TheNormalMan: Diary of a Madman (The Road from 247 to 185 by June 13, 2008)

**TheNormalMan** · 12-31-2007, 12:26 PM

Well, it's about time I finally made an online journal to document my fat loss. This way I'll finally be held accountable for the decisions I make, whether they happen to be good or bad. Hopefully this is the last time in my life that I ever have to do an extended cut to drop this much weight.

For those of you who don't know me, here's my story. I've been overweight for the majority of my life. Started back at the end of junior high and just got worse through the high school years. Never got higher than 250 during all my high school years and I dropped a lot of weight during the three years I did wrestling for a few months each year. But as soon as the wrestling season was over, I put the weight back on. This cycle went on year after year, I had no real friends except for one, and no real girlfriends. I was always depressed, so I did what I could to be isolated. I focused all my attention on school, had a near perfect GPA and was basically about as perfect as any student could be all the while not caring what I ate or when I ate it. Could life get any worse? You bet.

During my senior year of high school, I got addicted to the popular online game Diablo II. I'm sure many people have heard of it or played it themselves, it was a cult classic. This was my first real experience playing games online with other people as I was instantly addicted to it unlike anything I had been before. It was all I did. School was just a distraction that prevented me from playing. This went on for my entire senior year and my 4.0 GPA dropped down to a 3.67 in one year. Thank god I had been diligent for years before because this was the one that allowed me to at least have a decent choice of colleges to go too.

My freshman year of college was your typical freshman debauchery to it's fullest. Drinking 2-3 nights a week, being alone for the first time, and all the freedom that comes along with this. I was still addicted to Diablo II this whole time and I put on the freshman 15 and then some. I have no idea what my weight was during this time. All I know is that my clothes kept getting larger and I kept not caring at all. My sophomore year, get this, I'm still playing the same damn game. I actually dropped out of school for a year because I couldn't motivate myself for class and thought I could spend it getting my life back on tract. Nah, just more ****ty eating, drinking, playing games, and doing nothing useful with my life.

Here comes my "sophomore" year of college and I move in with an old friend from my freshman year. Sure enough, he's a big pothead and oh boy, did things get even worse. I had zero real friends, no self-esteem and didn't care about anything. I then got addicted to World of Warcraft when it was released in late 2004. I just kept gaining weight and reached near 300 pounds by the end of 2004. It seems like my body stabilized around this point because I never broke 300, but never lost anything either. I played World of Warcraft and smoked copious amount of weed until February of 2006. Somehow, I still managed to pass all my classes in school, despite everything that I was wasting my life on.

Then on February 8, 2006, I remember vividly everything that happened. I was actually getting mad at other people over the internet to the point that I actually wanted to hurt them. Something profound happened to me in the game, no one wanted to hang out with me anymore. I can't blame them. All I remember was at about 7:30 P.M. on that night, I realized that I had had enough and I deleted everything on my account, uninstalled the game, turned my computer off and did something I hadn't done really since high school. I left my apartment and went to the gym. I didn't have the first clue about working out or nutrition, but it was something. After 10 minutes on the elliptical on the lowest setting, I was dead and couldn't barely see straight. But I had done something.

For the next two months, I kept at it, slowly incorporating some form of weight training into my schedule along with doing cardio. Sure enough, I lost all of 4 pounds in my first two months because I was still wolfing down burgers, chips, and other crap. After the end of march, I burned out and quit. For the next few weeks, I lounged around doing school and trying to figure out what to do with myself. Then on April 21st at 11:07 A.M. in the morning, I was driving down a road on my way to a job interview. I realized that I was driving in the wrong direction and decided to make an illegal U-Turn in the middle of the road to change direction. However, I didn't look properly before I did this and at close to 40 MPH, my car was clipped by an oncoming vehicle, completely annihilating my back passenger door, the left side of my trunk, and the left tirewell. My car barely made it over to the side of the road. Later that day, I was told that my car had to be totaled because the cost to repair it would be greater than the total car itself.

That's when it hit me. This was my wake-up call. I had walked away from a 40 MPH collision that totaled my car and I walked away without so much as a single injury or even the slightest bit of pain. All I remember was sitting there in a stupor for the longest time realizing that my life needed to change. I couldn't go on like this any longer. I remember spending all my free time over the next week reading everything I could on improving my life and this led me to reading about fitness, improving my nutrition, and doing everything else associated with a healthy lifestyle. May 1, 2006 was a Monday and I decided that would be the day I started my life. I weighed 282 pounds.

Sure enough, I dived back into working out again with a simple workout program I had found and a basic nutrition plan that seemed to work for me. Over the next weeks, I started seeing results like I had never seen before. My clothes were beginning to feel looser and I felt more energetic overall. But I wasn't satisfied, I kept reading everything I could find on fitness and nutrition and I eventually stumbled on bodybuilding.com. Summer came and I kept with it. I got a job and kept working out. I kept learning more and more. As summer was finishing, I had become obsessed with fitness and I had dropped nearly 50 pounds since May 1. At the start of September, I made the choice and switched over to Exercise Science as my primary major in school. Fitness and working out had become my life. I kept with my program as school started up again and by Christmas of 2006, I was under 200 pounds, for the first time in nearly a decade if I recall correctly. In just under eight months, I had gained muscle and dropped over 80 pounds of fat from my body.

However, things went downhill from here. School started up again in 2007, some of my bad habits returned and I was overwhelmed with school and work and trying to have my discipline. It was too much for me. Over the next 6 months, I never lost any more weight and started to gain some back because I lost my focus and my drive. Then school got out, I started eating horrible again, and my friend got me back into online video games again. This went on through September this year and then I finally hit rock bottom again. I was horrified by what I had let happen to myself again. In 10 short months, I had let myself go all the way back up to around 270 pounds again.

On October 29, I snapped it all back into place and dove back in with a vengeance. Overnight, I did a complete 180 with my diet, working out, and lifestyle. The first month was hard, but I've never been so driven in my entire life before as I am right now. In the last two months, I've managed to drop over 20 pounds and I'm not stopping until I reach my goals again. Never again will I let myself fall like this.

I'm going to do whatever I must to reach my goal of 185 pounds (100 pound weight loss marker) by June 13, 2008 because this is the friday of Finals week of spring quarter of my university. From there, who knows where the future will take me. All I know is that, never ever again will I let myself slip like this. This is my year, my time to shine, and the time to make my dreams come true.

Sorry if this was longwinded and too long to read. I just felt like sharing my story and what I plan to do with myself in this year. This journal will be where I chronicle my feelings and workouts to keep me going to the person I want to become.

**TheNormalMan** · 12-31-2007, 12:32 PM

I am going crazy this year with my diet and my workout program. I will be pushing myself to the limit and then beyond because I want this weight loss to be done with once and for all. I've been down this road once before and I just want it to be over with so I can get on with my life.

I want to be held accountable for everything I do that doesn't benefit my weight loss and I need people to kick me in the ass when I fall off track. No one's perfect, but I plan to be as damn close as I can be without making myself insane. My nutrition is solid these days and when I feel like analyzing I eat, I'll start posting my daily diets although it often takes more effort than I feel like putting out.

This time it's on and I plan on to push myself like I've never pushed myself before. No more excuses, ever.

Monday 12/31 Workout (Chest and Abs)

Cable Crossovers
12x40
12x60
10x60

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
12x50
10x75
8x90
6x100

Flat Dumbbell Flies
10x40
12x40
10x45

Incline Barbell Bench Press
10x135
6x185
4x185

Bodyweight Chest Dips
1x6
1x8
1x7

Lying Leg Raises
1x24
1x20

Decline Crunches
1x12
1x10

Elliptical - 45 minutes

**madSano** · 12-31-2007, 12:37 PM

holy cow dude!

you wrote a book!

i'm definitely sub'd and I will read that within the hour!

..wow..

GOOD LUCK!

**TheNormalMan** · 12-31-2007, 12:53 PM

Yeah, I just kind of got caught up. Pretty much says my life story up to the present. Just using as motivation to push through and reach my goals in 2008. Looking to get 2008 started on the right foot. Feel good so far about it.

**chrischap01** · 12-31-2007, 01:29 PM

sub'd! great start to the journal and good luck!

**madSano** · 12-31-2007, 02:10 PM

I READ IT!!!!

AND IT WAS AWESOME!!
Very profound and motivational story..

The way I look at it though, without all those tough times, you would never had grown into the man you are now.

A man full of knowledge, determination and hope.

Don't regret the past, embrace it and grow from it..

which you are doing!

SORRY ABOUT BEFORE, I WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE HUGE FIRST POST!

I ADVISE EVERYONE TO READ IT!!!!

GOOD LUCK!

**TheNormalMan** · 12-31-2007, 02:49 PM

Thanks man. Means a lot. Just gotta stay in the present, learn from the past, and embrace the future. Couldn't have said it better myself. Time to let it just happen now.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-01-2008, 08:17 AM

Well it's New Year's morning and I'm feeling lethargic for some reason. I just need to give myself a few minutes to wake up first then I should feel good in awhile to go for at least a moderate run. Need to do something today since my main gym is closed.

**IronIc** · 01-01-2008, 09:15 AM

That is a great story. Good luck in reaching your goals!

**TheNormalMan** · 01-01-2008, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by IronIc

That is a great story. Good luck in reaching your goals!

Thanks. The goals will be reached.

Just went for a relaxing 30 minute walk/run since my gym is closed. It's still tough getting back into jogging at my weight. I didn't really do much running last year until I was down to about 220-225 or so. But a little won't kill me. Better than nothing today.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-02-2008, 08:18 AM

I need to start getting to bed a little earlier. Waking up at 8am is too late when my days are begin at like 5-6 am next quarter once school starts back up. But that won't be too much of a problem. I'm gonna try to get to bed by like 10:30 tonight or so if I can and then slowly work back from there.

Just waking up right now, about to go cook some food, oatmeal, eggwhites and lean meat and then it's off to the gym. I'll be working arms and abs today and doing cardio. Time to go push myself hard!

**TheNormalMan** · 01-02-2008, 11:39 AM

Well today's workout was hard and intense. I haven't worked my arms this hard in a few weeks and I'm feeling more fatigued after today than usual. Although I was pissed when I got back out to my car and found out that I had gotten a parking ticket. But I already appealed it because the circumstances which they gave it to me was bull**** in the school parking lots.

Wednesday 1/02 Workout (Arms and Abs)

Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curls
12x25
12x35
9x40
5x45

Dips
Bodyweightx15
Bodyweightx12
Bodyweightx10

Barbell Curls
10x70
8x80
8x80

Seated Dumbbell Press (Triceps)
12x60
10x80
10x90
5x100

Cable Curls (One for each arm)
12x40
10x50
6x50

Tricep Pushdowns
10x80
10x85
8x85

Lying Leg Raises
1x20
1x15

Obliques
Some exercise where I lied on a decline bench with a 25 pound weight in my hands and twisted side to side, 2 sets for about 10-12 reps each way.

Treadmill - 20 Minutes
ArcTrainer - 25 Minutes

Overall, pretty solid workout and I feel pretty energetic after it was over although fatigued in a good way. Now it's just a matter of getting back in the mindset for school since I start up in less than a week.

**-NB-** · 01-02-2008, 12:03 PM

Journal Looks Good man, i'm in *sub'd*

**-NB-** · 01-02-2008, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by madSano

I READ IT!!!!

AND IT WAS AWESOME!!
Very profound and motivational story..

The way I look at it though, without all those tough times, you would never had grown into the man you are now.

A man full of knowledge, determination and hope.

Don't regret the past, embrace it and grow from it..

which you are doing!

SORRY ABOUT BEFORE, I WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE HUGE FIRST POST!

I ADVISE EVERYONE TO READ IT!!!!

GOOD LUCK!

i second this.

**txtechguy** · 01-02-2008, 12:26 PM

Awesome job...I am glad you are the mentor for our team...definite source of motivation for me. I would kill to get in the gym and lift weights...but got to take it easy for 3 more weeks (healing from surgery).

Your weight loss is amazing and would like to know what your diet looks like. I don't know that I have quite the same amount of time to devote to the gym as you, but would like to try.

Keep up the great work.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-02-2008, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by txtechguy

Awesome job...I am glad you are the mentor for our team...definite source of motivation for me. I would kill to get in the gym and lift weights...but got to take it easy for 3 more weeks (healing from surgery).

Your weight loss is amazing and would like to know what your diet looks like. I don't know that I have quite the same amount of time to devote to the gym as you, but would like to try.

Keep up the great work.

Thanks of the nice words guys. It means a lot. It was just so tough watching all my hard work get lost like that because you slip back into your old habits. But I guess all you can do is pick yourself up and keep going no matter how far you slip.

Here's a typical day's diet for me. It varies quite a bit during the school year because I'm on the go so much and I don't have the convenience of eating many sit down meals with classes and extracurriculars.

Meal 1: Oatmeal + 3-5 ounces of lean meat scrambled in peppers and onions with 1 whole egg and 1/2-1 cup of eggbeaters type eggwhites
Meal 2 (PWO): 2 scoops ON Whey + 1 banana + 3 large frozen strawberries + 1/2 cup oats + 8-12 ounces of milk (all blended together)
Meal 3: Sandwich with 2 slices whole wheat bread, 4-6 ounces chicken or tuna or lean deli meat plus fat free kraft cheese, sometimes tomatos and onions and 4-6 ounces of baby carrots
Meal 4: whole wheat pasta + lean meat + veggies with a little low sugar tomato sauce
Meal 5: two slices of bread with 4-5 whole eggs cooked in a tiny bit of olive oil, sometimes meat instead of bread if I need more protein or less carbs for the day
Meal 6: Always 1/2 pound of low fat cottage cheese and 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Usually ends up coming out to around 2500 calories, give or take on most days of the week and over 200 grams of protein every day. Other than those two requirements, it's pretty much whatever my schedule allows time for between classes since it's tough to always eat exactly what you want when you're on the go from place to place 6-8 hours every day.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-02-2008, 01:09 PM

I guess I should finally include some photos with my journal just so that I have a point of reference. I'm just going to use the same photos for this journal as I will be for the official cutting contest hosted by MadSano. Just to make things easier for myself.

I'm 247 in the above photos, about 32% bodyfat or so. This guy's not gonna be around much longer.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-03-2008, 08:31 AM

I woke up today out of it again. I think I might have caught a small bug of some kind, but I don't care. Not going to stop working out. Only when I start hacking up green flem will I back off. Gotta keep pushing on right now.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-03-2008, 11:18 AM

Today's workout was solid and I felt like I was more in the groove today at the gym than I was yesterday. Here's my numbers for today:

Thursday 1/03 Workout (Back and Calves)

Chin-Ups
Bodyweight x5
40 support weight x 8
40 support weight x 7

Bent Over Barbell Rows
10x135
10x145
8x155

Alternating Dumbbell Rows
10x60
10x70
8x80
8x85

Lat Pull Downs
10x130
10x145
6x160

Lying T-Bar Rows
10x115
7x135
8x135

Seated Calf Raises
A four minute style calf raise that I found in the forums. Took 135 pounds, did a set until failure with 2-4 second controlled negatives. Rested for 10-15 seconds between sets and took each set to failure. Calves were on fire after 4 minutes and I could barely walk

Treadmill - 15 minutes
Elliptical - 30 minutes

Now all I have to do is kill time today until I can workout tomorrow. It's a sad state of affairs when working out at the gym is the highlight of your day every single day....

**cawiau** · 01-03-2008, 11:21 AM

Nice workout and I hope you feel better soon!

And sorry for getting late to the party

*subscribed*

**TheNormalMan** · 01-03-2008, 07:40 PM

Thanks. Feeling better today. Just trying to get back in the spirit of school today.

I think I might take it easy for the next few days. Woke up with a slight runny nose and I can't afford to be sick right now with school starting up again next Tuesday. I'm going to be taking 19 credits worth of classes and a full load is 15. My schedule is going to be hectic. But my workout and nutrition still take precedence even over school for me so it should be ok.

Going to be early tonight since I have to go destroy my legs tomorrow. Been a little while since I had true leg workout. Going hard and heavy tomorrow. I'll probably in the aftermath of a nice vomit spell when I type up my workout tomorrow.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-04-2008, 08:02 AM

Woke up today feeeling a lot more energized than yesterday morning. Also, whatever but I had seems to have gone down a bit.

Today is leg day. We all know what that means. I'm going to be in major pain the rest of the weekend and I'm going to be crawling out of the gym. This is the day I bring the pain and live in it. It's all I have. Time to do or die.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-04-2008, 10:56 AM

Well today I was more focused than usual and tore into my workout with a vengeance. It was brutal. I nearly puked multiple times and nearly passed out once. It was intense, I suffered, but I embraced the pain and pushed on till collapse. The day? You guessed it, leg day. Here's the numbers:

Workout 1/04 (Legs and Abs)

Leg Extension (Warm Up)
15x115
15x115
15x130

Squats
10x185
10x225
8x275
6x315
20x185 (Complete Failure)

Leg Press
15x515
12x650
15x650 (Nearly vomited as soon as I got off)

Stiff Leg Deadlift
8x185
8x185

Lying Leg Curls
12x145
12x145

Recumbent Bike (Low Intensity) - 30 Minutes

I had no strength left to do abs today after legs. I was basically a dead man walking after leg presses. I was barely able to finish my lifts today. As it is, my stomach still hasn't settled down yet but I feel oddly refreshed and the pain was awesome. Overall, one of my better workouts lately and all I have to do is up the bar next week. Until next time....

**-NB-** · 01-04-2008, 12:37 PM

great workout man, your a tank.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-04-2008, 10:39 PM

I am in some major pain from my leg workout today and my calf workout yesterday. It's gonna be painful tomorrow but I embrace the pain. Without it, I am nothing. Only pain keeps me grounded in reality. Whether physical, mental or emotional, it all adds up to our humanity and everything that goes along with it. Instead of bowing before it, I embrace it and let it guide me down my path. The countdown to my next workout session is drawing closer.

**TheNormalMan** · 01-05-2008, 10:23 AM

I ride high on the wings of success. My breath catches in my throat. With my passion as my guide, I feel the pain in my body course over me. It drives me on. Another day, another moment to shine. Off to the gym I fly. It's what keeps reality ticking.

**-NB-** · 01-05-2008, 12:09 PM

JW whats supps you takeing? (if any)

**TheNormalMan** · 01-05-2008, 12:18 PM

Not my strongest workout today. But still good. I got a good pump going on my shoulders from heavy presses and clean and then a good burn from drop setting Side Lateral Raises. Still kind of burnt out from legs yesterday. It's going to be nice to take the next 48 hours off from lifting to give myself some recovery time. Only supplements I'm taking now is whey, glutamine, and a multi.

Saturday 01/05 Workout (Shoulders/Traps/Calves)

Sitting Barbell Press
10x135
8x155
6x155

Clean and Jerk
8x135
6x155
6x155
3x155

Side Lateral Raises Drop Sets
4x25-6x20-8x15-10x10
6x25-8x20-8x15-6x10

Front Raises
8x20
7x25 (Left Shoulder started hurting so I stopped)

Smith Machine Shrugs
6x225
6x225

Dumbbell Shrugs
6x75
6x80

Seated Calf Raises
20x135
15x135 (I wanted to do another couple sets but the weight pressing down on my quads was too sore from my leg workout yesterday)

Treadmill - 20 Minutes
ArcTrainer - 20 Minutes

**cawiau** · 01-05-2008, 01:04 PM

nice workout

**TheNormalMan** · 01-06-2008, 09:34 AM

Here we are, almost a week into '08 already. Ain't it scary how the time just flies by. One minute you think you got all the time in the world, next thing you know a whole year has gone by. Each day just ticks away and there's nothing one can do to stop the flow of time. All you can do is go along with it or get swept away. I'm tired of being swept away by time so I'm going to make a stand against it and fight back savagely. Each day is a brutal fight that begins with aggression and ends with passion. Each day from dawn to dusk we show our true colors and reveal our existence to the world. Another day, another notch in the never-ending pendulum. No workout today. Rest is needed. Tomorrow, I attack the gym with fury. Next week, hardcore becomes light weight and I go deeper. Now is the time.

Thread: TheNormalMan: Diary of a Madman (The Road from 247 to 185 by June 13, 2008)

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TheNormalMan: Diary of a Madman (The Road from 247 to 185 by June 13, 2008)

woah!

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