Its been a while since I have had 2 good weigh in's in a row. So I am very excited with the past two weeks, and more so with this week. Its was a big one. I haven't had one of those in a while, so again, pardon the excitement.
I have been very dedicated to my lifting and have been in the gym every morning M-F for the past two weeks. No skipping, dogging it, or sleeping in. I'm getting in, getting focused and getting it done. There is almost no better feeling than walking out of the gym knowing you gave everything you had. It very addicting to say the least. I have to give another big thanks to my boy Brian "Big Papa Pump" Boykin for joining me every morning and helping me to make this happen. I know your reading this... I appreciate all you do brother!
I was looking online at bodybuilder.com for supplements and came across a 12 week body transformation competition being sponsored by MusclePharm called "Live Shredded". It was free to enter and the winner gets 10 grand, so I figured what the heck. I had a friend take my front, side, and back photo's (Thank you again Angela!) I submitted my entry and photos and now have the next 12 weeks to see how much I can change my body shape and try to win 10k. Will I win, who knows, but its worth a shot and it is always nice to have something to keep me motivated, besides, I love the competition. On to the numbers...
I started the week at 223.0 and was coming off a 2.5lb week, I thought there was no way I was going to have another good week. I got on the scale and was 220.0. I lost 3 pounds this week and it brings me to an even 70 pounds down! That's an average loss of 1.55lbs a week. I am now 30 pounds away from my goal of 100 pounds lost and 20 pounds away from cracking the 200 mark on the scale.
Another week down and another begins! Til next week remember this: "Work will win, when wishing wont."
Friday, August 26, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
08/19/2011 Week 44 ...and its about time!
What can I say... This week was as good as last week was bad. What a difference a week makes! I was determined, focused, didn't cheat and worked my tail off in the gym. I went back to a straight calorie count but still trying to eat every 3 hours. I really like the fact that I can cycle between calories and carb cycling. It really has helped in keeping my diet fresh and keeping my body guessing. I also did my 60 day measurements, and while I will keep most of them private I am happy to report that I dropped 3.5% body fat in the last 30 days, and have dropped 4.5% in the last 60 days since I started strength training.
Here is a breakdown of the last 60 days. I have lost 8lbs of body weight while losing 4.5% of my body fat. Based on the LBM (Lean Body Mass) calculator I increased my lean mass from 161 lbs to 167 lbs while dropping my total body weight from 231 to 223. So that a gain of 6 lbs of muscle and a loss of 8 lbs of body weight for a total net change of 14 pounds! In the last 60 days I was able to gain on average of .75 lbs of muscle a week. Most experts say that it is impossible to gain more than 1 lbs a week of muscle unless your on the juice, so I am very pleased with my results. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't want the scale to be the only indicator of my success. The numbers speak for themselves, so while I may have only "lost" 8 pounds in the past 2 months I have reshaped my body and gained muscle and strength. In the word of Charlie Sheen... Winning!
On to the numbers on the scale. I started the week at 225.5 and had gained a pound the previous week. So I was ready to see a loss. I was 223.0 this morning and have a loss of 2.5 lbs this week. That's a total of 67 lbs lost and it puts me 33 pounds from my goal and 23 pounds from breaking the 200's and getting into One-derland. Based on the previous 2 months of training and the numbers I am seeing I guess it could take a little time to get there. I have 8 more weeks til I hit my year mark and although I will not see 100 lbs lost I think getting to 210-215 would be great and give me a loss if 75-80 pounds this year. If I hadn't started putting muscle on I may have been able to get closer to my goal, but I am very pleased with my progress and weight loss.
Til next week, get out there, get active, and keep it moving. If your thinking about changing your life and getting into shape. Don't wait til Monday, start today!
Here is a breakdown of the last 60 days. I have lost 8lbs of body weight while losing 4.5% of my body fat. Based on the LBM (Lean Body Mass) calculator I increased my lean mass from 161 lbs to 167 lbs while dropping my total body weight from 231 to 223. So that a gain of 6 lbs of muscle and a loss of 8 lbs of body weight for a total net change of 14 pounds! In the last 60 days I was able to gain on average of .75 lbs of muscle a week. Most experts say that it is impossible to gain more than 1 lbs a week of muscle unless your on the juice, so I am very pleased with my results. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't want the scale to be the only indicator of my success. The numbers speak for themselves, so while I may have only "lost" 8 pounds in the past 2 months I have reshaped my body and gained muscle and strength. In the word of Charlie Sheen... Winning!
On to the numbers on the scale. I started the week at 225.5 and had gained a pound the previous week. So I was ready to see a loss. I was 223.0 this morning and have a loss of 2.5 lbs this week. That's a total of 67 lbs lost and it puts me 33 pounds from my goal and 23 pounds from breaking the 200's and getting into One-derland. Based on the previous 2 months of training and the numbers I am seeing I guess it could take a little time to get there. I have 8 more weeks til I hit my year mark and although I will not see 100 lbs lost I think getting to 210-215 would be great and give me a loss if 75-80 pounds this year. If I hadn't started putting muscle on I may have been able to get closer to my goal, but I am very pleased with my progress and weight loss.
Til next week, get out there, get active, and keep it moving. If your thinking about changing your life and getting into shape. Don't wait til Monday, start today!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
08/13/2011 Week 43 Not the best week I have ever had...
Week 43 is here regardless of whether I want it to be or not. I guess my post is a little late for the week. I have been making excuses about writing it. You know I have been busy and didn't have time, etc, etc, etc. In truth, I just had a terrible week on the scale. I guess the silver lining is I had a great week in the gym and had some killer workouts.
So my weekend of fun ended in a nightmare. It wasn't that I ate crazy amounts of terrible food, but I didn't drink any water, drank too much diet soda and ate way to many salty snacks. I picked up a serious amount of water weight. I got on the scale on Monday morning and weighed in at 231.8, over 7 pounds from my Friday weigh in. Obviously there is no way I gained real weight. I got back onto plan and started drinking water and had gotten back down to 225.0 by Thursday morning. I was feeling confident I would be able to get back to my weight of 224.5. Then I went to the PGA championships and did not stick to plan. Needless to say I was still at 225.5 as of Friday morning. I gained 1 pound for the week. That puts me at 65 lbs lost and still needing 35 pounds to go to hit the 100 mark. As I said, the silver lining was I had some great gym sessions. I am really loving my workouts and loving the results. I am going to be very diligent in week 44 and will stick to plan as best as I can. No sneaks, no treats and no letting up. Lets see if we can get some results on the scale this week. Wish me luck!
So my weekend of fun ended in a nightmare. It wasn't that I ate crazy amounts of terrible food, but I didn't drink any water, drank too much diet soda and ate way to many salty snacks. I picked up a serious amount of water weight. I got on the scale on Monday morning and weighed in at 231.8, over 7 pounds from my Friday weigh in. Obviously there is no way I gained real weight. I got back onto plan and started drinking water and had gotten back down to 225.0 by Thursday morning. I was feeling confident I would be able to get back to my weight of 224.5. Then I went to the PGA championships and did not stick to plan. Needless to say I was still at 225.5 as of Friday morning. I gained 1 pound for the week. That puts me at 65 lbs lost and still needing 35 pounds to go to hit the 100 mark. As I said, the silver lining was I had some great gym sessions. I am really loving my workouts and loving the results. I am going to be very diligent in week 44 and will stick to plan as best as I can. No sneaks, no treats and no letting up. Lets see if we can get some results on the scale this week. Wish me luck!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
08/06/2011 Week 42 Stay the path...
Another week has come and gone. I wish I had more to report on this week but it has been much of the same. Eating right, waking up early and working hard, going to the Y in the evenings and working out again. I am enjoying my routine, but there isn't a lot of excitement with it.
Last week I started a carb cycle program and had moderate success. I was able to move the scale, and was hoping to continue the same this week. I didn't have as good a week as I had hoped, but there was a loss. I started the week at 225.5. I weighed in at 224.5 this week, it was a loss of 1 pound. That brings my total to 65.5 lost.
I haven't been burning up the scale as of late and have decided to take the weekend off. I will let myself relax, no calorie counting, no carb cycling, just relaxing. I need to give my brain and body a few days off. I will get back to plan on Monday and refocus my efforts. Here's hoping to a big number on week 43!
Til next week...
Last week I started a carb cycle program and had moderate success. I was able to move the scale, and was hoping to continue the same this week. I didn't have as good a week as I had hoped, but there was a loss. I started the week at 225.5. I weighed in at 224.5 this week, it was a loss of 1 pound. That brings my total to 65.5 lost.
I haven't been burning up the scale as of late and have decided to take the weekend off. I will let myself relax, no calorie counting, no carb cycling, just relaxing. I need to give my brain and body a few days off. I will get back to plan on Monday and refocus my efforts. Here's hoping to a big number on week 43!
Til next week...
Friday, July 29, 2011
07/29/2011 Week 41 A little bit of progress goes a long ways emotionally...
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...
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 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!
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