So a while back, actually it's been about 4 years now, oh how times flies! Well I made a video titled "Ice Packs to Get Rid of Body Fat - CoolSculpting - Brown Fat". My plan was to not only discuss the idea of using ice packs as a means to do your own in-home CoolSculpting but my plan was to also try it out myself. The problem was I didn't really think it though too much as we were heading into winter at the time and I keep my house rather cold so applying ice to my body just didn't really work out for me.
So here we are 4 years later and I thought I would make myself a human guinea pig and find out if using an Ice Pack or in this case a Cold Pack will really reduce the amount of fat in an area that I feel holds more fat than I would like it to. For me this is my Jaw line, both under and on it. As I have gotten older I am starting to get a little bit of that Jowl look and I feel it ages me more than the rest of the way my face and body looks so why not give it a try!
I will be applying a Cold Jaw Pack once per day for 30 days, at least that is the plan as long as my body can tolerate it, I may have to do this every second day but we will see how it goes. I will report back when the test is over but to get full results I will need to wait at least a full month after my last session as it does take some time for the body to absorb the dead fat cells. So stay posted as I really want to see this one through!
This is far from a review, more of an update on my plans to test out the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to see if perhaps this is the best solution for my needs?
I just recently switched from my Garmin Fenix 5X to a TicWatch Pro GPS. Now the Garmin Fenix 5X was a fantastic fitness Watch but lacked in the SmartWatch category. On the other hand the TicWatch Pro 3 GPS is a really great OS Wear SmartWatch and the Fitness integration is there but is cumbersome and not as refined as what you get on a dedicated Fitness Watch like what Garmin offers.
So here we are with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 running a new version of Wear OS 3. I have used Samsung Galaxy Watches in the past and liked them a lot even the Samsung App which runs on your SmartPhone and watch is a very full featured App. So I am hoping maybe this solution will get me not only an awesome SmartWatch experience but also solid Fitness tracking capabilities.
Right now I am in the testing stage so the jury is not out yet but so far things are look positive overall with a few hiccups that may or may not be an issue! Stay posted for my more in depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and if it is up to the task at least for my requirements...
There is a ton of info in the video that would make for a huge read if I actually wrote it all out so I will summarize here to keep it short and sweet but make sure to watch my full TicWatch Pro 3 GPS As a Fitness Watch with an Android Phone video for the complete details on the inner working of how I was able to make my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS Smart Watch into a fairly usable Fitness Watch.
Fitness is important to me but I also like the way a good Smart Watch becomes an extension of your Phone allowing you to keep it in your pocket a bit more which can in a way be less distracting and time consuming keeping track of all the incoming pings and dings...
That said I need to have a Smart Watch that at the end of the day can track my daily steps accurately, record my fitness activities again accurately and also have a good on board heart rate monitor with the ability to also connect an external chest strap based heart rate monitor for more accurate heart rate readings. I also need all of this information to sync automatically with MyFitnessPal so I don't need to manually record this data into my food tracking app.
So here is a quick rundown of some of the Apps I need to make this all happen on my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS since there is not a single App that can do it all :)
Adidas Running App: I use the Watch version of the App to record my activities like Weight Training, Walking, Biking... The Adidas Running App syncs this data to MyFintessPal along with Google Fit.
Google Fit App: Google Fit does not sync properly with MyFitnessPal even though it claims it does, I did find a work around by using a third party App called Health Sync which allows the syncing of data between Apps that normally do not have this option so because Google Fit has an App on my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS that counts steps I can then sync these steps to the Fitbit App which then syncs the steps to MyFintessPal.
iHealth Sync App: Again Health Sync is a mediator between Apps and for me I use it to sync Google Fit Steps to Fitbit, I also use it to sync my iHealth Scale to Fitbit which then in turn syncs that data to MyFitnessPal so I don't have to manually enter this every time my weight changes.
Fitbit App: Fitbit at least for me is another what I call transition App as it plays nicely with MyFitnessPal so any data that I can get into Fitbit will then be synced with MyFitnesPal so in my case, Steps form Google Fit, Activities form Adidas Running and body weight from iHealth.
Mobvoi Fitness App: I really don't use the Mobvoi Fitness App much other than to occasionally look at my sleeping adn maybe my steps since it record all this data no matter what from the Watch App. It's a decent Fitness App but has too many limitations like not being apple to sync with MyFitnessPal and no External Heart Rate Monitor option in the Watch version of the App.
MyFitnessPal: This is the end game App where my goal is to get all of my Fitness calorie data into from my TicWatch Pro 3 GPS. The purpose of this is to track my calories consumed via food and beverage and then offset those calories with my base daily resting calories burned combined with my exercise calories to see where I stand calories in versus calories out.
Yes it all sounds a bit confusing and id did take a lot of trial and error to get this sorted out and working on my Android Phone. It's all working nicely at the moment but you never know as I could be one update away from something in this rather complicated workflow from not playing nicely for me...
I am based in Canada so I am most knowledgeable when it comes to the actual process of how TRT works in Canada. I do have a fairly good understanding of how TRT works in the US since I have partnered to some degree with Royal Medical Center in the US, a main reputable US based TRT Clinic. That said I may not know all the ins and out when it comes to the process of each countries setup but I will do my best to explain everything based on my understanding of it all.
TRT in Canada: In Canada there are TRT clinics, well sort of, these are simply what I would call more specialized doctors that focus on TRT for both Men and Women but you still need to jump through the Canadian Medical System hoops of first getting tested (Which is a good start), then "IF" your blood work determines you are not in a normal range of Testosterone for your age and sex, (So below normal), then you can proceed to a doctor consult where a TRT plan is initiated. Keep in mind if you are right on the cusp of falling into the below normal range but not actual in it, well so sorry you do not qualify for TRT even if you have all the symptoms of low Testosterone. Canada TRT Clinics will generally charge you for blood work, the initial doctors consult and then periodic follow up fees.
We do have a "FREE" option in Canada since we have a Free Canada Wide Medical System which can work great for some qualified TRT patients. You can simply go to your family doctor and ask for blood work to determine if you have low Testosterone and depending on the doctor they can also prescribe a TRT treatment for you but this is a real hit and miss situation as most family Doctors are not generally trained all that well in this area and many are not comfortable prescribing a TRT option. Most will also be super conservative with the TRT dose which in some, cases is not enough since they really only look at Testosterone levels and not so much what your symptoms are. So they are happy to get you somewhere in the middle ranges even if there does not seem to be much of a benefit from it.
So what if you are low on Testosterone but not low enough and you have all the classic low Testosterone symptoms? Keep in mind I am in no way encouraging anyone to do anything illegal or conduct in shady affairs, I am only offering up information on this subject. Since buying, owning and purchasing Testosterone in Canada is fully legal you can source out your own Testosterone which is kind of a catch since selling Testosterone is the illegal part as Testosterone is considered a controlled substance in terms of selling it. However, finding Testosterone for sale outside a registered pharmacy is not that hard of you do a little bit of Internet digging, quality may be subject though?
So in other words, if you happened to source out your own Testosterone and then go see your doctor for blood work, your doctors obligation is to keep you healthy and not make judgments on your conduct same would be true for smoking, drinking too much, poor diet, being overweight, not getting enough exercise, or taking drugs which would include Testosterone. Again! Your doctors job is to advise and help you stay healthy and so they are required to setup blood work and monitor your Testosterone levels and help you stay in healthy ranges even if your doctor is not prescribing your supplied Testosterone. The cost of actual Testosterone outside of a registered Pharmacy is relatively inexpensive! for example a 10ml bottle of a 400mg per mil Testosterone blend is only about $100 and even if you where taking a higher TRT dose of 200ml per week that would last you 20 weeks, So around $20-$25 per month. Probably cheaper than your protein powder cost each month. You may also require a small amount of an Anti Estrogen medication but if your Testosterone dose is in normal ranges, most likely you will not require an AI.
TRT in the US: So how does the US compare? First of all the legalities are much different in the US when it comes to any steroid including Testosterone. Outside of a doctors prescription they are illegal to buy, sell own and use. I am sure same as in Canada you can also take a similar Family Doctor approach in the US but from my understanding you will have to pay for any blood work testing, doctor visits and medications depending on your medical plan.
Another very popular option is using a reputable TRT Clinic like Royal Medical Center, they generally offer more of a flat rate payment system where you are charged a certain amount each month and this includes all your TRT treatment drugs that are usually shipped to your residence and any ongoing blood work and consultations. You may have to pay an up front fee to get your initial blood work and the first consultation that may or may mot be offset into any on going monthly fees.
TRT Clinics in the US have very specialized doctors that are knowledgeable in Hormone Replacement Therapy. They not only look at your blood work but also your symptoms since blood work only tells half of the story and since every human is different there isn't a one size fits all Testosterone range for everyone. Some people can function perfectly normal with very low Testosterone levels while others even at higher levels struggle with low TRT symptoms. TRT Clinics in the US take all of this into account which is not the case with Canadian TRT Clinics and Family Doctors. The downside is this can become more of a business and less of a practice since TRT Clinics make most of their income from having long term Clients. So in effect they could be looking for any reason to proceed with a TRT treatment when perhaps there are other options available? That said I feel most reputable TRT Clinics ultimately want the best outcome for their patients.
I hope this help you no matter if you live in Canada or the US. Each country has their own benefits and shortcomings but ultimately what is most important is helping anyone experiencing low Testosterone feel better and get their health in order.
It's been a little over a week now giving me lots of time to reflect on competition day for the Vancouver Island Showdown in beautiful Victoria British Columbia Canada. All in all I had a wonderful time, it was kind of like a mini getaway for my wife and I, just would have liked to have spent a couple more days there for sure.
Getting back to the show, I do like some time to think things over and in some cases come to terms with what exactly happened. This show could for sure have gone a lot worse but I know it could have also gone a lot better if I timed things better as I know I was in really good condition and had good size leading into this show, so what went wrong?
In this videos I talk about the carbing up process and how important this is since by carbing up you can either nail a full and dry look, come in too dry and not full enough, or come in overfull and spilled over. You want the first one by the way. I however came in really full and spilling over slightly which at the end of the day means I looked full and big but lost a lot of the detail and ended up being a bit bloated with too much water coming out of my muscles and going into my mid section and anywhere that I had any fat at all, so my mid section, my back and my face.
I also talk about how that happened and where I made some mistakes that I will use as yet another learning lesson. Will I use this new information for a future show??? I'm not sure at the moment, I like to relax after a show and not put any immediate pressure on myself and that's exactly what I am going to do, enjoy life, enjoy eating, enjoy my workouts and let the future unfold on it's own...
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 12:58PM ;)
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