Dave's Sponsored Sesamin/Melting Point Log

[WorkingOnTheDream]

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i20/davejlowe/Product-smaller.jpg

Preface
I would like to thank the fine folk of Scivation and Designer Supplements for giving me the opportunity to log Sesamin (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sv/ses.html) and Melting Point (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/design/melt.html). Thanks, guys!

My initial post to get into this sponsored log tells a bit about me--a little rough around the edges at times. If my humor offends anyone, I apologize in advance!


Goal
The American Dream--simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain.

"Impossible," you say! Well, we'll see. If it doesn't happen, it won't be for lack of trying :)


Additional Supplements

NOW EcoGreen (2/day, one with breakfast, one with dinner)
NOW Super EPA (4/day, two with breakfast, two with dinner)
Designer Supplements Vigor (2/day, one with mid-morning meal, one with mid-afternoon meal)



Tentative Sesamin/Melting Point Dosing
This is my current plan, and will remain into effect unless I hear from one of the sponsors:


Sesamin

Three/day (1 at breakfast, lunch, and dinner)


Melting Point

Six/day (2 at mid-morning meal, 2 at mid-afternoon meal, 2 prior to cardio after dinner)




Workout Schedule
My Weights workout is somewhat abbreviated due to the early hour and having to get to work by 7/7:30 am; I typically take no more than 45 minutes of actual lifting, and usually less.

I do try to go heavy, but can't push myself as hard as I would like due to currently being prone to elbow/knee pain if I do push hard.


Weights (at roughly 5:30 am weekday, 3 pm weekend)

Sunday - Upper Legs
Monday - Abs
Tuesday - Chest
Wednesday - Back
Thursday - Shoulders, Abs
Friday - Lower Legs, Tri, Traps
Saturday - Bi, Forearms

Cardio

Upright stationary bike (about 7:30 pm)

Monday to Friday - 30-40 minutes moderate intensity
Saturday and Sunday - Off





Diet
My diet isn't 100% clean, isn't planned down to the tenth of a gram of fat, and isn't carved in stone; however, it is significantly better than it has been for the majority of my life. I figure there's (hopefully) a lot of life left ahead of me, and food gives me a little bit of pleasure. If my diet isn't maintainable (and after 40 years I know what's going to be maintainable), then any losses will be transient.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I'm shooting for the following:


2000 to 2500 calories
Fat/Carb/Protein of 20/40/40


If I ever stray from this from time to time, please see the disclaimer. If I seem to be routinely straying from this, please feel free to give me a swift kick.


For those of you following this log, a big Hi! Hopefully you'll find that getting your life back on track, while not fun, is rewarding and definitely doable.

I will be posting new logs every night before I go to bed, and the posts will hopefully provide you all the info you're looking for.

My first actually logging post, due in tonight, will have my starting stats.

Hope you enjoy this, my first ever, log!

Dave.

[mommy*2*3]

Hi Dave :) Good luck!

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Thanks, and good luck to you, too.

The only thing I'm truly worried about is cramps, particularly on top of my elbow and knee aches. I know, wah, wah, wah :)

I'll just keep sucking down the water, and have a banana every once in a while, and see where the chips fall (mmmm, potato chips...).

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
From the following, you'll get a pretty good idea of what I look like. If there's any interest (and for those with strong stomachs), pics will be available at the end of the log (both before and after).

I will be purchasing a hand-held body-fat analyzer. I've heard they're not the most accurate things, but it should give me a good relative number (%lost/gained).

Further, all future posts will also include amount lost/gained from the previous day's log, as well as from the first day's (this post's) log. That way you'll get a week-to-week overview of what's going on as well as a log-duration overview.

Height: 6'2" (obviously won't be changing)
Weight: 300.5 lbs
Waist: 55.5"
Oblique: 49.5"
Neck: 18.5"



Workout
Upper-Leg Day

Powertec Leverage Squat (#/reps): 10/10, 50/10, 70/8, 90/6 (in all fairness, think of the extra hundred friggin' pounds on top of that... ok, I have weak legs!)
Leg Extensions: 75/10, 100/10, 100/10
Leg Curls: not performed (until my belly has shrunk a bit)



Food

Calories: 2192
Fat: 73.4 g
Carbs: 196.5 g
Protein: 149 g

I was expecting to go over on Carbs--weekends are typically bad, particularly the closer I get to finals of this Godforsaken quarter. Luckily, I think all of my work-related travel is done for Spring/Summer, because that really screws things up.

And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 oz sharp cheddar
Mid-morning: 1 svg Ranch Mini-rice cakes, 1 slice multi-grain bread, 1 Tblspn Nat P'nut Butter
Lunch: 3 strips turkey bacon, 1 Light Flatout flat bread, 1 oz sharp cheddar, 10 green olives, 2 Tblspn fat-free Ranch dressing, 1/2 cup chopped tomato (note to self: only use 5 olives next time, and chop them smaller!)
Mid-afternoon (and Pre-WO): 1 cup 2% milk, 1 scoop Matrix orange, 1/4 cup oats
(During WO): 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar, 1 Tblspn lemon juice
Dinner: 4 cups chaddar broc. soup (I know, damn silly of me)
Post-dinner: 1 cup sugar free jello



Notes

First day, and all that--nothing to report, other than a severe case of fatique about an after lunch. Man, it felt like I couldn't even make a fist!
I'd forgotten to note on my intro post (1st post in this thread) that I do take caffeine pills in place of drinking coffee. 400 mg upon waking on weekdays, and 400 mg prior to workouts on weekends.



That's it for tonight. Everyone should have a good idea of me, what I have to lose, and how I'm going about it.

Take it easy, and good night.

[mike2858]

i am not affiliated with DS or Sci but id be weary of starting off with 6 MP and 3 Ses right away. why dont you try working yourself up to it instead.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

i am not affiliated with DS or Sci but id be weary of starting off with 6 MP and 3 Ses right away. why dont you try working yourself up to it instead.
Is there something that you've heard/know that would lead you to think that's best? Since I'm now taking these two supps, I'm definitely all ears :)

[mommy*2*3]

I will be purchasing a hand-held body-fat analyzer. I've heard they're not the most accurate things, but it should give me a good relative number (%lost/gained).

Are you getting the Omron?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/om/body.html

If you are, there are a few tricks to make it as accurate as possible. It's a good way to keep track of prograss though.




First day, and all that--nothing to report, other than a severe case of fatique about an after lunch. Man, it felt like I couldn't even make a fist!
I'd forgotten to note on my intro post (1st post in this thread) that I do take caffeine pills in place of drinking coffee. 400 mg upon waking on weekdays, and 400 mg prior to workouts on weekends.


Wow..that's a lot of caffeine. Do you think that maybe you're experiencing a "crash" from it later on in the afternoon?

I personally like to have coffee prior to cardio or workout too. It gives me a boost :)

[uhockey]

Nice Nice........clever with the tape measure. ;)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Are you getting the Omron?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/om/body.html

If you are, there are a few tricks to make it as accurate as possible. It's a good way to keep track of prograss though.
Yup, that's the one. I really need something that helps track bf rather than weight, since I feel bf is a better thing to track, and combined with weight changes gives you a really, really good idea of what's going on with your body (i.e., decreasing bf, but no change in weight, etc.).


Wow..that's a lot of caffeine. Do you think that maybe you're experiencing a "crash" from it later on in the afternoon?
That could very well be--ever since the Army I've been a pretty heavy coffee drinker (in more ways than one, lol). But I usually don't crash quite that hard.


Nice Nice........clever with the tape measure. ;)
Thanks; I just gotta be me :)


Has anyone noticed a diuretic effect with these supps? If not, has the ingredients changed even slightly to cause such an effect? Ever since last night I've been urinating a lot more frequently, and at about the same quantity.

[mike2858]

Is there something that you've heard/know that would lead you to think that's best? Since I'm now taking these two supps, I'm definitely all ears :)

i was taking MP for about 2 weeks and then added sesamin to it. i started off at 6 MP and 2 ses a day. the days following my first 2 days on that i started to cramp up a lot. cramping is one side of MP that people may experience. it was suggested by uhockey and 40 (DS guys) that i go down to 4MP and 2 ses to see how my body would react. the cramps went away and ive since bumped up to 5 MP and 2 ses. you may not experience cramps at all but i know some, including me, have (although mine werent as bad because i was supplementing with Magnesium and Potassium).
you can check out my log in my sig if you want.

goodluck.

[Rachel_n_SD]

hey good luck on your log. i havent received mine yet so mine is still pending.

i just wanted to say that so far, TTA hasnt given me cramps at all, im a really small person too, and i used the max doses of that and sesamin with no problems.

so you guys think the omron thing is worth it? i was gonna track my progress through measurements, since my weight fluctuates by 4 lbs or so on any given day.

[P01Shooter]

Best of luck! What are the chances of before and after pics?

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Hello, Rachel, and thanks! Shame you haven't received your products yet! And I'm really glad to hear that you haven't had the cramping that others have logged (though from what I can figure out, cramping isn't a sure thing--for whatever reason, some people get them, some people don't).

Hopefully Designer Supplements can figure out why some people get cramping while others do not (maybe they could add an anti-cramping ingredient to Melting Point if they can figure it out, that'd make it a lot more appealing to the general public).


I think I'm going to continue on at full dosage, and "learn my lesson" if cramping does happen.

Mike, thanks for bringing up the concern, though, I appreciate it.

The Omron, for me, will be a convenient way for me to easily keep my eye on things. I'll also be doing the scale and a couple of measurements, but everything wrapped up in a tidy little number just really appeals to me :)

It's not a necessary purchase, but I'm taking this opportunity to go ahead and buy it, especially since I've been thinking about it for awhile now anyway.

Good luck to you, and thanks for dropping by!

[uhockey]

Neither of these products should have a diuretic effect.

Regarding the cramps, we are fairly certain it has to do with effects at the Na/K ATPase as part of "energy wasting." This disruption may cause a net outflux of potassium leading to the cramping effects. Magnesium and Potassium appears to help, as do cell volumizers like Taurine and creatine. Primrose oil appears to have some effects as well.

As many are aware, Melting Point Revamped is due on the market soon and will address some of the issues that users have reported with MP.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Neither of these products should have a diuretic effect.
Figures, it's just me. Ok, thanks for the info.


Regarding the cramps, we are fairly certain it has to do with effects at the Na/K ATPase as part of "energy wasting." This disruption may cause a net outflux of potassium leading to the cramping effects. Magnesium and Potassium appears to help, as do cell volumizers like Taurine and creatine. Primrose oil appears to have some effects as well.
Is there a recommended dosage that you might recommend for Magnesium and Potassium if cramping does occur? Would a banana a day work, or would you recommend supplementation?


As many are aware, Melting Point Revamped is due on the market soon and will address some of the issues that users have reported with MP.
That's great news!

Thanks again for the info, uhockey.

[mike2858]

no problem dave-- good luck man the stuff works.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

no problem dave-- good luck man the stuff works.
Thanks, Mike. I still think of the post of the guy who was megadosing MP (but losing a friggin' pound a day!!). I probably don't have as much to worry about as him :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
I'll be measuring myself every 2 days so I can make a nice graph or three; I like graphs, they're pretty.
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
Abs/Cardio

Crunches: body weight/25
Side Pulls: 15/15
Cardio: 20 minutes, Lvl 6, 133 calories



Food

Calories: 2261
Fat: 83 g
Carbs: 151 g
Protein: 241 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 can mushrooms, 1 oz sharp cheddar
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices multigrain bread, turkey-based lunch meat, 2 oz sharp cheddar, 2 tblspn light mayo
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop ON Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: 2 chicken breasts, 4 tblspn teriyaki, 1 cup mixed veggies, 2 svgs sugar free jello, 1 svg mini rice cakes
Post-dinner: 1 large banana, 2 tblspn natural p'nut butter



Notes

Not as tired today until after putting my daughter to bed--neat thing is, as soon as I started riding the bike the weariness just flew away :)
Urinating like a Russian race horse (I'm not sure where that expression comes from... every time I say it, I wonder about it)
Slight hunger at times, but nothing too noticeable--about what I'd expect from what I ate.
Still haven't dialed in my diet to where I want it to be, but it's acceptable so far. I'll keep working on it.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats

Weight: 298.5 lbs (-2.0 lbs/-2.0 lbs)
Waist: 55.5"
Oblique: 49.5"
Neck: 18.0" (-0.5 lbs/-0.5 lbs) wtf?!



Workout
Chest/Cardio

Flath Bench (BB): 100/10, 120/10, 140/8, 150/5
Incline Bench (BB): 100/8, 110/7, 120/4
Cardio: 20 minutes, Lvl 7, 144 calories



Food

Calories: 2326
Fat: 67 g
Carbs: 202 g
Protein: 230 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Pre-WO: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1 cup 2% milk, 1/4 cup oats
During-WO: 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar
Breakfast: 2 slices turkey bacon, 2 slices multigrain bread, 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 oz sharp cheddar
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices multigrain bread, 2 turkey hot dogs, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 tblspn ketsup
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop ON Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: 3/4 cup Apricot chicken, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 tblspn Teriyaki, 2 svg sugar free jello
Post-dinner: 1 V8, 1 pickle, 1 oz Colby cheese



Notes

Tiredness not really an issue today.
Still urinating quite a bit, but not as often as yesterday, nor same quantity.
Super hungry between mid-afternoon meal and dinner, and shortly after dinner.
Ok, I've lost 2 pounds, but lost a half-inch from my neck and nothing anywhere else... wtf's up with that? If this keeps up I'm going to have the most shredded neck around, and this huge body around it; I'm gonna look like a frickin' Bobble Head doll.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

Notes

Ok, I've lost 2 pounds, but lost a half-inch from my neck and nothing anywhere else... wtf's up with that? If this keeps up I'm going to have the most shredded neck around, and this huge body around it; I'm gonna look like a frickin' Bobble Head doll.

lol. Stay tuned! :D

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
Back

Cable Rows: 100/10, 125/10, 150/10, 175/5
Front Lat Pulldown (wide grip): 150/7, 150/5, 150/5
Cardio: Cancelled - I've been way too lethargic, so I'm going down to 4 days of cardio per week



Food

Calories: 2377
Fat: 78 g
Carbs: 170 g
Protein: 260 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Pre-WO: 1 Scoop ON Pro Complex, 1 cup 2% milk, 1/4 cup oats
During-WO: 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar
Breakfast: 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 oz sharp cheddar, 1 slice multigrain bread
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread, turkey-based lunch meat, 2 oz sharp cheddar, 1 tblspn light mayo, 1 pickle, 1 tomato
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop ON Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: 1 chicken breast, 2 tblspn teriyaki, 1/2 cup brown rice
Post-dinner: 1/4 cup peanuts


Opened up a different loaf of bread for lunch, and it has about 70 more calories per 2 slices of bread. Go figure!

Notes

Still pretty tired throughout the day, but also still not as bad as my first post of this log
Had absolutely no appetite today; had to force myself to eat, which probably means the world's coming to an end. Even worse, after eating I was slightly nauseous. Things are better right now as I type this.
Looks like my daughter has caught a summer cold, so let's hope the Vigor I've been taking lends a helping hand!
Looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in and measurements! There's probably no effects yet from the supps, and I've probably gained back some of my water weight. We'll see :)

Side note: spring storm's about to hit; severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes, oh my!

[mommy*2*3]

[
Looks like my daughter has caught a summer cold, so let's hope the Vigor I've been taking lends a helping hand!
Looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in and measurements! There's probably no effects yet from the supps, and I've probably gained back some of my water weight. We'll see :)

Side note: spring storm's about to hit; severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes, oh my!
[/list]

Yeah..we've all had this spring cold/flu thing here too. I'm still trying to get over the darn thing but it keeps hanging on.
Hope the weather isn't too bad for ya. What area of Wisc. are you in? We have spent many weekends in the Minoqua area...it's beautiful up there :)

[uhockey]

Sore one day, not the next.
Starving one day, no appetite the next.
Sounds more like the flu than any supplement related issue.
Great log so far. :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Yeah..we've all had this spring cold/flu thing here too. I'm still trying to get over the darn thing but it keeps hanging on.
Hope the weather isn't too bad for ya. What area of Wisc. are you in? We have spent many weekends in the Minoqua area...it's beautiful up there :)
Thanks for dropping by :)

I live in Ozaukee county (just north of Milwaukee county). Luckily, the storms fizzled before hitting us :) For the most part, even when storms hit, they seem to part prior to hitting us (and hit north and south of us) so that we only get relatively minor intensity compared to the rest (which is the way I like it, as I have an irrational terror of tornadoes--lived in Kansas when I was a boy and spent many a night huddled in the closet listening to tornado reports on an AM radio!).

So far I just have no appetite and slight nausea after eating, no other symptoms. Keeping my fingers crossed!



Sore one day, not the next.
Starving one day, no appetite the next.
Sounds more like the flu than any supplement related issue.
Great log so far. :)

I wouldn't think the supps could be hitting me like that after just 4 days.



Good news! I'll be reporting more info on tonight's post, but I lost another 2 pounds! Woohoo!

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Differences before the "/" are changes from the previous Stats day, differences after the "/" are changes from the very first Stats day (first post of log).


Weight: 296.5 lbs (-2.0 lbs/-4.0 lbs)
Waist: 55" (-0.5"/-0.5")
Oblique: 48.5" (-1.0"/-1.0")
Neck: 18.0" (No change/-0.5")



Workout
Didn't get much sleep last night, so I slept in (somewhat), and worked out with weights and did cardio at night.

Shoulders/Cardio

Seated Military (BB): 50/10, 70/10, 80/10, 90/6
Side Raises (DB): 20/10, 20/9, 20/8
Front Raises (DB): 15/10, 15/10, 15/8
Bent over Ant. Delt Raises (DB): 8/10, 10/8, 10/8
Cardio: 30 minutes, Lvl 7, 216 calories



Food

Calories: 2395
Fat: 77.5 g
Carbs: 219 g
Protein: 209 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 2 oz Colby cheese, 1/2 cup brown rice, 2 whole eggs, 1/4 cup sugar free Syrup (yes, this was nasty, but seemed like it might be tasty--note to self, don't invent dishes when you wake up)
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices multigrain bread, 2 turkey hot dogs, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 tblspn ketsup
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop ON Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: 2 svg sugar free jello, 1 Ramen with 1 chicken bouillion extra and 1 tblspn soy sauce, V8
Post-dinner: 1/2 cup chopped tomato, 1 pickle
Pre-WO: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1 cup 2% milk
During-WO: 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar



Notes

Tiredness comes and goes, but manageable. Last I'll mention it unless it becomes overwhelming again.
Two more pounds, hurray for me!
Hopefully, my body fat analyzer will be here shortly; looking forward to it.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
Calves/Tri/Traps
I've changed around cardio a bit. Any day I do anything with my legs, I'm not doing cardio. And Saturdays. Why Saturdays? Just because.


Standing Calf Raises: 30/15, 50/12, 70/10, 90/9
Seated BB Tri Exention: 20/10, 40/10, 50/5
Tri Cable Pushdown: 50/10, 60/10, 70/9, 80/6
Shrugs (BB): 50/10, 100/10, 150/7



Food
I was afraid I'd already royally screwed up my diet for today. I'd forgotten to brink my mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals with me to work. When I got home, I ate like someone had a gun to my head and was forcing me to eat. I'm surprised neither my wife nor daughter stared at me with mouths agape in amazement that one human could suck down food that fast.

Anyway, the ratios aren't what I wanted, but I still pulled out of the nosedive pretty handily, but only because we don't have any truly horrible food at home. But what I did eat filled me up so darn much that I actually won't be making my lower calorie limit for today.


Calories: 2002
Fat: 97.5 g
Carbs: 180 g
Protein: 139 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 svg mini Rice cakes, 4 slices Turkey bacon, 2 whole eggs, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1 slice multigrain bread
Lunch: 2 slices potato bread, 4 slices Turkey bacon, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 tblspn light mayo, 3 slices tomato
Dinner: Chimichanga (crunchy yummy!): 1 light Flatout Flatbread (these things rock, and great calories!), 1/2 lb ground Turkey, packet taco seasoning, 1 cup cheddar, 1/2 cup chopped tomato, 4 tblspn sour cream, 4 tblspn salsa; also had a small snack pack of mandarin oranges


Notes

Still can't believe I forgot to bring my mid- meals to work; made it a long, long day!
I don't know if it's my workout schedule, but my muscles have been really full recently. I'd scratch my arm and notice my bicep was pretty darn full, like I had a pump going on. Whatever the reason, pretty neat.
Due to the salt content today, there's a good chance I'll have gained some water weight for tomorrow's weigh-in; I hope not, but based on calories taken in, if I do gain something (or fail to lose anything), I'm fairly confident that it's due to water retention.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

What brand of cheese do you eat?

[uhockey]

I like Helluva Good cheese simply because the name cracks me up. :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

What brand of cheese do you eat?
Eh? For both fat free and normal, I use generic Walmart brand.

Oh, I did lose more weight in this morning's weigh-in, so all of the salt yesterday didn't effect me as much as I had thought it would (which is cool, since I'm a salt freak).


Weekends/away from work are really hard for me diet-wise, so this weekend will be the normal struggle for me (particularly since it's a 3-day weekend!).

[WorkingOnTheDream]

I like Helluva Good cheese simply because the name cracks me up. :)
Helluva Good cheese? That's too funny! Anything in particular that stands out other than the name?

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Differences before the "/" are changes from the previous Stats day, differences after the "/" are changes from the very first Stats day (first post of log).


Weight: 295.0 lbs (-1.5 lbs/-5.5 lbs)
Waist: 54.5" (-0.5"/-1.0")
Oblique: 48.5" (No change/-1.0")
Neck: 18.0" (No change/-0.5")



Workout
Bi

Standing BB Curls: 20/10, 40/10, 50/10, 70/10
Preacher Curls (DB): 20/10, 25/7, 30/4



Food

Calories: 2861
Fat: 104 g
Carbs: 281 g
Protein: 180 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 svg mini rice cakes, 2 slices potato bread, 2 tblspn nat p'nut butter, 1 tblspn jelly
Mid-morning: 1 large tomato, 2 pickles, 1 tblspn bacos, 3 tblspn fat free italian dressing
Pre-WO: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix, 1 cup 2% milk
During-WO: 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar
Lunch: 1/4 cup feta cheese, 1 slice canadian bacon, 1/2 cup egg whites, 10 olives, 1/2 small can mushrooms, 1 svg mini rice cakes
Dinner: Pasta salad (2 cups healthy noodles, 1/2 small can black olives, 2 oz colby, 2 tblspn fat free ranch dressing, 1 tblspn fat free italian dressing, tblspn chopped turkey pepperoni), 2 small potatoes, 2 tblspn veg oil, 2 svg ranch dressing powder, 4 svg shake 'n' bake



Notes

Good food day right up to dinner, and then all hell broke loose!
Body fat analyzer shipped today; I'll hopefully get it early next week.
Based on past history of dieting (and there really is quite a bit of experience with this, unfortunately), my current weight loss speed is slightly elevated, but nothing major so far--I remember reading that it takes a bit of time for MP to kick in, so I have high hopes for the end of the coming week #2!

[WorkingOnTheDream]

We interrupt this log for a special announcement!
Long holiday weekends suck!

Thank you, we now return you to your regular program, which is already in progress


Stats
Scheduled and unscheduled down time for Stats yesterday and today


Workout (Day 7)
Upper Legs


Powertec Leverage Squat: 20/10, 50/10, 70/10, 90/10, 120/5
Leg Exention: 75/10, 75/10, 75/10



Workout (Day 8)
Abs/Cardio


Crunches: Body weight/25
Cardio: Stationary bike, 30 minutes, 216 calories



Food (estimated, each day)
I royally screwed up my diet yesterday and today. Weekends are my dietary nemisis. Tomorrow, I'll teach my body a lesson, but yesterday and today were bad.


Calories: 4000
Fat: ?? g
Carbs: ?? g
Protein: ?? g


And here's the foods eaten:


This is list is too long to submit; I'll take pity on the bb.com servers and my poor viewers, if any.


Notes

Weekends have always been hard on me, food wise. I really do need a strict environment to stay on track until better eating habits become, well, a habit.
Tomorrow is another day, and I'll hit it as hard as I hit things at the beginning of this log.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
No working out for a bit; all hours being spent studying for finals.


Food

Calories: 2200
Fat: 69.5 g
Carbs: 188 g
Protein: 205 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Meal 1: 1 Scoop Matrix, 1 cup 2% milk
Meal 2: 1 cup Cheerios, 1 cup 2% milk
Meal 3: 1 scoop Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Meal 4: 2 slices potato bread, 2 tblspn nat p'nut butter, 1 tblspn low sugar jelly
Meal 5: 1 scoop Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Meal 6: 1 chicken breast, 1 bun, 1 tblspn BBQ sauce, 2 Turkey dogs, 2 tblspn ketsup, 2 svg sugar free jello
Meal 7: 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 tblspn nat p'nut butter


Notes

First, I just realized I had the wrong day count on my previous post, and it's too late to edit and fix it (it should have been Days 8 and 9)
Really crappy weekend diet-wise, but I'm back on track.
Finals pretty much suck, and are currently sucking the life out of me. I hate stress! Arghhhh!
Got my body fat monitor today, so stats, beginning tomorrow, will include its body fat % along with all other stats. Should make the ride more interesting!
Still no sides to this stack, but still very early in the 30-day log.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

I can relate to the stress of school and finals. Hang in there man, you'll make it through just fine. :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Summer off and family vacation in Florida first week in July, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Differences before the "/" are changes from the previous Stats day, differences after the "/" are changes from the very first Stats day (first post of log).

Got my hand-held body fat analyzer today. BOY did that motivate me to keep my diet in check during finals week (you'll see why below)!


Weight: 296.5 lbs (+1.5 lbs/-4.0 lbs)
BF %/BMI: 36.6%/38.6 (1st time measured... and ACK!)
Waist: 54.5" (no change/-1.0")
Oblique: 48.5" (No change/-1.0")
Neck: 18.0" (No change/-0.5")



Workout
No working out for a bit; all hours being spent studying for finals.


Food

Calories: 1936
Fat: 45.5 g
Carbs: 182 g
Protein: 177 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 cup Cheerios, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 scoop Pro Complex
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 Tblspn nat p'nut butter, 1 Tblspn low sugar jelly
Mid-Afternoon: 1 scoop Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1 chicken breast, 1 Tblspn Teryaki, 2 Tblspn BBQ sauce, Green Bean Salad (1/2 can green beans, 1/2 can chopped tomatos, 1/4 med. onion, 4 Tblspn fat free italian dressing)
Post-Dinner: 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 Tblspn nat p'nut butter



Notes

Good food day, even though I was hungry as heck for most of it (probably stomach stretched over weekend, and I'll continue to be hungry until I get use to the meal plan again).
My right elbow's and a couple of my finger's joints were aching something fierce today.
Darn that body fat analyzer... even though it probably isn't as accurate as I would like, it's giving me good motivation to not have a bad weekend again, and it'll let me better track progress.
Still no sides on this stack, but as stated before, only on week 2.

[mommy*2*3]

Good luck on your finals :)

[uhockey]

Stay motivated. :D

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Thanks, all, I appreciate it. Not working out is driving me crazy! But a little less crazy then studying and worrying.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
No working out for a bit; all hours being spent studying for finals.


Food

Calories: 2021
Fat: 65.5 g
Carbs: 184 g
Protein: 155 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1 cup cheerios, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 scoop Pro Complex
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Matrix, 1/4 cup oats
Lunch: 2 slices multi-grain bread, 2 Tblspn nat p'nut butter, 1 Tblspn Jelly
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop Pro Complex, 1/4 cup oats
Dinner: Green Bean Salad (1/2 can green beans, 1/4 med. onion, 1/2 can chopped tomato, 4 Tblspn Fat Free Italian dressing), 2 slices multi-grain bread, 1/2 can Tuna, 1 Tblspn Mayo, 1 Tblspn Miracle Whip
Post-dinner: 3 cherry tomatos, 16 Wheat Thins, 2 oz sharp cheddar


Notes

Nothing new to report, other than my right elbow and the pinkie-side heel of my hand have been killing me all day. At least my finger joints aren't aching today like they were yesterday!

[WorkingOnTheDream]

I finished the last of my Finals today, so tomorrow everything's going back on track. No more stress (other than the typical stuff, anyway).

So, I'll be taken baseline post-Finals-pigout measurements and going from there. Through it all, however, I continued to take full doses of both supplements.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Differences before the "/" are changes from the previous Stats day, differences after the "/" are changes from the very first Stats day (first post of log).


Weight: 294.0 lbs (-2.5 lbs/-6.5 lbs)
BF %/BMI: 36.5%/38.7 (-0.1% BF/-0.1% BF)



Workout
My elbow has been killing me since last weekend, so I'm basically down to doing cardio. I will continue to do Upper Legs on Sundays.

Shoulders/Cardio

Stationary Bike: 30 minutes, Lvl 7



Food

Calories: 1958
Fat: 54 g
Carbs: 140 g
Protein: 220 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 3/4 cup egg whites, 10 green olives, 2 Tblspn chopped tomatoes, 1 Tblspn feta cheese, 1 Tblspn Bacos
Mid-morning: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix
Lunch: 2 slices multigrain bread, 2 turkey hot dogs, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 Pickle
Mid-afternoon: 1 scoop Syntrax Matrix
Dinner: 2 chicken salad sandwhiches (4 slices multi-grain bread, 1-1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 onion, 2 Tblspn fat free mayo, 1 Tblspn Miracle Whip; WOW these were good!)
Post-dinner: 1 scoop unflavored All The Whey Isolate mixed in sugar free Kool Aid (great flavor!)



Notes

From my stress-and-Finals-induced pigout this last week and taking off from working out, I'm so surprised I didn't gain weight; I actually lost a bit from my last weigh-in, which is very cool :)
My right elbow and pinkie-side heel of my right hand have been killing me recently. Have no idea what happened, but I'm going without weight training until things are right--being a Software Engineer, if my hands go bad I'm pretty much screwed.
Tiredness comes and goes; every once in awhile it's almost debilitating.
At times riding the bike, I can feel my calf muscles tightening up a little more than I'm used to, but I don't think it's too close to cramping.
Things are pretty good diet-wise now, and school's finally over. The supps should be well into my system at this point, so I'm REALLY looking forward to my next weigh-in!!
I'm pretty much sick and tired of writing all of my foods down and calculating things, so I've decided to write some software that will automate all of it. I've already downloaded the USDA nutrients database and am in the process of getting a better understanding of the schema and best practices of using it. I have high hopes for creating a tool that will be exceptionally easy to use, and handy as hell, to boot. More on this to come.

[mommy*2*3]

Tiredness comes and goes; every once in awhile it's almost debilitating.
At times riding the bike, I can feel my calf muscles tightening up a little more than I'm used to, but I don't think it's too close to cramping.
Things are pretty good diet-wise now, and school's finally over. The supps should be well into my system at this point, so I'm REALLY looking forward to my next weigh-in!!
I'm pretty much sick and tired of writing all of my foods down and calculating things, so I've decided to write some software that will automate all of it. I've already downloaded the USDA nutrients database and am in the process of getting a better understanding of the schema and best practices of using it. I have high hopes for creating a tool that will be exceptionally easy to use, and handy as hell, to boot. More on this to come.
[/list]

Congrats on finishing finals :) Hopefully you get to enjoy your summer stress free. I have tiredness as well and it comes and goes. I also have this tight calf muscle thing going on....not something I've had in the past. I've had one major cramp and a bunch of little mini cramps... I contribute that to increasing my Sesamin and may go back down to 1 cap a day.
As for the software...have you tried fiday.com? There's anotherone...nutridiary.com

Have a great day

[RichardRussell]

I'm pretty much sick and tired of writing all of my foods down and calculating things, so I've decided to write some software that will automate all of it. I've already downloaded the USDA nutrients database and am in the process of getting a better understanding of the schema and best practices of using it. I have high hopes for creating a tool that will be exceptionally easy to use, and handy as hell, to boot. More on this to come.
[/list]

Cool deal on writing your own software. Sounds like a fun project now that you have all that free time on your hands... lol...
Also check into WeightByDate (WeightByDate.com) -- that's what Fit n Firm, DawnMarie, and some other folks are using. Pretty slick... but I'm interested in seeing what you come up with. License it to Cingular for their new PCMobile phone... in a sweet yellow-and-black jacket with MP3 player for the gym. (I want 5% of royalties if you use my idea)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Congrats on finishing finals :) Hopefully you get to enjoy your summer stress free. I have tiredness as well and it comes and goes. I also have this tight calf muscle thing going on....not something I've had in the past. I've had one major cramp and a bunch of little mini cramps... I contribute that to increasing my Sesamin and may go back down to 1 cap a day.
As for the software...have you tried fiday.com? There's anotherone...nutridiary.com

Have a great day

Thanks, it's really great to be done--not one of my favorite quarters!

I've used fitday.com, but I thought that using it was pretty inefficient. Perhaps their standalone non-free program is easier to use. I'm just not a real big fan of web applications for data entry--I think it's the wrong medium for that type of program, but then I totally understand that it being free makes it popular.

So far no actual cramping for me, but that might change now that I'm getting back into the swing of things.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Cool deal on writing your own software. Sounds like a fun project now that you have all that free time on your hands... lol...
Also check into WeightByDate (WeightByDate.com) -- that's what Fit n Firm, DawnMarie, and some other folks are using. Pretty slick... but I'm interested in seeing what you come up with. License it to Cingular for their new PCMobile phone... in a sweet yellow-and-black jacket with MP3 player for the gym. (I want 5% of royalties if you use my idea)

I haven't looked at WeightByDate.com, but might take a look as things progress on the program.

Royalties, hah! :)

After attending the Microsoft Embedded Developers conference last month, I've been thinking seriously about having a Windows Mobile client for this program. So far there aren't many handset manufacturers supporting the platform, but hopefully that'll change.

[uhockey]

Congrats on the finished tests.

And yeah.....regarding the cheat but no major change/damage......ain't Sesmin and Melting Point pretty? :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout

Stationary Bike, Lvl 8, 30 minutes.


Food

Calories: 1882
Fat: 67 g
Carbs: 143 g
Protein: 137 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1/3 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese, 2 strips Turkey bacon
Lunch: 2 slices multigrain bread, 1-1/2 ground chicken breast, 2 tblspn fat free mayo, 1 tblspn miracle whip, 1 pickle
Dinner: 1 pita bread, 3/4 cup moz. cheese, 1 cup sauce, 1 can mushrooms, 4 tblspn parm. cheese (Yes, I ate a pizza, and it was damn good, too!)
Post-dinner: 1/4 cup peanuts


Notes

Did without the mid-meal snacks today so I could have a (relatively) healthy pizza. Looking at my nutrition numbers, I could have also had those snacks and gotten more protein in.
Elbow and heel of palm still aching--what's with this crap?!

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Differences before the "/" are changes from the previous Stats day, differences after the "/" are changes from the very first Stats day (first post of log).


Weight: 291.5 lbs (-2.5 lbs/-9 lbs)
BF %/BMI: 36.3%/37.9 (-0.2% BF/-0.3% BF)



Workout

Stationary Bike, Lvl 8, 30 minutes.



Food
Spent all afternoon at a birthday party of one of my daughter's friends. I did keep track right up to that point, though...


Calories: 650 + ???
Fat: 30 g + ???
Carbs: 54 g + ???
Protein: 43 g + ???


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1/2 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese, 2 tblspn bbq sauce, 2 slices canadian bacon
Mid-morning: Bag lite popcorn
Rest of day: Party food



Notes

High energy levels today... something to do with excess calories and junk food, I believe.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Scheduled down time for Stats today

Workout
Nothing today.

Food
This Sunday's a bust; didn't keep track of anything. Why are weekends so damn hard for me?!?!

Notes

Elbow and heel of palm feeling better today (finally!)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Stats
Unscheduled down time for Stats today

Workout

Stationary Bike, Lvl 8, 30 minutes.


Food

Calories: 1485
Fat: 50 g
Carbs: 137 g
Protein: 117 g


And here's the foods eaten:


Breakfast: 1/2 cup egg whites, 1/2 can mushrooms, 1 slice fat free cheese
Mid-Morning: 1 scoop matrix
Lunch: 2 low carb tortillas, 1 cup veggie refried beans, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup salsa
Dinner: 1 package ramen
Post-dinner: 1 scoop All The Whey with True Protein flavoring (banana, and it's the nastiest damn stuff I've ever tasted; I also had a sip of my wife's All The Whey shake made with BSL strawberry, and that's the 2nd nastiest stuff I've ever tasted; don't know what the hell people are smoking when they say that stuff is so damn good)


Notes

When I wake up in the morning the last couple of days, I've been pretty nauseous after the bike ride. It goes away awhile after I eat breakfast, but it's a pretty damn uncomfortable feeling. Stupid stomach.
Maybe I'm catching a cold, or my grass allergy is getting to me (sneezing like 15 times in a row, damnit!), but calories simply weren't there today. I'll try to eat more before I go to bed; we'll see how my stomach's doing.
Was so tired this morning I felt like a zombie, but after the bike I was ok (forgot to mention that I've switched around things a little, now doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and will be doing weights at night).
Elbow and heel of palm no longer an issue, but I'm going to give it a few more days so there's no relapse. I'm thinking it was the seated tri extension using a straight bar that did it, so I'll be doing one less tri exercise once I start back up (should be tomorrow).
I'm now out of both Vigor and EPA (fish oils); probably won't affect anything, but there's no money to get more, so will have to just live without it.
I've been toying with the idea of cutting WAY back on my whey intake--possibly eliminating altogether--and simply going with whole foods. Will have to try it for a bit and see how it goes.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

Why such low cals yesterday?

[WorkingOnTheDream]

I've recently started feeling nauseous in the morning. It tapers off as the day progresses, but I think that's the underlying reason. Eating breakfast requires a lot of willpower, which is very unusual for me (generally my favorite meal of the day).

[40-Yard Dash_2]

Do you have any idea why you are experiencing this nausea in the AM?

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Nope, no idea at all. I'm just writing it off as "one of those things"... for the time being, anyway.

[mommy*2*3]

Could it be possible that you have post nasal drip from your allergies which can upset your stomach?

I hope you get your appetite back :)

[40-Yard Dash_2]

Any updates? :)

[WorkingOnTheDream]

After the first week or 2, the diet was out the window.

Basically, from weeks 3 to now no weight lifting due to joint pain (right elbow and heel of right hand).

One thing I made sure I did was take the full dose of both Sesamin and Melting point from day one (3 Sesamin/day, and 6 MP/day). No ramping up, no tapering off. And no cramping. These were the only two supps I was taking (along with my vitamin regimine), and I was drinking about a gallon of water a day. The only thing I noticed was a bit of tightness in my calf muscles after doing cardio.

After weekends of horrible cheats diet-wise, and then stress-related eating during finals week, and then overeating for no particular reason; despite no weight lifting for almost half of the log, my ending weight was 290.5 pounds, for a grand total of 10 pounds lost.

Yes, you read that right, 10 pounds lost even though half of the month was spent eating like there was no tomorrow, and only doing cardio for half of the month.

Could I keep up with the weight loss even though my workouts have crapped out along with my diet? I'm thinking that eventually that kind of behavior would win out in the end.

BUT, if you do the right things most of the time--diet and exercise--I truly believe these two supps give you a nice edge over going without.

If I would have done exactly the same things this past month, but without Sesamin and Melting Point, I honestly believe I would now be over my starting weight.

The major things I noticed while on the supps:

1. Fatigue. Not the "I didn't get enough sleep" kind of fatigue, either. It was more of a soul-deep type of fatigue where you're scared to drive. It wasn't all of the time, but I've never been so tired as I've been for the last month.
2. There is no #2.

I'm glad the cramp-monster didn't visit. Who knows; perhaps if I was taking a number of other supps simultaneously it might have been a problem. But that's just a guess. The facts are that I did not cramp up once in the last month.

I'd like to thank everyone who ended up voting for me to take part in this log, and I wish great success to all of my fellow testers.

For the next month, I'll be doing without supps completely (but will still be taking my vits). I initially was going to use my tub of exceed that I've been saving, but, unfortunately, the contents turned into a solid white brick. Meaning it's only pills for me from this point forward--no more powders.

Take it easy, everyone, and I hope every one of you reach your goals.

Thanks,
Dave.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

Hmm....a 10 pound loss and you ate like crap and only performed cardio for half the log. Yeah, I'd say this is one potent fat burning combo.

Thanks for the review.

[WorkingOnTheDream]

Hmm....a 10 pound loss and you ate like crap and only performed cardio for half the log. Yeah, I'd say this is one potent fat burning combo.

Thanks for the review.

The result really did surprise me. I didn't know what to expect, but certainly not the saving grace I got from the combo. Once I've managed to stay on track diet- and exercise-wise long enough to make it a lifestyle change, I'll definitely be revisiting this combo. A very eye opening experience, and I can only imagine what the results would be if I'd stayed strict for the entire duration.

Very cool stuff, Sesamin and Melting Point!

[mommy*2*3]

WHAT? A ten pound loss?? :eek: that's NOT FAIR!!!!

Congratulations :D That's really awesome!

[40-Yard Dash_2]

The result really did surprise me. I didn't know what to expect, but certainly not the saving grace I got from the combo. Once I've managed to stay on track diet- and exercise-wise long enough to make it a lifestyle change, I'll definitely be revisiting this combo. A very eye opening experience, and I can only imagine what the results would be if I'd stayed strict for the entire duration.

Very cool stuff, Sesamin and Melting Point!

Well, we'll get em next time. :)