-refeeds will mask it.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>2. I</b><b> use someone as a frame of reference. </b>Pick someone you don't see too frequently, yet whom you can rely on to see around roughly the same time of year. A cousin at your annual Christmas gathering, for example, who happens to be quite receptive to the changes in others and is vocal about it. This person can act as a more <b>objective means of feedback</b> (more objective than your own eyes, at least) on how much progress you've made since the last time you saw each other. This is similar to Martin's technique of using <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-look-awesome-every-day.html">checkpoints</a> throughout the year to assess his physique progress.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>3. I avoid proximity bias.</b> In a roundtable interview <a href="http://jcdfitness.com/">JC Deen</a> conducted with several respected names in the fitness industry, John Romaniello, one of the interviewees, explained a phenomenon called <b>proximity bias</b>, where we dismiss the advice of family and close friends because we've known them so intimately that we can't see them as a legitimate authority on anything but maybe parenting. The bias applies to the self as well. I can dispense advice to clients about how to lose weight, but I don't always adhere to those same guidelines when trying to lose weight myself. What I've just described is known as the <b>coaching paradox</b>. A creative way in which Martin has dealt with the problem is to <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2011/02/how-to-walk-talk-and-unlock-your-true.html">treat himself as a client</a> and write up a diet/training template for himself.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>4. I don't think about the marshmallow (for 24 hours, at least).</b> In his article "How To Walk The Talk and Unlock Your True Potential", Martin discussed the <b>addictive personality type</b>. A person with this trait will lock onto a thing or hobby and becomes obsessed with it. The behavior has to do with dopamine and the brain's reward system. What Martin suggests is not to try and abolish it; this entails defying human physiology, and that's something that normally can't be done without drugs. Instead, people displaying addictive behavior should channel it into another hobby in order to avoid short-circuiting their efforts in the former. Martin's example of this was playing <a href="http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/">Starcraft 2</a>.<b> </b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-DaemPUWKNE8tag8rh5uh313zSasBm-p8VUC8piIqjKlXbB6YKKB6WubDbnFZmFvyZrbHDH0hJpMysBQMV97QRzvw2WjjdbgxRKgkV1qPeIigxK7XuZ0UzNZ2Cl1b2licRcAazU6mA/s1600/hedonic6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-DaemPUWKNE8tag8rh5uh313zSasBm-p8VUC8piIqjKlXbB6YKKB6WubDbnFZmFvyZrbHDH0hJpMysBQMV97QRzvw2WjjdbgxRKgkV1qPeIigxK7XuZ0UzNZ2Cl1b2licRcAazU6mA/s320/hedonic6.PNG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intermittent smoking/starcrafting, anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">While it isn't universal, many gamers lose weight because they forget to eat. Their hunger signal may, to some degree, be appeased by the <b>dopamine kick</b> they get out of the <b>game</b>. In a similar vein, some habitual smokers get the kick they'd normally get from eating by smoking a cigarette instead. Some dieters will do this - turn to smoking - because <b>nicotine increases dopamine.</b> Thus, smoking is a rewarding, reinforced behavior. On the flip side, people trying to quit smoking will eat more and gain weight. In either case, the person is replacing one activity with another to instinctively compensate. On a related note, depressed people <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9459071">who turn to smoking</a> may unknowingly be trying to get out of their rut. There are other, healthier alternatives to that, of course.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A case study: me</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Currently, I'm in my <b>7th day</b> on this diet. No problems with adherence yet, which is more than I can ever say about most diets I've tried. My progress is below.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 1</b> (PSMF): 1200 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>fat loss, increase lifts in the gym</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 2</b> (mini-refeed): 2950 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>hormone restoration</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 3</b> (PSMF): 1205 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved:<b> fat loss</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 4</b> (mini-refeed): 2870 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>hormone restoration</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 5</b> (PSMF): 1230 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>fat loss, increase lifts in the gym</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 6</b> (mini-refeed): 2890 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>hormone restoration</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Day 7</b> (PSMF): 1200 calories</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goal achieved: <b>fat loss</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Throwing supplements into the mix (optional)</b></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi751LqLwbPrjmq3vNQpTurVj_DqKDk8AxFmr2Apm_A5QtvzECU3tBb8IZs5OiRmLD4Gd1npCefwcBonadsVn2fkcSzhZqxTKEdCkx20pRktjmCNmnX81N9aFT5ZZ08PSW-chNwWA7f1g/s1600/hedonic4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi751LqLwbPrjmq3vNQpTurVj_DqKDk8AxFmr2Apm_A5QtvzECU3tBb8IZs5OiRmLD4Gd1npCefwcBonadsVn2fkcSzhZqxTKEdCkx20pRktjmCNmnX81N9aFT5ZZ08PSW-chNwWA7f1g/s320/hedonic4.PNG" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cup of sunshine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">There's a few pharmaceutical options we have that can help things along. For appetite control and a slight increase in fat burning during the fast, <b>caffeine</b> can be pulsed. Alternatives include coffee and green tea.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">For those who have access to it, <b>bromocriptine </b>can work wonders on satiety as it acts as an <b>exogenous substitute for leptin</b>. Generic <b>bromocriptine mesylate</b> will do. If taken on the PSMF day, it should evoke a general desire to stay away from food after having the meal. If taken during the mini-refeed, it will make the refeed that much more <b><i>filling</i></b>, a characteristic every good refeed should have. No recommendations regarding bromocriptine dosing will be included here. For that, purchase Lyle McDonald's <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/bromocriptine">book</a> by the same name. Though it was originally used in the clinical setting to treat people with <b>Parkinson's</b> and <b>acromegaly</b>, 2 years ago the FDA approved it for use in the treatment of <b>Type-2 diabetics.</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Closing</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Currently, my dieting experience is more <b>goal-oriented</b> than it is <b>process-oriented</b>. Although being the latter is arguably more important, having been goal-oriented this whole time (as a result of my difficulties with adherence) has forced me to continue experimenting with new ways of dieting. Some techniques work, and some don't. I take the ones that do work and throw them into my goody bag. Later, when I finally reach my overriding goal, I can transition into a more lifestyle-friendly diet and be more <b>process-oriented</b>. The word itself entails a continual process of self-improvement. As one wisely put it, when one is process-oriented, the <a href="http://www.gnorb.net/808/goal-oriented-or-process-oriented">goal merely becomes an eventuality</a>, an event bound to happen as long as the process is consistently undertaken. The upside is that when I reach this point, I won't be so fixated on body fat.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">My diet is a step in the right direction toward being process-oriented. For now, it serves as a proactive measure against failure.</div><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-77015798029271098122011-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:03:40.037-07:00Life for the Next Eight Hundred Days, in Three States<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6CfIPgSrsd1zcSb9M-Qpu2FheStTmhcJSFShQw3wWiXuefm9hK8OFyM8alHrhklzikAlSElBAwKbGpvtPWrfuyNH3QqBROnKZ1uGy3ugjmxPN6sOO51VmWgBn5Rl7biwoZLfT3BOpg/s1600/life.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6CfIPgSrsd1zcSb9M-Qpu2FheStTmhcJSFShQw3wWiXuefm9hK8OFyM8alHrhklzikAlSElBAwKbGpvtPWrfuyNH3QqBROnKZ1uGy3ugjmxPN6sOO51VmWgBn5Rl7biwoZLfT3BOpg/s400/life.PNG" width="283" /></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I talked with a PFC who also classed as a 35P linguist and contracted for an AD term of 6 yrs. PFC Lopes is currently in her 13th week of intensive language training at the DLI (learning Croatian) and has 9 months to go before heading to Goodfellow AFB, Texas, for AIT. She broke it down for me like this:</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><b>10</b> weeks of basic, Ft. Jackson, SC.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Depending on language assigned, up to <b>18</b> months at the DLIFLC in the Presidio of Monterey, a military installation in Monterey, CA.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Depending on language, up to <b>15</b> weeks of AIT at Goodfellow AFB, Texas.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">With an 8-year MSO (military service obligation), of which 6 are AD, we'll both be spending almost half of our AD service going through training.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Then, depending on the units we're attached to, we may or may not deploy.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyLk_ZM5j6ed821AGAfI-vu9SACHimMCvsof7ulycQBTcThyphenhyphenq8iGU-f7frUsjp1bQ4GIdmu3ezGoX3eeDw_rRGRtgL3-oPi0bmFlOzUh4B7nJVGvIzzljA3ROETbPOhTD97yF5x8xVw/s1600/life2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyLk_ZM5j6ed821AGAfI-vu9SACHimMCvsof7ulycQBTcThyphenhyphenq8iGU-f7frUsjp1bQ4GIdmu3ezGoX3eeDw_rRGRtgL3-oPi0bmFlOzUh4B7nJVGvIzzljA3ROETbPOhTD97yF5x8xVw/s320/life2.PNG" width="255" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">While at basic, recruits undergo Phases 1-3. At the DLI, which is run by the DoD, they are assigned to Bravo Company and proceed into Phases 4 and 5. <b>Phase 4</b> is considered somewhat of a lockdown, to put it simply. Not as strict as basic, but some restrictions do exist. Drill sergeants are present here just like in basic.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">During Phase 4, a typical day at the DLI starts at <b>0530</b>. Reveille is at 0700, and formation at 0710. Classes run from 0800 until 1530. PT begins at 1600 until 1700. Mandatory study hours are from 1900 until 2100. Bed check formation is at 2145 and curfew at 2200. For the most part, this is how most days are. Morning formation, class for 8 hours, PT, study hours.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Phase 4 lasts 2-3 weeks. <b>Phase 5</b> loosens up on the restrictions, and Soldiers may finally leave base, drink if they are of age, and bring up their vehicles.<br />
<br />
According to PFC Lopes, the pace at the DLI is fast the entire time as instructors are required to get all prospective linguists to become proficient in their language (and only have between 6-18 months to do it). But if you really want it, you'll get it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">-SPC Bernardino </div></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-30225359567956895612011-09-12T11:43:00.000-07:002011-09-12T11:43:08.774-07:00Future Soldier Asset Inventory, FSAI<div style="text-align: justify;">Pre-ship check-in over the phone with a recruiter. It's called the FSAI, or Future Soldier Asset (or Assessment?) Inventory. Just a checklist to see that all is squared away.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Current height and weight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ship date.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recruiter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">High school/college diploma.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Driver's license.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Direct deposit set up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any issues with my contract.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any issues my family has with my enlistment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any new medications.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any run-ins with law enforcement, to include traffic violations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any issues at all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">None!</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-13268501626814843062011-09-11T23:08:00.000-07:002011-09-11T23:08:01.918-07:00Never Forget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUeLZC9cnpJlOQ7dZmG6NVrUC59Thj83g1ZvFqNluNVHEsL00cgHhwAT4pP5Vf3T4qSe2t1kRtC4qaSanrnOUIUs7-3wTlzx42SVNmeAXkWCm8AsEKRftJeHspq_cLQyEb3YwvgONcA/s1600/neverforget.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUeLZC9cnpJlOQ7dZmG6NVrUC59Thj83g1ZvFqNluNVHEsL00cgHhwAT4pP5Vf3T4qSe2t1kRtC4qaSanrnOUIUs7-3wTlzx42SVNmeAXkWCm8AsEKRftJeHspq_cLQyEb3YwvgONcA/s400/neverforget.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-55501283105296258592011-09-03T13:23:00.000-07:002011-09-03T13:23:08.441-07:00Show Me the Man You Honor, and I Will Know What Kind<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLaw9cXpl9tqLio8-0Su4I-9PEe0KVVNZulZqX1xfXyLQPX9tUTIT9dIynnyFubNMBAMnY_BwyMKwf0DMFNaTEXj9OT90nKybGl1Z7dzpJG5m35ETfo9qEEDJOH7wxI6Zxrq0EY3jwg/s1600/CPLTillman.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLaw9cXpl9tqLio8-0Su4I-9PEe0KVVNZulZqX1xfXyLQPX9tUTIT9dIynnyFubNMBAMnY_BwyMKwf0DMFNaTEXj9OT90nKybGl1Z7dzpJG5m35ETfo9qEEDJOH7wxI6Zxrq0EY3jwg/s320/CPLTillman.PNG" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"...of man you are, for it shows me<br />
what your ideal of manhood is<br />
and what kind of man you long to be."</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span id="goog_1749503121"></span><span id="goog_1749503122"></span>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-44000459161280839592011-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:002011-08-29T21:41:38.073-07:00One Month to Ship to Fort Jackson, New APRT and ACRT<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Soldier Leader of the Cycle</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9YDLITYKfTAQJEwPj8wBOikmnd3_dXRyNIKzWyzarjeVm_pOtu0ixfv5qfYRYeBfBF_syK-EFs5mOYi5S__4GaxFPw9aKcwxrQNcz54c5EnG0pCaiYDHgo3A1rrUq3y4c5QjjDIJvQ/s1600/army17.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9YDLITYKfTAQJEwPj8wBOikmnd3_dXRyNIKzWyzarjeVm_pOtu0ixfv5qfYRYeBfBF_syK-EFs5mOYi5S__4GaxFPw9aKcwxrQNcz54c5EnG0pCaiYDHgo3A1rrUq3y4c5QjjDIJvQ/s400/army17.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ship Date: </b>11 Oct. </div></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">So stoked and ready to leave. Current weight 165 lbs. Will be 155 pre-ship. Transferred from the recruiting station in Northern California to one close to home. PT sessions at 0600 Mon through Thurs.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Earlier this year, TRADOC (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command) began pilot testing of the new APRT (Army Physical Readiness Test) and ACRT (Army Combat Readiness Test), which will replace the old APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test).</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">5 events comprise the APRT, in this order (no standards for each event have been set yet):</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Shuttle run</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Rower, 1 min</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Long jump</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Push-ups, 1 min</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">1.5-mile run<br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpJ-inBKw_lMN_iw1JgGpJm92OlqQw3RCmXZei4j0p3ls6CCrnDDiu640_55h-Z8d_6v1Cto_v-rv6E3YtyN9RpPy3qVFXBc4Jxcd1IBq7nAYHuktfCAqtRzIyOpd29eIiB9O-UmbZA/s1600/army16.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpJ-inBKw_lMN_iw1JgGpJm92OlqQw3RCmXZei4j0p3ls6CCrnDDiu640_55h-Z8d_6v1Cto_v-rv6E3YtyN9RpPy3qVFXBc4Jxcd1IBq7nAYHuktfCAqtRzIyOpd29eIiB9O-UmbZA/s400/army16.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">My goals at BCT (Basic Combat Training) graduation:</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Top PT score</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Soldier Leader of the Cycle</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Expert Marksman</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">1 month to prepare.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">-SPC Bernardino</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-15590926769279253532011-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:002011-07-30T22:25:53.913-07:00A Tale of a 19D Cav Scout in the Army Reserve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn8bMhedoxcVoSOxotrj7S32wob8QZy5J4FknG7u-ibPdD37yEojinjF_JDrIQSiJ_ACwN_GQit19IBsmm9BbgJO2w12oencqK8yFyTML0am8vJZrYPAiggdG13XEztP9iP8PvWEBlQ/s1600/pj1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn8bMhedoxcVoSOxotrj7S32wob8QZy5J4FknG7u-ibPdD37yEojinjF_JDrIQSiJ_ACwN_GQit19IBsmm9BbgJO2w12oencqK8yFyTML0am8vJZrYPAiggdG13XEztP9iP8PvWEBlQ/s320/pj1.PNG" width="290" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Story Like Mine</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A few months ago, I learned about the plight of a man in his 20s who wished to join the Army Reserve. His story began in a manner that was, in some ways, similar to my own. Let's call him John.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The obstacle that stood in the way of John's dream was the same one I faced almost a year ago. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It really doesn't need to be said that case studies aren't much for compelling evidence - on any issue - but John's story does reassure us of the soul's indomitable will to endure.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>...</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqATOBh_dpL5mL3a2dC4inP40kN5-C9yAabVW8SBYqP2ss6qvjIlcQoiKSAz5vIoal2AFjvG6TYv55mGubCBWzxmLwqBq3ONUSvBr0z6RzPRhx3yzqqpf2FuHIFS16qdM4NE6dY_gwQ/s1600/background2a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqATOBh_dpL5mL3a2dC4inP40kN5-C9yAabVW8SBYqP2ss6qvjIlcQoiKSAz5vIoal2AFjvG6TYv55mGubCBWzxmLwqBq3ONUSvBr0z6RzPRhx3yzqqpf2FuHIFS16qdM4NE6dY_gwQ/s320/background2a.PNG" width="277" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Pasts That Haunt Us</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was a junior in high school, 17 years old, when I was taken to the emergency room for a shoulder dislocation that never bothered me again. I never gave it much thought either - until this past September, for the same reasons it returned to John's attention.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When he was 17 years old, John paid a visit to the ER for a gunshot injury to his leg that never bothered him again - until his decision to enlist in the Reserve.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To realize his ambition, however, would require that John receive the thumbs up from the people holding the keys: <i><b>MEPS, "Freedom's Front Door"</b></i>. For many young men and women, the process is timely and pleasant. But for many others, including John, it becomes an emotional trying time keeping them from their dreams.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01cdAUyhDJZKuf8iWR0RbAm8UnbvwEbh4ucQ36GdJ2iYN3xkuLtIQ-G3kb9FFnLBd3kCYRyax2Yh3A_IC1xa1SMLb6g-opO2P0ppYQJwGORDnkxXfgldtFaBF_ISwA2WneDKQujrp7g/s1600/pj2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01cdAUyhDJZKuf8iWR0RbAm8UnbvwEbh4ucQ36GdJ2iYN3xkuLtIQ-G3kb9FFnLBd3kCYRyax2Yh3A_IC1xa1SMLb6g-opO2P0ppYQJwGORDnkxXfgldtFaBF_ISwA2WneDKQujrp7g/s320/pj2.PNG" width="283" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Trial by Time </span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In July of 2009, John stepped into a recruiting station and began the process of enlistment into the United States Army Reserve. Part of the required paperwork was a complete disclosed history of all past medical conditions with documentation. That included a copy of the medical report detailing his stay at the ER.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A review by the physicians at MEPS led to a decision to <b>"defer"</b> John's qualification screening - and subsequently his chance to swear into the United States military.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">7 months later, in early February, MEPS deferred John a <b>second time</b> for legibility issues with his medical report.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After resolving that hiccup, John was booked for his MEPS trip, only to be deferred a <b>third time</b> pending an orthopedic consult.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>...</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>After listening to John's story up to this point, it would be understandable for any Soldier Hopeful to grow disheartened; I certainly was.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Eventually, John stopped updating his peers about his predicament, and I was unable to gain any insight into his ultimate fate.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Did he ever go to MEPS?</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Is John a Soldier now?</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>...</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beast of Burden</span></span></div><i>Equus africanus asinus</i> is the scientific name for the domesticated donkey, an animal regarded by popular opinion to be stubborn and stupid. It has been a relatively devalued animal in mainstream culture until recently.<br />
<br />
But what the uninformed may not know, besides its role as a proficient pack animal capable of carrying heavy loads, is that the donkey has historically served as a reliable alternative to the dog as a guard animal, protecting droves of sheep from predators at home.<br />
<br />
The American Robert Green, a miniature donkey importer, once said of donkeys:<br />
<i>"Miniature donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a mule, the courage of a tiger, and the intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's."</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>...</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjQX_BrSlgZQ9rvztW0TzhOJ0zsg7OcyYFVveIPcq71Yvcw3qgoEAP4mTWAHIjtB9lP1nnu5pEZ8t_vTwCMVr0PWhJLesDPP5NWa8anPaJ7oE0YYM1XYexTELzEnF-6m4xqhzzTce5g/s1600/pj3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjQX_BrSlgZQ9rvztW0TzhOJ0zsg7OcyYFVveIPcq71Yvcw3qgoEAP4mTWAHIjtB9lP1nnu5pEZ8t_vTwCMVr0PWhJLesDPP5NWa8anPaJ7oE0YYM1XYexTELzEnF-6m4xqhzzTce5g/s320/pj3.PNG" width="289" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Finding a Way</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After 5 days with no word, John broke the news.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On <b>18 Feb. 2010</b>, John swore into the Army Reserve as a 19 Delta, Cavalry Scout. He would ship to Ft. Benning for one-station unit training (OSUT) on 04 Nov. 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">John only lingered around another day before leaving once again without a trace.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyone who has made it to this point in the enlistment process knows that there still lies the possibility of being prematurely discharged. In fact, my roommate with whom I was assigned during my brief MEPS visit had been <a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2011/05/shotgun-foray-to-radisson-hotel-morning.html">discharged</a> from the Navy before he even had a chance to ship to Illinois for recruit training.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Knowing this, I wanted to know for certain that John had indeed shipped and long ago become a Soldier serving his country. Keep in mind that John had documented his struggle a year ago. There was no update of his status following the date of his expected completion of infantry training.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>...</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGrxhicX7Bx6AYDPmQRwxD-OwpZ7c_pjOE0Gz23GkGzYmvVCniP0JrpI3hAq5kOgkhtoRlF09n_ze62Ufa73msBqKWpYWUb-dV4a2WDKh6r42_Jcwhdwz_xplGPBbhKnXDqAWgz20wg/s1600/pj4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGrxhicX7Bx6AYDPmQRwxD-OwpZ7c_pjOE0Gz23GkGzYmvVCniP0JrpI3hAq5kOgkhtoRlF09n_ze62Ufa73msBqKWpYWUb-dV4a2WDKh6r42_Jcwhdwz_xplGPBbhKnXDqAWgz20wg/s320/pj4.PNG" width="283" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Coincidence</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This past Memorial Day, I was doing some breadcrumb navigation on an Internet forum to brush up on my nutrition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">By chance, I found an old thread I had posted in where I happened upon a user with an alias identical to the one John had used years ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of note was a glaring gap in this user's activity, beginning in late February of last year and lasting until the middle of March - a time period in which this individual could conceivably have spent time preparing himself during his DEP period, shipped to and graduated OSUT, and been assigned to his first duty station.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The user had enlisted a year ago as a Cav Scout in the Army Reserve.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>...</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">In the 1997 film <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/gattaca/">Gattaca</a>, 2 brothers, Vincent and Anton, decide to play a game of <i>chicken</i>: the goal is to swim out as far into the sea as possible and hope that the other turns back to shore first, thus admitting defeat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anton, the younger of the brothers, has been deemed genetically superior to his older sibling. Vincent, on the other hand, has a low life expectancy and a heart defect. Playing the game as children always yielded the same outcome: Anton would predictably win.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But strangely, Anton begins to find that he can no longer beat his brother at <i>chicken</i>. One of the final snapshots of their childhood reveals that it is Vincent who swims a drowning Anton back to shore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Toward the end of the movie, when the brothers have grown older - and Vincent has clearly lived beyond his calculated life expectancy and defied the constraints of his heart deformity - they decide to play <i>chicken</i> one last time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">During a brief pause in the race, Anton calls out to Vincent, who is ahead.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Vincent- how are you doing this, Vincent? How've you done any of this? We have to go back."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"No, it's too late for that. We're closer to the other side."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What other side? You wanna drown us both?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back."<i><br />
</i></div></div></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-7665525347341314182011-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:002011-06-28T10:24:44.399-07:00The Defense Language Aptitude Battery, or DLAB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0xO0O6xBNlZ2rBMXTRiqu_0jkILNrJkIknCBLeYZUu4o5zQq9Mp7_UL2L27Q-IGfww4RRX6opy93SiQNMcbIanpey03q6gqQX5Ff_CF-wEjtgcvkZWcF0b8QCJ8gRXmsGjM1gGEDww/s1600/techschool2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0xO0O6xBNlZ2rBMXTRiqu_0jkILNrJkIknCBLeYZUu4o5zQq9Mp7_UL2L27Q-IGfww4RRX6opy93SiQNMcbIanpey03q6gqQX5Ff_CF-wEjtgcvkZWcF0b8QCJ8gRXmsGjM1gGEDww/s1600/techschool2.PNG" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Test Results</b></span><br />
After another long night at the hotel and an early drive to MEPS, I took the DLAB, a 1.5-hour long test of gibberish and pictures, at 0730. The DLAB assesses a prospective linguist's potential to learn a foreign language.<br />
<br />
The best score on the DLAB is a 176. There are 4 language categories one may qualify for (required scores in parentheses):<br />
<br />
Cat. I (95): French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish<br />
Cat. II (100): German<br />
Cat. III (105): Dari, Hebrew, Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek<br />
Cat. IV (110): Arabic, Pashto, Chinese, Japanese, Korean<br />
<br />
I scored a 146, qualifying me for a Cat. IV language. Although I would love to learn Korean or Japanese, ultimately it is the Army that will decide which language I am assigned to learn for one year during my advanced individual training (AIT) at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA.<br />
<br />
Today was my second-to-last visit to MEPS. The final trip will be before I head to the airport to report to basic training.Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-91263045337702731182011-06-24T00:52:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:14:32.404-07:00Becoming a Future Soldier in the United States Army<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>1. ASVAB</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>2. MEPS approval of prescreen</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>3. Physical examination at MEPS Medical</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>4. Job selection</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>5. Pre-enlistment interview</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>6. Swear-in</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>7. Begin DEP</strike></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">8. DLAB</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">9. End DEP, ship to boot camp </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">*** </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hurry Up and Wait</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The doctors at the Military Entrance Processing Station use a serial profiling system known as the PULHES factor to evaluate an applicant's readiness for the military. Respectively, the criteria are <b>p</b>hysical stamina, the <b>u</b>pper extremities, the <b>l</b>ower extremities, <b>h</b>earing, <b>e</b>yesight, and p<b>s</b>ychiatric. The scores range from a 1 to a 5, with 1 being the best possible outcome. Last week, on 15 Jun., I had my first experience with the doctors at MEPS Medical.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">For us applicants, the day began with a wake-up call at 0330. Breakfast was served at 0400, and the bus left for MEPS at 0445. Females checked in first. After checking in at the liaison office, we were sent to Medical down the hall and waited outside until the door opened at 0530. There, we underwent the first of a series of interesting tests. And lucky for us, we were only <b>37</b> in total, so the day would go by relatively quicker than most.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hearing</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We entered a booth and sat on stools facing the wall. The man running the test had us put on headphones and instructed us to press a button clicker each time we heard a sound. The sounds were faint and of varying frequencies.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Eyesight</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We were pushed into another room and tested for color vision (being able to read a colored number inside of a bubble of a different color) and visual acuity. The latter portion of testing was difficult for me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Physical</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">From there, everyone was directed to a briefing room and, one by one, was tested for blood pressure, pulse, and alcohol intoxication through a breathalyzer. Urinalysis followed (for marijuana detection) before we had our blood drawn for blood-borne disease. Finally, our heights and weights were taken.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Upper and Lower</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">After arguably the longest wait in the whole day, the males began testing in the male ortho room. Everyone was instructed to strip down to their skivvies and enjoyed a personal, behind-closed-doors consultation with the doctor. And I won't say any more about that. Afterward, the chief medical officer (CMO) emerged from his room and had us perform several movements testing the mobility, range of motion, and integrity of our limbs and joints.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Talk with the Doctor</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was in the room with the doctor when he was writing down comments on my overall PULHES profile. He is a very amiable man with a great sense of humor and who, like all good doctors, did not make me feel uncomfortable. Overall, I felt the testing had gone well, with a few obvious setbacks- namely, my eyes and shoulder. I was curious to know my PULHES scores for those two areas. And while I was confident that I had made it, I just had to reaffirm my feelings and asked the doctor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Are my U and E scores a 2?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doctor Oswin turned to me. "They are a 3. That is disqualifying."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was not making eye contact with him. I was giving myself time for the reality of my situation to sink in when he asked me to look up at him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"So you're disqualified. Tough."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was trying to smile but could not.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And after a long pause, he spoke again: "And not so tough."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doctor Oswin picked up a stamp with the words "Waiver Recommended" on it and asked me, "How would you like me stamping this onto your paper?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I would love that, Sir."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Waiver Recommended"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"This candidate is a vigorous, well-muscled, personable, intelligent young man with the right 'stuff' for the military. Waiver recommended."</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">That was Doctor Oswin's comment on his overall assessment of my qualifications for service. I'd forgotten the great compassion that doctors are capable of. His recommendation for a waiver spurred me on with new hope.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Thank you very much, Doctor. I hope you have a good day."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I am, and you're part of it."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was taken to the CMO's room, where he signed off on my papers.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Do you know what my chances might be of my waiver getting approved?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I'd say 75, 80 percent."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">With that, I was sent back to the medical control desk, then to the front control desk, and then back to the liaison office where the service liaison told me that he would send my waiver request electronically up to USAREC (U.S. Army Recruiting Command) at Fort Knox for approval.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Monday</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This past Monday, 20 Jun., I received a phone call at 1317 from my recruiter.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Guess what? Your waiver has been approved."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the recruiting station, SGT showed me the email.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"WF Result:Approve</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Comment:Waiver is approved.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The enclosed request for medical waiver has been reviewed and is <b>approved</b>."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">My PULHES profile was changed from 131131 to 111121. I was good to go.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday (Wednesday, 22 Jun.), I made another trip to MEPS to have my waiver signed at the CMO's office. Then, another walk back to the liaison office. I handed my packet to the liaison. He went through my papers and looked up at me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Son, what do you want to do in the Army?"</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The job that I wanted, 35 Papa, Cryptologic Linguist, was not, according to the liaison, available in the coming months, but he had me sit outside in the waiting room and told me he would see what he could do.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Job Selection</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">2 movies later (Black Hawk Down and Gladiator), I was called back into the office to sit with a different liaison. He had managed to reserve 35 Papa for me and walked me through the job selection process.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was decided. I would contract with the rank of <b>E-4 (Specialist, SPC) as a 35 Papa for an enlistment term of 8 years and a signing bonus of $17,000 pending an FBI background investigation and DLAB test results. My ship date is 11 Oct. 2011.</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Swearing In </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">By this time, 3 of us had completed our job selections and were taken to the briefing room, which was adjacent to the ceremony room. We were taught parade rest and attention and how the oath of enlistment ceremony would go.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Captain Kirk entered and took us into the ceremony room.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"At this time, is anyone feeling any reluctance about serving in the United States Armed Forces?" he asked.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">No one answered; silence means "yes". With that, he asked us to repeat after him the oath of enlistment.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I, Martin Bernardino, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On 22 Jun. 2011, at 1455, I swore into the U.S. Army. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">***</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Present</span><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">After starting this whole process 9 months ago, I have officially survived MEPS (which was a pleasant experience, for me at least) and depped into the U.S. Army. For the next few months, I will be attending PT sessions and briefings at the recruiting station to prepare me for basic at Fort Jackson.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">I will continue working until the end of August. I will spend all of September at home with family and friends before leaving this October. It's been a long time coming, but I am officially a proud member of the United States Army.</span><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-34891247835786233862011-05-30T13:53:00.000-07:002011-05-30T13:55:45.207-07:00Memorial Day and National Moment of Remembrance at 3 PM<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1MU5VOnRm6oEXGQS3NO6MZIjfWQ_9XyKpXaiJoTj0qQlAqOvxd0AntndFV8PUX1yV-Go7fd-5AiBXnFygMrvRc8bm3RKLb320EXZcbfkOxkJ0aLa_9pA47eYHwz87Rb0XQe_Qrd2xg/s1600/memorialday.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1MU5VOnRm6oEXGQS3NO6MZIjfWQ_9XyKpXaiJoTj0qQlAqOvxd0AntndFV8PUX1yV-Go7fd-5AiBXnFygMrvRc8bm3RKLb320EXZcbfkOxkJ0aLa_9pA47eYHwz87Rb0XQe_Qrd2xg/s320/memorialday.PNG" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Arlington National Cemetery</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Rest for Our Soldiers</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Originally called "Decoration Day" to honor fallen Union soldiers following the American Civil War (1861-1865)</span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">, Memorial Day marked a more general remembrance of all fallen U.S. servicemen following World War I.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">On December 2000, Congress and then-President William J. Clinton enacted S. 3181, the "National Moment of Remembrance Act" (Public Law 106-579), which asks that on this day, Americans everywhere pause for 1 minute of silence, beginning at 3 PM local time, to quietly honor those American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">For many families today who have lost <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/122798644.html?skipthumb=Y">loved</a> ones <a href="http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/05/30/news/doc4de3ec903daf9996427804.txt">abroad</a>, the day <a href="http://www.ctpost.com/default/article/DeLuzio-family-faces-first-Memorial-Day-without-1396357.php">holds</a> even more <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8159750">meaning</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">For those who ask themselves what it means to be a patriot, they need look no further than stories like these.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">What will you be doing at 3 PM?</div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-38438038379698031672011-05-23T13:40:00.000-07:002011-05-23T13:40:57.620-07:00Partitioning and Drugs, Spices, Training, and Fish Oil<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Let the Chips Fall Where You Want</b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u9137DbLCkEa8aPIeLu4uhlL4qhzzQlqnICTgdQqG1umgyaxhko6GdNs6IJXmsiJL0RlvtSeUxmVaoarcpFrB-6HZCA05ZbELmRIfvKYvruJWUjiTxT3uCfmWOS-BctDo0SW59TqUw/s1600/cinnamon2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u9137DbLCkEa8aPIeLu4uhlL4qhzzQlqnICTgdQqG1umgyaxhko6GdNs6IJXmsiJL0RlvtSeUxmVaoarcpFrB-6HZCA05ZbELmRIfvKYvruJWUjiTxT3uCfmWOS-BctDo0SW59TqUw/s320/cinnamon2.PNG" width="307" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When people ask about gaining muscle or losing fat, the implicit questions being thrown out there are <b><i>"How do I make what I'm eating turn into muscle?"</i></b> and <i><b>"How do I preferentially pull from my fat stores?"</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These questions ultimately point to <i><b>nutrient partitioning</b></i>, an issue that understandably slips through the cracks. And that's okay because we can generally count on the laws of thermodynamics to strip our physique goals down to the bare-bones basics of eating more or less to bulk up or get shredded, respectively (with heavy training in either context, of course).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, we do have <i>some</i> pull in getting nutrients to go where we want them to, albeit marginally. Optimization of our food intake, within reason, is the name of the game. Now, it's time to sift through the sand and uncover the gems in partitioning.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKViu7pkELPvDQpiSYrBYS-FCdBdVDfjYLzLq1anOKJtrh3MZaEvN_naYSEmyzT0mPBwuzeXftaagokHmk1lgDoVjsUFf1qz0l9WcQbHXH2kVGodWxnW-3glpVvC8wLsZQZ_bOiL8RNQ/s1600/vinegar.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKViu7pkELPvDQpiSYrBYS-FCdBdVDfjYLzLq1anOKJtrh3MZaEvN_naYSEmyzT0mPBwuzeXftaagokHmk1lgDoVjsUFf1qz0l9WcQbHXH2kVGodWxnW-3glpVvC8wLsZQZ_bOiL8RNQ/s320/vinegar.PNG" width="272" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Glucose Disposal Agents</b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also known as insulin sensitizers or insulin mimetics (mimickers), these include <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15913551">alpha lipoic acid</a> (ALA), <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16761396">chromium</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15302613">vanadium</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18234131">cinnamon</a>, and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14694010">vinegar</a>.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, the good news is that whole-body insulin sensitivity is improved by the use of any one of the above, and that includes muscle cells. This helps muscle glycogen resynthesis following exercise. The problem: that includes fat cells as well. A contemporary (and bright) theorist once pointed out that the problem with <a href="http://www.silverhydra.com/2011/02/cinnamon-the-food-drug/">Ceylon cinnamon</a> is that it indiscriminately dumps glucose to whatever cells are willing to take it, but the same can be said for glucose disposal agents in general. In the end, it's a crapshoot, and they don't provide the control over nutrient diversion that we're after.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, when a study comes out that finds improved post-exercise glycogenesis using vinegar or, say, caffeine, we must ask if adipocytes are also enjoying the same benefit. By the way, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11989821">fat cells</a> have the same GLUT4 (glucose transporter type 4) receptor found on muscle cells that has been implicated as one of the mechanisms in improved insulin sensitivity. Use of these agents would be advantageous to Type 2 diabetics, who have abnormally high blood sugar and could benefit from improved glucose clearance regardless of the route.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Psychotropics and Nootropics</b></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMYfznbj76efXbD1mjNUqz31DNOpOsaG1CZeM6-LowpN62dAQsoSX6G3anLKwrAFhXvfs_ZqUKru5g9rFoAzo_flRsL4js5eUwqfW1whsm7GkYBMAsjLo0yhnr1CeL6KPO4E2rmtPNQ/s1600/coffee.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMYfznbj76efXbD1mjNUqz31DNOpOsaG1CZeM6-LowpN62dAQsoSX6G3anLKwrAFhXvfs_ZqUKru5g9rFoAzo_flRsL4js5eUwqfW1whsm7GkYBMAsjLo0yhnr1CeL6KPO4E2rmtPNQ/s320/coffee.PNG" width="294" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I mentioned caffeine just a while ago, and I'm sure you're wondering why I lumped it in with the insulin mimetics. And you'd be justified; under normal conditions, caffeine actually induces acute resistance to insulin. Not necessarily a bad thing for healthy people; high blood levels of free fatty acids (also called "non-esterified fatty acids", or NEFAs) lower the rate of amino acid oxidation (caffeine creates a protein-sparing environment).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To be thorough, researchers back in 2008 found that post-workout co-ingestion of caffeine with CHO <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18467543">amplified</a> glycogen resynthesis. However, a closer look at the study reveals that the dosing that the protocol called for (around 574 grams of caffeine) was grossly unrealistic. Not safe for application.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still, caffeine has other merits, and this is a good segue into the topic of lipolysis, respiratory quotient (RQ), and beta-oxidation.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC_c4_U_pVVX5VhU7dW_cvnqSEH1vLlzTT0ZIIRFA_x1fxw5QG0v2pte1bpkb_FOVIJ695UwRvKFxPTb-THLuLryAFP840b4Y38TJyD6FTlBB9m_Rz4lZtL-mIcAoJGA3J9l-5GGFgQ/s1600/mito.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC_c4_U_pVVX5VhU7dW_cvnqSEH1vLlzTT0ZIIRFA_x1fxw5QG0v2pte1bpkb_FOVIJ695UwRvKFxPTb-THLuLryAFP840b4Y38TJyD6FTlBB9m_Rz4lZtL-mIcAoJGA3J9l-5GGFgQ/s320/mito.PNG" width="299" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If we can't reliably partition nutrients into the desired tissue compartment, can we at least reliably influence what comes out? The answer to that question is yes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I once discussed the dual use of yohimbine and caffeine in an <a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2010/08/fourfold-problem-of-stubborn-fat.html">older post</a> that has grown quite popular to viewers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To summarize some of what I said in that post, Y and C make fat release, transport, and burning possible in that small segment of the population dealing with stubborn fat. Y, in particular, is profoundly anti-lipolytic and has implications in fat burning at rest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's because resting lipolysis is under the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2312732">control</a> of the alpha-adrenoceptors, and Y conveniently blocks one of them (the one most intimately linked to fat release).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxhd27MREWhWvjuNtWpF9DvoKoWVrXdGKOJ97Tn8GI5g93tHGQ94Hyln3520YZwCrTtuPB2TWbYuUWnjfNvqXjvDYyY-6oJ7X_Kst7E9IKz7FPBeJbCfK4_PLBvvWToCnYo-XGUTqmQ/s1600/espn.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxhd27MREWhWvjuNtWpF9DvoKoWVrXdGKOJ97Tn8GI5g93tHGQ94Hyln3520YZwCrTtuPB2TWbYuUWnjfNvqXjvDYyY-6oJ7X_Kst7E9IKz7FPBeJbCfK4_PLBvvWToCnYo-XGUTqmQ/s320/espn.PNG" width="286" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In fact, a study referenced in the clinical pharmacology section of the <i>Proceedings of the British Pharmacological Society </i>showed Y to enhance not only exercising, but also resting, lipolysis. In other words, it may even be useful to dose yohimbine at rest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's great news for couch potatoes watching their ESPN or surfing the Internet all day. And due to Y's mechanism of action, I'd expect any additional fat oxidation to be meaningful because the fat is actually reaching the mitochondria unimpeded (this has to do with a phenomenon known as fatty acid cycling, which I'll save for another post).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With that said, depletion training or restricting carbs (or both) would further improve fat oxidation by lowering one's RQ, which is influenced by muscle glycogen levels. That would conceivably magnify Y's effects.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08G5pYDkfb8fOj9OTyUBmXfZyLtrLUSzTP8wv9Oz5y1kQ18kdUMVy1FghdZS-8VYrzwyh3z9BOgPSWTJNI4Wh2Lf-LFO9e1wujjxo67-h6QuH5oxuei1qBQW5PXjcsyvaghljDHpCmA/s1600/fishoil.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08G5pYDkfb8fOj9OTyUBmXfZyLtrLUSzTP8wv9Oz5y1kQ18kdUMVy1FghdZS-8VYrzwyh3z9BOgPSWTJNI4Wh2Lf-LFO9e1wujjxo67-h6QuH5oxuei1qBQW5PXjcsyvaghljDHpCmA/s400/fishoil.PNG" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Find a brand with a good amount of EPA and DHA.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fish Oil</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While the acute benefits that fish oil supplementation was purported to have never panned out, a mere 3 weeks of supplementation did reduce <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12909818">cortisol</a> levels, which might minimally improve <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html">partitioning</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, it could be argued that fish oil supplementation would also blunt the perks that come with YC ingestion: heightened catecholamine levels and blood FFAs. Yohimbine also significantly <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3031717">increases</a> cortisol secretion, but its anti-lipolytic effects outweigh any negative impact it has on partitioning. Clearly, both sides must be weighed and a poison picked if one is to facilitate his or her physique goal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And by the same token, the myriad of health benefits conferred by fish oil, in addition to its newfound effects on increased <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21159787">protein synthesis</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21501117">sensitivity</a> to amino acids (Martin Berkhan recently expounded on these in exhausting <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2011/05/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-muscle-growth.html">detail</a>), makes it a legitimate tool in altering body composition.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>GLUT4 and the Controversy of Carb Cutoffs</b></i></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUu9P47Sc2gpUTXJYDZKCk3ax0A9Rw3-JuyBAud6bAwyE5I_xxwut9TnVB-besCLPG4nVfZhkhSeFNXpjN4OOIyK0KrY4R4_A6Ac4rQR0WgVGreErj9cKUB-7qmUpjLevhFMs4QRIGw/s1600/mochi2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUu9P47Sc2gpUTXJYDZKCk3ax0A9Rw3-JuyBAud6bAwyE5I_xxwut9TnVB-besCLPG4nVfZhkhSeFNXpjN4OOIyK0KrY4R4_A6Ac4rQR0WgVGreErj9cKUB-7qmUpjLevhFMs4QRIGw/s320/mochi2.PNG" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>How the last meal before a carb cutoff might look.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The idea of cutting out carbs from one's meals before it got too late in the evening gained quite some notoriety several years ago. I first heard about the practice from advocates of <a href="http://www.intensemuscle.com/forumdisplay.php?f=45">Doggcrapp</a>, or DC, Training. Because thermodynamics trump the "carb cutoff" rule, it just wasn't necessary to resort to macronutrient separation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if we are nitpicking, GLUT4 sensitivity is <a href="http://www.silverhydra.com/2011/02/cheat-mode-in-depth-carb-backloading/">higher</a> during the first half of the day than it is the latter half. Short-term fasting (assuming <i>no</i> stimulant use) increases this effect. Considering this, the body is technically less receptive to the downstream effects of insulin on GLUT4 translocation and subsequent glucose uptake as the day wears on.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But then we return to the crapshoot model of generalized insulin sensitivity, where fat cells are more likely to soak up the glucose as well. So, more likely than not, the timing and composition of meals (excluding a low carb diet's effect on lowered RQ) is a moot point.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWGjTukFTW9z2ohgIMsWW-fn9GFOxh0JkNt2fzWvVJY1NKgKhnHv9z-d1DJadaGIr_2hTrVvOk3AlGoUwEB5Gr7XXuLfFXVgvcKyN-JKaLFumpsF9YoBvg6HzOGd692AXz6x8XwI_xA/s1600/carbup2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWGjTukFTW9z2ohgIMsWW-fn9GFOxh0JkNt2fzWvVJY1NKgKhnHv9z-d1DJadaGIr_2hTrVvOk3AlGoUwEB5Gr7XXuLfFXVgvcKyN-JKaLFumpsF9YoBvg6HzOGd692AXz6x8XwI_xA/s320/carbup2.PNG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A food hedonist's carb-centric haven.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Refeeds</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The dietary practice with probably the most diverse range of partitioning effects is the carb-centric <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html">refeed</a>, which is leveraged extensively in Lyle's <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ultimate-diet-20">Ultimate Diet 2</a>. But it needs to be coupled with the right kind of training, which happens to be the key factor in getting the <i>right</i> kind of partitioning to happen, and without which the carb load would be fruitless.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/the-ketogenic-diet">The Ketogenic Diet</a>, Lyle used research to give a rough guideline of fat intake concurrent with the carb-up that likely wouldn't go toward storage, assuming full glycogen depletion. I will issue a similar recommendation: don't restrict, but don't go to excess. By the way, the nature of the fat being consumed affects the insulin response to a meal (unsaturated fats attenuate the response, but saturated fats amplify it).</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Concentric-centric Mindset</span></span></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt2hpciL3hkmcYcEae465KebTyOdPwQI4iensS0sfwRkMQWufrytgtHzp9R_OpbYa_IgkESmkgOr0J36QOGFXxiUsy97qViA10Fnbh91qKbEPh3_Li5bWJovb2c_2sTAVMCDwmGVLBw/s1600/ryan.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt2hpciL3hkmcYcEae465KebTyOdPwQI4iensS0sfwRkMQWufrytgtHzp9R_OpbYa_IgkESmkgOr0J36QOGFXxiUsy97qViA10Fnbh91qKbEPh3_Li5bWJovb2c_2sTAVMCDwmGVLBw/s320/ryan.PNG" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My childhood buddy Ryan at 16.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2394662">string</a> of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1844996">studies</a> in the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1601811">90s</a> revealed the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8514702">detrimental</a> impact of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7738859">eccentric</a> exercise on <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8775516">glycogen</a> resynthesis.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the other hand, it is the concentric portion of contraction that generates improved partitioning (the "metabolic stress" model of training). This is the reason that Bryan Haycock advocates "pulsing" in his novel <a href="http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html">HST</a> (Hypertrophy-Specific Training) protocol. Training is one of the few things that can preferentially improve GLUT4 translocation on muscle cells. That and the inhibitory effect of exercise on fat lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and acylation-stimulating protein (ASP) within the fat cell make for a hard case for improved nutrient uptake into the fat cell.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusions</span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end, only some of the above mentioned techniques aimed at improving nutrient partitioning are actually worth investing time, energy, and money in.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Training and refeeds are the winning ticket to diverting incoming calories away from adipocytes and shuttling them toward muscle cells instead. Their prudent application can be more readily appreciated for those bulking up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But fish oil and YC also carry great utility in the contexts of health and fat loss, respectively (also, fish oil, as Martin mentioned, has implications for sarcopenia in the elderly). They may not directly influence partitioning per se, but they are worthwhile toys that may be taken out of the box when the time calls for it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-20744320326400597872011-05-19T19:09:00.000-07:002011-05-22T02:11:50.649-07:00Shotgun Foray to Radisson Hotel, Morning Mishap at MEPS<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unexpected Call</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvL-gFQDOXjvduGteQy5g4Rxh4rDetjtc8I_YbSUu_m6fzece_se9OoMekIPrgx3rh0KSMZfgkwX7SAtD0dF_rgrGSSquOgiBhZoCRgQExp5u-vJX7dKuTwfhI1w3Yzuz3BGr3zSA3Q/s1600/meps.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvL-gFQDOXjvduGteQy5g4Rxh4rDetjtc8I_YbSUu_m6fzece_se9OoMekIPrgx3rh0KSMZfgkwX7SAtD0dF_rgrGSSquOgiBhZoCRgQExp5u-vJX7dKuTwfhI1w3Yzuz3BGr3zSA3Q/s320/meps.PNG" width="294" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speak of the devil. As I was finishing my last entry yesterday, I got a call to be at the station by 1330. Got ready in 15 minutes and zipped out of there. The shuttle (a van) was still picking up other Soldier Hopefuls along the way. I boarded the van, and off we went to our destination.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was 6 of us guys. I still remember their names*: Julian, Matt, Ichabod, Icarus, and Iago. Julian, who sat next to me, was going in as an <a href="http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/legal-and-law-enforcement/military-police.html">MP</a> (military police), Matt and Ichabod as <a href="http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/intelligence-and-combat-support/explosive-ordnance-disposal-specialist.html">EOD</a> (explosive ordnance disposal).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As of 2005, the <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889152,00.html">passing rate</a> at <a href="http://www.mepcom.army.mil/">MEPS</a> is 3 in 10 applicants. 30 percent. In that van, 2 of us would make it on a good day, and I wasn't sure how that statistic would be affected by the fact that the physical fell on "mission day", the last day of the month for MEPS to meet their projected quota for processed applicants.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>At the Radisson</b></i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAeT06Okyvaci4DxaxKfzxjsV2G3Ds0nEPcs6z9VhFTH02SOFBJQB8rmnu-MSdP5Wzuifg3U5JrNM0p2mUAgoXBPWpuDphAQQXvO8bjAJY77KiKWG1t4_VKorMc81JmQXP5-esDtgUA/s1600/meps2a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAeT06Okyvaci4DxaxKfzxjsV2G3Ds0nEPcs6z9VhFTH02SOFBJQB8rmnu-MSdP5Wzuifg3U5JrNM0p2mUAgoXBPWpuDphAQQXvO8bjAJY77KiKWG1t4_VKorMc81JmQXP5-esDtgUA/s400/meps2a.PNG" width="238" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4 of us were dropped off at the hotel to check in before the other 2 were taken straight to MEPS to take the ASVAB. We passed by a young man sitting on the curb having a cigarette who pointed us to the check-in lounge. We signed in, were given our meal tickets and room keys, and told to meet back at the lounge at 2030 for briefing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Turns out my roommate was the man I saw smoking earlier. Bennett is a Jake Gyllenhaal look-alike, very chill and reserved. He was previously an AF depper slated to ship to Lackland as a <a href="http://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/cryptologic-linguist/">cryptologic linguist</a> - my preferred job. A wet and reckless charge got him DEP-discharged, and now, 2 years later, he is reenlisting in the Navy. Today was his 4th time at MEPS.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Had dinner with 2 other guys at 0700. One wants to join the Army as a <a href="http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/transportation-and-aviation/avionic-mechanic.html">mechanic</a>, and the other is an Air Force prospect. Later, we headed to the briefing. All in all, we were 40 men and women. 6 failed to show up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Curfew was at 2230. We would be awakened the next day at 0400. The bus would arrive at 0410, and breakfast served beginning at 0415. We were to board the bus at 0440 and arrive at the Sacramento Military Entrance Processing Station at 0515. Oh, and the Gideons indeed were at the hotel passing out New Testament bookets. They really <i>do</i> do it without fail.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Neither Bennett nor I had much sleep last night.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>At Sacramento MEPS</b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosLxo4xEdF4auTQxqgZKfqWHmuRXM87V2PsiUhYhkJeIKdGMiJA9ymudrCDomKEx_LgW8IOJ_m9hAS1648CnoaQW-NO8Uy1YZHgRaV3z41K6PI508eqpBatAvuvj-DxRlkkktWqhaEg/s1600/365pt19a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosLxo4xEdF4auTQxqgZKfqWHmuRXM87V2PsiUhYhkJeIKdGMiJA9ymudrCDomKEx_LgW8IOJ_m9hAS1648CnoaQW-NO8Uy1YZHgRaV3z41K6PI508eqpBatAvuvj-DxRlkkktWqhaEg/s320/365pt19a.PNG" width="278" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll say this now: my time at MEPS was short. I did not make it very far. My recruiter pushed me through as a walk-on, which I explained to the Army Liaison. He had me take a seat and processed the other guys.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Turned out my status was still "Deferred" according to the electronic log. Under my name, 0 documents had been submitted by my recruiters as of Wednesday. But just today, the log had registered 5 submitted documents; there was a lag time before MEPS received what my recruiters sent them. Still, as they had not yet reviewed my situation, I had to be sent home. At 0530, I had to call my recruiter to ask him to pick me up.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I sat in the waiting room watching Forresst Gump until Sgt. Balaban arrived.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>A Talk with Sarge</b></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fKEJmFa9wXkwldSy2Jzk3SwLAVgoCv0ZDMZ-Hka5CZQeTrqJBY_2JQ8pgYXBfxzvPXgd7LXzvClicEC1hhdN4YlX0V29RShlYMmyRO58jl31MuQ7Sasx_TXR-xg0PqskqZM03JWX1g/s1600/army13.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fKEJmFa9wXkwldSy2Jzk3SwLAVgoCv0ZDMZ-Hka5CZQeTrqJBY_2JQ8pgYXBfxzvPXgd7LXzvClicEC1hhdN4YlX0V29RShlYMmyRO58jl31MuQ7Sasx_TXR-xg0PqskqZM03JWX1g/s320/army13.PNG" width="272" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My recruiter, who doesn't look to be much older than I am, received an earful from the liaison.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the scoop: my recruiter had already called me last week telling me that my papers were deferred pending review by MEPS. Yesterday's trip to the hotel was supposed to have been postponed. For some reason still, the station commander at the office told my recruiter to go ahead and push me through the system, which didn't make sense to my recruiter. But the chain of command is the chain of command, and so he did.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The misunderstanding came from someone whose decisions overrode both my recruiter and the station commander's instincts to hold me back until next week: the 1st Sergeant, 1SG. So, it was something in the higher ups that screwed up my trip, and subsequently my emotions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But that's okay. I'm prepared for another trip to the hotel and MEPS.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4w8pVXxhzwpGLAPYUenW-671YrpRuyVX1Wunxah86oG4V6PDAotirwjGQBI7pxkqWJDFP_g7JolpSzlQohO_1DDesFRZbQ7kaezuRr0CELnO48IUNAvdXeji92xB3LtO6Qns6m5GElg/s1600/army14.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4w8pVXxhzwpGLAPYUenW-671YrpRuyVX1Wunxah86oG4V6PDAotirwjGQBI7pxkqWJDFP_g7JolpSzlQohO_1DDesFRZbQ7kaezuRr0CELnO48IUNAvdXeji92xB3LtO6Qns6m5GElg/s320/army14.PNG" width="268" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Balaban made a pit stop at Battalion HQ to deal with some business before dropping me back off at my car. On the trip back to the station, I got to know him a bit more.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He has a brother who was in the <a href="http://www.marines.com/#default">Marines</a> and a dad proud of his son but who still thinks he's an idiot for joining. Balaban himself has been deployed twice to Iraq with an artillery MOS but has some stories a crazy infantryman would tell you. On days his unit wasn't assigned to patrol, they'd get creative with killing time (not exactly along the lines of Jarhead, but creative). He had his first son before his second deployment, and a second is on the way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm trying to understand why he'd rather be deployed than home. But it seems like <a href="http://sodtosoldier.blogspot.com/2007/09/in-beginningi-grew-pair.html">others</a> can't explain the compelling impulse to be deployed either.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following is an exchange between 2 Soldiers in an EOD team from the 2008 film <a href="http://www.thehurtlocker-movie.com/">The Hurt Locker</a>. The men are Staff Sergeant William James and Sergeant J.T. Sanborn. Tearfully, Sanborn says,</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I'm done. I want a son. I want a little boy, Will. I mean, how do you do it, you know? Take the risk?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I don't know. I guess I don't think about it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"But you realize every time you suit up, every time we go out, it's life or death. You roll the dice, and you deal with it. You recognize that, don't you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I do. But I don't know why. I don't know, JT. You know why I'm the way I am?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"No, I don't."</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*All names in entry changed for privacy reasons.</i></span> </span></div></div></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-64406888252752434242011-05-19T16:54:00.000-07:002011-05-19T20:53:04.688-07:00Job Reservation and Recruiters Against Civilian Doctors<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Waiting to sign on the dotted line</span></b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlf0AzkxBleOeJgLeap5e5IJMgzOmHQ_ICC90VH3JpRIDSCi9MMD-q9PXSyp_loTx-G2c3L65_iLWYiei8cSNq6eiYl_BcZrFbd2UnYpJub0RfbN1Y7G43VwXE1o-xOe9STOlfLeO7Q/s1600/army8a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlf0AzkxBleOeJgLeap5e5IJMgzOmHQ_ICC90VH3JpRIDSCi9MMD-q9PXSyp_loTx-G2c3L65_iLWYiei8cSNq6eiYl_BcZrFbd2UnYpJub0RfbN1Y7G43VwXE1o-xOe9STOlfLeO7Q/s320/army8a.PNG" width="260" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"CONGRATULATIONS</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A TEMPORARY RESERVATION WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FOR THE FOLLOWING FUTURE SOLDIER:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Name:</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b>Martin</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Job: <b>35F1</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Title: <b>Intelligence Analyst</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Term: <b>3 years, 30 weeks</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ship Date: <b>20111121</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>WHILE SPECIFIC TRAINING LOCATIONS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, YOU ARE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING TRAINING:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDCS9Ac-hZ_MHpDOJuUVq5ETFA512elc3X5faROYKy1skH4HJw5BZsQw9n8mHwOEo0073Do1AduVWzyjHJ5YhmZVCMrAfPaotxYHlEyuiOPzkHDz9pVGmbIulwHOxp4BAs0TTANqMTw/s1600/army11a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDCS9Ac-hZ_MHpDOJuUVq5ETFA512elc3X5faROYKy1skH4HJw5BZsQw9n8mHwOEo0073Do1AduVWzyjHJ5YhmZVCMrAfPaotxYHlEyuiOPzkHDz9pVGmbIulwHOxp4BAs0TTANqMTw/s320/army11a.PNG" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Type: <b>BT</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: <b>Ft. Jackson</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Start Date: <b>20111128</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Length Wks: <b>12</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Length Days: <b>4</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Type: <b>AIT</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: <b>Ft. Huachuca </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Start Date: <b>20120312</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Length Wks: <b>16</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Length Days: <b>4</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>School: </b>301st Military Intelligence Battalion"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because Army recruiters have access to something called the FSR2 - the Future Soldier Remote Reservations System - they can reserve a job even before their applicants' visit to MEPS. That's what happened for me.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WvRPTMnIFZh9CT887_hvJe9QoVTufpAWpl_SibYGTP8VQ0s2-lILHMFY6vAQSZVcn_aAlF-FD9zbzbb507UgRiif6s46yvOxAQmAxGdn5Jh90o_2U-O3QNKbXgD-8umj4Ey10jpncQ/s1600/army6a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WvRPTMnIFZh9CT887_hvJe9QoVTufpAWpl_SibYGTP8VQ0s2-lILHMFY6vAQSZVcn_aAlF-FD9zbzbb507UgRiif6s46yvOxAQmAxGdn5Jh90o_2U-O3QNKbXgD-8umj4Ey10jpncQ/s400/army6a.PNG" width="264" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's the good news. Here's the bad: applicants have <b>7 days</b> from the time they reserve their job through FSR2 to to pass the physical at MEPS, contract, and swear in. That gives me until next Monday to do that. And if I don't, I lose that job slot, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I'll explain in my next entry.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was supposed to go to the hotel today (Wednesday), but my recruiter called me yesterday informing me that he wasn't supposed to project me to MEPS before their approval. This resulted in a deferral of my visit, and because of the reservation deadline, Sergeant and the other recruiters in the office are trying to push me through in time. I'll be getting a call from my recruiter ASAP. The wait is killing both of us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b></b></span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-39814333924630375762011-05-16T16:35:00.000-07:002011-05-16T16:35:40.976-07:00A Ticket to Sacramento MEPS for My Physical Examination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLuzf_B0raCzAqwsRSwLPd4sq-VXGJ0AupC9Cv61Z1pYPhhF38FbAR_qnT72wI-fYXofA9lHdcY7U8uV8C-yPE_Xe-UWs0-21BesHhCVI_SzC1k0CQQShsn20RomFLckpaYwFi_1_iw/s1600/army9a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLuzf_B0raCzAqwsRSwLPd4sq-VXGJ0AupC9Cv61Z1pYPhhF38FbAR_qnT72wI-fYXofA9lHdcY7U8uV8C-yPE_Xe-UWs0-21BesHhCVI_SzC1k0CQQShsn20RomFLckpaYwFi_1_iw/s320/army9a.PNG" width="278" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>U.S. Army Job Selection</b></i></span> </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a 2nd visit today to Sarge's office that involved more paperwork signing, my recruiter gave me a list of currently open jobs and asked me to rank my top 3.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My picks:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. 35 Fox, Intel Analyst</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. 35 November, Signal Intel-Analyst</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. 68 Whiskey, Health Care Specialist</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After some discussion, I went with my first pick. With that, my recruiter reserved my slot for <b>MOS 35F, Signal Intel-Analyst</b> pending additional mental, moral, physical, and administrative screening, and booked my ticket to MEPS.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq44sbIJtRZ5IydqYV2HA2ZIeL8fiSBrbyegIQOAnd5Cja3ZCkinEjLuH6-zrxt8-34XpsVSGOJIDhscQO0rt0x2Af4UIWyTBxfiXvZWZO3BW9Z8QGbpn7_k0J3_Oz-hgyIFRoHc-Lw/s1600/army10a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq44sbIJtRZ5IydqYV2HA2ZIeL8fiSBrbyegIQOAnd5Cja3ZCkinEjLuH6-zrxt8-34XpsVSGOJIDhscQO0rt0x2Af4UIWyTBxfiXvZWZO3BW9Z8QGbpn7_k0J3_Oz-hgyIFRoHc-Lw/s320/army10a.PNG" width="279" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Trip to MEPS</span></b></i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will sign on for 3 years, 30 weeks with a signing bonus of 2000 dollars payable upon my assignment to my first permanent-duty station, PDS, after boot camp.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was projected before 1200 today and will report to my recruiter's office this <b>Wednesday, 18 May 2011, at 1300</b>. From there, I'll be picked up and taken to the hotel near MEPS to room with a fellow applicant for the night.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following day (the physical) will begin early at 0415 and end around 1730 with job selection and the swear-in ceremony. I'll contract as an E-4, Specialist. The contract is legally binding and will mark my entry into the DEP.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ7p3-mXUO04V9-LRlxmHbHNTNCJnBXjz4ITeNc4XCtj-5xlpEepZkAzKqMzy44r5YkA1_uNzI2Ihk1Qq1fCkjj_J-Kxjqm1kBaF1I7fU0m1MhrQOC-C85ahcupuXabemJyChFQ9gJg/s1600/army2a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ7p3-mXUO04V9-LRlxmHbHNTNCJnBXjz4ITeNc4XCtj-5xlpEepZkAzKqMzy44r5YkA1_uNzI2Ihk1Qq1fCkjj_J-Kxjqm1kBaF1I7fU0m1MhrQOC-C85ahcupuXabemJyChFQ9gJg/s320/army2a.PNG" width="228" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>My Ship Date</b></i></span> </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My <i><b>ship date to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, is 21 November 2011</b></i>. That gives me a little over 6 months in the DEP to prepare for boot camp. At Fort Jackson, I'll spend 12 weeks, 4 days undergoing basic training, BT, before going through 16 weeks, 4 days of advanced individual training, AIT, at <b>Fort Huachuca, Arizona</b> for my job.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll officially complete training on 03 March 2012 and be assigned to my PDS. It would be nice if I were given my preferred station that was filled out on my dream sheet, but I'll gladly serve where I'm needed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm excited to serve and hope that MEPS will grant me this privilege.</span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-1296414300348320852011-05-09T16:50:00.000-07:002011-05-10T23:55:20.889-07:00The Army, the Warrior Ethos, and Basic Combat Training<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LmUovjBZQMZ6gTpY7AI6-ggmFoanJm-j0qEEAVbOyZl2HVNookDylcH9smOIDWdrRovVfgBxvxzvtUzqG-jygALXqDKyjm54D3mHG-gEQwU6gN4R0ZURyRD04RWX0Q_L48H9dzEZqA/s1600/concertina.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LmUovjBZQMZ6gTpY7AI6-ggmFoanJm-j0qEEAVbOyZl2HVNookDylcH9smOIDWdrRovVfgBxvxzvtUzqG-jygALXqDKyjm54D3mHG-gEQwU6gN4R0ZURyRD04RWX0Q_L48H9dzEZqA/s320/concertina.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On Friday, I called an Army recruiting station to schedule a visit that took place today, <b>09 May 2011, at 1000.</b></span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I'd been through the process before, I sat through what would have amounted to several weeks' worth of paperwork in a day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My new recruiter is an E-5 (Sergeant) and has been in the Army for 6 years now.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2qNt1_xWyW0Qbfn8TEzjy-1sTPvamGD5OB5OaFgNU7CGiAz4mf3Tt0WhZgs3_DCoeOeNRdGfqpQfnpItXHLTuvJR6PHSEzptcowZRJ3KeTHQkUEaiXjd4nuA9e6vF1OXNN7D66Pb1A/s1600/army1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2qNt1_xWyW0Qbfn8TEzjy-1sTPvamGD5OB5OaFgNU7CGiAz4mf3Tt0WhZgs3_DCoeOeNRdGfqpQfnpItXHLTuvJR6PHSEzptcowZRJ3KeTHQkUEaiXjd4nuA9e6vF1OXNN7D66Pb1A/s320/army1.PNG" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Upon being asked by one of the recruiters what I would be doing this coming Friday, <b>13052011</b>, I explained that I wasn't sure if I was scheduled for work (but that I would have no problem calling in sick if they needed me to be available). "You're joining the Army on Friday, Buddy," was his reply.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The exchange was surreal. My Air Force recruiting experience has caused me to develop a wary disposition regarding one's odds of getting into the military. But the Army recruiter pointed out that the Air Force has been downsizing for some time now, which can explain the night-and-day difference between their recruitment processes.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGOkTC6TfgmIq_RaHZ4dNBq5qLKj4SGVTHhx2r3wXJFf8MK1NGVKwyNXtSavZgeQj2RgbnXX701PMd3n-15teHGjh4EGdhkQIuTdU_rRhDadhCBDNyleOd2csIBRwTYpxBmjgI6hGEA/s1600/army5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGOkTC6TfgmIq_RaHZ4dNBq5qLKj4SGVTHhx2r3wXJFf8MK1NGVKwyNXtSavZgeQj2RgbnXX701PMd3n-15teHGjh4EGdhkQIuTdU_rRhDadhCBDNyleOd2csIBRwTYpxBmjgI6hGEA/s320/army5.PNG" width="277" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn't expect the quick turnaround, but I am hoping to be off within 2 weeks. Assuming all goes well with my pre-screen, I'll go to MEPS, have my physical, select my MOS (military occupational specialty, the equivalent of the Air Force Specialty Code), swear in, get my ship date for basic combat training (BCT), or boot camp, and finally enter the DEP.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I first learned and memorized the Warrior Ethos, or Soldier's Creed, in an Army ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) class I took while at university.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vzAdhmp7oNxEfe4Bl5HTbpF2-PFYQ7mmZ2eqoIxHKpv-saioYMzViwWewJBH45w7bqO4kwJjHkySNTQgydl253UZhefgJ7as3iJd3rZVS04GlzCH4F9Paa-b3xq8B9ZK6927NtLEPw/s1600/army7a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vzAdhmp7oNxEfe4Bl5HTbpF2-PFYQ7mmZ2eqoIxHKpv-saioYMzViwWewJBH45w7bqO4kwJjHkySNTQgydl253UZhefgJ7as3iJd3rZVS04GlzCH4F9Paa-b3xq8B9ZK6927NtLEPw/s400/army7a.PNG" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At that time, I had already begun the recruitment process for the Air Force and adopted its ethos, the Airman's Creed. I never thought I'd make the transition from blue to green.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Part of the urgency with which I've been moving stems from issues with my ASVAB scores, which expire 2 years after taking the test. It's already been 8 months since I took it, and though I still have time, I just want to make extra sure that I'll be enlisted well before they become null.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With a new set of physical fitness standards to strive for, I'll be preparing myself for the 10 weeks of BCT at 1 of the 5 forts in the Southern and Midwestern United States where recruit training is conducted.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today was both exciting and scary. I feel closer to serving than I've ever felt before, but I also hope that the recruiters didn't just put a whole lot of false hope into my head. Here's to hoping.</span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-14308620595829290632011-05-06T16:04:00.000-07:002011-05-24T12:20:53.078-07:00Bonnaroo Buzz with Whiskey Caramel Swirls Is a Buzzkill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtKnjRIeGKIIqB0cEnrjU4J5tima2XTularKDveCB705IZNyvs1VRapCL6NUu3OJRCNKDpsfCzGJPljCFH5osfrh7DFxDf_ziPFxV40BKJGb8KouT9ID3g-JgGHxgCz3OXUP8etc5Wg/s1600/strawberryicecream2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtKnjRIeGKIIqB0cEnrjU4J5tima2XTularKDveCB705IZNyvs1VRapCL6NUu3OJRCNKDpsfCzGJPljCFH5osfrh7DFxDf_ziPFxV40BKJGb8KouT9ID3g-JgGHxgCz3OXUP8etc5Wg/s320/strawberryicecream2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">. . .And I don't mean the festival.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The characteristic flavors in this new ice cream from Ben and Jerry's are "light coffee and malt ice creams with whiskey caramel swirls and English toffee pieces". That description caused me to put <b>Clusterfluff</b>, another new flavor, back on the shelf, so that I could try this. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I could find no difference in taste between this and an older flavor, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. The coffee flavor was overpowering, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) the toffee pieces were so large they messed up the overall texture of the ice cream.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, until I come across a worthy ice cream flavor, I will continue to frequently default back to either Imagine Whirled Peace (a total of 1080 calories and 12 grams of protein) or Half Baked (800 calories and 24 grams of protein), one of the company's FroYo varieties. I've been meaning to try Jimmy Fallon's <b>Late Night Snack</b>, which, despite its strange combination of flavors ("vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge covered <i>potato chip</i> clusters" - wtf), showed a lot of promise when I sampled it at the shop.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In other news, I weighed in at 161.8 lbs on my electronic scale yesterday. I am taking this to be my fully carb-depleted weight. I've been subsisting on delicious MSG-laden peanuts, peanut butter, spam salad (literally, it's chopped up spam with salad), and protein shakes. Along with the yohimbine and caffeine, I feel like I'm about to have an anxiety attack. This better be worth it.</span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-87687474656475582372011-05-02T15:03:00.000-07:002011-05-02T15:40:57.594-07:00Thermal Sympatholysis, Adrenoceptor Blockers, and Fat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB_lYMl3y-2wljTe4wHPFODLgqxyEFmc6UZhPmhuzJy02EPhnUEPs2P3gOmHe4DDmmBPftj80-1k-FEzHuOdha12cLU1CgVUYbpNepioOQmFfW9khOmlZd0_HiFLm1nC8Svhtl13NdQ/s1600/disneyland.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB_lYMl3y-2wljTe4wHPFODLgqxyEFmc6UZhPmhuzJy02EPhnUEPs2P3gOmHe4DDmmBPftj80-1k-FEzHuOdha12cLU1CgVUYbpNepioOQmFfW9khOmlZd0_HiFLm1nC8Svhtl13NdQ/s400/disneyland.PNG" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ice cream and fireworks.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Ice Cream Haven</b></i></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last weekend, I joined the family on a trip to <b>Disneyland</b>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This past weekend, I went with some friends to <b>Six Flags Discovery Kingdom</b>. In semi-keeping with the blog's theme, I found myself in Shangri-La amidst a ton of desserts from the snack carts at both parks, including <b>funnel cakes with Cold Stone ice cream and strawberry syrup, Ben and Jerry's, frozen bananas, and Dippin' Dots.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Thermal What?</b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was notably sunnier at Discovery Kingdom than at Disneyland, and my lengthy exposure to the heat brought about a remarkable change in my appearance: I was profoundly more vascular in my extremities than before. I could clearly see the large cephalic vein running down my biceps in addition to the multitude of veins in my forearm.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gga756LEO5ZGLHMH4dEbneb1MXYcI29hBfSZaiDyMIxdkLVGh-w2sBRIe_0BNS-LdgsMrNpRxLnUHPlIq7BvFHaPztoUdIBMQ8OEk3JyNf_ALYKfTR6-z33q8_wcV-vnnIWiiSjERg/s1600/funnelcake2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gga756LEO5ZGLHMH4dEbneb1MXYcI29hBfSZaiDyMIxdkLVGh-w2sBRIe_0BNS-LdgsMrNpRxLnUHPlIq7BvFHaPztoUdIBMQ8OEk3JyNf_ALYKfTR6-z33q8_wcV-vnnIWiiSjERg/s320/funnelcake2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Strauben.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My veins in my legs were terrifyingly superficial in a degree I'd never seen before (which explains why it was terrifying). I had veins running horizontally across my tibia (the shin).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It makes sense: one of the reasons that blood vessels dilate is to increase the dissipation of heat. Consequently, blood flow is improved.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, in the context of fat loss, what else improves blood flow (or, at the very least, prevents it from being compromised)?</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80GZS0LamKwng1vtgc4xpC_pZD2cp6J3IZZww5rjV_jCNMMXC3GHdqnmZAOhbhh4DDONK5m8P_A4W0SqyM4CvieaMId0erw-MhYgd532FRp8sev81ceBQMWhKabnMz3xUCwEtuq5WDg/s1600/rollercoaster.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80GZS0LamKwng1vtgc4xpC_pZD2cp6J3IZZww5rjV_jCNMMXC3GHdqnmZAOhbhh4DDONK5m8P_A4W0SqyM4CvieaMId0erw-MhYgd532FRp8sev81ceBQMWhKabnMz3xUCwEtuq5WDg/s400/rollercoaster.PNG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wee!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Alpha Blockers</b></i></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The answer is yohimbine.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1758812029"></span><span id="goog_1758812030"></span> So, I have a <b>theory</b>: to speed up fat oxidation following yohimbine supplementation, ideally one might want to promote vasodilation throughout the body during the period between ingestion and actual absorption of the drug, which would conceivably open up all avenues for fat oxidation in active tissues. This would mean either performing a small training bout, sitting in a sauna, or laying out in the sun. As exercise has variable effects on drug pharmacokinetics (and it depends on the drug), it is possible that the results would be more unpredictable following the former option.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then, once yohimbine begins to be absorbed, you do the usual: be active. The conventional, but boring, route, is to do some formal cardio, but one can also do chores, work (and it obviously helps if the job requires you to be active for hours, like certain retail positions), or <b>walk around in an amusement park all day while under the sun.</b></span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-29944632127085025812011-04-29T23:43:00.000-07:002011-05-24T12:20:53.078-07:00New Ice Cream Review of Volun-Tiramisu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zvVFPxdhonn5rzrohKfvcQMR80FqPrTv_iN7tEuhMcb3XHRNjewdT7vZRHD8sTZ7NpELUES8D1G7ksk0ns7p_dsJedb0fu2Fwb8yYA4vrNG272oSdVMmvN6bOQcwtdUOx6IkO3F_4g/s1600/icecream.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zvVFPxdhonn5rzrohKfvcQMR80FqPrTv_iN7tEuhMcb3XHRNjewdT7vZRHD8sTZ7NpELUES8D1G7ksk0ns7p_dsJedb0fu2Fwb8yYA4vrNG272oSdVMmvN6bOQcwtdUOx6IkO3F_4g/s400/icecream.PNG" width="303" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">B and J's put out 2 new flavors earlier this month, and they are only being sold at Target stores. The flavors are <b>Volun-Tiramisu</b> and <b>Peanut Butter World</b>. I just had to have the former for dinner a few nights ago. The description ("Coffee Mascarpone Ice Cream with Cocoa Dusted Coffee Rum Lady Finger Pieces) admittedly got me.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So how did Volun-Tiramisu fare? While it wasn't able to topple my all-time favorite flavor, Imagine Whirled Peace (I'm a toffee fiend), I would put this newcomer up there and definitely help myself to another pint in the future.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This puppy has 920 calories and 12 grams of protein. Next on the list (and in no particular order): <b>Clusterfluff</b> and <b>Late Night Snack</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because I lack the analytical capacity to give any useful food review, I'll leave it up to a fellow <a href="http://www.onsecondscoop.com/2011/04/exclusive-to-target-new-ben-jerrys.html">ice cream enthusiast</a> to get into the little details of Volun-Tiramisu.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I am (or at least I think I am) in my stubborn fat phase, I feel that mentioning Matt Stone's coverage of Talenti Gelato's <a href="http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/2011/04/talenti-gelato.html">Caribbean Coconut</a> flavor is somewhat relevant. As a little over half of the composition of coconut oil is medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), a more readily usable energy source relative to other fats, I've theorized that it may have some utility when used in concert with a low carb diet to facilitate stubborn fat loss for a bunch of reasons I won't go into here.</span></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-67616577595505497372011-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:002011-04-14T12:59:37.436-07:00Low Carb Intermittent Fasting with Ice Cream Refeeds<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Overcoming the Sisyphean feat</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reached the same bump in the road that I did <a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2010/09/shifting-into-high-gear-yohimbine-low.html">last September</a>.</span></div><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOk3wzc1l13BUgW98wtPz7VOiSyXsMumKl8z9zkmfdQpEucxNVc4eroSS3IbrRhrkIa8X1jx6Ku8ki9LSAG1BpcWcgB8vAO_l6FIzxn8zK3_YkhHfy0jkAl9WJDDdL9CcnWKrXQfbVw/s1600/martinber.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOk3wzc1l13BUgW98wtPz7VOiSyXsMumKl8z9zkmfdQpEucxNVc4eroSS3IbrRhrkIa8X1jx6Ku8ki9LSAG1BpcWcgB8vAO_l6FIzxn8zK3_YkhHfy0jkAl9WJDDdL9CcnWKrXQfbVw/s1600/martinber.PNG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Last July, 158 lbs.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, top 4 abs are visible, and getting the last 2 to show is the (usual) uphill battle. Stubborn fat sucks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weight has been fluctuating between 160 and 165 pounds, as has appetite.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The aim now, like last time, is to help fat loss along using a few <a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2010/08/fourfold-problem-of-stubborn-fat.html">novel approaches</a>. The goal weight is still <b>155 pounds</b>, a good weight to be at for the Air Force (or the United States Marine Corps, USMC, which I've been considering joining lately).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be some variations on the theme this time around - not that they're exactly noticeable - in order to increase my chances of adhering.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The diet will be <u>cyclical</u> and will involve alternating of supplements depending on the day.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's time to get over this hill. I have other goals I want to set. But before that. . .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Detour</span></i></b> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyLBNm9RXn0h3e6uB5pqDMR-f0z9I-CTOuSn-QoLOAsmDU5gjDTaJ2Ow5ybgSJa_aRQRvtrjbAQPgJSVUAqIWRcQuWXx7-jSl-3kco-O402hpcryyAVlJqz5vFytQp8psN0oZeqnKmQ/s1600/wavelength.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyLBNm9RXn0h3e6uB5pqDMR-f0z9I-CTOuSn-QoLOAsmDU5gjDTaJ2Ow5ybgSJa_aRQRvtrjbAQPgJSVUAqIWRcQuWXx7-jSl-3kco-O402hpcryyAVlJqz5vFytQp8psN0oZeqnKmQ/s320/wavelength.PNG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to share the inhuman results of someone whose diet I've emulated. He's landed on a simple <a href="http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=553453753&postcount=2">method</a> of reaching one's goals that doesn't involve the confusing BS from bodybuilding magazines.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eating less while eating whatever you want, eating enough protein, and training heavy are the guidelines he abides by.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His accomplishments are so inspirational, and I hope to achieve similar results some day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the meals he's posted pictures of (yum):</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ue5VdqiBvTATOm56CIgo8eQVypB4YLfIXJnxu32yiJL26eIngjx9wlnuU_FY32BfCRAh0MWGThPXgYQmWhf_yh0PfNqI8SG6qPvkpS-eZ8bxeiVWV4cgAvma1OF3kN4cAOoU8DFrQ/s1600/wavelength3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ue5VdqiBvTATOm56CIgo8eQVypB4YLfIXJnxu32yiJL26eIngjx9wlnuU_FY32BfCRAh0MWGThPXgYQmWhf_yh0PfNqI8SG6qPvkpS-eZ8bxeiVWV4cgAvma1OF3kN4cAOoU8DFrQ/s1600/wavelength3.PNG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The plan</i></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The diet*:</span></u></b></i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <b>1700</b> kcal on Day 1</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Usual foods eaten include a pint of Ben and Jerry's Imagine Whirled Peace (my favorite flavor) and a McDonald's McChicken; whey protein makes up the rest of this day's calories.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <b>2100</b> kcal on Day 2 (low carb)</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Usual foods include eggs, chicken breast tenderloins, caramelized onions, and asparagus fried in coconut oil (a medium-chain triglyceride, MCT).</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <b>2500</b> kcal on Day 3 (ice cream carb-up)</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Usual foods include Ben and Jerry's Half Baked FroYo, In-N-Out, Japanese ice cream dumplings (mochi), and Subway. And whey, of course.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <i>24-hour fast</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Usual foods include nothing.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Repeat</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*All days consist of IF followed by feeding during the second half of the day</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><u><b>The training:</b></u></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heavy, <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2008/12/reverse-pyramid-revisited.html">reverse pyramid</a> training</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Cardio</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Cardio, depletion (using mainly machines)</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Off</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><u><b>Supps (spaced apart):</b></u></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish oil</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vitamin A, iron, vitamin B complex</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calcium, magnesium, zinc</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multivitamin/multimineral</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yohimbine hydrochloride, caffeine, YC</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vitamin A, Fe, vitamin B complex</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ca, Mg, Zn</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish oil</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YC</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vitamin A, Fe, vitamin B complex</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ca, Mg, Zn</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multivitamin/multimineral</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YC</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><u><b>The reasoning (skip if the science bores you):</b></u></i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Even on 1700 cals/day, muscle loss unlikely assuming <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/muscle-loss-while-dieting-to-single-digit-body-fat-levels-qa.html">adequate protein</a> and <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html">heavy training</a>.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. This low carb day sets off the glycogen depletion ultimately achieved the next day; cardio is done during the fast following YC; all 4 techniques (the fast, low carb, YC, and cardio) help to improve mobilization, transport, and oxidation of stubborn fat through </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">low insulin (high hormone-sensitive lipase, HSL, activity and improved lipolysis),</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> alpha-2 adrenergic receptor and adenosine A1 receptor inhibition (improved transport), and low malonyl-CoA content (high carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, CPT-1, activity and improved oxidation). My hunch is that the low carb day will improve my <a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2011/03/usaf-part-6-4th-dep-call-running.html">adaptations</a> to endurance training.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. The benefits of the previous day will linger on into this day, so another dose of YC will be taken and another session of cardio done before the depletion workout, which will improve insulin sensitivity before the coming carb-up. This day is all about playing around with partitioning while eating more to restore <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/uncategorized/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html">hormone levels</a> (testosterone, growth hormone or GH, insulin-like growth factor 1 or IGF-1, triiodothyronine or T3, and leptin), at least for a while. On the topic of resetting hormone levels, the drug <a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/bromocriptine">bromocriptine</a> can reverse a lot of the negative hormonal, metabolic, and psychological changes associated with chronic dieting.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Thus far, calories have been gradually increased. Along with the carb-up, this will help to return metabolism to pre-dieting levels. Now, the goal of the 24-hour fast is to leverage the benefits of the refeed while <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik75.htm">T3 and leptin are still high</a>. The sharp drop in calories from 2500 to 0 should not be detected right away. Research has shown a delayed response by the body to recognizing and adjusting to an energy deficit. Formal exercise will be avoided because of its variable effects on appetite. However, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16475414">activities of daily living</a> (ADL) will be done throughout the day to keep incidental energy expenditure (and NEAT) high. YC will be dosed during the AM hours to help with stubborn fat mobilization and burning. Also, Martin Berkhan cited 2 relatively recent studies showing that metabolic rate <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292">increases</a> during <i><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17201801">short-term fasting</a>.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Repeat. The day following the 24-hour fast (the 1700-calorie day) consists of heavy training. It's a good time to go heavy while I'm still carbed up from 2 days prior. Calories will be eased back in to prevent putting any fat back on. This entire period of slowly increasing calories throughout the week is a biding time for metabolic rate to pick up again before calories are again abruptly dropped.</span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykoEP9kGYgbU013NzAB8TuEX2LqUj8ubIuwWt8S-OIds35hZxUBgGfwcAEqAQgcQFMGZ5RT2xuovSz2DRsuiFnoyJPT6VsUGv2WJ456PL2-iFwP4qz5pbTc4cqqaYQNh5va_P0UajYg/s1600/wavelength.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div></div></div>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-83923431077855301252011-04-04T10:51:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:10:06.852-07:00Ten Tidbits About Japanese Manners and Aesthetics<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjFpwB1-pwnr8SdX2H2z121zyzc8WJwSGUp1cJ5fiBo1iI82TLWrxKENEHX6sXoDxs18ABL2ZUMsa6PehvV7dQ5ttzLt3HnaEh7wj0emOz0JbwUdfzQk_3b3HQyRoJESuP_tupw159w/s1600/sakura.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjFpwB1-pwnr8SdX2H2z121zyzc8WJwSGUp1cJ5fiBo1iI82TLWrxKENEHX6sXoDxs18ABL2ZUMsa6PehvV7dQ5ttzLt3HnaEh7wj0emOz0JbwUdfzQk_3b3HQyRoJESuP_tupw159w/s320/sakura.PNG" width="248"></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="float: left; font-size: 100px; line-height: 70px; padding-top: 2px;">M</span>y heart goes out to the ongoing crisis in Japan and to the estimated 16,000 still missing after the tsunami and earthquake. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is normally the time of year when people in various countries gather at local cherry blossom festivals, <i><b>sakura no matsuri</b></i>. But the celebrations have been <a href="http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110404004541.htm">hushed</a> in Japan due to the recent catastrophes.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This post is a tribute to their cause. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">How many of these Japanese customs and traditions are you familiar with?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2011/04/ten-tidbits-about-japanese-manners-and.html#more">Read more</a>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-67076272996929068742011-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:002011-05-10T23:59:54.354-07:00My Blood Test Results and What to Bring to Basic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2v_mPN9hEBkF78EZnl9v34rhidIZT-I7ZJ0BxUTEg16ZBQght5hTHoWilUQCupoZucbFnS7GCQCkUBWCcYI0GGajllLjjcNPgtegSlTfOGLf3GNH0wHqINsvltVnvz33BsyDRHyB5w/s1600/fields.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2v_mPN9hEBkF78EZnl9v34rhidIZT-I7ZJ0BxUTEg16ZBQght5hTHoWilUQCupoZucbFnS7GCQCkUBWCcYI0GGajllLjjcNPgtegSlTfOGLf3GNH0wHqINsvltVnvz33BsyDRHyB5w/s1600/fields.PNG"></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="float: left; font-size: 100px; line-height: 70px; padding-top: 2px;">B</span>efore that though, here are the results of today's 'DEP Call'. Because today wasn't either the 1st or 3rd Wednesday of the month, which I didn't realize until I arrived at the office, the deppers were not meant to meet today. But some showed up anyway, and the only exercise done was push-ups.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stew Smith's program hasn't failed me yet. Today I heard that the record at our office is 99 push-ups; I'd like to beat that one day.</span><br>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, an erratum: the fitness standards for the Warhawk that I posted were wrong. There has been a lot of confusion on which numbers apply to special operations candidates (pararescue jumpers and combat control technicians) and which apply to the rest of the trainees at Lackland.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following are the Warhawk standards, last updated in 2009:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk08NenHX21a6J3CU3X9e9xu2Glejmf3y1nHI3uDmdvsoSyqg96B_LbU1fdP7xs_8uPRI-Qb-GzEASOHyKM4u30ozwZlXVtRx-KUkGkD2DA9Xli3jUjQtcrmYCeQY17GXrAFyPqlD5ZA/s1600/warhawk.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk08NenHX21a6J3CU3X9e9xu2Glejmf3y1nHI3uDmdvsoSyqg96B_LbU1fdP7xs_8uPRI-Qb-GzEASOHyKM4u30ozwZlXVtRx-KUkGkD2DA9Xli3jUjQtcrmYCeQY17GXrAFyPqlD5ZA/s400/warhawk.PNG" width="400"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If the above is accurate, then I am dangerously within reach of the Warhawk.</span><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5DEf_mYaSfFhMlOm0DoDx61MgaCNg8TRHdIYu4jDW8AX4UskZrWaSmbpcy-VU2UIA5cj71s4q8oEjSfRxJom8xCYYNMmEWVBBVcT8Rqsymgds1zVVz22k5m4_UI6RBZAPVXiCJa5Tg/s1600/5thdepcall.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5DEf_mYaSfFhMlOm0DoDx61MgaCNg8TRHdIYu4jDW8AX4UskZrWaSmbpcy-VU2UIA5cj71s4q8oEjSfRxJom8xCYYNMmEWVBBVcT8Rqsymgds1zVVz22k5m4_UI6RBZAPVXiCJa5Tg/s1600/5thdepcall.PNG"></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-blood-test-results-and-what-to-bring.html#more">Read more</a>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25023923178334735.post-72019125073218034342011-03-16T14:29:00.000-07:002011-05-10T23:57:57.636-07:00Nearing 75 Push-ups, Running Economy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRAosV2te3C9X4sPS0oVjIvX2-s1HMUo4FGpjxWEunwIaNiNb_KYl4SUFOtVc3T5AAZ04ABxXMfW9hhIP4zStFP-x5rGw9Vak-Byf6pnDP8vmIICeei2Ny84TWIV9NRyCk1jc4KMcAw/s1600/techschool2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRAosV2te3C9X4sPS0oVjIvX2-s1HMUo4FGpjxWEunwIaNiNb_KYl4SUFOtVc3T5AAZ04ABxXMfW9hhIP4zStFP-x5rGw9Vak-Byf6pnDP8vmIICeei2Ny84TWIV9NRyCk1jc4KMcAw/s1600/techschool2.PNG"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="float: left; font-size: 100px; line-height: 70px; padding-top: 2px;">4</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">th DEP call on <b>16032011</b> at <b>0930</b>. Still no new faces at the recruiting office (whew). The MEPS in San Jose did not process any new applicants for 2 straight months, and so I can understand why things are moving slowly up here.</span><br>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Couple of interesting things in the office this morning. First, 2 former deppers who graduated from BMT and technical school (which follows after BMT) returned to participate in today's call and answer questions about tech school. Second, a girl in our DEP was TDQ'ed (temporarily disqualified) at MEPS for what the doctor believed to be cuts on her wrist, which warranted a psychological evaluation. The more I read and hear, the more I fear MEPS.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My push-ups continue to improve and I'm very happy with the results so far. Based on the consistent progression I've been seeing, I have no problem saying that Stew Smith's push-up program is very effective in pushing up one's repetition max. I'm shooting for at least 70 push-ups next time (currently at 66).</span><br>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><a href="http://martinber.blogspot.com/2011/03/usaf-part-6-4th-dep-call-running.html#more">Read more</a>Martin Bernardinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17432187148690377558noreply@blogger.com0