So it begins!

Challenge Summary & rules
1. Goal: Achieve 10 or enough bodyfat by December 31st.
2. Duration: 10 weeks
3. To win, BOTH of us must complete the challnege, and have visible abs by the contest end. One wont cut it!
4. Maintain as much muscle mass as possible, while losing bf %
5. Post pics every 2 weeks, for a total of 5 pics

Escher Stats:
Age: 27
Height: 6'2"
BF%: ~14%
Weight: 220

-I've gained a decent amount of mass over the past few months, but its time to get my abs in place, which I have been striving for for years. Never been closer, so its time to stop thinking about it, and get them! I plan on finishing the 'plan' I'm on the first week of November, and doing a 8 week cut, and hit it HARD. Might have to do more of that cardio I so dont enjoy.. going to have to like it!!

Week 1 of challenge

slush_puppy's Stats:
Age: 33
Height: 6'0"
BF%: ~13%
Weight: 163

I want so badly to see 10% before the one year anniversary (Jan. 1) of my decision to stop being fat and lazy. On top of that, it would be a really nice Christmas present to myself. I certainly don't have the muscle mass that escher has, but I've definitely got the heart...

Here's my plan of attack:

Cardio
5-6 days a week, 1 hour in the morning before eating

Weights
Sa: Chest
Su: Legs
Tu: Back/bicep
Th: Shoulder/tricep

Diet
7:00 AM
1 tbsp Flax oil : 130 cal, 0g carb, 0g protein, 14g fat
6 oz chicken : 330 cal, 0g carb, 50g protein, 8g fat
10:00 AM
1 scoop ATW protein : 110 cal, 3g carb, 23g protein, 1g fat
3/4 cup Quaker oats : 225 cal, 41g carb, 8g protein, 4g fat
1:00 PM
6 oz chicken : 330 cal, 0 carb, 50g protein, 8g fat
2 cups broccoli : 60 cal, 8 carb, 2g protein, 0g fat
4:00 PM
4 slices Boars Head turkey : 120 cal, 2 carb, 26g protein, 1g fat
2 cups green beans : 90 cal, 15 carb, 3g protein, 0g fat
6:30 PM
1.5 cup spinach : 45 cal, 5 carb, 3g protein, 0g fat
9:00 PM
1.5 cups cottage cheese : 270 cal, 9g carb, 18g protein, 8g fat

Totals
1710 cal, 83g carb, 183g protein, 44g fat

Workout days, I have a powerbar before workout and PWO shake 2:1 carbs : protein.

No turning back now!

Escher and I talked about this in PMs, but I have to say that starting this has done wonders for my motivation. Over the weekend, where I usually get tempted by all the food laying around the house (especially the kids' food) I have a hard time staying on track. This weekend, no problems with this challenge in the back of my mind. I know eventually the novelty is going to wear off, like with most things, and it's going to be back to sheer willpower, but anything that can help me get there is a huge bonus. I'm also going to need all the help I can get through this time of year... I know Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be brutal.

I have to work on the pics too. The problem was I rushed to take them and wasn't able to get the right perspective. The camera was about 4 feet from the ground and that's not how I'm used to seeing myself. I want to keep the shot as much the same from photo to photo, but I think I'm going to have to play around with the camera some before the next set of pics.

BTW, escher, your pic looks awesome man, I've definitely got my work cut out for me! 10% is going to feel so good!

I agree... any extra boost of motivation helps! I actually ate tuna out of a can, which shocked my family. Not bad. I normally retch at the smell of it, but I just ignored it and ate.
Dont cut yourself short! I see your 6 pack already there. Its faint, but you can easily see where its going to be. I still have this blasted 2 pack! I'm not overly worried about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'll just make sure those are my 'cheat' days, and I'll just use the extra calories to my advantage and hit it hard the next day!

Good Luck to the both of you !!

Hey Slush, looked over your plan. Looks really solid. So many folks try to go too low on the cals. Yours looks really good. You're a shoe-in.

Escher - I know Ludvig is assisting with the nutritional side of things, and with your past mass building success, it's all but a done deal for you too.


Can't wait to see the pics !

EDIT: Just noticed that Roger was in on it too.

Good luck , man !!

Thanks to SlushyP for inviting me on board this AM.

Stats, measurements and picture to follow tonight.

Let's make some fat disappear, boys.

-R

Escher is looking solid. Will make him look like a monster when I am done. :) No seriously, he will be in great shape as long has he listens to my wip. ;)

Hey Slush, looked over your plan. Looks really solid. So many folks try to go too low on the cals. Yours looks really good. You're a shoe-in.
Thanks ABguy! It was a long and windy path I took getting to that diet... I've been sticking to that for the last month and a half and I think it really works for me. I also just started cardio about a month and a half ago, too, and the whole thing clicked.

I'm really excited about having Bluestreak in, too... I think the three of us are going to be some powerful motivation for each other.

Blue's Current Stats:
Age: 30
Height: 65.5"
BF%: ~14%
Weight: 137.5 lbs.
Current waist: 33.25"

Cardio:
- 5~6 days per week
- Minimum of 40 min. per session
- Slow/steady approach on the treadmill @ 70% MHR

Resistance Training:

**Note: Limited due to doctor's orders - inflamed rotator cuff/impingement syndrome. :d_mad:

Legs: Every fifth day
Arms: Bi/Tri's 2X per week (as shoulder allows)
Chest**: None.
Back**: Lower back only
Abs: Every other day

Nutrition:

Six small meals per day, targeted calories between 1,600~1,700 daily. I'd go lower on the kcal's but as I've learned from past efforts, anything below 1,600 makes walking and chewing gum difficult. Target daily macronutrients: Approx. 45% protein, 40% carbohydrates, 15% fat. Supplementation will only include protein shakes, L-carnitine and vitamins. Cheat day will consist of one meal and one snack on a chosen day per week. No more than one cheat day per 168-hour cycle (from Sunday through Saturday). 1.5+ gallons of water per day.

Motivation:

This exists on many levels. First, to end this stagnance that has plagued me since July. Second, to prove to myself I can still improve while nursing my bum wing - this will put my knowledge of my body thus far to the test and in all honesty, I'm very curious to see just how valid my knowledge is. It'll be a much more a function of nutrition as opposed to training efforts. Third, the band. Saltwater needs a fit guitarist that can put forth energy and deliver leads with style (and perhaps take the stage shirtless that first time?). Finally... I'd like to achieve the six-pack before the two-year anniversary of my new lifestyle (4/1/2003 was my awakening date). A six-pack was never the primary focus when I set out to change myself; it has since become a trophy of sorts that I've decided to pursue. After almost 50-lbs lost, there's still work to do and that would be the exclamation point to a sentence I've let run on for far too long.

Starting Picture:

Without further adieu, the picture... oh, Sasquatch promises to have the wife sheer his freakin' back before the next pic. Can't believe I let myself get that bushy again...

-R

Good luck all! Kick some you know what :tucool:

My first day on the program... all's well. I weighed in at 135.5-lbs. this morning!!! Holy cow... that is the lightest I have been since 1991 (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=86138&postcount=4).

So far so good here too, been following the plan to the letter. I weighed in this morning at 162 and the idea of flirting with the 150s really made me smile this morning.

It's been a really rough time the last month or so. My wife has had a herniated disk which really acted up lately and it's caused a lot of extra stress around the house because she can't do much on it. We're getting it taken care of tomorrow so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will help her out and we can get back to normal life again. Somehow I've actually been able to keep up my training amazingly well through all of it. I think that the diet/excercise is the thing that keeps me sane. Stress has always been my biggest progress killer... there's been a lot of days where the food has just been calling to me. If I can make it through this, though, I can make it through anything.

Bluestreak, :tucool: on the weigh-in this am and good luck with the new lifting schedule. I think it sounds like a great plan for detouring the shoulder problem.

Escher, I know it won't be until early November, but you'll have to keep us up to date on the transition between your current plan and the cutting plan. I know that can be a rough shifting of the gears.

By the way, what kind of cardio do you guys do? I have this cheap toddler step (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=8076) that I pull out in front of the TV every morning and step up/step down to. Pretty boring, but it keeps me right at 70-75% and being able to watch recorded shows on the DVR makes the time fly by.

I think that the diet/excercise is the thing that keeps me sane.

Amen to that one. I've been like a wet cat the past three weeks with no weights to slam around. Not that you can call the numbers I work with heavy... but damnit, I always feel better after a workout.

By the way, what kind of cardio do you guys do?

Slow/steady treadmill cardio, 3.2~3.5 MPH, 6~10% incline. I read books and have my trusty MP3 player nearby. Working on a book about the life of Cicero right now.

Hope the wife feels better soon. My wife is down for the count with her own problem right now and it can be stressful at best when one of you is out of commission or not operating at 100%.

-R

SlushPuppy- I give you a lot of credit keeping up with excercising, kids, and taking care of your wife. Its real hard to fit in excercising and working out when the other higher priority items take up more of your time. Its REAL easy to put aside working out when you have to do those other things. Channel the stress and use working out as a release for it. I know when I dont work out, the stress gets to me, and I become crabby myself!

As for what I do for cardio, THAT is my weak point, and probably why I dont have abs already! :) When I do have time to excercise I find myself wanting to lift instead of doing cardio. I guess I just enjoy it a LOT better. When I get to do cardio, I usually do intervals on the treadmill. Do a 15 minute session, alternating with a minute of running at 70%, to sprinting at the treadmills top speed for a minute, and going back and forth. Else I do the bike. I must be sick in the head, but I enjoy doing the treadmill better than the bike. Now that my shinsplints dont bother me, that is! Its been a rough week, and I havent been even able to make it into the gym as of today. <:( I've worked out a little in my basement, but not what it should be. I ended up cleaning my basement yesterday, and getting stuff in order. Made one of the basement rooms my workout room and my art studio. I'll be more apt to use it now that it doesnt look like a complete disaster. I'm thinking I might have to do some early morning running outside to get my cardio in. Gotta do it!!!

I'm thinking I might have to do some early morning running outside to get my cardio in. Gotta do it!!!
Yeah, I actually get up at 5:00 am to do my cardio http://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/sarge/Disappointed_anim.gif, just because it's the only free slot in my day. For those first couple of minutes, it feels like a bad hangover... your body aches and you're grouchy and still sleepy. You definitely wouldn't want to lift weights at that hour. But once I get going on my cardio, my brain pulls itself together and when it's done, I've had a whole hour to myself while everyone else sleeps and I get to start the day off with a real accomplishment. Of course, escher, I know that "while everyone sleeps" is never gauranteed with two infants, but that'll change. Sometimes my 3 year old does wake up early and I have to watch Barney while I do my cardio, but at least he lets me do it. Doing cardio to Barney is no fun, trust me.

Yeah, I actually get up at 5:00 am to do my cardio

Same here. 5:15am, on the treadmill by 6am for min. 45 minutes. On cardio only days, I'll do 45 mins in the AM, up to an hour in the PM.

-R

On cardio only days, I'll do 45 mins in the AM, up to an hour in the PM.
Cardio twice a day? That's insane. Will you be eatting low-carb Oreos on your cheat snack day, too?

Cardio twice a day? That's insane. Will you be eatting low-carb Oreos on your cheat snack day, too?

Nah. I've done it before to a very successful end. So long as you eat to support it, you're fine.

My wife was doing up to 2.5 hours a day towards the end of her contest prep last year. That is crazy. 60 minutes AM, 90 minutes PM. But damned if it doesn't work.

-R

yikes.. twice a day? I could lift twice a day, but my love for cardio isnt all that great... Strange since I used to be in track and cross country :p

I factored it in because I don't have the advantage of being able to lift some major body parts. Remember, I'm limited. Chest, shoulders, and many other shoulder stabilized movements are out of the question for me. This will allow me to kill off about another 300+ kcal's a day, and if I know one thing at this point, it's that manipulating the composition of this my body is all about the calories and keeping the GI of foods lower...

Besides, I'm into a good book. ;)

-R

My JSF Transformation started at 14%, so if you guys need anything, give me a shout. :)

Seriously, good luck to you all, and make sure you get it done.

Bluestreak - Watch your shoulder on Triceps day. Pushdowns and the likes can stress the front delts. :nod:

Slushpuppy - If i were you (which im not :p ), id swop triceps to chest day instead of shoulders day. IMO (and it is only MO), you work your tri's far more doing chest excersizes then you do working shoulders. Every chest movment works triceps. But not every shoulder excersizes do, only the pushs, not the raises. Militray press will. But side lateral raises wont. :nod: By doing them on chest day, you can maximise the overload your triceps recieve, and thus induce more growth. Ive done both, and saw a major difference. Just a thought. :) Your diet looks absolutly bob on though mate. :)

Every chest movment works triceps. But not every shoulder excersizes do, only the pushs, not the raises.
Yeah, that makes sense... I always knew that back and biceps were meant for each other because of all the bicep involvement in the pulls, but I never really thought to put the triceps on the big push day. I'll just fill in the hole on shoulder day with some more ab work... I want them to look spectacular when they surface! Thanks for the tip! :tu:

Duly noted, Ted. What do you guys recommend for Bi's/Tri's that'll minimize shoulder articulation? My arms are a really important feature to me and I'd like to at least maintain them. If I work with light weights and higher volumes, you think it'll help things? Am I being stupid and risking further injury? Aaaaaaagh. Dilemmas, dilemmas...

What do you guys recommend for Bi's/Tri's that'll minimize shoulder articulation?

Iscolation excersizes will be best, that way you are working soley the arm and taking out any supporting muscles from the equation. Concentration curls would be ideal for biceps. Doing them single arm gives you a free arm to hold your shoulder in place. A concentration tricep excersize eludes me right now, but im sure if you play around carefully and check exdr, you'll get something. Just be careful not to go too heavy that your form suffers and so you swing etc. :)

Bluestreak, are you seeing a PT about that shoulder?

Ugh, what a day yesterday was... the day started out so good, I took my wife to get her back fixed and that went pretty well. I was on top of my diet, motivation was high and I decided to take the whole day off to get my lifting in before I got the kids and to take care of some housework.

My wife asked for a treat of getting Papa John's pizza for lunch. She couldn't really sit up too well, so I had to hand feed it to her while she told me about how good it tasted http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/otn/sad/nosmile.gif. Well, that was tough, but I handled it pretty well, but things went pretty much downhill from there. There was a LOT more housework than I thought there was, my wife got really emotional and the kids went bananas when they got home. I was able to get in my lifting (shoulders and abs) and that was a really good thing, had a great workout. But I struggled all day with the stress and that damn Papa John's pizza box in the fridge.

Somehow, I made it through the whole day staying on my original food plan. I really almost gave in a few times. Every time I almost cracked open the pizza, I kept reminding myself that I hadn't actually eatten it yet and still had the chance to say no. It's so frustrating after you down something you shouldn't and don't get that choice back, I always regret it. So anyway, it was rough but I survived and came away with one of those days you can look back on and know that you can handle anything.

My wife asked for a treat of getting Papa John's pizza for lunch. She couldn't really sit up too well, so I had to hand feed it to her while she told me about how good it tasted http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/otn/sad/nosmile.gif.

Now THAT is rough! :nod: But the point is, you resisted. YOU WON.

Keep it up man. Get that 10%! I know I couldn't (maybe next cutting cycle).

There was a LOT more housework than I thought there was, my wife got really emotional and the kids went bananas when they got home.

Boy do I know what you mean. I always say kids are like piranha. Sometimes they are good, happy, and fun. But other times they go completely berzerk. And they feed off of each other's energy. If you don't reel them in quick there can be utter mayhem. :eek:

Rock on, Slushy. Your willpower is something to admire with a sick wife and the kids running around like banshees.

My willpower has two guaranteed holes in it: Oreos are first, pizza is second. If there's pizza in the fridge, I'd be toast.

I find the "grab a roll of fat" trick to be most effective this past week. If I can't get up, don't feel like going to the gym, or I'm feeling too tired to make that 45~60 minutes on the treadmill, I grab some fat on a problem area. Reminds me instantly why I'm doing what I'm doing and recharges my willpower. Yesterday helped a lot; I have seen muscle in areas that haven't been exposed due to fat since I was a teenager.

Today's Friday, my day off the gym totally. Tomorrow is cardio only and cheat day!!!

Thanks guys! I've been seeing some pretty decent progress so I'm trying to stay focused on that for motivation. There's no way I'm letting it slip away from me between now and Dec. 31!

Just checkin' in this morning. Well, we're officially 1 week down! I had a fantastic week fitness-wise. I got in 6 morning cardios and all four lifting workouts. I also held tight to the diet plan except for two cheats this weekend... three bowls of Lucky Charms for breakfast on Saturday :D and some Twix bars yesterday :spaz: . I was buzzin! Besides that, perfect execution, so I feel like I set the right pace for myself in this first week and then I'll just work off of that. I also got to work out in a real gym on Saturday (as opposed to my bonus room at home). It was chest/tricep day and wow, did I leave feeling a little envious of all the equipment. I had the best workout ever there. I still love my home workouts (I just have dumbells and a bench), but that was a treat for sure.

Scale-wise, I didn't see anything dramatic. I have noticed though that I'm starting to feel leaner through my midsection. I've watched it go from everywhere else on my body but my midsection, but I think it's finally caught up. Can't wait to see some faster progress there, now that there's not too many other places to burn fat from.

Hope you guys are both doing well, can't wait to post pics next weekend. It almost felt like cheating, not having to post them yesterday.

BTW, escher, what's your plan for this week? I know you're going to be really kicking in on the cutting next week... are you going to be ramping down from your current plan until then or are you going to switch up cold turkey?

All went well here too. I didn't do cardio or workout this weekend - too much to do and I'm suffering DOMS longer than I usually do in places I didn't know I had from targeting my body differently (due to the shoulder restriction). Tonight is legs. The encouraging thing... my stomach is flattening further and I'm starting to see the outside edge of my abs near my rib cage where my obliques tie in. I don't own any pants that fit anymore! A shopping spree is coming soon. This is really encouraging after one week of solid effort and clean eating. I'm going to start taking my pics on Thursday nights - that's the point at which I've been eating clean for 4~5 days and I tend to look my best by that day of the week. New pics to come this Thurs...

I don't own any pants that fit anymore! A shopping spree is coming soon. This is really encouraging after one week of solid effort and clean eating.
Clothes not fitting anymore is SO motivational! That's super, there's nothing better than clothes shopping for smaller clothes. I've noticed that my wedding ring is starting to get really loose, too, I love stuff like that.

I'm going to start taking my pics on Thursday nights - that's the point at which I've been eating clean for 4~5 days and I tend to look my best by that day of the week.
I was thinking the same thing. No point in taking post-cheat pictures, though that might inspire me to cheat less. NAH!

What the heck is this? ;)

yikes.. twice a day? I could lift twice a day, but my love for cardio isnt all that great... Strange since I used to be in track and cross country :p

I've noticed that my wedding ring is starting to get really loose, too, I love stuff like that.

I think I'm going to have to have mine resized soon. If I hold my hand downward without curling my ring finger, it will just slip off. Of course, it hasn't been resized since I was 187-lbs, so it's been too large for quite some time. I'm just waiting to see where I stop losing weight before going to that trouble... but heaven help me if I were to lose this one...

Sounds like you guys are doing great!! :tu: Physicial indicators like cllothes fitting more loose and and rings getting lose are a sure way to know you are losing weight! Thats awesome! I held my diet together over the weekend for the most part, with the exception of a peice of homemade apple pie! Its was a rough week/weekend otherwise, and didnt get the amount of excercise in. Plus I probably got about an hour worth of sleep last night, so I'm feeling zombie like. Hope the 1yr old sleeps tonight! I'm shooting for a better workout week.



BTW, escher, what's your plan for this week? I know you're going to be really kicking in on the cutting next week... are you going to be ramping down from your current plan until then or are you going to switch up cold turkey?

Initiially I thought I would have to cut my diet down, and do some hardcore cutting, but I'm just going to REALLY kick up the cardio. I've been losing bodyfat and gaining mass on my current diet, and I'd rather not mess with the formula that works. I'll see what a month of that does, and I can always adjust it in December if necessary. Anyway, keep up the great work guys!!! I'm hoping that my pics this weekend dont show me sliding back! Better bust my butt this week so that doesnt happen!!!

Plus I probably got about an hour worth of sleep last night, so I'm feeling zombie like. Hope the 1yr old sleeps tonight!
Ugh, I hear you on that one. There's just no reasoning with an infant... I always hated it too when people recommended that I sleep during the day when the baby napped. Hey, when the baby napped, that was MY TIME! I never did that, never got much sleep either. You see what you're missing here, Bluestreak? :lol:

but I'm just going to REALLY kick up the cardio.
LOL, I thought you hated that stuff! That was the last thing I thought I'd hear from you... between that line and Bluestreak's 2x/day cardio sessions I'm starting to get cardio guilt here.

I'd hear from you... between that line and Bluestreak's 2x/day cardio sessions I'm starting to get cardio guilt here.

In all honesty, I only had the strength to do dual cardio one day last week, so don't feel guilty. I got in a total of five cardio and two lifting sessions last week.

You guys with the young'ins... I don't know how you do it. You are my inspiration at times...

-R

Heh.. I dont overly enjoy cardio, but hey! if you have to do it, you gotta do it! I want to reach my goal, so I'm going to what it takes! I want my abs, so if I have to run a mile or so a day, I'll do it! Just have to squeeze it in first thing in the morning so I'm guaranteed the time to do it. Otherwise something always comes up.

Well, I DID it!! Got up 4:40 this morning, had some coffee, and went for a 30 minute run. It has been years since I ran outside, and was surprised at the increased difficulty vs running inside on a treadmill. It was pretty windy out, so it added a lot of extra stress on my lungs. Around 15 mintues, I thought momentarily, "walk for a little bit!", luckily the other side of me thought, "dont keep @#$#!'in that you want abs if you arent going to do the work it takes to get them!". :mad: So I pushed through the winds, and kept running. Well I finished off my 30 run with sprinting for a block.
I would really hate to look back on this 'transformation stage', and have regrets about things I 'should have' done, and didnt. No going half cocked here! I feel great that I did what I was dreading, and I'm looking forward to my next run! :spaz: (haha ok.. so maybe I'm not THAT excited!)

Time to go continue my morning routine of 4 eggs, oatmeal w/ protien, and toast!

4 eggs, oatmeal w/ protien, and toast!

Thats a lot for one meal.

Well, I DID it!! Got up 4:40 this morning
Ugh, you beat me by 10 minutes! When I used to run (about 5 years ago) I used to go out pretty early in the morning, nothing crazy like 4:40 though :D . I used to love running early because there's no one else out, no cars or anything except for the occasional fellow runner or power walker, very quiet and still. Great job on the run, the first day is always the hardest! I bet it was cold at 4:40 way up there in Illinois!

Yeah.. it was nice and quiet out. It wasnt too bad this morning. It was maybe in the high 40's, low 50's. I'm not sure how much running outside I'll be doing in the morning come December. Its often in the 10's-20's, and maybe the 30's on a better day. I might end up going to the gym if it gets real cold, but its easier just to run outside in the neighborhood, instead of spending a bunch of time in the car to the gym.

you are forgetting something reno. Escher is 6'3 and 100 kilos. That is 7 inches taller then you and 30 kilos more body weight. That type of body needs the energy....

Thats a lot for one meal.

you are forgetting something reno. Escher is 6'3 and 100 kilos. That is 7 inches taller then you and 30 kilos more body weight. That type of body needs the energy....

Fair enough. :)

Well as I have to head out of town this weekend for a funeral, I thought I would throw up my updated picts before I go, so they are several days early. Its been a tough week finding time to get to the gym. Things seem to just be crazy. I dont see much change from my last pict, (plus the lighting is messed up.. might redo it next week)
http://fitnow.se/Projects/Proj1/frontoct27_04a.jpghttp://fitnow.se/Projects/Proj1/backoct27_04.jpg

It's been a rough week here too, E. Between songwriting, practicing, catering to my biggest client down from Minnesota, and trying to get in at least one trip to the gym per day, it's been tough. I missed the gym completely on Tuesday because of an appointment I had to keep after work that day. I paid for it yesterday - I did my staple morning cardio and then last night, since I couldn't make the gym again, I decided to reintroduce interval training as I used to do it years ago. The 30/30/30 walk/jog/run. I started with 1.5 miles last night and did it in just under 14 minutes. I was surprised at how well I did; with the exception of aggrevating my asthma a bit I was pushing myself but made it through just fine. I may see just how fast a mile I can do right now out of curiousity. I forgot how much I enjoyed running, too. I will be including this once or twice a week from now on just to mix things up and perhaps shock the system by upping the performance requirements a little bit more.

Better to put forth a little extra effort now than try to make it up later. I'd rather push to hard and reach the goal early than miss a deadline. In reality, we only have a little more than what... 8 weeks left? If I'm still hovering around 12~13%, I'll need to put some serious effort in. The good news is, I'm seeing the skin loosen on my abdomen (love handle and pot belly area) and this is a sure sign I've seen on other areas of my body before that I'm beginning to lose weight in the area.

-R

Nice job! thats decent time! Thats awesome you are already seeing results in your midsection! After this week I pull back on pure weights, and do more heavy cardio.

Oh man, my wife had a complication with her procedure which had to be corrected. Today is the first day she can stand on her own again.

All I have to says is if the three of us can make it through this week, we can make it through anything! Despite all that's going on, you both were able to get back into running :tucool: . You guys are awesome. I know I've said this before, but without you both looking over my shoulder with this challenge, I would have surely crumbled this week.

Bluestreak, congratulations on the noticeable progress. Escher, great pics, take care of yourself and your family up there.

Esher, that is the first time ive seen pics of you.

No word of a lie when i say this, but you have the best pectoral development i have seen around these forums. Seriously. Even with BF higher then 10%, the cut down your chest is awsome and shows how much mass there is there. I cant wait to see 10% on you.

Nice one.

Bluestreak, congratulations on the noticeable progress. Escher, great pics, take care of yourself and your family up there.

Appreciated, gents... but I still have a long way to go. Genetics seems to place the last of my fat right on my abs and... well, my butt, too. I'm seeing more stretch marks on my derriere, too. :o

This success is more a product of having been trying to organize a cutting cycle and not quite ever being 100% effective at it for some time. Now that I've had a week and a half to focus, those months of just being reasonably careful are paying off. I just wonder exactly how far I'll have to go to actually see that six pack... I'm thinking 10% may not be nearly enough for me.

-R

You're closer than you think! If you are giving it 100%, the abs will come when they come! If its less than 10%, so be it. Who knows! You might get some abs at 10! Just keep pushing it hard, and do the best you can. You WILL get there!

Appreciated, gents... but I still have a long way to go. Genetics seems to place the last of my fat right on my abs and... well, my butt, too. I'm seeing more stretch marks on my derriere, too. :o

This success is more a product of having been trying to organize a cutting cycle and not quite ever being 100% effective at it for some time. Now that I've had a week and a half to focus, those months of just being reasonably careful are paying off. I just wonder exactly how far I'll have to go to actually see that six pack... I'm thinking 10% may not be nearly enough for me.

-R

Wow.. thanks! :o I've was inspired by all of you to work hard to get them! Still not where I want them to be, but a LOT better from when I started. I'm excited to see a lower BF on me too! Cant wait!

QUOTE=Reno_1ted]Esher, that is the first time ive seen pics of you.

No word of a lie when i say this, but you have the best pectoral development i have seen around these forums. Seriously. Even with BF higher then 10%, the cut down your chest is awsome and shows how much mass there is there. I cant wait to see 10% on you.

Nice one.[/QUOTE]

Haven't seen your pics in a while....you putting on some serious mass!

Well as I have to head out of town this weekend for a funeral, I thought I would throw up my updated picts before I go, so they are several days early. Its been a tough week finding time to get to the gym. Things seem to just be crazy. I dont see much change from my last pict, (plus the lighting is messed up.. might redo it next week)

Man, did I eat like a hog this weekend. I fessed up in my journal entry (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=89179&postcount=9).

It was easy to get up this morning in light of this weekend's dietary faux pas. I think I was getting a little too confident because I have seen more definition in my stomach area; I've been at this point in my training before and I let slip because I thought I could afford to. It just means I have to train that much harder this week. And I completely forgot to take my pics, which are due in the next day or two since I took the previous picture two weeks ago when I first joined the challenge. I think I'm going to wait until Wednesday to do pics again so that this weekend's cheats are out of my system and I'm less like a bloated fish.

-R

Heh, I did the same thing. Things got so out of crazy for me that I just said "screw it" on Thursday night. So beginning at 6pm on Thursday to around 10am on Sunday, I ate more sugary junk than I have had in years. It felt great to just let go and not feel guilty about it, and to be honest, I have not had such a clear mind in a long time. The carbs did their trick and I felt wonderful. I had it all, cookies, candy corn, pre-halloween treats, and lots of them. On Sunday morning I knew it was time to reel myself back in and just switched back over to my normal schedule. I'd love to say I felt bad about it, but really I feel great. And I didn't gain any weight... I'll take that as a stroke of luck. Anyway, in the midst of all the chaos, I still haven't had a chance to post pics yet, but I'll get them in as soon as I can.

Argh.. the weekend was tough following a diet/workout plan (rather impossible). With meals provided at the funeral, and at the family, I was unable to stick to my plan. I guess I gave way a little bit by having a pumpkin cheesecake dessert too! I didnt eat too much garbage though, as I find I feel so much better NOT eating it, and often feel physcially terrible after eating so much sugars and fats. Today I start my 'cutting', and have a restructured workout plan from Ludvig to do cardio/weights 2 days of the week, pure weights one, and 2 days with just cardio. Cant wait to see the bf start to slide off. I havent lost weight since I started, but I havent gained any either. Curious if it will go down when I start dropping my BF%.

Already started as a rough day.. have a meeting after school during my workout time, so I'm bummed I cant go. I always get very annoyed when I cant go to the gym, as its part of my day I look forward to. I'm going to try and setup our basement treadmill, and see if it can handle me. Just have so much to do at home, in realality I know its going to be tough to escape to do it. The wife has really been on my case lately about everything. :mad: I would REALLY hate to miss a workout on my first day, but I guess if it happens it happens. Just have to move forward I guess!

Day 2 of my cutting, and got back on track today with a 30 minute run in the morning. A bit cool at 40 degrees, and I dont see it getting much warmer! The winds were a killer at 18 mph, but I pulled it through. Had to fight the 'just take a little walk break' voice the whole time, and only gave in to cool down. Did my 'course' a bit 10 minutes faster this time, so I'm going to have to extend it to make sure I dont get done too fast! Looking forward to weights tomorrow.

Jeez. Three-plus days. It took 3+ days to get rid of "the bloat" from last weekend's cheat fest. I'm back to 135~136-lbs. as of this morning and I can once again see my obliques and the outer linings of my abs. I learned a lesson this week. Dumb way to do it, but I learned.

My wife is re-embarking on her quest for figure competing as of this morning. She met with her new trainer who's vowed to have her at 15% BF before the end of January. I promised her a trip to any competition and two new suits if she makes her goal. Why? That's a small price to pay for how cleanly I will eat if she's on the bandwagon too.

It has been a trying week. More details here... (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=89720&postcount=10)

I've really dropped the ball on getting my pics up over the weekend... I'm already 4 days late now, but better late than never. I tried switching around the camera some to get a higher, more natural perspective and I think they look more like me, but the color's still a little off. I'm working on it...

Anyway, these are my new set of front/side pics...

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_week_3.jpg http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_week_3.gif

For kicks, I'm also throwing in a bonus set of comparison photos. Despite my cheat day(s) and that I've missed some workouts due to family emergencies, I think I'm doing pretty well. Outside of the cheating, which lasted for 2.5 days, I've maintained my diet flawlessly, which I'm very proud of. 8 weeks to go guys!!!

Comparison pics here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=93039)...

Definate noticable difference. Lower abs more noticable, and chest fat is flying off !

Awsome work mate, keep going ! :tu:

Awsome work mate, keep going ! :tu:
Thanks Reno! It's great to feel tightness under my skin farther down than my top two abs. I'm really at the point now where my tummy and sides are the only places on me where I can feel real fat under the skin, and I can tell that it's starting to come off from there. I thought that'd never happen! Anyway, it's nice to finally see progress in the places I've wanted to see it for months and months now. Thanks for the compliments!

Hey nice work man!! You can see a nice change! I cant say that my BF is slipping of that easy! I CAN though start to see my 6 pack if I cough!! haha. When I relax though my bottom abs dissapear. Soon I hope! Made it out again for a run this morning, and am proud of myself for staying constient to the cardio. It seems to be getting easier as my body is getting used to running outdoors.

Good going escher. You have some serious mass and that is a advantage here. Just stay of the brownies. :eat:


Hey nice work man!! You can see a nice change! I cant say that my BF is slipping of that easy! I CAN though start to see my 6 pack if I cough!! haha. When I relax though my bottom abs dissapear. Soon I hope! Made it out again for a run this morning, and am proud of myself for staying constient to the cardio. It seems to be getting easier as my body is getting used to running outdoors.

Hey nice work man!!
Thanks!!!

Made it out again for a run this morning, and am proud of myself for staying constient to the cardio. It seems to be getting easier as my body is getting used to running outdoors.
Good job with the cardio... if you can tackle that, you'll have no problems. It seems to me, like everything else, there's a point where you just get used to doing it as part of your normal routine and you stop counting the days that you've been "good" with your cardio. I don't know that I'm really there yet, but I completely agree that the longer you do it, the easier it gets to jump out of bed and GO!

Great job slush. Your whole midsection has shrunk, without (at least visibly) losing muscle in your arms, chest, or shoulders.

How many calories are you eating each day? (not including post-Halloween splurges) ;)

Great job slush. How many calories are you eating each day? (not including post-Halloween splurges) ;)
Thanks! I'm eatting about 1700 calories a day. I weight about 160 right now, so I'm really not restricting myself that much, but the food I'm eatting is really low GI... all of my carbs come from oatmeal and veggies. Here's my original post which lays out my diet and totals and stuff...

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=85378&postcount=2

Halloween splurges?!?!? I'll admit that I gave in to temptation for a bit there, but the funny thing was that I'd gotten back on track by Halloween morning and was able to make it through the day without even thinking twice about the candy :D .

Got back from a weekend in Chicago. Did pretty good, and only cheated on a slice of chicago thickcrust pizza. Was able to pass on fudge stores & the cheesecake factory. Cant say I wasnt tempted though! Did 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and elipitical at the hotel fitness center, then swam for a while. Weighed myself, and I'm down to 214, so I've lost 6 pounds according to that scale! Hopefully its close to my other scales.

Got back from a weekend in Chicago....
That's no small feat to make it out of Chicago without downing immense amounts of bad food. That's great that on top of that you were also able to work out at the hotel. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Great, a hotel gym..." only to never see the inside of it. Super progress, can't wait to see the next round of pix!

Had a great week this week, fitness-wise at least. Did great on my diet and over the weekend only cheated twice, both planned, so I felt pretty good about that. I got back to my regular weight lifting and it's amazing what taking just a week off can do to you, especially while cutting. I felt like I hadn't touched the weights in months. I have definitely lost a bit of strength in the last few weeks (not much, but some). That's never a good feeling. I think some of it was just getting reacquainted with the weights again... I'll know better next week when I've gotten back in the groove with my lifting again.

What did I say about the cardio E.? As you can see on the scale it's moving along nicely from you. I am impressed. Nice having you as a student. :)

*sigh*

I'm about a week overdue for pictures. Sorry guys. I'll set up the tripod and snap them in the morning. Things have been so busy at home/work and with the band that I just keep letting it slide and that's really bad. I made a commitment and I'm not sticking to it as closely as I should be.

I think I'm going to have some great definition in my obliques. I keep seeing more and more of them. Getting dressed in the mirror this morning, BAM!! There they were... plain as day. It's great!! But... no abs yet. :mad: I keep waiting for them to "pop up" but damnit, morning after morning the little buggers are still covered up. Our friends we went to Epcot with this past Saturday (I hadn't seen them in a couple of months) were astounded at how much my face and waist had leaned out. I have little fat left (globally) on my body. The major fat stores are over my abs, a little on my lower back/"love handle" area and my butt. There's also a little more on my chest, but I have one of those "bird" chests to begin with... so I doubt I'll see much musculature there until after my first real, clean bulk.

I'm just astounded at how clearly I could see my obliques this morning! Obliques seem to be one of those muscle groups that aren't mentioned often enough... but they seems to "finish off" a lean person's physique. It's an attention to detail to me. Since Day No. 1 when I started my transformation, I've always given my obliques attention. Either that was the key or maybe it's possible that my genetics aren't as cursed as I once thought... I just have to chisel myself down to a low BF% to find the best positives. Whatever the case, it's so cool!! More motivation!! :claphigh:

Hope you guys are faring as well...

-R

That sounds like great progress Bluestreak, can't wait to see the pics. Don't get too hung up on the abs, the main thing is that you're seeing good changes overall. The abs will come... it's our finish line, so no rush necessary. I've been seing the same things you are, though my obliques aren't quite as substantial from the sounds of it. It is nice to see a new contour or shadow almost on a weekly basis now. The more quickly those visible cues show up, the more motivating it gets. Keep up the great work! :tu:

One point to always remember. What i call "Aunty syndrome"

Ever notice how when you were younger you'd see your aunty for like the first time in a year and she's say "Oh, havent you grown, dont you look older, my how youve changed." But then someone like a wife who you see every day never says that ? Well thats because watching the changes as they happen makes them less noticable. Your not bearing witness to one massive change, but rather many many small changes. Your aunty only ever saw the before and after. Nothing in between. The same goes for seeing changes in yourself. Everyday you will look at yourself and see no real change. Because the daily change is minimal. And the last image you have for comparison is yesterday, so you will never see a big change. I dont ever remember the day i first saw my abs. Maybe glimses and moments where i noticed them improving, but never one exact moment. But then to look back to how i was, the change is amazing.

Thats why taking progress photos is so good, because by comparison, you can bear witness to a bigger change. :nod:

I agree with you. I look at myself in the mirror, and get discouraged. "no change!". However when I look back a pictures from a few months ago, I see some change which is encouraging. I'm starting to lean up a bit, but nothing real drastic yet. I'm sure one of these weeks all of a sudden they will be there :)

Bluestreak: Congrats on the obliques coming in! Get some picts up so we can see 'em!

Well, last night was a major splurge. I don't know what posessed me, but when I got home my body was just sending me signals to EAT!!! I knew it was coming on all day... I had that hollow, not hungry but still wanting food feeling. So I got home and I just ate. Most of it was junk and I just allowed myself to take it all in. It felt really good just to satisfy that feeling, knowing that I'd get back on the wagon the next morning and start over for another long run at eatting well. And I did just that... this morning I'm perfectly happy being back on track.

The only thing that didn't sit right with me was that later, when I went to bed, I couldn't help feeling like this kind of behavior was bordering on eatting disorder. In my own mind, I know it's not, but if I had been a neighbor looking through the window I probably would have thought, "this guy's got a problem." Again, I know my diet, I plan it carefully, I usually cheat 1-2 times a week in a more controlled way, but I just needed an all out splurge last night. Anyway, I'm not feeling any guilt about it today because it just refueled me for another stretch of solid diet, but I'm going to have to find a way to convince some small part of myself that what I did last night was ok.

Let me help you.

What you did last night was ok. :)

Thanks, I needed that.

Everybody falls off the wagon, bud. Last night I had two slices of wonderful pepperoni pizza and half a basket of fries. It was greasy heaven on a plate. Tomorrow, I'm going to Universal for Beerfest and being a beer lover, you can bet your ass I'll be sampling a couple beers.

This challenge and the fitness I seek is designed to teach me to be non-fanatical about the way I live yet maintain an exceptional physique. I'll get there. You'll get there too. Hell, we're on the cusp of it. But dude... we all have an occasional meltdown and it's not a problem... when you fall off the wagon, jump up, dust off and chase that sucker down.

Tell ya what... it's been a crappy day at work and it's only 3 hours into it today. They had WARM Krispy Kremes here this morning and I didn't even have a hunger pang for one. I was impressed with myself as the only thing I love more then KK's donuts are Oreo cookies.

This is a long-winded way of giving Ted's post a bump.

-R

Thanks guys... it wasn't the fact that I fell off (I've done that plenty of times), it's the way I fel off. I've never eatten some much junk at once in the last year. It was really binging, and I know the negative connotations that come with that word, but that's what it was. Oh well, anyway, I'm back to my old regular slushy self and not feeling a twinge of temptation, just like you and the donuts, bluestreak. [deep healing breath] ok, I feel better.

'eh dont be so hard on yourself. You have to allow yourself that sometimes otherwise you just snap, and go completely nuts to the point where you dont want to get back on the wagon. I had cheese fries, and a chocolate shake last night (of course I balanced it with a grilled chicken sandwich! ;)
Well my weight loss isnt a fluke.. am down to 212-214 from 220-222. I expected my weight to be back up but surprisingly it wasnt. I've just been adding a lot of cardio to my workouts. I'm not at my peak of lifting at the moment, but that will come back.

So let me get this straight... between the three of us, last night we collectively ate pepperoni pizza, french fries, cheese fries, a chocolate shake, Dominos and handfulls of candy? :lol: That sounds like more than just a strange coincidence... thanks for the confessions guys.

Check it out!!!

Forgive the vanity, but I had to take a picture of this because I was so proud. Tonight during my workout, I took a break and looked in the mirror and saw this popping out of my shoulder! Reno, I always get major vein-envy when you post your pics and your shoulder veins are just bursting. Anyway, I personally have next to no vascularity, so this is a HUGE motivator for me!

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/shoulder.jpg

Hey thats awesome! Congrats :tu: When I lift, the veins in my arms really pop... Looks freaky! Course we cant all be as lucky as Reno ;)

;)


They will only get bigger as you lower BF. To make them swell more, when taking a tense photo, tense up for 10 seconds or so and really sqeeze your whole body, then take the photo without stopping. :nod:

I am glad to hear this. Great work. :)


'eh dont be so hard on yourself. You have to allow yourself that sometimes otherwise you just snap, and go completely nuts to the point where you dont want to get back on the wagon. I had cheese fries, and a chocolate shake last night (of course I balanced it with a grilled chicken sandwich! ;)
Well my weight loss isnt a fluke.. am down to 212-214 from 220-222. I expected my weight to be back up but surprisingly it wasnt. I've just been adding a lot of cardio to my workouts. I'm not at my peak of lifting at the moment, but that will come back.

well here we are a little over a month into the challenge. Here's my updated picture. Worked my arms real hard Sunday night.. hard to believe they are still sore, but the feel great! Need to do that more often! When I work out myself I dont push myself as hard as when I have somone keeping me moving, like I had Sunday. Here's the pict. Need to get back hardcore into eating clean. Been a sloppy week or so. Too much garbage.

Here's my new set of pics. These two weeks have resulted in mixed emotions...

On the positive side, I am at an all time low weight and body fat percentage, and that's got me really excited. When I started cutting a few months ago, I never thought I'd see the other side of 160, I just thought I didn't have that much fat in me. Yet, here I am at 157 and I still have fat to lose. Also positive is that my lifts are still about the same as they were at the beginning of the challenge, so I haven't lost any strength, which was very important to me.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/scale.jpg

On the down side, I'm not really seeing much as far as results from these last two weeks as far as my tummy goes. Now other parts of me, especially my thighs, are feeling trimmer, but it's hard to not see progress where I really want it. My body is searching high and low for every last scrap to take off before it goes from my midsection. I just have to be patient, but it's hard. I know that one day my body will have no other option and it'll start to go down, and that'll be a good day.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_week_5.jpg http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_week_5.jpg

And here's the comparison photos.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_comparison1.jpg

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_comparison1.jpg

Just 6 weeks to go guys!!!

Nice work Escher! I definitely see more definition in through the top of your midsection, right under the outline of your lats. We're getting there... 6 weeks seems like both such a long and short time, doesn't it? We're gonna be looking great by New Years (hey, we look great now... how about greater!)

Sushy.. nice. I can SEE your abs. Just a 'little' more, and they will be popping out. Happy for ya, although I'd honestly have to say I'm a bit jealous! Your shoulder appears to getting more defined as well! Gotta catch up to ya!

A bit of a frustrating weekend, with no lifting, but I guess it gave me time to heal for this week. I've notice that when I stand up, my belly is now flat. It was always a little rounded below the belly button. I believe doing the cardio & intervals really has helped. With a little over a month left of the challenge, I'll be cutting it close, but I really believe I'll get there. Just have to keep consistenly hitting it hard. Got my basement re-arranged so I could use my weight bench again. How are you guys coming?

Getting along, man. Getting along.

My stomach is flat and has been for a while; really it was since I started this challenge. The skin on my abs is starting to tighten up more. I've been a rock-solid 134.5-lbs. every morning for the past week; seems I may be starting to stall out a bit but I laid off the cardio last week purposely - I plan to up the ante this week by doing 60 minutes every morning and 15 minutes of HIIT on non-lifting evenings. I like to keep the "body confusion" concept in the mix, I've always been big on that. If my calculations are correct, I have to make 131 to drop the required amount of fat to make 10%. I tested myself this morning, the calipers say I'm 11.2%. That sounds spot on for where I am in the mirror. I'm still "pooched" below the belly button, which I imagine will persist until extremely low body fat percentages.

I have the pictures from two weeks ago, still haven't cut them up for posting. I will be snapping new ones Wednesday night and will edit and post both sets at that time. I fear there won't be much difference... I'm not seeing it in the BF% measurements, there isn't much movement on the scale and the mirror hasn't coughed up any new revelations either... I knew things would get sticky below 12%. And seemingly they certainly are...

Sounds good, Bluestreak. I'm seeing changes in measurements, but still seeing little day to day in the mirror. I'm just being patient and trying to remember that the reflection will eventually catch up with the numbers.

I've had a real bummer last couple of days, I've been dog sick. I did my last workout on Friday and felt achy all over. I slept after and when I woke up I didn't feel one bit better. So I spent the weekend in bed somewhere between chilled to the core and so hot I'm sweating just laying down. Every muscle aches all the way down to my toes. On Sunday, I had to endure family portrait day which I was looking forward to, but we wound up having to wait for 2 hours in the waiting room before getting in to have the pics taken, and that was with an appt! :mad: On top of that, I have to be at work with this miserable sickness because I've burned all my sick days staying home and taking care of the rest of the family.

At least I was on a real roll, so I don't feel too bad getting off track for a bit here while my body fixes itself. I'm still trying to eat well, and I'm hoping that that will make me spring back to health that much quicker.

Can't wait to see the progress, Bluestreak!!

Well, by Monday night, I was just completely beat down by this bug I have. I had been talking with my Mom and she had exactly the same symptoms I did, and we figured we just both had the same flu by coincidence (she lives 3 hours away).

By Wednesday I was having such bad body aches that I called her to see if she was doing any better and she told me that she had been to the urgent care the night before. Now, if my mom goes to the urgent care, that means that she was about to die, she hates doctor visits that much. She told me that she was diagnosed with pneumonia (gulp!) and that they told her if she'd waited another 24 hours to get treatment, she would have needed hospitalization.

So I made an appointment as quick as I could and after a chest x-ray, sure enough, I HAVE PNEUMONIA! They gave me an antibiotic for 10 days and I'm supposed to get lots of rest. To be honest, it was all I could do sit sit upright at the thanksgiving table and watch other people eat. I'm just starting to feel like walking around again, and probably won't be working out for a good week or so longer.

The no eating thing is doing wonders for my weight as I watch what little muscle I had slip away from me. Sigh... I'm just getting my appetite back and trying to get some good food into me. All I know is thins thing sucks. It's been a good long time since I've been sick, but this one really made up for lost time.

I cant point to any articles or evidence for what im about to say, but in my opinion, weight lost as a result of illness usually comes back in next to no time relativly easily. You'll find very little of the weight is muscle loss. Most will be stored fat, water and muscle glycogen. Especially water, as being ill dehydrates you badly.

Im not just saying this to make u feel better, in my experiance, this is how it is. :tu:

Ughh Slushy.. thats terrible!!! I hope the meds they give you will take effect fast, and you can recover quickly! Advanced Pneumonia is no fun at all. Had that, and bronchitus earlier this fall at the same time. Take it easy, and take care of yourself!

..... I weighed myself before thanksgiving, and I've lost a total of 10lbs, so I'm down from my high of 220-222 down to 210-212. I think teetering along the 10% BF line. I havent weighted myself after this horrendous week of Thanksgiving, where traveling, and eating at relatives makes things difficult to eat healthy. A little over one month to go guys!

Well it is 'already' time to update the progress picture, as its been 2 weeks. I had thought about not posting it, with the Thanksgiving bloat still there, and the lack of progress, but I suppose posting keeps me honest. I dont think I've made much change from the last picture, so I'm going to have to give it a bit more effort this last month, although it will defiintiely be a challenge with the holidays coming up fast. I have dropped 10lbs this month with increased cardio, so I guess I have to be pleased with that! (after seeing the picts next to each other, it almost llooks like this new pict (black shorts) shows no progress from the start.. Must be from last week of many thanksgiving meals) I know I have made some progress, just this round of pics is discouraging.

Also Happy Birthday to Bluestreak! (Maybe you'll get a digital camera for your birthday so you can post some picts!) :lol: Anyway, have a good one!

http://www.fitnow.se/Projects/Proj1/frontoct11_04.jpghttp://www.fitnow.se/Projects/Proj1/frontnov29.jpg

escher i think your upper body has become a little wider. I dont know about anybody else but it also looks like your lats shoulders and chest have gained a little volume too...

Also Happy Birthday to Bluestreak! (Maybe you'll get a digital camera for your birthday so you can post some picts!) :lol: Anyway, have a good one!

Hey guys!

Things are moving - slowly. No excuses - I'm just spread thin and have had no free time these past two weeks. No time today, for that matter... I'm still at 11%+ as of the beginning of the week. I'm making it to the gym daily, but intensity has been piss-poor. I have no fecal cohesion of late. If only there were 30 hours in a day...

I *DO* have pictures from the past month, just haven't gotten them off the Oly and edited them for posting yet.

I'm off for yet another busy day at the office...

-R

Nic progress escher! I can't tell if you've gotten wider across the shoulders like Wayne said, or if you've gotten thinner through the waist, but you've definitely got more of a v-shaped form. I'd put that v-shape up there right next to, maybe even higher than, visible abs. Nice work!

(Maybe you'll get a digital camera for your birthday so you can post some picts!)
Dude has a digital SLR... a Rolls Royce of digital cameras! C'mon Bluestreak, we don't need Ansel Adams, just post a nasty mug shot if you have to! I'll post mine up tonight before bedtime...

Well this is a depressing day. After finally getting over my pneumonia and getting so excited to be able to lift weights again, I think I've broken the first knuckle in my left hand index finger. It wasn't even doing anything death defying where I could at least have a decent story to tell, I was just turning around quickly and hit it on the stair railing. I heard it *pop* and it hurt like a mofo. I could still move it though and it didn't swell up very much, but this morning it's pretty stiff so I'm going to have it x-rayed and we'll see what happens.

It definitely means I can't grip the weights, though. At least it's on my left hand... the right hand would be terrible for me. Anyway, I'm going to keep up with cardio and I'm going to do some bodyweight excercises where I don't have to grip anything and do the best I can there. But sheesh, this is a bummer to say the least. :mad:

Hey. I know the feeling. Fucked up my back monday and still have terrible pain between the shoulderblades. No fun not being able to do anything but all you can do is rest. Hope you will revcover as fast as possible. Might just be twisted and not broken but that takes time aswell. Well well. Just wanted to wish you luck.

regards
Ludvig.

Thanks Ludvig... I just can't believe it's another thing, it seems like the universe is aligned against me. Sorry about that back, that's one of the last places I'd want to mess up, so you've made my finger feel a little better. Hope your back heals up soon as well.

Ugggh Slushy.. thats terrible! I cringe just thinking abou the 'pop'. I guess you'll have to focus on doing crunches, cardio and other excercises where you dont need to use your hand. Might be a good time to do lots of leg excercises! I hope you have a quick recovery man.

Here's my latest pics. Not too much to say here, didn't get in too much workout time. I'm teetering on 10% so I have no doubt I'll be there by the month's end.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/scale2.jpg

BTW, if you're ever stuck at a weight loss plateau, I highly recommend pneumonia, it did wonders for my weight. On that same note, I had my first lifting workout in about 2 weeks tonight after recovering from this awful disease and it really took it's toll strength-wise. I felt like I hadn't touched the weights in months.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_week_7.jpg http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_week_7.jpg

And here's the comparison photos.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_comparison2.jpg

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_comparison2.jpg


Last month of the challenge guys, let's make it a good one!

And on a good note, the finger's fine. I got it x-rayed today and there's a chipped bone where the ligament stressed it from hyper-extending it, but he said it should be healed in about 2-3 weeks and that I could lift whatever I wanted in the meantime as long as it didn't hurt. YEAH! :tucool:

Good to hear.. just take it easy, and dont over do it so you end up hurting it worse! As for 'not much to see', looks like you've made progress to me! No worries about you getting to your goal!

Glad to see it's not as bad as you thought. Here's to hoping it heals sooner than later. :tucool:

Man, have I been busy this week! I've barely had time to visit this board. This time of year, we're pushed at the office because it's the dry season - everybody wants all their projects permitted and approved for construction because they can get more done in the winter. That means that despite it being holiday time, I'm chained to my desk whether I be in the office or constantly annoyed by my Nextel... even on weekends.

I've been getting my cardio in at least 4~5 times a week... but I stopped weight training last week, even legs. I stopped again due to the shoulder - it got so painful earlier this week that gave in - I was popping these prescription Naproxyn tabs my brother-in-law had left laying around recently. They helped, but I absolutely despise using pills to solve problems anymore. I backed down to the usual 1000-mg's per day on the glucosamine - 2000-mg's twice a day was not working... so why waste it? Every other joint in my body feels awesome - the first of the "cold snaps" has shown up in FLA (my definition of "cold snap" is anything below 65°, but it was 48° this morning here in Orlando - that's arctic cold to us Floridians!). Normally, in years past, when it got cold out, everything ached/creaked/groaned. This year? I got outta bed and did my hour on the treadmill like it was nothin'. At least I can revel in that little victory. I dunno how you guys north of... oh, say... Gainesville live. :p Too cold for my thin-blooded butt.

I think part of the problem is my guitar playing. My guitars are light - that's why I like Ibanez hardware. But when I quit playing at night, I can feel the shoulder throb a bit, so it does seem to aggrevate the shoulder. But I can't stop playing guitar now - I'm getting to work on some soon-to-be high profile projects and I'll be credited for them - possibly even paid for the work - and I've been asked to join the band for a local radio celeb who'll be "touring" locally next year in support of an album he's working on now (which I'll be playing on as well). It won't affect my current band situation because my lead singer is the one spearheading the production on the other projects.

So what's a guy to do? Two passions at odds with each other. My doctor appointment is next week and I plan to lambast the doctor with questions and possible solutions to the problem. I need the damn thing to stop hurting! :mad:

Other problem... with a lack of weight training, I'm not sure how to approach weight loss. I'm going to give it some thought this weekend and see if I can come up with a plan that makes me happy to make 10%. I've been stuck at 11%+ for two weeks now... Almost there, but not quite... story of my life. The whole situation is driving me nuts!

-R

the first of the "cold snaps" has shown up in FLA (my definition of "cold snap" is anything below 65°, but it was 48° this morning here in Orlando - that's arctic cold to us Floridians!). I've been stuck at 11%+ for two weeks now... Almost there, but not quite... story of my life. The whole situation is driving me nuts!

-R

Sorry to hear about your shoudler. Hope I dont get injured next! Taking some time off from lifting, and doing cardio might be good anyways for your muscles to repair. Sounds like we are all stuck around 11% or so BF.. Just a little bit more to lose for all of us!

Haha.. I would take 48 right now. was 12 degrees out this morning. I've decided to take a break from running outside. Running on the hard pavement and in the freezing cold seems silly when I can do it inside on a treadmill.

Ugh... looks like I spoke too soon. Although I'm not injured, I wont be able to go to the gym this week. This last week HFM disease (hand foot mouth) has been running rampant through the area schools, and my little one and the wife had it pretty good. They are almost over it, so i thought I escaped it. Wrong!! Within an hour, I've had about 6 blisters pop up and appear on my feet and hands. I suppose that would give me time to lift in the basement (if my hands arent too blistered) if I'm off this next week. Its pretty contagious, so I wont be able to go to work untill they are healed. *sigh*

It happened, guys, 10% on the scale! I really owe you both big time, you really helped me through some rough times. Sometimes I think this thread is cursed with all the disasters we've been through over the last two months, but regardless, we've all made great progress.

Here's the picture I took right after getting off the scale:

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/goal_front.jpg

Here's the scale reading:

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/goal_scale.jpg

Bluestreak, although your shoulder is hurt, I really think you're doing a great job juggling all the stuff you have going on and still not letting fitness fall by the wayside. I personally think one of the most important things in life is to have a passion for something, and you have a passion for so many things it's really impressive. Anyway, take it easy on the shoulder... the weights will still be there when it's better.

Escher, man, I've dealt with HFM disease before and it's no fun. I'm especially sorry your little one has it. It's bad enough to be sick yourself, but to have to watch your kids be sick is really difficult, especially when they're too young to understand. I really hope you guys get better soon and that no one else up there catches it.

I hope you guys are at least having a good holiday season so far. We just went out yesterday and got our Christmas tree and put up all the trimmings around the house. This year is great, it's the first year that my little guy really understands what's going on for Christmas and he is really wrapped up in it. There's nothing better than enjoying the holidays with your family.

It happened, guys, 10% on the scale!

:tucool:

Nice one on the 10% !!! What do u win ? ;)

Get a caliper reading done (buy some if you havent got any). The scales (IMO) are no good for accurate readings below 10%.

I think (again IMO) you'd benifit from a waxing / shaving as i can clearly see your abs but for the hair. :nod: Unless the missus likes it of course.... ;)

Again, looking really toned up there mate, keep up the good work. :tu:

Congrats on hitting 10%!!! :claphigh: Your hard work has really paid off, and you've made awesome progress. I do agree with Reno that removing the hair would show off your results a bit better. Now for the rest of us to get there! I might have to get a reading one of these days to see what BF% I am actually at. I honestly dont have any idea! Anyway, congrats on hitting your goal!!

Thanks Reno and escher! I agree, I've been a bit lazy with the clippers :o . I'll do something about that before the next set of pictures. Thanks again for all your support, both of you have given me great advice and inspiration here.

Major props to ya, Slushy for breakin' the finish line first.

My stupid scale said 12.0% this morning. I usually don't go by that scale (I do a self-caliper test once a week; when I weighed more, that scale was incredibly inaccurate) but seeing it go up from 11.5 to 12.0 was not good for morale at quarter after 5am today...

-R

Thanks Bluestreak! I agree, I don't know how accurate it is either. The days when it I think it's going to be low and it reports high, I think the scale's horribly inaccurate. But when it read 10%, I was sure it was dead on correct. :lol:

Latest set of pictures! I've been floating between 10 and 10.5%, so I'm pretty happy. I've added a little extra food to my diet, too. Now, on workout days, I've added 3/4 cup (uncooked) oats 1 hour before and 1 hour after my workout. That makes my workout times really carb haevy...

oats
(45 minutes)
Power Bar
(15 minutes)
Workout
PWO shake w/dextrose
(45 minutes)
oats

Those two servings of oats have actually made a big difference in the amount of energy I have during and after the workout. The lighting in these pics is natural sunlight which made me look paler than chalk. Anyway, onto the pictures... (oh, and I trimmed up this time ;) )

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_week_9.jpg http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_week_9.jpg

And here's the comparison photos.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_comparison3.jpg

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_comparison3.jpg


Hope you guys are having a great holiday season!

AWESOME work man. :tu: I am jealous of your progress! You have done well.

I'll try and post an update pic in the next day or so. Last few weeks for me have been hell. Me with HFM, and then the 2 girls both teething (total of 12 between the two), and a double ear infection with the other. No sleep for anyone! I took this last week off completely. I'm not done yet though! I'm going to have to hit it real hard, and do lots of cardio and lifting to make up for it. I might not get the 6 pack by Jan 1st, but I'm going to give it my all till then, and then continue after that date. It WILL come... if it is after, so be it.

I might not get the 6 pack by Jan 1st, but I'm going to give it my all till then, and then continue after that date. It WILL come... if it is after, so be it.

Same here. It's been a rough time and I may be going to Minneapolis on business this week. Just found out last night. Peep my journal for more details on things... I'm too exhausted to type.

-R

AWESOME work man. :tu:
Thanks! I've actually been pretty relaxed about it all lately... I'm still doing great work with the weight lifting and staying pretty good with diet, but I've all but given up cardio. I'm allowing myself to have 3-4 cheats a week, too. I want progress, but I want to enjoy the parties and fun stuff that happens this month. Don't work too hard, all three of us have made great progress on this challenge that we should be proud of!

Well its been a bad few weeks, and I'm going to have to put a lot of effort and willpower in over the last few weeks of this. The holidays arent going to make things easy thats for sure!! Here's my picture for this update. After hardly working out the week before last, and none last week, I'm surprised I havent slid farther back than I have. I do notice a bit more striation on my shoulders that I didnt have before. No change in the midsection though. (This picture is terrible, as my wife hocked my good digital camera.. had to pull out my 5 year old digital camera.. not the best quality, buit it will have to do!!)


http://webpages.charter.net/enderle/workout/frontdec13.jpg

you look wayyyyyyyyyyyy bigger in that last pic!

Heh.. the picture is just bigger than the rest :p but thanks.. maybe thats one of my problems. I dont see change. I obviously see a change from my seudo start in Jan till now, but the monthly change, or lack of what I see usually is frustrating to me. Poor self image I guess!

Oh man... I got the wife's head cold. She woke up with it Monday morning... I woke up with it today... and it got progressively worse as the day went. I'm going to bed way early, have the humidifier blasting for the ol' lungs... the asthma popped up when I got sick. Ugh. I'm feeling better now. The Thera-Flu infusion brought me back from the dead. I can't take time off right now - I go on vacation for 10 days on Friday! Woo hoo! So I want to be better by then. Moratorium on working out. I'm going to violate the diet with mom's home made chicken soup in a few minutes. Comfort food is still allowed. It's a little known asterisk in the book of cutting. ;)

Which, BTW... I'll be outta town Friday night, but when I get back Saturday morning my first order of biz is to edit my pics from the challenge I have not posted.

Sorry I haven't kept up guys. I have barely had time lately, but I've been getting to the gym and watching the diet until today, or tonight, really. Lots of carbs in the macaroni I put in the soup... but I can't get sick and not eat that stuff. At least I have an appetite... means I'll be ok soon.

just weighed myself today... was worried I had put on weight.. in fact I am down to 208 from 220 when I started the challenge.. Hope its not too much muscle that I lost.

Well this pretty much ends the challenge, as today is the 31st. Here are my challenge start/finish pictures. I didnt quite meet my goals of a 6 pack, nor do I think I made 10% BF. The challenge however was far from a waste. I've leaned up a bit, and have went from 222lbs to ~208 lbs. Have I lost mass? Probably, but I think some fat went too. Although I didnt reach my goals for a specific date, I WILL reach them.. just might take a bit longer than an arbitrary date I set. By no means am I going to quit!
What next? Well I'm scheduled to do a 'boot camp' program, where I'm sure I'll lean up a bit more. I'll do that for a month longer, and then begin to bulk. Definitely looking forward to that! Thanks Bluestreak, Slushy, Ludvig, and everyone else for the encouragment during this round! More good things to come! (The first picture (in black shorts) is the most recent.. the blue shorts is the start)
http://fitnow.se/Projects/Proj1/frontdec31.jpg

Bluestreak and Slushpuppy, lets see your final results!! Maybe we can get a pic from Bluestreak finally!! haha

Bluestreak and Slushpuppy, lets see your final results!! Maybe we can get a pic from Bluestreak finally!! haha

I have been awful at being true to this challenge, and I've been avoiding this thread 'cause I haven't gotten anything done with the last 10 weeks worth of pictures. I sat down the other night to download the camera and guess what? The batteries were dead. :mad: I put it on the charger last night.

Officially, I ended 2004 at 136.5-lbs, 12.3% body fat according to a quickie caliper test I did Saturday morning. This was a reduction of about 2.3% of my body fat during the course of the challenge. To contrast my changes for 2004, on Jan 1, 2004, I was 148.5-lbs, 18.0% body fat. So in a year, if my calculations are to be believed, I've lost about 2-lbs. of lean mass and 10-lbs. of fat. A total loss of 50.5-lbs. since changing my lifestyle.

I hope to put the lean mass back in '05, given the green light on my shoulder (someday!). Cross yer' fingers...

-R

Haha.. at least you are honest :) Thats AWESOME that you have lost that much BF & weight, especially that amount in a year! Too bad your shoulder made things difficult. I have no doubt that you will add that mass back easily. Congrats on your hard work man and results! :claphigh: Post that pic when you can ;)

Ugh, sorry I missed this update! Excellent work escher, I'd say that these last two months were a huge success for you, you're looking a lot leaner. I'll get my pix up asap. It's hard to believe all that we've been through on this challenge, it was a rocky road for all three of us!

After about mmm... two weeks procrastination, here's my final pics. Now, keep in mind that I've been eating a lot more since Jan. 1, so don't be too hard on me. Anyway, I'd say the whole thing was a huge success, for all of us! I think for the first time since starting last January, I feel really comfortable cutting, like I feel like I have a lock on it and how my body responds. I guess that's the biggest thing I got from all of this, besides trimming down some. Anyway, now it's on to adding some more muscle. Wish me luck, it doesn't happen easily on my frame.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_week_11.jpg http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_week_11.jpg

And here's the comparison photos.

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/front_comparison4.jpg

http://hacketts.20megsfree.com/jsf/side_comparison4.jpg


Thanks for a great challenge guys!