Beyond Body Opus - Exploring the Limits of Slackness

 

Exploring the Limits of Slackness

When Dan talks about “exploring the limits of slackness,” the phrase speaks to putting in the minimum effort required to complete a given task.  When Dan talks about exploring the limits of slackness, I hear him telling me to take the time and effort to strip a task (in this case, a cyclic ketogenic diet, such as Body Opus) down to the bare minimum.  If you want to follow this routine for an extended time, it makes sense to have an aerodynamic sensibility about Body Opus.  High speed, low drag.

On our quest to explore the limits of slackness, I will share my thoughts and experiences on what to let go in order to follow Body Opus for the long run. 

First, if you follow what Dan has laid out in the book, it will be hard to go wrong.  The work he put into the book pays off when you follow the plan.  That said I see many of the things Dan has you do amounts to misdirection to keep your mind off the lack of carbohydrates.  Carbohydrate cravings will be your biggest hurdle during your first few cycles.  Testing for ketones, planning the meals, taking the caliper measurements and getting the workouts done means time not thinking about carbohydrates.

As you progress and shed your “training wheels” (Dan’s term, not mine), you will learn to streamline your routine and focus on the long haul.  My experience was the carbohydrate cravings diminish (not disappear) over successive cycles.  During a typical week, by the time Thursday rolls around, my appetite for carbs or any other food, for that matter, is greatly diminished.  

Testing, testing, testing

In terms of ketone testing, once you have a few cycles under your belt, you can cut down on your ketone testing.  The biggest part is being consistent with your nutrition and paying attention to what your ketone levels are throughout the week.  Testing throughout the day adds little, unless you have a nutritional misstep during the day.  At that point, ketone testing is the first step in damage control.  I test once a day, usually first thing in the morning.  Lately, my ketone levels run like this through the week:

Monday           Trace to Small ketones

Tuesday           Small ketones

Wednesday     Small to Moderate ketones

Thursday         Moderate to Large ketones

Friday              Moderate ketones

Lately, since I carb up until bedtime on Sunday (as opposed to 6:00PM as Body Opus recommends) I may not test at all on Monday.

Decisions Instead of Excuses

Follow the plan, or do not follow the plan.  When you decide not to work out on a given day, make the decision and move on.  As an adult, you have the right to make a decision.   Make decisions rather than excuses.  Say you don’t feel like working out today.  Fine, make the call and say, “I’m not going to work out today.” Boom, done.  Decision made.  Now you are free to get on with your day.  Should you revisit why you did not want to work out?  Do you need to get turn over in your mind that decision?  I say no, what is the point?  Do you need to get back on track tomorrow? Yes.  Do you need to agonize over not working out today? NO.  Why beat yourself up over it?  Does that have any benefit?

Keep in mind this does NOT apply just to workouts.  If you are in this for the long haul, you cannot let short-term struggles sabotage the long game.

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