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  1. #1
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    The Pirates Journey Back from the Land of the Fat & Lazy!

    Age: 27
    Height: 1.81 Meters (5.9)
    Starting Weight: 90 Kg (198 lbs)
    Starting Body Fat: 19% (according to BF Calipers... feel's like I'm carrying closer to 25%)

    Goals:
    78 Kg (172 lbs) and 10% BF.

    Background:

    I stopped lifting regularly about a year ago, and coupled with my very dirty winter "bulk", all past gains has been reversed & covered in a thick layer of blubber! I'm not sure if it's as a result of getting older, or my terrible diet and exercise habits, but my immune system seems really depressed... twice in the last 6 months I've picked up a cold, which quickly turned into bronchitis and took me ages (over 6 weeks) to get out of my system.

    At a recent health screening test (BP, Glucose Levels ect...) I found out that my diet of deep fried anything, and sweet fizzy drinks has caught up with me. From being the perfect image of health last year, I'd found out that I've got high cholesterol, and need to lose 10 Kg to get back into the healthy BMI range. With heart health issues in my Family, this was exactly the wake up call I need to get my act together.

    My primary focus is not going to be to lose the fat fast, but make positive (permanent) lifestyle changes that will help me to live a longer happier life.... in a better looking body. The plan is to keeping things simple and form habits that I can carry into my old age... so none of the trendy diets that are doing the rounds (IF, Keto, ect...) for me.

    The Plan:

    Cardio - I've gone from someone who despised cardio with a passion to someone who enjoys running. In 2013 I will do my first half marathon (21 km's) and aim to get my 21 km time to under 2 hours before the end of 2013. I plan on doing about a half hour of moderate intensity cardio 5 times a week, alternating between the treadmill and bikes/ elipicals to try and reduce strain on my knee's and ankles. Short term I want to get my 10 Km time into the 50 min range. If there are any pointers fellow runners could give... please do! I'll update my cardio numbers based on the info given in the Adi' MiFitness coach phone app I'll be using.

    Lifting - I've always loved lifting... and to me there is very little that comes close to the feeling you get after a heavy set of dead's, but in the past I think I may have gone a little crazy with the weights and perhaps let ego get the better of me... resulting in silly injuries! My most recent being an excruciatingly painful lower back injury that needed weeks of physio to sort out. I'll lift 3 times a week, with simple (push, pull, legs) program built around compound movements in the 12-15 rep ranges (calves and abs 25 - 30 reps). I'll be starting as a beginner again, and aim to stay injury free... so light weights and slower progression for me.

    Mon:
    Deadlifts 5 x 15
    Rows 5 x 15
    Pull ups 5 x as much as I can

    Wed:
    Bench Press (flat) 5 x 15
    Arnold Press 5 x 15
    Close Grip Bench Press 5 x 15

    Friday
    Squats 5 x 15
    Lunges 5 x 15 (Each leg)
    Calf Raises 5 x 30


    Diet - The focus on diet will be cutting out the bad stuff like my regular lunch time Gatsbys (a Cape Town special... a white bread roll the size of your arm, with deep fried potato chips, fried masala steaks, and fried eggs.... then all smothered in a BBQ sauce), and adding more Veg & Fruits. I'll make lunch for the coming week on a Sunday night, to avoid stepping out out for a quick pie at work. As I mentioned before... I'm not going to be too strict on counting calories, but plan on eating as clean as possible... and smaller portions. I feel like enjoying a whiskey (no mixers, no ice) after work, I will without feeling guilty.



    I'll log what I do as often as I can, and will revise my stats & pictures weekly.

    Feel free to offer any advise!
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  2. #2
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    The Pirates first steps!

    So, day one went off pretty well... diet wise at least...

    Workout:

    Bench press: 20 kg x 15 for 3 sets... then x 6 reps for 2 sets

    Close grip bench: 20 kg x 15 for 1 set (felt good), then 8 reps for 2 sets, then 6 reps for 1 then out of the blue I failed and couldn't lift the weight off my chest on rep #3... how very embarrassing... to cover it up, it sat up with the weight on my chest and acted like I was moving to the ground for a set of deadlifts, bringing my session on the bench to an abrupt end. I was very glad to be using very light weights. Lesson learned, and a spotter will be recruited for my next session.

    Arnold press: 8kg x 12reps for 3 sets, then 7reps for the last 2 sets

    Today my shoulders, triceps and chest feel quite tender, and I have to think twice before putting on a jacket.

    Diet:
    Breakfast:
    Oats with a scoop of whey isolate.
    Coffee Black with no sugar. (I've cut down from a morning Cappuccino / Latte with 2 spoons of sugar.)

    Lunch:
    Apple
    2 Scoops Egg white shake + one scoop unflavored whey isolate to make it less sweet and easier to drink, mixed with half a cup of 2% fat milk and water.

    Dinner:
    Chicken Breast grilled
    Garden Salad

    Snack:
    Handful of raw strawberries. (in the past this would be a packet of crisps or a pie)

    I was planning on going for a run in the evening but an unexpected lightning storm put an end to that idea.
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  3. #3
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    Day 2:

    Cardio:
    5kms run in 40 mins, 448 calories burned.

    Diet:

    Breakfast:
    Oats with a scoop of whey
    Black coffee

    Lunch:
    Tuna Pasta - half tin of tuna, bowl of pasta, onion, cucumber tomato, and fat free mayo

    Dinner
    Left over Tuna Pasta (the bit I didn't have for lunch)



    Today after having to walk 3kms into my evening run, I made the decision to split my playlist into a running and lifting tunes. Having SlipKnot screaming at you while trying to maintain a sensible pace is a recipe for failure.
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  4. #4
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    Day 3:
    Cardio- Walk on the beach front. 50 mins ; 4.2km; Cals burned: 265.

    Diet:

    Breakfast: Oats with a scoop of whey & black coffee.

    Lunch: Grilled Chicken

    Dinner: Sushi - Smoked Salmon California Rolls 4 pieces & 2 veg spring rolls

    I was going to lift, but have intense shoulder pain from Mondays rather embarrassing session.

    I'm already dreading the pain I'm going to feel this weekend after Friday's session in the squat rack.
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  5. #5
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    Day 4

    Diet:

    Breakfast... same thing I have every morning Pinky... oats and whey + black coffee... getting used to not having sugar and milk in my coffee... and cutting down from around 5+ cups a day to only one.

    Lunch: 1 whole Avocado Pear + couple of pieces of chicken & meat balls... with sauce.

    Dinner: Chicken Curry & Rice. & a single whiskey (No mixers)

    Cardio:

    Hour long walk along beach front at a moderate pace. I forgot to switch on the MiCoach App, so don't have stats.

    Lifting:

    Bicep Curls: 5 kg x 10 reps x 5 sets
    Pull ups: 3 reps x 3 sets
    Plank: 30 seconds x 5
    Crunch 25 x 3
    Reverse Crunch 25 x 3

    & ended with some stretches... can feel the muscles in my lower back getting tight, and want to avoid a session on the physio's table at all costs!
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  6. #6
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    picked up a stomach bug today and cant keep anything substantial down...

    Diet: 1 x 500ml Engade sports drink (to avoid dehydration)

    Workout... wont disgust you with the gore.

    Back to sleep with me.
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  7. #7
    Registered User SayItLikeAPir8's Avatar
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    End of week1

    End of week one...

    This weekend dieting was easy... after Friday's nasty little bug, eating was the last thing on my mind... although I did eat... even found space for an alternative chicken burger...

    Saturday... Still felt a little rough in the morning... but was suddenly starving hungry at lunch time... went to a restaurant and had a grilled chicken breast burger on a sweet potato bun. Snacked on fruit for the rest of the day.

    Sunday: Breakfast- Fried egg (using non stick spray instead of oil) on brown bread.
    Lunch - Curry and rice
    Dinner - Braai... the rest of the world calls it a barbecue... Steak and Sausage, potato salad.
    Cardio & workout: Playing with my 2 year old niece (throwing her up in the air until my arms want to fall off, jumping on trampoline, swimming...)

    Stats Update...

    88.2 Kg as at Sunday morning... 1.8kg down... 800g more than I was aiming for...
    I'll update the BF% next week when I can find the calipers... still carrying way too much blubber... but I guess it took time to accumulate, and will take much longer than a week to get rid of. :-)

    Pictures taken yesterday... I can see no change, but didn't expect to.
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