Hi guys

I have decided to start this journal as to help keep me motivated, not that I need much of that at the moment.

I decided that at 45 and 5’11” tall and weighing in at almost 16 stone( 217lb )( 30%+ BF ) that I needed to start to shape up a LOT.

The main deciding factor for this decision was that in September last year I wound up in the Coronary care unit at my local hospital, was being treated for a heart attack, but in the end to my relief it turned out to be a condition called Pericarditis,Mimics the symtoms of angina very well too, still quite serious but with treatment and a total of 9 days in hospital and 7 weeks of work I started to make a good recovery.

A lot of good has come out of this illness, I have stopped smoking now for 6 months ( 40 a day to 0 over night ), I have now completely changed my diet, gone from eating crap to eating healthy.
I also joined a gym and workout at home with weights.
I feel so much more healthy now that things are going my way once more.

My goal is to get down to approx 12.5 stone 175lb, then to start to shape the body.

My Diet

As I am trying to loose weight I am following a calorie controlled diet of aprrox 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats, I am sticking to about 2200 calories per day.

7.30

3 weetabix with 100 ml of semi skimmed milk. or 50 grams of Oats
1 Banana
1 Natural Whey drink mixed with water (28 grams)
1 1000mg super strength fish oil capsule.
1 5ml Flaxseed oil

10-11 am

1 tin tuna in spring water (56 grams drained weight)
1 half of chicken sandwich with lettuce (Nimble bread 49kcal per slice)
1 banana

1.0 Pm

1 tin tuna in spring water (56 grams drained weight)
1 half of chicken sandwich with lettuce (Nimble bread 49kcal per slice)
120 grams chicken breast.

3.00 pm

1 low fat Hot x bun
1 banana

3.30 pm

1 Natural Whey drink mixed with water (28 grams)

4.00 pm

Gym (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
Weights at home (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)

Rest day Saturday.

5.00 pm

1 Natural Whey drink mixed with water (56 grams)

6.30 pm

Usually have Chicken breast with lots of vegetables and a small amount of potatoes. sometimes with whole-wheat rice or whole-wheat Pasta.
Occasionally I have Pasta with Ham.

9.00 pm

A 30 gram bag of unsalted peanuts or cashews and a banana.

I drink about 4 litres of water a day mostly of the mineral type.


Progress so far.

I started on 23/01/06 weighing in at 217lb, the first three weeks the weight just fell off.
This last week it has settled to 3lb lost

I know stand at 200lb.

I have been taking weekly photos so I can see the progress, rather than just relying on the scales.
I am feeling the benefit of all these changes, I sleep better and I feel better. No more feeling bloated all the time, I am now more focused on this next stage in my life and am putting the past years illness behind me, Finally.
I am feeling very pleased with my self at the moment as not only have I changed my diet (not on a diet) I am not missing the ciggies, chocolate or crisps to which my life seemed to be ruled by.

My stats


23/01/06

Neck 16”
Bicep 13.75”
Forearm 11”
Chest 45.50”
Waist 46”
Hips 40.75”
Thigh 21”
Calf 15.75”

26/02/06

Neck 15.50”
Bicep 13.75”
Forearm 11.12
Chest 44”
Waist 44”
Hips 39.50
Thigh 21.25
Calf 15.25

weight 200lb


25/03/06

Neck 14.75”
Bicep 13.50”
Forearm 11.25
Chest 41.75”
Waist 41.75”
Hips 37.75
Thigh 22.50
Calf 15.25

Weight 190.50lb

Got my Accu measure now, and BF is 29.30%


My routine.

Gym days Monday, Wednesday and Friday, these are my cardio days.

Rowing, 2000, metres.

Treadmill 15mins, walking at the moment due to having had knee surgery 3 years ago, and then hurting it quite badly six weeks ago, should be able to start adding running into the mix this coming week.

Cross trainer 15 mins. Level 2 I find this a killer for the thighs.

Exercise bike 15 mins, hill mode.

Finish up with some abs work.


Weight days Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

At the moment I prefer to use my free weights at home.

Up to know I have been doing a full body routine that I found in a book by Frank Zane, I have followed this for 4 weeks, I am going to change to a routine I saw posted on here.

PUSH


Tuesday: Chest / Shoulders / Triceps

Flat bench press / Incline Bench/DB press {alternate as required} Chest
Dips (Chest)(Bench)
Seated military press (BB or DB) shoulders
Scull crushers (Triceps)

PULL

Thursday: Bicep / Back

Wide grip Chins (lats)( doing Broomstick chins, working upto the wide grips) to feeble at the moment:D
BB Deadlift
Bent over DB or BB Rows
BB or DB Curls

Legs

Sunday:

BB Squat
BB Deadlift
Calf Raises
Abs Work



Any thoughts or comments welcomed especially about the weight routine.

Congratulations on your decision to change your lifestyle and your adherence to that decision. I know that you asked for a critique of your execise program and/or diet, but I don't feel as I'm qualified to give any advice on the subject, at least compared to the very knowledgeable people on the forum.

Keep up the great work and you'll continue to see results you want.

Feeling quite chuffed today after looking back a few weeks.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/Front-Compilation-copy.jpg

I am flexed but not breathing in or holding my breath.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/front-flexed.jpg

And finally the last one for a while.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/Side-compilation.jpg

Glad this weekend is over, for some reason i find sticking to my weekly eating routine at the weekend so hard, for a start i arise from slumber at about 9am instead of 6.45, so by the time i feel ready to eat it is like 10am(this is normally my mid morning meal time) then the knock on effect of life, kids football matches, keeping mother inlaw happy for most of sunday, kind of throws me off track.

Saturday is my leg routine day, but to be honest i did miss it for this weekend as i felt absolutaly exhausted from the intense shedule I set for myself for the past week. I have been feeling bad all weekend that i did not weight train.

Sooo I have decided that from next weekend i will get up at my normal weekly time, then atleast my meals can fit in with a family life.

I am very fortunate that my wife(Julie) and kids(Sarah and Kerry) are all very supportive and completely agree with my reasons for this change of life style.

So roll on monday afternoon i will be in that gym and loving every minute of it.

Cheers for now.

Ah now thats better, had a great cardio session at the gym today.


2000 mtrs rowing felt good today taxing but not to hard.

20 mins jogging on the treadmill (usually 15) felt good about this as it shows a good improvement for me, even managed to keep my HR at 135 +- a few beats.

CrossTrainer upped the level to level 3 for 15 mins (Kills my quads)

Then a nice relaxing(not) 15 mins level 15 on hill mode, reducing to 10 by the end.

Got back on track with my food today aswell, got a bit lax last week, so last night i prepared all of my meals for today, each one 390 cals plus 544 for my breakfast.

Quite getting into all this cooking malarkey.

All in all a good day.

Bizzare...I thought I'd put in a reply to your journal already. Anyway, the progress pictures look great! Way to go man! :claphigh:

M@

Bizzare...I thought I'd put in a reply to your journal already. Anyway, the progress pictures look great! Way to go man! :claphigh:

M@

No worries man, and thanks.

Ok today is weights day.

Tuesday: Chest / Shoulders / Triceps

Flat bench press / Incline Bench/DB press {alternate as required} Chest
Dips (Chest)(Bench)
Seated military press (BB or DB) shoulders
Scull crushers (Triceps)

Was a bit aprehensive as earlier in the day i must have done something akward and hurt my back.
I was so up for the weights today that I put them off for another hour or so, and rested back.
Started of gently, soon realised that things where going well (no pain) so got on with normal routine, finished and all is well in the Back department.

Overall a good end to the day.

Another week gone, and i feel very pleased with my progress.

3/4 of an inch gone from both my chest and waist, a total of 2.25lb lost. Now at 188.25lb.
According to my BF measurement (28.90)it looks as though i have lost 1.45 lb of fat and .8lb in muscle:( .

Stepped up my deadlift weight another 15lb, upto 115lb from 100lb and performing the same amount of reps 5x5.
Seen some gains in seated military press also a full 5x5 almost to failure on the last set at 65lb.

Crap has it been that long since my last update.


Any i finally stumped up the cash got the program, thanks SC, and am now just awaiting the Supps to arrive.
So all being well i should be raring to go by Monday.

The only draw back is I will have to get up at 5am so that i can get my Cardio in, but hey, it will be more than worth it, atlast time to say goodby mr Fatty.

I will keep this updated once i have started.

Some updated progress pre SGX.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/Front-compilation.jpg
This on looks a bit fake but i can assure you it is not.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/side-comp.jpghttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/Back-21st-May-2006-(1).jpg

Guys i am now 4 weeks into my program, i have settled into it quite well. I find the non training days the hardest, i find that i do not seem to have the motivation there for these days, it feels kinda like when i first gave up the cigarettes, i need something to do.

I love getting up for the fasted cardio at 5am now and cannot imagine not doing it when i have finished with SGX, the only day i do not do cardio is Sunday as by then i really need the extra sleep, after all i am only managing 6.30 hours a night so by the weekend i am knackered.

For ease of preperation i am keeping all my meals pretty much the same. Loving my choices so i am not getting bored at all.

Started SGX at 174lb and am now at 164.5lb with an 1 1/2" gone from around my waist, 1" off of my chest and little bits here and there.

I can see quite a difference starting to occur now, almost every day i notice something different, even if its only a vien i have not seen before.

I have had the full range of comments from "Wow you are looking great "to the "Well i reckon you do'nt want to loose any more you will start to look ill". Yeh right most of the latter type ought to look closer at them selves in the mirror.

Anyway just a few shots from week 0 to week 4.

oh the shots are the same poses but taken at slightly different distances.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/SGX-Front.jpg

Frontal flexed

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/SGX-Front-flexed.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.sexton1/SGX-BAck-Flexed.jpg