Its week 41 and almost August. I cant believe where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday I started on this journey. It has been a good week on the scale and in the weight room. I love feeling stronger and seeing results. It really is the best motivation. I have also been doing alot of research on nutrition and how to maximize my diet for fat burning, and building muscle. For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE fan of trainer Chris Powell. Its way past man-crush status. He is the trainer on the show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. He has been doing weight loss and body transformations for years and has helped one client lose over 400 lbs in 2 years. Obviously he knows a little something about weight loss and fat burning. After some serious research on the Internet I was able to stumble across an article with his plan and YouTube videos. http://www.skinnybliss.com/chris-powell-diet-plan-the-carb-cycle-solution-video.html
I have been stuck on this plateau of mine for about 6 weeks and I was looking for something I could do to get off it and to burn fat. What he talks about really does make sense and really resonated with me. I have been unknowingly living on cycle 1 of the program for the past few months, so I started on cycle 2 this week. I was hoping to see something, anything on the scale. I am past the cravings and the feeling of being out of control with my diet. I have a friend who says food is fuel. That's the truth, its fuel. I'm still trying to enjoy what I eat, but that is taking a backseat to what I eat and when I eat it. I am eating every 3 hours and eating 5 times a day. It is work to make sure you have the right foods packed in a cooler so you have them with you when the timer goes off, but in the end it will be worth it and will get me to my ideal weight and shape. Sacrifice and hard work, there is no other way. So far so good! On to the numbers!
I started the week at 227.2 and really frustrated. By Monday morning I was at 230 and about to lose my mind! I started cycle 2 of the carb cycle solution on Tuesday morning. As of my weigh in this morning I was at 225.5. That's a loss of 1.7 lbs for the week. Its been one of my bigger weeks in the last 2 months. I am now down 64.5 lbs. I am hoping that I can gain some traction with this new plan and lose some more weight and fat!
The weight loss is really good for me emotionally. I know that I have been strength training and gaining muscle, but I get so tired of hearing the whole "Muscle is heavier than fat" thing. Here is the truth behind it.
FACT: Muscle IS heavier than fat.
FICTION: "Fat turns into muscle". Fat and muscle are TWO separate things, fat will never be muscle and muscle will never be fat. Ever.
FICTION: You cannot build more than 1lb of muscle a week naturally. A half pound is more realistic. I don't do steroids, so I will not be seeing 2 lbs a week of muscle gains.
FACT: You can burn 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
I have never been good at math, but I should still be able to lose 1-2 pounds of fat a week and only gain .5 lbs of muscle. So I can lose fat and gain muscle without gaining weight. Its science folks. I should still be losing weight. So YES, losing almost 2 pounds this week was really good for me emotionally. It gives me a new found focus and helps to break out of the discouragement and frustration of this plateau I have been on. It has been mentally draining, and emotionally taxing. Its amazing how a few pounds goes a long ways...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
07/22/2011 Week 40 Updated 30 day pics
Its week 40 and I have 12 weeks to go to hit my year mark. I'm not stopping there, but that will signal the end of my initial goal period to lose 100 pounds in a year. Regardless of the final 1 year weigh in I will still continue my journey until I hit my end goals and get my body to look and feel how I want it to. I'm in this thing for life!
So last week I reported my 30 day numbers. I didn't have my photos ready to post, but I have taken them and had a friend put them side by side so you could do a real comparison. I will post the photo at the bottom of this post. These are not "before" pics as far as when I started my weight loss, but they are photos of when I started my strength training. I had already lost 60 pounds in the pics on the left.
So on to the numbers for the week. I started the week at 227.2 and I ended the week at 227.0 So only a minimal weight loss. I can attribute that to several things. From the photo you will see I am reshaping my body, so by adding muscle I am not going to "net" as much of a loss as before. I also was taking a supplement (N.O. Explode, BSN Labs) that had creatine monohydrate, that type of creatine makes you retain water and therefore you retain water weight, which can effect the scale. I switched supplements (NeuroCore, MuscleTech) this week to something that has creatine hydrochloride, which does not make you retain water, however it will take at least a week for the water I retained to exit my body. So maybe next week I will see a difference. So after that lengthy explanation I am down 63 pounds after 40 weeks, that is an average of 1.395 lbs a week, which is almost a half pound off what I needed to average a week to lose 100 pounds for the year. I am very hopeful that I can come of this plateau soon and that the supplement change will help. I am lifting 4-5 days a week and doing 4-5 cardio sessions a week, so eventually something has to give. Quitting is not an option, so I will keep working and hope for the best!
I appreciate all the support, there is so much sacrifice and dedication that goes into this endeavor. 5:30am strength training, evening cardio, and strict adherence to a nutrition regimen. There are days I want to eat like 100 cheeseburgers, but I don't, and wont. So thanks for help keeping me accountable to myself! Til next week!
So last week I reported my 30 day numbers. I didn't have my photos ready to post, but I have taken them and had a friend put them side by side so you could do a real comparison. I will post the photo at the bottom of this post. These are not "before" pics as far as when I started my weight loss, but they are photos of when I started my strength training. I had already lost 60 pounds in the pics on the left.
So on to the numbers for the week. I started the week at 227.2 and I ended the week at 227.0 So only a minimal weight loss. I can attribute that to several things. From the photo you will see I am reshaping my body, so by adding muscle I am not going to "net" as much of a loss as before. I also was taking a supplement (N.O. Explode, BSN Labs) that had creatine monohydrate, that type of creatine makes you retain water and therefore you retain water weight, which can effect the scale. I switched supplements (NeuroCore, MuscleTech) this week to something that has creatine hydrochloride, which does not make you retain water, however it will take at least a week for the water I retained to exit my body. So maybe next week I will see a difference. So after that lengthy explanation I am down 63 pounds after 40 weeks, that is an average of 1.395 lbs a week, which is almost a half pound off what I needed to average a week to lose 100 pounds for the year. I am very hopeful that I can come of this plateau soon and that the supplement change will help. I am lifting 4-5 days a week and doing 4-5 cardio sessions a week, so eventually something has to give. Quitting is not an option, so I will keep working and hope for the best!
I appreciate all the support, there is so much sacrifice and dedication that goes into this endeavor. 5:30am strength training, evening cardio, and strict adherence to a nutrition regimen. There are days I want to eat like 100 cheeseburgers, but I don't, and wont. So thanks for help keeping me accountable to myself! Til next week!
Pic on the left: June 15th 230lbs
Pic on the right: July 18th 228 lbs
Friday, July 15, 2011
07/15/2011 Week 39 Retest and One month measurements!!!
Hey all, its week 39! I'm down to 13 weeks left to hit my year mark. I have some mixed emotions only because I may miss my goal of 100 pounds lost by October 15th, but we are gonna keep working!
I had to shut down the running this week to rest my knees. I however did not take a break from the cycle. Last week I hit 38 miles on the bike and so far this week I am sitting at 24, with another 15 mile ride planned for Saturday. so that will put me to 39, who knows I may go 16 to make it an even 40 for the week. I got some new cycling shorts with built in gel pads in them. Oh what a difference! My ride last night was heavenly!
So here is the good, bad and ugly of it. I am still on my plateau! I thought I was moving off of it, but I was wrong. As of this morning I was still sitting at 227.2, another week of no weight loss. I am still down 63 pounds and still have 37 pounds to go to hit my goal. I am so confused at this, but I will not quit! All of the cardio and strength training , and nothing to show for it on the scale. I however did retest my body fat percentage last night and remeasured, and that showed some great results!
June 15th/ July 15th/ Difference
Body Fat: 30.30/ 29.40/ - .90%
Neck: 17.5/16.75/ - .75 inches
Chest: 43/46/ + 3 inches
Waist: 41/41/ no change
Hips: 45.5/44/ - 1.5 inches
Thighs: 25/26.5/ + 1.5 inches
Calf's: 15/17/ + 2 inches
Biceps 12.5/14/ + 1.5 inches
Forearm: 9/11.5/ + 2.5 inches
Based on the measurements I know I am reshaping my body. I am gaining inches in my muscles and losing inches of fat in my hips and waist. So although I have not seen the numbers on the scale change, there is positive changes happening. Eventually I will have to start losing weight again, but I am not going to obsess about it. I will just keep trying to mix things up and get proper nutrition and calories, and see where it goes. There really isn't any other alternatives, because I am not going back to being fat, lazy and out of shape.
Til next week, keep it moving!
I had to shut down the running this week to rest my knees. I however did not take a break from the cycle. Last week I hit 38 miles on the bike and so far this week I am sitting at 24, with another 15 mile ride planned for Saturday. so that will put me to 39, who knows I may go 16 to make it an even 40 for the week. I got some new cycling shorts with built in gel pads in them. Oh what a difference! My ride last night was heavenly!
So here is the good, bad and ugly of it. I am still on my plateau! I thought I was moving off of it, but I was wrong. As of this morning I was still sitting at 227.2, another week of no weight loss. I am still down 63 pounds and still have 37 pounds to go to hit my goal. I am so confused at this, but I will not quit! All of the cardio and strength training , and nothing to show for it on the scale. I however did retest my body fat percentage last night and remeasured, and that showed some great results!
June 15th/ July 15th/ Difference
Body Fat: 30.30/ 29.40/ - .90%
Neck: 17.5/16.75/ - .75 inches
Chest: 43/46/ + 3 inches
Waist: 41/41/ no change
Hips: 45.5/44/ - 1.5 inches
Thighs: 25/26.5/ + 1.5 inches
Calf's: 15/17/ + 2 inches
Biceps 12.5/14/ + 1.5 inches
Forearm: 9/11.5/ + 2.5 inches
Based on the measurements I know I am reshaping my body. I am gaining inches in my muscles and losing inches of fat in my hips and waist. So although I have not seen the numbers on the scale change, there is positive changes happening. Eventually I will have to start losing weight again, but I am not going to obsess about it. I will just keep trying to mix things up and get proper nutrition and calories, and see where it goes. There really isn't any other alternatives, because I am not going back to being fat, lazy and out of shape.
Til next week, keep it moving!
Friday, July 8, 2011
07/08/2011 Week 38 ...
It is week 38 and I think I may slowly getting off this plateau I have been on. I have been working hard to zig zag my calories and been very careful with my nutrition. I can only hope I keep seeing the numbers move down!
I started the week at 228.5 and am now down to 227.2, so it wasn't a huge loss, but it is down over 7 pounds from 11 days ago. I am down 62.8 pounds. I only have 37 more to go to hit my 1 year goal of losing 100 pounds. It is getting so close, but feels soooo far away! One step at a time I guess. They say the great wall of china was built one brick at a time, so I guess my situation is no different, one pound at a time and I will eventually get there.
I hit another personal best on my mile time and did it in 10:22 this morning and that was after a heavy leg workout. One of these days soon I will go under 10. This has been a pretty tough week as far as mileage goes. I am sitting at 25 miles on the bike (10 mile and 15 mile rides) and just over 2 miles running. Maybe next week I can get 30, its something to shoot for anyways.
Til next week guys!
I started the week at 228.5 and am now down to 227.2, so it wasn't a huge loss, but it is down over 7 pounds from 11 days ago. I am down 62.8 pounds. I only have 37 more to go to hit my 1 year goal of losing 100 pounds. It is getting so close, but feels soooo far away! One step at a time I guess. They say the great wall of china was built one brick at a time, so I guess my situation is no different, one pound at a time and I will eventually get there.
I hit another personal best on my mile time and did it in 10:22 this morning and that was after a heavy leg workout. One of these days soon I will go under 10. This has been a pretty tough week as far as mileage goes. I am sitting at 25 miles on the bike (10 mile and 15 mile rides) and just over 2 miles running. Maybe next week I can get 30, its something to shoot for anyways.
Til next week guys!
Friday, July 1, 2011
07/01/2011 Week 31 Nothing says the 4th of July like pumping up!
Another week has flown by and it has been eventful! It is getting a lot easier to wake up at 5:30am to get to the gym. I am seeing results and getting stronger. It is worth the lack of sleep. I gotta give a big shout out to my partner is crime Brian "Big Papa Pump" Boykin. He has been keeping me honest and working me into the ground. I forgot how much I loved it!
I ran my simulated 5k on Saturday morning and had a time of 36:53, that's a pace of 11:55 a mile. I also had a speed workout this week and beat my previous mile time and went under 11:30. I am hoping to get it around 10:00 a mile by Duathlon time. I have had a little stiffness in the knees this week and cut my running from 4 days to 3 days, and still ice religiously. I need to work into and slow it down. I don't need to be shelved for another 3 months for tendinitis!
So I figured I had been on a plateau for a few weeks and did some research on how to break one or get off one. I went over calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and by Monday morning I had gained 3.8 pounds. I then cut my calories each day until this morning. I lost 5 pounds from the Monday weigh in and am hoping that I can say adios to this plateau. I am going to be doing something called "zig zaging" my calories. Your body gets used to the same amount of calories everyday and then adapts. I need to keep it guessing so it cant get comfortable. I will still be eating around 13,000 calories a week, but I will be eating over 2000 someday and around 1300 on others. I don't want to get back into a predictable pattern until I have gotten past this plateau. So on to the numbers!
I started the week at 230.0 and by Monday was up to 233.8. As of weigh in this morning I was 228.5 and down 1.5 pounds for the week bringing my total lost to 61.5. I still have 38.5 to lose before October 15th to hit my goal. I am hoping with the added strength training and cardio along with keeping my body guessing I will be back to my 2-3 pounds a week and will be back on pace in no time!
I have added a few races to my schedule and will now be running my first official 5k on July 23rd. I will still be racing the Y 5k on August 13th and then the Dualathlon on August 27th. I am then targeting November 5th for the "Rock and Roll" Half marathon in Savannah. I am hopeful that my knees will hold up and I can train. This is a very lofty target, but I really want to put it out there and see if I can get there.
I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July. God Bless America!
I ran my simulated 5k on Saturday morning and had a time of 36:53, that's a pace of 11:55 a mile. I also had a speed workout this week and beat my previous mile time and went under 11:30. I am hoping to get it around 10:00 a mile by Duathlon time. I have had a little stiffness in the knees this week and cut my running from 4 days to 3 days, and still ice religiously. I need to work into and slow it down. I don't need to be shelved for another 3 months for tendinitis!
So I figured I had been on a plateau for a few weeks and did some research on how to break one or get off one. I went over calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and by Monday morning I had gained 3.8 pounds. I then cut my calories each day until this morning. I lost 5 pounds from the Monday weigh in and am hoping that I can say adios to this plateau. I am going to be doing something called "zig zaging" my calories. Your body gets used to the same amount of calories everyday and then adapts. I need to keep it guessing so it cant get comfortable. I will still be eating around 13,000 calories a week, but I will be eating over 2000 someday and around 1300 on others. I don't want to get back into a predictable pattern until I have gotten past this plateau. So on to the numbers!
I started the week at 230.0 and by Monday was up to 233.8. As of weigh in this morning I was 228.5 and down 1.5 pounds for the week bringing my total lost to 61.5. I still have 38.5 to lose before October 15th to hit my goal. I am hoping with the added strength training and cardio along with keeping my body guessing I will be back to my 2-3 pounds a week and will be back on pace in no time!
I have added a few races to my schedule and will now be running my first official 5k on July 23rd. I will still be racing the Y 5k on August 13th and then the Dualathlon on August 27th. I am then targeting November 5th for the "Rock and Roll" Half marathon in Savannah. I am hopeful that my knees will hold up and I can train. This is a very lofty target, but I really want to put it out there and see if I can get there.
I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July. God Bless America!
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