I've finally made a decision

[Jeffacake]

Ok so I have mainly luked on these forums for a long time, not posting much but reading plenty and learning lots. However I have never really put any of what I have learnt in to practice.
I have started a couple of fat loss logs before but they both went on for a couple of weeks before I fell of the wagon/stopped going to the gym/gave up with my diet. I have made small muscle gains and fat losses during my attempts to get fit but nothing substantial. I always expected quick results and for it to be easy, which ultimately set me up to fail. My last attempt was last year, It lasted about a month before I binged big time on junk food and then thought to myself "well i've already done this I might as well screw the diet and just eat what I want". That led me to put on loads of weight. The photo attached to this thread is my at my heaviest and that picture makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

Sometime after that photo was taken I began to feel awful all the time and had some weight and diet related health complications which helped me make some changes. I started making better food choices, I was still eating lots but I would eat brown rice instead of white, eat more fruit and vegetables, cut down on the huge amount of saturated fat and salt I was consuming. These small changes although trivial to most did make a difference with my health and well being which I badly needed. My weight however stayed the same.

Then a couple weeks ago I came across and read this article http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness10.htm

I had a real penny drop moment. Whenever I have been on a plan or a diet etc I have always thought of it as in, I will eat like this until im lean then I can go back to pizza/burgers etc, and really looked forward to junk filled cheat meals and eat loads when I would have one which was reinforcing in my mind the idea that junk food was a good thing and a reward. But that article, the first point about decisions really helped me realize that I need to make the decision to make permanent lifestyle changes to my diet, exercise routine and attitude, which to some of you might sound really silly and obvious but to me it was a really empowering moment to be able to make that decision.

So from now on I have decided that I want to be 10% bodyfat by the end of 2016.
I am now tracking calories accurately every day, something I have never done in the past.
I have made PERMANENT changes to my diet.
Cheat meals are no longer a 2 or 3 thousand calorie binge but things like stuffing my chicken breast with some fresh mozzarella, small tasty extras which still keep me within macros and calorie restrictions.
I have taken the time to calculate my TDEE and plan a diet with a calorie deficit.
I am performing weight training and HIIT cardio
I am incorporating lots more walking in my life

I have been living with these changes for the past couple weeks and I already so much better. This is not going to be another "attempt" which will just fail and go off the rails a few weeks from now, this is a decision. A decision to be the best me I can be, to shed the fat once and for all and live as a fit healthy person.

I want to use this log to share that journey with you all and draw on it for advice and motivation at times.
I am using the photo I have attached as my before photo, Its around a year old but its also me at my worst which really pushes me whenever I look at it.
I will upload a recent photo later today and if possible would love a couple of bodyfat estimations.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I cant wait to share my success with you all.

Jeff

[TommyArra]

Good luck mate. You sound like you've been through similar to me. You sound in the right frame of mind. Let's keep it that way and smash these goals!

[Jeffacake]

Thanks Tommy. Yeah I feel in a great frame of mind to be starting this journey.

I have attached photos from today of what I am starting at. If anyone would be able to give me a bodyfat estimate that would be great, I am really bad at judging it by eye.

[TommyArra]

It's nigh on impossible to guess mate... and these scales that send electircal impulses through your body are horse ****!

I would guestimate at about 30% but forget about that, just keep grinding down until you feel happy and comfortable.

Set a defecit off a generic TDEE for your weight/height/age. Be aggressive becausxe results are a great motivator! But don't over do it because anything more than a 1000kcal defecit is not maintainable, trust me! It may feel like it is short term, but eventually you will feel lethargic, tired, sick... just horrid! and you WILL fall off the horse. Stick somewhere between a 500-1000 kcal defecit (but never below your BMR) and slowly but surely, those pounds will come off.

Good luck mate.

I look forward to the results in 12 months time!

[IK9]

Not too sure on body fat levels but to get diced.. I'd say at least 50 lbs to lose. Srs.

I know because I was in the same boat as you.. TWICE

[thoronern]

This is going to be a hell of a journey and I can't wait to read your updates! You should probably post your workout routine + your macros to give us a better picture of what your protocol is for this. The good thing about junk food addiction is that you have absolute control over your voluntary actions. Although you may have moments where the crave for junk food is unbearable it is important to realize you have the power to choose whether you want to act on these emotions and succumb to your immediate desires or fight it out and endure for your long term goal instead. The more you fight against your cravings the better you will be at doing it...the reverse is the same as well, unfortunately.

[TheMatzah]

Just dropping in to say best of luck with your goals, remember what the mind believes the body can achieve!

You can do it, no excuses. The great community on here provides ample support & knowledge. TGIF buddy!

[carlh_uk]

Best of luck with your transformation. I find planning in a small amount of cheat meal is a good way to stay focused. I try to eat clean all week and then after having a mouthful of cheat food I realise its not as great as I imagine and get back to eating clean. However with an unplanned cheat it can quickly get out of control! Looking forwards to hearing of your progress.

[Jeffacake]

Thank you for the support and messages all!

To answer a few questions.

I have calculated my TDEE to be 2505 and I am eating at 2000 cals a day which comes from roughly 183g carbs 149g protein and 74g fat
I am supplementing with whey protein and drink Xtend during workouts.

I am following the fierce 5 plan in gym and my cardio is a mix of Hiit training and long low intensity jogs.

I plan to update with photos once a week on Friday as doing something like that every week on the same day will help keep me accountable and motivated.

[IK9]

Thank you for the support and messages all!

To answer a few questions.

I have calculated my TDEE to be 2505 and I am eating at 2000 cals a day which comes from roughly 183g carbs 149g protein and 74g fat
I am supplementing with whey protein and drink Xtend during workouts.

I am following the fierce 5 plan in gym and my cardio is a mix of Hiit training and long low intensity jogs.

I plan to update with photos once a week on Friday as doing something like that every week on the same day will help keep me accountable and motivated.

If you are expending 2500 calories a day.. don't start at 2000 lol.. please start higher!

[Jeffacake]

If you are expending 2500 calories a day.. don't start at 2000 lol.. please start higher!

Hey IK9 thanks for the advise but im not 100% sure if you mean I should be eating more or less :S. I calculated these numbers with the IIFYM calculator and thought a 500 calorie deficit was a good place to start.

[IK9]

Eat more

[Jeffacake]

No posts for a few days as I have been back visiting family.

I cannot begin to say how great it felt to be able to sit and eat my chicken breast, wholegrain rice and spinach while everyone else had a takeaway and that not to bother me.
The scales are moving in the right direction too

[Jeffacake]

Homemade Hummus mixed with tuna, fresh spinach and dr zaks protein bread. This was heaven, satisfied my burger urges more than a burger ever could.





gif uploader

[Jeffacake]

A couple of progress photos today. I cannot see a difference myself however I have lost 2.2 pounds.
The nutrition side is going fantastically well. I am finding great things to eat which contain whole foods and contribute only good things to my diet. I am tracking calories accurately and hitting my macros every day.
If anything needs improving I would say I just need to get more motivated to do the exercise side of things.

[taperedtam]

A couple of progress photos today. I cannot see a difference myself however I have lost 2.2 pounds.
The nutrition side is going fantastically well. I am finding great things to eat which contain whole foods and contribute only good things to my diet. I am tracking calories accurately and hitting my macros every day.
If anything needs improving I would say I just need to get more motivated to do the exercise side of things.

Yeah, 2.2lbs or 1kg is hard to notice. Also, at that amount, it could just be water weight fluctuation

[taperedtam]

Best of luck with your transformation. I find planning in a small amount of cheat meal is a good way to stay focused. I try to eat clean all week and then after having a mouthful of cheat food I realise its not as great as I imagine and get back to eating clean. However with an unplanned cheat it can quickly get out of control! Looking forwards to hearing of your progress.

Agreed yeah. Planning out breaks/cheat meals is a great strategy. If you don't, the challenge of eating healthily seems impossible; Sure you may be able to eat clean for a day or three or five, but when you sit back and start thinking that you can never enjoy certain foods ever again, or only once you drop 10 or 20 lbs, the task seems insurmountable. Planning helps prevent that mindset, making it less likely that you give up

[MusculewJuice]

Best of luck, my friend. It seems like you've experienced similar challenges to me, and I am encouraged by your positive mindset. Let's maintain this attitude and crush our goals!