John's AllPro Beginner/Weight Loss Journal

[JohnF68]

Inspired by Shane's journal, here it goes...

I started my weight loss around this time last year at 315. I've gotten down to 278 by doing Weight Watchers online and 20 mins of cardio 5x/week (either walking 5 mph outdoors or stationary bike, depending on the weather). My resistance training started out with resistance bands for a few months, then I went with dumbbells and a bench last April. This past December, I started my first cycle on AllPro Beginner, doing one cycle with dumbbells, then I got my squat/press stands and 300lb Olympic set and just finished my first 'real' cycle with barbells.

My weight loss has been pretty slow, but I went from 46 waist jeans to 40 (as of this past week), so I'm sure some recomping/newbie gains have been involved up to this point. Now I'm a little more impatient and want to see some faster weight loss, so I started using MyFitnessPal. I also seem to have fairly high water retention when I lift, whihc makes it hard for me to differentiate small amounts of progress from a plateau. I weighed 278 a few weeks ago when I had to lay off weights for a week. Withing 2 days of lifting again, I was at 283. I don't know if the water weight will lessen as I get more accustomed to this routine or not, but I don't plan on taking any breaks anytime soon, so I'd better measure this starting with the water weight included. I will also try to lessen salt intake.

My TDEE is around 2750 on the strictest calculators I can find, so I'm using 2200 as my daily goal, plus any I earn with working out. My macros are:

Carbs: 275
Protein: 110
Fat: 73

Rather than a specific defined goal, I want to lose at least a pound a week for now and ultimately be happy with how I look and feel. I don't consider this a temporary behavior modification - I have become addicted to lifting, and have a good positive feedback loop going on where I feel good when I eat well and work out, and any results make me psyched to keep going. So, I'm in this for the long haul. I imagine that I'll be thrilled when I reach 220 lbs/20% BF, but I'm sure that when I reach that point I won't want to stop. The idea of someday being able to justify a bulk phase is pretty nifty - I wouldn't mind being one of these guys who have to struggle to put away 4000 calories. Trust me, I will have no problem with that whatsoever!

My starting weights on AllPros for this last cycle that I just passed last week:

Squats: 130
Bench: 90
Bent Row: 70
OHP: 60
SLDL: 140
Curls: 45

I skipped calf raises because I have huge calves already, probably from hauling 300+ lbs around for most of my adult life.

I deliberately went light since it's the first time I've seriously worked with barbel, and wanted to perfect my form and not get stuck having to take a break for an injury. My tendons have to catch up, and I've given myself tennis elbow and torn rotator cuff trying to progress too fast before. I'm bumping everything 10-15% for tomorrow's first heavy day of cycle 2, and adding crunches on off days. I'd like to add weighted glute bridges once I get into a groove - the stretch seems to help the effects of sitting at a desk all day, and I've absolutely no a$$ whatsoever. The weather is finally warming up so I'll be doing the walks again every day that I can (sounds light but my neighborhood has huge hills, so these walks can approach HiiT intensity at times).

So, hoping that the more frequent cardio and stricter tracking of calories will start to show some results!

[mirroroferised]

Welcome to the journals John. Hope you stick around.

[MooseTequila]

IN-

Glad to see ya jump into the fray. Lots of awesome help on here, enjoy...

[shaneinga]

Welcome to the journal sections John. Only suggestion I have is to up your protein to a minimum of 1 gram per lean body mass. This will help you keep more muscle as you lose weight.

I like to use IIFYM to figure out my macros and then use Myfitnesspal to track it all. Protein will also help to keep you a little more full through out the day.

IIFYM says your TDEE would ring in at around 2948. I figured you having around 35 percent body fat. With a 500 calorie deficit a day or a pound a week that would put you at 2448 calories per day. Protein would ring in around 181, Fat I like to run a little high at .4 grams per lean body mass, so it came in at 72 per day and the rest being carbs puts you at 246 per day.

You have enough to lose that going aggressive and shooting for 2 pounds a week would be doable for awhile. That is a 1000 calorie a day deficit. That would put you at 1948 a day. Doing it that way will drastically drop the amount of carbs you are going to be eating a day though. Your protein and fats will stay the same, but your carb intake will drop down to 144 a day.

I personally tried the 2 pound a week thing, and with all the lifting that is involved and doing cardio on my off days from lifting, it was just to deep a deficit to maintain. If you find it being to much, go back to a pound a week. This is not a race, and those extra 500 calories a day will help to keep you sane.

Congrats on starting a journal man. It was one the best things I did here. Don't worry about not having an ass, doing squats 3 times a week will fix that. That is one of the first things my fiancee noticed about me when I started doing squats.

Good luck!

Hit me up over on Myfitnesspal. I go by DvlDwnInGa over there.

[JohnF68]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody, and thanks to Shane for the good advice. Good idea to get more protein in, I'll do some thinking about how to do that while maintaining the deficit.

So, it looks like I may be at about a 750 deficit now, which is more than I thought. I had dropped it to what would be about 1000 the week before last, which was week 4 of the first AllPro cycle, and man was that week tough! Also bringing in some of nightanole's advice, I am giving a try to cycling calories and macros somewhat. Having a few more calories on days when I lift and walk, like today, maybe going with a 500 deficit on lifting days and 750 on rest days. I would usually do much less carbs than I listed in my macros, but hit the full number last night in preparation for my first heavy day of cycle 2 which will be later today. I want to see if that little bit of a carb load helps with the fatique a little bit, though I think 8 reps heavier is easier than 12 reps lighter for me...

Also trying to get in a good walk today since the weather is great here today. I'll report back with how the first heavy day of this cycle goes and the new weights. Last week, I needed to take a few more breaths between the last few squat reps, today I want to try to do that a little more consistently from the beginning of the set to keep the oxygen levels up.

(edit P.S.):
A few others have suggested going a little faster on the weight loss side as well. Besides the challenge with doing weights, I did once get myself into some serious trouble going too fast, ended up with some liver/gallbladder issues that were a bit scary. I do want to lose faster and have the willpower to do it, I just want to be careful and not repeat any medical issues...

[shaneinga]

Definitely follow whatever your Dr. is advising when it comes underlying issues like a liver and gallbladder. As I am not a Dr., nor have I ever played one on tv.

Protein powder is how I get mine. 240 calories will net me 48 grams of protein. On my non lifting days I will grab some cooked chicken, put it in a Tupperware, throw some mustard and red pepper flakes on it and nuke it in the microwave at work. This will net me 220 calories and 44 grams of protein.

Chicken, protein powder, egg whites, greek yogurt, pork chops, and ground turkey are my main protein sources. All low calorie, and have a good amount of protein in them.

I would definitely think that loading up on some carbs would help you on days that you plan on lifting heavy. It sounds like a great idea. I will follow along and see how you do man. Good luck. It is a great program!

[MooseTequila]

You have the right mindset John, you've got this!

[JohnF68]

Definitely follow whatever your Dr. is advising when it comes underlying issues like a liver and gallbladder. As I am not a Dr., nor have I ever played one on tv.

Protein powder is how I get mine. 240 calories will net me 48 grams of protein. On my non lifting days I will grab some cooked chicken, put it in a Tupperware, throw some mustard and red pepper flakes on it and nuke it in the microwave at work. This will net me 220 calories and 44 grams of protein.

Chicken, protein powder, egg whites, greek yogurt, pork chops, and ground turkey are my main protein sources. All low calorie, and have a good amount of protein in them.

I would definitely think that loading up on some carbs would help you on days that you plan on lifting heavy. It sounds like a great idea. I will follow along and see how you do man. Good luck. It is a great program!

Ok, I followed your recommendations and made some changes in my food plan, Today I'll hit 188 protein, and I picked up some Greek yogurt and some other good proteins today.

You have the right mindset John, you've got this!

Thanks, man! I have to say, I'm amazed at how helpful people are on this forum, and this journal is very motivating!

Okay, today was heavy day, Cycle 2, Week 1 on AllPro. Here are the new numbers, everything bumped a minimum of 10% and up to 18%:

Squats: 145
Bench: 105
Bent Row: 80
OHP: 70
SLDL: 155
Curls: 50

The heavier weights at lower reps felt really good, way easier than last week's round of 12 reps. I will bet that I'll have to repeat OHP next cycle, I barely had one left in the tank - I might have to take that down to 65. Bench felt surprisingly easy. Considering I had been doing pushups while weighing 300 lbs before this program, and dumbbell presses with 50 lbs each side, I probably could have bumped it up more, but I'll wait till next cycle and maybe try adding 20%.

Weather was amazing today, so got to get some sun, take a walk with t-shirt and shorts for the first time this year. Wore the size 40 shorts I bought over the Fall but didn't manage to fit into until now. So, yeah, this is a good day, I'm pumped! (literally and figuratively!)

[shaneinga]

This week will feel light. Next week probably won't feel to heavy either. The third week of your next cycle it starts to get heavier. This week is the built in deload week, and by volume you are pressing less weight, even though the weights you are pushing are heavier.

Good workout, it will get heavy soon. You are doing it right starting light.

Great to hear that you are having good weather. Sunshine always elevates the mood. Huge win on fitting into the new shorts!

[JohnF68]

Medium Day, Week 1 Cycle 2: I modified OHP to 65 on heavy, which is closer to a 10% increase from Cycle 1...so medium day #'s ended up at:

Squats: 130
Bench: 95
Bent Row: 70
OHP: 60
SLDL: 140
Curls: 45

My legs have been sore as hell for the past two weeks - I think I finally got my squat form down, switched to high-bar and going as low as possible, so really starting to feel it. For the first time I was tempted to do 2 heavy days so my legs could recover a bit more, but this workout felt great. Now I'm off to take advantage of the warm weather again before it dips back down into the 40s. Tonight planning on a fast food treat after going to a show - will be my first fast food in a year -- I planned it in advance in MyFitnessPal so I'll still be on target for my deficit today.

[shaneinga]

Nice workout John. The leg Doms are the best kind. The let you know you are alive every morning when you wake up.

If you don't have a foam roller, you should pick one up. They are a tool that you should get acquainted with. My hamstrings were tight and sore last night. I rolled them out last night and woke up feeling good today.

Enjoy the fast food and the show man.

[robosphere]

Subbed for dis!

[MooseTequila]

Medium Day, Week 1 Cycle 2: I modified OHP to 65 on heavy, which is closer to a 10% increase from Cycle 1...so medium day #'s ended up at:

Squats: 130
Bench: 95
Bent Row: 70
OHP: 60
SLDL: 140
Curls: 45

My legs have been sore as hell for the past two weeks - I think I finally got my squat form down, switched to high-bar and going as low as possible, so really starting to feel it. For the first time I was tempted to do 2 heavy days so my legs could recover a bit more, but this workout felt great. Now I'm off to take advantage of the warm weather again before it dips back down into the 40s. Tonight planning on a fast food treat after going to a show - will be my first fast food in a year -- I planned it in advance in MyFitnessPal so I'll still be on target for my deficit today.

Nice John... I am way behind you, in weights and in MY WEIGHT... but your progress will be fun for me to watch, like a preview

Good job on the planning ahead... I still feel too guilty having a cheat meal. It helps that I am growing found cooking and eating stuff that fits my macros, I am not starving... unless its between 2:00-4:30 where I cannot wait for dinner

[JohnF68]

Nice workout John. The leg Doms are the best kind. The let you know you are alive every morning when you wake up.

If you don't have a foam roller, you should pick one up. They are a tool that you should get acquainted with. My hamstrings were tight and sore last night. I rolled them out last night and woke up feeling good today.

Enjoy the fast food and the show man.

Yeah, I thought I had an easy break when I first started squats. There was no DOMS at all, which surprised me - I had been doing bodyweight lunges before starting AllPro, and they shredded my legs big time, but the squats didn't hurt until the last few weeks. Foam roller is a great idea.

Subbed for dis!

Hey! Who got subbed?! :-)

Nice John... I am way behind you, in weights and in MY WEIGHT... but your progress will be fun for me to watch, like a preview

Good job on the planning ahead... I still feel too guilty having a cheat meal. It helps that I am growing found cooking and eating stuff that fits my macros, I am not starving... unless its between 2:00-4:30 where I cannot wait for dinner

We ended up at a diner instead of fast food, which I was happy about. Still had cheeseburger and tater tots, but they were less calories than what I had planned for so all worked out well. At least, as long as it's ok to let MyFitnessPal add back on the exercise calories! In any case, I am eating substantially less since using MyFitnessPal regularly in the last few weeks. Scale still hasn't budged an ounce, but I also think it's one of those crappy digital scales that remembers the last weight and keeps showing the same number if it's within 5 lbs.

[shaneinga]

Don't get discouraged about the scale. You are working the process and it will work. When I first went back to the gym back in August I did not lose a pound for the entire month of September. It was frustrating, but I have lose a lot since then. Start taking measurements and pictures. I try to take a picture at the same time every cycle that I run. It was surprising how big a difference you will see from cycle to cycle.

[JohnF68]

Don't get discouraged about the scale. You are working the process and it will work. When I first went back to the gym back in August I did not lose a pound for the entire month of September. It was frustrating, but I have lose a lot since then. Start taking measurements and pictures. I try to take a picture at the same time every cycle that I run. It was surprising how big a difference you will see from cycle to cycle.

Yeah I think I had better stay away from the scale for a few weeks. After I pigged out yesterday, it showed 2 lbs off today, so at this point I think it's just messing with my head. I'll take a pic soon - but will hold off on posting to my progress pics until I have some follow-ups that actually show some progress.

I was sore as all hell today, but managed to get out for a good walk. I'm also really hungry and am struggling a bit to not eat anything that will put me over my goal deficit for today. So, today isn't an easy day, but I think getting through days like this one is what counts the most...If I can make it to dinner and nighttime coffee I'll get through it - now for a nap...

[shaneinga]

Yeah I think I had better stay away from the scale for a few weeks. After I pigged out yesterday, it showed 2 lbs off today, so at this point I think it's just messing with my head. I'll take a pic soon - but will hold off on posting to my progress pics until I have some follow-ups that actually show some progress.

I was sore as all hell today, but managed to get out for a good walk. I'm also really hungry and am struggling a bit to not eat anything that will put me over my goal deficit for today. So, today isn't an easy day, but I think getting through days like this one is what counts the most...If I can make it to dinner and nighttime coffee I'll get through it - now for a nap...

Don't sweat 2 lb day to day swings. I weighed 234.2 on Wednesday morning, woke up this morning and weighed 236. It happens and is actually pretty normal. What you are looking for is downward trend in weight loss. I have a yearly calendar that I have hanging on my wall. I record my weights every Saturday on it. February 7th I was 243.4, February 28th I was 236.8, you are looking for monthly trends that keep trending down.

I will easily gain 2 lbs from day to day, but it all evens out.

As far as feeling hungry, I have found it best to plan for times that you are hungry. Find a good snack that fits your macros that will help you get through to your main 3 meals a day. I snack throughout the day and I have found the hardest part of the day for me to get through is the time between lunch and dinner. I always have a snack for that part of the day. If you are prepared with a good snack that will fit your macros and keep you full, it will help keep you from binge eating later at dinner time, or grabbing a snack at a gas station or fast food that will not fit your macros.


Great job so far man. Keep at it.

[JohnF68]

OK, ordered the foam roller....Seems like my easiest afternoons are when I eat small amounts throughout the day - a Greek yogurt, then a whole grain English muffin, then another protein shake and maybe a hard boiled egg or Bonbel cheese...

[robosphere]

Don't sweat 2 lb day to day swings. I weighed 234.2 on Wednesday morning, woke up this morning and weighed 236. It happens and is actually pretty normal. What you are looking for is downward trend in weight loss. I have a yearly calendar that I have hanging on my wall. I record my weights every Saturday on it. February 7th I was 243.4, February 28th I was 236.8, you are looking for monthly trends that keep trending down.

I will easily gain 2 lbs from day to day, but it all evens out.

As far as feeling hungry, I have found it best to plan for times that you are hungry. Find a good snack that fits your macros that will help you get through to your main 3 meals a day. I snack throughout the day and I have found the hardest part of the day for me to get through is the time between lunch and dinner. I always have a snack for that part of the day. If you are prepared with a good snack that will fit your macros and keep you full, it will help keep you from binge eating later at dinner time, or grabbing a snack at a gas station or fast food that will not fit your macros.


Great job so far man. Keep at it.

I'm with Shane on this. I weigh myself every Friday morning and that's it. It's too easy for me to get obsessive if I'm weighing myself every day (Like, weighing myself before and after I take a dump - ridiculous). Once a week is good to show upward/downward trend, and allow me to plan accordingly.

[JohnF68]

I'm with Shane on this. I weigh myself every Friday morning and that's it. It's too easy for me to get obsessive if I'm weighing myself every day (Like, weighing myself before and after I take a dump - ridiculous). Once a week is good to show upward/downward trend, and allow me to plan accordingly.

I agree, I've definitely done the pre/post dump weigh-ins, it gets to be absurd. I usually see it go up afterwards, which makes it even more tragic.

Cycle 2, Week 1 is a wrap, light day #'s:

Squats: 115
Bench: 85
Bent Row: 65
OHP: 50
SLDL: 125
Curls: 45 (I stayed with my medium day # on this today, it just felt too light to bother taking off 2.5 lbs)

And another good weather day and a walk. Looking forward to the weekend for some good sleep and recovery.

[Marius_Ursus]

Great to see a new journal.

Welcome.

[Jtbny]

Welcome to the journals and from the look of things you are headed in the right direction with diet and workout routine. Looks like you have some good support here too!

I'll just lurk in the shadows


Good luck!

[MooseTequila]

Welcome to the journals and from the look of things you are headed in the right direction with diet and workout routine. Looks like you have some good support here too!

I'll just lurk in the shadows


Good luck!

NO YOU WON'T! ya got way too much insight and knowledge, don't be stingy

[robosphere]

I agree, I've definitely done the pre/post dump weigh-ins, it gets to be absurd. I usually see it go up afterwards, which makes it even more tragic.

Cycle 2, Week 1 is a wrap, light day #'s:

Squats: 115
Bench: 85
Bent Row: 65
OHP: 50
SLDL: 125
Curls: 45 (I stayed with my medium day # on this today, it just felt too light to bother taking off 2.5 lbs)

And another good weather day and a walk. Looking forward to the weekend for some good sleep and recovery.

What was it? a helium dump? How did you weigh more?

Good light day to wrap up the week, John. Looking good!

[JohnF68]

Great to see a new journal.

Welcome.

Thanks!

Welcome to the journals and from the look of things you are headed in the right direction with diet and workout routine. Looks like you have some good support here too!

I'll just lurk in the shadows


Good luck!

NO YOU WON'T! ya got way too much insight and knowledge, don't be stingy

Yeah a quick look at Jtbny's progress pics tells me this guy knows what he's talking about...

What was it? a helium dump? How did you weigh more?

Good light day to wrap up the week, John. Looking good!

Ha! Yeah, at this point I think the scale is sincerely messing with me. It shows less after a day when I treat myself, more after a 1000 cal deficit day, and more after a dump. I'd probably get a more accurate reading if I just asked a stranger on the street to guess my weight.

[acrawlingchaos]

Again, welcome to the journals. Best of luck on the journey and in to give unsolicited advice.

[mirroroferised]

Congrats on getting yourself through another week man and more importantly...

I'll just lurk in the shadows

on gaining a stalker

[JohnF68]

Again, welcome to the journals. Best of luck on the journey and in to give unsolicited advice.

Thanks, looking forward to any and all advice!

Congrats on getting yourself through another week man and more importantly...



on gaining a stalker

LMAO!

[yaaar]

Welcome John, lots of good advice and people here. Looking forward to seeing some good progress!

[JohnF68]

Welcome John, lots of good advice and people here. Looking forward to seeing some good progress!

Thanks!

I enjoyed my rest days this weekend, my legs still sore, but I went out for a walk anyway in order to stay at a deficit with my planned meals today. Looking forward to Heavy day tomorrow, AllPro Week 2 cycle 2.