My Fat Loss Journey

**chrischap01** · 06-15-2007, 09:20 PM

I decided it was time to start a journal to keep me on track, and hopefully to help others in some way. I know I get a lot of motivation and tips from reading everyone else's journals on here!

I started seriously trying to lose weight in September of 2006. I had just moved across country to DC, where all of a sudden I was walking constantly after years of rarely doing anything but sitting or driving. When weight started to fall off, I decided to take advantage of my new lifestyle and change my diet and hit the gym.

I had been dissatisfied with my weight for a long time, and had tried several different diets or exercise programs. I usually did the right things, but I would never stick with it long enough to make any real progress. Several things motivated me to really seriously try this time. I saw some photos of myself and did not even recognize the person pictured as me. I started to feel like I was not only letting myself down, but I was no longer the man that my wife of 12 years fell in love with. I was depressed most of the time. I walked very quickly up 4 flights of stairs with a friend and I thought I was going to die, literally. I hyperventilated for several minutes.

All of these things and others I am forgetting motivated me to make a change. In September, I started going to the gym 4 days per week. I found an exercise program that worked for me and I stuck with it religiously, and tracked my goals and progress. I walked every where that I could, making sure to take at least one long walk every day. I replaced a lot of fast food, pizza, and frozen food with fresh seafood, veggies, chicken, and oatmeal. I cut my portion sizes almost in half, and began to eat 4-5 times per day instead of 2-3. I started drinking at least a gallon of water per day.

So, here I am, still at it. I have lost about 60 pounds so far, although I have not weighed in almost a month so I may be down lower than that. I know I have lost an inch or two on my waist in that time. I plan to weigh next week, so I will update at that time!

My overall goal right now is to get down to 225, which is lighter than I have ever been. I got into pretty decent shape in college after I shed my football weight and got down to 230, but I know I can go lower than that. So, 225 is what I am shooting for, but I will re-evaluate things at that time and decide where to go from there. I look at this as on ongoing, unending commitment to rather than something that will end when I reach a certain weight or BF%. I want to continually improve my overall health and fitness level, and eventually find some kind of competitive outlet to apply my training.

**Finnegan Bell** · 06-16-2007, 07:39 AM

good luck man,we are here to help,feel free to post ur diet and workouts so we can critique.

**chrischap01** · 06-16-2007, 07:31 PM

Thanks, Kaaud.

Right now I am doing Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training program, with 2 twenty minute periods, sets of 6, as follows:

Day 1: (Bench+chins) and (seated rows+push press) and HIIT
Day 2: (squats+leg curls) and (weighted sit ups+calf raise) and HIIT
Day 3: (Curls+tri extension) and (DB incline bench+pullovers) and HIIT
Day 4: (leg extension+swiss ball pushups) and (decline situps+hanging leg raises) and HIIT
Day 5: off
Day 6: long walk, run, bike ride, (i.e. whatever I feel like doing as long as its something active)
Day 7: off

**cawiau** · 06-16-2007, 07:34 PM

I wish you the best of luck.

Now, is the diet in check?
That is the most important part of all this!

**chrischap01** · 06-16-2007, 08:38 PM

The diet is in check, but it is not perfect. My primary rules are that I eat 4-5 times per day, and I watch portion sizes much more closely than calories. I don't do it every day, but I have tracked a week here or there on Fitday.com to see what my calorie count is and make sure I am still on track. I am typically in the 2500 calorie range. I generally eat the same way all the time, so it is pretty easy to stick to.

I try to eat a protein bar when I get up, before heading to the gym. I don't always, though.

After the gym, I eat oatmeal with flax and one tbsp pb for breakfast most days, but 2-3 times per week I will have 2 eggs scrambled with chicken sausage and a jalepeno, and 2 slices of whole grain toast.

Lunch is usually either leftovers from dinner or a turkey & cheese sandwich with mustard and/or horseradish, or something equivalent. If I don't have a veggie leftover from dinner I will often have a salad with a drizzle of oil and and a lot of vinegar and pepper.

Dinner is always one piece of meat and one green veggie. Sometimes I throw in some brown rice or a sweet potato, usually on days I have worked out or had very few other carbs.

At night I either have a snack of homemade trail mix or another sandwich.

I drink a gallon of water per day and a ridiculous amount of coffee.

I buy whole grain (no flour) bread, and I try to avoid added fats in the forms of cheese, dressings, oils, etc. The meat is usually 6-8 oz, grilled or seared, and 4-5 nights a week I eat fish, 1-2 nights I eat chicken, and 1 night I eat beef. Every once in a while I have pork, maybe once per month or so.

I don't have a cheat day per se, but if I am out to eat with friends or family on the weekend I usually don't worry too much about it and eat and drink what I want for that one night. It is not every week, but I probably do it every other week. I also will not deny myself a burger or some other fast food if I am in the mood, but I still try to avoid added fat/cheese and I never get fatty or starchy sides like fries.

**chrischap01** · 06-16-2007, 08:42 PM

by the way, here is today's log entry...

Today was not a gym day, but I went tubing on the Shenandoah River. It was a blast, and I was surprised how much work it was. I was kicking and/or paddling the whole time, and I was basically holding a suspended situp for two and a half hours. I will be sore and sunburned tomorrow!

**chrischap01** · 06-17-2007, 02:43 PM

Another day off, so not too much to report. I stuck on the diet today, which is good since I ate some road food and had 5 beers yesterday!

I plan to take a walk or a jog in the next hour or so, just to get out of the house.

I am thinking of changing my 4 day per week lifting schedule from Mon-Tue-Wed-Thur to Mon-Tue-Thur-Fri, just to avoid the 3 days straight away from the gym every weekend. When I started I was out of town a lot on weekends and thought it would be easier to avoid missing workouts that way, but that is not as much of a problem anymore.

I am supposed to be back in the gym tomorrow morning, but I am helping a friend move in the morning and may skip the gym if I do enough heavy lifting. Otherwise, I will try to hit the gym in the evening instead.

**chrischap01** · 06-17-2007, 07:16 PM

... took a 45 minute walk, then came back and had a stir fry of 1 chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice, broccoli, chiles, garlic, juice of 1 lime, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. It was good, and very spicy. I find that if I make something really spicy, eating it feels kind of decadent, and it almost feels like a cheat meal even though it isn't. It helps me avoid cravings for crap like pizza and taco bell!

**chrischap01** · 06-18-2007, 08:10 PM

Did not make the gym today because I was helping a friend move. It ended up being a 9 hour project, and according to fitday I burned over 7,000 calories. This fool had the heaviest furniture I have ever seen, nothing came apart and alot of it was particle board.

Did not stick to the diet either, as I only had time to eat twice and both times were on the go. I am sure it all evened out, and any metabolic damage done from not eating right will be corrected in a day or two and were somewhat outweighed by the ridiculous amount of calories burned.

**chrischap01** · 06-19-2007, 08:43 AM

This is going to hurt...

I am not sore yet, but when I flex my biceps nothing happens. The muscle just stays limp. Good thing I don't have an upper body workout again until Friday!

When I go to the gym for HIIT tonight I think I will just hang from the chinup bar for a while to stretch them out some.

**chrischap01** · 06-19-2007, 05:47 PM

I had a good day today. Had oatmeal with 1 tbsp of PB and 1 serving of chocolate protein powder (Evo-Pro casein + whey). Tasted like a Reese's cup!

cups of coffee, black

1 gallon of water

2 turkey sandwiches, no cheese, mustard, whole wheat

1 cup brown rice, 1 cup broccoli, 1 chicken breast

as for the workout, I just did cardio today - a 20 minute HIIT session.

The 46" waist shorts I bought over the memorial day weekend are already way too big!

**chrischap01** · 06-20-2007, 07:33 PM

Spent that day with an old friend in town for the day, so I enjoyed some brews and saw Fantastic Four, so not a lot of diet/exercise progress today. I did stick within my portion size requirements, although I am sure the beer threw the calorie count off!

I did walk a couple of miles, though, so I probably took no steps back! Let's hope so, anyways...

Will hit the gym in the morning

**chrischap01** · 06-21-2007, 08:24 AM

About to head to the gym, feeling good today! I am starting to see some veins on my arms for the first time in 12+ years.

**katiedids** · 06-21-2007, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by chrischap01

... I find that if I make something really spicy, eating it feels kind of decadent, and it almost feels like a cheat meal even though it isn't.

i totally agree with this.

**chrischap01** · 06-22-2007, 05:15 PM

I had a good workout, but I was sick all day so I have not eaten much.

I did a 1 mile jog to warmup
Chins
Seated Rows
Curls
Incline Bench
1 mile jog to cooldown

I plan to back in the morning and do legs to make up for the workout I missed this week, and maybe a good HIIT session afterward if I feel like it after legs.

**chrischap01** · 06-23-2007, 02:45 PM

Decided to lift today to make up for missing a day this week. I had a good workout:

Squats 60x260
Leg Curl 60x125
DB Swings 89x40
calf raise 66x135
2 miles elliptical

diet has been good so far today, but I am thinking of starting a refeed in the morning, or at dinner tonight...

**chrischap01** · 06-24-2007, 03:40 PM

Not a bad day. I took the day off from the gym, but I did tak about a 2 mile walk. I decided not to start the refeed, I am going to give it a few more days and see if I start losing again.

**chrischap01** · 06-25-2007, 10:26 AM

I have been living on protein bars, coffee, and water for the last 20 hours or so. I really need to get myself to the store!

I am heading to the gym to do upper body and some light cardio. I want to do HIIT, but I am so sore from the Saturday leg workout that I think I should just do something light to get the blood flowing again.

I have not figured out how to work in HIIT to my new 4 day per week lifting schedule. I am usually too worn out after lifting to really get as intense as HIIT calls for, so I have just been going as hard as I could. I don't want to go 7 days per week to get 3 HIIT sessions in, so I guess I may need to split cardio and lifting, and maybe do one in the morning and the other in the evening. I may try that tomorrow and see how it goes!

**Druluv75** · 06-25-2007, 10:56 AM

I'm tagging along on your journey! I like the well planned set-up. Good Luck!!

**chrischap01** · 06-25-2007, 11:10 AM

Thanks, man, Ill take all the help I can get!

I have been watching your log as well, you have me seriously thinking about getting back on the keto train. In fact, that is why I have not yet gone to the store - I am still trying to decide what to buy when I get there!

**chrischap01** · 06-25-2007, 07:13 PM

I ended up having a pretty good day. Calories were a little low I think, but otherwise the diet was good.

Breakfast - Pure Protein Bar
Lunch - Turkey sandwich, whole wheat, 1 slice swiss, mustard
***
Workout
***
Dinner-2 small Salmon steaks and 1 cup green beans
Snack - handful of trail mix, 1 tbsp peanut butter

After I ate I went to the store and stocked the fridge with tilapia, salmon, steak, eggs, chicken sausage, broccoli, celery, shrimp, cheese, and spinach. I should be able to avoid the 2-3 meal days now!

My workout was pretty good today as well:

Bench - 71 reps @ 150
Seated Row - 72 reps @ 165
Barbell Curl - 72 reps @ 120
Tri Pushdown - 72 reps @ 120
DB Incline Bench - 60 reps @ 50
Lat Pulldown - 60 reps @ 165
2 mile run @ alternating intensities

Looking forward to a light leg day, core, and HIIT tomorrow!

**Druluv75** · 06-25-2007, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by chrischap01

Thanks, man, Ill take all the help I can get!

I have been watching your log as well, you have me seriously thinking about getting back on the keto train. In fact, that is why I have not yet gone to the store - I am still trying to decide what to buy when I get there!

All you need is steak, ground beef, cheese, and salmon lol. Keto is very easy shopping. Just avoid all the middle Aisle and you do fine. lol

**chrischap01** · 06-25-2007, 07:47 PM

I meant I was trying to decide whether to get keto stuff, or oats & brown rice and milk!

**Druluv75** · 06-26-2007, 06:45 AM

here is an excerpt from the Anabolic Diet- By Dr. Mario Di Pasquale
INTRODUCTION
DIETARY FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY
THE MYTH
You’ve heard it all before. Everybody from the American Medical Association to the media
trendsetters to that so-called “expert” at your neighborhood gym has been saying the same thing for
the last three decades: Fat is bad. Carbohydrates are good. If you want to get the body you’ve been
working so hard for, you’ve got to focus on those carbohydrates and keep fat to an absolute minimum.
So you dedicate yourself to living by the percentages the Lords of Lowfat give you. 55 percent
carbs. No more than 15 percent fat. You load up on turkey and chicken. You separate the egg
whites. You surgically remove all visible fat from any piece of meat. You always broil. Never fry.
But you’ve been living a lie.
Fact is, the high carbohydrate diet favored by so many bodybuilders can actually work against
them. They bulk up on all those carbs and end up packing on a tremendous amount of bodyfat.
Then, when it’s time to cut, too much muscle ends up being left in the gym along with the bodyfat.
Strength levels and personal motivation drops. You can become irritable. Maybe even
depressed. By the time that contest you’ve been working so hard for comes around, you often
look no better than you did for the last contest. You may look worse.
And that diet. To say it’s inconvenient and strict would be a drastic understatement. In a
world where eating makes up a great part of our social life, the regimen of a high carb diet can
quickly make you a social outcast.
Not that you can’t make progress toward your goals with a high carb diet. You can. Some.
But you can also find yourself plateauing or even losing lean body mass. As you count down
toward contest time, panic can set in. You take drastic measures to compensate for the state
you’re in and end up losing weeks of training.
So, why are you torturing yourself? Especially when there is an alternative that can pack on
muscle while keeping bodyfat at a minimum. It’s called the Anabolic Diet and, while it flies in
the face of what most bodybuilders have been led to believe, it could be the answer to your prayers.
THE ANABOLIC DIET
Unlike the high carb diet that can work against the body’s system of growth producing
hormones, the Anabolic Diet maximizes the production and utilization of the Big 3 growth
producers — testosterone, growth hormone and insulin — and does it naturally. It also shifts
the body’s metabolism from that of a sugar burning, fat producing machine to that of a fat
burning machine. With the body packing on extra muscle and simultaneously burning both
dietary and stored body fat, the bodybuilder finds himself twice blessed.
The Anabolic Diet stresses a high fat/high protein/low carbohydrate approach to nutrition.
INTRODUCTION 3
Many in the general public will dismiss it out of hand, citing the popular beliefs that fat is a
prime component in heart disease, cancer and obesity. Likewise, many bodybuilders have come
to assume that dietary fat smooths the bodybuilder out and blurs definition.
But they couldn’t be more wrong. Dietary fat, when utilized properly as in the Anabolic Diet,
can be the key to growth and success. And while some will see the Anabolic Diet as a new,
revolutionary, even dangerous approach to nutrition, its basics actually originated with the
dawning of mankind.

**chrischap01** · 06-26-2007, 08:20 AM

Thanks for the tips, Dru. I am a keto veteran to some extent, but it has been a few years since I did it. I know Di Pasquale's philosophy is a little different than what I have done in the past, so I appreciate the info. I may check out his book.

Good day so far today! I bought a couple of new t-shirts when I was back in Texas a few weeks ago and they were all too tight. I threw on one this morning (because I neglected to do laundry over the weekend) and it fits pretty nicely! I also bought two pairs of shorts on the trip that fit perfectly at the time, and now they are at least 2 inches too big in the waist. So, even though the scale is not moving I know I am still making good progress!

**chrischap01** · 06-26-2007, 09:56 PM

I skipped the gym today and took another 2 mile walk. It was leg day and my legs are still pretty sore from Saturday, I think I overdid it a little!

The diet went pretty good, but I did have few beers tonight with a friend in town from Saudi Arabia.

I will hit the gym hard tomorrow!

**Saint Mike** · 06-26-2007, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by chrischap01

I skipped the gym today and took another 2 mile walk. It was leg day and my legs are still pretty sore from Saturday, I think I overdid it a little!

Good coice on opting for the walk. The last thing you want is to injure yourself.

Keep up the good work, bro!

Peace,
Mike

**Hotmoltenlava** · 06-26-2007, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by chrischap01

My workout was pretty good today as well:

Bench - 71 reps @ 150
Seated Row - 72 reps @ 165
Barbell Curl - 72 reps @ 120
Tri Pushdown - 72 reps @ 120
DB Incline Bench - 60 reps @ 50
Lat Pulldown - 60 reps @ 165
2 mile run @ alternating intensities

Hey man, good to see you are working hard. Not trying disrespect in any way, but I have to ask. Why so many reps on one set? Is this a routine you read about somewhere? Not to say it won't work, just curious. Keep up the hard work.

Have a good one.

**chrischap01** · 06-26-2007, 10:52 PM

Good question...

The program is called Escalating Density Training. It's not all in one set, I do sets of 6 reps. The idea is to see how much work you can get done in a given time period. I take two opposing exercises (either push/pull or antagonistic muscles) and alternate them in sets of 6 for 20 minutes, resting 30 seconds between each set. The above numbers reflect the total number of reps I did for each exercise in the 20 minute period. The idea is to have that number go up each week, and when it increases by 25-30% I increase the weight by 5 or 10%.

**chrischap01** · 06-27-2007, 03:24 PM

Had a good workout today. Today is normally a day off, but I went in to do a leg workout to make up for missing it yesterday. I was doing my warmup on the elliptical (1 mile normally) and it just felt good so I kept going. I ended up doing 5 miles. I figured at my weight and with some resistance on the machine that was not a bad leg workout, and I will be in better shape to do my heavier leg day on Friday!

So far I have beenn on track diet wise. I did have a bottle of Gatorade after the 5 miles, though. That is more sugar than I like but I felt like I needed it! Besides, the water in my building today is brown for some reason, I think they are working on the pipes.

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