[n88tr]

Sounds like a plan!

If you put on 100 lbs, or something nuts which is the only real problem because then you'll have loose skin [something I have a lot of b/c I used to be like 320 lbs]. You'd have to eat pretty ****ty or bulk for a LONG TIME to get like that anyways. I wouldn't worry about the bulk. In my experience so far, the bulk is the fun part, you can be a bit more lax with your eating and less picky as compared to when you're on a cut. Bulk is when you MAKE muscle, cut is when you try to SHOW the muscle.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 1/25/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 156.6lb– +5.0lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – +0.8%
Lean Mass: 142.19lb – +3.32lb
Fat Weight: 14.41lb – +1.68lb

Diet:
9:10am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [slightly over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham, Onion (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Vegetable Chili
1 bowl French Onion Soup [no cheese]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 cup Pasta Salad [mostly vegetables] (Light Clear Dressing)
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl French Onion Soup [no cheese]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Hot Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 cup Deli Turkey
5:50pm:
1 bowl French Onion Soup [no cheese]
1 cup Chinese Stir-Fried Chicken
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Pasta Salad (Light Clear Dressing), Cottage Cheese, Tunafish [no mayo], Lettuce, Hot Pepper
1 cup Deli Turkey, Deli Ham
1 cup Cottage Cheese
1 plate 3 small-medium pieces Beef Brisquit, Broccoli and Cauliflower, Mashed Butternut Squash

That was my diet.



The Day:

My numbers today reported what I had suspected. Yesterday was a fluke. Now I have back on record what my true stats are. The result: awesome muscle mass. I am liking this continuation of building up that size. I am liking it for the incredible physique it will hopefully lead up to when I cut. I can’t wait: almost there, almost at the end line where I can begin to truly get the look I want.

Of course, I can’t deny the factors of bulking that do appeal to me. My strength is, well, strengthening! I just tested my new max for pushups and broke one of my goals. I can now perform seventy of those devils in a clean one minute. I am extremely proud of this achievement. I crossed out the goal and wrote a new one write under it. Get ready for eighty! Following it up I executed as many sit-ups as I could in another clean minute. And guess what. I broke my other goal! I curled myself into a 100% sit-up fifty-two times. It was glorious. Next time it will be sixty. Count on it. Goodnight.

Oh one last thing I forgot to mention. I redid my schedule today to better fit college life. I switched my running days with my lifting days. This shouldn’t impact much. The benefit is now Fridays should no longer be an issue with time constraints as I have little problem lifting right after eating compared to running, where eating can be disastrous. Anyway, all this means is for tomorrow I will be starting the week with a nice run. OK, now goodnight.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #52.

[n88tr]

Instead of doing 80 bodyweight pushups, consider having a friend put a plate on your upper back of 25 or 35 lbs so it's a little bit more difficult.

You have a very wide variety of food going there and that is good so you don't burn out on stuff. I worry though that you're not getting enough protein and why are you only eating 5 times a day?

Looks very good other wise, happy to hear about your strength gains.

[mcFreid]

Hey n88r,

The pushups are a divergence in a way from my normal workout routine. Along with the sit-ups I chose to do them simply because I want to get better at doing them. It is the actual movement that I want to get better at, I don't care as much about using them to physically get stronger (I have my lifting days for that). That's why the reps are so high, as well as why they are separated from my normal routine (i.e. they are at night before bed, instead of while at the gym).

My diet is completely restritced by the dining halls at my college. I eat the best I can. The variety like you said is nice but at the same time I wouldn't mind a more routine meal, especially for dinner which is always a giant variable. As for protein: I'm sure I get plenty. I don't include measurements because I have no device to measure, but to bring some things to scale might be a good idea. One such example is for my sandwiches at lunch I'm usually piling on that turkey until its around 3-4 inches high. These aren't pussy portions of protein. Whenever you see an item that is mostly protein in my diet, it's usually guaranteed that it there is a substantial portion of it. As for how many meals I eat: I try to eat as many as I can. My schedule really gets in the way so I just do my best.

Hope that clears some things up and thanks for taking an interest!

[mcFreid]

Monday 1/26/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 157.2lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.3%– +0.1%
Lean Mass: 142.58lb – +0.39lb
Fat Weight: 14.62lb – +0.21lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 small Apples
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45am:
1 medium Apple
1/2 bowl Oatmeal and Deli Ham
11:55am:
1 medium Apple
1:45pm:
2 bowls Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Tofu, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Chicken and Rice Soup [extra chicken and rice]
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
6:00pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [with mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Chinese Green Beans and Tofu (Chile Oil, Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Chicken and Rice Soup [lots of extra chicken and rice]
1 bowl Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Salsa
1 plate 1 piece Chicken Breast, Squash Medley, a little Deli Turkey and Deli Ham

That was my diet.



The Day:

Today was my sickness comeback day. I dominated in every area. My mentality was spot throughout the entire 24 hours. I had bundles of energy.

My workout at the gym was immaculate. I ran the 2 miles easy. I could have kept going, I may even have done it if it wasn’t for time. I kept up to my standards on the elliptical and performed as always on the cool down treadmill. It was excellent.

My pushups were executed in rapid succession. I am getting much better at speed. I fear slightly that I may be sacrificing some level of form for this quickness. It is something that I’ll have to keep an eye on. Believe me when I say that that is not a trade off I want to be making. Meanwhile my sit-ups are hard as ever. I think the fact that I’m gaining weight is balancing out my strength gains. Even still, I do think I am getting better at them. I really worked on my mind to muscle connection today with the curling of my abs. I focused all my attention on that six-pack. I think it helped the overall movement.

My only real doubt for today is my diet which was a little finicky. It is always finicky on Mondays and Thursdays, but even moreso today because I had less time to get a proper meal inbefore my hell line-up of schedules. Also dinner tonight didn’t offer much in terms of protein so I had to substitute the usual deli cold cuts. I think this is something I am going to give up. I’m really getting sick of them and I think my stomach is too. I’m going to try to limit the deli meats now to only the ham for my omelet and the turkey for lunch sandwiches. I’ll have to figure something else out as a consistent method to get my protein in for each meal. I’m sure it won’t end up being a problem. I’ve become used to having to be adaptive (college, going back home, traveling, etc...). I know I’ll find a way.

One last comment before I call it a night. I have noticed my belt seems to want to move open one notch up. I’m keeping it where it is for now. I have a feeling that by the time I hit my end goals and switch over to cut it will be exactly at the same time that I would have to move that notch. Hopefully the two will coincide perfectly so that I will never have to expand the constraint. That’s my wish.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #53.

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 1/27/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 157.8lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.4% – +0.1%
Lean Mass: 142.97lb – +0.39lb
Fat Weight: 14.83lb – +0.21lb

Diet:
7:15am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham [a little yolk slipped in]
9:45am:
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with 3 Egg Whites, Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:10pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Chili [thin] with Tofu
3/4 bowl Thai Tofu Curry with Rice
1 medium Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1 slice 12 Grain Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Turkey Chili [thin]
1 bowl Chinese Pepper Steak with Brocolli and Tofu (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese, Tunafish [no mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 plate Turkey Breast, Curried Chicken, Tofu Stir Fry with a little Rice, Peas, Onions, Mushrooms

That was my diet.



The Day:

My numbers are steadily increasing. I think it’s a good sign as I was beginning to get a little iffy about the violent jumps they were taking earlier.

This morning was pretty chaotic. I had to scarf down breakfast because I had a meeting at 8:00am. The meeting was immediately followed by me rushing to the gym to get my lifting in. I hate feeling stressed before lifting so it became a pretty weak day. I mean I performed decently. I would say my complete average as far as difficulty and weights go. But my head just wasn’t in the game. I also tried music for the first time while lifting. It wasn’t for me. It distracted my focus more than narrowed it.

I have lots of work to get through these days and it’s late so I’m going to call this a night. There really isn’t much to say anyway. If I did forget something to mention I’ll include it in a separate post or possibly in tomorrow’s entry. Now: time for sleep.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #54.

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 1/28/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 156.8lb – -1.0lb
Body Fat: 9.8% – +0.4%
Lean Mass: 141.56lb – -1.41lb
Fat Weight: 14.74lb – -0.09lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Apple
1 small Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:10pm:
2 small-medium Apples
1 bowl Spanish Rice, Vegetables, Garbanzo Bean Salad, Tofu
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper (Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
2 medium-large slices 12 Grain Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:45pm:
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Pepper, Garbanzo Bean Salad, Tofu, Cottage Cheese, Tunafish [with mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
5:50pm:
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Pepper, Garbanzo Bean Salad [less than last time, Cottage Cheese [more than last time], Tunafish [with mayo, more than last time] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
1/2 large Bowl Mexican Beans and Chicken

That was my diet.



The Day:

I’m still bad at estimating time. I had to rush again this morning. Luckily I was rushing after my workout instead of before it. For that reason, unlike yesterday, it didn’t affect my mindset and I was pumped and ready to beat myself to the ground with some Elliptical HIIT. And that I did. I was huffing and puffing by the end. I made sure to stay in the 69-70rpm range for rest intervals and to always stay in the 85+rpm range for sprints. In total the machine said I burned 352 calories. This is 3 calories lower than last week. That’s irrelevant though, as always calories are inconsistent and even then -3 is way way within any margin of error.

The rest of the day consisted of walking through a violent snow storm. Well that’s exaggerating: the snow storm wasn’t too bad. But, I did have to walk through a great deal of slushy ice which made the entire experience that much harder, and that much slower. I tried to think of the positive though: hey, if it feels harder it probably is more exercise and why not get more exercise since I have to walk back and forth from class anyway.

I thought I had my diet completely check, but I was wrong. I screwed up with dinner tonight. You wouldn’t be able to tell from the log, but I definitely did. As I’m typing this I feel stuffed to the brim. I feel like I want to stay away from food for a week. I got to learn to trust my feelings of fullness more. I know I’m on a bulk, but it isn’t worth going through what I’m going through right now. From now on, if I feel like I am approaching that stuffed boundary I will stop. Obviously I can get around this by eating less per meal and having more meals. As I’ve pointed out numerous times my class schedule simply doesn’t allow for that. So, I am forced to eat in huge quantities every meal. But now, I know my limits. I will stick to those limits.

I got a **** ton of work to do and it’s already way later than normal. My pushups and sit-ups went normal. That is all. Goodnight.




That was the day.





This concludes Entry #55.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 1/29/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 158.8lb – +2.0lb
Body Fat: 10.5% – +0.7%
Lean Mass: 142.13lb – +0.57lb
Fat Weight: 16.67lb – +2.2lb

Diet:
7:40pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45pm:
1/4 bowl Oatmeal
1/2 bowl Cottage Cheese and Fruit Yogurt
1 small-medium Apple
11:50am:
1 small-medium Apple
1:45pm:
1 bowl Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, Couscous Salad, Tofu (Marinara Sauce)
1 bowl Egg Drop Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
3:15pm:
1 bowl Chicken and Bean Soup [extra chicken and vegetables]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:50pm:
1 bowl Chicken and Bean Soup
1 bowl Mushroom Barley Soup [very little barley, mostly broth]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tofu, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
1 plate 3-4 medium pieces Roast Beef, 2-3 medium chunks Sweet Potato, a little roasted Corn and Peppers

That was my diet.



The Day:

I don’t think today’s numbers are real. Yesterday was such an odd day with that weird overly stuffed protruding stomach feeling after dinner and then staying up to near 2:00am while having to wake up at 6:00am. I’m sure both of these, and in most likelihood, a combination of the two, created this sudden increase in weight and sudden increase in body fat. My new rule to limit these flukes and inconsistencies is I have to stay at 160lb+ or 10+% BF for 3 days before changing to cut. This means if both Friday and Saturday prove to me that I am fitting into one of those two categories than by Sunday I will begin my cut. I must say even if today was a miscalculation, I do feel fat. I feel it all through me. For this reason, I’m excited for the restriction on calories, excited for the feeling of being thin, of losing weight. I’m excited for the cut.

I had an average workout today. I ended up switching back to my old Zune from that knock-off iPod clip thing because it seemed incapable of being able to play what was on it beyond repeating 5 of the same songs over and over again. My run went well, but I found myself sweating more than normal (though my breathing was good: using only my nose the whole duration). Could the sweating be because of my increased weight? I don’t know. Anyway, besides that one slight abnormal aspect, the rest of the 45 minutes (as it is 45 not 40 minutes anymore since my 2 mile run increase from 1.5 miles) went completely on par. After the gym I had to quickly gobble something to eat. As I didn’t have long I decided to eat whatever I could get my hands on that was healthy and fast. Cottage cheese and yogurt was the solution.

My diet for the rest of the day I think was perfect, well as perfect as it could be for the chaotic Thursday. I ate a decent amount, but this time did not push myself on dinner. I came out feeling very full (as I should on my bulk) but not overly, painfully, stuffed. Speaking of food, I took a giant, and I mean giant, crap around 20 minutes after breakfast. Maybe that’s what tipped the scales :P.

I ended the day, actually this will be the last of the week (feels weird to say that on a Thursday), with my pushups and sit-ups. I got into a new kind of mindset at this late hour that I think improved my performance. Normally I’ve been afraid of failure and instead have been trying to motivate myself by completion. Meaning I’ve been saying, “OK I did all 3 sets last week, I can do it again this week”. I’ve now completed switched that up. Instead I tried motivating myself by saying “I don’t give a **** how many I do, but if I do less than 3 sets and fail than it’s better than 3 doing 3 sets that are too easy”. For this reason my form improved, my cadence improved (I now do slower pushups to get more of a burn), everything went up. The burn was great. And of course it’s just a plus on the side, a cherry on the top, that with all this focus on muscle fatigue, I completed all 30 reps for each 3 sets of pushups and all 32 for each 3 sets of sit-ups. Now isn’t that nice. Goodnight (this time I’ll get some good sleep in).

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #56.

[mcFreid]

Friday 1/30/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 157.4 – -1.4lb
Body Fat: 10.4% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 141.03lb – -1.1lb
Fat Weight: 16.37lb – -0.3lb

Diet:
7:15am:
3 small Apples
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
1 plate Deli Ham with Peppers, Onions (Mustard)
1/4 bowl Cottage Cheese
8:50am:
1/3 bowl Oatmeal
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Ham, 3 Egg Whites, Peppers, Onions (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1/3 bowl Falafels with a little Rice (Sweet Sauce)
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 slice 12 Grain Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Chicken Breast, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Seafood Soup
2-3 small pieces Broccoli (Light/Thin Chinese Chile Garlic Sauce)
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
1 plate 3 medium Chicken Quarters, Fusilli Pasta Vegetable Mix, Hearty Rice

That was my diet.



The Day:

My day didn’t start out too hot. I had an annoying time at breakfast. As my Fridays require, I went to the lesser of the dining halls this morning. They were out of eggs, had only a bunch of these very tiny iffy looking apples, oatmeal like water. I ate it what I could: replacing the missing eggs with some extra ham and a side of cottage cheese. The good news? None of these deterred me from my workout.

There really isn’t much to say except that it was great. Every exercise was great. I felt the burn with every push, with every pull. My strength seemed to be consistent with previous days, though I did find chin-ups to be slightly easier. That could have just been the heat of the moment though as it was a very marginal difference. I should mention that during my knuckle pushups my wrist dropped to the ground in the middle of a rep. I didn’t hurt myself, but it was scary. I’m not sure why it happened. The rest of the reps went fine. They were followed by bicycle kicks for abs. Now those were intense. I focused more this time by slowing down the entire movement. By the 3rd set I was failing before I even started. I tried my best to last the 30 seconds while my stomach was at failure. It was awesome.

My diet, like my workout, was pretty consistent through other days. I honestly feel fat now though. I don’t like eating this much. I know it’s probably psychological, but I do feel it. I can’t help it. It’s good that my bulk seems to be coming to an end anyway. If tomorrows numbers ring what today’s have, and what yesterdays have, than it is official: I will be switching. I’m ready for it.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #57.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 1/31/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 156.4 – -1.0lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – -0.8%
Lean Mass: 141.39lb – +0.36lb
Fat Weight: 15.01lb – -1.36lb

Diet:
9:15am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 medium Apple
1/4 bowl Oatmeal
1 Vegetarian Burger with a little Garbanzo Beans [slightly oily]
1 bowl Vegetable Bisque
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato , Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl Beef Noodle Soup [extra beef]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Beef Soup [extra beef]
1 bowl Vegetable Stew
1 large bowl Chinese Beef and Broccoli with Stir-Fried Tofu and Vegetables
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well it looks like my weight and body fat finnaly did take a rebound. I saw, as you now see, decreases in both today. This means that my bulk will not be over. I will not be beginning my cut. Instead I must wait for another confirmation. I will follow my same structured plan as before. It must be 3 days straight that I be at either 10% body fat or 160 pounds. Since it has to happen in a run, this Saturday technically resets that counter. I can’t say I’m a little disappointed with this. I did want the cut. But hey, I should be thinking of the positive light. Really this is good news. It means I can pack on more muscle than I thought!

As for the day, it was a completely normal average Saturday. There isn’t really anything to report back. I did some walking, obviously less than a normal weekday because I didn’t have classes. But I did walk to the playhouse so at least I was up and about somewhat. I also ate fairly well, but may have overdone it on the cottage cheese. I had to though to get my protein in. Commons Dining Hall wasn’t offering a great selection today in regards to that nutrient and as I mentioned earlier I didn’t want to fall back onto Deli Meats; so, cottage cheese it was. This all may have amounted to a little too much fat in my macros, but I’m not too worried about it. Overall, I think I did a good job with my cards dealt to me.

It is late and I’m off to bed now. Expect pictures tomorrow. Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #58.

[mcFreid]

My body fat today increased back past my cut-off line. If this holds for 3 days I will be cutting again. My guess is that this time it will. Anyway, here are my pictures. Not much can be seen from my relaxed shot, but this time I truly think my flexing shot shows some increases. What do you think?

[mcFreid]

Sunday 2/01/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 158.2lb – +1.8lb
Body Fat: 10.3% – +0.7%
Lean Mass: 141.81lb – +0.52lb
Fat Weight: 16.30lb – +1.29lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 small-medium Apples
1 small Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1 cup Oatmeal
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken and Rice Soup [extra Chicken and Rice]
1/2 bowl Peas, Tofu Stir-fry with Broccoli and a little Rice
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:45pm:
1 bowl Chicken and Rice Soup [extra Chicken and Rice]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
5:45pm:
1 small plate Meatballs and Rice and Bean Burrito [most of the wrap taken off]
1 bowl Chicken and Rice Soup [extra Chicken and Rice]
1 bowl Chinese Chicken and Broccoli with Mixed Vegetables [mostly vegetables]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, a lot of Tunafish [no mayo], a little Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)

That was my diet.



The Day:

I already discussed my weight and my picture in the earlier thread so I’ll get right down to the meat of this one. Quickly summarizing: my diet went fairly normal today though I did opt for some meatballs for protein during dinner, not sure if that was worth it. My daily activities were pretty much sitting work, but as I tend to do there was some walking involved as an average Sunday would call for. The real news is in regards to my pushups and sit-ups. I performed less this evening than normal for my pushups. I hit the 66th rep and failed. I’m not sure if I attribute this to possibly slightly better form (I’ve gotten used to having now to take this into account as a variable) or maybe my weight gain (those marginal extra pounds can add up). Or it could have just been not as good as a night as last Sunday; I mean the number of reps is within a fairly small range of my maximum achieved. So, I guess the conclusion is: who knows what happened. I did my best, performed to failure, and that is what counts. My sit-ups offered slightly better results. I performed exactly to the rhythm of last week with a decent 50 reps. I think I could have gotten more though if I quickened my pace. I’ll have to keep working on that as it is definitely the one thing holding my records back. I’m off to bed now. Curious to see what my morning numbers are? I am. Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #59.

[n88tr]

I've been where you are [I think this is where you are...], being afraid to put on weight and go on a bulk.

It's ok to get a little bigger, don't sweat the 5-10 or more lbs you put on. You really need to bulk up. I don't think you should do any cutting, you look very lean already, honestly.

I see some fat, sure, like you do but it's nothing to cut over. I'm telling you what I think.

Rep for such a detailed log.

[mcFreid]

n88tr I hear you for sure. I understand that this is general thought that I should bulk up. You aren't the only one telling me. But, if my mind isn't in it then it won't turn into a proper bulk. Simply put I have to want it and I simply don't. It's like forcing someone to run 2 miles when they really at their core don't. If you force them then sure they may end up doing it anyway, but their going to severely underperform. It would be the same case for me if I attempted to bulk any further. I hope that makes my plunder clear. The truth is, right now I am excited for the cut.

[mcFreid]

Monday 2/02/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 159.8lb– +1.60lb
Body Fat: 10.2% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 143.50lb – +1.69lb
Fat Weight: 16.30lb – +0.0lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
2 small Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal [over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
3 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham
11:50am:
1 medium Apple
1:40pm:
1 bowl Minestrone Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Sloppyjoe Meat, Whole Wheat Pasta, Tofu (Marinara Sauce)
3:10pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [extra chicken and noodles]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dresing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [mostly broth]
1 cup Tofu in Light Brown Sauce
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)
1 plate 4-5 pieces London Broil, 2 Potato Skin Halves (Salsa), 2 large pieces Korean Barbeque Tofu

That was my diet.



The Day:

And the results are in: another day past my border line. Tomorrow will lead to the conclusion if this bulk lasts any longer. It is great news though that as my final days approach the tables turned and I went from gaining what I thought was a little too much fat to what now seems to be all muscle. Obviously the daily numbers are skewed in the simple fact that they are daily, but it is nice to know that the reality is not as bad as the last few days have shown. I can’t wait now to cut and see myself ripped with all this new fought after muscle.

I’ve now learned that the only true solution to solve my scheduling and timing issues that have been plaguing my workout is to simply start working out sooner. I have been reluctant to do this (though its necessity is now clear) because it puts the running up and down motion closer to the putting food down my throat motion. The two sadly do not mingle well. Basically my timings work like this now: eat at 7:30am (meaning I’m really eating at an average time of 7:45am) and then head to the gym at 8:25am (meaning I’m really starting my run at around 8:40am). In all this is most likely a little less than hour, which still isn’t bad but obviously isn’t ideal. But hey, I did it today and survived. Speaking of the gym today…

My workout was slightly harder than normal. I noticed myself sweating more and even having to take one or two breaths out of my mouth during running. This could have been because of my increased weight or because of the close proximity of eating and gym. It wasn’t too bad though and I still completed my run and every other exercise to their full extent. I even apparently burned 294 calories on the treadmill. I doubt that number, but if it’s true it’s a personal record. My guess is the accuracy was skewed because of my increased weight as I didn’t change any other variables (intensity was normal, average). I also have to mention that I did seem to begin to get some shin splints during my cool down walk. I’m blaming this on my weight as I don’t see what else it could be. Like the other changes though, these were small and hardly worth worrying about. Besides, from the looks of it, my bulk is almost over and all of these small occurrences should begin to disappear as I start to cut. Of course, I now have to worry about new side effects from that.

There isn’t much to say on my pushups and sit-ups. The difficulty was pretty much spot on with pushing me to failure, though I do admit that my sit-ups seem to require slightly more effort than the pushups. What this means is probably in the near future I will be increasing my reps for the easier exercise, the pushups. Obviously I won’t be increasing my reps for the sit-ups at the same time as right now they are pushing me already to the very brink of failure.

That’s all I have for today. Tomorrow should be interesting; it could be the first day of my first real cut. Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #60.

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 2/3/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 159.2– -0.6lb
Body Fat: 10.3% – +0.1%
Lean Mass: 142.8lb – -0.7lb
Fat Weight: 16.4lb – +0.1lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 small-medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:40am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread [with HFCS] with 5 Egg Whites, Onion (Mustard)
12:10pm:
1 bowl Chunky Vegetable Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Pepper (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Black Beans, Ground Taco Meat, Refried Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Salsa
1 slice 12 Grain Bread [with HFCS] with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
3:00pm:
1 medium Apple
5:45pm:
1 bowl Chunky Vegetable Soup
1 plate with 1 Chicken Quarter [white meal only, skin removed], a little Steak [light brown sauce], a little Lentil Stew, Vegetable Mix
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well today’s the day. Funny that my first day on my cut lands on the my 61st entry; odd how those things happen. Anyway I’m looking forward to this change of pace and can’t wait to see some results. My plan of attack is to basically decrease my carbs out of every meal in some kind of way. A close look at my diet for today should show you this pattern. As for exercise, I plan on keeping up with it as if I was on a monster bulk. I want to see all my numbers go up in lifting. Hey, and now that I’m losing weight there’s a pretty good chance that at least the body weight exercises will. So, that’s the schedule. Lower carbs, keep intensity = ripped. We’ll see how it goes.

After my smaller than average breakfast (also to note that the deli ham amount slightly decreased) I went off to the gym for some lifting. For whatever reason a lofty mood must have hit me because I was really pumped up, motivated, and excited for the 1 hour period I would be around iron. Every lift was exactly how it should be. I even seemed to perform better on my finishing pushups as well as the knee raises (an exercise that I usually fail at before the 30 seconds are up on the last set – but this time no failure). If I had to guess I would say I overall simply excited for my cut which brought about all this extra determination in not just diet but exercise as well. I finished up with my post-workout meal which consisted of no ham this time and only one slice of bread. I’m going to say it right here as well that for future reference I won’t be including the fact that the bread has high fructose corn syrup. Instead it should be assumed to be true unless stated otherwise. So, overall: a great day at the gym. I hope tomorrow I will come by the same fantastic results.

I think my diet today was pretty much spot on towards my goals. I cut back on every meal enough to feel it, but not enough to make me feel starved. I may have made a slightly poor choice for some foods, such as the bean and taco mean bowl for lunch as well as the lentil stew and steak for dinner. I am not sure how much such choices will actually affect my cut. My gut instinct tells me that they aren’t a big deal as the foods are in general still fairly healthy and really it is much more about calories in and calories out than stressing over the slight extra amount of bad fats in ground meat. Of course if I ever stall in my cut, making such decisions will be the first to go: I don’t have a problem with that. Also, and this may or may not be due to my diet, but I did notice myself lacking some energy later in the day. It could be just me being stressed over the amount of work I have from school. I think it is a little premature to immediately blame energy fluctuates on eating right now. If this is consistent, I may just mentally have to plow through it until I reach the end of my cut. So, I hope it isn’t a side effect; I would rather not have to deal with a lack of energy in moments where my school is sapping me of it already. Hah, I’m making my classes sound bad: not so! I love learning! I just have a lust for the dramatic :P.

I’m off to bed now. I had a long day and am looking for some nice sleep. I’m curious to see what tomorrow’s numbers will entail. I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out. Good night.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #61.

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 2/4/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 156.4lb – -2.8lb
Body Fat: 10.3% – +0.0%
Lean Mass: 140.29lb – -2.51lb
Fat Weight: 16.11lb – -0.29lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 near-full bowl Oatmeal [very thin and runny]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 cup Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 small Apple
1 bowl Rice, Beans, Shrimp, Okra and Tomatoes, Eggplant, Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Northern Bean Soup [thin broth]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:30pm:
1 bowl Turkey Vegetable Soup [extra turkey]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Northern Bean Soup [thin broth]
1 bowl Broccoli (Light Chinese Dark Sauce) with Tofu (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Ratatouille with Tofu
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Day:

The numbers are in! And the results are of course completely skewed. There’s no way I dropped nearly 3 pounds in one day. Most likely this is all water weight which also explains why my body fat didn’t change and explains why the math is giving me some absurd 2.5 pounds of muscle lost. I’m safely going to cal this report a fluke and move on.

I woke up sore this morning which to me means two things. One is that my workout yesterday was as awesome as I thought it was. And two is that without my over the top amount of food I may not be able to recover as fast, hence the soreness. I’m not too worried about it affecting my performance though. From experience being sore is only noticeable when you’re not actually workout out. Once I hope on that elliptical today I’m sure the faint throb on the back of my thigh will be the last thing I’m worrying about.

I was disappointed with my breakfast this morning as the Oatmeal which is normally excellent was extremely runny. I compensated by having a little more than I did yesterday because I figure the actual calories of this Oatmeal per volume was substantially less than normal. In truth I probably ended up eating too little this morning because of this. But, during a cut, I would rather eat too little than too much.

My elliptical performance was awesome today. This could have been because of the lower weight (meaning when inputted into the machine it returns with a lower resistance) or it could have just been the inconsistencies with the machines in general, but I found myself able to stay at 90+ rpm on sprints almost half of the time. I nearly broke another one of my goals! I think a few more weeks, hell maybe even just one more, and I’ll be able to scratch that achievement off my list as well (and of course bring about my next one, 95+rpm!). I’m glad to see that my change in diet has not hindered my performance in cardio. Oh, and I burned 393 calories on the elliptical. That’s a new record as well (and quite a large one as well!).

My diet today went fairly smooth. I was, am, a little worried about the heavier red wine vinaigrette dressing that I was forced to use because the dining halls were out of stock of the really low calorie one. Hopefully the extra calories won’t matter too much.

My pushups are definitely getting easier. I am putting more and more distance between the feeling of completion and the feeling of failure. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. In the near future I plan to close that gap yet again with an increase in reps, an increase in intensity. Meanwhile my sit-ups are still hard as ****. I’m not sure why I am not seeing as dramatic increases in them, but I have faith. Time will play its part and I must have patience. Until then I’ll keep pushing myself to the edge. I did note today while sitting myself up 32 times for 3 sets that I found my back curling more than I think it should be. I’ll have to work on keeping it straighter. I’m not sure if that means more or less intense sit-ups: we’ll just have to wait and see.

Tomorrow is another results day of course. I wonder if my weight is going to shoot back up. Most likely it will, but I’m prepared mentally for that. It’s good to feel in control. Goodnight.




That was the day.





This concludes Entry #62.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 2/5/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 156.8lb – +0.4lb
Body Fat: 10.0% – -0.3%
Lean Mass: 141.12lb – +0.83lb
Fat Weight: 15.68lb – -0.43lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 near full bowl Oatmeal [runny]
2 small-medium Apples
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:30am [Post-Workout]:
1 cup Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
11:50am:
1 medium Apple
1:40pm:
1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Tofu (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
1 bowl Minestrone Soup [broth only]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
3/4 bowl Sweet Potato Soup
1 cup Grilled Steak
1 plate with 2 large pieces Chicken Marcela [slightly heavy on the butter] and a very tiny amount of Orange Couscous

That was my diet.



The Day:

My weight this morning increased as suspected. Surprisingly the marginal difference was not that large (I was expecting to balloon back up to where I was). I’ll give it still a few more days before I can gauge any true results. Right now in my mind it is very likely that I will still see weight increases as my body makes up for the lost water weight. The nice part about today though is that my body fat did decrease. Body fat is what really matters here so it is a very good sign that it is on the trend towards the lower.

Today was my first day where I had to deal with implementing a cutting diet with a class schedule that is in no way accommodating. As you can see from my outlined eating up above I believe I fared well. I was able to eat as often as was allowed while at the same time making sure not to overeat. In the end it worked out well enough that I don’t believe there will be problems in the future. The only quirk that bothered me was the amount of fat that may have been hidden in the chicken I had for dinner. From experience though I now realize it isn’t worth stressing over those small things, over the long term they become trivial (still thought I will more carefully watch for possibly overly fattening foods that at first sight seem healthy).

Exercising today went normal. I didn’t notice an increase or decrease in performance for my run. I found it still very hard and still struggled to maintain my breathing through my nose. But hey, I did it and that is a good feeling.

After my workout I came across the sad fact that I may be becoming sick again. I noticed a runny nose and a consistent need to sneeze that was in no way encouraging. It would really be horrible to be sick twice in pretty much one month. But hey, it’s college, the harborer of air-borne disease.

To finish the day I almost broke a habit. I was quite near to not doing my pushups and sit-ups. A lethargic sleepiness hit me around 8:30pm that I couldn’t seem to shake off. I even took a power nap of 30 minutes, something I never do, which helped somewhat but still didn’t improve my attitude on the body weight movements. Of course, I did them anyway. My head wasn’t in it, but I forced my body to be. I performed average on both exercises. I’m happy I ended the day on a note of satisfaction that I did not succumb to weakness.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #63.

[mcFreid]

Friday 2/6/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.0lb – -1.8lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – -0.4%
Lean Mass: 140.12lb – -1.0lb
Fat Weight: 14.88llb – -0.8lb

Diet:
7:10am:
3 small Apples
1 bowl Cream of Wheat
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1/2 bowl Cream of Wheat
5 Egg Whites
12:10pm:
1 medium Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad [extra greens] with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:50pm:
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Seafood Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Chinese Chicken with Cashews, Broccoli
1 plate with 2 thin pieces Flounder [lightly breaded] and a little Vegan Chili

That was my diet.



The Day:

I’m not too happy about these numbers this morning. In fact I’m down right concerned. To me this is too fast of a weight loss. I’m going to give it till the end of the week before I make any changes to my diet, but if it continues at this absurd pace (it can’t all be water weight now) than I will have to make changes, most likely by eating more. Right now the simple truth is that my weight is decreasing faster than my body fat. It should be the other way around. No worries though, I know that it has only been a few days so it’s not like my muscle has actually dwindled away. I can fix this easily in due time as long as I challenge it before it is too late. Hence, come Monday, if this keeps up, you will notice a change in my eating.

My lifting day was just OK today. I started out fairly pumped but for some reason that feeling progressively faded through each rep. I did have some good moments though. For instance I felt especially powerful today during my chin-ups. I also completely burned out my stomach during the bicycle crunches, which had an awesome feeling. Besides that though, like I said, just OK.

I was feeling oddly fat after dinner tonight. I’m not sure why because it isn’t like I overate. Or maybe this is telling me I did? Who knows: I try not to stress over such things. For now I’ll just push this foreign feeling out of my mind. Good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #64.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 2/7/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.4lb – +0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.9% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 140.02lb – -.11lb
Fat Weight: 15.39lb – +0.51lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 small-medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham
12:15pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Lentil Soup [extra beef and lentils]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chunky Tomato Soup
5:45pm:
1 bowl Beef Lentil Soup [extra beef and lentils]
1 cup Chinese Pork and Green Beans
1 plate Turkey Pot Pie [just turkey part] with Vegetables
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese, Deli Turkey (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Day:

I was so busy with homework last night that I completely forgot to post this entry. There isn’t a lot to tell anyway. My weight seems to be balancing off from the sudden drop, which I find a relief. I don’t want to lose too much all at once less some of it be taken from muscle. My diet yesterday was pretty much dead on up until dinner where there was nothing to have from my dining hall. I made do with this Turkey Pot Pie and Chinese Pork but next time I think I’ll skip that. Both were unhealthy choices and I shouldn’t be eating them just for the sake of eating. That’s not me. I even added Deli Turkey to increase my calories, again not me. This is a promise to myself: if there’s nothing good to eat then don’t eat. On a cut I have to remember it is the opposite philosophy of my bulk: best to not eat enough than to eat too much.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #65.

[mcFreid]

I don't think these shots show much. Maybe I look slightly skinner in the relaxed shot, but I'm not sure. In truth I can't help but be disappointed that in all this time since taking pictures (over two months now) I have yet to see a real difference even from the original to now. I feel like I've worked really hard, pushed myself in every way, and yet no visual result. Maybe I'm just being moody. It's not like I'm ever going to stop pushing myself, stop bringing myself to that edge, but it would be nice if I could have something to show for it. Is that too much to ask! Meh, here are the pictures:

[n88tr]

As compared to last page's pics, the first pic post of the previous page, it looks like your chest is a bit more developed and the stomach fat has become less.

That's what I see.

As for 2 months work, keep going! 2 months is nothing, unless you were juicing then I MIGHT expect more, but that's just my opinion. Give it 4 more months, wait, don't take any pics and then after 4 months of more hard work, take pics.

BBing is a marathon, not a sprint.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 2/8/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.4lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 10.2% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 139.55lb – -0.65lb
Fat Weight: 15.85lb – +0.46lb

Diet:
9:15am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1/2 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
A very tiny little bit of Beef [brown sauce]
1 bowl Turkey Soup [extra Turkey]
1/2 cup Oatmeal
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1/4 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [thick, extra Turkey]
5:45pm:
1/2 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [thick, extra Turkey]
1 plate Pot Roast, Vegan Chili
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Day:

I am not liking this trend I’m seeing in the numbers. It appears that my weight is staying steady while my body fat seems to be increasing. I cannot explain for this. To compensate I will make one adjustment that I already mentioned. I will stop eating this “semi-healthy” food. That is, no more of these fatty Chinese dishes (even if it is only a cup) and no more of that Turkey Pot Pie **** (even if I only eat the Turkey part). It simply isn’t worth it if I want true results.

I think I faired this new diet restriction fairly well today. The only iffy selection was that of the Turkey Rice Soup which had a certain thickness and consistency that didn’t exactly scream healthy to me. Besides that one question mark though, everything else went well.

I tested my pushups and sit-ups a little later than usual because of all this homework I had today. It seems unending and in truth is beginning to stress me out. I try to keep away from that feeling though. I don’t like it and I know it negatively affects gym performance. I must maintain a non-stressed mind. That is now one of my goals.

Anyway, regarding the pushups I performed a new record breaking 69 (:P). I’m happy with this because I feel like my form improved throughout the motion as well. On the other side, I am not happy with my sit-ups. I performed 50 today, which is good; but that isn’t the problem. The problem is I don’t fail. It is my speed that is restricting to me. I really need to work on getting faster if I plan on improving that number. My following nightly workouts from now on will reflect that goal.

And now it is time for some sleep. I got a crazy school week ahead of me. Many tests, many assignments due. But, I will plow through them. I know this. I do my best and I knowing that that is all I can offer is a good enough feeling for me. Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #66.

[mcFreid]

Monday 2/9/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.6lb – -1.8lb
Body Fat: 9.5% – -0.7%
Lean Mass: 139.01lb – -0.54lb
Fat Weight: 14.59lb – -1.26lb

Diet:
7:45am:
3 small Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 cup Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
1:40pm:
1 bowl Lentil Vegetable Soup [thin]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
1 bowl Sausage, Chicken, Shrimp Gumbo [thin]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:45pm:
2 bowls Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Sausage, Chicken, Shrimp Gumbo [thin]
1 plate 2 small Chicken Breasts, a little Curried Tofu and Squash Medley

That was my diet.



The Day:

I am completely out of time for any decent writing. I will be brief. My weight dropped again today. I’m unsure of what to make of these sudden jumps, if there meaningful or not I do not know. At least I can be happy this time that my body fat seemed to take a clue and drop as well. My running day today went well. I thought that the run was actually harder than normal but when I thought I had around 4 more minutes to go it turned out I was already done. For this reason I think (as what happened during the mile and a half run awhile back) I could have gone on further. At least I was mentally ready to go on further. We’ll have to see if I get that same kind of response come Thursday.

Around an hour ago I finished up my pushups and sit-ups. I focused more on my form for the pushups to make them harder. This seemed to do the job better than increasing the reps (plus its more satisfying). I also went faster, as fast as I could, on the sit-ups. I felt like they were actually easier this time around, for whatever reason I do not know. I just hope that this practice at an increased cadence will yield some higher numbers on Sunday.

OK that’s it. I need sleep. Two tests tomorrow and lots of homework throughout the week: fun! Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #67.

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 2/10/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 154.2lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 10.2%– +0.7%
Lean Mass: 138.47lb – -0.54lb
Fat Weight: 15.73lb – +1.14lb

Diet:
7:15am:
3 small Apples
3/4 Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
8:50am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Soup
1 cup Roasted Vegetables [oily]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5 Pickle Spears
3:40pm:
1 medium Apple
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Soup [extra turkey]
1 cup Chinese Beef and Mushrooms with Tofu
1 plate with 1 small Pork Chop, a little sautéed Shrimp, 1 small-medium Rice Stuffed Pepper

That was my diet.



The Day:

My weight seemed to rebound again this morning. I guess that is to be suspected because of the really sudden drop. My body fat on the other hand took a nasty turn as well. I’m hesitant to believe the number though. As I was plugging in my new weight into the Omron Handheld Fat Analyzer it suddenly gave me a battery warning and shut off. I turned it on again and quickly took my readings before it would die on me. The loss of power may have affected its accuracy.

For some reason I was feeling light headed and queasy after breakfast. I tried not think much of it and went on to my lifting routine anyway. The feeling didn’t exactly subside, but it turned into a trivial inconvenience as my workout was not affected. What did affect my workout was the entire football team lineup using the gym at the same time.

Apparently early morning Tuesdays are the not the time to go. The only reason I had to go earlier today was because of a testing block that I have 3 times a semester (the test went well by the way). Anyway, the place was a zoo. Having to navigate my way around a forest of bodies and having to wait for a scarcity of barbells and dumbbells made me around 5-10 minutes late. I barely was able to squeeze in a post-workout meal before the test. In the end though, it all worked out well.

I had a decent workout. I noticed I think some strength gains in both my chin-ups and squats. Next week I may be increasing those weights. The only really annoying thing about the entire experience was that I didn’t have time to make eggs for my post-workout meal and thereby had to substitute deli ham, which digests slower. But hey, that’s a minor complaint.

That malaise never went away. I fear slightly that I may be getting sick, but my gut instinct is that it is simply an upset stomach. For some reason I think it was the apples for breakfast. I hope by tomorrow it will dissipate, but I am as well prepared for the worst. Wish me luck and goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #68

[n88tr]

Do you know your intake, like calories and the macros that go with it?

Still a detailed log, nice to see that continuing.

[mcFreid]

I do not know my calories as I have no easy way to measure it using my schools dining halls. I can only say that I am below maintenance or I wouldn't be losing weight. I do approximately measure my macros and would say they are around 40-50% carbs, 35-45% protein, 10-20% fat.

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 2/11/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 154.2lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.8% – -0.4%
Lean Mass: 139.09lb – +0.62lb
Fat Weight: 15.11lb – -0.62lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:40am [Post-Workout]:
1/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1/2 bowl Garbanzo Bean Stew with Roast Beef
1 bowl Cuban Black Bean Soup [contained some ham]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
3:00pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, White Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3/4 bowl Turkey Rice Soup
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Vegetable Pasta Salad, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Cuban Black Bean Soup [contained ham]
1 small plate Oriental BBQ Chicken
1 plate 2 large slices Roast Turkey, Couscous Pilaf

That was my diet.



The Day:

At first I felt better this morning, but then not so much. Basically through repetitions at the toilet I found it all to be a digestion problem: definitely something I ate. It stayed with me as a minor inconvenience throughout the entire day, but by the evening the symptoms mostly dissipated.

I was happy to see my fat drop this morning. I hope it doesn’t rebound. I really hope it becomes a standard, as it should be when my weight is dropping as well. If my wishes do not seem to be becoming true I am definitely going to have to make a reevaluation of my diet. Something must be wrong if I am losing weight but not body fat. I’ll have to make it my mission to find that something.

Despite the stomach problem I pushed myself to do my cardio workout today anyway. I am glad it was an Elliptical HIIT day because I think the more severe up down motion of running could have put me on the edge. It actually turned out that the 20 minutes on the machine went quite well. I burned 362 calories. I know that is more than 30 calories less than last time, but I am convinced that last time simply must have been a machine error. The 393 calories from before in 20 minutes is too much of a jump from my norm, especially since I didn’t make any significant changes.

My diet was pretty much dead-on perfect today. I am slightly worried that I ate too much for dinner, but if I did it was only too much by a marginal amount. Also according to the nutrition facts posted on the menu the oriental chicken was supposed to be fairly healthy for you, but it seemed while eating it to be quite fattier than the apparent facts gave. For this reason I didn’t eat all of it (just in case my instincts were correct).

During my nightly routine I decided to try and add some more intensity to my pushups. I focused on getting lower than my usual during the downward movement. I even added an extra rep on the last set because I felt like my first was not quite the full motion it could be. This all added up to a nice pump by the end of the 3rd. My sit-ups meanwhile are becoming more and more frustrating. As I tried to really push myself with speed I was hindered by pain everywhere but in my abs. I felt it in my thighs, my feet, my tailbone. It wasn’t horrible, but I believe it was enough that it forced me to slow down my cadence. I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. I think I am doing all that I can already. I mean I got my hiking shoes that I put on specifically to plant my feet under my dresser’s lip near the floor. I put a folded towel under my lower back and tailbone for absorption. And I spread my legs a perfect shoulder width apart with the knees at a 90 degree angle. The only nice thing about the exercise was I did get a burn at last in the right place by the third set. And you know what: it was all worth it just for that.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #69.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 2/12/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.2lb – +1.0lb
Body Fat: 9.7% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 140.15lb – +1.06lb
Fat Weight: 15.05lb – -0.06lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
4/5 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham
9:45am:
1 cup Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
11:50am:
1 medium Apple
1:40pm:
3/4 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Kidney Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Vegetable Minestrone Soup
3:05pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Barley Soup
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
2 bowls Beef Barley Soup
1 1/2 large bowls Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, a little Garbanzo Beans / Other Beans, a little Deli Turkey (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1/2 bowl Asparagus

That was my diet.



The Day:

At last it seems I got my body fat to turn around. But now my weight went up! Why can’t I get both to go down! Err, maybe I’m overanalyzing these daily numbers too much. I do think I ate a little heavily last night though because I went to bed still feeling fairly full, which does not usually happen on my cut. I’ll watch for that next time; maybe those slight changes will create this balance I am shooting for.

I am feeling much better this morning. I think all signs of trouble down below are gone. Turns out that while my stomach internally is feeling fine, the rest of my body is quite sore. I take this as meaning I had a good workout yesterday. I’m not that worried about the soreness affecting my running today though; usually things like that seem to go away as soon as I get my feet moving (plus stretching before hand as I always do will help).

And I was right. My run today was fairly normal; it hit that perfect balance between hard but doable. The real news though is later in the day, regarding my pushups and sit-ups. I really got into both movements today and really focused on isolating those muscle groups for each rep. This got good results in my pushups that I was able to get more of a pump in the right places, but I saw the really incredible stuff afterwards while doing my sit-ups. I made sure to go all the way and all the way up without using my arms to try and get momentum for the upward motion (that is I kept my hands behind my head as much as I could). This all lead to an amazing result. I failed! Yes, I say this with an exclamation mark. I failed! On the 23rd rep of the last set, I failed. And I did it with all the pride and vigor I could feasibly muster. I for the first time in awhile pushed myself to the edge and actually caused pain not in my lower back, not in my tailbone, not in my feet or legs, but right lasered in on where it should be: my abs. It was glorious.

My diet today was average up until dinner. My college was celebrating what we call the “Big Red Freakout” for our Ice Hockey team this weekend and sadly this ment ZERO healthy food. I did the best I could and just ate lots of salad and soup (there wasn’t even cottage cheese or tunafish out to put on my salad!). To compensate for some protein I did add some deli turkey. Like other times I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but there has to be exceptions to all rules. And today was such an exception. In a feeble attempt to get some more protein than just morsels of beef from the soup and a little sliced turkey I tried the “Theme Cuisine’s” Tso’s Beef. It was basically fried fat in a supersaturated sugar syrup: disgusting. I didn’t even swallow what little piece I tried. After the whole fiasco I promptly made a comment card: “If you’re going to throw a party at a dining hall where the entire freshman class eats, at least include ONE healthy entrée”.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #70.

[n88tr]

Yeah you can't always control what to eat when in a group. That's why I carry a couple of tuna packets with me when I go home for the weekend. That's how I ensure I get quality protein even if my carbs a little sloppy. You could try doing that, or maybe getting some tupperware and putting in pre-made healthy foods so if you are unable to eat healthy, pop open a tupperware and chow down with everyone else. I know money can be tight as college student, myself included, but it's an option. Tuna is pretty cheap, esp if you buy it in a big can and then strain out the water.