Daily News Archives
June 2009
06/30/2009 - No update - on vacation.
06/29/2009 - No update - on vacation.
06/28/2009 - No update - on vacation.
06/27/2009 - No update - on vacation.
06/26/2009 - Yay! I'm on vacation!
06/25/2009 - Good workouts this week; Article in "The Globe and Mail"; AtLarge sale!
06/24/2009 - Stall busted!
06/23/2009 - Stalled; Vacation plans.
06/22/2009 - Please, make the cravings STOP!
06/21/2009 - Weekly progress report.
06/20/2009 - Brutal Friday night cravings; Rest.
06/19/2009 - Lisa is sick, I'm trying not to be; Friday!
06/18/2009 - What a week; R.I.P. Chris "Swolecat" Janusz.
06/17/2009 - Stress affecting weight loss; Can't wait for my new computer!
06/16/2009 - Could not eat the roughy; Insane cravings.
06/15/2009 - Two excellent weeks; Bad cravings; July "100 Challenge" open for entry.
06/14/2009 - Another good week of progress.
06/13/2009 - Really sore; Cravings last night.
06/12/2009 - Visible progress; New computer time.
06/11/2009 - I'm in machine mode.
06/10/2009 - Back to work; Mini-goal accomplished; Sick of roughy.
06/09/2009 - Welcome back MASS NUTRITION!
06/08/2009 - The hazardous waters of the weekend are safely behind me.
06/07/2009 - Excellent week of progress!
06/06/2009 - Why temptations make me stronger.
06/05/2009 - Good workout yesterday; Not much of a vacation...
06/04/2009 - Starving; 3 perfect days; Strict vacation is just what I needed.
06/03/2009 - Not a relaxing first day of vacation, but training and diet went great.
06/02/2009 - Legs are toast; Great start, I can't be stopped now.
06/01/2009 - Here I go; June TSM!
June 27, 2009 - June 30, 2009
No update - on vacation.
June 26, 2009
Yay! As of this morning I'm on vacation! I'm off from today through Monday, July 6th. This will be my final update to this site until Monday, July 6th. While I'm off I'll probably continue to make regular updates to my Facebook account, so if you are on there and want to friend me, please feel free to do so. I sometimes talk about fitness stuff on Facebook, but for the most part I try to keep it light and I mostly ramble about random events in my life apart from fitness.
My original plans for this vacation were to migrate all my existing data, settings and programs over to my brand new computer system, and also to re-purpose my old machine as a Windows Home Server. Unfortunately all those plans went right down the drain when Dell failed to ship my machine as promised. I understand--and can handle--unexpected delays, but last week Dell assured me in no uncertain terms that my my machine was built, in testing and would ship on time. Only then did I request my vacation time. Well, two days ago I learned that everything I'd been told was bunk: the truth is that parts are on backorder and my machine was never built at all. Now the machine is scheduled for delivery the day after my vacation ends. Thanks, Dell!
Oh well, the computer thing is out of my control. Instead I'm going to watch movies, maybe take care of some projects around the house, play with Loki, hang out with Lisa and train hard. Even though I'm on vacation my diet and training will continue as planned. No slacking off now!
June 25, 2009
Today is sort of like Friday for me, because it's the last day of work before my vacation! Also, I just found out that my company is giving us Monday, July 6th off for the 4th of July (rather than the expected Friday, July 3rd), so I've got a bonus day tacked on to the end of my vacation as well!
Diet and training have gone very well this week. Yesterday afternoon I banged out an extremely difficult and ultra-intense 16-minute HIIT cardio workout, and today it's back to the iron for my back and biceps training.
I was recently interviewed by Dave McGinn for an article that appeared in today's edition of Canada's largest circulation national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. The article is centered on people who use the Internet as a tool to help them get in shape. You can check out the article here. To those of you who have found this site from the article, welcome! Please make yourself at home, and feel free to join our community. Registration is fast and free. One thing you'll quickly learn as you browse this site and the forums is that anyone (that includes you!) can get in shape.
AtLarge is running a 10% off sale now through Sunday! Details are immediately below...
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AtLarge Nutrition - 10% Off Sale! But you only ran your last sale in May I hear you ask? Yes, it's rare that we run sales so close together, but we figured we'd surprise you and make it an easy choice for you to put in an order in over the next few days. For the next 4 days (now through Sunday, June 28th, 2009) you can save 10% on your order! That discount also applies to shipping charges. Further, the already generous multi-unit discounts are still in effect, so this is your chance to stock up and enjoy a saving! To receive your discount, simply place your order as normal and when you get to the payment information page, you will see a box labeled "Discount Coupon". Simply enter the following coupon code to receive your 10% discount: junesale Your discount will then be clearly shown on the Confirmation page. Whilst you're at it, why not try our brand new Novus Protein bars, they are getting fantastic reviews and contain a whopping 36grams of protein per bar! |
June 24, 2009
Ha! Yesterday I mentioned the cutting stall that I was going through, but this morning I woke up 1.4 pounds lighter than I was yesterday morning. This brings my scale weight down to 204.6 pounds, which is a new low for this cut (by a full pound). As just about anyone who's cut body fat already knows, stalls are very common. The most important advice I can give to you when your progress slows or stops is to not get discouraged! Sometimes an adjustment to your diet and/or training is in order, and sometimes you just need to ride it out. Whatever you do, don't use a stall as an excuse to go off your plan! Stalls can be extremely frustrating, and they can mess with your mind if you let them. I have to admit that last night I was experiencing some of those negative thoughts, and the temptation to go off my diet was certainly there. If I'd given in last night then this morning would have been a very different story. I stuck to my plan, and now the past 6 days have been rewarded with some nice progress.
I'm busy getting things shored up at work so I can (hopefully) enjoy my vacation time, which starts Friday! These past few weeks have been so stressful that sometimes I feel like I'm going to explode. I am really looking forward to some time off...
June 23, 2009
My scale weight has been flat lined for the past six days. It looks like I've entered my first stall of this cut. Stalls are very frustrating because when you are doing everything right it really sucks when you don't see the progress you are working so hard for. That said, stalls are pretty much part of the dieting game. Sometimes the weight will begin to come off again, and sometimes an adjustment is in order. I'll continue for the rest of the week and if my progress remains stalled then I'm pretty sure Mastover will want to make some adjustments to my diet.
Well, my last attempt at a vacation from work (just three weeks ago) failed miserably. I'm going to take another stab at it next week. I was just approved for some more time off (Friday, June 26 through Sunday, July 5). Even after this vacation is over, I still have 5 more vacation days to use by August 1st. I didn't mean to save the vacation days up like that, but it's been tough trying to find a good time to break away from my work. Anyway, last time I was on vacation I didn't take a break from updating this site, but this time I am going to. I really need a break from everything--everything except my diet and training, which I can assure you will continue with a 100% effort while I'm off. My final update to this site will be on Friday, June 26, and my normal daily updates will resume on Monday, July 6th.
June 22, 2009
I have no idea how I made it through the weekend without breaking my diet, but I did. My cravings have been absolutely out of control. Yesterday I was craving popcorn so much that I literally could not stop thinking about it (and whining about it--I can't believe Lisa didn't kill me). At one point I said, "I can't take it anymore! I have to make some popcorn!" I couldn't believe that I'd actually made up my mind to break my diet after three weeks of 100% dedication to my cutting diet. Less than one minute after my decision to go off my diet I reversed it. I knew I was being mentally weak and making excuses, and it really pissed me off. I decided that I was not going to give in.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. I realize that if I had eaten some popcorn yesterday it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to my cut--at least not as an isolated event. The problem is, and I know this about myself, if I had broken my diet it would have made my cravings even stronger, it would have made me mentally weaker and it would have ruined the momentum I've built. Not a real good combination.
Of course I'm not saying that my "all or nothing" style is right for everyone. You really have to know your strengths and weaknesses, and then use those things to your advantage (even if it's not always easy). I really hope after this cut is over I'm able to make some adjustments and learn some new ways of doing things. Even though I'm extremely successful with the whole "all or nothing" approach, it's not much fun at all.
Today is LEG DAY! I can't wait!
June 21, 2009
It's Sunday, and time for my weekly tape measurements, 7-point body fat caliper reading, weigh-in and progress evaluation.
My scale weight this morning is 205.6 pounds, down from last Sunday's weight 207.2 pounds and my starting weight of 215.2 pounds. That's a 1.6 pound loss over the past week, and a grand total scale weight loss of 9.6 pounds since I started 3 weeks ago.
My body fat reading this morning is 12.8% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). This is down from last week's reading of 13.6% and my initial reading of 14.7%. Based on this morning's body fat measurement, I'm presently made up of 26.32 pounds of fat, and 179.28 pounds of lean mass. That means over the past week I've lost 1.86 pounds of fat and gained a small amount of lean mass (likely water and/or body fat measurement variances). My grand total loss over the past three weeks is 5.31 pounds of fat and 4.29 pounds of lean mass (mostly water).
My body fat goal is 8%, so at this point I need need to lose ~38% of my current body fat stores to hit the 8% mark. I have 26.32 pounds of fat, so as of this morning I need to lose an additional ~10 pounds of fat to hit my goal.
My tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) show small reductions at my waist, my hips and thighs, but not quite a quarter of an inch. Last week I had a half-inch drop at my waist and hips, and that seemed quite high for just one week of progress; perhaps my measurements were slightly off last week. It all comes out in the wash.
My complete 2009 cutting diet is here, and my training program is here. If you are interested in obtaining a diet and training program customized just for you and your goals, please contact Mastover.
Lisa is still feeling pretty ill, so there will be no house cleaning today. I'm feeling slightly less than prime, but thankfully whatever she has doesn't seem to be having much of an effect on me.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
June 20, 2009
I was still feeling a little under the weather yesterday evening, and there was a strong temptation to eat so-called "comfort food". My regular diet sounded very unappetizing to me, and my resolve was weak. It's times like last night where my "all or nothing" approach pays off. The only thing that kept me from giving in was my three week streak of being 100% perfect with my diet and training. The momentum I've built did not come easy, and I would have been a fool to squander it. So, I did the right thing: my streak is alive and this morning I'm one step closer to my goals. I'm proud of myself because these past three weeks have been a real challenge for me.
I am feeling pretty good this morning, but Lisa is still feeling sick. The name of the game this weekend (for both of us) is REST! Last week was an extraordinarily stressful and difficult one, and so a couple days off is going to do wonders.
I'll be back tomorrow morning with my weekly progress report, measurements and stats. Until then, enjoy your weekend!
June 19, 2009
Lisa has come down with something and is running a fever. Yesterday I also started to feel progressively worse as the day wore on. I thought about skipping my workout, but ultimately I decided that I didn't feel that bad and that I should train. I wish I could say it was a great workout, but it really wasn't. My energy levels were not too high and it felt forced. Still, I'm glad I got in there and did it! I kept my unbroken streak alive. My diet was also spot-on yesterday. No excuses in machine mode. I just "do".
I slept perfectly last night! I was asleep moments after my head hit the pillow, I didn't wake up even once during the night and I woke up at 5:57 feeling fresh and well-rested. This morning I still feel like I have the beginnings of a cold or something, but I feel better than I did yesterday afternoon. I'm going to do my workout as planned later today, and this weekend I'm simply going to rest and recover. I have not been sick in years, and I'm not going to let this bug get me!
Wow, I'm SO glad it's Friday!
June 18, 2009
This has been one of the most stressful roller coaster weeks I've ever experienced. I don't really want to go into details right now, but I will say that I'm feeling a bit tired and run down this morning. I think the best thing I can do to combat the stress is get in the gym this afternoon and absolutely kill it!
I was saddened to learn that former sponsor Chris "Swolecat" Janusz passed away on June 10th. I know many of you have worked with Chris, and I'm sure you are as shocked by this news as I am. I put some links in the thread I linked to, including a guest book where you can leave your thoughts.
I'm running very late this morning, so I'm going to have to cut this update a little short. Train hard!
June 17, 2009
This week has been so busy and stressful that I think it's having an effect on my weight loss. I'm already down two more pounds since Sunday, and nothing with my diet and training has changed. Hopefully the 2 pounds I've lost over the past 3 days is mostly fat and not lean mass. Even though things have been crazy at work, I've managed to get all my meals in and my training has gone extremely well so far this week!
I can not wait for my new computer system to arrive! I'm so frustrated with the ancient system that I've been sub-existing on since April of 2003. I put off upgrading for so long because it's always such a pain migrating to a new system. It takes forever to get everything installed and set up properly. Anyway, at this point I won't mind doing all that preliminary setup work one bit. Having a machine that responds quickly is going to be such a pleasure. My current system often gets so bogged down that I literally can't do anything for several minutes at a time while the hard drive thrashes.
I'm going to go make breakfast. Thanks for stopping by!
June 16, 2009
Yesterday I went off my planned diet, but it's not what you might be thinking. When I took the Orange Roughy fillet out of the refrigerator, I looked down at it and felt intense disgust. I may have even gagged a little bit. I'm not kidding, I instantly knew there was no way I could eat the fish. I've been forcing the roughy down for the past couple of weeks, but I guess yesterday I reached my breaking point. I didn't really have anything else defrosted, so I decided to eat canned tuna. It was nice to eat without having to go to my happy place. I'm going to have to have Lisa pick up some cod when she goes shopping this weekend. In the meantime I defrosted some shrimp and I have plenty of tuna.
Oh, and let's talk about cravings. Last night I experienced the mother of all cravings. I was pining for pizza like never before. I joked to Lisa, "Ohhhh, let's order pizza for dinner!" She told me to shut up, but she said it in such a way that I know if I'd ordered the pizza she would have been just fine with that. The cravings were so bad that I actually began to find the situation funny. Why? Because I simply won't give in. Dieting, in large part, is nothing more than a mental a game, and it's a game that I happen to be quite good at. No matter how bad the desire for junk food gets, I am stronger--end of story.
Time for breakfast! I hope you have a fantastic day.
June 15, 2009
The past couple of weeks have been fantastic! I'm feeling very positive about my progress so far, and I'm hungry for more. Getting back on track after a lapse is never easy, so I am proud of myself for the recent dedication I've shown. A side-benefit to maintaining a 100% clean diet for the past two weeks is that I have been sleeping like a baby. Salty junk food always destroys my ability to get a good night sleep, so the past couple of weeks have been nice in that respect.
Yesterday afternoon Lisa and I watched some movies, and craving for popcorn was unreal. I think it's so cool that Lisa is eating clean with me--it's really helping. Lisa has dropped a few pounds (it's not like she needed to, but she's happy anyway), and is feeling great. Still, I can't believe she didn't have popcorn yesterday--I know she wanted some! She is really supporting me and showing impressive willpower! We made some microwave popcorn for Loki but, of course, neither of us ate any. Surprisingly it smelled pretty good (I normally can't stand microwave popcorn). I know I'm really craving popcorn when the crappy microwaved stuff smells enticing.
I'm excited about today's leg workout. I feel quite good this morning, and I'm looking forward to the challenge.
I've opened the July "100 Challenge" for entry. Details are immediately below...
Registration for the July 2009 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on July 1, 2009 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the July 2009 "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!
June 14, 2009
It's Sunday, and time for my weekly tape measurements, 7-point body fat caliper reading, weigh-in and progress evaluation.
My scale weight this morning is 207.2, down from last Sunday's weight 209.6 pounds and my starting weight of 215.2 pounds. That amounts to a 2.4 pound loss over the past week, and a grand total scale weight loss of 8 pounds since I started 2 weeks ago. Again, a lot of that initial loss was water, so that's why the total number of pounds I've lost in just two weeks seems high.
My body fat reading this morning is 13.6% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). This is down from last week's reading of 14% and my initial reading of 14.7%. Based on this morning's body fat measurement, I'm presently made up of 28.18 pounds of fat, and 179.02 pounds of lean mass. That means over the past week I've lost 1.16 pounds of fat and 1.24 pounds of lean mass. My grand total loss over the past two weeks is 3.45 pounds of fat and 4.55 pounds of lean mass. Remember two things: water loss comes off the lean mass side of the equation, and body fat calipers are a reasonably accurate way to measure body fat at home, but there is a margin of error.
My body fat goal is 8%, so at this point I need need to lose ~41% of my current body fat stores to hit the 8% mark. I have 28.18 pounds of fat, so as of this morning I need to lose an additional 11.5 pounds of fat to hit my goal.
My tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) show a half inch drop at my waist and my hips, and a quarter inch drop from my thighs! Awesome! My chest actually showed a slight increase in size, but not quite a full quarter of any inch.
My complete 2009 cutting diet is here, and my training program is here. If you are interested in obtaining a diet and training program customized just for you and your goals, please contact Mastover.
This morning I have to clean the house, but this afternoon (after my cardio) I get to hole up in the theater and watch movies until bed time. Enjoy your day, and I'll see you tomorrow!
June 13, 2009
I'm glad I don't have to train for a couple of days because my body needs a break. I've been pushing myself very hard in the gym these past couple of weeks, and I sure am feeling the effects. That's not a complaint - I love muscle soreness. My aching muscles serve as a constant reminder that I'm on a mission and that I'm making progress towards my goal.
I have to admit I was having some cravings last night. Some of my friends on Facebook were talking about their Friday evening meals (everything from pizza to stuffed jalapenos). Reading these posts had my mouth watering and my stomach growling. Of course I never even consider going off my planned diet, but the desire for some junk food was certainly there. This morning I woke up feeling fantastic because I know reaching my goal is a foregone conclusion. At this point I'm unstoppable.
I'm not really sure what I'm going to do today. I've got to go get a haircut this morning, but after that I'm more or less free. I like that feeling!
I'll be back tomorrow with my weekly progress report. Have a great day, and I'll see you then!
June 12, 2009
I'm very excited about taking my measurements and body fat reading this Sunday! When I was looking at my body in the mirror this morning the progress I've made over the past two weeks was clear: my muscles look fuller, and basically my entire body is looking tighter and more defined. I'm still somewhere between 13 and 14 percent body, but these early results provide additional motivation, and even more momentum.
OK, I've absolutely had it with my main computer. It's so old (2.4 GHz Pentium 4/1 GB RAM) that even mundane stuff like browsing the web is incredibly frustrating. I'm going to break down and buy a new computer today before I pull my hair out. I'm so sick of everything being slow that my gut reaction is buy the baddest machine on the planet, but I'm sure once I start looking at prices I'll cool my jets in a hurry. I think the basic specs are going to look something like this: Intel i7-940 CPU @ 2.93Ghz, 12GB Tri-channel DDR3 SDRAM @ 1066Mhz, 2x640GB SATA drives (7200 RPM, 3Gb/s) in a RAID 1 config. That should cure my blues.
Time to shop! Happy Friday!
June 11, 2009
Yesterday when I was preparing my orange roughy and broccoli meal, I was thinking "Oh man, I really don't want to eat this." As hungry as I was, I knew I was going to have to force the meal down. While I was seasoning the fish, I realized something incredibly cool: my brain--even subconsciously--didn't consider the notion of eating something off my planned diet! This is the mental place I love to be in. I call it "machine mode". The reason I call it "machine mode" is because I execute my cutting plan just as a machine would go about its programmed duties - without choice. When I'm in this mental state there is zero chance of deviating from what I'm supposed to do, and that's because that option literally no longer exists in my mind. "All or nothing" works so well for me because it allows me to get to this mental place.
A lot of people say they could never diet down without at least one weekly cheat meal. Those people say that cheat meals help keep them sane, and I totally understand that, but for me cheat meals have the opposite effect: they are what drives me insane. The all or nothing approach is definitely hard at the beginning, but after a couple of weeks it gets so much easier for me. Dietarily speaking I have already crested the hill, and now I'm coasting right along to the finish line. The only thing between me and my goal of 8% body fat is a little more time... oh, and a bunch of brutal workouts! The gym is one place I never coast.
I'm going to get to work now, lots to do. Later today I'll be hitting my back and biceps - can't wait!
June 10, 2009
After a very rocky vacation from work, today I am officially back on the job. Circumstances required me to work while I was on holiday, so I didn't get to relax as much as I'd hoped, but my main goal of getting into "all or nothing" mode for my 2009 cutting program was accomplished. Achieving that mini-goal has me returning to work feeling quite satisfied with how I used my time off. If I had spent my vacation eating junk food and sitting around the house doing nothing it would have been superficially gratifying, but I would feel horrible right now.
So far this week I've had two exceptionally good workouts. Despite being in a caloric deficit my strength continues to increase and I have plenty of energy. Today is a cardio-only day, and I'm going to do 16 minutes of HIIT this afternoon.
I decided yesterday that I'm totally sick of eating orange roughy. I ate so much cod during my 2007 cut (I even had it for breakfast, which I don't really recommend) that I swore I'd never eat it again, however enough time has passed that cod actually sounds pretty appetizing to me. I guess I'll finish up the roughy I have left and when I stock up on proteins at Costco in a couple weeks I'll pick up some cod to finish out my 2009 cut. Macronutrient-wise cod and roughy are pretty much the same.
Don't forget to check out the new JSF sponsor Mass Nutrition for all your national brand supplement needs. The official announcement is immediately below this update.
Well, I'd better get some breakfast in me and get to work. I've got a lot of catching up to do today. See you tomorrow!
June 9, 2009
Some of you may recall that Mass Nutrition was a sponsor here in 2006; this morning I'm excited to welcome them back!
A brief backstory is in order here...
As most of you know, I've always strived to select sponsors that are the absolute best at what they do, and I personally endorse each and every one of them. While some amount of product overlap among our sponsors is unavoidable, I've also taken great care to choose sponsors that don't directly compete with one another. Until 2006, JSF never had a full-line, national brand supplement sponsor. Prior to 2006 I'd been approached by quite a few full-line supplement shops that wanted to sponsor JSF, but I always refused the offers. The reason I refused those offers is because I was trying (unsuccessfully, as it were) to get Mass Nutrition to come aboard.
I started purchasing from Mass Nutrition all the way back in 2005 because their prices were the lowest I could find anywhere. I continued to purchase from them because their customer service, shipping times, shipping rates and prices are the best I've ever seen.
Once I realized how good Mass Nutrition was, I approached them about becoming a JSF sponsor. Keep in mind that Mass Nutrition is the ONLY JSF sponsor I've ever approached "cold" - I was that impressed with them. When I first contacted them about a possible JSF sponsorship, they were already involved in a number of advertising campaigns, and politely refused my invitation. I continued to order from them, and continued to let them know the door was always open...
In 2006 Mass Nutrition finally accepted my offer, and they were a sponsor here for almost a year. They did a great job, but towards the end of their time here they were absolutely overwhelmed with orders and unable to provide the fast shipping times that we'd all come to expect from them. They did the honorable thing, and gracefully bowed out while they worked on the problems...
... which brings us to the present. Over the past three years Mass Nutrition has completely streamlined their operation, and they also moved to a brand new warehouse (they still have two physical storefronts in the Miami area as well). Most of the thousands of products they stock now ship within 24 hours.
Here's what you're going to like about Mass Nutrition:
- Lowest prices around
- Huge selection (thousands of products in stock and ready to ship)
- Great Customer Service (toll-free order line, and you can email or call for speedy, courteous customer service)
- Orders can be placed online, by phone or by fax
- Long hours (Monday-Friday 9:00am - 7:00pm , and Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm EST)
- All major credit cards are accepted, as well as money order, checks or Western Union
- FREE Shipping via UPS Ground on orders of $199 or more in the continental US
- UPS Next Day, 2nd Day, and 3-Day Select shipping are available
- International shipping is not a problem
- Most in-stock orders are shipped within 24 hours
Mass Nutrition is the place to shop for all your national brand supplement needs! Please give them a try, and then take a few moments to post your thoughts in the Mass Nutrition official review and discussion thread on the forum.
June 8, 2009
The weekends are where I typically relax my diet a bit, so I knew this weekend was going to present some challenges now that I'm being 100% strict with my diet. I'm happy to report that I made it through the weekend without deviating from my planned cutting diet. I believe this is the first week since my 2008 bulk ended in which I did not have any kind of "cheat" meal or snack. It took a fair amount of self-discipline to watch movies up in the theater without my beloved tub of popcorn, but I did it. I'm so glad that Lisa is being strict with her diet right now, because if she'd made popcorn the smell likely would have driven me mad! Poor Loki, though. Loki's favorite food in the whole world is popcorn, and he has become accustomed to enjoying some with us while we watch movies on the weekend. He was very upset when we did not fire up the popcorn machine. Lisa had the great idea to buy some microwave popcorn (which has zero appeal to me) so that we could still give Loki some popcorn on movie days (Loki is not cutting right now).
On tap for today is my leg workout, and the second-to-last day of my vacation. I'm very excited about training this afternoon: I feel really good this morning, and I think it's going to be an excellent workout! Hopefully nothing that requires my attention will go wrong at work, and I'll finally be left alone for a couple of days.
Train hard, and have a great day!
June 7, 2009
It's Sunday, and time for my weekly tape measurements, 7-point body fat caliper reading, weigh-in and progress evaluation. Now that I've eliminated my weekly "cheat" meal from my cutting plan, this will be the first time in quite a while that I'm taking these measurements with very little water retention.
My scale weight this morning is 209.6, down from last week's weight 215.2 pounds. A 5.6 pound scale weight loss over the past week is about what I expected. Most of that was water weight. Let's see what the caliper has to say...
My body fat reading this morning is 14.0% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). This is down from last week's reading of 14.7%. Based on this morning's body fat measurement, I'm presently made up of 29.34 pounds of fat, and 180.26 pounds of lean mass. That means over the past week I've lost 2.29 pounds of fat and 3.31 pounds of lean mass. Of course water is considered lean mass, so that's the reason for the lean mass drop. I'm happy with this progress.
My body fat goal is 8%, so at this point I need need to lose ~43% of my current body fat to hit the 8% mark. I have 29.34 pounds of fat, so as of this morning I need to lose an additional 12.5 pounds of fat to hit my goal. I think I've probably got another 8 weeks of cutting in front of me, perhaps a bit longer when accounting for stalls.
My tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) show a quarter inch drop at my waist and my hips. My arm measurement actually increased to just over 17" (cold/flexed). All my stats can be found on the stats page.
Yesterday I was upstairs in the theater lobby, and as I walked by the popcorn machine I flipped the bird. Silly? Definitely. It still felt good.
Enjoy your Sunday - see you tomorrow!
June 6, 2009
I woke up this morning feeling very pleased about my effort over the past week: I put together a string of four extremely intense workouts, and my diet was 100% spot-on. I started off this week with the aim of getting myself back into the "all or nothing" mindset that I require to reach my target of 8% body fat, and I very much feel that I have succeeded.
While I'm off to a solid start, I can not allow myself to become complacent. There's a lot of work left to be done, and there will be many challenges, cravings and other potential pitfalls in the weeks that lie ahead. For example, right now I'm craving popcorn like you would not believe. Saturday is a day I normally relax and watch a movie up in the theater while munching on popcorn. While there's no problem with that when I'm maintaining, there's no place for movie theater popcorn while I'm working towards single digital body fat.
You might be wondering why I torture myself by watching my popcorn video at times like these. I'm telling you, I seem to get off on making things as challenging as possible. I think it's my stubborn nature: if I feel like I'm being pushed, then I'm compelled to push back even harder. I can't help it. So, when I watch that popcorn video I feel like it's saying, "Ha! You can not resist me!" and I'm like, "Oh yeah, screw you - watch me."
Well, I hope you enjoyed that brief, but terrifying, trip into my twisted psyche.
I think I'm going to get out in the yard this morning and do some work. I don't feel like sitting around the house today, and the plants are about due for their early summer fertilization. I hope you enjoy your Saturday! I'll be back tomorrow with my weekly measurements and progress update. See you then!
June 5, 2009
From a diet and training standpoint, yesterday was stellar! All meals eaten as planned, and I had an incredible back and biceps workout. Making my vacation week into a "get back on track fitness week" was the smartest thing I could have done. At this point I feel like I'm back on track and hitting my stride again. This weekend will be a challenge, as that's typically when I relax my diet a bit. There's a zero percent chance that I'll stray from my planned diet, but I don't expect it to be a walk in the park, either.
I sure haven't had much rest and relaxation. In fact, so far this has been one of the worst "vacations" I've ever had. With the exception of just one day, I've been interrupted by work in some form or fashion every single day thus far. Yesterday some bad storms ripped through the area, and caused all kinds of problems on the networks I'm responsible for. I wound up working from late afternoon until bedtime, and this morning I'm working to mop up the remaining problems. I actually feel more stressed now than I did before I started my vacation. When the expectation of being free from work is not realized, it's very frustrating. At least that's how I initially felt. Then I took a step back and said, "Dude, at least you have a job. Shut up." That put things in perspective. Still, I really would like some time to chill...
Happy Friday everyone!
June 4, 2009
I woke up this morning feeling as if I were starving to death! Thankfully today is back/biceps day, and that is the one day of the week I get enjoy a little extra food (complete cutting diet can be found here). I can't wait to tear into my roasted red potatoes and egg whites.
Yesterday was another excellent momentum building day! All my meals were eaten on plan and on time, and I got my cardio in. I also was not bothered by work, so it was a much more relaxing day than the first day of my vacation turned out to be.
This is quite a departure from how I normally spend my vacations. Typically when I'm on holiday I don't update this site, I indulge in foods that I normally would not eat and I also like to enjoy drinks on most evenings. I think my decision to do pretty much the exact opposite of my normal vacation "routine" was a very wise choice this time around. I am feeling empowered by how strict I've been this week, and I can already tell that this discipline is (as I suspected) exactly what I need right now.
I have a feeling that when I return to work next Wednesday I'm going to feel much more relaxed and at peace than I would have if I'd spent my week off drinking and eating junk food. It really helps to be in tune to your body and mind - even (especially) if they are telling you that it's time to take the more difficult path.
My legs and chest are still very, very sore. Thankfully that soreness won't affect today's back/biceps workout (well, for the most part--my legs will protest the backyard Farmers Walks). Anyway, I'm really looking forward to another day of rest punctuated by an absolutely brutal training session this afternoon.
I'd better get my breakfast going before I chew my own arm off. Have a great day!
June 3, 2009
Yesterday I had a number of interruptions from work (I'm supposed to be on vacation), which left me feeling pretty irritated. I finally had to remind my boss that UM, I'M ON VACATION! I showed incredible restraint and resisted the ridiculously strong urge to include a literal definition of the word "vacation" in my email to him. Anyway, by the end of the day I was really craving a drink, but I again showed restraint and did not falter. The first few days of working into a new, ultra-strict routine are always the hardest.
As for my diet and training, it was once again 100% on-point: no meals missed, no food off my planned diet and my workout (pecs) was outstanding!
Cravings suck, but if you look at them as mini-challenges then--in a sorta perverse way--they are almost fun. I always feel so proud of myself when I wake up in the morning knowing that the day before I stuck to my plan and triumphed over the desire to do something that would take me further away from my goal instead of closer to it. Each time that happens I grow a little stronger and a little more confident. Here's that word again: momentum.
My legs are so sore this morning that I can barely walk. I decided to switch things up a bit and substituted 45 minutes of LISS cardio for my planned HIIT cardio. My sore legs played some part in this decision, but I was in the mood for a longer cardio session. I think the switch was a good choice for today.
Boss, if you are reading this: you know I love ya, but please leave me alone today! 
June 2, 2009
Yesterday was one of the longest and busiest work days I've had in a long, long time. Everyone knew I was starting my vacation today, so of course I was bombarded with last minute requests. In addition, there were all kinds of little problems and issues that really slowed me down.
Despite the incredibly busy day, I ate all six meals on time and had what was easily my best leg workout of the entire year. When I went into the gym I was totally focused and ready for war. The more it hurt, the harder I pushed. It was almost like I was punishing myself for slacking off the past few months. A couple hours after my workout I had to go upstairs to get something, and my legs were still shaking so badly that I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top. This morning my quads, hamstrings and glutes are all screaming in pain. My lower body is scorched: mission accomplished and job well done.
So day #1 is done, and I feel very good about it. When I get into my "all or nothing" mode, I try not to look past the present too much. If you think thoughts like, "Oh, I've got to go three entire months without missing a meal, going off my diet or skipping a workout!" it can seem difficult and overwhelming. I prefer to take things one day at a time, using the previous days' success as motivation and as a momentum builder. I know I talk a lot about momentum, but that's because it's so very important. Once you start to build momentum it makes it so much easier to move forward because you want to keep the streak alive. I know I'm only on day #2 right now, but I can already feel the power building in me. I've done this so many times before that when I get to this mental place I know I simply can not fail.
I'M ON VACATION!! I'm looking forward to some rest and relaxation, but around 12:30 PM I'm going to head into the gym and hit my pecs so hard that my legs will feel like they got off light.
Have a great day everyone!
June 1, 2009
Today is an important day for me. First and foremost, it's the first day of my ultra-strict cutting diet. Believe me, I'm 100% mentally prepared to do whatever it takes to see this through until I hit my goal of 8% body fat. I will not eat so much as one bite of food that is not on my planned cutting diet, and I will not miss any workouts for any reason (short of an injury).
Today is the final day of work before I start my vacation. I'm using this time off to get re-focused on my diet and training, and basically to kick things into high gear. Sure, I'll relax and have some fun, but there will be no cheat meals, no alcohol and no slacking when it comes to my training. Also, unlike most of my vacations, I will be updating this page daily. I need to stay focused on fitness, and doing these updates helps in that regard.
You know how sometimes you just need a break from training? Well right now I feel completely opposite of that. What I'm craving right now are some of the most intense and brutal workouts my gym has ever seen. I can't wait to tear into my leg workout this afternoon. If I don't crawl out of that gym on my hands and knees then I didn't work hard enough!
I have a ton of work to get done today, but before I sign off I want to remind everyone to check out the June Transformation Spotlight of the Month. Ronn's story is an inspiring one, and I know you're going to enjoy his interview. Details are immediately below this update.
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