Tomorrow I get going. I joined this Forum a long time ago and while I have lost some weight here and there I am far from what you would call a “Transformation”. Now it’s time to get serious. I have the knowledge and the desire, what I need is the willpower and mental fortitude to keep it up. This journal should provide some much needed accountability.

Current Stats:

Age: 24
Weight: 232 lbs.
Height: 5’10”
Body Fat: ~30% maybe higher

Goals:

By 8/1/10:

Weigh 165 lbs and sub 10% body fat
Wear a size 32 pants for the first time
Be proud to take my shirt off at a pool or at the beach
Make my friends jealous
Receive massive attention from the opposite sex

Other goals:

Be featured in the JSF Transformation Spotlight of the Month sometime in 2010

Plan of Action:

Nutrition:

I have 4 different meal plans that I will rotate for now. Once I learn some new recipes I will switch them out with some of the meals in these plans.

Meal plans are here (http://bit.ly/2xkbtB).

Exercise:

I will lift weight on Monday / Wednesday / Friday in the early afternoon. I feel like I need to spend a week or two in the gym getting a feel for things before I commit to a specific weightlifting plan. I know I want to do a 3 day split like this:

Monday: Chest / Triceps / Shoulders
Wednesday: Back / Biceps
Friday: Legs / Abs

I’ll also be taking progress pics every week, but I probably won’t post them until I’ve achieved some success. I’ll post some normal pictures for now.

10/21/09 is day one and I can’t wait to start working on the new me.

Be proud to take my shirt off at a pool or at the beach

In Gainesville?! Good luck there, unless you fancy driving out to St Augustine and flexin' atop Castillo de San Marcos :D

Good luck!

Thanks Hydrogen! I love St. Augustine & the beaches, are you from that area?

I thought I'd go ahead and post some general before pictures. After a few weeks I'll post some "official progress pics". These were taken a few weeks ago in Vegas.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/fat1.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/fat3.jpg

Seeing these pictures a couple weeks ago really put me in my place. :eek:

DAY 1

Just got back from the gym, had a great workout. It's been a while since I've gone to the gym so I spent a lot of my time figuring out where various machines / racks were :o. I think I've got the layout down now. Right now I'm still just getting a feel for what I can lift with proper form. After a couple of weeks I'm going to take gravityhomer's advice from his fat loss guide and keep a log of each workout.

Last night I cleaned out my fridge and pantry, threw out everything I knew would keep me from reaching my goals and then went grocery shopping. I have enough food to last about a week with my current meal plans. I live on my own, so my fridge looks almost empty now!

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/fridge.jpg :drool:

My stockpile of food isn't nearly as impressive as John's.

Thanks Hydrogen! I love St. Augustine & the beaches, are you from that area?
Well I live in NY now, but I'm from an island off the east coast of FL. About 3,500 miles off it, in fact. :D

I thought I'd go ahead and post some general before pictures. After a few weeks I'll post some "official progress pics". These were taken a few weeks ago in Vegas.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/fat1.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/fat3.jpg

Seeing these pictures a couple weeks ago really put me in my place. :eek:

They're good motivation to have, kick some ass, robmac. :D

I like the title of your thread here.

Last night I cleaned out my fridge and pantry, threw out everything I knew would keep me from reaching my goals and then went grocery shopping. I have enough food to last about a week with my current meal plans. I live on my own, so my fridge looks almost empty now!

Smart decision. Good luck.

Smart decision. Good luck.

They're good motivation to have, kick some ass, robmac. :D

Thanks to both of you! I haven't had a chance to read your journals, but your progress pics are absolutely phenomenal. My hat's off to both of you.

I like the title of your thread here.

Thanks, the funny thing is I've never even had a Big Mac.

Well I live in NY now, but I'm from an island off the east coast of FL. About 3,500 miles off it, in fact. :D

:lol: After I asked, I read through forum member zero's journal and got my answer.

DAY 2

Man am I sore today. I woke up this morning thinking maybe I had pulled a muscle in my right arm, but it was just extremely tight after yesterday's back and biceps workout. It’s feeling much better after being stretched out today. I’m thinking I need to add some cardio into my plan. I’ve read opinions from many people on this forum, some say it’s not necessary, others say it’s critical. Some say the only time to do cardio is in the morning fasted, others say it doesn’t matter what time. I have a very analytical personality so if I’m not careful I suffer from “paralysis from analysis”. Rather that read into it too much, I’m going to go ahead and add a 30 minute LISS cardio session on Tues / Thurs / Sat / Sun first thing in the morning. I’ll start this Saturday.

Not much else to report. No workout today, diet has been on track following the meal plans I laid out in the first post.

DAY 3

I love my new gym. The last couple of days it’s been nearly deserted. I’ve been working out in the middle of the day, around 1:30 pm while I guess everyone else is at work. Also, it’s only $32/mo which, while not a steal, is much less than I used to pay at my previous gym ($56/mo). It may not be as pretty, but I’m not there to indulge myself, I just want to get in, do work, and get out.

Today was leg day. I used mostly machines and did some leg presses, curls, extensions and worked my calves. After that, I did some squats with light weight to get a feel for the proper form. I will be including lots of compound exercises when I design my workout plan.

I saw this recipe (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=48913) posted by CA$ON last night and had to try it. The macros were almost identical to what I was planning on cooking anyway, so I ran to the store to pick up the missing ingredients. It was delicious! This will definitely be in my regular lineup.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/basilchik.jpg

DAY 4

Wednesday: 232 lbs.

Today: 226 lbs. :tucool:

Obviously some water weight lost, but it feels good to see the scale moving in the right direction. I'm zeroing in on my weightlifting plan. Tentatively, this is what I am planning:

Chest / Triceps / Shoulders

DB Bench Press
DB Flyes

Assisted Dips
Tricep Pushdowns

Military Press
Arnold Press


Legs / Abs

Barbell Squat
DB Lunge
Leg Curl
Leg Extension

Captains Chair Leg Raise

Back / Biceps

Deadlift
Lat Pulldown
Row

Assisted Chin-Up
Standing Barbell Curl

Now I'm off to watch the Gators take on the Bulldogs and our old offensive coordinator. Should be fun.

DAY 5

I almost forgot to update today. Had a great day, everything is on track and I'm feeling good. Ready for a great week. Now it's time for bed. :sleep: Night!

DAY 6

I missed my workout today :nono:. I could say I was busy with work, which was true to an extent, but the reality is that I could have reorganized my schedule and made it to the gym. I'll make up for it tomorrow since I only have AM cardio planned. I don't feel that bad about missing my workout because I'm really trying to look at this as a lifestyle change and not a 9 month "diet". Things are going to get in my way. I'll do whatever it takes to make up for a missed workout. The most important thing to me is not to let a missed workout drag me back to my old ways.

Diet was on track today. I found 2 specialty grocery stores down the street from my house over the weekend. I picked up some Panko bread crumbs and Sriracha (after hearing John rave about it for weeks) at an Oriental Market. I also found chicken breast or "pechuga de pollo" for $2.29/lb at a Latin Market. I'm really excited about the chicken because it was cheap and very lean, so I didn't have to pay for a bunch of fat I would have thrown away. The size is great too:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chicken.jpg

The one on the left is from the Latin Market, the one on the right is from Wal-Mart. I paid the same price for each piece. I like supporting a local business as well.

That about sums it up. Tomorrow I'll be in the gym by 2pm :bb:. You can take that to the bank. :tu:

DAY 10

10/21/09: 232.0 lbs
10/30/09: 224.0 lbs

Unfortunately I missed a few days updating my journal, but I am very much on track otherwise. My weight this morning was 224 lbs even. That’s an 8 lb loss over the past 9 days. I’m sure there was some initial water weight lost but I believe some of that 8 lbs had to be fat loss as well. Next week I am starting my official workout plan, which I feel really good about. Now I’ve got to get back to work!

DAY 13

After tomorrow I will have completed 2 weeks of my new lifestyle. Things are getting much easier and I really haven't been tempted to cheat like I have in the past. My friends are doing everything they can to sabotage me, as I figured they would :rolleyes:. I've had to turn down lots of food and even more alcohol over the past few days. It hasn't been hard, because I want to get this weight off a lot more than I want a beer. Tonight I went out and just drank water while everyone else had beer and fried chicken. I am sure once I've lost the weight I can add these things back in moderation but I can never go back to the way I was eating and drinking a few weeks ago.

DAY 15

Two weeks down! I have lost 9.6 lbs. I am a little worried that I may be losing weight too quickly. If I continue to lose weight at this rate I'll be at my goal weight by the end of January!

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart.jpg

The pink line represents a 1.5 lb loss per week. The blue line represents a 2 lb loss per week. The yellow line is my actual weight loss. As you can see, the yellow line is trending down much faster than what I predicted. I don't know if it's just water weight or something else, so I'm going to keep doing the same thing for a couple more weeks. If it keeps going down at this rate I'll have to make some changes. Either way it's great to see the numbers going down! :D

DAY 16

I never thought I would say this but, I love fish! I had never really tried it before now, don't know why. I've been buying flounder the last couple weeks. It's not the taste that I love, more that it's not too expensive, cooks in ~6 minutes and takes hardly any time to eat since it just flakes apart. Right now I'm looking for anything that cuts down on the time I spend cooking, and this definitely fits the bill.

Weight was down to 222.0 today, a .4 lb loss from yesterday and 10 lbs loss overall.

DAY 17

Took a second set of progress pics today, not seeing much difference. I guess it's still too soon to see any appreciable change. What bothers me is that when I look at John's weekly pics from his initial fat loss phase, I see a major change every week. I suppose I shouldn't use John's pictures as a way of estimating what my progress should look like. I am confident that in a few weeks time I will see some difference in my progress pictures.

I may be heading out of town early next week so I'll have to do something different with my meal plan. :confused: I'll give it some thought this weekend. Also there's a home game this weekend; I think it may just be easier to just watch it on TV rather than go tailgating and have to turn down all the beer and food. Ugh :blank:

DAY 17

Took a second set of progress pics today, not seeing much difference. I guess it's still too soon to see any appreciable change. What bothers me is that when I look at John's weekly pics from his initial fat loss phase, I see a major change every week. I suppose I shouldn't use John's pictures as a way of estimating what my progress should look like. I am confident that in a few weeks time I will see some difference in my progress pictures.

did you know john was SUPER SKINNY before he hit his "chunky" stage???? i'm not sure what ur history is...... but if you weren't a naturally thin dude in ur youth.... then you can't expect to lose fat at the same rate as someone who was.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs006.snc1/4423_93050597201_617782201_2302195_885788_n.jpg

did you know john was SUPER SKINNY before he hit his "chunky" stage???? i'm not sure what ur history is...... but if you weren't a naturally thin dude in ur youth.... then you can't expect to lose fat at the same rate as someone who was.

Thanks for the advice, dejavued. That makes me feel a lot better about my pictures. I've been overweight for a long time, since I was a kid. I can remember being overweight as early as 10 years old. I lost some weight in High School, which I've since gained back, but I've never been skinny like John.

I've been looking at John's pictures and comparing them to his stats on his old food logs as a way to guess what I might look like at a particular weight. Mostly because he started at 215 and I'm currently at 222 and we're both about the same height. I guess that's not a smart thing to do, especially considering what John looked like in his youth vs. what I looked like in my youth.

DAY 18

After 2 weeks, I am trying to better understand how to think about what I’m doing. In the past, I might eat well and work out for a few days and feel like I was “on track” or “on the wagon”. But then, something would happen. Either I’d miss a workout or miss a meal, or eat something I shouldn’t. That mistake would lead to another and soon enough I’d have fallen “off the wagon”. What I’m starting to realize is that there is no such thing as being “on the wagon” or “off the wagon”. There are just days. Every day counts, whether I’m on track or not. In the past, I would justify eating a pizza by telling myself that I was off the wagon this week and that next week I would get back on track. Now I understand that today matters, tomorrow matters and the day after matters.

The reason I’m bringing this up now is that I usually tend to fall “off the wagon” after about 2 weeks. It’s been the story of my life for the past 2 years: Eat well for 2 weeks, cheat, cheat some more, get off track for 2 weeks, repeat ad nauseam. I believe the problem was in my head. After a couple unscheduled “cheat” meals I would start to feel “off track” and then give up for 2 weeks, than try to get back “on track”.

So if every day counts and there is no such thing as “on track” or “off track”, what do I do if I crave pizza? More importantly what do I do on a daily basis when I’ve reached my goal weight? I mean it’s not realistic (for me) to say “I’m never going to eat pizza again”. I know it’s very early for me to be thinking about what I’m going to do after I’ve lost the weight, but I know if I don’t start thinking about it now, I’ll go back to my old “on track, off track” way of thinking.

More tomorrow.

Any thoughts?

I think I see a difference in my progress photos! :spaz: Yesterday I was sorta disappointed because I didn't see any difference. But after staring at the photos for a day I think I see a tiny reduction in my upper gut, just below my chest.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/11-06-09.jpg

I'll have to pick up where I left off some other time. It turns out I am going out of town tomorrow, but it's only for the day. This is going to be a big test for me, because like I was saying yesterday, this is exactly the sort of thing that has completely thrown a wrench in the gears in the past. Tomorrow I'll be driving for 8 hours and it's just not realistic for me to be eating flounder, chicken breasts and cottage cheese. I am just going to make the best choices possible while on the road. The test will come Tuesday, when I have to get back to my new habits. I'll be updating my journal Monday and Tuesday because it really has kept me on track the last couple weeks.

I'm back, and I did GOOD! I'm exhausted, so I'll fill in the details tomorrow.

Yesterday went much better than expected. I made my usual eggs and oatmeal for breakfast, and then set out on the 4 hour drive to SW Florida. I didn't get a chance to eat again until about 3 pm. I was starving, so I went to a restaurant and sat down to have a look at the menu. I couldn't find anything remotely healthy. There were burgers, wings, fried chicken sandwiches etc. I came close to ordering something, but then decided instead to just get up and leave. I drove for a bit until I found an Applebees, which was perfect. Several of the items on their menu list the Weight Watchers points and while I'm not on Weight Watchers, I know that 1 Weight Watchers point = ~50 calories. I ordered the Garlic Chicken Breast, which came with some red potatoes and steamed broccoli. It was delicious and came in at 7 Weight Watchers points, or approx. 350 calories. I have no idea what the macronutrient % may have been, but it doesn't really matter. After I ate, I made the drive back home and cooked myself dinner. Mission Accomplished. This morning I weighed in at 220.2, my lowest weight yet and a 1.8 lb loss from last week. Tomorrow is my official weigh in day, so I'm hoping to lose the .2 lbs for a 2 lb loss this week.

DAY 22

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 220.2 lbs
Total Lost: 11.8 lbs :D

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart2.jpg

Looks like my weight loss has finally leveled out. 1.8 lbs lost since last week. I'll post another progress photo on Friday. I'm feeling good and having fun! :tucool:

DAY 23

My pants are falling off!!! :spaz:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/pants.jpg

I've been pulling them back up over my ass all morning until I finally put on a belt...then I got another surprise. A few months ago I had to punch a new hole in my belt because it was too small. Now I'm back to using the pre-punched hole! All this has got me in a great mood today! :nod:

In other news I picked up some Psyllium Husk Powder. I'm going to start taking it in the morning to get my fiber intake up where it should be. It tastes like cardboard but it has great reviews online, so I'll just have to wait and see.

Now I'm back to using the pre-punched hole!

:claplow::claplow:

In other news I picked up some Psyllium Husk Powder. I'm going to start taking it in the morning to get my fiber intake up where it should be. It tastes like cardboard but it has great reviews online, so I'll just have to wait and see.

Robmac,
I take that. I mix it in with some apple sauce, so you can't taste it. I just wrote about another supplement "niacin" in someone else's journal. I sound like Mr. Supplement today. :lol: Besides the main purpose of it (to add fiber), one good side effect, is that it is supposed to help lower cholesterol.

I take that. I mix it in with some apple sauce, so you can't taste it.

That's not a bad idea. Applesauce is probably watery enough. I was thinking about mixing it in my oatmeal, but I'm a little concerned it might turn into glue. :lol: In all seriousness, the bottle says "Without enough water the product may swell in the throat, causing blockage or choking." One person's review online said they poured it down the drain, because they didn't like the taste, it expended and they had to replace the pipes under the sink! :doh:

DAY 24

Time for progress pics. I don't see any huge differences, but I do see some minor changes. For some reason the pictures came out darker than usual. I haven't moved the tripod since I set it up, so it must be the angle of the sun through the window off to the left. I'll have to work on that. Either way, here they are:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/11-06-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/11-13-09.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/11-06-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/11-13-09.jpg

Those pants are loose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:tucool::eek:

you can clearly see that your belly isn't flopping over your belt-line near as much and your neck is getting skinnier... keep it up!

Great work!!! :tu:

you can clearly see that your belly isn't flopping over your belt-line near as much and your neck is getting skinnier... keep it up!

Great work!!! :tu:

Those pants are loose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:tucool::eek:

:) Thanks guys!

DAY 25

I am out of the 220's and into the 210's...today's weight 219.6, a .6 lb loss since Wednesday. :tucool:

Time for some FOOTBALL http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/merv/football.gif

I am out of the 220's and into the 210's...today's weight 219.6, a .6 lb loss since Wednesday. :tucool:


Great news! You are doing well and the weight is coming off. I forsee a time in the near future when you won't need the 2 at all in your weight unless it comes in the third position. :tu:

Great news! You are doing well and the weight is coming off. I forsee a time in the near future when you won't need the 2 at all in your weight unless it comes in the third position. :tu:

Thanks, carguy! I'm looking forward to that! :nod:

DAY 27

Today's weight: 218.0 lbs.

That's a 14 lb. loss overall. Wednesday is my official weigh-in, and I imagine it will go up slightly before then.

My business has been slow this month, so I'm having to put in some extra time. Better get back to it.

DAY 29

Starting Weight: 232.0
Monday's Weight: 218.0
Today's Weight 220.0 :confused:

I had a feeling my weight would go back up before coming down again. My lowest weight this week was on Monday @ 218.0, but I'm weighing in a little bit heavier today. I'm sure it's just water or a heavy meal last night that I haven't yet gotten rid of. For the graph I am going to record this week's weight at 219.0 (an average of Monday and today).

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart3.jpg

I expect next week's weight to be down around 216.

DAY 30

1 month down! Today's weight is back down to 218.2, so I feel good about my decision to record yesterday's weight at 219.0. Overall I've lost 20% of the weight I plan to lose!

Progress pics tomorrow!

DAY 31

Starting Weight: 232.0
Today's Weight:217.0
Total Lost:

http://www.warehousefitness.com/ProductImages/SDG-015.jpg

Time for progress pics!

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/11-06-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/11-13-09.jpghttp://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/11-20-09.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/11-06-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/11-13-09.jpghttp://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/11-20-09.jpg

I had to move the tripod, so the angle is slightly different. I'm seeing a nice difference this week! :D

15 lbs of water: :eek:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/water.jpg

It's hard to believe that I used to carry this much extra weight around every day.

DAY 33

Today's Weight: 217.4

Weight is up a little since Friday, but it seems to go up and then drop lower than where it started. I'm still shooting for 216 by Wednesday.

I made an overlay of my progress photos in photoshop, which I think is kind of neat. The tripod was the same distance from me in both photos, I used tape marks on the floor to be sure. Unfortunately the camera was at a slightly different angle and the lighting was different. It is extremely difficult to take consistent pictures. This is just my most recent photo at 50% opacity on top of my first photo. I lined up my lower back and waist in both pictures.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/overlay1.jpg

DAY 36

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 215.6 lbs
Total Lost: 16.4 lbs :D

I surpassed my goal of hitting 216.0! Time for the graph:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chartxx.jpg

Just checking in. No progress pictures today. I took yesterday off for Thanksgiving and ate everything I wanted: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls with cinnamon butter, bacon wrapped asparagus, apple pie etc. It was delicious and IMO a well deserved treat. Today I'm up to 219.2 lbs but I'm sure that will drop quickly. My goal for this Wednesday is 214.0 lbs.

I am really enjoying the Psyllium Husk Powder. It's amazing how adding a little extra fiber to my diet has improved my digestion dramatically. I won't go into details here but I really can't speak highly enough about it.

Congrats on your great progress so far mate! - its brilliant to see you sticking to your aims / goals and staying on track - you will hit your target in no time!

I am a good bit bigger than yourself (270lbs) and am just starting on the same journey - just been reading your journal and gotta say that it is very inspiring :claplow:

Congrats on your great progress so far mate! - its brilliant to see you sticking to your aims / goals and staying on track - you will hit your target in no time!

I am a good bit bigger than yourself (270lbs) and am just starting on the same journey - just been reading your journal and gotta say that it is very inspiring :claplow:

Thank you! I really appreciate you and everyone else who has taken the time to comment, it means a lot.

Keeping a journal has been a great motivational factor for me so far. I know there are even more people following along that don't comment. Knowing that people are following my progress has really kept me from going back to my old ways. I may not be perfect, or follow my plan 100% every day, but I absolutely refuse to give up, especially with other people watching me.

:tucool:Wow. That water really puts it into perspective. Good job you are killing!


GO GATORS!

Thanks Ca$on!

DAY 41

Starting Weight 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 215.0 lbs
Total Lost: 17 lbs

So it looks as if I've lost the extra weight I was holding from my Thanksgiving Feast! Seeing the scale at 215 this morning felt really good because even after pigging out last Thursday, I'm still going to lose weight this week. I've got the rest of the day today and all day tomorrow before my Wednesday weigh-in. Hopefully I'll be closer to 214.0 by then, but really I would consider anything under 215.0 a win for the week.

DAY 43

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 214.0 lbs
Total Lost: 18 lbs :spaz:

26.8% COMPLETE

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart122.jpg

Even after a HUGE Thanksgiving meal I still lost 1.6 lbs this week. That feels great. I'm really looking forward to my progress pic on Friday because I've lost 3 lbs since the last time I took a picture and will probably lose a bit more before Friday.

It occurred to me that I'm focusing a lot on my weight, and not really focusing on any measurements or body fat %. Right now I'm really just using the scale and pictures to track my fat loss. I might start keeping some measurements, but I doubt I'll try to track my BF % any time soon.

This past week has been much colder, so I finally pulled my jeans out of the back of the closet. Last time I wore them, I didn't need a belt but now I do! I'm also getting closer to moving down another hole in my belt, just not quite there yet.

Great progress man, over 2lbs/week is an awesome start! :tu:

Thanks, method!

DAY 45

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 213.8 lbs
Total Lost: 18.2 lbs

I'm worried that loading all of the progress pics in a single post may be too large for some computer screens, so from now on I'm only going to post the starting picture and most recent picture. I'll include a link each week to a full progression of pictures.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/12-04-09.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/12-04-09.jpg

Click here for full progression of front pictures. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front)

Click here for full progression of profile pictures. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile)

I'm still not seeing the huge changes I was expecting in my pictures, but I am seeing a slow progression each week. I guess in the long term that's a good thing. Also the scale is moving down, my clothes are fitting bigger, my watch fits more loosely, and I'm down another hole in my belt so I know things are happening. I read an interesting post in Ca$on's journal yesterday that basically said sometimes you don't see changes for a while and then one morning you look in the mirror and it looks as if you lost a bunch of weight overnight. I can't find that post, so I'm not sure exactly how it was worded, but I'm still waiting for that morning to come!

It's strange but i call it lean morning lol. One morning you will wake up and just KNOW the scale will have a good reading. Not only that your clothes will fit very loose. Some others I have talked with had this feeling. It will come very soon you are doing well. :tu:

Keep diet clean and workouts intense. Weight will come off muscle will be added. DIET IS VERY IMPORTANT. Can't stress that enough. :nod:

It's strange but i call it lean morning lol. One morning you will wake up and just KNOW the scale will have a good reading. Not only that your clothes will fit very loose. Some others I have talked with had this feeling. It will come very soon you are doing well. :tu:

Keep diet clean and workouts intense. Weight will come off muscle will be added. DIET IS VERY IMPORTANT. Can't stress that enough. :nod:

Thanks for the advice. How far into your first program did you have a lean morning?

DAY 46

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 212.0 lbs
Total Lost: 20 lbs

I've lost 1.8 lbs in the last 24 hours. :confused: I don't really know what to think about that. I wish my pictures would show as much progress as the scale shows. 20 lbs is 29.8% of my goal of losing 67 lbs, but I don't look 29.8% closer to my goal. :blank:

I think it was around 4-6 months in. I forget.

DAY 48

My weight has been on a roller coaster ride the past few days. Friday 213.8, Saturday 212.0, Sunday 213.8, Today 214.0. I want to be 212 for my official weigh in on Wednesday so I'm going to drink lots of water and take the Psyllium. I stopped taking it for a couple of days which is probably why my weight has gone up.

In December of '08 I started a weight loss plan which I didn't follow through on. I did lose a little weight however and managed to keep some of it off through '09. I just found some pictures from that attempt when I weighed 245. :eek: I've been frustrated with my progress pictures recently, but seeing those pics at 245 made me realize that even though I'm still carrying a lot of extra weight...it used to be a lot worse. I need to keep in mind that it's only been about a month and a half. I budgeted 9 months to get this weight off and at this point I am way ahead of schedule. Good things are happening. My body naturally doesn't want to carry this extra fat and it will continue to come off if I allow it to. :nod:

DAY 50

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 212.2 lbs
Total Lost: 19.8 lbs

Didn't quite make it back down to 212, but a 1.8 lb loss over the last week is fine by me.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart129.jpg

Based on an average of the last 4 weeks, I should hit my goal of 165 by the first week in May. That's great news. My only concern at this point is what to do if I get to 165, but I look heavier than I thought I would. I guess the answer is to just keep going. It's hard to imagine weighing less than 160, but there are lots of people on this site who look great at lower weight...so I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

DAY 48
I've been frustrated with my progress pictures recently, but seeing those pics at 245 made me realize that even though I'm still carrying a lot of extra weight...

I felt the same way as I lost weight... never really saw a big difference one month to the next. But there is a huge difference over 6 months!

Just hang in there... you'll get it! :tu:

Just hang in there... you'll get it! :tu:

Thanks BJ...will do!

DAY 52

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 211.0 lbs
Total Lost: 21 lbs

It's Friday and that means it's time for pictures!

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/12-11-09.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/12-11-09.jpg

Click here for full progression of front pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front)
Click here for full progression of profile pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile)

I am very happy with today's pics. Still no massive changes, but I really think that's a good thing. The weight is obviously coming off. I need to shave!

I just bought size 36 jeans! :spaz: My size 40's were falling off of me, so I went to buy some 38's, but there were too big as well!

DAY 55

I had my first "you look like you've lost weight" comment over the weekend. It felt good to hear someone say that. Weight loss has been slow this week. I'm up .6 lbs since Friday. Hopefully that will drop today and tomorrow for Wednesday's weigh-in. I think I need to pay more attention to my portion sizes. I've been a little lazy the past week about weighing and measuring my food.

In other news things are starting to turn the corner in my business! October and November were particularly slow, but December is off to a fantastic start. By the middle of the month I should have met my financial obligations which means anything I make from the 16th through the end of the month is profit. Most people are getting ready to take some time off, but I've decided to work straight through until the 24th. I'm going to take a half day on Friday to see ICE in Orlando, I'll take the 24th and 25th off but every other day this month is a work day for me.

It's currently 73 degrees F and sunny. It's supposed to get up to 79 today. I've got some business to take care of around town and it looks like a beautiful day to put the top down! :tucool:

DAY 56

Back down to 211.0 this morning. I had to wake up early to take my car in for service but the bill is a lot less than I thought it would be so I'm happy about that. Should be finished this afternoon. It's a beautiful day outside...72 and sunny...I wish I could be out there enjoying it.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/windows.jpg

My neighbors are having a tree cut down right outside my windows and it's really noisy. Glad my car is on the other side of town so I don't have to deal with all the debris.

DA7 57

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 210.0 lbs
Total Lost: 22 lbs

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart1216.jpg

DAY 59

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 209.0 lbs
Total Lost: 23 lbs

I am out of the 210's and into the 200's! :D Only 9 more pounds and I'll be out of the 200's for good.

We decided to head down to Orlando a day earlier and I'm glad we did. The weather was supposed to be nasty both yesterday and today, but it looks like it's much worse today. It did rain a little bit yesterday, but it held off for most of the time we were outside. We did some shopping and had coffee in Winter Park, more shopping at the Mall at Millenia and Prime Outlets, saw ICE at Gaylord Palms and then had dinner at Seasons 52. Thanks to Ca$on for recommending ICE and Bluestreak for recommending Seasons 52, we had an awesome time.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/1.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/2.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/3.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/4.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/5.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/6.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/ice/7.jpg

Looks like you guys had fun. Glad you enjoyed, I might have to post up some pictures as well. :tucool:

Where was Seasons 52?

There are 2 in Orlando, one in Altamonte and one on Sand Lake Road. We went to the latter. It had great views of Little Sand Lake, a piano bar, and all the entrees are under 475 calories.

DAY 61

I'm feeling leaner and more confident after seeing the pictures from Orlando. I was absolutely embarrassed by the pictures taken from my Vegas vacation over the summer, but I don't feel bad about the pictures from Orlando last week. I don't even like looking at the pics from Vegas, they disgust me. This year I avoided pictures, looking in the mirror, re-connecting with old friends and meeting new people. At 209, I'm still not where I want to be, but I am back to the weight that most people are familiar seeing me at. At this point at least I feel like I can go see old friends without them thinking to themselves "what the hell happened?" From this point forward it's about getting into the best shape of my life, rather than just getting back to normalcy. I may have only lost 35% of the weight I plan to lose, but I feel as if the hardest part is behind me.

DAY 62

Over the next couple of days I thought I would post some random comparison shots. Here's one of what I was talking about yesterday. The left is me in Vegas in August, the right is me in Orlando last week. I am absolutely disgusted by the left pic, but in the right I just look like an average guy.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/comp.jpg

DAY 63

Still hovering at 209, hopefully that will drop some tomorrow. I made a couple more comparison shots that I think are interesting. The pictures on the left is me in August, the right is of me last month.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/comp2.jpg

Good work! Your chin is much smaller!

DAY 64

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 208.8 lbs
Total Lost: 23.2 lbs

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart1223.jpg

Not a great result this week, but a 1.2 lb loss is acceptable. I'm taking tomorrow and Friday off for Christmas and plan to eat whatever I want and enjoy myself. I'll get back at it on Saturday.

DAY 68

I had an excellent Christmas break, I hope anyone following along enjoyed their holiday as well. Weight is up after a couple of days of pigging out. Currently at 211.6. I'm sure that will drop before Wednesday's weigh in, but I may not show a loss this week. Only time will tell. I'm going to focus the next few days on eating clean and drinking lots of water.

I am extremely excited about 2010. For the first time in several years I will feel good about the way I look. The last time I looked in the mirror and wasn't absolutely disgusted was in 2006. I wasn't thin back then, but I wasn't grotesquely fat either. By mid-March I will be back at the weight I was in 2006 and by summer I should be in the best shape of my life!

Business wise things are going strong as well. I built up a large inventory of items to sell in the weeks before Christmas, sold a lot of those items in the last couple of weeks and plan to hit the ground running this week and into the new year.

I'm ready to lose some more weight, make lots of money and really enjoy life in 2010!

DAY 70

Down to 209.8 this morning. Only 1 lb to get back to where I was before Christmas. Still drinking lots of water and eating clean. I've got a slightly sore throat this morning so I'm going to get some extra Vitamin C and drink plenty of water. I haven't been sick in a long time and I don't want to break my streak!

DAY 71

Not much good news today. I am sick, but I think taking the Vitamin C and drinking lots of water yesterday may have curtailed it some. I don't feel terrible today, just a sore throat and sinuses draining. Other than that I am showing a gain in weight this week for the first time since I started. Last Wednesday's weight was 208.8, today's weight is 209.4. I'm going to take it easy the next few days and get over this cold, but I'm not making any changes to my diet. I want next week's weight to be 207.0.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart1230.jpg

DAY 72

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 207.6 lbs
Total Lost: 24.4 lbs (since start of journal)

What a great way to end the year! I thought it would take a week to get back down under where I was before Christmas, but I woke up this morning weighing 207.6, a new low.

While I've only been serious about losing weight since the end of October '09, I did lose a little weight before then. In November / December of '08 I weighed an all time high of 245. Here's what I've accomplished fitness-wise in '09:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/comp3.jpg


Lost 37.4 lbs (since November '08)
Gone from wearing 40" pants to 36"
Got back to a size most people are familiar seeing me at
Stopped being disgusted by pictures
Learned how to eat properly without completely denying myself foods that I enjoy


My fitness goals haven't changed since I started my journal:


Weigh less than 200 by the end of January
Weigh 185 by the end of March (185 is the lowest I've ever weighed in my adult life)
Weigh 165 by Summer 2010


I know the scale only tells part of the story, but I have an image in my head of what I want to look like at each weight. The numbers aren't as important to me as what I look like in pictures and in the mirror.

Happy New Year! :claphigh:

DAY 73

Still @ 207.6. It's Friday and that means it's time for progress pics. It's been a while since I posted any "official" progress pictures and I'm very happy with the results over the last couple of weeks.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/01-01-10.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/01-01-10.jpg

Click here for full progression of front pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front)
Click here for full progression of profile pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile)

Impressive progress Rob... keep up the good work.

DAY 74

I really admire John's "all or nothing" approach to health and fitness. It's a personality trait that I really look up to. Unlike John I am not an all or nothing type of person. In the past, I've tried to follow a plan 100%, and each time I failed. I mean failed more times than I can remember. This time has been different. I set a plan on day 1 and decided that if things weren't absolutely perfect, that would be okay. I've probably followed my plan 70% or less over the past 74 days. Even with the missed workouts, missed meals and unscheduled meals I've still managed to drop almost 25 lbs and lose a good bit of fat under my chin and in my mid section. I feel good about what I've accomplished. Had I been aiming for perfection, I would have failed and gone back to eating 3000 calories a day.

I'm bringing all this up now because I am going to make some changes to my meal plans. I can't stick to my current meal plans for life. Lately I've been thinking to myself "I can't wait to get this weight off so I can start eating normally again." But that's only going to lead to putting the weight right back on. I am going to design a new plan that I can stick to for the rest of my life. At this point in time I am not interested in packing on a lot of muscle, I just want to be thin. I still want to get down to 165 lbs and look something like John did in April of 2003. I believe I can accomplish this goal by Summer of this year WITHOUT eating from a restricted list of foods, preparing 6 meals a day and following a set macronutrient ratio.

Tomorrow I'll be posting my new plan and Monday I'll begin "Phase 1.2". I'm really excited about these changes and I think they will allow me to follow my plan more closely, get more enjoyment out of what I'm doing and ultimately drop the weight in the same amount of time or less than what I originally planned.

DAY 75

Phase 1.2

4 Days a week will be “clean” days and 3 days will be “dirty”. On clean days I will only eat foods traditionally encouraged on this forum. I will eat 4 meals on a clean day and I will not be counting calories or tracking the macronutrients. 2 Meals will include fruit/vegetables. A sample of foods on a clean day might look like this:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/clean.jpg

On dirty days I will eat 3 meals. A very light Breakfast followed by a very light lunch. These 2 meals will not exceed 250 calories each. For dinner I will eat whatever I want, up to a maximum of 1,000 calories. So if I want something like a burger, or macaroni & cheese that’s what I’m going to eat. If I want something lighter like Turkey Breast or a salad, that’s okay too. I will even allow myself to get take out as long as the nutritional values are readily available and seemingly accurate. I will eat whatever I want as long as the meal doesn’t exceed 1,000 calories. A sample of foods on a dirty day might look like this:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/dirty2.jpg

I realize that the macronutrient count is way off what most people here recommend but I don’t think it’s going to have any effect on weight loss. A New England Journal of Medicine article published February 26, 2009 (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/9/859) concluded the following: Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.

I’m going to do this for a month as a trial, if I continue to lose weight I’m going to stick with this, if not I’ll just come back to the drawing board. Once the weight is off I can simply add calories, but continue to eat clean foods 4 days a week and monitor calories the other 3 to maintain my weight.

This is a pretty different approach that what most people here recommend. If anyone has any comments, good or bad, I’d like to hear. :nod:

DAY 76

Phase 1.2 has started. Today and tomorrow are clean days, which are basically the same as Phase 1, so I don't have anything of interest to report.

I want to take a vacation in the Spring. At first I was thinking about going to S. Florida, but I probably won't be quite beach ready by then. I don't really want to fly anywhere, just because of the added expense. I'm leaning now toward a driving vacation. Last year I bought a BMW Z4 and I really haven't taken it on any long trips or twisty roads. Actually in the last 12 months I've put less than 6,000 miles on it. So I'm thinking about taking it up to the Smoky Mountains. I put a few pictures of the roads there on my desktop as motivation:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/smoky1.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/smoky2.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/smoky3.jpg

And one of my car:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/z4.jpg

By then I should have lost another 25 or 30 lbs which should improve the car's performance dramatically. :lol:

Right, it's the first business day of the year and I need to get my head out of fantasyland and back to work.

Great idea I love driving vacations, but the furthest my car has been is Orlando. :rolleyes: I think your motivating to get out there and do some pictures and enjoy the wind maybe a little hiking and sight seeing northern FL or St. Augustine. :tucool:

Nice car BTW.:tu:

Great idea I love driving vacations, but the furthest my car has been is Orlando. :rolleyes: I think your motivating to get out there and do some pictures and enjoy the wind maybe a little hiking and sight seeing northern FL or St. Augustine. :tucool:

Nice car BTW.:tu:

Yeah, I've only been to Orlando in my car since I bought it. :o Is your Mustang convertible?

Yeah, I've only been to Orlando in my car since I bought it. :o Is your Mustang convertible?
Its a hard top 2005 Gt.

DAY 77

Starting Weight 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 207.0 lbs
Total Lost: 25 lbs

I've officially lost 25 lbs and it feels great. Next goal to hit is 199.x. To get there by the end of January I'll need to lose 2.3 lbs per week over the next 3 weeks. That's a little more than I've averaged over the past few weeks, but I think without the Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas cheat days that average will go back up and I won't have any trouble hitting my goal.

DAY 78

Still at 207, no change from yesterday. That uptick last week has got me closer to the blue line than I've been since I started. At this point I am only 1 lb ahead of where I would be if I had lost exactly 2 lbs per week.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart16.jpg

How can I know at what weight I'll be happy with the way I look? Is there any way for me to estimate, based on the way I look now, what I'll look like at a particular weight?

I'm putting a lot of emphasis on my weight, but it's really the only statistic that I can extrapolate over time.

Thats a great question and to be honest I went through what you are saying and thats why I did a bulk after my loss.

So I went from 275 to 174lbs and I thought I would be happy at this weight. Of course I was happier but I thought I would be pretty cut at 170's but I wasn't. At that time I realized the difference between skinny fat and muscle. You can be very happy at 190's if your muscle is high. How to guess is how much muscle you have at this point. If you gain hard then you will be cut at a higher weight than skinny fat at a lower weight with less muscle.

Hope this makes sense. Oh forgot to add....Its harder to gain muscle I think than to lose fat or weight.:p

This is body recomp. you can change the body being the same weight and look extremely different. At this time thats what I am doing or trying to do :lol:.

More muscle = look leaner at a higher weight when you kill off the fat.

Thanks Ca$on. I plan to do a bulk after I lose all this fat, but first I'd like to enjoy the Summer and just look lean. My goal is to look like John did in April of '03:

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/all/front/92.jpghttp://www.robmacneille.com/mp/395.jpg

According to John's food logs, he weighed 173.8 the day this picture was taken. John was 1.5" taller than me and 10 years older than me in this picture. I don't think I have as much muscle as John did here, because he was very athletic in his youth and I never have been, so I assume I will need to weigh less to have a similar look. My goal is to look something like this at 165 lbs. Based on my average weekly loss since I started I should hit 165 by the end of May, but in case my weight loss slows, I set a goal to get to 165 by the end of July.

Based on what I look like now and weigh now (207) do you think I can realistically look like this at 165 and get there by Summer? (sorry for the loaded question)

Honestly hard to say. Right now is really going to be critical on gaining muscle while you cut down the weight. Look at my TSOTM pictures. Thats me at 174-175lbs. Notice I dont have near as much muscle as John nor as cut.

Now If I would of paid attention more to building muscle than just losing weight I might of been in better shape. Do some research on how muscle works as for the tear and repair process.

Best to gain that muscle now so in the 160-170s you will be where you want to be. :tu:

Look at my TSOTM pictures. Thats me at 174-175lbs. Notice I dont have near as much muscle as John nor as cut.

I think you look like you had just as much, if not more muscle here than John did in '03. To me either picture would serve as a goal picture.

This is body recomp. you can change the body being the same weight and look extremely different.

Best to gain that muscle now so in the 160-170s you will be where you want to be. :tu:

I've read this 100 times but somehow it hasn't sunk in. I'm way too caught up in "weight loss" and not focusing on "body recomposition". I don't want to get to 165 and look like this:

http://www.tmuscle.com/img/photos/2008/08-109-training/image003.jpg

I'm going to re-evaluate the plan I posted on Sunday. Thanks man! :tucool:

Just trying to help. My mistakes are what others can learn from (and myself) and thats one of the biggest reasons I post so much. :tu:

Yea you dont want to go low and look like the picture above.

DAY 79

The government says I'm no longer obese...yay. :blank:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/bmi.jpg

Gratz man! You seem to do your homework, I like that. I live in the Smokies and I must say it is beautiful here. I moved here a couple years ago. If you want twisty, curvy roads, then we got em'. Kinda funny but I'm actually heading to Naples, FL at the end of the month for a mini-vaction. I'm ready for some warm weather, it's currently like 20 degrees here and snowing.

Keep up the good work! :tu:

P.S. Nice car.

Gratz man! You seem to do your homework, I like that. I live in the Smokies and I must say it is beautiful here. I moved here a couple years ago. If you want twisty, curvy roads, then we got em'. Kinda funny but I'm actually heading to Naples, FL at the end of the month for a mini-vaction. I'm ready for some warm weather, it's currently like 20 degrees here and snowing.

Keep up the good work! :tu:

P.S. Nice car.

Thanks! I've only been once before when I was maybe 12. I had never seen mountains before and I remember thinking it was a very pretty place. Do you know if police patrol those twisty roads more heavily than the highways?

DAY 80

I've been giving some thought to what Ca$on said, and what John said in his morning update yesterday:

"Look, I know cutting fat can be a drag sometimes (believe me, I know!) So why prolong the process? Get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible, and then enjoy the things you love in moderation."

I think the plan I laid out earlier this week (with more calories) will be a great plan to follow to maintain my body composition once I've cut the fat, but it's not the best plan for re-composition. I'm going to give this some more thought over the weekend and come up with a plan that will help me cut this extra fat quickly and build muscle at the same time.

DAY 82

After some additional consideration, I don't think I need to write a whole new plan. My original plan from when I started back in October has worked great and doesn't need to be changed. My level of commitment is what needs to be changed. Like I said last week I have given my plan probably a 70% average commitment over the last 11 weeks, which has yielded IMO some great results. I'm probably 25% closer to my goal than when I started. Now it's time to dial up the intensity and get back to the level of commitment I had when I started. :mad: This is going to be fun. :nod:

DAY 83

I'm still hovering around 207 lbs. Starting Wednesday I'm going to be tracking my body fat using a tape measure. I know it's not very accurate, but I don't have anyone to take caliper readings for me and it's better than not tracking it at all. I'm really trying to wrap my head around the concept of body re-composition rather than "weight loss". I'm only 42 lbs away from my goal weight and I don't want to end up "skinny fat" when I get there.

Now it's time to dial up the intensity and get back to the level of commitment I had when I started. :mad: This is going to be fun. :nod:

You and me both buddy, time to pick up the pace and by summer we're gonna be fuckin studs :tucool:

DAY 84

I'm starting to get really excited about my goals. A year ago I thought I might never be happy with the way I look again. Now each time I look in the mirror I feel a little bit better than I did before. I can actually see and feel what it's going to be like this summer in the best shape of my life. All I have to do is take it one day at a time, take full advantage of each day and move on to the next. :nod:

DAY 84

I'm starting to get really excited about my goals. A year ago I thought I might never be happy with the way I look again. Now each time I look in the mirror I feel a little bit better than I did before. I can actually see and feel what it's going to be like this summer in the best shape of my life. All I have to do is take it one day at a time, take full advantage of each day and move on to the next. :nod:

:claplow: :bow:

It's a great feeling isn't it? Now, every time I look at someone in the shape I used to be (or worse even) I wonder why they don't do something about it.

Keep up the great work!

Hey Rob,

Just dropping in to say congrats on the progress so far, and to suggest you keep the proverbial pedal to the metal.

I've always been skinny and thus never had to cut, but my experience trying to de-skinny tells me it only gets tougher as you get closer to the goal. I think its both that its takes less work to make big changes when you are far from your goal, and also when you get closer, the tendency to lose your focus because the "problem" isn't as severe creeps in.

Your post about dirty meals made me think of this ;-) I think its cool if it works, but probably you'll need to good dedication to manage that type of arrangement. By the sounds of it though, you're on a great track and I expect we'll see you up on the transformation of the month page before the year is out.

All the best,

Pete

:claplow: :bow:

It's a great feeling isn't it? Now, every time I look at someone in the shape I used to be (or worse even) I wonder why they don't do something about it.

Keep up the great work!

Thanks BJ. I've been trying since October 2008 to do something about it. I have had more false starts than I can count. Keeping a journal has really kept me going this time. It's amazing how much better I feel, even after only a couple of months.

Hey Rob,

Just dropping in to say congrats on the progress so far, and to suggest you keep the proverbial pedal to the metal.

I've always been skinny and thus never had to cut, but my experience trying to de-skinny tells me it only gets tougher as you get closer to the goal. I think its both that its takes less work to make big changes when you are far from your goal, and also when you get closer, the tendency to lose your focus because the "problem" isn't as severe creeps in.

Your post about dirty meals made me think of this ;-) I think its cool if it works, but probably you'll need to good dedication to manage that type of arrangement. By the sounds of it though, you're on a great track and I expect we'll see you up on the transformation of the month page before the year is out.

All the best,

Pete

Thanks for the advice, Pete. I agree about the dirty/clean days. Although I think I could continue to lose weight on such a plan, I don't think it's the best choice for body recomposition. I've put it on the back burner for now and have reverted back to my original plan with more intensity. I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal and I don't want this to take any longer than it has to.

DAY 85

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 206.6 lbs
Total Lost: 25.4 lbs

Current Body Fat: 28.50%
Lbs of Body Fat: 58.89 lbs
Lean Body Weight: 147.71 lbs

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart113.jpg

I'm starting to better understand what these numbers mean thanks to John's news updates this past week. If my lean body weight is 147 lbs, and I want to get down to 10% body fat, all I have to do is take 147 and multiply by 1.1 which will give me my lean weight + 10% fat weight = 161.7 lbs. The good news is that my goal weight is 165, which is pretty close to 161.7. I'm going to continue to track my body fat %, although I'm only using a tape measure and simple calculator.

DAY 86

Remember that picture I posted back in November of my shorts?

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/pants.jpg

Well here's what they look like today:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/pants2.jpg

DAY 86

Remember that picture I posted back in November of my shorts?

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/pants.jpg

Well here's what they look like today:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/pants2.jpg

:claphigh:

Looks like you will need to shop for new shorts. :tu::tucool:

:claphigh:

Looks like you will need to shop for new shorts. :tu::tucool:

Thanks, guys. Those shorts are size 40. :eek: I bought some new size 36 jeans last month, but even they're starting to get a little big. :tucool:

DAY 87

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Current Weight: 205.6 lbs
Total Lost: 26.4 lbs

I haven't posted progress pics in a couple weeks because they don't look much different than the last ones. Looking at the weight loss graph, it's obvious that I've hit a (probably self induced) plateau. I'm back to working hard and I expect the pictures in the next few weeks to show some significant results. Here are my current pics:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/01-15-10.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/01-15-10.jpg

Click here for full progression of front pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front)
Click here for full progression of profile pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile)

DAY 90

205.4 lbs today. Getting closer and closer to being out of the 200's. I'll be taking an official weight and body fat reading on Wednesday.

What does your diet look like? How many calories and what macros? Just curious

What does your diet look like? How many calories and what macros? Just curious

A typical day looks something like this. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/) I've since reduced my protein intake and upped my carbs and fat to get closer to a 40/40/20 ratio.

A typical day looks something like this. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/) I've since reduced my protein intake and upped my carbs and fat to get closer to a 40/40/20 ratio.

Have you considered dropping calories any more or are you happy with your loss rate?

Have you considered dropping calories any more or are you happy with your loss rate?

I was thrilled with my loss rate up until the last few weeks:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart113.jpg

I got a little bit careless toward the end of the year and my progress slipped. :doh: Even so, I've averaged 1.8 lbs lost per week since I started. If/when I hit a plateau that isn't self-induced I will drop my calories down to probably around 1800.

I know you're eating a lot less than that...any thoughts?

I was thrilled with my loss rate up until the last few weeks:

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart113.jpg

I got a little bit careless toward the end of the year and my progress slipped. :doh: Even so, I've averaged 1.8 lbs lost per week since I started. If/when I hit a plateau that isn't self-induced I will drop my calories down to probably around 1800.

I know you're eating a lot less than that...any thoughts?

:confused: No... not really... just remember that as you lose weight you will have to cut more calories. You are at 205 now... that is what I started at (but you are probably taller than me)

I found my optimal calorie count was 1600 to 1800 for the majority of my journey... but it's different for everyone.

Keep up the great work!

DAY 91

204.8 this morning. Looks like my hard work is paying off. :nod: I just need .2 of a pound more for a 2 lb loss this week.

I can't find my MyoTape...has anyone seen it? :ohnoes:

DAY 92

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight: 204.0 lbs :spaz:
Total Lost: 28 lbs

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart120.jpg

It feels great to see a big loss again. Last week I only lost .4 of a pound. This week's loss is 2.6 lbs. That brings my weekly average up to 2.15 lbs lost per week. I am now only a couple of weeks away from being out of the 200's.

I still can't find my MyoTape, so there won't be any body fat % readings this week. I think it's probably for the best, this was a lot more fun when all I had to worry about was my scale weight and how I look in the mirror. :nod:

Good work! :tucool:

DAY 94

Been super busy with work...which is great. Time for progress pictures. I think I see a reduction in my chest over last week. :tucool: At least those creases under my chest seem to be lighter.

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front/01-22-10.jpg

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/10-30-09.jpg http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile/01-22-10.jpg

Click here for full progression of front pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/front)
Click here for full progression of profile pics. (http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/profile)

DAY 97

It's already starting to get warm here. Yesterday it got up to 80 degrees. I went for a walk yesterday through my neighborhood and there were people out enjoying the weather, sunbathing by the pool, playing tennis, etc. I'm not yet pool ready, but by the end of June I will be. I'm going to do whatever it takes between now and then to be in the best shape of my life on July 1. I WILL go to that pool, take off my shirt and feel great about the way I look.

For the next 5 months on non-lifting days I'm going for a walk past that pool every day for motivation.

DAY 98

I'm feeling frustrated today. I didn't get much done yesterday at work or in fitness and I'm feeling behind in both. Today's weight is up to 205 and my weigh in day is tomorrow. I need to get down to 202 for a 2 lb loss this week. I didn't drink much water yesterday and I had a high sodium meal, so it's definitely possible for my weight to drop 3 lbs today. I just need to drink lots of water and stick to my meal plan.

Today I need to get my office cleaned up and get some work done. After that I'll go for a walk and then probably back to work until bedtime.

DAY 99

Starting Weight: 232.0 lbs
Today's Weight 203.0 lbs
Total Lost: 29 lbs

http://www.robmacneille.com/mp/chart127.jpg

OK, I'm not unhappy losing 1 lb in the last week, but it's a heck of a lot less than I was losing per week when I started. I really wanted to be out of the 200's by the end of the month which I don't think will happen at this point.

I think it's time for me to reduce my calories. I've been zig-zaging since the end of December, losing 1 lb one week, and then closer to 2 lbs the next. Reducing my calories to about 1800 per day seems appropriate.

Are you still lifting weights?

Yes, although I still don't really feel like I know what I'm doing at the gym.

EDIT: I should probably be more specific. I go to the gym 2-3 days per week and follow this (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=769026&postcount=12) workout plan. On several of the exercises I don't feel like I'm using proper form, so I don't lift very heavy. I do watch the videos on bb.com to try and improve, but it's difficult to watch something on the computer at home, and then try to replicate it at the gym at a different time.

DAY 101

I have completed 100 days of following my plan. This is the longest I've ever stuck with it. As of this morning, my weight is down to 202.8, which means I've lost 29.2 lbs since I started. Based on that I've lost an average of almost exactly 2 lbs every 7 days. That's great news...but I can't help but notice that I lost 15 lbs in the first 30 days and in the last 70 days I've only lost 14.2 lbs. I feel like getting out of the 200's has been agonizingly slow. Hopefully the reduction in calories will get things moving a little quicker.

DAY 104

Still stalled at 203.0. :( I've got to get things moving again to hit my goal. I dropped calories a couple of days ago, maybe I need to change my exercise routine too. :confused:

DAY 104

Still stalled at 203.0. :( I've got to get things moving again to hit my goal. I dropped calories a couple of days ago, maybe I need to change my exercise routine too. :confused:

How many calories are you eating? What's your routine? Are you lifting?

How many calories are you eating? What's your routine? Are you lifting?

About 1800. 40/40/20, C/P/F. Following this workout plan (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=769026&postcount=12), but like I was telling Ca$on the other day, I don't feel like I'm doing the exercises correctly. The only cardio I'm doing is a 30 minute walk on non-lifting days.

About 1800. 40/40/20, C/P/F. Following this workout plan (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=769026&postcount=12), but like I was telling Ca$on the other day, I don't feel like I'm doing the exercises correctly. The only cardio I'm doing is a 30 minute walk on non-lifting days.

Did you come up with that on your own or is it some sort of program?

Consider trying Stronglifts (http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program) or join us in HIT (http://www.amazon.com/New-High-Intensity-Training-Muscle-Building/dp/1594860009)

Just a thought... that way you can read and understand a lot more on the lifting scheme... it is the second most important (after diet) thing to get good at after all

Thanks, BJ. I'm not ready to commit to either of those yet, but I will do some research and give them some thought.

I think what I really need is to do some soul searching and decide how much more time and effort I'm willing to devote to weight loss. I'm by no means giving up, but I need to decide if I should continue doing what I'm doing, losing .9 of a lb per week (or less some weeks), and get the weight off eventually. Or if I am willing to devote the time required to reach my goal by the end of June. The weight will come off one way or another, IMO it's just a question of time.

It's been a week since I last updated my journal. I've decided that I don't want or need to devote any MORE time and effort to losing weight. I'm really focused on my business right now and frankly I need to devote as much time and energy as possible growing my business. I believe I can make some small changes to my original weight loss plan and continue to lose weight at a safe and effective rate.

The past week I've relaxed my diet and eaten about 2,500 cals per day. Hopefully doing so has boosted my metabolism some. It has definitely helped from a mental perspective by killing some cravings for junk food. My scale weight today is 205.8, which is really encouraging because I'm probably holding a few extra lbs of water.

Today I'm getting back to my original plan. I'm probably going to take John's advice from his update the other day and stop worrying about hitting a perfect 40/40/20 ratio every day. Rather I'm just going to eat more carbs on training days, more fat on non-training days and keep my protein intake high.

Good luck Rob!

Read this... http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=48137

Remember... easy to do, easy not to do... your choices compound over time

Just a quick update. Today's weight is 200.8, a 5 lb loss since last Thursday and a new low. I'm going to be very busy with work this coming week. I have to make up 3 days worth of income because of the short month. I'll get back to posting more regularly toward the beginning of March. By then I should FINALLY be out of the 200's and I'll post some progress pics and update my graph.

Hey man your doing great! I can see some significant changes in your pics man.

I'm back. February was a write-off fitness wise. The good news is I didn't gain any weight. I'm still sitting just over 200 lbs. I'm looking at it as if I hit the pause button, I'm no further away from my goal weight, I just may not get there by the end of June (although it's still possible).

February was a phenomenal month in other areas. I signed two investors in my business and had my most profitable month in the last year (even with only 28 days in the month). Could I have managed this and stayed on track fitness wise? Yes...I know I need to work on balancing my work life with my personal life.

Overall I'm feeling good and having fun. It's starting to warm up here and I'm determined to drop this excess fat before the end of Summer. My original goal was to get to 160 by the end of June. There are still 17 weeks between now and then and I know I can make a significant improvement in my physique in that time.

I know what you mean about "hitting pause", did the same thing Jan-Feb and it feels fantastic to be back into it again, hope you feel the same way! Good job jumping back in! :tucool:

Good to see you back! :tucool:

I know what you mean about "hitting pause", did the same thing Jan-Feb and it feels fantastic to be back into it again, hope you feel the same way! Good job jumping back in! :tucool:

Good to see you back! :tucool:

Thanks guys! I'll have to catch up on both of your journals. Are either of you using BodyShop?

Thanks guys! I'll have to catch up on both of your journals. Are either of you using BodyShop?

I'm not yet... too tight with my $ ;)

Things are going well. The past few days I've eaten clean and haven't missed any workouts. On Monday I am committing to 12 weeks of "Body for Life". I want to do something different than what I was doing when I started losing weight. Body for Life will add cardio to my plan and will provide some additional structure in the gym. I like the concept of hitting a "high point" while working out and having a daily goal. I also like the concept of counting portions rather than counting calories. Having the option to take a free day once a week will be nice from a mental standpoint, although I will probably stick to a free meal rather than a whole day. I'm going to do some goal setting this weekend and decide exactly what I want to accomplish in the next 12 weeks.

BFL DAY 1 OF 84

My body is in shock. After a month of taking it easy I wasn't prepared for getting back in the gym. Just trying to keep the car straight on the drive home was a challenge.

It's hard to believe there are only 84 days in 12 weeks. 12 weeks sounds like a long time but 84 days sounds like nothing. I went well over 84 days on my previous plan before getting off track. :tucool: