What is it about?

Focus in the book, as I see it, is how to make you generally fit, strong and healthy, while not giving you specific advice on how to grow as much muscle as possible or working out to win Strongman-competitions. Emphasis is always on balance between the activities that breaks down the body, i.e. exercise, the rest that builds up the body, and the importance of working out at a proper intensity.

Again, if you thought low-intensity steady-state running is what you should do to be more fit, think again; in fact, LISS for "cardiovascular exercise", they argue, does not do you any good at all. The driving force behind aerobic performance is to constantly push the boundaries upwards to produce lactic acid thus increasing muscle cell work capacity. The adaptions are thus on the level of the muscle cell which in turns drives the rest of the body to be more efficient at providing an adequate amount of oxygen.

With this follows that you should avoid the middle ground, and instead aim for short high-intensity sprint intervals, and in resistance training always working out to failure to maximize the muscle fiber recruitment, choosing exercises that involve major muscle groups. Also, because of the intensity, these workout sessions should be performed infrequently -- just once a week, in order to properly recover and get enough time for super-compensation. High-intensity workouts are more efficient, they argue, as they are shown to produce the same adaptions as lower-intensity sessions ten times longer in duration. This translates to doing short bursts once in a while, instead of continously pushing around at half speed. The resistance training program given describes compound movements using machines for safety when taking a set to failure, but free weights can also be used. If you know Nautilus, the training style advocated there is the basis for the Body by Science program.

Again, this is for general fitness. When it comes to specific sports or other activities where there by nature is a lot of variation on the intensity, of course, that should also be trained.

Digging down deeper, there's a fairly large part of the book devoted to explanations of how your body works: from generating ATP for energy, the function of the apolipoproteins forming cholesterol, muscle fiber types, recruitment & recovery time, how glycogen synthesis works and insulin sensitivity, to free radicals during physical stress. It also describes what genes are responsible for muscle growth, and how some are more suited towards endurance sports rather than strength, all in great detail.

Next up, a chapter describing proper practice for athletes involved in sports, and how common mistakes are done by coaches not separating specificity from conditioning, wearing down when they should be building up. This means you should aim for technique for the purpose of getting better at the sport, but not trying to get in better shape at the same time as this drives the wrong skill set adaptions. A few examples are given, such as fotball players forced to train with a slightly deflated ball, just to make it harder/more conditioning, where in fact, the actual conditioning gained is minimal and in reality, it would force a parallel skill set from playing with a properly inflated ball, all leading to a generally pretty bad training session not really gaining anything. Another good example is how using a treadmill translates very badly to regular running -- again, an example on how training for something makes you good at just that, but not necessarily a similar activity.

Rounding off the book, there's a short part on diet and how it affects health and weight loss, especially in the light of resistance training. It's sparse in detail, but slanted towards paleo-style eating, i.e. mostly animals and some plants. There are many other resources available on the topic for someone who wants to learn more, e.g. Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blueprint".

My thoughts

Besides an interesting read on how the body works and the adaptions made, a few things related to training made an impression on me: make sure to make each workout count, push your boundaries and make sure to recover properly before next workout, instead of working out more often but at a lower intensity. Without proper stimuli, there is nothing driving adaption. The dicsussion on technique and separation from conditioning is another excellent point. Again: work smarter, not harder.

I like the technical discussions in the book, but if I wanted an actual training program, it would lack in detail. It does tell you what exercises to perform and good explanations with images on performing them, but without - in my view - a proper training program. For this, you should look into something like StrongLifts 5x5.

Nevertheless, if you're into low-level talk, interesting references and a different view on exercise, this book is an interesting read.

Chapters

1. A Diet book for people who aren't fat
2. What we'll acomplish in BODYOPUS
3. Who am I
4. The usual warnings: on doctors, drugs and the FDA
5. Body fat and fat percentages
6. Measuring body fat percentages: the awful, awful truth.
7. The easy stuff: dieting9 by hte (popular) numbers
8. Maintenance manipulation: the pre-diet diet
9. Real dieting
10. Adjusting your calories
11. Protein recomendations
12. Amino acids: non-recommendations
13. Amino acids as drugs
14. Arranging your proteins
15. Dietary fats: recommendation
16. Dietary fats: hierarchy and arrangement
17. Carbohydrate recommednations
18. Problems with modern dieting
19. The isocaloric diet
20. Muscle catabolism while dieting
21. Anti-catabolic strategies
22. Anti-catabolics in the real world
23. How dieting slows down the metabolism
24. Optimizing your metabolic rate
25. (ugly) lower body fat
26. Thermogenic agents and body temperature
27. Anti estrogens
28. Appetite suppressants
29. Tricks of the trade
30. The "top 50" dieting drug list
31. And finally, at last: BODYOPUS
32. Before BODYOPUS
33. Ketones, glucagon and ketogenic diets
34. The rebound training system
35. Rebound redux
36. Bare bones bodyopus
37. Bodyopus in the flesh
38. Optimal things needed.
39. Bodyopus with all the plumbing
40. Bodyopus countdown
41. Recomposition rodeo
42. Recomposition abracadabra
43. Recomposition numbers
44. Recomposition rules
45. Bodyopus variations
46. The bodyopus workout schedule
47. Bodyopus coda
48. Special section: diuretics for bodybuilding competitors.

The Book

It starts with your standard disclaimer, as some of the advices given in the book are not for the faint of heart -- literally: metabolism-altering drugs, steroids and duiretics.

Starting with some background info on Dan and the training and diet methods eventually leading up to BODYOPUS, it starts off with the basics of dieting. Gradually, you're eased into the low-carb ketogenic diet by discussing the setup of the standard american diet (SAD)-based "slash 10% of calories, keep fat low, protein and carbs high" and the specific advantages/disadvantages of that, in order not to scare anyone off by giving too drastic suggestions on what a diet should look like. Moving further into scary-land, a zone-like/isocaloric setup (1:1:1 CHO:FAT:PRO) is presented, which, according to Dan, works even better than the regular method. Finally, you reach the BODYOPUS setup, which is your basic ketegonic diet coupled with a specific training program and the weekly carb load which supposedly is key to the feat of driving muscle anabolism up and fat percentage down - yes: building muscle while dieting.

While this all might sound fairly basic, all aspects of dieting are described in detail. There is very little left untouched or unexplored by Dan. If there is something to write about a topic related to dieting, he will do so. From the long discussion on whey protein vs free amino acids, how to make your drugs work better, metabolism of MCTs and ketones and body temperature down to exactly what happens to the body at low fat percentages. This gives for a far more interesting read if you're into the low-level technical aspect of dieting -- which I do. There are some controversial statements, such that on a >10% deficit, just upping protein won't work, instead you have to go ketogenic in order to preserve muscle mass. This goes against what many others in the business, e.g. Lyle McDonald, say.

Generally, Dan is a witty writer and throws in masterpieces like as this throughout the text:

Frozen egg whites come in a 5 gallon block, about the size of a block of ice for an igloo when Eskimos buy them pre-fab. How big? Bigger than the freezer in my refridgerator, and there's no room in the big freezer in my basement 'cause I got my dead grandma in there.

The free language, as depicted above, together with the deep-diving into details gives the book a good flow and is easy to read. You might want some background in basic metabolism, but most everything is explained on the way, so if you have no background, that's OK too.

Who is this book for? Again, as it says in the preface of the book, it's the diet book for people who are not fat. It assumes you have a few years of training background and have good knowledge on how your body reacts to working out, dieting and generally pushing the limits.

Or, simply anyone fascinated by dieting and training.

Who Is The Book For?

Now, being on a diet - in most setups - is about depriving yourself of something, be it carbs, fat or just energy itself. What happens if you by accident deviate from your diet plan? Will that one piece of "forbidden food" be enough to satisfy whatever craving you have, or do you start binging uncontrollably? It's the difference between being in control, and leaving control to an outside force: if you put yourself in a mindset where you don't feel guilty about having satisfied your craving, but instead tell yourself it was a planned step out of the path, you will have a higher chance of successfully returning back and following through with your diet. This is a very important realization to make, as it is for many people the make-or-break of a diet. Moreover, you might find yourself in a situation, such as a vacation trip, where it is simply too inconvenient to follow your diet. Lyle here introduces the concept of a "full diet break" with a few eating guidelines on how to make the best of the situation.

Other concepts, known from books such as "Ultimate Diet 2.0" is the structured refeed, performed to raise metabolic state and offset the tarnishing effect of being on a diet for longer periods -- for a large person, it might very well take years to slim down to a healthy weight, and planned breaks or refeeds once in a while can go a very long way towards following through with that entire year (or similarly long period) of dieting.

Finally, the book discusses how to eat at maintenance - you're not going to diet for the rest of your life, are you? While I don't fully agree with Lyle's view in terms of what constitutes healthy food, the guidelines are good enough for most people, and if you've been on a diet for a longer time, chances are you'll be able to adapt his recommendations to suit your specific needs.

Conclusion

Slanted towards the psychological side of dieting, the book is fairly unique in that it does cover the actual dieting part too. Usually, you'll find books addressing either side, but rarely together. It's an interesting read, if you're wondering how you should deal with your diet and have no other material by Lyle. If you have previously read "Ultimate Diet 2.0" and "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook" (or "The Ketogenic Diet"), it does not offer very much that is new, however, but it is still an interesting read.

Lyle's writing in A Guide to Flexible Dieting is clear, informative and casual, making it a quick read, hopefully leaving you with a new perspective on how to go about with dieting and the various aspects involved.

This Book is about Intermittent Fasting

The proponents behind the various schemes of eating have their own arguments: you should eat every third hour to keep a steady blood sugar level, keep hunger off and avoid the "starvation response", whereas the alternate view is that the blood sugar level is perfectly regulated by the human body even when you're not eating, hunger is mostly about habits, and that there is no short-term starvation response. The views behind the IF camp is also supported by science. Perhaps not very surprisingly, I'm a proponent of IF.

Main advantages of fasting, and therefore the basic ideas of IF, include:

• makes you more alert through the hormonal environment imposed by fasting;
• mimicks caloric restriction on life span and health;
• boosts the effect of resistance training;
• forces the body to rely on stored body fat for energy;
• lowers insulin levels, helping so-called stubborn fat come off more easily; and
• making the meals (meal, really) more filling if energy intake is restricted.

Some of these are still controversial and/or have been verified only in rat studies (such as the prolonged life span), however, others have support in studies on man. So far, so good.

Ori's Take on Intermittent Fasting

Ori discusses fasting in terms of undereating and overeating in an historical context, where warriors (e.g. the Romans) would nibble on food during the day to support heavy physical activity, which at the end of the day would be followed by a meal and relaxation, preparing for the next day. Here is where we find the main difference between The Warrior Diet and other IF approaches, where fasting means fasting (no caloric intake), whereas Ori gives go on fresh fruit and vegetables, and an occasional protein source such as whey, yoghurt and eggs in small amounts. The reasoning goes that one should consume foods containing certain enzymes, meaning live food, as well as for maintainin the proper alcaline/acid balance. Fasting is by Ori considered to help the body detoxify itself, which would not be possible if constantly in the fed state. This is certainly controversial, and so far I have not found any evidence the body indeed needs enzymes from food to function properly -- the ones required will be produced by the body itself. Same goes for the acid balance. The parts on hormones and how various foods (and toxins) affect them is mostly-accepted, and is an interesting read, though. Specifically, he discuses the effects food has on the sex hormones and the ones controlling your metabolism, and speculates how eating correctly might even reverse certain illnesses.

The reader might be lead thinking Ori proposes a low-carb diet, but the emphasis is more on proper carbohydrate sources rather than limiting them altogether. In fact, in the recipe section and recommended foods, many meals are high in carbohydrate and low in fat. That might not be completely representative of the overall views, however, as it is stated at several places in the text that in order to lose fat (especially the stubborn kind), you should trade carbohydrates for fat; limiting the intake to vegetables and the higher-glycemic carbohydrate sources to directly after working out, or as the last course of your meal to minimize the insulin response. There is also a section on Ori's preferred style of resistance training (avoiding failure at all costs, again mimicking how warriors were supposedly trained). Neither the advice on resistance training nor the recipes is something you couldn't pick up in a beginner's strength training book or cook book.

Aside from the rather long (and somewhat repetitive) sections on warrior history, what made the book interesting in my view is mainly the theory on "meal intensity" and how it plays a greater role in muscle development than simply total intake, which really does go in line with my observations, as well as (slightly far-fetched) one Norwegian study comparing the effects six versus three meals a day, with the latter resulting in greater muscle mass gains. Having one meal at the end of the day, when everything is done and there is time for relax, would be more in line with how wild animals live, while also being a nice way to round off the day. Perhaps somewhat analoguous to sleeping, you would rather want your eight hours of sleep in one chunk instead of naps spread out over the day. Anecdotally, I've noticed better results (mainly in terms of fat loss) doing 20-22 hour daily fasts, compared to the 16 hour regimen I used to follow. Whether the reason is that I do eat less is not important, as I'm allowed to eat until satisfied once a day followed by a good night's sleep, ready for the next day's tasks. Moreover, quoting Mark Sisson (Mark's Daily Apple; The Primal Blueprint) in his article 17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight in the section on IF:

If all goes well, your hunger won’t necessarily disappear, but it’ll change. A successful IF tames hunger, makes it less insistent and demanding.

What Did I Learn?

Would I recommend this book? Maybe, if you're interested in history, spirituality and a bit of biology/hormones. I personally followed something close to the plan outlined by Ori for a few weeks before I read the book, agreeing fully in the praise of the diet by the athletes in the preface of the book -- it is a lifestyle I can see myself follow. Moreover, Ori acknowledges there might be times where you would not be able to follow the recommendations fully, and that you should just let it pass to later on continue with your new-found way of life. Lifestyle is really where emphasis is put, where most other diet books are about restriction. Granted, fasting is also a form of restriction, but in my view the least problematic of plethora of restrictions available.

If you're not prepared to put the time or money into the book, I'd say you will be equally well off simply fasting until night, eat and then go to sleep, as the rest of the book does not really introduce anything required to, well, not eat, save for some advice on certain foods and their health benefits. Working out (specifically resistance/weight training), as with most good books on diet, is optional, but encouraged to speed up fat loss, improve on your physique and general health. Again, the material could be easily picked up elsewhere for specific goals, however, I believe that the book for many gives a nice back-to-back "diet solution" which could be comforting. It's fairly cheap, so why not?

Mandelscones

Blanda ihop

• 1 dl pofiber
• 1 dl fiberhusk (malda psylliumfrön)
• några teskedar salt, efter smak. scones brukar ha mycket salt i.
• 3-4 dl vatten

Det skall bli en gummiaktig, men inte hård, boll. Luktar svamp, men misströsta inte.

Rör ned

• 3 äggulor
• 1 msk smör (på ett ungefär)
• 1 dl vassleprotein, naturellt
• 2 dl malda/finfinhackade sötmandlar (för oss utan mixer)

Blir ungefär som en bröddeg snarare än sconessmet. Använd händerna!

Vispa äggvitorna hårt och rör försiktigt ned i degen ovanför. Nu är det ungefär som sconessmet! Klicka ut som vanliga sconesplättar på en oljad (de tenderar att fastna i underlaget) plåt eller oljat bakplåtspapper.

I min varmluftsugn tog det 15 minuter på 225C. Lite högre värme, ev lite kortare tid, i vanlig ugn. Justera efter önskad knaprighet. Kan även stekas! Smeten kan förvaras i en burk i kylskåpet, men var uppmärksam -- protein är (tyvärr) en utmärkt grogrund för bakterier...

Ta-da! Fluffiga och mumsiga (mjuka) scones! Kan förvaras i påse och blir mer som mjukt bröd till dagen efter, fortfarande lika gott. Säkerligen goda att rosta.

Perfekt för utflykter, biobesök eller en slö helgdag.

Hamburgare med bröd

Mandelsconesbrödskiva som botten. Stryk på ett (tjockt) lager dijonsenap. På med valfri hamburgare. Några ostskivor. Tacosås och majonnäs. Ett stort salladsblad.

Häpp!

Gräddglass

Häll följande i en shaker

• 3 dl vispgrädde
• 2-3 krm vaniljfrön
• 1 msk honung (kan med fördel justeras nedåt, ev. ersättas med sötningsmedel)

Skaka tills det slutar låta, dvs grädden blivit fast. Häll över i en bunke med lock, rör ned 3 äggulor, in i frysen. Färdigt på några timmar. Jag tog upp glassen och rörde om två gånger under tiden.

Glassen blir ungefär som Ben & Jerry: man får ta upp den en liten stund före, eftersom den är mer kompakt än BigPack och andra glassar med invispad luft. Smälter direkt på tungan, utan ett spår av iskristaller!

Fantastiskt gott, och nyttigt!