[mcFreid]

Friday 2/13/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – -2.0lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – -0.4%
Lean Mass: 138.95lb – -1.20lb
Fat Weight: 14.25lb – -0.8lb

Diet:
7:15am:
2 1/4 small Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham, Onion, Bell Pepper (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with 5 Egg Whites, Onion, Bell Pepper (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 bowl with 1 Black Bean Burger, Beans
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Bell Pepper (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Clam and Rice Soup
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
2:45pm:
1 bowl Clam and Rice Soup [extra clams and rice]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Clam and Rice Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Chinese Chicken with Vegetables (Chile Sauce)
1 plate with 2 small-medium pieces Tilapia and a little Garbanzo Bean Stew

That was my diet.



The Day:

Today was a good day. I woke up feeling excited for my workout. I had a good breakfast (minus the apples, which are horrible in quality compared to the other dining hall). And most importantly, I had a good hour of lifting.
Every exercise was as it should be. I think I really am getting better at focusing my mind on isolating the corresponding muscles for each motion. For example during my squat today I really put the effort into keeping my core tight, my thighs and but clenched and lifting up using my hip drive. It made the entire movement feel “right” if that makes sense (not that I wasn’t doing it right before, but now it is even more so amplified). I also am definitely getting better at my bench press and chin-up. Next week I will be increasing my bench by five pounds and my chin-up decreased by five pounds as well (that is if the machine allows me to go in such small increments). I also think I can begin to push more with my shoulders so at least for the 10 rep movements on Tuesdays I will be changing those back to 25 pounds (a weight that I downgraded from because of consistent failure). I am excited for all of this and look forward to reporting back on the results.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #71.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 2/14/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.4lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 10.2% – +0.9%
Lean Mass: 136.86lb– -2.1lb
Fat Weight: 15.55lb – +1.3lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1/2 bowl Roasted Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Noodle Soup [extra beef]
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
2:40pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Green Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Noodle Soup
5:45pm:
1 bowl beef Noodle Soup [extra beef]
1/2 bowl Couscous and Vegetables
1 very large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell pepper, a little Mixed Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)


That was my diet.



The Day:

Yes, I see the numbers. Hell, I woke up to the “what-the-****” result. And it is just that. I’m not going to say anything more today regarding those changes. Well that’s not true, I do have one more thing to say. Bull****.

I mostly sat around doing homework today. My diet stayed standard up until dinner where yet again there was nothing to eat. Luckily the standard cottage cheese was provided so I just went to town on this giant salad. It seemed to work out alright. Also later in the day I did get at least some movement in as I walked to and fro from the RPI Field House for our big Ice Hockey game against Yale. We lost, but it was a fun time (first Ice Hockey gave I’ve ever been to). Besides those small tidbits there really isn’t much else to tell. Tomorrow will be yet another progress shot, and I’m hoping hoping to see some results.




That was the day.





This concludes Entry #72.

[mcFreid]

New progress shots are in today! I think I pretty much look the same, maybe slightly skinner obviously because I lost weight. But I don't think it's been long enough on my cut yet to really notice a difference in well "being cut" (it's only been around 12 days). On the other hand it does look like all my muscle is still there, and possibly even some growth in my chest (though you'll have to verify this - it could just be my imagination playing tricks). In the end, I'm pretty happy with what I see.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 2/15/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.2lb– +2.8lb
Body Fat: 9.7% – -0.5%
Lean Mass: 140.15lb – +3.29lb
Fat Weight: 15.05lb – -0.5lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 very small Apples
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 bowl Roasted Vegetables [slightly oil] with a little Quinoa
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Tomato Soup
1 slice 12 Grain Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
2:45pm:
1 cup Quinoa
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell pepper, Mixed Beans, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Tomato Soup with Tofu
5:45pm:
1/2 bowl Broccoli and Curried Garbanzo Bean Stew
1 bowl Chicken Tomato Soup [extra chicken]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Mixed Beans, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Today was another heavy load day, and by that I mean an intellectually heavy load day. I had lots of schoolwork to complete so much time was spent at a desk. That’s alright though, it is a Sunday anyway, one of my rest days (until later at night of course).

I am happy to see my weight rebound slightly from the all-too-fast drop it took and for my body fat to decrease back to where it should be going. I hope it is more of a steady curve now that my body should be beginning to get adjusted. I do fear that I am slightly overeating, especially for dinners. I think from now on I’m going to cut out my fourth meal, the dunch, because it is simply making me feel too full after eating dinner. I honestly believe that all that “eating often to keep the fire burning” mantra is ****-talk. I did 3 meals a day through most of my first semester in college and as long as I kept the calories coming in at a decent amount I was fine. In fact it wasn’t even until I started bulking that I began to try and incorporate more than 3-4 meals a day (post-workout included as one). Now that I am on a cut, and then onto maintenance dieting, I think it’s time to switch back.

Now onto the only real news for today. My pushups awarded me with a new record of 72. I’m not sure in the validity though as I may have cheated on the last few. I’m going to check back in on this next week to see if my numbers show up as high. I wouldn’t be too disappointed if they didn’t, it probably just means I focused more on perfection and less on reps (something hard to do when you’re striving for your maximum). As for my sit-ups, I still can’t break that damn 50 mark. I’m always hitting it on the dot. The worst part is I feel like it is getting easier! And yet, I can’t go faster. I’m not sure what to do, but keep working at it. Any recommendations are really appreciated in this regard. Anyway, that’s all there is for today. Goodnight.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #73.

[n88tr]

I wanted to ask you where you think you'll be in 2 years and then 5 years, if possible, in terms of this BBing?

[mcFreid]

Hmm, this is a good question. I honestly haven't though about that long-term much. I don't think I want to end up as "big" in any sort of manner. I guess my real goal would simply be to have a body that makes me WANT to take my shirt off. That is I want to stay fairly lean but muscular and low fat. Once I hit that ideal look than I would of course continue to train, but it would be for strength not for mass. So to summarize: In 2 years I want a six-pack "beach body" and in 5 years I want the same but to be way stronger than I look.

Thanks for asking, it made me think about a good question I never really considered.

[mcFreid]

Monday 2/16/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 155.8lb – +0.6lb
Body Fat: 10.3% – +0.6%
Lean Mass: 139.75lb– -0.40lb
Fat Weight: 16.05lb – +1.0lb

Diet:
9:10am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Three Bean Chili
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Broccoli with Tofu (Chile Oil, Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [mostly broth]
1 plate Roast Beef with Mushroom Barley Stew, Okra and Tomatoes

That was my diet.



The Day:

Wow, my numbers just seem to be all over the place these last few days. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I do feel like I ate too much for dinner last night, but looking back it doesn’t appear that my meal was any larger than normal. But hey, if my body says I ate too much it probably means I did which most likely is what caused a skewing of the scale this morning. Today I plan to execute the lack of fourth meal program, that is no pre-dinner/post-lunch meals. This should cure my tendency to feel a tad too full after diner. Or so I hope. If not, it is quite simple to change some other variable: tweaking my diet until it is just right. I love this feeling, this feeling of being in complete control of your own food dominion.

I had an excellent workout today. As usual my motivation initially was lacking as it was a cardio day and I never seem to be in the mood until I actually begin the movements. But, once I started on the treadmill around 11:15am(later in the day than usual as President’s Day altered my schedule) that all changed. The TVs were not operating in the gym, but it didn’t seem to matter. Time flew by while I was running and before I knew it I was almost done. I found myself for the first time really having some extra energy in my legs so I decided to sprint the last 30 seconds. I upped the speed to 9.5mph and then found that lacking so I smashed the button further to a fast 10mph. My legs were flying underneath me and I hit a 14:28 2mile run, my best ever. I then hopped onto the elliptical, but only to find I got screwed by the inconsistent extra resistance version. I didn’t let this deter me and pushed the machine’s rotating arms as if I was on the lighter version (that is I didn’t stray from my standard increments of 5rpms starting at 65rpm). By the end I was exhausted. The machine said I burned 269 calories, which is actually less than the easier version. I know one of them is false, but I don’t know which. I am positive though that what I did today during those 20 minutes was far more caloric intensive than normal. I then ended the workout with my usual 4mph 6% incline walk for 10 minutes. After such a hard workout on the elliptical the walking felt incredibly easy. I was on a different treadmill this time; it said I burned 102 calories. But, I don’t believe it. I don’t care what the calories say. I know that during those 45 minutes I worked myself, I gave it my all; and the numbers can fall wherever they may knowing that.


And so the day ends. My diet plan worked out fairly well except for a minor blip in lack of energy midday. But, I don’t think that will be a big deal and as my body adjusts it should disappear. The important part is I didn’t feel overly full after dinner. My pushups and sit-ups went normal tonight. I focused more on getting the full ROM for my sit-ups as I found out quite recently that I wasn’t going down all the way. This made me go slower, but the burn was just as intense. Tomorrow I have a monster Physics II Honors test. Wish me luck.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #74.

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 2/17/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 154.2lb – -1.6lb
Body Fat: 10.0% – -0.3%
Lean Mass: 138.78lb – -0.97lb
Fat Weight: 15.42lb – -0.63lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
2 small Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 5 Egg Whites
3-4 Carrot Strips
11:20am:
1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
4-5 Carrot Strips
1 small Pear
1:45am:
1 bowl Beef Mushroom Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Beef Mushroom Soup
1/2 bowl Peas & Onions with 1 small Stuffed Portabella Mushroom
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

My lifting today was everything it could have possibly been. For unbeknownst to me reasons I seemed to have a plethora of extra energy. Every lift seemed easier. I switched up my weights today increasing by 5 pounds on my bench, 5 pounds on my shoulder presses, and 10 pounds on my chin-ups. I feel like next week it may be time to increase by 10 on both squats and deadlifts as well as maybe even another 5 on bench as it did feel quite easy today. This confidence could be due to the funny amount of extra energy I had though. Thursday will give a hint as to where my true strengths lie.

My weight seems to be fluctuating all over the place. I just don’t get it. I felt like my diet today was pretty good though, at least I can say that much. I just hope things begin to even out soon. I really want to see a downward trend in both weight and body fat. It is really irking me that this is not what is resulting and worst of all I have no idea why not.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #75.

[n88tr]

So you weigh yourself every morning empty stomach and take BF measurements? That would drive me nuts.

I don't know whether to give you props or think it's obsessive...

[mcFreid]

I'll accept both :P

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 2/18/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.4lb – -0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.9% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 138.21lb – -0.57lb
Fat Weight: 15.19lb – -0.23lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal [runny]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
3/4 bowl Vegetables with Tomato Sauce and a little Meat [possibly sausage], Chicken Breast
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, White Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5 Carrot Strips
5:45pm:
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, a little Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo], Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 plate 2 medium pieces Ham, Crispy Polenta with Garbanzo Beans

That was my diet.



The Day:

I am honestly struggling to comprehend my loss in weight and yet my stagnant movement in body fat. This is not what I wanted! At this point during my bulk I had more muscle and less fat, and now it seems I have gained fat through the cycle. I just hope one of these days my body fat is going to drop in a sudden plopping motion to where it should be. I’ll never stop eating healthy. I’ll never stop working out at intensities worth measuring. But, I just want to see some results!

There isn’t anything to report about my cardio workout today. Everything was average. I burned 367 calories, up 4 from last time. But the intensity I feel was around equal (which makes sense since 4 calories is hardly a difference).

My pushups are getting easier and easier. After my next maximum test I am definitely going to be increasing the reps. I haven’t decided by how much yet though, maybe my new maximum will yield some insight. As for my sit-ups I’m really trying to make sure I’m doing full ROMS. I feel like this has slowed down my movement considerably but at the same time it feels more natural than the hectic pace I was going at before to try to show improvements in my maximum. I also am feeling it less in my legs (which are at a slightly awkward position due to how my feet are planted). Tonight these changes have lead me to fail after completing 29 reps on the last set. I am proud of this failure though. It means I pushed myself to the edge. It is comforting in a way to know that I kept trying to lift myself up through my abs, and yet couldn’t. It is comforting because it means I did my best.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #76.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 2/19/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.0lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 9.8% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 138.01lb – -0.2lb
Fat Weight: 14.99lb – -0.2lb

Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
1 bowl Oatmeal [runny]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:40pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
3:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Asian Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Asian Vegetable Soup
1/2 bowl Steak Salad
1 plate 1 small piece Pork Chop, 1 small piece Curried Chicken Breast, Peas and Mushrooms, Roasted Vegetables, Bean Stew

That was my diet.



The Day:

Today was a good day. My diet was good. My mood was good. I had a decent amount of energy. And my workout was good.

I sprinted the last 30 seconds of my run, hitting my record dead on at 14:23. I then got stuck using the absurdly high resistance elliptical, but at the 6 minute mark I was able to switch over to the normal difficulty to my great relief as I don’t think I would have made it otherwise. My pushups were excellent and caused a great burn in my pecs. That felt good. The best satisfaction of the day was from my sit-ups. Doing a full ROM or as close as I mentally could get to it, I was able to this time complete my standard 32 reps for my standard 3 sets. It took a great deal of brain power actually to will my muscles on that final push. But the end reward was worth it. It feels great, and I had a great day.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #77.

[n88tr]

You seem to really dig pushups.

Are you aiming for a certain number like 100 or something?

If you do them a lot and push yourself I'm sure you can get there without too much trouble, it's mostly endurance stuff.

Also, do you eat anything before bed like cottage cheese, casein or a slow-release protein source?

[mcFreid]

Yeah, like many basic body weight movements I was never any good at them back in my heavy-weight days. I guess now I want to make up for that so I started doing things like running, pushups, situps, pullups, etc...

I don't have anything to eat before I go to bed. I know some people have to have something in them, but I found that I actually like it best if I sleep on a slightly empty stomach. Regardless, even if I did want to eat something, the dining halls close way before I hit the sack and I don't like to use money on food when I already am paying over 2k for the dining plan.

[n88tr]

Fair enough.

What's your major and when you hope to graduate?

[mcFreid]

I'm a freshman dueling in Computer Science and Physics. It's tough, but I like the subjects so I wouldn't have it any other way .

[mcFreid]

Friday 2/20/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.0lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.8%
Lean Mass: 139.23lb – +1.22lb
Fat Weight: 13.77lb – -1.22lb

Diet:
7:15am:
1 bowl Cream of Wheat [slightly over the top]
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham, Green Pepper, Onion (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 small Apple
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 medium-small Apple
1 small Pear
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Tunafish [no mayo] (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Tomato Soup
1 small Black Bean Burger
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Tomato Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Lettuce with Deli Turkey, Salsa, Tomato, Jalapeño Pepper
1 bowl Chinese Beef and Broccoli
1/2 bowl Vegan Taco Meat Mix, Refried Beans, Ground Turkey and Beef

That was my diet.



The Day:

Remember that sudden “plop” I was hoping for? Well apparently it has happened. My hopes are not up though as this is most likely a temporary one-day basis type of deal with the numbers I’m seeing. I do contend that in all probability my body fat will spring back to at least some portion of what it what was before. Meanwhile though I will smile in this delightful change of grace from the normal morning disappointments.

I would say my lifting today was normal. I didn’t seem to have the bundles of energy like last time, but that could be due to the sub-par breakfast which had a noticeable lack of apples and an annoying cream of wheat instead of oatmeal. I also don’t have time for my Aeropress Coffee on Friday mornings so that may be it as well. Either way, I still performed rather decently though I did have to switch up my routine slightly (because of the Footballers taking up the entire row of squat racks when I arrived). I ended up doing my chin-ups, pull-ups, and dips before the barbell movements of squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. This wasn’t a huge issue and didn’t seem to affect me much anyway. Overall I felt pumps in all the right places, so I am satisfied with my performance. I do not think I will be increasing the weights on bench, squats, or deadlifts quite yet though as I mentioned I may previously. I just don’t think I could handle it without sacrifices in form. But, I have patience, I know that eventually I will be able to increase and when that moment comes I will be ready for it.

I just can’t seem to win today with my diet though. To go along with the ****ty breakfast I mentioned earlier, my dinner tonight sucked as well. The only meal that had an ounce of decentness to it was lunch where I was able to have the rare treat of a pear at the dining halls. But for dinner, no such luck. I started off by making two bad choices: one I had the Chinese food (which regardless of protein content in beef is never healthy). Two is I decided to have Deli Turkey with a salad because they had no cottage cheese. In such cases I should try to stick to my promise of eating nothing if there is nothing good to eat. Even then the one food that did have some correctness to its nutrition facts, that is the ground turkey and beef was absolute crap. It had the consistency of sand. Meh, I guess that is one of the disbenefits of eating at my dining hall. Consistency is not their finest virtue.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #78.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 2/21/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 154.4lb – +1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.5% – +0.5%
Lean Mass: 139.73lb – +0.5lb
Fat Weight: 14.67lb – +0.9lb

Diet:
9:15am:
1 small Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1 small Pear
4 Pickle Spears
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Roasted Vegetable Soup [thick]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Roasted Vegetable Soup [thick]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 plate Beef Brisket, Asparagus, Couscous

That was my diet.



The Day:

As predicted both my weight and body fat rebounded today. It was a significant rebound so if everything held constant I figure that it should drop back down tomorrow. It seems I am often wrong now in predicting these matters as the assumption “everything held constant” is becoming increasingly irrelevant as it is my weight and body fat themselves that are fluctuating beyond normal. Or maybe it is normal? Maybe I just have had a chance of luck that they used to be so constant in results. Hey, who knows; as long as they are both decreasing I am happy.

My diet today took a nice turn from yesterday’s disappointment. I was able to have real oatmeal in the morning as well as a dinner that satisfied my protein requirement. I spent most of my day doing schoolwork so there wasn’t too much activity to compensate for the food besides some walking between buildings and back. But, such is the normal for my Saturdays. I am off to bed earlier tonight though. I feel oddly tired and not motivated enough to continue homework. Tomorrow morning, as I am a morning person, will be more conductive towards a working environment. So for now, good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #79.

[mcFreid]

I captured my new weekly progress shots this morning. I don't see a huge difference, but after looking over many past weeks it does seem I am showing slightly more definition in my arms and maybe some small growth in my chest. Again both of these differences are hardly noticeable so it could be just me. Overall I still have yet to see significant progress. Comments/Criticisms/Critiques are welcome!

[mcFreid]

Sunday 2/22/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.0lb – -1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 138.77lb – -0.96lb
Fat Weight: 14.23lb – -0.44lb

Diet:
9:45am:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small Pear
1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Quinoa with Black Beans and Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, no beef]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Broccoli (Soy Sauce, Chile Sauce)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, very little beef]
1 plate with 1 medium piece Chicken Breast [light oil based sauce], Couscous with Vegetables

That was my diet.



The Day:

As predicted my weight did rebound as well as my body fat. My gut instinct tells me I am now due for another drop as I already went through the “back and forth” motion that body fat and weight seems to make. Heh, it’s like the stock market isn’t it? Anyway, as said, tomorrow my guess is that I will experience another drop in weight and hopefully in body fat as well (though this one seems to be struggling to keep up).

I tested my new maximums today. I hit exactly 72 again on pushups. I’m content with this for now as I am cutting so don’t expect giant strength gains. Once I get back down to my maintenance body fat and weight I should like to see my performance began to take an increasing trend again. My sit-ups actually dropped to 48. I don’t think it is because of me getting weaker though. I think before I have been cheating on my maximums by not going the full ROM. This time at least for the first 25 I went for the full movement which I believe slowed me down since after noticing myself behind pace I went back to how I used to do sit-ups. For this reason I will try to focus on getting that full ROM even for my maximum and I expect my future numbers to possibly continue to go down as I get better at this. Know this though, it does not mean I am doing worse. It means I am doing better. Good night.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #80.

[mcFreid]

Monday 2/23/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 154.4lb – +1.4lb
Body Fat: 9.7% – +0.4%
Lean Mass: 139.42lb – +0.65lb
Fat Weight: 14.98lb – +0.75lb

Diet:
7:40am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup
1 cup Mixed Vegetables
3:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Curried Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Curried Vegetable Soup
1 bowl Broccoli with Mixed Vegetables (Chile Sauce)
1 plate 3-4 small pieces Meatloaf, Peas and Carrots, Rice and Mixed Vegetables

That was my diet.



The Day:

Hah, it seems I predicted wrong yet again. My weight rebounded for the nth time today along with a more severe fallback regarding my body fat. I am not weakened by this though. The fact is I feel leaner today, and that feeling triumphs over any numbers I see. Truth be told I also felt most of yesterday as if a giant **** was building up, but it never came. In a way I am justifying these results in that way. I don’t know if it is a scientifically accurate reason though, but ever since I found out that the brown brick wasn’t going to pass yesterday I had a sneaking suspicion that I would see the consequence of that on the scale this morning. Though I didn’t mention it in my journal, it appears in my subconscious I predicted right.

My cardio today was particularly hard. For some reason the treadmill that I normally run on was shut off (not sure if it was actually broken) so I had to switch and use a non-standard one. I found that even with the incline set to zero that there was a definite noticeable slope. If you run like I do I’m sure you know that even the slightest slope can make a quick difference in intensity. Well it did. I was forced this time around to start breathing through my mouth instead of my structured breathing through my nose that I was used to. I was able to complete the 2 miles, while still sprinting towards the end in my normal time (actually a few seconds slower for no apparent reason as my speed was the same). Afterwards the rest of the workout went as it always did and I was happy to be able to use the non-faulty ellipticals with the correct resistance.

I ended the day satisfied in pretty much every category. My diet was as good as it could get with the exception of dinner where I may have ever so slightly overeaten. I am not too worried about that though because if I did, like I said it was slight. My pushups went perfect. I am really beginning to the enjoy that feeling of pumping them out with consistency and focus.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #81.

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 2/24/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – -1.2lb
Body Fat: 9.6% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 138.49lb – -0.93lb
Fat Weight: 14.71lb – -0.27lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg White Omelet with Deli Ham (Mustard)
9:50am:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 cup Black Beans with Vegetables
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Ham Rice Gumbo
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5 Pickle Spears
5:20pm:
3/4 bowl Chicken Ham Rice Gumbo [extra chicken, ham, and rice]
3/4 bowl Vegan Gumbo with Peas and Onions
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Deli Turkey, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well the giant brick of you-know-what passed cleanly through my system and it seems my weight did take a plunge. Whether this was correlation or causation I will never know.

My lifting today was extraordinarily intense. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have to think about Economics right afterwards (class was canceled today) or maybe it was just one of those days. Whatever it was, by the end I never felt so muscularly exhausted. During every lift I really tried to isolate my focus on the muscle group I was tearing down. Maybe it was that. Most likely it was the combination of all these factors that lead to one of the greatest lifting workouts I’ve had in a long time. I ended it with a nice post-workout meal of a slice of bread with some egg whites. I feel like today I really destroyed my muscle fibers. It was glorious.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #82.

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 2/25/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.8lb – -0.4lb
Body Fat: 10.2% – +0.6%
Lean Mass: 137.21lb – -1.28lb
Fat Weight: 15.49lb – +0.87lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Oatmeal [runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:15pm:
1/2 bowl Vegetable Ratatouille
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Barley Soup [a little extra turkey and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Turkey Barley Soup [extra turkey and barley]
1 plate Top Round Roast Beef, Chesapeake Corn, Vegetable Stew

That was my diet.



The Day:

Of course I don’t believe that body fat percentage number. 10.2%? Ridiculous… Especially since my body weight actually dropped and I ate perfectly for the last few days. I simply won’t accept that as real, at least not as one day evidence. I am beginning more and more to distrust this body fat analyzer. It used to be reliable, but I don’t know what happened. I’ll keep using it for now, but in the future I may have to end up disregarding it entirely. In more qualitative measurements, I woke up feeling leaner today.

I was so close today to obtaining my goal of 90+ rpm on the elliptical HIIT for my sprint sessions. And by close I mean really really close. On the last sprint, at level 10 resistance, I was completely confident in myself. But, then, for a split second, my focus dropped as I watched some commercial on TV. During this brief blip I found out that I was actually cycling at 88 rpm. I seriously considered giving myself the award of 90+ rpm regardless, but I knew I would be lying to myself. Next time, next time, I will not make such an error. My mind will stay on the task even up to the last second (as it was in the last 30 seconds of the last sprint that this happened). Next time, I will obtain that goal.

So that was my day at the gym, a good day and a good workout. The machine clocked me in at 367 calories burned, which was equal to that of last time (meaning I was nearly equally as close last week at obtaining my goal as well). I don’t have anywhere else to put this so I will put it here, in this paragraph too. Yesterday I had played soccer for an hour late at night. My Sailing Club has created an Intramural Soccer Team for the offseason. It isn’t too serious and the playing was fairly light. It was enough to get me breathing, but I don’t think it will add to recovery time or cause any serious changes in my more routine exercising. It also is only one practice and one game a week. I will consider it like the Tae Kwon Do of last semester in that it is a small supplement of cardio on the side.

I also forgot to talk about my sit-ups on Monday night. I failed at the 28th rep. It felt good though and I still got the burn. I will of course be doing them again tonight. If I continue to fail then I may decrease the reps so I don’t burn myself out.

As for tonight, my pushup strength was average and my sit-ups were average as well. And when I mean average in sit-ups I mean they followed the last few nights’ results to the tee (failed on the 28th rep). I’m going to give it one more night, tomorrow night, to try and succeed a 32 rep workout. If it doesn’t happen then I’m going to decrease slightly down to 30 and see what kind of level I can get my intensity to brink.

That was the day.





This concludes Entry #83.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 2/26/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 152.2lb – -0.6lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -1.0%
Lean Mass: 138.20lb – +0.99lb
Fat Weight: 14.00lb – -1.49lb

Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Oatmeal [slightly runny, cooked with raisins and possibly something sweet but I removed the raisins]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham(Mustard)
1:40pm:
1 bowl Vegetable and Bean Minestrone Soup with Chicken
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3:10pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth only]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese, 3 Egg Whites (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
3/4 bowl Squash and Zucchini with a little Couscous
3/4 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Chicken, Corn, Black Beans, Green Onions, Carrots, Tomato (Light Citrus Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Due to time constraints, I sadly have to make this entry brief. During my time at the gym I hit a new personal best on my 2 mile run. Around the 11 minute mark I found myself having a good deal amount of extra energy and upped the speed. At first it was just .2 mph more to 8.5. But then I found I could keep increasing it. Eventually I finished off the last minute or two at 9mph and sprinted the last 10th of a mile at 10mph. Annoyingly I was so happy over this achievement that I failed to actually record my time! I know I did my best though, I’ll have to accept just that for now. I should note that the treadmill did seemed to be slightly declined, but maybe that’s because I was used to the slight incline from Monday’s tough workout. I don’t know. In both cases if there was a decline or an incline the degree was small.

As the norm, my pushups were well… normal. Following my maximum’s result on Sunday I will make a decision on increasing the reps. I am definitely leaning right now though towards doing just that. As for my sit-ups, I actually was able to complete every rep today for each set. I’m not exactly enthusiastic over this result though. It still felt like too much and I had to decrease my cadence and use some bounce to do it. I am going to be changing the reps to 30 despite today’s result. I feel like the lesser amount will enable me to focus more on actually burning those ab muscles than simply completing the exercise.

Today was a long school day. I am glad tomorrow is Friday. Good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #84.

[mcFreid]

Friday 2/27/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.0lb – +0.8lb
Body Fat: 9.0% – -0.2%
Lean Mass: 139.23lb – +1.03lb
Fat Weight: 13.77lb – -0.23lb

Diet:
7:15am:
1 bowl Grits [over the top]
1/4 to 1/2 cup Egg Whites with Deli Ham [more than usual] (Mustard)
8:45am [Post-Workout]:
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with 3 Egg Whites
12:15pm:
1 small-medium Pear
3/4 bowl Vegetable Tomato Bisque
3/4 bowl Couscous, Lentils, and Eggplant
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:15pm:
3/4 bowl Broccoli (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 plate 1 medium piece Chicken Breast [light sauce], Peas and Vegetables, Vegan Chili
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

It really is nice to see results. My weight did increase slightly today, most likely recovering, rebounding, from yesterday’s drop. But it was my body fat measurement that put a smile on my face. It dropped! I am now much more confident that I am heading in the right direction. It feels good to know that.

My breakfast sucked this morning. Again Sage Dining Hall had **** compared to Commons where I usually go. I hate that they are the only venue for eating at 7:00am. They replaced Oatmeal with Grits and I ate it figuring it would be nearly as healthy. Not so! Grits are fairly high on the GI list and a fast digesting carb. Meh, one meal won’t make a huge difference, but I’m disappointed. Also they had new whole eggs so I had to use liquid egg whites and estimate. Last of all, there were no Apples. God that place sucks.

I would say that my workout afterwards was around average. I was in a slight downer mood because of the meal beforehand, but it didn’t seem to affect me too much. I think I did best with my first exercise, the squat. Normally I always push myself to the edge as I should, but later on my legs never seem to get that sore. Today after the squats there was a constant weakness in them. I love that feeling. It seems it only happens with one muscle group per lifting session and I’m glad it happened today with my legs. It feels great.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #85.

[n88tr]

Are you always at college, or do you go home sometimes and eat?

Are you a fan of once every week or once every two weeks having a cheat food? I notice you eat pretty much the same things each day.

[mcFreid]

Originally Posted by n88tr

Are you always at college, or do you go home sometimes and eat?

Are you a fan of once every week or once every two weeks having a cheat food? I notice you eat pretty much the same things each day.

Well I'm always at college while I have classes. It's not convenient for me to go home unless it is for break or summer.

I don't care much for cheat food. Dieting really isn't a problem for me and I have no temptations anymore to eat unhealthy. I stopped all desserts a long time ago and now even the thought of eating ice cream makes me guilty. Last summer I went to my favorite hamburger restaurant back in California and I didn't even enjoy eating it like I used to when I was fat. It wasn't even worth it for me. I guess people can change because I really was that person that lives to eat and now I eat to live.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 2/28/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – +0.2lb
Body Fat: 9.3% – +0.3%
Lean Mass: 138.95lb – -0.28lb
Fat Weight: 14.25lb – +0.48lb

Diet:
9:15am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 small Apple
1 medium Apple
2/3 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:30pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Cottage Cheese (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Barley Soup [extra chicken and barley]
2/3 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Soy Sauce)
1 plate 3 small pieces Pork Roast, Couscous with Vegetables, Peas and Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes [light glaze]

That was my diet.



The Day:

Last night I went to bed feeling lean, but this morning I woke up feeling bloated. I think I have a rock waiting to pass. That might explain the slight variance in weight and body fat as well, or it could just be the standard daily fluctuations. I wouldn’t be surprised though if I make that dump and tomorrow comes and suddenly I drop some more weight. Speaking of tomorrow, I’ll have pictures then too. I am excited for those as I definitely feel at least from looking in the mirror that I am becoming more defined.
I was fairly active today, more so than my normal Saturday. I spent a good deal of time outside walking around as my school had its first annual Winter Carnival. Later on in the day though I started to feel the stirrings of sickness. Disease is way too common of a threat in college. Ever since I got sick around a month ago I have stocked up on anti-cold medicine. I downed two pills of immune system vitamins with a cold-suppressant lozenge. I don’t know if any of that stuff actually does anything or if it is just a gimmick. But it is worth it a shot. I don’t want to get sick again. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning as that usually is a good sign of what is to come. Until then, good night.


That was the day.





This concludes Entry #86.

[mcFreid]

My weekly progress shots are in. I don't see too much changes. Maybe a little more definition while flexing in the arms and while not flexing in the stomach. But again, very slight changes. Even if you go way back to 2-3 months ago the changes are very small. Maybe I am doing something wrong? Keep in mind that I am slightly sick right now (I'll talk more about that in today's journal entry). I don't know if that will throw off how I look, but it is something to note. Anyway, here are the pictures:

[mcFreid]

Sunday 3/01/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weight: 153.2lb – +0.0lb
Body Fat: 9.2% – -0.1%
Lean Mass: 139.11lb – +0.16lb
Fat Weight: 14.09lb – -0.16lb

Diet:
9:15am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1 Raspberry Emergen-C Packet
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1/2 bowl Seasoned Vegetables and Rice
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Chinese Vegetables (Chile Sauce, Chile Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, a little extra beef]
1/2 plate Ham and Vegan Chili
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green and Red Pepper, Tunafish [with mayo], Deli Turkey (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)

That was my diet.



The Day:

Well, as I feared, I woke up with the sickness. I have a throbbing sore throat right now with a mild headache, but who knows what that can turn into. Such things have a way of manipulating into many forms. I am on the all out attack right now to fight it before it attempts any such changes. I am taking down as much vitamins, Emergen-C’s, Cold-Eeze’s, whatever, as I possibly can. If this thing wants a war, it got one.

Being slightly weak my pushups dropped by one rep. In fact, I don’t know if it was even because I was slightly weak. I think overall I may have had better form. Either way it is just one rep, nothing to fuss over. My sit-ups followed perfect suit and also decreased by one rep. Again though, it may have been that I stopped what was probably some small cheating on the last 10 reps of my previous maximums for sit-ups. By that I mean I don’t think I was hitting my shoulder blades every rep when I tested my self before: this time I was (or at least nearly – still not perfect).

One of my reader suggested I create an additional section for exact numbers of my daily workouts. I will be adding this to my future journal entries. Expect to see it tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow… I really hope I get better. I want to do well in my run again so I can get that record time like I did last Friday (but forgot to record). I also have a big midterm in my toughest class: Data Structures and Algorithms a little later that day. I don’t want to be sick for that as well! Well, I did all that I could to get better. Now it’s just up to my body to fight it out. Good night.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #87.