Daily News Archives
January 2007
01/31/2007 - One month of cutting complete; Power of positive thinking.
01/30/2007 - Modification to my cutting diet/workouts are coming! Here's a preview...
01/29/2007 - Lots going on this week; Temptation.
01/28/2007 - First month of cutting progress report; Staying motivated over the long-haul.
01/27/2007 - FAQ update; New JSF sponsor coming on the 1st!
01/26/2007 - Consistency and dependability.
01/25/2007 - How I deal with cravings and temptation.
01/24/2007 - Belated Happy Birthday to the forum!
01/23/2007 - Feeling good on my new cutting program; A couple of new pictures.
01/22/2007 - Progress report; Get angry!
01/21/2007 - Motivation!
01/20/2007 - Lisa off on another adventure; Small change to my cutting diet.
01/19/2007 - Feedback about yesterday's update; Early mistakes.
01/18/2007 - About my supplement intake.
01/17/2007 - The importance of a proper diet.
01/16/2007 - Fat loss priorities.
01/15/2007 - Back from vacation.
01/14/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/13/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/12/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/11/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/10/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/09/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/08/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/07/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/06/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/05/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/04/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/03/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/02/2007 - No update - on vacation.
01/01/2007 - Happy New Year!; Losing fat; My final bulking stats.
January 31, 2007
It feels pretty good to have the first month of my 2007 cutting phase in the books. I can honestly say I've never worked harder or been more strict with my diet than I have over the last 31 days. Each day at lunch when I'm forcing down yet another plate of dry chicken, several cups of broccoli (which has never been a favorite of mine), brown rice and water, I'm thinking only of that meal. Thinking ahead can be devastating when it comes to the monotony that often accompanies strict dieting ("Oh man, I have to do this for the next 5 months!") Instead I think "This meal is the perfect fuel for me to reach my goals. When I finish eating it, I'll be that much closer!"
It's all about believing in what you are doing and thinking positively. Negative thoughts are very powerful, and they will take you completely out of your game if you allow them to persist. I'd like for you to try an experiment today: be very cognizant of your thoughts. Each time a negative thought pops into your mind, make a little mark on a scrap of paper. Count your marks at the end of the day, and you may be surprised at what you see--I know I was the first time I tried this experiment. At first it will require a lot of your attention to recognize and shut down negative thinking, but over time you'll find that it becomes practically automatic. This one change will make a massive difference in every area of your life, I promise you.
As of this morning I'm down to 224 pounds from my bulking end weight of 236 pounds. I expect tomorrow's monthly pictures to show a slight improvement over my end-of-bulk pictures from one month ago, but nothing too Earth-shattering. The really big changes should start coming over the next two months as I continue to strip away the fat. I expect to be around 10% body fat by the end of February, and closing in on 8% or so by the end of March. Going from 8% to 6% body fat in April & May will be a real challenge for me, and I'm very excited about that prospect!
January 30, 2007
February 12th will mark the start of my seventh week of my current cutting phase. Starting that week my food consumption will change, my supplement intake will change, my cardio workouts will change and (perhaps) my strength training routines will be tweaked. Sometime within the next week or so I'll be adding a new food log to reflect the dietary and supplement changes, and I'll update my training page to reflect the cardio and training modifications. These changes will be in effect for four weeks, at which time further modifications will be made.
Here's a preview of what will adjusted (this is not 100% finalized, but should be close):
- Increased cardio (30 minutes of fasted LISS cardio three times per week on non-training days).
- My daily caloric intake will be reduced.
- Glutamine, BCAAs and Vitamin C will be consumed prior to fasted cardio.
- I'll using Beverly's "Super Pack" multi-vitamin instead of Universal's "Animal Pak".
- I'm going to try "Udo's Choice" oil and see how it compares to Beverly's "EFA Gold", which is what I have been using.
- Training volume may be reduced slightly.
I'm very excited about these changes! I feel like I've made very good progress so far, and these modifications should ratchet my progress up another couple notches.
Of course a huge "thank you!" goes out to USBF & NBI Professional Natural bodybuilder (and JSF form member) Mastover for all his kind help and contest preparation expertise.
January 29, 2007
This is an exciting week--there's a lot going on, and it all comes to a head this Thursday, February 1st:
First, the February "100 Challenge" kicks off on Thursday. If you'd like to participate then you have until 7:00 AM (EST) on Thursday morning to enter.
Also on Thursday I'll be announcing a brand new JSF sponsor. I think anyone who trains with weights is going to appreciate what they bring to JSF. My first order was placed on a Sunday, and it was shipped first thing the next morning. The products I received are all of extremely high quality. This company fills a void in the JSF sponsor lineup, and I know you are all going to like what they have to offer. The owner is even going to kick things off with a special 10% off sale for JSF members right out of the gate. Details on Thursday morning!
And, of course, I'll be posting my new monthly pictures on this Thursday. Frankly I can't wait to get the January picture off the front page, as I really hate looking that soft. I'm still a long way from my goal of 6% body fat, but I feel that I'm making excellent progress.
There are a couple of temptations coming up that will certainly test my resolve: Superbowl Sunday I'm preparing a nice roast pork dinner for the whole family, but I will not be eating any of it. I also will not be drinking any alcohol or otherwise deviating from my planned meals. The next big temptation will be Valentine's day. Lisa seemed slightly disappointed when I told her that I will not be drinking wine, but I don't need the wine to enjoy myself! My meal plan for that night calls for lean steak, so I'll still be having a very tasty dinner.
Some of you may think I'm depriving myself, but I really don't look at it that way at all. Actually, I feel empowered because I am able to set goals and then accomplish those goals through sheer force of will. Each day we are presented with choices, and the choices we make lead us in one direction or another. I try to make choices that take me closer to my goal, and never away from it. Once I reach my goal I'll be able to maintain my physique while enjoying a less strict diet, but until then I'm going to be very, very strict.
January 28, 2007
The first month of my 2007 cut is drawing to a close, and I'm very happy with how things are going so far. I took my weekly measurements this morning, and was pleased to see that so far this month my waist is down 1.5 inches and my hips and thighs are each minus a full inch. After the expected initial drop in size, my arms are holding steady at 18 inches (cold/no pump) and my chest at 45.25 inches (again, cold/no pump). My strength remains excellent; in fact, Friday night I set a new personal best for military press. That's not too bad a month into a cutting program!
The first week of my cut I lost 5.5 pounds (this may seem high, but it was largely due to water loss), and since that first week I've lost an even two pounds per week for three weeks straight--a total weight loss of 11.5 pounds for the month. My body fat levels have dropped from around 14% to about 12%. My top four abs are starting to pop pretty good, and my lower abs are visible in the morning while in a fasted state. Vascularity is continuing to improve, and my face is looking a little leaner each and every day.
You may have noticed that when I'm cutting I pay very close attention to just about every conceivable detail: my measurements, how I look in the mirror, my strength, my energy levels and even scale weight. I do this for a couple of reasons...
First, I feel that careful observation is the absolute best way to make sure I'm on the right path. If something is off, I want to know about it right away so I can correct it. The second reason I am so meticulous about all these things is motivation. I find the little changes extremely inspiring. As most of you know, cutting (fat loss, dieting--whatever you want to call it) can be very tough. It's a real mind game and quite a mental challenge to stay motivated over the long haul. It really helps me stay focused when I see positive changes. That is a big reason why I took the daily photographs throughout 2003 and part of 2004. With those photographs I was able to see small changes that were not otherwise readily apparent. It was a real pain in the butt to take those photos each and every day for 479 days in a row, but I know those pictures played a significant role in my early success.
I'd better go get my cardio done and eat. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday! 
January 27, 2007
I decided to sit down this morning and give my FAQ a bit of an update, as many of the answers were no longer entirely accurate. It took a little longer than I expected, and now I'm running way behind (I have not even done my cardio yet--I'm glad it's just 20 minutes!)
Oh, one other quick item of note: JSF has a new sponsor that I know you are going to love! Look for the official announcement on February 1st.
January 26, 2007
I received an email this week concerning my answer to this question in my FAQ. Essentially the person who emailed me wanted to know if my posted answer to the question was still accurate, as she didn't see how I could have possibly updated the page every single day (excluding occasional vacations) for more than 4 years--and always by 9:00 AM--without fail. Actually, the answer to that question is still 100% correct. It's true: with the exception of a few planned vacations, for more than four years this site has been updated every single day, and always by 9:00 AM.
By definition, being consistent is not a part-time job. By living up to the commitment I've made to update this site each day by a certain time, I'm reinforcing positive habits that continue to benefit me in all areas of my life. Consistency and dependability are extremely valuable traits, and are an increasingly rare commodity in this world. Conscientiously nurturing these two traits has opened many new doors for me, and they have been critical elements to my success in many areas of life.
Updating this site on time each day may not (at least ostensibly) seem like it should be all that important to me, but it really is a vital piece of the bigger picture.
Speaking of my FAQ, it could use an update! Some of the stuff in there is out of date. I'll see if I can carve out some time this weekend to bring it up-to-date.
January 25, 2007
Yesterday evening my dietary resolve was seriously tested for the first time this year. Lisa was tired and a little jet-lagged from her trip to Vegas (poor, poor thing...), so she took the day off
from work. She did have to go in for about a half-hour to take care of a couple of things, and on the way back home she picked up a frozen pizza for her dinner. So around the time I'm dutifully
preparing my eye of round, yams and green beans, she asked me if I could make the pizza for her. I didn't think anything of it, and said "Sure thing!" Well, I picked
up the pizza box (Uno's Chicago-style) and, just looking at the picture, my mouth literally began to water. I was taken aback by how much I seemed to be craving the pizza! Once the pizza
began to cook it got even worse. Pulling the pie out of the oven and cutting it was the ultimate torture. Thankfully my steak took the edge off, and I didn't cave in to my craving. Sometimes I truly resent ectomorphs!
Actually, eating any of that pizza was not even an option. See, this is why I'm really good at this sort of thing. I am able to get myself into a state of mind that will not accept anything other than what's in the plan. When I'm in this mode I look at my workouts and food intake as very "black and white": there is no middle ground, no grey area, no wiggle room or "Hey, that's close enough!" It helps to think of myself as a machine when it comes to hardcore dieting: I simply "do". There is literally no choice to be made. In a strange way it's actually sort of fun when I'm tempted; I admit that I get off on rising to these kinds of challenges. Actually, along these lines, I just read a quote that I liked a lot: "Every day is an opportunity disguised as a challenge."
January 24, 2007
I just realized this morning that I completely overlooked the 3-year anniversary of the JSF Forum! The JSF forum went "live" on January 21, 2004--about one year after I started my transformation. Starting a new forum community is usually very difficult: one needs a lot of user activity to get other people to want to join, but people need to join before there is user activity. Many otherwise good forums are trapped in this difficult catch-22, and are never able to get off the ground. I was well aware of this common dilemma, but I received so many emails from regular visitors to the main site asking for a forum that I thought it might actually have a chance to survive, or even flourish.
The rest, as they say, is history. Now I can't even imagine JSF without the forum! The JSF message board has brought a sense of community to our little corner of the Internet, and--most importantly--has helped countless people make stunning, life-changing transformations. I've learned a tremendous amount from the diverse JSF membership, and I am continually inspired.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who takes time to participate on the forums. I've been a part of online forums since the days when they were called "BBSs" and accessed by direct-dial using a 300 baud modem, and I honestly believe that the JSF community is the most friendly and helpful group of people I've ever had the privilege to be a part of. Keep spreading the word--we need to do everything we can to educate people and help reverse the obesity epidemic.
Registration for the February 2007 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on February 1, 2007 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the February 2007 "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part! If you decide to join the challenge, then you are expected to see it through to the end. No slackers!
January 23, 2007
The one thing that stands out about this year's cutting program is that I've got more energy and feel better than ever before. Sometimes I don't even feel like I'm cutting. I feel full all day, I have tons of energy and my strength is actually improving. Amazingly, the fat is still coming off at a steady, but muscle-sparing rate. I can handle lower carb cutting diets just fine once I adjust to them (I'm not talking about ketogenic diets, just reduced carb diets), but my current all-natural diet allows for plenty of carbs all day long. Of course being able to have steak (even if it is eye of round), salad and yams for dinner is awesome.
I have not taken many pictures so far this month, so last night I took a couple of new shots. You can find those pictures along with some post-workout thoughts in last night's entry to my media journal.
I'm off to eat. Have a great day!
January 22, 2007
I'm just three weeks into my cut, and I'm already seeing some very nice results! This morning I weighed in at 226.5 pounds, which is a 9.5 pound drop from the 236 pounds I weighed at the end of my bulk. I'm down from 14% body fat to somewhere around 12.5% body fat as of this morning. I know half of you are probably reaching for your calculators, so I'll save you the trouble: that's about 4.5 pounds of fat loss, and 5 pounds of lean mass. The lean mass I've lost is water weight, not muscle. My lifts are still progressively improving, and my strength is actually up! 1.5 pounds of fat loss per week is a very good rate. Of course fat and water are distributed evenly all over my body (more or less), and that's why (as expected) my muscle size measurements have decreased slightly. Judging from some of the emails I've received and from a few comments I've seen on the forum, some people don't seem to realize that fat and water are stored in the arms and legs, and not just in the mid-section! My arms are still slightly over 18 inches (cold) right now, but there is still a lot of fat to lose before the cuts really start slicing them up. I'll be quite happy if my arms are around 17.5 inches (cold/unpumped) by the time I reach 6% body fat. The cuts and vascularity I'll have at 6% will actually make all my muscles appear larger than they do right now.
So that's an update on my progress, but how are YOU doing? I strongly suggest that each of you take some time each week to sit down and analyze your progress honestly. Are you making the expected gains and/or losses? If not, ask yourself why. Have you been consistent with your diets and workouts? How's your strength? Are you eating too much? Too little? Do you need to make some changes, or should you give your existing program a little longer? Again, be honest with yourself. I make time each week to take my measurements, get an estimated body fat reading, pose in front of the mirror and/or take pictures, review my workout logs and think about what's working and what's not. These assessments don't take long, and they help keep me on target.
On a final note, this is the time of year when people start to fall off the fitness wagon in large numbers. If you feel like you are slipping, don't let it get out of control. You may be tempted to throw in the towel because you let things go for awhile. Well, that's the absolute worst thing you can do. All you are doing is reinforcing your bad habits and becoming yet another quitter. You are better than that. Do you want to continue to live your life being fat, unhealthy and embarrassed by how you look, or are you going to finish what you started and change those things? We ALL fall down from time-to-time. Are you going to lay in the dirt and cry, or are you going to get your butt back up and fight for what you want? Damn it, get mad! Take control!
January 21, 2007
I started cutting on January 1st, and I haven't had so much as a single bite of food that's not on my official cutting diet. At this point the monotony of my diet has become almost comforting, and the slow but steady progress I'm making is encouraging. Sure, I still get occasional cravings to stray from my diet, but dealing with the cravings is really pretty easy: I simply ignore them and think about how I'm going to look in a few months. To me there is no better motivation than that. Vain? Yep, it sure is. So what? I like how I look with a tight six-pack, and I'm not at all ashamed to admit it. Why should I be? Every other guy in my neighborhood around my age looks like hell. Heck, half of these guys look like they are going to drop dead right on the lawn while doing their yard work! That's no way to live. I used to be one of those guys, and it really sucks to feel sick and out of shape, and to be ashamed of your own body. I look around and am constantly reminded of my past. How much more motivation could I need?
January 20, 2007
Lisa left for Vegas around 4:45 this morning. Her job certainly comes with plenty of travel perks! She gets to go to some fantastic places every
few months, all on her company's dime. That's not to say she didn't hit the ATM before she left. I told her not to come back until she's up at least 10k.
I've made a relatively minor change to my diet: I've replaced Egg Beaters with 100% pure egg whites. Essentially they are the same food, as Egg Beaters are 99% pure egg whites with some added natural food coloring and vitamins, but it was the one product in my cutting diet (with the exception of protein powder, which by definition is a processed food) that prevented me from saying that I'm eating a 100% all-natural, non-processed diet. I've adjusted my current food log to reflect this change.
I'm running a little late this morning, as I had to get up early to see Lisa off. After she left I dozed back off and overslept by 45 minutes. I'm going to go get my cardio done, clean the house and maybe wash my car. I need to get some sun--I'm white as a ghost right now. Have a great Saturday!
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January 19, 2007
I received a fair amount of positive feedback about yesterday's article on my supplement intake. Apparently a lot of people who are new to proper dieting were confused by the supplement aspect of my food logs. Sometimes I forget how daunting all this information can be to someone new to the world of fitness. I remember when I first started my transformation back in January of 2003 I was baffled by many subjects that now seem like common knowledge. It is a lot to take in, I know! That's why I strongly feel that focusing on the basics and not over-complicating things is the best approach when you are first starting out. If you look at my early food logs you can see that I was only taking two supplements: L-glutamine and extra fiber. The extra fiber was to make up for the lack of fiber that I should have been getting in my diet. Yes, my early diet was poor. I was still learning. I want to reiterate that my early food logs are only presented for the sake of completeness, and not as something to emulate. Obviously what I did worked for me and I lost the fat, but if I knew back then what know now, I would not have gone about it in the same way. What do I mean by that? Well, I would have eaten more food. I would have included more healthy fats. I would have eaten more animal-based protein. I would have eaten more natural foods and less processed foods. I wouldn't have done HIIT in a fasted state. I wouldn't have lifted weights in a fasted state. I wouldn't have done HIIT cardio every single day. Stuff like that...
Some may say, "Yeah, but why would you change things? What you did obviously worked!" I can't argue with that, but that doesn't mean I could have done better. I certainly slowed my metabolism to a crawl eating such a small amount of food each day. I'm cutting right now and eating more in one day than I used to eat in 2 or 3 days! I may not have lost much muscle, but that's because there was not much to lose back then! I probably would have added some "newbie" muscle if I'd gone about things more intelligently. My diet was certainly far more healthy than the way I was eating prior to my transformation, but it was still far from optimal.
I'm not saying that I'm not proud of what I accomplished--I am. What I did took a lot of hard work and dedication, especially considering how little I was eating. I'm just saying that mistakes were made, and I'd be foolish to not acknowledge those mistakes, and pass on what I've learned to others.
I'd better wrap this up and get to work. It's going to be a busy day. Happy Friday!
January 18, 2007
I was recently asked by a forum member about my supplement intake:
"I was looking at your cutting diet and noticed a large percentage of your daily nutrition is actually supplements. I wanted to ask if you had ever cut/bulked with no supplements at all ie completely naturally, and if so have you seen very big advantages in adding them."
I thought this was a good question because a cursory glance at my current food log can leave one with the impression that I'm taking a lot of supplements--especially if that person is not familiar with some of the stuff I'm taking. Here is my reply. I hope this helps clear up some potential confusion about my supplement intake!
"Actually, if you take a close look at my supplement intake you'll find that everything I'm taking is very natural and healthy. I'm taking L-Glutamine, Creatine, a multi-vitamin, EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids), BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) and waxy maize. Every single thing there is 100% naturally occurring. There are no chemicals or man-made substances.
So it's my opinion that right now I'm cutting completely naturally!
Even though (as you can see) I eat a very healthy and natural diet, these supplements are beneficial because they aid in recovery, help me maintain my muscle mass and they provide me with additional nutrients that I need while in a caloric deficit (cutting). I don't take anything like fat burners, testosterone boosters, pre-workout energy boosters, cortisol blockers or other potentially dangerous compounds.
Good nutrition and whole foods form the foundation of my diet. Without that, supplements are useless. The supplements help, but are certainly not required (with the possible exception of the multivitamin)."
I think it's important that people realize that supplements are not a magic bullet. As I mentioned above, they do help, but without a rock-solid foundation of proper diet and hard training they are useless. 95% of my progress comes from diet and training alone. The carefully selected supplements I'm taking only serve to reinforce everything else I'm doing.
If you are just starting out, the best thing you can do is forget about supplements (with the possible exception of a good multi-vitamin). Train hard, get your diet tight and stay dedicated. You'll see amazing results. As you become more advanced, supplements can help you "polish the diamond", but they are certainly not required.
January 17, 2007
Today is a cardio-only day for me: just 20 minutes of LISS cardio--that's almost a literal walk in the park.
My first two workouts of the week (back & biceps on Monday and chest & triceps on Tuesday) have gone extremely well. I've been ratcheting up the intensity levels of my workouts each week, so I've been pleasantly surprised by the high amount of energy my new cutting diet is providing me. That energy is really helping my performance in the gym.
Speaking of my cutting diet, I've mentioned a couple of times that I'm eating nothing but 100% unprocessed, whole foods. I was reminded by my friend Chris (1FastGTX) that
Egg Beaters are a processed food (albeit very minimally processed--some natural coloring and vitamins). Just to keep things "all natural", I'm going to replace the Egg
Beaters with pure egg whites, which I love just as much as Egg Beaters anyway. Of course protein powder is also a processed food, but that's the only way to make protein powder. It's
not like it grows on a vine...
Semantics aside, I have to say that I've never felt better than I do right now. This is literally the cleanest my diet has ever been in my life, and it's making a big impact in every area: I always feel satiated, my energy levels are high, my performance in the gym has been outstanding, I'm losing fat and keeping my muscle and I feel strong and healthy.
I can't overstate the importance of a proper diet. Your diet should be the #1 priority, regardless of your goals.
With that, I'm off to do my cardio and eat. Have a great day!
January 16, 2007
After a two-week hiatus from my work I'm still pretty far behind, but I made a very nice dent in my workload yesterday. Hopefully there will not be too many interruptions today and I can get even closer to being caught up.
At the end of the work day yesterday it felt great to put all the stress and bother of the day out of my mind and just train. Weight training is one of the best stress releases I know of. Relaxing in front of the TV after a hard day's work may sound tempting, but vegging out is only cathartic on a very superficial level. Weight training makes me feel like a new man: I felt fairly tired and drained before my workout, but by the time it was over I was in a great mood and infused with energy. If you feel like skipping your weight training, ignore those feelings. Just get in there and do it. Give it your all, and I guarantee you're going to feel great when you are done.
If you are trying to lose fat and are not training with weights, you are making a huge mistake. Many people who are trying to lose fat have their priorities backwards, in my opinion. They starve themselves, and when they do eat they use poor food choices. They do too much cardio. They don't train with weights... I believe that diet is the most important aspect of losing fat. Weight training is second most important, and cardio is last. I'm not saying that cardio won't help, or that it's not beneficial--it certainly has it's place--but too many people think cardio is the most important part of losing fat and I honestly believe that the exact opposite is true. If you are trying to lose fat, I suggest that you get your diet in order and get under the iron before you do anything else! The sticky threads in the beginner's forum can help you with these tasks.
January 15, 2007
Hello everyone, I'm back from my two-week vacation! Life being what it is (unpredictable), my time off didn't play out quite as I'd planned, but the break from my usual routine was very nice anyway.
Even though I enjoy occasional vacations, whenever I take them I always miss writing and updating the site each morning. Taking breaks always reaffirms how much updating this site each day and hanging out on the JSF forum means to me. This community has certainly become a very important part of my life.
I stayed true to my word, and didn't stray from my cutting diet or workout plan. I ate each and every meal exactly as planned (here's my 2007 cutting diet food log), and performed every single workout. It took a fair amount of self-discipline to not fall into the "Hey, I'm on vacation!" excuse and indulge. Resisting those temptations has paid off, because now I'm firmly in my "fat loss groove". Once I reach this place there is absolutely no stopping me.
I know some of you can't understand the "all or nothing" attitude that works so well for me. I admit that getting past the first week or two can be difficult, but once I get past the initial hump everything just sort of becomes easier. I'm not saying that there are not temptations or that I never feel like missing a workout or cardio session, but the satisfaction of giving a total effort easily outweighs any temptations that would set my progress back.
I've made good progress so far: I've lost 7.5 pounds, of which probably 4 or 5 pounds is water and the rest is fat. As expected, my muscles have lost a small bit of size (water loss), but I've not lost any strength at all. Complete stats are here.
I hope each and every one of you who are working towards a fitness-related goal are still going strong. Don't give up! Just imagine how much progress you will make and how great you're going to look and feel by summer time if you stay devoted to your program! At this time in 2003 I was a fat, bloated, out of shape couch potato, and by the early summer of 2003 I had a six-pack. I'm not special. Anyone can do it, but you've got to work your tail off to make it happen!
January 2, 2007 - January 14, 2007
No update - on vacation.
January 1, 2007
Even though I'm on vacation, I wanted to do a special update today. It's the start of the New Year, and there will be a lot of new people coming to the site. Also, today is the end of my bulk and the start of my cutting phase.
First off, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I know many of you have made fitness-related resolutions for 2007, and I think that's great! What's not so great is that the majority of people who resolve to lose fat as a new year resolution will fail. You don't have to be one of those people! I believe that people fail for several reasons...
- Starvation diets. These diets are horrible--plain and simple. Don't be tempted by fast results. Not only will you be miserable and feel deprived, you'll lose muscle along with fat. When you go back to eating "normally" you'll put all the weight back on, and you will actually be more fat when you "yo-yo" back to your pre-resolution weight. Why? Your starvation diet burned some of your muscle for energy, and when you resumed your normal eating habits that muscle was replaced with fat. Your body metabolizes considerably more calories to sustain a pound of muscle compared to what it burns to sustain a pound of fat. That means once you lose muscle and go back to what you once were eating to maintain a particular weight, your body no longer needs that amount of calories. That excess energy is stored as fat. This is why you want to preserve your muscle while losing weight. Weight training is an important part of fat loss! Many people ignore this important advice and set themselves up for failure before they even start.
- Lack of knowledge. Most people simply don't know how to lose fat correctly. It's not their fault: most of the crap that is constantly regurgitated in the media is simply dead wrong. For example, I'm still amazed at how many people think they are going to crunch their way to a six-pack. Fad diets are another serious misstep. The "secret" to healthy, sustainable fat loss is not hard! Read on...
- Lack of motivation. Everyone wants to look great, but very few can sustain the motivation to follow through long enough to make it happen. That's where the JSF forum community comes in. I encourage everyone reading this to join the forum and become part of the community. Our members are real people, just like you. Some are total beginners, and some are seasoned veterans. Being part of a community of like-minded individuals is vital for most people who are attempting something difficult, and we're talking about a major life change here!
How much would you pay to have all this information? To finally know the secrets that will allow you to lose fat, gain muscle and have the body of your dreams? To have a support network of caring, friendly and knowledgeable people at your fingertips? Well, you're in luck because you've found John Stone Fitness. If you think it sounds like I'm trying to sell you something, then you are right: I'm trying to sell you on the idea that YOU CAN DO IT and you don't need to spend money on "miracle programs". All the information you need is 100% FREE right here on JSF. Start by reading the informative "sticky threads" in the Beginner's Forum. Feel free to lurk and read, or take part and introduce yourself. To become part of the community, all you have to do is create a free account.
My own transformation is documented in great detail right here on this site. As you can see, I started off in January 2003 and, just like many of you, I wanted to lose fat and get healthy. I lost the fat, and over the past four years my goals have changed and evolved. Lately I've been working hard to add lots of muscle. In fact, I just finished another 4-month "bulking" phase (final bulking stats are below), and now it's time for me to shed the fat I added during my bulk and reveal the new muscle. Over the next 4-5 months I'll be dieting down to my "beach body", and will reach 6% body fat sometime this spring.
Here is my complete 2007 cutting program, and this is my post-bulk analysis and 2007 cutting predictions.
Here are the actual gains I made during my 2006 bulk (all measurements are taken "cold"/unpumped):
| Sep 1, 2006 | Jan 1, 2007 | +/- | |
| Weight (lbs) | 202.4 | 236 | +33.6 |
| Body Fat % | 9% | 14% | +5% |
| Waist | 32" | 36" | +4" |
| Hips | 38.25" | 42" | +3.75" |
| Forearms | 13.5" | 14.25" | +.75" |
| Arms | 17" | 18.25" | +1.25" |
| Thighs | 24" | 28" | +4" |
| Calves | 16.5" | 17.75" | +1.25" |
| Chest | 43" | 46" | +3" |
There was not a lot of change during the 4th month of my bulk. I did add some size to my chest and quads, and a little bit of size to my arms (I'm still just shy of 18.5 inches, and I always round down so I had to put 18.25 inches in as my final arm stat). Nearly 18.5 inch arms for a natural trainee is quite large, so I'm not surprised that my progress has slowed in that area. I made some progress with my delts and traps, too, but I still think the 4th month of bulking was mostly superfluous. Next year if I do another bulk it will be for three months.
So today is the first day of my 2007 cutting phase, and I'm totally stoked! Even though I'm on vacation, I will be eating my strict cutting diet and performing all workouts as scheduled.
I will resume my normal daily updates to this site after my vacation--January 15, 2007. Again, Happy New Year everyone!
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