Where to start? I guess I'll start with what brought me here. I actually ran across JS years ago. I read about his transformation somewhere. I think at that point he didn't have his own site and he started this place up later. From time to time I would come here to get some tips but I never registered.

Fast forward to today...I recently got back from vacation and was looking through pics and man did I look like hell. I'm sure like a lot of people here I was in good shape in my high school and college years but life took hold and so did our bellies.

Just looking at those pics spurred me in to action. I've done this before. I get a head of steam, only to lose it after a month or so. That blame falls squarely on me. I went at it with very little knowledge and no concrete goals in mind.

This time I've done my research and I've written down my long term and short term goals. I took ownership of my actions by logging what I eat and tracking my gym progress. (The iPhone rocks for this!) This way I can see what changes need to be made and I can see what's working.

I've actually been at it for a little over week so far. This is week 2. I'll recap week 1. Week 1 was my baseline week. I wanted to get my basic lifts down and my form correct. It was also my week to see where my calories were coming from and to see what my macros looked like.

At the end of week 1 I went shopping and loaded up on fruits, veggies, fish, and chicken breast. I also made sure I had other healthy snacks with just in case I get caught in a spot where I can't sit down for a meal but I needed to refuel.

My workouts look like this:

Monday
Deadlifts
Rows
Chinups
Curls

Tuesday
Abs
HIIT

Wednesday
Bench
DB Presses
Dips
Tri's

Thursday
Abs
HIIT

Friday
Squat
Stepups
Military press
Calf raise

Saturday
Abs
HIIT

I'll post numbers but I'll also try to balance it with how I feel that day. For me I need to get my mental game right along with my physical game.

My first short term goal is to lose 10lbs by August 31st. My long term goal is to lose 60lbs by March 31, 2010. I'm also going to start taking pictures. A sort of time lapse on my weight loss will be cool to see. My beginning stats are:

Height-5'7"
Weight-260lbs
BMI-40.72 (approximate)

Sorry for such a long post but I hope to hear any advice that anyone has.

I need to catch up on a few days of workouts. So here's my Monday-Wednesday.

Monday
Deadlifts


Warmup - 95lbs x 10
145lbs x 10
195lbs x 8
195lbs x 6

Dumbbell Rows


Warmup - 15lbs x 10
30lbs x 10
35lbs x 10
40lbs x10

Barbell biceps curls


Warmup - 25lbs x 10
35lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 10

Calories for Monday were 1294 with a macro (f/c/p) 17/48/35.

Tuesday
Ab exercise ball crunches


10 reps no weight
10 reps w/10b plate
10 reps w/10b plate

Cable torso rotation


12.5lbs x 10
17.5lbs x 10
22.5lb x 10

Hanging knee raise


3 sets x 10 reps

HIIT


Calories for Tuesday were 1494 with a macro of 17/48/35. Don't ask me how I got the same breakdown as Monday. Sheer coincidence.

Here are yesterday's stats for your viewing pleasure!

Dumbbell press


Warmup - 15lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
50lbs x 10
55lbs x 10

Dumbbell incline press


35lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
45lbs x 10

Bench dips


body weight x 10
body weight x 8
body weight x 6

Cable triceps pushdown


Warmup - 12.5lbs x 10
22.5lbs x 10
27.5lbs x 10
32.5lbs x 10

Calories for the day 1494 with a macro of 17/48/35.
*****************
I felt pretty good yesterday. Life tried really hard to get in the way of me going to the gym but I got it done. I think that's important to note since I'm going to have obstacles, or in this case people, who are going to try to get in my way of reaching my goals. I got in a little argument with the girlfriend and it spilled over in to my gym time.

As much as I wanted to just stay home because it was so late, I pushed through. I'm seriously proud of myself. In the past I would've just stayed home because I just didn't feel like going. Or I would stay home because it was so much easier to make an excuse to not go. No more.

Someone also mentioned to me that I seem happier lately. I can't think of any other reason for that besides the fact that endorphins are rushing through my body. Getting fit feels good!

Ab crunches on exercise ball


Warm up - no weight x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Ab twists


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

Hanging knee raise


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

HIIT - Week 1 Day 2

Calories taken in 1642 w/a macro of 32/30/38.

************************
I'm almost done with a full two weeks of eating healthier. I'm still making little tweaks here and there. I'm still trying to dial in my lifts but overall I think I've done really well.

I feel better than I have in a while. I find myself feeling as full if not fuller eating this way than I did when I scarfed down empty calories.

HIIT was kicking my arse. I was half tempted to quit but I kept going and was pretty happy that I finished the session.

I'll start taking pics on Monday and I'll try to make it a weekly thing. Monday is also my weigh in. I'm hoping to be down at least 2lbs. The first week I lost 1lb. If the scale dips anywhere below 260lbs I'll be a happy man!

I feel better than I have in a while. I find myself feeling as full if not fuller eating this way than I did when I scarfed down empty calories.

HIIT was kicking my arse. I was half tempted to quit but I kept going and was pretty happy that I finished the session.


Good job so far! I have had the exact same experience. HIIT was a supert hard to begin with. Alot recommend LISS to start with, just to build your stamina, but I kinda skipped that. Today I manage about twice as much as when I started out.
Remember to cool off with some walking or slow running afterwards. I've been close to loosing my lunch when I skipped that.
Keep going strong!:gl:

Good work so far!

I'm finding it hard to stomach my healthy meals today. I'm sure it will get easier over time. I mean I am eating a pound of broccoli!

Good job so far! I have had the exact same experience. HIIT was a supert hard to begin with. Alot recommend LISS to start with, just to build your stamina, but I kinda skipped that. Today I manage about twice as much as when I started out.
Remember to cool off with some walking or slow running afterwards. I've been close to loosing my lunch when I skipped that.
Keep going strong!:gl:

I thought about going the LISS route but HIIT has worked for me. I'm secretly trying to get ready for a 5k. This week is going to be my second week of HIIT and besides my quad feeling like they're on fire (from another day), it's beein going really good.

Normally the cool down part of my run is something I skipped but I've been making it a point to do a proper warm up/cool down session for each run.

I'm curious to see how my second week of HIIT is going to go. In my first week I was doing a run/walk interval of 60/120 (in seconds). This week is an interval of 90/120. Thanks for reading!

Good work so far!

I'm finding it hard to stomach my healthy meals today. I'm sure it will get easier over time. I mean I am eating a pound of broccoli!

Keep at it. It actually gets easier with time, you're right. This is my third week of healthier eating and now it's almost second nature. Thanks for reading!

(I'm backdating my posts)

On Friday I kicked ass in the gym. I set a PR in Squats. In fact, I'm sure I could go heavier.

Squats


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 10
205lbs x 10

DB shoulder press


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
30lbs x 10
35lbs x 10
40lbs x 10

Step ups


no weight x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Seated calf raises


45lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
45lbs x 10

Calories 2081 with a macro of 41/43/16
************
I felt really good in the gym. I'm not one to workout with a partner for many reasons so I tend to not go heavy out of fear of me having improper form. Today on squats I decided to push a little bit and to my surprised I put up 205lbs. I was STOKED. I've only been doing squats for two weeks and this felt good. I'm sure I can go heavier since I was able to put up 205lbs 10 ten times. Next time I'm going to try to put up 250+.

I see that my macros are all over the place. I'm not sure what to do with that. I guess I'm still trying to dial it in. My overall calories look good though.

If anyone is looking at my calf work it may look funny. The reason is that I have monstrous calves as it is. I don't want them any bigger. They are already pretty muscular. They only need toning. This is why I did so many reps at a constant weight. I'm going to keep doing this unless someone has other suggestions.

Thanks for all those that have lurked or chimed in.

Today was a cardio/ab day.

Ab crunch on ball


Warm up - no weight x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Twists


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

Haning knee raise


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

HIIT - Week 1, Day 3

************

One week of HIIT complete! It wasn't as killer as I thought it would be. Granted there have been times I wanted to quit but haven't. I'm starting on week two this week. This time I'm running for 90 seconds with a 120 second rest period. Today's HIIT session was killing me because my quads are sore from squats on Friday.

I also took a pic of my self, front/side/back, so I can track my progress visually.

One thing I've noticed in my 3 weeks is that my body has changed ever so slightly. I actually have abs! I know everyone has them but I can see the faint outline of my upper abs. I noticed them in the shower on Sunday and showed my fiancee them. She said, 'Oh wow, those used to not be there!' That was funny/awesome.

I didn't track my food this weekend. I think I'm going to have to if this is going to work. I knew Saturday was going to be a cheat day. That was planned. But my Sunday was kinda sorta a cheat day. I ate kinda clean but I think I'm going to structure it like I do my other days.

Now to the best news....I lost 2lbs! I'm confident I'll reach my first goal of losing 10lbs by August 31st.

Workout:
Deadllift


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
155lbs x 8
175lbs x 7

Dumbbell row


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
50lbs x 8
55lbs x 6

Assisted chinups


100lbs x 5
100lbs x 5
100lbs x 5

Barbell curls


Warm up - 25lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
5lbs x 6


Calories taken in 1560 with a f/c/p macro of 12/10/78.
**********
I went heavier today. I'm still working on my deadlifts. I work out alone so I don't have a spotter and I'm trying to keep strict form. Yesterday I wish I could've gone heavier on my deadlifts.

I think I've made really good progress. I was getting ready for bed and I noticed that I can kind of, sort of, see my traps. I can see the makings of a separation of my delts from my traps. It's these little things that keep me going.

I also took some measurements so I have another way to measure my progress. I wish I did this from the start but now is a good a time as any. Here are my current measurements after two weeks of lifting and three weeks of better eating:
Chest - 47in
Belly - 50.5in
Waist - 44in

I'm going to measure every Sunday to go with my weekly weigh ins. I'm also going to give unassisted chinups a try too. I think next week I'll do my first set unassisted. I can't wait til I can crank out a good set w/out assistance.

If any sees any holes in my routine please let me know! Thanks!

heya just lookin at ur calorie macro breakdown----are u zig zagging calories/macros? as they vary quite a lot.....also In my opinion i think they are too low (<2000 and below )...i always believe it is better to start
higher and work your way down when you plateau....you dont want to downregulate your metobilism...i would be hitting high 2000s personally and taking it from there.:gl:

heya just lookin at ur calorie macro breakdown----are u zig zagging calories/macros? as they vary quite a lot.....also In my opinion i think they are too low (<2000 and below )...i always believe it is better to start
higher and work your way down when you plateau....you dont want to downregulate your metobilism...i would be hitting high 2000s personally and taking it from there.:gl:

I thought about that too. If I use the 10 x body weight formula I'm at 2600 cals a day. I think I'll up it to 2000 or so. Thanks for the suggestion.

As for the macro. I'm still trying to get it consistent one way or the other.

Workout:

HIIT
Week 2 Day 1 - Run 90 seconds/Walk 120 seconds for a total of 29 minutes including warmup and cool down.

Swiss ball ab crunches


Warmup - no weight x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Hanging knee raise


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

Calories for the day 1631 with a f/c/p macro of 40/31/28.
**********
Do you ever have those days where personal crap tries really hard to get in your way of working out? Yesterday was one of those days. I still made it to the gym though. While I didn't have the best ab day, the gym was sort of crowded so I had to improvise for some exercises, I still made something of it.

My HIIT was good though. I was kind of worried about upping my run interval and I didn't think I could do it. In the end it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Nothing ever really is if you think about it.

Today was a chest/tri day:

Bench


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
155lbs x 8
165lbs x 3

Incline dumbbell bench


40lbs x 10
45lbs x 8
50lbs x 7

Dips


5 reps
5 reps
5 reps

Cable triceps pushdowns


Warm up - 22.5lbs x 10
32.5lbs x 10
42.5lbs x 10
52.5lbs x 10

Calories for the day are 1294 with a f/c/p 18/32/50.
**********
Calories are lower than other days but I just wasn't feel very hungry. I did have a great day lifting though. I decided I was going to forgo db presses for the real deal bench.

I kind of avoid it because I have no spotter. That plus a funny incident while I was spotting a friend years ago, like 18 yrs ago, where a good looking girl walked by and my friend couldn't get his last rep up. I wasn't paying attention like a good spotter should and we weren't using clips. Well one side went down and the weights dropped off the bar in a loud bang. Then the other side went down as a result and we had a second loud bang in a packed gym. Funny in hindsight...

I got over my fear and used clips last night. I realize that bench has to be big part of my lifts.

My incline db press went up by 5lbs. I ended up at 50lbs as opposed to my 45lbs on my last set. My tri exercises have gone up too. I was hoping to get more from my dips but I'll keep at it.

Side note: I realize this may be waaaaay more detail than what most want but I think it might be helpful to others looking for routines and ideas.

I only did cardio last night:

HIIT - Week 2 Day 2

**********
My legs were killing me last night. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish. It worked out anyway, I go through it.

I notice that the discipline I'm showing in my workouts and eating is transferring over to other parts of my life. I'm definitely getting more done around the house and I've even taken over some cooking duties. This weekend I'm going to try a chicken breast dish that a coworker was telling me about.

I find that I'm not sleeping in on the weekends because I'm exhausted from the work week. I even have gotten some structure to my days. I found out I have to have some structure so I can have some quality gym time. It's been a nice change. :tu:

For some reason I lost the data from this day and the day after so this is from memory.

Squat


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 8
205lbs x 6

Step ups


15lbs x 10
20lbs x 10
25lbs x 6

Dumbbell presses


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
50lbs x 8
55lbs x 6

Seated calf raises


45lbs x 20
45lbs x 20
45lbs x 20

Calories taken in 1815 with a f/c/p macro of 15/59/26
**********
All my data was wiped from Friday and Saturday. Weird. I did change my eating up a bit. I had some sushi but I found out that my choice of sushi might not be the best choice.

I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get more up on my squats but that will change this week. I'm going to try to hit 250lbs or more.

Cardio - HIIT Week 2 Day 3

Cable twists


22.5lbs x 10
27.5lbs x 8
32.5ls x 10

Swiss ball crunches


0lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Hanging knee raises


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

**********
Again this is from memory since my data got wiped. I feel like my ab workouts are stagnating. I need to find some exercises.

Cardio - HIIT Week 3 Day 1

**********
I didn't do any ab work today. I've been hitting my abs twice a week so I think they need a break plus I'm in the process of finding some new exercises.

I did my Monday morning weigh in and.....I'm down two more pounds. The scale read 254lbs!!! I was stoked.

I didn't feel that great about my workouts toward the end of the week, especially my squats. I didn't eat the cleanest on Saturday. We had a bbq and had some friends over. On Sunday I ate a little cleaner but not as clean as I would like. It's my fault for not being prepared with good food choices on hand while we were out running errands.

Back to my good news, I'm down 6lbs total from the day I started. I haven't been on this side of 255lbs in a while. It's really gotten me pumped for more.

I decided to have only one cheat day per week as opposed to two. I didn't think my weigh in was going to go well but it surprised me. Suddenly 250lbs doesn't seem that far at all...

**********
Edit:

I forgot to add that I actually ran for a 3 minute interval which is huge for me.

Deadlift


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
185lbs x 6
205lbs x 6
225lbs x 4

Dumbbell row


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
50lbs x 10
55lbs x 10
60lbs x 8

Lat pulldown


85lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
115lbs x 6

Standing biceps curl


Warm up - 25lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
65lbs x 5

Calories taken in 1543 with a f/c/p macro of 15/43/43.
**********
I'm seeing progress in my lifts. My deadlifts went up 50lbs. I'm not sure if this is a matter of me getting stronger or me just pushing myself harder. I think I'll stay at this weight for a while so I can work on my form. I also went up 10lbs on my curls.

HIIT - Week 3 day 2

Dumbbell side bend


15lbs x 10
20lbs x10
25lbs x 10

Hanging knee raise


10 reps
10 reps
10 reps

Swiss ball crunch


no weight x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Calories taken in 1462 with a f/c/p of 16/29/55
**********
Not much to say for today. I'm getting anxious for weigh on Sunday/Monday. I'm still shootin for a total of 10lbs lost by the end of August.

any reason for keeping ur dietary fat so low?? :confused:

any reason for keeping ur dietary fat so low?? :confused:


No. That's just the way it worked out. Any suggestions on what it should be? I'm still trying to get my diet right so I appreciate any input.

well i think taking calories that low (1400) is not a super smart move for a guy your size. i'd up it a couple hundred at least.

at the very least up the fats to 40 grams a day. dietary fat is crucial for the body and actually aids in fat loss, despite what pop culture was saying for awhile there.

what does a day's food look like for ya?? take any fish oil??

well i think taking calories that low (1400) is not a super smart move for a guy your size. i'd up it a couple hundred at least.

at the very least up the fats to 40 grams a day. dietary fat is crucial for the body and actually aids in fat loss, despite what pop culture was saying for awhile there.

what does a day's food look like for ya?? take any fish oil??

No fish oil but I do have salmon at least twice a week. Do I need to supplement beyond that? I'm pretty sure eating almonds helps with the fats too right?

I guess I'm stumped on where/what foods I can add for more, healthier fats.


Here's a sample of today's menu:

Breakfast:


3 hard boiled eggs
1 cup of oatmeal
2 cups of green tea

Lunch


4 oz chicken breast
1 protein shake

Dinner


Chicken breast stir fry
Protein shake

Snacks


Almonds
Cantaloupe


Thanks for your input!

No fish oil but I do have salmon at least twice a week. Do I need to supplement beyond that? I'm pretty sure eating almonds helps with the fats too right?

I guess I'm stumped on where/what foods I can add for more, healthier fats.


yeah almonds do add some good fat. :tucool:

taking a couple grams of fish oil on the day you don't eat fish is a good place to start with that.

other fat sources are....nuts and nut butters, avocados, whole eggs, cream, meat, cheese, oils (olive, canola, fish, flax, etc..), whole milk, sunflower seeds, etc. etc.

having a half an avocado with ur chicken breast, using oil in ur stir fry, and adding in some red meat are some good ways to start upping ur fats. :tucool:

i'd also try to up the veggies a bit more if i was you. not sure what you stir fry with.... but there are lots of options there.

something green would go nicely with ur chicken breast too. (spinach, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, etc etc) you could sometimes make that meal into a salad with half an avocado, chicken breast, veggies, and some oil based dressing. or spicy ranch. :drool: and that would add both veggies and fats.

I should have added that I eat plenty of salad. I usually have a salad a day with little to no dressing topped with feta. It's just not on last night's list because I'm out.

I missed my first workout last night. I sat on my bed and that was all she wrote. My body decided that it needed sleep. I'll be back on it today.

HIIT - Week3 Day 2

Bench


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 3
185lbs x 3

Dumbbell incline press


45lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
60lbs x 6

Dips


No weight x 5
No weight x 5
No weight x 5

Cable pressdowns


Warm up - 22.5lbs x 10
32.5lbs x 10
37.5lbs x 10
37.5lbs x 10
42.5lbs x 10

Calories taken in 1331 with a f/c/p macro of 21/47/32
**********
This was a pretty good workout. At first I thought it wasn't but looking at my past numbers, it was better than I thought. My bench went up from 165lbs x 3 to two sets of 185lbs x 3. So I got 20lbs more on my bench. I do believe I'm getting stronger!

I had to squeeze in some cardio so I did my HIIT today as well. I skipped a workout and used this day to catch up. I was sweaty as hell at the end of my workout. I can feel my endurance increasing. I can now run for 3 minutes straight without stopping. It's been years since I've been able to do that.

Weigh in is in a couple of days. Wish me luck. At some point I plan to post pics. I've been taking them every week. I'll hold off for now because one I'm honestly ashamed to post them. Two, I don't have enough progress yet for there to be any visible changes to the average person. Me, I can see and feel changes but they're subtle yet just enough to keep me motivated.

Friday's workout...once again data got lost on it. I hate that. So from memory:

Squat


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
185lbs x 10
205lbs x 8
225lbs x 6

Step up


20lbs x 10
25lbs x 10
30lbs x 8

Dumbbell shoulder press


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
50lbs x 7

Seated calf raises


45lbs x 30
90lbs x 20
100lbs x 15

**********
My strength is up pretty much across the board. My squats have gone up 20lbs, my db shoulder press went up 10lbs, and my step ups have gone from using no weight to 30lb dumbbells in each hand. That's pretty good progress for me.

Now for even better news. I weighed in at 252lbs for this week! I'm down 8lbs for the month and will hit my goal of 10lbs lost by August 31st! I'm noticing my clothes are fitting much, much better. This is a good feeling.

Workout...

Deadlifts


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 8
205lbs x 5

Dumbbell row


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
55lbs x 10
60lbs x 10
65lbs x 6

Pull ups


100lbs x 5
100lbs x 5
100lbs x 5

Standing biceps curl


Warm up - 25lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 6
65lbs x 4

Calories for the day 1481 with a f/c/p macro of 18/32/50.
**********
I decided to dial back my deadlifts a little. It's my most iffy exercise. I'm really trying to keep my form spot on. I've had back issues in the past and I don't want to go too heavy while sacrificing on form. So I made sure to watch my form this time with a lighter weight.

I got my Nitrean from AtLarge in. It tastes pretty good and mixes well. I'm excited to incorporate it into my daily routine. As far as other supplementation, I'm going to keep it basic with protein and more than likely creatine. I think everything else can be provided by my diet.

On a related note, I've noticed that my diet has really changed. Tonight I'm going to a bbq and instead of pigging out on all kinds of not so healthy things, I'm bringing marinated chicken breast skewers. This way I can contribute to the bbq but I've also given myself healthier options. I have to change my lifestyle to accomodate my health kick!

Workout

Cardio - Week 4 Day 1

Swiss ball crunch


Warm up - no weight x 10
10lbs x 20
10lbs x 20
10lbs x 20

Ab twists


10 reps x 3

Hanging knee raise


10 reps x 3


Calories for the day 1658 with a f/c/p macro of 23/47/30
**********
My macro was off due to the bbq. I didn't eat exactly how I wanted but I did notice it was way better than how I've eaten in the past. Normally I would two plates with rice, potato salad, meat and I would take food break for about half an hour. Then I would go back for thirds. I would down about 4 sodas while doing this.

This time I had one plate and went easy on the rice. I had one soda. That was it. On my plate were my chicken breast skewers. I had two of those because I know exactly what went in to making them and I knew they were a good choice. So most of my meat came from that. I skipped the potato salad too. While I didn't eat exactly how I wanted, I was still proud of my decision to show some portion control.

I did cardio tonight as usual and the program I'm using is a training program that preps you for running a 5k. Tonight's interval called for running 3 minutes/walk 90 seconds/run 5 minutes/walk 2.5 minutes/run 3 minutes/walk 90 seconds/run 5 minutes with a warm up and cool down for 5 minutes each. Total time is 32 minutes. I thought I would never get through the 5 minute run. I didn't think I could do it. It ended up not being bad at all. I've come along way in 4 weeks. I'm not gassed after running for 60 seconds.

Funny story, I was lying in bed with my fiancee and we were watching TV before sleeping. The TV is on my side of the room. She says to me, 'Honey you really are changing. I can lay next to you and actually see the TV over your stomache now! Your stomache doesn't block my view anymore!' I smiled and laughed...

Funny story, I was lying in bed with my fiancee and we were watching TV before sleeping. The TV is on my side of the room. She says to me, 'Honey you really are changing. I can lay next to you and actually see the TV over your stomache now! Your stomache doesn't block my view anymore!' I smiled and laughed...

:lol: nice!

Workout

Bench


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 6
195lbs x 3

Dumbbell incline press


50lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
60lbs x 8

Dips


8 reps
6 reps
4 reps

Cable press down


42.5 x 10
47.5 x 8
52.5 x 6



Calories for the day 1773 with a f/c/p macro of 23/35/42
**********
This was a pretty good workout for me for a few reasons. The first reason, I got to the gym earlier than usual. I normally go pretty late because it's less crowded at my gym. Today I decided to go a little early so I could more sleep in. The second reason is I had a pretty intense workout.

I'm close to breaking the 200lbs barrier on my bench which is a long way from the 165lbs I was doing originally and that was just a few short weeks ago. I also went up 5lbs on my inclines. I think in a couple of weeks I'm going to try to put up 205lbs on the bench.

I'm kind of worried about my Monday weigh in. I, against my better judgement, peeked at the scale and I put on 2lbs. I know it's still early in the week but it has me a bit concerned.

If I weigh in on Monday weighing more or not moving down I'm going to give it another week to see the results. If by the second week I haven't lost any pounds I'm going to switch up my routine and diet.

Cardio - Week 4 Day 2

Calories for the day 1758 with a f/c/p macro of 23/35/41.
**********
Today was a good cardio day. I didn't even notice that I ran for 5 minutes. I think my cardio routine is really showing results. I can now run faster for longer. Today was a split of


5 minute warm up
3 minute run
1.5 minute walk
5 minute run
2.5 minute walk
3 minute run
1.5 walk
5 minute run
5 minute cool down

Three short weeks ago I was gassed when running 60 seconds.

Squats


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
185lbs x 10
235lbs x 7
245lbs x 4

Step up


20lbs x 10
25lbs x 8
30lbs x 6

Dumbbell should press


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 10
60lbs x 7

**********
My lifts have all gone up pretty much across the board. A week ago I squatted 225lbs. Today I put 245lbs! My shoulder presses are also up 10lbs.

:tucool:

Good news...I went shopping for a new pair of pants. I naturally went to look for size 40 pants. I didn't find any so I went a size down to a 38 and it fit COMFORTABLY. I think I may even be able to squeeze in to a 36.

This feels so good. When I went on vacation a month or so ago I was struggling to find shorts that fit. All the styles/brands that I like don't really make them for big boys. I was settling for size 40 that was a bit snug. Having your nards crammed in to a pair of shorts that don't fit is never comfortable.:nono: Imagine how stoked I was to fit nicely in to a 38. In no time at all I'll be in size 34 pants. I think at my heaviest I was wearing a 46, at my most fit I was in a 32.

Even more great news....I'm officially at my goal for the end of this month! The short term goal was to be at 250lbs by the end of August. I have a week to go and I'm at 249lbs. One goal down.

My next goal is to be at 238lbs by September 30th. That gives me roughly 5 weeks to lose 11lbs. I can do this.

I'm also debating switching my diet up a bit. I read an interesting article about caloric intake. In a nutshell it said eat the amount of calories you would if you were at your goal weight. So basically eat as if you were at your goal weight and simply maintaining. I'm going to finish out this week and then give this tweak a shot. So it means that I'm going to up my calories from the roughly 1400-1600 a week to more around 2000.

I'll give this tweak two weeks to see if it works better. If not, I can always go back to what I've been doing. I just want to make sure I'm not losing too much muscle as I cut.

Workout

Deadlift


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 8
205lbs x 5

Assisted Pull ups


100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10

Dumbbell rows


50lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
60lbs x 4

Standing barbell curls


Warm up - 25lbs x 10
45lbs x 10
55lbs x 8
65lbs x 7

Calories for the day 1702 with a f/c/p macro of 27/33/40.
**********
Today was kind of a tough workout. It wasn't as intense as previous workouts. When I went to the gym I felt like I 'didn't have it.' In the end I managed to salvage the workout and felt better after it then I did preworkout.

I was concerned that my deadlifts would be affected by my mood but I felt good doing it. I didn't have a particularly hard time with the weight I was doing. I think I can safely move up in my deadlifts.

Update from 8/25/2009:
Cardio
Interval training - Week 5 Day 1

**********
Bench


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 4
205lbs x 2

Incline dumbbell press


55lbs x 10
60lbs x 7
65lbs x 4

Dips


10 reps
9 reps
5 reps

Cable triceps pushdown


42.5lbs x 10
47.5lbs x 9
52.5lbs x 8

**********
My strength is increasing still. I finally broke the 200lb barrier in bench. I only got it up twice but it was nice to break that barrier. My incline db presses went up by 5lbs on my last set too.

Next week I'm increasing my calories to 2300-2400 a week. I just think I can get more out of it. I'm concerned that while I am losing weight, I'm losing too much muscle at the same time. My very unscientific theory is that if I increase my calories, I'll retain more muscle which will help my metabolism. I'm using the simple weight x 14 for my calculation. This would put me at 249lbs x 14 = 3486 calories a day. Being at approximately 2400 calories should keep me at a deficit. I'm going to try it for 2 weeks to see how it goes.

Cardio - Interval training Week 5 Day 2

Calories for the day 1554 with a f/c/p macro of 16/38/45.

**********
I was doing my cardio interval training last night and something surprised me. I have a program that lets me know when to run and when to walk. It sort of plays in the background of my music on my iPod.

So I'm running along at a good pace and I start to think, 'Man I've been running for a while now. I wonder if my running program shut down by accident?'

So I switched to my running app and noticed that today's workout called for running 8 minutes with a 5 minute walk. Then I see that I've already been running for 6+ minutes. That's the longest I've ever run since I've started training. Five weeks ago if you told me that I could run for 8 minutes I would've seriously doubted it. Now I can run 8 minutes??? That's huge for me. That's a tangible result.

I swear it keeps getting better.

Here's my end of the month check in. I reached my goal of losing 10lbs in August. This morning I sit at exactly 250lbs according to the scale. I did put on two pounds over the weekend but I kind of expected that since we had a bbq. Either way, I've hit my goal for the month.

Some highlights for August:


I can run for 20 minutes straight. At the beginning of the month I was gassed running for 60 seconds.
My lifts have all gone up in weight. I can even do 10 dips, unassisted, where I was only able to do 5 at first.
I lost a pant size. Actually it may be two since I went from a 40 to a really comfortable 38.
My shirts that used to strain the buttons at the bellybutton area now fit nicely.
I've taken a more active role in cooking dinner.
I get up waaaaay earlier on weekends where I used to be too tired to wake up at all.
Traps are noticeable as is a faint line where my abs might be.
Delts are getting nice and rounded.
My underwear are now a size large and the extra large ones hang on me. (I had to throw a funny highlight in!)

For September I plan to switch it up a bit. I was only hitting muscles once a week and now I'm going to hit them twice a week. I'm going to maintain my cardio but I'm going to experiement with LISS a little more. It's part of my training as if I'm running a 5k.

I'm going to up my caloric intake for a couple of weeks to see where it takes me. I've been around 1400-1700 cals a day but I fear I'm losing muscle mass at the same time. Starting today I'm going to aim for around 2200 cals a day. As for the macro breakdown, not very scientific but I'm going to shoot for protein than carbs.

So I've made a new contract with myself with my training schedule listed as well as my new stated goal. (Does anyone else make contracts with them self?) It's signed as of this morning and the new goal is for me to be at 240lbs or less by September 30th. This is going to be a little tougher because I go out of state for a week on business but I've already done the research on local branches of my gym while I travel. There are gyms near by but I'm not sure how far. Since I won't have a rental I might have to pony up some money for a taxi. I'm not worried though, I'm focused more than I've ever been.

Squats


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
205lbs x 10
225lbs x 7
245lbs x 4

Barbell bent over row


65lbs x 10
85lbs x 10
105lbs x 8

Dumbbell bicep curls


Warm up - 15lbs x 10
30lbs x 10
35lbs x 6



Calories for the day 2029 with a f/c/p macro of 31/39/30.
**********
Today was the first day with my new routine. I'm loving the barbell bent over row. I could feel it so much more than a dumbbell bent over row.

I also upped my calories to 2000(ish). I had way more carbs than I wanted but I can tweak that. This is a two week experiment to see if I can still lose some fat on 2000 calories without sacrificing muscle. I'll see where I weigh in at the end of the two weeks. If it doesn't work I'll have to push extra hard to reach my goal weight of 239lbs by the end of this month.

Bench


135lbs x 10
185lbs x 7
205lbs x 3

Military press


95lbs x 10
105lbs x 10
115lbs x 8

Cable triceps pushdown


42.5lbs x 10
47.5lbs x 10
52.5lbs x 7

Calories for the day 2162 with a f/c/p 24/38/38.
**********
Workout wasn't the greatest. I struggled with 205lbs on the bench. I just wasn't into it today. I plodded through it though. Hopefully next workout will feel better.

Cardio - Week 6 Day 1 (34 minutes)


Warm up - 5 minutes
Run - 5 minutes
Walk - 3 minutes
Run - 8 minutes
Walk - 3 minutes
Run - 5 minutes
Cool down - 5 minutes

Calories for the day 1762 with a f/c/p macro of 25/31/44
**********
I jumped on the scale last night just to see where I was at. I actually put on 5lbs. I attribute that to the creatine and water weight from creatine. I'll see what happens at the of end of the week at 'official' weigh in.

Well I fell off the nutrition wagon for a few days so it hasn't been pretty. I've been feeling kind of 'slumped' lately. But I've still been hitting the gym, only with not so intense workouts. Until last night...

I had great chest workout. My bench felt stronger, way stronger. I'm ready to move up in weight. Next bench workout I'm going to try to put up 225lbs. I think I just needed a good workout out to 'lift my spirits.'

So I'm back on track now. I'm working on my meals for the week as I type. I was trading messages with Ca$on and I'm going to up my calories to 2500-2600 a day. It just makes sense. Thanks Ca$on!

Regular posts will now resume.

Dead lift


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
185lbs x 5
205lbs x 3

Seated cable rows


Warm up - 12.5lbs x 10
27.5lbs x 10
52.5lbs x 10
57.5lbs x 10

Machine leg press


90lbs x 10
180lbs x 10
270lbs x 10

Dumbbell preacher curls


15lbs x 10
20lbs x 10
25lbs x 6

Calories for the day 1686 with a macro of f/c/p 22/41/37
**********
I completely forgot about seated rows as an exercise. I forgot how much I prefer them for back. So I did these in lieu of pullups. There was a guy that was using the station at the time. I'm fairly certain I can go heavier, I just needed to get a feel for the exercise again. So I went slow and light.

Calories for the day 1703 with a f/c/p macro of 27/32/41
**********
No workout for Friday. Normally I do some cardio on Fridays since it's a non lifting day, but I decided to give my legs a break because they were sore as hell. My hams and glutes were killing me after this week's leg session.

Dumbbell incline press


Warm up - 20lbs x 10
60lbs x 10
65lbs x 7

Machine chest flye


65lbs x 10
70lbs x 8
75lbs x 7

Dips


10 x 3 sets

Lateral raises superset with front raises


10lbs x 10
15lbs x 8
20lbs x 5

**********
This was a really good session for me. I'm finally back to where I can do a decent amount of dips, one of my favorite exercises. I was feeling so good that I decided to superset my shoulder exercises.

Strength is still going up! I'm going to see if I can do 70lbs in my db presses this week.

I did my weekly weigh in and took photos. I was somewhat surprised but I'm at 250lbs for the week! I thought I was going to come in a little heavier since I weighed myself earlier in the week and I was at 256lbs but I think that's the side effect of water weight.

I still think I can hit my goal of 239lbs by the end of this month. My concern was my change in diet-taking in more calories, and how this would effect my cutting overall. It seems to be working out because I'm taking in more calories but still losing weight and my strength is still going up.

Squats


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
225lbs x 10
245lbs x 6
265lbs x 4

Good mornings


95lbs x 10
115lbs x 10
125lbs x 6

Barbell bent over rows


65lbs x 10
85lbs x 10
105lbs x 6

Dumbbell bicep curls


25lbs x 10
30lbs x 6
35lbs x 5

Hammer curls


15lbs x 10
20lbs x 8
25lbs x 6



Calories for the day 1520 with a f/c/p macro of 26/36/38.
**********
Today was a good workout. My squats went up again. My biceps were worked hard. I finally got my form on good mornings down to where I feel comfortable doing it. Now if I can just learn to like deadlifts or at least find a good alternative. Glute-ham raises are out of the question. I tried those and I couldn't even get one done. So if anyone has any suggestions to deadlift alternatives please let me know!

Lately I've been feeling like I want more progress now. I guess it's the instant gratification gene in me. I realize I've only been doing this for approximately two months but some days it's hard when I don't see myself instantly fit. In the end I realize that it's all about staying focused and being consistent. Results will come.

Bench


Warm up - 95lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
205lbs x 5
225lbs x 2

Military press


95lbs x 10
115lbs x 8
135lbs x 6

Cable triceps pushdown


52.5lbs x 10
57.5lbs x 10
625lbs x 7

Dumbbell pull-over


20lbs x 10
30lbs x 10
35lbs x 10


Calories for the day 1583 with a f/c/p macro of 12/41/47.
**********
Not much to say here but I handled 225lbs on the bench! I was going to do the same weight I did in my last bench session but I felt good so I decided to challenge myself and lo and behold I put up 225lbs!

It's amazing how much I've transformed in my short two months.

Not that anyone missed me but I'm back. I've had to take, wait, I've chosen to take two weeks off for personal and professional reasons. Read: Work and life.

But I'm back in the gym. I've been hitting the gym all week. I just haven't posted any numbers. My diet has also been on point. It's amazing how I've had to 're-aclimate' myself to the gym. Some lifts were close to what they were, others I had to dial back a bit.

Regular posts will resume next week.

I haven't kept my promise to my self for updating on a regular basis again. Life has just kept me busy. I'll bullet point my progress in one update:


I've been working out again consistently for the last two weeks
I'm almost back to my last lowest weight (248lbs) - I'm at 250lbs and I think I'll even dip lower than that at weigh in on Monday morning
I set PRs in

Squats - 315lbs
Bench - 225lbs

I can now run a solid 2 miles. I'm closer to running a 5k.
My diet is back on track and has been for 3 weeks.

I did some cardio last night. I ran for two miles, alternating between high and low speeds.

I weighed in this morning at a smaller 250lbs this week. I feel pretty good. I was hoping to be at 247lbs but I had some unplanned dinner outings that I forgot to factor in.

Overall I"m still 19lbs from my highest weight. Since I've been working out I'm down 10lbs. I feel good being back on track.

Workout:

Bench


135lbs x 10
225lbs x 5
245lbs x 2

Cable triceps pushdown


57.5lbs x 10
62.5lbs x 10
67.5lbs x 10

Arnold presses


30lbs x 10
35lbs x 10
40lbs x 10

Cardio


Ran for 28 minutes at different intervals

5 minute warmup
90 second run
90 second walk
3 minute run
3 minute walk

repeat twice



**********
I feel good today. I think it's because I'm finally getting over a really rough patch of life in general and I can focus on the gym again. Out of curiousity I weighed myself this morning and was shocked to see that I was at 247lbs. That's another 3lbs lost. I think if I just follow my eating plan I can maintain that for the official weigh in on Monday morning.

Hopefull this means I'm back to regular posting....

Workout:

Deadlift


135lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
135lbs x 10

Assisted pull-up


70lbs x 5
70lbs x 5
70lbs x 5

Machine leg press


270lbs x 10
360lbs x 10
450lbs x 10

Dumbbell preacher curl


30lbs x 10
35lbs x 10
40lbs x 5 (partial reps)

Barbell curls



45lbs x 10
55lbs x 10
65lbs x 5

**********
I had another great workout last night. I got to the gym and something just clicked. It was pretty intense for me. I'm most excited about my assisted pull-ups.

My goal is to be able to do pull-ups without any assistance. To that end I've been slowly lowering the amount of weight used. I started out using 100lbs of assistance a few months back. Last night I was able to do it with only 70lbs of assistance.

I've also decide to take a step back on my deadlifts. In the past few weeks I went away from doing them because they felt awkward. I did a lot of reading and decided there is no single good replacement for deadlifts. I just have to do them. So last night I focused on form and I will keep it there until I feel that my form is spot on.

I'm back to feeling good about me and about the gym. I think posting here has a lot to do with it. :tucool:

Did some cardio last night. I ran/walked in intervals for 32 minutes. This morning I had my official weigh in and I maintained 247lbs!

I feel pretty stoked today. I'm really looking forward to tonight's workout. I even cooked my chicken breast for the week and stuck it in the freezer.

I forgot about setting mini goals and kind of got away from it. So here's my mini goal. I want to be at 243lbs by the end of November. That should be more than doable.