Daily News Archives

March 2005

 

03/31/2005 - Tuna turned out great; Vacation plans.
03/30/2005 - Tilapia, Tuna, Catfish and Orange Roughy.
03/29/2005 - I need a vacation; JSF shop to close?
03/28/2005 - Overslept again.
03/27/2005 - I got some sleep; Cutting progress update; House projects.
03/26/2005 - I need sleep.
03/25/2005 - No JSF Summer Gatherings this year.
03/24/2005 - Early cheat meal, but no water weight gain?
03/23/2005 - Overslept!
03/22/2005 - All areas of forum opened to everyone; Water loss.
03/21/2005 - JSF Gear Online Store Grand Opening; Cutting progress update.
03/20/2005 - JSF Gear Review.
03/19/2005 - JSF Gear review not done; Yet another cheat meal musing.
03/18/2005 - Got my gear; Getting motivated and dealing with excuses.
03/17/2005 - My JSF Gear should be here today; Another pound lost.
03/16/2005 - Weight down, waist down, thighs down, arms up!
03/15/2005 - Running late - very short update.
03/14/2005 - Missed a meal yesterday; Cheat meal hurts my cutting progress.
03/13/2005 - Moving my strength training workout time permanently.
03/12/2005 - Pizza last night; JSF Gear update/beta testers needed; Today's workout.
03/11/2005 - Week-by-week cutting progress report.
03/10/2005 - Official "JSF Gear" shop now open for beta testing!
03/09/2005 - Moved workout time; Signed deal with new strength training equipment sponsor.
03/08/2005 - Next year's bulking focus; JSF Gear update.
03/07/2005 - Trying to shake off a cold.
03/06/2005 - I quit smoking weed 2 years ago today.
03/05/2005 - Down to 10% body fat.
03/04/2005 - A quick Friday "hello!"
03/03/2005 - Verbal agreement reached with major new sponsor; Fat is flying off!
03/02/2005 - Yesterday's update; New strength training equipment sponsor on the horizon?
03/01/2005 - Monthly photos are up; Welcome our newest sponsor - All Sports Nutrition!

 

March 31, 2005

Tuna steaks may be my new favorite fish! Last night's Yellowfin tuna was the first time I've ever had "real" tunafish. It was incredible - nothing like what comes in a can. I marinated the steaks in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, fresh chopped garlic, ground pepper, and dry mustard. After they marinated for about an hour, I broiled the steaks for about 5 minutes on each side. I'll adjust the cooking time a bit next go around, as the steaks were a tad dry. The taste, though, was out of this world!

Things are looking good for a mid-April vacation! I am planning to take April 9th through the 17th off from work. I will probably also take that time off from updating the site. I need some time away from the normal day-to-day routine. I'll be around, though.

Time to get on the elliptical. Have a swell day.

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March 30, 2005

Lisa and I are kind of burnt out on shrimp and salmon, so we're trying some new seafood this week. Monday I made blackened Tilapia and it was excellent! That was the first time I've had Tilapia, and I thought it was a very good fish. Very healthy, too. Blackening seafood is a smoky affair: I had to open up a bunch of windows and the back door and the house still filled with smoke, but it was worth it! I'll have to try blackening on the grill next time. Tonight I'm making Yellowfin Tuna steaks. I don't know how I'm going to prepare them yet, but it should be wonderful. Next week I'm going to try some Catfish and Orange Roughy.

Have a great Wednesday. As always, thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya tomorrow!

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March 29, 2005

I need a vacation. I've been involved in a number of difficult (yet rewarding!) projects for the past few months and the pace has been relentless. I've been working 55-60 hours per week just on my day job, and another 20 hours per week doing JSF projects. I'm feeling totally burned out and badly in need of some down time to recharge my batteries. It's time to pause and take a few breaths! If I can convince my boss on such short notice, I may take a week off sometime in April. We'll see!

When the idea of setting up a JSF merchandise shop was first mentioned to me, I was concerned that it would not be worthwhile. Friends of mine who run large sites/forums said that they wound up taking a bath on merchandise, despite seemingly large advance demand. Unfortunately, I think they were right. The JSF stuff is just not selling. Since I officially opened the store over a week ago there's only been one order, and it was for 1 button and 1 magnet. I'll keep the shop open for another month, but I'm probably going to close it if sales don't pick up considerably.

Have a wonderful day! :)

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March 28, 2005

I guess I'm still catching up on my sleep, because I overslept by almost two hours this morning. The dogs didn't even wake me up to feed them at 7:00 AM, so obviously the world is ending today (Loki and Turtle have internal feeding clocks that rival the accuracy of atomic clocks). I'm still half asleep, but I'd better go get on the elliptical while I have time. Have a great day!

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March 27, 2005

I slept like a dead man last night, and boy did I needed it. I went to bed at 10:30 last night and slept until 8:00 this morning. I woke up once, but fell right back asleep. I'm still feeling a little run down and groggy this morning, but nothing like I have the past few days.

Another week, and another quarter of an inch off my waist and thighs! I remember when I was losing weight the first time I reached a point around this body fat level where the weight was just flying off my mid-section and thighs. Unfortunately no matter what I do I always have some amount of fat just below my belly button, so the goal is to minimize that as much as possible without sacrificing lean mass. I'll probably be at 9% body fat by this time next week, or shortly after

Spring is definitely here! Lisa and I have about a thousand things to do in the yard today. Actually, we're going to do a lot of major fixing up projects over the next few months. I'll post some before/after pictures in a few months when we're done.

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March 26, 2005

I've got so much going on in my life right now (mostly very positive stuff) that I've had trouble sleeping the past few days. I've been having trouble falling asleep, and then I've been waking up around 4:00 AM and can't fall back asleep. It's amazing how active my mind is at four in the morning! I've got a bag of mental tricks that I use to help me fall asleep quickly if I wake up in the middle of the night and they have always served me well, but they just are not working right now. For three days in a row I've had just 4-5 hours of sleep each night, and the lack of sleep is starting to take its toll. This morning I'm feeling tired and run down. I hate the feeling of not having enough sleep... "everything is a copy of a copy of a copy." Tonight I'm going to take a warm shower right before bed and focus on shutting my mind down (that has never been a problem... ;))

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March 25, 2005

Sorry everyone, I just can't make the JSF Summer Gathering happen this year. Due to a couple different issues that are up in the air, I simply can't commit to a date this far out. I'd hate to plan the whole thing and then have to back out at the last minute, and that's a very real possibility. I probably won't have a good idea of when I could do it until mid-June, and obviously that's just not going to work.

The annual cheat meal is still on for February 18, 2006 so you can ink that date in. Maybe we'll do something to extend that event to an all-day thing.

I've been delaying announcing this because I was hoping to be able to work something out, but it's just not possible. We'll shoot for something big in summer 2006!

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March 24, 2005

I was working late last night and didn't have time to cook, so I had my weekly cheat meal 2 days early. I'm surprised that I only gained 2 tenths of a pound in water weight. That's never happened before after a bunch of pepperoni pizza; I always gain 2-4 pounds the day after a big cheat meal. Weird! Maybe my scale just sucks. :)

I've got to be at my desk by 8:15 this morning, so I'd better get on the elliptical. Have a great day!

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March 23, 2005

Ack, I slept in this morning without meaning to. I went to bed at 10:00 last night with the goal of getting up at 6:00 this morning, but I wound up sleeping until 7:00! It's been raining really hard all night, and I guess the sound of the rain and the dark skies fooled my internal clock (I never set an alarm). I'd better get on the elliptical while I still have time. Have a great day!

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March 22, 2005

The main section of the forums ("Main Fitness Forums") have always been open to all users, even unregistered users (visitors). The lower forums ("Other Forums"), have always required a free account to view the posts. As of this morning, I've decided to open the entire forum up to all users, even those who are not members. Of course you'll still need to be a registered user to post, but the entire forum is now available for reading by all. That said, becoming a member is fast, free and easy and I hope after viewing the forums most visitors will decide to become members! I can't promise that I'll keep the forums like this forever, so it's best to create an account if you like what you see. Enjoy!

I stepped on the scale this morning and was surprised to find that I weigh 4 pounds less than I did yesterday morning. I knew I was still holding some water from Friday night's pizza, so yesterday I drank about 2 gallons of water to help flush my system out. It seems to have worked very well! The last time my weight was this low was back on November 25, and I was at a higher body fat percentage then.

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March 21, 2005

You asked for it, and now you've got it: Today is the grand opening of the JSF Gear Online Store! Here are a couple coupon codes to help save you a few bucks:

Save $4.00 on a $35+ purchase: SPRING35 (offer good until 3/31/2005).
Save $3.00 on a $30+ purchase: 3CPSALE (offer good until 3/29/2005).

Please post your thoughts and reviews in the Official JSF Gear Review and Discussion Thread. I reviewed over a dozen of the products yesterday, and I am very pleased with the overall quality of the merchandise. My review can be found here.

Don't forget: a portion of the money from every item sold goes directly to supporting this site and the forums. Our supporting members and visitors help keep this site and the forums 100% free, so thanks!

Now, on to a cutting cycle update. This past week I lost another quarter of an inch off my waist, hips and thighs! Now that my body fat is getting closer to single digits, I'm starting to see more rapid reduction from my mid-section. My mid-section is the first place I store fat, and the last place I lose it. My abs will start to become much more defined over the next month or two as I shed away the last 8-10 pounds of fat.

I'd better get on the elliptical. It's going to be a crazy day at work, I can feel it...

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March 20, 2005

Okay, here's what I ordered from the JSF store, and my initial impressions of each product. Overall I'm very happy with everything, and I expect that the products I did not order will be of a similar quality.

JSF Buttons & JSF Magnets: These are basically the same item: the button has a concave back with a integrated safety pin while the magnet has a flat back with a large magnet affixed to it. The front side on both are glossy and the printing is well-protected under the clear plastic. The logo is well-rendered, white on a blue background. The URL on the initial design was too small (my fault), so I redesigned it with a couple of larger URLs that circle the logo.

JSF License Plate Frame: This is a nice piece. It's made from chromed steel, and the custom artwork is printed on what seems to be tough vinyl stickers (white lettering on black background). I tried picking at the edge of the sticker and it didn't come up at all. I have it on my car and it looks great! I'm very happy with this one.

JSF Bumper Sticker: The print quality on the bumper sticker is excellent. The logo and the lettering are all printed clearly (white on blue) and look great. The finish is a semi-gloss. One member felt the sticker was a little "papery", but I think it feels like any other bumper sticker I've touched. I'm sure others will chime in with their thoughts! Only time will tell how well they stand up to the elements.

JSF Large Mug: This is a great mug! It's big and sturdy, and the printing seems to be of very high quality. The ink almost seems to be under the glaze - you can't feel it if you run your hand over the surface. I tried to smear it by rubbing it under water at it didn't mar at all. There are a couple of designs from which to choose (I added a new design this morning).

JSF Mouse Pad: Again, excellent printing job! The printing seems "built-in" to the mouse pad. It's not raised up at all. The logo and lettering are in white on a blue background. I'm very happy with this piece.

JSF Golf Shirt: This is a typical pre-shrunk, 100% cotton golf shirt by Anvil. Good looking buttons. The logo and lettering are printed clearly. I ordered a large and it fits perfectly. The sleeves are tight around my arms, but not too tight.

JSF T-Shirt: This is a Hanes 100% cotton T-shirt. I was very happy with the quality of the screening. I have not ironed it, but another member ironed his and said it is totally iron-safe. I like that there is no itchy tag in the back - the care instructions and Hanes logo are printed directly on the inside of the shirt.

JSF Sleeveless T, JSF Baseball Jersey: These are both 100% pre-shrunk cotton shirts by Anvil. I got the "XL" size because I like my shirts big. They both fit me very well (a little large, as I intended) and the print quality/screening is consistent with everything else I bought.

JSF Thong, JSF Jr. Baby Doll T-shirt, JSF Jr. Spaghetti Tank, JSF Jr. Raglan: These are all 100% cotton, made in the USA by ClassicGirl. Lisa said everything fit perfectly. The print quality/screening is excellent on all items. Lisa wore the Jr. Raglan out yesterday, and one of her employees noticed the distinctive logo on the shirt right away and started asking her questions about it. Lisa's employee said she wants a shirt, even though she has never heard of this site and doesn't even workout - yet! Too cool!

I'll be opening the store officially tomorrow, but I feel comfortable recommending the products if you want to start ordering now. Of course there is a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you can order with confidence. The JSF GEAR link is on the left! Here are a few coupon codes to kick things off:

Save $4.00 on a $35+ purchase: SPRING35 (offer good until 3/31/2005).
Save $3.00 on a $30+ purchase: 3CPSALE (offer good until 3/29/2005).

Please post your thoughts/reviews in the Official JSF Gear Review and Discussion Thread.

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March 19, 2005

Yesterday was a busy workday, and I didn't have time to write my full review of the JSF Gear. I'll try to work on it today, but I've got to work again today and I have no idea how much free time I'll have. Hopefully I can get my work done this morning and can take this afternoon off to work on some JSF stuff. I have checked everything over carefully, and I'm very happy with the quality of the products. The JSF store will officially open on Monday!

So last week I was talking about how badly cheat meals seems to derail my progress. I had a cheat meal last Friday night and then this week I still lost over 2 pounds. Maybe I'm over-reacting to the water weight gain. Looking at it logically, it takes 3,500 calories to make a pound of fat. Assuming that my entire cheat meal (pizza + wine) is metabolized to fat (it's not), that still only equals a little over a half pound of fat. That's nothing. So, with these facts in mind, I proceed in the name of science (;)) to have a cheat meal last night. I gotta say, I did the whole deprivation thing when I was first losing fat back in 2003 and it worked for me - I think I needed to experience that amount of extreme discipline back then. These days, though, it doesn't make sense: I'm already at 10% body fat and still losing weight. Skipping my weekly cheat meal is just pure torture. I look forward to my Friday cheat meals a lot... and, damn it, I earn them! I eat clean all the time, and if I can't have one guilt-free cheat meal per week, then I'm just being bull-headed. Of course, being the capricious bastard that I am, I may change my mind again by this time next week. ;)

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March 18, 2005

I received all my JSF merchandise yesterday and everything looks great! I'll try to have a more detailed review with pictures up by tomorrow, and I'll officially open the store this Monday.

I'm running late this morning and I really don't feel like doing my cardio at all. When I feel like skipping my cardio, here's a little trick I use to help get me motivated: I stop thinking about it and just get off my lazy ass and do it. No excuses. Period. Ok, so maybe that wasn't too helpful, but that's really what I do. :)

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March 17, 2005

I'm expecting my first JSF Gear order to arrive today - I can't wait! I ordered over a dozen different products, and I'll post my full review tomorrow or Saturday. If I'm happy with the overall quality of the products then I'll officially open the store this Monday. One JSF Gear beta tester, "vatechguy", already received his stuff and was pleased with the quality of the shirt and especially pleased with the quality of the screen. In fact, he said he ironed over the screen and it's iron-safe. That's great news! First reports on the bumper stickers are iffy (they seem to be a little "papery"), at least for outdoor use. I'll give more details in my review.

Again, if you are interested in helping to beta test the JSF merchandise, you can place your order at the Official JSF Gear Store. Here's a coupon code to get you started: "3CPSALE" will get you $3.00 off a purchase of $30.00 or more. Offer good from March 15 - March 29.

I didn't lose any weight last week, but I think I must have lost some fat and was just retaining water. This morning I'm suddenly down another whole pound. That's 2 pounds in 2 days, putting me at my lightest weight in many months, 195.8 pounds. It's so weird to weigh almost 200 pounds and still be fairly cut up. My top 4 abs are really starting to pop now, and my bottom 2 abs are starting to peak through. My vascularity and arm definition have increased significantly over the past few weeks. It's going to be a great summer! :)

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March 16, 2005

I'm down to 196.8 pounds this morning, and I've lost another quarter of an inch off my waist and my thighs. Oddly enough, my arms have grown a bit - they are a couple tenths of an inch over 16 inches (cold). I suppose my increased arm size could be the creatine, but I've been taking it for several weeks now, so my muscles are probably already fully saturated. Anyway, it's always wonderful when the right measurements are going up, and the right ones are going down. :)

Work is kicking my butt this week. Unless I want to be toiling away at 8:00 tonight, I'd better get it in gear. Have a great day and, as always, thanks for visiting!

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March 15, 2005

I'm really running late this morning, and I don't have time for much of an update today. Sorry!

Have a great day!

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March 14, 2005

Yesterday I was out with Lisa and didn't make it back home in time for lunch. I didn't want to eat out, so I wound up eating my mid-day meal late. Then I missed my afternoon meal because I just wasn't hungry. It's not that big of a deal, and I only mention it so I don't get a dozen emails asking me why I only ate 1,500 calories yesterday. ;)

For the first time in about a month I didn't lose any weight this week. This is also the first week in like a month that I ate a cheat meal. Coincidence? Maybe, but I seriously doubt it. I know that a lot of people feel a cheat meal won't hurt their progress, and for many that's definitely true. However, after over 2 years of carefully scrutinizing my diet and how my body responds to food, I think I know myself pretty well. There is little doubt in my mind that FOR ME cheat meals have a negative effect on my cutting progress. When I'm maintaining I have no problem with cheat meals, but when I'm cutting they just kill my progress.

Time for cardio - have a great day!

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March 13, 2005

Yesterday I performed my strength training workout just before noon instead of my normal 8:00 AM workout time. It was an excellent workout! I felt much stronger and far more energetic than usual. I've always done all my workouts first thing in the morning with good results, but I would never have much of a meal beforehand because I knew it would just wind up on the floor. I'd usually just have a small bowl of cereal and a couple pieces of toast, or nothing at all. That's not a lot of food to fuel an intense workout, and I always knew that what I was doing was not optimal. From now on I'm going to do my strength training workouts mid-day instead of first thing in the morning. Schedule-wise it's going to be more difficult for me to train at this new time, but I'll work it out.

I'm taking the day off from everything - I need it!

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March 12, 2005

I've been really strict with my cutting diet and have made some excellent progress lately, so last night I decided to treat myself to a full-on "cheat" meal. I indulged in a few slices of pepperoni pizza and a couple of beers. It sure was good! I'm not even that bloated this morning - just about 1.5 pounds of water weight. That meal was just what I needed to get me through the next 2 months. Now it's back to business...

As you may know, the JSF Gear online shop is now open for beta testing. A lot of changes have taken place over the last couple of days based on member feedback. The shop now has over 60 products available for purchase, and a couple of terrific new designs featuring the JSF "flex" logo. There's no way I can order all the products and check them out personally, so if you want to be one of the first to order you may do so here. Once I receive my large order and the beta testers report in, I'll open the shop "officially".

I want to thank everyone who made suggestions and offered their valuable advice. Special mention goes to "Duckman" (Sverre) and "causticmuse" (Maggie). Sverre is the one who did the original web site re-design and who's company came up with the JSF "flex" logo. Without his efforts this site would still be in the stone age (and logo-less!) Maggie took the original JSF "flex" logo and incorporated it into what became the two main logo designs currently used on all the products. Maggie was also the guiding hand for many of the current product designs, especially the women's attire. There are still a number of excellent new product suggestions that I have not yet had time to implement, so watch for those! I continue to welcome your ideas. Please post them in this thread. Beta testers should also post their product reviews in that thread. Thanks!

I'm going to train mid-day today instead of this morning. I'm trying this new timing for a few weeks to see how I like it. Tuesday's workout went well, but nothing ground-breaking. We'll see how today goes!

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March 11, 2005

I'm feeling pretty good about my current post-bulk cutting program. I finally seem to have settled into a "perfect" balance of calories, macronutrients and training. My fat loss has been pretty steady, and my strength/muscle size is staying constant. Here's a week-by-week breakdown of my cutting program, starting January 1, 2005:

Week 1: -5.4 pounds (a lot of water weight there)
Week 2: -1.2 pounds
Week 3: -1.4 pounds
Week 4: -1.2 pounds
Week 5: +1.2 pounds (hey, it happens!)
Week 6: -2.4 pounds
Week 7: +1.0 pound
Week 8: -2.0 pounds
Week 9: -1.4 pounds
Week 10: -2.0 pounds
Week 11 (in progress): -1.2 pounds (so far)

My total weight loss since January 1, 2005 is 16 pounds. I have about another 7-10 pounds to go, which should take another couple months. It's a long, slow cut but it's worth it because I seem to be retaining most of the muscle I gained from my bulk.

I'm going to go jump on the elliptical and get to work. I'm going to try and bail out a little early today and get a jump on the weekend - I've got a lot of JSF work to do!

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March 10, 2005

Yesterday evening I completed the Official "JSF Gear" product line, got the e-shop all setup and opened it for beta testing. If you are a forum member and want to help try out some of the products and then provide your feedback, you can find out how to access the beta shop here. I have placed an order for a quite a few of the products so that I can personally evaluate them, but I have not yet received my order. I fully expect the quality to be excellent and the print designs to come out just as they show online, but please understand that I can't yet personally vouch for any of this until I receive my order and feedback from the other beta testers starts to roll in. As soon as I get my order and start to get some positive feedback, I'll open the shop to everyone. Thanks for your support - enjoy!

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March 9, 2005

Yesterday I decided to try doing my weight training workout just before lunch instead of first thing in the morning. It worked out pretty well, but I can't say I felt any stronger or more energetic than normal. I managed a few extra dumbbell and concentration curls, and I lost a rep on my barbell curls (as compared to last week.) It was a good workout, though - my biceps, back and forearms are killing me this morning! I think I'm going to continue doing my strength training workouts later in the day for a few more weeks and see how I like it.

Speaking of strength training, I'm happy to report that JSF and the new strength training equipment sponsor I eluded to last week signed a deal yesterday! Of course the deal won't be complete until I get the actual equipment in my gym and evaluate it for myself. As you probably know, I refuse to promote or endorse products that I don't personally use, and I'm certainly not going to put my name behind anything sight unseen. This strict policy ensures that when you buy from one of our sponsors, you can do so with confidence. Based on the many positive reviews and the personal testimonials I've seen, I don't think my liking the equipment will be an issue. What I can tell you right now is that the level of customer service I've received has been outstanding. It's been a total pleasure working with this company every step of the way. Every single person I've worked with over the past few weeks has been friendly, fair, efficient, and totally honest. I never thought hashing out the details of a contract could be enjoyable, but it really was. Bottom line: you're going to love dealing with this new sponsor! I expect to have the equipment in a few weeks, so look for an official announcement along with a very special deal just for JSF members later this month or early next month. I'll also be doing a comprehensive video review once I'm 100% comfortable with the equipment and its many features.

I'm late getting started on my cardio, so I'd better get moving. Have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow!

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March 8, 2005

I'm still not feeling 100%, but I definitely don't feel bad enough to skip today's workout. Today it's back/biceps/traps.

Speaking of biceps, I'm not happy with mine. I think my triceps look very good, but I don't have much of a bicep peak. I've decided that for next year's bulk I'm going to focus on 3 main areas: biceps, lats and traps. Of course my other muscles will be worked (and worked hard!), but I want to make significant improvements to those three areas in particular.

I got some good work done on the JSF Gear over the weekend. The only thing I'm still struggling with is the design of the T-shirts, sleeveless T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts. For the T-shirts I was thinking about a little logo on the left breast with a small "www.johnstonefitness.com" right under it. On the back, just a large logo, or maybe a large logo with "Get Ripped." printed underneath? Maybe something else? If someone wants to start a thread in Off-Topic (or PM me) and toss a few ideas around, that'd be cool. I could also use some ideas for the hoodies and sweatshirts. Initially I just want one design for each type of clothing, but later I will add more. Anyway, if I can get these last few designs knocked out, I'll be able to open the store in a week or two (I want to order one of everything first so that I can check out the quality.) Initially the product line will include: Golf shirts, Jr. Spaghetti tanks, thongs (heh), Camisoles, T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, sweatshirts, sleeveless T-shirts/tank tops, mouse pads, wall clocks, coffee mugs, baseball caps, bumper stickers, license plate frames, magnets and buttons.

I'd better get moving. Have a great day!

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March 7, 2005

So far I've been able to avoid getting sick this winter, but yesterday morning I felt like I might have a cold coming on. I went ahead and did my pecs/delts/triceps workout anyway, and by the end of my workout I seriously thought I was going to puke. Have you ever choked down an unflavored hydrolyzed whey protein shake when you already felt as if you could hurl at any moment? Let me tell ya, it was not pleasant. After I forced the shake down, I let my stomach chill for about 30 minutes and had my normal breakfast. The problem seems to be mostly sinus-related; my sinuses are a little stuffed up this morning and I definitely don't feel 100%. I'm going to go ahead and do my cardio workout this morning, and I'll evaluate how I feel again tomorrow; I may push off tomorrow's weight training workout until Thursday if things have not improved.

Well, I'd better get moving. Cold or not, I have a lot of work to get done today. Have a good Monday!

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March 6, 2005

March 6th, 2005. Wow - time flies when you aren't stoned out of your friggin' mind. It was two years ago today that I quit smoking pot for good. I remember that on the evening of March 5th, 2003 I smoked my last bit of weed and tossed out all my pipes, papers, pipe cleaners, screens and bongs. Actually I broke/ripped everything up so that I wouldn't be tempted to dig the stuff out of the trash (you think I'm kidding, but I'm not - once the jones set in I could easily see myself doing something like that back then). I remember waking up the next day and feeling scared. Yeah, scared. Why? Because over the preceding decade I could count on one hand the number of days that I didn't smoke weed. I literally had to re-learn how to function and enjoy life while sober. It was hard, but I made it through the day. For the first several weeks nothing seemed fun anymore: movies seemed dull, video games seemed boring, after dinner was a nightmare, surfing the web was a big yawn and I couldn't focus on anything without feeling that horrible, nagging craving. I was very surprised that once I got through the first few weeks the cravings went away almost completely. I had to re-learn how to enjoy life without drugs, and I was successful. I credit my exercise program, which I'd started 2 months prior, for providing me with the self-confidence and desire to finally give up smoking pot forever.

Big day ahead: I'm going to have a great workout, eat and then work on the JSF merchandise. Maybe catch a movie later if I get enough work done. Have a great Sunday and I'll see ya tomorrow!

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March 5, 2005

I took my weekly measurements this morning and this past week I've lost another quarter inch off my waist, and over a quarter inch off my hips. I'm definitely around 10% body fat now: my top 4 abs are really starting to pop, and my lower abs are beginning to show through. I figure another month of cutting and roughly eight more pounds of fat loss will put me right at my goal of 8% body fat. Dropping my pizza cheat meal and cutting back on my carbs has made all the difference in the world. I still eat steak and a baked potato on Thursday night to keep me sane, but that meal doesn't seem to have any real negative effect apart from a temporary water weight gain. The pizza was having a much more profound impact on my weight loss, so I'm glad I dropped it. Of course last night I ate chicken and watched Lisa eat her pizza and that was tough, but not as tough as last week for some reason. I read the nutritional facts from the back of the box and that helped me not want it as much. :)

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March 4, 2005

I messed around this morning and spent what little free time I have posting on the forum instead of writing something clever here. Sorry! I'm running late now, and have to get to my cardio right away or I'll never get all my work done today. Happy Friday!

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March 3, 2005

In yesterday's update, I mentioned the possibility of a new JSF strength training equipment sponsor. I still can't say too much, but I can tell you that yesterday a verbal agreement was reached! The contracts are being drawn up for review on both sides. Once the deal is in ink, then the equipment will need to be thoroughly evaluated by me before the deal is considered finalized. I've done my homework, and this equipment is very highly reviewed so I think there's very little chance that I'm not going to fall in love with it. I'd say there's a 95% chance that the deal will go through. Once the deal is done, I'll announce it. Sometime after the announcement, you can expect a detailed video review that I'll produce and edit myself: I'll take everyone through the equipment in comprehensive detail, and provide my thoughts, both good and bad. In addition to the video, I'll be giving my home gym page a complete overhaul with plenty of pictures and a written review. There will be special discounts on the equipment for JSF members, and I'm personally going to kick in a few extras on top of the discounts. As I said yesterday, this is not a cheap piece of equipment, but it's about as close to having a commercial gym in your own home as you can get. Those of you who are serious about investing in a top quality home gym are going to be very happy with this new sponsor. Stay tuned!

I seem to have overcome the little plateau I was in. The fat is really flying off now. Cutting back on my carbs seems to have helped a lot. I'm down to 197.6 pounds, which is the lightest I've been since December 1, 2004. I'm pretty much right on the edge of 10% body fat, but I'll wait until I do my measurements this weekend to kick it down. It's cool looking in the mirror and seeing muscle! I didn't realize it at the time, but my body in the pre-bulk pictures looks a bit like a skinny little boy. This summer's going to be great, but I gotta say, I'm already looking forward to my next bulk.

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March 2, 2005

If you missed yesterday's update, you'll definitely want to check it out. JSF has added another fantastic new sponsor to our lineup - All Sports Nutrition. ASN is a perfect compliment to our existing supplement sponsors, and they've already earned some very nice reviews in the All Sports Nutrition Official Review and Discussion thread.

Some people have asked, "how many sponsors are you planning to add?" Realistically I think we're almost filled up right now. As the moment there is only one other area in which I'm considering another sponsor: strength training equipment. Some of you might think that I'm talking about a possible deal with Powertec. Nope! Now don't get me wrong: my Powertec power rack has served me well - I think that it's a wonderful piece of equipment. Still, as I've progressed over the past year its limitations have left me wanting. I'm going to tease you all a bit: I'm presently working on a deal with a company that makes top of the line (gym quality) home strength training equipment. I have to tell you, I'm very excited about this equipment because it blows away every other home gym I've ever seen or used in every possible way. Everything from the build quality to the magnificent engineering to the number of exercises one can perform on it is superior. It's truly the last piece of home strength training equipment you'll ever buy in your life... and it'd better be, because, folks, it ain't cheap! I'm not going to lie to you: this equipment is not for everyone. However, those of you who are serious about your weight training and want to work out in your home in complete safety using the best equipment available need not look further. Unfortunately I can't tell you any more than this right now, but keep your eyes open for more details as they become available.

Time for my cardio and abs. Have a great day!

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March 1, 2005

I've got a lot to cover today, so I'm going to jump right into it!

First of all, my new monthly pictures are up. I'm pretty pleased with them - they are much better than last month's photos. I've lost some more fat, and I think the increased definition makes me look bigger than I did last month... or at least less soft. By this time next month I should have considerably more definition in my abs, as they really start to pop when I get below 10% body fat.

There is a huge demand for products that our current sponsors don't carry, and I've finally found a full-line supplement and sports nutrition company that is 100% worthy of your business. That company is All Sports Nutrition.

When I decided that I wanted to add a full-line supplement sponsor, I knew there were several areas in which the company I selected would have to excel:

As most of you know, I actually use the companies I endorse and pay for the products I use. When I was looking for a full-line supplement sponsor, I wanted to make sure that my experience was not biased in any way. Concerned that someone would recognize my name, I decided to place an anonymous order (actually, I had my friend place the order with his credit card and his address). The order was placed late on Sunday night and was shipped on Monday! If we'd placed the order Monday morning, it would have shipped later that same day. That's really fast order fulfillment!

So, I hope you'll all join me in welcoming our latest sponsor! Please take a few minutes to check out their web site, browse their extensive product line and set up an account. You'll be glad that you did!

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