One Year Progress Report

[mmorgan216]

First time posting pics so I hope this works.

Edit: doh, pics are at bottom of post. sorry to make you wade thru the old junk, and hey no comments about my rash! I no longer have a big gut holding up my pants and my belt chaffs


Currently back from a mini vacation where I gained a little weight. Currently at 158 lbs, was down to 154 a few short days ago.



Old posts here

Realistic goals?

Since I started working out religiously and tracking what I eat 10 months ago my goal has been fat loss. Achieving the mythical 6-pack was my initial goal (to be followed by a bulk). I have still not achieved this goal despite dropping over 30lbs. Heck like most men I carry what little excess fat in my stomach and lower back, on a good day I suppose I have a 2 pack.

Recently I got my BMR tested using the body-gem. Not sure I believe the results, she tested me twice because the first reading was lower than she expected. According to the tests my body burns 1350-1450 cal a day at rest. Using the on-line calculators I was expecting a result closer to 1700 cal/day. Since I was tested in the morning I had not eaten or drank for 10 hrs prior to the test.

Although discouraged by the results of both my exercise/eating program and its apparent effect on my metabolism I will soldier on.

My question is if/when I get my that darned 6-pak, will I be able to keep it? I mean is it reasonable for a 37 year old man to eat 1800 cal/day and exercise for 8.5 hrs/week just to look good in a swimsuit? From a strict health perspective I probably am overdoing it and I realize that the models on the cover of fitness mags can only keep their shredded abbs for a few weeks or even days for a shoot.

I have included prior posts that go into much greater detail on my diet and exercise regiments.

As always, any comments and suggestions would be appreciated.









Old post:



History: Male 5?10?, currently at 157lbs, age 37

Food log

Start 7/12/06 188 lbs, intake 2067 cal/day (75 days of data), 41.92% P, 41.5% C, 17.73% F
10/4/06 176 lbs, intake 1934 cal/day (76 days of data), 42.79% P, 37.8% C, 19.41% F
1/3/07 165 lbs, intake 1808 cal/day (56 days of data), 43.7% P, 38.31%C, 17.99% F
34g fiber/day, 10g sat. fat/day, 283 cholesterol/day, 142 oz water/day, 38g sugar/day.
Since started using Torrent PWO, sugar intake has averaged 54g/day


I have stopped losing weigh during my last diet modification but given the volume of physical activity I am loath to reduce calories again as I am afraid that my body is holding onto its fat to protect itself.
Also I have started taking creatine again so that might explain some of the plateau.

I am very regimented about what I eat during the day, but dinner is always a crapshoot as I have to please not only myself but my wife as well.

Breakfast 7am, Protein powder, fiber one, glutaimine powder, fish oil caps.
28g protein, 27 carbs, 4.5 fat, 260 cal, 14g fiber
Brunch 10am, 3 oz foster farms chicken stips, 5.3 oz potato
27g protein, 16g carbs, 2g fat, 230 cal. 3 g fiber
Lunch 1pm Meal replacement
38g protein, 19g carbs, 3g fat, 255 cal, 3g fiber

Workout1 3:15pm, Cardio

Dinner 5:30-6pm,

Workout2 7pm, Resistance training

PWO: depending on what I ate for dinner I try to eat the balance of my protein for the day along with some berries for flavor. Currently do not spend the 60g of high GI carbs like I should be as I try to reward myself with some snack during down time. Mostly my snacks are baked potatio chips, soy chips or healthy choice fudge bar. Update: Started using Torrent as a PWO shake. Since it eats up a whopping 53 grams of carbs I no longer get to eat carb laden snacks in the evening.

I realize that although my diet is relatively balanced my timing could use a lot of work. I have tried to do my Cardio in the morning but lack the discipline. I cannot alter the time of my resistance training because I have to accommodate my wife. On the days that I know she will not be working out I do resistance at 3:15 pm followed by cardio.

I realize that without getting an accurate body fat test the scale is a poor indicator of progress. I do know that I have had to buy a new wardrobe and currently fit 32? jeans down from 38-40. I just don?t want my body to eat muscle due to calorie restrictions.

Any help/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Supplement Info:
Univeral Animal Paks
Universal Animal Pump
Univeral Animal Cuts
Universal Torrent (rarely used due to carb content)
Universal Stak2
Fish oil
Glutamine powder
Protein powder
Goliath labs Tribuloid (??) testosterone booster



Old post


Hey all, (and thanks in advance)


Well in about a week I will hit my 7 month mark with resistance training along with a new diet regiment.

I will post my questions first and if people want to get into the minutia of my regiment they can scroll down.

Q1. How does the diet look?
Q2. Any tips on the exercise section?


Vital Stats: 36 yo Male, 5?10?. 162lbs.

Current Diet: Last 77 days have averaged 1950 cal, with a near perfect 40%p, 40%c, 20f.
My goal is fat loss first while protecting as much muscle mass as possible.

History: After topping out at 215lbs my wife and I started up with cardio at the local gold?s. The elliptical trainer was my first and only love. After about 2 yrs I got down to about 175 lbs and then rocketed up to 188.. I knew that cardio alone wasn?t gonna get me to my goals.

I read up, mostly from the Body for Life book/website, and from BB.com. I needed to supplement to get enough protein and kept a food log. I dropped weight slowly, well within the 2 lbs/week guideline, and lost about 26 lbs. Carbs are my weakness and the least clean portion of my diet but I still manage to keep within my 40/40/20 split most days.

Workout:

Cardio: I aim for 5 days a week, m-f. I used to go for 40min/5 cooldown. Lately throwing in 35 min of interval training (when I can muster the energy) with a 5 min cooldown. Most of my cardio is at a high intensity, above 80% of max hr. I have been doing cardio seriously for about 30months so I am not a complete newb but no doubt so complacency has crept into my routine. Update: I don?t know if my machine is accurate but it says that I burn roughtly 375 cal per workout. I develop 180 watts for my slow and steady workout, 250 watts are developed during the hard section of my interval training.

Resistance: What really kicked off my whole exercise/diet craziness (at least that is what mom says) was the purchase of a home gym. I quickly added a cage and Olympic set to supplement the nautilus?s weaknesses. Still without an adjustable dumbbell set.

For the first two months or so I followed a routine outlined in a Men?s Health book: The body you want in the time you have. It was a pretty basic 2 day split, A,B,restA,B,Rest etc. After adding more sets and reps based on what I learned on Bodybuilding.com what was once a 60 min workout would often run over 2hrs. Throw on another 45min of cardio most days and I was quickly dreading my workouts. As a result I would cheat.

Recently I broke up my resistance training into a 3 day split. ABCABCABC, no days off. Still takes me over an hr and ab work adds another 15 min or so. Update: added a day of rest between cycles, so now on A,B,C rest day, A,B,C rest day.
Unless otherwise mentioned I do 4 sets of 12 per exercise, 60 seconds of rest.

Day 1. Chest/tricep:
Flat bench: This is the sole exercise that I am actually getting weaker. I am off about 30 lbs, down from 205lbs. Overtraining or diet is causing me to become weaker.
Incline Bench
Decline Bench
Cable flys
Seated tricep extension
Tricep pushdown
Laying tricep extension.
dips

Day 2 Legs
Squats:
Deadlift:
Lunge
Calf raises
Leg Extension
Leg curl

Day 3: arms/back
Seated shoulder press
Dumbbell lateral Rise
Upright row
Shoulder shrugs
Bent over row
Lat pull down
Dumbbell bent over raise
Bicep curls
Reverse curl
Wrist curl
Wrist extension

Abs: do routine most days
120 ball crunches with a light dumbbell.
2 sets of 20 crunches
2 sets of rope crunches
2 set of leg raises with small dumbbell held by feet.

I want to lean out before going on a bulk. I realize that weigh is just a number and my personal measure of success will be my still flabby stomach. Until I can see abs I will continue to be on a cut. If I get below 155 lbs I will probably do a fat test to make sure I don?t go too low.

I workout with my 105lb wife, so I won?t be lifting super heavy and aim for exhaustion rather than failure on all my free-weight work. So far injury free aside from my lower back that becomes very sore after my leg/back day.

[mom24boys]

you really leaned out..good job!

[Revmachine21]

Before pictures, normal looking guy you'd see anywhere.

After pictures, hot guy.

Great job!

[enigma60]

Great job. You look really cut.

[phikappa]

Great job!

[67fastback]

Wow what an improvement. You are a good role model for a noob like me!

[bluffcolts]

Good job, keep it up!

[lukamar]

I keep being amazed at the progress some of the members make. You have done a good job and should be rightly proud.

[Flynn]

Great transformation! If I haven't seen the pics together, I would have thought it was two different people. Keep up the hard work!!!

[newmexico123]

good job!

[Khodiak]

Incredible! Great inspiration!!

[GreenWave1]

Is that the same person?!? Great job. Keep it going.

[WeebleNoMore]

Great job! You should be very proud of yourself!

[BELLC]

Fantastic! Keep taking no prisoners!

[MetFan]

Good for you. Great inspiration to all of us that have put on unwanted lbs. pain and hard work does pay off.

[IronIc]

Great transformation! Nice vascularity on your forearms

[Islandtroll]

Look gooding! Keep up the hard work, it is paying off!

[trib2]

You look great -- even your face has leaned out in a really good way. High marks for the shoulders and abs.

[mmorgan216]

thank you all for the kind words. It really means alot especially since I was so down in the dumps after getting my metabolism checked by the BodyGem.

I am so looking forward to my first bulk, to think an extra 500 or so calories a day!!

[Iziobreeze]

That is a very impressive demonstration of dedication and hard work.

It really is inspirational to see your progress over the coarse of a year. Many of the transformations on this site are impressive, but you have no idea as to how long it took most people.

Keep up the good work.