Daily Blog Archives
Check out my daily blogs from days gone by.
December 31st, 2007
Well, this morning I was fully in ketosis as measured on my ketone test strips. I feel good today but last night was difficult. I woke up in the middle of the night with severe stomach cramps. I was able to alleviate them after drinking about 24 ounces of water. Today I am drinking a lot more water to help with digestion. It makes sense that since I cutting carbs, I am consuming hardly any fiber which helps with the latter part of digestion.Today I am feeling good though. My workout was strong and I, again, added weight on my back workout. I still have a lot to do so I'm going to get going. We'll talk more tomorrow.
December 30th, 2007
This afternoon I was able to detect "trace" amounts of ketones in my urine. It's not really a big deal either way as the fat seems to be falling off whether I'm in ketosis or not. This morning I weighed 169.0 lbs. This is, again, my lowest weight thus far. I really can't remember the last time I weighed in the 160's. I'm thinking it was sometime in college, about 10 years ago.Today's workout was great. I was thinking I would start losing some strength by now, not because of muscle loss, but because of the carb restriction. Fortunately, I was able to do the same weight as last week (on my today's shoulder workout) but for more reps.
So, my plan is to do one more day of carb restriction and then load up for 24-36 hours beginning tomorrow evening. On Wednesday, I will begin another 5-6 days of carb restriction (10-40 grams a day). If the fat keeps coming off without losing any strength, I will probably continue this strategy until I reach my goal bf % of 6-8%.
Until tomorrow...
December 29th, 2007
I've been restricting my carbs like crazy lately and I'm still not in ketosis. I should consume around 20 grams today which is very low, about 5% of my calories. I've read that some people can go into ketosis at up to 40 grams per day while others need to consume less than ten. I guess it doesn't really matter as ketosis is not my goal. Even if I do enter a ketogenic state, I won't be in it for very long. I plan to do 4-6 days of low carbing and then do a carb load for 24-36 hours. This is called a cyclical ketogenic diet which is used by many natural bodybuilders to shed the last bits of their weight. So, I will be restricting my carbs today and tomorrow and then I will do a carb load beginning Monday evening. I will probably consume several hundred grams of carbs during the carb load period. This type of cyclical diet helps stave off muscle loss while allowing you to shed fat quickly. I will try to post more on this in the future as I'm currently absorbing all the information I can find on the subjest.No big plans for New Year's Eve but I do want to be able to enjoy some time with extended family that is in town. What better way than to time my carb load phase with the holiday. I'm sure there will be plenty of good eats to replenish the glycogen stores in my muscles. On Tuesday I will consume a moderate quantity of "good" carbs, probably in the forms of rolled oats and fruits. I am definitely looking forward to getting some carbs though this current phase of the diet has been easier than I expected.
December 28th, 2007
I have been restricting my carb intake quite a bit lately and today I decided I wanted to purchase some ketone test strips to see if my body is in ketosis. We live in a town of about 1/4 million so I thought they would be easy to find but some things aren't so simple.After spending my lunch break going to GNC and a health food store, I finally found them at a little pharmacy downtown. Unfortunately, they wanted $24.99 for 50 sticks. I couldn't justify that price for something I was just going to pee on. I finally found them at Wal-Mart and paid about seven dollars.
Well, I'm not in ketosis but the weight has still been falling off. I have been consuming around 40 grams of carbs a day and that seems to be a good amount for my body. I still feel alert and strong but the weight is coming off more quickly now. Today I weighed in at 170.4 lbs. This is my lowest yet. Also, today I added 5 pounds to my bench press over last week. I'm really happy about the strength gains lately. I expected them to taper off but we'll see if I can keep them up.
December 27th, 2007
I am very happy to be back on my planned diet once again. The holidays are fun but they wreak havoc when you're trying to cut fat. Yesterday I I ate perfect and today I weighed in at 1.6 lbs. less than yesterday. Of course, this is probably just water weight from all of the salt and carbs I had been eating.The astute reader of my food logs will notice that my fat intake has gone up somewhat (and will probably continue to increase a little). As I've mentioned previously, I have been trying to cut my carb intake while maintaining my caloric intake of around 1500 calories per day. Not wanting to over due it on protein, I need to up my fat intake.
Though excess fat is unhealthy, fat is not what makes you fat. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats would be your essential fatty acids. Those found in olive oil, salmon, avocados, etc. Bad fats are those found in a Big Mac or a Whopper. I have been consuming more good fats.
I plan to start dropping fat a little more quickly in the coming weeks (around 2 pounds per week) in order to make my goal of sub-8% body fat by 02/19/08. In doing so, I will have dropped my body fat from around 30% to around 7% in five months while gaining some muscle. I plan to have a total weight loss of about 36 lbs.
Again, any of this is subject to change as my goal date becomes closer.
December 26th, 2007
Wow, the Christmas holiday is now behind us and as far as my diet goes, I'm very happy about that. It is very hard to stick to a strict diet with all the sweets and treats being offered up constantly. I'm definitely glad the temptation will now be somewhat lessened.I weighed in at 172.6 lbs. this morning which is not too bad considering what I've been eating for the past two days. I'm now back on my diet 100% and have no cheat meals planned until I reach my goal of sub-8% body fat.
I have a very busy day ahead so I better get going. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you're now ready to hit it hard.
December 25th, 2007
Merry Christmas Everyone!Yesterday I cooked ribs for my whole family and boy were they good. Liz made some heart-stopping twice baked potatoes and one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted. Needless to say, there will be no tracking on my food logs for yesterday or today. I guess it would be funny to see how many calories I did consume but I think we were all able to get a kick out of my 1000 calorie breakfast last Thursday.
Today will be another day of indulgences as we head over to my in-laws for homemade cinnamon rolls and a more traditional Christmas dinner. I will probably help myself to plenty of sweet treats all day as there is always tons of goodies over there. As my mother-in-law always says, "It's your fault if you don't get full over here."
My weight didn't go up too much today as I think I was mostly just replenishing the glycogen stores in my muscles from the several day of low carb eating. Today will probably push me over the threshold but I should shed most of the water weight by end of the week.
Anyway, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
December 24th, 2007
I had an awesome back workout yesterday. I was stronger on all of my lifts and pushed through some serious high intensity cardio. It really feels great to have a good workout.Today I also hit a new record low in my weight at 170.6 lbs. I should be breaking into the 160's any day now. I can't wait. I can't remember the last time I saw the scale in the 160's...college, maybe. I have been restricting my carbs and that seems to be the key to shedding the fat. I'm very cautious about losing any hard-earned muscle so I'm watching that very close. I have been taking in nearly 200 grams of protein each day and have also upped the fat calories somewhat. Everything seems to be working as planned.
Well, today is Christmas Eve and I have some serious cooking to do. No workouts today and tomorrow as I will be spending all my time with family. I can't wait to share all about my new healthy lifestyle.
December 23rd, 2007
I took yesterday off from training and I think it was the best move I could have possibly made. I feel much better today and my muscles feel like they have recoverered somewhat. I'm really looking forward to back day today and I expect to get a great workout from it. Remember what I said yesterday about lifting being as much mental as it is physical? Well, I will definitely be going in with the right mindset.Yesterday I was able to begin and finish my Christmas shopping without too much stress. I got some great gifts for Liz and I can't wait to give them to her. We'll see if I'm able to wait until Christmas.
December 22nd, 2007
Last night's workout was less than stellar. Friday is arms day and I wasn't able to make it into the gym until around 8:30 pm. As soon as I got there, I was ready to be done. I'm starting to believe lifting weights is almost as much mental as it is physical. If one is not in the right frame of mind, the workout will most likely suck. Well, I was not in the right frame of mind. My lifts were weaker than last week and I had trouble getting through them all. On top of that, I decided to skip cardio.Today is not looking to be much better. I slept in, am not feeling so hot, and my whole body is sore. I have been training very hard lately and I think it is starting to catch up with me a bit. I am debating whether or not I should take the day off. I'm not talking about skipping a workout because I'm too busy or don't feel like it but giving my body one extra day to recover this week. I'm just going to play it by ear.
Anyway, enjoy your last Saturday before Christmas. I will be out battling the crowds today but am actually looking forward to it. I know exactly what I'm going to get for my beautiful bride this year. Our anniversary is actually tomorrow so I'm shopping for both holidays. This is usually a very stressful time for me because I never know what I'm going to get her. This year I've got both dialed in and I am ready to go.
December 21st, 2007
Yesterday was not a good day for me as far as diet goes. With the holidays fast approaching it seems like it's nothing but parties and food. I have been very good about skipping the "junk food" altogether but yesterday's holiday breakfast at work was probably one of the worst meals I've had since I started my transformation. I ate over 1000 calories at breakfast. Fortunately, I didn't gain too much. I was up just one pound this morning and I'm thinking most all of that is water from the salt and carbs. My wedding ring was extremely tight last night and this morning which tells me I'm holding a lot of water.My workout last night, on the other hand, was off the charts. Thursday is leg day and I decided to hit them extra hard. I added 10 more pounds on my squat and busted out three sets for six reps each. My legs were pretty much like jelly when I was done. I also added 20 more pounds on leg press. Needless to say, my legs are killing me today. I'm hoping I will still be able to walk in the morning as that is when I'm planning to hit the town and do my Christmas shopping.
Today's diet has been great. I'm right on target. I went to Costco and picked up a six-pound extra lean ham, a four-pound bag of extra lean turkey burgers, and a six-pound bag of frozen chicken tenders. That should get me through the next couple of weeks. After Christmas, I plan to eat lean with a limited carb intake. This will put me down to sub 10% body fat sometime around the middle of January. From there, it's just a short trek down to sub 8%. I seriously can't wait.
December 20th, 2007
This morning was our annual Technology Department holiday breakfast and I consumed over 1000 calories of mostly fat and carbs before 9:00 am. I won't lie, it did taste good but it soon left me feeling tired and bloated. I guess it's because I have trouble doing anything in moderation. I think I may have ordered the largest combo plate out of the whole group. In fact, they had to bring it to me on two full-sized plates. As I type this, the embarrassment is starting to set in and it's really going to hurt as I have to enter it all in my daily food log.I did weigh in at my lowest ever this morning. 171.2 lbs. I'm very excited to break into the 160's in the next week or two. The 170's were pretty long and grueling and expect it to be even be more difficult to break into the 150's. Who knows, though, since I've gotten my carb intake under control, the weight has been coming off pretty quickly. Difficult or easy, I'm up for it and have my scope dialed in on sub 8% body fat. No retreat, no surrender.
December 11th, 2007
Aside from not getting to the gym until almost 9:00 pm, yesterday's workout was one of my best yet. Monday is chest day and I was feeling exceptionally strong. I have now added 25 pounds to my bench in just 6 weeks. That is somewhat surprising since I am currently in a serious calorie deficit and taking no supplements. I can't wait to see what I'm pushing around this spring once all the fat is lost and I can eat a reasonable amount of calories again.Today is going to be just cardio. I plan to do 40 minutes of LISS this evening. I'm actually looking forward to doing the light intensity for a long duration. Lately, my HIIT cardio has really been kicking my butt. Last night, my throat was burning with every interval and I felt like I was going to throw up the whole time. Oh well, I guess I know it is working.
In other news, I found some pictures last night taken right before I began my transformation. Liz says I look like Homer Simpson in there. Ouch! I'll be posting them to the new site soon.
Have a great day!
December 10th, 2007
Man, the weather has continued to be nasty but I have continued to trudge through it to the gym. My workouts have been going really well this past week which is somewhat surprising since I have recently lowered my carb intake substantially.I felt like I was in a solid plateau for most of the second half of November as far as weight and fat loss so I have decided to cut my carb intake to around 100 grams a day. I don't really want to lower my caloric intake much so protein and fat levels have gone up some. Right now I'm trying keep my percentages around 20/30/50 for fat/carbs/protein. You can check it out in my food logs. It seems to be working nicely as the weight is just falling off now. Nothing like a little tweak to jumpstart things back into motion.
December 07th, 2007
Yesterday as I was driving home from work it really started dumping snow. We live less than 10 minutes from town but the climb in elevation is about 1300 feet. An hour and a half later, when I was ready to go to the gym, there was already 3 inches accumulated on my windshield. Determined, I plowed through it and went to the gym anyway. Unfortunately, my determination went completely unrewarded.Last night I had my worst workout yet. Thursday is leg day and has usually been one of my best days. Though legs is a grueling workout, I have resolved to develop my lower body right along with my upper. Unfortunately, last night this was not the case. During every set of squats my hips and joints hurt and ached. I stretched for almost 10 minutes but couldn't get it worked out enough to continue squats. I had to cut them short before I could do any heavy sets.
I did continue on with leg press, extensions, calves, and abs but I left the gym feeling as though I had accomplished nothing. I know this type of stuff occasionally happens and even thought I was mentally prepared for it. Obviously this was not the case. The good news is that I can tangibly see how intent I am on accomplishing my goals by being disappointed when I have a poor workout.
Anyway, today is another day and I plan to just obliterate my arms.