I'm glad I read this before I head off to the gym in 10 minutes! Rideandshoot that sounds like an interesting little tweak; I'll try it out today and report back on how it goes. The only issue I can think of is for some of the bigger movements (such as the transition from squat to deadlift) resting happens anyway since I spend at least 30 to 60 seconds simply moving the weights back and forth on the barbells. Like I said though I'll try to minimize the time as suggested.

I finished up my goals last night, but forgot to post them here. Here's what I came up with. How I derived them will be talked about in my journal entry later today (oooh the anticipation!).



Annihilate SEVENTY Pushups in ONE Minute!
Rip THIRTY Sit-ups in ONE Minute!
Run TWO Miles in FOURTEEN Minutes!
Sprint ONE Mile in SIX Minutes!
Destroy ONE Pull-up!
Pump out TEN Dips!
Lift my body through TEN Chin-Ups!
Push FIVE Squats at a HUNDRED-FIFTY Pounds!
Deadlift FIVE times at a HUNDRED-FIFTY Pounds!
Bench my own body weight, a HUNDRED-FOURTYFIVE Pounds!
Move at NINTYFIVE RPM for 1.25 Minutes during Elliptical HIIT!

I am a living Duracel Battery!
I am PURE Energy!
I WORKOUT everyday, no excuses, and it Feels Great!
I am ENERGETIC in whatever I do!
I have cut out all gum because it is an annoying habit with extra calories that I don't need!
I only drink coffee in the morning!
I JUMP at the chance to be Active!
I am ALWAYS Moving, always on the move, never sitting still!
I choose to STAND instead of sit because sitting is for the weak, and I LIVE a life for the STRONG!
I don't beat, I ANNIHILATE my own Records!
I walk with CONFIDENCE!
I visualize myself with a RIPPED Body!
I have a CHISELED, made from stone, SIX PACK!
I have ZERO "stomach folds" when I bend over, recline, or sit down!
I am EXPLOSIVE in sports, in life, in EVER MOMENT of my life I am EXPLOSIVE!
My Look turns girls heads!
I HAVE a RIPPED Body!
HOT BLOOD PULSES THROUGH MY VEINS and it FEELS GOOD!
I LUST for POWER!
I Am getting more DEFINED by the Second!

I reread my GOALS everyday!

Ah, that's quite different than the impression I first got. I haven' tried that, but isn't it just a "superset" of sorts? It sounds exhausting! I might try that on one of the weekend trial days where I just like to fool around and experiment. My only concern here though (besides the intensity making me lower the weights) is that I'd have to take up more space in my gym. Somedays the gym gets packed because of college teams, clubs, etc, that you don't really have that much room to do as your describing.

Nice detailed journal entries. Good luck with everything!

Monday 12/08/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 146.4 - up 0.2lb
Body Fat: 7.1% - up 0.3%

Diet:
Breakfast:
2 small-medium Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal
3 Egg-White Omelet with Ham and Egg Beaters
Ketchup (for the Omelet since they were out of Mustard)
Post Workout:
1 medium Apple
some Beef Jerky
Lunch:
1 medium Apple
1 cup White Rice and Tofu drizzled with Chili Sauce and Soy Sauce
1 cup Lentils cooked with Vegetables and Tofu
1 slice Whole-Grain Bread with piled with Ham, Turkey, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Onions
1 bowl Turkey Vegetable Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumbers, Wax Peppers, Carrots, and Garbanzo Beans mixed with Light Italian Vinaigrette
4 Pickle spears
Dinner:
1 bowl Chinese Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli with Tofu
1 small plate Peas, Onions, and Mushrooms with 2 slices of London Broil
1 bowl Lettuce, Cucumbers, Wax Peppers, and Olives drizzled with Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar with some Cottage Cheese on top
1 bowl Lettuce, Cucumbers, and Wax Peppers with Deli Turkey and Salsa
1 bowl Turkey Vegetable Soup

That was my diet.

The Day:

This technically happened last night, but I need to include it somewhere, hence I start: Last night, I tested myself. To improve my pushups my routine calls for doing sets at 75% my max. This also is the case for sit-ups. For this reason I needed to find my max. Trying to keep to the best form and standards it seems the two numbers I got are on opposite sides of the spectrum. The good: I can do 46 pushups in one minute. The bad: I can barely (and I say barely because I’m not even sure what I was doing would count as “full” sit-ups) do 20 sit-ups in one minute. I’m not at all satisfied with my results, but hey that’s all the better reason to improve them!

Last night, I finished my goals (of which I posted earlier today). They are both real, but at the same time motivational so there are hints of cliché in the writing. Regardless, I believe they accurately portray where I want to go, where I want to be, who I want to be. The one caveat that they do not solve is HOW to get there. I’m still equivocating over bulking, cutting, neither, one then the other, the other then the one. So I plea again, if you have any advise, experience, whatever, in this area please reply!

Now to move on to today: I woke up this morning with some new stats. I gained a little weight and a little body fat. I don’t believe it means much though. The day to day numbers can shift quite dramatically (I’ve seen anything from 5lb weight gains to 2% bf losses). It is the trends that matter, and so far no trend seems to really be emerging (though the numbers have been going up more than down – I’ll have to keep an eye on that).

I grabbed an apple on the way out of the dining halls for breakfast. After finishing my standard meal (though they had no mustard today!) I changed and walked off in the frigid cold to the gym. I was excited and energetic to follow my new workout routine. So, it is fair to say that my blood was flowing a little faster than normal and with that came extreme motivation and deadly determination for success. After warming up for 5 minutes, it was time for squats, deadlifts, and bench presses (so far no changes in my routine). I found everything except for the deadlifts actually harder than normal. I have no idea why. My form might have slacked a little, but just a little. I did complete all reps and all sets at my normal weight so that was good (no hardship is going to stop me!). Now it was time for a changeup.

Instead of doing bicep curls next (as my old routine would have called for) I immediately moved onto the shoulder press quickly followed by bent over rows (both using 20lb dumbbells for 10 reps, 3 sets). I switched from lift to lift (including the earlier big movements) as fast as possible. This change was from a recommendation I got from another lifter. I found the faster pace (though I still rested the full 1min or the full 30sec in between sets of the same lift) helped me to actually maintain energy, not sap me of it. Next came the real game changers.

I performed the chin-up first. I used an assisted weight to get my 5 reps for 3 sets. I guessed an assistance of 60lb, and guessed perfectly. Each rep was hard and every time, at the 5th pull, I had to really focus and burn through that fatigue. I knew from my trials yesterday that I had a slightly easier time doing dips. For this reason, afterwards, I changed the weight to 40lb of help and performed 5 dips. I found it a little awkward on my shoulders and leaning forward (to stimulate the chest muscles) was difficult because I couldn’t curl my legs up (had to keep my feet on the lever). After the last rep on the last set though I did feel that stimulating throb on my pecs (I love it!). And then I was done; now it was just time for the finishing exercises – easy right?

Not! I was to do as many “Captain’s Chairs” as possible in 30 seconds for 3 sets. The first set wasn’t too bad; I pumped out 20 decent forms. But then next 2 sets – oh my god! I barely, barely, performed 15 and I know my form dramatically fell, tumbled, down the hill after the first 10. I guess it’s a good thing though because if it’s hard it means it it’s something I have to improve upon and therefore will work to develop those abs (hopefully). And finally I ended with the 10 “Knuckle” Pushups. I want to improve on my knuckle and wrist strength for Tae Kwon Do, which is the reason I do these pushups. I did complete all 10 for every sets, but I think on the last two sets my form, specifically my back, started to sag. I had to really push on the very last set as well. I made it, but it was definitely a mind over matter moment.

I mentioned earlier that apple after breakfast. Par another recommendation; I decided to eat something immediately after working out. Now time was a deterrence, still is, so I needed something quick, fast, and easy. An apple seemed to work. After going back to my dorm to grab my backpack for classes I took the apple and some beef jerky (a handful or so) along with me. I ate them around 20 minutes after working out. I felt better than normal because of this (usually I have to wait till lunch 2-3 hours later!). I do wonder though if I should also be eating after my cardio. I know everyone preaches the post-workout meal for lifting, so I’m happy I made that change; but, what about cardio? I’ll have to ask around about that. If you’re reading this and have an idea for the answer please reply, I’d be interested to know! Also, should I be eating something else after cardio, something different than lifting? Along the same lines, is an apple and beef jerky after lifting the right type of food?

I had a normal amount of energy for most of the day, but after lunch I felt oddly tired. In fact I eventually had to lie down and take a nap, forcing the me to be in a listless, lethargic, mood for the rest of the day. It definitely wasn’t hydration (I always drink TONS of water), so I’m not sure what was up. Hopefully it was just one of those weird moments that happen.

I’ve been talking to many people, acquiring information, and getting advice. I’m still undecided how I should go about becoming ripped. I’m now leaning towards bulking, but I feel like it may be an unnecessary step as my interest is to get defined – not necessarily to get big and defined (though that may become a new FUTURE interest afterwards). I really don’t know.

And on that note I end, on that inconclusive note as it is exactly how I feel at this moment, at this second of typing. I feel… inconclusive.

That was the day.



This concludes Entry #4.

Tuesday 12/09/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 168.8 – up 2.4lb
Body Fat: 7.0% - down 0.1%


Diet:
Breakfast:
2 medium Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal
3 Egg-White Omelet with Ham and Egg Beaters (Mustard on side)
Post Workout:
1 handful of Beef Jerky
Lunch:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl White Rice and Tofu drizzled with Chili Sauce and Soy Sauce
1 slice Whole-Grain Bread with piled with Ham, Turkey, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Onions
1 bowl Spicy Beef Tomato Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumbers, Wax Peppers, Carrots, and Garbanzo Beans mixed with Light Italian Vinaigrette
4 Pickle spears
Dinner:
1 plate with 3 small slices turkey, a little Risotto, a little Chinese Asparagus, piece of Chinese Tofu with Pork
1 bowl Lettuce, Bell Peppers, Wax Peppers, and Olives drizzled with Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar with some Cottage Cheese and Tunafish on top
1 bowl Lettuce, Bell Peppers, and Wax Peppers with Deli Turkey (Mustard on side)
1 bowl Spicy Beef Tomato Soup


That was my diet.



The Day:

I didn’t add this yesterday to my journal, but it did occur yesterday. I was tired! I said that, yes, but not the full story. Earlier that day I had to take a nap, one hour. Later at night I took a 15 minute nap followed 30 minutes later by a 1 hour nap. I have NO idea what is going on! I was never a “nap” person. I get 7-8 hours of sleep a night always. I simply don’t know what’s wrong. Even more puzzling is I drank more and ate more yesterday than I normally do; so I should have even more energy no? I’m lost, I just hope that it truly was completely temporary. I want my goals; I want PURE energy! But, where is it?

I checked my weight and fat this morning to find my pounds shot up. Not to fear, that kind of change is always a little scary but I know now that it can shoot down just as easily. I am comforted by the fact that the body fat % did not go up with it, meaning it probably is just the odd water weight skewing things.


Today I didn’t have classes (finals week no doubt :/). So, instead of doing my cardio at 10:30, I decided to go a little earlier and make it 9:00. Why not? Everything went well; I ran the full mile and a half in 10:50 exactly. Afterwards I hopped onto the elliptical. But, for some reason, it felt incredibly resistant. After 5 minutes I had enough, something was wrong. Turns out it must have been a faulty machine because I switched onto another of the same model 3 feet to the right of me and immediately felt the difference. The one I was one was at least 5 times harder to push. Besides that one backset (though really it wasn’t much of a backset as I still got the same, if not more, exercise as my routine demands) all went very well. I ended up notifying the gym attendants about the machine: they said they would get someone to look at it.

After the workout I had the rest of my beef jerky from yesterday. I heard carbs offset cardio, so protein is the way to go. And that is the way I went.

After Dinner I was feeling bloated and fat. I had to go to Tae Kwon Do, and afterwards felt much better. It was a good thing because I hate feeling like my stomach is protruding over my entire body. The downside of it all was that I hurt my left food while sparring. Hopefully it doesn’t affect my performance during the HIIT tomorrow.

Later on at night it was time for my pushups and sit-ups. I didn’t have much motivation and was feeling a little lethargic (derived from all the studying I have beyond me – and in front of me). I brushed my teeth though, an activity that always seems to awaken me, and got all pumped up for them. The first set I tore through 35 pushups, but felt winded afterwards. 30 seconds later I did another 35, barely making it on the last rep. Deciding to take a 1 minute break this time, I waited for my muscles to rest. I attempted the last set, but failed at the 25th rep. My muscles simply gave out. I’m not sure if I should adjust the reps or always push myself to failure. I could also increase the rest time to always be one minute; I think I’ll do that first and record the results. Surprisingly, my sit-ups sets were much easier. I expected the exact opposite: easy pushups, hard sit-ups! Shows how much I know. In fact what wore me down at first during the sit-ups was not my abs, but my tailbone. I think it may be time to invest in an exercise or yoga mat. By the last rep of the sit-ups though I was definitely feeling it still, so it wasn’t like they were too easy. For the sit-ups I did increase the resting time to more like 45 seconds (fearing the same results as my pushups). For the future I should do 30 seconds on the sit-ups, just so I really feel the burn.

One a side note regarding the pushups: I am worried they may lead to an overtraining of my chest. I’m not sure if they are the same muscle fibers used to build size (as it seems more of an endurance exercise to me), but either way my chest will be worked 5-6 days out of the week with my current routine. I’m not sure what kind of results I will see from this, but I have to make sure I am progressing. If not, then I’ll have to relook at the whole 3 nights of pushups on cardio days routine. It may just be too much. In that same note, I guess I should consider abs: but, can abs really be overworked that much? I don’t know. Like I said, I’ll have to just keep track, keep recording, and keep progressing.


Throughout the day I didn’t feel that nagging sleepiness that I had yesterday, which was a good sign. I did feel big though. Maybe it was just the back thought of the weight measured at the beginning of the day, I don’t know. What I do know is it caused doubts in me eating more. It seems that people are recommending me left and right to bulk first and then cut to get the abs. I’m scared of the weight gain though! I admit it! It frightens me! What am I to do? I’m trying to face this fear, but you read my story, you now know what I did to get here. The idea of doing it all over again, gaining the weight only to lose it – I can’t picture myself going back there! And at the same time all my heart is into getting that washboard rigged stomach! It’s tug-of-war and it’s hurting my head no matter who is winning. They need a word for this feeling! I look in the mirror, and maybe it’s just me, but I swear it seems my stomach is already less defined. Ugh, I found the word. Lost. I’m lost.



That was the day.



This concludes Entry #5.

Wednesday 12/10/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 149.4 – up 0.6lb
Body Fat: 6.9% - down 0.1%


Diet:
Breakfast:
2 medium Apples
1 large Egg Beater Omelet filled with Ham (Mustard on side)
1 bowl Oatmeal (more than normal)
Post-Workout:
1 handful of Beef Jerky
Lunch:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Rice and Chicken (Soy Sauce on top)
1/2 bowl Chinese Stir-Fried Vegetables, Rice, and Tofu
1 slice Whole Grain Bread Sandwich piled with Ham, Turkey, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Onions (Mustard as spread)
1 bowl Mulligatawny Soup with Chicken and Rice
1 bowl Spring Lettuce Salad with Cucumbers and Bell Peppers drizzled with a Low Calorie Light Italian Vinaigrette dressing
Dinner:
1 plate 1 lightly breaded Veal Patty with Tomato Sauce, a few tablespoons of Lentils and Grains, and some Zucchini and Squash
1 cup Chinese Broccoli and Vegetables (Soy Sauce on top)
1 bowl Split-Pea Soup
1 cup Turkey and Tunafish with Lettuce and Humus
1 bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Olives, and Cottage Cheese drizzled with Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar

That was my diet.

The Day:

I had a little bit more than normal energy today. It felt good. My weight went up again! But, after reading the forums more, specifically some certain replies to my journal and other threads, my confidence is now with the bulking plan so I should train my mind to see weight gain as a positive. It’s hard, but I’m making progress. It was nice to see the fat percentage go down though, but I doubt it means anything (in fact the sudden gain in weight probably doesn’t mean much either since it happened all over a period of 2 days). In case you missed the other threads. My plan is now to bulk (as implied above). I am going with it, until I hit 10% body fat, and then cutting into what will be in my mind solid rock. The end result? The chiseled abs I’ve been looking for.

The gym workout today was average. I burned, what might be a record breaking, 349 calories doing 20 minutes of my Elliptical HIIT routine. I then finished with a brisk inclined walk on the treadmill, burning another 74.5 calories. I like to see those high numbers, so in that regard the results of today’s workout were above average (but I regress, I can’t take too much credit because it still “felt” completely normal – like any other day).

I spent most of the rest of the day studying, so didn’t have a chance to really get out much. It wasn’t until later that the next phase of the day’s workout routine came into play. The cardio nightly pushups and sit-ups: but this time things were different. First of all, I completed all the pushups, all 35, all sets. Yes! But! It wasn’t really a success. I noticed that actually since the beginning was subpar. I was not going down till my elbows were parallel. If I was, I doubt I would have been able to do it. In that way, it was disappointing. I feel like I may be doing too many. I think I’m going to drop two, and try to keep form better. On the flip side, my sit-up performance went down. I had to help myself through a few reps, and used some swinging motion to complete some others. I believe this is due to strictly attempting a 30 sec resting period (unlike the 1 minute used for pushups). Next time, next Friday, I will be switching to a 1 minute resting period for the sit-ups as well. That should solve the issue.

There’s really not much else to say. On a side note I have been trying to eat more, making all my meals slightly larger. We’ll see how the numbers are looking, how the trends are forming, to get an idea for what I need to adjust. Till then I’ll just keep at it.

That was the day.



This concludes Entry #6.

Wish I could eat as much as you do.

Thursday 12/11/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 150.2 – up 0.8lb
Body Fat: 7.0% - up 0.1%
Diet:
Breakfast:
2 small-medium Apples
3 Egg White Omelet with Ham (more than usual) and Egg Beaters
1 bowl Oatmeal
Post-Workout:
1 small Apple
1 slice Whole-Grain Bread Sandwich with Ham, Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion (Mustard)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Zucchini and Bell Peppers (Low Calorie Light Italian Vinaigrette)
Lunch:
1 bowl Rice, Turkey, and Tofu (Chili Sauce and Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Beef Minestrone Soup
1 cup Mixed Vegetables
Dinner:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumbers, Cottage Cheese (Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumbers (Low Calorie Light Italian Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Minestrone Soup
1 cup Chinese Stir-Fried Beef and Asparagus
1 small plate Green Beans
1 cup Turkey, Lettuce, Onions

That was my diet.

The Day:

I woke up today feeling pumped. I had my Calculus II test to finish the course later on. I also had my new workout plan. Because of the test my schedule was a little thrown off, so I ended up workout out slightly later today than normal. By that I mean that I left for the gym at 9:15am instead of 8:30am. This actually was beneficial though because it enabled me to use the dining halls to have a real post-workout meal as well as use the dining halls for a lunch. This explains why the lunch meal today is significant smaller than normal, while the post-workout meal is larger by the same degree. But that’s not the full explanation.

I also woke up this morning in confusion; confusion that was to be resolved into soundness and clarity while doing pull-ups. I saw the numbers on the scale. Up in weight, up in body fat. Two ups. I should be happy right? Not quite. At first I convinced myself, that the increases are what I want. That my goal right now is to gain weight. That’s my goal, it is a means to quite a different end, but right now that’s my goal. At least, that’s what I told myself. But, while lifting, I realized that wasn’t true. I have changed my mind, reversed my position. I will NOT be bulking. I don’t want it. Even if it is, as I said, a means to a lean and cut and lower weight end. I do not want to traverse that path. Even if it means I won’t get stronger, won’t get those abs. I know now the truth: I don’t want to see my weight go above 150. Maybe in the future that will change, who can know such things as infinite? But, I do know now, that unequivocally I will not set any goal to be an increase in weight. It is simply not in my interest.

With that said, I am back to my new goal. Staying lean, losing body, recomposing myself (though this may be a slower method), the whole deal. My routine stays the same, my commitment stays the same, my discipline the same. But, my diet changed. I will eat like I used to, conservatively and with regard to proportions. I will not undereat, as I’ve been down that scary path as well. But I will not overeat. I will eat what is right for me, what is right to stay in the 140s. I am satisfied with myself now, and that haziness, that confusion, that “lost”, is gone.


As for my workout: nothing special. The two new exercises were the pull-up and the bicycles for 30 seconds to work the abs. For the pull-up, an offset of 85lb worked perfectly and I really felt it in my upper back. The bicycles also went better than expected once I started to get the rhythm down. My abs were burning by the end and I felt some tension in my obliques as well (an area that doesn’t get hit a lot). Oh, I forgot to mention that I also did the triceps version for dips today as well. I didn’t feel it much in my triceps though. I found out on the last set this was because the dip bars were too wide, it is at this point that I also found out you could adjust them. After adjustment, the exercise went exactly as it should with my upper arms throbbing in the end. And though not a new movement, the last change for today was an increase in weight (from 20lb to 30lb) and a decrease in reps (from 10 to 5) for the dumbbell shoulder presses. I found this a nice variation, and my guess on the 30lb weight was spot on (actually maybe 1-2lb heavier could have worked, but I can’t make adjustments that fine tuned). Overall: a decent lifting day.


I feel light a weight has been taken off of my shoulders. I was so burdened with the thought of gaining weight these last few days. On one side I keep hearing to do it, to bulk, to gain the muscle mass. But, on the other side, my side, that nagging thought of actually going up on the scale did just that. It nagged. And it didn’t go away. Once I saw the numbers starting to actually move it only got worse. I cannot handle that feeling, that looming doubt. I have made my peace now. I will attempt a body recomp by eating at my maintenance calories and still following my weekly routine. If that fails, if I see no results, at least I’ll be happy with my weight and still therefore happy with myself (as I am right now). It feels good to be happy.


That was the day.



This concludes Entry #7.

I just noticed that I my original "intro" post does not contain the links I mentioned above because I was unable to post them (due to restrictions from the forums).

I have 15+ posts now on this board so here are the links for those who wish to see what I've been referring to.

FitDay Free Calorie Counter and Diet Journal:*Public Journal

Index of /images/bodybuilding

Friday 12/12/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 148.4 – down 1.8lb
Body Fat: 7.5% - up 0.5%

Diet:
Breakfast:
3 small Apples
Egg Beater Omelet with Ham
1 bowl Oatmeal (less than usual)
Post-Workout:
small handful Beef Jerky
Lunch:
1 small Apple
1 slice Whole-Grain Bread Sandwich with Ham, Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
1 cup White Rice with Tofu (Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Bean Soup – light, not creamy
Dinner:
1 plate Greek Salad with Lettuce, Cucumber, Onion, Olives, Tomato, Feta Cheese (Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar)
8oz boiled Red Snapper
2 Grape Leave Rolls stuffed with Rice
a little Spinach and Eggplant Greek Mixture


That was my diet.




The Day:

I don’t have much time today so today’s entry will be short and sweet. I am glad I made the change back. Today I scaled in and lost weight. That satisfactory fact was all worth it to conclusively validate my decision. I did go up in body fat, but a 0.5% increase is simply not possible so I’m putting it into the margin of error category. I would never let eating a little less (not too much less!) hinder my exercise routine, and as such I went to the gym this morning.

It was actually quite a story, freezing rain, broken down trees, faulty power, lights flickering, the whole nine yards. But I won’t get into that. I had a good workout. I completed the full mile and a half, making this the first week where I did that on both running days (yes!). I hit 249 calories on the elliptical today, which is pretty damn good considering it wasn’t even HIIT and it was only 20 minutes. My calories for running I believe was 171.4 and my walking after the elliptical was 72.5. Those numbers are from what I remember as I didn’t write them down, but I am fairly confident in their accuracy. Besides being a decent sweat, this also marks the last day at my college’s gym. Yup, I go home today and as such will be going back to my old workout facilities (which also happen to be much better than what my schooling offers). I’m excited for the change.

I ended the day in a hotel room doing pushups and sit-ups. I changed the reps for the pushups to 33 from 35. This seemed to help as I was able to keep my form better. Truth be told I noticed I’m still not really getting down to parallel with my elbows. This makes me doubt my initial “maximum” I obtained for pushups (maybe it was 45, but under bad form). This Sunday though I will be retesting my maximums which should bring a clearer picture to the situation. Meanwhile using a 1 minute resting period in between sit-ups sets seemed to help a lot. I was able to complete all reps with correct form. I actually felt like the number of reps might have been a little too light as I was feeling the burn, but probably could have gone further. Again: this Sunday the new maximum should shed some better light on that issue as well.

Tomorrow is my first rest day of this log and I plan to take full enjoyment of it with the knowledge that I will be coming back stronger, meaner, faster, leaner, and better, better in every activity. I reread my goals everyday now. They give me strength. I have a future; I can see myself in it. I will become that image.


That was the day.



This concludes Entry #8.

Saturday 12/13/08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: ?? - unmeasured
Body Fat: ?? - unmeasured

Diet:
Breakfast:
a little Whole Grain Toast
1 bowl Oatmeal
1 Egg Beater Omelet with Ham, Peppers, Onions
A Little After Breakfast:
1 large Apple
Lunch:
1 large Apple
2 handfuls Beef Jerky
A Little Before Dinner:
1 small Apple
1 medium Pear
Dinner:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad Mix with Feta Cheese (Low Calorie Light Garlic Italian Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad Mix with Deli Turkey (Low Calorie Light Garlic Italian Vinaigrette)
½ bowl 1% Fat Cottage Cheese with 1 handful Almonds (Cinnamon)
2 slices Weight Watchers Whole Grain Bread with Turkey, Tomato (Mustard)
3-4 Pickles



That was my diet.



The Day:

Well, the day is here. Resting day! No stretching, no routine. Oh, it is nice to take a break! Time to just sit back and enjoy myself. Normally I would be recording my body weight and fat anyway, but I’m in a hotel right now and don’t have my equipment with me. Oh well, one hole in the graph will not make a huge difference in observing the trend. Tomorrow I will have my stuff and start recording again as usual, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom.

As you can see my diet was fairly hectic. I had limited options for all my meals except dinner because I was traveling on the road from college back to home. Dinner though, like I said, was the exception. I as able to go food shopping today for the first time in months. I bought all the good stuff and each meal should now be quite original. I might consider even learning really how to cook now that I’m no longer as carb restrictive as I used to be (during my weight loss days). Either way, cooking or no cooking, expect a pleasant variety in my seemingly static diet entries for the forthcoming weeks.

That’s all I have to say for today. Oh one thing. I did look in the mirror around 4 hours ago. I saw abs, 4 of them. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so broad.



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #9.

Sunday 12/14/08
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Weight: 143.5 – down 4.9lb
Body Fat: 6.3% - down 1.2%

Diet:
Breakfast:
1 medium-large Pear
1 medium-large Apple
½ cup Oats
Egg Beaters with Ham and 1 slice Low Fat Swiss Cheese
Lunch:
A little Steak, Pork, Ham, Rice, Chicken, Salad, Mozzarella Cheese, Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Cucumber, Asparagus, Carrots, Smoked White Fish, Smoked Salmon, Onion, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Tilapia, and a few other small things
1 cup Tomato Bisque
1 glass Virgin Bloody Mary
Dinner:
2 4-6oz pieces of Chicken
1 small plate Cauliflower cooked in Olive Oil
1 small plate Basmati Rice with Curry (Chicken pieces inside) and Onions cooked in Olive Oil
5-8 jumbo Shrimp



That was my diet.





The Day:

I woke up excited to cook. I made my own breakfast using the ingredients I bought yesterday. It was quite satisfying. I am a little worried about how much I should be eating, estimating calories and all. Like college I think I am just going to go by the scale. If it starts to go up I eat less, and vice-versa. A few days may be all over the place, but within a week I should have a standard down.

I also woke up excited to see my weight. Down! I’m happy I made up for the splurge of overeating when I made the decision, the attempt really, to bulk. Some of the weight is definitely water weight I’m sure since the change is really too big for even 2 days. Still, it is nice to see the number back to where I want it. My abs felt tight this morning as well, which always brings a smile to my face (I mentioned that wide grin I had yesterday when I saw the 4 pack). I am curious to see what happens tomorrow. Most likely it will rebound slightly, but I can’t say I’m not anxious to see my body fat drop into the 5’s. You never know.

Lunch, as you most likely read above, was crazy. It was a buffet and I didn’t necessarily eat tons, but I did try a varying plethora of almost every dish they offered. It was impossible to estimate though so I just listed off the top of my head everything I remember. It looks like too much food, I hope it isn’t. I don’t want to offset my weight loss that much.

On a side note I realize today was supposed to be my picture day. I completely forgot. It’s too late now since I ate already and that would throw off the look. Instead I will take it first thing tomorrow morning after I weigh myself. The one day difference shouldn’t matter nearly as much as taking it before versus after a meal. I will for now on remember that Sunday is Photo Day. I doubt I’m going to see much difference though, it’s only been a week since I changed up my workout routine and since then my diet (a more influential factor) has been all over the place. I want my abs that I saw this morning to peer through the lens though. Hopefully they will.

Dinner was a little iffy. I may or may not have overeaten, it’s tough to tell when you’re eating all new foods. Again, I’ll just have to monitor my weight and body fat strictly and carefully to see how much “home food” I need to take in.

After dinner, now nearing 10 O’clock, I decided it was time to test my new maximums. First were the pushups. I completed 66 of them (up from 45). I am really doubting my form though. I am going to stick to doing sets of 33 until I am sure my form is dead on. Two things might be happening that are worrying me. One is that I’m not going down enough (elbows should be parallel to ground at the bottom position and I just don’t think I’m there). Two is that my but is sagging causing my core and lower back to sag. Sometimes I “feel” this, but can’t see it. I think the only remedy is to do pushups in front of a mirror. Tomorrow, if I can find a good spot, I’m going to do this at the local gym. Next were the sit-ups. It is without a hesitation that I can say my abs are getting stronger. Unlike the pushups, I was not limited by failure, but limited by time. I completed 35 sit-ups in the allotted 1 minute. For the pushups, I failed before the 1 minute mark was even up (actually now that I consider it, this may not be true as I wasn’t checking the time as strictly as I was for sit-ups and did not relook at the watch when I failed the last rep on my pushups). Either way, it doesn’t matter ‘cause like I said I’m sticking with 33 until my form is complete. Going back to the sit-ups, the successful 35 means I should be doing reps of 26. I am also going to try and focus on speed as I do the reps since that is what hindered me, not strength. I am satisfied with both results and especially ecstatic about my new performance record on the sit-ups. It is always nice to see yourself become better at being yourself.



That was the day.





This concludes Entry #10.

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Yeah back when I counted calories I used many sources like those. It really isn't a matter of finding out how many calories are in WHAT I'm eating. The problem more is proportions and how what I'm eating was made (such as cooked with tons of pork fat, or dry pan seared). Thanks for the suggestion though. Now that I'm back home and cooking a lot on my own, it may be worth it to go back to actual calorie counting. Though I do admit just using the scale to see if I'm gaining or losing weight is much easier.