Lex's Donating fat to the insulin fairy thread....

[Nadakelvin]

Day 18. It's supposed to be a rest day...

This is the week in Gethins program where he has 4 rest days because of travel. I can't stomach that so day 18 is chest and triceps. 3am workout had the gym to myself until 4am. Smashed out 40 minutes of cardio followed by destroying my triceps and pushing the chest to " Honey can you come and shampoo my hair?"

Will do the usual walk the kids to school and back and I'll squeeze in another hour of cardio later today. Really feeling the difference in the cardio now. Breathing easier and finding a rhythm. The endurance is going up and the intensity is increasing just to keep the heart rate in the zone. 3 weeks ago 30 minutes of cardio in a day might as well have been a race across lava using my lips. Now it's becoming regular to have a couple of hours a day.

Eating is clean. No serious cravings. The food is tasty enough and I'm in machine mode.

I hope everyone that takes up the lifestyle change can feel as alive and motivated as I do now.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 19 Shoulders calves abs.

Today I did what was required in the gym. Did 40 mins of cardio followed by my lifting but at the end of it I was completely gassed. I think I'm at the stage where I need some extra sleep. Just felt foggy until I was done. Going to kick back after a shower and let the napping begin. Hopefully I feel more energy for when I go back for another hour of cardio later.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 20 Leg day

I slaughtered my legs today. Warmed up with 20 minutes cardio. Did the sets I was supposed to do then added another couple of sets to each excercise. So when I went back to the treadmill for a cooldown I was walking like a drunk crackhead with spinal injuries. My mind said do the thing. My body told me some things I can't repeat here.

I have hit a plateau on the scale. But I'm not concerned at all. The clothes are looser. I can feel the muscle getting firmer and starting to push out in places. The scale numbers will line up soon enough. I'm fitter and stronger and the composition is changing. This is the point where people get discouraged and do silly things like cut calories in half to try and get a loss.

DO NOT DO THIS. If anything this is the point you want a couple of days of re feed and to just plough on with the program. Calculate your macros for current weight. Cut sensibly. Keep lifting hard and getting the cardio in. Compositional change is still huge progress. The number on the scale is not who you are or the representation of a sum of your effort. If you are calculating your food intake on point, if you are hydrating correctly, if you are putting in maximum effort in the gym, then things are happening that unfortunately scales are too fkn stupid to show you.

Sit back. Do you feel clean? Are you giving it 100%? Are your calculations correct? Do you feel things firming up? Are your clothes getting looser? If you answer yes to these then who the fck cares if a number has suddenly shifted? Just the fact that food and water in your system may be a few pounds difference from when you weighed last should be enough to get you over scale obsession. If the scale not changing is the only negative from a week of hard work you are still doing better than most if you can honestly answer all the other questions above as yes.

Let's keep it going beautiful people.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 21. Supposed to be a rest day so it ended up being chest and triceps.

Kept the cardio to a 20 minute warmup. Pushed the weight hard. Later today I'm helping the kids out with training for Muay Thai. So there will be sit-ups push-ups squats sprints pad work and skipping. Plus I'm having a mad spring clean so that should more than count as cardio.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 22. Rest Day. ( Yes I'm taking a rest day honestly)

Kicking back today having a re-feed. Playing some games. Will go for a nice long walk with the wife and kids later. Gonna teach the kids how to put on hand wraps themselves. Should be like teaching ferrets how to knit. It is a fundamental to help avoid injuries while punching though. So some bag work, some jump rope work some situps and pushups.... Its still resting don't judge me you aint my Dad.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 23 back and biceps.

3am gym session. 30 minutes cardio.

Finding a deeper connection with the muscle. It has meant some slight adjustments in form instead of being lazy. I'm getting more of the squeeze in the excercise by concentrating on form. I'm staying away from the scales and just making sure that the lifting cardio and food is on point.

Time to go for a long walk with the wife for a coffee.

[Nadakelvin]

Day24 Shoulders and calves.

Walked the kids to school today. Decided I'd go to the gym later at night instead of early morning. #selfentitleddouchebagcrew in the house. Must make sure to try and do the 3am solo gym time. Cracked out another 30 minutes on the treadmill. Finding my Shoulders to be the biggest problem for lifting. They are a little crunchy and get sore easily. I have backed off the weight slightly and increased reps. Makes it failure because of fatigue instead of pain. They will catch up over time.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 25 Chest and Triceps

Got lost in the treadmill this morning. I was going to do a 20 minute warm up. It turned into an hour on the treadmill. I could have happily gone for another hour if i wasn't time restricted. I had to get my chest and triceps done before breakfast and getting the kids ready for school. It was a really amped workout today. lifted heavy. Lifted with good form. Pushed all the way to wanting to scream for the next rep ( refrained from screaming so i didn't upset the crossfitters and the morning curlbros doing thumb sets on their phones). Got home devoured Kippers an apple and a banana. Currently loading on a mug of black espresso you could stand a spoon in. Will definitely be back in for a second cardio session today. If the weather fines up ill make it a beach or a park walk.

For any of you that are finding the first few weeks of this journey hard. Stick in there. Do the thing even when your brain is screaming profanity and excuses and your body is begging you for another hour in bed. I promise you it will start to feel incredible and become a self fueled motivation machine. You are worth it. You owe it to yourself to be the best you possible. Get it done.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 26. Rest day....

Half an hour on the treadmill. Then I had to do some extra back and biceps work. How many f**** do I give? 0. considering it's a rainy day I will kick back and watch movies and lounge around in bed. No doubt this will end with more cardio later today.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 27. Rest Day

I needed this one. Started with strep throat and feeling a bit chesty last night. Good excuse for chicken soup and a lot of green tea. Hoping that i am feeling a bit better this afternoon so i can at least get some light cardio in. Tomorrow is the 1 month mark. So I'm going to perch on the scale and hope to see a little downward movement. I'm noticing visual differences and looser clothing. there are new bumps here and there. It looks and feels like progress. Maybe the scales will make it an extra good week. Screw them if they don't. It has still been a good week. I can honestly say to myself i put in the effort 100% this week. So I'm good with whatever happens.

You all keep doing the thing. We got this.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 28. Legs. Also it's one month of solid effort.

It's windy it's rainy and I'm getting ready to go kill my legs. But I figured I would drop an entry in here before I left.

I weighed in. I lost 1.5kg (3.3lbs) this week. Very happy. That's a total of 11.5kg (25.3lbs) so far.

So in celebration my legs shall now be reduced to rubber bands before breakfast.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 29. This is not supposed to be a rest day.

But it is going to have to be. Feel like I'm coughing up razor blades and breathing through swamp water. So i will just keep fluids up and feed this cold. Give it a day or two i should come good and ill just pop some extra work in where a rest day should be later.

Just remember better to rest a couple of days properly than push yourself and end up even worse for longer. If the cold is from the neck up then keeping up the cardio and lifting is fine. But this has moved into my chest. Working out through that is just asking for trouble. So there shall be bed and youtube for today at least.

[Nadakelvin]

Day31

Hoping this is the tail end of my cold. Another day of fluids good food and rest today and I should be back in the gym tomorrow. I have cabin fever and I can hear the weights crying without me ...

[Nadakelvin]

Day 32 Shoulders.

Well I woke up with the tail end of my cold hanging on. I toyed with the idea of another rest day just to make sure. That lasted about three minutes. If I hadn't gone to the gym today I would have gone insane. Told myself I was going to go easy on the cardio and get my lifting in. Just to ease back in. Sooooo 40 minutes on the treadmill later I jumped off to go and murder my shoulders. Feels like the workout cleared the back end of the cold out. So I will probably get another hour of cardio in later.

Met a couple of decent people at the gym today. Unusual because I usually don't talk to people at the gym. It's crazy how similar passions bring people together despite other differences. After the days off because of the cold I felt miserable. But after getting back in there and sweating like a polar bear in a sauna, then having a good hot shower and some good food, I'm on a high. I can't miss my gym. It is my sanity provider, my toxin remover, my balance and my motivation for all the other things I do.

After being bed ridden because of bad health, there is nothing better than using the opportunity of working out to make yourself even healthier. Every day you hit the gym and hit your goal you have more drive to smash the goals and set new ones higher than you ever thought yourself capable of. Let the non believers scoff at your lifestyle and your lofty goals. Because when you achieve them you either silence them or they will crawl to you asking for advice. In that moment take the higher road. Forgive their ignorance, extend your hand and help them achieve a goal they never thought they were capable of achieving. This isn't just about a journey to get fit. It isn't just 12 weeks and it is done. It's a whole change in your life and your perspective. If I can do it anyone can do it. Do the thing. Get it done.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 33. Chest and triceps.

40 minutes cardio. 9 sets of chest work. 9 sets of tricep work. Feel like a million bucks.

The Muay Thai gym I take the kids to is getting a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teacher too. Pretty much turns it into an MMA gym. I'm tempted to replace my afternoon cardio with some violent cardio. Bjj two days a week and 3 days of Muay Thai plus the gym sounds like a good use of time and energy. All my excercise in walking distance of the house. Been offered a discount rate too because I have both the kids there and I've got a bunch of others to sign up. Screw it im off to sign up.

You magnificent carbon based life forms keep doing the thing.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 34. Back and biceps.

RAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Joined my MMA gym last night. Start getting Sh!t kicked out of me on Tuesday. Had the chance to meet one of the suppliers from Thailand while I was in there. So in about 4 weeks I'll have custom made gloves and shorts in club colours landing at the club.

Did 40 minutes of cardio, 9 sets of back and 9 sets for biceps. Really connected to getting full range of motion and the squeeze. The weather has fined up so this afternoon I'll wash the Harley go for a coast ride. Then I'll be getting in some practice with drills between push-ups sit-ups squats lunges and jump rope. I want to try not to look like a drunk doing hurdles backwards in the dark when I'm warming up on Tuesday.

Energy levels and motivation are through the roof. Seems like the more I do to get in shape the more time energy and patience I have for everything else. Procrastination is becoming a thing of the past. The best thing is when it comes time to just kick back and relax there is no anxiety that I have stuff I haven't done. It's pure relaxation. When I sleep it's solid restful sleep. When I get up it isn't a three hour wake up session sitting at the computer guzzling coffee. It is out of bed get to the gym and get productive.

What we are doing here isn't a hobby. It is a foundation for the best life you can make for yourself in all areas. Come and join me. I found the side where the grass is greener.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 35. Legs

Took the cardio easy and just did a 20 minute warmup today. Blasted legs. If I had been asked to do a sobriety test on the way home I would have got a free ride in police car.

Went to my new MMA gym to watch the functional cardio and heavy sparring. Have to say I'm a little more than excited to get going next week. Could feel myself starting to bob and weave involuntarily while I watched the sparring.

This afternoon probably gonna take a walk with the family and take the ropes out so we can do some intervals at the park or the beach. Then I'm gonna eat. Then I'm gonna get a solid sleep. Scale hasn't moved this week. Not unexpected that I'll be sticking then dropping at the moment as my body is used to the current routine. Adding in the Muay Thai starting next week will hopefully shock a kilo or two off. I think another refeed might be in order too.

Hope you are all having as much fun as I am with this. Keep doing the thing.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 36. Rest Day.

Nice weather. Will probably take a ride on the Harley. Catch up with family. Beach walk looks in order. Going to be a low carb day today. Feel bloated for some reason. Plenty of water and i should flush it out.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 37. Rest day.

Garage cleanup. Gardening. Some padwork with the kids.
May have to hit the gym later for some cardio. Tomorrow we lift and Muay Thai starts.
Let the pain begin.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 38. Shoulders + Day 1 of Muay Thai.

Light cardio for warmup. Good shoulder workout and some sleep.
Then I hit Muay Thai. Talk about an hour of cardio. Best fun I've had in ages. lost 2 kilos (4.4lbs) in fluid. I'm hoping by the end of the week that will be a permanent fat loss. I am exhausted.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 39. Chest and triceps.

So last nights session of Muay Thai introduced me to muscle groups I didn't know I had. I woke up feeling like rigor had set in. So to the gym and 20 minute warmup on the treadmill. As usual pushed a lot of weight fo r many reps and felt good. So I went to cooldown on the treadmill. The cooldown turned into 2 hours and 1000 calories burned on the treadmill.

Tomorrow I'm going for higher intensity less time. And another session of Muay Thai.

That is if I'm alive in the morning. Has anyone died from DOMS? I need to know.....

[Nadakelvin]

Day 40. Legs

So brutal after all the walking yesterday. I am looking forward to rest days this week. I think I'm going to just be a sloth and just do nothing. Not because i want to but because I am exhausted. The body is telling me i need to have a good 2 days of recovery after tomorrow just to make sure I'm ready for the push into the second half of the program. That's right. Come Saturday I'm at the end of week 6. If you had told me 6 weeks ago i would have felt this good and worked this hard i would have laughed at you. But now i can't imagine not working to get healthier on a daily basis.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 42. Back and biceps. The Halfway point.

Celebrated the halfway point last night with a nice meal and a couple of glasses of wine. It felt nice at the time. Woke up feeling sluggish and seedy today though. Took myself to the gym and pushed some heavy iron to make it feel better. I think the next celebration will be buying clothes or training equipment. I cant do cheat meals it plays with my head too much.

This week the cardio needs to be more focused. I don't want to just drudge on the treadmill for hours. Time for some higher intensity so i can get the calories burned off more efficiently and increase my endurance.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 45. Chest and triceps.

Had 2 glorious rest days. As I continue on the path to being healthy I am understanding the need to rest and relax more and more. There are times your body tells you with no subtlety that you need more sleep, more carbs and a little more downtime. Not that psychologically it is any easier to stay away from the weights. You just come to understand that 5 or 6 days a week your mind gets to smack your body around. Som times it's only fair that your body gets a day to do it in return. It charges tha batteries and gives even more motivation for a killer workout.

One thing I forgot to do on day 42 was weigh in. I've lost 1.5 kg (3.3lbs). So total loss now 13kg (28.6lbs). I'm starting to see my traps and shoulders. The muscles are noticeable in a few places. My belt needs more holes in it. A couple of people have started noticing it in my face. I still tend to be in a hoodie and sweatpants 24/7. But I think at the end of the first 12 weeks I'm going to be fairly comfy to post before and after shots.

Off to the gym to slaughter my chest, triceps and my cardio.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 46. Legs

Had to do a late afternoon session again. My one request to anyone reading this. If the gym is packed please don't use machines as texting seats to watch your gym buddy on another one. If you can't hang onto a fkn smart phone standing up then you may not be ready for the gym. Really need to start setting the alarm for 3am again to avoid frustration. Besides that leg day was awesome as always. Stiff legged walking like you have a broom handle suppository.

My cardio fitness has taken a noticeable leap from where I started. I am really noticing the change in body composition. If I hit the second six weeks as hard as ( or harder than ) I hit the first, I will be in a good place at the end of week 12. Maybe even a position to feel comfortable taking off the hoodie and working out in just a shirt and sweatpants, maybe even shorts. My skin is smooth. No more dry, flaky or irritable skin. Hydrated. Well fed. Getting fitter by the day. It is improving everything in my life. My attitude. My relationship with the wife and kids. I'm motivated to get everything done and look for more challenges and adventures. And that is after just over 6 weeks back into this beautiful lifestyle.Imagine the weeks months and years ahead? I don't diet. I eat to suit my goals.i don't excercise. I train to be the strongest leanest most lethal beast I can be. I don't compare myself to anything but the me I left behind. My only goal is to be better than yesterday. In all this the opinions of others no longer matter. Yes it is nice to hear a compliment but I no longer require the approval of others. The negative opinions of others no longer matter. They aren't even in the game with me and have no understanding of the world that opens up when you devote your time to your own improvement rather than getting involved in the superficial that has become the norm these days.

To all of you that struggle. Know that the struggle alone puts you ahead of 99% of the people around you. Before you know it that struggle and that soreness and that sweaty breathless mess after you train will become the thing you look forward to the most. Trust me. It wasn't long ago that I didn't believe I would be heading where I am going. You got this.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 47. Shoulders

Supposed to be a rest day today but i swapped out shoulders earlier in the week so i could have 2 rest days to get back on track. Fantastic weather today. Took a ride down the coast on the Harley. Had a coffee at a nice little beach side cafe and spun it back up the coast so i could get in lunch and hydration before I head to the gym. I'm really getting pumped for this next five and a half weeks. Seeing the end of the first half in the rear view mirror is weird. It isn't long since i started back at the gym but some days it seems like a lifetime ago because of how much i am changing. The weeks in front seem like they are closing in fast but I'm so ready to crush it. I am not thinking of the end of 12 weeks as an end point. It's just a marker. A step in my goals. But by the time I get there it will be a huge achievement and a solid foundation to reach new goals.

I am going to go make it feel like i have had railroad spikes driven into my traps. Hope you guys are crushing your goals.
Love and cuddles

[lukepeter]

Hey man.

Really good consistency and discipline ITT. Having to put extra holes in your belt is such a simple thing, but also such a clear indication that what is being done is actually working...
You are training on pretty much an identical split to me (aside from the disgusting amount of cardio that you are doing), how has your strength progress been? It is often touted here that you cant gain muscle on a cut, but as a former lifter I imagine your experience will be similar to mine (contrary to popular belief).

A word from someone who has been on the path for ages, put your before pic up - it is additional motivation to keep things tidy and consistent when you know the world is going to be looking at a photo of you come wednesday whether you have made progress or not .

I am going to be following on closely, subbed.

[Nadakelvin]

Thanks Luke.

The strength is coming on in leaps and bounds. Most of the weights have doubled since my first week. Im consistently pushing to get out sets with an extra 5 - 10 kilos on then every time i hit the gym. If it gets a little heavy to get another plate on then i just drop back 5 kilos and add an extra set in. It does go against the grain but i can see and feel the muscle gaining. The wife is starting the whole " Down to your boxers and flex" routine. My traps and delts are starting to separate. same thing with my quads and calves. So i know I'm gaining. At the same time the belly is so much softer and shrinking. So i know im going in the right direction. Genetically gifted maybe? Dormant body builder coming back to life? Probably. Either way its feeling fantastic.

[lukepeter]

Probably a bit of both... I have found it takes me about 2 months to regain all my lost strength, even after a 6 year hiatus. It's much easier to get muscular if you were once muscular.

If you are managing that kind of linear progression it will be a very short time indeed until you are back up to your old strength, it's up to diet and reasonable restriction to make sure you keep those gains whilst cutting bodyfat (one of the reasons I don't advocate cardio for weight loss, especially in people that have not lifted before).

Discipline for the coming months.

[Nadakelvin]

Day 50. Back and biceps.

Leaving it until late night tonight for the gym. Ill end up with the place to myself again. Been a good day and with the wife having a three day weekend i figure ill wait until shes asleep to go hit up an empty gym. Among the many other tasks i have tomorrow i think i need to recalculate my macros. Make sure my tracking is tight again. Last thing i want to do at this stage is become complacent and just start eyballing it. That is how over and undereating happens really quick. Need to remember as we progress with training the goal post should shift further out with tighter plans to achieve the goal. Dinner and a movie then ill wait until the world falls asleep and go kill another day of training.

Stay beautiful people.