Monday February 8, 2010: DAY 2591

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Today's News

Yesterday was the end of week #5 of my current cutting phase, and in my weekly progress report I logged a 3.8 pound scale weight loss for the week. Some of that weight was lean mass, and I noted that I needed to up my calories by around 300 per day (I've been under-eating since my bike accident two weeks ago). This morning I woke up down an additional 1.4 pounds, which is just ridiculous. Hungry or not, I'm going to make sure I eat at least an additional 300 calories per day starting now.

During my initial transformation back in 2003 I didn't know enough to realize that rapid scale weight loss caused by under-eating was a bad idea. Way back then I was just happy to see the needle on the scale going down, and that was the most important thing to me. I would starve myself thinking, "It will be worth it!" Of course I lost the fat and got pretty ripped up, but I also lost muscle and severely lowered my metabolism. This caused me problems after my initial fat loss phase was over. It can be tempting to starve yourself in order to see fast results, but this really is a mistake. Slow, controlled fat loss is what you're after. Remember, losing fat is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take a lot of discipline to pace yourself, but it's worth it.

By the way, since the start of my cut (January 4, 2010) I've been tracking all my diet, water intake and sleep in meticulous detail on JSF BodyShop™. I've also been tracking all of my stats there, and soon I'll be adding my training programs. I'm also going to enter all of my historic stats at some point. These areas of the main site will soon be depreciated. It's just so much easier to track everything on BodyShop, and it's also a lot easier to browse the data.

Today is a "core" leg day, and that means heavy sets of ATG squats. I can't wait!

JSF BodyShop™ beta testing is now underway! All Bronze or higher JSF supporting members are invited to participate in the closed beta. If you are a Bronze or higher supporting member, you should have already received your beta invite package by email. If you have not yet received your beta invitation, then please contact support with your forum username and we'll resend the package to you. Also, if you upgrade your account to Bronze or higher at any point during the beta, your beta invite package will be sent to you within a few hours of upgrading. Please contact support if you don't receive it for some reason.

Transformation Spotlight of the Month

For the February 2010 TSM I've selected long-time forum member Mastover. Most of you already know who Mastover is, but there's a lot you probably don't know about him. I selected Mastover for this month's TSM because he leads by example, doesn't make excuses and reaches his goals through sheer force of will. Throughout his life Mastover has overcome drug and alcohol addiction and homelessness; he's battled cancer and immune system disease; he's been stabbed and left for dead... the list goes on. Mastover has plowed his way through a lifetime of setbacks and obstacles. He takes responsibility for his own actions, and he never feels sorry for himself. He also spends a great deal of his time helping others improve their lives, and that is something I admire about him a great deal. I think you'll enjoy this very special interview.

My Before, During & Current Pictures

These two pictures were taken on the very first day of my transformation--January 6, 2003.

Before

These two pictures were taken just a few short months later. I'd lost over 50 pounds of fat, and added muscle. Amazing changes are possible in a relatively short period of time if you are willing to work hard and dedicate yourself.

After Fatloss

These pictures show how I look after over four years dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.

Close-ups

Skeptical? Please read this.

For more progress pictures and many other photos, including my daily, weekly and monthly archives, check out the pictures archives. For even more pictures and videos, check out my Picture Gallery and Video Archive thread on the forum.