Peter from Scadinavia is ready to lose 100 lbs - here i go.

[PeteDenmark]

Hello.

I'm Peter, born in 1973, come from Denmark (so excuse my english and any spelling mistakes), but now live in the Swedish woods with my wife. I've decided that this time i'm going to lose my excess weight, and keep it of. Since i live in the middle of nowhere, training and diet buddies are not an option, so I write here, to hold myself accountable.

I'm 6'6” and i currently weigh 323 lbs, having started this fat loss ”journey” at 350 lbs. My goal is a weight of 220 lbs, so 100 lbs to go.

A short story of how I got here:
9 Years ago i broke my lower back when I was attacked at my job as a doorman/bouncer, and it never healed properly. It left me with daily pain, and furthermore I was diagnosed with PTSD.

I tried to train and exercise after the injury, but i felt defeated. I was the big and strong guy, but now I was injured and scared. I had to quit my job, and after 3 years of treatment, the doctors told me there was nothing left to do.
That's when my wife and I moved from the center of Copenhagen, to the woods in Sweden. The quiet and seclusion dampened the symptoms of my PTSD, but I didn't realize that I hadn't adjusted my diet to accommodate my lower activity level. The punds had slowly crept on. I didn't drink any calories, and my diet was actually pretty healthy, but I was just eating 200 calories too much every day, which equates to 20 lbs a year. My wife prefers me big and cuddely, so it didn't bother her that I was gaining weight, and I was unable to acnowlegde what was happening.

2 years ago I hit 330 lbs, and I finally snapped out of my denial. In kind of a frantic state, I decided to start training again. The nearest gym is 40 miles away, so I went into my workshop and welded up a benchpress rack, made a row and latt pulldown system with pulleys on my porch.
The training didn't go well. I lifted way more than I should in order to stay motivated. Not many sets, but too heavy a weight. This aggrevated my back injury, and made my now over 40 year old joints ache. The back pain is actually so bad, that if I over excert myself, I risk pissing my pants, which happened on quite a few occations – not cool.
Sure – my weight dropped down to 275 lbs, but my motivation and method was all wrong. I tried to train as a young fit man and I wanted to escape what I saw in the mirror. But of course I couldn't maintain. Between my urine soaked pants, freezing winter temperatures in my homemade outdoor gym, and the pain, I fell off the horse, and yoyo'ed right back and even gained some weight.

But now I feel ready. My motivation is simply to minimize the pain and gaining some strength so I don't end up bedridden. I wouldn't mind fitting into some of my old clothes, but that would just be a bonus. This time I feel less depressed and self deprecating, and i'm quite sure I will succeed. Further more – in the small town 4 miles from my half acre, the local amateur wrestling team decided to make a small gym. Nothing fancy, but I does have a couple of cable machines and free weights, and they have agreed to let me train there – that takes care of the winter problem.

I do a full body programme 3 times a week, and have learned to moderate the weight (so do I even lift bro?):

3x10 rubber band assited pull ups (man – the thick rubber band for fat people are expensive)
3x10 barbell or dumbell benchpress (or a chest machine if joints need a brake)
3x10 Dumbell rows on bench
3x10 Shoulder press on a dedicated cable machine (less stress on lower back than military etc,)
3x10 Seated dumbell curls
3x10 Cable triceps press or kick backs
3x15 body weight squats (no leg machines, and weight on my chest or back is a no no)
3x15 body weight lunges
15 minutes (or until my back hurts too much) on the treadmill at 10 degree incline.
If I feel fatiqued when I train, I cut out the bicep and tricep exercises.

I try to do core exercises at home on my gym ball and with my landmine (with just the olympic bar), but this often hurts (in a bad way – not a good burn), so i'm mostly doing stretches.

Since I spend a lot of time lying down, I have decided to have a pretty extreme calorie deficit. I currently only eat 1600 caloies a day – 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat. I want results I can feel pretty quickly, so for now this works, and I actually don't feel hungry. In any case – my abillity to gauge when I should eat from what my body tells me is weak for now. My ability to “feel” myself (much less when and what I need to eat) has been gone for years. I hope to win this ability back, but for now it's strict calorie counting (I use the app lifesum).

My thinking behind the 1600 calories is, that if I lost all my fat right now, and was left with only lean body mass, I would be around 210 lbs. To maintain that I feel as though the 160 grams of protein a day I get right now (40% of 1600 calories is 640 calories. 640 caories of protein is 160 grams) should be enough to almost maintain the lean mass I have now.

I deal with the calorie restriction by making on big pot of food containing 900 calories that really fills me up (I'll be glad to share this recepi if anybody is interested). The rest of the calories I freestyle within my macros, right now I really enjoy protein pancakes with stevia.

Further more, I do a kind of intermittent fasting, by only eating between 3 and 9 pm. This suits me, and when I eat, I feel really full. Training on an empty stomach will take some getting used to, but i'm easing into it.

I realize this is a short term diet plan, and I won't be able to keep it up for the rest of my life. But I think I will be able to make the lifestyle change to keep the weight off when I achieve my goal.

I'm scared ****less, and it's going to be hard, but I feel i've stacked the odds in my favor.

Thanks for checking in, and feel free to ask me questions. I'll return with updates on my weight and/or routines when they change.

[PeteDenmark]

Down to 319 lbs .

I'm still motivated, but my back is messing with me, which makes it hard to do everyday cardio.
Tried a simple 12 minute exercise ball routine i found on YouTube to strengthen my glutes and lower back. It felt fine while i did it, but now i have a back spasm, so when i'm standing up, i lean forward and to the side. Tried some yoga with my wife to fix it, but alas - it still won't loosen up. When it lets go, i will try some standing pelvic thrusts with the rubber bands i use for assited pull ups.

[PeteDenmark]

Down to 315 lbs (143 kg), so 8 lbs in a little over 2 weeks - that's great.

My back wasn't improving with the yoga - it actually made it a little worse. I think the problem is, that my back injury has cuased me to walk in a manner that made the pain ease up, which has given me an anterior pelvic tilt. The streching of my hamstrings from the yoga actualla made the already streched hamstrings, from the bent over walking, more stretched, which in turn made the work my lumbar region had to do to keep me upright even harder, and more painfull.
So now im doing more targeted stretches for my hip flexors and quads.

My nutrition has been right on track around 15-1600 calories a day, and i've been to the gym 3 times a week weight training. The cardio is still limited because of the back, but it will be easier when i loose some pounds. Wish the swimming pool was nearer my house - 30 miles is a bit far, and expensive in gas and admittence. But i might have to prioritize it, to get my heart pumping without pain.

[PeteDenmark]

Todays weight 310 pounds (from a high of 350 pounds). Lost 1 inch around my waste since i started this log.

My diet is beginning to bother me. I'm not very hungry, but i'm feeling sluggish/light headed in the gym, which hinders the intensity. When i reach 300 pounds, i will take a week where i eat my maintenace calories. Maybe mot maintance, but around 2500 cal. Not in pizza and other crap, but just giving my mind a brake from the steep caloric restictions. That would give me an opportunity to introduce more healthy fats, and more protein. Salmon would be good .

Bought a heavy duty foam roller to help me loosen op my lower back and quads. Wow that is hard. Bearing down on that roller with such a high body weight intruduces some pain. Not a bad pain, but on of those "i'm getting a really hardcore massage" kind of pain. I carefull with the lower back, not to aggrevate my injury, but if i hit the back at an angle, i can hit the surrounding muscles, which helps to relax the spasms and the tension in the glutes.

$60 for a plastic tube with foam on it is a rip off though .

[PeteDenmark]

I slept really well this night. Woke up and was rested for the first time in as long as i can remember. Felt so good i took a walk, and actually walked 2 miles, without much pain.

Also - i had a really good workout yesterday:

4x5 negative rep pullups
3x12 pushups (lifting the hands at the bottom)
3x8 rows
3x8 seated military press (i got one of those weight lifting belts, so it is possible to do these without too much discomfort in my back)
3x15 kettlebell swings (again the belt helps a lot)
3x10 overhead squats with a stick, not a barbell
3x8 face pulls
3x8 ez bar standing overhead tricep press (this doesn't hurt my back at all, and i feel as though it helps to strengthen my core to stand up)
3x8 ez bar curl (the bicep and tricep exercises are done back to back)

This is a lot of sets in one workout. But if i take a 10 minute break after the military, i find i can get through the rest with ok intensity. When i get into an overall better fitness state, and my joints and tendons feel like they can handle heavier weights, i will modify the routine.

[PeteDenmark]

Todays weight 303 pounds (down from 350), and 20 pounds lost since i started the log.

Christmas is over, and we actually had two christmas dinners, for different parts of the family, but i have not eaten one single piece of candy, or eaten over 2500 calories. My wife has been really supportive, and helped a lot with meal prep on those occations, so i could have a festive, but lower calorie alternative. She has been such a big part of my progress, and i make a point of reminding her how cool she is (even if she is eating donuts in from of me )

Got one of Mark Bell's bench press slingshots (the blue one - which is the weakest) as a christmas present. That things is sooo great. Takes a lot of pressure of the shoulders when doing pushups or bench. Being 6'6" my arms are very long, so my elbows dip below the bench when the bar touches the chest, which taxes the front of the shoulders a lot. The slingshot takes a lot of this pressure, so i can play with higher weight without pain. It is also good for drop sets. Do amrap first, put on the slingshot and crank out 5 more reps. For pushups it gives some support, so the exercise isn't as hard for the lower back.

One thing i have a hard time with, is when i put on my lifting belt for rowing exercises. When i tighten tha sucker up, the gut just flows out over it, like a big floppy bag. That is hard for the vanity in a gym. But damn - i have to suck it up, since im not there to impress people with my physique, but to improve my well being.

People are beginning to notice the weight loss, and comment on it, which is nice.

Happy new years to you all

[vinilzord]

That's amazing! Well, you got a long way to go, but you're on the right path
Btw the wisest thing you can do is kickstart with an extreme diet, then move to a more moderate calorie deficit. Helps with skyrocketing your motivation
Best of luck man and happy new year!

[PeteDenmark]

That's amazing! Well, you got a long way to go, but you're on the right path
Btw the wisest thing you can do is kickstart with an extreme diet, then move to a more moderate calorie deficit. Helps with skyrocketing your motivation
Best of luck man and happy new year!

Thanks man .

You are right about easing up on the diet - it's pretty mentally challenging to keep the calories that low, and will probably mess with my hormones if i keep it up for too much longer. When i hit 135 kg (297 pounds) i will eat maintenance calories (or close to it) for a period, while i get my strength up in the gym. Then i can do another stint eating 1000 calories under.

Good luck in reaching your goals also - you look like a young man, so you have plenty of time achieving then .

[Compy386]

Grats on the progress! It will feel so good to hit that 299!

(Probably already have!)

[PeteDenmark]

Grats on the progress! It will feel so good to hit that 299!

(Probably already have!)

Not quite, but it'll happen within a week hopefully - but thanks. Do you have a progress log?

[PeteDenmark]

Weight 302lbs (from 350).

I have bitten the bullit, and switched gyms. The new gym is 20 miles away, but my wife and i recently bought a used VW Polo Blue Motion that can do 70 mpg (30 km to the liter) if i drive carefully, so the expense is tolerable.
I trained there today for the first time. What a relief. Doing compound movement with dumbells or barbells is hard on the core and back, so it's REALLY nice to have some very cool machines to do complementary exercises. They have both plate loaded and weight magazine machines, so there is something for every mood or energy level.
Eating at a caloric deficit isn't optimal for weight training, so stamina is a factor, and having machines is very nice when cranking out the last reps. Doing that with a barbell often leads to bad form, and small annoying injuries.
I'm especially pleased that they have a hack squat machine on an incline, that supports on the butt - not the whole back. That makes it possible to do pretty heavy leg exercises with no pain.

I also messed around with the bench press today, and managed to do a 250lbs 1 rep. I dared not do anymore, since there was no one to spot me. It's a far cry from the PR my younger self had, but it still feels nice to know i'm not a total shadow of the person i used to be, and that i might be able to come back, when i can allow myself to eat some more calories.

[Compy386]

Eating at a caloric deficit isn't optimal for weight training, so stamina is a factor

This is why I swear by BCAAs and am really enjoying creatine. Some say it's worthless on a cut, but they really give me stamina that I know I'm not getting from food. Low-cost Creatine Monohydrate is what I use. BCAAs are a bit pricey, but I love 'em.

having machines is very nice when cranking out the last reps.

Oh man, I can relate with this. I always start with compound free weights, then move to dumbells, then machines when the gas tank gets empty...I don't want to have to re rack the weights lol.

I do have a log. Feel free to stop by. Support from others on this forum is really helpful. It's nice to know that real people somewhere are going through (and / or have been through) the same struggles.

Keep it up!

[PeteDenmark]

This is why I swear by BCAAs and am really enjoying creatine. Some say it's worthless on a cut, but they really give me stamina that I know I'm not getting from food. Low-cost Creatine Monohydrate is what I use. BCAAs are a bit pricey, but I love 'em

I actually just got my BCAA today, and yeah - it's not cheap. But we gotta do what we gotta do to keep 'em gains .
I havn't started on the creatine just yet. I have 2 pounds, but i'm not mentally prepared for the water weight i know comes with it. When i hit 135 kg i will start using it again.

I have read your new log, and some of the old log. I truely hope you crack the code to keeping it of, when you lose the weight again. A year of weight loss is nothing, but it's a long time if it's on ones mind all the time.
I hope to strike a balance soon, where it becomes second nature to train and eat right, so there is room for other things and projects on my mind.

But hey man - 370 lbs isn't that bad. We just have to forgive ourselves for getting in the situation in the first place, and finding the reason for why we got here (other than because we ate to many calories ). Why did we become addicted to food, and can we become addicted to something else, that actually improves our lives. I, for instance, have built myself and my wife 1000 sq.ft. of raised beds. So come spring we will grow our own vegtables - maybe this will contribute to filling the void in me, that i have tried to fill with food . To be self sufficient seems like a worth while thing to do.

[Compy386]

Oh heck yeah, I'm all about self-sufficiency. I'm a Texan, so naturally my dream in life is to own y own ranch. I could stock a pond with fish, raise cattle and pigs and chickens for my protein, grow my own sweet potatoes and veggies.

I'm also rapt with the idea of building my own house from scratch.

Anyway...I hope your gardening works out. I'm a sucker for Animal videos, and I saw one recently whenEvan Centopani talks about his garden and he grows all his own veggies.

Isn't it too cold to grow plants in Denmark? Shouldn't you be raiding France in a longboat?

[PeteDenmark]

Oh heck yeah, I'm all about self-sufficiency. I'm a Texan, so naturally my dream in life is to own y own ranch. I could stock a pond with fish, raise cattle and pigs and chickens for my protein, grow my own sweet potatoes and veggies.

I'm also rapt with the idea of building my own house from scratch.

Anyway...I hope your gardening works out. I'm a sucker for Animal videos, and I saw one recently whenEvan Centopani talks about his garden and he grows all his own veggies.

Isn't it too cold to grow plants in Denmark? Shouldn't you be raiding France in a longboat?

I'm pretty sure obese vikings with bad backs couldn't come on the raids .

Anyway - i live i Sweden now, but only 150 km from Copenhagen Denmark, and we can grow vegetables with no problems here on our ½ acre homestead..
I can't say i have built my own house, but i did build a 850 sq.ft. insulated workshop/garage, but all that's missing from calling it a house is indoor plumbing . I do have the chickens, but only 20, and only for the eggs.
I'm sure the idea of self sufficiency is acheavable for you, and it can be done without a full blown ranch .

Todays weight 301 pounds (from 350).

[Compy386]

Nice! How long since you were in the 2's? Only a few more days and you'll be there.

[Conditioned2Win]

going to follow along. best of luck !

[PeteDenmark]

Today's weight 299.2 pounds (down from 350). After travelling for new years, not being at home in my own kitchen, having to find approximations to my regular diet, i was feeling a bit constipated. So yesterday to drank a laxative tea (made from mustard seed husks), which meant today i could finally have a somewhat decent trip to the toilet. So todays weight might have been influenced by that, but i still count it .

Nice! How long since you were in the 2's? Only a few more days and you'll be there.

It's been 2 years since the last time i was under 300 lbs, but living in a metric country, it isn't usually a number that is considered a tipping point (299.2 lbs is 136 kg) .

____________________________

When i hit 135 kg i will eat 3000 calories a day (if i feel like it) for a week to get my mental strength back. This 1600-1800 cal is fine, but at 6'6" height it's pretty restictive, so a week off will recharge my weight loss batteries.

The thing with just eating 500 calories under TDEE, that so many weight loss experts advise, doesn't suit me. With all the water weight fluctuations combinded with the on-going weight loss, it's hard to pin down what the TDEE is, and 1-200 calories can easely slip under the radar for the day, even with strickt counting. The calories stated on different foods vary 5-10% between brands, even with something as simple as frozen broccoli, and the law here even states that accuracy within 10% is acceptable. So on a 3000 cal diet +/- 10% can be as much as a 600 calorie difference.
Eating 500 calories under TDEE is also very much a "lifestyle change". If you feel like you are dieting on those calories, well - then you'll be on a diet for the rest of your life, since the TDEE will fall more than 500 calories during weightloss, if you, like me, have a lot to lose.
Whether i eat 500 or 1500 calories under TDEE, it is on my mind for a very large portion of the day. So in my mind, i takes up the same amount of mental real estate, but the 500 cal defficit is just slower.

I like things a bit extreme. Moderation has it's place in many aspects, but it seldom feels like an acheavement for me. If i saved $1000 in a month by turning of the electricity, and living on roadkill roasted over a fire i made by banging two rocks together, it would feel like more of an acheavement, than if i made a sensible savings plan, and after 2 years, i had saved $1000 by setting $40 a side each month.
Further more - after living with no heat and roadkill, a simple heater and a light would feel like luxury.
So even if the 1600-1800 calories i eat now won't yeild the same weight loss in a few months as it does now, it will still be less than my TDEE, so when i reach a sensible weight, i WILL be able to eat enough to be full, and take a few liberties. I can live with NEVER eating white bread again, and never putting full fat mayo on my meat, for the rest of my life no problem. But having nutrition be on my mind for a huge portion of the time forever would be draining.
Another thing is. My back WILL get better, the less i weigh, so speed is also important in that respect.

I've simplified my diet. I eat 2 pounds of chicken every day, and 40 grams of whey protein. That is approx 1100 calories, and takes care of my proteins. Then i freestyle the remaining calories. If it's primarily fats and protein i eat for the rest (like whole eggs) i go to 1800 calories, if it's carbs like oatmeal i keep it close to 1600.

Happy new year .

[Compy386]

I hear you man. You sound just like me from 2 years ago. I did the exact same thing. 1800 cals/day, but I also did 3 hrs of cardio (not hard stuff, just plodded away on an elliptical, kept my HR at 120) 6 days a week. I lost 180 pounds in 11 months. I was on top of the world, a world I had never known existed - being treated like a real person. IDK how much of it was my looks or my confidence, but I simply beamed with it.

Slowly but surely, though, I went back to my old habits. I would sit at Sonic (its a drive-in fast food place, not sure if you have it in Denmark) and play on my phone and order tons of food. I thought....hey, I'm "normal" now, I can finally eat like I want to! But then 2 years later I put on 90 lbs. I gained half of it back.

I'm not saying my super hardcore aggressive weight loss caused it, but please please please please please don't make the same mistake I did. I lived like a monk and denied myself everything for a year, and when I thought I had "made it" I went nuts and ate everything I could see.

I've decided to eat 3000 cals a day, and it is me trying to see what my TDEE is. 2 years ago, I had it figured out as accurately as I could, and it was around 3200. I'm so tired of second-guessing all the formulas and listening to dickwads on the internet who don't know a thing about me telling me how much I should eat.

I like your plan to stop for awhile. I may have days where I want to kill it and eat 1800, but not until Jan 15. I will continue at 3000 every day until then (even if I don't want to eat - which hasn't happened yet, but might). When I weigh in on the 15th I will finally see if that equals a loss. I'm guessing I will be down around 5 lbs. If not, then I will adjust.

Good luck Pete! Hooray for 299!

[PeteDenmark]

I hear you man. You sound just like me from 2 years ago. I did the exact same thing. 1800 cals/day, but I also did 3 hrs of cardio (not hard stuff, just plodded away on an elliptical, kept my HR at 120) 6 days a week. I lost 180 pounds in 11 months. I was on top of the world, a world I had never known existed - being treated like a real person. IDK how much of it was my looks or my confidence, but I simply beamed with it.

Slowly but surely, though, I went back to my old habits. I would sit at Sonic (its a drive-in fast food place, not sure if you have it in Denmark) and play on my phone and order tons of food. I thought....hey, I'm "normal" now, I can finally eat like I want to! But then 2 years later I put on 90 lbs. I gained half of it back.

I'm not saying my super hardcore aggressive weight loss caused it, but please please please please please don't make the same mistake I did. I lived like a monk and denied myself everything for a year, and when I thought I had "made it" I went nuts and ate everything I could see.

I've decided to eat 3000 cals a day, and it is me trying to see what my TDEE is. 2 years ago, I had it figured out as accurately as I could, and it was around 3200. I'm so tired of second-guessing all the formulas and listening to dickwads on the internet who don't know a thing about me telling me how much I should eat.

I like your plan to stop for awhile. I may have days where I want to kill it and eat 1800, but not until Jan 15. I will continue at 3000 every day until then (even if I don't want to eat - which hasn't happened yet, but might). When I weigh in on the 15th I will finally see if that equals a loss. I'm guessing I will be down around 5 lbs. If not, then I will adjust.

Good luck Pete! Hooray for 299!

3 hours of cairdio sounds insane - even if it was low intensity . I walk my dog and do woodworking in my workshop ( flattening boards, and wresteling whole sheets of plywood will actually get my heart going), and that's it for cardio. I couldn't do 3 hours even if i wanted, since it would kill my back.
But you are right - listening to internet "experts" will mess with your head. Everybody suffers from confirmation bias, so if they wan't to make their idea the right one, they WILL find some theory out there, that supports their method. And the bro science is strong with most of them.
I'm glad you have found a method you feel will bring you the result you hope to achieve.

What i believe in is:
Lift/push/pull heavy things (even your own body weight). Hit major muscle groups 2 times a week. Don't do too much volume when in caloric deficit (18 to 21 heavy sets of 8 is max pr workout). Eat less calories than your body needs. Eat around 2 grams of protein pr kilo of lean body mass, since they satiate, takes the most energy to digest and help prevent muscle atrophy. Cardio is good for your health, but is not critical for weight loss.

______________________________
Weight still at 299 lbs.


Today i built a "shoulder saver". I think the commercial version is called Bench Blokz. I made it from a Yoga block that i hot wire cut a 26mm channel in, so that you can fasten it on the barbell when pressing. It emulates board press (about 4,5 cm or a 1-board press), without the need for a spotter.
I feel a little stupid with all the gear i bring in my gym bag, but being my age, whatever will help me lift heavier, without damaging my joint is great. With the Mark Bell slingshot and the Bench Blokz i can push 270 for reps pretty easy, which is great for priming my central nervous system to handle the weight unassisted when i gain some stregth and eat at maintenace.

[Compy386]

Heck yah man...is there anything better than pushing heavy weight? I upped my bench to 245 today for sets of 3. Was really stoked. I haven't been able to do 3 plates since high school and that's one of my goals for the year (only 75 lbs to go!)

Do you have any specific goals for lifts other than "more?"

[PeteDenmark]

Heck yah man...is there anything better than pushing heavy weight? I upped my bench to 245 today for sets of 3. Was really stoked. I haven't been able to do 3 plates since high school and that's one of my goals for the year (only 75 lbs to go!)

Do you have any specific goals for lifts other than "more?"

"Is there anything better than lifting heavy weights?". Yes - eating carbs and saturated fats . But seeing as that would be counter productive, lifting heavy isn't too bad .

245 lbs for 3 (110 kg) without any of the "helpers" i use? That isn't half bad man. As long as you are in the 225 club, everything is fine. It's like a thing that tells yourself, that you have actually lifted at some point, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel .
I would like to lift 3 plates again also, anything beyond that isn't important. Since my deadlifting and squattin' days are over, the bench is kind of my only "bro" benchmark. I won't get to 315 (3 blues are acually more like 309 lbs, since blue plates are 20 kilos here - not 45 lbs) this year, but if i can reach my goal weight by october, and do a small bulk after christmas, maybe in the spring 2017 . But with the slingshot on it might happen within 6 months.
I'm telling you - you got to get yourself one of those - it's hella motivating.

If i can bench my body weight within 4 months - i'll be happy . Maybe that should be your goal. Benching your body weight within lets say 10 months? With all that creatine and BCAA you are taking, it should be no problem for a young guy like you

[PeteDenmark]

Weight still 299.

Had a great workout today:

6 sets 8,6,4,3,3,15 Benchpress
4x10 Rows
Seated shoulder press on plate loaded machine 3x8
Lat pulldown 3x8
Leg curls and hamstring curls superset 3x15
Rope cable hammer curls and tricep cable kickbacks 3x8

The BCAA from MyProtein with berry blast flavor tastes like a**, but taking 40 grams in a shaker on training day, and drinking it before, during and after the workout helps a lot with endurance, so i suffers through it . I also eat 2 hard boiled eggs and drink a strong coffee right before the gym. So i'm not feeling sluggish and light headed, which makes it more enjoyable to go to the gym.

It was freezing today (5 degrees F or -15 C), so i am glad i don't have to use my outdoor gym to train.

Food was ok today with 240 protein, 60 carbs and 53 fat, which is 1736 calories. A little over my 1600 goal, but with these temperatures, and the volume of trainig today, it's fine to get a little extra.

Ps.
Am i the only one who has an issue with people in the gym who doesn't wipe their sweat of the benches at the gym after they've used them, so you have to clean their sh**. Drops non-bumperplated weights from height - like let's go of a deadlift from height or throws the dumbels after a set of shoulder press, instead of setting it down, so the whole gym doesn't shake, and equipment gets banged up. F***ng SCREAMS on every rep, or SCREAMS to encourage every rep the buddy does, and takes 10 minute breaks between sets while sending text messages and checking ******** on a station you are waiting for?
Maybe it's the caloric deficit that is shortening my temper, but it gets on my nerves a little.

[PeteDenmark]

Today wasn't a gym day, so decided to stay inside and relax in from of the computer. Wow - if one could lose weight from surfing the internet for knowledge around nutrition and training, i would be very thin by now .

My wife is still very awesome, and actually count and tells me the macros, everytime she brings me food. It makes it sooooo much easier when i don't have to cook every meal myself. The support from my wife is really a key factor in this. I really don't care that she eats junkfood in front of me, she shouldn't change what workes for her, but the fact that she takes an interest in what i'm doing, is very cool.

We tracked her macros for a month just to see what she ate. She's 5'2" and weighs 119 lbs and she ate an average of 2700 calories a day, and she doesn't do any exercise, besides walking the dog, and tending to the chickens. She is a nurse, and spends a lot of time on her feet, but damn - she eats 1100 calories more than me, and weighs the same as my leg . Come to think of it, i don't think she have ever weighed more than half of me, for our entire marriage - not even when i was fit.
I keep boosting her self esteem by telling her she looks like a small indonesian boy with cancer (because come on - 2700 cals and still thin - she deserves it ), and she returns the compliment by telling me actually CAN see that i have lost some size... on my biceps .
I love my wife.

[PeteDenmark]

Weight still stuck at 299, which is a bit frustrating.

I haven't eaten anything outside my diet for the entirety of this log, not on slice of pizza or one piece of candy, and i have stuck to my calorie goal, so i was hoping i would have seen a faster decline in weight. But looking at it as a whole, i have still lost an avarage of 3 lbs a week since november, 2016, which would still translate to a 1500 cal deficit a day. It's just when you hit a weight, on a "good weight day" you hope the decline will continue in a linear fashion, but of course sometimes the weight is a pound or two higher the day after. It plays tricks with my mind, and then i start second guessing myself.
I also made a rookie mistake when i started this diet. I didn't take measurements in more than one spot on my body. So i only track the circumference of my stomach in the belly button region. That was stupid, since i already knew, that my body releases fat from that region proportially slower than the rest of my stores, untill i reach a weight around 270 lbs.
I think the reason for the lacking measurement tracking was, that i use Lifesum as a cal tracker (instead of My fitness pal) which only allows that one measurement to be monitored, unless you pay a hefty subscription fee. It does however allow you to set you weight loss goal to more than 2 pounds a week, so that's why i picked it.

I have taken some pictures, and can clearly see a difference, but still working on overcoming my insecurities about posting them here. When i get down to 135 kg (297.5 lbs), i will do it. I REALLY hope that will be in a week. I guess i could purge, dehydrate myself and take some laxative? Ok maybe not .

[PeteDenmark]

Todays weight - 300 pounds???? WTF???? UP A POUND ON 1600 CALS???

I hate water weight fluctuations etc. It just not cool.

Today sucked. 10 inches of snow, and it has kept snowing. My wife and i had, not a fight, but a serious discussion that took a long time, which was fine, but zapped the mental energy right out of both of us.

When we where done talking, the clock said 19.30, it was dark, i hadn't eaten yet, and the drive way wasn't cleared. So having to clear snow, drive to the gym hungry, and do a decent workout seemed daunting, so i skipped it.
Did a home workout instead in my living room, with some heavy rubber fitness bands, which isn't the same, but better than nothing:

4x12 fitness band rows
5x20 push ups (which killed me)
3x15 face pulls
3x10 fitness band shoulder press
3x15 body weight squats
3x15 Hyper extensions (i have that bench)
3x10 fitness band tricep kick backs
3x10 fitness band curls

I was tired after this, but it didn't feel like a proper workout.

I'm know it's the lack of sunlight in the winter, fatigue and disappointment over the weight loss plateau speaking, but right now i have a hard time holding on to the reasons for this weight loss thing. Hopefully i will feel better in the morning.

[PeteDenmark]

Weight 297 lbs.

I finally broke the plateau. Damn that was frustrating. It was so weird that my weight kept climbing, but my waiste was actually getting smaller. At my current caloric deficit it just can't be muscle mass i'm putting on. Eating so much under TDEE just doesn't promote growth.

I have now taken more measurements of my body, so i can track my progress more accurately. Like - i'm noticing that the fat from the upper part of my belly is burning away at a faster rate than the fat around the lower part.
I actually found an excel sheet with measurements of my body from 2011, and they where all over my current measurement. So i'm officially slimmer than me in my 30's.

Does any of you notice that your recovery after a workout is slower when you are dieting? I find i'm sore for longer, but maybe it's just my age.

[Daniello95]

Weight 297 lbs.

I finally broke the plateau. Damn that was frustrating. It was so weird that my weight kept climbing, but my waste was actually getting smaller. At my current caloric deficit it just can't be muscle mass i'm putting on. Eating so much under TDEE just doesn't promote growth.

I have now taken more measurements of my body, so i can track my progress more accurately. Like - i'm noticing that the fat from the upper part of my belly is burning away at a faster rate than the fat around the lower part.
I actually found an excel sheet with measurements of my body from 2011, and they where all over my current measurement. So i'm officially slimmer than me in my 30's.

Does any of you notice that your recovery after a workout is slower when you are dieting? I find i'm sore for longer, but maybe it's just my age.

Yes my recovery is definitely slower when I'm dieting. Nothing unusual there. Keep up the good work!

[lukepeter]

Weight 297 lbs.

I finally broke the plateau. Damn that was frustrating. It was so weird that my weight kept climbing, but my waste was actually getting smaller. At my current caloric deficit it just can't be muscle mass i'm putting on. Eating so much under TDEE just doesn't promote growth.

I have now taken more measurements of my body, so i can track my progress more accurately. Like - i'm noticing that the fat from the upper part of my belly is burning away at a faster rate than the fat around the lower part.
I actually found an excel sheet with measurements of my body from 2011, and they where all over my current measurement. So i'm officially slimmer than me in my 30's.

Does any of you notice that your recovery after a workout is slower when you are dieting? I find i'm sore for longer, but maybe it's just my age.

Your deficit is still very aggressive you are essentially starving - you will certainly take longer to recover. I also notice with myself that the routine can take up to 40% longer to get through for the same sets and reps.

Its been an inspiring read - keep up the good work, though it seems like you have built the right habits now.

PS, I feel your pain on the weight fluctuations, I increased my creatine dosing from 3 to 6 g a day and I have put on a kg with pretty strict deficit eating...

[PeteDenmark]

Thank Daniello - comforting to hear i'm not the only one facing these challenges .

Your deficit is still very aggressive you are essentially starving - you will certainly take longer to recover. I also notice with myself that the routine can take up to 40% longer to get through for the same sets and reps.

Its been an inspiring read - keep up the good work, though it seems like you have built the right habits now.

PS, I feel your pain on the weight fluctuations, I increased my creatine dosing from 3 to 6 g a day and I have put on a kg with pretty strict deficit eating...

Thank you for the kind words .

My deficit IS very aggressive, but since my weight is directly affecting the pain in my back, i'm trying to push it to the limit, without sacrificing too much muscle, and working on mobility. That being said, i did promise myself a break when i hit 135 kg, and eat around 2500 cals a day for a week or two, to get my mental and physical stamina back - i think people call it a re-feed?

So today i baked my own tortilla wraps, so each wrap was 100 cal. I ate 4 of those, still only chicken, light dressing, tomato and spinach, but holy smokes it felt great to have some simple carbs after today's workout. That meal totally satiated me, and i even topped it off with some stevia sweetened candy. I felt like i ate a lot, but counting my cals, i only ended up consuming 2200, so even when i actually feel like i've "pigged out", i'm still below TDEE. This is good news for when i reach my goal weight - not feeling like i'm on a life long diet.

I'm so relieved to hear i'm not the only one feeling a bit sluggish in the gym. I try to keep the rest periods between sets under 1 minute, but between exercises, i often have to take 3 minutes. Legs are especially hard. If i start my workout with legs, i'm very depleted for the rest of the exercises, so hypertrophy suffers in all other muscle groups. If i put legs at the end, i get lightheaded/dizzy/nauseous, and can't catch my breath.
Maybe i should just slow down a lot, and concentrate on recovering fully between sets, so i can push it to 90%, on every set and exercise, without burning out, no matter if i have to stay in the gym for 30 minutes longer.
__________________________________________________ ___________

Anyway - i still haven't found cardio that isn't either boring or painful, that i can practically do on a regular basis, except walking my dog. If i am to integrate cardio in my life when i reach my goal weight, it should be in the area between tolerable and fun. So i've upped my home improvement efforts, which is a win. I get my heart rate up, AND i have something other than a weightloss to show for it.
I built a greenhouse over the last week, from my own rough saw lumber, that i cut and planed to usable dimensions. Not a big one - like a 6x8' area, but it'll hold all the seedlings, my wife loves it, it didn't cost anything, and from the amount of sweat i produced, i'm pretty sure it cost me 1500 cals.
I think gardening, rebuilding, welding and improving stuff will be my sustainable cardio., cause i'll be dammed if i'm going to spend hours on a stairmaster for the rest of my life.

I know i promised pictures - i'm going to get it done as soon as my wife is available to shoot them.

Thanks for the encouragement guys - do you have fat loss logs?