My last post on this forum was on 29 November 2005, it was the final post in a journal I had commenced a few months earlier.

The title of this thread is fairly dramatic, but it is exactly how I view things at the moment.

It's amazing how you can look back and think "boy, if I had stuck to it, by now - 14 September 2007 - just imagine what I could have been". Once upon a time, that would have been my mind set and I would have failed before even beginning.

Ive learnt alot of lessons in life over the past few years. Since coming onto this board and being so inspired by so many of you, I have lived the ups and downs of life. I have been seperated, divorced, met a great new girl, got engaged, had my heart broken, lost my job, become self employed, lived with heartache and regret, run away to parts of the world to hide from my problems, neglected my business, had financial troubles, hit the lowest of lows and felt like I couldnt go on.

About 2 weeks ago, something snapped in me, it wasnt a particular event or incident, I feel like I just woke up to myself and decided I needed to take the right steps to get my life on track. After a heart to heart with my old man, a very difficult task, my mind seemed clearer. My priorities are recognised now as Health, Family and Work.

I will still hurt from everything that has happened to me in the past, however, I am alive, live in a country of opportunity, am afforded things many people in the world are not and should not take anything for granted any longer.

Since then, I got back in the gym, have completed 4 days of training this week quite successfully, have eaten fairly well and feel that I have a positive mind set.

Ive planned out my health journey for the next 3 months with the assistance of some trainer friends and the research I have taken from this great site.

Sorry for the rant, but I guess I want to be accountable to not only myself but you good, supportive people. I will always read this initial thread to remember what I have been through and why it's time to move forward.

DB

My initial plan is for the next 3 months/100 days or so which will take me to xmas.

Since getting into the gym this week, I have rediscovered that spring in my step, have the energy that we all love and feel pretty good about life.

I will split my journal as follows:

Exercise Completed:

Food Eaten: I will put in my P:C:F splits as opposed to listing the foods

General Mood:

My program looks something like this. It is fairly intensive, but can be cut back, dependent on mood. It has been taken from trainers advice, research here and the program I started but didnt complete with Swole Cat. Parts of it are also based on the program undertaken by music producer Timbaland.

6 Days Per Week

Cardio: Daily - 1 hour - LIIS

M: Circuit Lifting (high rep)
T: Chest/Back (supersets) - this day can be withdrawn if needed
W: Off
T: Circuit Lifting
F: Arms (supersets)
S: Circuit Lifting

The superset days are designed to throw in some variety with some heavy lifting as opposed to the high rep days. I know this sounds like over training, but they are in there on a "as needed" basis in my first 12 week period.


My Goals

Start weight: 138kg
Mid October: 130kg
Mid November: 120kg
Mid December:115kg
Mid January:110kg

Food consumed

Approximate calorie intake will be 2000 per day give or take.

Foods I will be utilising:

Proteins: Chicken Breast, Fish, Tuna, lean Beef, Eggwhites - Protein powders.

Carbs - Oats, Brown Rice, Brocolli, Spinach, Peppers

Fats: Peanut Butter, Almonds, Fish Oil, Flax - plus the fat content from any of the protein I consume.

Cheat day: I will commit a cheat day on Sundays of each week, the day I dont train.

Entry as at 14 September 2007

Commenced cardio training 10 September 2007. I have since completed 4 one hour sessions of cardio and feel very good for it. I have lost some water weight. I need to tighten my food intake a little and ensure i get my 6 meals in per day. Im looking forward to next week and my lifting kicking off.

hey man... welcome back ;) and :gl:

I'm in a somewhat similar position to you, in that I have just re-committed to a workout program and diet... I'll be here if you need any encouragement ;)

I have a question though... on your sick of being fat banner it say's your goal is to get down to 280 kg.... that's like 616 lbs and from the pictures you posted on SOBF it does NOT look like your quite that big.... did you mean to say your goal is 280 lbs? :confused: just curious ;)

Welcome back and good luck!

Chameleon - thanks man! Nah, thats an error. Im actually going to remove that because I prob wont update it. I will post pics here. Thanks Seltzer.

After a rocky couple of days, rocky in the sense that there was plenty of temptation, my timing was off with food and I was just "not with it", I feel like I can overcome obstacles and not halt my direction towards my goals.

I missed my morning workout on Friday, but made up for it on Saturday with a very good cardio workout. My food has left a bit to be desired with a few slices of pizza on Fri night (4 to be exact, small ones) and then the mother of all evils, sodas, kfc burger, fries and meat pies at the football on Saturday night.

I felt bad, but I figure my cheat day kind of happened last night, although its alot worse than I would have done on my cheat day.

Today being Sunday the 16th, I thnk I might just try and keep it clean. I am not training today but might get some casual walking in whe I head out.

Looking forward to my full program starting tomorrow, but I figure 5 hours of cardio isnt too bad to kick things off.

My first weigh in - Monday 17 September

Whilst I dont want to focus too much on the scales, more so, my general feeling and clothing, I will weigh in every Monday morning to see my progress.

I kicked off at 138kg a week ago and weighed in at 135kg this morning.

This motivates me even more as my nutrition hasnt been the best but I have done relatively well with the workouts.

My first full day kicks off today.

Monday 17 September

Exercise Completed:

1 hour 10 minutes of fasted cardio.

Circuit weights in the evening

4 sets of 15 reps (light weights)

Lat Pulldown - 20kg
Incline Chest Press - 20kg
Shoulder Raises - 6kg dumbells
Tricep Pushdown - 20kg
Bicep bar curls - 10kg

Food Eaten

I had a good day foodwise, except I missed my snacks. My splits are not the best but look like this P39:C32:F28. I should have eaten more today and more efficiently. Will perfect this gradually.

General Mood:

The cardio felt great today and given I weighed in lighter than I was last week, the motivation levels are high. The evening weights workout was going to be a challenge. My trainer, whom I consult with by email, told me to take the circuit a little slower, as I had felt completely beat by the end of it. Still, I think I did well with it for the first session.

Tuesday 18 September

Exercise Completed:

1 hour of fasted cardio between the treadmill and eliptical

Did not do the super set weights session.

Food Eaten

Food wise I struggled today and all started when I missed breakfast because I was running late. Come 11am, I had still not eaten so I came home and had some of the meat left over from last night. My apetite was on a mission today and I really couldnt control it. I snacked on some rice crackers and humus, had a decent lunch of fish and salad and then some more meat and salad for dinner. My calorie deficit is still there and Im not overeating but the quality and the working of my metabolism could be better. Its a day to day challenge.

General Mood:

I woke up very tired today and throughout the day I started getting the aches from last nights initial circuit workout. This is always a good pain though but my tiredness today was strange. I still got to the gym and did what I wnted so that hurdle is always a good one to skip. I didnt do the super set session but that was always put in there as an extra session if I felt up to it, maybe in a few weeks I can handle that. all in all, I didnt stray too much and my calories are still relatively down, probably too much. Gotta keep working that.

Wednesday 19 September

Exercise Completed:

1 hour of fasted cardio between the treadmill and eliptical

Todays workout felt great. I was too sore to do any weights today, but it was my scheduled day off so tomorrow I will do the circuit again.

Food Eaten

CRAP CRAP CRAP! Today started good with some cereal, a snack and lunch, everything is moving nicely but I had a crappy day and found myself in KFC!!!!! Then I had some ice cream!!! Arrrrrrrrrgh!!!!! I wont let it set me back, but I really need to be smarter about my food. I am going to sit down tomorrow and actually plan my food out. I have a bunch of sample menus for what I can and cant eat so the best way is to be super organised so I can get around it. Has anyone else struggled like this?


General Mood:

I was happy that I got to the gym and had a good workout but my mood today was crappy, it got worse when I ate that shit, maybe it went hand in hand. I keep thinking to myself that this is the longest I have commited to exercise in recent times so just keep going boy! By Saturday, it will be a solid fortnight of exercise.

NEW INTERMEDIATE GOALS

1. DRINK MORE WATER AND NO MORE SODAS, SUGAR FREE OR NOT
2. ORGANISE MY FOOD LIFE BETTER, KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO EAT IN ADVANCE.

Thursday 20 September

Exercise Completed:

46 minutes fasted cardio on elliptical. This was a great workout, got a great sweat out and felt good doing it.

Evening weights - completed 3 sets of my circuit focussing on back,chest,shoulders,triceps and biceps. I threw in one set of 25 sit ups.


Food Eaten

A little bit better than yesterday but still not right. My fat content is a little high. I think I am actually eating too little.

General Mood:

Good, however, Im worried about the food intake still. I need to plan that a little better so I will sit down and do that on the weekend. I actually felt a little sick after doing my weights session.

Hey baby - we're both getting our asses back in gear at the same time. I'll watch your back if you watch mine. Let's kick this thing!

And I'm with you on the food struggle - a big challenge for me. We shall overcome pizza and mash, my friend! :tucool:

Thanks ma. I hear you. Appreciate the support.

Friday 21 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

56 minutes of cardio between the treadmill and the elliptical, fasted in the morning. Was a good workout with a good sweat.


Food Eaten

Today was probably my most consistent day because I sat down and tried to work out my macronutrients properly as well as a proper diet. My food intake was still short of what I should have been eating, but I seem content and satisfied with what I am eating. based on my diet journal my intake was 34P: 49C: 17F. The worst thing I probably ate was a couple of oranges in the PM before I went to bed.

General Mood:

After sitting down and looking at my food, I think I have a better understanding that food intake (ie: fuel) is so essential to weight loss. I have been reading Tom Venutos "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle", an e book I purchased many moons ago but one I always go back to and learn new things from.

Seeing some of the sample diets Tom has in there, as well as re-doing my macro nutrients, gives me an idea of what I should be and shouldnt be eating.

I have some confusion with my macro nutrients because my maintenance calories are 4495 a day!!! Now I am currently eating on or under 2000 calories, if you count the exercise I do and then the normal calorie burning activity (ie day to day movement), I have plenty of calories left. I will post this in a seperate thread because it is doing my head in.

The other thing IVe realised is that you always need to edit and tailor the program your doing to see what feels right. Starting next week, I will just do 3 full body workouts a week and keep that as my focus with the cardio for the next 12 weeks or so.

Ive now been on this for a solid fortnight, my longest commitment for some years, so I feel great.

Oh, one last thing - DAMN, subway (the low fat variety) and an orange juice really can knock your calorie count out!!!!! Always learning.

Saturday 22 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

50 minutes of cardio between the treadmill and the elliptical, fasted in the morning.


Food Eaten

I really wanted to stick to my macros today and did everything possible to do so. I was SO HUNGRY today which is a great sign because from what Ive learnt, it means my metabolism is working away. I ate my regular meals, I snacked. I came under my macros but went over my carb's, mainly due to some brown rice I wanted to have at dinner time. Although I didnt want any carbs as such at dinner, I knew I was heading out. All in all was quite good. Now just need to cut back the sugar free sodas. Had 3 today......but it was a craving. Tomorrow is my cheat day but I want to do it in moderation, not go all out.

General Mood:

I feel good, this is my 2nd full week and Im looking forward to my 3rd week next week. Continually refining and seeing what works is the best way and I cannot complain. Im starting to believe that I can do this as this is the most consistent I have been for a very long time.

I took my before shots a few days ago so I might post them up soon.

Sunday 23 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

Nil, today was my day off.


Food Eaten

Ok so today was my first "official" cheat day. I kind of went a little bit overboard, felt the guilt but am happy that I got it out of my system which is a good thing, knowing that Monday morning, I will be back on with my eating. Maybe cheated a ltitle too much, had a bbq so snuck some sausages, although I only had 3, as opposed to my usual 10, had some white bread rolls too. Ate some popcorn and an ice cream at the movies also....ok starting to feel the guilt....

General Mood:

I know that tomorrow kicks off my 3rd week and Im so happy about that. I havent been this consistent in so long and I can really feel things taking shape with me. I am a little more confident with my food and my exercise also.

I bought 2kg of cut up chicken breasts today and some very lean minute steaks which I will cook up Monday night for the week. It feels so much better being organised and having things planned out.

I am also kicking off my new 3 day full body routine Monday night, much like the other circuit one I was doing, except incorporating a couple more exercises. The superset idea I had originally was good but no matter what training I have done in the past, I am considering myself a beginner again.

WEIGH IN TODAY

133.5kg - YEH BOOOOOOI!

Exercise Completed:
56 minutes of cardio between the treadmill and the elliptical, fasted in the morning. Was a good workout with a good sweat.


Nice work! I still can't manage to put in that much cardio time... mostly because I have the attention span of a goldfish. Well done, mate!

I have some confusion with my macro nutrients because my maintenance calories are 4495 a day!!! Now I am currently eating on or under 2000 calories, if you count the exercise I do and then the normal calorie burning activity (ie day to day movement), I have plenty of calories left. I will post this in a seperate thread because it is doing my head in. One thing to remember about cardio calculations is that estimates of calories burned for any activity -- whether given by fitday or a treadmill calorie output, etc -- usually include your basal metabolism in the calculation. So a percentage of the calories any calculator tells you you've burned are calories that you would have burned even if you were sitting at home with some Cheetos.

If you calculate your "normal" metabolism with a general activity level factor (e.g., BMR X 1.4 for a moderately active person, etc) when you're figuring out how much you should eat for weight loss, you're even more likely to overestimate caloric output during exercise. I did this when I started training and was very frustrated that I wasn't losing weight, but I eventually realized I was double counting my calorie expenditure... calculating resting metabolism with an activity factor and then still adding my calories burned from exercise on top of that into my calculation of what I'd burned that day. AND I didn't realize the whole overcalculation of calories because of the included BMR thing. In the end, I ate WAY too much for my height and weight and didn't lose any fat! :lol: Learning experience indeed.

Apologies for pedantry if you've known all this for ages... worth sharing as it definitely impacted my weight loss attempts in the past.

Good luck with week 3, DB! :tu:

Monday 24 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

Had an awesome workout on the Elliptical Glider today, 60 minutes, felt great!

Kicked off my full body weights workout 3 sets of 10 reps
Benchpress, Lateral Raises, Tricep Pushdown, Lat Pulldown, Bicep Curls.

Didnt do any leg work given the Glider work Ive been doing.


Food Eaten


Probably my best day so far although I didnt get my snacks in. I definately need to up my carb intake a little as I am going over (just) my 147g of carbs. A sample of my intake:

Breakfast: oats (with water), 4 egg white/1 whole omlette with turkey and a piece of wholemeal toast

Lunch: 200g lean beef steak, cup of brown rice and veges

Snacks: apple, carrotts

Dinner: got too late to eat so I missed it.


General Mood:

Feeling good and positive. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a long process because it is easy to get discouraged. Ive stuck to it thus far and have set a new midterm goal, to complete the JSF October challenge. I will have a full month under my belt by then so I should be able to complete the challenge well.

Everything feels so much better when you have the slightest degree of health and motivation lol.

Tuesday 25 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

Elliptical: 33 mins, Treadmill: 22 mins

Started varying the speeds and the intervals, pushed myself and felt that my fitness has improved the last few weeks.


Food Eaten


Had a good day and tried to account for the fact I was going out to dinner and a concert. Ate a good breakfast, snacked on celery during the day and had my usual protein/brown rice and vege for lunch.

Was at a French restaurant for dinner and given I got no idea about french food, what I ordered had a cream sauce. Didnt touch the sauce, ate the fish and the veges and felt damn good for it. Drank nothing but water. Was with my ex who was overly impressed.

General Mood:

Feel great. Got 2 comments today about my weight loss. The first 2 people to notice, what a feeling. I know I will probably miss my AM cardio tomorrow morning because of the late night today, but it will be a challenge as to how I make it up. These are the types of things that pushed me off the wagon in the past. Im also looking forward to my weights workout tomorrow.

Tuesday 25 September 2007
Was at a French restaurant for dinner and given I got no idea about french food, what I ordered had a cream sauce. Didnt touch the sauce, ate the fish and the veges and felt damn good for it. Drank nothing but water. Was with my ex who was overly impressed.


:tu:

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

I didnt get the best sleep and woke up very tired and LATE! I missed my AM cardio and I wasnt happy about it.

I managed to do 70% of my full body workout in the evening and then went and played touch football with some of my friends which gave me the chance to run around and get my heart rate up. Not the ideal day but I salvaged what I could.


Food Eaten


The bad start to the day meant I didnt have time for breakfast so I grabbed 2 slices of wholemeal bread, some chicken breast and had a morning sandwich. Things improved during the day. I snacked on celery again, which kept me satisfied. A couple of pieces of fruit and then a good steak and salad rounded out the day. It's getting easier to eat the right foods.

General Mood:

Habit is what this is all aout and I found myself at the supermarket today studying the packets and nutritional guides. I know this is a good sign because I am being cautious of what I put into my body now. I bought some Splenda to have with my oats (didnt know we had it here) and some almonds. It really isnt that hard to shop for good clean food and products when you know what to look for.

I wasnt too happy about missing my workout in the morning but I made do with what I could. Again, in the past this would have kept me off the wagon but this time, the wagon and I are ONE!! A few of my mates noticed some weight loss tonight which is always nice.

Thursday 27 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

47 minutes on the glider, got a great workout today, felt good.


Food Eaten


Ate well all day with a little more bread in my diet than normal (wholemeal). had a great big breakfast of a 3 eggwhite/1 egg turkey/pepper/onion/mushroom omlette, some beans and a piece of toast which charged me up for the morning. Got a great chicken breast wholemeal roll for lunch and then the big test came when I went to the mall for late night shopping. I got some chicken breast and brocolli!!! Was happy until I went to the movies and had myself a small ice cream and some pop corn. I figure if I feel like something I should satisfy the craving, I dont think it will set me back since psychologically Im doing well with my lifestyle change.

General Mood:

Feel great and positive. Clothes are fitting better and my motivation for work and life generally has changed. Given the bad year I have had, I am finally making progress with some paperwork in my office which I have stalled for many months. Slowly making in roads and planning for next year and I know it is all to do with my change in lifestyle and attitude. Im loving the spring in my step that I have right now.

I know this is a long term proposition so I am not going to get discouraged when I fall off the wagon or slip in something that I shouldnt be consuming, its all about honesty, with oneself. who are you kidding if you dont record every single thing you eat or if you slack off on your exercise? YOURSELF! Looking forward to the October challenge on this site.....

Friday 28 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

40 minutes on the glider.

Missed my weights workout but will complete tomorrow.


Food Eaten
Day started a little disorganised and all I had for breakfast was a mandarin. Grabbed a chicken breast roll for lunch but they only had white bread. Had a nice steak and salad for dinner, early evening, but come 8pm, I was crawling outta my skin and considering many bad options. I settled for some fruit which wasnt ideal carb wise but it was better than going out and getting some McDonalds. I did put my carbs into overload today though.


General Mood:

I didnt feel well today, it was very windy and humid in Sydney and not your average Spring day but boy did it mess me around with my hay fever. I felt it in the morning and soldiered through it, but come afternoon and then early evening, I was stuffed. I was blocked up, my eyes were stinging and I was physically tired, almost felt fatigued.

I missed my weights workout but I am going to make that up at the gym tomorrow after my cardio session. My cardio sessions have been a little shorter this week and Im hoping that Im not slacking off, I dont think I am.......but it's a test, thats for sure.

I wasnt overly happy with my food intake and I didnt eat to plan but I did eat relatively clean and avoided any major catastrophe's. The fruit at the end of the day wasnt ideal though.

As they say tomorrow is another day, but so far so good. Im really starting to think about cracking the 130kg mark, my first real goal and with the October challenge around the corner, it might be the perfect time.

Saturday 29 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

28 minutes on elliptical glider

Full body weights workout - done at the gym:

Shoulders, Biceps, Back, Triceps, Hamstrings, Quads, Chest

Food Eaten

Ate well during the day and did not stray. In the evening, I had a little bit of Lebanese bread when I went to a Lebanese restaurant but I found that my eating was quite good whilst I was there, I chose my food carefully and didnt over eat. I indulged in some ice cream tonight though, just a craving I had which I wanted to satisfy.

General Mood:

I have a good weights setup at home but doing my workout at the gym is always so much more productive I have found. I will keep my home set as a back up or if I feel the need to work on something else, but I will be doing my lifting at the gym from now on, I just feel like I got a better workout. Perhaps its the controlled movement with the machines I used. Tomorrow is my day off. Week 4 starts on Monday which is a holiday Monday in Sydney. Its also the start of the October challenge which I am really looking forward to doing.

Sunday 30 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

Nil


Food Eaten

I indulged a little today but didnt go too overboard, given it was my day off and the day when I allow a cheat meal.

General Mood:

After eating clean for a solid 3 weeks, i certainly noticed the difference in taste when eating something a little off track, the oil, the fat, it actually made me feel ill. Looking forward to starting the October challenge now.

Monday 1 October 2007

Exercise Completed:

60 minutes on elliptical glider.


Food Eaten

Food was not the best today as I was a little disorganised. It was a holiday Monday in Sydney so unfortunately, things got thrown out a little. I ended up eating some Thai food for dinner which meant having some rice, which I usually avoid.

General Mood:

I was so excited to start my October challenge but I ended up eating bad and because the gym closed early due to the holiday Monday, I didnt get my weights workout in, not very happy about that. I will do my weights workout tomorrow. I figure a Tues/Thurs/Sat split is more practical for me in any event.

I weighed myself today and I was back up to 135kg, I was 132kg a couple of days ago. I know I shouldnt go by scale weight but damn, it can be disheartening.

As someone who weighs himself daily I know how discouraging it can be to see the scale report back an unfriendly number. Sometimes the reason for the increase is due to poor dietary choices, but sometimes it can just be normal bodily fluctuations. Either way, you know what to do to get that scale moving in the right direction again.


Even when doing everything right the road you're on isn't a straight line; don't allow the blips to cause you to lose your focus on your goals.


Good luck with the October challenge!

Saturday 29 September 2007

Exercise Completed:

28 minutes on elliptical glider

Full body weights workout - done at the gym:

Shoulders, Biceps, Back, Triceps, Hamstrings, Quads, Chest


I have a good weights setup at home but doing my workout at the gym is always so much more productive I have found. I will keep my home set as a back up or if I feel the need to work on something else, but I will be doing my lifting at the gym from now on, I just feel like I got a better workout. Perhaps its the controlled movement with the machines I used. Tomorrow is my day off. Week 4 starts on Monday which is a holiday Monday in Sydney. Its also the start of the October challenge which I am really looking forward to doing.

Well, you list legs for the first time in weight training that I see. Legs and back are your biggest muscle groups, so working them most and hardest is the quickest way to affecting metabolism and body composition. And no, cardio isn't the same on the legs as resistance work :D

And I'd recommend doing as much as possible off the machines, but still focusing on legs and back (squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc). That will have even more full body impact.

Good luck.

As someone who weighs himself daily I know how discouraging it can be to see the scale report back an unfriendly number.

Thanks Seltzer, I agree it can be very discouraging but I wont let it get me down. I havent strayed excessively, it could just be my body working the way it does. I know it could be a number of factors, but if it doesnt move in the right direction, I will have to change some things perhaps.


Well, you list legs for the first time in weight training that I see. Legs and back are your biggest muscle groups, so working them most and hardest is the quickest way to affecting metabolism and body composition. And no, cardio isn't the same on the legs as resistance work :D

Good luck.

Thanks Mannish. I noted your comments previous to this about full body workouts. I will incorporate a couple more exercises into the routine to focus on back and legs more. I also did more work on chest last night with an extra exercise. The machines at the moment assist because my form is poor but I am also using free weights (lighter).

Cheers for the comments.

Tuesday 2 October 2007

Exercise Completed:

60 minutes on elliptical in the AM fasted, great workout.

Full body workout in the PM
Chest, Back, Calves, Hams, Quads, Triceps, Biceps


Food Eaten

I ate very well and very clean today and was content.

General Mood:

Felt good to get back on track with my eating and to get 2 solid workouts in. The weights workouts will definately improve with time and I will continually add things to the workout to focus on different body parts. I really appreciate the advice given on this board (thank you again Mannish), it makes things alot easier and takes out alot of the guessing work.

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Exercise Completed:

30 minutes on treadmill
30 minutes on elliptical -fasted in the AM


Food Eaten

I slipped up a little today by missing my snacks and indluging at lunch time with a chicken schnitzel roll and casears salad, damn the calories in that blew my away, however, luckily it was in the day time and not the last meal at night. The oil in it made me a little sick to be honest, amazing how bad you feel after eating clean.

General Mood:

Feeling good, Im continually looking at the bigger picture of my health and not trying to get bogged down by a lack of sudden results. Feeling a little sore from the lifting yesterday, but its that good soreness we all love.

Wednesday 10 October - update

The last week has not been a good week at all. I have not trained, my eating has been average and generally I havent felt too good. I was feeling a little run down with the flu and exhaustion and then I had some personal dramas which are still bothering me. It has been hard to do much to be honest.

I got up this morning, its now 5am, 10 October, Sydney time and I am ready to go to the gym and get back on track, except Ive got an acute attack of gout in my toe and its hurting like hell.

I know these are just set backs and that Ive accomplished too much to get off the rails.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day.

5.14am - Tuesday 6 November

A month of non training due to a range of issues (personal, medical) have left me feeling down and without focus.

My weight during this time has fluctuated between 134kg and 132kg so I havent lost too much of the hard work I put in during September.

I am hopefully back on track with a renewed vigour and a better feeling in general. Getting my eating patterns right again and my consistency in the gym is the key.

I am hoping to work solidly for a month and a half before going overseas in December where I will be training with a friend. My progress from now til then will have me prepared for those sessions and I expect to make some very good progress during that time.

Heres hoping.