Almostnuts crossroads journal

[almostnuts]

Thank you to everyone on this forum for advice and encouragement. It's amazing to me the dedication given.
With that said, I think I am coming to a crossroad in my journey. I don't have a clear picture of where I am going, but I hope it's the correct path.
Stats: 5'11"
09/03-235
06/04-187
03/06-198
04/06-191
Today-189
Don't know my bf%, best I can tell it its ~17% (as high as 22).
I started my clean fat loss (03/06) with 1800 calories, now I am at about 2400. My wieght has not leveled off. I have been tracking my diet for 40 days. I'll get the hang of my body eventually. I'm getting concerned about getting punny (little).

I'm going to adjust my diet to a more bulk/maintain level.
I was concerned about my manboobs, but i'm not going to worry about that untill I'm at 10% bf. I'm hoping as I gain chest muscle they'll even out.
Losing weight is beginning to lose priority and size/bulk is looking more enticing. It's just hard to reverse my lifelong thinking of lose weight.

As far as workout schedule-I don't have one. I have a very weird schedule in life, so one week maybe 5 days, one may be 3 days, some only 1 day (I supplement at home with pushups situps blah blah on those weeks).

Sleep 4-5 hrs at night and usually 1-2 during the day. Can't work around that.

Kind of wish I would not have flexed in these pics (yes that's flexed).

Hopefully the next pic I take will be with a tan. LOL

Thanks for looking.

[Hibiscus09]

ha,ha -- you don't appear to have man boobs! :D

You've made great progress so far! You're also looking pretty lean, so I think bumping up the calories (gradually) is a great idea. You seem to have some nice muscle going there, so keep up the great work!

[ChocoChick]

Welcome to the journaling section :)

Looks like you have a great base to work with. I will be popping in to read about your efforts.

[almostnuts]

Welcome to the journaling section :)

Looks like you have a great base to work with. I will be popping in to read about your efforts.

Thank you, your posts on the forums have been very helpful and make sense.

[joed]

Look forward to following your work AN.

[jaguarr]

There are no manboobs in this thread! I was expecting to see some hot manboobs! I feel gypped! :mad:

:D

Welcome to the journal forums, almostnuts. You'll fit right in around here since most of us are completelynuts!

jag

[GSCampbell]

http://www.z100rocks.com/images/upload/Scrapbk/Zpriceless-manboobs.jpg

OK, now there are some manboobs in the thread but they ain't from you almostnuts! :D

Welcome.

[jaguarr]

http://www.z100rocks.com/images/upload/Scrapbk/Zpriceless-manboobs.jpg

OK, now there are some manboobs in the thread but they ain't from you almostnuts! :D

Welcome.


LOL! Secksy!!!!!

jag

[almostnuts]

Thanks, "priceless" lol! I appreciate the humor alot.

I've posted about the manboobs before and got good replies, I stated before 15%, I just realized I have now changed it to 10%----thanks to the forum.

The truth is I've had em worse than this so I guess I'll keep pluggin away. Standing isn't bad, but sitting give me a bra.

[Gunn27]

Welcome aboard almostnuts, be prepared to update your user name, this place will have you certifiably nuts in no time. :)

[almostnuts]

Well my weight is on the upswing. It does this on a cycle by 3 or so lbs. I've learned to just relax a wait a few days and it usually will go down.

I'm going to start back using creatine. I used it for a while a month or so ago, But I think anything I saw from it was water weight. So, I'll use it again and see if I retain water. It's not a big deal know though, especially since i am coming closer to understanding my body and diet.

this week has been a 3 day gym week and today at home (barbell and pushup type stuff). I would go to the gym, and I know I'm not over the hill, but my body tells me it ain't going to feel good if I go. I push myself harder at the gym.

[almostnuts]

My weight has stayed at 189.
My calories have been about 2500 for about 8 days.
I'll track my progress from here with a tape measure, hopefuly. Assuming i maintain. I use calipers, but don't put a lot of faith in my ability to measure with them.
---------------------------tape calip.
umbiliBellybuttonicus 03/06 39" 31 cm
--------------------04/14 36.5" 25.5 cm

[jaguarr]

So, don't get overly infatuated with the scales, calipers, BF measurement calculators and tape measures. What's REALLY going to give you the best gauge of your progress is what you see in the mirror and in photos (photos every now and again will bring huge surprises that you don't seen in the mirror), and how your clothes fit. :)

jag

[almostnuts]

Only twice have I had enduring pain after a workout. I work my legs once a week. Calves were my first pain, lasted a week, over it. Yesterday, I decided to add squats in to my workouts. Squats are neccessary, I told myself. My thighs now hurt. I will continue once a week with them.

I've added more weights and bars at home. This way, when I can't get to the gym I at least can do something at home.

NOTE: I follow a lot of journals on the forum. I post in a few, but outside of "keep it up" or "good job", I don't feel anything else I say would do you any good. I do admire you when you post your whole routine.

[GREENFEATHER]

Welcome to the looney bin !! :D

[Original Poster]

Welcome to the looney bin !! :D

I'll second that motion. :)

Welcome !

[almostnuts]

Today is the second day after squats. OUCH! The pain has moved from thighs to my hams and butt and can feel it going all over. Worked out today anyway. Now i'm in more pain.
I'm sold on squats for a full body treatment.

[jaguarr]

Squats will humble a man rather quickly. Same goes for deadlifts. Bully for you for sticking with them, nuts! :cool:

jag

[batteryrequired]

Today is the second day after squats. OUCH! The pain has moved from thighs to my hams and butt and can feel it going all over. Worked out today anyway. Now i'm in more pain.
I'm sold on squats for a full body treatment.

Welcome to the club on these my friend. And as jag said...same for the deadlifts. Once you start...please don't stop...lol. You don't want to go thru all the pain again...lol. Its bad when you wish you had a padded toilet seat to sit on... :D

[almostnuts]

Squats will humble a man rather quickly. Same goes for deadlifts. Bully for you for sticking with them, nuts! :cool:

jag

Tried dead lifts. I'm gonna wait on powering through any more of those until I have someone show me the "proper" way. After two sets I got a little edgey with the feeling in my back :( . Did more squats.

Progress pics coming 05/07.

Lifted at home twice this week and twice at the gym. At home I use free weights, at the gym I use machines. I get the pump/burn a lot quicker on the free weights. I considering looking into Hank's gym here in houston, currently at a chain. Hank's may be a little hard core for me yet, so I'm still contemplating that.

[northern35s]

Tried dead lifts. I'm gonna wait on powering through any more of those until I have someone show me the "proper" way. After two sets I got a little edgey with the feeling in my back :( . Did more squats.

Progress pics coming 05/07.

Lifted at home twice this week and twice at the gym. At home I use free weights, at the gym I use machines. I get the pump/burn a lot quicker on the free weights. I considering looking into Hank's gym here in houston, currently at a chain. Hank's may be a little hard core for me yet, so I'm still contemplating that.


Machines have their place, but nothing beats free weights. Good to hear another convert to squats and deadlift, keep up the good work.

Stephen

[jaguarr]

Tried dead lifts. I'm gonna wait on powering through any more of those until I have someone show me the "proper" way. After two sets I got a little edgey with the feeling in my back :( . Did more squats.

Progress pics coming 05/07.

Lifted at home twice this week and twice at the gym. At home I use free weights, at the gym I use machines. I get the pump/burn a lot quicker on the free weights. I considering looking into Hank's gym here in houston, currently at a chain. Hank's may be a little hard core for me yet, so I'm still contemplating that.

Check the bottom of this link (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=&Equip=&Isolation=Compound). Even has a video to show you proper form. Deadlifts are just too good to pass on, so study a bit and practice with some lighter weight until you feel like you're getting the form down. A mirror in your workout space will help as well. You're doing great, man!

jag

[almostnuts]

As of 04/22 I stopped logging meals. I began tracking calorie intake on my own. The good news is my weight stayed the same, 189lbs. Although the pic doesn't show progress (only been 30 days since last), the fact that a lifetime fatboy can maintain weight for 25 days is progress for me.

Started creatine again 2 weeksish ago, again. Still guaging its effectiveness.

Cancelled my gym membership, added to home gym. Membership lasts til july, so between now and then i'll add a bench.

My next step is to begin logging workouts. Don't know when i'll start, but that is the next step to building.

Thanks for stopping by.

[joed]

AN, triceps & deltoids are showing through well. Keep up the good work.

[jaguarr]

Showing some pretty good definition in that pic, man. Enjoy your new membership to the most exclusive gym in the world; your own. :cool:

jag

[RioGringo]

Welcome to the club on these my friend. And as jag said...same for the deadlifts. Once you start...please don't stop...lol. You don't want to go thru all the pain again...lol. Its bad when you wish you had a padded toilet seat to sit on... :D

It is tough for me after a hard leg day is the sitting down and getting back up ... feel like I still have the weight on my back ;)

Great progress nuts ... taking more time for my extra weight to go away ... maybe it's the nearing 40 thing:( All in time.

[almostnuts]

Thank you for the encouraging words, also thankyou for not chewing me up on the tan.

This past week was interesting, at least outside the gym. Only 3 w/o's, but they were each very solid. Only did squats once this week. Funny, I hurt worse today than any other day this week. I put a gas grill together yesterday.

Finally, :) my long time waiting divorce went through (default), Kind of the end of that part of my life is done. Onward!!!

Also, for anyone who knows what it is I got my WAS award, close to DXCC with 50 confirms and 99 worked. 73.

[jaguarr]

Congratulations on your many steps forwards, nuts! :cool:

jag

[almostnuts]

My goal was to lose fat. It then morphed into more fit. Currently I can't (haven't given the effort) to stop losing weight. I currently sit at 185, my measurements have not changed. That is why I say I'm losing weight instead of fat. I'm 5'11" and getting pretty close to a good natural weight. I still have fat deposits, and I know to go much further is going to require more effort with the weights.
I'm trying to motivate myself to go on a very very clean bulk. Having been fat most of my life, the idea of extra food, clean or not, gives me the willies. And, I'm not convinced I have the motivation to put the extra effort into weight training.
Stay tuned.

Thank you.

[almostnuts]

I'm physcing myself up for March 1.
After last June, I maintained for quite a while. I contiunued with situps, pushups, forgot the name of em no weight workouts. I have gone up in weight by about 5 lbs. I know it's not a real clean 5, but I don't think it is that bad either.

In my time away from this board, i've come to the conclusion that I am not a bodybuilder. Didn't think I was, but was trying to eat that way. I am just in search of a happier self.

I am not fooling myself. I know that if I don't keep up, I'll let everthing creep back in. So, here I am. Ready to rock and roll.

AN